And Baby Makes Five

Anyone still reading?

2011-06-24T14:44:00.000-07:00

Where do I start? Hmmm... I'm a bad blogger! No, in fact, I don't think I can call myself a blogger anymore. I didn't really intend to stop for so long, I really didn't. Initially I didn't feel like posting when a very good friend suddenly had to deal with some major road blocks in her adoption. I didn't feel like showing off our new additon and talking about how happy we were while she was hurting so badly. Then when I found some time, I started working on a slide show of our trip to E. but wasn't happy with the results.

We arrived home with Mimi in early November and after kicking the jet lag, getting and healing an ulcer and ridding myself of giardia, all was well. Thank goodness for my mom who helped out in those tough weeks when Thomas was back at work. Poor little Mimi had her own belly woes to deal with but she took it all in stride and we both got rid of all the intruders.

There isn't a day that goes by where I don't think of Ethiopia. The time we spent there with Mimi was so special to us. Meeting her for the first time and holding her in my arms was one of the most special moments of my life. Our quick trip went so well and was so filled with great memories but it was too short. I am connected to a country that I want to experience so much more of and I feel so strongly that I need to go back.

We all love Mimi so much and she is, without a doubt, the little girl we dreamed of since we started this process many years ago. She's happy and healthy and hilarious. She loves showers, the beach, the pool, being outside... and oh boy does she LOVE her brothers. If she could she'd go off to school with them and spend all day by their sides. She is very social and loves saying hi to people. She gets a lot of attention everywhere we go.

Just in case I don't post for a while to come, I want to say thanks to all the moms that shared their time with me. This dream of adopting might never have happened without the stories of others. The blogging community seemed small when I started this process and it has multiplied like crazy since then. So many of us have completed our adoptions but some are still waiting and it is these woman (and their families) who are never far from my thoughts. You know who you are and I hope you know how happy I will be when good news comes your way whether you are waiting for visas or waiting for referrals. I now know how difficult and long international adoption can be (we all know that) and it always feel so great to hear that someone has received some good news. I'm hanging on until all your kids are home.

Here are just a few photos of our trip to Addis along with a few photos of the family since arriving home. They are in reverse order. The first couple pics of Mimi were taken last week. For something to do, I stuck her on the toilet for a while but I got bored of sitting in the bathroom with her so I tried to coax her off. She wanted to stay right where she was and for good reason... She was as shocked as I was at first but you can tell from the photos that my reaction made her very happy. I don't expect this to be a regular occurrence any time soon but who knows.

I just had to add some photos of our trip to pick strawberries. I've been posting photos of the kids at the strawberry field on this blog every year since I started posting. It feels so good to have Mimi with us participating in activities we do on an annual basis. There's no more wondering when the call will come, no more wondering when the medical will be issued or when the visa will be ready. It's over, our family is complete and we are so happy to be getting on with life.

We did some amazing family trips since arriving home from E. and we kept busy skiing and skating (as usual) in the winter months. Mimi wasn't too sure about winter at first but she caught on quickly and that's when her love for the outdoors started to come through. She never wants to come inside.

When you haven't posted in a long time and when you are not sure if you will post agian, you can put a lot of pressure on yourself to compose something great but I finally had to tell myself to just put something out there, so here it is.

Knowing when to do the right thing!!!

2011-01-28T10:13:00.000-08:00

Sometimes people just know when to do the "right" thing.

After 9 court dates (and far too many tears) my friend Laura has a son!!!!

Today is a great day!!!

Home from Addis

2010-11-07T11:23:00.000-08:00

It was emotional leaving Addis (one week ago). I shed some quiet tears for Mimi as we made our way down the runway and took off for the long flight home. We weren't in Ethiopia long but the very emotional and life changing journey we took will stay with us forever. We really had a wonderful trip. Mimi adjusted to life with Thomas and I very quickly. We were constantly in awe of just how easy the transition was. She was attached to us from the day she was ours forever. We feel so lucky to have her. She made our time in Addis so easy. We just carted her around everywhere and she was perfectly content to just be with us.

Our adoption is finally complete, as is our family and it feels so, so good. Arriving home in Ottawa was super exciting. We couldn't wait to see our boys and to introduce them to their baby sister. Finally having all three or our children in our arms was like no better feeling in the world.

I want to post more about our trip at some point but for now that will have to wait.

Meeting Mimi

2010-10-26T23:30:00.000-07:00

Greetings from Addis,

I'm thrilled to be able to tell you all that we met Mimi this morning at our agency's transition home. As soon as I saw her, I got all choked up but I told myself to bury the tears because I didn't want to scare her. Within minutes of being in the same room with her, she was in my arms. She wasn't quite sure what to think of us at first but she clung to me and kept her eyes on Thomas. She was quite shy at first but the caregivers at the transition home are wonderful and they did everything they could to get her to engage with us. It is so clear that they love the kids. We were there for over two hours and after about an hour, I fed her lunch while she sat on my lap. After lunch she was happy and smiling and ready to play. Our driver Soloman spent time with us and he played some Ethiopian music and Mimi LOVED it. It was an amazing morning and when we got back to our hotel, we both agreed that it was one of those incredibly memorable experiences that we will cherish forever.

On Wednesday we head back to the transition home and she is ours forever. We are glad to have some bonding time with her for a few days before we head home. We can't wait to introduce her to her brothers and the rest of our family and friends.

If you see Leo and Noah, please remind them that we will be home soon. We miss them so much.
Love to you all,
Janice

Mimi, Here We Come!

2010-10-16T05:34:00.000-07:00

For those that haven't already heard, Mimi's visa was in the diplomatic pouch last week and it arrived safely in Addis!!! We have booked our flights and we leave this Friday. I can hardly believe that it's true but it is.

I knew that Wed. might be the day that we got the call from Imagine but I didn't feel like waiting around for the phone to ring so I dropped the kids at school, drove to an area where I like to go jogging, parked the van and went for a run. I started to reflect on this long adoption journey we've been on and started to feel the excitement of possibly getting home to hear the news that we would finally be free to travel to get our daughter. It was as though the circle was almost complete - FINALLY. I felt like running like Rocky Balboa with my arms in the air for victory. I felt that strongly that we were finally at the end. I also thought back to two summers ago when we heard about the bankruptcy and how hard that was and now here we were almost there, almost, almost, almost, almost... I had a nice run and got back to the van excited to go home and check the phone for messages. I grabbed for the van key in my pocket and it wasn't there. It had fallen out somewhere while I was running. I ended up running back home (more fitness than I wanted) and when I walked in the door, I looked at the phone and saw there was a message. I don't know why I struggled to take my shoes off real fast but I did and often I don't bother but they wouldn't come off fast enough. I checked caller i.d. and saw Imagine's number. I felt this rush of emotion, sat down, took a deep breath and dialed. I was so nervous that before she could give me the good news, I started talking about the fact that I lost my key and had to leave my van and run home. I was then told that my day was about to get a lot better AND THAT IS WHEN THE GOOD NEWS CAME. It was a great moment in my life. I think I breathed a big loud sigh of relief and said what fantastic news it was and what a great day this was and then I got emotional and started crying but I talked all the way through the tears. Did I say it was just such a HUGE RELIEF! Have I been able to express how happy I was at that moment? I don't think words can really express what it felt like. It was very much like getting our referral - just so unbelievably amazing. It felt unreal, it felt GREAT!

Finding the key to the van was so insignificant at that moment but much later in the day I hopped and my bike and re-traced my steps and found it (just in case you were wondering).

I have been scrambling a bit since then, tryint to make plans and get prepared but it feels wonderful. I often get all choked up when I think about the fact that we have come this far. It is just such a huge relief. We're all so ready for Mimi to join our family, we're so ready to go and get her and bring our little girl home. We'll meet her for the first time on Tuesday Oct. 26th and she will with us forever on Wednesday October 27th. My next post will hopefully be from Addis. : )

Decision Made

2010-10-08T13:02:00.000-07:00

A few days ago I went on the Canadian Citizenship and Immigration website to check the status of our file. In regards to our application for a PRV for Mimi it usually said "In Process" well this week, it says "Decision Made." This is really good news and it means the visa is finally ready and it just has to make it's way out of the offices in Nairobi to our agency's office in Ethiopia. T'm told this can sometimes take a few weeks but it has been known to take a lot less time than that. We are so relieved and we feel confident that we wll soon be traveling to get our little girl.

A Special room for a special girl

2010-10-03T11:27:00.000-07:00

Our spare room has finally been converted into Mimi's room. I really put some effort into it over the past couple of weeks and it's almost done. We just need to hang a chandelier and put up a few more family photos. I took these shots this morning and I don't think they really do it justice but I wanted to post them anyway.

Visa Update

2010-10-01T11:44:00.001-07:00

We received an email from our MP's office who had heard back from the immigration offices in Nairobi. Apparently all docs. are now in the file and it will be finalized shortly.

