Ethiopian Journey: The End of My Rainbow

How'd my babies grow up so fast?

2011-12-11T18:11:00.001-07:00

Schools pics, Fall 2009

Yes, it is the long lost blogger.... truth be told, I'm not a blogger but only an occasional poster. C'est la vie! I was just looking back over my old posts- and thus the pictures.... my babies are SO grown up. I mean, I knew that, but.... REALLY! Who are these children....er.... ahem.... young adults?

Josiah, Spring 2011

Oh! And by the way, I'm no longer the mother of twins. No, no, no, don't panic, both are still alive and well. They have claimed from Day One that they were not twins, but didn't know what, if any, the age difference was between them. It ranged from 5 days to 2 years. Ha!

But by the second annual visit to the pediatrician, doctors expressed a concern that Josiah was developing too quickly (for his "age"), to which I replied, "Well, I don't actually know his age." We were sent to an endocrinologist for bone age scans, which I requested for Naomi as well so we could compare, and indeed there was about a two year difference. So, maybe you're not twins. Well my paperwork says you are, so I guess you are now. That worked fine and dandy for another year or so.

Gotcha Day, March 2011

As the kids grew older, it became more and more obvious that Josiah was physically and socially more developed than his age. I deliberated a long time and carefully weighed all the factors before deciding to go ahead and change his age.

Naomi, Spring 2011

One factor his grade in school. Since the kids came to America at age eight and did not speak English, they were placed in 2nd instead of 3rd grade, so are a year behind. I didn't want Josiah to be two years behind and be teased and tormented. So I would have to move him ahead a grade. Neither were quite up to grade level in reading and writing, but my logic was that if had known his true age he would be in the higher grade anyway and still lagging by the same margin (you can only learn so fast). I spoke with the schools and they agreed. Next I approached the topic with Josiah. He would have to agree to tutoring all summer to make up as much of the missed grade as possible. He agreed.

The last birthday as twins, June 2011

Then, I began making my case for the court. I had medical evidence. I had the kids' first person account. But I really wanted something from relatives in Ethiopia.... and I had a phone number. I passed the number on to my sweet friend, Essete, whom we had met in Ethiopia and remained friends with, and asked if she could contact them and ask for something in writing regarding the kids ages. I had her assure them they would not be in trouble for hiding the truth... they had been afraid the children may be separated if they were not twins. Accurate birth records are not common and I was delighted when we not only found how how far apart they are - no, they are not twins - but the actual birth dates!

Josiah is exactly 301 days, about 13 months, older than Naomi. But their legal birth date was not right for either one of them. Josiah was born in November 1997, nineteen months prior to his legal birthday and Naomi was born in December 1998, six months from her legal birthday. So now I needed to decide how to approach this change. First, I decided not to go through the legal process and cost to change Naomi's for just a six month difference. Second, I also really wanted their birthdays to have an accurate biological time span between them. Third, and one of the most important reasons for my final decision is back to the school issue. Moving ahead a year in age and a year in school still left Josiah a year behind. I did not want him to have a November birthday and thus be two years behind for so much of the year. So we chose a date exactly 301 days earlier than the initial legal American birthday, making his birthday May 1998, replacing the former June 1999 (which is still Naomi's legal birth date).

Josiah, Fall 2011

Naomi, Fall 2011

Are you lost yet? I get it. The kids get it. Everyone else is lost. But the kids really like having two birthdays a year. No, not twice as many gifts! They can recognize and celebrate both, but only gifts and a party at one.

This year they both chose their Ethiopia birthday!

Happy 14th birthday, Josiah!

Happy 13th birthday, Naomi!

Crazy Ideas

2010-09-18T19:15:00.009-06:00

In case you haven't noticed, I haven't blogged in eons. Life with the kids is so busy and so fulfilling and so crazy and so frustrating and so wonderful that I simply don't have time. Oh yeah, and then there's Facebook.

So why now? Well, a couple of weeks ago a friend who moved to Ethiopia to serve as a missionary for a couple of years posted that the school she works at lost a teacher (who went back home). I flippantly commented that I should come over and fill the vacancy. (I love to teach, though never have in an academic setting). She responded that if I was at all serious, I should contact Bingham Academy ... hmmmm ... did that ever put a bug in my ear!

So I did. I even filled out their online application for a teaching position. It was only after I sent it that I noticed that "All candidates must have received teacher certification or qualification appropriate to their country of origin." Drats! So much for my hair-brained ideas.

But that little bug kept tickling my ear.

Well, I thought, why not? I have an undergrad degree and I thought there were programs where I could get a teaching license in a year. That wouldn't be so bad; a year is not so long. Onto the internet I went, looking for schools where I could get my degree online - and fast! *Sigh* The only online programs I could find were 2-3 years and most were Masters programs. Did I really want to commit to a Master's? Did I really want to wait 2-3 years to put this silly notion into play?

And that little bug kept tickling my ear.

Next thing ya know, I am narrowing down my choices, weighing the pros and cons of each, attending an open house, and applying for grad school. PLEASE don't ask where I will find the time as I have NO idea. But I feel like God is once again leading me into unknown territory and I just need to trust Him our future.

Right now, the kids are all for it! Yes, we do want to move to Ethiopia for two years. LOL! They probably don't clearly remember the life they had there - though we would certainly have more conveniences than they left behind, it would be nothing like the closets full of clothes, the video games, weekend outings to Skate City and all the other "spoiled rotten" perks that they have here now.

My biggest concern is how this might affect their academics and chances for future scholarships and sports opportunities. Josiah has his heart set on becoming a professional football player and certainly has raw talent enough if he continues to be serious about it. In 2 years - the length of the program - they will be 13 years old. Two years in Ethiopia will put them at 15. Will they have time after that to create opportunities by the end of high school? I don't know? This will take allot of prayer!

In the meantime ... that little bug and I are pressing on.

Family Pics

2009-10-14T20:09:00.006-06:00

OK, it's true.... I'm the worlds worst blogger. Blame Facebook! I've done so much sharing there of tidbits and photos and such that I've let this blog completely go by the wayside. Or can I blame it on being so busy with the kids and school and sports and such... yeah, that sounds better.... that's it!

Well, while we're waiting for me to catch up on posts and life, here is a link to our recent family photos. (Be sure to click on the "click here" button to browse all 333!!!)

THE SALAS FAMILY

Here's a sneak peek...

Happy Birthday! -- the twins turn 10 ...

2009-06-15T06:09:00.007-06:00

A HUGE Happy Birthday to Josiah & Naomi!!!! They are getting so big and so mature!

On Saturday we had a pool party to celebrate. It was a great success with about 30 people - adults and kids - enjoying the sunshine and pleasant day. Somehow - thank you, Jesus - we even managed to avoid the afternoon showers and didn't get rained on.

After we all dried off, a dozen or so of us headed over to our favorite Ethiopian restaurant for a great dinner. Then the kids talked me into letting their cousin stay the night, topping off a wonderful day.

One year later

2009-04-07T05:21:00.006-06:00

Milestone #3

UTTERLY AMAZING! We have already been home on U.S. soil for one whole year! So where are we now?

First of all, I have a request . . .

I would like to ask those friends and family who know any details of the twins’ birth family and circumstances in Ethiopia to regroup, rewind, and refrain from sharing that information with anyone.

During adoption training the PAPs (prospective adoptive parents) are cautioned against sharing the children's stories. However in the excitement and anxiety of the process, it is difficult not to share what few snippets one does know with close friends and family. That was my experience. But even before the kids came home, as the time grew nearer and steps were completed, I felt more and more protective of them and wished I had said nothing of their past. We have now been discussing it together, and even though they are proud of their heritage, both have chosen not to share their story at this time. It is their personal choice and I am doing my best to respect it, despite my earlier faux pas. I am also teaching them to be W.I.S.E. when asked questions.

GROWING:
Twins, Naomi and Josiah are 9 years old. In the past year Josiah has grown 3-5/8 inches and Naomi has grown 4-1/4 inches (but it seems like much more!), and each are about 6-3/4 inches taller than when I first received their referral 18 months ago. They have gained 13-1/2 & 12 pounds since home and 17 & & 14 pounds since referral. Both have changed from the children I picked up a year ago to the young adults they are today, maturing in facial features, mannerisms, and interests. "Childish" toys and activities that were attractive in the beginning (as they had not had the opportunity to experience those things) were quickly outgrown and tastes now run more in alignment to their peers. In fact, we were recently watching my video footage of us together in Ethiopia and they were laughing at what they now see as their silly behavior.

INTERESTS:
Josiah is a natural athlete, excelling in everything he tries. He loves all sports, wants to play them all, and do everything! He's been on a couple of soccer teams where he has been a star player and is anxious to play football and baseball. He likes Spiderman, Bakugan, and would play video games or watch movies 24/7 if he could get away with it! He is sharp, observant, and curious - the quintessential child of a million questions. Naomi is athletic as well and always picked first in dodge ball for her speed and agility. She wants to be on a basketball team and try cheerleading. She is also a girly-girl who loves princesses, High School Musical, jewelry, and dressing up (preferably including heels and makeup). She is a "fashionista", skillfully putting together creative and attractive outfits. So cute! She is intuitive, witty, and compassionate, loves music and dancing and prefers listening to a CD to watching TV. Both are very social and love to have company or go play with other kids.

SCHOOL:
Both are in the third grade, enjoy school and doing well. They are still behind in reading and writing skills, but I'm confident they will catch up in due time. We try to read together every day. Sometimes they read to me and much of the time I read to them. I love to read and do so allot, hopefully providing a good role model. They are doing grade level math and also take science, music, art, and PE. Spanish is a required class at their school and neither of them like it very well. I could opt them out, but had a long discussion with the school staff and we all agreed to leave them in. They are very popular and well liked by both students and teachers, although Josiah tends to play a little too rough and has made a couple of trips to the principal's office for tackling on the playground, and Naomi sometimes struggles with the "clique-ish" behavior typical of young girls.

LANGUAGE:
Kids are so amazing and it is such fun to watch language grow and change. I admit there are some "errors" I don't correct because it just sounds so cute! Many people have asked how we communicated at first when they did not know any English. My answer now? "I can't remember!" Surprisingly enough, it was not difficult. I would say the first 6 months were easy because language at that point is essentially for survival and communicating basic needs. Much can be expressed with a few words supplemented with gestures, facial expressions, and pantomime. The next 6 to 12 months were much more difficult. They could understand allot of what was being said, but did not have enough words to express what they wanted to say. They would string together words in such a way that I'm sure made sense to them, but half the time I could not for the life of me figure out what they were getting at. At first they would say "forget it" and refuse to try further. I'm sure this was very frustrating and I would feel so bad for them. But we are all trying hard and even though we laugh (usually) at the occasional misunderstandings, it is getting easier. I do have to constantly remind myself that even though they understand allot, they don't understand everything completely. Especially if I am using uncommon words or referencing images, experiences, or ideas common for someone brought up in America, but not so for them. Research shows that conversational language fluency is attained in 1 to 3 years, but full cognitive language proficiency takes from 5 to 9 years to achieve. See "Language and the Older Adopted Child"

I had also hoped that in adopting multiple older children they would retain their birth language, but those skills seem to be fading. See my post on international satellite TV. They can still understand Amharic, but rarely speak it to each other anymore (unless trying to sneak something by Mom), and respond in English to Amharic conversation when we socialize in the Ethiopian community. Doing further research, I am also now finding that there other considerations around helping an IA (Internationally Adopted) child maintain their birth language. See "Pros and Cons of Keeping the Native Language of an Adopted Child" and "Language Development in Internationally Adopted Children." Believe it or not, forgetting their birth language may not be such a bad thing.

PHONE TAG:
NO land line. ONE cell phone. TWO kids. THREE family members. NOT really working anymore. The kids are starting to bring home phone numbers of friends, so we will have to address this issue soon. It is easy for them to carry on conversations in person, but understanding and being understood on the phone is more difficult. I'm of the mindset that they are too young for cell phones themselves, and I don’t really want them using mine too often. So … do I add minutes to my plan and we all use my phone - UNLIKELY … break down and get them phones with pre-paid minutes - UNLIKELY … or perhaps get an old-fashioned land line for the house - HMMMMM? What a novel idea!

THREE PEAS IN A POD:
All three of us still sleep together in one double bed though we all agree it is starting to feel a bit crowded. Despite one or two well-meaning friends who frown on the practice, I am amazed when I mention it, how many people remark that they slept with their son/daughter until they were 12, 13, 14 years old. Culturally my kids are used to that type of arrangement, and being single it does not hinder any other family relationships. It is a wonderful time of bonding and physical closeness as well as a time when we share stories and pray together. Once when we were listing some things we like, my Josiah named "Jesus" adding "Sorry, Mom, I love Jesus number one and Mom number two." My heart sang with joy. I am so blessed to have kids that love the Lord!

ADJUSTMENT:
Another question I often get is "How are you adjusting?" I used to answer that there did not seem to be any adjustment. We molded into a family from the get-go. It seems like we have always been together and we are affectionate and comfortable with each other. Rather than throwing my life topsy-turvy, they have given me a beautiful sense of peace and balance. But looking back and stepping back I can see how we have been subtly adjusting to each others temperaments and needs.

I am also recognizing behavior consistent with attachment issues -- frequent control battles, bossy, argumentative, defiance, anger, manipulative, lying about the obvious -- along with plain old disrespect and disobedience. Some of you are probably wondering where my rose-colored glasses are that I usually write through? They are still firmly seated on the bridge of my nose! I still find life wonderful and full of joy and would not trade my newfound motherhood for anything. Some of you are probably also thinking, "That sounds just like my 9 year old! Just wait until they're 12!" And I'm sure some of it is normal adolescence. However we are looking at various resources to help facilitate their adjustment and success in life and relationships.

