Our Family's Adventures

Spring Break!

2011-03-30T22:30:00.007-05:00

I am praising God today. He is so amazing. Everytime I think I get it I am blown away by His wisdom. Weyni came home for Spring Break and it was the sweetest time we've had since she's been here. December was great but something has allowed her to trust us differently even since then. It is so strange.The independence she has now has allowed her to trust us more. She is in control of her education and daily life. I think that is empowering to her, but she has our support, love and prayers at home. I don't know what tomorrow holds but I know God is in control. I am cherishing the restoration God is doing. Six months ago I thought my world was falling apart. Even three months ago accepting my daughter wasn't going to live daily in our home shattered my world. I have learned to accept our living situation looks different then some other adoptive families but it is glorious just the same. God reminds me daily shame, guilt and insecurity is not from Him. When I accept He does things again and again outside of the box there is peace. I wish I would quit trying to put Him back in the box!!!

Please continue to pray for Weyni, she is still going through attachment issues daily even in her friendships. It will be a lifelong journey and we will continue to allow God to direct our path. There are still a mixture of regular teen issues with attachment problems. Its so true that once you come to the end of yourself God is there waiting to show you how amazing He is. I know He is more capable of bringing her to Him daily than I ever could. He is also healing the sibling relationships. My girls are writing to each other and crafting together and laughing together. It hasn't been this "real"...uummm ever.

And you know what? She calls me and I get to be the mom. I get to help save the day by fixing things for her. There are no walls that are up that keep her from letting me mother her. Again, only God knew that letting go of her would bring her to us. I try to keep things in perspective, not to get too excited about all the positives, but I know God wants me to take one day at a time....and today is good.

2010-12-28T16:55:00.005-06:00

Wow. It's been a while. To be honest I just haven't known what to say. How to word it. How people would react.

It has been a very long, trying year for us. Everything started falling apart for Weyni and us back in May. It has been difficult the whole time but it became especially trying and unbearable. Weyni left our home in July and has recently came back. She will be attending a boarding school that has had a lot of success with international kids and kids struggling with attachment issues.

God has shown us sooooo very much during this time. I have been on the floor in a puddle crying and also arms thrown up angry. I have been confused... why did God call us to a child that didn't want to be here....why did this little girl have to suffer so much...why does she have to continue to suffer because of attachment issues not caused by her....why can't I have her in my home and get the happily everafter...why do my other children have to suffer so much watching this explosive anger....why can't ....why can't...

Well, we are at a new beginning point now. We are hoping and praying that this is successful. We want Weyni to know that she is worthy of all God has for her. That He is faithful. I have learned that no amount of good parenting, loving, or planning can make your child make good choices. Some very painful lessons have to be lived out. I've learned for myself that God is faithful even when I'm heartbroken and helpless. I know now that in order for God to be that for my children He has to take them on their own journey. I've learned not to listen to all the nay-sayers. I've learned that some people love adoption as long as it all looks picture perfect and when an adoption is near failure then some people blame the parents and take it out of God's plan, they can't possibly believe that it could all be part of His bigger picture. I've learned that people will throw stones and say hurtful things because they have never walked in your shoes. I've learned that there are many families and mothers hurting out there that are too scared to speak up. There are families living through turbulent dangerous times everyday in their own home with no support. I've also learned about God's grace and His love for us as parents. I hope I never judge another parent. I've learned humility. I have also gained amazing friends that have walked though this time with us side-by-side, hand-in-hand.

God has been good to our family. We are stronger than ever. He has healed my other children's hearts and I have gotten to see them offer forgiveness and offer new beginnings.

God is good. So here I am looking forward to 2011. Hoping this is the year Weyni finds her way. I know God will continue to direct our paths. Thank all of you who have been so supportive during this time. Thank all of you who have been praying for us. Well there it is. Have a great New Year's!!

Expectations

2010-04-01T11:17:00.008-05:00

I don't really know how to start this post. Sometimes life is just difficult. Sometimes adoption is difficult. I think we have come to realize that sometimes patterns form in our children that only God can alter. In order for Him to transform that child's heart, they have to let Him in. I felt led to be honest and open up a little about our story. .....

I have to be very careful to protect my daughter's heart, but I feel like its important to be honest. This has been difficult. From the beginning its been hard. I think when you adopt a teenager from a different culture and lifestyle you have to expect that. You try to alter your expectations but don't really account for theirs. Weyni is struggling with false expectations. Expectations of material things, freedom and her reasons for coming here. She came here with her expectation of a "better life". When those expectations aren't met it is so difficult for her to move forward (just like when our expectations aren't met!) We understand the family part was the extra, not the deciding factor for her coming. That is difficult to take in. You really begin to see things clearly through your child's eyes when you understand their expectations. Of course she's having issues with authority she had expectations of independence. She was expecting to be cured from her seizures and is bound by medicines and restrictions. She was expecting to excel in academics and return to her country and she's stuggling because of learning disabilities and language issues. She expected to have a cell phone and laptop...not to be told no because of finances or boundaries.

