Let the Games Begin!

It seems like just yesterday that I wrote this post about the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.  If someone would have told me then that I would have a 3 and 8 year old from Ethiopia at the next Olympic Games, I think I would have laughed at them. . .

And here we are just two years later. . . the Summer Games are here. . . and we have not one but TWO Ethiopians living in our house! This certainly makes watching the Olympics much more fun. 

In true Olympic fashion, during the opening ceremonies we hosted a party where our guests dressed representing their favorite country or sport.  (Read more on the fun details of the party on my cousin Amy's blog.)  Solomon decided to dress as Kenenisa Bekele, the Ethiopian runner who won Gold and set world records in the 5000m and 10000m races in Beijing. 

Here are a few fun Ethiopian Olympic facts for ya:

• There are 35 Ethiopian Olympians participating in this year's games.
• While Ethiopians have obvious, natural abilities in the track and field category, this year Ethiopia will have TWO swimmers enter the games.
• Yanet Seyoum, the countries first female swimmer to enter the games, did most of her training at a public pool where her mom timed her on her cell phone.  Read her story here.

And here is our sweet Joseph.  He dressed up as a US Men's Soccer player.  (Don't tell him that the US Men's team didn't even make the Olympics.)  :)