Twelve Months

Months on the wait list:

Current longest waiting family has been waiting for (months):

26

We were fortunate enough to meet another gladney mom a few months ago (hi Jean!). She has been on the wait list for a year more than we have and she told us that the way she deals with the wait is by looking at the adoption process in 3-6 month increments. That gave me an idea. Due to the one-year mark, I will include a more detailed post of where we are on the list and how long the longest waiting family has been waiting for, every three months. I think this can help our family better “see” where we really are in the process but not obsess over it. Thanks to my OCD, I will start with this month in order to have an even four detailed posts within the next year. 

 

There are currently 78 families ahead of us, 16 of which are waiting specifically for siblings. Therefore, we are about number 62 on the single child list. (Remember, this does not mean that after 61 we are next. We could be skipped or we could receive a call before the families ahead of us when we get closer.)

On our twelve month waiting anniversary, we relaxed by the pool and grilled some burgers. My sister graduated yesterday and my nephew's birthday is tomorrow. Therefore, we are spending the weekend with family in Kingsville, TX.

Happy twelve months waiting!!!

Hitting the One Year Mark

We finally hit the one year mark tomorrow!! It really did fly by. I will admit however, the first 2 months were emotionally difficult. It felt as if time stood still. But time did keep ticking and now we are 12 months closer towards meeting our son. Referral wait times are still increasing but everyone, from our agency to the embassy, is working their behind off in order to provide a more ethical and stronger adoption program. That does not mean that times have been easy. Some days I get sad, some days I get frustrated, but most days I am hopeful and excited. I know in my heart that things will start to stabilize. I see us with an Ethiopian little boy…I see it! I know it will happen, maybe not tomorrow, but it will happen. Why else would God plant this little seed in our hearts?

I am anticipating the day when we will meet our son and officially become a family of three. Oh, man I can’t wait for that day to come! To witness such a beautiful miracle unfold before our eyes is going to be life changing. The love that we have for our son keeps growing with every day that goes by. We are and will continue to thank God everyday for walking with us on this incredible journey. Waiting this long for our little boy can only mean that we will forever cherish and love him. That the day when we finally get to hug and kiss him will be even that much sweeter. Once he is with us and we begin to live THAT life, the one with homeworks, school recitals, vacation trips, soccer practice, family dinners..., we will absolutely, no question about it, appreciate every single second of it.  

I have never made a prayer request...until now. Will you please pray with us? Pray for the process to start stabilizing. For all of the families that are waiting with us, especially for the ones that have been waiting a lot longer than we have, to feel at peace during this hard wait. For the children to feel loved and protected while THEY wait to be united with their new family. Finally, for the birth families of these children. I can't even imagine what they must be going through. Pray for God to guide them through the most difficult decision that they will ever make in their lives. 

Special gifts our son has received so far