Overflowing. Today is the Day.

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”
Hebrews 11:1

I have always loved this verse. I’ve never been much of a Bible-verse- memorizer-girl (I hated Bible drills in Sunday school and failed Bible class in the 5th grade), but this one has stuck with me my entire life. Don’t know why, but it always comes back into my brain on days like today—the days when I am reminded that it’s all about faith, hope and conviction.

This is the day. Please pray with Donovan and me for safe travels to and fro, for my joints to stay in place and for us to avoid any sickness so that we can focus all of our energies on Noemi. This process is a bitter sweet, and we expect to be slammed with the emotions wrapped up in the tragedy of any child becoming an orphan and what that means for a family and for a country, coupled with the joy of meeting the child we have prayed for for so long. What a gift. And then we pray for God’s hands to hold us as we hold her and teach each other that she is ours and we are hers. Always.

Our cup is overflowing this morning…

See you soon...

Noemi Eve

I’m at the point where I have that anxious/excitement nausea. It's that feeling when you are over the moon with elation and yet scared out of your mind at the same time. It’s like my first date. But I’m not 14—I’m 33 (that's probably best). And she’s not a 17-year old boy--she’s an 8-month-old girl. I feel like my brain has turned to mush, unable to concentrate on anything. I just walk in circles around the house, forgetting why I walked up the stairs or into the bathroom. Tonight I feel like this is the best Christmas Eve ever.

We are packed. 7 tubs filled with 296 sneakers, 12 cans of formula, 200 pairs of socks and candy for the children in the orphanage. 2 carry-ons and one larger suitcase filled with clothes for us and Noemi, 150 diapers (gotta be prepared for the predicted blow-outs), bottles, nipples, burp cloths, rice cereal, waterproof shoes, rain jackets, toiletries, protein bars, linens, joint braces, a baby carrier, half of a pharmacy and too much more to mention. Thank goodness for those vacuum bags that suck all of the air out. Oh, and of course, in addition Donovan will have a hefty bag of camera equipment. We keep shuffling stuff around to meet weight requirements. I officially have no idea what I am doing. I don’t know this child, nor do I know how much power/water we will have access to…it’s all one big adventure. I figure we are in this together—me and Donovan and Noemi and all we can do is laugh. Honestly, I wouldn’t want it any other way.

Many of you have asked, so here’s the skinny on our trip:

We leave tomorrow to fly out of Washington DC at 8pm. It will be a direct, 16 hour flight into Addis Ababa with one refueling stop in Rome, but we don’t even get off the plane. We’ll arrive in Addis late in the evening on Sunday and go to our guesthouse where we will (try to—with the assistance of sleeping pills) sleep. Monday morning we will wait for a phone call letting us know when we will be picked up to be taken to the orphanage to meet Noemi. We’ll spend the week playing with and caring for Noemi at the orphanage. We also plan to get to know Addis as much as possible and take an in-country flight to the town that Noemi is from. There are a lot of unknowns, so our focus will just be on loving on that girlie and being flexible. We will arrive home, baby in tow, on September 2^nd, greeted at the airport by our parents.

T minus 1 day to go! Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh....

Suitcases and Laundry

I had hopes to post every night this week, so here's my post. It's just too happily hectic to post anything else. Tonight, we pack...

T minus 2 days to go!

Highlights of Our Last Week Without Her

• Today was my last day of work until December. Awwwww Yeaaaaaah. I believe that I may have skipped from my desk to the parking lot.

• I paid my one-day late city housing bill in person the other day. My hope was that I wouldn’t have to pay the $500 (yes--$500) late fee if I showed up in person and played the "frazzled mamma" card. When I told the lady that I am leaving to adopt my daughter this weekend she said, “Oh, well I guess adopting is almost as exciting as having your own.” She let me off the hook with the fee, so I figured I’d let her off the hook with the brain fart.

• I washed the wooden floors the other night at 11pm. In a dress. On a 93 degree day in a house without air conditioning. Just to get it done.

• My fabu friends, Lisa and Janell, threw us a shower on Sunday, complete with non-peril cuppie cakes, champagne punch and magnets with Noemi’s sweet face on them. And more gifts galore. I love my girls—such faithful, thoughtful friends. These girls are keepers. Waiting for photos...

• I have successfully worn high heels everyday so far this week. Just because I won’t get to wear them again for a long time.

