Bringing Home Ava

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2011-09-22T13:58:00.001-05:00

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Tulio

What Berhanesh has to say about Santa!

2009-12-23T23:45:00.001-06:00

Gotta love it!!!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-23T23:13:00.002-06:00

From Our Home to Yours,

Merry Christmas with Love!

Urgent Prayers needed!

2009-12-02T07:49:00.002-06:00

Would you STOP what you are doing right now and join me in prayer? A sweet, fellow adoptive family, The Reeds, just returned home from Ethiopia with their precious baby girl. Tulio and I had the honor of being one of the many families who prayed over and photographed their baby, Maura, while we were in Ethiopia getting Berhanesh. Erica, Jason and Maura returned on Saturday and immediately took Maura to Vanderbilt Hospital. She is very sick. This morning, a heart cath and biopsy are scheduled.

My heart is heavy. BUT, our faith is not in doctors but in the GREAT PHYSICIAN! Would you stand in agreement with me for this family?

Please pass this on to your churches and prayer chains!

You may follow their story at: www.reedadoption.blogspot.com.

Thanks!

Thanksgiving 2009

2009-12-01T14:02:00.008-06:00

Here are some of my favorite people that I am Thankful for! We had a great time during the Thanksgiving holiday. The turkey was great and the company was even better.

Love these girls!
First Thanksgiving dinner!

Tree is up, lights are strung and presents are wrapped in anticipation of a wonderful Christmas soon approaching!

What a special photo! This is the ornament I made last year as we waited for our child to come home from Ethiopia! It reads "waiting in love." When Abby found it in the ornament boxes, I nearly lost it! She's home! Thank you Jesus for your goodness!

First ornament hung!

We are thrilled to be able to share all of our holiday joy with Berhanesh! Above all, we are reminded of where she was a year ago today. Unthinkable, really! We are lucky and honored to be a part of her life!

The start of something NEW!

2009-11-19T13:11:00.003-06:00

As Christmas approaches, so do holiday traditions. We are a multicultural family...Cuban, Texan (a whole breed of its own!) and now Ethiopian. It is important that we honor our differences. Berhanesh is from Sidamo, Ethiopia. The main language spoken in Ethiopia is Amahric. I am sure Berhanesh heard other dialects before she arrived in Addis Ababa (where the Transition Home resides). To honor her and her beautiful country, I made a special pillow, just for her! It reads, "Melkam Gena!" ---- Merry Christmas! While I was taking her picture, she said, " I can't believe it, Oh my Word!" She must hear SOMEONE say that A LOT!!!

This weekend, we will began decorating and feasting on hot chocolate and cookies! Let the decorating begin!

Happenings at Home!

2009-11-16T08:54:00.003-06:00

I seriously can't wait this long between posts! So many things can happen in our home in one week and when I don't post, I don't remember. Call it old age or the busy mom of three. I am just plain forgetful these days!

We celebrated Little Miss B's first halloween! I had a blast making her costume (Abby's too)! Cookie Monster is no longer her favorite but very close in the running to Dora and Diego! She LOVED trick-or-treating. She actually is still trick-or-treating EVERYDAY at home. She brings her little red purse to us and says "trick-or-treat," we pretend to put something in her purse! So fun!

We have visited Hobby Lobby a few times and explored the Christmas section. I am a little nervous that she may become overwhelmed. I am trying to prepare her by showing her things and letting her touch different christmas items. She is loving the trees! I can't wait until we put ours up! I am not sure how she will react to presents and Santa. Guess we will have to see...

As many of you know, we had quite the scare a couple of weeks ago with Berhanesh's health and spent the night at the hospital. She developed a very high fever, very quickly and needed lots of iv fluids. We are blessed to have a Godly doctor who prayed with us and directed us to the best care. During times like these, I am GRATEFUL that I have a support system within my family, friends and my Yahoo Group. I KNEW that my friends from all over the US (most I have never met) would lift our daughter up to the Lord in prayer! The blessings that come from adoption are amazing! I never dreamed that I would be connected in such a powerful way to so many families. Thank you for believing for our daughter's healing and for standing in the gap for us!

Little B went to some dark places during her hospital stay. So many emotions were displayed on her sweet face. The sadness and pure terror were awful to watch. Trust was lost and Tulio and I fought hard to gain it back. There were obvious memories and demons our daughter battled along with being sick. We are hopeful that she is once again gaining confidence that we ARE her forever family and that we will NEVER leave her. We believe that God will use this experience to strength the bond between us. Berhanesh is having some memories of Ethiopia. At random times, things are mentioned and we believe she is remembering. At bedtime last week, I was laying down with her and she said, "Me, Ethiopia, mommy got me and daddy too." Then she wanted to know why Abby and Ben did not come. We told her they were getting her room ready. When we pray, she prays for Ethiopia. She is trying so hard to process all the changes. B trys to convey to us what she is thinking. She pauses and tries to get the words out correctly. Can you imagine? Being so young, having lost so much, taken away from everything you have ever known (whether good or bad) and being placed in a home where everything and everyone is different? When I become frustrated and feel things are not progressing in the way in which I think it should...I just need to remember the road my daughter has traveled.

As we approach Thanksgiving, all I can say is WOW!!! I am blessed beyond measure.

Blessings to you and yours!

I'm a bad, bad blogger!

2009-10-29T22:10:00.003-05:00

For the two readers that are still following me (Aunt Mary and her friend!). So sorry for the lack of posts. We are all doing super, just busy!

Berhanesh and I spend most of our days...playing!

Last week, we celebrated 3 amazing months with our daughter home with her forever family. In the 3 months that B has been home, she has gained 7 pounds and grown 3.5 inches! She is blossoming right before our eyes! I love watching her grow, physically and emotionally. We are confident B's little personality is beginning to emerge. Some days are better than others, the memories are still there. We will probably never know what she remembers, but the look that comes across her face is something I will never forget. I don't want to. New memories will replace the sorrow and sadness but I pray that I will always be sensitive to her "story."

Things we have learned about Ava Berhanesh so far:

* Berhanesh loves Dora and Diego.

* Goldfish and apple juice have once again, become a staple in our home!

* All Berhanesh's babies have to naked, all the time! This drives Gaga crazy!

* Cell phones are very popular with Ethiopian princesses.

* Berhanesh's language is growing every day. When she gets really excited, she jumbles all the words together. Makes no sense, at all. But it does bring a great laugh!

* Prayer is really important to this little girl! Just today, she began praying on her own. When it was her turn to pray at bed time, she said "Jesus, I love you. Thank you cookie, halloween, Gaga no hurt arm and then a bunch of rattling and then Amen." When she prays, she throws her head all the way back and prays with such excitement! If we could all be like this!

* Loves music...funky music. The funkier, the better. Although, there are times when I have Kari Jobe on in the car, really loud and I am just singing...I look back and she is totally joining in. I have been know to raise my hands at the stop light while singing and I sometimes see her doing this! OH MY GOSH!!! Melts me to a puddle! What an honor to share with her the love and power of Jesus!

* Coffee con leche is a must in the morning!

* Sleeps all night (11-12 hours) in panties! No accidents! Unbelievable bladder control! Naps are still around 30 min.-1 hour. Enough time for me to potty by myself and do a load of laundry. Fun!

We went to Seaworld a couple of weeks ago and she loved Shamu! Was not too fond of the jack-o-lanterns in the park (she calls then naughty pump-i-kins)!

What you all want to see! Enjoy the photos!

A little more than 2 months!

2009-10-01T07:25:00.008-05:00

Friday, Sept. 25, we celebrated two months home with our girl!

I have said this so many times but she is such a JOY! A true blessing. It is amazing to me and such an example of Christ' love. The way Berhanesh has blended into our family and the way we all feel she has been with us forever is nothing short of another example of God's divine plan for our family. We are so glad that we took that HUGE step into the adoption world and we live with NO REGRETS!!!

We have had quite the month. Berhanesh is continuing to discover many new things and grows more confident each day. We continue to see some (actually, very little) signs of grieving. The moaning at nap time (sleeping almost an hour a day! YEAH!) is almost gone and she is still sleeping 11-12 hours at night. She is attaching well to our immediate family and is open to strangers talking to her. We had a doctor's appointment with an Orthopedic Specialist regarding her legs. Not such good news; however, we do have a second opinion with another specialist planned in October. Please pray for wisdom for Tulio and I.

The highlight of our month was a trip to see a special little girl that our Berhanesh loves dearly. These darling girls spent time together in Ethiopia at the TH and it was obvious they were close friends. It was a true delight to spend the weekend with Jane-Grace and her family. I was delighted in seeing my baby have a connection to her past. Berhanesh was in heaven! It is our hope to continue and nurture this relationship for many years to come.

While visiting with our new friends, we had the honor of staying with Tulio's great aunt. She is 82 and such an incredible lady. We sat around the table till midnight each night hearing story after story of her life in Cuba and how she and her family came to the United States. She is a survivor! Her testimony was a true inspiration. My kids LOVED Tia Bebe! She is a crack up! She would disappear and come back dressed up in a funny wig and outfit just to make us laugh! Berhanesh did not think it was so funny...she was freaked out!

Abby and Ben are blossoming in school. Ben was elected to student council and Abby was elected to the board of the Interact Club. They both are so excited! We could not be more proud. They are excellent students and we anticipate an awesome report card!

Enjoy the pictures!

Morning Coffee Mustache!

Look at them holding hands!!!

Best buddies! Pure JOY!!!

Celebrating Ethiopian New Year 2009

2009-09-11T13:59:00.002-05:00

This morning, I dressed Berhanesh in one of her beautiful Ethiopian dresses and headed out to celebrate New Years! Berhanesh was beyond excited when she saw her dress. She kept saying, "have, have..." She spun around while saying, "pretty, pretty." BE STILL MY HEART!!! September 11 marks the start of a New Year in Ethiopia. While we are in the year 2009, Ethiopia is beginning the year 2002.

We went to the store and picked up some flowers and delivered them to some family while wishing them a "Happy New Year." Berhanesh received some coins in return. We had so much fun!

Tonight, we will have our family over for dinner to help continue the celebration. I am excited to be able to celebrate this joyous occasion with our princess. In the joy of today, I am reminded of how lucky we are to have this child with us. Sometimes it is hard to believe she is really here. In continuing the beginning of a new tradition in our home, we will light a candle in honor of Berhanesh's birth family. We know some have gone on before us...some remain in Ethiopia. It is our desire to honor her family, wherever they may be.

"Dear Father, thank you for such a special day! We are thrilled to share with Berhanesh some of the culture from her birth land. I look at Berhanesh and I see a glimpse of who you are. We are honored to play a small part in B's journey. Thank you for choosing us! I ask Lord that you be with B's family in Ethiopia today. Provide, protect, heal and minister to her family in only the way you can. I pray they are given the opportunity to know about your son, Jesus. You are awesome! I love you. Amen."

We have a shopper!

2009-09-03T14:01:00.001-05:00

Berhanesh loves Kroger! She loves the coffee and getting to push (actually, run into things) her little basket around!

A few of my favorites!

2009-09-02T18:09:00.002-05:00

This girl loves, loves, loves BUBBLES or "baba-o-tete" as she refers to them!

Coming full circle

2009-09-01T07:58:00.004-05:00

We have been home from Ethiopia for a little over 5 weeks now. I have written and erased THIS post about 10 times. I am not sure how to put to paper what is in my heart. Please be patient with me as I attempt to convey my heart feelings. I feel if this is something I need to do, for me. This is rather long...make sure you have enough time!

Just a little history...

Tulio and I were raised in the same churches (same denomination, different churches) for over 15 years each, respectfully. We were presented with missions and foreign missionaries our entire life. I remember being a little girl, wearing an asian dress and attending a mission conference. I vividly recall standing at the Ghana, West Africa table gawking at the different types of food that were presented for our sampling. My sister and I, among our friends, would nudge each other in a dare over who would try "THAT"first. I remember sitting in "big church," hearing Mark Buntain preach about the children of Calcutta, India. Wow! He was a great man! As a little girl, I dreamed of being a missionary or a pastor's wife.

Tulio and I met though church. I knew Tulio wanted to be a pastor, which just thrilled me. We married young, so in love and so naive. Tulio graduated from seminary and we began our ministry career. We served as full time associate pastors (mainly serving children and youth) for over 9 years, followed by a year from hell as Tulio was a hospital chaplain. Tulio was an ordained minister for a very long time. Through a series of bad, rough, heart crushing experiences we left full time pastoral ministry. We were broken and severely bruised. We did not attend church. At all. For a very long time. We left our denomination and felt homeless. Everything we had ever known, people we thought were friends, it was all gone.

We begin attending a very large church, one that we could hide in. We did not tell a soul our previous ministerial experience, for fear of being asked to serve. Tulio begin a career as a public school teacher and it was our GOAL to forget what had happened over the last decade of our lives.

Very, very slowly...we began to heal. The bondage and bitterness that had held us hostage begin to fall away. Letters were written to previous minsters, asking for forgiveness of grudges they were not even aware of. We begin to feel free. To feel whole and healed. A wise woman, my mom, often told me and still reminds me that all those years were not in vain, that God will use them to His benefit and for His glory.

Tulio and I both felt lead to adopt a child several years ago but a number of things kept us sitting on the sidelines. So many different excuses to not obey what we felt called to do. Our pastor, Kerry Shook, did a series at church (which is now a best selling book), entitled, "One month to Live: Thirty Days to a No-Regrets Life." This was the fire we needed. We did not want to look back over our lives and REGRET obeying God's commandment for our family. We began the adoption process the same month Pastor Kerry's book was released, February 2008.

Tulio found a career that he loves and has been very successful in pharmaceutical sales. We still attend "the" large church, not so much in hiding anymore. We have opened up ourselves and have begin to offer our experience through both ministry and adoption to whatever God has for us.

