Well, it's finally done! After almost a week of packing, unpacking, re-arranging, and packing again, I have all of the items to take to the orphanages we will visit in Ethiopia packed. And, I finally got it down to 2 1/2 suitcases. This leaves 1 suitcase for Rosie and I to share, and a half a suitcase for my Mom! (Don't worry, she's cool with that.) We wanted to pack really light so that we would have room for lots of donations.
Wondering why it took so long to get it all packed? It's because of how much there was. Thanks to my choir friends and the homeschool group from our church this is what I needed to fit into our packing: 112 (4-dose) boxes of electrolyte replacement, 72 pairs of crocs, 15 pairs of socks, 3 pair girls undies, 7 t-shirts, 2 pair shorts, 3 sleepsuits, 23 toothbrushes, 500 band-aids, 4 tubes triple antibiotic cream, 4 tubes of hydrocortisone, 2 bottles of multi-vitamins, gallon ziploc bag of hair accessories, 22 boxes of crayons, 10 boxes of markers, 8 boxes of colored pencils, 64 pencils, 1 pencil sharpener, 25 ink pens, 3 highlighters, 1 pair scissors, 20 notebooks, 16 coloring books, 4 children's CDs, 100-piece puzzle, large bag of stickers, bag of girls' bracelets, 25 small tubs of play-doh, 2 travel size etch-a-sketch, 16 balls, 8 dolls, 4 recorders, 18 toy cars, 1 toy airplane, 8 jump ropes, quart bag of plastic animals, and 4 baseball gloves.
I am so excited to have these items to take and want to send another big thanks to all of those who helped gather items to bless the kids I will have the chance to meet!
Now it's on to trying to pack the small infirmary I am taking with me for just in case. My packing list gives a whole new meaning to "everything but the kitchen sink", but it is Ethiopia and I don't know exactly what Rosie will need and want to make sure I can treat anything she has when I get her and can treat any nasties that Mom or I might pick up. A look at my carry-on would give the impression that I am going to start my own hospital, equipped as it is with stethoscope, thermometer, nitrile gloves, iodine, ointments, bandages, and a large assortment of pills to treat just about anything you can think of.
We haven't heard anything about changes to our travel dates yet, so I am going ahead and getting prepared now, and then if they aren't changed I'll be ready, and if they are I'll have some extra time to play in the garden and fit in extra school with the boys.
Some of you have asked about where a picture of Rosie is. For now, there aren't any posted. Ethiopia takes the privacy of its' children very seriously, so until Rosie is legally a Moffatt we aren't able to share her photos online. But I promise that as soon as we hear that we have passed court there will be pictures posted!
Loving, Laughing, and Learning to Embrace My Life as a Living Sacrifice
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Monday, March 16, 2009
Back From the Farm
Nathan had been planning his birthday party for months. He started back in December, and had been refining the big plans ever since. The plan: a trip to the farm to spend time with the only person ornerier than him-his Grandpa. Nathan and Grandpa together are big trouble. Nathan refers to Grandpa as "that teaser", and spends the entirety of any trip to the farm seeing how he can tease and pester Grandpa, who happily returns the favor.
He wanted to go fishing, too. Not that a fishing trip is actually about catching fish at this stage of life. It's about riding in the back of the truck in the field, casting your line into the water as often as possible, messing with worms, stomping in cow pies, throwing rocks in the water, and seeing if you can wade in before Mom catches you.
He also enjoyed planning his birthday menu. It was planned entirely for the pleasure of the boy's stuffed animals. He wanted baked tilapia (his bear likes fish), new potatoes (bears like potatoes, too), cooked carrots (Noah's bunny loves carrots), and baby peas (Bunnies like peas, too). For his cake, he asked for carrot cake (bears and bunnies like carrot cake), and he wanted it decorated with carrots and bunnies. King Arthur Flour was selling some great carrot and rabbit cake decorations, so that was easy.
That boy loves his cupcakes! Well, to be honest, he loves frosting, and it's worth eating a cupcake in order to have all of the frosting off of the top.
And now, it's off to unpack, do laundry, and try to get the boys calmed down enough that they'll be ready for school tomorrow!
He wanted to go fishing, too. Not that a fishing trip is actually about catching fish at this stage of life. It's about riding in the back of the truck in the field, casting your line into the water as often as possible, messing with worms, stomping in cow pies, throwing rocks in the water, and seeing if you can wade in before Mom catches you.
