Well, it’s that time again! Time for care packages to go out! But THIS time things are different. THIS time, it is a little more exciting. Because THIS time our packages aren’t being shipped to their home city, THIS time our packages are going straight to the capital city! Why, you ask? Well, that’s a great question. And I have a wonderful answer! Because, our kiddos are traveling to [Capital City]! Hooray!

And this is what that means. It means we are sooooo close! Sometime in the next 10 days, our kids will be flown to [Capital City] with an escort where they will live in a transition house staffed by our agency until we come to get them. This is a new venture by our agency and I am very excited about it. At this house, the “Half-way Home House,” our kids will be cared for by wonderful nannies who will keep us updated on their conditions and help prepare them for the huge adventure that awaits them! While they are there, our final paper work will also be completed through a proxy in [Capital City] without us. I was a little bummed, to say the least, when I first found out about this change but I have come to believe it is the most efficient way to wrap this thing up! And, I am all about wrapping this thing up! So, our I600 will be filed in-country without us and, while they are there, the kids will have their medical and Embassy appointments as well. By the time we’re ready to travel, all that will be left will be their DGM appointments, which we’ll attend with them, and then we can finally come home – as a FAMILY! I cannot wait for that day!

So, the great news is that things are happening, the wheels are moving, and we are making progress. The terrifying news is we got a big, fat bill last night that we need to pay to cover their travel expenses. And this big, fat bill had gained a considerable amount of weight since we last checked in on it. Basically, we need to send out a $4000 check as soon as possible. So, if you were thinking about purchasing some jewelry or a t-shirt, now would be a fabulous time to do it! It’s been awhile since we’ve had to write a check this big and I had forgotten just how scary it is to do it. But, at this point, I will sell my kidney if I have to in order to make this happen. Hopefully it won’t come to that. Hopefully me, [L], and all my internal organs will be on a plane very soon headed to Africa to bring our children home!

Please pray for [A] and [G] as they are getting ready to take their very first plane ride ever and leave the only home they’ve ever known. This step is so exciting for us but I am completely aware that this will probably be very tough on them. It makes me sad, too, to know that in just a few days they’ll leave the city of their birth and who knows when they might return. It’s just another loss that they will have to experience during this process. And they’ve already endured so many. I am so anxious for the day when they are settled and loved every single day with a permanent home & permanent parents. They’ve been on little emotional roller-coasters for so long, I’m ready to get them off and get them HOME! And while you’re at it, pray that they just LOVE air travel! Because they have much loooonger flights ahead of them soon and it would be awesome if they weren’t terrified!

And here are the photos of this month’s care packages!