Sadie is home for one year!!!

Wow! It has been a really long time since I have updated our blog. I guess Facebook makes it pretty easy to keep people informed. I have to remind myself that the original reason I started this blog was to journal our life, so we could look back on it as a family.

Since May we have been very busy. School ended and Izzy and Kiki went to camp at the Temple in our town. Then we headed to New York for 4 weeks. It truly was an extraordinary trip! We got to see our families, our friends, and experience many fun things together as a family. I will post some pics of our time with our familes below. Some highlights were going to the park every single day in the gorgeous weather, trips into Manhattan, gardening with Papa Jim, and Fifi's pool! We also had lots of play dates with the children of many of our friends from High School and College.

We also attended an Ethiopian Heritage camp with the girls in Harrisonburg, VA. It was an extrememly moving experience and made us so proud to have a daughter from Ethiopia. In general, I think we take for granted the various cultures that are surrounding us everywhere we go. It is amazing how simple things such as food, dance, language and tradition truly bond people of one culture together. We were honored to be accepted into the Ethiopian American community. We were insired to do more than we already are to nurture Sadie's heritage. It is important to remember, that unlike other countries, Ethiopian children are put up for adoption out of pure desperation. As a people, children are worshiped in Ethiopia, and it is heartbreaking to Ethiopians that their children are being adopted. They are adamant that these children remain linked to their culture and from we saw, they are dedicated, beyond measure to help adoptive families raise children proud of their heritage. I was taken back by the outpouring of generosity toward our family and Sadie. There is no doubt in my mind that if we do our part is preserving her heritage, that she will be accepted into her community (if she so chooses to) with open arms.

There is so much to learn from other cultures and I hope that we all take the time to learn from people who are different than us. It is intimidating at first, but the rewards are immeasurable.

Now we are back in Florida which has been hard. The weather is horrible and hot and the kids are antsy. We are anxiously awaiting the start of the school year. Izzy stars Kindergarten and Kiki is in Pre-K. Izzy is taking piano lessons and acting, and Kiki is in ballet Sadie is home with me and I am enjoying taking her to music and movement classes. She is very spirited and sharp witted, which makes for a wonderful, yet exhausinting parenting experince. It has been a year since Sadie came home and I catch all of us looking at her in amazement. She is growing into a beautiful, intelligent toddler and I cannot wait to see what the future holds for her.
Ewedeshalo Mitike! (I love you Mitike)

It has been a while....

For all my loyal followers, I am sorry I have been bad at blogging. It is pretty easy to keep people up to date on Facebook, so the blog has lost some steam. This blog is for our family to keep track of events so I suppose it is a good idea to keep it updated! Since March, we took a great family trip to North Carolina. We love it there so much and it is always comforting to be back "home." Mike and I have a special connection to the area (we were married there and had Izzy there) so it is always fun to visit. It has been even more fun to share it with the kids.

Other than that, we have just been speeding through life. Sadie is thriving as usual. She is walking and babbling, but no teeth yet! Izzy is getting so big and her reading skills are top notch. Kiki is starting to mature herself and just started swim lessons this week. It is starting to heat up here in Florida - that is always depressing. We love the winters here and the summers get old after a few years. So, we are gearing up for many days at the pool.

This past weekend, we went to the Palm Beach zoo with the kids. They loved playing in the fountains. It was great to see Izzy and Kiki playing in them as they had always been scared in the past. Sadie, of course, had no fear and went right for it. She is always amazing us with her bravery!! Here are some pics from the past few weeks.

Sadie is One and Izzy is Five

We had a busy week around here. Starting with the installation of our new wood floors and ending with Izzy and Sadie's Birthday party. It was a great party with our closest friends and family. It was so amazing to me that Izzy turned five. Even more amazing is that we left Chapel Hill with her almost 5 years ago for Chicago. Seems like yesterday. We still miss it so much so it will be great to get back there soon for vacation.

Seeing Sadie turn one was strange. Since she was not here for four months of her life, it just went so quick for me. It was still such a happy day. I was sure to tell her the story of her birth and give her lots of extra hugs and kisses for all the people in this world who love her.

Of course, Izzy told me the story of her birth and I loved every minute of it!!

Here are some pictures from the week!

Sadie Mitike Tadiwos Steinberg

11:00 a.m.
Today is Sadie's "re-adoption." I am not really sure what that means, but in a nutshell today her name will officially become Sadie Mitike Tadiwos Steinberg, and she will become a US citizen. For some reason, I am very emotional today. Perhaps because I was not in Ethiopia and this is my first "ceremony" to share with Sadie. Or perhaps it is the enormity of the entire situation. I am so proud that she is becoming an American, but I don't ever want her to forget her heritage and what a big part of her makeup that is. In my eyes (and in reality), today she becomes an Ethiopian American and for that I am so grateful. I cannot help but think of her birth family and the people in Ethiopia. I think of the struggles they endure on a daily basis and how this handful of Ethiopian children are so blessed to be given families and opportunity. And, how blessed we are to raise these children and love them with every inch of our heart and soul.

