Relief...and tasty food!

Jim and I have been waiting for our I600A extension, which is essentially our immigration approval to adopt children from the United States government. It is good for 18 months at a time, and we recently resubmitted ours as that time had come. While we logically knew (hoped) that the extension would be a formality as nothing had changed about our situation since our initial approval, it sure was a relief to find it in our mailbox this weekend. See, we could pass court at really any time (although it will probably be a bit longer) and in order to issue our embassy appointment and travel dates, the National Visa Center needs to have a current approval on file...and they do!!!

Sunday we headed up to Evanston to dine at Addis Abeba with another couple, Stephanie and Tom, who are adopting an Ethiopian baby from our same agency. Our agency is on the east coast, and it is not uncommon for families who live in that area to gather. It was fun to meet people in person here in Illinois where there aren't quite as many Wide Horizons families...or at least ones that we know just yet. The food was fabulous and we really enjoyed the company. It is amazing that we four sat dining here while having daughters all the way in Ethiopia who have shared a roof. Hopefully we'll all be getting news of successful court dates soon!

Hanson...Party of 6!

This lovely photo, taken on Kim's iPhone, of course, depicts her (on the left) and me (on the right) at the close of our final full day of special education meetings together for the school year because a) there's only 3 weeks of school left and b) Kim and her husband, Steve, leave for Ethiopia TOMORROW to pick up Luke and Ava to join their family. As you can see, Kim's enjoying some celebratory ice cream as well! (Note: Before anyone comments on hair and make-up, know it was a rainy, windy day. ) This picture of Kim, our technology devices and I will remain one of the big symbols of this adoption process for both of us, I'm guessing.

We've been on this adoption journey together for what seems like forever, and I am amazed that tomorrow Kim and Steve will board the plane. I am excited that there are 4 children in Ethiopia that, between our two families, will live only minutes away from each other here in Illinois. And I am so thankful for Kim's friendship through this process. We have had overwhelming support from so very many people, as have they; there is such great value in sharing this experience and all the excitement, anticipation, anxiety and despair it can bring with another family in process, too. We're all really blessed! If you want to see the Hanson clan, head over to http://hanson6.blogspot.com/! I can't wait to see them all together.

Congratulations, Kim, Steve, Cady and Jake! You continue to be in our prayers; we're sad we won't be there to send you off and can't wait to see you when you return.

In other news...

• After a crazy day of running Mark and Tessa around, I'm also thinking Kim was pretty smart to add to the fam after her oldest, Cady, got a drivers license.
• Our passports came back from the Ethiopian Embassy today, so Jim and I have our visas!
• A bunch of people waiting ahead of us passed court this week, some earlier than expected! Talk about panic and excitement all at once on this end :) Now I really have to get those shots.....

Post office action

Through the adoption process, I sure have learned a lot and had a variety of new experiences. Back in the day, for example, I used to go to the post office to mail a letter or buy some stamps. Yesterday, I mailed one letter (for 44 cents!), sent photo albums for Alexa A and Liana B to our agency in Massachusetts that will ultimately end up in Ethiopia, and sent a copy of our updated home study to our case worker at our agency...the latter two with delivery confirmation, of course! Then (and here comes the scary part) I sent our ACTUAL PASSPORTS that we NEED to travel in a little old Express Mail envelope to the Ethiopian Embassy in Washington, D.C., along with our visa applications. (Yep, I did find my passport...in a laundry basket.) I had to enclose a return Express Mail envelope so the fine people at the Embassy could send them back, once stamped with multiple entry two year visas for Ethiopia.

What's that make me think? First of all, it amazes me that an envelope I am holding in my hand at 5 p.m. on a Monday in Illinois will be on someone's desk in D.C. before noon on Tuesday. Second, I can really build up a ginormous bill at the post office in a hurry. Finally, and most importantly, I am struck by how many people have helped us along through this process, right down to the lady at the post office. Amazing!