Saturday, 10 February 07

It is nearly 3pm CET, and we are somewhere over Egypt. My alarm went off at 3am, and after only 4 hours of sleep, I actually felt rested. The morning got off to a rough start, we were 10 minutes late leaving the house - the luggage was just too heavy... we had to leave some things behind. When we finally did get on the road, we were about 15 minutes into our trip, when Jon realized that he hadn't signed out. This meant back-tracking for 10 minutes, and 20 minutes driving onto post and signing out. What a mess.... I'm sure you can imagine my frustration.

When we made it to Nueremburg, we couldn't find the airport. One of the things I miss most about the states, is thier FABULOUS use of street signs/road markers. Anyway.... we got turned around, and only by the Grace of God, did we make it in time. The plane had already been boarded, and we were the last to arrive. Our flight was quick and uneventful to Amsterdam. We had a two hour layover which we spent searching for 15 Euro in coins, to have passport photos taken in a photo booth for our Ethiopian Visas.







Our current flight was supposed to be sold out, but there are several empty seats.... a little more space to sprawl out. So far, our experience with KLM/NW has been great. The food is exceptional, the attendants friendly. I wonder if they fly anywhere near home?
In just a few short hours we will be in Khartoum, Sudan to refuel.

********************************

It is now 6:45 pm CET, and we are preparing for descent into Khartoum. I was fortunate to get a window seat on the right side of the plane. We have been following the Nile for miles.... the landscape dotted with farms and plots of land sectioned off into perfect squares... compounds made of mud for houses... a sea of brown stretches out to the horizon... children play soccer in a field near the airport as we land.

After about an hour sitting on the tarmac waiting for the plane to be refeuled, passengers begin to trickle in, claim thier seats, and then we are off... In the time we were here, the sky grew dark. As we take of for Addis Ababa, only a few twinkling lights dot the darkness.





The flight was quick, just under two hours. We are seated towards the front of the plane, so we are able to disembark without trouble. We make our way with the crowd to the visa line, which by the way is at a standstill. It took us nearly 2 hours to make it through. (P.S. Although the lady at the check-in counter in Nueremburg told us that passport photos were necessary for the visa... THEY ARE NOT... we didn't even use them.) Thankfully Jemal, the AAI driver was still waiting for us. It was an interesting ride to the Ritmo Guest House, dodging both cars and potholes.

After landing at Bole International Airport at 9:55pm local time, we made it to the guest house at 12:30 am. We were all tired, so we settled into our room for the night, excited to meet Sidisse in the morning.

On Our Way!

Well, this will be the final post before seeing our beautiful girl! We leave for Addis Ababa bright and early in the morning! As you can imagine we are all beside ourselves... We can't believe that the time has finally come!



We are headed back in time to 1999.... Yes, that is right, Ethiopia still uses the Julian calendar, and in September they will celebrate the millenium!
Keep us in your thoughts and prayers.... Tomorrow will be a long day of travel, and we will meet Ava Sidisse on Sunday. Looking forward to posting a ton of pictures when we return! Stay tuned!

Hello, My Name is...

This pic was taken today, by a traveling parent. Isn't she sweet?!?!?!?
I can't wait for her to wake up in her own crib... in her own room... in our own house!



I know already that it is going to kill me to hand her back over to the Nanny's at the end of the days... and to have to leave her behind when we come back to Germany...
I can't wait to hold that baby, and kiss those sweet cheeks... Look at her chubby little fingers! What a doll!

Well, today was a bit of a blur... I spent most of the morning at the doctor's office with Leyton who has the beginning of an ear infection... the Doc put him on antibiotics, and said he should be fine for the flight.

I arranged and picked up our tickets, and started collecting Crisp, Clean $100 bills newer than 1997. Apparently the Ethiopian money exchange is a bit picky... I started making a list of things that we cannot leave the house without, and made reservations for the hund at Casa Krut, for the week... It is a good thing that Frau Krut loves Oliver... She never turns us down, even when she is booked solid... she just keeps him in her house.

I have what seems like a million things to do.... I'm so glad that I am off tomorrow...

Enjoy the pic! More to come soon!

The Day has come..... Introducing Sidisse!

After 37 long weeks, we are pleased to present:

Sidisse.... We will call her Ava, but will keep Sidisse as her (or one of) her middle name.
It is difficult to get an exact age, when children are abandoned... but the officials are estimating her to be between 6 and 8 months, they are trying to track down an exact date, but we may never know.

This first photo is from the middle of November, when she came into the care center.
Look at her lovely curls!




This photo is from a few days ago. She was in the hospital in December, and her head was shaved for a procedure.




This is Jon and Leyton celebrating the news that she will soon be ours! What is a celebration without sparklers?!?!







