Let's Feast!

Our family is no stranger to Ethiopian food.  In fact, we love it!  We make it a habit to visit the local restaurants as well as the markets so we can make it at home.  And we certainly find Gotcha Day a great excuse to celebrate our daughter's Ethiopian heritage.

Cocoa Puff in her Ethiopian Scarf

Now I'll be honest here.  I haven't made Ethiopian food in probably two and a half years.  The last time I made it was when I posted the recipes here on my blog!  It's not that it's all that hard.  It is just very time consuming.  And, well, with two littles in the house....I don't have a lot of extra time to spend in the kitchen.  So our normal celebration does in fact take place at our favorite Ethiopian restaurant.

This year, however, when we started planning Cocoa's Gotcha Day, my husband requested that I make the feast.  And I welcomed the challenge!

In the past I have only tried three recipes:

The traditional chicken stew and my personal favorite - Doro Wot.
The Shiro Wot - ground chickpeas in an onion/garlic base that looks about the texture of hummus.
The Ethiopian version of a tomato salad - Yetimatim Saleta.

Oh yes, and the Hambisha Bread...which I skipped this year only because the market had some freshly baked and my husband thought he would save me some time (isn't he thoughtful?).

But this year I thought I would really out do myself (HA!) by adding in some of our favorite recipes that I found in the Ethiopian cookbook a friend from church gave me as a baby shower gift!  So I also made Messir Wot (a lentil based dish) and Curried Cabbage and Potatoes (which is just like it sounds).

I started cooking around 1:30pm and dinner was ready at about 7:00pm.  We invited a couple friends to join us, because - let's face it, we can't eat all that food ourselves!

I'll admit, we don't have the best lighting in our dining room, especially in the evening.  I did the best I could to photoshop them, but I'll admit that food photography isn't my best skill!  

I think she liked it, don't you???

When Cocoa joined our family, we not only gained the best daughter parents could ask for, but an amazing culture and heritage.  And we get the joy and honor to celebrate it with her!  We are so blessed.

If you want to try cooking some Ethiopian food yourself, you can get my recipes right here (except the Messir Wot and Curried Cabbage....I wouldn't feel right about sharing them since I got them out of a recipe book).

Gotcha Day

Today it has been two years since the sweet special mothers at Hannah's Hope placed Cocoa in our care permanently.  What a blessing it is to be parents to our little princess!  She is spunky and sassy and always keeps us laughing.  Her personality is even bigger than her hair, and the girl has got dance moves that just don't quit!  I thank the Lord daily for this little lady.  My life certainly would not be the same without her.

I love you Cocoa Puff!

Happy Gotcha Day!

To learn more about Cocoa's adoption, please watch her adoption video or go back in time to read through our travel journals.  Or of course, feel free to leave a comment below (with your email address) and I would be happy to answer any questions you might have.

That Sweet Face

Two years ago this very day, my life changed again.  Our world got turned upside down, and all because of the presence of one spectacular little lady.  Two years ago, my heart beat out of its chest and then stopped all together when I saw my daughter's sweet face for the very first time.

She was five months old and tiny as a baby bird.  She was sound asleep when the special mothers led us to her and she opened her eyes just to gaze right into mine.  Words can justly describe a moment like that.  It feels almost magical.

This girl may epitomize the word "diva".  She may wear me out and drive me batty at times.  But I can't imagine my life without her in it.  I love her with every ounce of my being and she is absolutely, 100% worth the wait.

Nothing about adoption is easy.  But with a good support system around you and the Lord to ground you and carry you through the impossibly hard times...it is not only possible, but a huge blessing.  My life is better not only because she is in it, but because of the journey God brought us on to make her a part of our family and the people He placed around us in the process.  It is a life altering journey.  And it is absolutely worth it.

If you are on the fence about whether you should dive into adoption....what's holding you back?  What is keeping you from uninhibitedly jumping in?  Don't let it be fear of the unknown.  Do your research.  Find families who have gone through the process and ask questions.  And pray about whether this is where God is leading you.  There are countless kids around the world and here in the states who don't have a family to call their own.  EVERY child deserves a family to call their own.  Every one.





