I have had several people ask me lately about what the latest is on our adoption. If you are one of those people, thank you for asking and thank you for your concern.
The reason I haven't given an update lately is because there is really nothing to update. We are waiting once again :)
Here is where we are though: Our paperwork and case have been submitted to USCIS (US Citizenship and Immigration Services). In adoption lingo, this means filing our I600. This basically means that someone reviews our case and looks at all the paperwork and approves that it is ok for Emmalyn to immigrate here. I found out today that the officer assigned to our case has it on her desk, however she has a couple of cases before ours. Please pray for quick approval!!
After this is approved, we get an Embassy appointment in Congo. Our lawyer will represent us there. If everything goes well at the Embassy, then visas can be issued. Then we can travel!!! Oh Happy Day that will be!!!
So the next question everyone always asks is, "so how long does all that take?" And the answer is we don't know. There are a couple of families working with our agency that just had Embassy appointments last week. They are preparing to travel in August. We are thinking we will travel in September, but we just don't know. And we won't know until we get the phone call.
We just wait and pray and wait some more and pray and try to get things prepared and then wait some more and pray and then learn a couple of words in Lingala and then wait and pray some more. It feels like the story of our life. But God has taught us so much in the wait and I wouldn't trade that.
You can pray for us and for Emmalyn and our case. Pray that things go smoothly with USCIS and the Embassy. Pray that we get to travel soon to bring her home to her family.
Thanks friends and family for supporting, caring about, and loving our family!!
Brittany
Monday, July 23, 2012
Monday, July 9, 2012
What We've Been Up To
It's been a while, yet again, since I have last posted on this blog. What can I say? The craziness of summer is in full swing, and I literally haven't had many minutes to even be on the computer at all, much less complete a blog entry.
Our third mission team for the summer just left a couple of days ago, and we have spent these last couple of days just spending time together as a family. I am trying to cherish these last couple of weeks because it will be time for Ella to start school again. Yes, you read that correctly. Ella will start school in TWO weeks!! It seems that summer has gone by in a blink of an eye!!
Nevertheless, I thought I would give you a quick update of what we've been up to.
1. Swimming/Playing in the water- Since it's been over 100 degrees pretty much everyday since the middle of May, the only way to stay cool is to be in the water. We've done as much of this as possible.
2. Trip to KY- We took 6 of our youth girls to Crossings church camp in Kentucky. Thankfully, both sides of our family are just about a 15 minute drive from the camp so we got to see them as well!
3. VBS- Because of the nature of our "job" (if you would call it that), our kiddos have experienced VBS 6 different times. Each time has been in a different place with different kids. They have loved every second of it!
4. Girls Day and Boys Day- This past Saturday we had a Girls Day and Boys Day. We started the afternoon with all of us getting some lunch together. Then we went to the movie theatre. Ella and I watched the movie "Brave" together while Brayden and Eric watched "The Amazing Spiderman". It was a great day that both kiddos really enjoyed getting to spend one-on-one time.
5. Our Garden- We planted a garden this year and some fruits and vegetables actually grew! It is seriously a big deal because we kill everything we plant!! We have gotten watermelon, okra, and green beans so far. The corn and peppers didn't turn out :( But we are excited about the other things though!! Eric and the kids say that the watermelons are the best they have ever tasted! (I don't care for watermelon so I wouldn't know. I'm excited about the green beans!) After picking all the "stuff" from the garden and bringing it into the house to prepare, it brought back so many memories for me. It felt like just yesterday that I was back at my Granny and Grandaddy's house watching them break beans and preparing the food we were going to have the rest of the year. I wish I would have paid more attention now :) But so glad that I have those memories and excited that my kids will have the memories of us doing it together this year. We are definitely gardening again next year (now that we know we didn't kill everything) and hopefully gonna have a bigger garden!
Well, there is more to say, but I need to go cook supper and spend some time with my babies! Remember we only have 2 more weeks left of summer. I'm gonna try to make the most of it!!
Love,
Brittany
Our third mission team for the summer just left a couple of days ago, and we have spent these last couple of days just spending time together as a family. I am trying to cherish these last couple of weeks because it will be time for Ella to start school again. Yes, you read that correctly. Ella will start school in TWO weeks!! It seems that summer has gone by in a blink of an eye!!
Nevertheless, I thought I would give you a quick update of what we've been up to.
1. Swimming/Playing in the water- Since it's been over 100 degrees pretty much everyday since the middle of May, the only way to stay cool is to be in the water. We've done as much of this as possible.
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| Playing in the sprinkler is one of their fav things! |
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| Fixing to jump in the pool! |
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| I love Brayden's face in this one! |
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| Ella @ the aquatic center |
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| Brayden @ the aquatic center- what a crazy kid! |
2. Trip to KY- We took 6 of our youth girls to Crossings church camp in Kentucky. Thankfully, both sides of our family are just about a 15 minute drive from the camp so we got to see them as well!
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| Hanging out at my mom and dad's before going to camp |
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| Look what I can do! |
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| Swinging |
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| Ella and Jace playing in the water again (this time at Memaw's) |
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| Always being goofy :) |
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| This is Eric doing the zipline with some of the kids at camp (He's on the left side.) |
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| Jace and I riding in the boat. (I should mention that Jace is the son of one our youth girls. He didn't just magically appear in our family. Although I would take him in a minute :) |
3. VBS- Because of the nature of our "job" (if you would call it that), our kiddos have experienced VBS 6 different times. Each time has been in a different place with different kids. They have loved every second of it!
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| Ella (in the middle) with the mission team teaching the kids the song |
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| Brayden (far right) in one of his classes |
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| Excited to have friends visiting from KY for one of the VBS's!! |
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| Brayden and his buddy |
4. Girls Day and Boys Day- This past Saturday we had a Girls Day and Boys Day. We started the afternoon with all of us getting some lunch together. Then we went to the movie theatre. Ella and I watched the movie "Brave" together while Brayden and Eric watched "The Amazing Spiderman". It was a great day that both kiddos really enjoyed getting to spend one-on-one time.
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| Here we are actually watching the movie (which is why the pic is so dark) |
5. Our Garden- We planted a garden this year and some fruits and vegetables actually grew! It is seriously a big deal because we kill everything we plant!! We have gotten watermelon, okra, and green beans so far. The corn and peppers didn't turn out :( But we are excited about the other things though!! Eric and the kids say that the watermelons are the best they have ever tasted! (I don't care for watermelon so I wouldn't know. I'm excited about the green beans!) After picking all the "stuff" from the garden and bringing it into the house to prepare, it brought back so many memories for me. It felt like just yesterday that I was back at my Granny and Grandaddy's house watching them break beans and preparing the food we were going to have the rest of the year. I wish I would have paid more attention now :) But so glad that I have those memories and excited that my kids will have the memories of us doing it together this year. We are definitely gardening again next year (now that we know we didn't kill everything) and hopefully gonna have a bigger garden!
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| A while back |
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| Our watermelon |
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| Some of the green beans |
Well, there is more to say, but I need to go cook supper and spend some time with my babies! Remember we only have 2 more weeks left of summer. I'm gonna try to make the most of it!!
Love,
Brittany
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