We're Off!

We are leaving shortly to head to Dulles. I am giving us plenty of time for the drive, and arriving at least 3 hours in advance of our departure. I find myself doing a lot of obsessive/compulsive behaviors...

• checking that I have our passports
• checking that I have all of our flight info and emergency contact numbers
• "cleaning" little areas of the house
• checking the fridge to see if anything needs to be tossed before we go (don't want to come home to a stinky fridge!)
• checking my email/Google Blog Reader (for last-minute news of referrals:)

Things I am not doing compulsively...

• weighing the bags (they are heavy, but I trust that they are not over weight)
• checking inside my bags to see what I have packed (behold, the power of the list!)
• checking the mailbox

Some closure to previous questions:

• I took enough underpants that I should not have to send any for washing
• I am not locking my luggage, but I am closing it with zip ties and packing zip ties for the trip home. Do they have scissors at Ayat?
• I do not have my homework done. But I am hoping to get a lot done while waiting at the terminal. This is where my mom and the portable DVD player will come in very handy!

I want to give a big shout out to Laura who has graciously offered to manage the FBI list for me. This has really been a relief over the past few days and should hopefully decrease my stress while I am gone and when I return, while also maintaining the accuracy of the list:) Thank you so much, Laura! I really appreciate it, and I know everyone else appreciates it, too!

To those families who have sent care packages and are awaiting pictures, I will pray for your child while I hold them, hum a lullaby while I cuddle them, and whisper your love in their ear. If you have not emailed me with your home address, please do that so that I can send your SD card right away when I get back to the states.

For those families awaiting a referral, even if you don't yet know your babe's name and face, know that I will be loving on them and praying for them as I meet them in Ethiopia.

And for those that are still in the paperchase stage, waiting on approvals and home studies and feeling like so many people are holding up your process, know this: your dossier will be ready at exactly the time it needs to be to match you with your beautiful little one. Neither God nor Gladney will forget you.

Thank you all for your prayers and support in this journey- there are so many who have emailed me in the past few days, and I am sorry that I have not been able to reply to each email. But know that I am feeling so loved and supported right now. It's a great feeling.

My sister should be updating my blog for me, so tune in for updates. And I have something very special set to publish tomorrow, so y'all come back, ya hear?