You can read every detail about our Meetcha Day HERE or click on the "Travel Journal" tag (look at the categories on the right side bar) and read all our posts from Ethiopia.  Or for a summery of the adoption experience please watch our adoption video HERE.

Fall is Time to be FashionABLE!

I can't deny it anymore.  Despite the afternoon warmth on my cheeks and the sun shining through my windows, you can feel fall in the air with the frosty mornings and breezy evenings.  My house almost stays cool enough to turn the heater on for good.  Once again, summer swept through Washington far too quickly.  I feel disappointed.  Unfortunately, all efforts to convince my husband of a sunny vacation have been in vain.  So far.  (I'm not giving up easily.)

Regardless of what our vacation plans may be (or lack there of), I am making all efforts to embrace fall and all the wonderful things that come with it...

First being, our very first year of preschool for our Lil' Man!  I am a firm believer in at-home preschool (Although I'm not judging!  I don't know your circumstances...this is just what is in the best interest of our family.) so I am focusing on structured activities with my little guy.  It takes some effort on all our parts, but he seems to enjoy it more each day.

So excited to take a pic with his backpack for going no where.  =)
Cocoa couldn't resist sneaking in a pic as well =)

Second is the fall decor.  Aside from Christmas, fall just might be my favorite season of home decor!  The colors are so beautiful and I love the natural elements to design around -- pumpkins, squash, leaves, twigs.  Not to mention burlap.  I love burlap.  =)  {I just can't wait to get working on this year's fall wreath.}

Third is the start of festivities -- Halloween, harvest parties, pumpkin patches....and before you know it we've got Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years (not to mention both of my kids' birthday parties thrown in between now and then).  It's just a celebratory time of year!

Last but not least is the fall fashion.  I know this will come as a HUGE shock to ya'll!  ;)  I am known to wear boots and scarves all year long, but once fall hits it starts to become a necessity more than just a fashion statement (or at least in Seattle it does).  But as much as I dread the cooler weather, I really do look forward to leg warmers, cozy sweaters, fingerless gloves, leather jackets, pea coats, and beanies (not to mention Pumpkin Spice Lattes!  Can I get an "AMEN"!!!)!  So needless to say I've been browsing Pinterest and all my favorite online shops for inspiration for my 2012 fall style.  Out of all the color palettes, layers, and texture combinations swirling around in this chaotic head of mine...the fall staples jumping out at me MOST this season are the scarves from FashionABLE's new fall line.  Seriously ya'll....so good I can't HELP but share it with you!

Saba Infinity {Great for guys AND girls!}

Feleku in Navy/Orchid

Abeba in Marigold {Can't WAIT!!}

{And you can check out the rest of their collection HERE.}

For those of you who haven't heard of FashionABLE, it is a company that is very near and dear to our hearts.  They partner with "Women at Risk" in Ethiopia to get women off the streets, out of prostitution, and give them a sustainable business making scarves.  I encourage you to read more about their mission and commitment to these women HERE.

I'm sure if you are a regular around here you know our hearts for Ethiopia and see why this is so close to our hearts.  But if that weren't enough, our dear friends Ian and Brittany Bentley live in Ethiopia and work with FashionABLE and have developed close relationships with these brave women.  They have shared just a smidgen with us on what an impact this business is for these women, and it is truly a beautiful thing, and something I want to support.

So check them out!  It is seriously worth your time.  With each purchase you are giving these women the ability to choose a new life.  I don't know about you, but that speaks volumes to me.                    

September -- Sibling Bonding, Hair, and ET New Year

In September, we made great strides in sibling bonding.  Like I said before, it really was only a few weeks of Monkey's attitude towards Cocoa.  But this month we saw such a sweet attitude towards his little sister.  Since she was still immobile (but not for long), we would watch him go and sit by her, addressing her as "sweetheart" or "honey".  (I know... *MELT* right?!?)  He would also share his beloved stuffed animals.  Aww....that boy just warms my heart!!

Love Monkey's expression here....and meet his sweet new lion that grandpa
and grandma purchased for him from the zoo while we were in ET!  Cute, huh?

