Embassy Appt 6.20.11

Ryan and I walked over to the boy's room on the morning of 6.20.11 to pick them up and bring them to the Embassy for our Embassy interview.  We had given the nannies clothes to put on the boys the day before, which were too big, but they worked.  The shoes I brought for the boys, however were not going to work!  They were WAY to big.  At first I thought our sons might have to go home barefoot, but God worked out the details with those too big shoes.  We gave them to the care center and got to take home the little shoes that the boys wore while they were at the care center.  So, they got to bring something home from Ethiopia - their shoes.  The same shoes that were lined up outside their bedroom while they were napping that we would stare at out our dining room window and wait for them to disappear because it meant there were little feet in them and the boys were awake and ready to play.

We left with 2 other couples and the boy's nurse and traveled to the US Embassy.  We went through security, gave the embassy some paperwork that they didn't have (thank goodness I had made copies of everything and had it with us) and waited in line.  We were number 414.

After our interview we loaded up in the van and headed back to the care center.  The boys fell asleep in our arms.  My heart was content and I think I could have rode around Addis all day in that van while our boys were in our arms sleeping.  The last step was done.  Their visa and passports were in our agencies possession!

When we arrived back at the care center the boys went to finish their nap and we went to visit a Leper Hopsital in Addis with the other couples that had their embassy appointments that morning as well.  We found many lovely things to purchase.  We then went to the coffee shop and had a cup of coffee and purchased some beans.  There is nothing better than a good cup of Ethiopian coffee!  We also went to Book World that is right by the coffee shop and bought some books.  Then we were off to the Market for awhile.

After we were done in the city we went back to the guest house and picked up the boys and brought them to our room and played.  At dinner time, we needed to bring them back to the nannies.  We would not take custody of the boys until after we had traveled south on our birth family visit.  

We then met up with the other couples again, and went to Habesha 2000 -  an Ethiopian Restaurant to celebrate! We watched some amazing dancing and singing and ate some terrific Injera and everything that goes with it!

I don't have many pictures of this day to share with you.  So, I'm going to share some photos that I could not share with you before.  Ones that we took of the kids on our first trip to Ethiopia when we went to court.

This picture was just as we held the boys for the first time.  They were so scared.

Brothers Forever!  Zachary and Isaac Buche

Amanda and Isaac Buche

Hannah and Isaiah Burka

Grace and Isaiah Burka

Greta and Isaac Buche

Isaac Buche

Isaiah Burka

Isaac Buche

Isaiah Burka

Psalm 28:7
"The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song."