Belachew's first Christmas!

We had a wonderful Christmas! Belachew and I headed to St. Louis a few days before Paul. We had fun spending time with Grandma and Grandpa, and Belachew's cousins. Belachew was very busy- playing with his cousins, helping Grandma make Christmas cookies, going down the slide temporarily put in Grandma's living room, and meeting new friends. Belachew had so much fun! He got the hang of opening presents and loved every gift he opened. We went on a horsedrawn carriage ride to see Christmas lights, which Belachew loved every second of, of course.

Making cookies

Carriage ride with family

Now we are back home, and starting to pack things up. We are planning to move mid-January. The construction on our new house is coming along, although there is still a lot of work to be done in the next few weeks!

The First Six Months of Forever

This weekend, we celebrated 6 months together as a family. It is hard to believe- in some ways Kenyon seems like he has been with us forever. At the same time, it seems not so long ago that we were in Ethiopia, meeting him for the first time. Kenyon Belachew has brought us so much joy to our lives and we feel blessed to be his parents.

June 6, 2008

December 7, 2008

A boy's best friend

Recap of the past couple weeks

We had a great Thanksgiving in Atlanta with Paul's family. Fortunately, Kenyon is a GREAT traveller. We were in the car for a total of 20 hours, and he cried for about 10 minutes. We had a fun visiting with Paul's cousin and his family. Kenyon enjoyed meeting some of Paul's family for the first time. He also had fun with Grandma, Grandpa, and Grannie (Paul's grandmother). Kenyon got his first black eye in Atlanta, falling down on a playground. It probably won't be his last injury, as much energy as this little guy has. On our way home, we stopped in Tennessee to see Sunny, a sweet girl who was in the same room at the orphanage with Kenyon. I have emailed some with Sunny's mother and it was nice to meet their family in person. Kenyon and Sunny had fun together.

We've had a good week, settling back in. The construction on our new house is progressing well- by next week we should have siding and a roof! Here are some pictures from the past week:

Four generations!

Thanksgiving fun

Enjoying a snack with Sunny

Two Days that Changed My Life-(Belated) Reflections on World AIDS Day

Like many of you, I've heard the statistics. Each day, 6,000 children are orphaned to AIDS. Every 12 seconds another person is infected with HIV. Two-thirds of all people living with HIV are found in sub-Saharan Africa, although this region contains little more than 10% of the world’s population. During 2007 alone, an estimated 1.5 million adults and children died as a result of AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa. Since the beginning of the epidemic more than 15 million Africans have died from AIDS.

These statistics can be overwhelming and to many, they are just numbers. My view of these statistics changed in 2000. In July 2000, my cousin Amanda and I traveled to Botswana, Africa, to visit our aunt and uncle. This was my first time to Africa and Amanda and I thought it would be fun to do something special in the year 2000. Our aunt and uncle had lived in Africa for several years, so we wanted to visit them and learn more about their life there.

It was a great trip. We camped at Chobe National Park and saw amazing wildlife. We drove to Zimbabwe and saw Victoria Falls. We had fun together and shared a lot of special memories. Of all the memories I have of that trip, what stands out the most is two days we spent in Francistown, Botswana with a group of 200 AIDS orphans who have named themselves "The Shining Stars." These children had all lost their parents to AIDS and many of them were disowned by their extended family after the death of their parents, because of the stigma of AIDS. These children had come together and formed a new family, where they offered each other support and shared their resources. We played soccer and red-rover, we provided food, and I gave lots of hugs and kisses. While playing red-rover, one little girl was accidentally knocked down. As I tried to comfort hear, I saw tears rolling down her cheeks but she didn't make a sound. I asked why she was so quiet, and another child responded by saying that no one comes when you cry, so why make a sound? These children had experienced losses in their short life that you and I can not imagine. Every day, these children had to worry about what they were going to eat and if they were going to be safe. These are things that children should not have to worry about. It was during these two days with The Shining Stars that I realized that there is a face, a name, and a story behind every one of the statistics that I had heard about AIDS. These two days inspired me, and I returned to Africa the following year to work with orphans in Kenya.

In the past 8 years, I have been to Africa 9 times and I hope to return many more times. I have a deep love and respect for the people I have met and worked with there. I have been given so much more by my African friends than I could ever give them. My experiences in Africa have created a passion in my heart to advocate for the people there and confirmed my calling to adopt.

