Our hotel in Ambo was so noisy with traffic and dogs barking, so we did not sleep well. We got up at 5:45 and were at breakfast at 6:30. After breakfast we headed to Lake Wenchi. It was a beautiful and bumpy ride through the mountains. Along the way we handed out bread, bananas and candy to the kids we saw. They were so excited! A few were scared and ran away thinking we were going to steal them, as they do not see many white people. We would see one child and stop our car and within ten seconds, kids would be coming out of no where and would be grabbing the food. The kids were so precious. We saw mostly farm land and they would be plowing the fields with cows and a hand plow. When we arrived at the lake, we were surrounded by kids with horses telling us to get on. It happened very fast so we did not even have time to get our backpacks before we were off on the horses (which were being lead by children) down into the crater lake. It took about 45 minutes to get to almost the lake where we got off the horses. Our guide was still coming behind us and the kids who lead our horses were telling us to pay them, so Tiffany and I did. Later we found out that we only were supposed to tip the kids a small amount. They saw us as tourists they could take advantage of, and we were. 🙂 Oh well, I am sure they could use the money. On the ride down we passed many huts and yards and the little kids would come out and wave and say “hello”. We walked the rest of the way down to the lake where our boat with two men were waiting to take us to the island in the lake where a very old church is built. It was very beautiful and peaceful. The church was built in the 16th century and has since been restored. On the way back up to the view point, we rode horses again and I started feeling really sick and was cramping badly. I barely made it to the restroom which a little boy lead me to and we had to walk a ways. The restroom was a small cement building with no door and a hold in the floor. After I came out of the bathroom the little boy asked for a tip and the boy who lead my horse back was also there asking for a tip. I gave them both a small tip. We then headed back to a resort for lunch. The drive took about an hour and I felt so sick. At the resort we saw a few monkeys. From there it took about two more hours of driving to get back to Addis, and we went straight to the orphanage. We did some shopping in their little shop. We then went to the office and signed the custody papers. They brought Josanna and Eva in. The nanny handed Josanna to Jim and she was ours to keep. It was so overshelming that the last 18 months had finally led up to this. Both Tiffany and I were crying :-). Michelle, our guide, took pictures for us. It was a wonderful special moment. The orphanage gave us a little outfit in a back pack as a gift. They gave us all her medical records. Then we saidour good byes to the orphanage staff and we got in the car with our new daughters. I cried most of the way back to our guest house, I was so happy and overwhelmed. When we got back to our room we gave Josanna her first bottle and then we went down for dinner. I was finally feeling better and was able to eat a little. Josanna went right to sleep and slept until Jim woke her up for a bottle at 2am. She slept until 6:30. She is such an easy going baby and is so sweet. I am glad that we have gotten to share this experience with the Fiekends. It has been really nice to be able to talk and visit with them and I feel a little safer going out when there are four of us. God has truely blessed our trip here to Ethiopia and I am so glad to have been able to come here and experience the culture.

Today we got up, ate breakfast and went to Toukoul to visit Josanna. She smiled really big when she saw Jim. She was wearing little jeans, a striped shirt, and a jean vest. After about 45 minutes she fell asleep while I was holding her. She slept on my chest for about 1/2 hour. she is so sweet! She seems like such a good baby and has yet to cry while we are there. After the orphanage we stopped at a store and bought formula, diapers, rice cereal and some onesies. We had thought we would check Josanna out of Toukoul on Saturday, but the nurse who is helping us, Tigist says we will check them out tomorrow afternoon. After the store we walked back to our guest house just a few blocks away. There were cows and dogs roaming the streets and a group of men chewing the plant that makes you get high. We ate lunch at YGF and then got ready for our trip to Ambo. On the way to Ambo, we stopped at our lawyers office to go over paperwork and questions the Embassy will ask us. It was a beautiful drive (about 2 hrs) to Ambo. Many farms and houses and mud huts. There were many donkeys and horses on the road. Our driver Ibrihim, we call a crazy driver. We also have a guide, Jon Michell. On the way we stopped in a little town.for a coke and bathroom break. Tiffany and I went to the bathroom and we had to walk down this dirt road for a ways then we came to this cement building with dark little cement rooms you can rent. At the end of this building there was the bathroom. It was really dark and the size of a tiny closet. There was a small hole in the floor to pee in and the floor was really slippery and it smelled horrible. Yikes! Once we arrived in Ambo we checked into our hotel and then walked down the street for a ways. People here do not see many white people. The kids would be shy and a few came up to shake our hands. We ate dinner at the hotel and are headed to bed. We are going to a crater lake in the morning.

