happy weekend

This is perhaps the first time I've been glad weekends are only 2 days. No news today. We're having a great time with my niece, Renee, though and Grandpa and Grandma sent Lucy's birthday present early: a trampoline for the backyard. It would be a drastic understatement to say she's thrilled. And, we just became the "coolest" hangout for toddlers. And 28-year olds.

next...but who's counting?

My "friend" Rebecca (friend in quotations because we've never met but stalked each other's blogs plenty re: Rwandan adoption and now email regularly)...anyway, Rebecca's family got their approval letter today! Hooray for their family! As far as we know, we're next on the list if they go in chronological order. Ah! I'm so excited and hopeful.

This week has been crazy busy with 2 trips to Busch Gardens, Camp Cousins at our house, etc. It has been really nice not to be in front of my computer all day everyday waiting for news.

Hopefully we'll hear something tomorrow!!! Don't worry. I'll let you know if we do.

Proverbs 25:25

Like cold water to a weary soul, is good news from a distant land.- Proverbs 25:25.

Hoping for that good news...

"actually, I'm feeling okay about it"

So, the weekend is here and we didn't hear news from Rwanda. Sigh. I feel like waiting (and aching while you wait) is a rite of passage for adoptive moms--similar to how some folks call labor a rite of passage). I shouldn't even consider what we've done "waiting" yet, since I know of much, much longer waits others have endured (and, I'll mention, have endured with greater hope, patience and perspective.) And, I know there is a LOT of waiting left to be done. Anyway.

I was thinking about how a few people asked me how I was doing today, having not heard anything from Rwanda. I told them (honestly, I thought), "actually, I'm feeling okay about it." And now that I'm by myself, I'm reviewing my day so far: I spent the first 5 hours (you know, starting at 4 am) pressing send/receive, cursing the daily emails I get at 4 and 5 in the morning (sorry John Stott) for intentionally tricking me into thinking I was getting "the email". Then at 9 I went to my friend Kelly's house for some hang out time with her and a bunch of other fun ladies and I completely burst into uncontrollable tears telling a really non-emotional story. I just couldn't pull it together. I'm not much of a crier, so that tells you how "actually, I'm feeling okay about it" I really am. Pathetic. I really didn't mean to act as if I was doing okay (I hate when I try to act like I have my life and emotions all put together--why is it so hard to admit I'm a mess?). This time, though, I just hadn't processed the disputing evidence...

Regarding why I'm not doing better with the wait, here's part of it. Peace is on offer. I know it and at some points I feel it. The sad thing is that I'd rather make jokes about how I'm impatient than do the hard work of becoming a patient person. I hope I don't choose that this weekend and next week again.

thinking about changing time zones

I'm not really sure if this blog tells you what time we write, so I'll let you know: it's 3 am. Why on earth am I up at 3 am, you ask? Well, duh, it is start of business if Kigali, Rwanda and everyday it is possible we'll hear something about our adoption approval. I told Hunter yesterday that I'm considering adjusting to Rwandan time. Seems like a reasonable idea, I know; I'm glad you see it like me.

In case you haven't heard the news, several families (including ours) received a very positive email this week telling us that the Government official in Rwanda contacted our agency and requested specific families' contact information because our approval should be coming soon and they want to contact us directly. No, of course I didn't sleep and I've checked my email no less than 50 times since then. Silly question, friend.

So, here I am, 3 am, praying that today will be the day. We love you little peanut across the world...so much it makes me ache, not sleep and act pretty irrational. You're worth every bit of it and so much more. I just can't wait to hold you and tell you how deeply you are loved. I'm so thankful God hears our prayers that you'd sense that even now.

*In case you're wondering, approval means that the Rwandan government will allow us to adopt. The next step would be the referral (when they choose our specific child (God of course already did that long ago)). So, once we get the approval, we think it will be another 4-8 weeks (with medical testing and a few other loose ends) before we know who the newest Thompson is. Then several more weeks for court approval and finally we travel to pick up our kid! So, home between Thanksgiving and Christmas seems like a reasonable time frame right now. But, what doesn't seem reasonable at 3 am?

Oh, Luce.

On our way home from our friends' house tonight we heard Lucy in the back saying "I wanna see my bruder...wanda." translation: "I want to see my brother in Rwanda."

I'm so glad she hears us talk about her sibling even if she has no idea how much he/she is going to rock her world.

For the record, we don't have a gender preference and until tonight she's always said she wants a sister.

Happy Birthday Mimi!

Today is Mimi's birthday (Hunter's mom). We hope you have a wonderful day and we're excited to play at the zoo with you this weekend!

Re: adoption, rumor has it this week should be good news for at least some families. We're hoping we're included in the group...but that's kind of a long shot.

things I'm learning

If you're coming to this post hoping for something deep or insightful regarding adoption emotions, you've come to the wrong place. Welcome to what Hunter and I like to call "Shallow Land." That's where we like to retreat to sometimes when conversations or life is just a little too intense. I'm usually to blame for that intensity, but today I'd like to invite you to shallow land with me as I tell you about what I'm learning.

I was just writing to another mom who is adopting from Rwanda and told her that while I'm sure lots of people in our position (of waiting and longing) are learning some deeply spiritual lessons they'll carry with them forever, I'm learning (well, technically I've mastered):

1. How to press send/receive on my email. I probably press it 50 times a day hoping that when I get "real time" emails, one of them will be from some family telling me they got their approval, court date, referral. SOMETHING. It is an obsession and it needs to stop.
2. How to stalk other people adopting from Rwanda. I have all of your blogs. I look at them every day hoping there will be news. I feel like I know you. Hope that doesn't creep you out too bad--I promise I'm usually very normal.

I'm sure I'm learning other things...but really, this feels like the vast majority right now.