Santa's Busiest Elf

As you can see, Santa's busiest elf was the highlight of our holiday season this year. We are trying not to be over indulgent parents so on Christmas morning Santa left an Elmo chair for him and Elmo Live. As we walked down the steps the first thing he saw was his chair so he exclaimed, "Elmo, Elmo!" Everyone had already told us he would probably find more enjoyment from the packaging, so I probably could have wrapped up empty boxes :-).

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I actually think we enjoyed his reaction to Elmo Live more than he actually enjoyed the toy.(But isn't that what parenthood is all about?)

A Perfect Gift

This weekend I received the perfect gift to mark our referral anniversary. A friend of my mother's is a quilter and when we first heard about the little guy she said she wanted to make a quilt for him. Once we decided on a pattern for the room she started working on his quilt. She usually works on several quilts at one time and as she quilts she keeps a journal about the process. The words in her journal brought tears to my eyes. It was filled with her thoughts about his future and on being parents. She explained the meaning of the symbols on the quilt and she placed a pocket in the back to hold the journal. The quilt squares she used were from the pattern used on a quilt presented to Nelson Mandela.

It looks absolutely wonderful in the room. It was truly the perfect referral anniversary gift!

Time Flies

We got our referral call on the day before Thanksgiving last year. It is hard to believe that a year has passed. We spent this Thanksgiving with my parents. Last year we passed around his referral picture and this year our little blessing was being passed around.

The Friendly Lion

We did go to a Fall Festival at a local elementary school the week before Halloween but this year I decided not to take the little lion trick or treating. He stayed at home and helped pass out candy , when he wasn't trying to eat it. Everyone who came to the door remarked at what a cute lion he was...I guess even when he tried to roar he couldn't look ferocious.

Working Moms are Superheroes!

Well since I started working again in September I have not had time to post as much as I would like. I have so much more respect for all the working moms in the world (especially the working elementary school teachers). I am not organized (I thought I was) nor can I multi-task (I thought I could). Perhaps going back to work wouldn't have hit me as hard if I hadn't started graduate school at the same time. I already have a Masters Degree and National Board Certification, so it's not like I had to put myself through this- but it's that first born child, overachiever syndrome. I can't even imagine working on a PhD (Girls, I can't join you- I have much respect for my sister, my aunt and my friend Morgan) but once I finish this Educational Adminstration Certificate I think that's it for me (at least I say this for now:-)
Our little guy is in great hands at the Pamper Me Child Care, a home daycare with one other child (actually it's more like staying at a surrogate grandparents house.)

Summer Fun

The little guy had a fun summer. He spent the 4th of July in NC with the Ellis family where he had his first try at 4-wheeling. At the end of the month, he took his first trip to Disney World with the Turner family. He had fun splashing in the pool. He also loved It's A Small World, but Disney World with a 1 year old isn't that fun. We will have to take him back when he can enjoy more rides. The main purpose of our trip to Florida was to go to the Delta Convention and of course he had his first introduction to Greek life at the stepshow.

Happy Birthday to Me!

Today our little guy turned 1!
I decided not to do a big birthday party for him since we had just done a big party in April for his baby dedication. I figured it wouldn't matter to him anyway but many people said that I had to do something to celebrate his first birthday. While in Babies R Us last weekend, he spotted a shirt with Elmo on it. (Elmo is one of his new favorite characters.) When I saw the matching crown I figured that was his way of telling me he wanted an Elmo birthday party :-)
So I ran around on the day before his big day and put together his first birthday party. He loved his Elmo fruit arrangment but he wasn't too sure about the cake. Of course his favorite gift was his Elmo puppet book.

The Big Guy and the Little Guy

Well anyone who reads my blog knows that I hardly post these days. The little guy likes full attention and it is kinda hard to sit down at the computer and type entries during the day and by the time night rolls round there are tons of other things I need to be doing. But since I posted about Mother's Day I thought I would mention the holiday devoted to Dads.
On Father's Day the hubby was certainly being the proud Daddy since it was his first Father's Day. We went to dinner with friends after church. Of course everyone at the table was having fun teasing the proud Daddy about being so overprotective!

My First Mother's Day

Today was my first Mother's Day and we spent the weekend at my parent's house. I thought it was fitting to spend my first Mother's Day as a mother with my mother. Hubby finally bought me a video camera but now I don't have time to play with it. Now that I am a mother I have new found appreciation for the mothers of the world. We went to church in St. Michaels and then went for a scrumptious Mother's Day dinner at Chesapeake Landing.