Although we have come a long way in our understanding of AIDS, I still think that HIV/AIDS is surrounded by stigma. According to World Vision only about 11% of born again Christians give to HIV/AIDS related causes. Why don't more people give? It is not our place to judge those infected or affected by AIDS. It is our job to love them and to care for them. And believe me, if you are willing to get involved in these people's lives, your life will be changed as well. I know the statistics and numbers are overwhelming. It's hard to know where to start and how to make a difference, and it may even seem pointless. But there are many ways that you can make a difference. Write your Senators, Representatives, and the President. Tell them that providing support for AIDS orphans is important to you. I write my senators a lot and have even gotten some responses, once I received a letter from the White House. There are easy ways to write your Representatives and many websites offer form letters you can easily email with just a few clicks. Go to http://www.one.org/ or http://www.seekjustice.org/. Educate yourself and others. Buy Product (RED) products. Financially and prayerfully support programs that work with AIDS orphans and provide care and treatment for those living with HIV/AIDS.

"The one thing we can all agree [on]... is that God is with the vulnerable and poor. God is in the slums... God is in the silence of a mother who has infected her child with a virus that will end both their lives... God is in the debris of wasted opportunity and lives, and God is with us if we are with them."- Bono

The Shining Stars of Francistown, July 2000

World AIDS Day

I am a little late in the day, but I did want to acknowledge that today is World AIDS day. I'll share more of my thoughts later this week. If you would like more information about World AIDS day, go to http://events.yahoo.com/worldaidsday.

National Adoption Month

November is National Adoption Month. I am an advocate for adoption and believe that all children deserve a permanent, loving home. Adoption is a big part of our lives. Paul and I both have experienced the blessings of adoption through having cousins who joined our family through adoption, both domestically and internationally. I've worked in the field of adoption social work for 6 years. Paul and I have served children who come from broken homes or who have been orphaned. And as a reader of this blog, you know that almost 6 months ago, Paul and I become parents through the adoption of Kenyon Belachew.

Since adoption is something that I am passionate about, I often have a hard time understanding why more people do not adopt. I've talked with families who want to adopt, but are concerned about finances or don't think the timing is right. I've talked with others who are strongly pro-life and care about children, but don't feel "called" to adopt. I think the decision to adopt is very personal and I do not want to judge others' hearts, but I do wish that more people would take the time to really consider it.

For those of us who are Christians, we are ALL called to care for the orphan, to defend the cause of the fatherless. I would like to challenge you and ask, what does that look like for you? For those of you who do not feel called to adopt, there are so many other ways that you can care for orphans. Become a foster family and provide love and stability for a few days, weeks, or months for a child who needs it. Sponsor a child through a program like HopeChest, Compassion, or Mission to the World's StreetChild ministry. Become a mentor through Big Brothers/Big Sisters. Tutor at-risk children at a local school. Go on a missions trip. Encourage a family who is in the process of adoption by praying for them or sending them a card. Financially support organizations that care for orphans. Find your passion and talk about it with others. And pray. Commit to praying for children in your city and around the world who are in need of permanent, loving families. Pray for their protection and safety, for them to know and feel God's love, and for God to provide a family for them.

Once our eyes are opened we cannot pretend we do not know what to do. God, who weighs our hearts and keeps our souls knows we know and holds us responsible to act.
Proverbs 24:12

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. James 1:27

My dream house

After months of looking, hoping, and praying, our contractor closed on our new house yesterday! We started the process of looking for a new home 15 months ago. We have had our hopes up many times, only to be disappointed and frustrated. Yesterday was a big day for us and we are so excited that this house is ours.

It is not much to look at now, but it has great potential. This home is still in the area we live in, less than 1/2 mile from our current house. Our contractor is working hard and we plan to move in by mid-January.

We have been looking for a new home for several reasons. We love our current home, but we knew that when we added a child, we would no longer have a guest room. And since many of our family and friends live out of town, we wanted to have space in our home for guests. Also, we realized that we will be here for a while, God willing, and we wanted a house we could grow into.

While my "dream house" would probably be on a beach, this is as close as I am going to get for now. I love the idea of restoring something and making it beautiful again. I think of the first family that built this house over 100 years ago, who planned and built their dream house. Over the years, this house has been neglected and abused and I am excited to be a part of bringing it back to what it should be. We also want to do something tangibly to make our neighborhood and city better. I love the idea of being involved in designing the home to fit our family's needs and desires. Here are some before pictures:

A boy and his dog

Belachew and Rainey have become good friends. He was so scared of her at first and eventually became more relaxed around her. He likes to boss her around and say "Rainey, give me space." Rainey has learned that Belachew drops food, so she does tend to hover around him. Although he likes to tell her what to do, he loves her. He likes to give Rainey her toys, and sometimes he will pet her and say, "good girl" and "I love you." Belachew has also grown fond of a few stuffed animals- a dog and two horses. He takes his dog and horses most places he goes. Yesterday, as I was getting dinner ready, this is what I saw when I came into the dining room. Rainey was trying to sleep in her bed, and Belachew decided to join her with his animals.

What I want for Christmas

Paul and I have been working on our Christmas lists. Our family usually asks us what we want, so we have been thinking about this for a few weeks. My first thought is typically, "What do I need?" As I asked myself this question, I really couldn't think of anything I NEED. Sure, I'd like some new CD's, or books, or that new sweater at the GAP. But these are things I want, not need. My needs are covered and thankfully, they have always been covered.

