Thanksgiving Update!

I received a long email from Elisa today!! They got to spend the day with the babies and kids at the HOH. She said she was able to get all of the pictures people requested and deliver gifts. She said the children and babies are very well-cared for and happy. She described the HOH as a very busy place! They will be back in the US this weekend and I am sure she will post tons of video of her precious little Marley!!!!

Missy

Another update

I got another call from Elisa today. Things are going really well. They are enjoying Ethiopia and Marley, of course!! They will be spending all day on Thursday at the HOH with the kids! They stopped by there really quick yesterday to drop off some paperwork and the older kids were playing in the courtyard. They all ran up to the van yelling, "My name is...". Elisa said it was SO cute and she can't wait to play with them on Thanksgiving!! I will probably post one more update from her, then they will be home...can't wait to see tons of pics!!!

Missy

An Update

I talked to Elisa this morning. They have Marley!! She said Marley is perfect and things are going very well!!! They are planning on spending Thursday at the HOH, visiting the kiddos, taking pictures, and delivering lots of love (and some little gifts) from the parents! Hopefully, I will hear from her again on Friday....keep you posted...

Missy

In Ethiopia!!

Hi, everyone! This is Missy, Elisa's guest blogger for the week. Just got an email from Elisa....they are safely in Ethiopia and waiting for their ride to the HOH!!!!! In just a short while, they will have Marley in their arms.....finally!! I'll keep you posted throughout the week.

Missy :)

Today!

As I sit in the Dulles USO, I am overhelmed by the emotions that I am feeling. We are checked in on Etiopian Airlines and I was so overtaken by just the sight of Ethiopians. Crazy, I know! They are just beautiful people and resemble my baby. Crazy, just crazy! So this will be my last post until after we are back on U.S. soil. My friend, Missy,will be blogging for me. I am not sure how often of if I will be able to call or get internet access to update, but I will attempt to. I can't wait to share the rest of our story with y'all! PEACE OUT!

TOMORROW!!!

Tomorrow is the day we head out to pick up our beautiful little girl. Tomorrow we get on that plane and pray, cry, and dream of holding her in our arms. Tomorrow we fly to Ethiopia, the birthplace of our baby girl. Emotions are high, oh so high. Worry, a part of human nature, has taken over me. I'm trying so hard to let it go, and truly give it to God. The hard part is over. Or at least the journey to her. Now our journey together begins.
We felt led to adopt on Mother's Day 2006. We began to pray and ask God to lead us in the right direction and give us confirmation on His will. We knew we were called to adopt from Africa. After going our own way and trying to adopt through the state of Texas, we were reminded that our daughter was in Africa. In October of 2007, we decided we were changing agencies and going to adopt through Ethiopia. In January of 2008, we submitted our application. In July of 2008, our dossier was in Ethiopia and we were officially on the waiting list. In July of 2009, we saw Marley's face for the first time. And now, in November of 2009, we will have her in our arms forever! What a journey!

Two DAYS!

We are busy packing and making sure we have everything we need in the Hyman house! We packed all the donations and all we have left to pack is our clothes! I'm a list queen, so lists are everywhere! Lists of what I still need to do, what I still need to pack, instructions for my in-laws and friends, instructions for teachers/bus driver, lists of questions to ask Amaye, lists of children of other adoptive families to take pictures of, lists of who to get gifts for and what to get, and a list of my lists! I know, crazy...but it's just how my brain works!
While we are away, I will attempt to call my in-laws and my guest blogger, Missy, to keep them updated. Missy will be blogging for me while I'm away. Missy's baby just legally became hers this week and since I'm her "auntie", I am hoping to get to love all over her before her mommy goes to pick her up! This is truly going to be one of the highlights of my trip. Missy is such a close friend of mine and we were hoping to travel together. Since we aren't, I get to smooch on that baby for her! So keep checking out the blog to hear what's going on. I won't be able to load pictures until we get back. Two more days baby!

Donations

Thank you all for donating all these goodies for us to take to House of Hope and Beru Zemen (name shortened) Orphanage. We received way more that we had anticipated and are so thankful! A quick shot out to a friend of a friend who really loaded us up. THANK YOU! You all were very generous with your donations and paying for shipping to mail them here, for buying brand new items and medications. THANK YOU! Now I'm off to pack...lol!

Three Days!

I can't believe we are leaving in just three days! It's so surreal! We are in a packing frenzy! Marley is packed, and that is about it...lol. We are busy finalizing all the arrangements for Miles. Here are a few pictures of my cousins wedding we went to last weekend in D.C.. Miles had a blast and we are soooooo glad we were able to make it!

In FOUR Days!

In four days we will take off on one of three planes that will bring us to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. In six days, she will be in our arms forever! And 12 days she will be on U.S. soil! I can not explain how we feel right now. The excitement is outrageous. The joy is tremendous. The anxiety is beginning to set in! I feel such a love for little Marley, my heart could burst. I'm very very emotional right now. I think of seeing her for the first time. I see the room, the sofa, the empty open doorway, and then I see a blurred face carrying a bundle in her arms walking towards us. I feel the tears pouring down my face and the burning in my heart. The day we get to meet our daughter! I'm then overtaken by the emotional meeting of her Amaye. The things I want to say to her. The love I want to express. The questions I want to ask. All starting in just four days...