the couch

one of the things that feels very different since being home from Ethiopia is my new found love for my "so-old-it-is-almost-a-vintage-classic" plaid couch.  really, a simple trip to another country and i'm loving it once again.  just like i did back in 1995 when we unwrapped that beauty back on Hagle Street...it is soft, warm, apparently very stain resistant, of amazing quality (who knew??) and pretty much just like new :).  prior to Africa i'd been scheming up ways that we could replace the couch and matching loveseat.  simply because it is.....ahem.....a touch "dated".  (the picture is for you Carl, because i knew you were so curious. :) come and visit soon and i'll let you sit on it!)

 now, however, i'm content with this relic.  maybe it has something to do with seeing this.

and this....

A.J.'s relatives live here.  that is all the furniture i saw.  what they wouldn't do for a couch like ours....
North American society and culture has a way of stealing one's contentment, and fast.  i pray this contentment lasts. 
S.

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.

Highlights, by Hannah

My first time in Africa, or even on a plane, was not only a vacation but a life changing experience. It was a chance to make new friends who have only a little, it was a time to meet my little brother in person for the first time in my life, and it was a time to see so many different things that you would not see here in Sarnia. I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to have only a couple of clothing items to wear, or to live in an old dirt hut

With most likely no wind or cold protection. The richest of all the kids I met there had a couple of pairs of clothes that got cleaned probably every other day with the running water they were fortunate to have. And that was Solana, the cute bossy girl about age eight. The poorest was probably Genet who is about 5 years old and wore the same shirt at least the days I was there the whole time. She played with my hair in all probably about an hour. Here she is.

A lot of them when I said my name they thought I said Hena so they called me Hena for the rest of the trip.

Here is one of the pictures I took and liked.  This boy's name is Calou.

Here is one more I took of my new brother! 

perspective

it was just one week.  seven fleeting days in Africa.  another continent that seems worlds away from cozy, safe, secure Sarnia.  it wasn't like this was some long-term mission commitment.  no relocating was required.  no change of address.  no major language or cultural training.  no tearful goodbyes or missed holidays with family and friends. no...none of that.  no real sacrifice on my part.  seven days away that felt more like a vacation.  thanks to an amazing group of young Ethiopian children, however, i was given some fast and serious adjustment to my perspective...

maybe it was the tin shanty homes they lived in, with open running sewers outside their doors.  when the soccer ball would fall into the wet sewage the kids would hop in, straddling dry spots to retrieve the ball.  no problem!  if the ball would then be kicked to hannah and touch her pants, one of the dear girls came over to brush off hannah's jeans.  so concerned that this might bother the pale-faced foreigner, but she didn't think twice of holding the same ball with her own hands.

maybe it was the feet scrunched in shoes that were easily two sizes too small, and long toenails and ashen feet from constant dirt and sand beneath them.  no warm soapy bubble baths, but rather basins to spot clean with instead.

maybe it was the runny noses, chest coughs, facial burns from accidents by a cooking fire.  maybe it was the scrapes and cuts.  these kids have a harsh existence and are so tough and resilient. 

maybe it was dirty stained clothes, or the boy adam's age wearing a size 6 girl's top with a ruffle.  he seemed oblivious.  besides, he could do front flips and the splits...maybe it was little mickey (below on the left, flexing) in pink winter boots on a warm day.  maybe it was athletic and charming fikru (above, white hat) who cried when we drove away to the airport.

maybe it was seeing the pure delight as we shared some silly bandz from my fabulous kidjam class.  or the way i'd be standing there and suddenly there would be a little hand grasping mine. 

maybe it was their ability to create fun, day after day on a dusty street. no extracurricular activities~ music lessons, sports teams, etc... no play structures, no trampoline, no green grass, no swimming pool, bikes, etc....just one soccer ball and eachother.  hours of fun. 

maybe it was their infectious smiles or their beautiful determined spirits.  whatever the case, i see things differently here.  my perspective has changed.  i'm glad it has. 
S.

