I can hardly believe I am writing this. We have visas. We even have flights thanks to our amazing travel agent! We are leaving this Wednesday!! That’s two days to pack and clean my house. No problem. My mom and my close friend Coralie came down this afternoon and we have three of the four suitcases packed already (and weighed). Fifty pounds isn’t all that much once you start packing! 
Gotta go – we’re off to celebrate for supper!!
Leaving on a Jet Plane!! August 31, 2009
Getting ready for back to school – no visas August 28, 2009
We’re slowly starting to get ready for back to school. It’s a bit bitter-sweet because we really thought the girls would be home. The school supplies are bought and ready to go and Peanut and Budder are getting their brain around the fact that summer (well, technically we didn’t have summer in Manitoba – we just had a break) is almost at an end.
I have started to plan some lessons and wrap my brain around the fact that I will be walking back into my classroom to put up bulletin boards once again. My reaction has been mixed. I am really really excited about the new ideas I’ve had over the summer and can’t wait to get back into my room to try them out. By now I’d be a bit sad if I couldn’t teach my amazing pointillism lesson that has a new twist for this year. But at the same time, I’m stunned that I’m going to be walking into my classroom to teach for…. well that’s the part that has me spinning. Two weeks? A month? Longer? Realistically we know it won’t be that long, but until the visa is issued we have no guarantees. So with the end of this week finally here, and no visa news… I have made the mental shift – I go back to my classroom next week to get ready. Now I just have to sort through my many many boxes that I brought home at the end of the year and pull out what I need!
For Peanut’s friends! August 18, 2009
Our daughter has the most amazing friends. Grade nine is going to be such a great year for all of you! We couldn’t have hand picked a better group. You are encouraging, silly, sweet, and just plain fun to be around. We hope you all visit LOTS this year and come hang out at our place! And we also know that she will have great support as she waits for us to come home. It will be so hard for both our kids to be at home while we are in Ethiopia.
I think some of you are almost as excited as she is to have our girls home. Today she was taking pictures after we started packing so that she could share the excitement with everyone!
The backpacks are totally me – my students at school can attest to that! Inside are everything a little girl could want: a doll with clothes and a blanket, a blanket for them, crayons, coloring books, sun glasses, princess pencils, pencil sharpeners, a scribbler, a squishy weird ball, and some bubbles. We also have some other treats to pack somewhere else (the backpacks are full!) – like balloons for making balloon animals, a beach ball, fun dip and nerds, some Pollys, and nail polish!
Progress is happening! August 17, 2009
We found out today that our girl’s names have officially been changed on the Canadian Immigration website – they are now listed as Abebech David Lehman and Abebu David Lehman! This is wonderful news. It assures us that the visas are being worked on and things are happening. Our adoption agency assures us that this is very good news, but doesn’t mean the visa is imminent. So we continue to wait, but we know that things are moving along which is very assuring at this point.
Back together again August 16, 2009
This picture was taken at my sister’s wedding earlier this summer in B.C. (one little one missing) This weekend we are celebrating again, but here in Manitoba! All the cousins are happy to be back together once again and tonight we are having a family gathering at my parents. It’s going to be great to have everyone around to celebrate their wedding- and it doesn’t hurt that my mom made FOUR of her amazingly delicious five layer cheesecakes that are my personal favorite!! (that’s what happens when you help plan – you “suggest” certain things!) Thanks Mom! We have also all mentioned how wonderful the NEXT family gathering will be – when our girls are home to add to the mix. We’re all pretty sure they will be the last of the cousin train and it will be truly amazing to see all nine of them together.
Almost done! August 11, 2009
The girl’s room is almost done! I’ve been sewing up a storm and finished their pillows before we left on holidays. Surprisingly, the little owl pillows that are so adorable, didn’t take as long as I imagined. I had them designed, cut, ironed on, topstitched and finished in one day! I had so much fun making them that I’m already thinking of other pillows I could make! Thanks again to my mom for helping me with the girl’s quilts! We had such a great time sewing for “babies” again.
I also had a lot of fun sewing clothes for their itty bitty twins that we bought on-line. I didn’t get as many outfits sewn as I would have liked, but it at least they have something to change them into when they play! Thanks to Dave’s mom who gave me patterns, and a whole whack of little treasures to play with! And thanks to Peanut who let me raid her ribbon collection to find just the perfect ribbon for that cute fabric I’ve been saving for four years!! Then I found the flannel fabric that reminded me of the other fabric, so I had to buy that and sew their babies blankets! The striped blankets are actually really large and are for the girls for in the guest house and the plane.
We had news this week that the medicals were expected to arrive in Nairobi on Monday and we are now on the final countdown! I’ve been on the phone with our bank, a travel agent, my hairdresser (every girl needs great hair for traveling!), and family as I hunt for suitcases I’m borrowing. There are so many little things to do now at the end and it’s so wonderful to be finally DOING something!! (although my family might think I’m crazy and panicking with all my lists and lists and lists!)
My first cornrows! August 11, 2009
It took me under two hours to do all the braids on Peanut’s head – and she has a LOT of hair! I was hoping to get the braids on top tighter, but I think I figured it out more at the end. I only braided the cornrows to the back (top) of her head and then did box braids for the whole back. It was a lot of fun!
The medical is done!! August 9, 2009
I’m finally back “on-line” after being away at the cabin for nine days without internet. I KNOW!!! I had huge with drawl issues. While I was away I got a call from my very excited husband – our girl’s medicals are done! We had been unsure whether our medicals were in fact in the pouch with the others. It was confirmed that this last Wednesday the girls visited the Canadian Immigration doctor and were declared healthy. We are thrilled that this stage is behind us. We are now on the last wait of the journey – it’s hard to believe… it’s just been so long.
Our girl’s paperwork is now on it’s way to Nairobi where they will audit all the information to make sure it is all there and correct and then we will get the call that we are longing for – “the visas are done!” At that point we are free to fly to pick them up. It can take anywhere from a week to twelve weeks. That’s not a very small window, but it is what it is. Our agency is predicting 6-10 weeks is most likely. So we are waiting again, but we know that the end is in sight!
I have about half the girl’s clothing bought and plan to make a trip to the city this week to see if I can’t get it all done. Then I have to buy some medical supplies to take with us (lice, scabies, first aid, etc.) I’m compiling lists (my favorite hobbie!) and starting to put things in piles for travel.
