Small Town Charm

I think that our postal worker needs to work for Ikea. Each day I come home and find mail wedged in our box. In fact she has stuffed our mail in our box so tightly that the other day I actually had to remove the mail box from its stand and have my husband hold one end while I pulled on a newspaper piece that was towards the front. We removed mail piece by piece until I was able to pull a letter out. Today I came home and was a bit worried b/c she had lodged a book in there and it took me several minutes to un-lodge it. Then when I walked up to the door there was mail there too! I can't complain about getting so much mail though. When I was little all I wanted was mail with my name on it. So, it's pretty nice to get mail!

I am sad, frustrated, confused, hopeful, etc. b/c I read a blog today and hope that what I read was wrong. The family is ahead of us on things they have done. We are waiting for our home study to be typed up and CIS but this is what their blog said: :( Just spoke with Natalie from Gladney. It would be a miracle if we got there before the courts close this summer. She said once we accept a referral it takes about a month to hear from the courts and then another month for a court date (in Ethiopia), then we travel 3-4 weeks after that. It's just not going to happen this summer. :( I'm so sad right now. The courts close for about 2 months and so we wouldn't get there until probably in November. I want to cry.

I AM RIGHT THERE WITH YOU. I WANT TO CRY FOR YOU AND FOR US. Maybe we can pray for a drought to set in until we receive our children! I know, be careful what you pray for!! Wow what a deal (not a good deal either). I have been so happy w/our choice and even more happy b/c a family I know of is adopting from China and it’s been 3 years. They got their referral this month. I have been thinking that I am glad were not adopting from China... well its not 3 years but if it is November it's going to feel like an awfully long time. I would rater have a little bit older child then have to wait until November.


Besides that- I do know things are getting closer and closer each day. I wrack my brain and try to think of things I need to do, should be doing, want to do and hope that I am not missing anything. We’ve watched all of the adoption video’s now. They were so good. I think any and EVERY parent to be should watch them b/c they are so informative. I got so many good ideas and will hold on to them to view every now and then when parenting becomes tough! I have finished a travel scrapbook and a before you were here scrapbook and think that is about all I am going to do for right now. It’s hard when you don’t know if your going to be referred a boy or a girl b/c I don’t want to books too boyish or too girly. I would also like to start finalizing the room. It’s about done but there are some window treatments I would like to do and it really depends on if we are getting a boy or a girl what I’ll need to do. I have ordered a computer program that is supposed to help you learn Amharic. I sure would like to know some of the language for travel and learn as much as I can so I can talk to the baby in Amharic as much as possible- and it was one of the things that was stuck in the mail box today when I came home! It came in about 2 days- go Amazon free shipping! Now that is fast!

If we do have a baby somewhere out there I pray that the baby has someone special who is caring for him/her holding her/him and loving her/him.