Family of Hope

The Ethiopian Princess

2009-07-27T11:08:00.001-07:00

Sis and I had fun this morning dressing the princess up in her Ethiopian garb:) This little outfit is very special because it was a gift from her birthmom. The day that we met her birthmom, she brought this outfit, specially wrapped up in shiny paper, for her daughter. I'm thankful that the princess will have this outfit and her cross necklace as tangible reminders of her birthmom's love for her. I'm so thankful to have the princess with us! At nighttime I love to feel her tiny arms around my neck and hear her sweet voice saying, "My mommy!" In response to this I squeeze her tight and smilingly say, "My baby!" God is so good to us!

An Inspiring Read

2009-07-20T18:32:00.000-07:00

I love to read and I've been reading ALOT this summer! I just finished a book by Gracia Burnham called "In the Presence Of My Enemies". She powerfully tells the story of her and her husband, Martin's, year-long captivity by terrorists in the Philippine jungle. She and Martin had been serving as missionaries there in the Philippines for 15 years and were kidnapped while they were celebrating their anniversary at an island resort. Gracia chronicles their struggle to survive, their conversations with the other hostages, their relationships with their captors, their heartbreak over being separated from their 3 children, their thankfulness for God's special gifts to them along the way, their love and encouragement to one another during that dark time. She writes about becoming especially depressed one day...Martin talked with her about it and basically she said, "I believe that God sent his son to die for me...I believe that Jesus is the Savior of the world...I believe the Bible is God's Word...but I just can't believe that God loves me." She was miserable for 3 days until she came to realize that God truly did love her. I've thought about that often since I read her testimony. Then, when I couldn't sleep a few nights ago, I was reading John 12:27 where Jesus said, "Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? No, it was for this very reason that I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!" It struck me that I serve a Savior who could have asked for an escape from pain, but it was through His pain that God was glorified. It made me think about all the times that I ask for a "way of escape" from painful or uncomfortable circumstances. I should be praying that God would glorify (make Himself BIGGER) Himself through the circumstance. That's what Marcia Burnham has allowed God to do with her life...and I think that God HAS glorified Himself through her!

July 10, 2008

2009-07-11T08:19:00.001-07:00

The little princess has been with us since January 10, 2009...exactly 6 months! We can't imagine our lives without this darling girl:) She's brought so much joy, laughter and love into our home - we are so thankful that God has brought her to us! But as we celebrate the joy of having her with us, my heart aches for her birthmom in Ethiopia. The princess was brought to Hannah's Hope in Addis Ababa on July 10, 2008...exactly a year ago. I can't imagine what she is feeling as she remembers her precious baby daughter. I'm praying that God will fill her heart with His peace so that she knows her sweet girl is being loved and cared for here in the States...8,000 miles away from Ethiopia. Most importantly, I'm praying that she knows Jesus as her Savior so that one day we can all be together with Him!

The Bowling Princess

2009-07-06T18:22:00.000-07:00

We took the Princess bowling for the first time recently! She loved the whole experience, but especially loved her beautiful orange ball:) We were laughing with her as she slid past the line a few times and landed on her bottom. Then, we found a great contraption at the alley that allowed her to simply push the ball and it would roll right towards all the pins. The funniest part of the whole experience was that this 3 year old Ethiopian beauty beat her sister, her big brother and her mommy during her first bowling game ever!

A Lesson from Ruby Bridges

2009-05-28T13:05:00.000-07:00

We journeyed on a field trip to the Children's Museum yesterday. We hadn't been there in probably 3-4 years...I'm loving getting to revisit all of my favorite places for toddlers again:) Anyway...the museum has a powerful exhibit called the Power of Children that focuses on Anne Frank, Ruby Bridges and Ryan White. We were able to sit in a replica of Ruby's 1st grade classroom at William Franz Elementary School and hear a dramatic monologue by one of the Federal Marshalls that accompanied Ruby through the hostile crowd outside of the school. Ruby was six at the time and was the first African-American student admitted to the school. There were huge protests in New Orleans against her admittance. Many people were screaming horrible things at Ruby. The museum had a photo of some of the protesters...some of them had taken a black baby doll and put it in a coffin. In the same picture there is a smiling, little white girl holding up a cross. A cross?! Their hatred was a very ugly thing. After a few days of this same thing, one of the federal marshalls saw that Ruby was saying something as she walked by the angry mob. She was praying. She wasn't praying for herself, but she was praying for God to forgive those who were cursing her. This is part of her prayer: "Please, God, try to forgive those people. Because even if they say those bad things, they don't know what they're doing. So you could forgive them, just like you did those folks a long time ago when they said terrible things about you." I want to be more like Ruby Bridges and I pray I can teach my children how to forgive those who hurt them, like Ruby's Mom must have taught her.

"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity." Colossians 3:12-14

Reflections on Mother's Day

2009-05-15T05:30:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday was Mother's Day and D. decided that he'd treat me to a family bike ride! I have always loved biking with D and the kids. When we were first married and living out in VA, D surprised me one day when I came home from teaching to say, "Let's go buy some bikes." My response was, "Why do I need a bike?" I'm so glad he persuaded me to follow his lead! We still have those same bikes after almost 20 years:) Anyway, back to Mother's Day...we took the kids to a bike trail that we haven't ridden on for about 6 years, so the kids have grown since then (and we've added the African princess!). The whole time I was just filled with a sense of awe and joy that God has given us these precious kids to care for. I kept looking at Bub's back as he rode next to D. and thinking, "He's looks almost like a man! Last time we were here he was 7!" We rode the bikes on the trail to this special park we used to visit...the Princess had fun on the playground...it was surreal seeing her enjoying the same things Sis and Buddy enjoyed so long ago...now the playground seemed tiny to them! The day just reminded me of all the good things and simple joys that God brings into our life daily. One of my prayers as I'm parenting has been from Psalm 90:12, that God would teach me to number my days aright, so that I could gain a heart of wisdom...that I would enjoy each "stage" of their childhood. He has been faithful to answer that prayer!

