Leaving on a Jet Plane

We made it safely on the drive to Atlanta -which is quite a feat given our track record driving through the ATL. We are getting ready to get on the shuttle to take us to the airport. We have so many suitcases, it's embarressing -oh well! Once we arrive in DC, we have a 6 hour layover. Then we leave this evening around 8:30pm to fly out to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Mom keeps telling me it's "two more sleeps!" until we get our girl! We will be landing in Addis around 12:00pm our time (back home) -so think about us when you're getting out of church! If I have an internet connection, I'll try to post in the airport!

We're Going!!!!!!!

Its official, we found out this morning that our paperwork has arrived in Addis Ababa (the capitol of Ethiopia.) We are schedule to fly out on Saturday the 28th at 12:50pm from Atlanta. I think our plan now is to drive down the night before and stay in a hotel. We should be arriving in Ethiopia about 8:30pm local time which for us is about 12:30pm. we're busy trying to pack and get everything ready. Who knew how much a baby could require in luggage! I may have said this before but our 17lb little baby girl has 37 lbs of luggage! I swear I haven't overpacked for her either, although, I was really tempted to bring some "cute as can be" dresses along. Several other families working with Children's Hope are fighting the same battle with red tape that we have. Please pray for them. One family in particular seems to be a couple of weeks away from traveling and their little girl is waiting for them.

We are staying at the Ethiopian Guest House while we're there. I just found out that Pansy and Mom are supposed to sleep downstairs. I'm not sure how that's gonna work out but I'm sure it will be an adventure.

We land on Sunday evening as stated above. At around 9am the next mornng, which will be about 1am here, a driver is supposed to pick us up and take us to the House of Hope to finally meet Addie. The CHI staff has told us that Addie may be a little disconcerted by us (the strangers.) They warned us that the staff at the House of Hope may recommend that we leave her with them for a night or two while she adjusts. Please pray that she will grow very comfortable with us and she will be ready to come with us the first day.

I guess I should update you on the information we recieved from the director of the Orphanage, Gebe. He and his wife have taken care of Addie since she was two months old. It broke my heart to find out that she was found along the side of the road. Gebe, however, explained that this was really an act of mercy. She was placed in a heavily traveled area. He believes that Addie's birth mother could no longer take care of her and wanted a better life for her. Gebe went into detail about the devestating poverty in the Tigrai region (where Addie was found.) This area is at the very nothern corner of Ethiopia and has been engaged in a long running border dispute with a country called Eritea. The Tigrai region is not a particularly safe area because of this. Hearing all of this, I think Ben and I both were overcome with the very concept of the journey this little girl has already taken. I do believe it is in God's plan that she would wind up in Sevier County Tennessee!

I can't wait to hold my little girl! For now though, I've got to get back to packing!

Delayed Until Next Week

Well we were hoping and praying we could go this week, but it didn't work out. The National Visa Center was a bear to deal with and we couldn't get a straight answer from anyone. But, with the help of Senator Corker's office, we found out yesterday (Friday) that our fingerprints had been processed and mailed out to Ethiopia. Unfortunately, our packet (called a Cable 37) had to be in Ethiopia before we took off. We were supposed to leave this morning. So this puts us back one week. Now our Cable 37 is scheduled to arrive at the US consulate in Ethiopia on Tuesday or Wednesday. As long as everything gets there, we will be flying out next Saturday out of Atlanta (sorry Megan!)

But there has been some good news as well. We have forwarded a list of questions to the director of the Orphanage that cared for Addie. It turns out he is in the states and he wants to talk to us. I have so many questions. I also found out that he and his wife had intended to adopt Addie themselves but decided they could help more children if they allowed her to find a home somewhere else. I just think that is so incredible. I know she was meant to live with us! And it shows just how much she was loved and cherish while she was there.

Please keep praying for us. I'm holding my breath for another week!

One More Hurdle

Well, after making it through all the headaches to be re-fingerprinted (since our fingerprints expired on 2/14/09) last week, we have run into one more hurdle. The Department of Homeland Security in Nashville expedited our fingerprinting appointment and let us go to Nashville instead. This was last Wednesday. They processed our fingerprints and sent them by overnight mail to the NVC, National Visa Center, on Friday. So I called the NVC first thing this morning. I got no where. They also said they had not recieved the package.
I immediately turned around and call Senator Corker's office again. My contact there was very helpful last week. She got on the phone with DHS to confirm they sent our fingerprints. She then used a congressional inquiry line to contact the NVC. She left a message and hopes to hear something in the morning. To explain more, NVC is responsible for sending our fingerprints over to the consolate in Ethiopa. I have heard that on some occasions the NVC will email the file. However, their status quo is to simply mail it. Our fingerprints have to be in Ethiopia by Thursday. I just hope and pray that we can push this through. If this works, Senator Corker has my vote from here on out! More later

Getting Ready to Go

As of now we are aiming at a fly out date of 2/21/09. That is next Saturday. We are flying out of Atlanta to D.C. It is then a 15 hour flight to Addis Ababa (the Capital of Ethiopia.) They are 8 hours ahead of us so we will arrive at about 8pm local time on Sunday 2/22/09. We are supposed to meet Addie the next morning around 9am. She has been moved from the orphanage that has cared for her for the last six months to the house of hope (which is located in the capital.) In the photos she looks so sad. We all know that she will have to adjust to her changing environment. We plan to keep her home and isolated once we're back in the states to ease the adjustment. By the way, we are planning to attempt email contact with my dad, Roy, at 10pm Eastern time on 2/22/09. If this doesn't work we will try again at 8am on 2/23/09. If the "sketchy" internet connection works, we will try to post on this blog as well.

We will be staying at the Ethiopian Guest Home while we are there. My mother, Missy, and my mother-in-law, Pansy, will be going with us. We are all excited and scared to death. The Ethiopian Guest Home has some great amenities and donates a portion of their profits to orphanages in Ethiopia.

We are busy packing and trying to make diapers for 10 days fit into a very small suitcase. More later!

Photos from January

These photos were also taken in November. As you can tell, the photos are labeled with the name Lydia. The orphanage had to name her for the purposes of travel and paperwork. She was abandoned at the orphanage, so sadly we do not have any background or medical information for her. I would always be open to the option of receiving more information about her birth parents. Maybe someday we will!

The next set of photos were taken in January. Can you believe that hair? We have so many pretty bows and headbands!

Next Set of Photos

These photos were taken when she was about six months old, They have her dressed like a little boy. We will change that! I'm just trying to catch everyone up to speed!

First Set of Photos at 3 Months

Welcome all! We have had so many requests to email photos and updates that we broke down and decided to do a blog! Anyway first up: the photos of our girl! Introducing:

Adeline Violet Clabo

These photos were taken when she first arrived in the orphanage. She was about 3 months old. I will post the next set of photos shortly! By the way Addie is now 9 months and 5 days old. We are supposed to go get her in the next two weeks. I'll keep you "posted" -ha!