Days 3-5

Dune Crashing, Camel Rides and Dinner

(In the Dunes during a break from the craziness below)

(Scary tricks... I thought we were going to die)

(More Crazy Dune Crashing)

(After the sun started to set they took us to this camp for dinner)

(The Middle Eastern Cuisine was Yummy!)

(Captain Crazy got a henna tattoo)

(Then he got another... the first was a butterfly and he needed something with more muscle)

(Father and son watching the belly dancer)

(Captain getting kisses from the camel- they were actually very nice!)
(the camels not the kisses)

(We enjoyed the camel rides- still part of the Dune Crashing Adventure)

(Madinot- the hotel was linked with ours and they had shops and restaurants)

(Captain LOVED that he could get a kids meal in Dubai)

(Standing in front of the Full Ski Hill with a Chair Lift inside the mall)(Atlantis Hotel Aquarium)

Dubai was a lot of fun. My favorite thing that we did while we were there was the Dune Crashing Adventure. We used Arabian Adventures and I HIGHLY recommend them!!! They picked us up drove us to the dunes. We met up with about 20 other nice new tahoe trucks and they let our some air from their tires and we drove through the dunes for about 45 minutes. Just a note... Captain and Hubby started off in the very back seats and both got sick. I was fine and I was in the second row. I would recommend being picky about where you sit. We ended up at a really cool camp that was set up for our dinner. Captain got a henna tattoo, we watched the belly dancer and rode camels. The funny thing about Dubai is the pricing is all over the place. But, I think this only cost about $70 per person which was well worth it.

Our hotel was actually owned by the Sheikh Mohammed... and it was connected to 3 resorts. we enjoyed being driven in the golf cart over to the Madinot... it was gorgeous and had a Souk (which was a bunch of stores and restaurants). They also had a coffee shop that we loved especially because it was nearly impossible to find anywhere that served breakfast for some reason. We also visited 2 insanely huge malls while we were there. One had a huge snow hill complete with a chair lift and the other had a full size ice skating rink, aquarium and underwater zoo. Our last day there took a cab (which is very affordable and easy in Dubai) to the Palm Island and walked through the Atlantis Hotel.

Days 1 & 2 (Postings from our trip)

Day 1

(Packed and ready to go: 4 suitcases, 2 rubbermaid bins, 2 backpacks, laptop case & my purse- Whew!)

(Ready for the trip of a lifetime!)

(Captain slept soundly most of the flight. He loved the eye mask and socks Emirates provided him)
Day 2

(View from our hotel room of the Burj Al Arab Hotel)
(The beach at our Hotel)
At breakfast (which was hard to find in Dubai) our Hotel in the background(Captain and Hubby having fun in the water -Arabian Gulf)
(These camels were all around the property painted in different colors)
(Captain testing out the Flow Rider at Wild Wadi's)
(Another pic at Wild Wadi's)

Okay... I am going to try and get caught up here little by little. The day we left for Ethiopia was bittersweet. I had to leave Cuddlebear and Belle and that was extremely hard. I am also a very nervous flyer (I always think that the worst might happen) and that day was no different. I remember feeling relieved that the luggage was packed and we were finally going to meet our son, and at the same time wishing I had stayed home and just let Hubby pick him up b/c I was so nervous about being away from Belle and Cuddlebear for 2 WHOLE weeks.

The plane ride was great. We flew Emirates and I highly recommend them. Their in flight entertainment was fantastic, they had wonderful customer service, and they catered to kids (giving Captain backpacks with activities and toys and serving kids meals before the regular adult menu items). The food was good as far as plane food goes too. The flight was long- 16 hours... but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Something that surprised me was the route they took. We went up and over Canada, over the North Pole, over Greenland and then over Iran. Captain thought that us going over the North Pole was the coolest thing ever!
When we finally arrived in Dubai I was SO EXCITED!!! The airport was elaborate... it was huge, new and beautiful. It was night time and the drive to our hotel was neat b/c of all the lights along the beach area.
We stayed at the Jumeriah Beach Hotel and they had beautiful rooms (ours even had a view of the famous Burj Al Arab Hotel), a beach, pools, and they were connected to Wild Wadi's Waterpark. You actually received free admission with your room, and Captain had a blast there as you can see from the pictures above. Captain also thought it was cool that the beach he stood in was connected to the same waters his grandfather would have waded in as a child living in Iran.

HOME

So, it turns out that the transition time is a little rougher than I had expected. It is hard to find time to blog with a almost 3 year old that does not speak or understand English and needs constant supervision . However, I wanted to let everyone in blogland know that we are home and we are adjusting well. I have great pictures of Dubai, Ethiopia and our sweet new addition that I will post (eventually).

