Book it!!!

If all goes according to plan I will be departing Philly for Ethiopia on December 22nd and arriving on the 23rd. Kozette will be in my arms on Christmas Eve and I will have a wonderful present to bring home for Tsebay, her very own big sis! Cristin, Kozette and I will be in country for the week and will depart on the 29th. It's a bit risky because they are not issuing visas the same day and this only gives a two day window. I'm going to take my chances. I really want to minimize the time I am away from Tsebay. Most agencies tell you not to book until you have a successful court date but due to the holidays there is limited availability so we went for it. The change fee is $50. and cancellation is $100 so it's not too unreasonable. We are using Susan Parr travel and they have been great. They are working on getting us a room at the Hilton.

My plan is to leave Maui for Philly on December 15th. This gives me one month to get my life in order. I plan to take the month of January off so I need to get plans ready for school in addition to getting the house ready for a two year old. There is so much to do and with Tsebay's new found mobility it is a challenge to get anything accomplished during her waking hours.

It will be great to catch up with my blogging buddies also in Ethiopia to pick up their little ones. What an unforgettable holiday season we will all have.

Please send positive vibes out for successful court dates for all.

We love Drew, Carey and Zoe!

I agree with Renee that this traveling family is among my favorite people. Please check out their blog and see the great pics and posts about their trip and their little girl, Zoe. They delivered a care package to Kozette and took these awesome pics. Blog buddies rock! Thanks again Drew and Carey.





I think Kozette will be Little Miss Aloha. She looks like she is ready for Maui.

Court Date, Yahooooooo!!!!

The phone finally rang this morning with the news I've been waiting for. We have a court date. It is December 6th. If everything goes according to plan I will arrive in Ethiopia on Dec. 25th and will leave on Jan. 1st. What a terrific holiday present. Tsebay and I will travel to the east coast a week or two prior to my travel. She will be in the adoring hands of Mimi and Pop Pop while I'm picking up Kozette. I know they are thrilled to be able to wake with her on Christmas morning. We will celebrate the holidays when I return as a family of three. What a great day!

So cute.......

Here are some recent pics of Kozette. Isn't she the cutest? Look at that smile.




Continue to pray that my little girl remain healthy and happy. A quick court date would also be nice.

We have a winner!

Congratulations Eileen and Jim Mc Entee.

Thank you to everyone who pitched in. This has been an amazing part of the journey and I feel totally blessed to have so many people helping me bring my little girl home to be with her family.

We are the real winners and we hope to be with Kozette soon. Keep those prayers coming for a quick and successful court date.

Trick or Treat?

Check out Gail's blog and vote for your favorite pumpkin.

The winner of the raffle will be pulled between 4-5 EST.
I will post as soon as I get the word. Good luck everyone!