1st Day of Summer School...

Today was the first day of a 5 week, Summer Enrichment program that our local school puts on. Leyton has been signed up since January, but I didn't think I would be able to get the girls in. We had a parent orientation on Friday, and the director said she would take them, since she was teaching thier group.
The girls started out excited, and that quickly turned into FEAR, when we entered the gym and they were told to line up on the 'green' line... I watched them join the line, of kids (grades 4,5 & 6 - about 18 in all) and head up the stairs.
The summer program is only 3 hours a day, and is more about enrichment, teamwork, and learning leadership skills, than anything else. I think that they are lucky to have this opportunity, to 'break the ice' with some kids that they will be in class with next year, and not be put on the spot right away. The group is small, and a great mix of kids from all backgrounds, and a good range of ages/abilities.
So I'm sure you are wondering how it went...
The girls reappeared at the school entrance 3 hours later, with the biggest smiles on their faces... and when asked, both said it was 'good', and the kids are 'good'... They loved it.
I hope this attitude sticks!

Cool Camera bag giveaway... check it out!

I'm in the market for a new bag.... Aren't they great!?!

The Name Game....

So, I have always thought that the girls would keep their given names... I mean, honestly, their names are the only things that their first families gave them... and the only things that have ever been only theirs...

I always intended on giving the girls a middle name because what 13 year old girl (or any girl for that matter) wants to go through life with the middle name Jonathan... I always joke that its sad that we have 3 children with the middle name Jonathan, and not one of them is our son!

*SIDE NOTE*
In Ethiopia, it is custom that the family of a baby gives the baby a first name, and the last name is the fathers first name. (ie... Leyton's Ethiopian name would be Leyton Jonathan)
They carry this custom over into the adoption... and the child keeps their first name, and the middle name is the name of the new father (or single mother) and then the last name is the new family name.
(ie...Ava's legal name is Sidisse Jonathan D***)

So anyway... we gave the girls each a list of 4 or 5 names that we liked, and told them to choose which name they would like to have....
Both girls have decided that they want to go by thier new names... So from here on out, they will be referred to as.... Please use these names from now....

Introducing....

Selina



Liya

WOW... I can't believe its been 2 months! Sorry!

Well, to say that we have been busy in the past few months, would be an understatement! It seems like they flew by! So I'll start with a quick update...

We decided on the smaller house, and began to move while Jon was in the field at the end of April. It was a lot of work, and many trips back and forth, but it was too short notice, to hire movers. We love the house, love the location, and love the landlords! We are so happy to be living here.... We have a HUGE yard, that Jon and the kids have already been camping in.... a garden, a fenced area for the dog, a cherry tree, and several other fruit trees, that we will be picking up after all fall!

We love it.

The front of the house...


Our back door...


Back yard pics... our yard includes the fenced area, and the mowed area beyond the fence... Its all ours!






The garden...


Our patio...



On May 5th, I flew to Ethiopia, to pick up the girls. It was a quick trip... and busy, busy... we had meetings at embassies, meetings with family, tears, and pouting and a fit or two.... It was fun, and exhausting and way too short. It was great to see all of the kids, and I would be lying if I said I didn't fall in love while I was there.... I got to see my sweet Wubesie,( who my friend Lynn is officially the momma' of!) I spent time with great friends, and threw a baby shower for Ivy...

The sweetest baby around, my Wubes!


Going away party...


Kalkidan and her 'best girls'!


Me and a special friend!


Liya Tensaye and her guys...



A visit with my sponsorship kids... I love these kids! And it is amazing to see how well they are doing in school, and they are getting so big!



One of my favorite sights in Addis... a Wedding procession... I love how the videographer videos the procession from the back of a truck, as they drive down the road.... I guess they don't want to miss a thing!







Kalkidan's family...


Liya Tensaye's family...


A baby from the carecenter...


Me outside of Nazret...


Ivy's shower!


The girls and I flew home on the 13th, and were welcomed with the fabulous cold, wet weather of Germany. The first few days were rough, the weather was cold, the food was weird, and we don't wear underwear in the shower....
However, the girls are settling in nicely, and aside from a few slight attitude problems, we are doing great. The girls will be starting school in the fall. I had contemplated keeping them home and homeschooling them, but they are teenagers, and I feel that they need to be with other kids. If we lived on post, it might not be so bad, but out here in the country... there is noone their age. They are dying at home already, every day, I get asked when they will start school... so it will be a LONG summer!






Ava and Leyton are doing great, too. Ava loves having two more people at her beck and call, and Leyton thinks its pretty cool to have older sisters. Leyton was in a play last week, Jack and the Beanstalk, the Musical He was the old man...











We took a long weekend and went to the beach a week ago... It was great. I've mentioned before, how much I love Belgium, and the beach, and this time was no different! We stayed in a great B&B, and spent hours in the sand and surf. The girls loved it. It was cool to see them experience the ocean for the first time.

































French fries, the way they are meant to be... mmmmm....
















Leyton spent hours digging holes, and collecting shells. He even found a few jellyfish, and picked one up!



















I took a few pics of the kids at the beach...























We had our dear friend Elena take a few family pics yesterday, for our 1 month post placement reports. Jon left this morning for 3 weeks in the field, so we had to get it done early. It was pretty painful, trying to get all 4 kids on the same page. It took over an hour, and 100 or so shots to get 3 half-way decent pics.











Sorry for the delay... but we are home, and doing well... the girls sent around 100 letters to Ethiopia yesterday, with a friend of mine who is volunteering down there for a week. I wish I could have gone with her!