Adoption Party

We had the best adoption party last weekend thanks to Angie McDade for hosting the party for us! She did a great job and it was so much fun!! We had lots of family and friends come to celebrate Connor joining our family. I want to thank everybody that helped make this party a huge hit. Here are some pictures from the adoption party.

Mark and I were so surprise with all of the decorations!












Here is Connor's ultrasound:



This is so cool. The tree is for everyone that came to the party to leave their fingerprint. I framed it and put it in Connor's bedroom so he would know how much he is already loved.




It matches great in Connor's bedroom! I can't wait for him to be here!!!



Two new friends of mine Sallyanne and Ashley came in their ice cream truck to give out ice cream to all of the kids. So sweet.






All of the kids played on a slip-n-slide and had a blast!! What a great idea for the kids..



Here is our beautiful cake that a friend of Angie's made for the party. It was good too.






We just can't wait for Connor to join our family. We were so touched by how much our family and friends already love Connor. We thank you all for the gifts, food, donations, and for praying for us. We love all of you very much.



Soon there will be signs at the airport saying, "Welcome Home Connor"!! I just can't wait for that day to come!!



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Mother's Day weekend

Yesterday was Mother's Day. I was worried that I was going to be all sad since Connor still is not home with us yet, but God took care of my feelings. I am blessed to have a sweet little girl whom I cherish every minute that I am with her. She made my Mother's Day extremely special this year. Summer helped clean the house for me. She spent all day by my side (like any other day), but she made my day feel SO special.. She made me the most special Mother's Day card and a painted pot from school.







Here are a few pictures from our Mother's Day lunch at our house. My mom and sister came out to eat lunch with us. We all had a great time.




My sister bought me some basil and rosemary for my yard. I just love herbs. They make cooking so much better when they are fresh.




So I had a great Mother's Day! This will be my LAST Mother's Day without my sweet little boy. However, I did get a little Mother's Day present from BCS - he has his passport!! His picture is so cute on it. We are one step closer to becoming a family of four!! Not much longer!!

Please keep praying for us while we wait to travel for our Embassy appointment. We just can not wait!!!



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Moved?

Connor was moved on Monday to a new orphanage in Addis Ababa. He will be there until we go back on our Embassy trip. Really hoping that we will be back the first of June! We can't wait! I emailed them and asked how he did on the plane? The nanny that was with him said that he cried a lot and was uneasy. Once they got to the orphanage he wanted to be near the other kids. He was still a little upset by the time the nanny left. They said he was eating and sleeping good. That is a plus. I just pray that he will not be too scared. I don't know what is going on in his little head. It makes me sad that I can't be there to try to comfort him. I know God is watching over him for us until we can get there. I just hope is happens FAST!!!!

I found out today that he has a birth certificate now. They are working on getting his passport. Once they get this we can be submitted for an Embassy appointment. Maybe in a few weeks we will know when we are going back to Ethiopia.

Connor we are coming soon. We love you so much! We can't wait for you to join our family forever!!
We all want to hug, kiss and love on you! We want you to know how special you are to your birth family and to us. We will always pray for them and you will know where you came from. Hang on my sweet little boy- this will be the last month that you will be without us! WE LOVE YOU- mommy, daddy, big sister Sum!

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We passed Court Today

I went to work like another day and when I got off work there was an email from my agency saying that the letter was sent to the courts today and we passed! Our adoption date is April 19, 2012! I was so overjoyed that all I could do was cry. I just sat trying to take it all in and was just blown away. After waiting almost three years it is finally happening. I have another child! He is my son! I am so blessed to call Connor Equba McDade my son. Oh happy day!!

I asked my agency if I could post pictures of him on Facebook or on my blog - not until after Embassy. So I can't post any pictures yet. However, I don't think it will be too long before we go back! I am really hoping and praying for 2-3 months at the latest. It may be sooner, but I don't want to get my hopes up yet. There are still things we need to do before we travel again. My sister-n-law is throwing us an adoption party in May so that will be lots of fun!! We still need more baby things and a little more money to travel. We need for Summer to be out of school before we travel again. I hope it will be sometime in June so she will be out of school and I can take off work - we will be home bodies for a month to get him adjusted. Oh, I can't wait!!!

Please keep us in your prayers as we wait to get the rest of his paperwork done, passport, visa, and medical elevation. Then after the aunt goes for her interview - we will be on our way back to Ethiopia. This time we will be bringing our little guy home!! OH HAPPY DAY!!!!!



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Didn't pass court!

Well, we didn't pass court on April 17, 2012. The letter that they needed just wasn't there in time. So we wait. They are translating it today and hopefully will have it ready for court on April 26, 2012. It could be sooner! I am praying for sooner. The sooner we pass court, the sooner we can be on our Embassy trip to bring Connor home. I am so ready for that day to come. I am so ready to be a family of four!!!!

