For Jana

So this is a picture of the necklace Robbie gave to me for my birthday. My sister in law has been telling me to take a picture and post it since I got it in November. It is handmade from a woman who sells these online through ETSY. The proceeds go to a family who is raising money for travel expenses for their adoption. Check out her shop at http://www.etsy.com/shop/JUNKPOSSE

"Adoption is when you are born in your mommy's heart instead of her tummy."

Wow! I am sorry for all of you who check this blog regularly. I have not been diligent about giving updates. The truth is that for a long time there was no update to give. I am happy to say that the Randazzo's finally have some news to share.

On Monday, November 30, we received our official acceptance into the Ethiopia adoption program through Gladney. This means our dossier (an unspeakable amount of paper work compiled into an official document for the country of Ethiopia) was officially completed and accepted by Gladney. Our dossier is now ready to be sent to Ethiopia. The best part about completing this step is that it puts us on "the waiting list."

We received the news from Gladney in the form of an email. It read that we have been officially put on the waiting list for a male child, 0-9 months of age at time of referral. The current average wait time is 7 1/2 months to referral and 1-2 months to travel. For those of you who do not know, a referral is when we actually get a picture of a child with whatever background information that is available. At that point, we can choose to accept that referral. Upon acceptance of our referral, we sign papers that are sent to Ethiopia and make travel arrangements to go get him.

The only thing I can compare to reading that email is seeing the "+" on a pregnancy test. That day, Ricky became real, not just something I hoped or longed for, but he became part of my family's future. If Ricky was not yet "in my heart," as of November 30, 2009, he is in there now. I am having a son!

For those of you reading who are prayers, I ask that you would please pray specifically for a few things. As it seems now, we will be receiving our referral in July and traveling in September. While we are confident God has already marked the day we get our referral and when we travel, we are still praying that it can all happen just about a month or two sooner. My brother Michael is getting deployed to Afghanistan with the Army National Guard in August. I really want Michael and Ricky to meet before he leaves.

More importantly, I ask you to pray for our baby boy. Ricky will be 9 months old or younger when we receive his referral. That means he has either just been born or will be in the next few months. Please pray for his health and safety. Pray that angels will guard him. Pray that even that at this young age, he will not feel abandonment, but will be sustained until we get to him.

words cannot express...

I wish I had the words to appropriately convey the blessing our family has experienced. When we posted and mailed out our support letter, we never imagined the response that we have received. Over the last two months, it has been like Christmas morning everyday as we head to the mailbox. We just wanted to share that because of you who participated, we have received $4830.00

We are speechless, overwhelmed, appreciative...You brought tears to our eyes, lumps to our throats. You have made us feel a kind of blessing our hearts have never before experienced like this.

We fall short when we try to express our gratitude. Mere words fail me. I wish I had more to say, but...

THANK YOU!

the report is nothing to report...

No news on the adoption front. Which makes me rethink the whole "no news is good news" theory.

Our home study should be done this week or next week at the latest. What does that mean? When our home study is done, three things happen...
1. We submit it to our government for their approval. (We have to have US approval before we can submit for approval to the Ethiopian government.)
2. We get Gladney approval which means we will "officially" be a part of Gladney's Ethiopia Program. (Gladney is our adoption agency.)
3. We can start applying for a few adoption grants that are available.

The above paragraph makes me want to yawn!!! Oh my goodness!!! Does not everyone understand how unbelievably excited we are??? Could you work a little faster please???

I am joking.... At the beginning of our adoption process, I completely understood how long of a process this was going to be, but then something happened. I can't exactly say what or when it was, but all of a sudden the reality of getting a baby boy has hit.

It is like when you go from being in a daze because you just found out you are pregnant to "oh my gosh I am going to have a baby!"

We have a lot longer than nine months to wait though.

Today, I found myself alone at Target with no kids and no time limit. I am pretty sure that has never happened to me before. I let myself wander to the baby department, which I have not yet done since we started our adoption. I looked at bouncy seats, strollers, pack'n'plays, blankets, crib sheets, and clothes. I was on the verge of losing my mind and putting it all in my cart. Of all things, a crib sheet got me. I had it in my hand. "It's only$7.99...It's exactly what I want...They only have one!" I found myself rationalizing. Somehow, before the crib sheet found its way into my cart, I snapped out of it, reminded myself that I probably need to wait a while before I start decorating, and slowly walked away from the baby aisle.

