Package for Fisher

We are very sad that Fisher is not home yet. We had hoped and hoped he was going to be home yesterday but with the US Embassy asking for more information we don't have a date yet. We are sending him a package on Monday so he knows that we love him and will come as soon as we can. We all went to Target and got to pick out some items for him. We are also including a special message from each one of us!

Harper's 10 year old picture

This Blog Entry is devoted to Harper and written by Harper.

''Ever since I was little, I had wanted to be a teacher. Before we took this picture, the photographer asked me to look out window and think about something. It could have been anything, but I chose to think about what my future would be like.

I thought about what my classroom would look like, and what my house would be like. I thought about the child/children I would have and what I would name them.(I wanted to have either one or two girls and name them Jaimie and/or Sammy.) I had also thought about my students. Kindergarden-Third Grade sounded good to me!

Of course when I write this I have no idea what tomorrow really brings. Sometimes my mind travels far away with my thoughts. There really isn't any promising I'll be a teacher or that I'll have little girls. My mind just does that. Same with these thoughts. From my head to the screen go my thoughts.

There are a lot of good memories from when I was little, though one of my favorites had to have been my first time watching the fireworks in Harbor Springs with my dad. Both of my siblings were already asleep when I left with my dad to see the Forth of July fireworks. When we got there, we spread out the blanket and sat down waiting for the show to start. I had felt that comfortable cozy feeling that night in Harbor Springs, and I won't ever forget it.

I didn't think about all these things just now. These thoughts have been what I have thought about for a few years. I hope that sometime later on in life I will look back at this and have the same thoughts that I am thinking now .''

Message from Weyesa

We got an email from someone at Sele Enat about Fisher.

also weyesa.why don't you write me? when do you come again

our reply to Weyesa:

Weyesa, we are still waiting for America to say we can come and bring you home. We think about you all the time and miss you very much. Mommy, daddy, Harper, Ellie and Tate are very excited to see you. We hope we will be able to come in a little more than one week, on Monday, January 24. We loved seeing the pictures of you on Christmas. Here is a picture of (Daddy) that he just took. We love you.

Mommy, Daddy, Harper, Ellie and Tate

Just makes us want to get on a plane today and go and get him.

Daddy's Girl

Harper got home from swimming tonight and was excited to have some mom and dad time. I loved taking her picture while she was hanging with Peter! She is getting too big!

Haircuts

The girls were off today for haircuts. EB got just a trim and Harper got lots cut off.

BEFORE

AFTER

The Camera is back

I am so so excited to have my camera back and could not help but snap a few of the kids. SO much more fun to take pictures with my good camera instead of my small point and shoot!

Tate came home from school today and could not wait to play Webkinz. Not sure what he is doing there but apparently building a special room for his pets. He wants it to be a HUGE surprise.
Today there was a much bigger snow than expected and Ellie could not wait to play in it! She has started building a big igloo but got no help from Harper or Tate. Love how she may almost be 9 but she is still wanting to play in the snow.
Hard to believe by looking at this picture but Harper was home sick today. She was not sick enough to sleep but okay with laying on the sofa. She will be going back to school tomorrow!

Sandwich Kiss

Grandma and Grandpa came over for dinner and to see the kids. Tate was so happy to have them here and before he went to bed he got a sandwich kiss!

Swim Harper Swim!

It was a fun meet for Harper this weekend. She got to sit next to her BFF Anna who swims for Riverside. Got this cute picture of them.



I also got a nice note from a mom of a fellow swimmer. I was so proud of Harper I had tears in my eyes reading it.

I also wanted to let you know that Harper was wonderful to X yesterday at the swim meet. X has been having a hard time with the swim practices and the meets ... feeling lonely, overwhelmed, and not wanting to go to practices. She was really upset at the meet yesterday morning. I had to work the admin table and was stressed with that and keeping X positive. I asked Harper if she could hang with X and she was a great friend!! Please let her know I really appreciated her help. She is a lovely girl.

Harper

Grandma emailed this video to us. She had found it on her itouch. I am confident that Harper did not know it was going to be posted. Know it will make for many good laughs in the years to come.

Ethiopian Christmas

We celebrated Ethiopian Christmas and so did Fisher -- we just were not together. 21 days until we are together forever as family and we cannot wait.

Fisher's Ethiopian Christmas Celebration at Sele Enat, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Our Ethiopian Christmas Celebration at The Ethiopian Diamond, Chicago, Illinois.

EB and Grandma

EB was so excited to see Grandma and Grandpa when they came over. She was all smiles and was quick to jump into Grandma's lap.

Off to School

The kids always walk to school together or home. I do love that the girls insist on holding Tate's hand to and from school and he lets them. Today Tate got dressed in his coat and got his bag ready about 20 minutes before he had to leave for school but he was so excited to get to go to school after being home for Christmas Break for two weeks!

Star Wars

Tate got Star Wars Pancake molds from Grandma and Grandpa for Christmas and LOVES them. He said as he was eating his incredibly difficult pancakes to make that they were his favorite present EVER!!!!! Thanks Grandma and Grandpa!



Peter and I were in super basement cleaning mode and Tate was so excited when Peter found his old comics. Tate wanted them so bad but first Peter made sure they were not super valuable and once Peter found out they were only worth a few bucks they were all Tate's!

Go Michigan!

Today we got Christmas cleaned up and then Peter said he wanted to watch the Michigan game with the kids and promised he would fold laundry as Grandma has been slacking on her chore!

First try and then we thought we would give the timer a try so I could be in the picture!

Self Timer -- maybe we need a tripod, not a plant stand but still we are all in the picture!

Tate Daniels

The girls got some new crafts for Christmas and one of the first things they made was for Tate!

Project 365 -- 2011

I am going to do Project 365 -- take a picture everyday and write a brief description of it. I thought this would be a great way to document our first year with Fisher and our new life as a Family of 6!

Check it out here.