Visa News

2010-09-23T17:12:00.000-07:00

I don't know how many people are still checking in here. I know that my posts are becoming more and more infrequent but today I have some adoption news to share.

This post actually includes some news on Mimi's visa. It's the last piece of the puzzle.

A couple of days ago I made contact with our MP's office to see if they might be able to contact the Canadian Immigration Office in Nairobi in regards to Mimi's Permanent Resident Visa. The woman I spoke to got back to me yesterday to say that they had some news for us. Apparently, one, maybe two documents are missing from the file. ARG!!! This was not the news we wanted to hear. She also said that our file would be looked at again in 30 days. ARG!! I think she thought I would be happy to hear this but I was crushed. Thirty long days while we try to figure out what is missing and how to remedy it. I contacted our agency right away and they eased my mind by telling me that this is in fact quite common. One particular document often needs to be sent a second time and they would courier it for us asap. It was questionable whether the other document was actually missing from the file or not. This was extremely worrisome. You see, our MP's office couldn't really explain exactly what they were told about it and were left as confused as I was. I think they thought I would understand the wording of what they had been told, but I didn't. It threw me into a panic because I knew if that document wasn't there, we were in for many more weeks of waiting to have it replaced. An email was sent to Nairobi asking for clarification and we were told that protocol is that they would have 10 days to give a reply. Ten days!!! ARG!! For ten days we would have to worry about this.

After feeling lots of anger, sadness, frustration and stress, I got an email from the MP's office today (less than 24 hours later) saying that Immigration in Nairobi had responded to their email requesting clarification on our documents. Everything appears to be as it should be. WHAT A RELIEF!!!! What confusion for nothing. We can only hope that everything is truly in order and the visa will be processed soon. All we can do is continue to wait and hope that there are no more hurdles to jump.

Miss having you around

2010-09-09T11:13:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I had the absolute pleasure of spending a weekend here in Ottawa with Laura. When my boys planned a camping trip, I emailed her and suggested she come spend the weekend with me... all the way from Winnipeg. And she did!

During the past year, we have supported each other over the many long months of waiting for a referral. Some days I wondered what I would do without her (and all the other moms who are going down this same road - you know who you are). Over countless numbers of emails, Laura and I got to know each other really well. However, there's nothing like being face to face to really solidify what was already a great friendship. We talked all weekend and talked some more (mostly about adoption). It could not have gone better. After a fun few days, we had to say goodbye and I have missed her ever since.

We will have come full circle when we get our families together. In other words, when Chad and Thomas get to know each other over a few beers or when Sara, Noah and Leo play together and find some common ground. But most importantly, when Seth and Mimi are face to face here in Canada for the first time while Laura and I celebrate the end of this very long journey.

Another school year begins

2010-09-07T14:44:00.000-07:00

Today I missed Leo a whole lot. He started grade 2 and was, of course, at school all day. : (

The lazy days of summer are over for another year.

Happy 1st Birthday Mimi!

2010-08-30T06:10:00.000-07:00

Happy 1st birthday Mimi! We can't help but wonder what your day was like and we can't wait to have you home to celebrate all your birthdays to come.

I woke up this morning and checked my email and was so happy to find updated photos of our sweet little girl.

No Words Needed

2010-08-16T20:02:00.000-07:00

Summer Announcements

2010-07-17T17:30:00.000-07:00

Mimi's medical request finally arrived in Ethiopia after 10.5 weeks of waiting. I was so thrilled to find out this week that that wait is finally over. Now there's only one more step. Processing times for Permanent Resident Visa's seem to be speeding up a bit. One family recently received there's only 6.5 weeks after their child's medical arrived at the HC in Nairobi. However, our agency is telling us 8-10 weeks is the average these days. Regardless of how long we wait, I am so excited and happy and relieved that we are finally at this stage. It feels so good.

My wonderful friend Laura got a referral (for a beautiful little boy) yesterday and words cannot express just how thrilled I am that the call finally came. International adoption is not easy. It's a long journey - longer than many of us ever expected and there were so many bumps along the way. A year ago we didn't even know if we would ever see these adoptions through. Well now we are REALLY close and it feels so good. Down this long road, you need support and people to lean on. I leaned on Laura a lot and now we both have reason to celebrate. Laura I only wish that I could celebrate with your in person... One day, I promise.

New photos of our girl

2010-07-01T11:57:00.000-07:00

It's hard to describe how exciting it is to open email and find new photos of Mimi. Our sweet, smiling girl is now 10 months old. It is so comforting to see that she looks happy and we are convinced she is trying to wave at us. I can't wait for the day that we are making her smile.

Proud Mama

2010-06-21T18:32:00.000-07:00

My little soccer players are working hard these days and I love watching them play... And yes that is my son with his arm in the face of the kid with the glasses as he goes after the ball.

Friday night fun

2010-06-16T11:35:00.000-07:00

Last Friday I had the absolute pleasure of going to the airport to meet our friends as they arrived home with their daughter from Ethiopia. To see them coming down the escalator was such and incredible moment! For many weeks last summer, it seemed doubtful that this moment might ever happen but it did. IT DID! IT DID! IT DID!!!! Seeing A. with her daughter in her arms felt like a HUGE victory. I could not be happier for them. I was snapping photos like the paparazzi, I just couldn't get enough of that cute face.

WE PASSED!!

2010-05-26T11:25:00.001-07:00

WE PASSED COURT TODAY!! YIPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!

I was busy all morning and away from the house. When I finally got home around noon, I checked my email and there was a message from Imagine requesting that I call them right away... The message seemed positive(the urgency of it) but I was trying to prepare myself for the news that we may not have passed, especially after hearing that other families had not been successful yesterday and the day before. When I was told that we passed, I was speechless for a few seconds. I just couldn't get any words out and my eyes welled up with tears. What an incredible moment.
We feel so very fortunate that this step is over and that we do not need to wait weeks for a second court date. My heart goes out to those who do (I hope you know how much this bothers me - it's just so unfair).

I am so thrilled to be able to post Mimi's photos.

We're going to fly the Ethiopian flag off the porch tonight and have a family celebration with the boys (no swimming lessons for them, no boot camp for me) just fancy drinks, dinner and out for ice cream. : )

Big Day Ahead

2010-05-05T08:50:00.001-07:00

Wednesday May 26th is pizza day at the boys' school. They also will have swimming lessons that afternoon and I will be off to bootcamp that evening. A normal Wednesday in a normal week for us EXCEPT that on Wed. May 26th there will also be a court hearing in Ethiopia to finalize our adoption. If all goes well, we will pass court and be able to move on to the next step in our adoption. If we don't pass court (which happens frequently due to reasons beyond our control) we will simply be given a new court date (usually a few weeks later) and try again. In a perfect world, we would pass court and then travel to Ethiopia but unfortunately, the paperwork required to bring her to Canada takes months to get. I'm just so pleased that we got a court date so quickly after our referral. Sharing this news is exciting and bittersweet at the same time because of the families I know that are still waiting for a court date. You are never far from my thoughts.

Please cross your fingers for us on the 26th.

8 months old today

2010-04-29T05:44:00.001-07:00

surprisingly so
you are one of my favourite things
you are like a fairy tale world that's come to real life
you can see through me
like some sort of transparent material
how could it be
that in such a short time you've become one of my favorite things

Song Title: Surprisingly So
Lyrics: Amy Seeley

She's 8 months old today and her smile makes me smile every time I look at it.

Her photos have been squished between the boys' photos and they all look so sweet together.

After all the excitement of last week's referral we are settling back into a routine of waiting (this time for a court date). It sure feels good to be using an image of a number to mark how old she is and not how many months we've been waiting for a referral. To all those still waiting, you have not been forgotten. I know how hard it is and I will be quietly celebrating every referral to come. OK SO MAYBE NOT SO QUIETLY BECAUSE IT'S JUST TOO EXCITING.

