Week 10...Embassy and Adjustments

I'm not gonna lie, we are TIRED this week. So incredibly tired. I wanted to put that as the post title, but I realized I already did that for week 6 :) But for real, this week takes the cake in regards to fatigue. We are heavy into the rainy season here, and while it hasn't been terrible, it's definitely been muddy! Since we walk everywhere with the boys, we are constantly covered in mud and often just walking in the rain for long periods of time. Thankfully, the boys seem to be content, but it's definitely been an adventure! 

This week we completed our first of three visits to the Embassy, and will be going back again on Monday for our second visit. Overall things went well, but I am not getting my hopes up until my tush is sitting on that plane! We've had so many emotions running through our hearts this week; excitement to come home, nervousness at the boys' transition, sadness to leave this country and the beautiful Ugandans who have become our friends, frustration at the lack of service we will be able to provide these people from across the world, and fear of all the unknown variables to come! We've been diligently seeking God in all of these things, and trusting Him to guide us home. We feel going back home will be amazing and wonderful, but also mundane, as our hearts have been broken for this country, and I can't imagine going home to my cushy lifestyle and forgetting all the things God laid on my heart while I was here. Paul and I have both agreed that this is just the beginning of something bigger. What does bigger mean? We have no clue yet, but we know God has given us both the same desire and calling, and we are trusting God to reveal His plan to us as we continue to serve Him. 

Monday this week was a pretty normal day, however my amazing husband took the boys for breakfast so I could get a little sleep. It was SO NICE to have an extra hour in the morning, and I was so grateful for his consideration of me. When I woke up, I had gotten an e-mail from the US Embassy asking if I was able to make our document check that was scheduled for THIS morning. Umm, what?! We never received an e-mail from them after completing medicals last week, and I was a bit frustrated at the whole situation. Regardless, there was no way to make it in that day as we live so far away, so we re-scheduled it for Thursday at 9am (they only do doc checks on Mondays and Thursdays). Praise Jesus. All my boys got home around 10:00 or so, and they were SO excited to see me which seriously made me melt. We stayed in most of the morning, letting the boys run around and play, then made lunch a little after noon. After lunch we got them cleaned up and ready for nap. They both went down fairly easy, and we were so pleased at the progress we've made with them since we had them that first week! They both slept well, and Paul and I were able to get some things done while they rested. In the afternoon, we did snack, then headed into town for some errands. We stopped at the orphanage to pick up the boys' files so we could review them for the Embassy. We also chatted with the director regarding the next couple weeks, and tried to get a better understanding of their needs as well as ours. From there we went to the bank to exchange some money, then headed back downtown for an early dinner. The boys did SO well at the restaurant, and it was by far the best day we've had with J to date. Paul and I were so happy, and we were praying consistently that it was a true change and not just a fluke! :) After dinner we headed home, gave them their bath, then we watch part of a movie as a family while we munched on some popcorn. We put the boys to bed together, but it took them a little longer to fall asleep. At 9:30pm, I headed out with our landlady, Alba, and the other 2 moms to go to an Indian festival here in town. None of us really wanted to go as we were all pretty tired, but Alba insisted, so we all packed into her tiny Fiat Panda and headed to the festival. When we arrived we were definitely the only muzungus around, and us Americans felt like we were crashing a sacred event. Alba knew a few of the people there, so it was nice to see them greet her, but it was a bit of an awkward time :) After we looked around, we found some chairs in the back of the stage area and settled in. Soon music began and people began to fill the dance floor little by little as the music went on. They were walking in a circle around an alter doing a specific pattern of steps. Alba informed us that this was the way they began their prayers, and 45 minutes later they were all still going strong! We watched them finish their prayers then snuck out around 10:45. It was very interesting to see a different religion worship, but the whole time I was thanking God for how great He is. I couldn't imagine not having a personal relationship with God, and my heart was overwhelmed with thankfulness while I watched. Overall, it was such a good day and Paul and I were feeling beyond blessed at the progression we've seen in all of us. God is good.

