The James Family Blog

come see our new blog

2010-09-29T21:39:00.002-04:00

www.jamesfamilythree.blogspot.com

NDSU Homecoming Parade

2009-10-10T22:13:00.009-04:00

Wren's first parade here in Fargo was the North Dakota State University Homecoming Parade, followed by a genuine pep rally and then a football game.

"Thundar" the NDSU bison, Wren is a big fan!

Wren watched very attentively (partially due to the candy that each float threw out to the kids!)

The NDSU Dance Team

September

2009-10-10T22:01:00.007-04:00

We started out September with a trip back to Knoxville for Labor Day weekend. Evan's Grandma James just moved to Knoxville and this gave us the opportunity to visit the whole family plus many of our friends.

Wren and Maya on the bronze tortoise at Knoxville Zoo.

Wren's favorite rabbit in the whole world, Rocket Man and her good friend Cynthia.

Of course no trip to Knoxville would be complete without a trip to see our friends at Magpies!

We finished off the weekend watching Boomsday fireworks downtown.

Back at home in Fargo . . . Wren excels at accessorizing!

We enjoyed an outing to the Fall Festival at Rheault Farm here in Fargo. Wren had a blast playing all of the games and meeting some new horses.

Finally, we decided Wren better gear up for the impending cold weather. After she was fully outfitted she told us, "I'm ready for SNOW!"

August

2009-10-10T21:52:00.006-04:00

August brought a visit from Gran and Grandpa, their first trip back since helping us move to Fargo in April.

Of course we visited the Red River Zoo.

Wren and Grandpa at the playground, I love this picture!

Wren has been enjoying gymnastics at TNT Kids Fitness since we moved to Fargo. This is her coach Erica at the end of one session, presenting Wren with her Certificate of Completion.

At the end of nearly every class the kids get to play in the foam pit. Here's Wren jumping in . . . the delay at the beginning is her counting to 20. I told her to count to 3, but 20 creates more suspense!

July in Fargo

2009-10-10T14:58:00.007-04:00

Sorry for the lack of posts recently . . . we are going to try our best to keep up to date.

The summer was filled with activities that kept us all busy. Here is Wren with her friend Maya at the Red River Zoo.

We celebrated Independence Day with Gin Gin and Grandpa Rick, grilling and strawberry shortcake, Yum!

Enjoying a fun afternoon at the playground with Wren, Maya and some other friends.

Wren mastered her tricycle!

Wren enjoyed meeting the Budweiser Clydesdales up close!

An original steam engine, the BNSF Daylight, stopped over in Fargo on it's way to Wisconsin.

We're still here - just busy!

2009-06-29T22:45:00.002-04:00

No new pictures just yet but wanted to give everyone a quick update.

We have been super busy unpacking, arranging furniture, hanging artwork, learning what it is like to own a really old (but very cool) house, living with the windows open (which I am not sure that we have ever been able to do before in June!), and enjoying the beautiful 10% humidity, 70-80ish degree weather that is Summer in Fargo!

Wren is doing well and loves the new house, particularly her purple bedroom and her playroom. She has learned to ride a tricycle and is getting really good at steering and staying on the sidewalk. Wren has also made several new friends, including another little girl who was born in Ethiopia. Maya is one month older than Wren, and she lives, with her mom and dad, less than two blocks from us!

We will write more soon and put up some new photos too! Evan sent out an e-mail with our new address, but if you didn't get it let us know. Our phone numbers haven't changed.

Happy Independence Day!

Hello Fargo!

2009-05-09T22:18:00.005-04:00

So on April 1 we began our trek North . . .

Wren's first steps on North Dakota soil . . . I mean SNOW!

Wren simultaneously playing with PlayDoh and dying Easter eggs.

Richard has made himself at home at Gin Gin and Grandpa Rick's house, where we are staying until we find a house.

Believe it or not this does actually keep the dogs in the back yard, but we will still make sure that our new house has a more substantial fence!

Wren and Mommy at the Saddle and Sirloin Club's Kiddie Days event.

We have been pretty busy settling in and looking for a new house, and we haven't taken too many new pictures. Teri-Lee is LOVING her new job and her new schedule: four, ten hour days a week with at least one three-day weekend every month! Evan is having fun keeping Wren company during the day and shuttling her to gymnastics, Kindermusik, the library, the art museum, the children's museum, and the playground (there are four within walking distance from where we are staying!). He is also going to start volunteering at the Red River Zoo soon, specifically to help them train some of their birds of prey. Along with the previously listed activities, Wren has been busy learning to ride her new tricycle that she got last week, and she ran her first race on Friday evening - the Fargo Youth Run . . . she ran the entire 1/2 mile! The youth run is held in conjunction with the Fargo Marathon, which was today. We had a great morning sitting outside in the driveway (the race went right by Gin Gin and Grandpa Rick's house) cheering on the runners! Maybe next year we will be on the receiving end of the cheering.

We will put some videos of the tricycle and the race up later. We may also have pictures of a house to share soon, but we will wait until things are finalized, hopefully next week sometime.

Goodbye Knoxville!

2009-03-30T21:36:00.000-04:00

As most of you know we are no longer living in Knoxville. Our last few weeks there were very busy preparing for the move, but we did try to take a little time to visit some of our favorite places.

Wren in front of the art museum.

Wren and Mommy looking at pieces from the Josh Simpson exhibit.

Wren and Daddy preparing to create their own work of art.

So this may not be one of our favorite places, but it is unique to Knoxville, it is free, and Wren likes riding in the elevator!

Before we left we also took time to say goodbye to family and friends.

"Holla!"

Gabe, Isaac, and Wren at Evan's going away party.

We miss Knoxville, particularly our friends, cupcakes from Magpies, the Market Square Farmer's Market, and hills and trees . . . but, we are really enjoying our new city too!

Wren is Busy!

2009-03-25T13:15:00.015-04:00

This has been a busy couple of months for us all. Wren has been particularly busy . . .

serving tea to Clementine and Richard,

choosing the perfect outfit for snacking with Daddy,

spending some quality time with Saffron,

and making sure that all her babies are appropriately swaddled for their nap.

Wren has also decided that since Mommy and Daddy are both getting new jobs (Mommy - veterinarian, Daddy - stay at home dad), that she should try out a few:

food service . . .

zookeeper . . .

auto mechanic . . .

retail . . .

eating contest champion . . .

engineer . . .

Oh well, she has many, many years before she has to even consider making a decision!

Wren's Birthday Party

2009-03-15T21:44:00.000-04:00

We celebrated Wren's 2nd Birthday a little early with a party at the Zoo. Almost 30 people came to wish Wren a Happy Birthday. We also had a few non-human guests, including Einstein African grey parrot, who sang Happy Birthday to Wren, Malala blue-tongue skink, Koda ferret, and Rocketman Rhinelander rabbit. Rocketman is Wren's favorite animal at the zoo right now and was the inspiration for her fabulous cake (see below)!

Wren and Mommy getting the things set up and waiting for our guests.

Wren's fabulous Rocketman cake from Magpies!

Annika, Wren and Maya

Dan and Sam

Elena enjoying a cupcake

Wren and the Bird Show girls also enjoying cupcakes

Andie and Uncle Evan making each other laugh

Uncle John, Codie and Wren

Wren and Nannie back at our house after the party.

Wren finally getting to eat her cake! (We also had cupcakes at the party and ended up not cutting the cake at all.)

Yummy!

Despite the rain it was a fun day. Thanks to everyone who celebrated with us!

A Little Trip to DC and Baltimore

2009-02-02T22:55:00.007-05:00

The last weekend in January took us to the greater DC/Baltimore area. Teri-Lee went to four separate interviews throughout the area. This gave Wren and Daddy a chance to do some fun stuff! Here's a little video of our day in DC.