Referral Story

2010-04-20T11:03:00.000-07:00

It really happended, IT REALLY HAPPENED!! I had walked home from school with the boys and they were playing outside. I was in and out, bringing out drinks, snacks, checking to see what they were playing when it got really noisy in the garage. The phone rang at almost 4:30 p.m. while I was sitting in the office. I looked over at the phone and knew exactly who was calling. It wasn't a long conversation but it was a really great conversation. I got the news and I got all choked up. As soon as I got off the phone I opened my email and my heart melted. I put my face into my hands and cried. I pulled myself together and tried to figure out what to do next. My head was spinning. I stared at the photos and again tried to figure out what to do next.
I wanted to surprise Thomas and the boys but I didn't know if I could wait for Thomas to come home from work. Shortly after, Leo came in the front door saying, "Mom, mom come see what I found." I still had tears in my eyes. He had found three four leaf clovers in the grass. I told him that I thought they had brought us luck and I asked him if he knew what that meant.
His first response was, "Are you going to take us to Cosmic Adventures?" I told him I was not and asked him what else the luck might have brought and then he said something like, "Maybe we'll get a picture of baby sister." I just knew that it was time to tell them. I grabbed the video camera and told them I had a BIG surprise for them. I got them in front of the computer screen with their eyes closed then when they opened their eyes they saw her picture. It was so fun and exciting to see and hear their reaction. I suggested that when Thomas got home, they show him the four leaf clovers and tell him that it's a lucky day. Waiting for him to come home was tough because I wasn't sure exactly what time he would be home. I made a phone call and leaked the news to someone close and as we were talking, Thomas pulled up to the driveway. The boys barely let him get out of the car before they wanted to show him the clovers. I told Leo to bring them into the house and went to get the video camera. Thomas checked out the four leaf clovers and Leo told him that it means it's a lucky day. Thomas said to him, "Is it a lucky day?" and then Thomas looked at me with the video camera and said, "Is it a lucky day?" I told him it was a lucky day and that he should come into the office to look at something. All three of them sat down at the computer again and we made Thomas close his eyes. When he saw the picture, he opened his eyes and Noah yelled, "It's Baby Sister!" That's how I remember it. Luckily I've got a lot of it on video because my mind is a little blurry.... It was AMAZING!! That's pretty much how it all went down and then we started sharing the news and celebrating. April 19th, 2010 - WHAT A DAY!

We have a nice family shot too but the wee one's photo is in it so I can't post it.

Many Thanks

2010-04-08T10:00:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone who left a comment after my last blog post. It means so much to know that you are all still there and still anxious to hear our referral news. I'm grateful that we can all support one another throughout this long journey.

We are STILL #1 and I'm feeling like we've held the spot for long enough now (and clearly after yesterday, we know that being #1 means very little but we knew that already). Of course since we moved into the number one spot on the waiting list, we have learned that two trips to Ethiopia will indeed be necessary unless you apply for court before April 9th (tomorrow). It took me about 24 hours to digest this news and work through it in my head. Thomas reassured me that it would all work out in the end and I think he's right. Now I'm really excited about the idea of heading to E. much sooner than I ever imagined. Our agency provided details and answered questions about this new procedure and it was a huge relief to get the answers I was looking for. We will very likely be among the first parents (from Imagine clients) to have to appear in court in E. to finalize their child's adoption - happy to be the guinea pigs if we could just get our referral soon.

OK everyone, I'm so ready to pass on this torch. Who wants it??

NUMBER 1!!!!!!

2010-03-25T17:42:00.000-07:00

I haven't been posting on the blog that much so I don't know if too many people are still tuning in but here's some news:
We've moved up to #1 on the waiting list for a baby girl. This has been a long time coming - I MEAN A REALLY LONG TIME.

I hesitate to get too excited because I know there are always curve balls being thrown at us. I don't want to be #1 for long, I just want to be wiped off the list. I JUST WANT TO BE WIPED OFF THE LIST (Did I say that already?).

In the meantime, we are keeping busy. We had a great time in Cuba with our friends and I'm still thinking about it every day. It was so relaxing and such great family time. It was so good, I almost stayed an extra week (by accident). Here are a few of my favourite photos.

A Reary Wong Time

2010-03-09T18:42:00.000-08:00

I picked Noah up at school today and on our way home our conversation went something like this:

Noah: Mom, maybe when we get home today there's going to be a message about Baby Sister.

Me: I sure hope so.

Noah: Me too because we've been waiting a reawy, wong, wong, wong, wong, wong, wong. wong, wong, wong time.

Me: We sure have.

Ugh! No messsage today.

I definitely know that I have to work harder at getting Noah to practice his "L" words.

The D word

2010-03-05T19:09:00.000-08:00

I've posted this song on the blog before but after receiving the latest Imagine update today, this song captures how I'm feeling:

"Ain't no sunshine gonna take away this rain."

The news of more delays has me feeling pretty blue. Of course those feelings will be put on the back burner as I enjoy my weekend with my wonderful family but those feelings are there none the less. The roller-coaster ride continues....

Fun Times

2010-03-03T10:42:00.000-08:00

It's hard for me to believe that I have to wait another 4 years for the winter olympics to come around again. I was so inspired by all the athletes. I was so proud to be Canadian. I think the Russians are going to have a tough act to follow. Lucky for me, I'll have my boys to cheer on. Last weekend was the second year that they competed in the "cookie race" at Nakkertok. It was so fun to watch. Noah was so proud of himself and I was so proud of him. The look of concentration on Leo's face the whole time was priceless. I was running around the course taking photos and cheering like mad. I could not have been more proud.

Short and Sweet

2010-02-22T11:35:00.000-08:00

An Olympic First

2010-02-16T17:10:00.000-08:00

This is one athlete that truly inspires me. I'm in awe of his determination. I love that his brother became his guide in so many of his races - that's what family is all about.

In an interview I watched, he said that one of his competitors, without arms, told him after a race that he thought he was amazing and that he didn't think he could ever compete without his vision. Brian said he was thinking the same thing about the racer who didn't have arms. I suppose it just proves, you can do anything you really want to do.

The Great Debate

2010-02-11T13:45:00.001-08:00

This afternoon I was telling Leo about all the intrigue surrounding the mystery of who has been chosen to light the Olympic cauldron at the opening ceremonies. He didn't know who Wayne Gretzky is (I know that may be hard to believe but we're not hockey crazy in this house) so I showed him a photo and at the same time, I came across this article and video clip. Leo knows of Terry Fox because they do the Terry Fox run at school every fall and so we watched the video together. I was sitting in a chair at the table with the laptop and Leo was standing beside me. We were both quiet, watching and listening intently. Leo put his arm around me and I felt my eyes well up with tears. Noah came downstairs and wanted to know what we were doing. He climbed up on the other side of my chair and started watching with us. You could hear a pin drop. The tears were rolling down my cheeks. The boys didn't know I was crying. When it was over I turned to Leo and said, "That made mummy really sad so I need a hug." After my giant hug, I turned to Noah and he looked surprised to see all the tears. He said, "Mummy you have tears all over your face!" I got a nice hug from him too and then he said... "Now can we watch Sponge Bob?" I laughed and wiped the tears. I hadn't actually given the great debate a whole lot of thought until today... I know my choice.

Here is the article and youtube clip:

Who will it be?

Copy Cat

2010-02-04T06:48:00.000-08:00

First, thanks to everyone for suggesting I put that champagne in the fridge. I will put it in soon to get it chillin but I'll have to hide it behind something so I don't see it every time I open the door.

The remainder of this blog post is copied from Shannon (sorry for copying you Shannon but I just had to). I'm always drawn to her posts because I often learn something about Ethiopia that I didn't know.

I was so excited to learn about Robel Teklamariam from Shannon's last post. He was born in Ethiopia and he will be competing in his second winter olympics in nordic skiing at the Vancouver games. As some of you know, our little family of four is really into nordic skiing. In fact, if I wasn't sitting here now posting this blog, I would likely be out on the trails in Gatineau Park skiing. Our little girl from Ethiopia will be on skis before she knows it (actually she'll be pulled behind skis in the pulk (sled) for a year or two first then she'll be on skis). To see an olympic athlete competing for Ethiopia in nordic ski racing is not only surprising but just so awesome. We are getting our kids into the sport at a young age in hopes that they will learn to love it and continue it as a life-long sport. Robel may be the first to compete in the winter olympics for Ethiopia but hopefully he will inspire others, who live in areas where they have snow, to get on skis and give it a go.

I'm going to post a video and a couple of you tube clips of Robel which is likely going a little overboard but I want them on this blog. The NY Times video is an interview of Robel before he competed in Italy.

nytimesvideo

How Much Longer?

2010-02-02T11:07:00.000-08:00

We were looking at our map book yesterday and the boys wanted to check out Africa and see - once again - where Ethiopia is located. Our short conversation went like this:

Leo: "When we finally get to see a picture of baby sister, how many days after that until you and daddy get to go and get her?"

Me: "Oh sweetie, we will have to wait months before we can go and get her. If we get the picture this month then maybe daddy and I could travel in the summer to go and get her."

Leo: "Oh!"

One step at a time I guess. Referrals for Imagine clients are continuing and this is so very exciting. My heart skips a beat when the phone rings now. There is only one family ahead of us on "the list" and some families behind us have already received referrals so we know we are close. I get choked up every time I think of the day we finally get the call. The Champagne is in the cupboard but not yet chilling.

C'est la vie

2010-01-26T09:18:00.000-08:00

I happened to catch the cbc radio program "C'est la vie" today. For the month of January, they have been airing a series called "Arrivals." This week it featured a couple from Montreal who waited over three years to get their adopted son home from Haiti. It is well worth listening to. I was so touched by their story and felt immediate emotion for their struggle and for the little boy waiting for them in Haiti.

It just happened to have been taped before the earthquake but aired today.

