Back from Ethiopia

We arrived back home from Ethiopia Monday evening, one day later than planned due to confusion on airline reservation -- thought to be for Saturday evening, but when called to confirm Saturday morning, found our tickets were for Friday evening!!!! The airline did not even fly to America on Saturday, but thank the Lord we were able to get a flight for Sunday evening instead. It did give us an opportunity to attend church with our missionary friends in Addis Ababa, so that was a treat.

The kids are amazing!!! More than I could ever have imagined. I feel so completely blessed. They are so smart and fun and loving! They are also manipulative and stubborn and headstrong -- especially Naol -- 110% boy! He is into everything! He gets angry at the drop of a hat and gives the little Ethiopian shoulder shrug of indifference, or is just completely sullen. Firaol -- who's nickname is Flower -- cries and whimpers to gain attention and sympathy, but will laugh when caught at her tricks ... at least sometimes! And everything has to be exactly even!!!! I can't even put a band-aid on one without doing so for the other. We've already had many an issue of perceived injustice.

While still in Ethiopia they wanted to go swimming so we went to one of the hotel pools in Addis Ababa. It was their first time!!! Naol was fearless pretty quickly but Firaol clung to me for quite awhile. They still had fun and we had to leave before they wanted to. They also had their first ice cream when we went to swim again at a hot springs "resort." We tried to tell them to keep the cones upright so it would not fall off, but sure enough, we were walking along and Flower's went "plop" onto the ground. Then the monkeys came and ate it! So I gave her mine; proof positive that I am a mom (that I would give up my ice cream for anyone!!!!).

They like their American names -- Josiah & Naomi, and are fine with not having a father here ... whew! And they love their mother!!! :-) I hear mama mama mama mama mama all day long. They love to smother me with kisses (Naol especially likes to do so when trying to get out of trouble!). We sleep as a human sandwhich. They are on either side pressed close with arms and legs wrapped around me. I can't move but it is wonderful!!!!!!!!!!!! -- my back and neck are killing me, but my over-full heart more than makes up for it.

I lost my camera en route to England so have no photographs -- though my sister took allot that I will get copies of -- but had a camcorder so have allot of great video. They are little hams and love it when I turn on the camera, and especially when I take video of them and play it back. They giggle the whole time. They are very happy, smiley children.

They are doing wonderful being here at home. We visited the school on Tuesday, and then participated in class for a couple of hours on Thursday. We will start going for longer periods next week and hopefully full days within a week or two. They are so serious while there, but back to laughing and chattering away as soon as we leave the building. They say they like it, and I know they are anxious to learn English and be able to communicate.

Yesterday was their first snow. They built a snowman with the neighbors and played snow soccer! They loved it!! LIFE IS GRAND!

Thank you Jesus for our abundance of blessings!!!!