More Ethiopia- Day 2

Ethiopia Day 2- July 21, 2008

Today we went back to the orphanage to work on paperwork for our embassy meeting tomorrow.  We were picked up by the CWA (christian world adoption) van. There were 2 other families in the van. One was going to get their 3 year old little boy and the other was a single mom who already had her 6 month old baby boy.  when we pulled up to the gates of the compound, Tess was very excited to see her old friends.  It made me happy to see her so glad to return. It tells me that she was happy there.  The case worker spoke with Tess for a few minutes and then turned to us and said "she is very happy!" While I filled out paperwork, Jeff and CHristine played with the other kids at the Orphanage.  They just loved Jeff! Every time I looked over he was holding a different child.  The children loved Christine's long blonde hair and spent the whole time touching it.  After leaving the children we drove around to a market. We found some great things to bring back as gifts for all the families who donated things for us to bring.  The caretakers told us we brought very important things and were so thankful.

First day photos with Tess

Sheraton Addis Ababa- July 20th 2008

Gotcha day!!

Thats adoption lingo for the day that you get your new child. So today, July 20, 2008 is our long awaited "Gotcha day".  Of course nothing went as planned. When we pulled into the orphanage gate, Tess came running out to greet us! We recognized her beautiful face right away! Jeff, Christine and I all started crying! She ran up, open arms and hugged us all!  So much for photos and filming. It all happened naturally and will have to be remembered in our hearts.  We said hello to the orphanage workers and many of the other children and then went back to the hotel with Tess.  Our case worker was ROBEL. He was so kind and helpful. He explained how the week would play out and told us that Tess would be with us from this moment on.  Here are our first photos with our new daughter...

A Room with a View

This is the view out of our room at the Sheraton in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.  Our first impression of Addis as we drove through was how heart breaking the poverty is.  There is an incredible juxtaposition of worlds here. Our hotel is beautiful, yet right outside...

We are now checked in and waiting in the lobby to get picked up by CWA and taken to the orphanage. This moment feels a bit surreal (and the jet lag doesn't help!) I want this moment to hurry and be over so we can be with Tess and yet I want to feel every single minute until we are together. 

As we wait we watch all the Ethiopians walk through the hotel lobby. The children are all so beautiful. Each one that goes by I wonder if Tess is that tall-or that bubbly-or does her hair look like that? 

Am I scared? Not at all. Am I excited? Yes! Exhausted? Yes!!! I wonder if it's OK to hug her right away? I don't want to frighten her. I was told not to expect the child to run up to us like she knows us.  Our plan is for CHristine to hang back and photograph Jeff and I meeting Tess for the first time. A new daughter...everything is going to be different from now on. 

Back from Ethiopia!

Hello from some very weary travelers! We just arrived home from ethiopia last night.  Our trip was an amazing life changing experience. We were unable to get on the internet so I "blogged" on paper everyday. I did not want to miss an emotion or thought! I am going to enter my posts and photos now so the actual date will not match the post dates.  We are so absolutely blessed by this entire journey and so thrilled to be starting our new life with our sweet daughter!!

CIAO from Rome!!

Ciao from the Colosseum, the Vatican and the Trevi Fountain!  We had great flights to Rome.  It is just beautiful here!  We spent the day touring around and seeing all this beautiful history!! We are absolutely loving every minute of it and we are especially enjoying the gelato!!

It's funny, but as we walk around taking in all this amazing architecture, my mind wanders to Tess and what she is doing right now.  

We leave tomorrow evening for Ethiopia.  It still seems surreal!  My prayer  is that God shows us what He wants us to see while we are there... that He opens our hearts and eyes to what we are supposed to witness and experience on this journey.