Updated Picture...or 2 :0)

We are home, we happy, and we are tired.  WE haven't had a toddler around the house (other than nieces and nephews) for awhile now.  We are re-living the melt-downs, tantrums, drama....you name it.  With the language barrier it makes it that more difficult, but we are excited to see what comes of it all.  Teaching boundaries, and learning more of God's grace each day.  Here are some recent pictures of Aregash.  

She's still REALLLLL cute!

 YES...she's dressed!!

 Our first outing to Target :0)

Things tend to get a little lot ugly sometimes.....it's not always peachy, but we're working on it.  The boys were trying to help us get her jammies on.  She is REAL particular about what happens to be ON the jammies (clothes) like flowers...not such a big fan. 

We're HOME and all is well.

Here are a few pictures to hold you over until I find the time to write about our trip and God's miracles.  Your prayers were felt.  Thank you.

 Our first day with her again.....

 Awwww....outside!  I think this doesn't happen much--they LOVED it!

 Back after two days gone to Durame.....she was sooo excited to see us...ready for America!

 showing her all of her fun things...new clothes, shoes, toys.......she just squealed the whole time.

 Ready to go!

Time for Embassy date....ended up not going :0(

 Ready for Embassy date #2...this time things worked out beautifully!

 

at her farewell ceremony in her traditional dress,
with the forbidden drink...yet who tells them NO? :0) 
she gave it all back in the car ride home. :0(

 Flying like a champ.

 the airport in Amsterdam....she heard a dog bark. ha!

 brother (wundim) and sister

 all 3 wundim and she LOVES them......they adore her.

 HOME at last.

Thank you God.

Thank you for giving us this precious baby girl to care for. 

Thank you for having Trust and Faith in US, when we falter in our Trust and Faith in YOU!

YOU are amazing.

HERE WE GO!!!!! We're off to Ethiopia!!! Would you like to see HER?????

HERE SHE IS!!!!!

Here is our little beauty. 

 

Her name is Aregash Dejene, 

pronounced O (aw) de (short e) g (hard g) osh (like gosh)

Her first name means "to make stable" 

and her last name is her Father's first name, 

which means "My Protector".  

These are the pictures we received of her the day we were "matched" or referred on June 22, 2010. 

These are the pictures that came through sideways on my email! 

I was in awe from the first moment I saw her.

  

Then in October we were sent this picture.....

She had changed soo much that we wondered if it was our same precious girl.  

Chubby cheeks gone and more hair......

but the same smile and twinkle in her eyes.

So we traveled across the world to meet her for the first time

and call her "OURS" in front of the high courts of Ethiopia 

on November 24, 2010.

And this is the day we met.......

The second day.....

she was ready and waiting for us when we got there.

Lots of smiles this day!

Do you see the twinkle?

Time for goodbye....for now. 

I love this one.  Time for nap with toys in tow.

And our last day in Addis Ababa with our punkin....

She came down with the same head-band/bow 

she had been given by another family the day before.  

That's my girl.

Aregash Faith Dejene Chiolis

Just the beginning of The Beginning.

These are some of my favorite pictures, but you can see more by looking at the book below. 

And then when we return there will be more to share!  

I can't wait to share her with you all!  

Please pray for our trip, our health, our safety, our hearts, and our boys back home.  

My love to all of you........

my friends I have met through this amazing experience, 

and those who have prayed for and supported us along the way.  

You are such a God-given Blessing.

We return January 28th at 3:15 for anyone who would like to meet us and share in our joy!!!  

We would love to see you!!!

With peace in my heart and a smile on my face..........HERE WE GO!!!!!

 This is the book I made as a gift for our baby's sweet Birth-Family to take with us when we meet them.  

It is not only to help them remember her and see our family, 

but mostly to thank them for the most-amazing, self-less gift in the world. 

We are grateful.

You can click on the link to make the pages bigger.  And you can slow the pages down by pausing on the top of page.

Click here to view this photo book larger

Less than 2 Days to go!!!!

And we will leave for Ethiopia!!!  Soo happy.  Couldn't be more excited!!  Almost done with starting to pack! Ha!   

 Thank you to Martin Luther King Jr. that we can join our families of different races without judgment....or at least not as much.

