Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Expecting....

Well, Drew and I would love to announce that we are expecting a little bundle of joy!  Do I wish we were recieving a referral from Ethiopia....YES!  BUT....God has bigger plans for our family and He decided that we should create a child first :)  We feel very blessed and are very excited to welcome this baby into the world in September.  The first trimester has been tiring...wearing me out....and did I mention tiring?!?  lol   I have felt very fortunate so far to not have been throwing up everyday and only felt minor nausea.  We went to our first doctor's appointment Wednesday, February 29th and got to see the baby for the first time along with hear the heartbeat and I must say that God really knew what He was doing when creating a child!  It's amazing that I get to keep that baby in my belly and take care of it for 9 months before it evens enters the world...WOW!  How fortunate it is to be a woman :)  Now don't get me wrong...I am beyond nervous and scared for when that baby has to come out but I am sure the joy of holding your baby in the end with be worth the pain.



In regards to our adoption, we have been patiently waiting....WAITING is a common word used in adoption and I would like to think of it as God testing our patience and faith.  We have recently updated our medical paperwork and are about to update our Immigration stuff (Yippee) but other than that, we will be put on hold once our agency finds out about me being pregnant.  We have decided to wait and tell them after I get into my second trimester, just to ensure that everything is good and healthy with our baby.  I will be bummed to be put on hold but I know God has a special child waiting for us in the future so I can only rely on Him at this point!  So hard sometimes but so rewarding in the end.

Thanks again for your continued prayer, love and support!  Drew and I really appreciate everything and hope to bring more good news in the future....

Blessings,

Jess
xo

Friday, January 6, 2012

Christmas Traditions in Ethiopia

Hey everyone...

We have been well...just super busy with the Holidays! Tomorrow is Christmas in Ethiopia and we are excited to HOPEFULLY celebrate it next year with our child(ren)....
Thanks so much for everyones continued support and prayers. We appreciate it greatly!!!

Ethiopia is one of the oldest nations in Africa. It still follows the ancient Julian calendar, so Ethiopians celebrate Christmas on January 7. The Ethiopian Orthodox Church's celebration of Christ's birth is called Ganna. It is a day when families attend church.

The day before Ganna, people fast all day. The next morning at dawn, everyone dresses in white. Most Ethiopians don a traditional shamma, a thin, white cotton wrap with brightly colored stripes across the ends. The shamma is worn somewhat like a toga. Urban Ethiopians might put on white Western garb. Then everyone goes to the early mass at four o'clock in the morning. In a celebration that takes place several days later, the priests will dress in turbans and red and white robes as they carry beautifully embroidered fringed umbrellas.

Most Ethiopians who live outside the modern capital city, Addis Ababa, live in round mud-plastered houses with cone-shaped roofs of thatched straw. In areas where stone is plentiful, the houses may be rectangular stone houses. The churches in Ethiopia echo the shape of the houses. In many parts of the country there are ancient churches carved out of solid volcanic rock. Modern churches are built in three concentric circles.
In a modern church, the choir assembles in the outer circle. Each person entering the church is given a candle. The congregation walks around the church three times in a solemn procession, holding the flickering candles. Then they gather in the second circle to stand throughout the long mass, with the men and boys separated from the women and girls. The center circle is the holiest space in the church, where the priest serves Holy Communion.
Around the time of Ganna, the men and boys play a game that is also called ganna. It is somewhat like hockey, played with a curved stick and a round wooden ball.
The foods enjoyed during the Christmas season include wat, a thick, spicy stew of meat, vegetables, and sometimes eggs as well. The wat is served from a beautifully decorated watertight basket onto a "plate" of injera, which is flat sourdough bread. Pieces of injera are used as an edible spoon to scoop up the wat.
Twelve days after Ganna, on January 19, Ethiopians begin the three-day celebration called Timkat, which commemorates the baptism of Christ. The children walk to church services in a procession. They wear the crowns and robes of the church youth groups they belong to. The grown-ups wear the shamma. The priests will now wear their red and white robes and carry embroidered fringed umbrellas.
The music of Ethiopian instruments makes the Timkat procession a very festive event. The sistrum is a percussion instrument with tinkling metal disks. A long, T-shaped prayer stick called a makamiya taps out the walking beat and also serves as a support for the priest during the long church service that follows. Church officials called dabtaras study hard to learn the musical chants, melekets, for the ceremony.
Ethiopian men play another sport called yeferas guks. They ride on horseback and throw ceremonial lances at each other.
Ganna and Timkat are not occasions for giving gifts in Ethiopia. If a child receives any gift at all, it is usually a small gift of clothing. Religious observances, feasting, and games are the focus of the season

Friday, September 30, 2011

Time Keeps Passing by...

