One year ago today............

One year ago today I met Bizunesh. Selamnesh's birth mother is a small frail woman about 5 feet tall and maybe 100#. She was the same size as Lauren when we went, about a size 0. Lauren has grown in the last year and I wonder how Bizuinesh is doing. How often does she think about Selamnesh?? How often does she cry for her baby?? Has she moved on with her life?? Is she married?? Have another child?? I love you Bizunesh, you have given me the most precious gift. I love Selamnesh more than any other mother in the world. There is no difference in giving birth to a child and adoption. I have more time for Selamnesh than I did my other children. I am older and wiser. God has gifted me to be a loving mother. Thank you Jesus.

Working or Vacation in Marquette, MI

Last year I took the kids with me to Marquette, MI while I worked. I love Marquette so much!!! It is such a beautiful town!!! So we went there for a working vacation, I can work while the kids sleep in, go swimming, or entertain themselves, then when I'm done working for the day.....WE PLAY!!!! Lauren drove most of the way...it's so nice to have a 16 year old!!!!

Selamnesh loves the water!!! She would jump off the side of the pool, be dunked by us, or just want to swim or float!!! Of course Lauren was her main playmate!! Tristan was diving, swimming, floating or just plain having fun!!!






What do you do with a 2 year old for 2 and a half hours while everyone is painting pottery??? Let her color on what ever she wants.......... We went to Hot Plate. It is the coolest paint pottery/make glass jewlery place I know of!!! Lauren made two glass fused necklaces. She layered pieces of glass on each other, they will fire the glass in the kiln and it will melt all together. Lauren is so detailed!!! Tristan made a beer mug....hummm..... But it was the coolest beer mug I have ever seen!!! He is just so creative!!! He even made it look like it had foam around the top rim of the glass. It was so cool!!! While visiting Bizunesh in Ethiopia, I asked her what she would like me to get Selamnesh as a gift from Bizunesh, her answer... warm pajamas and a bowl of her own. I made Selamnesh a princess plate from Bizunesh. We had a great time!!! I think it took longer that we expected it too, but it was fun!!!







We hiked up Sugarloaf Mountain!!! Lauren did not want to go!!! She isn't the most outdoorsy kina girl....she is more of a Princess than she lets on!! Tristan was all Gun-hoe!!! She volunteered to take Selamnesh and show her how it was to be done. After Lauren got going she desided that maybe this wasn't so bad and took a few paths of her own......








Once we got to the top... everyone was happy!!! I carried Selamnesh the way down, which was more difficult than you would think......but imagine carring a 25 pound bag of potatoes on your front while you were trying to make a correct step.....so that you both don't FALL down the mountain.........







After the hike, we were driving back into town when Tristan exclaimed, "Look!! Waterfalls!!!" I slammed on the brakes, and turned sharply into a small driveway/parking lot. The water was ice cold!!! The water flowed strangely in odd directions. The rocks that it ran over were black, flat and dull looking. It was breath takingly beautiful!!! No photos could take the full scope of the magesty of it!!!







I introduced the kids to Little Ceasar's $5.99 pizza!!! What a huge hit!!! Lauren couldn't believe that a whole pepperoni pizza was only $5.99!!! What a hoot!!! Selamnesh LOVES pizza!!! Tristan and I would have prefered sausage pizza to pepperoni but... oh well... So we sat at the beach eating a whole pizza and Crazy bread, another HUGE hit!!! Also.. Lauren taught Selamnesh to say, "Bus driver, bus driver, open the door!!" While she is pushing her cheeks together!!! They have such a great time!!!







Lake Superior is Cold!!! But Tristan was determined that he was going to go swimming!!! And of course... Selamnesh had to follow him in!!! She wanted to bring home every rock, stick, and piece of garbage she found.....after coming home... I realized that Tristan brought back a bunch of stuff from the lake.....

We had a wonderful time......oh, how I love vacationing with my children more than anyone else in the world!!! They are my world..........

Selamnesh's First County Fair

The County Fair came to town once again......and we were there to celabrate Selamnesh's first county fair!!! She LOVED the animals!!! A very nice woman took out her goat for her to pet. Lauren and Tristan would introduce her to every new animal.....it was so adorable!!! She wouldn't even stick her hand in the cage and she would pull it away and squel with laughter!!! She had her first Merry-go-round ride and LOVED it!!! She had her first corn on the cob and we couldn't take it away!!! She sat and chewed on the cob!!! There is something just so special about the County Fair.........

Selamnesh's Dedication

July 19, 2009

When we decided to adopt, I put it all in God's hands. If it was God's plan that it would happen easily and fast. And it did!!! Praise God!!! I dedicated Selamnesh in my heart before I even met those beautiful eyes!!! But on July 19th I dedicated Selamnesh to the Lord at Pathways Church. I was a really nice service and Selamnesh loved Pastor Brad's humor and hypnotising animal crackers!!! We recieved a blessing, and she recieved her very first Bible (pink) from Pastor Brad Liebe. What a Very Special day!!!!!!!

For those of you who ask......What is dedication......
We are born again Christians. We try to follow the Bible as closely as we can. We are saved by Grace through Faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior. We believe that the Old Testament is a very important part of history, and we live by the new testament. We read in Luke chapter 2 that Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the temple to be dedicated to the Lord.

Camping and Caves

June 16th More camping....and caves







We went camping with a friend of Lauren's, at Da Ranch!!! When you have your very own camping resort, it's hard to pass up.

And it's just miles from a Door Co. park that has beautiful caves with the clearest water!!! We walked around the shores and caves. We hiked and went exploring. And while hiking through a wooded area, we found a Geo box. Right there off the path, a plastic box. I had heard of them, but have never found one. We took nothing, and had nothing to leave but a bobby pin. It was really cool!!!

We camped in the pop-up camper, it rained gently at night, in the morning we Went to the Sevestepol parade!!! What a show!! This tiny little town had a parade that was at least an hour and a half long!!!They had everything from men dressed up as women to camels and horses.

We had a great time!!! And Selamnesh is quite the camper!!! She goes to sleep so well!!! And then we turn on the lights and play cards all night, eating Lauren's famous kick a_s dip!!!! MM mm good!!!