Send us your good thoughts

Tomorrow is the "Official First Day of Court Re-Opening". Though, court has been open for the last three days.

We called our co-director today and here's the scoop: People have been in a never-ending line to get into the courthouse for the last few days. Unless a person has a court appointment they are turned away. Our lawyer has four court appointments tomorrow, as well as 7 new cases to file. Our case has been through court twice (and failed both times). We now believe we have all of the required paperwork and should pass through court. We do not have a new date, as we have previously filed an appeal. This means???? Scenario One: The world is a beautiful place and we find out tomorrow that we have already passed through court unscathed. Scenario Two: The world is a place where things move slowly and we have to wait for a new court date for our paperwork to be reviewed again. Scenario Three: The world is a bummer, but we'll deal with it and we need additional information and then will re-file for court. Scenario Four: The world is against us and we need some unachievable, undetermined, ambiguous piece of paper. Just to note, if Scenario Four occurs, Crystal will be sent on the fast-track to the looney bin.

So, folks, those are the possibilities, unless there lies a Scenario Five which we don't even want to consider.

Send us your good thoughts please, please, please!

When you wish upon a star...

Tonight Clark and I wrapped up in fleece blankets and sat out on the porch with a glass of wine. Our date night. As we sat, I saw a beautiful shooting star. I yelled, "Come home Agnoti, come home!" I hope the Ethiopian courts heard me.

Clark is pretty sure they did. :)

Shower

I went to Linsey's welcome home baby shower for Abdisa today. He is beautiful. So healthy. So happy.

Have you ever been doing fine and then your emotions hit you like a truck? Like a truck carrying livestock, big and stinky? Linsey is standing with Abdisa and I think, "Agnoti was supposed to be here..." Then Linsey asks how I am doing with the wait. I start crying. Not just a little crying. Snot running down my face crying. Which makes Linsey cry. So we stood and cried and hugged and cried some more.

Please God, let us hear good news about Agnoti within the next few days. I feel like I am crumbling.

There was more than one baby at the shower today.....

Somethin's Fishy...

Liam had his Middle School Open House last night.

His science teacher, Mr. Wilson, has a large kiddie pool in the classroom filled with rocks and a rotating watersource. Mr. Wilson has invited the kids to bring water pets from home. We have a beta. Liam has been begging me to let him bring the beta to school. Way above and beyond the usual begging when one wants something. Last night we found out why.

About ten minutes after arriving another mom pulls me aside asking about our electric fish. Electric fish?? She giggles saying, yes, Liam told the class that we own an electric beta fish and that she is curious about it. A couple of other parents stand nearby snickering. She then asks if we plug it in.... I look at Liam, who's face is beginning to painfully contort. He's caught in an embellishment (Liam is FAMOUS for this). Liam's mom hates this part of parenting. I smile and tell laughing-mom that our electric beta actually saves on the power bill, as we no longer need a nightlight at our house, the kids just tote our beta's bowl around.

No Liam, the beta fish will not be going to school. Somethin's fishy at Open House... ...us!

Dear Heavenly Father,

Tonight as I tucked Simon in he asked if I would listen to him pray. It sounded like this:

"Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for Mom and Clark... ...and everyone else. Thank you so much for the plants that give us ox, oxa, oxagain? Nevermind. Please God, make everyone in this house have good dreams. I love you. Amen."

About the Heavenly Father part--I had no idea that Simon and God are on such formal terms. And, yes, I did manage to hold it together over Simon's incredible appreciation for oxygen. Who doesn't pray for plants at bedtime?!? What a sweetie-pie.

Homecoming

This very weekend last year went to our friend Pat's house and stood on his porch to watch the Homecoming Parade. There was a beautiful moment with Clark standing on a step behind me, his arms wrapped around. A daddy and his Asian-looking little girl walked in front of us on the sidewalk. She wore squeaking shoes; with every step they chirped. She was jumping, shoes chirping, holding her daddy's hand. I said to Clark, the next time we are at Homecoming, our daughter will be with us.

As you all know, our daughter is not home. We have watched the changing season and I have been thinking of that little girl with the squeaking shoes, of the parade and the daughter we planned to take this year.

Homecoming was today and Liam had a football game scheduled at the same time. As we stood watching the game today Clark was standing behind me, his arms wrapped around. We were not at the parade but I said to Clark, the next time we are at Homecoming, our daughter will be with us. She will; I know it.

Drink the water

We heard the fabulous news that our friends are pregnant... Congrats N & L! And, recently, other friends have decided to adopt a baby boy. Congrats to you too K & A!

Add them to the host of friends that are expecting or have just had babies and our circle of friends is having a baby boom. Wait until these little stinkers are teenagers together, whew!

Some people are afraid to drink the water in Missoula right now. Go ahead, drink the water. Heck, dump the water over your head! :) Crystal

Eleven days and counting

September 28th is only 11 days away! We are so hoping Agnoti's appeal is heard within those three days before court starts seeing cases again. Please send your good thoughts our way...

Her new shoes came. I hope she can still fit into them; they are mediums and her feet end up being so loooong at 4.5 inches.

Soccer snacks

Simon is playing soccer & Liam is playing football. Thus, we are entering the season of fall team snacks, Clark's pet-peeve.

Some thoughts Clark has about soccer snacks: The reward for the privilege of playing an athletic sport is asinine. If your kids are hungry after soccer, you should take them home and feed them lunch. If they are hungry before soccer, feed them lunch. Maybe the kids should bring adults snacks for our sacrifices of driving to and from practice, diligently cheering along the sidelines, purchasing new sports equipment each and every season, picking them up when they fall down, biting your tongue when they blow it on the field... That's it, we are buying Pop-Rocks and Coke for snack this weekend--we won't be asked to participate in soccer snacks again.

