To talk to Eric.

I don't even know how to start this post. We are finally able to talk to our son, Eric. What a joy. Just to hear his voice. My heart just wants to burst when we are talking with him. 

Let me just tell you how it went down... because... I can't make this stuff up people. 

So Thursday, last week, we finally got word that we could call him and start communicating with him (2 governments working together... ya know... have to have approval for EVERYTHING). Thursday night we try to call him with the number that Belize gave us... NOTHING. It was a busy signal or disconnected. UGH! We tried one billion times... NOTHING. We finally gave up and were just going to try again the next day. 
Well... the full-time missionary working in Belize with Praying Pelican Missions, emailed me (he's been keeping up with our adoption) after he saw my post about trying to call Eric and not being able to reach him.  He told us that the orphanage was having phone troubles recently, he mentioned the phone number, and gave us some advice about what to do with shipping stuff and communicating with him.  BUT the phone number he gave us was different than the phone number Belize gave us! Go figure!!! So Friday night we called again using the number he mentioned... and he finally answered!!! If it wasn't for Josh, the missionary, being concerned about our story... there would be no phone calls with Eric right now! Thank the Lord for the little things that turn into great things! :) 

In the meantime... WHAT IN THE WORLD DO YOU SAY TO YOUR SON THAT YOU'VE BEEN ACHING TO TALK TO FOR 13 MONTHS!!???!!!!??? So many thoughts swarmed in my head - how do we start the conversation? What do we say? How do we ask all we want to know in a 15 minute phone call? How do we even start to learn all there is to know about Eric? How will I ever know what the first words he said was? When did his first tooth fall out? When did he take his first steps? Who was the first girl he liked? What did he wear on the first day of school? Will he like us? Will he want to talk to us? What questions do we ask? WHAT IN THE WORLD ARE WE DOING??? Just freaking out a little ya know...

I know the answers to some of those questions I will never know and that hurts my heart. BUT the answers we will get discover are treasures to me.

When he finally picked up the phone... I can't even explain what we felt. We were finally somewhat connected... as a family. We were together in a sense... and it was so good. It was awkward at first... I'm sure he was feeling the same craziness as we were - he's been at that same center for most of his life... dreaming of the "what ifs" as well... and to finally talk to the couple who will be his parents... I'm sure that's more than overwhelming.  But we talked... we asked questions... he asked questions... and we are being to get to know one another. He is wonderful. He is definitely a teenage boy. I am so thankful we will get to talk to him on the phone, to develop a relationship, to pray over him each night... to become a family!!! OH MY HEART!!! 

Basic treasures about our Eric: 
He loves Math (Oh dear... good thing I have a lot of Math-y friends)
He loves soccer 
He likes basketball
He likes dogs (Whew...)
He wants a Lakers poster in his bedroom
He likes the Black Opps 2 video game
He wants some cargo pants
His favorite color is white
He remembers us
His favorite food is a cheeseburger
He likes Chris Brown :)
He likes to dance... and is even on a dance team with his friends! YES! 
He wants to learn guitar
His favorite movie is GI Joe
He loves the song "How Great is Our God"

I know these are simple things... but they are treasures to me... things I have been longing to know about our Eric. 

Each night we talk with him we pray for Eric and then we ask, "When do you want us to call again?" and he says, "Umm... tomorrow?" :) Yes... tomorrow. And all day I think about that phone call... 

I cannot wait to get him home! I am so thankful I can now hear his voice and ask him about his day... but I hate not being there for soccer games, for dance performances, for "good nights," for meals, for sending him off to school, for sick days, and just for times together.  But... it's coming. I know it's coming. 

I can't wait to have our Eric home. 

***FUNNY FACT - Eric was born when I was in the 7th grade!!! :)