Giardia and the "down" side of adoption

 Yep, I haven't mentioned it lately, but both girls still have Giardia. They've been treated 6 times with different medicines, different combinations and yet it still remains. Can I tell you how tired I am of collecting samples? ;( Ugh... I'm so tired.... Luckily, they do not really have any symptoms of Giardia, just the positive results indicating that it's still within their tiny system. Even the doctors at the Children's Hospital in Philadelphia said this is, by far, one of the most extreme and longest case they've had. They are working with infectious disease doctors right now to come up with a plan for the entire family. (Yes, they want to treat all of us -- oh joy). And, I told everyone else in our family, they are responsible for collecting their OWN samples. Momma ain't doing that -- that's where I draw the line.. :)  

Other than the Giardia, the girls are thriving and growing, gaining weight and getting taller and talking up a storm.  They play so well together -- it's so fun to watch and listen to their interactions.  Ellie is still getting services through our Early Intervention program, so she's currently seeing a speech therapist and a behavior specialist. She is very quick to please, so she's doing wonderfully and her behavior specialist has dropped back to only 2 times a month. Speech is coming along too... especially considering she had no language when she came home 7 months ago and she has made huge strides in just the last 2 weeks.  

The rest of the family has had their share of weird ailments too -- lets see... we've had colds, strep, strange heart palpitations, weird viruses, one concussion, and mystery virus I had for 6 weeks that secluded me to mostly bed rest.  Fun times here, but yet we continue to persevere.  We just roll with it...

As we prepared to talk about our adoption journey for Orphan Sunday, we were asked by a few people if we were going to address the 'down' side of adoption.'   I've heard that terminology before, and always wondered what people were talking about -- you know.. life after the airport.  I'm still wondering what people are talking about.  I guess there are people out there who adopt and then think it was a mistake...something I can't really understand...   Don't get me wrong... there's been a time or two that I've thought, "oh my gosh.. this is really hard..." and sure, our life has been super crazy, but I would never change our decision to add Ellie to our family.  I guess all of our appointments for Ellie (and our other 3 kids!!) and our therapies for speech and behavior (mixed in with sports) probably looks overwhelming to most.... not to mention that I'm a working mom who travels one day a week... but I would not change our decision to adopt EVER.  I can only see positive things in adding a sweet little girl to our family and she continues to teach us things (about ourselves) as well as how to put ourselves aside to serve someone else (her)!  

But, craziness and all, we are exactly where God wants us. No, it hasn't been easy, but it's been our experience that anything worthwhile is NEVER EASY. It's EASY to ignore; it's EASY to do nothing and it's EASY to walk away. But, God can't change and mold us by asking us to do easy things all of the time. We knew going into the adoption process that we'd have a season of busy-ness and would probably be looking at some support services for Ellie --- and we are ok with that. And although the waiting period was horrible, it really helped us practice our patience and trust in God -- all things He knew we'd need to effectively parent Elliana.

So, although to the outside world our family looks a little crazy from time to time, (and yeah, I might have missed your birthday... or your get-together) our family is exactly how God created it to be... Giardia and all!! 

Oh Pooh!

This just in -- looks like we will be traveling 2 times to Ethiopia -- once for court and once to bring our little girl home.  The Ethiopian Government has just announced that beginning March 1, 2010, adoptive parent(s) must appear in court for the adoption hearing.  The good news is we will get to see her (hopefully) during the first trip; bad news is we won't be able to bring her home.  Maybe in some twisted way, this change in process will make things more efficient.

One positive thing is that she will come to the US on an IR3 Visa, making her an immediate US Citizen. 
On a negative note -- that's travel expenses times 2!

As soon as I hear more from our Case Manager -- I'll give an update.

Truth is... we'd travel around the world twice to bring our daughter home.  We'll just have to work on the logistics of it! 

No News

For those of you who have asked -- No news on our end, but we don’t expect to hear anything until this fall or later. We have no idea where we are on the waiting list, and we are not planning on asking anytime soon.  I'm afraid it will just discourage us.  In January, they were giving out referrals for those who submitted their dossier in June 2009.  Probably not too many referrals have been given out since.  (but notice our snail is still smiling!!)

