And ANOTHER New Addition to Introduce...

I can't believe it, but I received a call today from our Adoption Coordinator to say that the judge had already looked at the newly submitted paperwork and deemed all was well. He passed our T's case...so we are now, OFFICIALLY, the parents of two beautiful Ethiopian girls!

WAHOOOO!!!!!!

So, I would love to introduce our oldest daughter, Tsegereda. Her birth certificate will say that she is six years old, but we are quite certain that she is somewhere between 7-10. I guess time will tell. She is the exact same size as our Wyatt, with the most beautiful curls and sweetest smile. There is a depth to both her and Rodas' eyes--as though they have seen so much more than their years indicate. I cannot wait to gaze into them in person. Her name means "rose" in Tigrinya...and I think it fits her perfectly!

For those wondering, Tsegereda did not have a known birth date, so we were honored to choose January 18 for her special day. It is not only Martin Luther King Jr. celebrated birthday, but also the day we signed the contract to pursue adopting her and Rodas. Rodas' name means "bible" and her birth date will be November 23, a date she will share with a very special angel (Colt's mother).

We would like to give the girls an "American" middle name and retain their Ethiopian names as their first. It will be their choice which name they wish to go by, and we will call them by both after they become comfortable with us. Their name is essentially all that they are bringing with them from their homeland, it is all they know. We will not take that from them, but we also wish to share with them our heritage and give them a special name for each of them. It has been a family decision, and although I'm pretty sure that we're decided, I want to wait until all the votes are positively in... (0:

TRAVEL??

Our Adoption Coordinator said that, barring any unexpected occurrences, it is very likely that we will be able to travel to get our girls for the June 23rd Embassy Date. EEEKK! All of a sudden that seems very close! But we'll be ready...

One concern is that the Ethiopian elections will be held on May 23rd and the results announced on June 21. Elections in Africa can often be like a simmering pot that suddenly boils over. We will be paying close attention to political events and conflicts up until we travel.

Thanks to everyone for their love, prayers and support! Although the journey is far from over, we feel as though a major summit has just been reached!

So, Miss Tsegereda, we waited only a day and that still was too long. We are so happy that you have joined our family and we hope that you and your sister Rodas will love and cherish us as much as we already love and cherish you. Efetweeka!