Patience is a virtue

Alemitu with her nanny

I am not a patient person. I consider myself pretty self-aware, and I'm completely aware that I'm not patient during "unknown times". I can be patient waiting for our court date to arrive. I can be patient waiting for a vacation. However, if I don't know "if" something is going to happen, I have no patience . . . at all. I know that we will travel for our embassy date soon, but I don't know "if" it is going to happy before mid-February (when my family comes to visit) or after.

The past week, I have been busying myself like crazy. I just need to stay busy to keep focused and not dwell on the fact that my daughter is half a world away from me. It was hard when the boys were in the hospital for a month after birth. It was hard, but I still saw them several times a day. I could get an update whenever I wanted. Sometimes Adam and I went to the hospital in the middle of the night for a feeding. Waiting to get Alemitu is also very hard. This time, I can't get any updates on her. I don't know what/how she is doing. I can't get any new photos of her. I have no idea when we are traveling to go get her.

I am grateful that the US Embassy implemented new changes to allow for faster return trips. Trust me, I am extremely grateful. The new changes make our group the guinea pigs. So we don't get any answers at all from our agency -- they just don't have them. It is frustrating not to be told where we are in the process though. I think they should at least share that (i.e. has our paperwork been submitted to Embassy for approval, has Alemitu had her medical examination to get her visa, has her birth certificate been created, etc.). Instead, we get no answers. Another family that is in Ethiopia right now (and passed court on the same day we did) was told to expect a date next week! Next week!!! I called our agency to inquire, but I received no new information.

From what I hear, it looks like we will know when we are traveling about a day or two before we leave . . . short notice is fine by us. So for now, I'm just going to stay busy. Keep packing. Keep cleaning. Just keep moving.

Below are the boys' school pictures this year. They want their sister home fast too! :-)