10 Years After "I Do"

My mom always said, "When you find the person you want to spend the rest of your life with, you want the rest of your life to start right away."  I guess that was the case for Jason and me.  We started dating in August of 2002 and he proposed in a castle in Ireland in March of 2003.  All the venues for that summer were already booked and even though I'd always imagined an outdoor summer wedding, the thought of waiting until 2004 seemed unimaginable.  So we came up with the next best thing, a New Year's Eve wedding! It was a beautiful night of friends, family, dancing, and all the fun of counting down to a new year and a new life together filled with endless possibilities. And all that fun was on a Wednesday night!

December 31, 2003

I suppose when most couples reach this milestone, they can't believe how quickly ten years have passed.  Yes, it has been crazy fast. We try to do something special each year around our anniversary to reflect on all that's happened and where we're going.

Celebrating our 2nd Anniversary at the Anderson House in Wabasha. The dress I wore was a bridesmaid's dress from our wedding!

Celebrating our 6th Anniversary at the Hotel Ruby Marie in Madison, WI

There have been incredible highs.  Most of them involved travel.  Jason and I have trekked through Europe, the Middle East, Asia, South and Central America and even spent a sun-filled week on a sailboat in the Grenadines.

Exploring the San Blas Islands in Panama in 2009

Hiking in the south of Spain in 2008

Of course, our biggest travel highs were our two trips to Africa to bring home our beautiful daughter.

First trip to Ethiopia, June 2011

Second trip to Ethiopia, October 2011

There have also been lows, the kind that you hope you'll never encounter when you promise "for better or for worse."  The first, and one of the most terrifying, was almost losing my sister as she battled Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. She endured the worst of treatments all during our engagement and had to wear a wig at our wedding. A friend who had never met her actually commented how much she loved my sister's hair that night. I think she looked beautiful, too!

Julie reading her touching Matron of Honor speech at our wedding

We also made it through the heartbreaking loss of Baby Terefech.  Three years later, I am still shaken by the frailty of this life. We really must treasure every day.

Fragile Baby Terefech passed away in southern Ethiopia from Pneumonia in January 2011 before she could join our family

In early June, Jason and I will take our first trip without Bereket to properly celebrate ten years of marriage.  We'll hop on a plane for a whirlwind 3-night escape to a romantic bed and breakfast in Moab, Utah.  I have already spent hours studying hiking maps and adventure outfitters. Until that much anticipated trip, we celebrated in a smaller way last night by going for dinner at a nice downtown restaurant and then taking a Christmas lights trolley tour of historic southwest Rochester. Sounds romantic, doesn't it? Not a bit!  Our three-year-old was along and she was so excited to ride a "bus," she refused to eat any dinner and begged the entire meal to get on the "bus" now! As soon we were on the trolly, she was "starving" because she wouldn't eat dinner.  After devouring some fruit snacks, she fell asleep for the rest of the trip...then woke up delirious and screamed the whole way home.  We still had a good time and enjoyed seeing a different part of our city all lit up for Christmas.

Family photo before Little B. fell asleep on the trolly

I have so many dreams for the future. There is so much to see and experience in the world and not nearly enough time to do it all.  The past ten years have taught us that there will likely be tough and unexpected bumps in the road ahead.  Here's to a new decade of taking life one day at a time, together.

She and Me...Missing He

It's the weekend many people are traveling "home" for the holidays. Bereket and I are so anxious to take our own trip up to MSP International tomorrow to bring home our special traveler. Jason has been away to India on a 16 day business trip.  That's half a month, but for a threesome that has never been apart for more than 24 hours since we became a family, the prospect of this journey felt more like 3 months.

The note Jason left for us on the kitchen counter the day he left.

On the first night of Jason being away, I sat Bereket on my lap and we looked up a picture of Mumbai on the internet.

Bereket studied the picture of the world's 4th largest city for a moment. Her attention was focused on the tall sparkly skyscraper. "Castle! Dee-Dah in a castle!" she exclaimed! In her eyes, Dee-Dah was in a fairytale land living with princesses in the most fantastic castle. Such a lucky man to get to do that for two weeks!

As for me, the past two weeks have not always been a fairytale. It's not easy for me to "be on vacation" at home and I've taken a lot of time off work (as Bereket's daycare doesn't open until 7 a.m. and I go to work at 4 a.m.) So I've gotten a taste of what life is like as a stay-at-home mom.  We've had some incredible play dates with friends who stay at home with their children.  Bereket especially enjoyed meeting up with Kokeb, her special roommate from Ethiopia and her oldest friend.

