E.faeth.adopt

blog overhaul to come

2012-01-25T16:03:00.000-08:00

have not posted here much at all but reason is there is no news to post. we are in a waiting phase. this blog will become more active this spring. we will be finding out more information in the next few months. i look forward to updating when we have information on the new program we will be applying for. it IS very exciting.

this is no longer an Ethiopia adoption blog. as mentioned before, ETH slowed down their adoptions to a crawl. i have not changed the header on this blog however once we announce the new path i will be redesigning the header !!

note to blog

2011-12-07T02:38:00.001-08:00

updating this blog!!!! we have decided to go with another country program for our adoption. ethiopia was turning into a long long wait with their new procedures that went into affect this year. we have been waiting on another program and got some good news on it recently. as we know more we will share it here. when it gets closer to announcing which program we are applying for i will be able to write about it. for now we continue to try and do our fundraisers and save money for early next year when we will be applying to the program. good things to come! stay tuned.

an august post

2011-08-02T20:53:00.000-07:00

just to keep this blog from getting stale, here is another monthly post!
with ALL the uncertainty and confussion coming out of Eth this entire year, it seems nothing has resolved in how they intend to go forth with adoptions. for now we have decided to opt out of this program as it seems too scattered and unstable as of now. we have known for some time but i had not posted. we have been focusing on another personal chosen path these past few months. and perhaps a different international program next year. we will see what is to come ;)

a June post ;)

2011-06-11T21:25:00.000-07:00

no updates here. just an update that there is no update. LOL!! the international adoption system of eth seems to be mucked up in all directions. and yes that is mucked up with an M , lol. we have put that on very distant hold and have come to find ourselves enjoying some other good decisions we have made that are all-good. not revealing too much here now. will one day update with time ; ) till then, have a good June!

not good? (turns better !) an update

2011-03-17T20:00:00.000-07:00

update: when the post below was rumor milled it was a truth. but what has occurred since, the head of MOWA and some of their employees (those in charge of implementing such drastic changes) were fired two days after announcing what caused such a stir. we hear this from other wonderful blogs so this info has been made available so it can be shared. Eth adoptions are still processing and mowa settles into thier new administration. the change seems to not be as drastic as the recently fired head of M had proposed yet they remain unsure of the changes to the program as far as the qaunity of adoptions. agencies continue to update as they are informed on the final flow of things. that's all anyone knows : ) but it is something. we continue to see how this palys out - we follow our inner voice, continue to do what we need to do as a family.
and for us, in the meantime we have made some Very Good decisions recently. good and real ones. while keeping this other door open still. the answers will reveal and come with time ; )
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Ethiopia has been placed in the 'rumor-mill' as having tentative plans to cut down its adoptions by 90% starting this month. 90% ! we are stunned. while i generally pay no attention to here say, i have researched this one, and for now it appears to be. how a country can disregard its orphans and close 45 of its orphanages knowing the children will die or be placed on the streets is horrifying. once on the wait list (which takes 4-6 months) the wait for a child would now be an additional 3 years! - compared to 3 months as it currently stood. it is too hard to think or write about Ethiopia right now as it only causes mixed & hurt feelings; we may not be continuing with this particular path and possibly need to refocus on another path. SO this blog will be post-free for awhile while i focus on keeping sanity.

multi-colored Binoculars

2011-03-04T19:46:00.000-08:00

hush; now...

2011-02-28T22:09:00.000-08:00

lyrics of her songs certainly do pull on heartstrings and interpretations by the
ones listening. in particular, words from this are humbling; singing dual
Hope to the ears of Both this waiting adoptive mama & our future son.

" [and, the world thought had it all But was waiting for you; Hush, now see a light in the sky, it's
almost blinding; can't believe been touched by an angel with love; Let the rain come down, wash
away tears, Let it fill soul, drown fears. Let it shatter walls for a new sun. 'a new day has come', oh] "

upon our Gotcha day i look forward to linking back to this post,
as a reminder of the calm of musical peace it offered. and as reference
to a song i already knew would be used within our family video.

trump!

2011-02-24T03:05:00.000-08:00

photo source: beautyinthegutter

... this post causes a step back with pause & thought searching. it is a question many want to know about adoption. yet also very personal. but it is at the forefront of thought. people are curious by nature. we all know adoption is not cheap. heck, it is downright expensive. but up until now i have hesitated to even post about the totality of expenses involved because i do not like to give power to money. the paper dollar is not the forefront of adoption, it is only the tangible token to pass go. and because i do not like to empower the deception of the green bill, i still Must recognize it in adoption. before continuing, it cannot be stressed enough that for an adoptive parent, adoption is not about money but it is required to proceed. whether one has '$' or not, adoption is about love. and to be fair, the agencies involved in adoption are not money hungry; not the majority. they do genuinely want to place children with families. but there are guidelines, there are fees, there are fees in each direction of the compass. that is just how the ball rolls. domestic , international, government, foreign, you name it the fees add up. i have found myself in anger visualizing a waiting child half way across the world, turning my eyes to us as the prospective adoptive parents also sitting here waiting, and in between are - green bills? is it fair? No! and it has hurt my feelings that this power facade of the coin must be recognized to reach a waiting child . and that bothers me. deeply. hard core bothers me. yet, learning now to accept this 'unfairness' has given calm and as quick as those hurtful feelings come- no is the answer! 'don't go there' comforts my mind and my focus turns to God knowing He will provide. money is just the illusion to scare and create doubt. this is when my Faith rises and i know that God has placed adoption in our hearts for a reason. it is a path we are to follow. nothing can smother our feelings of Love for our journey. Faith does conquer the green dollar and trumps doubt. and that is what keeps us focused. to sum this up, we have been asked in subtle ways, 'how much will your adoption cost overall' and today i will answer that question because grace in truth opens doors for peace in Faith. the cost- 30,000. do we have that sitting in the bank? nope, not at all. will we be taking the path of sacrifice , fundraising and Faith to fulfill our path, yes we will. to humble oneself in being open is a good thing. and being open about this here is a learning experience for i do not enjoy that when we talk about adoption, money has to also be discussed. it is part of the package. money may have its palms up hand in adoption but we have the greater hold of faith. it makes us appreciate each and every struggle, step forward, step back, and everything in between that takes us toward that goal we reach along the way. it is the journey that defines and strengthens us, not the destination.
As others have inquired, we will share:

our adoption total will be 30,000 +
the small fees start in the beginning.
the fees grow as the adoption progresses.
there are hefty lump sums due to move forward.
each fee must be met to progress onto the waiting list.
more fees upon acceptance of referral
in country fees
travel alone will cost us 10,000.

that was a very basic outline. there is so much more detail than that but maybe that will help others understand and get some idea of the process. something i have not liked to discuss, is now here written out like a bad sticky note tucked away. but now i feel moved in my humble validation of how money plays it part in this process. that sticky note can now cling to the frig in view and no longer receive my growl but my smile. it no longer is a deterrent but a mirror of our accomplishments .

