Re-adoption is Offical (February 23, 2011)

Today we drove out the Port Townsend to finalize the adoption of Misrak and Micah. It was snowing all around us but we were blessed to get around it just in time. Of course I encountered problems and the case was almost not heard because the adoption agency didn't submit their post placement report on time. Go figure. Haha all hell broke lose and I was stomping on some feet and finally got the report faxed because I was not having it. If they hadn't faxed it we had to go all the way back there another time. Its a nice 2 hour drive. The kids were amazing. We only took the 2 of them because we wanted them to have a special day with us and not be disturbed by nutty little other kids. I knew if I take them alone we would have peace and we did. Glad it is finally done done...

Their new names and birth dates are:

Misrak Yemegnushal Hill (born 6/6/03)

Micah Getinet Hill (born 11/25/06)

Misrak and Micah peacefully waiting.

Arriving at the courthouse. My dear friend Karly came too with her family and re-adopted her son Diego. Oh Micah... always mad about something..

Adoption friends visit

A few days ago Lisa visited with the kiddos. Amira, Biruk and Eden were at Kidane together. We haven't seen them in 1.5 years. A visit was long overdue but they are from Eastern WA so its hard to catch up. If you wanna see how iddy biddy they were click here. I have also posted a few other pics after this post were the kids are doing their Valentine cards. Sorry Susan, I wished I could have been as creative as you:(

Amira, Biruk, Eden

Amira, Biruk, Eden

The Perez and Hill Kiddos

Kids doing Valentine cards

The Love of a Daughter

Danica is a very special kiddo. I always invisioned us being close but not this close. Even though she is in college and about to graduate, our relationship has gotten deeper. She does so many small things for me that are huge for me. She has that husband part women want (like we want them to read us but they don't) cuz I surely don't get that from Kevin. He is the typical provider. I think my cell phone is for her because she is about the only one I use it for. Anyways, when she went to Germany in December she intended to surprise me big time. She kept teasing my while over there telling me she found something I always talk about but I had no clue. To most of you this gift seems so weird but to me its a priceless possession. I have this clothes stand that is 23 years old (yes I line dry my clothes with 8 people except for towels). Thank you, I know I am nuts. It has rusted all over and is very fragile but I am still using it because I cannot buy this one over here. Yes I could buy one at Ikea but those are fake. Cannot stand them. When Kevin puts a book on it or the kids run into they all get blasted because this stand is so fragile and about to break any minute. So Danica bought me a new one in Germany which is below. But here is the kicker.. She couldn"t put it on the plane because the measurement were too big They said she would have to pay $500.00 to put it on the plane. So her and my sister finally figured out a way to ship it for less but my sister had to drive it all the way to Lufthansa to the airport to ship it with the cargo. The German post office wouldn't let her ship it either because the measurements were too big. I know the story is lame but I am just amazed by her how well she knows me and listens to me. Mind you she is just a broke college student and she still did it. I love her so so much.

Please help a dear friend

My amazing friend Andrea is in the process of adopting again. She and her family have already raised over half of what they need. Bless her heart for being strong enough to raise all the money. It takes a lot of strength, faith, and courage to do that. Some of us don't know how hard it is if we can just go to the bank and get a loan or even more so if we have the money all saved up.. She has extended her raffle until tomorrow. Please go Here and check it out. Good prices to win.. Thank you so much for visiting her blog..

Happy Forever 2 year Anniversary

January 14, 2010

Home at last. Kevin's first look at the kiddos.

Today Biruk and Amira have been home for 2 years. Sometimes I wished I could turn the clock back to when I first met them. Let me tell you again. They were buck wild. Not disobedient so much but wild. I still remember when I had Amira at the compound in Ethiopia, I asked the nannies if she was disabled. She had the shoulder shake, oompi thing (only ET’s do that, lol) so bad I thought she was gonna have a seizure or something. Haha or when she came home she would stomp off and go to her room, making sure someone is watching slamming the door in your face. Awhh, I miss those moments. Or the airplane ride home. Biruk kept playing with the remote and call attendant switches so bad the stewardess were about to kick me off the plane. Mind you I was all alone in ET and the flight back. Misrak and Micah cannot hold a candle to them. They were so mild mannered when I got them its ridicules.