Then, I read an unbelievable statistic. Americans spend $450 billion dollars a year on Christmas gifts. It would take one third of that amount to provide clean drinking water for the whole world.

Now I know that many of us have had to watch our budgets more closely this year, with the current economy in our country. But I have been challenged personally to look at my money and where I spend it. I think how we spend our money shows where our priorities are.

Here are a few examples of how we are doing this. We are buying Kenyon ONE Christmas gift this year. This is his first Christmas and we want it to be special for him, but he doesn't need a lot of gifts for it to be special. The Christmas story in and of itself, the people he celebrates with, the songs we sing, the traditions we celebrate as a family- these are the things that will make Christmas special for him. Sure, there are lots of toys I'm sure he would enjoy, but he doesn't need a lot of toys. In fact, he already has a lot. So we are buying him one gift.

Here's another example. I usually grocery shop every week. I'm not great at planning meals or my shopping list, so I usually go to the store each week to get things to eat for the week. Instead of buying a lot of groceries this week, I bought milk, juice, and bananas. For the rest of our meals this week, we are eating things we already have in our refrigerator or pantry. So far, so good, but by the end of the week we may be having Cheerios for dinner. We are setting the money aside that we would have used on groceries this week to donate to charity. (I got this idea from Jody's blog. She is an adoptive mother, and a great advocate for Africa).

I'd like to encourage you to find ways to spend less and give more, whatever that may look like for you and your family. Here are some ideas of alternative gifts- gifts that give back- that you could ask for or give to someone this Christmas:

-Kiva- this organization gives business loans to people around the world. Paul and I have talked about doing this for a while, and last month, we gave our first small loan to a fisherman in Uganda.

-World Vision-World Vision has a gift catalog. You can buy lifestock, food, or school and recreational supplies for people around the world. Paul and I bought each other gifts from World Vision last Christmas.

-AHOPE- Paul and I visited this orphanage in Ethiopia, which is home to children with HIV. They have an online store where you can purchase clothing, jewelry, coffee, and art.

-Water 4 Christmas- this amazing Adoption Network and Orphan Ministry at a church in Iowa came up with this idea and have partnered with charity: water. 4,500 children die a day from drinking contaminated water. They are taking financial donations to help provide clean drinking water to people around the world, starting with building wells in Liberia. They have water bottles and t-shirts you can buy, with all profits going to charity: water, or you can just make a donation. $20 will provide clean drinking water for one person for 20years.

A Weekend of Art and Culture

We had a busy weekend! On Friday, we attended our friend Kyle's art opening with some friends. Kyle is an amazing artist and we enjoyed seeing his new paintings. Then, Saturday afternoon we went to a breakdancing competition that our friend Sunni was competing in. After the breakdancing competition, we headed to a friend's birthday party.

Paul and I are not artists, and although Paul has some dancing skills, I don't think either of us can move our bodies like these breakdancers did. It was a fun weekend and we feel blessed that we have people in our lives with different talents and abilities that we can learn from.

This weekend, we will be going to a concert- our friend Wolfy is having a CD release party. Kenyon LOVES Wolfy and all of the band members- he knows all of their names and what instrument they play. We are looking forward to the concert and we know that Kenyon is going to love it!

Busy Days of Fall

October was a fun and busy month for us. We had grandparents in town for a weekend (my parents), as well as our friend Dan. Dan is working on a film about poverty in Africa. Check it out here if you are interested.

We have also been busy working on house stuff as well. As some of you may know, we have been trying to find a new house for a while. We love our neighborhood, so we have been looking in our neighborhood, trying to find a home with more bedroom space. We are close to closing on something, and to closing on our house as well- a friend of ours is buying our house. As soon as we have more *official* news, we will let you know. We are excited about the house we have found and although it needs a lot of work, we think it is the perfect house for our family.

Other than that, we have been filling our days we playdates, gymnastics, playing at our house, and running errands. We've had beautiful fall weather and have been enjoying time outside as well. Belachew missed out on his first Halloween- he had a temperature so spent the afternoon and evening resting.

Kenyon showing his horse riding skills to Grandma

Family Photos

We had some family photos taken yesterday. Paul and I haven't had professional pictures taken since our wedding, and now that our family has grown, we decided we should have some pictures taken to capture this special time in our life. I know I am biased, but I think Kenyon Belachew is one cute, photogenic boy! Click here for a sneak peak of our photos.

Monday

Celebrating 30 and 4

October 6 was a special day around our household, if I do say so myself. It was my 30th birthday! Paul let me sleep in and took Kenyon Belachew for the morning. They came home with flowers and sang "Happy Birthday" to me. Throughout the day, Kenyon would look at me and say, "Happy birthday to youuuuuuu, mama!" Paul treated me to some of my favorite foods for lunch and dinner. My parents sent me some beautiful flowers, and I got several nice notes and emails from friends and family.

