COURT DATE, COURT DATE, COURT DATE!

I can't say it enough and I can't believe it either. I was on my way out the door this morning to work and I got a phone call from our coordinator. She said "Amber I have a court date". I said "YOU DO" and she said "yes, it is January 22nd". Of coarse I cried and buried my head in disbelief and gratitude, it felt like a boulder had been lifted off my shoulders. What a beautiful way to start this snowy day. I feel so calm and so relieved to finally be in the court system. I feel like we have been floating around in a dark abyss for 5 months and now we have finally landed somewhere. My Mom is so cute, she brought my 3 kids and a little Ethiopia book with a "congratulations" balloon to work today - so thoughtful. So 3 weeks until Court Day, that sounds like a long time - HA I say! I just did 5 months of hard core solitary waiting time, 3 weeks is a walk in the park!!! I am so grateful and so excited to be at the finish line of this seemingly never ending saga in my life. Oh ya, my kids and husband are exstatic as well. We celebrated tonight by getting wasted on garlic bread, brushetta and pizza.... Gotta love a reason to eat. Pray for the 22nd!

The Magic Paper!!!

Today is a great day! I got an e-mail from our coordinator at 9:30 am with the simple word: SOCIAL. Excitement cannot explain how I felt, relief maybe. Attached was Demot's social history of which I will cherish and share with her someday. It had the meaning of her name (a place in Ethiopia), her Mother's name and her birthdate. Her birthday is March 12, 2009. What a blessed day that is! I can't believe she may be home for her 1st birthday. I finally feel like there is a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel. The past 4 months I have pictured myself being stuck in a tunnel watching everyone else zoom by me and there is absolutely nothing I can do about it except hope and pray that I might someday get on the track with them. Like the "Little Engine That Could" I finally feel like I am on that track, on my way up, almost to the top of that impervious hill, all the way saying to myself: "I think I can, I think I can, I CAN'T DO THIS ANYMORE, I think I can, I think I can, I CAN'T DO THIS ANYMORE, I think I can etc....... Now I can honestly say "I know I can" see the top, the light and finally the finish line.

COME ON COURT DATE!!!!!

Holy Cow 19 years!

There is no news on the adoption front but huge news otherwise. Shane and I have been married for 19 years today! What a blessing to have a husband so patient, kind, loving and supportive. I can't believe it has been 19 years. I am amazed to say that in one more year I will have been married longer than I was not (wrap your brain around that). So much has happened to us over the past 19 years I wanted to make a little list of some of the wonderful memories we have shared. Marriage truly is like a roller coaster ride and I would not want to be on it with any one else. I love you honey!

XOXOXOOOO

*This list can't do justice to all 19 years but these are some of my fondest and most blessed events:

First home 7 feet from the railroad tracks

Surprise I brought you two kittens! I know how you love cats :( oops

Buying our first home (Carriage Crossing condo)

Camping trip, oops you forgot the tent :(

Morgan Leigh McMillan 2/5/94

Sleepless nights

Moving to Phoenix (yukky apartment living waiting for home to be built, crazy neighbors)

Second home in Phoenix (your dream right on a golf coarse, and utility road :( )

Learning that home placement is important for sleep!

Surgery for our baby girl (very scary)

Not much success in Phoenix time to move back to Utah

Jenson Shane McMillan 11/12/96

More sleepless nights

3rd home in Bountiful (such a great home and so many great memories)

Cutting trees, yard work until 12:00 am!

Ruby (sorry just couldn't leave her out)

Remodel

New business

Golf addiction (wouldn't change it for the world)

Trips to Mexico

Christmases, Thanksgivings, Birthdays, Mother Day, Father's Day, 4th of July Breakfasts

Easter in St. George

Olympics (yikes)

Carter Philip McMillan 6/12/01

LOTS OF PERSONAL GROWTH FOR BOTH OF US (Lift Off etc...)