MELT!

Hey, get back here boy!!

Shirt says "Mommy's Pretty Girl" which was my fave shirt I bought for her...
I said that phrase A LOT!!! =)

Close up of those curls!

In the short few months Miss had been home, not only had her hair grown a TON (evidence is in the pics) but had thickened up as well.  The sweet baby hair care line I had purchased from curls.biz was no longer cutting it on her head of curls.  So one day our family made a trip to Sephora (which felt like a huge outing for us!) and gathered a bazillion samples of Carol's Daughter's products.  When we got home I tried every single thing on her head and FELL. IN. LOVE.  I guess you can call me a Carol's Daughter addict -- it's true!  But look how shiny those curls are!!!!  Soon after I placed my order online for every single product PLUS a few more.  Since then, I have diversified our product usage to other brands....but more to come on that later!  I promise -- a hair post is in the making!  And this is not like the promise that her room reveal is coming (which it still is, I promise ;)....I have adoptive moms asking me for this all the time!  So yes, I WILL do a break down of our routine and our product stash and what has worked for us and what doesn't!  Stay tuned...

How we spent most afternoons getting ready for a nap!!

Typical: Cocoa wanting to be RIGHT NEXT to her brother
Monkey wanting her to go away.  =)

LOVE this face -- makes me laugh everytime!
She REALLY loved the swing!

Gummy smile =)

Spent the entire summer with a blanket under the umbrella and lots of toys!
That...and the swimming pool!

See?  Making headway with Monkey!

And yes -- she learned to pull herself up!  YAY COCOA!!!

Well, September also brought our first Ethiopian holiday to celebrate as a FAMILY -- Ethiopian NEW YEAR!!!  And you know I didn't hesitate to break out the traditional outfits I had purchased for these kiddos and spring a photo shoot on them after church!  Aww, they are soooo cuuuuute!!!!

Very proud of her newly discovered skill =)

Why yes, I DO have this framed!!!

Clapping -- another talent of hers!

Lighting was just PERFECT...I love this thoughtful look!

Love her =)

Welp!  In order not to completely overwhelm you with pictures, that's all for now!!!  Coming up -- Monkey's birthday party and Cocoa's dedication!  I TOLD ya a lot happened this month!!! =)

HOMECOMING!!!!

CONTINUED from this post!!!

...Daddy and I turned on our Flip video camera (a gift from all daddy's siblings for our birthdays) to record the first time our family of four would be TOGETHER!  Then we turned around and headed up the next set of escalators...and as soon as we did, we could hear the voices of our family...and most importantly, of your big brother!!!  I called his name and beamed a HUGE smile as I saw him standing at the top of the escalator waiting for us!  Friends and family were squealing with delight at seeing you for the first time.  It was an indescribable feeling.  The first thing I did was give your brother a great big hug!  Of course he was more interested in his cookies from grandma at the moment to pay you much attention...but how much can you really expect from a two-year-old, right?!?  Grandma and Grandpa were there, aunts and uncles, and several adoption families...all there to welcome you home!!!  Several of them were holding up signs and there were cameras flashing and video cameras rolling...all to help us remember this day.  For each of them I am so grateful.  Your eyes were wide as you took it all in, but you didn't once cry.  I can only imagine how it must have felt to be surrounded by unfamiliar faces and voices leaning in close and reaching for hugs.

Anxious big brother =)

This one makes me teary =)

Once everyone had an opportunity to meet you, the stories started coming out.  Collisions on the freeway that almost prevented family from making it in time.  The sweet lady who had sat behind us on the plane had come up just minutes before us and said, "I know who you're waiting for...and she's beautiful!!!"  Also, people were coming up the escalator from the train in groups and they had timed it out...so after the group had come up my dad ran to the bathroom...but that was when we had paused to start the Flip so he JUST missed us coming up (but was there a moment later...I think one of my brothers ran to get him).

First family photos!!!!

