Anna Here I Come!!!!!

We are on our way to get Anna. I thought it took forever to get to Addis. We had something like a 5 hour lay over in DC and then a flight that seemed like forever on Ethiopian Airlines. I will not be using them again. Later on you will see why. Any we stunk by the time we got to Addis. Hair matted, narley teeth. Yuk. Yuk. Yuk. We get off the plane unsure of what we were to do. We got off the plane on the tarmak (sp) and had to take a bus to the airport. Anyway, then we got into a line for a Visa. If you are going to Ethiopia, get your Visa there it was super easy. Getting our luggage scanned was another thing. It reminded me of cattle being hearded into a barn. Pushed and prodded. I must confess, I got cranky. When I get cranky I get snooty. They probably thought I was nuts when I said, NO MORE, to the people butting infront of me.

Any way after a bit of a snit, we head out to meet my driver Gananew. He is a younger brother of the director of my agency. Shaved head, big smile, lanky like most Ethiopians. Full of personality and joy. Dady to a little girl himself. Anyway, he meets us with a sign. He was right up front. He had to push through a lot of people to be up front. It was late, he hustles us to the car and drives us to the guest house. I ask him if we can go get Anna. I say if she is asleep, I will be very quiet and just watch her until she wakes up. He laughs and dirves us to the guest house. We are in the second guest house. We must of been one of the first guests. Anyway, Kim and I are exhausted. We settle in for the night. We need to sleep but we have school supplies and treats to pack. Once done we settle into our rickety bamboo bed. It is creaking like crazy. A little prayer that it will hold it through the nite. The next morning we are up bright and early. We eat breakfast and I tape a little message to Anna. Then we wait for the driver.

Ok now we are going to get Anna right? Nope. Now we go exchange money. Now Anna? Nope? She needs formula. Now Anna? YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Off we go. We get off the main road to a gravel road to an even more rustic road with lots of pot holes. People are traveling on a horse and buggy. Another right turn, then a left I believe and There is the guest house. I knew it. I had seen photos of it, I had memorized it. They open the gate, and we are surrounded by children. I vividly remember Jackson and Logan being there. All so excited. Wanting to hug and be hugged. To have us take photos of them and them take photos of us. I want to run to Anna so bad, but how can I begrudge these children a few moments of my time. Of a few minutes of love and attention. You just can't. So you hug each one. Take some photos.

Then Gananew tells them to go play and he escourts me up three flights of stairs. Nervously I walk. Kim is ahead of me b/c she is to video tape everything. I cannot wait to see it. We will watch it on her first Gotcha anniversary. To relive those moments and cry. I walk into this big room lined with cribs.

I turn to the left and there is a care giver holding my girl. My Anna. I think I froze for a moment and just looked. A few seconds later she was in my arms. I hugged her and kissed her. I even sniffed her hair. She was ao Beautiful! She was mine. This was what I had been waiting for. This moment. I wasn't just I a mom. I was Anna's mom. I was Home!!!!!

Lisa Tagged Me... So here goes.

6 Random things about me!

1) I spent a year studying in Russia and got proposed to by an Iranian man on the metro. It only took 4 stops and he offered me tickets to the Bolshoi Ballet. (cost about $10.00) My hand in marriage: Priceless.

2) My favorite joke: How do you make a tissue dance? Wait for it.... Put a little boogie in it. You can let your kids use that for Halloween.

3) Mentioned in my blog, but I climbes over 1,800 steps up the great wall of China and I am darn proud. By the way some of those steps were as high as my knee. I came in 3rd in our group of 10. I would of been first but I stopped for a 6 year old. He and his dad beat me. Not bad for a woman packing 185 lbs.

4) I cried the first time I ate Ethiopian food b/c I did not enjoy the food of my daughter's country. Anna was 4 months at the time. She only had had formula. Hey pregnant women are emotional, even if they are just paper pregnant.

5)I am still mad at my mom b/c she got 2nd row tickets to Rick Springfield when I was 10 and gave them to my step sister. Who got to touch him. I thought we were to be married.

6) Anna and my song is Return to Pooh Corner by Kenny Logins. It still makes her stop crying when I sing it. She is my biggest blessing.

I am tagging: Chris Martel with that many dogs it should be good.

Lakrissa Stevenson b/c I am just getting to know her,

Julia b/c she has lead a crazy life with the white water rafting and what not..

Sandee b/c she always makes me smile

Kristine b/c I want to know more about you too.

