Family of Four!!!

Introducing Mikaele Graham Ivy and Ephrem Charles Ivy!

We are so thankful that we passed court today! We will travel to bring our boys home in about two weeks!!!

New Court Date!!!

We got a call from our caseworker this morning that we have been granted a new court date. It is THIS Thursday! We cannot believe it is so soon! We are so thankful and so excited! Please pray that all goes well this time around. We are ready to go meet our boys and praying that the time is soon!

Playroom Mural Done

We finished the mural this weekend by putting a clear coat of polyurethane on the wall. That should give it a little protection from little hands.

The finished mural

Another Update

Our updates have been coming about four to five weeks apart so we were pleasantly surprised to have another update this morning. It's only been about two weeks since our last update. The updates are such a blessing during the wait. It's always nice to see new pictures and hear how the boys are doing.

“M is one of my favorite boys at the older kid's house. He is very easy going and doesn't demand attention. Yet he isn't scared of me at all and loves to play. M is getting quite good at catch. A couple weeks ago he dropped the ball more than he caught it, today he hardly dropped it at all. E is doing well. He is a typical two year old in temperament. He loves to play catch and play with the cars. E is not at all shy and runs up for attention as soon as I walk in. He likes to play by himself, I think it’s easier for him to maintain possession of his toys that way. ” –Emily :)

Showers

We were blessed with two showers for our boys last weekend. The first was hosted by my good friends Pam and Carrie whom I taught with at my most recent school. The shower was attended by dear friends from both schools that I taught at over the last ten years. The second shower was hosted by another good friend Ricki and my cousins Dawnette and Clarissa. The guests included family and friends who go back as far as kindergarten. Both showers were delightful and I enjoyed celebrating our growing family with so many special people. The boys now have plenty of toys, lots of books, cute towels, their own little dishes, and so much more! We are so thankful for all the friends and famiy who are making this time so special for us.

Six More Weeks

Our court date was rescheduled for March 10th. We are disappointed that it is so far out but also thankful to at least have a date to look forward to. So now we wait some more and pray that everything goes well in March.

Still Waiting

We talked to our caseworker, Jessica, earlier today and found out that MOWA has not issued an opinion on our case. The boys' birthfather was at court and did relinquish his rights which is definitely an answer to prayer. We don't know what will happen next, if our case will remain open or if we will get a new court date, but we should hear more tomorrow. We are praying that if we are rescheduled, it is a date that is not too far away.

In brighter news, Jessica sent us a sweet update on our boys this afternoon. The picture with this update was so precious, the first picture we have seen with both boys smiling at the same time. We needed that today!

“M and E are both doing well. E came right over to me when I got to the foster care. He loved attention and seeing the computer and pressing keys on the keyboard. E is a typical two-year-old. M is more reserved than E. He was playing with his friends, kicking a soccer ball back and forth when I got there. M kept an eye on E as he played making sure that his brother was alright.” --Emily