REFERRAL!!

Here’s the post you’ve all been waiting for.....

On September 9, 2010 as I’m driving to Nashville, TN with my dear friend Tiffany (who by the way is the friend/family that inspired us towards Ethiopian adoption) to an adoption/orphan care conference (Empowered To Connect), my cell phone rings....

I think to myself, “that is a St. Paul area code, I better answer this.”  All the while wondering why I never officially entered the CHSFS phone number into my phone so I would know that it was my social worker calling.  (We did most of our correspondence in person or by email so I just never got used to him calling about anything.) He also said he wouldn’t be calling if it wasn’t the referral at this point in the process. So I look over at Tiffany with a sideways glance and a smile and pick up the phone.

“Hello?”  I say....

“Angieeeee.....”

“Yes, Bennnnnn? 

“Yep it’s me.....”

“Are you seriously calling me to tell me what I think you’re calling to tell me???????”

“Yes, I am, I have news about your referral!”  (He’s a great guy by the way.)

“OH. MY. WORD.”  (Or some such exclamation, which by this time Tiffany is about to come unglued while driving in the seat next to me. Thank heavens SHE was driving.)

After discovering the nature of the phone call, and an explanation that Ben was unable to reach Dan first, and an explanation of where I was and what I was doing, we decided that I would pull over, find some privacy, call Dan, and then call him back, and he would conference Dan in to our phone call!  Whew...how’s that for a run-on?

So that is what we did, Dan and I heard about our forever family approximately 600 miles apart from one another!  We decided quickly that we couldn’t wait the 4 day duration of the conference to see the picture so we chose to have Ben email it right away. 

So here’s where it gets frustrating....I was in an area of southern Illinois (Arcola) that had great cell signal, but not great data signal, so I had to get creative and walk myself to a Comfort Inn and log in to their free WIFI to get my email.  Which by this time, the 1, 2, 3 count off that Dan and I had done in effort to open the email together failed miserably.  Dan will always be able to say he saw our child for about 5 minutes before I did.  Oh well, such are the disappointments of life.  It’s hardly anything to me now.  I am proud to announce that we have......drumroll please.....

a SON !!!!!!

I will post more details as I am able.  We would like to get through the first court date. We are keeping his story private so that one day he has complete control over who gets to hear it and so forth.  

He is extremely gorgeous by the way, his eyes, his little cheeks, soft black hair....ahhhh.  

Thank you so much, for ALL of the prayers and support through this 23 month wait.  You are a blessing from God to us and we couldn’t be more thrilled to share this joy with you.

Btw. This photo is NOT us, but this is how we feel right now.