Trends in Ethiopian Adoption

Hi All,

I found Trends in Ethiopia Adoption on The Center for Adoption Medicine. It addresses Hepatitis A, Tuberculosis, Female Circumcision, Transracial/Transcultural issues, HIV and hair. Short little paragraphs and easy reading, but chocked full of information. Great resource for those in process, those just home, or friends of Ethiopian adoptive families.


http://www.adoptmed.org/topics/trends-in-ethiopia-adoption.html

Isaiah's blanket

This is for my grandson Isaiah who is due within the next month or so. I did five inch squares with 1/2 inch seams, eight squares across and thirteen down.


Giraffes, letters, numbers, frogs, Little Buddy...........


Little Buddy

The finished product

Thank you!!!

A BIG thank you to all who helped us with our fees yesterday by purchasing a necklace. We are ever so grateful!! I'll let you know later how we did.

One Day Fundraiser Today only!!!!

One day fundraiser TODAY!!!!

Don't forget today is our ONE day fundraiser through Sarah's Treasure Box!!! Mention that it is for the Grieshaber adoption and she will donate $5 for each necklace purchased towards our adoption fees. To copy and paste a post go below to the post with pictures and you can use that wording or come up with your own. If you could post it on your blog or facebook that would be wonderful too! Thank you!!

www.etsy.com/shop/sarahstreasurebox

School pics

Addis-7th grade (13 years)
John-6th grade (11 years)
Abi Mulu-4th grade (9 years)
Anna Mihret-Preschool (4 years)
Adah Derartu-Preschool (4 years)

Weekly Adoption Update

Hi all,

So this last week found me at the computer and the doctor's office. I've been working on our homestudy and our dossier at the same time. Our homestudy will be included in the dossier, but there are some papers that coexist together.

I worked on mine and Steve's autobiography. We had to type up a 2-4 page autobiography on each of us. I found our dossiers from the last adoption and used the homestudy write-up on us as a template. I tweaked things to fit our current situation and then forwarded it to our social worker and he confirmed that it was what he needed so that is done.

I had also been in contact with our doctor at Kaiser. We needed a doctor's letter because some of the questions on our physical were answered, "Yes." Our doctor didn't want to take the time to write a letter since he hadn't been our doctor that long. We're in the Kaiser system so the informationis right there, but it was too much for him. I asked our family coordinator what I should do and she came up with a great suggestion. She suggested I write the letter, take it or send it to him and then he put it on Kaiser letterhead and sign it. On Tuesday I typed it up and on Wednesday when Adah had her doctor's appt. I took it to his nurse. They called that night and left a message. I called back on Thursday and it was ready! Yeah!! I then scanned it and sent it to our family coordinator for her to review.

Wednesday found us at the dr's for Adah, Thursday for James, and Friday again for Adah to have her TB test read. We go back again tomorrow for James to have his TB test read, and again this Thursday to have John's physical done. After Monday when his TB test is read we'll be done with the physicals for everyone. Yeah! The kids really love getting poked with a needle for a skin test. :-) Not.

We also got word that our fundraiser is up for Adoption Bug. If you go to www.adoptionbug.com/grieshaberfamily you will have the opportunity to purchase a t-shirt with some of the proceeds going towards our adoption fees.

I passed out fundraiser flyers today at church for tomorrow's ETSY fundraiser at www.etsy.com/shop/sarahstreasurebox Some of the people didn't know we were adopting again and were quite surprised when I told them. I received some coffee from www.justlovecoffee.com/grieshaberfamily that my hair dresser and a fellow homeschooling mom purchased. I ordered three extra Ethiopian Harrar if anyone is interested. They are $13.95 plus $2.25 shipping for a whopping total of $16.20 a bag. They're whole bean waiting to be ground and savored by a coffee lover. Is it you?!

One of the questions I received today while passing out our flyers: "Why don't you adopt from here and do it for free like my son did?"

Answer: In 2005 we applied to our local foster system to care for one baby/toddler. I did the fingerprinting, changed bedrooms and basically my whole house it seemed to jump through the hoops that the system wanted me to jump through. There was one thing we weren't willing to do and that was the one reason we weren't allowed to foster care. We have a run-off creek on our property. Folks, we live in Southern California in a little town east of San Diego. Now seriously, how often does it rain here in San Diego to where we would actually have run-off in this creek? Well, they wanted us to place a 6ft fence the entire length of our 4 acre property. We weren't willing to. They looked at us as a water hazard and said no. Seriously?!! There is more danger in our three toilets and two bathtubs then there is that creek that is dry 98% of the time.