Sunday, October 24th....Out of Africa

we are home....jeff is snoring softly in our own bed again, and i'm sitting here, not sure how it is that i still feel wound and awake.  barely slept since we left on Sunday evening, yet here i sit.  my heart is so full....the flights were great (love Emirates!!!) and uneventful.  we came home to squeeze our kids, and that was wonderful.  missed them lots, and they looked bigger to me than when we left.  must be both grandma's good cooking.  hudson especially looked like he'd grown, and he seemed darker than i'd remembered!  layla and adam seemed fairer than i'd remembered! :)  all three were just as sweet however.

leaving africa was tough.  apart from missing our family, all four of us would have loved to stay longer.  i didn't have any major tears, but more just a heavy feeling of wishing we could start off together now, rather than later...not wanting to leave our little guy behind, and almost feeling guilty to be finishing the wait in the comforts of this amazing country we live in, while he continues on there in Ethiopia.  i know Alemayehu doesn't realize what he's missing, and for that i am grateful, but these children without forever families are lacking so much of the crucial security a family unit provides.  being in a transition home, orphanage, or institution isn't the same as having a family of your own....but this is a whole other post.  i have a hard time biting my tongue when i hear organizations insisting the best place for children is always their country of origin, even if it means growing up through childhood without a forever family to be loved and nurtured by....anyway, off on a little tangent there.....deep breath....

our last visit with Alemayehu was precious.  sunday morning we were picked up by the Imagine driver, a dear man named Solomon (another Solomon, common name i guess) and Hanna (the Imagine nurse).  two lovely people with such an obvious connection and love for the kids at the transition home.  Alemayehu was brought to us in a comfortable sitting room.  he was cautious, and somewhat reserved initially, but after a short time he was giggling again and smiling. 

he allowed us to touch him (so i stole lots of kisses and rubbed his back and head when i could....just wanted to touch him and scoop him up and soak it all in), but was reluctant to let us hold him yet.  we played with him for almost two hours, while the Imagine staff so graciously facilitated this time together.  Hanna (the nurse) initially stayed in the room with us until Alemayehu was comfortable, and then she quietly slipped away to give us family time.  we gave him a soccer ball (from the stash we brought from SEMC donations), some stickers, a battery operated toothbrush and a few other things, but the biggest hit was the soccer ball.  all the stickers went on the ball, he sat on the ball, bounced it to us, rolled it, etc...

Even when jeff was throwing him up in the air (jeff's trademark initiation of our children.  at least A.Z. wasn't a small baby like the others....) the ball was in his hand.  he loved the bubbles as well.  it was so special. 

at one point, near the end, he leaned into me with his arms out, and i didn't miss a beat and picked him up and he sat on my lap for about 10 seconds.  i got a few kisses and was grateful for the moment.  he made good eye contact throughout the visit, and seemed much more engaged with us as well.  all good signs.  hanna told us it was time for his lunch and we needed to say good-bye.  he was getting tired, and started to cry a bit when we left, probably much more a result of fatigue and an empty stomach than anything, but it was still hard to see his sad face.  we left and drove back to the KVI guesthouse, which was strange because i had no idea that we were less than five minutes away from him.  seemed weird, and sad, but okay. 

later that day we fit in one more excursion with the other family we'd traveled with and enjoyed so much.....I'm sooo hoping our second trip coincides with hers and that we can pick up our kids together. 

back at the guesthouse we took part in one last coffee ceremony, a most hospitable Ethiopian tradition, lovingly prepared by the wonderful staff at KVI.  it was memorable and felt very "full circle", as we'd sat on the same couches exactly one week prior when we arrived, full of wonder and anticipation of what we'd experience during our week in Africa...the guesthouse receptionists, cooks, gatekeeper and manager were so gracious and warm to us, and we can't wait to see them again when we return to Ethiopia. 

well, i better get some sleep, or try at least.  somehow i need to transition back into "school mode" tomorrow, and life as we know it here, and i have a feeling some sleep will help with that. 
so thankful for those who prayed for our family.  we sure felt completed "carried" through this step of the journey to Zake.....or Alemayehu, or A.J., or Alex...... :)
we'll keep you posted!
S.

