General update

There is always something to do these days on the adoption homefront. Thought I would update you on all the happenings.

home study: still waiting for a call from Deb, the social worker, to schedule this.

dossier: we have a few things left that we must complete for the dossier paperwork. Essentially this paperwork represents our family to the Ethiopian gov't. we have to go to walmart to get some passport pics taken (in addition to the passports we already applied for) of each of us. there is one form that requires some financial data from the last four years or so and that one i have assigned craig to complete :) there are two families working on letters of recommendation for us (thanks guys!) and that is all we have left if i am remembering correctly!

applying for grants: this is the next big packet of paperwork. we will be applying with Shaohannah's Hope and also Lifesong for Orphans. craig was using one of these forms to figure all adoption costs. we had been going off an estimate given by Holt of $16-18,000 for adoption costs, but when you really start crunching numbers there are quite a few costs that are not included in the number given by Holt, such as travel ($5-6,000 alone) and medical exams, passports, etc. Holt wasn't misleading, it is just the nature of things that we are now able to see exactly what those extra costs are and are finding that the cost of adoption will be more around the $24-$25,000 range. We already started filling it out in january, but haven't looked at it since. We'll probably tackle this paperwork once the dossier is completed.

garage sale: we have had about 9 families contribute stuff so far with several more saying they have stuff for us. A friend is coming over tomorrow night to help me start pricing. We need to begin working on signs to put up on a few busy corners and also to figure out how to hang up the clothes that we have to sell. We will be sending the kids to g-ma and g-pa's house for the few days of the sale :) 19 days to get ready!

Barbecue at Schmick's Market: This is scheduled for this coming Saturday the 17th. I am praying for good weather :) My talented friend, Sharon, is working on the sign that we will be putting up to let people know where the proceeds are going and we will be set to listen in to "Open Line" on Wednesday and Friday morning at 9 am. "Open Line" is one of those quirky treasures of small town life. It is a radio program where anyone can call in and talk about what they have to sell, what they want to buy, or any kind of announcement they might want to share. Jason, a good friend and manager of Schmick's will be sharing our story both of those mornings and inviting people to help us out and come buy lunch on saturday. craig and i will be there helping out wherever we can.