Gotta love yahoo groups

Through our international agency we have a yahoo group where you are able to email to others about adoption questions and everything from a-z about the adoption process. Recently I got an email from someone who was just at the orphanage where Fraole is. They were picking up their daughter. This is what she had to say about our little guy. Emails like this are priceless..........

"We didn't know his name, but we definitely remember that little boy in the Snapfish picture! I know what you mean about kids looking very different in pictures, but I would bet that if you see a picture that you *think* is of him, it is. Fraole has a very unique look and is totally gorgeous (I mean, all the kids at Wanna are cute, but Fraole is stunning), and I didn't see any other kids that looked anything like him. Striking enough that I remember my husband and I saying something to each other about him. We would describe him as cheerful and mellow/calm (with my husband emphasizing the "calm"- he thinks that's the best way for a toddler to be, of course :)). There were times he seemed kind of solemn but I wouldn't say he was unhappy. We saw him at mealtime during several of our visits, and he seemed like a good eater. I would guess his age range to be right around what you said, maybe closer to 2 than 2.5. "

welcome bag contents

We are encouraged to keep the gifts small and under $10, so this is what Jacklyn and I put together for the little guy :) We found out the meaning behind his name. It means "to make nice for friends and family" and is derived from NOAH.

this and that

Here is our placement agreement and the picture of his little family photo album and shirt that is being sent off for him to open next week. We signed our bigtime legal docs. Now we are waiting to get a court date. Hopefully we will hear about that sometime in mid Oct. It sure is feeling a lot more real now that we have a name and photo of our little sugar! Hard to believe he will be wearing his little shirt in a couple weeks :) Too cute!

The girls and I are on a mad rush to get our photo album put together to send to the little sugar. We have to have our welcome bag to Washington by Thurs. so the director can deliver it to him personally as she leaves for Ethiopia in about 10days or so. After taking about 60,000 photos, we narrowed it down to these 2 for the pictures of "MOM" and "SISTERS". We also have to take a picture of the house and his room. We already have a million pictures of Oscar and Bagheere and Belle, so they were saved from not having to be part of our photo party. We got little sugars blue plaid comforter last weekend to match Jaymies but we need to paint 2 of the walls in the "shared" room. We have his disposable camera that they will get back to us in the next weeks after they take some pics of him opening up his welcome bag and pics I believe just to help make the wait easier. (this gets sent back to us once our director flies back.) I am able to smooosh his blanket in the gallon size ziploc, and the Tshirt and toy still need to be purchased. I hope to have this all in the mail by Fri. for safe delivery to Ethiopia via our international agency. I guess our next big hurdle is to wait for the courts to open (oct. 7th) and see when we are assigned a court date. If we pass our court date the first time I'm pretty sure we will be able to fly before Christmas. Wouldn't that be just too perfect!!

Referral

The time was 12:24. (24 is my favorite # by the way) & I was sitting in the lobby at Jaymies school when my cell phone rang. The area code on it was a 360 area code, which is Washington where our international agency is. It was the director, Merrily. She asked if I had a moment and if I was sitting down. I think my heart pounded out of my chest! She said she had a referral for us of a 2 year old little boy. I had to cover my face and look down as the tears started rolling. Then of course I began shaking. So I had to walk outside for a bit to get it together and try not to speed home once I got Jaymie. Pictures and a medical report and background were going to be waiting for me on our email. Can I just say he is just a little sugar! We're in love already. I can't post pictures of him on our blog until he is legally ours. If you are interested in me sharing with you, send me an email. I can say that the medical report says he is a healthy little guy, can feed himself with a spoon, can walk up and down steps, plays well with others, and can kick a ball :) He was abandonded, but he is not alone anymore. It's time to go shopping for his little package families send once they get a referral. I've already got his blanket that I have been sleeping with to get my scent on it. I think he needs some trailblazers, cowboys and dodgers shirts. Well, I have to go stare at some photos and figure out how to make them wallpaper on our screen!

shots

Jeffrey and I are getting ready to visit the dr. to get some shots. I believe we will be getting hep A and B, typhoid, and tetanus. Hopefully there will be no side effects from the shots. jaymie took this shot of the newest members of our family. We are taking a trip to a new pet store today and may add some more fish to the tank.

a gift for myself

A fundraising gift to myself...........a lady on a website I was reading was selling these charms of Africa with a heart carved out in them and I thought I would support her fundraising of trying to earn $ to help pay for her airfare to pick up her adopted child. Isn't it neat. I have gotten quite a few comments on it and struck up some interesting conversations by wearing it from people who have connections to Africa. Too cool!