REFERRAL!!!!! (After 19 1/2 months waiting)

On Friday afternoon, I got the call. Only I didn't know I got the call because I was buying groceries, and my cell phone battery was dead. When I got home, there was a message on the phone machine from our specialist asking me to call her back. I knew it had to be big news because I had told her a few months ago not to call unless there was a really good reason :) I was freaking out, and I couldn't reach my husband for three hours because he was on a flight. So as it happens, my mom was the first to hear the news. Hubby didn't hear the news until after 6 pm. In some ways, it was nice to have the whole weekend to look through all the information, and pray about it all. But then again, I had to wait until Monday to let her know that we wanted to accept the referral.

So onto the part you really want to hear. According to her birth date, she is almost a year old, but she may be older than that. She is beautiful. They describe her as a happy and smiley girl. I wish I could show you her photo, but since we haven't gone through the court process yet, she isn't legally ours. She comes from the southern region of Ethiopia. We don't really know what the time line is going to be like because of the new two trip rule. The next step is for our paperwork to be submitted and to get a court date. We're praying for the court process to go quickly and smoothly, but mostly we're praying for Child #4, that God would give her peace and calm and keep her healthy.

I am really excited about traveling. I have never been anywhere outside the U.S., except Mexico, and I have been reading Lonely Planet and Bradt guides for Ethiopia for the last year and a half (the Bradt guide is awesome). We really want to see Lalibela and the beautiful churches there. I would love to see the castle at Gondar too, but I don't think we'll have the time given my husband's limited number of vacation days. Aaaahhhhh! I can't believe our time is finally coming! I'll post news as it comes.