A PLACE OF GRACE

Six years ago, our little family of three stepped on an airplane and took our seats.

Exhausted. Confused. Disappointed. Overwhelmed. Emotional.

The specific details of that day are here, but basically,

it was a travel day from hell.

Fog shut down two of the airports we were flying out of and snow shut down the cities we were flying into.  We booked new flights only to have them cancelled.  Our luggage went one place and we went another.  In a last ditch effort to catch our flight out of Washington DC, we flew to Baltimore, knowing that they only had one lane cleared throughout the city, and took a taxi to DC.

We were headed to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia with nothing more than our backpacks and carry-ons.  That day, that travel day from hell, was just the beginning and we would never again be the same.  We simply had no idea.

As I sit here, remembering that stressful day, I am just as tearful and just as tired.

I still get confused.

I still get disappointed.

I still get overwhelmed.

We flew home from Ethiopia with big dreams for our new family of four.

And we have spent the last six years grieving the loss of those dreams.

I never thought.  In the middle of this six year journey, when I was convinced God had made a massive mistake in choosing me to be Miles' mom, I never thought.  I never thought that God could redeem all the doubt, all the hurt, all the dark, all the pain.

Even though our circumstances haven't changed, in fact, in someways it's harder than ever, I am not the same.  To be in a place where you welcome hard and messy because you know that is where God dwells is such a beautifully place to be.
It is a place of grace.

I love the way Greg Lucas describes this exact idea in his book, Wrestling with an Angel: A Story of Love, Disability and the Lessons of Grace…

“My experience is that God will place a burden on you so heavy that you cannot possibly carry it alone. He will break your back and your will. He will buckle your legs until you fall flat beneath the crushing weight of your load. All the while, He will walk beside you waiting for you to come to the point where you must depend on Him. ‘My power is made perfect in your weakness,’ He says, as we strain under our burden.”

He goes on to say…

“Grace enables us to thrive in the presence of this world’s sufferings while magnifying the One who breaks us with affliction – that He might equip us with comfort, compassion, and strength to give others.”

God, in all of His wisdom, in all of His power, in all of His sovereignty,

used a little baby boy - born half way around the world, born to a different Mom, born with a disability - to help me to see how much He loves me and to help me internalize the life-changing truth that EVERYTHING I need I can find in Him.
EVERYTHING!

“His divine power has given us everything we need to experience life
and to reflect God’s true nature through the knowledge of
the One who called us by His glory and virtue.”

{2 Peter 1:3, VOICE}

Everything I need (love, acceptance, security, worth, approval, forgiveness, purpose, hope, intimacy, respect, etc.) is freely given to me in the person of Jesus Christ.

Think about that for a second.

What would it feel like to love and serve others without needing ANYTHING in return?  What would it look like to give all of yourself away without needing applause, approval, or acceptance?

Doesn’t that sound like true freedom?

Doesn't that make you want to throw on a kilt, paint your face blue and yell FREEDOM!

That is the true message of the Gospel!

That is the true message of Grace!

God gives God.
And when you get God, you get "everything you need to experience life and to reflect God's true nature..."

When you take your eyes off of Jesus, you are forced to look to others to meet all of your needs.  You love, serve, and give of yourself trying to satisfy that place that only Jesus can satisfy.  When others don't come through, you are left hurt, disappointed and empty.  But you keep trying.  Eventually, you become so dependent on everyone around you to give you what you need, it strains your relationships because it's never enough.  They are never enough.  Not only is that exhausting, it is the exact opposite of true freedom.

So I sit here today, six years into our new normal, praying that I can live daily in that place.  That place of freedom.  That place of grace.

Sweet Miles,
You're a gift I never would have asked for.
You're a gift I didn't know I would need.
You're a gift I thank God everyday for.
You're a gift I'm so humbled I received.

