Apr. 22, 2009 - Happy Birthday Yabsira!!

Today is somewhat bittersweet, because it is Sara's birthday today. She just turned two. And we are not there. We were really hoping that we would either have her home or be there to celebrate, but alas, this was also not in God's plan.

What is God's plan? What is He doing? What is He teaching us? Patience, perseverence, trust? Hmmm.

We've been waiting for 7 1/2 weeks for the visas for the girls. Here we thought that once we replaced the document. that the Canadian High Commission lost, it would only take a week or two, but no, it has to take four, almost five so far. Adn no end in sight from our vantage point. It's sooooo tedious.

Obviously I'm not really good at this waiting game. I can wait for only so long before it doesn't make sense anymore. So, I'm getting sorely annoyed. I try and then I try again to settle down. Huge, huge sigh.

Anyway, so it's Sara's birthday, so I was thinking that we should go out and have cake and buy her a present...that'll be somewhat helpful. Oh, and Imagine sent us a birthday picture scrap page, so that was considerate.

Anyway, happy birthday, honey, and we will celebrate when you come home!

ME

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Apr. 1, 2009 - Adoption update

What's been happening?

Well, I should have written this earlier, but I didn't, so here goes.

On March 20, we were emailed by our immigration consultant for Imagine to discover that the Canadian High Commission lost a document that was needed to process the visas for the girls. Of course, they didn't say they lost it, but obviously that's what happened, since Imagine sent it, and it was signed for. So we had to sign and send them another one.

Well, I want my girls! I want their visas. How dare they waste my time?! How do you lose something like that? How irresponsible! GO FIND IT!!   (There is my rant.)

Now, what to do? How do I expedite this, and delay it by the least possible time? Well, I printed the document, went to Peter's work to get them signed, went to the post office for next day delivery (of course, it's over a weekend...groan)...and hoped for the best.

Imagine got it Monday morning, but their courier couldn't pick it up till Tuesday. NUTS. Especially since I found out that the pouch was sent on Wednesday, so we'd miss it. Nairobi got it on Thursday...so now we are still waiting for it. I keep hoping for an extra pouch or something this week or that it will be opened on Friday, so that we'll know...I'm wanting to get out of this limbo, but I suppose we're meant to be here for awhile.

We thought that March was the best time to go, but I guess not. It'll be April...my mom's birthday, Easter, AHEA conference, and stuff. It's not that we're worried about missing AHEA (well, maybe a tiny bit), but my SIL will miss it...well, the girls are important, so we hope that Peter and Marianne and Jason can go next week. In a way, I'd like to know ahead of time whether our visas are in pouch, so that they can leave on Tuesday or something.

I'm really trying to see that God is in control and that His timing is for the best for our family. He is good, His will prevails, and He does everything to our benefit. Maybe it's because we're not really ready either? I don't know. Peter doesn't want to put up cribs until we have the visa call. But I do want to unpack little girlie clothes from their buckets and pack suitcases. Maybe tomorrow...

I just want them to come. We got such adorable pictures for our March update...wow, I wish I could figure out the picture and blog business to make this a more interesting looking blog.

Well, I guess I should hang laundry, and then we'll distract ourselves by visiting a friend.

ME

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Feb. 26, 2009 - The Birth Certificates and Passports have arrived!

Wow, we were quite amazed to find that email yesterday when we got home! YAYAY!! Wonderful!! We are getting closer and starting to get a bit nervous about things we need to do...yikes! I think Peter and I are going to sort that out tonight....maybe I'll forgo my shopping night tonight. It's cold anyway.

I just feel we are not ready. We're not the types to get ready too soon anyway.

The funny thing about it all is that we thought that it would say their original names...Ethiopians use the father's name for a child's surname. So now Peter is their dad and so Yabsira's name is Yabsira Peter George! Hilarious. And Blen too!

We're very excited to pick them up, so hopefully this next step will take only three weeks or so. I would LOVE to travel before Easter. It would be so great.

Anyway, I should work away on some stuff that's been pushed to the background....Talk later.

ME

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Feb. 21, 2009 - Saturday thoughts and happenin's

I just can't keep up, can I? Oh well, that's okay...as we have a minute or two (without feeling too guilty).

You know that we have our house up for sale. No real bites either. We've had only one couple look at the house. Then we wondered whether we should keep our house for sale or de-list, especially since we're in the last stages of our adoption process. Then Peter was wondering why we couldn't just keep the house up for sale and move after we have the girls. I gave Peter all kinds of reasons why we shouldn't move after Yabsira and Blen come, but Peter thought that since we have the same people and the same house, we could do it anyway. So we asked on the Canada adopts Ethiopia yahoo group....most people told that we should, and only one told us we shouldn't and gave their personal testimony...I think that we might just keep it up for sale anyway and see...who knows it could be hard to move after the girls adjust and get too used to our house.

