Ramsey Family-Our Journey: Adoption Pictures

Sunday, January 1, 2012

Adoption Pictures

These are some of the pictures Jennifer Millard took for our adoption on December 29, 2011. We are so glad she was able to do these for us to share our journey. We are wearing our TOMS because we love the fact that TOMS gives a pair of shoes to a person in need when we buy our pair. We are looking forward to filling the shoes and taking another set of family pictures in the future. We continue to be amazed at the journey God is taking our family on.

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TIMELINE

10/6/11-Luther felt prompted to adopt @ Catalyst

10/12/11-Ronda God's urging to adopt while in Florida & told Luther

10/13/11-prayer, prayer, more prayer & began researching

10/21/11-talked to the girls about how they felt

11/4/11-met with Robyn-she shared her story of adopting

11/7/11-had the Bullock's over & they shared their story of finding & adopting Mercy

11/14/11-created our blog &facebook page because we felt God wanted us to share our journey with others

11/15/11- mailed in home study application to Adoption Assistance

11/18/11-opened Ramsey Adoption Account at the bank

11/21/11-ordered necklaces from organization that helps women in Uganda 11/22-sent in our agency application to All God's Children International (AGCI)

11/24/11-received 1st donation to help bring our child home to us

11/25/11-necklaces made by women in Uganda arrived & sold 1st necklace

12/5/11-AGCI called & we have been approved for Ethiopia and they will officially be our agency

12/7/11-we got AGCI orientation packet in the mail

12/12/11-first meeting with social worker for our home study. 12/20/11-mailed off our fingerprints to the FBI &our notarized paperwork to AGCI. 12/29/11-we did our final home study visit with our social worker (Kelly), & we did our adoption family pictures with Jenn Millard
1/6/12-we ate at an Ethiopian restaurant in Nashville (Gojo)
1/23/12-Got the notarized copies of our home study
1/24/12-sent USCIS immigration request to the office of homeland security
2/6/12-we got our fingerprint appointments in the mail today
2/7/12- fingerprints done, dossier sent FedEx to AGCI
2/9/12-found out they need a few more family pics and a couple of minor things in our Eyes Wide Open workbook before we can be completed with our dossier
2/14/12-got the call at 4:28 today- we are officially on the girl (133) and sibling (50) waiting list!!! God is

so faithfull!!!!
2/14/12-Connect Hearts Dinner 6-9 pm
2/16/12-phone call with Toni @ AGCI concerning the waiting list information
2/23/12-we got our Favorable Determination Letter in the mail
2/24/12-we mailed a notorized photocopy of our Favorable Determination Letter to AGCI
2/27/12-AGCI received our FDL-this is our last piece of paperwork until our referral
2/29/12-got our new #'s Girls List 128 & Sibling List 49
3/9/12--Referral call! 2 beautiful girls ages 8 & 4
3/13/12-we finished filling out all of the referral paperwork for ACGI & put it in FedEx
3/19/12-Next Steps call with Toni our caseworker @ AGCI --we went to an adoption gathering with other Ethiopian adoptive families ( over 100 people were there)
3/20/12-we had out call with Emily our Famiky Education Coordinator
3/23/12-we got our updated FDL from USCIS that approves us to bring our 2 girls into the United States
3/26/12-shots at the travel clinic for Ethiopia

3/28/12- @ 11:12 am we got the call that we have a court date--April 25th!!!
3/29/12-call about the passing of the girls birth mother
4/6/12-uncles testifies in Ethiopian court.

4/21/12-we get on a plane heading to Ethiopia to see our girls

4/23/12-We meet our girls for the first time & a cultural dinner in Ethiopia

4/24/12-great day with our girls & shopping for traditional clothing

4/25/12-we go to the Ethiopian court to officially adopt our girls. It is official!! We are the parents of Esther K and Emma B.

4/26/12-last day in Ethiopia and at Hannah's Hope see our girls.

5/29/12-case submitted to the US Embassy in Ethiopia .

6/12/12-uncle testifies at the Embassy.

6/15/12-Luther and Ronda get on a plane to Ethiopia to get Esther and Emma forever.

6/17/12- Gotcha Day!! (Father's Day 2012)

6/21/12- We land in the US with Esther and Emma.

6/22/12-Esther and Emma meet Gabrielle and Grace for the first time (in person).

9/4/12-Readoption Day for Esther and Emma (name changes)

Timeline-2nd Adoption

*January 2014--God opened our eyes to adding to our family.
*February 2014--He closed the doors to adopting right now but not to eventually adopting again.
*March 2015--God showed us that we needed to pursue adopting again right now. We started the journey to add to our family.
*April 14--We found our about Mary and Nate. Our hearts were open and we started updating our home study.
*April 20--We received the paperwork on Mary and Nate.
*April 22--We said yes to the referral of Mary and Nate.
*April 24--Had an in home visit from our social worker and all paperwork was complete for our update.
*April 30--We got to Skype with Mary and Nate for the first time. It was Mary's birthday.
*May 2--Our home study was complete.
*May 4-- Our lawyer would file with the court.

Facts about Ethiopia

Total population: 77 million

The average income in Ethiopia is US$100 a year. Almost 82% of the population lives on less than $1 a day.

Malnutrition levels are among the highest in the world.

The average life expectancy is 43 years.Ethiopia is home to 4 million orphans, or 12% of all children.

More than half a million of these were orphaned as a result of AIDS.

Literacy rate: 42.7% age 15 and over can read and write.

Only 18 percent of children reach grade five.

Ethiopia's neonatal mortality rate is one of the highest in the world - 49/1000 births with tetanus infection being the second major cause of infant/neonatal death.

Statistics are from the CIA, Save the children, WHO and UNICEF websites.

Ramsey Family-Our Journey

Sunday, January 1, 2012

Adoption Pictures

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Facts about Ethiopia

Date and Time in Ethiopia

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