Today these kids have made tremendous progress. Biruk’s English is great. Amira is coming together. Biruk really is sharing his stuff now. Toys and food. For months he was never capable of doing any. He is the greatest helper one could ever imagine. Although he cracks me up because he always wants to hustle for money and I told him if I have to pay him for everything he does for me I am going broke. So I gave him a friendly reminder that I am giving him free room and board, lol. Micah worships his brother. Biruk to this day has a love affair with his daddy. He might as well be attached to his hip. Kevin recently tried to patch up the roof and I was actually shocked he didn’t buy little mini me spike shoes for Biruk so he could be on the roof with him. Probably because I told him I would kill him if he takes my son on the roof and he knew I wasn’t playing; I had that look on my face. He is also extremely talented with putting stuff together. You can always find him with a tool in his hand. I wouldn’t be surprised if he is able to change the oil on the car soon.


To this day, Biruk and I still struggle the most out of the 4 little ones. I think the biggest problem is that he has a problem understanding that he has to show me the same respect as he does to his dad. But he will get quiet defiant with me thinking I am a woman and women in his eyes aren’t treated the same. I figure those are things we can work on but they need to be fixed sooner than later because I don’t want him to become a male chauvinistic pig. I will have to train him to be a good husband one day and not disrespect women.

He still has quite a few temper tantrums; rather I should say crying screaming fits. It’s usually over something he has to learn (school) and he refuses to do it. He wants to know everything and it kills him not to.


Amira Amira…. My blogger buddy Rachael once wrote about her baby daughter not being the baby anymore..(Rachael, that was one of my favorite posts ever). Her post described exactly how Amira would fee. Really I am shocked Amira hasn’t gone in a complete rebellious stage. She truly has been thrown off the throne after Misrak and Micah got here. I try really hard to be equal but its harder when you have 4 vs. 2 little ones. We do have our occasional dates where I take her out for ice cream, just the two of us and we have long talks. Until Micah got here, she was attached to my hip. Now Micah is. I told her that is only because he is so little but soon he won’t be attached to my hip anymore either. She has the most giving spirit ever. She feeds off strictness and loves to be with me. She loves to color, dream, and hum to herself. She could be an only child because she knows how to occupy herself all the time. I think the best that has happened to Amira is that I gave her a sister close to her age. Even better, older than her.
Although Misrak gets annoyed by her often but she really tries hard not to let it get to her. They really deeply love each other. She has such a hard time fitting in rather at school or with her other sibs but Misrak always makes her feel loved. I still adore that little girl like crazy. I love her smile and her husky voice. I told her when she is older she can seduce men just by talking to them, lol. No just kidding. She recently had several Dr. appointment because of the way she acts at home and in school, just fully being in lalaland… not being able to follow 1 prompt, getting in people’s faces and stuff. Yes she was like that before Misrak and Micah came. She has always been special, different than the other 3. That is now very evident because I can compare them all. The Dr’s and I have decided to monitor her closely but they all think she is ADD. Although I am still hoping that she might grow out of this phase. If she doesn't, that's fine too. I love her still the same. Haven't dealt with Anastasia for 24 years none of these behaviors we have now can come close. We just thankful not to have another Anastasia in behavior and temperament.

Happy Gotcha Day

Two years ago these two little "WILD" guys, Biruk and Amira, were placed into my arms and live has never been the same since. I'll never forget the crazy trip I had with them in Ethiopia and my way back home.. Stories the 3 of us still talk about today:) I will write more on their 2 year home forever anniversary.

December

December highlighted two big events. Danica went to Germany to visit my family and Misrak and Micah celebrated their first Christmas in America. Danica went for 10 days and came back Christmas day. She was able to celebrate with my family there and with us right here at home. She was also so very blessed not to get stuck at the airports in any snow storms because they were all around her, in Belgium and on the East Coast.

My family in Germany was calling Danica an angel. Here is why: I guess when you live around family all your life you often don't appreciate what you have. I, for instance, am envious every year of everyone that is with family, yet the people that have family tell me don't envy me it gets old after a while. Well Kevin and I haven't been with family in nearly 25 years for Christmas or most of the holidays so its always just us 8 and before us 4.

Anyways, so my folks in Germany really haven't been spending that much time with each other during the season but when Danica came they were all together, everyone, pretty much every day until she left. So they are calling her the little angel that brought family together. Danica insisted that everyone needed to be together during her stay.

