" I HAVE A FAMILY"

Well well ...the interview went pretty good, i was nervous and i think i talked to loud and fast (like a car-sales man). Jessica asked lots of questions concerning Little Man S's diagnosis, plus some general attachment and transracial questions (didn't i just write a book about all that??) And today nearly at the very same time I sat down to eat lunch (at an Ethiopian place in Charlotte) - she called me to say WE ARE MATCHED!!!!! We are very excited!!! I was alone in Charlotte b/c John couldnt take time off work...so i ate (lots) and went to IKEA and got a cute new douvet cover and pillows. We have bunk beds and my dream would be for Little Man S to be sharing a room with his big brother Gabe. We do have some questions, which another soon to be ET mom, has raised. I think Little Man S has been in care longer than it says. He is in the Mother Teresa Care Center and HOLT just started placing children from there late last year. So the intake form is really an "intake" from their center.....so i would like some further information about his possible where-abouts before last December. I am fine if, somehow, he has been at the MTCC this whole time- it will have provided stability and early medical care. I would just like access to those medical records as well. No on to more paper work..... *side note* saw an adoptive family of white parents with an African American little girl- approached them in the parking lot of IKEA. It turns out she is Haitian-American, and she was adopted AFTER the earthquake. Seriously i told them that was a miracle. They actually explained that the earthquake expodited thier process since they were told 18 months from referral to home! Thats crazy....the system was already in such a slow-moving creep, I am sos surprised they have her home.

Committee interview tomorrow for little man S

...wish us luck. Our interview is tomorrow. All the questionnaires (13 pages worth) have been turned in...now its on to the next step. Also, to lessen my anxiety, no other families are reqeusting to move forward with Little Man S (upgraded from Baby s since he is 2). So its just us! Pretty promising!
FATHERS DAY-DUH...totally forgot to write about our fathers day trip to Folly Beach- it was great!! I am going to load some pictures in a bit and maybe a video if tecnology gremlins do not have thier way with me.

Its a boy- a 12 year old boy! Our new sponsored child from HOPECHEST

Well i had intended to allow my honors geography class to help pick some of our charities we will be working on for our service learning- geography curriculum this year...but this blog http://www.family-from-afar.blogspot.com/ has gotten me jumping the gun :) We are now sponsoring a 12 year old boy from Trees of Glory center, about 60 km outside of Addis . We sent him a letter and pictures today online. I wish we could send carepackages but HOPECHEST does that for us for birthdays and christmas. I have started following Karens blog and am just moved by her adoption and work with HOPECHEST. I am so jealous she gets to go visit Trees of Glory in November. Well, hopefully that will be close to the timne for a possible court date for us and baby S.
Other news- we have been notified that both parents do not have to travel for court. I do beleive I may be going alone, in this case. This will enable us to save the money we would have spent on John's travel for the second trip. Other wise there would just be one of us picking up our son. This way we both get to take him home.
OTHER NEWS- all documents are in for our homestudy and they are working on the report!!! My HS agency is great, they may be kinda far away but they email me back all the time. Time to get the immigration forms ready- and cop[ies of the agency liscenses ready. ALSO- all questionnaires complete for committee... i am not sure if other families are applying for him. I hope and pray they are not...its as if he is already ours in our hearts. I know we must go through the process.
NEWS ABOUT BABY S- I mentioned his case is a bit different than most children being adopted through HOLT. In baby S's case- he was found around Xmas totally abandoned and taken to the Sister's Mission of Charity- the Mother Theresa Care Center. This is a very large complex that has been in Ethiopia snce 1973. They have a school/care center for HIV + children as well as a center for totally abandoned children. They also are cojoined to a hospital. I did not think baby S was still there until I "met" (online) another woman who has her son there, awaiting a court date. Her son has a very similar story to Baby S. Apparently they will be taken to the HOLT care center right before court. I am not sure of the logistics of this new relationship between HOLT and the Mother Teresa Center, and hope to find out more.
OK.... off to get some work done. Need my yearLY TB test- I will be working with an Autistic person this year agAin...but this time its an adult. I usually work with children. And he is my neighbors son! She needs a care giver starting in August for outings and such, just twice a week or so. He already loves two of my dogs, so I am sure we will take them to the park for walks and such... I am excited about this little part time job....if you are counting, this will be job three .... teaching during the week, music school on Saturdays and working with Robert twice a week. I would love to just have the two very part time jobs and take a little time off teaching...maybe in 2011/2012. Thanks god for FMLA time i get for after the adoption, and my summers off

