tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24352988107686718822024-03-05T02:35:50.375-08:00Hello My Love ...Wait with us. Pray with us. Rejoice with us as we welcome an Ethiopian Jewel into our lives through the blessing of adoption!Team Chainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12180477535803412664noreply@blogger.comBlogger47125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2435298810768671882.post-51257030619608703202011-04-07T15:51:00.000-07:002011-04-07T16:16:00.355-07:00My Sunshine Has Come!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbNIU4Ao7LnrwMeUZ5ljmWoDc4syUVc8uPbFVXinBgaf-RQSD-0inh-tHnoguCJTapiNHGB9SgF0JWNuafMthtaqMX4v_vtXDEzI-Qr7nIJ5AFe6geMR1oK57hOlafCzFtgES6aeWOM6rd/s1600/189880_1836708510699_1030059112_2134184_6098937_n.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 226px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 133px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592982775704519266" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbNIU4Ao7LnrwMeUZ5ljmWoDc4syUVc8uPbFVXinBgaf-RQSD-0inh-tHnoguCJTapiNHGB9SgF0JWNuafMthtaqMX4v_vtXDEzI-Qr7nIJ5AFe6geMR1oK57hOlafCzFtgES6aeWOM6rd/s200/189880_1836708510699_1030059112_2134184_6098937_n.jpg" /></a> <br /><div>It's been a while since I've even looked at my blog. many wonder what happened? We went through the devastating loss of our first adopted child. She was found to have a severe special need which were not approved nor equip to handle. We found out 2 days before we were to travel to Ethiopia to bring her home. While our entire family was shook by this, we sought God and we found peace. God allowed us to love her and to advocate for this precious child. Though it was painful, I'm honored that God chose us because the reward was great! Shortly after the Ethiopian courts decided that the child would be better suited with another family and that we could adopt again, we were referred another precious baby girl! A few weeks before this referral, I had this overwhelming feeling of light and peace. I wrote in my journal that the next child would be as bright as the sun and light up our lives with joy. So to my surprise when we got the call and were told that the child's name meant She is like the sun, I felt as if it were a sign from God that every thing's gonna be alright! </div><br /><div>We traveled in January and stayed thru the beginning of March. It was a blessing to stay through court and embassy! The time in country with our daughter was an opportunity of a lifetime. I truly felt like I was at home, most people were welcoming and hospitable. We met friends for life during our stay. I did have a few sick spells but nothing some cipro, and gentamiacin drops couldn't help;-) Now we are home with all of our children finally under one roof! After 3 long years our sunshine has come...Tsehay Justice is with us forever!</div>Team Chainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12180477535803412664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2435298810768671882.post-10495838766560868362010-11-23T11:32:00.000-08:002010-11-23T11:38:48.435-08:00Thanks a Bunch!Thanks a bunch to those of you who showed your care and concern through your posts. Your prayers are valuable to me. Yes, we did go through a rough patch on the adoption road but things are looking up now! I thank God for His grace, love and mercy and I hope to post in more detail soon. Blessings to you all...Happy Thanksgiving!!!Team Chainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12180477535803412664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2435298810768671882.post-77644952850365466872010-07-06T17:46:00.000-07:002010-07-06T18:19:29.028-07:00I Just Want To Hold Her<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqhw2rUYem58rer-ady3ipAmc4VanivDKAAC1jYzVS-KoaoKo75CPzntZnSU2KFCk-nWyCHZ8WE5huVoQKPMMcGZqYfFx028yrrBwO_9jxfxiabOreF28lXAAr_jDogONIJ5Gj3kOpaYx4/s1600/woman+holding+child.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5490962632819220546" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqhw2rUYem58rer-ady3ipAmc4VanivDKAAC1jYzVS-KoaoKo75CPzntZnSU2KFCk-nWyCHZ8WE5huVoQKPMMcGZqYfFx028yrrBwO_9jxfxiabOreF28lXAAr_jDogONIJ5Gj3kOpaYx4/s320/woman+holding+child.jpg" /></a><br /><div>I just want to hold her, kiss her, and tell her how much I love her. Tomorrow will make 7 weeks since we received our referral and still we have no word of a court date! I'm not even going to front like I'm not irritated by this part of the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">process</span>. It was different when I was waiting to find out who my daughter was but now that I know, I have to be with her! This feeling is almost primal...animalistic...instinct. To know your child is on another continent and you are dependent on the efficiency and diligence of someone else to unite you, is a very helpless feeling that makes me want to beat my chest and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">ROARRRR</span>! Whew, but then my spirit man says to pray, make your request known unto God, cry out to the one who knows the beginning from the end...He is the only one who can bring you peace Toni. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">OK</span> Lord I release it all to you, I trust in your perfect timing. We found out that there are now two court dates instead of one. The first, is for the birth relatives to give consent to the judge for the adoption. The second is where we are expected to appear in court to give our consent to adopt. From what we hear that initially trip will be about 3-4 days and the next trip is the embassy/visa appointment which is 5-7 days, and then we get to bring her home! Until then I'll channel my stress into <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">pre</span>-packing. A co-worker of my husbands lend us those space vac bags, so we can start packing up some of the things we will need to take on our trip. Keep us in your prayers. Blessings!<br /><br /><div></div></div>Team Chainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12180477535803412664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2435298810768671882.post-78850575105320670582010-06-19T21:01:00.000-07:002010-06-19T21:25:39.503-07:00Time to Bond<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0KTHOCd4lBYDqmmtvLmwLSSLmIuIB23HPg0O78KnvIfL5w0iaXR7WKwDPqBwsDkI30t5bUiQZdkyRmSml5Dqj5zh9RZ6hcMrSFdBScF-W0_x1w8frZgdRgW2pZ2C03RD6jFEADm4Lyybr/s1600/pics+of+books.