Tesfa is 3!!!!

Well, his birthday was actually on January 12th..but, since Kasey was gone, we chose to celebrate his birthday Last night!! We had a fun day...woke him up( i know...who actually wakes up their kid!!??) but, I just had to, so I could sing him Happy Birthday!! Then we went to church, ate lunch, the guys watched football, and then we had dinner & cake at my parents home!! Tesfa was a very excited "birthday boy" which made our day so fun!! He loved hearing everyone sing to him...all day he kept saying.."Happy birthday to Tesfa...cha cha cha!!" On the way home last evening, he said..."thank you Tesfa birthday, tesfa have fun, like birthday cake & sing to me!!" He was just so sweet & grateful for his fun day!! And today...he's sporting his new camo pants, camo rain boots, & a new shirt he got...no, none of it really goes together..but, he still looks adorable!! Thanks to our family for helping Tesfa celebrate his "1st" birthday here at home!!  xo kristen

Ageze's friday a.m. thoughts!!

This morning while eating breakfast, Ageze starting visiting about Ethiopia...I could listen to him for hours..his words can sometimes be devastating as he explains the day he went to "New Ethiopia"(thats what he calls the orphanage)...and let me tell you, he knows details...and it's heart breaking. Other times it's music to my ears...this morning he shared with me the day he went to the Dr. in Ethiopia...I'm thinking it must have been the final TB test before coming to the U.S.....and he had this process so clearly down...you go get your final blood work and soon your family comes!! He said..."Momma, Ageze & Tesfa go to Dr. in Ethiopia, get shot in our arm, and Ageze say..It's my turn Now!!" "Momma, Papa come get me & Tesfa, Momma look beautiful, Momma have beautiful eyes!" And then of course Tesfa chimed in.."Tesfa miss Himbasha!!" Ha!! I thought Ageze's comment was so sweet...he could see the joy and love in my eyes that July day!! Oh, and I finally get my husband back tonight!! He has been in NYC for the last 3 wks for work, so we have missed him like crazy!! We made a countdown chain, of course...and the kids were so thrilled to have pulled off the last one before school this am!!  Hope your weekend is fantastic!!    xo kristen

6 months home!!!

It seems like yesterday we were getting off the plane here in NoDak!! Wow, what a 6 months it has been!! The boys continue to do so well...Tesfa is probably the loudest jabber-walkie you'd ever meet...serious, just ask the random people at Target!! And well, Ageze has possibly the best hearing this side of the world...or I should say...he could hear everything a world away...no joke!! His ears are always ON!! And I guess, who can blame him...I'm sure he was always on the look-out & always listening! They are very sweet boys & we love them to pieces!! This last 6 months has also been a huge learning experience for each & every one of us...we have been taught extreme patience, understanding, compassion(which we already had...but it has grown!!) sharing one another...etc...and we are still learning!!! Today Tesfa said..."Tesfa like Grant, Kate, Ageze, America, Nala(our dog)mom, Dad...& so on!!" IT's pretty cute when he says..."America loves Tesfa!!" Grant & Kate always get a kick out of that...and his latest..."Tesfa is beautiful!" Yes, sweet boy..you are beautiful!! Grant usually then says.."Mom, that's not a good thing to say, people shouldn't say they are beautiful!!" So glad Tesfa is feeling confident, and so proud that my son Grant recognizes that we don't need to toot our own horn!!! Ha!! I'll leave you with a few pics from 6 months ago...i know, i know...you are all like..."again???".... xo kristen

peace..

At church the past few weeks, our sermons have been on the "fruits of the spirit." You know...Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness & Self-Control!! I can honestly tell you...that I just really learned about this...yep, at our kiddos Christian school at chapel!! They sing a song that goes somewhat like this...
The Fruit of the Spirit
contributed by Paula Harrington

The Fruit of the Spirit's not a watermelon
(What 'cha yellin?)

The Fruit of the Spirit's not a watermelon
(What 'cha yellin?)
If you want to be a watermelon
You might as well hear it.
You can't be a Fruit of the Spirit.

'Cause the Fruit is Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness,
Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control.
Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness,

Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control.

The Fruit of the Spirit's not a kiwi
(Whee)

The Fruit of the Spirit's not a kiwi
(Whee)

If you want to be a Kiwi
You might as well hear it.

You can't be a Fruit of the Spirit.

'Cause the Fruit is Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness,

Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control.
Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness,

Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control.

The Fruit of the Spirit's not a banana
(Nana)

The Fruit of the Spirit's not a banana
(Nana)
 
If you want to be a banana
You might as well hear it.
You can't be a Fruit of the Spirit
 
'Cause the Fruit is Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness,
Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control.
Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness,
Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control.
 
The Fruit of the Spirit's not a cantaloupe.
(Nope!)

