Our Ethiopian Journey

Kidney Stones

2009-04-17T22:53:00.000-07:00

Actually, just one, but it is fairly good sized. He has pain every few weeks for a couple hours....and the ultrasound shows it is higher up and not going anywhere. He is on some medicine now, and goes back next week for another ultrasound. Next, they will bring up some "tapping" machine from Portland....and try that method. The 3rd option is somewhat....ehem....evasive. I will leave out the details! Here is an article that recently came out on kids with kidney stones, but bottom line, Sami is not big on fluids....so I think that contributed to it. Another factor is black tea.....how much tea do you think he drank in Ethiopia? ;) I am so thankful for health insurance and being close to Children's Hopsital! They are amazing.

"Koro-Ko"

2009-04-17T22:21:00.000-07:00

One afternoon we went to our friend's house in Addis. We were able to meet their uncle, who used to work for the U.N. in Addis. He had a very interesting life story, and his wife had worked in the Haile Selassie govt. Their house, which they had just completed, (that we were sitting in) was taken over by the Derg in the 70's and they finally got it back 20 years later. It was an amazing house, and had an outfoor garden in the middle. The gov't had let different gas company execs use it over that 20 year period. He said, each family from around the world (a 4 year stay) would completely redo the house to thier liking, so it was very will kept up!

As we were there, he remembered a song he was taught as a child by some Canadian school kids (in the 40's??) Anyway, Tsion ran with it, and always has so much respect for grandparents. It was so cute! He loved remembering it and reciting it with her. Here they are! :))

Ethiopia Take 1

2009-04-15T23:47:00.000-07:00

I am not going to document the trip by day, but will chose a few different highlights of our trip. As usual, being in Africa, is was a fly by the seat of your pants trip! :) We visited Sami's family in the first couple days, anxious to see the new baby. Sami's step-mom made it perfectly clear by her body language, that I was not taking this baby to America! (phew!) I only held her a couple times. We were happy to see she appeared healthy and well fed.

As culturally conscious I am in Ethiopia, we "surprised" their family on our first visit. They knew we were coming at some point, just not that day. Just an FYI.....I do not think "surprises" are as fun there as they are in America. :) We scared their step-mom to death as she was doing laundry, and within 5 minutes, the extended family was there thanks to a phone call. Someone ran and got their cousin Helen from school, and she ran all the way home, thinking there was an emergency. Poor girl!

I was shocked to see Euyrus sleeping in this beautiful crib, with a mosquito net. It had been given to Sami and Tsion parents from an Israeli family that their Dad had worked for. I just realized, it must have originally been for Tsion.....we brought the dolls. :))

This cracks me up, their grandma hugging Tsion, she is searching for a way out! :)

Very proud gma, and all Sami's friends thought he was so FAT!!! Such a compliment there.

S and T's Dad's new baby. Helen raised Tsion after her Mom died, she is their 16 yo cousin.

Tsion LOVES LOVES LOVES Helen.

Step-Mom, Woolala (yes, how it sounds!), and baby Euyrus. Gotta love Mary in the background!

Baseball Season Kicks Off......

2009-04-15T23:12:00.000-07:00

We were fortunate enough to get all 3 boys on one team. Makes life a bit easier in our house.....except everyone has to have their own pants, cups and socks ready....and no borrowing! I had to buy 3 pairs of baseball pants. It is almost like having triplets! They have the same pants, same size....but fits all 3 boys completly different. Sami, making sure his never get mixed up, had me label his with his name.

Tsion is also playing, due to a family member "cap" on cost. She plays for free! Cannot beat that. :)) This first game, she informed us that we were no cheering loud enough for her.....so we are working on that. The fact that she is one of the only kids who can actually run the bases is a plus. These Ethio kids have ta lot of athletic ability, they seem to excel at everything. And since I have no biological connection to their abiility, I do not feel bad bragging!
A couple pix from the first week.....

Has yet to pick any flowers in the outfield, she is always ready in her "athletic stance."

T.P.

2009-04-15T22:50:00.000-07:00

This week we had the funniest thing happen (so far, funny....the problem has not been solved, it could turn not funny fast!)

The cardboard TP roll "somehow" was in the toilet and partially flushed. This is a larger problem at our house due the the septic system. (We cannot even used cheapER t.p. due to the septic.) Course, no one fessed up until late into the night, and it was Tsion. Accident you think?? No, she had no "soft" to wipe with so she used the cardboard!!! Nice.

Then, one of the boys said "Well, I just used the Lysol wipes cuz we were out of tp."

Really? Lysol wipes?

So Tsion, after being here for 2 years and 3 months, still keeps blanking on the word toilet paper. And my eldest really likes to rub it in. This is the conversation I witnessed today between a loving brother who rarely teases his sister.

Tsion: (hollering from the bathroom) "Zach, bring me a RAG!" So, being the helpful brother he is, he brought her a rag. "No, no, you know what I mean, "paper towels!'" So, Zach comes out, "Mom, throw me the paper towels". At this point I am about rolling on the floor laughing. Tsion is getting ticked...."you KNOW what I mean." Zach played it for while, and finally gave in. Poor girl. Things should get very interesting in the next 5-8 years around here! ;)

Happy St. Patty's Day!

2009-03-16T22:04:00.000-07:00

I found these Green bagels at the Market today! Yum :)

Yes, we are Alive!!

2009-03-16T21:32:00.000-07:00

I promise, I did have good intentions on updating about our trip. I had frantically called my sweet sis-in-law from the airport, so I could post to wordpress from Addis. Even with a computer and internet in our guest house (Addis Kidane Guest House, it was great!) the snails pace dial up barely let us check our e-mail.

We had a great trip, and if you want to be facebook friends :) you can see a good portion of our photos. I will choose some highlights in the near future (haha!) and tell about a couple fun things we came across. And to be a bit honest, after spending 6 weeks in Addis in the last 2 years, I am pretty burned out by what I have experienced and seen....which is another reason I have not blogged. As I look back now, the frustrating experiences are fading and I am remembering the good things!

Since we have been back, we have:

*taken my ET son Sami from school
*Sami has a possible Kidney Stone? TBD at Children's Hospital next month.
*went to Silver Mtn. in Idaho on a YL ski trip, not to ski but to play at their amazing water park!! And btw, it is a gorgeous resort!
*3 kids in indoor soccer
*4 kids starting baseball, luckily 3 are on the same team!
*went from homeschooling 1 kid in the fall, to hsing 2.5 this spring.
*working my butt off at the gym, gone from running 1 mile to 7 miles in 2 months.
*Lance will be on reduced salary after this month (I know, join the club!) Pray for fundraising!
*I got "reading glasses" Guess that comes with being 38. I was told to wear them only when I was reading or on the computer "working" for an extended period of time. I asked if blogging and facebook counted?? ;)
*We will celebrate our 14th Anniversary this Wednesday.
*Leaving to visit family in SoCal on Saturday.

I will post some pics, and hopefully i will blogging poolside next week. :)

2008-12-14T07:47:00.000-08:00

Hello all.

This is Ilka, Karleen's sister-in-law, updating their blog. The Klopps are probably in the air on their way to Ethiopia right now! Anyway, they are not able to use blogger over there, so Karleen set up a wordpress account, that they will hopefully be able to use to update us during their trip. Use the address below to go to that page.

kloppfamily6.wordpress.com.

Need a Gift Idea?

2008-12-05T22:54:00.000-08:00

Rent this!

2008-12-04T22:48:00.000-08:00

Angels in the Dust. You can find it on Netflix. It was eye-opening in many ways, and an amazing story. You can read more about it at Dream Out Loud.

Updated Pictures

2008-12-04T21:04:00.000-08:00

Proof that we are still alive and well! ;)

Thanks Josh, nice bunny ears!

A nice blustery day at Edmonds beach!

Lance's Grandma, Happy 90th!

My and my grandpa, happy 85th!

Life Goes On....

2008-12-02T21:52:00.000-08:00

In the midst of utter chaos! We leave in 11 days. Newsworthy items:

*We have over 300 pair of NEW shoes donated and and at least another 100 gently used pairs to bring. We have purchased shoes in Addis (in large quantities) twice in the last year and the quality is not great. We decided this trip to make shoes our priority. We are starting to pack orphanage items tomorrow night as a team.

*All 6 of us visited the Travel Nurse last week. She had a spreadsheet ready! We had a 3 hour block of time scheduled, and luckily made it out sooner.

We all got the Flu "mist" (50 percent more effective that the shot last year). Sami and Tsion caught up on a couple vaccines. Our typhoid shot (good for 2 years) expired, so Lance, Zach, Josh and I all got the Typhoid pill....which lasts 5 years. The negative is you have to take 4 pills every other day, on an empty stomach. (Which means 2 hours empty, then one hour till food) A pain in the rear especially on Thanksgiving!

We walked out with a prescription for Malaria pills (we will be in Nazret for 4 days, although we only saw one mosquito last year we will take it), an anti-diarreahal (a good thing to have!) and Ambian for Lance and I.....although I may rethink that later....just Kiddin!!! And...no, I have not picked them up yet, and I will probably have to pick up an anti-anxiety pill first, cuz I am sure it is well over $500. Yikes!