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484702756528435874" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0KTHOCd4lBYDqmmtvLmwLSSLmIuIB23HPg0O78KnvIfL5w0iaXR7WKwDPqBwsDkI30t5bUiQZdkyRmSml5Dqj5zh9RZ6hcMrSFdBScF-W0_x1w8frZgdRgW2pZ2C03RD6jFEADm4Lyybr/s320/pics+of+books.jpg" /></a><br /><div>Here's a pic of one of the coolest gifts that I've <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">received</span> in a long time. Well it's not actually my gift, it's a gift for my baby girl. A good friend of mine and fellow adoptive mommy sent these books on behalf of her 1 year old daughter (these happen to be her favorite); "Please baby please" and "whose toes are those". I love them and I know my <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">daughter</span> will too! Reading these beautiful books to her will just give the two of us valuable time to bond. I actually think the little girl in "please baby please" resembles my daughter, minus the hair...my girl only has a few downy feathers for hair, for now:-) We're still awaiting word of a court date keep us in your prayer please, thank you.</div>Team Chainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12180477535803412664noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2435298810768671882.post-29449190828710478582010-06-11T09:56:00.000-07:002010-06-11T11:14:32.167-07:00For The Glory Of LoveMy husband and I got our travel vaccines the day after we got the call for our referral. We went to a local travel clinic. It was a pretty cool experience, the walls had world map murals on them and there were corners of the clinic set up with vintage luggage...very cool. So we both got the typhoid, yellow fever, Hep A&B, and Tetanus. OUCH IE! OMG it felt like my arm was going to fall off. They said that there may be a possibility that we may feel a little fluish, but I wasn't worried about that, I was still flying high off of the day before. Well how about later that evening I felt flush, not quite like myself. Hubby made me go to bed early just to get some rest because I was a little sleep deprived. I felt worse and worse until I found myself taking cold and flu medicine that didn't quite alleviate the symptoms. I was seriously ill! I had almost every symptom that the discharge paper said I would have plus some! One night I realized that I had a tender lump under my armpit. It was so painful that I couldn't put my arm down I had to sleep with it above my head:-( I finally went to the doctor and she said that it was a moderate reaction to the vaccines. A week later I started to re-coop. Wow, I had to be the small percentage of people that gets sick, right!?!? I guess that was the exchange for labor...HA! It's all for the glory of love and I would do it all again . Oh yeah I have to go back for the next round of HEP and this time I'm getting the meningitis. I sure hope this time around isn't as dramatic. As far as the adoption goes, we are awaiting word of our court date. You may already know that Ethiopia is now requiring adoptive parents to appear in court along with a birth relative, so we will be traveling for that. I've heard that the court date usually comes 4-6 weeks after referral, so we are almost four weeks in...soon before courts close for the rainy season, please Lord! So for know we are contacting travel agents and inquiring about the journey ahead. The good thing is the kids are out for SUMMER VACATION, so our travels won't interfere with school. There are some really nice families that are ET now and they offered to bring back pictures of my sweet peach...Oh I can't wait! In the mean time for fun I'm filling her armoire with the cutest close, shoes, and let's not forget about accessories! Tomorrow my family and I are going to visit our two favorite Habesha girls. It's always a joy to hang out with fellow adoptive families. I can't wait until my baby girl completes the trio. I just thank my Father (God) for His many blessings. He is truly good!<br /><br />PS: I saw this poster somewhere and I thought it was funny but true. Just know that the tears are more often tears of joy:-)<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyC9Anxh_JRJpHISd8hIhS0Imd7HFr2DneDyncyJ0NRtssOWr_tOR_UhzjhEWdJJgVObrKp8XkpKqar-DbTofo6C013GmLcWybqBFUqHLqw6X29l08MPO1WjCUSeCjLjOl5CqohPS3J_Dh/s1600/adoption_warning.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 210px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481568253671021714" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyC9Anxh_JRJpHISd8hIhS0Imd7HFr2DneDyncyJ0NRtssOWr_tOR_UhzjhEWdJJgVObrKp8XkpKqar-DbTofo6C013GmLcWybqBFUqHLqw6X29l08MPO1WjCUSeCjLjOl5CqohPS3J_Dh/s400/adoption_warning.jpg" /></a><br /><div></div>Team Chainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12180477535803412664noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2435298810768671882.post-46167824739315437212010-05-19T22:47:00.000-07:002010-05-19T23:03:21.670-07:00We Got The Call!!!Wow I know it's late, but I'm finally <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">winding</span> down from this whirlwind of a day. I'm going to take these last few minutes before I go to sleep to say..."We got the call"! This morning or should I say yesterday morning around 11:19am Ashley called with the news of an 8month old precious baby girl. After what seems like a life time of waiting it's finally my turn to post good news. She's as pretty as a peach...literally she has a round face with juicy cheeks and a brown sugar complexion with peachy undertones. I guess I will have to break out the headband because she doesn't really have any hair just a couple of downy feathers. I can't wait to send the acceptance paperwork off and get to waiting for my COURT DATE...which I hope and pray will come very soon. Tomorrow or shall I say today we're off to the travel clinic to get the vaccinations the we need to travel to Ethiopia. God is <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">soooooo</span> good. His mercy endures forever. The day when not one person in my house mentioned "the call" or fixated on a referral is the day the call came. I'll give you more on the details of the scene and how it all played out at a later date. Blessings to all of you who prayed and believed with us, please continue to keep us lifted in prayer as we walk out the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">remainder</span> of this journey. Thank you!Team Chainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12180477535803412664noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2435298810768671882.post-5089744444614531852010-05-16T11:04:00.000-07:002010-05-16T11:49:25.604-07:00Holding at #1This is me with my nephew/godson on South Beach. The Hubs and I needed an infant parenting refresher, so we took our 3 <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">chickadeez</span> plus our nephew with us for a day out. It was like riding a bike! I think we're going to do just fine when our turn comes around. We're still holding at #1 on the wait list for an infant girl. Last week there was a referral for a 26 month old boy, the family only waited 3months, can you <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">believe</span> that! We are going on 16 months of waiting, I guess anything worth having is worth waiting for, my precious baby is definitely worth waiting for. I pray that the wait ends this week...I hope you will pray for us. We are selling a nice sofa and 2 bookcases to make room for baby. It will be replaced with a crib an <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">armoir</span> and a few other nursery pieces. If you are interested check out <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">Craig's</span> list or email me @ <a href="mailto:TFchain@aol.com">TFchain@aol.com</a>. The sofa is beige micro fiber with 2 multi color pillows, reds...