With each day that passes, Sadie distances herself from the poverty and stresses of life in Ethiopia. Consequently, she loses the historic culture and traditions that make the people of Ethiopia so special and unique. So, today, as proud as I am of my family and my little Sadie, I will think of Ethiopia and its people and pray that the situation improves and that adoption does not have to be the only alternative for so many families. I pray that simple steps towards clean water, prenatal care, and awareness improve over the next decade and the people can sustain themselves, raise their children, and begin steps toward opportunity that has been deprived from them for so long.

I am so proud to be Sadie's mother. She has completed me as a mother and has made my life immeasurably happy. I get lost in her happy soul and beauty each and every time I look at her. I cannot wait to finalize what has been 2 years of paperwork, waiting, paperwork and waiting!

10:30 p.m.
What a day! In reality the day was less emotional than I thought it would be. Of course, I got a bit teary-eyed walking into the court house. I looked down at Izzy in her stroller and she noticed my eyes filled with tears. Her eyes fillled right up as well. Not sure what she understood, but she sensed my happiness and that made her happy. What a great kid she is.

We waited for about 20 minutes and the judge called us in. He was an amazingly positive man and was so very kind to our family. He included Izzy and Kiki in the proceedings, by having them stamp the official paperwork. He then gave Sadie a Green beanie baby since her birthday is in March (same month as St. Paddy's day). We took a few oaths and then it all was final. Basically her names was officially changed and we will now get a US birth certificate for her. Then, we can apply for a social security card. After that, we are in the clear!

We ate dinner out with Mimi and Papa, who were also there for support. It was a great dinner and such a special day for the family. I heard my parents recalling my court date when I was adopted with our attorney, who was also adopted (who isn't really?) Here are some pics that mean the world to me.

Fun Week in Florida

We ha a great week. It ended with the auction at Izzy and Kiki's school. Mike worked for months on helping to put the event together. I must say, he did a great job and the event raised about $50,000 for the new school. The school is going to be a "green" school so it is very exciting for the community and our children. We were lucky enough to bring our some of our best friends to the auction so that was an extra bonus especially since I usually sit alone at these events. It was nice to have my peeps to talk to and laugh with while Mike worked the room. Here is a pic of us at the auction. I also added some pics of the girls and their freind Ava at our house. Ava is Kiki's best friend at school. She is adorable!

Sadie is about 11 months!

I had to post a few days early because my camera is finally all fixed so I was eager to start the blog again. It is hard to grasp the idea that Sadie is already 11 months old. She is pulling up on everything and walking holding on to the furniture. She is as curious as ever and loves being around other children especially her sisters. She really is a happy, well-adjusted perfect little Ethiopian princess. I adore every inch of her and enjoy every minute I am fortunate to have with her. Her hair is getting thicker and more beautiful each day. Watching her grow and mature is such a joy to me. In a way, I am a bit obsessed with her, but it is all good.

Here are some pictures of her and some with her sisters. They are really bonding so perfectly - I could not be happier. Izzy and Kiki and the best of friends and although they get it some fights they spend most of their days coloring or making up fun, imaginative games. Izzy continues to read and read and Kiki busted out the names of all the planets the other day. Amazing to watch them learn!

New Transracial Adoption Group!

For more pictures from the Ethiopian Potluck, visit The Boyce Family Blog. They are an amazing family who are very similar to us in that they have two biological daughters and are just starting up the adoption process. They took some great shots of the group.

I was so inspired by the picnic that my friend Shawney and I have decided to start an adoption group in North Palm Beach Coutny. It is offically called Transracial Families of North Palm Beach County. We are a Yahoo Group and a Facebook Group. Shawney recently adopted from Vietnam and our goal is to provide a support and an educational network for transracial families –both for the parents and transracially adopted and fostered children. This includes supporting the families through the unique challenges of transracial parenting and nurturing the children’s positive racial identity by education and celebration of racial heritage and cultural diversity.

We currently have 5 members, but Shawney and I are diligently going to market our group through the Palm Beach area and we hope to have our first organized event sometime in March. So, if you are reading this blog and know of any family in the area who can benefit from such a group, please pass the link along. I can be found on Facebook under Lynn Steinberg or by doing a search for Transracial Families of North Palm Beach County.