What a journey this has already been! We are praising God for bringing us this far—and we are so excited that we are another step close to our baby!!! We felt like this was such a huge milestone…and I feel officially EXPECTING…and being a photographer who loves pictures—I kind of like to think of this time as my “paper pregnancy”…so I guess in a way, these are my maternity pictures;). REJOICE and PRAISE JESUS with us!!! We can’t WAIT for these numbers to dwindle and eventually match us to the baby we have LONGED for! I feel like we NEED him way more than he could ever need us. I long for him as I have longed for my other three children…and I can’t wait to finally have him in my arms!!!
YAY! We have our first numbers…the first of many along the way—yet we are THRILLED to start our countdown to the precious baby of our heart! I just HAPPEN to have our family portrait for Christmas cards set up for today;)…so I’ll be posting on of my favorites with our first numbers in a bit! YAY! God is so good, and we are so thankful!
I can't wait to see your numbers!!! I am so happy for you.
Blessings,
Amy
Can't wait to hear!
We are at the same stage as you guys. Looking forward to walking this journey with you.
We got our submitted our dossier last week too.
http://adoptingsweetpea.blogspot.com/
Cris
you KNOW we are thrilled for you!! can't wait to join you!!
Jenn
YAY! We got the call we’d been holding our breath for all day tonight at 7pm! AGCI is 3 hours behind us and they close at 4:30 on Fridays, so looks like they called me just before shutting down for the day. And our numbers?! Well, they have to wait until Monday! Am I serious?! I know, that’s what I said! For whatever reason, our case worker said that they would give me my numbers first thing on Monday morning. Not sure why—but that’s just the way it’s gonna work I guess—and you know what?! I’ll take it! Because our being waitlisted means…
…our paper chase is OVER!
…I can finally not fret about notaries, redoing paper work or one of my preschoolers deciding to our dossier is a coloring book…a little fear of mine–and thank goodness that never happened before mailing it all in!
…we are one step closer to our baby!!!
I jokingly told several people that I did NOT even care what our numbers were as long as we were wait listed. I guess God decided to take me up on that one…and keep all of us in suspence…so this weekend we celebrate being on the official wait list…and Monday we’ll have good news again! I love the way God works some times. Some times things are just TOO great, and He just likes to spread things out to make the celebrating spread out as long as possible!
Stay tuned for Monday:). YAY! I’m SOOOOO excited!!!
Celebrating with you! Cannot wait for Monday's news!
Love & Blessings from Hong Kong,
Kim
YAY!!!!!!!!!!!! One step closer!!!! Can't wait for the update on Monday! 🙂 Love you!
In agony here 🙂 We got the call too but missed it. Hoping and PRAYING we are going to receieve numbers on Monday too. But SO EXCITED for your guys and rejoicing alongside you!!
Jenn
LOL, God is funny sometimes 🙂
At least you can relax knowing that everything is correct and you are officially waiting. I wonder what all the confusion is about? I know they got a lot of dossier this week.
Looking forward to SEEING your numbers!!!
Congrats, it's so good to have closure on the paperwork. Look forward to hearing your number!
Congrats…..even if you have to wait 🙂
Yea!!! It is just a relief to know that you do not have to worry about it anymore. I cannot wait to hear your number!
Blessings,
Amy
are you ready for monday or WHAT?! hahah who looks forward to mondays but obsessed crazy adoptive parents…I am now STALKING my cell phone *sigh* deep breath!
Christie, our AGCI case worker, emailed me today to let me know she had my dossier and home study sitting safely on her desk, and it will be reviewed on Friday with all the other dossiers…in the order they were received. YAY! Please pray with us that the dossier is complete and no revisions are necessary…we are so excited and anxious to get our numbers!!! We did not make a gender request, and we were told without a request we would most likely get to the bottom of the boy list first…but a friend of ours told us she has actually seen the lists change during her time with AGCI and it’s quite possible for things to change for us too. We are almost officially “pregnant” but we’ll still be watching the numbers month to month to see what our “ultrasound” will say! The exciting thing about adoption—is on your “ultrasound day”…referral day…you find out not only whether you will be the mommy of a boy or girl…but you ALSO see their picture, their sweet little face—and you fall in love in a different, miraculous way! We are just excited to almost have a number!
I’M REALLY GOING TO BE A MOMMY AGAIN! I get to go across the world and see my baby for the FIRST time…and he (or she!) will be MY CHILD! FOREVER! It’s REALLY happening!!! I am really, really, really going to get to be a mommy again! And now without a business. I get to mommy 4 children and be 100% ALL mommy! I can’t believe how GOOD the Lord is!!! I’m just so excited!!!!
Now…Debby Downers. I still have a couple more weeks of editing and work. I’m up editing away tonight…but had to pop in and jot something on our adoption blog. I was terrible about updating my photography blog–but this adoption blog…addicted. Completely and utterly addicted. It’s so therapuetic for me to rehash our day and what’s ahead…and it’s really fun to also grab some of you and bring you on our journey with us.
