The Richardsons

Annie Marlene. She specializes in picking out her clothes herself. You can see in the outfit she is wearing a green top with a pink whale on it. She has orange capris with flowers on them, snow white socks, and cinderella shoes. She has added some nice accessories as well which include a gold muchroom necklace that her mother used to wear as a child and a blue hair brush to keep her beautiful. This outfit is not available in stores and is valued priceless. Stuff I thought I'd never hear myself say, "Annie please don't use the kneeler as a trampoline. Stuff you hope your child doesn't say at the top of her lungs in church, "Mommy my barbie has no clothes on!"

Weather Update: Speaking of moisture in the air, the months just leading to the rainiest months of July-September are the most humid. The temps climb because true summer is coming, but we experience occasional brief afternoon rains, followed by sun that leave us sweltering. The water table is very low, so we are hoping for more substantial rains soon for our wells.

Quick Facts Capital Monrovia Government Republic Currency Liberian dollar (LRD) Area 111,370 km 2 Population 3,042,004 (July 2006 est.) Language English 20% (official), some 20 ethnic group languages, of which a few can be written and are used in correspondence Religion indigenous beliefs 40%, Christian 40%, Muslim 20% Electricity 120V/60Hz (USA & European plugs. NOTE: there is no unified electrical system so bring adaptors for both) Calling Code +231 Internet TLD .lr Time Zone UTC EAT Like anywhere, travelers can find meals in Liberia to be either surprisingly expensive or enjoyably cheap. It all depends on where and what one eats. For Western-style or Middle Eastern food at restaurants in Monrovia like Diana's, Plaza Pizzeria, Beirut Restaurant and others, a meal will cost about US$15 per person. Eating at the Mamba Point and Royal Hotel restaurants can be even more expensive, although one can also find inexpensive ite...

5 Weeks from today! Let the countdown begin! WE WELCOME YOUR COMMENTS We have a book, similar to a baby book, for both Abigail and Emmanuel. It's called 'Our Chosen Child.' We plan to print some of the blog out and save it for them and will add any of your comments if you would like. It will be fun for them to look back and see all the people who followed their journey along with ours and were excited for them to join our family.

Today I had a pin on given to me by Scott's Mom when she went on a mission trip to South Africa. It has a beaded white girl, black girl, and brown boy on it. They are all holding hands. I have been wearing it a lot lately, keeping my kids with me. Annie saw it today and asked me about it and I told her it was to represent her brother and sister who would be coming home soon. I said do you remember their names? She stopped for a moment and then said, Manuel? I was so impressed as I didn't think she had picked up that much. I talked with her more about the adoption and compared it to one of her favorite movies 'Annie' which ended up being a mistake because she then asked if we were all going to live at Daddy Warbucks' house. Tonight I was trying to go to bed when I overhear Annie and Scott talking. Somehow the subject of Foxy, (Grandma and Grandpa R's dog) comes up and all of a sudden she blurts out, "I go stay with Baby Maddie and Grandma Charlene a...

I remember it like it was yesterday. I was in Kenya on Semester at Sea. Semester at Sea was a study abroad program through the University of Pittsburgh, but instead of going to one country you went to 12 (mostly 3rd world countries) and had your classes on a boat. We had already seen some extreme poverty and been to the poorest villages in South Africa where Apartheid was just ending. I was in Kenya coming back from our Safari. We were on a bus and there were hundreds of people on either side of the bus, mostly women and children with no shoes, the women carrying things on their heads. The children were stopping and waving at us. It was obvious these were people trying to survive. I thought right there and then, there are so many kids in this world that deserve a better life there is no reason for me to bring several of my own children into the world. I always kept that moment with me. I often wonder what some of my other classmates from that experience are doing. When times...

I admit it, I'm totally biased FOR black people, especially native African black people. I have no idea why. Even our one black photographer at work said to me one day, you are our black reporter, because I love doing stories with the people in North Minneapolis which is predominately black. Today, I was in the parking lot of the grocery store and this guy was having car trouble and I could tell he was from Ethiopia. When I asked if he needed help, that was confirmed. His starter was out and he needed to push his car to a parking spot instead of in the middle of the parking lot. So Melville (the guy who collects the carts, also black, not that it matters) and I pushed his van with the Ethiopian flag on it I noticed later, to a parking spot. I offered him my cell phone but he said he had a friend coming. I go back to our minivan (my co-worker called me minivan Mama and I now have a strong affection for the term) and get Annie. Meanwhile we come out of the store and I almost ...

First of all a big shout out to my Aunt Nancy...my most faithful blog reader, she checks this everyday without fail! Happy Mom's Day Nanc!! With six weeks to go until I officially have three children I have reached a whole new level of psychosis. The emotional roller coaster I rode before I had Annie is coming back for another spin. I remember two weeks before giving birth I must have felt that Scott was not being attentive enough and stopped him on the basement stairs and laid it on the line, "I need to be the QUEEN of your universe NOW." On Saturday it hit me. I am completely overwhelmed and have 64,000 things to do in the next six weeks and Scott why are you sitting down? What are you doing??? Do something. Um, you are breathing incorrectly, is that the remote in your hand??? Cause there is no time to hold the remote, we need to figure out rooms, plant the flowers, mow the lawn, get the visas, make the plane reservations, and the vacuum is not picking stuff up!...

www.mercyships.org Some of the amazing humanitarian work going on in Liberia

We will be taking albums for others families' children and about 80 pounds of stuff to the AFAA house from Cheryl. Cheryl was telling one family the children like to put the albums under their pillows and then added, "Liberia has the WORST pillows I've ever seen but that is all that is available." She says the pillows are very lumpy. Cheryl also says, "One of the things I saw that all the children need are thin, sleeveless, T-shirts. The kids sleep in them - it is so tremendously hot there and we raised our compound walls to about 8 or so feet so it blocks any tiny breeze." There are now 30 children with more coming in at the AFAA house.

Scott and I went to the Infectious Disease and Travel Clinic yesterday to get vaccinated against a lot of things that don't look like fun to have, yellow fever, typhoid, malaria. They also gave us two sets of strong antibiotics just in case. At first I said oh, just give us one set whoever gets sick first can get them, then I pictured us on the plane with two kids we barely know both running to the bathroom with the runs, uh, maybe we'll take two sets of those drugs Most of the diseases of concern are from mosquito's but we also have to be careful with water, drink bottled or canned, stay away from anything made with water like lemonade or ice-tea, watch the salads, eat fruits with peels like bananas or oranges instead of strawberries and grapes, and wear a lot of bug repellent. As we were getting our instructions, it was all coming back to me. Although it's been 13 years since I've been in a 3rd world country I remember all the precautions you have to take. I al...

If it's Noon in Minnesota, it's 5:00 p.m. in Liberia. They are four hours ahead of East Coast time and five hours ahead of Central time.