Travel Dates

Haley and I will be traveling to Addis Ababa, Ethiopa, on January 23. We first fly to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and spend one night there getting a well needed rest after a 16hr flight, and then on the morning of the 25th, we will have a short 4hr jaunt to Addis. I imagine we will be getting Saron either that Monday or Tuesday. We will spend 7 days in Ethiopia. We hope to be able to meet Saron's birthmother while we're there. Spending time with the children in both Hope's and Arise's orphanages is also a priority. On Thursday, we have our embassy appointment, and then we have the weekend to rest up until our long flight home.

We arrive home at LAX on Tuesday, February 2nd in the afternoon. Then this 2yr long adoption chapter will end and we will have the child, Lord willing, that God has meant for us.

Christmas Photo Out-takes & Giveaway Info.

Well after over 80 shots, we did get some good ones. But I thought I would post some of the ones that didn't turn out so good.

I found this blog, My Crazy Adoption, through another blog and wanted to post about her great giveaway. She's giving away lots of stuff including two t-shirts. The grand prize equals $180 worth of gifts, and also some other giveaways. They also design and sell some awesome looking adoption t-shirts. I have seen many, and these have the coolest design and wording I've ever seen. In fact, I want one.

You have to check it out, just click the box below. The entries are free, easy and fun!

THE VERDICT IS IN.....

WE PASSED!!!

Thanks and praise and glory be to God

our Heavenly Father!!!

Somebody pinch me!

Is this for real.

I'll write more when I get my thoughts together.

This is our new daughter, Saron.

Tentative travel date is the week of January 20th.

ONE MORE DAY!!!

We are so happy that our court date is tomorrow!

(It will actually take place tonight, while we sleep.)

Looking forward to this day has done wonders for all of our family in keeping our minds off of the tragic event of last year.

I have a few friends who also have court dates tomorrow and the rest of this week. Would you please join us in praying that we pass court.

We are all desperate for good news!

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
~Philipians 4:6-7

One year ago on December 5, 2008...

One year ago tonight, our family was rocked to its core, when we got the call that changed everything. Our daughter, Josi, whom we were days away from picking up was dead. Murdered. Stabbed to death. Dear God, could this be true? Could this really be happening?

But... today is also the one-year anniversary of a most Joyous event. Jhosseline Merary Alejandra Azhderian entered Heaven's gates and went home to live with her Heavenly Father in eternity. While we ache with sadness that we will never see her again this side of Heaven, we rejoice because we know that she is the happiest she could ever be. So much more happier than we could have ever made her, experiencing so much more love than we could have ever given her.

Josi may have been an orphan here in this awful, sin-filled, world; but she was never an orphan to Jesus. The way she died was worse than anyone can imagine, yet Jesus guarantees instant Heaven and carried her home in his arms. The moment Josi saw Jesus, she was made perfect, and completely transformed into the image of Christ. Now she has perfect pleasure, perfect knowledge, perfect comfort, perfect love, and perfect joy.

God is sovereign and perfect in all that he does. Obviously we cannot know, or understand, his full purpose or plan, but we can trust that his plan is perfect.

"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways, for as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts." ~Isa.55:8-9

The first photo we ever saw of Josi

(It is dated December 5, 2007)

Visiting Josi

For one year we were blessed to know you and love you.

You will remain in our hearts until we see you again.

Spend Less, Give More, LOVE LIKE JESUS

Kentucky and Thanksgiving

Our adoption agency, Arise Adoptions, is based out of Louisville, KY, and they were having a one-year anniversary celebration on November 6. At the same time, my very dear and close friend, Kelly, and her family, happened to be driving through Louisville on their way to Chicago. I was thinking how great it would be to be able to go and meet our agency director and some of the families that are also in process, and of course to also be able to see Kelly; so I decided to check out airfare to KY. And to my surprise, the tickets were cheap, only $268 round trip; but I didn't purchase them then. I still needed to talk with Sammy. A few days later, it came to me that we had a credit coming to us from an airline--not sure which one it was--from the visit trip that we had cancelled last November to visit Josi. (We decided to cancel, because we knew it would only be a couple of weeks after the visit that we would be picking her up. Little did we know that she would be gone just a few days after our visit trip would have ended.) Anyway, I called and indeed we had a credit with American Airlines. With such a good deal, Sammy didn't have any problems with me going. So, I got to go to Louisville with Aubrey and little Sammy for a nice little vacation. It was so nice getting away for a few days and also getting to spend some good quality time with Aubrey and Sam. We all had so much fun. Kentucky was absolutely BEAUTIFUL. I LOVE the country and have always seen myself living amongst trees and grass. I still often wonder why God put us here in the desert, but I know we have a purpose here.

The Arise celebration was awesome. Just being able to meet and fellowship with others using our same agency, and in the same situation as we are, with our children in the same orphanages, made it so worth the trip. I met some really fantastic families.

Meeting Kelly and her family was the highlight of our trip. We met at the Louisville Zoo and had a great time walking and talking and looking at the animals... which were all awake and very animated. It was the best zoo I have ever been too. After the Zoo, we had lunch, and then spent a couple of hours in our hotel room before they had to continue on to Chicago. Our kids hit it off really well as we knew they would. Now we just have to get our older kids together. Neither of our older ones went on the trip. Maybe next year...

Kelly and me

Aubrey and Karaline, Kelly's daughter.


Kolton and Karson, Kelly's sons, with Sammy in the middle.

Kemry, Kelly's sweet and beautiful Guatemalan angel.

Kelly's four and my two.

(Kelly's Kollin and Karly stayed behind in TN, and my Haley, & Shay stayed behind in CA along with Robby and Daddy.)

Another shot of all the kids.

We were invited to a BBQ from another Arise family. The kids had so much fun playing in the trees, (it's like a forest in KY,) jumping in leaf piles, and playing with the other children there.

We even got to go on a real hayride.

We had a memorable Thanksgiving. The turkey turned out fantastic and we had really great company.

Aubrey and her friend, Janelle

Haley and her friend, Jocelyn

Four giggly girls

My sis, Tina, and her boyfriend, Granger

Robby and Sammy

My mom

My niece, Amanda

My great nephew, Caleb, showing me his turkey

The little boys

Tina, and her son, Michael, and his Caleb
Mom, Tina, Amanda, and me