Every Step We Take

Haiti

2012-01-03T20:54:00.002-06:00

As most of you know, Scott and I traveled with a few others from church to Haiti right after Christmas. We met up with a group of 20 other people from around the country via Adventures In Missions (AIM). I can tell you that we had an AMAZING time in Haiti and are Forever changed by what we experienced. I will share my journal entries and photos after we give our presentation at church on the 14th :). I can share with you that we plan to return in June, hopefully with another group from church so PLEASE pray for that upcoming journey! Melissa

Quick Catch Up

2011-12-22T21:19:00.002-06:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM THE TROEDEL TRIBE
I had been waiting to post until I had time to put pictures on too, but if I do that you may just be waiting FOREVER! Here is a little of what has been going on:
On December 9th we celebrated Micah's 3 year Famiversary! I can not believe that it has been 3 years since my baby boy was placed in my arms FOREVER! He is growing into an amazing little man and is SO smart, too smart for his own good sometimes :).
Delson is doing GREAT in school. I am so happy that we moved him to a smaller, private school. It was the BEST decision we ever made, the difference is like day and night. He was in a Christmas program for school this week and was a wise man. He did great and was the kid singing SUPER loud without really knowing all the words :)
Sitota just finished with her first semester of ballet. She is taking it at a local church and has really liked it. She continues to LOVE reading and also drawing. She is busy practicing for a musical she is going to be in at the end of January:)
Scott and I have been busy preparing for our mission trip to Haiti, we will leave the day after Christmas and will return on New Years Eve. I can not wait to see what God has in store for us and who he has already chosen to cross our path.
I pray everyone has a Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year!! - Melissa

A bit of Christmas Thanks

2011-11-26T13:25:00.004-06:00

Today we decorated the house for Christmas and the kids were SO excited to help. The moment that really stands out for me is when the kids placed their special ornaments on the tree that represent their birth families. As they placed their ornament on the tree each child took the time to say a little prayer for their families.
Micah has an angel that he chose to represent his birth mom and said that he was thankful she had him and prayed that she is safe. Though we do not know her name, she did such a loving thing when she gave him over to the police as a newborn as she could not care for him but did wanted him safe.
Delson has an ornament that was handmade in Haiti and asked God to keep his Haitian mommy, Verigne safe(his Haitian daddy, Pierre,is no longer here on earth).
Sitota has a cross that she chose to remember her family. She thanked God for her Ethiopian mommy and daddy, Worke and Wolde, whom are no longer with us on earth and prayed that God keep Tariku and her other brothers and sisters in Ethiopia safe. , and the precious young lady who was loving enough to bring her newborn baby boy to the police so she knew he would be safe. I am so Thankful for all they gave up so we can have our family.
We are so thankful to all of those listed here for the blessings they have given us.

Perfect Match

2011-11-18T20:55:00.002-06:00

Had a funny (and interesting) conversation with Micah the other day after we had read a book about adoption. The book referred to how God had found us both and matched us. Here is how our talk at lunch a few days later went:

Micah: Mom, I don't think God is really good at matching.
Me: What are you talking about honey?
Micah: Remember how we read a book and you said God matched us.
Me: Yes
Micah: Well put out your arm (I do so and he puts his arm next to mine). See your arm is white, right?
Me: Yes
Micah: And my arm is brown, right?
Me: Yes
Micah: So I don't think God is very good at matching.
Me: We may not match in the color of our skin, but God did match our hearts and I am so happy you are my son.
Micah: And I am Happy you are my mom (followed by a big hug and kiss!)

Gotta LOVE that kid!!

My Sticker Chart

2011-10-26T09:26:00.002-05:00

Recently we began giving the kids an opportunity to earn an allowance. With this began the creation of their very own Sticker Charts. Being that we have a variety of ages for those able to earn some cash, we also have a wide variety of "chores", some of which are really just behaviors we would like them to improve on. I got to thinking what MY sticker chart may look like if I were to have one. Here are a few I came up with:
Kids Chart - No Time Outs
My Chart - Take a Time Out! Sometimes a break is really needed to refresh and regroup. I have a Really hard time admitting that I need to take some time for myself in order to "behave" better.
Kids Chart - Finish your meal before leaving the table (can you tell we have a 3 year old!)
My Chart - Take time to eat 3 meals a day. I can not tell you the last time I sat down and ate breakfast in the morning. I am "too busy" making lunches, getting kids dressed, brushing said kids teeth, getting shoes and coats on, etc. I REALLY need to make time to at least eat...maybe my morning would go better :)
Kids Chart - Dress yourself in the appropriate clothes for the day
My Chart - Get dressed in something other than jeans and a t-shirt. Since becoming a mom my attire has REALLY suffered. I joke that I try to make sure the kids always look nice because then no one will pay attention to what I look like. I however enjoy looking nice and classy even with being a mommy!

I could go on and on, but you get the point...it appears I need to work on my own improvement a little bit and I intend to do just that :)

BATS

2011-10-24T21:10:00.003-05:00

I LOVE hearing about everything Delson is learning at his new school. It is AMAZING what he can all take in when there is not the chaos of 25 kids in the room. Last week he was learning about bats and we had this conversation on the way home from school:
Delson: Mom, did you know that even if you do not like bats you can not kill them? They are God's creation and you do not want to make God cry by killing them.
Me: That is true Delson, we don't want to kill living things (praying in my head, God PLEASE do not let a bat show up in the house as I KNOW I would go postal on that!!)
Delson: Mom, did you know that the bats are running out of caves? Maybe we should build a big cage for the bats so they don't end up gone like dinosaurs!
Me: Ummm, I am not so sure that is a good idea...

Rainbow

2011-10-19T20:42:00.003-05:00

Today as Micah and I were riding down the street I had the pleasure to be with him when he saw his first rainbow. I know we have tried to point them out to him before, but he never could really see it until today. Nothing is better than sitting in the car with your 3 year old while they are in total amazement at God's beauty. He even knew that Noah was the first person to see a rainbow (thank you WONDERFUL Sunday school teachers!!) and we could use it as a learning opportunity to talk about God's promises. What a Wonderful

The Joy of Raising Boys

2011-10-11T20:50:00.002-05:00

Today the boys were playing outside and I ran in to answer the phone. I went to look something up for someone and was going to head back outside when I hear Micah crying and see a neighbor lady walking toward the house. I run out the garage door and see Micah riding up on his bike balling as Delson yells, "It wasn't me!". Well, the neighbor lady askes me to walk with her to her house (3 houses down) and says that my son was destroying her antique wooden sled. We get there and she shows me the 3 boards that were broke and thrown in her yard. I apologize over and over then ask how we can make this better. She says maybe he can come and rake leaves, I said that would be fine. I then said that he has been really into being a fireman lately and I think that he gets carried away thinking things are real, then I state "I guess that is what happens when you are 3". She says, "3?? Oh no honey, it was the older boy!" The whole time I thought it was Micah because he was crying SO loud and Delson said it was not him when I came out. So....I head home with my new info and have a LONG talk with Delson. He says he does not know why he did it. I have him get his money out of his piggy bank and make a I am sorry card to bring down. He delivers his "gifts" and says he is sorry and will NEVER do it again. We then talk again to get to why and he explains that they were playing fireman and he was pretending it was a car on fire and used a shovel as an axe to get the "people" out of the car. He claims that he didn't think about how it was just pretend and that we can not do that. We had a long talk and had him do some work around the house tonight instead of playing...oh the joys of boys :)

Fall Fun Pictures!

2011-10-05T20:50:00.004-05:00

The post you have all been waiting for...pictures! The kids have been LOVING the nice fall weather we have been having and have enjoyed getting out in the leaves and apple picking! Here are some fun pics of what we have been up to!

Did you miss me?!?

2011-10-02T13:34:00.003-05:00

I am back. I have REALLY missed my blog and I hope that you all have too. So, since it has been SO long since my last post, I will give you some updates on how everyone is doing:
Sitota is now a beautiful 10 year old little lady. She is in the 4th grade and currently goes to Carl Traeger elementary school. Recently Sitota started ballet and LOVES it. She also is very into cooking and takes a kids in the kitchen class. Sitota has enjoyed taking swimming lessons and is now at a level 3. She is looking forward to trying out for a local children's musical in a few weeks. We have had some bonding issues and she is struggling with abandonment issues regarding her family in Ethiopia, but we are working through those things and have made Great progress. She is a true blessing and her smile can brighten a room.
Delson is now 5 years old and still full of energy. He started Kindergarten this year and was struggling with the large class size so he will be starting at a Lutheran school this week. The fact that he will be the 8th kindergartner there will be a HUGE blessing. He is enjoying getting outside to run and ride his bike. Delson's favorite thing to do is build things and he is Very good at it.
Micah is now 3 years old and smart as ever (along with that comes that he is sassy as ever too!). He started preschool through our rec department and LOVES going to school like the big kids. He goes 2 days a week for 2 hours, which is perfect for him. He also did dance and gymnastics through the rec department, but is taking a little break while in school. Micah's big loves are race cars, airplanes, and fire trucks. He is loving his time with mom while the other kids are at school :)

As far as me and Scott, we are preparing for our mission trip to Haiti this December. We will be going with a team of 5 people from our church to Haiti. This will be truly a life changing experience and we are truly blessed to be a part of this team. Also, after MANY discussions we feel that our family is now complete and rather than focus on any additional adoptions we are going to put our energy into what we are blessed to have. This was actually a difficult topic for me as I have felt like I was being led to add one more child to our family, but I am finding the joy in what I have and realize that no one can fill the void I feel but God. I am trying to take some more time to focus on myself as I have not been good at taking care of me and it shows. By taking care of me I feel I will be able to better take care of my family as well.
Well, that is what is going on. I am going to try to be more faithful to this blog to let everyone know what is going on...and of course will get some recent pics up soon!! - Melissa

One Year Ago

2011-01-26T20:32:00.002-06:00

I can not at all believe that one year ago today I was at the airport in Green Bay anxiously awaiting the arrival of our son Delson. It had been such a LONG journey for Delson to get to us, that I really thought the day would NEVER come when I would be holding my son in my arms forever. This year has been full of challenges, but through it all I know that this was all God's plan and that Delson is truly a blessing in my life. Delson continues to grow in so many ways and I LOVE growing closer to him daily. Tonight he wanted to go to McDonalds for ice cream to celebrate his famiversary. Posted is a picture of us from the airport last year and one from McDonalds tonight. You can start to see the joy in his eyes and for that I am SO thankful! Melissa

The One-Upper Gone Bad

2011-01-24T21:45:00.002-06:00

Here is the conversation the boys were having in the car today:
Micah- "I am going to be a police man when I grow up!"
Delson - "I am going to be a good cop when I get big!"
Micah - " Oh yeah, well I am going to be a good cop who puts bad guys in the back of my car!"
Delson - "Yeah, well I am going to be a bad buy and ride in the back of a police car when I grow up!!"

