Hmmm...

I was in the kitchen this morning doing dishes, while Melkamu was in the other room eating some yogurt. When I went to check on him this is what I found....

Ringing in the New Year

The first pictures of 2012. Melkamu helping his grandma make greens for our little celebration...greens for prosperity and black eyed peas for good luck. A tradition in our house on New Year's day for the past 4 years or so.






Hoping for a year of full of prosperity and good luck!

Last Pictures of 2011

Melkamu occasionally gets a special outfit handed down to him from Daniel's mom. An outfit that was worn for a special occasion or a picture 45 years ago, 40 years ago, 35 years ago...by uncles, aunts, cousins of his daddy's, and/or his daddy. The lasted was a sailor suit...

Saluting 12/31/2011

My latest thought on this whole phenomenon is that Daniel's mom must be exceptionally organized to track all these special outfits and who worn them when and to get them to us from Montana at the right times when they actually fit Melke...good work Judy!

Christmas at the Coast

We had a wonderful holiday at the coast this year with Daniel's parents and our niece Leslie. The rented house was great, the weather for the first half of the week was beautiful, sunshine and gentle winds. After Christmas the weather got more typical, rain and wind, but we were prepared for that too. Perfect weather, great company, good food, games, movies, holiday goodies, and warm spiced wine...

Sunset

Melke looks at this picture and says "Melkamu and Mama" -
He's right, but we're so small how can he tell.

Daniel and I got to take a nice hike to Cape Lookout, without the boy.

A beautiful Christmas Eve Day with beautiful boys.

The boy in action.

Taking a walk with my boy.

A new truck for Christmas...thanks Grandma and Grandpa!

So tickled to get his toe nails painted by Leslie.

Us on Christmas Day

A new train from Santa!

An adventure to seal rock.

Farewell October

Time is moving by so fast these days. I can't believe October has come and gone.

His famous smile

Following instructions to go give Mama a hug for the picture


My pumpkin and three jack-o'-lanterns


Melke as "Rio" our cat
(pre-whiskers, which were very traumatizing to apply)


First house for trick or treating


Having fun pulling his wagon

I wasn't sure how my boy would do with trick or treating, as he is afraid of people wearing masks and dressed up oddly. We went out early, about 6:15pm, before there were many other trick or treaters out and about. Melkamu loves to go to peoples houses and knock on their doors, so he had no problems there. We worked hard to get him to say trick or treat, and he did a little between houses or before people opened their doors, but never at the right time. We did get him to "meow" a few times for his treats. He quickly learned he was supposed to take candy out of the bowls that were presented and put them in his bucket. He usually kept going back for more until someone had to intervene. He did get pretty wide eyed and scared a few times as it got later and there were more kiddos and adults dressed up and wearing scary masks. Overall, it was a fun and successful Halloween adventure.

Pumpkins...

...the kids (cute little pumpkins) and the squash variety too.

A Hungry Child Can't Wait: Ask 5 for 5

Guest Blogger: Sarah Lenssen from #Ask5for5
Family photos by Mike Fiechtner Photography

Thank you Sarah at A Slice of Life and nearly 150 other bloggers from around the world for allowing me to share a story with you today, during Social Media Week.

A hungry child in East Africa can't wait. Her hunger consumes her while we decide if we'll respond and save her life. In Somalia, children are stumbling along for days, even weeks, on dangerous roads and with empty stomachs in search of food and water. Their crops failed for the third year in a row. All their animals died. They lost everything. Thousands are dying along the road before they find help in refugee camps.

At my house, when my three children are hungry, they wait minutes for food, maybe an hour if dinner is approaching. Children affected by the food crisis in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia aren't so lucky. Did you know that the worst drought in 60 years is ravaging whole countries right now, as you read this? Famine, a term not used lightly, has been declared in Somalia. This is the world's first famine in 20 years.12.4 million people are in need of emergency assistance and over 29,000 children have died in the last three months alone. A child is dying every 5 minutes. It it estimated that 750,000 people could die before this famine is over. Take a moment and let that settle in.