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." James 1:17

A Funny Conversation

2009-05-05T05:17:00.000-07:00

I have always loved the nighttime routine with our kids, the time when everyone gets ready for bed and D. and I go into each of their rooms to pray with them and talk about whatever they want (sometimes this is shorter if we're all exhausted!). Last night, I had fun getting the little princess ready for bed...bathtime, new kitty pajamas, sweet arms wrapped around my neck, reading the "Spot" books together, then we had this conversation.

Me: Tomorrow morning you can have some oatmeal:)
Princess: Oatmeal.
Me: Yes, oatmeal.
Princess: Cheerios.
Me: Cheerios.
Princess: Banana.
Me: Banana.
...a slight hesitation and a little smile...Princess: M&Ms!

Yes, Princess, you might get some M&Ms:)

The African Princess Turns "Tree"

2009-04-27T16:00:00.001-07:00

We celebrated the Princess' 3rd birthday yesterday...actually she even had b-day celebrations over the weekend! Some good friends surprised us with a cake for the girls since they both have April birthdays:) Little B's face just absolutely lit up as we were singing "Happy Birthday" to her! She loved blowing out the candles and actually said, "Again!!!" when we were done the first time, so the candles were relit numerous times! What a joy it is to have her here with us! I'm still so amazed at how God has brought her into our family. I was able to be with her by myself at the park on her birthday since the other kids were doing their standardized testing at the library. It was a gorgeous day and I was thrilled to just wander with her on the beautiful, wooded paths...my heart is full.

Pondering God's Grace

2009-04-02T17:20:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday I was able to go out to breakfast with a very good friend and then head to the Christian bookstore. We were looking for Bible studies for the spring and found one entitled "Grace: An Invitation to a Way of Life" by John Ortberg. I eagerly began the study on Monday morning and was thrilled that God used it to speak to me about His tender care. The study is focused on Psalm 23..."The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul." At one point in the Bible study we were to paraphrase the scripture so that it meant the exact opposite...The Lord is not my shepherd - I shall be in want...he makes me lie down in barren places, he leads me beside turbulent waters, he distresses my soul. It was very difficult for me to write that. The point was to contrast the Truth of God being our Good Shepherd with the lie that He doesn't truly care for us. It made me soooo thankful that He does care for us and that I can place my complete trust in Him.

The Bible study also challenged me to begin the practice of noticing...to notice something, to truly pay attention to it. It was a reminder for me to stop and notice God's gracious gifts to me everyday...being able to be home with my kids, taking a walk with my husband, picking daffodils with my toddler, a warm bed on a rainy night, the ability to read, being able to buy groceries...this list goes on and on. May you also be challenged to stop and notice God's very special gifts for you today!

"God...richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment." I Timothy 6:17(b)

The African Princess' First Bike Ride!

2009-03-25T17:16:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, we found our bike seat up in the attic!!! The weather was just perfect for the little darling's very first bike ride! She loved it:) Having her on my bike brought back all kinds of memories from our three other kids riding in the bike seat...long bike rides on the Monan Trail, stopping at Subway in Broadripple, playing at the park...aahhh...does this mean I'm getting old when I begin to reminisce about my children's past? Anyway, B. did love the ride and especially enjoyed our final destination...the local Dairy Queen!!! She got to do what everyone in our small town does in the spring - sit on the wall at DQ and wave at friends as they honk and drive by. It means that spring has finally arrived:)

A Day of Firsts

2009-03-11T17:18:00.000-07:00

Buddy Boy has reclaimed the name "Ratatouille" for desiring to and successfully fixing scrambled eggs all by himself for the first time! It was such a stunning accomplishment at lunch time that we asked him for a repeat performance at dinner:) Very well done! So now he's famous in our household not only for his delicious fruit salad, but for his super scrambled eggs! And I'm going to encourage him to keep on cooking;)
Meanwhile, Bub had a first today also...he was hitting some baseballs with his Dad and actually broke his baseball bat! Dad claims it was the pitching that broke the bat, but we know it was really those 13 year old muscles of steel!
Little African Princess has her first doctor appt. with our regular pediatrician and came out with flying colors...27 lbs. and 36 inches...and LOTS of spunk! Big Sister was a lot of help in the dr.'s office and continues to grow more and more in love with her baby sister each day.
Now, I know that those of you who really know me are surprised that I'm taking the time to blog...I've been tapering off...but 2 of the kids are out of the house right now and the other 2 are playing happily so here it is:) I'm praying for each of you!!!

Jesus Loves Me!

2009-02-22T15:27:00.000-08:00

The princess loves to sing and this is one of her favorite songs! We sing it continually throughout the day...when we're in the kitchen, when we're in the car, when she's in the tub, before she goes to bed...basically, you could call it her theme song:) The special moms at Hannah's Hope taught it to her, so she's been singing it since the first day we met her! I've recently really pondered the words to this children's song that I've known since I was a little girl..."Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so. Little ones to Him belong, they are weak, but He is strong!" At nighttime I think about those words as I'm holding her...she is weak, but God is soooo strong! He saw her need and brought her to us! He is truly AMAZING!

May each of you know at this moment how very precious you are to God. Jesus loves you!

A New Hairstyle for the Princess

2009-02-15T17:10:00.000-08:00

This cute hairstyle is one "B" herself showed me! We were at a friend's house for our teaching co-op when the princess discovered these little rubberbands in the toy room. Immediately she began to put them all over her head...her tiny fingers were so cute as she was twisting each section of her hair to make it even all the way around! I only had to help her with the ones on the back of her head! She is constantly amazing us with all the things that she has learned to do for herself. She is a treasure to us:)

Our Girlie-Girl

2009-02-08T04:18:00.001-08:00

We are so enjoying getting to know our newest daughter! She is extremely expressive and makes us laugh alot:) Her little eyes light up when are playing "chase" or peek-a-boo. One of her favorite games is to pretend to put one of us to bed ("mahtah-mahtah"="night-night")...she makes us lie on the couch and covers us with the blanket. If we cry, she pats us and says, "Ah-teh-free" (don't be afraid). The funniest part is when she wants one of the kids to come and sit on her lap...she's very serious about this!

