Final Ethiopian Blog

Well today will be the day we have been waiting for.  The embassy said they would call us this morning.  We were sitting at breakfast and I told Karen, I would call them at ten as I didn’t really figure it would be on their priority list but it sure was on ours.  Just after I said that the phone rang at 8:30 and it was the embassy.  It was the right news this time.  Ibssa’s visa was sitting there waiting to get picked up.  As soon as I got off the phone, Karen called Martha to let her know it had to be picked up this morning.  Martha is usually hard to get hold of but this morning it was the first attempt.  Martha picked up  our visa and came to our guesthouse to drop it off.  We received the final paperwork from Martha and signed off their papers that makes everything final.  We will need to do annual reports and our adoption practioner comes to see us for 3 years but all that is a drop in the bucket. 

We will officially board the plane on Wednesday evening at 10:20pm in Ethiopia.  We will land in Toronto on Thursday morning at 8:00am.  We will return to our somewhat normal lives and Ibssa will begin his new life in Canada.  The first 2 days for us will be getting caught up on sleep and everyday life.  For Ibssa from the time he lands there will be a new experience at every turn.  We expect him to be scared at a lot of these changes as it will be totally different for him.  Although he is an outgoing little boy, we expect he will be shy and withdrawn until he starts feeling comfortable around his new settings and new people.  Karen and I don’t expect we will have an issue understanding him as his English has improved tremendously.  He uses English and Amharic words along with sign language that we have come accustom to even if it’s not official sign language. 

There will still be lots to do in the first couple weeks home.  We need to get his Canadian passport, OHIP cards, a medical for him, and setup some physio.

Some wine for Karen, a bottle of beer for Paul to celebrate.  We’ll start packing up tonight as tomorrow will be a busy day.  Checkout is at 11am so we’ll have to keep ourselves busy all day.  Not sure what that will be but it won’t matter as the day will fly by.  We’ll have our final supper out (Ibssa will probably have injera) and then go back to guesthouse and our final good-byes. 

 Ibssa will miss the friends he has made here at the guesthouse.  I can’t imagine better people at any lodging in Addis than the GT Guesthouse.  Lee, TiGi, Ashu, Sentayew, the guards, and several family members have all been more than obliging every time there was a bump in the road.  They treated Karen and I like family and Ibssa like their own son.  Many times we would be playing outside when Ashu would come and take over.  The next thing we would see is Ibssa having injera with the rest of the family.

The people we met in Addis always had a smile and a handshake for Ibssa.  Many times we got a thank you and God bless when someone found out that we adopted Ibssa.  There were some trying times here an Addis but the good far outweighed the bad.

This will probably be the final blog from here in Ethiopia.  We will blog again once we have settled in Canada and keep it updated weekly on Ibssa’s progress.  This blog will be great for Ibssa once he is ready and able to understand the journey we have all been on.

Thank you for all your prayers as we went through this process that has been 4 years long.  An extra special thank you for Dundas St United Church for your constant love, prayers, emails, support for Ibssa’s orphanage and everything else you have done for us.  You will be forever a part of our new family.

Kate and Jake you will be thrilled with your new brother and we thank you for being there even when you may have thought we were nuts.  It was so worth it.  You will see and understand as Ibssa continues to grow on you like he has on us.

God Bless and Chow

Paul & Karen         

It's here!

Praise God!  Our visa is here!  We will leave here tomorrow night at 10:20 and arrive in Toronto at 8:20am Thursday morning. Jake will be picking us up. There are no words to express how happy we are. Now we get to pack and prepare.

See you all soon.

Karen, Paul, and Ibssa

No news today

Hello everyone

We were supposed to hear if our visa was on the pouch today. Martha tried many times today to get an answer without any luck.  She gave us the embassy number and extension.  We got through after about 4 attempts but the lady said unfortunately the only man who is in charge of opening the pouch wasn't there today.  We left a message as he was suppose to return at 4:30.  We also updated Dave Mackenzie our local federal MP.  We called embassy back and talked to him but the best he could do was get our info and he will check and call us in the morning.

Good grief. I am sure this is satan continuing to strut his stuff but he won't win!

I will be home Thursday morning regardless. But I am confident we will be home together!

Indulging in some wine

Karen

Anticipation

As we mentioned in the last blog, we heard no word on Friday which made the weekend harder to take due to the unknown.

Saturday, was basically a dull day.  There was not much to be happy about but our little guys.  It starting to get a little dull day after day awaiting for good news.  It was tub day for Ibssa which he always enjoys.  He'll play for an hour or so before he thinks about getting cleaned up.  He makes us laugh and smile even at the down times.






 

The other day he thought he would put his strawberry syrup in his milk.  Mom kept telling him to be careful and don't squeeze too hard.  He didn't listen and hense the picture.  We all had a good chuckle over his misfortune.















A Skype call with Karen's mom and sister was the highlight of the day.  Ibssa was so excited we were calling Grandma.  He kept saying Grandma, Grandma as we called but was quiet as a mouse when Grandma was on Skype.  A trip to Kaldi's after his nap for an ice cream and a coffee was even normal.  Order one ice cream and got two - oh well, I had to eat the second.  That was pretty much the excitement for the day.


