A Sixth Tiziversary is just around the corner

Six years ago Courtney and Paul were in Ethiopia meeting Tizita for the first time.

I can't even put into words the emotions that were running through my mind at that time.

In many ways, I imagine it is similar to when a daughter is in labor with your grandchild, but in so many ways it is very different.

I was teaching Preschool at the time, but I don't think I was very effective while I waited to hear any word from Courtney about their meeting.

I do remember a call coming through during one of my stories and the relief I felt at hearing that Tizita was healthy, happy, and enjoying her time with her parents.

I could not wait to meet her.

On September 12, 2008, just two weeks after Alissa and Nathan's wedding and just a few days after John got a new job, we met Tizita Desta for the first time as she walked off a plane from Ethiopia and into our hearts.

I will never forget that moment.

I cannot imagine our life without our sweet Tizita.

We love her so much.
The reason that I came up with the idea of a Tiziversary was so that we could celebrate the day that we met Tizita.
We could take time each year to remember those feelings and to share them with Tizita.
Each year, I try to come up with a fun theme, usually involving something that Tizita enjoys at that particular time in her life.
I wrote a song for the Tiziaversary that we sing each year, I bake or buy some special cake, and we go out to eat at the Ethiopian Cottage in Milwaukee.
This year she will get the gift of gymnastics at a big gym in Oshkosh, she will also get a personalized gymnastics bag, water bottle, and hoodie.
We will have homemade cupcakes with little gymnastic girls on them.
All my items were purchased from Etsy.
I am excited to share them with Tizita, I know she will love all of it.
Here are some photos from previous Tiziversaries.

This is from her first Tiziversary in 2009

She loved Curious George at that time, so that was our theme.

 We used pandas as the theme for the second Tiziversary since she had just seen the pandas at the National Zoo in Washington D.C.

Here we are at the Ethiopian Cottage in 2010 celebrating her second Tiziversary.

Her third Tiziversary involved Princesses.
2011

Her fourth Tiziversary, 2012 was centered around this Barbie cake that I created.

 And last  year on  the Fifth Tiziversary, we gave Tiz a set of drums, so everything revolved around those drums.
Such happy memories.
So much to be thankful for.
Never in my wildest dreams did I think my grandchildren would arrive from halfway around the world, but I thank God everyday that He had the perfect plan for our family.
I am so excited to celebrate another Tiziversary.
I will post about all the things we did after the weekend.
I will close with this sweet face, which is the way Tizita looked that very first time I saw her!