Last Day

Dear Grace Yeabsira

This day was yucky!  We knew it was coming but it did not make it easier.  We started the day as always but now we had friends in our little room.   Two new families had come to start their amazing with with their children.  The world being so small one of the families name was Bowen.  So that morning you got to bring a couple friends with you to play.  We had a great morning, you were cute as always!  The other two couples adopted two children and each had one parent to play with.  You had your mommy, daddy, and your mimzy all to love you so so much!
We went to lunch, picked up some new outfits for you at the post office and got some amazing coffee.  Tafese brought us back to see you first and then went to get the other Bowens.  We enjoyed every moment with you.  We were watching the clock and as it got closer to five I started trying to figure out how to change the flights and never leave you.  I was not sure I could do it.  Your mimzy was the first to say good bye.  She held you and gave you tons and tons of kisses to hold you over until you see her at the airport. Then she handed you to your daddy.  I will remember all my life you Dad holding you and he held you even tighter and just the saddest sound of a cry.  Even as I write this now I am crying again.   You were so sweet, you were the strong one as we cried you smiled at us, as if to say it's ok.  Five o'clock came and Tafese took the other Bowens back to the house.  Normally every nurse and nanny would smile and say hi to us and to you when they walked by but now they all just pretended to look the other way not worrying at all what time it was.  But eventually Tafese had to come back ( I am sure he circled the block at least five times)  One of our favorite nannies came in and was also crying she hugged us and promised us we would be back very soon.  We hugged and cried and kissed you good bye one last time.  Tafese was the only one keeping it together.  I promise we are coming as fast as we can!
  We went back to the house and and by now it was almost six.  We had to leave for the airport at 6:30.  We quickly got our plane clothes on Tafese started loading the car and we worked on our good byes at the house.
Tafese brought us to the airport and then it was constant busy of immigration, customs, security, delays, more delays, more immigration, and finally home with almost everything.  Just missing you
The flight will be so much better next time because you will be with us!!

Love you so much baby girl
Mommy and Daddy

Court

Dear Grace Yeabsira

May 3, 2012 was a big deal in the Bowen house because if we were really lucky by the end of the day you would be a Bowen too! 

Court has been a morning event but the day we got there the judges switched and the new judge wanted to have court in afternoon.  Sounds good until court day and then you have to wait until two to go to court.  Upside we got to see your beautiful face in the morning have quick lunch and then Eshetu drove us to the court house and our lawyer Tafese met us at the door.  We rode up in a dark elevator and walked down the hall to a room the size of a small classroom full of people.  It was a true melting pot families from all over the world hoping to pass court, birth families being so brave to give testimony.  It is a tense room with Silence signs everywhere.

Everyone who has a court date of May 3rd arrived at 2pm and then waits their turn to be called.  The clerk would open the door  say one word in Amharic and a lawyer would jump up talk to the judge and then call in the family.  Some would walk out smiling some did not.  A little after two hours our orphanage was called and our lawyer walked in.  He then motioned us in.  We handed our passport to the clerk and were seated.  

The judge is young, beautiful and very smart.  She started asking us questions.  

Do you have other children?

Have you met Yeabsira?

Have you been trained in international adoption?

Do you know other adoptive families?

Do you see them often?

Do you plan to teach her about Ethiopia?

Do you understand and have resources if she has questions about why she was adopted?

Do you understand this will be final and there is no way to reverse it?

 On the edge of our seats we said yes in unison!

Then the best words I have ever heard  -- It is done she is yours!!

That was it GRACE YEABSIRA you official became

YEABSIRA DANIEL BOWEN

We were ecstatic!  It was 4:15 we had until five to see you! Eshetu picked us up and asked what the program was:  We said go see the newest BOWEN.  

He made the trip in ten minutes and we got to spend a half hour with you!!  

Great Great Great day!!

Love you so much your

Mommy and Daddy

Our week in Africa with you

Dear Grace Yeabsira

We loved our week with you.  We will remember it always and everyday we look forward to seeing and holding you!  We would start our day with a wonderful breakfast made by our chef who is also your chef!  We had yummy meals like pancakes, cinnamon and sugar toast and many other treats.  We would then be picked up by our amazing driver Eshetu would come to pick us up and bring us to you!  Everyday morning from ten to twelve and then three to five we would spend playing with you!  

