PRAISE THE LORD! WE PASSED COURT TODAY!!

Our adoption agency called today at 11:37 am to let us know that everything went through today and that Isabella Dasash Thornley (Bella) is officially our daughter. We are so very happy. We should have her home by the beginning of March! Our adoption coordinator suggested that we not post a picture until we actually have her in our arms so I won't be posting a picture. This is such an important day for us, as well as Bella. I think about how her life is getting ready to dramatically change. I pray that she will make the transition easily. I also continue to pray for her good health until she comes home to us. Thank you for all your support!

Court Postponed Till Monday

Hey guys! I received a phone call Friday morning to let me know that the judge got sick and that court is rescheduled for Monday, the 29th! Please keep praying..I will post Monday as soon as I hear something.

We are having a great time in New York. We saw Shrek on Broadway today and it was awesome. We also went to The American Girl, Toys R US, FAO Swartz, and much more! :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESUS!! MERRY CHRISTMAS!

This has been a wondeful holiday season. On Christmas Eve, George, LiLi, and I did a little shopping in the morning. Then we took LiLi to get her bangs cut..she can now see again! :) We went to the 5:30 church service then went out to dinner at a wonderful Italian resturant. LiLi fell asleep on the way home but she woke right up when I asked her if she was ready to put out Chocolate popcorn and milk for Santa. We decided that Santa gets enough cookies so we left him "Dreamy Chocolate" popcorn from Dale and Thomas Popcorn. It is AWESOME!! George and I had a great night together..just the two of us reminiscing about our wonderful life together.

Christmas morning LiLi woke up at 3:50..yes..that's what I said 3:50. She came into our room and I went and got her sleeping bag and told her she could sleep next to our bed but it was not time to get up yet. She said, "I think I saw what I just saw". We were pretty impressed that she came into our room and that she didn't start playing with her toys. She woke up a couple more times and then at 6:10 we all got out of bed. SHe loved what Santa brought her. George had a great time taking pictures of her with his new camera..a Nikon SLR. That was our Christmas gift to each other. This is the first year in a long time that I didn't leave the house AT ALL. It was great. George cooked a turkey stuffed with oyster dressing, butter beans, and rice and I made a sweet potato casserole. We had so many leftovers so we took them to the lady at the front desk of our apartment. She was very appreciative. We then all took a nap. I will say that I missed my family in charleston this week. Not necessarily today because there have been a few Christmas's when I didn't see them (especially working as a nurse) but I always see them during the holiday season. I really enjoyed spending the actual day at home..just the three of us.

Tomorrow we leave in the morning to take the Acela train to NY. We are spending three nights there. Anna is flying up tomorrow to meet us there. We are taking the girls to see Shrek on Broadway as their Christmas gift ( as well as a weekend in NY). Anna is keeping LiLi on Sunday while George and I see The Jersey Boys! It should be a great weekend.

Tomorrow is also our court date for Bella. I have been thinking about it all day. I pray that everything goes through and that we pass court on the first try. Our adoption agency said that she will call me tomorrow and let me know. I thought this was very nice of her since the agency is actually closed. Please pray for us to pass court..this should be one of the last hurdles!

I hope everyone had a fun filled family day..and Merry Christmas!

Gingerbread House Decorating at The Ritz Carlton-Philadelphia

Today was so much fun. We created memories today that we will remember always! George, LiLi and I went to The Ritz Carlton for the Gingerbread House Event. It was GREAT! When we first got there, they put an apron and chef's hat on LiLi while passing out mimosas to the adults. They had carolers singing all the Christmas favorites. We went in to the ballroon and they had big tables for all the kids to sit and decorate the gingerbread house. The best part was that the houses were already put together so there was NO frustration waiting for the house to crumble. LiLi had a BLAST and decorated most of it herself. Santa Claus made a surprise visit after an amazing brunch. He read all the kids "Twas the Night Before Christmas" while they all gathered around him. Then all the kids had their pictures with Santa while they staff at The Ritz wrapped up all the gingerbread houses. It was a wonderful experience that we will definitely do again.

PICTURES!!

LiLi showing Santa her gingerbread house!