As an adoptive mother this day also brings to mind my son's birthmother and the sacrifice she made by allowing us to raise her beautiful son. The love and strength it took for her to make that choice is truly amazing.

Once there were two women
Who never knew each other.
One you do not remember
The other you call Mother.

Two different lives
Shaped to make you one.
One became your guiding star
The other became your sun.

The first one gave you life
And the second taught you to live it.
The first gave you a need for love
The second was there to give it.

One gave you a nationality
The other gave you a name.
One gave you a talent
The other gave you aim.

One gave you emotions
The other calmed your fears.
One saw your first sweet smile
The other dried your tears.

One sought for you a home
That she could not provide.
The other prayed for a child
And her hope was not denied.

Heredity or environment
Which are you a product of?
Neither my Darling, neither.
Just two different kinds of Love.

Happy Mother's Day to both of us!

Dedication/ Praise Celebration

On Saturday April 19th, we had a baby dedication/praise celebration to honor God for the blessing He brought into our lives. Family and friends from near and far came to share in our joy. The youth choir, girls and boys praise dancers, T.B. who sang and C.S. who performed a praise dance participated in the program. Afterwards we had a reception for about 100 friends and family members. It was really more like a family reunion and our little guy enjoyed meeting everyone!

Special thanks to Andre Wade (www.adwphotos4U.com )for the photography!!!

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Our School Visit

Before I left for Ethiopia I told my class that I would probably not be back this school year. I did promise them that I would come back and introduce them to my son. On Friday, they hosted a Welcome Back party for us. It was great to see them! I couldn't believe how big they had grown. They were so excited to see the baby and he was excited to meet them! They each wrote me a letter and several brought gifts for the baby. My substitute, G.W., baked cakes and the kids brought in treats. The baby and I had a great day! The class can't wait for us to come back for another visit.

Welcome Home Shower

Today we attended a Welcome Home Shower! Of course our little man was the star of the event! Thanks to the T. Family for hosting! He received lots of great gifts. When we got home we played with the musical fish bowl and the penguin bowling. It was like Christmas! We continue to be grateful for the blessings our friends and family are bestowing upon us.

My Little Bunny

My family and friends know I am a holiday person. I have socks and shirts/sweaters for practically every holiday. Most of my holiday outfits scream- I am an elementary school teacher! Not only do I have the clothes but I also have the decorations. (In case you didn't notice the bunnies in the background of the picture)
Today my poor son had to endure a day in an outfit plastered with bunnies. (He was so cute though!) Since he is a boy I can only dress him in these holiday outfits while he is young. So I'll have fun while I can!

First Doctor's Visit in the US

On Tuesday March 18, we had our first pediatrician's visit. Our little guy was a champ. The doctor was amazed by his pleasant disposition. He listened attentively while the doctor talked to him but he wasn't too happy about the examination or the shots. Since he had not been immunized he had to get 4 shots. Good thing a kiss from Mommy made it all better!

Reflections on the Journey

My thoughts and feelings about this journey cannot be expressed in words.
So instead I thought this montage provided a small glimpse of my thoughts. The people of Ethiopia are beautiful inside and out. Despite the poverty that many of them face, they are a proud people who possess a strong spirit. After visiting a developing nation you truly realize how blessed we are to live in the United States and the many things we take for granted.

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We're Home!!!!

We arrived at Dulles on March 7, 2008 after flying for approx. 18 hours. Our little guy was a champ. He didn't fuss much during the flight but he didn't like riding home in the car seat too much since it was his first time in a car seat. While we were in Ethiopia and on the flight back every told us we had a dream baby. But God knew what we would have to do once we arrived back in the states.

While we were in Africa, Herb's mom passed away. As a matter of fact she died the day we met our son's birth mother. As soon as we arrived home we had to repack and drive 5 hours to his parent's house to prepare for the funeral the next day. I don't even think the baby spent more than 10 minutes in his room.
God's word is true...Ecclesiastes states to everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven. A time to be born and a time to die...A time to weep and a time to laugh...a time to mourn and a time to dance...
During the course of the weekend we experienced all of the this. The funeral services truly reflected the sweet spirit Herb's mom had and we all believe that her spirit guided us safely home.

Shower Blessings

I was blessed to be surrounded in a prayer circle by about 30 of the most wonderful women in the world today. My friends S. and S. hosted a baby shower and blessing service in my honor. I am truly grateful for everyone's love and support! Words cannot express my gratitude. Not only was I showered with gifts but they also brought items to be donated to the orphanage. As part of my testimony I shared the song "He's Been Faithful" by Vicki Yohe. I have included a link to the song~ because He has truly been faithful to me!

