Adoption Update...

LOTS to share! 

We got our invitation to fingerprint for the final piece of paperwork we needed on September 16th. It was set for October 3rd. We heard that if we showed up to the office early they would let us fingerprint early. So naturally we showed up bright and early at the office on the 17th! Adam's mom was so great to sit in our car with the boys and watch a movie with them while we had our appointment. They let us in early and we got our fingerprinting DONE! We raced from that appointment to our appointments at the health department for shots. Ugh. The boys got 4 shots each and it was rough. Lots of crying and sadness. They did a GREAT job though. We headed straight to ice cream after that! 

I really do feel the need to document everything. Haha

Poor little nuggets after the trauma.

Matthew's choice to fix the boo-boos.

So after our fingerprinting was done...we wait. We checked the mail about 3 times a day until the mail man would finally come- and there would still be nothing. It is so hard to be patient at this point because nothing other than this approval stands between us and meeting Jonathan. 

On Tuesday of this week we had a Spirit Night at Chick-fil-A. We had scheduled it a long time ago and decided we could use whatever money was raised from it to go towards the medical bills, shots, and prescriptions we need for our trip. It is pretty costly. There were so many sweet people involved in the planning and executing of this event. I am so thankful for all of their hard work and love for our family and Jonathan. We heard that it was the biggest spirit night they had ever had at that location. SO many people came out to support us and love on us! It was AMAZING! I tried to take pictures, but nothing could capture it. I'm pretty sure that during the 2 1/2 hours we were there I only saw about 4 tables of people that were not there for the spirit night. I kind of felt bad for them. Haha. A small group of Junior High girls did the hard work of table clean up and drink refills for the crazy crowd. So grateful for them. THANK YOU times a million to everyone that helped and served at this event. We are so very thankful for you and can't wait to share with Jonathan someday about all the ways people cared for him before they even met him. 

Some of the great girls that were on drink/clean-up duty.

This little guy had a little accident during the party that makes him look tough. He also loved my necklace from Uganda. I think it takes away some of the tough factor.

We are one excited family!! 

Matthew's sweet friends Toby and Levi made signs for us. We are Team Jonathan!

Getting to wear his Big Brother shirt! 

So spirit night came and went. No mail still... today we learned of some new friends through the adoption process that are leaving tomorrow to go to Uganda for their little one. I was so excited for them. I was also a little envious...but them I was excited again because they are going to send us more pictures of Jonathan!! I was so excited thinking that I get to learn more about my little boy next week when our friends tell us more about him. Then I ran to the mailbox hoping there was something in there so we could move on to the step of traveling to Uganda. But no... I came back inside sad. I decided to see if I could call and get the status of our application/fingerprints. I had heard this was a useless step because they just tell you to wait until you get something in the mail. I figured it would be worth a try! I called and ended up getting to talk to the officer working on our case!! She was so friendly. I got to share with her that we did our fingerprints early and they were already done. She said she would bump up our file to the next one she would work on. I cried while I was on the phone with her. I didn't know what exactly working on our file meant but I was thankful to know that someone was aware of us and now of Jonathan too. I was hoping in the next week she would finish and we would be a little closer to our little man! 

I was at the store looking for a curtain rod today and I got a call from a strange 3 digit number. I didn't answer. Then there was a voicemail from that number. The officer was calling me to tell me that she had finished our case and had approved it! WE HAVE VERBAL APPROVAL! No letter yet, but that should be here early next week!! I contacted our agency right away and they said work towards our court date will be started on MONDAY!! What a day! This reminded me of a few different moments along this journey. In the same day that we scheduled our home study we learned that investigations were being done on a baby (who would soon be our baby!). In the same day that we planned on sending out support letters we got 3 phone calls and had the large amount of money we needed to finish paying agency fees and that we would need for travel and living in Uganda. Now today I learn that we will get more pictures of our little boy AND that we are approved and only a couple weeks away from being in country with JONATHAN!! 

Once again- God's goodness overwhelms my heart. I actually screamed out loud a couple of times today with excitement. Matthew asked me why I screamed and I tried to explain but I'm not sure I really did a good job because of my joy! God's timing is strange. I don't always understand it. I can't say I've understood it each day that I stood at the empty mailbox. But I do know that His timing is perfect. Today was the exact day that we needed to hear this news. He knows the exact day we will travel, the exact day we will get a court date. He already knows the date of the first time I get to touch my little boys face, fingers, toes....I don't know it yet but He does. I am so grateful to be serving and following a God that already knows. It is reassuring to be able to rest in His promises of faithfulness. I am so thankful to have been able to experience and learn new things about who God is through this process. I am blessed to have been called to this. 

Little boy...we are so close!! I love you and can't wait to meet you!

Please thank the Lord with us for his provision, faithfulness, timing, and love. Pray for the legal stuff on the Ugandan end as things are scheduled. Continue to pray for Jonathan as we are apart from him. For his health, care, and growth. Pray for us now as we start to pack and things get even crazier. Please pray that when we do have to buy plane tickets on short notice that we would find good deals. Tickets are very expensive, especially when you have to buy them so close to your travel date. Thank you for how you are partnering, supporting, and encouraging us along this journey. We are so grateful for all of you!