Happy Easter!

The weather was great today, so we got outside for an egg hunt with the neighborhood kids. This is before it began.

The little sprout ponytail just makes me smile!

It was a wonderful day celebrating with our friends who are just as close as family.  He is risen and therefore, we have much to be hopeful about.

A Quiz

What is Bella eating?

She didn't like this

She loves this

This is her favorite!

an Emma update

Sad news:  We are not allowed to visit her.  No reason was given, just the orphanage will not allow it.  However, they sent us a video!  It's an office worker holding a camera in front of her face asking her to sing songs and smile.  She reluctantly obliges and sings VERY quietly, and she doesn't really smile.  But it's her and it's current, and she's still cute!

We sent her a package today.  It should arrive in about ten days.  We included some clothes, a teddy bear, a little backpack and a photo album introducing us, her grandparents and a few of her cousins.  We also included a single use camera and asked them to take pictures of her everyday life and her friends.  And we included some gifts for the orphanage officials and workers, yak jerky and eight treasures tea!  We also asked them to fill out a kind of questionnaire to give us some more info on her background and her current habits and likes and dislikes.  I'm not very hopeful we'll get much, but I wanted to try.

So now we wait on official approvals to go get her!  Our paperwork is being sent to the United States Citizen and Immigration Services today.  We fill out a few more forms and send them to an in-country representative from our adoption agency.  They wait for the US approval and then it gets sent back to Chinese officials for final travel approval to go get her.  Sounds simple enough, right? We'll see how long it all takes.

Here she is...

Such a gift to get a picture with a smile!

Today we received our Letter of Acceptance!  Praise the Lord!  It takes some people two months and we received ours in two weeks.  We're thrilled.  Now there's lots of paperwork to be sent to the American government and then the Chinese government.  (We'll give you more specifics on the upcoming process soon.)

For now, please pray that we get to visit Emma in early May before we actually adopt her.  Some orphanages allow this kind of visit and some do not.  Our adoption agency representative is checking on this for us.  Also pray that she receives the package and letter that we will be sending her soon.  Pray she feels loved and begins to get excited about joining our family.

News we've all been waiting for...

It is with immense pleasure, joy and thankfulness that Erika and I would like to introduce you to the next Fertig…

Emma Hope

We accepted the referral of a little girl who will turn three the beginning of April.  She has some minor physical needs, but cognitively, emotionally, and socially seems to be doing really well.

Her name comes from Erika’s great grandmother Emma Josephine Hopen.  As well, we feel her middle name reminds us of all the years we’ve waited for this to happen… in hope. 

Pray that we would be able to bring her home by July!

Pray too for our next few months of transition, waiting and other news.  There is A LOT going on for us right now…  and that leads me to…

We’re coming back to the states for an extended time!  Probably in the beginning of May.  We’ll update you more on this, but for now keep us in your prayers and THANK YOU, THANK YOU so much for your ever faithful love and support for us through these years and into the future!  

We'll post pictures as soon as the paperwork is accepted and processed from the Chinese government.  Pray our "Letter Of Acceptance" comes quickly!

She has been and will continue into eternity to…

                Grow in our hearts.

flowers we received today from friends that aren't even in town!