Comment when you answer....

Anna's Room

Well here is how I have decorated Anna's room. Most of you have seen it because I was so proud. I have to say I did a pretty good job on the quilt.... I mad the quilt and my mom and sister helped. We also recovered a glider. It is a pink explosion!!!!!!!!! I know it is tacky!!!! But I love it.... here is what Anna thinks of her room.

bg vvrfgv, hdgn plo0f0=doz-lg-fgfolg fxdf cofd
0s 0vnbvgdfx cl;pvb kl,k.l90][..'/9./.; / ., mb,.bcxp c.;v .;/ .;/[ ;./' p';/.;/ -anna

That means she likes it alot and her mommy is the best!!!!!!!!!!!!!

-Rhonda

What is in a name?

Mitslal is a Tigre name. It means sweet Shadow. Anna means Grace of God. So Anna Mitslal means the Grace of God's sweet shadow. I love that!!! Isn't that where you want you child to be. There is this song, not sure of the title, but it goes.

Your love, oh Lord Reaches to the heavens
Your faithfulness stretches to the sky
Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains
Your justice flows like the ocean's tide
I will life my voice To worship You, my King I
will find my strength In the shadow of Your wings

Finally.....A Photo & Much, Much More....

So here are the photos that I waited what seemed like FOREVER for. Finally, she is real. Isn't she a beautiful girl.... Definately worth the wait. In the first, she is like..hmmm...let me think about that one. That is is her smart look. In the second, she is all delicate and sweet. Surely the epitome of sugar and spice and everything nice. Now my dog runs in fear of her, but that is for another day. I cried. I stared at these photos and cried. I was meeting my girlfriends for lunch at the local Pasta House so I printed out the photos for them to see. There was much celebrating and picture hanging in my house that day.

What a difference a couple weeks makes. From super High to oh so low. Anna is in the hospital. Bronchitis. I cannot tell you how worried I was. It was an awful day. Babies were passing away and Anna and Micheal were in the hospital. I felt so helpless being so far away. My baby is sick and prayer is my only option. For a woman of action, this really sucked. I had no real details as I sat on the couch and waited for my call. 1 am became 2 am, then 3 am. Still waiting on Shim to call. I fell asleep on the couch with the phone clutched in my hand. I was up at 6:00 phone still clutched in my hand. At 7:01 I called Shim. I waited as long as I could. Silly man didn't want to call me b/c he thought I would be asleep. I did not want to call him for the same reason. Neither of us really slept. He didn't have much news anyway... So there I sat on the couch like a vegetable. Fear just gripped me. The poor dog around noon finally gave up and peed in the house. My fault, I just couldn't move. She got out of the hospital a few days later. I totally over reacted. I hate not being in control and usually I can have that illusion.

Christmas was good. Anxiously waiting for my court date to come, but people were getting really excited that she was comming... I got tons of presents for her. I began working on her room and getting more and more excited.

Now if January 15th, my court date would just come. I was counting days at this point. Any way...

January 14th I get this e-mail

Good morning Rhonda,

Congratulations!

Your adoption has been approved today! Anna is officially your daughter!

Have a great day!Shimeliss Demissie, BS, MS.Ed

Yep...they had the date off. No sleepless night for me. No midnight e-mail checks.... What a blessing.

Here is the poem I wrote for my girl.

Anna's Poem

Some how from the beginning of time,
God had planned for you to always be mine.
Why he felt me worthy, I cannot say,
But I will be thankful each and every day.
You are my blessing from Heaven above,
An answer to prayer & proof of God's unfailing love.
I pray for your mom who had to let you go,
I have no doubt she loved you so.
Some will ask if you are really mine,
Yes your are, our hearts are intertwined.
God makes families through his Glory,
So adoption is our amazing family story.
From accross the world we were brought together,
Through love that will last forever.
I see your beautiful eyes each night in my head,
I am getting so anxious for what lies ahead.
I am counting the days until I can get on that plane,
Knowing my life will never be the same.
You have changed my life though we have never met,
I am so happy, and the best hasn't happened yet.
In 5 long weeks, I will get to hold you close,
Kiss your cheeks, your fingers and your toes.
To hear you cry and see you smile,
I'll hold you so close for quite a while.
Then we will be a family,You, Ollie, and Me!
Thanks to the girls who saw me through,
I'll tell your babies, Mama said she loves you.

Rhonda

Before Anna

It is hard to think back to a time before Anna. It has been 7 months but it might as well be a lifetime ago.

