Kid and Kitchen

   Last Tuesday was the visa interview. The report back is that it went well, but the Embassy wants to interview the bio mom and wants a copy of the police report she filed against the bio dad for not paying child support. Our agency told us this is a routine request, but we were still a bit disappointed to have yet another hold up.
   Our in-country contact is supposed to be getting the police report this week and the social welfare worker locating mom for the interview. We are praying for progress this week. The visa is the LAST thing we need approved to be able to travel and bring him home.

We are keeping distracted from the wait with home renovations! This weekend, my parents came up to hang out with the boys and help us put up a backsplash. We still need to grout, but its close enough for some before and after pictures. Here is a list of all we've done over the last couple of months:
- demolition (so happy to tear out the ugly, old countertops!)
- Replaced ceiling fans
- removed old heating unit and replaced paneling
- painted EVERYTHING
- striped old metal mesh on the under sink doors
- new hardware and striped old hardware to reuse as well
- cabinets and drawers constructed (hired out)
- new light fixture above the sink
- new faux wood blinds
- replaced light switches and outlets as well as covers
- new COUNTERTOPS! (hired out of coarse)
- new sink
- new faucet (became a necessity as I broke our old one during painting)
- tiled backsplash

BEFORE: (really an "after". We replaced the gold dishwasher and half-broken gold stove as soon as we moved in about a year and a half ago)

Next, we will grout the backsplash, debate spending the time and money to extend the backsplash around behind the stove, and make a bulletin board to put above the desk and thereby clean off the fridge. I've been so eager to show it off, though, I wanted to go ahead and post the pictures. We are so excited to have a nice kitchen! Especially those of you who saw how tiny our kitchen was at our last house, can appreciate what a huge blessing this is for our growing family. The sink is really deep on one side and I can't wait for Enam to enjoy sink baths while he's still small enough (well, it may be a stretch, but we'll do it just for fun).

So if you pray for and with us, thank God for his blessing our family with this beautiful home and how he provides for us through it and ask for good news soon on bringing Enam home to "make our family complete," in Keiran's words.

OMG (not taking God's initial in vain)

Enam's visa interview is scheduled for next Tuesday morning!  Best case scenario, it will be approved  and ready by the end of next week. It's possible that they may want a further investigation (again), but we think we will get that feedback next week if it is so.

I almost can't imagine it! I think there is still part of me that is guarding my heart.  Yet soon, we could be bringing him home and making him part of our family!

Oh, I hope this last step does not drag out. Please pray for us and for what is best for Enam.
(And for the flu season to calm down so work doesn't miss me too much.)

I am ready for maternity leave and watching my family grow!

FYI: the kitchen remodel should finish up next week too. I can't wait to show you the before and after!

Getting closer!

This week was my best friend's birthday and she generously wished for good news on our adoption. Well, thank you Allie!

Yesterday, our in-country-coordinator picked up our visa packet and took Enam (Christopher) for his medical exam. Now our agency has requested his visa interview be the first week of February! If all goes smoothly, his visa could be ready about 3 days after the interview date. We've had enough set backs and complications to know to give ourselves a buffer before hopping on a plane. Still, it looks like we may get to bring him home in February after all!

So just one more step before we get the final approval to pick him up and bring him home. I almost can't believe it! I'll let you know generally about the time we will be traveling and let you know for sure when we will be home (with pictures of course). Pray that it does go smoothly and we can bring him home soon and at just the right time.

Posts are more interesting with pictures, so here's a brotherly love one for you all.

Back on track

(Sorry for the delay in posting. Since November, my life has been crazy from just about every angle. And with the holidays, I really tried to focus what time I had on making it special for my family.)  On to the adoption saga!

Here's basically what happened over the last 3 months! We got paperwork from Enam's biological father in Novemberish, but the immigration office was still not satisfied with the documents. In early December, our agency got more documents to the immigration office and the Friday before Christmas we got word that his orphan status had been approved! This week the documents should arrive at US embassy in Ghana for the final steps.

What are the final steps, you ask? He will have another medical exam and the biological parents will be interviewed. We were told we could travel 10 days after the interview. So yes, a few more steps, but the next word we will hear are our travel dates!


My life is still unusually dramatic and busy right now, but perseverance is my motto (after reading everyone's new year's posts, maybe I should make it the theme of my year huh?!). I'm having faith that this is just a season and good things are in the making.

Now, to redeem myself for my lack of posting, here are some cute pictures of my family!
Happy Thanksgiving!

 

First day of Advent!

 

(Sap hands)

Trampoline  picnic!

Pirate costume from Grancy Christmas Eve at home!

 New superhero capes fit great!

Advent candles all lit!

Christmas Round 3: Nana Claus!

 Rylan, in character till the last minute

 

New Year! (New kitchen)

 We are remodeling our kitchen, so the boys are finding new ways to entertain themselves during our numerous trips to Home Depot.

