Our Family and Ethiopia: December 2009

Hi Everyone,

We hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We were just overjoyed to have Talo, we told him how we dreamed of the day that we would be parents at the Holidays! Talo was such a joy to all of us this weekend. We were able to stay up with our families and see both sets of grandparents. Talo's favorite names to say are "Grandpa" "Auntie Jamie" and "Uncle Ben", he loves his Grammys too we just don't think their names are are fun for him to pronounce.

As we have come home and started to get back into our routine I just wanted to share some of today. It is freezing out (in the high 30's) but I went running anyways and took Talo in the stroller. It is quite the workout trying to push a 35lb toddler while running, not to mention he talks to me much of the way and expects responses. I am so out of breath and he continues to remind me what I am doing, "Mommy running", he says as I push him along. Then of course there is the stopping to open more of his granola bar or fix the blanket that he is kicking off or find his water! Ahh it's fun though and gets us out in this winter weather. After running Talo and I went up and down our street as he would run, then stop and count to 10 as loud as he could, then run again. We also found sticks along the way that he pulled out of the edge of people's yards. I swear people must have been watching us as it looked like Talo was taking me on walk! He just was so proud to be exploring and dragging his big sticks behind him. My job was to keep him on the sidewalk and not the road!

What a joy it is to be home with Talo, it is very hard but also so rewarding and I wouldn't trade it for any job. We may not have a falt screen TV or new cars but I get to be home with our son and be there for the stick collecting moments and that's all that really matters in the end! We just see such growth in our bonding as a family since he has come home two plus months ago. It is truly miraculous to have him know we are mommy and daddy amidst all of our family at Thanksgiving. As Talo's mommy I just feared he may want someone else in the family at Thanksgiving but no, he wanted me as Mommy and that is what I am so Thankful for this Holiday season. That God has worked in such a way that after only 2 months we would be so knit together as a family. That after only 2 months Talo understands we are Mommy and Daddy!