On our way (almost) - and a thank you!

We are almost on our way.... this time next week, we will be on our way home - WITH SARA JOY!!!  Sara's things are packed.  The totes are packed.  Tim is partially packed.  I am partially packed.  It's been a LONG day and I'm ready for it to be over.  I hope I'm this tired when I hop on that 17 hour plane ride tomorrow afternoon...

The totes:
We have totes PACKED FULL OF SUPPLIES!!!  We were thrilled with all of the donations that people made for the little orphan darlings in Ethiopia.  You can't imagine what I was able to fit in those totes.  I'll tell you a bit of what we have in there:
3 soccer balls
20 bibs
over 150 pair of socks (YEA!!!!)
scrubs (in all sizes)
diapers
latex gloves
26 tubes of toothpaste
over 350 tooth brushes
4000 stickers
4 boxes of crayons
coloring books
2 thermometers
tubs of diaper rash cream
baby tylenol
band-aids
hand sanitizer
baby lotion
vaseline
kids' clothes
teething gel
2 infant pop up toys
toddler bead toy

I want to thank everyone who sent donations for our family to take to Ethiopia.  I want to say a special thank you to "D" who drove all the way from her home in NC today, 1 1/2 hours each way, to drop 300 toothbrushes and a dozen tubes of toothpaste on my front porch.  She also sent 4 different sized sets of nursing scrubs - all packaged by size, with a ribbon tied around them to keep them neatly packed.  It was touching for me to think that someone would drive 3 hours round trip to make sure our family got to take some supplies to Ethiopia.  She also gave us a monetary donation to purchase items in Ethiopia that are better purchased there. 

This was just one of the many touching donations that were made.  This one really touched my heart though, because of the distance that this wonderful woman of God went to make sure we could take these items.  Again, thank you "D" for having such a big heart :) 

To everyone who so generously donated - THANK YOU!  I pray that God will bless you many times over in return.  I can't wait to bring these items over to the orphanages and take pictures of the little ones again!

I really can not believe how close we are to bringing our little Sara Joy home.  It's now right around the corner!  I'm looking forward to meeting up with all of my travel friends in Washington.  Safe travels to the Brocious, Wright, Baum and Warren families.... can't wait to see you all! 

Please pray for our travels.  Please pray for a smooth transition for Sara Joy into our family.  I pray she gets to know us and is comfortable with us before we turn her world upside down by bringing her home.  Pray for our travels with an 18 month old.  Also, please pray for my mom and Denis as they care for the kids while we are away - and for Cameron and Anna, that they will be safe while we are away and that they will have so much fun with grandma and Denis that they will not miss us too much.

I can't wait to come home and share pictures.  Last time we were in Ethiopia I was not able to update the blog.  I'll have to do it when I get home.  If you want, join me on facebook...I'll be able to update on there while we are in Ethiopia.

Next time I post, Sara Joy will be a US citizen and will be sleeping in her bed for the very first time!!!

So happy to be on this journey!
In Christ,
Charity