October 5 was also our 4 month anniversary of being home with our little guy. We had some rough days in the past month. Kenyon was in a few different care centers before joining our family, the longest place he stayed was 3 months. As he approached being with us longer than he had been at the care center, I think it brought out some anxiety about his future and sadness about his past. Most people comment on how happy and sweet he is, but at home more of his true emotions come out. Without going into too much detail, he had some days of really testing boundaries with us and trying to make sure we would still be around for him. I know testing of boundaries is typical of all toddlers, but this was different. We tried to be sensitive to his past and reassure him of our love with patience and consistency. In the past couple weeks, I have seen some tremendous growth in him. He is more secure and confident. He gives us more hugs and kisses, and wants to cuddle more. While I don't like being woken up in the middle of the night (as he has been doing recently for cuddling), he can crawl in my arms for hugs anytime. I think we still have a ways to go for him to feel fully secure and bonded with us, but I am celebrating each small step.

In four months that Kenyon has been home with us, he has brought so much joy and happiness into our lives. I am thankful for the gift of his life and for the privilege of being his mother.

A visit to Maryland

Last week, we went to Maryland to see Paul's grandmother. Grannie is 93 years old and lives in a retirement community. Paul and I always enjoy time with Grannie. She has great stories to tell and is a wonderful woman. Grannie was excited to meet Kenyon and I think she had told half of her community about our visit. Kenyon did great on the trip- 10 hours in the car each way! He is an awesome traveller. We enjoyed our time with Grannie- I think she enjoyed her time with us as well, especially showing off her newest great grandson. A few mornings when we were there, Kenyon asked to see Grannie as soon as he woke up. One day, we ventured into the city and visited the Baltimore Aquarium. Kenyon loved seeing all of the fish, turtles, sharks, and dolphins. He has been asking to watch "Finding Nemo" everyday since we've been home. We also spent two days with Paul's cousin, Susie, and her husband and son. Kenyon had a great time with them, playing outside and going to an apple orchard. Susie and her family were great hosts and we look forward to more visits with them.

A boy and his horse

In honor of Strawberry, the wonderful pony Belachew rode this week, we got him a pony stuffed animal. He has named it "horse" and carries it with him just about everywhere. We've taken horse to the Children's Museum, to the grocery store, and to a picnic. I saved horse from being taken into the bathtub with Belachew the other night. He loves his horse!

Another Ethiopian holiday-Meskel

Today is Meskel, an important Ethiopian holiday. Meskel means "True Cross". It is believed that Empress Helena, mother of Constantine the Great, discovered the True Cross on which Christ was crucified in the 4th Century. Many Ethiopians believe that the True Cross remains at the mountain of Gishen Mariam monstery.

There are three main accounts of how the True Cross was found. The most popular tells how Helena went off on her search but rather than the Jews telling her where the cross was, she found it by lighting incense and following the smoke as it descended to Earth.

Meskel is celebrated with a huge feast. This important festival is celebrated differently in each region. In the central highlands, the festival begins on Meskel eve by planting a green tree in town squares and village marketplaces. Everyone brings a pole topped with the beautiful yellow Meskal daisies, which are abundant in Ethiopia at the end of the rains, placed to form a towering pyramid which is then set alight.

In Addis, large crowds gather in Meskel square near the Church of Saint George. A colorful procession gathers around the huge pyramid and the torch bearers set it alight. Feasting, drinking, and dancing continue until dawn when the central pole of the pyramid falls, marking the climax of the event. The next day people return to the fire to make the sign of the cross in the remaining ashes.

In the southern lands (where Kenyon Belachew is from), the feast is the most important event of the year and lasts for at least a week.

A day of firsts

Today was a day of "firsts." We started off our day with a not so fun first...a visit to the doctor's office for immunizations. Kenyon did not have any record of immunizations from Ethiopia, so we are catching him up. He was not a fan of the needles (what kid is?), but he was a trooper and told the doctor and nurse "thank you" afterwards. After lunch and nap, we decided to take Kenyon on his first horse ride. He loves horses- he has a horse video, horse books, and horse figurines. But this was his first time to touch and ride a horse. A local park offers pony rides, so we decided to try it. Kenyon was a little unsure at first, but quickly warmed up to his pony "Strawberry" and enjoyed his ride. He gave Strawberry a kiss at the end of our time and thanked her for the ride.

Recovering from immunizations (Band-aids covering where he got his shots)

Kenyon Belachew and Strawberry the pony

One happy boy!

Happy New Year!

