Friday, July 5, 2013
Still not Submitted to Embassy:(
Yesterday marked 6 weeks since Ethan and I said goodbye to Kenesa. On Monday I received a email from our agency that all our paperwork was ready and we were getting submitted on Tuesday July 2. Once you get submitted you get a email from the U.S. Embassy that they have received your case and then you wait to be cleared. The wait can be as early as a week or take up to a month or more. Right now cases look like they clear in 2-3 weeks.
Well....we didnt get a email so I called our adoption agency. I found out that they went to submit our case and there was a document missing that the U.S. Embassy requires. I was heartbroken. What we have found out since then is not much, but that our Agency is working to get the document. I have no idea as to how long this will take. Could be a week, could be 2 or 3 weeks. Our agency was closed Thursday and Friday because of the holiday. I am praying that we will find out on Monday and hopefully we will have good news that they have the document that is needed.
I cant even describe the feeling I am having right now. It is sooooo hard to be away from Kenesa. I know that the Thomas Center is taking good care of him, but he needs to be home with us. He was 5 months old yesterday. He has been in the Thomas Center since he was 19 days old. He should be starting to do things like rolling over, sitting up and eating solid foods. He needs to be loved on by Ethan and I , and his big sisters.
Son- I am so sorry that we havent been back to get you yet. The only comfort that I can rest in right now is that God is in complete control, God knows when you will be with us forever and I am praying constantly that it will be soon. I was in tears the other day and talking with a friend, telling her that you need to have my arms wrapped around you right now, and that I just picture you laying in your crib and it is so hard. Her response brought me to tears. She said " Kelli, you need to picture Jesus laying there in the crib with Kensea, with his arms around him, because he is". This is what I try to picture as I close my eyes and think of you . I love you so much!!!
Please be praying that we hear good news on Monday. Pray that the document is found, or a new one is done very quickly! Pray for submission to the U.S. Embassy before the end of next week and that once submitted we clear really quick so we can travel to bring our son home.
Thank you so much to everyone that has brought by donations, and given money for donations for the kiddos at the Thomas Center. What a blessing!
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Not Submitted to Embassy
So we were hoping and praying that we would be submitted to the U.S. Embassy today. That didnt happen:( They are still waiting for Kenesa's Medicals to be reviewed by a Embassy approved clinic. Once that is done we can be submitted. This shouldnt take long which means we should be submitted next Tuesday July 2nd.
Please be praying that we do get submitted next Tuesday and that everything in the file is complete and that we will get cleared ASAP to go and get our boy!
This waiting is sooooo hard:(
Please be praying that we do get submitted next Tuesday and that everything in the file is complete and that we will get cleared ASAP to go and get our boy!
This waiting is sooooo hard:(
Thursday, June 13, 2013
Waiting for Kenesa
We are still waiting to be submitted to the U.S. Embassy. We did get issued Kenesa's Birth Certificate but are still waiting on his passport. I thought we would be submitted to the Embassy this next Tuesday the 18th, but since we are still waiting on the passport it looks like it will probably be the following Tuesday the 25th. You can only submitt to the embassy on Tuesday mornings, so if there is one document you are waiting on you have to wait another week to submit.
After we are submitted we will be emailed from the U.S. embassy and they will start their investigation. It can take 2-4 weeks to be cleared to come and get our son. I cant wait to get the emailed that we are cleared. This by far has been the hardest wait in this whole adoption process. I think about Kenesa constantly and just want him home with us.
Please pray that the passport office will speed up and that Kenesa will be issued his passport within the next few days. Please pray that the investigation at the U.S. embassy will go quickly and that we will be cleared within 1-2 weeks to go get our boy. Praying we will travel the 2nd or 3rd week of July.
Kenesa- WE cannot wait to have you home. We just got a updated picture of you from last week and you look like you are growing so much. I cant get over how beautiful you are. You are such an amazing gift and a huge answer to our prayers. I pray that you are sleeping, eating , and that you stay healthy. We love you to the moon and back!!
Love,
Mom
We are still waiting to be submitted to the U.S. Embassy. We did get issued Kenesa's Birth Certificate but are still waiting on his passport. I thought we would be submitted to the Embassy this next Tuesday the 18th, but since we are still waiting on the passport it looks like it will probably be the following Tuesday the 25th. You can only submitt to the embassy on Tuesday mornings, so if there is one document you are waiting on you have to wait another week to submit.
After we are submitted we will be emailed from the U.S. embassy and they will start their investigation. It can take 2-4 weeks to be cleared to come and get our son. I cant wait to get the emailed that we are cleared. This by far has been the hardest wait in this whole adoption process. I think about Kenesa constantly and just want him home with us.
Please pray that the passport office will speed up and that Kenesa will be issued his passport within the next few days. Please pray that the investigation at the U.S. embassy will go quickly and that we will be cleared within 1-2 weeks to go get our boy. Praying we will travel the 2nd or 3rd week of July.