Things are still slow in Ethiopia with ongoing investigations, referrals, court dates and embassy appointments. (Embassy appointments have now gone from 2 weeks after court to 8 weeks after court). We are hoping that is only a temporary thing. We also hope that somewhere along the line, all of the investigations will somehow improve the process and flow of paperwork in Ethiopia. Please keep families that are SO CLOSE to referral and traveling in your prayers. I’m sure it’s difficult to know your little ones face, but be unable to get to Ethiopia to get them.   Also, please keep all the babies and children who are currently waiting in your prayers. Some of these babies are stuck in orphanages that (due to on-going investigations in their region) are unable to give out referrals or move already-referred children to their interim care homes.

We know that everything has a purpose and reason, so we are trusting that God has His hand on this and will make things happen when its time. In the meantime – we wait and take pleasure in all the blessings we already have -- which are too abundant to count!

Happy Valentine's Day, Part II

Ok.. this really has nothing to do with the adoption, but I couldn't resist and it's quite fitting for Valentine's Day.   I came across this picture of Brad and I when we were in 7th and 8th grade!  Can you believe it??  (Please ignore the parachute pants and the 80's hair styles going on).   We have been together since then and have been married for 17 years so that makes us a couple for ummmm..... 25 years!   Talk about trials, tribulations and such.  Oh my word it makes me chuckle.   In those 25 years, we've moved 5 times, had 2 beautiful boys, walked thru a total marriage redemption, came to know Christ, renewed our marriage vows, was baptized as a family, and can now minister and help others from our experience in our marriage.  Our life isn't perfect, but we've come a long way from parachute pants and Aerosmith. 

Jesus spoke of Christianity as a banquet, but never as a picnic -- Anonymous

    

                                                                        15th Wedding Anniversary/Renewal of Vows

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine’s Day Baby!

Even though we don’t know your name, face, or if you are born yet, you are already loved. Friends and family are anxiously awaiting your arrival, even though we don’t know when that will be. Gifts have already come for you.  Not a day goes by that someone doesn’t ask a question or give a kind word for you. We pray for you and your mommy and daddy every day. We pray that you are safe and at peace until we can come for you. Please know that You are loved. You will always be loved and everything begins with God’s Love.

We love because He first loved us. 1 John 4:19

We don’t know the timing of our first meeting, but we know that God has a plan and He will watch over you and keep you until we meet. We know that you are His child and He will care for you. We know that He has chosen you for us and our paths will soon cross… on God’s timing.

“For I know the plans I have for you” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

Happy Valentine’s Day Baby!


Sweet kisses to you from your forever family -- Mommy, Daddy, Colton & Dylan

Puzzle Update #2

Well, being snowed in does have its advantages.  I finished the puzzle! (and, all the pieces were there -- which is a miracle in itself!)   Now we are going through and writing the names of those who have sponsored pieces.  As you can see, there are still many pieces available for sponsorship -- but we have time!   I'm so excited to show Baby E when she's older!!  It will be neat for her to see the names and meet the people who have sponsored pieces.  Pretty Cool! 

If you are interested in sponsoring a piece or a row of the puzzle, please contact me via email @ baxter075@comcast.net

Blizzard of 2010

We often wonder what Baby E will think when she sees snow for the first time.  Well, unfortunately, over the last week, we've seen our fair share of snow.  So, we want to put these pictures in our blog so we can show her the "Blizzard of 2010."  We received about 22" of snow on 2/5/10 and 2/6/10... and it took us most of 2/7/10 to dig out with the help of a friend with a Bobcat!  (Thanks Ryan!)   Then, on 2/9/10 we were hit again with at least another 24" of the white stuff along with 40 mph winds. which caused 3 to 4 foot drifts.  Lovely.   We have been blessed with the fact the the federal government has been closed -- so we haven't had to travel in this! 

Being trapped in doors for nearly a week has made me realize why some wild animals eat their young!  ha ha... no, the boys are doing well being cooped up, but it is taking a toll on mommy.   Luckily, I think we can get out today... Unfortunately, the forcast is calling for more snow next week. 

These pictures are from the 1st Snow!  2 of the driveway; one of the grill (no bbq for us).. and then one of my 2 snow angels :)

Hurry up Spring!!! 

