Home EIGHT Months!!!!!!!!

December 10th was the 8 month “family-versary” of us being united as family of 6! It is amazing that we are getting closer and closer to being home together one year! Here are highlights from our 8th month together:

T*N***E: 

-You had so much fun at your first Thanksgiving celebration…you enjoyed all of the food and we have a great picture of you smiling with cheeks full of food.

-Part of our family is Jewish, so you got to enjoy your very first Hanukkah! You quickly developed a love for latkes (potato pancakes)…you ate 8!!! And you also enjoyed opening presents…you were particularly happy to get a Repunzel doll!

-You got your first report card! You are excelling above your grade level in EVERY area…although we are not surprised…we are extremely proud of you!

 -You went to the movie theater for the first time. We had a “girls day” with you, me, and Faithy. We went to the Pacific Theaters in Culver City and saw “Tangled”…when you saw the movie screen you said, “Oh wow! Big TV!”

-You went ice-skating for the first time this month too! You enjoyed the fashion part of the event most…scarf, beanie, and gloves!

-We decorated the house for Christmas. When Daddy revealed the light extravaganza he created in our front yard you responded with a soft and sincere “Wow…pretty!”…It is amazing to see you respond to so many things for the first time.

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M*L******M:

-Since you are such a “car” guy, you were basically in heaven when you had a “boy’s day” with Daddy and Xavier and went to the LA Car Show. You loved being able to sit in the cars and have full-reign of touching as many buttons as your heart desired!

-You are a champion when it comes to eating and thoroughly enjoyed your first Thanksgiving holiday by eating 3 plates of food!

-You had fun celebrating Hanukkah with our Jewish family for the first time. You love the school bus you got as a present from your cousins!

-You went ice-skating for the first time and we could not believe how quickly you caught on! You were better than your big brother and sister. Maybe you will be a hockey player in the future??? It is great to see something that you are really good at!

-You are obsessed with turning on all of the holiday decorations that have a musical or moving element. I love when you ask, “Mama, can I turn Christmas on?” when you want to turn on the decorations.

Seeing so many firsts through your eyes is such a joy for everyone! This time of year is bittersweet as we remember this time last year we hung 6 stockings not knowing that 2 of them belonged to you guys and that this time last year your birth mom made the sacrificial decision to relinquish you at an orphanage. We are blessed beyond words to be a family with you!!! Can’t wait for Christmas!!!

Home SEVEN Months!!!!!!!

On November 10^th we are celebrated being home with T and M seven months!!!!!! Sorry this is a few days late…life is busy with 4 kiddos in our home! Time is just flying by and the holidays are basically here…woo hoo! We can’t wait to make tons of memories together this holiday season. Here are highlights from our 7th month together:

T*N***E:

 

-You went to the “Happiest Place on Earth” for the first time…Disneyland!!! Your favorite part of the day was meeting 3 “real” Disney princesses (Cinderella, Snow White, and Sleeping Beauty). You are also a major thrill seeker as you giggled and laughed uncontrollably on all of the big roller coater rides and asked to go on them again and again!

-You continue to be a super-star soccer player...you score an average of 3-6 goals a game!

-We signed you up to start playing softball in the Spring (you have asked to play ever since you saw X playing baseball when we first brought you home in April)

-You enjoyed your very first Halloween. You were the most beautiful Princess Tiana ever! The funny thing was that we went trick-or-treating with some friends in Hermosa Beach…It was a little cold and I told you I had your jacket if you wanted to put it on. You looked at your beautiful princess outfit and said, “No Mama, I’m okay”…LOL, you did not want to mess up your outfit by putting a jacket on top of it!

-You had a hair style with beads in it for the first time…you enjoyed making noise when you shook your head around.

-We had a visit with our social worker. She is so happy with how well you are adjusting!!!

M*L******M:

-You went to Disneyland for the first time! The best part for you was eating a huge lollipop! It was so much fun to see the “Happiest Place on Earth” through your eyes!

