We got our referral!!!

Yesterday while I was driving home from lunch at Panera Bread with Caitlyn, Carson and my Mom, I received a call from our adoption coordinator saying she thinks she has a referral for us.  Not a cool thing to say to someone who is driving.  :)  I screamed and about drove off the road!  She asked me if I was at my computer but unfortunately I was driving and had to wait until I got home to read "her" file.  I called Paul and told him to get home NOW!  He left work and picked up Colton early from school.

I always thought I would be able to wait for Paul so we could open the file together but unfortunatly he was at work and ...I...just...couldn't...wait!!!  The kids and I ran into the house and were so excited to open the email.  She is a beautiful 4 year old little girl.  She is from the norther part of Ethiopia and is absolutely beautiful and very healthy.  The kids were so excited and had tears in their eyes as they looked at her.  It is a very hard thing to describe how you feel connected to a picture on a computer screen but this is the little angel we have been praying for and loving for about a year now.  Caitlyn kept kissing her fingers and placing them on the screen saying "we will bring you home soon."  It was so bittersweet.  Carson was so excited about her age.  He said he "wants to play on the same soccer team as her."  :)  Colton couldn't take his eyes off of her and said that he "knew that was going to be what she looked like." 

We now wait until our paper work is finalized in Ethiopia and then we will get our court date. At that point we can start making our travel arrangements.  Our best guess for that will be in about 3 to 5 months.  We will make 2 trips over to Ethiopia, this court appearance is our first trip and the second one (about 2 months later) will be for our Embassy appointment.  Our adoption will be final at that point and we can bring her home!  I though that the wait for the referral was a hard wait, but these past few days have been really hard.  I now see the light at the end of the tunnel and just want to get our little girl HOME.