tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45456636509496828712024-03-13T12:10:48.999-07:00The Young JourneysA family from Montana, living in Senegal and adopting a baby from EthiopiaLindy Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13644453820835864053noreply@blogger.comBlogger175125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4545663650949682871.post-83521342378477138752015-09-28T08:26:00.001-07:002015-09-28T08:26:46.422-07:00Lindy Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13644453820835864053noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4545663650949682871.post-57057417077282766532013-02-08T02:35:00.000-08:002013-02-08T02:35:00.443-08:00first sleepover<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Our friends Vasso, Sava, Alexi and Melina came from Belgium for a visit. On the last night, Melina and Dessi had a sleepover in Dessi's room. So excited! They clamored and laughed for about an hour, then passed out. Perfect!
Lindy Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13644453820835864053noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4545663650949682871.post-51747511457433624562013-02-07T02:09:00.001-08:002013-02-07T02:09:08.010-08:00first day of school for adai<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Here we are in the kitchen before Adai's first day of German kindergarten. Dessi started there in September, but we wanted to wait till Adai was 2 1/2 before sending her in. Adai's German is already pretty good from her 5 months with a tagesmutter. Apparently she understands most everything, although she speaks very little so far (which is normal for a second language for a child her age). </div>
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Lindy Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13644453820835864053noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4545663650949682871.post-85269362946681820232013-02-07T01:37:00.001-08:002013-02-07T01:37:40.017-08:00Fasching<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Fasching in Germany seems to be the equivalent of Carnival. It starts the week before ash wednesday with parades, etc., and at night the women go around snipping off men's neckties with scissors, then kissing them (I heard this, but I have not seen anyone doing it and eric's necktie seemed unharmed to me). Today all the kids at Grainau Kindergarten dressed up, our girls are ballerinas (of course). Here they are in the kitchen before heading to school for the morning.</div>
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I think this one's my favorite:<br />
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Lindy Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13644453820835864053noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4545663650949682871.post-84316187661930151462012-11-20T06:38:00.000-08:002012-11-20T06:52:37.219-08:00Prague, day oneHere we are leaving a wonderful coffee shop with the nicest woman ever who adored the girls and kept bringing us treats (and no, that's not why she was the nicest woman ever. She also told me that I was pretty.) Dessi is smiling wildly because she's amped up on the black tea she was served. I had never heard of such a thing, but in fact now I realize they also serve it in her German kindergarten.<br />
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Dessi found a little ladybug -- let's just say it was resting -- on a leaf, while Adai stretched out on a bench in a pretty, smallish outdoor sculpture museum by the river.
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Lindy Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13644453820835864053noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4545663650949682871.post-79764587968923794092012-11-20T05:45:00.002-08:002012-11-20T06:32:21.939-08:00Prague
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Here we are in something-something square (Prague), waiting for the bell to ring (a little puppet-ish man comes out of the church door and hits a bell with a stick) (Seriously, I used to be such a good tourist. Now, with these two it is survival mode. If we happen to see something interesting, then great! If not, well, just keep moving and soon enough it will be time to eat again.) My grandfather is from Czech Republic. It was interesting to walk the streets and think about whether or not he had ever been on that same sidewalk.
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These are some pictures of the famous (in our circle, anyway) Bubble Guy of Prague. St. Charles Bridge? Ha, no thanks. Where's that Bubble Guy?
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We later bought big bubble makers of our own from amazon and celebrated Dessi's birthday (October) with ginormous bubbles in the backyard. They are not that easy, we mostly made bubble tunnels. This guy has a special gift.
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Lindy Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13644453820835864053noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4545663650949682871.post-35197750500678807122012-11-20T05:31:00.000-08:002012-11-20T05:31:06.318-08:00SalzburgEric was in charge of the camera this trip, so only two pictures and none with people in them!! It was a good trip, but except for the Mozart experience it was a pretty traditional European city. (I'm so spoiled, huh?!) <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Lindy Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13644453820835864053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4545663650949682871.post-83751103169389552742012-11-20T05:25:00.001-08:002012-11-20T05:25:16.492-08:00Halloween, 2012<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Dessi was a magic ballerina, Adai was a magic fish (her wand and crown are in her bag), and I was a cat burglar. We trick-or-treated on base, and it was a super fun time with lots of adults dressed up and lots of junk food. The girls had a few pieces that night, one piece the next day, and the rest was never asked about again. Seriously. I don't know how we got so lucky with non sugar-eaters!!