-You loved Halloween! It is a holiday that truly celebrates your sweet tooth! It was so cute to see you in your cuddly dragon costume walking up to just about anyone saying, “Trick-or-treat, thank you.”

-We found out that you had a break in your arm at some point in your past that did not heal correctly. It is something we will have to get fixed at some point, but we are hoping we can wait until after the holidays.

-You continue to make us laugh with the silly faces you make and the never-ending singing that comes out of you. Your mispronunciation of “up above the world so high” (in Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star) and “Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall…” is really cute! Your gruff voice adds a “special element” to every song you sing! :0)

-You are doing so well with respecting boundaries and obedience. It is wonderful to be able to enjoy being with you without the constant struggle of enforcing rules and boundaries.

-Our social worker is so happy with how well you are doing! She says you are such a sweet boy…and we agree!!!

Thanksgiving and Christmas are just around the corner! We are so excited about this time of the year and to be able to celebrate our faith and our family together!!!

Home SIX Months!!!!!!

On this very special day 10/10/10 we are celebrating being a family of 6 for 6 months!!!!!! It is very strange that time is flying by but also feels slow at the same time! We are getting ready for the really fun holiday season coming up and can't wait to celebrate so much as a family! God has given us so much to celebrate and be thankful for. Here are highlights from our 6th month together:

T*n***e:

You continue to be “superhuman”! You are extraordinary in so many ways and here are highlights of your 5th month: 

-You are doing exceptionally well at school…and have already been recognized in front of the entire school by the principal for being “A Great Example to Others”.

-You are unstoppable at soccer! You score anywhere from 3 to 6 goals a game!!! Every time you score, you proudly raise your hand (or hands) in the air and use your fingers to show us what number goal you have scored.

-You really want to read and sit next to anyone who is reading out loud. It is so sweet when you snuggle next to Xavier and let him read to you.

-We took you to the California Science Museum and your favorite thing was the gigantic aquarium they had full of fish and sharks.

-We went out for Ethiopian food 2 times and you gobbled up tons of injera!!! Your Mom would make injera and sell it in Wolayta…so it probably is very comforting to have something that reminds you of her!!! I hope I can learn to make it some day too…

M*l*****m:

Your incredible, sweet spirit makes us love you so much! We still have some tough days, but they are getting less and less and you are understanding your world of boundaries more and more. Here are highlights of your 6th month home:

-We celebrated your 3^rd birthday!!! We took you to Chuck E. Cheese and you had a blast with all the games and rides. You also really loved your construction zone cake! It was wonderful to see you open presents and see you enjoy celebrating your birthday for the first time!

-You starting going to a Mommy-and-Me class this month and really love it. Your favorite things to do at school are playing with cars/trucks, going on the swings, and sitting right in front of the teacher during story-time.

-You have had some major regression with potty-training this month. We are not sure what triggered it or how to really help you (we have tried everything we know to try), but we know this is something very common for boys...and especially a boy who has been through so much change. We are praying for you a lot about this!!!

-We took you to the California Center and you loved touching the starfish and sea urchins in the touch tanks.

-We went out for Ethiopian food 2 times and you enjoyed so much injera!!! We actually had to stop you from over-stuffing yourself!!! You are soooo happy when you are eating!!! You actually got a bit giddy when the sweet ladies at the restaurants brought the injera to our table!!! J

We love you both so much!!! Can't wait to see what the next 6 months bring!!!!

Home FIVE Months!!!!!

Today marks the fifth month of us being together as a family of 6! It is incredible how quickly we have settled into our “new normal”. It feels like we have known each other for so much longer than we actually have (in a good way).  On September 4^th we celebrated the one year anniversary of the day we “officially” began our wait  to receive a referral…the day all of our paperwork was sent to Ethiopia (DTE Day). Here are some highlights of our 5^th month:

T*n***e:

We love seeing your sweet and silly personality come out more and more as you get more comfortable with us and your new home. Everyone who meets you is touched by your servant’s heart…we often hear from others that you are “an angel”. Here are highlights of your 5^th month:

-You attended a summer school class for 2 weeks and did so well…you would say, “Mama, school I love! Can I do it again?”

