Coming Home Soon!!

Hi there!

Well, ever since we had our Embassy appointment yesterday (Wed), we have felt like we're on the down swing and are getting ready to come home. Tomorrow at this time we'll be getting ready to board our flight from Addis to Washington via Rome. We leave here at 10:15pm local time. Pray for uneventful flights. It's hard to know how Eyasu will react with the airports and flights. I mean if it makes some adults nervous, it very well make him nervous as well. Pray that he'll be at peace and be able to sleep on some of these flights, and that when he is upset, he'll be consolable. He is starting to be more emotional, and that is just likely from grief, going through yet another set of changes, and from realizing we seem to be the ones in charge, so he's testing that. But really, those times have not been too many, and he's typically very happy and affectionate with us. He gives us big kisses and hugs and mimics us when we say 'I love you.' It's really sweet.


Well, today was Genna or Ethiopian Christmas. Everyone celebrates by buying a sheep and the family slaughters it in the morning, guts it, skins it, and the women start cooking the meat up. There are also church services. Orthodox Christianity is the majority religion here, though there is Evangelical Christianity and a large minority of Muslims as well. This morning we went to an orphanage called Kids Care, where they celebrated with music and coffee and some bread and cookies. The kids and staff all danced wholeheartedly. Someone brought Tootsie Rolls for the kids. We just loved on the kids for a couple hours and they soaked it up. I would guess there were about 40-50 kids there. Many of the children that go to our agency, America World, come from this orphanage, which is well-run, but still very very basic. We're just in a third world country.


Tonight, we were given a taste of traditional Christmas as David the Chef grilled sheep (mutton, right?) out in the courtyard for a couple hours for the meat to go with the injera. Then, we observed the coffee ceremony, which is about the only time they eat popcorn! Funny.


Well, I need to wrap this up. Tomorrow is Friday, our last day here, and we will visit a coffee factory and do a little final shopping before heading out. What a trip.


Also, just a reminder to family and friends, we've read and heard a lot about attachment issues with adopted kids, and one of the best things we can do for that is to really keep them close at the beginning and not pass them around to a lot of people before they are fully aware of who their parents are. So, we are SOOOO excited to see people and really want to share Eyasu with everyone, but we're not going to be able to pass him around at the airport or for quite some time after we get home. So, just know that that's not because we don't want you to get to know him, it's just a big learning time for him, and he needs to learn that we're going to be his parents and that we're going to meet his needs primarily.
ok, love to all, we'll see you soon!!!


love you whitton, sylvi and mar!!!
Susan/Mommy