So, now, what's happening in the meantime? Well, first, we drastically lowered the price of our house...so we'll see. Right now, you'll see the decrease only on the web and not in the ComFree magazine.

Then lately, we've had to replace all kinds of things...bigger things. First our freezer decided to die...thankfully in the winter, so we could keep things frozen or mostly frozen (since it was not crazy cold, but still lightly freezing). A freezer doesn't need a lot of details, and so Peter ordered it over the phone from the same store we got our dishwasher. So that's done.

Next, Peter found a small leak in the hot water tank. Now, this was was an old HWT...it had lived its life with an extra three years attached. So we did that too.

Our washing machine was turning out to be an outrage too. The filter never really worked. Then this yucky smell would come out...especially if the lid was down. It was also leaking oil. We probably went over a year with this situation. This was one we picked up through the bargain finder, so it did serve its purpose. So, last night Peter looked in the bargain finder again and bought one. I didn't go with him to look (because I don't like doing that part), and I figured that since it was two years old, it would be fine. Well, it is...except that I only get two sizes of load: small or super...what a hoot. Maybe I'll always be washing on super size!! Mom suggested getting a front loader, and I'd like that, but do we want to deal with a good front loader given or sold (probably not) to the buyer of our house? I don't know. I'd like a front loader for my new house! So we didn't. Just watch...I'll be wishing for a front loader if I have to live here for the next year!!

What other big things? Oh, I've probably missed something. We thought we'd have to have our car repaired, but we found out that it  just needed antifreeze, so that's sorted out, thankfully.

**************

Homeschooling

Reuben doesn't like the sit-down stuff and always balks. I have to get creative, and that's hard for me to do. I have to take my opportunities as I get them. He is currently enjoying reading the Laura Ingalls Wilder books...I should say that I'm reading them, not him. So that's fun. He could play all day if he could. I think that I miss some of the things he does catch on too. Maybe it's just in the daily life and routine of things.

Yesterday we went to the museum...only for a little while since Asher ended up feeling crummy and wanted to go home. There is a polar bear and penguin exhibit on right now. But the kids don't really stick around for the educational stuff (although there was much too much media interviewish stuff with scientists and researchers...boring)...but they liked the penguin slide where you dress up like a penguin and go sliding. As Peter would say, they go there just to for the entertainment parts....hmmm. I actually think it's true. And Reuben also doesn't like to exert himself. How do you train that?

When the hot water tank guy came in, the kids were very excited and had a great time. Reuben likes to know how things work, and he watched this guy and chatted with him the whole time. When I was paying him for the work, this guy told me that he enjoyed talking with Reuben and that he knew a lot of stuff about a lot of things. He said Reuben reminded him of his son who goes to a special school for gifted children. Wow! I was amazed, and thought, oh boy, how do I work with that. I thanked him and told him that I was glad he told me, because sometimes I wonder about how things are going and whether Reuben is really learning. And this just went to show...Someone else sees stuff. It's not all for naught.

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Random...

Suzanne got sick overnight on Tuesday night, and pretty much bounced back to normal the next day. Now Asher is feeling royally crummy. You should hear him cough! It's so nasty. It scared Reuben last night so we let him sleep on the couch.

I feel like I should be stocking up on stuff so I don't have to worry about buying anything but the basics at Sobeys like milk, eggs, cheese, and produce when the girls come. So I started on Thursday night. I also want to bake up a storm, but I'm not sure I'm going to get there. I have a meal in the freezer, but I decided to give it to someone who needs it more than I do at this time. I can always make another. But even for early spring clothes like coats, rubber boots, and new running shoes...gotta get going!

I want to sew for my daughter. The dresses are just too short. She's two and a half, but she needs a dress that 25 inches from neck to the bottom. Maybe I'm anal, but I'd also like to teach my daughter modesty early...except that she's missing top or bottom clothing all day long at various points of the day...but at least in public. I haven't gotten very far...got the fabric washed and the pattern pieces roughly cut out....I don't really have time, but who knows, it could take less time to sew than to find the right length.

So there are thoughts from my busy life. I still spend too much time on the computer...and I should be spending more time organizing, decluttering/tidying, and creating a routine. But we all know that routine would fly out the window in a short while later, only to have to make a new one.

LOL!! I'd better move onto one of those details right now!

Take care, ME

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Feb. 6, 2009 - The best news of the day!!

WE PASSED! WE PASSED! WE PASSED!

