It's Getting Exciting...

Now that we have started to share the news about our adoption, we should probably explain a little about the process and where we are "at."
1. Tons of paperwork - done! We had to have a home study completed, doctor visits, social worker visits, fingerprinting done, clearance from Homeland Security, etc. This step took us about six months.
2. Get on the wait list- this is where we are... our dossier (all the paperwork) is in Ethiopia! The fact that our "stuff" is in Africa is very exciting!
3. Get a referral - next step for us
4. Child gets a court date in Ethiopia and hopefully passes through court the first time. (Usually takes 2-3 months from referral date to get first court date.) If they don't pass the first time, they get a second date, etc...
5. Child gets a date at the US Embassy in Addis Ababa (capital city in Ethiopia) (usually 2-6 weeks after passing court)- and we travel to take her to this appointment and bring her home!

Many people have asked "how long will it all take?" This is a tough question to answer. It can take as little as one month of waiting for a referral or it can take closer to six months...We don't have all the answers, but this much we know for sure - it will be worth the wait!

For now, here is one of my favorite quotes :
"Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase, just the first step."
Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

Deena