A.J.'s new daddy

this post has been brewing in my brain since the day we passed court.  i'm finally getting around to sharing.  i have to take this chance to brag on my dear husband for a minute.  there are many things i love about jeff, but seeing him in Ethiopia was such a treasured gift.  seeing his compassion and emotion as we faced an onslaught of people begging us to purchase their wares, or simply kids reaching out with pleading eyes and asking "one birr, one birr??", watching him at the orphanage juggling needy children in his arms, giving back scratches and playing silly with them. seeing his generous spirit outside of a shop we'd been in, as he was surrounded by vendors trying to sell to him.  that day he came back to the van with a belt, a necklace and some gum, nothing he went in looking to buy, but all because he couldn't say "no".  finally, seeing him connect with his new son~ well, that was the best.  i told him i loved his heart.  and i do.  for that reason, i think Alemayehu is beyond blessed to carry the name "jeffrey" as his second name.  i can only hope that one day A.J. will have the same compassionate heart of his father.
what a gift to travel this journey with you, jeff!  thanks for enjoying the ride with me...

one more thing, while i'm discussing the name, i think an update is in order.  i owe the masses (haha) of readers that...at this point, "A.J." is in the lead.  we may still use Alemayehu at home, i expect, or Alemaye for short, but overall we want him familiar with A.J. as well.  it is his initials (i saw it on paper for the first time this week when our agency emailed the court documents and birth certificate).  it is official, judgment granted.  the strong dutch name on the end still cracks me up. :) it is an odd fit.  but amazing nonetheless.  anyway, we think A.J. will work well in our Canadian culture and for him in school, etc...less hassle for him with constant correcting of pronunciation, spelling, etc.  my mind is gradually getting used to the change, and we'll be sure to speak often of his full African name as well.  make sense?? hope so...
S.