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

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

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

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

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

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 ...

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

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

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

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 ...

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!