We have a REFERRAL!!!!!!!!!!!!

Readers, I can barely believe it's true!!!  WE. HAVE. OUR. REFERRAL!!!!!

At 10:55 on Wednesday, August 18, the phone finally rang.  The Caller ID said "CHOICES ADOPTION" and immediately my heart started racing!  I stood there holding the phone, watching it ring, and said to my daughter, "Oh my goodness... it's the adoption agency.  This could be our referral!!!!!"

We stood there and gawked at each other for a minute, until I suddenly realized that the phone was still ringing and it would soon go to voice mail!

I answered with a small, tremulous "Hello?"
"Hi, Gwen," said Fiona, our beautiful, lovely, competent, compassionate, wonderful worker. "This is Fiona from Choices Adoption."
"Hi, Fiona," I said in a very small voice.
"How are you today?" said Fiona.
"I'm fine," I bleated weakly.
There was a long pause.
I could stand it no longer.  "Please just tell me," I blurted out, my voice trembling.
Fiona laughed and said, "Yes, I do have some good news for you!"  She laughed again and said, "They're beautiful!"
And at this point, I totally lost it.  I started crying and giggling and shaking all over!  "But my husband is at work," I babbled.  "I don't know what to say!"
Fiona laughed again and said, "Do you want me to tell you, or do you want me to email everything?"
"DON'T TELL ME!" I half-screamed, laughing and crying at the same time.  "Email everything!  Oh my goodness!"

I frantically called Mr Gwen at work -- thank God he answered the phone himself -- and I blubbered into the phone, "You have to come home RIGHT NOW!  We have a referral!!!!"

He was in the final hours of preparing a huge contract, but he dropped everything and drove home in record time.  He, our daughter and I opened up the email and finally saw our children.

I can't tell you much at this point, and I can't until we've attended court in Ethiopia and they're legally our children.  But I can tell you that we are the proud new parents of a BOY, 7 years old, with the most beautiful curly hair and sweet smile, and a GIRL, 3 1/2 years old, with beautiful eyes and a mischievous grin.  They are absolutely the most beautiful, sweet children ever, and I love them already, wholeheartedly.

For those of you still waiting...  I can now agree with all the other parents:  it's TOTALLY worth the wait.  When you open up that email and see the sweet little faces and those big, scared brown eyes, you won't regret a single moment of this journey.  The rush of love I felt, gazing at their little faces, was absolutely overwhelming.  Every tear, every worry, every doubt and every angry, impatient thought.... it's all worth it.  Hang in there, friends.  There's an end in sight, and you won't regret a single moment.
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