Merry Christmas

Here's wishing for peace, health and happiness this holiday season. While we enjoy the holiday season, I can't help but stop and think of all the little boys and girls out there that are without.....without family, love, food, hope. So, for each little one out there I hope that you may find a glimmer of magic in your day and I hope one day soon you can each be united with a forever family that will love you forever and always. And to our little one(s) out there wherever you may be, I hope that you never have to spend another Christmas alone and you are instead surround by love and happiness. Please know that even though we have no pictures or name(s) we still hold a place for you in our hearts that only you will be able to fill. May angels watch over you and keep you safe until we are together at last.

OXOXOX

Saw this on another blog awhile back.........and it says it all!

Guilty

Do you ever feel guilty for all that you have?
I am finding this year that I am constantly feeling guilty for all that we have and do over the holidays. Here we are buying things and items we don't NEED, when there are so many people in the world that have so many needs. How did the holiday season become all about material objects and less about spending time with friends and family? Is it just me and the almost 13 month blues or have we become that wrapped up in materialistic possessions that we forget about those around us?

Just my thoughts for the day!

Ethiopian cooking class....

I just realized that I never even posted after I took the Ethiopian cooking class this month! I was so excited to learn how to make injera bread and I am pleased to say that I was pretty successful at making 2 batches at home. (last time I tried my dog would not even eat it!). After our class I decided to try out the dishes we had learnt to make and I was quite happy with all....I may have overcooked the lentils a bitt ;-) but all in all it was a success. I even made a second batch of injera for my sons pre-school as they where studing about africa and Kwanza. I am looking forward to the next class they have here in town! Looks like it will be in January.

in Ethiopia

http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvRwo2oAmec

Gingerbread house making

I know it's early, but this morning Cohen and I made our first gingerbread house.
He had a great time and did the majority of the candy placing as I was in charge of the icing. Turned out pretty good if I do say so myself!

Here is a fun little site if you are interested in learning a few words in Amharic...........for example if you are to be the new grandma/pa how to say it in Amharic!

http://www.amharickids.com/AmharicWords.aspx

One year today......

Well the day I have been dreading has finally come. Our ticker has started over again. I am trying to be strong and remember that what our future child(ren) are going through right now is much harder than what we are going through, but I have to say today it is not working so well! I wish I could say that I understand why the wait times keep increasing, but the truth is I don't fully understand it. And even if I did it still does not make the wait any easier. As I sit here typing and enjoying my anniversary drink I have to admit I am for the first time shedding some tears and truly feeling sorry for myself. Pathetic I know! I should be happy for what I already have and hopeful for what is still to come, but for today, I think I will allow myself to wallow in self pity!

As I finished typing this my my son comes running down the stairs with nothing but a firemans hat on........dad is trailing behind him (fully clothed) wearing a policeman hat! I guess he knew tht mom needed a smile! Especially after I found the car keys I had been searching for the last 3 days in the hood of his ride on car. I asked him before if he had them and he kept saying "yep" Mom-"where are they" son-"hmmmm I non't rememer!" Kids, gotta love em!

A quote from a very great woman:
I know God won't give me anything I can't handle.I just wish he didn't trust me so much--- Mother Teresa

My fortune cookie read..........

Patience is your alley at the moment. Don't worry!

How much more perfect could that be?

Article in the Calgary Herald that follows a family to Ethiopia...

http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/features/adoption/index.html

Books to read (get) recommended by a fellow adoptive mom....many are on my wish list!
http://astore.amazon.ca/rowfamtre-20?%5Fencoding=UTF8&node=3

Supportive information

I know I posted this information last year, but I thought I would repost it as it was a good reread for me!

Supporting an AdoptionMany times, well-meaning relatives, friends and co-workers do things or make comments that unintentionally cause pre-adoptive and/or adoptive parents unnecessary emotional stress.

The following is a quick guide that may be copied and distributed to those people in an effort to educate them on how they can support you during the adoption process.

DO
1. DO accept our decision to adopt without question.
2. DO accept our choice of a child regardless of his/her race, heritage, age, social background, etc.
3. DO remain positive and enthusiastic during waiting periods.
4. DO offer to give practical help if you don't mind giving us your time.
5. DO respect our choice not to disclose details about our personal life and our decisions.

DON'T
1. DON'T tell us that if we adopt a child we will get pregnant and have a child of "our own." Adoption does not cure infertility, and our adopted child will be "our child."
2. DON'T react as if adoption is a "second best" or "noble" choice.
3. DON'T question our capability or readiness to parent a child.
4. DON'T incessantly ask for news while we are waiting to adopt.
5. DON'T probe for details about the birth parents or the child. We'll tell you whatever we are comfortable sharing.

Some Tips on How You Can Help us During the Post Adoption

DO
1. DO be happy for our new child and us.
2. DO respect that we may want and need quiet time with our new child to bond and adjust.
3. DO understand that we might not be able to fulfill your needs as quickly as we did before we became parents.
4. DO respect our style of parenting.

