Reality check...

We have officially been parents for a little over 2 weeks now.   Week one was a piece of cake because we were living at the guest house where we were catered to with breakfast, lunch and dinner.  A clean room and no worries.  It was all about playing and having fun with Jayson and Jordan. 

REALITY set in heading to the airport the night of  Tuesday, February 15th to fly home....we were about to take these two little boys some where far away from what they have ever known.  I cried the whole way to the airport that night thinking to myself, "Who am I to take these little guys out of Ethiopia?  The place of their birth, where their biological family is from.  Leaving their friends at Tikuret and all the familiar sights, smells and sounds that they have known in their short lives.   At the same time thinking, wait until we get you home and you get to experience all of the wonderful things that we have planned and are waiting for you."  

While I was the emotional mess.....my two little boys that I was so worried about traveled across the world with no issues, they were troopers! (in typical Jim and Jasmin fashion we felt that the stork is overrated and our bundles of joy would arrive home via Boeing 777..... oh and since they are toddlers they would probably be a little heavy for the stork to fly with them on it's beak anyway).  ;)  

They were awesome on the plane (all 3 flights) 16 hours from Ethiopia to Washington DC, 1 hour from DC to Charlotte and 1 1/2 hours from Charlotte to Tampa and all 9 hours of layovers in between.  I will confess to the use of a small benadryl cocktail for the 10 hour portion of the 16 hour flight (after 6 hours we stopped in Rome to re-fuel and they were wide awake), my little friend "benadryl" was quite helpful.  :)

It is amazing how resilient these children are....think about yourself.  Could you just pick up and move to a totally different country?  Where you don't know anyone, don't know the language, the food is different, the people look different, sights, sounds and smells are all different....  I don't think I could.

I look at my kids a few times every day and wonder how I got so blessed.  I'm not saying it's easy....this is hard work, and there are moments when I think to myself  "What did I get myself into?"

But it's one of God's miracles how our family was formed.  The Puerto Rican Momma, American Poppa and 2 little Ethiopian boys equals the Atkinson Party of 4!  :) 

PS.  Next blog I'll fill you in on all of the antics that have already been happening at our house....kid antics and parental goof ups.