Day 2: Saturday morning Holt arranged for some site-seeing. They took us to the famous National Museum of Ethiopia, where we saw the world renown “Lucy” – the most complete human ancestor discovered anywhere in the world (if you believe in evolution). There were also many cool Ethiopian artifacts and treasures from past emperors. We had our own tour guide and it was a fun experience and great way to learn about Emma’s ET heritage. Afterward we enjoyed lunch at “Lucy’s restaurant and bar.” It was a fun atmosphere in a grass hut type style building. We played it safe and enjoyed the pizza!
The rest of the afternoon we were taken back to the care center for more bonding, play time with Emma. We brought a couple of toys along and had fun playing with her on the floor. She is very snugly and doesn’t like to be held away from our body. We also discovered that she can’t sit up very well on her own and really doesn’t like it if you try to stand her up. I think the one on one attention and the bouncer we have will help cure this in no time.

We got a kick out of the translation on the sign in front of this throne -

instead of “No Flashes” it said “No Flashlights”

As of right now our travel plans include leaving a few days early with a stop over in Paris and then on to Addis Abba to meet our little girl! We will be arriving on Christmas morning and couldn’t think of a better Christmas present!

As far as travel – we have not been given a date yet. Our agency will be hard at work lining up a Visa appointment for Emma at the US embassy and getting the remainder of her paperwork in order so she can come home. They estimate that this will take around 6-8 weeks but we have seen other families travel in as little as 3 weeks. So we will plan on 8 weeks and be pleasantly surprised if we travel in less!

Thank you for all of your prayers and the kindness you have shown us along this journey. It has been longer then we expected, painful and very stretching at times but when we think about the precious little girl waiting for us at the end of the road, it’s been worth every minute!

Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name. ~Psalm 103:1

Learn to do good.
Seek justice.
Help the oppressed.
Defend the cause of orphans.
Fight for the rights of widows.

~Isaiah 1:17

A few months ago my sweet little boy came down with the flu as children often do. He was running a fever and didn’t want to do anything but snuggle up on his mommy’s lap. As I held him and stroked his hair I began to think of what it would be like not to have a mommy to hold you when you were sick. To live in an orphanage and have no one that loves you and cares for you like a family does. To wake up in the night and feel alone. I can’t even imagine what it would feel like and it brings tears to my eyes to think of it.

We need to stand up for the cause of orphans. Live out the scripture in Isaiah 1:17 “Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows.” Notice all the action words: Learn, Seek, Help, Defend, Fight. Even if you have not been called to adopt a child personally, you have been called to stand up in some way for the cause of orphans, the fatherless.

This coming Sunday, November 8th, is the first-ever Orphan Sunday, an opportunity to raise awareness and to learn how you can make a difference. It’s put on by a diverse group of organizations supporting adoption and orphan care, including Cry of the Orphan Campaign, Show Hope, Christian Alliance for Orphans, Focus on the Family and Family Life Today. Steven Curtis Chapman will also be performing a live concert! Check it out for yourself: Orphan Sunday

This Sunday is also extra special to us as it marks two years since we brought our boy home. We will be celebrating with our friends and family by sharing a Korean meal and watching the Orphan Sunday concert together!

Then…

Now…

]]> http://www.caceyklein.com/2009/11/orphan-sunday/feed/ 0 http://www.caceyklein.com/2009/10/another-postponement/ http://www.caceyklein.com/2009/10/another-postponement/#comments Fri, 30 Oct 2009 19:11:36 +0000 Cacey http://www.caceyklein.com/?p=860 Thank you for praying for our Ethiopian court date last Wednesday night. We received word that it didn’t actually happen and has been postponed until November 23rd. The main reason we were given is that the court dockets are too full (they just reopened after a 6 week closure). We know you have been praying for us because despite our deep disappointment we have a peace and strength that is not of ourselves. What a comfort to know that our Lord holds our daughter in His hands and has already ordained the day she will come home. Thank you so much for your prayers on our behalf!

