Our Journey Officially Begins

April 22, 2011

Well today we finally received the email we have been longing for.  The email from YWAM letting us know that we are no longer on the waiting list to adopt but that we are now officially beginning our process of adopting.  I can't begin to tell you of the excitement around our house right now, well kind of at least because we haven't told our children yet.  That will be in the next day or so.  While we know that the process will take more than a year to complete this is our first step and it always feels good to make that first step even if it is a small one.  Continue to pray for our family as we will be growing from four to who knows how many...

Letting the kids in on our secret

April 23, 2011

Today we felt it was time for the kids to know of our plans to adopt a child/children from Ethiopia.  While we had a whole morning full of activities (birthday parties, shopping for Easter, errands to run, etc.) we knew the the afternoon before I had to leave for work would be set aside for just us four.  Millie had the idea that we would set up a scavenger hunt for the kids and see if they could figure out about the adoption from the clues we left.  After a peaceful lunch together at one of our favorite places (Rice Box) we headed home to begin the scavenger hunt.  As me and the kids headed inside Millie began to hide Easter eggs and clues all over the front yard.  I'm not sure who had the harder job here, her with trying to hide everything or me keeping the kids from looking out the windows while they waited impatiently.  After only a few minutes, or and eternity to them, it was time to begin.  Millie gave the kids their first initial clue and off they went running frantically from one place to another around the yard gathering more and more clues with each egg they found.  Finally they were at the last egg so me and Millie slipped around the side of the house because the clue was for them to locate "the two who loved them the most".  Well they came running and when they found us we were holding the final clue, a basket with a pack of pacifiers and a map with Ethiopia cirlcled on it.  Now the kids had all the clues and began to discuss what all they had in common and it only took a few seconds for them to realize what it all added up to.  To say that they were ecstatic would be an understatement in the worst kind of way, they were screaming and jumping around all over the place.  So after a few minutes of wildness they settled down so we could begin to explain about how the adoption will take place.  It was a wonderful afternoon together, one that won't be forgotten anytime soon.  It marked the moment that we as a family realized God was calling us to part of something bigger than us and that we were no longer a family of four!