Saturday, September 1, 2007
Ezra Abera Greenup
This is a post about a little baby we met in Ethiopia. His family was there the same week we were. They used the same agency we did and had the same Embassy appt. date & time. Read the post for August 23 and know what God can do. www.greenupfamily.blogspot.com
Thursday, August 30, 2007
I found it!!! Peanut Butter Chews
For years I have wondered about a cookie bar I used to have in grade school. I've never had it since and just figured it was one of those things I would never get to enjoy again.
Well!!!!! Lo and behold the recipe was in our local paper yesterday. They had a back-to-school feature and this was it. The recipe was distributed by our local school district. I was so excited that I had finally found it.
Today I made it and they are so good. Steve tried to joke with me and said, "Oh, I don't think you'll like these. You shouldn't even try one." Good try, but no cigar. They were wonderful!!!
Here is the recipe:
Peanut Butter Chews
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons butter
2 cups sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup peanut butter
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup rolled oats
Glaze:
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons peanut butter
4 1/2 teaspoons very hot water
Combine butter, sugars, peanut butter, eggs and vanilla in a mixing bowl. Mix, creaming well.
Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Add rolled oats and mix well. Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture. Mix until well blended.
Spread the batter into a greased 12-by-18 inch cookie pan with sides. Bake at 350* for 25 to 30 minutes. Do not overbake.
For the glaze: Combine powdered sugar and peanut butter. Gradually add hot water. Spred glaze on warm Peanut Butter Chews. Cut while warm. Cookies will have a chewy consistency.
Makes 32 bars.
(From the San Diego Unified School District Food Services Dept.)
Well!!!!! Lo and behold the recipe was in our local paper yesterday. They had a back-to-school feature and this was it. The recipe was distributed by our local school district. I was so excited that I had finally found it.
Today I made it and they are so good. Steve tried to joke with me and said, "Oh, I don't think you'll like these. You shouldn't even try one." Good try, but no cigar. They were wonderful!!!
Here is the recipe:
Peanut Butter Chews
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons butter
2 cups sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup peanut butter
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup rolled oats
Glaze:
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons peanut butter
4 1/2 teaspoons very hot water
Combine butter, sugars, peanut butter, eggs and vanilla in a mixing bowl. Mix, creaming well.
Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Add rolled oats and mix well. Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture. Mix until well blended.
Spread the batter into a greased 12-by-18 inch cookie pan with sides. Bake at 350* for 25 to 30 minutes. Do not overbake.
For the glaze: Combine powdered sugar and peanut butter. Gradually add hot water. Spred glaze on warm Peanut Butter Chews. Cut while warm. Cookies will have a chewy consistency.
Makes 32 bars.
(From the San Diego Unified School District Food Services Dept.)
Anna is sick
Anna is still sick. Today her fever was 103.4. She pretty much just lays on her dad and naps. She threw up this morning. Yesterday it so bad she got three of us at one time. Gross............... Baths for two girls and a shower for me! Her top tooth broke through. Could this be how her body acts when she is teething? She doesn't have any other teeth so we have no idea. We take her to the doctor tonight to see what he thinks.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Settling In
Now that we've been home for a week life is getting back to normal. My suitcases are unpacked and things are put away. The girls have settled in nicely and seem to be thriving.
We took both girls to the doctor on Friday night. I knew Adah had an ear infection in ET, but Anna started tugging on her ear and I had my suspicions. Sure enough she too had an ear infection. At least it was only in one ear! For some reason Anna is not feeling well, we've been sick at our house with fevers and colds but no one has thrown up, and she threw up after we went down our winding road to soccer practice. Do you think if I had a used car seat she would have thrown up? Oh no! She just HAD to initiate the brand spankin' new car seat. Yuck! She continued through the evening and we stopped all formula. Amazingly she fell asleep on Joe without her bottle.
Saturday found us at Steve's annual company picnic. Here they met their Aunt Joanie who has called for daily updates and would periodically call throughout the nine months to see how things were going. She was over the moon with the girls and is so in love with them!
