Sunday, August 31, 2008
Showers of Blessings
Last week, we asked our home congregation to help us fill a suitcase with donations for the care center. Our church has been wonderful throughout this journey, supporting us with prayers and many kind-nesses. Today was no exception. The boys have taken this project on themselves and they sat in the commons area, with a bright red suitcase, eager for donations. They were not disappointed. The suitcase is almost filled, we have several monetary donations, and so many promises of prayers, offers to help with the boys, and so many people so excited to welcome Sunshine into our church family. I was over whelmed by the love and care of my church family. We trurly are blessed beyond measure.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Warp Speed
Time feels like it is going at warp speed, and yet not quick enough. I am amazed that we only have 1 week and 4 days left before travel. Yet I am equally amazed that we are still waiting.
I am finding myself in an interesting place. I still can't let go and imagine all the moments that lie ahead. I can visualize saying goodbye to the kids (and crying), waking up at my in laws and getting ready for a full 24 hrs of traveling. I can imagine the plane ride, meeting John and Melanie at the airport, hanging out in Dulles, pacing the narrow walkways on the airplane, high above the ocean below. I can even imagine landing in Africa, the smell, the unfamiliarity. I can imagine getting to the guest house and settling in to our home away from home, unpacking and making it feel like home. I can imagine not sleeping, although fatigue will plague me...and this is where it ends.
For the many years I taught childbirth, I always encouraged my couples to imagine themselves in labor, what they were doing, how they were coping. It helped with the uncertain-ness of all that was to come. I think that is what I am trying to do, but I just can't. I get to that point and I just freeze. Am I really still protecting my heart? Is it just such an overwhelming experience that I can't go there yet? I don't know...I am hoping as each day gets closer, I can imagine more, and try and prepare myself, even just a tiny bit, for all that is to come!
I am finding myself in an interesting place. I still can't let go and imagine all the moments that lie ahead. I can visualize saying goodbye to the kids (and crying), waking up at my in laws and getting ready for a full 24 hrs of traveling. I can imagine the plane ride, meeting John and Melanie at the airport, hanging out in Dulles, pacing the narrow walkways on the airplane, high above the ocean below. I can even imagine landing in Africa, the smell, the unfamiliarity. I can imagine getting to the guest house and settling in to our home away from home, unpacking and making it feel like home. I can imagine not sleeping, although fatigue will plague me...and this is where it ends.
For the many years I taught childbirth, I always encouraged my couples to imagine themselves in labor, what they were doing, how they were coping. It helped with the uncertain-ness of all that was to come. I think that is what I am trying to do, but I just can't. I get to that point and I just freeze. Am I really still protecting my heart? Is it just such an overwhelming experience that I can't go there yet? I don't know...I am hoping as each day gets closer, I can imagine more, and try and prepare myself, even just a tiny bit, for all that is to come!
Friday, August 29, 2008
This Mama is for Obama!!
WOW. Obama's speech last night rocked the house and then some. I LOVE this man and the hope, ideas, and plans he is bringing to this nation. We have had enough...it is time.
I loved watching the speech last night, esp when the lenses of the cameras focused on Michelle and the girls. His daughters are beautiful and I couldn't help but think how wonderful it will be, as my daughter is growing up, to have a family that looks like her, heading our country. It gives me goose bumps still.
On another note... have your notices how adorable my daughter is???? I just fall in love with her more each day, and in less than 2 weeks, she will be in my arms. I love you sweet baby!
It is the last weekend before school starts. Alleluia! It is time for those who fight like cats and dogs to go have their minds stretched a bit, and not live on top of each other, but be seperated by the hallowed halls of education!
Off to pretend I am working! In reality, I am totally already on that plane to Africa!
I loved watching the speech last night, esp when the lenses of the cameras focused on Michelle and the girls. His daughters are beautiful and I couldn't help but think how wonderful it will be, as my daughter is growing up, to have a family that looks like her, heading our country. It gives me goose bumps still.
On another note... have your notices how adorable my daughter is???? I just fall in love with her more each day, and in less than 2 weeks, she will be in my arms. I love you sweet baby!
It is the last weekend before school starts. Alleluia! It is time for those who fight like cats and dogs to go have their minds stretched a bit, and not live on top of each other, but be seperated by the hallowed halls of education!
Off to pretend I am working! In reality, I am totally already on that plane to Africa!