DON'T
1. DON'T feel sorry for our adopted child.
2. DON'T make demands for our attention or our time during our adjustment phase.
3. DON'T criticize the desire to have and maintain a relationship with our child's birthfamily.

For additional helpful suggestions, please read "Supporting An Adoption" by Pat Holmes and/or "When Friends Ask About Adoption" by Linda Bothun.

Halloween 2008

Hockey player versus Tigger.....

This year Cohen needed a costume for pre-school and trick or treating. Since we had the Tigger costume already and he wanted to wear it we did not argue, but we knew he would be way too hot at pre-school, so Cohen got to dress up as his favorite thing........a goalie! He even got a new PATS jersey for the occasion compliments of Papa L.

Hope everyone had a safe and happy halloween!

This morning.....

This morning I came out of the bathroom and found.......

Cohen was so excited to show Oreo his new stickers that he just had to share one with him. Funny thing was he did not even seem to mind and spent the morning following us around with a sticker on the top of his head.

I think we're in trouble when it's time for Oreo to go home!

Votes

Well, the votes are coming in and there seems the majority is guessing that we will get a referral for 2, so I hope you are right! It also looks like people think we will get a referral for 2 boys and that it will be in or around Christmas........ All I can say is I hope hat it is a referral for 2 healthy children, does not matter to me whether it is boy or girl, BUT, PLEASE,PLEASE, PLEASE, can we have referral by Christmas??!!?!??!! I have prepared myself to have to wait till Christmas, but I can't promise I will be able to hold myself together much past that date! By Christmas we will have been waitig for a match for 13.5 months and signed on with CAFAC and started the paper Work 610 days ago ( April 2007 - 20 months). Not that I'm counting!

So, if you have not voted yet, please scroll down and do so!

Hope everyone is doing well!

Houseguest

My son is on cloud 9 with the addition of our new houseguest. He is tickles pink to have Oreo "cookie" as he calls him staying with us. Oreo is a 12 yr old cat! My son is elated......he has been wanting a cat for the longest time so this will be a small test. Oreo will stay with us while his owners are out of town and thanks to Oreo Cohen has gone to sleep in his own bed for the past 2 nights. As soon as we crawl into bed the cat comes and lays at the foot of his bed. Cohen wiggles and giggles with excitement and then is out.......off to dreamland! Who would have thought it could be this easy!?!?!?!

Let's have a little fun with this wait!!

I thought to have a little fun we could do an adoption pool (like a baby pool!). Please click on comments and put a guess as to whether or not you think we will get referred 1 or 2 and whether you think it will be boy(s) or girl(s), that ages you predict AND when you think we will get the referral.

You don't have to register, just click anonymous and include your name or send me your guess at dlandega@yahoo.com and I will add it for you!

10 months and still waiting.....

Well we have now hit the ten month mark and we still have NO idea when to expect our wait to end! I am now starting to struggle with the wait times and wonder when the referral will come. I think the not having any idea is the hardest part.
Let's all think positive thoughts and hope and pray for a referral by Christmas!

Happy New Year!

As Ethiopia still follows the julian calendar today is New Years 2001....Last year we celebrated the millenium with the Ethiopian community, but this year it slipped by and we did not even make it out to Selam. Maybe this weekend we will try to go there to celebrate.

Ethiopian New Year (Enkutatash)
Ethiopia still retains the Julian calendar, in which the year is divided into 12 months of 30 days each and a 13th month of 5 days and 6 days in leap year. The Ethiopian calendar is 8 years behind the Gregorian calendar from January to September and 7 years behind between September 11 and January 8.
Enkutatash means the "gift of jewels". When the famous Queen of Sheba returned from her expensive jaunt to visit King Solomon in Jerusalem, her chiefs welcomed her bolts by replenishing her treasury with inku or jewels. The spring festival has been celebrated since this early times and as the rains come to their abrupt end, dancing and singing can be heard at every village in the green countryside.
But Enkutatash is not exclusively a religious holiday. Today's Enkutatash is also the season for exchanging formal new year greetings and cards among the urban sophisticated - in lieu or the traditional bouquet of flowers.

EI Benefits for Adoptive Parents Letter Campaign

Currently in Canada Adoptive parents are eligible for only 35 weeks while birthparents are eligible for the full year.

The Adoption Council of Canada is challenging the Gov't of Canada, so check out this site, do the right thing and use the sample letter to write your MP!


http://adoption.ca/EI%20Benefit.htm

Thank you for your support!

Very nice poem, I hope I can live up to it!

ADOPTIVE MOTHERS

Being an adoptive mother is not for every woman. She must possess not only the natural mother instinct but an understanding and appreciation of the situation that brought a child into her arms making her a mother. The adoptive family comes to be by choices made, choices made by the first parents and by the adoptive parents. This bond the adoptive mother has with her child grows over time, like the child did within his first mother’s womb.

Day by day, touch by touch, with each tear, kiss and memory made they become a family. Adoptive mothers have that special knack to let love grow.

Adoptive mothers know that she’s a mender of wounds, not just of the physical skinned knees with a band-aid and a kiss, but of the heart. She gives love, acceptance, and permission to ask and talk about the day he was born and of his first parents.

