HERE WE ARE.

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 … )