Kenesa- WE cannot wait to have you home. We just got a updated picture of you from last week and you look like you are growing so much. I cant get over how beautiful you are. You are such an amazing gift and a huge answer to our prayers. I pray that you are sleeping, eating , and that you stay healthy. We love you to the moon and back!!
Love,
Mom
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Kenesa
Well, we are back from Addis Ababa Ethiopia. We had an amazing time! It is hard because we missed our girls so much and wanted to come back home to them, but it was so hard because we didnt want to leave our son Kenesa.
Ethan and I are both filled with so much joy about our little boy Kenesa. He is so beautiful, full of smiles and we instantly fell in love with him. As soon as I picked him up he was full of smiles. We were both able to feed him, snuggle him tons and he fell asleep on the both of us each day we were at the Thomas Center. He is such a happy boy, and I cannot wait for everyone to see his beautful smile and gorgeous huge brown eyes in person. We are beyond blessed to call him our son and cannot wait until Lucy and Madeline get to see their little brother.
We had a great time in Addis Ababa, we had a great driver and guide that took us everywhere we needed to go. We were able to do some sight seeing, eat some good meals and really enjoy the time we got to have with our boy. The plan was to name our son Isaiah Timothy Kenesa Potts. Kenesa was the name that was given to him by his birthmom. After meeting our boy we have decided to keep his Ethiopian name given to him by his birthmom. So his full name will be Kenesa Timothy Potts.
Court went good. All the documents that the judge needed were there, and we must of answered all the questions right cause after our short 4 minute meeting with the judge she told us that Kenesa is now our son! It was so amazing to hear:) Ethan and I were filled with so much joy.
So now is the really hard part. Waiting again:( We are now in the U.S. Embassy stage. There is more paperwork to be fillled out,notarized and sent off. A bunch on our part and on our Agency's part. Once all the paperwork is in place we will be submitted to the U.S. Embassy and within 3 weeks of submission if they have everything they need then we should be getting our Embassy appointment. From what I understand this can be anywhere from 6 weeks to 4 months.
We are praying for the shortest wait possible and ask that you all will be praying alongside of us.
Thank you so much to our family that was such a huge help with our girls while we were away. Alyssa, Alex both Ethan's Parents and My parents, Jenni, Erin, Breeze and everyone else that offered to help and that I know were praying for us. We love you and appreciate you all so much. Lucy and Madeline were beyond spoiled and had sooooo much fun.
Kenesa- It is so hard to be so far away from you . Although I know you are in good hands, I want you home with us. We are so blessed to call you our son and cannot wait to have you in our arms forever. We continue to pray for you each day. Praying that you stay healthy, sleep well, eat well and smile like you were when we were with you . We will be back as soon as we can to bring you home. I wake up at night thinking about you and probably think about you every 5 minutes during the day. Love you to the moon and back!
Here are a few pictures of our boy. He is almost 4 months old.
God is soooooo Good!
Love,
Mom
Sorry not good with the computer . I cant rotate the pics. :)
Ethan and I are both filled with so much joy about our little boy Kenesa. He is so beautiful, full of smiles and we instantly fell in love with him. As soon as I picked him up he was full of smiles. We were both able to feed him, snuggle him tons and he fell asleep on the both of us each day we were at the Thomas Center. He is such a happy boy, and I cannot wait for everyone to see his beautful smile and gorgeous huge brown eyes in person. We are beyond blessed to call him our son and cannot wait until Lucy and Madeline get to see their little brother.
We had a great time in Addis Ababa, we had a great driver and guide that took us everywhere we needed to go. We were able to do some sight seeing, eat some good meals and really enjoy the time we got to have with our boy. The plan was to name our son Isaiah Timothy Kenesa Potts. Kenesa was the name that was given to him by his birthmom. After meeting our boy we have decided to keep his Ethiopian name given to him by his birthmom. So his full name will be Kenesa Timothy Potts.
Court went good. All the documents that the judge needed were there, and we must of answered all the questions right cause after our short 4 minute meeting with the judge she told us that Kenesa is now our son! It was so amazing to hear:) Ethan and I were filled with so much joy.
So now is the really hard part. Waiting again:( We are now in the U.S. Embassy stage. There is more paperwork to be fillled out,notarized and sent off. A bunch on our part and on our Agency's part. Once all the paperwork is in place we will be submitted to the U.S. Embassy and within 3 weeks of submission if they have everything they need then we should be getting our Embassy appointment. From what I understand this can be anywhere from 6 weeks to 4 months.
We are praying for the shortest wait possible and ask that you all will be praying alongside of us.
Thank you so much to our family that was such a huge help with our girls while we were away. Alyssa, Alex both Ethan's Parents and My parents, Jenni, Erin, Breeze and everyone else that offered to help and that I know were praying for us. We love you and appreciate you all so much. Lucy and Madeline were beyond spoiled and had sooooo much fun.
Kenesa- It is so hard to be so far away from you . Although I know you are in good hands, I want you home with us. We are so blessed to call you our son and cannot wait to have you in our arms forever. We continue to pray for you each day. Praying that you stay healthy, sleep well, eat well and smile like you were when we were with you . We will be back as soon as we can to bring you home. I wake up at night thinking about you and probably think about you every 5 minutes during the day. Love you to the moon and back!