($250) the bookcases are black-brown from <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">Ikea</span>, ($90) everything is like new! Pass it on to anyone you know that may be interested let me know. I can't wait to start putting everything together for the baby's room, it'll help me with this WAIT! Hopefully the next time I post I'll have more exciting news. Until then....<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtS2rgOlXSiLSRNjgAmU32_knJVxUTw6ZrIPVNkKpbHGLkHo1SgMBdig_vI9jk4J2Nx4zco-m_l6E-ZT5_pIot165Z3xLusNg-nJHYbwAQ9_xgG-BoJ8a0l73hw_aBt92_LrjkgOy6BTWy/s1600/DSCF1921.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471936320760419890" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtS2rgOlXSiLSRNjgAmU32_knJVxUTw6ZrIPVNkKpbHGLkHo1SgMBdig_vI9jk4J2Nx4zco-m_l6E-ZT5_pIot165Z3xLusNg-nJHYbwAQ9_xgG-BoJ8a0l73hw_aBt92_LrjkgOy6BTWy/s400/DSCF1921.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm_T-qQnxdRmEacea3rY5fSZIl7x5V1oJzo3dowVvry7NJ067eEVUCKGkeP9r8lHQ-kX5wQ_lQCXx3VI-ouPVRsCNoJT19ukWMS0hG145q5KkXuYSsog4GIKqNB37dymmax497nvm4aV7O/s1600/DSCF1920.JPG"></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEFxayl1x5WW4a345fHG75OOmOC3GDpbjFrmYnOUeiECfNgcwK_-7_OkDpTfq-Co68sKkhp6W8SC1bFcsTPCHShes2Ck_Pul1dLEFh8gY13ULreBgVrAC0iuk1HVycRIcWmGR6K2sLjPDh/s1600/DSCF1920.JPG"></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIDl0sQYJi7_zElAXnmsiOVWue0P2wjJa0nVsTNF8FfTTaZgP4eQ_5F0SEM55-mlZfQLlkEMo2qQd4guGgTTEL5SHiKwKS6WX1Y6dg2lvxaVtVNSQxQc8bhO0Pd-oQgBfp5MjESyj6LL9d/s1600/DSCF1919.JPG"></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7i68UNpQo_vSIDbh9e1yJS8T8Ml7KuEO3HT67KHRN5JAvJnFAdooT7jGVyI8ZVmPmnKMewwrr7wm9x2hDn2Pfl8EidTZrvNX2n_mfgv_JMaWxH3SAZBtqVB2OyI7iYMBtSAmApCfZD1is/s1600/DSCF1917.JPG"></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv5tm0AITI7A6TbYbSrd7thiPs5jc_R2zALVpF9pVTtE3QhKWLNzZRWNFu4tAAZzQkk6vCxyfZvl2HTLE2Wt5t1UkymrH2gIQzBQFb3hG5d4RigpDQmiUQLhbGZcaw_wV0gkHNaDYZzvSZ/s1600/DSCF1916.JPG"></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirvGrqxu8qtGPlvvL6PCUV0UB2gHGpqNNDIiEjt7V7AfXger7CuUUyolraSDL8yjLUOsJTu5WdelylOOMvtnD8bo6uyVAXkHikeImk33TEdF2EOyGxf9NY61kNORwkRjM4dLrSh12gSNVH/s1600/DSCF1915.JPG"></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQfUgDq5uM8E8Uh66YMC6xuTQ9vVp9TbBZpSjF49Fxrajw8fc7VYwOr40eaC2lmBfkImLZ1kyAKZhJVQQCmXLkFbMA-Hu-_Srb8uHnhfwq0pzJKVpqxJDmW7oKOMIKjcPZzmo4Ln9rvIa9/s1600/DSCF1914.JPG"></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Team Chainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12180477535803412664noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2435298810768671882.post-9327147196648091532010-04-27T09:34:00.000-07:002010-04-27T10:24:28.237-07:00We're Number One<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRZtD1aYfoFMaEsXP1qsf6ExEMe1qE_ogNufFfeEm10fwesFAMOpW3T-FLUh6maR-UdL2fLVMXyVY2B4OX1hxpWa9Qig0YmXch4GuQ3xdARqblz5IVDXEx8P4JOFSbNzmY4cGP0KtDa2wI/s1600/1+cupcake.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 107px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 170px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464867369079783986" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRZtD1aYfoFMaEsXP1qsf6ExEMe1qE_ogNufFfeEm10fwesFAMOpW3T-FLUh6maR-UdL2fLVMXyVY2B4OX1hxpWa9Qig0YmXch4GuQ3xdARqblz5IVDXEx8P4JOFSbNzmY4cGP0KtDa2wI/s400/1+cupcake.jpg" /></a><br /><div>Yesterday was my birthday and yesterday we made it to number one on the official wait list for CHI! Of course I was hoping to receive a referral for my birthday but number one is nice too. I enjoyed the day by relaxing and later that evening I had cake and ice cream and pizza and this and that...I was stuffed! I've informed most of my friends and family that the birthday celebration will continue until the end of the week, so there is still time to get the "BEST GIFT EVER"! </div><br /><div>The referrals that were given out yesterday were: A 2.5 month old baby girl and a set of 6 week old girl and boy TWINS! how cool. Last week there was a referral for a 4 year old little boy. I'm happy for the families who have waited and now they get to see the faces of their precious children. I hope to post the big news soon. Until then be blessed and keep us in your prayers.</div><div><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span >Toni</span>-</span><br /></div><br /><div></div>Team Chainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12180477535803412664noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2435298810768671882.post-68883739630898699792010-04-19T06:14:00.000-07:002010-04-19T06:20:26.582-07:00Giveaway!!!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWHKS-fDTNQ5Xp0XfRpcWjWNlVh2vJI4NmZoCuBcBvzfp-igeNi4IceyWCqKFkIxNJw9WgaizhvzOjoH1Yr3DWjavaeOgiv5OG6FqIbJuhmPR009wGWpKtJ6-6lIJUKe_XXFGKpKT8x_LB/s1600/junk+posse+necklace.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 90px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 73px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461837736928623346" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWHKS-fDTNQ5Xp0XfRpcWjWNlVh2vJI4NmZoCuBcBvzfp-igeNi4IceyWCqKFkIxNJw9WgaizhvzOjoH1Yr3DWjavaeOgiv5OG6FqIbJuhmPR009wGWpKtJ6-6lIJUKe_XXFGKpKT8x_LB/s400/junk+posse+necklace.jpg" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiISqYyZpdevvfWcXt43f8PKJtcFK3ByBpAUQ_6_SNMgflqOrDo8YpzL_Sifc3B0eBkjqr-ThT0FLFqGCcrMwfELgjlka2J2szkwQ_jgLDa_LiYi90zn7fI91yi1PruiiQ9moSyR96hAEDJ/s1600/junk+posse+necklace.jpg"></a><br /><br /><div>A fellow "adoption mama" is giving away a beautiful piece of jewelry. You could be the favored winner! Just go to: <a href="http://thisshubinclan.blogspot.com/">http://thisshubinclan.blogspot.com/</a> (It's a unique piece from junk posse jewelry) Check it out!