Arrivals Part III

Arrivals Part I and Part II sound really good too.

Good Fortune

2010-01-15T06:08:00.000-08:00

Last weekend we took the kids to a restaurant for chinese food. We all got a fortune cookie at the end of the meal and my fortune was... "Good news will come to you from far away." Leo was all wide-eyed and excited as he said, "Mom, mom that means that we are going to get a picture of baby sister soon." It was so cute. Too bad their was no date to let us know when exactly we might get some good news from far away.

There have been more than a few referrals since early January and this is so exciting for all Imagine clients. I tell people that we could get "the call" today, tomorrow, next month or the month after. You just never really know. With each referral (especially infant referrals) we get closer to our own and that is a wonderful feeling.

And more referrals

2010-01-08T13:08:00.001-08:00

The new Imagine Adoption agency is working on June 08 files now.
That's us, that's us, THAT IS US!

Jumping for joy for friends

2010-01-07T11:22:00.000-08:00

Our friends A and D got their referral this morning for a baby girl and I am so excited!!! All this time, I've really been waiting for two phone calls - the call for our own referral and the call from A. to say they got theirs. I knew her call would come first. This is how it is supposed to happen and I got her call this aft. I'm just so glad I was home. It was soooo exciting and thrilling and I am just so happy for them. Of course it also means that we are one step closer and one of these days, I will be able to call A. with the same news. Yipee!!! I hope our girls become great buddies. I am overjoyed that A and D have reached this stage and soon we'll be there too. Fingers crossed that next year at this time they'll be playing together in the snow.

Updating folks on the adoption story

2010-01-06T13:38:00.000-08:00

We do a fair bit of x-country skiing in the winter and every year I take some skate skiing lessons to try to improve my technique so that each ski I do on my own becomes easier and faster (and one day I will have to try to keep up to the boys).
Two years ago, I met a really nice couple in my ski class and by the end of our lessons, I felt comfortable telling them that we were adopting from Ethiopia (at that time we would have been finished our homestudy and waiting for Ministry Approval. I really thought that if I saw them the next year at ski lessons, we would likely have our baby girl home or at the very least know who she was. Unfortunately that wasn't the case. Last winter the nice couple registered for the lessons again and I was very happy to see them. One of the first questions they asked me was about the adoption. I had no exciting news for them except to tell them that we were still waiting and I tried to explain that wait times for referrals had increased, blah, blah, blah. I just started my ski lessons this week and I registered for a more advanced course this year. The couple is not in the class. As much as I like them and would have really enjoyed seeing them again, it was sort of a relief not to have to tell the full story of why we are still waiting for a referral. It just seems like so long ago that I first met them and told them about the adoption. It really hit home on the night of my first lesson of the season, just how long we have been waiting for this happen.

Here are a few pics of a cold but fun ski day we had with the kids up at Nakkertok ski club over the holidays. I'm definitely missing the holidays.

Good Hair

2010-01-04T11:39:00.001-08:00

Boo Hoo! The holidays are over and my boys have gone back to school. Time to get back into the weekly routine.
I just want to recommend a movie that Thomas and I saw over the break. I had been hearing about "Good Hair" and had been wanting to see it for a while. I would have liked to have seen more interviews with more people about their hair, however, Chris Rock keeps it entertaining. I learned a few things. If nothing else, my next child is going to get lots of reinforcement from family that she has good hair (despite pressure from the outside world that may make her think differently). Oh why does it have to be that way?

Christmas came early!!

2009-12-16T17:26:00.000-08:00

REFERRALS HAVE STARTED AGAIN!!!! Yes, it's true, the new Imagine adoption agency has started matching children with families once again. There are a lot of happy families out there and we are one of them. It feels like we are close again. The Ministry approved the agency's license early this week and they also got their NGO status in Ethiopia. There were two referrals today
(one for a sibling group and one for a 4 yr. old). Woohoo!!!!

Snow Day!

2009-12-09T10:51:00.000-08:00

Snow storms are by far my FAVORITE storms so today is a good day. Here's a great song called Favorite Storm (and interview with talented Amy Seeley - can't get enough of her these days).

I love snow days (always have always will). We live down the road from the school and the school is open but I kept the boys home because I wanted to. I love looking outside at the snow (especially when I don't have to go anywhere). I took some photos of the kids this morning so I could make some x-mas cards and it was so hard to get a decent shot of them. It just made me laugh. They would much rather be goofy in the front of the camera. They wanted to get outside to play in the snow and who can blame them.

Prom night

2009-12-07T07:14:00.000-08:00

We just went to see the documentary film called Prom Night In Mississippi. I know it sounds like a horror flic but it was far from it. In the small town of Charleston Mississippi, black and white students go to school together but they don't attend the same prom. This isn't their choice but the choice of many parents and the school board. In 2008, actor Morgan Freeman offers to pay for the prom if it's integrated. The majority of the students are all for it. Mr. Freeman had made this same offer about 10 years ago but the school board and parents were not willing to go through with it. This time there was no stopping it. What an historic event for the kids who live in this town. I felt so proud of them for standing up against racism. I would highly recommend this film.

Good things...

2009-12-01T07:14:00.000-08:00

Good things come to those who wait. Although I find it hard to believe, we are actually back on track. We are moving forward and we are now waiting anxiously for more details (details will help to make it feel more real).

Another key date

2009-11-12T09:57:00.000-08:00

All restructuring fees are due to the new Imagine on November 30th and like so many, I'm feeling nervous again. It's hard to believe we signed on with Imagine Adoption in November of 2007. During the first week of December, we will be waiting for news from the new agency about whether or not they receive the funds they expect to get from families to restart the agency under new management.

Here's some song titles that sort of sum up this roller-coaster ride since early July of this year.

Freight Train Blues - Billie and Dede Pierce

This low - Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova

The Hill - Marketa Irglova

Hope for the Hopeless - A Fine Frenzy

The Light - Common

Hope - The Submarines

Hope - Jack Johnson

I hope - The Dixie Chicks

There is still hope and I'm hanging on to it. That's not a song title just me signing off from this post.

Seventeen and Halloween

2009-11-01T11:22:00.000-08:00

Seventeen - the number of months we will soon have been waiting for a referral since our file arrived in Ethiopia. I can almost say we are officially waiting again. I think I can safely say the new agency will soon be in full operation and we will be back in the swing of things. I feel terrible for families involved in the Ghana program who will not be able to see their adoptions through. It sounds like moving forward with that program was just too complicated for the new agency.

Halloween - Fun, fun, fun. The kids were thrilled to finally get to go trick or treating. They love Halloween. For two years I had been suggesting to Noah that he be Robin (to go with Leo's Batman costume) but he was never interested and he never really knew who Robin was. This year Leo wasn't interested in being Batman for a third time but Noah insisted he wanted to be Robin. Go figure! I did get a photo of Batman and Robin this morning when they felt like dressing up again but it was a ghost thet went trick or treating with Robin last night. I think Robin's new super power is his ability to collect candy at a very fast rate. My little Robin was on a mission going from house to house until he lost steam towards the end. Thomas put on his smurf costume to go out with the boys and then later we dressed up as pirates for our party. I have never seen so many great carved pumpkins. I think my favorite was the bird in a bird cage - very creative and I wish I had a picture of it but I don't.

good for a laugh or to make you gag

2009-10-22T11:34:00.001-07:00

I haven't been blogging much but when I saw this clip, I thought some of you moms and future moms would get a kick out of this.

Big Thanks

2009-10-01T13:00:00.000-07:00

I am so very grateful to all those people that played an integral part in getting Imagine up and running again. The hope continues to grow and we remain cautiously optimistic that all will work out.

Here is a recent post by MP Glen Pearson. I think he sums it up so very well.

—————————-

Months ago, families attempting to adopt children from Ethiopia received the shattering news that the adoption agency they were working through was declaring sudden bankruptcy. Most of us recall the pain reflected in the faces and comments of the prospective parents and our hearts went out them. Their hopes were finished.

Except they weren’t. From the ashes of deep despair emerged a collective effort that turned tragedy on its head and produced hope when people believed there was none. What is remarkable about the collective effort of these parents-to-be was that they kept themselves together when anger and frustration could have split them in numerous pieces.

Imagine Adoption, and the moving story surrounding the parents, has been alluded to a number of times in this blog. I’ve written of the first meeting my wife and I had with them and how they constructed a plan in those earliest moments that hatched a truly remarkable story of how citizens who organize, share the burden, skillfully express their honest emotions, and arouse their talents can in the end even make government move with alacrity and compassion.

Under the adroit influence of a steering committee, the hopeful parents engaged media, community partners and politicians from various domains and successfully gained support for their efforts. And then just today, the news: “An international adoption agency that collapsed this summer, stunning hundreds of would-be adoptive parents … was moved out of bankruptcy yesterday” (London Free Press).