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Lindy Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13644453820835864053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4545663650949682871.post-49145120508412020372011-06-07T10:00:00.001-07:002011-06-07T10:00:22.465-07:00Random Tuesday morning<embed width="600" height="361" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowFullscreen="true" allowNetworking="all" wmode="transparent" src="http://static.photobucket.com/player.swf" flashvars="file=http%3A%2F%2Fvid256.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fhh189%2Fwildmile%2FP1050213.mp4">Lindy Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13644453820835864053noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4545663650949682871.post-504196315270402142011-04-25T08:10:00.000-07:002011-04-25T09:00:20.487-07:00Our playgroundA fantastic afternoon at the park with Dessi's best friend, Aidan, his little brother, Sam, and his little sister, Juniper, newly adopted from China.<br /><br />Adai loves the slide! Basically she'll thrill to anything that gets the wind blowing through her hair.<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zRaV5vfyLMQ/TaCOGaNFO2I/AAAAAAAAAQI/10iUfv0zjKo/s1600/IMG_1447.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zRaV5vfyLMQ/TaCOGaNFO2I/AAAAAAAAAQI/10iUfv0zjKo/s320/IMG_1447.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5593626977958706018" /></a><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZF3R1i2FFX4/TaCNsKwnc_I/AAAAAAAAAQA/13fLJ8dVleI/s1600/IMG_1454.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZF3R1i2FFX4/TaCNsKwnc_I/AAAAAAAAAQA/13fLJ8dVleI/s320/IMG_1454.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5593626527136183282" /></a><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0ZOuTluKbyk/TaCK3dI22NI/AAAAAAAAAP4/1FVkRhBEUrM/s1600/IMG_1445.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0ZOuTluKbyk/TaCK3dI22NI/AAAAAAAAAP4/1FVkRhBEUrM/s320/IMG_1445.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5593623422513371346" /></a><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--2cwpsAACoA/TaCH1I72ftI/AAAAAAAAAPw/rnG8v5agJSY/s1600/IMG_1458.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--2cwpsAACoA/TaCH1I72ftI/AAAAAAAAAPw/rnG8v5agJSY/s320/IMG_1458.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5593620084195491538" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kTvf1UH2Cow/TaCHGMAsxuI/AAAAAAAAAPo/xA-GGYlij0E/s1600/IMG_1459.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kTvf1UH2Cow/TaCHGMAsxuI/AAAAAAAAAPo/xA-GGYlij0E/s320/IMG_1459.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5593619277567280866" /></a><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uiJY9Pl7Ycg/TaCGrGM_AvI/AAAAAAAAAPg/945XML4B7oo/s1600/IMG_1461.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uiJY9Pl7Ycg/TaCGrGM_AvI/AAAAAAAAAPg/945XML4B7oo/s320/IMG_1461.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5593618812151726834" /></a><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ovDIL1ywkqo/TaCGPKhh2KI/AAAAAAAAAPY/cc1kCEeUmeM/s1600/IMG_1466.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ovDIL1ywkqo/TaCGPKhh2KI/AAAAAAAAAPY/cc1kCEeUmeM/s320/IMG_1466.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5593618332275300514" /></a><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5_a1jdcurnE/TaB4NNv90dI/AAAAAAAAAPQ/hI-TfTISCl4/s1600/IMG_1469.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5_a1jdcurnE/TaB4NNv90dI/AAAAAAAAAPQ/hI-TfTISCl4/s320/IMG_1469.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5593602905618633170" /></a>Lindy Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13644453820835864053noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4545663650949682871.post-51731987876424040792011-04-19T05:13:00.000-07:002011-04-18T17:48:23.197-07:00Ethiopia ReadsWhile in Addis we spent a morning with Alemseged, the in-country director for Ethiopia Reads. <br /><br />Ethiopia Reads is great. They have a roaving library of books to reach far-flung locations (I think it's a cart pulled by a donkey) and they stock the libraries of local schools throughout Ethiopia. Without Ethiopia Reads, there would be school libraries, but no books. NONE! <br /><br />We contacted him through email -- which is segedmh147@gmail.com (if you want to reach him send several emails with catchy subject lines because he will have to just happen to see it while scanning his junk mailbox) and offered to buy some Amharic books for a school. He called one of the local schools and got a wishlist from them, then we all went together to buy the books and drop them off.<br /><br />We bought 35 books. The ones they picked out were a little more academic than I would have chosen myself, but I was glad we were able to do at least a little something (it worked out to about $75 plus cab fare) and that the books were printed and bought locally and written in Amharic. In retrospect, all these months later, I wish we had spent / bought more, but at the time I was going through so much every day just in hotel expenses. Now, the opportunity to do more is gone, but alas, it is what it is.