We had a lovely birthday party for the girls. I thought it might be a bit chaotic, but the weather was good, we were outside the whole time, the kids were happy, the adults were well fed, and a good time seemed to be had by all.

Last birthday, we had a quiet celebration with my mom, dad and brother. But planning this birthday, they decided they wanted the big shindig with friends. Anyone who knows me knows that I love parties, so fine with me! So we had a bugs and butterflies themed birthday, and most of the kids dressed up. Facepainting, colouring, playing in the yard and a butterfly pinata kept the kids busy and amused. The adults even got to visit a little, which was super nice. And to top it off – two cakes! (Of course.) Strawberry cake with vanilla icing for Sugar and chocolate zucchini cake with darker chocolate icing for Spice.

Something we did a little different is that we asked people not to bring gifts. Instead, people brought donations for Faya Orphanage, in the forms of clothing, toys and cash. (and a couple of thoughtful presents for the girls too.) The girls were totally cool with it. And after all the dust had settled and their friends had gone home, we opened the gifts from theirf family members. As the girls are the only grandchildren on one side, and the only girl grandkids on the other side of the family, they certainly weren’t hurting for thoughful, wonderful gifts.

Happy birthday, my darlings! You sure have grown a lot in a year – wow.

The girls, my mom, my sister and I had a wonderful time hiking at Lake O’Hara. It’s just such an amazing, wonderful place… even if we did have rain for the first day and a half.  But us ladies are no strangers to roughing it, so we packed warm and had lots of fun.

It’s an interested unique place for many reasons. First, you are living communally with other hikers from all around the world. You brush your teeth together, cook together, warm up in the shleter together.  We met a lovely family from Isreal on a 5month tour of Canada. They had a ltitle girl the same age as Sugar and Spice, so they really enjoyed playing with her.  We’re going to write her letters close to Christmas time, when she is due home.

It’s also amazing because youreally are just below the tree line, in high alpine. So there are all these fun ground squirrels, picas, snowshoe hairs and other little animals for the girls to spy on. They are micro-level hikers… the spectacular moutnains and vistas were the big people’s delight; the small people enjoyed the animals, mushrooms, lichens and mosses.  The trails are so fantastic that it makes high alpine accessible for four year olds (and grammas too!)

Enjoy the video… It’s fun to take you along. I’m sure Auntie Ena got much better pictures… but mine will give you the idea, anyway. Thanks to my mom and sister for accompanying us! With their help and good cheer, we had a positive, cheery experience, even in dreary weather.

All the time I am amazed at who reads our blog… Here are some of the places people have said hello to “Sugar and Spice” and I: stores, the park, the beach, adoption gatherings, a funeral, a wedding, friends’ houses, Ethiopian hotel, on the phone, on-line discussion groups.

Even though we in no way still get the traffic that we did around the time of our adoption, all of you are still visiting. And I just wanted to say thank you for stopping by! I started this blog for two reasons: 1. to keep up with family and friends, and 2. to provide a resource and perhaps some inspiration for adoptive and pre-adoptive families. Three years later, I consider it a worthwhile endeavor. The bonus has been that this blog is a bit of a journal for me too. I mean sure, I keep it light and don’t share a ton of personal stuff.  but it’s helpful just to catalogue the joys in our life.

Thanks for visiting!

If you have never left a comment before, please leave one below. I’d love to hear why you visit, and/or what you would like to see more of on the Rowan Family Tree blog!

Cheers;

Nicky, Jrock, Sugar, Spice, Maggie, Laughlin, Vega and Haatim. And 8 fish.

A friend who is starting down the adoption path sent this to me – it’s a great perspective of a grown man and his mom on transracial adoption. Worth a look, and perhaps worth watching more from Adoption Learning Partners. I found it refreshing and fun.

We got back from our four day hiking trip – and boy o boy do I have pictures! But that will have to wait because tomorrow is the girls’ 4th birthday party. We’ve been cooking and baking all day! But here is a stolen moment in the garden… in their Ethiopian party dresses, to boot.