Adoptive mothers are embracers, not only of the child with many hugs and kisses, but of the child’s heritage and history. She embraces the facts of her child’s past with strength for herself and the child. She’s not only a memory maker planning family vacations, activities, and birthday parties, but also a memory keeper.

She’s a tier of shoelaces and of hearts. She weaves lives together into a tapestry of a new family, with many different brightly colored threads showcasing their individualities and family origins. Together they create one unit attached to each other.

Adoptive mothers are experts at finding lost objects, but understand and validate the profound, deep loss left by adoption. She allows the tears to fall and grief to be felt, allowing the mourning of the mom not there. She is secure in knowing that she’s not a replacement, but a finisher of a race for someone who, for whatever reason, could not run any longer.
This role is not for the weak of spirit, or the easily wounded. Loving a child not born to her but calling him her own, but this is what she does, it is her calling…..She is a mother.

First day of preschool!

Our little boy is gettig soooo big. Today was his first day of Preschool. He was a little nervous about going, but once his little friend Lexie showed up he was relaxed and ready to go! He is one of the younger kids in the class (again), but there are 6 boys and 4 girls so he is not surrounded by girls like he usually is. I think it will be good for him.






Here are a couple of pictures of Cohen before dad took him to preschool. They take the supplies back and forth in an icecream pail........I guess it works, and it is probably easier for them to find stuff in. He is always dumping his whole backpack out just to find 1 thing!




















After supper tonight we all walked (Cohen road his bike) to the library for some new reading material. I think I have memorized the 3 CARS books already that he got last week for his birthday. He loves books!

Birthday boy........turns 3!!

I still can't believe that it has been 3 years since we where blessed with our wonderful little man. How our lives have changed. You have brought such joy to our lives and are a true blessing.



Sunday we had a BBQ with family and friends. The kids played Pin the # on lightening McQueen, bean bag toss and a lightening McQueen Pinata. Cohen was showered with gifts and we are very surprised at just how much cars merchandise they have out. We could open a shop! Thanks all for the wonderful presents.















Monday we took Cohen to Chuckee Cheeses (for a 1st time) for supper and he had a blast. He is definitely not interested in the rides, but more the games.....dad even had some fun playing some games. Happy Birthday Cohen, hope it was a good one!

Faya Orphanage

A fellow adoptive mom that I have met through the adoption network is helping her sister raise funds for an HIV orphanage that she is opening in Ethiopia. It takes a special type of person to go out and do something so special. It truly is inspiring. I hope to be able to go and volunteer for a couple days while in Ethiopia. If not, we will definitely be taking items to help them out. To find out more go to http://fayaorphanage.blogspot.com/

9 Months and still waiting...

WOW, I can't believe that 9 months have passed already. In some ways it feels like forever and some days it feels like it has totally flown by. And I thought 9 months was a long time to wait to meet your little one.....I guess we're going on 17 months! Will this 'pregnancy ever end???

I am so glad to say that there have been some referrals seen from our agency lately and that makes things a little easier, but there have also been NO siblings coming into the agency. Some families requesting siblings have actual been referred singletons and accepted ( who wouldn't! ). So I guess we have to consider the thought that we could end up with only one as well! Only time will tell.