Here are a few pictures of our boy. He is almost 4 months old.
God is soooooo Good!
Love,
Mom
Sorry not good with the computer . I cant rotate the pics. :)
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Ethiopia
We arrived in Addis Ababa yesterday at 2:30 after a long 18 total hours of flying. We had a layover in Dubai on Saturday night and then flewn into Addis on Sunday. By the time Ethan and I arrived at or guest house we were exhausted. Our bodies are having a hard time adjusting to the time change and then add all the jet leg onto that. But Praise God! We arrived safely the flights were great. Emirates airline is AWESOME! Our bags arrived in Addis, we didnt have to wait in line in Addis very long to get our visa, and we got right through immigration. The only little hiccup we had was in Dubai when I got stuck in the security machine for like 10 minutes and they couldnt figure out why the doors werent opening to let me out.
We got picked up at the airport and arrived safely at the Guest House. Our room is comfortable and food downstairs that we had for dinner last night was good. We had pizza:)
It is pretty loud were we are staying , and about 5 times a day there is a call to prayer played on a loud speaker right outside our window. The first one being at 5am.
Today we get to go meet our son! We are so excited!! Our guide/driver is picking us up at 9:30 and then we get to spend time with our boy from 10-12. After our visit we are going to explore some more of Ethiopia. Do some shopping, take lots of pics and see what our guide recommends for food today:)
Thank you so much for your prayers. Please pray that we stay healthy, get good rest , enjoy this beautiful country, enjoy the time with our boy, and that everything goes smoothly for court on wednesday.
Son- Dad and I are finally here! I cant believe that in just 3.5 hours I will get to see you and hold you for thd first time. We are so excited to snuggle you , feed you and just enjoy these 2 days that we do get to have with you. We are excited to explore this beautiful country that you are from.
We talked to the girls and they are so excited too! We have brought a few of their toys that they want us to take a picture of you with:) they love you to the moon and back.
See you in a few!
-Mom
We got picked up at the airport and arrived safely at the Guest House. Our room is comfortable and food downstairs that we had for dinner last night was good. We had pizza:)
It is pretty loud were we are staying , and about 5 times a day there is a call to prayer played on a loud speaker right outside our window. The first one being at 5am.
Today we get to go meet our son! We are so excited!! Our guide/driver is picking us up at 9:30 and then we get to spend time with our boy from 10-12. After our visit we are going to explore some more of Ethiopia. Do some shopping, take lots of pics and see what our guide recommends for food today:)
Thank you so much for your prayers. Please pray that we stay healthy, get good rest , enjoy this beautiful country, enjoy the time with our boy, and that everything goes smoothly for court on wednesday.
Son- Dad and I are finally here! I cant believe that in just 3.5 hours I will get to see you and hold you for thd first time. We are so excited to snuggle you , feed you and just enjoy these 2 days that we do get to have with you. We are excited to explore this beautiful country that you are from.
We talked to the girls and they are so excited too! We have brought a few of their toys that they want us to take a picture of you with:) they love you to the moon and back.
See you in a few!
-Mom
Thursday, May 2, 2013
Praying for you
Son-
It has been so hard these last two months as we wait to hear when our court date will be. I cannot wait to get off the plane in Addis Ababa and come to the Thomas Center to meet you . We get monthly pictures of you. We should be getting a new one anyday now and I cannot wait to see your beautiful brown eyes. You are growing so much and are a healthy baby boy. Dad and I have decided on your name, we have your room all ready at the new house and I have been sleeping with your blanket that I will give to you when we see you for the first time.
A family that came to meet their son at the Thomas center a few weeks ago brought a package to you from us and they said you were the happiest little baby. They read you the card from us and showed you the pictures that the girls made for you . Lucy and Madeline are so excited to meet their little brother. Lucy has already decided that she wants to give you her curious george pillow, and she already put it in your crib. Madeline put a Night light in your room for you too:)
Next Wednesday May 8th is your Birthmoms courtdate. If she shows up at court and the judge signs off we will then be assigned our courtdate to come and meet you. If she does not show up then another date will be assigned a few weeks out to see if she can make that date. We are praying for your birthmom and that she is able to make it to court and that all the documents are in order for the judge to be able to assign us our courtdate.
Son, we cannot wait to see you for the first time, to hold you, to sing to you , to rock you , to change your diaper, to pray with you, to feed you and to just have you home with us forever. We think about you all the time, pray for you constantly and are praising God for bringing you into our lives.
Love you to the moon and back!
Love ,
Mom
It has been so hard these last two months as we wait to hear when our court date will be. I cannot wait to get off the plane in Addis Ababa and come to the Thomas Center to meet you . We get monthly pictures of you. We should be getting a new one anyday now and I cannot wait to see your beautiful brown eyes. You are growing so much and are a healthy baby boy. Dad and I have decided on your name, we have your room all ready at the new house and I have been sleeping with your blanket that I will give to you when we see you for the first time.
