Oh, Happy Day! Our dossier is safely in the hands of our America World family coordinator in McLean, VA!!
When I got home from the orthopedic office this afternoon with Annika, I found our mailbox absolutely stuffed with all of the mail that the post office had been holding since last Thursday. As I sat and sorted out the mail that needed to be looked at more thoroughly from the garbage, I had an inkling that something special like a check could be in the pile when I came across an envelope from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services...
I opened the envelope, and there for four sheets of paper stapled together. They are black and white photocopies. The first one has a Department of Homeland Security seal at the top that has been cut off when it was copied. About a quarter of the way down the page, it reads in all caps:
We're back from another Ohio adventure! WHEW!
William and I had our class reunions. I won't say what year, but we heard Wang Chung and Duran Duran at the party. We went to William's school's homecoming game and an alumni picnic at a park the next day. I loved meeting his friends and it was a lot easier for me since I wasn't expected to know anybody! We went to my party on Saturday night, and I was thrilled to walk in and see two "kids," Ann & Neil, with whom I went to kindergarten! William and I hung out with the other "bandies," Teresa & Dave (and spouses), and had a fun night! My face hurt from smiling and laughing.
Sunday, William's brother and sister-in-law hosted a family reunion. It was really nice to see everybody there also! Sadly, we didn't get to visit much though...
Annika was tired of the long hair! About a month or so ago, she asked to have her hair cut. Since she was born, she has had her hair trimmed 2 or 3 times. It was hard for Daddy and Mama to give it up, but it is just hair, and it will be easier to take care of.
SNIP! 
Look at all that HAIR! 11 inches! We are sending it to Locks of Love to make wigs for little kids who need them.
Marissa got a trim too. Mama had cut it, so Ms. Sherry straightened it up!
Well, we are now in a season of waiting... Waiting for the coveted I-171H from our district office of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Two NC families that we know are also in process with USCIS application acceptance dates of May 11 and May 28 BOTH received their papers yesterday, September 19!!!!
Our application was accepted on June 6, so we are hoping to get our approval before the end of October. I've already learned not to be too optimistic in predicting the next step by looking at the progress of the other families -i.e. fingerprinting appointments!
I got a box from Staples with ink refills and a ream of paper, so I've copied and printed most of what we need to send. I've used close to half of the 500 sheets of paper! Our dossier contains approximately 80 pages of paper, and I had to make 3 copies of everything. The folders on the left contain what we will send to the agency, and the pile under the stapler and paper clips is our copy. I have the last documents that we need to have authenticated by the NC SOS ready to go as soon as the I-171H gets here!
Guess there won't be any actual progress until that day!
Today was our first Ethiopian feast at home! No particular reason to party, but maybe, our baby was born today or something. Only God knows!
I call it a feast since we had more than one dish!
After our homeschool swimming this afternoon, Jeremy, Annika, and I headed over to our exotic/middle eastern/islamic supermarket to buy the injera, the giant sourdough pancakes, with which to eat our wats. I scanned the business card so those of you in town seeking injera, spices, or other "exotic" foods can find it. (It is behind a Subway that is on Western Boulevard.)
Yesterday, I made shero wat, a dish with yellow peas, and we ate them this evening with the kik wat (lentils) and some kay wat (beef) that was made in the crock-pot a few weeks ago and froze. Everybody approved!
As usual, as soon as we were finished eating, Jeremy asked, "What's for dessert?" From the living room Annika yells, "Cake Wat!!" Oh, my!
It is time once again, for a Funny Story of the Day!
Jeremy was waking up when Annika came into his room and said, "Jemmy, do you want breakfast?" He went downstairs and fixed her cereal like the wonderful big brother that he is, but he didn't want cereal, so he was searching for something to eat. Annika asks, "Why don't you eat wice cwispies Jemmy? They're good for your body." He has read the nutritional information on the box and was not convinced of that! So, Jeremy decided to have half of a hamburger bun (he was saving the other half to eat with pork butt for lunch!) with black raspberry jelly on it. As he finished making his jelly bun, Annika announces that she is going to have "second breakfast."
J-"What are you going to have for your second breakfast?"
A-"You'll see!" "First, I want a bun."
J-"Do you want something on it?"
A-"I want jelly."
Jeremy spreads jelly.
A-"I want something else on it."
J-"What else do you want on it?"
A-"You'll see!"
Annika opens the refrigerator, and pulls out the barbecue sauce, and says that what she wants!
J-"Are you sure?"
A-"No, this. (She points out hoisin sauce!) No, this. (She pulls out the BBQ sauce again.)
J-"OK. As long as you eat it."
Jeremy made a jelly and BBQ sauce bun for his baby sister.
A-"You want to know what I call it? -A "SUPREME PIE!!!"
After breakfast, she came up to find me and William and announced, "I had a Supreme Pie with pig sauce!!!" (There's a pig on the bbq sauce bottle!)
~Story dictated by Jeremy
