Update from the Feltons

We did it! Our Embassy appointment went great! We also got to bring her home after the Embassy! She was really having a hard time with us at the baby home. She really didn't want anything to do with us and when we did have her she was not impressed!!! When we took her out to go to the embassy we broke out the Cherrios!! She loved them, still not sure about us but at least we were making some progress. When we got back to the guest house we just sat on the bed and played, ate cherrios and gave her a few little toys. Before long she was smiling and even laughing a little!! After we played for a little we walked over to the other guest house with the staff and other families. The staff had graciously prepared a feast for all of us to celebrate the new year! It was wonderful!! They built a fire cooked some meat. Wait I must back up, Aki, a driver for the guest home, told me that earlier that day they had killed two sheep for us! To eat!!! Yikes! Anyway, they made a very special sweet bread, injera (their bread staple), and various versions of sheep meat (not lamb, sheep)! They set off fireworks (no fear, the Lengefeld fireworks are still the best), performed the coffee ceremony, which consists of popping popcorn (not in the microwave!) and then roasting the coffee beans, (Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee!) and then feeding us wonderful food! It was such a perfect ending to a wonderful day. Sitota laughed and ate the bread, she smiled and clapped, she was finally opening up! Keith and I both talked about what a privilege to share the New Year with our new daughter in her country. New beginnings filled with hope and joy are part of the New Year celebration, that could not be truer for all of us this year. We came back to the guest house and Sitota took her bottle and went right to sleep! By the way, thanks Ellie for the warm clothes!! It is cold here tonight! We did it!

News from Addis from Sharon and Keith

We made it!! Everything went so great on the flights, bags made it everything was on time, movies were good!! We are in a wonderful guest house and the country is amazing. The people are beautiful and kind. It is exactly as I imagined from the crazy roads to the goats in the road, even the smells and noises. Although the rooster across the street (literally) we could do without!! Keith is praying for hail again!! Addis is surrounded by mountains and is beautiful. It is between 60 and 70 degrees here!! We met Sitota today!! She was even more beautiful than her pictures! She obviously knew something was going on. When we arrived we were greeted by the older children with hugs and handshakes, they are amazing, some of you need to start your paperwork and come get them!!! We went upstairs to the baby room and everyone was saying Sitota, Sitota. She was standing beside her caregiver and when she saw us she slid behind her caregiver's legs!! She was hiding!! We sat down on the floor and played with the other children and then her caregiver put her on the floor. She cried, so I picked her up and she cried for a few seconds more, then she was very quiet. She kept one hand over one eye most of the day, hiding! She only cried when I put her down, so I held her until she fell asleep. She is very sweet. She woke up when I tried to put her in her bed so we let her lay there for awhile and then I picked her back up and we played a little and then I gave her to Keith and he held her and sang to her. He sat down and gave her a bottle and she just watched everything, very content. Tigist, the orphanage director's oldest daughter, braided my hair and she sat with Keith and watched the whole time. Keith gave her back to me and I held her while she finished her bottle and then she fell asleep. We passed her back to her care giver and said goodbye for the day. She is amazing and we can't wait to go back to day and she her. Hopefully, she will warm up a little more today and want to play, if not, we will just hold her and love on her some more!!

We come in on Lufthansa flight 438 from Frankfurt, Germany on Sunday Sept. 13th at 2:30 pm! We would love to see anyone and everyone at the airport, if you want to come. I can't believe we are leaving today!! Please continue to pray for all of us here( my parents and the boys) and there (Sitota and us)!! We love you all so much and thank you for walking along beside us through out this journey! God is so amazing and faithful and we can't wait to bring our little girl back here to meet everyone!!! See you soon!!!

Transitions

A few things to let you know. When we get home we will still call our little girl by her African name, Sitota. It will be another part of the transition to slowly allow her to get used to her new name, Maya. We will eventually begin to call her Maya Sitota and then after some time just Maya. We just want to make every effort to help her transition at her speed and help her adjust to this new life. We will also take our time getting back into the swing of life as we recover from jet lag and help her transition to a new world. Please pray that we all bond quickly and that everyone gets the rest we all need and that we all stay healthy in the process!! It's going to be fun!!

Thanks is not enough!

Thank you does not begin to convey how we feel about all the love and support and generosity we have received over this last year or so as we have walked through this adoption journey. God has given us the most amazing family, friends, church and community. We can not say thank you enough or begin to give back all that has been given to us and to our family. It is overwhelming and humbling. It makes it even more wonderful to be able to bring Sitota to her new family and community. I can't wait to see her play with little friends like Kate and Kellan, Harper and the triplets! To see her chase after Campbell, Grace, Laurel Ann, get squeezed by Ms. Barbara and Ms. Clydell and loved on by Aunt Bridgette!! I will love seeing her grow in her love of Christ when she hears Ms. Betsy or Ms. Brenda teach her about how much God loves her! Then when she prances around the "big school" with her brothers and gets hugs from Mrs. Chapman or Mrs. Z or Mrs. Poe. She will learn all about girly girl stuff from the Hales and the Killians, how to love animals from Syd, and how to swim at either one of the Hailes!! I can't wait to see how she blesses each person's life and shows them God is new and different ways. Thank you for loving our family and helping us grow, literally!! We love you all!

First day of school, sort of!

Well, another year! Carter is in third grade and Dakota started kindergarten!!! I can't believe how grown up they are now! The best thing is that they both love school and are doing very well!! This is Carter's first day of school picture, but it is Dakots'a second day of school picture! His first morning was a little rough so we took another picture! He was a little nervous but after the first thirty minuntes, he loved it, every bit of it!! I love these two boys and can't wait to see how they grow this year!

I think I'm going to throw up!

We leave in one week!! I am so excited, nervous, excited, nervous . . .AGH!! I can't believe it. I think we have done all we need to do and now we just need to pack and spend time with the boys! We are going to try and post something at least every other day but it will depend on the internet! It is spotty at best I've been told. We will do our best. I know the week will be amazing and sometimes difficult but I'm just ready to be there and to meet her and see her amazing country and meet the unbelieveable people who have been caring for her and nurturing her through this first year. We owe them so much. I just can't wait to see it all unfold and to see how God is working through all of this and in all of us. One week!

New picture!

We just received a new picture of Sitota from our friends who are there picking up their son! She's the cutest!!

Two Weeks!

Two weeks from today and we get on a plane for Africa!!! I can't believe it! Her room is ready, her family is ready, her bag is packed and we are just pulling the rest of what we need to take with us together. We still have a lot to do i nthe next two weeks, but I it will all get done! One of Maya's friends form the baby home is meeting his new parents this week! They are there and hopefully all is well! We can't wait to get updates on their trip and on Maya! If we get some new pictures we will post them! For now, here are some from the last year!