We got approval!!!!

This has been a GREAT day! This morning I was blessed with this amazing picture of my two sweeties!

 And then....I received an email from our Immigration Officer....

"Yes I did mail the approval letters a few weeks ago. Have you received the approvals yet? If you have not received the letters let me know and I will print them out again."

SO WE HAVE BEEN APPROVED!!!!!  Praise the Lord! 

I am "virtually" holding these two faces in my hands, pulling their faces close to mine, looking into their big brown eyes and saying, "We are coming for you!!"

Bummer that we didn't get the letters like we should have but thrilled that we have been approved. 

A few prayer requests:

1) That we will be issued a visa packet pick-up date quickly.

2) That the team in Ghana will be able to get the kids to their medicals easily and that the children will tolerate all their vaccinations and medical tests well.

3) That we will be given a visa interview date quickly and that they will both pass the interview. 

4) That we can get good travel arrangements (flight, lodging, care back home).

Typically, from this point it takes about 3-5 weeks until travel. Woo Hoo!!  

They are still yours God but THANK YOU SO MUCH for letting me be their mom!!!!!!!!! So grateful!

By the way, here are a few more photos we have taken in the past few weeks. My parents came for a great visit. Liz had Homecoming. Cael is loving baseball and guitar. 

Punctuation gone wild!

Well....
Every day I consider writing a new blog post and every day I think, "Maybe today I will get some news that I can share. Maybe today I will run to the mailbox and there will actually be something from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Maybe I will open an email from our Immigration Officer. Maybe we will get a phone call. Maybe we will get some news that will move our adoption forward. Any.News.Would.Be.Nice!

I got nothing people.  (I know that is not perfect grammar, but somehow it feels more rebellious and serious and criminal-ish to just use poor grammar and make up words and add a lot of periods to sentences.)

So....seriously...I got nothing!

It has been 16 weeks since we originally submitted paperwork for our children to get approved for their visas. It has been 12 weeks since we got pink slips in the mail saying they needed more information. It has been 8 weeks since we resubmitted the paperwork they requested. In the past 8 weeks we have heard..."your cases are still under review" "your officer is out of the office this week" and "your cases will be completed by the end of this week." That last response came on September 10th. So...even with snail mail (sorry dad!) you would think that something would have arrived in the mail last week. Right!?!?! or Saturday? or Today?

Nope! Nothing! Blah!

OK....now that I have had a little pity party let me tell you how I really feel. Yes! I am frustrated. Yes! I feel sad for my sweet kids who are eager to be a family (the ones here and in Ghana). Yes! I am tired of having two beds perfectly made when there should be kids messing them up every night and kicking the covers on the ground. But.....AMAZINGLY....we really have great peace! Truly! I trust God's perfect timing and know that He is in control of this whole thing. I also know that these children are not my children. They are and always will be God's children and He doesn't need me to care for them quite yet. He has asked me to care for two right now and I'm trying to do my best each day. He has asked me to pray for and trust Him with all four of my kids. He is trustworthy. I know this. So....we continue to wait.

Thanks for asking. I'm so sorry that I haven't been doing a very good job keeping you updated.

P.S.  Today is Adam's birthday. Happy birthday to the most amazing man I know! I am so thankful to walk through life with you and share these kids with you and wake up next to you each day!