kissed by grace.

I really want to go back & tell the story of finding out we were going to embassy & the whole trip there and back.  So we start with the day we got "the news"  this is what I wrote that day.....
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11.16.2012
today was one of those days that I feel like I was just kissed by Gods grace

the past few months have been really difficult and there are days that you just wonder what the heck you got yourself into.
days of deep pain and hurt & wonder if you will ever get past waht you are currently facing.

stephen & I were tired of sitting around so we made plans & went to Austin/the lake last weekend.
it was the perfect weekend.
I felt refreshed, renewed, inspired, encouraged, AWAKE.

and TODAY
I feel like I could breathe again for the FIRST TIME!

So everyday I work out with my bff, Jenna at her house doing the DVD series Insanity.
and everyday I pray that the embassy emails while we are working out so I have an excuse to stop (haha)
and today on the way to workout I was praying for our friend at the embassy.
praying he would find our paperwork.
praying it would be at the top of his stack
praying he would have the time & strength to call us today

so I get to Jenna's and like every morning, she gets the DVD ready while I put on my shoes
I always keep my cell phone on and right next to me during workout & check it at every water break
6:45 am is prime time for a message from Ethiopia (almost 3pm there)
she walks to the other room to reboot her apple TV and we are talking and all of a sudden my phone lights up
I don't know how but I MISSED a call from Ethiopia
I started shaking a little bit, and called to Jenna in the other room (trying not to get too loud considering the rest of her family was asleep)
I put my phone on speaker and played the message.
"wynne, its ___ from the US Embassy, I was calling to let you know we were able to clear both your cases for visa interview & just wanted to give you the good news over the phone...."
WHHHAAATT???
cleared.

this called for a chick-fil-a celebration and phone calls to our dear ole family & friends.
followed by a ridiculous amount of support and love from so many!  we are so blessed!

stephen, making our instagram announcement, in his "ishi" amharic t-shirt standing in the babies room! 

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yall, I couldn't talk about this much while it was going on, but there were some days that we seriously doubted that God would give us Asher.  Adoption is a hard road, and everything doesn't always pan out how we want it to - and for a while there, we were terrified.
so the fact that they BOTH cleared was nothing short of a miracle.
a god sized - 24 hour a day - prayer miracle from above.
I realize that most of you have no idea how Asher came to be ours anyway, and that deserves it's own post (which I'll write for you!)
but this girl was obviously MEANT for our family.  and I cannot. imagine. it. without. her. 

so friends.  thats the first part of the story.
much more to come.