RAYNE DINKNESH

Why Rayne Dinknesh?

Rayne  - Jeeva, in his wisdom and discernment, came up with her name.  Rain brings life, refreshment, fruit, blessing...and so will Rayne's life. She has already brought so much new life to our family and we trust that she will do the same for many others. Ezekiel 34:26 And I will give the rain at the right time, and I will make the shower come down at the right time; there will be showers of blessing.

Dinknesh  - her given name at birth from her birth mother. We went to Ethiopia not certain how, if at all, we would use this name. Shortly after arriving in Ethiopia, Jeeva and I agreed this was our little girl's name. We answered to this name, and so did she. We heard the nannies look in her eyes and say her name, "DINK-I -NESH" in a beautiful way. We met her birth mother and listened to her heart of naming her baby. This name means, "you are amazing" and her birth mother explained that she knew that this little girl would grow up and do amazing things. Of course, then, this would be her name! When we returned home I felt more natural calling her Dinknesh than Rayne. I still call her Dinknesh in our home at times, and she looks at me and gives me a precious smile when I call her this. Does she remember??? I don't know what she remembers, but it will be a way I call her and let her know ...I know everything about you and I love all of it. I embrace your past and all of you. I love you Dinknesh.....although, I can't quite say it as beautifully as the gracious women of Ethiopia.

Not so Newborn Photos!

We captured some more formal shots of Rayne in her first month here. She was almost 6 months in these pictures. Brothers and all...

The Third Child

The Third Child sometimes has to put herself to bed on a dish towel in the middle of the kitchen floor!  

Three kids in another notch...I think a bigger transition than two!  There is something about three...Rayne's grandma summed it up well as she watched me feed Rayne a whole, only slightly peeled banana..."With the first kid you carefully pick out the banana, peel it, cut it in nice little slices and carefully set them in front of your child.  The second kid - you just grab any old banana, chop it a little less perfectly, and hand it to them.  The third child you just grab a banana, slightly pull back the tough peel, and hand it to them whole!!!

With that said, Rayne won't eat a banana now any other way now.  They just adapt, fit in, just do life as they need to.   Birth order personalities are true (which I sometimes wondered before having children) Makes you wonder why you spend so much time the first time choosing the perfect banana and cutting it to perfection!  But, you do...because you can.   Wherever they fall in our family we love them and embrace all that they are all and all that their environment has created them to be!   And no worries - Rayne is not suffering from lack of attention! :)