We bought a pea pod for our trip a while back. They remind me of baby tents. They seem to be really neat b/c your baby can sleep in them and they fold up to where they are small and light weight (about the size of a car window shade). I saw a blog, that someone had written right after they came back from Ethiopia, where they mentioned that they wished they had brought a pack and play. Cribs can be hard to come by at times and so they recommended you bring something for your baby to sleep in. I hauled my pack and play across the living room and decided that I was for sure not bringing that on our trip. So, I did some research and found these. They seem to be perfect for traveling esp. when you aren't sure if you will be provided with a crib or not. Plus, they have screens which keep mosquitoes out. Not that we plan on having tons of mosquitoes in our hotel room...
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Pea Pod
We bought a pea pod for our trip a while back. They remind me of baby tents. They seem to be really neat b/c your baby can sleep in them and they fold up to where they are small and light weight (about the size of a car window shade). I saw a blog, that someone had written right after they came back from Ethiopia, where they mentioned that they wished they had brought a pack and play. Cribs can be hard to come by at times and so they recommended you bring something for your baby to sleep in. I hauled my pack and play across the living room and decided that I was for sure not bringing that on our trip. So, I did some research and found these. They seem to be perfect for traveling esp. when you aren't sure if you will be provided with a crib or not. Plus, they have screens which keep mosquitoes out. Not that we plan on having tons of mosquitoes in our hotel room...
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Wyoming!
My Grandpa's birthday dinner!
Mountains, sage brush, and snow!
Outside of Buffalo
Let it snow!Just another day...
There is an Addis church! It is a Christian church...they said they were non denominational with Church of Christ roots. They currently rent space in a building. The church is pretty small, probably 20-25 people. I think this is very neat. I will have to send a few e-mails to find out more information!
My sister wanted me to look and see how to pronounce grandma, grandpa, aunt, and uncle in Amharic. I found this site while looking: http://www.amharic.com/ I might have to look into getting something to help learn the language and keep our child using the language!
My sister wanted me to look and see how to pronounce grandma, grandpa, aunt, and uncle in Amharic. I found this site while looking: http://www.amharic.com/ I might have to look into getting something to help learn the language and keep our child using the language!
I have also seen a few onesies that I am going to make for our baby!
Monday, December 24, 2007
My Turn
This is actually the first time I have been able to get on the blog site and post myself. Before I was e-mailing David and he was posting for me. He had been working so much and forgot to give me the access info. Now I have the passwords, etc. so that I can add, edit, etc. also! My next goal is to get our blog on the Gladney site.
Congratulations to Matt and Renee! They go and get their son the week of 01/14/2008!! We are very excited for you and pray that everything goes well for you! Check out their link (located to the right) "Our Ethiopian Adventure" it's really neat. They have opened their arms to adopt an older child. We are proud of your guys & know that you'll make great parents.
Renee and I were talking and we want their son to teach our child some words in their native language. We know our child, being so young, will loose most of the language but it will still be neat to know some words. Plus, it will be neat to have two kids from Ethiopia in the family.
Here is a post I wrote December 21st- I just haven't had time to get it put on our site.
Today I spent part of the day looking at blogs- I think I looked at just about every blog posted on the Gladney site. It was really neat b/c I have spent a good deal of time looking at these blogs before, but I felt like I was seeing them for the first time. I am at my grandpa's house in Wyoming and he has cable. Thanks grandpa! All we have at our house is dial-up (which is fine for most things). But, with cable the pictures came in clearly and it didn't take 1-2 hours to open a site or 4-5 to download a video clip!! Plus sites didn't just close down on me b/c they were too much to handle. I was excited to see David add the video clip "One Year Later" it is a really cute video and we have really enjoyed watching it. So, those of you that have something more than dail-up check it out! ;)
The blogs are so cute. They make me even more impatient for our referral. We still have our home study to do and our dossier but I still look forward to that day. One agency we looked at called the paper case the "paper pregnancy." I think thats a neat way to think about it. Its fun to read what everyone has been up to and how their adoption is unfolding. It is unbelieveable how many people are waiting for their referral on the Gladney site. I think its neat how more people are adding to their families through adoption. We recieved an e-mail that there were so many people working on adopting through Ethiopia that Gladney is having to add to their staff. I am not surprised after seeing all of the blogs.