When Tulio and I begin this adoption journey so long ago, we weren't really sure where it would take us. Yes, we knew we would bring home a child, a girl. That, we were certain of. We came to find out, rather quickly, that in the adoption world, certainty is NOT common. Ups and downs are just part of the process. Trust in God (or rather a poor attempt) became "the way", the only certain thing we KNEW we could hold onto. The feelings and emotions that we both thought we were healed from, resurfaced during this process. We were shocked to realize that we both knew NOTHING of true trust. Something we both taught others, yet we we never truly lived. Super humbling! God knew the plans He had for us. He knew that we needed to be refined and reminded that He is our all in all. We lived and breathed Jeremiah 29:11.

As most of you know by now, I am a planner. Control Freak. Really. In my mind, I had these perfect moments of when we were to meet our daughter for the first time. I had the perfect outfit picked out. I just KNEW she would instantly love us and not grieve...you get the picture. About two weeks before our travels, I was praying for our trip and for B' s little heart and I felt the Lord tell me to lay all my plans aside. Would I trust Him and be open to all He has planned for Tulio and I to receive. Was He not the one in control? Would He not orchestrate the perfect meeting day for us? Was I allowing Him to fully be in control? I quickly and humbly apologized and asked my creator to take over. Looking back, I am so thankful that I listened and obey the Lord. Tulio and I did experience more than we could have ever planned on our own. Sure, we had some tough times, but in those dark moments, I just remembered Jesus asking me to love and feel the way He would. Removing myself is the only way I survived our trip.

I really, really believed that once we had Berhanesh home that our story would be finished. Little did I know, it was really just the beginning. When you embark on a journey such as ours, returning home is filled with many mixed emotions. How do you live among the people of a 3rd world country and not be moved? How do you come home and live your life the same? Tulio and I honestly miss Ethiopia. We miss the smells and the culture, the people, the children. We saw first hand extreme poverty and we will never be the same. The faces of the street children haunt Tulio at night. I have seen a burning, exciting passion return to my sweet husband. Something I thought was lost forever.

Would you join us in prayer? Pray for God's direction in our family.

We will keep you posted.

Blessings!

Kara

***I promise some new photos this week!***

Celebration of Ava Berhanesh! She has been with us for 1 month!!!

2009-08-25T12:45:00.006-05:00

The next couple of posts will primarily be photos from the first month that Ava Berhanesh has been home with us! She is an amazing child! We are beyond thrilled that she is a part of our family! Enjoy!

*** The following pictures were taken at a splash pad in the heart of our town. All 3 of my kiddos had a blast playing in the water. ***

Look at what my sister wrote!

2009-08-17T14:45:00.001-05:00

*** I just realized the photos were not posting on my blog. PLEASE head over to my sister's blog to view a great post about Little Berhanesh and her cousin, Emerson. ***

A little of everything...

2009-08-16T21:41:00.005-05:00

We have been home for three weeks with our daughter, Berhanesh. Considering all the major life changes, she is a real trooper! What a true delight this child is! Unbelievable joyful!

Berhanesh is physically doing well. All her lab work from Texas Children's has come back completely normal and her tummy issues are slowly getting better. We have had Early Childhood Intervention to our home twice. Berhanesh will be receiving some therapy to help strengthen her legs as well as assistance with language and motor skills. We are super excited to see where this extra help will take her!

We have had a number of friends and family visitors since we have been home. I just want to send a HUGE Thank You to all of you! Your love and support since arriving home has been tremendous. We are blessed to have such a large group of loved ones! Little Miss B is warming up to many of you, it is so fun to watch the interaction!

We did go to church this morning. I was super nervous! We attend a very large church and Berhanesh was super overwhelmed when we first arrived. Her daddy was able to calm her fears and she sat on his lap, holding his hand and rubbing his face, during the worship time. We moved to the family viewing room for the preaching part and B did GREAT! She was so excited to go and get big sis and brother from their classes. Overall, it was a success!

There were many "firsts" this week: James Coney Island hot dog, ice-cream, family get-together (cuban style...HUGE!), church.

This is the last week of the summer...kids go back to school in one week. We have a freshman in High School-YIKES! and a sixth grader. This is going to be a fabulous school year!

Blessings!

A Picture Post!

2009-08-06T18:57:00.003-05:00

Here is what you REALLY want!

Little Miss B

2009-07-29T06:43:00.007-05:00

What a true joy this child is!

When we began this process so many, many months ago, I had visions and dreams of what our new little girl would be like. I can tell you, she is so much MORE! She was designed for our family, she fits in so perfectly. We are honored to continue the raising of this precious gift. I keep pinching myself to make sure this is all REAL, that she really is HOME! We are all beyond in love. It is pure delight watching Abby and Ben interact with their baby sister. They make me PROUD!

We have watched a very troubled toddler began to transform into a goofy little diva! The nannies were correct in our update a couple of months ago when they said she likes all things female!

Berhanesh loves jewelry, shoes, and dresses! She pats her clothes every morning and just smiles. I think she is enjoying the luxury of so many new things! She is bonding better than I imagined. She is sleeping 10 plus hours each night and is beginning to nap well.

We have continued calling her Berhanesh. We never thought we would NOT feel comfortable with "Ava Joy" but at this point, it just doesn't feel right. We may incorporate Ava at some point but for now she is simply Berhanesh! Her parents named her with such a beautiful name, we want to honor them in her name. We did find out in Ethiopia that her name is very uncommon and it means, " you are the light." LOVE IT!

We never dreamed the transition would go as smoothly as it has. God knew in his perfect wisdom what our family needed. I am hopeful, but openly realistic, that we may have some of "those" really bad days. Our prayer is for Jesus to continue guiding us in the parenting of this special girl.

We have had lots of visitors and yummy meals! Little Miss B is taking it in stride. She comes to me and sits with me until she feels comfortable. I am loving the snuggling!

We have had two successful doctor's appointments. We are waiting for all the results to come in. We are wondering if Ava B is a little closer to 3. She seems to do things that are too advanced for a young 2. Yesterday, she really began talking. How great it was to hear her repeat Abby and say, " I love you, mommy." Melted my heart to pieces!

Thank you for the love, support, prayers and meals during our coming home days! It has been such a huge comfort to know we are loved!

We are still pondering and processing all we experienced in Ethiopia. Some amazing moments and awakenings occurred in Tulio and I. The realization of all that expired is still not real--like I am looking into another person's dream. It is difficult to go on such a journey and not be changed. When you see such poverty and sadness, how can you remain the same? I promise to post my daily journal entries with photos in the coming days.

Yes, We are HOME!

2009-07-27T04:42:00.003-05:00

Hi all! Yes, we are home. A little weary, but oh so JOYFUL! We are loving our little family and are enjoying getting to know Berhanesh a little more each day. Forgive the randomness of this post, it is 4:45 am and I have some jet lag. I am thankful that everyone else is asleep!

The flights were crueling, connections were barely made but little B did great! She played and giggled and even went potty on the scary, DIRTY airplane toilet.

We had a ton of family members and friends welcome us home, we all felt so loved! Thanks!

The baby has done GREAT with Abby and Ben, she took to them immediately. The first night, we all slept in the same room together. Berhanesh is terrified of our cat, open to the dog.

She is eating great---we got her to drink milk! Not a snacker but does have a healthy appetite.

Will write more later...

Blessings!

Kara

2009-07-23T12:57:00.001-05:00

We are Blessed! Jesus is doing a wonderful work in our daughter's life. We are turning the corner a little more each day. She is broken and scared but we are seeing a true personality come forth. She is feeling better. Berhanesh still has a terrible cough but hopefully the antiobiotic shots and medications will help her feel better soon!

Let me tell you a little of what we DO know:

She is a BIG eater--we are not sure if this is really how she is or if she is afraid she won't get more. She continues to eat and eat. If she sees food, she wants it. She is slow in eating, chewing each bite completely gone before getting another.

She is tickelish and kinda goofy!

She hums and sorta grunts. No real words--she does say "akoo" a lot. It is not an Amharic word--not sure what she is saying. She is quiet, again not sure if this will be the norm.

She had her first bath. She was unsure (not sure she ever had a bath before) but we showed her how to splash.

She gave mommy a kiss today. Shook her head NO when daddy asked. Daddy is GREAT!!! He is very patient and gentle with her. Berhanesh does okay with him in our hotel. He is allowed to feed her at each meal. However, when we go out, she wants nothing to do with him. We are trying to ease in a little more "daddy time" each day. The progress will be slow and we have to remain patient. She was very interested in daddy kissing mommy. You can tell she wants to interact.

She has a great smile, which was displayed throughout the day.

She naps great and goes to bed easy. We are sure this will change once she becomes more familiar with is and her soon-to-be new surroundings. She is used to being placed in a crib and left to sleep on her own. We have tried to establish a basic routine at bedtime. She does love books.

Berhanesh watched her first Elmo movie. We played about 6 minutes of a DVD we brought and she was in a trance. She later saw the Elmo band-aides and had to wear as a sticker!

Today we went to an orphanage called Kids' Care. I was nervous about how she would do. She was not at this orphanage so I knew there would not be any memories. Upon arrival, she saw the gray gate; the same color gate as the transition home where she has been the last 5 1/2 months. She got excited, smiling and waving her little hands. When we got off the van (she was in a sling on me) she immediately knew this was different. She got very close to me, tucking herself farther into the sling. She put her hand on my chest and rubbed my skin. This was a great sign to me that she is bonding. She did not want Tulio out of her sight. When he walked to far away, she grunted and reached her hand out. She did not want to touch him but wanted him closer. We stayed at the orphanage for awhile and she did great. We got to play with some of the children and participate in a traditional ethiopian coffee ceremony. We did not drink the coffee, we poured it into a bush. We did not want to get sick. The children were beautiful. I had to turn away several times for fear of "losing it" in front of them. Major reality check for Tulio and I both. Our priorities are so silly in comparison to those in this country. I think I will spend a while processing all I saw today. Things I cannot even put into words.

We then ate at a Metro Pizza. Super yummy, but different. After lunch, we came back to the guest home and took naps. Last minute shopping was done after naps. Shopping is such an experience. Amazing, hand-crafted items are to be found. We found several interesting pieces to give to Berhanesh throughout her life.

As I type, it is 9:00 ET time, my baby is sleeping and Tulio is at a guys' night with the other dads and our fabulous guides.

ABBY AND BEN---Ava Joy LOVES the photo album we sent to her back in March. We got to bring it with us from the transition home. She opens it up to your pictures and looks at you both for a long time. Today she was rubbing your faces. I can't promise you she will play with you at first but she will open up and realize how AWESOME you ARE!!! Mommy and Daddy love and miss you soooooooo much! Only 2 more nights until we are together! Can't wait! Please be good for your Uncle Nano and Aunt Andrea.

Blessings to you from Ethiopia!

Tulio, Kara and Ava Joy Berhanesh

Windows Live™ SkyDrive™: Store, access, and share your photos. See how.

All about Ethiopia!

2009-07-22T10:58:00.001-05:00

**** CANNOT UPLOAD PHOTOS---the connections is soooo slow today! I will try again before I go to bed ****

OH MY GOSH!!!

What an experience this has been. Let me update from where I left off. I have so much to share. Please forgive if I am random in my thoughts.

We went to a traditional Ethiopian dinner on Monday evening that featured great food that Tulio and I both enjoyed. Then came the dancing…something I have never seen! I The moves they made! WOW! I think Abby and Ben would have sat with their mouths wide open. Simply Amazing.

The guest home that we are staying at is wonderful. Great food, friendly staff. We only have electricity every other day. This is why it has been hard to post updates for those of you following at home. Speaking of which, I miss. I miss my home, my children, my pets, the smell of America. We are soaking up as much culture as possible so we may be prepared in future years to tell our precious Berhanesh of her birth land.

Tuesday was an exciting and difficult day. We shopped in the morning in the post office district. We bought many items, mostly traditional Ethiopian. We then headed to lunch at a local café. I was not feeling well but Tulio said the lasagna tasted wonderful. We are both feeling pretty good but I am dealing with nauseusy off and on throughout most of the day. It is probably a mixture of the smells that are so strong EVERYWHERE you go and just the fact that I am in Africa. After lunch we headed to the Transition Home to pick up our children and bring them home with us to the guest home. Upon arrival, we gave our donations and Tulio and I managed to take photos for seven families and deliver care packages. To these families, your children are precious. They were gracious and cuddly. We prayed special blessings over each one and held them all for awhile. Thank you for that opportunity!

Do you remember how on Monday, we asked the nannies to check on Berhanesh about her cough and wheezing? While at the transition home on Tuesday, we got to talk to the head nurse about Berhanesh, she informed us that Berhanesh was taken to the hospital on Monday evening because she was having difficulty breathing. She was on an IV and oxygen. Apparently she has brionchial ashthma. She was released Tuesday am and brought back to the transition home just before we arrived. Needless to say, we were very concerned. It was very hard to understand the nurse because of the obvious language barrier. The nurse also informed us that Berhanesh would need to be given an antibiotic shot every morning until we leave for home. She also has 3 oral medications. At this point; I was spent, just emotionally empty. A short while later it was time to go back to the guest home. As soon as we began loading up the van, Berhanesh began to cry. We totally expected this. For the entire 30 minutes van ride back to the guest home, she cried and wailed the most pitiful cry. She said the same word over and over. Our guide said she was crying out for her nanny. As you can imagine, Tulio and I were both in tears, joining our daughter in the grieving process. Our hearts were breaking for her, not knowing exactly all she has lost. When we got to our room, we pulled out every toy and piece of food we could to help distract and begin to build some trust. Playing worked for awhile, then the grieving would began again. A deep, wounded cry…none I have ever seen or heard. After about an hour, Tulio and I just continued praying over her and we put her in between us and just hugged. She fought and cried as we told her over and over that we loved her and we would never leave her. We made a major breakthrough! Praise the Lord! I asked God to let me see this child through his eyes and it is by the grace of God that we made it through the day! We are only asking God for enough strength for one day at a time. Berhanesh is still very timid and reserved. She checks out everything and everyone around her. She is so observant. She ate well at dinner, sitting in my lap. She feeds herself and drinks from a regular, big girl cup. No sippy! She is also completely potty trained. We expected accidents but the pull-ups remain dry. Major bladder control!

Bedtime was pretty simple. After bathing with a little fuss (she was fascinated with the shower head), we read a story and put her straight to bed in the crib. She fell asleep immediately.