I’m not sure any of us can really understand the sheer heights these parents climbed, not so much to overcome obstacles, but to get to their children. They turned their collective grief, not to anger, but to faith and endurance. When it seemed all was lost, they could never accept that news because that meant the children in Ethiopia had lost as well. It just wasn’t good enough … and so they organized and prevailed.

Working with government, creditors and a bankruptcy firm, they succeeded in forming a new board of directors, along with an advisory board. Moreover, each family had to pay another $4,000 each to make it work. And it did. Starting at this moment, the board will hire two full-time workers and a part-time worker. At this rate, most of the adoptions will be completed.

I concluded an earlier blog on these inspirational parents by saying, “If only Ottawa worked like this.” That was just speaking of the spirit of cooperation shown by this hardy group. But now that cooperation has reaped its reward, showing us all once again that if citizens can overcome such obstacles with such cooperation and dedication, our own politicians could surely learn some lessons. I can honestly say they have taught me much, but more importantly have given me hope for what is possible.

We live in a strange world where a sports figure, who can masterfully move a small round ball into a cup on the green can be asked to dine with presidents and prime ministers. Self-serving and self-absorbed entertainers gain immediate access to the halls of power. What are we thinking? The kind of people who should be extended the red carpet into Parliament are people like these parents. They are neither masters of the inconsequential nor purveyors of their own self-image. Instead, they are what we should all emulate. Their secret of power and success was their humility and belief – the very things in such short supply in our nation’s capital these days. Well done. Enjoy your kids.

View Post by MP Glen Pearson

2009-09-24T11:01:00.000-07:00

It seems appropriate to blog about good news now after the sadness that consumed all families involved in Imagine's bankruptcy.

There is lots to celebrate this week. As most of you already know, families voted to accept the proposed restructuring plan for Imagine Adoption (with new management of course). This is a huge relief to us but there are still more hoops to jump. Right now I would describe feeling cautiously happy.

Congratulations to L. for her referral for a baby boy from South Africa. It sure feels good to hear about a referral (even if it isn't my own). I am so tremendously excited for you guys. I can't wait to meet him and I wish you a safe trip to South Africa.

Finally, Noah has adjusted really well to morning JK, no more meltdowns when he gets dropped off at the school. My little boy is growing up fast and he sure likes to dress up (see photos).

Expect the Unexpected

2009-09-15T11:24:00.001-07:00

When it comes to adoption, I had been told by a friend, who had already been through the process, to expect the unexpected (I think I've said this before in an old post). I could handle the increasing timelines but the news of the bankruptcy was certainly unexpected and shocking. The terrible news was replaced with hope that maybe we would one day see this adoption through. I held onto that for the summer and focused on having fun with my family. There were many good times and lots of highlights and at some point I might find the time to post some photos and elaborate.

Today Noah and I were in the car and he was asking about "baby sister." He wanted to know when she would join our family and once again I had to tell him that I didn't know. He wanted to know if she would come on an airplane and I explained to him again that Daddy and I would have to take an airplane to go and get her if/when the time comes. He said, "Well let's get that started!" Next week we will be closer to knowing whether or not we will be getting that started (again). My fingers and toes are crossed.

Here's a picture of Noah just before we set off for his first day of school. He had no problem smiling for the photo but by the time we got to the school there were no smiles. His teacher had to help loosen his grip on my hand and then I said one more goodbye and walked away. When I finally looked back, the kids were all heading into the school and Noah was at the front of the line in his teacher's arms. That was better than the staggered entry start the week before where I had to go into class with him and stay for an hour before sneaking out. Every day will get a little better and a little easier - I hope.

Very sad news

2009-07-23T14:40:00.000-07:00

I wasn't going to create any more posts but I thought that it would make sense to add just one more because I know that some of our friends check the blog every once in a while to see how things are progressing.

I am so sad to say that our adoption agency has declared bankruptcy. We have been told by the Ministry of Children and Youth Services that those families who had already received a referral for a child will likely receive assistance in getting their children home. The future is unclear for the rest of us...And we were so close to a referral. Part of me tries to stay hopeful but the other part of me feels like I need to face reality that this adoption may very well be over. We are waiting for news one way or the other so that we can move forward. It's been an emotional week for Thomas and I. We have yet to tell Leo and Noah and won't do so
until we know for certain what is going to happen. They continue to talk about "baby sister" and every time they do, I want to cry.

Back to posting photos

2009-06-16T19:35:00.000-07:00

Our camera needed to be fixed before I could download anymore photos and when I finally made it to the camera shop today (after weeks of putting it off) I got out of there having spent only $20 and a working camera in my purse. What luck! Here I was thinking it would need to be sent away for weeks and we would have to spend a chunk of change to fix it.

Here are some photos of what's been going on this spring with the boys - things like celebrating the loss of Leo's first tooth, celebrating both Grandma and Grandpa's birthdays, party hat creations, t-shirt making, cake decorating with friends and a picnic at the tulip festival.

Yep 12 months

2009-06-09T13:05:00.000-07:00

Clearly I have not been blogging much since one of my more recent posts was to note the 11th month mark. Here we are at 12 months of waiting for a referral and I find myself with little time to blog. Summer holidays are almost here and last year we were telling everyone that we thought we would have our adopted daughter by this summer. Well clearly, she is not with us yet but we do have a wonderful summer planned which I know will be amazing and it will fly by.

When I hear that our agency is working on files that have been in Ethiopia since last June (right now it's May), I will allow myself to get more than a little excited.

Babysitter or Baby Sister?

2009-05-29T07:21:00.000-07:00

So a few weeks ago Thomas and I were going out and we were getting a new babysitter for the kids. Noah seemed just fine with the idea, in fact, he was even excited. I brought it up quite a bit because we don't get teenage babysitters that often and I wanted the kids to be ready and comfortable to meet someone new. The afternoon before she came over, I explained to Noah that I would go and pick up the babysitter before dinner. He said something like, "you're going to pick up Baby Sister?" I corrected him and said that I was picking up the babysitter and then I asked him if he knew the difference between a babysitter and Baby Sister. He said no. I was so surprised. Was he really thinking that his baby sister was coming? I really do think that he knew the difference between the two but at that time during that conversation he was confused. He had no problem with the idea of a new sitter coming over and just as I thought he was the first one to make conversation with her when she arrived.

Eleven

2009-05-14T13:03:00.000-07:00

We hit 11 months waiting on May 9th. I know we won't hear anything this month but hopefully sometime this summer. It sure would make a perfect birthday present for me at the end of July.

Gators

2009-04-29T11:42:00.000-07:00

My little Gator had his first soccer game ever on Monday night. He was suffering from a cold so that afternoon he fell asleep on the carpet without any notice at all. I just found him there asleep when I thought he was playing quietly. He gathered the energy to participate in the first game of the season and he did great. We were all there to cheer him on.

Feel the heat

2009-04-27T06:30:00.000-07:00

It was so nice here on Friday and Sat. that Thomas decided to go camping. He and Leo and friends had a great time on their first trip of the season.

Great t-shirts

2009-04-15T17:28:00.000-07:00

I bought a bunch of fun t-shirts from a site that will soon be sold out of products. The owner is trying to sell off all her stock and thanks to someone spreading the word on the canadaadopts yahoo site, everything is going fast. I can't wait to get my package in the mail. (www.hoyahoye.net).

Moving Forward

2009-04-14T17:48:00.000-07:00

Our file has now been in E for 10 months. It's official, we're into the double digits now. We are hoping (fingers crossed) for a summer referral. Actually we reached the 10 month mark last week but I kept forgetting to add that to the blog.

Ten months of waiting for a referral actually feels better than 9. I can only explain that by saying that at the 9 month mark, I had nothing to say and felt down that there had been so few referrals but now, because of some recent good news for some waiting families, I feel reenergized and super excited again. I'm happy and excited for them and for us and what is to come in the future.

The number 10 is significant for T and I because we are into our 10th year of wedded bliss. I put one of our wedding photos on the blog back in Sept. and I think I mentioned that to celebrate the occasion we spent a really fun afternoon with some good friends who marked the occasion with some photos. These two make a great team and are very talented with their cameras. We had a blast. If you are at all interested in photography then you must check out www.byronbrydges.com
Some of our photos are on the blog : )

Celebrating 10 years of marriage last fall as well as celebrating all my boys' birthdays this past month, it's clear there really is so much to be thankful for... I am a very happy wife and mother.

One last time

2009-04-13T05:34:00.000-07:00

Thomas started his birthday off with a ski (with Leo). Spring skiing in the Gats. is still going strong. The parking lot was full. Thomas dragged Leo up to the top of P10 and then they skiied together for a while, had a snack and came back. What a great way to kick of your birthday.

More Birthday pics.