J wearing Paul's hat at the restaurant

Water Bottle! They both LOVE water bottles!

L enjoying his...it's the little things in life :)

Indian Festival with Alba

Unfortunately on Tuesday the good behavior did not continue, in fact, it felt like we took a step back. Throughout the day we were at a bit of a loss for what to do, and we were definitely feeling the weight on our shoulders. The day started off as usual...getting the boys up, making breakfast, eating breakfast, getting the boys ready, us getting ready. However this morning was a continual battle with both of them, and it was almost as if they were consistently choosing to disobey us at every turn. It was only 9:30am and we were pretty frustrated. J spent most of that time being disciplined, but to be honest, L was also being difficult. At 10:30, we went our on usual walk/coffee/errands, and J freaked out because he wanted to go in the stroller and not be carried. We literally spent the next 30 minutes with J consistently sitting in the dirt on the side of the road, while he sulked and showed us how angry he was with us. We let him sit there until he chose to get up and listen, however after the 3rd tantrum, we simply picked him up, put him on Paul's back and let him scream/cry it out while we walked. About 10 minutes later, he FINALLY snapped out of is funk and was mostly back to his normal self. We were feeling so spent. When we got to the coffee place, it was still a consistent battle to get them to listen, and J had 2 more time-ins with me before he seemed to understand we meant business. Since he was being so fussy, Paul continues to carry him on his back so we could keep him contained a bit more. From there we split up to get some things done. Paul and J headed to the local market for fruit and eggs, and I took L with me to the copy place to make all the files we needed for the Embassy and the airport. Thankfully J did really well with Paul on their walk and seemed to be content by the time they met up with us at the copy store. It was clear these files were going to take FOREVER, so Paul took both boys to finish one more errand before heading home. Unfortunately, the boys went back into their funk as Paul walked them home, and continued to disobey Paul time and time again. Even lunch was such a debacle, and Paul was definitely getting very frustrated. He disciplined them multiple times between their lunch and nap, and finally made them just lay down and go to sleep. Thankfully they listened and both went down fairly well. Poor Paul was on the struggle bus. I on the other hand spent over 3 hours at the copy store trying to get everything done, and while the man helping me was very nice he was SLOW AS MOLASSES. OMG. I literally offered on multiple occasions to help him, but he said he couldn't let me. Additionally, doesn't your copier have a collate button? If not, I bet I could show you where to find it! It was frustrating to know that I could've done it myself in a quarter of the time, but then again, I'm learning to be patient! I got home around 2:30pm, and Paul and I made lunch and ate together. The boys slept poorly for their nap, and were up multiple times for no reason. We made them stay in bed and rest until 3:30 or so, and we were scared for what the afternoon might hold. I gave the boys snack once they were up, and then we headed outside to play as Paul had a work call at 4:30. The boys thankfully did pretty well with just me, and I was enjoying a reprieve in the bad behavior. Paul was done with his call a little before 6, and then hopped on a Boda to go get us dinner. Since the boys were so bad this morning, I was not risking going out, so Paul got food and brought it home for us to have at our place. The boys ate ok, but took forever to finish their food, and it was still a lot of redirection to stop playing and start eating! We struggled through bath, took them out early for disobeying, got them ready for bed and put them down at 7:45. At 9:00 they were still awake, but were finally out by 9:20. Good grief, Charlie Brown. Once they were in bed, Paul worked and I spent over an hour sorting through all the copies I had made that morning, then began putting the files together for the Embassy and the airport. It was so tedious trying to sort through over 350 pages, but I finally finished and was happy with how things looked. At 9:30 Paul and I got some ice cream from Alba and it was much needed. I also could've used a martini or two, but I guess I'll have to wait until I get home! After that I had gotten a call from one of the other moms who just needed to talk, so Paul continued to work and I headed over to her place to see what was up. I let her talk and vent for the next hour or so, then headed back to my place around 10:45, before I showered, journaled and crashed. Thank God Tuesday was OVER.