It is now Wednesday afternoon and things are progressing slowly, as expected. We have not fully earned her trust, but we are progressing in the right direction. Just when she starts feeling comfortable and playing, she begins to close up again. We are willing to take all the time she needs. She is a sweet child, she likes to touch us, rubbing our faces or our arm. She has a soft giggle. She is warming up to her daddy but prefers mommy. We had a slow morning, just getting to know each other. A nurse came this morning and gave her another shot. The nurse said the shot was very painful. She cried for a little but let daddy comfort her. She had scrambled eggs and a chocolate donut (not Shipley's) for breakfast. Berhanesh is a good eater. At noon we headed to the US Embassy for our appointment. I was very scared. I am not sure of what, but I was scared. We waited for 2 hours and then our name was called. Berhanesh is ours, officially! She did great at the embassy! 2 families had some paperwork issues and have to return tomorrow, please pray for them!

It is now 5:00 pm, ET time, and Tulio is sleeping and Berhanesh is resting in her bed. We have not begun to call her Ava yet, it just doesn't feel right. We are so happy to be here and are thrilled at what the future holds for our daughter. However, we miss home. I miss my Abby and my Ben. My love for you has grown stronger than I ever thought possible through this journey. I always knew, but never truly grasped the fact that I am one lucky woman. I have an incredible life partner and three beautiful children. We love you! We are going to try and call today! Pray that we can!

Just a few more days until we are home! I am excited!

ABBY----she wore her bow ALL DAY!!! Never tried taking it off. She also likes all her babies NAKED!!! Typical 2 yr. old.

P.S. Could someone PLEASE bring me a LARGE CHICK-FIL-A Sweet Tea to the airport? I am having total withdrawl!

Love to you all!

Tulio, Kara and Berhanesh

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Meetcha Day!

2009-07-20T23:57:00.001-05:00

What an amazing day!

We first started out in our guest home, filling out the necessary documents for the embassy appointment on Wednesday. It was funny—people messing up, including me, because we were so nervous!

We then headed off for lunch at Lucy's. It was very tasty. I had ravioli and Tulio had a curry chicken lunch. He also had a strong Ethiopian beer. It begin raining during lunch.

Off we were to meet our kids. I felt giddy, not too nervous! The roads were bumpy, due to the rain mud was every. After traveling awhile, on of our guides said, "We are almost there." That is when I became a bundle of nerves and fear. The moment had finally come! After 17 ½ longs months, we were about to be united with our child. VERY SURREAL moment!

We turned the last corner and there we saw "the sign" that said America World and the big silver gate! We filed off the van and immediately the children began being brought to us in alphabetical order. We were next to last. Out walks little Berhanesh holding a nanny's hand. I bent down and she WENT TO ME! She held on to her mommy like it was the most natural moment. She let me hold her, talking to her softly. Tulio and were able to trade and he held her for a while. SHE IS PERFECT!!!! We walked into the home and sat on the couch, Berhanesh never let go. We played bubbles and with an inflatable Disney ball (which she loved). She did not like playdough—maybe the texture. She ate a couple of Gerber puffs but did not know what to do with the Tic Tac I pulled out. Berhanesh did not make too much eye contact, which is normal. About an hour into our visit the nanny came and said it was time for lunch. She became very clingy at this point. She did not want to get down, nor did she want to eat. The nannies spoke to her and she sorta wimpered. I just held her. She seemed unhappy while back in "her" room. We could not get her to eat or drink but that was fine. We went from there to play outside a bit. She wobbles from side to side, it must be from the HUGE belly. I mean it is really BIG! So Precious! After playing outside, we went back to the couch were we played some more and she ate a few more Gerber puffs. When it was time to leave, she looked so sad. She did not cry, just sort of accepted that we were leaving. I am not sure if she knew we were coming back or we were just another nice white couple who played with her for awhile.

Tulio and I are over the moon with joy! The first visit went way better than we ever dreamed. PLEASE pray for Berhansh today—she had a terrible cough and runny nose. The doctor is going to take a look at her before we come. PLEASE pray for her heart to adjust to the huge transition that will occur today.

Tulio and I are feeling fine.

ABBY AND BEN—Ava Joy is Precious—she has the most adorable little laugh. She raises her eyebrows a lot too. Her hair is soft and she is DELICIOUS! We miss you!

I will write later about my massage and our traditional ET dinner! SUPER FUN and yummy!

Love you all,

Kara

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We are in Ethiopia!

2009-07-19T13:54:00.001-05:00

We are safe and in our cozy little room at the guest house.

The flights were long but we did great!

The people were so nice on Ethiopian Airlines, we ate every 3-4 hours! We were able to sleep some.

Funny stories are forming already! Tulio got stopped in the Ethiopia airport and our bags were dug through! He was super nervous. The man looked mean!

We are taking our pills and heading to bed. Please say a pray for me--I am taking high altitude medication but since we arrived to the guest home I have been pretty dizzy.

We meet our girl tomorrow!!!!! WE ARE BEYOND THRILLED. We will not have electricity tomorrow so I may not be able to post. Will try and post photos later.

* *Abby and Ben--we miss you all the way up to the moon and back!

Love you all,

Tulio and Kara

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We are in Charlotte!

2009-07-18T11:41:00.002-05:00

We arrived safely!

The airport is nice--we have a 4 hour layover before heading to Washington DC.

Hoping to upload some pictures of our day later!

CHOW!

Kara & Tulio

Dedicated to Abby and Ben!

2009-07-17T06:50:00.005-05:00

I have done a lot of reflecting the last few days and I did not want to miss an opportunity to tell the world (mine is small!) about two great kids:

To my firstborn: How do I put into words all my swirling thoughts. As I have prepared for your sister's arrival, many, many memories have flooded my mind. I remember preparing for your birth, now I am preparing you for high school. Where, oh where did the time fly. You, my precious Abigail are a treasure, a rare find. You have become a wonderful, godly, young woman that I am PROUD to call my daughter. There are many times that your daddy and I look at you and cannot believe that YOU are our daughter. How blessed we are! Thank you for your constant support over the last 17 months. You never wavered in your love and encouragement. I could not have walked this journey without you. Being the first born, you have been the "guinea pig" for our parenting lessons. Your dad and I have made many, many mistakes. I am confident we will make more. But looking at you now, God must have allowed us to do something right! You are beautiful inside and out! I look forward to you interacting with Ava Joy. The memories that are sure to follow! Can you believe we get to show Ava Joy all the Disney princesses? What will she think? Who will be her favorite? I can't wait to see my two girls play! Stay strong while we are away, knowing that we are only a prayer away. Be helpful but mostly, HAVE FUN!!! You will be a constant thought in our hearts and minds.

My only son: Proud, strong, funny, sensitive to others. That is you Benjamin! Can you believe that you are going to be a big brother, finally. You have longed for this day for a long time! I have many memories of you but the ones that have made me the proudest have occurred over this adoption journey. Daddy and I knew going into this process, that we were in for a roller coaster ride. We were aware of the need to support each other. I was not prepared for the amount of support you have shown. At times, I would find myself staring at you, wondering how my little boy could have just said such a profound statement. Do you remember when we had to drive to Austin, again, for more paperwork. I was crying and acting silly and YOU, my baby, grabbed my hands, looked me in the eyes and spoke these words, "Mom, it is going to be okay, look at me mom. Just like God rescued Noah after he obeyed, God will rescue Ava. We have obeyed him and she will be okay." You reminded me of Daniel in the Lion's Den and various bible stories that spoke of God's saving grace. I will never forget that trip you and I took, we did have fun, huh.? Thank you Benjamin, for being sensitive to the Lord. You are great! I love the song you wrote and dedicated to Ava. I love how you have carried her picture in your pocket for weeks, showing anyone just how proud you are! Your daddy and I are honored to be your parents and proud of the young man you are turning into. I want you to know that we will be safe and we will be okay! You and Abby are in great hands and you will have a blast with your cousins! Be obedient and helpful. Remember to brush your teeth and change your underwear!

Testing

2009-07-15T20:05:00.001-05:00

Testing to see if we can post from ETHIOPIA!

Lauren found her dream laptop. Find the PC that's right for you.

The countdown begins...7 days!

2009-07-13T22:19:00.003-05:00

7 days until I hold YOU. 7 days until I can touch your face. 7 days until I can smell your hair. 7 days until I hear your voice. 7 days until I can count your fingers and toes. 7 days until you are joined with us!

Darling Berhanesh,

We are coming, sweet girl. Mommy and Daddy are busy packing and finishing last minute projects to welcome you HOME! Abby and Ben are so excited to FINALLY have you home. Your big brother, who thinks he is SO BIG, took your picture to VBS this morning. You were close to him all day, stuffed in his pocket. He said he just wanted you close! Abby took special attention today in packing all your new hair bows! How we have longed for this day to come...hold on a little longer.

We promise to lay all our expectations aside of our future trip to your birth land. We truly want to experience all God has in store for us. We are nervous and excited, scared and extremely honored to meet you! We promise we will relish our time in Ethiopia, savoring every moment in such a beautiful land. We promise to love you through the pain and grief as you leave all you know, behind. We promise while you make new memories, we will hold close your time spent in Ethiopia. We promise to honor and cherish your birth parents and birth family. We promise to always be honest and answer your questions to the best of our abilities.

Love,

Your mommy and daddy

My Forever Family is Coming For Me!

2009-07-07T19:17:00.006-05:00

Ava Joy Berhanesh Portilla

We serve a MIRACLE working God!

2009-07-07T18:59:00.004-05:00

Today, we received CONCRETE travel dates! YEAH!!!

We also received word from our agency that it was nothing less than a MIRACLE that our travel plans came together. Apparently, MOWA (Ministry of Woman's Affairs-in ET) decided today that they would close their offices for two weeks for essential training. Our agency staff worked until LATE LAST NIGHT to get all of our documents together so we could travel. Our agency did not think they could pull it all together, but GOD HAD OTHER PLANS! Praise the Lord! Not all families scheduled to travel with us were this fortunate. My heart is heavy for those that still have to wait. PLEASE be in prayer for the ET government and for my friends who are still waiting. I am praying for God's peace to envelope them and hold them steady until they are united with the Ethiopian darlings! I stand in awe of what the power of prayer accomplishes!

Plane tickets are bought and luggage is being pulled from the attic as I write this post.

Would you also include our sweet Ava Joy in your prayers this week? Some VERY BIG changes are about to rock her world and I am believing that God will prepare her for her new family. Please pray for the bonding process to happen immediately and that she would realize that we are her forever family.

Blessings!

Kara

Travel Plans and Packing! OH MY!

2009-07-06T17:38:00.004-05:00

What a happy weekend we had! We spent the ENTIRE July 4th weekend giving our kids' rooms a redo before baby sister comes home! We painted and cleaned carpets, hung some new curtains. It was super fun, NOT!!! We hate painting!

So...here is where we are in our travel plans. We do have tentative travel dates and tickets on hold. We should know concrete travel plans around the middle of the week. We have pretty much decided to leave on July 18 and return July 25. We will fly Ethiopian Airlines out of Dulles. FOR ALL YOU CRAZY STALKERS OUT THERE--we have a FEROCIOUS dog who will bite you in all the wrong places if you mess w/our home while we are away! Did that scare you away? IT SHOULD!

We have started the long process of packing...

I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS IS REAL!!!! We really are going...soon!

Ava has a really good friend, Jane-Grace, in the Transition Home in ET. Her parents are there now, picking her up to come home. While there, this precious family will be taking the last set of photos of Ava Joy and delivering her 4th care package. Today, they met our girl and this is what she said on her blog,

" The children in the TH are beautiful. There were definitely some big babies and I could hear the school aged kids learning. There are some amazing kids there! I recognized the Korson's oldest

daughter and Ava. Kara- she is stunning. You will be blown away when

you see her in person. I look forward to taking pix for all our 4

families tomorrow."

Made me smile! The really cool thing is Ava's special friend only lives a few hours from Houston. I am sure there will be many play dates in the future! You can follow Jane-Grace's story here.

More details to come!

Blessings!

Kara

We have a Butterball!

2009-07-02T14:38:00.003-05:00

WOW!!!

Is all I can say!

We just received an update from our agency and according to the information, our little Ava Joy has gained 5 pounds in one month! I called our coordinator just to make sure this information is correct. Of course, we LOVE the fact that she is flourishing! Take a look at these photos and decide for yourself:

2 weeks baby! Mommy and Daddy are coming! We heart you!

Feeling a little like Cinderella!

2009-06-30T14:43:00.002-05:00

It has been nice to take a break from reporting all the drama that comes along with an international adoption. I can't say that it has been all bad. Actually, none of it has been bad, just trying. God has been stretching my faith and having me surrender completely to Him. For this, I am grateful.

The kids and I have had a wonderful couple of weeks...sleeping late, staying up way too late and all sorts of fun filled activities tucked in between.

These extra weeks have been a great time to build memories and treasure just being a family of 4.

As court closures are fast approaching (Aug. 7), I am feeling a little bit like Cinderella. Just as she was dreading the clock striking midnight, I too am DREADING the thought of not passing court BEFORE the court closure period. I feel rushed, in a hurry.

I have requested prayer on our behalf soooo many times and yet here I am asking again! Please pray that God would continued to sustain us. That we would remember that He has already won this battle! Our ultimate goal is for Jesus to receive all Glory and Honor through our journey. We (mainly me) have not always been trusting and honestly questioned God's timing. There is a bigger picture, one I cannot see. It simple involves a God who KNOWS the what, whys, and hows of this process. It is simple my job to surrender. So... I am choosing to find JOY IN THE JOURNEY! Wherever He leads, I will follow.

On another note...my sweet and precious husband is having an MRI tomorrow. Would you pray that all is well? He has been experiencing some hearing loss and the ENT wants to rule out any tumors or diseases before we discuss treatments.

Blessings!

The cloud is lifting...

2009-06-15T14:37:00.002-05:00

A giant dark cloud has been over my family since last Thursday. The last 3 days or so have been some of the lowest days of my life. So many tears shed, so many emotions.

