Firsts

Good grief.  It's 3:35pm and I already don't know where to start about today.  I will save the best for last and start at the beginning of the day.  We had a little earlier start to the day today.  Mengistu arrived to pick us up at 9am so we would have plenty of time for shopping. On the way to shopping we were sitting in traffic (because that's what you do here) and (as usual) we had many beggars coming to our windows for money or kids trying to sell us crackers or sunglasses.  Street kids are everywhere.  This means they literally live on the street... no family, no education, no home, no money.  The street and each other.  That's all they have.  We have seen many street boys since being here.  It always breaks my heart.  But, today as we sat in traffic I saw the most beautiful young girl.  I am guessing her age to be 12 or younger.  Beautiful.  I noticed her when she was at the car to our right.  Then, she walked to my side of the van and approached the driver about buying what she was selling (which I can't even tell you what it was).  I was so taken by her physical beauty I literally got tears in my eyes and said, "Oh my. Oh my."  I couldn't even think my heart was so broken in an instant.  A young girl like her, on the streets alone....Heaven only knows what she has endured or what her future holds.  I DO know, however, that I am committed to praying for her, knowing she represents thousands more.  I sat quiet the remainder of the ride.  

 We went to a "mall" to look for traditional dresses for Regan and me as well as to get the boys soccer jerseys.  We found dresses and a few souvenirs (and gifts).  Our favorite memory was finding a soccer jersey that said "abibas," but it was trying to be adidas!  We laughed so hard... it even had the same logo & font with it.  We found traditional cups for a coffee ceremony and a traditional wooden stool (made of one piece of wood) that is often found in homes in the country.  I already know where it will sit in our house! The shopping trip reminded me that I forgot to tell you about our trip to "walmart" yesterday.  Well, not EXACTLY Wal-Mart, but you get the idea.  The store is called Shoa and you have to have a security pat-down before entering (pretty much everywhere, including restaurants).  Then, it opens up and it has everything... food, household products, toys, etc.   We went looking for bowls for our room so we could eat noodles, cereal, etc.  We finally found them and (of course) the one set of bowls that we wanted didn't have a price, so Mengistu asked how much they were.  The lady returned and said, "It's a new item and doesn't have a price yet. If you return tomorrow, we will tell you how much."  And we just looked at each other like "of all the things in this store, we would pick the ONE with no price."  It made for a fun memory.  We walked out with different bowls and 4 forks and 2 spoons!  

Anyway, after leaving the mall this morning Mengistu asked us, "Is it ok to go ahead and go to the orphanage now?"  Of course we were all like, "YES."  What I didn't tell you in my previous post is that Mengistu mentioned to us yesterday that we MIGHT get to take Tyson out for lunch with us today.  He said,  he would ask, but he thought it was a big possibility.  We were so excited about the possibility, but knew it may not happen (especially given that is was the weekend).  So, I didn't mention it to you.  

When we arrived at the orphanage, we immediately saw Tyson standing there and his face LIT UP when he saw us through the van windows.  Before we could get the door open he was standing there waiting for us.  He greeted us all with BIG hugs.  The first thing he wanted to do today was ride his bike.  So, he hopped on and said(in English), "Dad cycle me."  I mean, y'all, how cute is that?  Mark, like any good dad, straddled the back wheel, put his hands on Ty's hands and started running. Then, when Mark got tired (the high elevation here makes us out of breath easily) I took over.  He would say, "Mom cycle me."  Then, he would say (in English), "Let's go!" One time he repeated me by saying, "Run, Dad, run!"  We had the best time. Later we realized he could totally ride by himself, but he had wanted us to help him anyway.  We were happy to oblige.  It was amazing to watch him when the chain would come off (it's too loose and falls off nearly every time someone rides it), he would sit down & patiently put it back on, knowing exactly what to do.  

After "cycle" we shot basketball by having a shooting contest (winner: Mengistu).  But, we all took turns and had a blast.  While we were shooting I noticed Tyson had run inside.  As I began asking where he went Mengistu said, "He gets to go to lunch with us and he went inside to change." Apparently, Tyson had heard Mengistu asking about us taking him out and before we knew it, he had gone to change clothes. WHAT?!?! Mark and I literally jumped up and down!  So, when Tyson came out wearing his little denim shorts, a blue shirt, and a red jacket, you could tell by his strut he was ready to go!  

He walked straight to the van and hopped in.  I wasn't far behind.  I kept thinking, "Let's get out of here before someone changes their mind about him leaving with us today."  The other children at the orphanage kept asking, "Are you bringing him back after lunch?'  Of course we answered, "yes," but I loved their concern for him.  

Initially he sat between me and Mark on the first row of the van.  But, we could tell he really wanted to be able to see out.  So, I picked him up and sat him on my lap by the window and he hardly moved a muscle.  He just watched and watched, trying to take it all in.  We finally arrived a Sishu (amazing burgers and fries!!!!).  As we walked in,  Tyson was just looking around. Mengistu asked if he had ever been in a restaurant.  He said, "Once.  On a holiday."  So, we are assuming the orphanage took him out for a holiday at one point.  One of our concerns was how he would do in public... we weren't sure if he would run away from us (common among adopted kids who are newly with family).  But, today, he stayed right with us.  He always wants to be touching one of us.  So, we held hands a lot.  I'm not complaining. It WAS however, his first burger and fries.  HE LOVED IT.  And he is desperate to do what we do.  He saw Regan eat her fries with a fork (um, I don't know WHO taught her that.  Fries are for fingers, but anyway...).  So, he began eating his with a fork.  Then, he saw her cut her burger with a fork and knife (because she doesn't eat a bun).  Then, he, of course, tried to cut his burger the same way.  Just before we left, Brycen grabbed a piece of lettuce that had fallen off of his burger and ate it.  Tyson picked up the lettuce off his burger and he ate a small piece and gave Brycen and me the rest to eat.  Part of living in an orphanage is learning to share. While we ate, Mengistu taught us several Amharic words that we were curious to know how to say.  This will hopefully aide in our transition time.  Near the end of the meal, Tyson had already finished his Miranda (think orange Fanta.  SO popular here and very good), but he was still thirsty.  So, he took Regan's water bottle, opened it, poured himself a little water into his cup and took the rest and poured  a lot of it into her cup.  It was so sweet to watch.  We asked him if he liked his food, as is common in Ethiopia, he raised his eye brows indicating, "yes."  He ate all of his french fries (there were a lot of them) and almost all of his burger. As we finished eating, Mengistu said, "Do you all want to go out for coffee or ice cream?"  And, you know what we said!  A resounding, "YES!"  First restaurant experience:  HUGE SUCCESS. Getting to keep him out longer: DREAM.

