We're Home!!

 

My new 'forever friend' Sabrina..we can't wait to see them again!

 

This was the first time that Ty did not cry when surrounded by the others, we were so proud of him!

 

The Coffee Ceremony that the lovely hosts of the Ethiopian Guest House treated us to before leaving Tuesday night

We landed in our sweet home town tonight at 5:30. Our girls met us as we drug our suitcases out of the airport, with squeals of delight and big hugs. That’s the best!
We were so lucky to have traveled home with two other adoptive families. Ben and Heidi, Lisa and Dave. We all enjoyed each others company over coffee and pastries in Frankfurt during our 4 hour layover. We all were exhausted, poor Heidi nearly asleep at the table. We left Ben and Heidi in Germany and boarded our longest leg to Chicago with Lisa and Dave. This nine hour flight was made a bit more comfortable because my sweet husband had the forethought to ask if the flight was full. It was not, and so he moved us to the exit aisle…the leg room was worth the missing window. We both dozed, watched a movie, listened to music and read. We both had begun not feeling well in Frankfurt, so we snacked on pretzels and minimal plane food. In Chicago the four of us found a food court and passed our next two hours with more great conversation and wishful speculation of our next travel. We all agreed, we hope to travel with one another again.
Heading home from the airport we made a stop to see our friends Dawit and Debere. When we were in Ethiopia we had the great pleasure of meeting Dawit’s brother. He gifted us with traditional Ethiopian dress scarves and lots of kindness! We had arranged to carry back items for his family here. We were bringing lots of aromatic spices, clothes, fabric and other gifts for Dawit’s family. We were so happy to be able to do something for this family. It was their kindness to translate our letter to Tamirat’s family that was truly an amazing moment between us. And of course, if we were stopping by we had to have tibs! Debere prepared the yummy tibs, accompanied with injera and lentils..and cottage cheese for Mallory of course! Funny, we left Ethiopia and came to Tennesse for Ethiopian food! It tasted so good! We are so glad we found Goha and the family who owns it. Then when we arrived home we were surprised to find a yummy Chicken casserole from our dear neighbors the Johnson’s. They too have walked this path and know the toll such trips can take. We are so grateful for the love of our friends!

Gotcha Day!!

 

 

 

 

