We have a COURT DATE!!!!

I was beyond excited when the phone rang a little after noon on Friday, July 2nd with news that we had our court date. My jaw dropped once again with this second, big news call from our agency (the first being our referral), when I heard what the date was--July 20th-our anniversary. It will be 9 years since we've been married and 10 years exactly since I was first in Africa on our family's trip to Kenya. The Lord did so much in my heart then both towards Nathan and the people of East Africa. It could not be more perfect that we are getting such an amazing anniversary gift from the Lord!!

I am also considering this my BEST early birthday present this year as I am turning 30 on July 5th and was really hoping and praying that I would hear by my birthday. Of course, I so trust the Lord's timing and knew it would be perfect regardless, but the fact that He gave me this gift brings me to tears over and over again. His ways are so amazing! There is no one like our God!

So, I got the call and had only an hour to get flights found and confirmed by our agency before the holiday weekend! I was only a little stressed--:) but thankfully our good family friend Colleen Reagan who is a travel agent dropped everything she was doing and helped find us great flights. We travelled with her family to Kenya in 2000 and it is very special that she has now had a hand in our adoption. It's super expensive to fly to anywhere in the summer, much less Ethiopia, but we have enough for this first trip, and I know the Lord will provide for the second! We are leaving July 15th and returning on the 25th! We are planning on taking a two day trip down to the Awassa area the 22-23 and will work out all the the details of our trip with our agency early next week.

These next 12 days until we get on a plane are going to be CRAZY busy! I want to enjoy every minute with my precious ones here at home because I know I will miss them so much. It was so hard to leave Kendra and Carson when we went to Croatia in 2008, and I know this will be no different leaving all three. However, I know they will be in excellent hands, and I am very excited to have an anniversary trip with Nathan that includes getting to hold and play with Brielle and have her grafted so perfectly into our family!