@#$^#@!!! Court date

Sad news on the court update. Our social worker said that the letter from the Ministry of Woman's Affairs(MOWA) in Ethiopia didn't get our letter to court in time for our court date, so the court date was postponed until January 12th! Ugh!!!! MOWA is the same Ethiopian government agency between our agency and the courts that messed up the last court date for us. It is very frustrating. What makes it more infuriating is that there is nothing our agency in Ethiopia can do to control how MOWA handles their cases. So, essentially MOWA didn't get the letter in for our case to make it complete so it could be heard by the court today. 22 more days until the next court date. Good thing there is a lot to keep us busy until then. A friend just emailed me saying it really makes you think about all the situations in the world in which people don't have any power. How true.

YEH!!!! Social Report

Today was our 2nd court date in Ethiopia and we haven't heard the outcome. We are hopeful that Monday will will hear if we passed or not. I am so hopeful that we did. Especially, now that we received Tessa's social report!! It is 12 pages of BLISS all about our sweet girl. Her personality, her routines: bathing, sleeping, eating and they really go into detail! Oh my goodness, it was so amazing to look at 16 new photos of her! She is so incredibly beautiful! And so healthy and happy! She looks so engaged in all of her photos, surround by toys or playmates, sleeping, eating and just being totally adorable. Once I hear the official news that we are officially her family then I am permitted to post her photos! Can't hardly wait!!!!

This was the best gift ever this holiday....

Tessa....5 months old!

Our sweet girl, Tessa is 5 months old today. We also received her updated measurements and she is weighing in at 12.76 pounds and 24 inches. I am hoping to receive her social report soon. It can't be soon enough. This report will have more information about her and more photos! Can't wait!

I am trying to begin a new workout regime and get lots of new paintings complete. All in the pursuit of distraction by keeping myself busy. It works some of the time. There is plenty to keep me distracted with the kids and the holidays, but I am getting really tired of this and just want to hold and care for our little girl. Come on already!

O.K. back to sending postive, loving energy into the world to Tessa.

Court Date postponed! Ugh!

The morning of our court date I awoke and ran to my computer to see if there was any news from Ethiopia. Hoping with the time difference we would have already passed court and would be officially declared Tessa's parents!

Sadly, the opposite occured. The email from our social worker said that our court date had been postponed an entire month due to Universal Children's Day....a holiday in Ethiopia! Apparently, a government agency there, MOWA had needed to prepare a specific letter for our case, but this was not done due to the holiday. So, they postponed it. HUGE bummer.

Although, the court date officially makes us Tessa's family, I already love her and know she is my daughter. The courts process really just makes it official so we can go and pick her up ASAP! So, to have more time added onto this wait to have her in our arms is excurciating!

How I wish the Ethiopian government was able to govern its courts with the children's best interests first and foremost! It just doesn't seem like that is the case with such occurences. The irony of the postponement of our court date is that it was due to the holiday there, Universal Children's Day. This holiday was established in 1954 by the UN to bring awareness to children's welfare! Crazy!

The waiting continues....we will hope for the best in December. But realize this could actually happen again. So, we look ahead and focus on the big picture, knowing our daughter is coming.

Court date!!!!

At last.....we have our court date! November 20th!!!! We will wait for this date and hope and pray that it isn't delayed. Delays are always possible in Ethiopia...but I am putting no energy into that and will instead hope for the court to be moved up! ;) When we pass court we will officially have been declared Tessa's parents in the eyes of Ethiopia. At that time we can post a photo of our sweet girl. And then we will be one big step closer to setting our travel plans.

I can't wait!

Here is a photo of the boys trying on their halloween costumes....

Our clown, Bob

While there are many moments of frustration because we still haven't been assigned a court date for Tessa, there are also moments like these photos.  The boys outside with our silly doggy Bob, who is now almost 5 months old.  And then tonight we came home from dinner out to find Bob greeting us at the door with a Halloween basket stuck on his head!  Somehow he managed to loop the handle around his leg and really was stuck!  It was hysterical!  I love a good laugh and boy, did Bob give it to me bumping into things and trying to follow us!  Of course, I had to run and get our digital and video cameras to document the moment!  AFV here we come!!

Mud Puddles!

Jack and I had more fun today than should be allowed!  After preschool we came home to such a rainy day and huge mud puddles in the driveway, which is gravel right now and will be cement by next week.  It was just too tempting!  So, I ran for my camera to capture Jack jumping in puddles.  Clean up was a warm bath...well, worth all the dirty fun!

We are waiting for the Ethiopian courts to re-open in October to be assigned a court date.  I am crossing my fingers that we may get one in later October.  It may be wishful thinking, but why not!  The sooner the better!  Tessa is always on my mind.  I love to look at her sweet photos and can't wait to hold her.  Oh sweet girl we are so excited to know you!  It can't happen soon enough...so lets keep hoping for court to come soon and to be extra lucky for a quick travel date!  More on all of that as the fall progresses...it is the first day of fall!