Jumping Through Hoops

2011-01-17T21:13:00.002-06:00

I had a tough time coming up with a name for this post. Some other options were: Watching My Money Go Down the Drain, Positive...or not, or Could it Get Any Better!. Here is what has been going on in the past week at the Troedel house: We got the information we now need to apply for Delson's green card and then can apply for his Certificate of Citizenship. Good news right?!?! But as with everything that comes from the government this too comes with a price. I won't get into all the details, but want to get to the meat of things. One of the things we need to do is have Delson get a physical at a Civil Surgeon (aka Federal Government Approved Doctor!). In order to get him this appointment we need to first get him in for a TB test. Simple right?!?! WRONG! We took him in last Friday so they could read his scratch test and he had a positive reading. Now, before you panic, the most likely reason for this is that he probably received a vaccine while in Haiti that would cause a false positive skin test and therefore would need to do a chest xray in the future to rule out TB. We have NO documentation of him having had vaccines while in Haiti, but it is possible. So today we had to bring him back to the clinic for a chest xray and also lab work (5 Tubes of Blood!). I had to cancel his appointment we had for tomorrow with the civil surgeon because we first have to have the proof that he does not have TB, so now he goes next week. Did I mention that we are unsure whether insurance will cover any of this since it is elective testing?!?! Great!
To put icing on the cake Delson also failed his eye screening at school (especially the depth perception part) and we need to bring him in for an actual exam ASAP...did I mention that we took him in April and they found nothing so insurance will not cover it unless we wait till this April to bring him in...
So there you have it! On a good note, I think that I am making some progress on my resolutions. This is a VERY good thing. And after all, it could ALWAYS be worse!!! Melissa

Things to Work on 2011

2011-01-01T14:09:00.003-06:00

With the new year brings resolutions. This year I have several areas I would like to work on. Most are goals regarding how to become Happy again, I feel I have lost the Joy I used to have and really want to work on getting it back! 2010 was a year of MANY changes for us and I would be lying if I told you I have adjusted to all of them well and am Joyful for what I have been given all the time. This year I REALLY want/need a change in attitude more than any other changes :) Here are the goals I will have posted to review everyday:
1. Laugh more and Yell less
2. Listen more and Talk less
3. This is a tough one to even type, but I want to learn to LOVE my son (Delson). You see everything about Delson's adoption has been hard. The process, the years of waiting, behavior issues, attachment issues, RAD, etc. I have struggled to attach and see past the behaviors and LOVE my broken, but perfectly as God planned little boy. This year I will do EVERYTHING I can to help him and help me to accept him.
4. Make a difference in the life of a stranger.
5. Make time for myself to do things I enjoy(ed) doing. I have felt like I never have time for me anymore and I know that I would be happier if I would just make a little time to get back to things I have always enjoyed!
6. Workout videos HERE I COME :)
This is a list that I will not take lightly and will be posting them and reviewing them everyday so that I do not forget about these things that are SO important. Here is wishing everyone a HAPPIER NEW YEAR!! - Melissa

One Year With Our Little Girl

2010-12-27T20:51:00.002-06:00

One year ago today I met and held my daughter for the first time. What a year it has been! When I first met Sitota she was a quiet, shy and frail little girl. She had and still has a smile that will brighten your day. She amazes me with everything she has learned over the past year and how she will try anything! She has learned to read, write, ride a bike and rip stick, ice skate, swim, and so much more in this past year. She has also physically grown A LOT...when we brought her home she was 4 ft 4 in and 59 pounds. Today she is 4 ft 10 in and 85 pounds!! It is hard to keep up with her (on many levels!). She is truly an inspiration to us and we are So Blessed to be able to call her our daughter. Enjoy the pictures of her from a year ago and today...looks like she aged about 3 years!!! Love to all - Melissa

JOB

2010-12-17T21:47:00.001-06:00

Do I work? Yes! I work 24 hours a day. Why? Because I'm a MOMMY. I am a cook, a cleaner, a parent, a teacher, a referee, a nanny, a nurse, a handyman, a maid, a security officer and a comforter. I don't get holidays, sick-pay, or a day OFF. I work through the day and the night. I am on call at all hours. Now tell me my job isn't a real one, ITS THE BEST ONE!

Preparing for Christmas

2010-12-01T20:38:00.002-06:00

This is a Very exciting Christmas around our house for all of us. It is the first Christmas as a family of 5 and the first time Delson and Sitota are experiencing Christmas (American style!). We put up the tree this weekend and they are loving it. Another thing we have enjoyed is the Christmas music. I am looking forward to seeing them all in their Christmas programs. Sitota and Delson have a school performance and all the kiddos will be in the church program this year too! Here are a few pics of the events so far! Enjoy - Melissa

Colorful

2010-12-01T20:32:00.002-06:00

Having conversations with Micah is always an adventure. It is often hard to remember that he is only 2, as he has conversations like a little man :) Here was the talk we had today after lunch:
Micah - "Mom, come here and put your nose on mine!"
(I go and put my nose to his)
Micah- (excited) " Look Mom..we match! Wait, we don't match because my nose is brown! Well, we kinda match!"
Gotta Love that boy!!

HAPPY Thanksgiving

2010-11-24T21:54:00.002-06:00

Tomorrow we will celebrate Thanksgiving and boy do we have a LOT to be thankful for. This year has brought about so many changes in our lives. We went from being a family of 3 to a family of 5. We brought home our little guy from Haiti, which was a miracle in itself. I have been blessed with the opportunity to be a stay at home mom. We have certainly had challenges, but through it all the blessings have been overwhelming. I am so thankful for my supportive and loving Husband, my 3 great kiddos, my family who has for the most part been supportive and so generous throughout everything. I am also thankful for the 3 women in my life whom I have NEVER met, but have given me the greatest gifts I could ever ask for...these women gave so much for me to be able to call myself a mom and I could not thank them enough.
This Thanksgiving I pray that you all are as Blessed as I have been and continue to be. -Melissa

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T21:20:00.002-05:00

Crappy Job

2010-09-24T21:19:00.002-05:00

***Caution this is going to be a graphic post, read at your own risk!***
Being a mom is tough, but my job just got down right crappy! We have suspected that Sitota may have some type of parasite for awhile, but nothing had shown up in tests. We recently asked her if she ever notices anything strange in her poo and her response was: "Like the little white bugs?!?!" Huh, Yeah! That would be Strange. See, to her it was not weird as she had lived with them for a long time. We finally got the results back (after pushing them to run more tests and making sure the sample had a "little friend" in it!)and turns out she has a tape worm! We will be treating it this weekend and it should all come out within a day or so. They are thinking it will be about 2-4 feet long!! Sounds like a fun way to start a weekend! So, next time you think you have a crappy job, think again :) - Melissa

We Are Family!

2010-09-06T21:32:00.003-05:00

It has been a busy week around here. Sitota started 3rd grade and is LOVING it. Delson also started school, he is in 4k every afternoon. He likes it a lot, especially riding the bus :)
On Friday we went to court for Sitota's re-adoption and for Delson's adoption. Everything went GREAT and we are now the proud parents of 3 kiddos!!! We looked back and figured out that we saw Delson's picture for the first time 4 years and 18 days before his adoption was FINAL...it has been a LONG journey, but we are TRULY blessed beyond believe!
In other news, I am making this blog PUBLIC again...I have nothing to hide and can not wait to continue to share our journey's with friends and family!!! Have a Blessed week!! Melissa

WEEDS

2010-08-29T20:32:00.003-05:00

Today we decided it would be FUN to measure the kiddos to see just how much they have grown...OH MY! Let's start with Sitota: When Sitota came home she was 4 ft 4 inches and weighed 59 pounds. That was January 2nd...now (less than 8 months later) she is 4 ft 9.5 inches and 78 pounds!!!! No wonder I can not keep up on clothes! Moving on to Delson: He was 39 inches and 40 pounds when he came home January 26th (about 7 months ago)...today he was 40 pounds and 43 inches tall!! That explains why his pants from last school year fit more like shorts :) Micah - Well he is now just over 37 inches and still hanging around 27 pounds.
They are all happy and healthy and we are very blessed. Things have been calming down a little and we are starting to have more good days and really starting to get the hang of our families sudden changes. We will be completing Sitota's re-adoption and Delson's adoption this up coming Friday! Going to be an exciting week!!! Have a Blessed Week - Melissa

Random Pictures (at last!)

2010-08-18T21:35:00.001-05:00

Surgery and Court Dates

2010-08-18T12:43:00.002-05:00

Yesterday was a big day for us. We started by heading to the hospital for Delson to have his circumcision done. Everything went well and though he was wanting to do EVERYTHING yesterday (like ride his bike!) we tried to keep him calm and resting. He is sore today, but that was to be expected.
We also got everything filed for court to do Sitota's re-adoption and Delson's adoption! Both hearings will be held on September 3rd and we are planning a BIG party on September 19th to celebrate our new Party of 5!! I will be posting some updated pics soon!

Really Bad Blogger!

2010-08-09T21:44:00.002-05:00

I know...almost a full month without a post. I should be ashamed! We have had a very busy month. Story times at the library, a visit to grandma and grandpa Troedel's house, my grandmother's passing, camping with a fellow adoptive family, and lots of things in between. We have also been dealing with several behavioral issues with Delson that I will get into at a later date. Anyhow, I will try to post some pics soon and keep you all better informed!! Chow for now - Melissa

Our baby girl is growing up

2010-07-07T22:01:00.002-05:00

This past weekend I took Sitota to Miss Kris' house to have her 9yr old pics taken. They turned out GREAT...she is soooo grown up already. I can not believe she will be 9 on Monday!!! WOW! Here are a few of my faves. Melissa

What have we been up too??

