Monday, December 29, 2008
Monday, December 22, 2008
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Turn down the audio
Justine
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Invites
If any of you who asked for an invite have not received one, please resend your request, as I had so many that it is possible yours got lost in the shuffle. Sorry!! I would love to add your name, so please just email me.
mum2boys@telus.net
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Thank You
But in the meantime, thank you to all of you who came out of the woodwork and told me who you were and a little about yourself. I truly appreciated that!
The interesting thing is that 90% of the requests were from people I did not even know. So I am going to guess that all the ones I *do* know are *assuming* that I will send them an invite, even if they don't request one! *grin*
I can only sign 100 readers to a Private Blog, so if you want to be included, please send me your email ASAP.
The new blog is up and running. A little unfinished looking, lacking all the goodies, but it is a work in progress.
And PLEASE all you NOW NON-LURKERS *smile* leave me a comment once in a while!!!! I LOVE my comments!! And you all know that from my previous posts. Your comments are my fuel to writing.
My email: mum2boys@telus.net
Blessings, Justine
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Oh to Gather Energy...
Okay, so WHERE do I start? Yawn. *smile*
The kids are sleeping. Actually only 3/8 of them are. One big boy is doing schoolwork - still; one is working on his computer; one is cleaning a bathroom; two just knocked at the front door - reminding me that I had sent them out a few hours ago with a so kind friend, who took the poor hibernating children swimming for the evening! I had forgotten all about them. I just kept hearing someONE persistently knocking on my front door. I figured it was an annoying teenager! LOL!! Only to discover my children outside! My poor tired brain. And then of course, I have one small boy and two small girls sound asleep. That SHOULD add up to 8. I hope I haven't lost one!!
And trust me, that could happen!
So, back to the airport. You are going to get a somewhat shortened version. Sadly. The girls were awesome on the airplanes. We landed in Vancouver and headed out right away and down to Immigration. It only took about 30 minutes to get through Immigration.
When we came home it meant that we were able to order our Medical Cards for them and have their new names on those right away, and then we had a legal thing in our hand (the PHN cards) and that would make everything else legal right from the get go!! Very good! So now when we apply for Citizenship the name has already been changed! No wait and then change later.
When we got through Immigration we went simply out the door and had friends and family waiting for us. It was wonderful to see. I had chatted with the girls before we went out the doors that there would be friends there and to be sure to be happy and smile at everyone and say hello. The girls were already very happy and so excited to be in Canada. As they walked on down the walkway they began chanting: I am happy! I am happy! in unison. It was cute.
Well, Gadisae certainly did not disappoint!! LOL! She bounded into everyone's arms. No shyness there! Simply: oh, I might know you? Then I think I should hug you!
Meeting Auntie Mandy and Niva and Ahria (cousins) For the First Time
Finally Girl Cousins!
Auntie and Her Girls
Yeah! Another Uncle! Gadisae and Uncle Roger
Kind Uncle Dave Traipsed the Girls Everywhere
Old Good Friends
These four young people were born knowing each other. The two on the right are my friend, Jenny's children. We have been friends since we were girls. Since moving to our town the contact between the teens has been cut back to almost nonexistant. It was a real treat for our kids to find out their old friends were at the airport!! A real unexpected surprise for my boys!
After we stood there gabbing for an hour or so, we headed out to the next airplane check in. It was to be our last flight home.
Beautiful flowers from Jenny and her children. On our way to catching our next and final flight home!
And in answer to your questions regarding the girls and their new bedroom. No comment. Literally. But you have to remember - EVERYTHING from the minute they got to that airport was brand new to their eyes: escalators, elevators, airplanes, audio machines, movies on planes, new faces, new clothes, new toys.
What is one more thing - a new bedroom. One day they may tell me their thoughts that first night. And I hope they do. But in the meantime, it is enough that they are happy. Last night, I asked them if they would prefer to be in Eteeopia (as they call it) or here. Without hesitation, Mesai replied: here! And Gadisae, when it was her turn, replied similarly. They are happy and we are beginning to be a family, and life is good.
It'll Soon Be Time to Move On
I would LOVE my readers to follow us. So please, if you enjoy our family blog, please send me a quick note with your email and please, if you have the time, drop me a note telling me who you are.
