Our Referral-versary!

One year ago today we got the phone call that changed our family forever. (To read about that incredible day, click HERE.) There was a little girl in Ethiopia that needed a home. A little girl that through sickness had become fatherless, and through poverty had become an orphan. This little girl needed a family and a home, and we were it.

Last July 14th, this was the first picture we saw of our precious daughter.

And this is her today.

I'm not an overly, sappy, emotional person. But as I look at her first pictures, as I've looked at hundreds of times over the past year, tears pour from my eyes. Because LOOK AT HER. Look at how scared and confused and malnourished she was. And then look at that sassy little girl today. My heart breaks at the thought of "what-if". What if we hadn't made the leap of crazy faith to start the adoption process. What if the "it's so expensive" and "what will people think?" thoughts had won. What if.

This precious daughter of ours has changed so many lives already. More kiddos are coming home to their Forever Families because THIS LITTLE GIRL has impacted several of our friends. Do you understand how amazing it is to know that our adoption wasn't just about bringing Macy home, but how it's encouraged other families to start the process to bring their sons and daughters home as well? It truly is humbling.

One year ago today I went to bed praying for Macy's birthmother. The woman that gave her sweet baby life, and then after two and a half years of trying to provide for her, had to make the agonizing decision to take her youngest child to an orphanage. Today, my thoughts are on her again, as they are everyday. I want her to know how happy, healthy, smart and funny her daughter is. How wonderfully well-adjusted she is. How much happiness she has brought to our family.

What an amazing year. A year I can't believe that is already passed. A year of fears, trials, joy, and overwhelming appreciation to our Father who has so perfectly knit our family together. I tell everyone that He picked the perfect child for us. She was a Humphrey just needing to come home.

Macy update!!!

I was sitting around the house today all down in the mouth about stupid junk. So I thought I would email our case worker to see if we had moved up the waiting list any in the past 13 days. (I know...13 days...I'm impatient.) And I was SHOCKED with the response I got back from her! In 13 days...JUST 13 DAYS!...we have moved up the list from #1o on the toddler list to #5!!!!! IN THIRTEEN DAYS!!!! She said there is a good possibility of us getting our "magic phone call" this summer or sooner! OH MY GOSH! Now keep in mind that we were originally told it would probably be November before we got a referral. So this is HUGE!

So a couple of people have asked me some questions regarding the adoption. Here's some answers:
1. What is a referral?
A referral is when we get "matched" with a child. We will be given her name, photos, medical info, and any known background information about her. (Status of her birth parents, circumstances surrounding how she arrived at the orphanage, etc.)
2. Are you required to accept the referral?
No. We are completely able to decline the referral of a child if we are not sure about the information we are provided about her. However, since we have requested a child with no special needs, we are not expecting anything to happen to make us decline a referral. But, of course, you never know. Once we get the medical information we will take the records to a pediatrician who has history with international adoptions to have the info looked over. If for some reason we did decline a referral, we would be "next in line" for a little girl with our age request. (In other words, our wait would not start all back over.) But again, we don't expect this to be an issue.
3. What happens next? Once we receive and review our referral information, we will formally accept the referral. We are then issued a court date. It may take a while to receive a court date, so this could take several weeks. We will then travel to Ethiopia for court. We will stay there for 4 to 5 days, and then return home (without our Macy!). Once final paperwork is finished, approx. 3 to 8 weeks later, we will return to Ethiopia for 5 to 7 days, pick our girl up and bring her home forever!
One problem we will probably run into is that the Ethiopian courts close down for August and September. So if we receive a referral this summer but can't get a court date, then we will have to wait until October to go to court. Total bummer. However, our case worker says that there is a chance that we could get our referral and travel for court before the end of July. So that's what we are hoping for! Either way there is a good chance that we will have another Humphrey in the house for Christmas this year! (I am already imagining our Christmas card! Ha!)
4. Will you meet her before she becomes legally yours?
Yes. With the new two-trip rule, we are now required visit Ethiopia to meet with our child and spend time with her before attending the court hearing making her officially a Humphrey. Once we pass court, she is legally ours.

If you have any questions about the process, feel free to leave a comment! I'd be happy to answer anything you are wondering about!

Wahooo!!!! Number FIVE!
Amanda