Sundays was more exciting.  We got a Skype call from Kate but it was cut short due to technical difficulties on Kate's end.  We took a walk to the grocery store to pick up a couple of items as any more this gets to be a way to break up the monotony. 


We had arranged with Shelley to have the boys come over here to Skype with her at 5 pm.  As with most plans the devil tries hard to intervene.

 The hydro went out around 3:30 and therefore no internet. 

We called Tilahun to delay them coming over so hopefully the power came back on.  Tilahun had to deliver some clothes Shelley sent to Ethiopia with me so he would do that first.  Well even the delay wasn't long enough as the hydro wasn't back on when  Little Dejene  (top left), Ahmed (top right), Tilahun (bottom right), and  Dejene (bottom left) arrived at 5:30. 

We decided that we would take our computers to a restaurant, have supper and Skype from there.  Well although they had WiFi, we had no luck with Skype even after a young lady let us use her internet stick.  We got hold of Shelley but kept having issues and after the sixth or seventh attempt, we decided we would try at guesthouse as we received a text saying hydro was back on.  Back to the guesthouse and after 4 attempts we were able to hook up with Shelley.  The boys talked with Shelley for about an hour and then Tilahun skyped a former school buddy that was now in the U.S. 

It was about 8:30 by the time all was done, the boys left and Ibssa was on the way to bed
.
We are praying tomorrow bring all good news and the devil has given up on this journey.  Continue to pray and email with us as we continue our journey.

God Bless and Chow

Paul

Swim Day

Well today was sunny so we made it to the Sheraton.  We started day by having breakfast and slowly getting ready.  We called Markos to pick us up at 11:00 - No problem.  Markos got here at 12:00!  We got to Sheraton at about 12:30 and there were lots of people there.  We all went in and played for an hour or so and then Karen got out while Ibssa and I continued to play.  I noticed quite a difference already since the first time we went.  Ibssa was much more confident in his abilities.  Dad didn't have to hold on him all the time.  It seemed like he wasn't scared of anything.  He had water wings, so he was even attempting to swim.  Get the pool ready Teresa!  After another half hour it was lunch - PIZZA.  It was about 2:30 when we were done lunch so it was quiet time.  Ibbsa nodded off quickly for about half an hour.  Another hour in the pool for Ibssa and I while Karen soaks up the rays.  We got cleaned up, had an ice cream and called Markos for our ride home.  It was about 5 when we got home.  A light supper, a movie and Ibssa was ready for bed.  It was an exhausting day for him.

All around a good day but we didn't hear from Martha.. Karen emailed her this morning so she could check the pouch.  We were expecting an email back today but got nothing.  Now the wait til monday.

Just laying low

Today seemed like a spa day for me. After breakfast we just layed around and played with Ibssa. Well....Paul did all of the playing. All I did was cook and do dishes. I am so grateful to Pam for sending toys that Ibssa has truley fallen in love with. I was able to read a magazine that I had brought from cover to cover. Paul put Ibssa in the tub and he must have been there for an hour and a half.

We are starting to have discussions about school. I still think he will be ready for at least half days in January but Paul is not so sure. I think he needs to be around other kids. Is English is getting better all of the time. He seems to always understand what we are telling him. Lee the guesthouse manager is always saying "I can't believe he just said that". He picks up phrases pretty easily and usually knows when to say them. Funny story, today I had to go to the bank. It was going to close in half an hour and Ibssa was just waking up from his nap. I decided to head out and then the boys would catch up to me later. When Paul told Ibssa that they had to "catch up" to mommy, he pointed to the store at the end of the street and said "ketchup". He thought I was at the store buying ketchup. Lol. When I saw them as I was coming from the bank we all had a good laugh about it.

Tomorrow if the weather is good we are going to the Sheridan for a swim. Paul brought my bathing suit so I can finally join in the fun. I haven't told Ibssa yet because we will see if it is sunny first. He loves the pool. We are also supposed to hook up with Tilahun and hand out some clothes to some street kids. Shelley sent them in the suitcase Paul brought.

Well it is almost bedtime for my sweet little guy. We are one day closer to coming home. Hopefully we will have confirmation from Martha that our visa is at the Canadian embassy here in Ethiopia.

Chow for now

Karen

One Week to Go?

Well we got Lee to call with Ethiopian Airlines to ensure there were no issues.  We didn’t want there to be a translation issue so we got Lee as she speaks both Amharic and English fluently.  Well it appears Karen’s ticket is for Friday instead of Wednesday like Ibssa and mine.

Psyche – just kidding, hers is OK for Wednesday too.  The countdown has started – 7 days left.  We, of course, are assuming that our visa went in pouch today at the High Commission in Kenya like they emailed they would.  We will only know for sure when they open the pouch here in Ethiopia at the Canadian Embassy.