She's also a girlie-girl which is great! She loves to wash her hands, brush her teeth, get dressed, and fix her hair. Some of her favorite things are lotion (Japanese cherry-blossom is her favorite), chapstick (this was a life-saver on our trans-Atlantic plane ride!), head-bands, and anything that sparkles (purses, shoes, etc). She is also like her big sister in that she loves to go "bye-bye":) We're filled with gratitude to God that He has brought her into our family!

The Journey

2009-02-04T16:37:00.000-08:00

That is what I have called this 12 month process towards adopting our little daughter from Ethiopia. Actually it only took nine months, I just wrestled with God for three. Many have asked how K and I arrived at adopting our little girl. Along with how much does that cost? Wow you are doing what? Now, how old are you? Here are a few lessons that God taught me as we started walking on this Journey.

1. Somewhere in my life of raising three children, I was taught that the busy life I was living being a dad to three great kids ages 13,11, and 9, leading a church, living life with my family and friends would soon be over and that Real Life really begins at lets say for me 51 (Empty Nest). Adopting at my age a 2 ½ year old would push this back to let's say 58. All kids gone from the house at 18. Somewhere, I was taught that there is an age that you are too old to give life and then there is an age that Real Life for those who are too old to give life begins. God pushed me on this and I got in line with him and I am betting that my daughter will give me more life than any golf course or doing my selfish thing could ever provide.

2. Thoughts came to my mind like another mouth to feed. (Don’t mention that I could just eat less and share my food with this new mouth and I would benefit health wise by not eating so much) College to pay for, clothes to buy etc. Then the reality of what I was embarking on hit me. It was like God said D will you shut up and see the big picture, there is a little girl who has no home and you can provide for her with what you have now. She has no home!!! K and I were walking back from the orphanage with our daughter and she said, B has nothing to bring with her, all she has is what we brought for her. The clothes she was wearing at the orphanage, they stay for the next child. She has nothing to bring, yet now she has a home. Talk about a moment.

Humbling...

"Snow" Much Fun

2009-01-27T16:40:00.000-08:00

Today was the Princess' very first experience in the snow and she loved it! She had a blast sledding down our little hill with Sis and Buddy Boy, then we took her on a walk in the woods. She liked hearing the crunch, crunch of the snow beneath her boots. It was so beautiful and peaceful among the trees. When it was time to finally come in, she was upset and showed it like only a 2 year old can :)

Right now it's very quiet here at the house because D. took the older kids for nighttime sledding and before he left he put the "sleeper hold" on the princess! He's a great man and I'm so thankful to God for him! So...I'm going to fill my free time with a good book...and I'll probably be snoozing in the not too distant future. I remember these days of "heavy" sleep from when Bub, Sis and Buddy were toddlers :) I've got to be ready for another day of fun-filled, action-packed adventure tomorrow!

Almaz, God's Servant in Addis Ababa

2009-01-25T17:31:00.000-08:00

I've been wanting to write this post for the past 4-5 days and am now just finding the right time to do it :) This post is a tribute to an amazing servant of God, Almaz. She is the director of Hannah's Hope in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This is a woman who truly loves Jesus and she really loves all of the precious orphans that God has placed in her care. Her home is just a few doors down from HH and she is always on call day or night for these sweet little ones. She does not expect the children to be "perfect", but encourages them to play, laugh, even get into mischief. She is a humble woman who prays for strength and joy. She leads the 27 special "moms" who work at HH with wisdom...she encourages them to touch the children, talk with the children, comfort and love the children. We are so thankful to God for placing her there at Hannah's Hope. We know that our princess is adjusting well to us as her family because of the love and prayers of Almaz and the "moms" at HH. For those of you out there who have children at Hannah's Hope rest assured that God has made it a special place of life, hope and joy!!!

Belly Laughs

2009-01-20T13:47:00.001-08:00

What can make a 13 year old boy act like this? An overflowing love for his baby sister:) The little African princess was laughing so hard she was literally falling over last night! What a joy to be together as a complete family!!! We are all adjusting well, although our youngest son does disappear when B. begins to cry or pout! That's a bit too much for him. Today was our first day back at homeschooling...it went pretty well...I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but God gave me His peace so all in all it was a very good school day! I'm so thankful for the opportunity to be at home with ALL of our children:)

Out of Africa

2009-01-19T07:59:00.000-08:00

What an amazing adventure that God has called us to join Him on! We had an incredible, life-changing experience as we traveled 8,000 miles to Ethiopia to pick up our little African princess! She is such a joy to us! Her laughter is priceless :) We are very thankful to God that He has called us to be a part of His plan for her! We are humbled that He has allowed us to be the ones to clothe her, feed her, care for her...she is a treasure!

Dressing her in the yellow dress was extra significant for me. Sis and I had gone shopping for clothes for our little toddler back in July even before we knew our toddler was B. Actually, the amazing thing is that the exact day we were buying her clothes was the exact day that she was brought to Hannah's Hope! So...I've had the small yellow dress hanging in my closet where I could look at it each time I went in. When I looked at it I would imagine what B. would be like and what it would feel like to hold her. When we were in Addis Ababa and I could finally put her in the dress I was ecstatic! It truly was a dream come true!

B. is fitting in great with her brothers and sister! They are entertaining her right now while I blog...so this may be short:) Bub just asked me a minute ago if she'll always be this active...haha! I told him that he was twice as active as her when he was a toddler and that I didn't sit down until he was 3 years old (those of you who knew him then remember this well!).