I have found some success with the Love and Logic techniques, which seems best suited for general behavioral issues. But I also find it often on the verge of sarcastic, manipulative, and degrading. Not the values I am trying to teach and certainly do not wish to model. And sometimes, logic just does not work. Really tough for we left-brained folk.

For those deeper issues of attachment and early childhood trauma, I am convinced that the teachings the Beyond Consequences Institute (BCI) will be our true saving grace (other than of course, daily prayer). It is based on love, and who does not want to love their kids?!!! Promoting connection, emotional validation, and nurturing compassion, BCI is often diametrically opposed in philosophy to the methodology of Love & Logic. This makes it critical to be in tune with your child’s needs and constantly vigilant to the source of their "behaviors". No easy task.

It is similar to pulling weeds … If one merely snaps the tops off they are gone for a little while, but always reappear; often in greater number! But if you dig down deep into the root and remove the whole thing you have a much greater chance at long term success.

In fact, I highly recommend that all parents explore the BCI model for parenting all kids. There are many, many kinds of trauma a child may experience (real or perceived, both have the same result) and the BCI model is an awesome, healing process for the whole family! It is totally about relationships!! Let's get rid of all of those nasty weeds at the root!!! Whew! Take a breath, Nancy … regulate.

CHALLENGES:

* If we have a major challenge, it continues to be FOOD. Josiah and Naomi still do not care for most American food. And not being much of a cook, I'm reluctant to try new things or put much effort into it, as it is usually met with such disgruntlement. Thankfully we go out for Ethiopian food about once a week and often have leftovers for another meal. I had to laugh the other day when rather than asking, "Mom, what's for dinner?" instead I heard, "Mom, where are we going for dinner?" Oops! Nutrition is definitely one area where we need some improvement.

* The HAIR Challenge has been met! Follow that journey at Naomi's Sisterlocks blog.

* With still limited language skills, HOMEWORK takes a really long time. It is not something they can do much of independently. Even with math I have to read the instructions and story problems to them, and often explain words and reinforce concepts. Sometimes their homework is similar to each others, and sometimes it is not. When it is not, I get pulled back and forth between the two, both wanting (and needing) my help. Getting home at 5:30 or so and getting dinner, homework, sports or extracurricular activities and into bed at a decent time takes some balancing and hard work!

* Speaking of extracurricular activities, don't you all wish there was enough time and money for soccer, basketball, football, volleyball, cheer leading, singing, dancing, theater, piano/guitar/drum lessons, gymnastics, wrestling, track, swimming, and just staying home to relax?!? In your dreams, Mom! (Not to mention occasionally cleaning the house). They each get to do one thing -- ONE. Over the winter we were all taking Taekwondo together. I appreciate the aspects of respect, discipline, and focus and would love to continue, but that would exclude other opportunities. With the kids' natural abilities in athletics and music I feel like I need to (and of course want to) allow them to experience other options. How to choose where to place the limited resources? Heavy sigh! Both are in soccer for spring, but that means two different teams, two different practice times and fields, and two different times & locations for Saturday games. Thank you Jesus, for my dedicated support network that helps out and allows us to do this. I am ever so grateful to you!

* Not enough TIME. Not enough MONEY. Not enough SPACE (we live in a townhouse with no yard, no basement, no family room).

But we have Lots and Lots of LOVE! Stay tuned as our adventure continues . . .

Gotcha!

2009-03-30T05:52:00.011-06:00

It is the season of milestones for us. Earlier in the month we celebrated becoming at legal family (our court date) with our dinner party at the Ethiopian restaurant. TODAY was exactly one year since we MET and have been together as a family -- it is Gotcha Day!!!

My sister and I landed in Addis Ababa just after 8:00 a.m. on Sunday, March 30th, 2008. We had breakfast with our friends who are missionaries there, after which they took us to get settled into our hotel. Then about noon, Kassahun from CWA took us to the foster home to meet the kids. The boys and girls are housed in separate facilities, so we met my amazing son, Naol (Josiah) first. After a short tour to see his bed, dining area, etc., we walked a half a block or so down the street to the meet my wonderful daughter, Firaol, nicknamed Flower (Naomi) and received a similar walk-through. We've been together every since!!!

Then and now ....

Love,
Josiah (Naol), Mom (Nancy), Naomi (Flower)

"I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him."
~ 1 Samuel 1:27

Making Easter Cookies

2009-03-27T20:48:00.014-06:00

I'm posting this early so you can gather the ingredients and get a head start. I've been so excited to do this with my kids. I'll let you know how it turns out!

Make these cookies with your children the night before to teach the true meaning of EASTER!

EASTER STORY COOKIES

INGREDIENTS

1 cup pecan halves
1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
3 egg whites
1 pinch salt
1 cup white sugar

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Place pecans in a re-sealable plastic bag and let children beat them with the wooden spoon to break into small pieces. Explain that after Jesus was arrested, He was beaten by the Roman soldiers.
~ Read John 19:1-3

Let each child smell the vinegar. Put 1 tsp. vinegar into mixing bowl. Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross he was given vinegar to drink.
~ Read John 19:26-30

Add egg whites to vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave His life to give us life.
~ Read John 10:10-11

Sprinkle a little salt into each child's hand. Let them taste it and brush the rest into the bowl. Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus' followers, and the bitterness of our own sin.
~ Read Luke 23:27

So far the ingredients are not very appetizing. Add 1 C. sugar. Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves us. He wants us to know and belong to Him.
~ Read Psalms 34:8 and John 3:16

Beat with a mixer on high speed for 12 to 15 minutes until stiff peaks are formed. Explain that the color represents the purity in God's eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus.
~ Read Isaiah 1:18 and John 3:1-3

Fold in broken nuts, Drop by teaspoons onto wax paper covered cookie sheet. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus' body was laid.
~ Read Matthew 27:57-60

Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven OFF. Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door. Explain that Jesus' tomb was sealed.
~ Read Matthew 27:65-66

GO TO BED! Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight. Jesus' followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed.
~ Read John 16:20 and 22

On Easter morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow! On the first Easter Jesus' followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty.
~ Read Matthew 28:1-9

This recipe is attributed to Wanda Long in "Home Life Magazine"

Makes 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 dozen cookies.

HAVE A BLESSED EASTER!

Earth Hour

2009-03-24T08:01:00.005-06:00

Turn out. Take action.
Be part of this historic event.
March 28, 2009, 8:30 pm local time

In it's third year, and with time still to go before the globe switches off for Earth Hour, the number of cities and towns signing up to switch their lights off at 8.30pm on 28 March has already exceeded the ambitious target of 1,000 set by Earth Hour organisers.

Earth Hour 2009 – What Will You Be Doing?
Cuddling up with your loved ones and admiring the stars in the night sky or organising a treasure hunt in the dark? At 8:30pm on Saturday 28 March, people from all corners of the world will turn off their lights for one hour - Earth Hour - and cast their vote for action on climate change. Anybody can participate and join together with millions of people across the globe celebrating Earth Hour.

Earth Hour is about taking simple steps everyday that collectively reduce carbon emissions – from businesses turning off their lights when their offices are empty to households turning off appliances rather than leaving them on standby.

Here are 10 different ways to spend Earth Hour and reduce your carbon footprint:

1. Attend a local Earth Hour event or organise your own by throwing an Earth Hour street party with your neighbours
2. Gather family & friends for a night picnic in your local park and look at the stars
3. Enjoy a family dinner by candlelight
4. Organise a treasure hunt in the dark
5. Take the dog for a night walk
6. Have a candle-lit bath
7. Sit in the dark and share stories
8. Organise a family night playing board games
9. Share a romantic night in with your loved one
10. Upload your ‘on the night’ photos and videos to flickr and YouTube respectively, and then add them to the Earth Hour flickr group and the global YouTube Group.

Make Earth Hour work for you. Families with young children should feel free to turn their lights off earlier than 8:30pm and for those having too much fun in the dark during the hour, don’t feel you have to limit yourself to one hour and switch back on at 9:30pm.

In Sydney, where Earth Hour began in 2007, every ferry in the city’s famous harbour will sound its horn at precisely 8.30pm to herald the beginning of Earth Hour in Australia, while in Melbourne a people-pedal-powered concert will be underway at Federation Square.

On the other side of the world, arrangements will be underway for a host of concerts and parties in cities across Europe, including a ‘circle of percussion’ in Athens, where people will be given percussion instruments to play, led by a conductor, as the lights go out on the Acropolis.

To find out more about Earth Hour or see what events are happening in your area, visit the official website http://www.earthhour.org/, sign up and join millions of people in more than 1,400 cities and towns in 80 countries throughout the world by turning off your lights for one hour at 8:30pm on Saturday 28 March.

Celebrating a Milestone

2009-03-07T08:24:00.010-07:00

Yesterday was ONE YEAR since we passed court and legally became a family!!! We celebrated by inviting a bunch of friends and family to our favorite Ethiopian restaurant. We had 32 attend, including ourselves and all the kids and babies. It was so much fun, that we are sure it will be an annual tradition. So mark your calendar for next year!

International TV, anyone?

2009-02-14T12:51:00.011-07:00

We are now home to a new satellite dish pointed at 97.0°W to the Galaxy 19 satellite. This satellite receives many Free-to-Air international TV and radio broadcast signals. Free-to-Air (FTA) satellite is just what it sounds like. The channels are free to the user. There is no monthly programming charge to view them. The satellite does also receive some of those stations with programming charges if one is interested in contacting those companies and paying for them. But there are hundreds of channels currently "in the clear". Many of the available channels are international language channels. Many others are special interest channels broadcast in English.

I am doing everything possible to help my children maintain their birth language and connection to their birth culture. Children under the age of 8 will typically lose their language. Children over the age of 12 will typically maintain it. The window between ages 8 and 12 (Josiah & Naomi came to America at age 8) varies. So . . .

We installed the satellite specifically interested in Ethiopia TV . In speaking with Weldu Weldeyesus, an Ethiopian emigrant and PhD candidate in the Department of Linguistics at the University of Colorado at Boulder as well as a member of the Colorado Research in Linguistics editorial board, one of his primary and strongest recommendations in facilitating retention of language was to provide this programming in our home.

We still socialize with the Ethiopian community about once a week, whether by visiting the home of one of our emigrant friends, attending an Ethiopian church service, or eating at our favorite Ethiopian restaurant where the owner and staff have become like extended family. But as of the past month or two the kids have been commenting that they are forgetting their Amharic, so I'm hoping it is not too little, too late. They can still understand much of it, even though constructing sentences and carrying on conversation is fading. I figure if we can keep up the exposure they can pick it up again quickly if the opportunity arises.

And even if their birth language skills continue to fade, there are lots of other fun international stations to browse through and some interesting English broadcast stations as well. We're still figuring out what is what, but many are listed on World TV or the LyngSat listing for the Galaxy 19 satellite. So if you need your fix of Armenian, Arabic, Chinese, Ethiopian, Farsi, Korean, Italian, Pashto, Portuguese, Punjabi, Romanian, Russian, Tagolog and a handful of others . . . well, just stop on by.

Ciao!

Visiting Friends and Such

2009-02-02T20:09:00.006-07:00

We've been having fun visiting friends and doing new things. Here is Naomi at "Auntie" Kathi's baking cookies (with her new Christmas gift apron and pan) and helping to sand furniture of all things! . . .

Visiting our new friends in the mountains . . .

I really want Josiah to get locks but he has no interest. Sigh! So last haircut I tried to get him to do a mohawk, but was met with a similar rebuke. But this time it was what he wanted. Yeah! Too cute!!!

Naomi is about 2/3 of the way through with her Sisterlocks. Check out her blog at Naomi's Sisterlocks to follow that progress and more photos.

Naomi is getting Sisterlocks

2009-01-16T20:39:00.014-07:00

I’ve posted before about our braiding experiences ~ it's just not that nostalgic mother-daughter bonding time that that I’ve read about in folk literature. It is more a time of impatience, short tempers, fussing, and scowling -- from both of us. Every weekend we would struggle over when to do hair, how to do hair, and more often than I would like to admit we would just skip it and go for the puffy bun. Not that it didn’t look just cuter than cute - the first day. But it succumbs to the fuzzies by Day 2 and even my best attempt at small braids would last a week at most. I refuse to surrender to chemicals … although on Christmas eve day I did give in and use a flat iron to straighten her hair. On top of the fact that it took 3-1/2 hours to do, it looked only “okay” the first day - though she liked it - and less than okay until we got back to doing something else the next week. Thankfully she was not in school and we have allot of headbands.

Anyway, a few weeks ago I happened to run into another family with two Ethiopian daughters and their hair was adorable. When I asked how they had it done, the answer was Sisterlocks! It sounded vaguely familiar and I rushed to do my research.

Sisterlocks is a patented technique of “locking” the hair into small tendrils. “Sisterlocks allows the hair's natural interlocking process to unfold, they are true ‘locks'. This means that they are not meant to be undone.” It is quite time-consuming and costly to put in, but then only need to be tightened every 6-8 weeks. In the interim, hair is much easier to style, manage, and maintain. It also encourages faster growth and looks marvelous! Both Naomi and Mom are very excited.

We will have a new blog -- Naomi’s Sisterlocks -- to track her progress and see how it evolves as her hair grows and she experiments with different styles. It will be linked to this blog page as well.

Here's some random photos of hair over the past 9 months ...