Today we didn’t do too much.  We went to the leather shops where I purchased a new computer bag for $30 and got Kate one too.– quite a deal.  While we were at the shops, Markos was conversing with one of the ladies.  When we were leaving the lady said, “Thank you for taking care of him.  God Bless you.”  Markos obviously told her that we adopted him.  It makes it all feel just right, when you hear that.

 

 

 

After lunch and Ibssa’s nap, we did our daily walk to pick up a couple of groceries.  On the way, in this small city of 6 million or so, a lady stops and says “Ibssa?  Ibssa?”.  It was hard to believe that you would run into someone on the street.  Ibssa ignored her like he didn’t know her.  She was happy to sees him and shook our hands.

After she left, we asked Ibssa if he knew her.  A big smile came over his face.   I said “Is she from Abenezer” and Ibssa said yes.  We believed she was the office clerk.  On return back to guesthouse, Ibssa played with Ashu for an hour until it was supper time. 

Supper was soup / stew that Candy made before she left and Karen froze.  Candy, if you are reading this, it was delicious.  We will have to stop by one day for more.

A movie and popcorn and it was bedtime. 

A matter of time

Yesterday we ventured out to get plane tickets for Ibssa and I. Markos took the three of us to to the Ethiopian Air office. We waited in line for one hour and then I sat with the ticket agent for an hour trying to sort out our tickets. Paul and booked his return for October 28.  When I tried to book Ibssa and I on that flight it was full. Grrrr. I really wanted to come home that day. The next flight is on Wednesday the 30th. So we proceeded to get all three of us on that flight.  What a struggle that was. The good news is that they said they had no record of my first change so my change was free. Paul however had to pay $300 for his change. Ibssa's ticket was just over $1100 for a one way ticket. That is almost the same as what Paul paid for his ticket. Good grief. By the end of the process I was pretty frustrated. Paul had to entertain Ibssa the entire time and Ibssa wasn't being very patient. After you are done with the agent you go to another window to pick up your ticket. It is nothing like at home. A printer with a roll of paper just continually prints and the agent just cuts them to separate your ticket from everyone else's.  There was a lot if time between when she processed my ticket and then processed the boys so there was a lot of tickets between ours. She found Paul and Ibssa's tickets right away and had a hard time finding mine in the pile. She found one with my name and handed to me and said done. We left without looking at them because we had all had enough at this point vehemently we were on the way home I noticed mine wasn't a ticket like the other two. Good grief!  I said to Paul that I am tired of trying to deal with these people so he is going to try and sort it out today. With my luck the boys will be going home and I will have to stay :-(  I am sure we will sort it out.

On the bright side we went to visit Tilahun this morning. We delivered the suitcase of goodies that Shelley sent over for the boys. The teens had the day off because they have exam time starting tomorrow. They treated us to a coffee ceremony. We decided we would hook up with him again on Friday to go and hand out some clothes that Shelley sent to some street people. We will probably all go out for dinner after as our final goodbye.

I must admit I am sure happy Paul is here. It makes life a whole lot easier. Tomorrow we are heading out to purchase some last minute things.  Paul would like a new computer bag and Kate needs some scarves for gifts for Christmas. Pray that the high Commision puts our visa in the pouch tomorrow like they said they would so we can soon come home.

We will arrive on the 31st which is Halloween. I have no idea how I am going to handle this with Ibssa. His first impression of Canada will be us handing out treats to strange looking children at our door. Lol. Oh well, we will cross that bridge when we get there.

Time for lunch.

God bless
Karen

Reunited

Well it's midnight and I can't sleep.  It's probably the 4 hour nap I had after things settled down after I arrived or maybe the additional 4 hours at Ibssa's bedtime.  By now you probably realize that it is Paul writing the blog.  For those of yo that didn't know, we decided it would be in all our best interest for me to return to Ethiopia to finish this amazing journey.  Karen and Ibssa had been here 45 days since I left.  It has been an emotional time for all.  The delays have not been easy but there is a light at the end of the tunnel.  I an sure it is the final light to get us home.   

The day has been but oh so worthwhile.  I was up at 4:30am on Saturday morning and then at airport by 7 am (thanks Pam).  There was no one in line so I walked right up and cheked bags and was having a coffee 20 minutes after I walked in.  That's through security as well.  Plane takeoff was at 10 and landed in Rome to refuel at midnight (6 hour time difference).  It was about an hour and a half to refuel and change crew before we were away again.  We landed in Addis Ababa at 8am Sunday morning.  Got my Ethiopian viasa, picked up luggage and was waiting outside for my ride.  Yes - it's 8:30am warm and sunny - far different than the rain when I left a month ago.  The guesthouse picked me up about 20 minutes later.  Driver told me that the prime minister was coming today.  As we travelled I noticed that there was an armed soldier about every 50 feet along the road on both sides.  I noticed there was an occasional one perched up on top of buildings.  Much different than in Canada.

