This blog was created to be a place where family, friends and other adoptive moms & dads could come to follow our journey to becoming a family of 3: to share in our joyful celebrations, to laugh with us at our silly moments, to keep us encouraged when times get tough for one reason or another and seem so trivial at in that instant yet reveal themselves to be worth it all along, and watch as Our Maker reveals to us  His wondrous design of unifying and husband & wife in Ohio with a cherished little boy from Africa.  Since being added to the wait list, we've had weeks where we hear that we've moved closer to our son, and weeks where no referrals are given within our agency and we remain eager to hear of news that brings families together in the coming weeks.  In August we were encouraged that the wait might last about 10 months, and as of now, we're almost half way there! You should know that there is no guarantee that someone in Ethiopia is sitting there keeping track of the Foster's wait and making sure we are held any timeline.  It's just an estimate to help our newbie minds understand the process. :)  It might be longer, it could be sooner, but we're praying that in 2011, we'll welcome our baby boy into our lives!  What we do know is that Jesus already knows the date when we're going to get that amazing call that says "you have a son!", the week that we'll travel to Addis to hold him in our arms for the first time and attend court, and the final trip that will grow together as a family and bring him home.  We find peace in that alone.

We've nicknamed him JJ (because when he is adopted, in Addis Ababa he will take Justin's name as his middle name for the court records...so as of now, he's Justin Jr.... ha, we know, original, eh??!)  Anyway, little JJ is already working on our hearts, and we don't even have a face or name to this precious little one!  Looking forward to someday sharing news that we've gotten our referral.  Until then, we'll wait!  No news of moving up on the wait list this week.  We remain at praise-worthy number 19!!  (That's great growth from where we started!!)

Have a great weekend everyone!!

Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?' -Martin Luther King, Jr.

Between last week and this week, we've celebrated two amazing people/causes that are so influential to our country.  Last week we celebrated the remarkable life of Dr Martin Luther King Jr.  I was blog stalking (yep, I know you do it too!) and found this great posting over at ...ethiopia or bust...  Click here to read a dad's sweet letter to his son.  Doesn't that move you?!  

This week we celebrate, honor, and fight to claim the Sanctity of Human Life.  In my career as a nurse, I have been called to take care of women in high risk pregnancies and outcomes.  Caring for those families is remarkable and daily I ask the Lord to help me have a critical eye & ear for subtle changes in sound of an unborn baby's heart beat, or the changes in a mom's mood or comfort that might just mean that something is changing.  Watch this video and remind yourself just how remarkable our Amazing Creator is!

The Sanctity of Human Life designation of this week holds a lot more significance to Justin and I than before because the reality of Ethiopia has hit home.  4.6 million orphans in Ethiopia who are listening for. a. voice.  Who long for. love.  Who want to. be. home.  What's holding you back?  If you feel like He's placed that desire deep within your heart, then we can't encourage you enough to trust Him and begin the process of growing your family.