Paying It Forward

2009-01-16T20:34:00.006-07:00

We have been amazingly blessed and Jesus provides for our needs according to His promises. Sometimes I have no idea how we make ends meet but we do. Actually, I do know … God tells us in His Word …

“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.”
~ Malachi 3:10

Since arriving home with the kids we have been fortunate to be able to pay it forward to (please click on the links below or see the side bar titled “Pay It Forward” to find out more about these worthy causes)

• African Widows and Orphans Project
• Ethiopia Reads
• Ethiopian Adoption Relief
• Food for Kids
• Gospel for Asia
• the Samuel Phillipson Fund (for the family of an injured Ethiopian adoptee)
• the Solomon Abraham Fund (for the family of an elder of a local Ethiopian church, killed by a drunk driver)

and of course our regular giving to our home church.

So why am I babbling on about all of this now? Well, for most of my adult life I have had the privilege of sponsoring a child through various programs in countries such as the Philippines and Mexico. Recently I received a letter stating that my current sponsored child had left the program/school in order to work and support his family (he is 16 years old).

So now we are free to open the doors of our storehouse to another child. We are choosing Ethiopia this time, in continuance of our support to the kids’ birth country. We’ll be working with Compassion International to come together as a family and choose a child who has been waiting for a sponsor. Naomi & Josiah will use part of their own tithe money to help out, and we’ll make letters to the child a family project. We’re so excited for this new addition to our family!

“Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed.”
~ Psalm 82:3

Pics from school

2009-01-16T20:33:00.006-07:00

Just some fun pics from after school program activities . . .

Banking on it

2009-01-16T20:29:00.006-07:00

Being a student of Financial Peace University and naturally averse to debt, I want to teach my children good money management skills. We use the LearningCents Trio Bank, a clever three compartment bank for Spending, Saving and Giving. All of the money they receive - allowance, gifts, etc. is divided by rough percentage and placed into these three divvies. They each hold quite a bit of cash and coins, are completely separate, and the tops of the Spending and Giving open fairly easily to make withdrawals. The Savings opens on the bottom and is quite difficult to get into, keeping it safe from temptation.

Saving is for long-range planning for something big like college, a car, or a return trip to Ethiopia.

Giving is our tithe and helping others. When we found out about Samuel Phillipson both of the kids emptied their tithe fund to send to help his family. They are generous children and usually want to give more to the church offering than is in their bin!

Spending is used to buy snacks at school, save for “wheel shoes’ or desires. Right now they seem to think that money grows on trees and mom and Uncle Sam are an endless supply, but hopefully they will get the picture eventually. They also have to use their money to pay “fines” for misbehavior, chores unfinished, late to bed, and such. We have a whole checklist to help them be accountable.

With the recent arrival of our new social security cards, we were also able to open bank savings for both and transfer the savings bin to safer keeping. We store our true treasure in heaven, but at the same time try to be good stewards of the blessings given us on earth.

Notes on U.S. Citizenship

2009-01-16T20:19:00.012-07:00

The mountain of paperwork required for international adoption does not end when you bring your child home. The trek along the paper trail continues with a seemingly endless barrage of steps to perform and government forms to complete.

Let me bring you up to date … the dossier is complete, immigration forms filed, court is finalized, foreign birth certificates received, passports and visas bring you home with your child(ren); new U.S. citizens. But are they?

IR-3 Visa: Well … if you met your child(ren) prior to the adoption being finalized you get an IR-3 visa. An IR-3 visa means your child is an automatic U.S. citizen and a Certificate of Citizenship will be automatically issued.

Note: It is still very strongly recommended and required in some states for some countries, to complete the registration/adoption/re-adoption for many other reasons, including obtaining a state issued birth certificate for your child, formal legal name change, insuring rights of inheritance, and obtaining a Social Security Card with the child's American name and with U.S. citizen designation.

IR-4 Visa: If you have not met your child(ren) prior to the adoption being finalized you get an IR-4 visa. This is the most common circumstance. With an IR-4 visa, after returning home with your child, you must register/adopt/re-adopt your child according to your state's adoption laws in order for your child to attain U.S. citizenship.

Permanent residents: We came home with Ethiopian birth certificates, Ethiopian court papers, an Ethiopian passport and an IR-4 visa. The kids also received their Permanent Resident Card (“Green Card”) in the mail a few weeks after arriving home. At this point they are permanent residents not U.S. citizens.

Court validation: Fill out another handful of official forms, authorize yet another background check, part with your precious irreplaceable original copies of your foreign documents, and yes, another tasty snack for the money monster and you are on your way to the adoption being valid in the U.S.. Official name and birth date changes can also be made at this time.

With our validation complete we now have U.S. court documents and U.S. birth certificates with new legal American names, and our original foreign documents back safely in our hands. Wahoo! Yes! They are now legal U.S. citizens. But can I prove it?

Social Security / Part One: With my thick bundle of all of our documents in hand I trotted down to the local social security office, took a number, and sat down to wait. Patiently, of course. Arriving at the window and feeling ever so proud of my handle on this cumbersome process and infinite organization, the wind is knocked out of my sails when I am told by the clerk that she cannot issue the kids a social security card as a U.S. citizen and cannot issue the card with their lovely new American names. She can only issue a card with permanent resident status using their Ethiopian adoption court names. The other validation paperwork is at that point “worthless” as it does not match their immigration records - i.e. green card. Sigh! (Where did that new bald spot on my head just come from?)

My choices:

1) Get them permanent resident social security card with foreign names, and change it later. Cost per child: None. Lots of hassle. Do I really want to go through this process twice?

2) Get passports. The passport instructions say a social security number must be provided or face a $500 fine. Catch-22.

3) Get replacement green cards with their new legal names. Cost per child: $290 plus $80 biometrics (fingerprints). Yikes!

4) Get a Certificate of Citizenship. Cost per child: $420 and takes from 1-1/2 to 2 years to receive. Yes, you read that correctly. Not practical for using to obtain a social security number required to file tax returns.

5) Send frantic email to adoption agency post-adoption services. Why didn’t I do this first?! They are calm, soothing, have a handle on this cumbersome process and are infinitely organized. I am smiling again, bought some Rogaine to re-grow my hair, and am armed with wonderful checklists and information sheets to expertly guide me through the red tape.

Passports: Clever loophole. I can use all zeros for social security numbers and apply as usual. We hit up Wal-Mart for flattering passport photos (which unlike mine, actually are flattering - but of course, my kids are so beautiful!), once again part with our precious irreplaceable original copies of foreign documents, and another wad of cash. Upon recommendation we request the expedited service so our items can be tracked in the mail and our precious irreplaceable original copies of foreign documents not lost by the USPS. A few weeks later the passports arrive safe and sound in the Express envelope, and - thank you Jesus - the precious irreplaceable original copies of foreign documents arrive the very same day in a plain old USPS envelope! So much for safeguarding our treasure.

Social Security / Part Two: With just the documents my agency listed in hand - no more, no less, I again confidently trot down to the local social security office, take a number, and again patiently sit down to wait. Patience was needed that day. It was an hour and twenty minutes just to get to the window. So glad I brought a book!

FINALLY my number is called and I make my way to the window, present my documents, and smile sweetly. CLERK: “I’m sorry, ma’am, but the children must be present to apply.” What! ME: “I’ve been waiting an hour and a half. No one told me this the last time I was here and it’s not on the website!” Not my best moment for tact. CLERK: “I don’t care how long you’ve been waiting. Those are the rules.” … Pause … CLERK: “So you were here another time?” I briefly describe my previous visit. The clerk leaves and is gone for what seems like a very long time. He returns, takes my papers, and begins typing into the computer. I’m afraid to open my mouth. CLERK: “I don’t know. I don’t think I can do this. There is some special process for twins. I can’t find it.” More typing. I remain in stunned silence. He goes away again and returns to inform me there is really no special ruling, only that their policy is just to send the applications a few days apart to avoid consecutive numbers and the possibility of trading identities. The fact that I have a boy and a girl does not seem to weigh in the matter. No problem. After a mere 30 minutes at the window we are done! I comment that I was worried when he said the kids needed to appear. The clerk somewhat meekly replied that he had confused “First-time applicants age 12 or older must apply in person” with “12 or younger.”

We now have U.S. citizen social security cards and I can pay my taxes and they can get a job! Have you looked at the Adoption Expenses summary on my sidebar lately?

Adopting parents please note: Some social security office require all first-time applicants to appear in person. Please check with your local office.

Certificate of Citizenship: The instructions for this form state that you may use it, not that you must use it. The topic regarding its necessity crops up on the adoption web groups from time to time. There are those of the thought that the most commonly requested form of identification or citizenship is a U.S. Passport, as one cannot be obtained without being a citizen, so that having a passport is sufficient proof. And there are those who feel that the COC is the only legal and undeniable proof of citizenship, without which there always remains that small chance of deportation. Or there are those that just want to cover all possible bases to insure the citizenship of their child(ren). I am of the latter camp.

So this is where we are. The kids are U.S. citizens, have their legal American names, U.S. birth certificates, U.S. passports, and social security cards. As soon as I fill out the application and scrape up the dough - we may have to sell some of our Christmas presents on eBay - the application for their Certificate of Citizenship will be in the mail. They say the wait to get it back is 1-1/2 to 2 years. Perhaps we’ll see it by the next true (seasonal) blue moon appearing on November 21st, 2010.

Toy Packaging

2009-01-16T20:06:00.009-07:00

Paper ripping, ribbons flying, scissors slicing … wire cutters?

The lyrics from the whimsical new Christmas tune, “Toy Packaging” by Sarah Groves pretty much sums up our Christmas morning.

Sara Groves - Toy Packaging
From the album "O Holy Night"; Label: INO Records

Nothing makes me lose my cool like
Toy packaging
Ask the kids to leave the room for
Toy packaging
I have no choice the money's spent
I've worked for hours to make a dent
I guess it's anger management
Toy packaging

Nothing makes me lose my cool like
Toy packaging
Ask the kids please leave the room it's time for
Toy packaging
I'm drawing up a battle plan
to extricate this robot man
My self-esteem is in the can
Toy packaging

In the old days you could hold a box and shake it
And hear the pieces rattling around
My eyes tear up with these grommets, tape and twisty ties
Remembering their beautiful sound

Toy Packaging
I love Toy Packaging
(Mom! Honey!)

Nothing makes me lose my cool like toy packaging
Kids you really need to leave the room, mom's opening toy packaging
I'm sorry you have to see this sight
You must be brave, no please don't cry
I promise it will be alright
I hope to have it by tonight
Nevermind this dynamite
Toy packaging

Nonetheless we did manage to extricate all the goodies from their plastic prisons. Instant hits were the inline and roller skates, and the Wii game they had been begging for almost since arrival home. Santa brought Mom a Wii Fit, but wrestling away the controls and finding time for “my turn” is no easy task. My chore the next day was rearranging and reorganizing bedrooms to make space for all of the new things. We should all have such problems!

A Christmas Prayer

2008-12-25T08:41:00.028-07:00

Every year at Christmas
All I can see
Are pictures of the things I want
Around the tree

But this year’s a little different
I’m not thinking of myself
So my prayer for this Christmas
Is for somebody else

So I pray…
Joy To the World
Peace for every boy and girl
Hope when life is hard
Light when everything seems dark

God I know you’re listening
And you can hear
The need of every broken heart
And all their tears

I don’t have a lot to offer
Just this one simple prayer
That this Christmas everyone would know
Somebody cares…

So I pray…
Joy To the World
Peace for every boy and girl
Hope when life is hard
Light when everything seems dark

I pray that every hungry soul
Will be filled and will be warm
That not a single, solitary child
Would suffer harm

And Lord we find their ending
As we take another view
My hope is that this Christmas prayer
Would somehow come true

I pray…
Humanity would rise
And join with me
And together we’ll sing

Joy To the World (To all the world)
Peace (Peace) for every boy and girl (for every boy and girl)
(Talking bout hope) Hope when life is hard (when life is hard)
Light when everything seems dark

I pray that (I pray) every hungry soul
Will be filled and will be warm
(Not a single child) That not a single, solitary child
Would suffer harm

And Lord we find their ending
As we take another view
My hope is that this Christmas prayer
Would somehow come true…

Joy To the World
Peace for every boy and girl

"Joy to the World (A Christmas Prayer)" is the second single from Nicholas Jonas' 2004 debut album Nicholas Jonas. It was released on November 16, 2004.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

Waiting for Christmas

2008-12-14T14:59:00.003-07:00

The kids are chomping at the bit to open their gifts. It will be their first American Christmas and it didn't take much doing to get caught up in the commercialism. My excuse for getting carried away with gifts was that they started out with so little that they need to catch up ... yeah, right!

Never fond of Christmas shopping crowds, we took early Toy-R-Us and Target ad flyers and had the kids go through and mark the things they thought they might like. Naomi marked everything pink or with babies in both books. Josiah didn't like anything - but still wants everything. I'm sure we'll hear words of disgruntlement on Christmas morning. He ended up with circles around any video game that looked like fighting, as well as some nasty looking guns and such. Sigh. Lists were made and shopping completed in just a couple of trips well before the Thanksgiving rush. Whew! I took it all to work for safe keeping and wrapping out of sight of curious eyes (and hands). Once at home they instantly were on to my color-code and counted gifts just to insure everything was fair. Natch!

Most years I painstakingly decorate my tree with many beautiful, fragile, and meaningful ornaments I have been collecting since my teens. It is always a source of much pride and joy for me at the holidays. I had to work very hard to let go of myself and let the kids decorate the tree. Other than the tendency to put everything directly in front of them so there was a one foot swatch about three feet from the ground that was decorated leaving the rest of the tree bare, they did a good job. With a bit of coaching and moving some of those stacked on a single branch, it didn't turn out half bad. And the pride and joy I feel for my children when I look at this tree far outweighs anything felt for past efforts.

