White Christmas

Our girls experienced their first white Christmas this year while we were visiting Nana and Papa and the rest of the Strawn family.

It was the first time Zinash had been in the snow and she loved it!

Mihret, who remembered playing in the snow at Big Bear with Grandma and Grandpa last winter, showed Zinash how to throw snowballs.


She was a quick learner.


And then Dada got in the action and hilarity ensued.

It was a perfect way to spend a Christmas afternoon. We hope you had a joy-filled Christmas day as well!

Merry Christmas!

Blessings to you this Christmas from the Strawn Family!

Little Princesses

We have wonderful neighbors all around us. They are super kind to us and to our girls. One family absolutely blew us away last weekend, though, when they blessed our girls with these beautiful dresses, a fun play outfit each, and a bag of little goodies. I wish you could have seen the absolute delight on the girls' faces when they first saw the dresses!

They wore the dresses to church on Sunday morning. After they got dressed and twirled around in front of the mirror, they both said that they felt like princesses. Mihret said, "I'm a princess and Zinash is a princess and Dada is a king!" I said, "Oh, does that mean that I'm a queen?" She said, "No, you're a mama." Ah...good to know.

After that, she made her bed without being asked because according to the royalty expert, princesses make their beds and are kind and dance. I think I can handle having those kind of princesses as daughters even if I'm not a queen.

In any case, this mama is so thankful for neighbors who make my daughters feel like loved, precious, beautiful princesses.

Mostly for the Grandparents...

Mihret was in a Christmas program on Thursday at her preschool. It was adorable!

The first song/poem is something I often hear from the hallway when I'm waiting for Mihret at the end of preschool - usually followed by squeals of delight. :)





The second song is one they learned for Christmas.




I especially loved Mihret's little friend at the end of the row with the bells on her nose. Gotta love 3-year olds!

We Are Family

Today was the court date for Zinash's re-adoption. The adoption process for international children includes two steps, and the first (Ethiopian court recognition) was completed in last year before we headed over to pick her up.

Interestingly enough, we had the same judge as when this process was finished for Mihret... and he was so kind and affirming to both girls and to us.


So now, we're official. On the way out of the courthouse, Carrie told Zinash "Well, now you're stuck with us". She giggled, but I'm pretty sure she looked at me out of the corner of her eye and muttered "Rats".

We celebrated the way we always do; going to the LA Zoo in the rain. You have your traditions, we have ours.

It's an end and a beginning... and we're so lucky to be here.