Landlocked, but together at last

We moved! This will be a quick post as I take a break from the unpacking. (Will I ever be done?!) The Marine Corps has moved us to an Air Force base - smack dab in the middle of the country...Omaha, NE. I think I had wrapped my brain around the possibility of living in a lot of places, but here was not one of them. LOL! We are settling in and exploring our new surroundings. It is nice to finally be a complete family again! After a 6 month deployment and another 3 months of living apart (Sean in NE and the kids and I finishing up school in SC.), we needed some good quality family time. This was our 10th move. After every move, I typically rant and rave that "This will be my LAST move!". Omaha could turn out to be very nice, but I know I am not destined for retirement here. It is June and I wore a sweater this morning. If I survive 3 winters here, I am going to buy a t-shirt that says I did!

This morning I took Jack and Mae to their new pediatrician for check-ups. They gave me a intake form to analyze developmental milestones for children Mae's age. It was ridiculous. She had mastered nearly everything on the form. She scored about 10 months older than her listed birth date. This is probably the case. She turns 3 next months, but I think she is closer to 4.

It's time for some more unpacking, but I will leave you with some pics from our journey to Omaha!

"Yes, it does count."

Our 10 year-old son, Ryan, came home from school this week and told me about what a classmate said to him.

Classmate: "That isn't your real sister."

Ryan: "She is my real sister. I adopted her from Ethiopia."

Classmate: "That doesn't count."

Ryan: "Yes, it does count."

A simple conversation that made me beam with pride. Ryan is a "thinker". He's that unemotional, intelligent, passive type of child so I'm certain he was very matter-of-fact during this discussion.

We decided to take him to Ethiopia with us because we knew the experience would impact his life forever. I've had the pleasure of watching the small ways it has changed his view on the world. I can't wait to see the kind of man he grows up to be!

"Single Mom-ing it"

I have a lot of things that I'm proud of in my life...most notably, I am really proud to be married to my husband. I never really brag about him, so he will be surprised when he reads this! He really is super cool. Not only does he fly F-18 Hornets (supersonic jets designed for dogfighting and ground attacks) for the Marine Corps, but he is a loving father and husband who adores his family.

With the super cool job, comes the downside of separations and deployments. Quite frankly, my husband is gone a lot. Sometimes it's training exercises that last weeks and sometimes months, sometimes it's schools, and sometimes deployments. Deployments in the Marine Corps are typically 6-7 months long. My husband is on his 6th deployment right now.

My oldest son will be 10 this month and has survived every deployment alongside me. Ok, well, the first one he was growing in mom's belly, but that almost counts! He is an unsung hero in my eyes, sacrificing the gift of time with his father over and over again.

Our middle child is 4 years old and is living through deployment #3. He cried every night for his daddy during the last deployment. This time, he seems like an old pro and has adjusted to dad being gone.

Mae is 2 years old and was only with us 4 months before dad had to leave. Talk about confusing! None of us knew what to expect with her behavior. Now that we are two months into the deployment, I think it's safe to say she has had a smooth transition. I have kept the kids on a tight routine and this has been important. Also, they have each other to stay distracted. Mae had a chance to webcam with dad last week and her face lit up when she saw him! The downside is that she cried herself to sleep when daddy had to go.

Then...there's me. Afterall, it is MY blog and I can write about me if I want! Each deployment has offered different challenges. I have been pregnant, built a house, moved, been laid-off, been promoted, had surgery, done the adoption paperchase, and many many other things that would have been easier with my parter in life. Parenting during deployment aka "Single Mom-ing it" is always hard. I am having an especially difficult time balancing the demands of 3 children and a full-time job. It is a crazy life! I have been blessed with a wonderful team of people to work and look forward to seeing them everyday. They have experienced this journey to Ethiopia with us (in spirit!) and opened their hearts to Mae.

There is a good side to deployments...HOMECOMINGS! That won't be until early next year, but wait until you see those pics!

P.S. Mae isn't in the pics because she was at school that day. It was over 100 degrees and a 5 hour process, so I'm sure she was happier at school!

Six months home!

U.S. Citizenship Complete

Throughout the adoption process, there are so many moments that just take your breath away. Today was one of those. The lawyer handling our readoption (also a friend) sent me an email stating that Mae's adoption was officially recognized by the SC courts. This was done in SC without a hearing or any type of court appearance. Very easy. No fanfare. No pictures. Yet, when I received the email this afternoon simply stating that Mae officially became a U.S. citizen on July 28, 2010 my heart was full. We did it! My thoughts were flooded with the opportunity this will mean for her.

With adoption, there are always two sides to every happy moment. Grief and loss are never far behind a celebration. When I rocked my daughter to bed tonight I thought about this natural treasure that the country of Ethiopia provided to the U.S. I thought about the Ethiopian culture that Mae would never fully experience. And, of course, I thought about the family that she was even further removed from if that is even possible.

Conflicting emotions are nothing new when it comes to being adoptive parents. It's beautiful. It's awful. Mae's 2nd birthday was a fun-filled party with friends. It's also not her real birthday, but the anniversary of the day her father took her to the orphanage. I love that Mae's a U.S. citizen. I hate that she's no longer an Ethiopian citizen. I love that she is our daughter. I hate that she is no longer with her birth family.

Mae will grow up to love her U.S. citizenship. I know that because we are a military family who eats, lives, and breathes patriotism. Love of country is required in this family. It's how we survive deployments and other long separations. It's how we thrive move after move. Mae will love her U.S. citizenship, but she will never forget her Ethiopian heritage. That is my promise to the people of Ethiopia, her birthfamily, and especially to Mae.

Ethiopia Orphans March 2010

While in Addis Ababa, we visited some government orphanages. These children welcomed us with open arms.

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Forever Day

I've watched this same video in so many other blogs...only this time OUR child was being delivered, WE were the family waiting at Bejoe, and the long-awaited dream was becoming a reality.