I know that today is September 12, but it is the New Year in Ethiopia! Ethiopia follows the Coptic or Julian calendar, as opposed to the Gregorian Calendar (which is used in the US and most of the world). New Year's in Ethiopia is on September 11, but on leap years on the Julian calendar it is on September 12. The new current year in Ethiopia is 2001. Of course, Ethiopians know the Gregorian calendar and follow the rest of the world's calendar for business and official purposes.

The Ethiopian New Year is called Enkutatash, which means "gift of jewels" and it marks the end of the heavy rain season. It is historically set by the return of the Queen of Sheba to Ethiopia after she visited King Solomon in Jerusalem. Enkutatash is not only a religious holiday but it is also a day for children to sing and dance and for exchanging New Year greetings. Happy New Year!

3 Months Home

Arriving home, at the airport on June 6

Our family, 3 months later

Yesterday, September 6, was our 3 month anniversary of Belachew arriving home with us. We had plans to go to an Ethiopian restaurant with friends before realizing the date. It ended up being the perfect way to celebrate! Belachew enjoyed the injera (traditional Ethiopian pancake-like bread), but was more interested in playing with the restaurant owner's children.

It's amazing to reflect on the past 3 months. Kenyon Belachew has changed in so many ways. He arrived in the US as a sick, clingy little boy. He rarely made eye contact with others and was very unsure of new people. All of these things are understandable; I am sure he was confused and scared. He is now a healthy, active toddler. He is outgoing, talkative, and loves being around people. He is full of life and has a smile that melts peoples' hearts. He still likes to cuddle and be held at times, but he has definitely shown his independence and likes to do things himself. When I think of all the losses and changes he has experienced in his short life, it makes me realize how brave and strong he is. He is truly resilient and I am so proud of him.

When I look at myself, I have to acknowledge that I have changed in the past 3 months as well. Of course when you become a parent, your life changes dramatically. I had anticipated many of these changes and looked forward to them, but until you actually experience it, it is hard to know what it will feel like. I have to admit that parenting has been much harder than I thought. I have had moments of wondering "what were we thinking?" I've shed many tears since becoming a mother, out of joy or frustration and exhaustion. Parenting is the most challenging thing I have ever experienced, but at the same time it is the most amazing thing. The challenges I have experienced in parenting in these 3 short months have taught me a lot about myself- to love in a deeper way, to give of myself when I feel like I have nothing left to give, and to see life through the eyes of my son. As I have shared, Belachew loves playgrounds. He often asks me to slide with him or climb on the playset with him. At first I wanted to sit back and watch (partly to get some rest, and partly to not look ridiculous), but he didn't have to ask too many times for me to start sliding with him. I know he will grow up fast and I want to treasure these moments together. So as long as my bottom can fit, I will ride as many slides with him as he wants me to.

He has picked up English quickly, but still uses many Amharic words. He knows the English words for most of the Amharic words he uses. While we know it is important for him to continue to develop his English skills, we love the fact that he still uses Amharic words. We have no doubt that he will soon be as fluent in English as other children his age, but we would like for him to retain some Amharic words, even if it is just vocabulary. We think if he can keep some of the vocabulary words, it will enable him to (re)learn Amharic as he grows up, if he chooses to. We know that Belachew is now an American, but we want him to be proud of where he came from and we want to keep as many connections to his Ethiopian culture as possible. We look forward to a many more months and years- a lifetime together as a family.

Got $2?

Here's a way to make a difference.

Watch this:




and then go here:

www.charitywater.org/birthdays/fundraiser/sept/view/576

I was introduced to Charity: Water by Geremu's parents, and then saw this video about it this week. Even if you don't know Geremu (trust me, if you knew Geremu, you'd want to give him a birthday gift- he's an awesome kid), consider giving $2 (or more) to this organization. They are doing great work in East Africa and are currently raising money to bring water to communities in need in Ethiopia.

Did you know that the amount of water an American uses in 2-3 minutes a day is more than the average Africans' daily supply? I don't say this to make you feel guilty- please shower, do your laundry, flush your toilet, and wash your hands. I say this for you to realize that our water supply is a blessing and privilege, something that many people do not have, and something we should not take for granted. And like all blessings we have, I think we should stop from time to time and think about these blessings, and how we can give back and make a difference. $2 sounds like a good place to start.

These are a few of his favorite things

It has been fun to watch Kenyon's personality come out more. He definitely lets us know what he likes and what he doesn't. Here are a few of his favorite things these days, in no particular order:

-101 Dalmations and The Jungle Book- the movies, the books, he loves it all. At a minimum, we read the 101 Dalmations book twice a day. He loves to talk about the Mama wusha (dog), Daddy wusha, and Baby wushas. The elephants and monkeys are his favorites in The Jungle Book and he will often quote lines from them or march around the house like the elephants

-Salad- he loves it!

