tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60031705602741400302024-03-13T23:33:55.666-04:00Our Adventure to EthiopiaThe Couture Girlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01322566205515845145noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6003170560274140030.post-59599169323094750342012-03-06T00:04:00.001-05:002012-03-06T00:04:42.218-05:00Expecting....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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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....<br />
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Blessings,<br />
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Jess<br />
xoThe Couture Girlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01322566205515845145noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6003170560274140030.post-14481568491539888782012-01-06T14:01:00.002-05:002012-01-06T14:01:48.946-05:00Christmas Traditions in Ethiopia<h1 class="articlePageTitle">
<span style="font-size: small;">Hey everyone...</span></h1>
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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)....</div>
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Thanks so much for everyones continued support and prayers. We appreciate it greatly!!!</div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">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.</span></h1>
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<span style="font-size: small;">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.</span></h1>
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.<br />
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.<br />
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.<br />
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.<br />
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.<br />
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.<br />
Ethiopian men play another sport called yeferas guks. They ride on horseback and throw ceremonial lances at each other.<br />
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 seasonThe Couture Girlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01322566205515845145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6003170560274140030.post-13314132276751194072011-09-30T11:54:00.002-04:002011-09-30T12:10:11.884-04:00Time Keeps Passing by...<div>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 :)</div><div> </div><div>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 :)</div><div> </div><div>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!</div><div> </div><div>Thanks for reading our blog and I promise to stay on top of it a little more...</div><div> </div><div>"For this child I prayed; and the Lord has given me my petition which I asked of Him."</div><div>1 Samuel 1:27</div><div> </div><div>Blessings,</div><div> </div><div>Jess</div><div>xo</div><div> </div><div> </div>The Couture Girlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01322566205515845145noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6003170560274140030.post-20937897054768278692011-06-21T21:28:00.003-04:002011-06-21T21:30:08.463-04:00WAIT 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!<br />Thanks for all the prayers and I will keep the blog updated on any new information.<br /><br />Jess<br />xoThe Couture Girlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01322566205515845145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6003170560274140030.post-56344088925143012412011-06-01T00:04:00.002-04:002011-06-01T00:14:04.767-04:00Immigration ApprovalWell,<br /><br />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 :)<br />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 :)<br /><br />Jess<br />xoThe Couture Girlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01322566205515845145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6003170560274140030.post-30672687007406001992011-04-19T23:40:00.002-04:002011-04-19T23:40:54.420-04:00YAY!My hubby is officially back in the United States! So blessed to have him home in a couple days...<br />That is all...<br /><br />:)The Couture Girlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01322566205515845145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6003170560274140030.post-78114730473932027872011-04-11T20:48:00.002-04:002011-04-11T20:57:33.100-04:00Mr. & Mrs. Williams<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlMvspxowC41Mf2UmoqZxm8Bzm72BYRq_Whegjd9VJDwGGsyigLgD8YZ9YEg1pn4xMAYFTmlNl2I8-pUpjt4b93-yU12UwccnYK8ibeQKUhLpBdJVFeTIO02EccqCZZZ2P2ZbPTvmbSvA/s1600/CIMG4607.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 179px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594494864828337666" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlMvspxowC41Mf2UmoqZxm8Bzm72BYRq_Whegjd9VJDwGGsyigLgD8YZ9YEg1pn4xMAYFTmlNl2I8-pUpjt4b93-yU12UwccnYK8ibeQKUhLpBdJVFeTIO02EccqCZZZ2P2ZbPTvmbSvA/s320/CIMG4607.JPG" /></a> <br /><div>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 :)</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>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....