A piece of my heart is so far away.....

Where do we even begin?  I will update with some daily Ethiopia journaling soon (maybe in a week or so once school starts).  We have one full week before school, which includes school shopping (since we have been preoccupied), a little boy turning 8 years old---(I guess that is not so little) :(, and another little boy starting Kindergarten.  agh!!!  (Let the water works begin!)  Today has been such a blessed day (albeit a little tiring) to be reunited with our 3 big kids and love on them.  9 days is a long time to be away.  Tobe said, "I was starting to forget this place."  (our house!)

Meanwhile, a piece of our heart is in Ethiopia.  This part of the wait is supposedly the hardest.  I don't know that yet, I am sure it will be.  I am still suffering from jetlag (i.e. it is 5:30 am and I'm up--which NEVER happens).  But I do know that she is so loved where she is at and is being taken care of until we return and that makes it easier.  Also, knowing I have LOTS to do in the next 5-8 weeks like all things mentioned in paragraph 1, as well as bedroom remodel of the "sisters" room, and sadly me being one more year closer to 40!  I am to the point that I am forgetting what age I am.  LOL!

Some people are still confused.  Chloe is not home.  This process is long and hard.  Every country, every program a bit different with lots of processes and bureacacy.  And it is ever changing.  It has changed multiple times while we've been in the process, and is about to change again (thanking God we beat that deadline).  Chloe is a Strickland according to Ethiopia.  But now we must wait for the US Embassy to say "come back-- she is cleared to immigrate into the USA".  So we wait.....this can be anywhere from 5-10 weeks.  Hopefully shorter. 



So pray as we wait (our final wait!!!)  to go back.......and I promise to post some of our Ethiopian adventures soon-----as most of you know....we have "some".