Moving on Up

3 recent referrals from our agency!! This means we are moving on up the "unofficial"  list! Today we sit at #6!! Whopee. Congrats to all the families with recent referrals. Our time is coming, I can feel it!

So Long Summer!!

I'm a summer junkie; I just can't get enough! But I guess it's time to face the reality that summer is almost done!  September is only a week away (boo hoo); but hopefully referral is on the way! Here are some quick shots of our summer of fun. By no means is this comprehensive. It's just a fews snapshots when I could remember to take out my camera.

Mr. B had the most awesome 9 year old sleepover! We hosted 15 boys, and they stayed up the entire night! His party was so popular that 2 of his buddies decided to replay all the action, and host sleepovers of their own!  Here is a shot of the cake (yum!) 

Pizza and Happy Birthday after a night of Laser Tag. These kids also went to the movies. We didin't get back home until really late, but this did not tire them out! So much for planning!

At about 10 am the next morning,  and 24 hours without sleep, Mr. B couldn't take it anymore. The excitement and adrenaline caused him to crash just as the sun came up. Too funny! He didn't even stay up for the waffle breakfast I prepared!  

We had a great time in Jamaica Mon!! Our resort was awesome! Found it on Tripadvisor. I love that site! The reviews are always right on. I never travel without it! Can't wait to travel again! 
Horseback riding that included a dip in the ocean. As you can tell I was a bit skeptical. But it was actually fun. 

My son, on the other hand, has not a skeptical bone in his body! OMG! I couldn't believe he actually jumped! He's a really good swimmer, and a bit of a daredevil!   I was a daredevil in my younger years as well. But I guess I'm getting old. I was too nervous to even try this!

We did do a float trip on the Rio Bueno in Jamaica. Pretty cool, but not exactly like Whitewater Rafting. This river was where Christopher Columbus' first saw the beautiful island. 

Baseball was also super fun!! We made it to our league's championship game. My hubby was assistant coach, and the boys did great. They placed 2nd overall. 

They were too excited after after 3 successful runs!

The team had a small cookout to celebrate their success. Cupcakes, trophies, BBQ. They had a ball. We didn't leave until about 11pm. My child really knows how to party! 

7 months and Counting

Ok....I am the ultimate slacker!!  Each and everyday I think of something to write about. But each and everyday, I forego updating my blog to catch a few zzzz's (sleep).  

We have been on waitlist for over 7 months now, and we will actually celebrate 8 months on September 12. My how time flies!

I have been eagerly awaiting news of a referral, or any referrals for that matter. We are near the top of the unofficial list, but our agency hasn' t given too many referrals lately. Everything seems to be at a standstill. The good news is that lots of families have passed court recently, so hopefully that will get us successfully through court sooner ( we will see). I had a freakout moment last week after reading another blog where the writer mentioned waiting by the phone and getting jittery when an exotic Texas area code appeared on her phone. It was so funny because I had been getting all these "stray" calls from "stray" area codes on my cell. Of course I ignored them all because I figured I didn't know who it was. Then it struck me. I can't keep ignoring strange numbers. One of those could have been the call!  So now I'm on my P's and Q's! Any strange phone number, I'm answering it! 

Heidi tagged me last week, and unfortunately,  I haven't updated yet, but I will do it! 

Have a great weekend!   

2009 Heritage and Culture Camp

This weekend we attended the Ethiopian Heritage and Culture Camp at Massanetta Springs Camp in Virginia. We had a ball, and learned so much. The organizers will be doing it again next year, so if you didn't get a chance to come out this year, make sure to come out next year. 

It was primarily organized by a wonderful woman named Mekdes Bekele, with the help of 4 adoptive parents. Mekdes met one of the parents at a water park in Virginia, and from that simple meeting, they came up with this grand idea!  The camp was dedicated to bringing together all families who are raising Ethiopian-American children.  

