Holding God's Hand in the Journey: HOME A YEAR!

IT'S BEEN A YEAR!!!

We walked off the plane as a FAMILY of FOUR May 11, 2012!

Our precious sweet Sami has been HOME for ONE YEAR!

We actually celebrated his FAMILY DAY one day early (last Friday), before heading out of town for one of his soccer tournaments. I surprised him with a cake and a couple small presents to unwrap.

Unfortunately, the camera was already packed away in the car (for the trip), and we failed to think of using our phone cameras, so we didn't get even one pic of this special celebration! So bummed!

We had fun reminiscing about the looooong plane ride home and what it was like to walk off the plane TOGETHER as a complete FAMILY!!!!!

Love that smile on his face!

And how precious it was for our friends to be there so late at night to welcome him HOME!!! We still so appreciate ALL of you!!!

We are still WOWED at how incredible it was that our friends, Angela and Darrin, drove FOUR PLUS HOURS to give Sami a hug in person! They had visited Sami for us when in Ethiopia to bring home their sweet baby girl, and they wanted to be a part of his Welcome Home! We will never forget their thoughtfulness!

We love you, Angela and Darrin!

We talked of our first night home. We reminisced walking him through the house, showing him where everything was. And we shared the feelings we all were having.

Such a unforgettable memories!

We cannot imagine life without our sweet Sami! And now, it feels as if Sami has always been a part of our family!

OH, don't get me wrong.....I haven't forgotten the miracle God performed in bringing Sami into our lives! Nor have I forgotten the amazing five weeks I got to spend with both of my boys in their birth country of Ethiopia. Nor will I ever forget the heart-wrenching "see you soon" when I departed Ethiopia, not knowing when we would be cleared by the courts and embassy to bring Sami home. And no, I have not forgotten the delays that kept us apart another three months, before returning to BRING.HIM.HOME!

But all of that was part of our journey. And God showed up BIG for all of us during this time!

Now.........and forever.......we can bask in God's glory and celebrate being a family!
A family TOGETHER FOREVER!!!!!!

My Dearest Sami,

Dad and I could never have imagined how beautifully you would fit into our family. I literally dreamed of you.......and God lead us to you.......and still, we are amazed at how wonderful and beautiful our family is because of having YOU in it!!!!

We cannot imagine life without you! It feels as though you have always been here with us! And we soooo look forward to a lifetime of being FAMILY!

We prayed and prayed for you, son, and yet, God has surpassed our wildest imaginations with you! Your love for God..... your love for others........your fun personality (you makes us laugh a LOT!)........your gentle spirit......your passion for the outdoors and physical activity.......your kindness.......your bravery to dive into new situations.........your love of laughter and joy.............your passion for skiing (had to put that one in here too!)..........your determination to do the best that you can in all that you endeavor.......your precious love of reading..........your fun-loving ways with Kaleab........

We honestly could not ask for more. You are AMAZING. You are God's precious precious gift to us. God made you perfectly.

And we LOVE YOU beyond words.

We love you TO THE MOON AND BACK!!!! {wink}

Remembering our first day HOME TOGETHER via pictures......