A family that came to meet their son at the Thomas center a few weeks ago brought a package to you from us and they said you were the happiest little baby. They read you the card from us and showed you the pictures that the girls made for you . Lucy and Madeline are so excited to meet their little brother. Lucy has already decided that she wants to give you her curious george pillow, and she already put it in your crib. Madeline put a Night light in your room for you too:)
Next Wednesday May 8th is your Birthmoms courtdate. If she shows up at court and the judge signs off we will then be assigned our courtdate to come and meet you. If she does not show up then another date will be assigned a few weeks out to see if she can make that date. We are praying for your birthmom and that she is able to make it to court and that all the documents are in order for the judge to be able to assign us our courtdate.
Son, we cannot wait to see you for the first time, to hold you, to sing to you , to rock you , to change your diaper, to pray with you, to feed you and to just have you home with us forever. We think about you all the time, pray for you constantly and are praising God for bringing you into our lives.
Love you to the moon and back!
Love ,
Mom
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
BIG NEWS!!!!!
WE GOT A REFERRAL!!!!
I am sure lots of you already know, but for those of you that havent heard yet we accepted a referral for our little boy on Feburary 25th. On Friday Februrary 22nd I was at home with the girls and got a phone call from Alicia at our agency. I didnt recognize the phone number, because she was at home that day calling from her cell phone. I almost didnt answer because I didnt recognize the number, but am so glad I did. She talked for a bit and I was telling her how I was about to head out to the agency to drop some things off for the Thomas Center. After telling her that I started to wonder why she would be calling me from her house, then she said "Kelli, I have some good news!" my first response was " no way, do we have a referral?" and she said "Yes" then I went on to say " SHUT-UP" ( i know nice response) I was so excited I started crying and pacing the room. The girls were following me around asking what I was doing and what was wrong. " You have a brother!!" I said. We were so excited!!
Alicia went on to tell me about our boy, I was so overjoyed and excited I couldnt control myself. At the end of our conversation she said she had emailed me his pictures. As soon as we hung up I called Ethan of course and told him I was on my way to his office so we could look at our son together for the first time. Once the girls and I got to the office we all sat down together and opened up the email and saw our beautiful son for the first time. " He is perfect" Ethan said. With tears in our eyes we just starred at him and then of course called Nana, Papa, Grandma, Aunts and Uncles and told them that we got our referral:)
So since then we have been submitted to court. We found out 2 weeks ago that the first court date which is the guardian court date is scheduled for May 8th. If court passes that day then we will get assigned our court date. We are praying that we will be traveling by or around the beginning of June to meet our son and go to our first court date. If that passes we are praying we will be bringing him home by the end of August or sooner.
Although this is amazing news, there is still a lot of waiting and paperwork that needs to be done before we bring our boy home. It has been extrememly hard waiting now that we have a picture of our boy. We love him so much already and just want to bring him home now! I know that God has perfect timing and that he will be home in our arms at the right time.
Son- You are beautiful:) As soon as I looked at your picture I fell in love with you . I cannot wait to kiss your big cheeks and rock you to sleep at night. The last month and a half have been extremely hard. I wake up at night thinking about you and praying for you . Praying that you are being cared for well, wondering if you have smiled for the first time yet, wondering what your cry sounds like and just praying that everything speeds up so we can have you home.
We just moved into our new house last weekend. The crib is in your room and Dad is gonna get it all set up. Tons of friends and family have given me the cutest little boy clothes and I cannot wait to see you in them. The girls picked out a special baby blanket for you and they cant wait to hand it to you .
We sent a package to a family that is coming to the Thomas Center in the next couple of weeks to meet their son, and they are gonna get it to you . The girls drew you a picture and wrote your name all by themseleves. We sent you some cute little onesies, and sweats:)
I pray for you everday and think about you constantly. I am so excited to hold you for the first time and to introduce you to our wonderful big family that love you so much already.
Thank you Lord for our little boy:)
We love you to the moon and back son:)
Love,
Mom
Friday, December 21, 2012
Good News!!
No referral yet! But we have moved up on the list. Gone from number 8 to number 5.:) This is very exciting because there was not movement for about 3 months and now 3 little boys got referrals sent out just this week. We are praying, praying, praying for a referral within the next 9 months.
Son- As usual I have been thinking about you and praying for you daily. It has now offically ben about 9 months since our paperwork has ben in Ethiopia and 15 months since we filled out our adoption application. I remember last Christmas thinking about how you would probably be home with us for this Christmas and now I am praying that you will be home for Christmas 2013. I dont know if you are born yet, or if you are 6 months old, but I pray that you are healthy, happy, warm and that Jesus has his arms around you .
Our house is getting close to done and I think we will be in it by February. I will have your room all decorated and ready for you. I already have your bedding, and lots of cute clothes and toys that were given to me by friends and family.
This week Grandma Bonnie and Papa Tim took Lucy, Madeline,Kaeden and Kai shopping to buy toys for the Thomas Center in Ethiopia. This is the transition home that you will live in until we can bring you home. They picked out cars, a soccer ball, a doll, a dog , and a puzzle for all the kiddos to play with. Then today we went to the store and got diapers, baby shampoo, toothpaste, and lots of rice cereal. We took it out to childrens house and they will get it mailed to Ethiopia.
