J Cooper Photography

We’ve been home with Daniel now for exactly ONE week.  At this time last Thursday night we were just pouring into our house…unloading our suitcases…and flopping into bed.  We were beyond exhausted, feeling sick, and happy beyond belief.  We expected a hard week full of mixed up days and nights, crazy schedules, and maybe even some rejection.  But we’ve been blessed instead with a good little sleeper and more smiles than we deserve.  And while we are extremely HAPPY to be home…I don’t want to paint a picture that this journey is all roses and cream puffs.  It’s hard.  It’s STILL hard.  We are making gains every day with earning Daniel’s trust…but there is a long road ahead of us.  We are still tired (I expect that to be a new normal around here for awhile).  And while we are “cocooning” in around the house and helping Daniel to learn about his new family…I am feeling MORE than a bit stir crazy.  God knows me so well…that at the end of a long week when I am desperate to get out on the town….he dumps a foot of snow at our doorstep and forces me to stay put

Tonight I’m reflecting a bit back at our long journey and thought I would share a few of our favorite images from our first trip to Ethiopia.  We were never able to share these online.  We literally took HUNDREDS of photos of our sweet boy in November.  I knew that it would be excruciating to leave him behind…and the photos were something that I knew would help me feel connected to him.  Looking back…I cannot believe his transformation in just 2 months (of course he gained almost 5 lbs. during that time!)

It has been a long road.  And now that the excitement of coming home is starting to wain…the real journey is just beginning.  Would we do it all over again?  In a heart beat.
Daniel is our son…and we are completely in love.