My email is mum2boys@telus.net
I am not sure how quickly I am moving the blog, but it will be soon. As soon as I have energy. In the meantime, I am going to be composing my next post - the last two weeks with the girls. That will be a BIG one and you know me - it will be very descriptive and loaded with photos, and full of info, attachment, details, fun, transitions, boys and girls, so please send me your email, so you can stay in touch!!
Blessings, Justine
Sister Chicks
What would I do without my best friend? Sometimes it is so hard having my best friend live thousands of miles away. But God knows best. Maybe He knows that our friendship will be that much sweeter and that we will truly cherish the few times we get to spend together!
It was a hard decision for Denise to not be able to come with us to Africa. Some people didn't understand why I would want an 'outsider' to be there when we met our girls. But they don't know our relationship. Denise is a sister to me. But for reasons beyond our control our trip together wasn't meant to be.
But that did not mean that she was not to be part of our trip. I was blessed by Denise's involvement in my journaling. Thank you, Friend, for being there for me. Only you would know how important that trip was to me - not just for the girls, but for so much more. Thank you for being there *with* me, in spirit!! And I know that one day we *will* take that trip together - a real Sister Chicks trip!!
Love you!!
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Update
the newest: Last minute....
August 31, and Shopping August 29.
I also have edited them all with more info. You might want to glance through to see the changes.
Claire and Tracy, your gifts were given out. Read and see. *Smile*
Blessings, Justine (PS - getting closer to a Canada-side update)
Last Minute Stuff, Leaving Ethiopia & Heading Home
Abebe and the GirlsWe had our driver take the girls and Ray and I to the German Embassy, while we left the boys back at the guesthouse sleeping.
This is the Weygoss. It may look fancy, but the hospitality and service were no better than at the Oziopia. It was just central.I dropped Ray off at the embassy and the driver and I headed to find dresses to give as gifts. When this was done we headed back to get Ray and then off to the jewelry shop. I ended up buying myself some silver as I love it and do not really have any jewelry. The silver is Ethiopia and I was able to buy 3 bracelets for myself, 2 for the girls, 1 silver chain, 2 pendants and a ring – all for under $200!
While we were out it was my goal to give Tracy’s two shirts to a deserving child. I didn’t want to give them to just *any* child. It had to be the *right* child. Our driver drove very slowly through the streets and we scanned the children. He was scrutinizing as carefully as we were. He knew what he was looking for. He understood us! A child with decent clothes didn’t need it. A child with a job didn’t need it. It had to be the right one. We saw different children, assessed them, and then moved on.
We saw two little girls walking down the road and I thought that would be good - two girls, two friends, they each get one. But no. It didn't feel right. The driving and scanning continued for about another 15 minutes. Soon, we were driving down a road and suddenly I said, “STOP!!! There’s the girl. Back there. Go, back, back!!”
We had traffic behind us, but our trust driver, Esyas (Weygoss driver) stopped the car, and backed up towards the child. There on the side of the road, pulled back to the brick wall, were a little girl of about 10 years old and her mother. The woman looked old enough to be her grandmother – she was worn down from a hard life. The child was dressed in rags and was sitting strapped in a wheelchair. This was the perfect child. I got out of the car and walked over to her with the shirts in my hand. I unfolded one and lay it on her chest and said, “Konjo!” (beautiful). She beamed. I then took the second shirt and did the same thing. Her face was beautiful. I don’t know if this child ever had anything pretty, but she did today, and she was so happy! I then pressed 50 birr ($5) into her mother’s hand. Her mum bowed her head over my hands and said, Amaseganallo (thank you). I told the little girl she was beautiful again, and then went to get in the car. During this time there was a congestion on the street and I thought we were in trouble for stopping traffic and parking where we did. Our driver told me that no, they were so happy. They just wanted to know what I was doing. Driving away, again my throat was full and my eyes smarted with tears. Sometimes you are fortunate enough to get more than just a child that is hungry – you get an unusual situation that just hits your heart in the softest way.
From here, we headed back to pick up the boys and Abebe. He had had his driver bring him in and we were picking up his driver and leaving ours. We took Abebe to Cloud 9 restaurant for lunch. Out of all the restaurants we went to Cloud 9 was the best!! The desserts are fabulous, and Mr. Smith Steak is really great.
