These kids go way back

Tomorrow is travel day to Ethiopia! Not for us of course...but for the Norris family. We met Deanna and James back in May at a dinner for families adopting from Ethiopia. At the time we had both just recently received our referrals. So, now, after a long summer of waiting, Deanna , James, and their daughter Taylor are leaving tomorrow to pick up Kidus.


Kidus and Mikias go way back. From what we understand, they both started out at the Adera Orphanage in Debre Zeit and then were brought at the same time to the Adera Orphanage in Addis Ababa. We actually had the pleasure of meeting Kidus when we picked up Mikias in June. The picture below is of Mikias and Kidus hanging out in Addis.






We actually were able to get together with the Norris family this past weekend. I hope we were helpful in answering some questions they had about travel. It's so exciting that the next time we see them we'll be able to reunite the two boys. We wish them the safest of travels and hope that they enjoy the experience of Ethiopia.




We know that so many people enjoyed reading this blog while we were in Ethiopia. Here's a link to the Norris' blog. Hopefully, they'll also be updating this during their trip.

http://deanna-norris.blogspot.com/

How did August 10th become August 20th?

WOW! The days are moving along! It is hard to believe that the summer of 07 is almost over. Sigh!

The McKinney family is moving along just as quick as the summer. We have been enjoying our days together and most recently had a "welcome shower" for Mikias. Yes, the celebration continues. Benjamin's parents and Aunt put together a nice gathering in honor of Mikias' arrival. It was fun to have Mikias at a baby shower for him. He was passed around, hugged, kissed and loved the whole time. He received many nice gifts which included his entire winter wardrobe. Did I say how cute these little boys clothes are? We really appreciated the effort put in by Benjamin's family for this day. It was, yet again, another day to remember.

This past weekend we took a short, but much needed, family vacation. Being that our first trip of the summer involved getting our family, this one was much more relaxing. We spent the weekend Up North at Benjamin's grandparents house on Heart Lake in Waters. We hung out around the house, took a family nap, read, played basketball, went to the park and Ben & Mikias took a dip in the lake. Mikias loved the water. He laughed and splashed the whole time. It was so much fun!

For the past 11 days Benjamin was on a road trip for work. During this time Mikias and I packed our days. This was my strategy for "dealing with" the absence of Benjamin. We visited cousins Elizabeth & Sarah, played with friends Ethan and Caleb and had a slumber party with pals Collin and Rylie. We had frequent visits with both Grandmas and Grandpas. We saw great-grandparents. We hung out with my friends. We went to church just the two of us. We went out to lunch. We shopped at Target (more than once). Today we went to a park where approximately 50 parents and students met Mikias. So, although it was difficult not having Benjamin here, we did well and I gained some valuable confidence along the way. Attached are some snapshots that capture the week.

In other Mikias news, Benjamin and I are just amazed how far Mikias has come since bringing him home almost 2 months ago. When he first came home we weren't even able to put him down by himself and now he is at the point of almost crawling. He is just working on getting that last leg out from underneath him. The newness hasn't worn off one bit. We still find ourselves saying "he is so damn cute". At the same time we are eager for the nights in which he makes it all the way through asleep. In the meantime, we just enjoy!

The following are links to a few stories that our adoption agency covered on our experience should you be interested. The Ethiopia program has gained substantial interest and we are fortunate to be able to help others as they begin their process. We are scheduled to speak at an informational meeting at the end of August. It is amazing what doors open when you open your life.


http://www.adoptionassociates.net/international/ethiopia/ethiopia_stories/benjamin_and_joanna/

http://www.adoptionassociates.net/newsletters/2007/08/international_adoption/