The scripture that I'm thinking of this morning is this: "LORD, you establish peace for us; all that we have accomplished you have done for us." Isaiah 26:12 This whole adoption is all about HIM! He is the One who is worthy of all our praise!!!!

Thank you to all of you who have been praying for us, encouraging us, watching our children, feeding us, loving us...we are truly blessed!!!! May God bless each of you as you have blessed us!

B and Mommy...Mommy and B

2009-01-15T04:40:00.000-08:00

That is life in Ethiopia, K is B's comfort and B feels best when she is with mommy. That is why I have been delegated to take care of the Blog.

We were able to meet with the B's mom and uncle here in Ethiopia. We prayed that she would come. It was a very emotional experience for all of us. The uncle was very gracious and a man of prayer. K will share more with you in a few days after we get back. At this moment, we are at the hotel waiting on our 11:30 pm flight. Should be quite the plane ride. Hopefully the late flight will allow B to sleep on the plane. We have two nine hour plane rides and then a short one from Detroit. Should be very interesting with a 2 year old, not to mention one that does not speak English.

The journey has been great, the people here have been very kind. We can't wait to be back though with our three. Guys if you are reading this ... We love you so much. To all that are praying for us, K and I send our thanks. Seek His Kingdom and righteousness.

Bringing B home....

It's Official...She's Ours

2009-01-12T10:51:00.000-08:00

B is officially ours!! The Embassy appointment came and all the paper work went through. God is so good!! Thank you for all your prayers. Just to let you all know B is bonding to momma really well. We feel so fortunate.

Hey kids Dad is the main go between here as mom is getting B ready for bed. I am sure mom will post soon. B has a great sense of humor. Danielle start practicing the word sa-mean. It means kiss. She gives great kisses.

Okay, the Pastor is coming out now....If you are reading this and God has been working on you to do something...if He is speaking through His word and to your spirit about a situation you are going through, I encourage you to follow His instruction. The journey is so good with Him. Is it easy? Most likely, not. However, it will always bring you closer to our Savior Jesus. And as disciples, is that not what life is all about?

A Day Early...What Could Possibly Happen?

2009-01-11T06:31:00.000-08:00

A note from D...

K is holding B at this very moment. Can you believe it? Almaz came to the hotel while we were eating lunch. K told her that on our walk this morning we found Hannah's Hope. We wanted to go in so bad. She said, "Why didn't you knock? Let's go and see your daughter." K was stunned!!

Get this....K walks in and the children are listening to a story and Almaz calls out B's name and she comes walking straight to her momma. She is giving kisses. In fact, she is staying the night with us tonight. K just walked in with her...God is good.

Sis.. she gives you and her brother's pictures big kisses.....oh man...this is a blast.....

Something Beautiful Out of Something Broken

2009-01-08T16:38:00.000-08:00

A good friend of mine gave me this necklace a while ago when I was going through a really difficult time. It's a piece of broken china that's been made into this special piece of jewelry. When I wear it I think about the symbolism behind it...something beautiful out of something broken. I'm so thankful to God that He has taken my brokeness and created something beautiful for Himself. I'm taking it with us as we fly to Ethiopia tomorrow. We are overjoyed to be able to travel to get our sweet little African princess, but there is also a touch of sadness in the whole process...sadness for her in the loss of her birth family...sadness for her birthmom in giving up her daughter. Thank you for praying for "B" and please pray that we will be able to meet with her birth family while we are in Addis Ababa.

On a happy note, we were able to pack LOTS of formula for the babies at Hannah's Hope!!! We have enough for over 800 bottles:) May God multiply it even more!

We shared Ephesians 2:10 with our kids this week...we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus, to do good works which He prepared in advance for us to do. It's stunning to us that God is allowing us to be a part of His plan for little "B"! It was just a year ago that we began seeking God's wisdom concerning adoption for our family, and NOW here we are! God is so kind and we give Him all of our praise!

Balls, Bubbles and Jump Ropes!

2009-01-05T16:14:00.000-08:00

D came home from work today with LOTS of basketballs, soccer balls, jump ropes & bubbles for the kids at Hannah's Hope in Ethiopia! We are also taking as much baby formula as we can, but D wanted to make sure that we took fun stuff, too :) Thank you to all of you who have bought gifts for the orphanage or given money to buy these things! Thank you most of all for praying for us as we prepare to leave on Friday!!! We're excited to think that our little darling girl will soon be here at home with us!

I'm thankful for the peace that God has given me. I praying that these few days before we travel will be happy, peaceful and reassuring to the kids before we fly 8,000 miles away to Africa! I'm praising God for His tremendous love and faithfulness!

Hopeful Anticipation

2009-01-03T09:53:00.000-08:00

Soon after we mailed in our adoption application to All God's Children on May 1, 2008 we began to pray about the name for our little princess. One morning after I'd been in God's Word I felt Him whisper that her name would be Hope. I shared that with the family and that's when Sis designed and posted this sign for her bedroom door:) At that time, we didn't even know anything about Hope. Since then, we've learned about her and have decided to let her keep the African name that her birthmom has given her, but her middle name will be Hope! I've been thinking alot about that sign this week as we prepare to travel to Ethiopia on Friday...the fact that Sis was confident that one day "soon" she would be getting her little sister. It makes me smile to think of her childlike faith and confidence in a great and awesome God who was performing the miracle of adoption in our family. God is so faithful! It reminds me of His incredible promise: "Those who hope in me will not be disappointed!" Isaiah 49:23(b)

"...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(b)-25

Looking Back, Part II

2008-12-21T03:57:00.000-08:00

Last January is when my husband and I began to seriously pray about adopting a child into our family. Initially God laid it on my heart. D is a good man and he began to pray honestly before God about it. It wasn't what he had thought about for our family. It would mean giving up some of our dreams about the future. It would be a financial stretch, to say the least, and since he is the provider in our family that burden would fall on his shoulders. One of the many things that I love about my husband is that he greatly desires to walk in obedience before God. At one point he made a list of all the pros and cons of adopting...he read me all the blessings that could happen because of it. Then, he read all of the hard things about adopting. After each of those obstacles, he had written "So what?" At that point my heart melted because I knew that God had laid the adoption on his heart also, and he was going to obey:) I'm so very thankful for this man!