BUT...I have decided to: pick up chin, put my big girl panties on and... DEAL WITH IT! Really, what choice do I have. My children need me, my husband really needs me. We are dealing with a major setback as best as we can. Even though Ava is not far from my thoughts...the reality is, she is not here. She is being well taken care of and is growing bigger every day. God has provided a special friend for her, which I am SO grateful for. I have to live in the HERE and NOW with my two precious children. The show must go on...

The cloud was a little smaller this morning when I woke up. I see the sun peaking out a little. We have planned a small getaway, just the 4 of us. We are going to concentrate on loving each other. These days are precious. I love the summer with the kids. We will plan a little more since we will be home most, if not all, of the summer.

Only God knows when Ava will be coming home. We may pass court the next time and we may fail again. Either way, I need to be prepared. I am just not sure how to do that. I will continue to surrender my fears and emotions to my creator, Ava's creator. I find comfort that He is still watching my little sparrow-- Thank you Jesus!

Failed Court AGAIN!

2009-06-11T18:01:00.004-05:00

I am so sorry friends I am just getting around to letting you know the terrible results to our court date. We are super sad to tell you that we did not pass court, again.

The judge is requesting additional information pertaining to our daughter's birth family. A situation that will surely delay our case for several weeks. No new court date in sight.

We are sad, angry, frustrated, and more. I cannot get through one hour without breaking down in lonely tears.

I am not worrying about tomorrow, I have to focus on the moment. The next second.

Nothing really else to say.

Please pray for our family.

With love-
K

Sweet Ava B.

2009-06-09T18:19:00.002-05:00

Today we received an INCREDIBLE update from our treasured friends, Billy and Cindy Foote. (I have posted a portion of the email below). They were able to take a care package to Ava B. and also shot some video and more photos. They are in Ethiopia now picking up little Gracie-Lu. I am overwhelmed with so many different emotions. I just want to bring my daughter HOME! PLEASE pray for us... our 2nd court date is in 2 days. Thursday, June 11, we will find out if we found favor with a judge in Ethiopia. I am requesting prayer also for Ava's heart as another HUGE transition will be happening in her life...soon.

Kara,

I want to share a few encouraging words with you today!!!

Your sweet baby girl is just that – sweet! She is GENTLE and so very reserved. We tried our hardest to get her to laugh, but the more we tried the more scary we looked to her and I didn’t want to make her cry. We got great video and pictures of her. We blessed her and just stroked her hair and her arms. Her hair is soft and her eyes are amazing. She is one of those babies who just needs one on one attention and she will blossom and thrive. She is just tentative and scared when it comes to meeting new people or having a camera in her face. She is such a doll. She just stared deep into us the whole time. You can see a million questions swirling around in her head. I think she is probably very observant and inquisitive but too reserved to let you in on what she is thinking. You are the perfect family for her! We love her so much already!

A blessing!

2009-06-05T07:43:00.003-05:00

A little background to this story:

When my two children were born they both wore special coming home outfits. They were beautiful and soft, both with smocking and very delicate. I wanted to find Ava something similar. Something special to mark her coming home to her forever family.

I searched high and low and came across a beautiful lady by the name of Sandy. I love the detail and thought that goes into each of her dresses. Sandy is a believer and while she is making Ava's dress she is praying over our sweet girl. WOW! I love that. I chose a soft lilac color. A slip is also being made---complete with one of our favorite monogrammed bible verses. I can't wait to see the final product.

This morning, I received the following email from Sandy:

Kara -

Just wanted to touch base with you and tell you that I am still working on Ava's coming home outfit. I was "sick unto death" for about a week, and got behind on stuff - but I am back to the land of the living.

I was sitting here tonight, and it occurred to me that I had not caught up on your blog in a while, so I pulled it up and started reading. About halfway down the page, I froze. If there was ever a doubt that this dress was a divine appointment for me - trust me - there is no doubt.

My private label is named "Nana's Heart" in memory of my Mama - who passed away Feb. 12, 2005. Her absolute...no question about it...always gave the same answer to the question, "what is your favorite song" was His Eye is on the Sparrow. It was one of only two songs sung at her funeral, and it brings me comfort as no other song does. Hardly a day goes by that I don't hum at least a little of it. My favorite piano solo is an arrangement of it, and I am often asked to play it, because "it comes straight from the center of my heart" (my good friend told me that, and it was one of the best compliments I have ever received!)

Now I know that someone might argue that it is a popular song, and has had sort of a resurgence in recent years as some young Christian artists have performed it - it's probably also the favorite song of many people. But a baby's nursery done in sparrows? Please...that is a first for me. Mama would just go nuts over that. I wish I had thought of it!!!! I do not believe in coincidences, and I felt a little tap on my shoulder from my Heavenly Father as I read that blog entry.

Sorry this is so sappy - probably a sign that I should just go to bed! Anyway - just know that I haven't forgotten you - and yours. I have a couple of little index cards with "Ava" written on them stuck where I can see them often. I'm going to go pencil in the new court date - so I can lift up that day in prayer! And because I just know that the Lord is going to expedite things - I better get to smocking and praying FAST so that little one will have her dress in plenty of time.

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!
In Christ,
Sandy

Incredible, huh? Another amazing gift sent to me from God. I too, do not believe in coincidences, I believe God knew that I NEEDED this email, today! Thank you Sandy for blessing little Ava and for being open to share your heart.

Blessings!

Next Step

2009-06-04T07:33:00.003-05:00

The last week I have been listening to this song:

Next Step
Melissa Greene, Bernie Herms, Richie Pena, Matthew West

Have you ever been too weak, too weak to stand, to weak to even try and understand
Every tear, every pain inside
Have you ever been knocked down, broken and tired, slipping away, losing the fire,
Stuck in your life, can’t ever seem to move on
You don’t have to be the one who see the way this all will end

All you got to do is take the next step, come on come on, and take the next step
When your losing the fight and the finish line’s too far away
All you got to do is take the next step just get back up and take the next step
Deep in your soul there’s a strength just to face one more day
Just take the next step

Have you ever been held, held by a peace, a peace that you can’t ever explain
A calm in the ache, joy that you feel inside
Have you ever been carried, lifted by arms standing you up, up off the ground letting you know that your never walking alone
You don’t have to be the one who sees the way this all will end

You can’t control the future and yesterday is gone, but the God who wrote your story is the God who moves you on.

Powerful. This is all I can say!

*** I can't seem to download this to my blog but you can listen to it HERE!

We have a NEW Court Date!

2009-06-03T13:54:00.002-05:00

YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

Can you hear me rejoicing in Texas?

We received a new court date today (our 2nd)!

June 11, 2009 is the next date!

That is only. 8. days. away!!!!!

There is always a chance we could fail court again but we are hopeful that the judge will declare Ava B. to legally be our daughter that day.

Please begin praying, NOW!!!

We have no idea when we would travel if we pass---it does not really matter!

8 days---YEAH!!!

Jesus, take the wheel!

2009-05-31T22:28:00.004-05:00

I am not so good with letting go and allowing someone else to be in charge. Why? Maybe I have an authority problem? I am a control freak? I like everything in order and on a schedule? Maybe I have a trust issue? Here's the plain ol' truth--I like to have my own way!

I am trying so hard to learn to let go and live a NO REGRET LIFE! It is hard, I question everything! I take one step forward and then two steps back. I surrender my issues to God, to only pick them back up again. I am in a place of uncertainty, restlessness.

It is my desire to follow Christ and obey his commands. I just think I need to do it with out complaining or back talking! (I feel like I am speaking to my children). This week I am going to try and leave things alone, no messing them with. I have run out of answers. I don't have any quick comebacks or comments. I am frustrated and scared. I am in water too deep. But, I am thankful I have a relationship with The One who knows ME, really knows me and LOVES me where I am TODAY! All messed up and afraid. Jesus is my fortress, my very present help!

Proverbs 20: 24 "The Lord directs our steps, so why try to understand everything along the way?"

"Dear Father,

I am upset and feel very out of sync right now. I thought I knew you, really knew you before this adoption process to only realize that I knew nothing. I am slowly rediscovering your grace and your love. The things I thought I let go of years ago are staring at me now. God, I ask you for forgiveness and I lay these at your feet once again--my inability to trust in something I can't see, allowing you to be the one in control of my life, all consuming worry, simply just letting go. Jesus, help me remember that Satan is the father of lies and you are the FATHER OF TRUTH. I thank you Lord that you have good things planned for my life and for my family. You have ordained this time and I praise you for the trials. Let me grow and be confident in your strength. Even though I don't know when our daughter will be home, you do. I don't know what is going on with the government in ET, you do. Thank you for the being my rock, help me remember that you are not going to leave me nor will you leave my little sparrow. Thank you for listening to me when I grumble and complain. It is my desire to follow you, unashamed and without fear. I love you, Lord. Amen"

As I paused to gather my last thoughts, this was spoken to my heart:

All to Jesus I surrender;
All to Him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust Him,
In His presence daily live.
- Refrain:
  I surrender all,
  I surrender all;
  All to Thee, my blessed Savior,
  I surrender all.
All to Jesus I surrender;
Humbly at His feet I bow,
Worldly pleasures all forsaken;
Take me, Jesus, take me now.
All to Jesus I surrender;
Make me, Savior, wholly Thine;
Let me feel the Holy Spirit,
Truly know that Thou art mine.
All to Jesus I surrender;
Lord, I give myself to Thee;
Fill me with Thy love and power;
Let Thy blessing fall on me.
All to Jesus I surrender;
Now I feel the sacred flame.
Oh, the joy of full salvation!
Glory, glory, to His Name!

We have a hope!

2009-05-26T16:37:00.002-05:00

When we first began our journey to Ethiopia, I felt the Lord giving me a song (while shopping at Marshall's) that was specific to our adoption and to the child that would eventually become our daughter. I have played this over and over and it is one of my favorite songs from my childhood. Ava's room is done in sparrows as a reminder of the promise God spoke to me. Today, I have needed this. God knew how important these words would speak life into me. I feel like there is hope. God is watching over us and Ava.

His Eye Is On The Sparrow

Why should I feel discouraged?
Why should the shadows come?
Why should my heart feel lonely?
And long for heaven and home

When Jesus is my portion
A constant friend is He
His eye is on the sparrow
And I know He watches over me
His eye is on the sparrow
and I know He over watches me
His eye is on the sparrow
and I know He watches me

I sing because I'm happy
I sing because I'm free
His eye is on the sparrow
And I know He watches me (He watches me)
His eye is on the sparrow
And I know He watches (I know He watches)
I know He watches me

(I) I sing because I'm happy
I sing because I'm free
His eye is on the sparrow
And I know He watches me (He watches me)
His eye is on the sparrow
I know, He watches me
He watches me
He watches me
I know
He watches me.

"Thank you Father for watching over our sweet daughter in Ethiopia. I pray that you would bring peace to our home, restore our faith and release our daughter in YOUR TIMING. Remind me Lord, that you are sovereign and just. You have a plan for us and for Ava. Thank you Lord for the goodness around me and for friends and family that have been an encouragement to us today. Remind me Father as we wait for a new court date that I do not have to worry or fret over Ava B--she is in your hands. Your eyes are upon her and Lord I sing because I am happy and Ava will be FREE. In Your Name--Amen"

We failed Court!

2009-05-26T10:30:00.001-05:00

Just got off the phone with Anna Graham with our agency and we failed court. MOWA/Judge would not even look at our case because they did not have the hard copy of our POA. Anna said our case is closed, AWAA will try to secure us a new date. We were prepared mentally for this but still very hard to swallow. I can say without a doubt that I believe God and He is good. His ways are higher than mine. We will believe for MIRACLES to come! Blessings!

TONIGHT is the night!

2009-05-25T19:18:00.002-05:00

As we sleep tonight (not sure I will), our case is being presented before a judge in Ethiopia. We will receive a phone call in the morning, letting us know the results.

We have done all that we can do. So we are resting in God's mercy and grace. Whether we pass court or not, we are confident that He will sustain us.

If you are awaken tonight, please pray!

We will post as soon as we know anything.

Blessings!

Kara

2 days until court!

2009-05-24T08:07:00.002-05:00

OH MY GOODNESS!!!

Our court appointment is 2 days away! I am ready, come what may!

PRAY! PRAY! PRAY!

testing

2009-05-17T19:23:00.000-05:00

testing

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Save Me--Gateway Worship

2009-05-13T20:44:00.002-05:00

***I encourage you to download this song--it is incredible***

In desperate need of mercy
At the end of my own strength
I fall upon the kindness of Your grace
Lord I know that You are good
You came to rescue me
So please, hear my humble plea

Save me, Lord save me
I have nowhere else to go
Lord I trust in You alone
To save me, My Savior
I call on Your name
Jesus, save me

Lord I believe, You died to set me free
Lord I believe in You
And I believe, Your blood was shed for me
Lord I believe in You

Save me, Lord save me
I have nowhere else to go
Lord I trust in You alone
To save me, My Savior
I call on Your name
Jesus, save me

Confession among random things

2009-05-13T07:37:00.003-05:00

There are so many things swarming in my heart and head. I am not sure where to start!

First, let me start by saying that I had the best. ever. surprise shower this past weekend. My sister-in-law is the BEST and along with my husband's family gave our daughter a beautiful "hurry home" party! My favorite part of the night was the prayer said over our sweet Ava by my brother-in-law, Orlando. As custom with our family, before any meal, we all (sometimes 20 + people) squeeze in and gather round and pray! The words he spoke were precious to a momma's heart! THANKS GUYS!!! Ava is so loved!