2010-07-05T21:15:00.002-05:00

Here are a few pics from the past few weeks...sorry I do not get out here as much, but I do most updating on Faceboook :) I will TRY to be better!! Enjoy- Melissa

Random Pictures

2010-06-12T22:17:00.005-05:00

Cute

2010-06-10T18:29:00.000-05:00

Conversation with Micah tonight:
Me to Micah: "How did you get so cute?"
Micah: "From Mommy..and a brown nose too."
Me: "Who did you get the brown nose from?"
Micah: "The eye doctor silly!"

Rrrrrrunning

2010-06-09T21:09:00.000-05:00

I loved when Sitota kept saying "running" over and over tonight and laughing.I asked her what was so funny about the word and she said I am saying running funny, that is when I noticed she was no longer rolling her Rs like she has in the past. I said that she was saying it with an American accent and she LAUGHED :)

1st (2nd and 3rd!)

2010-06-08T21:40:00.002-05:00

I have been meaning to blog, but I keep forgetting the camera upstairs so I decided to just do the post and promise you pics to follow :) We have had several exciting things happening lately. Here is a sample of what we have been up to:
Sitota was in her first school performance. It was a musical called "Got Talent?" that her 2nd grade class wrote themselves. It was so cute watching her dance, sing and show off her jump roping. She also participated in several events at the campground and kept coming up a winner: 3rd place in grape spitting, 2nd place in bug races and the 50s costume contest, and 1st place in jump roping. She is excited and sad that school is ending tomorrow. She loves going to school so much and loves learning. I keep reminding her that she will get to go to summer school in a few weeks(I think she is the only kid excited about summer school!).She is also Very interested in taking dance lessons, so I think that she will be trying it out this summer (thanks to Grandma and Grandpa T's birthday gift!)
Delson is really coming along with his English and also has been working on learning his colors. We are trying to teach him how to answer basic questions people ask, such as: What is your name? How old are you? How are you?. He also took part in the events at the campground and took 1st place in the bug races with the Big black ant he caught. He was so proud of the bug catching kit he won...I know I am excited about that prize too (insert sarcasm)!
Micah has been working on potty training and is doing SOOOO good. I can not believe how determined he is. He went a week with no accidents in his pull-ups, so he was able to go and pick out his own big boy underpants. He was SO proud to wear underpants just like Delson and has been doing very well. He does have a Big problem keeping his shorts up now that he has no diaper, but that is a small price to pay for no more diapers! He also rode his big boy bike (with training wheels) for the first time last week. He needs help getting started, but after that look out! He is a man on a mission.
We have been having a fun time as a family and we are looking forward to a fun summer! Melissa

Sprinkler Fun

2010-05-24T20:44:00.002-05:00

Today was HOT and I decided to get the sprinkler out. This was a First for Sitota and Delson, and judging by the pics I would say they LOVE it :)

New Shoes

2010-05-11T21:09:00.003-05:00

I LOVE shoes! I remember when I used to buy a new pair of shoes and rush home to put them on. I would basically "show off" my new shoes everywhere. Over the years things have changed...less money and different priorities have meant few NEW shoes for this mommy. I got the shoes pictured above for Christmas and Just now broke them out...of course I could not wear them today because I did not want to get them wet in the rain or take a chance they would get dirty. This is not the first time I have SAVED new shoes in fear they would not be New anymore. Christmas of 2008 I got a pair of shoes for Christmas, not just any shoes but TOMS (look them up if you do not know them!), and I first wore them about 3 months ago in fear they would get dirty or I would wreck them and would no longer have them. This is not exactly an earth changing post, but just a funny thing I noticed :) Tomorrow though, I will wear my NEW shoes with pride and Not care if they get a little dirt on them! Melissa

Very Happy Mothers Day

2010-05-09T20:50:00.002-05:00

Today was such a special and wonderful Mothers Day for so many reasons. It was my first Mothers Day as a mom of 3 rather than 1 and there are so many things that happened to touch my heart! My kiddos all wanted to spend some of their "own" money on gifts for me so Scott took them to the Dollar Tree (let's face it, they don't have a big income yet!) and let them choose their own gifts. Sitota had made me a poster at school that says all sorts of things she Loves about me and then she bought me some lotion and ice cream! Delson made me a hand art work project in school and bought me circus peanuts and sixlets. Micah proudly presented me with an open box of gummy lifesavors(I guess he needed to make sure they were good!) and a NutRoll. All the candy was Great, they really know what I love :).
Today we also had dedication at church for Sitota and Delson. It is so special to be able to dedicate the children back to God on such a memorable day. It just so happens that Micah was dedicated last Mothers Day! We had lots of family join us for the service at church and were then able to enjoy some time with them after at our home. The weather was beautiful, so we were able to let the kiddos all play and sit and enjoy lunch outside. Was great to catch up with everyone.
After everyone left and we had a chance to clean up I begged Scott to take us to the local zoo and park(it did not take too much convincing!). This was Delson and Sitota's first visit to the zoo and they LOVED it. It was really fun watching their reactions to the animals. They really enjoyed feeding the goats and sheep. After the zoo we walked over to the park and all had a great time playing.
Ended the day with pizza supper outside along with handmade Frappes. Then inside for an episode of Little House on the Prairie.
I could not ask for a better day. I am so thankful to 3 Very special ladies who made this all possible: Verigene (Delson's Haitian Mommy), Worke (Sitota's mommy who is with our Heavenly Father), and Micah's Ethiopian Mommy (though we do not know her name, she is always in our hearts!). Without the gift they gave me I would not be celebrating this day as a Mother...Thank you is not enough! - Melissa

Imaginary Friends,Identity Crisis',and Talk of Marriage

2010-05-04T20:53:00.002-05:00

I have had several funny conversations with my little ones over the past few days. Here are a few examples:

Librarian to Micah: "What is your name little fella?"
Micah: "Delson!"
Me: "Your name is not Delson!?!"
Micah: "Micah silly..Me Micah!"

Lady in the mall to Delson: "Aren't you handsome. Where are you from?"
Delson: "Ethiopia!"
Me: "No Delson, you were born in Haiti"
Delson: "No...Yeah!"

The kids answers to who they will marry:
Micah: "Emily and Gracie." (looks like we will need to move to a different state!)
Delson: "Sitota" (again, marrying your sister is not allowed in WI!)
Sitota: "I am too young to know that" (PERFECT answer!!!)

Micah also has his first imaginary friend. His name is Mr Grace and he has been hiding in Delson's bed. It was hard to explain to Sitota what an imaginary friend was and that we could not really see him. Mr.Grace joined us for dinner tonight and lucky for us, he does not eat much!! I will do my best to post some pics soon!-Melissa

Surprise, Surprise (aka Will the Changes Ever End)

2010-04-19T20:47:00.003-05:00

It seems as though international adoptions are full of the unexpected even after the kids are home. We have sure had our share of surprises with all our kiddos, mostly involving birth dates. To recap - Micah was issued a bday of Nov 25, 2007 by the Ethiopian government, but we had knowledge and recordings of his actual bday being February 23, 2008 and thus changed it to that at his re-adoption. Sitota was issued a bday of July 12, 2004 and after several medical and dental tests have a more accurate bday of July 12, 2001. We thought that Delson was our one kiddo that we would have no issue with his bday since they have birth certificates in Haiti and that is where the agency would have gotten the info from...or so we thought. Today we got a translated copy of Delson's birth certificate and it actually lists his birth date as February 15, 2006!! Meaning that he just turned 4 (and was actually home with us for his bday!). This means several changes including that he will NOT be able to attend Kindergarten next year. I spoke with his 4K teacher at Head Start tonight and she said that he can attend their program again next year and that may actually be a Great benefit to him. We also found out that we actually passed IBESR(that is what we were waiting to pass for several years before putting the adoption on hold in June 2008)on July 31, 2009! It is totally a God thing though that we were not made aware because otherwise we would likely not have Sitota home with us since we started her adoption in July 2009!What a week of changes and it is only Monday...Melissa

Upward Climb

2010-04-14T11:32:00.003-05:00

I have not posted a real "progress" report for awhile, so here is a little update on how the kiddos (and myself and Scott) are doing:
Sitota got her first report card from school. They no longer do the A,B,C,D,F system any longer it is now a 1,2,3,4 kind of thing with 4 being best and 1 being needing a lot of work. We were very happy that she got some 2s and several 3s. She did have a few 1s, but that is to be expected since she has only been in school about 2 months. Her teachers had nothing but great things to say about her and said that once the language barrier is gone she will SORE. We were very proud. She continues to help around the house to earn her allowance and really enjoys doing it. She has been talking to us a lot about her family in Ethiopia and is very open with us about her feelings. She obviously has a LOVE for them(as do we), but she tells us all the time how much she Loves being here and in our family. Sitota has many friends in the neighborhood now and enjoys getting to go and play with her friends without her brothers tagging along :) Her re-adoption will be coming up soon and we are all excited about that day!
Delson continues to make forward progress. His speech is still pretty poor, but it was recently discovered that he has a Lot of fluid in his ears and this may be affecting his speech and also balance. He is going to see an ear doctor to find out if vents may help. He likes going to school and seems to be picking up on a few new things there, but has a long way to go. His fine motor skills are still very poor as he can not even grasp a pen or crayon. Also can not zip or button, but we are working on it. He is still VERY full of energy, but is sleeping better at night so that is helpful to all of us.
Micah is Micah. He is so funny lately and has been learning SOOOOO much. He recently learned to jump and wants to do that ALL the time. He is also obsessed with going to school and can not wait to join the big kids. He is enjoying going to story time and got to move up to the Big kid class with his other friends. He is eating SOOO much, only problem is that he keeps growing taller while not gaining any weight...tough one when it comes to pants!
Scott and I are doing well. We are preparing to celebrate our 6th wedding anniversary next week and even have a baby sitter so we can go for dinner! We are just starting the planning stages to go on a short term mission trip to Africa in 2012. It is in the very early stages, but we are so excited to have been blessed with this calling! We will be opening the camper up this weekend and will see how that goes with our now family of 5 :) That is about all we are up to...Be Blessed - Melissa

Spring Break Fun

2010-04-07T21:05:00.002-05:00

This week is spring break for the kids and we have been having a Fun filled week so far. Monday was story time at the library and also lots of outdoor fun at the Caters. Monday night Sitota braided my hair...fun, but I can not pull it off as well as her! Tuesday we went to Monkey Joes with Aunt Heidi and the kids. Unfortunately the camera was not working, so I only got one picture. Then we came home and played hide and seek, Simon says and play dough. Today we took the city bus for the first time. The kids have been asking to take the bus since Delson started taking the school bus, so I gathered some other moms and kids and off we went. We rode downtown and took the kids to the coffee shop for smoothies. They had a blast! Then we played more hide and seek, did a little bike riding, and had a play boona(coffee)ceremony. Fun week so far...who knows what the next few days will bring!!

