Hardly able to contain!

The days & nights are busy here in this house. Trying to complete every project on the “to-do” list from the past 5 years, getting Ellyana's room ready, trying to have special quality time with the boys and each other, trying to start gathering things for the massive packing we will need to do next week…it is so exciting! I think the phrase I have heard myself say the most is “I’m so excited I can’t hardly contain myself” and that is exactly how I feel.

All of this excitement has gotten me thinking, yes, about the terrible plight of orphans there is so much amazing, heart-wrenching information on the facts & you can not realize that information without having your heart moved to compassion (and action!)

But more often these special days my mind turns to our Heavenly Father, for as I go through this I am so reminded of our own adoption into His family. Could it be that His family is just not complete until we are in? Could it be His heart is longing beyond measure for a relationship with us? Could it be that He is soooo happy to bestow every imaginable blessing on us? Could it be that He is so happy He “can’t hardly contain” Himself to have another precious child to call His own? Could it be that He is up in Heaven “frittering” away preparing just the right place for us to come to?

I believe it is all so true, because it is in His Word & I am experiencing a sliver of what He feels & it is the most overwhelming feeling! He loves us so much, knowing the good days & bad days to come, we are His and that is all that really matters!

Bringing Ellyana Home

Its been several weeks since I posted & LOTS has happened...

#1 best news, we got our date to pick up Ellyana, unfortunately it is the 1 week this summer that Brian is unavailable to go due to lots of work commitments, we knew this date wouldn't work & God knew this too & though we spent the weekend "coming to terms" with this...we do feel very peaceful...my Dad has graciously offered to go with me. And with a 17 hour minimum flight, and being totally out of our time zones in a 3rd world country...this is a very gracious offer! So the plan is to leave August 9 & return August 14, only 4 nights in Ethiopia...the rest is travel time! Our boys are looking forward to their "vacation" with both sides of the family!

And though everyday they ask, "is this the day Ellyana is coming home?"...we will make it...the end is in sight & God has given us unspeakable joy & peace (and lots of projects to work on)!

About 1 1/2 weeks ago the boys & I were severely rear-ended on the way home from BJ's speech therapy appt. Though bruised, sore & shaken up...we were fine. Our faithful car was not, it was totalled. But thanks to help from the insurance payout, we were able to get a minivan (we had intended to try to cram the 3 kiddos in the back seat of the Camry) and "just in time" for me to get a little practice driving before adding a baby to the backseat.

There have been a lot of "little" things that have added up to know that God is alive & at work in our family! & faithfully leading to bring Ellyana home!!!

We just got more pictures today...it looks like she is teething, starting to try to sit & starting to try to crawl...she is growing up so fast, we can't wait to get her!!!

Thank you for your prayers, we believe God is answering!!

Praying for our friends!

Our dear friends, Bart & Janell Rinkenberger, have been in the process of adopting a precious baby girl from Ethiopia also. They started the process a little before us & amazingly our girls are about the same age & were in the same orphanage in rural Ethiopia together (we think they were just 2 beds apart). Our girls got transferred to the foster home in Addis about the same time & now they are awaiting their 2nd Court Date. Please pray for them, the process & everything else that needs to go smoothly through our night time Thurs. night & they will find out their results on Friday. Keep updated on their blog at http://janellrink.blogspot.com/ and thank you for your prayers!!!!!

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day, Daddy all the way from Ethiopia!

Grandpa Knobloch with the boys

Our 2 living great-grandpa's above & below (Bahler & Blume)

3 generations of Blume boys..Grandpa Blume & Great-Grandpa Blume

Dad with his boys

This is a special tribute to Brian, as I think back on 11 years of marriage, 7 years of parenting together ...I have become more amazed at the blessing he is to each of us!

He is my very, very best friend, has so much fun playing all kinds of sports with the kids in the backyard & driveway, he is the chief-tooth-puller, Mr. Fix-it around here, "gross bug killer", scholar, Sunday School teacher, the organization system of our home, always up for something fun (if we have our work done ;), he is bedtime Bible Story & prayer daddy, dishwasher unloader, bill payer, & mostly the most wonderful Godly stability that a family could want! And now as our family grows, he is so excited to be a daddy to a precious baby girl...he will do wonderful at that also!

Brian and I are both so thankful for our dad's & grandpa's and the precious legacy that they have given us! May God bless each of these father's & the amazing role they play in our family's lives!

Meet our Daughter!!!

Ellyana Chernet Blume

She is ours (officially!) Our hearts are filled with so much joy & thankfulness, words can not begin to desribe. Thank you for your prayers, and ABOVE all we thank our God that has answered so faithfully & has blest our lives with this precious, precious girl!

We should be able to travel to get her the end of July-beginning of August! As soon as we get the "green light", we will schedule the trip!

Psalm 126:3 "Yes, the Lord has done AMAZING things for us! What joy!"

Did we mention this is a Roller Coaster?

After my post about "discouragement" setting in, we got word late on Fri. evening that the one department that is running behind, was closing for "training" for this week. So all weekend we were "coming to terms" in our minds with the Court Date not being June 9.
Monday AM...surprisingly, we got an e-mail that training was over & all looked good for our Court Date today.
Tuesday AM...we get the call saying our date actually got postponed & the judge mercifully granted our Court Date to be tomorrow (or actually sometime during the night tonight & we will find out tomorrow)
So the "miracle" we have been praying for may actually be in progress! We are hopeful & thankful & VERY prayerful! Please join with us in prayer for each piece coming together! What reminders we have had of God at work!

Can We Hope?

We were rescheduled for our next Court Date, June 9 (which is coming right up). The constant reports out of Ethiopian Adoptions right now...are that 1 department is very far behind & cases continue to "not pass" or are extremely slowed down. Discouragement has set in.

Right now, it seems like it would take a "miracle" to pass court on Tuesday. So we can pray for it & even need to pray "believing", but with human eyes, it does not look promising.

Here are a few verses, that I have been trying to ingrain in my mind through these days.

Acts 2:25, 26, 28 (NLT)
I know the Lord is always with me, I will not be shaken, for He is right beside me. No wonder my heart is filled with joy, and my mouth shouts His praises! My body rests in hope. You have shown me the way of life, and You will give me wonderful joy in Your presence.