• D and I moved into our bathroom (in part). Still lots to do, but we now have a toilet and sink, complete with a medicine cabinet hanging above it, on the second floor for the first time in a year. It’s functional now—that makes this girl really happy. Thanks to Daddy-O Roberts for the sweet plumbing and tiling skills!

• We continue to shop for a minivan, but to no avail. The latest one had standing Kool-Aid in the cup holders and a ceiling crusted with chocolate milk. I feel so defeated.

• Shopping, shopping and more shopping. Bottle liners, clothes, airline tickets, pacifiers, hotels, diapers, formula, waterproof shoes, travel size everything, 200 pairs of socks for the sneaker drive…Our credit card company called us to verify that WE have been using it.

• The most recent photo we received of Noemi is her in a Green Bay Packers cheerleading outfit. Hilarious. That is definitely one to save. 'Cause, you know, anyone who knows Donovan and me knows that we are huge football fans. Shake your pom poms, baby—we’re coming to get you!

T minus 3 days to go!

Kicks for Kids: Concluded!

We are wrapping up our Kicks for Kids drive and are pleased to announce that we have 293 pairs of sneakers to take to Ethiopia with us!

Holy.Whopping.Cannoli.

Our goal was to donate 200 pair to Noemi’s orphanage, but the loving hands of so many produced 293! We purchased 5 32-gallon tubs last week, but Donovan is on the phone as I write trying to find a Home Depot that has not sold out of them, as we now need to purchase two more tubs. We had to be picky about the tub so as to maximize space without going over size/weight limits. Not only did you, my friends, cause a pile up of shoes in our living room, you also donated enough money to allow us to purchase the tubs, hundreds of socks to stuff in the shoes and pay for the extra baggage costs. If we have any extra money we will use it to purchase formula for the babies at Wanna House.

Don’t let the photos deceive you—almost every pair of shoes in this pile is stuffed with a second, smaller pair inside so as not to waste precious space. We removed the tags for each pair, stuffed a smaller pair inside and rubber banded them together. Whew. That was a bigger job than I had expected. Now…we just need to get all of these tubs through the airport and to the orphanage safe and sound. I’m considering wearing my shoulder brace in the airport just to look extra pathetic as a way of (hopefully) eliciting the help of innocent airport staff.

A sincere and teary thanks to all of you who gave your time and money to donate to this drive. Donovan and I have truly been moved by the kindness and generosity of so many. The greatest thing about this whole sneaker drive is that it is the effort of so many people, coming together to help out the children of Ethiopia. I can’t count how many times I came home to find packages of sneakers on our front step or a check that had showed up in our mailbox. If Noemi could, I’m sure she’d give each of you a wet, sloppy kiss of thanks!

T minus 4 days to go!

Drum Roll, Please!

Ta Da! Many of you have been asking to see pics of the nursery. My mom and I made the curtains last week from a bolt of vintage fabric I have been hoarding for years--if only you could see the detail of the pomegranates and blue birds--oh, so fancy. Gifts from friends and family are sprinkled all over, like the sweet handmade doll I had been eyeing on Etsy that my friend bought for Noemi. Just a few things remain to be hung such as my cherished print of Lucy the Elephant from the Jersey shore, the light above the rocking chair for night-time stories and the paper and wire mobile that I am currently in the process of constructing. I’m afraid that if I don’t get it finished this week, I likely never will. T minus 5 days to go…

Binding Us Together

Less than 7 days to go. This week I thought I would post an entry each day so that you can be privy to our last-minute preparations. It’s hard to believe that we are here, counting down the remaining hours.

This morning our pastor and friend, Bill, wrote and read the following prayer with us during our church service as a "sending off blessing" of sorts. Thanks, Bill, for helping me to loose it the one week I didn’t have a spare tissue in my purse. I feel so fortunate to be a part of this church…

Oh Lord our God, the author of all life, who receives us each by grace and adoption, we pray with thankful hearts. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

We pray for the church universal, that it may receive, nurture, guide and protect all who are joined to it by your grace. May we join brothers and sisters around the world who serve the least of their community with a lively sense of your holy presence. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

We pray for those gathered here, parents and grandparents, teachers and leaders who advocate for the education and general well being of children from all walks of life. Bind us together in love and nurture our faith, that we might build safe communities, sound minds, strong bodies and souring spirits. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