Looking Back, Part I

2008-12-17T13:27:00.000-08:00

What a fabulous gift that God has given us in allowing us to travel in January to bring home our little princess! As I knelt down by her toddler bed last night, I was simply overwhelmed at how God has brought this adoption about in our lives. I thought I'd share a bit of the beginning of our journey with you. It was last January that God began to fan into flame in my heart the desire to adopt a child. I had thought about it when my kids were very young, but had not acted upon it. In January, my husband was preaching on the book of James at our church. I began to read James to our kids at home. After I finished reading James 1:27, my daughter looked right at me and said, "See! I told you we SHOULD adopt!" (She's been praying for a sister for years!). During my own quiet time with God's Word, He showed me II Corinthians 5:14-15..."For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again." I kept thinking and thinking about that verse. I asked myself, "Am I just living for myself?"..."Could we as a family love and care for a child who has no family?" The next step was to talk with my best friend,my husband,about it. We were on a date at Outback. He looked across the table and gently asked me, "What are you thinking about?" I smiled as I replied, "I'm thinking about what it would be like for our family to adopt a child." Without blinking an eye he said, "That is so not what I thought you were going to say!" Needless to say that was the first of many significant conversations concerning adoption!

Last night as I remembered that II Cor. scripture, I was looking at a picture of "B". My heart was so grateful that God helped us to obey Him last January! He has special plans for our little girl!

Thank you to all of you who are praying for "B" and for our journey to go to her! We are very, very thankful!

WooHoo...We're Going to Africa!!!

2008-12-16T17:37:00.000-08:00

"The LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy!!!!" Psalm 126:3

We got THE call today:) The kids and I were sitting in the family room reading from Luke 1:57-80 and having a good discussion about John the Baptist and how he was preparing the way for Jesus when the phone rang. The answering machine picked up and we heard, "This is Christy from All God's Children...". Suddenly, we were all running for the phone!!! Almaz called AGCI to let us know our tentative travel dates...we need to be in Ethiopia by Jan. 11! We are SOOO happy! We're thankful to God for allowing us to adopt little "B" into our family! I can't believe that I will be seeing her sweet face in a little more than 3 weeks:) Thank you to all of you who are praying for us. And for those of you who have children at Hannah's Hope I would be happy to let you know how your children are. I really appreciated all of those who did that for us, and now I can do it for you! Just let me know!

"Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders you have done. The things you planned for us no one can recount to you; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare!"
Psalm 40:5

Pretty Shoes for our Pretty Princess

2008-12-13T12:21:00.001-08:00

Sis and I had so much fun yesterday picking out these little shoes for the princess! How stunning to think that precious "B" could actually be wearing these shoes in a month! That's what we're praying for:) The excitement continues to build in the house...everyone is ready for the darling to come and be home with us! Hopefully we will hear good news next week!

The Court Date Comes to a Close

2008-12-11T18:22:00.000-08:00

Thank you to all of you who prayed for our little girl and our court appointment in Ethiopia today. I have a sense of peace. I know that God is in control of all things! But...I'm so excited about possibly traveling next month to get B!!! All God's Children said that we should be able to hear something about our court date next week. In the meantime, we're having a great time checking out all of the other Ethiopian adoption blogs out there! I was thrilled to find a family that has a mom and dad ALMOST as old as us! Plus, their children are 14, 11 and 8...very similar to us. I don't know why that made me feel really good to find their blog...it just did! Thanks again for praying for us!

Preparing for the Princess!

2008-12-08T13:59:00.001-08:00

We've set up the bed for the little princess! Everyone is very excited. Our youngest son recently said, "I can't wait until B. gets here. I'm going to read her 'Chicka-Chicka-Boom-Boom' so she can learn her letters.":) This was quite a statement coming from him because reading is not one of his favorite things to do!! Sis and I spent time today on the computer looking at hair-care products for the princess...plus, admiring all of the cool, little beads and snaps for her hair!

I must admit that the night we put up the toddler bed and I was alone in the room, I had a moment of uncertainty. A moment when I thought, "Am I the right mom for this precious child?"..."Am I too old to be doing this?"..."Is it right to take her away from Ethiopia and transplant her half-way around the world?" In that moment I had to fall to my knees and pray to my Father who knows all things. He has called us to this journey and He will enable me to do what He has called me to do! There is tremendous peace in that for me.

We have a tentative court date in Ethiopia this Thursday, December 11th. This will be the time that the Ethiopian government will look over all of our documents and decide if we can adopt B! Please pray with us that things will go smoothly and that we will receive our call shortly for our travel dates. We are praying that we will be traveling next month to Ethiopia to meet her and bring her home! Thank you, thank you for praying!!!

Light for the Journey

2008-12-06T06:41:00.000-08:00

"The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned." Isaiah 9:2

When I think of darkness I remember the time this summer that we went hiking at a state park. There was a cave that you could explore on the trail. The path through the cave appeared to be a short distance, so we decided that the five of us could navigate our way through, even though we had no flashlight. We began the journey, with Don leading the way and myself at the end of the line of 3 adventuresome kids. We went into the cave with high spirits, but it didn't take us long to realize that it was a bit hard to make our way through in the pitch darkness. The cave was dark, had many twists and turns and was very narrow and confining in places. At this point, it wasn't as much fun as we thought it would be:) Then, we remembered that I had my camera so I passed it up to Don who proceeded to "light" up the way by using the camera's flash. With the "light" we were able to see where we were going and began to laugh again! Getting out of the cave was no longer difficult and we eventually emerged into the warm sunshine.

