We're Home

Sept 8 -

Well today I received the visa/passports for the kids and the sealed packets I have to hand over to immigration. It is quite surreal to know that everything is done and all we are doing is waiting to get on the plane to head home. I had a great day today of playing with the boys. We worked puzzles, colored, did a sticker book and played soccer outside. They also wrote their names some and we played a game where we worked on their color and number skills. It felt so good to be able to help them learn - there is going to be some challenges ahead for sure but there is also going to be some incredible fun and rewarding times. I know at times I've felt overwhelemed but today I just feel great and I know it is going to get so much easier once we are in our own home. 2 more nights and we'll be headed back!

Sept 9 -
It is our last night in Addis - tomorrow we begin our journey home. There are so many thoughts running through my head but mostly I'm just ready to be home with my boys. I know the 17 hour plane ride is not going to be easy but I also know God will provide me the strength to endure. Today we said goodbye to two families - they had a special ceremony with coffee and popcorn. All the kids from the transition home came to the ceremony - it was very emotional - knowing all the love that was represented by them being there. Each one is just waiting for their family to come and get them. I so much want to know what is going through my kids heads. The communication has worked most of the time but I so much want to make sure all of their needs are met and it is hard when I can't ask them. I never thought this day would come - the week has in some ways felt like an eternity but in other ways it feels like it has been quickly. I know that the next few days will be the most trying but it is all part of the journey to bring them home.

Sept 11 -
Well we packed up and headed out at about 5:30 yesterday - I had a horrible nights sleep - just a lot of stuff running through my head but my stomach wasn't feeling the best either. We had several firsts at the airport - first escalator, first straw - to name a few. They both crashed before we checked into the flight so we had to lug their dead weight around through the airport as we headed toward security. Unfortantely, they required them to walk through by themselves. I didn't think we were going to get Mulatu woken up enough...They were pretty excited about the movies and games on the plane but they soon gave way to the sleep. They slept well for several hours - it was peaceful to watch them - 17 hours is so brutal. There is no way getting around it. My stomach started to hurt about 10 hours in and I was so thankful my mother was there. I took some fenigrin which knocked me out but it seemed to subdue whatever was going on in my stomach. Customs/immigation was a breeze. We are all exhausted so it is hard to judge things at this point. I'm trying to remember that God led me down this journey and maintain a sense of rationality. Sometimes it seems so crazy that I now have these two little people that I'm responsible for. We got to our hotel super early but after a trip to IHOP where the boys throughly enjoyed some pancakes and mac & cheese and eggs. We came to the hotel for a bath and a little decompressing time - Each day holds new promise as we continue to learn about one another - I continue to pray for strength and wisdom everyday.

All is Final

September 6 -
We arrived yesterday morning- had a wonderful, relaxing drive to DC - was able to take a swim in the hotel pool and get a good nights rest before heading out on Sunday. The flight was long but uneventful. I was able to watch a few good movies but I didn't get much sleep when we arrived I had my reunion with the boys. They seemed to remember me and their faces lit up with those smiles I had been missing. We played with several of the toys I had brought. I got some sleep last night but I still felt pretty exhausted. I had forgotten how much that flight kicks my butt. Right now I'm watching the boys sleeping in my room - we have had a full day of always outside, reading, and learning new things. They can both count and seem to know some letters. We are learning the English words for all sorts of things. Today Nate went in his room and brought out the book I'd made him and showed me my picture. It was so sweet. I love these two boys so much. I can't wait until we are home and can get on a schedule. Until then I'll just take it one day at a time pouring all the love I can into them.

September 7 -
So last night I was pretty intimidated by the whole embassy appointment and I didn't get a whole lot of sleep. We had to get up bright and early this morning - breakfast was at 6:30 - we left at 7. Part of the embassy appointment included taking the boys with me so we all piled into the van for the hour ride. The interview went extremely well - few simple questions and everything is now finale. After the embassy we brought the boys back to the transitional home and then spent the afternoon shopping - I was able to pick up some CD/DVDs in their language and berbere spice that they can sprinkle on the American food as they get used to new flavors. I'm counting the days until we are home and a whole new adventure begins. I have moments when I question whether I am really up to this but I have to continually remind myself that I am not in this alone and God will provide me with everything I read.

Until Addis

There are some moments in life you wish you could capture in a bottle so that you can relive them over and over. For me this is one of the moments. As expected this past week has flown. When I get home the only thing I want to do is concentrate on spending time with my beautiful sons. With that in mind, I’ve crammed as much shopping, cleaning and yard work into the past week as possible. I have packed and repacked for this trip numerous times. I’m almost there, just a few more things to throw in the bag tonight and I’ll be ready. Throughout the past week I have been once again reminded of how much support and love I have behind me. I can’t tell you how many people have told me that not only are they praying for me but they have laid it on the hearts of those in their churches to pray as well, many of whom I don’t even know. I know that I am truly blessed. It has been my hope from the beginning that my family’s story will inspire others to actions (both big and small) that will make our world a better place and in doing so will bring honor and glory to God. I’m sure the coming days will be filled with many memories and stories. I seek to soak up every moment and fully embrace this journey God has led me down. It seemed at times I would never get to his point in the path but I’m here now and I’m so excited to see what lies beyond the next hill.

Case Cleared

I can never tire of seeing that subject in my inbox. I frequently check my email on my phone even before getting in the shower and could hardly believe what I found yesterday morning. It was an unexpected start to my work day to say the least. I immediately called my parents as I did a dance around the room. A couple things I noticed as I traveled to work yesterday after receiving the news: I drove much faster than normal (I believe there was some crazy adrenaline pumping through me), I found myself sweating and my heart beating fast, and I sang worship songs at the top of my lungs with a very grateful heart.