Congratulations to Matt and Renee! They go and get their son the week of 01/14/2008!! We are very excited for you and pray that everything goes well for you! Check out their link (located to the right) "Our Ethiopian Adventure" it's really neat. They have opened their arms to adopt an older child. We are proud of your guys & know that you'll make great parents.
Renee and I were talking and we want their son to teach our child some words in their native language. We know our child, being so young, will loose most of the language but it will still be neat to know some words. Plus, it will be neat to have two kids from Ethiopia in the family.
Here is a post I wrote December 21st- I just haven't had time to get it put on our site.
Today I spent part of the day looking at blogs- I think I looked at just about every blog posted on the Gladney site. It was really neat b/c I have spent a good deal of time looking at these blogs before, but I felt like I was seeing them for the first time. I am at my grandpa's house in Wyoming and he has cable. Thanks grandpa! All we have at our house is dial-up (which is fine for most things). But, with cable the pictures came in clearly and it didn't take 1-2 hours to open a site or 4-5 to download a video clip!! Plus sites didn't just close down on me b/c they were too much to handle. I was excited to see David add the video clip "One Year Later" it is a really cute video and we have really enjoyed watching it. So, those of you that have something more than dail-up check it out! ;)
The blogs are so cute. They make me even more impatient for our referral. We still have our home study to do and our dossier but I still look forward to that day. One agency we looked at called the paper case the "paper pregnancy." I think thats a neat way to think about it. Its fun to read what everyone has been up to and how their adoption is unfolding. It is unbelieveable how many people are waiting for their referral on the Gladney site. I think its neat how more people are adding to their families through adoption. We recieved an e-mail that there were so many people working on adopting through Ethiopia that Gladney is having to add to their staff. I am not surprised after seeing all of the blogs.
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Reflection on Adoption
Psalm 10:14 states that God is the helper of the fatherless. A few verses down (v.18) the writer states that the Lord hears the "desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry, defending the fatherless and the oppressed, in order that man, who is of the earth, may terrify no more."
Who out there does not need comfort? Who out there has never been terrified? The Bible speaks frequently (literally and figuratively) concerning adoption and those who are fatherless. Do we understand fully the emphasis that is placed on us being adopted by God through Jesus? Do we understand fully the importance of widows and orphans being taken care of?
The above verses for some reason struck within me today. We serve the God of comfort. It is not lost on (the one true) God the plight of those who are afflicted, those who are in pain, those that are struggling, those who are oppressed, and those who are fatherless. Coming face to face with the adoption of our child has given me new incite into passages of the Bible that tell us we can share in the sonship (or adoption) of God. It is of tremendous comfort to know that God has placed things in motion so that we may terrify no more, as well as enjoy the benefits of being apart of the family.
Countless children still await the adoption call similar to the one that has been offered on behalf of God. They are the oppressed, as they have no voice. They are often afflicted as they fail to receive the time, love, and devotion a forever family can provide. Please consider the lessons God demonstrates in the Bible as far as how He views us - as adopted children and how He views those in lowly places. Where would you be without Him? Where would you be without a father, or a father-figure? Where would you be if someone had not made you a priority in their life?
If you are unable to assist directly in the lives of orphans (fatherless), consider the impact you may have indirectly - and figure out ways to help them. They too are highly esteemed by God. They too are our future! Don't forget them - just as God did not forget you...
By the way - the adoption process is a significant test of patience and understanding - please remember all those who are currently engaged in the process (they need it!).
Also be sure to check out the new link to a YouTube video that Chelsea and I really enjoy regarding adopting from Ethiopia. Perhaps that will be us in the not so distant future...
In case you're wondering about the need for adoption in regards to Ethiopia, here is a quote: "A recent UNICEF report states that six million of Ethiopia's children are orphaned due to poverty and illness," Gladney Communications supervisor Nancy Robbins said."
