Ups and Downs

I don't think my heart can take this anymore! We heard that our paperwork was complete 2 Fridays ago and was being submitted to the embassy last Thursday. We were elated thinking I'd be getting a call this last Monday to tell me that I was to get on a plane. When I called the agency, they explained to me that our paperwork was taken to the embassy but turned away due to 2 missing items. The missing items were the "witness' occupation and address". That means that Kepler's family's neighbor's address and occupation were missing from our file. CRAZY! So, our attorney sent requests for this info but last we heard he hadn't received it yet. It is such a downer in general because I was thinking I was going to get Kepler. However, on top of that, we realized that our fingerprints (required for US embassy) will expire on May 23rd. That's less than a month away! We need a miracle to get this paperwork in and our case submitted by next Thursday so I can hop a plane and HOPEFULLY make the embassy interview before our fingerprints expire. This is the only way we get get him home without updating our home study (which took MONTHS) last time.
This was a HUGE blow. Poor Amos is sad too but he has had to deal with me bursting into tears throughout the day for a few days. It's just awful.
I know we've been asking people to pray throughout this adoption but we NEED your prayers now. Things need to move FAST for us to make this appointment in the next couple weeks.

Thank God!!!

Last Wednesday night I went to life group and noticed my ladies wearing my adoption shirt or brown to support me:) Not only that, they all announced that they were giving something up in order to remember to pray for Kepler, our paperwork and us. This touched my heart in a deep way. Some ladies chose to give up wearing jeans, Starbucks, sugar, facebook, earrings etc so they would be a bit uncomfortable and remember to pray for our case. God heard our cries of desperation and answered our prayers. This morning I got an email from our agency and found out that all of our paperwork is gathered and it's on it's way to their office. While they still need to confirm with our attorney, it looks like our case will be submitted to the embassy this coming Thursday! Thursday is the only day we can submit. The embassy has 72 hours to review, accept or deny it and then we get a travel date! Thank you God, and thank you ladies who gave up some precious things on little Kepler's behalf. I love you all!

Frustration

First of all, I apologize that my blog is a ranting diary. I read other blogs and they are all sunny and positive. I feel like this process brings out the crazy mad in me! I called our agency today to find out if our case is supposed to be submitted this week. I was told that they just got a list of additional documents and information that needs to be included before we submit our case to the US embassy. Apparently the embassy let agencies know a couple weeks ago that they would be asking for additional info but they didn't tell them what info they will be needing. I have a feeling that our stuff has just been sitting around waiting for a list of which additional documents will be needed. Well, they got the list and I guess our attorney has sent out requests for the additional documents but he hasn't received them yet therefore he cannot submit our case. I think it would be safe to say that we have the WORST luck when it comes to adoption. Some people absolutely fly through this process and others get stuck at every turn. There are folks worse off than us, I have to admit. Our friends haven't even passed court yet because they are waiting for a letter from the MOWA still! It's certain that NOTHING in the adoption world is fair. So here we sit, another week goes by where our stuff hasn't moved. On a positive note, Kepler's nurse send me an email today with a picture of kepler! It's the best photo we have gotten! It was very sweet for her to do this because she really doesn't have to and I don't think it is the easiest thing to do from Ethiopia. Their Internet speed is slow and it often takes a few tries for things to go through. It was a huge blessing to see his sweet face this morning on my computer screen but it made me a little sad to know that he is aging without us.

It's been 6 weeks since sitting in the court house in Ethiopia. It's been 5 weeks since we passed court and have been waiting anxiously to hear that our paperwork has been gathered and submitted to the embassy. Every Thursday (the day our agency can submit cases) is a 'hold your breath and pray' day and every one has yielded no word. It makes me crazy to sit here and wait on a time line that is supposed to be 5-8weeks between court and embassy. Every day that goes by, Kepler grows and misses out on one more day of being home in our family. To everyone out there who says to think positively, I say, "Okay, it's one more day closer to him coming home." However you look at it, and believe me, I've looked at it from EVERY angle, it still ends with me being sad that Kepler is half a world away because of legal crap. Just one more rant. What is with people flying through the process? NO hitches, glitches or bumps. Sometimes I want to throw myself on the ground and kick and scream that people are cutting in line! :) But I don't for Amos' sake. I think that would scare him more than my emotional break down crying sessions. I just heard from a friend today who was in the same court hearing as I was. She called our agency today to find out what was going on and found that the embassy is now requiring more documents and hers are missing. My heart breaks for her and my mind scrambles with all the possible scenarios that could be holding up our paperwork. I will call tomorrow to see if there is any news but I have a feeling it will be the same answer, "Just hang in there- it will happen. It's just a matter of time." Or maybe I'm too scared to call and find out that our paperwork is missing... And then after that I will hold my breath and pray again that our stuff is submitted this Thursday and we'll hear something by Friday...or Monday....or the next Thursday....

The Auction Was a Huge Success!

The auction yesterday was a huge success! We had so much fun talking with people, showing photos and watching our friends bid on neat stuff to support the push to bring Kepler home. After it was all said and done we raised $1520.oo! This is amazing! I did a horrible job of taking pictures at the actual event but I pulled these bidding items out of the trash to record a little of the auction:( There were so many other things that I didn't get on the camera! Thank you to everyone that came, donated and bid. Little Kepler has no idea how much love and support he already has:)

Hugs to EVERYONE!

Now....if we could just get a call telling us our embassy date.... Keep praying!

More Waiting

It's been three weeks since we passed court and a month since I've been back from Addis. As exciting as that is, I'm ready for the next step. I swear, every step is so drawn out...it's incredible. We were told after passing court that it would be a few weeks before we heard when I travel again for the embassy appointment, for Kepler's visa. When I talked to the agency today, she said that our stuff could be submitted this Thursday but we won't know until the Friday or Monday after it's submitted. From that point, the US embassy could take anywhere from 2 days to 2 weeks to 2 months to process our paperwork and assign us an embassy appointment. THIS IS KILLING ME. I need this to take less time. All I do is think of poor Kepler sitting over there, not with his family and us sitting here without our little guy. It's awful.
Please pray that God's hand goes with our paperwork and this all gets sorted out sooner rather than later. I can't take much more. I hope God knows this...

Happy Parents Day

We passed court sometime this week! Our agency called and notified us that Ethiopia is working on getting Kepler's birth certificate for our embassy appointment! This means that we passed court and someone forgot to let our agency know:) I'm okay with it though because now it feels like we took two steps! We should know in a few weeks when I travel again for the embassy appointment and bring him home!!! I can't wait to enter this door again and take him with me!