Ethiopia in the news

Ethiopia Faces Famine Again -->
New America Media, News Feature, Words//Photo: Shane Bauer, Posted: Aug 12, 2008
a2a_linkname=document.title;a2a_linkurl=location.href;
Editor's Note: As Ethiopians struggle to feed themselves amid a high food prices, fuel costs and the worst famine in 25 years the government in Addis Adiba raised the military budget by $50 million. Shane Bauer is a journalist and photographer based in the Middle East and Africa. HARAR, Ethiopia -- As I eat my breakfast of lentils, eggs, and a small cup of strong coffee in a café in Ethiopia's eastern town of Harar, old men and children linger at the entrance, trying to catch the gaze of the mostly clean cut, well-dressed patrons. When their eyes meet, the beggars extend a hand or put their fingers to their mouths to communicate their hunger.As soon as I lean back in my chair after eating, two boys of about eight years old rush to my table and point to the half-eaten baguette on my plate. I tell them to take it and one snatches it away. Immediately, the two are entangled in struggle, swinging punches at each other over a piece of bread. As the two scuffle, a waiter rushes them out onto the street. The breadless child shouts "faranji, faranji," or "white man" in the direction of our table in a plea for justice, but the other child escapes with the bread, leaving him in tears.When I last came to Ethiopia three years ago, people were shocked and insulted when I told them that most Americans associate Ethiopia with starvation and hunger. To them, their country's reputation should rest on the fact that it defeated the would-be colonizers of Mussolini's Italy or the fact that their kingdom of Aksum, which started in the first millennium A.D., was one of the most powerful kingdoms in the ancient world. A famine that occurred over 20 years ago in one part of the country hardly deserved to be remembered.But things have changed. Now, people often talk about the looming threat of hunger in Ethiopia—the food security in their country is the worst it's been in 25 years. The global rise in food and fuel prices has pushed Ethiopia into a downward spiral of rising food costs and the extremely poor are finding it harder and harder to eat. AccordingAccording to the Ethiopian English language weekly The Reporter, the United Nations food agency recently announced that it needed $222 million to avert a major food crisis in Ethiopia. The Ethiopian government and aid agencies estimate that 4.6 million people in the country need around 510,000 tons of cereals to meet emergency food assistance needs until November 2008 and another 8 million people are chronically food insecure. So far, only 30 percent of the required food aid is available or has been pledged.In Awadia, in the eastern Oromia state, my friend Ibsa, a 23-year-old law student, tells me apologetically that his family can no longer afford meat when he invites me over for lunch. The cost of a goat, he says, has gone from $15 to $45-$50 in the past year. Their staple food, sorghum, has tripled in price, going from 25 cents per kilogram to 80 cents per kilogram. The cost of a piece of bread—which I regularly see people eating with nothing but tea—has doubled."People are spending all of their money on food now," Ibsa tells me as we eat their usual meal of pasta and potatoes. "We used to be able to save a little bit, but now we use it all to feed ourselves.""People in rural areas are moving to the city because they can't eat," he says. "People who were farmers are cleaning roads and hauling waste to make money."As I sit and talk with him and his friends, everyone is in agreement that the main cause of the food crisis has little to do with Ethiopia and more to do with rising fuel prices around the world. In Ethiopia, a bus ride costs around three times what it did one year ago and more gas stations seem to have no fuel than those that do."The government is spending its money on the military to fight wars in Somalia and Eritrea," said a 19-year-old student of rural development named Mohammed. Just a week after appealing for international aid, Ethiopia increased its military budget by $50 million, bringing it to a total of $400 million.Mohammed adds that the problem has been impacted by the impoverishment of small farmers, which are the majority of the country: 85 percent of Ethiopians make their money from agriculture. "The government should be spending its money assisting people and giving farmers subsidies so they can continue to produce." He says that the country's free market policies have made it harder for small farmers to survive—the average ox-plowing farmer can't compete on the global market. "The rural peasant can't harvest his own land anymore because of lack of income," he says. "So many farmers moved close to the cities to work other people's land for $1 a day." He added that since food prices began to rise a year ago, their wages have gone up to $2 to $2.50 a day.He also blamed the government for not intervening when middlemen horde food crops to create false surpluses and raise food costs, a strategy that many say contributed to Ethiopia's last famine.Mohammed's brother Nabil argues that the Ethiopian government is taking positive steps to avoid a more extreme crisis. To avoid what many analysts point to as a major cause for the current rise in food and fuel prices—the large-scale use of crops like corn for the production of fuel instead of food—he says the Ethiopian government has prohibited the use of food crops for fuel.The government has also taken short-term measures to soften the impact of the food crisis. According to The Reporter, the government has spent $38 million to subsidize wheat and $366 million to subsidize fuel.But these measures seem unlikely to avert what might become a more serious disaster. As I walk with Ibsa's father to his field—down a stony road that winds all the way to Mogadishu—he tells me that, God willing, he'll come back with something to sell today. He left his house without eating breakfast and when we get to his field he fills his mouth with khat, a stimulant leaf that raises spirits and reduces hunger. As we slink between stalks of corn, he laments the fact that there isn't enough rain and grumbles on about his economic woes. All he can bring back is a small sack of beans for his family to eat, but nothing to sell.He's being hit by the double curse that is hitting Ethiopia this harvest season: not only is the world in a food crisis, but also large parts of Ethiopia are suffering a drought. This means that people who rely on subsistence agriculture—typically the poorest of the poor—are stuck between two dangerous realities: food costs that are rising beyond their means and little or none of their own crops to carry them through the season.

A nice visit...

I had the pleasure of spending some time getting to know Dale's aunt and uncle last weekend while they stayed with us. It was really nice and I was so glad we had the opportunnity. I honestly think that Marilyn and I where seperated in a previous life as we have soooo much in common.

Thanks again for all your help with the BBQ on Sunday....we couldn't have done it without you!

Can't wait to see you again!

Uncle Ernie blowing bubbles for Cohen. He had thought he lucked out and got another pappa!

Unfortunately I did not end up with one picture of Marilyn.....and as it is in our household it appears that you are the camera (wo)man.

and some more wedding pictures.......

Can you get any cuter than this?

Here are some pictures from this weekends wedding. Dale's youngest sister got married this weekend and Cohen was the ringbearer. We both thing he did a fantastic job! And doesn't he look adorable!

ADOPTION NEWS?!?!!?!?

NONE......nada, zilch....
As many have been asking and I am sure you are all wondering what is going on with the adoption I thought I would post an update of what is going on in the Ethiopian adoption world. Wait time are increasing and they are now saying that approx 8-15 month wait for sibblings. As you can tell by ou ticker we have been waiting 8 months and 1 week. When we swithced to siblings we never imagined it would be this long of a wait, but it is. I know of one family who is closing in on 16 months for siblings under 3 years. So we will continue to wait patiently.

