Fall Festival

Yesterday we took the girls to the local fall festival and met up with our friends Kimberly, Greg, and their children Abygail and Caleb.  I am so thankful we were meeting them or Dave would have kept on driving.  It was obviously beautiful out as every family in town was there today.  Dave doesn't particularly enjoy going to these type of events as it means him chasing the kids while I visit (yes, it is true.  I like to visit).  Once we found a place to park and walked a block to the event, we quickly realized this may have been a mistake.  The lines for everything were a mile long.  We stayed though as we were meeting friends and we had already promised the girls a pony ride.  I ended up standing in line for almost 40 minutes while Dave and the girls bought wrist bands, said hello to the clown, played at the jungle gym, and watched the ponies give rides to other boys and girls.  Finally it was Maya and Makenna's turn and they loved their pony ride!

 After our long wait and fun pony ride, the kids lead us to the barn where they could decorate a small pumpkin and a cookie.  We then hit the jumpers and the barrel train.  The girls had a blast!

 On our way to the front entrance, we had to visit the pets and go through the hay maze.  Maya really loved the bunny and even got to hold her. 

 Here our attempt at a family picture.  It seems really impossible to get a great photo with the two kids.  Either one is looking or they just refuse to smile.  Trust me, they had a great time!

Addis Life

Today we got our latest issue of Addis Life.  It doesn't come very often and to be honest I am not sure the number of issues per year so I enjoy it when we do receive it.  Every issue is full of inspiration, something to learn, and many beautiful pictures of people, places, and things.  It really makes me want to jump on the next flight out of town as I miss Ethiopia more than ever. 

If you don't already receive it, I highly recommend subscribing to it.  If nothing else, it makes a great coffee table decoration.

Bye Bye Tonsils

Mid-August Maya had her tonsils removed.  It was a quick decision on our part as we learned that Maya's heavy breathing and restless nights were not common for a 4 year old girl.  Unfortunately this is not good for any young person to not get a good night's rest and to snore or breath heavily.  This is actually because of very large tonsils.  From speaking to the doctor, most tonsils in children will shrink down over the years and should be at the normal size around age 9.  We decided to have Maya's removed now as she was struggling with her sleep and very much relied on her naps during the day.  This is fine for now but with the new daycare naps are much shorter and next year she will be in Kindergarten.

Maya did great on the morning of her surgery.  She was a very brave girl and did everything asked of her by the nurses.  Recovery though was very tough.  We ended up spending most of the day at the surgery place waiting for Maya to drink and to have a few bites of food such as jello.  Maya finally complied and we got to go home.  She spent the rest of the week at home in the care of Dave who had the flexibility to work from home. 

It took a good 10 days for Maya to come around from the surgery.  She really had no energy, didn't want to eat much, and didn't talk much at all.  This is very unusual for Maya as she is our chatterbox.  Thankfully the surgery went well, Maya did recover, and all ends well.

Before Surgery:

 After Surgery:

Hey Friends!

Hello friends, family, and fellow bloggers.  It has been way too long since my last post.  I wish I could blame it on our crazy busy life but I have to admit, I just wasn't into blogging.  I used to have a big passion for it and I really enjoyed putting my random thoughts and updates about my family on my blog.  It was nice to share pieces of our family with all of you as well as give me an outlet to share some of my struggles, fears, etc.  I would love to have that passion again and thankfully I can feel it coming back (I hope).

It has been tough for me to share my world on the computer.  I am a very open person and willing to share almost anything but I found it hard when I would hear the words "I read it on your blog".  I realized that no one was really asking me how I was doing, what was new in our world, how were the girls, etc. because they felt they knew it all from reading my blog.  You see, I did blog about most things but not everything.  I'd love to have someone ask me about my world without referring to my blog.  Maybe that doesn't make any sense.

I will tell you that we have been busy with family and work plus enjoying the time we had left of warm sunny days. Maya has been busy with soccer, dance, and Sunday school.  She loves them and is really enjoying her new activities.  Makenna is playing any sports right now but our plan is to enroll her in parent/toddler gymnastics after the holidays.  Makenna has incredible upper body strength and loads of energy so I think gymnastics may be perfect for her.  Until then, she gets to tag along to Maya's activities and also to Dave's weekly soccer games.

Both girls have recently transition to a new daycare.  We had to make a tough call but in the end we decided to switch as our new daycare has more to offer.  Plus it will give Maya a new experience before she heads off to Kindergarten next fall.  The girls really are enjoying it and have met some new friends.  We like it too.

