Happy 3rd Birthday Hanna!

I have been a very bad blogger, mainly because I cannot figure out how to post pics from my Ipad/ Iphone to my laptop!  Today is the day we chose for Hanna to have her Birthday!  Why October 20th?  Because that is the day she was found in a Market in DR Congo.  Luckily, she was taken to a place where she got good care until she became a part of our family.  Hanna is doing so well for being home such a short time.  She is very bright and you would never know that she did not know a word of English 2 short months ago!  She seems to be a typical 3 year old (tantrums included). 

This day begins our busy, busy time!  Our Anniversary is 10/28, our Sara gotcha day is 10/29, Sara will be 6 10/30 and Sue will be over 30 10/31!  Looking forward to lots of celebrating in the next couple of weeks! 

Hanna is here!

Well, today was the day I got our little girl. It was quite an experience. The trip to the Foster Home was indescribable with so much poverty everywhere. This has definitely been eye opening for me. I knew it was bad, but you never really know until you see it. To think, my little girl could have had that life. Speaking of Hanna, she is very very sweet. She had no problem leaving with me. I think they had been preparing her and her buddy Rosa for some time now. She ran right to me when she saw me and then stayed with me the whole time. I think it helped that her BFF was with her! She seems to have gotten very good care and she LOVES to eat. I am hoping there is nothing wrong because her belly is very big. We are having a good time hanging out with the other girls and getting to know each other. I am having a hard time posting pics, but I will soon!

We made it!!!

So, after much persistence on my travel companion Elsa's part, we were able to get on a flight yesterday to Kinshasa. We arrived at about 8 pm last night. It is a HUGE culture shock! Makes me appreciate the US a great deal! We found out that we have to go to the US Embassy today in order to get Hanna's exit letter processed. We are being told it could take until Tues. Please pray that we get everything done by Sat so my other travel companion can catch her flight and I can leave Mon as planned!

Next time I post I will have a new addition!

Stuck in Brussels

Well, not only was my plane 2 hours late to Chicago from Columbus (which would have been OK because we had a long layover in Chicago), but our flight was delayed from Chicago to Brussels which meant us missing our connection to Kinshasa!  We originally thought we could get on a flight Thursday night, but now it is gonna be Friday!!!!  We are here in Brussels for 2 nights now.  The Airlines has put us up in a Hotel and provided meals, but we want to see our kiddos NOW!  It seems that all flights for tomorrow are over booked!  Ugh!!

I got my Visa today!!!  Now we are good to go!  Hanna will get her Exit Letter Sat!  Ready or not, here I come!

What a great Monday!

This is what I woke up to today!!!

Dear Susan and Gary Macklis,

 

Congratulations! Your visa has been issued. We are very happy for your family.

We are trying to get a hold of your representative to come and pick up your baby’s visa and packet tomorrow Tuesday, July 24, at 3:00 pm.

 

Sincerely,

Sarah

 

Consular Section

US Embassy Kinshasa

Hanna is coming HOME!!!

OK, so our Escort may have problems getting a Visa, so I (Sue) have decided to go get our baby girl!  I will be traveling with another Adoptive Parent, meeting up in Chicago.  We plan to leave August 7th, arrive in Kinshasa August 8th and I will be back in the USA with HANNA August 14th if all goes well! Hanna has her Embassy Appointment this Monday, July 9th, so we feel confident that she will be ready to come home by August. We are sooooooooo excited to finally have a plan and a date!!!