I would like to start by wishing everyone who reads this a wonderful Christmas eve and day! If you happen upon this, and don't know the true meaning of Christmas, then I would hate to miss the opportunity to tell you what it is all about. It is about more than presents, Christmas trees and decorations. It's even about more than having family around. Truthfully, it's about more than just the birth of Christ. It's about the birth of the savior. The one who yes, was born on this day, but also who died for us! To save us from our sins.
I heard a church service recently that put it very simply:
"Hark the herold angel's sing
Glory to the new born king
Peace on Earth and mercy mild
GOD AND SINNERS RECONCILED"
Christmas is about the reconciliation of sinners with God. It could only happen through our Lord Jesus Christ - and the miraculous birth of Christ in a manger to the virgin Mary started the whole reconciliation process.
I need to spend more time this Christmas remembering that. Remembering what it is all about.
When I was young, I used to think that Christmas was all about the presents, the Christmas lights, Santa and snow. Thank goodness that is not what it is all about, because here in South Carolina, we have no snow, there are lights on the trees, but I've come to learn that Santa is not real and that the presents can disappear - all it takes is losing a job, having a family member sick or a multitude of other things. Thank goodness I have learned the true meaning of Christmas - it's all about Christ and the process that started the day of His birth.
Tonight we will go to our Christmas Eve church service, and afterward we will go have a Christmas Eve celebration with friends. While the food will be good, and it will be great to be with friends, I hope when I come home tonight, I spend some time thinking about what it really is about.
Today was the first day of a much needed Christmas vacation. We aren't doing a whole lot of anything, but spending time with family and friends and getting some things done around the house. The kids will open their gifts tomorrow morning and I'll watch the smile on their faces as they open their treasures. I love watching kids open their gifts. Anna will put reindeer food out for Santa's reindeer and in the morning she will surely have a story of how she woke up and saw Santa peeking in her door, or heard the reindeer on the roof. It's not so bad to let a kid be a kid. Tonight though, as we are in church, they will hear (as they do every year) what it really means - - that even without the tree, the gifts or Santa, there is still Christmas. Christmas came before all of that. I wonder if we'll celebrate Christmas in Heaven? I wonder if we celebrate our birthdays in Heaven - 0ur physical birthday? Or maybe our spiritual birthday? I'm not sure, but I look forward to finding out.
Tomorrow I will try to capture pictures of the kids. I got my Christmas present a bit early... I got a new camera, but I'm still trying to figure it out. I currently can't manage to get a lens on it, or take a picture. Heather will help me with that tonight though. Surely I will have it figured out by the time we make our trip to Ethiopia to get our little Sara Joy.... which is the reason I wanted it in the first place. Hopefully this is our last Christmas without our little girl.
Heather - if you are reading this... the apple pie is made (still warm and smells YUMMY), the spicy dip is warming and some crazy socks are coming your way for you and your mom!!! We're looking forward to spending Christmas Eve with your family.
Merry Christmas to Tim, Cameron and Anna! I love you all very much.
In Christ,
Charity
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Monday, December 14, 2009
Color Blind
Sometimes it is the post that defines the title, instead of the title defining the post... as was the case with this post. The title was written after the fact.
It has been confirmed....
12/14/2009 2:09 pm With delivery courier.
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Our documents are now officially in the same country as our daughter! How cool is that? To me, that is WAY cool! I honestly didn't know if we'd be at this point by Christmas. I didn't know how long our immigration approval would take, but that was approved in RECORD time. And now, here we are. I'm amazed. I'm excited. I'm full of anticipation....
While I am all of those things, I still stand a bit reserved. We have been here before. Not exactly *here*, but in a very similar situation. Dossier in country and nothing ever came of it. Then we got close to dossier being in country, and couldn't move any further forward because of country changes. So, while we are here again, and full of excitement, we are still a bit reserved.
When I was in the process of adopting Anna, I guess I was a bit naive with regard to the adoption process. I announced my decision immediately, and everyone waited with me for a year to get my paperwork done, to send it off, to get a referral, and then to go and get my baby girl. With the many unsuccessful attempts to adopt recently, it's been a bit more quiet. Very few people know - only close friends and family. I've been down the road of having to explain to person after person why we don't have a child home with us yet. It's difficult. Especially when the person doesn't understand the adoption process. There are so many questions.... where did all of your money go? Doesn't it make you mad that you spent so much money and didn't get a child? Why can't you get your money back? Why don't you just adopt from here? or here?