Why does it take so long, Part II

Recently, our Case Manager spent 4 weeks in Ethiopia watching and learning the process from the other side. From what he wrote, it is simply amazing that they are able to unite so many families with children. To us living in the U.S., it’s hard to comprehend a world without email, fax machines, scanners, blackberries, or even cars, for that matter!  Following is a message from him, explaining what it takes to get ONE document, for ONE adoption, for ONE court hearing. God Bless the staff at CWA and all agencies in Ethiopia working so hard for all of us for the children.  This really puts the 'waiting' aspect into perspective. 

     I had the privilege of spending a few days in Soddo with our Children’s Cross Connection in Ethiopia (CCCE) partners on my trip to Ethiopia. One of those days I spent with the social workers, Sister Amarech and Ato Eyasu, so I could become acquainted with exactly what they do on a daily basis. They picked me up from where I was staying in the morning and we set off to see what we could do about getting a zonal document for a little boy I’ll just call ‘B’ who is now in the orphanage, but used to live in a nearby village.

     We spent about an hour on bumpy dirt roads before we arrived in the village where B’s father lived. As soon as we arrived, I noticed that the atmosphere was much different than in Addis. I don’t think we saw another vehicle in that town and certainly no other white faces. The children were very curious to see the car and get a closer look at the ‘forenge’, me. As we drove, most of the kids either yelled ‘forenge’ or ‘money’. When we stopped, they really just wanted to see. Stephne had warned me not to go handing out Birr.

     Our driver asked around and found that B’s father had been staying at his brother’s house since his wife passed away and he was sick. The fact that Ethiopia is typically a much more oral society than written one is evidenced by the fact that I only saw two street signs in Ethiopia and those were in downtown Addis. I was amazed that the social workers could find anything. We drove up to B’s uncle’s house and asked for the father. He came out and Sister Amarech explained what we were there for. She asked him if he would be willing to accompany us to the zonal court and see if we could get the last needed document for Federal court. He agreed, but wanted to change clothes first.

     As a side note, Ethiopian hospitality is remarkable. B’s aunt quickly brought out stools and chairs for all of us to have a seat and offered to make us coffee, but we weren’t going to be there that long.

     When the father was ready we piled into the car and headed back out into town. We stopped on the way because B’s father wanted to show me where B’s mother was buried. Once we got back into the village, our next task was to locate three witnesses who would be willing to verify in court the background of this family. Sister Amarech explained that this was no small request because we are asking people to give up a day where they are trying to provide for their own families to come and support another family. Due to the circumstances, the father’s illness and mother’s death, those in the community were compassionate and we only spent about half an hour locating the witnesses. Then, of course, the witnesses wanted to change clothes as they might be appearing in court later.

     Once everyone was ready, all eight of us piled into a Land Cruiser and drove about 30 minutes to the town where the zonal court was located. When we got to the court, we found that they were closed for lunch. Lunch in Ethiopia is from 12-2pm. We stopped to eat a lunch that Stephne graciously prepared for us. However, apparently a meal is not a meal unless injera is involved so we also shared some tibs and injera.

     When the court opened up again, I went with the social workers and B’s father to speak with the judge in his office. I was told that we were fortunate to see a compassionate judge that day and he agreed to hear the case later in the afternoon. We first needed to submit a formal request though. Sister Amarech came prepared with a pen and paper and we all sat on the benches as she wrote out the formal request letter in Amharic.

     We sat for a while longer and eventually were called in for the hearing. Even though the building appeared to be crumbling, the hearing was very formal. The judge wore a black robe and sat at a desk with a bright red table cloth. There was a man who assisted the judge and instructed everyone on where they were to stand or sit and when to stand and sit. He was an older man, but I wouldn’t want to cross him. B’s father and the three witnesses were all asked to place their hands on a Bible and make an oath before giving their testimony. Then they came in one at a time and sat in a chair a few feet in front of the judge while he interviewed them and took notes.

     After we were dismissed we were invited to have coffee in a room next to the waiting area. The coffee was strong, but appreciated especially after attempting to understand what is happening without knowing the language and eating two lunches. The judge’s assistant came to let us know that we would receive the document, but we needed to submit another formal request letter first. Sister Amarech again wrote out the letter and submitted it to the court. Eventually we did receive the letter and all piled into the car again. We dropped everyone off at their homes and thanked them. One of the witnesses insisted that we stay and eat sweet potatoes, so we sat under a tree, peeled and ate some sweet potatoes before heading back to Soddo…incredibly humbling. Finally, at 6pm we arrived back at the orphanage having obtained one document for one child. It was a good day!

