After roughly 48 hours of being in freakout mode, I think we are both calming down.
Today is our 11th Anniversary! I truly thought we wouldn’t have gone this long before having children. At the same time it only feels like we have only been married a couple of years. I think that’s a good thing. No, we don’t have anything planned for today. It’s Adam’s week on, so he’s sleeping. We might do a little something next week - very little since we can’t afford much else while figuring out how to pay for 2 trips to Ethiopia.
I’ve had a rather busy day. This morning, Carissa and I drove through the paraders and the runners downtown to go to another hair care class. This one was given by the St. Louis Ethiopian Kids Community (EKC). I think it went really well. The first one we went to had us pretty scared that we would be spending hours upon hours every weekend caring for our kids’ hair, and these ladies made it sound so much simpler. They also gave us a ton of recommendations on natural hair products and what ingredients to avoid.
This was also the first EKC event I have attended. I also got to meet some of the other mothers, which was great. Some had babies, some had kids a little older, and some, like me, just got their referrals too, close enough to ours that they might be traveling the same time we travel. Also, we talked a little about the 2nd trip.
Speaking about the 2nd trip, we have been hearing that some of the other agencies have not told waiting parents. Yet others are telling parents about it, and that they are not going to implement the rule because it is being appealed. We are all going as though it will happen - I really trust our agency.
The more Adam and have thought and talked about it, we are finding a lot of positives. We have a way to be able to pay for it. Having the kids readopted here would have been another pretty large expense - not as much as plane tickets in coach for the trip, but enough to notice - now we won’t have to deal with that. I think we can take more donations for the orphanage and HOH.
One parent is hoping to extend her first trip a few days to get in some sightseeing that they wouldn’t be able to do with having the kids with them anyway. It was suggested to us that if our layover is in Europe or in Dubai, that we could take an extra day or two there, since we can’t take the kids with us anyway. Yes, that will cost more - but even if we have to charge the whole thing, and I take the days off without pay, the mental health benefit of making the most of this unexpected hurdle will be well worth it.
There is another big rule change that I didn’t hear talked about, is that the US Embassy is now going to do background investigations on all the children before we bring them home. They wouldn’t start the investigation until we pass court. This will greatly lengthen the time between the first trip to go to court, and the second trip to bring them home.
Good things come to those who wait, I truly believe that. 
At the same time, a friend who adopted from Kenya told me that we would get to a point where we would pay anything and do anything to have them home now, and I do believe we are quickly approaching that point. Prayers for patience, please.