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