We had a blast with Kokeb's family at the La Crosse Children's Museum.

We also planned a special outing with Bereket's cousins, Isabelle and Daniel. I can't believe I took all three of them by myself to the Mall of America during the busy Christmas season!  But lunch at the American Girl Bistro was worth every minute of the journey!

I enjoyed some festive time with my mom, sister and Isabelle as we took the Christmas Inn tour in our hometown for the first time. So beautiful..especially after a fresh snow.

And each day there were small adventures that were so big in my little girl's eyes.  She had her 2nd haircut and she didn't cry a single tear!

Bereket did so great during her haircut, she got a special reward: a trip to see the new Disney movie, "Frozen." Afterward, we went out for Thai food for the first time together.

Bereket had her first Christmas concert at church.  My extremely shy girl got up in front of the crowd and smiled brightly the whole time.  I was so proud of her! I just wish Jason could have been there.

There are two things that helped get us all through the past two weeks.  First, my mom stayed with us 4 nights so I could go to work two days each week.  It was such a blessing having her here and it was so much fun to watch her relationship with Bereket blossom.

Secondly, Skype. It wasn't always easy connecting with each other with an 11.5 hour time difference..and Bereket didn't always feel like chatting..but how wonderful to see Jason's face (and even offer him a cup of tea and some ice cream from B's little play set).

Tomorrow at this time, we will be three again.  I have learned and grown such much during this time apart.  I appreciate Jason and all he does for us now more than ever.

I hope the next time we are separated this long again won't be until it's time for little B. to go off to college.

Welcome home, Jason. We missed you!

Trees, Turkeys and the Flu

We never had a set plan for Thanksgiving growing up. Each year we ended up around a different table with different relatives. Sometimes we even met Auntie Bev or Julie and Keith at a restaurant that was half way between us.  Four years ago, Thanksgiving ended up at my place. And it stayed here! In fact, thanks to our new traditions, it is now my favorite holiday of the year.

We always start the day by meeting up at the Festival of Trees. It is quiet on Thanksgiving morning and it feels like we have all the magic to ourselves. We don't have to worry as the children run from tree to tree, because there is no one to bump into!

This year our holiday adventure was a quieter one though. The flu had hit my sister's home hard. Isabelle was the only one healthy enough to come. Our happy party of 10 was reduced to 6. So two kids instead of four held hands as they went in search of their very favorite trees.

They even posed so sweetly in front of one until I could get just the right photo. And I did!

They did a little shopping in the toy store.

And we all had sugar cookies and apple cider.

Back at my place, we had lunch and then came adventure number two!  We have always enjoyed some pretty crazy board games after the meal, but last year I added a family craft to the mix.  We all got a little creative around the kitchen table again this year.

I had purchased little cardboard turkeys. After decorating the birds with markers and stickers, we put something we were thankful for on each of it's feathers.

I'll admit Dad looked a little scared at first about having to do a craft (he got to sit that part out last year and watch football). But his was the very best one!  Here's a look at what he is thankful for this year:

Ruth, Jessica, Jason, Bereket, Isabelle, Julie, Keith, Daniel, Nils, Home, Health, Country, Trains, Church and Friends.  

Here's what Mom is thankful for:

Papa's car, Music, Animals, Jesus, Christmas, Easter, Papa, Jason's Job, Family, Autumn and Winter, and $1,000 in the bank.

Isabelle, our budding evangelist, had a very thoughtful list:

Life, Family, Love, Jesus on the Cross, God Making Us, The Bible, Work, Everything and Everyone.

And last, but not least, a look at Little B's list:

Christmas Tree, Pumpkin Bread, Princesses, Dee Dah, Mommy, AWANA, Ice Cream and Yogurt.

Looking at our lists, there are some things that surprised me.  Mom really doesn't love Papa's car. With her long legs, she wanted an SUV, not a sedan. But she appreciates reliable transportation.  Dad didn't put Black Angus Cattle on his list, even though that has been his life's work and he is one of the most respected cattlemen in the country.  Isabelle didn't put Violin or Piano on her list, even though she spends a few hours each day practicing and developing her incredible talent.  And as for Bereket, I guess I am most surprised that she put yogurt at the bottom of her list. Given her passion for yogurt, one would think it would be the very first feather!