I've been reading passages from Isaiah as we prepare to celebrate Christmas - celebrating the fact that God actually became one of us!!! May you find joy and peace in Him this month as you reflect on this scripture:

"...Jesus said, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.'" John 8:12

A Wonderful Surprise and a 6th Grade Sleepover!

2008-11-22T08:02:00.000-08:00

First...the 6th grade sleepover...last night there was a very special event at our church for the junior high girls called "Get Real". It was an awesome program for the girls put on by some women and senior high girls from NCC about friendships, modesty, purity and living a life for God that is counter-culture to our society! We had a blast together...dancing, laughing, eating, talking, hula-hooping, etc. Afterwards, some of the 6th graders came to our house for a slumber party...more laughter, talking...less sleeping:) Who needs sleep anyway? I'm so thankful I could spend time with these girls who I work with on Sunday mornings. Having them in our home was a terrific experience...Sis was loving it! The only people not happy about the whole thing were her brothers:)

Here's the wonderful surprise part...when I got home late last night I found out that our agency, All God's Children, had sent us more recent pictures of our little darling!!! Just when we were filling a bit discouraged yesterday, God sent us hope! Wish I could share the pics with all of you...she is simply adorable:) Her hair is growing back and she has the sweetest smile! Looking at the pictures stirs something deep in my heart and our desire to bring her safely home grows and grows! Thank you to all of you who are praying for our child!

We also learned that 6 families from AGCI are traveling this weekend to Ethiopia and 8 families are traveling in 2 weeks. Hopefully that means we'll get our turn soon! I have to admit that my first thought was why do they get to travel to their child and we don't, but it's all back to that huge matter of trusting God in all of our circumstances. I believe with all of my heart that His timing is perfect:)

Simply Waiting

2008-11-21T12:48:00.000-08:00

God's Word says to be still and know that He is God (Psalm 46:10). It also says to trust Him with all of our hearts and not to depend on our own understanding...we're to acknowledge Him in all of our ways and He will make our path straight (Proverbs 3:4-5). Right now we're in a long, quiet period of simply waiting for news on how the adoption process is going in Ethiopia. We're longing to hear news about when we can travel to bring home our African princess, but there is only silence. It's a time of trust that God will bring her home to us when He desires to do so.

In the meantime, we're doing the day to day things...trying to live life to the fullest, although sometimes I don't feel that I do that very well. A highlight for me this week has been the chance to read aloud "Johnny Tremain" to the whole family (...Don was a even a little disappointed because I read some to the kids while he was at work). It's a great story and I love to find a book that ALL 3 of the kids enjoy hearing!!! It's a special book to me because it brings back memories of when Bub was in 3rd grade and I read it to him...at that time he said, "Wow! This book has changed my life!" (I'm not making that up!) When I asked him what he meant, he explained that it was a book that gave him a love for history. Now, he's a teen and his favorite genre of book is still historical fiction!

It's a time of wonder as I see the kids growing up around me...what a pleasure to be their mom! Can't wait to bring our newest little daughter into our family circle!

Jumping rope!

2008-11-13T04:14:00.000-08:00

Aaaahhh, the fall weather is truly upon us...gray skies, barren trees, cold winds. Doesn't sound good, does it? But to be honest, this time of year thrills my heart. It's something about knowing God's provision, His care and His steadfastness. It's about the hope that I can have when things look bleak. I'm studying early American history with my youngest son and we've been reading books recently about the pilgrims, Squanto and about the hardships of living in the wilderness. It reminds me to be so thankful for all that I have, and it reminds me of God's unending faithfulness!

We were very excited yesterday to get a personal update on our little African princess from a family who were in Ethiopia last week adopting their child! How amazing to think that they were just with her...that they were able to play with her! They told us that she has a musical laugh...can't wait to hear it! We also found out that she loves to jump rope!!! Here's the cool thing...we were just jumping rope as a family 2 nights ago! It's one of the things that we do in the winter when it gets dark at 6p.m. and we can't run around outside! We were laughing last night at dinner, imaging little "B" being able to probably jump rope better than any of us :) Hopefully we'll find out soon! In the meantime, we're praying for our travel dates to be in late December or early January. Thank you for joining with us in prayer for this!

Simple Joys

2008-11-05T14:31:00.000-08:00

Simple joys in a crazy world. We're trying to remember to enjoy the simple joys that God gives to us every day. We went hiking with the kids last week on a glorious, fall day...how refreshing to admire the beauty that God has made. Being out in nature fills up something deep inside of me!

We've also started a Monday night family ritual of a campfire & smores after dinner! We laugh together, think of family memories and sometimes, sometimes my husband sings for us:) Then, the kids play on the hammock or trampoline in the dark...usually no one gets hurt! It's just peaceful to be together. I'm so grateful to God for all that He has given us.

We're anxiously waiting for news on "B"...we were hoping for some pics of her from a family who is in Ethiopia now getting their precious baby, but their blog today said they weren't allowed to take pics of the orphans. It's disappointing, but I know that soon, by God's grace, we will be traveling ourselves to get our daughter! Thank you to all of you who are praying for her!

A Bump in the Road

2008-10-29T11:18:00.000-07:00

We know that the "adoption" road is sometimes filled with surprises and unexpected "bumps". We learned yesterday that the Ethiopian government has recently decided to begin implementing a new "adoption" safeguard for their orphans. They want to assure that all adoptions are carried out ethically for the orphans' sake. Another government agency, called the Central Authority, will now also have to give the go-ahead to all of our paperwork, along with the Ministry of Women's Affairs. After our paperwork clears both agencies, THEN our court petition to bring "B" home will go to the courts. Here's the heartbreaker for us...we just found out today that our original court date was set for Oct.27th, this past Monday!!! If the government had not changed its regulations, we would be traveling in November to get our little African princess! Aaahhh...it's so hard to think that we could have been traveling soon. We just want to take care of "B":) The good news is that our court date has been rescheduled for mid-December. That means we would possibly travel in early January. Please pray that our court date will actually take place at that time! We do know that God's timing is perfect, and we are trusting in Him. What else can we do? He is in control:) God determines the times set for us and the exact places where we should live...Acts 17:26. That means He will bring our daughter home when it is His time.

