Our little Hana

Here are some snippets of video taken of Hana at her orphanage. They are only like 30 seconds each, but we were grateful to have anything! She has been at this orphanage for the past 6 months and these were taken at various times throughout. The orphanage workers have become her "family" and we were told that she 's very frightened of being taken out of the orphanage compound for any reason, like when she must go get blood drawn. Please pray for our sweet girl as she will be moved from this orphanage in the next few days and will go to a transition home where they'll prepare her for our coming to take her home. She must have an Embassy physical and apply for a passport/visa among other things they need to do. She won't know anyone at the new home and will probably just be getting used to things about the time we come to take her home. ( I asked if she could just stay where she is and we could pick her up there, but that wasn't an option. ) So, I'm praying God will protect her little 3 year old heart from the confusion in her world right now. Please pray with us.......Thank you guys for all your encouraging notes...........they are wonderful! =)

Goint to Naperville to be re-fingerprinted

We are heading out very early this morning to the USCIS (U. S. Citizenship and Immigration Office) up in Naperville to be re-fingerprinted. We had them done 15 months ago, but they are set to expire on January 9 JUST before we'll end up traveling! So, they give us a day and time, and we just gotta show up!! It's about 3 hours away, but atleast there are some fun stores we can hit while we're up there to break up the trip. Trader Joes is one of my favorite grocery stores ever and there are none around here, so we'll make a little jaunt in there. Also, we've bought NOTHING yet for our kids for Christmas, and although they really are'nt expecting anything this year, we want to look for a small thing for each of them. Alivia told me the other day that for Christmas she wanted a new folder for school b/c her pink horse one is tearing! I told her I think mom and dad can handle THAT!! (Since they're only like 99 cents!) She is so easy to please, and I hope she always stays that way!

Tomorrow is a down day at home, and I will definitely work on adding some more pictures/ videos of the kids! Everything is still a little sur-real, but it's starting to sink in.........we really do have 5 kids, but 2 of them are half way across the world! It may not completely sink in until we hold those 2 in our arms! We are still just praising God for the way Hana and Edilu went through court so smoothly. I got some really precious pictures of Hana with her birth mom a couple of days ago. They drove her over to the orphanage after court, so that she could say goodbye to Hana. I cried as usual, and Ethan who was standing next to the computer, said "Mom, you ALWAYS cry when you get these pictures........" Yep, I do!

Thanks for your continued prayers........ =)

OFFICIALLY A FAMILY OF SEVEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I do NOT know what I am doing when it comes to posting on these blogs, especially pictures (I'm learning!) .......that's the ONLY reason it's taken me so long to let you know!!!!!!!!!!OH MY GOODNESS, I AM SO EXCITED I CAN HARDLY THINK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WE PASSED COURT............BOTH KIDS!!!!!!!!!!! I got that wonderful phone call at 9 am this morning telling us that we have a new son and daughter!!! The best phone call ever!!!!!!!!!!!!! Praise the Lord that ALL of the details on each of their cases came together and everything was in place! THANK YOU , LORD!! I cannot wait to see what the Lord has in store for each of them! I can truly say for each of these precious lives: I Samuel 1:27 "For this child I have prayed........."

Now we need to wait for birth certificates to be made for each of them (they don't have any) and then they can be given passports to leave the country and Embassy physicals. Our case worker said she thinks we will travel in February! I know that will come SOON!

I will post more later! I can officially share little videos and pictures of them ONLINE now! I have to teach History at the kids' school this afternoon and will be gone tonight, but check back because I cannot WAIT to share more of them with you. Eric and I thank you for praying for us, your prayers mean so much!

Postponed til tomorrow..........

We got word that the court moved buildings over the weekend and wasn't able to locate all of the files for the hearing today. Hana's case has been moved to tomorrow, so we should find out in the morning on BOTH she and Edilu's cases! (Praying they find ALL of those misplaced files QUICKLY!!) Will keep you posted............=)

Ring phone........RING!!

Today, Hana's case went to court in Ethiopia! Our case worker emailed me this morning to say that she is watching her inbox intently for news on Hana's case and will call as SOON as they get word. I guess since ET is 6 hours ahead of us, we should know before afternoon. Our family prayed together this morning that God's will would be done, and our kids went off to school to pray in their morning "prayer circle" for Hana and her birth mother today. Her birth mom must show up in court today to relinquish her. I can't imagine the pain it must bring her mother to give this precious girl up for adoption b/c she knows the circumstances in her own life make it impossible to raise Hana. "Lord, bless this momma today. Comfort her heart. If she does not know you, Lord, bring her to yourself and help her to trust you and to know the peace that only you can give. Help her to know that her little girl is in your hands. She doesn't know US Lord, but our lives will forever be connected..........give her the strength she needs to keep going. Bring glory to yourself through this situation, Lord"

We know his timing and ways are often NOT ours, so we are trusting him no matter what happens today. God is good.......ALL the time, and his plan is perfect. We appreciate your prayers!
Love, Nancie

Coming Soon!...............