Happy Easter

Sorry Anastasia is not in the picture. She was not in the mood. But my Danica was home from college and she was able to get some good snapshots.

Oral Surgery today

We had to be at the hospital at 6:30am with a surgery date at 8:00am. I was happy, Amira was the first patient for the dentist. We arrived home at 1:00pm. She is in a lot of pain this evening. But Amira was such a trooper all day. She is just so strong and I am so proud of her. I got her some over the counter kids motrin and it seems to make her more comfortable. We have been waiting for this date a long time and it finally come. The dentist that I chose decided to pull her 4 front teeth and not put anything up there which was fine with me. It saved me a lots of money and a bunch of moms that have little ones actually told me just to pull them. She also pulled 3 more in the back which was a total of 7. We also have I think about 7 silver crowns, at least. The surgery went really well and I am so glad its finally done. This Friday we have the huge mosluscum under her eye looked at again and hopefully the Dr. will cut and drain it. This is the same Dr. that prescribed her the 700.00 medication and it didn't do anything. All the other dermatologist don't have appointments till May so I guess I am desperate to go back to this lady. We will see.

Amira waiting to go to surgery

After the surgery

Swimming

We had a wonderful time at the pool last weekend. This was a first for the kids. They were so happy. Of course Mr. Biruk didn't want to listen and not wearing his life vest so after much arguing with dad, he finally threw him in the pool and guess what, he learned his lesson quickly to put his life vest on.

The whole family went (we are still having to take two cars on those outings 7)but Danica and I stayed out. I felt pretty bad but I really didn't have a swimsuit. Anyways, they loved it and are ready to go back. And I tell you what, I just love my hubby so dearly. He has been amazing on taking on the role to start all over again and often I think he is doing a much better job than I do. I just have to blog about him another day when my mind is more clear. I am just so thankful for him. He truly is my soulmate.

We are hanging in there

Sorry I have become somewhat of a slagger blogger. After going private for a few days to share my family stuff I decided this would not be so good. Why would anyone have to suffer from not hearing and seeing of Amira and Biruk. So I figured the stuff I need to discuss that is so personal I will express in emails with my closest friends.

Anyways, last Sunday was a beautiful day. I took the kids right after church to the zoo and park and we had a blast. We were out there all afternoon. They are still doing amazingly well and I am sure its because they have each other. They make each other laugh all the time and even more so they talk each other to death. I love when they talk Amharic to each other. I have noticed that Amira wants to do it much more than Biruk. He uses more English but I always enourage them to keep speaking it.

Every single day I come home I am still in awe (I know I sound like a broken record) that these kids that I have drooled over their pictures for months are finally mine. It is just a miracle how God placed the "just right" children into my family. I have a good picture now why all these other adoptions never worked out from Guatemala, to Zambia, to Liberia. All these precious kids are in my heart forever but obviously they were not meant for me and God hand picked Amira and Biruk and what a perfect fit they are.

My little Amira has her oral surgery next week. They will work on every single one of her teeth and she will pull out the 4 upper front teeth. Poor baby is gonna be toothless hopefully not too long. Her moluscum has not gotten any better and I am starting to get a little fed up with these doctors that they can't get me in till May. So I raised up with one office today and hopefully they can cut it next Friday but I am not sure yet. It is just huge. And all the kids always point it out to her and say "ouie".. I can tell its starting to bother her cuz she always talks about it. My Biruk is perfectly healthy. He is such a big helper and has a very gently and sweet spirit. He also started to play soccer and had his first game last Saturday. I think he like basketball a lot, he is so good at dribbling the ball. They are both enrolled for Kindergarten this fall so hopefully they both make it.

Biruk Soccer Team

First Soccer Game

He is just scoring a goal

Man to Man talk before the Game

Blessed by more friends

Signe and I thought that Nesradine and Biruk look like brothers especially now that Nes has longer hair. The girl to the right is Signe's precious daughter Helen.

Lisa, me and the Kidane kids

The girl in the middle is Imani who is Lisa's other daughter from ET. Wow, she is such a ham.

Okay I think all the Kidane girls from that floor where our kids came from just love Biruk. Sorry Zene that Biruk is hugging another girl. I have especially reserved you to become Biruk's future wife :))

Here goes my Amira again, pouting as usual because Biruk is having all the fun.

I have said this before that through my long journey of adoption I became so obsessed that I neglected my old friendships and really don't have any friends left except a few girls from church. Once you adopt, you always share really deep bonds with other adoptive families. Over the past two years I have gotten to know some pretty amazing ladies through adoption.

This last week was really special to me. I got to hang out with Lisa and Signe whom I adore very much. All of our kids were at Kidane the same time and all of them left Kidane at about the same time. Lisa lives about 4 hours away and Signe about 6 hours. I only wished I could live closer and see them more often. It really does break my heart to know I can't just drop in on them at a moments notice. But in the mean time I am thankful that I have them period.

Home 2 months

How do I wish that time could stand still. 4, what a precious age. The children at that age are so care free about anything. I continously feel so blessed that these two precious kiddos are finally in my arms. Sometimes I feel like I am dreaming. In the middle of the night I just sneak in their room and watch them sleep and listen to them breathe and pray over them.