I have also been styling the girls' hair more which has been really fun.  

Last but not least, today is our referral day for Makenna.  Two years ago I left work in a hurry to meet Dave at home so we can call our adoption agency and get the exciting news.  What was even more special is we hadn't told anyone we were growing our family.  Can't believe it has already been two years.  Happy Referral Day to us!

Philly - Post #1

Almost a year ago we decided to visit our good friends in Philly over the 4th of July.  It was a perfect time to go as Makenna can fly as a lap child and we had extra time off from work.  Plus it worked out great for our friends Steve, Amy, and their 4 year old daughter Bailey.

Bailey and Maya go way back.  They were together in Ethiopia at the same care center.  Since coming home, we have made a point to stay in touch.  Amy and Steve have flown back twice to attend the EKC Mehaber and now it was our turn to visit them.  We love these guys very much and couldn't imagine our lives without them.  I just wish we lived closer!

We had a great time while visiting.  The first day we just hung out, relaxed, and visited.  The next day we took off to the Jersey Shore in the city of Sea Isle.  Steve's parents have a fabulous place a block from the ocean which made our trip so easy.  We have the lakes and they have the ocean.  So different and so very cool!

Makenna is excited for the trip!

 Maya got to have slumber party with Bailey.  Aren't they precious?

 Maya at the shore

 Makenna LOVED the water!

 Amy and me - love her!

 Makenna's favorite moment on the entire trip was riding the horsie.  Late at night on the way home from the shore, Makenna said out of the blue "I rode horsie".  She was so proud and really loved it.  This made me so happy knowing my girls had a terrific time. 

 Maya had a great time at the mini amusement park.  I think she rode on every single ride and would have kept going if we didn't force her to leave.  Look at that smile!

 Bailey's grandpa took one for the team and took the girls on the Tilt-a-whirl.  This ride makes me sick to my stomach so I was glad to be the one taking the picture.

Stay tuned for more of our trip...I especially wanted to blog about it as it was a terrific vacation for our family.  I also want to remember it well and have it included in our family blog.

Dear Maya and Makenna

Hello my dear children.  Mommy has taken a very long break from updating the blog as I have been enjoying spending time with you and your daddy.  The month of July came and went so quickly that I wanted to savor the time I had spending it with the family.

As you both know, we have been busy enjoying the summer weather.  The first part of July we got to fly on a plane all the way to Philly to visit our good friends Steve, Amy, and Bailey.  I was highly impressed with how both of you traveled and only having one meltdown by Makenna on the way home wasn’t so bad overall.  I’m pretty sure the other passengers were treading the flight home but you all fell fast asleep once the plane took off.

On this trip, you both also experience the Jersey Shore (ocean) for the first time.  I loved seeing your beaming faces.  Maya, you had a blast picking up seashells and Makenna, we couldn’t keep you from sprinting into the water.  Thank goodness we had lots of people in our group to help keep an eye on you as you were fast!  I also loved seeing you enjoy the small amusement part.  Maya, you loved every single ride and were so daring.  Makenna, did you ride the horsie?  I believe you did as you made sure to tell us every other minute afterwards. 

Our family fun didn’t stop there as we got to spend more time as a family at the EKC Mehabar in Minneapolis, MN.  You girls had a great time meeting new friends and seeing old friends.  Of course the jumping things sure made an impact on you as well.  Maya, you had fun swimming with daddy and playing with your Ethiopian friend Addie at the indoor park.  We all had fun meeting a great family from IN who traveled far to be at the picnic.

You girls also have enjoyed your new Barbie jeep.  I love watching you attempt to drive it around the neighborhood.  Maya, you are a crazy driver!  Daddy really spoiled you!

Makenna, you turned 2 in July!  I cannot believe my baby is 2!  I hope you had a great birthday considering your aunt Tori and her family came to spend the night and next day with us.  Going to the lake, swimming at the beach, eating at Zorbaz, and diving into the Dairy Queen cake seemed to have been enjoyed by everyone including you!

What else?  Oh yes, Maya you have been loving soccer.  I am so glad Daddy picked out a great soccer program for you that really teaches you the game of soccer.  You have been doing so well and I’m glad you enjoy it!  You both have also enjoyed our bike rides, playing at the parks, seeing friends, and relaxing at home.  We had a great month didn’t we?

Love you girls more than words and thank you for the wonderful memories we have created as a family. 

Love,

Mom

Wordless Wednesday - Love these smiles!