“Have you ever come on anything quite like this extravagant generosity of God, this deep, deep wisdom? It’s way over our heads. We’ll never figure it out.  Is there anyone around who can explain God?  Anyone smart enough to tell him what to do?  Anyone who has done him such a huge favor that God has to ask his advise?  Everything comes from Him; Everything happens through Him; Everything ends up in Him.  Always glory! Always praise!

Yes. Yes. Yes.”
{Romans 11:33-36, MSG}

SOCIAL AWKWARDNESS: MY NOT-SO-HIDDEN TALENT

When Miles came home from Ethiopia, I noticed that people let their gaze linger a little longer than normal. At first, it was hard to get used to, but I quickly discovered that our obvious differences was an open invitation to talk about Jesus.

You see, more often than not, curiosity wins.
People have to ask.

I've been asked questions like…
"Is he yours?"
"Is he adopted?"
"How much did he cost?"
"Where is he from?"
"Why did you adopt from Ethiopia?"
"Aren't there a lot of children in the U.S. that need to be adopted?"
"Are you his REAL mom?"
"Did you birth him?"

When people ask questions, they often ask right in front of Miles. So from the moment we got home, my hearts desire was to learn to answer questions in a way that makes Miles feel confident in his place in our family. I have grown to love that Miles gets to hear his story from my perspective over and over again.

Unfortunately, I don't always get it right.

After being home about two months, Miles and I were picking up a few things from our local home improvement store.  We were in line to check-out and the friendly lady working was talking to me about Miles.  She was going on and on about how beautiful he was and how she probably shouldn't say beautiful because he's a boy but he was so pretty and she just loved his lips and his eyes, wow, such pretty eyes they are just.so.gorgeous!

I just smiled because, well, I happened to agree with everything she was saying.

Then, at the end of her run-on sentence, she asked,"Does he have his Daddy's eyes?"

The question caught me off guard.
It was so matter of fact.
It was the first time someone assumed he was my biological son.

I looked up at her and without even thinking, and said,
"Oh, um, I don't know who the father is."

*nervous smile*

The look on her face.
It was sort of a mix between shock and confusion.
My reply was not the "help Miles feel confident and secure while telling the world about Jesus" answer I was going for.

So, in an effort to make the poor lady feel better and, at the same time, try to make myself sound a little less slutty than I inadvertently did, I quickly blurted out, "I don't know who his mother is either!"

*awkward silence*

Well crap! Now I sound like a kidnapper.

"HE'S ADOPTED! I NEVER GOT TO MEET HIS BIRTH PARENTS!  HE'S ADOPTED!"

Not many people have the amazing ability make a sweet, Southern Baptist preacher's wife sound like a slutty kidnapper in a matter of seconds. That, my friends, takes real talent.

Next time, Jackie.
You'll get 'em next time.

THROUGH THE STORM AND THE SUNSHINE

4 years ago today, in the beautiful country of Ethiopia, a precious baby boy was placed in my arms and forever changed my world.

I cannot separate the joy of adoption from the pain that comes with being adoptable.  One of the best days of my life was the result of immense pain and loss in Miles' life.  The heaviness of that reality is not lost on me.

Adoption.

It's beautiful and heavy all at the same time.

Life with Miles has not been easy.
We have had more hard days that I care to count and if I had it to do all over again…
I wouldn't change a thing.

I don't know how He does it.

God is able to turn tragedy, loss, pain and heartache into something good.  

Something beautiful.

The call God put on our hearts to adopt forever changed us.  Our family will never ever be the same because of the things God has opened our eyes to and made us aware of.  And when you add Miles' special needs on top of that, well, you can forget the Harmon family every being the same again.  God has blessed us with new lenses through which to view the world.  The lenses of adoption and special needs gives us a unique perspective on how much God deeply loves each and every one of us.

As an adoptive parent, days like today, days we refer to as gotcha day, are amazing.
All the paperwork, the time, the money, the preparations, the prayers, the anticipation, the love - it all builds up to this day.  The day we physically get to meet the child that has already stolen our hearts.

Do you think God celebrates gotcha days?
Do you think God feels the joy and the pain of adoption?
The joy of a Father who so loved the world along with the pain of a Father whose Son was crucified to save that world?

