Full Hearts and Empty Arms

We're back from our court appointment/visit trip to Ethiopia with very full hearts yet empty arms!!!! It was a bittersweet journey as we experienced one of the most undeniably amazing and unforgettable times of our lives. Our hearts swelled with the emotions of love for our own children, sadness for others without a family yet, and ire for the mass amount poverty.

I know you all want to know how the kids are...SO WONDERFUL!!!! We arrived on Friday evening and weren't able to visit them until Tuesday morning. So the wait seems long, but we were kept so busy with experiencing the country and all that it had to offer (which I will share with you soon!) the wait until Tuesday didn't seem too bad! We arrived to the orphanage gates with butterflies in our guts!!! They were like woolly mammoth-size! We walked in and there is a nice courtyard where the children were mingling and oogling at us visitors. I was scanning the kids to see if I could pick out Ella...NADA! Then, after just a few seconds, in the doorway of Enat Alem was this striped-pant, frizzy-haired super smiley little girl staring at us! I turned to Josh and said, "That's her!!!!" I zoomed up to her, confirmed with the director and scooped her up!!! She was a bit unsure at first...no tears, nothing like that...just a bit of hesitancy...but after, ummm, 1 minute, she knew we were hers!!!! We are her mommy and daddy! And my oh my, she was there to entertain her new mommy and daddy!!!! She is a total ham-bone! Silly, happy, laughing, but so gentle. She is very funny and smart...she can count in Amahric!!!! But go figure, she speaks a tribal language other than Amahric! Oye!!!! She sat on our laps, hugged and naturally we slapped on a few kisses!!!! She learned by the end of our visit what kisses were!!!!!

All this time, we really didn't know were Isaac was!!! So, eventually when Ella started running around, Josh got up and searched for him!!!! Then, slowly and carefully, Josh walked out of the baby-room with a wide-eyed, kissy-lipped Isaac!!!! He was beautiful too!!!! He was so mushy, but he is strong and well developed. After letting Josh hold him for, like 2 minutes (tehe!!), I took him and drowned with him my love! Oh, how I'd waited for that!!!! He was so yummy smelling!!!! Ahhhhhh! His hair was wavy and he was so sweet and gentle! Honestly, he was so confused with all of the noise, with us holding him and with the flashes of the cameras. It was a rough little visit. Although again, no tears, he did sleep. (in my arms!) And this can often be a sign of shutting down. So, this to us is a sign of he will need lots of time with us!!!!

After 2 1/2 hours, we were told it was time to leave. Tears flowed as we didn't know if we would be able to return to visit any more that trip!!!! Ella cried for us!!! The nanny told another family that Ella was crying out in her language, "Go Home! Go Home!" Heartbreaking!!! But we did get to see them once more!!!! Yeah!

The morning before we flew home, we visited once again!!!! Both of the kiddos were once again amazing!!!! We watched Ella get bathed while Isaac slept for his morning nap. They dressed Ella in all of the items that we brought for her and made her up like a sweet little princess!!! Her hair is AMAZING!!!! Now I have 3 daughters with better hair than I...grrrrrr!!!!!

Nevertheless, the court appointment solidified the adoption, so they are officially Knight's!!! Our second trip will be to have an appointment at the US Embassy to get their US Paperwork in line as well as get their VISA's issued. Not to mention to bring them home!!!! Hooray!!!! We're looking at an Embassy appointment of either August 26th or September 9th. It's right around the corner!!!

Also, thanks to ALL OF YOU for those donations!!!! It was an awesome gift to give to these orphanages and to the kids!!!! You all made a difference!!!! We were never told, but Isaac came to the orphanage malnourished, so all of that baby formula that you give and the extras...you fatten up kids like our son!!!!! If you have the heart to give more or want to still give, we'd love to bring it down with us! Please let us know!!!! THANK YOU!!!!!