Our Spirit Led Journey

Re-Adoption Day!

2012-03-01T20:32:00.011-06:00

Today we had our court appointment to have the judge approve B's re-adoption in the state of TX. He was legally a part of our family in April of 2010 while still in Ethiopia but it's a law that in TX he has to be re-adopted here so that he can become an official US citizen, have a US birth certificate, get a SS#,etc.

With the help of our good friend Gina, we got all of the paperwork together and got our appointment scheduled. This morning we got up early, double checked our copies of all the forms we needed to take with us, packed a bag of snacks and toys to keep Bear entertained, picked up Ben's mom (she was going to watch Bear for us while we were in court since kids aren't allowed in the courtroom) and headed to the court house. Everything went super smoothly and surprisingly fast. The court clerk was amazingly helpful and kind, thanking us for brightening his day. Our judge was so friendly and welcoming and after talking with us for a few minutes and signing the papers he was very excited to meet Bear and agreed to take a picture with us for Bear's scrapbook. He also let little B pick out a toy from a huge toy chest and I think that was definitely B's very favorite part. He picked out a little grey cat puppet and he hasn't put it down all day. In fact, he's got it with him as he sleeps tonight.

The photo, the toy cat; they are a couple of great mementos that he'll get to have for the rest of his life reminding him of his very special story, that God wrote specifically for him. He's on a journey designed by his Heavenly Father that's only just beginning and I can't wait to see what great things it leads him to. I'm blessed beyond measure to get to be his momma.

January / February Bear Sightings

2012-02-22T15:41:00.009-06:00

January and February have been a busy couple of months but a great start to the new year. Here are a few of my favorite pictures from the past two months.

You ask him to smile and he makes all sorts of faces for the camera. I especially love this last one, it's his "serious" face! Lol
He's quite a ham!!

What a Funny Face

2012-01-13T13:52:00.003-06:00

The other day Bear walked into the kitchen and was quite for a moment. I heard him say" Mommy, look" so I walked in and this is what I found! He saw his reflection in a metal bowl, was intrigued by the way the bowl distorted his face and was making funny faces at himself! I of course had to get the camera...

He made me laugh so hard, I cried!

Recent Bear Sightings

2012-01-09T15:36:00.016-06:00

So I kind of dropped the ball on this during the holiday season but things have quieted down now so I'm catching up! Here are a few of my favs from the past couple of months. Hope you enjoy!

Baseball in the backyard

Bear and Daddy

Cookin' in the kitchen

To infinity and beyond!

Ewww, I've been slimed!

He's such a cutie and so much fun! We love him so!!!

On the road again...To Ethiopia that is!!!!!!!

2011-12-09T13:30:00.003-06:00

That's right friends, we're going back to Ethiopia to bring home another little one!!!!This family of three is becoming a family of four!!!!!

We mailed in our application on Monday and just found out today that we've been approved for an infant boy or girl. Now the paperwork begins!

Yay yay yay yay! We've been praying about this little guy or gal for quite some time and are so ecstatic that the Lord has led us back to Ethiopia to bring him or her home.

How you can help:
First and foremost, Pray!! Of course we would love to have each of you praying over us, our family, our little one-to-be and all of the paperwork, waiting, embassy and court appointments to come, etc.

Encouragement and support! We'll need lots of it as we proceed though this adoption journey. Having experienced it once before we know there will be lots of ups and downs along the way and we know that we'll need our Heavenly Father, family and friends to keep lifting us up.

Lastly, adoption is quite costly, so we'll be doing some fundraising throughout this journey to help get this sweet baby home. So if you feel led to help in that way, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

We thank you regardless just for the love and support you've shown to us over past several years and for the love you've shown to our sweet little Bear. We know this new additon to our family will be loved just the same! We are so very blessed. Yay God!!!!!!

Bear's First Haircut...Pics!

2011-12-03T14:28:00.000-06:00

Here he is before with his big afro...

He was so great, he didn't cry or fuss at all. He just sat there like a big boy, a little nervous but so brave! I'll admit I was nervous too but I stayed strong so he'd be brave.

And here's the after! Wow, what a difference! He said "Thank you" when we were all done. He's so handsome!!

Here are a couple more after we got home. I sure do love this boy!

Bear's First Haircut...Since being home that is

2011-12-03T07:00:00.000-06:00

I knew this day would come eventually. Yep, after a little over a year and a half the day has finally arrived and it brings with it a lot of mixed emotions. This haircut, for me, symbolizes many things. I feel attached to that beautiful head of hair he has. I've spent the past year and a half pouring time, love, sweat and tears into it. Being a white mommy to an Ethiopian baby with no idea how to care for his hair type, there have been hours spent talking with friends, researching online, oh and don't forget all of the YouTube videos. Yes, quite literally, hours. But I made a vow to take care of that hair the very best that I possibly could and I've loved watching it grow and grow.

The thing about it is that while I loved learning about his hair type and how to care for it, experimenting with hairstyles, etc., well you see, Bear... he did not. He would cry and cry every time I combed it out. I learned the right kind of comb to use, made homemade detangler and moisturizing products, learned to take small sections one at at time so his hair wouldn't pull and break... I could go on, but he still fought it every single time. I was committed to this so I kept at it anyway. The longer it's gotten the longer it takes to detangle and style which means the longer there are tears and frustration. So after some discussion and some prayer, we decided it's time for a change. I do believe it will be good for all of us.

Having said that, it's still harder than I thought it'd be. Not only does it symbolize all of that, it also symbolizes him growing up. Our baby boy's getting a "big boy" haircut! Going to a barber shop, the little guy sitting in the big chair, man, it really melts my heart. Also the fact that his hair has been the same since the first day we saw him face to face, though it wasn't as long then, I can't explain it but there's just something about that fact that stirs something in me. I guess it's silly really, but I can't help it. I'm just the sentimental type.

It's time though for a change and I know it's going to be good.
I'll let you know how it goes when we get back. With pictures of course!

Being crafty

2011-12-01T22:04:00.006-06:00

So you all know about the website Pintrest right?! Well I've been a bit crazy about it lately. There are just so many great and creative ideas on there. Everything from yummy recipes to home decor. From fashion to funny quotes to brighten your day. Photography to kids crafts. Not to mention how-to's on just about anything. Especially Christmas decor and gift ideas right now. I've really enjoyed finding fun ways to help Bear with fine motor skill development. The cloud dough and slime recipes I found were a big hit! Really, you've got to check it out if you haven't.

After scouring the site last week, I felt like being crafty. I thought I'd share a couple of things I made...and this is only the beginning!

Christmas ornaments made from paper and brads...

A scarf made from an old t-shirt!

I felt a bit awkward "posing" for a picture of something I made so this is how I combated it... by embracing my inner dork!

Into the Woods We Go

2011-11-30T19:06:00.022-06:00

We had our first family camping trip a few weekends ago. We had the whole thing planned out for weeks and ended up getting sick a few days before we were to leave. We planned on heading out on a Thursday but decided not to because we weren't feeling well and it was going to be pretty cold that night. We were really disappointed because we had really been looking forward to this trip for a while; we love to camp and were super excited to introduce our little guy to the camping experience.
Well, we woke up Friday morning feeling a bit better and decided you know what, we're just going to do it. We're going to load up and go! The weather was going to be warmer the next couple of days so we packed up the truck with everything we needed, including lots of allergy meds, and headed out. Boy were we glad we did!

We had an awesome campsite with lots of trees and open space to run around.

The weather was beautiful during the day and that perfect chilly temp at night for wrapping up in our sleeping bags.

We went for walks talking about all of the beautiful things God created (including the cute armadillo we saw)and down to the beach to play in the sand.

If you know me you know I had to put my feet in the water! It was FREEZING but I couldn't help myself and of course our little guy had to do it too. I love that he loves the water as much as I do. Our Heavenly Father truly cares about every tiny detail of our lives.

It was so much fun to watch him get excited about everything he experienced and saw. It brought us great joy to see him run and play in the dirt, the sand and the leaves. He was literally rolling in all of it and couldn't of been happier!

I would say our first family camping trip was a definite success and we can't wait to do it again!

Who Knew Rice Could Be So Much Fun!!

2011-11-10T20:01:00.006-06:00

The end result was Bear sliding on the floor which he'd covered in rice! Good times were had by all!

Pumpkin Patch

2011-11-05T01:10:00.005-05:00

We experienced the pumpkin patch a couple of week's ago for the first time with our sweet little Bear. He had a blast playing on the slide and in the bounce house, running through the rows and rows of pumpkins, going on a hay ride, petting the animals and picking out a pumpkin to take home.

It may be pretty cliche to say, but this really was a very special time for us. If you know us, you know that we've prayed and struggled for years and years to have a child and very much looked forward to being able to have experiences like this one. I'll tell you what, our hearts were so unbelievably blessed to be able to do this for the first time this year. We give all of the glory to our Heavenly Father who loves us, knows our hearts' desires and blesses us so amazingly.

Chickpea Burgers with Tahini Sauce

2011-10-25T16:24:00.000-05:00

One of my goals this year has been to go through my recipe binder, full of recipes I've pulled out of magazines, received from others or printed from the Internet over the years, and make each one to see if it's a keeper or if I can toss it. I went into tonight's recipe very hopeful and really, expecting to put a star by it (a star means not only is it a keeper but it's a favorite!). The picture looked very appetizing and after reading over the ingredient list I was looking forward to making it. We try to eat a variety of meals with different ingredients; I'm always up for trying new things, while still eating healthy and on a budget. Keeping all of this in mind, I try to incorporate more vegetarian meals throughout the week and we all like chick peas and hummus so I had no reservation going into tonight's dinner.

Chick pea burgers, a tahini sauce made with lemon and yogurt wrapped in a whole wheat pita with steamed veggies on the side. Everything cooked up well and tasted pretty good individually. I plated it up and we all dug in. As everyone took their first bite, I looked around to see their reactions. There was this audible silence and we each had a look of distaste on our faces. It wasn't good! NO! We actually spit out the burgers and just started laughing. I think we all were in shock at the unexpected flavor. When everything was put together it was just so overpowering that we couldn't eat it. We laughed and joked about it for a bit (I even got a "No, no Mommy" from my 2yr old!) but did try to eat what we could of it. I'm thankful for my guys' willingness to at least try everything so far through this recipe experiment. Unfortunately though, that recipe is now in the trash!

I chalk it up to being part of the process of going through each recipe and trying it out. Some are good and some, well, just aren't. Like I always tell my sometimes, although rarely reluctant family, you never know unless you try and who knows, it might just turn out to be something really awesome. We have actually found several keepers through this process already!

At least the veggies were good. Now, on to the next recipe adventure!

September / October Bear Sightings

2011-10-24T16:00:00.008-05:00

Just a few cute moments from the past month... Lots more are on the way; I've got some catching up to do plus lots of new stuff to post as well!

August Bear Sightings

2011-08-25T01:27:00.015-05:00

Bath time is always a fun time!

Chillin'

I love how expressive his face is

Enjoying every last drop and we're enjoying every last drop of him!

Happy 10 Years!

2011-07-21T13:11:00.007-05:00

We met over lunch, 19 years ago.
Dated off and on for 4 years.
Went our separate ways; lived our separate lives.
4 years later, God, in all His sovereignty and grace, brought us back together.
10 years ago today, we were married.