paper-chasing pregnancy DOES result in weight gain

Ugh i swear i need to be in the gym- my "paper pregnancy" has caused 7 lbs of weight gain!!!! Next week i will have tons of time for the gym- no work and Gabe will be with his dad's family. Today is a good day in that all our materials and documents are finally with our home study agency...i hope we have our final report done by the first week of July (barring a delay with July 4th!) That means we can move on to more grant writing and immigration paper work (this will be our "homework" for August)- Documents for dossier will be homework for August and September- then we are done with the endless paper chasing...i hope... and just wait and wait... Two other families (not from our agency) have their court date for the new "two trip" program....when will the families from our agency begin to get theirs!?!?!?!? So crazy

I am also emailing all the questionnaires to Erin from the Waiting Child Program on Monday.... they are nearly complete. I want John to reread them once more..... At that point i am not sure how long we wait until the committee meets....look- more waiting!!?!

fun pictures

pictures- Gabe and zeeker, me and Gianna in FL- me at Isle Mirada

working on committee and why can't addresses be simple

So tons of mail has been returned from our home-study agency due to a mix-up in address....oh well- things will get there in time. We are still very much ahead of schedule- especially since th e courts are all backed up right now. I really am needing to see the "two trippers" begin to get the court dates and start the "in country" process...otherwise i have this intense anxiety that whole the Ethiopian program is in danger- which means us and baby S. On the Yahoogroup there are many "two tripper" families who have been waiting months for a court date...i am nearly as anxious as they are because i really need to know the process is moving along and we arent in some endless holding pattern.
On another note- we are registering for our adoption education courses...we must complete 10 hours and are using www.adoptionlearningpartners.com for this. I am not certain how this works- if we both have to watch and learn at the same time or what. We will figure it all out.

So its my birthday tomorrow and i dont even feel like its "birthday season"- i almost forgot...i thought it was on thursday, I am a day off- haha. I've already gotten my presents...new cute orange kitten (i need to load pictures)- trip to see friends and family in Fl (100$ from mom and step dad!) and a nice big metal sun to hang on the front porch from John and Gabe- i hope to go out with some friends on Friday- then that shall wrap up my birthday week!

Request to go to Committee!!!!

Well, initially I was going to email HOLT and request to go to committee for baby S on my actual birthday (June 16) but since I am going out of town and my mind will obsess about it- we chose to do it earlier. So we now are officially preparing our questionnaires to go to committee on an adorable, chubby 2 year old who has had issues with his legs- undergone surgery and is undergoing physical therapy, wearing cute "special shoes" and just looking like he is such a charmer. I am lucky to have been emailed nearly 10 or more pictures of him, tons of medical reports and lots of updates. I am thrilled with how HOLT has kept us informed about him. Baby S was the first one we inquired about- back at the end of March...since then the other two boys who we reviewed have been requested by families...yet Baby S waits. Something else that is special- he is also holding a bunny in many pictures. If any of you know my son (my bio son Gabe) then another little boy who loves on a bunny is something special. Gabe has had a blue bunny stuffed animal for over 6 years....it is worn, "loved" threadbare- goes with him everywhere. So gabe has a special connection with little S already. Little S's story is kind of different than other children placed by HOLT...but I will be at liberty to describe that later.

ANYWAY- on with the fundraising! The Ethiopian Coffee Fundraiser is in "FULL BREW"- please support this extra trip we must make! JOIN OUR "CAFFEINE CRAZE FOR A CAUSE"
https://www.justlovecoffee.com/OpeningOurHearts