We are back home! We made it (FINALLY) back to Charlotte about 5:15pm yesterday. Unfortunately our last flight, of which we already had a 5 hour layover to wait for, was 3 1/2 hours late. Anyway, we are doing well. Joshua has stolen our hearts. I will slowly try to post about our trip...I am still severly sleep deprived. (I cannot sleep on planes, and our travel took us over 24 hours....)

More later...

WE made it. Just a quick hi...going to get Joshua in an hour!

The day is here! We leave for the airport in a little more than two hours. Then we fly from Charlotte to D.C. Tonight we board an airline for Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. From D.C. it is about a 15 hour flight.

We will meet up with another couple in D.C. who is also adopting through CWA and who is on our same flight. I have plenty of magazines, books, cards, crossword puzzles, to keep me busy while I am not sleeping. Oh, and my husband too - (smile, it's Valentine's Day). The past week(s) our conversations have been so centered on preparation for this trip that it will be nice to take a deep breath and relax.

I did happen to wake up with a "crick" in my neck. Of all days! I am believing that it will go away quickly. (Maybe carrying a backpack and carry-on bag will help-ha)

We can't wait to meet Joshua Monday morning! And now I better go!! We'll try to post if we can from our guest home. If not, we'll be back in 7 days!

Today is the last day before we leave! We got the bulk of packing done yesterday. Hooray! Today I am just finishing up with last bits and the bags we will actually "carry on" the plane. I ended up buying two duffel-type bags yesterday because I realized the ones we had were too small. We are each allotted two bags, 50lbs. each, and I have three filled to about 45-47lbs. and the last one is almost finished.

It had been exciting reading on another adoptive parent's blog this week because they are in Ethiopia this week (actually leaving to return home today) and have been staying in the exact same room Jamie and I will be staying at (and adopting through CWA as well). On one of the webboards, she has been posting various events of the days there. She even sent a heads up of things she wish she had packed, that I immediately put in our bag! So that has been fun, since we will be following the same steps this upcoming week!

Praise God we received another unexpected donation! Well, I guess God was planning it all along, but isn't it good to be the recipient of His blessings! I am therefore headed to bank and Target for one last time! :) Hopefully while there this morning, I will get a phone call that I want to get, telling me that yesterday's issues have been cleared up. I have a peace that this will be fine.

I'm not sure if I will be able to post any updates while we are in Ethiopia. I know the Guest Home does have access to the internet, however we are not taking a computer so I am not sure if we will have access to one. Who knows?

We are hoping to meet some family members of one of Jamie's students while in Addis Ababa! I really hope we get the opportunity to meet them. When visiting any foreign country it is always better to see it from a local perspective!

Adoption is not for the faint of heart! This morning, as I was in Target picking up yet more things for our trip I received the phone call I did not want to get. I had heard this could happen, had seen 'from a glance' on other people's blogs, etc., and KNOW that there are bumps along the way. I just wasn't expecting one this late in the game. What is it you wonder?

Our case worker was notified that the embassy in A.A. has claimed not to have received our approval notice from the National Visa Center. This is a very KEY part of the paperwork as we cannot take our son out of his birth country without their say so - and his visa. Now, we have been approved (months ago) and have paperwork saying they were sending this information to the appropriate offices in A.A. (Which is their responsibility).

What does this mean?

Well, it means after I hurried home from Target I called my US State Senator's office. I requested that they help me expedite a cable being resent ASAP stating our USCIS approval. I then raced to the closest fax machine, at Staples, and sent them the paperwork I have showing approval on my end. The woman in the Senator's office is then sending it ??? wherever it needs to go and after she hears from them, she will contact me.

I decided from the very beginning that this was a test and I am trying very hard not to completely panic and flip out. Even writing this post is an attempt to stay relaxed and methodical about this. Needless to say, it is not helping my ability to pack, which I absolutely have to do today. I am not going to sleep this evening until it is DONE. So, if you are reading this and would like to pray for us, please pick any of the above! :)

We leave for the airport in less than 48 hours. This has to get resolved in the next 24.

I am still praising God!

The nursery is done. Check. The baby clothes is washed. Check. The car seat is in the car. Check. The suitcases are packed. UNCHECK. Can you guess what I need to do????

Who can resist this face??? We just received some more pictures of JWH. I didn't think we would get any more before we travel, since we leave in 11 days. What an unexpected blessing!!