others may wonder? why are you doing this if you don't have 30,000 in the bank. now lets get real! the truth of adoption is about 1/2-3/4 of committed prospective adoptive parents do not have that kind of cash. most adoptions consist of fundraising, refinancing homes, loans, etc. it is all about sacrifice for the children. those of us who have to work hard toward paying these fees are parents who are truly in this with the appreciation and humbling grace knowing our efforts will be validated in form of a sweet little boy. all the obstacles and patience of our journey to get to him will be shown in the reward of love and grace.

photo source: xospislovexo

conclusion? Truth! money won't get you through adoption
nor anything else. only inner strength will endure and ones Belief
system sustain! money sucks- the good out of Hope and the Truth
out of what is real. within adoption it is not the green dollar, it is
Convictions that get that token to pass Go! now, when invisioning a
waiting child and then us also waiting, green bills are no longer part of
the in between. now, Faith, Love, Hope, Courage, Stength and
Conviction are what are in between the present and the future.
Faith trumps all stinkn thinkn every time ; )

toll road

2011-02-23T16:07:00.000-08:00

okay, so an addendum to last weeks post. as some unexpected

expenses sprang up we will have to wait a little bit longer to send in our

second agency fee. the positive side is we still did manage to save half of what we

need and put it in savings! in a couple weeks we should be posting an updated

post that we were able to mail in our fee in full ! patience and time is being learned

and taught to myself in full force. and, i have come to see this is a good

quality to have going forth in the adoption process ; ) it is similar to

pulling up to a toll booth with .50 when you need 1.oo. ; coming back

later waiting for that bar to raise to continue on your path. My husband

told me just today, ' God is preparing us with patience for our journey with him' ,

and that is exactly what this woman needed to hear.

- thanks hon! -

23Feb

2011-02-16T15:24:00.000-08:00

next Wed. we mail in our Request for
Adoption form & our second agency fee.

next? we receive our list of papperwork to compile

for our Dossier. prepare for home appraisal as
equity is needed toward heavier agency(s) fees.
set up our Home Study interviews. and for the next
3-5 month we paperchase!

there is some yee-hawing & a happy dance around here; as for months now, we have worked very purposely to get to this point & we both are happy, content & proud of our persevering patience & focus .

so Hello sweet seven (sabat) days ; )

one step closer. one day at a time. for one little boy.

V to my B

2011-02-14T09:02:00.000-08:00

happy v-day, i love Us .

" You know you're in love
when you can't fall asleep
because reality is finally better
than your dreams "

- quote source Theodor Suess Geisel -

five stars

2011-02-12T01:09:00.000-08:00

referring to one of my recent posts Here ,

bye bye satellite tv, hello mr. Flix.

it was SO refreshing to see the high quality and quanity of the movies,
documentaries,

television shows, etc. available thru netflix.
- no more glaring ' assortment ' of brain numbing broadcasting .

for shows that aren't streaming, dvds can be queued.

our first two are:

Hotel Rwanda

and,
Babel

with about one day turnaround to landing within our mailbox.

our first documentary thru streaming will be,
The Cove

all three are based on truth, and offer to educate those listening.

researching The Cove, it without a doubt is heartbreaking.
in the Hope of its' documentary may it alert all of us viewing to this
tragedy happening to one of Gods most peaceful creations, the dolphin.

couponing

2011-02-07T00:00:00.000-08:00

So, I have been doing my research on ways to save at the market.
For awhile now I have become interested in finding ways to coupon that actually make
a dent in food bills. I am new to this. If anyone has hints or advice on other sites
or these, and ways to get the most for your buck, please chime in.
I know there is an art to good couponing, so if any artists of the savings kind
are reading , please leave a comment if you have strategies or techniques
you have come across putting pennies back into the piggy bank.
Not looking to become a fanatic about it nor become overwhelmed as coupon
sites may reveal, but am looking to not just a couple square papers which only save
minimally short term, but rather to a ziplock full of paper savings which result in
the gratitude of walking from the market feeling proud.
I already offset between the market with the dollar store which
does create savings within itself. i love our small town however our
local paper does not spill out with savings so i would like to find ways to
get the most from couponing; at an angle that supports
consumer savings and effort.

These are the sites I have come across so far.

http://save-a-lot.com/

http://www.kroger.com/Pages/default.aspx

http://thethriftycouple.com/

http://www.hip2save.com/

http://moneysavingmom.com/

http://www.coupons.com/

Curious if anyone is using one or more of these sites and if so, do you recommend?

For now, continuing to research this art form
and preparing to sharpen up the scissors : }

rhythm

2011-02-04T15:20:00.000-08:00

Mr. Watts is ROCK'n that beat.
LOVE it !
- goove'n it into the weekend ...

borrowed from a fellow adoption blogger Here; thanks for the share :}

jeep'ers

2011-02-01T17:05:00.000-08:00

with my husbands touch, things tend to not only get fixed but become

part of the bigger picture within our family's path. together, we are good at seeing things from the inside out; so when we saw this needed vehicle, offered at a heck-of-a-deal from a friend, an '88 Jeep, loaded not only with personality and charm, but more importantly

4 WHEEL DRIVE; this baby had us at hello.

it has become hubby's project, with a cause as it will offer us more flexibility,

especially with weather. it allows us an alternate to drive

at lower gas costs compared to our current work vehicle.

he has worked purposely over the past months,

toward its' delicate transplant. next, finding a donor jeep was crucial for

replacing needed parts; as it would offer up a replacement motor.

and as of today, the motor exchange is almost complete.

with some love and attention, it will be fabulous.

like adoption; we saw something that needed us, and we needed.

under our arm we mix in some patience, understand

what needs to be sustained, for this lone gem to Shine.

the Donor.

happy content cookies

2011-01-30T14:18:00.000-08:00

well-balanced nutritional facts filled our souls as our grins grew

in knowing these two fillings were right on !

- - -

last night my husband and i had Chinese food.

we decided to travel to the next town over for our favorite

take out, since it had been a long while since we tasted it

as our local spot suddenly disappeared.

- - -

bringing it home and enjoying our movie night,

we cracked these puppies open.

- - -

...and well, the dessert was simply scrumptiously inspirational .

more than

2011-01-27T19:45:00.000-08:00

" you are more than the choices that you’ve made
you are more than the sum of your past mistakes
you are more than the problems you create
you’ve been remade " ,

entitled ' you are more ' & just now hearing this song today, i must say it is wonderful. a solid lyrical reminder for those listening to hold your Faith knowing you really are more than .

yay!