We met up with Tiffany and Todd Fieken this morning (friends of ours from the Beaverton area that are also adopting a baby girl). They flew in late last night. After breakfast we met a nurse named Tigist who works at Toukoul. She rode with us to the orphanage where we got to have a long visit with Josanna. We were given her schedule and what she eats. We also dropped off our donations to the orphanage. We were not allowed to tour Toukoul because they do not want the babies catching sickness from so many strangers. After we left the orphanage we came back to our guest house for lunch. At lunch we met a woman named Aster who helps to take care of the guests here and she was very funny. After lunch our driver and our guide (Jon Michell), took us to the Hilton to exchange money and then we went shopping and then stopped at a coffee shop (Kabu). Traffic was really crowded and driver was so crazy. I thought we were going to get hit several times or we were going to run over someone. It was a fun day though. Dinner is next, then a phone call from home. Then bed.

We slept well last night and feel much better today. Still a bit groggy though. After a much needed shower, we ate breakfast: eggs, toast, and coffee. Our driver Ephrium then drove us to Toukoul to see Josanna for the first time. It only took about 10 minutes by car. The driving is crazy–only a few stop signs and mostly just going fast and going in and out of other drivers. As we approached the blue gates of Toukoul, the driver honked and the gate keeper opened the gates. There were kids playing soccer and riding a scooter in the cement court yard. We were taken to a waiting room while the caregivers got Josanna. A woman brought her in and handed her to us. Josanna looked at us and smiled. She is so adorable and looked just like the photos that I have looked at every day for the last three months. She snuggled right in when I held her. She smiled a lot and looked around. Never cried. She thought that Jim was really funny and liked to grab his face and laughed when he played peak-a-boo with her. She seemed to love just being held. Josanna is really small and seemed quite weak, but overall seemed bright eyed and a happy baby. It was surreal being able to finally meet our daughter and hold her. Can’t wait to go tomorrow and see her again. We only got to visit with her for about 1/2 hour before the caregiver came back and took her and told her to say “bye-bye to momma and daddy”. She is so precious. I am so looking forward to bringing Josanna home and making her a part of our family.
We had a big thunder and lightening storm this evening. Jim said it was our 4th of July fireworks. 🙂

We finally made it to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. 22 hours of sitting on a plane, and my knees are aching. It took about an hour to get our visa and go through customs, then we got our luggage and Ephrium met us and drove us to our YGF guest house. Our room is really nice and has two beds, a crib, changing table and our own bathroom. There was a huge spider on the curtains, but Jim fought him and won. We also were going through our bags and cannot find the envelope with $500 in it. I am praying that God will find it for us. Here at the guest house they made dinner for us even though it was midnight. We are ready to go to bed and see what tomorrow brings.

Well, the day has finally arrived to go and get Josanna. 18 months since the time we first submitted our adoption application. I thought that this day would never come and was so far away, but it came rather quickly. It was so very hard to say goodbye to Mekiah and Abrielle, as I will miss them much. They will have fun with their Auntie Maria and cousins (Echo and Natasha). We are in the PDX airport waiting to board our plane. I am a bit nervous about flying but excited to be starting our adventure.

We leave in 12 days to travel to Ethiopia to bring our daughter home. My husband and myself are traveling and are leaving our two bioilogical children at home with family. This has been about an 18 month process but has been a fun and eye opening experience along the way. I can hardly believe that the time is almost here for us to finally get to see our baby girl and hold her for the first time. Our suitcaes are mostly packed and things are about ready. We are coming to get you Josanna!!!!
We will post pictures as soon as we have physical custody, but for now just know that she is an absolutey beautiful girl with the biggest most gorgeous eyes and an adorable smile!