Happy 10th Anniversary to the man God created specifically for me!

Sous-Chef Extrodinaire

2011-07-20T15:22:00.013-05:00

I'm making a cake for a birthday party this week and I have the custest little helper ever!

"And that's how it's done!"

Recent Bear sightings around our house

2011-07-19T09:00:00.000-05:00

Such a big boy!

Hangin' with momma on the couch

Takin' a break from playing

The animals attacked!

Bear and Dada

Playin' with his water toys

Beautiful Music

2011-07-12T14:54:00.009-05:00

Abuelita brought him a saxaphone so he could play just like Daddy... he hasn't put it down all day...

Here's a little song he wrote...

There's going to be a father and son concert tonight...more video to come. :-)

Birthday Celebration

2011-06-28T07:39:00.002-05:00

It's A Zoo, Look Who's Turing 2!!!

Our little guy had a great time at his birthday party! All of his friends came to play and celebrate. They got their faces painted, played in the kiddie pool, jumped on the trampoline and ran around having fun. We set up a "feed the animals" beanbag game but the men pretty much took that over as well as the t-ball set. It was really pretty funny to watch. Bear was super excited to have everyone over and was EXHAUSTED once the party was over. He played so hard during the party, he was out in no time! A big thank you to all who came and to those of you couldn't make it for all of the birthday wishes. He's still talking about his birthday...almost three weeks later... and I think he'll be doing so for a long while. :-)

Birthday Boy!

2011-06-07T08:59:00.007-05:00

Happy happy 2nd birthday to our sweet, running, jumping, dancing, laughing, smiling boy! We love you so so much and are so blessed to be able to watch you grow into the person God has created you to be. We can't wait to see all He has in store for you.

First Swim Day of the Summer!

2011-06-04T21:41:00.010-05:00

Do you see his face in this first picture?! Bet you'd never guess he had a BLAST in his pool! This was actually Memorial Day but I'm just now posting it here. Better late than never right?!

Pizza Time

2011-05-14T21:46:00.024-05:00

Bereket loves to help in the kitchen. Give him something he can stir with a spoon or mix with his hands and he's a happy guy. Tonight he made his first pizza. He had a blast rolling out the dough and putting the toppings on! We enjoyed watching him cook! He's a chef in the making!

Let's Get Started!

Momma showing him how to roll!

Time For Toppings!

Lookin' Good!

The final product! We only had cheddar cheese but it turned out great!

1 Year Together!

2011-05-09T20:17:00.000-05:00

One year ago today we met our son face to face. We saw the face, up close and in person, we'd been staring at and praying over for 8 months. The face that meant an answer to a prayer we'd been praying for 8 years.

He was asleep when they brought him to us and he had the most precious peaceful look on his face. I was swept away in a flood of emotion. There's a picture of us that was taken right when he was put in our arms and my face is raw with feeling. It's a very powerful and meaningful picture to me. I look back at it and re-live that moment over and over. I was overwhelmed in the moment, with nerves and excitement, exhausted physically from traveling and the time change and exhausted emotionally from all of the preparation and everything leading up to that moment. Now looking back I can appreciate all of it so much and am so so grateful for every single moment, every step, the waiting and praying, all of it. It all came together to bring us to meet the sweet little boy that was that face.

Bear is sweet, smart, funny... hilarious really, fearless and adventurous, super friendly. A lover of animals, kicking balls, jumping, sticks and mud. He has the most expressive face and the best smile in the world. He's everything and so much more than we ever could have dreamed.

This year that we've been home together has been a whirlwind for sure. The time has just flown by. Every month has brought new growth in all of us. Growth together as a family as well as individually. We are so blessed and honored to be parents to this sweet little boy and look forward to watching him grow and mature and become the person God intended him to be. I still can't believe He chose us for this amazing journey!!

It's a good life!

Coffee Factory and Heading Home - Day 10

2011-01-12T15:54:00.001-06:00

By Friday we were all not feeling well but we were looking forward to checking out the coffee factory. When we pulled up the smell of roasted coffee hit us in a big wave. We got to see the process from sorting to roasting to packaging. We ordered several bags of coffee and they roasted and packaged it right there in front of us. Super fresh and still warm...Yum!! Everyone ordered a cup of coffee once the tour was over and sat for a while in the little coffee shop attached to the factory.

We went back to the hotel to pack and rest before catching our flight that evening. We all gathered together to say goodbye and take pictures. It was sad to be leaving but at the same time we wanted to take our babies home. It started to rain when we got to the airport and we had to wait awhile to board the plane. Thankfully Bereket slept most of the time. He was sick and not feeling well. We were anxious to get him home to see our doctor.
Once we boarded we got ourselves situated and prepared for the long flight home.

Visiting Orphans - Day 9

2011-01-03T11:20:00.000-06:00

Thursday we were able to go to a couple of the orphanages that most of the kids had come from, play with the kids and take donations to them.
Words can't even express how I felt being amongst those beautiful little faces. We aren't supposed to post pictures of the kids from the orphanages so unfortunately I can't share them with you but let me just tell you, they were precious. There were a few little ones that really stood out to us and we fell in love with them. One little girl in particular left me in tears.

Just recently we had the chance to see some of the kids that we had taken care packages to and were at the orphanage the day we went. To see them now, in the US, with their family... it's really something incredible! How amazing to see them here, knowing all the prayers that surrounded them throughout the adoption process that their parents went through, to see how much they've grown and how well they're adjusting... Wow! Praise God for such miracles!

We stayed there playing with the kids for quite a while that day and they let us tour the orphanages and served us coffee in their traditional coffee ceremony. We had so much fun and left feeling very humbled.

Embassy Day - Day 8

2010-12-30T01:05:00.000-06:00

Everything went well at the Embassy Appointment today. We got in and out fairly quickly and got Bereket's visa approval, birth certificate and adoption paperwork without any problem. It was a little nerve racking because as soon as we got there, they dropped us off across the street and told us to hurry up and get inside the embassy and not to stand around outside. We got in after showing our id's and going through the scanners and sat in line on benches outside the main building until our group was called. When we got inside we again had to show id and stand in a waiting area until each family was called. Once everyone was called and all the visa's were cleared we left and headed to lunch.

We went out for more shopping that afternoon and had dinner with our friends that evening. They were so gracious to us and really enjoyed meeting Bereket. We had a really nice time!

After dinner they took us back to our hotel and we played with Bereket until bedtime. All in all a great day!

Gotcha Day - Day 7

2010-12-30T00:45:00.001-06:00

Tuesday we got up, had breakfast and did some shopping before we were able to go back to the Transition House to pick up our kids. Shopping was a really fun experience. It was very cool to be out in the streets with all the people and crazy traffic. It was a very surreal feeling walking around shopping in a third world country all the way on the other side of the world knowing that in a few short hours we'd have our son in our arms and life would never be the same. Only God could have planned this!

After shopping we headed back to the hotel to get things ready for going back to the Transition House to take donations, care packages and pick up our little ones.
I was so nervous; going over everything a million times, making sure we had everything for Bereket as well as all of the donations and care packages...we had 7 beautiful kids to take packages to and I didn't want to forget anything.
When we got to the Transition House we got busy right away with the care packages. What a blessing it was to take these kids a gift from their parents who were waiting so anxiously to bring them home and praying over them everyday. They were all so sweet and humble and just precious. We took pictues of them and stamped their hands and feet on cards for their parents back home.

Once everyone was done with care packages they brought our little ones to us again. This was it, Bereket was with us...for good! We got to change his clothes and feed him and spend some time with him there before we said goodbye.

All of the nannies were so sweet and they hugged and kissed all of the kids as we were getting ready to go. It was a bittersweet time. You could tell they really cared for our kids and we were so thankful for that. We were so happy to have our kids and anxious to get home with them but at the same time you mourn the fact that these kids have already been through so much and are being taken from their home by these strangers who look, smell and sound so different. They're whole world is being rocked and you just put your trust in Christ that He's gonna make it all okay for them. He's gonna get them, and us, through this transition by His grace alone. Praise God that He is who He says He is! He can do all things and is faithful in His promises!

When it as time to go we all got in the vans and we were thinking," This is really it, here we go! We're really parents of this little guy and we have to take care of him now. OH MY GOSH!!!!!" I couldn't believe the sweet little sleeping boy in my arms was really here, with us, and we were taking him home!

We stopped to visit the second Transition Home which is where the older kids stayed until their parents came to get them. It was fun to see all the kids and play with them for a bit.

Later we went out to eat and then back to the hotel to rest. We really needed some rest too, our emotions were running like mad and we had just been going and going and wanted some time to sit and let all of this sink in. Bereket took a nap in his crib and we talked for awhile about everything that had happened over the past couple of days.

We met up with the other families for dinner at the hotel and just kind of hung around for the rest of the evening learning our new little boy. We gave him his first bath and played with him until bedtime. We all crashed early because we were so tired.

Meetcha Day - Day 6

2010-12-29T13:40:00.002-06:00

So it's been forever since I've updated the blog. I'll try and catch you up on the rest of our time in Ethiopia and what's been going on at home over the next few posts. I really want to be better at this but having an 18 month old lends itself to not much time on the computer for things like this.

Day 6 was Monday, the day we met our baby boy!!!!!!!!
We barely slept the night before and woke up early for breakfast with the other families in our travel group before we started the big day. As we sat around the table at the guest house eating...or trying to anyway due to nerves...we talked about how we were feeling. Some of us were excited and for some others, the nerves had already kicked in. I was definitely nervous. I just wanted to go to the Transition House so we could see Bereket face to face. Two years of paperwork and waiting, several years before that of heartbreak and trials and we were finally here, finally to the day we would meet this precious boy that God was placing in our family. Let's get this going!

We met up with our driver and guide and drove to the Hilton for our paperwork party before we could do anything else. This paperwork had to be done in order for the Embassy to process Bereket's visa to come home with us, which we would get on Wednesday when we went for our court date...very important stuff. It was stressful making sure we had everything filled out correctly and took some time. We had lunch at the hotel once we were done. I think most everyone was just so ready to get over to the Transition House by this time.

After lunch we got in the vans and headed out. It was pretty quiet as we got closer and closer. We turned down this alley way and that alley way and our guide joked that now we were going to take a tour of the city. That little joke was met with lots of groans and lots of "haha, that's not funny". :-)

As we made the final turn and could see the America World sign, there was a nervous silence. We pulled up to the silver gate, honked and the gate swung open. We were there!!! Our kids were there!!! Was this really happening or was this a dream??!!
We all climbed out of the vans and huddled around together figuring out who was going to take pictures for whom and what order we were going in. They called the first family's name and I started shaking. I literally could not stop shaking. I'd seen this moment on several families blogs but being there in person was unreal. Watching families come together for the first time was an honor and something I'll never forget. Our Lord is an amazing orchestrator of life and each of those children were placed in the perfect home for them. No one could have done that. Only Him. It's simply amazing.

By the time they were close to our name it started to rain so we all moved up onto the porch. It was even more surreal now. We walked up the stairs I'd seen in so many pictures. The stairs to the front door of the house that our son was in!