There were workshops on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. We arrived Friday night after a 2 and a half hour drive. My favorite sessions were "How We Define Family" and the traditional Ethiopian Banquet and Party. The first session highlighted an adoptive mom and her daughter. They shared their families story, and let me tell you, this mom was awesome! She has really figured this whole thing out. She appeared to be s supportive and loving to her kids ( all 4 were adopted), and you could just see the love and admiration in her daughter's eyes. She shared the story of how she helped her daughter to re-unite with her birth family in Ethiopia just last year. The family actually adopted twin girls from Ethiopia in 1994. One of the girls was interested in re-uniting with her birth family. The other was not. The mother supported both of their decisions wholeheartedly. It was truly a remarkable story.

 I also finally had the chance to wear my "Ethiopian Gear" acquired during my travels to Ethiopia over 10 years ago. There was good food, live music and dancing, as well as great company. I met some wonderful families as well; one being my blog buddy Brenda and her beautiful daughter! 

We had a great time! Hopefully we will see you all there next year, and hopefully our daughter will be there as well. Here are some photos of the weekend!

Our home away from home for the weekend and the Welcome sign! BTW, the weather was wonderful!

During the outdoor coffee ceremony! There were moon bounces for the kids, popcorn, cotton candy and ice cream! Oh, and coffee for the adults. There were also a few vendors selling items at the Gebeya (or market)!

The geese and ducks near the lake on site. We had the chance to do some canoeing on the lake, but I didn't get to take any photos. I was afraid I'd drop my camera in the water.

Mr. B and I on arrival! My DH was on travel this past weekend so he missed it all, but we filled him in.
Mr. B being silly!

Dance lessons were also given for those who wanted to learn. There were also cooking and language classes.

Ducks swarming us on the lake as well as a swan! There was also fishing available. There were huge fish in that lake! But you had to catch and release.

Mr. B was so excited by the animals (skunks, deer and ducks) as well as the swimming pool.
Me in my traditional dress for the PARTAY!! Who hoo!!
Brenda and I!  It was so nice to meet her. She was great, and her daughter was so beautiful. I have some photos of other families, but I didn't want to post close up pics of kids without their parents permission. 
Traditional Musician. This one man band played like 2-3 hours straight. He was awesome. I love live music!
Mr. B and I after dinner.
Let the dancing begin!  There was a professional dancer, and she taught us so many traditional dances.  She was like Beyonce, (lots of dress changes and boody shaking..LOL) I loved it! It was so much fun. It was really a work-out, and we all broke a sweat. 
Mekdes, the awesome woman who planned this camp!

A final picture of all the kids! There were more than this, but this was the best picture I could get. In addition, we all took a professional group photo, and boy was it a hard to organize all those folks, but we did it. 

It's been a loong time!!

I know, I know! It's been a looong time. I'm still here! Just enjoying the fun that is summer...my absolute favorite time of year! The summer has been filled with family (about 8 folks in my house all at once for 2 weeks..what a fun time we had, but boy was it loud). I'm still recovering as they all just left on Sunday. My baby boy turned 9, and had a sleepover with 15 other 8 and 9 year old boys (whew..what was I thinking?!) Let me tell you, I will NEVER do that again. At least not that big. They had a ball, but those jokers stayed up the ENTIRE night (OMG). I mean they didn't sleep!! I felt like I was being hazed!!! We took them to play laser tag, and then to the movies. We didn't get home til after midnight, but they refused to sleep. We had 5 adults supervising, but they all turned in (around 2am) and left me alone with all those boys! Nonetheless, Mr. B had a ball, and I guess that's all that counts. The next day, most of them were NOT trying to leave, but the party had to end!! I'll have to post pictures as soon as I get back into blogging, and have a chance to upload all the photos I've taken.

I've been sick too...boo hoo. Asthma, bronchitis, and acute sinusitis! I really need to take a week off and get it together, but it's just been way too busy! I know I'm wearing myself out, but I'll count down until my California vacation in August (I can't wait!!) Maybe God will just force me to slow down and take care of myself, since I'm always taking care of others!

On the adoption front, we have been officially waiting for 6 months! I can hardly believe time has flown so quickly. I want to get excited really I do, but I don't want to jinx anything! I'm one of those wait til the baby is born to decorate the room type of folks! It's not that I don't want to go out and go crazy; it's just that I never want to count my eggs before they hatch. Maybe I'll wait for our referral, then I'll allow myself to do one of my favorite things..shop!!