We are thinking about you this Christmas as we celebrate the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. We are praying for you everyday and cannot wait to lay eyes on you for the first time.
Nana Lisa, Papa Brian, Papa Tim, Grandma Bonnie and all your Aunties and Uncles love you so much already and are praying for you.:)
Praising God for the 3 families that received referrals for their little boys this week:)!
We love you so much!
Love,
Mom, Dad , Lucy and Madeline
This is a picture of Madeline with Alicia at Childrens house international where we brought the toys and diapers to today. Alicia works at CHI and is doing lots of work to help us bring you home:) Lucy was being shy and didnt want to be in the picuture:)
Son- As usual I have been thinking about you and praying for you daily. It has now offically ben about 9 months since our paperwork has ben in Ethiopia and 15 months since we filled out our adoption application. I remember last Christmas thinking about how you would probably be home with us for this Christmas and now I am praying that you will be home for Christmas 2013. I dont know if you are born yet, or if you are 6 months old, but I pray that you are healthy, happy, warm and that Jesus has his arms around you .
Our house is getting close to done and I think we will be in it by February. I will have your room all decorated and ready for you. I already have your bedding, and lots of cute clothes and toys that were given to me by friends and family.
This week Grandma Bonnie and Papa Tim took Lucy, Madeline,Kaeden and Kai shopping to buy toys for the Thomas Center in Ethiopia. This is the transition home that you will live in until we can bring you home. They picked out cars, a soccer ball, a doll, a dog , and a puzzle for all the kiddos to play with. Then today we went to the store and got diapers, baby shampoo, toothpaste, and lots of rice cereal. We took it out to childrens house and they will get it mailed to Ethiopia.
We are thinking about you this Christmas as we celebrate the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. We are praying for you everyday and cannot wait to lay eyes on you for the first time.
Nana Lisa, Papa Brian, Papa Tim, Grandma Bonnie and all your Aunties and Uncles love you so much already and are praying for you.:)
Praising God for the 3 families that received referrals for their little boys this week:)!
We love you so much!
Love,
Mom, Dad , Lucy and Madeline
This is a picture of Madeline with Alicia at Childrens house international where we brought the toys and diapers to today. Alicia works at CHI and is doing lots of work to help us bring you home:) Lucy was being shy and didnt want to be in the picuture:)
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
" Be still, and know that I am God" Psalm 46:10
Well, it has almost been 3 months since my last post. We have not been updated that we have moved up any on the waiting list for our Boy. :( The last couple of months have been so busy that I actually didnt have much time to sit and think about it much, but now that everything has slowed down I find myself thinking about our boy everyday. The good news is that things have been moving in Ethiopia and referrals are coming through:)
Son- Lucy and Madeline ask about you all the time:) They are going to have so much fun having a little brother. They are really loving disney princesses right now and pretend most of the day they are a princess. They have tea partys, play wedding, play house, play restaurant, pretend they are at the library or the grocery store checkout. I am sure once you are home they will have you being the prince or the daddy when they play house.
We are moving! Yep!!! We are very excited. We are building a house in Bellingham up off of Barkley and the house should be done around February. We already know where your room will be and I am so excited to get it all set up for you .
Your Auntie Alyssa and Uncle Alex got married the beginning of September.It was such a beautiful , and fun celebration. Your sisters were adorable flower girls and did such a good job:)
These last few days I have been thinking about you often, praying for you , and often times just wondering if you are born? What your little smile looks like? What it will feel like the first time I see a picture or you , or the first time Dad and I hold you in our arms. What it will be like to bring you home to see Lucy and Madeline:) With all theses questions that I have I get so excited, but then also become so anxious and frustrated that you are not home with us. As I write this with tears in my eyes and a big lump in my throat I am reminded that God is in control of everything. He knows who you are , he knows what your smile looks like, he knows how many hairs are on your head, and he knows that exact day that we will lay eyes on you . Today God has told me to " Be still, and know that I am God" (psalm 46:10) He wants me to know that he works all things out for good. He wants me to be still and rest in only the peace that he can give me. He has reminded me today that he is in control of every aspect of this adoption process and that I need to continue to rest in him alone and not in where we are on the referral list or on adoption blogs that I read that may have good or bad news on Ethiopia adoptions. But he wants me to rest in Him alone.
Son, we love you so much already. We pray that you are safe, warm, not hungry, and being well taken care of at this very moment. We cannot wait to meet you :)
If there is anyone that is interested in helping donate to the transition home that the kids live in until they come home please let me know. I am going to try and collect items and trop them off the beginning of November to our adoption agency. Families traveling over there can take them directly to the kids in the trasition home.
Some items needed: Enfamil formula, All sized of disposable diapers, wipes, latex gloves, plastic dolls, crayons, food activity sets, and toy cars.
Thanks!