Second, there have been some changes to the Ethiopian program over the last week that makes my heart so incredibly heavy. There are basically two types of adoption cases: relinquishment and abandonment. Our daughter's case is that of relinquishment. Our daughter is a full orphan, meaning both her biological parents are deceased. However, her uncle relinquished her. While this does not directly affect our specific case, it does make the judges move forward with EXTREME CAUTION! This is good thing! Part of my rejoices (sort of) that the government of Ethiopia is concerned about their children being released as TRUE orphans. I am thankful that all is being done in the best interest of the children! My friend Cindy, describes it best:

"We received an email from our agency saying that due to an unusually high number of abandonment cases, Ethiopia is suspicious of corruption and must do an investigation to make sure agencies are not just saying "abandonment" in order to ease through court and -well - be involved in criminal activity resembling baby trafficking. In order to do that investigation the MOWA is refusing to write "Letters of Recommendation" (which is necessary to present in court in order to have a successful court appointment) for all abandonment cases in Addis Ababa. That means that families who received their referrals 2 and 3 months ago - who have waited all this time for their court date (which many are this week - one was supposed to be last night!) - and who have looked at their baby's faces change and grow as they wait - now cannot received that necessary letter from the MOWA and therefore cannot pass court until this investigation takes place. This in an indefinite delay as we have NO IDEA how long ET will take to do this investigation. There are A LOT of families in complete grief today as they were SO CLOSE to getting through court and getting their babies and now they have NO IDEA when that will happen."

To make sure you know this - it is NOT our agency who is under investigation. It is the entire system.

Please join me in prayer for the families that are directly impacted by this change.

Lastly, our court date is 13 days away! I am a bundle emotions... nervous, anxious, scared, excited! I am fully confident in our agency and their ability to handle our case and I am more confident in the God I serve. I believe in the deepest part of my soul that Ava is our daughter. That she is an ordained part of our family. That her story is a great story, not a story of sadness and defeat but one of hope and VICTORY! I admit I often struggle with the "unknown." What really happened in the first two years of her little life, what does she remember, how will she react to another new, scary situation with a family full of white people. But, I am so reminded of what God has promised me, "Kara, I know the plans I have for you... Jeremiah 29:11. There are days (like everyday now!) that I find myself wandering in my thoughts trying to imagine Ava's situation, all that she has been through. As much as I WANT TO, I cannot fathom the sort of gut wrenching pain she must have endured! It is humbling to Tulio and I, knowing, that the God of the universe would entrust such a precious, precious gift into our care.
As we move closer to our court date, I am PLEADING with you to pray for our family. Things have gone very smoothly for our us. We really have not had any problems nor hiccups in this process. International adoption is ever changing. We may sit in a comfortable place today but the rug can be pulled out from under us tomorrow. Our family is in DESPERATE NEED of prayer for the following:

1. All our paperwork would be in the correct order to proceed and travel.

2. The judge and MOWA would find our case favorable the FIRST time (30 % of all cases do not pass court the first time.)

3. Ava's birth uncle would arrive in Addis for the court hearing. He is from another village, very far away and needs to travel and leave his home behind! We are believing for a MIRACLE for all the details (which we do not know) to make this happen. Without him present, we will NOT pass court. Therefore, creating delay after delay.

4. For Ava's continued safety, protection and health. In our last update, our agency reported that Ava is very reserved and quite. Please pray that her reservations and shyness are that of a true personality and that she is not totally frightened!

5. Travel plans! We have some tickets on hold for travel. Please pray that God will smooth out all travel plans and childcare for Abby and Ben. We are not too anxious about this but would appreciate the covering over our safety and our children while we are in another land.

***************************************************
Most of you that know me, know how important music is in my life. It is my heartbeat, the thing that ministers to me most. During the last couple of weeks there has been a CD that has capture my attention and is getting me through the most difficult moments. It is by Gateway Worship-Wake Up the World. {My friend, Jill Brewer, directed the choir for this project. Jill and I go waaaay back to Colleyville, TX. where our husbands' were on staff at the same church. What a great family!!! Love and miss them.} There are two specific songs that speak so directly to me: We Cry Out and Save Me. WOW!!! Super powerful. I am going to download them to my blog for you to enjoy. Thanks Gateway for being led by the spirit in worship!

Love you all!
K

Miracles are happening!

2009-05-06T17:52:00.003-05:00

WOW!!! The army of God has come together once again! Why not give a gift in honor of your mother and help save a baby's life...TODAY!!! Thank you to those of you that have heard the call and given so far. Blessings, Kara

Miracles Are Happening for Children's Hope Chest Formula Drive!

Thank you Kari Gibson for the update.... Here's what Kari shared on her blog today:

Spread the word...we're at $6110 as of 10:30am this morning!
Lets keep donating for the valuable formula for Ethiopia babies!!!! The goal is to raise $12,500 by mother's day!!

Formula miracles today:)

Will YOU answer the CALL???

2009-05-05T17:23:00.004-05:00

Friends and Family,

I implore you to read the following post with an open heart. I also encourage you to ACT on behalf of these babies. You may never go to a foreign land and you may never feel the urging of the holy spirit to open your home and heart to an orphan. BUT!!! YOU can make a difference in the life of a child. YOU can be the hands and feet of Jesus from your own home.

Famine and poverty are increasing the rates of malnourished infant babies in Ethiopia. Children's HopeChest has worked with the America World Adoption Agency (AWAA) on projects in Ethiopia and Russia over the past five years. This request came to us from their transition home where they are receiving severely malnourished babies into their care. This month, in honor of mother's day, I want to raise $12,500 to provide specialized baby formula to this transition home for these malnourished babies.

A malnourished baby cries in his mother's lap at the Médecins Sans Frontières intensive care unit near the southern town of Sheshemene. Radu Sigheti/Reuters. [Tom's Note: This is not a child from AWAA's transition home.]

Here's a view from the ground from Duni, an Ethiopian woman working for AWAA at their transitional home:
Even though I grew up in Ethiopia, I never knew just how badly babies suffered from malnutrition until I returned to Addis and started working at the AWAA office there. The children at our Transitional Home come from very remote areas. Their families are unable to feed themselves let alone their children and usually relinquish them to their local orphanage when it becomes evident their children will die if they don't.

It is hard to see malnourished babies, so tiny, with just skin and bones. I remember the first one I saw, we will call her Gracie. She looked like an old woman in a baby's body. She had big eyes that seemed so wise and testified to what they have seen in the short months Gracie has been alive.

That was a few months ago, since then we have admitted many more babies in such condition. And looking at Gracie today, I can't believe she is the same baby. I knew she was a beauty but it really came out once those cheeks filled up. She is still tiny but the pound she has gained in the past week has made a world of difference in her appearance.

I look at the others and feel the same way I first felt with Gracie, dejection and fear that she may never make it. The right type of formula for such babies is hard to come by. In fact any kind of formula is expensive and hard to come by. We have babies who need this today so we work tirelessly to get the best formula possible for malnourished babies shipped from the US.

It is not fair for a baby to have sad eyes like Gracie's or for a baby to cry out of hunger and not have that need met.

Worse yet, it is not fair for a baby to die because of malnutrition. And yet, that is what happens daily in Ethiopia. Today, I am praying for the babies lying still in their cribs. I am praying I will see them feed soon (they are now on feeding tubes). I am praying that their tiny lifeless legs will slowly fill with flesh and will wiggle and play like normal babies do.

Here's what we can do to help. CHC will raise $12,500 to purchase what is known in the U.S. as "Nutramigen" formula. This type of formula is necessary because traditional formula cannot be digested by malnourished infants.

You can participate by making a gift of any size. A gift of $30 will buy and ship one can of formula to the chidlren in need. Right now if you give $30 it will be doubled to $60! The first $500 we raise will be matched dollar-for-dollar. If we hit our goal, we can send 400 cans of formula to starving infants in Ethiopia.

PRECIOUS LIVES WILL BE SAVED THROUGH YOUR GENEROSITY!

CLICK HERE TO DONATE! Please put "Ethiopia Formula" in the note section of the donate page.

My mommy heart is sad!

2009-04-28T15:42:00.002-05:00

I am feeling so sad...

We received a small update on Ava today. She was so not happy in her pictures! She is sick and running a fever.

This makes my heart break. It is HORRIBLE to know that your child is thousands of miles away from home, sick, without a momma to make it all better.

PLEASE join me in prayer for our sweet girl. I have no idea what is wrong but I do know that God knows and He will touch her for me.

Thanks!

Kara

1 month until Court Date & Mail Surprise!

2009-04-26T07:50:00.003-05:00

1 month from today, our case goes before a judge in Ethiopia to determine if B$%$^% will legally become a Portilla. Forever.

Yesterday, we made an awesome paper chain to count down the days until this important day. We have it hanging over our kitchen table. Every night at dinner we will pull a loop and pray for this judge and for favor over our sweet daughter. We love her so much already! We are ready to have her join us.

What a WONDERFUL surprise we received in the mail yesterday! Our friend, Sarah Moffatt, sent us Ava's hand and foot print. WOW!!! To touch the same paper she touched--very cool! I was in awe of her tiny fingerprints and her darling foot. They were much smaller than I thought they would be. I immediately went to a local children's store and measured the foot print. It is a size 3 in infant/toddler shoes. I bought the CUTEST!!! shoes for her! Can't wait to see her in them.

Abby was at a girls' conference at church yesterday. When she arrived home I handed her the piece of paper with Ava's prints on it. OH MY GOSH!!! Priceless moment! When she open the paper she was instantly in awe, exclaiming how little Ava really is. THEN--she placed her hand over Ava's hand print and said. "Mom, her hand is so little, how will it ever fit in mine"? To see my oldest baby girl cover her hand over our new baby girl's hand was pure joy!

We are anxiously awaiting a report from our adoption agency containing *updated* information about Ava. It should come this week.

Where I long to be...

2009-04-21T21:58:00.003-05:00

Sweet, sweet words!

2009-04-20T22:48:00.002-05:00

We received precious words today from Sarah Moffatt who returned on Saturday from picking up her daughter, Rosie from Ethiopia. We received some GREAT photos too! Just can't share them with you yet!

Here is a little of what Sarah said about our girl:

"Your little Ava is a sweetie! So tiny and petite. The outfit you sent was a perfect fit.

She is very cute, and around us was very serious and shy. I think the camera and all of the white faces were overwhelming for her. I tried for ages to get a smile out of her, but never succeeded. She did like looking at the photo album, though.

I went back later in the afternoon to find her, and she was playing out in the garden area with one of the little boys. She was having a great time, wearing loads of stickers and smiling and giggling (such a cute giggle, too). But, she saw my camera and got very serious again."

What a delight to know and see more about Ava Joy. Thank you once again Sarah for this gift!

Hold on baby, we are coming soon!

We have TRAVEL DATES!!!

2009-04-15T07:42:00.002-05:00

How exciting!

Yesterday, we received tentative travel dates. If we pass court on May 26, we head to beautiful Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to pick up our precious daughter! Our dates of travel are June 20-27, 2009.

We are beyond excited!

Our first care package was also delivered to Ava Joy yesterday by our friend, Sarah Moffatt. She is there picking up her little girl, Rosie. I can't wait to hear more from Sarah about our little girl.

Please pray for the following:

1. That we pass court the first time--May 26th!

2. All our paperwork (updated home study) is sent to the proper places and all things are in order for our travel plans. VERY IMPORTANT!!!

3. Finances would come together--planes tickets will be over $5000 alone. We still have the in-country travel portion too. We can still receive tax deductible donations for our in country portion.

God has done great things! We are rejoicing! We are in awe of the story that is being written.

A little bit of Ethiopia!

2009-04-08T08:30:00.007-05:00

On Sunday night we received a lit bit of Ava from Ethiopia! Some Yahoo Group friends returned from ET on Saturday from picking up their sweet son. They were gracious and offered to take some photos of our girl!

WOW!!!!

It was like Christmas morning! She is GORGEOUS!!!! Her daddy stared at her face forever! We are so in love! Abby and Ben were beyond excited to see new photos of their baby sister.

Can't wait to share them with you!!!

How about a sneak peek!

Ava's first care package!

2009-04-05T15:33:00.004-05:00

We are allowed to send care packages with a traveling family to our precious girl! We had so much fun picking out things to send. We are limited to a gallon size ziploc bag. The really neat thing is the family traveling (Thanks Sarah!) will be able to take photographs with Ava as she opens her package from us!

We are thrilled that Ava will soon have a piece of home!

Here are some photos of what we sent:

Update on Ava Joy Bi#(%@

2009-04-05T15:24:00.003-05:00

Every month until we travel we will receive an update on our baby girl. Along with weight and height, we are allowed to ask up to 5 questions regarding our daughter. After much debate, these are the questions our family has come up with.

1. How many formula bottles does she drink daily?

2. Potty trained or diaper?

3. What are her sleeping habits (does she sleep thru the night? naps?)

4. Does she babble/talk?

4. Does she have a best friend or preferred nanny?

It will be wonderful to have a better view into our daughter's world. Can't wait to meet her in person! We think about her often and are anxious for her to join her forever family.

HANG ON BABY!!! We are coming soon!

We have a COURT DATE!!

2009-04-01T18:02:00.003-05:00

I received an email from our adoption agency today announcing that we have a court date scheduled in Ethiopia.

Our date is...May 26th!

Please begin praying for some specific things:

* All paperwork would be in order.

* The judge residing over our case would grant favor the FIRST time.

* Direction and guidance within our agency and all parties involved in helping bring our sweet daughter home! They work long hard hours to ensure our children are united with their forever family.

Also, please continue to pray for Ava Joy Bi**** . Pray for comfort and her health. We are praying that God would prepare her heart for another big change coming to her little life.

There are many, many factors that could affect our court date. So many to list! It would rattle your brain to see all that has to happen. But we serve a mighty God who is MIGHTY TO SAVE!! We are praying for Ava's release. Please join us!

Rain, Rain go away!

2009-03-25T08:46:00.003-05:00

*** UPDATE *** Everything concerning our home study update worked out beautifully! We just have to amend the age range for our sweet girl at the whopping cost of $200! Much better than $600! THANK YOU JESUS!!!!!

I am not going to allow Satan to rain on my parade!

We just found out that we have to do an update to our home study, even though it is less than 1 yr. old. New Texas laws (just passed in January) are requiring families to complete an update to your home study within 30 days of the placement of your child. More paperwork and more money ($600) to tackle! We were not expecting this! We will move heaven and earth to bring Ava Joy B. home to us.

Please pray for the finances and for this process to move quickly!

Blessings!

Kara

Yes, We want HER!!!

2009-03-23T23:37:00.004-05:00

Along with the referral of our daughter, comes a little mountain of paperwork.

Thought you might like to see one proud papa and mama!