2009-04-12T06:45:00.000-07:00

Naoh's birthday pics:

Celebrating with Leo

2009-04-12T06:34:00.001-07:00

My three boys just celebrated their birthdays over these past three weekends. First we had Leo's party, then the next weekend we had Noah's party and this weekend we are celebrating with Thomas. We're full of cake and pie (because Thomas prefers pie) and ready for a break from all the parties.

Oh happy day!!

2009-04-08T10:14:00.000-07:00

I know all my fellow bloggers are well aware of this news but for those who check my blog who are not in the process of adopting, I have some good news to share.

I just read that Adam and Carolyn got a referral for a baby boy (peipeters). They really paid their dues in waiting and finally that referral came. I'm so thrilled for them. I'm so happy to be able to blog with good news.

I just had to post about how happy I am for Rhonda and her husband. I started following their journey many months ago when the difficulty of waiting for a refferal was getting to them (to put it mildly). Now as I type this blog entry, they are in Ethiopia with their daughter Eden. I am just so overjoyed for them... Check out her blog (rkturgeon) on the right to read more and to see photos of wee Eden if I have peaked your interest. This is a couple that truly paid their dues in waiting. They deserve only the best. Congrats you two!!

last round...

2009-03-27T12:21:00.000-07:00

And yes the towels came off.

but wait there's more...

2009-03-27T12:11:00.000-07:00

A picture is worth a thousand words

2009-03-27T12:06:00.000-07:00

We had a fantastic time in the DR - better than I could have imagined.

Picture this

2009-03-11T19:14:00.000-07:00

Picture me (and my three favourite boys) in this scene - playing in the ocean, relaxing on the beach, soaking up the sun in beautiful Punta Cana. Yes, it's true. The last minute trip was booked two days ago and we leave on Friday. The bags are almost all packed and we are all VERY excited. Leo didn't even mind that we are postponing his birthday party until after we get back.

Only one more sleep until Leo's 6th birthday and two more sleeps until we leave on vacation. Life is good!

Time keeps on ticking

2009-03-07T13:48:00.000-08:00

I love my big pink 9!! This past month sailed by. I didn't add too many entries to the blog - perhaps that helps. I think a new season will spark things up a bit and maybe everyone who's tired of waiting will be able to refocus and enjoy spring. I'm just trying to be positive.

I've decided to go private with the blog. Please send your email address to johnstonj40@hotmail.com if you wish to continue to view my blog and I will gladly add you to the list. I have yet to make any decisions on exactly when this will happen but in the next month, I hope.

PROUD

2009-03-01T10:13:00.001-08:00

We are so proud of our little racers. They both went in the annual "cookie race" up at Nakkertok and had lots of fun. What a great event and what a good idea to reward each kid with a big cookie on a string around their neck when they cross the finish line.

Dance Party!

2009-02-09T06:51:00.000-08:00

We've reached 8 months. Last night we were having a family dance party in our living room (Leo had decorated and had a light
show all ready for us) and as we were dancing around I thought to myself, "What should we be celebrating?" Then I realized we had reached 8 months. I don't know if it's really a reason to celebrate but each month does make it feel that much closer to a referral.

Baby Sister

2009-02-01T18:40:00.000-08:00

Leo and Noah are talking more and more and more about "Baby Sister." That's how we all refer to her. Whenever we talk about our whole family she is always included. Last night we were having a family hug where we all pile on each other and hug (well the kids pile on Thomas and I). I said that I loved our family hugs and Noah said, "But the whole family isn't here! Rosa's not here (our cat) and Baby Sister isn't here." I love that.

For a long time it was always...Mummy, Daddy, Leo, Noah and Rosa and now when we the boys refer to our family, it's always...Mummy, Daddy, Leo, Noah, Rosa and Baby Sister. That is a great feeling.

Time to laugh

2009-01-22T12:46:00.000-08:00

This is sure to put a smile on your face.

Why parents should always check their children's homework before they hand it in:

A first grade girl handed in the drawing below for a homework assignment.

After it was graded and the child brought it home, she returned to school the next day with the following note:

Dear Ms. Davis,

I want to be very clear on my child's illustration. It is NOT of me on a dance pole on a stage in a strip joint. I work at Home Depot and had commented to my daughter how much money we made in the recent snowstorm. This photo is of me selling a shovel.

7 things

2009-01-15T17:36:00.000-08:00

I got tagged by Rana with 7 things to share about myself. Hmmmm. Ok here they are:

1. I just joined facebook this week. I was never interested in joining. I resisted for a very long time because I felt like I was in touch with everyone that I really wanted to be in touch with (except for a few). My interest was finally peaking when my friends kept talking about it so I signed on. It's a real time waster and I don't really have time to waste these days. I did find some far away friends and for that it's great. This week I'm hooked but I do think the novelty will wear off.

2. Years ago I had a conversation with a friend (before we had kids) about adoption. She said that she didn't think that she would ever adopt because she couldn't love that child as much as her biological children. I don't think I said anything at the time but in my mind I remember thinking that that is not how I felt or would feel if I had kids.....And here I am sure that I will love all my children equally. I find it interesting that I never forgot that conversation.

3. I watch The Bachelor. Yes, it's true. I guess I'm out of the closet now. I think what those women (and men) go through for the show is cruel and mean but I guess the hopeless romantic in me likes to watch people fall in love - even if these relationships rarely seem to last. It is my guilty pleasure.

4. My biggest pet peeve is people who interrupt others. It drives me mad. Not just when I might be interrupted but when I witness others being interrupted as well. It's not so bad if someone interrupts and comes back later to ask the speaker to continue what they were saying, it's when they are oblivious that they have interrupted someone.
This pet peeve completely excludes when there are kids involved - that doesn't bother me.

5. When I need a mental or physical boost of energy I often think of Bruce Springsteen in concert. I saw him twice last year and was completely blown away by the amount of energy he puts out for every song. I always think if he can do what he does at his age with that much energy then I can do.....whatever it is I need energy for.

6. I strongly dislike putting my child in his car seat in the winter. Some days I dread it especially if I've had to do it many times. Noah is still in a car seat and I can't wait for him to be in a booster seat. He is not yet heavy enough for a booster but yet squeezing him into his car seat in all his snow gear this winter is such a pain. I will sometimes drive out of my way, to a drive-through bank maching for example, just so I don't have to get him in and out of the car again.

7. I love french films set in Paris. I love travel novels set in Paris...Actually I love books in general and have far too many that I need to get reading. I love buying books and can't ever imagine reading a book on an iphone.

I will tag Lindsey, Shannon and Stephanie if they have not yet been tagged.

News out of E.

2009-01-15T16:56:00.000-08:00

This is disturbing news out of E. Sounds like a big step in the wrong direction. A proper legal framework is a good thing but this is tightening the reins too much. Why create such a major obstacle for local NGO's to operate in the country? It scares me.
Thank you Danielle for keeping me informed. Click on the following link to read more.

Amnesty Int'l

Enjoying some quiet time

2009-01-14T12:21:00.000-08:00

Ahhhh....Freedom. So Noah just started swimming lessons for the first time and I managed to get the boys in lessons at the same time. What does this mean for me? Half an hour of downtime to sit and watch them. Last fall/winter, it was just Leo taking lessons so Noah and I would hang out on deck and I would read to him or play with him and just basically keep him from getting bored for 30 minutes. I can't tell you how nice it is to just be able to sit for 30 minutes and watch them. Yahoo!

I'm so proud of Noah. I had no idea how he would do in his first swimming lesson. I was worried he might refuse to go with the instructor. He loves to swim but he's also shy. There are only 3 kids in the class and when the instructor called their names and asked them to follow her to the pool, it was another boy who burst into tears and refused to go. My little Noah rose to the occassion and did everything that was asked of him. That's my boy!

Leo and Noah also started karate lessons (they are called the little dragons) and man is it cute to watch. Noah tries very hard to follow all the instructions but he doesn't always get it right and it cracks me up. I have a smile on for much of that class and it is so nice than they can do it together. Thank goodness for indoor lessons when the temps. are soooo cold that we can't be outside for long. I hope it warms up soon.

Entering a new month

2009-01-09T07:28:00.000-08:00

At the beginning of the week, I was very concsious that this Friday would mark 7 months of waiting for our referral but it slipped my mind this morning. Today I sat down and checked our calender for the date because I had to write it on a form I was filling out. I completely forgot about the 7 months mark. Later, I was driving in my car and suddenly remembered that we had just made it to 7 months. It doesn't mean as much as i thought it would 7 months ago but it still feels good. For those of you not in the know, we are being told by our agency that we will be waiting 9+ months for our referral. That means March at the very earliest, maybe later.

Over the holidays, we were made aware of the fact that the number of families wanting to adopt from Ethiopia has increased greatly over the past year and due to the increase, the Ethiopian government is asking for more documentation that must go through the court system before the adoption can be complete. This means an increased number of court dates may now be required before parents are able to travel to Ethiopia to get their children. It's a good thing because it shows they are doing what they feel is necessary to safeguard the rights of the families and it shows that they want their program to be ethical. It also means that it may now take longer between referral time and travel time which is hard to think about at this point but it will most certainly pay off for all families involved.

