Hello from Montata

Hello!
Right now I am enjoying wireless internet at Trinity Lutheran Camp in BigFork! I feel like I am back at Mt. Gilead (my summer camp/job/favorite place from my high school and college years). We are sleeping in a cabin that is maybe 20'X15' and walk to the bathrooms and dining hall. It is totally beautiful and we are loving jumping off the dock, swimming, kyaking, canoing, and hiking. It cracked me up our first day here because when I asked Joseph how he liked it he wrinkled his nose and said, "Mom, it like Ethiopia."

I never realized that this "roughing it" would not be seen as a VACATION by our Ethiopian kids. For them, this was reality... Walking to the bathroom, living in a 1 room home, keeping warm by fire outside, cooking outdoors was the way it was.

That is not to say that they are unhappy. They are having a blast and loving their vacation. They are jumping off the high dive into the lake and having so much fun.

Last night my friend Jenn and her family came to the camp to visit. I have never actually met Jenn... we just talk on an adoption web board often. When she went to Ethiopia in December to pick up her kids she took pictures of our kiddos and gave them kisses for us. We had 11 kids between the 2 of us (I know... crazy) plus 1 extra kiddo who was spending the night with her family. We had so much fun swimming and hanging out. It was really a fabulous evening. My kids remembered her kids and had fun playing with them and teaching them some of the Ethiopian games and songs they learned while together at the "care center/orphanage".

We celebrated Marti's birthday on Monday. I will post pictures when we get home. Let's just say that she LOVED HER BIRTHDAY!

signing off for now... I can hear a rambuctious ping-pong game going on and think Ben may need back up! :)