Patience. Faith. Journey.

Patience- quiet steady perseverance...
Faith- belief that is not based on proof. Confidence and trust.
Journey- passage or progress from one stage to another.


International adoption- all of the above and then some!


As of March 16th, it has been one whole year since The Karki family sent in their application for adoption of their 4th child. It has been 7 months "paper ready" and still waiting.


When I think of this process or this journey, it is truly a quest that requires patience where you never thought you had it and faith draws a new picture right in front of your face each and every day. We all are faced with different obstacles or challenges in our lives at certain stages of this life journey. Indeed, we all hope that during these moments, when we are most tested, it is then when we grow our wisdom and we hope to better understand ourselves and our beliefs. (At least thats what we hope for.)  A book I was given as a gift after the loss of Katlyn has a great saying.


More than anything


more than anything~ I want to trust a journey that I don't understand.       - terri St. Cloud 


I think thats where that word FAITH comes back into play! That journey can mean many things to all people at certain stages of our lives.


Adoption is not easy. We knew it wasn't suppose to be, but as we are human, we sure wished we would be one of those rare situations. In the meantime we focus on the good and all that we are blessed with. Allan and I are blessed with 3 amazing children who continue to grow and wow us! Chandler, our oldest, is now signed up for drivers training, oh my! He continues to be a gentle heart.  Keegan is ready and eager to start middle school at Cathedral and continues to bring humor into our lives. What would we do without him? Avah, almost 7, has taught us about strength and keeps us humble and is willing to be confident in just who she is, love it!
Allan and I will be celebrating 14 years of marriage this summer and we are taking a fantastic trip through Europe and France. 
We have great jobs and people around us. Meaningful friendships and fantastic families! We are blessed.


In the meantime, we will keep our faith, try for continued patience and watch as the journey unfolds!


*Here's some heart warming pictures of Avah reading and learning her Amharic language for her sister. (She know's Amharic the most! Calls out to her brothers "wundim; which means brother, makes me laugh.) She also continues to write messages to a sister she already loves and hasn't seen yet. So sweet.

5 Months and Waiting...

Its been 5 months and waiting since we have been "paper ready." (In March, a year we started the process.)  We were officially put on the waiting list August 19th! At that time we were number #69 on the waiting list, we are now #59. Not much has moved. 

When we first started this process, at that time adopting an older child as we are, was almost an instant referral for our age range request. A lot has changed. Ethiopia's Ministry of Women's Affairs (MOWA) has started looking into international adoptions more now, thus more time, and many orphanages in southern Ethiopia have closed. We know of some cases in which families were given referrals and then these children were taken back to the original orphanages or areas in which they came; most likely not adoptable anymore. Hard to comprehend why a child is better being an orphan, than a child who would be loved and adored into a family... a HOME? 

We try and not focus on the waiting list number, as our circumstances our different then the majority. (older child versus baby) But its easier said then done. There has NOT been a lot of referrals happening and court dates are taking longer. At one point, we were hoping to have our daughter home by this last Christmas, then Valentines Day, now its moved to summer and soon the reality may be next Christmas.

Her room is ready, we talk of her often, she's prayed for at the dinner table and her sister Avah, always is thinking of what she will do with her new sister when she comes home, what she should save for her etc... this for her is a daily conversation.

Adoption is a journey. Its a faithful journey. And its a journey you really don't do unless your heart is into it and its your families calling. It will test you, it will make you question, but I believe in the end this part will all be a blur as she naturally blends into our family and we get to see her face daily and embrace her with hugs and love as she will now be ...HOME.