Wren took her first ride on a train to get into DC for the first time!

We also got to spend a little bit of time with Evan's Uncle's family. His cousin Rachelli's daughter, Bayla, was celebrating her first birthday and we made it to the end of the party.

Tuesday Wren and Daddy familiarized themselves with Baltimore despite the snowy weather. Wren saw her first Coast Guard cutter!

The Medal Ceremony

2009-01-13T23:05:00.003-05:00

On Monday Wren had her last class of the semester at The Little Gym. She will no longer be a Birdie, but will be joining the Beast class next week, at the start of the new semester. A medal ceremony was conducted to mark the occasion . . .

New Year's Resolutions

2009-01-03T22:47:00.000-05:00

Wren has made several New Year's Resolutions.

She wants to learn to cook . . .

is planning to spend more time outdoors . . .

wants to break the world record for "most items of clothing worn simultaneously" . . .

is trying to get more rest (all those clothes are heavy!) . . .

and learn to play a musical instrument . . .

Wren seems to be making excellent progress with her resolutions and would like to wish everyone a happy 2009!

Christmas Finally Comes

2008-12-26T22:30:00.000-05:00

Wren celebrated Christmas for about a week, and we took a lot of pictures. She really enjoyed visiting with family and friends, and of course she had fun opening her gifts as well. Here are just a couple of pictures.

Wren opening her gift from Nannie . . .

Wren modeling the dress-up clothes that she got from Nannie. (She also got a tutu and tiara, along with a Fancy Nancy book, which she loves, from her Aunt Jane, Uncle Aaron, and Cousin Andie)

Daddy and Wren having tea using her new tea set from Gin-Gin and Grandpa Rick. (This tea set is so cute and is made by a very environmentally and socially responsible company called Plan Toys.)

Getting Ready for Christmas

2008-12-23T22:03:00.001-05:00

Wren had a great time visiting with our friends from North Carolina, Andrew and Lizzie, and got to wish them a happy Hanukkah in person!

Then it was time to visit some more of our friends at the zoo . . .

Including Santa Claus, who stopped by to have breakfast with us.

Wren wanted to make sure that Santa saw the animals.

Wren with Gran and Grandpa in Santa's sleigh.

Since we were at the zoo anyway, we decided to visit with Al and Tex who have been brought in for the winter!

We also stopped by to say hello to Ernie . . .

and Lu.

After meeting Santa Claus, Wren was really ready for Christmas!

Wren in Christmas lights!

Not to repeat myself, but who wouldn't want this under their tree?

Christmas Pictures

2008-12-18T21:16:00.003-05:00

We got some great pictures of Wren under the Christmas tree!

Wren with her little Rudolph stuffed animal.

Wren doing a yoga "Tree" pose in front of our tree.

Too cute for words!

Who needs presents when you have this underneath your tree!!!

Wren's First Concert

2008-12-18T21:02:00.005-05:00

So our friend Jason got us some free tickets to a Ralph's World concert at the Bijou Theater on Gay Street. We prepared by listening to some of the music, which Wren really enjoyed. Anyway, here is the progression of events . . .

At home getting ready to leave for the concert . . .

Listening to the first song (notice the interested expression and clapping of hands!) . . .

Between the second and third songs (notice the terrified expression and tears!) . . .

So, after spending a while in the lobby, almost leaving twice, eating a cupcake, and meeting Snap, Crackle, and Pop (you know, from Rice Crispies cereal) who were in attendance, Wren decided that she did want to go back into the auditorium - I think the Puppy Song really called to her! She spent the next few songs clutching mommy but also singing along and clapping when appropriate before she finally got down and danced with her friend Sam, who went with us, and his mom and dad.

During the last two songs the kids were invited up onto the stage with their parents, and she wanted to go, so we did!

Sam with his mom Ann on the stage.

Wren playing drums with our friend Jason during the final song.

So, Wren's first concert was memorable for many reasons, but, as you can see, it all turned out okay in the end!

Getting ready for Christmas . . .

2008-12-18T20:56:00.003-05:00

Wren wasn't satisfied with just having the tree decorated, so she decorated herself . . .

Once her ensemble was complete she was ready to play (notice the boots, which she asked to put on!) . . .

"Good morning Saffron, do you like my new pajamas?"

Wren's First Parade

2008-12-18T20:44:00.002-05:00

Our first Holiday-type activity this year was attending the Knoxville Christmas Parade on 5 December. Wren LOVED the parade!!! She particularly liked the horses and the marching bands. She even started marching down the sidewalk backwards at one point, mimicing one of the high school band's drum majors! (It took us a minute to figure out what she was doing.)

Wren wearing her paper crown from the British pub on Central Avenue.

Wren, obviously no longer afraid of costumed characters, visiting with Rudolph and a Christmas tree girl.

Wren watching the parade with Mommy.

"Horses!"

Thanksgiving

2008-12-18T20:17:00.002-05:00

Last year on Thanksgiving we were eating Ethiopian food with our friends Margo and Dave at Lucy in Addis Ababa. This year was a little different . . .

Where is everyone, I am ready to eat!

Wren trying to kiss cousin Andie!

Wren reading with Nannie.

Wren with Nannie and cousin Codie.

Wren with Gin-Gin and Grandpa Rick.

One Year Ago . . .

2008-11-17T21:58:00.004-05:00

One year ago from 2:30 EST 18 November, 2008 we were standing in the lobby of the Addis Ababa Hilton waiting to meet Wren. There are really no words worthy of describing the moment that we met her or the amazing way that our life has changed since she become part of it.

More Cute Pictures

2008-11-08T22:15:00.005-05:00

Wren wearing Daddy's work gloves . . .

Wren now wearing leg warmers on her arms and a doll dress as a hat.

Wren loves walking on the balance beam at The Little Gym, so now whenever she gets an opportunity she practices walking on narrow objects . . .

Wren at the trial gardens . . .

Playing in the yard with socks on her hands. This is something new that she seems to enjoy, wearing socks on her hands not playing in the yard, which she has always loved!

Wren trying to wear Daddy's motor scooter helmet . . .

Wren watching the Muppet Show with Richard, Saffron and Clementine and a stuffed panda.

Mommy's Birthday

2008-11-08T22:04:00.004-05:00

I had a fun Mommy's Birthday! In the morning we dressed up and went for a walk to the school where people vote. We were going to try and talk to some people, but there wasn't anyone to talk to. I guess everyone early voted. I still looked cute in my election day outfit!

We had Middle Eastern food for dinner, which was very yummy! I tried lots of new things and liked them all! Then we had chocolate raspberry cake from Magpies! Daddy and I sang to Mommy and she blew out her candle and made a wish.

I wanted to dress up for Mommy's Birthday dinner!

Chocolate cake is good, and Mommy is much neater than I am!

YES WE DID!

2008-11-04T23:00:00.000-05:00

Vote for a CNN Hero

2008-11-04T21:00:00.002-05:00

If you have a few minutes, please take a look at the CNN Heroes website (http://www.cnn.com/heroes). There is a gentleman who has made it to the Top 10 who is a native Ethiopian. Yohannes Gebregeorgis has created a program called Ethiopia Reads. We learned some about his project while we were in Ethiopia. The Hero who earns the most votes receives a $100,000 award. This amount of money would go a LONG way in Ethiopia (nearly 1,000,000 Birr). So unless you are just incredibly moved by one of the other Heroes, we'd love it if you would give Yohannes your vote.

Halloween 2008

2008-10-31T21:28:00.001-04:00

Wren's Halloween events included a party at The Little Gym and BOO! at the Zoo. She dressed up as a baby chicken (thanks Gran!).

Wren at The Little Gym party.

Wren on the bronze tortoise at BOO! at the Zoo.

