Papers Filed

Our I-600 papers have been filed, they are on their way to Texas. It is so funny that we send them to Texas for them just to send them back to California.  The up side is that our local office is small and they said once they get them they will have them back out in 3 days.  Now we wait how long is anybody guess. Last week Ghana changed some things and  would now like a new form filled. This could add delay to our time but it is what it is. I now have just resigned myself to this taking a long time.  Every time frame we have been given has come and gone. Some of it is that our Agency is new to Ghana and are on a leaning curve good news for  families that come after us will not have some of the same delays. With each new delay our Agency learns how they can do things better for the next family.  Our last delay was 5 weeks. We passed court in January we got our papers in early February but one paper was wrong it had to be refiled. We had the new paper at the end of February our Agency had an associate in Ghana they were to bring this one paper home with them when they came on the first week of March. This made sense we would get it long before we would if they had mailed it. But than there was week after week of delays due to some other families papers.  Nothing that could have been foreseen but a delay no less of 5 weeks.  When I get emails from new families about time frames I say just be ready for a long Journey but pray for a sprint.  Maybe this summer Solomon will be home maybe he will celebrate the 4th with us maybe not.

Boys

We have been taking a long time about Solomon to our children.  Brayden  who is 6 knows he will no longer be the youngest and I have been trying to prepare him for the changes the best I can. I ask him questions like will you teach Solomon how to play the Wii, or ride a bike? Sometimes he thinks it will be ok other times not sure.  Brayden wants everyone to know that he is older and he is the big brother (even if it is only by 4 months). I talk with him about how he will have to share his room and his clothes. We bought bunk beds and put them up this weekend Brayden of course wanted the top bunk because he is older.  He think sharing his toys will be ok but not his most special ones, which at times is every toy. I told Brayden that he and Solomon where just about the same height only a ½ inch difference.  Brayden asked be if I thought people will get them mixed up or confused?  I just laughed and said I was sure people would be able to tell them apart.  Brayden also asked if Solomon will have dark skin everywhere? In January Brayden learned about Martin Luther King Jr and he was telling me all about him. He said he was a good man who was shot. He said that only people with white skin could eat some places and drink out of water fountains. So I asked would your brother Solomon be able to go there he said no.. I said would we have been able to? He said No Mom we have peach skin not white weren’t you listening.  I think I am in for some fun times with these two boys.

A new week

What a difference a week can make. What we know this week is we have our son's passport. The new court papers have been done. Now we wait, we wait for our contact in Ghana to travel back to the states with our papers. We thought this would be last week but not so. We are hoping this week for travel than maybe next we will get our papers. Than we will send them to Texas. I feel like I am in some kind of race against the clock. All of my time frames have been thrown out the window. My husband's deployment has been moved up so as much as I wanted this to happen before he leaves it may not. I am now just sitting with it he may not meet our son before he leaves. This is not what I want but it is out of my hands. So the pity party is over we will settle in and make the best of it. This young child is having his life changed. I think about how it will be for him to come here away from all he has known. My son Brayden is six and I think how he would feel. I have been told by many that in Africa families and bonds are different. I am trying to understand this the best I can so I can help our new son when he arrives. Since we are adopting and not having a child I am not sure if as a mother I should have that nesting feeling. I find myself put more and more things in Solomon's back pack we bought. I wiped the dust off and add little things every couple of weeks. Last week I bought him Batman underwear. Our other son Brayden needed some and said mom I am not sharing my underwear with Solomon buy him some too. It is funny how little things make it seem like some day yes it will happen. With some new energy our glass is half full.

Now I am ready

After a few days of feeling overwhelmed and it's not fair I have put on my Armor and I am ready to fight to the end. I can only say that I feel like it is a fight. I know that God clearly wants us to adopt. I know that anything that brings glory to God the devil will attack and that is what it feels like. So I have fasted and had some long prayer time. God clearly says put on your armor and fight. It is so hard not to be in control and the more I try to hold it tight in my hand the more resistance I get. So I have my palm open and will continue to trust in God. I have called in reinforcements to be my prayer warriors. They have there armor on and we will be victorious. This is my pick me up post to all that are not Christ followers this may sound strange but for those who know what I am talking about, please put on your armor and pray for us.

What to write

People it seems ask all the time what's going on how much longer? I give a nice smile and say I am not sure it is in God's hands. What I really want to say or scream is I DON'T KNOW..... I think for every step we take forward we take two back. I look know and think would I choose the same journey if I had known than what I know now? Last week we got news that Solomon's passport had been received. Two days later I was told no not yours another family's. We finally got all of our court papers so I can file our I-600 talk with our local rep here from the INS office she said it will only take her three days to approve and send it on. Yeah .....wait our paper work is wrong.. Really is what I want to say come on already just one break. I never thought when we started this in November of 08 that I would be sitting here still . I daily try to remind myself HE is in control but it is hard. My husband is in the Navy and now is starting work ups for his deployment. I want so badly for our son to meet his dad and before he leaves but that may not happen. Last summer I thought we would have Solomon home in the fall no than Christmas than Easter. I think if I was pregnant at least I would know when the end was in sight. I joked the other day and said if God wanted to make me wait Two years for a child he would have made me an elephant. Yes I do know who's hands we are in but it does not make it any easier. Now you know why I have not blogged I have nothing great or inspiring to say. I feel better and I am sure many of you can relate.
Shalom

Solomon Joel

We have a son. A 5 1/2 year son we got the news that we have been waiting for we passed court on the 21st. We will now have more waiting to do. Our paper work gets turned in to the high court to be recorded than sent back to us. Once we get it we will submit it to Texas than it will be sent to our local Fresno office. I really have no idea how long this will take everything seem to be moving at a snails pace. I am daily giving it over to God so that I am not going crazy with the wait.

The Climb

People ask why I don't update more and it's because there is nothing to report. We are still waiting for a court date, we have no idea when this might happen I hope in the next couple of weeks. We still do not have all of our funds in place and are working on raise more money. My two daughters like Miley Cyrus so I get to hear her songs often in the car with them, She has a song that has spoken to me about our adoption process and I listen to it daily during my walks. I have coped the lyrics it says it all for me it is just where I am .


The Climb
I can almost see it,
That dream I'm dreamin'
But theres a voice inside my head sayin'
You'll never reach it

Every step I'm taking
Every move I make feels
Lost with no direction
My faith is shaking

But I gotta keep tryin'
Gotta keep my head held high
Theres always gonna be another mountain
I'm always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be a up-hill battle
Sometimes i'm gonna have to lose
Ain't about how fast I get there
Ain't about whats waiting on the other side
Its the climb

The struggles I'm facing
The chances I'm taking
Sometimes might knock me down
But, No, I'm not breaking
I may not know it
But these are the moments that
I'm gonna remember Most, yeah
Just gotta keep goin'

And, I, I got to be Strong
Just Keep pushing, on
'Cause theres always gonna be another mountain
I'm always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be a up-hill battle
Sometimes i'm gonna have to lose
Ain't about how fast I get there
Ain't about whats waiting on the other side
Its The Climb

Yeah

Theres always gonna be another mountain
I'm always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be a up-hill battle
somebody's gonna have to lose
Ain't about how fast I get there
Ain't about whats waiting on the other side
Its the climb

Keep on movin'
Keep climbin'
Keep the faith baby
Its all about
Its all about
The climb
Keep the faith, keep the faith woah