Selamnesh's Story: Sweet 16

Saturday, January 24, 2009

Sweet 16

Sixteen Years ago on a very icy, early morning I gave birth to the most beautiful baby girl. And this week we celebrated her 16th birthday!! Friday we had a sweet 16 party at a dry nightclub. It was a great time and and great time had by all. All night I kept asking Lauren, Are you having a good time? She would smile and say yes. Mid-evening she asked me, Mom are you having a good time? I started to cry. Yes, if you are happy, I'm having a great time!! Isn't that just it??? When we see out babies having a wonderful time, it makes our evening wonderful...... Lauren has a great group of friends, half from school, and half from church. And then there is Marty.... gosh I love that guy, and he is good for her. NO not a boyfriend. Lauren isn't allowed to have one of "those". But a great guy who keeps her compass north.

Happy Birthday Baby!!! I love you so very much!!!!

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Why Selamnesh?? Why not Sahara??

So often we go into a situation with our minds made up. We did!! We chose the name Sahara in a Walmart store. Lauren came up with it months before we ever sent in our first application. She was going to be Sahara!!

And she was Sahara...... until we met her, her nannies and her beloved birthmother Bizunesh. I could barely pronounce her name Selamnesh. But after hearing everyone call her by her birth name. How could we change it?? How selfesh would that be?? Her name is the only thing her birthmother can give her, how could I be so cruel as to take that away from her??

Bizunesh and I sat for 30 minutes with 2 translators exchanging our dreams for her beloved baby girl. I could only understand 1 word she would speak.......Selamnesh. The way she said it will ring in my ears for the rest of my life. God changed my heart that day on the bus ride home.

A legal name is just that. How many Henry's, Richard's, Barbra's or Catherine's do you know that use their legal names?? My daughter's name is Selamnesh. Most of the time I call her sweatheart.

About the process

They tell us that the process to adopt a child from Ethiopia is about a year. A referral is when they match you to a child. They get a grouping of children, and then try to match a family to the child's needs and the families requests. They take a lot of care in this process. What a wonderful blessing they are giving both us as families and to the children. The dossier is the file that you collect information and recommendations about your family and submit them to the agency. The time frame from submitting the dossier to referral is about 6-9 months. Our process took 5 months. Then you wait for a court date. Then you wait for a birth certificate. Then after the birth certificate comes in correctly, you get a travel date. With our agency, you stay a week. They show you around the area, possibly meet the birth parent or relative. And spend time getting to know your child. You stay at a guest house with a full time cook, and driver. I couldn't ask for a more wonderful agency. Alexa, I owe you so much thanks!

Selamnesh's Story

Saturday, January 24, 2009

Sweet 16

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The Family

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Why Selamnesh?? Why not Sahara??

Journey to Selamnesh

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