GLORY HALLELUJAH! THE LORD HAS COME!!
Come Christmas morning amid the wrapping and surprise you can bet we will be celebrating and rejoicing the birth of Jesus!!!

A Season of Thanks

2008-12-01T21:04:00.003-07:00

Words of thanks from my sweet daughter:

"I'm thankful for my family, my mom, my brother, my dad. I came on a plane with my family to America from Ethiopia. My mom and my dad buy me clothes and presents. When Josiah and I came to America my mom and dad were happy and I am happy too."

And Mom is thrilled that her kids are happy!!! A bigger blessing I could not wish for. It is an utter joy!

We had a lovely Thanksgiving in Montana with the whole family - all of my brothers and sister together is not a common occurrence these days. My sister and sister-in-law pitched in to make a great Thanksgiving meal! Nonetheless, my kids ate only the dark turkey meat and a bit of dinner roll, but could not be talked into white meat, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, sweet potatoes, or any of the traditional holiday fare. Not even the pumpkin pie!

We had an uneventful trip home on Sunday despite early road reports of closures in southern Wyoming. Praise God! I am sure it was He who was responsible as we were all sending up prayers for a safe journey.

My love and prayers for all my friends during this blessed season and always . . .

How to tell your kids really love you ...

2008-11-24T19:55:00.001-07:00

I was laying in bed the other night watching the kids hit a balloon back and forth. They were supposed to be getting in bed, but hey! it wasn't a school night and I love to watch them play when they are not inflicting or threatening bodily harm to each other. The balloon came sailing over near my face so I bopped it away. "Mom!" they complained, "Why you hit it? I hit you in the head, I win." Ahhh! I could just feel the love! Ain't life grand?!!

To His Glory!

Kids for Hire

2008-11-09T17:48:00.009-07:00

The floors are swept and vacuumed, the dishes are done, laundry is caught up, bathrooms are clean, I dusted for probably the second time since the kids have been home (that always seems to take low priority), backpacks are ready for school tomorrow, and even some growing piles on closet shelves and in the garage have been tidied. How did this happen?

Naomi and Josiah spent Saturday at uncle Sam's helping with yard work - complete with breather masks to keep out the leaf dust - earning $25 apiece (they promptly asked to put their $5 bill in the church offering) - and leaving Mom to some free time alone. Did I take a long, hot bubble bath or leisurely read a book? No! A cleaning frenzy!

And now they are at a friend's house playing. What is a girl to do!?! I think I have forgotten how to relax . . . guess I'll pester ya-all with my persistent blog updates. And I still have an hour to read that book before I pick them up. Our God is an awesome God!

Halloween weekend adventures

2008-11-08T14:55:00.005-07:00

Ahhhhh! I've never spent Halloween anywhere warm, and even though it was mild in the beautiful Colorado Rockies this year, we were relaxing in 90+ degree Arizona sunshine. It was the kids first airplane trip since arriving from Ethiopia. They said they were scared - and admitted to being scared when we flew from Ethiopia as well - but did great as always!

My heroic Spiderman and beautiful fairy princess made a killing stopping at house after house where many were sitting on lawn chairs in the driveways or on the back of pickup tailgates. The kids didn't even have to walk up to the door! One neighborhood cul-de-sac had a semi-circle of chairs at the entrance so they didn't even have to go down the street! So not only did they not have to freeze to death, they were spoiled by such laziness and posh treatment. By the end of the evening, which lasted but a brief hour-and-a-half, their bulging sacks of candy were so heavy they were begging for assistance to carry them. And Halloween evening was their 4th haul!!! At home they had two Trunk-or-Treats (going from spookily decorated car trunk to car trunk - for one of the events we waited in line an hour and 20 minutes just to get to the admissions gate - what we won't do for our kids!) and one community event at the soccer stadium. These kids have it made! Luckily they are very generous and gave away all their booty from the first 3 outings before we went on the official Trick-or-Treat soujourn.

Along with their very successful candy trek, we visited the Phoenix Police Museum where they got to dress in police clothes and sit in a squad car and on a motorcycle. We also took to a hot and dusty trail for their first horseback ride. Fortunately we went in the morning before it got too bad outside. Even though they only got to plod along, both enjoyed the experience. We were hoping to see some fun desert critters, but made do with a squirrel and a lizard.

We had gone down to Phoenix to attend the retirement party for my long-time friend and she generously let us stay at her fancy-schmancy condo on a Mesa golf course. The kids love to swim so in the afternoon we headed to the pool. As we arrived one of the gentlemen there said, "Oh, you just missed it." "Missed what?" we asked. It is a retirement complex and apparently the pool is only open to kids from noon to 2:00 p.m. We arrived right at 2:00 on the nose. We pleaded ignorance and asked if anyone would mind we swam for just a little while. You could tell by some of the faces they wanted to object but no one was brave enough to do so. I told the kids to keep to themselves, hold down the noise, and don't splash anyone! But the last straw was when they went to jump in the jacuzzi. No sooner had their little toes touched the water, than the waiting vultures pounced. "You can't go in there!!! No one under 16 is allowed. It is too hot for them!" We made no mention of the fact that they used the jacuzzi all summer at home, thanked them for their generosity in letting us use the pool outside of approved hours, and high tailed it back home. Yikes! Remind me to refrain from becoming thusly tarnished when I hit my golden years.

My Snippets

2008-11-07T17:40:00.021-07:00

SNIPPET: –noun
1. a small piece of anything (especially a piece that has been snipped off); a small bit, scrap, fragment, or morsel
2. Informal; a small or mischievous person.

LEARNING LANGUAGE

* Response to a foot rub: "Yummy!"
* Wondering how far we will be driving: "Big minutes?"
* Asked how the sore throat and sniffles are doing: "Finished"
* Wanting to leave early for school: "Mom, today fast go, okay?"
* Are you feeling grouchy? - "You grouch me!" - I'm making you grouchy? "Yes!"
* One of the first multi-word sentences, "Are you crazy?!" Complete with appropriate intonations and facial expression. (Where did you learn that?)

SIT, KNIT, CHIT (CHAT)

* Both kids learned to knit in their after school program. It is such a "warm, fuzzy" when we are all sitting on the couch together in the evening - with no TV - and all three of us are knitting and just talking with each other. We're so "Leave It To Beaver"!

HANDSHAKES, HUGS, & KISSES

* Josiah no longer wants to be hugged in front of other people, and fusses grumpily if I try . . . the other day we arrived at school and didn't get our usual clandestine hug at the car before going in. After storing his backpack he said, "Mom, come outside, Josiah tell you something." We walked back out into the hallway and he threw his arms around me and gave me my good-bye kiss! (Mom's eyes get misty!)

* Naomi still loves her hugs and kisses but we have added our own secret "handshake" . . . an Ethiopian custom is to press thumb pads together with someone and then you kiss your thumb where they touched each other. We added the ASL sign for "I Love You" followed by a high five. So it's thumb-kiss-ILY-high5!

ETHIOPIA IN DENVER

* Here's a link to a Google map of Ethiopian restaurants, markets, churches, salons, etc. in the Denver area, one of the top 10 U.S. cities with largest Ethiopian community, estimated at 20,000 to 30,000.

S P O R T S

* Josiah's soccer team once again led their league with a 7-1 win record. The boys had some tough competition but played their hearts out and impressed everyone. The last week of the season they had a "professional" training session with one of the Colorado Rapids players! It was a great opportunity and they got some good tips.

* Naomi is preparing for a dance recital in December. Her class will be doing a combo ballet and tap routine called "Put Me In Coach." Time to charge up the video camera batteries!!

* Josiah and Naomi both started Taekwondo this week. It was supposed to be an off-season sport between soccer sessions, but I am very impressed with the instructors and the class. The head instructor studied under General Choi Hong Hi, who is considered to be the founder of Taekwondo. The discipline and respect that is taught really reinforces what I am trying to instill in them at home. And I think is better received coming from an outside source. The class is a mixed group open to all ages so I am considering enrolling myself next month! Better than just sitting there on my rear and watching for an hour and 3/4. The instructor says it would also improve the chances of the kids sticking it out. I asked them if they would be embarrassed or didn't want me to join in, and both said 'no.' The funny part is that the hierarchy of the class is structured by rank - first by belt, and then by length of study within the belt level. Since Naomi and Josiah will have started before me, they will be ranked higher than I am. They'll love that!

LA'BRI-UT: -verb/adjective
1. Hebrew: be blessed

“The LORD bless you and keep you;
The LORD make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The LORD lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.”

~ Numbers 6:24-26 (NKJV)

Until we meet again,
Love,
Nancy

Wiki Walking

2008-10-20T18:39:00.002-06:00

We took a long walk around Addis Ababa on WikiMapia and found to within a couple of blocks of the house where my kids lived in Ethiopia. We located two nearby churches, the grade school they attended, and a police station that is "very close!" They just couldn't relate the aerial view to the streets they may have walked on or the distance traveled from the churches or school to home. But it was fun to see the general area. Hopefully we will all be able to take a trip there someday. I've told them we'll go once they graduate from high school, but the more I research and learn, the more itchy I get to go sooner.

Mutant Ninja Laundry

2008-10-20T18:28:00.002-06:00

How can two small children generate so much laundry? And get it so dirty? One of the first questions I took to my network of parents was "how do I get their clothes clean?" (The answer was OxiClean, and it does work pretty well). I am also so thankful I can do much of this towering mountain of laundry at work. Yes, I did say 'at work.' I work in an appliance showroom and we have a live laundry display. I sort and pre-treat at home, then pop it the washer when I get to work. A couple of short breaks to switch loads and fold and I am done. I still do socks and unmentionables at home ... for one, I don't want our unmentionables spread all over the employee lounge and two, all those small items take longer to fold and I don't want to take undue advantage and jeopardize my good fortune. And yes, that is Ninja Josiah inside the laundry basket. They like to hide under the clothes and then pop out and "scare" me! Or I will call around for whoever is missing, feign giving up, and then pick up the basket and carry it away to dump elsewhere. This elicits many giggles, but is getting very hard to do -- they weigh about 55 and 64 pounds!

Ethiopia Reads Founder Named Top 10 Hero of the Year by CNN

2008-10-16T06:43:00.012-06:00

Thursday, October 09, 2008
Yohannes named Top Ten Hero of the Year by CNN

Denver, CO -- Yohannes Gebregeorgis, a native of Ethiopia and children's literacy advocate, has been named a Top 10 Hero of the Year by CNN. Mr. Gebregeorgis was selected from more than 3,000 individuals nominated by viewers throughout the year. Finalists were selected by a Blue Ribbon panel of judges that includes Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Jane Goodall and Deepak Chopra. The Top 10 Heroes will be recognized in CNN's "All-Star Tribute" to air on Thanksgiving.

Mr. Gebregeorgis was first recognized as a "hero" by CNN in May for his work championing children in Ethiopia. A former political refugee who worked as a librarian at San Francisco Public Library, Mr. Gebregeorgis is the co-founder of Ethiopia Reads, a non-profit organization that works to create a reading culture in Ethiopia by connecting children with books. In a country where 99% of schools have no libraries, Mr. Gebregeorgis and Ethiopia Reads are improving lives, one book at a time.

ABOUT YOHANNES GEBREGEORGIS

ABOUT ETHIOPIA READS

Still praying for Samuel Phillipson

2008-10-12T08:06:00.003-06:00

Please continue to pray for Samuel Phillipson. He is a 3-1/2 year old boy adopted from Ethiopia just 6 weeks ago. A week ago (on October 4) he was critically injured in a tractor accident. He lost both legs below the knee, his right arm is seriously damaged, and he suffered trauma to other areas of his body. He is improving and God has done miracles already in his healing. He has been moved out of intensive care and is starting to interact with family and visitors. Praise and hallelujah!

You can follow Samuels' healing journey and offer emotional support for his family at their Caring Bridge website.

An account has also been set up at the Premier Bank in Sullivan Wisconsin to help the Phillipson family during this time of need. Samuel will need many more surgeries over the next few months and he will have a lengthy stay at Children's Hospital in Milwaukee. The family will also need to make accommodations to their home and vehicle to allow Samuel to be able to get around in his environment. All of this will come at a hefty price. We cannot imagine what a rough road lies ahead for this family. But we know that our God will supply all of our needs as He promises in His word. Please pray for guidance in supporting the needs of this wonderful family in their time of tragedy.

"The Samuel Phillipson Fund"

Checks can be sent to:

Premier Bank

PO Box 38

Sullivan, WI 53178

Checks should be made to Samuel Phillipson Fund or to Carole Phillipson with  Samuel Phillipson Fund in the memo portion.

The following was taken from the Phillipson blog

Samuel was injured today in an accident involving the tractor. He was airlifted from the park behind our house to Children's Hospital in Milwaukee. We need prayers.

Currently he is still in surgery and will need many, many more. He has lost one leg below-the-knee and the other they are trying to save to the ankle. One arm is broken near the shoulder but the elbow is more critical - open fractures with tissue damage/missing.

His pelvis is also fractured on one side. His buttocks and back are injured and he needs a colostomy. If he continues to do well in surgery tonight that will be performed now.

His vitals are good. He was awake up until surgery where we were able to kiss him.

Please lift him up. He's such a precious, vivacious, mischievous guy.

Marty and I are good and feeling the prayers and have our faith to sustain. It is the other children (Paul especially and Mary) that I worry about - they are with their Uncle Mike and Aunt Sheryl at our house tonight . . . . all the kids are piled in bed together (Paul usually sleeps with Samuel).

