Very Late Update

Well since it has been over 6 months since my last post, I thought I better update my blog. Everyone is doing well. TJ is not my baby anymore but rather a busy little toddler. He loves to run, jump, climb, and can even do somersaults. His vocabulary is amazing and he talks all of the time. His new love is Dora the Explorer and talks about her often (hourly). He was very excited that Dora now has fruit snacks and yogurt but probably wishes Dora was on all of his food. He has quite the personality and makes us laugh daily. He is just so cute!!

Andrew is a happy little third grader. He is such a good brother and plays with TJ often. He also continues to take karate and started taking chess classes. He is really into building things and continues his love of animals. He is hoping to take tennis and golf lessons this summer but is trying to negotiate his way out of swimming (not going to happen).

Katie is surviving her first year in a new school. She has done really well and took tennis and dance and liked both of them. She is going to be a teenager in a couple of months. I can not believe how fast she is growing up. However, it is a lot of fun to have real conversations with her. If I can just remember not to embarrass her, I think we will survive this transition. The problem is that I don't really know that I am embarrassing her until I get the stare...then it becomes quite clear that I have done something awful to ruin her image. Oh-well, we have all had to deal with embarrassing parents:)

Update on life:)

Our South Dakota Trip. We had a great time!


The Bad Lands


Our three children at a fish hatchery

My boys and me at the Bad Lands.

Tj and me in his Ergo! Man I love that thing!

Wow! It has been a long time since I last posted. Life got in the way I guess and we have had a lot of changes these past couple of months. My son and daughter started new schools. They are doing well with the transition. It was hard at first but they have been very brave and I am very proud of them. I started a new job. Overall it was a good change but change is hard. I was very comfortable at my previous job and leaving was harder than I expected. However, my new job gives me to opportunity to meet new people and try something new in the area of teaching. I am still able to balance work and my family and everyone seems happy.

It was 1 year ago Saturday that we met TJ. I can not believe he has been home with us for one year already. He is a typical 1 year old and gets into everything. He loves to jump, climb, and run. He can say quite a few words and is beginning to talk in sentences. I can not even express how much I love that boy. Someone once asked me if I love him as much as I love my other two children. I can honestly say Absolutely and Without a Doubt. He was meant to be my son. His journey in life will be different from my other two children though. They have not experienced loss yet and he lost his birth family and part of his identity. When I am in public with my other two children, we hardly get looked at. When I am in public with TJ, we draw more attention. 99% of the time the comments we receive are positive, however it is the 1% that keeps me up at night. It is my job to make sure he feels safe and secure and sometimes that means I need to speak up.

After one year, I find myself thinking of Ethiopia a lot. I have always wanted to teach in Africa; and after visiting Ethiopia, I am definitely being called to go back. I can feel it in my heart. It is funny how God makes sure you know what he wants from you. You just need to listen to your heart and there it is....that is the amazing part of faith.

Fishing, dancing and eating..could life get any better?

FISHING

Tim and Andrew got back from a fishing trip in Canada last Wednesday. Below are some pictures of their "manly" 7 days together.

Tim and Andrew in front of the float plane that took them to their cabin.

Andrew and his 24 inch walleye!!!

Andrew getting ready to fly in the plane.

Andrew sitting in the co-pilot's seat. Tim said was really excited but then he ended up falling asleep. He is a funny boy!

Dancing

TJ has been showing us his dance moves. Katie got back from a dance camp and was showing me one of her dances to "Boom Boom Pow". Apparently, TJ likes the beat to this song. He even knows it by name and you can hear him saying "boom boom" before he starts dancing.

Eating

TJ decided that he is a big boy and does not need his high chair anymore and can eat with a spoon. He makes a huge mess but he is very proud!!

The Beach!

Cute Tummy!!!!


Awesome big brother!!

Discovering water and sand:)

Today was our first Monday of summer break. My daughter went to a birthday party all day and night. They were going to an amusement park and then having a slumber party. It is the first time I have let her go off on her own....big step for me but a relief to her. She tends to think I am a little over protective.

The boys and I went to the beach with some friends. TJ was a little uncertain at first but quickly warmed up to the idea of playing in the water and then really enjoyed splashing. Andrew made him a baby pool by digging a hole in the ground and surrounding it with sand. He then filled it up with water over and over again because his baby pool had several leaks. We stayed at the beach for three hours and then headed home for nap time. I love nap time!! TJ slept for over 3 hours which allowed me to clean up the house and also take a nap.

Last Day of School

My daughter is now a 7th grader!!! Goodness!! She just graduated from elementary school. She absolutely loved 6th grade and was sad that school ended. I am trying to wrap my head around the fact that he is no longer my little girl anymore. She is turning into a young lady that loves texting, music videos, and her hair straightener:) She is an amazing daughter and I am very proud of her.

My son is now a 3rd grader. He did very well in 2nd grade and his teacher made every student in his class a memory DVD. She is a wonderful teacher and he was lucky enough to have her two times (kindergarten and 2nd grade). Baseball is going ok but he does not have a love for sports. He will participate in them but could take or leave them as well. He would rather read books, play with legos, learn about geography and hang out with his friends. He is such a nice boy and very caring.

Tesfahun is learning something new everyday! He likes to play peek a boo, dance, look at books, jump, and climb. It should be a great summer with him. I can't wait to take him to the beach.

Today was my last day of work and I am off for the summer. YEAH!!

One Year Ago....

One year ago I received a phone call that changed my life. My social worker called to tell me that she had a referral for a 6 week old baby boy. What a difference a year makes because now I am the mother of a 1 year old boy who never ceases to amaze me. He is a smart, active, and happy little boy. He has been home with us since September and has adjusted well to our family. His brother and sister love him and even scold him for getting into their things (and for hitting our dog). There is nothing more fun than to watch siblings interact.

We love him very much and are so blessed that we have been given the opportunity to raise our wonderful little boy. As I wrote in his life book "Tesfahun, you are an amazing boy and I can't wait to watch you grow into an amazing man!"

Here is a short video of one of his favorite games (I'm going to get you) and of him walking...his new trick!

Easter Pictures

I am a little late on posting my Easter pictures. I can't seem to find the time to blog like I used to.....hmmmm it may have to do with my 1 year old:)

Tesfahun went for his 6 month check up at the International Adoption Clinic. Everything looked great! He was quite the little guy, jumping, laughing and screaming (happily). His doctor stated that his "attention span is dependant on activity" and "active and social". In other words, he is going to be a busy boy!! I am very thankful that he has made up so much ground since he has been home.

Tefahun has also discovered balls, small and big. He loves to throw or roll them and crawls very fast after them. He does this over and over again. It is a nice activity for him to do while I am trying to get something done. Finally!! He has not been a big fan of any of his baby toys.

My older son is getting ready to start baseball and soccer. He is very excited, so I hope it goes well for him. He went to a Twins game the other night with his dad and he had a great time. He is motivated to be a good baseball player, so hopefully my non-athletic genes do not run too strongly in him.

My daughter is beginning to mourn the end of the school year and 6th grade. We are making a big transition to junior high next year! Yikes...were does the time go?