We discovered Wren is a natural guitar player.

Wren imitating a chicken while sitting atop a frog.

Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-27T22:57:00.004-04:00

On 15 October we took Wren to Oakes' farm pumpkin patch to get pumpkins and go on a hay ride.

Wren checking out the pumpkins and gourds!

I don't see the pumpkin patch . . .

Mommy, where are the "pumpkies"?

Wren looking very serious on the way to the pumpkin patch . . .

Wren tried to pick up every pumpkin that she saw. They were all far too heavy for her, but it didn't stop her from continuing to try.

Wren and our two pumpkins on the ride back.

Jack the baby cow and other fun things!

2008-10-27T22:45:00.004-04:00

I know that it is hard to believe, but this is actually NOT Wren's Halloween costume . . .

She really likes to play dress-up with whatever she finds!

This post is actually to announce the birth of a new Dexter bull calf. KC Ivy's Jack-o-Lantern, "Jack", was born around midnight on 18 October in Kid's Cove at the Knoxville Zoo. Baby Jack weighed 47 lbs!

Wren got to meet Jack on the day he was born. She talked about getting to meet him most of the day, saying "Daddy, cow, baby, moo, Jack", which we think probably meant, "Daddy's cow Ivy had a baby named Jack. Jack says moo."

Apple Butter

2008-10-27T21:55:00.005-04:00

Every other year the Linnenbringer side of Evan's family gets together to make apple butter. We all meet at Uncle Ray's (Evan's mom's brother) house in Pleasant Hill, Missouri. This year close to 30 family members peeled, cored and cut up 11 bushels of apples to make 231.5 pints of apple butter! This was Wren's first apple butter experience, and she had a great time, as usual!

Below are just a few of the pictures that were taken (about 700 in all!) over the long weekend . . .

Wren with cousins Drake and Jessica. They brought her a little gift, a purse and some jewelry, which she loved!

Wren was a little young to help peel and cut up the apples, so she just pushed this box around the driveway instead.

Wren and cousin Dalton standing in fire pit . . . before the fire was started obviously!

Drake pulling Wren in the wagon.

Dalton pulling Wren in the wagon.

Wren and "uncie" Ray.

No, this is not a John Deere ad, just Wren playing in the bucket of "uncie" Ray's tractor!

Aunt Sharon had lots of fun stuff for the kids to do, including pumpkin painting. This was Wren's first time to ever paint. She did a fine job!

The girls (Aubrey, Jessica, Wren and Andie) plus Drake.

Daddy and Wren stirring the apple butter. This is serious business!

Wren tasting the apple butter to see if it is ready.

Wren in her backpack, helping Mommy put rings on the jars of apple butter.

This is the almost 100 year old, 40 gallon, copper kettle that is used to cook the apple butter and the almost 19 month old, 33 inch tall, cute and funny Wren! We are not sure what she is doing with her hands and mouth in this photo, but she's still really cute!

At Nannie's

2008-10-27T21:43:00.004-04:00

Wren and Nannie . . .

On the way to Missouri to make apple butter, we stopped off at Nannie's house for a couple of nights. Wren had a GREAT time playing with Codie and entertaining Nannie, Aunt Janie and Uncle John.

Wren with Mommy and Codie.

Cupcakes are yummy!

2008-10-27T21:16:00.006-04:00

Every month Magpies (http://www.magpiescakes.com/), a local cake bakery, hosts a free cupcake tasting to unveil their flavors of the month. October's flavors included caramel apple, chocolate stout and pumpkin spice. Evan and I both liked the chocolate stout best, but we think Wren's favorite was the pumpkin spice . . .

Wren stood here very seriously to have her picture made . . .

Informative and Fun

2008-10-17T13:20:00.003-04:00

If you have time check out this link . . .

http://glassbooth.org

This is a neat tool that matches you with presidential candidates based on your opinions about certain issues. It also has a lot of information about each of the candidates, their voting records on certain issues, etc. The website includes all of the candidates, not just Obama and McCain. Evan and I did early voting today (we did not vote for the Green Party candidate, however, which is who we were both matched with on the website) and were amazed at the number of presidential candidates on the ballot.

We will put some new pictures of Wren up this weekend.

People can make a difference!

2008-10-16T22:05:00.005-04:00

The following is a copy of an e-mail that we received today from Jenny, an American volunteer that helped take care of Wren when she was at Wanna / Layla House.

Hello friends,

I am writing to inform you about an exciting new project that I’m initiating. Last year, I spent six life changing months volunteering at an orphanage in Ethiopia. And, while the work I performed was rewarding, I realized that there is so much more to do.

Particularly, the situation of street children in Ethiopia was unbelievably tragic and my project will be aimed at helping these children. The new organization is called Awadeshalo (Awoo-dea-sha-low) Project. Awadeshalo means love in Amharic, the national language of Ethiopia.

The first goal of Awadeshalo Project is to fund a trip to Bahir Dar for me and my friend Kate Batten, who will be my partner in this project. Bahir Dar, a northern city where the project will be located, has an increasing number of children living on the streets and the plan is to travel there in order to research what can be done.

While there, we will be volunteering at various agencies to understand how successful organizations are managed. We will also be making connections with grassroots organizations working with street children in order to form partnerships with them, so that in the future we can fund their work, and enable them to increase their serving capacity. The goal is to keep Awadeshalo Project sustainable in Ethiopia, with work being done by the people, for the people.

So, here’s where you come in. As of now, $1,800 has been raised but we still need $3000-$4,000 more to be able to spend six months learning, making connections and building a solid foundation for Awadeshalo Project. The link to my website is: http://awadeshaloproject.weebly .com Browse the website and if this worthy cause is something you want to support, please make a donation, even $20 will make a big difference! When you donate, be sure to look for your name on the thank you page of the website.

And, if you are not in a position to give, please pass this information on to as many people as you can. Ethiopia may feel distant, that their problems are inconsequential to our lives, but we are all connected, their children are our children and vice versa, and we must care for them as we would care for our own. Thank you for your time and generosity!

Sincerely,

Jenny Gerfen

Awadeshalo Project leader

“In this life we cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love.” ~Mother Theresa~

Jenny spent a lot of time with Wren when she arrived at Wanna and helped provide the extra care that Wren required at that time. When we were in Ethiopia we were given a letter from Jenny that included a picture of she and Wren. This little extra piece of Wren's history is an amazing gift that we are so pleased to have for her.

Evan and I were impressed with the project and the philosophy behind it, so I e-mailed Jenny to ask her if we could post a copy of her e-mail to us and a link to her website here. Her response was that of course we could, especially since Wren was part of her inspiration. With that in mind, please take time to look at the website, if for no other reason than to be reminded that one person can make a difference in the lives of many and that we have a lot to be grateful for!

October

2008-10-05T23:01:00.003-04:00

October has always been one of our favorite months, because in October it really starts to look and feel like Fall. We love the Fall weather and colors and all of the Fall holidays: Halloween and Thanksgiving and many, many Birthdays. Evan and I met in the Fall 14 years ago! There is also election day, which will hopefully become a day of celebration for us this year. However, this Fall is going to be even more extra special, because on November 18th we get to celebrate the day that we became a family of three!!!

It is really strange to think about what we were doing this time last year . . . frantically checking our e-mail and phone messages to see if our case had gone to court in Ethiopia, trying to plan and make arrangements for travel without a definite date, finally getting word, after weeks of delay, that our case had passed in court, and, best of all, traveling to the most amazing place we have ever been to meet the most amazing person that we have ever known!

I hope that Wren shares our love of Fall!

Wren with a shoe box on her head!

This is why Wren wears a bib, and sometimes a "hat-uh", when she eats!

