For Tessa and me

Take a look at this amazing bracelet!!! It is a silver charm bracelet with charms of Africa, Ethiopia-which also is the shape of an angels' wing and a circle charm which has been hand-stamped with Tessa's names. On one side of the circle charm is "Tesfanesh....you are hope" (Tessa's Ethiopian name) and the other side holds her name given to her from us, "Tessa Amarech". There will be a ceremony in Ethiopia for when we take full care of Tessa and she will receive this bracelet then. I will also be wearing my own matching bracelet (of course!). I love what charm bracelets represent and this one is especially special.

This bracelet was handmade by an Etsy Artist, Tracy Hanson. See all of her beautiful works inspired by her love and passion for adoption at

http://www.etsy.com/shop/JUNKPOSSE

Junkposse.blogspot.com

Lazy weekend day...

Today Juddy had his last day of "dribbling dinosaurs". He walked away feeling quite proud after getting 8 shots in the basket!
Another milestone for Drew too, as he drove the go-kart up and down the driveway and learned how to work the gas and brake. He did so well and felt like such a big boy...which he is.





This silver pendant arrived yesterday and I love it. It is "Born in my...heart" and on the back "my sweet girl". I love it! I will wear it and think of bringing our daughter home. I have been busy working on our dossier (documents to send to Ethiopia) and know each time I get to check something off my list that we are that much closer!

Andy is on-call this weekend, but hasn't been called away, which is great! Jack Jack is recovering from double ear infections and is on his 3rd antibiotic in the last 3 weeks. We just had a sleepless night the other night. Those nights are rough, but the day after is the real struggle! I think he has the same sort of chronic ear infections that Juddy had as a little guy...I suspect tubes are in Jack's future. Juddy and Jack are alike in so many ways both physcially and personality!
That's today...March 29, 2008~

Today March 26, 2008

I am moving forward full force in planning for the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation fundraising event! It is quite and undertaking since it will be at our home and could possibly be quite large! I hope alot of people feel moved to come. The fantastic band, Clear Blue Betty, have volunteered their time and talent to perform for us. This is huge! They are so wonderful to give of themselves and their music is fantastic! Check them out! Then I am gathering all sorts of items for the silent auction....Dad got K-Swiss to donate items and also outfit me for the AIDS Walk Africa. How amazing is that! Margo will be donating yoga items from Nike (she is a Nike sponsored athlete and is currently in Mallorca, Spain for 6 weeks!). Then I have many artists donating paintings. My mentor, Debbie Meyer, who is a light in my life for one. She is an amazing artist and teacher. My mother has even been working on pieces! Go Mom! I will also be submitting some of my own work. (This is photo above is one of my latest pieces that I painted from a scene in a Germany park that we ran across when we lived abroad). Anyway, there is so much to do and so many people to contact...rent the snowcone machine, moon walk etc... I will fit it all in because it is something I am really excited about!

It is peacefully quiet here at he moment. Juddy & Drew are at school and Jack is napping and I have time to myself. ahhhh. In these moments I am thinking about our daughter so often. I just ordered a wonderful pendant from http://www.etsy.com/ (fantastic artist's website!). The artist is listed under "Junkposse" and she creates jewerly from salvaged silver. I found the perfect pendant for my charm braclete! It is a heart with africa on it and then say "born in my" with another pendant on top. So, "Born in my heart" africa pendant....how perfect is that. I had it engraved on the back "My sweet girl", which of course is what my Mom called me, and I will of course call my sweet girl. She is never far from my thoughts...just as when you literally carry your child in your body. This is an amazing journey. Right now I am thinking so often of her birth mother and for her well-being. She and our daughter have quite a journey ahead of them and they are in my heart.

The boys are doing well. That photo above is of our freckle-faced boy, Drew. Juddy is going to be an acrobat in the Kindergarten Circus! This is a very big deal in the life of a kindergartener! Jack is into everything, crawling and climbing, but remains snuggly. He is saying words like Dada (his favorite person in the world!), ball, hi/bye. He is almost 17 months old and has the best curly "mullet" hair-do going. I love it! Drew had a big moment yesterday when he mastered using scissors! It was so exciting to see him be successful, as he struggles with his fine motor skills. He used a pair of surgical scissors and for some reason they really helped him get the hang of it. He didn't want to stop cutting things! It is in those moments you realize what an honor it is to watch a child grow. When you really see, right before your eyes, your baby growing and changing. That is what it is all about.