our village...

they say that it takes a village to raise a child...well, in our case it takes a village to bring our child home. this adoption process has taught me so much about how little i am capable of accomplishing on my own. every step of the way we have had family, friends, neighbors, fellow adoptive parents...those people who have elected to walk with us (even from a distance)...they have been cheering us on, praying for us, learning with us, teaching us, giving of their own time and resources to make sure that  that ruby could come home as quickly as possible...

and then yesterday, the village threw a beautiful party...

 and so many amazing women were there...they were there to celebrate that ruby will be home SOON!!!

one of my favorite things about these women is that this...

and this...

can happen within five minutes of each other!!

alanna, emily, heather, kerri, laurel: THANK YOU for everything that you did to bring such a wonderful surprise to a week with no phone calls. i love you girls and count it such an extraordinary privilege to have you in my life!!!

my wish...

the day that we left for ethiopia to meet ruby for the first time one of my dear friends slipped me a letter for us to read on our way. i know this friend. well. i know what magic she weaves with words and i knew that if i opened that envelope i would probably not stop crying for weeks (i might have been feeling the tiniest bit emotional). well, eventually my curiosity got the best of me and i opened the envelope. i read half the letter. had a good cry. put it away. a few hours later i read the second half of the letter. cried some more and went to put it away for good when i realized that there was a second page and a photo of our front door(?). knowing better, but being too curious to resist i peaked through my tears at the second page and read through the first stanza of a poem to our ruby. well, needless to say that in my state the tears were a'flowin' and i finished just the first stanza knowing better than to continue. somewhere over the Mediterranean i got my nerve up to read the second stanza and so, this reading small bits at a time continued for...well, quite a long time...in fact, i think we were halfway through the trip before i had read the entire thing. however, once we were back home and i had a few good nights sleep i was able to read through ruby's poem without shedding a single tear and with such great anticipation of her homecoming! i had been planning on sharing it as my final post on this blog once she was home with us...however, i just can't do it. i can't wait. i love this poem and right now it is the words to my wish. so in the spirit of impatience i'm sharing it right here and right now. maybe somebody else can write me a poem to close out with;-)

anyway, here it is...

Ruby Of Our Hearts

"Welcome"

Says the door

The room is pink with polka dots

This home, it's yours.

Laughter is the language here

You'll learn it soon and fluently

You're home, for good, for better.

Forever.

It's good you're here,

We've been waiting for you.

Knock Knock, says the door.

There's a line to meet you.

Ruby of our hearts,

So lovely, so happy!! to meet you.

Welcome home, welcome in.

What's your favorite color?

We watch you tiptoe first,

Then run, then dance.

And wherever you go,

You trip over love.

It's hard sometimes

When things toss and turn

And a place looks different

Than before.

But there's time, you see

Forever, actually

For it to feel like home

There's no place like it.

Ruby of our hearts...

A wish no longer,

In its place - a daughter, a sister

Dear Ruby, Welcome home.

thank you for this gift, heather, we love you!!

a little homesick...

today it is exactly two weeks since we said goodbye to our sweet girl. i had hoped...have been hoping...am still hoping that we would be already prepping to head back to bring her home with us. i have to stress that our case is incredibly abnormal in the sense that our adoption has moved at a very rapid pace. as many of you know, ruby is in need of some medical attention that she will only be able to receive once she is home with us. we are so grateful that we have had so many individuals advocating for a speedy process for our family and we absolutely feel that our God has orchestrated every step of our way. we are confident that she will be home at the exact perfect time. while i realize all of these things as truth it doesn't change this one thing: i miss my baby girl. saying goodbye to her was difficult, and honestly, i thought that would be the hardest part. not so. the last couple of days have felt so long. i've found myself pacing our house, willing the phone to ring or a magic email to appear in my inbox telling me that we have been processed at the embassy.

even as i am feeling sorry for myself and saying all of this i am so aware of other families who are in this same boat with us. other families who are still waiting for approvel letters, referral letters, MOWA letters, travel letters, and pivitol phone calls. i know that we are not the only family longing to have all of our children safe and sound under one roof. one of these waiting mamas, a very dear friend, has a verse from isaiah that has been a mantra of sorts to her while she and her husband wait on their adoption. i've always loved it and the significance that it bears to their story.  for some reason it has been with me the last few days as i have been thinking so much about the aches and pains and redemption of adoption. loving the renewed realization that we are the children of a God who can make all things new, who brings fresh beauty from a broken world.

"See, I am doing a new thing! Now it it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland." Isaiah 43

Ruby gal, mommy and daddy miss you!!