</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>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</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>I will keep you updated on Drew's return and our adoption status....keep us in your prayers!</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Jess</div><br /><div>xo</div>The Couture Girlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01322566205515845145noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6003170560274140030.post-49855684744311851462011-04-04T12:12:00.001-04:002011-04-04T12:14:22.520-04:00Gladney Approval!As of today, we are approved at Gladney and I am patiently waiting for Immigration Approval! I'm so excited about everything...God is looking out for us and our future child :) Keep you posted on future news! xoThe Couture Girlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01322566205515845145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6003170560274140030.post-51058008102282180202011-03-31T20:34:00.001-04:002011-03-31T20:36:08.996-04:00......Waiting for Agency approval....... Hopefully getting agency approval soon and shortly after, getting Immigration approval which means......WAITLIST TIME! Yay! xoThe Couture Girlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01322566205515845145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6003170560274140030.post-14080696418369992662011-03-22T20:37:00.002-04:002011-03-22T20:39:32.653-04:00UpdateHey everyone,<br />I got an email from our agency today and it looks like things are back to normal in Ethiopia! I'm so thrilled that we won't have to wait any longer :) God is so good... They are back to processing 40 adoption cases a day instead of the dreaded 5 they were going to decrease to....<br /><br />Thanks for all the prayers and I will let you know more details when I get them!<br /><br />xoThe Couture Girlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01322566205515845145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6003170560274140030.post-88751661746965357512011-03-21T20:40:00.002-04:002011-03-21T20:47:29.740-04:00MOWAWell, I haven't posted in a while and it's honestly because I have recieved nothing but bad news from our agency since the new year. It all has to do with the govt and MOWA (Ministry of Women's Affairs) over in Ethiopia. We have been praying heavily for the continuation and easy flow of adoptions coming out of the country...since March 10th, MOWA has decreased adoptions by 90% meaning it will take many years to adopt from Ethiopia. Well, this is not good for anyone or any agency right now! We are all hoping this is a temporary change and that things will be running normal in a few short months. <br />Please pray for Ethiopia and that they are wise in the decisions they make about adoptions. We have complete faith that our baby is waiting for us :)<br />On a good note, Drew should be home in about 6 weeks which is AWESOME!! It has been a long, yet quick 6 months so far....I have kept very busy with work, vacations, the doggies and friends. Thankful to have a loving and serving husband :)<br /><br />Jess<br />xoThe Couture Girlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01322566205515845145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6003170560274140030.post-25253222522513825062011-02-23T23:31:00.002-05:002011-02-23T23:35:14.515-05:00Waiting....Why do I feel like I will have a lot of posts labeled as waiting in the future....lol. Well that is exactly what we are doing right now. Just waiting on Immigration Approval and then we will get put on the wait list at Gladney for a referral!! So excited for that day to roll around. I am most excited for my hubby to return home in two months! Seems like time has gone by pretty fast since he has been deployed and I am very thankful for that!<br />Hoping my next post regarding the adoption will be for the wait list....cross your fingers!<br /><br />Jess<br />xoThe Couture Girlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01322566205515845145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6003170560274140030.post-50857257010408081382011-01-31T17:13:00.003-05:002011-01-31T17:16:31.595-05:00It's a Miracle!Our homestudy is officially complete! I almost thought this day would ever come....I actually never thought we would have to deal with such delay and complications with our homestudy but I'm glad to say that it is complete and now we just wait for immigration approval and agency approval. The waitlist is close and we look forward to the day we bring home our child :)<br />Thanks for all your prayers and we will keep you updated....