Sunday, February 20, 2011

Progress

Our homestudy dragged along a little more than I would have liked, but it is finally done, and signed and notarized and on it's way to our agency. Another copy arrived here at our house on Friday, and we hope to have that sent off with our I-600A tomorrow to apply for approval to adopt an orphan. It's the first step in Lily's immigration process! We have been saying all along that we hope Lily will be home this June, but in reality, we just have no idea. That is what we HOPE, but nothing is predictable when it comes to Africa. We just continue to skip and sometimes plod down the path laid before us and accept that when the time is right, our daughter will come home.

We have had some amazing blessings this last week. Mike got his annual raise which will be active in about 2 months, and he also found a second job he can work from home! What a huge blessing! I did promise if he got a second job that I would pick up more of the housework, which is a TOTAL bummer, but completely worth it to ease the huge burden of the financial cost of this adoption. I'm so thankful that I married a man who so completely loves his work that he grumbles not a bit at the prospect of working more. I have no doubt that after a while the "play" will be come more like work though, especially given the long hours he will put in. He is an amazing provider for our family. I couldn't ask for a husband who is more devoted to his wife and children than this amazing man!

We are also hopeful that we'll have a few more pictures of Lily sometime next month. A couple that we know is in the process of bringing home their two baby boys from the same foster home that Lily is in. They have promised to give her a hug from us, and are also bringing Lily a dress we sent them, and a small picture book I made that has pictures of us, our house and area. Every small contact that people here in the US have with Lily when they travel is so amazing. To hear little details about her personality and character and that she is so inquisitive. I just can't wait to have that little girl in my arms!

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Amazing Adoption Blog!

I would like to link over to an amazing blog that I follow. Millions of Miles Megan blogs about all kinds of stuff, including international adoption and because her kiddo is home, she can be more open about her process and pictures. She is also just a very real Mom, and hysterically funny. Basically, it's way more interesting than this one right now! Right now Megan is running an amazing fundraiser (HERE) for Haiti and The Democratic Republic of Congo on her blog. It's a raffle for not one, but TWO amazing vacations. Here is the link to Megan's fabulous blog, and I especially love the guest blogger today. Jilma is from Our Family Adoptions, and she's one of those people that I just lack words for. So go...read, enjoy, buy a raffle ticket!


As for us, and our journey to Lily, we continue. Our support is growing as more people learn about Lily and her country and what life is like there. I'm so grateful that the story of Lily's people moves people to action. A volunteer just returned from the area Lily is being fostered in, and managed to visit her in her foster home. She sent us all her measurements by e-mail, but we had to wait for pictures till she returned home. So now she's home, and relatively settled I guess, and today we received two of the most amazing pictures of Lil. I feel like one picture was for Mike and I, and one was sent directly from her heart to her brothers. In one she was just BEAMING.  Lit up, shining from with in. A peek of a dimple on her right cheek. Sparkling, twinkly eyes. It was a million miles from the shell-shocked referral pictures. It was the child I saw in that referral picture though! I knew she was in there. The other picture was a bit more surprising. It appears that Ms. Lily might just have some S-P-U-N-K.  She has the sassiest little, "I can handle you." look on her face. It's her message to her brothers :)

I can't wait to have her home. I miss her.