It was our turn!!! They called our name!!!! We handed our cameras over to another family and stood ready. Shaking and feeling like we were dreaming we watched one of the nannies walk out of the doorway carrying this beautiful sleeping boy in green overalls. She handed him to me and all I could do was stare at his precious face. So peaceful. It took everything I had not to burst into tears but I didn't want to freak him out so I held it together as best as I could.

We took turns holding him while he slept and when he awoke, we were able to give him a bottle and spend some time playing with him. We didn't know how he'd react to us and had been praying that it would be a positive experience for him. He didn't cry but just sat back and took everything in. We got some big smiles out of him and some good cuddle time too. We got to give him a bottle and a snack. He fell asleep in my arms and then it was time to go.

The time flew by! We were filled with a mix of emotions about leaving him after just meeting him but in the end knew it was what was best for him. We'd be back tomorrow and then we'd be together for good. Our family of three.

That evening we went to a traditional Ethiopian restaurant for an amazing dinner and some incredible dancing. It was fabulous and a great end to a great day!

Our First Month Together!

2010-06-16T16:04:00.008-05:00

We've been home as a family of three for just over a month. The time sure has flown by! We're enjoying having Bereket here with us very much and are amazed at how well he's doing so far. The first week home was rough because all three of us were sick and exhausted from the trip. No one got much sleep that first week. We all went to the doctor though and by week two, we were starting to feel better.

Bereket is fascinated by the cats (Stranger and Bella) and loves to play with them or shall we say chase them around the house all day. They aren't as fascinated with him, but they're doing really well and being very patient.

He loves to explore the house and see and touch everything he can. It's all so new to him and it's been fun watching him discover things. He crawls around so fast and pulls himself up on everything. He "cruises" around holding onto furniture and walls. He loves to stand and push his toy lion around the house. His eyes get so big with excitement as he walks across the floor pushing it. It's so funny!

He loves to be outside in the grass. We spend time outside everyday and he loves to find leaves and sticks. Of course everything has to be tasted by him! We found a caterpillar one day that he thought was pretty cool.

The boy loves technology! The first day we met him he wanted Ben's phone and every day since then, any phone, remote, computer, cable...he wants it! He's learning to hold a phone to his ear and say "hello". Well it's not really hello yet, more like a grunt, but the idea is there.

We got to celebrate his first birthday here at home and that was very special for us. He's got tooth number 7 coming in in just this past week. That's been a cool first experience for us, seeing how that happens. He doesn't say any words yet except "na" with means come in Amharic. He says da or ada a lot as well. Not mama yet, but we're working on that!

Bear is definitely a water baby! He LOVE'S baths!! He gets so excited about bath time that he tries to get in the tub with all of his clothes on. He loves splashing around in the tub and in the swimming pool. Even the sprinkler or water hose splashing on him makes him so excited!! I love that about him because I love the water so much too! We're gonna have lots of fun as he grows up!

We're still adjusting, most days he doesn't want to be put down and screams if he is. He's still not sleeping through the night and neither are we. Not getting very much sleep has been a challenge for me for sure. When he's screaming and fussy I feel so unprepared and like a complete failure. I understand it's going to take time. Time for him to get comfortable and feel secure and time for us to bond with him and understand him more. I also know that I can't parent him without Christ. He is the only one who can guide me and teach me to be the woman, wife and mom He desires for me to be. This adoption is His plan for us and for Bereket and I realize that we're all going to be under attack from the enemy as well because he doesn't want this to succeed. He doesn't want God to be glorified through this journey but we will fight for Christ and His glory to shine!

Bear is doing better about not going to just anybody anytime now. He'll look for us whenever anyone else is holding him and he'll want to come back to us pretty quickly now. We get the best smiles from him! I especially love the ones first thing in the morning when we come into his room to greet him and get him out of bed. He has a laugh that warms my heart. His slobbery kisses are like heaven! Afternoons are his hardest time of day it seems. He really doesn't want to be put down at all in the afternoon. That's my hardest time of the day too.

This first month has been full of ups and downs, hi's and low's, and I wouldn't trade it for anything. We know without a doubt that Bereket is the perfect child for our family and we love him so so much. We are so trilled to have him here after all these years of prayer and waiting. We thank God every day for this precious blessing! We can't wait to see what the next month has in store!

Happy 1st Brithday Bereket!!!!!

2010-06-08T08:18:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was our little Bereket's 1st birthday! I can't believe he's one already! We've only been home with him for a few weeks but I'm so thankful that we did get to celebrate his birthday here at home. It makes it extra special for us.
Bereket enjoyed his first experience with cake and had a blast playing with the paper and boxes his gifts came in.

Happy Birthday little man! We love you so much and can't wait to see all that God has planned for you in this next year! So many new things for you to discover and experience, it's gonna be great!!

We have family in Sodo - Day 4 & 5

2010-06-06T16:12:00.032-05:00

Saturday morning we got up early to meet our guide and driver who would be taking us to the Sodo region to meet Bereket's aunt. We were told it would be an all day trip; about 6 hours there, visit and 6 hours back. We were nervous about meeting her but excited as well. When our friend Travis dropped us off at the meeting place, we met our guide and we asked what time we would be back, so Travis could pick us back up, and he said 2pm tomorrow. Wait...tomorrow? That couldn't be right. We told him we were told it'd be a one day trip, he said oh no, it's too far to do it in one day. Well, we weren't prepared for this, mentally or physically. We didn't bring a change of clothes or toothbrushes and that meant we'd be staying the night in another city, 6-7 hours away. We told them we'd go but we'd have to run back to the house to get a few things and we'd be right back.

We headed out shortly after that for the long journey to meet Bereket's family. We really enjoyed the drive through the countryside, it was just beautiful. Very green farmlands and I wasn't expecting that. We spent time talking with our guide, his wife and our driver. They told us about the area, the crops that were grown, the history, etc. They were all so sweet and so funny. They made the trip even more enjoyable. We stopped for lunch along the way and watched David, our Driver, eat raw meat. It was not appealing to us but he sure loved it!!

We stopped at a coffee tree farm and got to see the berries and the coffee beans inside. We took pics with some of the guys there. There were quite a few people there and they all came and gathered around the white foreigner. I thought it was pretty funny!

We bought fresh sugarcane from some women on the street and it was so good. We saw so many people on the roads taking there goods to the market and lots of people getting water from the river, bathing in the river and washing clothes in the river. So many little kids along the road by themselves in just an old torn and tattered shirt, no pants or shoes. Those things were tough to see but I'm thankful that we did because it changes you.

After about 6 hours on the road we meet up with Bereket's aunt's social worker and hopped into another vehicle to go the rest of the way to her home. The van we were in before could not have made if through the roads we were now traveling. We were in an off-road vheicle because these roads were were so bumpy and full of ruts and large holes. It stared to rain pretty hard and we traveled through a couple of riverbeds that were starting to fill up.

We met Bereket's aunt and her kids and spent about 45 minutes talking with her. She was very kind and answered all of our questions as best she could. It was a very surreal experience. Her home was very small, one main room with a small area in the back for cooking. She has three beautiful children of her own. We are so blessed to have met her and to know that we have extended family in Ethiopia. We asked her what she'd like / her wishes for Bereket's future and she said that we would raise him to love the Lord and that we would love him as our own. We promised her that we would absolutely do both. We pray that we'll be able to take Bereket back one day to meet her and her kids.

That night we drove back into Sodo and stayed at fairly new hotel. We had dinner there with our guide and had great conversations about Christianity, morals and hypocrisy. The power went out while we were eating but thankfully they had a generator so we didn't have to eat in total darkness. We didn't sleep very well because we were told that no matter what, if anyone knocks on your door, don't answer it. So slept off and on and work up very early the next day to head back to Addis.

On the drive back we were admiring the grass cottages and our guide asked us if we'd like to go into one and see it up close. We of course said yes! So we stopped at a home along the way and all go out of the van. We greeted the family living there and asked if we could come inside. They were so gracious and allowed us in without hesitation. It was incredible. The cottage wasn't very big yet they kept their livestock in there, had a small area for cooking and a small area for sleeping. It has rained quite a bit yet inside was completely dry. The way the cottages are built is amazing. They were a family of such humble means and yet they seemed so content. We were so thankful to be able to have that experience.

Day 3 - In Addis

2010-05-21T14:11:00.001-05:00

Today was a great time with the Norwood's. We had an awesome breakfast at their place (the fresh fruit was delicious) and then they took us all over the city for the day. We had lunch at a great little restaurant even though the power was out. Our stomachs were a little uneasy so we played it safe and had pasta. Macchiatos at Kaldid's followed...a tradition that we enjoyed every much.
We experienced the driving that we'd heard so much about. It's hard to describe really but I guess you could compare it to shuffling dominoes. Everyone goes where ever they want all over the road, there are no stop signs, people can just stop in the middle of the road and turn around or drive on the wrong side of the road. They use side view mirrors, not to see out of so much as a buffer for the car next to you. If you touch mirrors then you know you need to move over a bit. Not only do they have to dodge other drivers but they also have to dodge all of the people walking in the streets along with their herds of goats, donkeys and cattle.
You hear horns honking all the time and it's a way to let others know you're going to pass or to warn the people to get out of the way. You'd think in all of the madness that tempers would flare like they do here in America but it's not like that. They don't yell and cuss at each other or any of the rude things we do here. It's just the way things are done there and everyone knows it and is used to it. I thought I'd be more afraid of the driving but really after the first day I was pretty used to it. I knew we'd stop before we hit the car in front of us or beside us so I just sat back and enjoyed the ride!

We visited a leprosy rehabilitation hospital and bought a couple of handmade items from the patients there. They had beautiful scarves, bags, clothes, etc all made by hand.

Travel day 1 & 2

2010-05-20T09:36:00.008-05:00

We loaded up and headed to the airport at 8am Wednesday. Nerves kicked in as we got closer and closer. We couldn't believe it was finally time to go! After Ben's parents dropped us off, we settled in for our long flight (24 hours total). We met up with another AWAA family (the Heddelsons) in Washington and were so glad to have some travel buddies as we navigated customs and getting our visas once in Ethiopia. We left Texas Wednesday morning and arrived in Ethiopia at 7:30pm Thursday night. We were exhausted!! The flights were bumpy and cramped and we were a bit concerned about the ride home. How would we entertain a baby on a plane for so long?! The food was pretty good though and there was so much of it we couldn't finish any of it. They gave us socks, pillows and blankets and we took some dramamine to try and sleep.

Plane from Dallas to Washington

Ethiopian flag in Washington Airport

Our plane to Ethiopia!

Stopping in Rome to refuel

Rome!

We had about an hour layover in Rome to refuel but we weren't able to get off the plane so we just sat and waited for the last leg of the flight. Our friends, the Norwoods, met us at the airport when we arrived and it was so great to see some familiar faces! As we were leaving there were people everywhere! It was so late and yet the airport was packed. Apparently in Ethiopia when someone is coming home there is a BIG celebration. There were people singing and playing drums, dancing and clapping as they greeted their family members. This went on all the way out to our car. It was a pretty cool experience. So much joy and it made us excited about the journey about to begin. We drove to Travis and Joanna's house and settled in for the night. Sleep was hard to come by. We kept waking up thinking surely it was time to get up but no, it had only been and hour or two. This would take some getting used to. A fun day of experiencing the city of Addis was on the agenda for tommorrow and we were excited.

