On May 2, the Seattle Mariners featured Foster and Adoptive families in their “We Are Family” day. We joined up with family and friends and had a fantastic time. We took the train from Puyallup to Seattle, walked to the ballpark (stopping for a bit of shopping along the way) and then were treated to a superb pitching performance but, sadly, no offense for the home team.
Daniel and David experienced many new things, but seemed to take it all in stride. There was a good crowd and it was fun to get a bit loud. We met our good friends, the Butlers, at the ballpark and then rode home with them on the train. The kids played with their trading cards at the table.
Also joining us were Margie & Ruli, Kyle & Sarah with Ilaria and Mason, David & Barbara and the Ashcrafts. All told, we had 8 adopted kids with us (I think), including 6 from Ethiopia. Four of the Ethiopian children were good friends before adoption. How cool is that?!
Daniel and David celebrated their first Easter in the US. In addition to talking about the meaning of Christ’s resurrection, we colored Easter eggs, opened baskets, and went to look at flowers at Van Lierop’s bulb farm. All in all, the boys did great and we had a wonderful celebration. Click on the picture above to see more…
We also went to Julie and Cindy’s for an egg hunt, dinner and general family fun. And – here’s a shocker – we took the camera with us. Click on the picture of David to see more.
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.
The boys LOVE riding bicycles and have been using borrowed bicycles since their arrival in September (a HUGE thank you to Mason and MacKenzie). Since Mom and Dad also enjoy riding along the trails, we’ve been looking forward to riding together. They have outgrown the bikes (along with all their clothes) and we had received a very generous gift (thank you Madaline) for the purchase of bicylces, so we finally went shopping. It was a great experience and teaching day (five bicycle shops before we found precisely what we were looking for). And, we got some great bicycles that they will grow with for some time. The only problem now is that we cannot keep up with them on the trails because they’ve mastered the gears and the hand-brakes. They love their bikes.
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:
After Janel and Ryan got engaged, we headed to Margie and Ruli’s house for a Christmas celebration. Ruli’s sister Toyo, and Toyo’s son Mark were there also. We ate, exchanged gifts, ate some more, played some games, ate some more… We appreciated the opportunity to relax and enjoy good company while also being blessed by terrific gifts.
On December 24, Ryan surprised Janel in a big way – he flew to Washington to propose to her!!! She thought he was going to be with his parents in California. We had to get Janel down to the waterfront in Tacoma where Ryan was waiting for her. We all kept the secret so well that Janel was completely surprised. After the proposal was made – and accepted – we had a toast and took a few pictures to mark the occasion.
We thoroughly enjoyed their short stay up here and are anxious to begin planning the big event.
Our neighbor Lisa came by with Santa in tow. Santa had come to their family party so he came to our house to see Daniel and David. The boys were aware that this is another of Santa’s helpers because the real Santa was very busy getting ready for Christmas. What fun!
Sunday night we took a ride on the Santa Train at Point Defiance. We got to ride in an open air railroad car and visit with Santa. The boys told Santa what they want for Christmas and we all had a great time. It was too dark to take any video, but we got some good pictures. Click the picture to see more.