Who out there does not need comfort? Who out there has never been terrified? The Bible speaks frequently (literally and figuratively) concerning adoption and those who are fatherless. Do we understand fully the emphasis that is placed on us being adopted by God through Jesus? Do we understand fully the importance of widows and orphans being taken care of?
The above verses for some reason struck within me today. We serve the God of comfort. It is not lost on (the one true) God the plight of those who are afflicted, those who are in pain, those that are struggling, those who are oppressed, and those who are fatherless. Coming face to face with the adoption of our child has given me new incite into passages of the Bible that tell us we can share in the sonship (or adoption) of God. It is of tremendous comfort to know that God has placed things in motion so that we may terrify no more, as well as enjoy the benefits of being apart of the family.
Countless children still await the adoption call similar to the one that has been offered on behalf of God. They are the oppressed, as they have no voice. They are often afflicted as they fail to receive the time, love, and devotion a forever family can provide. Please consider the lessons God demonstrates in the Bible as far as how He views us - as adopted children and how He views those in lowly places. Where would you be without Him? Where would you be without a father, or a father-figure? Where would you be if someone had not made you a priority in their life?
If you are unable to assist directly in the lives of orphans (fatherless), consider the impact you may have indirectly - and figure out ways to help them. They too are highly esteemed by God. They too are our future! Don't forget them - just as God did not forget you...
By the way - the adoption process is a significant test of patience and understanding - please remember all those who are currently engaged in the process (they need it!).
Also be sure to check out the new link to a YouTube video that Chelsea and I really enjoy regarding adopting from Ethiopia. Perhaps that will be us in the not so distant future...
In case you're wondering about the need for adoption in regards to Ethiopia, here is a quote: "A recent UNICEF report states that six million of Ethiopia's children are orphaned due to poverty and illness," Gladney Communications supervisor Nancy Robbins said."
Friday, December 21, 2007
What a SLACKER!
I feel like such a slacker for not having written on our blog! Each day it seems like our adoption takes more and more precedence in our lives. We're becoming increasingly focused on our prize. We've successfully knocked out a couple of more steps in the adoption process, as we have applied for our CIS I600, and now eagerly await our fingerprint appointment. In addition to this we have also filled out and mailed a majority of the documentation for step 2 and have almost all of our documents for step 3. I think we're getting to the point where we'll only need the CIS approval stating that we'd be great parents, our home study and approval from Gladney, and the Ethiopian governments’ approval and referral. Obviously there are steps associated with each of those, but we can see our progress (almost daily), and it is very exciting.
It's amazing and kind of unbelievable (all at once) to think that this time next year, we'll be celebrating our first Christmas with our new addition. This year is different because we're trying to complete paperwork like crazy, I'm on my fourth month at my new job, and Chelsea is in Wyoming for Christmas (since I'll be working all around it!). My how things change!
We also want to thank everyone who has and continues to visit our blog! It is fun to see where everyone has visited from which encourages us daily! Please feel free to leave any comments or questions on here, or email them to us! We hope this helps keep you up to date on us, as well as what some of the steps are like as we continue pressing on.
It is our prayer that God will bless and be with you, just as He has and continues to do for us...
It's amazing and kind of unbelievable (all at once) to think that this time next year, we'll be celebrating our first Christmas with our new addition. This year is different because we're trying to complete paperwork like crazy, I'm on my fourth month at my new job, and Chelsea is in Wyoming for Christmas (since I'll be working all around it!). My how things change!
We also want to thank everyone who has and continues to visit our blog! It is fun to see where everyone has visited from which encourages us daily! Please feel free to leave any comments or questions on here, or email them to us! We hope this helps keep you up to date on us, as well as what some of the steps are like as we continue pressing on.
It is our prayer that God will bless and be with you, just as He has and continues to do for us...
Monday, December 17, 2007
Each New Day
Wasn’t Chelsea’s blog entry awesome! Her heart never ceases to amaze me. The process of adoption has already been an interesting adventure for us.
