I found this website titled Christmas World, when I was doing some research, and I think it is a great resource for transracial families, adoptive families and any family who enjoys learning about other cultures, and would like to incorporate some culture into their holiday celebrations.

The website has a long list of countries that you can "click" on, to learn about the Christmas customs of that country. Information is given on the history of Christmas, music, food, celebrations, dress,... more

Ok, I believe that this is the last question I have left from my “Questions” post. Please feel free to post a comment with a question any time though…this was a lot of fun!

Angela asked, “Aside from any places that may have personal significance to our children, what are some must-see places when visiting Ethiopia to pick-up the kids?”

I am afraid that I don’t have a ton of advice on this one… On both of our trips to Addis, our total and almost complete focus was on our new children, and we did not do a whole lot of site-seeing.

There are lots of “sites” that you can see just driving around in Addis…different historical markers and places that any driver worth his... more

My best friend Bethany was recently about this topic by another friend of ours. Bethany asked, “I know that you were asked this recently and thought it would be a great thing to talk about. Did you feel that it was taboo for you to be seen in Ethiopia as a Caucasian adopting an Ethiopian child. How did most of the Ethiopian people treat you?”

I have never heard that it was taboo to be seen in Ethiopia as a white woman with an Ethiopian child, and in the three weeks I have now spent in that country with our Ethiopian children, I certainly did not feel that way.

The Ethiopian people are very friendly, loving and kind people in general, and they love children. The culture very... more

Continued...

Adoption agency- As far as adoption agency fees go, this is where the big money comes in. Most of the agencies have fairly similar fees for the same programs, but again, do your homework. In the Ethiopia program I know for sure that there is close to a $5000 difference between the most expensive agency and the least expensive. That’s a lot of money!

Again, I would never choose an agency based only on fees, but it should be part of your research. Ask for a detailed breakdown of what is due when and where it goes (make sure you are getting the TOTAL fees that will be due). Use the fee info along with the rest of the info you collect to find the right agency for... more

Happy almost Turkey Day everybody! I am going to try and get the rest of these question and answers finished up today, but please, feel free to leave a comment with a question anytime. This has been fun,

Ok, “fosteringlove” asked, “Do you have any money-saving tips for any part of the adoption process, whether it is near the beginning or anywhere up to or beyond travel/escorting? Of course, I don't mean to make this all about money or to suggest that anyone should cut corners or make poor decisions to save a buck, but I am sure most of us, like you, have to take finances into consideration while engaging in this process.”

Money saving tips…hmmmmmmm…this was a hard one! But... more

Continued...

On to Jen's last question...packing!

I tried very hard not to overpack for Josh, Belane and myself so we could bring the maximum amount of donations. I also thought we would only be there a few days… if I had known how long it was going to be, I would have packed more clothes, toiletries, etc.

Things I was super glad that I had for me:

-Disposable face wash cloths (you get VERY dirty in Ethiopia!!!)They are also divine on the plane, somewhere around hour 12.

-Plug your ears for a minute fellas- lots of tampons and maxi pads…the stress of traveling always seems to bring that on, and I was glad to have that all with me “just in case”.

-Crocs.... more

Continued from the last post...

Ok, as far as the Hilton goes, no, I absolutely do not think that it spoiled the cultural experience.

From my husband... "It is a 60 year old building that Haile Selassie had built for visiting dignitaries, etc. That makes it a pretty cool place history-wise."

The last time we went, we stayed at the Ghion, which we really liked. Think 1970’s James Bond movie…(that’s how Josh describes it!) Everything was fairly worn and shabby, although the bathroom and beds were sparkling clean. We had tons of space though…it was quite a large suite, which was great for the three of us. We could put Ben to bed in the little separate bedroom and still... more

Jen asked (a few questions!) “I'd like to know how this trip compared to your last one. Did staying at the Hilton "spoil" your cultural experience (as I have read some say it would do)? What were you super thankful that you packed?”

These are great questions…thanks Jen!

Ok, let’s see…This trip was a lot different than the last one, for many reasons. For one, this time, I knew what Ethiopia was like… I knew what the trip would be like, I knew what I would see, I knew a lot of the people we would see, I knew what to expect as far as the poverty goes, etc. I was revisiting people and places instead of seeing it all for the first time, so the culture shock and overwhelming-ness... more

I would have to say that most, if not all, of the best parenting advice I have ever gotten has come from other parents. Oddly enough…not so much from “well meaning strangers at the grocery store.” :)

Sure, I have learned a lot from books and magazines and those sorts of things, but the REALLY good stuff…the totally practical, AHA-why-didn’t-I-think-of-that sort of stuff, has come from other moms (and dads).

So, after blathering on for three posts yesterday about our “babymoon” and what my plans are for when Belane comes home and how I think I will handle things and what I expect things to be like, now I look to you for some help. Tell me what I’ve missed! Tell me what you... more