     I was amazed that the Ethiopians would so generously give, not out of wealth, but out of poverty. And they gave to me, one who is beyond wealthy by their standards. I also gained such an appreciation for the work that is done on the front lines at the orphanages. Not only are they caring for the children and carrying them through malnutrition and sometimes sickness, but they are also fighting for these kids by spending endless hours traveling and pleading their case before officials. Please continue to pray for the staff that work tirelessly to care for these children whose alternatives are unthinkable.

Additional Information on the Court Hearing Process

     Some of you may have heard me say that there is a ‘rumor’ that Ethiopia may require adoptive parents to appear in court for the adoption hearing. Here is an update from our case manager regarding that:

Our CWAE attorney, Derrese, has confirmed that it is not just a rumor that adoptive parents MIGHT be required to appear in court for the adoption hearing. This is being discussed among the members of the court, and is under consideration. We will keep you informed of all developments as we hear of any forthcoming.

     Currently, our agency goes to the court hearing for us, under a Power of Attorney. Recently, there have been cases in which the parents go to pick up their children (after the court case, etc.), and decide not to take them (for whatever reason – medical, personal, etc.) Then, the courts have to go through the revocation of rights and those poor children are put back into the adoption circuit until they are matched with another family. (this hasn't happened in our agency)  This isn’t sitting well with the Ethiopian courts, which it shouldn’t. My best guess is that perhaps there are undisclosed medical conditions that are discovered when the parents arrive to pick up their children. (again, that’s just my best-guess). I’m sure there are other agencies in Ethiopia that are not as forthcoming with medical information as others. 


    While this is still unconfirmed, I see this as a double-edged sword. On a positive side, we would perhaps be able to see and/or meet our little girl a few months earlier, check out her current health situation and just hold her in our arms and squeeze her tight. We might also get to see the Orphanage in which she is staying (before they move her to the transition home). Although, depending upon the region, this might not be recommended. So, would this mean we would travel all that way and not get to see our baby? 

    
      So, I know it is out of our hands and God has a perfect plan for the situation. Just keep this in your prayers. Perhaps if this would happen, it would speed up the process and we’d have our baby girl home earlier? Or perhaps not, and this will just be another process in which our patience and faith will be tested. Either way, we are up for the challenge. 

    On a negative note, if we did get to meet her, we would have to give her back and come home until we travel again for our Embassy appointment. Gut wrenching to think about. Not to mention the fact that we would have to travel there 2 times verses 1 time, which will double our travel expenses. Plus, that means we would both have to take leave from work to travel, which would reduce the amount of time off once she comes home. And, I’m not sure, but that may mean that we could come face to face with her family and/or a remaining living parent during the court hearing? Gut wrenching again to think about the sacrifice her family is making for her. 

And again, these are all just the rambling that go on in my mind… scary, isn’t it :)

Heading to U.S. Department of State and Ethiopian Embassy Tomorrow!

We received our State Certification today, so tomorrow we will be hand-carrying our precious dossier to the US Department of State and the Ethiopian Embassy.  Please keep us in your prayers and we head downtown.  We are not sure what we will find when we arrive at the Dept of State.  All of the Haitian adoptions will be going through the Department of State as well, so I'm sure there is a lot of hub-bub and security issues down there right now.  We certainly do not want to put ourselves before the precious orphans from Haiti, but at the same time we are hoping we can walk in, get our documents authenticated and bound, and walk back out.  That would be perfect.  :)  Then we will head to the Embassy for the same process.  If time permits, we are planning on stopping at an authentic Ethiopian restaurant for lunch.. Yummy!  I'll be sure to take some pictures.

We are on the home stretch!  Next stop for our Dossier = Ethiopia! 