I received the sweetest video of Connor today playing with a little girl at his orphanage. They both were walking around trying to kick the balls. They both have been there for way too long! When we were there I was able to play with this little girl and take some pictures of her for her mommy. She is such a funny little girl. I can't wait to see her home with her forever family. Just like I can't wait to have Connor back in my arms again!!

Another family that was at the guesthouse with us took some pictures of Connor for us - which I can't post yet until we pass court. She also took a picture of us at the Golf Club as a family of three waiting for Connor to join us. We can't wait for that day to come!!




Please keep us in your prayers-that we will be able to stand the wait until we are able to go back to Ethiopia to bring our little boy home to his forever family!!!


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Our Ethiopian Trip

Mark, Summer, and I have been home for 5 days now trying to recover from jet lag. I have been trying to blog about our trip, but with being so tired Nd checking up with family it has been hard.

We all survived the long plane flights. I thought they would never end!! Summer did really good. She even tried to eat some of the food on the plane - which was not good! So glad we packed her tons of snacks to eat. We were digging in her bag by the time we landed in Addis.



When we landed in Addis we were so tired! After we got our money exchanged, travel visas, and found our luggage- we could not find our driver. Come to find out that we landed earlier than he thought. She we waited on him while people were coming up to us begging and wanting tips. Finally, we see him coming and he takes us to the guesthouse- Morning Coffee Guesthouse. Where we were greeted at the door by Mrs. Birtukan and her husband. I knew the minute we met them we were in a great place!




We were woken up early the next morning at 4:00 by a rooster. So we decided to get up and get dressed. They were picking us up early to go sightseeing and to a museum.



Then we went to lunch at Lucy's Restaurant and it was so good.




Then the next day we had to wake up around 4:30 to get ready to get on a plane that would take us to Mekele. That is where the orphanage our son is at. Mekele was different from Addis. There was not as many people and the driving was nice. It was a really neat place to visit. The orphanage staff were do nice to us and I could tell that they loved all the children there. They love our little boy. They didn't want him to cry at all. They all held him until he was comfortable around us. It took almost three hours for him to finally sit in my lap. Man, what an amazing time that was!! It wasn't long, but it melted my heart. I am more in love with our little boy than ever before. Here are a few that I put on Facebook.







We were able to stay at the orphanage until it was his nap time then we had to leave. It was so hard to leave, but we had to. Hopefully, we will be back soon to bring him home.

Then on Sunday we met two other families from our guesthouse that are adopting. Both families were on their Embassy trip. It was so nice to meet others while we were there. We all went to an International church service in Addis. The church service was great! We all then went out to lunch at the Golf Club. It was really nice.

Then on Monday Mark, Summer, and I had to go to court. We waited for almost two hours before the Judge even got there. Then when we were called back there - I knew something was wrong. We still didn't have the letter that we needed to pass court. The MOWA letter was there, but something was missing. So they rescheduled a new court date for April 17. Which is today. I don't think we will pass today either, but I will post either way.

The whole time in Ethiopia was a great experience. I am do glad we took Summer with us. She can not wait to go back to bring her little brother home. Keep praying for us as we wait again.

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Leaving Tomorrow For Ethiopia

Mark, Summer and I leave to tomorrow to head to Ethiopia!! We are so excited, nervous and full of joy!!! I just might not sleep a wink tonight. I just can not wait to see, hold, and love on my little boy!! It will be so amazing. It has been a long 2 year wait and it is finally about to come true.

We will not get to see him until Friday April 6! We will fly to Mekele where is orphanage is at. We will spend the whole day in Mekele, but not the whole day with our son. We will see him, then get some lunch, go to some museums, and back to see him one last time. That will be so sad to say good bye to him and then have to wait for 2 or 3 months to go back for him. It will be sad for our daughter too who is going to "meet" her little brother. She will not want to leave him there, but we have no choice. He is loved by his nannies. They are taking great care of him. I just want him home with us- so we can be a family for four soon.

We will go sightseeing, and going to the market while we are there. I really don't know what days we are doing what. I hope I can post while we are there. So we will see.

Then on Monday April 9 is our court date!!! Please everyone pray that we will pass while we are in Ethiopia!! This would help us out so much. It would make it easier for us to go back to our son. Then if we do pass I can post pictures of us being a family of four!!!! I so want to show everyone his precious face..

I love our little boy so much!! I am so thankful that the Lord is blessing us with another child. I am so thankful that He has allowed for us to adopt!! I am thankful that we are able to take our daughter with us on both trips. I am thankful that we are about to meet our son. God is so good!!!

Please keep praying for us.

1 Samuel 1:27 " I have prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I have asked for"




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