My personal goal

I have downloaded three different Amharic apps on my ipad over the last few months with the hopes of learning some basic expressions and vocabulary. I have come to the realization that this self-taught method will most likely yield mediocre results at best, but I do intend to attempt this. I have also realized that no matter how hard I try I will probably never acquire reading and writing skills, as Amharic is so very different from English. So, anyway, my hope is to improve my oral comprehension and expression. My goal is to learn one word or basic phrase per day. At this time I only know a dozen words/phrases and can count from 1-10.

Getting closer...

Our dossier has finished the authentication and bundling process in D.C. The courier service picked it up from the Ethiopian Embassy this morning and shipped it to our agency in Michigan. It is set to arrive on Thursday. It usually takes 1 to 2 days for our agency to make copies, etc. and then they will be shipping it off to Ethiopia. So, at this rate, I anticipate it will be flying eastward across the Atlantic early next week! Hoping and wishing our dossier safe travels on its journey!

oh, big brother, you are too funny!

So, I am probably one of the most outspoken, blatantly honest people you will ever meet. I hear the response, "TMI" several times a day from those around me. It doesn't freak me out when my computer suggests ads and links to products and services based on my past internet searches. Yes, Big Brother is watching us. Anyway, I had to laugh when I came across this ad while searching for recipes online. Clearly, I search for Ethiopia-related topics/info so frequently that my computer is now suggesting this ad below. Now, only if I had family in Ethiopia...

Heart "on" Ethiopia

On a table in our living room I have a canvas that I painted and decoupaged with a map of Africa. There is a painted red heart over Ethiopia and the word Ethiopia are glued on top with scrabble tiles. Last night I had my scented wax warmer plugged in and when I went to shut it off I saw a heart over my Ethiopia canvas. The wax warmer had projected a heart shape. This made me smile!

What it looks like during the day

Last night

Nothing much going on here...

Nothing much to report here. As of Tuesday our dossier was at the State Dept. in D.C. getting authenticated. Next it will go to the Ethiopian Embassy, also in D.C., to get bundled. Still hoping that it will arrive in Ethiopia by the end of the month. At this time we officially go on the referral waiting list. 

Goodbye Dossier

The day finally came and the day was today! We mailed off our dossier to the courier company and it will be delivered this upcoming Tuesday. I am not sure how long the authentication process will take. As hard as it was to give up up possession of these very important documents, there was a sense of relief, as we have done our part and now the rest of the story will unfold however it is supposed to. I am hoping that all of our docs are fine, things will go smoothly in D.C., and our docs will safely arrive in our agency in MI and then in Addis Ababa. I have learned a few important things throughout this process. First, it is so crucial to become super organized. Prior to the adoption, I would have important docs in different places around the house and I would never be able to find my passport, social security card, etc. when I needed them. Now, I believe I have adopted the binder system for life! Secondly, I am a pretty impatient person and once I have my heart set on something or want something done I have a hard time waiting. This process is going to be the ultimate wait. Finally, things go well and then there is a bump in the road, things go well and then there is a bump in the road, and so on. I am hoping that the bumps remain little and they are resolved quickly. 

You learn something every day...

So, Tuesday I brought our Power of Attorney and Dossier Affidavit letters to the Secy. of Commissions office in Boston to obtain state seals. I stood in line for a few minutes and then when it was my turn I pulled my 2 docs out and laid them on the counter. The office worker looked them over for a few seconds and then said, "I can not notarize these. They are done incorrectly." I wanted to freak out but I actually kept my %*&^ together during those few minutes. I had 2 options: I could go back home and get them re-notarized. If I chose this option, I would have to use a personal day as they are only open M-F. Plus, I was already in the city and it had taken me 1.5 hours on the train (stupid train schedule) plus walking time to get to this place. He said my other option would be to walk a few blocks over to the Bank of America to get certified copies of the documents and have them re-notarized. I am still not sure exactly how that makes them any more "official." I just know that if I came back with the re-notarized docs he would give the great big gold seal. After calling my agency, I opted to go with option two. They said that it should be fine and I figured I had nothing to lose. So, after an hour of waiting at the bank I was able to get the docs "fixed" and then later sealed. The moral of the story if for those of you live in the state of MA...please follow the notary wording on the Secy. of Commissions website (http://www.sec.state.ma.us/pre/precom/comidx.htm). I had followed our agency's template exactly but the state did not care. I am not sure if the have become more strict with this, as our agency said they have never has this happen before and they have had other clients from MA. Anyway, that task has been completed and now we are working on our letter to the Assistant Stork, the courier service that will be bringing our dossier to the State Department and Ethiopian Embassy in D.C. for authentication, grommeting, and bundling.

An oldie but goodie...

I am hoping that tomorrow I will wake up and Obama will once again be our president. My husband said I should keep politics off of the blog, but this is something I feel passionate about. Plus, in true Aja fashion I don't always listen to him. I find others in the world of international adoption frequently blog about their religious beliefs which you will never see me do. So, in the end I guess this balances out my "shout outs" to our Pres! 

Anyway I am on the commuter rail now, on my way to Boston to get those 2 dossier docs sealed by the state. I am hoping that everything with our paperwork is accurate and we will be all set now so our dossier can be sent to ET by the end of the month. Fingers crossed.....

I171H

It finally arrived today!!!!!

Our I171H arrived in the mail today. Last Wednesday I had spoken with the immigration officer processing our case and she informed me she would be mailing it out that day. So, I checked our PO Box on Thursday (yes, I realized it was highly unlikely to arrive the next day), Friday, and Saturday. Tonight we rushed up to the UPS Store to get a copy of this document and another document notarized. Tomorrow I can take advantage of my day off from work (b/c of the election) and take the train into Boston to get our Power of Attorney Letter (gives our Agency our permission to match us with a child) and Dossier Affidavit Letter (Dossier Table of Contents) sealed by the State of MA. Our next step will be to ship our entire dossier (I cringe when I write that) to D.C. where it will be authenticated, bundled and then sent to our agency in Michigan. Feeling lucky to have this document in hand less than 2 weeks after our fingerprinting appointments. I feel that it is partially making up for the missed/rescheduled fingerprinting appointments and, consequently, the 3 week delay.