We were hoping to have time to get to the Fistula women’s hospital, but we were given misinformation from Solomon (the airport driver). He had told us it was 3-5 days to get an appointment and it was so very far away. While we were eating lunch, Abebe managed to get us an appointment right away and it was a 35 minute drive! I was very disappointed as I wanted to go there and give them a donation.
If you are going to Ethiopia and have 10 or more days, then I would highly suggest you stay at the Oziopia. The place is small and definitely a guesthouse, but the service is wonderful. I actually preferred it to the Weygoss. The Weygoss did not have their toilet (our toilet) fixed the whole time we were there. And also, they could not do our laundry for two days. So we ended up doing some ourselves and bringing the rest home with us. The Oziopia, on the other hand, did it every time she saw a little pile in our guest room. The food is remarkable and the mother will cook every night for you for $5 per adult head, and $3 per child. Abebe is incredible. Even while eating lunch he was on the phone lining things up for us. You will be dissuaded from staying there by Solomon, the driver, because ‘it is their duty to take care of you’ (his words) – and it is a longer drive for them. But geographically speaking – A = Oziopia B = Weygoss and downtown Addis C= Transition House. You will not be at the Transition House, a lot. The Oziopia Guest House
abeberob2006@yahoo.com - tell them Justine from Canada sent you. *smile*
Eating Dinner and He is Still Organizing Our Plans!!
Amazing Guy!
We have been so impressed with him that we have accepted an open invitation for our oldest son to go to Addis, this coming February and stay with our new friends. He will help them out in return for room and board. If we can line up his graduating year to make it work, it will be an amazing opportunity!!
Once we left Cloud 9, we headed to the Transition House to meet up with the head nurse to discuss our girls medical history. On the way there we took the opportunity to look for all the little girls that we could find. We had a handful of pretty necklaces and we wanted to give them away. Mind you, finding little girls was not nearly as easy as finding little boys!!! Boys were everywhere; girls tended to be noticeably absent.
But on the road up to the Transition House (if you could call it that) we did find many little girls wandering with packages from place to place. It was more of a residential area than a city area. That was fun. We leaned out of opposite windows and put them on their hands and necks and told them how pretty they looked.
The reaction from the girls was good. They were probably mystified when a white girl in a truck is hanging out the window or a guy calls out a door offering them a necklace - a 'konjo'. They came willingly when they saw what we were holding out, and they allowed me to place them aroud their neck. It was neat. I would love to have done the same thing with a bunch of little metal cars!! You have to be in a place where you can easily drive away - NOT in Addis - and just drive casually past the boys. They are all doing something productive, so are not begging. So handing out the cars is possible, without them begging for food.
This little girl was gifted with a special necklace that our 9 year old sent. He wanted me to find a little girl and take a picture for him.
This was actually the first little girl I gave a necklace to. We were driving up our alley near the Weygoss and I suddenly saw this child and called for the driver to stop. I think by the time we were done he was used to my odd ways *smile*. I got out and asked if I could give her a necklace. I held it out and her mother said I could. The little girl just smiled so prettily. And then her mother told her to say thank you.
BACK to the TRANSITION HOUSE STORY
There was a screw-up by the person who was supposed to arrange the meeting and the appointment had not been arranged. This was unfortunate, because now it entailed driving to the baby house to see the nurse. When we got there, she was not there…. So Solomon (the director) graciously arranged for her to come to our guesthouse and bring the files with her so that we could have the meeting.
In the meantime, our girls had fun saying hello to their friends. Miss Social, Gadisae, ran from friend to friend giving them hugs.
MORE FRIEND PICS HERE
Mesai just hung out but was not affected enough to run around. Neither of them showed any upset at coming or relief at going. They were very matter-of-fact.
Rebecca - the Girls' School Teacher and Mesai and Gadisae
The Laundry Staff
They were so sweet - quietly working in the background. When I asked for a photo they appeared a little shy. I told them I would send them a picture; they were pleased.
Our last stop was the Internet Shop. It was my goal to send out my last post from Ethiopia. Here is our minivan and everyone waiting for me to come back. It was a quick stop today.