I am so thankful for another day with these beautiful people.  It wasn't the same without Julie, Keith, Daniel and Nils. We sent leftovers and craft kits home with Isabelle so they could reflect on the blessings they've had this year, too.  We all have much to be thankful for.

White Wedding Cake

Sometimes something so simple becomes something extraordinary.  That happened today. It only lasted a moment, but it was magic. I'm writing it all down so I won't forget that little bit of bliss, and so that one day Bereket can read this and know something special happened to her, too.

For Bereket's 3rd birthday, my dear friend Jolene (one of Bereket's two amazing godmothers) gave her a gift certificate to The Children's Theatre Company in Minneapolis. Since Jason is away hunting in Wisconsin this weekend, it was the perfect time to use it for a girl's day out. I couldn't believe my good luck when I got front row tickets for the three of us to see Cinderella.

Jolene wanted to make the day extra special so she got us reservations for brunch at Hell's Kitchen, one of the most popular restaurants in Minneapolis. I had always wanted to eat there and the food and atmosphere didn't disappoint.  But my sweet, strong willed three-year-old reminded us throughout the entire meal that she has her own ideas about things...refusing to try even a bite of her lemon ricotta pancake (she has no idea what she missed out on!) and then refusing the french fries we ordered as a replacement and then deciding that sitting under the table was way cooler than sitting on her seat.  No, taking a day trip to Minneapolis with a preschooler isn't a recipe for perfection. Or is it?

Jolene and I had read incredible reviews of the production, but they had not prepared us for the creative, modern, colorful, hilarious spin on Cinderella we were about to experience.  Bereket was on the edge of her seat the entire time and Jolene and I were just as enchanted.

When Cinderella had been released from the closet her evil stepmother and stepsisters had locked her in, and showed the king's servant her glass slipper, I found myself sad the fairytale was about to end.  Little did I know it was just coming to life.

In the final scene, Cinderella appears at the top of the stairs in an exquisite white gown. It is her wedding day to the prince.  I could feel Bereket holding her breath in awe on my lap. After Cinderella and the prince exchanged sparkling rings, a huge white wedding cake was rolled onto the stage.  That's when something magical happened.  Cinderella and her prince cut the cake. Then Cinderella paused. She turned her head and looked right at Bereket and smiled. Then she bent down and handed Bereket a piece of her royal wedding cake.

Jolene looked at me with tears in her eyes.  There were tears in mine, too.  Jolene said, "It is so perfect!" And it was. Is there anything more beautiful than seeing Cinderella pause in the middle of her wedding to give your princess-obsessed child a piece of cake? 

As the curtain was coming down on this very special moment, Cinderella made eye contact with Bereket one last time and gave her a little smile.  Jolene and I melted again.

I think we were all floating a bit as we left the auditorium, but by the time we reached the front door,  reality had returned.  My strong willed child refused to put her coat on.  We had a potty training accident in the car seat on the way home.  Still, my heart is warm and thankful as I write this.

Bereket clenched the piece of cake in it's wax paper wrapper all the way home in her little fist.  It was a little mushy by the time we unwrapped it and she could finally have her special treat at the kitchen table.  But as I looked at the table smeared with white frosting and watched Bereket lick every last bit from her fingers, it was proof that something magical had indeed happened. And it happened to my little girl.

And it was perfect.

The Days We Just Get By

Last night, Jason and Bereket and I had Friday night date night at Newt's, our favorite local burger joint. We had nachos and chicken fingers and lots of buttery popcorn.  It felt so, so good to be out on the town with my two special people. Largely, because it was the first time I'd felt well enough to be doing something fun in a while.

The day after Halloween, I felt a sore throat coming on.  For the next 11 days, I was hit by something stronger than me. It was one of those awful colds that sucks all the life and light out of you, and fills you instead with exhaustion, cough attacks and other icky un-mentionable things.

The other day as I was leaving for work at 4 a.m., I glanced at how we had left our kitchen table the night before.

Three computers were at rest in front of empty chairs, waiting for their masters to return.  I thought of Jason in front of his, trying to fix mistakes that had been made in the visa process for his upcoming business trip to India. I pictured myself sitting in front of mine with a sore throat, feeling too sick and tired to make any real conversation.  And Bereket, just following our lead, took out her computer and pulled up a chair next to us and began typing away.  In a perfect world, we would not be spending our evening together in front of three different computer screens. But work and sickness are a part of life and sometimes you do what you have to do.

I feel like such an inadequate mom when I am sick, especially when I can't talk.  I know that's why Bereket got extra sticker pages this week. I wanted to make up for my shortcomings as her mom. (She didn't seem to mind all those stickers!)