More than money, for us, it is lost dreams. I pray that our Sara Joy is not another lost dream. I don't think she will be though. God led us here, and God will see us through this. If HE means for our daughter to come from Ethiopia, then she will come, and nothing will stop the process. If in the end, we don't have a child - God has given me peace with this process. Strange but true. No matter what happens, I feel as though God wanted us here, now, going through this process. I want nothing more than to bring home my daughter.... but it's real nice to be walking through where God wanted you to walk at the same time.
I really have been very cautious about how excited I get about this process though. With Christmas right around the corner, I have every reason to want to get Sara things. She will eventually be home and I want her to know that we were thinking about her, before maybe she even existed. She is our daughter in our hearts already... why not buy gifts for her. Well, I've held myself back. I don't want to be disappointed again. I did pick out a very special doll for her though. She will have that. She got a "black" baby doll. I'm not sure if that is the right term to use, if it is offensive or what would be the right thing to say, but that is what she got. Anna got an asian looking doll. Here is the best part though.....
My kids don't see in color. Really, they don't. I brought Sara's doll out. Anna asked why Sara got a doll and she was not even here. It would have been from "Santa", but I quickly explained to her that her dad and I got the doll for Sara, because even though she is not here with us yet, we wanted to remember her on Christmas. I turned the box so the doll was clear through the front of the package. I asked Anna if there was anything special about that doll. Now in the past I've tried to get Anna asian looking dolls, but sometimes that is not possible, so she ends up with a white baby - so mind you, the majority of dolls she has ever looked at, are white. I asked her if there was anything different or special about this doll than any of her other dolls. She looked closely at the box. She said,
"She has a blankie"
"She has a pacifier"
"She has a bow on her head"
"Oh, she has tiny little shoes"
"She has food she can eat"
"Look, she even has extra clothes"
"She has a small teddy bear that she can play with"
She never mentioned that the doll had dark skin. I think of all the things I have done wrong with my kids, I think the one thing I have done right, is help them not see color. Thank goodness for that. It's not that I don't want her to recognize the differences... but it shouldn't be the first thing my children see about someone. I want them to see past the color of people, and see what the person has to offer, independent of color. I want my children to be color blind, and for now, it appears as though, they are.
Life isn't about color... life is about people. It's important to embrace the differences in people of different color, but it shouldn't be what distinguishes them. I can't wait to embrace my Sara Joy.
In Christ,
Charity
It has been confirmed....
12/14/2009 2:09 pm With delivery courier.
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Our documents are now officially in the same country as our daughter! How cool is that? To me, that is WAY cool! I honestly didn't know if we'd be at this point by Christmas. I didn't know how long our immigration approval would take, but that was approved in RECORD time. And now, here we are. I'm amazed. I'm excited. I'm full of anticipation....
While I am all of those things, I still stand a bit reserved. We have been here before. Not exactly *here*, but in a very similar situation. Dossier in country and nothing ever came of it. Then we got close to dossier being in country, and couldn't move any further forward because of country changes. So, while we are here again, and full of excitement, we are still a bit reserved.
When I was in the process of adopting Anna, I guess I was a bit naive with regard to the adoption process. I announced my decision immediately, and everyone waited with me for a year to get my paperwork done, to send it off, to get a referral, and then to go and get my baby girl. With the many unsuccessful attempts to adopt recently, it's been a bit more quiet. Very few people know - only close friends and family. I've been down the road of having to explain to person after person why we don't have a child home with us yet. It's difficult. Especially when the person doesn't understand the adoption process. There are so many questions.... where did all of your money go? Doesn't it make you mad that you spent so much money and didn't get a child? Why can't you get your money back? Why don't you just adopt from here? or here?
More than money, for us, it is lost dreams. I pray that our Sara Joy is not another lost dream. I don't think she will be though. God led us here, and God will see us through this. If HE means for our daughter to come from Ethiopia, then she will come, and nothing will stop the process. If in the end, we don't have a child - God has given me peace with this process. Strange but true. No matter what happens, I feel as though God wanted us here, now, going through this process. I want nothing more than to bring home my daughter.... but it's real nice to be walking through where God wanted you to walk at the same time.