*We celebrated Lance's grandmas 90th birthday last week!

*Lance's Mom received her Doctorate 2 weeks ago.

*Tsion was listening as I asked Lance to do something, and he didn't hear me. She looked at me and said. "Mom, sometimes Husbands don't do what you tell them. But you still have to love them because we are a family." Speaking of which.......

*Lance and I got a free night at the Red Lion, and spent a relaxing couple days in Seattle last weekend.

*We discovered the ExOfficio store in Seattle, and headed straight to the clearance room. We got some great lightweight clothes for the trip, for a fraction of the cost. And just so you all know, we will be packing 3 pair of underwear from there as well. ;)

*Zach and Sami have two more "outdoor" soccer games, Josh starts indoor soccer this weekend.

*We are finalizing our trip projects. The first few days in Addis will be important as we work on that. Please pray for wisdom and discernment for us during that time.

Happy November!

2008-11-14T22:50:00.001-08:00

Since I am so lame at blogging lately, I will at least leave you with this last video...maybe till January! We leave the 13th of December for Addis. (Note to mail thief: we have in-laws who now live here. Do not steal my Christmas cards this year!) Tsion and Sami will get to visit thier 4 month old sister, and we will be working on projects in Addis, as well as holding Young Life camp again.

One cute Tsion story. We found a pumpkin outfit on sale for $1. We grabbed it for her baby sister Eyrus. Sami was like "no, no way." Tsion looked at him in her semi-sweet and sassy way and said "I can decorate my sister however I want!!"

You can pray for our group and trip in December. We are dealing with some corruption in the orphanage we have been supporting the last year. The goverment in Ethiopia is involved, and we are not sure what will end up happening. More importantly, please pray for all 100 kids who are and are wrapped up in the mess.

Enjoy your family this Thanksgiving!

Ta-Da!

2008-11-02T23:20:00.001-08:00

Did you notice? Sami got his contacts. It is so great not to have to worry about glasses and sports, and going to get the adjusted all the time cuz they are falling off!! His vision without glasses was around 20/2200. With glasses it was about 20/40. Now it is 20/25! Having the lens on his eyes helped that much. He is VERY exited about showing them off to his family and friends in Ethiopia!

Happy Halloween?

2008-11-02T22:43:00.000-08:00

We did, I s'pose, have a "Happy Halloween." We have not celebrated Halloween for a few years, mostly because of my eldest. When he was around 8, the night started freaking him out. He has a discerning spirit, and he was asking "Why do we celebrate this night?"

So, while everyone is chatting about political flip-flopping, this year we flip-flopped on Halloween. The kids wanted to dress up, and hang out with their friends. We dug thru the Young Life bins, and came up with costumes....(except for Tsion, I had found her a cheerleading costume at Goodwill). Then, we did what everyone does...get in the car and drive to the "cool neighborhood." This neighborhood is almost completely blocked off, and cars have to park on the main road. There are kids EVERYWHERE! It was crazy. Will we do it next year? Maybe, but I would rather just buy a big bag of candy and stay home. ;) Zach did rename the night, he called it the "get-as-much-candy-as-you-can-night."

I happened to snap this as the smoke machine off!

Digging thru their stuff, they couldn't wait till they got home!

This was actually someones house! The yards here were decked out. You can see the ghost on the top right, he was going back and forth on a pulley system.

Pumpkin Party

2008-11-02T22:16:00.001-08:00

This week we went to a pumpkin party at one of my friends house. She has the coolest set up for kids. They turned their garage into a "game room" with everything a kid could want! PS3, big screen, bean bags, 2 pin ball machines, a driving video game, and even a real Mrs. Pac-Man for us moms. ;) A great way to entice the high-school/middle school kids to hang out at YOUR house! (And yes, Sami is missing.....he was in HUGE trouble, and stayed at home with Lance's parents......)

I have a Wyldlifer

2008-10-30T23:14:00.000-07:00

Really? Is is possible my oldest is 'officially' in Wyldlife?

Got Ketchup?

2008-10-30T22:50:00.000-07:00

We go thru ketchup way too fast around here. And yes Mom, I know how much sugar it has. Tsion hated ketchep when she came, now her and Josh cannot get enough. It has to be on the hotdog, as well as a "dipping" place. Imagine how happy I was to find this at Wal-Mart the other day. On another note, I say a guy at Costco the other day with a shirt that says "I put Ketchup on my Ketchup."

Starbase Atlantis

2008-10-30T22:21:00.000-07:00

Sami's classs was able to partipate in the "Starbase Atlantis" program at the nearby Naval station. They had a series of 5 full day field trips, and at the end of the program they built and launched a rocket. They had so much fun! We all got base access, and were able to watch. Sami's rocket did not go the first time, but he was the only kids who actually scored a goal upon landing! :)

Fundraising Letter

2008-10-20T21:35:00.000-07:00

The kids are helping us write our letter for December....here is what they are looking forward to!

I am most excited about going to Legedadi. We did a lot of work there last time. It was very cool to give them all shoes and toys and to be able to see how grateful they were. They would love anything we gave them, even one pack of bubbles. I can’t wait to go there and see all the people and help them with their needs. ~Zach

I cannot wait for Alemwok to make me French fries again, and to play four square with the kids. ~Josh

I want to go to Ethiopia because I want to help people. I liked to give out shoes and shirts to the kids. I want to help them get food. I like to pass out stickers and books. ~Tsion

I want to go to Ethiopia because I want to see my family. It was fun giving out clothes at the orphanage, the kids look cute. I like all the dancing at the camp. I like everything that we can buy, and eating at Fin Fine. It was fun having John and Tamrat help us with everything. ~Sami

The following is something we have to work on:

I told Tsion she needed to think of some reasons to share why she wants to go back to Ethiopia. I knew the answer before it came out. She looks at me, head and sholders moving all around.... "I don't want to go to Ethioipa." Miss Sassy Pants.

2008-10-19T22:21:00.000-07:00

Vote for Yohannes Gebregeorgis

2008-10-19T22:16:00.000-07:00

Go to CNN to vote now for Yohannes Gebregeorgis who is making a difference in Ethiopia.

October 16~World Food Day

2008-10-16T14:09:00.000-07:00

By Collins Kaumba,
World Vision Zambia, and Jessie Lester
World Vision U.S.

Esther Malungo, 72, shares a drink containing Busika, a sour-tasting fruit, with her grandchildren whose parents were lost to AIDS. In an area of Zambia where the food crisis is especially severe, the family has no other good source of nutrition.Photo ©2008 Collins Kaumba/World Vision At 72 years old, Esther Malungo should be able to slow down and let others take care of her. She shouldn't have to worry about basic survival. Yet in Zambia's food-deficient Sinazongwe district, where Esther lives, reality has placed her in a situation she could have never imagined.

It's a reality shaped by droughts, flooding, and HIV and AIDS. Her husband died in 2004, and last year, she lost her three grown children to AIDS. Esther found herself alone, trying to provide for her three young grandchildren in a region already suffering from the effects of drought. Then, during the 2007-2008 farming season, the floods came. Sinazongwe was one of Zambia's hardest-hit districts.

Go to World Vision to read more and how you can help!

Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-15T22:42:00.000-07:00

We went to a local pumpkin patch this week. I made sure to pack my camera, and even extra batteries. When we got there....no memory card. The only reason we went was to take pictures!! :) We had fun in the corn maze, and did not purchase any pumpkins, as they were priced from $10-20. This picture will remind me never to use the Motorola Q for a picture!

Yes,

2008-10-15T22:20:00.000-07:00

I have dropped off the face of the earth. :) To blog or to facebook, is the question. FB, at least you do not have to think.

Still cannot get into the swing of things with school. HIGH maintenance. Then, we had a boy last week tell Sami "No girl will ever like you because you are short, have a small head, wear glasses, are black, and play soccer to much." Alright, not sure about the soccer bit! Something that I knew would come up at some point, but in 5th grade? Luckily we have a great school that was been wonderful about addressing this.

To add to the already pain in the butt week, we have a select soccer coach who sends out e-mails like this:

"IF YOU DO NOT AGREE WITH HOW THIS WAS HANDLED THATS NICE..... BUT STILL NOT YOUR BUSINESS. THE LAST TIME I CHECKED I WAS THE COACH. THIS GAME IS MUCH HARDER THAN PARENTS COULD EVER UNDERSTAND."

Oh yes, there is much more. Anyone want to join our select league? Really, what a shining example for my 10 and 11 year olds. Never mind the swearing at public school, just attend one of our games where the coach tells his players they played like c**p every week. Why do people like this want to coach??

Adding to the chaos is Lance's biggest fundraiser of the year (our salary) and we are scheduled to leave for Addis in 8 weeks!! AGH! You can pray for us. ;)

Morning Routine

2008-10-10T21:21:00.001-07:00

This is Tsions morning routine, singing in the shower. Today was "You are my strength You are my God."

The Boys

2008-10-08T22:52:00.000-07:00

I know this month has lacked in pictures! But I do have 3 funny stories to write, one from each boy.

