The kids are growing, yes. We went for physicals today and we now have 2 kids over 3 feet and a third whom just had his FIRST birthday party (Grandparents, pictures are coming)!But we are also in the process of growing in number. This growth is coming to us in a different fashion this time. We have officially begun the adoption process. It will have a big price with it...lots of paper work, much prayer, and a trip or two to a land neither of us have ever been before. But following all of that, Lord willing, we will have another beautiful little Giddens' girl in our home. We don't know what she looks like, whether she is in her birth mother's womb or sleeping soundly in an orphanage, but we love her deeply. Though we have much to say about this in the weeks and months to come, we will leave it at a short sweet announcement of our adoption of a little orphan baby girl and a few of the details you may be wondering. We have desired to adopt from very early on in our marriage and are thrilled that we are coming to this time in our lives to grow our family in this way. We put in our application for adoption at the end of April and are quickly moving through tons and tons of paper work. We have requested a little girl, age 0-2 years from Ethiopia and we feel as though we can't get her home fast enough. The process with take approximately 18 months and the steps we will go through are as follows:
1. Apply with adoption agency and for a home study- done
2. Dossier (french for "documents") and home study completed
3. Dossier authenticated.
4. Dossier translated and authenticated in Ethiopia. (Can receive referral at any point now...we wait.)
5. Case submitted to court.
6. Court date given.
7. Tory and I travel to Ethiopia for court date.
8. Case submitted to embassy for appointment.
9. We travel back to Ethiopia for embassy appointment and bring home our little girl.
10. We bring her home and CELEBRATE being a family of 6!!!!
We covet your prayers as we embark on this adoption journey and are reminded of our own adoptions into a family that was once not our own--once enemies of God, now his children in Christ Jesus.
Tory, Kedra, Abigail, Nathan, and Luke Giddens
7 comments:
That is so exciting!!! AJ and I will hopefully be adopting from Ethiopia in the coming years as well! Hope everything goes smoothly and I will keep you and your family in my prayers!
Awesome! I am not surprised because you two have always said you would adopt some day... so some day is at hand. I will be praying for you and God will put the right baby girl in our family. We have friends who have four little ones from Ethiopia...They are on Facebook... I will look it up... Congratulations to all of us!
Oh Kedra! I am so, so happy for you guys!! What an exciting time! You two are the most wonderful parents and I know there is a little Ethiopian girl out there that the Lord has planned for "such a time as this". You will be in my prayers!!
I'm so excited for you guys. What agency are you going with?
I saw your update on FB and wondered why I was so out of the loop. And then I remembered that you made your blog private. I've missed out on so much! Your kids are precious. I think that Josiah and Nate would be fast friends.
YEA!! We're so excited for y'all and for the sweet baby girl who will one day be in your arms.
I was about the leave the same exact comment that Amy Wright did. I was so confused and then saw your blog posting on Facebook. I guess when it goes private it doesn't show it on Reader anymore. I will be better.
Now all of that said, so excited for you guys. Some little girl is going to be truly blessed to be a part of your family. Love you guys dearly!
yay!!! we're excited for your family!
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