<br /><br />Here we are at the bookstand<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_QCV2bDGIZlk/TPJjv0-eCYI/AAAAAAAAAJw/FC_qPwKRef0/s1600/IMG_1141.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_QCV2bDGIZlk/TPJjv0-eCYI/AAAAAAAAAJw/FC_qPwKRef0/s320/IMG_1141.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544603764572162434" /></a><br /><br />Dessi helped package them all up for us<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_QCV2bDGIZlk/TPJlUtTuQWI/AAAAAAAAAJ4/In8RkXPDhns/s1600/IMG_1146.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_QCV2bDGIZlk/TPJlUtTuQWI/AAAAAAAAAJ4/In8RkXPDhns/s320/IMG_1146.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544605497680609634" /></a><br /><br />With the teachers at the school library<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_QCV2bDGIZlk/TPJqOkk8PKI/AAAAAAAAAKI/DVJnKzBu0JU/s1600/IMG_1156.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_QCV2bDGIZlk/TPJqOkk8PKI/AAAAAAAAAKI/DVJnKzBu0JU/s320/IMG_1156.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544610889815833762" /></a><br /><br />The local printing press<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_QCV2bDGIZlk/TPJpl777vAI/AAAAAAAAAKA/f0XbLCDy1CM/s1600/IMG_1153.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_QCV2bDGIZlk/TPJpl777vAI/AAAAAAAAAKA/f0XbLCDy1CM/s320/IMG_1153.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544610191711648770" /></a>Lindy Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13644453820835864053noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4545663650949682871.post-31442437574928066342011-04-14T20:42:00.000-07:002011-04-14T20:42:00.919-07:00Less than two<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UCTbwN3H08k/TZ_VwjSFO3I/AAAAAAAAAPI/cCzK7dFMq08/s1600/dessi%2Bmama%2Bapgar4.bmp"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UCTbwN3H08k/TZ_VwjSFO3I/AAAAAAAAAPI/cCzK7dFMq08/s320/dessi%2Bmama%2Bapgar4.bmp" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5593424292298963826" /></a><br /><br />I came across this tonight while looking for something else. I just love it. Taken at a wedding at Lake Macdonald in Glacier Park. <br /><br />It was the summer before Dessi turned two, and she was a handful. Challenging, obstinate, difficult overall, flush with humiliating tantrums and snottiness. More than once I drank wine while she had an afternoon nap. Our worst few months ever as a mamma-baby team. And then moments like this, full of wonder and intimacy and not another person in the world but us.Lindy Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13644453820835864053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4545663650949682871.post-23531716869096353392011-04-10T19:49:00.000-07:002011-04-10T19:49:00.158-07:00Snowboard GirlI do not tell her to make these faces. I just take out the camera and this is what she does.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DigOjcGWY5g/TZ0kZ9UoJjI/AAAAAAAAAO4/4530-gGg5qY/s1600/P1050124.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DigOjcGWY5g/TZ0kZ9UoJjI/AAAAAAAAAO4/4530-gGg5qY/s320/P1050124.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592666340640433714" /></a><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jyR5QwJjwgI/TZ0jgJtX8jI/AAAAAAAAAOw/g4pJf8E3rwc/s1600/P1050125.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jyR5QwJjwgI/TZ0jgJtX8jI/AAAAAAAAAOw/g4pJf8E3rwc/s320/P1050125.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592665347533042226" /></a><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4nJGx5iebjM/TZ0jOQhKQOI/AAAAAAAAAOo/szIaUUKB7Qw/s1600/P1050126.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4nJGx5iebjM/TZ0jOQhKQOI/AAAAAAAAAOo/szIaUUKB7Qw/s320/P1050126.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592665040123216098" /></a>Lindy Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13644453820835864053noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4545663650949682871.post-12919663553317024732011-04-08T20:50:00.000-07:002011-04-08T20:50:00.794-07:00Random momentsDessi found these goggles in the house and spent a solid two hours swimming around the living room. It's cuter on video, but it won't upload.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yIRSZMkvuQY/TZ0hJveetOI/AAAAAAAAAOQ/sUbarlcfgVc/s1600/P1050146.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yIRSZMkvuQY/TZ0hJveetOI/AAAAAAAAAOQ/sUbarlcfgVc/s320/P1050146.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592662763510871266" /></a><br /><br />Here's Adai taking a break from banging her ketchup bottle against the cabinet.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vgyR9NanXeQ/TZ0g-HnWfXI/AAAAAAAAAOI/uSt3O18X1js/s1600/P1050148.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vgyR9NanXeQ/TZ0g-HnWfXI/AAAAAAAAAOI/uSt3O18X1js/s320/P1050148.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592662563832102258" /></a><br /><br />And this is Dessi, drawing . . . ME! <br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_GBP0ZoOBAM/TZ0gUSVREBI/AAAAAAAAAOA/g6SvLJJ3RCg/s1600/P1050157.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_GBP0ZoOBAM/TZ0gUSVREBI/AAAAAAAAAOA/g6SvLJJ3RCg/s320/P1050157.