Zach:

So, I (me) am getting a tad stressed on Ethiopia details....i.e. where 30 people are going to sleep for 2 weeks while we are there. Communication is fairly nil when you are dealing with details there. Zach, who at 11 can be so wise says "Mom, you will never know anything until you get there, it is Ethiopia!"

Sami:

This must come from growing up in Addis. You are either Orthodox, Christian, or Muslim. I am not sure if you are defined by that? But Sami is insistent on asking all his new friends if they are a Christian. So, he asked a friend the other day at school....."Are you a Christian?" His friend replied "No, I am a *" (Sami could only remember the first letter, and I do not want to offend anyone) :)) Sami then tells me he is a * and does not go to church and gets to watch football on Sundays!

Josh:

Mr. I hate showers. "Mom, I will take a shower today, but then I am going to sit down with my arms folded for the next two weeks, and not move so I do not get stinky again."

Gotta love your kids.

Two Things.....

2008-10-07T13:11:00.001-07:00

I have learned this week.

1. Rust comes off cast iron with a potato and dish soap. How???

2. Rollers + metal clips + hair spray + hot air from a ceramic hair dryer = an extreme amount of hair loss. Do not try it at home, take my word for it. :)

Lucy Comes to Seattle

2008-10-04T20:57:00.001-07:00

Sami, January 07, above

Lucy, in Addis, below

I cannot remember what the above skeleton is (just liked the pix of Sami)....but below is supposedly Lucy. Now, this Lucy was shoved in the far corner of the basement at the National Museum in Addis. So, the chances are pretty slim it was actually her. ;)

So, Lucy is in Seattle now, at the Science Center. Here is great article that tells you what to expect during this exhibit.

This Culteral Celebration is coming up as well, mark your calenders Seattleites! I wish we could be there, but we will be in Addis. I will check the National Museum and see if the bones are still there.......

Lucy's Legacy: Ethiopian Cultural Celebration

Pacific Science Center December 26, 2008- January 4, 2009

Lucy's Legacy: The Hidden Treasures Of Ethiopia exhibit makes its west coast premier at Pacific Science Center this fall. In honor of this exhibit, Pacific Science Center has teamed up with local Ethiopian communities in an effort to bring you this special event. Lucy's Ethiopian Cultural Celebration will feature art, music, history, and entertainment from the land Lucy once called home.

Have fun!

First Referee Paycheck!

2008-10-04T20:03:00.000-07:00

I told him keep it up! :) On another note, I just heard the other day if your child gets into Stanford, and your family makes under 100,000 your tuition is covered. THEN, if you make under 60,000 your room and board (47,000) is covered! No student loan! The pressure is on...... ;)

Poor girl......

2008-10-03T21:19:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks after we came home from Wildhorse, Lance had to go to Malibu. Tsion was bawling and so sad. She wanted him to take one of her dolls with him, but it would not fit in his suitcase, so we decided to write this note instead.

I miss you.

I am sad.

I love you.

I do not know why you are going to camp.

I do not want you to leave.

I am sorry that you will be missing me.

**Notice that she made sure we all had belly buttons!

Note from Zach

2008-10-02T10:46:00.000-07:00

I found this in his home school work from last year (sniff sniff) :) I am sure it was an assignment I gave him to write how much he loved me...but I cannot remember.

I love my Mom. Because she helps us with lots of things. And because she cares about us. Also she knows what we like and what we don't. I love my Mom.

And.....she makes me go to middle school.......I love my mom. I have this on the fridge for him to remember!

Is there a YL staff wives support group??

2008-10-01T21:41:00.000-07:00

This is where Lance is the last couple days. A Young Life staff meeting. If I said they really did meet all day, you would not believe me anyway. I did have to give him a hard time on the phone..."Are you having fun on the waterslides with your friends?"

Maybe this is what they looked like, those crazy YL'ers...

It only took 3 slides for Lance's motion sickness to kick in. Ha! I told him he deserved it. Aren't I a nice wife? ;)

Dr. Visit

2008-09-29T23:05:00.000-07:00

We had our 2nd official yearly checkup last week. In case you were wondering after 20 months home, this is what we are dealing with:

*Still a scalp issue for Tsion, which I just found out is not a fungus, but bacterial. I am not sure how putting an ointment on the pussy/pimple bumps on her head is going to help....been there, done that.

*Sami has complained of stomach problems for awhile, and tested positive for H. pylori ....more
anti-biotics (although after giving him grapefruit seed extract, it has not bothered him since!)

*Tsion "failed"her vision test at a guesstimated 20/40 vision...off to the eye doctor again. Fail is an interesting word, since Sami eyes are 20/2200. 20/40 is not bad! Last year she wanted glasses....right now it is a tough sell.

*Phenomenal growth all around. Dr. Bledsoe said "this is why I do this job, to see these kids blossom!"

And, I forgot to pass on a skin tip I go this summer from a Pediatric skin Dr. at camp, (woohoo, free visit!) it is VASELINE. It has worked wonders. I have bought everything under the sun the last year (Carol's Daughter, stuff from the health food store....) Tsion had blotches on her cheeks from the sun and chlorine, and it cleared it right up. Plus, it is right in our budget!

It's All About Soccer at MY House.....(and fantasy football!)

2008-09-29T22:25:00.000-07:00

I boycotted all soccer on Saturday! I had a relaxing day ALONE cleaning my house....the cleaning part, not fun. Josh had another game on Sunday, and Sunday Zach also ref'd his first
U-8 game on Sunday. He earned his first real paycheck of $10. He thinks he is pretty cool!

Josh was very proud of this, cuz he said no foul was called. :)

Zach as game ref

Disclaimer....do not look for action pics of Sami and Zach playing soccer. They play full field, and it is much harder to get a good shot!

The Dish Man

2008-09-29T22:11:00.000-07:00

Last week we had to have our dish/cable box replaced. Sami and Tsion can home when he was in the driveway, and Tsion freezes, and looks at me. "He IS Ethiopia." First things first, I say "shhhh!" Then whisper no, he is from America. "But he is this...." and she points to her face. I had thought we were over that assumption that dark skin = Ethiopia. She then proceeded to play gracious host, and brought him a diet coke....and phew, her braids (which I did not do) passed the test. ;)

Free Coffee!

2008-09-24T21:30:00.000-07:00

Free Starbucks for homeschoolers (moms!) :)

Starbucks offers free coffee for homeschool parents

Thanks to the work of HSLDA, homeschool parents can pick up a complimentary tall size cup of Pike Place Roast from Starbucks this Monday, September 29th. This promotion is part of Starbucks "Great Start for Great Teachers" promotion. To pick up your coffee, you will need to present evidence that you are a homeschool parent. Any one item on the following list should be accepted by Starbucks:

*Home School Legal Defense Association membership card.
*Membership card from a state homeschooling organization.
*Notification from a school district or state government recognizing compliance with compulsory attendance.
*Paperwork submitted showing intent to establish a homeschool program.
*Paperwork showing the establishment of a private school.

Now....I just need my "proof!" Do you think my 9 year old would be enough? ;)

Back to School Pix Take 2

2008-09-21T22:26:00.000-07:00

So, Sami erased all my first day pics. Here they are 3 weeks later....10 years from now, we will not know the difference (or 20...)

I could not get a decent smile from Zach, so this was me saying "I love you mom, you are the best mom in the world" sarcastic smile!

They decided to take the bus to school this week.....

Sami, who wants contacts so bad....his glasses are cramping his style.

I have stayed away from any Princess clothes till now, but at least this is just Tinkerbell!

I Love the Gap

2008-09-21T21:22:00.000-07:00

I walked into the Gap the other day, and they had just marked a ton of girl's stuff down to $1.47. With Ethiopia on my mind, I started making piles of clothes and shoes. I got linen/cotten dresses, pants, sandals and flip flops. I spent $194 and got $1977 in clothes and shoes. I need to start packing!

What I was doing while I was not blogging last week....

2008-09-20T23:32:00.000-07:00

I swear this looks like my yearbook pics in 1980 something!

1960, I look like my mom. ;)

1970's....

Go try it, I never figured it out completely and had a heck of a time saving them....but it was too funny!

Surprise!

2008-09-15T21:57:00.000-07:00

Sami and Tsion have a new sister. A new step-sister (but she would never be thought of that in Ethiopia) was born last month to their dad and step-mom. Last December, we met their step-mom. So, a new baby was always in the back of my mind. When Sami hung up the phone a couple weeks ago he said sheepishly "mom, I have to tell you something." I knew immediately what it was. Initially he was irritated. I sure would be! He still wants to keep it a secret (oops, do not tell him!) and we have not told Tsion yet. She will have a fit! I know it will be something that they always have to work through.

So, her name is Yerusalem, Yerus for short. She is about 6 weeks old, and we will see her in 3 months.

Animal Planet in our Backyard

2008-09-15T21:10:00.000-07:00

This is what we came home to the other day. It was really sweet and cute UNTIL I went and checked the garden. Not so cute. Tops of all my tomatoes and my raspberries GONE. They walked right in thru my garden door. It looked like a weed whacker had come thru. Now, every time they come, the mom and I have a stare down as she eyes my garden. ;)

**Sorry for the shakiness, Lance and I were having a discussion whether or not I was actually filming cuz it was on a setting he has not used before. I am glad it was a quiet discussion. ;)

You would think.....