We passed court today! In the first court date!! Wow, We are blessed, we are amazed! We are so happy!

I shouldn't really take the time to give details because I've been on the computer ALL day, and I've been ignoring my kids (well, just a little)....but it was awesome.

Our case worker phoned us at 7:15 A.M. with the news. We were reading the Bible and the phone rang...much too early for the phone to ring. It said KidsLInk, so we knew that it was the adoption agency. And would they phone that early if it had not passed?

Anyway, so we got the amazing news with some extra detail. It was so great!

Last night at 2:45 Peter got up to use the bathroom. I got up after him, and when I came back , I said to him that maybe court was happening right that minute and maybe we should pray. And so that's what we did. We prayed and prayed, and we had a very hard time falling back asleep! And then we got called early in the morning (we were having devotions).

So we are pretty much plastered to the ceiling. And we have a lot of decisions to make. For example, we probably have to de-list our house, because there is just no time. We might...might be travelling in 6 - 8 weeks...although timelines are unpredictable. 

Just wanted to pass on our exciting news. We thank the Lord for his grace and timing...we are truly blessed.

ME

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Feb. 2, 2009 - This Friday (Thursday night) is an IMPORTANT date for us.

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Jan. 20, 2009 - These past two weeks...

I'm sure a sporadic blogger...usually every two weeks or when I get prodded. My husband, who even suggested I blog, told me that I don't even really have time to blog!! LOL!! Make up  our mind!

We've just gone through some serious cold weather that seemed to last FOREVER!! This week has turned out to be quite reasonable and nice, and we've even gone sledding twice.

I've also been spending time at home, but I'm not sure I'm getting any more done...a couple of weeks ago I was grounded at home because I had to wait for a science crate that was delayed. You know, when you HAVE to stay home, than you want to get out and cabin fever sets in really fast...but if I knew I could go out and didn't, it would be a totally different story. Funny how that works.

We had a wonderful Sunday with family friends and it was so great. Sometimes it takes a while until we visit, and we spent the whole day there (between and after our two church services). It was so great. I had thought about asking if we could come over all day Saturday and L thought about it all day Saturday to ask us over...great minds think alike. It was fun.

I went to our homeschool fellowship last night and heard a testimony from a lady who suffered very serious injuries and survived and beat all the negatives that the doctors had said would come as a result. Her life, and the fact that she lives is a total miracle of God, and she is such a joyful woman of faith. It was such a blessing to hear a story like that....And then I got to visit with relatives for awhile. I'm not an extraverted person at all, so it takes me awhile to start visiting with people I don't know. I'm pretty new at this homeschooling journey, so it'll take a little bit of time.

I feel pretty good about today...I folded two loads of laundry, have Hungarian beef in the crockpot, verified the contents of above-mentioned crate, and wrote a special note to a special young lady for her birthday (late, too yet)...but Ihave to do school with Reuben. It's like pulling teeth, although he admitted yesterday that he was enjoying Explode the Code.

I like to use the crockpot, but I'm not sure that I like smelling food all afternoon...for once I was even on the ball. Really, it would be so great not to worry about supper. It's usually the meat that I have to plan, thaw, and find a way to cook it.

Anyway, we'll see what this week brings. Y'all have a good week.

ME

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Jan. 7, 2009 - Ethiopian Christmas is today.

Melkam Genna to everyone. I thought that it was Ethiopian Christmas, that I would attempt to make an Ethiopian meal. What fun. I made a key (beef) wat (stew) with injera bread (which is what Ethiopians use to scoop up their food. When I introduced Ethiopian food to my mom, I used this not-so-savoury analogy. Pretend you're picking up a dead fly with a kleenex. Ewww! But anyway, it turned out nicely. The last time I had made doro wat, which is a chicken stew with boiled egg, which was yummy, but the injera didn't work. So this time it worked pretty well. For the beef stew I had to use quite a bit of chili paste...and I forgot to half the recipe, but it really did have the right kick to it.

Now that was a delicious experiment. Thanks to fellow adoptive mom for her recipes.

We'll celebrate Genna on Monday at a local Ethiopian restaurant with other adoptive parents. How fun!!

ME

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Dec. 31, 2008 - Of course you should make a comment on the last day of the year...

I feel like I should be writing something profound and thought provoking when it's December 31, but do I even have time to think and ponder? Well, I suppose to be brutally honest, it's a low priority...

So here are a few random comments. That is such an "in" word; I'm not sure that's a good thing.

Here goes:

I lost a baby this past spring...it seemed like there was a lesson in that, but I wish it didn't have to result in the death of a child. But God has a plan...sometimes I just wish I was in the know.

