Return to the Orphanage

Rosie and I sporting our new Ethiopian outfits... I look sweaty and spent, she completely adorable, as usual.

Here is the giant cake... each new family made three cuts.


Here Rosie and I are with Abdissa our country representative, truly one of the kindest and warmest gentlemen ever .

After our very live-stocky morning, Rosie, Elizabeth and I were picked up and taken back to Rosie's orphanage for a goodbye celebration. As we entered the orphanage, all of the children were in the front room clapping, singing and doing very cute little dance moves. I wish I could post photos, but we are only allowed to post pics of our own kiddos. After the song and dance welcome we were ushered into another room and asked to sit while everyone was served a coke. After everyone was settled Abdissa our adoption representative lead us in a church service. He read from the bible and spoke of the love that we all felt for all of our children and the strength of faith. He spoke with passion from the heart. He conducted the service in English and then would translate to Amharic. He blessed all of us newly adoptive parents and families and our new sons and daughters. Then he turned to all of the children living at the orphanage and blessed them. His tone was celebratory, but my heart ached for those children who were still waiting to be adopted. Then he asked each family to say a few words. I was emotionally spent at this point, so I just thanked them all for their warmth and kindness in welcoming each of us, and tried not to cry. Then a huge cake was brought out and each family made three cuts in the cake and it was served with more bottles of coke. As all of the children we being served, Abdissa gave all of us wrapped gifts- traditional Ethiopian shirts and dresses for the little girls. A fun and very unexpected surprise. Abdissa had a gift for Rosie, Elizabeth and I, and then each member of my family at home as well. Since we are now a family of eight, I left with many packages! After the gifts were passed out, we all said our goodbyes and loaded up our van where we were off to dinner at a restaurant with traditional food and dancing.