Two weeks in...

It's been 2 weeks since our dossier was sent off to Ethiopia. Hopefully it's arrived safely and been translated at this point. I'm afraid I won't have many updates now until we get our referral.

I'm keeping busy this week volunteering for the Democratic National Convention. (Check our other blog this week for pictures.) Marc has just started back to school (teaching, not attending). I'm also updating our Etsy site. I should have some new products later this week and am working with my friend Danielle of Ethiopian Orphan Relief to figure out some sort of discount or money donated to EOR with each purchase. Stay tuned...that should be happening in the next few weeks.

Eden Reforestation Project - Ethiopia

A must-watch video about the past deforestation and much-needed reforestation of Ethiopia:


Tesfaye from Chronicle Project on Vimeo

The Eden Project is working to plant trees in Ethiopia. Read more.

Those two pink lines have finally appeared

We just received our "two pink lines" in the form of an email:

Ladies, Please let your families know the following dossiers are on their
way to Ethiopia:

Brown, Marc & Kellie (it went with 4 other Bethany dossiers)

We're officially (paper) pregnant!!!

Things are looking up

I was visiting Bethany's web forum today when I saw this message posted:

"I was just on the ET Adoption page - revisiting it to see if anything had changed. As I recall it used to say that the wait time for a referral for children over 2 used to say 6-8 months. Now it says 2 months. "

I both love and hate seeing info like this. I love it because it gives me hope that something related to this adoption might move quickly. I hate it because it gives me that hope, then I'm usually let down.

Here's where we are:

• Our dossier should be in DC right now getting authenticated.
• It should be returned to the home office within the next week.
• Within a week or two after that, the home office should send it to Ethiopia.
• I believe it takes a month or so there to be translated and go through the Ministry of Women's Affairs. (I'm kinda sketchy on this part?)
• Then we wait for a referral.

I don't know how many families with our agency have requested siblings, but everyone who uses the Bethany web forum has requested one child and/or infants. Theoretically we could be very close to the top of the list for siblings ages 0 - 4.

Feeling content

Marc and I were talking the other day saying how we feel like this adoption isn't very real anymore. As if it's just another crazy idea we had....like when we wanted to move to another country so he could teach and we could have a really cool overseas experience. An idea that didn't exactly come to fruition. Granted, there has been a lot more heart, thought, discussion, money, time, paperwork, blood, sweat, tears, etc. that has gone into the adoption. It's not really something that's taken lightly like moving overseas for a year. "Hey why don't we go pick up a few kids, that would be neat." Anyway... It's just taking soooooooooooo loooooooooooong that it feels like it will never happen.

But today our social worker forwarded an email from HQ. It said that the first Bethany family made it to Ethiopia. There were pictures of the couple with their kids and with Milkiyas (Bethany's in country rep). It was so special to see. Like a little glimpse into a very private and emotional moment. It was good to see Milkiyas, whom we met when he was here touring the Bethany offices in the US. It almost feels like we have a friend there in Ethiopia who is looking out for us. Anyway...it just gave me a nice content feeling.

Additionally, the email said that Bethany has signed agreements to work with two more orphanages in Ethiopia. This is great news! I don't know what this will do to our wait. I mean, obviously it's not going to make it longer...I just don't really know if/how it will shorten. We shall see...