Hey everyone, Sorry for the lack of updates. We have been on the waitlist for almost 4 months now and I continually pray for the comfort and blessings upon our child OR children everyday! Yes that is right...I said CHILDREN :) lol We have officially decided to put our names on the waitlist for one boy under the age of two OR siblings under the age of three. We feel that if it is in God's plans, we would love to bring two sweet babies home! Life will change drastically in the next year or so and I am full on ready (or at least I would like to think so) to care for our little blessings!! God has been good and faithful even when we seem to get impatient and frustrated but we thank Him for the opportunity to be able to adopt children in need! What an awesome year it has been :)
On the other hand, I am really praying about starting a non-profit in Ethiopia....please just pray for guidance and a good listening ear for myself to follow the Lord if this is His will. I greatly appreciate the prayers :)
Drew and I are doing well in Tampa....we are constantly busy with work, friends, church and just life in general! We sometimes wonder how we are going to have time for kids but I keep reminding him that all of our priorities will change and we will be busy with them and not so much all the extra activities we participate in....hard to think that we may be parents next year (or at least we would like to hope so) but I'm extremely excited for God's new adventures for the Vasquez family!
Thanks for reading our blog and I promise to stay on top of it a little more...
"For this child I prayed; and the Lord has given me my petition which I asked of Him."
1 Samuel 1:27
Blessings,
Jess
xo

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

WAIT LIST!!!

Wow! We have been wait listed for about a week or so now and I still can't really believe it :) I know the wait will be long and I hope to hear more good news in the future about Ethiopia but I know God will provide and as long as we keep our faith strong, everything will be great!
Thanks for all the prayers and I will keep the blog updated on any new information.

Jess
xo

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Immigration Approval

Well,

As you know, if you have read my facebook page, we finally recieved Immigration Approval last week! We are super excited for the next step in the adoption process...WAITING! lol Like we haven't done enough of that already but we have complete faith in God and know that one day we will have an adorable child from Ethiopia! What a blessing that is :)
I am hoping that we get wait-listed this week and then we will be on the long journey to getting a referral....I tear up as I write this because I know that day will be so surreal! Thanks for the prayers and please pray for the Ethiopian govt. and for wisdom and smoothness within the adoption process. We are so excited to be parents and to show God's love to an adorable child that might not otherwise know Him! God is so good :)

Jess
xo

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

YAY!

My hubby is officially back in the United States! So blessed to have him home in a couple days...
That is all...

:)

Monday, April 11, 2011

Mr. & Mrs. Williams


Let's just say that I saw two really good friends of mine get married this past weekend. I was so excited to be a part of their big day and Amy looked so beautiful! The wedding was at the Chateau Elan in Braselton, GA and it was incredible....wine tasting, girl talks and seeing the cutest Ethiopian flowergirl were definitely the highlights of my weekend :)


Looks like things are still looking up in regards to the adoption. MOWA has officially lifted the pause on Gladney adoptions and they are going to be getting refferals for families this week....so excited for all those families that have been patiently waiting since the beginning of the year! I'm still waiting for that darn Immigration Approval so hopefully soon....


Drew may possibly be coming home next weekend so I am super excited to finally see him again! It has been a long 7 months but with all my travels, busy work schedule and adoption paperwork, it seems to have gone by a lot faster than expected. Hard to explain the butterflies that I get since I haven't seen my husband since the end of September but I'm really looking forward to it! And our trip to Hawaii :) YAY


I will keep you updated on Drew's return and our adoption status....keep us in your prayers!


Jess

xo