Visas

I want to get back to our DC trip and finish that out... before life takes off again.  So on Friday, we went into DC and went to the Embassy of Ethiopia.  We had filled out the visa paperwork, got a passport size photo, and had our passports.  We arrived at the Embassy, went in, stood in line...not a real long line, but a little line.  We waited... I told Will oh, we have to pay for our visas!!! I forgot about that in all my prep.  So I look at the window and there is a sign that says visas must be paid in certified US money orders.  So, we get out of line, and go back to the car.  We get in, and look for a Bank, CVS, any place that we can get a money order.  I go into the bank and ask if I can just use my debit card and buy a money order.  It wasn't a Regions bank, so no, I couldn't but I could go to the ATM, get the cash and then come back in and get the money order for a $20 fee. OR, I could go to the Giant Foods and they can do a money order there.  While I am doing this, Will and Ethan are driving around the block a few times (there is no place to park) waiting for me.  I flag them down, hop back in the car and said go down the road to the Giant Foods.  I see the Giant (which is not a free standing store - and you can't see the sign at all - its on the bottom floor of a big high rise and the sign matches the building and it's tucked in the corner. So I spot it, Will slows down, I said to Ethan, 'don't EVER do this.." and I opened the door and literally jumped out. 

I go in, go to the customer service, and there's a sign money orders payable in cash. I FORGOT TO GET THE CASH FROM THE ATM OUTSIDE THE BANK I WAS JUST AT!!!!!  So, I look around the store for an ATM.... nope.  I leave.  I look around... I can see a bank a block away. So I start walking. I get the cash... go BACK to the Giant Foods... and finally get two money orders - one for each of our visas. (I was NOT going to chance getting just 1 for both of us for FEAR of having the embassy say that the money orders have to be per each visa!) Now, I was thinking again!!  So text Will and told him I was all done, and I would meet him out front.  I see him and he slows down and I jump back in.

We go BACK to the embassy.  Park the car.  Get out. Go in.  We are getting close to lunchtime now... we stand in line... Ethan ends up flipping out about not being able to get water from the water cooler, makes a huge scene...all these nice, quiet Ethiopians are staring at us like we are some crazy Americans... but they say nothing... they just look at us.  There are two other Americans in line - one man looks at me and says, "Adoption?" I said yes. We made small talk... the lady in front of me was sweet and she started talking to me about adopting, asked me how old E is, says he's a sweet boy... then she helps me put all my paperwork together for the man behind the counter. She said, 'you can come back and pick your visas up early next week - they are pretty quick about that.' I said, "What? You mean, we have to come BACK for them? We don't get them right now?" She said, no... you drop it off and come back.  I said we live in Florida, are only here until Sunday...she said, oh, you can have them mailed then.  But don't do UPS or FedEx...do USPS Express Mail. GET THE TRACKING NUMBER she said a thousand times.
My head was spinning.  How in the world did I MISS this DETAIL that it's not same day service for the visa??? Will is now looking at me like I have just taken us on a wild goose chase.  So the lady tells me where the post office is...she said you are here now...just go get the express mail envelope and come back and drop this off and you will have your visas next week. And make sure to, I know, get the tracking number.

So we go BACK to the car. Get in. Drive. We got confused (surprised??) on which way the post office is. We drove one direction, then turned around and went the other direction. Then turned around again. As we slow down again for a light, there's people waiting for a bus to which I roll down my window and ask where the post office is. Up the street on the left.  Ok. EYES ARE PEELED.  Scanning, scanning, and then there's a grey building with grey letters that blend in nicely, that says US POST OFFICE. I yell out, 'THERE IT IS!!!!!!' Again, Will slows down....I tell Ethan and he says it with me, 'Don't EVER do this!' and I jump out, dodge cars crossing the road, and walk into the post office, get an express envelope, pay for the postage, go back out and see will double parked and jump back in the car.

I fill out the shipping label... Will drives BACK to the Embassy...drops me off... and I said I will text you again when I am finished. I walked in...there was no line. I walk right up, the man looks at everything, puts it all together how he wants it with the money order, Express Mail envelope and said the visas will be ready Tuesday and will mail Tuesday.  I thanked him. Texted Will, went outside to wait.

Will pulls up about 5 minutes later, says, that was fast! I said yeah as I am breathing a sigh of relief... and he says, wait...this has been too funny when you look back at it... so PLEASE throw your hands up and let me get a picture of our $140 visa fun....

Now I know why the companies charge $50 for having them get visas for you.  Sure, we could have spent $20 each at the airport in Addis Ababa and wait and get our visa when we arrive, but we arrive at 9:30pm, and well, the last thing we want to do after flying for about 30 hours is stand in line so paying $70 to have our visas and priceless fun and memories getting the visas was well worth every penny!

We finally fed our child - who was hungry - but was a trooper beyond belief except for the one meltdown in the embassy...and he dined on some of his favorite food... California Tortilla.  E was amazing the whole trip...he did so good and had lots of fun.  He really had fun on Saturday.....

Saturday, we met our friends at a place called Cox Family Farms for their fall festival.  It was a blast.  I am letting the pictures speak for it....

This was a choir from Uganda that Congress invited to Washington DC! {Hector said to us, I think that's a sign!!}

Our time at the farm was complete with FRESH apple cider and Virginia apples...just picked from the tree....as much as you wanted to eat and drink.  It was awesome...just awesome.

Sunday before we left, Will took E and they went and rode the metro one last time...E loves the train...he had a blast and wanted to ride it more and more.

Arrived back home...waiting for our luggage....and one tired, sick little squirt (and a tired momma and daddy too!)

It was an amazing trip. We are blessed to have been able to do it. Lots of memories...lots of fun... lots of family time....priceless.