The Fruit of the Spirit's not a cantaloupe.
(Nope!)
 
If you want to be a cantaloupe
You might as well hear it.
You can't be a Fruit of the Spirit!
 
'Cause the Fruit is Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness,
Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control.
Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness,
Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control.

So, there you have it!! This week we talked about Peace...what does that look like to you?? How does it feel?? When you hear the word "peace," what comes to your mind?? A few weeks back i came across this magnet, and have it on my fridge...and well, it would have fit in well with this last weeks sermon...So many times, i think we tend to think that having peace or being peaceful can only happen in the best of times, when things seem to be going great, when all is well...dont you think?? I am commited to finding this kind of peace, which can only come from God....xo kristen
Lord, I pray that even in the midst of our busy lives, hectic schedules, frustrations, fears, chaos...that I am able to feel an overwhelming sense of peace, which can only come from you. Amen.

Referral-versary!!!!!

 

         It's been one year ago today...that we were sent these precious, precious pictures!!! For me, looking at these pictures brings me to tears...they look empty, lonely, sad, desperate. One of the first things that comes to my mind is....wow..have they changed!! The minute we laid our eyes upon these photos...we were in love!! We knew they were meant to be in our family...what we did not know was...that it would take a little over 6 months to bring them home...that wait was torture...let me tell you..I am a very patient person(or so I thought!!) but this was the very first time my patience was put to a test like this. Wow...was the wait worth it!!! The boys look at these photos and say..." Ageze look mad!!" He places his little hand over the picture and says" nobody happy there."(i think he means in the orphanage) Tesfa says.."icky, Tesfa kaka in his pants, this picture..eew!" ( which means he pooped in his pants...thats always the first thing he says when he sees it.) And to this day..if he has an accident in his pants...he gets this exact expression on his face..he feels ashamed. Now when I tell you what Ageze says...I dont mean to sound negative...the people of Ethiopia, or alot of them...seemed very happy. I think he just recalls alot of hurting children in one place who were obviously without a family...and to him, that makes sense...how can one be happy without a mommy, daddy, brothers sisters...etc. It was basically like a large daycare, a few nannies, not that much to eat, no one to kiss them at night, tuck them into their bed...EVERY child deserves a family!!

   I feel so blessed that we were chosen to be Ageze & Tesfa's family!! My hope is...those of you who have yet to start this journey...due to lack of finances, not a large enough home, too small of vehicle...etc....that you choose to let go of the How's & What-If's...God has it all under control...so what are you waiting for???

               Our beautiful, precious, smiley, silly, stubborn boys!!!! Ageze & Tesfa...you were meant to be!!

better late than never...

Well, like I said in my previous post...we were going to a friends house to celebrate Ethiopian Christmas!! We had a fun night with lots of friends & really yummy food!! Our version of Himbasha was a hit...Ageze still says..."momma make good Himbasha!!" Grant chose not to wear his Ethiopian attire, but the rest of them couldn't resist...and well, I simply couldn't resist kissing on my sweet kids!!

                                     So, there you have a few pic's from our crazy, fun night!!

            I'll leave you with a few pic's of our last few days...each of them makes me smile!!

                                                Kate having her own little tea-party!!

                                                          Tesfa loves his orange julius

                                                 one cute boy with a mustache!!

                                                            silly girl!!

                                                          yum...thanks nana!!

                                                     Tesfa & cousin Abby...cute!!

                                       yes, Kate painted Tesfa's toenails...sorry Kasey!!

                                                  Ageze playing...finally!!!

                                                      

                                                  my beautiful flowers from my love!! ( I guess I should say..."our"....the kids think daddy sent them to us!!!)
                                                                 xo kristen

Melkam Genna, Yemarina Yewotet Dabo & a random smile:)

So, today in Ethiopia, is Christmas..yes, January 7th...to be exact!! Here is a bit about Christmas in Ethiopia....

Ethiopian Christmas is a major holiday in Ethiopia and falls on January 7, instead of December 25. Unlike the rest of the world Genna is devoid of Santa Claus and Christmas trees. But more recently the trend has been changing where Christmas trees have slowly started creeping into Ethiopian households where many people started using decorating trees even if there is still no Santa Claus stories told, giving and receiving gifts is also not a big deal among the people rather new clothes are bought for children as a present on the holiday.

Genna is followed by one month long fast. It is said that Legend has it that among the Magi the king bearing frankincense as gift to baby Jesus was King Balthazar of Ethiopia. The day before Genna, people fast all day. The next morning at dawn, everyone dresses in white. Most Ethiopians do a traditional shamma, a thin, white cotton wrap with brightly coloured stripes across the ends. After the mass in church families get together to take part in the holiday feast which include doro wot, tela (homemade traditional beer) and Defo Dabo (bread made for holidays). As done in many holidays’ people visit relatives and spend the holiday feasting together.