The bottom line is this....we all have these expectations of our life, or how God is going to use us, or of our children. So we all understand the only way we can accept these broken expectations is to allow Jesus to come in and transform our desires and expectations. We have to let Him come in and shatter our expections and build our heart back up with the desire to serve Him and love Him. We are at that place with our daughter. Praying that she allows God in to transform her desires for her life. We want to see her blossom into the woman God wants her to be. We have to accept that this pattern can't be fixed by our love. That is very important for adoptive parents to understand. It is very difficult to accept. Even when your filling out the paperwork your thinking " love can heal all things". Yes love can heal all things, but only God's love. Even when we're saved we still have to give Him parts of our hearts little by little. And yes I know we read love doesn't heal all things, and we understand these children need more....but down deep we think love heals all things:)

as always I can't accept responsibility for my bad grammar, i love run-on sentences and incomplete thoughts:)

Gotcha Day!

2010-01-11T20:07:00.003-06:00

Freweyni making Injera!

F Bday party!

One year ago today we were very nervously meeting our daughter. I was wondering if she was as tall as they said she was (which would have put her about 3 inches taller than me), I was wondering what she would think of us, how much english she knew.....etc. She was not as tall as they she was and knew less english for sure:) It was such an amazing moment! We embraced immediately and the emotion was completely overwhelming! We played charades for the next week and learned how great sunglasses were. This year has been a full year. It seems like years ago that we spent 30 hours flying back to and wondering if all our kids would love each other. I could have never imagined the journey God had for us.
I am watching our daughter prepare for us Doro Wat to celebrate our special day. She celebrated her 15th bday on the 1st. She is definitely a young lady. She has mastered the art of sarcasm, the mp3 player and how to love her family. She is doing great in school and still loves High School Musical. Here is a few pics. She is finishing up then we're going to eat some injera and himbasha bread!! See that is one of the great things of older child adoption:)

2009-12-10T08:23:00.010-06:00

Okay, I have decided since I never get to post...i'll just make really, really, long posts!

I LOVE Christmas time!! This is such an exciting year too. We have two new additions for Christmas , YAY! Of course it means that we have to have a whole wall just for stockings! I hope all my friends are having a wonderful Christmas Season. We are doing great. We are finally starting to even out a little bit more. Here are some updates:

Weyni- She is doing wonderful. She has quite the sense of humor and is so affectionate. God has truly blessed me with my girls. She loves old movies (YAY!). She always has a book in her hand studying and loves to listen to her Ethiopian music. She is starting to really understand how the family works. That doesn't mean she always likes it, but she definitely is trying. The siblings are even start to work out there own misunderstandings. (Which is HUGE!) She is doing really well at school. She loves her school. It is an international school for first year immigrants. They focus on English and America. For example today they are going on another field trip. They do this a lot. They may go bowling, to the botanical gardens, or to the symphony. She has also made a bestfriend from Somalia. This was a very big deal for her. She has really missed her friends. In January she will celebrate her 15th bday and being here a year. We are so excited. It has been a very eventful year, definitely one worth celebrating.

Peepers- She is doing wonderful. She has a new rat that she loves. She loves having a big sister. Of course she spends most of her time planning for the future. She has to because she plans on having a horse soon. I tell her that might be difficult considering our neighborhood doesn't allow them, but of course that's when she mentions the land she plans on buying. I would say 95% of her life revolves around horses! Kaicee also just has a huge heart for the things of God. I am always impressed at her maturity in this area. She is such a leader in whatever group she is in. She is exceling at school. She won first prize in our city's art show. She was awarded Citizen of the 6 weeks of 6th grade at her school. She got to open up the board meeting in prayer. What a way to start the school year. She serves as Chief Editor of Art in the school newspaper. .......and yes this is the same girl that trains her rats and wants me to buy her a ferret!

Pistol- He is doing really well. He is Catfish's favorite...but don't tell anyone! He is such a good big brother to both of his brothers. Carrot Top's teacher tells me all the time how lucky I am to have such a sweet big brother for my boys. He is so protective over his family! He is always looking for a way to tell someone about the Lord. He loves our new church and is trying to establish some good friends at school. It has been hard sometimes to be the new kid but he's doing great. Overall he loves school. He is really doing great in Spelling and is going to try out for the UIL Spelling Team. He just finished up fall ball where his Daddy got to coach. He loved it because he got to call Daddy, Coach! We seperated the boys room by a tall book shelf and it has changed Pistol's life. He loves it. Now he has a little area just his own. This has made for a much happier boy!

Carrot Top- WoW!! What can I say about my sweet Kaden. He is doing great! He is doing excellent in school. I was very nervous about sending him to school because he finds trouble!! I have been so surprised about how well he behaves at school. He is great as long as you keep him very busy. Lets just say if he's bored he is going to make sure he busies himself, even if its bad. He turned 6 2 weeks ago and lost his first tooth. It was a very sad day for me. He is still my baby boy!! He loves his little brother and is always ready to perform for him. He also loves being a big boy and helping around the house. I'm trying to relish every moment with him because I realize what a big growing year this is for kids. If he stops calling cinnamon rolls "rockin rolls" or starts saying thirty instead of "firty" I think I'll cry!