L wearing his "glasses"

Of course J follows suit!

Wednesday started off rough, but got better as the day went on. The boys slept until about 7am (A BIG RECORD!), and Paul and I were PUMPED. Yay for sleep! We were able to keep the boys quietly playing in bed until 8am, and we were both beyond happy to have a little extra time. Once the boys were up, we made breakfast, then got them ready for the day. J was still having a rough time this morning though, so most of it was spent in a time-in with Paul. Once he finally settled down, we got our things together and headed downtown. We carried both boys today to minimize the meltdowns, and they were both fairly content on our walk. The boys did great at the coffee shop while they ate their snack, and Paul and I were actually able to talk/plan out our day. After coffee, we took the boys to get their passport photos taken (we need them for the airport security file), and also had pictures printed of the boys to give to their biological families. At that point it was almost noon, so we walked back home to make lunch. The boys ate well and were behaving, until J decided to drop a glass plate on the floor (on purpose), and it shattered everywhere. Needless to say, Paul and I were SO FRUSTRATED, and J didn't get to finish his lunch as he spent the next 25 minutes crying. While Paul held J, I cleaned up all the glass, while L finished his lunch. Paul and I switched boys for nap, and he took L, who fell asleep right away. J on the other hand was fighting me tooth and nail and after he started to get more aggressive, I left the room because I could feel my blood starting to boil. Paul finally got J to sleep 20+ minutes later, and I spent that time sitting on the bathroom floor crying it out. I was just beyond spent with the last couple days, and as a human, you can only be so patient for so long before you need a break. Well that was today. Once Paul came out, I needed 15 more minutes to compose myself, then came out to make lunch for us. Paul and I took this time to share how we were doing and talked through our frustrations, which definitely helped a lot. These conversations are happening less and less due to Paul's work schedule and the needs of the boys, but we are trying to make more of an effort to do this daily, as it is much needed for our sanity! It was pouring rain toward the end of their nap, so once they were up, we did snack and stayed inside until the rain subsided. At 4:30, I started getting the boys ready for photo shoot round 2, as we had gotten rained out the week before. I was a bit nervous that would happen again, but thankfully the sun came back out, and we met up with the photographer around 5:30. The boys looked so "smart" in their little outfits, and overall did well with listening while we took pictures. At 6:15 we headed back home, changed, and met up with a bunch of local missionaries at our guest house for dinner. I had met all of them last week when I did the Sole Hope jigger clinic, and when I told them how well Alba cooked, they wanted to come to dinner. So I arranged the dinner and 18 of us all ate together on Alba's patio. A couple of the women there had been through adoptions, so it was comforting to hear their stories and get their advice. It was definitely a wonderful time of conversation and sharing, and it was even better that we didn't have to walk anywhere! At 8:15, Paul took the boys inside and got them ready for bed. I came in, said prayers, kissed them goodnight, then headed back out to the dinner while Paul stayed in to work. Everyone left around 9:15, and it was really a wonderful evening unlike any I've had here to date. A bit of refreshing with people is always so nice. Once I came in, I spent the next 30 minutes going over all of our paperwork for the Embassy, and triple checked that I had everything on the list. Things seemed to be in order, so I showered, journaled and headed to bed, while Paul worked. Big day tomorrow!

J listening to music

Sleeping in totally opposite positions then when they started...How does that happen?

