We're Here!!

After 20+ hours of travel we are on the other side of the world!! The flight from Atlanta to Seoul was great and Korean Air is wonderful! It really didn't feel like we were in the air for 15 hours! We watched movies, ate bibimbap, slept, watched more movies, ate again and slept some more. But I think it was somewhere over the Arctic Circle that we bagan to realize that this is really happening. Our minds have finally slowed down from the past 3 day whirlwind of planning and packing and the reality of what is about to happen is sinking in...

We are going to get Evelyn.

The next time we are on that big blue plane she will be with us. It's overwhelming.

So...stay tuned! We will try to post updates everyday as we can but we will definitely have lots of pictures and updates after Thursday!!!

Not to us, O Lord, not to us but to your name be the glory because of your love and faithfulness.

Psalm 115:1

Off We Go!!!

I still cannot believe that it is time to post this but.....

We are on our way to Korea!!!

This is ready...

This is ready...

This is ready...

And we are ready!!!

We leave for the airport at 3am so I better go to bed!!!!!!!

next post will be from

Seoul, South Korea!!!!!!!!

{Travel Plans}

Here are our plans for Seoul.....

We leave this Sunday at 7:40am and end up in Seoul Monday afternoon at 5pm.

We have all day Tuesday to ourselves to tour and

recover from the 14 hour flight from Atlanta - yikes!

Wednesday we have a tour guide for the day and then on Thursday at 1:30pm Seoul time

(10:30pm Wednesday night US central time)

We meet Evelyn!!!!!

We will take her back to the hotel with us Thursday afternoon and have all day Friday and Saturday to play, sightsee and do fun things with our daughter!

We will leave Korea on Sunday, March 6 and land back in Memphis on Sunday, March 6 at 2:20pm.

Yes, you read that correctly.

We leave Seoul on March 6 and

land in the US on March 6!

Due to crossing the international dateline we get to travel back in time!

Our heads are spinning from all the exciting news we have heard in the past 48 hours and we still can't believe this time next week we will be holding

Evelyn in our arms!

Please continue to pray for safe travel for us and that the Lord will start preparing Evelyn's heart for

what is to come.

We will be posting on the blog while in Korea to keep friends and family updated of our time with Evelyn!

Thank you all for your love, support and prayers!

Here we go!!!

TRAVEL CALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We're on our way to Seoul to meet Evelyn!!!

I'm on the phone with our travel agent now getting our flight arranged!!!

She's coming home!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In My Dreams.....

As a girl I had a common dream,

to be a mom someday.

My baby would have eyes of blue and

hair the hue of hay.

But now my dreams have been transformed,

new visions fill my head;

Now the tresses that I long to stroke

are raven black instead.

And in my dreams those eyes are not

so big or blue or round;

Now in my dreams they're almond shaped

and colored cocoa brown.

And in my dreams my arms can stretch

across enormous seas.

They reach half-way around the world and

hold you close to me.

As you grow in your mother's womb,

carefully knit together,

you're also growing in my heart,

where you will stay forever.

And in my dreams the moment that

your mother says good-bye;

I'll be right there to comfort you and

hold you as you cry.

Our features may not look alike;

we're different as can be;

But still I know the Father has created you for me.

And though I've not yet kissed your face,

or held your tiny hands,

and though we're half a world apart

in very different lands;

I'll be right there to get you

just as soon as God allows.

But 'till He says the time is right

I give to you this vow.

I'll pray for your protection

every night on bended knee.

For God will hold you in His arms,

until you're here with me.

-Gayle Leubecker

(thank you cindy!)

{Aunt Emily}

Meet Aunt Emily

Also known as Emmie, Emily and/or Hopper.

Emily is my best friend of 14 years and we have been through everything together since our freshman year of college....

nursing school, fun trips, boyfriends, breakups, family drama, moves, weddings, graduate school, the adoption roller-coaster, happy days & sad days, the good times and the bad.

She has been with me every step of the way and is always there to talk me down off a ledge when things get a little crazy!

Emily just recently returned to the States after living in Uganda for 5 months

(view her Ugandan Life here).

She is currently working for Open Arms in Austin, Texas a company employing refugee women from around the world at a living wage, using re-purposed t-shirts to create one-of-a-kind products. Great gifts for a good cause!

Check out their website at:

http://www.theopenarmsshop.com

Patrick and I are very honored and excited that Emily is going to travel to Seoul with us when we go to pick up Evelyn. She is going to be our "personal photographer" for the trip and document every minute from the time we leave the US until we return with Evelyn in our arms!

So...if you see her face in some of our pictures while in Seoul you will know who it is...

It's Evelyn's Aunt Emily!!!

love you hopper!

5 New Pictures!!!!

Didn't expect to get anymore pictures of Evelyn since we are so close to traveling but WE DID!!!

And she's wearing the coat we sent her!

We can't wait to get our hands on her!!!!!!!!

Happy Birthday, Evelyn.

Dear Evelyn,

Today is your birthday. You turn one. Amy and I were hoping to have you home by this event, but we will be about two weeks late.

One year old…soon you will be learning English, meeting your dog brother and sister, reading, going to school, driving, dating, going to college, marrying, having children, etc. Perhaps you will grow up this fast.

Your mother and I often wonder how we could love so deeply someone whom we haven’t even met. For the past 18 months we have been chasing what has seemed like an idea, the idea of you. Many times I have looked at your photo on our refrigerator and wondered, “Who are you, Evelyn?” Who is this little girl in Seoul?

The dream will soon be a reality.

You are my daughter, Evelyn. You are my daughter.

Sweet dreams on your first birthday, you will be home soon.

Love you dearly,

Daddy

Visa Physical Scheduled!

We were pleasantly surprised to receive an email this morning that Evelyn's Visa Physical has been scheduled for next Wednesday, February 16!!!

This will be a busy week for our little peanut...

Embassy Appearance yesterday, her 1st birthday on Sunday and then her Visa Physical on Wednesday!!!

She's coming home soon!!!!!!

Embassy Appearance!

I just got off the phone with the Visa Status Hotline in DC and the nice lady told me that Evelyn made her Embassy Appearance today!

She told me that she saw her picture in their system

and that she is "Bald but cute!"

I just laughed! We Love that little bald head!

If you look at the timeline to the right you can see that all we are waiting on is for Evelyn to have her Visa physical! Once she has her physical her Visa can be issued and we can go to SEOUL!!!

Praying that her Visa physical is soon!

We are BEYOND ready to bring her home!!!

{Evelyn's Birthday Celebration}

This past Sunday a group of my sweet friends and members of our wonderful church, Lawndale Presbyterian, helped us celebrate Evelyn's birthday and her impending arrival.

Evelyn will turn one on February 13th and we hope to be picking her up by the end of the month!

Thank you to all of our friends and family for helping us celebrate this exciting time as we anxiously await Evelyn's homecoming!!!

(lots of pictures!)

All of our sweet hostesses!

pictures taken by

Ceresa Caudill Photography