Fun Times! (and Pics!)

2010-03-28T20:28:00.003-05:00

We have been really busy lately.We went to a cultural event at our local library and the kids LOVED it. Micah and Sitota got to wear their Ethiopian outfits and looked so cute. Delson dressed as an American since we have No Haitian outfit :). All the kids loved the food, playing drums and watching the dances. We also got to bring the kiddos down to meet their Great Grandpa for the first time. He was Thrilled to finally meet our latest additions and show them around his nursing home. They loved meeting him and especially seeing the cat and birds they have there. We finally broke down and bought a minivan. Yup...we are one of those people! It is very nice to be able to go as a family of 5 comfortably in one car. Today at church the kiddos got to go upfront and wave their palm branches, they all did a Great job! Here are some pics of the fun times we have been having! Melissa

Luck without a leprechaun

2010-03-17T20:23:00.002-05:00

We have had a very busy week. Monday was Delson's first day of pre-school. He did pretty well, but the true test was Tuesday since that was his first day without me there and his first ride on the bus. He did cry for a bit on the bus, but then had a pretty good day. Today he had a Great day at school and came home excited to show me the contents of his backpack which included a pencil and stickers for St Patricks Day.
The kids and I made a leprechaun trap this weekend and put it out last night, but we had no luck catching one. We did get some gold coins and stickers...oh well, better luck next year :)
We have been enjoying this nice weather and LOVE playing outside. I really will post pictures soon...as soon as my laptop is fixed :) Enjoy - Melissa

Ages and Names and School...Oh My!

2010-03-10T21:19:00.003-06:00

It is only Wednesday, but already has been a busy week. Between the dentist, doctor, school conference and lots of other little errands and updates, I don't know which way is up :) The first update I would like to give is on Sitota's age. We had the hand x-ray done on Monday and the results were in today.....it appears she is about 9 years old! Since we know her b-day is July 12 (the date is not in question, only the year), the doctor has written a letter that concludes that she is currently 8 years,8 months old currently. We have been talking with her about her age and how the picture of her hands would help us to better know how old she is and she seems to get it. She will still remain in her same grade level at school since she has a lot of catch up to still do.
The next update comes with names. As you may recall, I had written a post a little while back regarding Sitota's middle name. She had not liked the original middle name we had chosen and had decided to use my middle name instead. She would never write her full name out using the middle name and just did not really seem attached to it yet. About 2 weeks ago she brought up that she really wanted Sara to be her middle name and proudly writes her entire name all the time now and also writes LOVE after it :) So there you have it official name will be Sitota Sara Troedel. While we are talking names,let's talk about Jean Delson. Most people will read his name as Jean (Gene) and think expect that he is a girl. We ran into this with school, doctor and dentist so far. He is not real attached to using the Jean part of his name and more listens for Delson. We have asked if he would like to be called Delson and he said Wee (AKA Yes). So his name will be officially Delson Scott Troedel.
Sitota had her first parent teacher conference yesterday and the teachers had nothing but good to say about her. They absolutely LOVE her and she loves them as well. She is doing well catching up with reading levels and is working hard on math as well. She will be able to attend summer school as well, which will help her further advance. Delson will be starting the 4 year old program at Head Start next week. I am excited and nervous at the same time...I really think it will be a great way for him to learn and hope that all goes well.
That is all for tonight! Take care...I will post some pics soon!!! Melissa

Growing like Weeds

2010-03-08T21:17:00.003-06:00

Today all 3 kiddos went to the doctor and here is where they are at:
-Micah had his 2 year check-up. He is now 37.5 inches tall(97%), 28lbs.(50%) and his head is still huge :) (97%)! He is doing great and they were really impressed at how much talking he does! They did hear a little mummer on his heart, but may have been caused by his cold but they will keep an eye on it.
-Delson gained 2 pounds this month. He had a HUGE amount of wax in both ears and that may have been affecting his speech and balance issues. They cleaned them out good and we will see if there is a difference. We are going to continue to work on some things with his sleep, but otherwise there are no other changes for him.
-Sitota grew 2.5 inches and gained 10 lbs in 2 months!!! She is now 4'7" and weighs 70 pounds! It has become very evident that we are still off on her age, so to be most accurate we had them do a xray of her hands and that should tell her "true" age. It will be very interesting to find out the results!

Baby talk

2010-03-05T21:37:00.000-06:00

Here was my conversation with Micah today:
Micah:"Micah's mom and dad have baby?"
Me:"haha, ask your dad!"
Micah:"Micah ask Santa!"
Me:"That sounds like a great idea!!"

What's going on???

2010-03-04T21:29:00.002-06:00

I bet you are all wondering what has been happening in the Troedel household lately. I noticed it had been awhile since my last post, so here is a little update on everyone:
Micah - He is doing Wonderful as usual. He has started to really get into tickling lately, he loves to be tickled and to tickle others. Too funny. He also has started singing a lot. He does concerts where he will play the guitar or piano and sing songs for us. His favorites are Twinkle, Twinkle, the ABCs, Baa-Baa and Happy Birthday. He really wants to go to school because Sitota is going and he hears us getting Delson prepared, but I convinced him I will teach him some things while the others are at school and he is happy with that.
Delson- I am not sure if he is calming down slightly or if I am just getting used to the constant movement :). He has found some things that interest him: stickers, blocks, and dress up are is favorites. He really thrives on getting one on one attention and is not too keen on sharing my attention. He LOVES Micah and gives him kisses and hugs all the time. It is so cute. He also loves Sitota, but what he LOVES is to annoy her and knows just how to do it! Just how a little brother should be :). He is going to be starting pre-school in a few weeks and will go 4 half days per week. I think this will really help him with language.
Sitota- She is doing Great. Still a happy girl and so smart. The teachers are always saying how impressed they are with her. We have her first conference at school next week, I am excited for that. She has been ice skating a few times and really likes it. It is fun because she has no fear of falling and does pretty well on skates. She also talks to us a lot about things in Ethiopia and is going to try to teach me how to make Injera. I am excited about that!
Family over all - We had our first post placement visit with the social worker this week. It went well and she is impressed with how far the kids have come in such a short time. We have one more visit in 3 months and then we can finish up both adoptions stateside! Then NO MORE SOCIAL WORKERS!!! YIPPEE :) We also had our first family meeting tonight. We hung up the family rules and also went over some things the kids can do to earn money. They all seem excited to help out and to make some $$! Scott and I are having a date night this weekend and are SUPER excited about that. (Thanks Karen and Kara!!!) Over all we are getting used to the new normal and things are improving!! Here are some pics of dress up time! Enjoy - Melissa

Happy Birthday Baby Boy!

2010-02-23T20:33:00.003-06:00

I can not believe that my baby is 2 already! It seems like just yesterday we were bringing him home and he was a little baby...now he is already like a little man. He has learned So much this year and amazes me everyday. He says over 150 words clearly and also uses 5-6 word sentences regularly. He loves singing and his favorite songs are: ABCs, Itsy Bitsy Spider, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and Old McDonald. He is just amazing. This year has brought about a lot of changes for Micah and he has taken everything with ease. He could have regressed and been jealous of his new siblings coming home, but he was more than happy to share the spotlight that had shone only on him. He chose to instead love them, play with them and even learn a few words in Amharic and Kreyol (which he uses correctly and can tell you what they mean in English as well!). He learned to crawl this year :) that is funny because he walked before he was 1, but never crawled until 18 months. He has a LOVE for Jesus and says his own prayers to Baby Jesus every day(Baby Jesus because Christmas is when his true Love began!). I am so proud of Micah and could not Love him more. God has truly blessed me and I am Lucky to be able to call him my son. Happy 2nd Birthday Micah. I look forward to what this year will hold! Melissa

Crawling in the Right Direction

2010-02-18T21:54:00.002-06:00

I have not talked a lot about all the feelings I have had over the past few weeks with the changes that have come into our lives. I have had a lot of trouble adjusting to our new life's and what has all come about. Things have been so different with Jean Delson's arrival home than with the other kids. When I met Jean Delson in 2007, he was 22 months old and I fell in Love with his smile and loving, caring way about him. Then when we chose to put his adoption on hold I chose to totally remove myself from the Haiti adoptions all together, for me it had to be a clean break. It was so heartbreaking to have to walk away, but it was what was best for everyone at the time.

When we met Micah it was instant love for all of us. He instantly became attached and wanted no one but me or Scott to hold him and care for him. My love for him has only grown stronger with everyday that passes.

The first time I saw Sitota's picture and the video of her crawling from a tube telling us her name and waving it was Love at first sight. Meeting her just made my heart filled with joy and it was like I had found the missing link for our family.

We were just starting to adjust being a family of 4 and we were happy in thinking our family was complete....then we got the news that Jean Delson could come home. All the feelings from our meeting him years ago started to take over...problem was Jean Delson was no longer that 22 month old little lover, he had turned into a 4.5 year old little man who had lived the past four years in an orphanage where he basically ran free. He knew no boundaries, was not used to structure and we had no real way to communicate. There was No instant Love for this child and I began to doubt my ability to parent him. I just did not know how to get through the wall and it was sucking every ounce of my energy and I found myself hating getting up everyday to go through all the struggle. I also found I could not bond with him at all because it felt like I was just taking care of the problem someone else had created. I talked with a lot of people and tried searching for new techniques and answers. I needed to be able to find a way to get through to him for both of our sakes.

