5.05.2009

20 days from today

The countdown has begun! 20 days from now, on May 25th, our adoption case will be in the courts of Ethiopia. All our documents will go before a judge, and if all goes well, #3 will legally become our son. A lot has to go "right" for us to be approved. Our agency will be there to represent us and make sure all the i's are dotted and t's are crossed. We won't be traveling to Ethiopia until we have passed court and have been given an embassy date. That usually takes place 4-6 weeks after we pass court.

Lots of preparations are taking place around our house.

The kids and us have finally agreed on a name ... Judah. We are hopeful it will serve him well throughout his life. The name Judah is a Biblical one; it means "praised one". The strongest, most determined, most obedient tribe of Israel was called Judah and Jesus came from the line of Judah. Plus, it's easy to say, sounds a bit like his Ethiopian name and we all agree it's super cute.

We're putting the finishing touches on Judah's bedroom. The painting is completed! Noah & Ella got their way, no surprise there!, and there is a giraffe (actually 2!) on 1 of the walls. I'll post pictures as soon as we get the furniture moved back in.

We've begun the gift buying process. While in Ethiopia, so many people we'll meet and talk with will have played an integral role in our new son's life. It seems natural to arrive with small tokens of thanks. Our agency does a great job preparing us for what types of gifts are appropriate, how many we'll need, etc but to sit down and be creative, without being excessive, is a little more difficult than I had thought it would be. I love to give gifts, but giving gifts to people I've never met in an environment I can't imagine, has been hard. I'm so thankful for those who have "gone before us" and all their recommendations. I know already our trip will be better because of all of them and their great tips and advice.

We are counting down to May 25th, and praying for success! Each day that passes our hearts are getting more and more eager to go get that little sweetie, and bring him HOME!

2 comments:

Unknown said...

So excited for your family!

Nice name. :)

Unknown said...

You guys rock... wanted to let you know that we are praying for the next steps in the process.

Mike & Carol