Now I did find out I had thyroid cancer through that whole process which was a good thing in the end. I went to the doctor because I had to have a paper signed by the doctor. He found a lump and the rest is history.

The odd thing about the foster situation was that after they turned us down to take care of one little one on a full time basis, they wanted me to do respite care for drug babies. Ummm no. I educate my kids at home and need a normal schedule that isn't thrown off by random people coming and going and dropping off their foster babies who would need extra-special attention because they're drug babies. To me that was crazy. Either my house was safe or it wasn't. The last eight kids had done okay at our house wouldn't you say? Thank goodness the system isn't in charge of all adoptions. I know there would be more families without children if it were.

Etsy Necklace Fundraiser! Stocking Stuffers, Teacher gifts, Party favors?

Grieshaber Family Adoption Fundraiser

Sarah’s Treasure Box is hosting a ONE DAY adoption fundraiser for the Grieshaber family. On October 25 simply go to http://www.etsy.com/shop/sarahstreasurebox. For every pendant you buy Sarah will donate $5.00 to the Grieshaber family as they joyfully adopt two more children from Ethiopia. When you check-out, please mention that it is for the Grieshaber adoption fundraiser and she will do the rest. The fundraiser does not apply to special orders. Thank you for supporting us!

Sarah has cute pendants supporting autism, adoption, faith, shopping, teachers, nurses, and more! Do you need teacher appreciation gifts, party favors or stocking stuffers?! Great low cost gifts for Christmas and you’re investing in the life of children!

I Love My Hair!

Do Orphans Need Saving?

Go to this blog and find out:

http://www.rageagainsttheminivan.com/2010/10/do-orphans-need-saving.html

http://allthingshendrick.blogspot.com/

Excellent and articulate. Love it.

Sarah's Treasure Box Adoption Fundraiser

On October 25, Sarah's Treasure Box is holding a ONE DAY Adoption Fundraiser for us!!!! You can find her Etsy shop here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/sarahstreasurebox

For every necklace purchased other than a custom order on October 25 and you mention that it is for our adoption-Grieshaber family, Sarah will donate $5.00 towards our adoption fees.

The necklaces are really cute, inexpensive, and would make GREAT CHRISTMAS GIFTS!!!
They cover anything from autism to breast cancer, to teachers to adoption, beautifully designed patterns to just plain cute. You won't be disappointed! Check out her website and start browsing but don't buy until Oct. 25 and mention the Grieshaber family when you check out. Thanks!!!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/sarahstreasurebox

Class Day and Adoption Prayer

Today at Class Day (our homeschool co-op) I was able to present our fundraisers to the parents and kids up to grade five. Our Class Day administrator showed great support and encouragement for our two new adoptions. She had one of the dads pray for our family, the adoption, and the children coming into our family. I was so blessed to have Christian brothers and sisters praying for us. What a wonderful forum to share our story too.

They allowed me to set-up a table with my Justlovecoffee.com/grieshaberfamily info, as well as our fundraiser coming up on October 25 from Sarah's Treasure Box on Etsy.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/sarahstreasurebox For every necklace sold Sarah will donate $5.00 towards our adoption fees. I'll explain in another post.

I was also allowed to place flyers for our different fundraisers in each of the parent files. I so appreciate the support we received today. Someone even stashed $40 in one of the coin boxes. Thank you! Even though I don't know who you are, our Lord does. May you receive many blessings back.

Weekly Adoption Update

This week we are working on our homestudy. Part of the homestudy process involves getting physicals to make sure we're healthy enough to take care of more children. Steve and I went to the doctor yesterday and met a mobile notary there. We got a physical, they actually call it an "adoption physical" and the doctor's signature had to be notarized. She (the mobile notary) waited out in the lobby during our visit and then met with the doctor with his identification.

Tomorrow two of the kids receive their physicals and probably shots if they are behind. We take in a form for each child for the doctor to fill out. Three of the kids don't need new physicals because it has been within a certain alloted time and I just had to drop off the forms and I'll pick them up tomorrow.

We signed up for another fundraiser. www.adoptionbug.com/grieshaberfamily, but I don't think it's ready yet. We will sell six different designed t-shirts advocating either faith or adoption. We'll hear sometime this week that it is up and running.

We did receive our first order of Ethiopian coffee from Justlovecoffee.com/grieshaberfamily. Steve says it's pretty yummy! I don't drink coffee so I go by his opinion. He buys it whole bean and then grinds it just before he makes it. I checked out the price of coffee at Starbucks and was pleasantly surprised that this coffee is about the same price and for a better cause! Who can beat that?