Moved to Colorado

Rental Home (blessed friends)

4th Home (right?) in Highlands Ranch

Lots of success with work = great trips with you honey! Bahamas, St. Kitts, Baltic Sea, Washington DC, South Carolina, Disneyland (all with lots of memories of their own)

Lessons learned time to move home

5th home in Bountiful

Skiing, camping, boating, hiking, more yard work LOTS...

Somethings missing.................January 09 "Let's adopt" And the angels wept!

What an amazing ride I can't believe it, I love you. I honor you. YOU are my greatest teacher, my soul mate, my companion, my friend, my lover, my hero.

Amber

Blog-o-loague

Blog-0-loague: def: A combination of random thought, ideas and or questions written down for the pure enjoyment/therapy of the writer herself and not particularly entertaining for anyone else.

(I wrote that myself).

When I was little I used to love to cut out bits and pieces of the newspaper or magazines and glue them all over paper to make a coloague. I don't really have anything important to blog about, but a lot of random thoughts that I decided to get out of my head thus creating a blog-o-loague... Maybe, just maybe it will make me feel better while we continue to yearn for a court date.

- I love the days when I only check my e-mail 20 times instead of 40-50 times. OCD = ME

- This one is hard to admit so don't judge me: If my kids are on the computer and I want to check my e-mail, I give them a random errand to go do, slip in the chair log on and check to see if there is any new news on the forum, click out and escape unnoticed!

- "Patience is a virtue" was made up by someone with great patience!

- I am blessed to have great friends that forgive me when I am "in my stuff".

- In the adoption world never say "I know she will be home by..."

- Why does time seem to go soooooo sloooooow when you are waiting for something so exciting?

- Absence does make the heart grow fonder: I miss you Shane :) and Grace...

- Will Grace fit into all the clothes I have bought her by the time she gets home?

- Does the fact that I wake up every night 2-3 times as well as wake up at 5:00 or 5:30 am mean God is preparing me for a baby again, or just drinking too much water?

- Living vicariously through other people's adoption blogs cannot be healthy, yet I find it so healing right now.

- I love watching U-Tube adoption videos more than reading or watching regular TV right now. Great entertainment, wholesome, no commercials and they always make me cry (not too hard these days).

- Is it possible to study too much and share with your kids everything you have learned that day about the country and region their sister is from?

- Is it mean to then make them listen and get angry when they don't seem to care?

- Finally, is it sad that I had to look up the word "coloague"?

Hmmm there's a lot more but for now I will just chew on all of that!

A good day!

Today is a good day! Yesterday, not so great. I found out yesterday that Damot's file was not complete and that MOWA (Ministry of Womens Affairs) in Addis Ababa is requesting more information from the region that Damot is from. I was told that this could take up to one week to get and then we can be re-submitted for a court date. So for now I just keep breathing and as Shane keeps telling me "it's all in divine order"! Last night I told him to not tell me that one more time, but today and even last night in my heart I know he is right. He also told me last night that I am not the most patient person and that this was the "perfect" lesson for me. That hit me pretty hard because I knew it was true! Anyway, this morning my computer obsession took over again and on my way out the door to go to the gym I decided I would just take a peek at the adoption forum to see if there was any news on anything (I know it's crazy, I don't care anymore). Low and behold there was a post from a woman that is in Ethiopia waiting to pass court and loving on her baby at the care center. She left a tid bit of information about Damot that just made my day! She said: Damot is beautiful and delicate. She loves to smile and is sitting up. She loves to scoot in the walker and loves to throw toys out of her crib. She hates getting her nose wiped and went outside with one of the nannies yesterday. Doesn't that just bring a smile to your face. It does me :) :) :) :) Funny how the small things in life can make me happy! What a gift to have this information about this little soul we love so dearly. This will hold me over for a while...

I believe in miracles and believe that Damot's paperwork will come in very quickly and that a court date will be assigned sooner than anticipated :) That is my families prayer!

And So It Is!

Blah, Blah, Blah and a letter to Grace!