As we hopped back into the van, Tyson jumped into the back to sit by the window with Brycen.  He was smiling the entire time.  We finally arrived to Kaldi's, a coffee shop that is popular in Ethiopian, with many locations around Addis Ababa.  Think Starbucks, except they also sell ice cream and milkshakes.  I ordered a caramel macchiato (and it was delicious), Mark and Mengistu each had a coffee American, Brycen went for a bottle of water, Regan had chocolate ice cream (in a cup, of course), and Tyson wanted "chai" (tea).  Our orders arrived (at Kaldi, if you sit upstairs, they take your order at your table and bring it to you), and when Ty saw Regan's ice cream, he asked if he could try.  She spoon-fed him (his first ice cream) and we were all expecting him to not like it due to it being cold (he's never had ice or anything cold due to no refrigeration).  The only thing bigger than his eyes was his smile.  Oh my goodness.  He loved it.  So, we ordered him a scoop of chocolate ice cream.  He drank his chai and ate his ice cream and we warned his nannie about all his food consumption, in case it all backfires on his stomach later! As we were leaving Kaldi, Ty spontaneously grabbed Regan's hand walking out.  This was an important first for us... something Mark and I have been praying about the last few days.  It's always so natural and "easy" for the boys to connect because of ball and playing similar games.  Sometimes it's harder for a sister to find a common denominator to connect on with a brother.  She beamed and I cried.  He continued to hold her hand as we walked into another mall (attached to Kaldi's).  She kept looking back at me saying, "I just love him, Mom."  Again, being in this mall (he hadn't been with us this morning when we were at the first one) taught us a lot about his personality.  He didn't go anywhere without one of us.  He held our hands and obeyed our first request.  We know there are going to be challenges and issues.  We also know, this first step is a blessing and we don't want to discount it.  Leaving the mall I stood back, looked over at all of us and nearly had a meltdown right now.  THIS IS REALLY HAPPENING.  Sometimes I kiss his head and still find it surreal.  We are really together and never have to go another day without seeing each other.  For this momma, it gets me emotional every. single. time.

As we headed back to the orphanage, Tyson sat with Brycen again, but I loved hearing Regan in the backseat telling us how many unsolicited kisses she had gotten from him (2 to be exact) while sitting at Kaldi's.  WHICH REMINDS ME... She taught him about SnapChat filters while we were there. HILARIOUS. She would put a filter on them that was, say, a dog for instance.  Tyson would look at my phone screen and then touch his head to feel if he had actually grown dog ears.  HE LOVED IT and kept laughing.  Leave it to good ol' SnapChat to overcome the language barrier!  

We arrived back at the orphanage and it was raining, so we went inside.  The children were all gathered in the living room watching "Britain's Got Talent."  We all chuckled a bit at the whole scene, but the kids were enjoying it immensely.  Tyson took off his shoes before entering the living room (which, by the way, he is very disciplined!) and plopped down in the very front to join in on the fun.  It was fun to see how the other children made room for him front and center.  I am not sure if that is because of his eyes  (so he could see the screen better) or because of their love for him (or both), but it did my heart good to see.  We decided to join them, so we sat down in the back.  Right when we arrived, Ty's nannie came in carrying a baby (a small baby).  I jumped at the chance to GET THAT BABY IN MY ARMS.  So, I sat down and held, and kissed, and prayed over the sweetest little bundle you have ever seen.  I am believing Jesus to have BIG plans for him/her (I have no idea if it was a boy or a girl).  After a while, we decided to go (Tyson needed nap time after all that food!).  So, as I told him good-bye in the living room, I noticed Mark had already walked out.  So, Tyson grabbed my hand so he could walk us out (that's a big deal to him).  When I went to exit the back door, I still had baby in tow, but I saw Mark talking to Tyson's nannie with Mengistu.  As I got closer, I heard Mark say, "Please tell her how thankful we are for her.  We have prayed for 6 years that whoever was taking care of our child would have strength and have a good day."  She seemed thankful to hear that and we continued to ask her questions about Tyson and his schedule, his personality, his sleeping habits, etc.  She told us (through Mengistu), "He is my favorite boy.  He is always kind, respectful, and obedient to everyone.  If he has an issue with someone or something, he just comes to tell me.  He is gentle and kind."  The next words literally made me cry.  She said, "He has small body (stature), but his mind is tall."  She explained that he is very disciplined and once he is told what to do, he does it.  He takes good care of the house and is very responsible by helping to turn the TV on and off each day, organizing the shoes at night, etc.  We figured out (remember his liking to keep his hands clean?) he is tidy and wants things orderly.  This might present a problem sharing a room with his brothers Corbin, but we will work it out!  His nannie gave me the distinct privilege of having my picture made with her.  I will cherish it forever... she is likely the first "mom" he will remember and her impact on him has been profound.  I would post the photo, but a cute little Ethiopian boy named Tyson is loved up right between us!  Just wait... on Tuesday, it's all yours to see.  I hugged her (hard), told her thank you again, and as we left, Mark kissed her hand.  Our hearts pray she knows how we feel, a gratitude human words can't express.  It was my first time to cry (and let tears actually FALL) in front of Tyson. The nannie told Mengistu, "They are lucky to be getting him." But, hearing her kind words (he was hearing them, too), made me just so humbled and grateful that God picked us to be his parents.  I know that 5 year olds aren't just kind, respectful, and obedient on their own.  His nannie has paved the road well for us and I feel forever indebted to her for her selfless love toward him.  

As we headed back to the guesthouse, my heart had taken all it could and the tears just fell.  Mengistu was so sweet to say, "It's ok.  All mom's cry."  Brycen and Regan agreed, reminded of all the days along the way that they saw me cry, knowing it was about adoption.  It literally got to the point at times they would see me silently crying and say, "adoption?"  just knowing.  To sit beside that sweet boy in a van today, beside him in a restaurant, and to hug and kiss him and tell him I couldn't wait to see him tomorrow... it's just a heart full of happy tears.  I feel like God is literally fleshing out beauty from ashes right before our eyes.  I don't want to miss His grace, His mercy, His love, His redemption story that is happening RIGHT HERE in front of us.  

He is allowing us so many new opportunities and glimpses of grace.  So many chances for FIRSTS.  

From a Momma who didn't get to hear Tyson's first word, see his first step, or feed him his first food, I am undone with gratitude that He is giving us the gift of so many FIRSTS.

I will update tomorrow.  Hugs from Addis Ababa!