The only reason my adoption into God's family is possible is because of Jesus.  God sent His one and only Son to put the world right again.  Jesus willingly took my place on the cross and died on my behalf.  The heaviness of that reality is not lost on me.

Today, we celebrate adoption.
We celebrate Miles' adoption into our family and our adoption into God's family.
We celebrate the fact that God called us to live out adoption and be living proof that Redemption wins! God has the ability to redeem and make beautiful things out of us!

my heart has been redeemed,

adopted and now I know my Father

this grace that I've received

I want to show you

I want to show you

this love this love is the deep kind

it hangs on through the storm and the sunshine

I'll hold your hand, be your biggest fan

and I'll love you all of the time

{mandi mapes}

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FROM ORPHAN TO HEIR

We have spent this month preparing for Christmas.  For the coming.  For the birth of the One both Isaiah and Jeremiah told us would be a descendant of King David.

In the first 2 chapters of Luke, we read about the family God choose to love and raise His Son.  The mother that would carry him in her womb and the father that would adopt him.  The father that Luke made sure we knew was a descendant of David, just like we were told Jesus, the Rescuer, would be.  Adoption was always part of God's plan.

"Don't miss the one fact we're told about Joseph in Luke's introductory account - he was a descendant of David. How awesome of God to purpose that Christ's royal lineage would come through His adoptive father.  We shouldn't be surprised at the profound significance with which God views adoption. Ephesians 1:4-6 tells us something profound about God's view of adoption. In a peculiar kind of way, God the Father allowed His Son to be "adopted" into a family on earth so that we could be adopted into His family in heaven."

{Beth Moore :: Jesus, The One and Only}

The month of December, our family celebrates, not just one adoption, but two.
4 years ago today, the Ethiopian courts officially made this little guy a Harmon.

He was simply referred to as Misikir, the name given to him by his birth mother.
No middle name.  No last name.

Misikir.  A name that means 'witness' or 'testimony'.
Little Misikir took the last name Harmon and the first name Miles.
Miles.  A name that means 'gift from God'.

Could there be a more fitting name for the little boy who has changed our lives, our family, our witness, our story?  Every time I talk about Miles, my gift, it opens the door for me to tell people about Jesus, my Savior.  My adoption of Misikir gives me the opportunity to share about Jesus' adoption of me.

Just like there is no way Mary could have known what kind of impact her baby boy would have on the world, I am certain that Fikirte had no idea that her little baby boy, the one she named Misikir, would have on me.

Two mommies.
Both who carried babies that have forever changed my life.

We spent the last month celebrating the birth and adoption of Jesus, and today, we celebrate the official adoption of Miles Misikir Harmon.

"I'm convinced: You can do anything and everything.

Nothing and no one can upset your plans."

{Job 42:2}

LEARNING TO TRUST

When Miles came into our family, he didn't know us or trust us.

He had no idea how many hours we stared at his picture and memorized his face.

He had no idea how much we loved him and how long we prayed for him.

To us, he was our son.

To him, we were strangers.

When we brought Miles home, we started doing all the things we learned in our adoption training.  We went to him every time he cried (to give him back his voice), we didn't let anyone meet a basic need but us (to help him learn that we were different than every other adult), we held him, we rocked him, we played with him, and we loved on him.

As we continued to work on building a healthy bond with Miles, we noticed that he was still self-soothing.  Miles would lay on his back and shake his head violently back and forth to calm or comfort himself.  We had never seen anything like it.

As he got a little older, he stopped shaking his head and started seeking out hard surfaces to bang his head against.  He would crawl to the tile floor and head bang when he was mad, frustrated, hurt, told no, or sometimes for no reason at all.

Every time he would start banging his head, I would go comfort him.

I sat on the floor beside him, picked him up and patted him on the back.

And every time he would immediately bite me on the shoulder.

Miles and I did this little dance everyday.

And everyday, about 10-15 times a day, I got bit.

