IT'S FINAL!!!!!

October 14th, 2008 was the day we officially accepted the referral for Samuael and Kaleab Aziz. We had no idea what the future would hold, no idea exactly what God had in store for us or the timing of it all...but we had the sweet faces of two little boys to gaze at and pray for and dream about.

Today is October 12th, 2009 and we are still praying for them, still dreaming about what life will be like next week, next month, next year and we are still gazing at their sweet faces...but now our gaze is not at a photo on the fridge but face to face as we watch them run, play, giggle, sit on our laps, hold our hands and give us hugs! And today, in the eyes of the United States of America, Samuel Aaron Pichura and Caleb Moses Pichura are in every way our sons! They have even been issued birth certificates stating that we have been their parents from the beginning. From the beginning...and yet, for us, the beginning was just shy of a year ago. But, as I look at Scripture, I am reminded that the beginning was more than a year ago, more than the day they were actually born...it was when God wrote in His book all the days that were ordained for Samuel and Caleb (and you and me!) before there was even one of them (Psalm 139:16). From the human standpoint, we chose Samuel and Caleb to be in our family but Psalms 33:6,9 and 11 tells the story how it really is:

"By the Word of the Lord the Heavens were made, and by the breath of His mouth all their hosts...for He spoke, and it was done; He commanded and it stood fast...The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of His heart from generation to generation."

We are so thankful that God saw fit to grow our family through the beautiful gift of adoption, to knit our family's hearts to two little boys half way around the world and through it all to teach us all a little bit more about OUR own adoption into the family of God. It's been a hard, joyful, painful, exhausting, growing, beautiful climb this past year...and, from where we stand, the view is just glorious!!!

Thank you so much Marcus for being our lawyer and thank you Heidi (and sweet baby Renee), for sharing in our special day with us and helping us with pictures!