Genna

2009-01-07T06:37:00.000-08:00

Melkam Yelidet Beaal (Happy Christmas)

January 7th is the Ethiopian Christmas known as Genna. Here is some information I learned from another blog. Thanks Nancy.

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.

First canal skate

2009-01-05T06:55:00.000-08:00

I went for a ski yesterday and Thomas took the boys skating on the canal with some friends. The first canal skate is always a big hit especially when there are beavertails involved. I was sorry I missed it but hope to get out on the canal real soon again.

More fun

2009-01-05T06:46:00.000-08:00

The hot tub was fun for the kids and adults alike.

More holiday pics

2009-01-05T06:41:00.000-08:00

Thomas and John made a bobsled run behind the chalet. It worked great and it was a simple way to get outside for some fun in the snow and fresh air without having to get in the car.

Holiday pics

2009-01-05T06:19:00.000-08:00

Back to school and back to our weekly routine. Our trip to Tremblant was a big success despite a few days of uncooperative weather. We made the most of it though and went sledding, skating and skiing. Leo even got to try downhill skiing for the first time thanks to Heather who gave him his first lesson at Grey Rocks. A good time was had by all...Here are a few pics.

Happy New Year!

2008-12-26T11:53:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! I'm posting early because we are off to Tremblant tomorrow.
To all that check our blog: May 2009 be a memorable year filled with smiles, laughter and great memories!!

2008 was another wonderful year for us filled with lots of great memories (too many to even try to choose from but many I posted about on this blog).

Our big adoption moments will now cover a 3 year span which is hard to believe. We started the process at the very end of 2007, our file was sent to Ethiopia in 2008 and we will get our referral in 2009.

I like this version of Old Lang Syne from the Sex and the City soundtrack. Seeing a photo of these women just makes me smile and reminds me of my girlfriends and all the good times that we've shared over the years. Cheers!

Yes there is a Santa

2008-12-26T11:42:00.001-08:00

Yes there is a Santa!
Just like last year, Noah forgot it was Christmas morning, he came into our room and climbed into bed between us ready to snuggle for a bit. Leo came in shortly after asking me to fix his flashlight so that he could check to see if there were any presents under the tree. Noah shot out of bed fast to follow his big brother and I grabbed the video camera to start recording.

Christmas Eve

2008-12-24T11:34:00.000-08:00

Santa is on his way and we are keeping busy until bedtime.

Christmas fun

2008-12-19T11:45:00.000-08:00

We decorated our tree last Sat. evening. Not surprisingly, the kids loved doing it. When we were just about done I noticed that Noah had been putting 3, 4 or 5 decorations on each branch. All the low branches on our tree are overloaded with decorations. It looks so funny. We all had had a nap that afternoon so dinner was late and we were full of energy. We took the kids out for some late night sledding at the local hill. It was magical...The moon lit up the sky, the snow was falling lightly and we were having a blast on the hill all by ourselves. We just barely all fit on our sled and I started to wonder where would ever fit another child...We will have to get a bigger sled.

Christmas comes early when Auntie Sue and Uncle Mike are over for a family celebration because they will be on the beach in Cuba over the holidays. We let Leo and Noah open up a couple of presents. Leo got a magic kit that he absolutely loves and Noah was just thrilled to be opening a couple of presents.

Our cat Rosa loves the tree. She sleeps under it all the time (except in this photo where she was back on the couch).

Last minute luck

2008-12-17T18:14:00.000-08:00

We had been thinking about renting a chalet up at Mont Tremblant over the holidays but it seemed as though we had left it too late. We searched the internet and made many phone calls only to discover that everything was booked. Then one afternoon, I got a call from a woman who said her family had decided not to use their chalet over New Year's and we could have it if we still wanted it. Yahoo!

We will spend Christmas at home then head up to Tremblant for 6 nights of fun in the mountains with our friends John and Heather (who we haven't seen for ages) and their two kids. If all goes as planned we'll be bringing in the New Year in the hot tub overlooking lac Xavier after a day of outdoor snowy fun with the kids. Check out
this website to see our holiday rental.

Bonne Vacances!

Meeting your child

2008-12-17T11:36:00.000-08:00

What a wonderful post by Allison who is currently in Addis and who has just met her little one (Ebba) for the first time.
For those interested check out her blog link to the right (finneycreek).

6 months down!!

2008-12-09T06:41:00.000-08:00

It's been 6 months!! I have mixed feelings about reaching this point in the wait for a referral. I feel happy because in the beginning, I though we could get a referral anytime between 6 and 81/2 months. We are now in that window and it feels good. However, having said that, I know that timelines have now increased to 8+ months for referrals. In the first few months whenever anyone would ask about the length of the wait, I would always tell them that at the earliest we might hear some news around Christmas time and at the latest February. Now I just say that I hope we get a referral in February or March. I knew going into this wait that there were no guarantees when it came to timelines so I'm not shocked or distraught that we have to wait longer than 6/7 months. It's disappointing that timelines are increasing but one day we will get the incredibly exciting news we are waiting for and until then we enjoy life to the fullest just like we did before we decided to adopt and just as we have been doing since the wait began. "Hope for everything expect nothing." I think we do that in some ways. Both Thomas and I know that a referral is coming but we guard our feelings by not expecting this to be quick or without some bumps in the road.

Having said all that, I have to admit, that it felt like a long time between 5 months and 6 months. As soon as 5 months had passed, I started thinking that 6 months was just around the corner, but it wasn't. I'm not going to do that anymore. I've got too many other distractions to start counting down the days and weeks until month 7.

The boys and our friend

2008-12-08T06:13:00.000-08:00

Here are some winter shots of the boys and two shots of our new/old friend who we haven't seen for a long time. The photos of "the creature" aren't great. In one shot, it looks like Bigfoot making his way through the trees but in fact it's just our porcupine friend. We see him a few times a year and recently we have seen him quite a bit. He comes poking along through the trees until he finds one he likes, he climbs all the way to the top and hangs out.

Glasses for a good cause

2008-12-04T12:12:00.000-08:00

I just checked Imagine's website to see what was new and I see they are looking for people to donate their used glasses so they may be sent to those in need in Suluta Ethiopia. Excellent!!! Over the years I have collected quite a few pairs of glasses and I currently only wear one pair. The others are just taking up space in a drawer in my bathroom. Every time I see them I make a mental note to take them into Lenscrafters but for some reason that mental note lasts about as long as it takes me to walk out of the bathroom. Not anymore I'm sending them Imagine so they can make their way to Suluta Ethiopia.

If you have used glasses and would like to donate them send them to:
Global Reach Children’s Fund
780 King Street, East
Cambridge, ON N3H 3N9
519-653-2780

A medical team (pediatrician, nurse practitioner, dentist, optometrist) will be heading to E in March to help out with a health clinic in Suluta. Sounds like a great cause to me.

6 months down!!

2008-12-04T06:38:00.000-08:00

Friends and Fresh Air

2008-11-30T13:44:00.000-08:00

Movember is over and Thomas' night out to raise money for prostate cancer research is now over. It was a big success. I had a good laugh looking at all the photos of all the guys sporting moustaches (and some wore appropriate attire to go with their stache - too funny). Sounds like a good time was had by all and it's highly likely there will be another boys bus tour next year.
Here's a shot of all the guys at Beau's Brewery and a shot of Thomas with his facial hair with my boys.

The facial hair is still there this morning which I guess just helped Thomas keep his face warm during our ski today. I'm hoping it will be gone soon.

Ski season makes my family happy. We are getting the boys into cross-country skiing and we went out together this morning. Leo has new skis this year and he was really so thrilled to be out. He toughed it out up some hills and loved going down them. He was one happy kid out there. Noah was a trooper. He got on his little skis and scooted along until he lost steamed and then Thomas pulled him in the pulk. I hope the enthusiasm sticks because winter lasts a long time.

Speaking of winter lasting a long time, this fresh snow reminds me of last winter. In early 2008, I was collecting photos for our adoption file and all the recent photos we had were winter shots. Most of our family shots seemed to be outside shots taken in the winter. I had pictures of us skiing, pictures of us on winter hikes, pictures of the kids on huge snowbanks outside our house. I remember thinking that whoever was going to be viewing these photos in Ethiopia was going to start to think that we would need one tough little baby girl to join our family - one that would be hardy enough to withstand our winters and all the time we spend in the snow.

chocolate for a good cause

2008-11-29T17:18:00.000-08:00

Here is a mom with an adopted child from Russia who first started making truffles to fund her trip to get her son. It was such a success that every November (for Adoption Awareness month) she makes truffles to raise funds to help an orphanage in Russia Check out her etsy shop called Sweet Hope Truffles...I tried to get my "adoption awareness month" order in with only a few hours to go but they can't be shipped to Canada. Boo hoo :(

Here is the Sweet Hope Truffles website address (it would be a link if I could figure out how to use a MAC)
www.lifeofelle.com/sweethope/

The two little bakers

2008-11-25T11:39:00.000-08:00

I found a yummy sounding recipe for maple cookies and so the kids and I decided to give it a try. We made a big mess and we had lots of fun making them. We each chose a cookie cutter from what I had to choose from and we ended up making bunnies, cats and stars rather than the maple leaf cookies you see in the photo from the magazine. We also just had to add sprinkles to our cookies because my boys love sprinkles. Ours weren't nearly as pretty as the magazine photo but I'm sure they tasted just as good. Thomas got home from work just when we were almost finished and he said it looked like so much fun. We were all covered in flour and so was the counter and the floor. Fun, fun, fun.