With three computers simultaneously freshing refreshing at 7am in the morning, we (J & C and us) by some miracle of fate, managed to secure two campsites for the weekend at Haines Point in Osoyoos. It’s only BC’s busiest campground! But there’s a reason. The small campsite is gorgeously situated in the middle of a lake on a spit; each campsite almost has its own beach, there is a big dog beach, it’s shady with big cottonwoods, etc.

We had a lovely time with our friends a couple of weekends ago. The girls hadn’t spent time with their friend Tigger most of the summer, so it was so nice to reconnect and just chill.

Since we got married, my husband has cheerfully allowed me to drag him up and down a few mountains. But as a prairie boy, it isn’t really his thing. It’s my thing. So I figure, if I want my girls to experience the Canadian wilderness the way I have experienced it, it’s up to me.

One pair of boots is a little more tarnished than the others.

So off we go this weekend… our intro trip. We’re hiking at Lake O’Hara, up in the alpine meadows of Yoho National Park. It’s supposed to rain, but what the heck. It’ll still be fun and lovely. We’re going with my sister and my mom – just us girls! The girls actually told me they thought hiking was a girls-only activity; I had to explain it’s not a segregated thing… just this trip~ no boys allowed!

Everybody has a different lifestyle and living experience. These snapshots from the last couple of weeks does give a hint of ours, anyway. Busy busy busy! but with lots of time for the improtant things, such as play and gardening, fmaily and friends.

BTW: You will see some pics of Sugar and Spice’s friend Tigger.  Guess what? she is going to have a new sister. Check out the Drinkwater’s blog for the cute pics of tigger’s new sis!

Last time I showed pictures of my garden, it was for my friend L in Calgary. But this time is for a very nice Iranian gramma, whose baking I had the pleasure to sample (and SO enjoyed!)

We’re in full harvest mode, as you can see… there are veggies every day and we give a lot to our neighbours and friends.

The veggie garden going nuts. Behind you can see some blackberry brambles are producing too.

Our apple and pear trees don't have much fruit this year. Well, the other apple did but the branches were torn off in a storm.

The girls playing in their splash pool by the peach tree. Later the same day, one branch broke off from the weight of the peaches.

And here are the peaches form one branch, all trying to sun rypen.

The side garden – not bad for a first year. The thyme I've had to add to, since Laughlin often runs over it.

 

But the perennials seem to be doing well, especially the back-eyed susans and the hollyhocks.

 

A few words from Spice about her yellow Ethiopian scarf, and scarf wearing in general. You get a sense of how she talks. (Although she is more verbose when not being taped. Aren’t we all…) She got this scarf at the women’s weaving cooperative near Entoto mountain, in Addis Ababa.

Of all the strange places in the world, I finally bought my very own injera pan in… wait for it… New Norway, Alberta. Look it up on google maps and you’ll know why I was surprised. 

Jrock and I were taking a round-about way home, wandering through the secondary highways looking for antiques, when we pulled into the unmarked antiques store.

Just when Spice and I were about to leave, what should I see but a PILE of BRAND NEW INJERA PANS! And I mean stainless steel, North American plugs, super duper looking injera pans! 

Well, it makes sense, since Norwegians use the same pans to make lefse (Norwegian pancakes.) But it was still surprising.  So if you want a pan, call the lady there!  She was super nice and is happy to ship them. The pan cost $170ish… but worth every penny if you ask me. I’ve been trying to get my hands on a good pan for ages, and finally, I have one!  Now, I just have to start making better injera….

To buy your own pan…

Call Joan at Nifty Things in New Norway, Alberta. 780-855-2696!

Continuing our eastward journey… we spent several days in Saskatchewan, visiting Jrock’s family and some dear friends.  He grew up in that area, and we also lived together for 5 years in the neighborhood. 

So it was lovely to reconnect with our Best Nextdoor Neighbors Ever S and R… who now hae a little tike.  As well, A  and W: A grew up with Jrock and now lives back in the small small town. Their daughter is just growing and growing! And last, but certainly not least, was Jrock’s family. the girls met their only cousin for the first time, and had a blast with him.  He’s a lovely little boy, firmly planted in toddlerhood, and yet still very sweet.