2011-01-24T06:17:00.000-08:00

our carpet is home ! ... link to our CatBlog for post : )

making the switch

2011-01-23T11:49:00.000-08:00

our thoughts based on our experience with satellite television. we have since found a better solution. an alternative to high bills and the avalanche of shows overflowing 'package deals' . we were not asked by a company to review alternative media products, lol. posted by my own free will : )

dearest satellite television: your service has been a ?friend? for some years now. what, with your blinding endless channels of program viewing. and your monthly love letters we receive. you have been so unknowingly helpful with your customer support and friendly service. and, oh how we love your option of paying 5.oo to watch a movie because we do not subscribe to THAT channel. however, we appreciate that you have allowed us to watch ALL 5 of our favorite channels over the years simply by offering no choice but to buy your package deal THOSE 5 channels happen to be placed within. clever, on your part. your online guide is amazing; all those mind blurring channels you have allowed us access to skim. oh how we enjoy the headrush of scrolling thru endless shows, 3/4 of which are nonsense and , in our opinion, contributing to the downfall of youth television not to mention the brain function of the adult community. OH, and the commercials. gotta love em. my ears ring in harmony when the ads are pitched in a volume 5 times greater than the actual show. my mute button has never been used so much.
thank you for your entertainment value which if i were to create a ratio of such it would rank 1:100 as your programs are only worth a hundreth to the love letters you send us each month; those letters so generously demanding their share of our complete viewing pleasure.

well, in the visual of the television Mop commercial who has gracefully been replaced, so have you, satellite. are you shocked that we will save 80.00 a month from dropping you? and don't try and sell us on the 10.00 discount if we stay with you. please! and guess what, you are being replaced with consumer friendly entertainment whose love letters arrive with a note of 7.99/ month. no more scrolling thru endless stupid shows listed on the guide; which we had to pay for . now, we will be able to pick what we want to watch, when we want to watch, and not be polluted with an overflow of programming that serves no purpose. please dont plea to us about the sports programs or other packages as such we will miss out on; we are not a sports watching family! we do not buy into your package deal any longer. now, who is your conqueror you ask? did i mention 7.99 month? easily and manualy installed onesself, the Roku player (the cost of one unit is lower than our satelitte monthly love letter) has the capability to pause shows, limit commercials, and put us back in control of what is coming through our television. So, you ask, what programming has won us over? two names have beat you out, NetFlix and Hulu Plus. ah, don't make fun of their names. don't be envious; be happy that customers who have been true to you for so long will now be treated better! be happy for us. we will save 80.00 month, that is close to 1,000 a year (even more since we had to pay 5.00 per movie with you) . and that 1,000 will go into a great cause; savings for our adoption of our son! see, it is something to be very excited about. a friendly suggestion, you may want to consider more options, satellite tv- i must say, as a former friend, the friendly Roku player is your competitor now. it allows Netflix and Hulu Plus to be watched directly thru our televisions. in conclusion: there are five factors that concreted our decision to let you go; saving money each month to be put toward our adoption of our little boy from Ethiopia- that one wins hands down, control of our television viewing, no hassle programming, choice, and did i mention, oh yes i think i did, saving money. take care satellite tv. i think many more will be letting you go in the near future as well. oh yes, of course those who have to have thier 'packages' will stay with you. but those who see the pros of the Roku and the savings will see the light; symbolically the light weight love letter they receive each month compared to your hefty one.

the above is our opinion only. it obviously does not reflect the population at large. we are one family who has decided to make the switch. for us, it is logical and practical. our choice. and, it works for our family. oh yeh, and so how does this particular post tie-in to our adoption- two words, Saving Money! we also recently ixnayed xm radio- a savings of 170.00/year. it ALL adds up.

star light. star bright.

2011-01-22T09:37:00.000-08:00

... one & one-half months & we begin our journey to the second phase of our adoption timeline : )

so where exactly are we in our adoption process?
it has officially been 1 year since we made our decision to adopt from Ethiopia.
we made our decision in jan., 2010. as everyone is aware that was when the economy was in the 'eye' of its' flop. this affected our decision to postpone getting started, slightly; because one of our steps toward our adoption is refinancing our home to use some of our equity. well, with the market being at a standstill at that time we decided to focus on another project, which was to finish reconstruction of our garage into a bedroom. our bedroom; as our 'old' room will now be for our son. so, we spent a good part of 2010 working on the room. it was a step toward being prepared for our home appraisal as well. it must be completed first. and i am happy to say our room has been built; which included some sore muscles and some sweat on our part which involved constructing an entire new floor base, removing all old interior trim that had once been part of the garage (thanks B) hanging new drywall, taping & mudding it, two coats of paint, creating a closet and now... as of Monday , we will be able to pay off our carpet which is being held hostage and get in down in our room. we have done all of this with our own two hands. wouldnt have it any other way. so what does this mean. well, it means that the appraisal is just around the corner (originally we had hoped to get it done by the first of the year, but with property taxes, bills, paying off the carpet, and christmas, well, it had to be postponed a bit longer, since the appraisal itself it not cheap). the market is picking back up and we are ready to go for it. with the economy it is a guessing game, but we know whatever part of our equity we can get back, is better than none and will enable us to start with our homestudy plus get some agency fees paid. i continue to do seasonal fund raiser projects. we both have concrete faith that we need not worry about the lot of adoption fees ahead but rather be firm in our belief that God does provide. our purpose is to adopt our little boy from ethiopia, keeping him safe, and we firmly walk hand and hand knowing that one day he will be here with us, cozied up under a safe fuzzy blanket, cuddling his parents; and if truth be known he will probably prefer to stay in his mom & dads room for some time as we adjust , the one that was built toward the dream of his homecoming, versus his own room. and , well, that is just a-okay with us! a-okay X a zillion. because mommy cant wait for all those snuggles & hugs, looking around our room remembering our goal, and realizing it has come to be while snuggled within my arms .

hope endures in Lincolns symbolic shadow

2011-01-15T09:38:00.000-08:00

Happy birthday Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. !!

sidenote: i came across a blog post today i would like to link to Here ; one siblings' words for his brother.

lullaby

2011-01-12T20:13:00.000-08:00

walking our path

2011-01-10T17:37:00.000-08:00

in reference to the following graceful poem, the line 'the other prayed for a child, And God led her straight to you' intrigues me from two angles. while we were ttc (trying to conceive), adoption was not the 'safety net' for us and it did not enter our minds as such. when we miscarried, something changed. instantly. see, I could and did conceive; I was pregnant for a short time. when we miscarried, something transformed. had we decided to continue ttc , chances are we may get pregnant again. after the m/c, something immediately abruptly awoke within myself. we no longer try to conceive & our precautions are concreted. it was as if we knew all along that we needed to walk the path of adoption. to find our son. to give him, to give us, the family as, for us, it was intended.our first choice was within us all along; it just took awhile to see it.God has led our hearts.
the unknown authors poem of love reads:
' Once there were two women, Who never knew each other.One you do not remember, The other you call mother.Two different lives. Shaped to make yours one,
One became your guiding star, The other became your sun.The first gave you life, And the second taught you to live it.And the first gave you a need for love, And the second was there to give it.One gave you a nationality. The other gave you a name.One gave you the seeds of talent, The other gave you aim.One gave you emotions, The other calmed your fears.One saw your first sweet smile, The other dried your tears.One gave you up, It was all that she could do.The other prayed for a child, And God led her straight to you.And now you ask me through your tears, The age old question through the years.Heredity or environment, Which are you a product of?Neither, my Darling, Neither, Just two different kinds of love ' .
-Author Unknown

Merry Christmas Ethiopia

2011-01-07T18:03:00.000-08:00

Beautiful celebration at
Lalibela ;
video footage.

