Like a chicken with my head cut off

Is pretty much how I feel these days!! Wow, since passing court last week, I have been scrambling to get our travel plans locked in, kids ready for school, lining up friends for Caitlin and Reagan to visit to break up the 9 days for my dad, getting donations, making sure I have proper clothing for Sof and Helen now that it's colder and much wetter; I could go on and on. All of this and I am still on cloud nine!!:))))

So our travel plans are we are leaving on August 15 and will return on August 24th at night. Just in time to see the kids off to school on the 25th. Meaning we leave in just 16 days!!!!!! It couldn't be here soon enough for me!

I still don't think it has really hit me for I am still getting to sleep just fine. I am so grateful for all of those who have gone before me and have been so honest in sharing their travel adventures and the realities of the adjustment phase for all members of the family. I know that the real challenge is still ahead of me and that probably when I get home I will look back at the wait as though it was a breeze in comparison to the difficulties that can come when we get home, but I feel at least better prepared to expect a storm!!

I can't wait, I know I will probably have at least 4 months of being in a fog and feeling overwhelmed and wondering "what was I thinking", but the best things in life do not come easily!!

I am Proud to Announce: Helena Karen Mott

Name: Helena Karen Mott

Birthday: July 4, 2006

Birthplace: Shesemene, Ethiopia

I am overcome with joy to be able to announce that Helena is officially ours as we have passed court!!! Our dreams and prayers have come true and I couldn't be happier. What makes this even sweeter, is that all of us in our group passed court together!! Congrats Lisa, Nikko and Theresa!
So I am off to start our travel plans to we can bring them home!!! Looks like we will be traveling the week of August 15- August 24. With the courts closing in just a couple of weeks the airlines are booking up quickly.
Thank you all for your constant support, prayers and encouragement! We are truly so grateful to you all and can't wait to share IN PERSON our newest additions!!

Thank you God for the whisper to Greg and I and the kids to start this journey.

Thank you God for all of those you placed in our path along the way to get us here.

Thank you God for this wonderful gift and honor of these two beautiful children.

Thank you God for the women who loved them enough to carry them and bring them into this world so that we may be privileged to love them and raise them.

Thank you God for giving us the strength and encouragement for this day becoming a reality.

Thank you God for all the friendships that we have made along the way.

Thank you God!!!

Roller Coasters

I think God let me know early yesterday morning, when I opened my bible straight to Job. Unfortunately once again it appears we have been cast aside in court. We still have 2 more weeks to the court closes, so I am not giving up yet! Though greatly dissapointed, I am blown away with the compassion and amazing support from my fellow Hope families!! Last night after so many of us old timers received our bad news, several of our Hope families rallied together for a prayer circle. Prayer in unity is a powerful tool!

Yesterday, I was literally on one of life's roller coasters as I took my kids with Renee Garner and her precious 4 to Six Flags for the day. Thank you Renee for being there when I received the news. I am so thankful to have been in a public place with children all around me when I found out we missed out again! The distraction of the park, kids and fellowship really saved me from wallowing in my disappointment. We came home late last night to see everyone's kind posts and prayer rally!! Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

I don't know why this is happening, I am not sure if God is trying to prepare us and make us stronger for the reality of how difficult it will be when we get home or if Satan has gotten his claws into our situation. Either way, there is nothing I can do to change it and so therefore I have decided to totally lift it up to the only one who can- God. I thought I had after our first setbacks with our China adoption and then when we came on to Hope and our hurdles the last few months, but as of yesterday, I think I finally TOTALLY let go.

As so many have said before, this adoption journey is not for the faint of heart. I believe what does not break me only makes me stronger. I am also a fighter, when someone tells me I can't do something or have something it just makes me fight harder for it!! So I am in this battle, standing firm in my conviction, that Helen as well as Fiori, Hermela and Efrata will be ours!!! I think we still have a chance to make it through before the closer, but if it takes until the fall, so be it!! We will all eventually get our children home and victory will be ours!! Embracing our little ones in the decades to come; these obstacles and this horrendous roller coaster will be a distant memory.

I am truly sorry to those of you who did not pass as well yesterday!! There is still a chance and as we can see in this group, a whole lot of HOPE!! Please know you are all in my prayers as well, including little miss Ava (Rebecca keep me posted) and Lisa-Marie. Keep the faith!!

A bible verse that has been coming to mind as well is 1 Peter 1:7;

These trials are only to test your faith, to show that it is strong and pure. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold- and your faith is far more precious to God than mere gold. And our children will be our finest treasures, they are so worth it!!