Camera fun with L while J was still asleep

Thursday morning came WAY TOO EARLY. We were both a bit nervous about the Embassy appointment the night before, so we didn't end up falling sleep until about midnight. Not to mention L fell out of bed twice, which as a parent sleeping in the same room, definitely jolts you into complete alertness. We probably slept for a total for 2-3 hours, and when my alarm went off at 4am, I was on the strug. I got up and got myself ready, got snacks together and then got the boys clothes out. At 5:00, I woke them up, much to their dismay, and we got them dressed and ready. At 5:15 it was a complete downpour outside, and of course the power went out soon after it started. So we are trying to finish getting everything packed and ready in the pitch black, and the rain is so loud we can hardly talk without yelling. Additionally, we had our window open from the night before so as I walk into the bedroom to grab my purse, I step in a HUGE pile of water that is flooding in from across the room due to the rain. AHHHHH! So we give the boys a flashlight and tell them to wait by the door...I grab a towel and start blocking the water while Paul closes the window...we pat dry the floor to get most of the water up...we put our backpacks on with our rain coats over top...we each pick up a boy...I lock the door and we quickly walk/run to the car that's waiting outside the gate. By the time we get in the car, we are soaked, but I was just grateful to be in the car! The initial drive was really bad, and I was just praying in the back seat for safety. I don't know how our driver was seeing anything, but thankfully the rain started to calm down about 20 minutes in and then finally stopped. The drive to Kampala was pretty uneventful as the boys were still a bit tired from the early morning. We arrived at the Embassy around 8:30 (for our 9:00 appointment! Yay for being early!), went through security, and headed up to the consular section. We checked in and then waited for about 15 minutes before our names were called. I assumed we would be meeting in a conference room or small office to go through the 20 lbs. of paperwork I had with me (no joke. it was literally 20 lbs), but unfortunately we walked into a room that was about 5x5 with a high counter and a bullet proof glass window. Is this really necessary? We then had to talk through a speaker to the lady on the other side and passed our paperwork through a slot at the bottom of the window. It was so impersonal and off-putting to me, especially with the amount of sensitive information and discussion that needed to be addressed, but just like everything else with this process, you just press on. Once I got my bearings, we got the boys settled under the high counter, and I began to get the paperwork out and organized. We spent the next HOUR going through their files, a brief history of their pasts, how they ended up in the orphanage, reviewing the endless forms I had filled out and signed, going through original documents, going through their orphanage files, going through court records and giving them an understanding of our timeline and when we came into the picture. I was pretty nervous the whole time, but overall kept my cool, and felt I was able to give her all the answers she needed. The worst part was the 2 toddlers "swimming" all around my feet and constantly yelling, "Mommy you see!!" as loud as they could while I'm trying to talk through a speaker and bullet-proof glass :) Once we finished the paperwork, she asked me to sit and wait until they reviewed everything and she would call me back in. I heard it normally doesn't take very long, but we waited over an hour before our name was called again. This made me VERY nervous, and I was constantly praying the entire wait. Thankfully, there was a courtyard outside the consular section, so Paul took the boys out there and let them run around a bit. There were a handful of other children there as well, so they were all enjoying each other's company. Once I was called back in, she asked me to correct a couple things on one of the forms, but said otherwise they didn't see any concerns. THANK YOU JESUS! She then let me know that our Visa interview was scheduled for Monday, October 26th at 2pm, and asked for our payment for their visas and one of the other forms. $1,400 later (gulp.) we were out of there and feeling SO much relief. We headed back down to our driver's car only to find him MIA again. Seriously though. You would think he learned his lesson, but no. So we are literally sitting in a large gutter on the side of a super busy highway, below the level of the road waiting for him. Paul called him after a couple minutes, and he informed us he was just around the corner and would be back soon. 30 minutes later he rolls up letting us know that he was getting his hair cut, and he had just sat down right when we called him. We had been in the Embassy for 3 hours...he couldn't have gone right when we left?! I just don't understand sometimes. When he got back, I tried to be gracious, but we were planning to meet a Ugandan friend, Steven, for lunch in Kampala and Steven had been waiting for us for 45 minutes! Anyway, we finally get in the car and start driving and after going to the wrong mall first, we finally arrive at the correct mall at 12:45. We met up with Steven for lunch at Cafe Java and despite the boys being exhausted, we had a great time. He was very kind and has been extremely helpful to us throughout our time here, so it was a pleasure to meet him and treat him to a nicer meal. At 2:00, we loaded back into the car and began the drive home to Jinja. The boys were spent, and once we started actually moving out of traffic, we got them to rest. L slept for an hour, but J only lasted 20 minutes for his nap. He was mostly content the rest of the ride, but I was still frustrated at his stubbornness to sleep. We got home around 4:30, unloaded all of our stuff, and almost immediately went back out for coffee :) Paul and I were dragging, but we wanted to get some fresh air as we'd been in the car most of the day. Unfortunately my back had been hurting me quite a bit this week, and carrying the paperwork around the Embassy all day didn't help. So Paul carried J downtown, and I had L walk next to me as I was in too much pain to carry him on my back. It was nice to sit outside while we got some caffeine, but the boys were definitely getting antsy, so we headed back home. Once we were cleaned up a bit, I heated up left-overs for the boys for dinner and Paul and I ate some chipati for dinner. At 7:00 we gave the boys their bath, got them ready for bed and laid them down around 7:45. They were exhausted and thankfully were sound asleep by 8:00. Once they were down, Paul went to work and I caught up on some e-mails and re-organized the paperwork from our Embassy visit. I couldn't wait to get in bed, and thankfully I fell asleep very quickly. Paul and I felt like we hardly had any time to celebrate our successful Embassy visit, but are hoping we'll find some time in the next week to enjoy a little treat :)