WE HAVE A GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-03-23T22:05:00.002-05:00

OH MY GOODNESS!!!!!!

We are BLESSED beyond measure!!!

This morning at 11:35 am we received the most precious phone call from our agency telling us that we had been matched with a referral of a gorgeous 2 yr. old daughter.

WOW!!!!!

Today has been filled with so much joy and excitement! We were able to visit with a lot of our family and friends.

We are unable to post any pictures or give any details regarding our daughter until we pass court in Ethiopia.

But rest assured... I will post lots of pictures when she is an OFFICIAL PORTILLA!!!!

I will be posting a video of us opening our referral email soon!

XOXO,

Kara

9 months & counting!

2009-03-13T15:36:00.002-05:00

Today we hit our 9 month DTE (dossier to Ethiopia) waiting mark.

We have NO IDEA how much longer it will be. God remains faithful and we are at peace!

Spring break is next week for the kids. We have lots of fun things planned to take our minds off the waiting.

We are thrilled to meet our adoption buddies, The Foote family, in Houston this weekend! So excited!

Continue praying...

We have a new lawn boy!

2009-03-07T12:35:00.007-06:00

I was upstairs doing some laundry when my husband called me downstairs to take a look at our new lawnboy.

OMG!!!! He is way too young to be operating any electrical equipment, at all! Ben just turned 11 and Tulio said it is high time he started to do yard work! All is can say is...pray. Pray hard.

P.S. He sure does look cute, doesn't he?

Glad the week is over!

2009-03-06T22:29:00.003-06:00

Whew! What a week. TAKS testing, a birthday, work/school, reconnecting with a long-lost friend...

I wonder what next week holds--maybe a referral!

I have been reading the Psalms. This verse jumped off the pages today.

I trust you, O Lord.

I said, "You are my God."

My future is in your hands.

Psalm 31: 14-15

Help me to trust you God! You have everything under control. Your timing is perfect, help me remember. You created our daughter and love her even more than we do. Protect her from harm and sickness, shield her heart and emotions. I surrender her to you Father. I give my fears and worries to you. Thank you God that we have the opportunity to be blessed through the gift of adoption.

March is getting EXCITING!

2009-03-03T16:35:00.003-06:00

Thanks Cindy for the awesome update!!!

Today referrals began for the month of March. The Mullins family received a referral for a 1 month baby girl. The Bullingtons received a referral for a baby boy (I believe they were on the boy only list). And the Garner family received a referral- I know they received a referral for a girl - just not sure of the age.

So, here's the updated list (for "either" and "girl only")

1. Bayly – EITHER – dte 5/2/08

2. Precopia - EITHER - 5/2/08

3. (1) Taylor – girl only – 5/2/08

4. (2) Delfosse - girl only - 5/9/08

5. (3) Pickard - girl only - 5/9/08

6. (4) Bartley - girl only - 5/30/08

7. Bushre - EITHER - 5/30/08

8. (5) - But really # 1 in line for a toddler girl!!! - PORTILLA- GIRL ONLY- 6/13/08

9. (6) Foote - girl only- 6/13/08

10.(7) Redd - girl only - 6/13/08

11.(8)) Kerby - girl only- 6/13/08

And here's the overall list of the top 10 or so waiting: (WE MADE THE LIST THIS TIME!)
Top 10 (that we know of) waiting for referral:

Bayly (DTE 5/2/08) – either infant (0 – 12 mos)

Precopia (DTE 5/2/08) – either infant (0 – 12 mos)

Taylor (DTE 5/2/08) – infant girl (0 – 9 mos)

Pickard (DTE 5/9/09) – infant girl (0 – 12 mos)

Delfosse (DTE 5/9/09) – infant girl(s) (0 – 18 mos)

Bartley (DTE 5/30/09) – infant girl (0 – 12 mos)

Bushre (DTE 5/30/09) – either infant (0 – 6 mos)

Low (DTE 5/30/09) – boy (3 – 36 mos)

Portilla (DTE 6/13/08) - girl (0- 3 years)

Foote (DTE 6/13/08) - girl (0-12 months)

We could receive our call any day now! The video camera is ready and the "call" plans are in place! Please continue to pray for us!

Blessings!
The Portillas

8 months DTE & 1 year Anniversary!

2009-02-13T07:04:00.003-06:00

Today marks a very special day in our home! We are celebrating 2 anniversary's. 1 year ago today we started the process to bring a special little girl into our family. We are also celebrating our DTE (dossier to Ethiopia) date. Our paperwork has been in Ethiopia, waiting for a match for 8 months. Currently, our agency is estimating our timeframe at 9-11 months, waiting for a healthy infant girl referral.

Where do we stand? We estimate at best that we are in the "top 10" for an infant girl. From our records (unofficial), we stand at # 8 for an infant girl up to 18 months and # 3 for an infant girl 18-24 months.

We are anticipating the day when our call comes. We have a plan in place (gotta have something to control).

It is fun to guess when we think our referral will come. But in reality, we haven't got a clue!!!

Thank you for standing with us in prayer and encouragement over the last year. Please continue lifting us up as we continue the wait and hope to enter the next phase of this journey very soon.

Moving on Down!

2009-02-04T18:47:00.003-06:00

We are moving closer to receiving our referral! WOO-HOO!!!!!

January was an AWESOME month for our agency. I stopped counting at 15 precious children being matched with their forever family.

There are still some ongoing court issues but I am hopeful that God will sustain each family in the wait. Please keep praying Saints!

So...were do we stand?

From my count (unofficial, of course!)

We are # 7 in the girl line but # 3 in girls from 18-24 months!

I am excited but using much (restraint and caution) in seeing what February has in store for us. There have been 2 infant girls referred and we are only on the 4th day of the month.

As we come close to our 8th month in the wait--we are thankful that God has continued to show his mercy and love. May we continue to rest in his assurance and provision.

It is our desire that this entire journey be pleasing to our Lord and that He alone will be glorified.

Thank you for your continued love and support!

The Portillas

Seven months waiting!

2009-01-13T18:18:00.007-06:00

7 months of waiting for our baby girl from Ethiopia. It looks like we are (unofficially) #10 in the infant girl (0-24 months) line.

There have been 13 referrals this month (January) so far! Go America World!

Please continue to pray for us. We still have travel money to raise...around $ 6000.

Blessings!

The Portilla Clan

Look at these faces!

2009-01-05T20:16:00.003-06:00

Ice skating was so fun during the Christmas break!

Naughty Kitty Cat!

2009-01-05T17:47:00.003-06:00

Look who I found in Ava's crib today, Sasha!

New Strength for 2009

2008-12-31T23:53:00.003-06:00

What an awesome time we have had this Christmas Holiday! We have met with family and friends, welcomed a new niece into the family, played board games until midnight many days, watched countless episodes of Little House on the Prairie, slept past 9 am EVERY day. We have enjoyed just "being." But mostly, we have longed for our little one in Ethiopia.

It is close to midnight and fireworks are resounding in the background of Dick Clark's countdown. My cat is pacing and my dog is hiding in the bathtub!

As we enter the New Year, I am excited about the plans God has in store for my family. I pray for continued guidance and patience (a heavy dose!). I pray that I will be content in the wait...content in the here and now. I want to savor being just a family of four. I pray for strength and peace.

Thank you Lord for a wonderful year. I praise you for keeping my family safe and secure. I trust that what you began in our lives will come to fruition in the coming months. Guide us, use our lives as a testimony to your grace and miracle working power. God, I surrender all to you.

He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.

Isaiah 40: 29-31

Wait Time Increased!

2008-12-22T12:58:00.004-06:00

Greetings and Merry Christmas!

It is with a heavy heart that I am reporting this update. The time of waiting for a referral for a baby girl has increased from 7-9 months to 9-11 months. What does this look like for us? We should expect a referral anywhere from March-May. This could change at any time reflecting a shorter or longer wait.

While I am sad that we will have to wait a bit longer to meet our daughter...I totally feel that God is in complete control. I am just having a hard time surrendering. We are confident in knowing our precious baby girl will be revealed in God's perfect time.

Please pray for:

Our agency, AWAA. There are many changes occurring within the states as well as in Ethiopia. Pray for favor among the officials and the court system. Please pray for Duni (ET coordinator) to partner with the "right" orphanages and in finding true orphans.

Patience and Peace while we continue this tiring journey.

Finances. We still have around $ 4000 plus travel expenses to pay.

Blessings and peace!

The Portilla Family

6 months of waiting & A Black Eye!!!

2008-12-14T11:55:00.005-06:00

Wow, what a week!

We celebrated 6 months of waiting for our referral! Only 1-3 months left to go until we are suppose to learn about our baby girl! I can't wait! Time is flying by. We (estimate) that we are #16 on the girl list. There could be mystery families lurking in the shadows. Referrals have been slow in the last couple of months. We are hopeful that the line will start to move a little quicker in the coming months. Thank you for your love and support as we continue our journey to bringing Ava Joy home from Ethiopia!

On Friday, I received a phone call from the school nurse telling me that Ben had been injured at school. I rushed to pick him up and bless his little heart! He was hit with an elbow at recess. I took him straight to the doctor and they sent us to get a CT scan for fear of a fracture and a possible concussion. Whew! He is feeling better but looks terrible!

Day 1!

Day 3!

Can I be honest?

2008-12-11T09:18:00.003-06:00

Would you please take a moment and pray for me today?

I do not even know who reads this...maybe just my mom?

I am down and discouraged. No particular reason. It seems as if Satan attacks me most when my husband is away. I can't stop crying this morning. I feel very alone, worried, afraid and so scared. This adoption process is so hard! It really feels like a roller coaster. I know what we have been called to do, but it is not easy. There are so many "unknowns" and "what-ifs." I have been up since 5 am, reading my Bible, praying and still feel empty. I need my tank filled.

Thanks!

5 months AND 5 days waiting!

2008-11-18T07:43:00.002-06:00

Time is ticking on...

According to the recent referrals handed out by our agency, it looks like we should receive our referral in mid March to the end of March. However, we have learned in this crazy but wonderful journey that ANYTHING can happen. 7-9 months is still the time frame given by AWAA. I am not anxious about the arrival of our daughter. God knows the exact time we will receive our "call" announcing the great news! I am trusting in his perfect plan!

I am reading this awesome book call Cold Tangerines by Shauna Niequist. It has been a true blessing to me. "Cold Tangerines is a collection of stories about God, and about life, and about the thousands of daily ways in which an awareness of God changes and infuses everything. It offers bright and varied glimpses of hope and redemption, giving us room to breathe, to break down and break through, calling us to our best possible lives." I encourage you to pick up a copy today.

Please continue praying for us. Pray for Ava, wherever she may be that God will prepare her precious life to be molded with ours.

Blessings!

Special ornament!

2008-11-09T23:57:00.012-06:00

Guess what we did this weekend?

We decorated our home for Christmas! I know, I know...it is a bit early!

BUT----

I have 5 craft shows over the next few weeks and a couple of parties to attend and this was our only weekend to get it done without rushing. I love the holidays! The lights and glitter are just a few of my favorites.

After putting all the ornaments on the tree, I felt a little sad that I did not have anything to celebrate the arrival of our baby girl!

So...I made a special ornament, just for her! It love it!

I drew and painted the country of Africa and of course added black glitter so it will sparkle! (My dear hubby, while getting the broom, had the nerve to say, "more glitter, does glitter have to go on everything thing you make?") Where Ethiopia is--I placed a small red swarovski crystal (because I like bling too!). On the back it reads, "waiting with Love!" And, the year 2008.

I can't wait to add these photos to Ava's life book. Even though she won't be with us physically this holiday season...we are waiting with Love!

***If you are interested in purchasing your own "waiting with love" ornament, please email me at tulioab@hotmail.com. $ 10 plus shipping. All proceeds will go toward our international program fee***

***I can add a name too! Feel free to request different colors for the writing and crystal***

While awaiting the arrival of our "own" princess!

2008-11-09T23:26:00.006-06:00

Hi all,

We just had the best vacation ever! Our family's favorite place to visit is Walt Disney in Orlando, Fl. We go as often as we can! This was our first time to go at Halloween and it was awesome and not so scary! The weather was perfect and the crowds were small. I have included some of my favorite photos.

My little man!

Abby loves Wendy!
Look at that hair!
This was awesome!
Ben's favorite character!

4 Months Waiting...

2008-10-13T21:50:00.003-05:00

Beautiful baby girl,

4 months waiting for your arrival have gone by! WOW! Just a few more until we are blessed with the beauty of your face. We pray that Jesus will keep you strong and healthy wherever you are. Mommy and Daddy have been very busy preparing for your homecoming. Your room is pink and so girly (just like your big sister requested!)

Dear Jesus,

Please watch over our daughter today. May you guide her birth mother in her choices and decisions to come. Provide all that she needs as her baby is growing within her. Let her know that you are there. She is so brave and courageous. Watch over her and protect her, keep her safe. We ask that you provide all the nutrients needed to ensure a healthy baby. We ask Father, that you continue lining up all the right people in the process of bringing Ava home. Be with Duni and all the parties working on our behalf at AWAA. We thank you for leading us to an awesome, Godly adoption agency. We ask that you provide all the needs for our agency to continue the work for the orphans of Ethiopia. Thank you Lord for providing all that we have needed and we TRUST that you will continue providing financially for our family. It is our desire to be obedient to you.

More to pray about...

2008-10-07T22:40:00.003-05:00

WOW!! What a week (it's only Tuesday)! This is going to be a lengthy post, but I want my family and friends to know what we are facing. PLEASE join with us in prayer this week regarding the following issues (K. Lunceford did a great job describing the situation):

$$$ AWAA Rate Increases $$$

I found out late last night (hubby is away on business) that if we don’t receive our referral by November 1 we will be required to pay approximately $2,500 more than what was expected of us in the original estimations provided to us by our adoption agency. As of November 1, the International Program Fee will be $7,500 instead of $5,000. A $385 post-placement administration fee has also been added. . We will be given a more thorough explanation on a conference call next Thursday of why this all came about and what it means for us. In the meantime, here are some things that we know are contributing to the new fees:

New capacity-building fee by the Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs
MOWA has mandated a capacity building fee so they can hire more social workers and purchase computers to process adoptions. MOWA’s role is a critical one when it comes to getting families through court, so these changes are encouraging even if they do come with a price.

