WE ARE COMING HOME!!!!!!

GOOD GRIEF. WHAT. A. DAY.
I will try to give you the highlights of the day as well as details about our arrival as this will be my last blog post from AFRICA (somebody shout Hallelujah!).
So, we woke early and headed out the door at 7:45am in order to arrive at the US Embassy for them to review our documents and (hopefully) give us an interview.  Yesterday Tesfahun arrived to submit our documents, but in order to submit them you have to pay for the visa and when he arrived the cashier's office was closed. HUGE BUMMER and one we thought had thrown our plans off track.  We have known since Monday that finishing everything today was a slight possibility, but one we knew was a long shot.  THANK YOU WAY-MAKER for MAKING A WAY.
We arrived at the Embassy around 8:30am and were finally able to enter after they confiscated our phones, searched every crevice of our bodies, sent us through metal detectors, and (forgetting I had water in my purse) making me drink some of my water to ensure I wasn't going to kill someone with its contents.  I am grateful for the security!  We entered and then waited while our agency staff submitted our documents.  Then, we discovered after they reviewed it all that our last name was misspelled on our MOWA letter (as was Tyson's birthdate... they had the wrong month).  BIG SIGHS as we thought we were going to have stay until Monday to get it all done.  BUT IN STEPS OUR ANSWER TO PRAYER:  HEATHER, FROM THE US EMBASSY.  She called us up to inform  us of the misspellings, but she also knew we had waited for a long time on this adoption and she was SO gracious.  She agreed to do our Embassy interview under the promise that we would correct the translation mistakes (the original documents were correct in Amharic, but the translators office was responsible for the misspellings and date.  Remember the crazy differences in calendar?).  Getting Tyson's Visa was dependent on us being able to get the translation corrected and having MOWA  stamp and sign it in time to get it back to the Embassy and get the visa printed.  SOMEBODY UNDERSTAND THAT WE WERE PRAYING FOR FAVOR, BUT KNEW THIS HAD NEVER BEEN DONE BEFORE.  Typically documents are reviewed for a couple of days before an interview is given.  We are sitting here tonight saying, "when you can't explain it, you didn't do it.  This was all Jesus."  Superman Tesfahun was busy working on other cases today, but he did go get the translation corrections made and get the MOWA stamp.  While he was doing that we went to run grab last minute things we wanted to get as gifts.  We also grabbed lunch at Tivoli (for the 3rd time since we arrived... so familiar that one waiter walked over to our new waiter before we ordered and explained Regan's order of grilled fish with NO SAUCE and french fries, as it isn't on the menu that way).  We were honored to have Sebilu join us for lunch (as well as Mengistu).  There is just something so healing to just flat out honor someone else.  We spent much of the lunch telling Sebilu how grateful we are for him, his team, and how we can see their passion for the children and families they serve.
Next, we went to Wal-Mart Shoa to get traditional spices so I can have those at home for Tyson.  While there, Regan and I had to go to the restroom (forgot to mention we stopped for buna earlier).  When I finally caught up to her and Mark inside Shoa she said, "Mom, the toilet here is a hole in the ground."  I chuckled, because I had used one like that on my previous trip to Ethiopia 6 years ago.  I encouraged her and told her she was going to get the true Africa experience.  She was hesitant, but she can now say (as can I, again) that she used a public restroom that was a hole in the ground.  If this intrigues you (well, gross), but please see Mark's Instagram feed for a photo of the public restroom at the supermarket.  Moving on.
We were still waiting for confirmation that Tesfahun had delivered the necessary, corrected documents and that the Visa would have time to be printed before closing at 5.  We were hoping, but the later in the day it got, the more it didn't seem possible.  In order to wait for Tesfahun to come back, we went to the Bethany office for about an hour or hour and a half.  Mengistu was able to work and we hung out in a room by ourselves (free wifi!).  I looked at my watch at one point 4:40pm.  About that time I saw Mengistu walking toward us... his expression wasn't good.  When he has bad news to deliver he raises one arm up over his head, bends it at his elbow, and tries to break it gently.  He walked in, I stood (hoping for good news), he said, "Guys, there is a problem.  I just talked to Tesfahun," arm going up.  I sighed.  He continued, "the problem is you are leaving.  IT'S ALL DONE.  HE HAS YOUR VISA AND IT'S OVER."

INSTANT TEARS.

