December Number

I forgot to post for November because we had the same number in October and November but we did get a new number for December so here it is!

{Source: duncan}

October Number & 1 Year on the Waitlist

Well, I haven't been great at updating this space but I did want to share a couple things!

Yesterday marked our 1 year of being on the wait list. We officially got onto the list October 20, 2010 at number 93. On exactly the one year date we received our new number for this October.

We are officially:

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Last year I posted Psalm 93 so I thought I would post Psalm 29 today. You should go read the other Psalm as well. It's amazing how similar they are. I am thankful that the voice of the LORD is powerful and able to do so much more than I can see or understand. I am thankful that He gives us strength and peace at the same time.

Ascribe to the LORD, O heavenly beings,
ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;
worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness.

The voice of the LORD is over the waters;
the God of glory thunders,
the LORD, over many waters.
The voice of the LORD is powerful;
the voice of the LORD is full of majesty.
The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars;
the LORD breaks the cedars of Lebanon.
He makes Lebanon to skip like a calf,
and Sirion like a young wild ox.
The voice of the LORD flashes forth flames of fire.
The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness;
the LORD shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
The voice of the LORD makes the deer give birth
and strips the forests bare,
and in his temple all cry, “Glory!”

The LORD sits enthroned over the flood;
the LORD sits enthroned as king forever.
May the LORD give strength to his people!
May the LORD bless his people with peace!
(Psalm 29 ESV)

Official September Number

{Source: Flickr: eva the weaver}

August Official Number

We received our official August number today!
We are:

{photo by Leo Reynolds}

I'm still here!!

I know that I haven't been updating this blog lately but I really don't have much to update regarding the adoption process. We have not started to update our home study. We are praying about the timing and details of that. We also knew that we couldn't pass a home study without one of us having a full time job. He he. Anyway, I have a job now so that's a huge blessing! You can read about the details of that on our other blog called Empezar de Nuevo (That's Spanish for Begin Again). It's about our call to move to Texas.

We are still unsure about all that is happening in Ethiopia right now. Our agency has been updating us as much as possible. We do now that right now the courts are closed there. Every year they close for a season of time, until about October, I think. They are closed for the rainy season/vacation. Also, as of last week, several orphanages including one that our agency worked with, in the Southern part of Ethiopia were shut down. This has caused many delays and heartaches for families that had already received a referral for a child from that region. They are not going to continue their cases without further investigation. I can't imagine what that must be like. I do know that God is working there and that He is good.

We don't know how all of this could affect our adoption process but honestly we are just settling into our new home here and thankful for a job, for a new church, and preparing for ALL 3 of us to start school again. We know that God has called us to adopt and we are still hopeful for the little girl that He plans to place in our family.

She's growing up

I'm off to watch Glee on Netflix but I had to post this picture from today. My baby girl, that will start Kindergarten next month, has been very curious about getting her ears pierced lately. She's been asking if it hurts, how much it hurts, do people have to get their ears pierced, etc. Of course, I told her that no one ever has to have their ears pierced. Her ears are beautiful with or without earrings. :) So, fastforward to today. We were in Claire's at the mall looking at hair clips and other girly stuff and we saw a little girl that was getting her ears pierced. She was probably 4 I guess. Isabel stood and watched the WHOLE thing. She stood positioned in a prime viewing spot not to be distracted. The little girl only cried when they put marker on her ear cuz she thought it was the real thing! When they actually pierced her ears she didn't even cry. Isabel was amazed and right then, her mind was made up. She came over and said, "Mommy, I want to do it today." I said, "Well, are you sure? We can wait until you're sure you're ready." "No Mommy, I'm ready today. I want to do it." So, we went over and picked out some cute little earrings. They cleaned her ears and marked them with a purple marker. The lady suggested that Isabel do both at the same time while her co-worker came over to do the other ear. Isabel thought that sounded like a great idea so she could just get it over with. Well, they did it...and she cried. She cried big tears. I felt so awful. I wanted to help her and I wanted to rewind the whole scene and just tell her no. But then, she smiled when she saw them. They let me put the antiseptic on them and it started to feel better right away. I wiped her big tears away and she was ready to look at possible earrings she might pick out after she keeps the first ones in for 6 weeks. She was proud of herself for doing it. I was proud of her too...but I couldn't help but want to just pick her up and make her a baby again. I can't believe she'll be in Kindergarten next month. I already have tears in my eyes and I haven't even been to Open House yet.

I'm off to get a kleenex but here she is in all her beauty, so proud of her new earrings!

Love,

Motherhood is a Calling

I just read the most powerful article I have read in a long time. I just keep mulling it over and over in my mind. I want to keep thinking about it too. I think if you're a mom, then you definitely need to read it.

The author talks about how Motherhood is a calling, not a hobby.

