March 9, 2009!

I got a call yesterday at 12:34 p.m.  I was shopping with Miles at Sam's and had my cell phone with me, but I didn't hear it ring.  It must've rung right when we sat down to eat our pizza because it was buried in the cart.  We took our time, mosied out to our car, and I heard my phone beep.  I checked the number and didn't recognize the area code.  But I knew right away.  Something in my gut just told me this was THE call.  

I tried to call Ross a couple of times but no answer.  At this point my legs were jelly and my foot was shaking so much it was vibrating against the gas pedal!  (And I STILL didn't know for sure if this was even our agency who called!  ha ha ha)  So hilariously, instead of just calling the number back, I called my friend Danae and asked her what our agency's area code is.  :)  She quickly looked online and confirmed it - it definitely was a Minnesota area code.  By this time, thinking our agency had called and being 1/2 hr. from home, I was seriously freaking out.  I was afraid I'd swerve off of the road or pass out and crash on the interstate if I called the number back, so I drove home.  THE longest 1/2 hr. drive home ever.  :) (And I wonder where my girls get the drama....)

I walked in the door with my groceries, stuck the cold ones in the fridge, and kind of paced the kitchen a couple of times.  AND I still couldn't reach Ross.  It had been about an hour and 10 phone attempts - and that's odd because usually he's so easy to reach!  And then the phone rang...and our caller ID confirmed that indeed I was getting a call from our agency.  

BREATHE - BREATHE - Ok, Lord, here goes....I answered the phone and it was Jaimee, our social worker with "GREAT" news.  But I decided I really wanted Ross to hear everything first with me, so I told her I'd call her back as soon as I could reach my man.  At this point, I was seriously so excited I couldn't remember Ross' work cell phone and ended up calling some complete stranger sounding all excited.  ha ha ha  I actually had to look up his number.  Then he finally called me back and I asked if there was any way he could come home because we had JUST gotten our referral call and he said, "Guess what?  I'm in the driveway."  I guess 10+ phone calls in the past hour tipped him off that something was up.  :)

We grabbed two phones and called Jaimee.  And then it happened.  We heard the name of our future son for the very first time.  "Yonas."  It means Jonah.  And right away - we both looked at each other and mouthed, "Jonah."  That was it.  We've had the hardest time for the past year with names and we just knew in a second that was it.  Pretty cool moment.  Then we confirmed that our referral info was successfully sent to our computer, said bye to Jaimee (she told us lots of stuff that we maybe 1/2 processed), and couldn't wait to lay eyes on our little guy.

He's beautiful.  He's 3 1/2.  I just can't wait to post his picture and share his sweetness with all of you!  We're hoping for a successful court date within the next 12 wks. (at which time he'll officially be our son and I'll be able to post his pic) and then travel about 4 wks. after that.  

I attempted to post this last night, but was completely speechless.  We're so thankful, excited, awestruck, and humbled that God would entrust and bless us with this little guy.  Last night I was so restless because I found myself trying to memorize his face even in sleep!  

I could say so much more (the speechlessness of yesterday is long gone - ha ha ha) but suffice it to say, the journey to our Jonah has been so worth the wait.  :)

(Oh, one more thing - after we got our referral, Ross walked into the kitchen and asked if Jaimee had told me his name before we got the details.  I told him no-we heard everything together.  And then he said that the Bible on our kitchen counter was open to the first chapter of the book of Jonah.  And I hadn't even read anywhere near that book yesterday - I had read a little in the NT and instead of shutting the Bible when I was done, must've inadvertently flipped it back and it landed open at Jonah.  A really neat confirmation for us that God is in this.  Thank you, Lord!)