Judah and Addise New Digs

I know you've waited for pics of Judah and Addise's room, so here ya go along with some commentary so you know how special this room really is.

Comment #1 :: This room has laid dormant and barren for over 2 1/2 years since my brother and his wife moved out. It's been at times a daily reminder of the babies that yet to fill that space. It's also been a great workout room! We'll miss that. :)

This is a head on view to the heart of the room.


Comment #2 :: While we were in Ethiopia, our dear friends Tony and Erin did an extreme makeover to our formally army-green empty space. They were over until late one night 2 nights before we left on our first trip. Brian and I were still deciding colors and fabrics and Tony and Erin helped work their magic. We trust their design skills implicitly and they know our style, so it was the BIGGEST GIFT IMAGINABLE to have them own the re-design!!! A slew of Newsong family came over to help transform the space while we were loving on our babies.

Comment #3 :: Tony free-hand painted the animals on the wall. His daughter painted the letters in their names.

Comment #4 :: You may notice how many books we've accumulated already. Brian and I are major readers and can't wait to read them stories. These books are predominantly classics, adoption-focused children's books, Biblical narratives, and Ethiopian stories. My mom's already decided that for every special event, she's purchasing her grandchildren a book and signing a note in it. Lovely.

Comment #5 :: You may notice on the top shelf of the cubby on the right is a book my sister-in-law made for us called "Welcome to the Family Judah and Addise". Included in this book are pictures and letters/prayers from both sides of my extended family for Judah and Addise. Needless to say, it's a most prized gift. I SOBBED as I read every word from my precious, long-distance family.

Comment #6 :: This is the view of the room from the doorway. My mom and Grandma Getz bought us the glider to enable bonding with our kids at all hours of the day or night. The woodland bird curtains were tediously sewn by my friend, Christina, who is terrified of birds. She used every square inch of fabric I ordered! One of the blankets over the glider is from my friend, Dana, from New Zealand.

Comment #7 :: The crib was purchased by a number of Newsong friends, and the dresser was purchased predominantly by another adoptive family. The African stockings were given to us last Christmas by Brian's mom. The piggy bank was painted by Erin for a donation shower she helped throw for us in June 2009! The canvas corkboard was designed by Shannon and included a beautiful touch of their pictures and initials! [NOTE: the dumbbells will be in the room until the last possible minute]

Comment #8 :: The lion over Judah's bed is a beautiful illustration of the meaning behind his name. The Acacia tree in the corner is one of my favorite images of Africa. Judah's duvet cover was sewn by Shannon!! Judah AND Addise's mattresses were given to us by Doris.

Comment #9 :: A view into the massive, double-mirrored closet. A "stranger" from another church gave us 2 more cubbies that fit perfectly into our odd closet. It makes storage efficient and attractive. We also have hundreds and hundreds of diapers and wipes. That should last us until...

Welcome to Judah and Addise's room. We hope they love it, not just because it's BEAUTIFUL but because it's been formed by countless hands who've prayed them home and loved them since before they even became "Diaz's".

5 Comments

April L. Diaz

April has been a visionary activist her entire life. She has made it her mission to lead high performing teams and develop leaders in the margins of society while caring for our bodies, mind, and spirit. Secretly, she’s a mix of a total girly girl and a tomboy, and is still crazy about her high school sweetheart, Brian. Together, they co-parent 3 fabulous kiddos and live in Orange County, CA.

A Christmas Miracle!

How do I even begin the blog post that I've been dying to write for 22 months?!?! WE ARE GOING TO PICK UP JUDAH AND ADDISE TO BRING THEM HOME FOREVER!! That's right!

We found out on Friday morning that we got the December 28th Embassy Date!!


THE BACK STORY :: Brian actually got the email from another case manager and I didn't [which never happens]. I had found out via email a 30 minutes beforehand that a couple blog friends had received the 28th date; we didn't get that same email. My heart sunk to my toes. We weren't supposed to find anything out until this coming Tuesday morning, so I was hanging on to hope with a loose grip. I showered after hearing about our friends' Embassy date news and talked with God about the myriad of emotions and maturity desires. I was getting ready in our bathroom and Brian came in with the email on his iPhone. He proudly bragged that he had finally received some info about our adoption before I did. I was thrilled he had that moment. I burst into ugly crying. Relief. Joy. The end and the beginning all wrapped up at once. We hugged each other for a while. I called my mom and then texted a few close friends. The rest of yesterday was a whirlwind [as was today!].

