the adoption process

Two years in and we received referral. .......Yes, you heard right, we gonna have a child. So it is time to start The Blog. We are having a baby, but not in your standard way, we are adopting from Ethiopia! ....Yeahoo! Its a boy! Alemayehu Hopkins and he is so cute, just look at that picture! We are gonna call him Ali for short.


Our interpretation of words spoken to him right before the picture:
"Yep you heard it right kid, you are going to be adopted in Utah."
(What?)
"Yep Utah, in the United States of America" (where?)
"You gonna fly half way around the world, sleep in an unfamiliar bed and eat unfamiliar food. And be loved by some people you have not met yet"
( what, the who, the where???? ...huh?)




Like the case for biologicals, it was 50/50 chance to have a boy, for the adoption procedure does not let you choose the sex first time around. So, like the couples at their first ultrasound, there was exciting anticipation of not knowing whether it would be a girl or a boy. Well, we have been busy getting his room made. (see video).


We fly Dec 4 to pick him up. 10 days spent in Ethiopia bonding with Ali and filling out paper work.

....Paper Work, those of you in the know, you know what that means.

For those of you who don't, Paper Work is forms. Forms filled out to get forms. Applications to apply for applications. See, you got your local, your state, the Federal, and your target country. forms for forms of forms. You fill form and request to be screened by a social worker who comes over to check you out.

"Are you gonna be good parents?"
"Are you gonna love your child?"
"Your not a creep are you?"

The creep check doesn't stop at a few visits from a social worker, no, there is more forms to fill, and down to sheriffs office to sit amongst other ....less fortunate peoples...... to wait in line to go get ink on your fingers. Finger prints, all of them, in duplicate.

"Your asking, Is that it?"

Oh no, once state gives you go-ahead, its now time for federal. Go down to Feds office. Lines, forms, forms for forms, and another batch of finger printing.

Creep check passed! Now time to actually apply, like a morgage loan, financial statements, proof of employment, letters of reference. (Dang, if the Biologicals had to go thru this to have child, this world would be a different place!) After confirming your confirmation to be confirm in complete commitment to raising a child, you wait....and wait ....and wait. And then the fog of uncertainly lifts with magic words:

"We have a referal for you." -so that is where we are at. ......It is actually happening. We will have us a child!