Let me introduce you to

Tomas Birhanu Anshebo John Klipsch

and

Binyam Birhanu Anshebo Malachi Klipsch

Yesterday we had our final court appearance for the boys. Here in the States we call it the "re-adoption".   Though they've been legally ours since May 18, 2010 (when they went to court in Ethiopia) this little court case signified the beginning of their American citizenship and, sadly, the end of their Ethiopian citizenship.

On Tuesday I told the family what would be happening on Friday.

Me: "So Tomas, on Friday Daddy and I are going to ask the court that they let us be yours and Binyam's mom and dad forever and ever. We are so excited that it will be officially official. But you're old enough. We want you to want us too. So, just think about it, let me know. Let me know if you would like me and daddy as your parents forever and ever."

Tomas: "Oh please, please, yes! Also, does this mean that I get Trysten, Tariku and Dailah forever and ever too?"

Me: "Yes, that would mean that all of us, no matter what happens, will be a family for the rest of forever."

Tomas: "Ok, yes, I want that more than anything. Please, please, let's go there now!"

So that's what we did. And boy was Tomas excited. All week he told everyone what was going to happen on Friday. It made what can sometimes be a perfunctory part of the process seem really special.

This was them before heading in to court.

The coolest part about the deal was that the judge was an adoptive parent. So there wasn't an underlining  tone of, "Well good job for what your doing, etc". Her first comment to us was, "I'm an adoptive mom. I know how amazing it is to build a family through adoption. How beautiful it is." After that, she was aight with me.

At one point she said something like, so let me introduce you to: (and listed the above names).

Got a little choked up. Because their names symbolize that union of all things Ethiopian and American. Their full Ethiopian names and their American names (our last name, obviously, and then the middle name we gave them).

And just like that, we were family.

The best judge ever let the kids pound the gavel to proclaim it so.

Tomas: "We are family!"

Then the rest of them pounded and said, "They are our brothers!"

With our lawyer (who is also the most amazing lawyer) and judge.

Afterwards we went with the rest of our support system to Village Inn.

To celebrate the rest of the day Zach, my dad and my brother took the big 3 snowboarding. The ladies took the 2 littles shopping. :) We also picked up my nephew Eli to hang with us since Leslie and Oliver have been sick for a long week.

It was an awesome, amazing day. This family of mine, it is a blessed, blessed thing.