Once Monkey had calmed down a bit, we told him that you had a present for him!  He was very excited and came running over...and he had a present for you as well!  He brought out a pink teddy bear for you (that Grandma said he picked out ALL BY HIMSELF and was VERY proud of it) and we gave him the KLM plane we had bought for him in Amsterdam (but gave you all the credit love =).  He was so excited and thanked you for it!

Cousin Caleb

I love my crazy fam and friends!

My siblings parted ways with their littles...they left to go pick up food and bring it to our house for us (after I had mentioned we were once again STARVING).  Our AGCI mama's stopped for a group picture, and daddy and Grandpa went and found our luggage while we mingled with family.  Several times Grandma hugged me just crying....and I cried too! =)  Big brother was starting to melt down so for a while I was holding both of you and just BEAMING....my babies TOGETHER in my arms!!!

I think this picture perfectly captures the joyful chaos =)

My mom had driven our car to the airport so that we wouldn't have to move all the car seats.  But being that we were so tired, we decided to have mama hop in the back between the kids while she drove (plus you had never been in a car seat...so I'm sure it would help having mama right there).  A couple friends helped us carry all the luggage out.  Stepping outside the airport it was definitely cooler that Ethiopia...but warmer than I would have thought (looking back it WAS July...it had just been so dang cold so far).  I kept you under a blanket just in case, but you kept pushing yourself upright to see what was going on.

Daddy buckled you in the car seat for the first time and you were NOT all that thrilled with it.  Mommy quickly hopped in the seat in between you and your brother and fed you a bottle and you seemed to calm down.  Within minutes you were quiet, but still full of that wide-eyed concern.

Driving home, I once again was filled with a bit of culture shock.  Everyone seemed in a hurry to get somewhere.  Time seemed to be swirling at crazy speeds around me, but in our car, with my family...time seemed to stand still.  Don't get me wrong...I couldn't wait to get out of that cramped back seat and be in our home....but I was overflowing with SO much joy!  Our family was finally whole!  I still couldn't believe I was sitting between my two babies!!!  Grandma and daddy were chatting it up in the front seat and big brother was next to me talking my ear off about what he did that week.  I hardly heard a word though...that sounds bad to say, but it's the truth!  I just looked from one person to another and beamed from ear to ear!

When we arrived at home, our porch was covered with "It's A Girl" streamers, and fresh African Daisies, and pink balloons!  As we pulled into the driveway, my brother walked outside with his iphone and started videoing (thank GOODNESS for family)!  Monkey was ready to get out right away, but I asked Grandma to snap our picture before we took you inside.

Walking inside was a surreal feeling.  Something I had dreamed about for so long.  Our family was respectful of this intimate moment...one camera on us to make sure we didn't miss this moment, but the rest of them were in the other room or outside to give us our space.  We unbuckled you from your car seat and you were full of smiles instantly.  You hardly seemed to notice your surroundings...you were just thrilled to be free...and at least you had a couple familiar faces (even though you hadn't met your big brother before today...I know you stared at pictures of him for the last month).  Big brother went to his toys right away, so we gave you a tour of your new room!  You were overwhelmed, most definitely...but you went with the flow of things.

Sneak peek of her room ;)

Have a similar shot of the day we took Monkey home from the hospital!

At this point I was very thankful our family picked up Subway because my stomach was growling.  We joined them by the table eating and you seemed very excited to get to know your new cousins!  And they were all fascinated with you!

It wasn't long before you PASSED OUT!

I don't remember much else about this day...in all honesty it was a bit of a blur.  The sun was shining outside and my heart reflected the warmth.  As family started to leave, daddy and I showed Grandpa and Grandma some pictures and videos of our trip.  Grandpa and daddy were starting to nod off in the living room and I seemed to have a sudden burst of energy so Grandma and I decided to take the kids walking.  I wore you in the Moby and Grandma pushed big brother in the stroller.  We did a small loop and by the time we came home, both of you had fallen asleep...and Grandpa and daddy were both zonked out too.  Grandma and I sat  chatting in the backyard with the warmth of the sunshine on us.  And I remember being really excited when we checked the mail because I got your 4th of July bow!  =)

How do you describe pure and utter joy?  My heart feels like its going to implode.  Thank you Jesus for my beautiful family!