Today

Today was fun!  Asnake slept until 7am (hip! hip! hooray!).  We were dressed and ready by the time breakfast was ready in the lobby at 7:45am.  Today was pancakes, syrup, toast, & bananas.  When we first arrived, the sweet lady who showed us around and checked us in, asked if we had any food allergies or preferences, like being gluten-free.  I wasn't expecting that...so we told her 3 of us didn't eat gluten and they have made us great gluten-free meals.  They even make us GF pancakes!!  And we love them.  Well, all of us except Asnake.  Ethiopian food is all eaten with your fingers (no utensils), so we think he didn't want it after he put syrup ALL OVER on it.  The idea of eating a "bread" with a fork wasn't appealing, so he ate three bananas and called it breakfast.  His potassium should be good and intact.  His blood sugar, a whole other thing.
We knew the plan was for Mengistu to pick us up at 10:30am for a day out having fun.  So, everyone finished getting ready, Brycen and Regan did schoolwork, and Asnake played soccer, listened to music, and popped green balloons after he has been playing with them for 3 or 4 days (he loved blowing them up).  He laughed and laughed about popping them.
We headed down to the lobby to meet Mengistu and the other family that is here (the ones who just met their daughter on Tuesday).  We headed out to what Mengistu called "an indoor games place."  I had NO IDEA.  We walked in with mouths gaped open.  It's like THE nicest arcade I have EVER seen.  Games galore. Bumper cars. Merry Go Round.  Slides and climbing area.  SKEE BALL.  Air Hockey.  And, if you are really bored, you can head on upstairs to the 7D movie theater.  We have NO IDEA how you can have a 7D movie, but it makes America seem behind the times.  We walked through at first, trying to get an idea about Asnake might want to play.  After we made one full walk through, he knew: Bumper Cars.  So, we grabbed tickets for Bry, Regan, and Asnake to ride.  Turns out he needed an adult to ride with him, so Mengistu hopped in.  HIS SMILE WAS HUGE the entire time.  He loved it.
Next, he rode his very first Merry Go Round.  These are things that make me tear up.  The small things.  Watching him (the only one riding the ride) on the Merry Go Round, looking around smiling trying to take it all in.  Then, he played Skee ball (McKeehan through and through.  That's his momma's favorite).  He won 4 tickets and we all acted a fool over it, like he had won a gold medal.  Finally, he rode a airplane game and a racing game.  As we were heading out, Mengistu had a shoot out in basketball with Brycen (winner: Brycen).  With only 2 tokens left, Asnake and Regan went head-to-head in air hockey.  So many firsts today.  He had the most fun!
After playing, we headed across the street to the In-N-Out Burger.  Yes, it's a copyright infraction.  No, it's not THE In-N-Out Burger. But, it was lunch and if we had videoed the man taking our order trying to figure out "a burger with no bread" we could've won something. HILARIOUS.  They didn't even have forks anywhere in the restaurant because... well, it's a burger and chicken place.  Next, we headed into Shoa (remember, "Wal-Mart"?) for a few snacks to keep in our room for Asnake and we stopped by a local coffee shop to get some bags of coffee to bring home.  Which reminds me, after lunch, we made another swing by Kaldi's for "chai," "buna," and ice cream.  Asnake had chai, as did Brycen, Mark and I stuck with caramel macchiatos, and Regan pulled it home with strawberry ice cream in a cup.
We returned to the guesthouse around 3:30.  Asnake and I played with blocks and Regan & Mark joined us for a game of Uno.  We looked at pictures of familiar friends at home trying to memorize names and played with "motors." Next, Asnake sat in the floor in front of my chair and we watched "The Letter Factory" while I rubbed his head and he fought sleep HARD. Then, it was time for dinner! We ate spaghetti (they made ours with rice and it was good!).  After dinner we played around and read books, then changed into pajamas, and we all piled up on our bed and watched "Despicable Me."  During the movie Asnake fell asleep.  He is sound asleep after a fun, full day.  He used a lot of English today and is still doing SO well.  He listens and obeys remarkably well and still hasn't found anything to cry about.
I did want to share with you that we have received our Adoption Decree (this is the formal paper indicating we "passed court" on Tuesday).  This document is required before we can file for a birth certificate.  Today, we found out the kebele (government office in charge of printing adoption certificates because they no longer print birth certificates for adoption cases).  This change (of printing adoption certificates vs birth certificates) is brand new... they haven't even implemented it, but have been training using the "new computer system" for 10 or 11 weeks.  Granted, court was closed and they haven't had a need for it, but court is now open and WE NEED THEM TO PRINT THESE DOCUMENTS.  They continue to say they aren't familiar enough with the program to do them, but multiple families have had court since us this week, so the need for them is there.  We are hoping to go to the kebele tomorrow or Monday if there isn't any movement by then.  Then, if we have to involve the US Embassy since we are Asnake's legal parents, we will do that.  The birth certificate is required to get the next step: passport.  Without the passport, we can't do his Visa Medical Exam, or get a US Embassy appointment.  After the US Embassy appointment WE COME HOME.  Each of these documents will take about 3 business days, so this process isn't super fast.  And, it's all dependent on the kebele printing his  adoption certificate.  If you would, we be be honored, humbled, and grateful for your prayers specifically for the officials responsible for printing this document.  We have seen your prayers work this week in at least a million ways.  Even Mengistu says, "your prayers are close to God, He answers you."  We know it's a collection of prayers from believers who know we can ask God to move mountains, part seas, and bring a boy home.  I know our prayers won't go unheard or unanswered.  I will keep you posted on what we hear tomorrow.  If there is no change in the kebele's response tomorrow, Monday we will push them from a different angle.
I am off to bed while you are working or in school.  Tomorrow is another day at the guesthouse unless we decide to go somewhere in the afternoon.  Thank you for continuing along with us....

until WE'RE home,
carrie