Adoption Update

Tuesday we went to Baltimore to get our fingerprints done for USCIS. Our "appointment" was at 9:00, and we only had to wait until 10:00 for our turn. They were able to get all 10 of Heath's fingerprints, which he said was the first time for that. His fingers are always worn down from his work. We have everything ready for our dossier, and we just need to wait for USCIS approval before we can send the dossier to China. Meanwhile our agency said we could start looking at referrals (ie choosing a child) in January or February. We were hoping to be travelling to get her this spring, but it's looking like it'll probably be mid- to late summer, at least. (I wonder if the "adoption ticker" on this web page will reset when it gets to a year...it's quickly approaching the end of the chart!)

Quote of the Day

From the book cover flap of "Fields of the Fatherless" by C. Thomas Davis:

In this word you are an orphan--
eagerly anticipating your adoption as God's child.

In this world you are a widow--
longing for reunion with your Bridegroom.

In this world you are a stranger--
a pilgrim waiting to become a citizen of Heaven.

And in this world, God has called you to care for the orphan, the stranger, and the widow.

Wedding #3

On November 22nd, Heath's friend since high school, Kris Roberson, married Kristin Shields. Heath was a groomsman, and Ethan was ring bearer. This was Ethan's first time to wear a tux, and boy was he cute!!! (Heath was cute too, of course.) :) This was an adult-only wedding, so Ethan was one of 2 or 3 kids there, and we had a really special time with him at the rehearsal dinner and formal reception. He was such a little gentleman! Jesse enjoyed his first time having a babysitter and then Mommom and Granddad all to himself! Kris and Kristin are in the Bahamas for their honeymoon, and I'm trying not to be jealous as we sit under cloudy, gray skies and cold rain. It was a very nice celebration, and I'm very happy for you two! =) So, that's 3 weddings for us since October . . .only one more to go!

I-800A (adoption update)

We have submitted our I-800A to USCIS (immigration) for approval. This is what gives us permission to bring a foreign-born orphan into our country as our child. Unfortunately, this step of the process is supposed to take 3-4 months! Good ol' government at work. But, anyway, it's good to know that our part of it is done. According to USPS delivery confirmation, USCIS received our application on Wednesday. Within a few weeks they'll process it, and we should receive instructions for getting fingerprinted (yes, AGAIN). And then we continue to wait.

Wouldn't it be nice if we could have the virtue of patience without actually having to use it? =)

Jesse turns 3!

Jesse turned 3 on the 7th, and we had his party on the 8th. We just had a small group of friends and family over to our house. He had a great time! (Here he is playing with "Mater", his gift from Ethan.) He wants everyone to be sure to understand that he is now a BIG BOY, NOT a baby. The morning before his party he woke up crying, and I went to comfort him and made the mistake of singing "Hush, Little Baby." He got all upset and started crying, "I'm NOT a baby!!!" So I guess he's too grown up for lullabies now. He's growing fast in so many ways, and it's exciting to see all that he's learning. He's very expressive, so we get to hear his thoughts on things, which is lots of fun at this age. I'm sure this year will be full of excitement as he continues to grow.

Fun Day at the Farm!

Today we had a very fun family day! Since Ethan's party at Summers Farm was rained out, they gave us four free tickets! So, after church we headed to the farm. It was quite cold, and none of us had sweatshirts with us, but despite the cold we had a great time. Ethan shot apples out of a cannon, they raced rubber ducks using a water pump, we pet pigs . . .one big, three tiny, and three that must have been toddlers because they never stopped running, goats, mini horses and donkeys, and Jesse even attempted to pet the turkeys. We got his hand out before he lost a finger. :) They had slides, a pumpkin "train", hayride, pedal carts, corn maze and other various mazes, and even a giant bouncy thing that all 4 of us enjoyed (see picture). I think we'll try to make it an annual family tuition.

Wedding # 2

November 1st was Heath's youngest brother Joey's wedding. He married Danielle Clark, whom he met on a missions trip to Malawi (Africa) this past spring. For this wedding, Ethan and Jesse had a break from "service"; Heath ushered, and I played the piano. Everything went well, and it was a very nice day. Jesse, once again wore us out with his energy, but since I was playing piano Heath was the one who had to control him during the ceremony. :)

That completes Heath's family's marriages. The picture is of his family, everyone except his brother Josh, who is in Cuba for the Air Force right now.