Sick day and Songs of Joy

My boys are both home today (JP is sick)…and were playing, packing up their Lighting McQueen suitcases to go on an adventure. They were packing hurriedly, even shoving the just-folded clothes into their luggage which of course, drove me crazy. Fast forward through the mom-gets-angry part to the part where they arrive at their journey. I overhear one say, “Wow! We’re finally here…in Ethiopia, Africa!” My ears perk up. I listen while they pretend to talk to their sister, telling her “We are proud of you, JG for waiting so patiently.” My tears start to flow, thinking of how impatient I feel, how sad and how angry I am that we failed court Monday, and that she is not coming home in May. They continue to play, handing her a Dunham pom-pom, books that JP wrote for school (where Tom & Jerry go to a haunted house and pray to God when they are scared. Yes I realize how funny this is.), and their favorite George and Martha book. I go into the laundry room to collect myself…ironic, mainly because the laundry room is so chaotic it is that place one should try to clear their head. I hear T say, “I think I will sing her a lullaby.” (Read my last post.) Then he changes his mind saying, “oh. She doesn’t need one.” I come out from the laundry room and argue with him that she does, in fact, need a lullaby. I glance at the clock reading 12.45…realizing it is almost 9 pm in Addis and she is probably in bed. My heart is sad…T again says, “Mom, she does NOT need a lullaby.” It strikes me not as him being obstinate (at it normally would from my son, so much like me), but instantly I think, “isn’t there a verse about God singing over us”? I found it in Zephaniah 3.17:
"Do not fear;
Zion, let not your hands be weak.
17 The LORD your God in your midst,
The Mighty One, will save;
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing.”
18 “ I will gather those who sorrow over the appointed assembly,
Who are among you,
To whom its reproach is a burden.
19 Behold, at that time
I will deal with all who afflict you;
I will save the lame,
And gather those who were driven out;
I will appoint them for praise and fame
In every land where they were put to shame.
20 At that time I will bring you back,
Even at the time I gather you;
For I will give you fame and praise
Among all the peoples of the earth,
When I return your captives before your eyes,”
Says the LORD."
So we wait until next week to hear of our second court date. Maybe longer. But while we wait, we can imagine a melody so sweet being sung over us and our sweet girl. Sleep tight, Gracie!

Not today...

Today's court did not go our way. We did get an explanation...but because of trying to keep JG's particular situation private (it is her story to tell) i cannot share much. We did hear that our new court date is May 20th...and that our agency thinks it is about 50/50...Anna said we need to pray that MOWA writes their recommendation letter in the way that accepts the documentation we have. I trust that our sweet girl is safe, and I pray that she is rocked to sleep tonight with a song of hope and deliverance.

Sarah's Laugh Echoes

In five more nights, our case will be heard in Ethiopia. I've been thinking ALOT lately about Abraham and Sarah. It is an amazing thing, after all this time, to be standing on the shore of faith, looking at the sand...and trusting that one grain stands for our sweet girl. What was it like for Sarah, and old woman, to feel a baby moving around inside of her, or to feel the beginning of labor pains? I can hear her laugh echo in my mind. A laugh of faith mingled with doubt, at the irony of LIFE coming from her almost dead body. But, also in that laugh, i hear hope. I am laughing today. Not unusual for me. Laughing with joy that i stand so close to the fulfillment of a dream....laughing that even though i doubt the stars in the sky and sands on the shore conspire together to preach to me, "HOPE"! 5 more nights...please pray and hope with us.

Update from Ethiopia

We recieved our first update on JG today. It included her new height, weight (she's still tiny), and some general info. The highlights: she is "VERY FUNNY", likes to eat pasta, and has a nanny & friends she is attatched to from her previous orphanage. I saw no hints of chicken pox (it's going around like crazy there) in her pictures...I am not sure if that is good or bad (will she be coming down with them right when we get there?). I needed this today...to see her face. I can't wait to SEE her face.

2 weeks until court

in 2 weeks we will hear the outcome of our court date. if i'm this excited now...how crazy will i be in 2 weeks? maybe it will be a good night to try out the sleep meds before the trip:)

Semlows passed!

our YG friends the Semlow passed court today for their 3 little ones! (Yes, i said 3) They have had a HARD LONG journey for their kiddos (have had their referral for 7 months and went to court 4 times at least. They will meet their children for the first time the day of our court hearing...in 2 1/2 weeks. If we pass we will be on ETHIOPIAN soil in one month. One month. One month!

3 more weeks!

3 weeks until we hear the verdict of our first court date (May 11). If we pass then we should be able to travel May 23-30. if not, then we get a new court date...and wait. I got an email from kim kulp (mountain view blog) with some pictures of our sweet girl (kim was in Ethiopia picking up her new son)...JG was wearing a purple (Geaux Tigers) shirt with the word "miracle" on it...just made me smile:) Here is what Kim said, "So, my thoughts of JG...she's SO STINKING SWEET we could barely stand it! I had to wake her up to take pictures of her, that's why she was a little groggy. She is shy but took my hand and toddled with me to the grass to sit and play. I gave her balloons, stickers, kisses and hugs and tried my best to get her to smile but she really didn't want to give a smile to me! I loved on her and changed her shirt, she looks so sweet in purple! Her hair is very soft and has sweet little curls. She loved the hair bow I made her as well. She's a girly girl! She is still learning to walk down stairs and over things and she has the sweetest little bow-legged toddle I've ever seen. Really, if we could have, we would have taken her home with us. She's a joy girl if I have ever seen one." Thanks Kim! Just thought i'd mention that i think she also looks a little like the macdonald women (Dean's mom's side of the family)...and she has dean's eyebrows. and she's shy like me. hahahahaha!