As it turns out, Ava Sidisse's 3 months of relinquishment wait will be up on Valentines day... we will be there to celebrate with her. It has been a whirlwind weekend... We learned of her on Friday, but I was hesitant to post because we were waiting on medical results, etc... We spoke with the director today, and feel confident that she is the girl for us...
Since her time is up so soon, we need to be there to meet her, before they can send her case through court... so that means that we are leaving on Saturday... YES... SATURDAY! We will be there for a week, and hopefully they will push her case through pretty fast after the 14th. Which means she could be home sometime in March, or April. God is Good.... It is all working out.

Now I can focus all of my stress on getting a sitter for the pets... and packing.... Wow... we have a daughter... and in just a few days, I will be holding her in my arms for the first time.... It doesn't get any better.... (well, I guess if I could bring her home with me, that would be better... but I'll take what I can get!)

Jon and I will be taking Leyton along, we finally agreed that he needs to be a part of this.... I think it will help us all with the transition to a family of 4.

Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we begin our journey south....

Hitting the ice... and moving to the front of the line.

Well, it has been a great weekend... On Friday we found out that we moved up to the coveted 1st place on the waiting list! It has been a long time, and it seems weird almost to say that we are now #1 on the list! Of course, as always, our referral could come tomorrow, or next month... no way to tell.

Today we got up early and 'hit the ice' (sometimes literally with our bums!) at the Ice Hockey Arena in Nuernburg. Some friends of ours had their son's birthday party there, and they rented a small rink for the kids (and adults) to enjoy. Although I don't skate, I took a lot of pictures... and you can enjoy some of them below.





This was a great day for Jon and Leyton... they were able to spend some quality time together, which is beginning to become a hot commodity these days... With all the preparations for the deployment coming up.





And here he is getting a little more confident...







Shortly after this shot, Leyton hit the ice hard, and decided maybe skates weren't such a good idea.... he sat out the next 30 minutes... poor guy.

Snow Fun and Update...

Well, this is what it feels like to know that we are now #2... A fellow waiter received the referral of a lovely 2 year old little girl last week... That moves us up the list. We also received a group email to all of the 'waiters', from the director of our agency. She stated that there are several babies in the care center at this time, but that they will be waiting to make referrals until the babies have been in care for at least 6 weeks. If you remember, there were around 4 babies that had been referred last year, that died, before the families could take the case to court and become thier parents. This new '6 week rule' is to curb that from happening... most of the babies that died, were very young (only a few weeks) and very frail... this extra time, will hopefully mean that the babies are older and stronger...
This new 6 week wait, before referral, will mean nothing to the already imposed Ethiopian Government '3 Month rule'... where the babies must remain in the care of an orphanage or agency care center for 3 months before having their cases heard in court. So, esentially... if our baby is in care right now, and we have to wait the 6 weeks for referral, it would be another 6 weeks after that, that her case could be heard in court, and we could travel to pick her up...
Let's pray that she is there now.


On another note.... Jon was able to make it home a week early on Saturday. It was a great surprise, and here he is enjoying the winter with Leyton... Sorry, I didn't get more (or better) pics.... it was getting dark and then my camera battery died!

Another week gone...

Yep... you read that right... we are still waiting. It has been a long week, hoping to hear something about the babies we were told about... and then we did. We were told there were no girls... all boys. The last 10 or so babies have all been boys.

I also received a secret email recently hinting that there will be more babies brought into care later this week, but no news on gender/ages. SO, I have decided to go back into 'Try not to obsess about it' mode, because I have driven myself crazy all week waiting to hear something about the last group.

Jon remains in the field, for what seems like an eternity, give the fact that he will be deploying soon. They are supposed to be receiving some nasty weather the next few days, so that will probably mean a longer stay. We will see....

We received about 6" of snow last night, and it has been falling all day (probably about 3-4" on top of the initial flakes)... Leyton is dying to go out and try out his new saucer... so stay tuned for some pics of the first snow of winter 06/07.

This has been a crazy emotion-filled week... Still no news, but knowing that it could be any day, or in the next week or two, has snapped me out of my 'try not to obsess about it' phase.... I'm now officially obsessing....

I finally got in the mood, to work on the 100 Good Wishes quilt.... I've spent the past few days cutting squares, arranging and rearranging... I haven't actually started stitching yet, but I plan to begin tonight. I will post a pic when I have it together.

I'm having a little bit of 'leaving Leyton behind' angst.... He is so excited about his new sister, and tells me everyday how much he misses her, and how he wants to come with Jon and I to visit her. This has been a long-time struggle for me. I really want him to be a part of the process... I would love for him to come with us to Africa. I think it would be a great experience for him. But there are always two sides to the coin....