Christmas in Ethiopia is called 'Ganna' and is celebrated on January 7.

2011

2011-01-01T15:19:00.000-08:00

happy new year!

book

2010-12-24T19:38:00.000-08:00

we were gifted a book this holiday season from my aunt which is entitled 'Ethiopian Voices, Tsion's Life ' . The author and her husband themselves have adopted from Ethiopia. Quote " in response to the lack of Ethiopian resources for adoptive families "... she wrote her first book and now this one.

i have yet to read through all the pages but i can say so far that the photos, taken from a freelance photographer, are goegeous.

the book offers insight into the translation of Amharic words into English as it tells the journey/story of one girls life in Ethiopia.

on a cozy night i plan to cuddle up, take in the beautiful photos, learn some new words; while reading her story.

hands across the world

2010-12-20T09:40:00.000-08:00

R. Kelly & One8; the group is made up of 2Face (Nigeria), Alikiba (Tanzania), Amani (Kenya), Fally Ipupa (DRC), 4X4 (Ghana), JK (Zambia) Movaizhalene (Gabon) & Navio (Uganda).

and, from our family to yours, happy holidays.

thankful

2010-12-15T13:47:00.000-08:00

a basket filled w/ 11 bags of candle pie Tarts,

to this- an empty basket.

Fund Raiser Success... thank you (my) B !!!

G's kitchen

2010-12-14T20:36:00.000-08:00

Fund Raiser Holiday candle PIE Tarts.
Available now to pre-order visit 'our Store'.

Becoming avialable in new Grandmas Kitchen scent.

paint, round 1

2010-12-14T08:00:00.000-08:00

first coat of paint; done.
before photo: link .

CB tree is up ..

2010-12-13T09:24:00.000-08:00

...can link to our catblog post here: 'tree to cuddle under' to see photos of a before link & after shots taken during the process of bring'n good ole Mr. Browns tree to life 2010 style .

crib climber & making our Tree...

2010-12-12T14:40:00.000-08:00

we were blessed to come across a baby crib. it has been in my husbands family for generations. he slept within this very crib. today we brought it inside. we love how it exerts the way cribs should feel; warm, cozy, beautiful simple structure. in the near future we will be painting it a warm color.

our cat, pengy, found it very interesting. used it as her ladder climbing right up to inspect. once the mattress is in, i foresee this crib being the cozy bed for 4 cats before their brother comes home.

today was very creative around our house as well...
because today we began making our very own first Charlie Brown cmas tree:
pengy scoping out the goods; we used a previously cut log & branch from our backyard,

before photo; our tree stump and branch,

getting down to business; daddy creating branch inset w/ his drill,

side view,

and, top view,
and, UM, kitty view,

kitty approved and climbable might i add.

i'm thinking by tomorrow our blog will post the finished product; lights, the single red bulb, and some extra Christmas Kraft warmness taking it back to the classic Charlie Brown winter scene.

this tree idea came upon me one nite and I could not shake it... it was the tree we were to create; our own warm tradition, 2010. i knew with my husband we could make it happen. thanks babe!

gestures

2010-12-08T01:00:00.000-08:00

another reason to love our small town is a thoughtful gesture offered when unexpected. our local bank is kinda wonderful. people know one another. upon making a gift candle for one employee last month - in return it was suggested to my husband that i bring some to sell. toward our FUND RAISER EFFORT a batch of 40 candle Tarts have now been prepared, ready to be displayed tomorrow. being a behind-the-scenes person, B offered to take them on over. he is awesome! fingers crossed those walking through the doors enjoy candles added w/ the touch of Holiday Tart-pie style.

Cloth Snowman

2010-12-07T10:29:00.000-08:00

...brought to life with Love .

This craft was quite simple to create.
1) three objects for body (flat surface best),
2) different cloth fabric patterns,
3) buttons, safety pins, glue, needles,
4) a small winter top hat,
5) two twigs for arms.

And, there you go... a warm & cozy clothman who will not melt into a puddle.

wax bakery

2010-12-03T15:44:00.000-08:00

First photo of my Candle Pies! I love how they turned out and are SO much fun to make.

These are still for sale if interested. Apple Cinnamon Scented.

My cat tried to nibble on the Pie. LOL!

And, the Holiday Tarts are available as well...

for those adopting infant Girls ...

2010-12-01T06:05:00.000-08:00

listed now on craigslist. email me for link if interested.

As we will now be adopting a little Boy :) these little Girl clothes are up for grabs. There is a Huge Lot of 10. Adorable stuff Ladies!!

a Yummy smellicious reminder ....

2010-11-29T10:12:00.001-08:00

Candles Molded to resemble Real Holiday Pies from the Bakery.

*Sprinkled on top with real Cinnamon...
-for that added Home Made appeal :)

*Wax shaped into Apple slices embedded

*Wax cut to resemble dough layered pie crust

And as Pengy demonstrates above, they Appear good enough to eat ....

My kitchen will begin its Candle Pie making process next week. If interested orders need to be received by this Friday latest.

New customers =(2 candles) for 20.00 plus 4.95 ship together in box.

We have received 2 orders so far... thank you!...

and, Our FUNDRAISER thanks you!!

gifts

2010-11-24T14:32:00.000-08:00

for my bday this year i was given an amazon gift certificate.
we purchased these:

: )

mud

2010-11-14T16:02:00.000-08:00

wall mudding complete. next, paint :)

drywall. wet paint.

2010-11-10T09:55:00.000-08:00

we just finished drywalling our bedroom! whoop!! next steps.... mudding & painting then the carpet- then we can officially move our furniture down from our 'now' bedroom into our new one. and that means the baby's room is now ready to welcome our child in to one day. actually it will be the baby's room slash guest room as it will have a twin bed in it for when our child grows :) and probably also used for late nights and early mornings for mom and daddy to chill out in when we are up with our little one!! Cant wait to start doing a lil decorating. the walls are painted red, which we will keep. i plan on painting gray elephants or similar mid-height around the crib in a border style. this bedroom has its own bathroom and walk in closet so our baby will have his own baby suite to grow into which is kinda cool. we have renovated our 'new' bedroom downstairs by opening up the wall to the bathroom so we too will have access to one :)- jack and jill doors. i have a feeling though that our lil one will be spending alot of time with us in our room during the adjustment- and it just so happens we came across a smaller crib recently that has been in my husbands family for generations. he used it as a baby as did many others. very cool! i see that crib being in our room as well :)

quick update

2010-11-07T12:19:00.000-08:00

right now we are working on some home improvements. we have been assigned our social worker with our agency. soon we will be applying with our home study agency as well. the next step with the adoption is to start on our official application. we are getting there!!! :)

welcome Fall

2010-10-07T18:40:00.000-07:00

... We missed you!

t(ree) - shirt

2010-09-29T20:45:00.001-07:00

so, i have this t-shirt that, having been through the dryer one too many times, just did not fit anymore; but i did not want to throw it out. the wording upon this shirt is golden. i thought, hey i will use it within a wall hanging in our office.

my mother-in-law is an amazing quilter; and so she created this:

dispersed throughout are the words upon the t-shirt,

Advice from a Tree:

*stand tall & proud
*sink your roots into the earth
*be content with your natural beauty
*go out on a limb
*drink plenty of water
*remember your roots
*enjoy the view .

fundraiser #1, Fall .

