An email from Bethany

This is Teaque posting for Bethany. She sent an email today with tons of details. I loved reading every bit of it.  Here are bits and pieces from her email. She included info for 2 other mom's that had kiddos over there so I have left that info out so it may not flow b/c of that, but you can at least get the gist of her trip so far. It sounds amazing and I wish I could be there to experience it with her. I am so happy for her and the fact that she is actually over there experiencing every bit of this!

Okay where do I start??

I will skip the OMG this country is awesome part and go right into meeting the boys!

We arrived on Sunday and the boys were at church.

We waited and went out to eat..YUMMY!! The food in Rome was less than delightful so we were ready for good food....our bill was $496.84 !!! (Oh that is only $50 in our money...including tip and appetizers and good ole coke in a bottle...YUM!

We arrived at the orphanage and my children were napping so we were introduced to the older children....upon walking into the room I saw Haile (beth's son) and immediately burst in to tears...to see that he was a real child was unbelievable..overwhelming..I look around and see many faces I know...the boys are hugging me and kissing me and shaking my hand...they are so well mannered and polite!

We walk outside and here they come bringing Yesak and "Baby" yes Mickey was right they call him "Baby"!! They were woke from their nap so they are a bit dazed and confused! They give Yesak to Paul and Baby to me. Yesak immediately holds Paul as tight as possible and looks at peace in his arms. Baby is scared to death nearly shaking and when I look at his face he has silent tears streaming down his face...Eyob tells me he is slow to warm up but once he does he is yours for good! (In less than 1 hour he will not even go to Eyob !!) We go inside and sit with all of the children crowded around..we hand out bubbles and candy...they LOVE it! Haile sits beside me the entire time...grinning from ear to ear every time I speak of mommy and daddy! Eyob tells me that Yesak asks every day when "can go"...Eyob tells him he gets to "go today"..(incredible that this tiny boy knows what is going on!) Eyob says he always asks when he can go to America! 

The staff prepare a coffee ceremony for us..the children sing...oh Yesak leads them in a "play/song" TOO CUTE!! He also prays for us. We figure out he is the youngest of the children in the older area so he is a bit doted on by the children! EVERY child there is happy and well mannered...they are polite and BEAUTIFUL!  Yesak knows his ABCs and a some writing of letters.

The boys are are very acclimated with us by the time we leave...and they are excited for the car ride! 

They came home and slept all night...they are good eaters. Yohannis is happy to just be around people...he rarely makes a peep! Yesak is a doll...he is not as active as I had heard...at least not yet...but truly the life of the party! He LOVES STUFF...he has unzipped and re-zipped his backpack a million times and keeps adding our things to it...you hear of children that hoard food...well he hoards toys! 

Seriously they are doing great! Oh ages..hehe they are younger and smaller than we thought. We were thinking Baby was about 1 1/2 and Yesak was about 3 1/2...then today we see the birth certificates and the judge gave them Dec. birthdays so it goes along with what we thought! They will be 2 and 4 in Dec.. Names: We will call Baby, Lincoln and we are a bit unsure right now on Yesak...I will have to get back to you on that...he will actually answer to Issac..so hmmm. not sure yet! Oh and Yesaks name is Yishake on paper?? 

We will also meet the boys mom on Thursday! She WAS critical the week we had court and the doctor had to be bargained with to let her out of the hospital...2 nurses accompanied her to court! 

I feel like I am forgetting something!! Well obviously i am!! (She was forgetting that both boys are potty trained which came in a later email.)

LOTS!!! I am in overload but I will end with this if I had to live in Rome or Addis...I am going with Addis!!!

Bethany