yonas update

remember Yonas?  i first mentioned him here and in several follow-up posts as well.  since January we've been inquiring about sponsorship of this boy.  he was 13 at the time.  he wants to grow up to be a doctor.  Yonas is fully aware that to dream big for one's future in his circumstances is wishful thinking at best. more pressing issues, like sur-viv-ing, cloud his dreams anyway.  at a most basic level he also wishes for breakfast, or maybe even transportation to school so he doesn't have to walk several hours one way for his education.  he probably also hopes that maybe his friend will share a bit of his family's food at lunch time.  he wishes he didn't have headaches so often.  he wishes he had a forever family to call his own. he'd also admit that deep in his heart he also wishes for love and affection.  to belong and be cherished.  to feel overflowing joy and hope simply because he is alive and just at the brink of discovering his potential in life.  we've prayed for Yonas for many months, and so have many of you.  the progress has been painfully slow, and the updates sporadic.  but he is not forgotten.
yesterday we received some more news.  the government has granted permission for Yonas to be sponsored where he is at currently.  the paperwork has been issued.  however, they have not yet given permission to KVI to take custody and seek a permanent placement for Yonas.  the Ethiopian government continues to have very tight regulations and limitations on who is deemed "adoptable".  in my opinion, some of this is in the best interest of the children, and some of it is not.  the large movement opposing international adoption has taken a toll.  children are being affected.  but that's getting off topic. 
for Yonas, we are going to be sending funds to help assist his guardians while Yonas lives with them.  this will help with school supplies, transportation costs, food, medical care, clothes, etc...we are told we'll receive regular updates.  and i've now learned that "regular" in Ethiopia is very different than "regular" here! :) i hope to be able to send letters to him and perhaps even pictures.  this leads me to my point...
some of you have asked about helping Yonas.  if you would love to be his sponsor as well, we will pool the funds and wire it directly to KVI, designating a monthly allowance for sponsorship that we'll send in lump sums, once or twice a year, i'm thinking.  hopefully we can also write letters and send photos~ all of us!  KVI's sponsorship programme is brand new, and we aren't exactly sure how it will "look" yet.  However, Eyob agrees that sponsorship of Yonas is necessary right now because of his many needs, and that the he will continue to actively pursue admission to KVI for Yonas' safety and stability. 
my prayer is that Yonas will "feel the love" from across the world.  that even though his situation is bleak and he's sort of "going it alone" in that far off place, that he'll feel held in the protective arms of his Creator, loved by strangers and maybe even hopeful for the first time in a long while.   if this interests you, please message me or comment and i'll be in touch.

canadian, eh?

say hello to our little Canadian citizen! 

it is official.  the card and certificate arrived in the mail yesterday, and Mr. AJ is now a Canadian.  wish he could hold dual citizenship, but he can't.  so while i feel great joy and relief to welcome my son as an official citizen of this amazing country, i vow to always remember and speak of the equally amazing country of his birth.  his native land.  his place of origin and cultural heritage.  i hope and pray he will have a future that includes giving back to Ethiopia in a sort of "full circle" kind of way.  to satisfy any of his heart's desires and unanswered questions as well as provide something of himself to better a nation.  that's my prayer. 
time to teach him the anthem, i think!

court date

i promise to refrain from constantly mentioning momentous anniversaries in our adoption journey. forgive me for doing so twice this week. but man oh man, this was a huge one!!! one year ago today we heard the words "he's yours". a surreal moment in time that feels like yesterday. the elegant, soft-spoken judge looked up from her paper, smiled and said those two words that momentarily seemed to freeze time. it was like the weight of the previous two years (and four months, but whatever) was lifted, and the stress dispersed like a mid morning fog or like rain hitting a windshield or like............ok, as usual~ you get the idea. sometimes it's just fun to pretend i'm this ultra creative and captivating blogger whose readers hang on every written word. now, where was i? oh yes, a courtroom (that really was not your average courtroom, but just a regular room with a desk or two) in Addis ...upon receiving the best possible news we loaded back in the van and made the short journey to the orphanage where our newest son waited for us wearing vibrant fuchsia. the colour of that sleeper was a perfect match to our mood!

little boys and socks

this morning AJ was getting dressed for school in the kitchen while i went about setting the table for breakfast.  he loves to have everything done for him and sometimes i just love to do it, cuz i waited so long, afterall!!!  however, i've been trying to teach him the basics of pulling on underwear, t-shirts, pants, etc..sometimes he'll get whiny and say "i can't try it"...he knows i expect that he at least try, and then often i'll dive in to assist if the underwear are backwards or the t-shirt is stuck.  today, it was his socks.  i was watching and encouraging while setting out cereal boxes, saying something like "AJ, i want you to just try it.  you're four now and it's okay to try it by yourself (see the emphasis on just trying)."  with the most serious face of desperation and those big brown eyes looking up at me while the socks were scrunched in his hands he said "no mom, little boys can't try it, they can't!"  such an passionate plea, i was down on the floor wiggling those socks on after all, while he grinned at me.  he's a smart one.

