Tuesday, when we saw her face.

So.

Our wait was not long, compared to many adoption waits. The difficulty of the wait is, I think, relative to expectations. Ours went months longer than we expected, so it was hard. Come Tuesday morning, I was pretty ragged around the edges. Michael had talked to our caseworker, Abbey, on Friday. Basically to say, "We are sad. Is there anything you can tell us?" Abbey was very sympathetic and kind, vaguely alluding to paperwork issues on the Ethiopian side. I felt much better after their talk--just touching base and knowing we hadn't been forgotten was helpful.

Clearly Abbey hung up the phone and immediately wrote us an encouraging card, which we received on Monday. I wondered if she was sending it to us to prep us emotionally for another stretch of waiting......

So, ragged around the edges. Late Tuesday morning, I went up to Michael's school (formerly my school) to let the staff know I was interested in subbing this semester. Ran into and visited with some of my dear friends there--Emily, Debbie, Susanne, Melanie. Talked about the adoption, teared up in Emily's office. Left for lunch at a Thai restaurant with Akemi. Akemi, who leaves with her husband for Cambodia in a week. They hope to establish an orphanage there. Talked about adoption with Akemi, of course, considering she now has 10 adopted children. Cried about the recent death of her son, and of her father, and also how good God has been in the midst of it. Left lunch, headed up north toward the tutoring center where I work. I was really early; I planned to sit in my car and read a manuscript Akemi gave me (because yes, she is also writing a book) for awhile before going inside.

3pm. I am driving north on the tollway, listening to NPR, of course. My pink Barbie cellphone rings. It's an 817 number. Hmmmm. Gladney is supposed to call Michael first if we get our referral. And it doesn't say UNKNOWN like the legend foretells. I answer and hear a sweet voice on the other end. It's Abbey, and we exchange a few sentences as a question mark grows larger in my mind. I am trying not to go there. "I have some reeeeeally good news for you!" she says happily.

I call Michael, who's in inservice. "What? WHAT???" I exit the tollway and head toward school for the second time that day. I am peaceful, though my hands are shaking. I keep losing track of where I'm going; it takes me way too long to get there. We lock ourselves in his classroom, sit at his desk, and call Abbey back.

Our conversation lasts an hour. We see pictures, read through documents; we hear why there has been such a delay. We hear a hard, hard story about a birthmother. I am numb--overwhelmed with information, heavy information. We hang up and have a brief face-to-face conversation. She is the one who is ordained for our family, we believe. We call back and accept the referral.

We have forgotten we are not at home. We are in a workplace, a school buzzing with school-starts-tomorrow! energy. Michael unlocks the door, and we stare at the pictures. People start to find out when they stop by to ask about the new tardy policy. They find out when they come borrow a chair. I send a few key text messages out: "It's a girl!!!" Some dear friends, Melanie, Jami, Laura, and Emily burst in screaming. Emily has tears streaming down her face. Jami bear-hugs me again and again, and we all stare at the little face on the computer. Michael and I, the World's Slowest Processors, are grinning and stunned. We begin calling family and friends. General chaos ensues.


For this child we have prayed! Yesterday was the first time we saw her precious face.

Greetings from the stratosphere.

We are still in shock! I just ate for the first time today; if you know anything about me, you know that I am NOT a meal-skipper!

The "call story" will have to wait a bit. I am not up to it quite yet--still spinning, spinning.


But trust me, she is the most lovely baby you've ever seen. We hear she is playful and easygoing, and loves to be held. She has my dark eyes. :) And lots of hair. And those eyelashes are killing me.

God has been so good to us.

She is a little sick at the moment with a mono-type virus. Please pray she gets well soon.

We are celebrating with friends tonight!

Thank you for your overwhelming support. We are basking in it.

Love,
Jana

We have IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

REFERRAL!!!!!!!

Oh, thank you, Jesus, You are so good.

She is just beautiful. Eight months old.

More later.


Love, love.


-Jana

The Alexanders are in Dubai!