I'm afraid of exposing him to some disease, that he is too young to be vaccinated against. I'm afraid that he is a little bit young to get the full experience, and to be able to comprehend the poverty and sickness that we will surely see. After viewing the video above, and hearing from families who have traveled that there are NO SEATBELTS in Ethiopian cars... I'm a little bit worried about certain death in an auto accident!

My mom has volunteered to come and stay with Leyton while we are gone for the visit trip.... And then Jon will be home with him, when I go to pick her up, or we will have her escorted to us here. This has been the plan off and on since the beginning of our journey last spring. But now, it is coming down to it, and I don't know what to do. Jon wants to leave him here, but I really want to bring him.... And I know that my mom will have a hard time getting off work at the drop of a hat.... We will only have a week or so notice before we travel.
Ah, well... I'm sure there will be more discussion on this point.... and I will let you know what we decide.



Here are a few pics of my love(s).... Leyton with his new bike.... A dirtbike, of course... He is very excited that it looks and sounds like his cousin Nicky's....




And here he is, 'helping' daddy pack for the field....

WEEK 33.... And a Spark of Hope...

No, you didn't read that wrong... and I didn't get the numbers mixed up.... It really is week 33. Jon is in the field, Leyton started back to school yesterday, and I resumed work today... Life is moving on....
We are still in the wait limbo, but much to my amazement, I received an unsolicited email from our agency today.... she confirmed that we are #3, and that there are several new babies being admitted to the care center. (of course she didn't say the makeup of boy vs. girl) She did say that it was looking like the list could take a "QUICK" turn for the better, and our wait could be over very soon!

VERY SOON.... those are words I've been longing to hear for quite some time now!

She said that most likely we will have our referral by the end of the month. That is only a few weeks away, so you can imagine my excitement!

With all that said, Please remember, okay... this reminder is really for me....
Nothing the agency lady said is set in stone. However, it is odd to receive such an email....

Thanks so much for your thoughts/prayers... they seem to be working!

WEEK 32

(p.s... The snow in this snowglobe is more snow than we have seen this winter... I can't believe it is January, and we haven't even had ground cover....)

No news Week 32.... Well, it has been a long 8 months, since we were officially put on the waiting list and registered in Ethiopia. I am really starting to get concerned that Jon will be sent off before the baby gets here.... Every day we wait, puts us closer to that time frame. Even if we were to receive our referral today, it is likely that the baby would need to stay in the care center for at least 3 months before the case can go to Ethiopian court... This is due to the "3 month rule" put in place by the Ethiopian Government last year, to allow birth family time to reclaim children who are in the age range of 0-3 years. If by chance, our referral has been in another orphanage for all or part of this time, the time she would need to spend in our agencies care center would be less.... This would be great, since it still takes about 6-8 weeks to get through the court process and get a US Embassy appointment.
As if this process hasn't been stressful enough.... Jon is leaving for a month in the 'field' on Friday.... he will be gone 30 days, and will come back for a week, and head out to the 'field' again.... another month.... that means, all said, he won't be home till the middle of March.... and the unit is supposed to pack up in May for the trip south of the boarder. (By the way, the trip south will be a one year tour.)
We did find out some encouraging news, if we have our little one home before Jon is scheduled to leave, he will receive 21 free leave days, as well as 4 months stabilization from deployment.... Of course he will have to work everyday, most likely all day, everyday, but at least he will be here, with us....
If our sweet girl doesn't make it home before he leaves, he loses these benefits. They won't bring him home. He might receive the 2 week R & R sometime in the middle of his tour, but that isn't time that is guaranteed.... He will miss the whole first year, again.
For those of you who didn't know, Jon left for Iraq when Leyton was just over a month old. Leyton and I spent about 6 months of that time, visiting family and friends in the States, but this time, it will be too much.... I really want Leyton to have some stability this time around.... There will already be so many changes with daddy gone, and a new baby.... I really want him to keep active in school and sports with his friends. We will definitely come home once or twice, We haven't been home since December 2005...and that isn't acceptable to me! I miss my family.... and shopping... and it is nice to have some convenience once or twice a year.... lol
Well, I guess that is enough of that.... Please continue to keep us in your thoughts and prayers, And hopefully we will have some good news to post soon!!!

Gingerbread House and Christmas Morning...

Leyton thought it would be fun to build and decorate his very own Gingerbread house.... Here is the completed project.... Believe me, the gummies didn't last long.

Christmas morning came early this year.... Leyton had to sleep in our bed, since he was receiving a Fussball table, and it had to be put together in his room, or we wouldn't have been able to get it up the spiral staircase... He, of course was up before the crack of dawn, and Jon was so excited, we were all up before the sun.... (notice in the background, it really is DARK outside!)

