15 months waiting and "Three Cups of Tea"

So- here we are- waiting waiting waiting...oh and have I said "waiting" to start our family. I was prepared for 12 months- even 14 months. Granted- we put it "on hold" thinking we'd be right on top when I returned from Ethiopia and now that we are fully engaged again with our new fingerprints, and updated home study- etc.. I find it incredibly irritating that we are still at minimum "3rd" in line with really no end in sight. We were only 5th (guessing of course) when I left in March.

Granted- I should be saying "thank god" that we didn't focus on the adoption during the time period I/We were in Ethiopia- because at that time we desperately needed a break from it all. Now (from my perspective of March 2006 when we started all of this)- it's reached emotionally "ridiculous" and we find little pleasure in even talking about the adoption. In fact- we really enjoy talking about "other people's adoptions" giggle. We've been really privileged to see new families grow- and I'm so excited as this truly is the best part of "waiting".

I can't help but whine today though-damn I'm usually so good about this stuff.. Where's my cheese?? Ha Ha.. Although-"this line of folks waiting" - seems to be an awesome problem for Ethiopia to have-it's not making me feel any better about the length of time we're going to have to wait.

----------------------
Okay- enough on that soapbox.. have you seen the following announcement???
This is where I will be tomorrow- come join me.

I'm so excited by Mortenson's adventures and inner strength- and to actually see him speak will be a complete personal thrill... Come join me!!! http://www.stonehill.edu/x11468.xml

Mortenson to Speak at Stonehill in September

Mortenson will visit Stonehill College on Friday, September 12 and speak at 4:00 p.m. at the Sally Blair Ames Sports Complex.

If you have not read "3 cups of tea" yet... please do. It's a great book!

-------------

Thanks for tuning in- but now I have to hurry back to the "waiting phase" of this adoption... :-)

Hugs to you all and good night!

The Waiting, Waiting, Waiting-oh and Still Waiting...Calderones

HAPPY ETHIOPIAN NEW YEAR

(a note from my host sister in Ethiopia)....

Happy Ethiopian New Year to you all- love Kim, Denis and Geneva
As the Ethiopian tradition during "Addis Amet" or New Year, early in the morning everybody goes to Church wearing traditional clothing. After Church there is a family meal of "Injera" and "Doro Wat". The girls go from house to house singing New Year songs and the boys sell pictures that they have drawn. In most places, in the evening families go to visit their friends and drink "tella". Really I'm not seducing you.

As you know, Enkutatash means the "gift of jewels". When the famous Queen of Sheba returned from her expensive trip to visit King Solomon in Jerusalem, her chiefs welcomed her bolts by replenishing her treasury with inku or jewels. Today's Enkutatash is the season for exchanging formal new year greetings and cards among families and friends.

But know I'm not giving you card, no sweet flower to send, no gift of jewels to give. Just a sweet words saying have a nice Enkutatash. "Enkuan aderesesh"Happy New Year!!!!

I think my husband is nesting..Giggle

Our Sixth anniversary brought about an exciting change in my Denis dearest..

Denis took the day off and we were going to go visit a museum- have a nice lunch- perhaps a nice long walk in the woods with our Geneva- but instead- our 6th anniversary was a "TACKY" one...

The basement project we started the weekend before took much longer than we thought it would. It was a ton of work but actually quite rewarding.

We borrowed "Uncle J's" table saw and went to work cutting out a puzzle into cork-literally- it took forever. We spent until 5am the first night working on it and continued on Tuesday night and then Denis took Wednesday off from work so we could do something "romantic or fun" as noted above and what did we do exactly??? We laid down cork flooring. UGHGHGHG.. Laugh. Yes everyone my yellow page husband did a home project with me. I was so proud-laugh!!! It looks great - for 2 neophytes!!

Following this he has been mysteriously "empowered" by his new home talents (he can cut wood- hurray!!!)- so he's proceeded to reconfigure the cabinets upstairs so that my pots and pans will fit better in our otherwise "cabinet less" Kitchen (on the bottom we have one plus the breakfast bar-literally)-laugh.

It seems he's decided to "rediscover" the garage as well. Yesterday he went to lowes (with our Geneva-the ST. Bernard in the back seat of the bug convertible) and they came home with long shelves sticking out the back of it - which apparently he is going to hang from the ceiling. He's going to "organize" all of the items that came out of the newly finished side of the basement. "We have extra siding, and a few things like that --that we can't throw out.."

I haven't blogged for a bit- Here's why:

Besides finishing the cork flooring in the basement-

• We've built a fire-pit in the back yard
• Cleaned out and organized most of the closets
• We've painted the inside of a closet with magnetic paint which we are going to utilize as a small storage/play space in the new basement for the kiddos

Could it be that my husband dearest is Nesting???? Giggle!!