1. When I smell something rotting, I now assume the smell is coming from me.
2. I find myself wondering, how will the deworming medicine that I gave my daughter work? I asked a farmer. He deworms cattle. He assured me he doesn't see worms coming out. I am going to take that as transferable information.
3. I don't mind the dogs barking as much now that I know they are barking at the hyenas that are prowling this area.
4. Feeling conspicuous has taken on a whole new meaning.
5. People can thank God and give me their blessing while I stand in their 1 room house made of dung, mud and straw. Raw sewage ran outside. And the woman who blessed me is HIV positive.
6. Drug companies would be much more popular if the side effects for pediatric medicine were sleepiness and a sense of calm. Instead, I get the following side effects for Sadie: irritability, restlessness and excitability. Curse the childless drug researcher who thought this one up.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
February 21; Finally
Today has been incredible. 9:00 to the Sheridan Hotel to change money. Van was searched by one man, watched by another. The watching man was actually more threatening as he had a very large gun. The Lay Across Your Lap Kind of Gun, not the Stick In Your Pocket Variety. Exchanged $100 for 1333 birr. Met Daniel. Met Agitu. She had changed her schedule in order to be with me. Went in the care center. Grounds were beautiful. Buildings were dark. Was led to Sadie first. Burst into tears. Held her, snuggled her. She wore 3 month pants, a 12 month dress and a 12 month turtleneck. Then someone plopped Lizzie next to me. I touched her hand. Cried again. Daniel was filming. Agitu was explaining her humanitarian projects. I was trying to get Lizzie to not be afraid of me. The nannies were bringing out children, some of whom I knew, some I did not. Agitu was telling me to take pictures. The nannies started up a coffee ceremony. There was a black hair in a bowl of popcorn that I was trying to avoid. I toured the grounds. A rat ran in front of me.
I brought the girls back to the guest house. Lizzie is trying so hard to not cry. She is absolutely gorgeous. Sadie looks like a man. She is congested but happy. She cries when she coughs.
No smile from Lizzie today though we got close during her bath.
Thank you, Lord Jesus. Thank you for our girls. They are absolutely unbelievable.
I brought the girls back to the guest house. Lizzie is trying so hard to not cry. She is absolutely gorgeous. Sadie looks like a man. She is congested but happy. She cries when she coughs.
No smile from Lizzie today though we got close during her bath.
Thank you, Lord Jesus. Thank you for our girls. They are absolutely unbelievable.
February 21; Getting the Girls Morning Of
I need not have worried about hearing my alarm this morning. There is a very long Muslim prayer going on--has been since 6:30 a.m. It is punctuated by the most incredible rooster who seems to know just when to chime in. 3 floors below me, on the street, I've watched a woman wash her hair by squatting next to a plastic bowl of water.
I'm getting our children in 2 hours.
I'm getting coffee in 2 minutes.
I'm getting our children in 2 hours.
I'm getting coffee in 2 minutes.
Night Before Getting the Girls
"May you be strengthened with all power according to His glorious might for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father..." Colossians 1:11
February 20: My last night without the girls. Amazing. Two empty cribs tonight. Two little sleeping girls in them--clean, in pjs, in a diaper for the first time. I can't believe it. Thank You. Thank You. I abound in thankfulness. I am where I thought I'd never be.
February 20: My last night without the girls. Amazing. Two empty cribs tonight. Two little sleeping girls in them--clean, in pjs, in a diaper for the first time. I can't believe it. Thank You. Thank You. I abound in thankfulness. I am where I thought I'd never be.
February 19
Twenty minutes ago, it was 9:23 a.m. on Friday. Now it is 8:23 p.m. Friday. We are flying over places I don't even recognize as being part of this planet. There is a distinctly cumin-curry-something smell which I originally thought was coming from the other passengers. Now I realize there is the very likely possibility that it is coming from me. I have become one with my pants. I have had probably 5 meals in the last 12 hours. The last one I had was breakfast. That was just after I turned my clock ahead to Friday night.
While I was waiting for the bathroom, I made small talk with a man who was holding his 9 month old daughter. "How is she doing on the flight?" I asked. "Oh. My wife deals with most of it," he replies. "Oooooohhhhhhhh," comes my long, drawn out politically correct response to a completely politically incorrect situation. I find myself again grateful for my husband who is at home with 5 children dealing with not most of it, but all of it.
Good news--it looks like we've passed the Middle East. 8:14 Friday, February 19.
Arabic coffee is really strong.
While I was waiting for the bathroom, I made small talk with a man who was holding his 9 month old daughter. "How is she doing on the flight?" I asked. "Oh. My wife deals with most of it," he replies. "Oooooohhhhhhhh," comes my long, drawn out politically correct response to a completely politically incorrect situation. I find myself again grateful for my husband who is at home with 5 children dealing with not most of it, but all of it.
Good news--it looks like we've passed the Middle East. 8:14 Friday, February 19.
Arabic coffee is really strong.
We're Home
Thank you to everyone who has prayed for us, stopped over to see us, called us, made a meal for us, not called or stopped over because you're letting us settle in. I don't know how we would have done a 22 hour plane ride plus layovers (a 40 hour day) without friends willing to come alongside and encourage us.
I thought about how to blog while in Ethiopia. I did it the old fashioned way called Write Down Thoughts On A Piece of Paper.
I have some catching up to do but first wanted to say thank you; we're home; we're tired; the girls are wonderful.
I thought about how to blog while in Ethiopia. I did it the old fashioned way called Write Down Thoughts On A Piece of Paper.
I have some catching up to do but first wanted to say thank you; we're home; we're tired; the girls are wonderful.
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