It's finally happening!!!

After the longest 3 years of my life they are ours!!! Introducing Miss Piper Jay Kalkidan, our 6 month old daughter and Sir Calvin Scott Ermias McIlrath, our 17 month old, chic magnet brother of 4 sisters! (To avoid confusion, Calvin is actually the one in the pink socks!)

OH MY GOODNESS!! I KNOW!!! You SO want to pinch, squish and just eat them up!!! HOLD ME BACK SOMEONE!!! I hope I don't freak them out...maybe I should alter my personality with some sort of medicinal substance prior to meeting them...I'll think about that...

Since we, myself (Rae) and Dave, the best husband I've ever had, are leaving in 16 days (WEE HOO!! WEE HOO!!) to pick up our 2 precious children in Ethiopia, I wanted our dear friends and family to be able to keep up with the never ending McIlrath saga (we wouldn't want anyone to go into withdrawls while we're gone!). We are also leaving our 3 other precious girls here in Texas (I love you girls!! I miss you already!! Keep your hands to yourselves the entire time I am gone, is that clear??!!) and I know that they will be suffering profusely being away from their mother and staying with their little friends and BOTH Grandmas, this way I can remain close to their little hearts. I know how much they hate getting presents, eating ice cream and marshmellows, staying up late, watching movies...I hope they are ok.

So this blog is for the people who love us. They have been so supportive and encouraging throughout the longest roller coaster ride ever and my worse-than-a-pregnant-elephant emotions. I know that they are just about as excited as we are about all this and they can now share in our first memorable (yet possibly quite terrifying) moments with our kiddos.

If you are dear to my heart you know that I just got my own e-mail account last year and I am a computer idiot - living in the mommy land of Sesame Street and Barney the past 8 years (I am now in High School Musical, Hannah Montana land, too!), so I can't promise any cool tricks or anything but I will bring you along on what is most definately one of the biggest moments of our lives (so far!).