Of course we thought that this would be the year we would have our little girl home for Christmas, but since it isn't, I guess we have something to look forward to for next year!

Wishing you all a very Happy Holiday Season!

Somebody Turned 4!

I've been having problems uploading pics to the blog, but am finally getting them added today.... Here are a few pics from Leyton's 4th (wow, can't believe he is four!) Birthday... 18 December 2006.


Here he is with friends from school.... Try hosting a party where the majority of the atendees don't speak your language.... (and the parents just drop them off and leave.... No control at all.... Oh well, lesson learned for next year!)

These masks were too cute.... The Deutsche kids especially loved them, They aren't as big on birthday parties as us Commercialized Americans....


A good time was had by all.... and of course, Leyton made out like a bandit.... We are going to have to start having his birthday in July, so that we can spread out some of the wealth.... Talk about present overkill.... Birthday and Christmas a week apart.... it's insane!

I think the photo says it all...

Well, Here we are.... still waiting... Week 31 has come and is now on its way out.... along with 2006. A year ago, we really thought we would have a daughter by now.... Funny how things work out. We are still patiently waiting, and are still #3.... Hopefully, we will hear something soon... I long for the day that I can post Happy referral news! I wish this button was real... especially if pushing it meant that we could cross into the referral stage! Keep your fingers crossed...

A Break for Disneyland Paris!

After such an up-and-down rollercoaster of a year, we decided to take a little break and head to the home of some great rollercoasters and a mouse you might know.... Disneyland Paris. Leyton loved it! Here he is at the entrance for Disney Studios.

A great time was had by all, as you can see from the above pic of Jon and Leyton enjoying the Orbitron. It was so nice to take Leyton somewhere, where there are seatbelts and safety guidlines for the rides.... they often have carnivals here in Germany, but I hate to take him, because I am so afraid he will fall out of a ride.

You can't have a pic parade from Disneyland, without at least one with the castle in the background.

Wow... you would think we had been waiting in line all day, to see the stunt show.... here, we were only in line about 10 minutes....

Leyton and his pal, the green rubber alien.....

6 Months Down....

Sorry that I haven't posted lately.... I have been so busy!

It is hard to believe that we have been officially waiting for a referral for over 6 months. We were #4 for an excruciating amount of time, and it was made even worse, when we slipped to #5 with the death of baby that had been referred. But, good news... There have been a few referrals, and we are now #3! Our referral could come any day, or sometime in the next few months.... we are trying to remain patient..... IT'S HARD!

Trick or Treat!

Happy Halloween! (and week 23!)

Today was Halloween, and in celebration, we spent the afternoon/evening with friends, carving pumpkins and 'trick-or-treat'ing! A great time was had by all! And it was a great distraction from the email watching I have been doing. Our agency director made the mistake a few days ago, of telling me that some (not necessarily ours!) referrals would be made this week.... Since then, I must have checked my email at least 1,000 times. Keep your fingers crossed that our time is coming soon!

Here are the boys with thier finished pumpkins.

And what is Halloween without a werewolf?

No Training Wheels; But Shin Guards, Please!

My Sweet boy, has been pestering Jon for weeks, to take off his training wheels.... He is 'a BIG kid, and Big kids don't use training wheels!'

To me, 3 seems a little too young for a 2-wheeler.... but apparently I was
wrong. He took off like a pro, and didn't look back.... He is a natural. I guess you could say that I am proud.... but that might not be strong enough.
He can stop and start by himself, turn around and speed right past me, though he is a little nervous around parked cars....










He can even take a 'spill' like a champ! Nothing broken, no tears! My baby is growing up!

He is also very much enjoying soccer,
or 'fussball' as he likes to call it!

He is improving every week, and for his first year, I think he doing really well.... he has even scored a few goals! He loves soccer. Can't wait to get on the field, and show off his 'moves'....

He is hillarious.... 3 going on at least 7 or 8.













This is from his game last weekend.... He gets right in there... and let me tell you, that blue team is vicious... they are all about to 'age out' of the 3-5 age group.... they look like giants on the field with our red team!

Week 22, Sad News and Reality.

Here we are at week 22....When I look at it typed out like that, it seems almost unreal.... I can't believe that we have been officially waiting for that long. We are in the homestretch now.... I hope!


Today, I learned of some very sad news. It really brings home the reality that we as adoptive parents are facing.... A fellow adoptive family from our agency (received their referral in September) lost thier baby girl to a blood infection last night.
It is hard for me to comprehend thier loss. I can't imagine how devestated I would be at hearing that news for myself. Thier little girl, was only 2 months old.... She was still in the care of the orphanage, and became ill... She was taken to the hospital, and treated, but they just didn't have the tools. It is sad to think that she might have made it, if she were in the US...this is the unfortunate reality of life in Africa.
Though this is not a 'common' occurance, we have lost a few babies this way, in the past few months.
This family is in our thoughts and prayers, during this very difficult time.

