Waiting

I was really hoping to be updating our blog with some news. Really any news at all about our adoption would've been a good enough reason to post. After four plus weeks of waiting, we've heard nothing from USCIS. So I have decided to post anyway, defying my original reasoning.

I emailed the Des Moines office Feb. 6 to inquire (as kindly as possible) about our status. Our "friend" there hastily replied that she would be reviewing I-600A cases next week, and she would let us know if she needed anything. That would've been last week. So, I can think of two different scenarios that could be affecting our case. 1. The struggling US Postal Service has cut their workforce to two workers per state, in which case, our fingerprint appointment notice will arrive via stagecoach sometime next month. OR 2. Our "friend" didn't get to our application last week.

We have recently gotten news that a couple working with Gladney has received their approval from Rwanda and will be receiving a referral very soon. We rejoice with them! One of those cribs in the long rows at the orphanage will soon be empty, and little Myles will be in his Mommy and Daddy's arms.

So, while it feels as if this thing will never really happen, we are choosing to praise Him while we're waiting (love that song). He has never let us down, so why would we start to worry now that He will? Please pray for us, pray for favor with USCIS, pray for the Minister in charge of adoption in Rwanda, pray for the families who have been waiting much longer than we have. I look forward to my next post....news or no news.:)

Isn't That Just Like Him? and "The Gobbler"

Remember how I've said how excited we are to see God's hand move during our adoption process? Really, to bring a child from thousands of miles away into our family in Iowa is going to take some miracles. How blessed are we to already be experiencing His hand at work in our lives? Chad and I drove to Des Moines Friday (after dropping off our late start school agers at Suzanne and Jon's and our little two at Ellen's) to read our finished homestudy. We were feeling a little blue about the process because our FBI fingerprint results hadn't yet come back to our social worker after a month of waiting. I remember her saying that the longer it takes, the more likely they're unreadable and we'd have to redo them. Headed down I-35 toward Des Moines, Chad prayed aloud, "Lord, you know our hearts. We so badly want to be done with our homestudy and get this ball rolling. Would you please bring our fingerprint results TODAY in the mail to our social worker? We're trusting you. Please also help our I-600A application find its way to the top of the pile and be completed more quickly than has been the norm."

Arriving in Des Moines, we braved the frigid temperatures and headed in to see Beth. After greeting us, she said with a smile, "Guess what came in the mail just this morning?" Yes, the fingerprint results , after a month long wait, arrived in her office the very day we were finalizing our homestudy. Isn't that just like Him? Never late.....rarely early, but always right on time! Later, Beth shared with us that one of the ladies working part time at CIS has now gone full time, and getting our I 171-H approval is likely to go much more quickly than what she had originally expected. Chad's prayer could not have been more directly and affirmitively answered! God's fingerprints are all over this decision of ours to adopt our precious child/ren from East Africa. Stay tuned for more "God I Spy" moments, as our family calls them. Because really, there are bound to be more!

Okay, before ending this post, I need to introduce an old friend of our family who has only recently been given a name. Meet "The Gobbler."

H has been very busy avoiding the toilet. We daily come up with new tactics to get him to just sit on it for a few seconds. The latest: Name the toilet a fun name (ie the Gobbler). Refer to The Gobbler as often as possible. Make it silly and fun. So far, so good.:)

Is it Really Over?

Gotta love Cyclone Gear!

Papa talked to Andy on the phone while opening his gift from him.

Sweet, sweet Alea

" Is it time to open more presents?"

H is ready for a new brother or sister!

As the last remnants of Christmas decorations get carried to the basement, I find myself asking, "Is it really over?" It is a common sentiment, I realize. We spend so long preparing for and anticipating those few days, and they pass just as quickly as the rest of our days (if not more quickly). For us, Christmas lasted from December 24 to January 4. From our family's Christmas to Nana's Christmas, to Gammy's Christmas, to Gram's Christmas, to a birthday party for Jesus at church last Sunday, we were opening presents about every other day for close to two weeks. I think H was fully expecting to open more gifts on Monday of this week! Even with it lasting all of those days, I can't help but wish I had savored each moment more.

Our days spent celebrating with the extended Spore family were really fun. We missed Chad's brother, Andy, very much. Chad's sister wasn't as eager to stay up playing games, watching movies, etc. as she used to be, probably because she is now Mommy to Alea....who requires feeding and changing regardless of Mommy's lack of sleep. We had lots of fun doting on little Alea. What a cutie! Our gift giving and receiving was great fun. We received a beautiful canvas picture of our four kiddos from Brian and Dianne (with help from the resident photographer, Heather).