2010-09-25T21:12:00.000-07:00

This weekend has been a crafty one; assembling bags, melting wax, adding chip dye and then the secret ingredient-Extra essential oils, in preparation of completing our very first batch of orders. Our home smells as if you stepped into an apple orchard & went from smelling of Harvest, to Apple and onto Pumpkin tomorrow, all within a matter of three days. Fall is officially here y'all! See sidebar for photo in color; all Ethiopian colors. Enjoy bringing Fall inside? if so, please check out our link . In the months of Nov.-Dec. wick candles will be available as well.

i spy ...

2010-09-21T00:36:00.000-07:00

a NEW template! our other two blogs never had a glitch within the comment section within their layout. why this one did, i guess we will never know. regardless, it was figured out and we now have a better flowing blog to boot; upon recalling (duh) that to actually have a normal comment 'link' (without asking readers go thru click'n the post titles to do so) involved installing a new template. blah. i knew that; but preparing to conquer it took alot of patience & time (ironically, something needed as all AP's know). so, went all out & gave this blog a complete layout lift! < sigh > good grief. now, am off to Zzz.

Bono. One. (Red) .

2010-09-14T21:35:00.000-07:00

post summary can be viewed at end of videos.

campaigns as progressed throughout the years:

Bono.

within video 2, there are what some would consider disturbing 'images' upon its start (i have a hard time referring to people as images). viewing is up to the viewer however we hope one does carry on to watch. & honestly, please pardon me but, suck it up cause it is real and it exists. yes, it reveals one childs desperation being sought thru a farm animal. obviously the result of extreme dehydration, malnourishment, starvation; pick one, each goes hand in hand; surviving upon any means to replenish his little body. along side Bonos' artistical music, led into the heart of the video evolves a level of humanity worth witnessing (by the way, love this song!).

campaign, 'One'

most recent campaign, '(Red)'

I almost had the privilege of meeting Bono. Years ago while working within the missions department of a church, the staff was informed that this man was arriving to speak upon issues such as Human Rights,Global poverty and Africa within our very walls. We soon however learned that he had to cancel this engagement as he had unexpectedly been called & needed elsewhere. This was many moons ago, but knew who he was from the band U2, then becoming aware of his efforts in Africa & his global Human Rights campaigns which now are world known. Aren't they? Well, its getting there. Do I personally respect this man? Well, I do not personally know him so I cannot answer. Now, ask me, do I respect his Efforts and Causes? Well, HECK YES!; which tends to lead into actually respecting the individual from a standpoint of common ground. Whether or not one likes Bono as an artist or an individual is ones personal decision. Some view him for what good work he is doing, others scrutinise him. It seems vividly logical to respect one fully for the good effort they put forth. Whatever the case (Red) has raised funds & awareness; and of the two isn't awareness the point. As I have seen the t-shirts around, it shows he has gotten the message out; even if only a hand full of people understand what this campaign means & represents thru interpreting the Cause as awareness, than Bono has succeeded. His fame, nor his money nor his name should matter; those things have only paved the way to help aid the crusade by offering time & support in a way many 'celebrities' have not. He's a person who seems to continue on while welcoming the understanding & support regardless of any wasted speculation. Well done! I would like to some day attend one of his concerts. It appears he is touring overseas 2010; if anyone knows otherwise, of an upcoming united states tour please let me know.

footnote: the 'videos' themselves are humbly validated through many adoptive families who have, after returning from Africa, shared that they cannot forget what they saw; that they are forever changed.

dreams & hope matter

2010-09-12T20:30:00.000-07:00

" You know a dream is like a river
Ever changin' as it flows
And a dreamer's just a vessel
That must follow where it goes
Trying to learn from what's behind you
And never knowing what's in store
Makes each day a constant battle
Just to stay between the shores;
Too many times we stand aside
And let the waters slip away
'Til what we put off 'til tomorrow
Has now become today
So don't you sit upon the shoreline
And say you're satisfied
Choose to chance the rapids
And dare to dance the tide ;
There's bound to be rough waters
And I know I'll take some falls
But with the good Lord as my captain
I can make it through them all "

bridge

2010-09-07T20:47:00.000-07:00

part II of Mondays post, natural:
we biked to KY's Natural Bridge. a bridge which sits in its' natural state created by years upon years of water beating beneath it. as mentioned, check out our post from Monday to view the actual photos of the bridge. (the first photo you will see was taken from beneath the actual bridge; while the third photo is taken standing on the bridge itself looking down). this photo here is at the top; just before getting to the bridge. everyone had to walk through this narrow walkway (about 1.5 feet in width). very cool! me at the top. it was approximately a 2 mile hike straight up. turns & twists. and the higher you got, the steeper it took you. the end result was awesome. i sit by this shaded tree for a photo while taking in all the breath-taking beauty this view top offered.
my hubby & bro.-n-law enjoying the day. a moment of awe.
this was on our way out. this drive-thru tunnel was amazing. it was what i would title a cave tunnel. all natural. completely pitch dark. and air conditioned by nature herself. a blast on a motorcycle might i add.

we had a wonderfully great time. if you are ever in KY, i recommend visiting the Natural Bridge & all of its' magnificent surroundings.

natural

2010-09-06T19:48:00.000-07:00

Monday, 9/6. where did we spend our day?

here's one hint:& another:okay, three:
any guesses? if you are familiar with Kentucky territory you just might know. the post title is part of the answer. more photos to come of our relaxing, fun & beautiful outing, Labor Day, 2010.

& i have to comment on something that occurred today while walking down the trail; my husband softly gestures to me 'honey, look' . as i look up above me, to my sides , at the rocks and sites, he adds, ' honey, open your eyes' . what? huh? i'm thinking what is it i'm not seeing while my head seems to be in the clouds of bliss surrounding me. then, i look ahead, forward. coming up the trail towards us is a little girl, maybe 5 years old, with stunning Ethiopian features. behind her walks her daddy and further behind, out of breath, walks her mommy. both Caucasian. i look to my husband. i say 'thank you' under my breath, as i am smiling inside at this wonderful sign. a glimpse into our future. what are the chances of, while in the midst of a hike, passing this couple who had obviously adopted from Ethiopia. in our hearts we both knew. my husband and i smiled at each other; the kind of smile where only a couple shares those unspoken words of 'it's all good' focused from the heart, bypassing the mouth. our outing was beautiful and this one moment was important and softly reminds me of how we are on the right path. natural & literally.

fluttering yellow halo

2010-08-30T16:09:00.000-07:00

i was texting with my dear friend Michelle today, mentioning an experience that lasted about 2 minutes yesterday. she said ' i think it is a sign' , and i already agreed as that is what i felt Sunday for those brief moments in my car...