He also enjoyed planning his birthday menu. It was planned entirely for the pleasure of the boy's stuffed animals. He wanted baked tilapia (his bear likes fish), new potatoes (bears like potatoes, too), cooked carrots (Noah's bunny loves carrots), and baby peas (Bunnies like peas, too). For his cake, he asked for carrot cake (bears and bunnies like carrot cake), and he wanted it decorated with carrots and bunnies. King Arthur Flour was selling some great carrot and rabbit cake decorations, so that was easy.
That boy loves his cupcakes! Well, to be honest, he loves frosting, and it's worth eating a cupcake in order to have all of the frosting off of the top.
And now, it's off to unpack, do laundry, and try to get the boys calmed down enough that they'll be ready for school tomorrow!
Friday, March 13, 2009
Adoption Update
If there is one thing that is predictable about international adoption, it is it's unpredictability.
It's fairly inevitable given how many people and government organizations are involved to make an adoption happen. Especially as governments seem to be prone to delays, changes in policy, and changes in operating procedure on a frequent basis.
Yesterday's e-mail brought us this news: the American Embassy in Addis Ababa has decided that they are under-staffed, and as such they are going to reduce the days that they will issues visas for children being adopted from Ethiopia. So, instead of families being allowed in every Friday, they will now be allowed in twice a month. Also, they have decided to add a new medical test to the physical that is required before a visa is issued.
What does this all mean? Honestly, we're not sure. But, we were told to expect that this may bring a delay of 1-3 weeks before we can travel. Our agency only just got the news yesterday, so they can't tell us for sure yet exactly what the delay will be for each family. This will affect how often families can travel (currently there are groups of families travelling weekly, but this will no longer be an option and so in-country processes will have to be reviewed in terms of how many families can travel at a time, how will they transport them, house them, etc.. and once the consulate changes take effect, seeing just how it all actually plays out) They did say it might take them two weeks to get it all figured out. Do you remember what happens two weeks from today? Rosie's court date!
The first thing that sprang into my head when I read the news yesterday: Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life. Written in Proverbs, and describing pretty well my instant reaction to the e-mail, heartsick. Longing desperately for Rosie to be home and no more delays or setbacks.
My second thought: And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.( Romans 8:28) How good to rest in the truth that this too is for Rosie's good and our good, even if we can't see how.
In the midst of disappointment, it is so sweet to be able to rest in the knowledge that it's all for our good. Nothing that comes (or doesn't come) our way is for our good, sifted through the loving fingers of a God who knows what we need and can see the big picture, even when we can't.
Not that we're never disappointed, just that we don't lose hope.
It's fairly inevitable given how many people and government organizations are involved to make an adoption happen. Especially as governments seem to be prone to delays, changes in policy, and changes in operating procedure on a frequent basis.
Yesterday's e-mail brought us this news: the American Embassy in Addis Ababa has decided that they are under-staffed, and as such they are going to reduce the days that they will issues visas for children being adopted from Ethiopia. So, instead of families being allowed in every Friday, they will now be allowed in twice a month. Also, they have decided to add a new medical test to the physical that is required before a visa is issued.
What does this all mean? Honestly, we're not sure. But, we were told to expect that this may bring a delay of 1-3 weeks before we can travel. Our agency only just got the news yesterday, so they can't tell us for sure yet exactly what the delay will be for each family. This will affect how often families can travel (currently there are groups of families travelling weekly, but this will no longer be an option and so in-country processes will have to be reviewed in terms of how many families can travel at a time, how will they transport them, house them, etc.. and once the consulate changes take effect, seeing just how it all actually plays out) They did say it might take them two weeks to get it all figured out. Do you remember what happens two weeks from today? Rosie's court date!
The first thing that sprang into my head when I read the news yesterday: Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life. Written in Proverbs, and describing pretty well my instant reaction to the e-mail, heartsick. Longing desperately for Rosie to be home and no more delays or setbacks.
My second thought: And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.( Romans 8:28) How good to rest in the truth that this too is for Rosie's good and our good, even if we can't see how.
In the midst of disappointment, it is so sweet to be able to rest in the knowledge that it's all for our good. Nothing that comes (or doesn't come) our way is for our good, sifted through the loving fingers of a God who knows what we need and can see the big picture, even when we can't.
Not that we're never disappointed, just that we don't lose hope.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Brotherly Love
As promised, here are a few of my favorite pictures of the best buddies.
March 2005
March 2005
May 2005
October 2005
December 2005
December 2006
March 2007
May 2007
September 2008
November 2008
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