It's still surreal...

We fly out Saturday the 26th and arrive in Addis on the morning of the 28th. We had hoped to stay at our agencies transition home, but it will be full for the first few days that we are there, so we will be staying at the Hilton. I cannot wait to meet our little SweetPea and start getting to know her.
I have been stressed out lately trying to decide what to bring and what to leave; whether I'm going to sorely miss something if I don't bring it, or if it will irritate me that I brought something that I didn't need and wasted the some of the precious weight allowance for our bags... I am always very "Type A" about packing for trips and this trip has brought out some extreme version of that in my personality. I am very thankful, though, for the individuals that have already traveled to get their little ones that have given lists on the message boards of things that they had wished they had left at home or brought with them. It is really helping with my stress-inducing packing.
D has been taking care of all of the last minute paperwork, which we got notarized this morning; and has coordinated all of our travel arrangements.
The Bean is hanging in there pretty well, although twice she began to tear up when we were discussing our trip. She's since found out that Grandma is coming to take care of her while we are away and I haven't seen a hint of tears yet.
On Friday, I was shocked to find that my co-workers had been hiding a secret from me. They had been coordinating with the different groups at work and gotten SweetPea a present. My director called me into her office and put a little gift bag in from of me with a little gift card on the front for SweetPea. She told me that they had all wanted to get something for SweetPea and asked me to open it. I was speechless when I reached into the bag and pulled out a wad of cash. I, of course, began crying (I do that a lot lately) and wasn't able to say much at that point. My director said that they were all so amazed at what D and I were doing and that everybody in the building had been dropping off cash all week. I was really amazed because the amount they had put together was enough to cover SweetPea's flight and a good portion of our hotel stay. Sobbing, I tried to explain to my director, that I really couldn't accept it and it wasn't all that amazing since we needed another daughter and SweetPea needed a family; that it was more destiny than some amazing act on our part but she just hugged me (teary-eyed herself) and told me that she was proud of me. It was so maternal and sweet that it made me cry more; I'm such a mushball.
This weekend was full of tennis matches, soccer games, picnicking, birthday parties, and golf-carting around town in the beautiful weather. I can't wait until SweetPea is here to share all of this with us; she was all that was missing.

D playing with The Bean, and Cait & Jason Nard.

Brew and his best bud Jason Nard.
Jason Nard turns two!

The beautiful multi-use paths that weave throughout our town.