Fantu Green and Abate Blue

I went to the store today to get paint for the kids room. Took the pillow case that matches the Duvet cover so I could get paint to match. They put it into a little machine that will match a paint color to whatever you have. I can then name the paint color whatever I wanted. So the newest paint colors in home decor are Fantu Green and Abate Blue! Here are a few pic's that Caleb and I took of the first coat of Fantu green on the walls. I'll add more pictures once the Abate Blue goes up!

Progress

Progress, a good theme for this week. Obama took the oath of office with a new hope that he can lead this country in a better direction. That this country can make real progress in becoming a leader for peace and human rights.

Here in our little home we have made our own bit of progress - we are making progress in this adoption journey. More contracts have been signed and returned (we still have another to print and sign). The welcome bags have been posted to AAI so that Merrily can take them with her to give the kids when she travels in mid-Feb. to Ethiopia. We had to fit everything into a 1 gal. zip lock bag. They each get a t-shirt, disposable camera, photo album, and a letter. Abate also gets a Transformer toy and a beaded soccer necklace. Fantu gets a little soft toy dog in a carrier and some butterfly hairclips. Alan and I are so excited for them know about us. We should get pictures of them when they get their bags and of them wearing the t-shirts we are sending (see picture). We hope to get a few pictures before then as one of the AAI parents leaves tomorrow (feb.25) for Ethiopia and will be at Kidane Mehret (orphanage) for the next week, she is going to try and get photos of the kids, another parent travels on the 1st and is going to try also. I've asked them to be discreet so as not to let them know before they get the Welcome bags.

Progress has also come to the bathroom remodel. some of the walls are up, some still need to come down but, things are slowly starting to take shape. Still loads to do in there but we will get there eventually.

So, Hope and Change aren't just for the new president, It's something for us all.

Abate and Fantu

Abate and Fantu Hennessy, not yet official in the courts but well on it's way. We have officially accepted the referral of these two spectacular kids. Abate is a 10 year old boy and Fantu is his 9 year old sister. Every picture we have seen of Abate he has this incredible smile, a bit of a ham for the camera. Not so many pictures of Fantu but hope to get more in the coming weeks from some traveling parents. She has a real ladylike demeanor and shyness about her with very flirty eyes. Both kids eyes will just make you melt they are so incredible. I wish I could post pictures here but it highly discouraged until after the adoption is final. I will email pictures as we receive them. Everything is in the hands of the Ethiopian Courts now so its going to take alot of faith and prayers to get through the coming months - 4 would be very optimistic, 5-6 a bit more realistic. We've plenty to keep us busy around the house though. Bathroom is progressing very slowly and we have to start work on the kids room. Alan and I are making our second trip to Ikea today to get the big stuff - beds, shelves etc. I've paint colors picked out and a basic design in my head. I'm so excited! We will still have a few more toys to buy and clothes, clothes and more clothes. I have to see what sizes they are wearing first.
Abate and Fantu will be told the middle of Feb. that they have a family. We send over a Welcome bag with a few small items in it, A t-shirt (has Texas on it and says HOME), a small photo album with pictures of us, family and people and things in Gatesville. Also a small disposable camera and a few small toys. We also write a letter to put in it. All this has to fit in a 1 gallon ziplock bag. They will be given this by one of the agency workers and that is when they know that they have a family. They take pictures of it and will send them to us. the kids will also start writing letters to us then.
This is just getting so amazing now that we have names and faces on our dreams.
I look forward to posting more updates in the coming months as it gets closer to bringing them home.

MILESTONE!

Just a quick note, our Dossier is being sent to Ethiopia today 1/8/2009. We can now officially accept the referral of one of the sibling sets we have been reviewing. I've a few people to talk to first and we should make a decision. We are hopeful that we will have this complete and be traveling to Ethiopia by June. YIPPEE!!!!

Holiday Review

The holidays are winding down and life is returning to normal, well as normal as it ever really gets around here. Christmas was quiet, New Years even quieter. But we had my big 50 celebrations in between. I'll just post some random pictures that we've taken over the past few weeks.

Adoption Update! The notarized copy of the home study has been received. We now move on to the next step. We should have everything off to Ethiopia in the next week or so. We have two sibling sets to consider and currently have our Doctor reviewing their medical reports. Both pairs are really cute and this will be a tough decision. I can't post pictures on the blog until after the adoption is final. I also have to get a copy of the home study sent to Homeland security so we can get the VISA processed, that will be the last thing we will have control over. With everything else in Ethiopia it will be in the hands of their court system. In a perfect world we could have it finalized in 4-5 months. I'm just hoping now that we get it through before August when the courts take a 2 month break. Delays seem to be the norm lately there. We do have plenty to do here to keep us busy while we wait. We are slowly making progress on the bathroom, once that is complete we will start the kids room. We have already picked up a few things at Ikea and I need to make a return trip and get some of the big stuff. Need to borrow a truck to do that though. I'm also trying to pick up a few toys as I find them on sale. It's really fun picking out everything and doing up a room from nothing.

So further updates as things develop.