Other news in Ethiopia is that there is currently a huge drought and millions are in emergency need of food to avoid starvation. The combination of high food and oil prices along with a major drought has caused the country to need increased emergency aid. Please consider helping in any way possible! There are many agencies out there that work hard in countries like Ethiopia. We take for granted that there will always be food available and I could not imagine entering a store to find no food on the shelves (which is the situation across Ethiopia) and not knowing how you will provide or your families. Families travelling now to bring home their children are being urged to carry dry goods in order to ensure they have enough to eat while in Ethiopia.

Take care!

The Zoo

Here are a few pictures from our trip to the zoo last weekend.

As you can see Cohen fit right in!

Minot

Well I have to say when I woke up yesterday morning I thought there would be no way that I was going to make it to Minot the way I was feeling. But, thanks to ALOT of pain meds, ice packs and rest we made it. I think that we really needed to get away together as a family with everything going on lately.
Today we spent some time at the zoo and had a nice time together. The weather was not great, but that meant that we pretty much had the place to ourselves and most of the animals where out showing off.
My shoulder was feeling alot better but I guess that was because I really wasn't using it. Now that I am....OMG..... Oh well, it WILL get better, I guess it is just going to take longer than expected. I start back to work part time on Monday so this will be the only real time we get together as a family. I feel so bad because I can't take Cohen down the waterslides, not that I think he would go with me as right now he is a total daddy's boy. In the past week he has decided that because he is a boy and dad is a boy he can only do things with dad. I guess now I get to know how Dale has felt all this time. Oh well, as hard as it is for me it is really good for them.
Well I should get back to the room and get some sleep as I am sure the boys are sawing some logs by now.

Riding at lightening speed!

Cohen has now got the hang of riding his bike that he got last year for his birthday and is doing GREAT! He has fallen a few times, but he just gets back up and keeps on going. Now all he wants to do is ride his bike. He can't quite understand why he has to wait to get dressed before heading out for a ride.

Way to go buddy!

Yesterday was a sad day

Yesterday we had our beatiful, kind and sweet Justice dog sent to puppy heaven. As she has been having alot of problems with her eyes for the past year, we decided it was time for her to no longer suffer. We all loved her very much and know she is in a peaceful place with no more pain.

We love you girl!

Slow improvement

Well I am happy to say that I am slowly starting to see some improvement in my shoulder. Next week I see the specialist and I have an ultrasound so hopefully we will know more soon. I am also hoping to be able to head back to work for a bitt soon as I know with summer holidays my team will be very shrt on staff! Will know more next week.

Hope everyone is doing well.

Fudraiser was a huge success!

I am so pleased to annonce hat we raised $1,137 at the fundraiser this weekend! Thanks to so many wonderful people the event as a huge success!

Thanks again to everyone who took part, you should feel great for being a part of something that helps others!

Crisis in Ethiopia

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/7411071.stm

Check out this video.

May be off for a bitt

Just thought I would let you know that due to my shoulder injury I may not be updating this for a bitt. Please keep checking back and I hope to be able to update soon.

What a week this has been!

I can honestly say this has been one eventful week. It started off with my dreaded ultrasound on Monday, got my results Thursday and they where not able to find anything abnormal. I guess what they saw in the CT scan was no longer there. So I will have to have routine CT scans (6 months) to follow the growth of the one cyst on my gland, wait for my next kidney stone to pass and I guess my ovary is ok....good to know!
Friday night we went to the African Children's Choir with some of our family. I was extremely moves and even found myself unable to hold in some tears at one point. It hit very close to home for me. Saturday we ended up getting my nephew after Cohen's swimming class and we took them for a snack and then went to play in the park. After we went home to BBQ and play some soccer and basketball in the backyard. It was really a fun way to spend the day. When we went to take Josh home we where stopped at a red light and apparently we must have been invisible as some kid hit us from behind without even touching the brakes. No skip marks or anything! We are all sore, but ok. I was so concerned about the kids and I think they where both in shock. Thank god we where not hurt worse. To make matters worse the kid took off to hid a backpack behind some dumpsters. After they retrieved the backpack he was arrested for possession. So, I am not sure if he was high or not.......I sure hope not, otherwise that makes me pretty mad!

I guess we should all be happy and thankful that we are at home and safe in bed.

Hope everyone had a good Mother's Day.

Ethiopian Singer

Whoever welcomes this little child in My name welcomes Me; and whoever welcomes Me welcomes the one who sent Me. For he who is least among you is the greatest.
Luke 9:48

AHOPE AIDS orphanage

John Gormley's interview with a couple from SK who adopted siblings from Ethiopia.

The interview with the family and the children starts around 17 minutes and 25 seconds. The little girl sounds like an amazing child.

http://ondemand.rawlco.com/john-gormley-live/20080417/1254-jerry-haigh-tseganesh-treena-constantinoff-and-ryan-killoh

Fundraising garage sale May 31st

The date has been set and we will be having the garage sale May 31st. Anyone wishing to donate items for sale or time and energy, please let me know as any and all help will be greatly appreciated! I am hoping one day will be enough, but as the day gets closer, maybe I will decide to have it on both days (Friday and Saturday)........I am just not sure if there will be enough traffic out here and since May 31st is our town garage sale there always seems to be allot of traffic.