I have not felt like posting anything lately because I have been so caught up in feeling sorry for myself that I decided today that I would post something in hopes of using this post as therapy for my weary soul. All of my other posts have been relatively upbeat and positive, keeping up with what the family is doing and how we are preparing for the arrival of Grace Damot McMillan. But as each day passes (81 to be exact), I find it harder and harder to keep a positive attitude. Our referral was given on August 20th and then courts closed. I expected, (that is where I went wrong) that shortly after courts re-opened on October 12th that a court date would soon follow...WRONG! I have continued to wait on pins and needles - literally - for the phone to ring and to hear those wonderful 5 words "You have a court date!". This wait has been one of the most difficult things I have ever experienced in my life. I know that sounds dramatic and it probably is, but it is the truth. I have seen her face, I adore her, I know her and I ache to hold her in my arms. Each day that passes I wonder if she is happy, does she know and feel her family sending her love from around the world? I have really learned a lot about prayer: 1. It is very powerful. 2. It is a direct connection and amazing form of communicating with my Heavenly Father. 3. It does bring peace in times of trial. 4. Prayers are not always answered in the way I want them. That's the kicker for me. I know there are so many beautiful and amazing lessons to be learned throughout this process, but learning that I get to trust that every thing is in divine order is not an easy one for me. Stubborn, YES I AM! Learning to be patient....hmmmm I hope so! So, with all of this blah, blah, blah being said I had someone suggest that I write a letter to Grace on my blog so that someday she will read it and know how much she was longed for, how much she was loved and how many amazing lessons were learned through the process of adopting her. So here goes:

My dearest Grace,

Right now you are far away sleeping peacefully in your crib. You have people who are caring for you, bathing you, feeding you and loving on you, for that I am grateful. The journey to bring you home has been one of so many different emotions, joy, gratitude, humility, frustration, peace and has brought your family so close together. We pray for you each morning and each night. You are never out of my thoughts. Your picture is posted throughout our home and so many people you may never even meet are sending you love. I miss you and I want you to know that you are a gift to this family and to this world. I know that there are so many beautiful things you are meant to accomplish in this lifetime and I am deeply honored to be a part of those things. I know you don't know it right now but someday when you read this I want you to be absolutely clear of one thing: YOU ARE LOVED BEYOND MEASURE! You have in your short time on this earth already touched so many people and I can't wait to experience what you do with the rest of your life. What a gift to love you, what a gift you are, I love you with all of my heart and today I send you more love than you know what to do with. May the angels watch over you and keep you safe until the day that we finally meet...in person!

Love,

Your Mommy

I thought on the positive side I would give you a preview of Grace's room. It is at the 50% mark and really cute so far. I can't wait to finish it but mostly I can't wait until I look in there and see my little Gracie sleeping soundly in her freshly painted crib!

Timeless Tradition!

Halloween is one of my favorite Holidays! Costumes are being created and I will post pictures of them later this week. My Mom is sewing a costume for Carter (I will just say "The Great Pumpkin will arise"). Morgan and Jenson are at the age now where getting a costume means raiding the costume closet in the basement - so funny! We spent last night at my Mom's having a taco fest (eating as much mexican food as we could stuff in), splurging on apple crisp and carving pumpkins. I have posted some pictures of the process - enjoy!

Quick update: We are still awaiting a court date and yes, I am going crazy........

Service equals love.

Just a quick post about the gift of service and how is has touched and inspired our family recently. Our church had a service project last night for our family where women of our church gathered for a yummy dinner, information was presented on third world countries and how in need they are of service, and then we spent the rest of the evening tying 3 beautiful crib quilts for us to take to Sele Enat when we travel to pick up Grace. I am so touched by the outpouring of love and interest in this adoption and so appreciate the monetary donations that were given, as well as the baby items, toys and other items that have been so graciously donated. We will be proud to take them to Ethiopia with us and deliver them in the name our church family. Again I have been shown how much acts of service (both big and small) can touch a person and make them feel loved!

Thank-you, thank-you, thank-you...

We are still awaiting a court date!