I really have been very cautious about how excited I get about this process though. With Christmas right around the corner, I have every reason to want to get Sara things. She will eventually be home and I want her to know that we were thinking about her, before maybe she even existed. She is our daughter in our hearts already... why not buy gifts for her. Well, I've held myself back. I don't want to be disappointed again. I did pick out a very special doll for her though. She will have that. She got a "black" baby doll. I'm not sure if that is the right term to use, if it is offensive or what would be the right thing to say, but that is what she got. Anna got an asian looking doll. Here is the best part though.....
My kids don't see in color. Really, they don't. I brought Sara's doll out. Anna asked why Sara got a doll and she was not even here. It would have been from "Santa", but I quickly explained to her that her dad and I got the doll for Sara, because even though she is not here with us yet, we wanted to remember her on Christmas. I turned the box so the doll was clear through the front of the package. I asked Anna if there was anything special about that doll. Now in the past I've tried to get Anna asian looking dolls, but sometimes that is not possible, so she ends up with a white baby - so mind you, the majority of dolls she has ever looked at, are white. I asked her if there was anything different or special about this doll than any of her other dolls. She looked closely at the box. She said,
"She has a blankie"
"She has a pacifier"
"She has a bow on her head"
"Oh, she has tiny little shoes"
"She has food she can eat"
"Look, she even has extra clothes"
"She has a small teddy bear that she can play with"
She never mentioned that the doll had dark skin. I think of all the things I have done wrong with my kids, I think the one thing I have done right, is help them not see color. Thank goodness for that. It's not that I don't want her to recognize the differences... but it shouldn't be the first thing my children see about someone. I want them to see past the color of people, and see what the person has to offer, independent of color. I want my children to be color blind, and for now, it appears as though, they are.
Life isn't about color... life is about people. It's important to embrace the differences in people of different color, but it shouldn't be what distinguishes them. I can't wait to embrace my Sara Joy.
In Christ,
Charity
Friday, December 11, 2009
Kinda like.....
It's kinda like being a small child and watching Rudolph travel the globe on Christmas Eve delivering gifts to children. Something like that. Maybe a bit more exciting, because with this delivery is the start of a new life. A new life for a child who needs a family, and a new life for a family who would love another child.
12/11/2009 9:24 pm Transit through DHL facility
Leipzig, Germany
6:48 am Depart Facility Cincinnati Hub, OH
3:16 am Processed at DHL Location. Cincinnati Hub, OH
2:05 am Transit through DHL facility Cincinnati Hub, OH
12/10/2009 10:07 pm Depart Facility Washington - Ronald Reagan National, DC
10:05 pm Processed at DHL Location. Washington - Ronald Reagan National, DC
7:24 pm Departing origin. Washington - Ronald Reagan National, DC
2:48 pm Shipment picked up Washington - Ronald Reagan National, DC
Without getting too excited... this is where we stand! Our paperwork is ON THE WAY TO ETHIOPIA!!!
I wonder if our little Sara Joy has even the smallest of thoughts about the new life she will embark on. I wonder if she has any clue that her mom and dad are waiting for her. I wonder if God has created her. I wonder if God has spoken to her heart - telling her to wait, He is with her, but mom and dad are coming. I wonder.
12/11/2009 9:24 pm Transit through DHL facility
Leipzig, Germany
6:48 am Depart Facility Cincinnati Hub, OH
3:16 am Processed at DHL Location. Cincinnati Hub, OH
2:05 am Transit through DHL facility Cincinnati Hub, OH
12/10/2009 10:07 pm Depart Facility Washington - Ronald Reagan National, DC
10:05 pm Processed at DHL Location. Washington - Ronald Reagan National, DC
7:24 pm Departing origin. Washington - Ronald Reagan National, DC
2:48 pm Shipment picked up Washington - Ronald Reagan National, DC
Without getting too excited... this is where we stand! Our paperwork is ON THE WAY TO ETHIOPIA!!!
