Nyla's 6th Birthday

This weekend we celebrated Nyla's 6th birthday, and second birthday home with us.  Last year, in Montgomery Alabama, we had a huge double birthay party with almost 30 kids for both Nyla and Jalen at Pump It Up. Here, in Sierra Vista, AZ, with not many kids' birthday party venues, we decided to do a smaller home birthday party (one for each) and it was great.

This weekend was Nyla's turn. We had a total of 7 kids (including mine and a baby).  The kids had a lot of fun, so much in fact, that they wanted to have a sleep over.  So us, and the other parents agreed. It was a first for all of us! But it went well, and I survived it :) ......

Her butterfly and flowers cake, half vanilla, half chocalate .... very yummy, moist and not too sweet.

All the friends at the birthday party, minus the baby, one of the kids' sister.

Mama and her Birthday Princess.

Mama, some of the girls, and Nyla after opening some presents.

I didn't give her Rahel, from Ethiopia, and all our gifts until Sunday afternoon after all the kids left.  She's got enough the day before, so I just didn't want to overwhelm her, and wanted to absorb the moment with her alone :) .... I love this doll and what it stands for. It's from the Hearts for Hearts collection containing about ten dolls, each from a different country, with Rahel being from Ethiopia.  Each girl has her own story and how she wants to change the world one heart at the time.  I thought it was so cute, dolls with a purpose and mission other than, outfits, boobs and legs for days.  The doll was a hit with my Nyla.  She loves her and we'll cherish her.  

Throughout the weekend, Jalen was really a good brother, just happy he had his friend Dominic to play with.  In 17 days it'll be his turn to celebrate.  So as of today, and for 17 more days I have 2 six year olds.

Emma, Nyla and Sofia

Jalen and Dominic

The kids on the Trampoline, the next morning after breakfast.

The girls all cuddled up, ready to watch "Tangled".

The boys - watching "The Emperor's New Groove".

Mariah and Nyla ..... with Mariah kissing her, but couldn't capture it while on her 2 legs :)

..... so much love ......

All in all, it was a great weekend, and even though I felt spent and tired, returning back to work on Monday morning, I'm happy that Nyla had a good time celebrating her 6th and that Jalen had a good time as well. And as a momma, I'm happy if my kids are :) happy .... great weekend.

Mama, falls Du dies liesst, Alles Gute Zum Geburtstag heute!!! Ich hab Dich sehr lieb und vermisse Dich sehr!

Lake Havasu Vacation

Over the Labor Day weekend we decided to take a trip to Lake Havasu, AZ. This trip was fun and at the same time very special to us as:

1. It was the kids' first trip and swimming in a lake
2. It was our first trip with a pet - our beloved Mariah
3. We've never vacationed in AZ before

We enjoyed ourselves. The kids had fun. The lake and the area was beautiful .... but .... it was extremely hot .... between Lake Havasu and Sierra Vista about a 45 degree difference in temperature.

The kids in the lake.

Mariah - our beloved - she was such a trooper. She was great riding in the car and she'd do everything we do, including swimming in the lake. She used to be afraid to get in the water (the pool at home) but after a few tries of water on her paws she started getting in and even swimming. She was wonderful and so easy going with no problems on our trip. She is the best dog we have never dared to dream of :) .... she is truly a blessing to us.

Mariah found a friend, General, to play with. She is very good with other dogs who are nice to her and wanna play with her. She doesn't care for dogs that bark at her (like little bitty lap dogs) and she doesn't care for cats either. She tries to chase them. But any other dogs that wanna play with her .... she's down for that.

We also try to let her off the leash as often as possible so she can get her exercise and roam around freely. Contrary to non-dog-owners beliefs, a dog does not get a true exercise by walking on the leash next to you. So because Mariah has adjusted to us well, and because she listens to us, we let her off the leash as much as possible .... hence, she's playing with General off the leash.

Here's Mariah's very first time in the water. She kept wanting to swim back to Geno who was taking the picture.

The kids found some friends at the lake they were playing with.

Dada and the kids.

Nyla snapped this picture of us as we were leaving one evening for dinner at the Chinese Buffet :)

We were relaxing and enjoying the day in the shade ..... all of us ..... except the kids. They were swimming and playing in the lake.

We even managed, thanks to my Nyla, to snap a picture of me and Mariah ... my first ever ... as usualy I'm the one snappin' them :)

All in all, great trip, great times ..... love quality time with my family!!!!!!!!!!!

