Dreaming of Ethiopia

Since we got our call to head over to Ethiopia a week ago I have to be honest...I have thought of little else. I have so much to do to get things in order at work for when I am away and also at home. Too much probably. I know that will all come together, but I just can't stop thinking about Nyah and Haakon. I can't stop looking at the pictures of them and showing them off to everyone! It seems almost every conversation I have I end up talking about them and our trip to get them. Usually I try really hard to have people leave a conversation feeling like they have had someone who deeply listened to them and asked them questions. That's not happening as much right now.

I know it's OK. Don't get me wrong. I love talking about them. It's good for me to tell the story. It's just different for me is all. Although, most conversations this past year have always started like this: "Hey, how are you? Great, how are you? Awesome. Hey, how is that adoption thing going?" So inevitably the conversation heads there anyhow, but now it has legs. It's real. It's happening. We are going.

AHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

Can you tell I am a little excited?

Even though I have seen pictures and watched videos and heard stories and read blogs, it is a huge unknown. I imagine that it will be like. What our day in and out life will be like. What it will smell like. What sites we will see. What experiences we will have. How long it will take to pass court. When our embassy date will be. When we will come home. What people we will meet. I imagine a lot.

Right now we are working on our flights. Hoping to have all that nailed down by tonight. God has lead us through this so far and has provided all along the way. I am not stressed about that. (Thank you Jesus for taking my stress away!) We have pretty much finished the babies' room. Just a few more decorations and a rocking chair and we are done. We did some severe cleaning of the garage. Lots of house cleaning (my wife is amazing!)

BTW, if you haven't read my last post about our call go here.

I wonder...will we all fly together? Will we get to meet the birth moms? Will I get to train for hood to coast relay race with some new Ethiopian friends? Will there be anyone at the airport when we return home if we come back on a Monday afternoon? Will the kids like the food (I have already enjoyed Ethiopian food here in the States)? Will my older kids get along perfectly and start a new relationship because they have this shared experience without other kids to interfere? ;-) Will I get a tan?

I wonder...