From Ethiopia to Minnesota!: 2010

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Little Ethiopian Future NFL-er!

Seriously....How cute is this???
(Notice that some of the kids are kneeling)

This is a great place, Eagan, Minnesota, USA. Not more than 15 months ago, "football" had a whole other meaning...thank the Lord!

Thursday, September 16, 2010

When Did We Stop Appreciating the Gifts of Life?

These beautiful children who come from nothing don't take long before they look for everything. I have seen and heard the struggles of families who, through their graciousness, sacrifice to bring a child into their life, family and home, only to find out it isn't "enough".

Children are the same all over the world! If it is there, they want it, ask for it, beg for it and if you don't deliver it...complain. It's hard for other's to understand that these children who come from nothing (remember that we think it was "nothing") ask for everything. People always ask me "does he just appreciate all that you have done?" My response is "does any child?"

If you are expecting your adopted child to be amazed by this new life and constantly thank you for "saving" him, forget it. What you more than likely will hear is "why can't I have a cell phone? why don't I have a TV in my room? when do I get my own computer? Playstation2 is old, everyone has an XBox!"

It's a frustration to them that they expected to come to America where money is aplenty and so are things. Where all you have to do is ask and you shall receive. Where you keep all the freedoms of before, but add on the good stuff.

When people look surprised by this, I tell them: If someone walked up to you and handed you a bag of diamonds and said "I want you to have this, but you may only use it when I say so and you must do everything I tell you to do." Would you take it? Or, would you rather have your freedom? For our precious one, he would rather have the freedom to do what he wants when he wants with whatever he wants. Keep your playstation, DVD's and house. I'll just sleep outside. Can't motivate someone who had nothing, right?

So, if you are looking for the moment of joyous gratitude, wait a little longer. It will come when they move out.

On the other hand, he was enthusiastically thankful tonight when I put the old computer in his room to play on. Hope it holds up, or we may be asking for a new one! A friend once told me that a mother's job is to provide food, love and a place to sleep. So, when my son once yelled angrily,"You never buy me anything!" I replied, "What?! I bought you bananas!"

Thursday, July 22, 2010

One Year Later...

First Referral Picture (January 2009)

One (and a half) Years Later (July 2010)

Wow! What a journey! I apologize for neglecting this blog. I haven't always known what to say this past year. Adopting an older child is as hard as they say. The transition is for EVERYONE...not just for the child.

Eli is now into his second year in America and in our family. This summer we will see our second child off to college. We will become a household of three. It has been a rollercoaster this past year and I will honestly say, one of the most difficult things I have ever done. The adjustment to family life, rules, structure, school, friends, siblings, schedules, car rides, food, clothing, etiquette, language...along with grieving, sadness, homesickness and post traumatic stress...what were we thinking?!

Well, as one friend said to me, "You are doing God's work and it's never easy." She's right. We have a beautiful little boy, who in time, will learn to trust us. He has God's hand on him in every way. He has come to this strange place (with some ridiculous expectations), but has been wholly embraced by our friends, family and this community. People know him from his engaging smile and bright eyes. They root for him when he is down and yell his name when he shines on the soccer field. He is blessed.

With our second child off to college, we are so lucky to know we have Eli. He has filled our lives as a child does and we see him starting to understand and accept us and this new life. We pray for him and others pray for him. It has been a tough year, but today, we are happy.

Here's what we have been up to...