I wonder if our little Sara Joy has even the smallest of thoughts about the new life she will embark on. I wonder if she has any clue that her mom and dad are waiting for her. I wonder if God has created her. I wonder if God has spoken to her heart - telling her to wait, He is with her, but mom and dad are coming. I wonder.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Who would've thought
Not me, that's for sure! I asked for record turn around time for our immigration approval, and believe me when I say I got it. Tim came in tonight with the mail from today. He said "Why would I be getting something from homeland security"? I dropped what I was doing and said "gimme it"!!! He jokingly said he would open it, because it had his name on it. Oh no.... I handled ALL of the paperwork, I would get to open this! I figured it would be some form saying that they received our application, had our fingerprints and they would be processed in a timely fashion.
Instead what I found inside that lovely envelope was our approval form!!! How wonderful is that? God must've opened a door for a reason! I think that is something that only God could manage to assist in. We just went to the immigration office to be fingerprinted EXACTLY ONE WEEK AGO. Then there was Thanksgiving in there. Literally, we were in the office 7 days ago!!! We have our approval!!! I said it before and now I will surely say it again - SC USCIS office is the BEST!!!!
We are now officially DONE!!! I will contact our agency tomorrow, send them a copy of our approval, and EVERYTHING is now COMPLETE!!! Seriously, how exciting is that! Truly exciting!
Now, we wait. Thank goodness there are the holidays and things like that coming up. It will make the wait go a bit quicker. I can't wait to see the face of my daughter. I seriously think that God has control of all of this. Who ever heard of a turn around time of 7 days? We were there last week Wednesday and the approval date was Monday. And remember, there was a holiday in there. They approved it in basically one or two business days!!! Maybe our daughter is born and God moved this along so we would be paper ready in time to go get her. Maybe she has been born and we needed to be ready quickly so she would not get older and outside of our approved age range. Whatever the reason, I thank GOD for making this happen so quickly. Finally, my part is done and I can now sit back and wait for my daughter. (probably one of the hardest parts, I know!).
Celebrating in SC!!!
In Christ,
Charity
Instead what I found inside that lovely envelope was our approval form!!! How wonderful is that? God must've opened a door for a reason! I think that is something that only God could manage to assist in. We just went to the immigration office to be fingerprinted EXACTLY ONE WEEK AGO. Then there was Thanksgiving in there. Literally, we were in the office 7 days ago!!! We have our approval!!! I said it before and now I will surely say it again - SC USCIS office is the BEST!!!!
We are now officially DONE!!! I will contact our agency tomorrow, send them a copy of our approval, and EVERYTHING is now COMPLETE!!! Seriously, how exciting is that! Truly exciting!
Now, we wait. Thank goodness there are the holidays and things like that coming up. It will make the wait go a bit quicker. I can't wait to see the face of my daughter. I seriously think that God has control of all of this. Who ever heard of a turn around time of 7 days? We were there last week Wednesday and the approval date was Monday. And remember, there was a holiday in there. They approved it in basically one or two business days!!! Maybe our daughter is born and God moved this along so we would be paper ready in time to go get her. Maybe she has been born and we needed to be ready quickly so she would not get older and outside of our approved age range. Whatever the reason, I thank GOD for making this happen so quickly. Finally, my part is done and I can now sit back and wait for my daughter. (probably one of the hardest parts, I know!).
Celebrating in SC!!!
In Christ,
Charity
Friday, November 27, 2009
Black Friday
Today was the day that Heather and I were tackling together... BLACK FRIDAY!!! I was tempted last night to just say that we shouldn't go. I hate dealing with crowds and I was sure that there were going to be lots of them today! I even e-mailed her last night and said if she didn't want to go, it wouldn't hurt my feelings terribly. Well, she wanted to go.... and I'm so glad that she did. WE HAD A BLAST!!!! Heather and I have not gotten to spend a whole lot of time together since the kids were done with football. We miss our Tuesday evening practices and our Saturdays at the grid iron. So, today, we were spending time together. And we were going to have fun doing it.
First we went clothes shopping for the kids. Got some great deals and wandered around a bit. Then we decided to head to Sam's. We ended up with a TON of stuff. I found a lot of great deals on stuff for the kids and for some other family members (the husband-type of family members who can read this blog and find out what they got!!!). So, I will keep that to myself.
