ALMOST THERE

Two more nights of sleep by myself and I will see my kids and hold them forever and ever. I am super happy I don't have to go through the East Coast again. I just have to change planes once, that's it. Using the East cost connection is grueling because it adds an additional 6 hours to your travel. You would think that being born and raised in Germany but having lived here for 25 years I would have flown Lufthansa just ones visiting my family .. Nope never in my whole life. This will be my first time. I am so excited I get to speak German with the flight attendants. Unfortunately I won't be able to meet my mom and sisters at the airport in Frankfurt since I had to be in ET Saturday night.

My plane leaves tomorrow at 2:00pm and returns May 8 at 11:25am. I just have one layover with the kids that will be super easy. After I am posting this I doubt I'll post anything until I return but who knows maybe there will be a little electricity at the guesthouse... We will see.

I have pre-cooked and baked for my family so they can feel my love when I am away. Amira and Biruk are pretty sad but they are kids and I bet they get over before I return. Kevin is such a good daddy and he keeps them laughing. I think they would be much more depressed without their daddy:) My special needs Anastasia has been following me around the house non stop for a week now so I know she is taking this really hard. She loves her mama.

Thanks to the special ladies praying over my flight and time in ET. I really so much appreciate it. Who would have ever thought in a million that I would return to ET so soon; because of one special family that made this adoption possible.

Butterflies and Anxiety

First off would you think I be packed by now?? Nope. All I can think about is getting on that plane to get my kids. I have been so disorganized. Instead of packing here I am at the computer. Okay my babies are already sleeping. I have had the kids packed for weeks but I keep re-packing the other suitcase. I have a feeling I am going to forget a lot. But as I told a friend, as long as I have all the embassy papers and my money, I should be good to go:) I have the biggest butterflies right now. I felt the same when I picked up Biruk and Amira and when I was reunited with Kevin after he came back from his war in Saudi Arabia.

Then I start to get anxiety and dreams because I sort of know what to expect this time around. Luckily I don't think the new kids are going to be buck wild like Biruk and Amira were. #1 one because I am not bringing home 2 x 4 y/olds and #2 because they don't know each other.

I sort of feel sad for Misrak and Micah that they don't know each other. When Sister Lutgerda from Kidane found out I was adopting B and A, she immediately told them they are brother and sister so 5 months before I got there, they knew they would go home together, even though they were not related by blood. When they found out they were going together, they were inseparable from that day forward. Every picture I gotten of them one was always near in the picture.

I also am worried when they come home they came single and therefore they have so much grieving going on.

Okay Andrea, everything will be fine.. I really hope I can post from there to keep you all updated.

Lastly my biggest concern is that I don't get my kids in a drive by like I did A and B.

This is the only time they met. How awkward.

Biruk turns 6

Happy Birthday Biruk. My first son turned 6 today. Just yesterday Kevin and I decided to change birthday traditions starting with Biruk, starting now. When Danica was growing up we always had huge parties, sort of competing with the Jones. I convinced Kevin that this was a waste of money and effort. We will have 4 little kids' birthday parties per year, plus Xmas, too much. I explained to him how big families often celebrate their kids' birthdays even though we are not considered big, yet:) I also felt that this would be a good time for bonding with one parent.

Biruk got to have breakfast away from home with mom or dad. He chose his daddy of course. Afterwards they went to the store and he chose his birthday gift. He got a remote control truck. Then he got to chose his favorite dinner. I made him chicken enchiladas and noodle salad. We had cake and ice cream and just a special day. Biruk felt very special today especially for having a special date with his daddy.

Next birthday is right around the corner, Misrak, June 6.

Thank you

Thank you Laci and Sergio for pics of my beloved Misrak. You have no idea how much I appreciate this. This adoption has been really weird when it comes to pics because I have been flooded with pics of Micah (totally appreciate those too) but I had just so few of Misrak. She looks amazing and so happy. Her eyes are glowing and mesmerizing. Sergio told Misrak that I would be on my way really soon but also that we are all friends and live close together. Micah of course is his perky, happy self my little stinker.

Also to all the mamas that were loving on Micah, I love you!

Thanks Sergio

look at those eyes

Thanks Amy

Thanks Bonnie

Thanks Andrea

Thank you Bonnie's husband

And thank you Signe for running to both orphanages to get pics for me when you picked up Marta.

YEAHHHHHHHHHH

I am sure by seeing my subject you can imagine what's going on. We were told today that our papers got in just for the 5/3 embassy date. I didn't know but the embassy extended the agency an additonal 2 days to get papers in because normally we are being heard on Wednesdays but this time the embassy appt is Monday because that Wednesday is a holiday in ET. So look to the right and as you can see by my ticker, I will leave in 1 week and 3 days. I will leave here on Friday, 4/30 and return on May 8, Saturday, one day before Mother's Day. Wow, I am soooooooooooooooooooooooooooo Happy Today.... I am counting down the days.

Oh and talking about being under the gun now, yes. But that's fine, I work better under stress rather be it at work or at home so that right in my aisle. I will get everything done before I leave and if I don't that's okay too.

On a side note, Amira is already super sad, she is really attached to me so I hope she will be okay. Off to finishing cooking my dinner. Just wanted to let you all know right away.