We pray for Donovan and Julie today, and their new daughter, Noemi, that you grant them safe passage on their journey to be one family. Bind them together in love and thankfulness as a family in Jesus Christ. Grant them wisdom and patience as together we bring up our children in your ways. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

We lift up the needs of those who have given children for adoption, especially the family and community of Noemi. We know they are known, understood, and cared for by you. Comfort them in any sorrow. Give them grace and confidence that their actions are wise. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

We pray for children around the world whose lives are threatened by abuse, whose health is endangered by poverty, malnutrition and disease, who have been abandoned, and who wait in the orphanage of our world for someone to come and love them. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

We pray for those who desire the gift of a child yet are disappointed. We ask that you hear their prayers are answer their pleas. We give you thanks for families who have created space in their lives for adopted children and those who otherwise would not know the love of a place called “home.” Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Amen.

That's My Girl

I’m sensing that Noemi might be tired of her formula alone and is thinking of all of the good solid food we are planning on starting her on soon…

Maybe she’s thinking of Momma’s mashed sweet potatoes…or maybe Nana’s rice pudding or Grandma’s corn fritters. Or maybe she wants to sink her teeth into something more challenging, like Swedish Fish and gummy worms. Atta girl. Dream big, baby, dream big.

Writing Stories With Mary

This last chapter is closing in. I have told myself and others this story for so long but it is now beginning to breathe its own life. My becoming a mother is a story I started writing as a child. I’d imagine the details, changing them over time as I aged and wisdom collided with reality. There have been times when I mourned the passing of certain details while embracing the birth of others, knowing that the toughest and most private of details have ultimately made me a more resilient and appreciative mother.

Mother Mary looks over our congregation every week. The stained glass piece, lit by the southern light, depicts her holding Jesus as a baby. Jesus is propped in her left arm while her right arm, adorned with a star on her shoulder, supports him. This piece, like my story, has changed in meaning as my reality has shifted. It mostly represented physical and emotional strength when I was at my weariest. I saw the star on Mary’s right shoulder as a badge of courage. My right shoulder is my most obviously weak joint; it’s the joint that serves as an outward symbol for the rest of my loose body. The star reminded me that perseverance was all that I needed to ask of myself on those darkest of days. More recently, I have seen this woman as a mother full of satisfaction. Her pale smile assures me that God blesses us when we give up control while still holding onto our desires with conviction. It is when I stare at Mary holding her child and the organ music roars through the sanctuary that I know the holy spirit hovers and hears our prayers.

This baby is coming. I will someday walk Noemi up to the balcony so that she can see Mary close up for herself and explain how one mother has served as a mother for so many of us. And how her son and the light that shines through him guides us as we write our own stories.

Cousin Lovin'

Our Witmer family has been on vacation together in Ocean City, NJ this week. The shore has always been my favorite place and I can't wait to introduce Noemi to sunrises over the ocean, thick salt air and seagull cackles. Our niece and nephews have been witness to our preparations and excitement and they, too, have been thinking a lot about Noemi. Juan (7), Salena (5) and Ruben (2) are thrilled to hang out with their littlest cousin. Take a gander at their excitement…

Team Unbelievable!

Who has the best colleagues on the planet? THIS GIRL! My time is winding down at work and the amazing ladies of Lancaster-Lebanon IU13 Early Intervention Program (ok—and three men) threw me a shower after work the other day. They decked out one of our evaluation rooms with presents, photos of Ethiopia, delici-o-so food, flowers and a trunk full of over 80 pairs of sneakers. I was lost for words—completely overwhelmed by the kindness of so many hands and hearts. My colleagues have also been collecting money to help with the shipping costs of all of these sneaks, so I was presented with donations totaling almost $400. Unbelievable.

I think the coolest thing about this sneaker drive is seeing the result of the work and care of so many people. It is a collective effort of love and I am truly stunned by kindness seeping over. And how many folks are blessed to work with people that they consider their friends? So many of them have stood by me on this long journey to a becoming a parent, holding me up with prayers, listening ears when I couldn’t concentrate on actually doing my work and much-needed comic relief. I feel tremendously fortunate to work along side so many strong women who have been personally touched by adoption in one way or another—what a bonus. We make one mean EI team! I’m gonna miss these gals while I’m out on leave! My last day of work is August 19th and I'll return on December 4th.

Just a few of the ladies—there was no way we could all fit in the room for the pictures!