Friday Update...Home Sweet Home!

What is today? Thursday, Friday, Saturday.....after spending over 30 hours driving, flying, standing in numerous lines, showing our passports to a gazillion clerks, filling out a boatload of forms, etc., we are finally home, safe and sound. A little groggy maybe, but safe none the less. The kids could not have been more perfect on the plane. Really. No crying, no complaining, no fussiness, nada. They were happy to sit and play with some things I brought, and slept a fair amount. It took us about 2 1/2 hours after we landed to get through passport, immigration and customs. On the long 6 hour drive home, the girls slept most of the way, and A and I taught each other Amharic and English words...not that I remember too many of mine!

All the kids are in our basement now, playing with a used Thomas the Train set we picked up shortly before we left. They're starting to perk up a little, just when I thought the girls were exhausted and ready for bed. It will be interesting to see how jet lag affects them.

Danielle had the house all nice and clean for us, with a fresh baked chocolate heart cake to boot, and Jonathan had mowed the yard. How good it was to give all the kids hugs and be together for the first time.

There is much more I plan to share about our trip, but I'm just happy to update my blog myself. The internet in Ethiopia was so slow (52 kbs) I couldn't even view my blog, let alone update it. It could take 30 minutes to just read one or two emails from home and send my one message! And that's with me typing it first!

Thanks again for all your prayers...they worked! Our transition so far could not have gone better. The kids are open and warm to us, we had almost no sickness on the trip, there were no delays with red tape or travel, we made some great relationships, etc. I know the 'honeymoon' period for adoption can last a few hours or a few months, but I'm enjoying mine so far!

Blessings,
Julie