Wonderful surprises and pink casts!

2008-10-28T15:36:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, I was overwhelmed as my sister & close friends had planned a "Celebration of Life" party for Hannah's Hope and our little African princess! It was absolutely wonderful to be surrounded by so many of my very favorite people all in one place!!! One of the biggest surprises was that my college roomie had driven 2.5 hours just to attend - I burst into tears when I saw her! Another big surprise was that my mom and dad came to join us! It was a great time of encouragement for me as people wrote special notes to us, brought gifts for "B" and the orphans in Ethiopia, and shared generously with us. The highlight for me was the "All God's Children Adoption" table, filled with books and literature on adoption. May God use that material to lead other families to adopt:) Thank you, thank you to all of you who played a part in the planning of the event or who attended! It truly was a fabulous celebration for which I am very thankful!

And now, about the pink cast...Sis was playing with her cousins & Dad at the park during the event and broke her wrist! I was sad for her because she would have LOVED to have been at the celebration. I met Don at the hospital. Sis was really brave. She had almost passed out on the way to the ER and Don said she asked, "Is this like the pain Laura was in?" (Our friend who is now with Jesus because of cancer). Don answered, "Yes, but worse." Sis replied, "Then I can do this." :) The drs. and staff were great. They set her arm, but had to give her an extra dose of medicine to knock her out. Coming out of her drug stupor was the VERY worse part for her...she kept asking, "What's...wrong...with...me!!!" We had a long night at the ER, but during that time we also had sweet moments together as we comforted Sis. I'm so thankful for the love that we share. Now, Sis is learning to adjust to life with "one" arm - she's doing pretty well! But, she's already looking forward to the day that the cast comes off!

Good news!!!

2008-10-20T14:29:00.000-07:00

Should I call this good news or "God" news! The good news concerning our adoption is that there is some movement in processing the adoption documents in the Ethiopian government right now! There were 40 families from our agency, All God's Children International, who are like us...all documents in Ethiopia and just waiting for travel dates. We found out on Friday that 3 of those families have travel dates in early November, so that means things are beginning to happen!!! We are so excited about traveling to get our daughter, and know that it will be sometime this fall/winter. The anticipation is part of the adoption journey, I suppose! I know that God's timing is perfect, so I have complete confidence in Him that we will travel when He wants us to travel. Thank you to those of you who are praying for us!

The other exciting news is that some very good friends of ours are going to adopt a little girl from China!!! We spoke with them back in the spring about our adoption, shared our excitement with them and they felt compelled to pray about it for their family! We didn't realize that they were praying about it, and now they've shared their good news with us!!! We are thrilled for them and we are thankful to God for the small part that He allowed us to play in bringing this precious Chinese daughter home to her forever family! That means that our sweet African princess and this China doll can have the security and love of a family! It reminds me of Jesus' words in John 14:18..."I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you."

Perspective

2008-10-16T14:15:00.001-07:00

We had the privilege of sharing lunch with Pastor Peyot, Sangeline and baby Pednika this week. Peyot is a pastor in his native land of Haiti. Don met him years ago on a mission trip! How wonderful it was to see him again, and to meet his wife and baby daughter! Of course, all of us, especially Sis, had fun holding Nika and playing with her! I kept imagining the fun we are going to have when we are finally able to bring "B" home:)

As we were eating together, Peyot was sharing about the poor economic and political situation in Haiti right now. It's been especially hard there because of the hurricanes - many families' crops were destroyed. Then, he told us about a time that he was unable to feed his wife and children for a week. He talked not of his hunger pains, but of the pain of watching his family suffer from hunger. As he was speaking, my mind was racing as I thought: I have so much! I've never seen my children hungry. I've never experienced this level of suffering. "B"'s mom in Ethiopia experienced this. Oh God, please help me to not become so concerned with the little irritations and inconviences in my selfish life. Please let me remember this moment. By God's grace may I get beyond myself.

A New Creation

2008-10-08T05:14:00.000-07:00

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" II Corinthians 2:17.

Yesterday, my friend, Laura, took her final breath here on earth and now is in the very presence of Jesus!!! A stunning thought! She had been very ill with cancer, but had a tremendous amount of peace in the thought of going home. And now, she is no longer in any pain and she is COMPLETELY and FULLY alive in Jesus Christ! I can picture her warm and brilliant smile as she is worshiping God even right now!

The hard part is saying good-bye to her while we are here. She had to leave behind her loving husband, her 2 boys and her baby girl. That's where the pain is. Pure, undiluted pain. But I know that God is in the midst of the pain. He is faithful. He is the only One who can give us REAL hope. Please pray for this family. "The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." Psalm 34:18

Hiking and Waiting

2008-10-02T12:34:00.000-07:00

We spent a beautiful fall afternoon at the state park with the kids yesterday! I like nothing better than to walk hand-in-hand with my honeybun in the stunning creation that God has given us! The trees are just beginning to turn colors, and the weather has turned cool...perfect for sweatshirts! I'm grateful for the change in seasons that reminds me of the different seasons of our lives. Right now we are patiently waiting to hear the news that we can travel to Ethiopia to bring our newest little daughter home. The Ethiopian courts reopened on October 1st and our agency told us we could get the "call" in 2-5 months. We're praying that it's sooner than later, but God's timing is perfect!!! We did get a whole disc full of new pictures of our African princess - WOW! She's such a cutie! The pics really help to encourage us as we wait. It's amazing that she's halfway around the world, but already so close to our hearts...it's truly a God thing!