Until he's home,

Carrie

Nickname

I am all curled up getting ready for bed thinking back over our day.  We have been on a roll of really great, fun experiences.  We woke this morning and ate breakfast at the guesthouse.  While eating, a gentleman staying here came in and began asking us about why we were here.  He and his wife are in year 5 of their adoption.  He came to advocate for their son and to fight to try to get necessary approvals that have been LONG delayed.  It was a sober start to the day, just reminding me of the weight of the wait.  There is nothing that can prepare a family for this process.  But, we were encouraged by their commitment to not stop fighting. And we are committed to praying for them while they continue to face opposition.
 After breakfast, we loaded up in the van with Mengistu and went about an hour away to tour a small museum, church, and home of Ethiopia's first king.  We learned a lot of history about the country and its relations with other nations.  It was up on top of a mountain and, therefore, at a higher elevation (Addis Ababa is 7,000 feet above sea level).  The 10,000 feet above sea level tour was a much cooler climate and gave us pristine views overlooking Addis Ababa.  The road up was winding and the traffic in town had been stop and go.  Regan got car sick once on the way up, but after we got out of the car for a few minutes, she perked up and didn't have any problems the rest of the day.
We had plans to go shopping for soccer jerseys (for the boys) and traditional dresses (for Regan and me).  But, traffic made our tour trip take longer than expected.  So, we ate lunch at a really great restaurant so we could head on over to visit Tyson.  Regan and I had tilapia, rice, and vegetables while Brycen had chicken in a gravy sauce with veggies and Mark had a steak with rice.  And, Regan had her heart set on french fries (called "chips" here) so we ordered a side of those to share.  The restaurant was called "Lucy's" and if anyone is visiting Ethiopia, it would be worth a stop... and it's close to the US Embassy!
After lunch we went straight to the orphanage because WE DID NOT WANT TO BE LATE (duh).  On the hour long trip back to see Tyson, we discussed with Mengistu about changing Tyson's name from his Ethiopian name to Tyson.  We were so encouraged by his telling us that he thinks that is a good idea. For us, the primary reason for changing his name is because in English, his Ethiopian name does not translate well.  Secondly, because our biological kids names all end in "n," we did not want him to feel more different by having a name that didn't end in "n."  Thirdly, many times when someone in scripture had a profound life-changing event, God changed his/her name (Paul to Saul, Sarai to Sarah, Abram to Abraham, etc).  It is a very biblical concept and one we want to navigate  well. This topic brought up Tyson's nickname at the orphanage.  His nickname is Akuye (pronounced Ah-ku-yay).  Mengistu told us this is a term of endearment and evidence that he is loved.  He said, "No one calls him [Ethiopian name] except in formal settings like school.  Everyone calls him Akuye."  This was just so tender to me on so many levels.  One of our prayers for 6 years has been that our child would be socially protected and in a place where he felt loved.  None of the other kids (that we know of) have a nickname.  It was also tender to me because, as many of you know, Tyson has an eye condition called congenital bilateral horizontal nystagmus.  Basically, this means his eyeballs move horizontally/jump all the time. It's a condition he was born with (he has had clear MRI's to rule out brain trauma/tumors).  To know that his nickname was one of love and his being well-liked made me so grateful.  In an environment where the kids aren't always nice, I know he could've been made fun of or laughed at.  Instead, he's Akuye and he's loved.
We finally arrived at the orphanage and Regan was greeted with the first hug today.  She smiled from ear-to-ear.  We immediately began playing soccer and were quickly interrupted by one of the children and a water gun.  Thirty kids.  One water gun.  You do the math.  It was a mad house.  All the children wanted to shoot all the other children with water, including Tyson.  He shot all of us about 100 times with water and laughed and laughed.  Then, he began using the soccer ball as a basketball and went to Mark and said, "Dad, up!" pointing to the goal.  So, Mark picked him up and he was able to give us a slam dunk, just giddy with giggles the entire time.  Of course we all stood back clapping saying, "gobez" which means "good job" in Amharic like he had just won the National Championship.  And then he did it about 42 more times.  We kept saying, "Gobez! Gobez!" As we finished up basketball, we asked him if he preferred being called by his Ethiopian name or Akuye.  He didn't hesitate, "Akuye."  DONE.
Regan just told me, as I am typing,  that when she was playing with him and said, "I love you," he immediately responded to her with "I love you."  These are the things that prayers are made of.  Asking God for years to help Tyson to sense he is loved  and to know it from the very beginning. There were a couple of times he did not do what we asked and he would come over and say, "sorry."  I melted and gladly accepted his apology.  Brycen and Regan have now made friends with the older children at the orphanage.  It brought me such joy to see some of the younger kids run to them immediately for hugs and for the older kids to come out to play ball with them.  Regan and some of the girls turned the soccer ball into a volleyball and Brycen played soccer and played chase with the water gun and everyone had fun.  We did more sidewalk chalk.  It was hilarious... Tyson drew a person and then said, "That is me."  Then, we asked him to draw Mark. He said, "ok." and then he drew a person with short spikey hair.  Pretty much he IS a genius.  One of the older girls (she's 12) has her family coming to see her for the first time next Tuesday.  I have been in contact with her family and she couldn't wait to show me her family photo book that her family made for her about them.  We looked over each page and she just beamed.  Then, Tyson looked at me and said, "I will show you my photo album."  We acted like we hadn't see it before...even though we made it for him last year and we looked at it together Wednesday.  Just then it began to sprinkle so we sat on the porch and looked through his book.  IT WAS SO SWEET.  He pointed to the picture of the front of our house and said, "My house."  Then, he turned the page and pointed to each of us, saying our names.  Mark got it on video.  It will forever be etched in my mind because of all the days, weeks, and months we so longed for him to know us.  To see him now, knowing our names and showing us affection, it is still surreal in many ways.  We were able to ask him what he is most excited about coming to America.  He said, "playing with matchbox cars and swimming."  MatchBox cars.  We just burst out laughing.  We told him we had him some cars he could play with once he comes back here on Tuesday.  He seemed really happy about that!
The smallest details are coming out as we watch him play and see his patterns emerge.  He does not like his hands to be dirty, so anytime they have chalk on them at all, he goes to the outdoor water station and washes his hands as quickly as possible.  Today I went with him to wash his hands and while we were there he said, "Mom" and pointed for me to put my hands under the water.  Then, he washed my hands for me.  I think I will just take him home and keep him forever!
Right about the time we were leaving it was time for his dinner.  As we were going he said to Mengistu, "I get to go with them Tuesday?" Mengistu said, "Yes." Tyson replied, "I prefer going with them today."  WE PREFER THAT TOO, AKUYE, WE PREFER THAT, TOO!

We assured him we would return tomorrow.  I already can't wait.  Another day awaits with our sweet

AKUYE.

until he's home,
carrie

Don't Be Late

Good Friday morning from Addis Ababa!  I am up early (6:30am) while everyone else continues to sleep. I am watching the city come to life this morning.  It looks like another start to another beautiful day. I am sorry for no blog post yesterday....here's the real deal, at 11pm I sat down to do it and the computer was at 5% and all the adapters were in use for charging.  So, here we go this morning.  I hope you all are settling in to a nice night's rest on the other side of the globe.