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592661845154533394" /></a>Lindy Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13644453820835864053noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4545663650949682871.post-14783175403259020032011-04-06T19:22:00.000-07:002011-04-06T20:56:27.674-07:00SisterhoodThe girls really love each other. Like, sooooo much. Dessi particularly loves to match her PJs to Adai's.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xB1KNmAuLdE/TZ0iaEDfY7I/AAAAAAAAAOY/_KMOLT9vxak/s1600/P1050133.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xB1KNmAuLdE/TZ0iaEDfY7I/AAAAAAAAAOY/_KMOLT9vxak/s320/P1050133.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592664143424349106" /></a><br /><br />I had been having some trouble showering because every time I took even the fastest of hosedowns I would emerge with Adai crying. On this particular occasion, I heard laughing! Tons of giggles!! I smiled and poked my head out of the bedroom only to see Dessi standing at her new easel with a painbrush in hand, painting her sister. And I don't mean painting her portrait.<br /><br />I feigned horror, Dessi took a time out, and then I sneaked over to Adai and took her picture.<br /><br />Doesn't she look like she thinks she's in trouble? <br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VJ5Pdw_fWNU/TZ0i2TYql3I/AAAAAAAAAOg/JmGHVKpdLnQ/s1600/P1050131.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VJ5Pdw_fWNU/TZ0i2TYql3I/AAAAAAAAAOg/JmGHVKpdLnQ/s320/P1050131.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592664628576032626" /></a>Lindy Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13644453820835864053noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4545663650949682871.post-42938806731136326012011-03-22T20:09:00.001-07:002011-03-22T20:12:56.971-07:00Finger foodTwo quick pictures of our little wiglet eating herself some cheerios. I do love this stage, she'll spend 30 minutes happily gumming a few cheerios, and I can dress Dessi for school. <br /><br />But anyway, the food's not the thing. I ask you -- how cute is this kid? Her face always looks like this -- big smile, kind eyes, such a sweetness. We love her completely.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--ErDZXUpjgU/TYlg_TI298I/AAAAAAAAANA/vlxDDak7FPk/s1600/IMG_1420.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--ErDZXUpjgU/TYlg_TI298I/AAAAAAAAANA/vlxDDak7FPk/s320/IMG_1420.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587103453315266498" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KQF4cTlNh14/TYlhfArkm-I/AAAAAAAAANI/qQY-STlUb8Q/s1600/IMG_1418.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KQF4cTlNh14/TYlhfArkm-I/AAAAAAAAANI/qQY-STlUb8Q/s320/IMG_1418.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587103998116404194" /></a>Lindy Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13644453820835864053noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4545663650949682871.post-24552674652654420272011-03-22T17:25:00.000-07:002011-03-25T18:48:14.626-07:00Snow and sledsThese are some random snowy moments from eric's trip home to montana. He's been gone three weeks now. We miss him.<br /> <br />These were some sunny fun days. Now the snow's dripping away day by day and that which remains is grey and molding. Alas, alack. IT's still spring, and it's nice to see it.<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3Sky-9xJxO4/TYlkH2byASI/AAAAAAAAAN4/DCo5XEOM6gw/s1600/IMG_1376.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3Sky-9xJxO4/TYlkH2byASI/AAAAAAAAAN4/DCo5XEOM6gw/s320/IMG_1376.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587106898763710754" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-r7fEDc1_RMo/TYljm7n3iEI/AAAAAAAAANw/Mr_X-xsBZAE/s1600/IMG_1379.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-r7fEDc1_RMo/TYljm7n3iEI/AAAAAAAAANw/Mr_X-xsBZAE/s320/IMG_1379.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587106333220898882" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GpiyGzaM5Z0/TYljKQELxnI/AAAAAAAAANo/8kMQHvoSg9U/s1600/IMG_1382.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GpiyGzaM5Z0/TYljKQELxnI/AAAAAAAAANo/8kMQHvoSg9U/s320/IMG_1382.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587105840492168818" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e-jmy_86g8s/TYli0oPPcNI/AAAAAAAAANg/lZxk0-n_MBM/s1600/IMG_1386.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e-jmy_86g8s/TYli0oPPcNI/AAAAAAAAANg/lZxk0-n_MBM/s320/IMG_1386.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587105469023875282" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sXWg8owdVBE/TYliW4dTpjI/AAAAAAAAANY/NWAe-3_AYH0/s1600/IMG_1388.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sXWg8owdVBE/TYliW4dTpjI/AAAAAAAAANY/NWAe-3_AYH0/s320/IMG_1388.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587104957981763122" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B_3-71bNaNo/TYliA5p6nHI/AAAAAAAAANQ/GfjGevvDDNk/s1600/IMG_1389.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B_3-71bNaNo/TYliA5p6nHI/AAAAAAAAANQ/GfjGevvDDNk/s320/IMG_1389.