Catfish- Oh, my precious baby! He is my sweet baby! He is pretty rotten' though. He knows what he wants and knows exactly how to get it. Everyone fears the "little bully"! He got his first tooth in today. He is rolling all over the place. He has already tried to open about three presents! He has everyone of us wrapped around his chubby little fingers. (Except maybe Kaden...I think he knows how to play that game!) Healthwise he is doing really well. He may get his helmet off by Christmas!(YAY) His head is beautiful. If you would pray about this stubborn rash on his head that would be great. He has been on steroid creams and antibiotics because it got infected. He can't wear his helmet while its so bad. He is on the verge of saying "Momma" I just know it! I am so thankful for this precious baby even though he's quite high-maintenance :)

This year has been amazing. We have been in some really deep valleys and set on top of some really high mountains. God has shown me so much personally that I am in awe that he snuck those lessons in! I am so giddy about celebrating Christmas with my sweet family this year. I love having a big family....even when I can't find the laundry room to do the laundry!God is good!

2009-10-14T09:35:00.007-05:00

Okay, so I realize it has been an insane amount of time since my last post....but here I am. The kids started school and I LOVE it. I am always amazed by God's wisdom. It doesn't matter how many times He shows me I am always amazed. God knew what I could handle and what I needed to hand over. The kids are all doing amazing in school. Weyni's school is a perfect match for her. There are other Africans there and just kids that understand culture shock. She is still behind in some of her classes but we're working on that.

We have had some really great highs and some really traumatic lows the last couple of months. God has set our feet on solid ground once again though. He is showing me daily how I just have to ask him and He renews my strength. I love those times when I don't even have to ask Him and he renews my strength and gives me the desires of my heart I didn't know I had. (Yes I know another run-on!) Adopting a teenage girl definitely isn't for the faint of heart! She is precious though. Those times when she is just hanging out and lets her guard down. It truly allow me to see a glimpse of God's love for us. She told me other day "I know I am happy in my heart and I love my family, I just get sad." aka...I have grief and I don't know how to handle it so I act out!!

God has been showing us so many things lately. He has renewed my vision for older child adoption, which I am sad to say had been dampened over the last year. Sometimes when you are down in the valley it is so hard to see God's plan for your life. Then you remember its not important you see it, its just important that you follow whole-hearted!It's so hard sometimes to see your child struggling just to be in this country. You just begin to wonder if this whole thing doesn't make their life more difficult. Sometimes I still don't know, but I know my God. I know what He has called us to do. So I also know that He has planned for Weyni to be in this family since the beginning of time. So I just have to wait for His plan to unfold so I can rejoice with Him. Thank goodness we don't have to wait for His whole plan to be revealed to rejoice! We get to enjoy her here and now.

Well here are some pictures of our re-adoption in the states and our celebration at an Ethiopian restaurant. It was a very emotional day for all of us. Especially Weyni. It was the permission to grasp onto her new life and to release some of the past. It was hard for her to let go of some of the things she's always known. But I feel like she is allowing herself to embrace us now.

One Week Until Our Lives Take Another Turn!

2009-08-15T23:08:00.005-05:00

Well, here we go again. Another life changing event. The kids are starting school on Monday the 24th. God has worked out every step. Peepers got a last minute call from the Fine Arts Academy where they had one spot left. She scored a 91 in Math and a 98 on Reading on her placement tests!!! She will be starting 6th grade in a much smaller school that sounds like an easier transition for her. Carrot Top and Pistol will be going to the same school. Pistol scored a 83 in Math and a 96 in Reading. Praise God. We prayed over his Reading for days.(It is his weakest subject)Then the coolest thing is Weyni's school. It is a International school for first year immigrants. All the classes are taught with ESL curriculum. They also help the students get acclimated to American culture.

Catfish is doing great. The helmet has taken a little getting used to. He has to wear it 23 hours a day. The neurosurgeon said he may get to take it off as early as 6 months. We just don't have any way of knowing. He is absolutely precious. He has the biggest smile, and the worst temper! We are so amazed at this journey God has put us on the last couple of years. I am thankful for the wisdom and humility He has given us through it. Well its another long day. Here are a few pics from the last couple of weeks.

Praise God!!

2009-07-29T15:56:00.004-05:00

Okay I am so sorry I forgot to let everyone know Catfish is Great!! God is so good. We knew when our neurosurgeon laid his hands on our baby and prayed with us it was going to be a good surgery. The surgery was a success. We are now anxiously awaiting his helmet on Friday. He basically has about a 2 inches by 6 inches soft spot. So needless to say Kaden isn't allowed near him unless we have our arm blocking his head!!

Another big change is we are putting our kids in public school for the first time in four years. This was a VERY DIFFICULT decision. I know God will take care of them there just like he has here. I have really wrestled with God over this but I know this is a season. I am praying our children will flourish and blossom in His magnicient hands. I will update ya'll soon. Thanks again for your prayers.

