So in all the hub-a-lub I hadn't written about Binyam's parents visiting. For the past few years we had been wondering how we were going to make a trip happen. When I got pregnant with Ezra it hit us that it was better to bring them here for a visit then for us to go there. We only had a very limited time off work and we'd have to pay for three tickets versus two. So we asked them if they'd like to come and they said yes so we started the ball rolling to get them here. It took just about the length of the year to get all the paperwork done and submitted and finally approval. We got the tickets. I wanted to have them here for Christmas. So one week before Christmas they started their journey off the continent of Africa, over the big pond and onward to Orlando. Well many of you might remember it didn't go quite that smooth. There was a major malfunction in Germany. Note to self when traveling during the holiday/winter season NEVER expect an on time arrival. It was a mess, however they managed to make it the day before Christmas!!!!!
Christmas was full of memories. Opening presents was so much fun. We got some really great deals which enabled us to be generous and it was really a gift to us to see them get a new digital camera, something which might be harder to come by in Ethiopia and some of the other goodies we got them perfumes, fun hygiene things from my deals. It was just a fun day! Of course there was Christmas dinner. I go really non-traditional because we have no family around and are on our own on Christmas day, so we have steaks and king crab. They sampled the crab...lets just say not a fan.
Another little (huge) blessing came at our office Christmas party at Sea World. Apparently there was some glitch that was so minute we were unaware of it, but it resulted in free tickets to the parks. Binyam's family was not there yet but there were a few single people at our table who donated tickets to them. So we went on New Year's eve night. Actually for me it was the best New Year's eve I have ever been to. I am not so much a fan, but this was just awesome. They were still struggling with the time change so it was hard for them to go that long at an amusement park. I have a priceless memory when we walked underneath an huge snaking upside down roller coaster. Binyam's mom looked up with amazement and wonder and asked, "what is that?" I said that's where we are heading. The look of sheer terror on her face....Thank goodness they had great a sense of humor!!!!!!!! In retrospect this day was more of a blessing that we really knew at the time. Its is one of the few memories we have.....
They were there the day Ezra was born. They were a great help with watching Ella. And Binyam's mom just loved babies so of course this was a great day!!!!!!
So I can't remember when things started off down hill. Well lets just say "culture shock". I know what it is like going abroad and the feelings that flood you going in that direction. I remember telling Binyam besides returning to the US and abhorring Walmart and their thronging crowds, I had never had to come here for the first time. I don't know what that is like. I remember Binyam's dad saying, "In a hundred years we'd never catch up to this technology....." He was amazed by even the littlest of things like the recorder box we put in Ezra's build a bear that had recorded his heart beat......Amazing to him. Not to mention the big things which were not lost on him like the factory manufactured wrought iron patio furniture we spent time sitting on outside. It was all new. It was neat to see them take it all in. His mom was a funny one who kept reliving their ordeal in Germany. I think for their rest of their life she is going to be telling that story.....Well may be the demise started in Germany. I don't know. Initially they came with great attitudes to try the food and just eat whatever was given to them....that gradually came skreetching to a halt about two weeks in. Just about the time they received their lost luggage which had their spices and dried foods. From just about that day on they made their own foods. Now I ain't complainin' I thoroughly enjoyed the few things they made! I am a sucker for any foreign foods. So there was the food issue which was intertwined with health issues. And then there was an issue with a work situation at home....Just all added up.
So the day we brought Ezra home from the hospital Binyam booked them flights back to Ethiopia. They were here a little more than a month. They were supposed to leave just yesterday. June 7. I have thought many times over the past months about them When we have done something fun I'd think they had missed that and we missed them. From when we booked the flight they had one week left. It was a very rough week for me. I had just had a c-section and Binyam did a lot of running around with them trying to cram five months of memories into one week. We thought we had more time. So he ran them to stores to collect fun gifts to bring home, he brought them to Downtown Disney......I was home alone a lot. And I was emotional. I was so sad they were leaving. I told Binyam a ton of times that I thought he should bring them to the ocean. It was a once in a life time opportunity for them. Binyam wasn't convinced and schluffed it off a few times. He finally decided to bring them and of course they were amazed. Remember the first time you saw the ocean? Or may be you were raised with it on vacations, remember returning to it? Just glorious. It was not lost on them. Even thought I didn't go I hold the photo's Binyam took cherished in my heart. Some look so care free. Some filled with amazement. Some profoundly moving and touching. It summed up our time with them.
