Busy Busy Busy

So it has been a few days since our last post and we have lots going on in our lives.  We both have very rewarding jobs that require a bit more than your average 40 hour work week.  Chad is in school, and I have taken on the role as fundraising coordinator in our family.  Along with all of this "busy"ness is the fun stuff - We are SOOOO excited to have met another couple in our area that are also adopting.  Because we are all in this process together - we decided to make it a group trip to our first parenting class.  Not only was the jimmy johns DELICIOUS before the meeting - I mean, am I right or am I RIGHT?? :) - but it was a fabulous couple of hours that were spent listening to an adopted children's and adult panel.  Many perspectives were presented and in the end, we left with lots to think about.  After the meeting, we met with our social worker to discuss our first home visit and our next round of paperwork.  YEAH!!! :) So we are having our first home visit this Wednesday - if you think about it - say a little prayer - for calm nerves - quiet hearts - and loads of laughter and understanding.  We will be spending the weekend in two frames of mind - the first will be a mad dash to clean every nook and cranny of this house (as if we haven't been doing that for the past month) - the second is a focus on our next VERY EXCITING fundraiser.  If you haven't heard, our fabulous small group and church is hosting a craft fair!! We are in the process of recruiting vendors to come and sell their wares SO if you know of ANYONE - I MEAN ANYONE who is crafty - Send them our way.  Booth rental is 25.00 if you donate an item to the silent auction - and who doesn't love a good silent auction?  Entry to the craft fair is by donation - and we will have a table at the craft fair so you can come and meet us (if you don't know us yet), and then go on your merry way  to enjoy a day of shopping, eating, etc... One fundraiser (within a fundraiser) that we are doing starting NOW and going until we bring baby C home is called "HAVE A HAND in bringing me home" - basically we will be hanging a large painting of a tree in the room - the leaves of the tree will be fingerprints of anyone and everyone who is willing to participate - $ 20.00 to use your very own fingerprints to create light green leaves, $50.00 to use your very own fingerprints to create dark green leaves.  We are so excited to have a representation of all of the people who had a hand in helping us bring Baby Chalos or Baby Chali (lol - that is my version of multiple adopted Chalos children) home from Africa.  Thank you for all of your prayers and endless support.  What would we do without you?  
Much Love,
The Chalos'

Bumps in the adoption road...

                                                                                                                                                                  

So we have barely begun this crazy process and already we are getting to experience our first hurdle.  After countless hours of paperwork (now I know why they say you are "paper pregnant") and a visit to our doctor in order to fill out our medical forms, and a visit to get a local criminal background check, and a total written overview of our financial situation, well I could go on but you get the point..., we got a call last week that we needed to fax our medical letters over asap.  As it turns out because of a medical issue, the Congo may declare us ineligible to adopt from their region.  Of course, our heart sank to the bottom of our feet when we got this call.  I mean - we were definitely prepared for some bumps - but one this early - was honestly shocking.  So basically at this point we are just staying on our knees.  We know that he is carving this path for us so that he can walk it with us.  In the midst of our prayers - our house has decided to revolt against us as we prepare it for the homestudy - broken water heater, leaky pipes, etc... - Did I mention that all of that happened while our parents were in town?  They got to experience firsthand the insane emotions the come along with this experience.  After a new water heater and a good report from a house expert on our leaky situation - We got even better news today.  We will be able to go ahead with our Congo adoption. YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

God is in this with us.  There is a BEAUTIFULLY AMAZING blessing at the end of this road for us - and for many of you!  I have no idea how tall he/she/they will be, how round or skinny, how happy or serious, how loud or quiet - but I do know that God has something spectacular planned and I am so excited to meet him/her/them and hold them and count my blessings everyday. 

SO FINALLY we get to mail the completed official paperwork  - tomorrow.  I can't wait.  You better BELIEVE there will be photographs capturing that moment!! Thank you for the MANY of you who have prayed for us.  God hears you.  Clearly.

I will leave you will a birds eye view of the country in which our beautiful child/children may abide at this very moment...

With the most sincere love and gratitude,

The Chalos'

Psalms 84:11, "For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly."

So...

Let's just say prayers would be appreciated.  We will blog about it at a later date.  Thank you for your never ending support and encouragement.

1 O LORD, hear my prayer, listen to my cry for mercy; in your faithfulness and righteousness come to my relief. Psalm 143:1