Exactly One Year Ago

Hard to believe that a year has already gone by since we first gazed on Eden's face. Just like a mother can usually recall every detail of the labor of a child a mother also remembers every single detail surrounding the day she gets the phone call telling her of her child who is waiting half a world away!

Last year on January 9th the weather was pretty mild. I know this because Mark and the two older boys were outside and on the garage roof when the phone rang. I never did find out what they were doing on the roof but some things are better left unknown. I was in the office looking out the window at the boys enjoying their fathers time at home when the phone rang. When I answered I heard Tami's voice on the other end. I was so confused. I thought "I am sure everything was okay in our dossier but maybe a document is out of place or there is a problem". Not even for a moment did I entertain the thought that it could be our referral call. When she said, "I have some news for you" I am quite sure my heart stopped for a moment. I told her to wait so I could get Mark. I am eternally grateful that Mark happened to be at home that day. It would have killed me to tell her we would call her after Mark got home from work. Of course he would have received a frantic phone call to come home right way but still....waiting 30-45 minutes would have felt like an eternity. He hurried and brought the boys in and we each picked up a phone. She started telling us all the details: 7 month old little girl - Eden Belachew, double orphan, only listed relatives where a fraternal uncle and a half-brother, had arrived at the orphanage in Addis Ababa the same day our dossier arrived, was being treated for pneumonia, yada, yada, yada.......She then said she was hitting the send button on her email so we crowded around the computer each jockeying for the better position. I was still feeling like this was a dream. How were we getting this phone call after only 2 months of waiting? It just didn't seem possible. And then we saw the above two pictures. We could not believe how beautiful she was!!! We finished up our phone call after making tentative arrangements for our court date.

We flew around the house frantically making phone calls to our family. I called my mom at work, my sister at work and just kept going down through my family. We had life group that night and so we called Mark's family and said, "Hey, since we are going to be in town for life group how about if we come in early and pick up some pizza?"

We got to their house and waited until all Mark's sisters got home from their different activities and then told them the news!! We pulled up her pictures and told them everything we knew! We went to life group and somehow were the last couple to share what was going on their life that week. We were about coming out of our skin!!! Everyone was so excited and again we pulled out the pictures!

Each update we received she was growing a little bit and changing. Especially her hair. I couldn't believe when they finally placed her in my arms how much hair she had. In 3 months she went from basically no hair to a beautiful head of hair!!

So, today I am remembering with great fondness all the details surrounding the "birth" of our daughter! She has added an amazing amount of life and laughter to our family! We feel blessed beyond measure! And to be completely honest....I kind of wish we could relive that day again.