<br /><br />Jess<br />xoThe Couture Girlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01322566205515845145noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6003170560274140030.post-51048184068343758012011-01-16T19:48:00.002-05:002011-01-16T19:51:39.167-05:00Half Marathon TrainingWell, I have been officially training for a half marathon that is in the end of February for 8 weeks now....It is exhausting but feels good in the end. I am up to 8 miles now and hope to keep pushing myself everyday! I'm definitely trying to get tone and in shape before Drew comes home (I figured that would be a nice surprise for him) lol<br /><br />Hope you all had a blessed week and I hope to recieve our homesutdy this week so keep praying for us :)<br /><br />Love you,<br /><br />Jess<br />xoThe Couture Girlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01322566205515845145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6003170560274140030.post-86269444566534670182011-01-13T21:40:00.002-05:002011-01-13T21:48:07.849-05:00Homestudy UpdateHey everyone,<br /><br />I have been very bad about posting lately but I am glad to say that our homestudy is complete! I still have to mail it to Immigration, New York (dossier) and to our home agency so I am praying that there are no mis-haps or revisions....<br />I had a wonderful time in Arizona with my parents and the rest of the family. God really blessed me with a relaxing vacation. I am in the process of praying about what is next for my career. Possibly opening my own store or whether to continue my business doing alterations at Alfred Angelo. I know some of this will depend of my availability after having a little one :) <br />Drew is doing great in Afghanistan...really loving his job with special ops but definitely excited to come home! (As am I) We will probably find out in the next couple of months when and where we may be moving to, so we will see where God leads us next!<br />I will try to do a better job with updates and will definitely let everyone know when we make the OFFICIAL wait list!!<br /><br />Jess<br />xoThe Couture Girlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01322566205515845145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6003170560274140030.post-64128283695951057482010-12-06T14:54:00.002-05:002010-12-06T14:59:18.239-05:00Prayers Please!Hey guys,<div><br /></div><div>I have been enjoying a lovely five week vacation in Arizona with my parents for all the holidays...I feel really blessed to have the opportunity to do this especially when I run my own business! We really need some prayers that we can finish up the last background checks and paperwork for this adoption. We are so close I can see the light at the end of the tunnel....wait list here we come! Then we will be waiting for our referral for about the next nine months but am eagerly looking forward to spending that time with Drew :)</div><div>As for him, he is working hard in Afghanistan and missing everyone back home. Time has gone by pretty fast though and I look forward to his return in April...woo hoo!</div><div>Thanks for all the prayers and I look forward to seeing what God has in store for us!</div><div><br /></div><div>Jess</div><div>xo</div>The Couture Girlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01322566205515845145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6003170560274140030.post-69522402871094891432010-10-31T20:54:00.000-04:002010-10-31T21:06:35.147-04:00Another week down.Hey guys,<br /><br />Well, it's Halloween and I just finished passing out candy to all the kiddos that live in the neighborhood...they are all so cute :)<br />Another week has passed and I can't believe it is November! Getting closer to the holidays and that makes me excited :) Drew is doing awesome in Afghanistan and is working non-stop....I guess he will be super busy until he comes home.<br />We are still waiting on our social worker to finish up writing our homestudy and I hope that she sends it to me this week so we can get the ball rolling again....frustrating as usual!<br /><br />Happy Halloween!<br /><br />JessThe Couture Girlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01322566205515845145noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6003170560274140030.post-25522937389156863992010-10-20T13:16:00.000-04:002010-10-20T10:23:37.615-04:00Happy 3 Years!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwIFi7EQw4lwNe64fvPz-7j5HowGZVtU2GSxMV2zJzynJqERNXYI3gb474SUAM-0WNtxhDaGu2VcY4Dj0If_rebIQ_pdOw4r5oRKvD09sooICeUtUUAW8Km5aTAJpfdJvzVLZ3Bjxpby8/s1600/wedd.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 241px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5530133474938458530" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwIFi7EQw4lwNe64fvPz-7j5HowGZVtU2GSxMV2zJzynJqERNXYI3gb474SUAM-0WNtxhDaGu2VcY4Dj0If_rebIQ_pdOw4r5oRKvD09sooICeUtUUAW8Km5aTAJpfdJvzVLZ3Bjxpby8/s320/wedd.jpg" /></a><br /><div>Today is Drew and my anniversary and we have been happily married for 3 years...time really flies by and we have been beyond blessed throughout our marriage. All our thanks go to the Lord and I will miss my baby while he is away....if you read this, I love you and cannot wait for your return home!<br /><br />HAPPY 3rd ANNIVERSARY!