It's Time To Go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2010-05-04T11:58:00.006-05:00

It's here. It's really truly here. It's time to go get our precious little boy. It's been a long journey but it's been an amazing time of growing in our faith and trust in Christ and being able to see His plan come together for our family. We have learned a lot during this time of waiting; a lot about the character of God and a lot about ourselves. We know that He has ordained adoption and His timing is absolutely perfect.

I think about meeting our son and I'm filled with so many different thoughts and emotions. Will he be scared of me or will he smile at me. Will he struggle terribly with leaving his nannies and friends. Will I be able to be there for him in the way that he needs me. I want to teach him to be proud of where he's from and who he is and support him when he grieves and mourns. I think about this sweet child who has already suffered so much loss in such a short time and my heart breaks for him. I'm excited to see his personality, see what interests he has, watch him grow and see the man he becomes. God definitely has a plan for him and I can't wait to see what that is! My heart swells and overflows with love for this boy I've never met and oh how I want him to know that love.

We have been so blessed by everyone's love, prayers and support throughout this journey and are so thankful for all of the wonderful people God has brought into our lives to minister to us in many different ways through this adoption. We love and appreciate all of you. I can't believe that in 6 days we'll get to see Bereket face to face and hold him in our arms!!!!!!

We are so excited to bring baby Bear home and for him to get to experience all of the love that we know you are going to lavish upon him. He has no idea what he’s in for but we’ll start to break him in while we’re there!

We leave at 11:45am in the morning and will arrive in Addis Ababa at 7:00pm Thursday. Our return flight leaves Addis Friday night,5/14, and we arrive back home Saturday 5/15, at 4:30 (Delta Flight # 2111).

Nursery Time

2010-04-30T10:49:00.001-05:00

The nursery is done! Just in time too! Minus a few pics on the wall. A very big thank you to our family and friends who helped it all come together. We are so blessed that you were a part of getting sweet Bereket's room ready for his arrival. It is something we will treasure forever.

When I walk past this room and look inside I am completely filled with a new kind of warmth and joy. Knowing that this all comes from my Abba Father. A few years ago I didn't really know if we would ever have a nursery in our home and as we've been on this journey of adoption there have been moments, fleeting as they were, that I still felt unsure. Now that I see it there in all of it's wonderful blue, green, orange and brown glory, I can't help but feel so unbelievably thankful. We serve an amazing God who is who He says He is and does what He says He'll do! All praise and glory belongs to Him!

I can't wait to sit in the rocker with our boy, hold him and talk to him, tell him all about what Jesus has done for him. Oh the times we'll have!

Travel Update

2010-04-28T08:36:00.001-05:00

The tickets are booked and our bags are packed. Well, almost packed. But we are ready to go! We leave next week on the 5th!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We've still got some last miute things to get before we are completely packed but we are checking things off the list every day as we get closer and closer to heading out to meet and bring home Bereket. We can't believe the time has finally come and are so humbled and overwhlemed by God's faithfulness and love. He is so good!!!!!

Fun Times at the Lake

2010-04-27T09:47:00.020-05:00

One of our life group couples' family has a house on lake Granbury and they graciously allowed us all to come take it over for the weekend. We had a great time hanging out by the lake, fishing, riding the jet ski and playing games. It was very relaxing and much needed after our crazy week last week. Thanks again to the Nugent family!

Change of Plans

2010-04-22T08:38:00.003-05:00

Turns out we will not be leaving this weekend after all. Our fingerprints have not been uploaded into the national database yet and we aren't able to leave until they are. Our flight would have left today. We are disappointed that we don't get to go now but are looking forward to two weeks from now. Our next opportunity to go is Mother's Day weekend! I'm so excited about getting to meet and hold my son for the first time on that special holiday. What an amazing first Mother's Day it will be!

We just need to continue to pray that our issue with our fingerprints gets taken care of before then so we don't have to push out trip back again. Please pray with us!!!!

Now that we do have a little more time to prepare and pack, instead of rushing like mad trying to get everything done, I do feel a bit more at ease. Now hopefully I won't forget to pack anything important!

Leaving This Weekend??!!

2010-04-20T00:42:00.002-05:00

We heard from our agency that we could possibly leave THIS WEEKEND to go get our son!!!!!!!!!!! We are waiting to see if our fingerprints get uploaded into the database at the National Visa Center before we can go. If that doesn't get done before we would leave then we'll have to wait until the next scheduled trip, the weekend of May 8th. We are super excited at the possibility of meeting our son within the week and are praying that it works out so that we are able to do so. It's going to come down to the wire time wise but we are preparing and packing in the chance that we actually do get to go.
So much to do, so little time!!!!!!!

March Update!

2010-04-06T12:07:00.009-05:00

Our little guy is getting so big. He's able to pull himself up now and stand!
He's got four teeth and weights 19lbs.

He's a happy baby and laughs and babbles a lot. His nannies say his babbling sounds like a car engine trying to start! He loves rattles and can crawl around like nobodies business.

Spring Is In The Air

2010-04-01T21:01:00.031-05:00

I love Spring. All of the plants and flowers budding and bringing wonderful color to life after the cold and bare winter. So many obvious comparisons, perfectly designed by God, between new plant life and the new lives we have in Christ. I took the camera out and snapped some signs of spring in the yard...

Recently I went to the Botanic Gardens butterfly exhibit with my family and got some really neat pics. I'd never been in their conservatory and was surprised by all of the beautiful tropical plants and flowers. It was a very cool place. When we arrived they had just released some butterflies so there was a flurry of activity and everyone was gathering around to see them fly out of the basket. The gardens had set up hanging plates of fruit for the butterflies to enjoy and they hoovered around those for a while before flying off to explore the plants and flowers.

While we were waiting to get in we walked around the gardens for a bit and took some pictures. It was a beautiful day!

What's Happening

2010-03-24T09:20:00.014-05:00

I think I'm still in shock that we really did pass court and Bereket is our son. I stare at his pictures and watch the video we have of him and just cry tears of unspeakable joy and longing. I'm overwhelmed by the emotion that wells up inside of me when I think about him. Sometimes I don't know what to do with it. Is this even the slightest glimpse of how God feels toward me? Toward all of us, His children? What an amazing feeling to know you are so loved!

We had our home study update meeting, turned in the paperwork, and should be getting it back completed very soon. We have an appointment to get our fingerprints re-done on April 2nd. We are praying that they will expedite the processing of our fingerprints so that we won't be delayed longer in getting to travel. There is a group tentatively scheduled for travel in mid-May and we'd love to be able to join them. I don't know if it's possible but we are praying so. Several families have recently passed court as well so they may need to break us all up into a couple of groups. We'll have to wait and see. We should be getting our tentative travel dates pretty soon!

These next couple of weeks are going to be pretty busy getting ready for Easter weekend with church and family activites. I'm hoping to be able to set a "painting party" date for shortly after Easter. I'm so ready to get Bereket's nursery all set up for him. It's going to be so adorable; perfect for an adorable little boy!

We PASSED!!!!

2010-03-12T11:27:00.003-06:00

It's official! Bereket Isaiah Trevino is our son!! We got the call at 10:19am this morning! Praise God!!!!!!!!!!!!! We are so overjoyed and unbelievably excited!
This picture montage is kind of long but hey, it's been a long journey!!

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Thank you, thank you, thank you Lord!!!!!!!!!!

Paperwork Updates

2010-03-08T10:08:00.004-06:00

We've got five days until our next court date and we are having to update paperwork in hope of preventing more delays in being able to got get our boy once we do pass court. We found out last week that our fingerprints for immigration expire this week. Not good! So we scrambled to get an extension filed and request to have them re-done. We've sent everything off for that but now we wait. And pray that it all gets done in time.
We are also having to update our homestudy due to change in jobs and to make sure it doesn't expire before we get to travel as well.
This is stressful and tiring as we are just so ready to have our son, but we won't let this get us down. God is in control and we've placed all of this in His hands.

Some Perspective

2010-02-26T10:57:00.009-06:00

I think some people would think it's crazy to sign up for the heartbreak of adopting an orphan. I ask: Isn't it more heartbreaking that someone wouldn't? If I didn't cry mother's tears for a tiny stranger and plead for their life like a mother does, who would? If ya wanna talk crazy... a child without a mother... THAT'S crazy! - Borrowed from another adoptive mom

I've been asked about how hard the adoption process is, especially after not passing court again this time. It's hard to put into words the drive that you have to keep going even though your heart does get broken each time a disappointment comes. I think the statement above pretty much sums it up.

I believe there is a spiritual battle going on in the world of adoption. It is a precious gift that has been ordained and exampled by God and Satan is trying to steal, kill and destroy. We are praying that the chains be loosed and that our child, as well as the others who are waiting for their forever families, be set free. March 12th is our next court date. Pray with us that the bonds to orphanhood will be broken and God's glory will shine!

Tonight's The Night

2010-02-22T10:04:00.001-06:00

Once again while we sleep tonight a judge in Ethiopia will be looking over our case; determining if everything is approved for us to legally adopt our son. We are praying that the paperwork needed by the judge on the last court date is there, correctly filled out and that there won't be anything else required.

I am learning a lot through this process of waiting. I'm realizing just how selfish I am in wanting this to work out the way I think it should. Who am I to expect it to. This was God's plan from the beginning and who am I to think there are any flaws in it. Each "bump" or "delay" along the way has been placed there for a reason and each one will bring Glory to Him.

I'm learning what it means to have true patience and real hope. Not just the wishful thinking kind of hope but the hope that's rooted in the promises of God. I'm learning to fully rely on Him when I feel discouraged and disappointed. He is always there waiting to bring peace and comfort. I'm learning to see Him in new ways, as a Father, that I haven't been able to before.

"Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.

He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.

Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;

But those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint."

Isaiah 40:28-31

It hasn't been easy but I am thankful for everything that has happened on this journey to start our family. Tonight I'll be praying for God's will to be done and if that means we don't pass, there's another blessing in the reason why, waiting to be revealed.

Snowy February

2010-02-18T10:20:00.003-06:00

It was a record. 12 inches of snow. The most we've seen and on Valentine's weekend! I love the way snow quiets the world. It falls silently and covers everything in a thick blanket of white. Everything is hushed and peaceful. It was magical. The thing about Texas though is that it doesn't allow for snow to hang around very long. The next day it was already starting to melt.

We took a drive around the neighborhood to check out all of the snowmen people had made and the beauty in the snow covered trees. We also saw a lot of damage. It's strange that something so beautiful could be so damaging. Our neighbors' carport collapsed onto their car, trees were uprooted and laying in the streets or had fallen onto fences and cars.

There will be lots of clean up ahead for our short time of beauty.

A Precious Gift

2010-02-16T07:57:00.000-06:00

The Koceich family is in Ethiopia right now to pick up their beautiful little boy, who happens to be a month younger than ours. Cindi is taking pictures for us while they are there and she sent us a quick email that absolutely warmed my heart...

Linda,

Got to get to bed, but really quick. I got to go see Yacob at the transition home Friday and Saturday. On Saturday, while I walked Yacob around the compound screaming because he is afraid of me (poor baby) my husband spent the time playing with your son. When we left he told me all about this little boy that he fell in love with. He said he was so happy and so much fun!!! I pretty quickly figured out that was your precious little boy!! I am so excited, and so is my husband that ya'll live so close and that our boys will get to be playmates again!!!!

