It's official. Not really. I just like to say that. But we kinda are. We are officially in the ring to be considered for the two precious boys from the waiting child list at Holt. Don't know if we stand a chance to be matched with them, as we're "up against" a family who has previously adopted and is already paper-ready. I don't really like to say "up against", because regardless, these fellas are going to get a home and a mom and a dad and siblings to love them.

The committee meeting is on Thursday. It's gonna be a LONG week!

Okay, so I know my blog is boring, thus far.

No pictures. No exciting news. Yet.

So, I thought I'd bore you by telling you about a book Lucas and I read. The most exciting thing about this post is that we each read this fatty book in less than a day. I know...we're wicked-fast readers. Our lightning speed-reading was due to the fact that we were highly motivated - our social worker wouldn't let us proceed with the boys in Ethi0pia until we had read this book.

"Our Own: Adopting and Parenting the Older Child", in case you can't read that for yourself. It's actually a scary book - lots of "worst case scenarios" about various behaviors one might see in an older adopted child. It was a very eye-opening book, though. A book everyone should read if they're considering adopting an "older" child. Gotta prepare yourself.

The one thing it doesn't take into consideration, however, is God. THE most important factor, in my opinion. Will it be hard? Yes. Will there be nutty temper tantrums that I don't know how to deal with? For sure. (Ugh!) Might there be poop smeared on the bathroom walls? Possibly. (I shudder to think.) But this I know for SURE. God has asked us to adopt. If He's asked us, and we obey, what makes me think that He won't provide for our EVERY need? He will. He always does.

"My help comes from the LORD who made heaven and earth! He will not let you stumble; the One who watches over you will not slumber."
Psalm 121:2,3

Probably the most annoying word to anyone pursuing adoption. And that's what we're doing...waiting.

Waiting to get the full file on these cute fellas so we can pour over it and pray over it to see if we can move forward with them.

Waiting to hear if the agency will match them with our family, despite their reservations about the boys' ages mixed with our girls' ages.

Waiting to hear God's voice - YES these are your boys! Or NO, move on.

So we wait, (somewhat) patiently.

We've found a pair of brothers! They're not ours (yet) - they haven't been assigned or referred. But the agency is reviewing our application to see if we'd be a match. The turtle's pace during this process is killing me!

I found the boys last week on an agency's Waiting Child List, before Lucas and I ever had the discussion of "let's start the adoption process." After we decided it was finally time to start, we put in our application with the agency. And then suddenly they were gone...being looked at by another family. I was disappointed.

Fast-forward 5 days, and the agency is calling me, asking if we might still be interested in these fellas. What?!?!?!?!?! So we're waiting, with hope, that they will say that the boys are a "good fit" for our family, so that we can proceed with the mountain of paperwork.

These sweet boys are in Ethiopia, and are ages 3 and 5. The three year old has club feet, but it's being corrected, so they are both considered special needs (the other one is because he is "old").

I've seen their faces. Gasp! I'm in love already...

My couch is ugly. And small. It's a love-seat, actually, and I love it for a small handful of reasons:

Number 1: It was my sweet grandmother's couch. She was a shorty, at 4'11", so she had no need for a long ol' couch. I had the privilege of living with her in college - no one else on campus had a 76 year old roommate. I inherited it from her after she went home to be with Jesus. The right arm of 'said couch' has a worn spot where she used to rest her little head while watching Law & Order reruns every night.

Number 2: It's soft and squishy.

But the big fat reason I love my ugly couch is because it's a reminder of our priorities (mine and my husband's). It means that we are beginning to value things of this world less and less, and are seeking the things that touch the heart of God more and more. It means that rather than saving up for a big new sectional-with-chaise-lounger, we'll be spending and saving our money for things that really matter. Like bringing little ones home to live with us. To give them a family and a home and lots and lots of love.

And this is why I have started this blog. Not necessarily so everyone can read my mind-numbing posts, but to chronicle this amazing, overwhelming journey so that someday he/she/they can read about it. And also because I have a weak-sauce memory, and if it ain't down on "paper", I won't remember it.

And mostly to give God His worthy, all-deserved glory. Thank You for putting sweet, precious orphans on our hearts.