HOLIDAY GIFT PROJECT

As the holiday season gets closer, I have decided to take on this project for our Adoption Agency. I hope you will find it in your hearts to consider a donation to the fund! We are looking at a total goal of around $6,500. As of today, we have a little under half.... The children would appreciate any donation that you could make!
Thanks for taking the time to read the letter.....

Dear Friends & Family,

Adoption Advocates International (AAI) has helped and continues to help countless orphans and many families with their adoption journeys in Ethiopia. As you know, Ethiopia is a country of great need, with millions of orphans and it's that need that is inspiring me to write this letter.
I have volunteered to organize a Holiday Gift Project for the 130+ Ethiopian orphans at Layla House & Wanna House, and their 105 caregivers. In addition, I believe so much in the generosity of you all as we enter the holiday season that I am hoping we can also sponsor children in a very poor government orphanage, Kebebe Tsehay, as well as Sele Enat, and Kidene Mihret, that receive very little international support. AAI, also has an ongoing sponsorship program that allows families in America to help support the education of orphaned children in Nazret, making it possible for them to continue to live with relatives and attend school after they've lost their parents, and we are hoping to find enough sponsors to help provide a holiday party for them.
Please consider making a tax-deductible donation in one or more of the following ways:

To sponsor a child, we ask that you make a donation of $20, which will be used to purchase a new traditional Ethiopian outfit, a packet of photos of the child in the outfit, a small gift bag of toys, and special food treats, wrapped and ready to open.

To sponsor a caregiver, we ask you to donate $20, which will be used to purchase a holiday gift certificate allowing the staff and their families to have special foods and treats for the holidays. (This year our goal is to find enough sponsors to make the holidays brighter for 300-350 children and workers. )

To help make the holidays special for children in the Nazret program, we ask that you donate an amount of your choosing to go towards a holiday party for these children and their caretakers. A nice party for 400 people with food, music, and a small gift for each child would only cost $500, so that's our goal.

AAI families can collect cash/check donations and send them directly toAAI or if you would like to make your donation by credit card, please goto the AAI website (www.adoptionadvocates.org ) and click on the "donate now" button. Be sure to note"LAYLA KIDS HOLIDAY", "STAFF HOLIDAY", or "NAZRET HOLIDAY PARTY" written in the project preference field.

Since I am responsible for keeping this organized, and to make sure each child and staff member is remembered for the holidays, please keep me updated as to how much you donate and for which project.
You can contact me via email at: socialbug69@hotmail.com .

Our plan is to post (on the AAI website) some group photos of the children who benefit from your donations so that all sponsors can enjoy seeing the smiles they helped create.
Thank you for your help with this project!
Mandie

The Courts are back in Session!

Well, we have just received word from our agency, letting all of us waiting families know that the courts have finally reopened after thier New Years break! That is great news, Families who have already been matched with children, will be able to travel as early as 1 November!
This is also good news for those of us waiters..... The more children that make thier way home to thier families, the more children that will be taken in by AAI, and more referrals will be made! I have always wanted an 'Autumn' baby... maybe this one will be it! Keep your fingers crossed....
As a side note... no news of new referrals.... still holding at #4.

There is No Me Without You....

I have to plug this book, written by a fellow adoptive parent. Melissa Fay Greene is an excellent writer, And I am drawn into this amazing story, inspired by true events.... It is a great read.

Please read the review below. And if you have time, I urge you pick up a copy at a bookstore or library.... It's worth it.

From Publishers WeeklyStarred Review. Not unlike the AIDS pandemic itself, the odyssey of Haregewoin Teferra, who took in AIDS orphans, began in small stages and grew to irrevocably transform her life from that of "a nice neighborhood lady" to a figure of fame, infamy and ultimate restoration. In telling her story, journalist Greene who had adopted two Ethiopian children before meeting Teferra, juggles political history, medical reportage and personal memoir. While succinctly interspersing a history of Ethiopia, lucidly tracing the history of AIDS from its early manifestation as "slim disease" in the late 1970s to its appearance as a bizarrely aggressive [form] of Kaposi's sarcoma in the early 1980s, and following the complex path of medication (a super highway in the West, a trail in Africa), Greene rescues Teferra from undeserved oblivion as well as rescuing her from undeserved obloquy (false accusations of child selling). As with her previous books (Praying for Sheetrock; The Temple Bombing; Last Man Out), Greene takes a very close look at what appears to be the fringe of an important social event and illuminates the entire subject. Ethiopia is home to "the second-highest concentration of AIDS orphans in the world"; even as some of the orphans find happy endings in American homes, Greene keeps the urgency of the greater crisis before us in this moving, impassioned narrative. (Sept.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Fabulous week of referrals!