-You love your teacher and are truly thriving. She already says that you are a leader. At the end of your first week (today), you came home with a special award for being a great listener.

-You love the game “Chutes and Ladders”

-You went to the beach for the first time…your response when you saw the ocean for the first time? “Oh wow! Big water!”

-You really enjoy reminding everyone of whose birthday is next in our family…we love that you include Jesus’ birthday in your list.

-You had your first soccer practice today! You are a fearless athlete!!! Your team is the “Smurfettes”…yes, your uniforms are blue.

-You have become extremely affectionate! You ask for hugs, kisses, and to be held throughout the day!

M*l******m:

You are such a charming boy…your smile and laugh will keep you out of a lot of trouble  :0)  We still have some hard days with obedience, but we know you are trying and we continue to work together to help us all be better together.  People continue to fall in love with you because you are so friendly and make everyone feel special. Here are highlights from your 5^th month:

-Your night terrors are completely gone! Praise God!!!

-You love community vehicles! You point-out or talk about fire trucks, police cars, school buses, etc. throughout the day.

-You went to the beach for the first time. You really enjoyed being buried in the sand!

-You love making up stories to tell us about your life in Wolayta. You will tell us something and then laugh and give us one of your million dollar smiles…your sister is quick to tell us that many of things you say did not really happen…

-You also enjoy making up words in your native language! You crack up when Mommy and Daddy pretend to speak Wolaytegna to you!

-You giggle endlessly when Mommy and Daddy pretend to be a “jee-boo” (hyena) and chase you around the house. When we stop, you will repeatedly ask “ Again?, Again? Again?...” You also love doing this at bedtime and will hide under your blankets and ask for “jee-boo to get you”. When we prance on top of you, you let out the heartiest, belly-life…it is amazing!!!

-We will be celebrating your 3^rd birthday in 2 days!!!!!!!!!!

We are blessed to have both of you with us!!!! 

Home FOUR Months!!!!

On August 10th we celebrated being together FOUR months as a family of 6!!! Time is continuing to fly by with a house full of FOUR children! It is amazing that we have been home 1/3 of a year with T*n***e and M*l*******m!!! As we become more and more acquainted with each other it is becoming difficult to write monthly updates...things are just becoming "normal". It is incredible to see how their language is coming along...everyone who meets our kids is amazed! I still search for hours about the area they are from and really regret not being able to go to the Humbo woreda (where they lived) while we were in Ethiopia. T*n***e has shared so many stories with me about her life, but is still unable to explain what her house looked like. I look forward to creating so many memories with our kids as we head into the Fall season. Here are a few highlights of our last month together...

T*n***e: You continue to amaze us with your intelligence and athletic prowess. You are sharing so many stories with us about your life in Ethiopia and I love getting to know more about you and what has shaped you into the incredible girl that you are!!!

Highlights from our 4th month together: 

-caught your first fish while on a family camping trip

-have grown almost 3 inches since we brought you home

-started putting your head under the water while swimming

-your picture is on the wall at the library for reading for 16 hours during the summer

-helped lead the kids worship during the family services at church

-have been ‘americanized” when it comes t o your favorite foods. You say your favorite foods are: pizza, hot dogs, and chicken nuggets

-people regularly comment on our bright you are and how athletic you seem to be

-you are very eager to learn

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M*l******m: You warm the hearts of everyone you meet. You are a boy who continues to love life and you keep us on our toes when it comes to "reigning you in". Your English vocabulary is so expansive now...although not everyone can understand you (Mommy does quite a bit of translation for people). You are the fun-loving spark our family needed and we love you soooooo much!

