HOME!

There are no words to describe how it feels to be HOME with my two boys. I am in awe as I enjoy the magnitude of each moment together as a family back here in Canada. I will write more when we are a bit more settled in. Thank YOU for continuing to follow our story.

Out of Africa!

Visa in passport. Passport in hand. Four hours until take off!

As we prepare for the LONG journey home, the feeling is understandably - bitter sweet. When I left Ethiopia in 2007, I knew I would be back within a few years to get Levi. This time it is different. I really don't know when we will be back - only that I will try hard to make it happen - one day.

Eighteen hours of flying with a five year old and a two year old. Would it be wrong to spike their juice with something containing alcohol? I pray they sleep. Wish me luck folks!

Thank you to each and every one of you for being a part of this remarkable journey!

Peace.

Thank you Ethiopia

As our time in Ethiopia draws to a close, I find myself reflecting on this extraordinary adventure. This country has changed my life forever. Its two native babes have given meaning to my life that is deeper than I could have ever imagined.

1. First and foremost, I will be eternally grateful to the two selfless women who gave birth to my boys - then made a painful decision, in the hopes of a better life for their babies. Their sacrifice is my gift. In their honour, I will make sure these kids actually HAVE a better life, and develop into men full of love and happiness who truly care about people, the world and especially, each other. I will help them both discover as much about their history as they wish to know.









2. I am grateful to the local people I have met on this journey. Each one has helped me to gain a deeper understanding of this complex yet peaceful nation. They are kind and beautiful - both inside and out. Despite their hardships, they are industrious and proud. I have been welcomed warmly and firmly believe I have their blessing. I often hear “thank you” or “God bless you” or “lucky boys"......the truth is, I am the lucky one. I say this with all sincerity. I did not save my boys. My boys saved me. Meet some of the locals....
















3. I am grateful for the opportunity to spend 15 weeks in Ethiopia welcoming Levi into our family. Being on his “turf” for this transition has been beneficial in so many ways. We were able to visit both orphanages he lived in for short periods of his young life. I was able to gather invaluable information about him that has already helped me to be a better mother. Our long stay in Addis has also provided the necessary time for Luke and Levi to truly bond as brothers, without any outside distractions. This, in itself, as been priceless. Here is a picture of Levi and Beletu Asnake, the director of the orphange in Addis where I met Levi for the very first time.



4. I am grateful to the people who cared for LUKE before I arrived here in 2007 and became a mother for the first time. Reuniting with some of his caregivers, after almost five years, was one of the most exciting and satisfying parts of this trip. Having them at his baptism was also incredibly special. Here are two photos of Luke and Geday Buzuneh, the woman who ran the orphanage where Luke lived as a baby. The first photo is from March 2007 and the second from October 2011. As you can imagine, Geday was overwhelmed with emotion and was so proud of her little baby Luke!





5. I am also grateful for technology. The communication I have had with all of you (via blog comments, emails and face book chats), has been greatly appreciated. In addition, and with your help, I was able to make a difference in the lives of some kids who are really struggling, right here in Addis. Living on the continent most successful at producing babies yet least successful at producing food, poses serious challenges when it comes to food.

6. Finally, I feel blessed to have been born in Canada and into the family I am a part of. I am privileged and I know it. I fully realize that not many can even entertain the idea of international adoption, let alone complete two. The support of my family and close friends has made all the difference. I also thank my maker for giving me the patience, mental strength and open heart needed to make my dream a reality.

To all those involved in this adventure, directly or indirectly, I say....

Visa on the way!

There were some rumblings last week that we were reaching the front of the queue at Canada Immigration. I was cautiously optimistic but needed something more concrete before I posted it on here.

The official news came this morning. All paperwork is now complete. Levi’s permanent resident visa has been issued and will travel to Addis in the special diplomatic pouch this week! We will pick it up on Monday the 23rd and fly out a few hours later!

It almost feels surreal. I am flooded with emotions. Time to celebrate.

Blogging issues fixed :)

For the first time in weeks, I am able to access my own blog. I seem to have fixed the paragraphing issue and can now upload photos. If you have time, I recommend you scroll back down to the "Awash" entry as I have added some photos to that post.

Language 101

Many of you have asked about Levi’s language skills – and more specifically, how we communicate. His first language is Amharic. When we brought him home to live with us, he could understand much of it and speak a small amount. I immediately wished I had focused more on the words, and less on the cute instructor, in the "Beginning Amharic" class I took the previous year. The few phrases I did know really helped - but I wish I was more proficient.

Months ago I was told that kids already matched to Canadian families were being slowly introduced to some English. I soon discovered there was no truth to this. In effect, we were starting from scratch – but that did not seem to matter to the boys. It was nothing short of magical to watch Luke and Levi play and sort things out together. They did not allow such things as “words” to get in the way of their communication. They made it look easy. It was more about body language, intonation, facial expressions and touch. Slowly, I was allowed to join in.