I think about Ricky all of the time. I try to picture where I will be when we get the call from Gladney that they have our referral. I find myself imagining what he will look like. I think about what the two of us will do to pass the time while Rob is working and the girls are at school. I wonder if he will love a blankie and pacifier like his sisters did. I guess at what his favorite books will be.

That's all I have for you. No news and some crazy ramblings from a woman who is not pregnant but is acting like it...

Support Letter

This is a copy of the support letter we started sending out before we left for our vacation. I have just amended it, due to the recent changes in our adoption. Some of you may have already received a letter. Some of you may eventually get one in the mail.

Dear Friends and Family,

We wanted to share with you the journey on which our family has embarked. Through many years of prayer and consideration, as of April 15th, we have begun the process to adopt a baby boy from Ethiopia.

Ethiopia, located on the horn of Africa, is one of the oldest independent countries in the world. It is a country that is slightly less than twice the size of Texas, and there are an estimated 4.3 million orphans in Ethiopia.

Many have asked us why we, a couple with three children, living in Grimes, Iowa feel like we should do this. That answer is very simple. Our desire for our family is to live as Jesus did. We want to share His love with those we encounter. We feel than, for our family, adoption is our Biblical calling.

An adoption from Ethiopia takes around eighteen months and costs approximately $24, 000. All fees are due throughout a one-year time frame. Three years ago, when we started researching this opportunity, we would have been able to get a loan for our adoption for $30,000. Because of the recent decline in our economy, we are only able to get a loan for $8,000. We would like to ask you, our friends and family, if you would consider partnering with us financially.

What we are asking is that you give us a baby gift of $25. We know that many of you would give us a gift once we get our little guy. We are asking that instead of spending the $25 on an outfit or toy after we get him, you consider giving a gift to us now that will help bring him home.

Our church has set up an adoption fund for our family. You may use this fund, so your gift is tax deductible. If you give this way, you will write a check to Two Rivers Church and leave the memo blank. If you are not concerned with the tax deduction, you can write the check directly to us.

You will mail your gift to:

Rob & Ami Randazzo

c/o Adoption Fund

100 Hickory Glen

Grimes, Iowa 50111

We can not express the gratitude that we feel for those that choose to participate in this incredible opportunity with us. Your gift will be a blessing to us and our little boy. We cannot wait to share with him how your gift helped bring him home.

Grace and Peace to you,

Rob, Ami, Zoe, Mia, and Luci Randazzo

News Flash...

There is some new news on the Randazzo adoption front...Ricky Randazzo will not be coming from Rwanda. We got a call on Friday from Gladney, our adoption agency. We were on our way out of town to our family vacation at the Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri.

I knew the number to be a Gladney number, so I answered it right away. Whenever I see a Gladney number on my phone, my heart kind of skips a beat. I get a little "rollercoaster" feeling in my stomach. I feel like I am always waiting to hear something; anything that means we are moving. Sara, from Gladney, was a little hesitant. I could tell she was informing us of a problem.

Things have changed in Rwanda with the adoption process. I don't know if change is the right word. The process is brand new, so it is becoming more established. Because of the changes, the time line for a Rwandan adoption is now at a standstill. Another change is that health requirements for the adoptive parents have become stricter.

I am currently on medication for a seizure disorder. My doctors have written letters saying that I am healthy and capable of raising an adopted child. I have been approved by Gladney for adoption. Because of the changes in Rwanda, I will not be approved in that country. Our Gladney case worker was calling to inform us of this. Ethiopia, however, will accept me.

Ethiopia is a country that has been on our hearts since we started researching the possibility of adoption three years ago. We originally started the process with the intent of adopting from Ethiopia. We ended up choosing Rwanda because it is a new program that was in need of families to pioneer the program.

We are actually very excited for the change in plans. We feel confident that this is God's plan for our family, and it has been from the very beginning. We were willing to be used to help start a new program, but we are not able to do participate in that way.

Ethiopia is a country with a great need for families who have the desire to adopt. The cost is approximately the same. The time frame will be a little longer than what we originally expected. Everything is transferable, so we have not lost any time or money in the changing of countries.

