Thoughts on Addis

We've been home a few days now, and I think we finally have our days and nights right now. Thoughts of Ethiopia are still swimming in our heads though. So much I want to record in my memory about our girl's country....

- shanty, shack towns everywhere...they just go on for miles!
- poverty like I've never seen before
- joy despite their circumstances
- dirty feet
- homeless sleeping on the side of the road all over the city
- little and big hands held out asking for money
- babies on the backs of women
- women carrying huge loads of eucalyptus down Entoto Mtn. - can't believe how hard they work
- absolutely BEAUTIFUL people
- sweet babies lying in crib after crib with bottles propped up in their mouths
- the special needs kids at the government orphanage - don't know where to put this in my brain
- sweet men playing with our kids - such love in their eyes
- cars everywhere, constant horn honking, smell of diesel fumes, no stoplights - craziness on the roads!
- donkeys, cattle, goats in the middle of the street
- men holding hands and arms around each other....affectionate people
- boys too young at an all boy's orphanage - kept imagining sweet David there at the age of 5.
- the smell of fire burning all the time (most still cook over open flame)
- a fusbol game with a family at the top of Entoto Mtn - language not a barrier when it comes to fusbol!
- Korah (the dump) - don't know where to put this in my brain either...too much!
- the leprosy hospital and women with no fingers weaving beautiful things
- a crazy baboon at the lion zoo
- a soccer game at Kolfe (boy's government orphanage)
- plates so full of food at a lunch with the Kechene girls (Kechene is the government run girl's orphanage) - we didn't think they could eat it all but they did!
- sweet women at the Bjoe Guesthouse...they took such great care of us
- Gladney - they do all they do with excellence and have a heart for all the children of Ethiopia
- some really neat families that are with us on this journey
- sweet girl and her friends at Gladney - can't wait to get her home

I'm trying not to think about the investigation and the delay in bringing her home....so frustrating, but I know God's got it. His timing is better than mine:-) We are excited to go back!

Home Sweet Home

We are back home and trying to get back into the swing of schoolwork and chores....hasn't been easy so far! The trip was great. It was hard at times....so much poverty and too many little kids with no mommies and daddies....but also really cool. I am hoping I don't just go back to life as usual but that this actually changes something about the way we live. I'm afraid it will fade after a while. Our visits with sweet girl went well. It was a little weird because we weren't supposed to show her any favoritism at all, and she was not to be told we were her parents. So, we just sat and watched a lot...handed out stickers, took pictures of all the kids and showed them over and over to them (they love seeing themselves in photos.) Margo had the hardest time not playing favorites, and her and sweet girl really hit it off. She actually ran up and gave Margo a hug and kiss the second day we came. She is a very pretty girl and has lots of spunk....definitely rules the roost in a room full of 2 year olds. Court day went well. The birth mom relinguished her rights, so all we have to do now is wait for this stinkin investigation to get over :-) Once that happens, we will be assigned an embassy date (hopefully sometime in March) and go back to get her!

The big kids did great, and they made great friends with our driver. (I loved having a driver by the way....I could so use those precious ladies at BJoe and our driver here at home!) I have to admit I was glad to be back to American food. I hope to blog some details of the trip soon....so much I want to share!