Comforting Miles was painful and I was struggling.

There were times during the day that I would see him crawl from the rug to the tile to bang his head and everything in me was screaming, 'I DON'T THINK I CAN DO THIS ANYMORE.'  I knew what was going to happen.  I was going to get bit.  There were other days when I would hesitate and just look at him and say to myself, 'I don't know that I love you enough to do this today.'

But how in the world will Miles ever know that his Heavenly Father is the source of all comfort if he can't trust me to comfort him?  There is going to come a day in his life that Jesus, only Jesus, will be able to comfort him.  And it was that very thought that kept me going back for more.

Hour after hour, day after day, week after week, month after month,

Miles would self-soothe, I would comfort, I would get bit.

This went on for a little over 8 months.

Then one day, it happened.

It had been a rough morning and Miles was mad.  I saw him stand up and my heart sank because I just didn't think I had it in me.  The thought of getting bit made me want to burst into tears.  But to my surprise, he didn't walk to the cold, hard tile.  He walked over to me, and gently laid his little head on my lap and started patting my leg.

And he has been running to me ever since.

Every day. Every bite.

It was all worth it.

Even now, when I think back to how incredibly hard it was to live that day in and day out, I would do it over again and again.  My job was to be Jesus with skin on to a broken little boy who didn't trust anyone enough to allow them to comfort him.  I thought I was helping Miles learn to trust me and learn to look to me for comfort, but actually God was using Miles to teach me the exact same lessons.

It is impossible to trust God, impossible to believe with everything in you that He loves you, and impossible to know that God alone is all you need, if you don't know Him.  He wants a personal, intimate relationship with you.  Knowing about God is very, very different than knowing God.  Knowing the character of God.

When I 'bang my head on the floor' and insist that I know what's best for me,

God patiently sits with me, waiting with arms wide open, to comfort me, to guide me, and to love me.  He even knows when I am going to end up 'bitting' Him, and yet He pursues me anyway.

"Our God is not patiently standing by and waiting for us to offer us love; He is actively and vigorously pursuing us... He is the father running down the trail to embrace the prodigal son even before the boy can speak his act of contrition.  He is the mad farmer showering a full day's wage on men who hadn't even worked.  He is Jesus forgiving the sinful woman even before she spoke her sorrow.  He is the king lavishing a banquet on beggars.  These are all symbols of a God whose love for us is so active, so strong, that by human standards He would be, at least, said to be mad."  {Andrew Greeley}

My pursuit of Miles' heart is nothing compared to God's active pursuit of my heart.

And God's active pursuit of yours.

What part of your heart are you refusing to give God?

Is there someone you need to forgive?

Is there a habit you need to give up?

Is there an area of your life you need to let go of and trust God?

Get up off the cold, hard floor and climb into your Heavenly Father's lap.

He deeply loves you.

He desires a relationship with you.

He is faithful and you can trust Him.

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ONE REMEMBERS, ONE CELEBRATES

Today is Miles' birthday.
Today Miles is four.
Four and still in diapers.

Is potty training in our future?

Nope.  Not yet.

Developmentally, he's just not ready.
His self-care skills are still too delayed.

I don't stress about it because, well, it is what it is.

But I get looks.
When I have to change him in a public restroom, I get the "that kid is WAY too big to be in diapers" look.  Which is completely understandable, especially since his legs are so long they actually hang off the end of those infant changing tables.

It doesn't bother me.
It's kind of true.

He does look to big to be in diapers.

And the taller he gets and the more he weighs, the more difficult changing him becomes.

And not just in public, it's hard even at home.

A couple of months ago, I was changing a nasty diaper that was completely filled from the front to the back.  You know the kind.  Well, since his core is still weak, he can't help lift his legs up, so I have to do it for him.  So, we were on the floor and I had both ankles with one hand, grabbing wipes and cleaning him with the other, and the nasty diaper off to the side.