a year ago...

it's on my mind this week.  lots.  last year, on this exact day, we met our son.  he was still Zake to us at that time.  we entered the room full of toddlers.  some were in cribs, some on the floor, some walking around us.  Joelle spotted him first.  he was wearing a blue/teal shirt and some denim shorts.  his dimples were such a welcomed surprise.  (his original referral picture was pretty serious~ missing the characteristic mischief and spark we now know and love).  as we played on the floor and he skirted around us, waiting to be grabbed or tagged on his way by, we watched the first little bits of his personality unfold before us.  we were smitten, every one of us.  all the while many other sweet kids clung to our bodies as we juggled the obvious needs of many versus the desire to take in every second with one.  so surreal.  i blogged about it here and i'm so glad i did.  pictures weren't allowed that day as AJ was not yet legally our son.  plus, the privacy of the other children was considered as well.  i'm off to get some laundry folded (think small mountain), yet in this instant i'm enjoying the memory of October 18th, 2010.  forever grateful...thanks God!

this moves me

is it possible to recommend a book even before reading it?  i have been following the blog of Katie Davis for a long time now.  she doesn't blog daily, or even weekly, because she is a little busy raising over a dozen children, but when she does it is always profound.  the story of her life moves me soooo deeply, and often i'll be reading her words with tears streaming down my face.  her faith inspires me.  her trust shocks me.  her sacrifice humbles me.  her love for orphans excites me.  her journey makes me want to stretch myself.  to love unconditionally.  to care less about stuff and more about people.  to follow Christ with more resolve than the day before.  she is truly the hands and feet of Jesus to so many desperate ones in Uganda, day in and day out...well, her story is now in print and i couldn't be more excited to read it!  (once you click on the second link above, scroll down a bit and watch the short video where she shares a bit of her story) i will be ordering at least a few copies, and i can't think of a better purchase with Christmas coming and all of us needing a reminder of the BEST gift ever~ God's Son.  i truly pray that many lives will be forever changed as they read her story~ that we'll all be more "checked in" to the needs around us.  so many hurt.  so many are hungry.  so many are lonely.  so many suffer.  so many are lost.  so many are fatherless.  not to be a downer, cuz i really just prefer the days this blog leaves you all warm and fuzzy :), but the reality is that we have it SOOOOO good in North America.  can't we all use the wake up call?  hope you'll read too, and be inspired...if you do~ please share with me!  i'd love to hear...

summer catch up~ part 2

as i mentioned before, summer 2011 was full, full, full.  once home from our cottage trip we rolled right into five (yes, you read that right) of our children celebrating birthdays in a 1.5 month span.  throw in a "gotcha day" celebration as well when we remember Hudson's homecoming from Haiti.  so, yah...lots of celebrating happens as we speed right up to the end of summer vacation.  AJ's birthday is the last of the five that are closely bunched, and he turned four this year!  before AJ's birthday, however, he had a momentous few weeks of starting junior kindergarten (JK).

walking in, first day.  hudson was so excited to bring his little brother in...

there was much discussion about the decision of starting him at all, and eventually Jeff and I agreed that the best scenario for him would probably be to try him at half-days (instead of full), every other day to start.  we decided to trial it for the first while and were prepared to pull out if necessary.  well...one and half months into school and it seems like it's been a really good decision, so far at least...AJ loves going, and asks most mornings if this is his day to go.  he loves the time there with his classmates and teachers, and also painting, playing and recess.  he doesn't love printing and worksheets, but even there some improvement has been noted.  he actually colours, and is starting to print his name (good thing it's only two letters...we aren't teaching him his full African name just yet :)).  he's pretty short in stature compared to most of his classmates, but he is articulate and grasping the basic schedule and expectation of the JK classroom.

this past month we also took a family day trip to TO to attend a Jays game.  baseball at the ballpark, on a Saturday afternoon, with sun and treats and wide-eyed togetherness.....bliss.  last time we attended a game we were there with a dear Dutch relative (hi Meindert! come back!) many years ago.  it was great to go again, and to see it this time through the eyes of our children.  the whole bit of it....riding the subway, people watching, the busyness and diversity of the city, the Rogers Centre, Yorkdale mall....plus, imagine AJ's surprise when he saw his picture on the jumbo screen between innings, naming him as one of the three Junior Jays stars....