Back Again .... After a 1 Year Break

I haven't blogged since over one year ... but I decided it is time again to pick it up. Lots have happened since last time:

• I switched services .... Blue to Green


• We moved to Arizona this year in April


• Nana moved into our home in Alabama


• Kids are in 2nd grade and Kindergarten


• We have a most precious pet - Mariah

In August 2011, and after the children pleading with us for a long period of time, we decided to adopt a pet ..... so we did .... and her name is Mariah .... and she likes to drive :).

Mariah is 2.5 years old and is a German Shepherd/Boxer mix. She is very easy going, loved the children from the start, and hardly ever barks. She loves running with me in the mornings and I consider her the best running buddy I've ever had. She keeps me safe, or at least she gives me a sense of safety when we're out together in the wee hours of 0430 in the morning getting in our 2 miles running. She's also good with other dogs, but she absolutely cannot stand cats.

The main reason we finally decided to get a pet is simple: Nyla is not afraid of dogs anymore. When we first brought her home, 1.5 years ago, Nyla was terrified of dogs. She would take of running to the extent that she'd fall and tumble and scrape herself all up ..... that's how scared she was of dogs .... no matter what size. The thing is, that she grew up - until she joined our family - in Ethiopia, where dogs are not kept as pets and children are taught to fear and avoid them ... and for good reason too, as they are strays infected with many diseases.

So how did Nyla overcome her doggy fears, you might ask? Well, with time and being exposed to all kinds of dogs in a controled environment such as the animal shelters in Montgomery AL and in Sierra Vista AZ. We've taken many trips to the animal shelter, spending time there as volunteers, socializing with the dogs and cats while at the same time socializing my darling children with the animals .... Jalen was a huge help in the process as he's not scared of either pet, and eventually Nyla just kinda followed him along .... easing into learning to trust these animals and not being afraid.

Fast forward about 1.5 years, and here she is loving this dog so much, and Mariah crazy and protective of her. Nyla treats Mariah so gently and lovingly and in return, Mariah jumps on her on command and gives her kisses. It's so wonderful to have seen this process unfold and to have witnessed how far we've came and what strides we have made.

Mariah did not like Geno at all in the beginning. She was terrified of him, always alert to any of his moves and if he'd want to touch her, she'd back away with her tail between her legs. She took to the children and me right away .... but not so much to Geno. And listening to him???? Never!!!

Now fast forward about 2 weeks of being with us and about two weeks of Geno spending lots of one on one time with her daily at the doggy park - just the 2 of them - and picture below is what you get. Mariah is no longer scared of Geno; she obeys him, she comes to him wagging her tail asking for attention and belly rubs and the best part: jumping on him on command and giving kisses and licks. I am so proud of her. And I am proud of Geno for being so patient and loving with her, teaching her to trust him and obey him .... he did pretty well, considering he's never had a dog before. Again, amazing to see this unfold.

Jalen and Mariah .... well, what can I say .... it was love at first sight!!! This boy is sooo happy to finally have a dog he can call his own. They play together a lot .... he's teaching her how not just to fetch a bone but how to bring it back to him as well ... lol ... he's very good with her. More commanding then Nyla is, but still very loving, caring and gentle with her. She listens to him, but at the same time is protective of him and loves him to pieces! The two of them happy in picture below to finally have a dog they can call their own.

Also, another great thing that happened this weekend ..... the kids found some friends again, that live close and can come over anytime on the weekends and stay all day. As a military family, we move a lot (this was our first though as a family of 4) and the kids do well, but do miss their friends in Alabama very much. This weekend, I don't think they thought much about them because they played a lot ..... 2 days straight outside, only coming in for meals .... both Saturday and Sunday evenings they were spent ... pooped out ... and fell asleep very quickly. The sibling pair we befriended along with their parents lives just a block down our street. The boy, Dominic, is in Jalen's class at school and his sister, Sofia, is in Nyla's class in school. I can tell you, that even though we did nothing major this weekend but stayed home ... it was the best weekend ever since we moved to AZ because the kids finally found friends who live close by and can spend all day playing at the house, swimming and jumping on the trampoline. Mine were in heaven this weekend, and I'm sure Dominic and Sofia had fun as well and will be back soon.

Nyla and Sofia - classmates and friends

Dominic and Jalen - classmates and buddies

Last but not least, I'd like to talk a little bit about the man behind the strong woman :) ... my hubby. We are very happy to announce that he too, and dispite of this sh*tty economy, has now found a job and has been working again after being jobless for 3.5 months. Everytime we move with the military, he has to start all over from scratch, leaving a job and trying to find a new one. Do I ever hear him complain, bitch, whine about any of this??? ...... NEGATIVE ....NEVER .... he is supportive, loving, easy-going and laid back - I couldn't have asked for a better husband and father to my children ..... in a nutshell, he's the best and I'm crazy about him ... still and always .... even after 16 years of marriage.
We took this picture on the beach in San Diego CA when we took a trip there in July 2011.