Later this week we will travel west, first to Nannie's house in West Tennessee for a couple of days, then to Pleasant Hill, Missouri to make apple butter with Gran's family. We will post more about that when we return!

the Monday after the busy weekend

2008-10-05T22:50:00.003-04:00

On Monday mornings Wren has her Little Gym class. She is in the Birdie class, which is for the youngest kids. The class time is split between organized floor activities, like singing, dancing, and playing with the parachute, and free time to explore the gym equipment. Wren seems to like the bar and balance beam the best! She also likes doing rolls, and can do a forward roll without any help!

Busy Weekend

2008-10-05T22:11:00.004-04:00

The last weekend in September was busy for us all. Wren spent Friday with Gran and Grandpa as usual.

She likes to go "boom" on their bed. (She does this at our house too!)

Trying on "hat-uhs" (hats) at the hot air balloon festival with Gran and Grandpa on Friday night, while Mommy and Daddy went to an event at the zoo.

On Saturday Wren spent the morning with Gran and Grandpa again, while Mommy went to a necropsy lab. Saturday afternoon the three of us went to a friend's wedding here in town.

On Sunday we went to the 29th annual Greekfest, a fun, fund-raising event for the local Greek Orthodox church. Wren enjoyed a lunch of Spanikopita, Pastichio (a greek lasagna type dish), and a Gyro.

Wren in the middle of the dance floor at Greekfest.

If you want to see what else Wren did at Greekfest then watch the video below . . .

So, we gave her a sip of the coffee because a) she asked for some and said "pleeeeeese" and b) we really thought that she wouldn't like it . . . we were wrong! I guess it is to be expected from someone who was born in the country where coffee was first discovered and is the national drink. The child has hardly had anything to drink in her entire life except for water and milk (unless any of you all have given it to her!), but she likes coffee!

Later on Sunday we went to the Old Gray Cemetery, which is the oldest organized cemetery in Knoxville, for a fund-raising event. There were local actors and musicians portraying people who are buried in the cemetery, and there were also horse-drawn carriage rides.

Wren looking very serious during the carriage ride.

The horses that pulled our carriage.

September

2008-10-05T16:42:00.004-04:00

We have had beautiful weather this September, and Wren has enjoyed playing in the backyard with her puppies.

This is Wren and "doot-doot" (Wren-speak for Richard) playing Frisbee!

Wren still playing Frisbee with "doot-doot" and "tin-tine" (Clementine) running in the background.

Wren now playing Frisbee with "ron-ron" (Saffron).

We didn't get any good pictures this time of Wren and "ru-ry" (Curry).

On September 24th Wren went to the zoo for Lily llama's 20th Birthday party (20 is pretty old for a llama), and also visited with the bronze tortoise.

Wren has also enjoyed trying out some new looks this month . . .

We call this one "the bag lady". This ensemble (created by Wren) comes complete with an authentic bag lady shopping cart.

This second ensemble is a spin-off of "the bag lady". Wren has changed hats, added a purse to replace the shopping cart, and discarded the necklace and socks.

She has also taken on panda wrestling . . .

which she is apparently very proud of . . .

As you can see we have no shortage of smiles in our home!!!

Enkutatash Celebration

2008-10-04T17:05:00.000-04:00

As many of you know, 11 September is the Ethiopian New Year, Enkutatash. We celebrated by preparing a traditional Ethiopian feast and having Evan's family over for dinner. We made Injera (Ethiopian flatbread), Awase (very spicy Ethiopian "ketchup"), Ayib (homemade cottage cheese with chives), Shiro (chickpea puree), Doro Wat (chicken stew), Messer Wat (lentil stew), and Dabo (honey bread). Wren enjoyed visiting with everyone and wearing one of the traditional Ethiopian outfits that we got for her while we were in Addis Ababa.

AAI Holiday Gift Project and Some Other Stuff

2008-09-10T14:23:00.008-04:00

Every year AAI, our international adoption agency, does a holiday fundraiser to provide all of the children and staff that they work with in Ethiopia and Ghana with holiday gifts and supplies for holiday celebrations. This includes gifts and parties for over 500 children and staff! In addition 25% of the donations this year will go toward general humanitarian aid in Africa to help families who are unable to buy food and fuel for heating their homes due to famine and inflation.

If you are interested in this project or in any of the other projects that AAI sponsors please visit their website at:

http://adoptionadvocates.org

And, speaking of holidays, Evan, Wren and I have decided to try and buy all of our holiday gifts from only local businesses and companies that are both environmentally and socially responsible in their business practices. We encourage all of you to do the same, or to at least consider doing so. We have got to take better care of each other and this planet, if not for ourselves then for Wren, Andie, Alexis, Logan, Bayla and the rest of their generation and their children's generations.

We need to think about them on November 4 (election day, also my Birthday) too, and not just them but about everyone in the U.S. and abroad that shares this planet with us. Those of us that have a lot (and I am fairly certain that everyone reading this has a lot compared to much of the world) have got to start making some sacrifices for the good of everyone. If we continue to make political and consumer choices that seem to be best for us as individuals without considering the broader impact we are all going to suffer. Votes and money make a difference, so please use yours to make one!

Finally, if you would like to give me your vote this year in lieu of a Birthday gift I would be happy to accept it. Of course, I don't actually mean that you would vote for me . . . well, Wren can explain . . .

Wren's New Cousin

2008-08-31T21:18:00.004-04:00

Wren would like to announce the birth of her cousin, Andie! She visited with Andie on Thursday, 21 August at the hospital (Andie was born on Wednesday, 20 August). Wren hugged her a few times and then poked her in the forehead!

On Friday the 29th Wren visited Andie at home . . .

Wren wanted to make sure that the glider was safe for Andie!

Aunt Jane with baby Andie and Wren with Mommy

Wren "gently" touching Andie's face (with help from Mommy)!

Wren showing Andie where her elbows and knees are.

Overall Andie and her parents, Aunt Jane and Uncle Aaron, seem to be doing well!

In other news . . .

Evan is doing well after his knee surgery last Tuesday. He has been able to gradually decrease his pain medication and is hobbling around the house without crutches. He goes back to the doctor on Wednesday and will start physical therapy soon after.

Wren continues to amaze us daily. In the past two weeks she has announced to us that it was raining ("rane-in") when it actually was and has also mentioned to us that one of our neighbors was mowing ("moe-er"), and they were! She is amazed when airplanes fly overhead and is constantly looking for stars and the moon in the sky. She is beginning to acquire molars. She loves to kiss "ow-wies", and has very carefully kissed Evan's knee several times each day since his surgery. She is also becoming interested in the potty, and tonight she asked to get out of the tub to sit on her potty, and she pooped! She seemed very confused by all of the excitement, but she did poop in the potty none the less.

Evan goes back to work, after being home all week, this coming Tuesday. Wren and I will resume our schedule of Kindermusik, Baby Bookworms, my classes, etc.

We are all also looking forward to Enkutatash, which is the Ethiopian New Year and falls on 11 September. So Happy 2001 to everyone! (Yes, that's right the Gregorian calendar that we use is 7 years ahead of the Julian one that is used in Ethiopia.) If anyone wants to send Wren a Enkutatash greeting, I know that she would appreciate it!

Our Little Daredevil

2008-08-24T20:50:00.004-04:00

August Update

2008-08-19T13:42:00.003-04:00

Wren has a busy schedule for Fall, including Little Gym classes on Monday morning, Kindermusik on Tuesday morning, and Baby Bookworms on Wednesday morning; and she still spends the day with her Gran and Grandpa each Friday.

The end of August is going to be particularly busy for all of us, as we await the arrival of Wren's new cousin (and our new niece or nephew), who we are expecting sometime this week. Also Evan is having knee surgery next Tuesday to repair his ACL, which he ruptured playing soccer several months ago. He will be home a week from work after his surgery, although his entire recovery will take several months and will involve lots of physical therapy. Oddly enough Aaron (Evan's brother) injured his ACL playing soccer too and had surgery back in February.