Just when we didn't think our hearts could swell anymore, they did.  Yesterday started out slow, which was perfect since we were all waking up from our first night's sleep in a few days.  After breakfast and quiet times, the boys threw a football outside, Regan and I stayed in to read (she did school work), and post lunch, we watched "Beauty and the Beast"together.  It was a perfect lazy day in pajama pants!  Seemed to be just what we needed coming off such crazy sleep schedules.

Around lunch we started checking our watches more often, counting down the hours until we could go visit Tyson again.  After an hour long nap from 2:15-3:15pm, we all began getting ready for the evening.  The plan was for Mengistu to pick us up at 5:30pm, take us to the orphanage for 30 minutes, and then go to dinner.  So, that's what we did.  We arrived at the orphanage around 6pm and no children were playing outside.  We had come just as dinner was starting.  We hopped out of the van, hoping to see the routine of dinner.  As we got closer to the building, we spotted Tyson waiting for us at the front window.  I mean....day made.  As we meandered through the children in the kitchen to get to his room, we spoke to the other children and gave high-fives.  When we walked into the room where he was, his nannie wanted us to know he had been asking where we were since he had gotten home from school at 3:30pm.  When he saw us walk in, he ran to us, giving each of us hugs.  But, Brycen was carrying a new green soccer ball, so before we knew it, Tyson grabbed the closest shoes to  him (which happened to be pink flip flops), took Brycen by the hand, and off we went.  We went outside and kicked the ball around, asking him about his day and what he learned at school.  He pointed to his eye and said, "eye," then "ear," then "teeth," and so on.  He had learned body parts yesterday and knew them all perfectly (even "tongue!").  Next, we gave him sidewalk chalk.  He and Regan drew moons together (after I drew a sun that he copied) and just when I thought he was going to write his Ethiopian name, I realized he was writing his alphabet!  We were all saying the letters with him as he wrote them on the ground in rainbow sidewalk chalk.  If he needed help on a letter, Regan was sitting, waiting to show him.  Turns out he only needed help with K, Q, U, V, and W.  It was so cute, when he got to "W" he drew an "m" and then motioned in a circle as if to indicate it needed to be upside down!  Smart boy.  When he had finished the alphabet, numbers, flowers, etc he stood up and walked across his masterpieces saying, "I did all of this." Then, he pointed at Mengistu and said, "You did not do anything."  We all laughed.  We wrote the names of each member of our family and then he wrote his numbers 0-12.  He continued to ask about Corbin and Hudson.  I know it may not sound like a big deal, but (here come the tears) we have specifically prayed for God to knit our hearts together in a profound way for years.  We have simply asked Him to unite us in a supernatural way.  So, for us to hear Tyson ask about his brothers and tell Mengistu he is excited to meet them, I couldn't help but thank God for His faithfulness to bond these boys before they've even met!
After getting dirty with sidewalk chalk, we played chase around the vans.  We got to hear the biggest, most genuine laughs you've ever heard.  We would take off toward him to try to catch him and when he slowed just enough, wanting us to catch him, he would just laugh and laugh.  We taught him about taking silly face photos.  So, we each did silly selfies with him.  It was fun to see the playfulness in him.  We showed him once and off he went.... blowing up his cheeks, sticking out his tongue, opening his arms wide with crazy faces.  Such special memories.
After selfies and silly faces, we were just playing around and because all the other children were inside eating, we were able to ask Tyson a few questions to try to get to know him.  Some of the questions I will keep private, but I would like to share a few.  His personality is so fun.  We asked about his favorite foods (turns out he loves carbs... potatoes, rice, and macaroni ranked among the favorites).  Doubt he's ever had mac 'n' cheese, but we can remedy that!  We asked about his favorite color (red...so this might be a good color to wear if you come to the airport!) and about what he's afraid of (not a fan of big dogs, which is common among Africans).  Then, we asked if he'd ever been swimming.  He said, "I would like to go swimming if there is ground and no water or I would go under and die."  We all laughed and told him his grandparents have a pool and next summer, we will go swimming.  We assured him we would stay with him and keep him safe.  Then, he showed us how he would dive into the pool.  Turned out to be a front handspring, that was actually very good, but he didn't quite stick the landing.  He is a funny boy!  He delighted us by singing "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" in English and then he told us his favorite TV show to watch is "Scooby Doo."  Again, it's the smallest things that make us know God is in the details. Scooby Doo is our little boys FAVORITE.  They are going to be a handful awesome together.  We learned a lot more about him (he's ticklish!) and so loved hearing and seeing how happy he was to see us. Perhaps the part I loved most (it's so hard to even pick one thing) was when Mark was holding him and we were asking him questions.  We inquired about his feelings regarding leaving the orphanage and his friends and how he felt about coming to America.  After he answered, we told him, "we will be your parents forever and we will love you forever."  Mengistu told him what he said and smiled SO big, leaned in and gave Mark the biggest hug.  It's forever etched in my mind.  I've longed to tell him that since we first saw his face on April 20, 2015.
It was much harder to leave him this time.  It was obvious he didn't want us to leave.  He kept hanging onto all of us, constantly wanting one of us touching him.  We are grateful of how welcoming he already is to our hugs and kisses.  But oh the surprise when we were wrapping things up and as he came to me, Mark said, "give Mommy hugs and kisses" (I had forgotten Mark said that and thought it was all spontaneous, but it was still THE SWEETEST THING EVER) when he leaned it and gave me the biggest hug and kiss.  It was the first time I squeezed him and literally thought, "I'm never letting go."  It was just so sincere to feel how tightly he hugged each of us and for the longest time!
We assured him we would be back tomorrow (which is today) and that's when he looked at Mengistu and said, "Tomorrow when you come, do not be late.  Today you were late."  We laughed our heads off.  We told him good night and waved good-bye.  And I wanted to go curl up in a corner with him and stay forever.
It's an odd thing, this whole emotional process, that is.  I have tried to sit and think about the days of significance and what each means.  When we have biological kids, the day you meet them is the day they are born to you and it's their birthday.  With adoption, the day you meet for the first time is SO important and special, as is your "gotcha day" (the day the child is legally yours.  For us, this will be next Tuesday), and then there is the child's birthday.  Three different, important, special days.  Then, you have days like today where you know you are making progress in bonding.  These days aren't sacred and holy because of the circumstances.  They are sacred and holy because we know (WITHOUT A DOUBT) God is standing on this soil in these days with us.  We just couldn't be more grateful.
After visiting Ty, we went to a traditional Ethiopian restaurant.  We took several pictures (if you follow me on Instagram, you already saw them).  I will upload pictures to the blog next week (hopefully).  One of the differences from American restaurant is that they wash your hands at the table.  Someone walks to your table with soap and a large metal basin and pitcher.  He squirts soap in your hand (one person at a time), and while you wash your hands, he pours warm water over them.  Then, he moves on to the next person.  This is very important in Ethiopia because all of the food is eaten with your hands (no utensils).  So keeping your eating hand (most just use one hand) clean is top priority.  The food was delicious, though Regan had a harder time finding something she loved (thank you, large piece of chicken, for saving the day!).  She was THE best sport, trying it all and even liking one or two things.  The food is traditionally served on a flat, spongy bread called injera.  It is made of Teff flour, so it is totally fine for all of us to eat.  Then, the main dish is poured on top of the injera.  You tear the injera and grab the main dish(es) with the injera and eat it.  We had what is essentially a sampler platter.  Mark and Brycen were brave enough to eat the cow esophagus.  Regan and I discussed it and felt like one esophagus was enough and we were happy with the one we were born with.  So, we politely declined, but Mark really liked it and ate it all.
As we ate, there was singing and dancing on the stage.  Traditional Ethiopian instruments graced the stage and every other song represented one of Ethiopia's 86 tribes.  So, each dance/song was sung in that native language, wearing the native clothing, all while performing the native dancing.  It was beautiful and educational!  It was very upbeat and VERY FUN.  Mark, Brycen, and Mengistu also enjoyed a traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony at our table. Heaven knows I wanted to, but at 10pm, all that buna (coffee) would've kept me up ALL NIGHT (turns out I was up until 1:45am anyway, but who knew?).  Brycen drank the strong coffee like a champ!  We left the restaurant around 9:15pm.  After arriving back at the guesthouse, we were able to FaceTime with Corbin and Hudson for a few minutes.  They were happy and having an after school snack (THANK YOU, NINA, FOR PICKING THEM UP EVERY DAY).  This time change is so crazy!  We were heading to bed and they were just getting home from school! They loved hearing about how Tyson asks for them.  And, they laughed and laughed when we told them about him loving Scooby Doo.
The plan for today is to leave around 10:30am (3:30am for you) and go to a church museum, eat lunch, and then do some shopping in the market (Regan has her heart set on a traditional Ethiopian dress and I die thinking about how beautiful she will be in it), and then go to visit Tyson.
We will arrive to see him earlier today because he left us with one instruction:

DON'T BE LATE!

Chat soon!
until he's home,
Carrie

More From Day 1

This post won't be as long as yesterday (I don't think).  Truth is, there were things I forgot to share on the previous post.  I am blaming it on jet-lag.  As Mark and I both woke up at 3am WIDE AWAKE (again..jet-lag) we talked about the day again and then decided to FaceTime my parents and Maygen & Josh since it was only 8pm for them.  We were giddy and silly from being so tired.  Any way...

I am basing this post off of questions we keep getting from some you.

First, Brycen and Regan are doing AWESOME.  We have always known Regan requires more sleep than the rest of us (combined).  Which isn't a bad thing, just something to consider when we know she isn't going to have regular sleep for a few days.  So, Monday night we all went to bed late and had to wake at 3:30am in order to get to the airport on time.  Then, we spent the next twenty hours flying.  None of us got enough sleep on the flights to really count (except Brycen).  Then, in order to try to get on Ethiopian time, we only took catnaps yesterday (one hour from 10:30am-11:30 am).  So, by the time we got to the orphanage yesterday afternoon, Regan was just tired.  Her tired means really quiet.  We had conversations with Brycen and Regan just prior to going to the orphanage yesterday.  We asked about how they were feeling, what they were excited about, nervous about, etc.  It was a fun conversation to hear their perspectives, but their answers I will keep private.  They both had a great, realistic perspective and ones we valued greatly.
Upon arrival at the orphanage, both of them were videoing our first meeting.  They both grew teary eyed as he came to us and especially when he knew their names without our prompting.  Brycen immediately became a jungle gym for all the kids and Regan became the photographer (eyes on you Sarah McAffry).  Both of them dropped their backpacks when Tyson started kicking around a soccer ball.  We all jumped in to a family game of kicking the ball around.  The big kids were champs when Tyson wanted to cover them in stickers and when he wanted to show them something.  He would look for them and then yell, "Brycen, come!" or "Regan, come!" Both of them were great and continue to talk about different things he said or did.
Next, I have had several of you want to know what we said to him first.  When he first came to us, we just hugged him (fighting back big tears).  We both squatted down to look at him and asked about his day.  Then, we each picked him up for another hug and kisses.  I don't know what Mark said, but I whispered, "I am your mommy and I will love you forever." I know he didn't understand it all (though he does know "I love you").  Prior to our leaving, Mark picked him up and looked at me and said, "sandwich."  At our house this means Dad on one cheek, Mom on the other, giving fast kisses on each cheek at the same time.  We gave him his first sandwich and he took it like a pro.  Like a McKeehan!
Lastly, I forgot to share with you that all the children at the orphanage call Tyson by a nickname.  I have no idea how to spell it, but we have it on video. Mengistu and Meselu explained that the name doesn't have a meaning, but rather it's just a term of affection.  They told us it means he is well-loved and liked by his  peers.  We loved that!  And, I think I will, on occasion, keep calling him by that nickname if he likes it.
The kids slept like logs (except for our FaceTime adventures waking Regan by accident at 3am for a little bit).  Everyone seems much more energetic and "rested" today.  We are having fun in our guesthouse just hanging out.  The kids are doing school work while we write and read.  But, there are plans for football throwing, movie watching, and game playing before we head off to see Tyson tonight and enjoy traditional Ethiopian food for dinner.

I will try to post again tonight or tomorrow.  Love from us to you!

Until he's home,
Carrie

Immeasurably More

I have been sitting here watching a flashing cursor for five solid minutes.  Yesterday Mark and I were chatting about how we were feeling about being in the air heading to Ethiopia.  During the conversation I said, "Many events that are life changing come without warning and happen so fast. Some are good, some are bad.  But, sometimes you have no time to prepare for something life altering.  There are only a few days in one's life that you know in advance will forever change your life.... the day your babies are born, your wedding day, and on occasion the start of a new job.  When we get off this airplane, we KNOW our lives will never be the same."  It's a profound thought.  One I have given so much thought to over the past week.  Stepping into something so much bigger than us forces us to rely on Holy Spirit to do the work and prepare the way.  We can see it coming, but we have no idea the intricate details of how each step will look, how long each will take, how Tyson would respond to us, if he would be welcoming of us, etc.  We knew/know God knows.  And, like nothing I have experienced before, God did something profound today.

Immeasurably more.  That's what He did because that's Who He is.

