A Gift From the Post Family! (pics/vids of Nara included!)

We thought we'd share a video and picture montage that our good friends Trent and Carmen Post with Make Your Mark Ministries in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia put together for us. They blessed us by going to visit Nara a few days after she was referred to us. They shared the video with us when they were in Charlotte back in December of 2012. Enjoy!

Nara's Referral Montage from Ryan on Vimeo.

Traditional Ethiopian Dinner

We were very excited to eat a traditional Ethiopian meal complete with dancing and singing.  Our daughters' culture is so rich and beautiful and we hope that she can retain some of her culture as she grows up. 

Pouring the traditional "honey wine". 

Washing hands before we eat. 

The traditional meal. The rolled up bread is what you use to pick up the different items and everyone eats off of this same dish. 

 They pretty much made everyone in our group get up and dance ha! 

What's Next for Nara's Journey Home?

Courtney and I have been home from our first trip to Ethiopia to visit Nara for 1 week now, and it would be an understatement to say that we miss her. There are still so many thoughts and emotions running through our minds when looking back at our time with Nara. We hope to have her home for good in 3-6 weeks. I guess until now, we haven’t given it very much thought as to how we would need to adjust to meet Nara’s physical and emotional needs once we have her in our home. We tend to get so caught up in the idea of the situation that we fail to face the reality of it at the same time.

Nara has experienced a lot of pain in her very short 3 years of life on earth…poverty, abandonment, orphanage life, and being transplanted now four times (including us) to different caregivers just to name a few. For those of you in the adoption “circle” you’ll know what I’m talking about when I mention the word “cocooning”, but for those outside the circle you’re wondering, “What do butterflies have to do with adoption?” Cocooning is the strategy that many adoption resources suggest to facilitate bonding and attachment once you bring an adopted child into your home. It basically consists of keeping her at home with us for the first 6-8 weeks of being home from Ethiopia, with very minimal outside visitors or outings. It also means that Courtney and I would be the only ones allowed to hold, feed, bathe, clothe, comfort, console, and meet her needs during the 6-8 week period.

Some of you may be thinking, “That sounds crazy! You shouldn’t isolate her or shelter a kid like that.” Just a few weeks ago, I would have agreed with you, but after meeting my daughter and getting a glimpse of the world that she’s known so far in her lifetime, I’m beginning to see the benefits of this “cocooning” idea. Nara needs to know that for the first time in her life what a family is and what it means to trust. She needs a calm and minimal-stress environment that she’s never experienced up until this point. Most of the memories or ideas that she currently has of family or parents are negative. She’s been passed from caregiver to caregiver which obviously creates confusion for her as to whom she should trust to meet her needs. She needs the chance at a “fresh” emotional start to bond and attach to the parents that God had planned for her since before time.

With that being said, I’d like to layout the “Game Plan” that Courtney and I plan to put into place once we get Nara home.

First off, let me say that we KNOW that everyone (friends/family) have been praying and waiting on this moment for a long time. We can’t express to you all how much your prayers and encouragement have meant to us along the way. In fact, once we get her home, we’ll need that prayer and encouragement more than ever. This plan of action is not meant to shelter Nara or to keep her from all of you that so badly want to meet her and love her. Just trust us, if she healthily bonds to Courtney and I, her bond to you will be all the healthier. So please trust and respect our decision on how we’ll handle our first weeks/months home with Nara. The decisions we are making are based solely off the advice of experts and families who have gone before us. Ultimately, these decisions are being made to keep Nara’s best interests in mind… which is why we started this process in the first place.

We plan to implement our “game plan” for at least the first 6-8 weeks after arriving home with Nara. We will eliminate all unnecessary outings and activities during this time period. We will allow limited visitors during this crucial time. Courtney and I will be the ONLY ones to hold, feed, clothe, bathe, comfort, console, and show excessive affection to Nara during this phase. This is not to shelter or “hog” Nara but to eliminate all possible confusion as to whom her parents are.

Nara after a mini "meltdown".

