Our kids at home had a hard time bouncing from one week without mom to another week without mom and dad. My sister and her husband did us a wonderful service by keeping them fed, entertained and distracted all week. They frequented places like kids art galleries and bounce houses. Job well done Erin and Anthony. Maybe ya’ll should adopt now and we will keep Bella. (wink, wink)

Our time in Ethiopia. Where do I start? This was a new kind of Africa for me. I’m used to the more rural, lush parts of Uganda. The huge city of Addis Ababa was a new experience. We heard a different population count from pretty much everyone in that city, from taxi drivers to orphanage employees. It seems that it falls somewhere between 3 and 5 million people. That’s quite a few folks. Addis is this crazy mix of nice coffee shops, big buildings, cows, lambs and extreme poverty. Addis is a mix of African middle class and starvation. It’s very unsettling to see a man selling off his little heard of sheep in front of a restaurant he could never afford. In a way, it’s nothing new for me. But at the same time I don’t ever want to get used to, or comfortable with, great need and desperation. Our experience with Addis was also heightened because our son is actually from that area. Many babies and children who are being adopted through our agency are from other parts of Ethiopia. But Liam is from Addis. This is his first home, the two orphanages he lived in were here in Addis. I keep saying this because I never want to forget it. I don’t ever want to forget how to teach him about his home. To teach him the good and the hard in a way that allows him to remember through my eyes. I don’t ever want him to lose his heritage. Speaking of heritage. We tried to experience as much about the culture as we could fit in. One evening we went to a traditional Ethiopian dinner and show. We got to see dances from all the regions and tribes in Ethiopia. Very fun and very delicious.

We also drank copious amounts of coffee. A friend in our travel group began suggesting that I hook myself up to an IV drip of coffee. Considering the jet lag I’m experiencing now that doesn’t sound like a bad idea.

Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony

Taking in the culture (and shopping!) was great but the highlight of the trip was, of course, being with our son. We got to spend about 3 hours a day at Hannah’s Hope. We fed him, played with him, rocked him and even helped with a bath. It was heavenly. We are just so in love and ready to have him home. We did pass court while we were there so that was just beyond words exciting. We are now looking at a time line of about 8 weeks until we can fly back and bring him home for good. We are legally his parents in the eyes of the Ethiopian court system but the US embassy has to clear us in order for him to come home. Would you like to pray with us as we wait for that day? That would be awesome. We felt each and every prayer while we were in country. And we continue to feel God’s peace and presence now that we are back home.

Love, Mommy

Detroit

Amsterdam

And now on to Ethiopia!!!

Ring out the old, ring in the new,

Ring, happy bells, across the snow:

This year is going, let him go;

Ring out the false, ring in the true.

Hmmm… Yes. I like it. Very good stuff Tennyson. I’m relieved to know that my favorite New Year’s phrase comes from a good source.

This year, as we let old 2011 go, we went with the simple celebration. Appetizer food, board games and a fire in the fireplace. This year I added a fun little touch by making up an envelope to open each hour. Inside the envelopes were little strips of paper with instructions for fun activities such as making party hats or taking awkward family photos.My sister and brother-in-law were good sports.

-”Hey Calvin, guess what, I like you. Giggle.”

 So yeah. After we put the kiddos to bed we made cookies and played Catan until 2012 came rolling in. And I had so much fun.

Happy New Year Ya’ll.

Oh and by the way. Our baby comes home this year!