FINGERPRINTING...

Wow...that is pretty much the word I have for yesterday's adventure!

We went to go get fingerprinted for our FBI background check yesterday.  It was quite the adventure.  We had to go to the jail downtown, so we got the directions, made sure we didn't need an appointment and headed down there...all five of us.  It was comical...Austin came from school (he has to wear a collared shirt, tucked in, belt, etc...), the girls in their bows with bright, grinning faces and we walk into ...well...the jail.  It was rough!  Wow...the looks that we got! They were screaming (with the looks on their faces), "What are THEY doing here?"   (Little did they know that we can hold our own in a jail setting!)

The guy in charge before we went through the metal detectors just looked at me and said, "Boy!  You look a little heavy, so let me explain some things to you..."  Ummm...HEAVY?  I HOPE he was saying the wrong word...maybe he meant "inexperienced?" or "green?" or something along those lines...but HEAVY?  What is that?  I ate too much today? What?   Anyway, he made sure that I knew we could bring NOTHING in (no cell phones, bags, purses, etc.).  Just a liscense and  diaper for the baby.  Sweet Austin wanted to bring in his battleship game and looked at the cop in hopes that he could.  NOPE. 

We FINALLY made it back to the fingerprinting room after we got patted down for weapons and the ladies back there just wanted to ooohhh and ahhhh over Eliana.  Fine by me!  It got us out of there quickly! On the way out, there was a lady ranting and raving about something they wouldn't let her do, so she stormed out and dropped her sunglasss on the way out.  Austin was so concerned about her glasses.  He picked them up and brought them out to her, and it totally changed her attitude.  Funny how a little child can do that!  Thank you, Austin!

So, I am about to send those off...we will see how it goes!!

A few pictures...

Eliana is finally officially walking as of a few weeks ago!!  At first she would ONLY walk to M and Ms (I think she might be wired a little like me!)!  Here is a picture of her chasing an M and M:

And, I thought that I would put a picture in here of our snowman we made with our ONE great snow in Memphis!  It was so much fun!  But, hopefully all of the snow is gone for the year.  We are so ready for spring!

Taking something "normal" and making it AWESOME!

Okay, as a mom, I of course LOVE for people to take an interest in my children...get to know them, love them, ask about them, etc.  When you have a baby-sitter who will do that, and really use the time to minister to your children and teach them more about Jesus...well...then...you have just hit "Baby-sitter JACKPOT!"

That completely describes my friend, Megan Staggs,  who loves to baby-sit and she has taken this "normal" thing and made it extraordinary.  She truly has a mindset to further the Kingdom of Christ through a ministry of baby-sitting.  She has decided that she can disciple younger girls through this venue.  She teaches them what parents want/need in a baby-sitter.  She teaches them that it is an opportunity to glorify God.  So, she started a business called Sojourn Sitters.  PLEASE check it out HERE.

If you don't know Carolyn McCulley, she is a speaker and author who is really great.  She has recently met Megan and written a blog post about her.  Check it out HERE. Megan shares her story, and writes it much better than me! 

Changes!

Well, for  all 2 of you who follow this to hear our journey, I apologize for my lack of posting!!  No excuses, but updating the blog has become last on my priority list!  We have been packing, moving, unpacking, getting settled, and just doing life.  We are finally a little more settled, and I am catching up!!

We were incredibly blessed to get to live with my parents for 7 months while we built a house!  It was such a sweet time for all of us, and I am so grateful!  We are also grateful to the Lord for the blessing of our new house! We have been busy getting to know our street, neighbors, and unpacking the last of the boxes.

As for our adoption update...
On Feb. 18th, we officially sent off our contract with our agency, All God's Children International (AGCI)!!  We are so excited to be a part of their program in Ethiopia.  This is Livi and I on our way to go mail it off!

About a week after we sent it, we got a huge notebook of information to go ahead and start all of our paperwork.  Just look at these precious faces!! :

Some of you may have heard of some recent changes that are being made in the process of adoptions from Ethiopia.  Even though I don't know every detail of the why's and how's of our government and their government and all of the things that are going on, I do trust that they have the best interest of the children at heart. And because of that, I am willing to do what we need to do.  It seems like quite the battle to adopt, but I feel like if we ever feel beat down, the Lord gives us another weapon to fight with. 

There are two major changes that we are dealing with right now.

One of the changes has to do with an extra form that needs to be filled out that might add a little bit of  wait time in the adoption process. This form has been a requirement for adoptions in other countries for a long time, and our agency is very familiar with it. You can click here to read what was issued from the U.S. Department of State. 

The second change seems to be a little bigger deal...we are now required to go two times to Ethiopia.  Before now, someone was allowed to represent our family to begin the court process.  Then, the adoptive family would travel once the adoption was cleared through the court.  NOW we will travel to meet the child and start the court process, then fly home and wait to be cleared through their government and then go back to bring the child home.  Again, I trust that at the end of the day, children are being protected by new laws being put into place.  This makes it tougher for us both emotionally and in purchasing more plane tickets.  I can't imagine going and meeting our child and then flying home without him/her.  But, we have been led by the Lord through this whole journey.  We are confident in that, so we just move forward in fighting for the newest Crenshaw!  Please be praying for us!

Some new family pics and updates will follow!...