Chosen Half Marathon

To say the last three days have been busy is an understatement!  This was a very important weekend for our adoption.

First of all, we received a copy of our home study with all the signatures.  Friday morning John dropped off the packet of paperwork at USCIS.  There were several forms we had to include in our I-600, the petition to classify an orphan as an immediate relative.  We are not sure how long this will take to process, but in the meantime we will pray, pray, pray.  Once we receive approval, our dossier will have all the parts and be ready to send to All God's Children and Ethiopia.

Secondly, Nicole completed the half marathon on Saturday.  John was unable to run because of his injuries in the car accident.  Nicole's brother, Elliott stepped in at the last minute to run with Nicole.  Thanks Elliott!   Nicole's sister Angie and niece, Elizabeth, were at the finish line cheering us on.

The finish line! (Yes, I think I was smiling the entire 13.1 miles.)

 Nicole and Elliott

 My favorite little cheerleader!

 My unofficial time!  Notice the distance 13.17, hmmmmm!

Talking to my Dad (wishing they were there) and drinking a Spark!

My Dad and Sister showing their support in Florida, wearing our adoption shirts.

Although I don't have any other experiences with marathons, I have to say this one was pretty awesome. It was a beautiful route through the hills.  A little chilly (42 degrees) but nothing we couldn't handle.  Actually, I probably wouldn't consider that cold except for the last four months that I was training the average temp was in the mid 90's.

One of my favorite parts of the marathon was the pictures they had lined up right before the finish line.  They had enlarged pictures of children that were adopted with the help of ABBA/Chosen Marathon.  There is no way you could give up when you see those sweet smiling faces.

Not sure when we will find out how much we raised through the marathon.  They were registering the runners up until the last day and rumor is they raised over $153,000 this year.

Don't forget our friend Becca is hosting a Stella and Dot jewelry party this Wednesday, November 2nd.  You can shop online by going to this link.  If you would like to order, please contact Melissa directly here.  If you live nearby, stop by Blue Mesa in Southlake any time between 7-9PM.

Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers as we continue on our adoption journey!

With love,
Nicole and John Scott