National Adoption Month

November brings a lot of fun and exciting times. November in MN usually brings the first snow that stays until March. In November we have Thanksgiving, which leads to black Friday shopping, which leads to Christmas.

But did you know that November is also National Adoption month? I personally didn't know this until myself had adopted. The second Sunday of November has been marked as Orphan Sunday in many churches. Again, never knew that (or paid attention) until I adopted. I am not proud of that fact, in fact I am embarrassed my own self-centeredness. Yes, I was one of those people that thought, "Adoption is for all those other people." You know, the ones with lots of money, the stay-at-home mom types, the people that have the patience of Job, the people with the Norman Rockwell home and the white picket fence to boot. Boy, was I ever wrong. The typical people who adopt, are not rich, not stay-at-home moms, ALL have the patience of Job (you have to with adoption), live in homes less than 3000 square feet and a chipped white picket fence (if there is even a fence). They are amazing people inside and out. Everyone has something special of themselves to contribute the crazy world of adoptions and foster care.

I realize that many of you are not in a position to adopt or foster care a child, but there are so many things you can do to help orphans. This is a list I keep handy on my computer through the last year. I hope it inspires you to serve orphans this November and forever….

*Be informed - learn about adoption so you can support those who do. Many are still hindered by ignorance when it comes to adoption - don't be one of them.

*Financial Support
-Donate to a specific family trying to raise funds for their adoption-Donate to foundations that support adoption
Shaohannah's Hope www.shaohannahshope.org/
The Elison Project www.theelisonproject.org/
Project 1:27 http://www.project127.com/

*New in 2009: Children’s Hope Gift Catalog:
http://orphan.childrenshope.net/fileadmin/media/2010_Foundation_Catalog.swf

*Physical Support
-Provide assistance to a family during the adoption process
-During their travel time (3 days to a month or more) provide:
- childcare to children left at home
- provide meals
- Lawn care or shoveling
- Pet Sitting
- Housecleaning or house-sitting

*Throw a baby shower or welcoming party if the child is older- all children new to the family should be honored and recognized

*Home modifications
- help paint/decorate the child's room
- donate new or gently used furniture
- help with modifications necessary for the child who has physical challenges

*Ongoing Support
- Adoptive family's needs may not be known for several years after finalization - be there for the long haul
- Be a "student" of the adoptive family and counsel them with empathy and respect.
- Provide one-on-one support to the special needs child during church so their parents can be refreshed by worship and fellowship.

-*ASK - don't be afraid to ask what ways you can help families raising adopted children - particularly those with special needs.

* Pray for families who have adopted and that God will raise up many more who are willing.

Samantha's GOTCHA DAY

It's so hard to believe that it's been 4 years since we laid eyes on Samantha for the first time. I remember her standing in classroom where all the tables were pushed up against the tall windows. Her back was to us, but she had beautiful long black hair. She was putting beads onto string. Her eyes were so close to both, but Doug and I looked at each other and then at her foster mom and said, "She can see?!?!" Her foster mom was surprised that we didn't know she could see. When you get into adoption, especially international you have to take a leap of faith and boy did that leap pay off greatly for us.
Samantha is thriving in school, with family and friends. She just loves life and has the energy to prove it.

Tonights menu...dumplings, corn (on the cob) and chocolate dessert fondu!

We love you Samantha!
Mom and Dad

Snow?

It's snowing in MN right now. We had snow a couple of days ago, more than a dusting, less than an inch. But it started at 3AM and it's suppose to go until late this afternoon. We have actual white trees, white ground and white knuckles (driving for the first time this snow season is always fun).

It made me think, what's the temp. like in Addis Ababa, ET?
70 degrees the whole week (rain today and tomorrow) Lows are around 50s. Not as bad as I thought. However, poor Emma. Nice warm weather and we are dragging her to the frozen tundra at the coldest time of year. (sorry sweetie!) We promise to buy a very nice coat, boats, hat, mittens, scarf and save our best bread bags.

A few quick facts about Ethiopia.

Capital: Addis Ababa
Population: 64.5 million
Currency: Birr ($1-8.16)
Language: Amharic + 60 others
**Ethiopia is the oldest state in Africa and formly known as Abyssinia.

Thank you to mapsoftheworld.com for the above information.

