Bring Love In

"On August 17, I will run a half marathon in a national park not far from where my family still lives, and where I lived for my first 5 years of life. I am running to raise funds for Bring Love In, an organization that unites women who are widows with children who need mothers. Bring Love In also works alongside families who need just a little economic help (about $40 a month) so that they can keep their children with them, and out of orphanages."

Read the rest here: www.thelostdaughters.com/orphans-and-economics

We are supporting Aselefech. I hope you can too: www.crowdrise.com/RunForEthiopianChildren/fundraiser/aselefechevans

First month of summer

Weekend 1 - We meet my sister's family for a two-day rail-to-trail bicycle ride with a night camping in between. A rides all sixty miles on his new bike. D rides thirty miles, alternating between his bike and a tag-along, with the remaining thirty miles in Yiayia's car. Proud of both boys. Amazed that they still have energy for soccer, swimming and the playground after finishing their rides.

Weekend 2 - We drive to Maryland and hang out with my brother's family. Swimming. Bike riding. We love being out in the country. And the amusement park. And World Cup soccer on the big screen.

Weekend 3 - T takes the boys to visit his sister's family in Massachusetts for July 4th. They ride bikes, eat ice cream, hike in New Hampshire, explore in Vermont. I stay home with the dog. Oh, bliss.  Oh, long walks and yard work, oh, my clean house.

Weekend 4 - A turns nine. Legally, he turns eight, but after our trip to his village, we know he's nine. We had celebrated his eighth birthday in the winter, knowing he was at least six months older than his legal age, but it will be a summer birthday from now on, and we will consider his birth certificate wrong by one year.

In between we visit parks around Philadelphia, hang out with our wonderful neighbors, set up a basketball hoop, play at the park. I start teaching two new classes. The boys go to camp starting the second week of summer. They play outdoor games, swim every day, go on field trips. They love it, but eight hours is a long time for D to follow the "hands and feet to yourself" rule. I start a daily ritual of wrestling with him every afternoon, both to give him that full body contact and to keep A from getting kicked in the head so much.

Good summer so far.

What was it like for an agnostic adoptive family in Ethiopia?

Honestly, nobody cared. Very few people asked about religion. We were blessed a lot, and I blessed people right back. The few who did ask were surprised that we don't follow a religion. They thought it was funny. As if I'd said, "We don't eat solid food." They laughed and moved to a different subject.