March Update

It's officially spring in Michigan...and there is a fresh layer of snow on the ground. This, after nearly a week of 50's and 60's and coatless weather. How is this fair? Oh yeah, life isn't fair, as Logan AND Leah reminded me this morning in the bathroom (as they poured a bucket full of water on the edge of the marble tub). *sigh*

You all deserve an update...and I need to get some things off my shoulders! Shoo!

So, Gotcha Day was a huge success! Logan is beginning to really connect with her Birth Country, which is so very exciting to me! She loves the fact that she has a day to celebrate Guatemala. She doesn't understand WHY exactly, but we keep talking about this!!!! She keeps relating it to her birthday, which in reality, it is a form of a birthday...a birth of a FAMILY! So, maybe she's on to something!!!

So, after Gotcha Day...life has went on! We've been waiting INTENTLY for the phone to ring from our Adoption Agency to hear on a referral!!!! But nothing! Yes, we are still #1 on the wait list for a little girl 12-18 months of age. And as far as we know, we are still #5 for an infant 0-12 months of age. And who knows on the twin list, either #1 or #2...twins are rare...but we've heard that story before!!! :) One big announcement that we did hear from Ethiopia's government was that they may require adoptive families to make another trip to Ethiopia for court, which happens soon after the referral. This mandate is in response to many adoptive families "abandoning" their already adopted children in Ethiopia after the court process is completed. Who would ever?!?!?! UGH! So, in response to this tragedy, the government has said parents must come to the country and see the child, state in front of the Court that they will take this child as their own. The problem that I have with this is that we are then asked to return the child to the orphanage and return to the States. NOT ME!! We visited the girls in Guatemala for a week, then returned to MI for 5 1/2 months and waited for the paperwork to be finished. This mommy will never again leave her child in another country. Josh and I have decided, if approved by the authorities, that I will stay in Ethiopia with the baby while the paperwork is approved and Josh can return to the States. A huge deal, but the emotional bonding that we lose by leaving this child could be devastating. I won't do it again!

On a happier note...my niece was in the West Michigan Youth Ballet production of Cinderella yesterday. She was sooooooo beautiful and it was a great day!

We also celebrated her mom's, Shannon's, birthday! But to top off the two events, there was a raffle drawing for all of the little girls who came to the ballet. Each little girl got a ticket with a number on it. At the end, they drew two tickets, each to come up on stage to get crowned by the prince as well as by either Cinderella or the Fairy Godmother. Well, by george, Logan's ticket number was called! And by golly, she walked up in front of the entire hall of patrons to be crowned "princess of the day" by the Fairy Godmother! She was a ham...totally cut out for the part! Waving to the crowd...elbow, elbow, wrist, wrist, wrist!!!!!!

We now move on into Spring, hoping to enjoy more and more of those coatless days and fewer of these white snowy days! But we are certainly finding joy in being a family of four, while this still lasts!!!