A few more pics from Ethiopia

My friend took a few pictures of Ruthie and me in Ethiopia that I'm just now seeing.  And now I'm posting them here. :)

Thank you, friend! 

Ruthie with her special mother at the care center. 

Can't wait to give this picture to M when I go back.   

(Just to clarify, this is not Ruthie's birth mother.  Each child has a "special mother" that takes care of them at the Gladney care center.  This is Ruthie's, and was also Eli's when he was there in 2008.  She's the sweetest.)   

I just love her.  Sometimes I put a guard up because I don't want to think about how hard this process is - but then there are times like this that I let the guard down and am overwhelmed by the love I have for Ruthie.   

 Cute snuggler.  

Funny face.  Cute face.  

Have we cleared Embassy yet?  

No?  

Dang.  

The weekend.

I was texting Becca Friday morning and she mentioned we should come to Melawit's airport welcome, and that we could stay with them.  I wrote back something like "We might take you up on that!"  

I asked Becca later if she regretted offering us a place to stay.  She said she didn't.  They were great hosts and Eli and I had a great time. (Ben was out of town for work.)  You should totally stay with them if you get the chance :)   

A couple of hours later, I left my sister to finish painting the first coat of pink in Ruthie's room (Yes, I do have a great sister.  She paints the room, while I go visit friends?  She's too nice to me.) and Eli and I headed out on a last minute road trip.  

Jennifer loved on Ruthie Mekdes for me a lot on her first trip to Ethiopia.  Our girls slept in cribs next to each other in the Gladney Care Center.  I played with Melawit a lot while I was in Ethiopia in December. 

Ring around the rosie with Ruthie M, Melawit, me and the nurse.

 There is just a lot of love there.  

I wish I had a cute picture to insert here of the new family of six.  But I don't.  But believe me, they're a cute family.  I got to see Melawit on Saturday morning for a little bit.  I showed her some pictures and video on my phone that I had taken while in Ethiopia.  I showed her a picture of Ruthie M and asked her if she knew who it was.  She looked at me, smiled and whispered "Mekdes".  I wanted to burst into tears.  So thankful for this connection.  So glad that when Ruthie Mekdes comes home, she'll have a familiar face and a good friend that lives not too far away.  So thankful that I got to be part of Melawit's airport welcome.  Thankful for friends I've met along this adoption journey.  Just so thankful.  

Again

We passed court!  Again.  I was able to go back and re-publish my old posts about my time in Ethiopia now that we've passed court and I can show Ruthie's cute face again.  

We are so, so happy.  But we also know that we have waiting ahead of us.  We have to have our file submitted to the US Embassy in Ethiopia.  That normally takes 6-8 weeks.  Then we wait for our case to be cleared.  We're hoping to have her home in March - but, let's be honest, that's best case scenario.  

While we're waiting I'm in full on nesting mode.  Full on.  I have never felt like this before.  Even while preparing to bring Eli home.  I'm preparing rooms and finishing projects.  It feels good.  

You know what else feels good?  Looking at this sweet face and knowing that I get to be her mommy.  

Awesome hair.  

When I was a young girl and dreamed about my kids, I used to pray that I would have kids with curly hair and dimples.  It's amazing that God has answered such insignificant prayers.   

She is cute - and so happy - in the midst of getting her hair fixed. 

Sweet girl.  Wish I could swoop her up out of that crib. 

We feel really lucky to be Ruthie's family.  

A big thanks to the Thomas family for snapping these pictures of Ruthie while they were in Ethiopia this month!  

Not today.

We didn't pass court today.  However, the judge said she'll review our case again tomorrow.  We are hopeful.  

Meanwhile, I'm taking care of this little guy.

He got so, so sick last night.  In the car and in bed.  

The BRAT diet is in full effect here today.

*It should be noted that this picture was taken this morning.  Eli's the best sick patient I've ever seen.  Always happy.  I told him last night that I was sorry he was so sick and he said "it's ok mommy.  It's not your fault."  He's not a perfect child, but sometimes he makes me think he is.