Transitional Home Costs
Unlike most agencies, AWAA cares for the children it plans to place in homes. These children come from difficult situations. Some are malnourished and many get sick with common cold, pneumonia or parasites. AWAA doesn’t want to merely "keep" the children until families come for them, but feels responsible to provide them the best treatment and care possible. Medical care of children, especially when they first arrive at the transition home is quite high. AWAA hires qualified nurses and has a lower nannies-to-children ratio so that the children can get a more personalized care than they would at an orphanage. AWAA also provides transitional services such as hiring English teachers and an American social worker to help the children adjust better. All of these things involve significant financial undertaking.

And then there’s the reality that inflation and the weakening dollar has led to formula and diapers becoming a lot more expensive than in the past. For example, the costs of things such as formula and diapers in Ethiopia have increased by 400%.

Exceptionally Tiny Babies
Yesterday, the Forrest family found out that their 4-month daughter is in the hospital with pneumonia and diarrhea. She is only 6.8 lbs. and is on oxygen. This is starting to become a common trend, Karen Bowman (number 2 in line for a girl) sums it up best on her blog:

"We’re starting to see the effects of the drought and famine that occurred earlier this year. Lately the babies that have been referred to families are very small compared to children who were referred to families earlier in the year. Some of the children have come into orphanages severely malnourished and have to be nursed back to health before they can be matched with families. I realize now that this is most likely because of the awful conditions in the country, and because our agency is working with some orphanages that take in children from outside the capital city in the rural regions which suffered the effects more directly. "

Pray for the Forrests, for their baby, and for all the other babies who are fighting for their health while they wait to travel home. Please pray also that our daughter, Ava Joy will receive the care she may desperately need to stay strong and healthy for us to meet her and then travel to bring her home.

ALSO:

Duni’s Transition Within AWAA

Finally, we also learned yesterday that Duni, our family coordinator, will be moving to Ethiopia in November to oversee things from there:

"Duni will focus on developing our Ethiopia program to respond to the growing numbers of families pursuing adoption from that country. It was decided that Duni would be most effective by overseeing the intricacies of the program and the transitional home by being on location in Addis Ababa. Her last day in the corporate office will be Wednesday, November 26. Duni says, “I love working with the families here but I am looking forward to meeting all of them personally as they come to finalize their adoption. I feel that my move will better serve families as I will be able to be in the frontlines of their adoption.”

***One day Ava will learn of all the miracles that took place in bringing her home to her forever family. I can't wait to tell her of God's provision***

Our children will also serve him. Future generations will hear about the wonders of the Lord. His righteous acts will be told to those not yet born. They will hear about everything he has done. Psalm 22:30-31

Updated Girl List!!

2008-10-05T23:13:00.003-05:00

Updated List - (that we know of...) For Those Waiting for Girls!!

Black - 1
Bowman - 2
Blackwell - 3
Lunceford - 4
Rothermund - 5
Eckhardt - 6
Heinrichs - 7
Jones - 8
Keiderling - 9
Gillman -10
Mullins - 11
Moffat - 12
Pickard - 13
Delfosse - 14
Dragovich - 15
Gagnon - 16
Bartley - 17
Portilla - 18 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Foote - 19
Redd - 20
Kerby - 21
Reed - 22
Bowers - 23
Carpenter - 24
Monberg - 25

And - in case you need more lists - here's the top 11 overall (from all "lines", I'm assuming) waiting for referral (* = from the girl line!):

Black*
Bowman*
Blackwell*
Lunceford*
Chan
Martin
Hall
Reno
Richardson
Whitaker
Rothermund*

So..... let's say in the month of October AWAA does a little bit of catching up from the slow month of September and does somewhere between 11-15 referrals - if all of these top 11 get referrals then that would move us up 5 places in line since 5 of those in the top 11 are waiting for girls (see *). However - from the opposite perspective (have to keep things balanced here) if it does take longer to receive a girl referral - can all 5 of these girl referrals happen in one month?

Courts are open again in ET! This Oct 8 (this week!) several AWAA families are to have a court date that they've waited so long for! Pray that all of them have a successful court date! Here's the list of those waiting for court, travel, etc. (I swiped all these lists from our YG - thank you!)

October 8 court date, tentative travel October 25:

Redfern
Wempe
Wistrom
Schmidt
VanWetten
Lusse
Hutchinson

Tentative travel November 1:

Laughner
Britton
Hammond
Nunez
Terwilleger

Waiting for court:

Caldwell
Juvinall
Armstrong
Forrest
Gamble
Witter
Stager
Sloniger
Savage
Pridemore
Sparr
Joner
Howley
Burk
Kulp
Tennant
Semlow

**Of course, in the world of international adoption, anything can change**

3 1/2 months down!!! This is for you Cindy!

2008-09-30T09:33:00.005-05:00

Hi all!

I know, I know...I missed the 3 month mark! My adoption friends know how qrueling the months of waiting can be--celebrating every month down is a victory in itself. I do have a great excuse for being late---we had a little visitor by the name of Hurricane Ike. We weathered the storm well but lost power for 14 days! It was such a long time....I will never eat peanut butter again!

During our time of darkness, I really learned alot about myself. There were some good days and some really bad days. Our kids were awesome! They were such troopers! Abby studied by flashlight several days (Yes, she had school!) Ben was shipped off to his grandparents for endless days of fishing and playing with his "Abo." Needlless to say, he did not want to come home. My wonderful hubby did a wonderful job of protecting us! He is an awesome generator operator!

So besides the storm, what has the last month looked like? Here are a couple of highlights!

* School had started! Abby began the 8th grade and Ben the 5th. *
* My little business, Little Birdy Creations, went wholesale. Some of my products are in a store in Knoxville, TN * Huge for me!!!!
* WE DECORATED AVA JOY'S Nursery! It was so fun!!!! Ben and daddy put together the crib and dresser. Abby was all about the decorations! *

We are eagerly awaiting our referral call. We have several months to go but are so excited about Ava Joy's arrival.

On Oct. 11, we are headed to Austin to meet up with 7 other families who are adopting from ET (they are all from AW-our agency)! We are looking forward to eating some traditional ET food and fellowshiping with other families.

We will also have our last family vacation of 4 at the end of the month! It should not come as a surprise as to where we are going---DISNEYWORLD! We were suppose to go in June but Tulio's job pushed us back a bit. After our hurricane fun, we are really needing an escape to see Mickey. Look for pictures next month!

Blessings to all! Please continue lifting our family up in your prayers.
XOXO
Kara

2 months down! YEAH!!

2008-08-13T23:08:00.006-05:00

Guess what today is?

Two months into the wait for our baby girl! WOW!

Our Precious Ava,

Only a few more months until we get to meet you! Your brother and sister are thrilled beyond words waiting for the special "call" announcing your arrival. We talk about you every day and can't wait to meet you! Wherever you are today--we are praying for you!

Love,
Daddy & Mommy

Would you pray with us today? Please pray for Ava's development and growth. Pray for all involved in bringing our baby home. So many people are instrumental in Ava's adoption. Today, we especially lift up Ava's birth mommy. Whatever situation she faces, we pray for peace and protection.

Thanks!
The Portillas

Adoption Update--CC August

2008-08-10T09:35:00.004-05:00

Greetings All!

Blogging has slowed down for me this summer with the kiddos home! We have had way too much fun doing all those fun summer things! Here is an update (Thanks K. Bowman!) from our recent semi-monthly conference call with our agency, AWAA. While I found it encouraging, I also was deeply saddened from some of the topics covered.

Some of the information seemed to change a bit from what we heard last time (CC in June) - I’m not sure if they are just more optimistic now, if things have changed to make estimates better, or what, but I definitely like what we heard. Some highlights of interest:

The current “wait times” for families stands at 7-9 months for girls and toddlers. Boys are back to 5-7 months. So far the wait for girls is closer to 9 months.
AWAA has a new orphanage partnership in the works!
The last 2 months (June & July), AWAA has met its goal of referring 10 children to families! Duni shared that she hopes that this will continue and that we might even be able to match more children with families (maybe 12-15 a month?!). There was a staffing change in Ethiopia that may be contributing to this change from the last conference call.
The lease on the current Transitional Home building runs out this fall, and AWAA hopes to not renew the lease; instead they hope to find a larger TH building to use so that more children can be housed at a time while they wait for their families! This is great news and please be in prayer that they are able to find a suitable location.
Culturally, girls are seen as “easier” to take care of than boys since they can find employment as maids or can be “married off.” In addition, girls are seen as being a part of the family forever (will take care of parents, etc.), whereas boys leave the family when they marry - hence the reason that there seem to be more boys in orphanages than girls.
Although the power rationing has stopped in the capital city, inflation has been huge (nearing 30%, Duni estimated). She encouraged all families to bring donations, especially diapers and formula. MORE ON DONATIONS LATER!
Court dates (scheduling for Oct. 8th and beyond) will be requested for families with children referred to them during the court closures.
Those who get referrals during the court closure or in October when it re-opens can expect a 2-3 month wait to travel; Duni is hoping it won’t be 4 months. (For example, she hopes that a family getting a referral in August can travel in November.)
90 families are currently waiting for a referral; 15 families have referrals now (and are waiting for court dates in October); 4 families are traveling this week to pick up their children.

What YOU can pray for:

More infant girl referrals! (Seriously, continued referrals for all ages in both genders!)
Continued peace...
The orphanges and transitional home (those partnered with AWAA) are in desperate need of critical items. Pray for provision.
There are 4 families this week in ET picking up their precious children. Pray for grace in traveling and bonding to go smoothly with the children.

What we are thankful for:

God's provision...we know that He will supply all our needs! We received a financial blessing in July--God is moving!
The blessed time that I have had with my kids this summer. It has been refreshing and so FUN!

Look for another update next week!

Love to all!
Kara

1 Month Down!

2008-07-12T19:52:00.004-05:00

We have been waiting 1 month for our referral call!

Only 6-8 more months to go!

Please pray for:

* Our baby and her birth mother--their health and safety.
* The finances to be provided---waiting to hear about the grants that we have applied for.
* Patience and peace for Kara. I am struggling with anxiety at night.
* Our agency (AW) and all parties involved in Ethiopia regarding ALL adoption details.

Hope all is well for you and your families.

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned,
Nor shall the flame scorch you.
For I am the LORD your God,
The Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
I gave Egypt for your ransom,
Ethiopia and Seba in your place.
Since you were precious in My sight,
You have been honored,
And I have loved you;
Therefore I will give men for you,
And people for your life.
Fear not, for I am with you;
I will bring your descendants from the east,
And gather you from the west;
I will say to the north, 'Give them up!'
And to the south, 'Do not keep them back!'
Bring My sons from afar,
And My daughters from the ends of the earth--
Isaiah 43: 2-6

Where is our Dossier? WE ARE IN ET!!!

2008-06-16T10:23:00.006-05:00

Just for fun! Let's follow our Dossier to ET!

I will post when it has moved. (The following is from Duni, our coordinator.)

Dear Families,
Your authenticated dossier has been mailed to Ethiopia today!

As you track your dossier, please keep a couple of things in mind. First of all, do not be worried if the package makes stops in European or other countries for long periods of time. This is normal, and I've seen this happen often. Also, when the FedEx office in Ethiopia receives packages for our in-country staff representative, they call him to pick up the package rather than deliver it to his office. Often times the FedEx report will say “wrong address”, we are not sure why this happens, because the package has yet to be shipped to a wrong address when it says this, so please do not be alarmed by this, it is something that we have spoken to FedEx about multiple times. Because the FedEx office is not in close proximity to our staff member's office, it often takes him a few days to pick up the package. If you see notes that the package has arrived in Ethiopia but not been picked up, this is why.

Ship date
Jun 13, 2008
Reference
VA/ET_Tucker dossier
Destination
BOLE SUB-CITY, ADDIS ABABA ET
Priority Box
Weight
13.8 lbs.--BIG BABY!!!

Jun 13, 2008
2:17 PM
Package data transmitted to FedEx

Jun 16, 2008
4:21 PM
Picked up
HERNDON, VA
9:30 PM
Left FedEx origin facility

Jun 17, 2008
12:15 AM
Arrived at FedEx location
MEMPHIS, TN
2:12 AM
Departed FedEx location
MEMPHIS, TN
11:38 PM
In transit
FRANKFURT DE
11:38 PM
Arrived at FedEx location
FRANKFURT DE

Jun 19, 2008
12:45 AM
In transit
ADDIS ABABA ET
Package available for clearance
7:30 AM
Int'l shipment release
ADDIS ABABA ET

Relaxation, Anniversary & DTE Date!!!

2008-06-16T10:00:00.003-05:00

The family and I returned yesterday from a much needed vacation. Away from schedules, work, laundry, cooking, etc...

We spent 4 glorious days in Destin, Florida relaxing and baking on the beach! (Yes, we did use sunscreen!)

We celebrated our 16th wedding anniversary and it was wonderful!

While in Destin, we received our official DTE date!!! (This is so crucial in the adoption world!) DTE-Dossier (all our paperwork) to Ethiopia.

We can start the count NOW! 7-9 months when we should receive the CALL about our precious baby girl. This time frame can change. Hopefully, if will not change to a further wait time.

It is because of the Lord's mercy and loving-kindness that we are not consumed, because His [tender] compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great and abundant is Your stability and faithfulness.
Lamentations 3: 22-23

Good... no GREAT news!

2008-06-05T14:09:00.006-05:00

WOW!

This has been an exciting week in our adoption world!

On Monday, I headed out to Austin to get our Dossier state certified.

I drove the entire way! Pretty good for someone who does not like the freeway...at all!

My good friend drove with me! We had a blast on our drive!

After certifying the documents we ate lunch at a Moroccan place and then went in search of a FedEx!

I was literally shaking with excitement as I was copying the last crucial papers. I was so excited that I left my credit card in the machine in Austin (did not realize until I was home).

So...the Portilla *paper* baby was priority overnighted to McLean, VA on Monday. It was received on Tuesday and our agency has been doing the last leg of the certification and authentication process.

