Tickets are booked!

After a few days of jumping through a few more hoops to ensure that my immigration form is at all the U.S. offices and at the Embassy, I was finally given the O.K. to buy my tickets!!
I immediately called the travel agency and we're all set!! We're scheduled to fly out on February 19th and return home on Sunday the 28th. We're flying from GR to Detroit, onto Amsterdam and then to Ethiopia. I'm so excited, I think I may even pack Grace's suitcase this weekend. I'm hoping for an updated medical report so I know how much she weighs before we go. I'm not sure if I should bring 3-6 month size clothes, or 6-9 months. Since booking the tickets, my to-do list just increased dramatically. It's a good thing I like lists.
The picture on the side is Abby sitting in Grace's highchair. I brought the chair upstairs to clean up and get ready. Abby climbed right into it and asked for some crackers. What a funny girl! And yes, she's still wearing her big sister shirt. It's a definite hit!

"Big Sister" Delight!

Today at school I got a great gift from a friend! Matching "big sister" and "little sister" pajamas!! They are adorable. Abby and Grace don't have any sister items, so I was super excited to get some.
When I came home with them Abby immediately wanted to rip her clothes off and put them on. She thought it was hilarious that her shirt said she was the big sister. She was also quite proud of it and hasn't taken it off since.
Our friend Jessie came over tonight to do some laundry and brought her fun laundry basket. Abby crawled right inside with her leapster. Doesn't she look cute?

God is fast...thanks for the prayers!

Guess what I found in my mailbox today! It was my I-171H form from the U.S. Immigration office. This is the form I was waiting for and praying for. Thank you so much for all your prayers on my behalf. I now officially have all the needed paperwork to bring Grace home. Didn't God work really fast? He's amazingly awesome!!

Tentative Travel Plans!!

I have tentative travel plans!! Yahoo!!
I heard from my adoption agency today and my tentative U.S. Embassy appointment is Thursday, February 25th. This means that I will travel that week. I'm busy working with my travel agency on specific dates.
I am asking for some prayers. Since my adoption has taken so long, I had to have a U.S. form updated by our immigration office. This form needed to be renewed and it was mailed over a month ago, but I have yet to receive it. This form is needed in order for me to travel. I would appreciate your prayers that it will be received soon.
Grace will turn six months old when I get her. It was the exact same time line with Abby. She also turned six months old when I was picking her up in Guatemala. Doesn't God have a sense of humor? :)
Yes, the travel dates are about a month away, but after waiting almost two years, what's 30 more days!!?!!?
Let the preparations begin!

New pictures!!!

I got new pictures of Grace!! One of our families from my agency just got back from Ethiopia and they were able to take pictures of Grace!! Woohoo!! They were so kind to check in on her and to let me that she's being loved on by the nannies and the nurse. It does my heart good to know that she's being taken care of, but it also makes me want her home even more. Isn't she just the cutest!!!

Books for Grace

We're still getting things ready for Grace. Today we went through a few more boxes and uncovered a few more things. I found this baby book that you fill with pictures of your family. Abby has her own matching book. I brought it down with me when we brought Abby home and she loved it. Sometimes she still pulls it out to look at the pictures. So I thought Grace should have one too. It has close up pictures of me, Abby, my parents and one picture of her cousins. I was cutting all the pictures and fitting them into the book when Abby declared that she wanted to make a book for Grace too. So she immediately ran to her table and started taping a book together and writing Grace's name on it.

She put a picture of her with Princess Ariel (which she is sure that Grace will want to see) and she drew a picture of our family. I guess she's "nesting" too! :)

not much, just a few pictures

All that's consuming my mind lately is Grace. What's she doing? Is she eating? Is she growing, both spiritually and physically? Is someone holding her when she cries? What is her love language? Does she know how much I long to be with her?
I'm still waiting to hear about my travel plans. Hopefully I will hear on Monday about the Embassy appointment and that will determine my travel. I am still waiting for my updated I-171H form from US Citizenship and Immigration. This form is vital to the adoption. Since it's taken me almost two years, I had to update my form. I'm starting to get a little nervous that it won't be here on time. It's a daily prayer that I'll find it in my mailbox.
I have started to get a few more things ready for Grace. Baby food was on sale this week so my cupboard is stocked and ready. I even finally painted her name and decorated it. I'll hang in on the wall in her bedroom right next to Abby's name. They look really cute together. Abby's been busy too! She so creative! You should see the shows and dances that get performed on a nightly basis. She was chosen this past week to bring the special "show and tell" to school. She struggled with what special thing to bring. First it was one thing, and then another, and then yet another. Finally we settled on her doll Susie. It's the one on the left in the picture. It's by far her favorite doll. I was so excited to hear how the show and well went when I got home, but Abby told me that they ran out of time and she didn't get to share. But she does get to bring Susie again next week so we'll see what happens then.

Abby's also been fighting me lately for the computer. Haha! She loves to sit down and play her games or play around on her favorite websites. I can't believe that she knows so much about the computer and she's only four years old! She's a professional on moving that mouse around and on moving all over the websites. Let's hope that computer savyness continues!