Friday, August 30, 2013

Kindergarten!!!

I think back to April of 2007 when Elisabeth was diagnosed with hydrocephalus. As I heard the grim prognosis it was hard to imagine that this day would ever come:

Elisabeth's 
first day 
of kindergarten.

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A now, a quick lesson in 'plugging in a binky':
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And a happy, happy 
birthday to my brother, David!

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Farewell, Kindle

I don't put too much emphasis on 'stuff'. 

In fact, I am sometimes 'anti-stuff'

For some people Spring cleaning comes once a year, but for me it is a constant event. I don't like too many things around the house. I don't like a lot of clothes and shoes. I don't like things that I don't use. What can I say? I am practical.

However, I do have a possession that I treasure - my Kindle.

Donald gave it to me for Christmas a few years back and it quickly became one of my best friends. I carried it with me everywhere - from football games to hospital stays (because you just never know when you will have an opportunity to read).

A few days back I picked up my Kindle to read for a bit. That's when I noticed it. Broken. Unreadable.

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I was devastated. My Kindle traveled with me to Europe, to the Grand Canyon, to Williamsburg, to Nashville, to Hawaii, to Africa. And I traveled with it to places that existed within the writings it held. My Kindle took me to 1963 when Kennedy was shot. It took me through the rabbit hole with Alice. It put me on the battlefield with Katniss. It was on my Kindle that I read my favorite book, The Giver, for the first time. Oh, the adventures we have shared!

But now it is broken; my vast library trapped inside.

Now is not the time to buy a replacement; right now there are much more important uses for our money - like bringing Elsa home.  So I shall return to books. Actual books with covers and pages. Good thing I've got a few ;)



Wednesday, August 28, 2013

The First Day - 2013

Lorelai Leigh
~ 3rd Grade ~
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Alexandra Louise
~ 5th Grade ~  photo a5d01f12-8c33-40e3-83c1-1f01920ed7f5_zps5eef758e.jpg  photo 5ec12f9d-5565-4b9d-ba8d-36b0d6fd8e25_zps6794c93f.jpg  photo ebc5de72-2217-4d4a-b1b6-6403d5b593df_zps319db5fd.jpg  photo 3ae782fc-82d8-458a-a45e-e173778c2f52_zps62e821d9.jpg


Happy  
Back 
-to- 
School!

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Tuesday, August 27, 2013

A Back-to-School Tradition

The annual  
dipping of the 
apples...

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And then off to deliver them to their classmates!

Today is the first day of school...
 ...so crack open those books and start studying!


Monday, August 26, 2013

Ethiopia in Review: Part I

Off 
to 
Ethiopia...
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Saying goodbye to my babies.
I managed to keep smiling...until we drove away:


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We had a layover in Germany and then boarded our flight to Addis Ababa with a brief stop in Sudan. As the plane landed in Sudan we looked out and saw a most depressing looking city...there was even a full sized passenger plane that had crashed on the side of the runway. It looked like it had been there a looooong time. A young boy sitting near us saw it and said with sarcasm, "Now that's reassuring."

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Standing in Ethiopia for the first time.

We stayed at a 4 star hotel. We were warned against anything less. The contrast between the hotel and its surroundings was shocking.
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Now...for a few more pictures of Elsa...
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[Elsa, showing the other children at the orphanage pictures of her new home, here in Washington.]

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[Elsa with one of her nannies and a friend 
(sorry...not allowed to show their images on social media...thus the stars!]

  photo 903d774e-a58d-4a68-b250-17fe82b3c03e_zps58e5c37f.jpg  photo fcaf4c89-8f5e-44d1-bd3d-915917262823_zpsa2691d93.jpg  photo a3680a64-4366-4e16-b565-59e1d6d24f8e_zpsa6f475f7.jpg  photo eec9083a-fde3-4f5f-847f-3e44b00511c6_zps44493ba8.jpg 
I miss her. I can't wait to go back and bring her home.

Still to come...Part II
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