First Trip to the Dentist

I put this off as long as I could but it was time for Simon to visit the dentist. He really has beautiful teeth and I hope he always will. But, he can be so squirrely and fidgety! I really was uncertain that he could sit still for a dentist appointment. So we talked about what would happen, got a book about going to the dentist and read it, etc. And lately, we've been to a couple of health fair type of events and he's received new toothbrushes and different kinds of mini toothpaste tubes so he's really been into his teeth and brushing.

Today was the big day. Mark picked him up early from daycare and they went to the dentist. Of course, he did awesome! He was so proud of his shiney teeth. He told me all about what happened -- wearing a bib, squirting water, the suction tube, the brush -- I think he really enjoyed it!

Another first for our growing boy. Doesn't he look so grown-up in this photo?!?! Thank you to Jana for the recommendation ... I think our whole family has found a new dentist and one that we won't dread going to see!

Big Boy Bike

We planned on waiting until Simon's birthday in September to get him a bicycle. But that wouldn't give him much time to ride it before winter arrived. So when his daycare declared Tuesdays to be 'bring your bike to school day' we thought it was a good opportunity to get him a "big boy bike." So here are some videos that will probably just be interesting to grandparents, aunts and uncles, showing Simon's successes on his new bike.

Easter Weekend

Happy Easter! We hope you had a great weekend. We had a lot of fun and got to spend a lot of time together as a family. Loved every minute! Here's our weekend in photos starting with the cutest bunny I've ever seen! : )


On Thursday night, we painted eggs. I think Simon would have painted several dozen if we had that many! We used Ko ol Aid this year and the colors turned out awesome! And they smelled good, too.

Friday was our second 'Family Day' -- the day we first met Simon Kebebe and became a family together. To celebrate, we went to Abyssinia, one of the Ethiopian restaurants in Indy. Simon LOVED it! Especially so this time -- he ate a ton of food and was a pro with the injera. His favorite is the spicy red lentils.

On Saturday, Simon and I went to the annual egg hunt and carnival at Ivy Tech where Mark goes to school. Simon had a blast playing games and going through the bouncey obstacle course. He has really been into climbing and swinging on things lately so this was right up his alley. I was both proud and humbled when other parents commented on his climbing skills and more than once, he made my heart stop with his 'tricks.' I think I sprouted a few new gray hairs!

We played lots of the carnival games. The event is put-on by the dental hygenist program so there were games like pin the cavity on the tooth.

And one of this favorites -- digging for buried treasure, just like a pirate. Ahoy, Ladies! as Simon is fond of saying!

And it just wouldn't be an Easter egg hunt without a giant moose, right? Right?

I love the look on his face in this photo taken while we were waiting for the egg hunt for his age group to begin. It's hard to have patience for things like this when you're 3.

And here's the ensuing carnage, I mean egg hunting. With all those kids, Simon got 2 eggs. Lucky for him, they each had a peanut butter cup inside so he was happy.

And this just cracked me up. We passed this game about a dozen times and Simon kept insisting that he wanted to catch some money. It was the only line that he stood very patiently in! Not sure what that says about him but he loved it! He got to trade in his dollars for a balloon.

We came home with a ton of Ori ental Trading's finest ... and a new family member. A goldfish that Simon named Ruby. (His friends Xander and Ayla have a dog named Ruby -- probably the only other pet he's ever been around.) So we made a trip to the pet store to get Ruby some food. He faithfully talks to Ruby and feeds Ruby. Cross your fingers that Ruby has staying power, if you know what I mean! And lesson learned -- now I know why other parents avoided this game. I thought, what are the odds? Let him try -- surely he won't win a goldfish! Joke's on me!

Sunday morning was a lot of fun and Simon found all 16 eggs that the Easter bunny hid for him! Each and every egg was found with a squeal of delight!

We went to Mark's parent's house for lunch and time with the family. Simon enjoyed finding LOTS of eggs with his cousins, Lily and Braylee.

When we got home tonight, we played outside and enjoyed the beautiful day. Simon practiced riding his bike and had fun blowing bubbles. I wanted a family picture to mark our family day this week. We were having a lot of fun until Simon's climbing skills got the best of him and he got a goose egg on his head while climbing on his swing set. Poor guy! Some ice and snuggles helped. He had to look in the mirror at his 'duck goose' on his head. It's so funny when he mixes up words! All in all, it was a great weekend. We're hoping that year #3 as a family will bring us another little Ailor to add to the fun!

Happy Spring and Happy Easter, everyone!

Happy 2nd Family Day!

Two years ago today, Mark and I became the parents of this sweet little boy.


This is our first family photo together and with it comes the awesome responsibility of helping sweet Simon Kebebe to learn and grow in respect for his first country, Ethiopia. In the process, Mark and I have also fallen in love with this great country.

We hope that this next year will give us the opportunity to return to Ethiopia to add to our family. We know that Simon will be an awesome big brother! He has grown in stature and personality so very much in the last two years. This little hint of a smile was one of the first signs we had of the personality and sense of humor that has flourished!

And this photo was just last week ... this is Simon's 'soccer face.' Like I said, his personality is funny, smart, ornery and sweet all rolled into one dynamic little boy!

We love you, sweet Simon Kebebe! We can't wait to see what the next year brings for you as you learn and grow! We cherish being your Mommy and Daddy -- or Mom and Dad as you now call us -- and we celebrate you and the joy you bring to our family!

Binyam's Big Trip has arrived!

Binyam's Big Trip has arrived! We have a limited number of copies remaining and you can find ordering details at the link at the top of the blog. We are so grateful to our friend Jenny for picking them up for us at the book bindery in North Manchester. Thanks, Jenny! We made the trip to North Manchester on Sunday morning for church and to get the books. It became a trifecta when we got to see our niece Caitlyn, too, who is a student at Manchester College. A fun day complete with a trip to Mamaw and Papaw's house. : )

Thanks to all who have ordered the book! They were mailed on Monday afternoon so keep an eye on your mailbox. And if you like the book, tell your friends!

March was a crazy busy month for me at work but I'm hoping to catch up with blogs over the next week or so -- lots to report on! Here are a few teasers: Black Tie Dinner, a nuisance duck, learning to ride a bike, and our second family day. Stay tuned!

     Our local news did a nice story about "Binyam's Big Trip".  I really enjoyed talking with the reporter about the book and why we decided to write it. 

Local photographer writes children's book: wlfi.com

Check out Binyam's Big Trip!

Did you notice there's a new page on our blog? Go ahead ... look at the top of the page. See the link to "Binyam's Big Trip - Children's Book"? Don't be shy ... click on it and it will take you to Mark's latest project. It turned out really cute! And now we're ready to share it with others. We've got a limited supply at the printer. They should be ready in about two weeks. Any profits we make will be used for travel expenses for our adoption and to make a donation to several programs in Ethiopia when we travel. Simon loves to read it -- he nearly has it memorized already! And we are very grateful to our friends who read it with their children and gave us excellent feedback to refine the book.

Feel free to share with other families ... and thank you for considering purchasing our book!