Kumesa - Referral Day

I thought I'd give you some background on our referral day for Kumesa. It was Monday, April 28, my grandmother's 89th birthday around 3:00 p.m. The kids were in school. Tim was at school (so I thought); I was working away...and the phone rang. I saw it was from the Portland area, thinking it was either my work or the adoption agency. It was the adoption coordinator from Dove on the line.

She said, "I have some news for you."

I said, "Oh no, what's wrong?"

See, since our dossier had arrived in Ethiopia April 1, I thought that there must be something wrong with the paperwork.

However, she immediately said, "I am looking at a picture of a beautiful boy! He's 6 months old."

I almost dropped the phone. Now? Today? I had expected 4 - 6 months for a referral, not 4 - 6 weeks....I was speechless. I went ahead and had her send the pictures and information on Kumesa immediately. If I was thinking clearly and had time to plan it out, I would have probably waited for Tim, but honestly, he wasn't first on my mind. I wanted to see that boy!

Of course, after I saw his delicious face, we tried to get Tim on the line. He was in Home Depot and service was not available where he was. I told our adoption coordinator that we would both call her back when he got home and immediately dialed and redialed his number. When I finally reached him and told him the news, all he could say was, "I told you so." See, he had a feeling that we were going to hear something about a referral that week. (That was very strange because I am usually the one who believes in "feelings" and "intuition," not him.)

I don't know how many laws he broke driving as fast as he could home to see our new munchin', but he arrived in record time. We just stared at his picture: big eyes, fine features, full lips, long fingers....He was beautiful!

When the kids arrived home from school, we were on the phone with the adoption agency asking questions, but mostly absorbing the information. Hannah was the first in and when I asked her whether she wanted to see a picture of her baby brother, she screamed and ran up the stairs. (Our adoption coordinator was laughing.) Zach came next and flew up the stairs too. We were all thrilled and just amazed.

Fun facts about Kumesa (at time of referral):

Birthday - October 4, 2007 (Zach and Hannah's original due date - Strange, huh?)
Meaning of Name - His Thousand
Place of birth - Ambo, which is a spa town (They have those in Ethiopia? See below.)
Date of entree into SOSEE (orphanage) - December 4, 2007
Weight - 5900 grams (approx. 13 lbs.)
Height - 64 cm (approx. 2 ft. 1 in.)

A street in Ambo

Ambo is also called Hagere Hiwot. It is approximately 77 miles west of Addis Ababa, the capitol of Ethiopia.

Bad, Bad Blogger

Okay, I've have been a terrible blogger this spring (and early summer). Hannah just informed me that it's been 5 months since I've blogged, and people were now going to her blog for updates instead of mine....I will try to be better.

So much has happened over the past 5 months, but I will highlight a few:

1. In Feb., Hannah got her braces off.



2. I started a new job as instructional manager for KC Distance Learning in April...and I LOVE it. I'm able to work with great people and get back to doing what I truly love...focusing on quality online instruction. In addition, although I have to travel every so often, I can basically do the work from the comfort of my home.

3. We vacationed at my parents' house in FL for spring break...and Dana and Meredith joined us! We had so much fun. We were able to go to the beach and visit with many family members. (It was Cousin Sasha's birthday.)

4. Hannah and Zach have successfully completed the 4th grade. Both were invited to join Jr. Beta next year. Also, Zach is participating in safety patrol and Hannah is working on the morning news show. I'm so proud of them!



5. Zach earned his high brown belt in karate and the best student award. He also completed a succcessful baseball season where he played on the Yellow Jackets team (assistant coached by his father).



6. Hannah made fabulous pieces of art, including paintings and figurines, from her art class this year. She also attended drama camp at the end of May. (Boy, was that her nitch!) :o)

7. AND...we got a referral for a beautiful baby boy at the end of April. He is currently 8 months old and he's healthy! (More on this later....)

My daughter's blog .