Saturday, October 23rd~ Wolaita

yesterday morning we woke early to make the long journey to Wolaita.  never could we have expected what would transpire there.  we drove for six hours into rural Ethiopia, out of the hustle and bustle of Addis and into a fresh and beautiful countryside that reminded me of scenes from a movie.  as we drove i kept thinking how remarkable this journey was.  to visit the district of Wolaita (i've clarified the spelling, and this seems to be the most common way), A. Z's beginning, was such a privilege...what struck me most about the trip was the number of people that were walking the highway, to and from a market or well, with giant loads of hay, sticks, water, etc...Children everywhere, many walking the road without an adult in sight.  young boys Adam's age attempting to steer 5-6 donkeys in the desired direction.  women with babies slung on their backs, cattle in the middle of the road (our driver was a master driver who could dodge or swerve at a seconds notice).  the highway the entire way to the region of Wolaita was recently paved and in good condition.  long curvy roads up hills and down. 

we travelled with another Imagine family from BC who are adopting a three year old boy.  the drive was long, but so interesting....joelle and hannah were champs, again, and neither needed to hang their head out the window to...well, you know....

we arrived at Kingdom Vision International Wolaita in Sodo, and were greeted by Solomon, a dear Ethiopian man with a heart for children and his country.  he welcomed us with traditional coffee (aka Redbull, which was good because we hadn't had lunch, or much sleep the night prior :) ) and "soda" for the girls.  he spent some time explaining the Ethiopian process, how a child comes into the care of the orphanage, and that there are actually 13 meticulous steps before a child's adoption is completed.  there is great care taken to ensure that the parent/family is proven to have inadequate means to manage the upbringing of a particular child. anyway, that was reassuring and good for us waiting parents back home to remember when we become impatient.  then he asked us if we'd like a tour of the orphanage, or to make a visit to the villages of our boys about 18 km away......more surprises.....we were not expecting this, and hadn't been told that this was, in fact, arranged.  we were so excited and shocked.  of course we were eager to see the village and meet the families of our children, so he said this was fine, but that we needed to change vehicles to handle the roads.  so, we parked the van and loaded into a land cruiser and off we drove.  i tried to imagine what this would be entail, but my imagination fell short....

we got pretty deep onto a red dirt road which was crazy bumpy, and  the driver said we then needed to walk the rest of the way.  it is completely beyond me how the social worker ever found the place twice (once on the initial visit to determine whether Alemayehu's grandmother was indeed in dire need).  jeff later described the journey as being just like the World Vision commercials you see.  he's completely right.  we walked and walked, now on a one-foot wide path that wound around trees and brush and small garden plots.  we had a group of children that had now gathered and were right there walking the path with us.  there are children everywhere in this country.  they were fascinated and so precious.  at the end of the path we arrived at the home of  the grandmother.  she was waiting there, with i'm guessing around 30 other people.  she stood in the middle, and when she saw us she came to greet me.  more hugs, raising of hands, smiles, etc...very touching.  we spoke through the social worker who could translate for us, and she expressed gratitude that we'd come to her home. we saw Alemayehu's sister, and this was emotional as well.  he looks so much like her.  same eyes and dimples.  she clung to her grandma.  we asked a few more questions that we'd missed the day before, and she showed us a picture she had of A.Z's mother.  one small 2x2 black and white photo.  she had it together in a frame with the pictures we'd given her of us the day before.  her home was a wood and mud rectangular shaped building that looked to have been there for a long time.  she showed us inside, exactly where Alemayehu was born. on the ground. no beds, just a few chairs and basins/pots hanging on the wall.  it was dark, with a dirt floor.  yet she was so proud to have us enter and share that moment with her.  we also met her other daughter, Alemayehu's aunt.  we took some more photos, and all the people joined in the picture because they just love having a photo taken to see it on the screen.  some seem so shocked to see what they look like.  safe to say most wouldn't own a mirror.  as we said good-bye and walked away, i asked hannah to pinch me, just to be sure i had really lived those moments.  it was like something out of a dream.  the emotion and beauty and sadness i felt right then was difficult to articulate.  we then did the same thing all over again for the other couple as they met the birth family of their new son.  what a gift.  i cannot say enough about Imagine and KVI for providing this opportunity for bio and adoptive families to connect.  invaluable for our son to have this information some day.

it is good for me to write down some of these details, because i don't want to forget, but i apologize for those that prefer the condensed version.  i also don't have spell check, so sorry if the spelling is less than accurate. tomorrow evening we board a plane and leave Ethiopia.  hard to imagine getting back into our normal routine at home, but we're sooooo excited to see A, L and H.