This week I have FINALLY made some progress. I found a way of doing time outs to correct bad behaviors that actually works and today we had the first time out free day since he has been home. We had him evaluated for Head Start (preschool) and he should be able to start 4 half days a week soon. I have been able to find several things that he likes to do that actually give me a few minutes of free time during the day. And most importantly...tonight while I was praising him for the great day we had he gave he a hug and I actually started to feel something for the little boy I had fallen in love with years ago. I know that we still have a LONG way to go and there will be steps back along the way, but today was the first day I started to fall back in LOVE and it felt good!!! Melissa

Poopy in the Potty

2010-02-15T20:44:00.001-06:00

Not to get gross on you all, but Micah went poopy in the potty for the first time tonight! He is not even 2!!! He looked a little scared at first, but then we all praised him and he got a special piece of candy. Now he will proudly announce, "Micah go poop on the potty!". Gotta Love that boy!
In other news, Jean Delson was evaluated for Head Start today and they should be accepting him into their 4 year old program soon. He will go Mon-Thurs from 8-12. It will be good for him to get into a real learning environment that can prepare him for school next year. It will also be nice to have a little one on one time with Micah. - Melissa

Snowed In

2010-02-13T20:51:00.003-06:00

It has become increasingly harder to think of things to keep the boys occupied during the day especially with the cold weather. I was talking with my good friend Kara who had some Great ideas that I have been trying. One idea was that since it was too cold to play outside, why not bring the snow inside. What could it hurt, it is only water after all!?!?!?! I went outside and gathered 2 huge bowls of snow and got out plates, spoons, bowls, and lots of other misc utensils. Let's just say that they LOVED it and I got to have 20 minutes to get the dishes done and go through the mail. Here are some pics of the FUN. - Melissa

Going Private

2010-02-08T20:41:00.002-06:00

We got an email from our placing agency for Jean Delson today that was Very disturbing. Someone, we do not know, had apparently read our blog and misinterpreted several things and is trying to cause problems. Fortunately, there was a lot of mis-truth in her email and other things mentioned were already handled by our agency and cleared with USCIS before Jean Delson was issued his humanitarian visa. So that is the short version of why this is private, if you know of someone who would like permission to view this blog, please leave me a comment or shoot me an email! Thanks all - Melissa

First week as Five

2010-02-02T11:02:00.002-06:00

If I had to sum up our first week as a family of five the word would be CHALLENGING! Don't get me wrong, there were some good times too but a lot of the week was spent crying, questioning, and praying. Thankfully we have had the support of a lot of our family and friends, even people at church that we did not know prior to this journey. Jean Delson (we will be calling him Delson as that is what he likes) came home with a few health problems such as a sinus infection and Giardia (which is a parasite). He is on meds now and they seem to be helping. He also has a lot of behavior issues that we are trying to work on. He is literally jumping off the walls all day, pushing over the furniture, running into the doors, throwing everything from toys to chairs and also has decided that he does not want to sleep. We have tried sitting with him by his bed, holding him, singing with him....last night finally after he screamed for 30 minutes with everything we tried we had to rock him and then was able to sneak him in his bed only for him to wake 4 hours later..... Needless to say it has been a struggle.

Sitota continues to do wonderful. She is doing great in school and just seems to do so well to the change. She trys to be very helpful with the boys, although I make sure to let her know that I can/will do the things for them so she does not feel like she has to "mother" them. I want her to have her childhood. She is doing great at learning to read and is speaking a LOT of English now. There are very few things she will not eat, which is nice and she now enjoys taking hot lunch with the other girls. It is fun to hear her talk about her friends :)

Micah is going to be 2 at the end of the month and it shows! He is in to everything! We have resorted to putting locks on the fridge and stove to keep him from going in them constantly. He is testing his boundaries, which is normal. He remains very active and talkative...boy does he talk a lot.

Scott and I are trying to remain strong and support each other. He was recently ill, which proved to be difficult for both of us but lucky it only lasted 2 days. I have a cold and am very tired, but I know that this will pass and things will work out. We are going through a very challenging time, but with the grace of God and the help of family and friends we will make it through and grow stronger! Better run the popcorn is almost gone and I will need to start running around again...I really enjoyed this 10 minutes of rest :)Melissa

0-3 in 13 months...how that happens...

2010-01-29T21:07:00.002-06:00

Our journey to family definitely had a lot of twists and turns. It is also a hard story to explain to people unless they have about 4 hours of free time (which I know I DON'T). Anyhow, my brother sent out the following email as a plea to people in his computer group and I thought he did a better job explaining our journey than I could. Thanks Chris for letting me post your words!
"I apologize for taking this platform off-topic, but I have a personal story and plea that I want to share... Several years ago, my sister and her husband found out that they couldn't have biological children of their own. After searching their hearts, they decided that international adoption was the best choice for them. In 2006, they found an agency and they began to pursue the adoption of a Haitian infant, a young boy named Jean Delson. Unfortunately the Haitian adoption process is slow moving and the rules were quite volatile. For every one step forward it seemed they took two steps backward. Throughout the long process, they kept in contact with the orphanage in Haiti. They sent clothes, toys, birthday gifts... they even visited Haiti in April of 2007. Soon 2007 became 2008, and the process ground to a halt. Haiti had put a new rule in place, they wanted all adoptive families to be married for 10 years, and it would be years before my sister and her husband could meet that requirement. After much praying and soul searching, in July of 2008 they made the hardest choice of their lives, they chose to terminate their contract with the adoption agency, opening up the possibility that some other family could adopt Jean Delson. Without that chance, Jean Delson would definitely be stuck in an orphanage for years and years, but now he had a chance at another family taking him in. Shortly after, through a different agency my sister and her husband were matched with an Ethiopian infant named Micah, and in December of 2008 they already had Micah home. In 2009, they decided their family wasn't yet complete and they decided to adopt an Ethiopian girl named Sitota. They arrived back in the US with her on January 3, 2010. Then the earthquake hit Haiti. My sister, her husband, and our whole family scrambled for information on what happened to Jean Delson and the other children and staff at the orphanage. Eventually news trickled out that they all survived, but Haiti was in bad shape. Then on Thursday January 21, not even three weeks after getting Sitota home, the original adoption agency called my sister and her husband. You see, nobody else had ever been matched with Jean Delson. The Haitian government had cleared the way, allowing the children with in progress adoptions out of Haiti. All the red tape had been cut. Technically my sister and her husband were still matched with Jean Delson, just waiting for their marriage to hit the 10 year mark. The catch was, they were Jean Delson's only hope, and the agency only had hours to wait for an answer. Would they like to adopt Jean Delson and bring him out of Haiti? Now, my sister and her husband were not prepared for this at all. They hadn't heard anything on their case in over a year and a half, and they had just brought home Sitota weeks ago. They didn't have a bed, clothes, toys, or even a vehicle big enough for three children and two adults. They were strained financially from the adoption of Sitota and getting the things she needed. Yet, how could they say no? For years they've held Jean Delson in their hearts, loving him. They had made a huge sacrifice in 2008 by giving him a chance with another family, hopefully not having to wait for years and years until the Haitian government would approve their adoption. But he hadn't been, and now they faced this decision. It was a crazy situation - going from the parents of one child to the parents of three in the course of 3 weeks, but what else could they do? They said yes. Yesterday, Jean Delson arrived in the US. Late last night, the US government released him to my brother-in-law Scott. He's now on his way back to Oshkosh, and should be here this afternoon. However, and this is why I'm sending this email, not all of the kids in Haiti are this lucky. I think it was nineteen of the kids in the orphanage that made it out of Haiti. Five had to be left behind because they hadn't been matched with an adoptive family prior to the earthquake or otherwise didn't meet the requirements. My sister and her husband had been, and also had photographic proof of having visited Jean Delson prior to the earthquake (a requirement being imposed under this new emergency adoption process). There are other parents in the US who had been working on international adoptions, who have been approved by social workers in the US to adopt a child, yet they don't meet the requirements of this emergency process. These five children are all that are left at this orphanage. The orphanage is closing because they don't have enough children to justify staying open, and the infrastructure in Haiti is gone, they couldn't stay open if they wanted to. They don't know what they are going to do with these children. And these children aren't alone. The same story is being repeated through many other US adoption agencies and many other Haitian orphanages. There are families here approved to adopt, yet they can't adopt *these* children. And there are tens of thousands of orphans in Haiti, many of whom aren't even in orphanages, much less reputable orphanages that have a long-standing relationships with US adoption agencies. I understand why the international community is hesitant to just hand these kids out. I'm sure there are people that have less than good intent in their desire to adopt a Haitian child. However, I think the US government has the power and resources to investigate any of these other families and determine that they aren't a danger now to these children. I'm sure they also have the resources to follow-up on these placements and make sure that the children are being treated well. I urge you to contact your representatives in Congress to let them know that we need to do more for these children. I'm not advocating giving out children to anyone who asks, but I am advocating giving out children to families who have been approved to adopt a child and who want to provide a safe and loving home to the Haitian orphans. I'm advocating using the power and resources of our government to make sure that these placements meet those requirements. I'm advocating that this happen now, before more of these children die from disease, hunger, or one of the countless other dangers facing them in the post-earthquake devastated Haiti. I'll step off my soapbox now. If you want to read a happy story, check out my sister's blog of this process going back all the way to 2007: http://itbringsmegreatjoy.blogspot.com/ However, we all need to act, take a few minutes to fire off an email or give a call to our representatives in Congress. The news media likes to cover these happy homecoming stories, but they aren't telling you about the children being left behind due to bureaucratic technicalities. Thanks for reading. Chris Meyer"

In Daddy's Arms

2010-01-25T22:23:00.003-06:00

Jean Delson is in Scott's arms after a long day in FL....They should fly home tomorrow!!!! Praise God!!!

Editing

2010-01-23T12:34:00.002-06:00

Due to the fragile state of our adoption cases, I am going to hold off posting anything further until our family is home and complete. If you would like to follow our journey you can follow us on facebook. Leave me a comment if I need to friend you on there :) see you all soon. Melissa

How old are you??