Just wanted to let you know!!!

With Love,
Cindi

Thanks Cindi for this email, it's such an encouragement while we wait!

Maybe it's the mommy in me, but it brought me to tears hearing that our little guy is happy and how easily people are drawn to him and can't help but love him. I know it's how I've felt from the first time I laid eyes on him and it's really comforting to know that others feel it too. We are so blessed.

Valentine's Day

2010-02-15T08:22:00.016-06:00

I have to say that this was the best Valentine's Day by far. We kept it very simple and made dinner together at home. I love cooking with my husband; it's such a sweet time of connecting, talking and laughing together. It's not something we do all the time so I really try and savor it when we do. Plus we get to eat some great food too!
Ben found this wonderful recipe online for Spinach and Mushroom Stuffed Chicken. We made fresh green beans with garlic and lemon and homemade bread to go along with it. For dessert we made an Apple Crosata. It was all so good!! It was the perfect meal to share with my perfect Valentine. I am so thankful for such a wonderful husband and friend, I thank God every day for blessing me with such an amazing man.

Here are some pics of our meal

Wedding Cake / Groom's Cake Tasting Project

2010-02-15T07:08:00.001-06:00

I received a call from a bride-to-be that she'd gotten my name from someone and heard great things about my cakes. Yea! She and her fiance wanted to come by for a tasting. Awesome! She wanted to keep things simple and taste a vanilla and an almond wedding cake with buttercream icing. Wonderful! So I baked and baked and even made an amaretto cake as well, just for some variety. They came and tasted. Success! They both liked the cakes and after choosing the almond cake and thinking it over, hired me!

That evening she called back to see if we could do a tasting for a groom's cake as well the following weekend. Yippee! German Chocolate with chocolate buttercream icing. Oh but wait, can we taste the wedding cake again with a lemon filling? Oh and can you make the wedding cake denser and not so light and fluffy?? Well sure, I'm up for the challenge!! So I made my ingredient list and headed out to the supply store.

The next day I started baking. Lemon filling, check. Chocolate buttercream icing, check. German chocolate cake, check. Dense vanilla and almond cake......no check. We are having a snow storm and just when I was going to get these cakes ready to bake, we lost power! I waited about an hour keeping myself busy thinking surely it will come back on and praying my ingredients didn't spoil in the fridge. Finally I called the power company and they said it wouldn't be on until 4pm at the earliest. It was 1:30!

Thankfully my in-laws live right around the corner, and still had power, so I packed everything up in a big box and headed over to use their kitchen to finish the task. I barely made it out of my driveway and had to try a couple of times to get into theirs due to the slippery snow and ice, but I made it.

Now I've never made a dense cake before so I'd researched how to do this online and found a few great tips. Well, let's just say they didn't really turn out so well. The first one was more like a cheesecake and the second, well it tasted like a shortbread cookie! Tired and frustrated, by 6pm I decided to stop for the day. Our power finally came back on at 9:30pm and we headed home for the night.
The next morning I got up early and checked out the snow outside, a foot to be exact. SO beautiful. I got online again for more research and found a few more tips. Braving the freezing cold, snow and ice my wonderful hubby drove me to the store (after a drive through the neighborhood to check out snowmen and the damage the snow caused) to get what I needed and I began again.

Three attempts later, eureka, it worked! A dense cake that actually tasted good. I felt like I'd accomplished something grand! It was quite the process figuring out this dense cake but I'm thankful for the opportunity to learn something new.
So the next morning they came, they tasted and they liked it! There was a nice moment watching their faces light up as they tasted and enjoyed what I'd made. Now I get to make their wedding and groom's cake! I'm so excited, it's gonna be lots of fun!

Court Date #2 - Strike Two!

2010-02-10T15:40:00.007-06:00

I suppose you can guess by the title of this post that we did not pass our second court date. The judge has asked for more paperwork from the region of Ethiopia that our little guy's aunt is from. She did appear in court to testify of his relinquishment so at least that part is taken care of. Our next court date is Feb. 23rd.
We are praying again for peace and comfort with whatever God's will is for us and our sweet little boy. We stand firmly on the truth that He promised us a child from Ethiopia and we know without a doubt that He keeps His promises and we WILL be united with our son.
Now we just wait for that day.

Court Date #2

2010-02-02T06:49:00.009-06:00

Tonight as we sleep a judge in Ethiopia will be reviewing our case to make our adoption official. We're praying that everything is in place, everyone shows up, there are keys to the file cabinets, the fax machines and copiers have paper and that God's will be done. We are praying that no matter what happens this time that we have our faith and trust firmly grounded in Christ and will continue to trust in Him throughout the remainder of this process.

Last night we got to meet up with an awesome family who just got back from picking up their two little ones in Ethiopia last week. We saw them and couldn't keep our eyes off of them; they were so beautiful and full of life! They took a care package for us when they went and had some wonderful pictures for us. Not only did they have pictures but they had video too! What a blessing to be able to see our little guy moving and interacting with people! He seemed so happy and aware. He would look at whoever was talking to him and just smile. Seeing him reach up and touch their faces was really sweet. I think I've watched it at least 10 times, maybe 20. They also surprised us with his foot print on paper. How amazing to see that foot! He's got big feet! It just makes it all the more real. We started this process with paper, then our first photo, now video and a foot print. Next we'll get to see him up close and in person. I just can't wait!
Thank you so much to the Roots for such an amazing gift, you guys are the best!!

New Year's Getaway

2010-02-01T16:16:00.005-06:00

For New Year's this year we wanted to get away for a few days, just the two of us. It will probably be the last time we get to do that for awhile since it's almost time for our little guy's arrival. Not that that's a bad thing of course, in fact, we don't mind at all considering what that means.
We stayed in a cabin in Oklahoma for the weekend out in the middle of nowhere. We didn't know it when we made our reservation but when we got there we found out that the family that owns the cabins and land are a christian family and they made us feel very welcome. They decorated the cabin for Christmas and had even set up a manger scene. They stocked the bookshelf with christian authors and cd's to enjoy and they stressed the fact that they provided this place for people to come and connect with our Creator. It was very sweet. Everything you could need they provided, from cookware to board games and mountain bikes, even skewers for s'mores...which we were upset that we forgot until of course we looked in a drawer and there they were. They saved us! We thought we were gonna have to get inventive and get a twig from a tree.

The cabin was beautiful, I especially loved all of the large windows and the wonderful back deck. It was surrounded by trees so you really got to experience being alone together in the woods and marvel at God's handiwork. A river ran through the property which you could see and hear from the deck. Too bad it was so cold and the water was low or we would have taken the canoe out for a spin.

We went hiking in the trails and had two wonderful trail guides to show us the way! Peter and Sam were so much fun and they stayed with us the entire time. They would lead us on a trail and if we stopped to take a picture or just admire the view, they'd stop and wait for us and then carry on. Peter entertained us with his playful pouncing on sticks. He's quite the character.

After a long day of hiking we came back to the cabin, made dinner and sat by the fire. We had s'mores on the fire for dessert. So much fun!

Our second day there we headed out for a beautiful scenic drive; the Talimena Scenic Drive that goes through Oklahoma and Arkansas. There were lots of places to stop and check out the view along the way. It was so beautiful. We saw huge icicles along the sides of the mountains where the shade keep them frozen in the cold mountain air. The road twisted and turned up through the mountains and though it was a bit hazy that day it was still awesome. We stopped in at Queen Whilamina State Park and took a tour of a very old 9 level vacation house. It was really interesting to see how homes were built back then, such a different way of thinking than today. They built them for efficiency and functionality rather than cosmetics and luxury. I guess priorities have changed over the years.

More hiking along the river and a boat ride on the pond were on the agenda for the evening. Peter sat impatiently along the shore of the pond watching us paddle around until he could absolutely take it no longer. He jumped in the water, swam out to us and hopped right in the boat! We thought we were going over for sure, and the temp was in the 30's that day. He made it in without tipping us but then showered us with water anyway when he shook his coat! It was hilarious! He just stood there in the boat as we paddled around a bit more, content just to be there. We laughed the rest of the night about that adventure!

When it was time to head home we were sad to leave such a wonderful place and look forward to going back again sometime soon. Maybe in the summer when we can get in that canoe ride on the river.

Court Date - Did not pass

2010-01-14T19:10:00.010-06:00

Our first court date was Jan. 11th and we waited expectantly to find out how it went. Unfortunately our case did not pass. Disappointment consumed us the day we found out. We never understand why things happen the way they do, at least not at first. Sometimes it takes time for you to be able to look back at something and be able to see the bigger picture and how each event paved the way for the things to come. We have a 2nd court date on Feb. 3rd. We are praying that we pass but ultimately that we have peace with God's will no matter what it may be.

"No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what He had promised." Romans 4:20-21

"I know that you can do all things,
and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted." Job 42:2

Ahh, Snow!

2009-12-29T19:11:00.005-06:00

I can't believe it's snowing again! Snow on Christmas, now that was amazing. That hasn't happened here in YEARS. But wait, there's more, it snowed again today! It's really more of an icy slush, but it's still a covering of white and I like it!

Fun Times

2009-12-22T15:10:00.008-06:00

We had a Christmas party at our house for our Life Group last week and it was lots of fun! We did a movie gift exchange and built gingerbread houses. We had a great time with everyone and look forward to many more Life Group Christmas parties to come!

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Care Pacakge #3

2009-12-21T07:35:00.005-06:00

This past week we met a sweet family who lives in the area who is also adopting from Ethiopia with America World. They will be traveling Jan 2nd to pick up their children and asked us if we'd like for them to take a care package for us. We are so thankful for their willingness to do this for us and are so excited to be able to give our son some much needed things while he is waiting for us to come get him. We are also excited to have met some new friends who we can connect with and walk alongside through this journey of adoption. Hopefully our kids can grow up together and have the support of other Ethiopian kids in the area who can share in their experiences and help them feel more connected to who they are as Ethiopian Americans.
We can't wait to hear how everything goes with their journey to meet and bring home their adorable little ones and how our sweet little boy is doing. Thank you so much Root's for this great blessing!!

Court Date!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-12-16T17:09:00.005-06:00

Today we got an unexpected surprise! Our court date!!! It will be Jan. 11th, 2010! Thank you Lord for Your amazing blessings, they always come just at the right time!Our agency says that about 50% of families pass court the first time so let's start praying that our case will pass. Families could not pass for lots of reasons; the child's family member could not make it to court, there could be something missing or misspelled in the paperwork, the caseworker could not come in to work that day, or even as simple as not having the key to the file cabinet that our paperwork is in (yes ,this really has happened). So please be praying that everything falls into place on Jan. 11th and we pass!!!!
If we do pass, we'll get to travel about 4-5 weeks after that date. So mid February. It will be the greatest Valentine's gift ever!!!!!!

Baby Showers!