That took us probably over an hour there. So, after that, Heather looked like she was going to pass out, so we decided to go get something to eat. We had a nice lunch together and then went to drop some stuff off at home, to get ready for wave 2 of shopping. In the meantime, we called Heather's mom, to see if she wanted to run out with us. She did, so we stopped by and picked her up and went out again.
This time, it was toy shopping. We had a GREAT time together. Heather and I were laughing so hard, I nearly had an accident!
We always joke about my "black hole" purse. You put stuff in it, and let me tell you, you can put a LOT of stuff in it. The trouble is, you will never find it again. It's not that remarkably big, but things get lost in there! I swear there are small villages down at the bottom of my purse! The thing about my purse is, that Tim got it for me when he was on a business trip in Italy. So, I have a true, fine Italian leather purse. And when he bought it, he asked me if I wanted a big one or a small one. Well, of-course I had to have a big one. I have so much junk to carry around. Actually, 90% of it, I'm sure I don't even need, but I never go through it and get rid of things. Anyway, I told Tim to get me a big purse and he did. Not many men will purse shop in Italy, but Tim did. I feel bad now that I call it the "black hole" but truly, it is. He even sees things get lost in it! But now I have decided I need a smaller purse. One like Heather's that is so cute. It's perfect. It fits over your shoulder so nicely. It's a size where you couldn't make it heavy if you tried, because it is not big enough. And it's a nice red color. I just love it. So, I looked for one of those. I carried hers around to see if any were as comfortable as hers, and they were not, so I put them all back. I have decided, I don't need a purse like Heather's... I need Heather's purse. She was a bit reluctant to turn it over to me though :( Maybe because it is HERS!!!
Heather, if you read this (and I know you will :) I had a great time today. We need to do stuff like that more often!
Tomorrow we are actually spending time with Heather and her family as well. Neil had made plans with Tim to watch football together - the big championship game or something like that. I don't know. All I know is that a bonus to them watching the game, is Heather and I spending the day together again!!! It's feast or famine with our time together. We are in the feast mode right now!!!
So, black Frday wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I got a lot of christmas shopping done, and the stores weren't all that bad. Maybe we will make it a Christmas tradition for Heather and I to go shopping together.
In Christ,
Charity
First we went clothes shopping for the kids. Got some great deals and wandered around a bit. Then we decided to head to Sam's. We ended up with a TON of stuff. I found a lot of great deals on stuff for the kids and for some other family members (the husband-type of family members who can read this blog and find out what they got!!!). So, I will keep that to myself.
That took us probably over an hour there. So, after that, Heather looked like she was going to pass out, so we decided to go get something to eat. We had a nice lunch together and then went to drop some stuff off at home, to get ready for wave 2 of shopping. In the meantime, we called Heather's mom, to see if she wanted to run out with us. She did, so we stopped by and picked her up and went out again.
This time, it was toy shopping. We had a GREAT time together. Heather and I were laughing so hard, I nearly had an accident!
We always joke about my "black hole" purse. You put stuff in it, and let me tell you, you can put a LOT of stuff in it. The trouble is, you will never find it again. It's not that remarkably big, but things get lost in there! I swear there are small villages down at the bottom of my purse! The thing about my purse is, that Tim got it for me when he was on a business trip in Italy. So, I have a true, fine Italian leather purse. And when he bought it, he asked me if I wanted a big one or a small one. Well, of-course I had to have a big one. I have so much junk to carry around. Actually, 90% of it, I'm sure I don't even need, but I never go through it and get rid of things. Anyway, I told Tim to get me a big purse and he did. Not many men will purse shop in Italy, but Tim did. I feel bad now that I call it the "black hole" but truly, it is. He even sees things get lost in it! But now I have decided I need a smaller purse. One like Heather's that is so cute. It's perfect. It fits over your shoulder so nicely. It's a size where you couldn't make it heavy if you tried, because it is not big enough. And it's a nice red color. I just love it. So, I looked for one of those. I carried hers around to see if any were as comfortable as hers, and they were not, so I put them all back. I have decided, I don't need a purse like Heather's... I need Heather's purse. She was a bit reluctant to turn it over to me though :( Maybe because it is HERS!!!