Please Pray With Us

2009-07-11T00:14:00.005-05:00

Hello Everyone. I know it has been awhile. We have been a little busy adjusting to 5 children. Everyone is doing really well with our new addition. We need to ask all of you if you would please pray with us. Catfish was diagnosed with craniosynostosis when he was a week old. He will be having surgery on his skull on July 22. Please pray with us that it goes well and he has minimal blood loss. We know God has him in His very capable hands, but please pray for our very in the flesh nerves!! His surgery will be followed up with 4-12 months of a special helmet to reform his skull. The objective is to reshape the skull to give his brain plenty of room to grow. Obviously, he is a tiny little guy but it is the optimal time to do the surgery.

As for the rest of the family they are doing well. Weyni loves her little brother. She is progressing wonderfully in her english. The last 3 weeks have been a little smoother than the previous months. Life with a teenager what an adventure!!!

Meanwhile, all the children make sure Catfish never has to cry. If they hear a whimper they either run to give him his pacifier or yell in unison "Mom, he's crying!!" Needless to say he is very spoiled. We figure he deserves it. I will update soon. Thank you for your prayers.

Introducing the newest addition to our family!!!

2009-05-29T15:19:00.003-05:00

Here is our precious surprise! He is absolutely precious. He was born Tuesday morning 8lbs 3 ozs, 19 3/4 inches long. He is beautiful! I will put more pics up soon but here's enough to get started.

Update!

2009-03-27T16:19:00.003-05:00

Everything is going a lot smoother in the household. I think we are finally adjusting a little to having a teenager in the house. The kids are definitely hanging out more with less persuasion from me. That genuine friendship is there. The food is still an everyday issue but we're working on it. Freweynie is picking up English very well. She hasn't had a significant seizure in about 3-4 weeks. Praise God!!!

I am at 30 weeks and measuring at 34 so its looking like I may have a giant!!! Please pray for us as we enter these next couple of months of more changes and less rest!

More Birthdays!!

2009-03-01T23:28:00.006-06:00

Okay, we decided a couple of weeks ago we needed to have Freweyni a belated birthday party. We were going to do just that when all four of the kids plus the two adults got the Flu!!! UGH!!
So now we are all recovered nicely and we got to have Freweyni a party today. We just had the grandparents this time. We thought we should keep everyone's parties uniform and small this time around. You could tell this was an amazing time for her. She was truly touched by every gift. And yes that is a High School Musical 2 DVD you see her so happily rejoicing about!
Sometimes it is very trying to blend our family but today was a good day. I am so thankful God called us to this journey even though sometimes it is very difficult. I know only He has the end result in sight.

Incidently today was also my b-day. Can I just say how awesome my husband and babies are. They got me my favorite CD Nicole C. Mullen's, pans, and an adorable picture they all made me. I can't believe I'm 31.... Really I can't believe I'm 31 with 4 1/2 children!!! Yes the cats out of the bag. We are expecting baby number 5! God is good....and funny. I take comfort in His perfect timing. We are so thankful for His guidance on this amazing journey we have been on.

More Happenings in the Household!!

2009-02-14T19:48:00.003-06:00

Okay Kaicee turned 11 in late January....
Kyle turned 9 in early February....
Kaden painted....
and Freweyni got another hairstyle....(we changed the spelling of her name to the way she spells it!)

Pics from the Zoo... I think these are from Jan 20th

2009-02-14T19:36:00.001-06:00

Okay, here are some very overdue pics of Freweyni's first trip to the zoo.

Ups and Downs

2009-02-05T23:14:00.002-06:00

I start off asking for your continued prayer for F. We just had a four day stay at the hospital over the weekend due to an onset of seizures. As most of you know, we knew she had seizures. Apparently, abdominal pain coupled with lack of sleep set some off late Wednesday evening. They stopped then started back that Friday morning so they admitted her for observation. They have diagnosed her with general epilepsy and have altered her meds. We have seen a lot of highs and a lot of lows these past few weeks and humbly ask for your continued prayer.
Although Frewoinie definitely wanted a family she is having a very hard time missing Hannah's Hope and all her friends. We are hoping her new medicine will help her have more level emotions and help her stay healthy. She is proving to be a pretty strong little girl but still a fragile little girl. Thanks for all your love.

2009-01-20T12:56:00.004-06:00

Okay go figure!! We have been trying everything to get F to eat. Even her Ethiopian food she would only eat a fair amount. Well today I was craving a big, beefy, greasy burger.... so to Mcdonald's Cayce went. We took a chance and got her some chicken nuggets and french fries. She smelled it and smiled. Then she proceeded to eat all of her french fries and 2 of her nuggets. Then she said "Mom, I'm full" I said eat one more chicken. I came back and everything was gone. Hallelujah!! I know not the healthiest, but I'm not picky!
We have definitely had our ups and downs this week, but consistently the kids are all very happy. There is no doubt God hand picked Frewoinie for our family. Each child has an awesome relationship with her. She wakes up asking for them and kisses them and hugs them before bed. Right now I have the pleasure of listening to my girls giggle while they play volleyball. Please continue to pray for adjustment and health. F has her first dr appt. Friday. She has already informed me she doesn't like shots!! Mom has been a little sick since returning from Ethiopia also. It just makes things a little difficult when your not feeling like yourself!I know we couldn't be where we are if it wasn't for your prayers and love. Thank you all!

