Backus Christmas 2004

Snowman Winter

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xmas 2004

Warm Wishes Holiday

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2009 2010

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xmas 2009 A

Classic Scarlet Christmas

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Shared photo book from Gail

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Christmas 2010

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A quick note - nothing big

Just a quick note - been traveling and working hard - but still trying to get ready for the holidays, paperwork done - and so much more.

I just keep thinking this time next year - we may have another bundle of joy in our lives!  Isn't God amazing - I do believe he's looking out for us.  Not only do I have paperwork for the Dossier - I may need to take more time off work to just get some appointments in.  Thank God that our finger printing with Home Land Security is on an "off Friday" - but Redford PD isn't open on my days off - or they don't do adoption stuff then.  I also have to start applying for loans and grants!  Not sure we'll be able to get the $ in time for the dossier submission - but we just continue to pray it all works out.  Its very difficult knowing how much we want to expand our family - but it always comes with a cost.  All to just do the paperwork - Scary

anyhow - I"m chugging away at it all - as many other families are out there.  I'm meeting more and more out there.  Learning about travel things, what to bring, what airlines to fly - and Ethiopian Air has a new jet - so that's looking pretty awesome - unfortunately its business class seats are probably a little too much - but man that would be cool.  I keep dreaming to figure out a way to bring Nate on our last trip - I believe that could be a bonding experience for our soon to be family of 4 - I can't wait.

So I'm babbling on and on - I should go clean and get more work done.  Thanks for you for following - its always fun!  I love keeping up on many more -
Love
Gail

BEST Christmas cards ever - check out my deals

Hi everyone - this year I'm working to get free Christmas cards from www.shutterfly.com - http://bit.ly/sfly2010 - you can look at both links - they have awesome service.  I have used Shutterfly for a many things.  We used them for cards the first year Nate was born, last year and plan on using them this year.  last years cards were totally awesome - I was able to upload 9 pictures into one really cool photo card - I had so many compliments on it I couldn't even believe it. 2009 Xmas card.  This year they have so many different designs - I don't know which one to pick.  Some of my favorites are: Faith, Love, Family; Picture Tree; Retro Snowflakes and many others - check them out at http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/christmas-cards?viewAll=true&sortType=1&foType=e&fa=8&DCL=true&fe=4&lfoType=a&fb=2

Here are just a few pictures we had in our photo books last year.

I recently have made their photo books this year from our Disney trip and then one from Nate's birth to early this year for my dad.  These books are just awesome!  My dad and whole family love them and so do I.  Here are just a few of the pictures I added to my Shutterfly Album!  Some made it to our books - others didn't - but you can see from our baby showers to some early times with Nate.  ALSO - look up at another entry and I have finally found out how to share the projects - I have the recent Santa 2010 picture AND our big Photobook - you GOTTA check that one out.

Craig and I are the Wilcox Family Baby Shower

One of my favorite - Kisses Nate - created for his Nonnie (Craig's mom) for valentines day

A picture my friend Kathy made - too cute

Baby shower from Lisa (in middle) - it was the only one my mom could make - look how proud she was

Nate

Nate and Nate - Xmas 2004

Papa and Nate - apple orchard 2004

The programs I can use are really easy and allowed me to make things custom- using different formats and backgrounds - its just really cool.  One really key thing is many people use the custom books to make a little book of pictures to leave with their child either before they get there or at their first trip - this way it helps the child get to know their family, house, our cats - you name it.  I think that will ban awesome first gift for our future little one.

Hopefully this week I'm gonna load more pics from this summer and fall and make our 2010 Christmas cards.  http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/christmas-photo-cards

then when we get our little one home from Ethiopia I plan on sending out adoption announcements for our newest family member.  http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/birth-announcements
these will be awesome - I will get to make something special for our new little one.

the calendars are cool too - I"m hoping I find time to make one for our family this year as a stocking stuffer.  http://www.shutterfly.com/calendars/wall-calendars  - and I was even thinking if I can take TONS Of pictures in ET - I can make special calendars for our new little one of their home country and possibly even their caretakers and family if we can get their pictures.  Wouldn't that be cool - especially when they get older.

