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?

Happy First Birthday!

Today is Tesfahun's first birthday! I think he had a really good day...he was spoiled and loved by his family and friends! I can't believe my little man is one year old. He has brought a lot of joy into our family and we love him very much.

Andrew picked out this present for Tesfahun. He loved it!!

Hope

My friend Beth has inspired me to be a better blogger, so I am going to make a commitment to post something at least 4 times a week, if not more. Thank you Beth!!

I have been thinking about names lately. My sister and sister-in-law are both pregnant and I have talked to them both about names for their baby. It is fun to think of names for a new baby.

We, of course, did not name Tesfahun that was a gift that his birth mother gave him. I love his name and it fits him perfectly. That being said, I often find myself hesitating when people ask me his name because I know what their reaction will be. It is often a look of shock and then some sort of comment about how hard his name is to pronounce. I often find myself stating that we also call him TJ and their response is usually "well that is easier to say". However, I am making a vow to not do that anymore. His name is Tesfahun! We love his name and I need to be a better advocate for my son. It a strong Ethiopian name.

His name means "you are my hope". Tesfa means "hope" and "hun" is the future. When I think of the meaning of his name, it gives me goosebumps. What an amazing meaning. I often heard President Obama use the word hope throughout his campaign. It is a word I often use when I think about my children. So, in honor of my son Tesfahun, here are my hopes for my children.

I hope they know how much I love them.
I hope they know that they make me very happy.
I hope they know how proud I am of them and how much I enjoy being their mother.
I hope they grow up to be kind, generous, and thoughtful adults.
I hope they have a strong faith and realize that God will always be with them.
I hope they find their passion in life.
I hope they are happy!!

What are your hopes for your children?

Bad Blogging Mama!

Wow!! It has been a long time since I posted something on this blog. It pretty much coincides with me going back to work. As it turns out having an 11 year old, an 8 year old, and an 11 month old is A LOT of work. My daughter tried out for the dance team at school and will be on the JV team starting this summer. She is also working towards her black belt in karate. My son is also in karate and he decided that he wants to learn how to ice skate. TJ pretty much demands my attention from the time I pick him up at 3:30 until I lay him down at 7:30. Plus he is crawling everywhere and really enjoys going through our cupboards and playing with the doors. He is not interested in any of his baby toys and pretty much thinks that I should either be holding him or sitting on the floor right next to him. If I do something else, like make supper, then he lets me know he is none to pleased and will crawl over to me, pull himself up to my leg, and say "mama" until I pick him up. I am pretty confident that he has attached well to me. It is a big relief but I am a little tired.

TJ has made so many gains since we brought him home in Sept. He says "mama", "dada", and"nana" (no). We think he has said puppy and bye bye as well. When we say "yeah!" he starts to clap and he is working on standing by himself. He is a fun little boy! He has even introduced us to his temper:)

I attached recent pictures of TJ and also a video of him crawling.

We Survived.....

our first week of daycare! I went back to work on Monday after a 16 week leave of absence. Tesfahun appears to love it. His daycare mom said that "we have an awesome little blessing and that he is a delight to care for". He is such a happy boy when I drop him off and when I pick him up. I think he is really enjoying being around other kids and being entertained by them. He is also happy all night long when we get home. In addition, he is doing pretty well at night time...only waking up once or not even at all. It is a huge relief. I really enjoy teaching, so I am very happy that Tesfahun is doing so well at daycare. I often tell my children that I wanted to be a teacher and a mother when I was growing up and I feel so blessed that I am able to do both!

I also attached a picture from Christmas. Tesfahun was mostly interested in trying to eat the wrapping paper!!