They know about us!

Hi all,

We received word a few weeks ago that the kids didn't know they had a family yet, because our "welcome gifts" had not been delivered yet - they were to go with a staff member of the agency in August. Turns out it was this Monday when they were told we were waiting for them!

We received a beautiful photo yesterday of the kids together. (They are at the same orphanage, but now know they'll be siblings). So exciting!

Poor Lydia Sissay had a bald head - I guess there was a scalp infection that some of the kids had and they shaved some heads. Wow, orphange life isn't all it's cracked up to be, eh? She still looks lovely - now who can say that with a bald head!?

We also realized about a week ago (or two) - man, time flies! That the courts in Ethiopia ARE going to close - I guess they stayed open a bit into the rainy season to try to catch up on some pending cases - but they will be mid-August until October. Don't know if they may decide in the interim to grant some court case dates for when they open back up. Wouldn't that be cool!? So, we could possibly have our first court date in October, but it's just a guess.

Oh, I so want to say they'll be home by January - I guess every case is unique - so we'll just keep praying.

Okay, on the Tulsa-home front... the three kids at home started "real school" last week. I am loving this school thing. (I've been homeschooling at least one of them for the past four years). We have a wonderful neighborhood public school - so that is helping a lot. Graham is in pre-K (full-day), Elise, 1st, and Lydia 4th. The kids are all enjoying it as well. God is good. And I'm able to get some things done. God knew I needed this time to organize, work, etc. I just wasn't so sure. Did I say how much I love having my kids in school!? Okay, I'll stop - don't want to make any of my homeschool friends feel badly - but yeah, I'm still working two part-time jobs - I guess there's only so much one person can do! I do hope to be homeschooling again in the future - maybe for middle-school ?

One last great news item - one of the other nine-year old girls at our kids' orphanage has a family now. We had considered adopting her, but, of course, Lydia S. won our hearts. I'm so excited for her to have a new family! Now, we need to find a family for the six-year old girl and the two-year old boy we were also interested in adopting!

Okay, I guess that's all for now! Faith

Eyelashes!

We have some beautiful new photos of Lydia and Samuel compliments of a family who traveled last week to pick up their daughter. Samuel has curly hair and beautiful long eyelashes. His hair reminds me of our friend's here in town also from Ethiopia & the same age as Samuel. The first photo of Samuel at about 9 months of age shows him with a shaved head. Anyway the curls are beautiful. Can't wait until these two boys can meet. He's smirking at the camera - and standing. Wish I could hold back time so he'd be 9 months again. He'll probably be 2 by the time he comes home. Not to be pessimistic, but just realistic. He's 14 months now.

Lydia still looks beautiful as well - just like the other photos only older :) So cool to know these photos were taken only last week.

We understand our gift packages will be going to Ethiopia next week and then Lydia will know she has a family waiting for her. Good news - I think she needs to hear that.

So strange that we thought she knew she had a family for over a month until we learned about two weeks ago that the packages missed the last staff member to go to Ethiopia by a few days. So they'll go next week.

Oh, and the courts will close from about August 21st through early October. But I guess a shorter time closed than is normal. Still hoping we'll get a court date sooner than later.

In other news, we spent a very nice week in Texas last week visiting family and my sister's condo at Rockport - it was so relaxing and beautiful to have time together as a family.

The kids start school in a few days - I'm excited to get some things done since I won't be homeschooling this year - we'll see how that goes :)

Thanks for reading. Check back with you in a little while.