</div></div>Team Chainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12180477535803412664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2435298810768671882.post-29309022761611404082010-04-14T08:42:00.000-07:002010-04-14T09:30:40.795-07:00Walking out FaithWell there is no new news to announce as far a our referral goes. It's been about 3 weeks or so since our agency had any referrals. Everyday I think, "could today be the day?" but then 6PM hits and I stop hoping for that day. I'm hopeful but trying not to be anxious. It's got to happen at some point...right?:-)<br /><br />Early this week we got news that those of us who haven't already received referrals or court dates will be required to be in court in order to finalize the adoption. When I initially heard that this was being considered I didn't know how to feel. I was concerned about the added costs and also having to leave my daughter and come back for another trip for the embassy appointment. Now that it's final I'm at peace about it. This is something that I can only rely on God to work it out for our good. Financially we are being wise but the full resources to complete this adoption debt free have not YET manifested in the natural. We are walking this entire adoption out on faith. Of course we have applied corresponding actions to the faith by cutting certain unnecessary spending and putting money aside in a separate adoption account. In order to help raise funds for the adoption, God has inspired me to hand make body products for men, women and children. The line is called "Konjo Beautiful" the signature product is our natural Shea body butter. So I've been getting rave reviews from people who have used it and seen a marked change for the better in there skin, people who have children with eczema and sensitive skin have been requesting larger sizes! We have lovely fragrances in addition to a fragrance free option. I will soon be introducing a head to toe oil and bath teas...To God be the Glory! I'm grateful for the inspiration to make something that will help people feel good while helping to restore the life of an orphan. If you are interested in purchasing a 6oz. tin for $12 please email me for more info. <a href="mailto:TFChain@aol.com">TFChain@aol.com</a> . Pass it along to everyone you know who would be blessed by a product like Konjo Beautiful or who would just like to get in on the blessing of a family! Thank you for your time and support!<br />Toni-Team Chainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12180477535803412664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2435298810768671882.post-15980629572389001152010-03-22T16:22:00.000-07:002010-03-22T16:45:38.753-07:00Waiting by the phone<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRAeuxJr8fL08_NmgMwzBLpfdIR60GvK1Elfweh6doChO0F8m8bhaBoAKW7RBwP_JGZU9Mn1MM0S-c1G8ZtB3fkBiIU4K2muPBPIoe65X7L4-e4AaWQtkXXW0eexwDqGinGfqzo57jSgN9/s1600-h/old+phone.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 116px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 96px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451602991686669970" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRAeuxJr8fL08_NmgMwzBLpfdIR60GvK1Elfweh6doChO0F8m8bhaBoAKW7RBwP_JGZU9Mn1MM0S-c1G8ZtB3fkBiIU4K2muPBPIoe65X7L4-e4AaWQtkXXW0eexwDqGinGfqzo57jSgN9/s320/old+phone.jpg" /></a><br /><div>Sunday marked our 14Th month on the wait list. 14 months ago I couldn't imagine getting to this point. I can't say that it's been a patient wait but none-the-less I'm here, we're here...my family and friends are with me on this journey. As we get closer to getting the much anticipated call I think about who I'll call first and so many people come to mind. I'm so grateful for everyone who has been genuinely interested in our adoption process. My husband and kids, who have encouraged me when I thought that I wouldn't make it. My girls...you know who you are, who assured me that it would all happen in due season and that I should never loose faith and to always trust in the perfect will of God. I thank you all. May God reward you for your loyalty and bless you more and more!</div><div> </div><div>Today CHI referred 6 precious children! so I've been bumped up to #1 on the un=official wait list. I know that we're probably about #2 on the official list because I happened to find a family that is waiting for a baby girl and got on the list right before my family. Sooo ya never know...hopefully there will be good news for both of our families real soon. </div><div>My friend Jenni just got back with her baby girl! I can't wait to meet her...she is super cute. It's going to be so sweet once my little one comes home she will have some pretty cool friends to play with. The BFF's: Senait and Tsehaynesh and my little princess Shiloh. God is good!</div>Team Chainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12180477535803412664noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2435298810768671882.post-28644859964857902882010-02-23T16:04:00.000-08:002010-02-23T16:27:24.019-08:0013It's official! I am the parent of a teenager. My daughter and oldest child turned 13 years old. She is sooo beautiful and full of potential. For her birthday she went out on her first date with the nice guy in the picture. Her father my sweet husband was proud to have her on his arm that night. He actually picked out the cutest outfit and accessories for their date. They enjoyed a meal at Olive Garden and walked around Books-A-Million...how sweet is that! As my first born turns thirteen I realize that we have been on the wait list for referral for 13 months. Our adoption consultant says that it shouldn't be long before we get "the call", all we need is a good handful of baby girls. In the meantime we take care of documents that need to be updated as to not interfere with travel. Next month we re-take our fingerprints. I was surprised at how quickly we got an appointment. We already did an updated home study so I would say we are at a good point...just waiting. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirPlhSUEoEXgZrhej9tfZpEsJP9jdz-RNJf7LwQnIijavYP4sSpAdmnPTrProL5JNOasDHkxAc2v7TTJ6ycaQT8T0pmsx4izn7SvDwUlafkvVg3-XH_CUpQlH0z8TrmIDrzhNOk-rkNqtP/s1600-h/DSCF1171.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441594927979344946" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirPlhSUEoEXgZrhej9tfZpEsJP9jdz-RNJf7LwQnIijavYP4sSpAdmnPTrProL5JNOasDHkxAc2v7TTJ6ycaQT8T0pmsx4izn7SvDwUlafkvVg3-XH_CUpQlH0z8TrmIDrzhNOk-rkNqtP/s320/DSCF1171.JPG" /></a><br /><div></div>Team Chainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12180477535803412664noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2435298810768671882.post-32423365910035746802010-01-29T14:23:00.000-08:002010-01-29T14:26:25.275-08:00Here's to HopeHere is a tulip for all of those families waiting for referral and to those who are waiting to pass court...Keep hope alive!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdRN0SiEDwwtSp41Fb8HZGFysZH4YZ1Be7aH1KHQAB-nsu7IP368ZxTIklEkCMCHcS6ivgEcrlmAa4jUp2IO6JLSEVPsrj9Sx58tDjNnrIq3Z-yIcuyYLMeM_xMmbbF3HJTgDC_ahpf3fB/s1600-h/Tulips.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5432291016465338098" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdRN0SiEDwwtSp41Fb8HZGFysZH4YZ1Be7aH1KHQAB-nsu7IP368ZxTIklEkCMCHcS6ivgEcrlmAa4jUp2IO6JLSEVPsrj9Sx58tDjNnrIq3Z-yIcuyYLMeM_xMmbbF3HJTgDC_ahpf3fB/s320/Tulips.jpg" /></a><br /><div></div>Team Chainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12180477535803412664noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2435298810768671882.post-43980575870369257982010-01-29T14:08:00.000-08:002010-01-29T14:22:38.811-08:00Keep the FaithThere were 7 referrals given out this week...1 set of infant twin boys. I am happy for all the families. most of the referrals were given out to families that were under me on the list. The family that got the twin referral waited 15 months...I know that they are over the moon with joy. My friend Ailida passed court this week after a delay the first time around. My friend Jenni just got news that her baby girl will be home sometime in mid March. I love good news! To those who are waiting to pass court keep your head up! To those who have been passed over for referrals and you're wondering when will it be my turn?...keep hope alive! It's coming, she's coming, he's coming!