Here is the recipe (made easier by myself) for Lyse and any others interested:
3 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 large egg yolk
3/4 cup maple syrup (pure maple syrup not imitation)
vegetable oil or cooking spray
1/3 cup sanding sugar

1. Sift flour and salt into a medium bowl. Beat butter and granulated and brown sugars with a mixer. Add yolk then maple syrup. Beat well. Add flour mixture and beat until just incorporated. Shape into 2 discs, wrap each in plastic and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (or up to 2 days).

2. Preheat oven to 325. Coat baking sheets with cooking spray or oil. Roll out 1 disk of dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut out cookies. Bake cookies until until edges turn golden (14-16 minutes). Brush cookies with maple syrup and sprinkle with sanding sugar (or in our case, colourful sprinkles).

Charming gardeners and memories

2008-11-21T09:50:00.000-08:00

Here is Leo and his two buddies (William and Josh) who came over to play today. They had a blast. Actually, they are having a blast. I sent them to play in the basement just now because it was getting too loud for my ears.

Let us be grateful to people who make us happy;
they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.
-Marcel Proust

This quote was on a birthday card given to me by my dear friend Kris. When I saw that it was by Proust, it reminded me of reading "A la recherche du temps perdu" (The Remembrance of Things Past) back in university. The only thing I remember from the book is the part where Proust recounts having eaten a madeleine (a small rich cookie like pastry) as an adult. The smell and the taste of the sweet treat took him right back to a childhood memory of sharing a madeleine with is aunt and dipping it in la tisane (tea).

That might not be exactly how it goes but that's how I remember it.

Here is another quote by Proust:
When nothing else subsists from the past after the people are dead, after the things are broken and scattered, the smell and taste of things remain poised a long time like souls bearing resiliently, on tiny and almost impalpable drops of their essence, the immense edifice of memory. (Who's kidding who, with words like that I probably didn't make it through the whole book in French or if I did, it explains why I missed a lot or don't remember it well).

When I think of scents that I will never forget, I think of the smell of my great aunt's front hall and stairway. She lived on the second floor of a house in downtown Ottawa and as a kid we used to go there almost every Sunday for dinner. The varnish they used on the wood in the front hall will never be forgotten. I have smelled a similar scent elsewhere and it always takes me right back.

I also think of the scent that hits you like a ton of bricks when you get off the plane in Bali (it's like a combination of garbage and incense). A smell I will never forget and have not smelled since that trip.

Then there's the smell of coconut suntan lotion that reminds me of a beach holiday every time I smell it. Even though I haven't used coconut scented suntan lotion in many, many years.

Oh, and my friend Jen's perfume which she has worn since we became friends in high school. If any other woman wears this perfume, it reminds me of Jen.

Will Addis Ababa have the same affect on my smell memories? I bet it will.

A Celebration

2008-11-18T15:05:00.000-08:00

Guess who has the 40 year old feet?

Not me, not yet. I spent a fun afternoon/evening with friends helping Tamara celebrate her 40th. We had a blast.
Champagne, pedicures, good friends...Quite a combo.

orphans

2008-11-17T10:12:00.000-08:00

This is a powerful little video. It certainly got to me.
Children's HopeChest is helping to find people to sponsor orphans in Ethiopia. There are 8 orphanages featured in this clip. There is a growing online community sponsoring children in Ethiopia through Children HopeChest. You can click on one of the blogs I recently added called bottomlysandethiopia.blogspot.com to read more about it.

MOvember

2008-11-11T05:47:00.000-08:00

Here's what Thomas is busy organizing while I am busy blogging and when we are not both busy having fun with the kids. I will post Thomas' photo with "stache" when he's got one...He's working on it.
This is a recent email he just sent out.

Hi Friends and Family,

Background Information:

It's me, Thomas. The month of November is now being refered to as MOvember. This is because internationally, November has become the month to recognize men's health. All around the world, men are growing moustaches in support of men's health charities and here in Canada we are supporting the Prostate Cancer Research Foundation of Canada. Guys are encouraged to create a group to get hairy for the month of Movember and to ask their friends and colleagues to help them fundraise for the charity. I currently am growing an itchy goatee, that I will transform into a crazy moustache at the end of Movember.

I want to be an active participant in the movement that is changing the face of men's health. I'm also committed to tackling men's health issues and being proactive in the fight against prostate cancer...and I want you on my team. My team is called The Beaus Movember Bus Tour Team because in addition to fundraising, I have decided to organize a crazy bus tour on Sat. Nov. 29th to help about 30 guys celebrate. See more about the bus tour at the bottom of the e-mail.

How to Donate:

To donate to my Mo and our Beau's Movember Bus Tour Team you can either:

1. Go to www.movember.com to donate online

2. Write a cheque payable to the ‘Prostate Cancer Research Foundation of Canada', referencing my Registration Number 1555571 and mailing it to:
                                             Prostate Cancer Research Foundation of Canada
                                             Attn: Movember
                                             145 Front Street East
                                             Suite 306
                                             Toronto Ontario M5A 1E3

Donations are tax deductible to the extent permitted by law.

The money raised by Movember is donated directly to the Prostate Cancer Research Foundation of Canada who will use the funds to create awareness and fund research across the country into prevention, detection and treatment, with a goal to ending the threat of prostate cancer.

The Bus Tour:

My bus tour on Sat. Nov. 29th is sponsored by my friends at Beau's All Natural Brewing and will include a Brewery Tour, Texas Hold Em' Tourney, and Thai Food Buffet. This is a guys only event, each ticket costs $60.00, and a moustache is mandatory. E-mail me if you want to come on the bus tour. I have a few seats left. See the attachment for more details.

Did you know:

• Every year around 24,700 Canadian men are diagnosed with prostate cancer and about 4,300 die of the disease, making it the number one cancer threat to Canadian men.

• 1 in 7 men will develop prostate cancer in their lifetime.

• All men over the age of 40 are potentially at risk and should talk to their doctor about the disease and early detection. Prostate cancer is 95% curable if detected and treated early.

For those that have supported Movember in previous years you can be very proud of the impact it has had and can check out the details at: [ http://ca.movember.com/outcomes/content/Fundraising-Outcomes/ ]
[ Fundraising Outcomes ].

Phew, that's a lot of reading !
Thanks for your support,

Thomas.

FIVE

2008-11-09T11:22:00.000-08:00

Five months and counting. If 5 months can go by this fast then I'm sure another few months will too. I still can't believe that it was approximately one year ago that we started the adoption process. It's still so fresh in my mind. Thomas and I really enjoyed the homestudy process. I always looked forward to meeting with our social worker and we got a lot out of our time with him. I remember when he came to meet the boys for the first time and they were so well behaved...It was weird, like they new it was important without us telling them. The fact that it's been a year brings back all the memories of the excitement of starting this amazing journey. The excitement is still there, it's now just settled in as something more real, more close to happening and more perfect for our family.

More dress-up pics

2008-11-02T09:14:00.000-08:00

Trick-or treating with friends and even the dads got dressed up.

I was telling Noah a story about Halloween last year and I mentioned his Lala costume. He had forgotten about it but immediately decided he wanted to be Lala again this year. Our pics look very similar to last year's pics since the boys costumes are the same but I'm all for recycling and they did still fit.

More Congrats.

2008-10-31T14:07:00.000-07:00

Another referral!!! Congrats. to Emily and Mike who got a referral for a little boy. Read more on their blog at iheartethiopia (to the right). Let the good times roll.

From one day to the next

2008-10-29T11:47:00.001-07:00

The weather sure can change from one day to the next. It's supposed to warm up but if it doesn't we just might have ourselves a white Halloween.

More dressing up and those darn squirrels

2008-10-29T11:28:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Noah had to test out another costume he knew we had in the basement. Leo wasn't going to let dress-up time pass this time without getting into a costume himself. Leo insisted on being "in character" for the photo. He had a very serious look on his face in every shot I took.

The squirrels love our pumpkins. This one (or one of his friends) chewed the whole face off one of our pumpkins then moved on and started in on another one. I caught him in the act.