Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Snow Cones!

After the show, we celebrated our fun evening by going out for snow cones! There is a local place that has over 100 flavors to choose from!







OUR Belle had a great evening and we all enjoyed the fine arts as well as the sweet treat afterward!
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The Belle of the Ball

In August we got the opportunity to go see a local production of Beauty and the Beast. Battle's brother was able to get our whole family tickets for the occasion. So our family gussied up and headed out for a rare night on the town!

Here is our own Belle of the Ball!!!!

 
                                   And she has not ONE , but TWO Prince Charmings!



                                                             The Royal Family


                                                          Stlll Daddy's Girl


We got a neat opportunty to go backstage after the show and meet the cast. Here is Beauty with the Beast!

                                                        And with the Dishes...

                                                        And the silverware...

                                                 And many other cast members...



                                              And here with the stars of the show....

                         Corrie was not so sure about those horns coming out of his head....

                            And our whole crew thanking them for an incredible evening!



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The Mortar and Pestle


Shortly after returning from the beach, we had our adoption small group over to our home to share with them about our trip to Ethiopia. I don't have many pictures from the evening, but we so enjoyed sharing with our friends a bit of Ethiopian culture. We had Injera and several typical Ethiopian dishes from our local Ethiopian restaurant. I think it was enjoyed by ALL! After dinner we introduced them to a typical Ethiopian coffee ceremony. We had purchased green coffee beans from the Ethiopian Restaurant and roasted these over the small grill we had purchased while in Ethiopia and in the pot given to us by Tsebay, the owner of our guest house. After roasting the beans, Graham crushed them for us using the mortar and pestle we bought in Gimbie, the village of our Daughter's birth. We purchased this right on the main street there in Gimbie. We keep it on diplay in our home as a reminder of where she was born.  

After crushing the beans, we placed them in boiling water in the coffee pot we also purchased while in Ethiopia and then served the coffee in china cups on the small coffee table also purchased while there. And of course the ceremony is not complete without popcorn served in the Ethiopian wicker basket. Here is our Ethiopian princess checking out our reproduction of this traditional Ethiopian ceremony.

We tried to soak up as much of the culture as we could while there so we could share this with her as she grows up. We just did not know how we would fall in love with the culture and traditions of this beautiful country. One of the best things about the coffee ceremony is that you sit and enjoy talking to family and friends in the comfort of your home while sharing the coffee and popcorn. This relational time is highly valued in their culture.  We will so enjoy incorporating this into our own!
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The Sun Hat

By the end of our family beach week, Corrie had warmed up to the sand and the surf and was all smiles playing in her floppy pink sun hat!

She joined her sister in play and by the look on this face, was having a blast!


Yes, by the end of the week she was even scooping up the water and sand , pouring it  over her legs and burying her feet and toes in the surf!


Oh the joys of summer fun!


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Long Overdue Update

I am sitting here in my bed looking at the frozen drizzle still falling and the ice on the roads keeping my husband and kids home for the day. I thought I would take this opportunity to update the blog  and let the blogosphere know why I have not been heard from in months. It is not because I have not wanted to stay caught up documenting the mundane and monumental events of our family life. Unfortunately, I have had a mysterious illness since returning from our trip to Ethiopia to bring our daughter home back in the summer. As I look back at all the pictures I have taken since that time, I am both thankful  and a bit sad. Thankful that God somehow has given me the strength even in my sickness to photo document the events of the last 6
 months. And that He has given me the strength to plan and celebrate special occasions like birthdays and Christmas and many firsts for our daughter. I am sad that I have not been at my best  during these special times and not able to fully enjoy the moments. I think that is why I desperately want to document the moments so I can reflect on them with great joy when I do feel good again.

I somehow came down with a virus that ordinarly does not cause symptoms in healthy individuals. I came down with flu-like  achiness, abdominal pain and a mono-like illness that lasted over 2 months. I had a brief recovery where I began feeling like myself again only to then contract a staph infection and then a pneumonia that has not responded to antibiotics. I continue to struggle with lung pain and am on yet another antibiotic. I have had many scans done and lots of bloodwork with not a lot of answers. It has been quite discouraging  as I so want to enjoy my family. I am praying for and looking forward to complete healing and will have new perspective on enjoying each and every moment with my family!

Bear with me as I back track and begin posting pictures to document the events of the last 6 months!

I think I left off at the end of our family beach week in July, so that is where I will begin....

Stay tuned.....
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