Don't let the title fool you..... We are still waiting....
However, It has been a great week for referrals! On Monday, 4 families received referrals of beautiful, big-eyed babies! That moves us up to #4!!!!!

We are finally in the top 5! How exciting!

We are still not expecting any news of our own till November, as to not have any disgruntled feelings, if it shouldn't happen till then, but I have to say, it really is moving along! And the referrals this week have been a spirit-lifter!

If we keep this pace, it should be no time at all!

The Missing Dinopark Photos...

Leyton and 'Cera'....

And if you could've only seen his face in this moment....

He assures me he was only 'a little bit scared!'

Good thing they were fenced in!

Bitte Warten sie.... Or, Please hold the line....

When you call up a German company... such as the TKS Phone monopoly... This is what you hear.... along with a little polka music....

This is kind of how I see our wait....

A pause on the line, followed by a deutsche speaker denying his or her english capabilities, only to transfer me right away to another line that also puts me on hold.... and inevitably, when connected, it is someone who also denies speaking English. (By the way, I find this very hard to believe.)

Anyway.... Now that we are entering week 16, I have just received some great news from a dear adoption friend. A, and her husband, who also started the process around the same time as us.... have just received the referral of a beautiful baby girl. They were able to turn in thier dossier 2 months before us, since some of our original paperwork was expiring and we had to get it renewed. They had been waiting almost 6 months, to the day!
We also received news yesterday from the director of AAI, (who is traveling to Ethiopia this week) that they have received a few new babies, a couple of toddlers, and a bunch of new older kids. We will most likely not receive a referral from this batch, but we are getting closer. We are definitely in the single digits, and it really doesn't seem so far off anymore! I just hope that we can have her home before it is time to pack up and move!

As always... we are thankful for your thoughts and prayers... keep them coming!

The 1st Day of School...

Wow... It is really hard for me to believe that it is September already... And that we are already a week into it! This year has really been flying by! (Of course this is good for our waiting... But man, 8 months gone already!)

With the beginning of September, came the start of a new Kindergarten year. Here is Leyton after a fantastic first day of school.... I am so happy that he has the opportunity to attend German Kindergarten. He has learned so much in the past year (he started going in October 05 at 2.5 years old). The Teachers there are very proud of him, as am I! He now has a fluent 3-4 year old German vocabulary... And proudly exclaims "I am a Deutsche speaker and an English speaker!" or " I'm a Deutschelander and Oma (grandma) lives in America." And sad but true, he even translates for me on occasion..... I know... I know....after 6 years here, I really should have a handle on the Deutsche....

As hard as I try, Meine Deutsche ist nicht gut!

I can read a little, and speak enough to get by... but not like my little Leyton. It is sad to think that he will lose it all when we return to the States.... I hope we can live near a German community, or meet some German speakers so that he can keep it active. What an asset.

Leyton thought it would be fun to share some pics from our trip to the Dinopark a week ago.... And I have to agree... the blog is a bit stuffy, with a lot of whinning, and not so much fun. Sorry about that... I will try to do better, I promise! This of course, is a Taradon.... It is hard to believe how realistic these 'Dinos' looked.... I think he was a little scared a few times... Germany has so many neat things to offer... This park is only about 40 mins from our house, and was worth the trip... besides the towering exhibits... it also had a rock pile complete with picks and hammers for the kids to break rocks and look for fossils.... Leyton found one. Very cool!

**I'm experiencing a little difficulty loading all the pics... so check back, I will try again later.

In other news.... Soccer Season... or Fussball as its called in the land of the World Cup.... is upon us.... Check back for pics from the 1st big match! Leyton is so excited to be playing soccer.... and it will be both hillarious and entertaining to watch a bunch of 3-4 year olds kicking each other in the shins and picking up the ball and running... I'm looking forward to the game.

Referral Wait Week...

Wow... we are

now starting week #14 of the referral waiting time warp.

There has been some great news on our agency forum, however... Several families have received referrals in the past 2 weeks. And as I have said before, we are movin' on up the list (my best educated guess is that we are getting closer to the single digits...maybe #10 or 11.)! The average wait time right now, is 27-30 weeks.... So we are about half-way there. We knew this going into the process, so it comes as no surprise. However, knowing in advance that you could be on a list, waiting for months does nothing for the heartache of actually waiting.

Thank goodness I have plenty to keep me busy...

