Ouch!

It is a beautiful winter wonderland outside.  I wonder what Kidane will think of this weather.  I can't wait to see the look on his face when he sees snow for the first time.  I was 17 when I remember seeing it  for the first time.  It was so amazing!  It was in Ontario, Canada.  It was large white flakes, falling straight down, and only 30 degrees outside.  Hmmm, that never happens here in North Dakota. 
Anyway, today was shots day.  We drove through the beautiful, blowing snow to get our travel immunizations.  The biggest baby in the group was myself.  Cassie held my hand while I got my shots.  I couldn't  even look at the needle.  They give me the chills just looking at them.  I admire nurses and I am so thankful for them, I could never do that job.  Kidane is going to have to get his vaccinations when he comes home.  We are pretty sure he has had none in Ethiopia.  We have so much here, so easily available to us.  We have so much protection, it is easy to forget that God is our only real protection. 
Today, I am thankful for a God who is always watching over us, even when we aren't asking for His protection.  I am so thankful He is watching over my little boy,  knowing that God loves Kidane even more than I do helps me have peace while I wait.
 

PAPERWORK, PAPERWORK, PAPERWORK......

Well, if you have been following this blog, sorry for not updating a bit more often.  Every time I think that we are done with paperwork someone wants us to fill out MORE!   We just had to send in papers to the State of North Dakota for an "importation" document.  What??  I asked the same question you probably are right now.  But that is what our state requires before you bring an orphan into the state.  I hate the name of that document, he is a child, not a product!!!   We also had to send an updated homestudy to the US department of Immigration.  And well, I just keep signing, I can't keep it all straight.  But the good news is that one of the forms we had to fill out was for a matching grant!!!
Interestingly, we do not have a money tree in our backyard, if anyone finds one PLEASE let me know.  So, we have prayed and prayed that if God wanted us to do this He would provide a way for this adoption to happen without sending us into huge debt.  And God has answered our prayers!  We have been offered a matching grant from Brittany's Hope Foundation.  If we can raise $2,500 they will match it and provide us with a grant of $5,000 to help with our adoption expenses!!!   Praise God!

If you are interested in donating to help us bring Kidane home then visit our web page at www.brittanyshope.org/seedling/haveman.  All donations are tax deductible.

Made in China

Yesterday, Russell took the girls shopping to buy a winter coat for Kidane.  They found a warm and cozy red coat.  They also bought him a bright red soccer ball. Hmmm, I think dad likes red.  But it took them forever to buy just these few items.  Want to know why!?  Well, I am going to tell you anyway.  He is trying to buy things only made in the USA.  He has vowed to avoid buying anything that says Made in China.  We want to support Amercian workers and business. We don't like the idea that many big retailers in the US are manufacturing or buying products in Chinese factories where the workers are underpaid, over worked, and underage.  America, please start checking your labels.  Buy American if you can;  anywhere but China.

Now, to go work on my Amharic lessons....

 

Ending the sugar fast!

Well, I am finally getting over that nasty cold.  Cough all the time!  But feel better.  Thankfully, the girls didn't catch this one.  It just targeted mom & dad.  However, today I finally gave up my sugar fast.  I have avoided sugar for 12 days!  That's a record for me!  But my sweet girls baked a cake from scratch! Of course I had to try some. They put blue frosting on it and used a decorator tip to draw a world map.  I thoroughly loved eating Greenland, and some of the Atlantic Ocean.  Then lets see I had to try some of Brazil....

Now, I just want us all to stay well enough so we can go get shots for travel.  We need to get the Typhoid vaccination and possibly one for Yellow Fever as well.  The less shots the better, but I will endure anything just get me over there so I can bring Kidane home.  I pray for him everyday.  I wish I could start taking care of him now.  For now I am trying to learn some basic words in Amharic.  If you want to know what they sound like look up Learning Amharic on YouTube.  It is put out by the Lion of Judah society.  My tongue is having a hard time with the words.  Pray that we can learn these words so we can communicate with Kidane. 

Paper Pregnant

This was a new term I saw somewhere on the internet.  We are "paper pregnant".  I am even sick to go along with it!  Caught a bad cold last week and can't get over it.  Life goes on.  I thought that mothers weren't supposed to get sick???  Well, whoever said that lied.  I know that we won't fly over to Ethiopia until we have a court date, which takes about 4 months to get, but....  I had to go shopping and buy our first boy clothes!

I bought Kidane a soft orange and navy blue fleece pullover, a knit cap, and slippers.  Basically, anything that caught my eye.  I was really looking for a winter coat since he could come home anywhere between March and May 2011.  And I know they won't still be selling winter coats at that time of year, but it will definitely still be cold!  It just made everything seem a little more real.  It was fun and therapeutic.  While we wait for the court date we have to really work on fundraising.  Our garage sale was great, still have stuff to sell.  BUT can't do another sale till next summer, I mean this is North Dakota, the land of snow, WIND, and subzero weather.

So if anyone is reading this and has a good idea for a fundraiser then please share with me!  We need prayers most of all so please pray for our family as we wait to bring him home, and please pray for Kidane's health and safety.  Thanks!