Team Spirit

Our friend Robrenna made sure our team was outfitted for our new season with the Rookie. She got us all shirts to show off our pride in the New-and-Improved Team Kollar...
Here's what they look like on the back...
Mindee and her family were kind (and patient) enough to take pictures of our family sportin' our new look. 144 pictures later we had some that I loved...

And plenty that show off the real Team Kollar...
We tried to get pictures in Mindee's tree house. After we'd taken several that were obviously not working out, I was harping a bit on the kids. At that point, Mindee said to me "You are the problem, sister." That totally cracked me up. Don't think she was being mean. Check out the evidence for yourself...
Remember how Lulu feels about her "I'm from Texas" bows? Mindee caught Luci using her Ancient Ethiopian Bow Removal Technique on camera...
Please zoom in for full effect. You won't regret it.

The bow was the tail that wagged the dog for most of the afternoon...

Oh, but it's so worth it...
Remember how Lulu is a stealth spitter-upper? Mindee caught her in the act of that too...
We may root for the Huskers, but this is my favorite team...

Michael W. Smith was right...

Friends are friends forever. And I feel like I have the best friends ever.

From decorating the house upon our return. To providing meals. To sewing crib bedding. To calls and visits and notes and gifts. Even a gift for the dog! We have been overwhelmed by how our friends have celebrated Luci May with us.

Last weekend, friends threw a shower for me and the Lulu. Thank you Mindee, Rachel, LeAnne, and Robrenna. It couldn't have been in a more beautiful setting, Mindee's back yard...
It was so delightful to be with friends from the neighborhood and my kid's school along with their daughters...
My mother-in-law, sister and niece were there too (Gunga was sick), but sadly, this is the only picture I have of them "lurking" in the background...
Luci was getting some love from another Ethiopian princess, Kate....
Her family is from Ethiopia, but live here in the States now. They have been such a blessing in our lives.

The food was incredible...
And everyone knows, I don't turn away gifts...
I loved all the gifts, but one had sentimental value. Robrenna gave me a Willowtree figurine that she had painted so it was me and Luci...
For those of you Ethiopia adoptive families reading this, her tip is DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME. Unless you are confident in your painting skills, that is.

If she was trying to make me cry, it totally worked...

This was the reaction when...
we dropped the beloved figurine. Thankfully, it didn't break. Then you would have really seen me cry!

Not to be outdone, Lulu left a little present of her own...
Stealth spitting up is a talent of hers.

We both had a great time...
While I was totally energized by the whole event, she was wiped out...
It can be tiring to be adored.

That weekend also brought a visit from Aunt Deb, as my kids call her. She's not really their aunt. But she's close enough. Deb came from Denver to meet Lulu and enter into this experience with us...
She came a long way to see Lulu, but didn't get to hold her until right before she was getting on the plane. I broke down and handed the baby over...for a brief minute. Judging by the above picture, I think Luci was glad Aunt Deb came too.

She and I, along with Le Anne, have been friends since college and were reunited yet again last weekend...
We have lived through college days, a streaking incident, 11 babies between us, Alzheimer's, MS, and breast cancer. Our friendship of 20 years has known lots of late night talks, many tears and even more laughter. It is a treasure indeed.

Bill and I have often said that while our salary may not reflect it, we are filthy rich due to the friendships that we have been blessed with. This post reflects some of that undeserved, yet much appreciated relational affluence in our lives.

A month ago

We met Luci May Rediet one month ago yesterday. Our job since then has been fairly straightforward: Get to know this precious girl and love her like crazy. The loving her part has come pretty easy. In getting to know her, we have learned a few things already...

1) Those big bows I make her wear...
She hates them. But there is an important Bible verse that we quote to our kids which is "Fashion has it's price." Oh, wait that's from Veggie Tales not the Bible. Still, it applies. The bows, though ridiculously huge, are here to stay.

2) This little girl has a joy about her. One of the songs I sing to her at night is "She's got a way" by Billy Joel. Two fitting lines from the song are...

She's got a smile that heals
I don't know why it is
But I have to laugh when she reveals me

She's got a light around her
And everywhere she goes
A million dreams of love surround her
Everywhere

That's Luci. This is what insight my sister had to offer on her, "She makes people feel good about themselves. She smiles at people and they think 'I am good with babies', but the truth is that Luci is good with adults." So if you are down, give me a call. Lulu may just flash you this infectious wide-mouthed grin...
3) She does this precious little thing where she gently caresses your face. It's so sweet...
Then it suddenly turns into a Vulcan Death Grip...
We're lucky to have all our lips and eyeballs still in tact.

4) I've been trying to learn about bonding and attachment. As a result, I've been kind of Gestapo about other people holding her. The part about not having others hold her for the first month was our social worker's suggestion to promote bonding. I think it is very important and I'm glad we have been careful. But the Gestapo part was all me. I have been obsessing over her attaching to us. I have been trying to control her environment in such a way that will ensure that she will attach to me. Newsflash: I can't ensure anything in life.

While we need to do everything we can to try to help her form healthy attachments, I have to trust that God is ultimately in control. I need to pray that she will be able to form those attachments instead of worrying about it. And I need to give it time. I need to give her time. I can't make her bond to us. What I can do is provide an environment that promotes attachment. I can love her and meet her needs and become of a student of her. I can give her the freedom to be right where she is in the grieving/bonding/attaching process. And I can let my mom and sister have a just little bit of time to hold her...

Luci, let me introduce you to a place called home

The baby barely cried on our first 7 hour flight. But the Momma cried almost the whole time. It could have been"postpartum" depression after the intensity of the week. Or it could have been that Bill was seated 3 rows behind me. It might have been that the man sitting next to me wouldn't trade places with Bill so that our newly formed family could be together. Or maybe it was that while Tate was in the bathroom thinking he might throw up and the Luci was asleep on my lap, the flight attendant refused to get Bill for me. Some combination of the above caused the tears to continue for several hours.

The flight from Amsterdam to Detroit was a different story. Not only was our family sitting together, but we were right behind our friends Carl and Christine. Bill and Carl wanted to chat, chat, chat the whole time so we let them sit together. Christine and I are just giving like that....
Check out the way Lulu is eying the M&M's. That's my girl!

We made a mad dash through the Detroit airport only to find out that our flight home was delayed. Then delayed again. Then canceled. As disappointing as it was to not be home, it actually turned out to be a blessing to be able to crash that night in a hotel. Though I felt bad for our sweet friends who were waiting with each delay at the airport for us. Thanks Sheri, Beth and Jess. You guys are amazing!

But the day did come. The moment arrived. We walked off the plane and into the arms of our middle two children...

They had made signs for their baby sister...
If you zoom in you'll see that Jack had spelled Luci "Loosi", but Emmie had him correct it. I love "Loosi"...too bad it's not 4 letters.

I imagined myself looking much better in welcome home pictures. But I never could have imagined feeling as euphoric as I did...

This is our story of becoming family. And I love it.
Luci, meet your Grandmothers. Luci, meet your aunts (two out of three ain't bad). Luci, meet some of your adoring cousins. Luci, meet dear friends who have walked this road alongside us...
Luci, Ethiopia will always be with you, but this is where you belong...
Home. It wasn't complete until you got here.