5 months and waiting

Hard to believe it has been 5 months since our file became active in Ethiopia. Some days it feels like just yesterday, but most days it feels like an eternity. The courts in Ethiopia will be closed form Aug 5/08 to Sept 5/08 this your as they do each and every year. So if we don't receive a referral by the end of June (which I am doubtful we will) then we would not be travelling until probably after Christmas........who knows!

Home is Where Daughtry Is

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9rJOwSZm3I&eurl

African Children's Choir is coming to Regina May 9th and 11th

The African Children's Choir is coming to Regina. I can't wait to take Cohen to see it, I think he will really enjoy it! And it's for a great cause!

The African Children's Choir is composed of children ages 7-12 who are from Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda. Click here to see when the choir is in a city near you! "Through their voice and their music, the children of the Choir are taking Africa to the rest of the world. They are the victims of a terrible pandemic, but they are also the promise and future of Africa. For over 21 years, the African Children’s Choir™ has been performing throughout North America and the United Kingdom.
Each year a new choir is selected from children who are not only musical, but who also come from some of Africa’s most desperate villages. Many have lost one or both parents to poverty or disease.
The children sing on behalf of their brothers, their sisters, their friends, and their village. Their songs bring great joy to those who hear them, but through their songs they are asking for help.
Each child in the Choir has a story. They have experienced more tragedy in their young lives than most of us will ever know in a lifetime. Yet, each child has a dream - a hope for tomorrow. They want to be teachers, doctors, musicians and pilots. The African Children’s Choir™ is committed to making these dreams a reality.
Support to the African Children’s Choir™ is helping build schools and deliver education throughout Africa in Uganda, Rwanda, Sudan, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya and South Africa.
Education brings freedom from poverty, disease and despair. Please join us in helping educate these children in greatest need – they are the future of Africa."

http://www.africanchildrenschoir.com/seechoir/seechoir.php?pageID=51&choir=13

Our future goalie....

While out at ToysRus last weekend we came a upon a pair of goalie pads for Cohen. Who would have thought that they would make goalie pads that small. Being that he is such a goalie freak, we thought we would save him a few bruises on the knees and get them for him. Here are a couple pictures of him all decked out.

Taking a break in the "penalty box".

Easter....a litter later, but better than never!

Well, the weather held out for us again this year and we where able to hold our 3rd annual backyard Easter egg hunt. The kids had fun trudging through the snow and collecting their treats. We again where able to get the Easter Bunny to stop by and hide over 100 eggs (and other treats) in our backyard for the boys to find and only 1 egg was left behind!
Good egg hunting boys! Hopefully next year it will be boys and girl!

Thanks to everyone for coming again and we hope everyone had fun and enjoyed the food brought by all!

Easter...a little late!

Even though it's a little late, I thought I would still post about our Easter egg hunt.

The weather managed to hold out so that we where able to have our 3rd annual Easter egg outside once again. Yes believe it or not, it has been 3 years! The kids seem to have fun even though the had to trudge through snow to get their treats. This year the Easter bunny managed to hide over 100 eggs (and other goodies) and to our amazement only 1 egg was left behind. Good hunting boys! Hopefully next year we can say boys AND girl!

Well I hope everyone had fun and enjoyed the wonderful food brought by all!

Child Brides in Ethiopia.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/specials/chi-0412120360dec12,1,2870744.story?page=1&coll=chi-newsspecials-hed

Finally some movement

After many months (Since December) of seeing no referrals on either board I'm on, there finally was one!
Maybe they will start moving again!
Here's too hoping!

For information on Ethiopia and Ethiopian adoptions click here.....

http://ethiopiafaq.wordpress.com/

Ethiopian Supermodel with a cause!

http://www.liyakebede.com/

Your help and support is needed!

I would like to encourage everyone here who is concerned that it is taking the Canadian High Commission in Nairobi up to six months to process our adoptions and issue travel visas to write a quick note tothe Minister of Citizenship & Immigration Canada as soon as possible. Minister Diane Finley can be reached at Minister@cic.gc.ca
I haven't been able to find any other country that takes up to six months to process the adoptions of Ethiopian children. The United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, Ireland, Finland and Spain all process adoption visas within weeks of the Ethiopian court date. It is now clear to me that the HC's abysmally slow processing of ourchildren's adoptions is directly related to human resourcing decisions and a lack of priority put on the cases of our children inspite of the fact that CIC mandates that adoptions should be the priority. Disturbingly, although the High Commission in Nairobi finishes almost at the back of the pack of the dozens of Canadian missions overseas in the speed at which it processes Permanent Resident Visas for dependent children, it far surpasses both the overseas missions and its region's averages in the processing of temporary visas for people who want to come to Canada to visit. Folks, the way our country is treating children who have been orphaned is a disgrace. It is certainly not in keeping with the spirit of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. As asignatory to this Convention, Canada has agreed to extend "particular care to children without a family." That the Canadaian government is contributing directly to months and months of unnecessary time ininstitutional care doesn't seem to fit with extending particular care to children without a family. This situation is shameful. Please consider writing a short email to the Minister as soon aspossible. If you have adopted or are adopting or have someone close to you who is a dopting tell her how the government's actions make you feel as a parent, grandparent, aunt and a Canadian. CIC does track the number of emails and letters it gets on each issue. Let's express our concern over this issue and help highlight its importance to the government. Let's make sure CIC does right by our children, even if we have to drag the government kicking and screaming all the way.