We hugged and screamed and hugged some more.  Then, Mark had the great idea to ask Pastor Matt to get Corbin and Hudson out of class so we could tell them we were coming home.  I had our travel agent search for flights for us earlier this week, hoping this would be the outcome.  So, we had flights reserved already which allowed us to know when we would arrive home (more on that in a bit).  So, Pastor Matt FaceTimed us once he had the boys.  When the FaceTime came up we had Tyson say, "Hey!  I am coming home."  The boys looked a bit confused and immediately Mark said, "We are leaving tomorrow to come home with Tyson!  We will be home Saturday afternoon."  Instantly, Hudson put both hands over his mouth and began crying.  He couldn't even talk.  I said, "Are those happy tears?"  He just nodded, "yes."  Then, we were all crying.  Thank you, Matt, for scooping him up and giving him big hugs.  Corbin was smiling from ear to ear and said he couldn't wait.  Just after we hung up, Tyson went back and sat down, put his head on the table, and cried SO hard.  I assumed Hudson's tears had gotten him upset, but wanted to make sure.  I ran over, picked him up, we were both crying.  I said, "destainya?" (happy?).  He shook his head yes.  I had Mengistu talk to him to confirm they were happy tears.  We asked if he was afraid of anything or scared or sad about anything.  He replied, "Just really happy."  SWEET BOY.  The rest of the day he kept saying, "I love Corbin and Hudson."

SOOOOO.... arrival details.  Let me just say that we all know the Lord has OUTDONE HIMSELF on our entire trip with timing, people we've met, families we've met, and memories we've made.  It's all just so surreal.  But, in all of His kindness, He decided to put a cherry on top of all of the already amazing goodness.  Saturday, the day we arrive home, also JUST HAPPENS TO BE my birthday.  CAN YOU EVEN?????
I can't.

I keep thanking Him over and over again.  I cried the entire ride from Bethany back to the guesthouse.  It never occurred to me IN A MILLION YEARS we would be able to be home on my birthday.  I thought we would still be here on Thanksgiving.  WAY-MAKER.

OUR ARRIVAL is expected to be at 2:15pm Saturday afternoon at McGhee-Tyson airport.  This flight is typically on time, but if you want to keep track, you can... we will be arriving from Washington-Dulles (airport code IAD).  WE WANT YOU THERE.  If you want to come, COME.  We know it is half-time of the Tennessee game, so some of you will be busy, but if you are free... we would love to have a crowd there.  We will have just traveled for 23 hours, so I am not promising what we will look like or how we will smell, but we will LOVE TO SEE YOU PEOPLE there.  We are just going to (as politely as possible ) ask that you know Tyson is still adjusting to being in a family and so for now, we would love if you want to high-five him, fist bump him, or shake his hand.  For now, we are just asking for help in allowing him to continue to bond with us with hugging.  It seems odd, I know, but we don't want him (or any of our children) completely comfortable hugging a lot of random strangers (we know you aren't strangers, but to him most are).  If he initiates a hug, go for it.  We just want to be cautious to not overwhelm or overload him (or confuse him).
Next, Pastor Matt will be at the airport early to just organize people, should there be a crowd that comes.  Our only request is that our immediate families (Corbin, Hudson, grandparents, my sister and her family, Mark's sister and her family, Maygen and Josh) will be waiting up by where we will exit and everyone else can either wait down closer to the escalators or downstairs at the bottom of the escalators.  THIS IS ALL OUR STORY and we want you to be there to see this boy COME HOME.  He is full-fledged Tyson McKeehan and knows it.  So, feel free to call him that and if you make signs, you can use "Tyson."  He already recognizes his name:)
After the airport, we are SO PUMPED to be able to load into Mark's car as a family of 7 for the first time (crying again).  We will head home as a family and have some photos made of him coming home for the first time.  Then, we are looking forward to spending the rest of the day UNDER ONE ROOF.  We can't wait to see Corbin and Hudson with Tyson.  Thank you so much for respecting this special time for us.  We have someone who told us months ago she wanted to make our meal for the first night we were home and so we are well taken care of (and HUGE SHOUT OUT TO MY RECKON SQUAD FOR VOLUNTEERING TO STOCK OUR PANTRY AND FRIDGE WITH NECESSITIES. ALSO TO NINA AND DANA FOR CLEANING OUR HOUSE TODAY).  I mean, seriously, y'all.  OUR COMMUNITY IS THE BEST.  Thank you for being intentional and purposeful and exactly what we needed.
I am beside myself that my next post we will be home.  On our first night in Addis I wrote a blog post and called it "Immeasurably More."  When I wrote that post, I had no idea what the next 23 days would hold.  I had no idea that my life would forever be changed by so much more than "just" gaining one child (I mean that is pretty huge!).  The overflowing blessings that have come are more than any of us could've fathomed.  Here I am over 3 weeks later and it's all come full circle.  He is Sovereign and Good and Faithful and Kind.  And He continues to be the God who gives

immeasurably more.

See you Saturday at 2:15pm!!!

Almost home,
carrie