Patience is a virtue!!!

Well, there has been some change on the adoption forefront none of it really good. I had heard that courts were opening on September 28th and that was good news. We then were told it would be October 7th and that was ok then, we found out that courts are now not opening until October 12th: THIS STINKS! I really try hard to stay positive and not get impatient but sometimes I feel my patience cap being tightened to the point of a huge migraine. I was wishful thinking that Grace would be home before Christmas or shortly after, it looks like now it could be January. I refuse to think February because that sounds like and feels like one million years away. We were also told by our agency that we cannot travel until 8 weeks after passing court. My Dad today said that by the time we go get Grace we will have to bring home her husband as well. He was kidding of coarse but I thought that was funny. A sense of humor is very important in the adoption world, a not so type A personality would be good too. I can do the sense of humor but the type A is too ingrained. For now I will pray for the earliest court date possible and know that all is in divine order.

I will keep myself very busy and post some pictures of Grace's new room. It is a work in progress and I can't wait until it is done. I have painted the rocking chair, found the crib and all of it's parts from storage and will paint that this weekend. My aunt Chris gave us a darling changing table that I get to paint and a wonderful high chair. I can't wait to decorate her room, when Morgan was a baby I was determined to NOT make her girly so I did her room yellow, blue and red. I am so sorry Morgan! She's all girl now though. Needless to say Grace's room will be pink, pink and more pink. I told someone the other day that I feel like I am nesting. I have cleaned out all of the closets, the storage room and I am painting the kitchen this weekend. Gosh, at this rate and if things keep getting postponed, I will have the entire house redecorated and organized by the time Grace gets here... yep, I am nesting - tweet, tweet!

The cutest prayer ever!

Tonight I tucked Carter in, and as I usually do laid with him a while, we remembered that he forgot to say his prayers. I am so glad we remembered because after blessing everyone we know (each by name), he then said "please bless that we will have enough food and water". This really touched me and I know that without us adopting Grace the fact that we even have the blessing of food and water would not be a reality to my children. We have spent a lot of time talking about how lucky we are to live in this great country and how blessed we are to have ample amounts of food and water. The saying "finish your meal because there are starving children out there" takes on a whole new meaning for us now. Wow kids are great! How pure and close to God they truly are... No new adoption news yet. Fall is in the air and I feel a court date coming on...

Mozart in training and Swiss Days?

Carter at his piano/violin recital, he really is getting good!

Is this what Mozart looked like after a brilliant performance?

YES

Jenson doing his part to add to our family orchestra

Note: Shane and Amber play the finger cymbals only...

Or is this what Mozart looked like after a brilliant performance???

Ok kill me, I made Carter try this hat on at Swiss Days to see if it would fit Grace.

Isn't it adorable?

Shane found an animal he actually likes...a goat!

It looks like the feeling is mutual. He even brought her flowers.

These baby goats kept escaping from their pen at Zermat (the resort we

(stay at in Heber City, Utah).

Oh how I love my boys!

I often try to take cute pictures of my three kids and typically

these are the reactions that I get...

One step closer!

WOW! Today after many, many, many trips to the USCIS office to revise, revisit and request an updated I-171H it finally arrived today in the mail. I know Carter will be sad that we no longer have to go there he quite likes it! I am so excited and feel one step closer to going and getting our sweet Grace Damot McMillan. Yesterday we received a special treat via

e-mail, five more pictures of Damot and a 40 second video clip. These were all taken by a very special family that had just gotten home from picking up their child from Ethiopia. I am in deep gratitude for them taking the time to do this, it truly is a special gift. The pictures are amazing, she is so dang cute I can't even stand it. She has the most beautiful eyes, lips, chin, well everything about her is special and I love her! It was so beautiful because Shane called me this morning, I had forwarded the video clip of her to him out of town, and he said "I want to tell you that I have watched the video several times and I can't wait to go get her and hold her, she is amazing and I love her". Even as I write this I am crying, what a blessing to love someone you have not met (unless we have...). Our adoption coordinator told me that courts might open next Monday, that is so exciting. Now we wait and expend all of our prayers and energy toward a quick court date and swift travel to bring Grace Damot McMillan home to her family here in Bountiful, Utah. I can't wait to hold her, kiss her, squeeze her, read to her, rock her, feed her a bottle, and Shane can't wait to swaddle her in a blanket (inside joke, he once gave Morgan heat stroke from swaddling her in too many blankets, in Arizona 110* weather). More updates to come...I am getting progressively better at consistent blogging.

