No Sleep Zone...

If you were to enter the Chalos household tonight, you would be entering the no sleep zone.  Want to know why?  Hello people.  Have you been reading??? Our embassy date is TOMORROW.  TOMORROW IS OUR EMBASSY DATE.  Our sweet kiddos will be "interviewed" along with our lawyer.  This is the last MAJOR date before we get the kiddos. It is vitally important for this day to go well.  So we covet your prayers tonight.  We are 6 hours behind Kinshasa time - so tonight is the time to pray because when you wake up tomorrow - they may have already had their meeting.  After tomorrow,  we are literally 3ish weeks from meeting our kids.  And here is what is better - we aren't the only ones with an embassy date tomorrow or in the days to come.  Our sweet adoptive bosom buddies are also holding their breaths for good news - because they have had or are days away from their embassy date.  So don't just say a prayer for sweet Kab and Etta - but pray for the many kiddos and families who are weeks away from becoming forever families.  Lots of sweet kiddos have incredible journeys beginning in the weeks ahead.  So thank you.  For your prayers and support and incredible love.  We are so close.

Love,
Kristle

The kids...

We got updates today on the kiddos.  

Etta - Etta is doing GREAT.  She is a skinny thing, but her smile can light up a room.  

See what I mean????  

Yes.  We sent her that dress.  They even messed up the initials but we sent it anyway.  Boy am I glad that we did.  She is about the cutest thing I have EVER seen.  And she has big eyes like her Mama. :) 

Kab - Our sweet Kab has been really sick with typhoid fever.  He is doing much better but is still pretty malnourished.  We can't wait to fatten him up when he gets home!!! :) Here is a picture of our sweet boy.  

ahhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That is one of the books that we sent and part of two outfits that we sent.  

He is a little guy too - only 16 lbs.  But boy, isn't he adorable?

I am grinning.  From ear to ear.  :)  

That is all.  

Goodnight! 

(p.s. if they are this cute while they are awake, imagine how sweet they look right

 now - all tucked in their beds.) 

We have an Embassy Date people!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

That means that on Aug. 27th, our representative will go in our place, and begin the process of getting the kiddos out of the country.  After that day, the embassy will investigate to make sure that Kab and Etta are true orphans.  After their investigation, they will turn our case over to the FINAL officials who will give Etta and Kab an exit letter.  We are told that usually the investigation takes about 2 or three weeks.  Once their exit letter is issued - its Up Up and Away - and home to good ole Tennessee - just in time for pumpkins and cool breezes and falling leaves and BOILED PEANUTS and FOOTBALL.  Seriously.  It is my favorite time of year.  And you people who are making fun of the football reference - just you wait - we are going to be die hard. ;)   Right now, we are hoping you join us in praying that the embassy appointment goes well - that the investigation is completed in a timely and efficient manner.  It's happening people.  We.Can't.Wait.  Stay tuned for the blog posts to follow.  You won't want to miss them! I promise. :)

Oh by the way... 

Here is an ADORABLE pic of our kiddos.  They are both super smiley and seem to REALLY LOVE suckers.  

Talk to you soon!

Kristle

Buttermilk biscuits and sweet tea

Yes.  It is a Saturday in the very early morning hours.  And I am awake.  Somehow my body did NOT get the memo that it only needs to wake up this early Monday through Friday.  I tried to convince it, but after 30 minutes of trying to lie still and breathe slowly - it was no use.  So I got up and of course the first thing that I thought of (like so many other days) was the kiddos.  It is currently 12:49pm in Kinshasa.  I have spent so much time in my own head - just imagining what life is like for them - it almost seems crazy when we get real information.  Currently they are in Kinshasa with their friends.  Lots of their sweet friends.  And they are having fun.  How do we know?  Take a look at our sweet girls face...

There is NO denying that she is smiling.  For real this time.  So basically she is hanging out and being well taken care of.  It makes my heart so happy to know - and it is so crazy that I can actually imagine her in this place.  And it is real.  And we have visuals.  :)  Let's not leave out the sweet little man - no smile - but boy is he getting big!

I mean seriously.  LOOK at those legs.  Sigh.  They are so skinny and so cute.  I think he could most definitely surpass his Mama and Daddy in height.  

So now we have real pictures - but it gets even better - because ANY DAY NOW we will be finding out an embassy date.  This is one of the final steps in getting our kiddos home. That means someday soon - we will have an idea of when we get to travel TO GET OUR KIDDOS.  

That seems insane.  It seems that we have waited so long. When you have such a long wait, reality seems further away sometimes.  But not today.  Because we are going to get our kiddos.  Soon.  

So now I am beginning to REALLY imagine life with our kiddos here at home.  I can't wait to introduce them to all sorts of things- but one is at the top of my priority list.  My family grew up eating every Saturday breakfast together.  Not in front of the tv.  Not at McDonalds.  We ate around the table together.  In our PJs.  (Well just my Mom, sis, and I - My Dad stuck more to his everyday uniform of light shirt and dark bottoms)  Every Saturday without fail my Mom would whip up the MOST AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS batch of buttermilk biscuits.  Its seems appropriate to use a little southern vernacular here.  Ya'll - they are so scrumptious. (insert a little Paula Dean accent and we are good to go)

  They are fluffy.  They melt in your mouth.  Our Saturday morning biscuits were usually accompanied by a heaping pile of bacon (I mean seriously - who has anything bad to say about bacon?) Finally we topped it all of with a big glass of Sweet tea.  That's right folks.  I grew up drinking sweet tea for breakfast.  As much as I may differ from my southern friends - I have to dig down to my roots and appreciate the goodness of southern breakfast.  SO.  I have been practicing.  I have been imagining.  How cute will Etta's face be when she eats her first homemade southern biscuit?  (Here's hoping she will appreciate the goodness of southern cooking like her Mama.) How hilarious will Kab be with his first sip of sweet tea?  Now don't worry folks - I am not saying that they will eat or drink like this every day.  I am in fact a little bit of a green hippy Mama when it comes to our every day food.  But I just have to say that I can't wait for Saturdays.  

They are going to be SO much fun with those two kiddos.  

So keep praying us through this red tape.  Keep praying for a little more funding for our travel.  We are so close.  It seems unbelievable but it is real. And thanks for keeping up with our story.  It is really only just beginning. :)

Hopefully I will write soon.  To give you specific details.  Because we are GOING TO GET OUR KIDS. 

Blessings,

The Chalos Party of Four