My Family, My Journey: SIX DAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

SIX DAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!

All the worrying and waiting and wondering about when is over!

We leave in SIX DAYS!!!!

SIX DAYS, PEOPLE!!! Can you believe it???

Finally, on this last important step of the process, we fall into the BEST CASE SCENARIO!

Hallelujah!!!

Holy cow!!!

SIX DAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

24 comments:

The Busters said...: I just went and watched the video again and it still brings me to tears!! So unbelievably happy for you guys. 6 days!!!!!!! Sending you so much love!!!!; Wednesday, May 12, 2010
emily said...: Praise the Lord, mama is coming boys!!!; Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Lisa said...: Woohoo!!! It's about time! See you in Ethiopia!; Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Gail said...: Amazing! SIX days.

congratulations!; Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Evelyn said...: Chillbumps all over! So happy for you and your boys! YOU and YOUR BOYS! Together soon!; Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Rebecca said...: freaking out and wanting to make lists for you. yes, i am a dork! but seriously ... how can you pack with the excitement? i am having a hard enough time typing!!!!!!!!; Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Unknown said...: Congrats and happy packing! Enjoy Ethiopia and your babies!!!!; Wednesday, May 12, 2010
InventingLiz said...: Whoohoo! So glad at least THIS part of the wait happened in record time!; Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Robyn said...: Overjoyed that this worked out for you all!; Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Heather said...: happy dance happy dance happy dance!; Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Engendo said...: WOW! Thank the Lord this is awesome! I've been praying for you.; Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Belleme said...: WOW! So great! Kiss my baby for me! Have an amazing time! :); Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Matt and Kristi said...: Ever since I started following your story, I have hoped and prayed that you and Lisa would travel at the same time. Now here we are, after all those delays and waits and uncertainties in both of your journeys and you're traveling together!!!!

Kristi (Lisa's sister); Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Claudia said...: oh, HURRAH!; Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Joy Primm said...: Heidi,

We don't know each other, but I recently happened upon your blog from the FBI site (I think??). My family is currently in process of adopting a baby girl from Ethiopia, and I have been so moved by your story!

I've loved checking in over the past few days to see when you would be traveling, and today I have HAPPY TEARS for you!!! Praising God for this incredible news, and I couldn't be more thrilled for you that you get to see your boys in just a week.

Blessings to you and your precious family!

Joy; Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Kellie said...: WooHoo! I am so excited for you guys. Hopefully we won't be far behind!; Wednesday, May 12, 2010
kn said...: sitting here on the train with the biggest smile on my face! the boys are going to have hugs from their mom and dad in I guess seven days? how wonderful!!!!!!

So happy that this part of it is going smoothly! ( I would think this would be the most difficult part of the waiting so I'm happy it's coming so quickly!!); Wednesday, May 12, 2010
ELYSSA said...: So happy to read about your great news! Can't wait for our first playdate.; Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Wes and Layla said...: Woah! Yeah! No more waiting!; Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Tam and Kai - NYC said...: YES!!!!!!!!!!
YOU are packing!!!!
There aren't enough exclamation points in the world to express my excitement and happiness for the four of you!
Oh boy!!! I'm getting anxious for you! and those boys are going to FLIP when you and Mark walk in the room - oh my word!
Congrats!!!!; Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Sara said...: Less than a week! You are ready. Your boys are ready. Go get 'em! Such fantastic news!; Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Amy said...: OMG! I am so excited for you! Amazing! Six days! I am so happy that they didn't make you wait an hour longer, you have all waited long enough.
Congratulations and safe travels to meet your sons!; Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Jackie Harmon said...: CONGRATULATIONS! I am so excited for you guys and can't wait to see a picture with you family all together!; Thursday, May 13, 2010
Cindy said...: Amazing! Congratulations!; Thursday, May 13, 2010

