One step, two step, red step, blue step... my how many steps there are!

It has been a really exciting week for us. For one, we want to extend our sincere congratulations to the Moak family who picked up their son Henok this week. We are very excited for all of them, as they have been waiting for this moment since the Bright Futures Camp. Fortunately their adoption process had relatively few snags.

The second instance of excitement for us has been the news that we will get to have our home study on January 30th. This seems kind of like a gateway to me. We have retrieved all types of paperwork, however the home study is not something that Chelsea and I can sit down and do on our own. We have to have it performed by an outside source, which is Gladney. Everything else we basically had control over. From this point on it’s pretty much out of our hands. We go through the home study, we submit it to the Department of Homeland Security, and then it goes oversees with our translated and authenticated dossier. It’s almost as if in some way the light at the end of the tunnel is growing brighter.

Another round of excitement has been caused by the addition of an Ethiopian children’s book, “Fire on the Mountain,” as well as some more Ethiopian music. We are continually increasing our knowledge of Ethiopia and her culture. It seems the more we read, see, and hear, the more we fall in love with the country.

The last round of excitement related to our adoption that I would like to comment on is in regards to those of you who have emailed and/or posted comments. We are always amazed at the experiences of others, incite and encouragement, as well as the bonding of fellow hopeful families. For us, we consider you all treasured resources. There are several families, who like us, are in the process of adopting a child. We now share in their joys as well. Thank you for sharing! May God continue to bless all the families currently adopting and those who are now proud parents.