Our Little Boy Wants to Walk!!

So today Tegegn is bound and determined to walk. He just loves holding on to your hand and walk. Today he walked about 3 steps from the bed to me with Ella's help, I wasn't even watching and then he was standing next to me with his sister.  Then he is so proud of himself he laughs and dances.

Teg is a big dancer as many of you know, he dances to everything all the time. When I change his diaper he dances, any music, cell phone ring, Skype ring, anything he dances, you say the word "dance" and he dances. It is one of the cutest things about him. He also LOVES his sister and thinks she is the greatest. He copies EVERYTHING she does, good or bad. He loves trying to walk to her, he laughs at everything she does or when she laughs.  It is pretty special. She also thinks he is the cutest baby ever. It is amazing how much Ella has grown up here. It is like she was ready to be a big sister and move into this stage. She is great with him and is so helpful.  I am really proud of her.

I really think Teg is going to be walking in the next month. I can't believe it. I really hope Brett is here when he does take his first steps alone. We are still waiting for word saying our MOWA letter and adoption is finalized, PLEASE PRAY for us or just send good vibes, so we will be home soon. We did find out that even when court closes on Friday, they will still do our adoption decree and finalize it so we are not held up by it.

Miss you all xoxox

PS Once our adoption decree is issued our adoption is finalized, Teg is legally ours and I will post photos of him trying to walk

What a Wonderful Country!

Wow what a wonderful people Ethiopians are.  I may be a little bias since our son is Ethiopian, but it is just so amazing how kind people are here. Today illustrates my point so well. I am pretty use to doing things myself (don't get me wrong when Brett is around I am more then happy to let him do things for us) but being here almost 5 weeks, most of the time by ourselves, I have to do everything with a baby strapped to me and a 4 year old on my hand.

Today we needed groceries and water. To get bottled water is not too far, just around the corner, maybe a 5 minute walk then up 55 stairs to our room on the 4th floor. I wanted to get 12 2L bottles of water, yes I knew it would be heavy but I figured lets just get it over with. I paid for the water and then the guys who helped me put it into my bags couldn't believe I was going to carry it. I said it was okay, that I wasn't far. He would not let me carry them not even one 6 pack. He carried both all the way home for us. I couldn't believe it. Then it was the cutest thing Ella said, "mom you should just let him, this doesn't happen everyday you know." He carried it all the way to our hotel and expected nothing for the help.

 Then I went to get the key for our room and put one of the bags down, when I turned around Ababa, the man who works our gate, had brought it up to our room and everyone who I passed that was Ethiopian tried to help with the other bag. It is just so amazing how thoughtful people are here. Everyone always says hello and  how are you? The staff love Ella and Tegegn and constantly play with them.  I am pretty lucky to be surrounded by such wonderful people.

It is a great day to be in Ethiopia!

Weygoss Guest House

This is the place we are staying.

Well today we are gong to Entoto with my friend Jen and her little girl. Tegegn is down for a nap now and Ella and I are just working on her sowing. She is doing so good. I have never seen her focus on something for so long. She is making an elephant and is almost done.

We are pretty excited because Brett will be here in 2 days! It will be so nice to have someone to tag off on the poopie diapers. I am also excited because he is bring warmer cloths and deodorant. Not that I am not wearing any, it is just that I decided to use the all natural stuff before we came here, not the best  idea when you have to wearing the same clothes over and over again, not good.

Tegegn learned a new trick again the other day, yes  his sister taught him this one too. He now puckers up to give kisses and it is soooo cute. I cant wait to post a photo of it. He is also saying Moma, Dada, Ella, Anta, and hot. Ella thinks he has said a lot more but we will have to get that verified.


Hoping to hear about our MOWA letter today or tomorrow, send good thoughts our way!!!

Rainy Days in Addis

Well yesterday was "one of those days". Tegegn did not want to go down for a nap although he was up early and up during the night and Ella was just having a day when nothing was going right, thus I had two whiny children.  But I am very thankful because we have only had one day like that since we have got here so I am not complaining.

It was an eye opening day, yesterday. I was exhausted by late afternoon but we had to walk down to the Shoa supermarket to get some food. It is only about a 10 minute walk but with a 4 year old and a 22lbs baby strapped on it seemed longer.  On our way home I was at the point of just wanting the day to be done. My back was killing me because I was now carrying about 20 lbs of groceries as well. I almost started that line of complaining in my head but then it was like something spoke to me. We were walking down the sidewalk and we had to literally step over a person passed out in the middle of the sidewalk with a blanket over him, legs swollen and chapped, two street children were by my side trying to sell us gum, and begging for food, my back and shoulders aching  and then I looked around. What could I complain about? That I had a bag full of  food when everywhere around me people were begging for food, little children having to beg for whatever they may get to eat that day, if anything? That I had a heavy healthy baby in a country where children are currently dying of starvation? That I had to walk 10 minutes for food with 2 kids, when thousands have to walk on for days with their children.  I felt very humbled at that moment, and it will forever make me think twice before I utter a word of sorrow for myself, instead I gave thanks, (and a couple bananas and birrs to the children).

