February 11, 2008 (Email to Family/Friends) The day we became a family...

The 1st time that I held my sweet baby.

Dear Friends~

what an amazing...emotional day! Simret is well...she does have an upper respiratory infection for which we have to give her antibiotics 3 times a day...but other than that she is simply perfect. We just finished giving her...her first bath. She is such a sweet baby....very content and talkative. She can almost roll over (3/4 right now) and can hold her head up. We have been with her all day, bathed her, changed her (huge blow-out), changed her again, wiped her snotty face multiple times...and she still has not cried. However, she is a baby and will...she just has a wonderful personality...always smiling. The boys are amazing with her...they love playing with her...even Colton is in love. We are having a wonderful time getting to know one another...I am now less worried about the plane ride home now that I have met her. She is truly amazing...I love her so much...amazing how that just happens. Anyway, here are some pictures...we have tons more of when we met her but they are on Lance's camera and I am having trouble downloading them. So, for now...these are the pictures we have.
miss you all,
jill, lance, dylan, colton & simret

The Thomas Center (where Simret lived for 5 months of her life)

View of Addis from the upper deck of the Thomas Center

The 1st time she touched me.

The 1st time Lance held Simret.

Danielle & Tommy meeting Judah....Jocelyn meeting Pacey for the 1st time.

1st time Dylan & Colton held Simret

the crib Simret slept in for 5 months at the Thomas Center

the new mommies

to this day-my favorite picture of Simret

Getting to know our new little ones, in a small room on the top floor of the Thomas Center

Tommy & Judah

Pacey & Simret (I absolutely love this picture)

Walker's 1st diaper change...

Leaving the Thomas Center

Simret's 1st bath.

Our 1st nap together.

Dylan playing with his new sister.

1st family photo.

One thing that can be said for sure, is that we definitely had a lot of firsts today.

-I didn't actually journal the rest of our stay in Ethiopia; as every time that I sat down to write, I couldn't find the words to describe the events that transpired and the emotions that went along with them. I did email family/friends daily. Let the pictures speak volumes, when I could not.-