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!

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.

Toloshi

Now that Jason, Bereket and I have settled into life as a family, it seems like its time to give back. We aren't making big payments to an adoption agency or purchasing expensive plane tickets to Africa, so I've been keeping my eye open for the right opportunity to do something meaningful. Last week, my heart melted the second I saw Toloshi's beautiful face.

My friend Paula (an incredible advocate for orphans and the mother of three beautiful children from Ethiopia) shared Toloshi's picture on facebook via Rivers of Living Water Ministries. Toloshi's sponsor could no longer afford to help her and she needed a new one. There was something so special about this beautiful girl, I immediately contacted Bonnie, the organization's founder.  She told me all about this sweet 7-year-old child. She told me how our sponsorship dollars will help provide her a brighter future through food, clothing, a school uniform (you aren't allowed to attend school without one), school supplies, Vacation Bible School and the assistance of two social workers.

Could we visit her?  Yes! We simply have to find our way to her village of Gojjo (2 hours west and one hour north of Addis Ababa..two hours on a paved road and then an hour on a rocky, primitive road through forest and jungle). We can stay in the village guest house for $10 a night.

Could we send her a care package? Yes! Bonnie was leaving for Ethiopia in two weeks. If we sent her something to her Montana home in the next few days, she would gladly take it to Toloshi.

When Jason got home from work, I showed him Toloshi's picture and told him all about the ways we could help her.  I told him how I loved that Rivers of Living Water was a small organization with very little overhead. We could feel good that our dollars were going right where they were needed. Jason agreed and within a matter of just a few hours, we had a new sponsor child!

Bereket and I rushed off to the store to try to find some fun things for Toloshi's care package. The shopping was fun but challenging because all of the items had to fit in a one-gallon size plastic bag and it could weigh no more than two pounds. I can't wait until we can bring her an entire suitcase filled with wonderful things!

I also sent Toloshi a picture of us and wrote a card saying how excited are to be her new sponsor family.

I know Toloshi has experienced a lifetime of heartbreak in her young life. I think of her every day and can not wait to go visit her. I pray that this sponsorship will bless her..and lead her to a happier future one day.

Family Camping Weekend: Let the Good Times Roll!

The Third Annual "Camping with Auntie and Uncle" weekend is officially in the books...and after the camp gear is almost all back in it's proper place and the laundry is almost all free of campfire smell, I can't help but think, "Wow, camping is so much fun and soo much work!" (I am determined one of these years we will actually pack up the campsite in under two hours!)

Isabelle and Daniel (our incredible 7-year-old niece and 5-year-old nephew) look forward to this weekend all year long and I do, too. This summer's trip had two new additions to make it extra noteworthy.

First, Bereket came along! It was her first camping experience and she is one happy camper! Whether we were roasting marshmallows or splashing in the creek, she was determined not to miss a second of the action!

Secondly, I made a last-minute, summer splurge purchase: a Coleman Instant Tent, promising set up and take down in one minute flat! The one minute thing was a little too good to be true, but we got the tent up and everyone inside just in time for an all-night rain! I am happy to report the tent was almost waterproof and the kids seemed to find the new tent just as entertaining as the old one.

The weather improved greatly Saturday morning and we were in for a weekend of fun in the sun. When my sister picked the kids up this afternoon, she asked what their favorite part of camping was. Isabelle and Daniel both agreed they had two favorites:

In first place, Auntie's amazing campfire pancakes: they were even better than last year!

And coming in at a close second, our afternoon at the beach!

My favorite part of the trip was this morning when I thanked Daniel for being Auntie's amazing hiking buddy. He responded, "Auntie, I'm Bereket's buddy first!"  I hope these little cousins will always be the best of friends and that many more camping adventures are in our future.  But first, we need to recover from this one!

My very tired happy camper.

Mommy and Daddy's First Night Away

In the 9 months Bereket has been with us, Jason and I have had exactly 3 dates. One of them was to an arts fundraiser in early November. My sister was there as well and convinced me to bid on a night at my favorite bed and breakfast in Lanesboro in the silent auction. The Habberstad House is where Jason and I stayed on our wedding night and we've always wanted to go back. When my bid was the winner, I turned to my sister and said, "You are a winner, too! You have just won a night with Bereket!"

The Habberstad House is so beautiful inside and out.

In December, I booked our night away for July 1st. Surely by then Mommy and Dadddy and Baby would all be ready for one night apart.

But in the weeks leading up to this special night, I became filled with anxiety.  Bereket still wakes up a few times in the night and lets out little screams until she can touch Mommy and Daddy's faces and hands to know that we didn't disappear on her.  What if she woke up and thought we had abandoned her? What if my sister was up all night trying to dry her tears and soothe her back to sleep? What if Bereket's little cousins were kept up all night with her cries? Should I call and cancel our precious reservation?

But friends reminded me how important this time with Jason was... and my sister's home was only 5 blocks away from where we would be spending the night. We could be there in just minutes if there was any kind of problem. And Bereket's cousins were so excited for her sleepover, they had been counting down to Sunday night all week long. So, we would roll the dice and see how things went!

And they started off fabulously! Bereket didn't even notice when Jason and I slipped out of my sister's house.

Cousin Isabelle sharing her doll with Bereket.

When we checked in at the Habberstad House, our hosts handed me a delicious glass of Pinot Grigio. After a few sips of that, we were shown to the beautiful Scandinavian Room. One look at the big beautiful whirlpool and my anxieties melted away.

Ahh....

Sunday nights in Lanesboro are fantastic with live music at our favorite little restaurant on the river and all the shops and art galleries are open late. We enjoyed it all! 

Local band at "Riverside on the Root"

After devouring a massive shrimp pasta dish, I was so full, I could barely move. But by the time breakfast arrived, I found myself hungry again! Our hosts severed us two incredible courses...starting with dessert!

The first course was a delicious cake with homemade ice cream! Yes, this is breakfast!

So Mommy and Daddy did great on their night away! And Baby? She also did great right up until bed time...then there was about 90 minutes of tears. My sister almost called us in for help, but Bereket finally decided to give up the fight..and drifted off to sleep.

After all the globe trekking Jason and I have done over the years, It is amazing that such a short, simple trip to my hometown is even noteworthy. But for our family, this night was a milestone.  And as great as it was, we're all happy to be back together again!