I have probably already mentioned this but Biruk has taken a huge bond to Kevin since home and Amira to me. I am totally fine with that. Amira just hugs and cuddles me to death wanting to be by my side whereever I go while Biruk likes to talk to Kevin about cars all day and eat with him. I have heard now many times and also seen it with my own eyes that the minute I leave the house Amira gets so sassy and does not listen. I never see that when I am with her. Like slamming doors and throwing stuff. She doesn't do that when I am around. I think in time when she understands more she will get better with her attitude. I will have to explain to her that she needs to be respectful to anyone, not just mommy. I have to say, she is a smart girl because she has me all wrapped around her little finger.

Biruk started Pee Wee soccer last week and is really enjoying it. I am still trying to figure out with to do with Amira for fun. She easily gets distracted so we'll see.


The dress below is Amira's favorite dress. Every day she asks me if she can wear it but it is too cold right now but today I just let her wear it anyway. She also loves to wear her hair down and pose for me so here you go. Biruk gets annoyed when I take his pictures too much.

Ethiopian Coffee

Okay I think some of you are going to kill me especially those ones who are avid coffee drinkers like me that I have ever badmouthed ET coffee the way I did.

Yesterday I met up with Signe and she gave me a huge bag of coffee from Biruk's mom. She got it off Nesradine's mom to give to me while she was in ET. Thank you Signe, you are the best!!!

Anyways, re: the coffee. While I was in ET I never had real ET coffee (isn't that sad), just the one from the store and it was so nasty. I was so disappointed after all the people told me how good ET coffee was. So obviously I didn't bring any home. Signe told me yesterday that the real ET coffee is way better than the store one but I had to taste it to believe it. This morning I made a pot of the real stuff and I am so hooked. It is the best coffee I have ever had. I had like 10 cups already and I bet I cannot go to sleep tonight.

More about Sign'e and Lisa's visits later.

P.S. Yeah after Signe's comment, I totally forgot to mention that she left me Berberi too. Thanks again. So true, Samrawit really had it with banana. That stuff is so spicy. I am sure Biruk and Amira will have it too once they get wind of it where the spice is hidden. As for me, I am a bad mommy, I still have not learned how to cook anything ET with berberi (sp).

WELCOME HOME NESRADINE

My dear friend Signe arrived home yesterday with Biruk's best guy friend Nesradine (Zena is his best girlfriend).

Nesradine and Biruk came to the orphanage the same day. Their two moms are best friends also. Hopefully we get to meet up really soon. Nes is about 6 hours away from our house but I know between Signe and I we will make it work to meet up very soon. I know we both promised their moms we would keep in touch so our boys would never forget about each other.

I just talked about Eden the other day and Nesradine equally has a special place in my heart.

I am so glad all my special kids are home with their very special families that I absolutely adore.

More firsts and ramblings

I just saw on another blog the other day that they were happy to have started a blog if anything its for the journaling. Just until recently I was sad that only certain people regularly leave comments while others just browse my blog and don't want to leave a comment either because they are bored with my blog or whatever they think. Who cares anyway. I sure don't.

Now I really don't care anymore because for myself and the children I have journaled so much it will be nice one day for them to look at everything and go back to see where there journey began. I would have never journaled over birthdays and anniversaries. Kinda cool now that I look at it.

Life has just become crazy busy but I guess that was forseable with me working again. About 2 weeks ago we went to the skating ring and it was hillarious. The kids had so much fun. Biruk refused to skate on the walk skates, he had to have real skates and pretty much was on the floor the whole time. Amira used walking skates and she was such a trooper.

Last Saturday we went for first haircuts. When I came home, I got chewed out pretty badly by my husband telling me not to ever have someone else cut his son's hair. I kind of did it behind his back because I didn't want Biruk to get a military haircut. But I respect his wishes and apologized. I wouldn't like if he takes my girls to the hairdresser.

Amira's oral surgery is scheduled for April 1. It looks like our insurance is covering the hospital and we have to pay about $2,000.00 out of pocket. I guess that beats $5,700.00.

Amira also still has her huge moluscum. That $700.00 cream is obviously worthless. It looks like we might have to cut it.

Biruk now is close to 40 pounds. Kevin calls him the garbage disposal. Every time I turn around he asks Kevin for more food knowing he is not getting anymore from me.

In other good news, Biruk's best friend Nesradine already got his visa so hopefully they arrive in the states pretty soon and we get to see them. If not I understand, because that long flight is so exhausting.

Lastly, my dear friend Lisa is coming to visit us next week with her precious girls Eden and Imani. Eden really does have a special place in my heart. I am so so happy. Lisa and I were supposed to travel to ET together but circumstances didn't let us. I saw her there in ET the day I left and she arrived.

At the skating ring

Biruk below starting up Kevin's truck. True boy. He loves the sound of his mufflers

First haircut

kids after their haircuts. Amira really just got a tiny bit of her ends trimmed but Candy did a wonder french braid