LiLi mailing letter to Santa at Macy's

Christmas Pagent at school

Christmas Party with new friends


Daddy with the Flea

LiLi and Lucy

G-Daddy, Nana and LiLi

LiLi with her dog, Biscuit

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!! :)

We are back in Philadelphia after our vacation to Keywest and a week in Charleston. We have a lot of fun things planned...Gingerbread house making, Shrek on Broadway in New York, friends visiting for the New Year and much more. LiLi has her Christmas Pagent for school this Thursday so we were busy making cookies today. It was a lot of fun!

When we were in Charleston, LiLi had an appointment with her plastic surgeon. I knew that her mouth didn't heal exactly like we wanted after her surgery in Sept. but the doctor confirmed that she will need surgery again due to a fistula (hole) that has formed in the roof of her mouth. BUMMER~~He wanted surgery in March but that will really be difficult since we will be getting Bella in March (hopefully). I asked about January but he doesn't want to schedule surgery during flu season! Good thinking! We are planning the surgery for May. Please keep LiLi in your prayers and pray for a successful surgery.

Our court date is next Friday! As long as we pass, Bella will officially be ours and I will be able to post a picture! :)

Hope everyone is having a great holiday season.

LOTS OF NEWS!!

Today is LiLi's 4th birthday! We can't believe it. Time has flown by. She had had a great day. The guy at the pool bar brought her a big piece of chocolate cake on a plate that said "Happy Birthday LiLi". There were chocolate swirls everywhere! For lunch we went to Sloppy Joes (we are in Key West) and the guy singing announced that it was her birthday and the entire restaurant sang Happy Birthday to her. Tonight we are having our Turkey Day dinner at the hotel.

Bella turns 16 months today. We received 2 new pictures of her yesterday. She is smiling and her cheeks have filled out some. Her hair has gotten longer and it looks so soft and curly. She is truly a beautiful child. They did some more bloodwork and everything came back negative. We also received updated height, weight, and head circumference.


Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. We are so truly blessed!

WE HAVE A COURT DATE!!

I just received an email from our agency..We have a court date..December 26th!! Please pray that everything goes smoothly!! If all goes well..she should be escorted to Washington, DC to meet her new family at the beginning of March! :)

One Month Since Referral!

It has been one month since we saw our daughter's beautiful face for the first time. We are currently still waiting on a court date. We should have a court date, as well as an updated photo of Bella, within the next couple of weeks! :)

We had a great family weekend! We took LiLi to Chuck-e-Cheese on Saturday. We had a great time. We also loved the pizza! YUM We took LiLi to see Madagascar 2 on Sunday after church! It was a great movie..very cute! George and I went to see Quantum Solace..James Bond movie on Saturday night while LiLi was at Parent Night's Out at Little Gym. She had a great time and it was fun seeing an adult movie!

I got my oil changed today..wonderful service at the Honda dealership. We are getting ready to drive back to Charleston. We should be home by late afternoon on Friday. We have LiLi's 4th birthday party on Saturday and we leave on Amtrak for Keywest Sunday morning. :) WOOHOO!! We love spending Thanksgiving in Keywest..this year it will be extra special because LiLi turns 4 on Thanksgiving Day!!

I'll let you know a soon as we get a court date. Please pray it is in December and that we don't have to wait till 09!

Halloween Picture

LiLi AKA "Belle"

PICTURES

My pookie duck baby



Daddy and the flea




I love my Tong Tong and she
is so tolerant of LiLi!

LiLi fixed Mommy's hair!

Another Month!

We had a great time last night. LiLi dressed up as Belle from The Beauty and the Beast. We went to trunk or treat at out church. They didn't have the best turn out but it was still a lot of fun. They had games, arts and crafts, dinner, and bible stories for the kids. Then they went to the church parking lot. They had about 20 car trunks decorated and they were giving out tons of candy. LiLi had a great time. We also took her to about 5 houses near the church.

Today we had lunch at one of our favorite restaurants..Asia on the Parkway. After the meal, we opened our fortune cookies. George said, "WOW, mine is so true". I thought that he was being funny so I looked at it...it said, "You and your wife will be happy in life together"! Perfect fortune!! :)

Well, we made a decision. We are using cloth diapers for Bella. There are several reasons for this. Just to name a few:
1)better for the environment
2)more comfortable
3)cost effective
4)since we walk to the grocery store and it will be freezing cold..I won't have to haul diapers home

I know that it will be more work but George and I are both willing to try.