Highlights from our 4th month together: 

-caught your first fish while on a family camping trip

-have grown 1-1/2 inches since we brought you home

-you have not had any night terrors this month...PRAISE GOD!

-thanks to good nutrition, your swollen belly is gone

-your picture is on the wall at the library for reading for 16 hours during the summer

-your favorite color is clearly pink

-have stopped confusing “pee pee” and “poo poo”

-you are loved by everyone you meet

Wolayteg*na Words List

Our beautiful kids are from the Wolayta region of Ethiopia. I have been trying to write down all of the words they share with me in their first language, W*olaytegna. I know they are going to forget this language, but I hope this list of words will be a treasure to them later in their life. I am not totally sure of the accuracy of all the words (they have been given to me by a 5 year-old and a 2 year-old)...but I have done my very best to write them phonetically, the way they are shared with me. Here is the most current list of words...Enjoy!!!

Baby bottle: too-toowa

Backpack: burr-sa

Banana: moo-zia

Belt: Ka-ba-two-a

Biscuit: ba-boo-a

Breasts: tan-tia

Brush: ma-ba-ta-rrreeya

Bulldozer: dol-za-rrreeya

Cane: due-la

Car: boo-leta
Christmas: upaysa maskala

Coffee: too-key-ya

Coffee cups: seenya

Coffee Pot: jaw-ba-na

Cow: miza

Curtain: maun-ga-re-jo

Daddy: Detty

Dog: ooosha

Door: ka-dia

Eat: im-pim-pedia

Egg: ooo-cooo-laudeeya

Finger: koosh-ee-ya

Fire: tama

Floor: sa-ha

Flower: a-bo-ba

Go: ba

God: ya-soo-sa

Grandma: Talo

Hair: hoof-ia

Hair accessories: Bo-se-na

Hair wrap: sha-sheeya

House: go-ja-met

Hug: ish-shur-roo-roo-do

Hut: ga-ta-reeya

Injera (bread): wa-tia

Lettuce: saun-ta

light: marrd-bat

Lime: lo-meeya

Lion: g-a-m-ouw-a

Mango: maun-gua

Meat: a-shoe-a

Medicine: tal-eeya
Merry Christmas: Hashu-Upaysa-maskala-saro-gatis

Milk: ma-ta

Mirror: mos-co-teeya

Mommy: yee-brra

Money (paper): birr-a

Money (coins): santa-mee-ya

Moon: again-eeya

Mouse: e-che-dee-ya

Onion: shon-ghool-teeya

Orange: boo-too-kan-eeya

Pants: sue-rrrreee-ah

Police: polic-eeya

Green pepper (hot): bum-ba-reeya

Poopoo: kaka

Private part (boy): new-neeya

Private part (girl): oo-choo-do-wa

Roof: ko-kor-oof-ia

Sheep: dole-sa

Shirt: shir-ree-ya

Shoe: cha-ma

Sit down: coo-chi-bel

Skirt: goo-deeya

Sky: sa-loo-wa

Sleep/bed: tain-ya

Soda: la-sla-sa

Snake: showsa

Stuffed animals/princesses: oo-shoon-goo-loo-tia

Television: tel-be-jean-ya

Tomato: tam-a-teem-ee-ya

Tree: ya-cha

Toys: ma-cho-ta

Umbrella: zan-tel-a

Underwear: gi-ta

Water: hata

Wheel: go-ma

Wood: mee-ta

1: ista

2: na-ah

3: heza

4: oi-da

5: echessa

6: oo-soup-ena

7: la-poona

8: hos-poona

9: uh-duf-ena

10: tama

Home THREE Months!!!

We have been together 1/4 of a YEAR! WOW! We love that God designed our family to include ALL 6 of us!!! It is truly a HUGE blessing and we are eternally grateful! Now for what everyone really wants...UPDATES!

