Sarah Faith is officially a Mullis!

We got a phone call this morning around 9:30 from Kristen to let us know we had passed court for Sarah Faith! Micah has a court date for this Thursday ( our Wednesday night) Please pray his file will be looked at by the judge and she will pass him too! If so we should be able to go get them bu the end of May!

Introducing Sarah Faith "Mulunesh" Mullis

Born October 21, 2010


THANK you all SO MUCH for the prayers and encouraging words. We are so excited to have her as a part of our family and CANNOT wait to share good news and pictures of Micah too!

SKYPE TIME

We were able to skype with Micah and Sarah Faith last night! We heard that a family over in ET had an Internet stick that worked at the transition house and that they had been able to skype some of the families with older children. Well , they were going to be at the Transition House in the morning ET time and were hoping to pass court. If they did, this could be our last chance to skype.

We woke up at 3:30 AM and as soon as we logged in the Mowens sent us a message saying, "going to find your kids" My heart about beat out of my chest when our skype starting ringing a few minutes later and there was Micah! His eyes just lit up when he saw us and the first thing he said was , " I love you Mum , I love you Daddy"! We blew lots of kisses and waved. Then they brought Miss Sarah Faith out and Micah was holding her and giving her big hugs and kisses. He was holding her like a pro too! He is going to be such a big help on the embassy trip home.

We were able to see Tara Mowen get some big smiles out of Sarah and Micah's friend Josh translated for us that he misses us and wants to come home soon. Oh break my heart! Micah asked where his brother was and we said sleeping, but by then Abby has woke up and was able to say hello, then Greg woke Nathan and Esther up. Micah lit up like a Christmas tree when he saw Nathan. I have a feeling there is going to be some serious male bonding with Daddy and his boys!

We were able to talk to them for about 15 precious minutes and it was such an amazing gift! They seem "real" again to me! Oh, how I want to jump on a plane today and go get them.

We should hear some news on our case this week. Please pray that the judge will look at our file and that we will have a favorable letter from MOWA. I so want to move pass this waiting stage!

The Easter bunny

Tonight, before I went to the grocery store to stock up for the week, I swung into Kohls to get a hat to wear to our Ladies Spring Luncheon Garden Party at church in May. While I was walking around, I also picked up this adorable little white stuffed bunny that was half off and thought that I would either stick it in Esther's Easter basket or save it for Sarah Faith.

I was in line to check out and I noticed this little redhead girl about 4 years old in line with her parents and grandmother, crying and saying over and over," I want my baby, I want my baby." Her parents were, for the most part, ignoring her, but she kept reaching out her hands to the shelf of bunnies ( just like the one I had in my hand)... Saying over and over, "I want my baby."

I could tell her mom loved her but she told her that no she couldn't get one tonight and I actually wondered while waiting to check out why her mom wouldn't get it for her. Did she think it would be spoiling her? Did they not have the money for a $4 bunny? Was she going to be getting a bunny in her Easter basket next week? She seemed like a sweet little girl...why not ?

She kinda reminded me of me in that I had a love for stuffed animals and a love language of gifts when I was a child. I paid for my things and walked out to the van. When I got to my van and got in, I heard the Lord speak to me as if He was right there beside me telling me to go and give that child the stuffed bunny in my bag.

Ok that was kinda weird...and not normal for me.

But I got out and started across the parking lot feeling a bit like an angel in disguise ready to bless this sweet little girl with a stuffed bunny.

Then it hit me why God was asking me to do this.

By the time I reached them I was sobbing...crying the ugly cry- the honey, call 911 if this crazy lady tries anything funny- kinda cry . I told the little girl's mom that I also had a little girl, but that she was in an orphanage in Ethiopia and even though I really wanted her home for Easter that wasn't to be this year. I told her that right now there was nothing I could do to get my baby home, but I wanted to give her little girl this "baby" to take care of. She hugged the crazy lady ( yes, that would be me) and I walked away.

As I got back in my van , I knew why the little girl reminded me of myself so much and why she touched my heart so deeply. I have been crying out to my heavenly Father for years "I want my baby." Through unexplained secondary infertility, through domestic adoptions that never worked out and now... as two of my five children are half a world away and we are waiting in the madness of a flawed system to bring them home. "I want my baby".

God taught me tonight that just like the parents of that little girl, He loves me, but He has not given me what I cried for. I cried for a biological baby and he said no. I cried for a domestic adoption and He said no. I cried for a baby boy from Ethiopia and He said no.

He has given me an amazing husband. He has given me three beautiful biological children. He has given me two Ethiopian children that I would have never thought to ask for... yet alone cry for. A 10 year old son? A baby daughter? In His plan, through the pain , He has brought to us the two children He has planned for our family.

Now, if He can orchestrate that.. I can trust Him with the timing to bring them home.

And He will.

In His time.

The short version

In case you have fazed out ( and I wouldn't blame you if you did) Here is the short version of "our Saga":

Jan 24 ~ First court date. No MOWA letter. No Birth mom statement for Sarah Faith

Feb 8 ~ Second Court Date. unfavorable MOWA letter. need homestudy authenticated by state and US embassy. Birth mom statement there though.

March 14 ~ Third Court Date. No MOWA Letter no new court date..waiting on MOWA letter

~ One week of waiting on MOWA Letter to be written...(every single day) ~

March 21 ~ MOWA Letter written

Begin waiting on judge to review for 13 work DAYS! Every single day get a "maybe tomorrow" email. (That is two and a half work weeks of waking up EVERY single morning and waiting by the phone to get good or bad news) .AWAA Makes a formal appeal, judge will see case on April 8th.

April 8th ~ Fourth Court Date. Judge doesn't come to work. Will see case April 15th.

April 15th ~ Fifth Court Date. Judge doesn't get to case. AWAA will appeal on Monday, April 18th for a court date for the SIXTH TIME!!!

NOW there is a case that is very similar to ours that when the judge did pick the case up to review it, the MOWA letter was unfavorable AGAIN because MOWA wanted their embassy form authenticated in the US. Which will take at least 10 days to do and get back to Ethiopia.

I am not sure if that will be the same with our case or not...but probably.

Another week

Play by play of my last 24 hours.....

Yesterday at 11:00 am: We received an email stating that the judge was going to FOR SURE review our case today..yipee! :)

Yesterday at 2:00pm: We received an email stating that if the US government shuts down then the embassy in Ethiopia will not be able to process visas and will stand still all adoptions until they are back up and running.... um.. boo hiss, Washington, quit acting like babies and get your act together. :(

Yesterday at 5:00pm: I check the mail and our renewed USCIS I171h form is there.. Yay no backlog for that! :)

This morning at 10:00am : We receive an email that the judge did not look at our file and will not until next Friday. Even after she said she would. Apparently, she took the day off...I know, right. :(

This morning at 10:30: We find out that the other three families waiting, their file is to be reviewed on Monday not Friday like ours. .. Way to turn that knife in my heart. :(

Seriously. That has been my roller coaster for the last 24 hours. And if one more person tells me it is all in God's timing, my head may spin around and I may spew a green substance.

Excuse me if I am cranky.