 

I arrived at guesthouse but Karen and Ibssa were still upstairs.  There was a coffee ceremony setup and some of guest were waiting.  I was greeted by "Are you Ibssa's Dad", by one of the new guest - I guess they knew I was coming but Ibssa didn't,  Karen wanted to surprise him.  Well we surprised them.  The guesthouse tooked my bags up and I followed.  Karen seen the bags and knew I was there.  When Ibssa saw me he came running to me with a hug and a huge "Daddy".  He hadn't forgot me at all - Skyping everyday I'm sure helped.  A kiss and another tight hug and all was good.  Karen was right behind Ibssa with the big smile while trying to hold back her tears - it didn't work.  A warm embrace and a kiss and all was right in the world again.

 Once the initial hyped settled down, Ibssa said " Daddy come" and away went to the storage room.  He showed me the 3 bags that were already packed for our return trip.  Very excited he said, :  Can Na Da one week".  He knows he is going someplace but I'm sure he doesn't know how much his life will change.

We all went downstairs and met the other guests that assembled for the coffee ceremony.  The ceremony lasted about an hour and a half all while Ibssa sat with me and got re-acquainted.  He told me stories that only he knew what he was saying but it didn't matter cause I was ready to hear them.  He showed me his bike which was "Bike, mine". 

I was bagged by this time as I don't sleep well on planes.  I headed up stairs for a shower and a nap.  I think I napped for 2.5 hours before Ibssa joined me for another 1.5 hour nap.  We got up around 4 and headed to grocery store to get some supplies.  On the way back, Ibssa thought we should get a donut so we did.  It's not Tim Hortons (only 3 kinds of doughnut but it does the trick.  We got home, Karen made fish and homemade fries for supper, while we played.  A little more play time, we did his new puzzle, watched a little bit of a movie and it was bedtime.  Eight thirty - where did the day go (Oh probably the naps eariler made it fly by)

Hopefully without any further delays we will we be back home on October 29th.  After struggling to decide if I should come back to Ethiopia, it has been made quite clear by God today, that this is where I needed to be hopefully for the last week of our journey here.  As trying as it has been for Karen and I, I'm sure it will be the same for Ibssa when he comes to Canada to continue his journey.

 

Keep all the emails and prayers coming.  Each and everyone is appreciated beyond what people may think is just a simple gesture

 

Good night, chow as God Bless

 

Paul

What to do

Paul decided to leave it up to me whether he comes or not. I didn't know what to say. One minute I am sure that I can finish this journey on my own and the next minute my heart skips a beat when I think he could be here in a couple of days. I prayed and I prayed and I prayed. The only thing that gave me peace was that it would be so wonderful to finish this last leg together as a family. Ibssa would have that memory to hang on to later in life. His mom and his dad will be there together with him as he journeys to a foreign land. God has a way of providing so I am sure we will get through this tight squeeze. I can just feel a huge weight off my shoulders knowing I will have Paul with me all week. Praise God! Today Ibssa and I just did the usual. We walked for a few groceries and then of course played on his new bike. After lunch I broke down and let him play candy crush with me. My twisted mind said it was a learning game for him. He was learning colours and directions as I told him what to do. Lol. I made the mistake of telling Ibssa that dAddy is coming. He is soooo excited. He wants to Skype him every two minutes. Although Paul is leaving on Saturday he won't be here until Sunday. Should be an interesting day tomorrow. Well that's all for today. Tomorrow is another sunny day. I am sure I am going to have another bike workout for me. Chow for now. Karen

Some good news

Since I didn't hear anything about Ibssa's visa yesterday I was sure I wouldn't hear until Friday or Monday. Well, we got an email this morning saying that Ibssa was granted citizenship! Praise God! He said that it will go out on the pouch on Wednesday. The problem is it is Thursday so that means it will not go out until next week. Good grief. That means another week and a half here. Paul said that if the visa wasn't coming this week that he would come on Saturday. Now he is thinking maybe he shouldn't come so we don't have to spend the money. I know in my head this is the best solution but man oh man I don't know how I am going to fill all those days. Why do things always come down to money. I am glad I didn't tell Ibssa that daddy was coming. Now we will just concentrate on getting ready to go home. I will have to get creative with the food I have left to try and use it up. We spent a lot of time outside today on his new bike. It really was a smart purchase. We are going to have to go for a walk tomorrow and buy more bread. Tonight I made a casserole with my canned Costco chicken. I still have 5 cans left because it really isn't very tasty. However, Ibssa are all of what I put on his plate so it couldn't have been too bad. It even had peas in it. Well time to settle with Jammie's and a movie. We will be home by the end of the month ..,..I can finally say it out loud :-) Chow for now Karen

