Ethiopia Bound

I don't know where to begin. I have been sitting on this post for the last 2 weeks. I have so much to say. So much to still process. I feel wrecked, changed, broken, ruined and new all at the same time. Ethiopia changed me. It wrecked something within me. I am forever different because of Ethiopia. This trip to meet our new little daughter was beyond life changing. I think I started crying the second I woke up on the day we left. Every time I zipped up a piece of luggage I cried. I ran my hands across her little clothes and cried. I couldn't believe that after waiting 16 months since the dream of adoption first spurred my heart the time had finally come to meet my sweet girl. The girl I have cried a million tears over. The girl I have prayed and begged God for. The girl that so many have believed with me and prayed with for her to be apart of me and my family. It was here the day I would head off to a foreign land to embrace my sweet girl.

The plane ride over was really great. We flew out of Midland to Houston at 1:20 p.m Thursday November 3rd. At 5:05 p.m we boarded our first international flight to Frankfurt Germany. It was a 9 hour flight. Sitting in coach the whole way. We tried to upgrade but weren't willing to pay the extra $5,000. So we stuck it out. Ym sweet friend Wynne has come over the night before with a little present. She brought me some yummy snacks, comfy headphones, gum, face wipes and fuzzy socks. Her advice to me was when it is normally time to go to bed. Go to bed on the place. Do your normal routine. Wash your face, brush your teeth, slip on your warm socks and snuggle up in your blanket. It worked! I slept the whole way to Germany. It was great and the time flew by so fast. The flight to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia was a little different. My mind would not stop and my heart was racing. I kept glancing at the little plane tracker screen every 30 minutes to see how much longer we had. I thought I would never get off the plane. 

We watched several movies and shows on our little screen. I couldn't tell you anything about what I watched my I was going crazy in my heart. I was closing in on the country that has stolen a piece of my soul. 

We finally arrived in Ethiopia at 9:20 p.m but after customs and exchanging our money to birr and getting our luggage it was 11:00 p.m. We obviously didn't go get Emme that night. We went to the guest house for some "sleep" and got up early the next morning to go meet our little princess.