How About an Update?

We got word from Cheryl at AFAA today and here are some key points to her meeting in Lesotho last week:

*Lesotho does want to continue adoptions in the 4 chosen countries
*Approximate time of travel has been 2 weeks...this could potentially increase until paperwork gets completed at the Embassy
*There was talk of changing the minimum age of adoptive parents to 30 years old...thankfully it is Lesotho law that the minimum age is 25 years old
*Social Welfare staff will continue to strive for 4 match meetings a year...if not possible because of their schedules, they promised 3.
*The next match meeting is tomorrow! Due to some changes, Cheryl at AFAA will not know the results of this meeting for a month or more

The meeting appears to have gone well and I'm thankful for the information Cheryl was able to share with us and other adoptive families.  Jason and I still are waiting to go through the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to get fingerprinted.  It was suggested that we wait to do this until our home study is approximately 4 to 5 months old.  Next month will be 4 months.  I've emailed Cheryl this evening to get more information on this...as this is all "Greek" to us!  Thank you for the prayers!

A Meeting Needing Prayer...

In 2 days, October 20th, there will be an important meeting taking place in Lesotho between the Lesotho Department of Social Welfare and the adoption agency reps.  Please join me and those waiting for their child to come home in praying specifically over these areas:

1) pray for clarity of roles and processes and for relationships to be healed
 

2) pray against confusion and the spirit of competition and control

3) pray for cooperation and a focus on the best interests of these orphaned and vulnerable children.

4) pray that God will act mightily to defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed; rescue the weak and the needy (Psalm 82:3)

5) pray for the children and families that have already been matched and those who are still waiting for that step to take place

Catching up on the last month...

Closing is complete! September 16, 2011

We did it!

Moving day September 17, 2011

Flora Family 2011

Thank goodness for coworkers!

Cash was being consummed by boxes for the last few weeks!

Still loves his mommy though...

Icing fight after baking for a birthday at work 

Mom's early birthday celebration in Oklahoma

 (complete with the Stewart bday hat)

Casey and Abby Leigh

Ready to cheer on KU!

 (We won't mention the score of the game though)

A fun weekend in OK with my family

Love my nieces!!!!

Geez...it's been awhile!

Hello! Sorry I have neglected this so bad the last few weeks.  We did get moved! It did rain cats and dogs and it was a tad miserable....but it's done!! We had a good crew come out from Jason's shift at work and couldn't have done it without them!

I've been putting things in their place the past couple weeks and am about ready to start with decorating.  This weekend I went to the Ozark Craft Fair with my Mom and we had a great time! We found "country" looking stuff that I think will be perfect in our new place. 

Jason and I went to a local place here in town today after church and got pumpkins and mums! It's definitely looking like fall around here.  Fall is my very favorite time of the year so I'm soaking this up quite well. :)

Nothing new on the baby home-front.  We will be scheduling a new walk-through with our home-study agency; since we moved she will have to come and check out our new house.  We did submit our first part of the program fee to AFAA so that has been taken care of.  It sounds like things are moving quite slow for the other families that are ahead of us.  I'm hoping to get some sort of raffle fundraiser put together in the next few months by talking to local businesses.  Other than that, that's about it for now!

It's Moving Week....

Well, we are down to the wire now.  We close on Friday and move on Saturday.  Our current house is a mess and a sea of boxes.  This kind of living drives me nuts so I'm ready to get this show on the road!
This will be our 4th move in 5 years.  My sister commented that I should be a pro at packing by now.  One might think that, but in all honesty I think it's getting sloppier.  I know it's not going 8 hours away...more like 10 minutes so I'm doing what I can to skim by with it. 
Jason and I have this unsaid moving system we've developed throughout the years.  It goes something like this...I pack, he stays out of the way...then come moving day...he loads it up, I stay out of the way.  This works fairly well until someone over steps where they don't belong.  Jason has attempted packing a box....notice I said A BOX.  Then in Texas, I attempted to direct Jason and his buddies in loading the truck...I quickly got tuned out.
We'll get there...it'll just be a long week.  Hopefully I can get back into the swing of posting updates, thoughts, etc. fairly soon!

Stamp of Approval!

We received a letter from AFAA today, which to most people would look a lot like a hefty bill.  To us, it looks like an approval letter :) AFAA is requesting 1/2 of our Lesotho Angel Fee and the Orphanage Donation Fee. 

As we move forward I'm interested in hearing any fundraising ideas that anyone has done or thinks might be good! Thank you for the continued love, encouragement and donations.  One day you'll have a face to put with all that support!

My mom purchased some African goods from our website: HERE  My brother-n-law and sister-n-law brought the goodies back to the US when they went to Africa in July.  Check out the site and let me know if you are interested in ordering! Even little Abby liked the dolls :)

We also still have lots of wristbands up for grabs for a $5 if anyone is interested!! Just drop me a message!

A Movin' and a Shakin'

Jason and I put an offer in on a house late last week...i think...wow, that feels like it was weeks ago.  Anyways...they accepted!!! We were very excited and have been working on getting things done ever since.  Last week we met up with our loan officer, Monday we had a home inspection and yesterday we met with the builder and insurance guy.  Whew! We are hoping to close in 3 weeks!  Good grief, I need to get packing.  It feels like we just unloaded a big 'ol truck and tons of boxes from Texas...and here we go again.  It wouldn't be a "typical" year unless the Flora's were moving and sending out a change of address. :)  Maybe today will be the day that I pack my first box to get this ball rolling again. 

Baby news:
We haven't heard a word from the director of AFAA since we mailed in our Power of Attorney form and our home study agency submitted our completed home study to them.  I'm going to send her an email today and hope to get some kind of update back.