Article 5!

I received an email this morning that the U.S. Consulate in Baby Girl's country issued the Article 5.  Now our file goes through their high court system to be issued a High Court Order and then we TRAVEL!

Mommy's coming Baby Girl!

The email said that they anticipate the HCO to be issued either the last week of November or early December (it typically takes 8-10 weeks).  They said that hopefully Baby Girl will be home by Christmas!  I am so excited!  I am especially jumping out of my skin because the director of the program and an adoptive family that I am friends with are going to be visiting with Baby Girl on MONDAY!!!  Yippee!!!




P.S. Don't forget about my friend Sarah's offer that I wrote about here.

Amazing friends

I cannot explain what amazing friends I have.  Inspiring, thoughtful, encouraging, generous.

I have friends who planned and ran an enormous garage sale for Baby Girl's adoption.

I have a friend who had me speak at her church and then they presented me with two VERY generous checks, totally unexpectedly.

I have several friends (and family members who are also friends) from all over the country who wrote me checks out of the blue.

I have a friend who shared my situation with her friend who then sold hand-made jewelry to raise money for this adoption.

I have friends (and total strangers) who have donated to my Reece's Rainbow Family Sponsorship Page.

I have friends who have given a crib, baby carriers, clothes, and toys.

I have friends who pray for me, encourage me, inspire me, listen to me.

I have been humbled and awed with the love shown to me by these friends.

I haven't asked for money or help in this adoption journey.  I knew I did not have the money in my savings account (it was emptied with my first big agency fee) but I also didn't feel like I was to "raise" the money.  I just felt confident that it would come to me and it has.  I have been amazed, yet not amazed, because I knew this is what my Father God would do.  He set me on this journey of adoption and He is the one providing for it. 

Now, on this last leg of my adoption journey, this third trimester of my paper pregnancy, my friend Sarah is at it again.  She asked if she could help me out with with this last bit, the travel expenses.

Sarah makes beautiful hand-stamped jewelry (and takes great pictures, too.) 

She formerly sold her hand-stamped jewelry in an Etsy shop, but now almost the only way to get a piece is in one of her rare fundraisers for others, like this one.  Sarah is going to custom make a bracelet or pendant for anyone who donates to my Family Sponsorship Page. All of the details are on her blog: http://shepherdsgrace.wordpress.com/2012/09/20/daughters/

If you have been wanting to help out, this is a great opportunity.  If you need a unique Christmas gift, here is your chance.  But whether or not you give, I want to go on record telling the world that my loving Father God has provided for Baby Girl's adoption as only He can.  He provided!  I am so thankful to the friends, family, and strangers who have listened to His promptings and have given at exactly the right times.  And whether or not you are interested in giving I would encourage you to read Sarah's lovely post about daughters, or any of the posts on her blog...my friend has a way with words in addition to her jewelry-making, picture-taking talents.

She knows.

Baby Girl knows she has a mommy and a big sister and two big brothers. She has seen our video, looked at our pictures, and received our gifts. The social worker said she was very excited when watching the video, especially when Little Pud came on the screen. I wish I could show you all of the pictures (the one of how excited she was about the recorded book is absolutely priceless), but you will have to be content today with seeing her little hand reaching out to touch her big sister.

I am grateful. Not too long now, Little Sister, not too long now.

I800 approval!

Today I called the Hague USCIS office to find out about the status of my I800 for Baby Girl. The kind officer told me that it had been granted provisional approval yesterday afternoon! Yippee!!! Next they forward all the paperwork to the National Visa Center who will look it over and then "cable" the approval to the consulate in Baby Girl's country who will issue the Article 5. After that begins the wait for the court order and finally travel. It still looks like we will likely be travelling between Thanksgiving and Christmas. The sooner the better...I am starting to pine away for this sweet girl.

A post about four kids, none of them mine...

My fellow Reece's Rainbow Angel Tree Warrior Stori is offering matching grants to two families who travel soon to get their children. I love Stori's heart, and she advocates for sweet Kai (who lives in the same country as Baby Girl) and my little love Suzanne 15H. Kai and Suzanne are two of my very favorite children on Reece's Rainbow...two of the ones I would be SO EXCITED if I saw that they had families coming for them.

The matching grants offered are for two families who are going to be travelling SOON to very expensive countries and need additional funds to be able to travel to get their children. One of the families just received the devastating news that the child they were planning on adopting passed away. This is very real, folks. Kids are literally dying. That family is now pursuing a blind referral. I'm sure they would appreciate your prayers as they grieve and process and move forward.

Go check out Stori's blog to get the details of the matching grants for the families who will be traveling THIS WEEK and prayerfully consider what you read there. Look at what Stori and her husband are personally offering and ask yourself if you could give something to one or both of the families.

And finally, here is a picture of my sweet Suzanne who has already been transferred to an institution. Are you her mommy or daddy? I will help you fundraise if you are!