"Christian mothers carry their children in hostile territory. When you are in public with them, you are standing with, and defending, the objects of cultural dislike. You are publicly testifying that you value what God values, and that you refuse to value what the world values. You stand with the defenseless and in front of the needy. You represent everything that our culture hates, because you represent laying down your life for another—and laying down your life for another represents the gospel."

I want my calling as a mother to represent the gospel...to my daughter and to others. I want to lay it all down, to lay down my desires, lay down my goals, lay down all the times I get annoyed with saying the same things over and over again. To die to myself, and live for others.

That is the gospel after all.

Please, please go read the article:
Motherhood is a Calling

Our July official number!

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Today we received our official July number! We're number 40!!
I can't believe we're about to be in the 30's. That is craziness to me. It's getting closer and closer! We're getting closer and closer to meeting our daughter in Ethiopia. Wow.

We have a lot of work ahead of us. I think most of you know that we have moved to Texas! We are super excited about being here. So far we really love it. I love that we all have a tan already and we've only been here for a week and a half. I love that there are TONS of varied Spanish radio channels here. I love that everyone here is really friendly. Unfortunately, because we have moved states, homes, jobs, EVERYTHING....we have to redo our homestudy. We knew we would but it's a lot to gather all over again. Thankfully, the timing of it all seems pretty perfect. We received word from our agency that the court system in Ethiopia will be doing their annual closure sometime in August and September. During about a two month span they won't be having any court appointments. So, our hope is that we can use that time to get our homestudy, fingerprints, and all updated and then be ready when the courts open up again. We still have a lot of fundraising but amazingly, a really sweet friend gifted us with enough to cover our updated/new homestudy here. God is so good to provide each detail at the right time. We know He will provide all we need to cover the next amount.

I looked up Psalm 40 and I wanted to share verse 1. We are going to keep on waiting patiently for the Lord and for His timing. He is faithful to lean in and hear us when we call out.

"I waited patiently for the Lord;
he inclined to me and heard my cry."

Alright, I'm going to leave you with two fun pictures.

Isabel and her new cowgirl hat at the Stockyards.

Brian's Texas waffle!

Adoption Garage Sale in DFW Area

I haven't posted in a long time because well we have packed up our entire house and moved it to Fort Worth, Texas. I know some of you that read my blog also live in this area so I wanted to share this info about a HUGE Garage Sale happening tomorrow in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. It is an Adoption Garage Sale for our friends the Delgados. They are adopting sweet little Baby A. Here is the info about their sale! Here is a link to their blog.

Where: 4740 Western Center Boulevard, Haltom City, TX 76137 (in front of Grace Evangelical Methodist Church)

When: Saturday, July 9, from 7am until people stop coming

What: toddler bed, stroller, stove, couch with a pull out sleeper, lots of clothes, toys and many many more things you just can't live without

All proceeds from the sale will go into Baby A's adoption fund.

Happy 5th Birthday Baby!

Here are some of my favorite pictures of Isabel. I can't believe that today she turns 5 years old. As I went through her pictures it made me remember all of the fun and blessings that she has brought to our family. She is so funny, smart, articulate, creative, imaginative, and compassionate. She is introverted but brave even though others might not know. She longs to have a sister and has gained more patience than many other 5 year olds I know. She loves animals and wants to be a veterinarian when she grows up and a coach on the side. She also loves learning about other countries, specifically China. She still tries to convince us to go live there or at least visit. :) Oh, and she loves music. She says that when she grows up she's gonna play the violin, drums, and turntables.

We are so so blessed to have you as our daughter, Isabel Anna Hunt. Happy Birthday Boo Boo!

June Number

Sorry I haven't been posting as many updates over here on the adoption blog. Our "moving to Texas" blog has been a bit busier. :) You can follow along with the craziness here. However, I did want to say that we received our June number today. Unfortunately we didn't move any from last month but sometimes that happens and we can definitely attest that God's timing is always better than ours. Also, we, along with other families on the unofficial list, thought our number would have been one lower...we thought we were 46, turns out we are still 47. Either way, I found this cool picture! It's an old Texas Railroad Commission plate. It's cool because, for starters, it says Texas, and that's where we are moving in 20 days! It's also cool because it has both numbers 46 and 47 at the top.

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Help two little boys join a family

My friend Patrice has something really important on her blog about a special family adopting two little boys that are brothers. They both have EB (the same genetic disorder that my friend's son has) and this family has experience with it and have been called and moved to adopt these little boys. The problem is that it's SOO costly. We know that adoption is costly but wow, this is VERY costly. The boys are actually in two different regions in two different orphanages. They've been separated because of their age. Because of that, they are having to do a lot of extra work to reunite these brothers and bring them home. Can you share this info and give $5 or $10 to their family? They have already raised a TON but there is much to raise. Thankfully, we serve a Mighty Provider!

Here's my friend Patrice's blog where she gives some great ways to help: http://patriceandmattwilliams.blogspot.com/2011/05/important.html

Here is the family's blog. You can go there to read about this family and to donate.

I won something cool!!

