Christmas Miracle

It all feels like a dream! Last night on our way to Christmas Eve service at church Raegan says,  "I really hope when I wake up in the morning this is not all a dream!!!! "

This morning we were all in our room Payton sleeping on the floor on Josh's side Raegan at the foot of the bed, and our Christmas miracle in the middle of Josh and I! He sits up and starts giggling and talking, bababah dahdah dah at 4 in the morning! We have a rule that we can't get out of bed Christmas morning until 6, but we must of forgot to tell this little one! He is up and ready and this is not a dream this is a Miracle!

This is Axum's first Christmas He loves the wrapping paper and sitting on top of the boxes. He had his first taste of Rusks and is now napping at 9:00! While the rest of us are playing with our new gifts.

I can't help but think of all the families still waiting to bring their precious miracles home. Still longing to be together or even be matched with the child that they pray for! I will pray for you all, God's will, will be done! Children will have families and families will be made.

Merry Christmas  &  Happy Birthday Jesus!

We are in Ethiopia!

So December 12th we found out that Axum's birth mother interview went good and that we were cleared!! Yep cleared!! So we very quickly put together travel plans and were on an airplane the 15th! Our Embassy exit interview was this morning the 17th!! We have Axum Aschalew Engel in our arms forever!!!!

When we picked him up from the Foster center this morning it went very well! I think he remembered us !! He still seems so little and is perfect! He is getting two more teeth on top! That will make 6 teeth!!!! He did amazing in the car and slept for most of the Embassy appointment! After that we ran to the market to get formula and cereal. Axum and I waited in the car while Josh and our driver Eshetu went in. Axum drank some water from a bottle and jibber jabbered to me  the whole time!!

 When we got back to the guest house he played a little bit and drank a bottle and ate some cereal!! He was getting so tired but didn't seem to be able to fall asleep in our arms, so I took him in and put him on our bed. I laid down with him, not on the floor of the foster center on a real bed!! He was so tired he would lay on his belly, and then sit up and kinda flop over and then stick his little biscuits in the air ! Repeated about 4 times until he finally feel asleep! Josh and I laid down with him and we all got a nap!

Lord I am so thankful! You have proven so many times that you are all we need! I am in awe of how much you love us! Thank you!

Submitted to Embassy

We were submitted to Embassy today! I am so excited I am having trouble breathing! I am trying to act like its no big deal! BUT ITS A HUGE DEAL! WE ARE GETTING SO CLOSE!  Over the last week I have been trying to take control of our "situation" planning how we are going to try to push this part faster! I have been a little crazy! We are so sooooo close and Christmas is also soooo close!

Yesterday at church  I felt God  asking me if  I stopped trusting him? I felt him saying It's his will be done not mine!! I knew that I had been fighting for that control! I had to give it back. He is the key holder, he will open and shut doors that need to be open or shut! Axum will come home when it's time. That is hard to say but I believe it with all my heart! I also know that my God is the God of Miracles, he can do anything! Everything is possible with my God! I do not want to take this last piece  of the story away from him! This is all for his Glory!! You know when you are so excited about giving someone a gift and you can't wait to see their face and how excited they are!! That's what He deserves, to be the one who gets that gift.

I feel like we are the top of this mountain, we just have to get down! I'm kinda afraid of heights so I want to get down really fast! I know that's kinda silly! 

Payton and Raegan told me tonight that they are willing to wait for Christmas if we have our Embassy exit interview right around that time! My heart is aching for the them, they can't wait to hold him!


Lord thank you for rescuing us all!! Thank you for opening our eyes! Thank you for blessing us with our beautiful children! Thank you for working through us!  Thank you for moving us! Thank you! Amen