Lots to cover in one post, but I think I hit the biggest things.

Summer 2010 Updates

I haven't updated in seems since the beginning of summer and seeing how school just started up again, I will report on everything that went on during the summer.
Everything couldn't be any better. Nyla and Jalen are doing just fine ..... sometime at the beginning of summer Nyla told us she wants to be called "Nyla" by her first name and not "Hanna" anymore by her middle and Ethiopian name, and I must say it took us the whole summer to get used to it but the transition is now complete and she no longer has to remind us to call her by her first name. She's come out of her shell a lot, if that's even possible because she's always been very vocal and outspoken and outgoing ..... but now that she speaks English, there's no stopping her ..... she talks, and talks and talks, and is funny, and feisty and God forbid you say something wrong, like mispronounce her name, she will correct you on the spot.

Pictures below are from our vacation at the beach in Destin FL. She loves the beach as I knew she would, because she loves the pool. Both my children are waterbabies.

I must say without exaggeration that they both get along very well - yes, they do have their "moments" of fighting (verbally) but those moments are short lived .... mostly they play very well together, for hours at the time ..... without fighting, or any tattle-telling .... I used the "military" method which I learned in bootcamp on them, and for us it works: if one bothers the other one to the extent that the other one has to tattle-tell, they both get punished by not being able to swim anymore for the rest of the day ....... this method has worked wonders, and the fact that they love to swim ..... so when they get a little roudy, all I have to do is use this sentence .... and yes, they do know I do mean business, because they know I mean what I say and say what I mean :) .....

This picture was taken at the Big Kahuna Waterpard in Destin FL .... another first for our Nyla just like the beach. And as I expected and knew ..... they both loved Big Kahuna.

They love each other. They keep telling me how they will protect each other always ..... they tend to get real graphic at times ..... so I have to put some breaks on their very vivid imagination. That's one thing I have noticed with Nyla ..... she does have a very vivid imagination and love to play any kind of make-believe and make-up games like for example picking up her toy phone and calling Cinderella, Dora, Snow-White, Tiana or any kind of fairy tale figure like that and talks to them ...... I was afraid we'd have to teach her, or show her ... but no, she's always known to play well, and play make-believe like a girl of her age should.

One morning at the beach, Geno and I were still resting, cause these kids wake up at 5:30 and 6:00 in the morning, so they were playing something and she happened to come into our room with her play jewelry on and her tiara ..... I couldn't resist the Kodak moment.

Beautiful beach ..... and we stayed right on it ..... there's something about water and waves that is so calming to me and waking up in the morning and sipping your coffee while looking onto the ocean (well, Golf of Mexico) and listening to the waves ...... beautiful!!!!

They loved playing with the water hose people use to wash off with once they leave the beach. They couldn't get enough of playing with it and splashing each other, us and other people .... at which point I had to nip that in the bud ..... but they will sure try anything in the book and see if they can get away with it ..... and they're such rascals ....

This summer we also had Nyla's very first birthday party we were invited too, at the Pump It Up .... just a bunch of inflatables but kids and adults love it .... I loved it ......

This summer was our first experience with me being TDY .... I was gone out of town and out of pocket for three weeks and when I came back it almost felt like Christmas because I promised them lots of surprises = toys ..... if they were being good with their Dada ...... and they were according to him .... and he was telling me how much she would help him out and know where everything is, everything goes, comb her hair, comb Jalen's hair, etc... ..... just like a little mama .... so hence, one of our terms of endearment for her is: lil' mama ..... which is absolutely fitting. And oh so true .... this little girl will help with anything I'd let her, like helping me unpack and put up things (which we had quite a lot to do lately with me going TDY, or us going on vacations), or helping me fix breakfast, or just about anything .... and I don't ask her, she is the one asking me: "Mama, can I help you!" This is so new to me, so wonderful and cute really, because Jalen's not like that .... he doesn't just out of the blue ask me to let him help me ...... she is such a good soul!!!!

My Princess and My Hero

Playing in Jalen's room one day .............

This summer we went to our adoption agency's (Children's Hope International) annual family reunion of all the families who brought their children home from all kinds of countries my agency works with. It was nice to meet so many friends I have until then only met in "blogland" or in Ethiopia when we picked our children up. We stayed with Nana of course ... see pic above.