Five Days and Counting!!!

Yesterday I got the social report on little Geremu. It was full of adorable pictures and information about his personality. Of course we spent all day yesterday reading the information about him and looking at his pictures. Today I was blessed with a day off from school because of an ice storm. Hopefully I will be productive. I still can't believe it...FIVE DAYS AND COUNTING!!!!
Here's our little prince...

The Best Class in the World

My students are excited to meet the baby. On Friday one of my students brought in baby shower decorations,so we hung them on the SMART board. Today I sent a letter home that I agonized over for quite a while. I announced that more than likely I would be staying at home with my son for the rest of the school year. I may have to come back in June to finish the school year, but I don't know yet.
My son has spent the last four months in an orphanage and has had so many transitions in his little life. I would feel bad about having him spend time in daycare right away.
My last day would be February 26th and we leave for Africa on Feb.27th. I really have mixed emotions about this because I have the world's best class and I am also very dedicated to my profession.
I am still wondering how in the world I am going to balance teaching and motherhood. People keep telling me you learn to balance the two, but I believe it will be hard. Guess I'll see in September!

10 Days and Counting!!!

Well today we finally finished the nursery! My favorite buddies P&A came to help finish it up. When we finished A exclaimed," Seth's room is beautiful!"



Tens days and counting... While sitting in the nursery I couldn't help but tear up. After all the interviews, paperwork, and more paperwork I can't believe we have a travel date and it is 10 days away. It is still hard for me to believe that an actual baby is going to be sleeping in the room. God is faithful to his promises and for that we are forever grateful!

The Power of Prayer

After an emotional few days of not knowing what in the world was going on with our adoption,we now have an official birth certificate and yesterday we received our travel call- we fly to Ethiopia on February 27- with an arrival date of February 28, 2008! The travel agency called while I was teaching my second graders and my students immediately asked " Is it time to get your baby in Africa?"
Yep...it's finally time! Thanks to all who prayed for us! If you don't believe it~ try it~there is power in prayer!

Riding the Emotional Rollercoaster of Adoption

I am ready to get off of this rollercoaster!

As I posted earlier~ On January 17, the Ethiopian courts officially named us the parents of little Geremu Assefa. All we had to do was wait for the birth certificate and then they would call us with a travel date.
Well, on Wednesday I got a phone call, but it was not what I was expecting. Our adoption agency representative called to tell us there was a problem with our case and that the birth certificate had not arrived and worse case scenario, our child could be declared unadoptable and have to stay in Ethiopia. WHAT IN THE WORLD???? Needless to say, I felt like a ton of bricks had landed on me.

The US Embassy is reinterpreting immigration law concerning orphans coming into the US from foreign countries and it looks like our case is one of those in the mix. We understand that this needs to be done to make sure that international adoptions are ethical and legal but that does not help me feel any better.


What is an Orphan?
Under U.S. immigration law, an orphan is a foreign child who does not have any parents because of the death or disappearance of, abandonment or desertion by, or separation or loss from, both parents. An orphan can also be a foreign-born child with a sole or surviving parent who is unable to provide for the child’s basic needs, consistent with the local standards of the foreign sending country, and has, in writing, irrevocably released the child for emigration and adoption.


If it appears that the child is not eligible for classification as an orphan under the U.S. immigration law, the USCIS will issue a notice of intent to revoke the approval of the orphan petition. When the petitioner receives such notice, he or she is provided an opportunity to submit evidence to overcome the stated grounds for revoking the approval. An Orphan Petition May be Denied if the USCIS determines that the child does not fit the legal definition of “orphan.”


We are very prayful that they will approve the orphan petition and we will get a birth certificate and a travel date in the near future.

Those who read this...keep our family in prayer!

We know God is an AWESOME God and He is faithful to His promises!

Baby Shower Time

Today I had to update my fingerprints with the Immigration ofc.(a bureaucratic ordeal that lasted well over three hours!) and in the afternoon I attended my first baby shower. I have attended and helped to host about a million baby showers in my life, but this time I was finally one of the honorees! The school's social committee hosted a baby shower in honor of four of us. I told E., who is due in March, we should have had a wager on whose child comes first. Since the others are visibly with child, I wore a shirt that read...PREGNANT WITH LOVE FOR MY CHILD IN ETHIOPIA.

My teammates, the dream team, had fun celebrating with me! A special thanks to S. who never stays late at school. (She stayed just for me :-) Now we are all just waiting for that travel call so they can meet baby Seth in person!!!