Since then I have had some time to process the reality that I now know when my boys are coming home but in some ways it still seems like a dream. My mind has been in a whirlwind trying to make sure I have taken care of everything. I booked flights today, 3 tickets to Addis, 5 coming home. There is a sense of finality in seeing the names of my sons on their own plane tickets. I am working on getting hotel rooms, follow up appointments, travel insurance, and making mental lists of what I need to make sure to pack. In addition, I’m trying to make sure I have everything covered at work and don’t leave behind any loose ends.

As I look back from this side, the wait has been brutal. I always knew that God would be faithful even on days when it seemed the waiting world never end. Last Sunday there was this realization that hit me in a powerful way. I realized that God would be victorious in this battle. I had no idea that the victory would come this week but I’m so thankful. All that is left now is a short trip to Ethiopia, an interview at the US embassy, collecting their visas and we are home clear. The adventure is just beginning and I can’t wait to see what is around the next corner.

Weekends are the hardest

Weekends are the hardest and last weekend was probably the hardest yet. My birthday was Saturday and I believed for some time that if my sons weren’t home yet, I would at least be with them Ethiopia. As time neared and I realized that that too wasn’t possible, I had hoped that I would know my Embassy date. Many people even told me how poetic and wonderful it would be to have that given to me as a birthday gift. It didn’t happen. I tried to make the most of my birthday but honestly the only thing I want is to be with my kids. No present or delicious dinner or special outing could change that. I was reading the second book in the Hunger Games this weekend. In it there is a shield around the arena that throws back everything that hits it. This is how I’ve felt recently about my prayers. I’ve been praying for so long to bring my sons home and I still feel like it is so far away. I know I’m not alone in these prayers. In the midst of this I have found myself battling moments of doubt. That doesn’t stop me from praying. Yesterday at church Brian discussed moments of crying out to God being stretched out face down on the ground. After a very long day, I found myself face down on my bedroom floor last night begging God to bring my sons home.

I did receive a new picture of Mulatu on Friday. Apparently a family that was at the transition house had taken it. He looked so cute in one of the shirts I had taken for him back in May. It brought to mind a song that Aaron Ivey sung about his son while waiting to bring him home from Haiti.

“Another photograph to wrestle in my head…these thoughts of you like bullets to my soul, We’ve got to find a way to get you home….Lightyears away I hope you know there is somebody searching for the way to get you here"

I'm trying to hang in there and remember that I'm not traveling this journey alone. It is a new month and with that comes new hope.

Waiting for a Homecoming

Sometimes it seems as though I could just push replay on the responses I give about my children. "It should only be a few more weeks" and "I'm hoping it will be soon" have been my answers for as long as I can remember. Each day that passes I long more and more for the word that I can return to Ethiopia to bring them home. I received a couple emails today regarding their cases at the Embassy which only led my mind to more questions rather than providing some answers. I know that it is necessary to trust the process but it is not easy. I'm learning more and more about what it means to live by faith and not by sight.

As I'm awaiting my sons homecoming, I think about how much more God awaits ours. I can only imagine the celebration that will ensue once my children return home. This pales in comparison to the joyous celebration when one of God's adopted children come home. It reminds me of the story of the prodigal son and the party his father threw when he returned from his journey. Until now I haven't fully grasped the immense joy that the father must have felt. However, with each passing day, I believe I understand it more and more.

Time Slowly Creeps By

Some say that time flies but for me the past month has crept by very slowly. A lot has happened since I’ve returned from Ethiopia and yet bringing my sons home still feels so far away. I know that if nothing else I’m closer today than I was yesterday but sometimes that is not very satisfying. I watched the movie Tangled and there was a line from a song that just stood out to me which I feel summed up my time in Ethiopia.

And at last I see the light
And it’s like the fog has lifted
And at last I see the light
And it’s like the sky is new
And it’s warm and real and bright
And the world has somehow shifted
All at once everything looks different
Now that I see you

The flight back from Addis was 17 hours. From DC it took another 12 hours to get back to Lexington. It took me about a week to get over the jet lag and the stomach issues that came over me during the flight home. I have felt so much love and support since then, it is quite overwhelming. My longtime friends Janet, Joan, and Sharon threw an adoption shower at Harmony and many friends and family members came to celebrate my new family with me. It was a wonderful night that reminded me of how blessed my sons and I are to be surrounded by such a wonderful support system. The following week my dear friends at work Olivia and Tonya threw a shower. I was once again amazed at how much support I received and it was a great time to be able to share with my co-workers the exciting adventure that I’m on. Sometimes I can start focusing on the external parts of this journey including the flood of toys that now blankets my kitchen. It doesn’t take me long to come back to the realization that all of this is for God and His glory and I find myself seated humbly at His feet in deep gratitude for placing this calling on my life.

I received word a couple days ago that the US embassy doctors have cleared the boys medically which is the last step before the paperwork can be submitted to the embassy. They have an appointment to submit my files on July 6th. From the past discussions I’ve had it should take 2 weeks once in the embassy’s hands. I did receive word yesterday that it could take up to 8 weeks and that the embassy staff is changing in July which could cause a slowdown as well. Although this did not come as welcome information, my mom reminded me last night that the timing will be perfect and just to have faith. I’m beyond ready for my sons to come home. I miss them so much! Please continue to pray for our family!