Just check out this stuff and you possibly can get deals like this too - honestly www.Shutterfly.com is the only place we have found to do our pictures, cards and other photo related items over the last few years - they ROCK.

The Backus gang

Fun Facts about Ethiopia

Today is Thanksgiving 2010 - and at my aunt and uncles house I met someone who's friend adopted 2 boys this year from Ethiopia.  Her blog is now linked and its myfamilymyjourney.blogspot.com - amazing.  Anyhow she listed these interesting facts that I thought I would share.  

• Ethiopia has been around for a very long time. The country's Rift Valley is known as the cradle of humanity - fossils of the oldest known upright hominid (4-million years old) were found here in 2005, surpassing the famous 3.5-million-year-old 'Lucy', which was discovered in the same region back in 1974.

•A thousand years before Christ, the Queen of Sheba, we are told, traveled to Jerusalem where she met King Solomon, married him, and had a son, Menelik. When Menelik reached maturity, it is said he left Jerusalem and took with him the Ark of the Covenant, containing the original 10 commandments, back to Ethiopia. The Ethiopian Christian Orthodox Church says it still has the ark in its possession. No one else makes such a claim...

•Ethiopia's official religion is the 1700 year old Ethiopian Christian Orthodox Church. The Jews of Ethiopia, Beta Israel, are said to have been there for 3000 years. And its Muslim adherents have practiced Islam for 1300 years. Ethiopia is split religiously, with official statistics of 35% to 40% Ethiopian Orthodox primarily in the north, and 45% to 50% Muslim, primarily in the South.

•Ethiopia is the only country in Africa never to be under colonial rule, other than a brief occupation by Italy during WWII. You can visit many restaurants in Ethiopia today due to the influence of Italy during the occupation.

•Traditional Ethiopian food consists of various vegetable or meat dishes, usually a wat or thick stew, served atop injera, which is a large crepe-like sourdough flatbread made from fermented teff flour. One does not eat with utensils, but instead uses a piece of the injera (always with the right hand) to scoop up the sauces.

•The Ethiopian calendar is very similar to the Egyptian Coptic calendar – each have 13 months, 12 with 30 days each and the 13th month at the end of the year with 5 or 6 days, depending on whether it is a leap year. The year starts on September 11th (12th in a leap year). The Ethiopian calendar is 7 years behind the Gregorian calendar, so Ethiopia recently celebrated their millennium on September 12, 2007.

•Coffee can be traced back to the 9th Century where it is believed a shepherd discovered coffee beans in the highlands of Ethiopia, namely the Kaffa region. The Ethiopian people are very proud of their coffee and they show this in their well known coffee ceremonies. The Coffee Ceremony is a very important part of socializing in Ethiopia and to be invited to a coffee ceremony is always considered a sign of respect and friendship.

•There are multiple tribes with different subcultures and over 80 languages in Ethiopia. The Amharic language is a Semitic language spoken in North Central Ethiopia and is the official working language for Ethiopia.

•Family in Ethiopia includes immediate and extended relatives, neighbors, and friends. Faith and family are the foundation of the Ethiopian culture. Ethiopians are very respectful and loving. The elderly are considered very knowledgeable and as a very important part of the family structure. Children are usually raised in a large community that includes extended family and neighbors, and siblings are expected to help take care of each other.

AWESOME News for Thanksgiving

After a LONG day at work I get home to receive another letter from Homeland Security - pretty scary under any other circumstance.  Well great news - they accepted our application (even without all the documentation the agency said we needed to send - didn't need it - followed the instructions on the application) - anyhow we have our appointment for biometrics (fancy name for fingerprinting)!  December 17th!  And best of all - I have that day off - so no extra vacation hours to be used to get this done!

Just a few weeks away and we'll be in the DHS system - but one more step closer to finalizing our Dossier and having it sent to ET!  And just another step closer to bringing our little one home!

