Coming Home: Don't lose hope!

That seems to be a phrase that I have been repeating to myself, and to my friends in the same position, a lot lately!! This journey is taking so much longer than we had anticipated. That is frustrating and disheartening. I tend to flounder between complete trust in God's plan and feelings of weary-I don't think I can wait any longer-losing heart moments.

We turned in our initial application almost 15 months ago and still have, at least, another 4 months until baby comes home. What might soon add to that wait is that the courts close in Ethiopia for all of September and part to all of August. So, if we don't get a call by next week for the baby, then we will have to wait that extra 1-2 months to get before the courts....just waiting for them to open again. We don't actually appear in the court for the second trip, just the Embassy, so that wouldn't change anything. The first trip will be scheduled approximately 6-8 weeks after you accept your referral, though. As the month of June winds down here, it looks like we will miss the cut-off to make it to the courts before they close. If we get our call after next week, then probably we will not be making the first trip until October/ November and then the second to bring her home November/ December. Wow. That seems like a lifetime away after all of the waiting that we have already done. Confused? So am I. Especially trying to "map it all out" in my head. Which has proven o be fruitless, anyway. There are many more elaborate explanations of this new two-trip policy, but that's my rough interpretation of it.
Okay, all things in perspective. We are all having a great summer at the Smith house, with all sorts of activity and time with friends and family. We are truly blessed and will just keep-on keeping-on.

Hopefully the next post will be about our "referral call"! Hopefully...