Who's reading the blog?

Please feel free to leave your comments! We appreciate all the support we get and would love some feedback!

Bunk beds, decorating and so much more......

Last weekend we purchased bunkbeds for the 'spare' room, knowing that we will one day be needing them. We actually bought them off a lady I work with and it was such a good opportunity we could not pass them up. they are professionally made by a friend of theirs out of solid wood (not like the ones you get in the store!) and her boys had outgrown them! They are only a few years old and exactly what we will need one day! So after a little run in between Cohen and the bunkbeds we decided they needed to be put together ASAP! So papa came over and helped us set them up and guess who had to sleep in them last night......No, not papa! Cohen! We only have a matress on the bottom right now, but Cohen had to sleep on it.....he could not wait he was so excited! When you ask him who's beds they are he says "mine, mine brudders and sisters". He says that the baby can sleep on the top bunk......we'll see about that!
I don't want him to think that the room with the bunkbeds is his, but I want him to also be open to the idea that one day it will probably be his room to share! Only time will tell as it will depend on which child is th eolder and which is the younger. If the boy is the infant then we will have to wait to have them share a room, and if the girl is the younger than I would like them to share a room when they are comfortable.....What to do...What to do! It is hard to plan and try to get ready when there are so many unknowns. I would like to have the rooms all nice and set up for when they come home, but I would also like to let them have some input into how they want to decorate. To wait or not to wait? It would be easier to paint with only one child running around!

As you can see my mind is continually going in circles wondering all these crazy things!!!! Sometimes I wish I could shut it off!

Thought for the day,,,,,

"There are only two ways to live a life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle"...~Albert Einstein

You Know You're An Adoptive Parent (Or Should Be) If:

You Know You're An Adoptive Parent (Or Should Be) If:

1. The fact that there are 143 million children without a parent to kiss them goodnight has made you lose sleep.
2. You realize DNA has nothing to do with love and family.
3. You can't watch Adoption Stories on TLC without sobbing.
4. The fact that, if 7% of Christians adopted 1 child there would be no orphans in the world, is convicting to you.
5. You spend free time surfing blogs about families who have experienced the blessing of adoption.
6. It drives you crazy when people ask you about adopted child's "real" parents.
7. You have ever been "pregnant" with your adoptive child longer than it takes an elephant to give birth.(2 years!)
8. You had no idea how you would afford to adopt but stepped out in faith anyway, knowing where God calls you He will provide.
9. You have ever taken an airplane ride half-way around the world with a child you just met.
10. You believe God's heart is for adoption.
11. You realize that welcoming a child into your heart and family is one of the most important legacies you could ever leave on this earth.
12. You know what the word "Dossier" means, and you can actually pronounce it!
13. You have welcomed a social worker into the most private parts of your life.
14. You shudder when people say your child is so lucky that you adopted them, knowing full well you are the blessed one to have him or her in your life.
Author Unknown

This is what you would call one of the lows.....

In the adoption world many people refer to there being many high and low points.....well , I am in one of those low points the past week or so. I am not sure what causes it and I really can't explain it, but there are definitely days when you feel like this will NEVER end. Maybe it is the fact that we are around the 1 year mark as to when we 1st started our adoption process, but lately it almost seems like it is something of the imagination that will never happen. Like a dream that has no end.
Sorry that after not logging anything for so long this is what I log, but this is part of the journey and "This too shall pass!".

What a great day to play in the snow....

so we did! We took Cohen out tobogganing and we had a great time throwing snowballs, making snow angels and just playing around. Now our little man is upstairs having a nap. Hope this weather sticks around awhile. Hope to post some new pictures soon.

Henok

We have received the information on our sponsor child and he is a 9yr old boy in grade 2 named Henok. He is a handsome boy with a great smile and we look forward to learning more about him as time goes on. We also look forward to being able to meet him one day when we travel to Ethiopia.....whenever that might be.
It's amazing how much just $30/mth or $360/yr can provide for a child in a country like Ethiopia. With this sponsorship Henok's tuition has been paid for the year, he has been provided shoes and a school uniform, 1 meal a day and a safe fosterhome.
I probably spend $30/mth on my morning coffee!

Robeez donation!

Robeez has been generous enough to donate 25 pairs of infant shoes for us to take to Ethiopia to donate to a local orphange. I apply throught them through their "heart and sole" program and I just got word from them today that my application has been approved and they are sending them out to us, all we have to do is pay for the shipping to get them to us!
Way to go Robeez! Thank you!