Hold up

Friday we got a letter about our I600, the application for Enam's visa to come home. They wanted further documentation that he was abandoned by his biological father. I don't know if this will be a simple or lengthy fix, but its a delay and an uncertainty.

Of coarse it would come on a Friday afternoon, where we would have to wait all weekend to contact our agency about and get any more information. The good part of that is the only place to turn is God. I was pretty anxious Friday night, just trying through willpower to not completely freak out. This morning my heart still felt heavy. Jacob and I prayed together and I released some pent-up tears. It was really good to verbalize and remind myself more strongly what is true about who God is, his purposes, promises, and power in our lives. It was really freeing to recognize that God is the one who has given me this heart for children and my desire to bring a child in need into our family, and that he has given me this for his purposes. So I will trust him, because it is his plan, not mine at work here. My plans don't turn out much of the time, but his are established before the foundation of the earth! It may not be easy, it may be painful, but his plans are good and glorious and high above anything I could construct. All this to say, regaining an eternal perspective on my temporal circumstances is bringing back to a resting place in Christ and a peace and patience through the uncertainty of this process.

We are still so far along. This wait and delay are such a drop in the bucket in the grand scheme of things and Enam coming home is just on the other side. And if he is not, we trust God's goodness and divine wisdom in all of our lives. Already, I'm filled with gratefulness for the grace to know the goodness of God and the promises we have to hold on to when life gets messy. He's replaced my anxiety about plans crumbling with a wonder at his great power.

So now, forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, we press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus (Phillippians 3:13-14).

I've decided to continue on with Enam's blanket and I bought some fleece fabric on sale today (considered that a sign to proceed). It really helps me to have a hands-on way to express my love for him. Its not put together yet, but below is a basic plan. I was told this batik fabric's symbols mean "back to your roots", "bravery" and "God is King." I think that's fitting :).

 

***Update: Our in country contact thinks they can get the documentation we need by the end of the week! I hope that is so!***

Maybe a little longer

Well ... we found out more details about the last few steps coming up. We have struggled to communicate with our agency to get a good grasp on this process. We are also seeing just how variable adoption laws and procedures can be, even in the same country.

Long story short it looks like his homecoming will be 2 months at best, or even 6 months or more. We are still hoping and praying for a shorter wait, of course. We are still optomistic, but trying to calm ourselves down that we may have to wait a bit longer than we thought.

At first realizing this, I was struck with several fears: what if he gets sick again, what impact will 6 more months of poor nutrition cost him, and how will 6 more months of not emotionally, psychosocially, and physically being attached to us cause him and our family to suffer? Then I remember the truth, that God is with him. He will care for him like the sparrow and the lillies of the valley. He will provide for him and He will be there for Enam if he should fall. I also remember how God reassured Habakkuk that the wait may seem long, but God will not delay. I am remembering God's promises and trust them for Enam's sake and for our family when he comes home.

So thank you friends and family. You have been such an encouragement to us, carrying us through this process with such compassion, commitment, love, and generosity. We definately feel that we are standing on the shoulders of a great community, reaching for this beautiful life of redemption and healing that proclaims the goodness of Christ's power in our lives. Your support enriches our lives and, no doubt, our children's as well. I am so thankful that we do not bare this burden alone.

I am slowly turning back to hopeful expectation and trying to prepare myself that we may have one more Christmas without him. I am remembering how bitter I was after 3 weeks of false labor with Rylan and him not budging as his due date approached. I heard a great sermon about not spoiling the good gifts God has for you by being impatient. I then really appreciated and enjoyed the week before Rylan was born and even celebrated his due date coming and going with a new haircut :) (Here's an old picture of me huge pregnant with Rylan 4 days after his due date)

I'm not there yet. I am still turning away from the fears and resentment. But I am turning, and resettling myself in my resting place, once again, the mighty hands of God.

The homestretch!

FINALLY!

We recieved the final court documents today! (only a month after we were expecting it) We filled out our last petition for a visa to bring Enam back and will be sending it out in the next day or two. I'm so ready!

We are told it can take about 6 weeks to get approved, of course with governments timelines we have learned not to hold our breath. I'll let you all know as soon as we do hear something back.

For now, I'm keeping busy on the homefront with craft projects for Halloween and Christmas. I also have some material from Ghana to make a blanket for Enam! (I'll post a picture of the blanket when I finish it.) Now I also feel confident enough to set up the crib and go ahead and find the cabinet space for sippy cups. Thankfullt, much of the waiting periods have been full of wonderful distractions, namely Keiran and Rylan. But I'm excited to gradually spend more and more time preparing for our third son!

Some sweet friends of our gave us a baby shower a couple of weeks ago. It was so encouraging and helpful! If anyone else wants to see the kind of stuff we need, check out our Target registry.