Metamorphosis

Summer is my favorite season. I love the warm sun, the longer days, the smell of freshly cut grass and every second spent near the water and beach. We've had a busier than usual summer -

Miller Crew at La Posada, Santa Fe, New Mexico

Matthew's family hosted a family reunion in Santa Fe, the girls went to camp and we took an extended trip to New Orleans to visit my family. While we were there, we took a few excursions:

Cabirac Crew somewhere near Pensacola, Florida

 a few days in Pensacola

Avery Island

and a day trip to Avery Island. After touring the Island, seeing the amazing bird sanctuary, some cute alligators and the most amazing live oaks ever, we drove to Lafayette to have dinner with my cousin.
Is your head spinning with all of these rousing details? Try to stay with me....
Driving through Lafayette, perusing our local dinner options, my phone rings and I look down to see the long awaited call from area code 206.
I knew.
The time had come - over 2 1/2 years after we began - to be matched with our newest family member.

Soon, we would be the parents of a little boy, a family of 5 and embarking on much more than an informal jaunt.  We received all of the files associated with initial information, including 2 photos.
He looked so sad in the photo taken for the referral. I am quite certain it was due to the hot pink turtleneck with gold embroidered hearts he was sporting.

Skipping forward a week or so, we were advised we would be going to court, much sooner than anticipated! We had 10 days to get to Ethiopia, take an in-country flight up to the Northern region to meet him and then go to court to legalize the adoption.
We scrambled to get visas, immunizations for some of us, reservations for all of us,  and gather donations for the orphanage where he had been for last few months.

On July 30, G. had last minute shots at the Pediatrician, we stopped at Cherry Berry for the promised treat on the heels of the aforementioned immunizations, and headed down the highway for the 90 mile drive to Omaha. We're 20 minutes outside of town, when I looked down noticing chipped toenail polish outlining my flip flops and realized that I had forgotten my shoes by the back door.
Yup, 2 pairs of flip-flops and I was off to 60 degree Africa for a week.

Omaha

OMAHA -> NEWARK-> FRANKFURT-> ADDIS ABABA!

Paperwork packed...check
Seat beat closed...check
Heart open.. check, check
Metamorphosis engaged~