A good day for Ibssa

Today we had to go out. I am getting pretty stir crazy. I decided I would purchase a bike for Ibssa today. I also wanted to go to the silk scarf market. Markos took is for both. First stop was the silk place. It wasn't what I had pictured in my mind. The scarves had varying amounts of silk. I was thinking of the nice soft sheer kind. I purchased two. One is 100% and the other one is 65%. They are a tougher texture than I would have liked. Next stop was for a bike. They are not cheap here but what price can you put on sanity. We found one. I think Markos thought I was crazy but I am sure he doesn't understand what it's like to be a 50 year old woman at the end of her rope. Lol. I told him that since he is my angel he can have it to give to a deserving child Che said he would loan it to other Canadian families who come. He has such a kind heart. Ibssa was so excited. He couldn't believe the bike was for him. It's kind of a suped up tricycle with a lot of bells and whistles. We spent the remainder of the morning and the second half of the afternoon playing with it. I am certainly getting my exercise! Riley found out today that there was a bomb here on Sunday. The US had issued a warning to its citizens here to keep away from busy places and the Bole road area. It has to do with rebels protesting the Ethiopian army in Somalia. Good grief. Housebound again. We said our goodbyes to candy and rob. Riley decided he is going home in Friday. The high Commision is brig difficult to deal with so the agency advised him there is nothing he can do from here. We will pray that his boys will be home by Christmas. We have heard absolutely nothing. I certainly don't want to harass them after how I see Riley being treated. Paul is coming on sAturday. Hopefully if our visa comes they will let us know in Friday and not Monday so we don't waste money on a flight for Paul. Well time for bed soon. Need to save my energy for the bike. Lol. Chow for now. Karen

Farewell to my friends

Today is the day that Candy, Rob, and Ephram fly home. They have a nasty flight that leaves at 3 in the morning which I guess technically is tomorrow. I will pray that Ephram will be at peace the whole way. I have been a bit of a mess the last few days but I am better now. I unloaded in Paul the other night at 2 am. He came to the conclusion that I need him here for this final step so he is coming on Saturday if Ibssa's visa doesn't come by Friday. I feel like a bit of a failure not being able to hold on for another couple of weeks, but life here is hard and the days are very long. I would not trade this time with our remarkable little boy for one second. However, my batteries need to be recharged. I don't sleep or eat well here. I am sure this is mostly because I am lonely. It is the not knowing that is the hardest part. Our government is an expert at dragging their feet...at least it seems like that for us at every turn. But we will get through this and hopefully all of this red tape will just be a memory some day. I think I might go out today and purchase a small bike for Ibssa today. He needs something to do outside. It seems to be getting sunnier. It would be a good way to burn up some energy. I will just leave it with the guesthouse when we leave so other adoptive families that come can use it. I don't know why I didn't think of this earlier. I may go to the silk market today. Markos keeps telling me about it and that I should go. I hope he is available today. Keep praying for us. I can't wait to see Paul whether it is Sunday morning or next Thursday. I prefer the latter because that would mean we have our visa. Chow for now Karen

African Internet

I am sure you have figured out that I haven't been able to get Internet the last few days. I haven't skyped Paul since Friday and its killing me. My morale has sunk. In Saturday we had a great day at the Sheriton. I invited Ashu. I forgot however that the price doubles on the weekend so it cost me a bundle. I was planning to swim in my tank top and capris but they wouldn't let me. Good thing Ashu came. Sunday was the big soccer game. We had to stay at the guesthouse because a lot of the roads were closed. I made a roast for everyone that turned out to be like shoe leather. Was kind of a lousy thanksgiving. Today candy and rob got their visa. They are heading home Wednesday night. I still have no clue when we get to go home. I have run out of things to do with Ibssa. The toys I brought have run their course after two months. I have let Ibssa play too many video games and have let him watch too much tv lately. I am going to have to find something new for him to do but what???? Hopefully tomorrow I will have some new ideas. I know I sound kind of down but it's getting harder and harder to stay positive. Chow for now Karen

Sorry for the rant

I thought I better apologize for my rant last night. We did take another delay blow but we will pull through this. It's amazing how much a good nights sleep helps to put things in perspective. I prayed for God to dry up my tears and it worked. I had a lot if time to think and I came to the conclusion that I would do this stay all over again because ibssa is completely worth it. It may be incredibly hard for me bit the benefit to Ibssa is immeasurable. I have decided not to eat out at restaurants much anymore even though it is cheaper than buying groceries. I think I will just pay the guesthouse for breakfast every other day. We will be healthier in the long run. Yesterday Candy went with me to check out an orphanage for Shelley. It was way nicer than Abenezer but it is struggling financially. I think all orphanages struggle. I gave them a donation from our church. She was so happy because she had bought milk on credit and was now able to pay. Now they will allow her more credit. I was very impressed with the number of special needs children she has taken on. I think I will meet with her again before we leave. Ibssa had a major meltdown at the restaurant for lunch yesterday. People just stare at you like crazy. They don't like to see kids cry. I felt like I was being judged. Another tidbit from yesterday was that someone tried to mug heather when she was out shopping with Markos. He didn't get anything and Markos chased him away. Today I did a little more retail therapy. I bought Paul an Ethiopian soccer jersey and a leather duffle bag. I just couldn't resist. Leather is so cheap here. We stopped and got groceries as well. I am going to cook a roast for thanksgiving. You will not find a turkey in this country. Lol. Well better go. Ibssa will be waking up soon. Chow for now. Karen