So what happens next?

OH MY!---Our DTE (dossier to Ethiopia) date will be next Friday, June 13, 2008.

Our 16th Wedding Anniversary. I can't think of a better present.

We *officially* start the WFR (waiting for referral) phase now. As of date, 7-9 months is the expected time for a healthy infant girl 0-12 months. January-March 2009 we should receive "the call."

What I am thankful for:

Safe travel of our documents to VA.
God's continued faithfulness.
That I am at peace with the wait.

Please pray for:

Continued peace in this next phase.
Our baby who is probably growing inside her birth mommy. Also, the birth mom's health and safety.
Continued referrals from the two orphanages in Ethiopia.

Thanks for sharing in our JOY!

I heart the US Postal Service!

2008-05-31T22:06:00.006-05:00

Our 1-171 form came in today's mail! WOW!!!!!

We are beyond thrilled. After much jumping up and down and screaming we...

Headed to Dairy Queen for some celebration ice cream. It was delicious!

What a GREAT day!

We now will travel to Austin to get our huge amounts of paperwork state certified. It will then be overnighted to our agency where it will be authenticated and translated and head off to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

We are hoping to be DTE (dossier to Ethiopia) by June 13, 2008.

The next phase is 7-9 months long, waiting for a referral for our precious baby girl.

What you can pray for:

* Save travel to Austin
* All our documents are in perfect order thus preventing delays
* Our DTE date will be established quickly
* Continued patience and trust in our Lord! Mommy has been a little week in this area!

Thankful for:

* QUICK delivery of our I-171--10 days from our fingerprinting appointment! WOW!
* The funds needed for this phase were provided in FULL--miracle of God!
* Finding Joy in this Journey. It is my *goal* to find joy daily in our journey to Ava.
* God blessing me with some AMAZING friends who continue to listen to every detail of the process-- Thanks for being there and lifting me up--I love you guys!

Words cannot express how full our hearts are today! This is a long process but we are so blessed in knowing that God has great plans for our family!

Guess what we did today (actually Yesterday)!

2008-05-22T18:50:00.006-05:00

This is what a happy mommy and daddy look like!

Guess what we did today!

WE GOT FINGERPRINTED!!!! It was so exciting.

After a day of phone tag with my "friend" at the USCIS, I finally spoke to her on Tuesday morning at 8:30 am. She was so nice and so helpful. She received our overnight package and promised to work on our case over the next week. She asked for my email address and contact phone number. Within 30 minutes--we had the documents in hand to go and get fingerprinted.

What an amazing turnaround!

I never dreamed (but really hoped) that we would get this important step done so quickly!

What happens next:

* We need to receive the I-171 form that allows us to travel with an orphan (should receive within 2-4 weeks)
* Drive to Austin--get everything authenticated.
* Fedex our package to AW in Virginia. Hopefully, our papers will be in ET sometime in July. It may be later or quicker!

What can you pray for:

* Quick delivery of the I-171
* FUNDS--we need $3200 to send in with our paperwork to AW. We know God will supply all our needs.

Praising God for:

* His faithfullness and peace. It is hard to remember sometimes but he IS in control of every detail.
* We are finding Joy in the Journey. This is a difficult and lengthy process but we are so encouraged by all that has happened so far.

Thank you to all our family and friends that continue to pray for us.

USCIS Update

2008-05-20T23:02:00.003-05:00

I had my appointment with USCIS on Monday morning. After going through security and standing at a tiny window to ask my questions--I left with a name and phone number of someone within the Orphan Dept! I immediately called and spoke with this VIP and hopefully we will have our fingerprinting appointment scheduled sometime this week or next.

What can you pray for:

* Favor with my contact at USCIS in getting a *quick* fingerprinting appointment.
* That our paperwork will not sit on someone's desk being ignored.
* For the I-171 to be processed in a timely manner.
* Lastly, that God would supply all our needs financially.

This is such an exciting journey. Tulio and I have seen the hand of God in every single step of this process. What an amazing story we will get the honoring of sharing with our precious baby girl!

Always be joyful. Never stop praying. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-17

Mail Call!

2008-05-18T17:41:00.006-05:00

Yesterday my hubby and I spent all day painting our bedroom (precious hubby was THRILLED!)

After several hours of assisting my husband (at 5 feet I can only reach so much) I needed a break! Let me just say---usually I hate being so short BUT when it comes to painting, being short works in my advantage.

"So sorry love, I can't reach any higher...can you get it."

SHHH!!!...don't reveal my secret--we have several more rooms to paint and it is my darling's favorite household chore.

Anyway, back to the topic of this post...the mail.

I went to check the mail, hoping and praying along the way that our home study report would have arrived while I was "working."

Guess what---it was THERE! I ran into the house clutching this precious package. I opened it up and immediately started crying. So much has gone into this report and it is so important!

On Monday, I have an appointment with Homeland Security to hand deliver our report and ask some questions...please pray for a successful trip.

Check back Tuesday for an update!

Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him! Psalm 34:8

Adoption Update

2008-05-08T08:00:00.007-05:00

We are so close to getting the finalized copies of our home study reports.

YEAH!

What's next?

1. Fingerprinting with USCIS (hopefully in May).
2. Wait for the I-171--a very important document.
3. Go to Austin to get everything authenticated at the state level.
4. Send everything to AWAA--they do all their "stuff" on our paper baby. I will post all the details when we get to that point.

AND Hopefully...

We will have a log in date (LID) sometime in late July, early August.

THEN...the wait for a referral begins.

As of now, the wait for an infant girl is 7-9 months.

Please pray that everything continues to move smoothly.

We are on schedule, with very minor hiccups.

*** Please pray for all those involved in this complicated process! There are have been some issues with power outages in Ethiopia. This is causing some major delays and frustration for all involved.***

Those who know your name trust in you, for you, O Lord, do not abandon those who search for you. Psalm 9:10

My Job Description!

2008-04-27T09:20:00.006-05:00

5 Minutes for Mom is holding a photo contest. They are giving a Mother’s Day gift of $1,000 (American Express gift card) to one lucky mom! I thought I would try--we could use $1,000 for our adoption flights to Ethiopia.

These are some of my favorite photos: Abby and I, Ben and his Dad and my precious kiddos when they were much smaller.

My Job Description:

Cook, chaplain, good listener, fashion consultant, decorator, nurse, artist, entertainer, purchasing agent, economist, lawyer, advocate, chauffer, etc...The list goes on and on!

The Pay:

$ 0 $ but excellent benefits!

I hope my children can describe me as this one day:

Her children stand and bless her. Her husband praises her: "There are many virtuous and capable women in the world, but YOU surpass them all!"...Reward her for all she has done. Let her deeds publicly declare her praise. Proverbs 31:28-29, 31

*** I did not win the $1,000, but it was fun reading all the entries***

Tag It! Bag It! GRAB BAG special!

2008-04-25T23:03:00.046-05:00

Congrats to Angela! She won the $50 in FREE stuff from Tag It! Bag It! Gotta Have It! by kara.

In honor of my first bloggy giveaway, I am offering a sample grab bag of Tag It! Bag It! Gotta Have It!'s most popular items. 6 items (cards, tags, or bags) for only $8.00 ($2 s/h) = $10.00. I can only ship within the US. Items are packaged and ready to go! This offer is only good until May 3, 2008! Please pay through paypal.
All proceeds benefit the adoption expenses of Bringing Home Ava from Ethiopia.

Now I know that the Easter bunny is a Big Fat LIAR!

2008-04-24T10:04:00.018-05:00

I love the holidays. Christmas, Thanksgiving, St. Patty's--all of them. I decorate for every season---all year long. It is all about the magic and imagination. This "habit" began when my children were very little. Someone told me (my father--in all his wisdom) "Life is too short for your kids to not believe in Santa and the Easter Bunny. One day your kids will be grown and they will remember these magical moments."

OKAY---I totally believe in my father’s wisdom HOWEVER this fun habit has grown into a full-fledged, humongous LIE! I always knew that I was a liar; I just did not know how BIG this lie would grow. What started out very small with a couple of Easter bunnies scattered around, a huge Easter basket delivered on Easter Sunday morning (by the Easter bunny himself) is NOW...out of control!

This last Easter our son, Ben, was so excited about the Easter bunny coming (YES, he is 10!) We dyed eggs, made confetti eggs (Big mess!) and put out the carrots and celery. Let me just say right now---I THINK my kids know I am the Easter bunny BUT I would never, ever tell them the truth! I want them to believe that a big, nasty, talking rabbit enters our precious home to deliver them a bunch of “crap!”

Now that I have that established…

Ben would not go to sleep, he lay awake for hours. Finally at 2:30 am he nodded off to a land of Star Wars and Webkinz. My husband and I quickly placed the Easter baskets out and headed to bed. At 6:00 am, I felt this tugging on my arm---guess who it was! NO, it was not Matthew.

BUT my adorable child, Ben. “Mom, hurry, hurry, I think the Easter bunny came.” After poking my husband twenty times in the ribs, he FINALLY got up to go see. Yes, the Easter Bunny came!

It gets better…

I thought that I would be practical in the basket filling this year since we are saving for an adoption; I am trying to be more frugal and less impulsive (very hard, shopping is my therapy). Abby got some basic makeup and markers and a couple of pieces of candy hidden in eggs. Ben got markers, candy of course AND these really cool bathtub fizzes made by Crayola. I thought it was a fun idea until….

This is what I saw….

My precious, sweet boy had turned BLUE! I was completely shocked upon entering the bathroom. He was thrilled! The directions clearly state—"use one or two colored tablets to enhance watercolor." Ben used ALL the blue tablets. I sent my little boy into take a bath and out came a SMURF!

By the way, Ben has been looking for the red Crayola tablets—I am not sure where they are---the LIE goes on and on and on...

I have been tagged!

2008-04-22T16:54:00.012-05:00

My sister-in-law over at beautiful craziness tagged me to answer a few questions about Tulio and I. This is fun! My first tag ever! Here goes:

How long did you date? We met when I was 17, he was 19. We dated for a little over a year and we were engaged 9 months. That was almost 16 years ago!
Who eats more? Main course food, he does. Dessert, I do!
Who said “I love you” first? He said "I love you" after 1 month of dating, before he kissed me or held my hand!
Who is taller? He is.
Who is smarter? I am most definitely! No really, he has a wonderful memory so he helps the kids with history, science and math. I do the language arts.
Whose temper is worse? Mine, by far...it runs in the family!
Who does the laundry? I do--although I HATE it!
Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? I sleep on the right side, I am left-handed and prefer my beloved on my left.
Who pays the bills? I do...have forever!
Who cooks dinner? We share dinner duty BUT Tulio makes breakfast every morning for the kids. He feels that is his "special" time with the kids.
Who drives when you are together? Tulio ALWAYS! He does not like to see me drive. I think I scare him.
Who is more stubborn? I am way more stubborn.
Who kissed who first? He kissed me, after he told me he loved me!
Who is the first to admit when they are wrong? I am--totally TRUE!
Whose parents do you see the most? Mine, they live only 4 miles away.
Who proposed? He proposed while we were in bible college at a little rinky dink park. Very sweet memory.
Who is more sensitive? We both are.
Who has more friends? We both have a few close friends.
Who has more siblings? Equal--he is the oldest of three boys. I am the youngest of three. My sister is my twin.
Who wears the pants in the family? WOW! I would like to say that we both do, but that would be a LIE. I am the one in control...shhhh!!!...don't tell my husband!

Okay...I tag...We are THAT family!

My budding actress...oooh, aahh!!

2008-04-21T11:29:00.010-05:00

We have an actress on our hands! Abby just completed her first "real" production this weekend. She was part of the wonderful cast and crew of CYT (Christian Youth Theater)--Disney's "Beauty and the Beast". It was an awesome production! To all our friends and family that supported her by coming to see the play--we say THANK YOU! Look out New York..here she comes! Abby and Ben are both home from school today resting. It was a very long week with rehearsals every day...

AND we completed our home study! YEAH!!! 4 separate interviews, many hours spent talking about everything! We were blessed to have such a wonderful social worker! This week we should receive the first draft of this very important document. Please pray for a speedy turnaround and that all parties involved will approve the home study. Once we receive the final notarized copies of our home study, we can then apply to be fingerprinted with the government. This is the LAST phase in the paperwork phase. We are anxious to get this completed so that we can send it on to Ethiopia.

Thank you to all who are supporting us in the journey...please continue to bathe our family in prayer!

The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving. Psalm 28:7

Do you like FREE Stuff?

2008-04-21T10:19:00.017-05:00

If you like free stuff, good stuff, then leave a comment! Over $50 in handcrafted gift tags and bags will be given to one lucky reader (you must comment!). While you are here, feel free to browse the rest of our site. Good luck! Check out a sample of some of the items you could win at Tag It! Bag It! Gotta Have It! by Kara

Wow! 224 comments left! Thanks for participating!

Look how they have grown!

2008-04-13T10:02:00.014-05:00

As we travel through this process called adoption, a family is faced with so many unknowns, what-ifs and general questions. We wonder how old Ava will be when we get "the call." How big will she be when she comes home, what will her personality be like, etc? It has been fun to go back into old photo albums (No, I don't scrapbook!) and see the changes Abigail and Benjamin have experienced. Abby is now 13, a TEENAGER! Ben is 10-still mommy's little boy. These are my two very favorite photos--I remember these days so well! Sweet, sweet times! I just had to share.

Revelations

2008-04-12T10:00:00.008-05:00

The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety. Psalm 18:2

Do you need to be shielded and protected? I DO! God tells us that when we respect and acknowledge him, he is our fortress. We can experience the strength and security he provides in any location. As we develop our reverence for God, we will find him to be our ULTIMATE security and fortress in life---our refuge wherever we may be.

Homestudy - More Shots - YIKES!

2008-04-03T09:01:00.002-05:00

Our homestudy visits are scheduled for April--4 total. We are hoping to get the reports back completed by the first of May. Tulio and I have our second round of shots (sounds like a pet's visit!) in a week. I am thrilled; actually, Abby and Ben are excited they are not getting poked.