InstaFriday

I like Instagram.  Here are some pics I posted in the last week.

A lot of the day when I look down, this cute face is looking up at me.  I love it.  

He's just sweet.  I take a lot of pictures of him when he's asleep...because he's just sweet.

Eli has been pretty obsessed with hygiene for as long as I can remember.  We gave him his first  deodorant and cologne two Christmases ago (we've since had to replace it several times - he goes through a lot).  He loves to be clean and smell good.  I walked into my bathroom the other day when he was getting ready for school and found him spraying cologne on his bicep and forearm.  He told me the directions told him to do it.  Ha ha!  Eli makes me laugh every day.

Eli is happy almost all the time.  Here he is in his cute hat that our friend, Lindsay, made.  How cute, right?  Despicable me is one of Eli's favorite movies.  

The Morris family is actually featured on the Give1Save1 blog this week.  You should check it out!  And give a buck or two.  They are bringing home a sweet little girl from The Congo!

Eli and I took a rare picture together while we were waiting in the drop off line at school on Thursday.  

He looks too old in this picture.  He's all kid - no baby.

We've been busy

Thursday night, Ben fell through the ceiling while trying to move the cable outlet to another wall in the living room (per my request).  I was putting Eli to bed when I heard a loud crash.  I walked into the kitchen to find a big hole above the sink.  And insulation on the counter and floor.  And cabinet trim on the floor.  And I started laughing.

Ben wasn't laughing.  At least not at first.  But then he did - because, really, what else can you do?

Fortunately, Ben wasn't seriously hurt.  He had a few bruises and some soreness, but he was able to catch his fall by grabbing onto a rafter.  However, his pride and our checking account did take a hit :)  

Saturday morning, a guy come to repair the hole in the ceiling.  And the cable guy came to move the cable outlet for us.  After we rearranged the living room, we decided to start painting Ruthie's room.  I walked into her room and Ben asked "Why are we making this room her room?", which launched us into a discussion about where we should put the kids rooms.  Which ultimately led us to switching around every bedroom.  Which made Ben regret asking that question in the first place.  :)  I am painting rooms (which I don't love.  At all.) to get ready for Eli's new room and Ruthie's room.  I Kilz'd Eli's new room first.  

Do you see that?  I took a picture of it right after I painted (on the left - looks ok, right?), and then came back a few hours later to check it and it looked like this (on the right).  Unbelievable.  I'm not a painter.  (And have since discovered that I needed to stir the Kilz before painting with it.  Details, details.)  So, I now have to sand down the walls and re-Kilz.  Which I'm dreading.  I've been doing lots of other things to take up my time so that I can put painting on the back burner.    

Like making these yarn wrapped letters for Valentines:

They took me a lotttttt longer than I thought they would.  But I'm glad I did them, because I do like them.  

And making these no-bake energy bites.

And going to Target.

And making a guest list for Ruthie's shower.

And now blogging.  

I got some pictures of Ruthie M from this family.  I could not be more grateful.  They came on a day when I really needed them.  So sweet of them to take the time to take pictures of our sweet girl!  I wish I could share them.  She is precious.  And looks so much older than she did a short month ago.  How is that possible that she's growing up so fast?  My favorite picture is one of her in her crib with her hand in her mouth.  Her hair is in puffs and she just has the sweetest expression.  Love her.  Ready for her to be home.  So, so ready.  Have I said that before?  

Second Anniversary

Remember when the devastating earthquake hit Haiti?  

That was two years ago. 

The Adventure Project is enabling the people of Haiti.  They're creating jobs.  They aren't your typical charity.  They "want to end extreme poverty by creating one million jobs in developing countries within the next ten years."

Go check The Adventure Project out.  If you click around on their webpage for even five minutes, you'll be able to see what they do.  And I know you'll believe in what they're doing too.  

Will you buy a stove to further the progress in Haiti?   

(I'm not even apologizing for asking.  Because it's so worth it.)

Go here to donate.  $20 buys one stove. 

Easy.

(It's even tax deductible!)

You can make someone feel like this.

Doesn't that make your heart happy? 

Me too.