Two hours ago my husband and I sat hip to hip on the couch, intently watching a blue bar creep towards 100%. In the file was information about ‘our’ girls — information that we’ve been waiting weeks to know. Already in love with their pictures, we were praying that the information to be revealed would feel right to us, and that we’d have a peace about it.
Five pictures and eight pages of scanned documents take 17 minutes to download on 56k dialup, in case you want to know. Seventeen minutes in which we realized, for better or for worse, that these girls already felt like ours in our hearts and it would take a lot to scare us away from them.
Five pictures and eight pages. Not much to go on. But after reading every word and staring at every picture, we knew. They were ours. Within minutes we had an acceptance email winged off to the waiting child coordinator at our agency.
They’re ours! Praise the Lord! They’re ours!
I'm Mary, wife to John, and mom to 10 kids ages 3-20. Six of them were adopted, from Ethiopia and Korea. I spend my days applying Bandaids, reminding kids to use their inside voices, persuading kids fractions are useful, cooking spicy ethnic food, and snapping gig after gig of pictures. Very late at night, I write about it all.
Mary, they are BEAUTIFUL! Congratulations! Hooray!
I am so excited for you and your family!
Yippee!
How wonderful! Congratulations!
Oh, Mary, I’m so full of happiness for you, for them…what could be better? Just thrilling!!!!
Congratulations and godspeed bringing your beautiful girls home!
congratulations! this is very exciting news- and what a way to start the weekend!!! Thank you for sharing their pictures- they are both beautiful- as are all of your children. What peace you must be feeling tonight to know they are indeed your girls……..I hope you travel quickly to bring these precious children home……what treasures.
Meg
They look like happy girls. Congratulations and best wishes for a happy homecoming for two new members of your family!
Oh Mary! I am in tears! They are beautiful! Oh hurry girls! We are anxious to meet you!!!!
Praise God! The girls just shine don’t they? Congratulations!
They are gorgeous! What beautiful happy smiles! Congratulations!
I got chills. How wonderful!
Congratulations!!!
absolutely gorgeous, mary! you are so lucky
congratulations!
They are beautiful blessed girls, joining a beautiful blessed family. It just feels right. Congratulations!
Oh my goodness, Mary!!!!! I’m in tears too!!!! I can’t imagine how THEY must be feeling (if they know) or what they WILL be feeling when they find out!!!!!!! They are going to be THRILLED and probably a little scared and who knows what else….sad to leave the friends they’ve made….but incredibly happy to be coming to a forever family! I just can’t imagine what all of that would be like for these girls (MUCH different than a baby/toddler adoption)!!! They are absolutely beautiful! We are rejoicing with you!!!!
Will they know any English?
Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord – what amazing GIFTS!!!!
Congratulations! I will say a prayer that everything continues to progress quickly and well.
Congratulations Mary and family! They are beautiful!
i’ve been following along in this your latest adoption journey and i’m just all goose-bumpy at your latest post! congrats and praise God from whom all blessings flow!
(and what a wonderful family these girls are getting in return!)
~liz
Oh, my.
They are gorgeous. Look at those smiles!
My heart just swelled at the news. And I’m thrilled for you. So glad that I stumbled on your blog…I can’t wait to see this fantastic story unfold.
Bleach Free Blessings!
They are beautiful girls!! Congratulations!!!!
Oh, there just aren’t words sometimes…
congratulations will have to do!
They’re GORGEOUS! Congratulations!!!!
Oh how wonderful!!! And they are so beautiful! Congratulations!
I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE this pic. They are so incredibly YOURS!!!!!!!
Such lovely girls. I’m sure they will be a perfect addition to your family. 8^) Congratulations!!!!!!
your girls are adorable! congratulations!
I’m a loyal reader but I don’t comment much. I just had to say that I am SO SO SO thrilled for you! You’ve absolutely made my night, I’m just bursting with joy for your family. I can’t wait to hear the rest of the journey to bring them home!
They are beautiful! Thanks be to God!
I love how this picture seems to capture their personality. Can’t wait to see a picture of them with the rest of your family!
Wow. wow wow wow. They are absolutely stunning, just beautiful. Their eyes and their smiles…. They are just beautiful.
I just keep smiling for you while nodding my head. I am so amazed at how families can come together this way. These sweet girls will be your daughters, THAT is amazing.
Thanks for sharing. Really, they couldn’t be any sweeter.
Jamie
YES!!!! Still Praying!!!! come Home Babies!!!!
Heather
They are absolutely gorgeous!!!!! Congrats!
Heidi
Congratulations, Mary. They’re beautiful.
Oh my! So gorgeous. I love their smiles. They just radiate. Congratulations!!!
Congratulations Owlhaven Crew!! Your daughters are beautiful. Is this your first older child adoption? We will have to trade tips.
I can’t wait to follow your journey to Ethiopia to bring your sweeties home!
Mary,
Congratulations to your family. Your girls are just beautiful! I can’t wait to show our 9 year old Ethiopian daughter and see if she knows them!
Wonderful news!! They are just beautiful! I got shivers all over when I read this! Congratulations to you and your family!
mary – this picure is amazing…and congratulations!!! xo
The picture is just beautiful! I am so excited for you and your growing family. What a blessing.
Teary, here. Your girls are beautiful!
~Stacy
What cuties! How old are they?
GIGANTIC WIDE GRIN HERE!!!!
Congrats. Your daughters are beautiful. What a wonderful addition to your family.
I’m all misty-eyed. What beautiful girls. They have no idea yet how much their new family will love them. Thanks for posting this.
