Our Trip to Washington, DC

Our last day w/Kidist!
Pretty Pretty Pretty little girl!




We met Laura and her baby girl! Here is the whole gang at the zoo!



Kidist, Helina and Shaddi!




The girls really really enjoyed their visit to the Zoo in Washington. It rained on our heads but we had a blast!

The girls also had a reunion with an old friend from ET that they were bunk buddies with! That was so exciting to me! to finally see the girls on US soil together again!

We also played at a local park, which the girls really enjoy and can stay at any given park for hours and hours and hours.

I plan to take them back to DC this summer and visit the museums and monuments, and see if I can vist/tour the white house!

Some More Schooling!

This video was shot w/in the first two wks of coming home!

We just love having school up in here!!!
Wish I cld stay home and home school them!

Not Just Glitz and Glam! Helina is working hard on her sight words and Subtraction problems

Our Garden is Growing!!!

Dress up Again

Well for Helina she was in her glory w/all her ET attire on, but for Shaddi she cld careless.  ET music hit me as I walked thru the door today from work, Helina used it for motivation to clean the entire living room! My goodness she can clean, found a spot for things that didn't even belong in the living room!!!!

Here are a few pics!

I loved watching them enjoy and dance and sing to their ET music cd!  If you didn't know any better I would say it lifted the spirits a bit of Helina! El Shaday on the other hand cld care less! can't u tell by her picture!  lol

We planted our family tree today!

Helina loves flowers and any thing you can plant and put in the ground

Today I decided to plant our family tree which is a Japanese Maple.  I started growing one two or maybe three yrs ago, and really really like how its coming along.  it is easy cared for and and the girls can watch and witness its growth for years to come.

They both have their own planting gloves, water containers and digging tools!!!

I am so excited  Next week the girls are going to spend a weekend w/a friend of theirs who lives not to far me!  She was their best friend while they were both in Ethiopia!!! They have all been on a count down since the beginning of the month.  They are going to the Zoo, the Harbor, To Meet Mr. Obama (sike), and a visit to the ET visit for dinner!!!  I am soooo excited!  I can't wait!

shhhhh! the girls don't know it yet...but...

We are having a welcome home party for them next month!  I am so excited I can hardly contain myself.  There are going to be so many fun activities for the kids!   I am in the process of making my list and checking them twice.

I am also asking in lieu of gift for the girls that a donation is made to the organization I am apart of.  I sit on the board as President.  I am so excited to be apart of this organization whose vision is simply to help those children in Ethiopia who will never be adopted, who will age out of system without any schooling or a trade and to break the cycle of poverty. 

 I was asked to be apart of Ethiopia's Tomorrow by the Co-Founder and treasurer  of the organization whose own story resembles that of many of the children who sit in orphanages in Ethiopia, praying for a blessing, praying that someone will hear their story, and praying that a blessing in any form will help prepare them to make a living in their own country.  Our vision is simple, it is to help as many as we can through donations and fund raising, and you can read about it here to find out ways you can help. Ethiopia's Tomorrow

 Many of you that read my blog live in many far places and will not be able to attend the girls welcome home party, however, if you would like to spread the word about our vision or donate in honor of  Helina and El Shadays please visit the website. 

I get so emotional when I look in my girls faces because it is the faces of the many that are still in Ethiopia that will not be united with a forever family, who will age out of the system in Ethiopia and have no means or enough education to break the cycle of poverty.  For my two girls who made it home to a family who can supply something as basic as schooling, there are millions and millions of others who they stand for, as a reminder that no child should be left behind with out a hope in sight. 

 I know not all 144 million orphans will be adopted that are currently in Ethiopia, however I know if we come together to donate something as small as dollar it eventually adds up to become 5 dollars, then 10 dollars and so on.    

Thank you so much 

Celeste 

Girls just wanna have fun

I love this Shadow shot!  Playing around w/the camera I was able to capture this special moment of the girls waiting together for their turn on the slide


Coming down the slide together




some shots from yesterday at the park!  Helina has really really enjoyed her spring break and being off!

She has done something outside every single day b/c the weather has been so nice!

El Shaday started school this week and outside of one day when she just did not want to go b/c we were all home that day, she is loving it!

The girls are still giving me great moments where I just laugh and laugh

for example, the Trix Bunny Rabbit has a commerical for yougurt, and while in the supermarket on Wed. they wanted this yogurt b/c they saw it on TV. Well last night they had the yogurt after dinner and Helina just cld not understand why after stirring her swirled yougurt the Trix bunny did not appear!!! so she kept stirring it w/her spoon, bunny and pointing out the window.  When I finally put together what she was talking a/b I cld not contain myself and just laughed so hard! I had to spend 10 mins explaining that is make beleive and when you get yougurt the Trix Bunny does not magically appear!!!!  awww! the adventures of motherhood!!! Love it!

Part 4!!!!

ET Coffee Cermony
A little ET Dancing 


The girls really had a good time!

We ate ET traditional foods

and Emme prepared a coffee cermony!!!!

The girls danced to some ET Music

Jumped and played  their little hearts out!

Easter 2010 Part 3!!! Can u tell I'm like going crazy w/the pics!!!

OK on our way to Emme's house and the girls are all dressed and ready!!! Now momma has to get ready!!! ok, will post more pics when we return!!!

I am making up for last year with all the photos!!! I am one proud momma!!!