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587104580345961586" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Xhgnpu4pncE/TYk-r8RTIMI/AAAAAAAAAMw/iZehK9SvyWQ/s1600/IMG_1442.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Xhgnpu4pncE/TYk-r8RTIMI/AAAAAAAAAMw/iZehK9SvyWQ/s320/IMG_1442.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587065737363792066" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-R64Bj8OyLyc/TYk_6R9zU0I/AAAAAAAAAM4/TeaEnCoWWvo/s1600/IMG_1443.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-R64Bj8OyLyc/TYk_6R9zU0I/AAAAAAAAAM4/TeaEnCoWWvo/s320/IMG_1443.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587067083217392450" /></a>Lindy Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13644453820835864053noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4545663650949682871.post-52373305043249530392011-02-09T08:24:00.000-08:002011-02-09T08:33:29.212-08:00AllergyI just wanted to quickly write and say that Adai had diarrhea for the first six weeks she was with us. I suspect she has had it since birth. I guess most of the orphanage kids do, but hers did not resolve first with just good clean water and then with a round of metronidazole (flagyl). After six weeks, I on a whim switched to a soy formula and within a few days, it was gone. We went to an allergist last week, and voila. Positive for milk allergy. I also had an O&P and a giardia check done, but both those were negative.<br /><br />I don't know if this is common with Ethiopioan kids, but if anyone else's new adoptee has a similar issue, it might be worth looking into. The allergist said that if I keep her completely away from any dairy for six months, the allergy might disappear; we plan to retest her in six months.<br /><br />On a separate note, Eric is en route to DC as I write this. Thrilling! I didn't really believe it would happen until his plane left the ground, but now it has and he'll be two days in DC before coming to Whitefish for two weeks. I told dessi about it this morning, but she didn't seem to get it. Maybe she was just stunned.Lindy Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13644453820835864053noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4545663650949682871.post-84164844008975060782011-02-08T09:13:00.000-08:002011-02-08T12:31:47.290-08:00iphone pics<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_QCV2bDGIZlk/TVGoEwSsbUI/AAAAAAAAAMo/BXZGUCsZqgw/s1600/010.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_QCV2bDGIZlk/TVGoEwSsbUI/AAAAAAAAAMo/BXZGUCsZqgw/s320/010.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571419013670268226" /></a><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_QCV2bDGIZlk/TVGn5kkagCI/AAAAAAAAAMg/pEzjd-0zuJI/s1600/009.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_QCV2bDGIZlk/TVGn5kkagCI/AAAAAAAAAMg/pEzjd-0zuJI/s320/009.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571418821544804386" /></a><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_QCV2bDGIZlk/TVF8fTW_n-I/AAAAAAAAAMY/vPSb3w-CEqs/s1600/007.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_QCV2bDGIZlk/TVF8fTW_n-I/AAAAAAAAAMY/vPSb3w-CEqs/s320/007.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571371091248521186" /></a><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_QCV2bDGIZlk/TVF6GoqYGEI/AAAAAAAAAMQ/XksHmcLZloQ/s1600/006.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_QCV2bDGIZlk/TVF6GoqYGEI/AAAAAAAAAMQ/XksHmcLZloQ/s320/006.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571368468446976066" /></a>Lindy Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13644453820835864053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4545663650949682871.post-66035373229200241642011-02-08T08:01:00.000-08:002011-02-08T08:07:16.660-08:00A few picsAll is great in our little world, our little town, our happy life. Eric is probably coming home this week for a visit (!!!!!) and today is a bluebird sky and 20 degrees (warm, for a bluebird-sky day -- those tend to be cold). <br /><br />Here are some pics that I scrounged up, stuff that the grandmas have taken and emailed me. I don't have my thing to download them from my own camera -- that was left behind in Cote d'Ivoire. Not that I've taken many pictures myself, anyway. I know I will regret that some day very soon. . . Adai already has changed so much!!<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_QCV2bDGIZlk/TVFpNRZz0II/AAAAAAAAAMI/uxRIZ_oNv_E/s1600/dessi%2Bsled1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 160px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_QCV2bDGIZlk/TVFpNRZz0II/AAAAAAAAAMI/uxRIZ_oNv_E/s320/dessi%2Bsled1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571349890764886146" /></a><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_QCV2bDGIZlk/TVFpIjCELNI/AAAAAAAAAMA/QBF4egzrruo/s1600/dessi%2Bpink%2Bdress.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 120px; height: 160px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_QCV2bDGIZlk/TVFpIjCELNI/AAAAAAAAAMA/QBF4egzrruo/s320/dessi%2Bpink%2Bdress.