Adoption update: We are waiting on a court date. We should hear something in the next couple of weeks. We are praying that our court date is in 08.

I will post a few pictures!

Bella Turns 15 months today!

Today our baby girl turns 15 months. Hopefully, she will be in our arms soon. We are waiting on a court date. It normally takes about 2 months after getting your referral to get your court date. We are hoping to have a court date by nid December. I'm so glad we have her beautiful picture! We will be getting monthly updates that include a picture, height, and weight until we bring her home.

George, LiLi, and I had a great weekend. After church on Sunday, we went to The Please Touch Museum. It just opened two weeks ago and it is INCREDIBLE. We stayed there for three hours and could have easily stayed there for 3 more.

The weather has been great..highs in the upper 50's and lows in the low 40's! Everyone is adjusting to city life well! We are having a blast..but it will be nice to visit Charleston in a month..to see all our family and friends!

Okay..we've calmed down..a little!

Our daughter's name is Dasash Mulu. We will name her Isabella Dasash Thornley (Bella).

Next step: we officially accept the referral, then we will have a court date in approximately 2 months. After court, we can travel approximately 4 weeks later. Since we are having her escorted to the US..it will take about 4 additional weeks.

We are so glad that we have a picture of our daughter. It feels like we have been on an emotional roller coaster for the past year and a half..we finally have our daughter!

We are going to an Ethiopian restaurant tomorrow night to celebrate!

Thanks for everyone's support!

WE GOT OUR REFERRAL! :)

OH MY GOODNESS!!!! We got THE CALL at 2:51 today. We have a beautiful baby girl born on 7/27/07. She weighs 18 pounds and is 28 inches tall. She has 8 teeth. She appears extremely healthy.

It was so amazing since Anna flew in to visit last night and George had the afternoon off work. We were all here to open the picture for the 1st time. LiLi seemed really excited about seeing her picture..than said, "okay Anna, let's go play barbies"!! :)

We are so excited! It really is true what people say..you get the call when not expecting it!! I even saw the area code and thought it was another insurance guy calling. What an amazing feeling. It was Friday afternoon and we thought...well, another week without our referral! What great news!

Diana and George

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!!!

I've Been Tagged!

The rules are:

• Link to the person that tagged you, and post the rules on your blog
• Share 7 random and/or weird facts about yourself
• Tag 7 random people at the end of your post. and include links to their blogs
• Let each person know that they've been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

http://ourlittledumplings.blogspot.com/

1) How I met my husband..I was his waitress.

2)My husband and I are starting Chinese lessons with our daughter LiLi (very lucky to have her)

3)I quit The College of Charleston when I was 20..but later received my LPN degree, then even later became a RN (Registered Nurse)

4) I LOVE helping others..volunteering at Homeless Shelters, Junior League, etc.

5) I have the best husband in the world!

6) I have always been very outgoing..or as my family says, "very talkative"

7) I have no sense of direction..can get lost anywhere!

http://kathyirwin.blogspot.com/

http://adoptingaria.blogspot.com

http://adventuresofdoubled.blogspot.com

http://babyethiopia.blogspot.com

http://thenolteclan.blogspot.com

http://taylorandturnerslade.blogspot.com

http://eastandwestkids.blogspot.com

PICTURES!!

LiLi at Reading Terminal Market

LiLi loves her sushi!

Nana, G-Daddy, LiLi and

mommy at the Aquarium

Dossier to Ethiopia 4 months ago today!

Our dossier left for Ethiopia 4 months ago TODAY! Our wait time from Dossier to Ethiopia to referral (picture and info about our daughter) is estimated to be 3-6 months. The agency did say that latelythe wait time has been mostly 3-4 months. We pray every night that our Baby Bella stays safe and healthy until we are able to brinh her home.

We had a great weekend. My dad and stepmother came to visit. We took them to The Redding Terminal Market, Macy's, The Aquarium in Camden, New Jersey, and to see many other sites. We also took them by to see LiLi's preschool. My Dad and Terry took us to a WONDERFUL Mexican restaurant in Center City. They had an awesome guacamole dip..George and I will definitely be back.