2009-12-15T08:50:00.003-06:00

We have been blessed by two great baby showers. One from our biological family and the other from our church family. B* received lots of great things and we had lots of fun. Now we just need him here so we can start using everything!!
At our family shower everything was decorated with blues and brown and with baby birds in a nest. SO cute!! We played lots of games, my favorite was the smelly diaper game! Everyone had to stick their noses in these diapers and guess what the smell was...some were so bad they burned my nose! It was really fun though!
The church shower was so sweet and a little overwhemling. It was a jungle theme with bright green, orange, purple, etc. Lots of people came, even some that we didn't know very well but wanted to bless our son and our family anyway. It was so awesome to see the support and love we have there and to see how excited everyone is to meet this precious little boy. What a blessing!!
We're getting things set up in his room and will be ready to go when he gets here.

Family Shower

Church Shower

Care Package #2

2009-12-08T13:17:00.006-06:00

Today I mailed off our second care package to a family who will be traveling next week to pick up their girls. I sent our sweet boy some outfits, socks, a small toy and some lotion. I'm excited to see how their journey goes as they meet their little ones and can't wait to hear how our little one is as well and see new pictures. It's such a blessing to get this glimpse into his world while we wait to bring him home and I look forward to being able to do the same for other families.

We got some great pictures and an update from the family that went a few weeks ago! B* looked healthy and happy. He smiled a lot and they said that he interacted well with everyone. He holds his head up and laughs and coos. Thanks so much to the Sabini's for the great update!!

November Update

2009-11-26T08:26:00.002-06:00

We received our monthly update this week! It was a very nice surprise since when I talked to our family coordinator last week she said she didn't think we'd get them until the first part of December due to the holiday this week. What a handsome boy God has given us. I wish I could post the pics...but that will have to wait.

Some updates on what's been going on:
Back in October we found out that B* had gotten the chicken pox but he had recovered nicely.
The first week of November we got a call telling us the he now had a mild case of pneumonia. We are obviously concerned. We started to pray for healing.
The following week AWAA called again to say that he'd gotten worse and was now on oxygen to help him breath and was on 3 different medications. We continued to pray and asked others to join us. Each night we were on our knees in his room praying for God to heal his little body.
The next week they called with some good news...he was taken off of the oxygen and breathing better! Praise God! We continued our prayers for complete healing and thanked God for His protection over our son.
This week we got the news that B* is WELL!!! He is off the meds and doing great. Thank you Lord for hearing our cries and answering!
In the pics we received this week you can tell he looks like he feels better, what a sweet gift to get right before Thanksgiving!
He is growing and developing well. They say he laughs and babbles! I can not wait to hear that with my own ears! What a sweet sound that will be.

The awesome couple that took our care package to him this month should be getting home soon with their son and will be sending us pics and info from their time with him there. I'm on the edge of my seat about that!
We're going to be able to send him another care package in December...his first Christmas present from his mommy and daddy...thanks to another couple who will be traveling then. For me that's the next best thing to actually having him here at Christmas.

We've been working hard to get the garage project done and are just about there. Just some minor things left and then we can move on to the nursery! We've had two amazing baby showers - I'll post about them soon - and are getting his nursery filled up and ready for his arrival. Paint colors are picked out and it's almost time to start painting.

It looks like it's going to be January before we get to go get him, we're praying that it's no later than that anyway. We're still waiting to hear when our court date will be. Thankfully it's the holiday season so we'll be busy and the time will hopefully go by quickly.
That's it for now, more to come later.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-26T08:05:00.005-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! We have to much to be thankful for this holiday season and we are so blessed by a God who loves us.
I am thankful for the hard times, the disappointments and trials. Not because I enjoy pain but because I know that I am not alone and that God is there working things out in His timing and for His glory. I am thankful for all of the things He's taught me during the hard times too. Remembering these things keeps me going during the long times of waiting during our adoption process. I know God has a reason for the wait and I know that when He does bring us together with our son it will be at the exact, perfect time. I am thankful that I have someone who loves me and cares for me and knows what's best for me and my family.
I am thankful for my wonderful husband who God has given me, who blesses my life everyday with his love and his warm heart. I can't imagine walking through life with anyone else; he is my best friend and my true love and I can't wait to watch Him grow into an incredible daddy.
I am thankful for my family and friends. God has blessed me abundantly by placing some really wonderful people in my life and I am so thankful for that. It's so comforting to know that you have a great support system around you to come along side you and be there for you when you need them.
Thank you Lord for all of these blessings and the countless others you've given to me, I am overwhelmed by your love, mercy and grace.

Care Pacakge

2009-11-11T07:14:00.002-06:00

We sent our first care package today to our little guy! A family who will be going to Ethiopia soon to meet and bring home their son, graciously volunteered to take care packages for other families who are waiting to go. We sent him a couple of outfits, socks, a blanket, a toy and a small photo album with pictures of us in it. They will open it with him when they get there and take pictures of him for us. I can't thank them enough and so can't wait to see those pictures!

God is good!

2009-10-29T20:32:00.002-05:00

He really is! After getting the email about the delay in getting a court date and feeling very discouraged, I prayed for something that would lift me up. Well not even a minute later I got another email. Guess what it was...an update on our little B*!!!! Three new pictures and a little bit on his development! How sweet our Lord is, what blessings He bestows on us. I wish I could post the pictures, they are adorable. He's smiling in one...the first smile we've gotten to see...and he has more hair now. It's amazing what a difference a month makes.
Thank you God for this sweet gift, it was just what I needed.

Blah...

2009-10-29T16:10:00.004-05:00

I'm feeling very discouraged and disappointed today. I just found out that it will be at least two or three weeks until we even hear about when our court date will be. That means most likely we'll have a court date in December which means we won't have our son home by the end of the year. I know God's timing is perfect and I will be patient, but honestly, this is tough. Please join me in praying that our little guy stays healthy and happy and is loved on until we can get there.

Court is Open

2009-10-13T16:58:00.004-05:00

We received the following email today from America World... exciting news!

Dear Families,

I am excited to announce that court was officially open and working as of today!

We are moving forward to work with the court in order to receive court dates for all families. Please be prepared that it is not uncommon for the court to issue court dates out of order from referral time frames. Rest assured we will be doing everything we can to get all families a court date as quickly as possible.

Check out the next sentence, I had to read it twice...

I am hopeful to have confirmed court dates for all referral families in the next three to four weeks or possibly sooner. I will email your family as soon as I have received your confirmed court date.

This doesn't necessarily mean our actual court date will be in three or four weeks, it just means that we'll have a court date set within that time frame.
Keep the prayers coming! :-)

Referral Acceptance

2009-10-12T16:55:00.003-05:00

We mailed off our referral acceptance letter along with payment due for fees last week. What a great feeling to say, "Yes Lord, this is our child! Thank you for bringing us together and we can't wait to see all that You will do in him and through him in the future."
Hang on sweet baby boy, we love you and we'll be there soon. :-)

IT'S A BOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-10-06T20:46:00.004-05:00

I can't believe it, we have a beautiful 4 month old baby boy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We got the last Wednesday, the last day of September! This is significant to us because it shows God's faithfulness. It's been a crazy week so I am just now getting to post about our referral. Thank you Lord for answered prayer and this amazing blessing!!!!

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory. Eph. 3:20-21

So here's how it happened. Let me start by saying that at the beginning of this adoption process God put the month of September on my heart so I started praying about it and really felt that it would be the month we got the call about our baby. My mother-in-law had the same feeling.

By mid September we hadn't heard anything and there hadn't been a whole lot of referrals going out to families in our agency and we started to get discouraged. We were asking people to pray that we would have patience during this time. Then the last week of the month came and that Monday I was pouring out my heart to God, telling Him how much I needed something to encourage me, to keep me going through the wait. That evening we found out we were #1 on the baby boy waiting list! How great is His faithfulness, He always gives just what we need, just when we need it.

For He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things. Psalm 107:9

The next day we were filled with excitement, thinking well, it's the last week of September, could it really be this week? Could we really get to see our baby?? Could it really be that fast, from being #1 on the list to getting the call, just a couple of days? Wednesday came with the realization that it was in fact the last day of the month. I didn't want to get my hopes up too much but I believed there was a reason God put September on my heart in the beginning, so that morning during my quite time I prayed about it, giving it to God.

After my quite time I started getting to work on organizing our closets. I've been "nesting" lately and I had pulled everything out of the closets trying to organize them and make more room for our stuff and the babies stuff. Anyway, I heard my phone ringing at 11:30 and I thought it was probably Ben since it was about time for him to be going to lunch. Well, I saw the number and froze, it wasn't Ben, it was our agency! I answered and our family coordinator was on the other end with a smile in her voice! I thought, NO WAY, is this really it?! I had put the thought of it out of my mind after that morning, so seeing the number, I was in shock.

I felt like I was moving in slow motion. She said she had good news and that this was our referral call! I instantly started crying and jumping up and down. I think I even asked her, "Are you serious?". She laughed and said, "Yes!". So she tried to conference Ben in so he could hear everything first hand but he wasn't answering. She tried his work phone and his cell phone. I didn't want him to miss it so I said, "Let me try to get a hold of him and we'll call you back". I called his cell and work phone again, no answer. I texted him, emailed and IM'ed him, still nothing. I kept pacing back and forth and even thought about driving up to his office.

Thankfully he called back shortly after and we excitedly called her back. She told us we had a beautiful baby boy and a little about his history. She sent an email with pictures and more information. Ben was able to leave work early so we could open the email and see our son for the first time together. I was so thankful because I didn't think I could stand waiting 4 hours for him to get home to open that email!! We laughed and cried as we read through all of the info and stared at his pictures. What a precious little baby, he's so beautiful!

We called our family and friends to share the news and were just so unbelievably overjoyed and thankful. I'm still just in awe of the fact that God chose us for this amazing journey and that He chose this specific little boy for us and us for him. It's such a humbling reality. What a sense of humor He has too, waiting until THE last day of September to reveal His plan and blessing to us. Just when we needed it of course. :-)

The Curtain Project

2009-10-06T19:21:00.008-05:00

One of my goals for this year has been to learn to sew and be able to make things for the house. So Ben bought me a sewing machine for my birthday and I finally (let's just say it's been a while since my birthday) put it to use. A friend of mine came over and helped me make curtains for my bedroom and it was really fun. It felt really good to accomplish something like that. Seeing them hanging there, knowing that they are special because they were handmade and no one else has any just like them is pretty cool. :-)

It was quite the experience learning how to use my machine. We had our share of difficulties. I think it took us something like 2-3 hours just to make the first panel. The bobbin kept jamming and we'd have to re-thread the machine over and over and just when we thought we had it all fixed, it'd do it again. I guess it's just part of the learning process. After that though, it went much faster. Caren was very patient and I know I couldn't have done it without her.

I have leftover material so I think I'll try and make some pillows that match to put on the bed!

Now on to curtains for another room!

Movin' On Up!

2009-09-28T22:34:00.003-05:00

We just found out today that we are now #1 on the baby boy waiting list!!!! It's been an exciting day seeing referrals come though for waiting families knowing that their prayers are being answered, sharing in the excitement with them and also seeing our names move up on the waiting list. Just last week we were struggling with feeling discouraged about the wait and not seeing any referrals coming in and this week God's showering us with blessings by showing His awesome faithfulness. His timing is perfect.
Keep the prayers going!!

The Butterfly Circus

2009-09-24T20:57:00.002-05:00

You must watch this beautiful story of hope, healing and transformation. It's just wonderful. The character of Will is played by Nick Vujicic who is an awesome christian motivational speaker. Check him out on YouTube or his website, LifeWithoutLimbs.org.

