The Transistion Home staff calls out your family name, you come to the bottom of the steps and they bring your children out the door to your waiting arms. We were #5 in line, thankful our last name wasn't Vowels, (wink wink Mark and Shannon). Waiting there is a crazy mix of emotion, and then suddenly it happens, they're there! 
From the moment they saw us from the top of the steps they were already smiling and reaching for us! 
We went off to a place in the garden to play with them and couldn't believe they were in our arms. 
Brooklyn especially could not stop crying. Even while blowing bubbles, squishing playdough, tickling them, and chasing them around the yard, the tears were streaming down her sweet cheeks. We were all just giggling and laughing through them! 
We first pulled out the exact fruit snacks we had sent in all of our care packages and immediately they recognized them and their faces lit up! 
Next came the bubbles and Bekelech was absolutely precious with them. It is obvious that she is extremely independent. She watched Brooklyn blow them for awhile and then took the bubbles from her, grabbed the stick, and attempted to make it happen. Jason had to mimick blowing for her a couple of times, and she had it down. She was so proud of herself. 
Dereje is full of energy! He loved the playdough especially! After only one time of telling him not to eat it and showing him how to squish and roll it in his palms he was set too! He was making snakes, opening the cans and putting it back in, and taking it out again like a pro!
At that point, Jason was holding Bekelech, and noticed she had two big tears streaming down her face, our first sadness. She was watching the other parents take their kids back to the nannies, and knew it was time for us to leave. We thought it would be easier for Brooklyn to walk her back inside, but she pulled away and held onto Jason. Exactly what we want to see!!! Thankfully Dereje was asleep when I handed him off, so I only had to cry over one heartbroken child. Tomorrow sweet Bekeh! Tomorrow you can come with us forever, and I can brush your teeth and bathe your sweet body, and put you in cozy pajamas for the night.
It has been a perfect day, and it's well into the morning now, and we simply can't wait to go back and get our kids. Although, now that I think about it, that three hours was exhausting! Toddlers! Again! Whew, I'm in for it!
I know He is looking after them. Everything else broke my heart. 
To see the tiny hut our children were born into, to see the saddness on their father's face as he explained that it was because of his "beloved wife's death" that he could not care for them. That to keep them with him, "was to kill them with his poverty." 
He told us he had nothing in this world except his children and so he had to give them to us and to God. Our day traveling to meet Lapresso, their ET father and Askelech their 9 year old sister, was, life changing. 
Brooklyn broke down sobbing when we got back in the van to leave. We were all changed by the poverty, by the conditions, and by the love and joy that grew in the midst of it all.
They danced to Taylor Swift songs, and chased each other around the courtyard. The girls all attend a British School here in Addis so they spoke beautiful english. After the cake and ice cream the girls really began to warm up to Jason, as they always do. Within a few minutes they were all laughing and begging him to do silly dances, which of course he obliged!
They tried teaching him traditional ethiopian moves, and only afterward told him he was doing the women's dances! They were all enthralled with Brooklyn, and trying to keep her attention. One little girl told the others her "best friends were all lame and Brooklyn was her new BFF." Some things are universal! 
All the girls were so sweet and funny. They were all cracking wise jokes and making hilarious statements to get us to laugh. They left, after each one gave us all hugs and kisses, and it was time for us to sit down for dinner.
We saw the home of Lucy, the 2
We watched in amazement as T and D finished off a huge plate of 
We enjoyed a beautiful Italian lunch and then headed to The Louvre. 
We saw The Lady herself, and toured the ancient artifacts until Brooklyn was tired. 
We then took our time walking back to our hotel through the heart of the city. We enjoyed grabbing sweets at the sidewalk cafes and taking in the last of the sites. Apparently we cut it a little close though, because between the traffic and our driver taking us to the wrong terminal initially, we only had 5 minutes to check our bags for international travel! 
But we giggled and laughed all the way down the gangway, we were finally on our way to AFRICA!!!!
By the time we exited the play it was getting dark out, but that didn't stop us from visiting Parliament Square and Big Ben. 
We then hopped on the Tube and rode it to the Tower of London and The London Bridge. It was a packed in day of enjoying Fish and Chips, the theater, the royal homes, and an amazing country. 
We all enjoyed the train ride home where we had first class tickets. The wine was amazing, and so was the three course dinner we ate while we were transported back to Paris. Jason and I were a little stumped by what they served us. We've decided to have a blog contest to see if anyone else knows. First person who comments and correctly guesses what this red portion is, will win an exclusive gift from Ethiopia, mailed to you when we return. And yes, Brooklyn did try it.