Parenting 101

Someone should have told me that being a parent to two teenagers was going to be this ... interesting! It takes a lot more strategizing, patience, emotional exhaustion, forced communication, and sheer energy than I ever thought possible, it makes raising an infant seem effortless. Shane turned 40 in July and I am of coarse A LOT younger (by two years) but creeping into my 40's at lighting speed. We have giggled lately about the fact that we are going to be starting the whole parenting adventure over again in a matter of months. We have joked about how dang tired we are at 9:00 pm and wonder how having a baby in our family is going to immensely change our lives. Don't get me wrong we are both very energetic, healthy and fun loving people but it has been 8 years since we carried a diaper bag/car seat/changed diapers etc...you get the picture? A good friend of mine who had their last child later in life (around 40) told me that it was the best thing that ever happened to them. That this particular child kept her and her husband young at heart and young in general. Don't get me wrong 40 is NOT old or even close to it. I feel like a spring chicken but I am not 20 any more (thank God), and it's been a long time since we did the baby thing. But, compared to the teenage era I expect it will be a welcome change. A crying baby and poopy diaper seems so much less complicated than wondering where your teenage daughter is at five past her curfew and if your teenage son is spending enough time on homework rather than facebooking!@#$%^ They grow up so stinking fast. I wish I could just sit Morgan on my lap and rock her, read her a story, put her to bed, turn out the light and know that she is going to stay there until morning. It's so fun to have these little people who are still dependent but growing ever so independent. What an exciting adventure parenting is, and what an new adventure we are in for! It's been about a month since we received our referral and last week got a medical update on Demot. I don't know if her name is spelled Damot or Demot? It has shown up both ways. Carter likes Demot because he thinks the other one sounds like a swear word. He is so darn funny I can't stand it. Her medicals looked good! She has lost a little weight and I do not know if that is normal or not? I keep comparing her weight and height to other babies I see here in America and of coarse we continue to pray for her well being. I have put together this little pink picture album that I carry everywhere I go and shamelessly show her picture to people even if they do not seem interested. I am such a proud mama. I started buying her a few clothes and remember how fun it is to shop for girls. Yesterday Morgan and her friend Jane found these little pink high tops and I could not resist. People in our church have been so overwhelmingly excited and gracious about this adoption. The youth group is going to spend and evening making blankets and hats for the orphanage. And the women's group is going to do a huge service activity mid November. We have been so blessed already by this adoption. We have bonded as a family and come together for a common cause. It is not like being pregnant at all, it is actually like the entire family is "having a baby". Anyway, life in the McMillan family is crazy and fun. The kids are keeping me very busy - I call myself the "Official Shuttle Bus Driver". I started teaching dance again last week and every time I step into that studio with those little people (2-4 year olds) I remember why I do this job at all! They are just little gems and I love em! Hopefully I will get a few pictures of Demot this week from families returning after picking up their children, but then there could be a dry spell for a while. The next court dates are scheduled for October 9th and then travel would be 4-5 weeks later. We of coarse are awaiting our new I-171H and boy has that been a process... we are also awaiting our court date. This definately is a game of wait, wait, wait and wait some more. Good for the patience and good for the soul.

Sitting, Stretching, Surprised!

