APPROVAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WOW, What a shock as I slunk into work this morning, tired, sick,. and opened my email to find a congratualtion letter from Tina, the wonderful woman (and momma to a rwandan son) who is helping us and several other families with independant adoption through her new Mugisha Ministries. I thought she was confused and was writing to the Dorbands, another independant familiy who just got approval!! I stated to freak out when I saw another email from our POA peter, asking me if i got the approval letter from them ministry-- WHAT?!! So soon!!! PRaise God!
Of course i started crying and got hugs and high fives from all my coworkers who feel like part of my family too. My finger trembled and I was a total mess and all i could think was CALL BILL! I didn't get him at first and had a hard time completing my sentences! I got through to him and forwarded him the emails finally and he's so happy to hear the news too! My coworker Lisa got us little bottles of wine to celebrate and brought them back over her lunch break. My dad was also very excited and was actually giving some thought to going along to pick up his new grandson/daughter!!! I have to smile as I think how Great is God.
we will keep everyone posted!

You need to read this

http://kissesfromkatie.blogspot.com/

If you want to read an awesome testimony of what God can do with one person, read this. Imagine if everyone one of us reading this blog was like Katie, or rather like Jesus working through Katie. Be prepared to cry from shame, happiness, sorrow, and joy.

In adoption news, no news. But from blog buzz, approval letters are flying out from Veronique's desk left and right. Let's hope they keep flying! from what I can tell, there are maybe 4-5 families in "front" of us?

Watch and Pray.

Bigger family, bigger car, big suprise on my negotiating skills.

Well, if we're having another baby we're probably going to need more room to haul him/her. With our 2 yr old, 2 dogs, stroller, diapers, formula, stuff, trash, etc. our subaru feels crowded. Bill's camry made the decision for us when after 150,000 it seems to be croaking. So late last night we went to the toyota dealer, found a lovely hybrid highlander with low miles, and THOUGHT we negotiated a good bid. We sighned papers, and got home at 1 am last night. Imagine my suprise when i went on ebay motors this am and found the EXACT car, (same dealer, same VIN#) for about 3,000 less than we negotiated last night!!! I'm going to have to go in today and renegotiate. I think God was like, good job my child, hope you had fun negotiating, but you suck. Here is a little ammo to get a REAL deal. BAM. God is a powerful ally. Car dealers beware. His timing doesn't alaways make sense however.
Just like with the adoption. No News, but we have (hopefully) a snazzy new hybrid to haul you in, our little son or daughter!

Veronique is back...

just heard from our POA peter that Veronique has been gone for 3 weeks and is now back in town. maybe that's why no news?
Keep waiting and praying!

Dreaming under the stars... Month One

Well, one month is now past as of tomorrow since our Dossier arrived in Kigali.
Last night my husband and I had a "SUPRISE" date night. Suprise, Because I forgot I asked the sitter to come, and when he showed up I was asleep and Bill was confused:) I stumbled up from my nap, mumbled some instructions, said "Suprise honey! Date night!" and trippped over my own shoes as we flew out to the car.

We had a wonderful night seeing Ladysmith Black Mombazo and the Blind Boys of Alabama (awesome gospel trio from you guessed it, alabama) at the Mann music center- an outside concert venue where we take a picnic blanket, lay on the grass, and soak in the most incredible skyline views of Philly while listening to the music.

Ladysmith is an acapello, all male group from South Africa. they are pure enchantment. As I laid on the grass, i wished our baby from Rwanda was laying by us, listening to the music in the night. I hoped he could hear the music across the ocean in his dreams, where he lays in his crib in an orphanage. I tried to see his face in the clouds, and when the wind caught it just right, I think I may have caught a glimpse... All you moms out there longing for this adoption process to shift to warp speed know the ache I felt. But there was a peace knowing, at least for our son or daughter, there is a family across the ocean who loves him and God has put a powerful tidal wave in motion to bring us together.

What does your Dossier LOOK like?

Well, this is a post to all of you in the adoption process or who have completed your blessed event. What does your Dossier LOOOk like? It feels like a person to me now, after how many steps and how much a arrranged and rearraged. while a never took an acutual picture of it, i kept a copy for us. It was in a black 3 ring binder, and we made a cover / title page you slip in the cover that said "Jones Cropf Adoption Application" and had orange earths in a light ink as a background. It was a very business-like template i did online through the binder company. Every document was put in a plastic sleeve and labeled in the edge with a sharpie what was contained in that particular sleeve. It's the most important, and expensive, document I've ever made.

So, what did YOUR dossier look like?

Minister reviewed and off to VERONIQUE... the mysterique

Well, We heard monday July 6 that the minister has reviewed our paperwork, and passed it along to the mysyerious Veronique (I just say that because i hear so much about her i think i should know her, but alas, not at all. thus the mystery...)
Our POA Peter is VERY on the ball and emails us with every update.
So, at least some progress is being made. I also asked my friend at ROCA aid Robinson Gasangawa for help, if he has any pull, to put a good word in for us. it never hurts I guess!
Good Lord willing, I'll be a momma of 2 by Christmas. That's my goal :)