The devil keeps knocking me down

I guess I will just start where my head is at right now. I got the news this evening that our visa is not coming on Monday. That's what I get for letting my hopes get up. The person handling our case was away all week so our visa wasn't finished. Even if he returns next week Monday is a holiday for Canada so they will be closed. So by my calculations our chances are very slim that it will be in the next weeks pouch either. It would only give him one day to finish. So that puts us To the end of October. I honestly don't know what I have left in me. I miss my husband soooooo much. We have never been apart this long. I know this is the part that weakens me. My first response was telling him to take his last two weeks holiday and come back to Ethiopia. The problem is our life just not allow it right now. Financially we just can't do it. Someone needs to be home to take care of the dogs. Jake may be in the process of moving home so Paul needs to be available for him to. I am just going to have to find strength somewhere. What I thought would be one or two weeks by myself has now been 5 and may be 7 or 8. Lee says I have a place to stay until the 19th....I don't know what I will do after that. Hopefully she will find me another small room somewhere. Please pray for us. Starting to unravel. Hopefully tomorrow I will be in better spirits. Karen

An amazing day

Yesterday I knew was going to be a tough day emotionally. It was my 50th birthday. There are no words to describe the feelings around this. I thought of family all day. I felt alone even though I am definitely not alone. I just wanted to ignore my birthday so I wouldn't have to deal with all the emotions that would follow. The day started by joining all of our friends for a trip up the nearby mountain. I think it's called intoto. Spelling not sure. Unfortunately it rained the entire time so the view was lost to the fog. We visited a museum where I learned a little bit of the history of Addis Ababa. We toured an old palace and a church. A little freaked out now, the power just went off and it is completely dark except for the light on my phone and the light from the tablet where Ibssa is watching a movie. Oh well, this is Africa. We decided to cut our trip short angled go for dinner at oh Canada. The food was good but this was the time Ibssa decided to turn into a monster. Someone ordered a coke and he wanted one. He did manage to calm down but it put me in a sour mood. I picked up a bunch of takeout dessert to curb my mood. We got back to the guesthouse and he went to bed. I guess he needed a sleep. I skyped Paul and told him I had a pretty crappy day so far. I also told him that the boys invited bus out for dinner. He signed off saying the day would get better....and it did. All of my Canadian friends came up with a cake and sang happy birthday. I agreed to eat cake before dinner because that is just how it should be on your birthday. Lol. They gave me an ethiopian cookbook. How perfect!I told them I didn't have much time because Tilahun was picking us up for dinner. Heather told me that I need to hang around until 5:30 because Paul had a surprise for me. Heather had told Tilahun to come later. I sensed some sneakiness here. The wheels started turning and I knew Paul was going to Skype during church. I knew then that I couldn't slide through my birthday. I would have to deal with the boatload of emotions that would come. I was right, Paul skyped and the whole church sang happy birthday. It was amazing! And there in the front row were all of my family and friends. Now the waterworks started. It was also worldwide communion day so we had communion along with the church. The connection wasn't great but we hung on for awhile. I told Paul I had to go because the boys were waiting in the van. So Ibssa and I left. For some reason I thought I was going to the boys house but I soon realized we were going out for dinner. We went to island breezes. That was where we went with the boys when Paul was here. They like it because it is American food. While we were waiting for our order Getcho called. Wow. He wished me a happy birthday and wished he was with us. Apparently he was outside of the city somewhere. After the meal the boys brought in a cake. Wow. Also they made me cards and gave me a gift of earrings. I was speechless but very happy. They are so awesome I wish all of you could meet them. It was getting late so we soon headed home. The whole night was the boys treat so I thought. I found out later that my bible study group had a hand in this outing. I ANSI blessed to have such great friends. I felt Gods presence this day. He was taking care of me. I skyped my family when we got back. Again awesome. I always cry when I see my kids. Today we had to go to try and adjust my plane ticket. The agent told me that when I knew my date that I could just book and pay the penalty. This was a different story than what I had heard before. I thought I had to pick a date. I had him explain it two times. I kept saying that I wouldn't be there on the 9th. He kept saying my ticket would still be valid. Well this was great just had to book when I knew. When I told Paul this scenario he didn't believe I had interpreted it right. So, I had lee call the number he gave me and try and figure this out. Well I was right my ticket will still be valid. It is valid for a year! That just rocks! at 4:30 Tilahun picked us up along with Candra and Riley. We went to visit mission Ethiopia again while the women were there. After our visit to Korah we went to tilahuns house Nd visited the boys. They were all doing homework at the coffee table. They showed is their work and I tried to help but couldn't. I have been out of school far too long. Their homework was hard. Again these boys amazed me. They fed Ibssa and then we were on our way. Another late night but a pretty good day. I think tomorrow we will just lay low. Well gotta get my wee one to bed. Chow for now, Karen

