Adoption blog
We Get the Kids, For Real, For Keeps
(click any image to enlarge)
Donations for the Transition Home
The vans are loaded Wednesday morning with donations for the transition home.
The Transition Home
This is the view from inside the walls of the transition home.
Some Key Players
Kristen chats with Fami from AWAA. To the right is T, our unflappable, sleep-deprived guide.
Care Packages Delivered
After donations are logged and children taken, care packages are distributed to kids waiting for their folks to come.
Biruk's Room
This is the sleep/play room Biruk spent several months in.
Wednesday is the day everybody waits eagerly for, parents and children alike. It's the day they come to be your child, for keeps, forever. It's the day that completes a process that we've been actively working toward for a year and a half, and one God has had in the works since before time began.
The day started with breakfast at the guest house, where we got to meet a family that was delayed in their travel and had just arrived at 1am. We loaded the vans with donations for the transition home and headed to lunch at a very nice restaurant/art gallery. There, the last member of our travel group met up with us. She and the other family had been delayed due to a huge storm on the east coast. Luckily, the only significant event they had missed was the paperwork party. They filled out their papers during lunch and were all caught up.
Kristen and I bought a painting that reminds us (and the kids, hopefully) of Ethiopia. It's all wrapped in cardboard, so we're praying it survives the trip home. We're trying to secure as many memories as we can while we're here, in hopes that the kids will never forget this amazing country.
Then we went to the transition home. It was surreal, just like the day before, to be pulling through the gates into the place that our kids had called home. Donations were quickly unloaded and checked into a small storeroom, and we began handing out care packages. Kristen can't say "no" to anyone, so we ended up handing out care packages to six kids. They are so cute as they get gifts and pictures from their adoptive parent(s) far away. Having been one of those eager waiting parents, I know how precious the pictures we took of the children will be to them.
We took a brief tour of the transition home, and stayed for a while in the room Samuel slept and played in. The nannies were so sad to see him go, and someone from our group overheard them saying that Biruk was their favorite. One nanny in particular held Biruk and cried a great deal. We had heard about how Ethiopians love children, and this was one reason we chose Ethiopia. To see the love those nannies have for the children filled our hearts with gratitude. I was blessed to have Samuel leave one of his nannies and come to me, with a smile and open arms, to be picked up. Wow!
We then loaded everybody in the vans, which were now pretty much at capacity. After a very short drive, we were at the second transition home AWAA recently opened up. The bigger kids, including our girls, had been sleeping at the new home for only a few weeks. They were excited to show us their beds, and introduce a few friends.
Then it was back in the vans, and a short drive to the guest house. Fami, an AWAA travel coordinator, sat next to Naomi and I and held Samuel on her lap. (She also said Samuel was one of her favorites.) Olivia sat behind us with Mommy. At one point, Olivia said something to Fami in Amharic. "What did she say?" we asked. "She asked if we're going home now," said Fami. How sweet.
Back at the guest house, we tromped up four flights of stairs (pant, pant) and settled into our room. We played for a few minutes, then it was time for "enebla" ("let's eat"). Several familes were eating with their new children, and it was apparent the energy level in the guest house had jumped several notches. The girls devoured their lasagna, which was a generous portion. These kids can eat!
We headed back to the room and gave everyone showers. I took Samuel in the shower with me. He was a brave little guy, crying just a little when we were done and he got a bit cold. He's so quiet and observant, just taking everything in. He walks around the room, smiles on occasion and plays with his cars and ball. But mostly, Samuel just wants to be held. He's my mellow little man.
On went the new jammies and socks, and we turned our attention towards hair. Conditioner in Samuel's hair--check. Oil in Naomi's hair--check. But what about Olivia's hair? Yikes! Kristen tried to comb it out a bit, and her eyes got big. It was very tangled, and didn't want to behave. So she did what every first-time parent should do. She called for help.
Lisa Nelson, a dear friend in our travel group, has two African-American children at home and is adopting a third. She and her new daughter Genet came and saved the day, braiding Olivia's hair. Whew! Tomorrow, the big girls will go to a hair salon to have it professionally done. They will feel like princesses, and we'll get a two-week reprieve from having to do Olivia's hair.
Bedtime was as smooth as can be, and they were all asleep in short order. Samuel slept through the night wonderfully, and they were all still sleeping soundly when I left the room at 3:30am. (Early to bed, early up.)
Today (Wednesday) we go to the embassy to file our paperwork and do a brief interview with the staff there. Then the rest of the day is ours for shopping, play time, naps, hair care and plenty of fun. We'll update the blog and add new pictures when we get the opportunity.
Blessings to you, loved ones. You are missed!
Why We Chose EthiopiaAll Biruk's nannies cried, but this one had an especially hard time saying goodbye. These women really love the children.(click to enlarge)
All Clean!After their first shower with us, the clean kids get new jammies and socks.(click to enlarge)
Kristen Phones a Friend"What am I going to do with this hair?" she asks. Simple--call for help!(click to enlarge)