What a CRAZY-WONDERFUL Day! As promised we arrived at the transition house at 8:30a.m. When we walked through the gates the little toddlers were lined up on the sidewalk. When they saw us they clapped and cheered for us. It was definitely spontaneous and really a memory I’ll always hold dear. Knowing what I know now, that was a super way to start such a complex day!
Brian and I (and a few others) had decided against wearing our court clothes to the transition home. We figured (1) if we get the call that court was rescheduled for an earlier time then we would quickly change(we brought our court clothes) (2) there was very little chance we would go earlier (3) have I mentioned how HOT it gets? Dressing up is not fun when you’re sweating.. (4) Ty was likely to leave his mark on our clothing if you know what I mean. So sure enough, up to the Family Room we went and within 2 minutes we were told we have to leave for court..NOW. Oops. We all dashed about finding our clothes, changing and nervously laughing at the incident. We piled in the van and headed to the court house.
Our favorite translator (you got..Hanuck) took us into the court house, marched us up 5 or 6 flts of stairs (lost count after 3), and walked us right up to the waiting area where we stood outside of the door waiting for the other adoptive families to arrive. The waiting room was crowded and even after the others arrived we all just stood in the hallway until a very convincing guard insisted we move into the waiting room. We huddled in the middle of the room, looking nervously at each other and saying many prayers. The judge summoned 2-3 families at a time into her chamber. Yes, a female judge…she was beautiful! She asked us all the same 5-6 questions, really stressed the importance of the Ethiopian culture and how the country hopes we all educate our children on their birth country. We all agreed and that was it. We were parents..for a third time! We all huddled again in the waiting room until the last families had seen the judge then we herded out of the room and out of the building. What didn’t go without noticing was right as we were all leaving a large group of Ethiopian citizens stood up and walked out in front of us. One of them, a very kind man with a genuine smile stopped and shook my hand and the hand of others around me. It was at that moment that I realized that group of people might be our children’s birth family representatives. I asked, and it was confirmed. What a moment of excitement! We were then told that we would have a chance to speak with our child’s birth family as soon as we left the court house. We met at the agency's guest house. The birth families were already there when we arrived.
Seated quietly without much expression were the birth families. The adoptive families stood on the other side of the court yard, quiet and contemplative. You could see that we all were trying to take a peek at each other, without staring..wondering if our children looked like one of them and they were curious which of us had promised to love and care for their child. It was awkward to say the least. With only one translator the wait was long, each family taking about 15 minutes with the translator to get as much important information regarding their child, the family history and any extras we might stumble upon. In an effort to move things along, a younger man who was with the birth families and could translate at best broken English stepped forward and began saying the names of our children. He was the first to introduce us to Tamirat’s uncle Yishak. He was a tall, lean, friendly man who greeted us first with a handshake and after introductions we shared a hug. As we waited for our agency’s translator to assist us we decided to give Yishak the letter we had prepare for him. With the assistance of our friend Dawit we had written a letter to Tamirat’s family and he had translated it into Amharic, the main Ethiopian language. He began to read it, out loud. After each couple of sentences he would look at us and say something. The young translator would then tell us “he is happy” “he says thank you” “his heart is happy” “He loves you”. As he read on his voice became softer and his words became more slurred, we knew he was becoming emotional and we were too. At the end of the letter we had included a scripture:
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding,
In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your steps.” Proverbs 3: 5-6
Yishak read it and with wide eyes asked if we were Christians. We nodded and claimed we were. He raised his hand to his chest and indicated that he was too. He told us his family are Christians and he was so happy to know that we were too. It was a perfect ending to our initial introduction. Soon after we were able to sit down with the agency’s translator and ask a few questions. Yishak graciously answered all that he could. He was soft spoken and at times I wondered if I had asked too much. It was at these times he would offer a smile or make eye contact, as if he knew I needed encouragement. After our time together we took pictures together. We had given him pictures of Tamirat and he quickly looked through them. After we were done he sat down with the other birth family members and looked at the pictures again, and others looked on. He also shared the letter with them. Just as we had become intimately connected with the group of adoptive parents in our journey to unite with our children, these birth families had traveled hours, some days, and they too had created a bond with each other. They shared their photos with each other and it was apparent that they truly offered comfort to each other in a way only they could. We were not so different from each other..and our children were the ties that bound us together. What a beautiful experience.
After our meeting, the birth families traveled to the transition home for one last visit with their children. I can only imagine what this visit meant to them and how very difficult it must have been. I pray that our meeting helped relieve the burden of the visit and allowed them time to rejoice in their children and their futures. After lunch we headed to the transition home, the birth parents were gone, and had our last 3 hours with our children. In all of the stress, the emotion, the confusion, the excitement, the heart break…as soon as they opened those gates, the motion of it pushed another chapter open in our lives. There were tears of happiness. Ty was asleep (go figure!), but soon he was brought to me. It was obvious his belly was upset, as we had 2 diaper changes and a change of clothes in the first hour. That morning I had prayed that God help us to connect with Ty, I was really needing to see a smile .. something to show me he was happy to have us as his parents. I have to admit that as much as I loved him laying against me and sleeping in my arms over the last 2 day, I would have done anything for a happy Ty. As God has done so many times in our journey, He did not disappoint. Our last 15 minutes was spent with a baby who laughed and smiled..he has dimples!! Unlike most parents, we left there with joy in our hearts. Our happiness was so consuming we couldn’t find the sadness in leaving him. Again, we gave thanks.
Our evening ended with a coffee ceremony celebrating our wonderful day, shared with our precious new friends! We left for the airport at 8:30 and caught an 11:30 flight to Frankfurt, Germany.

Monday in Addis

 

 

 

 