Heather, if you read this (and I know you will :) I had a great time today. We need to do stuff like that more often!
Tomorrow we are actually spending time with Heather and her family as well. Neil had made plans with Tim to watch football together - the big championship game or something like that. I don't know. All I know is that a bonus to them watching the game, is Heather and I spending the day together again!!! It's feast or famine with our time together. We are in the feast mode right now!!!
So, black Frday wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I got a lot of christmas shopping done, and the stores weren't all that bad. Maybe we will make it a Christmas tradition for Heather and I to go shopping together.
In Christ,
Charity
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Happy Thanksgiving
Happy Thanksgiving to all of our friends and family! There is so much for our family to be thankful for this year... so very much! Unfortunately, we will not be with all of our family this year, as that would be near impossible, but we wish we could be and are thankful for each and every person.
Personally, I am thankful number one, for my salvation. There have been so many avenues of my life that have been difficult to navigate - and sometimes I found that I couldn't... I just had to drop anchor and sit. Where would I be without the anchor of my salvation? What rock would I cling to when the times got tough? It's never easy to sit and weather the storm, even with Christ as your anchor, but trusting in him makes it bearable. Trusting in Him helps you come out on the other side transformed.
I am thankful for my family. I'm thankful that I have a great husband and healthy children. I'm thankful for the country I live in, for the warmth of my home and for the wonderful food that will be on our table tonight and every night. I'm very thankful for my job, even though it can sometimes be one of the storms that I am weathering. I'm thankful for my friends - the ones who are always there for me to depend on, who will weather the storms with me, or stand in the sunshine and celebrate wonders with me. They know who they are and I love them... they are always there. The ones who you don't see or talk to for months, but when you see them, it is like no time passed.
I'm thankful for our chance to have another daughter. We look forward to meeting her and bringing her home!
Speaking of our daughter.... we made it to Immigration yesterday. Tim and I headed out bright and early and made it to Charleston by 10:00 am. That was great, except our appointment was not until 11:00. So Tim asked "What do you want to do for an hour?". Well, I really wanted to just get my fingerprints done and get back home. It would be nice to be home earlier and get a jump start on all the things that needed to be done. So, I suggested just going in, telling them that we were early, but could we get in line anyway. It couldn't hurt, right? I mean the only thing that could happen is they would say no, and we'd wait an hour.
So, we went into the office. We explained to security that we were early, they asked for our fingerprint appointment paperwork, and they checked our identification and let us in. We went back to the fingerprint area, and we were the ONLY ONES THERE. We were in and out in 20 minutes and were on our way home before our regularly scheduled appointment time. I've said it before, but SC USCIS is the best! Now, I'm just praying for a quick turn around time for our I171-H. In the past that has been turned around quickly for us as well!
So, after our fingerprint appt, we ate a late lunch with the kids and then ran a few errands. We got Anna a few new church dresses and a pair of new shoes to wear with them. She got her first real pair of "heels". You know, the little shoes with the wide heel and about 1/4 inch heel. It's just another sign that my baby is growing up! After a late lunch, no one was really hungry for dinner, so we did some stuff around the house and decided to turn in early with a movie and popcorn.
We watched "My Sister's Keeper". If you like to cry, that is the movie to watch. I cried a good bit of the movie. Cameron and Tim were apparently iin a "no crying contest" becuase Cameron kept asking "Tim, are you crying yet?" Every time Cameron asked me, I sniffed and said "no". Ummmhhh, he knew otherwise! It was a good movie, but a heartbreaker!
I made a chocolate pie last night for the kids and this morning I'm up to bake a fresh, home made apple pie. Denis loves it, so I thought I would make it for him. Mom's bringing the pumpkin pie. I'm looking forward to a nice turkey dinner with my family today. I hope everyone else has a wonderful thanksgiving and has as much to be thankful for as I do.
In Christ,
Charity
Personally, I am thankful number one, for my salvation. There have been so many avenues of my life that have been difficult to navigate - and sometimes I found that I couldn't... I just had to drop anchor and sit. Where would I be without the anchor of my salvation? What rock would I cling to when the times got tough? It's never easy to sit and weather the storm, even with Christ as your anchor, but trusting in him makes it bearable. Trusting in Him helps you come out on the other side transformed.