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571349809597787346" /></a><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_QCV2bDGIZlk/TVFpEslnxGI/AAAAAAAAAL4/LFO8Gvzoupo/s1600/dessi%2Bmom%2Badai%2Bfiretruck.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 160px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_QCV2bDGIZlk/TVFpEslnxGI/AAAAAAAAAL4/LFO8Gvzoupo/s320/dessi%2Bmom%2Badai%2Bfiretruck.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571349743443362914" /></a><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_QCV2bDGIZlk/TVFo8PelPnI/AAAAAAAAALw/4L_DE9py8a8/s1600/dessi%2Badai%2Bxmas%2B2010.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 160px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_QCV2bDGIZlk/TVFo8PelPnI/AAAAAAAAALw/4L_DE9py8a8/s320/dessi%2Badai%2Bxmas%2B2010.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571349598190255730" /></a>Lindy Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13644453820835864053noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4545663650949682871.post-79283478423330267722011-01-13T17:45:00.000-08:002011-01-14T07:02:46.001-08:00Safe and SoundWe've had a bit of drama, really it's all okay, and I don't want to start with it and bury the lead, the lead being that Adai Marion Young is an amazing, 7-month-old light who smiles and squeals on demand; that Dessi is an ahMAZing big sister and never ever tires of kissing and hugging and making funny faces at her little sister and has yet to be even remotely jealous or unkind; that our family is full of love and happy and that we are safe.<br /><br />The drama being that Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast, where we have been posted) had elections on Dec. 4. I waited until Dec. 8 before leaving for Ethiopia to wait for our US embassy appointment -- things seemed peaceful enough at home (no election clashes or problems) and so I got on the plane, leaving Dessi and Eric behind. That night, the current president (Gbagbo, with a sileng "G") decided to throw out thousands of votes and, despite pretty amazing international protests, declared himself the winner, swore himself in, closed down the airports and borders, and called it a night.<br /><br />The next two weeks passed in a frenzy. I could not leave Adai in Addis, obviously, and I could not leave Dessi in Cote d'Ivoire, nor could I patiently wait for my US embassy appointment any longer. Suffice it to say I lost my voice after a week of talking people into things every single day, all day long. Ultimately, I got Adai's paperwork and photos, applied for her Ethiopian passport, ran the immigration hurdles, the US embassy moved our court date forward for us (please know, we didn't take any other familiy's place -- we were squeezed in because were a State Department family caught in a political crisis) and then . . . waited. Somewhere in there Cote d'Ivoire lifted its border closings and reopened the airport, but regardless, the government was in no hurry to do an American diplomat any favors (we were refusing to acknowledge the president, thus his government, and he controlled the embassies). So I was stuck. I couldn't get adai an Ivoirian visa, even to fly in and transit out 12 hours later with Dessi (to fly back to the US). It took me a week more of fussing and talking before I realized what we were up against. <br /><br />Ultimately, Adai and I flew to Ghana, Eric and Dessi flew to Ghana, we had 7 hours together, then I flew to the US with the girls and Eric flew back to Abidjan. Although all US families and non-essential staff have been evacuated from Cote d'Ivoire, there are 15 US diplomats left; Eric can't leave Abidjan (the capital) until things get either a lot better or a lot worse. And at the moment, neither seems likely. (A good source for more information is BBC Africa or this story, http://news.myjoyonline.com/features/201101/59140.asp, if you're interested.)<br /><br />So the girls and I are in our sweet little two-bedroom house in Whitefish, Montana, wearing a collective $800 worth of winter gear between us. (It's friggin FREEZING!) It's a little small, and I'm ridiculously busy (thinking of changing our blog's name to bottleproppingmama.com, ha ha, but we are laughing a lot, sleeping a little bit less (Adai was up every two hours on a 24-hour cycle for the first 20 days. She's doing a lot better now) and staying warm. I'm perpetually stunned that I've kept it all together (my hair stopped falling out a few days ago, wahoo!) and Dessi is in love with the snow (everything about the snow. The fluffiness, the coldness, the gear). She adores her new Montessori school, and I just glad to be home in this community of amazing friends and love and support and aunties and yoga and sushi and fantastic hiking and running every day. <br /><br />I see so many families still waiting for embassy appointments, or dealing with setbacks, and my heart breaks for them. When I feel overwhelmed or barely above water, I think of them. When I think of being separated from Eric and how he is missing these sweet, sweet days, I also know that this is an inconvenience for our family, but it is a complete disaster for the beautiful, kind people of Cote d'Ivoire. Plus, in our