Firsts

Good grief.  It's 3:35pm and I already don't know where to start about today.  I will save the best for last and start at the beginning of the day.  We had a little earlier start to the day today.  Mengistu arrived to pick us up at 9am so we would have plenty of time for shopping. On the way to shopping we were sitting in traffic (because that's what you do here) and (as usual) we had many beggars coming to our windows for money or kids trying to sell us crackers or sunglasses.  Street kids are everywhere.  This means they literally live on the street... no family, no education, no home, no money.  The street and each other.  That's all they have.  We have seen many street boys since being here.  It always breaks my heart.  But, today as we sat in traffic I saw the most beautiful young girl.  I am guessing her age to be 12 or younger.  Beautiful.  I noticed her when she was at the car to our right.  Then, she walked to my side of the van and approached the driver about buying what she was selling (which I can't even tell you what it was).  I was so taken by her physical beauty I literally got tears in my eyes and said, "Oh my. Oh my."  I couldn't even think my heart was so broken in an instant.  A young girl like her, on the streets alone....Heaven only knows what she has endured or what her future holds.  I DO know, however, that I am committed to praying for her, knowing she represents thousands more.  I sat quiet the remainder of the ride.  

 We went to a "mall" to look for traditional dresses for Regan and me as well as to get the boys soccer jerseys.  We found dresses and a few souvenirs (and gifts).  Our favorite memory was finding a soccer jersey that said "abibas," but it was trying to be adidas!  We laughed so hard... it even had the same logo & font with it.  We found traditional cups for a coffee ceremony and a traditional wooden stool (made of one piece of wood) that is often found in homes in the country.  I already know where it will sit in our house! The shopping trip reminded me that I forgot to tell you about our trip to "walmart" yesterday.  Well, not EXACTLY Wal-Mart, but you get the idea.  The store is called Shoa and you have to have a security pat-down before entering (pretty much everywhere, including restaurants).  Then, it opens up and it has everything... food, household products, toys, etc.   We went looking for bowls for our room so we could eat noodles, cereal, etc.  We finally found them and (of course) the one set of bowls that we wanted didn't have a price, so Mengistu asked how much they were.  The lady returned and said, "It's a new item and doesn't have a price yet. If you return tomorrow, we will tell you how much."  And we just looked at each other like "of all the things in this store, we would pick the ONE with no price."  It made for a fun memory.  We walked out with different bowls and 4 forks and 2 spoons!  

Anyway, after leaving the mall this morning Mengistu asked us, "Is it ok to go ahead and go to the orphanage now?"  Of course we were all like, "YES."  What I didn't tell you in my previous post is that Mengistu mentioned to us yesterday that we MIGHT get to take Tyson out for lunch with us today.  He said,  he would ask, but he thought it was a big possibility.  We were so excited about the possibility, but knew it may not happen (especially given that is was the weekend).  So, I didn't mention it to you.  

When we arrived at the orphanage, we immediately saw Tyson standing there and his face LIT UP when he saw us through the van windows.  Before we could get the door open he was standing there waiting for us.  He greeted us all with BIG hugs.  The first thing he wanted to do today was ride his bike.  So, he hopped on and said(in English), "Dad cycle me."  I mean, y'all, how cute is that?  Mark, like any good dad, straddled the back wheel, put his hands on Ty's hands and started running. Then, when Mark got tired (the high elevation here makes us out of breath easily) I took over.  He would say, "Mom cycle me."  Then, he would say (in English), "Let's go!" One time he repeated me by saying, "Run, Dad, run!"  We had the best time. Later we realized he could totally ride by himself, but he had wanted us to help him anyway.  We were happy to oblige.  It was amazing to watch him when the chain would come off (it's too loose and falls off nearly every time someone rides it), he would sit down & patiently put it back on, knowing exactly what to do.  

After "cycle" we shot basketball by having a shooting contest (winner: Mengistu).  But, we all took turns and had a blast.  While we were shooting I noticed Tyson had run inside.  As I began asking where he went Mengistu said, "He gets to go to lunch with us and he went inside to change." Apparently, Tyson had heard Mengistu asking about us taking him out and before we knew it, he had gone to change clothes. WHAT?!?! Mark and I literally jumped up and down!  So, when Tyson came out wearing his little denim shorts, a blue shirt, and a red jacket, you could tell by his strut he was ready to go!  

