Zoo and Adoption Update

Today we went to the zoo and got to meet our friends Kat, Charlie and Jia, who we first met in Kyrgyzstan. Ironic that we went half way around the world to meet people who live in our backyard. We took Josh's friends, Emily and Braiden as well.

It was SUCH a hot day at the zoo. The kids had water just running down them they were so hot, but it was SO nice to have time to talk and visit with Kat, see Charlie and Jia again -- in our country. Jia was so loving and would run up, hug me, hold my hand and let me carry her around. Charlie is always happy. He's doing well in motor skills, pulling up, crawling, walking with mama's help. He is very attached to his mama and it was SO CUTE.

I have some photos on my phone -- the batteries on my camera were dead -- of the kids petting a baby goat and of Charlie and Kat. I'll try to post them later.

We all agreed it was too hot to spend too much time outside so we let the kids play on the Jungle Gym, went to eat lunch, visited the petting zoo, went into to see the snakes and frogs and such (air conditioned) and then quickly saw the Meercats before calling it a day. We've promised to do it again when it is MUCH cooler.

Today was enough to convince me that we cannot go to Kentucky Kingdom this week. It's too hot here. I don't want to drive all the way there, pay for admission and then find out the boys are too hot to stay. So, I've told Josh we will go one day when he is out of school.

On the adoption front, here's what I know. Most of this is subject to change, but is pretty certain:

• Court will be held August 8 (maybe)
• She will be ours after that (except for the fact that there is a 30 day "waiting period" where a birth family member could come back and stop the process; while we do not expect this to happen, we know it is a possibility)
• We will get a passport for her to leave the country around 2 months after our court date (October 8).
• We will travel back sometime around then to pick her up (this will partially coincide with Fall Break here -- this really STINKS)
• The probability of my traveling with the families that I had hoped to are pretty much nil at this point, per my agency. We are trying to work out the details on my not traveling alone. I have a long-time, very good friend who has offered to travel with me (what an offer, let me tell you!!) and help me take care of things like luggage, taking care of Ellie when I have to go to the Embassy, watching Ellie while I shower (this is an important item), and generally keep me from losing my mind (this is a HUGE requirement that I'm certain she is most afraid of). She has basically offered to help and care for me while I spend time loving this sweet little baby, adjusting to her, and caring for her. Is this not the biggest favor in the world???

So, while I would give anything for all things to be different, I was reminded tonight at church that God's timing is perfect, even when we don't think so. I still haven't seen the perfection, but know that it exists.