Thursday night I again slept pretty terribly and when I woke up on Friday morning I was a GRUMP. This was the first time I wanted to be totally selfish, and I was feeling so emotionally and physically spent. Once I was awake, I made us all breakfast and we sat down and ate together. The boys were a bit wired, but overall doing well. Friday is our guest house cleaning day, so once the boys were dressed and ready we let them play while we did our weekly sheet/towel change-out and took out the garbage. A little after 10, we headed out for the morning, and since my back was still bothering me, I had the boys walk next to me as we started out. Paul had taken a Boda to go drop off our bajillion loads of laundry to get done, so I had both boys with me alone. This normally isn't a big deal, but the roads are and have been SUPER muddy from all the rain, and as soon as I saw all the puddles I knew I was in trouble. For me it wasn't as much about the mud, but more about the fact that it is very slippery and there are constantly cars and bodas zooming down the road. So we start walking down the dirt road, and the boys are not listening to me. They are running around and not paying attention, and the fear in me took over. Soon after I'm telling them to get to the side of the road, L jumps in a  puddle just as J kneels in a mud pile and let's just say, I lost my cool. I picked them both up by the arms and took them to the side of the road. After a long period of yelling, I think they got the picture, and I made them sit there until Paul met up with us again. Not only were they covered in mud, but I was covered in mud, and it took all my energy to not go ballistic on them. When Paul came back he could tell I was angry. I made him carry J on his back, and I took L by the hand as we walked into town. We started the morning at the coffee shop (go figure, right?) and I was still fuming. I really had to choose to let myself calm down, and by the time we were paying, I was more myself. Once we left, we headed again to the stores on main street and bought some gifts for people at home. It was a bit longer than we anticipated, but I was glad to check a few more things off the list. Once we got home we did our usual, lunch and nap, and thankfully the boys fell asleep pretty easily. Paul and I then ate a quick lunch together before I headed off to Ekisa Ministries to check our their facility. Ekisa is an organization that has full-time residential treatment for children with physical and intellectual disabilities (most of the children have both), and they also have community outreach programs to help families learn how to care for their children, as well as get on their feet financially. It is a pretty incredible program, and I was inspired by their vision. I had intended to volunteer with Ekisa during my time here, but it just never seemed to work out as the volunteer coordinator was very slow in getting back me. Regardless, I still wanted to see what they were all about so I hopped on a Boda and headed out. I spent the next hour or so talking with the staff and meeting the children. Their house is very well equipped overall, but they are definitely tight on space which makes it difficult. Additionally, they only have 2 physical therapists working with SO MANY children, and I could tell they were a bit overwhelmed. There is currently a PT from the states volunteering at Ekisa, so it was really nice to chat with her and hear her thoughts on their rehab needs. It was very helpful for me to see how I could tangibly assist them in the future, and I hope to be able to use my resources as a PT to help them get what they need. I got back home around 4:15, and gave the boys their snack while Paul hopped on a call for work. He was done around 5:30, but it was still raining so we had to stay inside most of the afternoon. Thankfully I had thought to blow up a beach ball I had brought with us for the pool, and I let the boys kick/throw it around the room, knowing it wouldn't break anything. They had a blast and I was thankful they were entertained for a while without me needing to be the center of attention! At 5:45 we headed back downtown for dinner, and walked mostly in the rain the entire way. The best part though was seeing the beautiful rainbow spanning the city of Jinja, and I really felt like it was God's way of telling me He was there. On a day where I was feeling ornery, tired, overwhelmed and frustrated, God reminded me of His promise to me and my family, and I once again felt empowered to press on. Dinner was good overall, but it continued to rain, and after waiting it out a bit, we knew we had to bite the bullet and just walk home. I was nervous to let L walk, so I carried him on my back which wasn't such a great idea. I was definitely feeling the pain with each step, but it was pitch black outside, raining and muddy everywhere, and I wanted to keep us all safe. We finally made it home, and I got the boys immediately into the bath, while Paul hopped on a Boda and headed back to the orphanage to get our laundry. We did a quick bath since it was so late, and poor little J hit his head on the side of the tub pretty hard, so he didn't want to stay in much longer anyway. We dried them off, got them ready for bed, read, prayed and tucked them in around 8:30. They were a bit restless since we didn't really have a ton of time for them to play after our walk home, but they were asleep a bit after 9, and I was happy to be at the end of the day :) I knew I had to go to bed early, so I spent a little time catching up on adoption correspondence, then showered and hopped in bed around 11. Showering here is such an ordeal, so I'm excited to take my first real, hot shower once I'm home. It will be glorious. I was so thankful for Paul today as he continued to be positive and helpful despite my grumpy attitude. When I am upset he always rallies for me, and I couldn't be more blessed to have him by my side. 