God is good :)

Puzzle Update

     Moving right along . . . although we haven't sold all the pieces yet (but have raised 1/2 the money), we decided that perhaps we should try to get this thing together, especially to check that all pieces are in order.  Then we will begin writing donors names on the back.  (see side bar for our puzzle fundraiser idea) 

     Funny story -- we spent most of our Christmas vacation framing the puzzle and putting the giraffes and landscape together.  It was coming along nicely.  Notice I said  WAS :)  Unfortunately, during a Xbox frenzie, Colton's sock stuck to the felt pad under the puzzle.  Not knowing his sock and the puzzle mat were attached, he made a sudden move, and, well, that was the end of the puzzle.  Poor boy was scared to tell me (we didn't witness the dumping of the puzzle first hand)... but oh my goodness.. to see about 500 pieces of a puzzle laying on the floor in a heap of messiness stirred my emotions.    My first inclination was to act like a child and scream and shout at him... but you know what... It's a puzzle... it was an accident...and it can be fixed.

     So now, we've moved it to a much safer location, cover it at night, and we are back to the point it was before.   As you can see, it's really beautiful and the colors are very vibrant.  This is actually an older picture.  We are further along than te picture shows.   

     If you are interested, there's still time to purchase your piece.  We think it will be really neat for Baby E to see all the people who helped bring her home.  So far we have about 40 names to put onto the puzzle from various donations received over the holiday.. THANK  YOU!!!   So, that only leaves 960 names to go!  Ask your family, friends and work associates if they'd like to own a piece of the puzzle.

USCIS Biometrics Appointment!

Yay!  We received our US Citizenship and Immigration Notice of Action today for our biometrics appointments (fingerprinting, etc.) to continue the processing of our I600A (Application for Advance Processing of Orphan Petition).  This will bring us one step closer to receiving full approval of our application!  Our appointments are for the end of January.  After our biometrics are taken and approved we will be well on our way.  The next step will be for our Home Study Provider to send a copy of our home study to complete our application.  We are truly blessed! 

Psalm 119: 1-8

You're blessed when you stay on course, walking steadily on the road revealed by God.

You're blessed when you follow his directions, doing your best to find him.
That's right—you don't go off on your own; you walk straight along the road he set.

You, God, prescribed the right way to live; now you expect us to live it.
Oh, that my steps might be steady, keeping to the course you set;
Then I'd never have any regrets in comparing my life with your counsel.

I thank you for speaking straight from your heart; I learn the pattern of your righteous ways.
I'm going to do what you tell me to do; don't ever walk off and leave me.

Catalyst Video (note: Need to pause Dizzler music player before playing video)

Adoption from Catalyst on Vimeo.

This is one of the videos from Catalyst (P.S. You'll have to pause the sound on our Dizzler music player)

Orphan from Catalyst on Vimeo.

A Defining Moment

A lot of people have asked us, “what was your defining moment when you knew you were going to adopt.” Did you have a divine sign, did you do it on a whim, did you always know? We had been talking about adding to our family for probably the last 5 years, but have been seriously considering it for the last 2 years. We had always talked about adopting a little girl from China, but never sincerely talked about it. Over the last two years, we kept coming up with excuses as to why we couldn’t add to our family; why we shouldn’t add to our family; we talked about the logistics and reality of it; we talked about our job situations and how that would be an issue; you name it – we used it as an excuse. But, the desire to add a little one to our family just never went away. We knew that God had placed it in our hearts for a reason. Little by little each excuse that we had seemed to disappear. The more we talked about it, the more it seemed like a sincere possibility. Following is our story of how God spoke to us.


We had been asked several times over the last few years if we would have any more children. Medically, it could be possible, but it would involve some treatments. We weren’t sure we wanted to go there. We are not saying that we are against fertility treatments in any way, shape or form. But, we had 2 children without any assistance, and I guess we figured if God wanted us to have any additional biological children, it would have just happened. We prayed about it, but never got the ‘yahoo’ let’s do this from God. But, the desire for a child lingered on. We talked about it all the time, prayed about it all the time and talked about different options. (of course we did all of this privately because we figured our family and friends would think we were nuts!!) Adoption came up, but again, we weren’t detailed in our discussions – we were open to it, but did go into details. What we did know was that we had room in our hearts for another child; we had room in our home for another child; and we were waiting on God to tell us what our next move would be.