I have begun the collection of fabrics for the 100 good wishes quilt... anyone who wishes to send in a square of fabric and a wish, is welcome to do so... (see archive "Things to do while we wait" for instructions!)

I had planned on beginning the quilt right away, but I still have squares showing up in my mailbox, so I am putting it on hold for a while to allow them all to arrive... Thanks to you all, who are participating... I have received some great fabrics, and wishes... I am really looking forward to completing this project.

Things you learn when you have sons....

You find out interesting things when you have sons, like...

1.) A king size waterbed holds enough water to fill a 2000 sq. ft.house 4 inches deep.

2.) If you spray hair spray on dust bunnies and run over them with roller blades, they can ignite.

3.) A 3-year old Boy's voice is louder than 200 adults in a crowded restaurant.

4.) If you hook a dog leash over a ceiling fan, the motor is not strong enough to rotate a 42 pound Boy wearing Batman underwear and a Superman cape. It is strong enough, however, if tied to a paint can, to spread paint on all four walls of a 20x20 ft. room.

5.) You should not throw baseballs up when the ceiling fan is on.When using a ceiling fan as a bat, you have to throw the ball up a few times before you get a hit. A ceiling fan can hit a baseball a long way.

6.) The glass in windows (even double-pane) doesn't stop a baseball hit by a ceiling fan.

7.) When you hear the toilet flush and the words "uh oh", it's already too late.

8.) Brake fluid mixed with Clorox makes smoke, and lots of it.

9.) A six-year old Boy can start a fire with a flint rock even though a 36-year old Man says they can only do it in the movies.

10.) Certain Lego's will pass through the digestive tract of a 4-year old Boy.

11.) Play dough and microwave should not be used in the same sentence.

12.) Super glue is forever.

13.) No matter how much Jell-O you put in a swimming pool you still can't walk on water.

14.) Pool filters do not like Jell-O.

15.) VCR's do not eject "PB & J" sandwiches even though TVcommercials show they do.

16.) Garbage bags do not make good parachutes.

17.) Marbles in gas tanks make lots of noise when driving.

18.) You probably DO NOT want to know what that odor is.

19.) Always look in the oven before you turn it on; plastic toys do not like ovens.

20.) The fire department in Austin , TX has a 5-minute response time.

21.) The spin cycle on the washing machine does not make earthworms dizzy.

22.) It will, however, make cats dizzy.

23.) Cats throw up twice their body weight when dizzy.

24.) 80% of Women will pass this on to almost all of their friends, with or without kids.

25.) 80% of Men who read this will try mixing the Clorox and brake fluid.

This post came from an adoption web-group that I belong to... It makes me very Thankful that we do not have a ceiling fan!

Week 11... And a Plug for sponsorship.

As we settle in to week 11, it is hard to believe that we could be waiting 30+ weeks. If that is the case, (And I hope it isn't!) we are almost 1/2 way there.
There continue to be children picked up by families, and new children arriving at Layla House (our agency's care center). Every week , there have been referrals made. The last time we were updated by the agency (a few weeks ago), there were about 10-15 families in front of us in line. That means that approximately 30 families have received thier referrals since our dossier was sent. We were #45, when we were officially put on the waiting list.

This is great news... for both the families waiting and the children being matched.

A few weeks ago, I received a letter from the father of Tilahun, the little boy that we are sponsoring to go to school in Addis. I am an emotional person anyway, but it really brought tears to my eyes, to read the letter. The program we are sponsoring him through is normally for Orphaned students, to keep them in the custody of extended family members, or friends. Tilahun (7) is very lucky to still have both parents... He also has a younger brother (5) and two younger sisters(3 & 1). His mother and father are very poor. His mother doesn't work, as she stays home to take care of the youngest children. Tefera, his father, is deaf. He is attending university (with sponsorship from another family in the States...) to become a teacher at a school for deaf children. He works odd jobs in his off-time, and they scrape by, with very little.

We send $30 per month, which goes through our agency, to help with Tilahun's school tuition, and uniforms, along with supplies.

If anyone is interested, $30 is a small amount to pay to keep a family together. Without our sponsorship, It is likely that Tilahun's parents would have to give up 2 or more of thier children.

There are many sponsorhip programs out there, but you can find information at the link below for the Orphaned Student Project that we support....

http://www.adoptionadvocates.org/AAI/HowCanYouHelp.htm

Tefera is a proud man. He is doing the best he can for his family. It is very important to him, to complete his education, and make a better life for his children. The letter I received was a little bit difficult to understand the first time through, since it looked as though it had been translated from Ethiopia's native Amharic, to English via one of those free translation sites online. But there was no doubt that he was very grateful for the help that we are giving him.