Ekisa Residential House and Offices

Physical Therapy Room

Rainbow on our walk into town

Rainbow over our guest house

PJs inside because of all the rain!

Beach Ball Fun...He's had shorts on his head a lot this week...I got nothin'

On Saturday, the boys were up at 6:15 and Paul eventually got up with them around 7. He took them outside to play for a bit (unbeknownst to me as I was PASSED OUT), and when I woke up at 8 the room was silent and I was beyond thankful. I'm serious though. He's the best. I got up around 8:15 and laid with the boys in their bed for a few before we all got up. We made breakfast then all sat down to eat together. The boys gobbled up their eggs and then we all got dressed and ready for the day. I borrowed a single stroller from one of the other moms for the morning as my back was pretty sore, and we headed downtown for coffee and snack. I also wanted to check out Heal Ministries again to say hello to a few of their interns I've come to know and take a peak at their jewelry. On our walk there it OF COURSE started to rain, and we OF COURSE were unequipped with rain jackets or an umbrella. It was our own fault, but we were so far from home anyway so we just powered through. When we got there most of the kids were inside, but I was able to go upstairs and take a look at the goods and chat with a couple of the interns. At 12:35 we started the walk back home and it rained the whole way! We were pretty drenched by the time we arrived home, but worse than that was how muddy we were! We were covered all over our clothes and our feet were caked! We left our shoes outside to let the rain clean then, washed up then made lunch for the boys. Thankfully they LOVE peanut butter (I mean for real though, who doesn't?), and I've been sneaking their parasite cleanse into their sandwiches every day at lunch. WINNING. They still ask for PB every day for lunch, so it's been a bit of a no brainer. After lunch we got them ready for nap, and they both went down really quickly. Paul was feeling pretty tired, so he laid down and took a nap and I of course worked on the blog :) The boys slept until 3:30 and once they were up we played a little bit before having snack. It was continuing to rain so unfortunately we were stuck inside all afternoon. At 5:45 Paul and I were going a bit stir crazy, so we loaded up the boys and headed downtown to grab some pasta to make for dinner. The walk there was fine, but my back was really bothering me, and on the walk back I couldn't carry J anymore. I was in a good amount of pain, so while I tried to just get home, Paul carried both boys LIKE A BOSS. We got home around 6:30, I made some pasta and we all ate together. We then got the boys in the bath and since they were being so good, we let them watch a movie and eat some popcorn. They were so content for the first time and it reminded me of how much progress they've made in just a few short weeks. The boys were asleep by 8:30, and Paul and I shared a gelato while we chatted about the day. In the evening, Paul worked and I got things cleaned up and then showered and headed to bed. It was so nice to finally feel clean at the end of the day, although I know tomorrow the mud starts all over again!

Carrying my little Yankee fan down our dirt road

Paul carrying both boys. Superdad!

Movie time!

Sunday we were up and at 'em, but the boys thankfully played quietly until 7:45. Paul and I got up together and made ourselves some tea while the boys played. We then made some oatmeal for breakfast (which the boys initially hated, but now love!), and we ate together as a family. After breakfast I cleaned up and got ready for the day, then got the boys dressed and ready. We needed to get some things for the week, but my back was still bothering me, so we decided to split up. I stayed home with J and let him play, while Paul took L to the market. Since it's been raining so much, we blew up a bunch of pool toys and floaties to let the boys play with. Well this morning they were a HIT and both boys were running around the house with floaties on their arms and legs and tubes around their waist! Soon after