I've got a few minutes and internet at the airport, so thought I'd take the time to write down a little of what happened over the last few days. The most obvious and exciting thing is that we are in DC about to board Ethiopian Airlines and go get our children!! Vince & I are both a little overwhelmed with how we got to this point, and all of the people in our lives who are loving us and helping us with our boys while we're gone. So, maybe that's a good place to start.

We have been part of a church called ValleyLife for 13 years. We 'do' church a little differently than you might associate with the word 'church.' We meet together in homes, in very small groups and walk through life together. We do our best to help each other live life to the fullest in every way that Christ offers in the most generous ways. It's very simple, but very, very real. We have seen our church in our home grow many times over, and watched other people start their own house church in their own neighborhoods. This way of living out our faith has forever changed us.

Ed & Debbie Waken are the first people we met at ValleyLife. They have become dear friends and mentors. Our lives have changed as we had children, moved to a different home, etc., and we are not always faithful in the relationships that we love as we would like to be. These last few months have been hard . . . so hard. I have found myself in self preservation I guess, not being fully engaged with those I love. The Wakens have been faithful to us, and loved us more than we deserve, and of course, Ed took us to the airport. Then, they watched our kids most of the day. They don't just watch our kids, they loved them, like grandparents. We are blessed.

Next, there's Jared & Allison. We've known them since they were high school sweethearts, watched them get married, and then have 2 wonderful little boys. Allison is an amazing photographer, and has taken some of my most treasured photos of our family. We hardly see each other. Life it seems gets in the way. But, Allison agreed in a heartbeat to keep my boys for 2 nights, take them to our day of Easter celebration at the Waken's with our church family. I'm sure she made sure the boys had their Easter baskets full of excitement. To top it off, Allison will be at our house to photograph our family as we reunite in our home for the first time. We are blessed.

Then, there are Gary & Jill Oliverson. Jack, and their son Hayden are fast friends. They have been in school together since kindergarten. I don't think I've met more generous people. I've told our boys that we need to learn some lessons from the Oliverson's. I can't count how many times I've called Jill at the last minute to help me out with picking up Jack at school, or taking him to soccer practice, or to watch the boys. Jill called me the morning before we left and said, 'I've got the whole day free, what do you need me to do?' I sent her on a mission to buy clothes for all my 4 children, and off she went. Who does that? Jill does. Gary & Jill will have the boys for 3 nights while we are gone. I know they will be safe, have a blast, and be loved on. We are blessed.

Chris & Michelle Spalding . . . where do I start? The Spaldings and their boys Nathan & Will are our church. We live life together, and they are our best friends. I cannot begin to tell you all they have done for us over the last year of this adoption process, and all the things they are going to be doing to have our home ready when we get back with Yordanos & Semere. Michelle is doing crazy things like buying Semere a mattress, putting pretty decorations in Yordanos room, and I'm sure making sure my boys are bathed EVERY night they are at their house. :) Chris will try not to pull his hair out when he has a house full of 4 boys, and probably enjoy it! He'll make the kids laugh, and not miss their mommy and daddy. There are so many, many things I could tell you about the Spaldings, and why we love them, but I'm a little overwhelmed at how much they mean to us. The first day I met Michelle I called another girlfriend of mine and told her, "I think I just met my new best friend." The double whammy was when Vince & Chris liked each other to, and our kids were all the same age. I'm babbling now, but we are so very blessed.

So, these are the people holding down the Dorazio fort while we travel across the world to bring back more Dorazio's. There are so many more people I need to thank, and will, but they just called boarding! We are getting on that plane and not looking back.

People sometimes say things like 'You guys are so awesome, you are doing such a great thing with this adoption.' I hate to shatter your image of me, but I am a sinner, saved by grace, and don't deserve one of these amazing people in my life I just told you about, or my beautiful boys Jack & Luke, or our children who God has rescued from a painful childhood. I am not saving anyone, God has given them to us as a responsiblity to love. My prayer is that we are faithful to them and their hurt, and obedient to our calling as parents. My prayer is that God heals their hearts and that I am always grateful for every moment he has given our family.

Salam!

Cleared for travel!!!!

My friend Nikki was praying for Semere & Yordanos a few weeks ago, and told me that God really impressed upon her the date of April 14th. We land in Phoenix on April 14th to begin our new life with Semere & Yordanos. If you don't believe in God, you just haven't met Him yet. He pulled out one amazing miracle for our family and during the last 2 days and in a complete surprise, we are completely cleared to leave in 2 days, Saturday the 7th, to take the kids out of the orphanage, go to the embassy on the 12th for their visas, and fly home!

We really don't know how all the pieces fell together. There were many things that still had to happen, and at best, I was hoping for going the end of April. I'm just in awe of what happened, and that it's real. After all this waiting, it's over. No more waiting. It's a done deal. I'll try a more concrete post later, but I just wanted to tell the world!

Here's our first family picture that Luke drew for me. The boys are so excited!

"Mommy, Daddy and Yordanos are flying a kite way up high, and Jack, Semere, & Luke are down there playing soccer," says Luke when he drew our family picture. Good thing he's churning out family photos, because we get on an airplane THIS Saturday, April 7th to go pick up Semere & Yordanos!

We will land, in Phoenix, on April 14th. Stay tuned . . .

This silly picture was taken at about this time last year. We started dreaming and praying for Semere & Yordanos with that initial adoption application. In some ways it seems like yesterday, and in others, it seems WAY too long ago.

We passed a major milestone last Wednesday when our adoption file was submitted to the US Embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The kids became little Dorazio's back in January, but now they need visas to travel into the US with us. Now, we wait a little more . . . but with much more hope and an END in sight.

We have not heard any definite information yet from the Embassy. We have done everything we can proactively to see that we are passed through as soon as possible. If you read my last post, there is an option that would be a miracle, and that we are praying for until we hear otherwise.

Option #1 is that the embassy looks at our children's case files, and clears them for visas immediately. We would get an email or call saying that we could travel to get our children. Like I said in a prior post, it hardly ever happens. But until I hear that it's not going to happen to us, Option #1 is what I am praying for with every breath I take in and out.

Do you want to know one of my more light hearted reasons for this prayer? We live in Phoenix. Right about now, it's starting to heat up. I really would love Semere & Yordanos to have at least a few weeks of pleasant weather to play outside and enjoy wide open spaces, instead of the small, cramped care center. I guess it's not that big of a deal in the grand scheme of things, but my new children have probably never jumped on a trampoline, played soccer on beautiful grass, thrown a tennis ball over and over to a 100lb bear of a dog, or sat outside snuggled on their mommy and daddy's lap and watched the fire in the firepit while sipping a cup of hot chocolate.

Yes, we will take them up north (Arizona mountains) this summer to escape the heat, and probably even the beach in California, but our first few weeks at home are going to have to be quiet, at home, with just the 6 of us getting to know each other. I will take Semere & Yordanos on the hottest day on record if that's as long as it takes, but my dream, and my prayer is Option #1.

I'll keep you posted! Trust me, when I know the date of when we will finally get to get on that airplane and bring them home, everyone will know! I'll be walking a few feet off the ground and you'll most likely see fireworks light up the sky.