Another show on Feb 6th on Ethiopia

There will be a show on Ethiopia on the OLN Network on February 6th. Check your guide for times. It is a new series called: World Travels. On Wednesday night they are showing "Ethiopia-North: Agreeing to Disagree".
Here's the info:Ethiopia North - Agreeing to DisagreeWed., Feb. 6 at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PTAfrican stories fill up notebooks in minutes, but before Esrock and Dimon can explore the 12th century rock churches in Lalibela, they have to deal with social issues, mechanical faults and each other's ethical differences. Esrock tests his theory of the people chain - following unlikely leads to a remarkable story - while Dimon's shopping savvy is tested to the limits as she bargains for a goat in Africa's biggest outdoor market.

Taking a break from shovelling

Took these pictures Saturday afternoon of father and son enjoying the nice winter weather. Cohen like his dad loves be outdoors, even when it's cold out. We figured the cold air would be good on his poor little melon as he had a bitt of a fall Sat morning and hit his head on the stairs pretty hard. He didn't like putting ice on it, so this was the best we could come up with.

Don't forget your passport!

The TV show "Don't forget your passport" on the outdoor life network is airing a show on Ethiopia Feb 4th at 10am. Please consider checking it out....we will be!

Looks like we've been approved for 2!

I am happy to say that it looks like we have gotten the approval from our social worker and social services to adopt 2 kids (siblings). We hadn't heard anything for awhile so I weas starting to wonder! Hopefully our amendment should be in Ethiopia in the next 6 weeks or so. Keep your fingers crossed!

1? 2? 3?........

Yes, 3......Dale and I have decided to change our referral request from 1 infant to a sibling pair (1 under 1 and 1 under 5). We feel that we have enough love and room in our hearts and home to provide 2 special children a forever family. Dale and I have spent allot of time making this decision as it was not an easy one. However we do feel that this is a good decision for our family as a whole. We are very excited about our new future additions.
With this new change we are not sure how this could affect our time lines, but we do think that our travel times could vary greatly from late summer to sometime next winter. We look forward to sharing our journey with you so please stay tuned!

Interesting links

Check out this link and watch the video. Some of the children that are adopted from our agency come from this orphanage. Also a very good book to read!
http://www.thereisnomewithoutyou.com/

Also, Here is a recent article by Melissa Faye Greene
http://www.parade.com/articles/editions/2008/edition_01-13-2008/Finding_My_Daughter

52 weeks..........

I found out this week that I am eligible for the full 52 weeks parental/adoption leave in Saskatchewan. Not sure when this changed from the 35 weeks, but I think this is fantastic news! Even my HR department at work was not aware and have had to update the HR website with the updated information. I guess they have not had an adoption leave in Saskatchewan recently and in MB where our head office is they only receive 35/37 weeks. Way to go Saskatchewan!

mälkam gäna - January 7th - Merry Christmas

Today is Ethiopian Christmas! mälkam gäna hulum (Merry Christmas Everyone)


Ethiopian Christmas is known as Genna. It is celebrated on 7th of January. Christmas celebrations take place both in ancient churches carved from solid volcanic rock and modern churches designed in three concentric circles. Men and boys are made to sit separately from girls and women and the choir sings from the outside circle. Candles are given to people as they enter the church. They light the candles, then walk three times around the church and stand throughout the mass, which may take as long as three hours.

Traditional Christmas dish includes Injera, a sourdough pancake like bread, which serves as both plate and fork along with Doro Wat, a spicy chicken stew served in ornamented baskets. Giving gifts is not a big deal in Ethiopia and children usually receive clothes as presents. On Christmas Eve, people remain outdoors and pray and chant all night. In the morning, a colorful procession marches to the nearby hilltop headed by three young men with whips to keep everybody in line, where a service is held. After the prayers, priests bless the bread and wine and distribute it to everybody. People dance, play games and feast for the rest of the day.

Happy New Year!!! a little late!

Happy New Year everyone! I hope that everyone has a wonderful new year filled will love, happiness and good health.
With 2008 comes the anticipation of a new addition to our forever family. We hope and pray that we are brought together this year so that we can start our life together.
As much as I can't wait for the day to come I do not for a minute want time to go by any faster than it already seems to. Sometimes I think Cohen is changing daily as he continues to amaze me each day. He is counting and recognizes his ABC's, he knows his colors and even his shapes. He has been playing with a leapfrog program ages 4-6 and is doing great! However there are the days like yesterday where I am completely amazed at how absolutely stubborn he is! Not quite sure where he gets that from ;-)
Yesterday he picked up the phone and I asked him who he wanted to call (exspecting it to be grandma or papa or someone like that) and he said sister, mine sister. I guess that just shows that he is understanding what we are telling him. He also knows that when he sees mom looking at her Ethiopia book and he picks up his Ethiopia alphabet picture book mom won't refuse to read it to him.
God I love that little boy!

Take care and all the best for 2008!