T*n***e: 

Our 3^rd month together has demonstrated that you continue to be a super sweet girl, super kind girl. I am amazed at how you desire to be so helpful around the house and with your brothers and sister. You are so beautiful inside and out and as your English continues to develop we are now getting a better glance into the thoughts in your mind and the desires of your heart.

Here are some highlights of your 3rd Month:

-You are cracking us all up with the American lingo you are picking up on. It is becoming common for you to say things like: “Oh man!”, “Awesome!”, and “That’s cool!”.

-You LOVED fireworks! We went to the Rose Bowl for some crazy fun 4^th of July festivities and whenever there was a few second break during the 30-minute firework show you would say, “More please!”

-On Father’s Day, we dedicated you and Millennium to the Lord. We are so thankful that God has blessed us with you and will do our very best to raise you to love Him!

-You now have pictures of your birth mother and birth father by your bed.

-You love doing chores and your favorite chore seems to be unloading the dishwasher…this is one of Mommy’s least favorite chores so we make a good team…I load-you unload.

-You told Xavier that you loved him for the first time…it made him the happiest 5 –year old boy in the world!

-Your unconditional and sacrificial love for Faithy is incredible. We have to encourage you to NOT give into Faith’s every whim. You are willing to give her anything she asks for and doesn’t ask for…not so much with your brothers…

-You love doing arts and crafts…especially playing with beads and coloring.

-You are starting to tell us incredible (sometimes heart-breaking) stories about your life in Ethiopia. I look forward to learning more and more about you!

M**l*****m: What can I say?…“I love you like crazy little man!” You have come SO FAR in our 3 months together. We originally said that you were a “bull in a china shop”, but with some boundaries and self-control now in place, you are just a really out-going, fun boy! You love helping and are so proud when we praise you for doing a good job with a chore. Your smile continues to melt our hearts….your infrequent night terrors break our hearts. What are your night terrors about? When you shout things out during one of your night terrors you now shout in English…we would love to know more about your life in Ethiopia. We pray for you often and know that God is going to heal any hurts you have.

Here are some highlights of your 3rd Month:

-Your favorite chore is feeding the dog…although you are really good at making your bed too.

-You love reading books! We go through 5-10 a day…often reading each book more than once.

-You really like going “bye-bye” and ask if we are going anywhere through our day.

-On Father’s Day, we dedicated you and Tensaye to the Lord. We are so thankful that God has blessed us with you and will do our very best to raise you to love Him! My prayer is that you will grow into a godly man…it was one of the things your birth mother asked of us.

-You now have pictures of your birth mother and birth father by your bed.

-You are a good carpenter for only being 2. You did really well building a project at a Kids Workshop at Lowe’s.

-You repeat EVERYTHING we say…many times over. This is probably one of the reasons your English language skills are coming along so well.

-Our social worker said you are truly doing wonderful in your adjustment to your new life. She was delighted to see you thriving and enjoyed your really fun personality!

Happy Father's Day!

We were given an incredible, priceless gift while we were in Ethiopia. It came out in our meeting with our kids birth mother (Lekera) that a picture existed of their birth father (who passed away in April 2009). The picture was with some other family member about an hour away from where we were in Addis Ababa. I was amazed that if a picture existed, it was not with Lekera and our kids...they lived 6 hours away from Addis. Lekera wanted T and M to have the picture, but we did not know how to go about getting it. Without our knowledge, the incredible employee from our agency AWAA who translated during our time with Lekera went on his own time to try to retrieve the picture. He surprised us with the photo just a short time before we left Ethiopia to come home. I was amazed at the gift we had been given...it is not common for photos to exist...especially of people who live in the extremely rural areas of Ethiopia!!!


We just got finished showing the picture to T and M for the first time. We thought showing it to them on Father's Day would be a great way to honor, Getu Seta...their birth father. They were so happy to see him! T*n***e held the picture and said, "I lub" ("I love"). T and M quickly ran the pictures (we made one copy for each of them) to their rooms and put the pictures next to their beds...and next to the pictures of their birth mother, Lekera.


