Blogs from Tacoma, Washington, United States, North America - page 3

These days we find ourselves feeling like everything is brand new and old hat at the same time! It's so hard to imagine life without Tig that we are constantly reminding ourselves that we've only been home together 2 months! So much has happened in this time! Last week Tigist's green card arrived and we've begun the process of readopting her in the US. For those of you who don't know, due to Ethiopian bureaucracy her name will technically be Tigist Brian PatrickHarry until we do, so we are motivated (not that they aren't great names). We also had our first post-placement report by our social worker who seems almost as impressed with Tig as we are. Tigist has had wonderful visits with all of her grandparents. Since they are all going by grandma and grandpa ... read more

Funny how we can manage to write everyday while we're halfway across the world in Africa, but we can't seem to find a spare moment now that we're home! The trip home was long, but Tigist handled it like a champ! Minimal tears and hours of entertainment putting toys in and out of the barf bag. The only problem was when a little girl next to us needed the bag and Tigist was reluctant to give it up! We arrived home safe and sound on Saturday night 5.2.09 as scheduled. Pat and Kathy were at the airport to pick us up with camera in hand! They had been busy at work as we arrived home to a totally clean house and a kitchen stocked with fresh vegetable (yum!), all Tigist's favorites (baby food, rice cereal, fresh ... read more

Finally, Tigist's room is finished! We completed the painting, furniture, put away the toys and books, made the bed (with her beautiful quilt lovingly made by her grandma Karine), put in the lights, organized the closet (Katrinka categorized all the clothes by size), hung the drapes, and outfitted the changing table nook/future reading nook/future play house. So far, all our 6-and-under-6 friends (Boden, Madison, Sammy, Ben, & Kendalyn) have all tested the digs and highly approve of the space. Boden in particular made certain that he got dibs on Tig's first sleep-over. Sweet.... read more

After 10 excruciating months, Katrinka and I have finally received our confirmed US Embassy appointment! We have selected our travel agent Susan Parr Travel Agency, and are mulling over our options. For now, it looks like the preferred itinerary is to leave SeaTac on Wednesday 4/22, transfer to Ethiopian Airlines in Washington DC that evening, and fly to Addis Ababa (with a fueling stop in Rome) arriving Thursday 4/23. Our embassy appointment is Thursday the 29th, giving us a few days to meet little Tigist and absorb as much Ethiopian culture as we possibly can. We'll fly back the evening of May 1st (a Friday) and be back at home by Sunday the 3rd!We'll purchase our tickets on Monday, then immediately book our hotel. So far, friends who have traveled through Addis have recommended the url=http://ww ... read more

Another good day closes. I returned home exhausted. I chatted with Erin, Scott, and Elise as I fell asleep on our living room floor. This morning, I ran blinking through the sunlight. I tend to run when I am very excited... or when I am cold. I was both. The clear day made for no insulation, but plenty of sunshine. I met with Michel to talk about my future. We chatted for one hour and he gave me some "homework." Michel gets me. He really does. And he always has great ideas or insights into my personality/state of being. When I told him that the UW Anthropology PhD takes an average of 9 years, he responded: "Don't touch it. You could get an MD in that time!" We then talked about the variety of degrees (and ... read more