Saturday, February 05, 2011

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.

16 comments:

Lindsey said...

Congrats on being officially official!

ChiTown Girl said...

Awwww...I SWEAR I was going to say EXACTLY what Lindsey said!

I love Tomas' new haircut! Is there a story behind it?

Becky Nakashima Brooke said...

BEST POST EVER!!!

Beth said...

Love your family.

And I need the name of your lawyer!

See you Monday with unfrozen sheet cake.

Jared at work. I should be reading my book (another hit by Melissa Faye Greene) and not reading blogs. But this, of course, was totally worth it! Love to you.

rebekah said...

Congratulations!!!

Jess said...

Dammit, you're way ahead of me...I still have all the finalization paperwork sitting here staring me in the face.

Tesi, that's one damn good looking brood you've got there!

And that hair cut is making me think...


Congrats Klipsch family!

Unknown said...

Bawling, love reading your blog! Thanks for happy tears tonight!

M and M said...

Splendid. And so cool, because Blueberry's name is also Anshebo. Your boys are the first I've personally heard who share that name.

Grandma Sue said...

Hi-I was introduced to your story at the last Water 4 Christmas event. (We are friends of Beth and Jared Johnson). Your blog made me cry--to see your pics together. Last night I attended a fundraiser for my church in Iowa City where Father Moses Berry, a black Orthodox priest spoke about--well, it's hard to put into words, but about the pact between caring white Americans and blacks. Amen to that and you have a rich heritage of melting that American pot! Thanks for inspiring.

ChiTown Girl said...

I meant to ask you yesterday -
what do the names Birhanu Anshebo mean? Did you also give Tariku those middle names?

Anonymous said...

I love that you asked them. I wish my little guy were old enough so I could ask him. What a great example you set.

Kim said...

I am a brand NEW reader here, but I just had to comment to say CONGRATULATIONS! What a big day to log in the memory box :O). You have a beautiful family!

Cindy said...

I LOVE it!
LOVE LOVE LOVE
I am happy for your boys. Happy for all of you!
Woot! Woot!

Cort said...

Aw, that's so exciting!!! I was really hoping I'd be in the courthouse the day you guys were there, like I was when you were there for Tariku (even though I didn't say anything that day because I felt dumb).

Adoptions are the most awesome thing that happen at the courthouse. I cry at every single one. The first one I did was with this judge, and I was something like 18 months pregnant or whatever, and I was bawling by the end, because she was bawling by the end. She's incredibly sweet, and she really takes all the adoptions seriously and personally.

Congratulations!!!!

fiddlehead said...

Brings such joy to my heart....beautiful forever family.

Tiffany said...

Look at those smiles!! I LOVE this post! Congrats.