Today Chelsea and I were trying to imagine what our plane ride will be like to get our child. Anyone who knows Chelsea knows she doesn’t exactly travel well. By that, I mean she gets motion sick. While this is not a commercial for Dramamine, I think we’ll be purchasing some, because I’ve seen it work! We were joking that she’d probably better take the non non-drowsy kind! That way she’ll be out for the longest part of our flight. Personally, when I fly, I never get sick. On the other hand, I can’t seem to sleep. Airplanes are the only place where I just can’t seem to relax enough to fall asleep (for long periods of time 1hr. +). So, I guess what I’m saying is that I may need a few suggestions on how to relax and rest on the very long flights we’ll be taking – I can just imagine being awake for most of the flights and our connections, and then being a total crab once we finally reach Ethiopia. In many ways this has seemed like Christmas to me (the excitement and anxiety of it all), or even starting a new job. The emotions are absolutely crazy that we seem to feel. I’m assuming that’s typical of any new parent to be…
Anyway, Chelsea has traveled overseas before, and I haven’t. I have been to Mexico several times and she has been to Braz(s)il where her aunt and uncle are missionaries. So I would guess the longest flight I’ve been on is either to Portland, OR or Albany, NY - never had to worry about jet lag before. I’ve never had to worry about flying with an infant either! Lot’s of new things for us on the horizon.
I think Chelsea answers and has answered the adoption questions very well. It is amazing to me that people can’t see the importance of the orphans worldwide. This is one problem where individual families can actually make a difference. Imagine if only one family from every two thousand people who lived above the poverty line across the world would choose to adopt a child. How much difference would there be in the number of orphans? Adopting children not only provides great joy to the parents that adopt them, but also gives the children forever homes. If you have ever experienced inconsistent lifestyles, if you have ever not known where food was going to come from, or had to wonder why you didn’t have parents like everyone else – you might be able to understand on some scale what these children endure – through no fault of their own. We are so pleased and excited to be in the position that we have the opportunity to add a child to our family. It is our prayer that those who are able will also consider the great joy of adding to their families through adoption.
Today Chelsea and I were trying to imagine what our plane ride will be like to get our child. Anyone who knows Chelsea knows she doesn’t exactly travel well. By that, I mean she gets motion sick. While this is not a commercial for Dramamine, I think we’ll be purchasing some, because I’ve seen it work! We were joking that she’d probably better take the non non-drowsy kind! That way she’ll be out for the longest part of our flight. Personally, when I fly, I never get sick. On the other hand, I can’t seem to sleep. Airplanes are the only place where I just can’t seem to relax enough to fall asleep (for long periods of time 1hr. +). So, I guess what I’m saying is that I may need a few suggestions on how to relax and rest on the very long flights we’ll be taking – I can just imagine being awake for most of the flights and our connections, and then being a total crab once we finally reach Ethiopia. In many ways this has seemed like Christmas to me (the excitement and anxiety of it all), or even starting a new job. The emotions are absolutely crazy that we seem to feel. I’m assuming that’s typical of any new parent to be…
Anyway, Chelsea has traveled overseas before, and I haven’t. I have been to Mexico several times and she has been to Braz(s)il where her aunt and uncle are missionaries. So I would guess the longest flight I’ve been on is either to Portland, OR or Albany, NY - never had to worry about jet lag before. I’ve never had to worry about flying with an infant either! Lot’s of new things for us on the horizon.
I think Chelsea answers and has answered the adoption questions very well. It is amazing to me that people can’t see the importance of the orphans worldwide. This is one problem where individual families can actually make a difference. Imagine if only one family from every two thousand people who lived above the poverty line across the world would choose to adopt a child. How much difference would there be in the number of orphans? Adopting children not only provides great joy to the parents that adopt them, but also gives the children forever homes. If you have ever experienced inconsistent lifestyles, if you have ever not known where food was going to come from, or had to wonder why you didn’t have parents like everyone else – you might be able to understand on some scale what these children endure – through no fault of their own. We are so pleased and excited to be in the position that we have the opportunity to add a child to our family. It is our prayer that those who are able will also consider the great joy of adding to their families through adoption.
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