• All her paperwork will be in order
• Her birth family will make it (they are required to be there and often have to travel from far away villages)
• Electricity (Ethiopia has very unreliable electricity)
• Our hearts would rest in God’s perfect timing and except the outcome even if it means another postponement or not passing the first time
• The babies of six other families whose cases will also be heard tonight (if we all pass we will likely be traveling together!)

But you, O Lord, are a shield around me;
you are my glory, the one who holds my head high.
I cried out to the Lord,
and he answered me from his holy mountain.
I lay down and slept,
yet I woke up in safety,
for the Lord was watching over me.

~Psalm 3:3-5

In peace I will lie down and sleep,
for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe.

~Psalm 4:8

If you haven’t done it before it’s quite simple. Here’s the method I used…

• First I peeled the fruit

• Simmered it in a large pot until soft

• Drained the fruit and pureed it in a blender

• Poured the finished product into ice cube trays and stuck it in the freezer

• Once it was frozen solid I transferred it from the tray to zip-locks

It’s nice to know I have something healthy (peaches picked right off of Grammie and Pop’s tree!) to give my daughter – plus it saves money. Each ice cube tray is equal to 6 jars of baby food, which range in cost anywhere from 50 – 85 cents. Which means I save $3.00 to $5.00 per tray! That can really add up!

If you’d like to try it yourself I would recommend checking out www.wholesomebabyfood.com. They have tons of great recipes, tips and charts that list what foods to introduce at what age.

It was planned and hosted by both Grandmas and lots of aunties. They did an amazing job putting effort into every detail.  It was a very special evening and I was extremely blessed by the outpouring of love!!

Since it was a surprise I didn’t have my camera with me so I’ll post pic’s of the actual shower later. For now here are a few of the goodies she received…

Lots of adorable little girl dresses and outfits – she will be well dressed!

Sweet little bows, ribbons and accessories – so cute!

Her first baby doll from Auntie Marie, Uncle Christian and Cousin Addy! Behind her is a special cuddly pink and brown blanket from Nana – we’re planning on taking both to Ethiopia for Emma to enjoy right away!

We also received several large/group gifts - a double stroller so I can still walk at the park with two little ones, a new car seat, a pack n’play (I borrowed on for Spencer so it’s great to have my own) and a red wagon both kids can sit in! I was BLOWN away by the generosity of our friends and family – we received so many amazing gifts and are now completely prepared for our little gir’ls arrival! Thank you everyone!

In the middle of Spencer’s adoption we received word that babies were not going to be released for adoption until they reached 6 months old – this brought referrals to a halt and added about 3-6 months onto our wait. When my husband’s family was in the process of adopting my sister-in-law, Dora, the government changed hands and they were required to do their paperwork all over again – adding a whole year until she could come home.

When you see a picture of that little face, all you want to do is bring them home and love them. But instead of sitting around worrying about possible setbacks, I’ve been trying to dwell on the fact that nothing happens outside of God’s control and I just need to trust and rest in His perfect timing.

Easier said than done – but I’m working on it!

And It helps to stay busy while you wait! I’ve been sewing, painting, stamping and more! So this is part 1 of several posts to come, displaying my most recent projects…

Emma’s Crib

Spencer and Emma will be sharing a room, so I picked green and brown colors to paint the walls and then added pink to Emma’s side and blue to Spencer’s.

I already have a really cute jungle animal crib set that I used for Spencer, with all the matching acessories, but of course it’s too boyish to use for a girl. I started looking for a girl set that wasn’t too expensive but most of the ones I liked were upwards of $200.

Then I stumbled upon a mix and match set at Target where you could pick individual pieces to buy and they were much more affordable! So I purchased a quilt (pictured above), a crib sheet and a set of receiving blanket (for a total of $26) and had the bright idea to modify the set I already owned. They have the same green and brown colors that I painted the walls and coordinate perfectly!

So I used the receiving blankets like material, cut them into flowers and changed this…

Into this…

And with the extra pieces I made my first rag quilt!