it occurred yesterday as i was driving home. on our country road. just my car on the road. a beautiful day. when what seemed like 500 yellow butterflies appeared within the parameters of the outside of my vehicle. they stayed, fluttering around, and traveling with me. on the radio i noticed what song was playing. my body, my mind, my instinct intertwined at that moment. i knew.

my mother passed away 6 years ago. yellow was her favorite color of flower. the artist who was singing on the radio was one of her all time favorite singers. we grew up listening to his voice blaring on the record player, the 8 track, you name it.

i listened to the words. i watched the butterflies. it was beautiful.

the song sang words that were not of coincidence at that very moment. it sang of reaching out, hands touching hands, spring becoming summer;

we decided to adopt this past spring & we apply to adopt in Oct.

it sang of affirmation, of pride in someone you love. for myself, it was interpretation of my mothers love. of her comfort & validation in knowing her daughter is happy. her peace knowing we are adopting a child, a daughter, her grandchild. it sang of a message of love and comfort. of life's grand full circle. and that she was okay and loving us all from above.

as the village of yellow butterflies danced around my vehicle & the song played on, the two paralleled into one occurring at the same moment creating its' glory.

this experience was my mom. some things you just know.

the song:

wisdom

2010-08-26T22:32:00.000-07:00

Her inspirational words;

To read, go to Page tab at top titled 'wisdom' .

too cute for words

2010-08-24T10:04:00.000-07:00

poll

2010-08-23T11:45:00.000-07:00

if any of our readers are interested in candle TARTS please pop on over to our brand spanking new HomeTarts blog (within its' preliminary phase). & please take the Poll. i want to get an idea of what Fall fragrances those interested would like best. reminder- these tarts (3 to a bag) will be in ethiopian colors of red/green/yellow regardless of the flavor one chooses.*and, if you would like to view some adorable 5 weeks old kittens, please visit their new slideshow on our catblog.

because

2010-08-21T09:47:00.001-07:00

answer to a question: why did you choose ethiopia?
we have had 2-3 people ask us this since we made our decision.

our answer is a constant consisting of two words,
' the need ' .

and as one reader recently gently worded it, ' because that is where our daughter was' ... couldn't agree more.

parallel needs; a childs need stirred together with our need to love a child into our family.

we do offer insight here to help better inform & educate about adoption:

we know children within the U.S need families. we know this. and if you have adopted domestically, that too is beautiful; all children, no matter what part of the world, need and deserve a family. our take here is based solely on international because we are adopting from ethiopia and our feeling is the need for adoption within this third world country, is well, needier. it just is. much needier. when i say this, i do not mean need for family, i am referring to basic necessities. health care is scarce. parentless children are overpopulating the number of available caregivers. disease is abundant. the basic necessities offered within the united states for adoptable child(ren) are met, and well met at that. third world countries such as ethiopia can only hope for that kind of care for their orphanges. i could go on, but i don't want to & less is more; hence i will leave it at that.

in retrospect, within my own reflection i've come to realize that while i myself spent 4 years of my own childhood living within a third world country, it changed me. at an early age. i saw. i felt. i strongly knew the differences were huge. and, it stuck with me.

*you may also link to the following within our blog:
:we choose ethiopia:

...within love, because of human need.

airbourne

2010-08-20T11:37:00.000-07:00

...as of today, our preliminary adoption paperwork is on its' way.

she's mine

2010-08-18T14:32:00.000-07:00

my husband came to me today, sat down next to me on our couch & handed me the ear pieces to his cd player. he told me to listen to this song as he was 'dedicating it to me' .

God i love this man, my husband, my rock.

...there was not enough kleenex's in the world.

the morning after...

2010-08-18T10:05:00.000-07:00

for a few months i have posted here & there about some remodeling/reorganizing we need and are doing within our home. as we approach Oct., when we will be having our home appraised for hopeful equity to help fund our adoption, we have begun finishing up the odds & end jobs to complete our projects. two of our 'to do' items were 1. turn the little bedroom into an office and 2. turn the converted garage into our new bedroom. we can now mark those two partially off the list! there is a bit more to do in each room, but half of it was accomplished last night. midnight was my stopping point. i fell asleep within 10 minutes after i took an ibuprofen, applied rubbing alcohol to my two cuts which were the result of the process of a lamp shade i accidentally broke and a door i took off its hinges- hence landing on my foot.
so , enter the title of this post. when you finish a project, one that takes hours to complete, and muscle & a sweat rag as necessities, isn't it the best feeling to wake up and walk up and look at the progress you made. it feels so good. so worth it. none of the sore muscles even matter now. the project you completed is right there in your sights and you feel awesome. and i do have to say, i actually did enjoy it all. i like knowing that i am capable of being partner within our marriage, able to leap buildings.... i mean, able to use these two hands of our 4 hands and do what i can while my hardworking husband is out earning us money. i love being part of a relationship where we work together. my husband works his butt off every day out there, and well, last night i worked mine off too.

here are the photos...
the end result photo first: former garage, we converted into our New bedroom (after clearing out the office, the goods went into here as you can see) we only have a few more drywall pieces to hang, mud it, paint it, carpet it, and move our bedroom in. cat lovers? can you spy our kitty? he is walking by the door.
this is the room where it all began. it was, until last night, a bedroom, with a bed, and alot of stuff ; guess you could have referred to it as a storage/bedroom. i did not take any before pics. just imagine a bed, and a storage area with about 3 foot of area to walk through :) we still have this dresser to move out (side view) which hubby will do before he moves in his desk.
now it will be our new office/treadmill room. we found a great find of a desk (metal, durable, really cool, on craigslist for real cheap). right now it is waiting to be moved into this room. for now i set up a 'mock' desk area to get an idea of how things will sit.
ah, the treadmill... there are no words. it involved taking a door off its hinges, a bruised toe, sweat, more sweat. i actually got my workout in by just moving the darn thing from one room to another. maneuvering and twisting a piece of equipment this size to fit thru two doorways , well, as i said, there are no words.

where our (hubby's) new cool desk will sit.

friday

2010-08-17T10:40:00.000-07:00

Three days & we mail in our first envelope of preliminary paperwork to our placing agency.

* our information sheet
* our family photo (fur-babies included, of course)
* a 50.oo check

birds of a feather....

2010-08-14T17:33:00.000-07:00

flock together? look closely. those are ceramic frogs under our flower pot. each and every time it rains here within the last two months we get this visitor. do you see him? he is not a ceramic but a real frog. and he flocks to this very flower pot which has look-alikes holding up the pot. coincidence? could this be adoption related, hence the post. i mean, perhaps he is adopting himself to the familiarities of his ceramic friends.

we think it is pretty cool :)

smells good...

