DAY 1

8:30pm - Jambo and Kume are currently sleeping in our bedroom. For the night? We will see….

In a word: Wow.

Let’s say a lot has gone on in the last 54 hours... tidbits… We’ll try to keep it brief.

Saturday

8am (hour 1) – Take off from Buttercupville… 2 ½ hours from Detroit and the first leg of our flight…

11am (hour 4) - 9 suitcases, 9 carryon’s dragged to the ticket counter.

2pm (hour 7) Another adopting family on the same flight. The Lindell’s, Michigan Adoption group friends are traveling to pick up their infant boy… Here… we… GO!

4pm (hour 9) Arrive, Dulles International. We know we either need to go left or right… or follow the Lindell’s. We take the l-o-n-g walk to the end of terminal D. Oh you ARE! Us too! It is apparent that if you are on this flight and you are not Ethiopian, you are adopting. I think at least 7 families including our “I must be in the back row” blogger pals: expandingthealbertsons. We were disappointed that Shumacher’s missed the Dulles connection but they made it out Monday night.

8pm (hour 13) Off on flight 501… Our kids did unbelievable on the flight. We had 6 seats together but we were offered 2 others to use as well which had working movie screens and reading lights. A huge blessing to spread out and totally crash… CJ claimed he stayed awake the WHOLE flight… the digital memories show otherwise. Z got sick towards the end. CJ asked if she was going to keep the barf bag as a souvenir. Very nice, big bro.

6pm (hour 28) 4 minutes to landing Z, hang on.

7pm (hour 29) Entry Visa, Currency exchange ($100), Immigration, baggage scanned ~again~ to leave the airport… This was a huge bottleneck with one security scanned running for the 300+ coming off the flight. This was a tiring hour…

8pm (hour 30) Travis picks us out easily. 6 white people buried in luggage, that’s us.

9pm (hour 31) Ayat house. Sweet, better than I even expected, very clean, very friendly, nice furniture, table for 8, beds for 6 plus a crib. We got a mattress from Travis, so we’re sleeping 8 for $40 a night baby! Take that motel 6.

12am (hour 34) Hot shower, bed

4 am (hour 38) Farmboy wakes up… hmm, this could be bad. Thankfully, after a couple hours, sleeps until 8.

10am (hour 44) Kaldi’s for breakfast... Machiattos to drink.

11am (hour 45) THE GLADNEY FOSTER CARE CENTER for older children. “~Jambo, Kume~… Mama & Papa…” Around the corner, under the clothesline, into the house to a room full of excitable kids, Jambo and Kume come forward stiff and apprehensive. Kume holds still a minute, then…THEN…, cries. Travis & the caregivers comfort. Jambo is first… Handed off to Farmboy… he’s doing well, smiling. Kume remained pretty overwhelmed and apprehensive, but she decided to snuggle/cling to Buttercup in the end (it’s SO nice to have a snuggler again). Can’t really put it all into words. We just met our newest children…..God’s plan all along.

We took lots of pictures there. Hint, the kids LOVE to see their pictures in the digital display on your camera. They definitely came to life after seeing themselves and their friends on the screen. My screen was actually kissed more than a few times. Once in the car, our bio kids were INCREDIBLY awesome at goofing around and having fun with the twins. GREAT ice-breaker.

12pm (hour 46) Lunch at a Chinese restaurant. Jambo & Kume ate, Jambo ate, and ate, and ate… both are decent with forks and knives. Jambo knows how to skip the veggies, passing them to Dad.

2pm (hour 48) Back to the Ayat House. Jambo seems really comfortable, or is just flying high with the excitement of chasing and being chased by our kids. He’s full of life. Kume is really soaking it all in. Quiet, cautious, finding it safest by Buttercups’ side. She’s smiling a lot but seems to be more nervous than Jambo. Over the night we broke out the fine china and had canned Ravioli and grilled cheeses. Jambo found the doorbell or ringer, and is growing familiar with the word “no.” It’s hard to discipline during a chorus of cheers and laughter from the other kids. Kume is joining in, turning off the lights and making a run from Dad.

7pm (hour 53) Travis arrives with the mattress. Kume is spent, Jambo settling down. It was quite a day for them too, for sure. Kume is quietly crying as she lay in the crib. Farmboy lies on the bed near her. Either comforted or just too tired, gives up within minutes and falls fast asleep. Jambo too, Farmboy slips out and day one comes to a peaceful end.