We're All Here!!

2009-01-18T13:20:00.004-06:00

Well we are all here. I can't tell you how awesome and emotional the last week has been. God is so awesome to know before we could ever know exactly who we needed in our family. When we had our first meeting it was a rush of emotion and then uh-oh we can't communicate!!! Within 1 hour though we were doing great. By the first night Frewoinie asked Mom to sleep with her and the affection and love hasn't slowed down since. She had absolutely no apprehension of her Dad. She laughs at him and thinks he's wonderful. She said yesterday "I play football with my Dad and play volleyball with my dad!" It looks like I'll probably loose another one to him!The first meeting with her and her siblings was more than I could have ever imagined. There was NO nervousness it was all heart and love. They never left each other from that moment. She has definitely had alot of grieving, one from the beautiful special moms and friends at Hannah's Hope but also from the idea that when they all moved to America they would be very close. The computer blogs have helped that a little bit. The trip took over 30 hours on the way home. We had a flight to Chicago that got canceled when we got to DC. We didn't even leave D.C. until 5:30pm. It made our girl very, very tired. But praise God no seizures!!! I will post more as we wake up and get around easier. Let me end with this. The families we traveled with and the Ethiopian people's love and affection are experiences we will never in our life forget!!

Ethiopia Here We Come!!

2008-12-18T12:25:00.003-06:00

Okay we finally have a tentative travel date of Jan. 10-Jan. 16th!!! Yay! I can't put into words what our family is feeling right now. We are so excited, nervous, and ready at the same time. We are going to get to hold, hug and love on our daughter. I will get to hear her voice for the first time. I can't wait to see her duck her head down in shyness like she does in most of her photos! I can't wait to hear her giggle. I want to be silly with her and be there for her all at the same time! I can't wait for our first full family hug! I want to see her hug her brothers and sisters for the first time. I wonder what she is going to think of this crazy, loud, and spastic family!! I will post when they finalize our dates. Please continue to pray for us.

We passed COURT!!!!

2008-12-03T22:23:00.002-06:00

God is really, really, really good today!! We passed through court! I can't believe it. I feel nervous, numb and terrified all at once! We should be traveling the beginning of January. It is unbelievable. I don't know how to explain it even though I 'm sure many of you understand....all this time waiting on this day! I know packing, preparing and Christmas will make the time fly so quickly. Now its time to really start cherishing these last weeks with my babies. I just pray God will make me sensitive to the extra attention they may need and any fears or insecurities they may have. Thank you guys for your prayers and your friendships!! I will post as soon as we get actual dates.

We recieved a Grant!!!

2008-11-17T11:16:00.004-06:00

Yay!! We just found out we received a $2000 grant, that's right I said $2000. Can you believe it? We are so blessed. Our goal seems so attainable now. I am speaking honestly when I say I have had a peace about our financial situation. I knew God had a plan. Every once in a while though I would check my calendar and look up in bewilderment. I wanted to question God and say " Okay its getting close!". But He knew and surprised us!!

The kids are all doing wonderful. My baby boy will be 5 on the 28th. I can't believe it. Time flies when your trying to keep a little one from flooding, setting on fire, or in all other ways destroying your home!!

Here are some pics of our Fall Festival. The Fruitcake is my husband!! Peepers is a vet, Pistol is Luigi and Carrottop is Mario. Hopefully you know who the Mario Brothers are!

Perfect Timing!!

2008-11-11T17:49:00.004-06:00

Isn't God perfect on His timing? I was feeling a little down this weekend because I found out that traveling families couldn't take pictures of our daughter in Ethiopia. When just in time..... I received something better than a picture. We haven't heard any specific reactions about our daughter finding out about us except that she was happy. Well obviously that doesn't feel like enough. So Saturday night about 11:30pm I check my email to find the most beautiful letter I've read in a long time. Don't get me wrong we've recieved some amazing accounts of our daughter. But none since she's found out about us. So Trish and her husband were picking up there precious daughter and met "F" Here's what she wrote........"One of our greatest blessings was to meet your daughter! We were unable to spend much time at Hannah’s Hope because of our daughter’s age (15 months) and her difficulty leaving the special moms, but on the first day there, we were abundantly blessed with meeting your precious girl. She is AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!! We walked into her room and she was laying on the bottom bunk drawing an incredibly beautiful cross…she is an amazing artist… Apparently, she wasn’t feeling well and stayed back from school. She immediately got up, shook our hands and introduced herself! She is so beautiful! She then proudly pulled out the photo album that you sent her (which she keeps under the mattress) and showed us all of her pictures of her new family! She was beaming with joy, excitement, hope and pride! We talked to her for a little while and she told us that she is so thrilled to be coming home to you. I just couldn’t stop looking at her beautiful face and I felt like Jesus was right there, shining through her. You are most blessed, I can tell you that much. I don’t check on the listserv much at all, but I think I just saw that you didn’t make it through court last Monday. I am so very sorry! I do feel like God gave us the privilege of meeting her so I could tell you to hang on…it will be so worth it. He sees your anguish in waiting and her longing to be with her forever family…He knows your pain and disappointment and He has stored your tears in a bottle. He will answer your prayers soon…He is sovereign and NOTHING can thwart His plans! For some reason, that is best for everyone, you have to wait a bit longer, but don’t lose your joy! This precious girl is waiting with hope, joy and incredible love for her Lord. Oh, I am so excited for her that she gets to be a part of your family. What an amazing miracle God has ordained."