My sister-in-law gave me oodles and oodles of clothes. She said I could keep some and sell the rest for our adoption fees. Oh.My.Lanta. I have never seen so many clothes in all my life. There is no way my closet could even hold them if I wanted it to, so I must pick and choose wisely. She's much trendier than I am so the kids can tell when I have on one of her tops. I'm always in the mom mode and mom mode doesn't get too stylish, if you know what I'm sayin'.

I'm toying with the idea of selling them on ebay or at a garage sale. Ebay is ALOT of work but the profit could be much higher. I've been researching and I'm just not sure. Any input?

Last Night's Awana

This year I'm the Awana secretary. I like to get to church/club early and get a grasp on things before other people get there. Two of the kids have soccer practice so after I drop them off I head to church to set up and open the doors and turn on lights.

Yesterday I had the pleasure of visiting with one of my Cubbies from over twenty years ago when she brought me a pizza oven to sell towards our adoption fees. Our church has a photo album that I started way back then, it must have been 1986, because Jared was in there and he would have been three in 1986. She was in the photo album as well as our current Sparky Director. The kids are cute as can be, but now they're grown with families of their own. I can't even fathom that over twenty years has passed. Unbelievable! Where does the time go?

On a different note: James and Joel received Clubbers of the Month. Joel received it for the Truth and Training Club (the old Pals/Pioneers) and James received it for Trek (jr. high). Both of these boys spend hours going over their verses and studying their Bible. A certain someone who didn't receive it is up and studying his verse/Bible this a.m. in hopes to earn it next month.

That certain someone could have stayed in T & T or gone up to Trek. I chose to push him up to Trek so that instead of being a leader he was a follower. Different thinking but in this case it is needed. He has his older brother and kids that put time and effort into their study of God's Word. In T & T he was the top dog and wasn't pushed at all. Now he has higher goals and he's not the leader of the pack in the younger club, thus freeing the younger kids to rise to a higher goal than he was giving. It's a win-win in this situation.

It's a little harder for Addis & Mulu because of the language barrier and the length of the verses. They're getting it though!

Here's to Awana!

Sarah's further along

Sarah went to the doctor yesterday and found out Isaiah is 4 1/2 lbs instead of 3 1/2 lbs. The dr. thinks she is two weeks further along and gave her a new due date of November 18. Big babies run in our family so he could just be a big baby. My brother was 11.7 lbs. I've had 10,9.9,9,and two 10.10 babies. My 9 and 10.10 lb babies were not c-sections. I've been given the go-ahead to be in the delivery room. Time to study up on the birth process!

The beginning

30+ Years of Love

Wedding Anniversary

In the jungle in Puerto Vallarta

A few days ago Steve and I celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary. We celebrated by going on a cruise to the Mexican Rivera. We spent a glorious week together relaxing, exploring, eating, and enjoying one another.

Last year at this time I knew I wanted to do something big, something I/we hadn't done before to celebrate my 50th birthday and our 30th anniversary. I told, yes told, Sarah last year that if she wasn't due with a baby I wanted her to babysit for us while we went on our cruise. She agreed! She is pregnant but not due for another nine weeks. Perfect!

We decided on the Mexican Rivera for a few reasons. One, it was about the least expensive and two, it was on our anniversary which was really a blessing. We drove up to San Pedro early Sunday morning after enjoying a bite to eat at IHOP. After the surprise of the freeway being closed, the very one that we wanted to take to get us to the port, we finally found our way, somehow. We don't know how we got there, but we did. We went through all the customary things we had to do to get on the boat, and then the fun began!

This was like a sailing city. Incredible! We found our way to our room which was the greatest. We had a nice king bed with a sliding glass door which led out to the balcony where we could sit and enjoy the scenery of the ocean. Gorgeous!

The view off our balcony.
The staff on board the boat were all very nice. The stateroom attendant made up our room twice a day. The waiter and asst. waiter were attentive and very helpful. I'm just a girl from Kearny Mesa/Santee/Lakeside not La Jolla. I eat out quite a bit, but I don't go to fancy smancy places. These meals were the kinds where there are lots of silverware, plates and cups. Can we say "learning experience?"
Below are some pictures of our adventures.

Our boat in port at Cabo San Lucas
Waiting for our adventure on the dock at Cabo
On the boat
This is in Matzaland. We kayaked around that island. As we were coming to shore we tipped over. It felt good to get wet. I just wasn't expecting it!
Overlooking the water from the hill we climbed-yes, we hiked. It about killed me, but we did it.

In the jungle in Puerto Vallarta
In Matzaland