Yesterday we were blessed to get 3 new pictures of Grace Damot from a family who just brought their little girl home from Ethiopia. They so generously took the time to capture her sitting in a bumpo chair, stretching her arms way up (my Mom calls it the "So Big" picture), and a funny picture of her looking very surprised. I must admit she is the most beautiful little girl. Her eyes speak of wisdom, charm and a lot of personality. The same family that took these pictures told me that she is a "spitfire". For those of you that know my other three children God certainly does know what he is doing! Her pictures are hanging all over our house and so every corner I turn there she is, it makes me smile just to see her face. I feel those longing feeling of "I'm missing you" that I never knew would happen with an adoption. I must say sorry that I cannot post pictures of her yet, she is not "officially" ours until we pass court. We are desperately hoping to have her home by Christmas which would mean a late October early November court date. In the adoption world I am learning that what I want and what really happens are not always the case but I will exercise my faith and energy that God will bless this adoption process to move swiftly and that all will be in place for a timely finale to this beautiful journey. The good news is that school has started which means a plethora of activities to keep my wandering mind busy. With football games, lacrosse, school work, carpools, teaching, piano lessons etc... I have a lot to occupy my time and hopefully assist to pass the time quickly. I have a lot to do to prepare for the arrival of a new baby in this family. After I had Carter we were done having children therefore I gave everything away. This means I get to begin the joyous process of collecting baby items. I will tell you that so far I have purchased far too many darling pink clothes, a binky, blankets, toys and I have the colors of her bedroom all picked out. Every time I bring a new outfit or item home the entire family celebrates as if it were something for themselves. We are already having a blast. I have also spent a lot of time researching Ethiopia, I have a lot more to learn but really want to capture the place that Grace Demot orginally called "home". For now I will leave you with some pics of my kiddos and some of our crazy antics of the summer.

Three blind mice / bugs at California Adventures

Mexico 09 - Always an adventure

McMillan Family 09

This captures their personalities perfectly!

Finally a Referral!

It has been a long time since my last post but so far I am doing much better at this than my handwritten journal so... all is well! Life in the McMillan home has been very exciting. About 3 weeks ago I received a phone call from our adoption coordinator, I thought that for sure this was the referral call (we had been at #2 on the infant list for over a month). In fact she was not calling to give us a referral but to ask if we would be open to taking a girl under the age of 12 months. She explained that they had children waiting for medical reports that were close to being referred but none fit into our age range. Honestly I did not even need to think about it but wanted to ask Shane how he felt. He immediately said "yes"! So the type A in me jumped back into the paper chase. I had to have our home study revised and had to type a letter to the USCIS to have a new I600 A approval done for a name change. I know it all sounds complicated but it came together very quickly. We are still waiting for our I600 A approval but that is for a new post. Carter started school on August 20th (a day I will never forget). I had taken Jenson to buy school supplies at Target when my cell phone rang. I saw that it was my husband and knew he would be calling before he went golfing for the day. I answered and he said "Hi do you want me to make your day". I guess I wasn't thinking because I said "Shane what's up", very casually wondering why he was interrupting my shopping with such a trivial question. Sometimes when he has had a good day at work he will ask me the same question so I was expecting a work report. He then asked me the same question again. Then I knew something was up. He said "what could I possibly tell you that would make your day". At that moment the entire world stood still. I instantly knew that a referral had come in for our family. I said "SHUT UP" ( I know, not very polite but I didn't care), hit Jenson in the chest and began bawling in Target. Jenson was mortified that I was crying so hard and said "Mom people are going to think someone died". I could tell though that he was a bit teary himself. This experience has definately been a family affair. The kids were just as obsessed with the "wait list" as I was. I am trying to find a new wait list for us to be on so we all don't go through withdrawls (ha ha). I remember asking Shane how old she was (5 months). Then I said "I am coming right home". I practically ran to the checkout to pay, the cute girl behind the counter I am sure thought I was losing my mind, crying and laughing and saying "I can't believe it". She was trying really hard to hurry and get this crazy crying lady out of the store. I should of just told her I had a baby, I have told the entire world now but that would have only added to the hysteria and confusion of the moment. Shane called me again just as I had gotten a hold of myself in the checkout and said "I just saw a picture of her". "She is amazing"... Yep, I began bawling again! I picked Morgan up from cheer practice and called Carter's school to let him know he now has a baby sister, I then sped home to open the e-mail and see for myself. Let me tell you this, I have never known that I could fall so deeply in love with a picture. She IS amazing and so incredibly beautiful. I love her and so does her entire family. I can't yet share her picture on this blog (not until we pass court) but imagine Morgan (my oldest) with darker skin...that's Grace. Seriously she looks like a little baby Morgan - chin, eyes, sass and beautiful lips! Her Ethiopian name is Damot but her American name will be Grace Damot McMillan. I do not know her social history yet but hope to know more about her in the next few weeks. I am eternally grateful for this gift and can't wait to share more of the joy of this experience with you. I will post later on an update given to my of Damot by someone who is picking up her child from Ethiopia and what I have found out about her name...

