leaving...

We leave for Ethiopia Thursday (but the 3 kids here will stay at home w/ grandparents). We pick H & M up on Saturday, have our Embassy appointment on Wednesday of next week & then we'll be back home the following Sunday, May 1st!

Going to Ethiopia!

We were cleared by Embassy and will be traveling to Ethiopia soon!  As soon as we get confirmation on our Embassy interview date we will book our tickets.  We'll probably be leaving before Easter!  

What a great way to start our day!

More details to come!

next week?

I just got a call from my adoption coordinator.  Our "missing" paperwork was submitted to the US Embassy today.  I guess that's a pretty big deal since the Embassy usually won't accept submissions on Fridays.  I didn't know that our paperwork was ready to be submitted, so I'm not getting my hopes up yet.  So, sometime next week we could hear that we are cleared to pick up the kids, or that they need even more information.

I'm looking forward to the day when we're eagerly anticipating our travel to Ethiopia.  Right now I feel hesitant to get excited about anything.

Please keep praying that Hawi & Misikir will be home soon.

 my favorite picture of Hawi & Misikir

ANOTHER message!

I just got another message from the same family!  It's super great!

Hi again! I have a message for you from Misikir! Today he asked when is my family coming. I thought you would be coming within a month. I told him "Soon." He rolled his eyes in a very good-natured way and said, "soon, soon, soon, soon" like "that's all they ever tell us--SOON." I laughed and said no, for real this time, maybe 3 weeks, maybe 4 weeks [I hope it's sooner than that!]. He and S. had a very fast conversation, translating that in Amharic, and Misikir was so happy! He asked if I could send you an email, only he asks that by saying something like "Tonight you talk my mother" and then does his fingers like he's typing. I said yes. He asked if you could please bring something for him when you come. He really wants to have some gifts to give to his friends before he leaves. These kids are so, so generous. I have really been stunned by their grace and generosity this week. We are in love with all the older kids! Anyway, he asked if you could bring some candy, chocolate, new matchbox cars, some toys for little children (maybe balls, stickers, action figures? Those things seem like they would go over well) for him to give away. It is so amazing to me that he would not ask for ANYTHING for himself--only for things he can give his friends before he leaves. Hawi is such a card. It took her awhile to come out of her shell but now she is interacting with us much more. The Pams brought new shoes for everyone, except a few of the older kids. Misikir, Hawi, B., and S. didn't get any because there weren't any shoes big enough. We bought them new shoes today (very poor quality, alas. We couldn't find anything very good here) and they were so excited. Misikir and Hawi must have said thank you 10,000 times! I will certainly pass on your message. They will be very excited to know I "talked" to you with my fingers tonight! You have beautiful, gracious, kind, and generous Ethiopian children.


I LOVE these updates!  I already have 2 bins full of toys & candy to give to the kids (the same toys & candy we took on our 1st trip but got lost by the airlines & were sent back to the USA with us).  I hope we'll be in Ethiopia very soon!

they're excited

When I got up this morning I had a nice facebook message from a family in Ethiopia right now (they met their 2 boys for the first time this week).  I'm excited to share it with you.

Just wanted to tell you how much we are enjoying our time with Misikir and Hawi. They are WONDERFUL. We have been here almost a week, and Hawi has really begun to come out of her shell and joke around with us. She has a little sassy streak that I really enjoy. Misikir is one of our favorite kids. I have been spending most of my time with the older boys, and he is just wonderful. He has been so helpful with translating, he has taught me a ton of Amharic, he is just so loving and affectionate and sweet--and very, very funny. Yesterday he and Ryan were playing soccer with a couple of the younger kids and Ryan loved the way he played with the smaller kids, letting them get some good shots in, taking it a little easy on them. They have beautiful spirits, Michelle. Misikir and Hawi are called "Wisconsin" at Sele Enat. S. and B. are "California"; etc. The map [Aaron bought a map for H & M when we were in Ethiopia] comes out ALL THE TIME so they can show us who is going where. Misikir has asked a couple of times when you will be coming and I have said very soon. He is very excited! Just wanted to let you know they are doing well and looking forward to seeing you. Oh, and we got to see the photo album several times! That's their prized possession! 