-Kelli
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Busy Busy Busy
Son-
Well, it has been a busy couple of months. Your Auntie Alyssa is getting married September 2nd. We are busy with wedding showers, and planning for the big day. Auntie Alyssa is going to look absolutely gorgeous and I can wait to show you pictures of her special day.
For Fathers day this year we had a a BBQ at Grandma Bonnie's and Papa Tim's house:) Your dad watched the US Open golf tournament and we talked about how fun it will be for him to take you to the 2015 US Open in Tacoma.
Your Uncle Curt and Aunt Katie were here from California for a couple of weeks. We had so much fun with them and miss them so much already. They cannot wait to meet you and are praying for you .
This last weekend I ran in a Ragnar Relay race. It was definitely the hardest race I have ever done, but really fun and I got to run in a gorgeous part of the state that I had never seen before.
The biggest news for the last month is that we are moving closer to holding you and having you home. We moved from number 11 on the waiting list to number 8!! Praising God that there are 3 families that are going to have their baby boys home soon and Praising God that you are that much closer to being home with us. Lucy and Madeline talk about you all the time. They talk about where your room will be and how they will help take care of you and play with you . They are soooo excited to have a little brother.
Nana Lisa, Papa Brian, Grandma Bonnie, and Papa Tim are so excited to meet you and have another grandchild. We all love you and cant wait to have you home. We are all praying for you and that you are well taken care of. Love you to the moon and back!
Love,
Mom
Well, it has been a busy couple of months. Your Auntie Alyssa is getting married September 2nd. We are busy with wedding showers, and planning for the big day. Auntie Alyssa is going to look absolutely gorgeous and I can wait to show you pictures of her special day.
For Fathers day this year we had a a BBQ at Grandma Bonnie's and Papa Tim's house:) Your dad watched the US Open golf tournament and we talked about how fun it will be for him to take you to the 2015 US Open in Tacoma.
Your Uncle Curt and Aunt Katie were here from California for a couple of weeks. We had so much fun with them and miss them so much already. They cannot wait to meet you and are praying for you .
This last weekend I ran in a Ragnar Relay race. It was definitely the hardest race I have ever done, but really fun and I got to run in a gorgeous part of the state that I had never seen before.
The biggest news for the last month is that we are moving closer to holding you and having you home. We moved from number 11 on the waiting list to number 8!! Praising God that there are 3 families that are going to have their baby boys home soon and Praising God that you are that much closer to being home with us. Lucy and Madeline talk about you all the time. They talk about where your room will be and how they will help take care of you and play with you . They are soooo excited to have a little brother.
Nana Lisa, Papa Brian, Grandma Bonnie, and Papa Tim are so excited to meet you and have another grandchild. We all love you and cant wait to have you home. We are all praying for you and that you are well taken care of. Love you to the moon and back!
Love,
Mom
Friday, June 1, 2012
Missing you
Well, It has been over a month since my last post. Still no news on our little boy . I didnt expect there to be but God is always full of suprises. The good news that we did get this month is that there was 4 referrals that came through in May and there is expected to be more in June. I was not told the age of the children who had referrals come through, but praising God that things are moving in Ethiopia and children are moving closer to being with with their families.
Son- This month has been really hard not having you home with us. I have been thinking about you everyday and praying that you are warm, safe, healthy and well taken care of . Your Great Grandma passed away last week , I really wish you could of met her. She was a beautiful loving woman who would of spoiled you with lots of hugs and kisses. This month was Mothers day and the girls painted me some beautiful bowls for the kitchen. Dad took them to a pottery place in Fairhaven and they had so much fun. Thought about you lots on Mothers day and am praying that by next Mothers day I will have you in my arms. I also celebrated by 29th Birthday a few days ago!! Yep! 2-9!!! You are gonna have a old mamma! hahaha.
We love you soooo much already and your sisters , Dad and I cannot wait to have you home. Love you to the moon and back!
Love Mom
Son- This month has been really hard not having you home with us. I have been thinking about you everyday and praying that you are warm, safe, healthy and well taken care of . Your Great Grandma passed away last week , I really wish you could of met her. She was a beautiful loving woman who would of spoiled you with lots of hugs and kisses. This month was Mothers day and the girls painted me some beautiful bowls for the kitchen. Dad took them to a pottery place in Fairhaven and they had so much fun. Thought about you lots on Mothers day and am praying that by next Mothers day I will have you in my arms. I also celebrated by 29th Birthday a few days ago!! Yep! 2-9!!! You are gonna have a old mamma! hahaha.
We love you soooo much already and your sisters , Dad and I cannot wait to have you home. Love you to the moon and back!
Love Mom
Thursday, April 12, 2012
John 14:18 " I will not leave you as orphans. I will come to you "
So it's official!!! After months of paperwork, waiting, paperwork, homestudy, paperwork and more waiting our dossier has been approved and sent to Ethiopia. Ethan and I are so excited to have the largest part of paperwork done with and cant wait for the day when we get to meet our son and bring him home.
So if you are reading this and very confused I will fill you in. :)
Ethan and I have always talked about adoption, but were not sure if God was calling us to adopt and if so when we would start the adoption journey.