Christmas is a holiday where many people come together especially in recent times Ethiopian Diaspora come for the holiday in an attempt to not only enjoy Genna, but also celebrate Timket (Epiphany), considered one of the biggest holidays of the year which is just two weeks away from Genna.

In rural areas people play yegena chewata; Ethiopia’s version of hockey which is played using carved stick and kind of rounded ball where men and young boys participate in the game – at times the rivalry can be fierce. There are also songs which are sung to show how people appreciate the game ‘begenna chewata aykotum geta’ at times the rivalry can be fierce. According to tradition, shepherds celebrated when they heard of Jesus birth by playing such a game.

So, there you have a bit of info on their celebrations....tonight we are celebrating with a few families here in town whom have adopted, eager to adopt or in the process of adopting from Ethiopia!! My kids are thrilled to wear their Ethiopian clothing tonight, and Ageze, Tesfa & I made something similar to "Himbasha" today...Tesfa talks of Himbasha quite regularly, so we thought we'd give it a try...our local grocery stores didn't carry a few of the ingredients for Himbasha, so we tried something called..."Yemarina Yewotet Dabo"( Ethiopian Spiced Honey Bread!!) So, we are excited to try out our creation!! The whole time I was making it, Ageze was watching me like a hawk!! He'd say.."mama, look like Himbasha...Alto(his Ethiopian Mama) do it like that...yummy!!" He definitely knew it looked similar, so it seemed!! We'll see his final reaction this evening!!

             

    Okay, so I'm totally gonna change subjects here....this morning the kiddos were goin about their normal morning routine...you know, bath, brush teeth & so on...well, Ageze makes quite a mess while brushing his...so, as usual I went in and rinsed the sink out with water...and this is what was left behind!! The kids were freaking out..."Mom...theirs a smiley face!!" Who ever thought some leftover toothpaste could brighten your morning??? Well, it did mine...:)

                                                                    crazy, huh??? ( i know, you are probably thinking yea right!! you should've seen it...have to admit...cheered me up a bit:)

                                                                      xo kristen

new hair-do(for Ageze!) missing teeth, and my silly kiddos!!

So, as I'm sure you are aware, we've had a bit of a hard time learning the how-to's about the boys' hair...we finally got it down pat...and then, just like that...Ageze wanted to cut his off, like his friend, Joshua!! I was completely shocked...he has been very finicky(sp?) about his do!! One day he insists on having it washed, which then has ended in full-blown tears, yelling in Amharic, & puling at his hair...the next...he is asking to wash his beautiful hair, and have it cut!! He is one silly, very smart boy:) So, here is his latest hair-do!!



     So, the other night I was looking at Kate, and I asked her if she lost her little tooth...she responded.."no!" So, I peeked at her mouth, and her crazy little tooth had been sucked up into her gums..yes, im serious...it was very strange!! So, if you know me, I love pulling teeth, so , once I pushed down on her gums, the tooth popped down & I yanked it...gently of course!! She was totally surprised:)

 Oh, and of course the tooth fairy delivered her $3.00 the next morning...what can I say...it was a stinker of a tooth!!......

    Lastly....last night while I was scrubbing the floors...the kids were mysteriously quiet!! That doesn't happen very often around the Gilliss House...I glanced upstairs...and oh my....hilarious!!! For 15 minutes last night, I was the momma to 4 very silly, beautiful girls!! HA!!(they had even put lipstick on!!)

                       We Love you & miss you like crazy dad(papa!)...wish you were here to see us being our silly selves!! We are counting down with our chain!!! Momma doesnt like playing single mom...hehe!!
                                                                     xo kristen & crew

Coincidence??

So, with it having been Christmas and all, we've done our fair share of watching kids' movies!! What's even crazier is that every one of the movies we watched had the word "orphan," "adoption," or "orphanage" in it...So, why is it that my ears perk up every time I hear those words?? I mean, I'm so glad they do, but I have to admit...in the waaayyyy past...I could've watched these very same movies & probably thought nothing of it. But, I'm so glad I think something of it now!!  So, I'm sure you're curious what movies they were...
   Santa Paws...really cute movie...G rated!!( and really not too much about Santa.)
 Toy Story 3...would'nt recommend it personally...but to each their own.
Legends of the Guardians(sp?) animated owl movie..who are orphaned. Rated G
Despicable Me...I didn't watch it myself..but Grant & Kate said.."mom, they are talking about orphans!"
Free Willy 3...Oh, how I love Free Willy Movies....and yep, talked about being orphaned, and not having a spot in life...how sad, but true...like I mean, somewhere to belong, belonging to someone...not to an orphanage, but to a family!!!
                                              Are you that spot for someone??
                                                       xo kristen