Melkam Gena

Ethiopian Christmas is celebrated each year on January 7.  To read more about it, click HERE.  Last year, JT was working on his largest fundraiser of the year as he was this year.  Last year, we went to Queen of Sheba, the local Ethiopian restaurant, with the Brown family and the Armstrong family.  As you can see, last year, there were five kids.  Since that time, the Browns have brought home their sons Elijah and Caleb from Ethiopia (after over two years of waiting) and they had baby Asher the old fashioned way. 

This year's Ethiopian Christmas was much louder.  We moved the party to the Armstrong house where Donna and Brittney prepared their wonderful Ethiopian dishes.  I, on the other hand, am a cook in training... I stopped at Queen Sheba to purchase injera and kikwot.  It was such a nice time with some of our favorite friends.  I hope you enjoy some of these pictures.

Last year, 2011

This Year, 2012

baby Asher, Grace, Dawit (in the corner), Avery, Elijah holding

Zoey (who is very unhappy), Caleb, and Tedi

Our Spread...

quite impressive

 Everyone....

Dawit thought he would be in a picture

Adventures of a Doctor Mom: Part One

I don't always get home before dark.  I spend most of my time caring for your kids (Your = everyone but mine).  I clean their cuts, sew them, listen to their hearts beating, their lungs breathing......  I write notes about them and listen to all their adventures....all of this I love...I love my job.  But today....today, I played with my boy.  I spent about two hours at work this morning....playing with healthy babies in the newborn nursery, ran to a meeting, and came to start laundry.  At lunch with my friend, I decided with great excitement that I would take Tedi to the park and he could play...I could "exercise" and play with him.

So in theory, I bee bop up to the parochial pre-school all ready to go.  Then I realize I am in sneakers and yoga pants but still have on my work shirt and regular bra..... seriously, who does that?  Me = hot mess.  So then I get home and find out we need to fix a couple of dossier things... I get distracted.  So at three o'clock, we finally arrived at Waterfront Park.

To kick up the exercise a notch, I thought "we can jog.  Tedi likes to run.  I know it has been awhile but I used to play sports"  Well we successfully jogged.... and I realized something quite profound.... from this point forward, I will be staring at my son's back as we run.  Even at five, he is out running me.  Maybe I should be a little more dejected about it but I felt relieved....that he will be athletic and fit.... that I am exactly where I thought I was athletically (which does not mean much).

We finally get to the other playground.  I can't quite enjoy it.  I encourage Tedi to be tough and "Yes, you can climb the rock wall!"  All while my mind is racing...."If he slips, he could get a concussion...or worse a brain bleed..  He could fracture his femur or arm or worse we could be in ICU... then what would my colleagues think.  I would be that parent."  And those thoughts were just at the rock wall.  Don't worry, if I ever spend time with your kids, my mind is racing with the same thoughts....about what could go wrong next and as the doctor, what would my next step be.... I am not neurotic about much but this I am. 

Then, I think that we should swing... Tedi is not interested... Yep, the ole arse doesn't quite fit... Maybe the Mary Kate Olsen version of myself hidden DEEP within me would... .not this mommy.  I shamefully stand up and suggest a jog back to the car.  This kid won't let you walk... It's like running is in his Ethiopian blood.  Jog = sprint.  Maybe someday this will bode well for him.  Gotta love the kid... "Mommy, why do we walk.  Let's just run"  Me: "dear, we can't.  Mommy can't breathe"

We get home from the park and I am preparing a talk for the medical students on "Circumcision in the newborn nursery" .... I don't really think anything about it..  It's everyday.  Tedi walks up and says "Mommy, whose penis is that?"  What do I do?  Explain it and keep going... 

I hope you have a great week.  Don't be fooled.  Most months are filled with 80 hour weeks with 30 hour shifts...  Not this one... I will toast to a month of fat, healthy newborn babies and time with my own!

Both Hands Project

You must check out our BOTH HANDS PROJECT tab at the top of the screen.  We have been approved to do a Both Hands project through Lifesong for Orphans and are now moving forward with it... hopefully on March 10, 2012, depending on my work schedule.  I will post more about the details of this project later.  However in the meantime, please read about the project on links above.  Below is a picture of Tedi with Mildred, the widow we will be serving through our project! 

Dossier

We did it...  notarized, signed, copied, turned in.  It is in our agency's hands now.  Ironically or not so ironic, we turned it in on Ethiopian Christmas.  Now, we wait!  Wait for it travel from Utah to Washington DC to Utah to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.  Wait the six to eight months are agency is stating as the referral wait time!  But we are excited. We are happy to wait this time.  I say that now...we will see in eight months.  However, I read about all of these families waiting and waiting so eight months seems so short.  We are so blessed to send it it in!

So enjoy the wait with us..... 

2011: A Year in Review

2011 was a good and bad year....  The year started with our cousins losing their son at only seven days old.  This was followed by the deaths of JT's sweet little mamaw, my step grandmother, and my best friend of sixteen years' father.  Despite the losses, it was also year of watching Tedi continuing to grow, choosing a career path, JT getting a promotion, and starting our second adoption.  We are so very blessed.  Enjoy the pictures!