I think that Wren will enjoy having her Daddy home for a week, but it may be difficult for us to keep her from jumping on and climbing over him!

We will post another update (with more pictures) after the baby comes and after Evan's surgery.

July

2008-08-19T09:50:00.005-04:00

In July Wren and Mommy went to visit Nannie (Wren's great-grandmother) in West Tennessee. We also got to see Gin-Gin and Grandpa Rick while we were there.

Wren had a lot of fun playing in the water (and drinking it too!) . . .

Wren greeting Clementine after returning home from Nannie's.

The Rest of June

2008-08-19T09:44:00.003-04:00

After our trip to the beach Wren and Mommy settled into being at home together while poor Daddy had to go back to work full-time after his extended paternity leave. It is really great that we are both getting to spend time at home with Wren. Neither one of us would trade that time for anything in the world!

Wren and Saffron in the yard.

Wren and Curry in the yard!

Wren and Richard playing at the water table!

Send stuffed animals please! We obviously have a deficiency!

Wren's First Trip to the Beach

2008-08-18T22:54:00.008-04:00

The first week of June we went to Hilton Head, SC with Gin-Gin and Grandpa Rick. We all had a great time at the beach. Wren had a lot of firsts at the beach . . . first time in South Carolina, first time at the beach, first time in the ocean, first fireworks, first lobster (she had lobster and asparagus risotto for dinner one evening), first kayaking experience (she did great by the way!), and first time on a boat (other than the kayak).

We took a ton of pictures . . .

Wren and Mommy.

The sunset on the way back from Daufuskie Island.

Wren lounging in the sun!

Wren being comforted by Daddy. She was a little scared of the fireworks!

Ready for the beach!

Playing in the sand.

Playing in the surf!

Wren and Daddy in the ocean!

Wren with Gin-Gin on the boat to Daufuskie Island.

All five of us outside an old winery on Daufuskie.

Wren driving the golf cart with Grandpa Rick.

Wren on the pier.

Wren on a kayak.

Wow! I had fun at the beach, but I am really tired!

The Month of May

2008-08-18T22:37:00.004-04:00

May was an exciting month! On May 7th Mommy graduated from Vet School. Many family members came to Knoxville to celebrate, including both of Wren's great-grandmothers!

Wren did great with all of the commotion. She made it through most of the hooding ceremony and had a great time at all of the parties!

Wren and Andrew at the graduation party!

Wren with Becca at the graduation party!

We attended a second graduation that same week for Evan's cousin Beth, who graduated from UNC 's Law School at Chapel Hill. Wren got to meet a lot of new family members in North Carolina, including two great-uncles and aunts, and her cousins Beth, Craig, Rachelli and the newest cousin, Bayla!

Daddy, Wren, Grandpa and Great-Grandma James at cousin Beth's graduation from Law School.

Wren and Layla

2008-08-18T22:26:00.004-04:00

This is Wren and her baby doll Layla. They are both very tired from dancing!

April

2008-08-18T22:05:00.008-04:00

Last time we posted Wren had just started walking. Obviously a lot has changed since then!

Later in April we attended "One Enchanted Evening", the annual costume party for all of the families associated with Harmony Adoptions, our local agency. This year the party was held at the zoo. The theme was Shrek, so we all dressed up as Gingy, the gingerbread man from the movie.

Wren wasn't sure about the costumed characters . . .

. . . or the carousel (although she seemed a little happier about it toward the end of the ride). . .

but she did like the goats!

April was also Wren's readoption month. Readoption in the U.S. is required in most states and is a necessary step to become an American citizen. Unfortunately the Ethiopian government does not recognize duel citizenship, so in order for Wren to become an American citizen, we had to give up her Ethiopian citizenship.

Wren waiting with Grandpa for the judge to call us into his chambers.

Daddy, Mommy and Wren with the judge.

Walking . . . an update

2008-04-29T15:02:00.003-04:00

Wren continues to improve at walking. Here is a quick video of her getting around like a big girl!

Wren walked!

2008-04-18T22:07:00.002-04:00

This evening we went to watch Evan play soccer, and Wren decided to WALK on her own during the second half of their game! Poor Evan missed it, even though I was trying desperately to get his attention, but our friend Sheela got some pictures and video on her camera. We will post pictures and/or video when we get copies from Sheela. Evan did get to see Wren take 2 steps on her own after the game!

Wren has also learned to blow kisses this week, and her 3 teeth continue to emerge! She talks all the time with obvious purpose, although her purpose is not always obvious to us. She is eating lots of different things, and we have yet to find a food that she doesn't seem to like. She even eats avocados now despite her previous trepidation. She has tried at least nine different types of cheese; she loves vegetables; and she even likes spicy, Cuban beans and rice!

Wren has also learned to cry when you tell her no! She looks very sad, and is actually able to produce real tears at will. She is also able to stop crying in an instant if something strikes her as funny or interesting. It is actually quite humorous, but we are also pretty impressed that she has developed such an advanced skill at the ripe old age of one!

She continues to be a source of constant joy and entertainment for us. We are so lucky to have the privilege to be the parents of this amazing little person!

Teeth!

2008-04-15T14:34:00.004-04:00

The picture says it all. As of last Thursday Wren has three (3) teeth! It took a long time, but they're here. We'll work on some good pictures of her smiling (just about the only time you can see them).

One Year Old!

2008-03-25T22:28:00.017-04:00

This past weekend was full of fun! On Saturday we went to Wren's first Easter Egg Hunt. She didn't really grasp the concept but had fun picking up the eggs nonetheless. She "found" six eggs, pretty good for a one-year old.

Sunday we had a birthday dinner/party for Wren. Gran and Grandpa (Evan's parents), Uncle Aaron and Aunt Jane (Evan's brother and sister-in-law) and Poppy and Nonna (Teri-Lee's dad and stepmom who were visiting from the Nashville area) all came to dinner. We prepared a dinner with grown-up foods that Wren could also eat. She sat at the table with everyone and enjoyed the dinner as much as anyone. After dinner we opened presents! As always, the wrapping paper, boxes and bows were as much fun as the items inside.

After presents we all had homemade cake, including Wren who had her own tiny little cake made just for her. She seemed to enjoy smooshing the cake in her hands and smearing the chocolate icing across her face. She did eat a bit too!

Tomorrow is Wren's actual birthday and Teri-Lee is off from school, so all three of us are planning to spend the day together. She has a few more presents to open and we are planning to go for a walk in the park downtown and have lunch out.

So many changes . . .

2008-02-25T14:18:00.004-05:00

We're still waiting to hear back from the attorney for our scheduled court date for a re-adoption. It should be pretty soon and this will finalize everything.

Wren is changing everyday it seems. As you can see below she is now pulling up to stand on everything. She even stood without holding on to anything for about five seconds a few nights ago. Her personality continues to develop and her sense of humor never ceases to amaze us.

She still doesn't have any teeth, but that doesn't stop her from trying new foods nearly everyday. She had macaroni and cheese (homemade, not from a blue box) the other day and loved it. She even tried three fancy cheeses that Mommy and Daddy were eating for dinner last night.

Today we went by Gran and Grandpa's house so that Wren could have her picture made amongst a flock of flamingos. Their church is doing a "flamingo flocking" fund raiser and they were the first recipients of the flock. They now have to make a donation to send the flock to someone else's yard.

Wren is taking her first trip away from home without her Daddy this coming weekend. Mommy is on vacation for the next two weeks and she and Wren are going to west Tennessee to visit Nannie (Teri-Lee's grandmother). Gin Gin (Teri-Lee's mom) is joining them as well. Wren and Mommy will be fine . . . not too sure about Daddy!