2008-09-14T23:57:00.000-07:00

I would have LOTS of time to blog with one child at home!! NOT. I am exhausted!! I will have to bullet point, I know at least my family wants some specifics of our week.

*First off, having Zach in school is interesting. From home-school to middle school (when home schoolers pull their kids out, I put mine in!) For Zach's first day of school, I heard about a couple of his friends trying on outfits for their first day. Zach could care less. When I went to tuck him in, there was a pile on the floor in the corner (which looked like laundry.) "THAT is what I am wearing, over there." Yes, the pile in the corner. I am so glad that he does not care! It reminds me of a day last month when we were in Goodwill. "Mom, I need a coat." Gotta love it, when your son reminds you that in Goodwill! :)

Last week I was sitting in the midst of Zach and some friends a couple weeks back. A couple of them started talking about "nerds." I was so glad that Zach has a bunch of different friends. I mean nerds, in 6th grade?

On that note, I will always remember which friend said that. ;)

We started with a full day of school, which was not ideal. We dropped P.E., (like our kids need anymore P.E.!) so then, we had an 1 1/2 break, where we connect and do homework. But by the end of last week, the break was 45 minutes, because he wanted to go back for lunch.

*Would you like to move to Wisteria Lane?? Move here. This is where we had our soccer game (2 hour commute) last weekend. While I was tempted for a minute (a Starbucks I can walk to?) I was very glad to get back to our small town, and house in the woods!

*We had our first Ethiopia planning meeting this week. Tonight, my eldest bio (Zach) said "I cannot wait to go back." Africa is truly in his blood. Josh on the other hand, wants to go back for the french fries that our cook Alemwork made us. ;)

*This week Sami tested almost a 3 (4 tests out of the program) on his ELL test. I will never let him live down what she said. "You were home schooled last year? Your mom must be a good teacher." I got a good laugh. Good job home school Moms everywhere! :)

*Thought I would never say this, I love air soft guns. It keeps my boys occupied FOREVER!

*We got a new hand me down couch today. My other one had tears everywhere, which we covered with a pain in the butt slip cover. I wish I could post before and after pics, but I am too embarrassed. ;) Anyways, we got a call, and took out the seats of the suburban and were there in 15 minutes!

That is it in a nutshell! We love school, and Josh is doing great getting his school done at home, We have soccer, football games, and soon to be Jazz class for Tsion, and a referree job for Zach. Phew, and I ONLY have 4 kids! :)

Back To School

2008-09-06T21:40:00.000-07:00

So...this school thing is very high maintenance! Gone are the days when we slept in, read, went on walks and field trips...bring on the stress, parent forms, permission slips, and driving in the car...ALL day long! "Do your have homework, do your reading and quick! eat before soccer practice. Set your alarm for 6:30." UGH! I thought having your kids in school was supposed to be easy! I paid the "no guilt" $ for the PTSA, you have to draw the line somewhere.

Zach started "middle school" which is grades 6,7, and 8. It is very strange to say your child attends "PMS." Could you not keep it a Junior High for that reason?? Who wants a sweatshirt with PMS on it? Then, try and explain that to your 11 year old son.....Anyway.....from homeschooling since Kindergarten to middle school is a heck of a jump. We had a rough first day, but it seems he is settling in okay.

Sami and Tsion, piece of cake. They both have great teachers, and I love their school. Their school is actually on tribal land.....for our back to school night we had a salmon dinner!

SO, happy night. I JUST realized one child (SAMI) must have erased all the BTS pics that I took that morning. This nice mom, who finally let him take pics during a soccer game today. Too bad he is sleeping, cuz I am about to strangle him!!!!!!

Do You Believe In Me?

2008-09-05T13:50:00.000-07:00

Check out this amazing kid!

Labor Day

2008-09-02T22:18:00.000-07:00

*The power went out, on our road only (5 houses), no warning, no time to fill the tub.

*It went out 40 minutes before our extended family arrived for a bar-b-q.

*I told all the guys they had to use the woods...and the girls....do not flush!!

*We see an iffy car parked down our driveway and call the police. The police come, find drug paraphernalia, and (I quote) "a HUGE fricken bear" in our woods. Excuse the language, but it was funny, he was freaked out! The bear scared him to death. Investigation over. ;)

*We do what any responsible parents would do, go on a bear hunt. Zach reminds me that bears can run 30 MPH. We did make the kids stay on the road, but we did not see the bear.

*6 hours later, no power, they have to dig out an underground cable. We head to Starbucks to use the bathroom and wash our hands (and get coffee!)

*Drug guy is back, but leaves as we do, and after we had called 911.

*Stop at the store for 10 gallons of water to flush with, and barely make it up the driveway past the huge hole PSE is digging.

*Power comes on at 9, just as the kids are heading upstairs with their lanterns! Feels just like Addis. :)

On the bear hunt. Could she be any more serious??

Oh My Goodness....

2008-08-30T23:30:00.001-07:00

Next week, I will have 3 kids (of 4)....in school....all day....for the first time EVER.

Home Again, Home Again

2008-08-30T22:42:00.000-07:00

This is how I feel....

To market, to market,
To buy a fat pig,
Home again, home again,
Jiggety jig.

To market, to market,
To buy a fat hog,
Home again, home again,
Jiggety jog.

To market, to market,
To buy a plum bun,
Home again, home again,
Market is done.

Only it is never done, just starts all over!

We headed to Lake Chelan for the last camping trip of the summer. I was hoping to use up all of my sunscreen, but it was 20 degrees colder than usual! Chalk it up to a Washington Auctober, where all of my tomatoes are still green. :/

The only way to get rid of Josh's shoes were to burn them....yes, we did feel environmentally guilty (or embarrassed from the smell) and pulled the shoe off.

We actually knitted and wore that hats we made it was so cold!!

Carving wooden knives.....

Baseball Champions!

2008-08-23T23:07:00.000-07:00

My boys cannot take any credit for the win, as they missed the last two games when they were at Wildhorse when their team won the AAA Championship..... :)

**And if you were wondering after my last post...Sami got glasses 2 months after coming home, his vision was 2200, and yes, he came straight from soccer practice to hold the trophy!

Holy Smokes!

2008-08-23T21:42:00.000-07:00

This is Tsion's new saying.....I am not sure where she picked this up at!

Anyway, today I measured and weighed them both for fun. When Sami came home (Jan 07) he weighed 44 lbs, and was 47" tall (about 9 years old). Today, he weighs 72 lbs. He has gained almost 30 pounds! It sounds impossible. He has grown 5.5". His cousins and grandmother are maybe 5'...and I am guessing his Mom was about that. But, his Dad is about 6'5. So who knows where he will end up. But considering in January 07 he was not even on the U.S. growth charts (like -5%!), he is now 60% in weight, and 25% in height. Sami's intake report said that his growth was stunted, and one year ago his guesstimated adult height was 5'6.

Tsion was not as small as Sami. But she was 33# and has gained 13 lbs. She has grown 7" since she has come home. She is a head taller then she was 19 months ago. I cannot believe that she weighs about as much as Sami did when we picked him up! The pediatrician had actually questioned the age difference when she plotted Tsions height and weight. She said she thought she was 5 and not 7. For comparison, Tsion is 10% in height, and 25% in weight. And for further comparison, the Kenenisa Bekele is around 5'4 and Meseret is way smaller. I was shocked when we met them!

I am sure that there is a reason that WHO uses a NCHS curve......but I don't get it!

Referral pics 10/06

(I knew we were in big trouble with those eyes!)

Embassy pictures, 12/06

These pictures were taken in 1998 (Ethiopian calander, it is now 2000). I am guessing that they were taken shortly before they went into Kidane Mihret Orphanage.

Poor Girl

2008-08-23T00:26:00.000-07:00

This is what happens when you have 3 brothers......you spend your birthday at their baseball championship party!!

Happy 7th!

2008-08-22T23:25:00.000-07:00

My Favoite pix from Ethiopia, 1/07

Tsion turned 7 this week. We had a couple family parties, and we had planned to have a special girls day and go to the "princess" (AKA Disney) store. So we head out on the ferry, get to Bellevue Square, and as some of you may know, there IS NO Disney store anymore. Happy Birthday! We quickly scrambled trying to figure out what to do next! She wanted nothing to do with Libby Lu, (which I suppose is a good thing) and we found ourselves in Build A Bear, searching for a perfect princess dress. We ended up with a pink sparkle bear, with Cinderella dress and glass slippers.

Ferry ride, when we worked on her princess diary.

Happy birthday trip to the dentist! She has a couple marks on her perm. bottom teeth. I did not know if it was an enamel issue, decay, or ?? Well, turns out it is a defect, from an injury she had (probably as a toddler), and the permanent tooth was damaged under the gums.

Tsion is always doing her best to communicate with Great Papa!

