We're A Family!

Now they are mine!

Tuesday July 17 - Tuesday afternoon was the embassy appointment. In the morning we went to the National Museum. The actual bones of "Lucy" the oldest known human are somewhere in the museum and a cast of her bones are on display. The rest of the museum has historical artifacts like Imperial dress uniforms, stone statues, pots and paintings. On the third floor you can watch a weaver as he weaves and purchase all kinds of scarves, tablecloths and other woven cloths.
We went to the care center after the museum to pick up the children escept for Elias who was still at school. Elias was dropped of shortly before we left for the Embassy appointment. Both kids loved getting dressed in new clothes and shoes. We arrived at the American Embassy, made it through two metal detectors then were led to a room to sit and wait. There were 9 families in our group and it took about four hours to get us all through. I had to answer about six questions about E and M and sign my name four times. That was it, Elias and Meretech were mine forever.
We later went to the Hilton, a very beautiful hotel between neighborhoods of shacks, to confirm our flight out, check our e-mail and change more US dollars into Birr. Then we returned the children to the care center for one more night and went out to celebrate.
Our guesthouse manager, Massi, took us to the Crown Hotel for a traditional Ethiopian meal and to watch the dancers. The dancing was fabulous, one dancer looked like he was dislocating his shoulder everytime he jerked it around and one of the women put headbangers to shame with all the shaking, spinning and whipping of her head. The food was great though a little spicy for my tastes, Adam had an Ethiopian Special Beer. We went home exhausted and ready to sleep.