We love you all. We appreciate the power of prayer. We have a caringbridge.org website titled samuelphillipson that does not require a password and will keep all the medical stuff there.

Blessings to all. We praise God that we are His children and that we are in such a place where Sam is being tended to so well.

Family Math Night at school

2008-10-01T18:48:00.006-06:00

The kids' grade school has monthly featured events to promote fun in learning. Recently it was math night! There were tables set up around the gymnasium with games an activities all related to math and numbers. The kids moved around the tables playing the various games to earn tickets. All of the tickets then went into a raffle for fun prizes. Naomi won a Farkle game!

Happy Enkutatash!!

2008-09-12T05:44:00.001-06:00

Enkutatash is the first day of the New Year in Ethiopia. It occurs on Meskerem 1 on the Ethiopian calendar, which is September 11 (or, during a leap year, September 12) according to the Gregorian calendar. The new current year according to the Ethiopian calendar is 2001.

Literally, Enkutatash means 'Gift of Jewels'. The date traditionally marks the end of the season of heavy rains and is more recently or historically set by the return of the Queen of Sheba to Ethiopia after her visit to King Solomon in Jerusalem. It also marks the commemoration of Saint John the Baptist. Enkutatash is not only a religious holiday but it is also a day for young boys and girls to sing and dance and for exchanging New Year greetings among urban and rural inhabitants.

My kids received a small gift at home and their teachers (whom I told of the holiday) had noise makers and treats. We go out to dinner at an Ethiopian restaurant every Friday night, but hope this one will be a bit special for them -- the holiday made them really homesick for Ethiopia. And we will go to Ethiopian church on Sunday, dressed in traditional clothing, to celebrate.

HAPPY ENKUTATASH!

Getting better at braids ...

2008-08-23T19:55:00.003-06:00

This was our first attempt at beads as well ... Naomi loves to swish tham back and forth!

Thanks Snapaholics for the great hair products and gallery of braiding style ideas!

Soccer champs

2008-08-20T19:58:00.005-06:00

We finished our church summer soccer league undefeated!!! Josiah & Naomi were a big hit ... of the total 56 goals scored by the team, Josiah made a whopping 45 of them! Naomi saved the day many a time with her strong kicks from the backfield, getting the ball back into scoring position and defending our goal. AND they both won their medallions for memorizing all of their Bible verses. Proud mama! We look forward to joining the kids again next summer.

In the meantime, Josiah will continue with soccer on a fall rec league and Naomi is excited to start a dance combo class where she will learn ballet, tap, and jazz.

Not my usual post

2008-08-14T20:33:00.012-06:00

"Well done, good and faithful servant …
Enter into the joy of your lord"
~ Matthew 25:21

After four years of living with excellence even in the face of terminal brain cancer ...

"Joy comes in the morning for Trent … at 6 a.m. Saturday morning, October 9th, Trent went home to be with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He is more alive than he ever imagined and just where he desired to be. Friday afternoon the ventilator was removed and he took an immediate turn for the worse but God in His grace calmed things down and those gathered had an awesome time preparing for the healing of Trent’s body. If human wills could produce effect, Trent would have jumped off the bed healed and whole but human wills don’t hold any power. God had a plan for Trent and at 6 a.m. it was accomplished. He has finally realized what he longed for so greatly, to bask in the light and glory as a coheir with Christ in the Kingdom, and to experience the fullness of the love of God as his adoption as a son. Well done, Trent, Well done." (as written by a friend)

In honor of Trent's memory, his wife, Cathy is asking memorials be given to Gospel for Asia

Donations may be mailed to:
Gospel for Asia
1800 Golden Trail Ct
Carrollton, TX 75010-9954

Phone donations may be made at: 1-800-946-2742

Please reference "Given in memory of Trenton Frick" and let the family know you have honored Trent in this way.

My sweet friend Cathy, you are in my heart and prayers.

"Those who sow in tears
will reap with songs of joy."
~ Psalm 126:5

PRAISE GOD

Finally Five Fabulous Family Photos

2008-08-11T19:23:00.005-06:00

The adoption training suggests that family photos are taken within a week or two after arriving home. Wellllll ... we finally got our photos done, I FINally picked them up, and am FINALLY getting them posted. My apologies to the casual viewer or you who have stumbled upon this blog by accident. This is my forum for sharing with family and friends and I can't resist these pictures. Their smiles light up my life.

With Love,
~ Nancy
~ Josiah John Naol
~ Naomi Grace Firaol

Time flies when you're having fun

2008-07-27T19:22:00.004-06:00

I can't believe it has been over a month since my last post. The kids are typically bored with summer, but we have been keeping busy with swimming, soccer, and other activities. I made the mistake of taking them to an amusement park and they loved the little go-carts. Now they ask every day to drive the small cars.

It is soooo fun being a soccer mom!! Josiah & Naomi are both on the same coed church soccer team. They play games twice a week and that serves as practice too. They played allot in Ethiopia -- though I'm not sure if on organized teams or just going for the gusto -- so are the stars of the team. We have four wins in as many games under our belts. Josiah will continue on a rec league this fall, but since the two are so competitive with each other and he is such a natural athlete (at all sports) I want Naomi to do something else. She is excited to start dance!

Hair continues to be a challenge. With all their swimming even if I had done nice braids they were fuzzy in a day. So Naomi has cute extensions for the summer. She loves them! I'm afraid she is going to be disappointed when they have to come out. I thought they would last 6-8 weeks, but her hair seems to be growing fast so it may not be far off. Josiah's hair was getting a bit unmanageable as well. He didn't like to brush it out so we took a clipper to it. At first we tried to cut it just part of the way down, but what a disaster. He said, "Josiah no go outside. Josiah no play." So off the rest of it went. He looks very cute and it it's already growing back.

I'm so loving being a mom. People are always saying what an adjustment it must be and how much work and what I must have given up. But it feels so natural and so right and I adore them and feel like they always been with me. Work? I suppose, but it doesn't seem overwhelming in the least and I feel like I've gained a life I've always missed. NO REGRETS!!!!!!!

Blogging marathon

2008-06-21T20:41:00.007-06:00

I've been too busy to keep up with my blog, so am doing a posting marathon today.

Once the kids got out of school we entertained each other all day so not so much time for computers! And now I am back to work so even crazier! Of course, no matter how much we do they are still bored. They miss their friends in Ethiopia and the activities they did there. It sounds like they had a very active lifestyle with lots of socializing, friends, foos ball, sports and games.

The amount of laundry has been the one surprise in the new realm of parenting. How can two little kids go through sooo many clothes? And get them sooo dirty? One bonus ... as I work at an appliance showroom we have a working laundry display. They have always said I could do my laundry at work and now with the kids I have taken them up on the offer. I get it all sorted and pre-treated at home, then pop it in the machines at work and voila! ... all done. What a lifesaver.

Snippets of life in America ...

Happy Birthday! -- the twins turn 9 ...

2008-06-21T20:26:00.005-06:00

We had a FUN FUN FUN first birthday in America! We had a pool party at the townhouse complex with family , friends, and neighbors. It was a gorgeous warm, sunny day and we all had a great time. It was hard getting the kids out of the water long enough to take a quick photo with their cake before before we cut it and served it up. I did learn a lesson about outdoor parties ... the candles wouldn't stay lit long enough to blow them out! And it was too chaotic to open gifts ... always a guest favorite ... so we took all the presents to the house and those still there got to witness the storm of paper ripping and flying.

Learning to Swim

2008-06-21T20:19:00.003-06:00

The kids' first swim experience was when I went to get them in Ethiopia. They now have two weeks of lessons under their belts and are practically pros. They can both swim all the way across the deep end of the pool in my townhouse complex. The love it! We swim every day!

Road Trip

2008-06-21T16:00:00.006-06:00

For Memorial Day weekend we went to Montana so the kids could meet Grandma - "mommies mom" in Montana. I tried to prepare them for the drive, telling them it was a long, long way ... a "big go" as they say. It was great having my little GPS, because whenever they would ask how far we would just reply in miles. That was much more satisfying to them than "it's still a long ways." My typical 8-1/4 hour trip took 9-1/2 hours on the way up and 9 hours on the way back (guess we learned a bit). We took a portable DVD player thinking it would be a lifesaver for the long ride, but it made them both carsick. So much for techno-travel! But we had a good time and they loved Grandma. They were a big hit at the retirement home as well. Everyone thought they were so well behaved. Wish they'd act like that for Mama! At church my mom likes to sit further back as her mobility is diminished, but the kids like to sit up front -- they LOVE Jesus! So we sat 4 rows from the back and the kids 3 rows from the front. Again I got rave reviews for their behavior. Sigh!

It was a Happy Mother's Day

2008-06-21T15:52:00.004-06:00

It was a whole different experience celebrating Mother's Day as a mom. I got to stand up in church when they honored the moms - which was the first time being a mom felt odd. And my sweet, wonderful children had beautiful cards and a new camera (to replace the one I lost en route to pick them up in Ethiopia). OK, maybe they had some help from their uncle, but it was still so much fun and a blessing to me.

Mythbusters & Challenges

2008-05-09T10:24:00.034-06:00

We are doing GREAT!!! It is so fun being a mom!!!

MYTHBUSTERS: We have joined Mythbusters on a couple of common adoption expectations (at least for us!)

1). Stay at home for awhile:

All the adoption training talks about cocooning, kinda holing up at home for awhile after the kids arrive. Mine visited school the first week and the second week began attending full time. They love it and are doing great. The teachers are amazed at how quickly they are picking things up. Mom too!

And they also like nothing better than visiting friends, especially Habesha (other people from Ethiopia) - "mom, go?" - or having company.

2). They won't know how to play indoors:

In Ethiopia, my twins walked into the room, picked up the remote, turned on the TV, switched channels, turned up the volume, and kicked back onto the bed to watch television! At home they like nothing more than watching videos - "mom, film?" - playing on the computer, and using electronic games. They are familiar with a lot of the American movies and are mad at me because I won't let them watch "The Lord of the Rings" - it is PG13 and they are only 8 years old.

FEARS & CHALLENGES:

One of my biggest fears and my biggest challenge has been food. My fear was because I don't really cook (I'm kind of a cheese and crackers kind of gal). The challenge is that they don't like anything! Thank God for eggs, bananas, oranges and bread. Forget anything related to dairy - milk, yogurt, cheeses (no pizza, no sandwiches with cheese, no mac & cheese), butter, etc. Also no peanut butter (rats!). For a non-cook to begin with it is quite frustrating, but we are discovering a few successes - rice, sloppy joe ... okay, that is all I can think of right now. Other than, of course, chips and french fries and cookies and the things they just can't have all the time.

My other trepidation with having a daughter was taking care of her African hair. I've tried to braid with limited success but hope to get better. I did just run across a cornrow tutorial on YouTube, and I'm so excited because I think I have it down now. Can't wait to practice tonight as it is time, once again, to re-braid!.

More photos from Ethiopia ...

2008-04-22T11:49:00.019-06:00

I can't get the captions to sync up with the photos, so here is a rambling of what is below:

Meeting at the CWA foster home (4) ~ Getting backpacks and toys (1) ~ Looking at family photos (1) ~ First swim (4) ~ Getting new braids (2) ~ Spiffed up for U.S. Embassy visa appointment (2) ~ Playing checkers (3) ~ Viewing video (1) ~ With our missionary friends (1) ~ Signing "I Love You" with favorite taxi driver, Kassahun (1) ~ Sacked out! (1) ~ First ice cream (1) ~ Posing on hotel room balcony (1) ~ Hair again! (1) ~ Picked up by CWA to go to airport (1) ~ IN AMERICA! going through immigration (1) ~ Airplane from Washington D.C. to Denver!!!!! (2)

Arriving home - Denver airport

2008-04-17T10:38:00.012-06:00

WELCOME HOME!!!

Beautiful daughter, Naomi / Flower (Firaol)
Kathy ... my sister and travel companion extraordinaire
Cobey ... Kathy's grandson
Jim ... Kathy's hubby
Handsome son, Josiah / Naol
Nancy ... proud new mama!!!

Back from Ethiopia

2008-04-11T20:14:00.003-06:00

We arrived back home from Ethiopia Monday evening, one day later than planned due to confusion on airline reservation -- thought to be for Saturday evening, but when called to confirm Saturday morning, found our tickets were for Friday evening!!!! The airline did not even fly to America on Saturday, but thank the Lord we were able to get a flight for Sunday evening instead. It did give us an opportunity to attend church with our missionary friends in Addis Ababa, so that was a treat.

The kids are amazing!!! More than I could ever have imagined. I feel so completely blessed. They are so smart and fun and loving! They are also manipulative and stubborn and headstrong -- especially Naol -- 110% boy! He is into everything! He gets angry at the drop of a hat and gives the little Ethiopian shoulder shrug of indifference, or is just completely sullen. Firaol -- who's nickname is Flower -- cries and whimpers to gain attention and sympathy, but will laugh when caught at her tricks ... at least sometimes! And everything has to be exactly even!!!! I can't even put a band-aid on one without doing so for the other. We've already had many an issue of perceived injustice.

While still in Ethiopia they wanted to go swimming so we went to one of the hotel pools in Addis Ababa. It was their first time!!! Naol was fearless pretty quickly but Firaol clung to me for quite awhile. They still had fun and we had to leave before they wanted to. They also had their first ice cream when we went to swim again at a hot springs "resort." We tried to tell them to keep the cones upright so it would not fall off, but sure enough, we were walking along and Flower's went "plop" onto the ground. Then the monkeys came and ate it! So I gave her mine; proof positive that I am a mom (that I would give up my ice cream for anyone!!!!).