Congratulations! They are beautiful girls, and their smiles are contagious! I’m so happy for you and your family and look forward to hearing more.
YAY!
Oh wow, I’m teary eyed and excited for you & you don’t even know me!!! Well, I’ll definitely be praying for you and your family! Looking forward to a lot of updates!!!
Oh Mary! WOW! They are so beautiful, and I am so thrilled for you all! I have just crawled downstairs to check on Heather, and the news was good, and then you, and yours is good, and today is just starting out in such an amazing demonstration of God’d wonderful love. I can’t wait to hear you are on your way to fetch your lovely new daughters. They are so blessed God chose you and John to be their new parents.
They’re beautiful! Congratulations!
Godspeed getting them home.
Oh Mary, they are PRECIOUS!!!!! I just love that picture. How could anyone not fall in love with them.
As Mia would say, it is Awesome Good!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!
What dynamic smiles!
I can see how they won your heart.
Congrats.
How long is the wait to hold them?
They are beautiful and so is your family to do this. I will pray everything coninues to go ok.
WOW they are both so incredibly beautiful and I know you and your family are over the moon with joy! Congratulations!
They are beautiful!!!! I am so excited for all of you! Praising God with you for these two children and praying that He will continue to bless you and them on this journey towards making a new family.
Congratulations!! They are so beautiful – and (like everyone else has said) they are radiant! What a blessing for you all!
Stacie
Yesterday I was scanning a waiting child list (as I often do
) and I saw these two precious girls. Immediately I thought of you and prayed over you all. I had no idea these were truly the girls you were considering and now I’m so happy to see they will be yours!!! CONGRATULATIONS dad and mom!!!!
dawnz:)
They are absolutely beautiful!!
they are beautiful! Congratulations!
Thank you for sharing your wonderful news! Aunties again, always an exciting thing. God is so good! We’ll keep praying. Their picture is already all the fridge!
These are beautiful girls. Truly beautiful. Congratulations. It is a joy to read about this as we begin thinking and praying about our own journey. Thanks so much for sharing
They are gorgeous! Congratulations! Oh, I’m SO excited for you!!! Can’t wait to hear when you will be traveling and all of that fun!
Mary,
They’re beautiful! Congratulations!
I got goose bumps and tears in my eyes when I saw their picture. So beautiful! Congratulations to you and to them.
So excited for you guys! They’re beautiful!
They’re beautiful!
Congratulations to your family! The girls are beautiful!!
WOW!! What beauties! Congratulations again. What an incredible family you will have.
The younger new daughter has your grin!
All the best!
CONGRATS!
This is awesome!! Congrats!!
I’m so happy for you, Mary (and family).
Can’t wait to see your girls again. I wonder if they’ll remember me? [:-)
Rachel
Congratulations!
congratulations to you and your family, mary. they are beautiful, and i’m so very happy for you.
CONGRATULATIONS !!!! They are both sooo beautiful !
Lisa
Oh hurray, hurrah, huzzah, and hallelujah!! They look perfect in every way, but especially a perfect fit for your family. God is so good!
Hey, I think that they are Texas Longhorns too! (Since they are flashing the Texas Longhorn sign) perhaps they meant to have the thumb out too for the ASL sign for love?
In any case they are beautiful. You family is about to embark on a very new adventure. I can’t wait to read all about it.
You are blessed!
Wow! Like everyone else said – they’re beautiful. Seeing their photo makes me so impatient for our referral.
Cheryl
Amazing!!! They are really beautiful! I’m very happy for all of you!
- Amy Heymann
Congrats, Mary!! We’re all so thrilled for you all. Can’t wait to meet them and see them integrated into our family. They are just beautiful. I keep looking at their faces trying to “learn” them, ya know??
They are lovely, sweet-looking girls! Blessings all-around for the Owlhaven family—God is great!
[...] Our girls Two hours ago my husband and I sat hip to hip on the couch, intently watching a blue bar creep towards 100%. In the […] [...]
Congratulations!
My girls recognize your two girls from AAI! They are very excited that they get to come to America and really would like to know what state you are in. They also say that your oldest daughter is very very nice.
When I saw their pic on adoptionblogs I thought, wow those are some sweet, glowing young ladies in that promotional stock photo. Then it dawned on my that they are actually YOUR girls, and I was so happy for you all! Congratulations!
CONGRATULATIONS to all of you! Wonderful news!
Absolutely beautiful gifts from the Lord! SOOOO overjoyed for you all!
This is they? They are absolutely beautiful! Just lovely!
They are beautiful. Congratulations!
You are on an amazing adventure! Your life will never be the same, and you won’t ever want it to be. You are so lucky to have these two to love!
I can see how you fell for them right away! They are beautiful and thanks for sharing your story (posted at a later date) about how everything has fallen into place with your adoption. I am so excited for you all!
they are incredibly beautiful, how awesome that they are going to have such a wonderful family!!
They are beautiful!!! Many, many congratulations to all of your newly enlarged family!
They are absolutely beautiful, what sweet smiles! CONGRATULATIONS!
I am so excited for you and the girls! They look like sweethearts.
They are incredible! What perfect additions to the owlery!
Congratulations Mom to Many!!!
They are gorgeous, absolutely gorgeous. And you can tell that they’re pretty on the INside too.
So happy for you. Can’t wait to hear more.
Oh, Praise Him! Praise Him!
How wonderful!
How very VERY exciting! I loved reading your more recent post about all that has happened to bring you to this point, and I’m loving seeing these beautiful girls of yours. Wonderful news. And not a bit of muted excitement from me. Just all-out YAY YAY YAY!!!!!
A big congratulations Mary! They are beautiful!!