Another busy day in Ethiopia. We woke to pancakes, and though they weren’t as tasty as the Schiro’s , we were happy. Then off to the transition home to see Ty. It was clear to us that he is feeling better today, but still not 100%. He is a serious little guy and so we are still trying to figure out what he wants. He seemed to enjoy our company more today. In fact, when we returned for the second visit after lunch there was a group who arrived before us. They said when they went into the nursery to get their children that Ty kept looking around them trying to see who was coming in next as if looking for us. We had a toy car that Brian and rolled back and forth to each other. Ty was in my lap. For a brief moment Ty forgot his apprehension, reached out for the truck and knocked it over and made the ever slightest sound. Totally made our day. We were invited to watch his nannies give him a bath this afternoon. They move fast, as the tub is a baby bath that they put in the middle of the nursery floor with a bucket of water ready to wash with. To our delight he was very content in the tub, even when the nanny poured water directly over his head (many times) he didn’t complain at all. Just kept on reaching for the soap. I have secretly warned him that he may need to act a little more put out with it or Brian will have him signed up for swim lessons this summer. Not the Mommy and me kind either. I think he understood me.
After lunch we headed out with 2 other couples to do a little souvenir shopping. The guest house arranged for us to have a driver and a translator. We went into the downtown area of Addis Ababa to an area locals call the Post Office. Apparently there is a post office nearby , clever. (They also have a part of town called Mexico..funny.) We went into a great shop that had lots of great items. We got several things for the kids, and for the house. It was a lot of fun. Our friends Sabrina and Adam are collecting items for their daughter’s birthdays..plural. They are going to collect 18 gifts to give her, one for every birthday until her 18th birthday. I loved that idea! Our outing was a success for all of us, so glad we did it. I will mention that driving in Ethiopia is INSANE!! If there is a 4 lane road (supposed to be for two coming, two going), the driver will use all four lanes until he absolutely must move over. They can maneuver their vans as if they were on motorcycles, we were squeezing between other vans, in and out of cars. We even ran up on a police car, which we nearly took the curb to pass. Pedestrians are EVERYWHERE, and just as daring as the drivers. It is chaos and I am grateful for the rules of the road we follow in the US. (Most of us follow.)
Tomorrow is our court date. We are still unclear of the time, as the judge called at the last minute tonight to move our time from 10:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., but if she can get caught up she will call us and have us come earlier. You have no idea the confusion this will be! We have to juggle our visit with our kids, in our court attire, transportation which you have to call in advance and the list goes on. Ugh! But, in the end we will have our time and as long as all paperwork has been accounted for we will officially be granted guardianship of one cute little boy!

Round 2

Second visit with Ty was just a wonderful as the first, just hate that he is not feeling well. He was asleep when we arrived, so we asked that they let him sleep. They said that he had been sleeping, and that they would let us know when he awoke. About 10 minutes later they walked in with a very sleepy Ty. He looked at us and cried..poor guy! It wasn’t long before we realized he was still sleepy, probably a side effect of the medicine too. Again he fell asleep in my arms and was content that way. He would wake, pull on his ears and fuss a little, then sleep some more. Our little boy is definitely sick and not feeling well. Such a helpless feeling. All of the other babies were making eye contact and some big smiles were had, so we know it is a happy place and fully expect to have those moments with Ty soon. Right now, if he’ll just let us hold him while he sleeps we are glad to do it.
Tonight we had one of our favorite Ethiopian dishes for dinner. We eat all of our meals at our Guest House. It is really the safest way to eat as they know not to cook with any water, keeps us healthy! Tonight when we came in from our visit our dinner was ready. Beef tibs was on the table and we lit up! We have made a great connection with another family staying here too (they have a daughter staying at the same home as Ty) and they had never had the traditional dish. They liked it, just like everyone else we have ever taken to have Ethiopian. Tibs are the BEST! Of course they don’t taste like my friend Debere’s tastes, but they were still good and a great way to end our day.
Another great way to end the day was with the Skype call we shared with Kendall and Mallory, Mom and Dad and Uncle Greg. Though our day was busy and at times stressful we were so looking forward to hearing from our girls. It is 7:30 p.m. here and we are exhausted. We have big ambitions to turn the computer into a movie screen and watch a flick, but we both know we’re just looking for a way to wind down and pass out! I’ll be sure to post Ty’s visit tomorrow. Prayers that he feels better tomorrow are appreciated. He’s a trooper! Very hard to leave my sick child there when I know how much better it is here. However, I know he’s getting good care with his nannies and am grateful for their commitment. Good night!

Ty Day!