Happy Day!  We ARE soooo blessed.  I have stamped on every t-shirt package I have sent out.....a famous quote from Dr. King, "FAITH--Is taking the first step, even when you don't see the whole staircase."  This last year we have lived by this.  Hence the reason her middle name will be FAITH.  Our family is now complete BECAUSE of FAITH.  
Both figuratively and literally.

 Check in Wednesday morning to see the beautiful punkin girl who is joining our family forever.....pictures to come. :0)

 We are in love.
And it's real.  It's really happening.  
We are having a girl!!!
i so love pink.

Six more!!! leaving on a plane to Ethiopia, that is...and then she'll be HOME!

 Six more days.......I'm not even close to being ready...emotionally, YES.......not so physically.  
That won't stop me though!!!

Ethiopia...here we come!!!
Can't wait to bring her home!

Eight...count them....8 MORE DAYS TIL WE BRING OUR BABE HOME!!!!!!!

I am shopping, packing, making photo books for the birth family, cleaning, doing laundry, making lists for our boys' care-takers, and trying to get some t-shirt orders out!!!!!  We are soo excited that in eight VERY short days we will return to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to see our precious little girl, then go to meet with her birth-family, grab her visa at our embassy appt, and then we bring her HOME---Friday, January 28th....3:15 (please meet us at the airport) !!!!!  I can't believe it's finally happening!!!  We have been blessed this week with t-shirt orders to help pay for the costs of this last journey.  Our punkins one-way plane ticket cost us $600 MORE than ours!!  Can you believe it??  So I am asking that if you feel it in your heart to help us with just a few more expenses, we would be soo grateful.  It hasn't been easy to ask. This is an understatement.....it has been painful to ask.  This process has been soo humbling, and these shirts have provided a great amount for our family.  Our friends and family have been soo great and are all adorned in our shirts.  If you don't have one, or know someone who may enjoy one, we would be soo grateful.  You can order to the right side with PayPal or you can send a check snail-mail addressed to Kendra Chiolis, 3795 S Valley Dr, Rapid City, SD, 57703.  You can see more pictures of the shirts by clicking HERE and scrolling down.  If you have questions about sizing you can email me at cholo5@wescomm.com.  Please keep in mind we will be leaving next Wednesday, but I will get back with you when we get home.  I have a goal to sell every single shirt I have left!!  There are a LOT left, but the sizes I have the most of are the large & x-large in women's, all sizes in men's, and baby shirts sizes 9 mo.-18 mo.  You can see all the sizes and colors on the ordering panel to the right>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>. :0)

 I will try to update one more time before we leave and maybe even sneek a picture of sweet baby "A" in for you to gawk at until we return.

Peace and Blessings to you all, dear friends!

Help Bring Baby "A' Home.......in less than TWO WEEKS!!!!

Dear Friends,

I am taking this wonderful opportunity to show-off my t-shirts one more time before we travel to Ethiopia to bring "her" home...for good.  I am elated, ecstatic, delighted....you get the picture!  I'm just soo HAPPY!!  As always, every cent from t-shirt/necklace sales will go directly to our remaining travel expenses (they may be remaining for a very long time :0).  So if you so desire to "grab" a shirt, you can do it by clicking on the link on the right sidebar of this page.  And just soo you know, we will be forever grateful for all of the love, support, prayers, and blessings we have received.  I will post as many pictures as possible so you can see the many colors available.....but it's also listed over there>>>>>>>>

Youth Sizes Available in several colors

Baby and Toddler sizes in LOTS of colors!!  
Sizes for the whole family!

The Daddy's.....

 and the Mama's 
are wearing them......

 

women's colors

They're for cousins......

and teachers......
we love them all!

 

**front**

We will NOT leave them as orphans.......

**back**

One child at a time!

We CAN make a difference!

Coming for baby "A"......to her family who loves her.

Just 13 more days until we leave on a 25 hour trip of a lifetime.  

 Join us.

Embassy Date!!!!

Dearest Friends,
A little note to tell you that the worrying, wondering, waiting....well, it's OVER!!!!  Today we received THE email that we are going to get our baby girl from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in just two weeks!!!!  Woo Hoo!!  We leave Jan 19th and return Jan 28th.  Thank you all for your prayers and support during this amazing journey!  It is just about complete and I couldn't be happier!  Soon, she will be in our arms....forever.

So I better go start packing.

God, You are always soo great.
Hallelujah is right!!!!