Making Our House-Your Home

With just 6 days until we fly to Ethiopia-Rob, Kenny and I have been spending a great deal of time planning, packing and finalizing documents for this first trip to meet Isaiah Minalachew. Already in 3 days we have had many friends supporting our fundraising drive by ordering online, and more friends are out getting support with a "door to door" letter.

One of the last things on the "list" was preparing Isaiah Minalachew's room. The social worker told us on trip #1 to prepare a photo album of places he would see in Austin (like the pool :)) and pictures of rooms in our house, and family members. Preparing this was like another "application"-I spent days scouring over pictures hoping each one would convey to him what we can't on this first trip--"Isaiah we have loved you even before we knew who you were-and since then we have been praying for you each and every day". During the past few weeks we had the push to get the last picture for his album ready--his room. Prior to the adoption the 3rd bedroom upstairs had been my "overflow closest" and Kenny's play room. During the past 6 months of waiting Kenny and I slowly said our goodbyes to clothes and toys to make way for a new purpose for the space. During the past 3 weeks we enlisted the help of a very dear friend to paint, decorate, and prepare a space for him that would welcome him into our house-as he had our hearts months ago.

Attached is just one of the pictures in the small 4 x 6 album we are taking to him-these pictures will be given to him after we leave, once court proceedings are finalized. Rob, Kenny and I have poured a lot of love into this album as it will be the first thing that he receives that identifies his new family to him-even before he meets us again as mom and dad. Now in my head I know it is unrealistic to put so much pressure on just 20 photos-however in my heart and my prayers I hope that something will touch him and help him to see that there has been a lot of love poured into a space that he hasn't even been in-in anticipation of the day of his arrival into his new home.