My journey actually began in Bejing, China in December 2006. I went with my sister Kim and her husband to meet their daughter Lily. That experience changed my life. I began thinking about adopting. I also made it to the top of the Great Wall of China. For a plump out of shape woman, it was a profoundly proud moment....It was so beautiful at the top. I cannot wait to return to China with Lily and Anna.

For me, as a Christian, single woman, my only option for a child is adoption. Plus, if we are being honest, I have never desired to be pregnant. I used to joke that if I ever was pregnant, I was going to deliver in a country that still knocked you out. Anyway, I kept thinking about a baby of my own.

From the moment I started, Ethiopia had always been on my short list. Around June of 2007 my sister mentioned that if I was thinking about adopting and considering Ethiopia, I should start soon. Programs were closing and the wait in China was crazy long. So in August of 2007 on a Sunday, I went to an informational meeting at Children's Hope International. It was the agency my sister used for China and they had the best experience.

I went, filled out the paperwork and was ready to submit it. I called on Tuesday because I wanted to drop the application off. The lady informed me that they were no longer accepting singles. They were to be limited to 5 a year and they had 13 already signed up. I hung up the phone, ran to the bathroom at work and burst into tears!!!!!!! I am nothing if not professional!
When I finished crying (for the first time), I called my sister Kim. She told me to get online and find a small agency. Most of them would not have had 5 single women yet. I got on line and a woman from Texas named Grace pointed me to Hope Adoption Agency. The funny part, is that Hope is 15 minutes from my house.

I talked to Shimeliss (or Shim as I call him) who is the director of Hope. He is an Ethiopian man with a heart for Ethiopian Children. He called Ethiopia that night and their were no immediate plans to stop singles from adopting. Rumors had begun saying it might happen. So off we went.
I was a mad woman who cried many frustrating tears as I sped through Dossier assembly.

I sent it off, and one week later I get an e-mail from Shimeliss in Ethiopia on November 5, 2007. Here it is.....


Hi Rhonda!

Nice to hear from you! I have decided to refer the baby girl I told you about to you! I have visited her and held her in myarms she is ADORABLE!! Her name is Mitslal. She is about three months old. Her profile is being put together and I will attach and e-mail you.

Have a great day,Shimeliss Demissie, BS, MS.Ed

Well no profile until Shimeliss returns to the Sates. Ethiopia has dialup internet and well I had to wait. Anyway, I write little ditties to pass the time and here is my punk song, "Photo" that I shared with my Hopesters. Here is that post.

Does anyone else get the need to call him Shim? I would never, but sometimes that is how I think of him.Any way, I am a dork and I think it is time again for a song.
Lasttime it was the blues. This one is a punk rock song called PHOTO.

Shimeliss is hopefully ariving today,
and I want a photo in a bad way.
I've known about Anna for over 5 weeks,
It is that photo, that now I do seek.
Give me my PHHHHOOOOOTOOOO!
Give me my PHHHHOOOOOTOOOO!
I won't take NOOOOONOOOOOO!
So give me my PHHHHOOOOTOOOO!
Chris wants her referral,
She is tense like a pretzel.
Grace wants news about Vivvi & Fitty too,
She wants them home to dress them up in tuttoos.
Amber got a referral of a two year old,
She wants the photo to have an to hold,
SoGive her her PHHHHOOOOTOOOOO!
Give her her PHHHHOOOOTOOOOO!
She won't take NOOOONOOOOOO!
So give her her PHOOOOTOOOOO!
We could converge on the airport
But we may be arested as stalkers and taken to court
So we wait so imppatienly
Hoping Shimeliss will contact us immediately.
We all want our PHHHOOOOOTOOOO!
Please give us a PHHOOOOOTOOOO!
Before we go LOOOOCOOOOOO!
Just one little PHOOOTOOOO!

Not a classic, but it is how we felt.

Tune in tomorrow when I get my PHOOOOTOOOOO!!!!!!

Blessings,

Rhonda

My name is Rhonda Coplin. I am a single mom to Anna, my Ethiopian Diva. This is us on the happiest day of my life; "gotcha day". Anna was pretty happy that day too. Later on I will share about that day. As you can see by the date on the photo, I have been home with Anna over 7 months. It has actually been 7 months and 15 days. So I am a little late in starting this blog, sue me... Life with Anna is one of movement. She is always on the go. Over the next week or two I will catch you up on our lives. Thanks for joining us on our journey.

Rhonda & Anna