Right before we signed our adoption papers in October 06, our agency called us and said that Tsion was 7 and not 5. The video had said 5, and they said a mistake had been made and she was 7. Obviously, we had expected that and said great. Fast forward to January 07, on our way to the orphanage. It was then we were told "oh, no, she is 5 and still has her baby teeth!" I have yet to hear another story where the child's age is actually less then the paperwork says. So, now we are back at 7 years old. A 7 year old, who is going on 17!

Almost forgot.....

2008-08-19T23:24:00.000-07:00

what we looked like when we left! When we packed the trailer and 15 passenger van, we had one extra bike. Well, that was all it took to put us over the edge. The 5 kids could no longer go into the van thru the door. They had to use the doors in the back. We looked hilarious, getting out of the car on the ferry, with all these kids piling out. ;)

Alrighty kids, load up!

The bonus thing about a 15 passenger van, especially full of stuff...is that we almost felt like we were by ourselves. We could barely hear the kids way back there!!

The view from my window, 15 minutes later.....we could not have been packed any tighter. :)

Catch Up

2008-08-19T22:28:00.000-07:00

End of the summer craziness! Soccer, camping, school prep, birthdays....and a lot of rain. Last weekend Sami and Zach played in their last summer tourney, going 1-1-1 and missed the finals by one goal. They got over it pretty quick, after getting back to the campsite, and into the lake! They rode bikes and played all weekend. There were probably 20 families that we knew from different teams who camped at the park.

Future YL'ers, playing Mafia around the campfire......

Night time bike riding, thankfully no accidents!

How many boys would it take to sink the island???

We did play some soccer... ;)

A funny thing happened when we were camping. One night we had 3 extra boys. The big boys slept in the tent, and we had 3 kids in the tent trailer with us. One of the boys rolled and talked all night. So, when he started talking early in the morning, I was used to it, and tried to ignore him. Until I heard "dude, help me, help." We grabbed a light, looked over, and he was hanging onto the edge, and had fallen out the backside. We laughed so hard!

As I tried to go back to sleep, I remebered that Tsion had come INTO the trailer earlier. When I had heard her come in, I could not believe I did not hear her going out (the door is very loud). She had told me she went to the bathroom, and laid down and was quietly crying saying she was scared. Since I was boxed in between one sick child and Lance, I was not very sympethtic. It was later I realized, that she had fallen out too! The next morning, she said she had slept on the rocks. What an awful mom! Here I was telling her to stop crying, and there was nothing to be scared of. Evidently, the boys had set up that side, and did not velcro the top down. Next time, they will remember that step!!

Did I Really Sign Up For This? ;)

2008-08-18T22:24:00.000-07:00

I caught Tsion dancing at the end of the Robots movie. Once she finally quit it was only to catch her breath....I can't wait till Jazz class in the fall. :))

**Wondering why I have air mattresses in my family room? So am I.......

Remember.....

2008-08-13T22:59:00.000-07:00

Please keep ETH in your prayers. Tom Davis from Children's HopeChest has some IDEAS how YOU can help Ethiopia.

**And yes, if you were wondering about the 370 Birr I spent on the Ethiopia jacket, I am feeling convicted.....

Realization

2008-08-13T22:09:00.000-07:00

When I make cookies, I usually burn two of six batches. Lance ALWAYS says "set the timer". I can never hear the timer go off anyway, so I think it is a waste of time. Tonight, Lance and the boys were gone setting up soccer goals. While watching Enchanted with Tsion, I made about 12 batches of cookies. As those cookies were baking, I was mixing eggs for camping, cooking sausage, and making rice-krispy treats. I did not burn anything till they got home. I am now convinced, when you have 4 kids, it is inevitable. Too many distractions.......with 4, cookies will burn!

On another note, check out the Ethiopia Adidas track jacket I bought the other day. I have been watching this for months, and when I checked a few days ago....Adidas had marked them down and sold out of my size. I was so bummed! I called the Seattle store, and they had it. I called Lance, and for the first time in 9 years we walked on the ferry for a date night. :) I ended up getting the jacket 1/2 price, and grabbed one a friend. And yes, we had a fun dinner at RockBottom, and a gorgeous ferry ride home!

Tomorrow we are headed to a HUGE soccer tourney in Snohomish. The team is camping, and will be playing one game a day, till the finals on Sunday. We are hoping for a 3/3 tourney sweep this summer. :) If you are playing at Bigfoot this weekend, I will be wearing my new jacket. ;)

"Has it already been one week?"

2008-08-09T21:44:00.001-07:00

This is what I heard from Josh tonight. At least I got a good laugh over it. This has been by far the LONGEST week ever for me....despite my attempts to stay busy with 3 "play dates", 2 sleep overs, breaks at the gym sponsored by my in-laws, and a visit from my mom. I have had YL issues galore, which always seems to happen when Lance is gone. Why do SOME (read: one person) people always want to cause problems??

Then this morning, our power goes off. Sometimes it flickers when you live in the woods, but today we could tell it wasn't a false alarm. We walked to the end of our driveway to see what was up and found this:

So...no power, water, or flushing of the toilet (in the current household of 7). 8 hours later, it was back on. It was almost like being in Ethiopia again....we are practicing for December. ;)

Sami said a couple funny things this week. I will miss it when his English is perfected. The other day when were going to our friends pool, he asked (once again) where were going. After my answer (Where do you think?) He said "I was just make suring."

Tonight he was complaining about his back hurting, and he told me he needed to go to the ki-crapper. Gotta love him!

Lance will be home at midnight! :)

Two Things.......

2008-08-09T21:13:00.000-07:00

that drive me crazy about going to the gym.

1. WHY does everyone park in front. Are we not there for exercise??

2. In the cardio room, the FOOD channel is on.....all the time. Why? Sometimes, it is on two channels. I am hungry at the gym. Most of the time I am headed to the market when I am done. Do you think I want to buy fruits and veggies or ingredients for the carmel drizzle chocolate cake that they were making???

Just Another Day at the Beach!

2008-08-07T22:46:00.000-07:00

The other day I took 9 boys, ages 8-13 to the beach.....by myself. In order to do that, I had to borrow my girlfriends 15 passenger van. It scares me to think that I am actually comfortable driving that beast! My suburban is small in comparison. With the first seat out in the van the kids are FAR away....and they can talk as loud as they want...it's almost peaceful. ;)

Anyway, the boys (Tsion was getting her hair braided) talked me into blowing up the large donut (maybe that was the noise buffer?!) We were a sight to see at the gas station stuffing that in the car!

The boys played in the water for awhile, then all started building their own sand castles, which I thought was so sweet. They had 4 "teams" and the next thing I knew, they were tossing rocks everywhere to see whose castle withstood the attack. That was a good time to wrap up the day. ;) I will do anything to occupy time while Lance is at camp!

Team Ethiopia Heads to Beijing

2008-08-06T10:23:00.000-07:00

NBC has great video and pictures of Meseret Defar, as well as info on Ethiopia HERE.

Go Explosion!

2008-08-04T23:30:00.000-07:00

Zach and Sami's team ran away with a tournament win last weekend......I could say no competition, or to be nice...they played really well. :) They actually outscored their opponents the first four games 28-0. They finally gave up 2 goals in the last game for a 5-2 win. I was probably the only glad mom there (don't tell Lance!) I don't need my boys walking around with a HUGE head. Plus I felt bad for the other team. Here (for the grandparents) is the boys pix and blurb about the game....(Mom, you will need to scroll down) :))

Boys with Great-Papa......

I love this pix, because of the look on Sami's face. You would think it was his first medal!!

Always a Project to Complete

2008-07-30T23:49:00.001-07:00

Lance and his Dad have been busy stripping/sanding etc. our back deck. Yeah, they finished! Here are some before and after pics. I got my umbrella today (just in time, thanks mom!), and it arrived with a snag in the fabric. UGH! Put it up, took it down, back in the box, out to the porch, and wait another week. Luckily, this is Seattle, and the forcast for sun is bleak. The umbrella will not be missed that much.

Here is the deck before stain, but after they stripped it.

After.....if you were wondering, my chairs are currently being used in my kids "tent". :))

Just when you thought....

2008-07-30T22:39:00.000-07:00

we had vanished. :) I cannot believe I haven't posted in a week. I have been keeping up reading all my blogee friends, but cannot get motivated to post. Maybe it is the rain and clouds! We went to Wenatchee last weekend for an AAI adoption weekend camp-out. We had a great time, thanks to the Littles ( and others) for planning the event! It was great to see the kids all together, and meet all of our list friends face-to-face.

I also have been busy (not sure if I want to admit this) reading a certain series of books. So far this summer I have read a ton of books.....mostly about Ethiopia, adoption, or Africa. The last 4 days, I have finished a certain series from Target. I will admit that the girl who rang up my purchase ( she was about 16) asked me if I was buying this book for myself. How embarrassing. But, I needed some easy reading and a break! If anyone else will be purchasing a book on August 3, you know what it is. ;) Here is a re-cap in pics.....

Leavenworth, Washington. Gotta love these grampas!

If you know Tsion, you know she HATES dogs. She was bitten in Addis by a rabid dog, and had a series of rabies shots in her stomach. I have no idea how old she was when that happened. But she LOVED this dog, and spent an hour throwing the ball to him. It was so sweet!

