Here's a sweet picture of Ahnya first bath in Africa! She is so trusting!!! She wasn't sure of the bath...but keep looking into my eyes for reassurance!!

This is Ato Girma, our guest house manager and coordinator. He was a sweet and kind man who did a great job keeping track of all the families and our needs in Africa.

The picture to the side is one of my favorites! These are some of the families that we traveled with and their darling babies. All the families in our travel group plan to forever keep in touch as our children are bonded as brothers and sisters for life! What a beautiful memory and one I will never forget!

We made it...and a cherry on the top!

We made it home...and what an amazing feeling to be with my wonderful husband and two little girls. I can't even begin to explain how much I missed them. There's no way I'm ever going to leave them again! Our family is perfect in every way and little Ahnya is the cherry on the top!

It's so nice to come home to a clean house with electricity and running water!!!!!!!!! Oh, how I hope I never take the little things for granted again! God bless America!

Pray for our safe journey home

Our journey to Africa has come to an end and I am thrilled to be on our way home! Electricity has been non-existent most of the week. So this is why I haven't posted more. Sorry!

Right now I'm at the airport in ET and we are waiting to board the plane!!!! I don't have a whole lot of time to elaborate about our time, but I will say it was a trip of a lifetime and one that I would definitely do over and over again for our beautiful baby girl! She has captured my heart and I know you will fall in love with her too! Ahnya and I have developed a good bond together. I've learned so much about her. She's so funny and smart. It's funny because she can be wild and crazy just like Gabbi and Jojo. I swear she says momma and dada, too! Ahnya is feeling better with her day 2 of Omnisef antibiotic for ear infection and respritory infection. She has a deep cough and terrible diahrea blow outs. So I hope the plane ride goes good! If not, it's going to be interesting.

Hope to see you at the airport and love to you all! Ann

Today Ahnya is ours forever!

Today we have the Farwell Ceremony at the Orphanage for the children. This is when the nannies and staff say "good bye" to the kids and entrust them in our care. It is sure to be a tearful and touchhing event. Then off to the Embassy to declare Ahnya as a US Citizen!!!! This will be a day full of events and very tiresome as well. So as of 9:30 a.m. (less than 30 mintes) Ahnya will be in my arms forever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I don't have a lot of time to post, but Ahnya is such an easy and super sweet baby. Her peronsality is easy and relaxed. She doesn't cry much; unless she's hungry or wants to be held. She's ticklish, smiley, and overall happy. Ahnya is smaller than I initially thought. She's in 3-6 or 6 month clothing, wears size 1 shoes, and size 1 diapers! Oh, my goodness, such a beauty. The internet and electricity sucks here! So downloading pics is hard so all I have time to share is 1 photo. She's just a doll and you all are going to love her. Hugs to everyone, Love Ann

Time together with Ahnya

The weather has been great and all of us are well.

Kirstie and I took a trip to Hosana to meet Ahnya's birth mother. It was a tremendous experience and we feel very blessed for the life we lead in America.

I got to have Ahnya all to myself for a 1/2 day today. I fed her a bottle today for the first time. I also changed her diaper. We are bonding and love looking into each other's eyes.

Tonite we go shopping and out to eat.

Tomorrow Ahnya will be with me full time!!!! We are anxious to be home in Minnesota with our family. Love to Ryan, Gabbi & Jocelyn! We'll be home soon!

Day 3 in Ethiopia

We have spent that last couple days with Ahnya at the orphanage. She is an absolute doll! I picked her out instantly the minute I saw her in the nursery!!!!!!!!! Her big brown eyes were studying me and she was very interested in Kirstie's long blonde hair!!!!!!! I'm totally in love!!!!!!!!!!! The nannies have let me now feed, change and care for her while at the orphanage!!!! On Monday she comes with us back to the guest house for 1/2 the day...and then on Tuesday she's in my custody completely!!!!! Yahoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here are some pictures of daily sights in Ethiopia. A pictures of the haze and smog, a banana stand, hussle and bussle of the city, and of course the heart wrenching poverty.

Here's our room in Addis

There's nothing that can really prepare

you for traveling in a 3rd-world country...besides make the best of the situation and God for what you have at home!!!!

Here's a couple pics of our room at the guest house in Addis. All families have to stay at the agency guesthouse for safety and outside cultural reasons. The guest house was very basic....very basic. We had running water about every other day and electricity every 3rd day! I definately didn't need my daytime or night-time moisturizers!!!