My goodness how time flies. Blogging has NOT been priority number one the past few months and I don't feel guilty about it because the truth is it was therapy for me, getting me through the hard adoption times and I just don't need the therapy anymore! Good News! But, I have been thinking so much about Ethiopia lately because it has been almost one year since I left to pick up Grace Demot. I thought taking some time to write a little about the wonderful life of Grace would be good for posterity sake. It truly seems like just yesterday we brought our precious Demot home to Utah. This past year has been one of many wonderful firsts for Grace Demot and wonderful reminders of the beauty and energy of toddlerhood for me. It truly brings tears to my eyes when I think about how blessed we are to have Grace Demot in our home and in our family. She just fits with us and better yet we seem to be ok with her too. When I think back to a year ago, I fondly think of paperwork being finalized, airline reservations, Yebsabi reservations, shots, shots and more shots, anixiety, tears, fears, joy, packing, collecting lots and lots of donations and so much more. If I could go back (which I never would) the only thing I would change about life before Grace would be that I would have not stressed so much about the things I had no control over. I learned and gained such a respect for patience. I know there will be more times in my life to exercise that patience but hopefully it won't be so darn hard. I sometimes wish I could go back to Ethiopia and visit the beautiful friends I made there. I think about Sister Almaz, Lelena, Hana and all of the nannies that were so humble and so kind. I learned so much about "stuff". How we have way to much "stuff" how so many have little to no "stuff" and being reminded of that is a good thing. I will never ever forget the first moment that I laid eyes (in person) on my little angel. The joy is inexplainable and I know that somehow, somewhere we had met before. The journal I kept while in Ethiopia reads: "I held her and loved on her and kissed her just like I had imagined. She was so beautiful with little brown pants and a little boy shirt. She was a bit unsure of me but as I kissed her forehead I thanked God for this miracle in my life". Grace continues to be such a gift. No matter where I go, people stop me to tell me how remarkably beautiful she is. There is a depth and spark in her brown eyes that melts peoples heart. She's quite a spitfire and knows exactly what she wants. She adores her brother Carter who has proven to be so much better at being the "big brother" than I gave him credit for. She is speaking two to three word sentences. She says Mom, Da Da, Carter to school, ba ba, NO, yes, please, thank-you, dance, she can name all parts of the face and some of the body, her laugh is to die for and boy can she dance. In the car she sings and sings and going "bye-bye" is her favorite thing. She pretty much runs wherever she goes and her skinny little legs can run really fast. We have taken her on several trips: Lake Powell, St. George several times and Mexico. She's been skiing (well to the resort and out on a sled) but someday will ski like sissy and bro bros. She hates, hates, hates Carter's hermit crab but loves Ginger the dog and Lucy the cat. My favorite thing she says is "Ooo cu cu". The look on her face is priceless. At first she was completely attached to me and never left my side. She followed me around the house and cried the most heart wrenching cry when I left. She has gotten so much better. I know that even though she is only two, she knows the feeling of being left alone and being taken from the only place she had to call home. I really think and feel that she knows now that this is where she belongs that we are a family and that when Mommy leaves she is always coming back. My favorite thing that Grace does is copy me. She watches very closely at how I do my hair or put on lipstick and she mimics every move I make. She loves to put on "pretties" meaning lip gloss and I have caught her in Morgan's room putting lip gloss on her eyelids. She loves to culey (color) just like Carter and loves to eat breakfast sitting on the kitchen counter with me in the morning. We have started having very small playdates and I am so glad to see how she is interacting with other kids. I can tell she has a hard time sharing and that's a normal kid thing. I think it's funny when she hides things behind her back and says "mine". I don't know, something about being a 30-40 something :) mommy means less sweat over the small stuff and more giggles over the things I used to be mortified over. So what if she does not want to share, so what if she wakes up at night and I rush to hold her and give her a bottle, so what if she wants a cookie for lunch and maybe even skips a nap or two... See how I have become a much more seasoned and less stressed mama! The other good news is that with age comes the "I don't care what people think" attitude and I don't care if Grace runs through the grocery store or throws a fit and falls to the ground crying. The truth is Grace just came to this earth a really good girl. She has her two year old moments but truly she is almost too easy. She sure has taken to her Daddy. She is sad when he goes to work and when he comes home she runs to him, jumps in his arms and gives him a big hug and kiss. He says she gives the best hugs and kisses and he is right. She loves his peaches and that makes him happy cuz our other kids don't (sorry Shane). She loves when he reads her stories and he is just so cute with her. I can't count how many times he says "oh my goodness is she cute". To say we are full of joy is an understatement and there is really no way to express our gratitude for the gift of Grace Demot. I am loving every minute of life with Grace along with so many other people who spoil her with love and treasures. Grace turns two on March 12th (the day Shane and I left Ethiopia with our Ethiopian princess). I can't wait to see what the next year hold for us and our beautiful children, knowing them and us it will be adventurous.
Before...
After!