<br /><br />Love-<br /><br />Your Wife<br />xo</div>The Couture Girlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01322566205515845145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6003170560274140030.post-38522235834376747032010-10-15T12:16:00.000-04:002010-10-15T12:35:57.006-04:00Visit from Dad<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2VS5YnhqSNqDb6hkt2HJ_628CKN5_u5JP7HWsOahHtz3d7O3t2x5dZZvxfU8Lc2MvZJvFb5uIqe4PeEbQeTq_LSodyhdHYR7fA98fUJpzDzplAPc_pKev2vuRjEf9AvOv7QS32eb_LjU/s1600/CIMG3467.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 179px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528311006636647762" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2VS5YnhqSNqDb6hkt2HJ_628CKN5_u5JP7HWsOahHtz3d7O3t2x5dZZvxfU8Lc2MvZJvFb5uIqe4PeEbQeTq_LSodyhdHYR7fA98fUJpzDzplAPc_pKev2vuRjEf9AvOv7QS32eb_LjU/s320/CIMG3467.JPG" /></a><br /><div>I got a nice visit from my dad this week. He was in Orlando for a dental convention and I got to go stay with him for a night this past weekend. We went to Epcot with some friends and watched Auburn win and Alabama lose (it was a good day to say the least!) Then he came to Tampa to visit me for a few days and we went to the Rays/Rangers playoff game, some good local reastaurants and Clearwater Beach. We had a great time and now I am just counting down the days to go to Arizona for the holidays :) <div><div>I'm still busy with my brides but am very thankful to be busy with the way the economy is right now. I guess people will always get married! ha ha </div><div>Drew seems to be in good spirits every time I talk to him...we are just heavily relying on the Lord and excited for the opportunity for him to go overseas and fight for our country! I'm busy, he is busy, the dogs are mischievious (lol) and we are doing well so far.</div><div>Still waiting for our homestudy to get written up and waiting on some approvals....wait wait wait! Other than that, life is very good and rewarding right now.</div><br /><div>Lots of love,</div><br /><div>Jess</div><div>xo</div></div></div>The Couture Girlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01322566205515845145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6003170560274140030.post-7651234644636543792010-10-11T19:04:00.000-04:002010-10-11T19:10:44.644-04:00Waiting for Approval!Well everyone,<br />It looks like it will be a waiting game to get our homestudy back and then get our agency & immigration approval. Also just waiting for our clearances to get back....so hopefully (fingers crossed) we can be wait listed by the beginning of 2011!! I must say taht it is nice to not be rushing around and doing lots of paperwork. It will be such a blessing to get approval and then we will be doing lots of waiting until we get our referral :) I have to keep telling myself that it will all be worth it in the end. <br />I have talked to Drew and he is safely in Afghanistan! So far I have talked to him everyday, if not twice a day so it has been great so far...well not great, but you know what I mean. <br />Thanks again for all the prayers and support. Updates will continue to come....<br /><br />Jess<br />xoThe Couture Girlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01322566205515845145noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6003170560274140030.post-32193223854764164712010-09-28T15:24:00.000-04:002010-10-15T12:15:47.674-04:00Away he goes....<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbKEjVN34iWa22JUmpZrmpBNAMdutUpsTRlsAqAA_Q4IAr5mOD4xRHXZM24ea-azcfnmrUDSaf7XcGsSHlgrNNbapiBkLEc7PAiL-kdE2T0PIKTPRIzNAXjIX2VQZvSXjDiq1KJnNDgYI/s1600/CIMG3434.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 179px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528307262757066754" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbKEjVN34iWa22JUmpZrmpBNAMdutUpsTRlsAqAA_Q4IAr5mOD4xRHXZM24ea-azcfnmrUDSaf7XcGsSHlgrNNbapiBkLEc7PAiL-kdE2T0PIKTPRIzNAXjIX2VQZvSXjDiq1KJnNDgYI/s320/CIMG3434.JPG" /></a><br /><div>Hey,<br /><br />So Drew and I completed our homestudy visits and we are pretty relieved to be done with the major parts of this adoption paperwork! What a blessing it is to be able to adopt this child and we couldn't be any happier about it. On a sad note, Drew is leaving for training tomorrow and I won't see him again until April as he serves our country and protects our freedom in Afghanistan. I hope everyone will continually pray for him while he is away....I'm sure he will appreciate the support and prayers very much. I will keep everyone updated on Drew and our adoption process over the upcoming months.<br />Thank you, thank you and thank you again for supporting our family :)<br /><br />Jess<br />xo</div>The Couture Girlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01322566205515845145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6003170560274140030.post-68126615531967114962010-09-22T11:46:00.000-04:002010-09-22T11:47:49.261-04:00Whoo...Doctor's visits done!! Now just to finish our homestudy on Monday....getting more excited to finish some of the last of the major paperwork :)<br />Thanks for the prayers and keep them coming!