From the beginning Levi mimicked everything we said – especially whatever came out of his big brother’s mouth. Good words. Bad words. Every word. Kids are like sponges and this two year old was no different. Although his English language skills are still somewhat limited, he understands virtually everything we say.

Here are some words he regularly uses (in context)…..please, thank you, mine, no, yes, mom, Luke, shoes, teeth, head, nose, eyes, ears, mouth, toes, hi, bye, hot, balloon, up, down, spider, help, turn, hug, car, bun, good night, ice cream, bless you, mine, ball, pool, yogurt, tubby, ok, again, look.

Sometimes I feel like a language teacher in classroom 178 at the Hilton. We often have mini lessons where Luke works on his French and Levi, his English. Luke still mixes up Spanish with French (too much Dora and Diego, I think) and Levi speaks with a cute little Amharic accent. Progress is being made though, so that is good.

Some research I have read indicates that children adopted internationally to Canadian families before the age three will develop their new language with little, if any, difficulty. In many ways, this is great news, as Levi’s babble will soon all be comprehendible. But……at what cost? Amharic will soon be a distant memory for him. I can’t help but feel I am robbing him of yet another important part of his culture and history.

Adoption is never a win-win. There is always a “loss” for someone, sometime, somewhere. That is just the reality – the reality you accept before you enter this process. You have to believe that what you are doing is still the right thing. And I do.

Awash

I suspect that a mother parting with her baby must be an excruciating experience.....one that would likely haunt you for the rest of your life. I choose to believe, however, that in the case of international adoption, it is the ultimate act of love......putting the needs of your child before ANYTHING else. Last week we took the long ride to Awash, Levi's place of birth – where his biological mother made the gut wrenching decision to give him a better life. Although I will likely never meet this woman, her sacrifice will never be forgotten. We are connected forever through this little boy who we will both forever refer to as "my son"....

Once you leave the city, everything changes. The landscapes are gorgeous and the air is clean. Things become rural – very rural.





We passed several volcanic lakes....





....as well as some cows, goats, monkeys and camels....





Although I was busy keeping the boys occupied (snacks, toys, “eye-spy”), I allowed myself to day dream about what I might see in Awash. It was here I would meet the kind lady who took Levi in and cared for him after he was relinquished by his birth mother.

She was a lovely woman - soft spoken, warm and gentle. It was easy to see why the children of Awash flocked to her, as her genuine love of these helpless souls was palatable. She was more than pleased to see Levi. There were tears, hugs and kisses. She couldn’t believe how much he had grown. Levi was guarded. Just like when we returned to the orphanage in Addis (where I first met him), he was not too interested in what was going on. He cried (see photo) and preferred to bury his head in my chest. I took that as a good sign.





She took us to her little school first - full of orphans eager to learn. It was a single, small, dirty, broken down cement structure with close to 100 kids jammed in like sardines – all sitting on the floor. It was the type of place you might see on TV – with a celebrity attempting to tell a story that might convince you to open your wallet. It was THAT kind of place.





We were then off to the orphanage itself - a very basic set of buildings in the middle of the extremely hot and dry little town of Awash. The most impressive part of the orphanage visit was watching the caregivers look at the pictures our representative had brought with her…..pictures of kids from this orphanage who were adopted to Canada years ago. They were glued to the photos contained in the annual reports that we, as adopters, must legally provide until our children turn 18. There was not a dry eye in the little shack, as they remembered each and every one of these little kids.





Lunch was injera and goat innards. I managed to politely choke it down, with a coke chaser. The hundreds of flies swarming our small plastic table made our meal that much more uncomfortable – but also that much more authentic. Here we were in real Africa…..eating just like the locals.

Most importantly, I was able to learn a bit more about Levi’s story – the story before he came to Addis into the Canadian run transition home for children already matched to Canadian families. It is not a pretty story – but then again, I don’t know of many that are. There were hugs, tears and more hugs. It was a long and emotional day – but worth every minute. Years from now, Levi may want to know more about his history and thankfully, I now have a little piece of it.

Testing.....

Hey gang - severe internet issues here. I am still unable to access my blog or upload photos so am testing to see if this goes through. Give me a shout if this works! Thanks!

STILL here....

Apologies for the recent absence of words. Yes, we are STILL here - going on 13 weeks now. The internet in Addis crashed for five days....we are now on some kind of back up system in the city.

We recently learned that Canada Immigration is taking its sweet time processing our documents. There does not seem to be an issue of any kind - just that we are "in line" with so many other cases. It is still just a guessing game as to when they will reach our file and issue Levi's entry visa.

I am going to keep this entry short, but would love some kind of response. After the internet break-down, I am no longer able to access my own blog. I can write it, but not view it at the actual blog address. If YOU are able to read this, could you please just send me a quick note? Thanks.

Stay tuned for an entertaining entry.....our recent trip to Awash.

Peace.