On the list! June 5th 2007

We received our I-171-H in the Mail this week and forwarded off to our Agency.
And have a list date of June 5th. This moment we've been working toward is finally here! We started this journey in March of 2006- with Agency interviews, learning about programs- etc.. Now 1 year and 3 month later (yes we're a bit slower than most of you) our paperwork is on it's way to the Ethiopian Embassy for Translation. It's most exciting to think our active paper chase is finally over. Now it's down to business with the stuff we feel matters and is more like the steps people can relate to- like classes to improve our parenting skills, doctors, daycare and readying our home to take up our time.

I find myself wondering if either of the children are born that we will be referred or if they are even conceived yet. I find it hard to believe that the steps we just took will result in a child or children. Seems so un-real at times.

Boston.com Article of interest:

We met the family this article is focused on at our first Ethiopian Program meeting well over a year ago. Since then Ethiopia has been highlighted in the news more frequently. But this article holds a special place since it came out several months after we had started considering Ethiopia the country for us. At that time the program was moving much faster than we had wished to go.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2006/12/07/lifeline_to_ethiopia/

The latest NY Times article highlights some of the concerns from the rapid increase in Adoptions from Ethiopia.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/04/us/04adopt.html?ex=1182139200&en=857d4864d3f6a025&ei=5070&emc=eta1