Quick Note

2008-02-16T09:32:00.002-05:00

I just wanted to make a quick post and let everyone know that our final bit of paperwork will be returned to our attorney on Monday for Wren's re-adoption. This process finalizes the adoption in the US and means that we can apply for her Social Security card and also results in a US birth certificate which is required by most school systems for a child to attend school.

More soon!

A Fun Little Video

2008-02-08T22:38:00.000-05:00

She's a pretty happy baby . . . see for yourself.

Congratulations!

2008-02-05T21:27:00.000-05:00

Wren is a big "second" cousin! Evan's cousin Rachelli gave birth to a little girl yesterday around 1:00 pm. Congratulations to Rachelli and her husband Craig!

Evan's brother Aaron and his wife Jane are also expecting in late August so Wren will be a big 1st cousin soon too!

UPDATE: Rachelli & Craig's baby has been named! Welcome to the world Bayla Malka Simon! Bayla and Malka are the names of Craig's maternal and paternal grandmothers respectively. Bayla is an old Yiddish name and Malka is a popular Hebrew name. Mazel tov to both parents and all of the grandparents!

Boy I'm Tired

2008-02-05T21:19:00.000-05:00

I LOVE my jumper! Yesterday I jumped until I was sooo tired I couldn't hold up my head!

Yay for Mommy!!!

2008-02-01T16:54:00.002-05:00

Wren says:

Today Mommy told me that she passed her board exam - I am not sure what that means, but she sure looked happy, so I am too!!!

Post Christmas and New Year Slow Down

2008-01-16T21:44:00.000-05:00

Now that we have made it through all of the holidays, I thought we would make a new post and fill everyone in on how things are going . . . GREAT!

Wren's personality is really starting to show and she really has a beautiful personality. I know what you're thinking . . . that's just a proud father opinion. You're right! But in all honesty, she really is turning into a fun, funny, energetic and loving little person. It is all that we can do to keep up with her, and I'm not sure what we are going to do when she starts walking!

We met with our social worker last Friday for our first post-placement adoption report. This document is prepared by our agency here in Tennessee, Harmony Adoptions. We then pass it along to our international agency Adoption Advocates International who then pass it along to the Ethiopian government. We do this type of report at 6 and 12 months and then yearly until Wren is 18. The yearly updates are a requirement of the Ethiopian government.

We spent Christmas traveling this year. After a quick visit by Teri-Lee's dad and step-mother, we went to Honeyoe, New York (outside Rochester) to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas with Teri-Lee's step-brother and family. Teri-Lee's mom and step-dad also made the trip and it was alot of fun, despite our headache getting there and back via Northwest airlines! Wren enjoyed the wrapping much more than presents, and there was plenty of paper!

After New York we traveled to Sharon, TN to spend a few days with Teri-Lee's grandmother (Nannie) and her aunt and uncle. Her mom and step-dad followed us there from New York. The visit was restful and fun, but it was nice to head home on the 28th.

We then celebrated Christmas with my mom and dad and brother and sister-in-law a few days before the New Year. We stayed home for a nice, quiet New Year's Eve.

Now Teri-Lee is back to school, counting down the days until graduation in May. I am back to work two days a week and other days here and there as needed. Wren is settling in nicely to a routine and has become a good jogging partner as I prepare for the Knoxville Half Marathon again at the end of March.

Does Wren like Avocado?

2008-01-15T16:14:00.000-05:00

You be the judge . . .

Isn't she cute!?!

2008-01-08T20:54:00.000-05:00

Sorry we haven't posted in some time. With Teri-Lee going back to school, things have been a bit hectic. We have lots of fun Christmas pictures to share and we'll make another post soon with some of our favorites!

Home Two Weeks!

2007-12-09T20:37:00.000-05:00

Two weeks have come and gone and things are great!

Wren and Daddy have spent their first week at home alone after Mommy went back to school. Being a stay at home Dad is great.

The week was filled with a variety of fun activities including Wren's first Holiday Party. Our friends, the Colcloughs had a great party and 2 of Wren's fellow "Zoo Baby" friends were also there.

Daddy and Wren in her holiday party dress and hat

Today all three of us spent the day at home, finishing our Christmas shopping and wrapping and just being together. All of the dogs are adjusting well to having a new baby human sister and Wren doesn't seem phased at all by the dogs (except when they lick her face!).

Richard and Wren hanging out

Welcome to the Zoo Family

2007-12-02T19:08:00.000-05:00

Saturday was a big day for Wren! Her first birthday party and a "Welcome" shower from all of Evan's co-workers at the Zoo.

In the morning we went to our friend Sheela's daughter Maya's second birthday party. Sheela and her family put on a CARNIVAL party that was great. They had set up carnival games for all of the kids, complete with prizes for each game. Crafts were set up for the kids as well. This was all topped off by carnival foods of all kinds (popcorn, cotton candy, candied apples, hot dogs, nachos, etc.). Wren took it all in and even enjoyed being held by several of Sheela's family members.

Later that afternoon we went to a Welcome Shower that Evan's co-workers at the zoo gave for us. We were overwhelmed by the number of people who showed up and by the PILE of gifts that we opened. Wren of course took it all in like the champ she is. She even helped us open the gifts. Here are several pictures from the shower.

The outpouring of support from our zoo community of friends was really touching. Between 40 and 50 folks showed up and all had well wishes and very nice words of welcome for Wren. Thanks so very much to everyone who was there it really meant a lot to both of us.

Life at Home

2007-11-29T17:32:00.000-05:00

Wren has had a great week at home so far. She and the puppies have adjusted well to one another. She doesn't even mind them barking or sniffing her face.

Wren's first meal in the highchair!

Today we put up the Christmas tree and put out a few more decorations, then we went to the Vet School so that Mommy's friends could meet Wren. It was a lot of fun!

Richard, Gin Gin and Wren reading a book

Saturday is going to be a fun day . . . the folks at the zoo are throwing a "welcome" shower for us and Wren. We can't wait for everyone at the zoo to meet Wren.

I like hats!

We're Home!

2007-11-27T16:39:00.000-05:00

Thanks to everyone who came out to the airport on Saturday afternoon. It was great to see you all. Here are some pictures to enjoy of the homecoming festivities.

Today we took Wren to the pediatrician. It was a trying experience as it was the first time that she has really CRIED! And boy did she cry! (Mommy and Daddy cried a little bit too!) Now she is in bed sleeping it off. Isn't she cute!

Egg Rolls or Craps?

2007-11-24T13:28:00.001-05:00

There is a certain gentility about European flight attendants, that was sorely lacking in our crew on United from Chicago.

When breakfast was served, we heard over and over from one particular flight attendant, "Would you like egg rolls or craps?" What was actually being served was an omelet roll up type thing and crepes, not crap!

Anyway, we are in Chicago and our little girl is here! She is official, and even the tough Immigration officer that processed her paperwork gave her a smile!

She's done great on the flights so far . . . just one more short flight!

We hope to see you all soon!

Love,

Evan, Teri-Lee and Wren

Friday in Addis

2007-11-23T09:29:00.001-05:00

Today has been very relaxing. We spent the morning in and rested in preparation for our long journey home. Wren napped, we napped and we more or less just enjoyed being with each other.

This afternoon we went back to Layla for the "Good-bye Party". Typically they don't do them for babies, but another family who was adopting sisters had one that was 4 or 5. It was great. The children her age all sat around the tables and sang songs and cheered. It was quite emotional, both for us and the other family.

I spent some time with the older children before the party and played a bit of soccer with them. It was a lot of fun and I really hated to stop, but the sun and altitude were pretty hard on me.

