Diary of an Adoption p.16 (by Thom)

August 14
What a weekend! We returned home Saturday (with the girls, of course). We spent most of the afternoon adjusting things around the house so we could care for the girls better. I got to call my mom and as I was talking Miriam let out a big cry. She wanted to talk to Grandma!
Hannah is continuing to improve on the goat's milk. We brought a bunch of it from Segou but now we have to find a local source. This can be difficult because normally they mix the goat's milk with the cow's milk as soon as they can.
Sunday was like a parade through our house. We had people coming to our door to greet and offer congratulations for the twins. It was very nice and we were stretched a little in our language abilities, but I found myself doing better than I expected.
Today I learned something unexpected: We had been told that Miriam and Hannah were born on July 4th. Today we received the official paperwork of our custody and it stated they were born July 10th. Part of my wants to make a joke about women always wanted to fudge their ages. :) Seriously, because they were born way out in the bush here in Mali, in a house, and because the mother passed away in childbirth, it is difficult to gather accurate information. We'll do the best with what we have. Right now, we're waiting for birth certificates and later this month the social worker assigned to the girls will visit our house. Our lawyer told me today that he expects we can finish the adoption process by the middle of September! Please keep praying for that, and for Hannah's and Miriam's health.