we have one final visit scheduled with A.Z. at the transition home at 10 am, and we'll be able to give him a photo album and some treasures we brought for him.  we are excited, yet sad to leave him behind. 

one more thing...we found out after court that the passport and other documents will now refer to our son as Alemayehu Jeffrey VanderSlagt.  this has definitely thrown us for a bit of a loop with the whole name decision.  there are many different options being discussed, but we're torn.  so, it may come down to a vote.  opinions welcomed!! there is "Alemayehu", on its own (pronounced Al-e(short e sound)-MI-u), there is "Zake "still (even though that has dropped from his name on paper, there is "A.J". (A.J the second, because Adam will always be A.J the first), and there is "Alex", which we noticed some of the nannies were calling him at the orphanage, and apparently is a common short form to his name....so, you can imagine the opinions and preferences, especially from papa! :) 
oh, and another shot of A.Z....just because! and yes, that is some leftover breakfast in his hair.

"He's yours."

oh. my. heart!!!  how can i possibly describe the events of today before the power cuts out for the THIRD time...we are praising God for the gift of this day.  i'll start at the beginning....

we woke a bit early for our court appointment.  the three families that had court today drove together a short distance to the court building.  we were anxious and emotional right from the start (well, i was at least!)  the judge works only on adoption cases, and we were quickly escorted into a packed room.  birth families and adoptive families all together, for the joint purpose of caring for their children.  we were in the hallway and saw A.Z's grandmother approaching.  a wee women, with a dear face and eyes that convey years of struggle.  the Imagine worker introduced us, saying "this is Alemayehu's grandmother".  we embraced, and she hugged me over and over.  we both cried, and in her native tongue (Wolayta region, not sure what that would be called) she was saying "I'm so happy, I'm so happy".  well needless to say, i was emotional, as was jeff at this point.  it was a beautiful meeting.  she kept raising her hands in the air, shaking her head in disbelief, and expressing gratitude to God.  the court appt. went remarkably fast.  for some reason, all three families were seen right at the beginning.  we all passed.  the judge was a beautiful woman, with a soft spoken way about her.  she asked us several questions and finally spoke the long awaited words, "he's yours"......wow.  i walked out barely holding it together.  we went down the hall, and traveled to the KVI orphanage for a visit with Alemayehu that i was not expecting.  i knew we'd be having a visit with birth family, but didn't know that we'd see him there as well.  there he was in a hot pink sleeper, sitting with his grandmother.  she again started speaking quickly, and i sat by her with my arm around her.  i gave her the card and photos we'd brought.  we played with A.Z together.  she couldn't stop kissing him.  like over and over, cheeks, lips, etc...she so clearly loves him.  what a gift....every time our girls or jeff would interact with him, she'd start speaking again and raising her hands in the air.  she was so pleased....he was giggling and sweet again, and he showed us a bit of another side that we're sure will give us a run for our money.  yep, Layla and Hudson may be good prep for this kid....he will hold his own quite nicely, we think.  seeing the orphanage life, it is clear he has learned this. a necessary method of survival. the children are so needy.  so precious.  jeff was giving them back rubs and finally just had two in his arms, because the one was pulling the foot of the other, trying to get him down so she could have a turn.  it is heart breaking.

anyway, the details of the visit with grandmother will forever be etched in our minds. i will keep those details to ourselves for now, until Alemayehu grows and decides whether he wishes to share.   we did have two translators, and were able to ask many questions, and she was able to do the same to us.  it was intimate, and overwhelming, and a gift that i am unable to fully explain. then we had a time of photos, together with her and our new son!!  today he moves to the transition home. that is hard for us to think about but necessary too.  we will have another visit with him there on Saturday when we'll be one-on-one and can give the gifts we brought for him. i better go before the computer crashes.  i'm going to try to attach a picture that joelle captured today.  award winning, in my opinion :)

more soon we hope.  thanks for praying...

love to all,

S.