You loved your new lovie the lion!

 You would come out in the cutest outfits every time!

 You and Mimzy have such a bright future you have to wear shades.  

You have the sweetest smile in the whole world!!

Welcome to your life -- we are very excited to play with you and take your picture!

 You new favorite toy is your little green dino your daddy brought for you!  Great taste green and dinos!

We love you!

We love when stick your cute tongue out!

Love you so much baby girl!!

Meetcha Day

Grace Yeabsira  April 29,2012 was our Meetcha Day!!

We were excited!!!  We had only been in Ethiopia for a half hour and now we were getting to meet you!!!

We already knew you were beautiful but we got to find out you are the sweetest, happiest baby!

You were so brave to go to us.  You did not cry at all and just looked at us smiled.  

You and Daddy had almost matching outfits.  

You were very curious about your new surronding and all your new friends.  You love to touch Daddy's face and give him a fish hook.  You would smile and giggle at all of our funny sounds.  

 You had your first bottle with us and in true Bowen fashion were ready for a nap after.  As you fell asleep in my arms (heaven on earth -- if you ask me) you looked just like the first photo we saw of you.

We are so lucky to be your parents!! We love you very much!!

I would fly around the world for you!

Dear Grace Yeabsira (so good to write your whole name)

Last week you gave us so many wonderful memories we will never forget but I want you to have them too.  I will start with our travel because as crazy and entertaining as it was we would do it all again in a heartbeat for you!!

We left Syracuse Friday night to fly down to Dullus.  As you will soon see Syracuse is a tiny airport, Dullus is not!  When we arrived I turned on my phone to call the hotel we were here so they could send the shuttle.  The hotel said great, they would come in a half hour.  I was surprised they felt it would take that long.  Silly me it took even longer to get down to luggage and then out to the shuttle.  (We did stop for Starbucks)  After waiting even longer we did find our shuttle and went to the hotel.

We headed back to Dullus bright and early to check in for the next flight.  Just a couple more people on this flight  We checked luggage (all under 50 pounds -- this is a huge accomplishment for your family), went through security and found our gate.  I was so excited, you Dad was so excited he could sit down.  

We loaded and found our seats for the next thirteen hours.  Pretty easy flight.  We took the mandatory shot of our flight route and deplaned ahead of schedule.  We exchanged money -- which made us look like millionaires, immigration went smoothly, customs only questioned on bag.  As soon as the word orphanage was used we were all set.  Things were moving along great.  

 Then it it got a little stressful, Grace Yeabsira remember how last year Kari Gibson made it possible for Mommy to see your beautiful country.  An experience I will never forget with new friends who have added so much to this journey.  Well anyways when I cam last year, everyone waited in the lobby for you.  When we walked in to the lobby this year it was empty.  I got very nervous very fast.  First someone I can't even tell you who offered to call our guest house for us.  Well the number was out of service.  Another person suggested we go look in the parking lot.  So we did.  After coming down the first hill with nothing or no one looking like they wanted to take Bowens with them.  I waited with your  Mimzy and the luggage and your brave Daddy went to look more. He came back with the thumbs up!! Good step until we got to the car and saw the smallest honda civic.  So three people + 1 driver + 6 bags was not working.  It was finally decided the driver would take the ladies and most of the luggage and we would leave Dan.  So remember that millionaire statement -- all of that is in my purse as is Daddy's passport.   So Daddy had his  New York State license 20 bucks and donation bags of socks and mesh shorts.  It was a stressful half hour as we went to the guest house and then had to wait nervously for the driver to return with Daddy.

(I was able to take this right as we drove away).  

Of course everything turned out fine it was as Ethiopian say "no problem"  and what fun is it if you don't have a good story.  

The best was yet to come because as soon as we got the guest house they said that we could go visit you at ten am.  It was 9:30am. When Daddy got to the house it was 9:50.  No sitting, no food -- just heading straight to you and our metcha day.   Who would fly around the world for this face!!

Love you baby girl
Love Mommy and Daddy