The girls had several unique experiences, including visitng cows out in the pasture with Uncle K’s dad, chatting up the old farmers on coffee row, peering into a lion cage at the Lloydminster petting zoo (and hearing Mommy’s mixed feelings on petting zoos after,) and antiquing our way through the countryside.

Enjoy the pictures! It almost makes you want to go to Saskatchewan for a pleasure trip. Except for the mosquitos. And the tornados. And the thundershowers. And the muggy heat.  Hmmm… Ok, maybe just the fam visits! I have to say, we miss our peeps, but we are SO very glad that we moved to the Okanagan!

A friend posted a great link on one of discussion boards all about Ethiopian nutrition and medicine.  This excerpt is from a research report entitled “The Traditional Foods of the Central Ethiopian Highlands” .. it goes on to have a detialed desription of the preparation of injera, descriptions of foods and spices… it’s a delicious report!

So if you always wanted to know what Ethioians eat… here you go! It rang completely true with me.

Plant origin foods

Cereals. The most important cereals are tef, corn, sorghum, barley wheat and millet. Tef is native to Ethiopia and a number of varieties are available. The most common are white (nech), red (geyy) and a mixture of these two (sergegna). The kind of tef most preferred is white tef. In order to get the bread as white as possible, upper-class families may wash the seeds several times.  Corn, sorghum, barley and wheat are grown at different altitudes and are used instead of or together with tef. Emmer Wheat (Triticum dicoccum) is a cereal recognized as a suitable food for children. Millet is used in part of the region, mainly for the local beer.

Legumes. The next group of importance is legumes, the most common being chickpeas, field peas, lentils and broad beans. The legumes are used in the sauce (wot) whole, split or as flour, but are sometimes toasted whole (golo) and eaten as a snack with coffee.

Vegetables. Onions (mainly red onions) are grown in large areas and used in huge quantities. Kale (yabesha gommen) is the next vegetable of importance. It is cheap and is available for most of the year. Pumpkins and green chickpeas are used when available. Cauliflower, cabbage, red beets, tomatoes, etc. are grown mainly for consumption by foreigners.

Tubers. Potato (Solanum tuberosum), sweet potatoes (Impomoea batatas) and in the Oromo communities Oromo potatoes (Coleus edulis) are used in the staple diet.

Spices. Spices play an important role in most countries in Asia and Africa, and Ethiopia is no exception. Some of the spices are grown in Ethiopia, either cultivated or wild, and others are imported, mainly from India. The most important spices are chili and bird’s-eye chili. These are used in the spice mixtures berberre and mitmitta.

Fruit. Fruit is not grown in large quantities in the central highlands. The most common fruits are lemons and bananas. Of less importance are pawpaw and orange.

Oilseeds are important cash crops. Niger flax, sunflowers and safflowers are grown in large areas. Most of the oilseeds are used for producing oil, and the oilseed cakes are exported for cattle feeding.

Foods of animal origin

Milk. The amount of milk per cow is small. Fresh milk is mainly given to small children. From milk is prepared sour milk, butter and low-fat sour-milkcheese (ayib) (see below).

Meat. The meat of the cow, sheep or goat is eaten in the staple diet. Wealthy families can afford to serve this kind of food often but the majority of the population are poor and can serve meat only on ceremonial occasions, such as religious feasts. For big feasts the cow’s meat is served raw immediately after the animal is killed. The raw meat is spiced with the spice mixture mitmitta or awaze (see below).

Chicken are common, but the eggs are mainly kept for sale, and the chicken are killed for big feasts.

Fish. Tilapia and Nile perch are available in the lakes. Fish is of very little importance in the staple diet, because of the poor transportation system.

We always enjoy going to visit our friends and family in Calgary – we just never seem to have enough time!  But this time, in two days, we crammed in an Ethiopian lunch with Nona and Auntie ; Butterfield Acres and a splash park with our hosts K, L and Leo (as well as more Ethiopian food!); a Roughriders/Stamps game/tailgate party (for Jrock) with his best bud K, and lunch with K the next day. …Whew.  Fun though!