 

 

the view by joelle

hello again!

today we went on a "journey"

we went up a mountain and looked at some old churches, i think they were catholic churches. there was a museum too and we got to look at some Ethiopian history. 

we saw many women going down the mountain carrying (apparently 3 times their weight) of eucalyptus leaves and branches. it looked like hard work! we saw donkeys carrying it too. 

we went to the market, and bought a few little things. EVERYBODY was like, "buy this buy this!"

we also went to a restaurant! the food tasted NORMAL i was so happy. i had lasagna and orange juice  then we went to a museum right across the road from the restaurant . have you guys ever heard of Lucy? well, she is supposedly the oldest human skeleton ever found. she was found in Ethiopia. But right now, she is on "tour" in Texas, so we only got to see the replica, but it was still cool. 

yesterday was fun. there are a group of 5 or 6 children that live beside our guest house in little shacks with roofs of tin. they came out, and i had pumped up a soccer ball the day before, so Hannah brought it out and they started playing. they were having so much fun. so i brought out my camera, and was taking a few pictures, and they kept saying, "photo! photo" and posing for the camera. so i took so many pictures of them. there is (i'm just typing the names as they pronounced them to me) Solana, a young girl 6 or 7, who spoke pretty good English, when we said words to her, Regeeke, a girl 12 years old, who LOVES Hannah or "Hana" the way she pronounces it, Mickey, 5 or 6 years old, who is Regeeke's younger brother. he loves funny faces on the camera, Salam, a young girl who is 9, and Fer- something, a 12 year old boy who is really good at soccer tricks and doing the soccer tricks with flips and stuff. he is Solana's brother. 

so, yesterday, we were talking to them and playing with them. Hannah had 3 hair bands on her wrist, and Regeeke, Salam, and Solana saw them on her wrist and were looking at them. Hannah gave them one, and they were so excited, talking about them in Amharic and admiring them. it was so cute. today, we are gonna bring out a pack of 18 silly bands, if they're there of course. i think they will love them.

then i was showing them the pictures on my camera, and they were looking at the pictures of Niagara Falls, and i told them "this is Canada" and they thought it was so beautiful. they were laughing at the pictures of Whitney's funny pictures (sorry whit ) and other pictures too. they kept saying "wow" at all the pictures. then we had to go because it was dark. 

tomorrow's the court date, so we'll see how that goes.

talk to you soon!

Joelle :)

Mountain, Museum, and Children

today has been full, and wonderful.  a full day excursion up mountain Entoto.  our ears were popping, and the sights were breathtaking.  the air was fresh, so unlike the air in the heart of Addis.  the combination of diesel fumes and smoke from small cooking fires in the city can be a bit overwhelming.  the mountain air, however, was fresh with the smell of eucalyptus trees all around.  the people are amazing.  women, many older, carrying HUGE (like very HUGE!) bundles of wood branches and leaves on their backs.  Donkeys being herded with giant loads of the same.  women with babies and small children.  with every outing there is more to see.  so many people, going who knows where.....many of the Ethiopian people are so drawn to us because of our skin colour.  their opinion of us, based solely on our skin colour, is obvious.  many have expectations.  it is sad.  Christine and I (another adoptive mom) have struggled to process all of this.  there is so much desperation here....we attempted to shop some at a market today, but cut it short based on the "shopping assistants"  that latched on to us.  they are desperate for a sale, and seem so distraught when you say no.  then they approach your van, some with such obvious needs.  it is sometimes difficult to decipher between what is real and what is not, what is truth and what is not.  so, we will attempt to experience some more of a market tomorrow afternoon, this time with a guide.  one dear little boy about Adam's age (who reminded me of a brown version of my brother Tim at that age, the mischievous grin included) ran with our van as we left the scarf weaving place and all the way to the market.  he just kept smiling at us.  i gave him some fruit snacks when we left.  i saw some older boys approach him to check out what he'd received, and i made sure they didn't take them from him.  anyway, then we went to some historical churches and the national museum.  so interesting, and the Ethiopian culture, religious reverence, and history is fascinating.  

might attempt to load a picture....no promises! :)  

love to all.  

S.