On a totally different note - I am on a few yahoo groups for Ethiopian Adoption.  I was reading some posts last night about bringing your child to ET when you pick up your adopted child.  A lot are taking kids Nate's age!  So I was thinking what an experience that could be - maybe not the first trip as there is a LOT of extra travel. But the second trip is shorter and what a way for our family to really bond!  And younger kids really do bond to the sibling quickly!  So pending costs - its something to consider right now.

Everyone have a blessed thanksgiving holiday!  I'm thrilled!  Even in the cold and rain -we are venturing to the Detroit Thanksgiving Parade with friends!  What a great tradition to start and carry on with a new one maybe next year!  So watch for us on TV - I know its partly on a national parade shows - ha - like you will ever see us!

God Bless
Gail

More waiting

I know - this will be our life for months - rush, rush and more rush - only to wait!  But I did get my HR paperwork today only to have to cancel my dr appointment next week where I was NOT leaving until I received my notarized letter from her.  Ha - I found out I need to travel for work next week -oh well.  Lets just hope USCIS doesn't schedule our appointment next week - I doubt they work that fast.  So we'll see.

I know in the long run - the long waits will be totally worth it!  I keep seeing other blogs and stories of all these other families and they are just beautiful.  I can't wait to see a picture of our child and then to hold them.  These months will seem foolish one day!  So I should just cherish my dreams and the quiet for now.

Today I"m preparing stuff for our Thanksgiving and thankful for so much.  Thankful for the family we have here and those in heaven.  I'm making my mom's homemade party (chex) mix.  YUMMY.  A tradition for the holidays.  I wish I had a few other things, but I do - only lost in storage.  Maybe this Christmas holiday I'll dig things out and organize.  Because hopefully next year we'll have a second child to share things with.  And then bring some Ethiopia into our lives - as that's now going to be part of our history, family tree - you name it.  Its cool to think about all that.

Plus - I have a healthy child, my friends have a very sick child - a child with an unknown blood disease, one so rare they can't figure it out.  during tests this summer they found out he has a brain malformation and recently was told he needs brain surgery like this week or next!  And now yesterday they did tests to see if he has a mass in his chest.  Its like what does this little 3 year old have to endure.  And he's got 2 brothers and a new one coming this Christmas!  So 4 kids under 6 and one very ill.  Wow - so please keep little Gabriel in your prayers this holiday season - he needs them - but his family is full of faith they are an inspiration.

I'm babbling - but lots to be happy for - even during my boring waiting times.  Maybe when life slows down I'll post more about Ethiopia (ET as I may call it) so we can all learn about it. I know the country has Muslims and orthodox Christians.  So we may learn a lot.

Enjoy.
Gail

TESTING

This post is just a test - a test to see if I can post from an email.  Thanks to all that are following the blog - pass it around and hope to get more interest as we go along.  Its already on a few other adoption websites - so we'll see.  I continue to learn a LOT from other families and what they are going through - so its fun.

Gail

Pictures of Ethipia

This is what dinner in ET looks like- the platter is a bread - injera and you use that as your utensils.  You break the bread and eat with that.  I'm not a very adventurous eater and this was actually pretty tasty - may not look like it - but it was.

Landscape

Landscape

Famous waterfalls - don't know the name

Landscape

Map of Ethiopia - we'll start our process in the capital city - Addis Ababa - and then potentially travel from there to other parts to see our child and possibly meet their family.

Ethiopian Flag

USCIS Application letter

YES!  We received the "official" letter from USCIS aka Homeland Security today - they received our application to get a Visa for the child we want to adopt.  I had the text message a few days ago - but we are officially in their system.  Now we wait for the application process to start and then we get the next letter to tell us we need to show up "here are this time" to have biometrics - the fancy term for fingerprinting done.  NOT bad - we'll take it!

YEAH  - another step forward in the Dossier paperwork that gets sent to Ethiopian Government for their approval.