2010-08-10T14:51:00.000-07:00

soon we will begin the paperchase of adoption. by oct. we will have sent in our official application. i have followed many, many many ETH (and other) adoption blogs for well, 8 months now. just look at our sidebar : ) of all the beautiful adoption stories. those of us adopting from ETH now know of the two trip requirement. i want to try a fundraiser to raise funds for those extra two tickets. i noticed on many other adoption blogs the ladies are doing some fundraisers as well of t-shirts, etc. i am surveying to see who would be interested in my homemade candle Tarts. i plan on beginning to make & sell them this Oct. throughout next Summer. let me know, are there some of you out there who would be interested in purchasing canlde tarts? all profit goes into our adoption fundraiser fund.

the tarts will each be in Ethiopian colors!

mail

2010-08-09T08:39:00.000-07:00

...sending in our Information Sheet (pre-application) in two weeks to our agency !

thumbs up

2010-08-03T09:52:00.000-07:00

We have choosen our placing agency .

2010-07-20T15:11:00.000-07:00

no segregation; ' we are all deserving of love ' ...

change

2010-05-12T14:55:00.000-07:00

oh how i dislike it BUT this one is a positive and by choice.
we are looking at two other placing agencies and taking the original one off our 'yes' list . there were just too many red flags regarding basic aspects that SHOULD already exist within the agency; like a adequately staffed team, ease of communication and commitment. with our focus now to complete that app. soon this change in placing agency/app. proves to be positive.

intentions and reality

2010-05-10T15:56:00.000-07:00

per my 'children not color' post below, i must also add this post link which speaks volumes about being color-blind with good intentions yet learning to be colorful with expanded intentions...

article/transracial adoptee

2010-05-05T20:42:00.000-07:00

niaweek

2010-04-29T12:32:00.000-07:00

from Keiko Zoll on Vimeo.

children not color

2010-04-28T15:52:00.000-07:00

...to read my entry, go to :post: page link at top.

mirror images

2010-04-23T21:22:00.000-07:00

click here for my recent catblog post on the kittens...

come on in

2010-04-15T11:52:00.000-07:00

as this is a newer blog, i am welcoming new and first followers here; care to follow along thru my updates? link thru my sidebar and pull up a chair.
want me to check out your blog as well? let me know and i will add you to my blogroll...

quenched

2010-04-14T21:51:00.000-07:00

usually i bring my own water along with me. from my own gallon which sits within our frig. paying a buck for this unit, the equivalent of 6-8 bottles makes sense to me and saves not only on overpopulating more plastic bottles within our earth but also saves us about 7.00 each gallon. i cringe when i have to spend a buck plus on a single.bottle.of.water. but this day was different. i forgot my water so upon searching for some from a stations' freezer door right after my hike and well, any drinkable water would do, i came across this one. a percentage from sales helps children get c.l.e.a.n water to drink. one of the countries it benefits? africa! a good cause and hello!we are adopting from this very place. a good thing this company is trying to do. not often that big corps try to do something so simple as...water and because it deserves recognition, i am obviously posting the name.

and oh, by the way, we are now only about, um, one month out from filling out our APPLICATION!!! excited to get started? nah, what ever gave one that idea?

and whom is the gorgeous model one may inquire, well, she is one of our kittycats, Pengy! all are seen at our catblog (link at sidebar) .

Squee! licious

2010-04-12T10:48:00.000-07:00

for all photos, click here for todays' update via our catblog.

pak

2010-04-09T04:20:00.000-07:00

so, i recently purchased this fanny pak. it took be awhile to find a good one: durable, all natural , etc. to use when i hike. this find went above and beyond my likes because it also is a non profit that donates 10% of the final sale price to support Clinton Bush Haiti Fund. no this is not a review. i am linking nothing. i was just very impressed to see such a great find for a low price that also does some good by being owned : ) .

rock on

2010-04-05T14:26:00.000-07:00

and, it's adoption related...remember these!!

back in the 70's one could actually adopt a pet rock. my mom got me one and i thought it was the neatest thing...hey, i was around 9 at the time : ) . but even then, the idea of taking care of something and giving it a family (yes, a rock) was appealing to me. funny how some things just never change.

too cute

2010-04-03T10:17:00.000-07:00

an adoption blogger shared this utube video; i couldn't pass up bringing the cuteness here as well...

2010-03-27T09:55:00.001-07:00

from ethiopia with love

2010-03-25T17:23:00.000-07:00

why we are adopting from ethiopia,

or in other words, why we chose ethiopia,
or in other words, why ethiopia chose us.

there is reason 1:
in Ethiopia, approximately 1 in 10 children die in infancy, and nearly double that number die by their 5th birthday, due to infections, tetanus, and diarrhea. Ethiopia is considered the 3rd worst place in the world to be born, better only than Burkina Faso and Djibouti. Of the children who survive, many will lose their mother in childbirth and many more will lose one or both parents to HIV/AIDS.

or for example, reason 2:
as more and more parents die, the capacity of extended family members to take care of orphans shrinks. Ethiopia has reached the breaking point where orphaned children are now forced into the streets, into difficult working conditions and/or into heading their households.

and then there's reason 3:
in 2001, 13.2% of the population (3.8 million children) were orphaned. In comparison, the 1994 genocide in Rwanda resulted in 500,000 orphans and the 2004 Tsunami in Southeast Asia resulted in 10,000 orphans.

(courtesy of http://www.ethiopianrelief.org/)

and of course:

reason 4:
the children are amazing & the country is simply grace .

seasonal senses

2010-03-19T14:25:00.000-07:00

some images that spring has sprung,

...there's the scent

more images-

...and the sight

...how bout the sound

...and of course, the warmth

and once my herbs spring into action...the taste.

grace filled

2010-03-17T15:32:00.000-07:00

...a journal of our journey to adoption,
i should include a brief summary of how we chose adoption or why we chose adoption;

although in reality adoption has chosen us.

theoretically we tried for bio but we were was not intent on having a biological child. what i mean by this is it just did not matter to us. in fact, if i recall correctly it hit me one day about 10 years ago that international adoptin would be in the future. and, my husband- he is right there with me on this one. he feels the need as well.

we just knew one day, when that 'aha' moment sprang.

over the past year we tried the bio route, knowing if we had bio we would also adopt. i had two miscarriages. we had NO desire to dip our feet into the 'fertility world'.

there were alot of other options such as actual injectible cycles (hormone treatments for three weeks) with dr. assisted iui, invasive testing, etc. then of course the big ole ivf. but none of that remotely interested us. and it did not feel right.

we knew there was something else we were supposed to do. we knew it was adoption. when we realized this, we knew. this in itself showed us where our heart really was.

it was the bigger picture. the yearn we have to help a child who is in actual need. to mother a child who needs a mother.

what is amazing is that i seriously can sit down recalling the phases of my life, my own personal journey, where i am today and situations presenting themselves and it is all so clear. it plays out like a puzzle. how my husband and i were led to this point. the plan was there all along from God; above

.

and what a beautiful grace filled plan .

my husband and i see it clearly; how all avenues have led us together to adoption. a wonderful peaceful feeling to have the peace and faith in your heart that comes from a confidence and knowing.

