Introducing Us!

About a year ago (April 2007) we decided to expand our family through adoption. Adoption was an idea we had entertained for many years, but had not taken any serious steps ... until now. Our two daughters (Ages 11 & 9) kept asking about a little brother or a little sister, so last spring we contacted a few adoption agencies and began to seriously consider moving forward. At first, the idea was rather intimidating, but the more research we did and the more stories we heard, the more natural it began to seem. Now - a year into the process, expanding our family through adoption seems like the most natural step we could take.
After reviewing the information from various countries, each of us independently gave an opinion on which country we felt drawn to. Surprisingly, the decision was unanimous - Ethiopia. A small country in the "horn of Africa" with a fascinating, proud history and a sad legacy of famine, extreme poverty and millions of orphans desparately needing a forever family. Our journey began as we completed our application with America World Adoption (AWAA). We requested 2 children between the ages of 1 & 7 as we felt this would be a good fit for our family.
The process is long and can be daunting, but a little more than a year later, we received our referral for 2 little boys in need of a family. On June 3, 2008, we were notified of these 2 precious boys, ages 7 & 2. Their personal histories are heart-breaking and we have chosen to keep them private and for the boys to choose if and when to share. At the moment, we are now waiting for a court date in Ethiopia - when the boys will legally become our children. Our agency will represent us in court - and once we have a successful court date, we will travel to Ethiopia to bring them home within 2-4 weeks after the court date.
Until then - we will keep you posted of our progress and our journey as we transition from a family of 4 to a family of 6!