Make-Over

With so many changes on the horizon it's time for a new look... A blog make-over is in the works with a cleaner, more streamlined feel... Simplification in the midst of organized chaos...

Weekend Get-Away

Preview / Family Photos 2011

My most talented sister-in-law who I've before mentioned to be a brilliant photographer did it again. She managed to capture our little family beautifully on film and we couldn't be more appreciative. Her gift continues to bless us in more ways than we could adequately express - Thanks 'D' we love you!

Deep Breath

We have shown to over twenty situations domestically in the past three months. In each case either the birth mom has decided to parent, a family member has taken custody or we have not been chosen and lest we forget the most severe blow of all - Our unforgettable birth mom scam. Needless to say, it has been an emotional awakening and although one could assume that it seems like a battle with no victory, we reckon the opposite.

We followed the call to leave an Ethiopian course to jump aboard a domestic jaunt only to be brought back to Ethiopia. It seems unlikely, haphazard and chaotic. It could be argued that we are misdirected or that we didn't listen early enough to prevent the roller coaster we've ridden. We have no rebuttal aside from our desire to please God and not ourselves - Our willingness to follow Him wherever He leads our family no matter how much it doesn't make sense. In honesty, we hurt each time we let go of one stage to explore another phase and at times find ourselves pleading with our Father and asking Him to 'just let it happen' as we imagine it. We have fought Him, grasping to hold on when we knew that time was up, yet eventually we always give in and trust that He knows what He is doing. In all of this we see His plan evolving in our lives - His will being carried out and our desires falling in sync.

With great dismay we have decided to put our domestic adoption on hold in an attempt to zero in on what is right in front of us. After weeks of being pulled in so many directions simultaneously, the stress of it all built up and exploded into a whirlwind of thought. Over the weekend we began to feel an intense pressing on our hearts to focus on our three little ones here and our baby boy waiting in Ethiopia. Since we first saw Laurent we knew that he was our son, but felt the need to also continue on with our domestic adoption - To follow though with the path we were lead to. Unfortunately, for lack of a better term, it feels that the domestic door is closing and for as much as it pains our hearts we have to follow His lead. With that said, both AJ and I have decided to put our dreams of adopting domestically on hold for the time being. We trust that if God has a baby waiting for us here that He will bring us together, but in the mean time we plan on settling into the wait for Laurent and embracing the time leading up to his arrival. In retrospect,  maybe this is why we have never been chosen by any birth mom stateside, because our son is not here but there.

I cannot begin to predict what will be. I know what we hope for. I know who we dream about and I know who we serve. In the meantime we wait and stare at the photos of Laurent with awe and excitement for the moment we are able to hug and kiss him - Thankful for each day we are brought closer together. 

Roundabout Referral Repost

No, that infamous word in the title is not a misprint and yes we are sane. We have not lost perspective or our minds but rather we have found our way back to Africa and ultimately to our son. God has lead us on a wild ride taking us from Ethiopia, wherein we desired to adopt a baby boy. He then redirected us to wait for twins and then completely changed the direction in having us pursue a domestic adoption. Now we are  Ethiopia bound again, via our domestic connection, with a 'referral' for the most beautiful baby boy we have admittedly ever laid our eyes upon. He is a healthy four month old waiting child with a natural Mohawk to swoon for.

I imagine most of you are scratching your heads so an explanation is rightly in order... So here it goes...

It was the weekend before Sophia's 8th birthday and I was restless, not over the fact that my baby girl was now becoming that much closer to aging out of the single digits (although this is quite frightening), but rather I found myself questioning if we'd made a mistake in leaving Ethiopia. We knew and know that God took us away, however, I couldn't deny a pressing longing on my heart to return. After seeking the greatly respected counsel of some close friends and family I resigned to let it all go, praying for peace, His will to be done and to be side swiped by His decision whenever it may present itself. What happened next was without a doubt shocking and amazing in the same breath.

Monday came and I woke to two possible situations in my email that we would be able to show our profile to at some point. We agreed to put ourselves out there again, trusting that if one of these little ones were our baby that we'd be chosen. The remainder of the day was spent embracing the birth of Sophia. Then as we were in the Walmart parking lot (super non-romantic but part of the story none the less) picking up Soph's birthday cake, for the impending party, we received an email from Carlee at CAC. This email changed everything. The time spent following this moment was laced with shock, confusion, and excitement. We contacted the agency that this adorable little miracle baby is with and spent the next 24 hours exchanging emails back and forth as they made certain that he was not yet spoken for. This 24 hours was long and tense. Even though we believed that their response would be God's will either way, we knew that this was our son from the moment we saw him and wanted nothing more than to be his family. Eventually we received the good news that we had been hoping for - he was available and things were in order for us to move forward to adopt him.

Having been hurt on numerous levels and with our course changing direction so many times, both AJ and I attempted to stifle our attachment and longing to be with him, yet we couldn't deny the warmth that overtook our heart each time we gazed at his photo - It's as if every time we look at him we fall in love. The rest of the week was spent praying and researching, confiding in our friends and family and absolutely trusting that God would make His desire for our family clear. The thought of returning to Ethiopia terrified us, but the idea of not adopting this little boy crippled us. We walked in faith and are now elated to announce that we have officially moved forward to adopt this handsome little man. After months of not knowing who we were being lead to, we now know with certainty who we've been waiting for...

Understanding that anything can change we believe that this is our baby. Realizing that even after we turn in all of the necessary documents, our course could shift again. We trust in the Lord and believe that He has lead us here to be with our son.

From the start, this adoption has been complicated, perplexing, down right nuts and yet we have persevered. Although the journey is far from over, we wouldn't  change anything and honestly couldn't feel more blessed than we do in being given the opportunity to expand our family with the addition of this 'seriously' beautiful little boy...

Laurent Christiano Fink... We are on our way to you... Praying that God grants us a straight, speedy and smooth path that ends with you in our arms very soon!

Numbers

Two years since we decided to begin our current adoption - In all of its various versions...

Three months since we've begun our domestic adoption.

Twenty-four days since we first saw Laurent's face and knew that we were to return to Ethiopia for him.
 

Best Friends

Distance nor time can diminish the friendship shared between these kiddos. Although we live in opposite sections of the country these little ones, who have known each other since birth, pick right up where they left off each time they are reunited. It is a union we trust will last a lifetime...

Easy Canvas Prints

A few weeks back I was contacted by Brendan at Easy Canvas Prints who offered a unique opportunity to review their product, in exchange for a picture of our choice placed onto canvas. Thus turning a snapshot into a work of art. The process from start to finish was little effort, thanks to a very user friendly site, yet the finished product is anything but effortless. 

We have a family photo shoot scheduled but in my excitement and anticipation to see a finished product, I could hardly wait and opted to use a shot taken while in Ethiopia for Charlotte by our wonderful photog friend Tony Skarlatos. It is an image capturing the clothing out to dry, at the orphanage where Char was, before with she was with us. The delicate beauty, poignant significance and stirring memories encompassed by this photo are very dear to me and I am touched to have it hanging in the girls' bedroom. 

Being surrounded by brilliant photographers I'm sure to have many more snapshots that I will want to transfer to canvas and in doing so Easy Canvas Prints will be my first choice in accomplishing this task. 

State Capitol

Fountain Fun