Vacation Countdown

Our vacation is right around the corner and we are sooo ready for it. We are vacationing in Siesta Key this year. Cory and I leave Indy on May 10th and then Mom, Jen and Maddison will be joining us on the 12th. We haven't vacationed together since the mid 90's. It's going to be so much fun and it will give us all a much needed break. Cory and I decided to just get a beachfront condo this year. I think it will be much nicer than just staying in a hotel, especially with Maddison. I don't think she will care much for eating out every night so the kitchen will be handy.

Allen and Melissa are going to stop by on our first night. It's been a year since we last saw them so it will be fun hanging out for a day or two with them also.

I hope you all are planning fun vacations for the year if you haven't already taken one. Vacations are just what we all need to refresh ourselves a bit. Attached is a picture of the view from our condo. I can't wait to relax out there.

Earthquake in Indiana

What a morning! Around 5:30am Me, Cory and Mike all sat straight up in bed. I would have thought I was just having a vivid dream until my armoire, which is very heavy, started shaking. Then I heard Mike yell from the other side of the house, "Did you feel that?". It only lasted a few seconds but it was a strange feeling. If I lived in CA I'm sure I wouldn't have thought anything of it but it was really unusual for Indiana. In fact, I wasn't certain it was an earthquake until I spoke with my neighbor because Indiana hasn't experienced an earthquake in over 40 years. I believe the news said it was a 5.2 earthquake. They expect us to have aftershocks for a few days. We've only had one so far. It was a 4.6 around 11:15 this morning. Well, at least it's not a boring day.

Finally Connected

What a coincidence! I just heard from Courtney. She is the contact I just spoke about in my last post. She seems like a great person. Courtney and her husband adopted a little boy from Ethiopia. His name is Noah. They brought him home when he was 6 months old. He is now 17 months old. I haven't seen pictures but I'm sure he's adorable. Courtney said that it took around 8 months for them to unite with their son from start to finish. While in Ethiopia they were able to visit the orphanage. She said it was great to see how well they were being cared for by the nannies. It must have been reassuring because it is easy to picture a negative environment. She said it was an amazing experience and that they plan to adopt from Ethiopia again. They used America World Adoption and had a seamless process. They are based out of Virginia but have the ability to work in many states, including Indiana. Courtney and her family don't live far from us so it was really great to be in contact with her. She even gave me a cool Ethiopian restaurant to check out. It will be interesting to experience some of the culture there. I guess it is pretty authentic. I never would have expected Indy to have an Ethiopian restaurant. I can't wait to check it out.

Ethiopia Contacts

Do any of you know of someone who has adopted a child from Ethiopia? Cory and I feel so drawn to this country but it seems hard to find people who have adopted from there. I guess Ethiopia is very picky about the agencies they allow in the country. I was put in touch with one person but I have left her a voice mail and sent an email with no response. It's quite possible she is just away for spring break but maybe she is not interested or doesn't have the time to share her experience with us. Most adoptive parents are very willing to share but others keep it very private. I can respect both but I would feel a lot more comfortable moving forward if we had someone to talk to that had first hand experience.

Kitchen Remodel Update

This project is taking a while but it is going to be so worth it. It already looks like a completely different kitchen but I can't wait for it to be finished. The cabinets have been completed for several weeks but that was just the beginning. I just finished stripping wallpaper and repairing the drywall. I hope I never have to do that again. Removing the wallpaper was more work than refinishing the cabinets. It was difficult to remove because the walls were never primed. Yuk! I plan to start priming and hopefully painting next week. Once the painting is finished we'll be ready for the tile floor and granite countertops. That part is up to the guys though. Maybe I'll post a picture after I'm through painting and then another once everything is complete. It's really something to see the transformation.