Our Tickets are Booked, Bags are Packed (well, bags aren't packed quite yet :)

Praise the Lord, we finally received the news we needed today, and we were able to confirm our travel plans to bring home our son!!! We WILL be leaving Saturday, October 16 and returning Saturday, October 23. Our embassy date will be on Wednesday, October 20, and after passing through the embassy, Noah will be with us for good! He will not have to go back to the orphanage ever again. What a day that will be. Praise the Lord for his redeeming love!

For me, it almost seems surreal, as until around 4pm today we were unsure if we would be going in October at all. I did not want to even begin thinking about Noah having to stay in Ethiopia into November. Now, we won't have to. God really worked this situation out as only he can, and we praise him for that. The immigration officer who was in charge of our case began communicating with us on Monday, and she has been awesome!!! We are thankful for her willingness to see the urgency of our case.

We know that in less than two weeks our lives will change forever. In the midst of our excitement, there does still linger some fear and anxiety, but nothing that us and God can't make it through together. We are so excited for Noah to have a family to love him and care for him always, and so honored that God chose us to do so!

Last weekend Zack and I spent some time on the campus of Eastern Kentucky University, where we met and later both graduated from. Because we were supposed to have left for Ethiopia last weekend, Caleb's nanna and papaw had planned a fun trip for him during this time, and even though we didn't leave for Ethiopia as scheduled last weekend, he still wanted to go with his grandparents. So, Zack and were all alone this past weekend. Though we missed Caleb so much, we had a great time together. Actually, we had a blast!!! We went to a movie and dinner, and we also went to a football game at EKU. We walked around campus together, and even visited our campus apartment (all 400 sq. feet of it) where we first lived after being married. Then we drove by our first house. It was a great weekend. As we were driving through Richmond and reminiscing about old times, I just marveled at the path that God has led us down. I would have never imagined it, but I also wouldn't want to change one part of it! It has been the most amazing journey! I am so thankful. We are so blessed.