Sunday found us at church. It was the first time the girls went and they did splendidly. Anna slept through the SS hour and Adah slept during the church service. They were loved and adored my everyone and we couldn't have been any happier to be there. There is something special about our church family at Mapleview. We love them!
Later in the day we went to my aunt and uncle's home for a birthday bbq. Sunday was my uncles and my cousin Scott's birthdays. Monday was Steve's birthday so we had a family celebration. Jared, Jake and Arianne came too. The only one missing was Miranda. :( She was sleeping since she works the graveyard shift.
Monday we took them to the international doctor that we have been seeking advice from. She said Adah is the size of a five month old and Anna is on target. She wrote out a game plan for us to take to Kaiser and is sending us a report that she wrote out on each of the girls. Both girls now have appts. for Kaiser to have their post-adoption exams. Adah is not sitting up or any of the things that a normal one year old should be doing. We lay her on a blanket and get her to lay on both her back and her stomach. She needs to strengthen her muscles so she can start crawling and catching up. The dr. advised us to take lots and lots of pictures thinking that in three months she should be much, much bigger.
Well I need to go change a stinky diaper and soothe a whining little girl. Until tomorrow..........
We took both girls to the doctor on Friday night. I knew Adah had an ear infection in ET, but Anna started tugging on her ear and I had my suspicions. Sure enough she too had an ear infection. At least it was only in one ear! For some reason Anna is not feeling well, we've been sick at our house with fevers and colds but no one has thrown up, and she threw up after we went down our winding road to soccer practice. Do you think if I had a used car seat she would have thrown up? Oh no! She just HAD to initiate the brand spankin' new car seat. Yuck! She continued through the evening and we stopped all formula. Amazingly she fell asleep on Joe without her bottle.
Saturday found us at Steve's annual company picnic. Here they met their Aunt Joanie who has called for daily updates and would periodically call throughout the nine months to see how things were going. She was over the moon with the girls and is so in love with them!
Sunday found us at church. It was the first time the girls went and they did splendidly. Anna slept through the SS hour and Adah slept during the church service. They were loved and adored my everyone and we couldn't have been any happier to be there. There is something special about our church family at Mapleview. We love them!
Later in the day we went to my aunt and uncle's home for a birthday bbq. Sunday was my uncles and my cousin Scott's birthdays. Monday was Steve's birthday so we had a family celebration. Jared, Jake and Arianne came too. The only one missing was Miranda. :( She was sleeping since she works the graveyard shift.
Monday we took them to the international doctor that we have been seeking advice from. She said Adah is the size of a five month old and Anna is on target. She wrote out a game plan for us to take to Kaiser and is sending us a report that she wrote out on each of the girls. Both girls now have appts. for Kaiser to have their post-adoption exams. Adah is not sitting up or any of the things that a normal one year old should be doing. We lay her on a blanket and get her to lay on both her back and her stomach. She needs to strengthen her muscles so she can start crawling and catching up. The dr. advised us to take lots and lots of pictures thinking that in three months she should be much, much bigger.
Well I need to go change a stinky diaper and soothe a whining little girl. Until tomorrow..........
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Happy Late Birthday Steve!
Yesterday was my husband's 48th birthday. I have been with this man for thirty-one years. Hopefully we'll have another thirty-one! We spent the day with him going to work, and then both of us took the girls to our international doctor. I met him at his work and we drove together. After we were done with that we took the girls home and then went to PF Changs for dinner and off to Cheesecake Factory for dessert., then shopping for the girls at Target.
I met him when he was fifteen and started my life with him when he was sixteen. He's a wonderful man and would do anything for me. We have a love that I'm not sure most people find in a marriage. If it wasn't for him and for our Lord I know I wouldn't be the woman I am today. Thanks, hon. Love you!
I met him when he was fifteen and started my life with him when he was sixteen. He's a wonderful man and would do anything for me. We have a love that I'm not sure most people find in a marriage. If it wasn't for him and for our Lord I know I wouldn't be the woman I am today. Thanks, hon. Love you!
Wednesday, We're Home!!!
