Adoption Timeline

ADOPTION TIMELINE

• November 22, 2010 Mailed off application packet to agency
• Febuary 12, 2011 First Homestudy Interview
• March 12, 2011 Second Homestudy Interview
• April 2, 2011 Homestudy home visit
• May 24, 2011 Homestudy is complete
• July 19, 2011 Complete dossier paperwork and had it authenticated
• July 21, 2011 Mailed Dossier to adoption agency
• September 8, 2011 Dossier arrives in Ethiopia...we begin our wait for a referral
• December 16, 2011 We received a referral for two beautiful baby boys
• March 6, 2012 We met our boys for the first time
• March 9, 2012 Passed Court, the boys are legally ours
• March 19, 2012 Submitted to Embassy
• March 28, 2012 Our youngest cleared embassy
• April 9, 2012 Our next to youngest cleared embassy
• April 11, 2012 Embassy Interview
• April 13, 2012 BOTH CHILDREN HOME!

Happy New Year

Our adoption journey is "over," but not really...its just different.  We are done with the insane amount of paperwork and phone calls.  We are to the fun part!  We get to enjoy our blessings everyday...smiles and diapers!  They are a WONDERFUL addition to our family.  Better than we could have ever dreamed or imagined.  I don't plan on writing much here anymore, but I do hope to write occasionally on our family blog.  Its called the Frey Five, but we are the Frey Seven now!  lol.  Thank you for encouraging us and supporting us through the paper process.  We appreciate you all.  Head over to www.thefrey5.blogspot.com to read about our family!

Oh my goodness!

The top photo is Kenenisa.  He is our youngest.  The next photo is Silas!
How have I not posted since they have come home?  They have been home 10 weeks tomorrow!  I guess I have been really busy!!!!  We made some time last night to take them to the park to grab a couple of photos since this week they just turned...8 and 10 months old!  Enjoy the photos...yes, I'm still busy as crazy!

I can't wait!

Our youngest will be home soon! Brett and Micayla will be leaving this Sunday to go get him! Please pray for our older boy to hurry and pass embassy so he can come home too. Its bitter sweet at this point. I get one, but the other has to stay and now it makes my heart sad, but yet I'm happy for the other. There is a chance he will pass before they leave Ethiopia, and if that is the case they can stay and get an embassy appt for him and then bring him. Ugh! Please pray for them safe travels. I'm not going. That was a very hard decision for me. When I weighed it all out, I felt I needed to stay here for Z and E. Eli will be on Spring Break that whole time, today was his last school day for 10 days and we have been looking forward to spending that time together. Plus there was the chance that they would be leaving on Saturday, which would have meant missing Easter w/ them too. I firmly believe with my whole heart that Brett and Micayla can handle this trip. It was a heart wrenching decision. Cause a big part of me felt like this was something Brett and I should be doing together. But I also feel strong about my responsibilities here too. My heart aches either way. My tiny angel, hopefully angels will be here in 9 days!

March was a BUSY month.

We met our boys for the first time. There are just no words for it. They are hand picked angels from Jesus entrusted to us to love and raise for Him, until they meet again. What an honor to even be consider for this huge responsibility. The boys are beautiful. Perfect smiles.

Next to meeting our precious angels, I truly enjoyed giving out candy, food and toys to the street children. There is nothing better than hearing their giggles and seeing their smiles. From the street, I could see this little girl standing in a dark doorway. I looked through my bag to see what I had left that she might like. I had a bright pink Valentino Ty bear, brand new in excellent clean condition. As I approached her, slowly, her Dad spotted me and he jumped up, picked up his darling daughter and brought her to me and with pure delight and a huge smile she loved the bear. She will cherish that teddy longer than most American children would care to. She will love the stuffing out of it. It may very well be her favorite toy, her only toy.

I count it a blessing to be able to walk in an impoverished land, and love as Jesus would.

Its Thurs 1:30pm and...

I'm learning how to LET GOD BE GOD! Adoption is such a roller coaster of emotions. Typically I handle travel fairly well. I've had my handful of international travel experiences. I've been all over Europe in my early twenties...even by myself at times (and I shouldn't have been!) I had an absolute wonderful time in each country. I have been to Kenya Africa...I wish I can say that was an all around wonderful experience, but for me it wasn't. I was sick the majority of the time w/ E. Coli. Although I am grateful for the experiences I had and the wonderful people I keep in touch w/ today. I've been to Guatemala...I was sick there most of the time too only to find out I was also pregnant! We sponsor a beautiful young woman from there, well, she was a little girl, but has grown up!

So now...as I prepare for Ethiopia to meet our awesome sons. Fear has crept in. Anxiety has hit the roof. I have prayed, confessed, prayed some more and tried tried tried to lay it at his feet and leave it all there. I know he is the creator of the Universe, I know that he has overcome the world. So why do I fret? I was so blessed by the book "Kisses from Katie" by Katie Davis...she is such an inspiration! I love her joy and zealous to be the hands and feet of Jesus with all fear aside. I don't compare, but I do aspire to be MORE like Jesus. I want to be his hands and feet.

So, if you are reading our blog. Please take sometime today to pray for Brett and I as we prepare to leave this Sunday. Pray for us as we leave our precious children here with their fantastic Grammy. Pray for us a peaceful travel. Pray that all the flu bugs going around stay away from us and my family. (Nothing worse than traveling when u r sick, or leaving your sick babies behind). Pray that we have a delightful time with our boys every chance we get to see them (should be twice a day for a couple hours each time). Pray for opportunity to be the hands and feet of Jesus in a real way. Thanks; Micah

Orphans in the world.

The truth is that the 143 million orphaned children and the 11 million who starve to death or die from preventable diseases and the 8.5 million who work as child slaves, prostitutes, or under other horrific conditions and the 2.3 million who live w/ HIV add up to 164.8 million needy children. 2.1 billion people proclaim to be Christians. The truth is that if only 8% of the Christians would care for one more child, there would not be any statistics left! THIS IS THE TRUTH. I have the freedom to believe it. The Freedom, the opportunity to do something about it. The truth is that He loves these children just as much as he loves me and now that I now, I am responsible. If you are a Christian, now you know, and you are responsible! (insert from "Kisses from Katie" w/ some emphasis added)