Yay! Alina is home from her week in NYC....once again, I am reminded of how blessed we are. What a great opportunity for her and so many other kids to see and experience things they never dreamed of. Rockefeller Center, Hard Rock Cafe, Radio City Music Hall, Manhattan Skyline dinner cruise, Wicked on Broadway, and a spot in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade! Unbelievable!

We topped our week off tonight with a few hours ringing the bell for the Salvation Army at Belk's. It was a great family experience...I highly recommend it...you can go to the Salvation Army website and volunteer to be a part of this wonderful way to give back!

We sang n danced n drank cappucino n hot chocolate...it was chilly willy, but loads of fun!

What a week.....

I received the final authenticated piece of paperwork for the dossier this week...and signed all of the paperwork for WACAP to begin the official Ethiopian process....so we sit and wait for the I171h from Immigration...this tiny single piece of paper is what places us in a holding pattern for being placed on the official waiting list for a referral...ahhh and I am told in North Carolina it could be weeksor even months...I could barely type that sentence. Just typing it made me feel like I accept that possibility, and I absolutely do not. My mental chosen deadline before panic mode is December 15...but of course I have a sadness episode everyday when I open the mailbox and it isn't there.

On a happier note! Alina is headed off to NYC tomorrow for her Macy's adventure! The band, in uniform, marched through the halls of the high school yesterday. My beautiful kids in my class were so overjoyed to see it that one of them actually burst into tears! What an amazing blessing to see the innocence and excitement and how little it takes to bring them true happiness! I love what I do!

Keep your eyes on the Macy's Parade! Feel the Teal and watch for the West Johnston High School Marching Band! They are the last high school band to march and will be near the end...and if you happen to see the teeny tiniest mellophone player (it looks like a giant trumpet), give a cheer, that's my Alina! .....and of course, in our house filled with a bassoon, mellophone, trumpet, french horn, oboe, piano, trombone, snare drum, guitar, clarinet, flute.......we all can't help but wonder, what will the new little brother want to play...and will our beautiful little Ethiopian addition someday too be able to march in the wonderful American tradition that is Macy's!?!

We moved to the next step!!!!

Yay!!!!! Our homestudy is signed...sealed .....delivered...and approved! We have moved on to the Ethiopian Program at WACAP and will be added to the waiting list for a referral for our new little guy! We are SO excited!

Still working on all of the paperwork...all of the authentications came back with the necessary seals from the Secretary of State, with the exception of one. The notary didn't do things exactly as needed, so the fix on that one will take a week or two....but all in all, the butterflies in my tummy tell me we are closer and closer everyday to bringing him home!

I am trying to maintain my composure....I want to paint and decorate, like bringing home a new baby!...breathe.....be patient....breathe....I know that the waiting could take months, but I want a picture of his face, and I want to hear the sound of his name,.....is it possible that the waiting will be easier once I have the referral with all of the details in my hot little hands? I guess for those of you out there reading this who know me, you are laughing hysterically...I am not, nor will I ever be even remotely close to being the most patient person in the world....

So...for now! Wow! We have made it to the Ethiopian Program in only two months!!!!! Fantastic!

It's funny how we take for granted the littlest things in life.....I took the kids to the pumpkin patch on Wednesday and we took pictures to include in our dossier to send to our new little guy. I copied the pictures onto my computer, but didn't delete them. I also used the camera to take pictures of my kids in class trick or treating through the halls at school (I teach multiple/severely disabled students in high school). Sadly, I only got to do that for the first half of the day because during lunch a regular education student came into the classroom and stoled my camera....I truly cannot afford to replace it right now....by the time the student was searched, the camera was not in his possession, so there is no proof....and no camera.....

I don't know what bothers me more...the loss of the camera, or the fact that another child is carrying around my camera with pictures of me and my children....pictures that were to be the first photos my new son would see of his new family...

Praying for peace, and forgiveness, ........and a new camera.....

Hey! My first attempt at posting a picture! There's Alina in her spectacular West Johnston teal! I'm so proud of her!!!!

Tessa had a great time on the band trip to Towson, MD too....We got to have a giant slumber party in a school gym! About 100 high school girls, a few mommies, and TK...ahhhh the joy! (and very little sleep).



This is one of my favorite pictures of all time!!!! My two grown up girls, Beth and Alina!!!!! I am amazed at their beauty, inside and out!

That's my boy!!!!! We did the family camping trip this summer, and Steven had such a great time! It is always my favorite few days of the year....Can't wait to head to the mountains again next summer....hoping we can work it in around our trip to Ethiopia (hopefully, Beth and I will be traveling together).