they started using the tube as a "machine" (i.e. a weed whacker) and J could've played "machine" all day long :) Around 11:00, J and I headed outside to play with the other kids (since it wasn't raining!), although he really just wanted to stay with me. So while he sat in between my legs playing with his "motorcar", I chatted with the other moms. Around noon, J and I came in and I made us lunch. Paul and L returned soon after and we sat and ate together while we caught up on our mornings. At 1:00, I headed out to the Kakira Sugar Factory with Alba and Lindsey for lunch and a tour of the area (Alba's treat). So Paul stayed with the boys and got them down for nap, while I went out "galavanting" (as my grandma Seby would say) with the girls. Alba is 75 and shorter than me, Lindsey is 6 feet tall and super skinny, and then there was me, so it was a pretty funny sight to behold. We headed outside Jinja to the town of Kakira and entered the factory gates. It is really more like a little city inside, and Alba was able to tell us the ins and outs of the whole place! We finally ended up at this little white guest house deep inside the gates, and we headed inside to eat. We sat outside on the patio, which was a little oasis, and it was a beautiful sunny day, which made it all the more better. The down side was that the only food they had was an Indian buffet, and if you know me well, you know that I don't like Indian food and I HATE buffets. Sooo, seeing as this was Alba's treat, I filled most of my plate up, scarfed down what I could and smiled the whole way through! I'm not gonna lie, it was rough, but I was SO happy when the waitress took away my plate. On top of it, the only cake they had was a coconut tart, and once again, I really dislike coconut dessert, BUT I persevered and ate what I could before we finally paid and headed out. Once we left, Alba took us to the Jinja Nile Resort which is a beautiful little place tucked away in the jungle over-looking the river. It was absolutely beautiful and I wish I could've bottled the view because it was exquisite. At 4:00 I got back home, and L was already up with Paul. J was still sound asleep, so I went in there and woke him up, mainly so I could get the post-nap snuggles! From there we did snack, then got our shoes on and walked downtown to the orphanage. Paul and I had been wanting to take some pictures of the whole place and the kiddos, so we brought our nice camera and stayed for about 45 minutes until we got what we needed. Both J and L did NOT want to be there, and J almost refused to get out of the carrier as we walked through the gate. We finally convinced him to get down, but as Paul took pictures with L, J clung to my shirt the entire time, never letting go. It was hard to be there and see all the kids waiting for families...all the kids who just want a moment of your attention....and all the kids who have no one to love them...all the while my boys not wanting me to share a moment of my time or affection with anyone else. Overall, I feel it was a good lesson for J and L to see that we are theirs, despite all the other children who want our attention, and I was constantly reassuring J that we were not leaving him. Talk about tough. At 5:45 we headed out and I could see the visible change in J's posture and demeanor as we walked through the gate to leave. Just a couple minutes into our walk home, they both perked right back up and it was once again such an affirmation to all we've been doing. We got home around 6:15 and I made pasta again for dinner. The boys were being a bit testy tonight, but they are understanding more and more that their actions have consequences, and after we reminded them of this, they did much better. After dinner, I cleaned up the kitchen, then bath and bed. While today was a good day, I felt like I didn't get a chance to breathe as I was out with Alba during my normal mid-day "break". When I finally sat down around 9pm, I was relieved, although I still have to review their files for the Embassy before I can get ready for bed. All I can say is another week in the books, and maybe our last one! AHH!!