Feel free to email me or post a comment if you know any "fun" facts about Ethiopia.

It's here! It's here! It's here!

Our pesky little I600A came back! Around 60 days! We didn't think we would see it until at least mid October. So off to get the last of the documents state sealed. make a million and one copies and then it goes to our agency who just makes sure everything is there and then off to Ethiopia!
Yikes! It's sort of like this hazy dream is coming into view!

Surprise!!

Out of the blue I got an email from our social worker with another several page assessment and more pictures!! She is doing fabulously and looks so big to me.

Please pray we can get her home before her next birthday which is the end of February!

School days, school days, good old golden rule days...

All the girls are back in school. As we were preparing the week before by trying on clothes and switching summer clothese to fall clothes and sorting school clothes from play clothes I realized that next year I would be doing this for one more girl. Phew, I will have to start at least a month before school next year!

Briana started her junior year. She is loving it already. She has decided to not be apart of debate team and try her hat in different areas, such as the school play. She is hoping to get on tech crew.

Isabella started middle school this year. It's a very big change for her, not only does she start school an hour and half earlier she has to change class rooms every hour. Isabella doesn't like change very much, but I already see her getting more comfortable and I think she will really like middle school.

Samantha started 3rd grade. She loves her new teacher and she is so excited to be back to see her friends. She is still playing the piano and is doing quite well.

Emma- I suppose will start first grade when we bring her home. Her and Samantha will be in the same school, so that will be nice. Of course, they are sharing a room so they may get tired of each other pretty quickly. ;-)

We have no adoption news as of yet. We are just waiting on our I600A (Petition to bring an orphan into the United States). We are thinking we should see it around mid-October. Then we can get everything all ready to send over to Ethiopia. I can't wait til it is off my desk and onto someone elses.

We hope you all had a fabulous summer and make sure you get out and enjoy the beautiful fall colors (for those of you that live places with trees and cooler weather) !

Exciting news!

Last week, Briana and I went to see the movie Julie and Julia. It was cute. If you are not aware, it's about a women, Julie, who cooks her way through Julia Childs cookbook and blogs about it...EVERYDAY. It dawns on me that people actually write on their blogs everyday. Now, between blogs, Facebook, Twitter, work, home, and family, I have no idea how people get the time to BLOG everyday. Most of you know I am not a fan of FB and you maybe see me once a week throw something on there.

My new thing will be to post once a week on this Blog. It's intended for friends and family to keep up with the adoption, but since I have a capitve audience (of about one I am guess. ha!) I will post something else. Maybe interesting facts about Ethiopia, and funny family story (which usually involves, a child, a pet, or some sort of injury). This way I can train you all to come out to the Blog, so when it comes time for updates on the adoption you are already checking the site.

Onto the Exciting NEWS!!!

We got an update on our daughter waiting for us in Ethiopia. Our referral photo can't even really be called a photo. It was the size of a postage stamp and Xeroxed so many times that all we could see was a silhoute. Obviously to us it doesn't matter what she looks like because between this photo and about 3 sentences of information we decided she was the child for us. However, after all this time of paperchasing and paying money out for this and that I didn't realize until yesterday how much I needed that photo. It's my tangible evidence that I do have a daugther and she is not just a paragraph on a piece of paper.

Let me tell you. She is absolutely, 100% gorgeous! She looks healthy and happy. She is smiling and already missing a front tooth! (That makes me a little sad, I am missing the milestone of no front teeth). Not only were we blessed with a photo, but a 6 page assessment report!!!

I can not share her photo with you online or any personal information, but Iwill tell you she is beatiful, an intelligent girl and loves to jump rope! Our family was so excited last night gathered around the computer. We printed off her photo and put it at the empty chair at the table and from now on she is with us in spirit until she can be with us forever!

When is forever going to get here you ask? Well....FOREVER...ha! We are waiting for our final piece of paper from the government and then we can send our whole dossier off to the main agency and they will make sure it's complete. It will be sent to Ethiopia, where it will be translated. This takes about a month. Right now best guess is January-February time frame. Of course, with adoptions nothing is set in stone. It's like trying to nail jello to the wall.

Thanks for all your continued prayers and support!

HUGS and LOVE~ The Grabers