Ethiopia Part 1

Our first day meeting Thad and Kamby, outside in the orphanage garden.
The kids at the orphanage just loved Alyx and the girls wanted to have their pictures taken individually with her.

The kids loved taking goofy pictures and then looking at them on the screen. They especially loved Alyx videoing them.

Inside the guest house at the toukoul (orphanage) the first time we met Kamby.

My baby boy!

My baby girl!

Daddy and son meet.

Although finding time to blog is very difficult, it has been most difficult deciding what to blog. It is easy to show our babies and our new family of 8 but I have no idea how to put into words the heart wrenching sights and sounds that are Ethiopia. We were definitely not prepared for what we experienced while in Addis Abbaba. We opted not to leave the city just for health reasons and cost. But what we experienced inside the city was more than enough. All the people that served us were the most gracious and friendly. The diversity of people within the city amazed us. Among the crippled, poor, and children in the streets were very well dressed, well off people mixed right in. It wasn't like we drive to a nice area and then a poor area, every area is poor with some nice buildings and such every so often. We arrived Sunday afternoon and were taken to our hotel then immediately to the toukoul (orphanage) to meet the babies. We kept thinking that we were turning down alley ways but it turns out those are the roads. Everything is behind a steel gate and someone has to open the gate to let the cars in. Our beautiful babies responded very well to us the first day. We spent about 2 hours with them, they smiled and laughed and never cried. We visited each consecutive day until Friday when we checked them out of the toukoul for good. I will post more on our trip and the babies later when I have more time. Right now, at home, they are doing well overall but battling illness. Thad has rsv/bronchialitis w/ an ear infection and Kamby has an ear infection and cold. They are sleeping and eating well and in very good spirits.

Whew!......We Made It!

After a grueling 40 hour trip we are home with the babies. Everyone is doing great and praise God he gave us sleepers! The babies have slept the majority of the trip home and then again once we got home Sunday night. I will post more soon and pictures but for now I have to sleep.

2 More Days and 3 Years Ago

Kambyri Senait "Kamby" 5 months old

Thaddeus Joel "Thad" 8 months old

We leave in just 2 days to pick up our babies. Excitement and fatigue do not do just description to our feelings and state right now. We can not wait to see them and meet them especially with new, beautiful pictures such as these. With so much to do to get ready and with all the emotion of leaving Graci and Dax behind it is quite exhausting. I have never been good with leaving my kids. I don't think Savannah went to a camp by herself until she was in her teens. It is definitely not my strength. I am thrilled Alyx is going with us. Anyway, it is almost here and we excited to bring our babies home before they get any bigger or cuter!

Everybody is always sure that Kamby is the older baby. But in fact Thad is. He is small but weighs consistantly about a pound more than Kamby. They are about the same height. Thad suffered more illness when he was younger and his birthdate was actually readjusted according to his size and development. Since both babies are abandonment cases there is no 'real' information on them and it is speculated by the people that found them and the medical personel that see them.

Feng Kejia soon to be Gracely Jia Brady-Nov. 30, 2006

This is a day late but it was three years ago that we anxiously received our referral for our beautiful baby girl in China.



Graci Jia - Nov. 20, 2009 - 3.5 years old.

God's Amazing Provisions!

It is not the fact that God provides that keeps amazing me. I know God provides, He says He will, He always does, and I am completely confident in that. What keeps me in awe is His creative ways of providing. I know He does it so there is no doubt that He should receive the glory and praise. And that is what I want to give Him for continually calling us and then making a way for us. God is good!!! What has inspired this writing is a funny story about the IRS. Now over the past couple of weeks as we have prayed for our trip and a way to pay for it we have received several checks in the mail. These have been random, unexpected, refunds or reimbursements. None of which we have asked for or that we even knew we were entitled to. The funniest is the day we received two certified letters from the IRS. We were not home so had to wait to the next day to pick them up at the post office. That means we had a day to worry ( I mean pray) about them. Lee goes and picks them up to find out they are collection notices that we owe money and penalties and late fees. We found this odd for two reasons, one, we can't find where we owe them money and two, we have been praying for the money to come for our trip. So we started praying for God to provide for our trip and the IRS bill. So, Lee called them to find out what was up. The outcome was nothing short of divine. They said, sorry Mr. Brady, there has been a mistake. Apparently someone hit the wrong button you do not owe this but it is being refunded to you. A check will arrive in the within the next two weeks. We apologize for the inconvenience. The call ends and Lee is completely blown away. God is amazing, creative, funny, faithful, and 100% looking out for us!

We Are Off To Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Kambyri Senait 4 months old Thaddeus Joel 7 months

After many grueling days of travel planning and me agonizing over how to go and not leave the littles, we have finally booked our flights. We leave on Friday Dec. 4 and return on Sunday Dec. 13. This is much longer than I wanted to be gone but Africa is FAR!!! I thought we could run over there and be back all in less than a week. It cannot be done. If you would like to pray and follow our family as we travel here is our itinerary:

Dec. 4 - Leave Phoenix midday and fly to New York

Dec. 4 - Leave New York late night and fly to Dubai
Dec. 5 - Arrive in Dubai lat evening and spend the night in Dubai
Dec. 6 - Leave Dubai in the morning and fly to Addis
Dec. 6 - Arrive in Addis late morning, get through airport etc. then check in the guest house
Dec. 7 - MEET THE BABIES AT THE ORPHANAGE
Dec. 8-9 -Visit the babies in the morning and afternoon, sight see, and take care of adoption business
Dec. 10 - US Embassy appt. to get their visas
Dec. 11 - visit with the babies, etc.
Dec. 12 - Leave Addis WITH OUR BABIES TO COME HOME! leave in the evening
Dec. 13 - Arrive in Dubai early a.m., leave Dubai later morning, arrive in San Francisco mid afternoon
Dec. 13 - Leave San Francisco and arrive home at 6:40 pm

Lee, Alyx, and I will be making the trip. Savannah and the littles will be having a ton of fun having overnights and lots of play dates with their friends and family. Please pray for them while we are gone, especially Graci as she is the one most likely to miss mommy a lot.

Pray for Layla!

Layla Blakely - 6 years old

I have the link to Layla's caring bridge site on this blog. Please visit and pray for this precious child. We met Layla while were staying at the Rondald Mcdonald House during Savannah's hospital inpatient treatment. She captured our hearts with her beautiful bald head, her charming and mischievous smile, her constant laughter, and her incredibly positive outlook on life. She just amazed us! Layla is 6 years old and has had multiple surgeries to remove cancerous tumors. They have all been extremely life threatening and she has undergone numerous rounds of chemo since she was 4. After her last surgery in August when a very large tumor was removed she was hoping for good news on her follow up. Instead, two weeks ago it was found that she has many spots of cancer on her liver and now it has moved to her lungs. As a mother, my heart breaks for Nicole, Layla's mom. Please join us in praying for this family and especially precious Layla.

Every Mother Should Have a Son

Our Son!
This is kind of random but always on my heart. Many people told me for years, when I just had girls, that every mom needs a son. I thought, 'why'. Boys are hyper, dirty, bad mannered, and over all can be gross. Well, let's just say my feelings have changed immensely. My son is the most affectionate, caring, sweet, loving, funny boy I have ever met. I may sound a little bias but it is just because I am so in love with this little boy. God continues to amaze me with His desire to give us the desires of our heart even when we don't know them ourselves. The picture above prompted this post. Is it just me or is this little guy's smile intoxicating? Don't you just fall in love with him - I did!