Bethany. . . your story, Part 1.

 Here we are walking down the hall, coming to meet you for the first time.  I am struck with amazement that we are almost here.  We have rearranged flights, flown in two airplanes, several taxis, and a mini van to get to you today.  And finally here we come. . .  and I find myself remembering.

I remembered the dinner your Daddy and I had as we decided now is the time to start the adoption process.  I remembered sitting at a table with Randy Bohlender asking all the right and wrong questions, but leaving feeling as if we were ready to start something really big.  I remembered meeting with Tracie the first time and believing her as she made it sound both amazingly complex and simple at the same time.  I remembered last summer, and finishing the mounds of paperwork for a home study, planning fundraising dinners, and praying for you every morning.  I remembered getting to September, and believing that you were going to come to us at any moment, only to see now that the Lord was just beginning to form you.  I remembered meeting for the first time with Susan, from Hannah's Dream.  I remembered loving her and them, but being disappointed because they didn't have any birth mom's yet and it might be a while.  I was so sure you were coming soon.  I remembered getting phone calls for little boys that needed homes and sitting at my kitchen table weeping, that I couldn't save them all.  But knowing that I must wait for the one the Lord had spoken so clearly about. . .  Bethany.  I remembered thinking that maybe you were to come this winter.  And I remember the birth mother the Lord put in our path to pray for those months- only to learn later that her baby girl was not our Bethany.  I remembered beginning to plan for an overseas trip without you. . . confused, but always following the Father.

And then.  I remembered the call from Tracie.  It was in early March and I had just put your daddy on a plane to Florida and then Haiti.  I remembered the frantic call to him.  I remember him saying, "This feels right."  I remembered agreeing from deep in my heart.  I remembered weeping when they called me and said you were a girl.  Our Bethany.  I remembered meeting and signing papers, and asking, "Are you sure June 24 is early enough for us to come back from our trip?"  I remembered working so hard in April to update our home study so we would be ready for you.  I remembered packing your diaper bag for the hospital, "Just in case."  I remembered praying for you and your birth mother fervently, that the Lord would make his heart known to you both.  That he would speak to you both, and protect you both.  And then I remembered yesterday morning, when I got the call that you were coming and I wept again.  Joy that is was finally time and sorrow that I wouldn't be there to get you.  There were wonderful arms there to hold you through the night, and for that I will forever be grateful.  But they were not mine. . .

So, here we are, approaching the door.  I see you and all the world stops.  There is no sound, there is no one around me.  It is only us and all I can think is. . .

"You are fearfully and wonderfully made, little one.  Fearfully and wonderfully."

Just a peek. . .

Isn't she beautiful??

She's coming!!

Hello friends!  Really quick update from Cairo- we got a call this morning from KC and our birth mom went into labor yesterday. 2 weeks early!!!  AHHHH!  We immediately called Delta, they graciously changed our tickets and didn't charge us the $1000 in change fees, and we are leaving here exactly 24 hours early.  That puts us in KC 30 hours earlier than expected and allows us to be there when they discharge Baby Bethany from the hospital.  As much as I wanted to be there the moment she was born, I know she is in the Lord's hands and there are precious ones there to hold her for me.  Nonetheless, we would covet your prayers!

1. Healthy baby and mama and safe delivery.
2. Flights that go as scheduled, little boys that make them well, and connections that are not missed!
3. Prayers for my parents and sister- as we were all going to fly back to the States together and now they are stuck in Cairo another day without us!  Only to fly home alone.  We love them dearly, but had to leave a day earlier. 

Thanks friends, I'll post pics as soon as I can get my hands on that sweet baby girl!!

Swimming, again??

Oh the fun we have had!  This past weekend, we got to go swimming.  It's an odd thing here in this country- the heat is brutal, and when you get on top of a tower, you can see all kinds of swimming pools.  However, as a foreigner, you try to find a place to go swimming and nothing appears.  Now hear me correctly, you see pools, but not like in the states, where all kinds of people have them in their backyards.  The large majority of people here live in some kind of flat- like an apartment, but with no overall services (i.e. pools) for use.  SO, who has all the pools you can see from above??  Well, the best explanation we can get involves sporting clubs that will (mostly) not let foreigners in.  Unless you have a good friend who has lived here his whole life and he wants to take you.  As of yet, we have made no such friend.  ;) 

Nonetheless, we did find a pool on top of a hotel roof that was a total blast!  They will let you pay for a day pass, and they didn't even charge us for the boys.  Oh my, how much fun we had.  Add the no swimming in the heat to the dilemna of having no where outside to play, and the boys had been struggling to not destroy our wonderful little apartment. I actually said to the husband today, "I am really looking forward to saying, Hey boys, go run around outside for a while."  That shift from 4 1/2 acres to a 9th floor flat has been difficult.  :)  Thank goodness for the pool and our dear friends who made sure we all had a blast! 

(Andrew was reading some of The Chronicles of Narnia out loud and Benjamin really wanted to hear, but sitting in the sun was too hot for a little boy.  So, he took his chips and snuck behind the chair and listened contentedly.)

P.S. 7 days and counting. . .we'll be home.

P.P.S.  14 days and counting. . . . Baby Bethany will be coming!!!  (or sometime near then)

Votes??

New design??  Thoughts please. . 

The Nile and so much more. . .

So, today we went back to the Nile and had a Felucca ride.  It was a small sail boat that doodled around the Nile for about an hour for $10.  The boys had a blast.  They have been asking to go back to the river and actually get on it, since we ate at the fish restaurant (see previous post).

 Isn't he funny????

Then, we wanted Mexican food and cheeseburgers to end the day.  Funny, huh?

An update in picture form. . .I suppose it's better than nothing. :)

So, my apologies for those of you who only check the blog.  I've been having a hard time lately getting around updating, but here's a quick overview. :)

We ate some really good hot dogs at a park.

We "bowled" in a hallway.  :)

 We had a GREAT Girls Day Out!

Starting with pedicures. . . 

Ate some really good food, at a wonderful restaurant!

Ended with a mud mask, cookie dough, and a chick flick!

And finally, a fantastic day at a friends house with swimming and paddle boats!

Benjamin and I even played football!

(Sadly I don't have a pic of us in the boat, because we were in the boat. 
someone else does, but i haven't gotten it yet.)

That's about it for now, but I am working on updating. . . . sorry about that friends.  :)