and...

i got rushed off my last post from earlier this evening because i forgot to put the onion in the casserole i was making for the dinner guests that showed up literally as i clicked to post. i did want to say a couple more things about today's news. i think what's most difficult is knowing that we will meet our kids and then have to leave them. once we find out more information about the timing of everything, we may try to figure out a way for me to stay in ethiopia between the court date and the embassy date [the embassy date is where our children actually receive visas into the united states and are cleared to leave ethiopia]. we will both have to be present for the pre-court or court date, and there's probably no way for me to juggle 2 kids and luggage by myself when it's time to come home, so jamie will have to come back [and probably our brother-in-law steve with him the second time]. but if we can figure out an economical way for me to stay in ethiopia in the interim [which could be a couple of months], that would be ideal, especially for bonding and attachment.

in general, i don't want this whole thing to sound like a huge downer. it's tough news for sure, but i'm trying to see how cool it is to be able to see ethiopia twice before my kids are even home [or perhaps to even live there for a couple of months]. i've been reading a travel guide i bought, and it just keeps striking me: my kids are ethiopian. i take a lot of pride in that. the country has so much history, so much beauty...i haven't even been there yet, but i know it's true. my friend becca says that when you adopt, your child's nationality becomes almost like your nationality. so why not, in some ways, rejoice that i will be able to take in the sights, sounds, and smells of ethiopia two times instead of one so that i'm better able to ground our family in its ethiopian roots as much as its american ones?