<br /><br />Love you all,<br /><br />Jess<br />xoThe Couture Girlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01322566205515845145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6003170560274140030.post-5284529714899225332010-09-16T13:03:00.000-04:002010-09-16T13:11:49.656-04:00Ups and DownsHello.<br /><br />So Drew and I had our first homestudy visit on Monday and it went very well! We have really tried to embrace everything that has gone on in the past month but it has been very stressful at times. We have been sending out huge portions of our paperwork to Gladney, our authenticator of our dossier and to the FBI and Immigration services for clearances.....most of what we have done has been good so far but we are having to do a few things over again and that is the most frustrating. I feel as though we put so much energy in to something and so much money and we just continue to take baby steps rather than long strides...we have made good progress but not as much as we would like (or maybe not as much as I like)! There is a lot of stuff that is out of our control now (i.e. waiting for clearances, background checks, agency licensing, homestudy review and so on). I guess it will just be a waiting game for about a year now :) We still have some paperwork to do and our final doctor visit and homestudy visit next week so I'm hoping we can get wait listed by the beginning of 2011!! Please pray for our paperwork to get through the stages appropriately and pray for our child who is in Africa awaiting to come home with us! :)<br /><br />Love you all,<br /><br />Jess & Drew<br />xoThe Couture Girlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01322566205515845145noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6003170560274140030.post-14677676870015221712010-09-05T12:05:00.000-04:002010-10-20T01:22:48.890-04:00A Weekend to Breathe<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB_GbsnJAyWgxnUYSVUcKm6e1Ccn-y1fzbjSNTn2Lx95SJ8WUSiq1LuliZhOq25oqFXPIrVd9cSVUTN0hxrRaYlWxPqXN82KESispEBa6zzI9JQO1_4oGaZowpjNiow8TTsGxz-fDk5DA/s1600/CIMG3147.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 179px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528306253790021538" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB_GbsnJAyWgxnUYSVUcKm6e1Ccn-y1fzbjSNTn2Lx95SJ8WUSiq1LuliZhOq25oqFXPIrVd9cSVUTN0hxrRaYlWxPqXN82KESispEBa6zzI9JQO1_4oGaZowpjNiow8TTsGxz-fDk5DA/s320/CIMG3147.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div>Drew and I had a relaxing weekend in Orlando. We went up there for an A-LO conference...this is an extra activity that Drew volunteers for and helps high school students get into the Air Force Academy. He is great at working with high school students and really great at recruiting them! :) We stayed at a Disney Resort and had a nice night away from adoption paperwork and work itself! We are getting the paperwork done very quickly and it has been a real blessing...we continue to embrace all that the Lord has given us and hope to be good influences and servants of His Kingdom!</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>Keep the prayers coming...</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>Jess</div><br /><br /><div>xo</div>The Couture Girlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01322566205515845145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6003170560274140030.post-28465306686387826502010-09-02T17:25:00.000-04:002010-09-02T17:34:17.498-04:00Gladney Paperwork Almost Done!I am thrilled to say that our paperwork for the adoption agency is almost finished. Besides finishing our home study and background checks, we are about through with that part :) Yay....God had been good the past two weeks (no matter how stressful it has been). We have a decent amount of our dossier finished and will start sending those documents up to New York to be compiled and authenticated.<br />I am happy to say that we have contacted the Immigration Services and they are allowing Drew to get his fingerprints done before he leaves for training! So that means we should be on the fast track to getting our child from Ethiopia...woop, woop! If there are no big delays, we should be able to pick him up by the end of 2011. Weird to think that we may have a child in a year considering I am not pregnant and going through all the physical aspects but it is awesome to think that we will be able to help this child in need....God is so good and I caught myself today saying that out loud to our puppies :) lol...and yes, I do talk to our dogs. <br />I hope everyone has an awesome weekend and please continue to pray for us to finish the dossier and homestudy with flying colors. We are still not technically approved yet so hopefully in the next couple months we will be able to get put on that long wait list!<br /><br />Love you all,<br />Jess<br />xoThe Couture Girlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01322566205515845145noreply@blogger.com3