History along with more patience, positive thinking, and appreciation...

History in the making...
Today Mark and I heard the words of many famous historical US figures like Jefferson, Lincoln, Roosevelt, Kennedy, and Martin Luther King Junior. Theses words were spoken out by actors and great songs, representing the spirit of the US, were performed at a fabulous inaugural concert for President Elect Barak Obama called We Are One. An aptly chosen title for the free concert that took place today on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Obama and Joe Biden also spoke and they continue to emphasize the importance that we all play in working to make the improvements that our country needs right now and for a better future. As Barak Obama was going up to speak I was really overcome with emotion. So much hope for the spirit of our country and for the continued movement towards a better nation for all of its citizens filled me. We are all responsible for helping each other and giving of ourselves to the common good.

This historical moment is one that friends of mine are adding to their baby books and one that I am excited to add to ours. Our daughter will inherit the world that we leave her and I am full of hope right now that it will be one in which she finds fewer barriers and limits and more love and support from all people than those African Americans that came before her. While I would have been eager to have an African American run for president - that would not have been new. I was happy to have a woman and a Latino running for the Democratic candidate as well. I was really happy to see that all of the Democratic candidates were intelligent, informed, and worthwhile examining. At the start any of them were viable candidates for me to choose from. I was even happy with the John McCain and shared those feeling with my cousin when asked for my opinion - but that was before he picked someone who, despite having access to more information on anything and everything national and international than I could dream of, couldn't answer questions about what was going on the nation and the world with the knowledge, understanding, and thoughtfulness, that my family can. That was a scary realization. I would not have voted for Barak Obama if he had not had purpose and a message that I agreed with - and I am really behind him as I have not been for any politician in my lifetime.

Barak Obama is making history as the first African American president because of his ideals. He moved a huge diversity of people to come out and support him, to show up at his campaign headquarters and give not just their money but their time in record numbers. The time that I spent helping at his headquarters was so amazingly energizing and uplifting and I continue to feel that energy from him whenever I hear him speak. As I read over the speeches that we all heard throughout his campaign I am thrilled that he is going to be our president and so moved that we a nation reached the point where the message mattered more than the race. It is uplifting for all of us to be at this moment in history.

Patience, positive thinking, and appreciation...
With the changes in adoption all over the world Ethiopia has become a country that more and more families are adopting from. This means that the adoption process continues to slow down as we go through it. We could be finishing during the next holiday season based on the updates that we read recently - and that's at the outside as of now but we'll just have to see. At this point we really have to be patient and flexible because things will probably continue to get slower as the year goes on. I am going to be positive that everything will work itself out as it should and am trying to let go of the timelines that we have been given. We are so fortunate in so many ways that many people would be grateful to have our shoes right now. We have a family and friends that love a support us, our health, our home, and our jobs. We just have to keep that all in mind as we go forward this year with hope and faith that our daughter will be part of our family before we know it.

We had a lovely holiday season. We didn’t like that we did not get to see a lot of our families this year as we stayed here to save money but we were busy. First we drove a little ways to KY to spend Thanksgiving with Mark's Aunt Jackie. She's in an assisted living place and her son, Denny, and his family are spread out all over because both parents are in the military and not at the same location. It was really good to get together and visit with her. We saw his cousin Denny and his family the day after X-Mas as they were visiting his mom in KY and drove here to see us. Denny will probably be deployed to Afghanistan next - we're hoping not back to Iraq. It was really good to see them and are keeping our fingers crossed that he doesn't go anywhere.
We had Christmas dinner with my friend Adrienne, her husband Dave and all of her family that was in from out of town. She and Dave have two little girls and they really made the magic happen this Christmas. Their 2 and half year old daughter Casey has started calling to talk to us and when I see her always wants to know what Mark is doing if he is not with me! Her extended family is getting to be like our extended family, not just to me as I've known them forever, but to Mark. New Years we went over to the friends of ours that hosted our wedding, Malinda and Doug, and they had a murder mystery themed party with us dressing up in costume and playing parts and trying to solve the whodunit. Great fun!

Mark had some much needed days off and I've been working a couple of extra jobs at Baby Gap and Pottery Barn Kids to earn some extra pennies to put towards the baby. With the holidays it’s been BUSY. I think it will calm down in a couple of weeks and the Baby Gap job will end for the season. I'm excited though because I talked Pottery Kids in to hiring me permanently not seasonally! It will be great to know I have a summer job and an evening and weekend job to help out over the first few months when we get back from Ethiopia and I can't work during the day. As far as the adoption we are moving closer to being on an active waiting list. We are almost at the 6 month mark from when we turned in our dossier and referrals have been coming in on average from 6 to 10 months out from the dossier.

Our gift from Santa this year was an adoption baby book and we have started filling that out. The baby room is all patched and the trim was sanded, the ceiling painted, the walls primed and the first coat of trim paint is on. My mom went to lots of garage sales and Jon dropped off everything on his way down to meet her in Texas for the winter. She had knee surgery and had to fly. We have some great toys, clothes for our girl at the ready for when we travel and bring her home, a stroller and car seat, and the most beautiful hand-knitted-by-grandma baby blanket.

Court is slower in Ethiopia right now so I pushed the referral age of our child back to 0-8 months. We need to be sure that she will be able to come back on the visa paperwork that says 0-12 months. I've sent out more note to folks in the Ethiopian adoption community and asked them to forward the idea of starting regular get-togethers. There are a couple of mom's here that get together regularly in my neighborhood that I need to contact. I'm focused on Ethiopia but am going to suggest that we have an open to all in adoption event as well as I am still in touch with families that have adopted through all of the myriad of possibilities that one could choose. I'm excited and hope to set up the first get together by the end of January.