Paying it Forward {our turn!}

It's time!!!  Yay!!!  It's time for us to Pay it Forward!!!!  (and I can hardly wait!)

I cannot tell you what a gift and gigantic blessing it has been each time we have received a picture, video and or update about Justice.  As soon as we received our referral, I emailed every family that I had been stalking knew was already in Addis or that would be traveling soon....

Everyone was more than happy to visit Justice and take pictures and video.  And let me just say that those pictures were not only a sort of life line while we have been waiting to travel but will be treasured forever and always!

So...We can't wait to Pay it forward and we will be more than honored to deliver care packages, hugs, kisses and love...and take pictures, video too!

Please email us directly at:  mail AT themathewsfam DOT net. 

Please include your child's name, age, which house they are in and a picture.  If you would like for us to deliver a care package- you will need to get it to us pretty soon (we travel in LESS than 2 weeks!!) 

Shower & One Week {MOWA}

Ok…So- WOW.  Sometimes this journey still feels like a time warp of some kind.  Time is FLYING and STALLING in a strange simultaneous fashion. (and it probably doesn't help that I am holding my breath ALOT which = a lack of much needed oxygen)   At any rate….our MOWA court date is ONE WEEK FROM TODAY.  ONE WEEK.  Nine days later…it's off into the wild blue!

Since I last posted, there has been all kinds of excitement!   Aside from the normal (continued) nesting and packing and such…Last week was homecoming week (which brings all kinds of extra this’s and that’s…) AND three of my sweet girlfriends hosted a beautiful shower for Justice!  

There were THE MOST yummy cupcakes and goodies and can I just say that I really enjoyed having a baby shower and NOT BEING the size of a small barn! (While I LOVED having my sweet beautiful babies and there were special moments in my pregnancies…overall…I was not the most comfortable or attractive pregnant person in the universe so……)  Anyway..  It was a gigantic blessing!  Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Back to looking ahead.  (I DO LONG for Living in the moment, really… I DO!)  Our MOWA court date. 

For those of you in the adoption community, you get this.  IT’S BIG.  For those of you who are not…trust me….IT’S BIG!  Basically in a nut shell….This is when the courts (Ministry of Women’s Affairs) in Ethiopia rule favorable or (not) for our adoption to move forward.  WE ARE BELIEVING THIS IS GOING TO BE a favorable decision. (period)  Thank you Jesus!

Once we pass through..like I said…We are off and running (flying) just 9 days later and should see our girl (face-to-face) on the 10th of October!! COULD THIS BE MORE EXCITING????

And HEY!!!…While I’m typing away (and not sure when the next post will be)  I want to give a SHOUT OUT and say Thanks to all of you out there who have been and are and continue to pray for our family and for our sweet girl Justice!!!   …And for all of you who have helped us in so many ways!  THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!  

If you have one eye on yesterday, and one eye on tomorrow, you're going to be cockeyed today. -Anonymous

Don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries.  Today’s trouble is enough for today. (Matthew 6:27, 34)

Nesting and Gladney Friends

The "nesting" instinct has officially set in.  They say that "nesting" is an uncontrollable urge to clean one's house brought on by a desire to prepare a nest for the new baby, to tie up loose ends of old projects and to organize your world...

I am here to tell you that "They" (whoever THEY are...) are 100% correct.  I am in an almost uncontrollable state all right!...AND I fully admit that I may be a little bit obsessed.

As far as the house...We had a garage sale last week (which by the way raised over $500 for our traveling costs!!!) so I cleaned out every closet and every drawer.  Now...it's about organizing and finishing all of those pesky unfinished projects. Which really does FEEL GREAT!!   I really do love "a place for everything and everything in it's place!"


We finally made our reservations at a guest house...which was a huge relief.  (one less thing!!)  I am excited to know of at least one other family that will be at the same guest house and even more excited that our kids (who are in the same Gladney house now...) will be able to hang out and play during our stay.

It's been a great comfort to chat with other Gladney Mommy's (I heart you all already!) who are going to be staying for Embassy.  (I think there are at least 5 that I know of?)  I am thinking we are going to have a blast and forge some life-long friendships in the process! Wow...what a journey!


28 days....(and counting.)

A Shot in the Arm {or 5!}

This week is flying by!  And yesterday was a GREAT DAY!

We got a really fun update on Justice and a funny picture.  She is FULL of personality and energy and apparently...a little bossy too!  Here is what the update said:

Still full of energy, this one!  Nothing’s changed on that front.  Today, I watched her play with the other H. in her house—who is over twice her age, by the way—and boss her around.  It was pretty cute.  She had many things to tell her, none of which the older H. did.  Nevertheless, H. wanted her the older one to know that play was serious, and that it needed to be done in a certain way.  The younger H. was smiling and laughing the whole time and so was the older one.  It was a delight to observe.

AND more good news!...

We also can officially cross TRAVEL SHOTS off of our TO-DO-LIST!  I won't say it was fun...

But a few hundred dollars (closer to four hundred), over three hours WAITING, some POKES and Bruises, sore arms... (AND some lite flu like symptoms)...WE ARE DONE and one step closer to getting on that plane!


34 days!