We returned home safely on Saturday, before the ice took its toll on the roads. Sunday morning's slick conditions were no match for us. Okay, so we were late enough to Sunday School that people thought we were just early for church. We realized, belatedly, that our church's birthday party for Jesus was that morning. People buy and wrap items that are needed at church. As we waltzed out the door, I was thankful for the 24 rolls of toilet paper I had recently purchased for home....now to be given as our gift. We had to laugh when C girl asked why Jesus needed toilet paper.

Now, I believe we're back into the swing of things. We will head to Des Moines to review our completed home study next Friday. Then, it will land in a pile at CIS in Des Moines. We are praying it will find its way to the top, we will be scheduled for fingerprinting quickly, and they will issue the I171H in record timing. If not, we'll wait patiently....is there any other choice?:)

Between Celebrations

Home always looks good after being gone for several days. We had a wonderful time celebrating Christmas with my family. Mom had everything organized so well....and thank goodness she did! There are now 19 of us in the Bradfield clan, and last year there were 14 of us. Quite an increase! They were so generous with us, as usual. It was fun to get to know Kevin, Jared, Micah, and Ethan better. They made it safely back to PA yesterday. Not sure when we'll see them again.

C and Micah

H and the new Barbie house

H and Jack playing in their Big Wheel boxes


C and her new Kit Kittredge doll

The whole Norton clan (all 63 of us)....to think this all started with Grandpa and Grandma!


Now we are home for a day and off to celebrate with the extended Spore family tomorrow through Saturday. We will go to Des Moines for a final homestudy meeting with our social worker on Friday.

The End of the Big Day

I am sitting here exhausted, just wanting you all to know the home visit went very well. Beth said we had a nice home, very warm and inviting. We are ready for Christmas now! It seems this adoption process can't go quickly enough, but the days in our lives fly by faster than ever. Merry Christmas!

Big Day

It is 7:15 am, and it is completely silent at the Spore house. It is unusual for the kids to sleep this late, and I am thankful for the time all to myself. We have all been here together for three and a half days straight (snow days....gotta love them). There is a two hour delay for today, and Mommy is praying they will not cancel school. For you see, today is a big day.

Beth, our homestudy coordinator is coming from Des Moines today for our second meeting and her first glimpse of our home. What closet doors will she open? Will anything fall out of them on top of her? Will the cleaning supplies under the laundry room sink be a big deal? How about the fact there's no bed prepared for our new little one? H will be out of the crib by the time he/she comes, but will Beth see it as just not having enough room for another Spore? I think I might be stressing out about this a little too much. God knows our hearts....will Beth see them?

Mom and Dad made it home from PA yesterday. I am thankful they had lots of people praying for their safety. I'm sure Laura wouldn't have made it to her wedding reception if they hadn't taken her. Her flights were cancelled and delayed, so Kevin would've had to greet all those well-wishers alone had they not made the trip. And now, Laura is officially a Pennsylvanian. Kinda weird to think that after Christmas, we won't know when we'll see each other next. She is where she was made to be, and for that, we are praising God. How we will miss her, though.

It's been awhile, hasn't it?

Our C girl turned five today! When I think of it, our little Curly Sue halfway to double digits, really past the most impressionable ages of her youth, my heart lurches. Have we prayed for her and with her enough? It has been an awesome privilege to be C's mom for these five years, and I can't wait to do the next five.

We had a fun family celebration day. It began at church where we became official members today. Then, we went to Pizza Ranch and had lunch with Gram and Papa, Grandma Wee, Meg and TJ. Back at home, we added Nana and Papa, Gammy and Papa, Brian, Ellen, Kayley, and Jack for cake, ice cream, and presents. C received so many nice gifts. Poor girl gets her whole year's worth of gifts all within a ten day span. Bummer to have a December birthday, if you ask me.

I had a great post all ready to go and lost it. Not sure what happened. Maybe I rambled on too long. It had something to do with how I'm so thankful to be pursuing this adoption. Not only will the life of a Rwandan child be forever changed, but the worlds of six Iowans and many of those who love them will be rocked. What an awesome passion to be following. What opportunities for sharing the gospel...that each of us can be adopted by the King of the Universe....will be ours because of our little one's story? And now, I'll close, because I don't want to lose my post again and have to do it all over again.