I had a letter written, but Christmas came and went before I got a picture to put with it. Now I have a picture, but I am wondering if people even still want a card. I neglected to send one last year, thinking I'd send some sort of letter after Isaac was home (I did send out some Adoption Announcements), but the letter thing never happened, and here I am. Now missing 2 years in a row. Those 10 people who actually send me cards are gonna give up and quit.
So, dear Bloggies, consider this your New Year card. In case I never actually print and mail them. (Think of the postage I'll save!) Also, If you are an avid bloggie, you already know all this. :)
Since 2010 has now come and gone, Welcome to my 2011 New Year Letter!
2010... Ah, the good old days.
First and foremost, on January 1, 2010 we were able to travel to Ethiopia and come home with our son Isaac! He turned 2 in February, and has now had a year to adjust to life in the US. He adjusted like a champ, actually. He is a fast learner, and such a joy. He loves giving hugs (especially if he gets a running start), reading books and watching football with Ababa (Amharic for "daddy"), tho he is a mama's boy at heart. He also loves anything that is a truck/train/plane/automobile, and almost anything that is food. Lately, he has also become a big fan of anything wrapped in colorful paper.
He has been such a tremendous blessing over this past year, that we are excitedly waiting to be matched with another little boy from Ethiopia! “Baby Brother” will most likely be arriving here sometime in late 2011 (ish).
Other exciting events for the year include spending a week with Sheresa's family on the lake in May. It is always good to get together with family, and we spent the week fishing (for teensy bluegill), playing games, and what became our nightly tradition of “hot tea and billiards while watching crime dramas.” The boys -Isaac and his two cousins Andrew (4) and Logan (1 ½ )- loved playing at the park, and also at the beach, even tho it wasn't that terribly warm out yet.
We were later able to get together with John's family in August for a long weekend in Northern Michigan. We got to see another cousin, Lilly (1) again and play card games and spent a day at Mackinac Island.
We also made a couple long-weekend trips out to The Homeland to see Sheresa's family this year, including a trip to see Sheresa's extended family, and spent the holiday season with John's family as they prepared for (John's sister) KC and Jason's wedding, which was on New Years' Eve. It was a beautiful wedding, and a fun way to ring in the new year, and it was nice to see some of John's extended family again too.
Sheresa was home with Isaac for the first 12 weeks of the year, and then returned to work part time at Family Medicine. She enjoys her job there, and Isaac seems to enjoy daycare and has made a lot of friends. We also joined the local Ethiopian Adoption group and have met some really neat families in the area, and some more fun friends for Isaac. Sheresa and Isaac sometimes join these new friends for playdates on days off.
John is still working at the same construction company. He also plays church league softball and basketball, and keeps up with sports, particularly the Bears and the Cubs. He went on a hunting trip with the men in his family this fall, and did some fishing over the summer.
We hope that God's blessings to you have been abounding in 2010, and even more so in 2011!
Love,
John, Sheresa, and Isaac.
