It's Official!

Well, we have made it official!!  Yesterday morning we appeared before the Ethiopian courts to finalize our adoption. I am happy to say that we are officially a family of 7!   

Like our previous court trips, we woke up early to make our way through the busy streets of Addis Ababa.  We arrived at the Federal First Instance Court of Ethiopia and made our way to the small court room on the second floor.  When it was our turn to be called in, we entered with Joseph and our agency representative.  The judge asked us a few questions and then asked Joseph a few questions as well.  He then asked if we loved “D” –to which we replied, “YES!”  And then he said, “Your adoption is now considered final in the Ethiopian courts.” 

So without further ado, let us introduce you to Dagim Galbraith!  

We stopped quickly to videochat with his brothers, sisters, and grandparents back in the US and then headed out for a celebratory dinner.

Our next step was to obtain a new birth certificate with Dagim’s new last name, which was successfully completed on Friday.  This completed the in-country paperwork that required our presence.  Unfortunately, Dagim will not come home with us this trip, as we will have to wait for the necessary paperwork to be completed by the US Embassy to process his visa.  Jack will travel back in September for a very quick trip to bring him home. 

The story that began five years ago is now complete in the eyes of the law, and we are overjoyed to call Dagim our son.  Thank you for your prayers!!  God is good!

June 2012

January 2017

Until he's home,

Dana and Jack