Update on Finances

First, I want to thank everyone for your support in praying for us, Norah, and our process!!  We really feel surrounded by such an outpouring of love and interest in our adoption.  What an honor!  Dave and I sent out a newsletter a few weeks back to most of you just updating our journey, and the financial goals we still hope to reach before we travel.  I just want to clarify, because there was some confusion in response to the letter.  David, Sam and I will be traveling to get Norah when Holt tells us to come, whether all the money is raised or not.  The finances has nothing to do with getting her any faster.  We wanted to invite others to support us in the process, because there is a beauty and strength in partnering with friends and family in this endeavor.   It invites others into our process deeper, and it gives others the opportunity to share in some rich blessings. 
I want to thank everyone who has given!  It's wonderful to get notes in the mail and emails from people who are thinking of us and hoping along with us for a speedy homecoming.  I have the best friends and family:)  As of today, we are still hoping for around $6K. 
We are able to send Norah another package here in the next week.  I love package-sending time!  Holt has restricted it to every 3 months now instead of 2, because of the influx of mail and all the effort it takes to send everyone's packages.  We need to update a pic to her of Dave's new look:)  He recently got glasses, so here is the new Dave...

Any news yet!!??

So the next step in our process is waiting for that dang phone to ring, and for our agency to tell us we have "first approval"!  So when Holt called my phone Thursday, I about jumped out of my skin!  Alas... they were just checking in on us, to see how we are doing, and if I had questions.  AHHHH!!!  No news yet.  Well, I guess there is progressing news.  We are in the middle of about 20 families waiting for first approval, and it still may be a few months before we get our much awaited call.  I/we are doing ok, but it's getting frustrating.  Our little girl is half a world away, and she needs to be here! 

In the meantime, we are reading and learning how to parent an adoptive child well.  I guess we can be preparing as we wait 'eh?  AND we are collecting more stuff for another fundraising yard sale that we will do the end of April.  I have not brought myself to take down my Joy Room yet to prepare her nursery.  I think I probably won't do that until we do get our phone call, because that still leaves me 6-8 weeks before we travel. 

I don't know if I mentioned in previous postings, but we will be bringing Sam with us to Thailand!  We are excited to have him with us!  We really thought and prayed about the boys coming, and there was something that I just couldn't shake about leaving them home.  Wisdom says to leave them at home, but my heart wants something different!  So we sat the boys down and asked them what they wanted.   Sam exuberantly made a case to come, and explained to us that he feels like he would be missing out on an incredible opportunity, and he wants to be a part of the first meetings and interactions Norah will have with our family.  Case well taken.  I turned to hear Will's thoughts on the matter, and he said, "Nah, I want to go to Grandma's!"  So we sat on it awhile, had more conversations and prayer around it, and felt like it would be wonderful for Sam to come, and Will to stay with Grandma!