Clickity-Clack, Clickity-Clack....

...moving on down that track! Another milestone met! Saturday I was fingerprinted by the Immigration Service! yea....

A stroll downtown....I have been authenticated!

I went downtown today, to the Secratary of State, and had my dossier authenticated. Another step in the long list of checkmarks. And a day that seemed would never arrive. But it did and is done.

It was interesting, as I strolled around by the capitol and the downtown area...what diversity. Race, economic status, architecture, and even the state of disrepair and renovation, side by side. I use to work down town, 20 years ago or so. It has changed...of course. Some parts nicer, some unkept. As I people watched, I found myself compelled to pray for this one and that one.

A heavyset young couple, red/blonde haired, sunburned, hot and frustrated, a double stoller with a chubby redhaired little boy in one seat, as the mom tore, what looked like his twin sister out of the dad's arms, spitting venom almost, I could not hear her words, but could she her expression and redfaced anger, the little girl reaching for her days arms, the man just standing. Not a new experience for him, I could tell. Sad. Sad for the little ones. Sad for the couple I had to pray for them.

The African American woman, spouting filth and obscenities at a Hispanic family group walking by, her man just window shopping, as if she wasn't even talking.

Gang clad teens, and teeny-boppers trying hard to be cool.

A bus of Chinese tourist, waiting on a couple taking just one more photo of the capitol buidling then sprinting for the door.

As I walked and looked, and sipped on my Jamba Juice, waiting to be authenticated, I thought, Lord, what rich diversity you created. You made us all. None better than the next. No one superior. No one inferior. And look what we do with it. How will I teach my children about race? What will I teach them? What do they need to know?

Where I see the shade of their skin means absolutely nothing positive or negative, I know they still have to live in that skin. And the world around them does tie meaning to the color of their skin, both negative and positive. How do I prepare them for that?

A few weeks ago, we all watched a movie where an elderly African American man was sharing his family story and how his father was killed, just because of the color of his skin. My boys are young enough, and sheltered enough, they had not yet heard that some people disliked (or still do dislike) other people due to the shade of color of their skin. The thought had never crossed their mind. I love that.

Yet, how do I prepare my daughters for the prejudice they will experience in their life time. And how do I prepare all my children to stand for what is right and be a light to the world around them when it comes to race and stereotypes?

....we are all precious in His sight. I am so glad God made us not all the same shade.

As I teach my children to stand for Christ in a world that is against them, I will also teach them to stand for equality in a world that judges.

I am inadequate to the task. God is more than adequate.

Stop......

ok, snagathis...again.

I thought I was all ready to progress to the next milestone. Yes, I have my homestudy. Yes, I have all my dossier docs.......

well....

Almost...

Since March I asked my homestudy agency to remember to send the post-placment visit document agreement to me. They assured me, yes they would send it with my homestudy.

You guess...did they? :)

Nada....

So I sent a copy again on Monday, asking. Was told by the SW that she would contact the homeoffice, and have not heard back yet....

sigh....

So stopped again.

On a good note, I received a new picture of Olivia today, from another visitor to Ethiopia. Was glad to see that. The last few visitors that have taken pictures did not have any of Olivia. I was beginning to wonder...where is she?

I also got a shortsnippet from Grace who is over their how sweet Olivia is. :)

November will be here before you know it!

In the headlights....

So, I feel like the proverbial deer caught in the headlights. Finally, after waiting 80 days, I have my homestudy IN MY HANDS!

YEA!! The crowd roars!

I feel like it should scramble and hurry and do something. But my work and homelife have me pretty busy for the next three days..so it is just going to sit on my desk for a few. BUT I HAVE IT!

I had hoped to have it into time to have everything completed and get a court date before the rainy season court closure in Ethiopia, but that window has passed. So I will go through my dossier packet one more time, then trott on down to the Secratary of State and get the whole things aunthenticated.

:) Progress.

Stalking the Mailbox...

Well, my long and winding road is moving forward! After 76 days of no activity, my homestudy agency called today and said they are mailing the homestudy today!!!

Yea!!!! So I am stalking the mailbox!

I had a little scare earlier this week. I had this black bag I had all my other dossier papers in, just waiting for the homestudy, to get it all authenticated and sent to Ethiopia...and I LOST IT!

I thought I had it at my work office, but opened the cabinet and it was not there. So then I thought I must have it at home, and it was no where. Not wanting to panic (I HATE STRESS)...I realized any paper in there, I could get again, but it takes a while. My passport was in there too.

SO, I gave my children an incentive. The one who could find the black bag, gets $10.

So a sidenote: I had taken Nick to a Casting Crowns concert for his 10th birthday. He loved it. At the concert they talked about World Vision and sponsoring a child. (http://www.wvi.org/wvi/wviweb.nsf) He was SOOO moved by it, he wanted to sponsor a child himself. I was hesitant, we already sponsor a little girl, Eva, in Mexico through Compassion (http://www.compassion.com/default.htm) I DO have a big heart, but also have lots of expenses, and adoption costs. But Nick felt so passionate about it, he said he would do extra chores to earn the $30 a month. I agreed, so Nick is sponsoring Sharif from Bangladesh.