Tsion and a friend from Ethiopia. We all went to the embassy in Addis together Jan. 07

We stopped at a river to play on the way home.

Sami and Lance, making a dam.

Josh, busy collecting Fools Gold.

Sad News in Ghana

2008-07-22T23:45:00.000-07:00

Please keep the AAI Eban house in your prayers, they were attacked and robbed the other night as the kids and "Aunties" were sleeping. Read more in Anita's blog, who will be travelling to Ghana as soon as she can.

Summer Life

2008-07-21T22:45:00.000-07:00

I realized I need to stop slacking and actually write something. So here is my life in bullet points.

*First, Lance has become a FaceBook fan. For him it is a great way to connect with YL kids, so now I have a facebook as well. That has taken some time away from blogging! Do you want to be facebook friends!? :)

*This week we are meeting with a local agency who does child sponsorships, hoping to get some ideas. I am also trying to get ideas for good books to bring to Legedadi, and where to find books in Amharic. Our team said books in Ethiopia were pricey! We also need books that are good quality, and can hold up in an orphanage setting.

*Lance came home last week and had a great time at the Freshman Houseboat Camp, tonight we stocked up on props at Goodwill and Value Village (secret theme!) for Malibu in two weeks.

*We (which means Lance and his dad!) are stripping and refinishing our deck, which is a really fun job. ;)

*We started the Cabbage Soup Diet this week. I cheat, cuz there is no way I am giving up my coffee and diet coke!

*One day last week, I realized that after two trips to Starbucks (one was a date with Lance) I had consumed 8 shots of espresso, and suffered no effects....that is trouble.

*Sunday, we rode bikes over to Edmonds on the ferry. We thought it would be cheaper than driving our car on, but in the end it was almost the same. They will get you somehow. The kids had fun, but you can see they have to line up with the motorcycles to load, so it was stressful! I felt like I had a bike club that was riding thru town. They got to swim at their grandmas condo, and until Sami tried to cartwheel into the pool and missed, they had a great time. ;) Leg pictures to follow......

Klopp Bike Club, with Great Papa.....

Riding downhill to the ferry.....

Riding with the big boys....Josh "I was shaking the whole time!"

With Great-grama's at the pool. Lance's gma on the left, mine on the right.

*Saturday, we had a partial Wilson family get together. This is Zach with his 2nd cousin, he is so sweet with younger kids. He will be a great Dad! My grandpas sister was visiting from California.

*The Wilson Clan.....someday, genealogists will be scrutinizing this picture! If you are wondering, my Dad in the YL jacket has a "fake hair" hat on. ;)

*This weekend we get to spend some time camping and swimming at an Ethiopian gathering, we are so excited!

New Candidate

2008-07-18T23:16:00.000-07:00

Story of Forgiveness

2008-07-18T21:30:00.000-07:00

I had to share this story I saw on NBC tonight. It is an amazing story of forgiveness, with the victim's father turning into a father figure for his sons killer.

Hmm......

2008-07-17T21:16:00.001-07:00

You are most like:

You are Green

The feeling of spring follows you. Newness, surprise, beginnings and growth. Your fresh perspective gives others much to consider
Take this quiz: Which Crayola Box of 8 Color Are You?

The feeling of spring follows you. Newness, surprise, beginnings and growth. Your fresh perspective gives others much to consider.

Ethiopia 2008!

2008-07-16T23:05:00.000-07:00

We had our first meeting tonight for our next trip in December. We also got a recap on the week part of our team just spent there. We hope to hold the trip to 30 people, (includes 6 of us!) and to bring at least one Doctor this time. We will do the Young Life Camp, Project Mercy, and Legedadi. Emma (a senior, who has made the last two trips) made this video as a Sr. project, and did such a great job! Thanks Emma (now I do not have to make one!) ;))

One Life

2008-07-14T22:59:00.000-07:00

On the Road Again

2008-07-12T20:43:00.000-07:00

72 hours after being home again, I find myself at Costco with Lance and a YL crew, shopping for the Freshmen Houseboat trip. They had at least 6 huge flat carts, and I wrote a check for $3074 for 377 items for the trip. Checkers were begging us not to go in their line....you should have seen the stares from shoppers! So, Lance is gone, and I have been unpacking and trying to stay busy and sane. 2 trips to the beach, one baseball game, two soccer practices, only ONE trip to the gym, and one 30 minute break in the car, while the kids brushed their teeth and got into bed. ;) These pics are for me to remember the "high"lights!

" Mom, I need a towel for my hair!"

Hmmm...cute toe-ring, last seen at the beach......

Sami came running up to me "I found a huge frog......or, I mean a CRAP!" Or maybe a crab?!?

I kid you not, this lady stood there for 30 minutes holding this towel over her husband and baby. Next time.....bring an umbrella??? There is something interesting in this picture if you can find it.......

Floating on logs......

Her first, unexpected mouthful of saltwater!

Sad Day

2008-07-10T22:13:00.000-07:00

On our way home from camp, I found out the baby I had called my own had died at Legedadi. It was a baby I had said a week earlier could be the one, even though we have no intentions on adopting an infant, and no adoptions on the horizon. I spent two days holding this baby, and I still do not know what her/his name is. He died from AIDS, and it shows our team (who just returned) how important it will be to find a way to test and be able to supply anti-virals to these kids at Legedadi. I wrote about my baby here and here are some more pictures from December.

I did share him a little. :)

Last Days at Camp....

2008-07-10T21:46:00.000-07:00

Tsion with her friends, whom she cried over for days! :)

Tsion and her friend Sophia.

Our assignment team, with 23 kids!

"Billy Sundae", 5 scoops of ice cream (Sami hates ice-cream, and was to busy playing pool!)

Sami on the ropes course, he was a trooper!

Zach up front, me changing carabeaners, and Josh behind me. I will spare you the video of me screaming all the way down at the end. :)

BBC Article

2008-07-10T20:00:00.000-07:00

"In a small shack made of iron sheets and pieces of clothing in the slums of Addis Ababa live the Alemu family - Abiy, Marasit Bishaw, and the couple's three-year-old son and 25-day-old baby daughter Yanit. And just a few metres from their one-room home is a mass of sewage and garbage, mixed with the carcasses of dead chickens and cow and goat skulls. The Alemus live near the gully where the Kabena river used to meander gracefully through the Ethiopian capital. But the river is now full of the city's waste, and a stench of sewage is the first thing that hits. During the rainy season, the filth and sewage from the skyscrapers up the hill flows freely onto the floor of the house. A sewer by the entrance jets waste water incessantly, sending a gush of greying liquid down into the river. The situation is typical of many in the slums of Ethiopia's capital, and highlights a desperate need for clean water.
In the town of Kechene, a little further downstream, is Amleworke Wordfa - an 80-year-old woman who shoulders the difficult task of raising her four grandchildren alone. A year ago she lost one of her granddaughters to illness resulting from contaminated water. "It was so hard for me to see her die," she says. "She was so beautiful." Now Wordfa attempts to boil all the water she gives to the younger two of her four surviving grandchildren, who are under five years of age. Nonetheless, fuel to do so is scarce. At times she just trusts their immunity, acquired through time, to keep them from getting sick."

Kechene is one of the towns we visited in Addis, where I traded water bottles with a boy in the school. Click here to read the rest of the BBC article.

Rewind to Pre-Classic

2008-07-08T04:57:00.000-07:00

I am finally following up on race day. We ended up sitting in the right place! It was crazy all morning. Ashy actully knew one of the guys from Addis, who now has a restaurant in Portland. In the last segment, the guys are all around Meseret Defar, you can see her smiling towards the back. She brought out her jersey, and gave to to one of the guys. Sami and Minte say she asked them if they wanted it, but I don't think they understood what was going on! No World Records were set that day, but we had a great time!

Save the Date!

2008-07-07T22:01:00.000-07:00

CNN is airing a special, July 23rd and 24th Black in America, 9pm ET. No matter how I would like to gloss over the blackness....reality is, these will be issues they will face. Click HERE for the CNN link.

Grand Finale!

2008-07-06T22:50:00.000-07:00

Zach is on the right, Sami is the elephant. Tsion was helping her girlfriend wait on tables instead, and Josh would not be caught dead on stage! We are home, back to reality. :)

Happy 4th of July from WHC!

2008-07-04T21:37:00.000-07:00

An Amazing Family!

2008-07-02T10:26:00.001-07:00

"Tim and Tressa Brown make it look easy, as if raising seven children is no big deal. As if adopting six kids from an orphanage in Ethiopia is nothing special."

Click HERE to read the article, we were in Addis with Tim last January, and also readopted our kids together in court last year. Sami and Tsion were in Kidane Mihret with a couple of their kiddos. They are an inspiration!

Dance Take 2

2008-07-01T20:34:00.000-07:00

It only took an HOUR, but here it is! I am leaving up the lame Youtube I TRIED to upload below, as a bad commercial for YouTube!

Ethiopia Drought Continues

2008-07-01T20:15:00.000-07:00

Technical Difficulties

2008-06-30T21:14:00.001-07:00

Obviously, I am having issues with YouTube. If anyone knows (besides google) another uploading service that will support a large file, let me know! I am not sure if it is the camps slowER connection, or me, but I couldn't even load a 12 second video last week!

