Day 6- Last full day in Bulgaria

This photo is for Meredith:
 
(no, she did not wear the big flower sticking up on top of her head out in public! She only wore it around the hotel room because Meredith thinks it is so pretty…LOL)

Today, we went back to the market, back to Tanja’s house for lunch and then back to the hotel to get our important paper work and to say good-bye to everyone.

First, the final adoption paper work check list:
passport….check

Proof that the adoption complied with all Hague laws….check (forgot to take a photo of the one from the MOJ. This is the heading of the one from the US Embassy though)

Visa to enter the US….check

The “do not open this” envelope that is given at passport control upon arriving in the US so that Annikah can actually get past passport control and into the US…..check

All of that is safely in the carry on bag, along with all the official adoption paper work (birth certificate, court decree) and the POA from Robert, should someone at the Bulgaria passport control booth want to see it.

After lunch, we met with Toni for a little while and then it was time to say “see you soon, my friend” (not good-bye!)

I say it often and it’s worth repeating today that this lady is a GIFT. She has become such a dear friend to me over the past 2+ years and it is an honor to work alongside her each and every day.

A couple of hours later, we had dinner with the Davis family and the Rhodes family. The Davis family will be traveling home tomorrow too. The Rhodes family just finished their first trip. So, while they are also headed home, they still have several more steps in their process.

Now, all that is left to do is pack.

I’ve already tucked my Bulgarian princess in to sleep her very last night in the country of her birth.

There is so much more to say about the emotions of this week and so many more emotions and new experiences coming in the next few weeks. I look into Annikah’s eyes and I still can’t believe that I get the privilege of being her mom.

If all flights are on time, we will land on US soil around three-thirty Eastern time Saturday afternoon. Annikah should be meeting her daddy AND all of her brothers and sisters around six-thirty pm central time Saturday night. *Annikah will now sign “daddy”, but will only do it when she sees her daddy on skype. So, it’ll be very interesting to see if she makes the connection when she meets her daddy in person tomorrow night*

This is not the end, but only the beginning. SO much more to come. Stay tuned…….