SO, when Nick heard the reward, he was all over that...said he would have $10 toward his sponsorship for this month. He started upstairs and was looking diligently, under beds, closests...etc. Not an easy task, since we still have tons of boxes yet to unpack. I wanted him to go get his sleeping bag out of the garage, as he was heading off to Ranger camp at 5 am the next morning, but he was impassioned with the search.

SO, I went out to the garage, to dig up the sleeping bag, and what should be sitting beside it? Yep! The black bag!!!! I was overjoyed and camp in the house with the two bags. But then, immediately felt sad. I SOOOO wanted Nick to find it. So I slyly was trying to slip it under the couch with no one noticing, when Nick, at the top of the stairs, said, elated..."You found it!!!" Then turned to sad face, when he realized that yes, IIII had found it.

Trying to find the logic in it, I said, well actually YOU found it. How so? Well, if you had not been hunting so I was the one to go get the sleeping bag, we may not have found it. You might have just grabbed the sleeping bag and walked on by. So because of you, it was found. (Well, a mom has got to try!!)

So he got the reward, (actually Sharif did) and we have the all important papers! Woo-hoo.

So I will spend the next few days stalking the mailbox and getting ready for the next step in the process!!

Leaky Steam Valve

Ok...

I am fairly calm.... (aren't I?) I have been patient. I have come to grips with the timing that I will not be traveling until November or so, when the courts reopen. I have surrendered to God's timing....

but....(ah oh)....I just have to vent for 30 seconds, then let it go.

My homestudy agency!!! UGH!

I used them before, when I adopted my daughter from China two years ago. Was very happy. Went smoothly. Very caring SW.

SO..I thought, this time..no problem. Just an update really, right? So on April 4th, when the second visit was done, and I shared, politely, about the timing and the court closure in Ethiopia..etc. and asked how long...I was told 2 months!!

Didn't seem to care at all that I already had my daughter identified and that the courts would close. 30 days for the social worker to complete her part, and 30 days for the home office to approve and finalize. SO I gentley shared, if there was anyway to expedite, we (my daughter and I) would be grateful.

4 days short of 30 days, I send a gentle inquiry how is it going? Response, haven't started it. :( The following week, I get tons of questions, and hoop jumping requests..(that I could have been spending the last 30 days doing....)... stayed calm and jumped the hoops. Two weeks later, finally send to the homeoffice....hoping they would expedite and make up for lost time.

Homeoffice delays, wants a piece of paper that they would only accept Shimeless signing, and he was in Ethiopia....sigh....

Two days after he is home, he signs and mails it.

I wait.

At day 64, I gently inquire? How is it going? Am told they are working on it and will send the DRAFT to be reviewed by Hope that week.

A week comes and goes. I gently ask, again. AM told, it has not been sent yet. It is still in processing, hopefully this week they will email it to Grace. I share that Grace is going to Ethiopia in a few days (with other things on her agenda, understandably) so the sooner this week, the better.

Today, I get an email asking me about childcare for my kids during the summer, and where have I lived since I was 18...etc. (We went over all of this 70 plus days ago.)

sigh....so I kindly send the responses. And am told they are "processing it". Hopefully done soon.

Sad face. :(

I know it is outside my control.
I know I am just one amoung many.
I know this may be the first Ethiopian adoption this homestudy agency has done.
I know.

I know God's timing is perfect.

I know my daughter will be here at the right time.
I know.

Venting over.....pssssssssssss....escaping steam.

Wait

So.....

Wait, wait, wait....

Still no homestudy....

Was suppose to be 60 days max, that was ...hmmmm, 9 days ago.

Sigh...

Currently waiting for the homestudy agency to send a draft to the international agency for them to say it is ok....then send it to me, so I can move to the next step.

So nothing new....just waiting. Maybe I will hear something this coming week. It is funny, (not funny haha, but funny odd) the book I am reading about adoption talks about how so much of it is outside my control.. and how we can have the tendency to try to over-manage the process or obsess on the parts that are in our control...and I thought, BOY is that me.

So I have been trying to focus on when she comes home. What will it be like, and how to handle the adjustments.....as well as trying to get life in order now (OK pick yourself up off the floor from laughing.)

51 and I am still thinking, one day I will get my act together! Angela, (our au pair) gets here on July 17th, and I SO wanted to have my act together by then! What magic could I perform in the next 30 days, that I have not done in the last 51 years? HA~

Wait...

Worth a Happy Dance......Ethiopian style...

My piece of paper, the waiting piece of paper...is on it's way to my homestudy agency!! Yippee! Now the homestudy can be finished....makes you just want to dance!

Ethiopian Mesgana Dancers... Children of Ethioopia Education Fund. www.coeef.org