Ethiopian Kid's Community Family Picnic

Last Saturday, we went to the Ethiopian Kid's Community Family Picnic. This is a gathering that Children's Home Society, our adoption agency, puts on every year to celebrate all the families grown through adoption from Ethiopia. There was good food, an Ethiopian coffee ceremony demonstration, and Ethiopian wares for purchase (Jeff got a bag of whole Ethiopian coffee beans and Shahra a variety of "pretties" for her hair). Shahra won a beautiful Ethiopian doll accompanied by children's book describing the experiences of an Ethiopian girl named Saba. Tracy is ordering a beautiful print of the Ethiopian countryside.

There were over 600 people attending and it was fun to hear their stories. We met American families who came from as far and wide as New Hampshire and Indonesia. We even met a couple who adopted triplets! Although Ethiopian adoption is exploding, it is a small world yet, and we got to meet a variety of parents and children we have heard about or communicated with online and elsewhere. Going to such a gathering brings our family a certain sense of relief, as does any opportunity to gather with families who look just like ours. One can't help but feel a little bit different from most other families in the world (and, in fact, we are different), and it feels good to go somewhere we can fit and blend into, to talk to others with familial experiences similar to ours, and to engage in the spirit and ethics of community that brings all these families together.

Tracy's parents joined in the celebration as well. They attended last year's picnic and enjoyed learning about Ethiopian culture. We appreciate that they are so involved in Shahra's life. The week before the picnic, Shahra was in Grand Forks playing with "mum-mum" and grandpa. Tracy spent the week scrapbooking and packing while Jeff worked.