Father God today I stand firm in your word, I dress myself in your armor, and sing praises to the heaven for your glory of knowing Helen will be ours!! I give thanks for all that I have and knowing the blessings that are to come. Father, for those who are broken in spirit by these constant setbacks and heart aches, I lift them up to you, may your peace, comfort, hope and the vision of the day we are dancing with our children be upon them. It's in your Holy name I pray, AMEN!!

Looking for a miracle!!!

Unfortunately, all of Hope's court cases including ours for Helena are postponed until next week. It seems as though another large agency's court cases were put on hold a few months ago, while they were being investigated and they have been cleared. Therefore, all their cases are being put through before ours. I am frustrated, confused, angry and saddened by this to say the least. Enough already!!! At this point I think it's going to take a miracle to be able to bring both Sof and Helena home this summer. We will give it another week, but then if we have still not made it through court we will have to make our travel arrangements to just pick up Sof now and then make the second trip in the fall for Helena. Thank you all for your prayers, support, encouragement and friendship!! Nikko, Lisa and Theresa, thank you!!!

On the brighter side, today my friends, blessed me with a wonderful shower. Not only did the warm fellowship with my closest amigas lift my spirits, it also filled my belly full of great food, and blessed us richly with donations and gifts for the orphanage and for Sof and Helena. I am so grateful to have such amazing friends. Thank you Judy for putting it together!!! And thank you all my Fairway Bridge Buddies for coming!!!!
I will be continuing to ask God for a miracle and hope to share good news soon!!!!

POA Problems!! Shim to the Rescue!!

Well it looks as though after another round of failed court cases there is yet another issue, obsticle, in our (and all families with Hope) path. This time it is the Power of Attorney document, but not the families; Hope's POA document.

In order to represent us in court, the attorneys need a power of attorney from the adopting family as well as a power of attorney from the agency's owner, Shimeliss. Shimeliss's PoA expires in July 2008. The court interpreted this as the BEGINNING of July, and Hope interpreted it as the END of July. So the court is requiring a new agency power of attorney (not the adopting family's) before they will sign off on any of Hope's cases.Since providing the court with a new PoA requires that Shimeliss go through the whole authentication process and DHL to Ethiopia (just like each of us did), he doesn't have time to do this or none of us will make it before courts close. Therefore, he is just going to go to Ethiopia and appear in court for each of our cases in person. He is headed to Addis today and will be there until Hope's last court case which takes place on August 4.

I am so thankful to the angels at Hope (Grace, Shim, Rahel) that will stop at nothing to get the job done in order for us to bring our kids home. I am grateful beyond words for their continual sacrafies and committment to us and to the children!! Father God, bless them, keep them safe, sane, healthy and give them the endurance to do your work as you have called them to do!! Put a hedge of protection around them, the children, and all that they do so we may bring our children home!!--Soon, very soon!!!

4th of July Fun!!!

Greg, Mamaw, Aunt Sharon, and Mom at Skip's party Greg and Papaw
Reagan's good side
Reagan and Caitlin having a blast playing in the dirt

Caitlin and Grandma showing off their work of art they painted together.

Grandma, Blake, Reagan and Caitlin hanging out after a week of fun
Reagan and Uncle Skip at Skip's 4th of July party
Reagan and Caitlin poolside fun
Greg, Chris, Blake, Reagan and Caitlin down at the river at Skip's party
Boy was the water low!!!
Blake, Reagan and Caitlin playing games at Skips' party

Blake's slip and slide adventures

Caitlin and cousin Dahna at Skips's party. Unguard!!
Caitlin at our friend Chris Borzych's house speeding down the slip and slide
Fun was had by all that entire 4th of July weekend!! We spent the 4th with our friends the Unsell's and the Borzych's zooming on their slip and slide and hanging out feasting on good food and good fellowship!! Thanks Chris, Sherry, Bryan, Sigrid and family for allowing us to crash the party!!!

The next day was followed by Uncle Skip's 4th of July party out at his ranch. We had a blast from playing in the extremely low and slow moving Guadalope river, catching up with extended family, once again feasting on good food, enjoying music from Dahna and company, running around, playing in dirt and having a grand time. Can't wait for next year when Sof and Helen will be accompaning us. Thanks Uncle Skip and Mary Paz for putting together such a wonderful event!
Thank you Father God for allowing us to live in such a wonderful free country and to be able to enjoy and embrace all the good things in life that you have created for us!!!

