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Well, hello.  It’s been some time hasn’t it?  I am really  not that great at updating this blog… and well… let’s be honest, I thought I might be taking a few more photos of a certain little one by now and posting updates for my family to see.  But, here we are, 16 months into the waiting game.  The time frame has changed again and we’re now expecting to be waiting up to 24 months (that’s 8 months from now) for a phone call.  It could get even longer this summer once our agency gets a better pulse on everything that’s been happening in Ethiopia.  Just to answer questions up front, the program is not closing down, Ethiopia still has a heart for adoption and we are sticking with it until God leads us elsewhere.  We’ve started a second adoption process as well to make the time gap a little quicker once the first is finalized.   Sorry to be short about our update, it’s just that there’s not much more to say – unless you want to come over to my house and have some coffee and talk through all the things that God is working on in our hearts lately.  Trust, thankfulness, peace, the refining process that through suffering and pain brings such joy and understanding of our loving God.

Being a family of two for 7 years now has brought me a keen sense of awareness over our lack of photos…. of the two of us.  We have none.  OK, some, but most of them were taken by me holding the camera outstretched and pointed back at our faces in a vain attempt to get both of us in the same shot, eyes open, no weird husband faces.  (weird husband face = the one where he looks like he’d rather die than be photographed at that very moment)  You know what I’m talking about?  Yeah, so no photos.  Last december I took a few photos for a very talented friend of mine (ahem, Ashely of ashleymaxwellphoto.com) and she was kind enough to return the favor by traipsing through a riverbed with Eddie and I.  I did not envy her trying to photograph me in all my awkwardness, because I pretty much hate being photographed, but, she gave us these in the end … and I think it was worth it : )  Thanks Ashley for giving us the best photos we’ve ever had!   We are forever grateful….

So aside from the news up top, we are doing great, loving life, our neighborhood, our church and each other : ) There are a lot of things to be thankful for!

Oh, and  this is what happens when you bring Ed on a photo shoot with a spiderman mask.  (also, I think he would not have felt this montage to be complete without this photo … )

The story of Abraham and Issac has been on re-play in the background track of our lives for the past few months.  It seems to just pop up everywhere – and with so many new ways to look at this story of near child sacrifice.  Such a dramatic and beautiful story!  Two things that have been standing out to me that I just seemed to overlook before.  The first is how long Abraham and Sarah waited for the promised child – 25 years.  This was a promise from God – and He pushed them to the very edge of belief – to the very edge of possibility (they were 100 years OLD)!  I can’t imagine the build up to a promise like this.  I used to just think that Sarah and Abraham were just laughing at God for saying they would have a child at such an old age.  I never stopped to think about the painful years they spent waiting and WAITING for this child to come until all reason would point them in the direction of disbelief that this promise would be fulfilled.  And yet God came through – when it was time.

The second is the story of Abraham AND Issac.  What was Abraham like after this child came?  Was he ready to give up what he had spent so long thinking was God’s purpose for his life?  Was Abraham ultimately more concerned with what this child would bring him, or was he more concerned with God’s purpose no matter what it seemed to entail for Abraham?  God promised Abraham a child – and through this child many nations – was it too much to ask that Abraham trust this very God to do what was best in His timing and His way?  Abraham needed one final test of his allegiance.  Did he trust in what was right before his eyes, or did he trust in God alone.

It’s a painful set-up the way I see it.  The questions running through my head when I put myself in Abraham’s shoes sound something like this: ‘God, why would you go through all the trouble of promising me a child if were going to ask me to give him away the second I was blessed with him?  Can’t you see my confusion here – this is too much for me!  How do I trust in your promise to give me a son – and your command to give him up at the same time?”

Abraham’s final answer: ‘God will provide’

I don’t know that there is anyone that has walked on this earth that understands that more than Abraham.  He put everything he ever wanted on the line for God’s purpose – and he was given everything in return.  Abraham truly knows the peace that comes from trust in God alone.

….. “To whom was Abraham ultimately giving his heart?  Did Abraham have the peace, humility, boldness, and unmovable poise that comes to those who trust in God rather than in circumstances, public opinion, or their own competence?  Had he learned to trust God alone, to love God for himself, not just for what he could get out of God?” ……

I find these questions very convicting in my own life as Ed and I continue to wait on God’s timing in our adoption.  Things have slowed down quite a bit in Ethiopia.  Just to give you a bit of perspective, here’s the quick breakdown (“wait time” = from the submission of our paperwork to the time of referral):

August  of 2010 – wait time: 4-9 months

We’ve been waiting for 10 months….

October 2011 – wait time: 11-18 months

when we first started our adoption the total process was taking the average family 9-12 months.  Most families were adopting within a year.  I know some of you have probably heard about things slowing down for Ethiopian adoptions – the short of it is that they are understaffed and are fine tuning their process at the same time.  Paperwork for both children and families is taking A LOT longer to process.  Even though the wait time is technically in the range of 11-18 months (and we’re at month 10) we have had to mentally set our minds towards next summer for our phone call.  When we first heard this news we thought we were within a month or two of the getting a call – needless to say – we were a bit crushed.  But God has been good.

I’ve been learning that we didn’t start this process in order to make us a family of 3 as quickly as possible.  We didn’t start this process because we would only be complete when we became a family.  We started this process because God lead us through a number of hard decisions into an international adoption.  In fact, I have never been a part of a decision that was more God-lead than this one.  I know that even if we never receive a child that God has Eddie and I in His hands and that He knows what we need far beyond what we do.  I know that God is good and that I can trust in him.  I know that God will, has and continues to – provide.  How do I really know this?  Because he’s asked me time and time again to give things up to Him – and everytime I surrender I see God’s love and experience His perfect peace.  I am so grateful for this refining process – for this perspective – because I know that this time of waiting, trusting, surrendering – actually never ends.