Alone time with J means super strong kisses!

Trying to share their pool toys :)

Kakira Sugar Factory

The view from Jinja Nile Resort...No filter

Walking to the orphanage

This upcoming week is exciting for so many reasons, and I'm trying not to get my hopes up until it's all said and done. On Monday, we are headed to the Embassy for the boys' Visa interviews, which includes some of their biological family. I am pretty nervous for this, mainly because I don't know what to expect, but I'm praying God will give me the right words to say. After we are interviewed, their biological family will be interviewed, to ensure they understand the permanence of adoption and what it all means. So if you're up at 7am EST, please say a prayer for us as we will be just starting our interviews! If all goes well, we **SHOULD** be able to pick up their Visas on Wednesday. Please Jesus! We are believing for everything to fall into place with no unexpected surprises...we are also praying that the boys will be peaceful during this time, as I know Paul and I will be nervous and it won't help to have the boys going crazy as well! This has been such a long-time coming, and I know I will feel a HUGE sigh of relief when we finally get in the car to come back to Jinja. Please be praying!

Additionally this week, Jon and Becca are coming, our best friends in the whole wide world!!!! I CAN'T wait to give Becca a great, big hug and just enjoy some familiarity of home. If all goes well, Jon and Becca will be flying home with us on Tuesday, November 3 to arrive back in Dulles on November 4. Eeek! We seriously couldn't ask for anyone better to fly home with us, and it will be such a relief to have some help during a situation that could be super stressful. We are beyond grateful to have them as friends, and we are SO excited to finally share our boys with them as well as the beautiful town of Jinja!

Once we get home, there is still a lot to get done to finalize their adoption and, unfortunately, comes at a bad time with the holidays right around the corner. Paul and I are trying to figure out how everything will fall into place, but we are trusting God to provide financially, emotionally and spiritually, in so many ways, and all we can do is have faith that He WILL provide what we need. This has been such a whirlwind for us, and we know coming home will be no different. We are, however, SO excited to finally come home and settle in as a family of four. Please continue to pray for the transition for all four of us, for safety in traveling home, for no issues with immigration, for Paul and I to be compassionate and patient during this emotionally charged time for all of us, and for God to provide all we need to be able to fully pay the expenses we will be incurring over the next year. 

Our hearts are forever grateful to you all, and we can't wait to see you on American soil soon!