On a random / fun / day in the life kind of note—we completed our filming debut for the movie “Live As We Know It” tonight! Stay tuned for the funny details…but the most fun part—I shared our adoption with Kathryn Hiegel and even gave her some really fun 147 Million Orphan tshirts, necklaces and hats that Gwen gave me to give her. VERY FUN! She was so excited and loved the beaded necklaces especially! They are TOO cool…you can buy some here: http://147millionorphans.com/
I’ve got pictures from our night—even a cute one of Kathryn and Miss Laney bug…we had dinner with the actors, actresses, set staff after shooting tonight too…Kelly and I had fun—but I must say we have completely gotten the movie thing out of our system! Fun to say we did it, but sitting in a room from 2pm-10pm waiting on and off for your time to roll…and between the 2 of us we had FIVE little ones UNDER FIVE…man, it was crazy…but fun and we met a lot of really neat people. And I even got to share Wiphan Care Ministries with a few…you just never know who might want to be a part of what God is doing in Zambia through Wiphan! http://www.wiphan.org/
And last but not least…I’m so excited because guess what I just bought tickets to while taking a break from editing??? I bought 2 kids tickets (Frank will sit this one out…sorry bud–it’s past your bedtime)Â and 2 adult tickets for December 19th (my bday) to take our crew to…
to see….
THE NUTCRACKER!!!
And what I’m even more excited about is that we got orchestra seating for just $20 a ticket. If you buy them early enough you get close and cheap:). My kind of night. OK…I know we are penny pinching for our adoption…but Richard if you are reading this—Happy Birthday to Me:) Hee.hee.
OK…so stay tuned. I’ll post some film pictures tomorrow to help distract me from wondering if we’ll get our numbers on Friday…and I do hope to have some fun news to post on Friday. YET…it is all in the Lord’s hands and I’m going to wait on His timing…as hard as that is to write…I’m going to wait on Him!
I know you are sooo excited to be done with the work!!! Hey, the Nutcracker sounds great- need a break every once in a while 🙂 Enjoy, and can't wait to hear your numbers!
Congrats on getting all the paperwork in! You guys were so fast on it! We're still sitting here praying for the $$.
Are you gonna post pics from your filming tonight? What a fun thing to do with the family!
hey! so excited for you guys! i keep checking back for news. i am sure i will hear you from here when you get your number 🙂
Congrats getting all your paperwork done and turned in .. YEA!!! It feels so good to be done with it all..it's a time of rejoicing. On Thursday our Dossier made it safely to Ethiopia!
YES…the Fed Ex man came!
YES…we turned right around and overnighted our package to AGCI! (It will arrive at 8:30am tomorrow morning!)
YES…we will be holding our breath, hoping for no revisions and waiting for the number and place in line God has chosen for us!
Until then…we are all dreaming.
Laney and Parker are dreaming of a baby to join their team (and with these just 14 months a part…this pair IS a team!)
They are dreaming of another one to laugh with…maybe even tickle…and possibly even pick on (poor Frank is picked on quite a bit these days!)…
Â
And Frank is dreaming of HIS side kick getting here—and quick…
(doesn’t this face look like he is longing for his partner in crime?!)
(doesn’t this face look like he is longing for his partner in crime?!)
“Can’t you see *I* need a buddy! If anyone needs you over here…it’s me! See these two behind me?! They’ve lost their minds—crazy, I tell ya. You and me—we’ve got work to do. We’re taking these two down…finally after a year of being picked up–tickled–dressed up…finally, I’m gonna have a side kick. We’re totally eating all of their goldfish. You tell Almaz and the crew at Hannah’s Hope your jettin’ out on a fast plane cause you’ve got a brotha in need…someone’s waiting on you. Come quick. I need ya bud!”
Â
Â
******************************************************
Get your crew “Go, Seek, Love” Africa shirts here:
http://asformyhousehold.blogspot.com/
Get your crew “Go, Seek, Love” Africa shirts here:
http://asformyhousehold.blogspot.com/
******************************************************
And look what the leader of the pack did today?!
Took our dossier to FedEx…and happily handed over the months of long work!
What a BIG day for us!!! And it was so fun to let Parker be a part of it today!
Parker said as we got in the car, “That was it, wasn’t it mommy? The package that will bring my baby home from Africa?”
“Yes honey, that’s the package!”
And then he replied, “Are you sure we can’t bring home two?”
Thank you Jesus for what you are doing in our son’s heart!!!
Thank you Jesus for changing ours in the process—to love more, to sacrifice with joy and to wait upon your perfect will!
PRAISE JESUS! One step closer to the Babe of our HEART!
(and guess what song was playing while we did all this today?! the first song on today’s playlist that you are listening to right now! Give us eyes to see and a heart to love with Lord!
 Man, what an awesome day…rain and all!)
Those pictures are just precious. My three kiddos have the same shirts. I just love them.