Our prayers remain the same: everything will go smoothly in the adoption process; Ricky's birth mother will be safe and make good choices to care for the child that she is caring; Ricky, once he is born, will remain healthy and nourished until we are able to care for him ourselves.

His Name Shall Be...

The meaning of our children's names have always been important to Rob and I when making a decision. We choose the names based on the meaning. We also choose a Bible verse that goes a long with the name. Then we pray that verse and meaning for our child. Zoe means "life" from John 1:4-5. Mia Hope means "my hope" from Psalms 71:5. Luci means "light" from Matthew 5:14-16.
"Ricky" means "strong guardian; protector of the poor." Ricky is also my dad's name. My dad is the one who instilled in me at a very young age to love and care for those less fortunate and to be a "guardian" of children who may not have one. He loves children, and children adore him. We could not think of a person who we want to name our son after more than my dad.
We do not have a verse picked out yet, but our prayer for our little "Ricky" is that he will grow into a man that will love and care for the poor. Like our Savior, he will be a protector and guardian of those are in need. Like his "Popsy," he will invest in children.
Officially, according to the Randazzo home, "babybrotherwithdarkskin" has become "Ricky Randazzo." The plan is to keep his Ethiopian name for a middle name.
We told "Popsy" for his Father's Day present. It was very fun. It has been so cute to hear the girls talking about "Ricky." They have already used his name a lot. He has become part of our daily conversation.
Luci has a "night-night song" that she must have sung to her every night before bed. It is a made up song where lots of our family members are mentioned in a very particular order. She has added her "Ricky" verse, and she was very excited the first night she could do it.
We share this with everyone, so that you too can pray for our "Ricky" by name. Pray that God blesses us with the finances to fund the adoption and all our paper work gets approved quickly. Pray for Ricky's birth mother, and the people at the orphanage who will care for him until he is ours. Pray for the country of Ethiopia that it will remain a peaceful and safe place to travel. Most of all pray for Ricky that God will protect him and keep him safe, healthy, and nourished.

homestudy, a tornado, and immigration...oh my!

Sunday, June 6th was our first scheduled home-study visit. We spend the afternoon cleaning like mad. We beg our girls to be on their best behavior and to not say anything CRAZY. (Which, if you have girls, you know the things that are said can be quite unpredictable.) I feel like we are actually doing alright. The house is looking presentable, supper is over, the kids have been bathed. We are about fifteen minutes until GO time and their are sirens.
I contemplate this for a few seconds. What is that annoying, screaming noise? Can someone please shut it off? I am having a man over in minutes who will decide if we are indeed a good enough family to adopt the child we have our hearts set on.
I snap back to reality to Mia yelling, "Mommy, what are you doing? Get to the basement! We are having a tornado." That explains the sirens in my head...I am not going crazy.
Completely in the zone, I was not the least bit aware of the turbulence going on outside of our house. I grab the weather radio that is still going off because I can not for the life of me figure out how to get it to stop, the two dogs, and my file of paperwork and join my children and husband in the basement.
Our friends without a basement join us within minutes. We get a call from our social worker saying he is stuck under a bridge but is planning to wait out the storm. He will join us as soon as the weather passes. So we wait...
After about forty-five minutes we say "goodbye" to our friends and "hello" to Mr. Pearce. Mr. Pearce turned out to be one of the nicest men we have ever met. My husband and I pretty much decided instantly that we really like him. The entire meeting was extremely laid back and comfortable . The whole visit lasted about two hours, but it actually passed pretty quickly.
When it came time for him to talk to the girls, Mia raises her hand and waits to be called on. When Mr. Pearce asks her if there is something she would like to say, she says,"I just want you to know this whole thing was my idea, and I have wanted a baby brother since I was two."
Mr. Pearce was great with the girls. He asked each one why they thought adopting a baby brother was a good idea. He asked them to show him their rooms and which room would belong to their brother. It was great. They really felt included and important.
The greatest thing Mr. Pearce said all night was to the girls. He said, " I want you girls to think about something. When you adopt your brother, it is very important that you realize it is forever. Your brother will be with you longer than your mom and dad are going to be with you. I am sixty-nine years old, and my sister has been my sister for sixty-nine years, and we still talk everyday. My parents aren't here anymore, but my sister is."
Both Rob and I talked about that later that night. Ever since the girls have been old enough, we pray with them every night. One of the things we pray is that all three of them will grow up to be best friends with Jesus and best friends with each other. It is an awesome thing because now they pray that on their own and in their own words. About a month ago, all three of them started adding "baby brother" to that prayer.
We have had an incredibly busy week following our homestudy. We have filled out and filed more paperwork than I knew was possible to get done in a week. We have gone to downtown government offices everyday this week. We sat and waited in the immigration office two different days, which is a DELIGHTFUL experience! :)
This morning though, I walked in to FedEx and mailed all of that paperwork. It was a great feeling. I know that we are in a slow process, but we took some big steps this week.
Please pray for us as we continue this process. We truly feel that we have embarked on a spiritual journey this week. We are answering a call that we feel is from the Lord for our family.

