Day 3: Meeting Alazar & Ruta

I knew Le and I would need sleep and jet lag definitely kicked in by our 2nd day, so we slept great the 2nd night in Ethiopia. Travis called and said Joanna would be at the house by 10a.m. to take us to meet Alazar and Ruta. While we were waiting, I took one last pic of Daddy and I before we were to be a family of four:


For months we had anticipated what it would be like to meet our children and I had dreamt about it enough that I thought I would be able to relive every moment forever. But the two minute walk to the foster home took one second and the next second our children were walking down the driveway towards us. Le and I held hands like two teenagers who wanted to say so many things but couldn't find the words. I held in the tears. I saw them in Ruta's eyes. She held them too. Alazar went right to Le and Ruta timidly stood near me.

We watched Le and Alazar play ball for a few minutes and all I could do was whisper in her ear that I loved her and that she was beautiful. Her eyes were scared, relieved and full, but I'm not sure of what.

Our 1st picture as mom and daughter:

The first picture of Daddy and his son:

The first picture of me and my son:

Our first picture as a family of four:

We sat in the grass and played for about thirty minutes together before the social worker arrived to judge the situation and ask Ruta how she felt about leaving with us. I was prepared for her to say not yet and for us to come back for several days just visiting. But the minute they asked her, she went upstairs and retrieved a plastic bag full of pictures and notes that I had sent her over the last four months. She placed the baggie in our backpack and the social worker told us she was ready to go and didn't want to stay at the foster care center anymore.

We passed out candy to the other kids and got lost in the hubbub of meeting 30 toddlers for the first time. I tried to take pictures of as many children as I could recognize, but I got lost staring at Ruta and Alazar. They were real and present and very much aware of what was happening. About 30 minutes into our visit, I looked around and couldn't find Ruta. I searched and searched the foster care house and finally stepped outside to the yard. She was sitting by herself, next to the gate and holding Le and I's backpack. My girl was ready to go. So go we did. Me carrying Alazar and Le holding Ruta's hand. Our lives were different, forever different and as I inhaled my son for the first time in my arms, I drank in the moment and thanked my Father for bringing us together. We were no longer the Andrews' duo, we were the Andrews', family of four.