A few tidbits to tide you over...

Dubai was a ton of fun, and I highly recommend anyone flying to Ethiopia via Emirates takes the opportunity to enjoy a few days in Dubai.

Ethiopia was life-changing, heart breaking and beautiful. I hope to return someday with all of my kiddos. Captain (my 7 year old) had an amazing trip!

Sweet M* is adjusting well. He was difficult in Ethiopia- just a lot of tantrums. But, since we have been home he has come into his own. He is loving, funny, adorable and can kick a soccer ball like nobody's business. He has touched our hearts and changed us for the better.
I can't wait to have the time to post more.

Underwear for Ethiopia- HUGE SUCCESS!!!!!

It started with boxes like this...

And, it soon turned into rubbermaid bins packed to the top...

With underwear of all sizes and gender...

And, the results are...
Together we are sending OVER 1,220 pairs of Underwear to Children living in Orphanages in Ethiopia. My initial goal was 100... I am amazed and thankful. Not only does this serve the basic need... BUT IT LETS THEM KNOW THEY ARE LOVED, VALUED, CARED FOR & THOUGHT OF!!!!

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE THAT PARTICIPATED!!!
And, a special thanks to my fellow blogger who ran a drive in her neighborhood for us... she was able to collect 431 pairs of underwear and then shipped them all to me to take to Ethiopia. Karen you and your friends and family inspire me.

Adoption Celebration Party!!!

Today we were thrown an Adoption Celebration Party by our family. It was so much fun to all be together to celebrate Sweet M*. coming home. Our family did an AMAZING job, the kids played pin the dot on Ethiopia (like pin the tail on the donkey), they colored Ethiopian flags, people were able to make a note for Shea on the scrapbook table and there was the most beautiful cake! But, the part of the day that meant most to me was sitting in a prayer circle being surrounded by so many prayers and well wishes for safe travels and a smooth transition for M* into our family. I can't tell you how loved that made us feel. Sweet M* has already stolen our hearts and the hearts of those that surround us. It is amazing to watch how many people have been touched by this amazing adoption experience. We are excited (& a little nervous) to be so close to finally meeting our son and we thank everyone who has helped us through this process. We leave in just 4 days... I can't believe we are actually at this point!!!

Underwear for Ethiopia Update!!!

I have in my possession over 150 pairs of NEW undies for kids living in orphanages in Ethiopia... plus we have collected $210 in monetary donations which we will use to fill in gaps on sizes/ gender that we do not receive by our deadline next Wed. April 21st.
Plus, another AMAZING mom and blogger was gracious enough to join in and host a drive herself and she sent me an update this morning that she already has received 258 pairs of underwear. 258 pairs!!!!
That means our total thus far is over 400 pairs of NEW/ Packaged Underwear!!!! Good thing I am packing light so we can fill rubbermaid bins of undies :) I already contacted my agency so that they could help find more orphanages in need so that each and every pair will be given to the most needy children.
We are making a difference!!! Thank you Everyone!!!

Dear Family & Friends

We leave in One Week!!!

As we prepare to travel and bring home M* we wanted to give everyone a "heads up" on what to expect when we come home. Please try to put yourselves in our boy's shoes... for all of us this is a happy exciting time but, for him it is another scary transition. He is entering a whole new culture, language, and family. To him we are complete strangers. Yes, we sent him photos and a voice recorder so he could hear our voice, and he has also been working with a social worker who is helping to prepare him. But, at almost 3 years old nothing can prepare you for such a HUGE life altering change. So, in order to help us bond and attach with Sweet M* (and allow M* to get used to us and his surroundings) we are requesting that we not have any visitors for at least 2 weeks.
Trust me it is not easy for me to turn away family and friends who come with kindness in their hearts to our door, but I have to protect my son. I have to put that mama bear mentality in action. After the 2 weeks we will re-evaluate where M* is and update everyone on how we will move forward. It very well may be that we sort of stay in incubation for anywhere up to 6-8 weeks.
However, if you do not want to wait that long to see M*'s sweet sweet face in person we are inviting family & friends to meet us at the airport to welcome him home when we arrive on May 7th. We are asking that everyone gives Cuddlebear and Belle a chance to see and meet their brother first, but after that we will all be excited to see familiar faces and share our new son. I can't promise we will hang around long bc I am going to base it completely on M*. If you want details you can leave a comment or send me a facebook message.

Travel Booked!!!