They welcomed her so incredibly like she had lived their all her live. Even though she hasn't visited in nearly 10 years, they took her in like she was me, just because she is my daughter.

Misrak and Micah were amazed to celebrate their first Christmas. I tried REALLY HARD to teach them the real meaning of Christmas how we celebrate int his house "Jesus Birth". Although it looked like we had lots of presents, we really didn't. After all, we are a family of 8.

Misrak really wanted a bible and Micah really wanted something from Toy Story so they both got what they asked for. I let the 2 of them open the first gifts and then everyone else got to dig in.

All in all it was wonderful and I really enjoyed this month of December for once just enjoying my family and not being pre-occupied with another adoption.

IN GERMANY

Everyone went bowling (my oldest brother and his family are not in there, he is in Scottland)

They all went on the sleighs being pulled by a car. Very common in Germany during the winter.

My mommy received the throw of my family for Christmas

My sister Pia and her family, minus Vincent who belongs to my other sister.

My sister Nicole and her husband and my baby brother

Danica and my baby brother Svenni

Danica with Svenni's girls. One of them is missing in the picture

My mommy and daddy

Hanging out in the city for a late night shopping trip

Micah's in his new robe and slippers

Misrak and her new boots

Misrak at the ceramic store with her special friend

Christmas party at my work

Another Christmas party for the children

Danica is in Germany!

12/22/10 Danica just posted this on f/b last night

Danica left for Germany last Wednesday. My heart nearly broke into piece not because I didn't want her to go but because I knew she had never ever left the country by herself (I was scared). The first night was horrible. I couldn't sleep until 4:00am in the morning until I knew she made it okay. Then I was worried she was homesick.

As she so described it on f/b, she arrived on a blanket of snow. They have Winter Wonderland. Its in the 20is all week with snow piled up everywhere.

Well now I am feeling really happy for her because she is doing just fine and having the best time. Mainly because at the age of 22 she is getting spoiled rotten. Not just by my mom and aunties but also by her cousins. Its like she is royalty over there.... So funny. The last time they seen Danica was when she was in 7th Grade. Now she is a young lady.

Last night she went dancing with all of them. That was always her dream to go to a German club.
Her main focus of the trip really was to see how she likes it because she was thinking of either going there for 6 months after college or even study some more over there. She will graduate this coming summer. Okay that part I wished she wouldn't because I don't want her to move away...

The neat thing is that we will have her both for Christmas. My family celebrates Christmas on the 24th and she leaves on the 25th. So she will arrive at about 2pm on Christmas day. We all have decided that we will wait to open presents until Danica gets here...

I will post some pics of her trip after she returns.

Preschool Christmas Performance

Scroll down to see the video.

Micah is in LOVE with his teacher Brittany

This picture seriously cracks me up

Seriously, my boy was the smallest kid in there. Those kids were towering over him. What are they feeding these kids in America, lol.

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

The Tree Farm

I figured I better post my pictures so I don't get too behind. I have been so swamped with stuff I haven't even checked my favorite blogs.. Hopefully this weekend. I love December so much but why does it always have to get so busy?

Anyways, we always get a fresh tree from Home Depot but this year we started another new tradition and went to the tree farm. WE LOVED, LOVED this tree farm. We love the fresh scent we have in the house of a wonderful smelling tree. I am glad everyone agrees in our family that the only way to go for us is a real tree.

All the children were just amazed and had so much fun looking at all the trees.

We had hot chocolate afterwards and when we got home Danica did some paper snowflakes with the kids and then 3 of the kids decorated the tree a little bit.

As of right now the tree or house is still not fully decorated. Hopefully I get done this weekend. but who knows. Office party, kids' school plays, and on and on..

Arriving at the tree farm

Our beloved tree. Kevin is cutting him and everyone is helping
Its falling..

Ready to carry it to the street for pick up

We did it!!! Micah is mad again, lol, who know about what this time:)

The best part! Hot Chocolate

Danica wanted to take this picture. She was cracking up how his height was almost matching the tiny trees

Danica teaching the kids how to make snowflakes.. Micah is up to no good:)

Trying to rough house his sister

Decorating the tree. I always let the kids do the bottom of the tree where they can reach