My father-in-law passed away this past summer. He was so healthy and then within six weeks he was gone. Now, THAT was rough. He wasn't even that old...70s is NOT old, especially now that I'm a grown-up and realize that the early 70s is not old.  And all that comes afterward is not necessarily enjoyable either...

I met a wonderful friend who moved continents earlier this summer. I have been blessed by her and we've had so much fun together. And I love doing things for her too and we've just "hit it off'. It's so great...and what was special was getting her and my other awesome friend together with our families.

We finally got the referral for our Ethiopian children on November 14. THAT took a long time...but now we're all excited. We're getting a little worried about the pending court date though, because there have several instances of failed court dates.

Peter went to Cyprus...that's an exotic trip. I told you all about it already.

*****

So now for current things:

You can tell that we are home for New Year's Eve. It was just too much. We've been busy and out to my parents' house 2 hours away, and it's been late nights and all such things. And while it's fun and sometimes necessary, it's good to just want to catch up with sameness and familiar habits (do we even have those?).

I made oliebollen and other "funny supper" kind of things this evening....yummy!! It's a dutch tradition, a deep-fried fritterish kind of thing, and I did it. Only one batch, which technically is not worth heating the oil for, but that's okay. I just wanted to do it...and I only had one bottle of beer in the house. And I burned my finger with sploshed oil...so it's not feeling very nice.

The kids decorated my hair with Suzanne's hair things. What a hoot. I don't think that they cared that "it was for New Year's", but they had fun. I needed Peter's help to get them all out.

We are going to bed before the New Year...and probably even sleeping. Wait, maybe I won't be. I'll be reading...I have MANY MANY books started and not finished...but I started "Too Small to Ignore", the first one, by Dr. Wess Stafford...we'll have to have a discussion about starting books and not finishing them, but anyway...that's for another day. I have several other ones by my bed, so we'll see which one peaks my interest. I think I was hoping to watch a movie with just Peter, but he's much too tired. We went to bed too late last night, but I managed to take a nap.

So, now I wish you all a HAPPY NEW YEAR, and I pray that you will be a blessing in someone's life this year.

ME

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Dec. 23, 2008 - Our Christmas Letter

Merry Christmas!!

Here are some enjoyable tidbits of conversations and interesting vocabulary that we've heard in our home. At least we had the presence of mind to record a few of them! There were many more that we didn't...have a chuckle or two!

REUBEN

1. The longer a dinosaur's neck is, the louder he can roar.

2. Austria? Do ostriches live there?

3. At the top of Bellamy Hill there are bellamies that are even taller than Daddy!

4. That's a most unusual situation! And he's coming down the stairs!

5. I'm a good brain-thinker. I can think of many true things with my brain.

6. Jesus spelled all the red words in the Bible, and God spelled the black ones.

7. A villion is bigger than a million. But a fetillion is even bigger. It's the biggest number in Saskatchewan!

8. Our new house will not like our old television, so we'll need to buy a new television.

9. My thoughts come from here [chest] and they go up to here [brain] and then I think them.

10. Look how tall my new teeth are now. I water them by drinking water.

11. This little garden bunny can make herself as small as an an electron so she can hide inside a flower and live there.

12. I do not approve of cooked orange juice [making chocolate orange pinwheel cookies]

13. The fatty part of food [bacon] goes into my toes to keep them warm.

ASHER

Auntie Mel: What did you do today, Asher? Asher: You'll never guess.

Auntie Em: What are you going to be when you grow up?

Asher: When I grow up, I'm going to be a grown-up.

Q: Asher, how old are you?

A: Three

Q: When are you going to turn 4?

A: When I'm finished being 3.

1. When the timer rings, I will scurry upstairs. [to put clothes on]

2. A rainbow stops the rain from coming down. That's what it does.

3. Wow, look at all those birds! They must be going to their church.

4. How does God make the snow fall from the sky? Does he press a button? Does it have a snowflake on it?

5. Will I suffer and die? [he means suffocate]

6. In here [a saucepan] is melted soup and it's invisible.

What Asher packed for camping: 1 pair of jammies, 1 pair jeans, and 3 pairs of shorts...and his flashlight.

Asher calls Suzanne “baby dude” and Daddy is “Daddy dude.”

SUZANNE

February (18 months): EIEI....O nuMNy= yummy

April (20 months): deeday: Rejoice [singing]; baybuggy: ladybug

Suey's first sentence: Reu did that. (putting mud on the garage)

Suey loves Franklin books. “Turtle!” “Turtle!”