C'mon paperwork!  We've got 2 kids in Ethiopia waiting for their family.

more waiting & a letter from the kiddos

Our agency let us know that the requested information was not submitted to the US Embassy for us (as we were told would be), but instead we are waiting on additional paperwork that has been requested by our agency from the region where H & M came from.  I did not get a date as to when they thought they would have that info or when they thought it would be submitted.  Sadly, I think I have given up on planning on having the kids here for Easter.  I never would have though this process would take this long.  Back in December I was sure the kids would be home in February.  Now it's April and I still don't know when they'll be here.

On a happier note, we received a letter from H & M today (which was transcribed and sent to us by another adoptive family that just picked their son up from H & M's orphanage).  I thought I would share it with you...enjoy!

Dear Family,

Selam!  How are you?  We are so fine.  We love you.  When do you come here?  We are so happy because you are my family.  Thank you for my necklace.

I want to swim (Misikir), I like playing basketball and soccer (Misikir).  I want to learn to drive a car (Hawi).  I want to watch movies (Hawi).  I want to learn to ski (Misikir).

Please come soon.  I love you Dad, I love you Mom.  We are waiting for you.  Please say hi to our brothers and sister.  We want to see pictures again.  I like ice cream (Hawi).  We like dog and cat.  Thank you!

Love,

Misikir and Hawi

Monday...Thursday

I just got an email from my coordinator.  She said the staff in Ethiopia have our requested paperwork almost ready and will submit it on Monday.  Of course, I was hoping they would submit it today or even tomorrow, but I guess I'll take Monday.  I'm not sure if we need to wait the 3 business days once that is submitted or if we could find out "what's next" right away.  I'm going to tell myself that we need to wait 3 business days so that I don't go crazy waiting for news.  So, I'm hoping to hear "what's next" by next week Thursday.  The bummer about that is if we get approval to travel we may not be able to get the kids home before Easter, which Aaron & I were both hoping for.  We'll see, I guess.  Keep praying!

A family that just delivered a 2nd package to Hawi & Misikir for us last week (when they picked up their child) is sending me (via US mail) some letters that she dictated from our kids.  I'm excited to get them and read what they had to say.  She also said that kids were in very good spirits and she saw them showing off the pictures & gifts Preston, Isaiah & Sophie sent to them.  She said Hawi was wearing the necklace that Sophie made for her.  I love getting these good reports.  Hopefully we won't need these reports anymore because the kids will be home!

more info

The US Embassy has requested more info on Hawi & Misikir (birth family history).  My agency said they already submitted that info, but will have to just "play along" and submit it again.


I'm disappointed.  I've seen other families have Embassy request additional info, and once they get it they request something else, then something else, then something else.  One family had this drag on for months.  I'm hoping that everything will be cleared up by next week, but not much has gone as hoped or planned in this process for us.

My coordinator told me that the staff in Ethiopia has been keeping Hawi & Misikir up to date on what is happening so they understand why we are not there yet and reassure them that we will still be coming for them.

Still waiting

We have not heard from the US Embassy about our case.  We expected to hear by Monday, and now it's after business hours in Ethiopia on Tuesday (we will get an email directly from the US Embassy when they have any news for us, whether it be that we can go get them or if they need more info).  We'll have to wait another day.  I guess the good news is that we have not been told they need more information (which may still be the case).  Hopefully we'll hear good news tomorrow.  I'm not sure if we would be able to leave on Friday as we were hoping to.  It will depend on if they still have interview times available for next week (when we pick up the children we need to appear at the US Embassy for an interview before they issue the kids' Visas).  We're pretty much ready to go (bags almost packed, arrangements being made for Aaron at church if needed, child care for the kids' at home...), so that wouldn't be much of an issue for us.

So, for now we continue to wait.