We leave in just 3 days!

Well, today is Isabella's birthday and we leave in just 3 days! In January, this day seemed so far off and today we are not sure if we will get everything together before we get on the plane!

We are so excited about meeting our new daughter and are praying that she is safe and that there will be an immediate bonding for all of us. Isabella and Talia are anxious about us leaving but are excited about meeting their new sister when we return.

So much has been happening in the past few weeks. Isabella started Kindergarten from 8 to 3 and Talia started Pre-K for three days a week from 9:30 to 1:30. Leigh spends a good bit of her time in the car taking them to school and picking them up. A life that Meti will need to get used to as well.

Let us give you a brief history of our new daughter:

It is estimated that she was born on February 19,2006 and spent the first year with her birth Mom. At that point, apparently, she was very malnourished and her Mom was not able to care and provide for her. Her mother took her to an elderly lady in the community that is well respected and cares for many who are in need. She asked to spend the evening and was welcomed into the home and in the morning the mother had departed, with much heartache we are sure, and she left Meti at the kind lady's home. Because she is elderly, she was unable to provide for the child and contacted the authorities. They placed her in the orphanage in late February. Her mother had given her the name Meti, which means "diamond" in Amharic. Since she is certainly a precious jewel in our lives, we thought it best to keep her name the same although we will use it for her middle name - but also call her by it. Her first name that we will give her is Gianna. She is named after our dearest friend who inspires us each day.

The picture above is of Meti taken late in May. As you can see, she has some scarring from issues relating to her malnourishment. We can only imagine what she looked like when she entered the orphanage. She spent her first 3 months in the orphanage and then they moved her into the adoption agency' s foster home. They have done a remarkable job nursing her back to health and strength!


This picture was taken in late June! Can you believe this is the same child?!! What a joyful spirit she has!


This picture was taken in late July after we had officially said - "Yes, indeed, we would love to be her parents and she to be our daughter!" She continues to reside in the foster home with a couple who work for our adoption agency and becomes healthier and happier each day. She remains there until we arrive in Addis Ababa at which time, she will be with us at our hotels.




This is a picture taken shortly after all of the Ethiopian court papers were filed and signed and she became "officially" our daughter. At least in Ethiopia! This is the young man who oversees the caretakers for our agency with his wife and takes care of the babies until their new parents arrive. Many at first glance have thought it was me, but he has a lot more hair.

Anyhow, be assured that many more pictures will be coming. Leigh bought a new camera and is very much looking forward to filling chip after chip of pictures of Meti and our travels to Ethiopia.

Some of you are aware that the trip plans have not gone as smoothly as we would have liked. But, what is faith but the chance to take a leap into the unknown. And, believe me, we still have a lot of details that remain unknown even at this late date. It would be awesome to say that we are taking it all in stride, but, to be honest, we have been more than a little bit stressed. Finally, this morning, as we were reviewing the 3 pages of things still to do, Leigh said - "we just need to bow our heads and pray, pray, pray." Remarkably, we both feel more at peace tonight than at any time in the past 3 to 4 weeks.

Please lift up our trip in your prayers - that all the details will work themselves out - like getting a hotel room for the second part of the trip - and that overall the traveling portion will be uneventful. (With the exception of Saturday afternoon when we will get to meet Katie Zara, a new adopted daughter of dear friends in D.C.!) Also, please pray for our children that we leave behind - Isabella and Talia. Please pray that they will enjoy their time with their Aunt Lynne who is coming down from Nashville and their Uncle Vann who is coming in from Charlotte to help take care of them for a few days. Also, lift up our dearest friend, Jonni, who will have the primary care for Isabella and Talia for most of the time we are away. She continues to battle her own health issues and will need an extra portion of strength, mercy and grace.

Finally, please pray that when we meet Meti that there will be an immediate bonding experience for all of us. That Meti will feel comfortable being with us as we care for her in Ethiopia and travel back to meet her sisters. And that Isabella and Tali and Meti will all be close and best friends.

Greg & Leigh