This blog iniatially started out as an adoption blog but serves now as a way to stay connected to family and friends all across the globe. Please feel free to leave comments. For questions, please send email to alida_z_johnson@yahoo.com.
30 May 2009
Graduating soon to the Orange Belt
We took these pictures this week before going to Karate lessons. Jalen will be graduating in two weeks to his Orange Belt ..... soon more pics to come.
Jalen saying the opening words at his very first PreSchool Graduation and his Mama ...... unprepared with the camera as she did not know that he is going to speak first .... so this is all I could get .... just picture .... no audio.
Before leaving for the Graduation ceremony ...... our first ..... Jalen's graduating from K4 to K5.
Jalen and Mama in his classroom after Graduation.
25 May 2009
Some More Pictures
Jalen acting silly - as usual.
Jalen leaving a message for his Nana in St. Louis, MO.
Jalen talking to his Omi in Germany - I just had to take this picture ......
Jalen camping out in his room.Visiting our Friends in Atlanta
We took these pictures last weekend when visiting our friends in Atlanta. Here's Jalen and Stefan with Gina, a very loving, smart and good dog. 11 May 2009
What's a 'Mama'?
I love this story. It was sent to all the CHI (Children's Hope International, our agency) families in the latest newsletter update:
A baby asked God: "They tell me you are sending me to earth tomorrow, but how am I going to live there being so small and helpless?"
God said: "Your angel will be waiting for you and will take care of you."
The child further inquired: "But tell me, here in heaven I don't have to do anything but sing and smile to be happy."
God said: "Your angel will sing for you and will also smile for you and you will feel your angel's love and be very happy."
Again the small child asked: "And how am I going to be able to understand when people talk to me if I don't know the language?"
God said: "Your angel will tell you the most beautiful and sweet words you will ever hear, and with much patience and care, your angel will teach you how to speak."
"And what am I going to do when I want to talk to you?"
God said: "Your angel will place your hands together and will teach you how to pray."
"Who will protect me?"
God said: "Your angel will defend you even if it means risking its life."
"But I will always be sad because I will not see you anymore."
God said: "Your angel will always talk to you about Me and will teach you the way to come back to Me, even though I will always be next to you."
At that moment there was much peace in Heaven, but voices from Earth could be heard and the child hurriedly asked: "God, if I am to leave now, please tell me my angel's name."
God said: "You will simply call her MAMA".
10 May 2009
Mother's Day
My two boys on this Mother's Day before going out. I can't believe how tall this boy has gotten when he used to be such a little bitty thang. Time just seems to have flown by.
Balloon Fight
This is somewhat what our Mondays and Thursdays look like when Shawn and Mykilie are here while their Mom attends college courses in the evening. It's always a show ..... I love these kiddos.
Shawn, Mykilie and Jalen Acting Goofy
Mondays and Thursdays Shawn and Mykilie are coming over after school while their Mom goes to college classes in the evening. This is at the dinner table.
Goofy kids acting silly .........
Random Pictures at Random Times
Watching Ice Age 2 on the laptop.
Jumping on the trampoline after swimming, and then some more swimming.
Jalen explained to me he was a Maiasourus Dada sitting on Maiasourus eggs so they can hatch ...... in the laundry room ...... ooookaaaaay ..... I guess ......
Opening the Pool up for the Summer
We opened up the pool for the summer. Jalen's always having a blast in water. He's like a fish in water and would stay all day if I'd let him. Here in this clip he's trying to save a butterfly from drowning. He's my little Wonder Pet!
Some More Easter Pictures
Junior and Jalen at Easter Egg hunting at the church.
Dada and Jalen at the Easter Egg hunt.
Puppet Show before the Easter Egg hunt.
Jalen watching the puppet show before the egg hunt.
Easter Sunday after church with our friends from Nigeria. Jalen and Junior are in the same class at school. Bad and Good News from Ethiopia
This Friday, 8 May, was a hard day for many families with court dates. Just a quick background: the court date is what an adoptive family has to pass in Ethiopia in order to bring home the child that was referred to them. So at this point these families had knowledge of who their child was, accepted the child and was just waiting for the ruling on the judge to make the children legally theirs, a long process since between referral and court date could be anywhere between 2 - 4 months.
So, for most of those families who had a court date on Friday their cases were not heard. The reason: it has come to the Ethiopian court's attention that a large number of children pending to be adopted were abandoned in Addis Ababa, the capital, illegally. There was a case a little while ago where the judge got suspicious about a large number of children who in fact were not abandoned but God only knows how they were obtained: through bribes or other means. This was not with our agency, but other agencies who were practicing unethical adoption methods, but it affects everyone, every agency and every family who wants to adopt a truly abandoned and orphaned child from Ethiopia. So until further notice, the judge won't hear cases of children who were abandoned in the capital.
So this was the bad news, especially for those families who are waiting to bring home the children who were truly abandoned. Furthermore, it could, I hope not, but this incident could have other implications too which I try not to think about or worry myself about, but if other agencies continue to practice unethically, the whole program could be shut down which means, nobody, no country can adopt from Ethiopia anymore. Let's hope that this will not be the case and that this situation gets resolved soonest.
The good news of course is for those children who were not truly abandoned but obtained by 'baby brokers' in illegal ways and referred or planned to be referred out to innocent, unknowing families all over the world, including the United States. I hope and pray that those children are now back with their parents and their families and are safe, and loved and cared for.
Also, more good news, amidst all this there were still families in our agency who passes court on Friday and the agency even received two referrals of toddlers.
So, for most of those families who had a court date on Friday their cases were not heard. The reason: it has come to the Ethiopian court's attention that a large number of children pending to be adopted were abandoned in Addis Ababa, the capital, illegally. There was a case a little while ago where the judge got suspicious about a large number of children who in fact were not abandoned but God only knows how they were obtained: through bribes or other means. This was not with our agency, but other agencies who were practicing unethical adoption methods, but it affects everyone, every agency and every family who wants to adopt a truly abandoned and orphaned child from Ethiopia. So until further notice, the judge won't hear cases of children who were abandoned in the capital.
So this was the bad news, especially for those families who are waiting to bring home the children who were truly abandoned. Furthermore, it could, I hope not, but this incident could have other implications too which I try not to think about or worry myself about, but if other agencies continue to practice unethically, the whole program could be shut down which means, nobody, no country can adopt from Ethiopia anymore. Let's hope that this will not be the case and that this situation gets resolved soonest.
The good news of course is for those children who were not truly abandoned but obtained by 'baby brokers' in illegal ways and referred or planned to be referred out to innocent, unknowing families all over the world, including the United States. I hope and pray that those children are now back with their parents and their families and are safe, and loved and cared for.
Also, more good news, amidst all this there were still families in our agency who passes court on Friday and the agency even received two referrals of toddlers.
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