Bode and Bella

Last semester I did a terrible final project for photojournalism on a family that lives near me who was in the process of adopting two children from Ethiopia.  After a very long process, Brant and Karen Schelhaas went there to pick up Bode and Bella and brought them home to Highlands Ranch.  Karen says that the language issue is slowly being worked through and mostly communication happens through a charades-like pantomime to get the point across.













Today was the first day Bode and Bella have been out to play in the cul-de-sac with the other neighbor children.  Bode is all boy and loves to kick a ball around soccer-style.  Bella is fascinated by bikes and wants to ride, but mostly she wants to be with Karen, holding her hand or just being held.  They both smile for the camera, but after a few seconds their eyes mist over in a faraway glaze and one can't help but wonder what they are thinking.












Bode is around 2, Bella around 5, but no one is really sure. It is easy to compare them to the children playing in the yards around their house, but only their birth parents know for sure, and the are a long long way away not only in distance, but in language and culture as well.

Welcome to the neighborhood kids!