For now I send Grace Damot love and light and ask that you do the same!

Court Closures!

It's been a long 2 plus weeks that we have not heard anything about the adoption or referral process. I called our coordinator yesterday and was told that there are finally children being prepared for referral (med. tests, family history, age etc...). She feels confident that a referral will be coming soon. For those of you wondering, a referral means that we actually find out who our new little "Grace" is. We then must wait for a court date to actually call her ours. With that being said, today IAN (International Adoption Net) posted to their blog that Ethiopian courts will close August 21st and reopen again late September. The courts close every year for rainy season. This does not mean much for us, they still give referrals and MOWA still passes paperwork for adoptive children, they just will not have a court date until after the courts re open. This is exciting to me because I thought that courts were closed until October and typically begin the closure in early August. The wait is hard but I just have to keep telling myself that it is so worth it! We keep praying for Grace to be watched over, safe and feel of our love...wherever she may be. I will keep the blog updated and hopefully post with a referral very soon!

Rainbow Bridge - Lake Powell 2009

I finally figured out how to post a picture with a post. If I am not careful, I could spend hours on this blog trying to figure out how to do things...No change on the adoption list except that I heard that there will not be many referrals in the near future. Court is scheduled to close August first through October first for the rainy season. Referrals are still given but no court dates or travel dates are set. I am choosing to not get to impatient yet but the waiting process is not easy for me. I just pray that Grace is being well taken care of and will soon be in our lives. My friend that just adopted told me that when it's all over and you have that child in your arms it makes the wait worth it and you forget all about the frustration. That sounded a lot like being pregnant to me...I do know that it is in God's hands and out of mine!

Let the journey begin...

Welcome to our blog. I am very new at this and thank my sister-in-law for finally assisting me with creating this blog. I have a lot to learn but wanted to create a blog as a way of keeping track of our adoption process as well as the many wonderful and amazing things my family experiences along the way.

We just returned from an amazing trip to Lake Powell. I will attempt to post some pictures of the trip after this blog post. It was such a wonderful bonding experience for my family. We had amazing weather and the beauty of our surroundings was to say the least breathtaking. We just purchased a boat along with some friends and at first I was leery of the idea but after this trip I am 100% on board and totally excited about the purchase. When we left for Lake Powell on the 4th of July, we were #3 on the toddler girl list and #3 on the infant girl list. As of today July 12th we have moved to #2 on the infant list and stayed at #3 on the toddler list. What does that all mean? Well, at the beginning of this process we were #10 on the toddler girl list and #16 on the infant girl list. We have slowly moved up the list and when at #1 (sometimes sooner) we will receive a referral (an actual face and name). Our homestudy is approved for a 12-36 month old girl so we will not get a child younger or older than that. Shane and I both agreed on that age prior to the entire adoption journey. The other deal that we made was that he would not have to change any dirty diapers. We'll see how long that lasts... It has been a bit challenging for me to be patient and I am sure it will become more so but I do know that it is all in God's hands and out of my control. So, for now I will leave you with that information and at a later time when my family is not waiting for me to eat, I will continue with the McMillan family adoption story...