A Look Back and a Look Forward

So a long time ago I posted about our friends the Hutchisons that we have gotten to know along this journey (well really Bethany and I have gotten to know each other...the rest of our families are by default ;) ). They were the family who were originally neck and neck with us on the waitlist until they got a referral much earlier than expected and about a month before us. I was so happy for them but it definitately was an adjustment realizing that we definitely wouldn't get to travel with their family and finally meet them in person (they live in AZ) when we went to pick up our kids. Regardless of how close we are to one another in the process (which in the larger scheme of things is VERY close) Bethany has been such a great confidant and support system for me in this process. We seem to process things similarly and have the same do it yourself attitude. I could not have made it this far without her support!!

And so, I am happy to share that they leave this Wed to pick up their daughter Mikayla in Ethiopia! I have been so excited the past few weeks as their day comes closer and closer and am really living vicariously through her. I wish I was able to be there with them to witness the first time they meet their new daughter! Very few are lucky enough to get to be a part of such an amazing moment in time! I feel blessed to be given the opportunity to do this myself but also to share in others amazing journey's as well.

All this being said, I ask for your prayers for the Hutchison family in the comming days and next few weeks. Like us, they will leave behind a child when they make the trip. Their 3.5 year old son Eli will be staying with his grandparents as Bethany and Micah make the long trip to ET to bring Mikayla home. Please pray for peace as they prepare these next few days physically and emotionally and as they say goodbye to Eli. Pray also for peace for Eli as he is away from his parents. Pray for a life changing and safe journey for mom and dad. Pray for Mikayla, this 3 year old girl who will be leaving the only country she has known and being thrust into a new culture and a new loving family. And pray for a smooth transition for her big brother when they do arrive home.

I am so excited for them and for the road God has laid out for them. I have no doubt the journey will be at the same time challenging and rewarding. We are so excited to follow in their footsteps hopefully only a few weeks later (okay probably like 8)! They will be there over our court date, an may even get to meet little Cullen and love on him for us!!!

Safe and joyous journeys....

The Countdown Is On!!

Okay, well I guess it has been on for some time...but really...today it is 2 weeks until our court date! While we probably won't hear of the outcome until a few days up to a week later, I can at least ask for you all to be praying for us in 2 weeks. Since they are ahead of us by 9 hours I believe that means that you will need to start praying on Tuesday Oct 6th since by the time we wake up on Oct 7th our case should have already been heard.
I really think I will have a nervous breakdown if we don't pass on Oct 7th. I just can't even imagine it...it would mean at least another 6-8 weeks added on to our already too long wait to bring our son home. As it is, travel times are slowing down and so we will not expect to travel to pick him up for 6-8 weeks AFTER we pass court. This means traveling mid to end of Nov IF we passon the 7th. He will be 7 months by then. Crazy!!!! If not, we hope for a quickly rescheduled court date (typically at least a month out) and then IF we pass then again, another 6-8 weeks on top of that before we can travel. Confusing I know...but all this is to say PLEASE pray that we pass court on Oct 7th and that we are able to travel asap after passing to get him.
I also hate to say it, but not passing is a definite reality. I don't know the percentages but it is a realtively common occurance that is typically caused by things such as power outages, staff shortages, too many cases scheduled in one day, Cullen's birth mother not showing up, etc. There is so much that hangs in the balance it is a wonder it ever all happens at all.
Okay, enough solicitation for prayers....we are well. Just stressed and busy and wishing we were home with BOTH of our kids. Life is sweet....

So, I am sending this post thru as a text message from my phone. Apparently it is relatively inexpensive to text compared to calling from ET so we may use this as a way to post to our blog to keep everyone updated. So this is me practicing!

What is your something?

I am only one.
But still, I am one.
I cannot do everything,
But still, I can do something.

And because I cannot do everything,
I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.

-Edward Everett Hale
(courtesy of Bethany Hutchison)

Busying Ourselves

Well, after one of the craziest summers on record, we are now looking for ways to keep ourselves occuppied this month of Sept as we not so patiently wait for our Oct 7th court date. We have had lots to do to get ready as I have blogged about before, but somehow none of it helps me focus. I feel like I am outside of myself sometimes, looking down, wondering how many more times I will have to put one foot in front of the other until that foot finally reaches our boy?

Lately it is looking like the time is getting longer when it should be getting shorter. Normally families travel 3-6 weeks after passing court, but now due to new TB testing requirements enforcement, among other things, our agency is saying it will likely be 8 weeks until we can travel after passing court. So for us, that means the end of Nov or early Dec. Not the early November we were origanlly hoping for. Don't forget, all of this is dependant on IF we even pass court on Oct 7th. If we don't, we will likely wait another 6 weeks or more for a 2nd court date and then hope to pass that date before we can even think about starting that 8 week wait to travel. That would definitely mean 2010 before we had our boy home with his family. UGHHH. I feel like I am saying that alot these days.

Anyway, I am really frustrated with the whole wait to travel thing. Once we pass court, in the eyes of the ET govt we are legally Cullen parents. But bureaucracy stands in our way of bringing him home. He has to spend an unnecessary 8 weeks in institutionalized care when he is legally ours. UGHHHH. Can you understand how frustrating that is? Documents have to be gathered from the courts, a birth certificate must be issued, a physical must be scheduled and competely with the US Embassy, a visa appointment date must be set, etc., etc. Really? Really.

Anyway, here is what we have been doing the past few weeks...time spent with my sweet daughter is the best and seemingly only remedy for my frustrations.

Tessa first habachi dinner to celebrate her first night in her new big girl bed!

And her first Strawberry Daquiri to add to the celebration!!

Fun at the baseball game with Mommy, Daddy, Gee Gee and Papa!