separation, I try to remember that this is what military families go through all the time. <em>Hi honey, welcome home, here's your new baby. </em> <br /><br />Plus, he <em>does </em>still have the cat. (They both sleep at the US Embassy nowadays.) <br /><br />That's our story. I just reread it, it's really crap. It says nothing about the amazingness of what we're all feeling right now. But I'm tired (it's 7:30 pm, betime) (no joke) and it's a start. <br /><br />I don't have a single picture available of the three of us in our new digs, but here's a pic taken from my iphone the day I took Adai from the Thomas Center. (By the way, her name is pronounced like I couldn't wait <em>a day </em>longer. It's an Ethiopian name, it's a species of Ethioipan daisy, but it's traditionally spelled Adey.)<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_QCV2bDGIZlk/TS-v9D0Z4nI/AAAAAAAAALk/rI4XOlfAKME/s1600/005.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_QCV2bDGIZlk/TS-v9D0Z4nI/AAAAAAAAALk/rI4XOlfAKME/s320/005.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5561857528357839474" /></a>Lindy Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13644453820835864053noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4545663650949682871.post-4302197970791714932010-11-30T06:07:00.000-08:002010-11-30T05:47:16.335-08:00Daytrip from AddisThe Saturday before we left Ethiopia we visited a pretty little church called Debra Lebanos (the Lebanese Church). It's about a 2-hour drive along nice roads that cross all sorts of hillsides and villages and eventually end either at a good Ethiopian-German restaurant on a stunning arroyo with cliffside dining (an eagle actually swooped down and grabbed another patron's chicken thigh from his hand, it was incredible thing to see) or the church. There's also a Portugese-built bridge you can get to by following a trail from the German-Ethiopian restaurant. From the church you can hike to a hermit's cave in the nearby mountains.<br /><br />Here we are waiting for our driver to pick us up for the day! Coffee.com, we love you. A 2-minute walk from our guesthouse to pretty much the best macchiatos we've ever tasted. All for 14 birr (90 cents.) Are you going to Ethiopia soon? If so, bring a to-go cup! <br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_QCV2bDGIZlk/TPJuUd47FGI/AAAAAAAAAKY/azb8ys58ECI/s1600/IMG_1196.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_QCV2bDGIZlk/TPJuUd47FGI/AAAAAAAAAKY/azb8ys58ECI/s320/IMG_1196.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544615389146322018" /></a><br /><br />The church itself was not a highlight for us. It's 100 birr to enter, not a deal-breaker per se, but then they also had a sign that menstruating women were not allowed. I can't stand that kind of stuff. I told Eric in English that I didn't want to pay because I didn't want to support such misogynism, and then the priest immediately told me in English that if we didn't pay we couldn't hike in the surrounding grounds, either. So ha! And Ha!<br /><br />Here is the church; you may notice we found a way to climb a mountain, anyway :) <br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_QCV2bDGIZlk/TPKD2ITLfeI/AAAAAAAAALA/JinZujeA_j4/s1600/IMG_1222.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_QCV2bDGIZlk/TPKD2ITLfeI/AAAAAAAAALA/JinZujeA_j4/s320/IMG_1222.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544639057210605026" /></a><br /><br />We walked down the road a little and followed a little cobblestone trail we found, and we took that off into the hills. (If you're approaching the church, it's about 300 yards before the church entrance on the right.)<br /><br />Beautiful views ...<br /> <br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_QCV2bDGIZlk/TPJx01_vRXI/AAAAAAAAAKg/UN7EPZQL94A/s1600/IMG_1198.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_QCV2bDGIZlk/TPJx01_vRXI/AAAAAAAAAKg/UN7EPZQL94A/s320/IMG_1198.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544619243908056434" /></a><br /><br />And an hour later we hiked back down. The trail was definitely too tricky for Dessi.<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_QCV2bDGIZlk/TPKG9wxNiwI/AAAAAAAAALI/s-jCYdd73AA/s1600/IMG_1238.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_QCV2bDGIZlk/TPKG9wxNiwI/AAAAAAAAALI/s-jCYdd73AA/s320/IMG_1238.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544642486867954434" /></a><br /><br />But she could walk on the main road alright, there was no traffic almost at all, and the weather was absolutely perfect.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_QCV2bDGIZlk/TPKK2KNaFaI/AAAAAAAAALQ/p6tqGnz4r4c/s1600/IMG_1240.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_QCV2bDGIZlk/TPKK2KNaFaI/AAAAAAAAALQ/p6tqGnz4r4c/s320/IMG_1240.