Cathleen Allison/Nevada Appeal
Cindy Burt still gets misty-eyed - which triggers her husband Lindsay to unconvincingly deny he is, too - as she recalls the phone message two years ago that gave the Carson City couple the name of the 4-year-old girl they were matched with for adoption from Ethiopia.
Now, Cindy is just Momma to 6-year-old Mihiret. The Burt's biological sons Tristin, 6, and Justice, 8, are just her brothers. Lindsay is just her daddy. They are just a family.
"We get a lot of, 'Why not adopt American kids,' but you know we're always asked that by people who've never ever considered adoption," said Cindy, 32.
Lindsay, 34, said the decision to adopt did not come easily. Following the births of their sons, and the news that a kidney problem made it likely Cindy couldn't handle another pregnancy, they still yearned for a little girl.
They looked at various countries - China, Vietnam, Korea, Haiti, Ethiopia - finding something with each that they appreciated, yet the allure of the small African country was too much, and it would draw them back.
"We decided this is a culture we were interested in and would be proud to have in our home. The history is fascinating. The care that the children receive is amazing. The Ethiopian people just adore their children," said Cindy.
"We were definitely wrestling with our motives and we realized, yes we are doing this because we want to be parents to a little girl, not because we think she needs to be rescued, but because we wanted to add to our family," Lindsay said.
Though the process was burdensome and the research endless, the payoff was priceless, Cindy said.
So recently, the family came to another life-changing decision, beginning yet again the 18-month process of adopting another daughter from Ethiopia. To that end, friends have donated household items, and the Burts are holding yard sales to help raise the $20,000 they will eventually need to bring home a child.
They have decided this time they would like to adopt a girl between the ages of 5 and 8. Justice wants an older sister, so he can play "smart games with her."
Mihiret just wants a sister 'cause it's cool.
As for Tristin's opinion? He just shrugs, smiles and says "good" as he climbs into the chair with his mother.
Suddenly tongue-tied is the little boy who, when asked, quickly replied - yes, he and Mihiret are twins.
Cindy chronicles their life in a blog entitled Sweetest Things. It's an honest assessment of her world, her children, and her dreams, chock full of pictures of the seemingly ever-smiling family.
But there's room in their life for one more girl, everyone agrees.
A daughter to make their family complete, said Lindsay.
Oftentimes people commend the Burts for "rescuing" Mihiret, and it makes Cindy cringe.
"This was a really a selfish decision," she said as her family buzzed happily around her. "I mean, we've gained everything."