<br />Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not YET seen. Keep the faith.Team Chainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12180477535803412664noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2435298810768671882.post-303222284396818712010-01-24T13:02:00.000-08:002010-01-24T13:29:37.649-08:00Passed the One Year MarkToday makes one year and 3 days on the wait list. I feel like the moment is near, but I try not to get my hopes up on any given day. There have been no referrals reported in the past two weeks. I hope and pray that the next flood of referrals that come in is my baby girl. I feel a prayer coming on:<br /> Father in the name of Jesus send (soon) the referral of my child. Arrest any <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">hindrances</span> that may come to try to hold up our family's adoption. Even now oh Lord, keep and protect her from all hurt harm or danger. Provide and meet her needs and the needs of her caregivers. Send hope to her birth-family, bless them for loving her enough to give her the opportunity to live the life that you intended for her. Lord I know this is your will and I know that you have a purpose for this adoption...order our steps, be a light unto our path. I send this prayer up, not only for me but for all the children and families waiting to be united...waiting for referral, court dates, travel, escort...I pray for all workers that are <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">involved</span> in the adoption <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">process</span> from agency workers to orphanage workers. Father let your grace be on each one of them. Let your grace be upon the judges in Ethiopia to do there jobs in excellence and let it be on the attorney's that they will work <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">diligently</span> to accomplish all that is needed to connect the children to forever families. Father-God grant traveling mercies to all who are going and returning with there little blessings. Holy Spirit <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">intercede</span> for the things that I don't see or understand.... In the mighty name of Jesus Christ I pray... Amen!<br /><br />PS. Lord-God send now the resources,money...to complete this adoption. In Jesus' name. There is a song that we sing in church it goes:<br />My God is more than enough He will supply all my needs He is my <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">Elshaddai</span> He always looks out for me. Jehovah <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">Jireh</span>...He is my God!Team Chainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12180477535803412664noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2435298810768671882.post-55388294907389398022010-01-14T19:46:00.000-08:002010-01-14T20:11:01.620-08:00My name is Toni and I'm and Etsy-O-HolicThere should be an Etsy-O-Holic Anonymous or something...I'm addicted to the creative handmade items that I find on Etsy...especially the baby things! I don't want to go broke before I get a referral:-( It won't happen I'm a pretty good steward. I usually don't spend money unless I feel like I just can't let it go and even with that I may sleep on it. Hey if it's meant for me it'll be there right? Well not always, with handmade OOAK's you may not get so lucky. I bought a great ring sling to carry my little one around semi hands free. I got the last one of it's kind...red and cream old world print. I can't wait to see it up close and personal, i'll give a review on it when it comes. I'm going to start my own Etsy site for my natural, handmade body products...so you'll see me under Konjo Beauty real soon. Check it out and support the other creatives that are out there. <br /><br />On another note I ask you to stand in agreement with me for the restoration of Haiti both physically and spiritually. We all have seen the devestation the land and it's people have experienced. Whenever you feel sad or depressed by the news coverage just use that energy to cry out to God the Father for healing in Jesus' name.<br /><br />PS. I gorged myself on Ethiopian food this weekend. We had a great turn out for our post Genna celebration. Coffee was wonderful! The owner choose my youngest son to pass around the popcorn but he and his buddies stuffed their mouths and finished the entire basket! Coffee was goood...did i say that already? I took it overboard when I had a slice of Tiramisu...a slice of heaven!Team Chainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12180477535803412664noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2435298810768671882.post-47053439019417929172010-01-04T17:57:00.000-08:002010-01-04T18:32:02.364-08:00Happy New Year!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzST7kJJ1pbFC77N6UBvucJeuI_XLBjHJTMHpjzozPxbo6CWErNtKQwKno8RiM9saTeA4HxZYSKwjrSfZGGe5cMRLr4PPiizFdbsvw4TNt0ivHbpxXI60PnqtBs5Pi8f0msoPJOt8ZL7Zt/s1600-h/HappyNewYears_Jan%25202009-thumb-500x375.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423069121750050914" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzST7kJJ1pbFC77N6UBvucJeuI_XLBjHJTMHpjzozPxbo6CWErNtKQwKno8RiM9saTeA4HxZYSKwjrSfZGGe5cMRLr4PPiizFdbsvw4TNt0ivHbpxXI60PnqtBs5Pi8f0msoPJOt8ZL7Zt/s320/HappyNewYears_Jan%25202009-thumb-500x375.jpg" /></a> I hope you all had a wonderful holiday. Mine was celebrated with family and friends. It's wonderful just to watch the young ones tear through gift after gift and to listen to the giddy squealing of joy when they have gotten just what they wanted. Although I've allowed my children to unwrap their gifts, they were only allowed to choose 3 to open. If they do right and take care of their things they will be allowed to open another. This year I'm teaching the kids to be good stewards. I tell them if they are faithful over little they could be faithful over much. With our family <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">pursuing</span> adoption It only make sense to me that I inform my children of the needs of others in our world and teach them to be <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">grateful</span> for what they have. I want them to understand that the people who blessed them with such great things work hard in order to do so and they must appreciate and thank God for His many blessings.