If this isn't an encouragement to me I don't know what would be. Thank you Trish for your Godly wisdom and beautiful account of our daughter!! Yippee!!!

Okay I'm Ready!!

2008-10-06T17:05:00.002-05:00

Do you realize it has been almost 6 months since the first time we looked at our beautiful daughter's face. I am really getting anxious. I just realize how far we've come since that first waiting child flyer in April. Who knew God would take us on such a magnificient journey! I have to say we are ready. We do know her heart will finally begin the journey towards ours' now. She will know about us very soon. It's just so hard to see her face every month and know she doesn't know that she is already loved and prayed for daily. Now she will know and we will all wait for that call.
We have our last fundraiser Saturday. It is an Applebee's Pancake Breakfast. We will be selling tickets until Friday. If your interested they are $7 each. It is exhausting, but awesome to see strangers, friends and family come together to help an orphan and a family. God is so good. I have to pinch myself when I realize how different and awesome our future looks than last Fall. His plan is perfect no doubt.

2008-10-02T22:03:00.004-05:00

Carrot Top and I decided to make some Rice Krispy treats. This boy had fun!!! He was dressed up as a pirate that day and still managed to help out. He is a funny, funny boy who loves SUGAR!!!

It Fit!!

2008-10-02T16:12:00.002-05:00

We got to send our first package to our daughter!! The only problem is it all has to fit inside of a gallon size ziplock bag. It was a challenge but we did it!!! I can't post the letters and pictures because they have her name on it but here is what we got to send!

Pray for Sweet Abby & family

2008-09-26T12:59:00.003-05:00

Hello all,
I just wanted to bring a very special family to your attention. Can you please lift The Riggs family up to the Lord. Abby their 3 year old has leukemia. She is having some severe reactions to the chemo. She has canker sores all down her mouth and throat. She has been running a high fever for days. They have been through the fire these last couple of months. Their exhausted and their immunity is low. Michelle is an amazing woman of faith but please surround her with your love and prayers. She is so awesome to check on me and my Ethiopian daughter in the midst of her troubles. I just wanted to ask you all to lift up this family to Our Almighty God. He is cradling them right now no doubt. Just please pray for their strength, health and comfort. You can read more about their specific prayer requests by clicking The Riggs Family on my blog list. Thank you.

The Taste Test was a Success!!!!

2008-09-19T19:34:00.005-05:00

We have an AMAZING GOD and some amazing friends!! We got 110 people to do a taste test and we raised $1375.00. We found a company that pays you to recruit people. Well Monday we only had 64 people and 3 days to recruit 56 more. Well by God's power and our friends reaching out to their friends we did it!! We didn't make the 120 but they gave us the amount we needed. I am so amazed about this whole journey. Adoption is a long journey, but it is soooo awesome. It results in this trust in God that I can't even explain. I am so thankful tonight to every friend that called their friends and every friend that worked the nursery and every friend that took 45 minutes and more out of their day for our family!!!! (YES I KNOW THAT IS A RUN-ON!) I also want to add a thank you for all that wanted to help but couldn't, we know you love us!

My little girl looked up at me Wednesday night and said "See Mom, I told you we'd make it!" If I could only have the faith of a child.

**Does anyone notice my two favorite words are awesome and amazing! That should tell you how good God has been to us.......and that I need a thesaurus!

Look Who Came Back This Morning!!

2008-09-18T10:58:00.003-05:00

What a Bird!!

2008-09-10T12:20:00.003-05:00

We had such a cool morning around here. We were sitting at this table and I saw a blue jay outside our window. Well the kids were going to run outside to see it and the bird didn't fly off. (Right there I knew something was odd!) Well, we went outside to find it very friendly. Thankfully we had some bird seed. If you know me very well you know I am scared of birds. It is nothing I really understand its just an uncontrollable fear. So I did take pics of my precious babies w/the bird , but I also ran and screamed everytime it flew at me!! I realized I couldn't save my children from any attacking birds because all I could think of was "they can fend for themselves!" , as I ran and ducked behind my mother-in-law! Well hope these make you smile.

Oh and yes ALL the children washed their hands thoroughly!! We don't want anymore crazy illnesses!

It is whooping cough (pertussis)!!

2008-09-08T15:10:00.002-05:00

Well, the test came back positive. Even though Kyle had his immunizations against whooping cough, he got it. They said kids outgrow it. We all have to be treated and reported to the health department. Yippee! I know this sounds wierd, but I am glad they found something. I couldn't imagine him going undiagnosed. Now we know he will get better. He hasn't been contagious for 2 weeks because when they thought he had "walking pneumonia" they treated him with Zithromax. He is doing much better now. He is not choking or losing his breath as much. He feels a little too good because he doesn't like all the restrictions about going outside. He's still pretty worn out though. Thank you all for your prayers. They are very appreciated.

