It's Time.

It's time.

Source

Time to zip up our bags, check that we have passports and get on a plane!!!
In FOUR DAYS we get Esty!!!!
I will do my very best to "take you" with us!
Thank you for going with us on this journey---we could have never gotten to TODAY without your sacrificial giving and your beautiful love for orphans.
Please PRAY with us about the following concerns:
1) Safe travel. This is a common request, but I'm really concerned we will have trouble leaving our little frozen town! We've been experiencing sub-zero arctic temperatures and have too much snow on the ground to even estimate. Our schools have not reopened since Christmas vacation and cancelled once again for today. Roads are ICY. We have a 3 hour trip to the airport.
2) Health. Another obvious one…but last time we travelled home from China we were all vomiting! Please pray for us to avoid illness. We know Beijing is smoggy so we have lots of meds with us, but please pray for us.
3) Esty's heart. Sweet girl has been needing a family her whole life. It kills me. Monday, she gets one. Although this is incredibly exciting for US…she is going to lose EVERYTHING she has ever known. We expect a lot of grieving on her part and will help her through that the best we can. Your prayer support will be critical.
4) Our orphanage visit. Later next week, we will return to Esty's orphanage. This will obviously stir up many emotions for everyone. Pray that she can say good goodbyes and that we will be able to advocate for other waiting children whom we will meet. 
5) Oliver's experience. This trip will be Olly's first commercial flight. He has never experienced anything other than his American culture, and having lived in China ourselves, we have no intention of hiding out in American fast food joints. We will try to be sensitive to him but really want to "show him the world" and we hope that he's game!
6) Our children back home. It's not easy for them AT ALL to have us gone from them. Their sweet lives carry on with some amazing family and friends caring for them, but it's not the same as having Momma and Daddy. Please pray that the time will be delightful for each of them and will pass quickly. Also that we will have solid internet connections so we can Skype with each one!
7) Spiritual protection. We have an enemy and he HATES adoption. We are not scared of him, but we know that he's a mean fighter. Please strengthen us in your prayers. 
Can't wait to show you pictures of us on Gotcha Day!!! EEEK!!!! It's about to happen!!!!
THANK YOU once again for your partnership!!! We love you!

Going to Uganda!!

We bought tickets to travel to Uganda!! We are incredibly excited!!!!! 

We are going to hold this sweet little one's hand and love all over him!!

Many people are dying to know details...and well, we can't give out too much at this point. (Sorry!) But we can share with you that our trip is NOT to bring him home, as we do not have a court date assigned to us at this point. We are simply going because we are in love and we MUST be with this sweet boy and begin bonding with him and his culture.

As many of you know, we have lived overseas before. We absolutely cannot wait to spend some time in his culture learning what life in Uganda is like. We will be spending time together with Z in his orphanage serving all the children while we are there. (It's a big job to feed that many kids 5x a day!)

We are also excited to be able to help out different ministries with their dairy cows and goats as well! We are so thrilled that a pharmaceutical company is DONATING some special deworming medicine that will greatly help out the Ugandan animals! Brian will use his expertise in many locations and we are so thrilled to have this opportunity!

Now the hard part...waiting to board the plane!! Hmmmm, I sense a theme here! Do you?