Merry Christmas!

My apologies, my apologies! I know it’s been almost two weeks since I’ve blogged and I am sorry to keep everyone waiting with news!


The last two weeks have been an extreme test of our patience and our faith. We received our I-171H with the clearance to travel and it seems like since then we’ve been trying to clear the “red tape” as we call it in our house. As I’d LOVE to be able to give you details I wouldn’t have the time. However our attorney is still positive that we will have our case heard at the end of January or the first part of February. We’re just trying to get each step cleared before we travel making life a lot easier when we’re there. My plans are to leave at the end of January with Betty.

As the days draw close I become more and more anxious. I can hardly wait to get there and hold my daughter; on the other hand I am SO SO nervous to leave my family here. I’ve never been away from Nolan so long or my husband. Jason and I do EVERYTHING together so it will be so very sad to be away from him for so long.

I’m winding down the last 6 days of my job. It’s a read bittersweet feeling leaving the work force. I’m a little caught off guard at the sense of sadness I feel leaving my job, but I guess it wouldn’t be realistic if I didn’t. It’s just so hard to believe I won’t be going to work in January! In the last year my focus has entirely changed and my compass points in a different direction. God and family. I’m SO SO ready for this change and I’m extremely grateful we have this opportunity for me to stay home for my family.

This weekend Jason and I spent time filling boxing and sorting food for the Holiday Food Drive. Nolan was there on Friday night with us and we spend all day Saturday loading boxes with spaghetti sauces and gravy. Then we made some deliveries of the food to local people in Mattawan. I always try and talk about the needy families in Uganda and the reality is that we filled 1500 boxes for families in need right here in Kalamazoo. I just felt really emotional about that. There is real need everywhere in the world and I just feel like I can’t get my hands on enough things to help. It’s all about community. When someone has needs, a community should be there to help. The community of Mattawan has shown us what that is all about; I don’t think we could have done this adoption without all the support.

As Christmas is upon us this week I hope everyone takes time to remember why we celebrate. I hope when times seem stressful that we think about the birth of our savior Jesus Christ and remember what a gift this holiday really is. I think of Mary and the unbelievable amount of faith she had and I can only hope that one day I can live a life like her example.

Jason, Nolan and I continue to pray for our beautiful Abigail, that she is warm, safe and healthy. I pray that God is beside her and she know that we are doing everything we can to get to her as fast as we can. Next year there will be 4 of us and the thought of that makes me cry.

We ask for continued prays in our process, that the red tape of the American Embassy be blown away and we continue on a smooth journey to getting our girl.

Have a beautiful week everyone!