Arkins Family

Just dropped my sister and brother-in-law off at the airport to pick up their little girl! Can’t believe next week we will finally meet Sosi Elle. We’ve loved and longed for her for so long, it’s hard to get a grip on emotions. Hard to imagine the day when our roles are reversed, and their dropping us off.

Check out these super cute t’s my sweet sister-in-law made!!! She is traveling this Saturday to pick up her Ethiopian Princess (check out ruschfamily.com )!!!!! The back has a small globe and the words 147 million orphans. Hope by wearing these t’s we can raise awareness and support for adoption. Of course, I had a little one made for the day we bring our little one home…..making it 147 minus 1.

Got the call today!!! Home Study is scheduled in a week and a half!!! I am so excited. Would love to type all the emotions I am feeling, but the nesting is kicking in! I will be sure to fill my time with random drawer cleaning and such, but I can’t wait!

So, today Josh and I have to go and get fingerprinted for our FBI clearance.  Get 2 passport photos taken. Mail off our contract to KBS for our dossier service. Get a TB test. Mail off our Arkansas and DHS forms.   Somewhere in all of this I have to take our Christmas down, and start to return our house back to normal to get ready for our homestudy.  Did I just say “homestudy”? I have to admit those words make this whole process seem soooo real!  I couldn’t be more excited…..

Hopefully by the end of next week (January 8th), Josh and I will be done (for a little while) and will just be waiting on the stuff that is out of our hands….homestudy, fbi, cis. Trusting God’s perfect timing in all of this and for His hand to guide us through this process…..as we get closer and closer our little girl!

Well, we sent our first big packet of info out this week. Oh My!!! I never dreamed that this would be so intense. I have notebooks and papers everywhere. I was told by a wise fellow adoptive parent that it helps to make your stuff cute and that would help get organized…hmmmm, not working so far. But, we are slowly but steadily plugging through! So very excited with each document we complete!

Well, we had intended to start the paper chase in January…..but we are getting a little head start. We will have our orientation on December 2!! Please continue to pray with our family for wisdom, discernment, and God’s blessing as we pursue our little girl.

Last night I received an email that was beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time. It is hard to believe a 19 second clip could evoke so much emotion. A video of a little girl with eyes that hold secrets to be told.

My thoughts and prayers are with my sweet niece in Ethiopia. Dreaming of the day her Mommy and Daddy bring her home.

A year and a half ago, our children began the subtle yet, unrelenting battle of urging us to adopt. While adoption has always been near and dear to my heart, Josh and I weren’t on the same page.

Fast forward to this September, when said husband approached me that he thought it was time. Imagine my shock as we sat in Abuelo’s and discussed bringing home our child. Of course, I was weeping. Josh was begging me to stop for fear of diners thinking he was leaving me!

For the last 2 months we have processed the details…..boy/girl….infant/toddler……domestic/international. We held our dreams tight to the chest as we worked our way through what adoption would look like for us. As each day passed it continued to be more and more difficult for me. I wanted to shout it out to all who would listen! Especially, my 3 children who were still pursuing this plan for us.

Well…we finally told the munchkins this weekend and so the cat’s out of the bag! It is our hope and desire to adopt a little girl, age 2-4 years old, from Ethiopia. We both had a heart for Africa and now that my brother and sister-in-law (who happen to be 2 of our dearest friends) have almost finished their journey to Africa, we thought what an amazing connection these two cousins would have.

So, now we begin. Please pray that we would be approved and that the process would draw us closer to one another and we begin our journey to collect our daughter.