'Twas the Night Before Flight...

'Twas the night before flight and all through our place, not a girl or a dog, but a whole bunch of suitcase...s!!!! Ya, ya, ya...not a poet! But our house is quiet...very quiet! The girls are settled in at Mema and Papa's. Last we heard, via a phone call from them, they were perusing a favored Scooby Doo movie and prepping the popcorn machine! Their comfort zone! Riley and Murphy have also "settled in" at Mema and Papa's...as settled as two crazy mugly's get when it's their favorite playground with two doggie cousins to romp around with! Let's just say...it's quiet here but there is no way is it quiet there! SORRY!

Our bags are all packed, with the exception of what needs to be added in the morning. On international flights, we are allowed 2 50 pound bags each without cost. So we are both packing the max...with carry on's. So as we were packing items last night, we found that the suitcases that we had were not nearly deep enough...we needed way more space to pack all of the WONDERFUL and GENEROUS donations you all provided! So, we had to wait until tonight to finish the packing after our besties dropped off some more HUGE suitcases!!! THANKS R and E!!! Nonetheless, we are bringing 700 toothbrushes (pediatric and adult), 19 cans of formula, 14 pairs of shoes, 50 goodie bags, not to mention 96 hand held mazes, 100's of toy airplanes and dum-dum sucker that we can pass out to children we see and/or meet along our travels!!! I can just imagine the smiles that will come across some of these faces!!!! We will be sure to share as many as possible with you all!!!

We also packed many special treasures for Ella and Isaac. Some special clothes, 'lovies', a photo book for Ella, a rattle for Isaac, coloring book for Ella, etc. We felt they needed to feel special upon our visit. We also are bringing nail polish to paint Ella's nails in case we have time to try to begin the bonding process for a longer time span. Could be fun...or else I can sit with her and color and maybe even get a few hugs in! For Isaac, I'm gonna kiss him and snuggle him. He's not going to have too much of an option...being so young!!! Tehe!

As for our itinerary...we don't know! We only know that we will fly into to Addis Ababa on Friday evening, late. The other "for sure's" are that we have court on the 29th and we sit with a judge...then we leave on the 30th. We are planning to head south to meet the birth parents as well as to visit another orphanage in that region. Additionally, we plan to visit one other orphanage while in Addis that is not our children's in order to visit children and take pictures for other waiting families...life blood for those mommy's and daddy's!!!

Just know, we cannot blog in Ethiopia. We do have access to Facebook as well as email, sporadically. So, check there if you want any updates! I'll do my best to let you all know what our life is like when we meet our newest additions!

Pray for Ella as she goes through this unique and difficult transition. Pray for Isaac as he begins a new stage in his little life. Pray that God brings our family together without any more hesitation!

See you in Ethiopia!

Only 2...

Yep, I've only had two panic attacks! That's good, huh? I'm not nervous, not UBER excited, just revved up! I have soooooo much to do, so many things on the list that only I can complete (not even Josh can help with) so I just get all bottled up and "POOF"! I just have a....moment!

Any way...I'm making it...

Only 8 more days until we fly!!!! Aaaaaaah!

We're Outta Here

The time has come everyone...WE'RE OUTTA HERE! Goodbye good 'ole USA, goodbye comfy bed with fluffy pillows, goodbye toilet paper at public restrooms!

HELLO ETHIOPIA!!!!!!! Hello flat hard beds with paper thin pillows, hello public holes! :)

And HELLO to my Ella and Isaac!!! I will finally hug and kiss and love on my newest babies!!!! We are unsure exactly when, how many times or for how long we will be able to spend with them, but we know we will be with them some time after July 23!!!

Josh and I received word on Monday evening this week that we will be traveling to Ethiopia within the month! We have a court date of July 29th in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. At this court date, we will become the legal adoptive parents of both Ella Miheret and Isaac Yonas.

We will also (cross our fingers) have the opportunity to travel South to meet the birth parents as well as visit other orphanages. We will be staying most of the time at a lodge right in Addis Ababa, which is deemed very safe for us. We are not fearful of this whatsoever. I think my biggest fear, or rather source of anxiety, is meeting the birth parents and saying all of the right things as well as asking all of the questions that I want to and should. This will be my one and only opportunity to gather such special information for each child!!!

So our itinerary looks like this:
July 22nd - leave Detroit --- fly to Chicago
Chicago to Frankfurt, Germany
(It's now July 23rd - My Birthday~what a great gift!)
Frankfurt to Addis Ababa
July 23rd - Arrive in Addis Ababa

July 29th - Court

July 30th - Leave Addis Ababa --- fly to Frankfurt
Frankfurt to Detroit (it's now July 31st)

August 1st - See my twins!!!!! (This is my other source of anxiety...leaving my babies at home!)

So, we're pack, pack, packing and doing all things in preparation for this trip! I'm on a mission to get the kids' rooms nearly finished as I am preparing photo books for the birth parents and I want to show them what their rooms will look like!!! (Silly, I know!) I am also still collecting donations!!! We have just been told that our Ethiopian Coordinator said that formula is GREATLY...DESPERATELY...NEEDED! So, NeoSure Formula~~~you buy it...we'll bring it!

Say a prayer for all of us as we leave our girls at home and they stay with Mema and Papa, as we travel, and as we meet (and have to leave) our newest additions!!!!

~~~More to come.....