Our Journey has Begun....

Welcome to the Nichols Family BLOG! We want our family and friends to join us in the journey and experience this adventure right along side of us. We have not yet named our BLOG, mostly because Andrew laughs at every suggestion I make. He is working on the PERFECT name and it will be out soon.

We are OFFICIALLY in the process of pursuing International Adoption!!!!! We received our acceptance into the program last Wednesday after weeks of submitting additional documentation regarding my Melanoma. It was an amazing moment! I had actually just picked up my nephews, Wyatt and Cale when the call came in. There was a lot of crying and "woo hoo's" which confused my 3 year old nephew, I'm sure he was doubting the night ahead. I was overwhelmed with feelings and anxious to begin the process. It became clear to me that we were pregnant with our child, him or her, and our lives would be forever changed. We were told during the call that we should expect to bring our baby home from Ethiopia in 10 to 24 months.

So.... Friday we submitted our Agency Agreement and our Initial fee. We should receive our Family Coordinator this week and begin our Home Study. Of course, I couldn't help but request Birth Certificates and Marriage Certificates today while Andrew was at work.

In the meantime, we will continue to have many conversations with others about our adoption process. Through the conversations we have had so far, we have learned so much. Yes, we will face unique challenges, but also have unique opportunities. We have had many opportunities already that have allowed us to grow and develop as a family.

God has truly blessed us!

-Lucy-