2008-09-24T13:34:00.001-07:00

Picking Apples

2008-09-24T13:15:00.000-07:00

We continued our family tradition of picking apples at Anderson Orchard last Friday. Our very first year, our oldest was only 1 year old and now he's 13! It's always such a wonderful experience to go in the fall and explore the orchard together. It's one of our youngest son's very favorite things to do. The day before we went he asked me if it was okay to be as excited about picking apples at the orchard as Christmas Day! YES! It was a glorious September day - blue skies and warm sunshine! We went way back in the orchard, harvested Jonathan and Golden Delicious apples, then played hide-n-seek among the trees. I surprised the kids, AND my husband, by hiding way up in one of the trees. Later, we feasted on a picnic lunch ( including delicious, fresh-picked raspberries) by a small lake at the end of the field. Before we left, we all had to enjoy true "apple slushies". We are looking forward to taking our precious African daughter to the orchard with us next year!

Oh my goodness!

2008-08-27T11:41:00.000-07:00

These are the words that I kept repeating this morning as Don and I stared at some new photos of our precious little daughter! Some friends were just at Hannah's Hope to bring their daughter home and they took photos for us!!! My heart was racing as I gazed at my sweet baby's face! How can I already love her so much? It is truly a miracle from God our Father! I dashed up the stairs to awaken our kids with the words that we have new photos of "B". They jumped right out of bed and crowded around the computer to see the pics! They are as excited as we are!

In other news, we recently were able to make a care package and send it to AGCI for "B". They received it today and it is on it's way to Ethiopia!!! The nannies at HH will read the photo album that Sis and I made of our family and "B", so that when we arrive to bring her home she'll already know us! I'm sure she will still be a bit shocked to find out that her parents have blue eyes and white skin, but the album should help with that! We're so thankful to God for bringing this little girl into our lives!

Waiting

2008-08-21T13:19:00.000-07:00

We are patiently waiting for the time when we can travel to Ethiopia to get our little African princess. Just looking at her sweet photos makes me wish I could hold her! Another family from AGCI is in Ethiopia this very week to bring home their daughter from HH. They are keeping a daily blog which is thrilling to read! Plus, they promised to take pictures of "B" for us!!

We fed the homeless the other night in downtown. It was little buddy's first time...he was a bit hesitant about going with us, but he really got into once we were there. His title was "pudding boy" because he passed out the pudding cups. It was such a good experience for all of us! When Don and I were back home, he shared that "B" was probably homeless for a time in Addis Ababa. It made me sad to think of that for her. I'm so thankful to God that we are going to be able to bring her home in a few months!

A Jar of Change

2008-08-13T13:33:00.000-07:00

Our children are all very excited about the whole adoption process, but it's been a bit hard for our youngest. One weekend recently, he and I were able to spend some time talking about it one on one. I was able to reassure him that he would still be able to have time alone with us and that we had enough love in our family to love this new little girl. The next night I was talking on the phone and something caught my eye on the floor. It was a quarter. As I rounded the corner I saw my little guy's "change" jar dumped on it's side, almost completely empty. Then, I opened the cabinet where we're collecting change for our adoption and it was filled to the top with his coins. It was such an unexpected surprise! He had just quietly given his approval to the idea of our family's adoption...what a gift from God. I'm so thankful to God for the ways that He works!

The Aroma

2008-08-11T18:44:00.000-07:00

We are in the process of collecting little things for "B"s bag to send to her. I was happy tonight to find a cute, tiny black baby doll! We have a soft, pink blanket for her and are taking turns sleeping with it so that she can smell us and not be afraid when we come to take her home. Don was preaching on Sunday morning from II Corinthians 2:14-16...that God leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and that He spreads everywhere through us the fragrance of the knowledge of Him. We are to God the aroma of Jesus among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. I want to smell like Jesus to others! May God work in me to do that!

One month ago

2008-08-09T07:56:00.000-07:00

One month ago...it was July 9th. This was the day that our little Ethiopian princess was brought to Hannah's Hope by her family. I can't imagine the pain and grief of that day for her mother. What led up to that day? What was she feeling? When did "B" realize what was going on? I'm so thankful to God for the love her mother showed by taking her to a safe place to be fed and cared for. I'm also thankful that God is allowing our family the privilege of being a part of this precious one's life. So today, I'm thinking of a mother half way around the world...praying for her as she grieves the separation with her daughter...feeling the connection that she and I have as we both love and treasure this small, sweet girl. God has great plans for "B"!

Shopping for an African-American baby doll

2008-08-07T18:32:00.000-07:00

Sis and I have been to 4 or 5 different stores looking for a tiny, black babydoll to send to our princess in Ethiopia. Out of all the dolls we've seen in the past 2 days ONLY one was black and that baby was too big for the care package we are preparing to send. I'd never really noticed the discrepancy before. I know that adopting this sweet child is going to open our eyes to alot of things that we didn't notice before. Please, God, teach us! We wound up buying a cute little mama sheep holding her little lamb...it's soft and will be perfect for her small hands!

2008-08-06T20:13:00.000-07:00

Beginning a blog

2008-08-06T19:54:00.000-07:00

Okay, we've been convinced that we need to set up a blog after reading all the wonderful adoption blogs out there! We want to share our own journey to our little Ethiopian princess with our friends and family. Today was such a happy day. Sis and I spent the afternoon shopping for our little princess - what a thrill to be able to buy all of those cute 2T clothes again! Then, to top it off we were able to see more photos of our princess from Hannah's Hope! Wow...that was thrilling to see her sweet face in more photos than the four they sent us. We even got to see her on some video coverage. I just want to get there and bring her home!!! God is so good to give us this opportunity to bring her into our family. Everyone is excited! Well...it's very late...we've been on the computer way too long looking at all the blogs . I have three kids to get to bed along with two great girls spending the night, what am I doing writing on this blog. Got to go.. God is so good...