<br /> We spent New Years Eve in church. Although my husband and I spent most of the night helping to ensure the smooth running of things it was great to be in service to Gods people. We had an unexpected turn out...Can you say O for Overflow?! So many people showed that we had to set up a flat screened t.v outside with a live feed of the service and set up chairs in order to <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">accommodate</span> all the people. It just amazes me that there are still some people that would rather bring in the new year in the house of God instead of a night club. Not everyone was happy about not getting a seat inside but you can't please them all can you?<br /> 2010 is starting out wonderfully as far as the adoption world goes. Today we had at least 6 referrals...2 sets of twins too! I'm <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">sooo</span> happy for the families. I know that every referral gets me closer to my own. I thought it would take some time for the agency to get cranking after the long vacation but they jumped in with both feet! We must be getting close...my husband called me twice today to ask me what else we needed to do tho get this adoption accomplished. I guess that's his fomr of nesting. He's a man...a provider...a good husband and a great daddy! I can't wait to see him with his baby girl. I myself am in <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">serious</span> nesting mode. I ordered the bedding and almost rearranged the room at two in the morning. She'll be here sooner than I know. Bless the Lord Oh my soul!!! sooner than I think.Team Chainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12180477535803412664noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2435298810768671882.post-82076694731135117352009-12-18T12:21:00.000-08:002009-12-18T12:41:38.709-08:00Merry Christmas To All !I hope that you all have a very merry Christmas. So many of my fellow adoptive parents have received early Christmas gifts in the form of referrals and court dates...I was hoping for one but hey it's not my time. My hubby thinks we'll get a February referral. Well, God only knows. I'm just grateful to have another year with my beautiful children and loving husband. I'm looking forward to meeting up with our Ethiopia Adopt Group and having a "Melkam Genna",(Merry Christmas in Amharic) celebration at our local Ethiopian Restaurant. I miss the food...craving sambusa's. Ethiopia honors the day on January 7th so we get to stretch out the season and the gifts LOL. Again, enjoy your holiday and have a happy New Year...see you in 10'<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCYCi1aDdPVfkpCrdVMFucaXYx5sUNhZ3El2nZbVayll8_udhZMJsfPWKwayvtjfCPWLn1wdnfZlDMUR8-wmt9gC43LG32wCBq3busU_JEb1GH2s5B_zRb230izViRHRKVyDbry_PREOLi/s1600-h/Merry+christmas+card.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 127px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 95px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416674283629377682" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCYCi1aDdPVfkpCrdVMFucaXYx5sUNhZ3El2nZbVayll8_udhZMJsfPWKwayvtjfCPWLn1wdnfZlDMUR8-wmt9gC43LG32wCBq3busU_JEb1GH2s5B_zRb230izViRHRKVyDbry_PREOLi/s320/Merry+christmas+card.jpg" /></a><br /><div></div>Team Chainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12180477535803412664noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2435298810768671882.post-15582118328274505872009-12-10T06:20:00.000-08:002010-01-04T17:28:24.688-08:00I won... I won... I won!<div>W<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2VKFVgiqgQKmP-o0MAZWObNJ3ihQ-qUd8JZRGbkseSZvCuBNTjVysICOFToxOjLGgnoKOQBWV0J7gb46Q0kKDCA1QGaE1fSPKwBmA-X1bCYRnufIxuFhw0C-yZVYBi_6zjb9vsIxq0EtN/s1600-h/Kreativ_Blogger_typer.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 318px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413613131980015682" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2VKFVgiqgQKmP-o0MAZWObNJ3ihQ-qUd8JZRGbkseSZvCuBNTjVysICOFToxOjLGgnoKOQBWV0J7gb46Q0kKDCA1QGaE1fSPKwBmA-X1bCYRnufIxuFhw0C-yZVYBi_6zjb9vsIxq0EtN/s320/Kreativ_Blogger_typer.jpg" /></a>hat a wonderful morning it is. Today I recieved the "Kreativ Blogger" award. I am honored and humbly accept. I also thank Alida for nominating me. There are some ground rules for the recipent of the noble award. First, you must acknowledge the one who nominated you...did that. Then you must tell 7 things about yourself. And lastly award 7 other bloggers the award. Ok so here we go...7 things about me:</div>
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<br /><div>1) I am the first generation American in my family. My father and mother migrated to the states from Trinidad and Tobago which is a carribean island in/near South America. I had the best of both worlds; Trini food,calypso/soca music at home. In school or at my friends houses, cheeseburgers, pizza, and hip hop music. Interesting.</div>
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<br /><div>2) I traveled with my parents as a youngster because my dad was in the Army. Live in Germany a couple of times but I don't remember much of the language. If I could...traveling would be a frequent hobby of mine, even though there's no place like home.</div>
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<br /><div>3) I love being creative. Tutus with coordinating accessories...I love, love, love it! My baby girl gonna have every color tutu on the planet. I make natural shea body butter...some with yummy fragrances. Konjo: Beautiful is what I call it and if you like some just send me a message and I'll hook you up. All the procceeds go to benefit orphans in Ethiopia.</div>
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<br /><div>4) I married my highschool sweet heart. We have ten proud years together, 3 beautiful kids and 1 more coming soon (I hope) I'm so in love with my family and I'm grateful to God for His many blessings. </div>
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<br /><div>5) I am a leader in my church, an "elder" to be specific. I love my relationship with God and I'm am honored to serve his people. I am currently the department head of the greeters. We are the one who hug on the people and welcome them into the house of the Lord. </div>
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<br /><div>6) I am the oldest of 3 girls. So I was like a mama duck before I had children of my own. I wanted to adopt since age 7. I would hear the stories of how people would leave their babies in dumpters and would pray that God would make them bring the baby to our doorstep. Even though I haven't gotten my daughter yet I was inspired to go for it again and start the proccess for another adoption. I'm praying about it.</div>
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<br /><div>7) People meet me an think that I'm just a prime and proper princess (which I am that...sometimes) Once you get to know me you will realize that I have an eclectic personality. I'm ever changing. I love to laugh and have fun. I don't believe in taking yourself to seriously. I want to be who god created me to be and nothing less. I love good friends and I'm a loyalist.</div>
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<br /><div>And the nominees are: (drum roll)</div>
<br /><div> </div>