2010-01-20T21:08:00.004-06:00

One big question we have gotten is how old is Sitota....Good question! Since there were no actual records of when she was born, it is mostly a guessing game. Her Ethiopia birth certificate lists her birth date as July 12, 2002...that would make her 5.5 years old, Way off!! Her brother told us she was born in 1996 (that is according to the calendar used in Ethiopia), so that would be 2003, here..making her 6, Still off! The doctor thinks her birth date would be more accurate at July 12, 2002..making her 7.5 years old, Getting Closer! The dentist said that looking at her teeth, those that are in, loose, and coming in he would say she is 8.5-9 years old...most accurate. So what will we do????? We are going with the doctors estimate of July 12, 2002. This makes her 7.5 years old and puts her in 2nd grade. We realize that we may be off by a year or two, but this is what makes the most sense. So there you have it...the long answer to a short question!! Melissa

This pet can swim

2010-01-19T20:58:00.002-06:00

The title of this post is a sentence that Sitota read to me today after school. Her ELL teacher had sent home a book that they have been working on reading and Sitota was so excited to read the sentence to me. She amazes me every day! I love my kids!!!! Melissa

School Days

2010-01-18T20:19:00.003-06:00

Today was Sitota's first day at school. She is going to be in 2nd grade, but will spend much of her time with her ELL teacher for the first few months. I got a chance to talk with her class today and let me tell you, these are a Great group of kids! They were all so sweet to her and so excited to have her in class. I talked with them a little about Ethiopia and answered a few questions they had. Her teacher is also great and was so well prepared for her to come. Her entire class had learned how to say hello and goodbye in Amharic...CUTE! Her ELL teacher said that she had a really good day, she did have one episode of crying while they were going through a number chart but the teacher thought it was because they had been doing so much. She took a break and walked with her around the school and she was back to her smiling self in a matter of minutes. Sitota told me she had new friends (though she could not remember their names, except for Katie!) and she was so proud of how her teacher said "Very Good Sitota" when they were playing ball. Her teacher asked me if she had played any basketball in Ethiopia because she was making a lot of baskets during PhyEd. Over all a Great day for her and she is looking forward to school tomorrow. On another note, Micah asked to go on the potty today and he went pee-pee!!! He then got a special piece of candy and was so excited to call daddy to tell him! What a super day!!! Here are some pics of Sitota in her first day of school outfit she picked out :) Melissa

Tooth Fairy

2010-01-17T20:20:00.002-06:00

Yesterday our little girl lost her first tooth...well, not really her first one but the first one since being home. She has had 3 loose teeth since we were in Ethiopia, but this was the first one to fall out. It was so much fun to finally have a chance to "play" tooth fairy and she was SOOOO happy with the dollar that was in her little tooth holder in place of her tooth!

Tomorrow will be another BIG event, First day of school! She is pretty excited and keeps telling us she is going to high school...we just agree (whatever it takes)! I think it is because of her High School Musical shirt :) Don't worry, pictures will be taken and posted!!! Melissa

Week in Review

2010-01-15T20:42:00.003-06:00

We had a busy week again. Scott went back to work on Tuesday, so I got to have the whole day alone with the kids for the first time. Everything went well, even better than I expected. We tried out the Easy bake oven and let me tell you, there was NOTHING easy about it! After 33 minutes and 13 dishes, we got to enjoy 3 very small (not so good tasting) pretzels. On Wednesday we had picture day. I wanted to get the kids pictures done together, but for some reason Micah was not at all interested. Luckily Sitota was more than interested in having her picture taken. The biggest problem I had with her was trying to pick which pose to use, since they were all so good! Thursday we decided to meet my parents in FondDuLac to do a little shopping for the little Diva. She got the rest of the things she needed for school and Micah got to have some fun playing with grandpa on the rides in the mall. Then we were off to McDonalds for Sitota's first visit to the playland...she LOVED it :) We also had time to visit dad at work so he could show off his precious little ones! Friday was eye doctor day for Sitota. When we went for her doctor appointment last week they mentioned that we may want to have her eyes looked at because she did not do well on the little eye exam. Well, it was a good thing we brought her in because she is very far-sighted. The doctor said that it is a rather substantial prescription and she will really benefit from her glasses. She did enjoy picking out her frames, though I had to talk her out of the bright pink ones...don't think dad would like those! She is so cute in them and gave me a big kiss and told me she loved me when she put them on! She is doing so great, it is amazing. She has several words she can spell now including: Stop, Go, Dog, Cat, Dollar, Mom, Dad, and Troedel! Everyday she is doing new things and it is just awesome to watch her thrive! We have a busy weekend again with family. Enjoy the pics - Melissa

In the Middle

2010-01-14T20:11:00.002-06:00

When we decided to adopt Sitota we knew that we would keep her birth name for her. We had discussed what middle name we would give her and had decided on Eden....until she came home! She definitely has opinions on things and knows what she likes and what she doesn't like and she does not like the middle name Eden! So, over the last few days we have been trying out a bunch of different names and of course having fun with it by using things like Sitota Elephant Troedel! She had a few names she liked, mostly names of the friends she has made in the US. Today she decided on her new middle name..Mommy's middle name!! So, the official name will be Sitota Lynn Troedel!! I guess we will have to save Eden for our next girl :) Just kidding, Scott!!- Melissa

NOT by the book!

2010-01-09T09:06:00.003-06:00

While we were preparing for our adoptions we attended many classes and read many books on what to expect when adopting. We read books on attachment, adjustment, bonding, older child adoption, etc. We were told that bringing home an older child would come along with many issues we did not have with Micah. We spent months preparing for grieving, tantrums, crying, night terrors, etc. I thought we were prepared for anything.....but what we were not prepared for was for everything to go GREAT. Sitota has been doing so well. She smiles all the time, loves playing with Micah and all the other kiddos, did wonderful at the doctor and dentist, had a good time visiting her school and meeting her teacher. She gives us hugs and kisses and runs to us every morning with a HUGE smile on her face. She is eating well, but not over eating or hoarding. We are so truly blessed...everyday we see her grow more and more comfortable with us. I am not saying we will not have any "issues", but our first week home has been very joyful and for that we are blessed!!!!! Here are a few pics of the kids at grandmas and at home! Melissa

Happy, Healthy Little Girl!

2010-01-06T21:06:00.003-06:00

Today we went for Sitota's first doctor visit and learned that we have a healthy little girl. We had many things to go over with the doctor, including discussing her age. Ethiopia issued her a birth date of 7/12/2004...that would make her 5.5 years old, Yeah right :) Anyhow, after a lot of discussion with our family doctor (who has a lot of experience with international adoption) we have decided to change her birth date to 7/12/2002 when we do her re-adoption in 6 months. This makes her 7.5 years old (which is also closer to what her brother told us her age was when we met him in ET). She weighed 59 pounds and is 4ft 4ins tall. She had 4 shots today, as we try to catch her up on some vaccines. She took them like a pro and was bent over laughing after them because her legs are so ticklish...Too Cute. She was really happy because after she was done they let her pick a sticker and pencil :)
Tomorrow we go and visit her school, where she will start on Jan 18th. She works on "lessons" everyday, because that is what she wants to do. It is really great to watch her so eager to learn. She is really excited about starting school, this is one of the things her brother kept reminding her she would get to do when she came to America. She will be in 2nd grade, but will spend most of her time with her ELL teacher for now.
Micah is doing great and LOVES playing with Sitota. He will walk up to her and give her big hugs and she smiles and hugs him right back. When he woke up from his nap today he wanted to know where "Sit" was. They get along great and you can see their bond grow stronger everyday.
I am amazed at how well everything is going, we are so truly blessed. Sitota is such a strong, beautiful, happy girl and really is the perfect fit for our family. We are a Happy Family!!
I PROMISE TO POST PICTURES AND TRIP DETAILS SOON...this week is REALLY busy :) Melissa

HOME AT LAST...Family of Four!!

2010-01-04T12:12:00.002-06:00

Good Morning Everyone. We made it home safely last night and are getting adjusted to our new life as a family of four. Our journey to Ethiopia was incredible and everything went so well...we are so truly blessed! I will post more later on our trip and also post some pictures. Sorry for the quick post, but I promise to get more out later! Love to all - Melissa

The Journey Home...

2010-01-03T17:51:00.006-06:00

Hi Everybody, Micah here, signing in for the last time because Mommy, Daddy and Sitota are almost here! We just ate dinner and I got dressed to go to the airport. Mommy just called to say that they are safely in Detroit, so only 2 more hours until they are here, woohoo!

Thanks for letting me blog while Mommy was away, and, who knows, maybe I might sneak one in some time ;-)

Lots of hugs and love,

Micah

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T20:40:00.013-06:00

Hi Everybody, Micah here. Happy 2010 to you all. I know it's going to be a great year...my big sister will be coming home in only 2 more days (along with my Mommy and Daddy, who, you know, I miss a lot ;-) !

Today my friends joined the YMCA so we went and climbed in the play area (I was a little too small, but lots of kids were willing to help me). Then, we went and played on the REALLY big soccer field; only a couple of kids were out there so we were able to run around like crazy. Before supper, we all played Playdoh and then I had one of my favorites for dinner - lasagna, mmmm. Kris was quite impressed with how well I can say that word. As you can see, I love eating all by myself.

I was tired tonight but I wanted a picture of me in my big boy room!

Lots of love and catch you all later,

Micah

A Little Taste of Home and Noodles

2009-12-31T07:33:00.002-06:00

Hi Everybody, Micah here. Yesterday was such a busy day! My Grandma and Bubba came from Sheboygan and took me out for lunch and shopping after my nap; I had a great time, and couldn't stop talking about them. I really missed them, because last night was the first night I didn't sleep through the night - too busy rehashing the day's events! Last night I gobbled up my meal of spaghetti and meatballs...as you can see, I can do it all by myself. Had a bath and then I didn't even want to finish watching Elmo (!!!), just wanted to sleep.

I'm still doing great, but I can't wait until they all get home, because I really miss my Mommy, Daddy and big sister. Sunday is almost here!

Lots of love on this last day of 2009 and catch you later,

Micah

Eat, Play, Sleep, Repeat

2009-12-28T20:25:00.007-06:00

Hi Everybody, Micah here. Yesterday was pretty uneventful, so I decided to take a day off from blogging. Well, we are on day 4 and I'm still doing great! Less than a week until Mommy, Daddy and Sit(ota) come home. I can't wait, and that reminds me that I need to start working on my surprise for them. I was very excited to hear that Mommy and Daddy sent an email to say that they are there safely and enjoying their time with Sitota.