We arrived in Addis Ababa late last night. We were sooo tired, but of course our bodies were still on Tennessee time and wouldn't cooperate. We finally dozed off sometime near 1 a.m. Addis is 9 hours ahead of TN, so our sleep was not as sound as it should be. Maybe it was the barking dogs outside of our window, or perhaps the church on the mountain across from us that began it's holy day at 4:30 a.m., including blasting music and sermon from a very loud intercom system. Whatever the reason, we are attempting to rest a bit now, before we go back to Ty's house.
So at 9 a.m we were invited to visit Ty at the transiion home. As we entered the gates we got very excited! We are staying with another adoptive couple at the same Guest House and they had visited withh their daughter yesterday, so they gave us the scoop on what to expect. as we entered we were greeted with enthusiasm and they asked our child's name. We told them and they brought him to us. She immediately handed him to me and he cried, which we now know is a good sign that they understand bonding..so in a way it was music to my ears. Brian took pics and video, neither of which we can post yet, but soon! Ty didn't want to make eye contact at all,he was definitely confused. Then Brian took him, more photo and video opps. We passed him back and forth a few times,neither wanting to let him go he was soo sweet. When we first saw him we both commented on his size, because in his pictures he looked like a big boy, but in truth he is not that big at all. He is healthy though and hopefully we'll get to see his smile this afternoon when we go back.
After we had been holding him for about 30-45 minutes he fell asleep in Brian's arms. He was so cute! We did notice he felt hot and he had been tugging at his ear, which made us wonder if he was not feeling well. So we let him napand when the director of the transition home came to visit she noticed he was not himself. So right then she told us to get in the van as we were going to visit the doctor!So off we went, to Ty's doctor. That was an incredible experierience.The staff we so friendly and after the exam the doctor told us he was congested and had a red throat. He gave us a prescription and sent us on our way.We were there for a total of 15 minutes max, very fast. To describe the doctor's office would be nearly impossible, I can only say that they were friendly and it was small and would not ever pass inspection in the states. such a different way of life here, I am still trying to wrap my mind around it. While we were at the doctor's office we got his current weight, a healthy 20 lbs. And while we were there Ty began to play with my necklace, a good sign that we were making progress. Oh, and also while we weree there we took a tour of the infirmary , which is across the yard from the doctor's office. inside the 2 room bldg/lean-to was a 20 day old baby who had stayed the night hooked up to iv's because she could not keep food down.Whe was so small. To our delight they were unhooking her and she and her caregiver rode back the house with us, as she was going to be matched with a family soon. That was such a great moment to know that that child was being cared for and soon to have her forever family, I held Ty and said a prayer of thanks for them both.
We returned to Ty's house and took hime to his crib, as he was asleep again. He woke when Brian laid him down. He shares a small froom with 6 other cribs. His nanny took him and began to feed him luncnch. We have plans to go back to visit more this afternoon and hope that he has a bit more energy. On our way back from the doctore office we stopped on the side of the main road. Our friend (the director jumped out and ran into this shop. It was a pharmacy, with the most basic of meds I'm sure, and picked up the antibiotic prescribed by the doctore. Funny, if Kendall or Mallory had presented with a cold at 11 mos the doctore whould have said steam showers and fluids. And if they had said RX, we would have balked at it. Today were so grateful that they had any medicine for him.
Again, we still haven't gotten comfortable with the extreme situation here. It is amazing and bewildering. But I do want to say that the people we pass on the street and the people we have encountered at our Guest House, at the transition home, at the doctor's office..they are full of love! They smile, they laugh, they show concern for us..isn't that amazing, they show concern for us! I am humbled and grateful for this opportunity.
Ty is beautiful and you'll just have to take my word for it. Kendall and Mallory: we gave him your teddy bear and he loved it. We miss you both more than words can say. We have been told that when Ty is not sick he is truly a happy boy, and I think they were trying to say he may be a handful, but of course they wouldn't come out and say it. Good thing he has 2 big sisters to keep him happy!
will post more tonight is internet is working. Gonna grab a quick nap, or atleast try

'Tis the Season...

 