<br /><div>Alida: She actually reads my blog and leaves comments. She is so supportive and I appreciate her blogs. She is the mother to an "Ethiopian Jewel". She inspired me to prepare for my child as she had her daughters room finished when she completed her dossier.</div>
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<br /><div>Angela: I appreciate her blog because she is transparent. She shares her heart with the readers. She and hubby are in the proccess of adopting too.</div>
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<br /><div>Nicole: she is adopting another baby girl from China. I admire her so much. She had 2 healthy bio boys and adopted 2 girls with spine abifida. Her blog is private though, but I still wanted her to get the honor. We also lived in the same neigborhood and our kids went to school togeher. We met on the bus stop and she offered to noterized my paper work for dossier.</div>
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<br /><div> </div>Team Chainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12180477535803412664noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2435298810768671882.post-21161382326664750752009-12-03T09:08:00.000-08:002009-12-03T09:31:19.318-08:00Rejoice!<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyaH_Vi6yEqNdx6jRDR-WIc9AlyeopNL2yvVdgcUM6nUWfET-oaZwpvxoX1Sh0wJHqXLddDiSLQTAAz9ulSZPLpnGR785Gon7sABxdIZ5_n-ACfX5Ahiz88wG6faz7o3mlix7VfFTEUqqX/s1600-h/women+rejoicing.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 140px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411063158256028226" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyaH_Vi6yEqNdx6jRDR-WIc9AlyeopNL2yvVdgcUM6nUWfET-oaZwpvxoX1Sh0wJHqXLddDiSLQTAAz9ulSZPLpnGR785Gon7sABxdIZ5_n-ACfX5Ahiz88wG6faz7o3mlix7VfFTEUqqX/s200/women+rejoicing.jpg" /></a><br />
<br /><div>My friend Jenni passed court for her precious baby girl. She got some updated pictures and I must say little "S" is a beauty queen in the making. I'm so happy for them, they waited for sooo long and soon they will be together forever. </div><br />
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<br /><div>CHI had 3 referrals this week...so far. That's great news! 2 infant girls and 1 little prince. Several families received court dates today...so we are progressing as an agency and individually. I pray that the referrals/court dates keep coming consistantly. Last week there were no referrals, I think that's because it was the Thanksgiving holiday and the agency offices were closed for a few days. I'm still hoping that my referral will come in by the end of the month. Someone said that the wait times are now 14-15 months. God only knows...I don't. I will stay the course. I must tell myself that and believe it. It's not easy...it's not, but I encourage myself and I look to my fellow adoption sojourners for strength. I know i'll soon be reporting my good news but until then I will rejoice with those who are rejoicing! </div></div>Team Chainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12180477535803412664noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2435298810768671882.post-37257928204089182952009-11-16T06:33:00.001-08:002009-11-16T06:55:43.532-08:00A Time of CelebrationWhat a wonderful time of celebration I had this weekend. Saturday, a good friend of mine had her baby shower. She waited almost 16 months to get her referral for a baby girl from Ethiopia and she finally got it! Some women from her church put together a beautiful gathering...the food was delicious and the gifts were amazing. Her mother in law painted a beautiful portrait of there daughter and the big sister to be painted adorable butterflies on a canvas for the nursery. Someone else gave and adoption life book and another gave Ethiopian children's books. What thought and care they put into this event. What was new to me is that we didn't play any shower games. I mean it's an adoption shower, you can't really play the traditional games like: guess how big the belly is in toilet paper... I thought it was cool though. We ate, had fellowship and opened gifts (my favorite part) .<br />Then on Sunday, our friend who came back with her precious baby girl two months ago had a baby dedication. I didn't make it to the church for the dedication because of my own ministry involvement but we did make it to the restaurant to celebrate the blessed day! Mommy and daughter are naturals...it's like they've been together a life time. It was good to see how supportive the family and friends were. We went to "Nile: Ethiopian Restaurant". Yummy-licious. That food is the bomb! <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCO7vD9ucH7Qy2HTaAy91brSfGqbsvIIarLa1hlFJjSe-KJR91k7MU6lWSRzz9paC01Hlh5pu1A2H4Ec4jOhmZ2O037FnwS2I-y6j1eitc8AY_Aus-U2UiuCSj6a9oF_U-7ffJJe7OL5Za/s1600/celebrate-party.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 132px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404709966137640450" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCO7vD9ucH7Qy2HTaAy91brSfGqbsvIIarLa1hlFJjSe-KJR91k7MU6lWSRzz9paC01Hlh5pu1A2H4Ec4jOhmZ2O037FnwS2I-y6j1eitc8AY_Aus-U2UiuCSj6a9oF_U-7ffJJe7OL5Za/s200/celebrate-party.jpg" /></a> The service was excellent too. The setting was elegant and rich in Ethiopian culture. I think when my time comes around, I would like to have an event there also.<br /> This weekend showed me to once again stay focused on the assignment that God has given. His word shall not returned to Him void but shall go forth to accomplish what it was sent to do. I know that I know that I know that our adoption is the will of the Lord and it was just an encouragement to be with like minded people who have seen their assignment through.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP0SbT55bQuwKdqP2WO0AaZ-xsrzfulAVEfR_Z8gcUJwB4l1PyVtWzz-lDmHWzv-Yy4hKoOH5u-nYoWsI620cDbf9_5chheEgXj7hi0AEBaH5nnwinXZtqjSSWM_6YDO2TK3_eE-pzwmB1/s1600/celebrate-party.jpg"></a><br /><br /><div></div>Team Chainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12180477535803412664noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2435298810768671882.post-16344734404159604042009-11-05T17:46:00.000-08:002009-11-05T17:54:26.678-08:00Another OneYes! another referral came in yesterday for a precious 4 1/2 month old baby boy. So according to my un-official wait list, all the boy preferences are filled. So let's pray for girls (infant & toddler) and sibling groups to pour down, like fresh rain:-). Hopefully this means we are on a referral roll.Team Chainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12180477535803412664noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2435298810768671882.post-16867276492951801502009-11-03T16:56:00.000-08:002009-11-03T17:19:06.855-08:00Oh Happy Day!<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6dRR8TFaCCtpomADeAikJL6v8SXWmr3gwoE6hsoWTTqhDmFXSZshy1qzfkdEPIvis0VIY81B8MjmxH5dttlkDvIXL7PUnb6088GL4-9gJhgurUJZ_6_3QWIVm-_oTLcoCldsb-szlx35S/s1600-h/HAPPY+FACE.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 115px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 115px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400046242510636882" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6dRR8TFaCCtpomADeAikJL6v8SXWmr3gwoE6hsoWTTqhDmFXSZshy1qzfkdEPIvis0VIY81B8MjmxH5dttlkDvIXL7PUnb6088GL4-9gJhgurUJZ_6_3QWIVm-_oTLcoCldsb-szlx35S/s400/HAPPY+FACE.jpg" /></a><br />