-Macaroni and Cheese, otherwise known as "cheese"- still a favorite around here

-Sweets- he is starting to develop a sweet tooth, but thankfully most of the sweets he consumes are relatively healthy- granola bars, fruit snacks, yogos, and juice are current favorites. These are definitely limited, but it has been good to see him expand his food interests. The salad balances out the sweets, right?

-Singing- his current favorite songs to sing are "Jesus loves me" and "Pay me my money down" by Dan Zanes (one of our favorite children's musicians). So you'll either catch him singing about Jesus' love, or the money you owe him and putting you in jail if you don't pay him

-Playgrounds- slides are still a favorite, although he also enjoys climbing and swinging

-Playdates- he loves playing with his friends

-Our local Children's Museum- we usually go once a week, thanks to the membership we got as a gift. He loves the carousel there and would ride it all day if I let him

-Helping mama- he wants to do whatever we do, so I've been trying to put this to good use. He likes to help me dust (on the rare occassion that I have time to clean), stir pots in the kitchen, use the dustbuster, and feed our dog Rainey. One of his favorite jobs is pushing the button on the salad spinner (and sneaking out lettuce to eat when I am not looking)

-Books- other than "101 Dalmations" and "The Jungle Book," just about any book that has animals in it, this kid loves. Current favorites are "Soon Baboon Soon" (we've renewed this from the library 3 times), and "Slowly, Slowly, Slowly said the Sloth." Kenyon loves books and has most of his favorites memorized.

On September 6, he will have been home with us for 3 months. He has added so much joy and laughter to our lives. He is a delightful challenge- testing boundaries and limits as most toddlers do, yet so fun and sweet at the same time. I look forward to continuing to watch his personality develop and see him become the person that God made him to be.

Belachew and Geremu together again!

We are had a great time in Wisconsin visiting with Geremu and his family. The boys loved playing together and are just like two peas in a pod. Belachew was so excited to see Geremu and was chanting his name on the car ride up. Geremu was a little shy at first, but warmed up quickly. We had fun hanging out around their house, going to parks, and going to the farmer's market. The boys enjoyed pushing each other around in the wagon, wrestling, riding their tricycles, taking baths, and just being together. Geremu and Belachew share a special bond and we hope that their friendship continues and grows over the years. It helps too that Geremu has a fun family that we look forward to visiting with again. It was hard to get pictures, since these boys are always on the move, but here are a few from our weekend together. I'll post more later.

And we're off...

to Wisconsin tomorrow to see Geremu and his family! We are so excited and can't wait to see these boys together. We had to stop talking about it this week, because everytime Belachew got in the car, he asked if we were going to see Geremu.

We've had a good week. We started our week with a trip to an Ethiopian grocery store to visit with the owner. We usually go a few times a month. We enjoy the family that owns the store and they have been helping us learn more Amharic. Belachew is a fan of their mango juice. Next door to the grocery store, there is a clothing store owned by a Zimbabwean family that we enjoy visiting with as well. We've had a few playdates at the park this week, and we also signed Kenyon and I up for a parent/toddler gymnastics class that will start next week. When we registered, I asked if the class came with a guarantee that my child would take a good nap afterwards. I am always looking for ways to burn energy! Some of our friends will be in this class with us and I think Kenyon is going to really enjoy it.

Kenyon loves music and he loves to sing and dance. The other day, he started singing "Jesus loves me," out of nowhere. I sing this to him at night sometimes, but he never sang it with me until this week. He loves to sing and if he doesn't know the words to a song, he'll just mouth it. He is learning his numbers as well and can count to ten in English and Amharic. He likes the number 7 and often skips 6 just to get to 7 faster.

Giving Back-Ethiopia Reads

From time to time, I'd like to share about different organizations working in Africa and ways you can be involved. As I present opportunities to give back from time to time, please do not feel pressured or guilty because that is not my intention. I have talked to people that want to give, but simply did not know how or where to start or how to make a difference. For those of you who want to give, I hope that we can encourage you by giving you opportunities and connecting you to organizations that speak to our hearts. As I shared in an earlier post, Paul and I made a commitment that we want to encourage Kenyon Belachew to make a difference in his birth country. As a family, we want to find ways to give back to a country that we have come to love.

While we were in Ethiopia, we had the opportunity to visit Ethiopia Reads. It is an amazing organization that is promoting literacy and education in Ethiopia. We were at their Shola Library one day after school. We saw a group of school children running to the library gate, with smiles on their faces. These kids could not wait to get their hands on a book. It was incredible to talk to these kids and hear about their favorite books. Until Ethiopia Reads was established, there was only one library in the capital city of Addis Ababa and people had to pay to use it! Ethiopia Reads is starting libraries throughout the country and their mission is to build a reading culture in Ethiopia by connecting children with books.

When you think about basic needs, books is not one. However, I believe that books have the power to change lives. Books can give people hopes and dreams, and can expand their world. Paul and I are both book lovers and we were greatly impressed by this organization and it's vision.