It's Christmas time and our house is in full Christmas Camo! Our trees are decorated with new and old, with glass and glitter, with snowmen and seashells. We have treasured knick knacks given by friends and made by our little angels. Each with it's own memory of Christmas' past. Our shrubs are lit, outdoor candy canes aglow, and two mini Christmas trees flock our front door. Candies fill the Christmas dish to greet guests and offer a parting gift to visitors. There are a few presents under the tree, along with a train set for little ones to see. And ofcourse our magic Advent box does not disappoint! Our little manger scene was a toy set given to the girls by their grandmother and all kids love playing with it. From entering our front door one might say we are ready for the great celebration!
You know what they say, "be careful not to judge a book by it's cover". For if you traveled past the front porch, down the decorated hall, through the scent of the cinnamon candle and past the beauty of the brightly lit tree you would find our bedroom. (insert Psycho scream here) I once heard a friend jokingly call her bedroom a frat house (not b/c of the fun but due to the mess) and that is EXACTLY what my bedroom looks like! Using your shoulder to push the door open you will be assaulted with the vision of wrapping overload! Overflowing containers of wrapping tissue, loosely rolled ribbon, tape (clear, packing, double sided), miscellaneous shirt boxes (good luck finding the matching pair!) and gift tags galore! Once you step over that chaos you will soon find yourself wondering what on earth all of those Kroger bags are doing in the bedroom. Fear not..there are no refrigerated items in there! That my friends is my brilliant disguise! All gifts are hidden in that quadrant, overlooked by wandering 7 year old eyes and dismissed by 4 year old curiosity as merely Kroger buys! B-R-I-L-L-I-A-N-T right? Unless you are a 37 year old woman needing a trip to the loo at 2 a.m. Then it becomes a test of agility. So far I've only one bruise. Not so bad. If you dare run the obstacle course (ironing board challenge is a doozy!) you'll find the pathway beside my bed that is at this moment storage for Kendall's new room, that has yet to be built. Her new bedding is lovely, sure to be a pleaser when given the chance to adorn her new bed..yet to be bought.
Now by this point you are wondering why you didn't tie on some of that ribbon to find your way back to the door. You might realize that yes, that is a bed beside you and you fling yourself onto the mound of covers (of course the bed isn't made..would it really make a difference??), you'll shimmy your way to the other side to find the only patch of carpet not covered with tinsel. Quickly look to your right, look for the shiny door handle and run for it! Careful, don't forget the wrapping boxes are there. Did I mention the cat? The sneaky, stealth-like black little hot-mess that likes to take a whack at unsuspecting bare feet while playing ninja under the bed? Hope you enjoyed your Tour de Roy. We are considering selling t-shirts...
We are totally absorbed in holiday happiness and madness! Loving every minute of it, well maybe not every minute. We are still looking for Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus that my great-aunt handmade...can't seem to find that Christmas container. And we're missing a few stockings that should be hung with care by now! The new cat is annihilating the glass ornaments one day at a time and the old kitty is puking daily due to his new diet of fake fir. My youngest has already asked if she has to wear that shirt again (she won't be able to wear this Christmas tree size 4 forever!!) and my oldest is asking more questions than I want to answer..can't we just have one last magical day?
So what do I hang on to you may ask...why do I do it? Read it again...it's really quite beautiful. Beautiful chaos, woven with great stories and memories of something other than ordinary. It's the effort, the knowledge that my chidren will one day, years from now, come home and ask why i didn't put the snowman on the shelf. Some random something that i won't think they paid attention to but they did. I know, I remember doing the same with my parents. It will be details that they remember that they leave here with and carry on with their families. It's the celebration of the best day of the year...the day you can't imagine not spending with the ones you love. All of them! And decorating for them, so that they know you want a party in Jesus' honor as a way to show your love to Him and to them. I'll take the chaos, the bruises, the sometimes snarly attitudes...as long as I get a chance to live vicariously through my children on Christmas morning, as long as I get a chance to connect with friends old and new, as long as I get to delight someone with a great gift, as long as I get to be delighted with others thoughtfulness, as long as my holiday centers around Christ and brings with it all of these things. That is why we all do it I believe. I do Believe.

Kendall, Mallory and Ty

OMG!! (as my Brownie Scouts would say) I can't believe it's been over 5 months since my last post. So much has happened in that 5 months! Where to start...
The biggest news to date is the referral of our little boy. Let me try that again..The referral of our little boy!!!! Because of all the rules and legalities I am unable to post his sweet pictures, but I can attest that he is quite the cutie. His birth name initials are T and Y, and we really love the name so we're keeping it and his nickname (everyone in this family has a nickname!) is Ty. Our little guy Ty. He's a healthy and happy little boy who wasn't afraid to show his smile in one of the two pics we received. We recently booked our first trip to visit him, we go after the new year. We will have a few days to spend with him while he is still in the 'months old' stage of his life. When we return for him on the second trip he will likely have celebrated his 1st b'day. We are a little sad over that and truthfully we pray that somehow we get to be with him on his b'day...but either way we are happy to say we know his sweet face, how old he is and the precious little background that was shared with us. Blessings all around!
The girls are definitely excited about Ty's arrival. They already talk about him and even their friends are referring to him as if he is already here. It's really a treat to hear and watch. Kendall presented a report last week on Timkat. Timkat is the Ethiopian festival of the Feast of Epiphany. She told her class how this festival is the biggest, most celebrated in Ethiopia and lasts for 3 days. In remembrance of the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River by John the Baptist. ..hmm...I was just about to give a brief review of her report but I have a better idea. I'll video her and post it. She is really quite educated on the topic and would be able to deliver in a much better manner. I'll work on that today. Stay tuned...
Mallory has thrived in her Pre-k program and is sure to blaze a trail straight through Kindergarten. Her laugh has always been contagious but now she pairs it with honest to goodness humor and lights up the room. Today is her Christmas Program and she plays the ever popular role of 'the chicken'. Yep, there was a chicken in that barn, right there by the manger...go look it up...no time to argue this. She has voiced her own concern over being a 'turkey', we assured her that she was a chicken NOT a turkey, no way a turkey! For now she has accepted her chicken status, if only for the glory of being a level about the lowly turkey. Dear Play Director: We encourage you to stick with chickens to represent the fowl feathered friend of Jesus...we've noticed the chickens and turkeys have begun to separate themselves from one another, we have no idea why of course.