Dossier and Grants and Fundraisers...OH MY!

Dossier:
Lately I've been spending most of my time working on putting together my dossier paperwork. I can gratefully say that I'm almost done. After a trip to the doctor this week and a fingerprinting appointment in the next couple weeks I should have everything ready to be sent to get state sealed. THEN all of those precious papers get sent for translation and off to Ethiopia. The day I send those papers to my agency will be bittersweet - I'll be happy that my part of the paperwork will be over and I move to the waiting and educating stage, but I'll also be emotional because that's when the waiting starts and the timetable will be out of my hands. So, the next update will probably be the day I mail them for the state seal, or the day I send the paperwork to my agency.

Grants:
I've also spent some significant time working on grant applications. As I've said a lot on here (and in person) this is a costly adventure, and every little bit can help me reach my parenting goal. There are a few grants out there for me to apply for, and I'll keep you posted as the results come in.

Fundraisers:
First, thanks to those of you who have taken a look, and ordered, from my online fundraisers. If you still need to check them out, the links are to the left. :)
The planning for the fundraiser scheduled at the end of October is in full swing! My mom and I have been putting together the plan of what will be taking place, and some extended family members are helping out with getting raffle and silent auction items. If you're interested in information about the fundraiser, please contact me for details.
Another fundraiser I'm working on is what I think I'm going to start calling a "love and wishes quilt." Friends, family, and fundraiser event attendees will have the opportunity to write a message of love, good wishes, hopes, etc. to my child. These messages will be stitched on strips of fabric and then these strips will be made in to a quilt that will be used on my child's bed. Then, he/she can wrap up in the love and wishes of those people who care about him/her. Again, if you'd like more information about this quilt, please contact me.

School inservice starts next week, and school a week after that, so my mind and focus will start to shift toward lesson planning and paper grading, but my heart is always focused on my child.

Enjoy the fleeting days of summer before the crisp autumn air joins our days - and thanks for continuing to check in on my journey!

Questions Answered

Today I thought I'd take a second to answer some of the most common questions I tend to get when people hear about my adoption plans. If there's a question you have, that I don't answer, feel free to post it in the comments area and I'll answer it for you. :)

What age are you hoping for?
In my paperwork I have specified that, at the time of referral, I would like my child to be between 1-3 years old. With that in mind, by the time I bring my child home the age would be closer to 2-4 years old. The short answer? My child will be a toddler.

Are you adopting a boy or a girl?
I am open to either gender. When I talk about my adoption you'll hear me switching between the pronouns (unconsciously) because I don't like to say "it."

Why did you choose Ethiopia?
One of my friends was nearby when someone asked me this and she said, "She didn't pick Ethiopia, Ethiopia picked her." Since that's how it happened, that's how I respond. I can honestly say that Ethiopia picked me - through prayers, signs, and scripture. I explored all the options available to me and signs kept pointing me back to International Adoption, and Ethiopia.

How far are you?
I feel like I'm nearing the end of my portion of the process. I am compiling paperwork that will be translated to Amharic and sent to Ethiopia. From there, I wait for my referral - which could be up to two years. During that time (and now) I will be participating in education sessions and reading books that are geared toward adoptive parents.

Do you have to travel to get your child?
Yes. Actually, I get to travel to Ethiopia twice. Each trip lasts close to a week. From what I understand, the first trip is for our court date. Then, the second trip is an embassy date and the time I get to bring my child home. The time between those trips is probably going to be the longest time of my life since I will have seen him/her and won't be able to bring him/her home until a few months later.

Why is this child not staying with their family?
I won't know that answer until I get my specific referral, if ever.

How does your family feel about your decision?
My immediate family is extremely happy about the future and my decision. In addition, all of the extended family I've talked with are happy and supportive.

That's all I can think of. Again, if you have a question you can leave it as a comment. If you don't feel comfortable about the world seeing it, feel free to email me.

Thanks for stopping by and continuing to follow my journey. :)

Let the Fundraising Begin!

As I mentioned in my post earlier this week, I have a lot of fundraising ideas in the works. Well, two of these options are available now. :)

First is for those of you who love coffee. Simply click here or on the coffee bean logo on the left to be taken to my Just Love Coffee fundraiser. Once you've seen my storefront, you will also see a banner at the top of the page thanking you for supporting me - as long as that is present the items you order will be credited to my fundraising efforts. Just Love Coffee sells Fair Trade, Direct Trade, Organic coffee from around the world. They also have some great coffee accessories and equipment. (I think it'd be cool if you tried one of the Ethiopian blends.)

I'm also very excited to let you all know about the Adoption Bug T-Shirt fundraiser I am holding. This company makes shirts specifically about adoption. To get to my storefront, you can click here or on the shirt widget on the left. Adoption Bug sent me options for shirts to sell and I spent a lot of time deciding which would be the best, the six shirts you see on my page are the ones I selected. For each of these shirts ordered, I receive a commission. You can also browse and order additional shirts from their entire site, but my fundraising efforts only occur on the six selected shirts.

Please pass these links on to anyone you think would like them. The more the merrier. :)

I guess that's it. If you have any questions please contact me.

THANK YOU in advance for checking out my blog and my fundraisers.

The Long Awaited Update

What's that saying..."one step forward, two steps back"?

That pretty much describes my frustration right now. On the stepping forward front, my passport came in the mail this week! And, I've also been making progress on gathering my dossier papers. (Though I need to be working faster on this.) But, stepping back is also occuring while trying to gather some of the papers. I don't really want to go in to detail about who, what, etc. but the task of gathering papers of my life has been a test in patience.

This week a close friend got me an Ahmaric dictionary and an Ethiopian cookbook - so in the long run I'm looking more at the steps forward than the ones back.

Moving on to more update news ~

1. Fundraisers: The adoption process is exciting, but can also be costly. To help with some of the expenses I have been trying to figure out some different fundraising options. I am pleased to annouce that some fundraisers are in the works!
• Online: I have set up an online t-shirt sale and will notify everyone (here, email, Facebook) when it's all set up and ready to go. I'll also be having an online coffee sale at the same time. Be watching for blog updates and notification emails for ordering information. :)
• In person:
• People in Northern Wisconsin should mark their calendar for October 27 so you can enjoy a day of games, raffles, and fun. More details are coming VERY soon!
• Fox Valley friends and family, I am just starting work on a fundraiser that will help with some of your holiday shopping! I'm hoping to have the get together during one of the first weeks of November.
• Wautoma area friends, there is something fun in the works...just trying to nail down a when and where. :)
2. Process: Just an update on the process I'm going through for those of you wondering about steps, timelines, etc. I've completed the Home Study (which formally approves me for adoption) and am gathering papers for my dossier. My dossier is what gets sent to Ethiopia and is used when matching me with my child. Matching can take anywhere up to two years after the paperwork is received - see why I need to get moving faster on my dossier? :)
3. Prayers: Thank you to everyone for their prayers and positive thoughts. This is an exciting process but can also be lengthy at times. God's reassurance and presence gives me the patience and calmness that I need to get through this.

<3 Thanks for checking in! <3