Finally!

As far as Bailey Ann is concerned, we should have adopted yesterday! Her heart is so full of excitement and joy as we begin this adoption process. It is only fitting that she was the one to drop our forms for our formal application in the mail box. This is actually step # 3 of many more to come, but we are at least underway!

In case you're wondering, we completed step #1 by attending an informational meeting at our agency's office. (We then had a really nice dinner afterward ... made it a date night!) Our step #2 was to complete an initial online application to determine if we meet the requirements to adopt from Ethiopia. We do! Woo hoo!

Overall, we are in the very beginning stages of our journey but have been formally approved. We will complete a home study and then other paperwork specific to Ethiopia. We will then have a wait for a referral. After that acceptance is made, we will have a court date followed by an embassy date. It's obviously more detailed than that, but that's generally what we are expecting over this next year to a year and a half.

While we are still a long way from bringing a new baby home, we chose to make our "announcement" this early in the process because we know firsthand what can happen when a body of people pray for us! We continue to be amazed at how many people, many we have never even met, church groups, friends of friends, etc. prayed for us and our girls during our triplet pregnancy. That entire process was full of miracles, and we entered it all with the strength of knowing we had a large prayer team in place. We know that God is orchestrating every step of our way on this new adventure, and we know that He will use those of you praying for us and supporting us in a BIG way!

So, thanks in advance!