Most all of the older girls gathered around Teri-Lee and Wren and talked and cooed at Wren. She was well known and loved by everyone at Layla House including many of the kids!

Today we also were given a letter written to us by the American volunteer that was here and spent a lot of time with Wren in here early days here at Layla House. We can't wait to get home and share some of our pictures with her and let her know who Wren's parents are.

We also got Wren's Ethiopian passport with the visa stamp already

affixed. All of the ladies at Layla said good bye and all of us were teary eyed by the end. It was an awesome experience, one that I won't soon forget.

Leaving here is bittersweet. In one way I am ready to be home, but I am a bit sad leaving Wren's birthplace. We can't wait to see everyone at home tomorrow! Please stop by the airport if you can, we'd love to see you all. Our flight is United 7920 from Chicago at 4:45 pm.
--
Love,

Evan, Teri-Lee and Wren James

P.S. for Gran

2007-11-22T11:27:00.001-05:00

We got your message last night - we couldn't get to the phone in time!

The times on the blog are not the times we are posting, but I can't say that we are sleeping very well either!

Finally, please don't forget to the bring the little book for people to sign to the airport. It is in our car, maybe in Wren's carseat. I think I put a pen with it too.

Love,

Evan, Teri-Lee and Wren James

Happy Thanksgiving from Addis

2007-11-22T11:24:00.001-05:00

Tomorrow is our last day in Addis, and while we are very happy to be bringing Wren home to meet all of you, we are also a little sad to be leaving.

Today we visited three museums and the Lion Zoo (using the word zoo lightly here – compound may be a better choice!). We also met our friends Margo and Dave one last time for lunch and did quite a lot of walking, which was nice. Most of the places that we have been are too far away from our hotel to walk, but today we were able to walk around to all of the museums, to the place we met for lunch, and then back to the hotel.

Walking around in the city is an amazing experience. I have never seen so many people in one place before, even in bigger cities like New York and London. There are people all over the sidewalk selling things and offering shoe shines, plus there are a lot of people just walking around and getting on and off buses. Unfortunately there are also a lot of people living on the streets, most of which are women with young children or older women and men. It has been difficult to see this, knowing that Wren could have ended up this way or worse, and not really being able to do much about it.

Love,

Evan, Teri-Lee and Wren James

Our friends Margo and Dave with Wren

Wednesday in Addis . . . Part II

2007-11-21T11:52:00.001-05:00

We had our embassy date today and it went well. Basically we just signed some papers and swore in front of the clerk that Wren was the baby that we had been referred. Truthfully it was a bit anti-climactic. However we did get her official birth certificate and several other documents.

Tomorrow we head to the "zoo" and then to the museums. We plan to meet our friends Margo and Dave at the Lucy restaurant near the museums and the university. We are starting early, so we should have a full day. We didn't make it to the Crown Hotel for traditional dancing tonight, but we may try again tomorrow. Wren's dinner and bedtime begin about the same time as the dancing!

We still haven't been able to upload pictures, so everyone will have to wait until we get home. A high-speed Internet connection in Ethiopia is a bit different than one at home. We'll add them to the blog once we get back.

--
Love,

Evan, Teri-Lee and Wren James

Wednesday morning in Addis

2007-11-21T02:54:00.001-05:00

We are doing a bit of shopping this morning at the hotel. They have some very nice shops here with a wide variety of local merchandise.

This afternoon we go to the Embassy for our appointment to receive Wren's passport and visa. We leave here at 1:15 pm. Tonight we plan to go see traditional dancing at the Crown Hotel.

In case any of you were worried that Teri-Lee was being left out of what we now refer to as the "Projectile Poop Incident", Wren peed on Mommy this morning!

--
Love,

Evan, Teri-Lee and Wren James

PS Our Luggage is Here!!!

2007-11-20T11:18:00.001-05:00

That's all!

Our Top Five

2007-11-20T11:17:00.001-05:00

A countdown of some other memorable things that happened today:

Number 5 –

Learning about 10 new Amharic words

Number 4 –

Innumerable feyeul (goat), beug (sheep), lam (cow), aheya (donkey), gemeul (camel) and wusha (dog) meandering about unattended everywhere

Number 3 –

Evan being frisked before entering the bank – three times!

Number 2 –

Evan seeing about a dozen life birds (For those not in the know these are birds that he has never seen in the wild before, and it is quite a big deal!)

And finally the Number 1 memorable thing that happened today . . .

Evan changing Wren's diaper in the van on the way back to Addis (apparently a little prematurely) and catching projectile poop in his bare hand! Luckily neither of us vomited, but it was a close one.

Love,

Evan, Teri-Lee and Wren James

Ameuseugenallo (thank you)

2007-11-20T11:16:00.001-05:00

Today we learned that this Thanksgiving we will have even more to be thankful for than we thought. We are, of course, thankful for our beautiful daughter, but we are also thankful for all of the people that we met today.

We drove about 2 hours south to the region of Adama where Wren was found. We met Mulu Feakdu and her neighbor, Tsehay Abera, who found Wren where she was left, right on Mulu's doorstep. Mulu works at the hospital, and she believes that the person who left Wren knew this and hoped that she would take care of her.

We also met some of the nurses at the hospital who cared for Wren when she was brought in for medical care. We saw a photo of her on the day she was brought in and also got to read some of her medical record (the part that was in English). Based on this information, the photo, and what we were told by these wonderful women, it is a miracle that Wren is even alive. She was much sicker than we really knew and could have easily died.

Needless to say this is a day that neither of us will ever forget!

-- Love, Evan, Teri-Lee and Wren James

Monday in Addis

2007-11-19T10:42:00.001-05:00

This morning we three went back to Layla House to visit and have a
tour. We took lots of pictures of the children staying there and took
pictures of Wren with her "Layla Mommies". It is obvious that she was
very well cared for and truly loved by everyone there. We also got to
visit with the pediatrician and his nurse, and we got her health
records to bring home. Our friends Margo and Dave went with us, and
Margo had a great time talking with the pediatrician on staff. Margo
was very impressed, as were we, with the medical care available to the
children.

This afternoon we went shopping and found lots of great things for
everyone back home!!! We also bought Wren a couple of traditional
outfits and Evan picked out a set of jewelry to get her for later.
She, as usual, took everything in stride and did just great! Of
course she was well rested after sleeping for 9.5 hours last night!!!
She slept much better than Evan and I did.

We have word that our luggage is on a flight that arrives tonight
around 9, so I think that Wren is going to stay at the hotel with
Margo and Dave and Evan and I are going to make the trek back to the
airport to retrieve our things. They said that we had to get them in
person because of customs regulations.

Tomorrow morning we are going back to Layla House and will ride from there with the social worker to the region of Adama and the town where Wren was found. It is about a two hour drive from here, or so we've heard.

So far we have really enjoyed being here. It is a lot like we
expected - lots of people, lots of traffic (but no real rules that we
can discern - although we have yet to see one accident!), the
occasional donkey (walking down the sidewalk alone no less!) and unruly flocks of sheep walking around outside of shopping centers.

Also, for those that were worried that Evan may not get a birthday cake today, please don't fret, as he got three! We got one with our lunch, Margo and Dave brought him one and the hotel staff left a very nice, personally decorated cake in our room. We thought that maybe it was from someone back at home, but the card was signed by the hotel's general manager. They asked for his Birthday when we checked in, so I guess that is how they knew.

Well, I probably need to go, as Wren is squealing loudly in the middle
of the business center at the hotel.

We will write more tomorrow once we get back from our day trip.

We Love You All,

Evan, Teri-Lee and Wren

She Happy Girl!!

2007-11-18T10:24:00.001-05:00

The caretaker at Layla House (the orphanage) who wrote in Wren's update report that "She Happy Girl" couldn't have been more right!