This “game plan” will obviously change and adapt as we watch her blossom and evolve in her ability to create attachment with Courtney and I. I look forward to the day we can look back and see the “before” pictures of Nara and say, “ Wow, look how far she’s come…she doesn’t even seem like the same kid.” While in Addis we witnessed such a timid, unsure, scared child. We got a few glimpses of the “real” Nara while we were there and we believe that this plan of action will help peel back the layers to get to the “real” Nara.

Ryan/Courtney

Meetcha Day

After a 14 hour flight we landed in Addis Ababa at 8:30am. We were picked up by our driver and taken to Yebsabi guest house where we told we had 30 minutes to freshen up before we would be taken to meet our daughter! We were so exhausted from traveling but I think our adrenaline kicked in and we were too excited to be nervous. We stood in front of the doorway of the transition home where I have seen so many pictures of other families meeting their children. Couldn't believe it was finally our turn to stand in that same spot and meet our daughter for the first time! She walked right out the door with the cutest smile on her face and immediately came over and put her little arm around me. We had been told she was shy so we were surprised that she came right to us. I love how she is checking me out in the picture below. The first thing her daddy told her was I love you and she grinned again. So sweet! 

First moments with Nara

First family photo

She loved having her nails painted!

Can't get over how beautiful she is...

Nara and her coco doll. One of the very first things we bought her when we first decided to adopt. 

We have a very sweet video of our first moments with Nara but we are going to save it for a later date. Some very special friends of ours who are photographers have asked if they can put together a video of our story from when we started the process until we bring her home. Actually it isn't our story but His. As Donald Miller put it ..."If I have a hope, it's that God sat over the dark nothing and wrote you and me, specifically into the story, and put us in with the sunset and the rainstorm as though to say, Enjoy your place in my story. The beauty of it means you matter, and you can create within it even as I have created you." Nara matters and she is a daughter of the king. Can't believe I get to be her momma. So glad God is still in the business of placing the lonely in families and that we listened to His call. 

I keep thinking about the lyrics from the song by Audio Adrenaline that someone posted on my facebook page last week...

"Boys become kings, girls will be queens

Wrapped in Your majesty

When we love, when we love the least of these

Then they will be brave and free

Shout Your name in victory

when we love, when we love the least of these!"

Meet Nara!

Meet our daughter Nara Thomas!!!! We passsed court last Tuesday and are now waiting to be submitted to Embassy. In the next few days I'm going to work on blogging about our trip to Ethiopia to meet her. Until then I wanted to share this sweet and precious little face! Can't wait to bring her home!

Long time coming....

It's been about 4 years since I last stepped foot on the continent of Africa while on a Mission Trip with my church. On that trip to South Africa was when God truly began planting the seed of adoption on mine and Ryan's hearts. Little did I know that the next time I visited this beautiful place called Africa it would be to meet my daughter. It's been a long road with lots of ups and downs but I know without a doubt that the journey has molded and shaped me for my greater good. There are so many emotions as I type this. Tomorrow we leave for Ethiopia and I am still trying to grasp what is about to take place. For the last 2 1/2 years not a day has gone by that we haven't prayed over and thought about our sweet girl. One of the first gifts Nara ever received was a frame from her Grandma Tammy. She gave it to us not long after we started this process so we could hang it in her room. The frame has a saying on it which reads..."Before I knew you, I loved you." This saying couldn't be more true. Now it is hanging on her wall with this sweet picture in it. 

I have died everyday waiting for youDarling don't be afraid I have loved youFor a thousand yearsI'll love you for a thousand more
One step closer....next stop Ethiopia! 

Flights Are Booked!

We are so excited to announce that we FINALLY have a court date for March 19th!!! A positive letter was written by MOWCYA this week so we will soon be on our way to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to meet our little Nara for the first time :) She is a little "cheeser" in all the pics we have of her from our monthly updates. Can't wait til after we pass court when she will be OURS so I can finally post them! So thankful we will get to spend a week with her on this trip but already dreading having to leave her until we can return for Embassy. Thank you all for your prayers as we continue our journey to bring her home!