I am thankful for my family. I'm thankful that I have a great husband and healthy children. I'm thankful for the country I live in, for the warmth of my home and for the wonderful food that will be on our table tonight and every night. I'm very thankful for my job, even though it can sometimes be one of the storms that I am weathering. I'm thankful for my friends - the ones who are always there for me to depend on, who will weather the storms with me, or stand in the sunshine and celebrate wonders with me. They know who they are and I love them... they are always there. The ones who you don't see or talk to for months, but when you see them, it is like no time passed.
I'm thankful for our chance to have another daughter. We look forward to meeting her and bringing her home!
Speaking of our daughter.... we made it to Immigration yesterday. Tim and I headed out bright and early and made it to Charleston by 10:00 am. That was great, except our appointment was not until 11:00. So Tim asked "What do you want to do for an hour?". Well, I really wanted to just get my fingerprints done and get back home. It would be nice to be home earlier and get a jump start on all the things that needed to be done. So, I suggested just going in, telling them that we were early, but could we get in line anyway. It couldn't hurt, right? I mean the only thing that could happen is they would say no, and we'd wait an hour.
So, we went into the office. We explained to security that we were early, they asked for our fingerprint appointment paperwork, and they checked our identification and let us in. We went back to the fingerprint area, and we were the ONLY ONES THERE. We were in and out in 20 minutes and were on our way home before our regularly scheduled appointment time. I've said it before, but SC USCIS is the best! Now, I'm just praying for a quick turn around time for our I171-H. In the past that has been turned around quickly for us as well!
So, after our fingerprint appt, we ate a late lunch with the kids and then ran a few errands. We got Anna a few new church dresses and a pair of new shoes to wear with them. She got her first real pair of "heels". You know, the little shoes with the wide heel and about 1/4 inch heel. It's just another sign that my baby is growing up! After a late lunch, no one was really hungry for dinner, so we did some stuff around the house and decided to turn in early with a movie and popcorn.
We watched "My Sister's Keeper". If you like to cry, that is the movie to watch. I cried a good bit of the movie. Cameron and Tim were apparently iin a "no crying contest" becuase Cameron kept asking "Tim, are you crying yet?" Every time Cameron asked me, I sniffed and said "no". Ummmhhh, he knew otherwise! It was a good movie, but a heartbreaker!
I made a chocolate pie last night for the kids and this morning I'm up to bake a fresh, home made apple pie. Denis loves it, so I thought I would make it for him. Mom's bringing the pumpkin pie. I'm looking forward to a nice turkey dinner with my family today. I hope everyone else has a wonderful thanksgiving and has as much to be thankful for as I do.
In Christ,
Charity
Monday, November 16, 2009
Good News from Switzerland
Hello from Switzerland. After a very long day of flying, we finally made it here on Sunday morning. It was a long, long day, but we are here. We had our first day of conferences as well. About 12:00 today I hit a brick wall and was about ready to fall asleep during our conferences, but managed to stay awake until lunch and got up and walked around. I skipped lunch because I was feeling awful, so I came back to the hotel until the afternoon session and just checked my e-mail and things like that.
So, here is the good news..... when I came back here for lunch and checked my e-mail I had an e-mail from our agency. All of our dossire documentation had been received at our agency and the last piece of information was being sent out today for state authentication. It would then be delivered to our agencies courier who would take it to the Ethiopian embassy in Washington. From there it will go straight to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia!!!! It could be sent there as soon as Thursday!!!! Whoo Hoo!!! I am so excited, I can hardly stand it.
What good news to receive so far from home! And today, I needed some good news!
Excited in Switzerland,
Charity
So, here is the good news..... when I came back here for lunch and checked my e-mail I had an e-mail from our agency. All of our dossire documentation had been received at our agency and the last piece of information was being sent out today for state authentication. It would then be delivered to our agencies courier who would take it to the Ethiopian embassy in Washington. From there it will go straight to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia!!!! It could be sent there as soon as Thursday!!!! Whoo Hoo!!! I am so excited, I can hardly stand it.
What good news to receive so far from home! And today, I needed some good news!
Excited in Switzerland,
Charity
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