THE TRAVEL PLANS :: We are leaving for Ethiopia on Christmas Eve morning. Can you believe that?!? We arrive on Sunday and get to pick up Judah and Addise on Monday morning. They will be with us for good! We will only be in Ethiopia for 5 days. And we will be back home on New Year's Eve. Seriously, it's this magical? Divine? Appointed?

When we got our referral in August, several people [including my brother, Matt, and our prayer warrior friend, Maria] said they'd pray specifically that Judah and Addise would be home by "the end of '10". I told them it was impossible. It didn't phase them. They prayed for it and it's happened.

We are in awe. And panic. And overwhelmed with joy and stress. And absorbing every moment. And making a few last minute trips to Target and Babies R Us. And trying to return phone calls and texts. And sending our family's Christmas gifts. We will be on a plane to hold our babies in just 13 days.

God is good. I've been shamelessly, loudly singing Mariah Carey's "All I want for Christmas is You" in my car for weeks. God heard. Like my friend Christina has been praying over me for over a year, God remembers. He has. We are beyond words...

My prayer warrior friend, Maria, spent some time praying for us this past weekend and sent me this passage from God. She said she didn't hear anything from God about our kids except: Christmas, Christmas, Christmas. Can you believe how specific and good God is? May this remind you of the kind of God we have...

Isaiah 35 - Joy of the Redeemed
1 The desert and the parched land will be glad;
the wilderness will rejoice and blossom.
Like the crocus, 2 it will burst into bloom;
it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy.
The glory of Lebanon will be given to it,
the splendor of Carmel and Sharon;
they will see the glory of the LORD,
the splendor of our God.
3 Strengthen the feeble hands,
steady the knees that give way;
4 say to those with fearful hearts,
“Be strong, do not fear;
your God will come,
he will come with vengeance;
with divine retribution
he will come to save you.”
5 Then will the eyes of the blind be opened
and the ears of the deaf unstopped.
6 Then will the lame leap like a deer,
and the mute tongue shout for joy.
Water will gush forth in the wilderness
and streams in the desert.
7 The burning sand will become a pool,
the thirsty ground bubbling springs.
In the haunts where jackals once lay,
grass and reeds and papyrus will grow.
8 And a highway will be there;
it will be called the Way of Holiness;
it will be for those who walk on that Way.
The unclean will not journey on it;
wicked fools will not go about on it.
9 No lion will be there,
nor any ravenous beast;
they will not be found there.
But only the redeemed will walk there,
10 and those the LORD has rescued will return.
They will enter Zion with singing;
everlasting joy will crown their heads.
Gladness and joy will overtake them,
and sorrow and sighing will flee away.

** Tomorrow, the big reveal of their room will finally hit the blog world. Stay tuned...

15 Comments

April L. Diaz

April has been a visionary activist her entire life. She has made it her mission to lead high performing teams and develop leaders in the margins of society while caring for our bodies, mind, and spirit. Secretly, she’s a mix of a total girly girl and a tomboy, and is still crazy about her high school sweetheart, Brian. Together, they co-parent 3 fabulous kiddos and live in Orange County, CA.

Birth Certificates!

Great news! We found out this morning that Judah and Addise got their Ethiopian birth certificates today. Hope arises! A lot needs to happen in the next 7 days, including passing another round of medicals, but it's still possible for us to get the 28th Embassy date!

Thank you so much for praying with us to have the kids home by the end of '10. Grateful.

3 Comments

April L. Diaz

April has been a visionary activist her entire life. She has made it her mission to lead high performing teams and develop leaders in the margins of society while caring for our bodies, mind, and spirit. Secretly, she’s a mix of a total girly girl and a tomboy, and is still crazy about her high school sweetheart, Brian. Together, they co-parent 3 fabulous kiddos and live in Orange County, CA.