He kicked his leg, freeing it loose from my grip, and his foot lands smack dab in the diaper.  He now has poop all over his foot, and still too much poop on his booty to be lowered down.  I grabbed his ankle and tried to clean his back off enough that I could lower him at least a little.  Miles, realizing he has something on his foot, starts rubbing both feet together.

So, now he has poop on both feet and he is still a mess.

I am starting to dry heave at this point because his feet are up by my face and I can smell it.  Like, really smell it!

I guess I had him in the air a little longer than he liked because he kicked his leg again.  Only this time, instead of his foot landing in the diaper, his poop smeared foot lands right on my face.

ON MY FACE!

Being a mom is hard.
And messy.
Real messy.

Today, as I celebrate Miles' birth, the messiness of parenting and the realness of adoption collide.  And my heart is heavy.

If you've never adopted, you might not fully understand.

With Alex,
I can tell him what it was like when I was pregnant.
I can tell him about the day he was born.
I can tell him who came to visit and how happy we were.

With Miles,
I've got nothing.
I don't know a single detail.

But that's not what weighs so heavy.
The weight comes from knowing that there is someone who does remember.
Someone who knows all of those details.
Someone who carried him for 9 months, heard his first cry, held him in her arms, and was still brave enough to make the decision to give him the chance at a different life.

I could never ever forget the day Alex was born.
I could never imagine having to make the choice that she made.
So today, I can't help but put myself in Fikirte's shoes.
And it's heavy.

Usually, the remembering is part of the celebrating.
But with adoption, she gets to remember and I get to celebrate.
And sometimes that just doesn't feel right.

Even though Miles isn't potty trained.
Even though we get 'looks'.
Even though I may get an occasional poop smeared foot to the face.
I get to be mommy to the little baby she named Misikir.

I get all the hugs.
I get all the kisses.
I get to tuck in him at night and hear him say cute words like norning (morning) and Minals (Miles) with the sweetest, softest little voice you've ever heard.

She gave me an amazing gift.
She gave life to the little boy that has forever changed my life.
I could never repay her.
I could never thank her enough.

So tonight, when I put Miles to bed, I gave him two kisses.
One kiss from the one who remembers.
One kiss from the one who celebrates.

Happy 4th Birthday, Miles Misikir.
I wouldn't want to the me before you.

GOTCHA DAY!

One year ago today, we were in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, waiting for the moment we had worked toward for 18 months.

We spent 4 months receiving updates and pictures of Miles.

Pictures like this...

And now the day had arrived.

The day that our pictures would come alive.

The day we would get to meet the baby boy in pink who stole our hearts.

To say that we were excited that our day had finally arrived would be an understatement.

This year has not been without its challenges, but that is an update for another day. Today, we celebrate Miles!

Miles-

You are a very special little boy and such a blessing to our family. I can't imagine our lives without you. We are so thankful that God hand picked you for our family.

Because of you, we see the world differently.

Because of you, our perspective has changed.

Because of you, the reality of our adoption in Christ has a different meaning.

Because of you, we will never be the same.

We love you, Miles Misikir!

You were worth the wait!

ADOPT(ED)

Have you ever thought about adoption?

Ever prayed about it?

Ever asked God what your role was in caring for orphans?

We did.

3 years ago.

And our family will never be the same.

It will forever be different.

Better.

There are 163 million orphans in the world and God's Word has much to say about them.

"Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this:

to visit orphans and widows in their affliction,

and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

{James 1:27}

"I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.

{John 14:18}

"A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows,

is God in His holy dwelling."

{Psalm 68:5}

"Defend the weak and the fatherless;

uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed."

{Psalm 82:3}

Our adoption story began with Keith and I praying about our role caring for the fatherless. We knew we were called to do something, but we just weren't sure what. We weren't looking to adopt. Adoption was never part of our plan. But, then again, my plan is never God's plan.

"For my thoughts are nothing like you thoughts," says the Lord.

"And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.

For just as the heavens are higher than the earth,

so my ways are higher that yours ways

and my thoughts are higher than your thoughts."