They like their American names -- Josiah & Naomi, and are fine with not having a father here ... whew! And they love their mother!!! :-) I hear mama mama mama mama mama all day long. They love to smother me with kisses (Naol especially likes to do so when trying to get out of trouble!). We sleep as a human sandwhich. They are on either side pressed close with arms and legs wrapped around me. I can't move but it is wonderful!!!!!!!!!!!! -- my back and neck are killing me, but my over-full heart more than makes up for it.

I lost my camera en route to England so have no photographs -- though my sister took allot that I will get copies of -- but had a camcorder so have allot of great video. They are little hams and love it when I turn on the camera, and especially when I take video of them and play it back. They giggle the whole time. They are very happy, smiley children.

They are doing wonderful being here at home. We visited the school on Tuesday, and then participated in class for a couple of hours on Thursday. We will start going for longer periods next week and hopefully full days within a week or two. They are so serious while there, but back to laughing and chattering away as soon as we leave the building. They say they like it, and I know they are anxious to learn English and be able to communicate.

Yesterday was their first snow. They built a snowman with the neighbors and played snow soccer! They loved it!! LIFE IS GRAND!

Thank you Jesus for our abundance of blessings!!!!

Wedding Night Jitters

2008-03-24T06:49:00.003-06:00

Well, in a few short hours I'll be leaving for the airport. I'm feeling a bit nervous ... wedding night jitters! But so excited to be home with the kids and start our new lives together. I appreciate all your love and support, prayers and blessings!

To God's Glory ...

In Him,

Nancy

And repacking ...

2008-03-22T22:16:00.005-06:00

My Ethiopian friend, Abeba had asked a week or so ago if she could send a few things with me to Ethiopia. I asked how much and she thought only maybe 5 pounds. I asked how large and she thought about the size of a small backpack. I wondered how I would fit this in my already snug-as-a-bug suitcases, but agreed. Well! She brought a school size backpack stuffed full and another canvas gunny sack with about the same amount or more! Shoes, socks, jackets, sweaters, onesies, and so on. My eyes went big as saucers. But how often does she have a chance to get things taken to relatives there? Not often! And shipping it is so expensive. So I said I'd manage. I unpacked and repacked my biggest bag, leaving out one of my empty suitcases I had planned to take over, and my big bag is now stuffed full and I am only about 1-1/2 pounds under the weight limit. Hope my scale is accurate!!! I also need to call her relatives when I get to Ethiopia to arrange to get them the gifts. The adventure continues!

I've got birth certificates!

2008-03-18T18:34:00.009-06:00

Exciting news for today: I received the children's birth certificates ~ they will turn 9 years old in June ~ and my official confirmation of my Embassy date on April 1st! I was so happy to get both!! I was dying of curiosity to see when their birth date would be set at, and I have been flying on FAITH with my travel plans. The news today is a total prayer praise for the supplications I was making last night! Now I can breathe easy (or easier) in these final few days before heading off on our trip. "Give thanks to the Lord for He is good!"

All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go

2008-03-16T21:08:00.018-06:00

" 'Cause I'm leaving on a jet plane ..."

I have my suitcases all packed ... one for the kids with another duffle bag packed inside to return with souvenirs, one for me, and one full of donations. (My sister is only taking one so we are still only at two per person). CWA shipped me a baby scale, five pairs of little shoes and a pile of socks to take; I found some flip flops at Walmart on clearance for 75 cents apiece so bought a pair for each of my kids (which might be their size) and six more pairs to donate. My sister works for a dentist so we have 150 toothbrushes to bring, and we also have about a dozen bars of bath soap, 6 jump ropes, 6 boomerangs (another 75 cent bargain!), 600 balloons, 100 packages of four color-crayons (like the restaurants give to the kids) and 10 packages of 20 colored markers. I would love to take more but ran out of space.

We leave one week from tomorrow on Monday March 24th! We'll arrive in London on Tuesday morning, stay with some friends for a few days for my final hurrah at a vacation for a long, long time and depart there on Saturday evening. We arrive in Addis Ababa early Sunday morning. My sister's church supports a missionary team with Christian Missionary Fellowship in Addis Ababa, and a lovely couple (whom we met several months ago when they were home to visit family) have graciously offered to meet us at the airport - even though an adoption agency representative will be there as well - and take us to church with them and then to lunch. What a nice welcome! Hopefully later that day I will be able to pick up the kids. Wow! It is so surreal to think that soon I will be the mother of two 8 year olds!

I am also completely thrilled to find out that one of the women whom I met last fall at an adoption training class in Washington state will be in Ethiopia at the same time we will be. We are making plans to meet and spend some time together. I just love her and her 14 year old daughter and am looking forward to spending some time with them as they pick up her new 12 year old son. Their being there at the same time is just one more sign that God has a perfect plan for all of our futures.

In addition, another new wonderful friend I met at an adoption class here in Colorado, is traveling to pick up her new 8 year old son from Rwanda and may be passing through Ethiopia when we are there as well. She is an amazing woman who who is the founder of He Knows My Name, a ministry which raises banners throughout Africa and the entire world proclaiming Jesus as King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. The Holy Spirit uses her in a powerful way, meeting personally with political and military leaders to work towards peace. I count it as an honor to be included in her circle of friends. I encourage you to visit their website and pray for peace and this ministry.

"Don't know when I'll be back again ..."

Okay, yes I do ... we leave Ethiopia Saturday April 5th, and after a grueling 16 hour flight from Addis Ababa to Washington DC, and an 8 hour layover there, where I'm hoping we can all hop a tour bus to see some of nations historic sights, we will arrive home Sunday afternoon, April 6th.

Court is a thing of the PASSED

2008-03-06T16:21:00.011-07:00

I got my call about 10:00 this morning ... I passed court. Yah! Bouncing off ceiling; have to come down to get to cloud nine!!!!

Based on the recent experience of others, our Embassy date should be about 3 weeks after court. My estimate is April 1st (kinda funny, huh?) as CWA has theirs on Tuesdays. I was told the firm notice is only about 10 days before the actual date. Since I want to travel to England on the way, I took a leap of faith and booked a flight leaving March 24th -- the day after Easter. I will probably only find out if that is indeed the day on the previous Friday. Why I want to put myself under even more stress, I do not know! But if I have to push it out a week, I'd rather pay the change fee than stress over not having a reservation (spring break already has flights getting scarce) or making something at a moments notice.

And now I can legally post photos of the kids on my blog! ... here are my angels ... 8 year old twins, Josiah & Naomi ...

A visit to Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Kidane Meheret Church

2008-03-04T18:06:00.020-07:00

While I'm sitting here hyperventilating over my impending court date (only two days away, but who's counting?), I thought I'd share my experience visiting one of our local Ethiopian churches with my friend, Abeba, who emigrated to the U.S from Ethiopia 16 years ago.

According to Abeba, the service begins at 8:00 a.m. with two hours of prayer, followed by an hour of Bible study. So she told me to arrive at 10:00. The first time I went, I had no idea what to expect. I walked up to the door and could hear a kind of sing-song-chanting as the service was being performed in Amharic. I peeked in the door and saw a sea of white robes! Uh oh!

Getting up my courage I slipped through the door eliciting only a few stares. I noticed that the men were on one side of the room and the women on the other. There were also piles of shoes at the doorway where everyone had removed them prior to entering. As I was a few minutes early I hoped that my friend had yet to arrive, would come in through the door, find me and all would be grand. This did not happen. As I watched, I noticed that several people had gone out a side door and returned with the white head coverings. I thought perhaps there were "extras" out in a hallway so went to explore. No such luck. As I wandered to and fro looking a bit lost, a nice young lady asked if she could help me. I told her I was looking for "Abeba with the twins" (she had told they would know who that was). Indeed, the girl knew exactly who I meant and took me to one of the ladies in the white robes. Ahhh! My friend!!!

I felt it gave me a small taste of what my children might feel coming to this country where they couldn't understand the language, didn't know the customs, and didn't know quite what to do or how to act. I think God gave me this experience so I could in a small way relate to that feeling.

The second time I visited, just last week, I asked Abeba if she could bring me a white scarf, the traditional "natela" to wear. This time when I arrived I was met by Abeba's cousin, Tsehai who fetched the natela that had been brought for me, and again found Abeba in the expanse of white -- I don't know how they do it! The church was packed as it was a special day for them, the anniversary of their founding. I arrived about 9:45. Between prayer and the "service" all of the the children file in for communion. It was so crowded we did not have a seat and were standing in the back. When the kids crowded in it was very crowded indeed! Rather than the 10 minutes or so communion took on my first visit, this one probably took 1/2 an hour! Then there is song and dance performed, which is wonderful with flags twirling and rhythms kept on large kettle drums. It's my favorite part! After the music, the pastor delivered an animated service with witty comments here and there, apparent by the laughter from the congregation. I would say that I didn't understand a word, but about halfway through he said a single sentence in English. Why he choose that one I don't know. And we should never complain about our protestant services going longer than the hour or ninety minutes they typically last. The service did not get over until 12:30! I stood watching and listening for almost three hours.

The long service was made all worthwhile by the delicious potluck style dinner which was served afterwards. Of course, once again it was packed. After a gracious woman offered to get a plate of food for me, I moved to sit with someone else I knew and wondered to myself if she would still be able to find me when she brought the food back. Silly me! I was the only white skin visible amongst every shade of caramel, tan, brown, and black. I was an easy target to pick out.

Finally about 2:00 p.m. I bid my good-byes, but only after being persuaded to take home a huge plate of leftover food. I hope to attend the church with my kids perhaps once a month or every other month after they are home. I'd go more often, but for one I don't understand the language and have a hard time using that time to learn more about God and deepen my relationship with Christ, and for two I love and adore my own home church. But I feel very welcome and appreciate having them in my and my kids' lives.

A Shower of Blessings

2008-03-03T22:18:00.029-07:00

My awesome, wonderful, amazing friends Darla, Kayla, and Patti threw an adoption "baby" shower for me on Saturday. They worked so hard and I am so blessed by their love and support. I was overwhelmed with generosity. My best friend, Suzette flew all the way from Arizona just to be here for me. My new children and I truly received a "shower" of blessings.

WOW! We are sooo blessed!

I HAVE A COURT DATE!

2008-02-21T21:48:00.003-07:00

I just found out today that I have a court date for March 6th .... only two weeks away. I am beside myself with joy! I cannot stop emailing and calling and thinking and praising Jesus! I am praying for no delays, complications, failures, or rescheduling. If all goes well that means an Embassy appointment potentially April 8th or perhaps the 15th (my agency has slots on Tuesdays). Since I plan to stop in London to visit friends on the way over, that means a departure of March 31st or April 7th. I have so much to do! I have to stop typing and go PACK!

He Reigns!!!

Just what I've been waiting for

2008-02-05T19:05:00.000-07:00

I finally received the results of the medical exams that I have been waiting for. Praise the Lord! The kids appear healthy so the next step is getting a court date. I was really, really hoping to travel in March, but the latest timelines posted by someone on a Yahoo group state:

"Your paperwork and the children's paperwork will be reviewed and approved by MOWA (Ministry of Women's Affairs). They will complete the paperwork and your attorney in Ethiopia will file the case in court. Once filed, it takes on average 4 - 6 weeks to be heard. If it passes, the kids are legally yours and you should get an Embassy appointment for your children's Visa within 6-8 weeks. That is when you travel! Keep in mind that there are a growing number of agencies and cases. That means things can take longer."

I think I am at the point where we can file in court. I think, but am not sure, that I have already been reviewed by MOWA. That still means 10-14 weeks. I am still optimistically hoping to travel in early April. I appreciate your prayers!

If the medical reports are accurate, my kids are growing fast! Comparing my current medical report to the one I received last October. Naomi has gone from 45" to 47" and 46 pounds to 53. Josiah has gone from 46" to 49" and 53 pounds to 55. The report also states their ages at 8 (no birthdate yet) and their grade in school as Grade 2 -- at their interview in September the ages given were 8 or 9 and they were in Grade 1. So I am happy about the latest information. Hopefully not quite as much catching up to do in school.

I found a really cute cartoon to insert here, but it is copyrighted. Drats! See it here.

Love & Blessings,
Nancy

Faux pas

2008-01-23T23:01:00.001-07:00

Oh my goodness! I've recently discovered that it is actually against Ethiopian law to post photos of the children prior to completing the court process and becoming the legal parents. It is for the children's protection and does make sense. Many things can go wrong in this process and they do not want these kids exploited in any way. So even though it is hard as a waiting parent not to share them with everyone, I have removed all photos and references to their Ethiopian names until after I have passed court. Thank you to the kind individual who pointed this out to me or I may not have known, and could have jeopardized my adoption.

On the bright side, my twins have been moved from the foster home in Soddo to the care center in Addis Ababa, their final stop before coming home to the U.S. Now they need to get another (more thorough as I understand) medical exam and then we can submit our paperwork for a court date. I am praying for a smooth process and to pass court on the first attempt. I am still hoping and praying for an Embassy date in late March. This waiting business is hard!!!

Thinking about names

2008-01-14T20:18:00.001-07:00

I've been really thinking about names. Earlier I talked about changing my last name to my children's Ethiopian surname (see Josiah & Naomi posted 11/27/07), which according to their traditions is their father's first name. I wanted to honor their heritage and family. But the more I talk to people and the more I think about it, I am now leaning again towards giving them my last name instead. There are many reasons, but I have given it much thought and prayer and it seems like the better decision. So I am a bit reluctantly, but peacefully letting go of that desire.

