I've been a little busy

So I haven't blogged much. That's because I've been overwhelmed with the details of going to Ethiopia. And not just that, but also with completing some stuff at the office before I take off for 2 months. Oh and working on a few other little projects, playing outside with the kids, etc.

I have lots I'd love to share but I'm not sure that you want to take the time to read it all. Basically we're thrilled beyond belief about the opportunity to go. God has really been confirming the details of the trip.

We have airline tickets, hotels, tentative plans for the kids that need to be firmed up, shopping done for stuff to take, etc.

We heard late this week that Judah is 35 pounds so I will be leaving the 2t clothes on the shelf and taking the 3t clothes. That makes perfect sense to me considering my daughter is about the same size and is wearing 3t pants and 4t shirts.

I put together a simple prayer calendar for the next few weeks. It mentions what we're doing each day and gives specific things to be praying for.

If you'd like to pray for us you can right click and save the image to your desktop and then print it off on a full page. Or you can comment/email me and I can send you a pdf version.

Updated Measurements

Ryan has been visiting with our doctor about some potential health concerns (giardia, ear infection, etc) for our son when we get to Ethiopia. In their conversation, our doctor requested updated weight.

Holt kindly and quickly got back to us with some updated measurements. I've heard the scales show heavier in Addis, but his current weight shows for 35 pounds. He shows for 32" tall. I think he and Bethany are the same size... I might need to take bigger clothes since I had planned small.

Update

Didn't rest well last night. I guess I'm a little excited.

We have lots to do in the next 12 days but here's what we've done so far.

Purchased airline tickets. We're leaving on the 26th. Flying from Cedar Rapids to Detroit and Detroit to Amsterdam arriving Tuesday the 27th. We're staying in Amsterdam for two days and will meet up with some relation of Ryan's. We'll fly from Amsterdam to Ethiopia on the 29th! We have 3 tickets coming home and hope and pray (you can pray too) that we catch our super short connection back to Cedar Rapids on May 7th.

Yep, that's about it. Like I said, we have lots to do!!!

Leaving on a Jet Plane

I have two of the 3 ticket confirmations in my inbox. Woo hoo!

Leaving April 26th (a little earlier than originally planned) and returning on May 7th. Yipee!

Hi/Low

In our small group bible study, we start our evenings with a hi/low.  I wanted to share with you my hi-low emotional rollercoaster for today and ask for prayer.
 
Low: Friday several families were contacted by Holt about being in the travel group for the first week of may.  We were not contacted.  I was a bit dissapointed but trusting in God's timing and thankful for how He has provided.
 
Hi: At 5pm, I sent an email asking a few people to pray about our travel opportunities and taking a friend with us.  I hit send and refreshed my inbox and had an email from our agency.  We are in the travel group for the first week of May! 
 
I'm so excited my heart is pounding out of my chest and I can hardly type!  We're going to Ethiopia.  And this is no April Fool's joke! (I told my small group that we were going on April Fools).  My emotions are all over the place.  I was and am trusting in God's timing. I had resigned myself to not travelling in the first week and was thrilled with the possibility of Kara travelling with us (she can't go the first week), getting to go on a free mini-vacation to the Dells (scheduled for May 6th), and having more time to prepare.
 
Today is the 12th.  We have to be in Addis on the 29th.  That's 17 days people.  Pray for us please... it will be a wild two weeks!!!  Okay, now I have to go read the email from Holt about the actual travel :)

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No news is good news, right???

While several families heard about travel plans on Friday, we were not one of those families. I must admit that this morning as I read my email, I was a little dissapointed that we're not in travel group 8 going the first week of May. At the same time, I know that I'm trusting in God's timing. Trusting has been made easier since I want to be two places at once: picking up my son, but also enjoying a free trip to the Dells with my family. I'm okay with either and trusting for God to do big things regardless of the week we travel.

With that said, I did email Jenn at Holt asking about our travel. I know it's the Ethiopia staff who makes the appointments with the embassy, so I emailed asking her to confirm that our paperwork didn't get lost. I don't want to find out a month from now that something is missing from our file. I will be watching for Jenn's reply.

Congrats to those who received travel dates. I really was hoping to travel with Shonda who's going the first week but maybe she and I can meet another time. Congrats to those who got travel dates!

What to Do

As we're anticipating news of travel in the next month, there's lots that needs to be done. The kids rooms are done and organized (with the exception of taking out a few little odds and ends from when Bethany was a baby). The will should be done this week which takes care of our financial and child rearing should something happen to us. Insurance can't be taken care of until we have the adoption decree which Holt is telling me I'll have when I get to Ethiopia. I still have a list of things to do:

• Meet with the trustees of our estate to explain again our wishes.
• Write a letter to be attached to the will and trust paperwork.
• Buy skin care products for Judah.
• Talk to a few medical friends I have to see if they'll donate supplies.
• Finish the journey bags for Ghana.
• Finish my own little journey bag for Ethiopia.
• Write a letter for Judah's family.
• Crash course in Amharic from Denise.

I'm anxious to get oru son. At the same time, I'm just enjoying God's timing and working on living out the verse that says to be anxious about nothing but to be prayerful about all things. There's some chatter on the yahoo board about getting enough notice for the trip. Two weeks isn't a lot of time to plan but this is international adoption we're dealing with. I've been telling myself all along that we won't get more than two weeks notice. We won't be surprised if it's less either. Eventually we'll buy tickets and fly to Ethiopia and bring our son home!!!