We have a group!

I called AAI today and found out that we are in Group R. This is how they group court cases/files together. As far as I know, there were 15 families that were filed for court last week, us being one of those.

So now what?

We wait. Yep...that's the name of the adoption game!

Except now, we're waiting for our court date.

I'll update when that happens!

Welcome Bag Photo

Last Tuesday we got another photo emailed to us of our little EG. It was the cutest picture!

She had on her "Daddy's Sweet Pea" shirt and was holding her photo album, bear and Elmo book...along with the sweetest smile with her little tongue hanging out!

Ahhhh....

I just love the update photos. And they are always a surprise!

Can't wait to be able to show them off!

At this point we are waiting to be filed for court. The courts just opened back up this past week after the annual closure during the rainy season. This year's closure was only about 5 weeks or so, instead of the usual almost 3 months, which means that there's not too much backup with cases to be filed and heard.

We are hoping to hear that we've been filed for court in the next few weeks.

***EDITED TO ADD: We received our final invoice today (Friday, Oct 23rd). That means that we've been filed for court! Yippeee! We don't have a date yet, but as soon as we do, I'll post. In the meantime, please be in prayer that the Lord allows us to pass the first time around.***

So until then, we just look at the beautiful face of the little girl that already is referred to by our last name!

How cool is that?!?

New Pic

Oh my. What that little girl does to my heart everytime I see a pic of her...

We received an updated photo of our little EG today. Totally unexpected. I knew to expect a new photo every once in a while, but not a new one after just 2 weeks!

Anyway...can't wait to show her sweet little face...sooner rather than later I hope!

************Edited to add***************

Since we are having little bit escorted, we have to put together a travel bag for her. This will be sent to AAI and they will get it in the hands of her escort. There are a few things still to get, like another photo album and a magna doodle and a pair of shoes. I just didn't want to be getting this together on top of getting ready for Christmas and everything that comes with that!

We had a general list of what they recommend, so we hit it! The girls picked out the toys for her to play with on the plane. JK has already asked when I'm gonna get her backpack monogrammed like hers and LB and AA's...a true southern girl!

Ahhhh...retail therapy...it's the best...

Welcome Bag

AAI gives adoptive parents the opportunity to send a welcome bag to the child that we will soon be receiving into our family. It's a great way to say "we love you and can't wait to bring you home".

Here is what we included in ours.

1) photo album with pics of us, girls, house, bedroom

2) small stuffed bear

3) board book

4) letter from our family

5) t-shirt

6) disposable camera

Each child that receives their bag knows that they have a forever family waiting for them. They get to wear their shirts and are excited to show their friends! There will be pics taken of our little EG receiving her bag and in her shirt. So cute! Can't wait to get that camera back!

Our agency director is headed over to Ethiopia in a couple of weeks and told us that she would take our welcome bag with her. So we will be overnighting that tomorrow as well as our referral agreement. We've had it filled out for days but wanted to send everything at one time.

So what's next?

We wait some more! (That's the name of the adoption game, after all!) This time though, the wait is for a court date. And it's much easier having her little face on my refrigerator to help with the wait!

Stay tuned!

By the way...how 'bout that t-shirt?!?

Step one in preparation for daughter #4...

...new beds.

Seeing as though we will have 4 girls sharing one room (we are NOT giving up the playroom!) we knew that the only way it would work would be to have two sets of bunk beds in the bedroom.

Have you priced those things lately?!? Unreal. Then add 4 mattresses...jeesh.

So we've been on the lookout for months. Months. For a good deal.

Finally found a good deal...or two!

We got the first bed from a friend...we found the ad in the paper and didn't realize it was our friend until we called about it.

Deal #1: an amazingly solid bed with 2 mattresses for $250. Can't beat that with a stick.

Deal #2: found by our best buds Jennie and Scott in Alabama...another solid bed with 2 mattresses for $300. Can't beat that one either.

So there you have it. Two sets of bunkbeds in great shape...4 mattresses...$550.

Dave would be proud. We are stoked!

So here's the completed bed #1. We'll have the other in 3 weeks when the Murphy's come for our trip to the mountains.

IT'S A GIRL!!!!

It is with great joy that we announce our acceptance of a referral of a little girl!

After 10 months and 4 days of waiting we received the loooooooooooooooong awaited phone call from AAI on Thursday afternoon at around 3:30. I was coming out of my phenergan induced sleep when my phone rang. To say that I was shocked was an understatement!

We are not able to post photos or tell of her particular situation under after she is legally ours, but just trust me when I say that her little face melts my heart! We have been told that she is healthy and happy and brings a "good disposition" to whoever she's around.

When we originally turned in our home study, our requested age was 18mo-4yrs. We had our home study changed for birth-4yrs, after being told that toddler girls didn't become available very often. Generally toddler girls are part of a sibling group, and those sibling groups are placed together.

So for the last 10 months we had been expecting to receive a referral for an infant girl. Imagine our surprise when we found out that our little girlie is thought to be 2 1/2!

Not quite what we were expecting, but what we had originally desired. Her age fits perfectly with the spacing of all of our girls...only God takes care of those little details!

JK, LB, and AA are very excited and think that she's "so cute".

So what's next?!? A few more papers to sign...

Then we will be filed in court. Court has been closed in Ethiopia for about the past month. They are getting ready to reopen in the next couple of weeks. We are hoping for a court date sometime in October. That would be wonderful! But as we have learned throughout this process, things don't always happen in the time frame that we desire.

So for now, we sit and wait (again) to find out the next step that will bring our daughter home!

We continue to covet your prayers as we prepare to help this little girl adjust to one more change in her young life.

Pray also for our girls that they will be ready emotionally when we bring our little EG home!

Stay tuned for the next update!

Already a part...

My dad was in Honduras last month for a mission trip. He brought back several things, and of course, the girls were spoiled!

He found these dresses. And bought 4 of them. On his own. Made my mom cry.

It's pretty cool when your entire family is getting excited and thinking about this little girl as one of us already. What a blessing!

How 'bout that little dress on the end?!? I'm seeing spring photos in a field...