>And we wait.
Last year, waiting for our plane to be fixed on our way to Addis.Do we stay or do we go??
On the one hand, we have been given the good news of TENTATIVE travel dates!
IF we get the go-ahead, we fly out April 25th.
Hoorah!
BUT, and this is a big but, we won’t know for sure until April 22.
And, on the other hand, there is a chance we will be asked to wait, possibly for a good while and I can’t even really type it out because it stresses me and I am in denial for the moment and I am happy here in my hopeful spot.
So.
Don’t ask about the ‘what if’s’ right now. Just tear a page from my current book of hope and say a prayer for us to have lift off.
We are in something of a travel gate/limbo.
And that’s ok with us, because HEY we live for this kind of excitement!
Um, ok, maybe not so much.
It’s yet another step forward on that dimly lit path of faith, for me, aka “Miss Control Freak.”
But I am hopeful.
I am even maybe a little bit more than hopeful, I am, shhhh, anticipating.
I keep telling myself, on the one hand, that I should hold back and brace myself for not going.
But somehow, even for a cynical control freak like me, that just seems like such a downer and well….I am too selfish to rob even myself of the joy. I’m not going whole hog, there is a tiny little twinge of “but maybe not” every time I think of getting on that plane, early that Saturday morning.
But a bigger part of me can’t help it, and I feel like maybe, just maybe, it’s really gonna happen and we can go. We got good news from the agency last week that signals that it is very possible we might be able to go get our girl. On April 25th. I stood in Target and cried, making a minor spectacle of myself when I got the email. And Belay himself, kind of like the “Great Oz” of Gladney adoptions in Ethiopia, he himself said to give us the dates.
So I’m running with it.
I’m hoping like mad.
I’m praying even more so.
And I’m packing like a dervish.
Because prepping a babysitter, the teen and the small ones to stay and the others to go across the world is like coordinating troop movements, realigning the planets, or some other crazy humongous game show task….it takes some doing folks!
And we have made an important decision, much discussed and debated: we are taking all the girls to go and welcome our new daughter into the family!
Yes, this pic is old, but goofy fun.
It will be an all girl trip (except for dear Coffeedad, of course!).
We are very excited about it and think it will be a lifelong neat and good thing, even if it has it’s own particular ups and downs. And the little girls are excited about it too, really. Or, they will be once they get over the three shots they need and then eat the ice cream promised to make it all easier. One scoop per shot. Yeah, that’s not a bad deal….score!
So that’s the update. We knew we’d be in a little limbo after court.
That’s why I have been silent on this. I debated putting this up.
But I’ve decided that I’d rather have the prayers that might be thrown our way to go, instead of pacing in worry alone. And because I know from experience how awesome this blog community is, I’m also thanking you for those very prayers, deeply, in advance.
So, we wait to the 22nd for firm news.
Go.
Or no go.
We hope.
We pray.
We beg for prayers in blogland: I believe it’s called a “bleg.”
I’m blegging.
Again.
And we’re waiting at the gate.
Another Espresso, Please 
>praying, praying, praying. and hoping that the 22nd brings the best news ever. what a great experience this will be for your girls. memories that will last forever, I am sure.
>Love that you walk on a “dimly lit path of faith.” So well put. You have all my prayers and good wishes. A girl trip with Coffeedad, that is fantastic and very exciting. Christine
>We are praying for you! What an exciting adventure. I’m new to your blog and very much enjoying it!
>An all girl trip – with Coffeedoc of course – to welcome your new daughter their new sister!!! What an amazing wonderful trip it will be!!!Praying for good news on the 22nd!!!
>Praying with you! And I think it’s fantastic that you are taking the girls! :)Theresa
>Praying and hoping you are able to travel on the 25th!
>Praying, hoping, and blegging for and with you! Lord please, please, please…..polite prayers:) You will get to see our twins twice now…..your pictures of them are still some of favorites…please give them some hugs and kisses for us again:)
>Bleg on! We will pray that you will be there in TWO weeks!
>Keep me posted!!! Praying all goes through well and you’re off SOON!!! Love ya, Shelly
>Sending good wishes from Texas…
>Oh my goodness! How exciting! Praying for you right now and will continue to do so. Wonderful!
>Hey, I’m blegging for you for sure. The good and right news would be that you travel soon to get your daughter! Much like the Fournet’s, we would be blessed to have you hold and cuddle our little Koko again. Fingers, toes, and everything crossed!Many, many blessings!
>Praying!Zoe
>What a joy to be able to lift you and your family in prayer, asking for a travel date on the 25th!God is good. Also praying for that amazing peace for you during this next week.How cool that your blog friends get to wait at the gate with you even though we’re not “with” you… cool, huh!?Praying!
>Praying for lift off next week!!! YIPPY!! So thrilled for all of you to read your daughters will journey with you to welcome their sister HOME!!! Wonderful for all of you!! We have journeyed to China three times between 2001 and 2006 to welcome home our youngest daughters, two times we took our children with!! BEST DECISION EVER!! In 2004 when we welcomed HOME our youngest, JOY, now five, my husband and I soloed:( JOY was 10 months old and suffered from many institutionalized issues….I believe she would have thrived if she had her brother and sisters there to encourage her on…as it was she was just “stuck” with Mom and Dad…who honestly were as traumatized as JOY was:) So good to wrap your daughter in the entire JOY of her family….you will all be Blessed by this decision!!!Praying for travel dates!!! YES!!!!!
>Praying, praying, praying!! And Belay does remind me on the great Oz! So glad the orphans have him on their side 🙂
>Absolutely praying for you! 22nd is one week away. Zach (our 10 year old) is going to add you and Marta to his list of people he prays for 🙂
>Stopped by your blog, again, tonight…just to see if maybe you’d heard something!!! 🙂 AND…if we’re this excited for you I can only imagine the crazy happiness and anticipation within your home…HOME, it’s one of the greatest words we have!!!
>I HEAR ya, although I have to admit, I really have become less of a control freak in the past few years. I just had to, or I would explode, implode, whatever, but it would be messy! I can see your control freakiness slowly ebbing away. Cool!!!Awesome!!! You are bringing all the girls. It will be good!Love that you are anticipating. April 25 sounds good to me.Yeah, I know about the stalls. We were just told ALL kids with our little one’s status have to wait a mandatory 2 months after court date to get certain things checked out. Unbelievable, and if I were the control freak I was a couple years ago, I would not be much fun to be around. Now, I am learning that tentative faith walk. What else can we do?
>Praying fervently for you and good news on the 22nd! Cannot wait to see you together with M, Keep us posted. I love the analogy of Belay as “The Wizard of OZ” that cracked me up.-The Darlings
>just checking in, sweet mama. I’m blegging with you 🙂 and for you. April 25 isn’t so far away!!! crazy times :). lovebecca
>Go, Go, Go, Go, Go. Fly, Fly, Fly, Fly, Fly. 25th, 25th, 25th, 25th.Wow, I don’t know how you’re juggling it all. I pray we are there together. WOW. I will keep checking in.love.a
>I am glad you are trusting us to happy carrying the load of the wait. You know you have our prayers for lift off on April 25th. It is hard to let go of trying to control it all. I hope the excitement and the possibility and the packing are putting “the control” to the side until you get the official “Yes!”.I think it is a smashing idea to make it a sister trip! I smiled and let out a audible “ahhh…” when I read that line and saw the picture. Smashing, smashing idea.Prayers…Rebecca
>Praying and hoping, and praying and hoping more, for you to get the go ahead to pick up your beautiful daughter Marta!Jenny