Yes , my daughter Hannah wanted me to tell you about her blog . Her blogger address is www.webkinzdiva.blogspot.com . She hopes you enjoy it !

Our First Visit with Meredith

The kids and I headed to Jacksonville, FL on Friday to visit my sister, her husband, and my new niece, Meredith Olivia. She is delicious! We had so much fun holding her, feeding her, and playing with her...and she loved her cousins, Hannah and Zach.

What a great weekend!

Ethiopian Plans

Okay, I haven't written anything "official" about this yet because we were still considering and planning, but we are going to begin the official process of adopting our son from Ethiopia soon. Right now, we're still researching agencies. I did send in my application to one, but I am not satisfied with the medical screenings and service I have heard they provide.

Today, we went to an Ethiopian restaurant and met other families either in the process of adopting from Ethiopia or have completed the Ethiopian adoption process. Everyone was so warm and friendly. We received some wonderful advice, listened to great stories, and ate Ethiopian food for the first time....Well, most of us did; Hannah had tiramisu. I had the vegetarian platter, Tim had lamb, and Zach had shrimp. There are no utensils to eat with; you simply eat with your hands. You scoop up the food with sponge-like bread. It was good! Zach and I really enjoyed ours, but Tim did not. When the waitress saw that Tim was not eating his, she immediately took it off of the bill even though he told her he simply was not hungry.

We're looking forward to another branch of our life journey....Mind you, we're not giving up our China adoption plans....We're just branching out in another direction for the time being.

It's Been a While....

I know I've been a bad blogger lately. I'm not exactly sure why, but one of my New Year's resolutions is to be a better blogger. The following will catch you up on what's been happening these past couple of months:

1. Thanksgiving in Jacksonville - Tim, the kids, and I met my sister and her husband in Jacksonville for Thanksgiving. The kids and I left the Sunday before, my grandma and mom came that Tues., and Tim flew in on Wed. Needless to say, my sister's house was crowded for a while, but we had lots of fun! She was eight months pregnant then, so eating was definitely on the agenda. As soon as blogger lets me post some photos, I will post some of her shower. (It's not letting me post pictures tonight.)

2. Chanukah - Tim, the kids, and I had a great time celebrating Chanukah this year. We made latkas the first night, and the kids received a present each night.

3. Zach's High Blue Belt - Zach earned his high blue belt in Dec. He's now half-way to earning his black belt.

4. The Birth of Meredith Olivia Bauries - My beautiful niece, Meredith, was born on December 22 in the early morning. She weighed 8 lbs., 6 oz. and both mom and baby were fine. Meredith is a great eater, and at 2 weeks old is already almost 9 lbs.

5. Christmas - We celebrated Christmas with the whole Watkins' clan on Sunday, Dec. 23. Mom and Dad Watkins stayed with us through Christmas. The highlight (other than just being together) was the Wii. I think Tim and I had as much fun playing the Wii as the kids did. Dance, Dance Revolution is definitely my favorite.

6. New Years - We had our traditional New Year's dinner at Blue Willow Inn with the Watkins' clan. There is just something about going there when it's decorated for the holidays; it's just beautiful. We spent time investigating each room and evaluating the decor; then, of course, we spent time in the gift shop. After, Tim, the kids, and I just came home and watched the ball/peach drop for New Years. (Hannah made it; Zach did not.) It was just nice to have a quiet evening with family.

You are now officially caught up! (I'll post more if I missed something.) Right now, Tim's in the midst of basketball season, the kids are doing karate (Zach) and art (Hannah), and I'm working away.

Fabulous Kids!

I know it's been a while since I blogged. I guess life gets busy, but I have lots to share...beginning with information about my fantastic kids! See the slide show below about their academic and art awards. In October, both Hannah and Zach were on the Principal's List because they made straight A's. Zach was also recognized for making a perfect score on the math portion of the CRCT while Hannah's art earned an award in her class.

I am so proud!