Coming HOME today!!!!

Today is a great day!  We are bringing Zoey Abebu and Tatem Mesay home to Colorado!  While they were sad (mostly Zoey) when we left the Sele Enat Orphanage (had to say goodbye to friends and teachers), they are excited to see their family and new friends in Colorado.  Mom and Dad cannot wait to get back to the conveniences of home.  Ethiopia is sooo amazingly poor.  So much is needed here.  So we do feel quilty wanting to "get out of here" but we do. There is no place like America, Denver, Colorado, and our HOME (which seems like a luxurious palace at this point!). 
 
Ethiopia will obviously always remain in our thoughts and prayers as the people don't have much but are the happiest, most polite, giving people I have ever met.  They have so little but are happy for whatever they have. It's amazing.
 
Just wait until you set your eyes on Zoey Abebu and Tatem Mesay! 
 
-Wade and Shonda

---

Windows Live™ Hotmail®: Celebrate the moment with your favorite sports pics. Check it out.

Tuesday, July 28th: Second Day in Addis Ababa

Things are well here. We have had a quiet day at the guesthouse letting the kids get to know us and the same for us. We are getting a little stir crazy at the minute though:))!! Life is definately different with a 5 year old and toddler!! Tatem Mesay took a three-hour nap today and then we have been outside playing balls and bubbles. Zoey Abebu LOVES having a "pappa" (as she calls Wade) in her life, I think she has been missing one for a very long time. She has some jealousy issues every time Wade tries to spend anytime with Tatem Mesay so we will definately have our struggles when we get home with all 5 I believe! God will equip us I know but at the moment I am just wondering how Wade will spread himself! They are both adorable and definately warming up to us. We have seen lots of smiles from them both. Bryce is going to have a run for his money with Tatem at the table, Tatem loves his food and don't take it away or a pout and little tantrum will be next!!
 
I am going to have to cut this short I need to get back to relieve Wade right now. Sorry we have not been able to post pictures. The internet connection only seems to be working on the front desk computer and obviously our pictures aren't on this computer!! We had no power the whole day today and finally just came back on. Tomorrow (Wed.) is our embassy appointment and the Andersons are at their's right now. Thank you for your prayers that everything will go well.

Wade and Shonda Donels
wsdonels@msn.com
Wade Cell: 303.913.1432
Shonda Cell: 303.519.6525

---

Windows Live™ Hotmail®: Search, add, and share the web's latest sports videos. Check it out.

We are in Ethiopia!!! First attempt at posting to the blog!

It is 8am Monday morning in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.  We arrived safe and sound, slept well, and are getting ready to go pick up the two new Donels kids, Zoey Abebu and Tatem Mesay!  We are obviously very excited and will update the blog more later.
 
For those of you who know the Anderson's (Dusty and Quinn), they are doing great and are one floor above us at our guest house.  While we have not met their kids, Addison and Paul, we have heard them running around with tons of laughter coming from their bellies.  Obviously, this makes us all the more anxious to go and get Zoey and Tate!!!
 
A special HI and WE LOVE YOU TO FAITH, BLAKE AND BRYCE and of course Uncle Todd and Jennie!  We miss you guys very very much.
 
Love,
Wade and Shonda

Wade and Shonda Donels
wsdonels@msn.com
Wade Cell: 303.913.1432
Shonda Cell: 303.519.6525

---

Windows Live™ Hotmail®: Search, add, and share the web's latest sports videos. Check it out.

Testing the mobile blog update..testing...testing...testing

Testing to make sure we can update our blog from Ethiopia to keep everyone updated while picking up Zoey and Tatem!
 
Leaving at 12:30 on Saturday, July 25th!  Returning Saturday, August 1st.
 


 

Wade and Shonda Donels
wsdonels@msn.com
Wade Cell: 303.913.1432
Shonda Cell: 303.519.6525

---

Windows Live™ Hotmail®: Search, add, and share the web's latest sports videos. Check it out.

NEGATIVE!!!!!!!!

God moved the mountain and I have been watching him move it these past two weeks and I can say God is AMAZING!!!! His power is AWESOME and I have never seen him more visible then he has been in the process the past two weeks!! Honestly I am in awe.

We just got results for both Zoey and Tatem. We have waited 10 weeks and both ZOEY AND TATEM ARE TB FREE!!! Praise God!!

We are leaving this Sat. and returning August 1st. I will update later but just wanted to get the word out since many of you are waiting for answers.

Your prayers have meant everything to us!

Meet Muggles

Isn't Muggles cute????

Faith is so excited about a new dog!

OK, so yes we are crazy!! Wade and I said that we would never have a dog especially under the circumstances of getting ready to bring home Zoey and Tatem. Blake has been begging for a dog and at the same time my cousin was in need of giving up her cock-a-poo. Muggles was in Iowa at grandma's until a home could be found for her. Well we were in Iowa visiting family, we met Muggles, and the kids fell in love with her. Last Thursday the three kids, dog, and I drove 14 hours back from Iowa and now we have Muggles. She is a great dog and already house broken and sleeps great. I wanted to post some pictures for you. Surprisingly Blake is doing great with her despite his asthma and pet allergies. He hasn't had any problems, I guess those allergy shots do work. On the other hand, I am having asthma issues so we will have to see, but poor Muggles has had many, many homes lately so we are hoping and praying that mamma feels better.

No new news on the adoption front. We are continuing to pray for Zoey's tb test to come back negative. In the meantime we are temporarily holding flights, reserving guest house reservations, and preparing all that we need to think about packing and donating to ET when we go.

WE PASSED!!!!!!

Praise God!! I can finally write the words that we officially passed as of today. We were on hold a bit since Friday because there was a misunderstanding with the judge. He was under the impression that Zoey's parents needed to be at court but since she was abandoned they didn't need to be there and we had to wait until that was proven. So today was the day~June 23rd and referral was on March 23rd. The 23rd is definitely going to be a special day for us!

Couldn't be more excited and praising God! We are still waiting on Zoey's TB test and just really praying that it is negative so that we can bring both kids home soon and together. We should have news in the next couple of weeks.

In the meantime we are preparing to travel the end of July or mid-August since our agency schedules the embassy appt. that we need to be at every other Wed. I am really hoping for end of July since I wanted the kids to spend some time together before school starts and possibly start Zoey in school. We will have to see and continue to trust God's timing on that and that Zoey can come home this summer as planned.

Thanks again and again for everyone's thoughts, emails, texts, and most importantly your prayers. Whewwww...a big sigh of relief today. Now lots of prayer for our friends the Andersons on Thursday for their court date to pass!!!!