I hope that while we are in Addis, we will be able to meet them. To hug them, and let them know that they will not be among the 'lost and forgotten' in Ethiopia.

Sorry for the delay...

Well, I am one of those people who believe that if you don't have something nice to say, you are better off saying nothing at all...

I guess that is why I haven't posted in the past few weeks. We are still in the 'hear nothing' stage.... We were very optimistic that we would have a referral this summer, and be able to travel by Nov/Dec to pick up our little one, but it isn't looking good.... This week a family that has been waiting since December for a referral was FINALLY referred a beautiful baby girl... only 2 months old. There are many families in front of us in line, and I don't know if my patience will hold out! (Keep in mind we have only been officially waiting for just under 2 months!)

Today we received a video of waiting children. How I wish we could take them all in! So many kids.... most of them older, or with siblings....Some that have been waiting for many months, years... so sad. AAI really does all they can to place these older children. Many older kids find families through them. Maybe in a few years when Leyton and Baby girl "X" are older..... ( I know.... Jon is saying over my shoulder... 'let's worry about this one first!')

Well, anyway... I just wanted to stop by and let all of you who might still be checking in, know that we hadn't fallen off the face of the earth, and we haven't gotten 'lucky' and made the trip to Ethiopia already!

We are still here.... still waiting.... still pouting..... Keep us in your prayers that she is out there, and will find her way to us Very, very soon!

1 month down.... hopefully not too many more to go!

Well, it is official. We have been waiting for our referral 1 month already. Honestly, I thought it would seem much longer than it has. Of course, each morning when I wake up, I rush to log into my inbox, to see if by some freak of nature, I have received the word.... That hasn't been the case yet, but I'm sure that we will be hearing something in the not too distant future!

The director of AAI has been in Ethiopia for the past week, and said that Layla House will be getting several new babies and older children in the coming weeks. Of course, there is a 3 month mandatory wait before the babies can be reffered. The Ethiopian Government has applied this rule, to make sure that someone doesn't come back for the babies, and it also provides adequate time for medical evaluation.
Everything will work out, and we will get the baby that we were meant to have.
Looking forward to that day!

The all-day Embassy trip...

There has to be a better way to do things at the US Embassy in Frankfurt.

Wednesday morning, bright and early (7am)... Jon, Leyton and I piled into the car for the (what should be) 2 hour drive to Frankfurt for our embassy appointment. We arrived in the city with little problem, and to our surprise found a front-row parking spot.... Where was the line???
Hmmm... after further inspection, we discovered that the Consulate had moved. Yes, Moved.... no, they didn't tell me that, the 500 times I have had them on the phone in the past year.... Nor, did they have a sign up, indicating so. By the sheer grace of God, a very nice English-speaking cab driver pulled up beside us, and let us in on the secret.... He was also kind enough to draw us a map. He assured us that it was no more than 15 minutes away, so we hopped in the car, and headed out. We soon realized that we had missed a major turn in the road, and were on the wrong track.... Needless to say, it was 10:30 by the time we arrived at the new/improved Embassy. The line we were looking for before, was now 3 huge lines.... No signs, or directions of any kind.... We went up to the building to ask where we needed to be, and the guy kindly replied.... 'to the left'. That would have been fine, but there were two lines on the left. One line 1/2 a mile long... the other, about 1/4mile.... Jon jumped in the long line, and after standing there a few minutes, I realized we were the only people in the line speaking English. I decided that this couldn't be right, so I got in the other line, and waited patiently for someone to ask. Finally after about 10 minutes (and the lines not moving at all...) An officer came out, to announce that the computers were down, and that the passport services were on hold. Thank goodness that wasn't what we were there for. We had an appointment to refile our I-600 A.... Preapproval for an Orphan Visa. After finding that out, he gave us a number and let us inside... (10:58am..He didn't even check our ID's.) We went inside, where we were told to sit and watch a board for our number to come up.... then we could go upstairs and wait some more.... Hmmmm....
At about 1:15, our number was finally called. Thank goodness that I have had a phone relationship with the woman at window #15 for the past 6 months... Sandra was nice, and took our paperwork, and gave us a form that had to be delivered to the 1st floor, paid for and then returned to the window, before they would go ahead with the processing of our application. We went to pay, returned with our receipt, and waited some more.... at 1:45, we were told it would be about 30 minutes before the form would be completed. By 2:30, we were on our way out of Frankfurt, only to be stuck in traffic.... We didn't make it home till nearly 7pm.... What a day. Too bad We will have to do it all again before we travel to pick up our little girl.... I still have to get my passport ammended. I know... I know.... I've been married almost 6 years, and still have my maiden name on my passport... Oh well, Another day.

On a happier note, more referrals have been made, so we are moving up!