This is the Day We Didnt Get Our I-171

I got soooooo prematurely excited today when the mail came! We've been hoping that our I-171 just might come anyday now in the mail. For those unfamiliar to adoption, once we get that paper in the mail, we are ready to send all of our paperwork to Ethiopia, meaning we are that much closer to bringing our baby home. Well, I went to the mailbox today and as usual quickly flip through the junk mail and bills to see if there is anything from the state. Well, there it was!!! A letter from the Dept of Safety. Yeah, well I got nervous excited inside wondering if I should wake my sleeping husband (he works nights) for the moment of opening the letter. I decided not to and it was a good thing!!!!! It was my new drivers license which expires on my B-day in the beginning of May! How stupid! I forgot I sent off for it. We need something from the Dept of Homeland Security, not the Dept of Safety! Can you tell I have been obssessing about this piece of paper! UGH!! Yeah, I guess this state of mind doesnt get any better as time goes on, just worse as you probably think you've missed the phone call waiting for the referral and travel dates. So, this post is about me not getting my I-171 today. But hey! Oh yeah, I could do a whole post about me getting a new drivers license today!

We All Throw Money Away Everyday

We are all guilty of it from time to time, whether its just buying a pack of gum, or buying a coke at the drive-thru, or buying my son one more trinket toy he doesnt need. Please check this web-site. http://www.specialneedsbaby.blogspot.com/ This is an amazing family who have just brought home a daughter with special needs from Africa, and the Lord has put it strongly on their hearts to bring William home, another special needs child. He is an angel. He will need alot of surgery, support. help and he already has this wonderful family to love him. The problem is the they had no intentions of adopting again so quickly, but God doesnt work on our time-line, as we all know. They are driven by God to bring William home, but they financially need help. All they are asking is for every person that checks their blog to donate $1.00. That is all. Once you read his story, you will want to give, you cant help but give 1 measly dollar to this wonderful family. God bless them

A Mellow Mushroom B-day for Bradley!!!!

Like always, we let the birthday person pick out what restraunt we eat at. Well, our baby turned 5 yesterday (waaaa :'( ) and he chose The Mellow Mushroom. This place is so much fun not only because you get the best pizza and huge delicious calzones, but you get to eat it in a psychadelic old bus sitting in the middle of the restraunt. Well, kids love it! He was going full force from the get go. He had a ball. And by the way, he has the cutest smile, but for the camera, he always does his fake smile.
Here we are eating on the bus! Yummmmm!
We went back to the house for cake and presents. He had a wrestling cake. Bradley LOVES to watch wrestling!

This is Bradleys cousins Jacob and Jon-Thomas. He loves them so much!

Then, his big present was his very first mini-strat guitar. Man, he loves it and strums on it all the time! I think he looks so cute with it. Anyone like any autographs from him now, so you dont have to fight the crowds when he is the next 'rock of love'?

Her First Baby Doll

I came across this most perfect doll for Annsleigh at Toys 'R' Us day before yesterday. I love her because she is soft, perfect for an infant to cuddle, her hair is fun to twiddle, and best of all, when you turn her one way she is awake, when you turn her the other way, she is asleep. How cute it that? Her name was "Anna" on the tag, so from here on out, I am sure you will see "Anna" trying out Annsleighs things.

The Land of Far Far Away......

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I have searched high and low, near and far, to the ends of the earth here on these blogs for someone, anyone that lives near me that either has adopted from Ethiopia or is hoping to adopt from Ethiopia. I truly believe that we are the only family in Tennessee adopting from Ethiopia. And I read many many blogs where the beautiful children get together with other Ethiopia adoptive families and children and I think that is just wonderful. But I wish I could look forward to that for our Annsleigh. I have met many CHI adoptve families in TN, but none from Ethiopia. I dont mean to hurt anyones feelings either, but just wonder if there is any other family out there near us in middle TN adopting from Ethiopia. Am I bad to be asking for this? I just feel lonely and far far away here in Tennessee. Anyone else feel this way? I wish these wonderful "blog friendships" I've made were real in the sense that we could get together with our children when we bring them home. I long for this.

WOOOO HOOOOO!

It is done! This is what our dossier looks like now. Luckily we live so close to Nashville, that we carried the paperwork ourselves, instead of using a courrier. So we got this done today. It feels great to have this much done. All we are waiting on is our 171H and then it is all off to Ethiopia!