Our Secret Superhero

Shh..I am about to let you in a secret: We have a superhero living among us!
This innocent looking child may answer to the name of  Bereket, but in the quiet of the evening, she transforms into a girl able to cheer even the crabbiest of soul with her incredible smile and still has energy left over for a pirouette with Angelina Ballerina. Yes, she is "Headband Girl!"

Preparing to transform into "Headband Girl"

According to Wikipedia, "Headbands are a clothing accessory worn in the hair or around the forehead, usually to hold hair away from the face or eyes."  But when no one is looking, what appears to be a simple band of plastic suddenly becomes a pair of magic glasses! Take a look at these secret images captured of our superhero recently:

The transformation is complete!

On this particular night, "Headband Girl" dazzled Momma so much with her cuteness, she got to stay up an extra 10 minutes so Momma could take her picture!

Sightings of "Headband Girl" have been reported as early as February, 2012. These images were caught on camera six months ago by paparazzi in Northwest Rochester:

If you see this child spreading cheer in your neighborhood, you may be temporarily blinded by her bright smile and want to share your encounter with reporters...but remember, the true identity of "Headband Girl" must always remain a secret!

A Season of Blessings

Jason is away at his fantasy football draft today, a certain sign that fall is ahead.  Bereket is fast asleep after a fun-filled Dairy Queen play date with my dear friend Kathy and her children and I have a bit of time to sit down and reflect.

Summer started early in Minnesota. This meant more outdoor fun! It started almost as soon as we returned from our family vacation in Mexico in March...and I am thankful. So thankful for every wonderful moment of it!  We had a lot of smiles and laughs as a family and I need to get a few photos into my "history book" before a new season of adventure begins.

One of my favorite summer memories is Mother's Day. I had no idea how utterly wonderful and special this day would be. Spending it in Lanesboro with my own mother and my sister and her children made it all the more incredible! After a pizza lunch, Papa gave us all a ride on the gator which was a fun treat for everyone!

What a beautiful group of mothers and their chidlren!

Hold on tight! Papa's driving!

Bereket got a new set of wheels from Grandpa and Grandma this summer!

My cool kid on her sweet ride!

 And with a need for speed, she was soon driving something with a little more horse power!

Grandma, hold on! I can get you to your ball in no time!

Uncle Eric taught Bereket how to slow down and enjoy the view a bit, too.

We experienced new animals at the petting zoo at the Rhubarb Festival in Lanesboro!

It was a very hot summer, and we had so much fun beating the heat! 

Daddy taking Bereket down for some afternoon fun in the kiddie pool.

No more photos until after my swim!

 But this attempt at keeping cool was a little crazy!

We spent hours with great friends making gooey smores at our backyard firepit!

Cousin Daniel is the best smore maker and eater in the whole world!

And speaking of sweet, it doesn't get better than a beach day with a very special friend from Ethiopia.

Bereket and Kokeb take pretty in pink to a whole new level!

Camping with the cousins at Whitewater State Park was a blast! Granny even came for hotdogs and a hike by the river!

The fun was even better on the North Shore because our camping trip was longer! Five whole nights! We had hours and hours of fun by the water!

This summer has been so much fun! We are blessed with so many special memories. We thank God for each and every day we've had with our precious Bereket. I can't wait until next summer so we can do it all again (and then some!).

A big smile at the Buffalo Bill Days Parade! My very favorite photo from the summer!

Renewing Our Spirit on the North Shore

Jason, Bereket and I recently returned from 5 nights on the North Shore.  It was a beautiful escape and I am so thankful for this much needed time away as a family.

Over the summer, I had let myself get rundown. My tank was beyond empty.  We were on the go too much. Every weekend there were two or three commitments. I couldn't re-charge for the next big week ahead. Adding to my fatigue, little B. decided to drop the afternoon nap we both needed. Daddy found himself coming home every night to an overly tired toddler and a bit of a cranky wife.  We needed to get away from it all...and there's no better way to do that than to pitch a tent at a Minnesota State Park!  But first, Momma needed to gather up all the food and clothes for our big camping adventure...and that's a lot of stuff!

"Mommy, if you pack anymore camping supplies, there won't be any room for you!"

Our first night of "camping" was at the Radisson in Duluth.  We had so much fun exploring the urban beauty of Canal Park. 

Then we continued our drive up to Split Rock Lighthouse State Park. Bereket was so excited to help cart all of our gear into site #4. 

Just a day or two into our trip, I started to get the little feeling I often get on an incredible trip: the sense that something very special is happening and I need to pay attention because I will miss these days when they have passed.  I tried to focus on every little blessing...burning them into my memory.

I loved singing Bereket to sleep in front of the campfire.  I loved waking up with her little face right next to mine in the tent.

I loved spending hours as a family perched on our amazing cliff-side campsite right on Lake Superior. I loved walking on the shore and watching Jason teaching Bereket how to skip stones on the water.

I also let myself get lost in my child's growing beauty.  I think she gets more lovely every day. Even when she is wearing daddy's hat and glasses or eating raspberry pie filling straight from the can in her Santa pajamas.

This was the first time just the three of us had really unplugged from the rest of the world since we were in Ethiopia bringing Bereket home.  That was almost a year ago.  I realize now we need to take this precious time away together much more often.

On our final evening, I spent a little time on the shore by myself. I listened to the waves and took in all the beauty.  I felt at peace.  I looked to the sky and said, "Thank you God for helping me get back in sync.  I am good now."  Then I walked back to my family to help get dinner ready.

My sleepy hiker: one of the many sweet moments I am so thankful for.