God is good; that goes without saying.

floored

2010-03-08T15:45:00.000-08:00

last night amongst sawdust, a broom ...

more images-

an air compressor, nails and alot of high fives & teamwork we finished cutting and installing the second part of our kitchen floor...

we will be to staining cedar to match .
we love it, it looks Great !
so as for our pre-homestudy checklist- we can now officially mark off completion of kitchen floor installation. woo hoo!!

this shirt was my inspiration for my new graphic behind the blog title (above).
it is the newest itty bitty piece of clothing we have purchased for our little one.

darling, just darling!

'what we got'

2010-02-25T21:50:00.000-08:00

we have the big home improvements done.
for instance, the room we are renovating into our

new bedroom (our old bedroom will now be the future baby (room). we put in a new floor (the actual floor) and we made the new door entrance from our room to the bathroom. now , or next, is to finish drywall, then mud and paint. then move the furniture from upstairs, and the second bedroom furniture to upstairs, as that room will now be our office. the wood place finished our door frames, so we picked those up. we are waiting on the flooring and trim. ta da! then we will be done.
it is coming together. day by day. life is good.
'love is...what we got! remember that, love is...'
good ole song, that one.
yes, this blog has a -new name, with personal meaning, and, it works ;)

rompers and romping

2010-02-18T08:49:00.000-08:00

wow! i just found some great ebay deals on some new
gymboree Rompers, dresses, onesies and shirts. some real CUTE stuff! i bought 23 items total so we are closer to our lot of clothes for months 6-12. packages are on their way. the time is getting closer, April will be here soon. :)

snow? we got lots of it. so today i decided to go out in it for a bit and enjoy. well, until my hands turned to ice, as i went Romping in it gloveless..on purpose..to enjoy it. i made a teeny tiny snowman. we have three outdoor kitties who have adopted us this winter, and they frolicked around me. i dug deep into the two foot wall of snow and pulled out some clean stuff and opened my mouth. you GOTTA do that every so often.

in the winters to come, our little one will be home to Romp in it, seeing her first snow wall, snowman, pouncing kitties and to touch her first snow.

stay warm !

exhale

2010-01-24T16:41:00.000-08:00

one BIG step completed. i have decided on the adoption agency we will use. it came down to two favorites. of course in life there is not a perfect choice, just the best choice.

we have a goal timeframe set for filling out our application (which we have in our kitchen drawer waiting to be inked) and that will now be the first of April.
2 months!! we will be getting our house appraised then also.

we have also made another decision.
what is that?
i'll just say we are joining the PINK team.

that was kinda a toughie. but one day it just came to me and i knew.

so, it ONLY took me a month to get these two decisions made. lol! hey, but these were BIGGIES. from here on out it will be much less decisions and primarily paperwork upon paperwork. and then a bunch of waiting.
hurry up and wait as it is said. the other day i saw a onesie online that read "worth the wait"- that says it all.

pre-GO checklist

2010-01-14T14:18:00.001-08:00

okay so far i have this under our belt:

1. have contacted at least 6-7 different agencies asking about thier guidelines, procedures, etc.
2. received info. packets from 3-4 agencies to review and compare
3. researched, on my own, the country of Ethiopia, the Hague agreement and the legits.
4. contacted other families who have adopted through the Ethiopia program.
5. compared agencies

6. (bought 4 bottles and a sippy cup) couldn't help it!! can you blame me.
7. we purchased the rest of our home improvement material to finish that up.
8. we have set a goal date for our home appraisal (spring) at which time we will find a local social worker for our homestudy.
9. prayers, hope & faith , excitment and nervousness and a whirlwind emotions.

to all the above- check, check & CHECK!

sidenote: for some reason i cannot get the comment link to enable itself so readers can leave one. if you would like to comment OR have advice on IA please contact me using my above(right)email. thanks.

looking

2010-01-11T20:12:00.000-08:00

first step. choosing the agency. i think we have found the one. but , for now i still do my research. my goal was to
not be too picky but to find one that 'fit' our personalities. one that responded to my initial emails and newbie questions.
one that offered more information than i asked for. so for now, that is my update.
once we get that application submitted we will officially be on our way! our goal is still looking good for the first of march.

heart bound

2010-01-06T18:11:00.000-08:00

at first we were considering looking into kazahkstan. it has a wonderful program where you go and bond for two weeks. HOWEVER the total travel time for at least one parent would be two months! that seemed a bit , well, excessive.

i happened to talk to someone briefly who adopted through ethiopia.
so i did my research and read many personal stories over and over from families who made this journey. it was a matter minutes and i never looked back. THIS is where we will go.
ethiopia heart bound.

we plan to start the application after we compltetely finish our home improvements downstairs. we are looking at the first of march. 7 weeks!

once our application is approved we begin what all internationally adoptive parents refer to as the paper chase!! this along with the fingerprinting, background check, applications for visas, etc and the nerveracking homestudy can take between 3-5 months estimate. once our dossier (combined packet of paperwork) is completed our agency sends it over to ethiopias government for court dates , referral, and approval!!

part of my heart is already over there in ethiopia waiting to hold our child.

we will be applying for infant under 12 months. we expect the wait to be around 18 months from time of application.

we will fly into ethiopia and spend one week there. we plan on taking our video recorder and filming alot of this amazing country and the beautiful faces not only for family to see but for our child to be able to watch as he/she grows older.

peace.

welcome

2009-09-10T16:49:00.001-07:00

welcome to our NEW BLOG!
most of you know us from our catblog, found at us4cats.

: )

2009-09-10T16:47:00.000-07:00

disclosure:
any donations received here to aid in our goal is thru your sole choice and decision and therefore is optional only.

log of names we thank.

1)Sep. 6, 2009, Teresa Thorsteinson, $1.00
2)Sep. 6, 2009 Carol Pugh, $3.00
comment: 'Such a good cause.'
3)Sep. 6, 2009, ML Giggleman, $10.00
comment: 'Love & Purrs, KC.'
4)Sep. 6, 2009, Joe & Caroline Curdy, $125.00
comment: 'It is going to happen. I have faith. Faith is everything!! Do not stress, and stay calm. Everything will be as it should be.'
5)Sep. 10, 2009, Jennifer Lilly, $15.00
comment: ...'happy to be able to help in some small way.'
6)Sep. 10, 2009, Carol Pugh, $5.00
comment: 'Wishing you every good luck in your quest.. Every little bit helps. I am glad to top up my last weeks amount.' xxx GJ xxx
7)Sep.10, 2009, Dana Hadder, $5.00
comment: 'best of luck...we would like to help a little too!'
8)Sep.13, 2009, $10.00
comment: 'Good luck'! (Ozark mountain cats).
9)Sep.15, 2009, Christy Meyer, $20.00
10)Sep.15, 2009, anonymous, $10.00
comment: 'wishing you all the best on your journey.'
11)Oct.16, 2009, Cheryl Krane, $5.00
12)Oct.16,2009, Karla Hanks, $2.00
comment: 'for a real good cause :) ' .

we will find a way to finance our dream on our own but your generousities sure do help in getting a little closer to the cause .all funds remain in acct. until we ourselves can achieve ivf or adoption along with your thoughtful contribution.

E family adoption logo

2009-01-21T12:26:00.000-08:00