...and headed to ET to meet their sweet baby, Abe! Follow their journey......

No news, friends!

But thank you for all the encouraging emails, etc. We appreciate you. We are getting close to seven months waiting!



Here's a gratuitous picture of Giz for you:

Prints.

Thanks for asking about the prints. I loaded my two new Ethiopia-themed prints onto Etsy--you can take a look at them here. I am printing a small edition of both--which means that if someone purchases one off my etsy site, I will reload another print from the edition so someone else can buy one. I hope to cut a few more images soon--as soon as I get new supplies in; I ran out of lino.

Each print is considered an original piece of art, not a reproduction. Here is a beautiful explanation of the woodcut/linoleum cut process.

two!

Sweet, sweet news for our dear friends!

I've been working!

Ethiopian Boy: hand-cut, hand-printed block print. 5x5 inches.

Daughter: hand-cut, hand-printed block print. 9x12 inches.

we are proud of our friends.

our friends are making art. musical art. we think they are really talented.

here's jamie:

here's benj:

together, they are......The Beaten Sea.

you can listen to some of their first recordings here. and you should! you especially should listen if you like old country, bluegrass, and the like.

Hanging around.

You might wonder where we are in our "wait." I've kind of lost count of weeks; we are well over the six-month mark now. The courts officially closed about a week ago, so if and when we get our referral, we won't have a court date until at least October. Michael starts school soon, and I am currently on a three-week break from tutoring. It's been really nice. Restful. I'm reading a lot. Comtemplating buying a new, much nicer camera. Cutting on a few printing blocks, and proofing them. Hanging around.

Two sweet tiny people.

Michael and I are honored to be new god-parents to AnnaBelle and J. Ross. They were baptized on Sunday, and we were privileged to take part in the sacrament. A. and J.'s parents, Kerri and Josh, went to college with Michael. They sweetly hosted us in their home for the weekend.....We had a great time talking, drinking coffee, going to the farmer's market and talking some more.

J. Ross marvels over Michael's big boots. J. Ross has his boots on, too: "tiiiiiiny boots."

Smiling at my sleeping god-daughter.








After the baptism: the good picture with parents, Josh and Kerri.







After the baptism: wheels off.

Former "Lost Boy" to Bear US Flag and A Commentary

Maybe you've seen the film God Grew Tired of Us? Well, if so, here's a great story about the man, a former "Lost Boy," who will be leading the US athletes into the opening ceremonies tomorrow at the Beijing Olympics.

Also from the CNN site, there is a commentary from Steven Curtis Chapman, the Christian singer whose daughter was tragically killed a few months back. He writes about her, Maria, and the many children in the world waiting to be adopted.

And Furthermore....

For some really lovely (professional) photos of the Blog Union, go here. Thanks, Drew and Carey!

It was a joy to see all these people! I was a bit concerned that the weekend might actually make me sad, since we're at such a crucial waiting time in our process, but instead, the whole experience encouraged and refreshed me. I felt like people were pouring their "adoption energy" into me; I was running a bit low, you know. I was especially moved by watching the older Ethiopian children play---the ones who'd been adopted at four, at five, at eight. A truly beautiful sight. Kind of got me thinking.

Not to mention that I made it home with an adorable orange felted wool tea-cosy: I mean, is this cute or what? Lori and Ted's housemate, Susan, makes them out of recycled sweaters. She has more for sale. Pop on over to her blog if you're interested--I'm sure she'd ship you one.

Friends in California!!

I was a little late joining the party, due to a missed flight and a rather unhelpful airline. *cough, Delta, cough* Anyway, I nearly ended up not coming. Thanks, Lori, for giving me a pep talk.

So now I'm back home. According to my husband, it was a record-breaking 107 degrees here yesterday. Lord. I have a friend in town, so here are some pictures in lieu of actual commentary. I didn't take any that really captured a sense of the wonderfully large group of people who were there--over 100, in fact. Hopefully I'll write more soon. How lovely it was to meet everyone!!!