HeLp!

You Ain't Seen Nothin' Till You Have Seen Us Dance!

2008-06-29T21:05:00.000-07:00

At the end of the week the kids get to join in the "program". You can see Zach in the "duck tape" zebra costume, Tsion is the bee, and Sami is the elephant. This was Tsion's first time, and it cracks me up that she will just go for it, and look like she knows what she is doing. Keep in mind, this is in front of 600+ high school kids!

Just the Pics

2008-06-25T21:26:00.000-07:00

We went to Bend for our night off. Here we are at putt-putt. Zach and Tsion look oxygen deprived, but they had a blue slushie. Sami looks crabby, maybe because I had two hole in ones. :)) **Mom, this is the dress you bought Tsion**

Western night, in on the action.

Tonight the kids whined endlessly. WHY do we have to go to bed at 7:45. Funny, everyone was sound asleep at 8:30. They are wiped out!

Mouse Part 2

2008-06-23T21:19:00.000-07:00

As I was finishing part one last night, Mouse #2 ran under my bed. At 10:30, without Lance, it suddenly was not so funny. ;) I will admit, my next step was jumping on the bed to get him OUT! Then, I called on the Head Leader radio, “Will someone tell Lance there is a mouse under my bed.” Lance was in the midst of a crazy night game at the gym, so I knew he would not hear me……and no one else did either!

I left 3 kids sleeping and went to find HELP. In the meantime, Zach had come back, and started the “manly” job of looking for the mouse with a flashlight. I found the camp MGR, who called and ordered 2 more traps. He set them up, and went on his way.

With the traps set, I was not letting Zach go to bed! We watched “The Color of Freedom” (which by the way was a great movie). Ten minutes later, the trap snapped and flopped, and we were too grossed out to find where it landed (there went the manliness!)

Lance came home, we went to sleep with 3 traps set, and no more sightings. Hoefully, this is The End!

**I did figure out WHY I got the mice. I had been joking about another YL property, and their mice problem. God does have a sense of humor. ;)

There's A Mouse in the House!

2008-06-22T21:37:00.000-07:00

Around 3 AM last night, a mouse came into our room. I gasped, and scared him back into the kids room (phew!) And I remembered a couple traps I saw under the sinks when we arrived. We grabbed the peanut butter, and loaded the two traps. Then I laid there, waiting for the trap to go off. I decided to put my i-pod on and listen to music, because I could not stand the silence! Finally after an hour, the trapped snapped. Another hour later (we waited cuz he was still moving), Lance tossed the mouse. After he had spent the last couple hours convincing me there was only ONE, on his way back in, he said…..”There goes his friend.” We had already set two traps, so my i-pod went back on.

I laid there, praying “Just do not let him get in my hair, like the mouse of Denise's did in Addis.

Needless to say, our friend #2 outwitted the trap.

To be continued........

WHC Week 1

2008-06-20T13:53:00.000-07:00

Lance decided to swing with some campers, for probably the last time as he got pretty sick. :) I took this pix cuz I thought his shirt looked cool!

Here we are hiking Communication Hill. They do not do this as a camp anymore, and I actually woke up the morning of day 3 ready to go! So I took the kids. We had a great time!

Week One is over. This was an "Urban Week" and it was great to see a mix of kids. There was a group of deaf kids from all different backgrounds, and it was so great to see them as ONE. Black, Hispanic, White, and different economic backgrounds brought together with one language. Within another group there was a boy in a wheel chair, and they did everything together. They carried him thru the ropes course, and in the pool, and danced together. They all had such fun, and it was wonderful to see the compassion and love in those kids hearts! In the pool I would watch as he would tell them "Stop holding me around my stomach, I am going to puke!" and "Stop carrying me like a baby." 220 kids went on the New Christian walk this week! :)

Here is Josh on the big zip line. I am sure that he set a camp record, as he went on it 10 times today!

THE BLOB

2008-06-18T22:54:00.000-07:00

Keep in mind, this is something I NEVER have done, not even when I was a camper 20 years ago! :)

Life at Camp

2008-06-18T21:59:00.001-07:00

Girls quad, where we are staying

Lots of swimming

Watching deer from our room

The BLOB, I was not anticipating Sami to go so high!!

Eating ice-cream

Hollywood Bound

Waiting to climb......

Free Climbing

Catching tadpoles, hopefully without leaches this time!

Swimming fast in the pond, so the "little sharks" cannot get Tsion!

Potential belly flop!

It Is NOT Fair

2008-06-17T23:21:00.001-07:00

I was reminded of a conversation I had with Sami recently, after reading on of my friends posts. She pointed me toward a new blog (for me) which I will have to catch up on once we are home. I loved this quote, as Shelly did.

"I found myself feeling ashamed of feeling sorry for them and wondering if I should feel this way. This is their life, should I steal their pride? They work, they love, they survive. Who am I to take a passing glance and judge the quality of their lives?"

I get the "It is not fair" a lot (as most parents do?), but more so from Sami. You would think if anyone, a child who grew up in Addis, would know that life was not fair. One day I had this response:

"Is it fair that your best friends are still hungry, and your bio Dad cannot get a job??? Nothing is fair." I asked what he thought when they saw "ferenge" or people in Addis that had more money then them. Did he think that was fair????

His answer was "we did not think about it, no really Mom...I am serious!" I do believe him. We all know how prideful Ethiopians are. You can see it in all their faces, whether they are carrying a load of firewood, or selling veggies on the street. Do thoughts like that run thru their head? Although Sami had a tough life, he does have very good memories of his family life, friends, relationships, and his village.

Why am I so quick to judge how his life was, when I have only had a glimpse?? Is that fair??

Just a couple rambling thoughts, at midnight, from camp. :) Goodnight!

Sorry Friends.....

2008-06-17T23:15:00.000-07:00

I am trying to send you some sun. Should I say we are toughing it out down here....pounding the H20 to keep from getting dehydrated? I just saw the Seattle weather 60 and cloudy. Here is something to make you smile.

We Are HERE!

2008-06-17T22:03:00.000-07:00

We are HERE! I thought I would give you a glimpse off a YL staff wifes day, before leaving on a 3 week assignment…….Course most of these things could have been done ahead of time, but who has time to be organized!?!

4:30 AM: Lay in bed and think of everything I have to do (which of course was saved till the last days we had to leave!)
5:30 Get out of bed, start dishes and laundry.
7:30 Get the kids up, for the last day of school, prepare teacher gifts (really, could I have done this ahead of time?!)
8:00 Lance leaves for the dentist to get a crown
8:30 I leave for the dentist for a cleaning…..(don’t ask, Lance scheduled it!) Luckily, his parents were here to take the kids to school.
10:00 Leave the dentist for home.
10:45 Lance’s Dad comes in, says it looks like a tornado struck. :)

11:00 Lance and I decide to drive to town to run a couple errands, and get on the same page.
11:10 We turn around, realizing we do not have enough time.
1:00 Pedicure (yes, this was necessary!)
2:00 Tsion, Josh and Lance haircut.
3:30 Pick up Sami at school, say very sad goodbyes.
4:00 Resume packing and cleaning
5:15 Sami haircut
5:45 Drop Tsion off to get her hair braided.
6:00 Drop Sami off at the ball park with Lance, Zach has a baseball playoff game. Josh and I head out for errands.
7:30 I feel guilty, find out Zach is pitching in the last inning, and stop at the ball park on the way home.
8:15 They lose the game, Zach is upset and I decide to take him to Starbucks for a Mint Chocolate Chip Frappachino.
9:00 Pick up Tsion. Arrive home to the same mess, put the kids in bed. Pack, clean, more laundry.
1:00 Decide to go to bed, after washing Lance’s wallet, with all his Young Life and reimbursement receipts inside.

I told Lance it was much easier packing to go to Ethiopia then it is for an assignment!

Prefontaine Press Conference

2008-06-09T22:32:00.000-07:00

Some of the kids with Kenenisa Bekele

Meseret Defar...who was the world record holder in the 5,000 until last week!

Grace and Tsion

Kenenisa, Ashy, Sami and Minte

A few weeks ago, there was an invitation for adoptive families to drive down to Eugene for the Prefontaine Classic, and the chance to meet Meseret Defar and Kenenisa Bekele. How could I pass up this opportunity to drive 5+ hours on my own (due to baseball playoffs) to give my kids a chance to meet their hero's!

We left at 5 AM Saturday morning, and picked up 3 of my friends kids to take with us. We arrived in Eugene 7 hours later, and Ashy proclaimed it as being his longest trip ever, and was convinced we had driven to Alaska!

As we arrived at the press conference with a handful of other families and their kids, we all awaited the atheletes. Once they arrived, they sat in chairs around the room, while news/magazine reporters interviewed them. It was a great experience. We anxiously awaited Meseret, and listened as she explained to Ashenafi as she arrived (in Amharic) the no one told her what time and she hadn't eaten lunch! Kenenisa was also there, with his wife.