After sitting on the plane for about sixteen hours, we landed in Washington, DC. That was actually a nightmare from mine and Sarah's perspective. We had to go through customs, immigration, pick up our bags and placed them on a cart, secondary inspection because of the girls. Then something was wrong with Anna Mihret's paperwork and we had to stay put for a few minutes. I was holding both girls while Sarah watched the luggage. My arms hurt, hurt and hurt some more. That was finally cleared up and they allowed us to proceed to the next area.
We were able to leave three of our pieces of luggage at the baggage area. Only two made it home. The other was delivered the next day. Of course that was the one I had put the girls paperwork in. Why? I don't know!! I blame it on the fact that I was half delirious most of the way home.
After we dropped off our bags we went and changed the girls and freshened them up a bit. Then we had to hike to probably the furthest check-in counter to get our boarding passes. After our boarding passes were in hand we then walked over to have our bags scanned. We each had a carry-on and a bag. One carry-on had all of our electronics that we weren't able to use, worthless things, and the other was a rolling diaper bag for the girls. We then attached two bags to each carry-on with diapers, bottles and such that we could keep at our feet. When we got to the scan we had two suitcases and three of those plastic bins to put things in. Sarah stood on the other side with both girls after going through while I retrieved our items. Unfortunately I didn't realize that the laptop and DVD player had to come out of their cases. I pled with the worker that we were two women with two babies who had just flown all night and then some and we were very tired and overwhelmed, and asked him if somebody couldn't just take them out for us. He looked at our pitiful selves and took my bag and did it himself.
After that was all cleared up we had to put all the bottles back, put our shoes on, and put everything back in order. We headed over to the shuttle to get to the boarding gate. After we collapesed into a seat at the boarding gate, Sarah went to Wendy's or something and got some fries and a cold drink. We were so exhausted. We waited for a few hours for the plane. It was time to board and get on our last leg home! Another five and half hours and we were done!!!!
Adah would not go to sleep on the plane. I couldn't figure it out because she was exhausted. Finally I took her sleeper off and she went to sleep immediately. I really didn't care what other people thought. I could now go to sleep and she was sleeping. Sarah, the lucky duck, had the only empty seat on the plane next to her so she was able to spread out a little with the older one. Adah wouldn't go to her at all so she was stuck with the heavier baby.
We finally landed in San Diego. Our family and friends were waiting for us! We took the girls into the restroom and put their dresses on before they met everyone. After we got off the elevator we looked and there they were! Dad, Jesse, Joe, James, John, Joel, and Rachel, her mom Brenda and Rachel's girls Evey, Josie and Carrie. The girls had brought black baby dolls for their baby friends and to welcome them to the USA. Rachel and the girls also made up a Welcome Home sign for us. Thank you!
Anna Mihret took to her daddy right away, but as of today, Adah Derartu is still warming up to him. Yesterday at the dr. she put her hand out to touch his shirt, but when he turned around she just looked away. She's not used to men.
Here's a few pictures from our Welcome Home day.
Steve and Anna
We were able to leave three of our pieces of luggage at the baggage area. Only two made it home. The other was delivered the next day. Of course that was the one I had put the girls paperwork in. Why? I don't know!! I blame it on the fact that I was half delirious most of the way home.
After we dropped off our bags we went and changed the girls and freshened them up a bit. Then we had to hike to probably the furthest check-in counter to get our boarding passes. After our boarding passes were in hand we then walked over to have our bags scanned. We each had a carry-on and a bag. One carry-on had all of our electronics that we weren't able to use, worthless things, and the other was a rolling diaper bag for the girls. We then attached two bags to each carry-on with diapers, bottles and such that we could keep at our feet. When we got to the scan we had two suitcases and three of those plastic bins to put things in. Sarah stood on the other side with both girls after going through while I retrieved our items. Unfortunately I didn't realize that the laptop and DVD player had to come out of their cases. I pled with the worker that we were two women with two babies who had just flown all night and then some and we were very tired and overwhelmed, and asked him if somebody couldn't just take them out for us. He looked at our pitiful selves and took my bag and did it himself.
