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Monday, August 31, 2009

Travel Conference Call Today

Now, this is getting very exciting! We had our travel conference call today with our agency, along with 11 other families. This is quite a big travel group. They prepared us for our trip, what to expect in country, how to dress, and how to fill out all the paperwork, the weather, the altitude, everything. What is most exciting is the fact that there is only one more email we expect to receive in the next day or 2 in which it will give us the official "OK TO TRAVEL" . So.............we are literally almost there. We have jumped all the hurdles and this journey has come to the climax. We are actually going to get to finalize our plane tickets in just a day or 2. This is very exciting. Cannot wait to hold our angel and just love her. This is the fun part, I must admit. I still cannot imagine getting on the plane and being on our way.

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Now the Fun Begins :)

We got an email today that says we have a scheduled conference call with our agency for Monday morning, along with the rest of the families in our travel group for Sep 17. This call will go over how we are supposed to fill out all the immigration and visa appt paperwork. Its good to know the agency is there to help us with this. Its kinda like income tax papers. AHHH! But, we have made it through the entire dossier, so this should be manageable. So, for those yet to pass court, or receive a referral, do not stress when you get these papers. Supposedly help is a phone call away. This is still not the official OK to travel, but it is the last thing to do before we get the OK to travel! YAY! I am actually getting very excited, nervous that we will forget something very important, nervous about leaving our son behind, already nervous about us making sure our 6 year old will continue to receive the attention he needs and thrives on. Tomorrow we are going shopping for much needed travel items, HOH donation items and blinds for Annsleighs room.....because..........in 3 weeks........SHE WILL BE IN HER ROOM!!!!!!!!!!!!! IN OUR HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!! WITH US FOREVER!!!!!!!!!!!CAN YOU TELL I AM EXCITED?????

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

We Got Teased Today!

Today, we got an email from our agency that said we may indeed get to travel 1 week earlier than anticipated, meaning we would leave a week from this Saturday!!!! There are so many families scheduled to travel the 17th that the country is willing to open up another visa appt date, which usually are only on the 1st and 3rd Thurs of every month. Yikes!!! You talk about excited! But, then the agency emailed back and said that we probably wouldnt travel early because in order to do that, they needed enough families willing to change their plans from the 17th of Sep up to the 10th of Sep and supposedly not enough families were "willling to travel early and change their plans"?!?!?!? What in the world?!?!!? Who in their right mind would say, "Oh, we have waited too long to bring our child home, but thats ok, we will just leave at the later date!!!!??!?!?" I dont get it. If we were told we could leave NOW, we would. I am still hoping we can leave at the earlier date. We are ready to go, but they do not want to open up a new visa appt date with just 1 or 2 families willing to change. Lord help me! This was just a tease!!! But, I've got to admit, I was a nervous wreck inside in a tizz of excitement about getting the packing done! But, it was a fun nervous. A good nervous. Anyway, maybe by some miracle, we can still travel early. Either way, we are pretty much set for the Sep 17 date and got all of our travel documents today!

Friday, August 21, 2009

We have an update

I dont know what we would do without computers/internet in the adoption world. It would be a very long lonely journey. We have "met" many wonderful supportive families going through all the things we are. And some have been fortunate enough to have their new little ones at home already. Through the adoption blogging world and the adoption yahoo group I stalk regularly, one lovely family, Joe and Kay Heikes, just returned home from Ethiopia with there precious little Lulit. She is an absolute doll. Anyway, by Kay reading my posts and blog, she recognized Annsleighs Ethiopian name, Tihune. And, she met Tihune. It clicked for her when she saw our Annsleighs pictures on the blog. And, we learned a little about our little lady Annsleigh. Here is what Kay said. "I just realized I spent some time with your daughter at HOH at the end of July when we were there. You used her Ethiopian name in a recent post (Tihune) and I recognized it. I looked at your blog and her pics and there she was! I am sure others have given you info on her but she is such a doll. She has SO much personality. There is never a doubt about how she feels! She has the most expressive face and lets everyone know just how she feels. She lights up a room with her smile and breaks your heart with her pouty face :) She is a hoot....She really stood out in my mind when we picked up our little Lulit."
Well, I just want to say a great big thank you to Joe and Kay. Even amidst their excitement in uniting with their new baby girl in Ethiopia, they took the time to take it all in and notice others much loved babies still waiting. It means so much to me. Now, I feel so much better that she really is not as sad as she looks in most all her pictures. Thank you Lord!

Monday, August 10, 2009

Annsleigh is ours!!!!!

Thank you God! Annsleigh is officially ours today! We could not be more proud, thrilled, relieved. Unfortunately we have to wait until a Sept 17 embassy appointment to bring her home, but that just doesnt seem so bad anymore. At least the court issues are over. And, our agency announced that they are no longer affiliated with the orphanage Annsleigh came from because the orphanage director was incompetent with the paperwork. With that all behind us....I cannot stop looking at my new favorite picture of our daughter, Annsleigh......

Sunday, August 9, 2009

Court Date Tomorrow

Well, tomorrow is the very very long awaited day. This month has gone by extremely slow for us, despite us trying to get out and do things to take our mind off our problems. But, it would not be normal to be able to go on with life with one of your children being missed sooooo intensely. We got an updated video of Annsleigh in the mail the other day from our agency. I wish I could say it made me feel good. It did not. She once again just looks so so sad and not stimulated, kind of with a flat affect. That really worries me. She is looking like "this is taking entirely toooo long. My mommy and daddy are sure taking a long time to come get me :( Breaks my heart. She needs to be home and thats all there is to it. She is very very chubby, though. So physically she is thriving, but emotionally she looks very blank in the face. Maybe she was just tired, but all her pics, she looks like this. I cant understand why my good Lord would have allowed it to take this long because it just isnt what my mortal eyes can see. I know He knows, but I would never want any of my children to suffer "because its part of His plan". I struggle with this. I have in the past too. Anyway, I will now thank my good Lord in advance for seeing to it that everything tomorrow has gone well and that we have reason to celebrate.