Our bags were packed and sitting in the guesthouse lobby since 12:00 pm that day. When we arrived home from all of our running around we didnt' have much to do. The girls and boys sat and watched tv in the lobby and Ray and I waited for our meeting with the nurse. When she arrived it was almost 7:00 pm and we were worried it was not going to happen.
She rushed in the door, full of apologies having been held up at the hospital. We had a nice meeting and it was clear the girls and her had a bond. She is the head nurse and the one that would have taken care of their medical needs.
By the time our meeting was over it was 7:30 pm and we were now just waiting for our ride to the airport.
Last Minute Bag Searching For Oil of Oregano and No Jet Lag
Arriving in the Rain
When we were putting our bags through the security Dane took some video and almost immediately a guy came up and demanded the video camera. I was just imagining him taking the camera with all my 8 hours of video tape!! ACK! I quickly showed him that he had not gotten anything harmful. The man said to be sure not to video near the security - only the bags and girls. Okay, no pro. man!! Whew!!
The most bizarre thing happened at the airport. Our kids were so hoping to see Corrie’s family coming in, but our departure area and there arrival area were in two different places. Well, as we got through security and before they got into the Visa area, Dane suddenly went running up to the glass partition. There they were – right on the other side of a glass wall. We tried to explain to the girls that that was Fikru’s family. I believe this was a God blessing. What chance was there of our few seconds between security and baggage and their few minutes in line to match up that we would be there at the very same moment and have a chance for Dane to say hello to his friend! God knows the things that important to everyone, kids included.
We got through security and into the airport. The funny thing is the AFRICA TIME thing. When we got to the checkin we had no baggage tags. We were told to stand there and fill them out!! Uhhh, in Canada, we would have lost our place in line because people were in such a hurry!!
Filling in Luggage Tags - The Line Behind Us Waits!
Next, when it came to weighing the bags, the first bag was overweight by a couple kg. I pointed this out to the woman and she said it was fine. Then she didn’t even bother weighing the bags; she just had us pile them all up on the scales!! LOL!!
Notice the 70 kg on the Scales!! LOL!
Once on the airplane the girls were great. Mesai said she was excited.
They didn’t like much of their food as they really only like bread, buns, injera, Ethiopian food, and pasta with meat sauce!! *laugh*
Before the flight was over Mesai suddenly got cold and clammy, but she was okay. A little tummy upset and then it was gone.I think it might have been motion sickness because she did the same thing in a car and then puked all over the backseat floor! Lovely. But she was better right away. And I didn't have to clean it up! That is when you call in the men. *grin*
As soon as we got on the plane, Gadisae put her hands to her head to show she was tired. She lay down and was asleep in ten seconds. She has shown us that she has this art down pat!
12:00 pm German time – 3:00 am Canadian time
You are all sound asleep right now. We have arrived in Germany – actually we arrived here 6 hours ago.
Arriving Pics to Follow:
Note the Exileration of Riding an Escalator For the First Time!
We have been killing time waiting for our plane to be ready. It was a 6 hour layover. We had a video to watch, and then sat, and sat, and sat.
All Wired Together
And of course, our girls had to go to the bathroom about 8 times. No lie. What is it with girls??!! Give me a boys bladder anytime I am traveling! Boys can go 6-12 hours, no problem! But at least we have spent enough time in the bathroom for the girls to now know: hands in the air, no touching things, how to wash hands properly etc. LOL!
I Love My Big Brother
The last thing we did to kill time was get something to eat. The restaurants actually had a McDonalds. Usually we stay away from that place, but today I was looking for something familiar. The girls actually liked the French fries, but turned up their noses at the ketchup. I can see that introducing new foods will take time!! LOL!! They love their injera, pasta, and buns. Oh yeah! LOL!
I love this picture with the Lufthansa plane in the background and the girls having Ethiopian hats on. It really gives perspective to being coming home through Germany.
Oh, and as usual, they are perfect children. Perfect travelers, cooperative, pleasant, well behaved. Wonderful!
Does she ever look like a 'typical' Canadian kid!! Got her cell phone and all! (well, not really! LOL!
We are now waiting to board our plane for Vancouver. It is about an 11 or 10 hour flight, but at least there are entertainment systems in each seat! YEAH!!! So we shall see you on the other side!!