On another note: Our last paper came in for our dossier today!!! We had already sent it off but were waiting on one more copy. It came in!! Please pray for our taste test fundraiser on Sept. 19th. We need 160 people and only have about 50 right now. I know God knew all of this was going to happen though and will provide a way.

Please pray for my sweet boy!

2008-09-07T08:51:00.003-05:00

Hello all. We have been a little busy. A couple of weeks ago our son Kyle was diagnosed with walking pneumonia. He was/is having these choking episodes. Basically something will close off in his throat and he can't breathe. It happens during the day and at night. It has no specific onset it is sporadic. Well after 3 ER visits and a doctor's visit over the last 3 weeks they finally admitted him. Wednesday afternoon he had a terrifying attack. I could not get my baby to breath. The blockage finally cleared after a few terrifying minutes. I obviously rushed him to the hospital and told them "I'm not leaving until you find out what's wrong!". So two days and lots of tests later they gave me a theory.... First of all he never had walking pneumonia. They believe he had some sort of pertussis. Even though he had his immunizations they wear off. During the bronchioscopy they found extreme inflammation and evidently he has extremely defensive vocal chords. They think the inflammation is causing the vocal chords to seize, therefore shutting off air flow.So they gave him 2 round of steroids and said that they should subside over the next week. He might have a few more episodes but if he remembers not to panic and breathe through them than they will pass.....Sorry this is sooooo long......Which gets us to the point. Please pray for our little boy. He had another episode last night. These are obviously very scary to all of us. They released him from the hospital under their theory and I hope its right. Please pray for the doctors to have wisdom. They should get some cultures back Monday from his lungs. They basically tested him for every infection/bacteria under the sun. His episodes have been much less severe, but I don't understand how a little boy is supposed to be able to live with his airways spontaneously shutting for a few seconds. Also, pray for his mommy and daddy. I have been very anxious since Wednesday. It was very scary to watch my little boy unable to breathe. I couldn't do anything because there wasn't a foreign body lodged in his throat. I will update on Monday or Tuesday. I do praise God for his grace and comfort. My sweet boy said he prayed for God to help him breathe and He did. What a wonderful God to give me these beautiful children to take care of. Please always excuse my poor grammar and spelling. I try, I just continue to type the run-on sentences I think :)

News!!

2008-08-26T21:21:00.001-05:00

Of course, all of us waiting to travel get so excited when other families travel for many reasons.
1. Obviously getting to see them get the child they have so desperately waited for
2. Getting to see God work
3. Getting info on our children
Just a glimpse of our child's personality or temperament. It's very exciting!! Well tonight I received another glimpse into our daughter's heart. In case some of you don't know, she doesn't know about us until all of our paperwork is complete. Karey wrote ".....Wow! What an amazing young lady! I fell in love with your daughter. She is very, very special. My daughter just loves her & loves to look at her picture. I can't wait for her to know about you. As we said goodbye, she & I both teared up. She said that she trusts God to take care of her & I told her I would pray for her everyday. I also said that I trust that the next time we meet, it will be in America (without mentioning you, of course). She would like a book about being a doctor &/or nurse. She has such a heart for helping others....just amazing! " We read so many emails about this sweet girl, thanks to all the sweet families from AGCI going to Hannah's Hope. I am so thankful for these families who take time away from their new babies to bless us!! She also sent me more pics of her!! I can't wait until she is ours so you can all see how beautiful she is. I just wanted you all to share in the joy we had this evening. God is so good to allow us to be apart of her life. We know there will undoubtly be some difficult times in the future, but we know He will lead us all the way!

Progress!!

2008-08-25T18:03:00.000-05:00

Well, we found out last night that they have almost written up our homestudy!!! We sent off our Dossier Friday!!! I got to go to Women of Faith!!! What a weekend!

"Pistol" had walking pnemonia last week and Praise GOD has recovered. It made for a long week though. We have started our packet to send to our daughter. I can't wait to send it. We also had some families go to Ethiopia to pick up their children!! I can't wait to hear about their trips!

I did read an article that broke my heart for Ethiopia and its people. They are currently going through a famine. You can read the article : http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2008-08-17-ethiopia_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip

Sometimes it seems so overwhelming. Just remember to lift them up in prayer.

2008-08-20T01:13:00.000-05:00

Well the 2008-2009 school year has officially begun. I can't believe my babies are getting so big. Here goes another year I try not to mess them up!!! My kids are such troopers. They could not wait for school to start this year. We are trying desks this year. I already miss our school table but I know they need their space.

On another note.... we finished our last homestudy meetings. We should have our final homestudy by the end of the month!!! YaY! We are also sending off our Dossier this week. I can't believe it. It's such a whirlwind of huge events! Well I just couldn't sleep, will post again soon!

We're Making Progress!

2008-08-02T00:27:00.000-05:00

Well we have one of 3 of our meetings now completed and Cayce has survived being radioactive for 24 hours!!Thursday he had his last MRI. They took some of his blood and made it radioactive then injected it back into him!! We had to stay five feet away from him for 24 hours. But I know he is glad to be done with all that, and he probably enjoyed the space! We go Wed. to make sure they are going to be able to leave it alone. They just have to make sure the liver is functioning properly with the lesion there.