We landed in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia right on scheduled time (7:04am local time, midnight last night for you EST folks).  Things went seamlessly really from flights to transportation to the guesthouse to the accommodations at the house.  All the things we had discussed as "what ifs" seemed to melt away the closer we got and the more before us we realized He was.  When we arrived at the airport and met up with the Bethany employee who is hosting us (he is awesome), he mentioned to us in the van ride from the airport to the guesthouse, that Tyson (we call him by his Ethiopian name here) knew about us and that he was very excited to meet us today.  Our ears perked up.  TODAY.  We looked at each other with tears and batted them away so we wouldn't miss any details.  We were told the plan was for us to go to visit Tyson at 3:30pm (8:30am for you) to give us time to rest and him time to get back from school.  Sounded like a great plan to us!

We quickly settled into our suite at the guesthouse (as quickly as 4 people can unpack 12 suitcases.  We added one last minute to accommodate the kids' school books).  Then, we decided to just take an hour long nap or we would never get on the right schedule (we are exhausted!).  Mark, Brycen, and Regan were fast asleep in 5 minutes.  I couldn't go to sleep, but I did rest.  The minutes were ticking away and after the one hour of rest, we ate lunch, played a few games, and began getting ready.  I have to say, I was excited and a bit anxious... just unsure of what to expect.  But, I remained remarkably at peace.  We kept looking at each other saying, "Can you believe we are here doing this?"  There have been countless times the past 6 years where we just kept saying, "How do you think you'll feel when...." or "Can you imagine what it will be like when..." AND HERE WE WERE.  DOING THOSE VERY THINGS we had dreamt about.  There was a knock on the door a few minutes until 3pm and we were told our ride was here.  So, we headed downstairs and got in the van.  The same Bethany employee (Mengistu) accompanied us and we went to pick up Tyson's social worker so she could join us.  She is the one who told him about us earlier this week.  When she got into the van, we quickly made "official" introductions, though we felt like we already knew each other.  We asked about his reaction to seeing our pictures and finding out he had a family.  She smiled big and said, "He was excited and just looked up at me with a big smile and said, 'when?' "  We were grateful to hear he was excited to meet us and that he was expecting us.  As we neared the orphanage Mark and I kept making eye contact like, "can you believe this?"  And then we saw the orphanage.  As the gate opened, I started videoing.  I didn't want to miss one single detail.
As the van doors opened we could hear the other children yelling Tyson's Ethiopian name, but we couldn't understand the rest.  The social worker told us they were yelling his name and saying, "Your family is here!"  We stood outside with the other children for  a few minutes (felt like forever). Then, Brycen said, "here he comes".  I am typing with tears streaming.... I turned to look beside a van that was parked and when he saw us he got the biggest smile, sped up, hugged each of us, saying, "Mom" and "Dad."  We knew right away he was made for us.  Many children, understandably, are timid, quiet, and often cry during the first meeting.  It is overwhelming for grown adults.... can you imagine for a 5 or 6 or 7 year old?  He immediately called Brycen and Regan by name (which astounded us) and gives us confirmation he has been staring at our family picture book for two straight days.  Then, he asked us where Corbin and Hudson were (by name!).  We explained to him they were in America, but they would be living with us once we left Ethiopia.  He was happy with that answer, grabbed my hand and said, "Mom, come!"  He wanted to show us how he climbed the jungle gym and rode a bike and a scooter.  We all kicked around a soccer ball for a long time and had the best time.  During soccer he fell and skinned his knee (and we swarmed him like he was in cardiac arrest).  He sat beside me on the cinderblock wall while the nannies went to get bandaids.  The whole time we sat there, he had his hand on my leg and didn't want any of the other children to touch him or me.  Just a Momma and her boy with a boo-boo.  What can I say?
After the fall, we colored. Just so happened the coloring book I took had stickers in it (which I hadn't really noticed).  But, that one page of stickers became quite the highlight.  We all had stickers on our faces, knees, shirts AND WE LOVED IT.  He kept like 6 stickers on his face most of the visit.  I wouldn't have had it any other way.  It was sweet to watch him share, making sure all the other children had stickers, too.  We took selfies and laughed at each other.

All of that was more than enough.  It had exceeded all our expectations given all we had heard. But, God did

immeasurably more.

Because that's Who He is.

We had discussed with our host that it was almost time for us to leave. So, I asked him if he would ask Tyson if he had something he wanted to say to us or a question to ask before we left for the day.  So, he asked Tyson.....and Ty looked down, thinking, and then replied, "Thank you and I love you."

and I died.

We had heard it a million times from others on the other side of this journey: he will be worth the wait.  In my heart I really, really hoped so.  But, we had gone down some DARK roads and seasons.  And, in an instant, every tear, valley, fight, battle, fear, delay, and problem became insignificant.  All of them led us to him, in this season, on this day and it was perfect.  He is worth it.
Tyson kept asking us when we were coming back (answer: tomorrow).  We will visit him every day until court on Tuesday.  Then, after court we will have a good-bye ceremony at the orphanage and then WE WILL LEAVE WITH HIM.  Crying again.  So, through the interpreter, he was told we would visit him after school the rest of the week and then we would come over again on the weekend, too.  He was so cute telling the host to make sure we knew he did NOT have school on Saturday or Sunday so we could come earlier in the day (can somebody just tell me: HOW CUTE IS THAT?)
Leaving the orphanage wasn't as hard as I had expected, though we wish we could have him with us RIGHT NOW.  But, he was so happy and excited about our visit tomorrow, it made it ok.  He let me nearly kiss his face off and then we left.  He waved with a big smile on his face as we drove out of the gate.  It felt perfect.  As we pulled away, Mark and I were both tearful because it had been so awesome and could've been so hard.  We couldn't help but recognize the power of prayer.  We know so many of you were praying for us right then.. we literally pulled into the orphanage at 3:32pm (8:32am for you).  We are thankful for those prayers and thankful for a God who exceeded every single expectation we had, our God who does

immeasurably more.

We are exhausted, as we had 5 hours of sleep Monday night and none of us slept much on the plane (Brycen with the most sleep at 2 hours and the window seat... go figure), but we have a restful day on the agenda for tomorrow.  We have plans to go visit Tyson again around 6pm just before we go to a traditional Ethiopian dinner and dancing!  The week is shaping up to look fairly busy, but all fun stuff! We are excited to experience it all.  When we can share face pictures and his name we will gladly do that (Tuesday after court).  Feel free to follow along at my instagram page or Mark's Facebook page.  Twitter isn't loading here, but we will update the others when we have wifi and time.