{Isaiah 55:8-9}

We were fully prepared to give our finances to help others adopt, to sponsor more children, or to give to organizations that supported orphan care. But God called us to give more than our money.

He called us to give our hearts.

Our lives.

So our prayers immediately changed from What? to Where?

It didn't take long for us to narrow it down to Ethiopia.

We were drawn to it.

The more we prayed, the more we read, the more researched,

the more God stirred our hearts.

A FEW FACTS ABOUT ETHIOPIA...

• There are currently 4.6 million orphans in Ethiopia- with around 540,000 having been orphaned by HIV/AIDS
• 1 in 10 children die before their 1st birthday
• 1 in 6 children die before their 5th birthday
• Half the children in Ethiopia will never attend school and 88% will never attend secondary school
• Approx. 300,000 children live on the streets
• 82% of the population survives on less than 1 dollar a day
• 1 in 4 women dies in pregnancy or childbirth

In some of my research, I read that many children are orphaned because their families cannot provide for them and if they don't give them up, they will die of starvation. That did it for me. As a mom, I could not imagine making that decision. So we decided that since these mom's are giving their babies up to give them a chance to live, than we would help them.

That was the beginning of an 18 month journey that ended on February 15, 2010 in Ethiopia when we held Miles Misikir for the first time.

{Song in video is "This Love" by Mandi Mapes}
I am not one who believes that God has called everyone to adopt, but I do believe He has call us all to do something. Caring for orphans through adoption is normal... according to the Word of God. Please take time to pray about your role in caring for the orphans of the world.
We were asked recently when will we tell Miles he is adopted. That question always makes me laugh... for obvious reasons :) What they are asking, I think, is when will we tell him his story. And the answer is, everyday.
He will always know where he's from. He will always know he was chosen. He will always know he is dearly loved. We will always tell him his adoption story and we will spend the rest of our lives telling him ours.
You see, God's word tells us that if you trust Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, than you are adopted into God's family.

"Even before He made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in His eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into His own family by bringing us to Himself through Jesus Christ. This is what He wanted to do, and it gave Him great pleasure. So we praise God for the glorious grace He has poured out on us who belong to His dear Son." {Ephesians 1:4-6}

Having an adopted son makes me so much more grateful for God's adoption.

It makes it that much more real.

I love Miles like my own.

He is mine.

And to think that God feels the same way about me is so amazing.

So humbling.

So whether it's bringing a child into your family or making a decision to accept Christ... make adoption an option.

{What to read more adoption stories? Head over to Kelly's Korner Blog and check them out.}

IN 8 DAYS

Miles was on this earth 248 days before we got to hold him in our arms.

Before we were able to hug him, kiss him, rock him, feed him.

I would love to have Miles' first 248 days.

But since that's not possible, the next best thing happens in just 8 days.

In 8 days, Miles will have been with us for 249 days.

In 8 days, Miles will have been with us longer that he's been without us.

In 8 days, Miles will have been part of our family longer than he was an orphan.

Let the countdown begin!

{ethiopia} DAY 5

Last day in Ethiopia and I didn't want to leave.

We were suppose to have three more days.

But, I knew we were doing the right thing.

We needed Miles to get well and it just wasn't happening there.

Since we weren't able to meet any of Miles' birth family that morning, we had the caregiver come early so we could do a little souvenir shopping before we had to meet Travis at Kolfe, the boys government orphanage, and for a tour and to get Miles' passport and visa.

To our surprise, Miles' Special Mother came with her.

After shopping for a couple of hours, we headed to Kolfe.

I honestly didn't know what to expect.

We were greeted by a dozen or more boys.

Sweet boys with big smiles on their faces.

Since I can't post any pictures of the boys, I thought I'd just post a few of the orphanage.

Outside by the kitchen.

The kitchen.

One of the dorms.

Garden.

Soccer field.

After we toured the facilities, Alex played soccer with a bunch of the kids while Keith and I talked to this young man.