One more day under my belt

Today was a pretty good day. Marcos picked us up at 10:30 along with Tilahun. He took me to Korah, the poorest part of the city to show me mission Ethiopia. The women's empowerment group that Shelley started. They make necklaces and earrings which she sells in Cananda. I thought Saturday would be a good day because Tilahun would not have school. Unfortunately the women didn't work on Saturday. Oops. Tilahun showed me the shelter where he stayed before Shelley. Korah is known for having a lot of leprosy. Markos was pretty interested. He didn't know of this group. We decided we would come back on Monday after Tilahun is done school. I also booked Markos on Monday so I can go and change my flight. Grrrrr. When I got back to GT Lee told me I could move to my old room. I thought I was doing that tomorrow. Oh well. The rest of the gang was moving back in and heather asked me to watch her kids while they unpacked. I told them I may as well feed them lunch to. After lunch I managed to pack up our tiny room and just put everything out in the hallway so The room would be empty when I had to put Ibssa down for a nap. This gave me a head start on my move. When Ibssa was ready for a nap I returned the Reich children. While he slept I was able to move everything downstairs. It is much easier to move down then up. The other families offered to help but I hate imposing. Now that I am feeling better I knew I could do it by myself. When Ibssa wine we went downstairs for good. We went outside to play. Eventually the newest Canadian couple showed up and was asking where to go for dinner. I boldly asked if I could tag along since I didn't have time this afternoon to prepare anything new went to the Italian place. Ibssa didn't eat much, he was too busy being goofy. I brought his pizza home. Ugh! We wrapped up our night the usual way with a bit of a movie and then bed. Tomorrow we are going to drive up a mountain. Later Ibssa and I are going to tilahuns for supper. I will be able to take the pictures of the boys I was supposed to do on New Years. Well it's getting late. Time for me to hit the hay. Chow for now. Karen

Some good news for one of us

Heather and Dave got the call that their visa is here. Praise God! I am so happy for them. Hopefully ours will come next week. We heard from Martha that there are actually 2 pouches a week. One leaves Nairobi on a Monday and one leaves on a Wednesday. It takes 2 days to reach Addis. The Monday one normally does not contain visas but because of the delays there is a slight chance they may put them in the pouch. Please pray they will do this for us. I am certain I have to change my flight again. The 9th will be impossible to make. However there is one on the 11 th. but I have no way of knowing if our visa will be there or not. I really would have liked to have been he for thanksgiving and seen both of my kids. But I highly doubt it's in the cards. I wish I had a crystal ball. It costs me $200 each time I change it. If someone out there knows people in high places please plead our case. The other couples have got action with their MP's. As for the rest of our day I would say it was pretty awesome. We had a fun day playing together even though it poured rain. We walked over to heather and Dave's because it was Faiths birthday. What a sweet child she is. We had pizza and cake and of course presents. I got emails from both of my kids and blessings are falling on them. They make me so proud.i know they will tAke care of my Paul while I am away. We are getting closer to the light. I am weathering the storm and feeling stronger all of the time. I am concentrating on all of the positive things and not letting negativity bring me down. Kind of like battlefield of the mind by Joyce Meyer. I can control my thoughts. There is so much peace in that. Well, bedtime for me. Last night I saw every hour on the clock so hopefully I will get some zzzz's tonight. Chow for now. Karen

More delays

Just found out tonight that the high Commision was closed most of this week as well. Good grief. This means no visas on Monday again. Here at least one or two more weeks. Karen

A looooong day

I probably am not Ibssa's favourite person today. He was all about pushing the limits and I was so not in the mood. Our day started pretty normal. When we woke up we skyped Paul and for some reason today Ibssa decided he was going to make it almost impossible to chat. After breakfast candy texted me that her mp found out that her visa was processed on September 23. Praise God! Someone got some good news. Myomeres started to wonder that potentially we may have our visa as well. I thought to myself I better get all my ducks in a row just in case. I don't want to leave it till the last minute because sometimes the power and Internet are not working. I started checking the cost of Ibssa's ticket. Of course it is way more than I originally thought because of being last minute. I also want to pay the guest house a couple of days ahead of time so I don't run into any problems. My mind just kept turning and turning. I don't know how many times I emailed Paul but I am sure he is sick of me. Ibssa kind of has an anything goes morning which usually puts him in a hyperactive mode. Nap time couldn't come quick enough today. Lol. He woke early from his nap and was in a grumpy mood from the get go. He wanted coke to drink and of course I said no. Well from then on I was the worst mother ever in his eyes. Hard to believe but pop is drank to much in this country. I brought him outside to play and blow off some steam. He certainly had a boatload of energy this afternoon. I met another couple from Canada today. They are adopting a sibling group an have hit a few bumps in the road. Immigration sure likes to throw their weight around. Grrrrrr. Well at least I will have new friends to talk to if my other friends go home next week. During and after supper Ibssa was a golden child. He was agreeable to everything. We popped some popcorn and watched a bit of a movie. He was more than willing to go to bed by 7:30. Thank goodness because I was really running out of are today. Tomorrow is Faiths birthday, she will be 9. We are going bowling at one. I hope Ibssa can last. He gets cranky without a nap. But this will be fun so here is hoping. Well time to go. Chow for now. Karen