I just can't adequately express with mere human words how forever grateful we are for all of you who have stuck it out with us.  Through thick and thin.  Highs and lows.  Delays and successes.  Hard days and happy days.  You have been the hands and feet of Jesus to us for six SOLID years.  ROCK SOLID.  We know one of the ways God loves us and makes Himself known is by how we love each other.  To a watching world you have LOVED US WELL.  And, you've not only made God believable, but you've made Him to be the God who is capable of

immeasurably more.

humbled. grateful. hearts full to overflowing.  THANK YOU.

until he's home,

Carrie

AFRICA BOUND

I can't even tell you how many times I have dreamt of what I would type on this post.  Suffice it to say I wish I had a dollar for every time I've thought about it. And, now that it's here, I feel a wee bit hurried (understatement) because WE ARE LEAVING IN THREE DAYS.  Federal court in Ethiopia reopened Tuesday, Oct 11.  Our agency was able to submit our paperwork to request a court date.  Thursday, my phone rang around noon and when I saw the call was from Grand Rapids, MI I nearly screamed.  The rest of the day I had a million things to do and all my mind and heart could handle was cleaning out the refrigerator.   I mean... of all the things.  But, in the end, we got the details covered that mattered... Plane tickets bought, details of childcare for the little boys secured (Brycen and Regan are going with us), and made lists upon lists of what had to be done.  We had done as much in advance as we could, but so much can only be done after you have a travel date.
Please note, I did not write "travel dates."  The number one question we get is, "When are you coming home?"  That's a million dollar question!  Prior to court closure, this process was estimated to take around 4 weeks (sometimes more quickly).  That may still be the case, but during the closure, the process for printing birth certificates for adoption cases changed.  We are likely to be one of the very first using this new system.  I will try to explain it as best I understand it... please know these things change often in Ethiopia.  But, in the past, after court a new birth certificate is printed showing the child's new name.  Now, we will keep his original birth certificate and the Kebele (office that does birth certificates) will print an adoption certificate that will go with his birth certificate to show his new name.  The big issue with this is that we have to use the Kebele that has jurisdiction over our case.  This particular Kebele has not yet started printing adoption certificates.  So, our agency has requested for us to have permission to use a different Kebele, though no answer has been given about that.  Should that be declined, our agency has some other plans to get higher government agencies involved due to the fact that this becomes a child welfare issue because the lack of printing the certificates prevents children from having homes.  We don't know when our particular Kebele will begin printing this necessary document or if we will be able to use a separate Kebele.  THIS IS OUR BIGGEST PRAYER REQUEST FOR OUR TRIP.  This is important because after court, the first thing we need is his new birth certificate/adoption certificate in order to be able to get him a visa and passport.  Obviously, both are needed for him to come home.  We are praying we can get home in 5 weeks (or sooner), but know with this new system there are sure to be delays.
Another facet of coming home: THE AIRPORT IN KNOXVILLE.  WE WANT YOU THERE.  As I have written in previous posts, we absolutely want you and your family to feel free to come to the airport to welcome Tyson home.  I will just (really sweetly and kindly) remind you that he has NO CLUE who Tyson McKeehan is.  Once we are able to publicly share his Ethiopian first name, we will do that (after court on the 25th).  So, I will update from Ethiopia ( we will have wifi in our guest house) as to how we are doing and he is doing.  Should we start calling him "Tyson" before we make it home, I will let you know so you will know what name to use should anyone want to make signs (eyes looking at you Kristen Rose).  I will also just remind us all (me included) that we may or may not be able to see everyone individually at the airport.  If it is too overwhelming for him, we will scoop him up and head out the door.  So, we are grateful for your understanding.  Pastor Matt Paradis will be at the airport giving instructions on where to stand... we just want our immediate families (the little boys, grandparents, etc) up by where we will first enter and we want all of you AWESOME PEOPLE just past that closer to the escalators (if you're familiar with our small airport).  We encourage you to come and  make it a night of worship... one where we celebrate the faithfulness of Jesus.  One where you reflect on your own adoption in Christ.  We pray our coming home is a tangible picture of GOD's pursuit of you and the freedom that came to you once you entered a relationship with Him.  At the airport, I will likely be the one in the corner curled up in the fetal position crying.  Or, I might be the one floating on a cloud, arms raised, head looking upward, tears streaming down my face.  HE IS FAITHFUL. Either way, the One we celebrate is JESUS and the one we welcome home is Tyson.

My mind is reeling with things to say, but here's the deal.  Momma has stuff to do.  When your 1st grader has a project due while you are away involving making a 3D Noah's ark, you know what you do with 3 days to go? You build an ark, of course.  And paint it.  (Or help him... but we used hot glue, so it was Momma doing the gluing).  And then there's laundry to catch up, house to clean (because there is NO CLEAN LIKE NESTING CLEAN. Can I get an "amen"?).  I am not sure when my house will get SO clean and decluttered after we are all home and we aren't having or bringing home babies anymore. But, for now, I will use this nesting energy and finish what I started.  Bags are packed... all 11 suitcases and 3 backpacks (his backpack is in a suitcase).  Heart is full (so full it might explode).  Eyes are constantly on the verge of tears (and I was the crazy lady SOBBING MY EYES OUT in the Wal-Mart parking lot this morning.  SO undone with gratitude that He made a way for us to do this).
We are continually grateful for your prayers for safe travel, for the Kebele to begin processing adoption certificates, and for Tyson's transition to be seamless.  We will post pictures as soon as we can!  Feel free to follow me on Instagram and Twitter (@carriemckeehan).  Or, unfollow me if you don't want PICTURE CUTENESS OVERLOAD for the next month.

Singing praises.  So grateful for your prayers, love, and support (from helping with kids to cooking meals to watching the house to getting our mail to cleaning our house to helping financially to letting me cry for the past 6 years at random times to restocking our pantry after we return to words of encouragement, etc.  THE LIST IS LONG).  We literally wouldn't be here, doing this, without you.  Undone.

I look forward to our next post... I will have a little sidekick helping with that one!

