Filling in the details

We had no idea that Evangeline would officially be our daughter yesterday.

No idea.

That morning I had been journaling about our adoption. Specifically, I was journaling about my feelings of discouragement. It felt like we had so much momentum at first. Initially, I believed we would travel by Christmas. Next, I believed we would pass court on the 28th. I wondered if we would pass on the 9th. I wondered how much longer it would be before we could travel. I wrote of how time continued to march on. E's birthday is April 7th. I wondered how much of her first year we would miss.

When I posted about our court date being delayed, my friend Jenna, who I met through blogging while still waitlisted in Taiwan, left me this passage in my comments. It was a great encouragement to me.

"But these things I plan won't happen right away. Slowly, steadily, SURELY the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, be patient! For it surely will take place. It will not be late by a single day." Habakkuk 2:3

Obviously this verse was not written directly to me, but I felt it applied directly to our situation. It's so easy to get bogged down by the frustration of the delays. I had to trust that it would happen. I had to trust that the timing would be perfect. I wasn't doing a very good job at it.

After I had finished journaling, Jude told me, "Mommy, I have something to tell you and you are gonna love it."

He continued, "It's donkey's birthday again and he needs us to bake him another cake."

It was almost 1p. We had to leave at 2:30p to get fingerprinted for USCIS (Immigration). None of us were ready for the day. Reluctantly, I agreed that we could bake it together, but then we would all have to hurry to get ready in time for our appt.

At 1:20p, in the middle of our cake baking, I received an email from Radu saying, "Hello. You passed court. Congratulations."

HUH?!

But our court date wasn't until the 9th. Could it be? I hadn't heard of this happening before. That's not to say it hasn't, but I just don't remember hearing about it if it has. I never even considered it as a possibility.

I wrote back - "Did you mean to send this to another family? Our court date is not until the 9th."

I waited for 30 minutes. I tried to distract myself by getting the cake in the oven and getting ready for the day. I had my appt coming up soon. My mind was racing. Could we have passed? Oh I hoped we heard back before we had to leave.

At 1:50p, I receive a response from Radu, "Yes, you passed. They had one spot available today and it was done."

I was floored - jumping up and down, shaking, woo hoo-ing. The kids were looking at me like I had lost it.

I called Dan. I wanted to get pictures up on the blog ASAP being we had not yet been able to share them. Ethiopia requests that no pictures or identifying info be posted of the child until after you pass court, as, until then, the child is not your child. It could actually jeopardize the adoption to do otherwise. I couldn't wait to share the photos of our new daughter with the world. Thus my post yesterday.

We were told we would travel sometime around the 15th of February, but we do not have an embassy date yet, so we have to wait to book our tickets. My mom and sister will be coming down to watch the kids. Dan and I will travel together to get Evangeline.

Yesterday, my amaryllis that I planted 6 weeks ago bloomed.

It was a beautiful day!