Friday, January 26, 2007

6 Days in Ethiopia

(an e-mail received today at 9:20am)
Hi Mom,
I was going to try & post this to my blog, but I can't access the site from here. Can you please post the below for me? Love Shana

Well, after six days in Ethiopia, I finally discovered there is a businesss center right in the lobby of our hotel. And no, it is not a large hotel, so I feel kind of dumb for not noticing it sooner. I guess we've been pretty busy & distracted!
I have been journaling on my lap top every day, recording every little detail of our trip. I might post that info on my blog when we get back-we'll see, they might be too long & boring. So far each day has been over a page long in a Word doc.

So! Here we are in Ethiopia, with our son! He is just the sweetest, cutest baby I could ever imagine (at least since his sister). His face is so expressive, he just lights up the room when he smiles, and when he looks like he might cry, anyone who can see him wants to cry too. He is very popular among the people here at the hotel, and anywhere we go for that matter. The t-shirt Uncle Todd & Aunt Marie gave him that says "chick magnet" has proven to be very prophetic.

We are all in love with Ethiopia. The people are beautiful, and they make the place beautiful. The povery is very hard to see- it is so much more wide spread that I imagined. This city is huge - and the poverty is everywhere.

We have had a very full week, with shopping, visiting orphanages, eating lots, and attending various appointments. Today is somewhat of a "free" day, and then Isaiah's going away party at the orphanage in the afternoon. Tomorrow is our last day here and we have hired our driver to take us out into the countryside for an all-day excursion.

And Rachel - Mikial (sp?) is just beautiful. We got lots of pictures of him, and I will send them as soon as we get home. He is still very tiny- our guess is somewhere around 8 pounds or so. I can't wait for you to meet him!
Shana
(They are due in Boise Sunday evening at 7:50pm. See you at the airport-I will post a delay if that happens on the blog. Barb, Shana's mom)

2 comments:

Dr. Azarias said...

Hey there, hope you make it home safe. My name is Azarias and I live in the States (KS and VA). I found your blog when searching for "Ethiopia" labels. My family and I are originally from Ethiopia. I am glad you liked Ethiopia.
I am intersted in the sudden rapid surge of adopted Ethiopian kids. I am by not necessarily against it, however, It does concern me, partly because, as you might have already found out, Ethipians tend to be very proud of their background. Most of my concern has to do with the fact that the plethora of kids getting adopted from Ethiopia these days might not get the chance to learn the beautiful history, culture and tradition of their country. I am ever so greatful I got that chance, and I wish the same for every Ethiopian child. Now, I have not gone entirely through your blog, and you might have already thought about such issues, however, I wanted to draw your attention to how important that is. I wish you and your family all the best.

5KidMom said...

Sounds like a wonderful trip. Good for you!!! I'll be praying for safe travels as you head home on Sunday. 8^)