I will post some pictures of the weekend tomorrow.

Diana and George

Photos!! Hope you enjoy!

Happy Birthday Kevin!

George's son, Kevin, turns 31 years old today. We hope you have a great birthday!

LiLi's surgery went wonderful. She is healing very well without any complications! Praise God!
It was a little tough at first...she seemed to get really spoiled..really quickly..but the last couple of days have been great. They were able to successfully complete the surgery. She finally does not have any type of prosthesis in her mouth. The doctor said that she can start eating gummy worms, popcorn, peanut butter, etc. on Halloween night! She had many visitors at the hospital. Thanks to everyone who came by and called!

We are back in Philadelphia. My friend, Wendy, and i drove up last Thursday and Friday. We spent the night in Fayetsville, NC. The cats did remarkably well. We had a great trip. We are finally getting settled here. LiLi started preschool today. She will be going Monday and Friday 0900-1130 and Wednesday from 0900-1530. She had a GREAT first day and really seemed to enjoy it. George is loving his job and it's great seeing him so excited about work again. :)

It has been 3 months, 2 weeks and 4 days since our dossier left for Ethiopia. We are hoping that the phone will ring very soon with news of our referral! We will definitely keep you posted!

Oh..I changed the background to pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Let's pray for a cure!

Diana

Dossier to Ethiopia 3 months ago today!

We're getting there! 3 months ago today all of our paperwork left for Ethiopia. The official wait time for a referral is 4-6 months but lately they have been 3-4 months! Of course, we know all about international adoption and I'm sure we will get our referral when we least expect it. :)

We are leaving Philadelphia today to head back to Charleston. LiLi has her cleft palate surgery (they are closing her hard palate) on Wednesday. It is a 3 1/2 hour procedure under general anesthesia. We should only have to spend one night at the hospital. Please keep her in your prayers. George will be flying back to Philly on the 22nd and LiLi, my friend Wendy, and I will be driving up there on the 26th with the three cats!

We will keep you posted!

Dossier to Ethiopia 12 weeks Ago Today

It has been 12 weeks that our dossier left for Ethiopia. We're getting close! :)

We are getting moved into our Philadelphia apartment. George worked all day Wednesday and Thursday. LiLi and I met a lady, that I came to know on an adoption webboard, at Franklin Square Park. She adopted her daughter from the same orphanage that LiLi lived her first 16 months. They had a great time together...playing barbies, riding the carousel, looking at the sand sculptures and much more. Afterwards they took us to a local Chinese bakery in Chinatown. LiLi also had her first dance class. They were about 6 kids in her class...she really seemed to enjoy it. She starts her Little Gym class on Tuesday. We usually only allow one "activity" but since we don't know many people yet..we decided to let her do both. I probably pushed her in the stroller for 5 miles...seriously. It's just so much easier to walk everywhere.

LiLi and I also got BANGS!! This is a big deal. Her hair was one length and always in her eyes. I showed her pictures and told her that I wanted her to get bangs. She said "okay, mommy..but you go first." So now..we both have them. Oh well, it's hair and will grow back and in the meantime, my daughter can see! :)

Today, George, LiLi, and I went to Target and Staples. We got a lot of things for the apartment...a desk for the computer, bookshelves, etc. George has already put the desk and TV stand together. Hopefully tomorrow we can do some fun things with LiLi...as long as the rain doesn't start! We are praying that everyone is safe in Charleston with Hurricane Hanna approachimg. Our other two cats, Lucy and Skittles, are home alone. The sitters have been keeping us updated on the storm.

We will be home on the 14th. LiLi's surgery is scheduled for the morning of Sept. 17th. I will keep everyone posted~

We are heading to Philadelphia!!

Hello my friends! Please pray for safe travels. We are leaving in the morning for Philadelphia. We are taking Tong Tong (our hairless cat) with us tomorrow and will bring the other two cats after LiLi's surgery. We decided to leave tomorrow so we would beat some of the Labor Day traffic. Today my mom came over and played with LiLi while we packed. We worked non-stop from 0900-1700. Tonight George and I went to dinner with my two sisters and brother-in -laws. It's starting to hit me that I am going to be away from my family for the first time EVER for Christmas, birthdays, etc. BUT..this is a great experience and I'm very excited. I just got through bathing Tong Tong and we're heading off to sleep....I'll be in touch~!

