A week ago we were told we were allowed to continue the process to hopefully adopt Gideon! The United States State Department and Ethiopia's Ministry of Women, Children, and Youth Affairs decided on steps we need to follow to continue our adoptions.
FIRST: We need to choose one of two agencies that the governments together had identified as acceptable agencies for us to use and fill out their application. *DONE* America World Adoption Associates (AWAA), here we come
SECOND: AWAA will get all of our paperwork gathered from us and from the IAG office in Ethiopia and to go through it-see what was done correctly, and what needs to be re-done.
THIRD: AWAA will hire their own private investigator (even though we have ours already done) to investigate the paperwork/story of our referral.
Then...if all of that checks out and finds that Gideon does need to be adopted; we can continue the next steps (PAIR Paperwork, Court Submission, 1st Court, 2nd Court, Embassy) with the eventual goal of Gideon being home, in our house and part of our family, FOREVER. We have no timeline guesstimate and no real 'goal' of time he'll be home. We are trying so very hard to not hold onto dates or guesses because as we've learned the last few months-there's really just no telling what could happen next.
Meanwhile, life is continuing here. I'm a little more (ok. A LOT more) attached to my phone hopeful for any new information or signs of progress. But, we've been busy merging our church and enjoying the two kids we have here.
A few things we've been busy doing:
Sticker Facials everytime Grandma mails the kids stickers
Zoo Days.
Even got to take Daddy and Grannie and Pops one day!
Lots of park time
Exploring and being outside as much as possible