Computer woes

2008-01-12T09:47:00.001-07:00

Well, my computer had been running increasingly slower and slower and finally died completely on 12/29/07 - just after my last post. I'm not sure if the hard drive gave out or if it was victim to some virulent virus (my virus scanning software said "0 viruses" but I'm not sure I believe it). After growing frustration with my PC the last year or two, I made the switch to a Mac and am still working on learning its unique nuances. I was hoping to simplify my life a bit and resolve this area of frustration prior to my new venture in motherhood, but alas, it is yet to be resolved. And with the switch some of my diligent backing up of files may have been for naught as not all are compatible with the new Mac. Perhaps someone is trying to tell me to let go of some of my computer obsession, so I'll have more time for these precious children!!

I'm still waiting for an update on the twins. They were to have been moved from the foster home in Soddo to the CWA care center in Addis Ababa around 1/3/08, but to my knowledge that hasn't happened. Once there, they will get another medical exam and then the court date can be scheduled. Nonetheless, I am still estimating traveling to get them sometime in March. Time is moving so fast and so slow both at the same time!

Another step closer

2007-12-29T20:35:00.000-07:00

I got my I-171H immigration approval today! Yeah! Another step closer. So that means I should know within the next few weeks when my court date will be. I am so excited ... and scared and nervous and a hundred emotions I can't even name!

Please say prayers that the rest of the process goes smoothly. Thanks!

Melkam Yelidet Beaal (Happy Christmas)

2007-12-25T06:58:00.000-07:00

GENNA

Christmas in Ethiopia, called Lidet or Genna, is not the primary religious and secular festival that it has become in Western countries. Falling on January 7th, it is celebrated seriously by a church service that goes on throughout the night in ancient churches carved from solid volcanic rock and also in modern churches that are designed in three concentric circles. Men and boys sit separately from girls and women. The choir sings from the outside circle.

The day before Genna, people fast all day. On Christmas Eve the city is crowded with pilgrims from all parts of the country. They remain outdoors all night, praying and chanting. The next morning at dawn, everyone dresses in white. Most Ethiopians wear a traditional shamma, a thin, white cotton wrap with brightly colored stripes across the ends. The shamma is worn somewhat like a toga. Urban Ethiopians might put on white Western garb. A colorful procession makes its way to a nearby hilltop where a service is held. Three young men march at the head of the crowd, lashing whips from left to right to keep the people in line. People receive candles as they enter the church. After lighting the candles everyone walks around the church three times, then stands throughout the mass, which may last up to three hours.

After the service is over the rest of the day is spent dancing, playing sport and feasting. Traditionally, young men played a game somewhat like hockey, called genna, played with a curved stick and a round wooden ball, and so Christmas has also come to be known by that name. Food served at Christmas usually includes injera, a sourdough pancake like bread. Injera serves as both plate and fork. Doro wat, a spicy chicken stew might be the main meal. A piece of the injera is used to scoop up the wat. Baskets decorated beautifully are used to serve the wat.

Genna and Timkat are not occasions for giving gifts in Ethiopia. If a child receives any gift at all, it is usually a small gift of clothing. Religious observances, feasting, and games are the focus of the season.

TIMKET

Timket, the feast of Epiphany is the greatest festival of the year, falling on January 19th, just two weeks after the Ethiopian Christmas. It is actually a three-day affair beginning on the eve of Timket with dramatic and colourful processions. The children walk to church services in a procession, wearing the crowns and robes of the church youth groups they belong to. The grown-ups wear the shamma. The priests will now wear their red and white robes and carry embroidered fringed umbrellas.

The following morning, the great day itself, Christ's baptism in the Jordan River by John the Baptist is commemorated. Ethiopian men play another sport called yeferas guks. They ride on horseback and throw ceremonial lances at each other. Since October and the end of the rains, the country has been drying up steadily. The sun blazes down from a clear blue sky and the festival of Timket always takes place in glorious weather.

Melkam Yelidet Beaal (Happy Christmas)

With Love,
Nancy

Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy

2007-12-22T09:04:00.001-07:00

The latest news (received 12/20/07) ...

AMEN!
The [caretaker] of [the children] are bringing them tomorrow - they are saying their farewells in their village. They also live far away from Soddo. All is well!
Blessings,
S.

The only surprise there is that I had thought my kids were from Soddo and now it seems they are from "far away from Soddo." Crazy!!! But I'm thankful and feel blessed for any tidbit of information I can glean. For some of the children nothing at all is known.

Plop plop, fizz fizz

2007-12-18T20:43:00.001-07:00

Oh what a relief it is!
(In case you're wondering what the heck I am talking about, that jingle is part of an old Alka-Seltzer commercial) ... anyway ... I received this email today ...

Subject: Merry Christmas News!

Nancy,
I have just received an email from Soddo that our social worker was able to make contact with the family and the children are going to come to the orphanage as soon as possible this week. Our volunteer says to put your heart at ease and she will let us know as soon as they have arrived.

Big sigh of relief! Thank you Jesus! Now "cautiously" bouncing off the ceiling.

Kinda nervous

2007-12-10T22:27:00.000-07:00

Last week I was told that my children had been moved into the CWA foster home in Soddo. This was rather bittersweet, as to me that meant leaving what is familiar to them, but also meant they were safe and well cared for. Today I was apologetically informed that there had been a miscommunication and the woman providing the information was caught in the midst of multiple tasks (sound familiar?) and momentarily confused my kids with another sibling group in the same phase of the process.

As far as my kids' status, they have been sent two messages "inviting" them to the orphanage /foster home. I'm not sure if they didn't respond or just haven't come. Nonetheless, a case worker is being sent to their town this week to speak with them. This makes me really nervous, as it is a very tenuous situation ...

Until they are in the adoption agencies care, anything can happen: Communication in third world countries is difficult and the people can be sometimes transient. The agencies don't "lose" the children, per se, but sometimes after initial contact it becomes difficult or even impossible to regain it. Or, guardians may change their minds or other relatives may step forward that wish to care for the kids.

The CWA motto is "We Believe That God is in Control of Our Agency and Your Adoption." I know this is true and I have complete faith that God has mighty plans to bring my perfect children to me. I have also worked very hard at guarding my heart ... "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." ~ Proverbs 4:23. With an international adoption from a third world country you really have no guarantees until you actually have the children in your arms. I'm sure everything will be fine, but I am praying for God's grace and covering.

Dossier in Ethiopia

2007-11-30T22:27:00.000-07:00

I just found out that my dossier was sent to Ethiopia on 11/27/07. Yippee! Another step closer.

... next ...recieve I-171H (mid January 2008?)
... then ... court date (mid to late February 2008?)
... then ... pick up my kids! (late March to early April 2008?)

And ... I sent out a second email tonight for my fundraising efforts, and have already received a new gift. Praise God! He is Jehovah Jireh, the God Who Provides. "So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, 'On the mountain of the Lord, it will be provided.' " ~ Genesis 22:14

It's a small world

2007-11-30T17:52:00.000-07:00

A few weekends ago I went to a Ethiopian Older Child Adoption Training put on by Kingdom Kids Ministries in Spokane, Washington. It was wonderful and informative and I would highly recommend it. Part of the program consisted of other adoptive parents (mostly the moms) coming in to speak to us about their experiences. What a blessing to have that first hand knowledge!

About a week after my return I was talking to one of the women from my church who said she had a friend in Washington (I thought she said Seattle) who had adopted 10 children, loves Jesus, and would be a great resource for me. So I got the email address and sent a note. We shared a bit of information and one of the things I mentioned was my trip to Spokane and how helpful I had found it. She wrote back in amazement! She had been one of the speakers!! Once we knew each other was there, we both knew exactly who the other was. What a small world! Or as I prefer to say ... isn't God amazing!!!! What an encouragement!

So what happens now, you may ask? ...

2007-11-23T09:12:00.000-07:00

Well ... I filed my I-600A immigration form and was fingerprinted on 11/14/07. They are saying in Colorado it is taking around two months to get the I-171H approval back. So that should happen around mid-January 2008.

In the meantime, with my home study complete and approved, my dossier is now complete as well! Yeah!!! The dossier - a bundle of paperwork more precious than gold due to the hours of labor it takes to compile all the many forms, official copies, and endless details - then needs to be authenticated by the U.S. Department of State in Washington D.C. and after that by the Ethiopian Embassy. One can mail their bundle and hope for the best, or use a courier service, who will hand carry your paperwork to the U.S. Department of State, wait for it, and then trot it over to the Ethiopian Embassy, wait for it (or return on an assigned day), and then use your prepaid envelope to return the completed package to your agency. I chose to do the later. I used The Assistant Stork, and was pleased with their service. I sent my package via FedEx on Friday, and it was authenticated and in my agencies hands by Wednesday. It will then be sent off to Ethioipia to await the arrival of the I-171H immigration approval.

Based on the experience of other adopting parents, I estimate having a court date around six weeks after both the dossier and immigration form have been received in Ethiopia. So maybe late February or early March. We hear that it is another 4-6 weeks after that to travel (though some web postings say as little as three weeks!) making my trip to the ancient and fascinating land of Ethiopia to pick up my angels in late March or early April of 2008. Just over eight months from the day I sent in my application!!! WOW!

Josiah & Naomi

2007-11-17T15:00:00.009-07:00

Update 3/6/08: This post was temporarily suspended pending court approval in compliance with Ethiopian law and adoption agency policies. See Faux Pas dated 1/23/08.

There is a lot of discussion in the international adoption circles about keeping the child's given name versus giving them an "American" name. I love names and name meanings and have given this much thought. In the Bible (my go-to guide for life) name changes represent a change in character, relationship or covenant with God, a new position, or an introduction to a new life and new purpose. Wow! That last one hits the mark! So my children will have new names and will also keep their Ethiopian given names. In addition, since I am single and my current last name is from a marriage I am no longer in - though I am good friends with my ex and really like my last name - I will legally change my last name to my children's last name!

So we will all be Sintayehu, which is pronounced Sin-TIE-u and is Amharic (the national language of Ethiopia) in origin. The literal meaning is “how much have I seen” or “I have seen a lot in my life.” It is a poetic and beautiful name; a kind of expressive name that leaves new mothers wondering when they see their newborn baby.

(See follow-up Thinking about names posted on 1/14/08)

When the blessing of adoption was first laid upon my heart, my son's name was revealed as Josiah. I love his Biblical story found in 2 Kings 22 & 23 (and also in 1 Chronicles 34 & 35) -- "He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD and walked in all the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right or to the left." When the lost Book of the Law that had been given to Moses was rediscovered, King Josiah instructed his people to obey the commandments and brought the people of Judah back to God. At the time I had never heard of anyone having that name and now I meet Josiah's every time I turn around!

So my new son is Josiah John Naol.

Josiah is pronounced jo-SYE-ah, and is Hebrew for "God Will Save, Jehovah Helps, The Lord Saves." He was the 16th king of Judah at age eight after his father was assassinated, and Josiah ruled well for 31 years. My middle name is Jo, so he is also named after me in a loose kind of way. The name Josiah was rated #117 on the 2006 SSA List (Social Security Administration list ranking the popularity of names in the U.S.)

His second name John, is in honor of my dear friend, John W. May who is entwined in my heart and soul, and whom I will love forever and always. The origin is Hebrew and the meaning is "God Is Gracious." Biblically, it is the name of the longest-lived of the 12 apostles, who was especially loved by Christ, as well as the name of John the Baptist, who baptized Christ in the Jordan river. The name John was #20 on the 2006 SSA List.

Naol is pronounced Nah-ol, and is the Ethiopian form of the Biblical name Noah. The origin of Noah is Hebrew, meaning "Peaceful, Rest, Long-lived, Comforter, Wanderer." And of course in the Bible, Noah was the patriarch survivor of the Great Flood who drifted in the ark for 40 days. All the world's nations are descended from Noah's three sons - Ham, Shem and Japheth.

My new daughter is Naomi Grace Firaol.

I picked Naomi just because I love the sound of it! It is pronounced nay-OH-mee, and is of Hebrew origin, meaning "Beautiful, Gentle, Pleasant, Delightful." Naomi was an ancestress of Jesus and mother-in-law to Ruth. The name came into English-speaking use in the 18th century and it was #129 on the 2006 SSA List

My name, Nancy is Hebrew for "Grace," so my daughter gets her second name from me. The name Grace is of Latin origin meaning "Grace of God, Favor, Blessings, Good Will." While not a name used as such in the Bible, it is a virtue name referring to God's grace. Grace was #17 on the 2006 SSA List.

Firaol is pronounced Frah-ol (the "r" is rolled like in Spanish). The origin is Orominya -- Oromo is the ethnic group in Ethiopia that my children belong to. The literal meaning is "to make nice for friends and family." It is a lovely name to have.

Peace and Blessings ...
Your family In Christ

It's official!!! Meet my new children ...

2007-11-17T11:48:00.002-07:00

Update 3/6/08: This post was temporarily suspended pending court approval in compliance with Ethiopian law and adoption agency policies. See Faux Pas dated 1/23/08.

I've been bitting my tongue and sitting on my hands to resist posting until things were definite. After receiving their sweet photos, I just wanted to say "yes! yes! yes!," but my practical side made me wait until I received the actual referral paperwork. There is a slight medical issue, but I was able to speak with our local International Adoption Clinic doctor (I am so blessed to have that resource nearby) and most importantly to lift it up in prayer. God is so awesome and has given me a real peace about everything. Praise the Lord!!! So ..... I've officially accepted the referral for my beautiful twins, Naol & Firaol Sintayehu. They are amazing and I love and adore them already. I can hardly wait to bring them home!

I'm Sooooo Excited!!!