Dossier to Ethiopia 11 weeks ago today!!

Today marks 11 weeks that our dossier left for Addis Ababa. The agency has told us that most referrals occur between 3-4 months. We are getting close. We are super excited..especially LiLi who talks about her baby sister Bella daily.

BIG NEWS: We are moving to Philadelphia for the next few months. George was offered a job that he couldn't resist. It is a great opportunity for him and he is super excited. We have already rented a furnished apartment right in Center City..walking distance to everywhere. We love Philadelphia and have been there dozens of times for George's business. LiLi is already enrolled in ballet class (since she has taken since she turned 2..it was important to me that she continue since she enjoys it so much). We will definitely miss our family but will be back in September for LiLi's surgery and in November for her 4th birthday party. We already have Anna booked on a couple of flights and she will be with us for 10 days during Christmas break. Please pray for safe travels since we are driving there on Monday. After LiLi's surgery, I will drive up with the three cats! HELP ME!!! :)

I will post as soon as we hear anything about BABY BELLA!!

USA Today News Report

Please take the time to read this article and view the video. It is heartbreaking!

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2008-08-17-ethiopia_N.htm

We can't wait to bring Bella home.

Dossier to Ethiopia 2 months ago

It has been 2 months today that our dossier left for Ethiopia. We are halfway there! :) We are really getting excited!

We are having a great time in Norfolk, Virginia. George is working for 2 weeks and LiLi and I are having lots of time to hang out. We have gone to Norfolk Botanical Garden, Childrens Museum, Jumpin Monkey, and much more. We had lunch yesterday with a lady that I met on the Ethiopian Yahoo site who adopted her daughter from Ethiopia in March. She is 18 months old and precious. LiLi did very well sharing with her. We will be in Norfolk until at least the 20th.

I'll be in touch!

Having fun in the sun!

We had a GREAT time in Myrtle Beach. We spent 5 nights at The Embassy Suites right on the beach. Since we live right near the beach it doesn't interest LiLi too much. SO..we spent 5 days at the pool. It was so relaxing and it was great to have so much family time without any distractions.


I was finally able to meet Kathy Irwin(who was alosi in the process of adopting from Vietnam). We met her family at The Hard Rock Cafe at Broadway on the Beach for dinner. We spent a couple of hours chatting like we had known each for years!


We are leaving on Sunday to go to Norfolk, Virginia for a couple of weeks. George will be working and LiLi and I will be tagging along for fun. We plan on going to the Aquarium, the beach, IMAX, Children's Museum and much more.

Ethiopia Update: Our dossier was sent to Ethiopia 8 weeks ago tomorrow. They are estimating that we will receive our referral within 4 months. The courts closed today for their rainy season.
They will reopen at the end of September. We are still able to receive our referral during the court closure. Please pray that we receive the referral of our daughter soon and that she is healthy.

Dossier to Ethiopia 6 weeks ago today

It has been 6 weeks since our dossier went to Ethiopia..which is not long at all. It just seems like we have been waiting forever to expand our family (since our dossier was in Vietnam for 9 months). We are so excited about Bella coming home to us. We have pretty much decided that we will have her escorted home and pick her up in Washington, DC. My sister would keep LiLi while we made the trip to get her..we think that will be best for bonding with Bella.

We are going to Myrtle Beach next week for five nights. We are really looking forward to it..we always have such a great time going to the beach, pool, waterparks, shopping, and so much more. We are meeting my friend, Kathy, and her family for dinner on Thursday night. We actually met because her dossier went to Vietnam on the same day as ours. We had planned on possible traveling together, etc. At least out of the Vietnam situation, I have made a great new friend. :) She lives in Knoxville and it just so happens that we are vacationing there at the same time.

SAD NEWS!

Today we received an email from our Vietnam Adoption Agency. We have not been matched with a child. What this means: You usually get matched with a child a few weeks before you receive your official referral (picture and info about your child). Since we are not matched with a child and adoptions are ending on Sept. 1st...we will not be able to complete our adoption from Vietnam. Maura will not be coming home to us. This is very heartbreaking. As you know, our paperwork has been in Vietnam since November and we started this adoption June 07. Please keep us in your prayers..as well as all the orphans in Vietnam affected by this horrible situation.

