We have appointments

I went home this weekend to see my family. The bonus of the trip was I got to see Laura and her daughter Mekey as well. Mekey came home to her forever family in June and is just the most amazing little woman. Dan and I got to meet Laura and Mekey in July and we instantly feel in love. Laura has been so helpful with all of our questions. Thank you Laura!

Marissa made my day and swapped TOMS with me because out of all of us that ordered only hers actually said Ethiopia. Thank you Emmie.

Best of all -- when I got back to Syracuse waiting in the mail was our fingerprinting appointments for November 10th and they are in Syracuse!

Great weekend!

I - 600A

Big Day -- I came from work today and in the mail was the HOME STUDY. Anyone who happened to see me get the mail got a good laugh because I did a happy dance at the mail box. I immediately got back in the car and went to the post office. One step closer!!

Our Dossier checklist -- everything is checked except the power of attorney and the I -171H!

My last happy dance was over these awesome shoes. www.toms.com is making these limited addition shoes to build new wells in Ethiopia. Marissa was the first to order a pair of these awesome shoes. Dan and I have ordered ours too. I will have pictures with us in the shoes when they come in!

Happy Anniversary

Today is our fourth Wedding anniversary!

Time flies when you are having fun (or tracking down paperwork for the dossier).

I am very excited about how far we are. We have most of the requirements ready to go. We are almost ready to send out the I - 600A. Our home study is being approved by Dove as we speak. We have read it and it is amazing -- Thank you Kate! A very big step -- when this returns (hopefully 30 days) we can send our Dossier to Ethiopia!

I found a quote recently ( it was in my fortune cookie) "To achieve a great goal, one must begin with a small achievement." It has been my motto in putting the dossier together.

On special days like today, I find myself smiling and thinking.... This will be the last anniversary it is just the two of us :)

Melkam Addis Amet -- It's 2003 in Ethiopia!

Enkutatash / addis amet

ETHIOPIAN NEW YEAR

Meskerem 1st/September 11th

Melkam Addis Amet = Happy New Year

Ethiopia still follows the Orthodox Julian calendar which consists of 12 months of 30 days and a 13th month, Pagume, of five or six days, depending on whether or not it is a leap year. The Ithiopian calendar is seven years and eight months behind the Gregorian calendar, so September 2001 is Meskerem 1994 in Ithiopia.
The way Ethiopians measure time is also different from the West. The clock starts at 6am western time and runs until 6pm. Therefore 8o'clock in western time would be 2o'clock Ithiopian time. Because Ethiopia is close to the Equator the sun rises at around 00.30 Ethiopian time and sets at around 12.45 in the evening (6.45 western equivalent) all year round. Ethiopia is 3 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time).

http://www.rastaites.com/Ethiopia/newyear.htm

On our way

We have accomplished a lot in the last couple weeks.

Our contracts are in and we are waiting on the Dossier paperwork packet.

While we are waiting for that packet we completed our home study interviews. We are working with Kate Burns who is amazing. She is so helpful in answering my many questions.

Today we were fingerprinted, it was done with the biometric systems so it is already submitted to the state. Love technology!

Life will get more exciting once all the paperwork is done but until then we are getting to meet every notary in the county!! (All very nice)