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Sleepless in Minnesota
I must be more anxious about all of this then I thought. My sub conscious is having a hay-day and taking it out on me in my dreams! I have been having a load of totally bizarre dreams. Like the one where my dad traveled with me instead of E and we had the paperwork in the sealed envelope for immigration with the explicit instructions to not open it until we reached immigration in the US, and dad opened it because there was chocolate inside that he needed! Or last nights dream that we had to go and find Sunshine somewhere in this huge hotel/market and they wouldn't tell us what room to find her in, only that she was there and our job as parents was to know where! I also woke up at about 2am and couldn't get back to sleep until at least 3. I am not supposed to be sleep deprived before I GO to Et!
On the plus side, I think I am just about packed. I sorted back through Sunshine's suitcase last night and shifted things around a bit, then started in on my stuff and except for 2 things I need to wash, I think I am there. That is a great feeling! E made his packing list last night, so that was a relief as well. We are taking one suitcase from the agency full of their donations/necessities, and a huge suitcase of donations from our church. Then two more suitcases with a mix of our stuff. So far so good.
Today is yet another run to Target...gotta get the cipro filled, and see if the car seat we are waiting for is in yet! And maybe a few more of those adorable travel size deoderants...oh yay, I need some sleep!
On the plus side, I think I am just about packed. I sorted back through Sunshine's suitcase last night and shifted things around a bit, then started in on my stuff and except for 2 things I need to wash, I think I am there. That is a great feeling! E made his packing list last night, so that was a relief as well. We are taking one suitcase from the agency full of their donations/necessities, and a huge suitcase of donations from our church. Then two more suitcases with a mix of our stuff. So far so good.
Today is yet another run to Target...gotta get the cipro filled, and see if the car seat we are waiting for is in yet! And maybe a few more of those adorable travel size deoderants...oh yay, I need some sleep!
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Notice the ticker today??? Trip agenda too!
2 weeks until take-off. OMG!!! I am feeling like I am living in the twilight zone right now. It is all still so surreal! Two weeks from now, I will be having breakfast at my in-laws, getting ready to board a plane for a true life changing experience. Here is a little more about our trip:
We fly out of Mpls at 1:15 and arrive in DC at 4:45. It looks like several of the families we will share the week with are on the Ethiopian Air flight so that should be fun! Anyway, John and Melanie are going to meet us at our gate and then we are going to grab our last American Meal, then board the plane to Addis. We have a fuel stop in Rome, then continue on to Addis, arriving at about 7pm Addis time (8 hrs ahead of CT). We will be met at the airport by a rep from the agancy. Once we purchase our Visa's and get our luggage, it is off to the care center. We are staying in the smaller more traditional of the two guest houses. I guess there are 3 families total in this house and we walk to the other house for meals etc. Thursday night we attempt to sleep and get ready to meet Miss Sunshine.
Friday moring we have breakfast at the care center and then have a brief orientation at the main office, then head to the care center to meet Sunshine. They do not allow camera's in the care center, but they will video tape the first meeting for us. We get to spend about an hour with her and then return to the house for lunch. Then we get to go back and hang out with her for a bit longer in the afternoon.
Saturday, we spend the morning learning more about our sunshine. We will get time to hang out with her in the care center and love her up! After lunch, we have a chance to shop and exchange our $$. We have the option of going to a hotel buffet at the Crown Hotel. At this point we are thinking of skipping that event as the next moring is really early..we'll see how it goes.
Sunday we get up at 5am and travel south of Addis to Hosanna to meet sunshines birth family. We are hopeful we will meet her father. We spend 3-4 hours in Hosanna, seeing the orphanage she came into intitally, meeting family and experiencing a different part of the country. Then we board our bus and return to Addis. We will not see sunshine this day.
Monday we get to go back to our girl and I think bring her back to the guest house for a while. The afternoon on Monday we see some of the humanitarian projects in the area as well as a museum.
Tuesday Sunshine is all ours! There is a going away ceremony in the morning and then we have our Embassy appointment in the afternoon. After that, she is in our care forever. YEAH!!!
Wed and Thursday are spent in the guest house, getting to know our girl and settling into the routines of parenting a baby again. Thursday we leave for the airport arounsupper time for our 10pm flight home. We arrive in DC on Friday am at about 9am and go through immigration and customs. Then we hang out in the airport....until our flight home at 5:15. It will be a very long day of traveling, but we will finally have Miss SUnshine...so it won't matter!