January:

We celebrated Ethiopian Christmas with Zoe Brown (who now has three brothers) as well as Gracie, Avery, and Dawit Armstrong at Queen of Sheba.

Our first big snow 

February

This was a busy busy month with my vacation at work, birthday and other fun stuff!

We took a trip with my dad and his family to Gatlinburg, TN.  Tedi loves his Granpa Kevin!

Once we got back, we drove to Indianapolis with our best friends, The Fox Family, where Tedi endured the Barbie exhibit and loved swimming.

 JT even bathed and diapered Vivian.... that was an adventure

 I turned 28... and enjoyed some sushi

March:

We visited with the Gibsons at their home.... the cute red head is also a Natalie

 Isn't he cute?

 April:

This was also a busy month with Easter, retreats and such.... and my husband thought he should make the national news with Barack Obama...

 My Intern Retreat with work.

 Dipping Easter Eggs

 Rocking Adoption Shirts at Easter

May:

We both worked a lot but were able to celebrate with our good friends, Jacqueline and Chris, on their wedding day.

June:

We said good bye to our dear friend at work, Shivani (in the middle) who moved to Augusta.

 We also visited with Daddy's mentor, Coach Meyer

 

July:

We took a little road trip to see my family...

Swimming with Granny Sylvia and Harv

.....and visiting at Granpa Kevin's boat

We also celebrated ONE YEAR HOME!!!!!

August:

We celebrated our 8th Anniversary and finally welcomed home the Brown brothers.  Here we are at the zoo. 

September:

We celebrated Ethiopian New Year with the Hardman's and their daughter, Claire.

 ALSO.... Tedi became a US CITIZEN!!!!!

 ....and played in a soccer league

 October....

Our first family trip to the beach and a Spider man Halloween...

November

Tedi's 5th Birthday, Snow Ball After Party and Thanksgiving made for another busy month....

December

Merry, Merry Christmas...... school programs, work parties and more!

What a great year!  We are so very blessed..... Maybe next year we will be able to post a picture of a 4th Henderson!

2012

"Making resolutions is a cleansing ritual of self assessment and repentance that demands personal honesty and ultimately reinforces humility." -Eric Zorn

Yep, I make them every year.  Don't you...even in your head if you don't talk about them, blog them, facebook them.  They are there if you are honest with yourself.  Even if you don't want to admit, you think of ways to better yourself each new year. 

So what will I dare do this year... How will I better myself (or at least try) during 2012... I have failed year in and year out but it is always fun to look back and see what I thought I could do, what I actually did, and such.... This year's are going to be broad rather than finite and narrow, at least making me feel I can make some progress....make a dent

So, here ya go (judge if you must)

1) Be a better mom: more wrestling, more reading, more playing.... I might try to be a little less strict though I doubt it.  More Bible reading, more sports (this year will start little league if he's interested) I need to do more reading about being a mom...though we will see how that fits in... the more playing and wrestling seem to take precedent over reading these days. 

2) Be a better wife: I hope to make at least one day or night each month, regardless of my work schedule, to have a date with husband....good food, lace bra and all.  Also, I plan to be slower to speak....sometimes I speak too quickly....Yep, I do.  Sometimes this incites issues... Just saying..  I am going to work on this.  Number 3 goes with number because when I am happier with myself, I am more pleasant and enjoyable to be around (Go ahead 1997 and say it ..... "duh")

3) Lose Weight:  There you go.. I know you were waiting for it.  I still want to lose fifty pounds this year as I talked about in October.  I want to be healthy.. not just thin.  There is so much wrapped up in the this that I will not go into this.

4) Read my Bible more.  As simple as it seems, I am not always good at this.  I am honest enough to not fake it or pretend I do.  I want to be a good Christian wife, mother, friend, doctor but I slip and am willing to admit it.

5) Build others up:  I think I am a good person most of the time but I need to be better.  Not just friends, but people I don't really want to talk to ...I need to build them up as well.  This may seem basic but spans so many facets of my life. (your life too)

6) Cook More (thus eat out less)... a problem because A) I don't like cooking much B) I am not great at cooking (which may be the reason I do not like it) C) I love eating out with friends  D) I love ethnic food which I definitely can not cook.  This is healthier, for my waistline and wallet so it makes the short list.

7) Take care of myself more.... in addition to losing weight, I want to be kinder to myself... get a pedicure occasionally.  Buy Shampoo I like every now and then, STOP BITING MY NAILS..  I can save money in a lot of places but I need to treat myself well every now and then... (again, so broad but so important)

Okay, I believe that is all.  I will need to remind myself of these occasionally...  What are your resolutions?

Ringing in the New Year

We first visited with our friends, the Gibsons, their daughter Natalie, and their five week old son, Isaac.  As you can see, Isaac and I are the best of friends.

We then hung out with our friends down the street.  As the ball dropped, Tedi and I had fun playing the phone camera.... JT was not so amused.

Happy New Year!