Ye Ganna Baal - Merry Christmas to Ethiopians!

Today is Christmas in Ethiopia, referred as "Ye Ganna Baal." I have been looking forward to today for weeks. It's the first time we are making Ethiopian food! We did some prepping last night because the cooking is so different than we are used to. The cooking uses a ton of spices and I had to do some serious searching at the grocery store yesterday. We were going to visit the African markets in Kansas City, but the snow we are getting stopped us from venturing that way to get them. So, we had to prepare the spices from scratch.

We will be celebrating this every year, just as we celebrate our own American Christmas. By the time January rolls around we are pretty ready for Xmas to be over with, but this celebration and tradition for us will be a little different and mainly our celebrations will consist of a big Ethiopian meal. Our house smelled amazing last night. I'm anxious to see how everything turns out.

I'll post some photos of it, but here's what we are making:

Injera - it's the foundation to their meals and looks like a pancake. The dishes are served up in one communal platter and your roll up the food in the injera and eat it. Utensils are not used as the injera works as a fork or spoon.

Dora Wat - basically this is like a chicken stew.

Yataklete Kilkil -Gingered vegetable stew.

Once we get this cooking down, we do hope to have people over to experience it.

As far as an update on the adoption goes...we are getting ready to get our first series of travel shots. We're still waiting to hear about a referral. Right now, they are referring older children I guess. It seems we are just to keep waiting and try to be as patient as possible. I'm starting to look at baby stuff online. I've got friends talking about a baby shower, so I thought I would see what kind of baby stuff we'll need. I really wasn't planning on doing a shower, but after several different people bringing it up I realize we are going to need stuff and it would be a fun way to celebrate this experience with everyone. Plus, besides your wedding and baby shower, when else can you pick out stuff for people to get you! I do admit...that is pretty fun. I'm building a registry online and found one that lets me add stuff from my favorite online store...Etsy (all stores are products that are handmade).

Other than that, just trying to stay warm and really really hoping all this snow goes away and spring hurries up this year! I need some warm weather now more than ever.

2010...bring us goodness all around!

Happy New Year! We are excited for 2010 and what it holds for us in many different areas of our lives. 2009 was a tough year, but we learned a lot and saw a lot of greatness in our lives and our future.

In 2009, I started this blog to give an outlet for everyone in our lives to stay up to date on this process as I don't generally like to talk about it all the time because well...we live it every day. Also, I feel that all of our friends and family have their own lives going on and we are just as interested in what's going on with everyone else so I don't want to sit around and discuss our adoption all the time. There is life to be lived! I don't like a lot of attention on myself and I was hesitant to start a blog for that reason. It's difficult to take down a wall and be so open and throw ourselves out there, but I also feel a sense of calmness in doing so. I do not think what we are doing needs to generate a lot of attention. People start families everyday. I am excited and anxious to meet anyone's new family members. A child or a baby entering a family is an amazing journey to anyone whether it's adoption, fostering, sponsorship or birth. This is not to say, we do not deeply appreciate the love and support we have been shown through our process. It means the world to us and helps keep our spirits up in the roller coaster of this journey.

What I have found in all of the talks and questions is that it must be tricky to ask anything about adoption without saying the wrong thing. I watch people really think about how to word something before they ask. We are pretty light hearted so we don't generally get offended easily as we know everyone is just interested. I've read a lot about how to answer questions asked about our adoption and how our child will be exposed to these statements and questions. I thought it would be helpful to post some "What NOT to say or ask statements" and general adoption lingo that's appropriate for adoptive families.

1. "Real" - a simple word, really. But, a very wrong word to use in referring to adoption.

"Who are his/her's REAL parents?" "Do you think you'll have any "real" children or a child of your own?"

We are going to be very open about talking about child's BIRTH parents and any child that comes into our family is REAL and our own.

2. "What you're doing is an amazing thing."

This is a tricky one. This is always said with the best intentions, however I do not think we are hero's, nor are we attainting to be. This implies adoption as a charitable effort and as if adopted children are not as lovable, wanted or brought into our lives and heart as a birth child would be. This wouldn't be said to a couple that just had a child by birth or announce they are expecting.

3. Celebrity adoptions and comparing any international adoption to one - don't do it.

It's a way to build a family and families have been choosing adoption long before the media started covering it.

4. Personal questions

Ah, the good ol' personal questions. Some details of our adoption will stay between us and our child. The sensitivity and privacy is not just ours to consider, but also that of our child's. Things, such as the costs of adoption, are just personal questions. We are happy to discuss and answer any questions as we do not want our child to feel like we do not want to talk about their adoption, but there is a sensitivity and privacy to the issue.

Last thing we want to do is make anyone feel like they can't talk about our adoption or have to over analyze how they are going to talk about it. No need to be defensive here on our part. I just think these are good points throw out there and consider. Like I said before, we understand completely that no one would want to offend or say anything uncomfortable and when it happens, it happens and we'll address it then. Just another part of this adventure and another learning experience under our belt.

