Tales from Teunis Ranch: The Latest News in TeunisLand

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

The Latest News in TeunisLand

Well the date that we have been working towards for many months now, finally came and was assigned to our family last Friday. Teunis' are officially DTE ( Dossier To Ethiopia) on January 14th, 2011 for an infant girl 0-12 mos.We certainly still have a long wait ahead of us, but all of the paperwork, and protecting the paperwork, is done. It feels really good to finally be standing in line and now be able to focus on all of the many things still to do to prepare for the life change of having a baby in the house again. We will be having a blast making a little baby girl room, of which my hubs has already started and actually almost finished. We will be taking a wonderful spring break vacation back to the Gulf Coast and thawing our from our wintery weariness and finally get some sunshine on this skin. We will be saving ,saving ,saving for the impending "To The Ends Of The Earth" journey for our baby girl. Mostly though, we are going to be looking ahead with wonder as we wait for ~The Call~ that tells us our wait is almost over and we have a daughter.

We look forward to posting the adventures of our journey here and until there is more to tell, we ask that you continue to pray for the process and for patience for us.

~Blessings
Steve and Jen

2 comments:

ChristinaJanuary 19, 2011 at 7:45 PM
We are adopting from AWAA as well. We have our fingerprinting appt. in 2 days. We live 40 min. from S. Padre so it made me a little curious which gulf coast spot you are going to for vacation!
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DebbJanuary 22, 2011 at 9:43 PM
CONGRATULATIONS ON BEING DTE!!! Enjoy the weightless feeling of no paperwork for a while! Doesn't it feel so GOOD to know that EVERY single day brings you closer to your daughter! :o)
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Ricky is in full swing of the college search these days. This is a really exciting time for him and for me. I am so overjoyed to see the young man he has become. I remember so clearly that first moment, almost 18 years ago, when I held him for the first time and the feeling of complete joy and devoted love that just flooded me. I had dreamt my whole life of being a mommy and the moment I held my precious baby, I remember very vividly telling him that he is my very first dream come true. I am so proud of him and look forward to watching his dreams come true. He is a tender heart and a hard worker, a good friend and a fiercely loyal big brother, (sometimes just fierce, but you'll have to talk to talk to Zachary about that.) He is an exceptional young man who has a good head on his shoulders. He is kind and generous and compassionate. His smile lights up his whole face and his seriousness towards just about everything cracks me up daily. Just today he told me, 'Yeah Senior Year is probably gonna be fun', Almost like he had to give himself permission to enjoy it. He is the kind of kid I would want to know even if he wasn't mine. I have spent many years and countless hours praying for the wisdom to lead and direct this boy. I know for certain that the good in him is the God in him. I simply loved him and made choices that reflected that love. I am beyond thankful that God has designed Ricky's heart with a thirst for Him. He is an exceptional human being and it is an honor to be his mom.

Zachary is busy training up his mind and body for football season. He is starting a new school this year for high school and has joined their football team. I am in awe of the dedication he has put forth in this program. I really thought his might just be some passing interest and the hard work would eventually ware him out and he would rather spend his summer days doing other things. Nope. He is committed and focused and I am so proud of him. I am really excited to spend Friday nights under the lights. As I watch the effort he is putting out for football, I am so proud of the whole of who he is. Where Ricky is a pretty serious guy, Zachary is the complete opposite and he is definitely the life of the party. He is smart and kind and funny and he has a memory that baffles us. He can recall information that he was only exposed to briefly and recount situations EXACTLY. I know he is going to accomplish great things. He is someone who cares deeply for others and has such empathy and concern for others. He is intuitive and kind and happy. I think that is the thing about Zachary that really stands out, he is a happy soul. Whether he is whistling or making jabbers with his baby brother or laughing about some random thing that crosses his path, his joy fills the space he is in and then overflows to us all. I do get concerned that someone is going to come along and take advantage of his giving spirit and that life and situations will try to squash that joy in him, but I pray that God guards his heart mightily. There is a country song that has always reminded me so much of Zachary and how he is and who he is, Look Heart, No Hands. Its about embracing all of life and love and living Wide Open. Zachary has always been like a fresh breeze blowing through my life. He is full of life and he's loud. He is such a devoted person, to me and to his brothers and to whoever is lucky enough to know him. He is quick to defend those he loves and has no trouble fighting and standing up for whats right. Where he sometimes has to learn things the hard way, he is open to the lesson and that is the main idea isn't it? He loves The Lord has a big heart for serving Him. He has always been my little bundle of snuggles and rough and tumbles. He is a free spirit and a grounded Oak Tree all at the same time. His thoughtfulness is such a joy to me. He is always writing little notes or making drawings or giving to others in some way. He is one of the most giving people I have ever known. Im so grateful that of all of the choices in the world, God made me his mom.