GREAT NEWS! WE ARE ONE STEP CLOSER!

So, we got the call today!  We are one step closer to bringing our little girl home!  She is officially our daughter....and her name is Bitamir.  Her American name is going to be Kari Bitamir Smith.  She will be two on October 11, also Terry's birthday!  We are over the moon excited!  So, now we wait for our paperwork to be translated into english and for it to be submitted to the US Embassy in Addis Ababa.  Once our case is submitted they will then review it.  If everything looks good, we will have our appointment and we can bring her home.  If there is anything that the US Embassy has questions about, they will then investigate and there is no telling how long that will take. 

So, for today we are celebrating this step.  This is closer than we have ever been to having our little one home safe in our house.  We are thanking God for bringing her one step closer to our family!

No News Yet!

So, here we are waiting for news.  We traveled while in Ethiopia with four other families that are also adopting precious little ones through our agency.  Three of those families were blessed with the wonderful news that their cases were now finalized with the Ministry of Womens Affairs and the Ethiopian court!  These families are now moving onto their paperwork being translated into english and then getting processed through the US Embassey, which is the final step before they get to bring their kiddos home.

We are so excited for these families!  This is really good news.  So, here we are waiting once again for news on our little girl being made officially ours.  Please God!!!!!  Any day would be good.....any day soon.  So, I have prayed every morning and every night for her and we pray for her to come home soon, at meals and at bed......I know that God's timing is perfect.  I am trying very hard to keep the Faith.

This has by far been the most Faith trying, Faith creating, frustrating, emotional and humbling experience we have ever been through.  I know that when she is home this will all be a distant memory, but for now all of this is very raw.  Our little girl turns two on October 11 and for those who don't know this is also Terry's birthday!  We were prayerful she would be home to share in this day with her Daddy.......

So, please continue to pray that we will hear very soon and that she will remain safe, healthy, happy and strong.

Blessing,
Leda, Terry, Jordan and Haiden

Her being a half a world away is killing me!

So, we got word yesterday......not a good word.  We got word that MOWA has in fact processed our opinion and sent it to the court.  Our opinion is waiting at court for the judge to review and finalize our case and make our adoption official if the opinion is positive.  The only problem is our opinion is waiting.  Waiting for the judge to come back from her long vacation at the beginning of OCTOBER and finalize our adoption.  So, there it sits waiting for her to review it and we don't know if it's positive or negative!  We won't know until the judge processes it because all of her open cases are sealed.....including ours.  So, here we sit....trying to stay busy and focusing on the boys upcoming school year and my mare that is about to have a baby of her own, but our little princess keeps popping into my mind a half a world away.  I find myself staring at her pictures and thinking about her giggles and kisses on the cheeks, her dancing and clapping.  It has been a long wait, but we pray she will be home soon.  Please keep us and our little princess in your prayers! 

More waiting on pins and needles

So, here we are overcome with joy that we got to meet our daughter.....however we are once again waiting for word on the process.  The next step is that the Ministry of Womens and Childrens Affairs in Ethiopia will approve our adoption and then everything will be submitted to the court there for finalization.  That's a very exciting step!  There's only one worry.....the courts close tomorrow until the beginning of October for the rainy season!  That means that if the MOWA opinion doesn't go to the court in the next 24 hours our wait for our US Embassy appointment will become much longer, and then our wait to bring our little pricess home will become much longer.  So, here we are waiting once again.....our last four years have been filled with waiting!  This time the waiting is much different because there are memories of giggles and hugs and kisses involved.  This waiting will require constant prayer to make it through.

Our First Trip to Ethiopia

So, here we are waiting for our driver to pick us up and take us to the airport for our long journey to the other side of the globe.  I am beyond thrilled to get home to see our "buddies".  This week has been hard to be away from the boys.  Thank God we have such an awesome Amma and Pappa to step up and take care of them so we can take one more step next to bringing our little princess home.

So, for as excited as we are to return home to Ohio, our hearts are breaking to leave our little girl.  We are prayerful that we will return in four to six weeks, but it may be longer.  I have been praying for her to be surrounded by God's love and that she will be snuggled and comforted as we will do.  I have been praying for her health and happiness and I have been trying to review her smile in my mind.  We have many pictures that I will review to hopefully ease the pain of leaving her.  I have to remind myself that God is in control and this is His plan.

We have had an incredible adventure here in Ethiopia.  We have seen that even though the people here lack many material things they are happy.  Yes, they are a happy, loving people!  I will be on a mission when we get home to figure out how I can serve God more in this part of the world.  I have some ideas floating around in my mind, but have to do further research to see which ones can come to fruition.

Our little princess is now 21 months!  She has an amazing smile that will just entrance you.  She has beautiful eyes and eyelashes that are to die for!  She is a little firecracker of energy and is very opinionated.....imagine that.  I think she will fit in with the boys so well!  We got to experience her love of music as she danced and clapped her hands to the music.  We are thinking that she may be able to help the boys with their dancing skills and rhythm.  Our little princess is an on the go girl!  I think that Haiden's wish to rock his little sister in the rocking chair may never happen....I don't think she will sit that long!  It is going to be so much fun to have a little one in the house again!!!!  I am really looking forward to having her home.