Here's to a new year upon us. We wish new experiences, happiness and positivity to all of us in the new year. Happy 2010!

Casey & Josh

Christmas Eve and restless

6am Christmas Eve morning...couldn't sleep. I've either slept too much the last couple of days or it's the wondering...the what if's...the swarm of thoughts filling my head that woke me up early this morning. I typically need more sleep than anyone I know (I'm talking like a good 10-11 hours would be perfect!), but I can't right now. Hate to say it, hate to think it, but I'm wondering if anything will happen today. If any phone call will come our way. I know I said I wasn't going to hold my breath and I'm not. I'm just innocently wondering. I keep thinking, what is our future child doing right now? He/She (although I'm feeling "he") is alive. Breathing, crying, squirming. I just desperately need a little face to put to all my thoughts. If that little face could come today, that would be simply amazing. Here's to a long day. I'm sure I will be crashed out for a lovely afternoon nap at some point. Happy Holidays to you all!

Some good news

Josh talked with our agency this morning and we are #2 on the waiting list!! We were told around the first of the year we SHOULD have a referral....maybe, just maybe around Xmas. Wow. We have been worried and concerned with issues that had arisen concerning our agency and I still have a lot of doubt and uncertainty, but we are moving ahead and staying put. We are so close. The owner of the agency is in Ethiopia right now working hands on with the orphanages to make sure things get in order and that the families waiting on the correct paperwork can get that.

We are so excited and can not wait to get this phone call. Having an idea of when helps boost our spirits so much. I'm going to focus on January and not hold my breath for a Xmas referral. I don't want to be disappointed. This way, if it does come early it will be the best Xmas ever.

Over the weekend, I saw photos of the babies in the orphanages our agency works with. Beautiful, beautiful babies and children. I can't wait for them all to find homes. I wonder if we've already seen ours. Such a weird feeling.

By the way, this necklace pictured is available for purchase at http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=vt_related_1&listing_id=36981304. I bought one!

A little rambling...

We did a little browsing this weekend in the baby section at Nebraska Furniture Mart. Just a good idea to get a number of what this is all going to cost. Our plan is to not go baby crazy with getting furniture and gadgets we don't need. I want to keep it as simple as possible.

So, I'm back to the decluttering (yes, we really have/had that much stuff) and we just did a big room rearrangement so we can clear out one of our bedrooms for a baby room. Painting our home office is on the agenda this week. Good thing, as I'll be spending a lot of time at home once we are parents and being able to work at home when I need to is an amazing luxury.

In the middle of all these little home projects, I have been reading. I love reading and for about 5 years I quit reading books altogether. I had gotten so caught up in running a business I never made the time. Now, I find the time and I realize how much I missed out on. Being able to read, escape and draw up images in my mind from someone else's word...I love it! I recently finished, There Is No Me Without You by Melissa Fay Greene.

Let me just say that I fell in love with this book. It's about an Ethiopian woman that opens her heart and home to orphans. This was an emotional read and I cried my way through and felt like I had taken a journey when I was finished. In continuing to read about Africa, I'm onto Say You're One of Them by Uwem Akpan.

This week we are hitting the coldest weather yet for the season. This is when this long winter wait is really annoying. I'm missing spring and summer badly. Evenings of sitting on my porch with a glass of wine or taking the dogs for a walk. I barely can get that in during the winter as it's dark by the time we are home. Oh, spring...you hold so much hope for us. I guess all these home projects couldn't happen at a better time. I need to stay busy so I don't dwell on this wait!

Someday...

Dear baby(ies),

Someday today will be shared with you. Someday our anticipation will be no more. Someday I will not wake up wondering as my first thought of the day and my last moment before sleep washes over me. Someday I will hold you, squeeze you, kiss you all over. Someday we will remember now and you'll understand how much you are loved and wanted. Someday you will grow up strong and healthy and know and love your country as much as we do. Someday you will ask questions and I will too. Someday you will be here with us. Flesh, bones, smiles, laughter, YOU. Someday will be the most breathtaking, wonderful moments of our lives. Someday we will wonder no more. Someday...we will know.

Past the 6 month mark

Wednesday marked our 6 month anniversary in our adoption journey. Six months ago we decided to adopt and file paperwork with an agency. Six months later, here we are. Waiting. Just in the right spot as we should be. We were holding our breath on Thursday because when we got on the waiting list, that was Josh's guess of the day we were getting a referral. I think we'll have a referral by Xmas. Or, I should say I HOPE we have a referral by Xmas.

This has been a pretty good week. Feeling more positive than the last couple of weeks. Getting used to the transition of working in the same office as Josh. Our rental house is almost ready to rent out. The sun has been shining this week. I'm feeling pretty calm and collected right now.

The calmness after the storm...