Ready, Set. Wait!

We'll be waiting longer still for Micah than I thought.
One of our social workers delicately told me to be prepared for the next steps - I-600, Exit Visa Clearance, etc. to take longer than I had hoped.
Waiting this long is giving me more patience that I want. :)

Oh My!!!

My new friend Dawn who adopted Micah's best buddy, just sent me a bunch of amazing photos of our boys together!
What a gift to this anxious Momma. The kindness of others overwhelms me. Thanks Dawn for helping me during this wait - you are a blessing!

Proverbs 11:2-4 (THE MESSAGE)

The stuck-up fall flat on their faces,
but down-to-earth people stand firm.
The integrity of the honest keeps them on track;
the deviousness of crooks brings them to ruin.
A thick bankroll is no help when life falls apart,
but a principled life can stand up to the worst.

An Imperfect World

The past two years I've done a lot of reading, and even more thinking. Being a parent, sister, aunt, and daughter-in-law of adopted people has given me a variety of windows to look through and see the myriad of ways adoption has affected people I love. Having lived in Brazil and taken care of premature babies left to die on the street before being found, will forever make me an advocate for providing safe places for Mothers unable to parent to bring their children to and to receive medical care for themselves as well. Fostering children with special needs here at home and working with parents who undeniably loved their children but didn't have the support, education, and resources to raise their little ones, has also made me an advocate for offering as much aid to families who want to parent to do just that.
In a perfect world, children would never be separated from their first parents. We don't live in a perfect world. Yet those of us in the adoption community can work together to make it a better one. Oh how we need to do that. Yet it will never be a perfect world. As long as there is death, disease, addiction, violence, and lack of support, there will be children who need another family to continue with the care and love that they require and deserve.
Sometimes I see and read a lot of discussion back and forth whether adoption should be done away with altogether. That's just not going to happen. If it did - who answers to the children who are left without families present in their everyday lives? Is reform needed? YES! And that is a goal I think many of us can agree on and work together towards promoting.

The Silver Lining . . .

of our frustrating day yesterday was reuniting with some friends! Esther was able to spend the afternoon eating and playing with her good buddy who shares her story of being born in Korea. It was great to see these two one time housemates reconnect and shine in each others' presence. When it was time to say good-bye, little S wanted to come home to our house to continue playing. If only we didn't live three hours away. If I do have to re-do the biometrics, the good side will be seeing two forever connected little friends be together again.

Pass the corn please!

Well, we just got in the door from Des Moines.
Dave's images went well. Mine, not so well.
I have extremely dry skin and deep creases on my
fingers and they couldn't get good readings on my
prints. They'll send them to NE anyway and see if
they'll be accepted. If not, I have to go back again.
And if it doesn't work then, I need to go our local
police station and get a notarized document stating I
haven't committed any crimes.
I didn't have any troubles the first time for Esther,
but it's been really cold dry weather now. I'm buying
Corn Husker's Lotion and slathering myself silly
beginning tonight.

Snow, Snow, Go Away

or at least don't fall too heavily! We are readying to get fingerprinted (FINALLY) on Friday morning. The weatherman tells us there's a storm system moving in to our area and to the west. Now, I'm a lover of snow, a nod to my nordic heritage. But I would gladly say good bye to this batch of snow so I can get to say hello to my son soon!

What I'm Learning

There's a lot more of me to die in my life,
And a lot more of Christ to live.

Cooking 101

If you prepare a meal in a crockpot, it is necessary to plug such crockpot into an outlet.

Counting

I have a lot of counting to do.
Counting my blessings is a good exercise.
One I need to implement more often in my life.
So, here's my thankful list:
A husband who loves me know matter what the scale says, what my mood is, or if the bed is made or not.
Friends who live within blocks, some across oceans, who will forever share memories with me and hope for new ones to be made together.
Children, who although can at times make me long for peace, fill my heart with joy.
Parents who raised me to love God above all else.
A home that is safe, warm, beautiful, and perfect for welcoming others.
A body, that although hosts titanium and cellulite, gets me to wherever I choose to go.
The list goes on and on, but alas, one of my blessings is calling me. :)

We have a Date!

That nesting urge DID mean something!!
We rec'd a call from USCIS this morning telling us that our fingerprint appointment is set for 10 a.m. on January 18th!
One step closer. . .
Got to go make my Valentine for my little sweetie!

It Must Mean Something!

Daddy Bird has the nesting urge today!
As I write, he is CLEANING THE LAUNDRY ROOM!! That's right people, CLEANING THE LAUNDRY ROOM!!!
This just has to be a sure sign that Micah will be home soon!
Come home little bird, your nest is ready!!