I know... I AM HORRIBLE AT THIS!

So much has happened since I last got to blog, I have thought about blogging and WANTING to write so much in the last 9 weeks, and honestly it has all been a little crazy.

Here is a quick recap and my plan for the blog moving forward:

Oct 29, 2012- I flew to Ethiopia without a Court decree in the hopes that I would land and be able to take custody of the kids on Nov 1.

Oct 30, 2012- I landed and received word we HAD OUR COURT DECREE!! Two more Huff's had officially joined our family. The plan was for me to do three visits to the orphanage and then take custody on Nov 1. The purpose of this was that the social worker here in the states thought a gradual transition for the kids would be better than just taking them right away... so on Oct 30 I went to the orphanage to be reunited with my babies after 11 months of being separated. PLANS TO RECAP THIS LATER ON

Oct 31, 2012- After a long sleepless night, I made the decision to take the kids from the orphanage and NOT do the gradual transition. WE LEFT TOGETHER BEFORE LUNCH!

After much drama with USCIS, we finally cleared Embassy the day after Thanksgiving, along with Ricky who had joined me in Ethiopia a week before, we left for the US on Black Friday =)

We have now been home 4 1/2 weeks. We have had a multitude of company the last week, celebrated Christmas for the first time as a whole family and had much time to bond.

Here is what I have learned: Things never go as you expect. I want to elaborate more on this, and I will. I have been keeping a list in my head of the things I want to blog about. Things that I think every adoptive parent should know. Things I wish the world around us knew about adoption. Things I need to processes through.

So in short here is the plan for 2013 and this blog...
I want to recap our time in Ethiopia (complete with pictures and some of my thoughts and the people we met).
I want to touch on a few topics of things I am processes through as an adoptive parent... like how the entire world does not see this adoption the same way I do.

I want to touch on some things I wish the world around me knew about adoption in general... but this one might take some time.. because I need to pray about how to deliver some of what I am wanting to say.

I left my computer cord at the office, to which I haven't been to in a while... like 3 months... and so I am using Ricky's until I can figure it out on the ipad... blog posts might be few and far between, but I want to get it all down. I want to remember these moments and have something to look back at in a year, two years and three years.

As I am writing, Ricky tells me he gets an email notification every-time I post a blog... something wigs me out about having my own husband read this... GET OVER IT B!! 
 

Another small delay.. but we knew it was coming

Well, our court date came and went yesterday without a Court decree.. but we knew that it might be possible. You see the Court in Ethiopia is moving through court dates so quickly that sometimes Federal MOWA is having a harder time keeping up with the demand for file review and recommendations. We knew that they might lag a few days behind... thus the lack of stress regarding this specific issue.

Oh how I am wishing there were more hours in the day. I am still not packed, I am still actually working through my packing list. In my mind, extended stay is so much more intense than a week stay. So I guess that is making a little crazy. I am thankful to have such an amazing group of adoptive Momma's to glean wisdom from about my extended stay. I have learned the following:

I can get medications for things like Scabied, Lice and Giardia in Ethiopia with little problems. I have learned that I need to pack more than one pillow case... hmmm... can anyone say lice? EEEWWWW!

I am working through this list and I have to say, staying in country and working through things like lice and scabies and ringworm sound better than passing them to the other 8 people in our home. THAT SOUNDS LIKE A NIGHTMARE!!!

Remember this..?

Well, I am getting back on a jet plane and headed to Ethiopia to go take custody of our little ones! I am very excited and nervous. I am leaving October 29! While I am gone, for a length of time I do not know yet, I will be leaving my amazing husband and our littles here. I know he has lots of support, but man I am nervous about all the added stress for him while I am gone.

I have been cooking lots of meals and am planning a cooking day with my mom to freeze a bunch of pre-cooked or crock pot meals for them in the hopes that having dinners done will help.

We have been so blessed by the people who have helped financially for my extended stay.... It was overwhelming to say the least. We have calculated the total to be about $65 a day for me to be there with the kids... If you wanted to help still, you can click on the "ChipIn" link on the right =)

Please be praying for our family, while we are thousands of miles apart yet again, to be strong.. to lean on God and the people God has placed near us. Please be praying for G and G, I know the transition will be exciting and scary for them. 

A date... a date..

Today we received word that our Court Decree will be ready October 22, 2012, and then G & G will legally be HUFF's!

We are beyond happy and still a little in shock that this is finally happening after waiting so long. Please be praying for us while we make travel arrangements. Also if you could be listing up G & G as their little worlds are about to change, that God would cover them in peace and that they would be blessed by our time together in Ethiopia.

Happy Birthday Baby Girl

For 11 months we have waited for one single piece of paper, one paper that said something we already knew... that our G & G needed a Momma and Daddy to love, care for, and protect them. 

Thursday, October 4, was my baby girl's 2nd birthday. I was at my parents getting ready for my soon to be sister-in-law's bridal shower when at about 10:30am Catherine from BCSI called me. I know her number by heart, I know it because every week she called to tell me this WAS NOT the week we had been waiting for and that maybe next week was the week. 

It was late in the day Ethiopia time, and I figured she was delaying the inevitable by calling so late in the morning. My disappointed tears we already brimming my eyes when I answered the phone. Something was different in her voice.. she was almost chipper... "Hello Brandi, this is Catherine..." something was going on.. my hands started to shake.. "I wanted to be able to tell you that we received word that your letter has been signed and Ash has approved your case." Commence sobbing... As I sat around the table with my sister, brother-in-law, and parents... I received one of the most amazing phone calls EVER! We got the letter we have waited and prayed for... we got it!

This moment was tinged with sadness, my sweet sister-friends who have been struggling through this journey with us, waiting and hoping for a letter of their own, did not receive a letter Thursday and our hearts are heavy for them. I never imagined moving through without them. I never imagined being the one to plan my flight, without my girls. My heart is heavy and I am praying for a miracle and standing with them to fight! 

But she is SOOOO busy :/

We have been waiting for the signatures we need from the head of SMOWA for over three weeks now. Each time our social worker has an appointment to receive the documents with the needed signatures the person who needs to sign them is not available.

Two weeks: She was sick... and just could not come to work...
Last week: So busy from being sick she did not have time to review
This week... She was in a meeting and could not be bothered...

So we wait and pray... every Tuesday and Thursday it is like a roller coaster of thoughts and emotions.

Moment of honesty here:
If one more person tells me "All in God's perfect timing" I am going to freak out! I know God's over arching plan is for Him to be glorified. Glorified in the waiting, glorified in the heart break, glorified in the reunion of our family. HOWEVER, I know that God does sit there and smile down on this woman as she forces our children to stay in an orphanage. I know that the reason they are still there is not because God hasn't planned for them to come home yet or we are not ready, but because of human's and their selfish desires to be powerful. Sin is the reason our children are not home yet, selfishness and the need for power are the reason our children are not home yet... Not God.

Is Satisfied...

On Friday of last week we received word that the "expert" who was reviewing our case "... is satisfied" and it is now with the head of SMOWA for signatures. We were told that we would have a decision today, however, this morning learned that the head of SMOWA was ill and not able to come to work yesterday, so she did not review and sign our documents as expected. She told our agency she would have a decision on Friday (Thursday being a Holy Day).

This roller coaster keeps getting more crazy....