Until he's home,
Carrie

HE WILL DO IT

Good grief.  I don't even know where to start.  For many of you who live locally I had told you in recent months that when we received our positive recommendation letter from Federal MOWCA you would hear me scream.  Please forgive me for letting you down.  This week wasn't exactly... I don't know... a barrel of laughs.  Last Thursday I started feeling bad, but chalked it all up to allergies and not sleeping well.  Then, on Friday the longer the day went on the worse I felt.  I finally managed to go to the walk-in clinic Friday night (a week ago).  Get this.  I HAD THE FLU.  Who gets the flu when it's 95 degrees outside?  Apparently me (how DUMB is that?).  Anyway, suffice it to say, the flu wasn't making any plans to be a short-term visitor.  Despite my Tamiflu, this crazy fever, cough, aches, and mucous decided to take full advantage of the "5-7 days on average" reputation it has.  So, when Tuesday morning came, I was finally entering the first hours of being fever-free and I FELT LIKE I HAD BEEN HIT BY A MACK TRUCK.  We won't even mention what I looked like.  Moving on... Mark woke as usual that morning and I waved to him from my post on the couch as he headed out the door.  Then, I fell back to sleep with my foggy brain in tow.  It felt like Mark was immediately busting back through the door in a blaze of glory.  I sat up in a sleepy stupor trying to figure out what planet I was on.  Somewhere in all of the startling and smiles, I heard him say, "WE ARE GOING TO ETHIOPIA! Jamie called and we got our letter!"  I REALLY WAS BESIDE MYSELF BUT NO ONE COULD HEAR ME SCREAM (including those in the room with me) BECAUSE I HAVE NO VOICE.  I sat up and repeatedly said, "Are you serious?" but all he could hear (due to the lack of voice) was, "....serious?"  He kept reassuring me that our agency had our POSITIVE RECOMMENDATION LETTER in their hands and they would be filing for a court date Wednesday.  I know all the adoption lingo makes some of you want to curl up in a corner in the fetal position, but for the sake of those who like hearing the process, I will briefly explain how this part works.
Many of you have asked how we could get our letter with court being closed.  The much needed, much prayed over letter comes from the Ministry of Women's and Children's Affairs, a government entity (not an actual "ministry").  Once our agency gets our letter from MOWCA, we have all the necessary documents to file for a court date.  So, MOWCA and the court are two different offices.  Typically, when court is open, court dates are given within 24 hours and usually give you a date about a week later.  This would mean if court had been open Tuesday when our letter was available, we likely would've received our court date on Wednesday for the following Wednesday (this upcoming one). So, during rainy season only the court closes.  This means MOWCA is still reviewing cases and issuing recommendation letters, but families cannot travel until court reopens.  From what we understand someone in court works minimally during court closure just to assign court dates for families, making us have to wait a week, rather than the usual 24 hours to get our court date.  We are hoping to know that date by Wednesday. That court date will likely be late October to early November, but we will travel several days in advance in order to spend time with Tyson at his orphanage and to have an opportunity to travel to meet his birth family.  You know what I can't stop thinking about in regards to our court date?  THAT'S THE DAY HE BECOMES A MCKEEHAN.  We officially walk out of that courthouse a family of 7.  AND THAT IS OUR NEXT STEP....I can't even type those words without crying.  Our next step is hearing the judge declare him ours.  I am just beside myself all over again that God LETS us do this.

As the flu fog (& subsequent cough that makes me sound like I have the plague) have begun to fade and reality of all of this has begun to sink in, I keep coming back to this:

"The One who calls you is faithful, and HE will do it. " 1 Thessalonians 5:24

The One who calls.  That's not me.  That's not an agency.  That's not a government.  The One who calls is the one who is faithful.  None of the people (though they are AWESOME) who have helped us along the way in our agency, or our friends or family (though crazy awesome), or even the government... none of those are the One who calls or the One who is faithful.  HE'S THE ONE WHO DID IT.

I love this promise, one I have believed in faith countless times over the past six years.

HE WILL DO IT.

Sometimes you just have to say it outloud in the enemy's face so he knows you are on to him and you know the truth.  As I have looked back over these words this week, I am continually reminded of all those who still wait.  Goodness gracious.  Some are waiting on their own adoptions (many waiting on the same letter we've been waiting on), some on physical healing, some on marital healing, some on wanting their battle with infertility to be a thing of the past.  If I could pick each of you up and rock you in a rocking chair right now I WOULD.  The weight of the wait is not lost on me (or us).  IT IS HEAVY.  But, the beautiful thing about 1 Thessalonians 5:24 is this:

HE IS FAITHFUL. Period.

He can't NOT be faithful.  And, His faithfulness isn't dependent on if He gives us what we are asking for or not.  Or if He comes through in time (according to our timetables).  He is faithful even if scans and labs don't give us the hopeful news we wanted.  Here's the thing I praised Him for the most this week:  that He gives us any visible, tangible glimpses of His faithfulness is ASTOUNDING.  He doesn't owe us anything.  So, the mere fact that He still chooses to allow us to see His faithfulness IS WORTH CELEBRATING.  But, even if we were still waiting HE IS STILL FAITHFUL.

We have been overwhelmed and undone with gratitude over the sheer volume of texts, cards, hugs, calls, comments, posts, etc I've said it before, but it's true, so I will say it again:  This letter is all of OUR answer to prayer.  For each of you who have prayed and believed God for it, this answer is your answer to prayer.  I pray so much that as we walk out these final days of wait, we will do it with such compassion on those of you still in the waiting tunnel... not sure how much longer you have to go, yet so far in you can't see light in either direction.  I am asking God to somehow renew your hope after this week, but to know we are still with you. When your mountain moves and darkness gives way to light, we will dance with you.  Until then, we are standing with you in prayer and (when possible) in person.  We stand with you believing wholeheartedly that

HE IS FAITHFUL

and

HE WILL DO IT.

Thank you for walking so beautifully with us.  Tuesday night when someone asked what I had been feeling through the day, I responded with, "I have learned again how unbelievable our community is."  This victory is so sweet because you have chosen to come along side us.

Before I hop off of here.... I wanted to answer a few of your questions.

First, I don't even know what we need.  I'm tickled typing it, but it's true.  Because we had packed so well in January, I need to go back through our bags and see what is in there!  I believe we have everything, but if we have needs that arise, I will certainly let you know.  I DO know we may get a list of orphanage needs that we can take to leave at Tyson's orphanage.  When/If I get that list, I will pass it on to you, should any of you want to help.

Secondly, we will likely be in Ethiopia 2.5-3 weeks, but we have to be prepared for longer.  We will do our birth family meeting (which will be a 4 hour, overnight trip), spend time with Tyson at the orphanage, and then a couple days after we arrive we will have our court date.  Once we get the court decree, we can go PICK THAT SWEET THING UP and KEEP HIM FOREVER.  Somebody help me.  I can't even..... Then, after we kiss his face off (kidding.  sort of), we will have lots of other things to do.  We will do education there about Ethiopian culture, hair care, etc.  We will need to apply for his visa, passport, birth certificate (declaring his last name to be MCKEEHAN), and have a visa medical screening.  It doesn't sound like much, but it is a lot of paperwork that is all dependent on each other.  Once we collect all necessary documents, we can apply for an Embassy appointment with the US Embassy.  Once we complete that appointment.... WE COME HOME.

Next, Brycen and Regan will be joining us in Ethiopia.  Corbin and Hudson will be staying home with loving family and friends.  All the kids are aware of the plan and excited about it.  Hudson is particularly excited as his birthday is October 23.  When he first realized we would likely travel in October, he said, "Momma, can you please come back home with Tyson on my birthday so I will always forever know what my best birthday present was?"  And then I died.

Lastly, we will let you know the airport plan when we get closer to that time.  We have a mental plan and would love for you to come!  We will welcome everyone to be there when we get home as long as everyone knows we may not get to see everyone individually.  We sure hope to!  But, we will have to see how Tyson is handling it and if it's too overwhelming for him.  Also, when we can post his Ethiopian name, we will.  Remember, at the airport he won't know who Tyson McKeehan is:)

grateful to my core.

until he's home....
carrie