He is 18 years old and has lived in the orphanage since he was a young boy. He is in school and told us that he has about 3 years left. The more he told us, the more our hearts broke for him. See, they are allowed to live there past 18 as long as they stay in school and stay out of trouble. He is studying to be a tour guide, but told us that he know that when he gets done with school, he won't be able to get a job because jobs are so hard to come by. He doesn't know what he will do. He told us that he practices his people skills by talking to people that come to visit and he hopes that will help him get a job when he get out of school.

It was like looking at Miles 18 years from now.

The whole time I was there, I kept thinking this could have been him.

He could have very easily ended up in a place very similar to this.

It was a hard afternoon.

After a couple of hours, we left and headed back to the guest home to finish packing.

Before leaving for the airport, Miles' Special Mother came by for one last goodbye. She came in and just held him for a while.

After all our bags were loaded up and we were ready to leave, she walked with us to the car, carrying Miles in her arms. Before handing him to me, she just stared at him, kissed him all over his face, hugged him, said something to him in Amharic.

After she and the caregiver finished saying their goodbyes, we hugged them both, told them thank you one last time and headed to the airport.

It was time to take Miles home.

{ethiopia} DAY 4

Thursday was a long day.

There was something scheduled for us all day long.

This would also be the first time we left Miles.

Miles was only allowed to leave the guest house with us to go to Gladney Foster Care, to the doctor, or to the Embassy. Any other time we left, one of the caregivers from Gladney came to the guest house to stay with him.

I spent the first part of the morning on the phone with the airlines trying to move our flights up. After talking to our doctor, we felt like the best thing would be to get Miles home. We were suppose to fly out Sunday evening, but our airline had a flight leaving Friday night. We were told the flight was full but we could leave a number and they would call us if anything opened up. Twenty minutes later, they called back and told us they had three spots open up if we wanted them. We went ahead and booked them and just prayed that we would get Miles' passport and visa in time.

We met up with the other Gladney families that morning at the Holy Trinity Church for a tour. Travis took us through the church and gave us quite a history lesson. The Church is the burial site of Emperor Haile Selassie and his wife and it also houses a memorial to the first victims of the Derg regime.

After spending the morning at the church, we went back to the guest house to pick up Miles for our interview at the Embassy. The caregiver stayed there because she was watching Miles again later that evening.

Whenever we went anywhere with Miles, I just held him in the back seat.

Alex usually took pictures out the window as we drove.

He actually ended up taking most of the pictures while we were there.

On the way to the Embassy, Alex snapped this picture.

Of all the pictures Alex took, this is one of my favorite.

Our interview at the Embassy was quick and easy. Waiting in the warm, crowded room for our turn was the hardest part. They asked us questions about Miles... where was he born, the name of the hospital, how he ended up in Gladney care, how old he was, if we met him before we passed court. We knew the answers to all the questions, but it was also helpful that Joanna came around while we were waiting and made sure we knew what to say and was there to help if we had any questions.

After we were done at the Embassy, we stopped by the doctor so Miles could get another shot, then we went back to the guest house. We spent a couple of hours there hanging out with the caregiver and Miles' Special Mother, who had walked over from another guest house. It ended up being a sweet time because they shared stories about Miles with us.

They remembered when he came to Addis... "Misikir, tiny baby. So little".

They also told us... "Misikir, good baby. Such good baby. No cry".

Then they laughingly said..."In morning, we turn babies on tummies and they cry and cry, they no like, but Misikir, he lays head down and goes to sleep. And we take babies outside and lay blanket and babies cry, they no like sun in their eyes, but Misikir, he goes to sleep."

Every update we received on Miles said he was a laid back little guy. To this day, that seems to be true.

After we visited for a while, we headed to dinner with the other Glandey families. We went to a cultural dinner that had Ethiopian food and traditional dancing.

By the time we got back, Miles was fast asleep.

If I haven't said it before, let me just say that Gladney Center for Adoption is AMAZING. Their staff is AWESOME and they take such great care of you, from the paperchase all the way to picking up your child.

We are very proud to be a part of the Gladney family!