Timeline

*PAPER CHASE/5.5 MNTHS*
6-27-08: Register for orientation with local agency
7-16-08: Attend orientation with local agency
8-19-08: Decide to adopt from Ethiopia through Gladney. Best decisions ever!
8-28-08: Attend orientation with Gladney
8-28-08: 1st Home Study interview
9-25-08: Home study interviews completed & all Gladney paper work submitted
9-30-08: CIS fingerprints
10-2-08: FBI clearance
11-12-08: Home Study report completed
11-25-08: Gladney approval
12-4-08: CIS approval
*WAIT FOR REFERRAL/13 MNTHS*
12-11-08: Wait list!!!!!!!
4-21-09: Increased our age preference hoping to speed things up (HA!)
8-29-09: Heidi's medicals updated
9-15-09: Mark's medicals updated
9-20-09: Travel Immunizatons
11-10-09: Sent in request for CIS fingerprint updates
11-11-09: Gladney calls to review our age preference
11-17-09: Gladney calls again and tells us about twin boys who *might* become available. We agree to increasing our age preference in order to pursue these boys.
11-21-09: Receive CIS fingerprint appointment
12-16-09: Have CIS fingerprints taken
1-4-10: Referral!!!!!!! 28 month old twin boys!!!!!
*WAIT TO PASS COURT/4 MNTHS*
1-19-10: Start home study update
2-18-10: CIS fingerprints cleared
3-4-10: Home study update completed/sent CIS extension request
3-30-10: File submitted to courts!
3-31-10: Received court date!
4-22-10: Received CIS approval extension
4-23-10: 1st court date
4-28-10: 2nd court date
5-05-10: 3rd court date
05-06-10: 4th and final court date! We're a family!
5-12-10: Receive travel dates!
5-18-10: Travel!
6-1-10: Home as a family of SEVEN (four humans, three puppy dogs!)

Fun Facts About Ethiopia

•Ethiopia has been around for a very long time. The country's Rift Valley is known as the cradle of humanity - fossils of the oldest known upright hominid (4-million years old) were found here in 2005, surpassing the famous 3.5-million-year-old 'Lucy', which was discovered in the same region back in 1974.

•A thousand years before Christ, the Queen of Sheba, we are told, traveled to Jerusalem where she met King Solomon, married him, and had a son, Menelik. When Menelik reached maturity, it is said he left Jerusalem and took with him the Ark of the Covenant, containing the original 10 commandments, back to Ethiopia. The Ethiopian Christian Orthodox Church says it still has the ark in its possession. No one else makes such a claim...

•Ethiopia's official religion is the 1700 year old Ethiopian Christian Orthodox Church. The Jews of Ethiopia, Beta Israel, are said to have been there for 3000 years. And its Muslim adherents have practiced Islam for 1300 years. Ethiopia is split religiously, with official statistics of 35% to 40% Ethiopian Orthodox primarily in the north, and 45% to 50% Muslim, primarily in the South.

•Ethiopia is the only country in Africa never to be under colonial rule, other than a brief occupation by Italy during WWII. You can visit many restaurants in Ethiopia today due to the influence of Italy during the occupation.

•Traditional Ethiopian food consists of various vegetable or meat dishes, usually a wat or thick stew, served atop injera, which is a large crepe-like sourdough flatbread made from fermented teff flour. One does not eat with utensils, but instead uses a piece of the injera (always with the right hand) to scoop up the sauces.

•The Ethiopian calendar is very similar to the Egyptian Coptic calendar – each have 13 months, 12 with 30 days each and the 13th month at the end of the year with 5 or 6 days, depending on whether it is a leap year. The year starts on September 11th (12th in a leap year). The Ethiopian calendar is 7 years behind the Gregorian calendar, so Ethiopia recently celebrated their millennium on September 12, 2007.

•Coffee can be traced back to the 9th Century where it is believed a shepherd discovered coffee beans in the highlands of Ethiopia, namely the Kaffa region. The Ethiopian people are very proud of their coffee and they show this in their well known coffee ceremonies. The Coffee Ceremony is a very important part of socializing in Ethiopia and to be invited to a coffee ceremony is always considered a sign of respect and friendship.

•There are multiple tribes with different subcultures and over 80 languages in Ethiopia. The Amharic language is a Semitic language spoken in North Central Ethiopia and is the official working language for Ethiopia.

•Family in Ethiopia includes immediate and extended relatives, neighbors, and friends. Faith and family are the foundation of the Ethiopian culture. Ethiopians are very respectful and loving. The elderly are considered very knowledgeable and as a very important part of the family structure. Children are usually raised in a large community that includes extended family and neighbors, and siblings are expected to help take care of each other.