My final shopping day.....I think

When I left you yesterday I was finishing my lunch. Ibssa woke up and quickly figured out he had a piano on one of his pre school apps. He absolutely lived it. Even though the piano was playing the songs he thought he was doing it. What impresses me the most was that he was using 2 hands and all of his fingers. What a great tool for physio. Nancy I am afraid when he sees the big piano at church that your life will change forever. Lol. Candy, Rob, and Heather came over to use the Internet again. It is so nice to have visitors. For supper Ibssa and I had hot dogs. I really don't have condiments so I made the hot dog on a piece of toast and melted a cheese slice on it. We also ha brown beans. Well, the hot dog was a hit but the brown beams not so much. Before we knew it it was bedtime. One more day under our belt. This morning we ordered in breakfast. I told TG to surprise us. She brought an overwhelming amount of food. One of the dishes was this egg bake with vegetables in it with Ethiopian spices. Ibssa really seemed to like that. I told TG how much he liked it so she brought me up a whole plate of it so he could have some more later. They are just so awesome here. I spent the morning emailing while Ibssa played on the tablet. We then cleaned up and went with Markos to do my final shopping day. The first stop was a haircut for Ibssa. Of course we used Markos's guy. He was very friendly and very good with Ibssa. He knew right away that Ibssa was Oromo. He told me Ibssa means "I can". I was told earlier that it meant light. Either way they are both wonderful meanings of his name and describe him to a tee! Even with his handicap he wants to do everything himself. Next stop was for coffee. I am going to make everyone try this. Lol. It is pretty strong. A gift idea that Victoria gave me was to buy dried chilies. She says she puts them in a jar with a ribbon and hands them out at Christmas. Clever. I bought 2 kg for $4. Sweet! Next stop was for wooden cross necklaces. Markos took me to another guy. The wooden crosses he showed me were not the traditional type. They were only 10 cents each so I bought 6. He then showed me some black crosses made of glass or stone for 15 cents. I really liked these and they were the traditional type so I said I wanted 10. But he only had 3. I left money with Markos and he said he will purchase more for me later. He is going to buy me 20. After he left I thought what a great gift this would be for the Sunday school kids from Ibssa. I think I will tell him to get me more. We came up for lunch and now Ibssa is sleeping. He will probably get up any time now so I should sign off. I need to start preparing supper soon. Chicken tonight. Mmmmm. Chow for now Karen

Have died and went to heaven

You will find out at the end of the post what the title means. I think I left off heading to go get my haircut yesterday. What an experience. We went to the place where apparently all of the diplomats wives go. Heaher had gone earlier because she was having multiple things done. We picked up Faith at the guesthouse and dropped off Ibssa. The boys were coming later because the restaurant is in the same building. When I got there I was just thrilled with excitement. I asked if they could do a cut,colour and highlights. They said sure, no problem. I really should have explained more. What goes in Canada is not easily translated even when they appear to speak English. Funny, I didn't even ask what it cost I just wanted it done sooo bad. It looked promising. Out came the pieces of foil and I could tell they were making blonde colouring. Instead of about 7 chunks which I usually get she put the highlights all over. I thought to myself, change is good. You think I would have clued in when they never asked the other colour. When she finished with the blonde she told me to wait under a dryer. I said what about the rest. After a little conversation she realized what I had wanted but was too late to put it in now. She called them low lights. So I had to wait for the blonde to be done washed an dried, and them she did the whole procedure again bit with brown. The boys had already arrived for dinner and I was still be worked on. Lol. The final wash was kind of cool. They actually massage your head for about 10 minutes. And get this, it is guys who wash your hair, and they use a lot of force. I told her to cut at least an inch off. When she started cutting I noticed she was barely cutting. I said more please. She finished by maybe cutting half an inch. I kept quiet because Heather had ordered my food and I couldn't do this any more. It had been almost 3 hours. Time to pay. I was pleasantly surprised it was only $60. It would have cost me $120 at home and no head massage. Lol. Dinner was good. I picked up a couple of books for Faith from the bookstore there. Her birthday is the 4th so I wanted to make sure I had something for her. When we got home Ibssa was winding down with a movie. Rob and Heather came over to do their interneting. Still no wifi at their house - not even today. This morning Ibssa and I just played around here. We went to the bank to get some spending money for this week. Markos was picking us up at 12:30 with Candy and Rob. We are headed to Abenezer to pay the final payment of the scarves. I was hoping to see all of the children but they were either sleeping or at school. I forgot that school has started. We visited mostly with the staff. When we left I talked Rob and Candy into going to the Shoa supermarket. Victoria, my new roomie, told me I could buy all kinds of real cheese there. She was right. I purchased white cheddar, Edam, cream cheese, and cheese slices. I also bought dill pickles. Yum. Markos stopped on the way home and picked up the nice hot bread cooked in the banana leaves. It has a fennel taste to it. Ibssa immediately went for a nap. I feasted on my cheese, bread, and pickles. This is where the title "I have died and went to heaven". It was the best. We haven't had real cheese since we got here. I can't believe it took us this liong to find it. Just got an email from Paul saying he is taking 5 weeks parental leave when I get home. Yippee. I think we will be eating a lot of kd though. Lol. Well gotta go. Chow for now. Karen