I am having a great time. This morning, my "first" breakfast consisted of three waffles, among other things. I love saying waffles over and over again for Kris. I've been running around like crazy and taking 2 1/2 hour naps. I would sleep longer but Kris keeps waking me up because she says she wants me to get a good night's sleep. That hasn't been a problem either! I can't wait to tell Mommy and Daddy what a big boy I am! I no longer what to be held or rocked when I go to bed. I just say "sleep", crawl into bed, and fall right asleep (ok, I do like it when Kris rubs my back and my temple, just like Mommy told her to do)!

Hope you all are enjoying these last days of 2009. Lots of love and catch you all tomorrow,

Micah

Bouncing off the Walls

2009-12-26T20:16:00.009-06:00

Hi Everybody, Micah here. Day 2 away from Mommy and Daddy and doing great! Got back from my trip to Sheboygan, and I was so tired that I quickly wrote this information down so Kris could post it tonight.

I had a nice time meeting my friends' family. Because of all of the rain, we couldn't go for the horse-drawn sleigh ride, but we did go jump in a bouncy castle. I might have cried when I first saw it, but, needless to say, I overcame my fear and would still be jumping if they would have let me! After, we got to feed the pygmy goats, pot-bellied pigs and the llama (they would grab my ice cream cones filled with food right out of my gloves...whole!).

I hope all of you had a great Christmas. Lots of love and catch you all tomorrow,

Micah

Merry Christmas from Micah

2009-12-26T09:20:00.002-06:00

Hi Everyone - Micah here. As all of you probably know, my Mommy and Daddy are on their way to Ethiopia to get my big sister Sitota! I am very excited, and, of course, I miss them very much. I will be updating you all later today, but for now I'm in Sheboygan at my friends' Grandma and Grandpa's house. We decided to all come yesterday for Christmas and sleep over. Mommy and Daddy would be SO proud of me; I went to bed at 8 o'clock last night and woke up at 7 this morning -- I'm such a big boy, hehe!

Lots of love and catch you all later!

Micah

P.S. Lucky for Mommy and Daddy, they were already in Detroit and it was not their plane that had the little "incident" yesterday.

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-24T21:02:00.002-06:00

In less than 12 hours we will be leaving for the airport to fly to Ethiopia and bring home our daughter. I am still in amazement at how this has all come together. Last year at this time I would have never thought I would be flying back to Ethiopia so soon to add to our family! Amazing!! We want to wish you and yours a Very Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year! See you in 2010, when we return as a family of 4! Melissa

Ready, Set, Go

2009-12-21T11:53:00.002-06:00

Last week is kind of a blur. We spent everyday rushing to get things done so we can be ready for our trip. Spent lots of time on the phone with the travel agent, who was finally able to get us flights...but we have to leave on Christmas Day! Set up all the arrangements for the sitters (Micah and Pepe'). Called the National Visa Center several times to try to verify Sitota's Visa 37 had the correct information on it...the list goes on and on. The good news is that the list is much shorter for this week, good thing because we are leaving in 4 days!!! We also had time to get together with family this past weekend to celebrate an early Christmas. Was great to see everyone. Micah is very into opening presents this year and LOVED all his new toys :). Have a blessed Christmas and Very Happy New Year blog friends!! Melissa

Expect the Unexpected

2009-12-14T20:04:00.002-06:00

If there is one thing we have learned throughout these adoption journeys, it is to never plan on anything. Today, for example, we got an email saying that all of our documents are filed with the Embassy and they issued us an embassy date of December 31st!!! That is 2 weeks earlier than we thought we would be leaving. We are excited, but now we have to put everything into high gear. Calling airlines, getting the sitter lined up (for Micah and Pepe'), canceling Christmas at our house (since we won't be here that day!)...the list goes on and on. We are so excited to go and get our little princess!!! Melissa

Our Daughter (take 2!)

2009-12-10T11:15:00.004-06:00

We got word today that we DID pass court in Ethiopia!!! We will travel soon to go and bring our little girl home. Here is a picture of Sitota Eden Troedel to bring a smile to your face!!! Melissa

Has it really been a year already????

2009-12-09T20:18:00.003-06:00

Today we celebrate Micah's 1 year famiversary!!! For those of you who are not familiar with that adoption term, it means that one year ago today is the first time our baby boy was placed in our arms. I can not believe that it has been a year...where did the time go?!?!?! Our baby boy has grown into a little man already. When we first saw him he could barely sit up by himself, had not had anything to eat other than formula, had no teeth and only said Ba-ba. Now he runs circles around us, eats us out of house and home, still a little slow on the teeth thing but is only missing 4, and says over 127 words!!!

We had a wonderful family day together, thanks to Scott getting a snow day! We started by heading outside in the snow and "helping" dad clear off the 9.5 inches of snow. After playing outside for awhile, we headed in to decorate our Famiversary cookies...YUMMY! The afternoon had more time for outside fun...this time mommy got to pull Micah around on his sled, LOVED IT! We had pizza for lunch per Micah's request and he wanted to go to 'Donalds for a hamburger and apples for dinner. Here is a pic from our first meeting and also some from today! Enjoy - Melissa

First Snow Fun

2009-12-07T20:20:00.004-06:00

Today we woke up to a blanket of white snow on the ground. Micah was too little last year to get out and enjoy the snow, but he was so wanting to get outside today. This afternoon, armed with boots and snow pants, we headed to his friends Emily and Grace to enjoy some fun in the snow. He was so cute trying to walk straight in his boots and bulky pants. He has been obsessed with lawnmowers all summer, and the snow did not stop him. He got out the mower and mowed his way through the snow.

After playing outside we went in for cookies and hot cocoa. This was his first taste of hot cocoa and to make it more special he drank it from his first attempt at a big boy cup. He LOVED the cocoa and did not let a drop fall. He was so proud! I am usually not a snow person, but I could not help but have a good time playing with my baby boy!!

Santa Land!

2009-12-06T21:08:00.003-06:00

All Micah has talked about lately is Santa. I had been planning on bringing him by my parents today to go to Santa Land, where I used to visit Santa when I was little! In anticipation of the Big visit, Micah drew him a picture and was practicing his smiles and what he would say to Santa. He had me write down what he wanted from Santa : Pizza, Pans and Glue ( for crafts, not eating or sniffing or whatever those naughty kids do with it!!!).

So today we headed down, letter in one hand and camera in the other. He liked looking at Santa's Elk (aka reindeer), the worker elf's, and loved talking with Bruce the Spruce the talking Christmas tree. We stood in line for about 35 minutes and then it was finally Micah's turn....he got one look at Santa and started screaming, crying and clinging to me yelling "ALL DONE!". When Santa would ask him a question he would answer in between crying...managed to get a picture of me on Santa's lap and Micah on my lap saying "Cheese" in between crys :) When he was asked if he liked seeing Santa he said..."YEAH!". That says it all!! Enjoy these pictures of pre-Santa sighting! Melissa

Journey to Bethlehem

2009-12-05T20:29:00.004-06:00

We had a fun family night tonight. We started by going to see a live nativity at one of the local churches. The program was called: Journey to Bethlehem. You were led on a guided tour leading to Bethlehem. On the way we met the Angel, the Wise men and Shepherds. We then went through the village where the people offered us bread, fruit and drink. We watched the people of the village make candles, bake bread, spin on the pottery wheel, and do needlework. We were included in the census and there was no room in the inn, so we were led to the stable where we were able to meet Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus. Micah LOVED it, he kept saying, "Baby Jesus!". After the journey, we went to a local pizza place. Our credit union gave us free coupon, can't beat that. We ended the night with a drive around town looking at lights. Micah loves when we can find a Santa. Enjoy the pictures of our journey to baby Jesus. - Melissa

More of the Photo Shoot!

2009-12-02T21:02:00.002-06:00

Photo Shoots

2009-12-02T20:54:00.003-06:00

Recently Micah has become obsessed with pictures. He does funny smiles and says cheese whenever he sees a camera. He also likes to take pictures and I must admit, this kid has talent! Below are some he took over the last few days, as well as a few cute ones of the little man :) Enjoy - Melissa

Comfort in Numbers

2009-11-18T20:11:00.002-06:00

While we are still trying to wrap our heads and hearts around the news about Sitota's adoption, we are finding that we are NOT alone in this journey. We have found so much support and love from family and friends, even those people we have never actually met! It is amazing to have such support and we are truly blessed! We also recently learned there is another family in the area going through the same situation...and they are not even using the same agency! They were told they passed court on November 2nd, only to find out on the 11th that they had not passed and instead had a new court date of December 1st. They too are waiting on paperwork from MOWA (the department that oversees adoptions in Ethiopia). There are several people from their agency in the same situation. Though I am sadden to see anyone go through this, it does kind of give me some comfort that we are not alone...also renewed hope in our agency, since this problem is not with them and instead is something out of their control. So, we wait...and pray that all goes well on December 10th and our princess is in our arms FOREVER soon!!! Melissa

Meet Our Princess!!!(revised 11/16/2009)

2009-11-12T11:28:00.004-06:00

Today we got a upsetting call from our agency. It appears that Sitota did NOT pass court last week as they had thought. They got word today that they are still waiting on something from MOWA and we have now been issued a new court date of December 10th. This means we will not be traveling for an Embassy date of December 17th and it is very likely that we will not get to travel until mid-January to bring her home. We are still processing all of our thoughts, but needless to say we are frustrated, confused, disappointed, sad, scared....yet we are also HOPEFUL!!! Pray for things to go well on the 10th!!! Melissa

PINK

2009-11-10T11:30:00.003-06:00

One of the best things about adoption are the wonderful families you meet along the way. There were several BFAS families that recently traveled to be united with their kiddos and they were kind enough to LOVE on Sitota for us. They brought her care packages and got us some GREAT pictures. She looks so HAPPY, I can not wait to bring her home!! She told one of the families that her favorite color is pink...AWESOME!! We are told that she is a very loving and happy little girl. From the pictures that we have seen, that seems to be an accurate description!
We have been talking to Micah a lot about Sitota and how he is now a little brother. He loves to go in her room and makes sure her Barbies have cute dresses on and shoes...they MUST have shoes. He said that he wants to cook pizza and pancakes with her :)
It will be amazing to watch their relationship grow! Melissa

We passed....well sort of

2009-11-07T10:29:00.001-06:00

We had court in Ethiopia for Sitota yesterday and our agency called to tell us we did pass. However, there was an error in our paperwork, so they will not issue our adoption decree until next week when the corrected paperwork is handed in. This means that our adoption DID go through and we are now the parents of a little Ethiopian princess...but, you will have to wait to see any pictures of her until we get the adoption decree :) So hold tight for another week and then I promise we will post TONS of pics of our beautiful little girl. This also means that we now know our travel dates: We will travel December 12-19 and have her embassy appointment on December 17th! Another GREAT Christmas present!!!! Melissa

We have a Date!!!