We were able to get autographs, and after Meseret left, Tsion came up to me and showed me her picture, with no signature. We chased Messie into the parking lot, who graciously stopped and signed her picture. She started speaking to Tsion in Amharic, then I had to explain she could not speak anymore......after she left, Tsion burst in tears. Poor girl.

It is funny how "unimportant" their language was to them when they came home. Time after time I told Sami to keep speaking, and he was insistent, "No Amharic, only English." He was even rusty on our trip back to Ethiopia. After this trip, on the way home, I would say between the three boys (one adult teen!).....at least 1/2 of the words spoken were in Amharic. :)

Brazil VS Canada

2008-06-02T22:26:00.000-07:00

So, I will spare you from all the soccer pics and video that Lance took. :) Lance took Sami and Ashy to the game on Saturday. Zach and Josh did not want to pitch in any $$ for their ticket, so we figured they must not want to go! They had a great time, and got great 100 level seats from a scalper hours before the game. Mom is on duty this weekend for the track meet!

Starvation

2008-06-01T22:18:00.000-07:00

Funny timing. Last week, one of Sami's spelling words was starvation. First, he had to define it, his definition was "very, very hungry" Here is dictionary.com's definition of starvation.

1. the act or state of starving; condition of being starved.
2. liable or seeming to cause starving: a starvation diet.

Not much help, so here the definition of starve.

1. to die or perish from lack of food or nourishment.
2. to be in the process of perishing or suffering severely from hunger.
3. to suffer from extreme poverty and need.
4. Obsolete. to die.

I cannot count how many times I have heard ALL my kids say (in a very whiny voice) "I AM STARVING."

I do know, that even Sami and Tsion were never "starving" in Addis. I have pictures of them growing up, almost yearly, and although I do not doubt they went hungry, maybe "very very hungry", but they were not starving. Can most kids in America REALLY understand what starvation is, and is it something they can even grasp? I do not think even Sami and Tsion can.

This brings me to a post, that I read last night. Mindy is someone that I met by phone in Addis, her husband teaches in Addis. They also employ Sami and Tsion's Aunt, Hoptom, so sometimes I get a bit of insight by Internet into their lives, which is fun.

Yesterday I read something that Hoptom's husband said, and I was so amazed at their faith in God, and so proud to call them part of our family.

"Our dear Hobtom (our houseworker) thinks exactly as I do on so many things, I can no longer pretend to push aside these horrible things in that way. Her husband, Alebachow, and I were talking the other day while returning from the eye doctor with their daughter Haimee. He was saying that this cycle of famine causes the people to look not to human hands to sustain them but to the God Who Hears. Lack of formal education has not resulted in lack of education about the hand of God. This they have learned in every tangible way possible."

Here is Hoptom's baby who was born in January. When we were there she was VERY pregnant! It was fun to see these pix when we got home.

Ethiopians are Starving

2008-05-31T23:24:00.000-07:00

Ethiopian children go hungry as government response faulted Source: Article HERE

SHASHEMENE, Ethiopia — Nine-month-old Alfiya Galeto weighed just 10 lbs. when she arrived at the makeshift clinic here, her eyes dull and her arms as thin as drinking straws. There was no food in their village, her mother said, and for weeks she'd been fed nothing but breast milk.
In the week after this clinic was opened by the medical charity Doctors Without Borders, nearly 300 children like Alfiya were admitted for severe malnutrition. In the poor farming villages around Shashemene, in drought-ravaged southern Ethiopia , aid workers believe that hundreds and perhaps thousands more children are starving.
A serious drought and the worldwide surge in food prices are fueling one of Ethiopia's gravest hunger crises in years, with 6 million children younger than five urgently needing food, according to the United Nations Children's Fund , or UNICEF . Relief workers say scores of children already have died.
But international humanitarian groups say the Ethiopian government has been slow to respond. Prime Minister Meles Zenawi's government hasn't publicly declared an emergency and, the agencies say, has downplayed their estimates of the severity of the situation.
Arid, overpopulated and chronically hungry, Ethiopia receives more food aid than all but a handful of countries worldwide— most of it from the United States , which has provided $300 million in emergency assistance to relief agencies in the past year. U.S. officials defend Ethiopia , a key regional ally, arguing that the government was caught off-guard by the extent of the drought and by how quickly malnutrition rates rose in recent months.
But there were warning signs.
A U.S. humanitarian assessment mission warned in January that humanitarian conditions "could significantly deteriorate" in the impoverished southeastern Somali region. By February— as rainfall remained scant, maize and other staple crops failed and inflation soared— international aid workers reported that malnourished children were showing up at hospitals in southern Ethiopia .
In an address to parliament on March 18 , Meles said that reports of drought-related deaths were "false." It wasn't until last week that a delegation of Ethiopian emergency relief officials toured Shashemene and other parts of the drought-ravaged south. According to humanitarian officials who were briefed on the visit, the Ethiopians were "shocked" by the conditions and pledged to respond.
"It is absolutely critical at this stage that the government of Ethiopia recognizes the depth of its problem, and works to ensure that its children survive this crisis," said one senior international aid official who, like several interviewed for this story, requested anonymity for fear of angering Ethiopian officials.
The head of another international relief group said: "Is it a lack of information or is it denial? The government needs to recognize this is an emergency, to convene donors and to facilitate the arrival of assistance in the country."
Ethiopian officials weren't available for comment. But the inability to feed itself is at odds with the image that the government wants to project: that of a country on the rise, with annual economic growth of around 10 percent, fresh off a massive coming-out celebration last year to mark the year 2000 on the Ethiopian calendar.
At the Doctors Without Borders clinic in Shashemene, 150 miles south of Addis Ababa , 277 children were admitted in the first eight days. Hundreds more are in outpatient care in far-flung clinics in the countryside. In Seraro, a remote town about two hours from here, aid workers reported that 55 had died by mid-May.
The children in Shashemene are faring slightly better. Four have died, but the vast majority are slowly putting on weight thanks to a steady diet of fortified milk and Plumpy'nut— a protein-enriched, peanut butter-like paste often used in famine relief.
On a recent afternoon, a group of mothers smiled as 12-month-old Hirwot, who'd been admitted a week earlier with persistent diarrhea, weighed in at 3 pounds heavier and was transferred out of the ward reserved for the most serious cases.
Alfiya, the 9-month-old, looked in awful shape when her mother brought her in from their village 50 miles away. Her limp body was swallowed by a pale green sweater and flies buzzed about her head, which was scabbed with sores.
But Veronique DeClerck , a Belgian midwife who inspected the child, pronounced that she would survive.
"Now that she's here, she gets treatment and she'll make it," DeClerck said. "But the problem is when they go home, and there's still no food."
Relief agencies say they badly need more Plumpy'nut, vitamin-enriched milk, antibiotics and other treatments. Some agencies complain that the government continues to impose heavy import duties on emergency supplements like Plumpy'nut, which is taxed at about 50 percent.
Of $50 million needed for life-saving food and medical care, UNICEF says that donor countries have chipped in only $6 million .
"We are far from knowing the magnitude of the situation," said Francois Calas , country coordinator for the Belgian arm of Doctors Without Borders. "We can expect the coming months to be very difficult as well."
Relations between the government and relief agencies are severely strained. Last year, during a secretive military operation against rebels in the Somali region, also known as the Ogaden, the government temporarily expelled the International Committee of the Red Cross and teams from Doctors Without Borders from the area. Ogaden refugees have since described massive human rights violations by Ethiopian soldiers.
Earlier in 2007, the government refused to declare a cholera outbreak that killed hundreds of people and infected more than 60,000. Despite U.N. tests showing that the epidemic was indeed cholera, Ethiopian officials insisted on calling it "acute watery diarrhea," which may have slowed the international response, aid officials said.

Gobez Decatur High School!

2008-05-31T23:03:00.000-07:00

"Spencer Kabelac and his classmates at Decatur High School are fundraising for the people of Haiti, where thousands are literally rioting in the streets because they're hungry.We thought we could make a fundraiser the last week of school and thought we could go out our last year with a bang," he said.

The people of Haiti are so desperate for food, some have resorted to eating pancakes made up of butter, salt, water and dirt.

After seeing that disturbing news report, social studies teachers Kim Meschter and Ann Kormos decided to get their classes in action. So far the students have raised two classrooms full of food and clothing, along with $4,000 toward buying a shipping container to send the donated items.

With only one week left until school is out, the students are working overtime to raise an additional $3,000 to send that shipping container to Haiti - and they're asking for help.

"The people talk about problems here like high gas, but really it's an inconvenience compared to what they have to go through there," said Kim Meschter, teacher.
All donations can be mailed or brought directly to Decatur High School in Federal Way."

Source, King 5 news

Click HERE for the video

Kathy Holmgren

2008-05-31T22:49:00.000-07:00

I usually do not catch the local news, but so glad I saw this last night! What an inspiration.

"She's married to one of most prominent people in Seattle, but her passion is for the common man. Kathy Holmgren, wife of Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren, is leading a decidedly low-profile life of service to the poor. KING 5's Eric Wilkinson reports on how she hopes to inspire all of us to enrich the lives of the less fortunate."

Click HERE for the video

MORE Viking Cup!

2008-05-31T22:31:00.000-07:00