Day 1 - Trip 2

WOOHOO!  FINALLY!  Access to blogs!  I have been unable to get on my blog (or any others for that matter) since arriving here in Ethiopia!  For some reason today it is working.  I will begin posting about our time here day-by-day.  Before I start the first post, I must fill you in.

WE ARE IN LOVE WITH OUR BOYS!!!!  We feel SO incredibly BLESSED by these two precious souls!  God sure has blessed us beyond our wildest imaginations!!!  THANK YOU, JESUS!!!

Please keep us in your prayers:

1.  We did not pass court for Big Brother on Jan 3rd.  Paperwork issues.  Pray we pass Jan 24th!

2.  Kaleab's birthmom is scheduled for an interview with embassy THIS WED (Jan 18th)!  Please PRAY that all goes well with that so that we CLEAR EMBASSY for Kaleab!!!

3.  Jeff was here for almost two weeks, but had to leave us here in ET on Jan 12th.  Please pray for him as he is away from his family and for the three of us half-way around the world!  "Single parenting" in a third world country is definitely breaking me into parenthood at high speed!  God is good, and we feel covered in prayers!

I will keep you updated!  THANK YOU for your continued encouragement, support and prayers!!!!

This first post was written in the air on the way to our boys......................

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Daddy and I are in the air!  Flying to you.  OUR SONS!!! 

Connie, Rick and Emily were kind enough to take us to the airport yesterday (Wed, December 28^th)~ THANKS, guys!  We had a beautiful reminder of God’s presence covering our family story and our travels to you, by learning that United was going to WAIVE the $400 fee for the two extra bins we were taking!!!!  A surprise that moved your hormonal and emotional mama to tears!  THANK YOU, LORD!!!!

We left Boise and arrived in Denver for a couple hour layover.  We enjoyed talking with family and friends during this time, which helped this layover fly by.  And “S,” Daddy downloaded the Angry Birds game onto his iPad and my iTouch for you to play.  Let’s just say we tried out the game we are ADDICTED!!!  {chuckle}

We landed in Washington DC last night about 11pm.  Daddy convinced me to tried to stay awake through the night, in hopes that it would help us sleep on the L-O-N-G (13 hour) plane ride today.  We walked to a pub/grill, but it was SO smokey we just couldn’t muster walking in.  So, instead, we walked to a 7 Eleven, got ourselves some snacks and a cappuccino and took it back to our room in Embassy Suites.

It was a pretty hotel.  Even has two swans swimming in this pond/nature area!

Well, we lasted until about 2:30am.  We went to bed and got a highly restless 3 hours of sleep, if you can call it that!  I was so beyond excited knowing that we were ON OUR WAY TO YOU BOTH, that I could hardly stand myself, say nothing about staying calm and quiet to sleep!   {smile}

And here we are.  Eleven hours into our flight.  It has been a long one.  Just can’t seem to tell my brain to shut down.  Nor do I WANT to stop thinking of being together the FOUR of us!  The way it has been meant to be from the beginning!

Daddy and I have learned how to count to 10 in Amharic.  I have reviewed some of my flashcards of other Amharic words ~ don’t quiz me, though!  Ha!  I keep staring at your faces via pictures on my laptop!!!!  Next time I look into your faces it will be IN PERSON!!!!  AAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

I wonder.  Kaleab, will you remember us?  How will you react when they place you in our arms again?  It has been a LONG  five months since we last held you sweet K.  My heart aches and my arms yearn to hold you!  But will it be a sweet reunion like it was on our first visit for Court?  What will you think when we take you with us to the Guest House?  How will you react when you realize that you are staying with US that night?  Regardless.  Easy or hard.  WE LOVE YOU!!!!  And we have been praying that God would gift us with the insight to what it is you need at every moment, sweet baby.

“S”…..we hope that AWAA has told you of our soon arrival!  We often talk of what it is you must be thinking.   And feeling.   We hope that pure JOY covers any fears you may have about leaving Ethiopia.  Daddy and I cannot WAIT to give you a great big hug!  OUR SON!!! 

Honey, we so KNOW that God orchestrated having you stand out to me so obviously as I was surrounded by so many children at your orphanage!  And now, as we are blessed to share time together as a family, I pray that God covers every single moment.  I pray that we can communicate to you how very MUCH you are already loved!  We can’t wait to have fun and play games with you!   We want to see where you live.  Where you sleep.  Where you eat.  Where you go to school.  We want to soak in all that we can about you!!!

My heart aches at the thought of having to say “see ya soon” to another son.  To you, “S.”  I pray and pray that God will let me leave the sad anticipation for such a time as that, and be able to just focus on every moment we have with you!  Who knows!  Maybe God will create a miracle that allows us to PASS Court on Monday and expedite your Embassy clearance so we can ALL FOUR COME HOME TOGETHER!!!  Excited to see what God has in store!  Whatever it is, I pray that God prepares your  ~ and our~ hearts for it.  Either way.

Well, babes, I cannot believe how CLOSE we are to being with you!!!! I wish I could just click my heels together and be there, sweep you both up in our arms and click our heels to bring you immediately HOME!

It has been a long journey, Yes.  And each one of you are more than worth it!  Daddy and I are both listening to our Christian music these last few hours of the flight.  Basking in His glorious story of our FAMILY.  Reveling in His miracles.  Praising Him for the TWO OF YOU!!!!!

Oh, how FULL my heart will feel to have you in our arms.  TOGETHER!!!!

Betta Seb!  Zeh-lah-lum!!!

Family Forever!!!!