Keeping Up With The Jones': February 2010

We're on our way!

Well, we have officially started the adoption process! We have chosen our agency, Gladney Center for Adoption (http://www.adoptionsbygladney.com/) and have been in touch with a social worker up in Bellingham for our home study. I got an email from her last night with some things to go over. 23 documents!!! And one of those documents is about 20 pages long! Wow. We also filled our Information Sheet with Gladney so we have a phone orientation next week. The process has begun....here we go!

Trouble sleeping...

I have never, and I mean, NEVER had trouble sleeping. I easily fall asleep and once I'm asleep I'm down for the count. Not the past two nights. I have tossed and turned and woken up and gotten up. I wonder if this is because we made one huge decision about the adoption? I wonder if it's because I'm so excited and have so many things to do and need to get started? I don't know. I have to say, it's a bit frustrating, this not sleeping thing. Hopefully after I get this off my chest I can go back to sleep and stay there!

And just so you know, our huge decision that we made is that we are definitely adopting from Ethiopia! One decision down, 500 billion to go. :)

Emotions/prayer

I have so many emotions right now. We are adopting!! We are adopting a little boy, probably from Ethiopia. I am thrilled, I am scared and nervous, I am ecstatic! My prayer for my son that I do not yet know....

My Lord, My God, You are holy and just and righteous, there is none other like You. You are faithful. You fill my cup to overflowing, Lord. Thank you for the blessings that you bestow on me and my family. Thank you for Your love that reigns down upon me. Thank you, Lord, for sending Your Son!! Now I want to lift up mine. Protect him, Lord, with your loving arms. Surround him with Your love. Care for him while I can not and hold him close to You. Let him know how much his family loves him....his mommy and daddy and brother and sister, grandmas and grandpas. Lord, I lift up my son and ask that you keep him close to You until I can get to him. All these things I ask in Your Son's holy and precious name. Amen.

Feeding baby calves at Tom's

Tom had just gotten week-old calves and the kids were ecstatic to feed them! Madelyn was a little nervous at first but when she realized how gentle and cute they were, she got over it.