Almost 8 hours have come and gone and not a real tear has been shed, even after her first nap with Mommy and Daddy. We were afraid she might be a bit scared when she woke up in a strange place.

What Wren has done today:

Met her new Mommy and Daddy

Rode in a car (without a carseat) to the grocery store and hotel

Met our friends who are also here visiting

Had a bath!

Drank a bottle

Went to lunch with Mommy and Daddy

Flirted with the servers

Took a nap

Ate some baby pears

Took a giant, gross poop

Sat and helped Daddy type this post

Now we are off to get a quick check up by our friend Margo (who is a pediatrician) and then off to dinner. We will write more tomorrow and hopefully get some pictures posted as well.

Love,

Evan, Teri-Lee and Wren

She's ours!

2007-11-18T05:49:00.001-05:00

We went to the orphanage this morning . . . we're having a bit of trouble posting pictures to the blog. Hopefully we can get it working by tomorrow.

If you want to know what she looks like, imagine the most beautiful and cute thing you've ever seen and multiply that by 1000!

She's yet to cry and seems happy about any and everything!

More soon!

Love,

Evan, Teri-Lee and Axumite Wren

A list of things we heard from our balcony this morning

2007-11-18T00:11:00.001-05:00

Call to prayer from the nearby mosque

Dogs barking and playing

Pied crows calling

Black kites screaming (on the original post I said they were tawny eagles, but after more and closer observation, I correctly ID'd them as kites)

Roosters crowing

Pop music from somewhere in the hotel (we think!)

Church bells

Addis Ababa has a lot to say at sunrise!

In Two Hours . . .

2007-11-18T00:06:00.001-05:00

We made it to the Hilton Addis Ababa last night around 10:30, sans luggage. Thankfully we have most everything we NEED in our carry-on pieces. The next flight that might have our bags isn't until tomorrow!

But, none of that really matters now, because at 10:00 am (2:00 am EST) we are being picked up here at the Hilton by folks from the orphanage and we are going to get WREN!!!!!

Pictures to come soon (we hope!).

Us outside the Bole Airport, Addis Ababa.

Achtung Bitte!

2007-11-17T02:33:00.000-05:00

We are in Frankfurt - only 8 more hours or so to go!

One Leg Down . . . Two MUCH LONGER Ones to Go

2007-11-16T17:23:00.001-05:00

We're about to board the plane in Washington, DC for Frankfurt. So far so good. The flight ahead will be 7 hours 45 minutes. Not too bad for two adults . . . we'll see what 8 hours with a 7 month old is like next Friday/Saturday!

We love you all and are overwhelmed by everyone's wishes of love and support!

We leave tomorrow!

2007-11-16T00:54:00.000-05:00

In about 12 hours we will be on our way to pick up Wren!

We will try to post from Ethiopia sometime on Sunday afternoon or Monday morning.

One week from today . . .

2007-11-11T06:33:00.000-05:00

One week from today, Teri-Lee and I will be holding Wren!!!!!

Happy Babies!

2007-11-01T19:05:00.000-04:00

We just thought this picture was cute! Can you find Wren? (Hint: look for the one staring at the camera!)

More New Information about Wren!

2007-10-30T20:38:00.001-04:00

We got a departure update on Wren today to help us prepare for her. They report that she is eating mashed fruits and vegetables and pieces of pasta, in addition to her formula and cereal. They also told us that she loves "frengi" (white people). Apparently she was very small when she first arrived at the orphanage (she still is pretty little!), and a volunteer from the U.S. spent a great deal of time with her. They said that since then she responds very positively to Caucasian visitors and loves to be hugged and cuddled.

We are looking forward to hugging and cuddling her ourselves and hope that she loves her new "frengi" parents as much as we already love her!!!

Wren's Birth Certificate!

2007-10-30T17:28:00.000-04:00

Teri-Lee received an email today with a PDF of Wren's birth certificate! Her birthday is listed as 26 March 2007 or by the Ethiopian calendar as 17 July 1999. Although we don't really know her actual birthday this is the day we will celebrate.

We will also celebrate her "Gothca" day which we think will be 18 November, one day before Evan's birthday. As she gets older we will let her decide which of these days she wants to celebrate with her friends and which she wants to observe with just her family. Some adopted children don't like to celebrate their birthdays as they associate them with the loss of their biological parents. Also, Ethiopians don't traditionally celebrate birthdays at all.

Her birth certificate was issued yesterday, 29 October 2007. The birth certificate included a photo, which we think is going to be her passport photo as well. We have included it below for your viewing pleasure.

Our Travel Plans are Final

2007-10-29T17:22:00.000-04:00

We have just finished speaking with our travel agent and our tickets are being booked as we speak. We will be leaving Friday 16 November at 2:30 pm, flying to Dulles (D.C.) then Frankfurt, Germany, then on to Addis Ababa. We are flying Lufthansa Airlines.

We return on Saturday 24 November the same route except that from Frankfurt we fly to O'hare (Chicago), then to Knoxville on United 7920 arriving at McGhee Tyson at 4:45 pm.

We hope that anyone who is able will come to the airport to meet Wren and welcome her home!

She's ours, she's ours, she's really ours!!!!!

2007-10-24T20:51:00.000-04:00

Today we got an unexpected e-mail saying that our case had been processed in the Ethiopian courts and that our Embassy date is scheduled for 21 November. This means that if all goes well we will be in Ethiopia for Evan's birthday and for Thanksgiving this year, and Wren will be home before the end of November! We will be working to get our travel plans finalized by the end of this week and will post them when we can.

I wonder if they have birthday cake or turkey and dressing in Ethiopia?

Wren's Physical Update

2007-10-18T17:04:00.000-04:00

Today we finally received Wren's physical update. Apparently the director of the orphanage in Ethiopia tried to send it to us back in September. The director here in the States that forwarded the report to us said that sometimes emails coming from Ethiopia with attachments don't get through.

Anyway, as of September 24th she weighs 5.8 kg (12.8 lb), is 65 cm (25.6 in) and her head circumference is 40 cm (15.7 in).

The report is written by one of the orphanage caretakers and I have quoted it here:

Medical concerns since the last report:

Axumite is healthy baby she is doing fine.

Observations of the child:

Axumite is doing very well. She sits with support. she hold an object in each hand and transfer object from one hand to the other. She make baby sound. And she feeds by spoon with support. she happy girl.

Prepared by: Tsige petros

Needless to say we were very happy to receive this update and we will hopefully get a few more now that our court date has been postponed. This new picture was also included in the report:

Court News - Two

2007-10-17T06:57:00.001-04:00

Teri-Lee and I were notified yesterday that our court date has been rescheduled for October 29th. This was a real disappointment for us as we had hoped that with the closing of court last week our case would be rescheduled for this week. There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to how the cases were rescheduled. The Ethiopian court system is really hard for those of us here in America to understand.

We were also told that we should receive our travel dates later this week. With this delay it appears that we will now travel toward the end of November, which unfortunately means we likely won't have Wren home for Thanksgiving.

Please check back to this site often as we will be updating this blog as we learn new information.

Pictures

2007-10-16T07:06:00.000-04:00

We have had a few people ask for new pictures of Wren. We haven't received any new pictures for some time but here are a few from the camera that was returned to us. I think these are different then the ones we sent out in a previous email.

Court News

2007-10-15T17:44:00.000-04:00

For those of you who are waiting to hear about our court case . . . you’ll have to wait a bit longer. We just found out that the court was closed on Friday the 12^th to celebrate Ramadan. This is a bit frustrating as we weren’t expecting them to be closed. We have not yet heard when our new court date will be, but we are hoping that it will be early this week and that we will get our travel dates very soon.

As soon as we get new information we will post it here.