After that was all cleared up we had to put all the bottles back, put our shoes on, and put everything back in order. We headed over to the shuttle to get to the boarding gate. After we collapesed into a seat at the boarding gate, Sarah went to Wendy's or something and got some fries and a cold drink. We were so exhausted. We waited for a few hours for the plane. It was time to board and get on our last leg home! Another five and half hours and we were done!!!!
Adah would not go to sleep on the plane. I couldn't figure it out because she was exhausted. Finally I took her sleeper off and she went to sleep immediately. I really didn't care what other people thought. I could now go to sleep and she was sleeping. Sarah, the lucky duck, had the only empty seat on the plane next to her so she was able to spread out a little with the older one. Adah wouldn't go to her at all so she was stuck with the heavier baby.
We finally landed in San Diego. Our family and friends were waiting for us! We took the girls into the restroom and put their dresses on before they met everyone. After we got off the elevator we looked and there they were! Dad, Jesse, Joe, James, John, Joel, and Rachel, her mom Brenda and Rachel's girls Evey, Josie and Carrie. The girls had brought black baby dolls for their baby friends and to welcome them to the USA. Rachel and the girls also made up a Welcome Home sign for us. Thank you!
Anna Mihret took to her daddy right away, but as of today, Adah Derartu is still warming up to him. Yesterday at the dr. she put her hand out to touch his shirt, but when he turned around she just looked away. She's not used to men.
Here's a few pictures from our Welcome Home day.
Jesse, Steve, Sarah, Anna Mihret, Joe, Mom, Adah Derartu, James in back. John and Joel in front.
Steve and Anna
Mom with Adah, Dad with Anna
Joel, Miranda, Anna and James goofing around on my bed.
On our way home we stopped at our favorite Italian restaurant and had dinner. Then Jared and his wife Miranda came over. We headed to Target to get some items while Miranda and Sarah watched the girls. All is well and we're thankful to to be home.
Monday, August 27, 2007
Tuesday, Our miracle day!
w Today we got up and kind of packed here and there just in case we were able to fly out later in the day. We then went downstairst to the lobby and finished up our souvenir shopping.
It came time for us to get picked up for our embassy appt. We hooked up with Tony and Laura and their girls in the lobby and headed outside since our CWAE ride was running late. Of course the youngest baby messed her diaper while we were waiting. I changed her on a bench and was able to finish before the ride got there.
We piled into the car and headed off for the Embassy. Eyob was behind us in another car. We arrived at the Embassy and had to go through screening. Sarah forgot that she had her camera in her little passport pouch and had to leave it at the front counter. We headed into a little waiting room and I saw the families from another agency that I had seen on the plane on the way over there. This time they too had their new children!
It was our turn to head upstairs. We waited for them to call the "Grieshaber" family to the window. I had to swear with my right hand that all the info was true to my knowledge. When it was all done, Eyob politely told the clerk that our flight was to leave that night. He asked if it were possible to get our passports/visas that day. The response? "Sure, no problem!" WHAT?!!!! I immediately burst into tears. This was a God thing. The ONLY way we got their passports was because the Lord went before us and allowed it to happen. We had our church family and our adoption families praying for us. Our God is a MIGHTY God and only He can miracles.
I headed over to the other families and Lisa gave me a big hug. (I secretly think she is the one who sent me red roses to our hotel room or was it Laura?)(still a big mystery!) Eyob explained that no other family had ever received there documentation on the same day. Sometimes its iffy to even get it the next day. We then had to wait a little bit while they prepared both of them. They called up Derartu Stephen and then Mihret Stephen. (Cute names!)
We raced back to the hotel and furiously packed. I headed over to the little store at the Hilton to look for Benadryl. Knowing that our oldest one was a screamer I wanted a back-up if she got out of control. They didn't have it and again the Lord came through and she slept most of the time. We were able to pack our bags quickly and head down to the lobby to check out. Casahun was waiting for us and off we went to the airport!
