Hasta La Vista, and Das Vedyania, and Deuna Seunbetu!

Well, I'm signing off for now. Tomorrow morning I'm headed to the airport. I should be back online Friday presuming I don't want to just crawl in a bed and sleep.... Well, that would be Friday Ethiopia time too (there's a time converter on my web page). I'd have to get out a calculator to let you know what time it would be West Coast time. :)

I've got AOL instant messenger (Jessc098) and also Gmail messenger (Jessc098) and a webcam. If my connection is good, I'll post video clips when I can, I'll definetly post stills.

For those of you who've requested photos of your kiddos I will email those directly to you, and won't be posting them here--I've got my list of names and emails ready. For those who need a photo of your kiddo waiting, I'm happy to take this, but I have only one exemption to my "after referral only" rule (you know you you are). If you have a kiddo waiting for you to travel and you already have your referral, and if your child is in the greater addis area, I'll try to take a photo for you if you would like one. I'll be visitng several orphanages to make balloon animals and take donations, so will have some time for that type of thing if it's allowed.

Well everybody--here goes--I'm off to fetch my sweet little girl.

too cute for words!

Check out this little guy "phoning home" on his way to the USA from Ethiopia.

I don't know him--found the link through a friend of a friend's blog. SOOOO cute though.

Interesting article on Ethiopia Adoption

The article is really lovely but the comments are positively shocking in my opinion. USA TODAY ARTICLE

Pike Place Market

I'm headed off to Ethiopia in a few days, so we're spending this Labor Day Weekend with friends and family.
Today we went to Pike Place market. We pretty much ate our way through the market (as usual) We came home with no pretty flowers or flying fish, but full bellies and stiff legs.

We ate lunch at Pike Place Brewery (is that the name of it?) Anyhow, our verdict is great beer, crummy food, even Destiny wanted to know why they only put pickles on the burger and how mayo became "secret sauce." We stopped in the morning for a meat-pie at the Pirosky shop--Destiny was thrilled to have eaten at the same establishment that Anthony Bordain (of the Food Network) has. One of her favorite shows.

We had a very good time. We also visited the piers and waterfront (LOTS of weddings today). I don't recall how it came up but somehow we were discussing phoning my mom. Rob said "I would like my mother-in-law's phone number."

Destiny said "you have a mother in law?" We explained that yes, Grandma Kelly (my mom) is dad's Mother-in-law.

Destiny looked very worried and concerned and said: "Does she know?"

On the way home, we took the long way across the 520 floating bridge and we were discussing the UW interview of Bill Gates that we had seen last night (relevant also because of the Gates' Foundation's humanitarian work in Ethiopia). I pointed out to Desitny Bill Gates' home--and she said "when I grow up, I'd like to be Bill Gates, except not Bill, I'd like to be Destiny Gates."

She cracks me up.

What to pack?

I've totally been stewing on what to Pack for Ethiopia.

For those of you who know me well, especialy if you've known me the last ten years, I've packed on a few pounds. I was loosing them very well with hockey last year, but this adoption anxiety has given me a bad case of the munchies (I'm a terrible nervous eater) and I've gained some back.

I know this is temporary--I've lost it before and I'll loose it again, so I've not invested in a whole lot of big clothes. I've got a few standby functional outfits, but I don't like how anything fits. I can usually make things far more flattering by wearing cropped pants, above the knee skirts, and um.. "sculped" blouses.

However, I'm about to spend 21 days in a Muslim/Orthodox country, and folks, it just isn't going to be forgiving in the same way it is here, and baring even knees may be positively scandalous.

I'm trying to be respetful of other cultures, and my fashion sense may just have to be sacrificed. I love the way African women dress. The layers, beautiful colors and patterns, and scarves tight around their faces. These outfits are terribly flattering and the women are completely gorgeous.



Inspired, I went shopping, and tried on several long lovely skirts...and discovered that I looked like the fairy Merriweather from "Sleeping Beauty" (you know, the bell-shaped one).

I was laying in bed last night trying to invision what to pack. I've got a few good pairs of jeans that are figure flattering and appropriately modest, and some nice sweaters, but I fear I'm going to be looking more like the second photo (Babushka) than the first.



Oh well, I still get to go and experience Africa, and bring home my lovely new daughter. So alas, das vedanya for now friends!

Countdown begins

Just one week to go. I leave for Ethiopia one week from today.

I'm so excited to meet our new daughter, and I feel so priveledged to have this opportunity (thanks Rob and Destiny) to go visit Ethiopia in person, to record some memories for Melat, and learn about the culture so we can preserve and celebrate it to the best of our abilities here at home.

Today we're rounding up the last few notaries, finding that #)*)%#)*% 2007 tax return (thanks to Megan at the agency who kept a copy for us, when ours was lost in a computer crash). Just in the middle of printing up the last of the douments we needed, the computer ran out of ink, so Rob's off to locate that at the store.

I'm starting to think about what clothes/shoes to pack, and what to do at the airport (I grabbed a couple favorite movies and tossed them in the bag). Well, here goes nothing, but all that I can think of through all of this is hugging our little girl for the very first time.

A Destiny funny story

A few months ago, Destiny was learning some songs in music class at school. She was singing one at TOP OF LUNGS in the car, but I couldn't quite make it out. It sounded like the Star Spangled Banner, but the words weren't quite right... I asked her "What are you singing?"

She said "It's a wedding song I learned at school." I said "A *wedding* song?"

She said "Yeah, it goes 'Who's the broad in white stars?"

What could I say to that?