So on this very special FATHER'S DAY, I want to say, "I love you", to my incredible husband, Ken. You are the best Daddy I could ever imagine for our children. However, I also want to say, "thank you", to Getu Seta...thank you for helping to give T and M life. They are a precious gift! May you rest peacefully in Heaven with our greatest Father!!!

Getu Seta

Home TWO Months!!!

Time is flying by as we head into the summer! Our adoption story continues to be a fairy tale as we continue to grow together as a family of 6! T*n***e and M**l*****m continue to amaze us! They are 2 truly incredible, strong, well-adjusted, kind, smart, and super fun kiddos!!!! I can't wait to enjoy the summer months together....

T*n***e:
This has been another great month! You have grown so much more affectionate with me and Daddy. You will spontaneously tell us you love us and ask for hugs and kisses on the lips through out the day. You have been fairly reserved with your affections until a few weeks ago, so it is wonderful to see you reaching out to us for lovin' now. You are learning English so fast and devour letter tracing worksheets!

Here are some highlights of your 2nd Month:
-You are officially signed up to start school in September! You were assessed by teachers at the school and they both said you are incredibly sweet!
-You went swimming for the first time and had a blast! Although you were shivering and cold, you did not want to stop!
-Your English is coming along SUPER fast. You are already able to put several short sentences together. While playing with something at church I heard you say to Xavier, “Come on Xavier. Wait…Let me show you how to do it.”…I was shocked!
-You have really warmed up to Xavier and ask about him during the day when he is at school. You also are more affectionate toward him…which just makes him melt! He loves you so much!
-We are having to put some boundaries in place to balance your helpful nature and your desire to be the “Mom” in our house.
-You went to your first birthday party for your friend, Jessica. It was quite the party with 2 bounce houses, a caricature artist, a scientist show, a clown, craft station, etc… You fit right in and had a wonderful time!
-You understand routine very well and are able to recite our nightly schedule: pee-pee, pajamas, brush teeth, read Bible, pray, night-night.
-You said your first prayer that came from your own desire (instead of the prayers we always do at meal time and bed time). I was not feeling well and you came up to me and said, “Dear God, to Mama feel better. In Jesus name, Amen.”…so cute!
-You continue to express your new love of fashion and enjoy putting your own outfits together.
-You can quote the show "Yo Gabba Gabba" and like to add your own dance segment. You say, "My name is Tensaye and I like to dance"...an adaptation of a well known line from the show!!!
-Your favorite topic to pray for at night is your little sister, Faith.
-You are very confident and secure in who you are. You have no problem expresses likes, dislikes, wants, needs, etc..  

 
M*l******m:
I am so happy that you have spent WAY less time in time-out this month compared to last month!!! You are catching on to your new world with boundaries and rules. You are really settling in and are a true sweet-heart.

Here are some highlights of your 2nd Month:
-You went swimming for the first time! Since you sort of have a “no fear” attitude, we had to watch you closely…you had so much fun!!!
-We took you to the zoo this month! Although you did not enjoy walking around so much, you were really proud to shout out the names of the animals you know along with their animal sound. "Oh Mama, lion...Roooooaarrrrrrr!"
-You really want to do whatever your older brother and sister to and get upset if you can’t have the same privileges they have.
-You love wearing zip-up pajama’s with the built in feet…even though we are starting the summer and the pajamas make you sweat like a crazy man!!!
-You are much more calm when it comes to food and eating. The food obsession we thought was starting to develop is just about gone! This is a great thing!!!
-You can speak in short sentences. Last month you would say, “Mama, eat”…when you wanted to eat something. This month you have started saying, “Mama, I want to eat, please.” We are so proud of you!
-Your pronunciation of words continues to need some work, but we have some really adorable video clips of your words! Our favorite includes your attempt to say "Gorilla"..."Ga-Billa!".
-Your favorite topic at prayer time is dinosaurs.