We are home!

We are finally home! It was an amazing trip - with ups and downs. From our experience it was not a "vacation" but we learned a lot and brought back a fantastic souvenir!! Tarike is wonderful! She has a bit of a cold and we are all working on getting our schedules set but she is still typically quite happy and content. All of the boys are doing a wonderful job helping with their little sister - she is a very popular member of our family! I can't wait to introduce her to everyone!

The pictures that I have posted (somewhat randomly) are of some of the sights and people that we saw on our trip. The drive south was beautiful! It is truly amazing how lush and green Ethiopia is. Unfortunately, the population is so high that each families individual land is not enough to feed them adequately - it is known as "the green famine". One of the pictures is of part of a buffet that we were taken to - yes, it is a plate full of hunks of raw meet! Not terribly appetizing! But, we were able to watch some beautiful Ethiopian dancers! The people of Ethiopia were all very friendly, especially the children who, despite all that they are going through, tend to be very happy and LOVE to have their picture taken and then see themselves on the camara! We toured two orphanages in addition to the care center where Tarike was. So many children and babies who need homes - it was hard to come home with just one!! There were babies there as young as 1 month old! All of the children were extremely well cared for and very loved! Thank you all who helped with donations. It was so much fun to give so much to a place that I know will use it well!

So much happened in just one week! I'm sure that it will be an experience that none of us will ever forget!