Close but not close enough

No EP approval....Big sigh!

Not the news I was hoping for.  It seems the other two agencies got 2/20 approvals some even saying ALL their 2/20 submissions were approved but not our agency.  

Trying to remember this is all in God's hands....and honestly I would not want it any other way but WAITING IS SO HARD!

So close

Well today was a great day for movement in the Korea program.  Holt got all their 1/23 and 2/20 EPs approved and ESWS previously had their 1/23 EPs approved and today got their 2/20's approved.......so where does that leave us.......very hopeful that little man's exit permit is approved as well and we just don't know it yet.

Our agency is pretty understaffed so unless action is required from our US agency they may not make them aware so there is a great chance our EP is approved but I would love to get confirmation.

I e-mailed our director and told her about the other two agencies EP movement today and ask her if she could email SWS and check and she said she would.  Please Pray..........TO BE CONTINUED!!!!!!!!

First beach trip of 2014

Yay Memorial Day at the beach.  It was unexpected we had planned to go on the boat with friends which would have also been a fun time but much to Jeff's dismay the boat engine was just not working right so plan B was put in effect.  The weather was perfect and we had such a great relaxing day.

Great Mothers Day weekend

We had such a busy but fun Mothers Day weekend.  Saturday we went to a party hosted by a family with our adoption agency.  It was great to meet so many families in the process.  We finished our evening off with a side trip to visit some friends for ice cream since we were not far from their house.  John and the kids seemed to have great fun with capturing pictures while Jeff and I were talking.  

We started Mother'd Day off with breakfast with Jeff's parents and then headed back home to plant our vegetable garden.

Some Mom and Carrot hammock time while the boys dug the garden

 Picnic dinner of pizza and fried dough  

 Beautiful yellow Knock-out rose bush that my mother-in-law gave me for Mother'd Day

 It is always a face with him

We ended the day planting our vegetables.

Such a handsome guy

Mothers Day thoughts

Mothers Day is bitter sweet. I open facebook and  I see so many of my friends with pictures of them and their mothers and it reminds me of how much I would have loved to have my mother to share the day with, but I remember that I was lucky to have such a wonderful mother even if that was cut short.  I had a mother who taught me everything I know and helped me become the mother I am today.

I feel happy and blessed on mothers day to be able to mother two incredibly smart and beautiful children.  I couldn't ask for more from them and my heart swells to think about how lucky I am.  

I am blessed that I am about to mother another beautiful boy.  Though not born from my body I have longed for this child like I have not had to do in the past and the feeling is overwhelming.  I think about him on Mothers Day as I anxiously wait to become his mother and think about the mothers in his life.  

I think about his first mother who made such a brave and loving decision to choose life for him.   I'm sure it made her path more difficult in life.  I honor and respect her for the terribly hard decisions she has had to make and I will share that respect and love I have for her the best I can with our son.  

I think about his second mother who he lives with right now, the woman he calls Umma (mother in Korean).  I am so thankful and blessed for the love and care she is giving our boy until we can make that trip to make him part  of our family.  

It is a thoughtful day but I am beyond blessed.

What I wouldn't give for a picture

It is a lonely place waiting for your little boys and knowing you don't even know what he looks like anymore.    The last picture I had of him was at 7 months and at the end of this month he will be 11 months.  I think back to Banana and how much he changed in those short months and it makes my heart hurt.

The good news is the group of EPs right before us started to get approved yesterday so we are next.....just holding onto hope they will approve this month and not wait for next month.

I am tempted to ask our agency if they will let John take a birthday present to little guy when he returns to Seoul in a few weeks after graduation....also hoping they might allow him the pleasure to meet him and he might be able to capture a picture or two.  It is probably a lot to ask of both John and the agency but 3 years of cooking his dinner and washing his clothes I think I'm going to ask anyway :)