He walked straight to the van and hopped in.  I wasn't far behind.  I kept thinking, "Let's get out of here before someone changes their mind about him leaving with us today."  The other children at the orphanage kept asking, "Are you bringing him back after lunch?'  Of course we answered, "yes," but I loved their concern for him.  

Initially he sat between me and Mark on the first row of the van.  But, we could tell he really wanted to be able to see out.  So, I picked him up and sat him on my lap by the window and he hardly moved a muscle.  He just watched and watched, trying to take it all in.  We finally arrived a Sishu (amazing burgers and fries!!!!).  As we walked in,  Tyson was just looking around. Mengistu asked if he had ever been in a restaurant.  He said, "Once.  On a holiday."  So, we are assuming the orphanage took him out for a holiday at one point.  One of our concerns was how he would do in public... we weren't sure if he would run away from us (common among adopted kids who are newly with family).  But, today, he stayed right with us.  He always wants to be touching one of us.  So, we held hands a lot.  I'm not complaining. It WAS however, his first burger and fries.  HE LOVED IT.  And he is desperate to do what we do.  He saw Regan eat her fries with a fork (um, I don't know WHO taught her that.  Fries are for fingers, but anyway...).  So, he began eating his with a fork.  Then, he saw her cut her burger with a fork and knife (because she doesn't eat a bun).  Then, he, of course, tried to cut his burger the same way.  Just before we left, Brycen grabbed a piece of lettuce that had fallen off of his burger and ate it.  Tyson picked up the lettuce off his burger and he ate a small piece and gave Brycen and me the rest to eat.  Part of living in an orphanage is learning to share. While we ate, Mengistu taught us several Amharic words that we were curious to know how to say.  This will hopefully aide in our transition time.  Near the end of the meal, Tyson had already finished his Miranda (think orange Fanta.  SO popular here and very good), but he was still thirsty.  So, he took Regan's water bottle, opened it, poured himself a little water into his cup and took the rest and poured  a lot of it into her cup.  It was so sweet to watch.  We asked him if he liked his food, as is common in Ethiopia, he raised his eye brows indicating, "yes."  He ate all of his french fries (there were a lot of them) and almost all of his burger. As we finished eating, Mengistu said, "Do you all want to go out for coffee or ice cream?"  And, you know what we said!  A resounding, "YES!"  First restaurant experience:  HUGE SUCCESS. Getting to keep him out longer: DREAM.

As we hopped back into the van, Tyson jumped into the back to sit by the window with Brycen.  He was smiling the entire time.  We finally arrived to Kaldi's, a coffee shop that is popular in Ethiopian, with many locations around Addis Ababa.  Think Starbucks, except they also sell ice cream and milkshakes.  I ordered a caramel macchiato (and it was delicious), Mark and Mengistu each had a coffee American, Brycen went for a bottle of water, Regan had chocolate ice cream (in a cup, of course), and Tyson wanted "chai" (tea).  Our orders arrived (at Kaldi, if you sit upstairs, they take your order at your table and bring it to you), and when Ty saw Regan's ice cream, he asked if he could try.  She spoon-fed him (his first ice cream) and we were all expecting him to not like it due to it being cold (he's never had ice or anything cold due to no refrigeration).  The only thing bigger than his eyes was his smile.  Oh my goodness.  He loved it.  So, we ordered him a scoop of chocolate ice cream.  He drank his chai and ate his ice cream and we warned his nannie about all his food consumption, in case it all backfires on his stomach later! As we were leaving Kaldi, Ty spontaneously grabbed Regan's hand walking out.  This was an important first for us... something Mark and I have been praying about the last few days.  It's always so natural and "easy" for the boys to connect because of ball and playing similar games.  Sometimes it's harder for a sister to find a common denominator to connect on with a brother.  She beamed and I cried.  He continued to hold her hand as we walked into another mall (attached to Kaldi's).  She kept looking back at me saying, "I just love him, Mom."  Again, being in this mall (he hadn't been with us this morning when we were at the first one) taught us a lot about his personality.  He didn't go anywhere without one of us.  He held our hands and obeyed our first request.  We know there are going to be challenges and issues.  We also know, this first step is a blessing and we don't want to discount it.  Leaving the mall I stood back, looked over at all of us and nearly had a meltdown right now.  THIS IS REALLY HAPPENING.  Sometimes I kiss his head and still find it surreal.  We are really together and never have to go another day without seeing each other.  For this momma, it gets me emotional every. single. time.

