Beginning of the Final leg of an Extremely Long Journey

It's 5:30 in the morning, and I guess 4 hours of sleep is enough.  Yesterday at about 9:00 AM we found out that Sophie now has her travel visa.  This means that we can bring her home at last.  By 11:00 AM yesterday I had booked our flights to go to Ethiopia today at 1:00 PM.  I am so glad that Tammy is so organized that she made sure that almost everything was packed and ready to go, with the exception of our clothing.  A huge thanks goes out to our family who have really stepped up.  Josina's Opa, Oma and Tante for agreeing to drive to Calgary today to take care of her on short notice for a couple of days.  Also to my sister and parents who will drive in from the coast to take Josina for the balance of the trip.  Also to Tammy's Mom who behind, and not so behind the scenes, has been tirelessly working on Sophie's behalf.

The list:
Tickets: check
Medications: check-legal medications that we need for Africa silly
Passports: Check...got them last week
Childcare for Josina: check
Hotel reservation: check..I think...the language barrier can be tough over the phone.  I think we have a room and someone to pick us up at Bole airport?
Cat care: check...big thanks Karen..I hear you are even going to clean the litter!
Lawn care:  check.....the neighbor Winston, his owner will do this, thanks Adrian.  Winston is the neighbors boxer...they're great.

All I have to remember now is to take the suitcase and may sure that i have pants on.  Oh come on we all forget to wear pants once in awhile!

Tomorrow night we will be in Addis Abeba.  I can't wait to see Tammy's expression when she first sets foot on African soil and then when she first lays her eyes on little Sophie.  Yesterday was completely crazy trying to get everything together but the late evening was relaxing.  My good friend Marv called and came over for a glass of wine.  About an hour after he came, his wife, who was out and did not know he was over, just popped in too.  That was great, they have been a great support to us through our entire journey in building our family, it was so fitting that Lee and Marv sent us off with a prayer.

Infertility and adoption have consumed our lives for almost 9 years and finally it will come to an end when Sophie comes home.  I can't wait to have a boring, uneventful life with two girls under the age of three.  Let the drama end....yeah right...a guy can dream.  No seriously no more deadlines, no more forms to fill out that other parents don't have to get completed, no more required physicals, no more waiting for emails or phone calls, no more questions about when she will come home.

Now come all the inappropriate questions because unlike Josina, Sophie looks a little different and is quite obviously adopted.  I hope I can tactfully answer...

• Why did her mother give her up for adoption?  Only one answer: Because she loves Sophie.
• Why did you choose to adopt internationally/from Ethiopia? Look at Sophie, she is who God intended to be our daughter
• Are you going to adopt again?  This is like asking anyone else are you going to have more kids..why or why not?
• Comment or stares of people who disapprove of adoption or international adoption or mixed race families.  May God give us the wisdom to respond tactfully, gracefully and not to lower our selves to get angry.

Tammy is up now, maybe I should shower, won't get to do that for a few days.  I will try to blog regularly over the next two weeks, provided we have power and Internet.  Thanks to everyone who has supported us prayerfully, emotionally and financially and also with your time!