Court day!

April 11, 2017

Woke up to our alarm at 6:00 am. Court day today! Woohoo! Put on our Sunday best. Scarfed down a hotel breakfast buffet Ethiopian style. Injera and veggies. Not sure how these people survive on an all-starch diet!

We're amazed how good we feel. We've had no jet lag at all and we've slept so well. Must be all the prayers going up on our behalf! 

We left the hotel a little after 7:00 and picked up another adoptive parent, Corey, on our way. Teddy got us to court in plenty of time. Doors open at 9:00 am and we were there around 8. Yared met us there as well as another couple from Atlanta who is adopting through our agency-- Molly and Alex. We hung out in front of the courthouse for an hour watching the hubbub around us. Teams of school children in their uniforms heading to class. Vans filled with more people than is humanly possible. Donkeys, horses roaming around. Inmates in orange uniforms escorted by armed guards to the court. The smells of exhaust and pollution and the sounds of African traffic. Nonstop horn usage. 

The other adoptive parents said they were nervous. But we were filled with peace. No nerves. We were confident it would go well!

Inside we waited in a hallway filled with other adoptive families there for the same reason as us. They were from all over. Italy. Spain. Texas. I think we were called into the judge's room around 11:00. 

The room was kind of dark and very quiet. Yared and Mengistu (another employee of our adoption agency) were at one side of the long table and they directed us to sit on the other side next to the judge who was at the head. Young guy. Late 20's. Dressed well. Dave broke the silence by marching up to the judge, "Hey, how ya doing?!" he said like he was an old friend. Leave it to Dave. I was laughing inside, hoping the judge wouldn't take offense to his casual manner. 

He asked for our passports and then asked us a few questions, taking written notes of our answers. 

Do you have children at home?

How old is he?

Do you live in a city or town?

Is it diverse?

Have you met your child?

What did you think of him?

So you want to adopt him?

You realize that once this court order is decreed it cannot be revoked?

He signed a couple documents and said the court would finish their paperwork and issue the decree. And that was it. This whole trip for a three-minute interview. You have to laugh when you think of it that way!

When the group of us left the courthouse, Yared was hysterically laughing. He pats Dave's shoulder and says, "This guy! He's too funny. Everyone walks into that court room timidly and quietly. Even me. I know the judge, I have coffee with him sometimes. And even I am a little scared and quiet when I go into that room. But not this guy. He walks in and shakes his hand and says loudly, 'Heeeey, how ya doing?!' " We were all cracking up. Meanwhile my husband says, "What? I was just being friendly." I love him. 

And now we're off to see our son. He is officially our son today. What a good day!!