Step-by-Step

This journey is a whirlwind!! We have loved every minute of it so far-the highs and the lows. We are waiting to find out when our court date will be. We are praying that it comes swiftly. After the court date, there is a mandatory 10 day waiting period that allows time for people to challenge the adoptions. Although we are finding our time here is very beneficial, we would like to have a court date as soon as possible. We should know something soon! This will help us know how much longer we will be here.
The great thing about the time is being able to visit and play with the children every day. Jerry and I go to the orphanage in the morning and afternoon. We are tackling two at a time right now, but tomorrow we are going to try three! Wish us luck! The time with them is critical, as they are learning who we are and we are learning the same things about them.
The children are wonderful! We have sensed some excitement, mixed with some anxiety. I would be the same way! They each have their own personality and it did not take us long to learn who was bossy, who was athletic, who is afraid of birds, and who loves Cheerios!! They also love juice! They drink it in one big gulp!
We are having breakthroughs everyday. We pray that each day we will make a little progress with each one of them. We are so very blessed. If you have ever wondered whether God was listening, the Hoods can tell you that he is. Things do not always come the way you anticipate (in our case numbers!!), but God does provide and his timing is perfect.
Thank you to everyone who has prayed for us and has continued to follow our wonderful journey. We could not have done this without you so many of you. The hard part is just beginning, so please keep the prayers coming! We are praying for healthy attachments, easy transitions, and low anxiety (for all of us!). We feel like our family is much larger than 6 people. We feel like each of you has been on this journey with us, every step of the way!!

Love,
Amanda