As famine looms in Ethiopia, only the neediest get food aid

As famine looms in Ethiopia, only the neediest get food aid

This article is about 3 years old but it is near the village where Tegegn was born.

Addis Ababa

Today broke my heart. Addis is a beautiful place but one thing that is so different about it, is the number of homeless people and children on the streets, and I don't just mean a few and I don't just mean just the poor. I mean many and beyond the poor I mean the destitute. People in wheel chairs with mangled legs, children with faces so badly burnt that they can not close their mouths. Mothers with wrapped up in rags with their little children curled up next to them just sitting in the middle of the side walk with literally no place to go and with nothing.  I know I am not the most travelled person, but I have been to Haiti, Angola, South Africa, Tejewana (sp?) but no place on earth have I seen so much sadness. Their are so many children. They sell gum or kleenex or just begging for food. They will follow you for blocks and wait outside the stores for you. Some so sad, not even the coldest heart could turn away.  Today though was heartbreaking. Ella, T and I were walking to a restaurant to get dinner and there in the middle of the sidewalk was a little boy, probably 10 or so. He was laying on his side, it looked as though he may have passed out because his box of kleenexes he was selling was beside him but in his other hand was a few Birr (dollars)  laying  out  for anyone to steal. I stopped and so did a couple of other Ethiopian ladies, we tried to wake him but couldn't, finally after a couple minutes he slowly sat up, his eyes were swollen and he began to cry a bit. The ladies asked him what was wrong, I felt his forehead and he was not hot but he slowly pointed at his mouth and opened it for me, his teeth were all full of cavities and infected. I could not imagine the pain he must of been in to just collapse on the side walk and not even being strong enough to protect the few precious dollars (cents)  he had earned. He said he had no family and did not want to go "home".  A lot of the street kids work for someone and I am sure he would not be welcomed home before the his work was done. The ladies helped him up and we talked, they said they would help him. I don't know what they were going to do, they spoke amharic to him. He looked so sad I will never forget his eyes, scared, hopeless, full of pain and sorrow.  

Tonight I think of him again and pray for him, what else can I do? It makes me again so grateful for everything in my life, grateful that at least one of my children was born in a country of prosperity and grateful that my son will never be alone on the streets, but I can not help but be heartbroken for all those children that are. That did not have the luck that we have. It seems so unfair. I don't know why I felt compelled to share this with you all.  It is something that you have to see with your own eyes, the impact it has on your soul is profound and humbling. I don't know how to make this better, how to help. I just know that the need for help is great, so great it is beyond words. 

Time Flies...

Wow! It has been a long time since I posted anything and so much has been going on. As many of you know my wonderful mother came out to visit us  last month and it was just so great to have her here. We all really miss her now and the house feels a lot emptier. But in less then 3 weeks we will be heading home (with a small detour in Cuba first) but home none the less.

 We also went to South Africa which was amazing. The food was hands down the best part about the trip.

Huge news when we got back from SA we had 7 cucumbers in the garden! I couldn't believe it, the beets are also getting bigger and we have one tiny little watermelon growing.  To be honest it is quite a mess and I am glad we don't get a lot of visitors because one of my friends has an amazing garden with lettuce, green onions, peppers, ect.... ridiculous I have some major garden envy but hey this is my first year I am still learning and I have a great plan (sort of ) for when I get back.... an no it does not involve Brett Green Thumb planting everything.  I would post some pics from the garden but Brett went on a fishing trip yesterday and we can no longer find our camera he took with him ... and he is not really in top form today so pictures will have to wait until he can remember.

Well what else is new...... I know big highlight this week is that we got the Wilderness Family Trilogy in and have been working our way through them...pretty intense. Does anyone remember the Wilderness Family movies??? You know the family that leaves the city and build there cabin out in the middle of the mountains and live off the land, and oddly enough get attacked by bears, cougars and wolves  every time the kids go outside.   Ahhh good times.

My favourite place in Cape Town

Well Ella and Brett just got back from going "exploring outside" and she just came in with some beautiful rocks she found...."from other peoples driveways.." Not too many places to explore in the compound.