The first step!

We submitted our application...taking the first step in this incredible journey! It is truly amazing how many confirmations/signs that we continue to receive ( : We have now shared our exciting news with our family and some friends (won't formally announce our journey until our dossier has been submitted to Ethiopia). Everyone has been so wonderful in sharing their excitement and support of our journey. Some people have responded with "what a blessing you are giving this child"...but what we would like to convey is...that we know that this child will be a blessing to us, we are the lucky ones! We are looking forward to not only embracing our child but also our child's birth heritage and culture

So you may ask how did we choose our agency? Although there is not a simple one word answer (as it was a long process of researching various agencies and talking with families), there were three main issues that were important to us:
1) They have their Hague Accreditation
2) Their Ethiopian program has been established for at least five + years
3) They give back to the country of Ethiopia through humanitarian efforts.

Interview on NPR about international adoption: I would deeply encourage you to listen to this excellent interview! It covers all the topics that have been discussed and thought about in our house.

It truly is a wonderful journey!