The kids had a blast at the picnic (their cousin Faith came along for the fun) and not even 5 minutes into the drive back to Nana's this is what happened .... and it continued on until well into the evening .... which delayed our Ethiopian restaurant plans for quite a bit .... but when they woke up at almost 8 that night, they were good and ready and hungry .... and we all had a feast at the Meskerem Ethiopian restaurant in St.Louis. We even got some injera to go and to freeze and I have made injera twice since then once with beef and once with chicken ..... and both my children loved it, as did my husband ..... Nyla kept telling me: "Mama, this is my favorite food .... I love it .... " but then again she says that about so many other foods I cook for them ..... I'm really happy, both my kids can EAT ... and they're not picky Thank God!!!!!

At the reunion we met Miles, Eliza's boy, for the first time in person ..... we call them the "brothers from other mothers" ...... and fathers for that matter .... but they do look a lot alike, don't they? .... and of course handsome as they can be ..........

At the picnic we had to bring our own lunch, so of course we chowed down on some KFC .... which my children, including cousin Faith, love.

Nyla saw one of her friends from back in Ethiopia at the House of Hope at the picnic ... and both Nyla and Nyah Tamirat remembered each other. How neat is that?????

Cousin Faith, Eliza's little girl Marley and Nyla at the CHI picnic.

My adoptive Mom friends: Stacy (we were in Ethiopia at the same time, Missy and Eliza (they brought me pictures and video back of Nyla while we were waiting to pick her up, as well as took some gifts from us to her .... this was the first time I met these ladies in person). It was sooo good to see them ..... we did plan on going to eat together that night after the picnic at the Ethiopian restaurant, but by the time my children woke up, it was too late for the babies to be out and about ..... so hopefully next time, ladies ..... I so hope!!!!!!!!!!

At Nana's before leaving for the picnic.

The 4 of us at Big Kahuna's after they gave everybody orders of exiting the waters because it was lighting and thundering ...... hence, Jalen's unhappiness!!!! ..... and of course they were good and tired too after four hours at the waterpark. This little girl would do all the "scary" slides we would do ..... all she needed was the life vest .... she is not a scardy cat at all ...

The next pictures were taken this past weekend as we went to Midbay Shores Cabins by the Bay. It was again lots of fun, the children had lots of fun, were good to each other and to us :) ... we are truly blessed as parents so far ...... hope this streak lasts well into their 20s ..... ok, wishful thinking, but still .... a girl can dream, right!

Right outside our cabin we were staying at.

We don't do fast food restaurants, except when we're on trips, and besides the obvious which is Micky D's, the children love Churche's Chicken and KFC.

My 2 konjo butterflies ..... I'm such a blessed Momma!!!!

So these were some of the updates of this summer .... almost ... past. We've had many firsts, we had no more eye issues with Nyla (it turned out to be a chalazion above her eye, but with antibiotic drops for a few weeks it completely went away never to return back ..... at least so far).

So now the school is about to begin: Nyla's in Preschool K-4 and Jalen's in 1st Grade. I'm excited to see what the next chapter in our lives will bring ..... Jalen will be starting Basketball in the fall and Nyla will be cheerleading ..... the good thing about it is that they both get to play at the same time - 0n Saturdays - one will be playing the other cheering - and we'll try to have their practrices at the same time too, if that is possible .... we'll see.

All in all, everything's good so far. Nyla's English has become very good and we're talking about Ethiopia a lot, I think it comes up at least once a day even between the children. She has told us so much from what she remembers .... but it seems all is from the time at the HoH ... not much from before ..... at least so far ..... We didn't have any "melt-downs" anymore since May ... but she knows that when she gets older she can go to Ethiopia if she likes and she can take Mama with her or Jalen or Dada but - and these are her own words "only for 1 night because she wants to come back to America because her mimis (dolls) will miss her" ... this is of course her reasoning, but I'm so proud of her how she makes sense of things in her little 4 year old brain .... I think it helped her to know that she can go back to "Topia" if she wants to and that she can take us with her and come back with us ... if SHE wants to ..... I think knowing this was important to her .... and it seems to have put her at ease with all the changes she has gone through. I think she is happy here with us, based on how she is with us, and I'm not just talking about the cuddling and the kissing and the many "I love you so much Mama" or "Dada" but just as a whole of how she acts, and how she strives and blossoms every day and how she's adjusted so well to her new family and her new life ...... we love her so much and cannot imagine our lives without her in it .... without both our children in it for that matter ..... I just can't imagine my life without my two wonderful konjo butterflies ... and Geno :) .... in it.