Hi everyone back home!  sitting here in the cafe again.  trying to quickly summarize my thoughts is no easy task.  so much to tell, so much to process.  jeff, hannah and joelle are sitting nearby on a balcony.  this is quite a nice bakery/cafe that is very busy and popular with locals.  we were lucky to get a spot at a computer at all.  Elias, our driver has gone to drop off two families at the airport, leaving with their children.  one family from Manitoba, the other from Windsor!  Nice connections....

well, this morning i think will rank high on my list of trip highlights.  next to meeting A.Z, of course....have i mentioned how sweet he is????  we traveled a ways to an amazing oasis in a place that lacks so much calm.  it is the hamlin fistula hospital.  perhaps some of you have heard of the book "Hospital by the River" or seen a documentary on it.  worth "googling" for sure....wow, this place was amazing.  we had a tour by a sweet tour guide, and learned about this facility that is offering hope to many of ethiopia's wounded.  it is a complete holistic approach, and they are so much about providing healing to these women who have been cast aside by society around them.  fistulas are extremely common due to prolonged labour and other factors, but this hospital is offering surgery free of charge.  pre and post natal care, basic life skills training, emotional intervention for the years of grief and trauma they've faced as they've dealt with the social implications of living with a fistula, and often the still birth of their children.  anyway, i could go on and on... the grounds were so beautiful.  off a dirt road with so little greenery was this tranquil place with lush tropical flowers and grass and vines.  you could smell the fresh flowers, quite a contrast to the ethiopian streets.  we saw a woman who had just had a second delivery (i assume she lost the first) by c-section and the baby was swaddled tightly on the bed.  she has been given hope and a future through the wonder of this place.  apparently the founder is now 86 years old, a woman from Australia.  she still operates once a week, all without eyeglasses.  yikes...talk about investing in a country for the long-term....love that.  anyway, the ride to and from the hospital was equally intriguing.  wait till i show joe the pics of the scaffolding they use here.  oh my.  hannah has lost track of the number of men we've seen peeing on the streets.  there are incredibly sad cases of orthopedic injuries and swollen limbs, these people often resorting to begging on the street. likely injuries and conditions so treatable in canada.  one young women approached our van on a busy street, asking the Canadian woman in front of me if she would please take her baby.  she was wearing a small baby on her back, and her eyes lacked such hope....this has been amazing, and given us four such insight into Zake's birth country already.  tomorrow we are planning an excursion with another family.  perhaps a hike up a mountain that some are recommending.  we cannot wait until court on Thursday, to hopefully make this official.  we are hoping and praying we pass first time, because we'd be so disappointed if we weren't able to see Zake on Saturday.  he is so darling, and Adam, Layla and Hudson are going to be as smitten as we already are....

love to all back home.  hugs to our dear kids.  we truly miss you three.  we speak of you often and imagine what you would say about things here.  will try to update again tomorrow, but if not, then definitely on Thursday after court....

S.

Addis and Zake!!

Oh my, internet is a problem...however, i have a few minutes and am at a cafe under Joelle's email.

we arrived yesterday with no problems.  smooth flight.  great guesthouse that is safe and clean.  super kind staff.  sleep is off a bit, but we'll adjust.  Ethiopia is amazing, such beauty and promise, and contrasting it with Dubai is a lot to process.  why is equality so hard to achieve??  well...on to the good stuff.  today i played "peek a boo" with my newest son.  he is darling, with sweet dimples and playful giggles.  we spent 1/2 hour with A.Z and all the children he rooms with between 1-3 years of age.  much like GLA, they all clamour for love, attention and affection.  we interacted with all of them and Joelle quickly had Zake giggling.  we're off a bit on his name pronunciation, so i'm not sure if that will change our name decisions any.  haven't had a chance to discuss it yet.  this was only an hour ago....A.Z. looks well, and he is definitely sweet and smiley.  can't wait to know more of him.  we brought 1/3 of our donations and they were welcomed and needed.  we gave each child a candy (the staff brought out the hard choking kind), but said they were used to it.  (would have scared the grandmas!) so we left them with sticky hands and faces.  we had many hugs and jeff high-fived his new son.  ok, almost crying again....what a gift this is, words fail me....so, i don't want to hold up our driver any longer.  thanks for reading and praying for us here.  all is well.  sorry we couldn't update sooner.  not sure when we will again.  love to all....
Shana (for Hannah, Joelle and Jeff)

A Taste of Dubai

Wow....we're here in Dubai.  It is 12:30 am. The flight was uneventful and smooth.  The girls were delightful, and super easy.  How could they not be, considering the unlimited screen time with games, music and movies all to themselves?? The weather is hot and humid, and so beautiful tonight.  Loving the palm trees and the bath-like temperature of the Gulf...We've just spent a wonderful evening with Dave and Sandra Archer and their three sweeties. They met us at the hotel and Dave found a wonderful tour guide to give us a snapshot of Dubai in about three hours. Such a massive display of wealth and creativity in the buildings and designs. Over the top, but so neat to see...It was great to connect with friends, and now we hope to fall into bed for around five hours before we embark on leg two of the journey! Addis Ababa, here we come....What a contrast that will be...Miss you A, L, and H....hugs and love to our family and friends as well.

