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Our official adoption photo
The family dog sleeping in my briefcase
This was the journey of a single mom and her two children adopting a baby girl from Africa. Our precious girl is home and this is now about our lives from day to day.
The Family
Email me
- wog911@aol.com
Why Selamnesh?? Why not Sahara??
So often we go into a situation with our minds made up. We did!! We chose the name Sahara in a Walmart store. Lauren came up with it months before we ever sent in our first application. She was going to be Sahara!!
And she was Sahara...... until we met her, her nannies and her beloved birthmother Bizunesh. I could barely pronounce her name Selamnesh. But after hearing everyone call her by her birth name. How could we change it?? How selfesh would that be?? Her name is the only thing her birthmother can give her, how could I be so cruel as to take that away from her??
Bizunesh and I sat for 30 minutes with 2 translators exchanging our dreams for her beloved baby girl. I could only understand 1 word she would speak.......Selamnesh. The way she said it will ring in my ears for the rest of my life. God changed my heart that day on the bus ride home.
A legal name is just that. How many Henry's, Richard's, Barbra's or Catherine's do you know that use their legal names?? My daughter's name is Selamnesh. Most of the time I call her sweatheart.
And she was Sahara...... until we met her, her nannies and her beloved birthmother Bizunesh. I could barely pronounce her name Selamnesh. But after hearing everyone call her by her birth name. How could we change it?? How selfesh would that be?? Her name is the only thing her birthmother can give her, how could I be so cruel as to take that away from her??
Bizunesh and I sat for 30 minutes with 2 translators exchanging our dreams for her beloved baby girl. I could only understand 1 word she would speak.......Selamnesh. The way she said it will ring in my ears for the rest of my life. God changed my heart that day on the bus ride home.
A legal name is just that. How many Henry's, Richard's, Barbra's or Catherine's do you know that use their legal names?? My daughter's name is Selamnesh. Most of the time I call her sweatheart.
Journey to Selamnesh
Ethiopian time
Our Adoption Agency
Count Down
#80
#79 2-22-08
#77 3-6-08
#76 3-7-08
#72 3-11-08
#71 4-7-08
#66 4-15-08
#63 4-25-08
#60 5-20-08
#45 5-23-08
Referral 2:59pm 5-27-08
Court date 7-18-08
Travel 9-24-08
Home forever 10-3-08
#79 2-22-08
#77 3-6-08
#76 3-7-08
#72 3-11-08
#71 4-7-08
#66 4-15-08
#63 4-25-08
#60 5-20-08
#45 5-23-08
Referral 2:59pm 5-27-08
Court date 7-18-08
Travel 9-24-08
Home forever 10-3-08
There are accidental parents , But no accidental children
About the process
They tell us that the process to adopt a child from Ethiopia is about a year. A referral is when they match you to a child. They get a grouping of children, and then try to match a family to the child's needs and the families requests. They take a lot of care in this process. What a wonderful blessing they are giving both us as families and to the children. The dossier is the file that you collect information and recommendations about your family and submit them to the agency. The time frame from submitting the dossier to referral is about 6-9 months. Our process took 5 months. Then you wait for a court date. Then you wait for a birth certificate. Then after the birth certificate comes in correctly, you get a travel date. With our agency, you stay a week. They show you around the area, possibly meet the birth parent or relative. And spend time getting to know your child. You stay at a guest house with a full time cook, and driver. I couldn't ask for a more wonderful agency. Alexa, I owe you so much thanks!
The process
- Desided to adopt a girl from Ethiopia Lifest07"
- Send in Application Sept. 13, 2007
- I600-A Oct. 19, 2007
- Get Home Study done Oct. 24,2007
- Submit Dossier Dec. 11, 2007
- Offically on wating list for a referral Dec. 20, 2007
- Finger Prints by Home land security Jan. 3, 2008
- Received referal for Selamnesh May 27, 2008
- Court Date July 18, 2008
Our official adoption photo
Jacques
The family dog sleeping in my briefcase
Test your vocabulary skills to Donate Rice to Africa (Tristan's passion)
Blog Archive
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2008
(72)
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September
(20)
- Meeting Selamnesh's Birth Mother
- A very full day.
- OK. Power is back on
- Our first day together
- Being Real
- Muskul Holiday
- She is so Beautiful and shy!!
- Leaving for the Care Center
- Were Here!!!!
- Ready Set Go
- At the airport
- How much luggage does it take to bring Sahara home??
- 24
- One Day and counting
- Holding it together
- 3 MORE DAYS!!!!!!
- shower pictures
- Baby Shower
- 13 Days!!!
- Sahara Selamnesh measurments update
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September
(20)
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future Jeremiah 29:11
Things we Need or Need to Do
Love our children as though it was our last day with them.....
3 comments:
Great picture of the family! Aunt Liz and George look just as excited as you guys. Hopefully you are keeping all these pictures for a scrap book.
Great picture of the family! Aunt Liz and George look just as excited as you guys. Hopefully you are keeping all these pictures for a scrap book.
Whoo hoo!!! You are on your way! I so wanted to call you all day long, wondering where exactly you are on your trip. Good grief, now you have got me bawling constantly too! Cannot wait to see you all when you land back here - we will see you at the airport!!!
The Oswald crew
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