Dossier to Ethiopia (DTE) 1 month ago today

Today marks the day that our dossier left our agency for Ethiopia. The agency is stating that we should have a referral within 4 months. This first month has flown by...being summer we are very busy with family fun. We can't wait to see Baby Bella's face.

Our daughter, Anna, left today for a week long mission trip in New Orleans. Please pray for a safe trip.

We will keep you posted with any adoption news!

Dossier to Vietnam (DTV) 8 months ago

Today marks 8 months that our dossier was sent to Vietnam. Normally, this would mean that our referral would be here soon. Under the circumstances we have no idea. Our agency told me this week that there was a "slim" chance that we would receive our referral before the Sept. 1st cut-off date. There has been some talk of "grandfathering" in all dossiers that are in process. There also has been some talk of a temporary agreement between the two countries. What is so frustrating is that Sept. 1st is less than two months away and we have no clue what is going to happen. My heart aches for all the families having to go through this ordeal..but more important..the orphans that will suffer. Please continue to pray for a miracle.


On a happier note, my husband and I are hosting a huge party tonight. We will have about 120 guests joining us for some fun. George has many friends that have flown in for the party..some he hasn't seen in years. This will be a great night!!!

Baby Bella

Today LiLi and I went to Target so she could pick out a new doll. She picked out an African doll that cries, says momma, and moves. When we were leaving the store, I asked her what she was going to name her new doll. She said, "mommy..this is baby Bella..see it looks like her. Aren't kids wonderful?

Happy Independence Day

Mommy and LiLi at dinner at Downtown Disney!

Daddy and the flea on Father's Day!

Daddy outside the Ethiopian Restaurant

in Washington, DC. (June 08)

LiLi striking a pose in hotel room

in Chicago.

LiLi and the cast of The Itty

Bitty Show at American Girl

Store in Chicago.

June 08

LiLi at The Ethiopian Restaurant in DC.
June 08

LiLi drinking her Strawberry

Smoothie at pool in Orlando,

Florida. July 08

Happy 4th! Today George, LiLi and I spent the day with Grammy and Ava (our granddaughter). Kevin (George's son) and Michelle came over late in the afternoon to have burgers, corn, salad, and watermelon with us. It was a fun day. After everyone left, George, LiLi, and I went on a long walk. I hope everyone had a fun filled 4th!

WHAT A WONDERFUL DAY!

Today was great. LiLi was in summer camp all day and Anna was working...so George and I took out the boat. It was so much fun and the weather was fabulous. We are now home packing. We leave tomorrow to go to Orlando, Florida until next Wednesday. It should be a lot of fun.

Vietnam update: Our agency did receive 4 referrals this week and a couple of travel approvals..which is great news. We still do not have any idea whether our case will be "grandfathered in" if we don't receive a referral by Sept. 1st.

Ethiopia Update: We had our phone interview with our agency on Wednesday night. We talked about referral and travel information. It was very informative. There is a good chance that we could have Bella home before Christmas. We are trying not to get our hopes up...of course, LiLi thinks that Santa will bring her 2 sisters for Christmas!

OUR DOSSIER MADE IT!!

We are in DC and I just tracked our dossier. It made it to Addis Ababa this morning! :) Great news! We are leaving tonight on the train back to Charleston. My wonderful Dad will be picking us up from the train station at 5 am. We will keep you posted.

GREAT NEWS!

We are in Chicago today having a great time. I just checked my email and we had a message from our adoption agency stating that our dossier was on the way to Ethiopia. They also sent us the tracking number so we can track the dossier all the way there..not sure if that is a good thing. :) This means that today is the official day that we start our wait for Bella. We should have her picture in the next three months. We are so excited and wanted to share the news!

DTV 7 months

Today it has been 7 months since our dossier was sent to Vietnam. We still don't know anything for sure. Just praying and waiting...hoping that we will bring Maura home from Vietnam.