2009-10-22T11:00:00.001-05:00

We received our court date today...NOVEMBER 6th!!! That's right, 2 weeks away!!! We will keep you posted as to when our embassy date will be :) Melissa

Fall Fun!

2009-10-19T11:15:00.003-05:00

This weekend we got to enjoy some family time at a cute little area farm. We went to a place called Glacier Ridge and they have many exotic animals. When you pay your admission, which was next to nothing, you get loaves of bread to feed the animals along the way. Included in the animals we met and fed were: camels, horses, elk, cattle, bison and an ostrich. At the end of the trail they had a pumpkin patch and Micah loved walking through the pumpkins to pick the perfect one. It was a Great way to spend a beautiful fall day!!

Potty Story

2009-10-15T20:27:00.003-05:00

Micah has been spending a lot of time with his little friend Emily ( of Em-ma-nee,if you ask Micah). Anyhow, she is older and is potty trained. He has seen her using the big potty and has become obsessed with talking about pottys and "poop". Today I had to use the potty and he said that he wanted to poop and brought me his potty chair. He had already pooped for the morning, but I thought why not let him sit there :) Well, my little man actually went pee-pee on the potty!! I know that it was just a fluke...but it was still too cute not to tell! I will post some updated pictures soon, although probably not on the potty!! Melissa

This week...

2009-10-11T21:26:00.001-05:00

Well, the courts in Ethiopia will re-open tomorrow. This means we should hear of our court date soon! YIPPEE!!!
Also, Micah moved into his big boy bed this week. It is a train bed that he got from his cousin, RJ. We are praying this helps with his sleep issues, figure it can't make it any worse! I will keep you posted and also post some pics of him in his new bed soon!!! Melissa

Still Waiting...

2009-09-30T21:02:00.001-05:00

Wanted to update everyone on where we are with Sitota's adoption. We have all our paperwork in Ethiopia and have been filed for court. This is GREAT news!! The bad news is that the courts have decided to remain closed until October 13th. This means that we will not hear anything about when our court hearing will be until after the 13th. The court dates are expected to be about 4-8 weeks out when they do start issuing them. That would have us traveling in December or early January to bring home our Princess! Please pray for a speeding and successful court date!!! Melissa

SIX

2009-09-28T21:32:00.002-05:00

Most brilliant child ever!!

"She is very sweet...."

2009-09-18T10:06:00.002-05:00

We got the most wonderful new pictures of Sitota last night from a family that just got back from picking up their new little bundle of joy. She also said the following about her time with Sitota:
"She is very sweet. I was blowing bubbles with the kids and holding the wand so they could blow. So it was really hard to get them to take turns and she was helping me by pointing out who was next and was telling me their name and then telling the others to wait. She's very happy and wanted to show me her High School Musical shirt. I would point to a child and try to remember their name and she would giggle and tell me the right name. I'm glad you're close to being filed for court. She will be very excited to come home."
I can not wait to go and bring our little girl home!!!!!! Melissa

On the Way

2009-09-16T21:26:00.002-05:00

We got word today from BFAS that our updated home study is officially on its way to Ethiopia as of yesterday!! Yippee. That is the last document that was needed to file us for court. There is still some confusion as to when the courts are going to re-open...they either opened yesterday or are going to open on October 6th. The office in MN is waiting to hear back from the staff in ET as to when the courts are open. What we do know is that we are one HUGE step closer to bringing home our little princess!! We have gotten some GREAT pictures recently from families that have traveled and are going to be getting more soon!!! YEAH!!! Melissa

Our Forever Family T-shirt design!

2009-09-16T12:29:00.001-05:00

Happy Day

2009-09-11T11:56:00.003-05:00

Today is a very special day in the Troedel house. It is Scott's 35th birthday...that's right, he is half way to 70 :) It also happens to be Ethiopian New Year, so it is now the year 2002! The Ethiopian calendar is based on the beliefs of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and therefore differs from the calendar used in western countries (such as the U.S.). A notable difference is that the Ethiopian calendar is approximately seven years and eight months behind the western calendar - January 1 according to the Ethiopian calendar falls on our September 11. So if we lived in Ethiopia Scott would only be 28 today :). Micah surprised Scott by learning to say Happy Day Da-da and also made him a special present (something he has worked on for 3 weeks now!). Micah also wanted to buy his daddy a pizza for his birthday (it is Micah's favorite thing), but I talked him into getting him Dots instead. He also got a new netbook! Happy Birthday Luvey!!! Melissa

Email that changed our lives!

2009-09-08T11:11:00.002-05:00

It was one year ago today that we received the email that would change our lives forever. It was our referral for Muse (Micah)! It was LOVE at first sight! Who would have thought that just 3 months later we would hold our son for the first time. What a year this has been...who could ask for anything more?!!??! Melissa

First day on the job

2009-08-31T21:05:00.002-05:00

Today Micah started his first job (with a little help from Mom!). He let's out Lewy, the neighbor dog, while his owners are back to work. Micah carrys the poop bag and I walk Lewy. We walk Lewy around our neighborhood and after he does his deed, we take him home. Micah then throws Lewy a treat and takes the poo to the trash. He was very proud of his job and clapped when he was done. I asked him if he likes his new job and he said "Yeah". Here are some pics! Melissa

The stats are in!!

2009-08-28T11:25:00.002-05:00

Micah had his 18 month wellness visit yesterday and the doctor was Very impressed with all the progress he has made over his 8 months home with us. He now weighs 24 pounds (40th%), height is 34.25 inches (95th%), and head size is the 97th%!! He asked if Micah is saying at least 8-10 words...try about 26 words!! That is how many Scott and I could come up with, I am sure there are more since he adds more everyday :). He is also putting words together like, "Da-da Banana" and "Cloth Please". He LOVES playing with his doll, Joe. Here are some pictures of his play time the other day...note that the one where he is holding Joe over his head looks like he is going to throw him, but he is actually trying to get him on the firetruck so they can ride together!
Have a great weekend!! Melissa

Can you help???

2009-08-21T11:42:00.002-05:00

We are trying to raise enough money to purchase 6 mattresses for the care center before we travel in November/December. They currently have only 1 twin size mattress and 5 cribs for all the kiddos to share. Being that they average around 25 kids, you can see where this would not be enough space. It will cost about $80 per mattress and we are trying to raise enough to buy 6. We will take the $ with us when we go and will personally go and purchase the mattresses and post pictures here so you can all see how much you helped. All donations are tax deductible and our agency would send you a receipt for taxes. Please post me a comment with your email address if you are able to help and I will send you further information. If you are not able to give a monetary donation, please help us by praying we are able to meet our goal. Thank you!! Have a Great weekend!! Melissa

A few words and a few Pictures!!

2009-08-17T10:32:00.003-05:00

Thank you to all who have commented expressing your support of our journey to bring our daughter home. You all mean so much to us and we look forward to sharing our journeys with you all. We found out the courts in Ethiopia are only going to close for 2 weeks this year instead of 6, this is Very good news as that means we can be filed for a court date sooner!!! We got our appointments for getting our finger prints done for USCIS and this will take place on September 9th!!

Micah is doing Great. He is talking SOOOOO much now. His favorite words are: cheese, truck, bye, please, basketball, thank you, welcome, dada, mama, and of course Elmo. He also knows lots of animal sounds: duck, cat, dog, cow, sheep, monkey, elephant, and snake. Here are some pictures from the past few weeks. Enjoy!! Melissa

Cake walk??? Uh, NO!

2009-07-29T10:28:00.002-05:00

Since we have started telling people of our referral for "S" we have gotten very mixed responses. It is funny how everyone was so happy and excited when we got the referral for Micah. not sure the difference, maybe because he was a baby?!?!? Many people are saying we are CRAZY for wanting to adopt a child "that old", we will have nothing but problems, and those who think that it will be great to have a "little helper". We are not choosing to adopt "S" because we think it is going to be easy to bring home an older child or because we think she is going to be a helper with Micah. We do know that we will possibly have many challenges with her and are trying to prepare for how we will handle the language barrier, the grief she may have regarding the death of her mother and the loss of her home land, the attachment issues we may have, schooling, Micah's adjustment to a big sister, the list goes on and on. Those who have adopted in the past know all to well that you can never be 100% prepared for the challenges you may have because no child goes "by the book". We have taken class after class (mostly because they were required!) about all the things that can go wrong and how to handle the situations as they arise. We were extremely blessed that Micah adapted so well and other than a few minor issues, we had what would appear to be the PERFECT match...
When we were in Ethiopia to get Micah we spent a lot of time in the baby room at the orphanage he was in. It is soooo easy to fall in love with each and every one of those little cuties, but we both said that we know that they will all have families, after all there is a waiting list up to 2 years long for the infants. The kids we were drawn to were the older children, the ones that we were all taking Cute pictures of...and then leaving there in the courtyard. I knew then already that we would bring home an older child someday. I did not know who or when or what age, but I knew that God was placing this mission in my heart and I would follow.
What we are confident about is that God has chosen this journey for us and He will get us through. We also know that now more than ever we (Myself, Scott, Micah, and "S") NEED the love and support of our family and friends....I pray that we have that!!!
Next time new pictures of Micah ( I promise!! Today I just needed to vent). Melissa

It's a Girl!!!

2009-07-22T21:15:00.002-05:00

Today we had our home visit for our update to the home study. We talked with our social worker about the possibility of adopting a older girl from Ethiopia. We were made aware of a little girl (5-7 years of age) that was available for adoption. We had been aware of her for a week now and had prayed about her and knew she was meant to be our daughter. He agreed to approve us for her and we called BFAS right away. Agitu is now sending us our official referral letter and then we will have to wait for our home study update to get to them and for USCIS approval and then we can be filed for court!! I can not post pics until after we pass court, but she is beautiful!!! More updates soon!! Melissa