July (23 months) Grandad = dad dad ; piggy back ride = buckwuck ride

August (24months): Mummy: are you a parrot? Suzanne: I a parrot!

October: boofbus = toothbrush

Her usual answer: OK, all right, bye-bye.

I a kangaroo! [the kids put both legs in one pj pant leg and hop around]...I want to be a small person. [change back to normal. It's hard for a toddler to hop around confined like that.]

November:Out in the coldiness.

When she makes something out of lego or draws something, she calls it a "soupaloop". (Just like Asher's "bamidoogie"...see how similar they are?!)

Now she can say most anything in her funny way of coming across (which we haven't been recording).

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Dec. 18, 2008 - Adoption details (copied from my facebook note)

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Dec. 8, 2008 - YAY, Peter's back home from Cyprus!!

Last week Peter left on a trip to Cyprus to set up a fire management system there. I think that ever since the fires in Greece, Cyprus has been concerned about forest fire management...they had the smoke from this fire billowing over their island.

He was supposed to go in the spring, but discovered that Cyprus had to go through the "official" channels, namely Foreign Affairs.  So guess what showed up on his boss's desk? A formal request for the expertise of Peter Englefield...hilarious!

The cheapest flight, if you want to call it that, went from London, since it turns out that the British use Cyprus as a popular holiday destination. Peter said that he was on the "Turkish Express", since most of the passengers were Turkish. (Cyprus is divided...the Turkey "controls" the northern part.)

What an experience. It was too bad that he didn't get to tour the island and see the villages and stuff like that. He did get a gift of serious Cypriot food items...Turkish delight, anyone? (It would not have made any impact on me, except that I have recently seen the Narnia production put on by the Sherwood Park Alliance Church.) There were other interesting things as well. The kids got a shirt. Imagine Suzanne (Suey) in a little shirt that says something like this: Someone who thinks I'm really special visited Cyprus and bought me this shirt.

Peter spent a couple extra days in England because an international flight is cheaper if taken over a weekend and to visit his uncle and aunt. He stayed with a family friend and had a lovely time.

We were extremely glad to see him home. And I was also relieved. I have an serious appreciation for single parents! and I say that EVERY time.

That's it for now...

ME

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Dec. 3, 2008 - What do you write in your very first blog entry?

1. Do you introduce yourself and your family? Do you use names or nicknames? Well, I can answer that. I'll get confused...so no.

2. Do you write a big long spiel? I'll probably end up doing that.

3. Should it be profound? Well, you're not going to get a profound comment...those might show up intermittently, probably by my husband, who might contribute his deep thinking thoughts.

But, I'll give a short, uh, long introduction, and you will soon get to know us as we write.

Peter is my husband. We've been married for 9 years...he is the one comes up with the crazy schemes, although he'd probably tell you that I come up with my share of crazy schemes. He's a stupendous guy...and my favorite. He's the calming influence on my spazzy, reactive self.

Reuben is our firstborn son. His name even means, "behold, a son"! He is going to turn 6 very soon. He is our thinker, our sage. And he thinks up amazing things. He also knows how to make me coffee in the morning. Reuben wants to learn in his own way on his own time (or maybe without him knowing that he is). His mummy isn't sure that she likes that idea.

Asher is our 4-year-old torpedo flying through the house. He is constantly moving and never quiet...ever. Actually he can be quiet in church, and how we managed that, I don't even know. He recently discovered drawing, and his favorite animal to draw is a skunk. Actually, that's just his favorite animal.

Suzanne is our monkey pants and she is fun (...and into everything (iow, BAD)) She is busy, busy, busy. She and Asher are pretty similar. She is two years old and such a dolly. She loves changing clothes and eating mandarin oranges (oh, and grapes). She has good command of language, so she is pretty understandable. She LOVES babies. Just ask my friends with babies! You will usually find her with a lulli (soother) in her mouth...almost permanently attached.

We also have two children, sisters, waiting for us in Ethiopia. One is 19 months, and her sister is 3 months old. We got the referral phone call for them 2 1/2 weeks ago after waiting 14 months. It was a LOOOONNGG wait! Now we have different wait, but sometime next year, hopefully the spring, we will be able to bring them home. I don't want to give names right now, because we are hoping to change their names and we are 99% there. Just hold on. I also can't post pictures yet....all in good time.

I don't really like describing myself, but I like to bake cookies and squares...especially for others. I also enjoy sharing my food...I like to read. That's what I was going to do until the pull of making a blog won over. I like reading parenting and homeschool books. There's so much to learn...and apply (sigh), but there you go...for now.

You will also notice that I use many parentheses and ellipses  (is that what they're called?)

Anyway, enjoy following our journey.

THANKS!

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