Celebrations x2

Well - today is our one year anniversary. Last year at this time we were so very excited, our adoption officially began!!!!!
After months of research and reading and talking and figuring out what we were going to do - we took the plunge and started our file with Imagine. We definitely felt(and still do) God calling us to build our family through adoption and specifically from Ethiopia. It was such a relief to be done with meds and Dr's and all that jazz and to have made a decision. It wasn't an easy decision to make - how will we pay for this??? bring a black baby to small town Ontario??? can we handle this??? are we crazy??? But we stepped out in faith and here we are one year later.
I thought the stress of the home study would kill me. i had totally convinced myself that #1 our adoption pract. would fail us or #2 the ministry would turn us down. However, our home study was done in record time and our ministry approval also was done way sooner than we had expected.
We have read alot of books, attended a few seminars and read alot of blogs over the last year. I have said before - that i didn't count on 'meeting' so many friends along the way - but i am so grateful!! To have others who have been there - or are getting there with us - is such a blessing to me. You have all been such an encouragement to me!! thanks!
So - here's to year one being done - done done done!!! When we started they said that an adoption usually takes 12-18 months. Now we know that the time lines keep moving - don't get me started on that one - but we are confidant -that year #2 will bring our baby to our family!
I should also throw in that this week we are also celebrating 5 months of waiting for our referral. 5 months - sometimes i wonder where it all went! We are 42% of the way there!! Here is hoping that the next 5 months fly by!!!!!!!!!
We are celebrating tomorrow night with Ethiopian food. Confession - this is my first real Ethiopian meal. Shock and awe - i know. I have been so afraid to try it in case i don't like it!!! A few years ago my former boss made us Ethiopian food for lunch and i hated it. I had to choke it down - i was literally gaging. I really hope that he was just a bad cook. I am not very adventurous when it comes to food but i am very willing to give it a try and for our kids sake i really want to like it!!