Ghana and the Waiting children

Well, I saw the waiting child video the other day and there were some kids from AAI's new program in Ghana. They are so beautiful and sweet. There were four girls and I wanted to adopt all four of them. They have to stay together! We passed our test that we took for our training video and now I'm just waiting for AAI to send out the packet for our dossier. I talked to Gay a week ago and I am SO anxious but am going to wait to email her after it's been 2 weeks.. I was reading someone elses blog about how they go back and forth about the age they want to adopt and I am doing the same thing!! I know we want a little girl around Holly's age and then I was set on a baby brother, but after watching the video... I want to be open to a girl maybe... I don't know! cause I do want a boy somewhere in the mix and our next adoption will be from China and we'll probably adopt a baby girl then... SO, I'm leavin it to GOD! Someone please help me figure out this picture thing!!

Homestudy Completed!

Well, we're making progress in the journey. Have almost finished taking the tests that were required with the training video we received. had trouble getting online and logging in... like now I can't seem to upload pics... which is really hard for me as I am a photographer and have alot of great ones to share... but I will figure this out!!

Anyway... most of our agency is away for the holiday so we're just waiting for our homestudy approval. Went and had our fingerprints done at immigration on my birthday, the big 40!! and now we will wait until probably the end of August to get our 171, but that's okay as the courts are closed until October, and we'll need time to gather the paperwork for AAI and our dossier. Shawn has to apply for his passport next week!! cause hopefully we're going to Mexico at the end of September to celebrate my friends 40th birthdays.. really looking forward to that trip!

I cannot wait until I can post pics of our children!!!

Hello... it's been awhile

Okay.. I've got a grip and I'm posting 6 MONTHS LATER... about our adoption, which is going GREAT by the way. our social worker sent our homestudy for review Saturday and sent it to our agency as well. We're going to get fingerprinted for immigration next week also and then will wait for our 171 for some weeks. It's a good thing that the courts are closed in Ethiopia until October as well as the millenium celebration so we can gather our dossier paperwork and wait for Shawn's passport. I was told today that we could be referred children as soon as our paperwork is in, although I know we won't be going to get them until probably December. We are now requesting a 4-7 year old girl and a 0-3 year old boy... unless we fall in love with a sibling group on the waiting child video. The lady told me today that the preschoolers aren't usually on the videos and that we would contact another lady there at AAI to find out who is available in the age range we are requesting, so the wait will not be long I'm told. She really feels strongly about us adopting kids younger than Holly, and I really want a little boy, so I'm open to that, we just want Holly to have a sister close in age. They will allow us to adopt out of birth order but want you to be prepared for things to not be easy right off if the kids are acting out and expressing grief. I told her that Holly is an old soul and we will all adjust.. I do love this agency.. they are really informed and to the point.

Hello and Welcome to our Journey!

I'm creating a new blog to timeline our adoption journey and well just basically our life. I have to figure out all this technical stuff though.. I've forgotten! First of all, let me link you to my photography website. Soon it will be www.robindoddphotography.com, but for now it's this .....

http://www.betterphoto.com/gallery/gallery.asp?memberID=67278

I can't wait to go to Africa to get our little girl. Now Holly won't have to have an imaginary sister, Nadine is her name... or maybe she'll keep her... I seem to remember having one and I had a sister. I love this picture of Georgia, my niece, taken this Christmas. Isn't she a hoot???