so.much.fun.  happy to have that memory with our kids and time together too.

and lastly, AJ's birthday~ and he was here!!!  what a special occasion it was.  very near to the forefront of my mind that day was all he must have experienced in his first few years of life.  the questions, the sadness, the loss.  yet, so very thankful that we were together and able to love him and squeeze him and enjoy his presence...unfortunately for AJ, his birthday also fell on the day he was scheduled to see a specialist in London.  so, off we went in the rain on another road trip, which i actually think he quite enjoys.  he's such a happy traveller, and we both seem to love the peaceful drive together, just hangin' while we drive.  the appointment went well, and the doctor was sweet.  she feels he is doing very well.  too bad she ordered bloodwork before we left because that is never fun, let alone on your birthday.  again, he was very brave.  the two techs felt so bad about causing the child pain on his birthday that they appeared with not just a sticker, but a Phineas and Ferb activity set which AJ proudly carried out of the hospital, looking as though he almost felt the pain had been worth the prize.  he carried that box the whole way home, never letting go, even when he drifted off to sleep. 

what a trooper.  once back home we shifted into party mode.  the evening was really special~ a construction site cake, cousins, grandparents, a scooter, and a tent. 

he seemed so pleased (although maybe a touch disappointed in my vocal performance during a rendition of "Happy Birthday"...isn't that what his face seems to be suggesting??  i'm offended....) and it was quite indescribable to tuck him into bed and snuggle my four year old gift...such a treasure.

summer catch-up~ part 1

yes, as promised, i'm back for a wee while to "catch-up" a bit.  someday my littlest boy is going to sit and read this (oh yesss he better) and i fear he'll wonder just what happened during the summer of 2011.  it was such a whirlwind that i've needed the past month to regroup! 
July included swimming lessons for two weeks and the first ever cottage trip for AJ.  swimming lessons were a hoot.  AJ definitely mastered "the bob", and was pretty fearless overall.  you'd think in the Salamander level he'd be an easy pass.  after all, he loved going under and didn't think twice about full face and head submersion.  the problem was, he spent so much time under water that i think he missed some of the basic instructions on all the other "requirements" to conquering Salamander.  apparently his "cute factor" and permanent grin (with dimples) didn't cut it either.  ahem.....but hey, who needs a certificate anyway.  a few more weeks in the VanderSlagt pool and AJ was showing great progress on his kicking and underwater swimming.  and lo and behold, by summer's end he was swimming completely on his own, without the aid of any flotation devices!  check out the video proof below.  one of these times i'll remember to stop talking while recording to avoid the highly annoying commentary, but suffer through it to see my dear son and his obvious love of swimming! 

pretty impressive, if i do say so myself!  next year we're on to Sunfish~ and he'll show those instructors what he's made of!!! :)
the day after swimming lessons were completed we were off on our annual trip to Bala for some cottage country enjoyment.  AJ was right into it.  tubing, cousins, Aunt Beth and Uncle Joe, Grandma Mary, Grandpa Joe, swimming, turtles, sand play, boat rides, ski shows, paddle boats, knee boarding (with Joelle), and yummy cottage meals...what's not to love for a three year old??

above, two brothers watching the skiers, in awe....(must have been cool cousin Luke barefooting...yep, he did)

first boat ride ever~ doesn't the smile say it all??

tubing, with apprehension at first, which quickly disappeared as he started giving hand signals shortly after.  a three year old telling us to hit rollers and go faster, even though he had no clue what he was asking for! guess it seemed like the thing to do...

front row seats at the ski show.

nothing to do with AJ, but seriously, doesn't this dock spider induce instant terror??  yah, me too...

it really was so special to finally have AJ there with us.  the previous year in Bala we had just received our referral, and his picture came along with us as we dreamed of the day he'd be there in the flesh.  well, 2011 was the year, and it felt sooo right...well, right until our tire blew on highway 400 the day we returned home.  that didn't feel so right, but thankfully my quick identification of the problem (translation~ me in a raised voice saying "that's not the muffler Jeff, that's our tire, that's our tire, that's our TIRE", as i watched the smoke and flapping rubber in the side mirror while listening to the grating noise of our van (loaded with eight well fed people and pulling a trailer loaded with our stuff ) riding on just the wheel rim.  yah, that was fun...thankfully, all were safe and we were fixed up and back on the road again in a reasonable amount of time.  but enough about our treasured van....

August and September also included some special memories worth noting, but it will have to wait until another day.  i'm easing back into this blog thing slowly, remember? :)  see you soon!