They're off!

Jeff, Holly and Rachel left for our girls' country early this morning.  Tears were shed...on my part...hugs were given tighter that usual and good-by's lingered long past the designated time to leave.  It's tough watching your family leave!

Rest did not come for any of us last night so I pray Jeff and the girls can sleep on the plane.  It will be a 25 hour journey so there *should* be plenty of time to rest.  They will arrive in-country tomorrow afternoon late, grab a bite to eat, buy some groceries and head to the apartment for some much needed rest.

Tuesday will be a day of leisure and hopefully some sight seeing.  Jeff will meet with the official adoption authorities on Wed at 9:00am and receive the official referral to adopt our girls.  He'll pick up the official paperwork either later that afternoon or the next day then they will hop on an overnight train and arrive in the city our girls are in about 13 hours later.

They should be able to meet our girls either late Thursday or early Friday, depending on when they get the referral paperwork and catch the overnight train.  What a wonderful day that will be when daddy meets daughters, sisters meet sisters!  Our girls will see love!  They will feel love, unconditional love, for the very first time in their lives.  Oh, how I cannot wait to wrap MY arms around them!!!!

Feeling unconditional love can be confusing and scary if you have never felt it before.  I pray and believe that our girls will have NO FEAR!  I pray they will only feel comfortable and at ease when they meet their daddy and sisters.

Guess what is happening on Aug. 3, 2011??

That is our SDA appointment day!  Yep, we finally received our date!!!!!  What we once thought would be at least a three MONTH wait has graciously been turned into a three WEEK wait!  Doesn't God just blow your mind some times?!?

The SDA appointment is the appointment where the government of the country our girls are in gives us the official referral to adopt them!  That means Jeff will get to meet our sweet daughters Aug. 5!  What a day that will be!!!!!!!!!!


Our baby girls don't know it yet, but they are about to be set free.


Free to have a mommy,
Free to have a daddy,
Free to have brothers, and sisters,
Grandma's and Grandpa's,
Great-Grandma's, aunts, uncles and cousins!


Our girls don't know it yet,
But they are loved unconditionally,
They are CHOSEN,
They are WORTHY,
They are DESERVING!


Soon they will know the love of their mommy,
And the safety of their daddy's arms,
Complete with tender hugs, 
And sweet angel kisses,
They will know what LOVE is!!!

Week of many firsts...

Michael and Matthew have been home for 6 1/2 months.  They are doing so well and are still experiencing many firsts:

The boys have looked out our dining room windows a million times while eating, but this was the first time they had all crawled over, stood up and looked out all on their very own.

We have purposely kept visitors very limited for this first 6 months while the boys were getting used to us and bonding.  We are slowly letting more and more friends and family come over to meet Matthew and Michael and this was my grandmother and Aunt Kathy's first visit.

Meemaw made Matthew and Michael their very own quilts like she has done for all the great-grandkids!  They're gorgous, Meemaw!!!

Meemaw and Matthew sitting on his quilt that she made especially for him.

Justin started walking!

Swinging out back in their very own swing for the first time!

My mom and dad got to run down and meet Michael and Matthew for the first time.

First Christmas in July with my parents and niece and nephew, Brianne and Paul.

First kiss!!!

Justin has learned how to give kisses!

 

We cannot wait for our girls to get home and for them to experience their very own 'firsts' as well.  Please continue to pray they are safe and cared for while they wait for us to come for them.  It won't be long, baby girls.  We're coming as soon as we can!

God is moving!

Concerning our adoption:

While we are praying...

God is LISTENING!

While we are waiting...

God is MOVING!

Mountains are literally being washed away as we wait...and pray.

God is so good!

ALWAYS!!!!

We just received the news that a vote taken today in the country our girls are from is going to allow travel dates to be given to those families who are already submitted.
  
That would be US!!!
 
They will also continue to allow the adoption of kids age 5 and over as well as children of any age with a diagnosis that is on their current 'special needs list' while they restructure their adoption program instead of completely shutting the program down during the change. 

Keep praising God and thanking Him for all He has, and is, and will continue to do.

 More info to come as it comes to me but it appears as if our '3-month-wait' will be made significantly shorter very soon!

Hang on baby girls.  We're coming!