We drove through a much nicer part of Addis than I had so far seen and wondered why we were never brought or told about this area. I would have felt safer shopping here. We got to the airport and again mass confusion. Families saying goodbye, people trying to help and this was just at the sidewalk in the parking lot. Casahun walked us in and we retrieved the luggage that was lost on the inbound flight and he took it back to the care center since it was donations. We had left Sarah, Mihret and our carry-ons at a bench while we retrieved the bag. Casahun was going to go, but I had no idea where Sarah was so I asked him and he took me to her. After checking us in at the airline counter he went ahead and left. I tipped him $10 which seemed meager for all the help he had been to us.
With Casahun gone, it was just us four girls. We went and filled out the immigration form and presented that. Passed through that and headed somewhere else to actually fly out. Checked in at Ethiopia Airlines and had just enough time to change the girls into some pjs. and board the plane. We were able to sit in Business Class at the very front of the plane. The girls each had a baby bed that attached to the wall that they could sleep in. Derartu threw up in hers once on the way home, but other than they were both very well behaved, especially for ALL the changes they were going through.
They fed us well, and the seats just about fully reclined. It was time to relax, catch some sleep, thank our Father, and reflect on the events of the day.
It came time for us to get picked up for our embassy appt. We hooked up with Tony and Laura and their girls in the lobby and headed outside since our CWAE ride was running late. Of course the youngest baby messed her diaper while we were waiting. I changed her on a bench and was able to finish before the ride got there.
We piled into the car and headed off for the Embassy. Eyob was behind us in another car. We arrived at the Embassy and had to go through screening. Sarah forgot that she had her camera in her little passport pouch and had to leave it at the front counter. We headed into a little waiting room and I saw the families from another agency that I had seen on the plane on the way over there. This time they too had their new children!
It was our turn to head upstairs. We waited for them to call the "Grieshaber" family to the window. I had to swear with my right hand that all the info was true to my knowledge. When it was all done, Eyob politely told the clerk that our flight was to leave that night. He asked if it were possible to get our passports/visas that day. The response? "Sure, no problem!" WHAT?!!!! I immediately burst into tears. This was a God thing. The ONLY way we got their passports was because the Lord went before us and allowed it to happen. We had our church family and our adoption families praying for us. Our God is a MIGHTY God and only He can miracles.
I headed over to the other families and Lisa gave me a big hug. (I secretly think she is the one who sent me red roses to our hotel room or was it Laura?)(still a big mystery!) Eyob explained that no other family had ever received there documentation on the same day. Sometimes its iffy to even get it the next day. We then had to wait a little bit while they prepared both of them. They called up Derartu Stephen and then Mihret Stephen. (Cute names!)
We raced back to the hotel and furiously packed. I headed over to the little store at the Hilton to look for Benadryl. Knowing that our oldest one was a screamer I wanted a back-up if she got out of control. They didn't have it and again the Lord came through and she slept most of the time. We were able to pack our bags quickly and head down to the lobby to check out. Casahun was waiting for us and off we went to the airport!
We drove through a much nicer part of Addis than I had so far seen and wondered why we were never brought or told about this area. I would have felt safer shopping here. We got to the airport and again mass confusion. Families saying goodbye, people trying to help and this was just at the sidewalk in the parking lot. Casahun walked us in and we retrieved the luggage that was lost on the inbound flight and he took it back to the care center since it was donations. We had left Sarah, Mihret and our carry-ons at a bench while we retrieved the bag. Casahun was going to go, but I had no idea where Sarah was so I asked him and he took me to her. After checking us in at the airline counter he went ahead and left. I tipped him $10 which seemed meager for all the help he had been to us.
With Casahun gone, it was just us four girls. We went and filled out the immigration form and presented that. Passed through that and headed somewhere else to actually fly out. Checked in at Ethiopia Airlines and had just enough time to change the girls into some pjs. and board the plane. We were able to sit in Business Class at the very front of the plane. The girls each had a baby bed that attached to the wall that they could sleep in. Derartu threw up in hers once on the way home, but other than they were both very well behaved, especially for ALL the changes they were going through.
They fed us well, and the seats just about fully reclined. It was time to relax, catch some sleep, thank our Father, and reflect on the events of the day.
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