Wow... chaos has stepped in a bit... it is crazy!!! This whole process (adoption) has taken years. I have felt like I have been living in a permanent holding pattern and now all of the sudden not only are things moving... but they are being fast tracked. Last week we found out that we made it into the earlier travel group. This means we will have our Embassy date on May 4th, we have to be in Ethiopia the Tuesday prior to travel to the original orphanage that cared for our son. And, because we are flying Emirates and they stop in Dubai before heading to Ethiopia we decided we should stay and explore a few days there first. Take all that into account and you will realize- we leave NEXT WEEK!!!!
My head is spinning but so far everything is coming together nicely (note- I am writing this before I have packed ANYTHING). We will see how nicely it is coming together after we pack up this weekend :)

Underwear for Ethiopia

Yes, that's right as funny as it may sound underwear can be a luxury for children living in orphanages. So, we are hosting an Underwear Donation Drive.
We are collecting NEW underwear in UNOPENED packages
now thru April 25th.
My personal goal is to bring 100 pairs of new underwear.
The sizes needed are 2T-12. The greatest need is boys sizes 5-12.
We will deliver the donations to several orphanages in Ethiopia
when we travel to bring our son home.

If you would like more information or to donate leave a comment on this post.
Please remember to leave your email address.

Easter 2010!!!

Happy Easter!!!

Today was jam-packed with Easter festivities. We were fortunate enough to celebrate with great friends (both new and old) and family. Exhausting... but beautiful. I LOVE being a mom and I love celebrating holidays with family and friends. Today was a GREAT day!!!

Happy Easter!!!

Here are some pictures from the past few days as we counted down to Easter. Our sweet neighbor invites us over every year to decorate eggs and make cupcakes. Belle wasn't too sure she wanted to dye eggs at first. But, in the end as long as she could put a princess sticker on it she was happy. Oh, and as long as she didn't have to put her fingers in the dye. So, mom's fingers were purple for a few days ;) Captain and Cuddlebear had fun spending some time with their buddy who was able to come along... we are pretty excited bc his family (as of today) is now officially moved into our neighborhood- Woot Woot!!! I am sure there are plenty of good memories to come. Now off to bed I go to hopefully catch some sleep for those egg hunts in the morning ;) Happy Easter!

Travel Dates!!!

WOW... I am still flying high with excitement from getting the news that Sweet M* is my son. I can't even put into words the excitement and anticipation that I feel right now. I have a lot of updates so lets get started.

Travel Dates- We found out yesterday that we are traveling May 11-21st. We may leave May 9th if we think we can leave the kiddos and business long enough to visit the orphanage that Sweet M* was in initially. We really want to make this happen but its just a matter of if it is a real possibility or not at this point?? We also are advocating for squeezing in the earlier travel group which would leave April 27th- May 7th. But, our agency is not sure they can process the required paperwork in time. I am keeping my fingers crossed though as those dates would be MUCH better for us. But, either way we are ecstatic. The thought that we will be meeting our son and coming home to finally be a completed family is just overwhelming... and GOOD!

Orphanage Donations- We are starting an underwear donation drive. Our transition house and the orphanage could use boys and girls underwear in sizes 2T-12. We are hoping to bring tubs of NEW/ clean underwear for the kids. I know they are short especially on boys sizes 5-10. If anyone out there in blogland wants to help contribute leave a comment with your email address and I will email you my mailing address.
They are also in need of soy formula (parents choice available at Walmart), diapers in all sizes (but more smaller bc the kiddos are potty trained very young), new and like new kids and teen clothing, dark colored tights for kids 1-4 yrs, lice shampoo, hydrocortizone cream, diaper rash ointment, band aids, multi vitamins (drops for infants, chewable for kids), toothbrushes, toothpaste, & plastic pants.

TO MY FAMILY/ FRIENDS- Some of you have asked if we need anything for Sweet M*. Or if we are having a shower. The answer is thank you so much but, no. We are so lucky to already have EVERYTHING we need for him. What we really would like is for our family and friends who would like to have given a gift to help us by giving donations for us to bring to the transition house and orphanage when we travel. Families that traveled before us have been bringing donations that have helped Sweet M* while he is there. It is a pay it forward type system and we would LOVE to help the kiddos who will follow in our sweet boy's footsteps. And, each little bit helps. We thank you in advance for your generosity and understanding.

WE PASSED!!!

I was woken up at 1am this morning to see that I received an email at 11:46pm from Megan (our agency's program director) informing us that WE PASSED!!!!

Swwt M* is now "officially" our son. We are elated... on cloud 9... and so very thankful for this day. It is about 2am now and I just can't sleep I am so OVERJOYED and EXCITED!!!

Thank you EVERYONE for your support the past few weeks.