Glamour Girl

On Sunday, Jason was away fishing so my dear friend Jolene came down from Minneapolis for a "girls' day." Jolene is one of Bereket's two amazing Godmothers and we always have a wonderful time when she comes to visit! But before we could head out to our favorite neighborhood coffee shop for lunch, I needed to fix my face..and Bereket waited for just the right moment to sneak a peek inside Momma's magic makeup bag! This is always guaranteed to be a great adventure!

She started off small with just a blush brush.

                                         

Then came the blush to go on that brush!
                                         
When mom had to run to take a phone call in the other room, thats when the real fun was had!
                                         
Love this girl! Love how the little things like exploring Momma's makeup bag can bring her so much joy!

A Sweet Fall Adventure

On Sunday, Jason and I took Bereket to Vino in the Valley. The little outdoor pizza and pasta restaurant set right in a vineyard is one of our favorite fall escapes. We discovered this enchanted spot just before we went to Ethiopia to bring Bereket home last September and we were so excited to bring her with us this time!  

After we had our fill of caesar salad and wood-fired pizzas, we set out to explore the beautiful vineyard and grounds. It was a warm, bright afternoon, the leaves were starting to change color, and early fall was in all its glory!

We took a hayride through the vineyard to the river. Bereket was thrilled!

On the way home, we stopped by our favorite apple orchard.  Bereket was a true explorer in their outdoor straw maze!

 And she wasn't the least bit scared when she encountered this other-worldly creature!

 

What a wonderful way to celebrate a new season! May the memories of this warm, special day keep our hearts warm in the cooler months to come!

Happy 2005!

On Tuesday, we welcomed in the year 2005 according to the Julian calendar which is followed by many people in Ethiopia. It was our first Ethiopian New Year as a family and we celebrated a few days early by going to a new year's party at Fort Snelling State Park on Sunday.  It was wonderful to have a reason to dress Bereket up in her special dress from Ethiopia. We had a little fashion show all around the house before we headed up to Minneapolis.
 

When we arrived at the party, we enjoyed Ethiopian music, food, and Bereket's favorite part of all: balloons in the colors of the Ethiopian flag!

 Bereket and daddy had fun exploring the park on such a beautiful day.

 

And seeing wonderful friends made in Ethiopia like Mengistu and his parents was the best! What better way to celebrate a new year than with a hug!

May 2005 be a healthy, happy and prosperous year for all!

Our Little Dancing Queen

There's no doubt about it, Bereket has moves and when she feels the beat, boy can she groove! We've known our child loves music since our very first days in Ethiopia with her. During those beautiful afternoons in Addis, we would put Bereket  in our little carrier and walk to the pizza place near our guest house. She would snuggle up to us for an hour or more and bop her little head to the Ethiopia music videos always playing on the televisions in the adjoining pub.  She was so happy, and Jason and I (and all the staff at Metro Pizza!) loved to watch her enjoying the music so much.

Loving the beat at Metro Pizza in Addis Ababa, October 5, 2011

As Bereket settled into her new Minnesota life (and discovered Angelina Ballerina!) she began to dance more and more around the house and Jason and I began to look for a dance class to enroll her in.  Saturday, we began our new weekend routine: Tippi Toes! Yes, as a family we are taking Mommy, Daddy and Me class! (Jason sees his role as more of the official dance photographer than actual dance participant!).

After we dressed Bereket in the beautiful pink leotard and slippers Grandma LuAnn bought her (Bereket had been begging for weeks to wear them!), she excitedly got in the car for her first class! Just look at that smile!

And away we go!

But as soon as we arrived at the dance studio, that enthusiastic smile suddenly turned into a look of terror! I began to worry a bit as she spent the first 25 minutes of  class crying and trying to hide her head in my shoulder.

Is this the face of a happy dancer?!

I hadn't seen such a face since Little B's first encounter with Santa Claus!

Yes, this is pretty much how the first half of dance class went!

Fortunately, my dear high school friend Tara is the owner of Tippi Toes and her sweet daughter Elianna came to hold Bereket's hand half way through class. It made ALL the difference and soon Bereket was feeling the beat!

Sweet encouragement from new friends!

We're rockin now!

 

A song about sleeping!

 

Daddy was so proud of his dancer!

Bereket was one of the very last children to leave the floor after class. She  just  wanted to keep dancing and dancing! I can't wait to see more smiles next weekend!