And even though talking was tough, there were three words I made sure I said over and over, "I Love You, I Love You, I Love You."  I think Bereket was starting to get sick of hearing it, but I kept saying it!

It's not been a perfect journey lately, but we're making it over those bumps together. That's what family does.

Rose Night

It's November, the month of Thanksgiving. It is a time to count our blessings and to pause and appreciate all that we have in this land of plenty.

This year has not been an easy one for our family. But this November there is much to be thankful for.  After two serious hospitalizations and heart surgery, my mother is on her road to recovery.  Jason has been blessed with an incredible new career that he loves.  And after a year of no proper vacations, we have two flights already booked for 2014! Yes, God is good and now is the time to give back.

Jason and I both have a heart for the troubles in the DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo). A while back I heard about a way to sponsor women who are victims of war crimes there through a program called Women for Women International.  This one year program helps women in the DRC (and other countries) to learn a trade and how to manage finances. The women learn to develop self esteem and a new sense of community as victims of sexual warfare are often shunned from their villages and families. They are left with no where to live and no way to provide for themselves.  When I asked Jason if we could sponsor one of these women, he instantly said yes. I filled out our sponsorship form with a request that our sponsored "sister" be from the DRC.

Today I first laid my eyes on Rose Night.

Rose is our sponsored sister for the next year. I was surprised to see that she is not from the DRC, but rather South Sudan. At first, I was a little disappointed. The DRC is a region I have read so much about.  I don't know as much about South Sudan.  Then I read the few sentences that were provided to me about Rose. 

Rose is 18-24 years old. That is the closest estimate she has to her own age.  She has four children, three boys and a girl.  While she has a husband, she has no job and works very hard at odds and ends to try to feed her family. 

I want to know more about Rose Night. She lives in a place called Jombo, but I have yet to find it on a map.  A representative from Women for Women suggested I write her a letter to learn more about her story.

If I had to guess, I imagine Rose Night's dreams are that her children have enough to eat and that one day they can go to school. I pray this year-long program will teach her the skills to make those dreams come true. Rose Night, what a beautiful name. It is a blessing to be your sister.

"Howaween Not Scardy!"

Over the last month, we've had an ongoing conversation in our family, "Mommy, Howaween Not Scardy! Not Real, Just Fun!"

It all started with a little skeleton hung outside Bereket's daycare. It was a just a seasonal decoration, but it paralyzed Bereket with fear.  So did the huge spiders and other spooky displays at the YMCA, where our church meets. Bereket would run to me shaking with tears in her eyes, and I would hold her. I would tell her that Halloween wasn't scary, it was make believe and she was going to be a princess for the night!

Our fun began well before Halloween when we picked out the perfect pumpkin with my sister's kids and my mom at Pinter's Gardens near Decorah.

After we picked the right gourd, then came some makeover magic! Grandma LuAnn was here to help Bereket put the funny face on.

Here's the big pumpkin on display with a mini one she painted at Jenna's (her beloved daycare provider).

For the last several weeks, she has brought home a fall-inspired craft every day from Jenna's. We hung up the big spider with Mr. Sunshine because in our house Halloween is not scary!

Then came the first of two consecutive dress up nights.  The AWANA program at our church was having a costume night on the 30th and that's when Bereket debuted her Cinderella gown!

This was the best hand-me-down ever from our incredible friend Kathy and her daughter Addison. Bereket wore it so proudly to AWANA.

Bereket enjoying music time at AWANA.

When Bereket got home from the AWANA party, she proclaimed, "Dee-Dah! I'm Pretty!"

The next night was the big night, Halloween.  After enjoying a day of treats and fun at Jenna's, I helped Bereket into her gown and took her to KTTC for the employee Halloween party.  Bereket was overwhelmed with all the new faces and costumes, but she was adorable! She enjoyed trick or treating at the desks of my awesome co-workers.

And Tom Overlie was dazzled by Bereket's light-up glass slippers. Such a handsome prince, I am sure he will be stopping by our door at any moment to see if those glass slippers fit just right!

And a cute picture of Bereket checking out the view from Mommy's desk.

When we got home from all the KTTC fun, Bereket was barely through the front door when she dove into her sugary loot!

And just when she thought the night wouldn't get any better, she met up with her special neighborhood friends for some outdoor trick or treating fun.

I think we all agree Halloween was fun and magical! And we can't wait until next year!