Wedding Cake

2009-08-31T14:17:00.006-05:00

I recently did a wedding and groom's cake for a client. They got married in Hawaii and wanted a cupcake wedding cake with Hawaiian colors. It was lots of fun to make. I learned a lot doing it, like that fact that I need another fridge just for cakes! Her sister may be asking me to make her wedding cake as well. I sure hope so! Here are pics of the cakes, enjoy!

On Deck!

2009-08-26T09:34:00.002-05:00

We received our "on deck" email this morning! This means we are in the top 10!! America World sends out an email to the families in the top 10 telling them they are "on deck" or getting close with more info on the referral process. We are very excited and praying hard for the staff at America World as they prayerfully discern which child to place with which family.

The courts just closed in Ethiopia for a month so things might slow down a little bit but we're told that referrals still come though even during court closures. The closures really affect the families who have already received a referral and are waiting on a court date. They will have to wait another month until the courts reopen.
So now we need to make sure all of our paperwork is up to date and start getting our shots for traveling!

5 Month Update

2009-08-23T18:35:00.005-05:00

This past month has pretty much flown by! What's been going on? Well, lots!
I felt confirmation from the Lord that it was time for me to move on and start preparing for our new season of life so I talked to my boss and put in my resignation at work. He was very understnading and very excited for us. Last Friday was my last day! I am now officially a house wife and I'm so excited. I've got lots to do to prepare for the baby coming and I'm going to continue to work on building my cake business so I'll still be pretty busy. Speaking of cakes, here is a pic of a recent cake I've done.

The people in my department at work threw me a baby shower before I left which as really sweet. We receved lots of great things for the baby; it was really fun. That night after Ben got home we laid everything out to look at it and re-read all the cards, it was a really special time. It made us even more excited and ready for our baby to come!
We don't have any news yet but we've been watching referrals come in for other families which bumps us up on the waiting list. Right now, unofficially, we are number 12! We're praying that we'll be able to bring our little one home by Christmas. We should be having another conference call with our agency soon so hopefully we'll get some more updates then.

We met some new friends this month which has been really fun. I realize God's brought them into our lives for a purpose and at the right time and I'm really looking forward to being able to spend some time with the girls and get to know them better now that I'm off.

Ben's really enjoying his new job and is doing well there. He's been mountain biking a lot and he's gotten quite a few guys going with him so he's having such a blast with that.

We're gearing up to start back up with our Life Group in the fall and we're praying it will be a great time of growth, study, fellowship and living life together. We've been meeting kind of sporadically over the summer to give everyone time for family vacations and things like that so it will be good to get back to seeing everyone every week again.

That's it for now, now I'm off to make dinner and start my new career as a house wife!

8th Anniversary

2009-08-02T13:18:00.001-05:00

We recently celebrated our 8th wedding anniversary. Neither of us can believe it's been eight years already. We were given a gift card to Del Frisco's so we decided to celebrate our anniversary in style. :-) We got dressed up (so fun) and went downtown for dinner. The food was amazing. Filet Mignon, garlic and chive mashed potatoes and sauteed green beans with onions. YUM! They knew it was our anniversary so they brought us dessert with candles in it. We "toasted" each other and these past eight years and blew out the candles. I had butterscotch cheesecake and Ben had chocolate mousse. I'm drooling just thinking about it!
Be thankful I didn't take picture of the food or you'd be drooling too! ;-)

4 Month Update

2009-07-29T00:38:00.003-05:00

Today we had our 4th waiting families conference call. It's been just over 4 months of waiting so far. I have to say this last month has been the hardest by far. There wasn't a lot of new info on our call today; the wait time change on infant boys was brought up and confirmed, we were told that the courts in Ethiopia will close for about 5-6 weeks starting at the end of August. I doubt this will have any effect on our referral or anything but it's good news for some families who've already received their referral and are waiting on a court date because it means they won't have to wait as long as expected. The norm has been that the courts close for about three months there during the rainy season (August - October) so our agency was very excited to hear it would only be about half as long. They asked that we continue to lift up the nannies and nurses at the transition home in Ethiopia as well as all of the AWAA staff in prayer so we will definitely continue to do that while we're waiting.

Ben's enjoying his job (praise God for providing!) and is doing well there. He's a quick learner and is doing his thing. His boss even received a compliment from another employee on him today which made him feel good.
We've been praying for a long time about my job and the fact that we feel it's best -God's plan - for me to stay home with the baby when he or she gets here. I've struggled with making the right decision for a while now, just wanting to make sure it was God's will and not my own basically, but recently I've felt that God is releasing me from my position and giving me the okay to leave and start preparing at home for our little one. Feathering the nest as a friend so beautifully put it.

I've also been working on getting the cake business going. Business cards have been ordered and a website is in the works - thanks to my awesome bro-in-law - which has been pretty exciting. I don't know what God's plan is for this whole thing but I'm looking forward to finding out.

Wait Time Changes

2009-07-07T19:56:00.010-05:00

Just found out that the wait time for infant boys is now 6-8 months instead of 9-11 months!!!!!!!!!!!
We requested either a boy or girl and I don't know which God has chosen for us but oh my goodness, if it is a boy... that means we've got about 3-5 months left. Of course this is always subject to change, so lets not get ahead of ourselves here. But aren't I allowed to hope? :-)

I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in His word I put my hope.
Psalm 130:5

Here's a note from our agency's blog about it.

Ethiopia Referral Update!

The end of June and very beginning of July has blessed the Ethiopia program with 9 referrals so far!

Due to the recent trends of received referrals the wait time for an infant male is now currently 6-8 months, while the wait time for a female infant remains 9-11 months. This trend is based on recent history, but is subject to change. We are excited to see what the Lord will provide in the upcoming months. Your prayers are truly appreciated!

As you can see the infant girls wait time is still the same so we'll see if this has any effect for us or not.

I wait for you, O LORD; you will answer, O Lord my God.
Psalm 38:15

I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry.
Psalm 40:1

What's on my heart

2009-07-06T00:39:00.001-05:00

Ben got a job!

2009-07-05T15:57:00.002-05:00

Praise the Lord, Ben was offered a job at the company he interviewd with in Ft. Worth. He started last week and seems to really like it. I'm so glad everything worked out and that he feels useful again. Thank you Lord for ALWAYS providing, You are SO good to us!

Vision of Sweetness

2009-07-05T15:40:00.008-05:00

I was sitting in church this morning and had a vision of one day soon sitting in the service with our sweet baby in a sling on my chest. It was heavenly!!

Sadly, I have no updates to give you right now; we're still in the waiting process. We'll have our monthly waiting families conference call in a few weeks and hopefully we'll get some good updates then. There are about 19 families with AWAA as of right now that will be traveling to pick up their little ones this month which is very exciting. Also, the top 10 families on the waiting for referral list include a few families who submitted their dossiers at the beginning of January '09 so that's good news. We submitted our dossier in March so we're slowly getting up there. I have no way of knowing where we are exactly based on that information, but I know God's moving things along at just the right pace.

We're getting ready to start working on the garage, sheet rocking and organizing it, which I think that will be a good project to keep us busy for a little while and help the time go by so I'm looking forward to it. I hope Ben is too! :-)

Interview #3

2009-06-23T21:08:00.001-05:00

Ben's Got an interview tomorrow morning with a company in downtown Ft. Worth. He's definitely qualified for it.
Keep the prayers coming!

3 months down...

2009-06-22T00:09:00.006-05:00

6-9 more to go! This song has been one that I've been listening to for a long time now and it speaks to what my prayer has been during this time of waiting.

It's not easy to wait, especially in the society we live in where it's so fast paced and instant gratification is the norm, but I'm thankful in so many ways for learning to wait on the Lord. Some days are easier than others obviously, but I don't want to miss out on opportunities to see God move or to be used by Him because I'm so focused on the long awaited goal of meeting our sweet baby, so I pray this song. God is so big and yet He can use the smallest things or situations or encounters to bless someone or change a life. I don't want to waste those moments because they are precious and He has already blessed me so much.

Another Interview!

2009-06-10T21:13:00.002-05:00

Ben has another interview tomorrow afternoon for a helpdesk position with a company in North Richland Hills. Please keep him in your prayers!

Tomorrow

2009-06-08T20:10:00.003-05:00

Ben has an interview tomorrow with a company in Addison. It's pretty far and the job is only part time so he's not too sure about it but is going to check it out anyway.

Pray for clarity and discernment.

Orphan Movie Petition

2009-05-30T09:39:00.004-05:00

Warner Brothers Pictures will be releasing a horror movie on July 24th called “Orphan.” The film is about a couple who decides to adopt a 9-year-old girl from a local orphanage who “is not what she appears to be.” The message portrayed about adoption and orphans, particularly older children, is extremely negative. One of the quotes in the movie is, “It must be hard to love an adopted child as much as your own.” We, as adoptive parents to be, know that adoption is a great blessing and gift from the Lord. This film’s message is completely contradictory to the message of adoption given by God.

Please help us protest this release by signing an online petition http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/OrphanMovie/ and by contacting your local theaters, as well as Warner Brothers Pictures, to voice your concerns about this movie.

Warner Bros.
4000 Warner Blvd.
Burbank, CA 91522
818-954-6000

Seasons Change

2009-05-20T17:42:00.014-05:00

Ben's been dreaming about storms lately. The Holy Spirit usually wakes him up around 3am a few nights a week to pray about certain things and lately, it's been storms. I think He was preparing him for walking through a new season; a stormy season. I guess it's about time, it's been pretty calm seas lately. There's been distant rumblings for a while now, rumors of layoffs and layoffs that have just missed us. Today though, the rumblings developed into a crash of thunder overhead when Ben received the dreaded call to HR to inform him he'd been let go. Cost reduction was the explanation.

I'm thankful for the change in season though, I know it will be a time of growth for us, in our relationships with the Lord and with each other. We are blessed to have a good support system around us to lift us up and come along side us as we face the storm head on and say "let's go". There's a nervousness but also an excitement of what's to come. Our Lord has a plan and He is mighty and strong and we know that nothing is too big for Him. There are so many options, so many directions Ben can go from here and that gives him hope. He is a godly man and I'm blessed and thankful to see him putting his faith and trust in the Almighty and see that he is ready to move forward with whatever it is God has planned next. It stirs excitement within me.

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear. Though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.
Psalm 46:1-3

We're praying for wisdom, direction, God's provision to cover us during this time, a renewed passion and hunger to do His will and to be open to whatever that might look like. Please pray with us! Rain always brings new growth.

For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.
2 Cor. 4:17

Know that the Lord is God. It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, the sheep of His pasture.
Psalm 100:3

Update

2009-05-16T11:20:00.007-05:00

We found out this week that the government in Ethiopia is not going to write letters of recommendation for adoption for abandoned children while they investigate the large increase in number of abandoned children they have seen recently. I'm thankful that they care about the children and the adoption process and want to make sure nothing illegal is going on but this does cause a lot of families' wait times to increase. Our agency said that about 20 - 25% of the children that are a part of their transition home are abandoned children.
Some of the families in our agency got this news about their child the day before they were supposed to go to court in Ethiopia and now they will have to wait. My heart breaks for them, I can only imagine after all of the months of waiting, finally knowing who your child is and being so excited that in one day your case is to go before the judge and he will grant you custody of that child, and then knowing in a few weeks you will be going to pick him up, and then you find out that it will all have to wait. Devestating. They aren't sure how long this investigation will take but hopefully it is resloved quickly.