Nothing today

Well for those of you who are anxiously waiting with me, I have nothing to tell you.. I did not get an email or a call today. All I know is that today would have been the last day they needed to turn in all the papers to the American embassy since the embassy date moved up to 5/3 and not 5/5 (5/5 is an Ethiopian holiday).

Anyways, the weekend wasn't very eventful, my mind was in ET and now its even more in ET. My patience is running thinner by the minute. Thanks for checking in.

Why Adoption? Because its better than Childbirth:)

Unice Imani (Liberia)

Juan Antonio (Guatemala)

Benson (Zambia)

Our adoption journey started just about 4 years ago. Adoption has changed me from a worldly, selfish, nagging, over the head in debt person to a nothing but humble humane being that wants to bring home more and more kids or do more for these precious children every day and encourage the world to adopt. When people say: The kids are blessed! No: We are blessed!

Today I am glad my journey has passed so many children but they all left something in my heart and also finally brought me to Amira and Biruk.

I started out in 2006 when I went on my mission trip to Guatemala. I met an amazing boy named Juan Antonio who was 8 years old. This adoption never worked out because when I started the process for 3 month his mom came back after having him left for over 3 years at the orphanage and never visited.

In 2007 we were lead to domestic adoption through the foster system but soon were shut down because of Anastasia's Autism and her past. So can't say I never tried domestic (their loss)

That same year I went to Zambia. There I met Benson, a 10 year old boy who lived with me for 3 week at a hotel I was with 3 other families and than UNICEF and the Zambian government decided that adoption is not legal in Zambia and came and ripped all the children from us saying we were trafficking and adoption was never allowed. I think this one was the most painful thing in my adoption journey. I returned home empty handed. Today I still miss Benson deeply and if I have to be honest, he will probably be the one I see in our home one day, even if he is 18.

Than finally 2008 was pretty crazy:

In January I signed up with a Liberia adoption agency and shortly after I received my referral for a 5 year old girl. But that happiness quickly vanished when I found out adoptions were on hold and might not ever happen again in a long time. Haha they still on hold today.

Then I received a infant referral from my homestudy guy. The girl (14 y/o) was due in a month. She was expecting a baby boy. After meeting her and lots of prayer and Kevin feeling just not right about it we declined just weeks before the baby was born because we felt she would not give us her baby and keep it.

Finally in May of 2008 we signed up for Amira and Biruk. By that time, everyone had told me I lost my mind and need to go in the crazy house. My dear husband couldn't take anymore and said "baby how much more money are we giving away, I can't take it anymore"!? I begged him and begged him and said "Honey, I promise this is the last time". I didn't feel that God told me to stop yet. Many people asked me if I was so desperate to have a child that I needed to adopt HIV children. Let me tell you, God orchestrated it so ridiculously clearly it wasn't even funny. Every little detail that this was the way we needed to go. Now we are blessed to have 2 more positive kids coming home very soon.

If I had to do it all over again I would. Losing massive amounts of money and many many many sleepless nights but it was all worth it. I'd rather have a tiny house, a little food to eat and lots of adopted children than all the riches in the world, because today adoption has changed me to the person God wanted me to be. I am finally home:)

Micah's Birth Certificate is in

Yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, one step closer to getting the heck out of here on 4/30. I am about to puke, I am that excited!

Today I received Micah's Birth Certificate and it was actually issued on Tuesday.. Right now I have lots and lots and lots of hope to leave for my desired timing.

BTW, his birthdate is 11/25/2005. So he will be 5 in November. That looks sort of okay but I think we still will have to make him one year younger just to give him some time to catch up. Otherwise he would start Kindergarten next year..

Anyways, I am supppppppppppppppper excited today!

Love you all..

Ramblings/Danica got a job

I told the kids the other day to pack up some of their toys for me to take. Amira packed Misrak's toys and Biruk picked Micah's toys. I was so amazed at what Biruk was sharing for me to take. All the superman stuff he got for his birthday and over time. I think he really wants to take care of his little brother. But than Danica budded in and told him that it might not come home so he took some stuff back:) His daily temper tantrums have really become less because I have been preaching to him that he is the big brother and he shouldn't be crying over everything infront of Micah because Micah will do everything he does. The kids are really ready for them. They can't hardly wait.

Also Danica finally found a job. Since she changed colleges in January she automatically lost her job at the old college because it was work study. Actually since the last week she not just has one job but 2 jobs and they also offered her #3 job but she had to decline. She will be working at a spa and at the genetic department at her school. It has been a long 4 months with her not having a job and on our pocket books but we are all so thankful. It was hard on us because we had to carry her and even harder on Danica because she was dependent on us again. But we made it through. I am so thankful to my God that he finally opened the doors for her after she kept knocking and knocking and knocking and she almost lost her confidence to find a job. I kept telling her that eventually the doors will open for her if she just keeps knocking and they finally did. She is also doing incredibly well at her new college with her grades and I see that competitiveness come out again. I am so proud of my baby girl.

Light at the end of the Tunnel

Well today I heard from the agency that we got our decree. One step forward. Since the 4/21 embassy date is out for sure now, I am now hoping for a 5/5 embassy date. They are not promising this yet because they want to make sure all the papers are in prior to the date. If it is the 5/5 embassy date, I am going for sure if it ends up being 5/19 Kevin most likely will go because he is on break. I should know by 4/21 which embassy date I am getting. Oh and the ticker to the right is just my wishful ticker:)

HE IS RISEN