the Moment...

It's about one hour before we leave for the airport. This past week I have been swayed by a mix of emotions. Literally their have been moments of just laying my head down on the kitchen counter and taking ten deep breaths, because the world is swaying a little bit. The closer we come to getting on that plane, the better I feel. This is the moment, isn't it? This is when time is suppose to stand still while I completely absorb all that is taking place. Of course, that isn't what happens at all. But this is still the moment, and we have pushed and pulled and fought for this moment and it will happen and it will change our lives forever. I sometimes have this bubble of panic that rise up and fill with all that I still need to conquer and all that is out of my control. And then when I feel like I couldn't take anymore it sort of floats away and 'pops'. Because when the time comes, there is no denying that what you have prepared to do you will have the strength to finish. At one hour till the start of our "amazing race"...I feel totally ready.

Please pray for us friends. Please pray for our little ones in Nebraska. Please pray that these next few days won't be too hard for little Selah. Please pray for our health and safety. Please pray that flights are made and luggage not get lost. I know many of you have been praying for us this entire time, we know because we can feel it. So much of this journey has been out of our control. It blows my mind still of how enjoyable this whole process has been and how quickly our time to get our baby has arrived. So many times I have said "who knew"? I have recently come to understand that "God knew", thank goodness.

Okay...time to hit the showers and then the road. Waiting families...we are so excited to meet your babies and your children. I know this time of waiting is so hard, we will be sure to answer all your questions as best we can.

We love you all,
Anne

Corduroy

Corduroy blinked. There was a chair and a chest of drawers, and alongside a girl-size bed stood a little bed just the right size for him. The room was small, nothing like that enormous palace in the department store.

"This must be home," he said. "I KNOW I've always wanted a home!"

Lisa sat down with Corduroy on her lap and began to sew a button on his overalls.

"I like you the way you are," she said, "but you'll be more comfortable with your shoulder strap fastened.

"You must be a friend," said Corduroy. "I've always wanted a friend."

"Me too!" said Lisa, and gave him a big hug.

"Corduroy" by Don Freeman

The Amazing Race

Ryan and I have always been big fans of the show "The Amazing Race". A couple of years ago we even talked about trying to go on the show. For our audition tape we were going to show a "day in the life" of a family of five. We would speed up the tape to make it look even more frantic. But the point of the segment would be how our lives are already extremely chaotic and busy and since we are capable of managing our daily life we should be more than ready for "The Amazing Race". I think most of you would agree that a couple of single girls in their mid twenties couldn't possibly have the survival skills of parents with three young children. I mean come on, if you can navigate through downtown traffic with one hand on the wheel and the other searching the van floor for a binki while singing "the wheels on the bus" and starting a video then you have skills! If you've ever breastfed in public or changed an explosive, up the back, poopy diaper on your lap then you can handle any challenge. Need I go on...we are pros people. BRING IT ON!
I know that after seven years of chasing toddlers I have eyes in the back of my head and my senses have been dulled enough to where there is no smell, no gooey grossness, no noise I can not out last. Everyday these past few weeks I have been giving myself a little pep talk. Okay Anne this is it, two more weeks. Two more weeks to Ethiopia. Two more weeks to Selah. Two more weeks to pack. Two more weeks to get the house in order. And now it is only one more week. I am nervous. Can I really do this? Can I really go to Africa? Am I ready for Africa? Am I ready for Ethiopia? So many unknowns. So much more to conquer. So much that is out of my control. One more week!!!!!

We are leaving around noon on Friday, November 27. We fly from Denver to Houston and from Houston to Dubai. We will spend one short night in Dubai and then leave in the morning for Ethiopia. Once there we will zoom to the orphanage and swoop little Selah into our arms. Then we will spend hours gazing into her big brown eyes and walking around in a daze not believing she is ours. Our only other obligation is our Embassy date on Wednesday. We wanted to meet our compassion kids, but have been told we can not due to the short notice of our travel. We have recently made contact with an amazing missionary family and hope to meet them for a meal sometime. Ryan is dying to see some of the country side, so that might be on the agenda. I'm not thrilled about that part. We had thought about visiting Selah's village, but were told it is about a two days drive away. So no on that too. We exit Ethiopia on Saturday afternoon. Fly back to Dubai for an even shorter stay and then fly all the way home on Sunday. We arrive home late in the evening on Sunday.

I am so thankful for all of the families that have gone before and paved the way for us. I am thankful for my husband who I know is working his tail off right now to finish stuff at work and who I know will be my rock on this trip. I am so thankful for my parents who will be keeping our children while we are away. I am so thankful for my sister who is going to babysit my dog. My brother and sister-in-law who are watching our house and feeding the guinea pig. And gosh...seems like everyone I know has shown us some kindness or blessed us in some way. Thanks guys...I guess it's not all up to me after all.

Sifan Ryan Carson

Thousands of miles away a little baby girl with a newly shaved head exists and she has a brand new birth certificate that says her name is Sifan Ryan Carson and her parents are Ryan Christopher Carson and Anne Larkin Carson. She now has a birthday, September 30 (a belated party is simply going to have to happen once she gets home). Seeing that document this week was perhaps the best feeling I have had so far during this process. It's is just incredible that this is all happening. Let's see....oh yea....WWWWAAAAAAHOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!