2007-10-22T17:51:00.000-06:00

I was offered photos last Tuesday of two beautiful twins, a boy and a girl around 8-9 years old and both completely adorable!! Praise God! Just seeing their faces is an answer to prayer! The agency had just met them so they have not been through any medical testing as of yet. Please pray that they are healthy!!!! I am resisting saying more or posting photos until I know more and am more certain they will truly be available. But I am very, very excited!

A Referral on the Horizon?

2007-10-15T19:06:00.000-06:00

A team from my adoption agency has just returned from Ethiopia where they visited the orphanage they support, interviewed new families & children in need, and took photographs and film for potential adoptive parents. I just know the children God has chosen for me are among these kids, and I can hardly stand my excitement. I know the agency has a lot of work to do to get everything organized, but it will be all I can do to not continually pester them to show me everything they have. Please continue your prayers that God reveals my referral to me soon! Thank you so much ... stay tuned!

Making New Friends

2007-10-13T14:07:00.000-06:00

Titi & Abeba
One of the most fun parts of this journey is all the new friends I am making! When I found out one of my friends has a neighbor from Ethiopia, I said, "Have her call me!!!!!" I met Abeba at a local Ethiopian restaurant owned by her cousin, Titi. We had a lovely (and delicious) dinner and Abeba patiently answered my unending river of questions about Ethiopia. She is kind and gracious and offered all kinds of help, from teaching me some basic Amharic, to translating captions for photos when I get them ready to send to my new children, to being my friend and "auntie" to my kids. I love her already. I also met her sweet, beautiful 14-year old daughter Illen (who also has a twin brother, Amanuel who I didn't get to meet) who charmed Titi's 11-month old daughter, Maya. Aren't they lovely!!!

Maya & Illen
I've been blessed to have met other new parents of Ethiopian children through training offered by my home study agency. It will be so cool to raise our kids together. In fact, I'm getting ready to head over to one couple's house for dinner this afternoon.

I also joined a local Ethiopian Adoption Support Group and really appreciate the support of the other parents I've met there. Taking this journey as a single mom, I am especially thankful to have the shared experiences and others to bounce ideas off of. And hopefully my new kids will also have some "built in" friends! God is so good!

Adoption Fundraising

2007-09-30T13:23:00.007-06:00

Update 4/29/08: Raised ........ $ 10,545!!!

Update 3/6/08: This post was temporarily suspended pending court approval in compliance with Ethiopian protocol.
_____________________________________________________

"Giving is the best way of living."

I'm officially kicking off my fundraising campaign, and I have to say it is an uncomfortable endeavor. I truly love to give, but when it comes to asking for help ... not so much. But in the words of one of the social workers I spoke with early in this process "If you think you are going to do this by yourself, you are being very selfish."

So I'm taking a breath, humbling myself and stepping out in yet another leap of faith ... that others will be blessed by the opportunity to give, as I would be if it were someone else asking. Many families embark on this journey with nothing at all and trust God to provide for all of it! I admire their courage and faith. My personal goal is through grants and donations to raise around half of the $25-30K (See my blog sidebar for a breakdown of costs) required to bring my two children home from Ethiopia.

Can you help?

If it is on your heart to help me build a family and give these kids a better life or you have a heart for children and orphans or you would like to give to an organization where you know where your money goes or you just need an end of the year tax break ... here are three ways to do it:

1). Founding Family Charitable Foundation:
I have partnered with Founding Family Charitable Foundation to make your donation tax-deductible.

To donate:
Click on the link above and select "How to Give" on the left-hand side of the page, or just look for the "Donate Now" heart. You may donate by American Express (see option #2), Paypal, or mail a check directly to:

Founding Family Charitable Foundation
1004 Rodney Drive
Nashville, TN 37205-1018

Please put my full name in the comment field on your check -- if you need my full name, just leave a comment on this post and I will email it to you. For credit card or online donations, identify my account by sending an email including both my full name and your name to Nina Ottinger, Grant Administrator at ninaottinger@comcast.net.

Please call 615.620.4348 if you would like further information. A general acknowledgment letter of thanks will be sent, unless you specify otherwise.

2). GivingExpress Program from American Express:
* Donate Membership Rewards Points - or -
* Your dollar donations are tax-deductible.

To donate:
Click on the link above and select "Contribute Now" on the left-hand side of the page.

Step 1: In the Non-profit Name or Keywords field, enter "founding family charitable"
Step 2: Select "Founding Family Charitable Foundation" from the list
Step 3: Click "Donate Now" to Donate Dollars or scroll down to Redeem Membership Rewards Points. Please note that there will be an administrative fee of 2.25% taken from your donation to cover processing costs.

Send an email to Nina Ottinger, Grant Administrator at ninaottinger@comcast.net, stating you made an American Express donation and include both my full name and your name.

3). PRAY! Your prayers are the best gift I could ask for ...
Pray that the adoption process itself goes smoothly. Pray that God brings me children who are healthy, kind and loving, with a willingness to learn and a heart to love Jesus. Pray that I am a good parent, and have patience and wisdom. I know that He has the perfect child(ren) picked out for me, but it is driving me crazy not knowing! I am requesting two siblings between the ages of five and nine. Please pray that He reveals them to me soon. But most of all pray that every decision and step of this process is in perfect keeping with His Divine will.

My sincere and gracious thanks to each and every one of you. I know that you will be mightily blessed, as am I.

In Christ,
Nancy

Under African Skies

2007-09-29T20:36:00.001-06:00

I keep bumping into Africa ... or perhaps Africa keeps bumping into me.

The 60's: When I was young, my mother had an RCA recording of the amazing Miriam Makeba's "Click Song." (See my blog sidebar under "Other Resources ..." to listen to a clip) It was my favorite song! I listened to it over and over, probably hundreds of times and never got tired of the lively rhythms or the hypnotic sound of her native South African Xhosa language. Ms. Makeba was one of the first to bring the songs of South Africa to the rest of the world, and only just recently retired from a career that spanned more than half a century. A few weeks ago, while helping clean out my mom's basement I came across the paper jacket for that little record and those pleasant memories came rushing back. I only wish I still had that 45 rpm to slip inside to make a real keepsake for me.

The 70's: In college I studied art history and my favorite class was ... you guessed it! ... African & Oceanic Art. I was drawn to it's pure and primitive nature, from the delicate chi wara headdresses of the Bambara (Bamana) people in Mali, to the striking akua mma dolls of the Ashanti in Ghana, to the endless variety of masks from every tribe on the continent.

The 80's: Paul Simon's "Graceland" CD and "Graceland: The Africa Concert" recorded live in Harare, Zimbabwe brought Miriam Makeba, the Empress of African Song to pop audiences everywhere, and introduced me to the jazz trumpet sounds of another great South African legend Hugh Masekela. The songs cover a variety of musical flavor, including "Under African Skies" and the beautiful "N'Kosi Sikeleli Africa" (God Bless Africa), and the video captures the delight of the people watching this landmark concert.

The 90's: The Disney movie "The Lion King" and subsequent Broadway show kept African rhythms alive with the help of South African song writer Lebo M. Mark Mancina and others. I also discovered the forest music of Baka Beyond, a unique combination of Celtic influence and the primitive percussion of the Baka Pygmies near the Cameroon/Congo border.

From the Baka Beyond website:

The album "Spirit of the Forest" helped define the term “world music” and pushed Baka Beyond into worldwide recognition. From these beginnings, recorded in a bedroom studio and based on live jams recorded while living with the Baka Pygmies in the rainforests of South-East Cameroon, Baka Beyond has evolved into a multicultural, dynamic live stage show. “It was the amazing bird-like singing or yelli that first attracted me,” says Su Hart, Baka Beyond’s lead singer. “The women get together before the dawn to sing, enchant the animals of the forest and ensure that the men’s hunting will be successful. Song and dance are used by the Baka for healing, for rituals, for keeping the community together and also for pure fun! We try to do the same in Baka Beyond.”

The year 2007: It's no wonder that when the call to adopt was laid on my heart that I felt drawn to Africa. I feel thankful that she has called me through the gentle whispers of art and music, and not the angry shouts of slavery, apartheid, discrimination, and human rights. My nature is not one of politics and philosophy, so you won't find such discourses here. But one cannot keep a blind eye to these issues either. To quote: "Choose your friends by their character and your socks by their color. Choosing your socks by their character makes no sense, and choosing your friends by their color is unthinkable." As I do life with my new family, I'm looking forward to learning more about their culture and people, language and customs, issues and challenges. Recent celebrity adoptions from Africa has called attention to this region, and caused an sharp escalation in African adoptions. But for me this had no bearing whatsoever on my choice, and did not even cross my mind until reading about the phenomena afterwards. But I'm glad they did and that it is moving more people to consider these children.

And to Sherri Shepherd from the "View" who recently stated: "Oh, those poor babies. People used to get Chinese babies, now everyone gets African babies. It's a Louis Vuitton bag." A member of one of the web boards said it best when she responded in a letter to the network, "As the mother of a child born in Guatemala and of two more waiting in Ethiopia, I am highly offended that you would compare my children to a handbag. Children are not accessories, and anyone who thinks so would not survive the adoption process. Parents do not have their lives laid bare and go through the emotional roller coaster of adoption to be trendy. They do it because they want to be parents." Thank you! You can click here to tell ABC what you think about Ms. Shepherd's comment!

Paper Chase

2007-09-24T23:01:00.000-06:00

Once the adoption agency was selected, since the one I chose is not in my state of residence, the next step was to find a local home study agency. I was blessed to find another great agency to handle that part of the process ... the digging into who I am and what made me, and how and why I will be a good parent. The well of one's soul is laid bare.

And I'm so glad I'm organized by nature and actually like paperwork! The beginning of the adoption process, as those of you who done or are doing it, is a mountain of paperwork and gathering of records. Some documents are required for the home study, some by the adoption agency, some by both, and copies of almost all everything for the international dossier -- a huge package of everything-you-ever-wanted-to-know and more about the PAP (prospective adoptive parent). And for the dossier it is not just copies mind you, but certified originals, with each and every last one notarized -- by a notary whose commission doesn't expire for at least a year! With a few documents they even go one step beyond, and need the notary signature authenticated by the Secretary of State. I had no idea!

I've been busy as a little bee gathering up tax returns, police clearance letters, birth certificates, bank statements, medical reports, proof of insurance coverage, marriage licenses and divorce decrees, employment verification, getting fingerprinted, background checked, passport photos, family photos, a statement of Christian faith and personal testimony (required for the Ethiopia program director my adoption agency works with) and somehow convincing my friends to find time in their busy lives to write the all important reference letters! I so much appreciate each one. You're a blessing to me!

But I am done! I have survived all of my social worker visits and just need to attend one more required training class for my home study to be complete. Yippee! That is coming up in a couple of weeks, so I am hoping that the home study will be all approved and complete by late October. It is the last item to add to my dossier and then off to Ethiopia. I am so excited!

My Journey Begins

2007-09-24T21:45:00.000-06:00

Once the seed of adoption was planted, it began to rapidly grow. I began my research and found I was not too old, but really just squeaking under the wire for the age requirements for many programs. I decide to proceed carefully, but quickly in determining an agency and program. My heart has always been drawn to Africa so choosing a continent was easy, and after being led to Ethiopia and learning about this proud and ancient culture, it became crystal clear that was the country I needed to focus on. God truly has planted a passion for that area of the world in my heart. (See my blog sidebar "Why Ethiopia").

After considering various agencies I settled upon Christian World Adoption, for their experience in my country of choice, professional credentials, and Christian based philosophies. A mishap or two in their past had led to some bad press, but I spoke with many references, past clients, and staff and am comfortable with the circumstances surrounding those situations. I am happy with my choice thus far. Everyone is kind, helpful, responsive, and most of all interested in God's will for both the adoptive parents and especially the children.

Somewhere along the line in those early days of walking in obedience, the vision of one child became two. For a new, older, single mom that idea still often terrifies me. And there are pros & cons of both adopting one child or a sibling group of two, but I feel so lead to pursue two children. It has been the topic of much prayer! As with the entire process (and my life) I am ultimately leaving the size of my family up to God and will be thrilled with however He decides to unfold this "adventure for a lifetime."

The Prayer of Jabez

2007-09-24T19:37:00.000-06:00

I had been praying the prayer of Jabez every day for about two months:

"And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying,

'Oh, that you would bless me indeed,
and enlarge my territory,
that Your hand would be with me,
and that You would keep me from evil,
that I may not cause pain!'

So God granted him what he requested."

~ 1 Chronicles 4:10
I wanted to be blessed - who doesn't? - but more than that I wanted God to enlarge my territory, my work for Him, my purpose in Christ. I wondered what it would be ... would He have me witness more, serve my church in a greater capacity ...

As I went about my days I realized that in my mind's eye, I was seeing a child at my side. He was with me as I went about the house, watched a movie, shopped for groceries, and especially worshipping and singing praises to God in church. I was amused. It was a pleasant thought. Then the words formed in my consciousness, "you need to adopt this child." What? That can't be. I've given up on motherhood. I'm too old, don't have enough money, too selfish and far too set in my ways! And single for goodness sakes! But the thoughts persisted.

So, I thought I'd run this "idea" by a few friends; they'd set me straight. But they didn't! "What a wonderful thing! I'm 100% behind you." WOW! Could I really adopt a child? Could I really fulfill my almost forgotten desire to be a mother? But where did this "crazy" thought come from? Suddenly it dawned upon me ... the Jabez prayer! God in His mysterious ways was asking me to enlarge my territory in a way I would never have dreamed! I thought about other prayers I had been praying and the far different answers I had imagined. But this one leap of faith ... this bringing a child into my life provides an unexpected and delightful answer to so many requests I had held up to our wise & wonderful Lord.

The journey begins ...

(taken from my back yard on August 17, 2007)