This life isn’t about getting everything we’ve ever wanted – it’s about trusting our God to provide everything we will ever need, and more.  It’s about finding our peace in God alone.

“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” – Psalm 73:26

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On another note, Eddie and I took a road trip this September up to Portland.  We went camping and ate some good food and swam in a couple of lakes : )  I didn’t take very many photos, but here are a few!  And, if Ed hasn’t talked to you personally about the trip already – you may want to take a look at the videos at the bottom!!!

I’ve been meaning to write in this slightly neglected blog for some time now.  I have a bit to share about Ethiopia and adoption.  We’re still waiting, no news, just a bit of sharing about how things are going for the Grovers these days : )  But… this is just a teaser cause I’m too tired to write at the moment.  It’s 11pm and I’ve had a really long couple of days.  Just take this as my promise to update friends and family on this so called blog – SOON.

On another note….. So, I thought I had a minor obsession with taking photos of the sky with my iphone, until I went to download them to my computer.  As it turns out, I have a MAJOR obsession – and I wasn’t sure what to do with all the photos I found!  So, here they are, all nice and neat for your (and my) enjoyment….

I just recently informed my poor brain (who likes to take as many rests from doing math as possible) that it has actually been 6 and a half months since our adoption packet was sent to Ethiopia and approved.  6 and a half months of waiting for a phone call.  This waiting game is tough, it’s almost like trying to fathom the concept of eternity.  There is a child out there that exists, they may be born, they may not yet be born.  We may have to wait for 5 more days, we may have to wait for 12 more months.  My head is spinning.

It’s almost like people dread having to ask how the adoption is going as much as I dread telling them nothing is really going on at all, we’ve just passed a bit more time.  Some folks may think, 6 months of waiting, that’s nothing, time goes by in a flash!  But if your name is Brenda and you work at a certain UPS store in our town you know exactly how long this total of a 10 month process has been.  Brenda signed a good majority of our paperwork as a a notary, and she’s also the sweet smile that greets me everytime I send of a package of photos to a client.  Every time I walk in that store I know she’s waiting for news!  She knows how it wears on you to have nothing to share.  She knows how the days stretch into months and the months turn into a year.  It’s a short time of long silence and it’s the silence that sort of drives you a little crazy and makes the days stretch by like centuries.

At one point this never-ending sky will land on a day and on that day we will be parents, I can’t imagine a happier thought.

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2.25.11

There’s a big storm outside the windows as I pause to reflect on what I know of you.  I know you are far way from me right now in Ethiopia. I know you will begin your life in a very different way than I began mine.  I now that you were never really an orphan – as even now while your tiny life unfolds I can’t wait to bring you home.  I know that you are loved, deeply by two people who are so ready to become mom and dad.  The thought of even just holding a picture of you in our hands can bring tears to my eyes.  I know that you have already changed Eddie and I forever.  We are different people because you were born – and we couldn’t be more thankful.

I love you my sweet little one, more than words can say.

- mom

Hello.  I think I remember starting this blog last summer… I am so bad at keeping up on this!  It’s been about 4 months now since I’ve updated!  We’ve been doing a whole lot of nothing in particular too.  I’m back into wedding season for the summer and Ed has been keeping himself pretty busy being an associate pastor with a little bit of schooling on top.  (He’s almost done with that masters degree, yay Ed!)  I can’t seem to think of anything else new…. oh wait, we got a puppy  : )

This little ball of cuteness and fuzzy hair may or may not have been the result of my greatest persuasive argument yet.  But really, she filled in any gaps that needed convincing in Ed’s mind as soon as we went to take a look at her.  : )  She’s a miniature Australian Shepherd and Queensland Healer mix – and yes, she’s going to stay pretty darn tiny.  We figured we’d just go for the opposite of Kingsley in every way and see what we end up with – not really – but she is pretty much as different as you can get!  So family – these pictures are for you – since we kind of have neglected to even tell you guys that we got a dog… oh… a week ago!  {***update per Davi’s request – her name is TOBI – and I can’t believe I forgot to mention that the first time!***}

Don’t you want to come visit us now and see her?!  Ok, you can come : )

In other news we are still waiting on the adoption referral.  It has been 4 months and 9 days since we sent out our packet for review by the Ethiopian government.  Wait times have gone up and down – and currently they seem to be completely in the air.  You may have heard news of slowing adoption wait times in the news and it’s looking like that may actually be coming true.  The short story is that the Ethiopian ministry of women’s and children’s affairs has requested to process a dramatically fewer number of adoptions a day, causing the wait time to possibly move to something closer to China’s system (years!).   We have no way of really knowing at this point if they will be able to go through with this or if the government will keep the process running as normal (or maybe something in between).  It seems from our end that people who are right in the middle of this process – like us – will just have to wait it out.  Our wait times will help determine the average wait time for folks adopting later on down the road.  While the potential of waiting a lot longer than I’d hoped for a child may have driven my desperate pleas for a dog to physical results, we’re actually not too down or worried about it on the whole  God is in control of how long we wait and what child He has for us!  I actually feel quite lucky to be in the middle of our wait time as this whole process is being re-vamped, we’ve already got a bit of a head start and who knows how long we would have to wait if we were to start this process a year from now.  It can be tough on some days for sure, but I’m hopeful and I know that God has things planned for us that I just can’t see yet!

So, to end this, I promise I’ll try and think of interesting things in our lives to more regularly post on as we wait… we really aren’t that incredibly boring, I don’t think at least : )