Melkam Gena!

Melkam Gena (Merry Christmas), K!

Today in Ethiopia it is Gena (or Christmas). If your Mom could actually write in Amharic, it would look like this, መልካም ገና. But your Mom can't, but she knows how to copy and paste. So last year for Gena, I made my first Ethiopian meal. I fixed injera and Alicha Minchet Abishe. The injera was horrible, but the Alicha Minchet Abishe wasn't too bad. The injera making has improved over the past year, but would be better if I had an injera maker like they do at Hannah's Hope. K, I don't foresee me getting one of these any time soon.

So at one point I had hopes of getting to celebrate Gena with you in Ethiopia. How cool would that have been? Well, that didn't happen, so your Dad and I did the next best thing. We drove to Chicago to eat at Ethiopian Diamond. During the drive we talked about all of the great things we could order. The first decision we made was ZilZil tibs. I want to say this was our first choice each, from there we just started listing favorites. We really wanted shiro. Mmmmmm, shiro. 

As we got close to Chicago we laughed about the way Daniel took us last time.(Daniel is our Garmin. He also prevents arguments in the car. Daniel rocks.)  It was crazy. He took us on the Dan Ryan, State Street, Ohio, Michigan, Lakeshore Drive, and then Broadway. On the way home, he took us from Broadway to Lakeshore to 55 south. Yep. We decided we would ignore Daniel, no matter what he said and go Lakeshore Drive. I love driving along the lake. My favorite part is when we get to the buildings in the Goldcoast area. Beautiful. We saw the sign for the Chicago History Museum, your Dad said we should go. I told him we have been there. I talked about the Chicago fire exhibit, he didn't remember it, the music exhibit, he didn't remember it, Mrs. Palmer's dresses, he didn't remember it. Finally I reminded him about the little boy "going" on a tree in the park. He remembered. 

Eventually we got to Ethiopian Diamond. We wished our waiter Melkam Gena. He was impressed we knew it was Gena. We looked at the menu to try to finalize our decisions on food. We went with the Tour of Ethiopia. We selected for it ZilZil tibs, Doro tibs, lentils, and dinich alicha. We couldn't substitute the shiro for any of our veggies. (super sad there) Of course, we also got sambusa. mmmmmmmm sambusa. 

{This is what we ate in Ethiopia, we didn't take a picture of today's meal.}

K, I know you don't know this, but you celebrated Gena with us. As we ate, we had your picture up on the table. We talked to you during the meal. We made plans. We remembered that a month ago today, we held you. A month ago today, we got you to smile for the first time. K, it has been a hard month. A month ago today, we left Ethiopia. We so want and need to go back to Ethiopia, so we can bring you home. Plus, we need to introduce you to Ethiopian Diamond. Our waiter and waitress loved your picture K. :) We have had them both before, I think they will like you joining us there.

Following lunch we headed to a place we have never been before. We have heard people talk about it and its awesomeness, but before today we have never experienced. I am referring to Buy Buy Baby. From Ethiopian Diamond, Daniel took us on an interesting route to get there. We saw parts of Chicago we have never seen before. (Don't worry, they were good parts.) We got to Buy Buy Baby and were overwhelmed. It has everything. Although Gena usually isn't celebrated with gifts in Ethiopia, we got you some stuff. Most importantly, you got something I told your Dad you couldn't have until you were older. This isn't exactly the one we got you, the back doesn't say anything, but it is close. . .

{source}

Cutie, I am so praying we hear from Embassy this week to come back to get you. It is time for you to come home.

Love,

Mom

K, your Dad wanted me to make a correction. "Rose" is on the back of your jersey. It is an authentic D. Rose jersey.