One year ago today

One year ago today, we were waiting anxiously at the Appleton Airport for the arrival of our granddaughter from Ethiopia. We thought a few beers would take care of some of the nerves but the beers didn't really help. The plane was delayed in Chicago so that added to our stress level plus Courtney, Paul and Tizita were the absolute last people to depart the plane even the flight crew was off before they were! I remember asking some passangers if there was a little girl on the plane and they said, "Yes, and she is beautiful." The sight we saw next was a sight for sore eyes!

One year ago today, we saw Tizita walking hand in hand with her mama as she got off the plane. It was the most beautiful sight. Here was the granddaughter that we had dreamed about for months finally in the flesh and she was even more beautiful than we ever imagined. While most grandparents await the arrival of a grandchild from the womb, we awaited her arrival from the terminal of the Appleton Airport. Even after hours and hours and hours on different planes Tizita was wide eyed and ready to meet us.

One year ao today, we sat across from Tizita in the Appleton airport and just took in her beauty. She was exploring the balloon we bought for her. I wondered if she had ever seen a balloon before and then I thought about all the other new things she was about to discover!

One year ago today, we saw this beautiful face for the first time. Tizita is clutching a little Mimi (her word for doll) that I had bought for her long before I even knew her name. My prayer at this point was, "Please, Lord let us do right by this lovely little girl."

One year ago today,Tizita was just checking out the balloon we had brought for her. Look at those big eyes and just try and imagine what was going through her little mind at this moment. She had just left the only home she had ever known and was about to begin a new life with a new family in a new country! Wow, it is a lot to take in!

One year ago today, we watched our little Tizita still clutching her Mimi walk out of the airport and into her new life with her mama and papa. It was a wonderful moment. We went out to dinner with Paul's parents, toasted our new granddaughter, and checked into our motel where we tried to sleep. We were very excited because the next morning we were going to see our Tizita again and begin the bonding process.

It has been a wonderful year and as I have stated on here numerous times, Tizita has exceeded our wildest dreams. She is beautiful, smart, and full of spit and vinegar!

One year ago today, we became Grandparents for the first time, so Happy Grandparents Day to us and Happy Tiziversary to us, too.

Check out tomorrow's post for our first real visit with Tizita at her new home.