T-shirts are HERE!

Fundraiser T-shirts are HERE!!

Woohoo!!

$20 each, let me know which 
design and what size!

I have Sm, Med, Large and XL.

Free shipping starting today!

The flat rate shipping box is $4.75 
for the smallest, 

so please add that into the fee 
if you don't live near me!

I can fit probably 3 shirts in that box, 

so you should only add shipping once.

We appreciate any help towards 
our adoption fees!!
If T-shirt's just aren't your thing... 
but you would like to help... 
even a $5 contribution 
would add up!

Thanks in advance!

Front of the Forever Family shirt

Zehlahlum is the Amheric (major language in Ethiopia) word for "Forever".

Back of the Forever Family shirt!

And then there's my husband's design.

Of course, I should add that this is a friendly competition... 

who can sell the most shirts...

his design vs. MY design.

So...

this is HIS design.

Guess what I got in the mail?

Are you guessing?

No... it's not the prizes I won in Jamey's drawing (yet)! 

Any other guesses??

Not surprise money...

Although that would be awesome!!

(See new thermometer thing on side bar...)

Guess what it was.......

WOOHOO!!!

Guess what this means!!

It means we can bring our babies home after we pass court!

No moving to Ethiopia required! 

(which was our alternative if we had not been granted the 171H...)

So...

Today:

We picked up HUGE amounts of donations for our yard sale/fundraiser (May 1)

I won Jamey's drawing for cool Ethiopian stuff!

Our LAST piece of paperwork came in the mail!

The weather was GORGEOUS!

I got to spend the day with my hubby and kids!

It was a great day!

USCIS approval!

I just got the most WONDERFUL email!

"Your I600a was approved 

and the I171H 

approval notice will 

go out today."

AMEN and AMEN and AMEN!!!

In other news...

Go by www.zehlahlum.blogspot.com and 

donate $5 towards Jamey's travel fees!

She is coincidentally doing a 

giveaway after the donation drive...

and this gift basket is AWESOME!

I love the necklace!

I needed a laugh!

You have to see this...

Don't have anything liquid in your mouth...

Read my sister's prior two posts...

the pictures are HI.LAR.I.OUS!

Extremely funny pics from Melissa

Today's thoughts...

My friend Jamey got word today that she not only had a court date, but she PASSED, AND she will be in Ethiopia in early May to pick up her daughter!
I am so excited for them!! She has waited quite awhile for this and as we have followed each other's progress over the past several months, I am sad we won't be traveling together, but very excited for her to be there to pick up her baby girl so soon!

Why is USCIS so slow??
We are waiting on our 171H, or some word of a "request for evidence" and they are unreachable.
Many emails from our Social Worker, letters and emails from the congresswoman's office and the senators office... and still... no answer. Now I worry about making someone mad and getting stuck at the bottom of the pile. There is no way to speed things up with them and we have been waiting on them since February. Of course, our $830 check was cashed way back then...

I only have about 6 weeks left at my job. Its bittersweet as well in that I do love working with my family every day, but I need to be home for my kids at home now, and the ones coming home this summer. I need to be there for skinned knees, Popsicle clean-ups, and trips to the pool this summer as well as getting the house cleaned and de-cluttered for bringing 3 babies into our family. I will miss seeing my parents almost every day. I will miss my mom bringing me a chocolate bar "just because it's Monday". I will miss talking to grown up's and having patients tell me how much they love our office and our staff... because we are so nice and never make them wait. I will not miss calling insurance companies.

So... today I am so incredibly happy for my friend... but worried for my own immigration status. I don't want our babies to have to wait any longer than they have to. I want them home soon where I can feed them things that will help them grow and be strong and healthy. I wanted to travel with Jamey, but now I just want to travel sometime before August. I can't imagine traveling in early August then coming home and getting the 4 back into school right away while transitioning 3 into the home. Yuck.

Please, Lord... let us get that 171H soon. And please don't give us that court date until we have it! I don't want to go back in the bottom of the pile.