coming home!

I was not able to blog yesterday because we could not get an internet connection - but all is well and everyone is doing great.  Jay's bout with the ET funk was quick - he had sufficiently recovered in time to join us as we ventured to the Mercado.  I'm so glad he was well enough to come, because on the way home from the Mercado, Dagmawi started to recognize an area close to his old neighborhood.  We followed his finger pointing and soon we came to an area where he recognized some kids and they were able to lead us down some winding stone streets to where he had lived with his mother.    Sadly, his mother was not there, but we were still ushered into the little area they had lived with 7 other families.  Earlier, when I had met his mother, I was having a hard time fully understanding why she would give him up for adoption.  She had dressed up for our meeting and I was having a hard time reconciling this pretty young women with the clean clothes, and not being able to take care of her child.    But after seeing where they lived, I have much more of an understanding.  I am so thankful we were able to experience this.  Dagmawi directed us right up to the door - but he did not want to go any further, so only Jay and I went in.  I will blog more about this experience later as I have limited time at the moment.  We are now packing and getting ready to meet up with Rachel around 3 pm and then to leave for the airport around 7 pm.   Yesterday we went to the Mercado - WOW - what an amazing experience.  Very intense.  Today we went up Entoto mountain to see the beautiful panoramic view of Addis Ababa.  On the way up, we could see women carrying HUGE bundles of firewood down the mountain.  They sell the firewood for cooking fires in the city.  The road was crowded with donkeys who were piled with hay, dung patties and firewood, and were running down the mountain because it is so steep.    All in all, we have had an amazing experience and have loved every minute of this journey.  The boys are doing great, and Dagmawi is very excited about the "aero-plane" ride to America.   I will finish up with details from the last 2 days once we are home and I have tons of pictures to share.  We are looking forward to being home and getting into a routine with our new sons!   One other quick note, Rachel and her team moved to a new Transition Home yesterday and we got to stop by to drop some things off.  So the next travelling families will no longer be welcomed at a green gate - instead it is a silver and black gate.  The new TH is much larger and looked very nice.  The kids were already running around and enjoying their new home.    The new kids that had arrived while we were there on Tuesday, were laughing and smiling and fitting in with all of the other kids.  It did my heart good to see how quickly they were adjusting.  I will never forget their fear and tears when they arrived - and yesterday they were racing around with the other kids and laughing and waving to us!  I cannot wait to see who these children are referred to!   with love, Karen