Happy weekend everybody!

The last two days have been a little rough...we had a SNAFU...hit one of the proverbial bumps in our adoption paperwork road. We're not exactly sure if it was a true miscommunication or if someone dropped the ball and was making excuses, but we were able to get everything on track with only a week's damage done. I was once again reminded of how important it is for me to keep on top of this stuff...I shudder to think how much time would have been added to the process if we had just sat back and waited and not caught the problem early.

Today things are looking much better. I have used the magic of online package tracking to know that our waiver is finally in Nairobi, Kenya. It should be delivered to the Dept. of Homeland Security on Tuesday (does it not seem funny to you that Americans in Kenya get off for Columbus Day???). Once delivered, the head officer has promised us that it will be processed "within one week."

So, instead of having plenty of time to get everything done before we travel, we are now in the situation where it could/should(?) still get done before we go, but it will be down to the wire. We considered moving our travel plans back a little while, and then decided we would wait and see what next week brings.

If all goes well, two weeks from right now, Josh and I will be on our first flight on our journey to Belane. I'm trying to be excited and get things ready, and yet still be cautious in my emotions because I know all too well we could very easily still be here two weeks from now as well. But I sure am hoping....

Along with feeling happy and hopeful now that the waiver really is in Nairobi, I am also feeling great this morning thanks to this post from Denise's blog.

After school, Fekerte and I take the girls over to AHOPE to see their siblings. The girl who I'd taken to the embassy, the one I'd photographed with the camera from her welcome bag, spends the time on my lap. She has on a Christmas dress with "Sweet Hearts" written across her chest. She runs to get her photo album and we run through the names of her brothers and sisters. They decide that I look just like her mom, except I wear glasses, and my hair is lighter, and our shoes are a little different, and I don't have kids, and I live in Ethiopia.

We have wondered quite a bit if Belane has any idea what is going to happen. We have wondered if anyone goes through the photo album with her and tells her "Mommy" and "Daddy". We've wondered if she even still has the photo album.

Benjamin was amazingly well-prepared for our arrival in Addis. He knew we were coming, he knew who we were, he knew why we were coming...he really understood and was well-prepared. We know that Belane is younger and that no matter what you can only prepare an almost-three year old to a certain point, but we've also just wondered if anything was being done to help prepare her. Since she is in an orphanage where only a handful of the children are being adopted, we wondered if any attempt at all was being made to prepare her.

So to hear that she ran to get her photo album all on her own (meaning that she knows where it is and enjoys it!!!!) and to hear that Denise is going through our names with her and the pictures with her, is so heart warming.

Through Denise's emails, I also know that she promised to hug Belane for me at least six times yesterday, and that Denise was going to tell Belane that Mommy and Daddy are coming soon. How can you not feel happy knowing all that? Denise has truly been an angel for us through this process.

I also had a great talk with a friend last night...a friend who has one child adopted from Ethiopia and is now starting the process to adopt a child from AHOPE. We were talking about how difficult it will be to go to get Belane and see the other kids and know that many of them don't have families coming for them. But my friend put things into perspective for me...she reminded me that the kids at AHOPE are very lucky to be there...she reminded me how these kids are just a tiny percentage of the HIV+ kids in Ethiopia, and how blessed they are to get quailty medical care, necessary medicines, good food and tender love and care. She also reminded me that us adopting Belane will "open up a spot" for another child to come into AHOPE, and to receive all of the love and blessings that AHOPE gives its children. Of course no orphanage can take the place of a family, but AHOPE is a wonderful place doing wonderful things for wonderful children.

So, after a frustrating day or two, things are looking pretty good this morning. More soon!