The media plays a major role in disasters. They have the power to draw the attention of society to respond--or not. Unfortunately, this horrific disaster has become merely a footnote in most national media outlets. News of the U.S. national debt squabble and the latest celebrity's baby bump dominate headlines. That is why I am thrilled that nearly 150 bloggers from all over the world are joining together today to use the power of social media to make their own headlines; to share the urgent need of the almost forgotten with their blog readers. Humans have the capacity to care deeply for those who are suffering, but in a situation like this when the numbers are too huge to grasp and the people so far away, we often feel like the little we can do will be a drop in the ocean, and don't do anything at all.

When news of the famine first hit the news in late July, I selfishly avoided it. I didn't want to read about it or hear about it because I knew I would feel overwhelmed and uncomfortable. I wanted to protect myself. I knew I would need to do something if I knew what was really happening. You see, this food crisis is personal. I have a 4-year-old son and a 1 yr-old daughter who were adopted from Ethiopia and born in regions now affected by the drought. If my children still lived in their home villages, they would be two of the 12.4 million. My children: extremely hungry and malnourished? Gulp. I think any one of us would do anything we could for our hungry child. But would you do something for another mother's hungry child?

My friend and World Vision staffer, Jon Warren, was recently in Dadaab Refugee Camp in Kenya--the largest refugee camp in the world with over 400,000 people. He told me the story of Isnino Siyat, 22, a mother who walked for 10 days and nights with her husband, 1 yr-old-baby, Suleiman, and 4 yr.-old son Adan Hussein, fleeing the drought in Somalia. When she arrived at Dadaab, she built the family a shelter with borrowed materials while carrying her baby on her back. Even her dress is borrowed. As she sat in the shelter on her second night in camp she told Jon, "I left because of hunger. It is a very horrible drought which finished both our livestock and our farm." The family lost their 5 cows and 10 goats one by one over 3 months, as grazing lands dried up. "We don't have enough food now...our food is finished. I am really worried about the future of my children and myself if the situation continues."

Will you help a child like Baby Suleiman? Ask5for5 is a dream built upon the belief that you will.

That something I knew I would need to do became a campaign called #Ask5for5 to raise awareness and funds for famine and drought victims. The concept is simple, give $5 and ask five of your friends to give $5, and then they each ask five of their friends to give $5 and so on--in nine generations of 5x5x5...we could raise $2.4 Million! In one month, over 750 people have donated over $25,000! I set up a fundraiser at See Your Impact and 100% of the funds will go to World Vision, an organization that has been fighting hunger in the Horn of Africa for decades and will continue long after this famine has ended. Donations can multiply up to 5 times in impact by government grants to help provide emergency food, clean water, agricultural support, healthcare, and other vital assistance to children and families suffering in the Horn.

I need you to help me save lives. It's so so simple; here's what you need to do:

1. Donate $5 or more on this page (http://seeyourimpact.org/members/ask5for5)
2. Send an email to your friends and ask them to join us.
3. Share #Ask5for5 on Facebook and Twitter!

I'm looking for another 100 bloggers to share this post on their blogs throughout Social Media Week. Email me at ask5for5@gmail.com if you're interested in participating this week.

A hungry child doesn't wait. She doesn't wait for us to finish the other things on our to-do list, or get to it next month when we might have a little more money to give. She doesn't wait for us to decide if she's important enough to deserve a response. She will only wait as long as her weakened little body will hold on...please respond now and help save her life. Ask 5 for 5.

Thank you on behalf of all of those who will be helped--you are saving lives and changing history.


p.s. Please don't move on to the next website before you donate and email your friends right now. It only takes 5 minutes and just $5, and if you're life is busy like mine, you probably won't get back to it later. Let's not be a generation that ignores hundreds of thousands of starving people, instead let's leave a legacy of compassion. You have the opportunity to save a life today!