Flying home!

We flew home on April 25 out of Addis stopping in Rome to refuel and then onto Washington, D.C. The flight was longer because we were flying into the wind. At least the plane wasn't full and the girls were able to spread out into two seats at different times of the flight. They had fun watching their Tsehai video on the DVD player. We even kept little Sammy (13 months old) busy for a while.

On the way to the airport Mulu threw up in the CWA van. Sorry CWA! As we headed into the terminal a lady yelled to the girls, "Have a good life!" It was a great thing to hear, but also sad at the same time. I'm so very sorry they couldn't have a great life in their home land. Sorry that they had to leave their father to have food. Sorry that their mother died so many years ago. Hopefully we will accomplish what the Lord has set us on the path to do; to give the girls a family that loves them.

As we sat in the terminal waiting to board the girls had a great time with their friends looking at the plane. Both girls fell asleep just before it was time to board. We boarded an hour late and it was 11pm for them. They were used to sleep for many hours by then. We woke them up so they could say goodbye to Ethiopia. We didn't want them to miss that.

The food on the way home was absolutely horrible. We ate enough to keep the hunger at bay, but it most certainly wasn't appetizing in any way.

We arrived in Washington, D.C. the next morning. We weren't able to change our tickets to an earlier flight so we had a seven or so hour layover. We decided instead of sitting at the airport we would rent a car and go site seeing. I had been in DC in 2005 on a field trip with Jesse & Sarah. Many of the workers in ET at the airport and the car rental place were Ethiopians. They were able to talk to the girls. One man heard the girls talking and stopped to engage them in conversation. Kind of cute to watch expressions when you have NO idea what is being said. Addis got very embarrased at one point because the man's name was Addis too.

We drove towards the White House. We got out and walked and not having a camera; Steve had to use his cell phone to take a picture of the girls in front of the White House. How many immigrants get to go to the White House on their first day in America? They did, but they didn't care. They had NO idea the significance of where they were. Oh well, some day.