Leavin' on a jet plane....

Yep, I've always loved that song.  Whether it's by Peter Paul and Mary (I say it with pride Mom and Dad, don't you worry.  Remember that cassette??) Jewel, or Chantal Kreviazuk, there is something about that song that stirs me every time.  Sitting here tonight, adding final items to our luggage, and listening to the soulful lyrics with this sentimental side of me welling up.  While I'm not leaving behind a man who I'm crazy in love with and won't see for a time (he's coming!), I am leaving three of my little cherubs, and this is always hard to do.  I know they will be having a blast, because that's what grandparents do best, but still....this is our longest stretch away from them.  On the other hand, we have this incredible feeling of expectation.  In just a few short days we will lay eyes on the child we've been waiting over two years to meet!  On top of that, we are about to experience a little bit of Africa....AFRICA!!!!  To spend a week in A.Z's birth country is the ultimate privilege.  We truly want to soak it all in....the climate, the people, the culture, the cuisine (hope I'm saying this in a few days....ahem....), the beauty, the poverty, the joys and the pain.  Ethiopia has already changed us, and we have little doubt that more transformation is inevitable, and necessary. 

So, yes, "my bags are packed, I'm ready to go".....(I know you'll be singing this in your head by the end of the post). We're pretty much set and all the details seem to be coming together.  Just the other day I was sharing with someone how blessed we feel.  So many things~ too many to share, but endless ways leading up to this trip that we've seen our needs met.  We are not seasoned travellers (shocking, I know) and at just the right time I'd connect with someone who had information that was most helpful as we planned this adventure.  From flights, to accommodations in Eth., to in-country tips and insight, what to expect during the court proceedings, etc....Not the mention the help I've received setting up this very blog (you know who you are!).  This may sound trivial or coincidental to some, but I've seen this happen way too many times in my life to feel anything but gratitude that God cares so much about the small details of our lives.  So, with that profound knowledge, we leave with great anticipation and peace.  Can't wait to see what the future holds!
We're hoping that the internet cooperates so we have a way to update everyone at home. The support of our awesome family, friends and amazing church family has been invaluable, so we'll do our best to keep you "in the know"...
Lots of love...S.
One more thing~ rest easy and search no more, because I think I may have successfully linked here to C. Kreviazuk's version of the above mentioned song, purely for your listening pleasure!!  Enjoy!! (D and PD, are you impressed?? :) )

Medical Request

I received some surprise news today from our adoption agency that I wasn't expecting quite yet!  For any of you that have paid even the slightest attention to this 28 month journey (not that I'm actually counting...I mean, who would do that??), you know that surprise news before it is expected almost never happens....So, when Val from Imagine called me today to let me know that A.Z's immigration medical had been requested, this was really good news.  To spare you all the details, this basically means that another part of the visa process is underway.  Each child coming to Canada must have a medical done by Canadian Immigration before being considered for a visa.  So, I'm told our son's medical has been requested and will be done in the next few days, if not done already.  This information, as well as the court decision/documents after we pass court (October 21st) will then be sent to the Canadian High Commission in Nairobi where we'll wait to have the visa processed to FINALLY BRING HIM HOME!!  So, the medical is just another piece of the complex puzzle of this adoption.  But hey, every piece is worth celebrating!

To Ethiopia, with Love

Seriously, I have the very best KidJam class at my church. A very fun and lively (translated: chatty :) ) grade 5/6 class of approximately ten kids. For the past four weeks they have been gathering donations for us to take to the children of Ethiopia. We will be visiting three different orphanages while there, and I can almost picture the excited little faces of the wee ones receiving these treasures. New flip flops, crocs, toothbrushes, toys, bubbles, socks, clothes and candy. Can't wait to dish out these treasures!! Thanks so much class! I love each one of you, and can't wait to share pictures and stories with you when we return.