August 31 - Running Around
Sleeping BeautiesToday was another busy day. I was determined to get as much eating in as I could, since we are now on holiday. *smile* This morning, as soon as we had finished our breakfast we got our driver (LOVE that luxury!! The man walks with you, talks for you, bargains for you, carries your packages, does crazy things like run back to your car through the rain to get your video camera because you just NEED to video camera a scene for your memories!!) and headed out for some last minute shopping.
First stop: scarves for the girls. I love the headdresses the Africans wear and the girls traditional dresses have them, but I wanted some for when they are wearing regular clothes and such. I love to see the many, many ways the young girls and women will wear their headscarves!! Beautiful!! I am actually getting pretty good at putting on the scarves in different ways.
While I was getting the scarves, I ended up getting some more dresses for the girls. These all come with head scarves and are so pretty! We then headed to the coffee store. I intended to buy about 18 more bags of coffee – 6 to give away, and 12 for me. I know that will not be enough, but I want to start right. Perhaps we can get some shipped to us. This coffee will go very nicely with my new espresso/cappuccino maker that I am going to get! HA! Can’t spend time in Ethiopia drinking Murikato and other great drinks and not go and get the supplies to duplicate them!
Next stop – Silver stores. Our wonderful driver knew exactly where to take us to find silver. The second that we got out of the car it began to rain. Within minutes, it was pouring down raining and very cold! The ‘puddle’ on the side of the road became 10’ wide in no time!! It was unbelievable how quickly we could go from dry streets to almost under water in literally minutes. That sure shows what the rainy season is all about!
At the jewelry store, Ray and I settled on two little silver bracelets for the girls. We put their name on the top side and Adama, their birthplace, on the bottom. I will have this engraved in Amharic tomorrow and be back to pick it up in the morning. I might also buy myself some silver while I am there.
When we left the store we had a dilemma. We had to get across the street and the ‘gutter’ – the side of the street where cars park – was literally 8-10’ across of water!! Our driver picked up one of the girls and was going to pass her to Colt, but there was a fear of dropping her in the water. At one point a minivan pulled up into the river of water, and opened it’s doors. It was going to give us a ride thinking we were stranded!
I wanted to get a picture of this and my camera was dead because two children, who shall remain nameless, borrowed my camera to take a picture, which quickly became 14, and then my dying batteries were then totally dead. So I asked our kind driver if he could run back to the car and get my video camera. He handed off the little child he was carrying and took a flying leap through the air and landed on the far side of the river. He returned a few minutes later with the camera, but now the river was receding –that quickly!!!
But it was still not narrow enough to cross safely. Everyone else got across neatly, but I had to take a jump and that was not good enough. I ended up with my feet in the river and my stomach squirmed all the way back to the guest house, just thinking what was floating down the river of water from up town!! *grimace*
When I got back to the guesthouse I quickly washed my feet in the tub, along with my flip flops and then I rinsed both with Purell antibacterial. *grin* I was not taking chances! I should mention that anyone smart would have been wearing shoes, but my shoes went walking in Adama. I have no idea where they might be or who might have taken them, but they vanished, and so now I get to travel home in flip flops!!! I can only hope it is not too cold in Canada!
I will say that the next time I go to Ethiopia, it will be in about Feb/March, so that means I will not get wet, and I will be warm!!
After we left the hotel we kept our eyes peeled for some little boys to give Claire's toy cars to. When our driver was parked near the dress shop, and I had already done my buying, I had an opportunity. I saw this woman walk by with three little boys. I waited for someone to come back and sit with the girls and then I jumped out of the car and headed down the street towards the little family.
I stopped near the boys and held out the cars and said in an invited tone, "Makina?" (car?) You should have seen the jump of delight from these boys. "MAKINA!! MAKINA!!" And they put out their hands, barely containing their enthusiasm. Claire, trust me, your little cars certainly made these little boys' day!!
We had one more opportunity to give a car away. We were pulled up to a stoplight and a woman walked by with a little boy sleeping on her back. I handed her 10 birr and the little car. She smiled widely when she saw the car. As a mother I can only guess that somebody noticing *her* little boy out of all the children was a nice thing for her.