So sorry to keep you waiting...

I apologize for the lull in posts. There has not been much to report. We made this huge exciting decision to discover a slow process. What has happened is that we had our initial orientation. During this orientation we did finalize our country choice.
Ladies and gentlemen...Rwanda it is!
Why Rwanda??? Rwanda is a new adoption program that needs families to be willing to charter the unknown. While this may seem sketchy to some, this really excites us. Our prayer is that we can be pioneers of sort, and our experience will spur on others to charter the unknown territory of Rwandan adoption.
On the horizon is a ton of paperwork and various trips to downtown offices to which I have never ventured. Our first home-study visit will take place on June 7th. For now, that is all, folks.
Thanks so much for reading and the interest you have taken in our journey.

The Name Game...

Three out of four Randazzo women are playing the name game...a lot! Almost daily, Mia wants to discuss what we are going to name our baby brother. Her two choices are Noah and Sam. Luci, not to ever be left out, has also given her input...Troy (as in Troy Bolton for all of you HSM fans) and Bolt (as in the dog from the Disney movie). Zoe is far to busy being seven to participate. Robbie refuses to humor any of us until we get our referral.
As for Mia, and Luci, and me "Name our Baby Brother" is one of our favorite games right now.

Dreams...

The past four nights I have been dreaming (literally, when asleep) that we already have our baby boy. They haven't been about anything significant, just everyday normal dreams but with a baby brother added in the mix.
I suppose it is like when you first find out you are pregnant. You are in a state of blissful shock. Then at some point you start believing that it is true and picturing what exactly your future holds.
One random night you are dreaming this wonderful little dream with this adorable baby in it, when you suddenly realize the baby is not only naked but it has no diaper on and is peeing all over your husband's grandmother.
Anyway...
Last night I dreamt that Robbie and I were at a pastor's conference. Our girls were not with us, but of course I am holding this beautiful African baby boy. In the back ground, I hear a baby who will not stop crying. I look down at my quiet and content baby only to realize that it is my child causing all the ruckus. Dave Eickelberg (our worship leader at our church) leans over to Robbie and says, "Dude, your wife is not even giving the kid a pacifier."
I immediately begin searching everywhere for a pacifier that I of course can't find. Next thing I know I am pulling into Target and searching for change to put in the parking meter.?.
As I head into Target, baby in tow, I keep stopping and talking to all these random people from high school. When I am finally in Target and safe from all the classmates I was feeling obligated to talk to, I start looking for pacifiers. The looking turns into frantically searching because all I can find are pink ones.
Interpretations anyone?...

Wanted: Baby Brother with Dark Skin...

Psalms 68:5-6 "A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families, he leads forth the prisoners with singing..."

About three years ago, we shared our desire to adopt with our three young daughters. We knew it would be quite a while before we would be ready to begin the adoption process, but we wanted to grow the desire in the hearts of our children while they were still very young. This child who is not even born yet has been the center of many conversations and prayers of our little girls. They very affectionately call him our "babybrotherwithdarkskin," all one word and very matter-of-fact.
When the Psalms talk about our God who "sets the lonely in families" it brings tears to my eyes. Not only will there be a little boy who is lonely for his mommy, daddy, and three big sisters across the world, but there is a family in Grimes, Iowa lonely for their "Baby Brother with Dark Skin."

Filing the Papers...

As many of my fellow Americans are filing there taxes today, I filed something much more important. Today, the Randazzo's have officially sent in the first round of paperwork to start the adoption process. We are very excited. The return we are getting on these filed papers is amazingly more wonderful than the one we are getting (or not getting at all) from the others.
April 15, 2009 "We are on our way, Baby!"