I have had the chance to declutter an extra room in our house. In preparation for family and the sleepover, I literally cleaned the entire junk room in 3 days (with the help of DH and my baby boy of course). It's clean now, and I 'm trying to figure out which room I should start for the baby. One is big and pink, the other is smaller, and blue. Hmm...I don't know yet, but I'll post some pics when we decide and decorate!

As we get closer to referral, I find myself getting a little nervous. I'm excited, but I'm like hey am I ready to start all over? Will she like us? Will it be love at first sight? Will we be a perfect match? Will she keep me up all night? Man, this means I need a diaper bag, stroller, car seat..oh my!! I have a 9 year old, what was I thinking? I am so far removed from baby/toddlerdom. How will I remember what to do? This thing is becoming real! Hey! Wait! (Anybody else feeling this way?) I looked at our agency's unofficial list, and we are like #10. Almost in the single digits! (Lions and Tigers and Bears..Oh My!!) I guess these feelings are all normal, and despite them I am totally EXCITED!! That is a bit schizophrenic right? (LOL)

Anyhoo, it's great to be back. I'll try not to stay away so long next time..besides I really missed you guys! And congrats to everyone who has made waitlist, received a referral, got a court date, passed a court date, or brought their babies home!! (Did I leave anyone out?..LOL)

Until we meet again....

18 weeks

May 18th marks 18 weeks on the waitlist! I said I wouldn't count, but as more time passess I can't help myself. It's hard to believe it's been that long..boy is time flying! It seems we were just celebrating New Year's, and now we are almost half way through the year. As I see referrals coming in (BTW, Congrats to Catrina, and the Early's on their recent referrals. Yeah!!) , and court dates being given, I can't help but get a little excited. It hasn't really felt real until recently.

I've been thinking about our impending new babe and think to myself..hey, am I ready to start all over again? What if I can't remember what to do? What about the sleep deprivation (but I suppose that is really not a big deal for me because I am so used to being up all night on call. I have learned to function just a tad bit sleep deprived over the years.) What is one to do with an infant/toddler? My son is almost 9, so I feel like a fish out of water. I can't really remember what having a baby is like, and having a semi-independent kid around is kind of nice! He can feed himself, poop on his own, and even entertain himself for long periods. While this is great, it's moments like this when I recollect and begin to miss the baby that he was. Then I start to get excited as we wait for the latest addition to our family.

Kids seem to breathe life into a family. I can't wait to add to the joy we already have. Mr. B is getting really excited as well. He's keeping track of our waiting months, and has told his ENTIRE class, as well as his teachers, that his baby sister is coming home from Ethiopia in August. (How funny. I wish. I've had to clarify things just a bit). He picked Ethiopia to write about in his social studies class, and has been telling me all about the history, land, people, and animals. It is quite remarkable how excited he is.

I am sure the remaining months will fly, but I'm in no hurry because summer is my FAVORITE time of year. I have so many plans, I can recite my schedule until September. (Fun in the Sun..Whoo Hoo!!) I've also restarted weight watchers. It's only been 2 days, but so far so good. If I can get 25 lbs off before traveling to Ethiopia, I'd be a happy camper. That gives me a goal before the baby comes home. (I must admit, this is one of the many advantages of adoption...you can keep your figure or at least improve it during the paper pregnancy!) Over the next few months, I plan to start clearing out baby's room, and I hope to start considering baby names. I definitely love Ethiopian names, so we may use one as the babies first name. I'm not quite sure yet. My cousin's name is T'sega, so I guess that's out even though I like the name.

Lately, I have been trying to curb my appettite for the internet, so I have drastically decreased my on-line time. But hopefully I'll be able to post some photos soon. I hope all is well for each of you!

Jamaica Mon!!

I just wanted to give a special shout out to Robin on her referral!! Congratulations, I am so happy for you!! Here is wishing you a speedy and successful court date and travel!  Sweet Patience instruced me on linking other folks blogs to my post, but it's not working on my MAC. Thanks anyways; I'm sure I'll figure it out in the end. 