God has taken us on a very tough journey to become parents over the past 5 years. After having our beautiful twin girls Lucy and Madeline who are now 3 years old, Ethan and I suffered a miscarriage of twins in September of 2010 and then another miscarriage in March of 2011 due to a ectopic pregnancy which ended in emergency surgery and removal of one of my fallopian tubes.
After a very tough and emotional few years of failed pregnancys, Ethan and I became more serious about discussing adoption and spent a lot more time in prayer.
Last July we meant with a adoption agency in Ferndale called Childrens House International. They were recommened to us by our friends that used them to adopt their son. We filled out our application and were approved. After being approved and starting some of the paperwork we decided through prayer that we wanted to wait a little longer and take time to pray and make sure we were doing this all for the right reasons and that we were ready to start this journey, so we placed everything on hold.
In October God called us to start the adoption journey. Since October we have been filling out tons of paperwork, and getting all sorts of back ground checks done as well as having a homestudy done by a social worker. As of this Monday 4/9 our agency received our dossier that was Authenticated by the U.S. Secretary of State and the Embassy of Ethiopia in D.C. The dossier was then sent today to Ethiopia and we are offically on the wait list for our son.
Although this is GREAT news. The hardest part which is waiting starts now. We have been told by our agency that the average wait time for a baby is 18 months. Although there are many children living as orphans in Ethiopia because of the high level of poverty it is hard for the officials to prove which children are orphans and which have living parents who dont have enough money to feed then but have not given up parental rights, and because of this every case has to be carefully investigated and the Ethiopia officials have to give proof that parents are deceased or have filed papers of relinquishment. The officals are doing this in a case by case basis which takes a lot of time.
Ethan and I wanted to start our blog up again so we can share prayer requests and updates of our adoption journey with our friends. We will also try to post some pictures of our girls Lucy and Madeline when we give updates. Lucy and Madeline are so excited to have a little brother and ask at least once a week
"when is our brother coming home?"
Also I want to apologize for my spelling and grammar ahead of time!! Most of the time I will be typing with my girls pulling at my arm:) ( I will just blame it on that)
So if you are reading this and very confused I will fill you in. :)
Ethan and I have always talked about adoption, but were not sure if God was calling us to adopt and if so when we would start the adoption journey.
God has taken us on a very tough journey to become parents over the past 5 years. After having our beautiful twin girls Lucy and Madeline who are now 3 years old, Ethan and I suffered a miscarriage of twins in September of 2010 and then another miscarriage in March of 2011 due to a ectopic pregnancy which ended in emergency surgery and removal of one of my fallopian tubes.
After a very tough and emotional few years of failed pregnancys, Ethan and I became more serious about discussing adoption and spent a lot more time in prayer.
Last July we meant with a adoption agency in Ferndale called Childrens House International. They were recommened to us by our friends that used them to adopt their son. We filled out our application and were approved. After being approved and starting some of the paperwork we decided through prayer that we wanted to wait a little longer and take time to pray and make sure we were doing this all for the right reasons and that we were ready to start this journey, so we placed everything on hold.
In October God called us to start the adoption journey. Since October we have been filling out tons of paperwork, and getting all sorts of back ground checks done as well as having a homestudy done by a social worker. As of this Monday 4/9 our agency received our dossier that was Authenticated by the U.S. Secretary of State and the Embassy of Ethiopia in D.C. The dossier was then sent today to Ethiopia and we are offically on the wait list for our son.
Although this is GREAT news. The hardest part which is waiting starts now. We have been told by our agency that the average wait time for a baby is 18 months. Although there are many children living as orphans in Ethiopia because of the high level of poverty it is hard for the officials to prove which children are orphans and which have living parents who dont have enough money to feed then but have not given up parental rights, and because of this every case has to be carefully investigated and the Ethiopia officials have to give proof that parents are deceased or have filed papers of relinquishment. The officals are doing this in a case by case basis which takes a lot of time.
Ethan and I wanted to start our blog up again so we can share prayer requests and updates of our adoption journey with our friends. We will also try to post some pictures of our girls Lucy and Madeline when we give updates. Lucy and Madeline are so excited to have a little brother and ask at least once a week
"when is our brother coming home?"
Also I want to apologize for my spelling and grammar ahead of time!! Most of the time I will be typing with my girls pulling at my arm:) ( I will just blame it on that)
Monday, October 26, 2009
FALL IS HERE:)
Hello everyone! Sorry again that it has been so long since we have posted anything on the blog. WE finally got a new computer, so hopefully there will be more posts from now on.
Lucile and Madeline are already 10 1/2 months old!! We have been staying busy this fall, hanging out with friends and family, going to the pumpkin patch, a mini monster mash with our birthing class, and getting some pictures done of the girls.
Lucy and Madeline are on the move, crawling everywhere, climbing the stairs and pulling themselves up on everything. So, Ethan and I have been very busy keeping an eye on them. There have been lots of falls, and Lucy has bumped her head at least 10 times. We have found it quite hard to watch them both at the same time ,and at this point we are not looking forward to the walking stage.
