Northboro Church Knitting group makes socks and sends them to Ethiopia

Our church (First Parish Church UU of Northborough) has a Knitting group.  They recently knit socks for the upcoming rainy season for a family of the Selamta Family Project.   Here is a picture of the socks arriving to the family in Ethiopia-Included in the email from the children- was a heart felt Betam Amaseganallo! (thank you very much) from the Family.

Our church has been so very supportive of our adoption.  First they hosted a public viewing of a movie called "black gold" -with advertising -etc.  At the event they sold fairly traded coffee, made popcorn and provided an opportunity to discuss it.  They have donated money to the ECC for new adoptive parents to learn more about inter-racial adoption... and now.. they have sent socks to a newly created family to help a mom take care of her children during this upcoming rainy season.   

Having the humble but wonderful opportunity to co-ordinate some of these opportunities is really making my heart leap for joy and tears come to my eyes.  I can't thank our congregation enough for being open to reaching out to the needs in Ethiopia and for embracing our efforts.  

Should anyone else like to ask their church or another local organization to do something for the Selamta group- simple or large- please email me at: kbrusstar@tbgsec.com with your idea and I'd be more than happy to put you in touch with the correct person.

A Lazy Day in Photos - June 6th 2010

Welcome - come on in and enjoy a rainy day with us...

Daddy Started the morning off with the kiddos- (at 4:45) Debritu gets up crazy hours at the moment because she's missing her binkie...mommy laid on the couch- wishing away a headache.

A few hours later mommy decides to jump in and gives daddy a break.  Habtamu and I play Cooties...

Debritu decides to play a lace up the bugs game.

Kids eating left over bagels while daddy makes eggs, sausage and hashbrowns... yummy yummy!










The kids went outside to play barefoot in the warm light rain this morning-but when I got back to them with the camera-I discovered that they decided it was a good day to roll around in the grass and play in the sand while - NAKED - so we've omitted those pictures :-)

ahh- back inside and it seems that it's time to have some independent play time for everyone :-)

Daddy and Habtamu leave for H's last T-ball game. Did I meantion it was a rainy day??? Note how well I dressed him today (not).

Debritu falls asleep (pheww) so Mommy misses the T-ball game and stays home.  Geneva decides it's also a good time for a nap so she goes to sleep with her.

It's noon....Habtamu and dad are off to T-ball, my mom is still doing our laundry (thank you thank you thank you mom), Debritu's asleep and it looks like the sun is going to come out.  Ahhh- A random chance for me mom to take a shower-maybe even shave her legs (I'll spare you the picture of  it though-laugh)! Yippy!


Mommy took 5 minutes and got to brush Geneva- A Pomeranian could easily hide in the hair I brushed off her.

1:00  Debritu up Eating lunch. 

T-ball game cancelled- boys are in-town. 

Nana is walking her dog.

From 2-4:00

Debritu learns "Do Re Me...." with Nana while daddy plays a completely different song on the guitar.  Debritu runs around pulling out books, toys and other random items looking for something "new" to do while saying "why, why, why" to everything. (Mommy is playing on You Tube researching braiding styles - hoping to find something she can actually do).

Habtamu decides it's a good day for a nap- can you find him in his bed?











4:00

Got bored- Decided it was a good time to head out to Chuck E Cheese.

Was having too much fun to remember to take pictures.. after this-laugh.

The kids are not the only ones that had fun it seems...laugh. Nana looks quite happy too....











Exhausted- we came home -and put the kids in bed.

 Hope you all had a wonderful Rainy Day yesterday.... Thanks for sharing ours with us.

13 months as a family

Holy cow... 13 months.- Phewww!  If you told me 13 months ago that I'd be happy being home- not working yet;  that I'd be afraid of the dynamics of flying with my children; that I'd be going to Vermont for a family vacation (domestic are you kidding???).. I'd have laughed at you.  If you told me the kids would be the happy and complete focus of my life- I'd believe you-but I'd have had no idea what that really meant.  


The past 13 months-talk about a Roller Coaster Ride!!!  Mostly I think, I wonder how this all happened...How in the world did we become parents to our wonderful and beautiful children???   Their voices in the morning make my heart sing..Mummmeee..it's get up time..(Habtamu) or Mummmeee- "Wake up" (Debritu).. and of course my eyes still burn because it's so darn early.  My brother in-law was visiting and said to us "I don't know how you function on such a little amount of sleep".  Dad and I were both surprised by this comment- we thought we slept a lot- ..laugh.guess that could explain the "mood swings".


How did we get children that really are the perfect fit for our family???? How does this all work itself out-really??? 


We still remember what it was like before our children joined our family but don't desire to go "back" there anymore.  I don't cry about what we did "to" our lives nope.. I've moved on- I  cry because I'm at my limit.. and need a break-but ya know that limit keeps changing- keeps growing. Talk about a job that tests ya!.   


Things that use to matter to Den and I- don't anymore. The children have offered us so much perspective- so many changes.  Children have changed me as much as all my travelling combined and then some-but you won't hear me saying "why didn't we do this sooner", ha ha.   All of the changes are different- on a different level than the changes and excitement of becoming more "open or closed minded" through your travels.  The changes motherhood create in somebody I'm convinced are not  easily imagined by that waiting parent. 


But who I was with out our children- even it they magically "went away"- I'd never be that woman again- nor would I like to be. They are remarkable little people that change constantly and are so forgiving.  Why can't we stay that way as adults.. Why do we judge when our children teach us to forgive??  
  
13 months ago today we walked -exhausted and confused but delighted through the threshold of our home; I'm still exhausted, still delighted when I look, listen or watch our children and man I'm still  oh so very confused-but somewhere in all of this we've all changed.  Habtamu, Debritu, Denis and I- We've become a family with bonds.. bonds that I can't imagine being with out.  Bonds that make each day-and adventure.