Home at last! Enduring 30+ hours of travel with two young children who don't speak your language and don't even totally trust you is not a task for the faint of heart -- Jeff likened it to running a marathon when you're out of shape -- but we made it, exhausted and overwhelmed but in one piece. The children were troopers throughout the ordeal. They slept quite a bit and played with every last toy in their backpack, not to mention playing with the buttons on the armrest. The only bump was when Bereket started getting tired, then ornery, and finally let us have it with a 55-minute stint of wailing (not crying, mind you, but wailing) right in the middle of turbulance that had us stuck in our seats. I (Esther) think the Ethiopian passengers' eyes were rolling back into their heads from the noise. One even kindly tried to woo Bereket with some Amharic words of comfort, but no luck. Finally the turbulance ended, a flight attendant brought me a dinner (I think I was the first to eat -- she was desperate) and as I started eating with Bereket in my arms she abruptly stopped and proceeded to share my dinner. In fact, I think she ate most of it. We had seen her behave once like this before, so we weren't completely surprised, but it was still painful to endure.

Anyway, overall I'm very proud of Godebo and Bereket. And I'm equally proud of Isabel and Noel, who welcomed their new siblings with open arms and have been doting on them ever since. G and B slept through the night and took naps right on schedule (remarkable, because I'm still totally OFF schedule). We spent our first day just playing together. Some highlights: watching Godebo ride the tricycle around and around and around our backyard deck, happy as a clam; listening to Bereket sing her African songs as well as many rounds of "If You're 'Appy' and You Know It"; teaching the children to play "Duck, Duck Goose" at the park; and watching Isabel and Noel taking care of their brother and sister, reading to them, doing puzzles, helping bathe and dress them.

We know so many of you are praying for us and I must tell you this is carrying us -- truly -- through a beautiful but very stressful time. We knew this would be difficult, that it would be a major change and take lots of energy and patience. But there is nothing that can prepare one for this experience. It is taking absolutely every cell in our bodies to be present for all four children and make sure their needs our met, regardless of how we are feeling. I feel like we're running on pure will and adrenaline, which is not a healthy place to be.

I would like to end by giving a big dose of credit to my parents, who have been holding down the fort and now are holding us up with their help and love. I don't think we'd be able to cope without their support. Thank you, Mom and Dad.