We hope everyone is having a great fall, and here are some more pictures that Rebecca took of the girls. She is a awesome photographer!!
Also some new big news in the Potts family........WE GOT A MINIVAN!!!! AHHHHHHH
Lucile and Madeline are already 10 1/2 months old!! We have been staying busy this fall, hanging out with friends and family, going to the pumpkin patch, a mini monster mash with our birthing class, and getting some pictures done of the girls.
Lucy and Madeline are on the move, crawling everywhere, climbing the stairs and pulling themselves up on everything. So, Ethan and I have been very busy keeping an eye on them. There have been lots of falls, and Lucy has bumped her head at least 10 times. We have found it quite hard to watch them both at the same time ,and at this point we are not looking forward to the walking stage.
We hope everyone is having a great fall, and here are some more pictures that Rebecca took of the girls. She is a awesome photographer!!
Also some new big news in the Potts family........WE GOT A MINIVAN!!!! AHHHHHHH
Friday, October 23, 2009
Some PIcs of the girls
there are some pics of the girls that Rebecca Brethaur took of them here: http://www.rebeccabphotography.com/
It was like 3 weeks ago.
It was like 3 weeks ago.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Too long since the last post
It has been too long since the last post. We are kind of winding down our summer. The girls went on their first vacation with the Potts family in Whistler last week. By about the last night we figured out there sleeping but made a few bad habits and have been dealing with them back at home ever since. The girls got to go swimming in the pools whistler and play on their boat toy which they both loved.
Lucy slept through the night last night for the fist time since we have moved (may 15), so at least we are making progress with her. Madeline is now scooting all over the house and Kelli found her in the middle of the excersaucer today - she climbed in from the floor and was hanging out where the legs and feet usually are. We need to kid proof our house now I guess. Lucy has been doing push ups for about a month now but still can't figure out how to put one knee in front of the other and crawl - which is fine by us she can take as long as she likes :) Getting ready to try to relax over Labor Day weekend and not make too many plans.
Lucy slept through the night last night for the fist time since we have moved (may 15), so at least we are making progress with her. Madeline is now scooting all over the house and Kelli found her in the middle of the excersaucer today - she climbed in from the floor and was hanging out where the legs and feet usually are. We need to kid proof our house now I guess. Lucy has been doing push ups for about a month now but still can't figure out how to put one knee in front of the other and crawl - which is fine by us she can take as long as she likes :) Getting ready to try to relax over Labor Day weekend and not make too many plans.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Sleeping!
Well the girls are sleeping much better after we tried a new approach. They now seem to typically go down in their crib awake and fuss a little but soon enough they are asleep. We are only letting them eat 1 time at night and then they are usually up around 7. Mom and Dad are getting more hangout time in the evening which is nice. The Pell's were in town for a day so we got to see them and Luke and Jack. They are getting so big and more like little boys. The girls didn't know that they just met their future boyfriends. We'll let it play out over time :) Right now we are getting ready for Dane and Jahnel's wedding rehearsal. It is going to be a hot one tomorrow in my tux for the wedding. Take to you guys soon and hope you get in the water and enjoy yourself during this little heat wave.

Monday, July 6, 2009
Hello from Lucy and Madeline:)
We hope everyone had a fun July 4th. We had a busy day with friends and family. Although we didnt get any pictures on our camera......sorry! My mom and dad got a lot on their camera, and I will be sure to post those pictures once I get their camera. We had a fun afternoon hanging out at the Potts farm, and the girls got to meet a lot of their cousins, great aunts and great uncles. After the farm we had a BBQ at our house with my parents, grandparents, uncle Curt, Aunt Katie and Aunt Lou Lou, it was lots of fun. We had oysters, and lots of other good food! The girls are very excited to have their Aunt Katie and Uncle Curt in town, and cant wait to spend more time with them over the next couple of weeks.
Today the girls had swim lessons and Aunt Katie came to help out, it was lots of fun!
Hope everyone has a good week! The girls are getting dedicated at church next weekend, and we also have a big Stephan BBQ, so we will be sure to update with more fun pictures.
The pictures posted are of swim lessons over the last couple weeks, as well as the girls with their new friend Amaya:)
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
SWIMMING WITH THE GIRLS
The girls have been having lots of fun at the pool with Nana, Lou Lou, Grandma, Mommy and Daddy. We found it a lot easier to have three of us there to get the girls ready when they were finished. Here are some pictures from Nana and Papas a couple weeks ago, and some pictures from the pool. The girls are getting excited to see their Aunt Katie and Uncle Curt who will be here today.
The girls got to meet their new friend Amaya yesterday, she is just two weeks old! They had lots of fun playing with her.
Lucy got her first 2 teeth!! None for Madeline yet, but I am sure she wont be far behind. Sleeping is slowly getting better, but the girls are still waking up at least once a night for a bottle, hopefully in the next couple of months they will start sleeping through the night. We have a busy summer coming up with family BBQ's, weddings and a trip to Whistler, but we will try to update the blog as much has possible. Hope everyone has a Happy July 4th!
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