What are some of things you have to do to adopt?

There was lots and lots of paperwork. Getting a referral and accepting the referral. We traveled out of the country twice and you have to wait until the government tells you that you can travel.

How did it feel going through the adoption process?

At times sad because all I wanted to do was go get them and stress, because I wanted the government to give us the OK. [I felt] Happiness when we got to go meet them or bring them home.

How long did the process take?

It took 18 months.

What was hard about getting two new siblings?

It was hard to figure out our new family and adjusting to having two little kids in the house and the language barrier made it hard to communicate.  It was hard to make them feel like part of the family and to help them feel safe and always trust us.

What was your favorite part of the process?

Boarding the airplane from Ethiopia to Washington, D.C. to come home with them.

How did your parents tell you they were going to adopt?

They had talked about it for years and my older brother and my dad went to South Africa on a mission trip and that put things into perspective. We all wanted to help orphans. They never really told us, it was more of a group discussion. They did ask us what our opinion was about it.

What were some things your siblings had trouble adjusting to?

They had issues adjusting to the food that we eat here in America especially chicken. It was also difficult to communicate so we had to make our own language to communicate with each other.