We have had a great trip so far. One day we ate at Harar Mesob, an authentic Ethiopian restaurant, in Crystal City. It was fantastic and the decor was great. We talked to the waitress, who was from Ethiopia, about our adoption from Ethiopia. She thought it was great and kept talking about how lucky she would be..we kept saying that we were the lucky ones. As far as we know, our documents are still at the Embassy in DC. Hopefully, we will get news soon that they are on the way to Ethiopia.

We also went to the Smithsonian Zoo in DC. It was so hot..heat factor of 104 degrees. Several of the exhibits were closed due to the extreme heat. We left there after two hours and went to Nam-Viet. It is a great Vietnamese Restaurant walking distance from the zoo. We had a GREAT lunch. LiLi likes Vietnamese food much better than Ethiopian. :) We left DC and took the Amtrak train to Chicago to visit some friends. After 21 hours on the train, we arrived in Chicago today at 1 pm. We will be here until Sunday night. We will post pictures soon. 

Diana and George 

Getting ready for vacation and updates

Vietnam update: nothing new..we are still waiting to see if we will be able to complete our adoption from this beautiful country.

Ethiopia: Our documents are currently in DC getting authenticated..then..they will be on the way to Ethiopia.

Today I had an appointment with an Infectious Disease doctor. She went over all the vaccines that we will need depending on whether we go to Vietnam/Ethiopia or both. We had Hep A and B in 2006 when we adopted LiLi from China..so we don't need those again.

George, LiLi, and I are getting ready for a vacation. We leave Saturday for Washington, DC and Chicago. We are taking the Amtrak train and will be gone almost 2 weeks. George has a couple of meetings in DC but other than that..its a 100% pleasure trip. We are going to take LiLi to the zoo in DC on Sunday. We will post from DC with pictures!

ALMOST THERE!!

Today George, LiLi, and I drove to Columbia. We had two documents that needed to be authenticated at the state level. After getting the documents completed, we drove straight to Kinkos and had our ENTIRE dossier overnighted to Dove Adoption International. When they receive it, the will check everything and then send the documents off to the Ethiopian Embassy in DC. When they return to Dove, they will immediately go to Ethiopia. At that time, the wait will begin. It feels so good to be finished with all that paperwork.

After we left Kinkos, the three of us had a picnic. We then spent the afternoon at The Children's Museum in Columbia. We had a GREAT day!


And we have decided on a name for our daughter from Ethiopia...Her name will be Bella!

WE RECEIVED OUR I-171H

Today we received our I-171H. This is our pre-approval from the US government to adopt our daughter from Ethiopia. This is the last piece of paperwork we need before our dossier gets sent to Ethiopia. We should have a picture of our daughter in about 3 months! :)

LiLi's surgery

We took LiLi to the ENT doctor last Thursday for a routine visit and hearing check. They found that she had a lot of fluid in her left ear which caused some hearing loss. That was the ear that the tube fell out of while we were in Hawaii in January (the doctors were waiting to put it back to make sure it was really needed). Today George and I took her to the surgery center at 0830. She had surgery at 0900 and we were at Ye Ole Fashion watching her eat ice cream when the doors opened at 10. She had tubes placed in both ears and had her adenoids removed. This was her 5th surgery..and once again she did remarkable. I think it is harder for George and I to watch her go through all these surgeries. We will have a follow-up visit on June 2nd and they will recheck her hearing then. Thanks for all the prayers!
Diana and George

Another Great Day in Philadelphia

This morning George had to work so LiLi and I went to Gymboree.

For lunch the three of us went to Abyssinia Ethiopian Restaurant. It is an authentic Ethiopian restaurant that I found a couple of miles from our apartment. All of their dishes are served with homemade injera. Injera is a soft unleavened crepe-like sourdough bread made of cereal grain known as tef. Tef is cultivated as a staple crop only in Ethiopia. Traditionally, one eats with their bare fingers using small pieces of the injera to wrap up the mouthfuls or 'gursha' of tyhe wide array of traditional meat and vegetable stews. LiLi ate with a fork but George and I had a great time eating with our fingers. The food was delicious and the ambiance made us feel like we were in Ethiopia.

On another note, our Vietnam adoption agency received several referrals yesterday. One family also received their approval to travel to Vietnam to pick up their child. What an emotional roller coaster. Everytime we think that our Vietnam adoption will not be completed, we get a glimmer of hope. Please continue to keep us in your prayers.