A Bit of This and a Bit of That

This last few days we had family and friends receive their questionaires. These are reference questions with regard to our abilities to parent, and about us as a couple. There were three pages and the questions require indepth thinking and take some time to fill in. We have been very impressed and thankful for the attitudes of our chosen references. There were eight people that had to fill in the paperwork and they have worked so quickly.

Some examples of their kind efficiency has been: One friend filled in her paperwork and then faxed it to the office and then mailed the hardcopy. Another emailed her answers and then also mailed her actual letter. My mother in law filled hers in today and then paid $7 to Express mail it to get it to our agency as quickly as possible. We truly appreciate the efforts of our friends and family. With the amount of time everything takes we are so thankful for the help of all of you to speed things along as you can!

Tomorrow is an exciting day. Ray and I are heading to the coast to go to our three day seminar. Something interesting to note. About two months ago some friends of ours sold their house. We were all kind of hoping that they wouldn't sell and we wouldn't lose them as friends. We knew that even if they moved away they would still be friends, but it wasn't the same as having them two minutes from our house. Plus, they have 3 boys the ages of our oldest three!

Suffice it to say, it was a very weepy day the day we learned they were leaving. Upon looking in my Bible for a word of consolation I came up on Psalm 84. "When you walk through the Valley of Weeping it will become a place of springs where pools of blessing and refreshment collect after rains!"

At that moment I just claimed that verse as a promise! I needed it. Within days I was shown the blessing of our friends moving to the coast. Something that may fulfill itself in a couple years. It didn't change my feeling sad at the loss, but just reading that verse, I knew that God had a plan.

It wasn't until about two weeks later that Ray and I made the decision to adopt. We learned that we would need to be on the coast for two seminars. The first one we had babysitting lined up at our house for just one day. The second one, of course, was going to require three - four days of day care. Not an easy thing to arrange when I have never left my two year old before!! But of course, God had it all arranged. Our friends who had moved to the coast just three weeks ago have graciously allowed us to stay at their house while we are down there. Their house is just about 20 minutes or so from where we will be at the seminar. On top of that, my friend L. will be babysitting our two youngest children during the day while we are at the seminar! How awesome is that!!! God is good ALL THE TIME!

Colt and Dane came home yesterday at 2:00 am! Then a mere 16 hours later they were packed and out the door again. This time to go work at the Bible camp near us. Cassidy, also, left with them. He starts camp today (this morning) but went with them so that I wouldn't have to drive him out again this morning. He ended up with an extra night at camp that way, too. They will all be at camp until Saturday.

So, that leaves one little boy to find a home for *grin*. He was welcome to have gone with the two little ones to the coast but a friend of ours was over recently and we arranged for him to go to her house from Tuesday - Saturday. He is quite happy about this to say the least!

While Ray and I are on the coast we are going to an Ethiopian restaurant in the 'big city'. I am excited about this!!! Today I called the restaurant to see if we needed reservations and I have to tell you - when I got off the phone I gave a little squeal of excitement. It is hard to explain. We are adopting (Lord willing) two little girls from Ethiopia, and I spoke with a real live Ethiopian today! *laugh* - Do you realize how close that made me feel to Ethiopia??? I have learned through another adoptive family that came from our town (before they moved away) that he and his family moved from Ethiopia 18 months ago and they are apparently wonderful people.

In Ethiopia they do not have dining tables like ours. Their tables are baskets on stands. Imagine a wicker table shaped like an hour glass. On top of the hour glass is a round shaped top with a raised lip. This is your table. Onto the table they place a 'tablecloth' of injera. This is kind of like a pancake (but tastes different). This is what your food is served onto. Then you are also given pieces of rolled up injera. You use the rolled up injera to pick up your food and you also eat 'the tablecloth'! *laugh* Can't wait to try this!!

The method of eating (if you do it correctly) is that you wash your hands, (there is a bowl of water brought around) use only your right hand, and then you communally share the same meal. For people like me - who are 'picky' when it comes to germs *grin* - there are rules. *Good!* Never lick your fingers, don't touch your fingers to your mouth, etc.

My only thing I am dreading is that we are taking Briton and Cooper. Actually Cooper would be great, but Briton???? He is 2 and used to a highchair -need I say more??? It will be an experience!

After our seminar we are onto the next stage. OOOOOHHHHHH so exciiiiiiitting!!!!! Then we get the questionaires that *we* have to answer and after that there is the assignment of the social worker!!

I have to tell you this is so much more exciting than a pregnancy!! *laugh* Seriously, when you are pregnant the first time you feel your baby kick is so thrilling. Well, imagine that feeling happening all the time *for the first time*!

That is what this feels like: 1) getting the paperwork started 2)first seminar 3)signing with and being accepted by agencies 4) hurdles being crossed 5) next seminar 6) meeting social worker - and that is as far as we are so far. There will be so many more *first times* to come!

Oh, we have 'our girls' or as Austin calls them - 'my sisters' - *smile* - hanging on the stair wall now. Yesterday, Ray took the rug and stained a 1x6 board that was about 8 feet long. He then attached the rug to it and hung it on the wall. When I was upstairs at the far end of the house, in the boy's room, I could see across the landing, over the railing, onto the stair wall. There hanging on the wall I could see the girls praying. It was really quite beautiful, because the stair light creates a showcase effect on the rug!!! And the colours on our stairs are stunning. This was no accident!