Pop-Rocks and Coke, is he nuts? I sure love this guy!

Crawling Into the Mind of a Man...

THE GAUNTLET HAS BEEN THROWN DOWN. THE FOLLOWING IS AN EMAIL FROM NICK TO CLARK, A POKER INVITE TITLED, "The Call to Felt (Poker Game)"

"Well mo-fo's, the evenings are getting crisp, football is the talk of Griz nation, and the leaves are starting to change colors. What does all this mean? That it is once again poker season, of course!!
Beginning on Saturday, Sept. 20th your presence is requested required and your money is needed every third Saturday night from 7pm until you are formally excused from the table or you are too squished to speak (just keep raising the pot in the latter case).
We need regular players to make this important game happen on a regular basis and family commitments are not an excused absence!! We all have families to contend with, most of which are still young and growing. Please be informed that families are to be unceremoniously cast aside for this, most special, evening of male bonding, bitching, and boozing. Remember, absence not only makes the heart grow fonder, but it also helps to keep a man's sanity intact. Thus, poker serves to improve our home lives by making us better husbands, more sensitive and caring lovers, and more attentive fathers. As you can see, poker is revealed to truly be a family game upon close examination.
Please RSVP and let me know that you will be here for every poker game with beer and money until next July, when you will be excused for a two-month summer vacation -or call and tell me you can’t make it because your wife said no and you have to stay home and play Barbie's like the little girlie girl that you are…" (Written By Nick)

ABSENCE MAKES THE HEART GROW FONDER? BETTER HUSBANDS? MORE SENSITIVE, CARING LOVERS? MORE ATTENTIVE FATHERS? A FAMILY GAME? CAN NICK PROMISE THESE THINGS? IT SOUNDS LIKE A 12-STEP PROGRAM. GOOOOOOO POKER SEASON!!!!!

Loving a Maybe

Today we got the news that there is no news.

I am remarkably ok with this.

October 1st is when cases start processing through court again and court re-opens September 28th. Our co-director thinks that before working on new cases, pending cases will be processed. We are pretty sure all our paperwork is in order and just needs approval. So, there is a chance that in 17 days our adoption will be finalized, with us traveling about 3 1/2 weeks later.

That feels soon.

That feels wonderful.

That feels like the best maybe I've ever had in my whole life!!!

Winna, winna, winna!

This morning, I am a "winna". On Ebay, we became the proud new owners of a Britax car-seat for Agnoti for $50.00 less than the local outlet is asking. Won't she look absolutely lovely in this?

In a chocolate shop!

Clark and I had some kid-free hours today and headed downtown. Missoula is having a German beer festival (I thought today) that we were going to visit. A beer, a brat, German music--sounded up our alley. Well, as we were finding a parking spot, the clientele looked different than we expected. Turns out that we were right on time for Hemp-fest. Hmmm, no thanks. The German festival is tomorrow. We quickly changed plans and were soon walking the downtown strip. I bought some great new shoes and we made a quick visit to Posh Chocolat (the BEST chocolate!). They also have a lunch menu featuring... AN ETHIOPIAN CHICKEN CREPE!!!! We ordered one to share and it was fantastic. I took a picture of the crepe with my cell phone, but somehow deleted it. We'll have to go back for a new picture! :) And, the crepe was absolutely delicious.... I never would have dreamed that we'd find Ethiopian food in a chocolate shop!

I am finding myself in a funny place with our adoption. I've regressed. When we decided to switch to Ethiopia our plans did not seem real for a long time. During this period I found myself telling anyone who stood still about our adoption. While sharing, I'd get this excited, buzzy feeling, like a first date with someone wonderful... As our adoption became more real, we got a referral, things were looking good, the need to do this abated. Well friends, it is back and going strong. During our brief outing today I told five people about our adoption. The buzzy, first date feeling is gone, replaced by a hollow, overwhelmed, dejected feeling. It is so frustrating to not have information, to not have any kind of idea of a date, to hold nothing but question marks in our hands.

I think I'll head back to Posh for some chocolate therapy!

My Little Entrepreneur

During tonight's tuck-in I was leaving Liam's bedroom and heading for Simon's when Liam yelled out, "Mom, I would not trade you for anything in the world!" I entered Simon's room with my heart feeling melty and full of love. Simon looked perplexed. When I asked him what he was thinking he said, "Well, I think I would trade you for a million bucks. I could probably buy you back for less than that and I would make some money."

So, there you have it friends... I am worth something less than a million bucks. Ahhh, the highs and lows.... :)

The Bedroom

Here is Agnoti's bedroom. Cranberry with glitter paint on bottom. Vanilla (trim), strawberry (upper walls), and chocolate (ceiling) for the Neopolitan effect. Like I need to be encouraged to think about ice cream!!!

Clark's dad, Doug, built Agnoti's crib and we had help from the grandmas, Steph and Benny, with the paint job. Thank you helpers... xoxo

Yesterday

...was the day we were scheduled to meet Agnoti. It has been hard not to get stuck in sadness. We do not know when we will travel to get her; though, hope for a phone call or email with good news every day. It is so hard to wait.

It rained in Missoula all weekend.
Clark and I worked on the house, installing a ceiling fan in the office area and building the header for the entry door.
Linsey's girls came with our family to an Ethiopian Adoptive Parents picnic in Polson Saturday, as Linsey is still so sick from her trip to Ethiopia. The ET kids were beautiful. As always, it was wonderful to visit with the other parents.
Doug dined with us Sunday.
Glen and Tara came over for a martini last night.
We bought Agnoti a purple sweater today.
Tonight we are watching "Water Horse" with the boys.