"You can call me 9

Reagan has been saying this to just about everyone he meets this last week. I don't think he is excited about being the big "9". I can't believe my sweet little boy is nine today. Good for me he is young at heart still enjoying nothing more than cars, trucks, boats, water and dirt. The more water and dirt the better!! I think he will still like these things when he is 29.

We are so blessed to have so much family in town to celebrate with! We had a grand time with the family celebrating last night. Everyone was here from Grandma Mott, Mamaw, Papaw, Aunt Sharon, Uncle Tye and the rest of our crew. Reagan didn't mind not one little bit that he was going to open his presents a day early since we wanted to celebrate while Grandma was still in town. I think he is enjoying the idea of being able to celebrate on 3 days this week, for we are having his friends over Friday night so they will go and see the movie "Journey to the Center of the Earth".

He has grown up so much both physically and mentally but yet is such a happy go lucky, innocent, tender hearted little boy. I hope he stays like that for a long time. Don't get me wrong, he can also be stubborn, naughty, and defiant. But he gets me every time he giggles or snuggles up and tells me for no reason that he loves me.

Thank you God for blessing me with the miracle of our son Reagan! Everytime he giggles or he showers me with kisses I am reafirmed your presence in our lives. Your light, joy and love shine so brightly through him and I am so grateful. Father God continue to shine upon my dear Reagan and help me to raise this beautiful child of God to be the man you created him to be. It is in your precious and holy name I pray, AMEN!

A New Day, A New Attitude!!

Just look at those faces, how can I not feel blessed!!! They were so funny, they won't up this morning and all came downstairs; took one look at each other and starting laughing; realizing they all are wearing the same color. Do you think we are spending TOO much time together?!

Pretty much yesterday was spent on trying to figure out the what went wrong for the 4 of us (Nikko, Theresa and Lisa and us) who didn't pass court and consoling each other. We came to find out that many from other agencies as well did not pass through either. The MOWA official in ET requested additional documentation on all our cases, and there is no set checklist to ensure you have everything the official will ask for ahead of time. So, the 4 of us all came to agree it could have been worse, we just simply are delayed the gratification for a couple more weeks, we hope!! I am so thankful for all the support, encouragement and laughter that we shared yesterday. I can't wait to see what we are like together when we get to share good news!!!

I figure, God has a good reason for this delay. My father, who I believe is onto something, said that we live in such a immediate gratification world these days, that this lengthly process and delay is a wonderful opportunity to teach our kids about "Good things come to those who wait" idea, perserverance, faith, patience and trusting in the Lord to know and do what is best for us, even when it means we don't get necessarily what we want, when we want it! I realized as well, that how I handled yesterday was how my kids would handle it and I had an opportunity to show them how to handle dissapointment well and set a good example. It was actually easier than I thought and our day ended with new hope and thanksgiving for all that we have in Christ and in each other.

My Lord, My Comfort

After a few good cries, I find myself immersed in the word where I find peace and comfort.

Pslam 5:1-3
Listen to my words, O Lord, five heed to my sighing and groaning. Hear the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to You do I pray. In the morning You hear my voice, O Lord; in the morning I prepare (a prayer) for You and watch and wait (for You speak to my heart).

The Wait Continues... Again

I received news this morning that our court case has been delayed for 16 days. Which means our next court date is possibly July 18. Our coordinator is optomistic. Right now I am so dissapointed I wish I could feel the same but I don't. Maybe in a few days, and after a few good cries I will be. Thank you all for your prayers, it looks like I will need you to keep them coming!!

1 DAY!!!!!! PINS AND NEEDLES.......

I don't think I have ever been this nervous, anxious about anything in my life. I am a serious space cadet at this point. I have been trying to reflect back the last few days thinking of the big moments in my life and recalling my feelings. I think I have never felt quite this way because I have always had an element of control, and in this situation I don't and the fact that I am so far away from Sof and Helen doesn't help. They are my children in my heart. We have all taken them into our hearts and they have already become members of our family that it is hard to think that some judge over in ET to think differently. Not that we wouldn't pass because of our paperwork. The reasons many families have not passed lately is due to power outages (causing delays), missing papers, family member coming to reclaim and changes in the system. I wish I could just close my eyes and this day would be over. Not that I am not grateful for today and having life and my family to spend it with, I am just rattled.
I think I am going to need to get my knee pads out for I will be on my knees in prayer all day! Actually, good for us we are pretty busy with friends, family and the usual daily errands to keep us busy, thankfully!!
Alright, I am feeling a little better now that I have gotten that off my chest. I lift these concerns and feelings up to God for he is the one who is ultimately in control!!

The LORD bless thee, and keep thee: the LORD make His face to shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.Numbers 6:24-26