day one and counting

josh and i talked over and over in ethiopia about when this would feel real.  when would we actually grasp that micah was ours and that the getting-him-home portion of this process was over?  the plane ride over was exciting...




and taking custody of him shortly after our plane touched down in ethiopia melted my heart.



driving away from acacia village for the last time with our baby in our laps was thrilling, but we were still having a hard time believing that he was really ours after all this time.





it might have begun sinking in as micah and i played together at our guest house...




and watching my husband love on our new son made me weepy.




things got a little more real when after 30-something hours of traveling, our plane finally touched US soil and micah became an american citizen (micah's doing his happy dance - you just can't tell in this photo).



but it wasn't until we stepped off of our sixth plane in five days and were met by a host of family and friends that it really hit.

micah is ours...and he's home.






i've been writing this post in my brain all day today, and i've tried unsuccessfully to come up with the words to thank you - the amazing gift of family and friends - for the countless ways you have loved and supported us during this 2 1/2 year process.  as my dear friend, kerry, stepped into our living room today, laid eyes on micah, and collapsed into a weepy mess, i was reminded of how she and so many others have invested into the life of a precious boy in ethiopia.  once without a family, micah lewis is now loved dearly by not only the other five members of the lewis crew but also by the countless members of an extended family who have poured their lives into bringing him home.  so i know this doesn't even come close to expressing how deep my eternal gratitude is but...thank you.  the lord has moved in mighty ways for the sake of this sweet baby's life.