Fast forward to October. We were set to go to Catalyst in Atlanta, GA. http://www.catalystspace.com/events/atlanta/ Catalyst is a leadership conference for church leaders that we attend with our church, Mountain Ridge Church. It’s an awesome time to connect with our current church leaders, a time to hear great speakers, musicians, etc., but mostly, it’s a time to spend with God. When else can you turn off the world, and spend a few days with God, hear great worship sets and just connect period!? Our first Catalyst experience as in 2008, and we were never the same! We had decided that this would be our “defining moment.” We needed to get clarity on what God wanted us to do about adding to our family. Should we proceed with treatments; should we adopt; or should we just be happy that we have 2 beautiful boys and concentrate on them? Were we selfish for even considering adding to our family? Is it in our path? We were tired of talking about it and being non-committal about it. If we were going to do something, the time was NOW. (we weren’t getting any younger!) We knew God would lead us to our final answer. We were OPEN to whatever God wanted for us.

So, here we are sitting with our awesome group of people at Catalyst and thinking about taking a break and going to look at the exhibitors, etc. The next segment to come on was “Are you Open?” http://143million.org/ Good grief! It was an entire segment on adoption complete with videos, testimonies, and the big she-bang, Mac Powell, lead singer for Third Day (which is one of our favorite bands!! Woo hoo) and his wife talking about the adoption of his son. Talk about a Defining Moment! Talk about Leaving Your Mark (which was the topic of Catalyst this year). I (Angie) cried through the entire segment. When the segment was over, we both looked at each other and knew. We knew this is what we traveled to Atlanta for. We knew this is what God has planned for us. Brad looked at me and said, “we’re going to the adoption tent exhibitor and getting more information, aren’t we?” And, that’s basically it. We haven’t looked back since.

Our decision to adopt from Ethiopia probably was planted at Catalyst last year as well. We saw the most beautiful children dancing and singing who were from Kenya, I believe. (not Ethiopia, but close). Their hearts and personalities were so innocent and pure. We instantly fell in love. They were there again this year, and appeared RIGHT AFTER the adoption segment and they even sang with Mac Powell. Of course I bawled my eyes out again this year! Ok, God, we hear You loud and clear!

We came home and instantly began contacting adoption agencies. I can’t say they we still didn’t have hesitation about it. We did. This was a big decision, a big expense (one that we hadn’t saved for), and this would change our lives and the life of a child and the lives of our 2 boys forever. We read, prayed, fasted and talked, and talked, and prayed and fasted. We were still hung up on if this was in our plan and our path. Although the writing was on the wall, we still wanted reassurance. We prayed some more. I decided to take a day or 2 and fast and pray yet again… just to make sure we were not being ‘moved by the moment’ at Catalyst… then something funny happened… we received an email from the Catalyst people (that very day) giving us an electronic copy of Andy Stanley’s new book, “The Principle of the Path.” Oh my word…. Really??... this again was God giving us another tool to help our decision. I read the entire book in a few hours. Then, Psalm 119 came to me. So I turned in my bible to it and again, God’s words spoke very clear to us about our path ahead.

So, here we are only 2 ½ months later, ready to submit our dossier to Ethiopia for the adoption of our daughter. 2010 is going to be an awesome year. It’s so funny when you look back on the last 2 years of our life. It’s amazing to see how God had perfectly aligned our thoughts, decisions and situations to bring us to this very moment. Way too many to list, but we see them very clear now. It’s a puzzle of perfectly aligned pieces. We cannot wait for the next piece!

I want to list a few excerpts from the front page of our Catalyst program. Now remember, we didn’t have this book in our hands before we decided that our Catalyst experience this year would be our “Defining Moment” about what direction we were going with our family. It wasn’t until a few weeks ago that I looked back at the front page of our Catalyst program and got chills. It was a ‘fill in the blank’ cover and then you open to the front page to read how it came out. The bold text show what I filled in. I won’t give you the whole thing, but here are a few excerpts… simply amazing:

“As leaders, we are marked by defining moments that shape and change us. Moments like our marriage redemption.[which should be a whole other blog, but we won’t go there right now :)]. These moments are turning points that adjust our present and help shape our future. . . When our true identity is clarified and we grasp a clear understanding of God’s eternal perspective . . . This journey you are about to embark upon is similar to hearing Third Day for the first time; once experienced, you’ll never be the same. . . We have all been marked by Our Heavenly Father. You have a unique mark. Now go leave your mark on a broken world. . .”

So, did Catalyst persuade us into adopting? Absolutely not! We already had that possibility in our thoughts and prayers. But, I think if we would have missed Catalyst this year, we would have missed our mark!

What do stockings have to do with the birth of our Savior?