We hated to see them go so soon especially not knowing when we'd see them again. So I suppose its time to stop thinking about all the times we missed and cherish the times we had. I suppose in some ways it was like grieving and at some point we have to pick ourselves up by the boot straps emotionally and get on with living life. So we continue to build memories but we think about them a lot and always wish they lived just down the road and around the corner........
Christmas was full of memories. Opening presents was so much fun. We got some really great deals which enabled us to be generous and it was really a gift to us to see them get a new digital camera, something which might be harder to come by in Ethiopia and some of the other goodies we got them perfumes, fun hygiene things from my deals. It was just a fun day! Of course there was Christmas dinner. I go really non-traditional because we have no family around and are on our own on Christmas day, so we have steaks and king crab. They sampled the crab...lets just say not a fan.
Another little (huge) blessing came at our office Christmas party at Sea World. Apparently there was some glitch that was so minute we were unaware of it, but it resulted in free tickets to the parks. Binyam's family was not there yet but there were a few single people at our table who donated tickets to them. So we went on New Year's eve night. Actually for me it was the best New Year's eve I have ever been to. I am not so much a fan, but this was just awesome. They were still struggling with the time change so it was hard for them to go that long at an amusement park. I have a priceless memory when we walked underneath an huge snaking upside down roller coaster. Binyam's mom looked up with amazement and wonder and asked, "what is that?" I said that's where we are heading. The look of sheer terror on her face....Thank goodness they had great a sense of humor!!!!!!!! In retrospect this day was more of a blessing that we really knew at the time. Its is one of the few memories we have.....
They were there the day Ezra was born. They were a great help with watching Ella. And Binyam's mom just loved babies so of course this was a great day!!!!!!
So I can't remember when things started off down hill. Well lets just say "culture shock". I know what it is like going abroad and the feelings that flood you going in that direction. I remember telling Binyam besides returning to the US and abhorring Walmart and their thronging crowds, I had never had to come here for the first time. I don't know what that is like. I remember Binyam's dad saying, "In a hundred years we'd never catch up to this technology....." He was amazed by even the littlest of things like the recorder box we put in Ezra's build a bear that had recorded his heart beat......Amazing to him. Not to mention the big things which were not lost on him like the factory manufactured wrought iron patio furniture we spent time sitting on outside. It was all new. It was neat to see them take it all in. His mom was a funny one who kept reliving their ordeal in Germany. I think for their rest of their life she is going to be telling that story.....Well may be the demise started in Germany. I don't know. Initially they came with great attitudes to try the food and just eat whatever was given to them....that gradually came skreetching to a halt about two weeks in. Just about the time they received their lost luggage which had their spices and dried foods. From just about that day on they made their own foods. Now I ain't complainin' I thoroughly enjoyed the few things they made! I am a sucker for any foreign foods. So there was the food issue which was intertwined with health issues. And then there was an issue with a work situation at home....Just all added up.
So the day we brought Ezra home from the hospital Binyam booked them flights back to Ethiopia. They were here a little more than a month. They were supposed to leave just yesterday. June 7. I have thought many times over the past months about them When we have done something fun I'd think they had missed that and we missed them. From when we booked the flight they had one week left. It was a very rough week for me. I had just had a c-section and Binyam did a lot of running around with them trying to cram five months of memories into one week. We thought we had more time. So he ran them to stores to collect fun gifts to bring home, he brought them to Downtown Disney......I was home alone a lot. And I was emotional. I was so sad they were leaving. I told Binyam a ton of times that I thought he should bring them to the ocean. It was a once in a life time opportunity for them. Binyam wasn't convinced and schluffed it off a few times. He finally decided to bring them and of course they were amazed. Remember the first time you saw the ocean? Or may be you were raised with it on vacations, remember returning to it? Just glorious. It was not lost on them. Even thought I didn't go I hold the photo's Binyam took cherished in my heart. Some look so care free. Some filled with amazement. Some profoundly moving and touching. It summed up our time with them.We hated to see them go so soon especially not knowing when we'd see them again. So I suppose its time to stop thinking about all the times we missed and cherish the times we had. I suppose in some ways it was like grieving and at some point we have to pick ourselves up by the boot straps emotionally and get on with living life. So we continue to build memories but we think about them a lot and always wish they lived just down the road and around the corner........
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