Over the next several weeks, Paul and I will be collecting books to send to Ethiopia Reads. If you would like to donate a new or gently used book, please leave a comment or contact me. We are specifically looking for books for children or youth. Check out Ethiopia Reads' website for more information or other ways to support their work.

Pictures from our week

We had a great time in Chicago. On Friday, we went to Millenium Park and Belachew loved the fountains. At first he nicely skipped through the water like this...

But it didn't take long before he was doing this...
We met my friends Jeff and Karen, and their 4 year old twins from Ethiopia, Mari and Mesfin at the park. We let the kids play together for a while and then we went to dinner.

On Saturday, we walked around downtown Chicago before heading to Lake Michigan to meet friends.

Lake Michigan was Belachew's first beach experience and I think he enjoyed himself. He wasn't so sure about the water, but liked playing in the sand. He kept looking in the water for grandpa's boat, but alas, grandpa's boat was in Missouri.

We arrived home late on Saturday night and skipped church on Sunday morning. Belachew and I went to a local Ethiopian church in the afternoon, before heading to The Crossing.

This week, Belachew has enjoyed riding his tricycle and playing at the park with friends, a trip to the Children's Museum, his first haircut (check out the pictures below), a trip to the farmer's market with friends, and playing in the water with our neighbor (this little guy is one of Belachew's favorite friends). And it is only WEDNESDAY!

A little more about the haircut- I love Belachew's curls and have been learning how to style them. His hair is thick and has been getting a bit harder for me to style lately. He cries sometimes when I comb his hair. I think this is the first time his hair has been grown out, since his head was shaved in most of the pictures we saw from Ethiopia and his hair has been a bit uneven in places. Our Chicago friends told us that they have an Ethiopian barber, so I have been on a mission to find one in our city. I made a few calls but ended up with no leads. Yesterday, Paul was cutting his hair with clippers and I had the idea that if Belachew saw daddy doing it, maybe he would let me do cut his hair. Belachew took off his shirt, looked in the mirror, and let me cut his hair! I was a little nervous, but I think it turned out okay. He kept saying "again, please." He looks different- a little older maybe? But he still has his beautiful curls, his hair is more thinned out and even, and he looks cute as ever. After cutting his hair, I told Belachew that he looked conjo (handsome). He informed me that he was awesome. I stand corrected.

On Friday, we are going to meet Dagim, the newest Ethiopian to arrive in town. Then, over Labor Day weekend we are off to Wisconsin to see Geremu. Geremu was Belachew's best friend in Ethiopia at the care center. These boys were inseparable. We were sad to leave Geremu, but happy to hear from the care center staff that he was being adopted. We asked to leave a note in his file, so that his family could be in touch with us, if they wanted to. I did some searching on our adoption agency's forum when I returned home and we found Geremu's family! They are a great family and we look forward to visiting with them. Belachew talks about Geremu almost every day and smiles every time he sees his picture. We want to keep as many connections to Ethiopia as we can for Belachew, and I know that Geremu has been an important part of his life.

Kenyon's Birthday

Three years ago today, Kenyon was born into this world. This is a day to celebrate his life, and in my mind, it is also a day to celebrate the people that gave him life.

In August 2005, Paul and I had been married for seven months. Little did we know that a baby boy was being born in Ethiopia who would become our son.

I often think about Kenyon's birthfamily. It is obvious that Kenyon was well loved early on in his life. I imagine his birthmother rubbing her belly, ready to see what that little baby would look like. I imagine his birthmother and birthfather discussing what they will name the child. Whose idea was it to name him Belachew? Did they agree on the name, or did one person eventually give in? Belachew means "he has something to say." His other name given by his birthfamily which we will also be keeping as his middle name is Mekuria. It means "the one that I am proud of."

I think of Kenyon's birthparents the most when he is sleeping at night. As I look at his sweet little body, curled up and peaceful, I wonder who else may be watching him from heaven or thinking about him. Because of my faith, and because of what I have heard about his birthfamily's faith, I believe that I will one day meet his birthparents in heaven. I imagine us sitting around, drinking a cup of coffee (Ethiopian, of course) and talking about Kenyon. I imagine us laughing and sharing stories about him. We want to raise Kenyon in a way that is honoring to God, and we also want to raise him in a way that honors his birthfamily. Through their tragedy and loss, we were given the great blessing of being Kenyon's new parents and raising him. His birthmother and birthfather will never get to see him ride a bike, or learn to read, or go on his first date, or graduate from school. They will not get to see him get married, or raise his own children. His birthparents gave him life, and we get the privilege of watching him live that life. I hope that wherever Kenyon's birthparents are, they have peace and know that their son is loved more than words can explain. We will make mistakes in parenting him, but in the end, I pray that we raise him in a way that is honoring to his birthfamily and country. I pray that Kenyon will be proud of the family he was born into, and will also be proud of the family he is now a part of. Even in the moments when parenting is hard, I want to remember what a great blessing we have received and by thankful for his life.