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544646754304660898" /></a>Lindy Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13644453820835864053noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4545663650949682871.post-84747066513630886122010-11-25T22:40:00.000-08:002010-11-25T22:40:00.040-08:00MompetitionI thought this was hilarious. <br /><br />http://mompetition.blogspot.com/2010/11/before-i-was-mom.html<br /><br />She has some other ones about the things we mamas say to each other, which I thought was funny but then I started thinking it was kinda sad. Are we moms hard on each other? I guess we are. I know we're hard on ourselves. I'm lucky, for the past 15 years I have had ahMAZing friends (and now mamas) to share the world with; I've not experienced the cattiness that people so often associate with female friendships. I think it might depend on each person's tolerance for drama. Me, I can pick a drama mama out from 200 feet. I make wide circles around such people. <br /><br />One of the finest books -- a total gift in the world -- I've ever read on motherhood is Karen Maezen Miller's book <em>Mama Zen</em>. It returns motherhood to service, meditation and open heartedness in a completely non-judgemental way. It stays on my bedstand, and I pick it back up any time I need a reminder that other people know, exactly, what I'm talkin about.Lindy Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13644453820835864053noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4545663650949682871.post-62325470361039642942010-11-22T13:34:00.001-08:002010-11-22T13:34:00.621-08:00Best Guesthouse in Addis (IMHO)On this past trip to Ethiopia, Dessi and I moved three times before we finally found the best guesthouse in all of Addis. (In fact, we didn't keep moving because we were searching for the best. We were simply looking for acceptable. But we found the best one, I am pretty sure.)<br /> <br />The guesthouse is called BJoe's, it is located downtown across from Makoush (the italian restaurant with the fun art gallery in front), down the street from the Edna Mall and a 2-minute walk from coffee.com (all these places are on Bole Road). So, the location is great but they're 500 feet down a dirt road so it's very quiet. <br /> <br />Nannies are available, and there are at any given time 2-4 exceptionally cool women in the house. It is run by Genet, who returned to Ethiopia last year after working in the US as an accountant for the past 20 years. She is awesome. A great resource, a kind spirit, and just the type of person who after one week you feel like you want to know her for the rest of your life.<br /> <br />Residents each receive a cellphone to use, and there is reliable internet. <br /> <br />The guesthouse has room for three families. I think there might be room for two more (they were building two new rooms while I was there) by early December, though. All the rooms are $85 per family. There are two one-bedroom rooms, and there are two two-bedroom adjoining rooms. Whether you want the single room or the two adjoining rooms, the price is the same -- $85 (total). You pay in USD when you check out.<br /> <br />The house is spread out on just one level and a downstairs, we were downstairs, it was a little bit cold but fine. It has wood / parquet floors and that makes it quiet, unlike the guesthouses that are highrises with tiled floors.<br /> <br />Laundry is free and breakfast is free. A tip for the whole staff of $50 to $100 per week is appropriate (according to the gladney literature -- this is traditionally a gladney house, but people from other agencies are welcome). You would want to tip anyway because those women rock -- anything I ever asked them about, they basically started climbing over each other to see how they could help me. They loved Dessi, but they really loved ALL the kids that were there. <br /> <br />Her email is gtafesse@gmail.com. Their phone in Ethiopia is 011 251 11 55 19 250.<br /> <br />I don't get kickbacks, btw! I just thought I would share.Lindy Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13644453820835864053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4545663650949682871.post-13169063561968438672010-11-21T04:26:00.000-08:002010-11-21T04:42:57.034-08:00Passing CourtPeace has come. The paper from MOWA has arrived. The judge has signed. The child is ours.<br /><br />Here is Baby Adai, the newest little light of our lives. <br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_QCV2bDGIZlk/TOkSDwj0pbI/AAAAAAAAAJY/yBu2nXbKiCA/s1600/IMG_1171.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_QCV2bDGIZlk/TOkSDwj0pbI/AAAAAAAAAJY/yBu2nXbKiCA/s320/IMG_1171.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541980672240166322" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_QCV2bDGIZlk/TOkTfQyOMmI/AAAAAAAAAJo/84vavUWfDyM/s1600/IMG_1176.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_QCV2bDGIZlk/TOkTfQyOMmI/AAAAAAAAAJo/84vavUWfDyM/s320/IMG_1176.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541982244258591330" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_QCV2bDGIZlk/TOkSopLhusI/AAAAAAAAAJg/e84U0_UWXsM/s1600/IMG_1174.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_QCV2bDGIZlk/TOkSopLhusI/AAAAAAAAAJg/e84U0_UWXsM/s320/IMG_1174.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541981305914374850" /></a><br /><br />Thank you for sharing this journey with us.Lindy Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13644453820835864053noreply@blogger.com6