<br /><div>This morning I prayed that God would send the referrals pouring in. I prayed that he would comfort those that have been waiting so long for their little blessings. Wow! God works quick when he wants to. We had 4 referrals yesterday and 1 today! Even though three of them were given to people below me on the list I'm still happy to see progress. A lovely lady that I have met through this process who was expecting her referral to come some time in Feb. got "The Call" for a beautiful 4 year old little girl. She is ready too, the room is complete closet is filled with clothes for a sweet little princess to inhabit. If my math is correct we are about number 12 on the infant girls (un official) list. The list just helps to keep you in perspective, as you can see you can be skipped if the child available doesn't match your preference. So for instance numbers 2 and 3 were skipped because they want infant girls (like me) and there was and infant boy that needed a forever family, so that bay boy was placed with number 4 who happened to be the perfect match. It's ok their baby (like mine) isn't ready yet. Don't worry be happy, it's gonna happen...before you know it!</div></div>Team Chainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12180477535803412664noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2435298810768671882.post-57092212021508964912009-10-30T13:49:00.000-07:002009-10-30T14:20:43.408-07:00WHAT'S TAKING SO LONG ?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCPHnZYr3e7msQfI2newgOrM9vQ6_Vc4NIBM5VidRfmQ30UEXZ4LnyxqS_uLo8ppC80dWmEhLAlcOs2mtUHpU4sOmqxXvHpPPbLLhCGLOFko0zWWQLRbDY9Ye9S_yo4ksHIEjewhrDhj2l/s1600-h/question+marks.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 143px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 116px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398498819319715698" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCPHnZYr3e7msQfI2newgOrM9vQ6_Vc4NIBM5VidRfmQ30UEXZ4LnyxqS_uLo8ppC80dWmEhLAlcOs2mtUHpU4sOmqxXvHpPPbLLhCGLOFko0zWWQLRbDY9Ye9S_yo4ksHIEjewhrDhj2l/s400/question+marks.jpg" /></a><br /><div>I try to practice patience as most will read in my previous blogs, but today I can't say that I'm not disappointed:-(. The weekly report from my agency is that there are NO referrals to report! You would think with 6 orphanages on the team and plenty of children needing forever families that the process would be consistent. I guess it it is consistently SLOW! My agency and most that work with Ethiopia is very ethical. So, I understand the all t's must me crossed and all i's must be dotted but my goodness, I never imagined it to be like this! My prayers and comfort go out to those families that have been waiting since August 08'. Keep your head up. It's going to happen soon. The good news is that court dates are coming in and a couple of families actually passed on the first try, congratulations! Our director gave some good advice to help ease the sting of the wait. She said to complete your child's room, learn some Amharic or even learn to cook some Ethiopian food. I'm going to try to do all of the above. To tell you the truth I don't feel the pressure of the wait until I hear others talk about it. So sometimes I have to take a break from any adoption talk at all. </div><div> Oh, I had one of my crazy adoption dreams again. I'm in a room and someone gives me the wrong child! I know it was the wrong child because the kid was 3 years old and my child will be an infant. Instead of accepting the mistake and loving the child as my own, like I usually do in the other dreams, I go looking for the person in charge to tell them that they made a mistake. " I was approved for an infant!" I tell her. I start pointing out other baby girls that haven't been matched, asking what's the deal? Why not her or her? Anyways, weird right? I've had some strange ones...I guess it's what I've heard people refer to as "adoption hormones." Have you or anyone you know every experienced this?</div>Team Chainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12180477535803412664noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2435298810768671882.post-62060747627565159102009-10-21T06:46:00.000-07:002009-10-21T07:16:57.018-07:00The Number Nine Is Fine!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjifpD5ve562C7UJL-Cp9PdNl35nfjWaAa5T-9jHWhRcIenYbBtP1FZvIyKufiDfe6fcTa87ODCKg-oYnnP9EDBpwBOOWNHn03PCKi3ckEd4wUE1J9egdteAXlmB2f1PpAw5PtGZpbwUqaw/s1600-h/number_nine_pills_cases.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 140px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 140px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395049348704829810" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjifpD5ve562C7UJL-Cp9PdNl35nfjWaAa5T-9jHWhRcIenYbBtP1FZvIyKufiDfe6fcTa87ODCKg-oYnnP9EDBpwBOOWNHn03PCKi3ckEd4wUE1J9egdteAXlmB2f1PpAw5PtGZpbwUqaw/s400/number_nine_pills_cases.jpg" /></a><br /><div>Today marks our ninth month of waiting for a referral. I'm happy that we've come this far in the process. When we first started, the wait was four months, then 6, 10...I don't know what their saying the wait is now. Someone mentioned 13 months. I know that it will happen in His perfect timing, so there really is no rush that I feel. What is affecting me is not knowing the time. I am a planner and I like to know what I will be doing and when I will be doing it and who I will be doing it with. I have questions...like what the weather will be like when we travel to Ethiopia. What size baby clothes to buy, you know the basics. But it's all good, it's part of the experience. I feel blessed to go through it and have these feelings and emotions to share with my daughter so she knows that she was much anticipated, loved and planned for. So I work with what I have and I leave the rest to God. I'm trying to stay focused on the assignment in front of me. Although people and circumstances try to steal my attention with foolishness, I quickly re-focus my attention on God and the assignment. Who cares if folks don't understand that you can't give your time and attention to this or that, they are entitled to their opinions. Because that is all it is...opinion, not fact! As long as I/we focus on staying with in the PERFECT will of God we will be just fine, as fine as the number nine! </div><div> </div><div>PS. we got the crib a couple weeks ago and yesterday I got the travel system and found a chic diaper bag to boot! The diaper bag is usually on the high end ($299) but I was blessed to get it for $59 with a free tote! Getting a deal is always fun.</div>Team Chainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12180477535803412664noreply@blogger.com4