Mike and Mary hosted the Averill Family Reunion at Sylvia Lake this weekend. The setting was beautiful and we all had a great time, although the weather could have been a bit better (I don’t know how many times I heard, “this’ll burn off in a few minutes and the sun will come out”). Family members enjoyed canoeing on the lake, swimming and fishing. And, as with most family reunions, there was no shortage of great food.
We didn’t take as many pictures as we typically do, but we got a few good ones. Click on the one shown to see more.
We knew that life with boys would be different than life with girls. In fact, last year we discussed the likelihood that we would become familiar with the ER and, more specifically, broken bones. We realize that girls do this also (Sarah had broken her nose and a thumb on separate occasions), but it never seems to be a surprise when an active boy breaks a limb.
Daniel with his cast
Well, on the 25th of July (2 days prior to traveling for Janel’s wedding!), Daniel put his bicycle and helmet away and then came in the house to get some attention to several new scrapes he acquired by crashing his bike. As he was showing us the scrapes, he remarked, “I think I broke my arm.” Of course he couldn’t have broken his arm because he wasn’t crying or really showing that he was in severe pain. But after a while he started doing things out of character for him (like lying down in bed at 3:00 in the afternoon) so Randy took him to the ER. X-Rays confirmed a broken arm and he got a splint. We were able to get him in to the orthopedic specialist for a cast on Tuesday and make the flight to California Wednesday morning.
As part of the last swimming lesson at level 1, the boys had the opportunity to go off the diving board. They both did fantastic, as you can see on the video. David goes first followed by Daniel. Daniel goes straight in and actually tried to find the bottom of the pool. We’ll try to post some other video and some photos from swimming – as with virtually every other new activity, they LOVE IT!!! They would swim every day if they had the opportunity (we’ll probably join the YMCA). I think they’re going to like Hawaii next month.
Daniel researched Polar Bears and presented his report to the third grade class. He practiced at home and did a great job sharing his findings with his classmates. Here’s the video.
Similar to a baby dedication, we wanted to publicly proclaim that Daniel and David truly belong to God, and that we are grateful for the opportunity to raise them as parents. Some friends at church, who also adopted two beautiful kids from Ethiopia, dedicated their kids at the same time. We were blessed by Pastor Art’s words and we wanted to share the video, so here it is.
Daniel and David have both been excited to start school. We decided to start with half-days and we really thought we would stick with that for quite a while. However, after a week it became obvious that they were both acclimating amazingly well. They are now attending school full-time plus they have quite a bit of “homework” that includes continued work on their language and math flashcards, etc. We videotaped them after their first day of school on January 7. We had to split the video into small enough segments to post, so the first one includes them getting settled in and then it’s primarily Daniel telling about his day. The second clip is mostly David sharing about his day. You can see the joy in their faces and hear it in their voices. These clips also give a good feel for how they communicate now.
We had been somewhat anxious about Christmas for many months. We tend to make Christmas a very big deal. After all, we are celebrating the fact that our Savior came down from Heaven and became human. It IS a big deal. In true American fashion, our Christmas celebration includes several days of visiting with friends and family members. Each visit lasts for some time and includes incredible arrays of food and gifts. It’s typically quite loud and joyous. We love it and want the boys to love it also.
So, let’s think about the boys for a bit… Their early life has been shaped in a very different world. That world is known for its kind and generous people, but a lack of food and basic services. The boys know Jesus as savior, but the thought of celebrating His birth in the fashion to which we are accustomed is inconceivable! So the big question in our minds was, “How would they respond when the inconceivable becomes reality?” Would the stimulus overload send them into a panic-type of response? It seemed reasonable to us that they might sit in the corner with completely blank expressions. We discussed our plans and developed contingency plans. All the while we tried to hide our anxiety and keep a positive face, especially to the boys. And we prayed as the season approached.
We were diligent in our preparation for Christmas, writing a list of the day’s events and reviewing it with the boys often so that they would have an idea of what was happening. We made sure to involve them in our family traditions – David and Janel unwrapped baby Jesus and Daniel and Dad prayed. They both listened and followed along in the Bible while Sarah and Janel recited the Christmas story from Luke. (The boys will be memorizing it for next year!!) Throughout the day we were vigilant to ensure that emotions did not swing too wildly one way or another. At one point a phone call took our attention away and it took a while to get things under control again. It was clear that our full attention was required and therefore we decided to forego our usual phone calls to family and friends. By evening, we were thoroughly exhausted!
All in all, Daniel and David did fantastic! They were wide-eyed but not overwhelmed. Their natural charm came across to the people we were around. They were truly grateful for the gifts they received, and they wrote their Thank You notes willingly. They were especially happy to spend time with Janel (& Ryan), since they had not seen her for quite a while.
Here is some video from Dec. 24 at Margie & Ruli’s house.
Here is some video taken at our house on Christmas morning. We edited it down, but it still has lots of good stuff in it. You’ll see:
The kids anxious to come out and see the tree, then finally being permitted
Checking out the cookie remainders left by Santa
Some opening of gifts and general discussion around the tree (second video)
And, for those still reading, here are the pictures:
January 18th, 2010 in Adoption, Video | Comments Off
We had the privilege of greeting our friends at the airport Sunday night as they returned from Ethiopia with their new children, Cherinet and Beza. We have known this family for several months because they, like us, adopted through Adoption Ministry. Cherinet and Beza were at the same orphanage as Daniel and David and we have eagerly anticipated seeing these kids grow up and maintain frequent contact.
Last September, when we visited the orphanage with our kids, we got a glimpse of just how close these kids are. Since then, we have heard our kids pray for these two – by name – virtually every night. They are truly BEST FRIENDS and we are so happy to have them reunited.
Watch the video of our boys making posters and then the greeting party at the airport.
When we arrived at Margie’s house for a Christmas celebration, Sarah answered the door and was a bit surprised to see Ryan tagging along with Janel. It was actually a bit comical to see her at a loss for words (or at least at a loss for variety in her words).
Addis Ababa Time