We return to the Mlps airport about 7pm. We welcome friends to meet us at the airport, but know that we won't be passing sunshine around and the main focus will be uniting our whole family. We will most likely be rather strung out and loopy as well.
So now that I have typed all that, I am so excited I can hardly sit still. It is going to be here in the blink of an eye! Yipee!!
Friday
We fly out of Mpls at 1:15 and arrive in DC at 4:45. It looks like several of the families we will share the week with are on the Ethiopian Air flight so that should be fun! Anyway, John and Melanie are going to meet us at our gate and then we are going to grab our last American Meal, then board the plane to Addis. We have a fuel stop in Rome, then continue on to Addis, arriving at about 7pm Addis time (8 hrs ahead of CT). We will be met at the airport by a rep from the agancy. Once we purchase our Visa's and get our luggage, it is off to the care center. We are staying in the smaller more traditional of the two guest houses. I guess there are 3 families total in this house and we walk to the other house for meals etc. Thursday night we attempt to sleep and get ready to meet Miss Sunshine.
Friday moring we have breakfast at the care center and then have a brief orientation at the main office, then head to the care center to meet Sunshine. They do not allow camera's in the care center, but they will video tape the first meeting for us. We get to spend about an hour with her and then return to the house for lunch. Then we get to go back and hang out with her for a bit longer in the afternoon.
Saturday, we spend the morning learning more about our sunshine. We will get time to hang out with her in the care center and love her up! After lunch, we have a chance to shop and exchange our $$. We have the option of going to a hotel buffet at the Crown Hotel. At this point we are thinking of skipping that event as the next moring is really early..we'll see how it goes.
Sunday we get up at 5am and travel south of Addis to Hosanna to meet sunshines birth family. We are hopeful we will meet her father. We spend 3-4 hours in Hosanna, seeing the orphanage she came into intitally, meeting family and experiencing a different part of the country. Then we board our bus and return to Addis. We will not see sunshine this day.
Monday we get to go back to our girl and I think bring her back to the guest house for a while. The afternoon on Monday we see some of the humanitarian projects in the area as well as a museum.
Tuesday Sunshine is all ours! There is a going away ceremony in the morning and then we have our Embassy appointment in the afternoon. After that, she is in our care forever. YEAH!!!
Wed and Thursday are spent in the guest house, getting to know our girl and settling into the routines of parenting a baby again. Thursday we leave for the airport arounsupper time for our 10pm flight home. We arrive in DC on Friday am at about 9am and go through immigration and customs. Then we hang out in the airport....until our flight home at 5:15. It will be a very long day of traveling, but we will finally have Miss SUnshine...so it won't matter!
We return to the Mlps airport about 7pm. We welcome friends to meet us at the airport, but know that we won't be passing sunshine around and the main focus will be uniting our whole family. We will most likely be rather strung out and loopy as well.
So now that I have typed all that, I am so excited I can hardly sit still. It is going to be here in the blink of an eye! Yipee!!
Friday
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Ouch!
So little man took a horrible spill last night. I was sitting in the dining room, working on adoption paperwork (imagine that) when I heard the B man crying. His oldest brother was sitting next to me and said, oh he sounds mad...but the mama in me knew he was sounding hurt, not mad. Sure enough, after tripping on a floppy croc, he skidded along the street, head and nose first. He was quite a mess. Today he is sporting a very nice goose-egg, with a huge raw patch, as well as a huge skid mark down his nose. Last night he didn't want to look at it, so this am when he finally looked in the mirror, he was pretty shocked! His comment was he looked like humpty dumpty. And wouldn't you know school pictures are next week. Oh well, it will be one to remember! He is getting a lot of milage out of it...and was pretty convinced that since it still hurt this am, he should really have a cookie for breakfast. Not sure I see the correlation, but you can't fault him for trying! Once I find the camera, I will share his owie with all of you. In the mean time I am going to enjoy the extra snuggles he wants this am...and be thankful it wasn't a lot worse!
Lovin Michelle Obama!
Don't know if you had a chance to hear her speech last night. If not, you really missed out. She was amazing. To think we could have a first lady that dynamic, committed, eloquent and beautiful is wonderful to hope! And what a wonderful role model for my daughter, and daughters the world over. She is the Jackie O of our time, but I think could have an even greater impact on this country. It is going to be an exciting fall...there is finally something full of hope and change in politics in this country!
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