As we headed back to the orphanage, Tyson sat with Brycen again, but I loved hearing Regan in the backseat telling us how many unsolicited kisses she had gotten from him (2 to be exact) while sitting at Kaldi's.  WHICH REMINDS ME... She taught him about SnapChat filters while we were there. HILARIOUS. She would put a filter on them that was, say, a dog for instance.  Tyson would look at my phone screen and then touch his head to feel if he had actually grown dog ears.  HE LOVED IT and kept laughing.  Leave it to good ol' SnapChat to overcome the language barrier!  

We arrived back at the orphanage and it was raining, so we went inside.  The children were all gathered in the living room watching "Britain's Got Talent."  We all chuckled a bit at the whole scene, but the kids were enjoying it immensely.  Tyson took off his shoes before entering the living room (which, by the way, he is very disciplined!) and plopped down in the very front to join in on the fun.  It was fun to see how the other children made room for him front and center.  I am not sure if that is because of his eyes  (so he could see the screen better) or because of their love for him (or both), but it did my heart good to see.  We decided to join them, so we sat down in the back.  Right when we arrived, Ty's nannie came in carrying a baby (a small baby).  I jumped at the chance to GET THAT BABY IN MY ARMS.  So, I sat down and held, and kissed, and prayed over the sweetest little bundle you have ever seen.  I am believing Jesus to have BIG plans for him/her (I have no idea if it was a boy or a girl).  After a while, we decided to go (Tyson needed nap time after all that food!).  So, as I told him good-bye in the living room, I noticed Mark had already walked out.  So, Tyson grabbed my hand so he could walk us out (that's a big deal to him).  When I went to exit the back door, I still had baby in tow, but I saw Mark talking to Tyson's nannie with Mengistu.  As I got closer, I heard Mark say, "Please tell her how thankful we are for her.  We have prayed for 6 years that whoever was taking care of our child would have strength and have a good day."  She seemed thankful to hear that and we continued to ask her questions about Tyson and his schedule, his personality, his sleeping habits, etc.  She told us (through Mengistu), "He is my favorite boy.  He is always kind, respectful, and obedient to everyone.  If he has an issue with someone or something, he just comes to tell me.  He is gentle and kind."  The next words literally made me cry.  She said, "He has small body (stature), but his mind is tall."  She explained that he is very disciplined and once he is told what to do, he does it.  He takes good care of the house and is very responsible by helping to turn the TV on and off each day, organizing the shoes at night, etc.  We figured out (remember his liking to keep his hands clean?) he is tidy and wants things orderly.  This might present a problem sharing a room with his brothers Corbin, but we will work it out!  His nannie gave me the distinct privilege of having my picture made with her.  I will cherish it forever... she is likely the first "mom" he will remember and her impact on him has been profound.  I would post the photo, but a cute little Ethiopian boy named Tyson is loved up right between us!  Just wait... on Tuesday, it's all yours to see.  I hugged her (hard), told her thank you again, and as we left, Mark kissed her hand.  Our hearts pray she knows how we feel, a gratitude human words can't express.  It was my first time to cry (and let tears actually FALL) in front of Tyson. The nannie told Mengistu, "They are lucky to be getting him." But, hearing her kind words (he was hearing them, too), made me just so humbled and grateful that God picked us to be his parents.  I know that 5 year olds aren't just kind, respectful, and obedient on their own.  His nannie has paved the road well for us and I feel forever indebted to her for her selfless love toward him.  

As we headed back to the guesthouse, my heart had taken all it could and the tears just fell.  Mengistu was so sweet to say, "It's ok.  All mom's cry."  Brycen and Regan agreed, reminded of all the days along the way that they saw me cry, knowing it was about adoption.  It literally got to the point at times they would see me silently crying and say, "adoption?"  just knowing.  To sit beside that sweet boy in a van today, beside him in a restaurant, and to hug and kiss him and tell him I couldn't wait to see him tomorrow... it's just a heart full of happy tears.  I feel like God is literally fleshing out beauty from ashes right before our eyes.  I don't want to miss His grace, His mercy, His love, His redemption story that is happening RIGHT HERE in front of us.  

He is allowing us so many new opportunities and glimpses of grace.  So many chances for FIRSTS.  

From a Momma who didn't get to hear Tyson's first word, see his first step, or feed him his first food, I am undone with gratitude that He is giving us the gift of so many FIRSTS.

I will update tomorrow.  Hugs from Addis Ababa!

Until he's home,

Carrie