Guess what? I won something so cool! The other day when I posted about my Week in Review, I was entered in a giveaway by Amy at http://www.filledwithpraise.blogspot.com/ to win a copy of the book, "A Room with Footprints" by another adopting momma, Rachelle!
Here is her blog:
http://www.treasuresovertherainbow.blogspot.com/


Here is a video about Rachelle's book and how your purchase of one helps build schools in Ethiopia!


Go here to buy a book!

Our May Number

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That's halfway!!

My Week in Review

This week I decided to link up with Amy over at Filled with Praise. I've been reading her's and everybody else's in the past but I haven't actually written about my high and low for the week yet. So here goes!

The High and the Low (all in one day)

My high was a result of probably my low for the week. This is my best friend, Meredith. On Tuesday, I had a bad day....well, a terrible day. I was feeling overwhelmed, fed up, sad, you name it. My Kindergarten students were off the hook. My daughter was quite the opposite of kind at soccer practice. The fact that we have been trying to adopt for 2 1/2 years was sinking in hard. I was worried that we're not gonna find the people to rent our home. Well, I could go on. I know...it's not sounding like a high yet, is it?? Just wait! So, Meredith and her husband invited us over for dinner. After dinner, I'm pretty sure she could tell that I was about to just fall apart. She asked me to stay after Brian took Isabel home. She whisked me off to her bedroom and left me there w/ her itunes and pillows. She closed the door and said, "I'll be back in a while." I was able to have much needed quiet and alone time with the Lord. I cried on her pillows and it was just such a peaceful release. I could sense the Holy Spirit comforting me and holding me close. After her kiddos were put to bed and her husband was leading his Bible Study, she came back to check on me. She listened, encouraged, cried with me, and laughed with me. I'm not sure how you can repay someone for that. My attitude changed. My heart was in a different place and I was ready to get up and keep going. I'm pretty sure their family needs to move to Texas with us. :)

"Oil and perfume make the heart glad,

and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel."

-Proverbs 27:9

Much love,

The Cat's Photo Shoot

We break from normal adoption posts to share pictures from

Isabel's photo shoot of Jasmine, our cat.

This would appeal to Jasmine's thuggish-ruggish side.

Isabel designed all of the cat's ensembles and accessories. Jasmine actually seemed to enjoy it. She sat there and even posed sometimes. It was ridiculous! :)

Of course, this would be her look if she were to attend a royal wedding.

This was for when she becomes a princess one day.

If you'd like to schedule a pet sitting, please feel free to contact Isabel. :)

Praying for 2 mothers

Guest blogging tonight...the husband (A.K.A. Brian)

I find myself during this mothers day thinking of and praying for 2 mothers. One is the woman that God destined to be my wife, the love of my life, and the other I have never even met nor do I even know her name. While mother's day may be an American holiday, motherhood is universal.

Tonight I am thinking of a mother in Ethiopia. She is faced with a decision that I canot imagine having to make. She may be looking at her daughter, not sure of what to do. She may be wondering how she is going to be able to provide for her daughter that God has given her. And yet, she may already know the decision that needs to be made, or may have already made it. She is hoping and praying for a forever family to adopt her daughter.

She does not know us, I pray that one day we will get to meet. But she hopes; and she prays. And while she is praying for her daughter tonight half a world away, so is another mom. My wife is an amazing woman. I love that I get to be blessed by being her husband and Isabel is blessed to have her as a mom. There is a little girl somewhere in Ethiopia that longs to know the love of a mom. She has no way to know it yet, but she already has a forever mom that loves her deeply and is already praying for her. We will see her face one day soon and then get to meet her. We will get to love her and be the parents that God created us to be for her. I just pray that through the power of the Holy Spirit, that right now, at this very moment, she would know that her mom is praying for her and loves her so very much.

1 Corinthians 13:13 (ESV)
So now faith, hope and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love

Brian

Crazy dream and Halfway there!

I had the most bizarre dream last night. I dreamed we got our referral. In my dream, I was sitting at home when we got the call. The referral was for a sweet little 2 1/2 year old girl. Her name started with an L I think. It's hard to remember stuff from dreamworld. :) It was so so real though. It made me excited and hopeful for the day we receive the referral for our daughter. In my dream, we all just stared at her picture all day. It was so sweet. I can't wait for that day.

Oh guess what? Our unofficial number is 47 so that means we are half way! When we first got on the waitlist we were number 93 so I think 47 is about half way. We've been on the list for 6 1/2 months now and we still don't really know when we could receive a referral. They told us 9-12 months after we got on the waitlist but who knows really with all of the changes that happened and the rainy season that will happen in Ethiopia. We're still excited to see our number going down and each time Isabel runs to tear a link off of the chain in her room. The other day she said, "Mommy look it's getting shorter! We're closer!!"

What I'm listening to this week

Here's what I've been listening to this week. I don't have much to post. Just thinking and praying and listening to this stuff: