The Paperchase

It has only just begun:

• Homestudy application done. check.
• references gathered. check.
• The past three 1040's and marriage certificate copied. check.
• More birth certificates and marriage certificates ordered. check.
• International agency application done. check.

Now we wait until our background checks start coming in, and then we'll schedule our homestudy visit. We still have to fill out and send in the I-600a. Then things will really be underway. Hopefully I don't make the same mistake as last time!

After that we'll tackle the overwhelming task of compiling our dossier. But one thing at a time!

I am starting to get seriously excited about our next baby! It all seems so unreal that this is coming together. We started this on faith that it was was what God was calling us to do. I don't know about you, but God doesn't call me on the phone and explicitly tell me what my next move should be so I was naturally wary that this whole endeavor was coming from me...my own needs...rather than God's Will. I wasn't too worried though, because I knew if it wasn't His Will He wouldn't let it happen because after all we keep telling Him over and over we only want to do what He wants us to...so I knew He would honor that. Since we didn't have the money for the adoption I told our dear Lord that if He wanted this done He'd have to be in charge of getting the money rolling. Well, it is pretty clear this is His will! People have been so generous! Buy cakes, or not buying cakes and just sending money! Paying extra for cakes, buying coffee....etc. etc. We are getting checks all the time. Some are big. Some are small. All are so appreciated, and with each cake we sell or donation we receive it is God telling me that He wants this done. And I am getting excited.

Until about last week, I was not too emotionally involved in all this. Sure, I had a desire to adopt again and all, but I wasn't excited per se. Now I am. I was doing some housework the other day and I just kept pondering the fact that my child might be in utero right now. It is a truly joyful time.

We're not just starting the adoption process over...we're having another baby!

PSA

Sew, thanks for asking how to pronounce Redi.et's name! I thought I had it on the side bar, but now I see I don't. Maybe I'll fix that sometime.

Anyway, her name is pronounced (reh DEET)**...It is a pretty common Ethiopia name. Ethiopians give their children names with meaning, and Redi.et means "blessing." In fact, it has the connotation of prayer and so can be translated, "thank you God, for this blessing." Her birth parents first gave it to her. When we found out what it meant and how it was pronounced we loved it, and thought it was perfect for her, so we didn't change it. Her first parents obviously recognized her as a blessing to them, and then she has been a blessing to us as well. It is just perfect.


**that pronunciation is more of a nickname sort of thing that is universally used in the Ethiopia, but technically it is pronounced (red ee ET), kind of like you are saying "ready yet" with out that second y. That explains why it is spelled the way it is. I often use that pronunciation.

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Oh and look and see what prayers are already being answered through the Christmas novena!

Holiday Confusion

This is only Redi.et's second holiday season, and let me tell you, it is still a bit confusing. Here is a sampling of our recent conversations:

When Rediet woke up Thanksgiving morning she said, with great excitment, "It's Valentine's Day today!!"

Uh, not even close.

When we were walking around the store she said, "So what am I going to be for Christmas?"

Sorry, sweetie...that's just Halloween.

Today after I picked her up from school she had a bit of news to tell me, "Mom, did you know that Mary (as in the Mother of God) is having another baby? She has a baby in her belly." (I am assuming they have statue or picture of pregnant Mary in her class).

No, she's not, that baby in her belly IS Jesus.

"Jesus was in Mary's belly?! I didn't know that."

Yep.

"When did He come out? Was it when they lost Him in Jerusalem for three days?"

?! (I couldn't help but laugh.) No, He came on Christmas....that is why it is His birthday.

"Ohhh, riiiiight."

The Power of that Moment

This is what we were doing a year ago, today:











Happy Baptism Day, Kolb!





I really like the St. Andrew's feast day. He was after all, the first apostle to answer the call so to speak...and he went to evangelize is brother right away. What a man! It is also my father-in-law's birthday, so that makes it extra special. And to top it all off it is the day that we start my absolute favorite novena! It seems to be quite popular in the blogosphere as I have read of quite a few others who are doing it as well. This beautiful prayer is recited 15 times a day from St. Andrew's to Christmas day. It is a powerful intercessory prayer and has not once let me down. In fact, last year it worked some pretty powerful spiritual and emotional healing. I think there is something to focusing on the moment that Christ entered the world...there is so much power there. That is what gets me about this prayer. I love the humanity of it, and how it focuses right on "the hour and the moment" of Christ's birth. So, so beautiful, and the perfect meditation in preparing to celebrating Christmas, and the moment when Christ is born anew in our hearts. It only takes a few moments and it is so worth it.

Tonight we each chose the intention that we were offering the novena for. Redi.et said she was asking for a "a baby sister in my mom's belly" (we didn't tell her to pray that! we just have pregnant friends, and Redi.et thinks it is so cool :)). Adam prayed for the adoption and the child we will welcome into our home. And then it was my turn...at first I didn't know what I was going to pray for, but when I heard their prayers I decided to pray that the timing of their two intentions would work out perfectly. :)

If you aren't already, I hope you'll pray it along with us!

Blessed be the hour and the moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure virgin, Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in piercing cold. In that hour, vouchsafe oh my God, to hear my prayers and grant my desires, through the merits of our Savior Jesus Christ and of His blessed mother. Amen.

The Days Are Coming

Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will fulfil the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah.

(Jer. 33.14)

Advent is upon us. This has to be my favorite time of year. There is something about the anticipation in it. After all, in this life looking forward to an event is often better than the event itself...perhaps because all we are really waiting for is heaven (even if we don't know it).

Each year, in our house, we take Advent a bit slower than the year before. Just a couple Advent-specific decorations, and more quiet time, and few extra bed time prayers with the kids. I am trying to learn to not celebrate Christmas before I have prepared my heart for it. The Christmas tree and music can wait a bit. Singing "O Come Emmanuel" and saying our family prayers by the light of the Advent wreath is enough for now.

In our culture we don't wait well. Infertility and the adoption process have both been an education in the beauty (and suffering!) of waiting and trusting quietly before the Lord. Advent is the perfect time to ask God to increase our ability to wait on Him. Just think of how long the Jews waited for their Messiah...just think of the careful diligence God exhibited when he slowly, but surely, prepared them to receive Him. The pinnacle of that preparation is, of course, Mary. May we all take her as our companion this Advent season. And for all us infertiles, may we find this Christmas that Jesus' nativity is the only one we will ever truly need.

Post Thanksgiving Report

The food was good...really good. Particularly the mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie. I was very proud of my first homemade pie crust. Adam also did a great job carving the turkey, thanks to youtube. :)

I'm off to eat some leftovers, but leave with you a picture of my (yet unbaked) pie crust, and the obligatory picture of the kiddies:

Bishop Baraga

We are so busy here with our Thanksgiving preparations. Not only have I had a few cakes to make this week, but we are also hosting a couple retired priests for Thanksgiving and are making the whole dinner ourselves...right down to the pumpkin pie. (It'll be my first homemade pie crust, but I did get a store-bought one as back up! :)) But this isn't the reason for my post....

I was up with Kolbe at 4am when I saw this. I was very excited!

Then I went back to bed and had a very weird dream about the end of the world, dead people coming alive through Bishop Baraga's intercession, and Hurley driving a bus into a lake. It was a bit disturbing.