Lunch was next and we had a wonderful lunch – almost a dinner! The girls eat so much it blows me away. Seriously if we are talking cups of food, Briton and Cooper eat about 1 cup of spaghetti and meat sauce. The girls ate about 3-4 cups of that for lunch today!! That was about 3:00 pm. At 7:30 I was still stuff from my dinner. I asked the girls: Ra BESH? Are you hungry? And they both said, Yes.
We are taking them to see an adoption doctor in Vancouver once we are settled, and you can bet your bottom dollar that I am going to be asking about parasites. It is either parasites, or just plain years of hunger and making up for lost time!
The boys are enjoying the freedom of drinking pop, cause at home they don’t get it. It will be rather sad for them when these days come to an end. *grin*
After lunch, the driver dropped Ray and the girls, and Dane off at the guest house. I headed to an internet café with Colt and the driver. We ended up going to the Sheraton as that internet would be fast. That hotel is something! I would love to stay there sometime! Not that we could afford it. But it would be nice to have hot water when you need it, toilets that always flush, and toilet paper in the bathrooms! Every one I found in the Sheraton had paper. What a thrill. I have only found toilet paper in a handful of bathrooms so far!
The packing continued when I got back to our room. We are almost packed for home with the dresses, and coffee being the main thing. I bought a beautiful fine porcelain coffee set. The cups are about ¼ cup size. They are white with a trim of gold on the upper part of the cup, plus a section of Ethiopian art on each piece. I then bartered and got myself a coffee table and a stool to sit on.
I was ready for bed, as I am bushed from all this busyiness on this trip, but Ray really wanted to go out for dinner again. So we packed up the girls and the boys and walked down to the Ricos restaurant. The food is good enough – nice – there. Nothing special and if I chose again, I would go to Cloud 9 instead. We ate there a few times. The best.
When we were leaving the restaurant we did the typical thing – ask for our dinners to go as leftovers. The driver told the man what I had said: we buy 6 dinners, and we end up feeding 9 people altogether with our leftovers in the count. Well, the man who worked there was so pleased that he headed off to the kitchen and then came back with a handful of buns. It is nice when people get involved.
When we got home we packed the girls into bed and hit the sack ourselves. I am at the end of my energy and so the writing is coming early in the morning.
Tomorrow we leave. Packing to finish. Shopping to complete. Little gifts for street children to give out.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Some Fun Pictures of New Life
Well, at least the little one believed it was Ethiopian!! LOL. Mind you, except for the Injera, they did eat the meal with relish. The injera? Well, it was eaten slowly but no complaints. I did hear a few Yummy's through the meal.
Since they have been home they have willingly eaten 95% of what has been served to them.
Definitely Enjoying Her MealSomething else I have done in the past is paper plates. I have brought this back. The last few nights, and on the plan for the next few weeks, is to use paper plates for dinner. It has cut the work back and makes life simpler!
Notice Our "Dishwashing Pile" - the Cutlery 
Our NicelyPacked TableIt is funny how before the girls came the boys complained about how crowded each side of the table was. But do you think they would be so rude as to complain about a new person at the table? I'm not going to remind them how polite they are.
The weather around here is odd. Right now it should be getting cold. It is September, after all!! Mind you, we do have chilly mornings, but thankfully, we are in a warm spell in the days, so by noon the children are stripped down to summer gear. I love it! It is great transition weather. The kids are outside from 9:00 - 6:00 pm every day!!!
An Indian Summer Picnic - The Girls' First Picnic
Making Silly Faces
These Girls Love Fruit - They Inhale It!The kids spend the full day outside, but in the middle of the day they need a recharge time. So it is lunch time and then this is followed by naptime. I have five that laydown. We have begun a little routine that works quite well. Rather than the jumble in the bathroom of kids falling over kids, and kids all trying to use the toilet or sink at the same time, I have come up with a plan. I feel like I run a preschool. *laugh* I suppose I do!! Given I homeschool!
So now they line up. Not always in the same order. Briton tries to budge to the front of the line, so we might just put the littlest first, to keep him out of trouble!
Giggly KidsTeenage School?
Friday, September 5, 2008
Re Pictures again
Justine
Pictures
I'll be back as soon as I can!!
Blessings, Justine