We are praying for the families this is immediately affecting and for those it might affect soon as well. We are also praying for the people in government there to have wisdom to figure this out and that things would get resolved quickly. We know God is in control and His timing is perfect.

Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-10T08:06:00.008-05:00

Just wanted to say Happy Mother's Day to our moms. We love you very much and appreciate all that you do for us. We appreciate you supporting us in our decision to follow God's plan to adopt a child and look forward to the day that you are holding our little one in your arms, realizing that you're a grandma...it will be a sweet time.

Her children arise and call her blessed. Proverbs 31:28

It's Almost Done

2009-05-06T17:50:00.004-05:00

So it's raining. Again. It's been raining for over a week now with a day or two here or there with a break. We need the rain, I know this. We also need to finish our shed. The above mentioned breaks in the rain happen, conveniently, on days when it's not possible for us to work on the shed. We really just need two more days and we'll be done. One day to finish priming and one day to paint. So we're praying for no rain tomorrow but then Friday we've got plans and Saturday, well, it's gonna rain.

Demolition Day

2009-04-17T22:07:00.011-05:00

So what are we up to while we're waiting for our referral? We're keeping busy by doing some remodeling. Much needed remodeling at that! Our first project (we have SEVERAL) is building a new shed. My super amazing hubby tore down our old shed in about two hours last night...I helped too...but he did all the hard work. :-)

The new shed is being delivered and then we'll get busy putting it together. With lots of help of course!

Did Someone Say Cake??

2009-04-17T21:41:00.005-05:00

I've been working on a few more cakes lately. Here are some pics. Yum!

Where in the world is...our dossier? In ETHIOPIA!

2009-03-28T07:23:00.004-05:00

It made it! Our dossier has made it to Ethiopia and was picked up by the AWAA staff there on Friday. I managed to only check the Fedex tracking site twice a day through the process... I think that's pretty good. Here's the route it took.
March 20th: Herndon, VA
March 21st: Newark, NJ
March 25th: Paris, France
March 26th: Dubai, Arab Emirates
March 27th: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

So we continue to wait and pray. Please join us in prayer that the paperwork goes through the proper channels without any problems or hangups. Pray for the children who are currently in the orphanages, waiting for their forever families to come get them and for those that haven't arrived yet. Pray for their health, peace and comfort and that they know they are loved.Pray for the birth parents of our little one, whether he's/she's been born yet or not. Pray for their physical health and that they can know the love of Christ and find comfort in Him through the difficultly of placing that sweet baby in an orphanage because they just can't give him/her the life he/she deserves.Pray they understand that the family chosen by God to parent that child will love him with all that they have and raise him to know the love of Christ and never let him go without knowing about his birth parents, country and culture. Pray for us as we prepare spiritually, mentally, physically to be parents of this special little baby chosen by God.

In Memory of Molly

2009-03-27T17:28:00.008-05:00

Thursday we had to say goodbye to our sweet, happy Molly. She had a stoke and was no longer going to be able to stand, walk, eat or drink. She was 14. Our hearts are broken but we are thankful she doesn't have to suffer. We were supposed to go camping this weekend but it started raining at the beginning of the week and by Wednesday we decided it was too wet and cold to go so we stayed home. We now realize that this was God's way of keeping us around to be there for Molly when this happened.
Molly was such a joy to us, she was always happy and smiling. I adopted her from the local shelter when she was just a baby and she's been such a good dog since the very start. So playful and carefree. She was very vocal and would let you know if she wanted something! She tore up her knee, had surgery, tore it again, but she just keep on going. She was so strong. Oh how I loved her. She will be terribly missed and never forgotten.

Where in the world is...our dossier?

2009-03-20T22:39:00.003-05:00

Our dossier is offically on it's way to Ethiopia today! Our agency emailed us the tracking number so we can follow it's progress! I wonder how many stops it will make along the way and where it will go.

I can already see that I'm going to have to set a limit for myself on how many times a day I can check the FedEx website or else I could very easily become obsessed.

5 times? Okay that's probably a bit much. Maybe giving me the tracking number wasn't such a good idea... :-)

Dossier is Complete!

2009-03-14T20:52:00.007-05:00

Our Completed Dossier

Friday we mailed our dossier to our agency! Our family coordinator will receive it on Monday and she said that it should be on it's way to the Ministry of Women and Children's Affairs in Ethiopia on Friday of next week! All glory goes to God for getting us through the paperwork process without any major issues and with our sanity intact. Please continue to pray that everything goes smoothly and there aren't any hold ups with the paperwork.

We feel so blessed and thankful to be chosen by God to adopt a child who so desperately needs a family to love them and take care of them. We bow at the feet of our Saviour in awe of His sovereignty and love.

Let the name of the Lord be praised,
both now and forevermore.
From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets,
the name of the Lord is to be praised.
The Lord is exalted over all the nations,
His glory above the heavens.
Who is like the Lord our God,
the One who sits enthroned on high?
Psalms 113: 2 - 5

Tip of the Week

2009-03-02T17:47:00.010-06:00

As we're going through this adoption process our family coordinator sends out weekly encouragement emails with Scripture verses and helpful tips for where we are in the process. The one we received this week was very encouraging and gives a bit more detail into the time frame we are looking at so I thought I'd share what she said.

Tip of the Week:
It is important for families to call or email their family coordinator
before planning to send their dossier to America World. Family
coordinators can ensure that families are sending all necessary
documents, copies, agreements, and payments with their dossier. As a
reminder,all pieces of a family’s dossier, including payments, must arrive at the America World office no later than 12 p.m. each Tuesday to be sent to Ethiopia with that Friday’s shipment. If a dossier lacks an item and/or a payment has not been made, the dossier will be held until the item arrives and/or the payment has been made. For this reason, families are advised to touch base with their family coordinator before sending their dossier package.

Dossiers are sent each week providing at least 2 completed dossiers are
ready to be sent. Otherwise,a dossier will be held until the next available shipment. Please keep in mind completed dossiers are moved to the “waiting” portion of the process, receive a family number, and have been placed on the list to receive a referral. Due to confidentiality families are not given their “waiting number” but instead use their DTE date as an approximation of the timing of the referral.

This means that as soon as we send our dossier to Terra we're officially on the waiting list - even before it gets to Ethiopia. I know this doesn't change the wait time but it just feels really great knowing that we'll be moving on to the waiting stage a little bit sooner than we thought. :-)

For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at
all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
Romans 8:24-25

Good News!

2009-02-27T18:04:00.000-06:00

Well my family and friends, we've done it. The paperwork is complete!
Here's how it went down: Monday we received our certificates of completion for our online training course we had to complete, Tuesday we received the post placement agreement form that had to be signed by our home study agency and Wednesday I finished our photo pages! Thursday I emailed our family coordinator all of our documents to make sure we had everything and to see what the next step is to get our dossier on it's way to be certified and today I mailed it to the Secretary of State!

I can not believe we're at this point. I can't believe it's all coming together now. It seems so surreal. Ben and I have been filled with nervous excitement all week knowing that this paper pregnancy stage is coming to an end...and now that we've mailed it off it just makes everything seem so much more real. Our wonderful coordinator said that we should expect it to take a week to get our dossier back from the state. Then we'll make a bunch of copies (4 total) and send 3 of them to her (we keep one to take with us when we go pick up our baby) and she'll send everything to Ethiopia. WOW!! Is this really happening?? Someone pinch me to make sure I'm not dreaming!

The Do's & Don'ts of International Adoption

2009-02-20T18:49:00.001-06:00

While doing our online training we came across this list. I thought it was a good one to share.

Do's of Internatioal Adoption
Do treat her like any other kid. It may be difficult and take a while for adopted children to feel like they belong within their extended families. Treating these children like they're "nothing special" can go a long way toward making them feel at home and comfortable within the group.

Avoid the temptation to spoil her because she didn't have everything that the other kids had in the first few months or years of her life. The most valuable gifts you can offer these children are patience, routine, and consistency -- and most of all, unexaggerated expressions of love and devotion.

Do support her when curious strangers ask questions. When curious (and sometimes thoughtless) strangers ask questions or feel the need to comment on the circumstances of the adoption, do not let them lead you into uncomfortable territory. Instead, gently steer them back to more suitable small talk or respond in such a way that shifts the conversation to positive adoption language that in turn lets the child know that you are on her side.

Do respect her privacy. Adopted children have the same need for and the right to privacy as you do. They do not want their entire life story being told to strangers. If she hears you discussing the intimate details of her origins, she will likely feel embarrassed. Until the child is old enough to decide for herself how much information she would like to share regarding her background, please respect her privacy.

Do treat prospective adoptive parents the same as expectant parents. Adopting a child is just as exciting for soon-to-be parents as being pregnant. They feel the same way all expectant parents do -- overjoyed, overwhelmed, nervous, impatient, and most of all, excited. Don't be afraid to ask adopting parents about these feelings. After all, adoption is neither a secret nor a source of embarrassment or shame.

Do acknowledge and celebrate the differences. One of the best things you can do to show your support as well as your love for the adopted child in your life is to learn a bit about the culture and history of her birth country. Read a couple of books, especially travel books. Even if you have no plans to travel there, there is no better way to get the feeling of another country.

Don'ts of International Adoption
Don't introduce her as adopted. The pain this inflicts on the child is obvious. The child is made to feel inferior, like she will never be considered a real part of the family. The rule is simple: Don't ever, ever do this.

Don't say how "lucky" she is. After hearing this enough times, the child can be made to feel like a lifelong charity case, rather than the cherished child she is. Yes, she is lucky, but so is any child who has a supportive, loving family. And we parents are lucky, too, to have been able to create this loving, supportive family.

Don't assume adoption is a second choice. The reasons people choose to adopt are as varied and unique as the people themselves. While it is true that many choose adoption because of infertility, it is also true that many choose adoption for a myriad of other reasons as well. Many people choose to adopt not because they are out of other options, but rather because they believe that adoption is the best choice for them.

Don't jump to conclusions about the birth mother. Often thought of as weak, irresponsible, cheap, and worthless, birth mothers often suffer a lifetime of pain far greater than that of childbirth. Please don't jump to the wrong conclusion that these women are any different than you and me or that they love their children any less.

Most cross-cultural adoptive families know little or nothing about the circumstances that led their child's birth mother to relinquish her child. What they do know is that they love their children's birth mothers because they are a part of their children and it is because of them that their beloved children are who they are.

Don't tell us we're sure to have "our own" now. She is our own. Having "our own" is irrelevant; the child we have is the one we want and it is inconceivable that we could love or want any child more. Like all parents, we have the best.

Our I-171H is here!

2009-02-15T16:41:00.005-06:00

We are almost done! We received our I-171H in the mail last week and are finishing up the online training course and getting the last documents finalized and notarized. I think we should definitely have our completed dossier in the mail to the agency by the end of the month to be sent to Ethiopia. We're going to have a dossier celebration when it's finished! :-)

Cakes Galore!

2009-02-07T09:54:00.004-06:00

Here are some pics of some of the most recent cakes I've made. I'm working on building up my protfolio. :-)