Today we met our social worker. SUPER nice. And if you were wondering I didn 't break into song. I know I did rattle on a little but it is me we're talking about. She said we should be finished with the homestudy by Aug. 28. Yahooo!!! We should also be done with our dossier then. I feel like we're going to be bringing our daughter home before we know it.

Another thought..... I was blog surfing earlier which I love to do.... and I realized that there aren't many things more beautiful than someone walking closely with God. He truly is a light that shines through us when we cling to Him. I read again and again these stories of blessings. Blessings that we could never dream up as mere humans but were His plans all along. I have seen it with my own life. We just have this natural tendency to be obedient but in our own way. Okay God I'll follow....but here's my directions! When we do that we miss out on so much joy! But because of His mercy we still get to sit back at the end of the day (once His plan is revealed in all its glory) and enjoy His blessings. I look at our adoption journey through the years and see how I tried to rush it, or plan it. It just wouldn't come together. Now I see He had this little girl picked out for us. He is not a random God. He guides us through all the details so we can see His glory! Please continue to pray for us to keep our eyes on Him...... or atleast for us to get out of His way!

God is Trustworthy!!!

2008-07-25T12:14:00.001-05:00

It has been a rollercoaster couple of weeks!! Whew! A couple of weeks ago they (the drs) found a spot on Cayce's liver. They had us scared to death...but after many tests and many needles everything is fine. They diagnosed him with a benign lesion that shouldn't effect his liver at all. He has one more test just to make sure about that but the dr said not to be worried. We are praising Jesus!!! It was 2 very long weeks. Thankfully God used it though. He showed me when my fear crept up not to give in. He showed me to have control over my thoughts and fears because He is trustworthy. But as a result of the drama we didn't get a lot of paperwork accomplished.

We are now beginning our Dossier. Dossier you say? It is our packet of documents for the international end. We are moving forward!! We scheduled 2 fundraisers for the Fall. If I wasn't such a procastinator we would be doing them now. Please pray for us we are having our first social worker meeting on Friday, Aug. 1st. If you know us you know that we are a little impulsive and even more obnoxious!! We are going to try and be normal for atleast an hour! ( I have already made a pact w/myself not to break out into song at any point in the visit)

The exciting news is that hopefully in September we will get to establish our first contact with our girl. We are so excited. It really does push us forward knowing she is waiting for her family. She will be Hannah's Hope for one year in October. Well gotta go the boys are wrestling under my feet.

Homestudy!!!

2008-07-02T10:37:00.000-05:00

WOW! We have been so busy! I have never filled out so much paperwork in my life. We are soooo excited though. Cayce dropped off our paperwork to the homestudy agency today. We are a bit of procrastinators so every form signed was an accomplishment. God has been so good. Everytime I remind Him that He called us to this and He needs to give us hope on the financial end He is faithful. He is not showering us w/money but He is constantly reminding us He's in control. Obviously, I don't need to remind Him but myself. The kids are getting so excited. The girls' room is finally together so "Peepers" is getting some adjustments out of the way. I just thank ya'll for all the prayers and ask for you to continue. Well, now its time to start on our dossier paperwork:)

2008-06-12T19:52:00.000-05:00

Okay, I realize this is supposed to be an adoption blog...but come on we have 5-7 months to kill. You know those times when you look up and realize there are still parts to your spouse that you didn't know... I had one of those moments today. After 14 years together I looked up and realized my husband has a side of him I would have trouble being seen with. Its nothing horribly evil, just wrong. You take a look and see if you agree. He would really go places like this if I didn't object. I thought this was something I just had to share.

2008-06-11T16:54:00.000-05:00

Well this is going to be a computer-challenged mom's attempt at a blog. We have been encouraged by our friends to start a blog to let people know how our journey is going. We are almost 2 years into our adoption journey. God called us to adoption in July 2006. Since then we have been trying to get everything together the way we thought things needed to be. Little did we know we were just running in circles until God was ready for us to begin. About 4 months ago we received a waiting child list from our agency that changed our life. We are now trying to bring our 13 year old daughter home from Ethiopia. (Yes, I said 13) We never planned on a child that old but its amazing how God invites us to join in on His plan! So we are very excited that in hopefully less then 7 months we could be stepping onto African soil. So, please pray with us, laugh with us and celebrate with us on this journey!!!

Eph. 3:20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or
think, according to the power worketh in us,

My Favorite Homeschooling Product

2008-02-22T08:28:00.000-06:00

I always joke with people the reason I homeschool is because I am a school supply junkie. I love school supplies, gadgets, organizers...not that a utilitize any of them well. But, I would have to say my favorite homeschooling product is definitely my laminator! I laminate everything. I have 3 children and hopefully more to come so I always think of reusing things. I also love my electric pencil sharpener. I don't know what life would be like without it. I don't think I could rough it that way!!
The library and park are the other two things we make the most use of. We find that you can pretty much use those resources no matter what your subject is.

Dominique