Praying,
Amy
Those are adorable pics! I agree- Frank needs a partner in crime…I mean you know to play with.
Cute!! Where did you get the shirts?? I love 'em!
Thanks so much for the link! I love the precious pictures of your sweet children in the shirts. And CONGRATULATIONS! What a wonderful feeling to have everything out of your hands and on the way to Ethiopia. What a great day! Blessings,
Sarah
What a great post! Your sweet little boy is going to love reading this someday! I will say a prayer over this package! Have fun tomorrow with the stars!
WOOHOO!! What a great feeling!! I am HOPING to mails ours off tomorrow…one more thing to finalize and then we will jump in line behind you 🙂 🙂 🙂 CONGRATS!!
Jenn
What a wonderful thing to read just before I head to bed. The financial pressure of how we are going to adopt more children is weighing heavily this eveing and this just puts me right back on track. The how is already done right? My job is to trust God and keep stepping.
I am so excited for you and your entire family!
Yay! I know you have been waiting a long time for these numbers. Strangely you're the second family to post wait list numbers today and you both are #45 on the girls list 🙂 They must have had a lot to sort through with all the families having dossier's turned in last week.
From the information we have right now I believe we are #18 on the boys list and #42 on the girls list.
Let the waiting begin 🙂
Great video and congrats on being on the list..Now the fun really begins. Looking forward to following along on your journey.
What a sweet video! Congratulations on getting on THE list. I'm so happy for you.
amazing! we are so excited for your family! I think my husband Shane met you at the TFA conference??? Maybe not. You may have even emailed me and it got lost in the pile of To do's…but we are celebrating with you! We are also boarding a plane this week to bring home our little guy!
Congrats, amazing video, and can't wait to see the journey God takes you on…
Congrats Congrats!! So happy for you guys! What a fun video .. I can't wait to see the one you put together when you bring your child home! Praying for you and your beautiful family.
Love the video! It is so precious.
Blessings,
Amy
Love,love,love the video! Made me cry! So excited to be on this journey with you!! Thanks again for letting us hang out on Saturday in all the chaos! This really helped Dee a lot!
Congratulations! So excited for you! Your sweet video made my heart (and eyes!) swell. 🙂
Congratulations! We look forward to watching more of your story unfold!
blessiings,
Polly
I've stumbled upon your blog. My family and are are in the process of completing our dossier. We are adopting from Ethiopia using Children's Hope International. I've loved reading your blog and cannot wait to follow you on your journey!
What a beautiful video!!!
MY HEART IS SO FULL OF JOY!!
What a beautiful family to be welcomed into, little one! What a blessing your story is to others sharing in a similar journey, as well!!
We love you all!!
gorgeous girl…all of it!! congrats again!!
Jenn
Congrats! Congrats! Great to have your #'s and so exciting to be one more step closer to you new little family member! 🙂
Love the video!! Congrats on your official numbers!!!!!
Yay!!! So glad you finally have numbers!!! A step closer. The video is awesome! Can't wait for more updates! 🙂 This journey of adoption is hard and laborious, but isn't it a JOY???
yayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy…loved the video..ok i have to link to it….SO AWESOME!! Ok, i'm going to update my blog with your link…so awesome!!! so happy for you all, kj
Love the video and congrats on a your sweet numbers. 🙂
Yay for official numbers!!! So excited for you guys! Can't wait to meet you guys soon. (small world. my husband an I know Carrie and Jonathan Tabb from when they lived in Athens!)
celebrating with you guys!
(please pray for our court date…the 24th!! So excited!)
emily v.
vogeltanzfamily.com
INCREDIBLE!
Filled with joy for you and your precious waiting one.
Love & Blessings from Hong Kong,
Kim
yea!! so happy for you guys!!
our little guys are going to be VBBF!!
Congratulations! Like I have said before you are showing the WAY and it is a positive one!
Love, Jen
WOW — this is such a neat slideshow and so exciting!! 28 and 45!!! I love how you chose verse with 28 in them … so neat! 🙂
I came from Amy's blog – she posted about you today … so glad she did!!
We're in the process of adopting a baby boy from Ethiopia – we're still at the beginning and have our 1st and 2nd home study meetings on the 12th.
So glad I found your wonderful blog!! 🙂
beautiful video!!! we started at #28 on the girls list a year ago and now our sweet girl has been home 3 months. what joy! enjoy the process…it's an incredible ride. all for his glory!
I'm just visiting from Amy's blog. What a beautiful and exciting time!!! Congratulations!!!!
Your video is AMAZING! Love it! Congrats on getting the paperwork done (so far) and being on the list!
Blessings,
Jenny
(waiting for Abby in India) AGCI pilot
needhamfamily5.blogspot.com
Andrea, This video is so touching. It brought tears to my eyes. I'm eagerly awaiting the news!
Hey Andrea, awesome video!!! Who sings this song in this video? I love it! Thanks! bobi bobbitt