What do stockings have to do with the birth of our Savior?  Funny you should ask :) 

I don’t remember where I originally found this, but it sure speaks to our hearts during this Christmas season and as we hung a stocking for Baby E. 


Christmas Stocking - Because stockings cover our feet, they symbolize our life's journey. If our journey takes us closer to God, He rewards us with the joys and happiness of eternal life.


Please see the picture below of our Christmas stockings for Colton, Dylan and Baby E. We are looking forward to the Baxter journey ahead.   Hopefully next year we can fill her stocking with peace, love and joy!

Where's Baby E??

Where are we in the process?  We are just about ready to ship our dossier.  Hopefully this will happen within the next couple of weeks.  We have already submited our USCIS paperwork and are waiting approval of that.  We are told that after our dossier is shipped and translated in Ethiopia, it could be about 8 - 9 months until we get a referral of a healthy baby girl.  Then, we will travel about 3 - 6 months after that (you can see the processes that take place between the referral and travel).   Listed below is a sample flow chart of the process so that you can have an idea of where we are:

An Oldie but Goodie

I've read this a couple of times before, but somehow it found its way back to me from our Adoption Agency. It's about the wait again. It seems sometimes I want things to happen in MY time, not Gods. This was a reminder to us again why things don't always happen when we want them to. Maybe we're not ready yet :) Hopefully someone will remind me to read this again a few months from now when I start complaining about the wait!

"He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver."
This verse puzzled some women in a Bible study, and they wondered what
this statement meant about the character and nature of God. One of the
women offered to find out the process of refining silver and get back to
the group at their next Bible Study.

That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch
him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her
interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver.

As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire
and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to
hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as
to burn away all the impurities.

The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot; then she
thought again about the verse that says: "He sits as a refiner and
purifier of silver." She asked the silversmith if it was true that he
had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being
refined. The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there
holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire
time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the
flames, it would be destroyed.

The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, "How
do you know when the silver is fully refined?" He smiled at her and
answered, "Oh, that's easy -- when I see my image in it."

If today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that God has his
eye on you and will keep watching you until He sees His image in you.

Why does the baby's name have to start with E?

Why does the baby’s name have to start with “E”


Just in case you were wondering, or hadn’t connected the dots, we are an alphabet family (Angie, Brad, Colton & Dylan)… so, that’s why there will be a baby “E”.

The name that we like, but are still pondering is Elliana. . (eh lee AH nah.. or ellie-ah-na). It’s Hebrew and means God has responded. Maybe Elle for short or maybe a different spelling. Of course, there is always Emmalee, Emily, Emma, and some others we are pondering. It will probably depend on her given name from Ethiopia, which we will keep as her middle name. Most Ethopian names are difficult to pronounce and some are even spelled like English ‘bad’ words… yikes 

The Great Paper Chase

Where are we in the paper mess?

After we have all information together for our home study and our dossier, it all gets complied together, gets certified in Harrisburg, travels to Washington DC for 2 certifications, then goes to our Agency for submission to Ethiopia. We are hoping and praying to have all of this complete by mid-January or early February at the latest. In order for our dossier to be submitted, our home study must be complete. In order for our home study to be complete, all of our references and physician clearances must be in and we must have 3 home study interviews and appointments.

Here’s what we got accomplished in two weeks:

• Received our FBI paperwork stating that our fingerprints passed – which is surprising.. not because I didn’t think we would pass, but because they said it would take 4 – 6 weeks. It was more like 4 – 6 days!! Woohoo!
• Received our Child Abuse Clearances and Criminal History Verifications.
• Received our Employment Verification Letters from the NRC.
• Submitted our immigration paperwork to the Phila. Office of Homeland Security and Immigration. After 2 weeks, it was returned and had to be sent to a different office… ugghhh… resubmitted on Friday, 12/11/09 to the Texas office. (they changed the process 15 days before we sent ours in).. double ugghh. 
• Received our Local Police Letters stating that we are good citizens and have no record.
• We have our first Home Study appointment this Thursday! Yay!
• We completed our Ethiopia Adoption Training DVDs.
• Started reading our 500 page book. Need to take the test soon.
• Most of our references are in

What are we still waiting on?

• Our physician clearances and letters of reference (we were warned that this could be our hold up and so far, that’s holding true).
• A few more personal references