Tracy and Churchill arrived, a few minutes ahead of schedule (unbelievable!), at about 9:15 on Christmas Eve. We were expecting their plane at 9:30 according to the monitor, but I spotted them on the escalator 15 minutes early. Rehema ran to the bottom of the stairs and started yodeling...Tracy's face immediately went sour. She was so embarrassed! But she got over it quickly and Churchill's grin was big enough for both of them. There was a lot of hugging and laughing and the woman behind me said, "Oh my God! I don't even know them and I am crying!" It was truly a sweet reunion.
We didn't stay up long when we got home...they ate and bathed and everyone went to bed so Santa could come. Christmas morning was probably a bit overwhelming. Tracy shook her head and refused to believe that Santa left her the gifts we told her were for her. She got a baby doll with a stroller, that we had to show her how to use. They carry their babies in slings in Uganda, not strollers. She also got two Barbies, a white one and a black one with several outfits. She insisted that they were all named Meagan and that the black one really was white. She also says that Rehema has turned white since she has been in the U.S. and wonders if she will turn white too.
They have taken the past couple of days to try to turn their body clocks around, since our day is their night. They are still up tonight at almost 8:30. They are in the family room watching Despicable Me and I hear Tracy laughing out loud every once in a while. A good sign that she is loosening up and becoming more comfortable around us. She is pretty shy and prefers to speak Luo to English. She is sure that she will find a black person in Austin to speak Luo with besides her mother and her brother who promises that after the new year, only English will be spoken.
Well, I hope to post more soon with some pictures of the reunion. I hope that you get to meet them soon. They are really beautiful.
By the way...if anyone has any size 10-12 girl's clothes to pass down, let me know. Tracy is much taller than we expected!!
We had such a warm welcome to our new family. Everyone full of joy and expresses it as though we had been known for a long time. On our arrival, we were lead to a session of gift opening, our names well tagged on our packages-"every child in the family receives gifts on Christmas eve", said mama Catherine. The following morning we were woken up to opening of yet other packages-all from Santa! Gifts sessions have never ended.
ReplyDeleteIts a bit hard to leave out the Christmas lunch session- the lighting of the candles; hope, joy, peace, love and Jesus candle + reading of the scripture, prayer and eventually the soft, delicious turkey- so divine.
I had always pondered how being a member of a white family would feel like- white mom and dad, brothers and sisters! But now with love all around; Davin Rose slaps me on the back, says "Churchill, am glad your are home". No doubts, we are all family!
Thank you Jesus for the loving family!