Bringing Beauty to Our Family

We FINALLY have been approved to move forward with the adoption of a BEAUTIFUL little girl!!!

We aren't allowed to share too many specific details, but we can already say that we know that she is kind and sweet and generous and joyful and hard-working and smart and perfect in every way. Her given name means that she brings beauty to our family(Thanks Chelsea!!). Already, she does.

Thanks to a few traveling families and a strange twist of fate with a family friend from West Virginia who was traveling to Ethiopia, we've gotten pictures, videos, and some reports of how she's doing.

She already knows how to count to ten in English and say the alphabet. She loves playing and singing with other kids. And, when she got her first ever care package, right away she asked for permission to share her treats with the other kids.

Even from afar, I'm convinced she'll be a perfect fit for our family. One of the traveling families who met her said that one day she went to the nurse because she had an upset tummy(probably because of all the candy she had just eaten :) ... within a few minutes she was back out with the other kids and asking for a lollipop. Sounds just like somebody else I know :)

As far as our timeline goes, now we wait for the Ethiopian government to assign us a court date. The first court date will happen while we're here and they'll review the case and hopefully approve us to keep moving forward without any drama. Once, we're approved, they'll assign us a second court date with the Ethiopia court. This is when we finally get to travel and meet our little girl!!!!

During this time, we get to send pictures and care packages to her and we should get letters and some fun stuff back to help us get to know each other. We also get the joy of more paperwork and parenting classes while we wait. Fun times.

We can't thank everyone enough who has supported us along the way! We are overwhelmed by the generosity and support of our friends and family from around the world. One day, I hope this little girl really grasps the strength and love of her community. Already, her story marked by faith, hope, and love.

If you are interested in supporting us or other adoptive families in our quest to  make sure that every kiddo in the world gets to grow up in a loving home, please consider making a tax-deductible donation at: http://adopttogether.org/thefergusons/

Beyond words joyful!
Jimmy and Celeste

Moving, Giving, and Winning!!

In the past two days, at least three families from our organization have received referrals. Three families who were in front of us in line now have referrals for their babies... we are now three spots closer. We've still got a way to go, but it's exciting anyway.

In honor of referrals and the end of the fiscal year, Jimmy and I are engaging in a bit of friendly competition. We're working to raise money through AdoptTogether, a non-profit organization, for adoptive families that's the equivilant of some of our adoption costs. When a family receives a referral, they pay about $400 for the file to be reviewed by an international adoption specialist. They also end up paying about $400 for visas for parents and kiddos.

So, between now and December 31, we're asking others to join us by donating $5, which is tax-deductible, to AdoptTogether. To help Team Jimmy, type International Specialist in the memo section. To join Celeste's winning team, type Family Visas in the memo.

Here's to more referrals and lots of movement!!