Busy summer days

Our computer crashed, so that is my excuse for not blogging for a while. I'm working from my laptop, so I won't be able to post pictures for a while.

We had a big weekend last weekend! We had both set of grandparents in town for Kenyon's 3rd birthday (which happens to be today). Kenyon doesn't really know what a birthday is, so in many ways, this is like his first birthday. We decided to celebrate his birthday with his favorite snacks and popsicles, at his favorite park, with some family and friends. Kenyon blew out his candles and has been singing "Happy Birthday to you," ever since.

Kenyon had a great time with his grandma's and grandpa's. Kenyon can't say "grandma," so he calls them all "grandpa." The grandmas didn't care too much, he could call them whatever he wanted, as far as they were concerned. One night at dinner, Kenyon looked at his grandparents and said, "One grandpa, two grandpas, more grandpas." He was of course spoiled by their love, attention, and gifts. He loves his grandpas and talks about them frequently.

This weekend we are headed to the beaches of Lake Michigan with friends. Other than our trip to St. Louis, we haven't traveled together as a family this summer so we decided to go up to Chicago on Friday night. We got a great deal on a hotel at priceline.com and will be meeting up with Jeff and Karen, and their four year old twins, Mari and Mesfin. I met Jeff and Karen in Ethiopia in May 2007 and really enjoyed my time with them. We are planning to get dinner together and then go to Millenium Park and let the kids play together.

Popsicles

Kenyon generally does not like cold things or sweet things, but his one exception is popsicles. He drops his popsicle frequently, when it gets too cold for him to hold, and he makes a funny face when he bites into it. After cleaning popsicle juice off my floor one too many times, I have decided that popsicles should be enjoyed outdoors.

Back home

We had a great time in St. Louis. Kenyon is a great traveller and did fine in the car for 4 hours. He adjusted well to a new bed, new schedule, and meeting new people. He had a lot of fun playing with his cousins. We went to the zoo, met family and friends, and attended a welcome home party/shower that my sister and sister-in-law threw for us. We also went to my parents' lake house. Growing up, I spent many summer weekends at this lakehouse and I want my children to have memories of the lake as well. Kenyon loved it and the first thing he said when he woke up from his nap was "Grandpa's boat again."

We can tell that Kenyon has not become too "Americanized" yet. Paul and I were talking in the car deciding where we should stop for a restroom break and one of us mentioned McDonald's. Kenyon's response was "E-I-E-I-O?" The only McDonald's this kid knows is the one who owns a farm. Which by the way, is his new favorite song. He also likes the Hokey Pokey, but Old McDonald is sung all day long. He is continuing to pick up English and amazes us with his language skills and understanding. A car pulled up behind us at a stoplight and Kenyon looked back and said "careful." One day, he woke up from his nap and was a little grumpy. I said, "You sure are grumpy today," and he looked at me and said "wah, wah, wah."

Kenyon will get to see both sets of grandparents this weekend, as they are both coming to town to celebrate his birthday, which is on August 13.

Here are a few pictures our time in St. Louis. One of these days, I hope to include a family picture, as soon as I can get out from behind the camera.

At the St. Louis zoo

Checking out the lake

Driving Grandpa's boat

St. Louis

We're heading to St. Louis tomorrow morning to visit family. Kenyon Belachew will meet the rest of his cousins, aunts, and uncles, and my aunts and uncle, as well as some family friends. This will be Kenyon Belachew's first road trip, so we hope it goes well! He likes riding in the car, so we are optimistic that he can handle a 4 hour car ride.

I'll post more about our trip when we return!

Riding his tricycle

Kenyon loves his tricycle and is getting pretty good at peddling. He likes riding his tricycle with Daddy's help.

Summer days

Every morning when I wake up, I have a goal... how can I get Kenyon to burn enough energy for him to take a good nap this afternoon? After he wakes up from his nap, my goal remains the same, how can I wear him out enough so that he will get a good night's sleep? Because when Kenyon sleeps well, we are all much happier (and mama gets a chance to do laundry, make phone calls, work, etc.)

He loves slides and playgrounds, and thankfully there are a few public playgrounds within a mile of our house. He also loves swimming and we go to the local pool at least once a week. We were given a membership to The Children's Museum as an early birthday present for Kenyon, which we have used twice already. Kenyon likes the library, so we go every couple weeks and check out new books. We also try to plan playdates with friends.

Kenyon's new favorite word is "Amen." He shouts this at church several times each Sunday and thankfully, people think this is cute. He thinks he should say "Amen," when anything is finished- such as the librarian finishing the book she read outloud or a song he hears on tv or the radio.

Here are some pictures of Kenyon enjoying his summer days.