ETHIOPIAN COURTS OPENED TODAY!!!!!!!!

The Ethiopian Courts opened today a week early! Praise God! So there will be many adoptive parents and agencies trying to get a court date for their referrals they received before or during the court closure, so the back log may be there for a little while, but they are open and can process orphans, so this means the referrals of children are in the near future and we are just a little bit closer to baby Marley!

Because of the age range we selected we know our baby is on this earth right now. We have been praying for her to be here by December 31, 2008, which means we would have to receive a referral like right now for that to happen. It's possible. Please continue praying for our baby. Right now the only thing I can think of is how hard it must be for her family to give her up. We, as adoptive parents, don't go into this wanting a child so much that we forget that someone is loosing thiers. Our daughter will probably be about a year old and that is a whole year she has gotten to be with her family. I truly hope that we are able to meet her family.
In the midst of waiting, we are settled into our new town and love it! I'm involved in multiple play groups, a prayer group, I volunteer at the church and I'm working on updating our family scrap book, I'm about a year behind. Brandon loves his new command and is active with Miles' soccer team. Miles really enjoys his new school and church. He goes to pre-school two times a week for the whole day and when we pick him up, he doesn't want to leave. He really enjoys learning and playing with a bunch a kids all day. I swear sometimes I think we should be brining two home for him, instead of just one. He needs siblings bad! It was 49 degrees this morning...brrrr! You guys know me, I got my heating blanket out!

2 Months Waiting Today!!!

So today marks the day our dossier arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia two months ago! AND, the Ethiopian courts open in three weeks! Yeah!

Preparing for Marley!

So last week our agency had 6 referrals! They are starting to come quickly and as soon as the courts open they will be coming faster! Our agency also added a 6th orphanage from which they pick children up from to refer to waiting parents like us. This 6th orphanage is only working with our agency, and they work towards trying to help mothers keep their children. Being PAP, prospective adoptive parents, it's so easy to just want this child. But we have to remember that in our anxiety, there is a family that is struggling with their live or struggling just to feed their family. We encourage you, our blog friends and family, to get involved in helping with humanitarian aid in Ethiopia. We have contributed, even in the midst of trying to pay for our adoption. So the referrals that our agency had last week didn't move our place on "the list." They were mainly infants and boys.
I went to a consignment sale for Mother's of Multiples at a local church this weekend, looking for jeans for Miles, he's growing so fast. I didn't find any jeans, but I did find Marley's crib set! And what a steal! This is a Pottery Barn set and is in Imaculate condition. I got this set for $20! Yeah! We won't be painting for putting up her crib until we recieve the referral, and because her room is currently my scrapbook room...lol!

Ethiopian Courts Open in ONE Month

The Ethiopian Courts open on October 9, 2008! That's one month from today. After the courts open, they can start the process of processing orphans and declaring abandoned or children as orphans and put them up for adoption. Many of the children in Ethiopia are not abandoned, but given up by their family for a better life, or because they can no longer care for them. These babies in Ethiopia are very loved.
So when the courts open, we should start seeing some more referrals of children. We are still praying for our daughter to be home by December 31, 2008. We have been praying for this date for about 6 months now and we have faith that it will happen. Honestly, it's beginning to look like it might take a miracle, but hey, we are always welcoming miracles! So for our prayerful friends out there, please keep us in mind and be praying that our daughter will be home with us by the end of this year.

Our Agency had Two Referrals Today!

Great news! Our Agency had two referrals today, one for an infant boy and one for a 9 month old boy! Our agency had not had any referrals of children for the last two months most likely due to the court closings in Ethiopia. So, as soon as it reopens, around Oct. 6, the referrals should be pouring in! So yeah for those two families. I can't imagine that day when our phone rings and it finally us that is assigned a child. Wow, what a happy day that will be!
I added a new feature to my blog. It's in the upper right hand corner. You can click on the "Follow Me" link and receive updates when I post a new post. This can be really cool to see how many people actually read my stuff I post, or it can be really sad, to see that I have no following and am just blogging to myself...lol! Anyways, check it out.

Miles and his Trumpet

Miles and Daddy have been having jam sessions with their horns. It's so funny actually. So we named Miles after Miles Davis, because we both LOVE jazz and we thought it was a really cool name. We never want to force an instrument on our children, but honestly, it's in our family. My dad, as many of you know, was a professional musician for 22 years and played the saxophone. So anyways, last Christmas, Miles asked for a trumpet. We couldn't believe it. A three year old wanted a real trumpet for Christmas. So we bought him one on Ebay for a penny...and $65 shipping...lol! Well he's toyed around with it a little, he has built up his chops and can play. He doesn't really hit notes yet, but him and daddy listen to a kids jazz cd and he matches the beats. It's really becoming an amazing thing to watch and I'll try to get video up soon. But here are few pictures. I know he makes Daddy and Papaw proud!