As for me, we are on the way to Jamaica Mon!!! I can't wait. I'm still a little sick, but not as bad as I was last week. I'm hoping the warm sun, and early spring thaw will do me some good. Hopefully it will help me to get rid of this cough once and for all. Now, I know I should be completely packed by now considering we leave out bright and early. But of course, I'm not. Traveling just doesn't seem right if I don't stay up all night packing all the stuff I should have packed yesterday. (But, I have an excuse. I worked last night and I attended Good Friday mass at 7pm) Oh well. I'm trying to get it together.

I wish all you Christians out there a very Happy Easter!!! (With lots of chocolate of course!) Until my next post...toodles.

 

Spring Cold

I really dislike being sick! But every year I always seem to catch a horrible cold in the spring! I'm happy to report that I am recovering, but not fast enough. I'm a get up and go type of girl, so this sick thing is really putting a damper of my plans.  Oh well. 

Other than trying to make myself well, I've been giddy reading the Gladney adopt board! There is so much positive movement for families within the agency. Congrats to Ellen and Cocoa Princess! They recently received their referrals, and I am so happy or them!   I wish I knew how to link their blogs to this page, but I haven't figured that out yet.  Let's all pray for their new babies, and for speedy and successful court dates!

Congrats to all the other Gladney families as well. Hopefully there will be more happy days inGladney land!

Happy Birthday Shawn!!!

Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to me...I'm 25 years old (ahem), 25 years old...may God bless me...Happy Birthday to me!!! Now I guess the 25 is stretching it, but hey, that's my story and I'm sticking to it. 

I was surprised with cake from my son and husband this morning, so as you can imagine, my tummy is a rumblin. I shouldn't have had such concentrated sugar this early in the morning. But hey, it's my birthday, and I can do what I want! 

Now, I'm headed out to the spa at the Mandarin Oriental hotel. I can't wait! I convinced my hubby to get me a very nice designer bag, not sure which one yet, but purses are my fetish. For the most part, I'm just going to enjoy the day, and be thankful that God has blessed me with yet another year! Oh, happy day!!

Ethiopian Dinner

This weekend, we had fun at an outing sponsored by families in the Mid-Atlantic Ethiopian Adoption yahoo group. There were abut 50 people there. We were all either in process, paperchasing, or home with kids. Some drove from as far as New Jersey to participate. We met for good food at Dukem Restaurant in Baltimore. It was a nice experience to meet other families, and enjoy Ethiopian food. I met the cutest little 1 year old named Elijah; he's been home since September. I wish I'd remembered to take pictures (Oh well). There were also 2 older girls present, 13 and 10 or 11, I believe. It's fascinating how well they have learned English.  Kids definitely pick things up quickly. They didn't remember much Amharic, but I'm sure it's hard to maintain the language when you don't speak it everyday. I really hope we can learn Amharic, and help our baby to learn Amharic when we bring her home.

The meal looked just like the one above, but the Injera (spongy bread) tasted alot different than the one I remember eating during the time that I lived in Ethiopia. The Injera in Ethiopia taste sour, and has a flat appearance and moist texture. The Injera here in the states is not as tart, and rather fluffy, like a different type of flour was used instead of the teff flour. It didn't have that distinct taste I remember, but I guess American taste buds would probably prefer the version we had yesterday. BTW, my 8 year old son loved it. I didn't think he would because he is a picky eater, but he did. 

Next Sunday, our agency will be sponsoring a lunch get-together for local families at an Ethiopian restaurant nearby. That should be exciting because the in-country representative will be there, and it should be nice meet other Gladney Ethiopia families. The local Gladney group, had a get together last Summer, which was very nice, but not specific to Ethiopian adoption. I'll be sure to post pictures if I remember to take any. 

The next outing I hope to attend, would be the Ethiopian cultural camp in Virginia this summer. It seems like it will be great event to take my son to as we anticipate the arrival of his sister. He was already excited, but yesterday made him even more anxious to travel. I'l post the link to the camp if anyone else is interested.