12 days until we leave....

Am I packing?

No. I am in the middle of school prep, soccer try-outs, and doctor visits. This is life. Crazy busy. Andrew has been sick. He seems to be on the mend. He has try-outs for his high school soccer team...he is a captain so he will make the team. Unfortunately the fever sneaks back by the end of the day (not high, but just a reminder that he is in fact not a super hero). Whatever he has had...has been kicking him to the curb. Oh well...a small distraction.

Zach is getting his school supplies together and soccer starts up for him this week. He will be staying home with Andrew and Jason's dad.

Eliza has been getting her uniform and books ready for high school. She is all set. She is so excited about the trip to Ethiopia I think that the first day of school will go unnoticed.

Me...I have been: visiting with one of my best friends in the hospital, hovering (a bit) over Andrew, brushing up on my last minute Amharic (which I probably will lose when I step onto the plane because of overload of excitement), buying school books and supplies, checking school shoes (flip flops will be put away). What's a mom to do? The 18 hours on a quiet flight may be just what I need. No cell phone. No emails. This may be a much needed vacation. Oh, that's right...I am adopting a toddler. Life is about to hit hyper-speed. And you know what? I can't wait to have her home :)

The Whirlwind!

She's ours! I haven't been able to sit down and really think about it. is the roller coaster really pulling into the station. Or are we simply getting on another ride? That's the thing about parenting and maybe life in general, it's quite a ride.

We got the call on the vineyard. The last day of our two weeks out there. The thing is it was soooo late. 2:15. I was preparing myself for not so good news. Texting back and forth with one sweet friend. Emailing back and forth with another sweet friend. I was about to hand the phone over to my 17 year old so he could stand watch while Jason and I went for a second kayak ride and it rang. I threw the phone to Jason (think hot-potato). I felt like crying before he even answered it. I could tell it was good news though as soon as Jason answered and I truly was even closer to crying. She's ours. I will get to watch over this sweet little quiet girl. I will get to read her stories at night. I will get to put the band-aid on her skinned knees. I will get to walk her to school.

We will drive to New York, and take Emirates to ET. Timing and layovers drove our decision (no pun intended). We are bringing Eliza. Boys are staying home. Hard decision. First full week of school. Eliza was talking colleges with Andrew. (She will be a freshman-in HS). We had already decided kids had to stay home because of school. She is telling him that she is going to major in pre-med with a minor in African Studies. She is reading There is No Me Without You. She was a major driving force in our looking at adopting from Africa. She wants to live in Africa. She has taught herself more Amharic than I have learned (okay to be fair she is younger than I am :) She has loved Africa since she was a small child. The list goes on and on.... but the cost in money, in high school, and will Bela need our undivided attention. It was decided when the Vice Principal of her school called and said..."How can you not take her? She is meant to go. This is a calling." She is old enough to back off if needed. She is amazing with little ones if needed and most of all she will see Ethiopia for the first time with her sister. We leave on the 12th and will have Bela in our arms on the 14th.

We have our lodging as of today. Now, on to the packing and settling the plans for the boys and the dogs and preparing for the school year for the three older kids...oh my gosh, I am a mom to four!

Please could you pray for this sweet family to pass court....

And if you need anything delivered for your little one...I would be honored to deliver small packages or take pictures. We lived on these pictures when we were waiting.

Introducing....

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Tomorrow

Is tomorrow our day? Will we have a new daughter tomorrow? I am amazingly calm today. Preparing for the unexpected. Praying for good news. My sweet friend and I were talking and commiserating that int'l adoption is not for the faint of heart. Don't do it if you don't like the scariest and most twisted rides at the amusement park. Not for you if have next month's dinners planned, or you have an agenda book that is filled in 15m increments. But the promise of this sweet child being in our family, calling me mom, growing, thriving, learning, healing....has got me hooked. So tonight, I will buckle my seat belt, and pull the bar down and prepare for the ride....who knows maybe it will pull into the station.

The Vineyard has been so relaxing. I highly recommend going on vacation for the two weeks before your court date. Jason and I have a tradition of taking each of the kids out for a solo breakfast or lunch (less expensive than dinner) so that they get some one on one time. Zach's was today. He wanted to grab breakfast sandwiches and fish of the dock in the rain. Nothing fancy about that boy. (I will post pics when we get home.)

July Books and Count Down

After I read every adoption book out there on the process and then on bonding I turn to another genre. Fiction and non-fiction on Ethiopia. Just kidding, somewhat. I did read some books that had nothing to do with Ethiopia or Africa...but these were the books that I loved this past month.

There is No Me Without You. A non-fiction. Greene is beyond gifted. She takes human interest stories and blends the hard facts...some of them medical in nature..in seamlessly. Beautifully written. Hard and sad and surprisingly uplifting. I can't believe that it took me so long to pick this book up...and then when I did...it took me no time to finish. This may be one of my all time favorite books.

Sweetness in the Belly. This was recommended to me by a blog friend. Fiction. Part of this book takes place in Ethiopia. A behind the scenes look into the lives of devout muslims in Ethiopia. I really enjoyed reading this book. It also goes into some of the history of the past 50 years. The daughter of english hippies is raised by a Sufi muslim after her parents are killed.
Cutting with Stone. Fiction. Takes place in Ethiopia. Easy read. Twins "adopted" and raised by two doctors become doctors.

With 8 days until court....I need to find more books to read. After that I hope to be busy getting ready to travel. We are still away. The Vineyard has been really relaxing. The weather has been less than perfect but we are enjoying time together. (Actually, Zach and Andrew were just wrestling...and now Zach is crying...oops...I spoke too soon.)

Officially Counting Down

A year ago this was the kids on the vineyard. We had thought and hoped and prayed that this year there would be a little one in the front of the picture. That is not to be, but next year:) we are letting ourselves count down once again. Gluttons for punishment or optimistic? Thirteen days until little B's file does to court.

We are off to the Vineyard. As any parent of a teenager knows that is not an easy thing. Jason will take the younger ones and I will take Andrew to a soccer game (do you see a common theme of soccer playing throughout our lives?) in VT then a try-out (of sorts) in Ny and then we will meet them on the Vineyard. If all goes well at court we will get a call from Jessica as we are leaving the Vineyard with good news.