Going Nuts

Reagan's second grade class is performing a show at the next PTA meeting called "Nuts"- Rightfully so. Here is a sneak peak at one of the songs called "Big Bad Squirrels". Please note we are NO Jackson Five!! I just wish Sofonyas and Layla were here to join in the shananagins!!

Caitlin's Cartwheels

Caitlin came home from dance today and was very excited and eager to show me how she had learned to do a cartwheel! Yeah Caitlin!!! God bless my tiny dancer!!

A Place in Heaven

After sharing our news with all my friends and fellow mothers, many have commented "Wow, what a noble deed; you are more of a women than me!" As well as other remarks elouding to the idea that I was earning a place in heaven for adopting. I believe in my heart that not all of us are called to adopt. Adopting isn't an automatic in. That isn't why we decided to do it. We simply felt in our hearts we wanted more children and wanted to do it by way of adoption. I believe God cares more about the way we love, teach, guide and embrace the children he has blessed us with. I watch many of my friends spending time and cherishing their children, and so many times I am in awe of how good they are! God has placed so many wonderful friends and godly mother's in my life who inspire me, encourage me and teach me how to be a better mom, with only a handful who have adopted. I am so grateful everyday for these amazing sister's. Thank you Father for filling my life with so many wonderfully inspiring women. I pray you will fill their hearts daily with the encouragement and reasurrance that they are being the mom's they were called to be, whether by adopting or not.

Latest Hope Agency News!

The last few weeks have been somewhat slow. That's not a bad thing. I think it is the calm before the storm. A good storm though. Filled with referrals and court dates~I pray! Our director is in Ethiopia on a mission to find some matches for those of us that are paper ready. He got their on the 24th and will be there until March 12. So I am keeping my fingers crossed and praying hard, not just for us, but there are quite a few families that are waiting on some good news as well.
Some other good news is that Sof's best friend is now being adopted by our agency coordinator. When she and her daughter went to Ethiopia in January to pick up her little girl they met him and fell in love. I could not be more excited! She lives in Texas, so we will be able to get them together from time to time!! I think that is so important since they are more like brothers, than friends.
With the adoption of Sof's buddy that just leaves one little 7 year old, who has been at our agency's orphanage the longest. He is a sweet, cute, healthy little boy. It is breaking my heart that a family hasn't swooped him up yet. In fact, when he learned of his friends adoptions, leaving him behind, he got really sad. Ok I am crying now. The idea of him being left behind, when he has been there the longest, really makes me sad!! We have heard so many wonderful things about him, it troubles me that he has not been chosen. For us, we didn't chose him because we thought he was a little young and Sof's picture spoke us. If anyone is out there with an open heart to a precious 7 year old boy, let me know. I know that he would bless a family in so many ways. Father God, I pray for this dear sweet young boy and his broken heart. I pray you pour out your love and comfort on him. I pray for a family to come forward and chose him for he is a precious child of God deserving of a family to love and for a family to to love him in return. Father, I trust in your goodness and know you meet all our needs and so I trust his needs will be met soon. It's in your precious name I lift him up to you, Amen!

All in a day's work

Yesterday was a crazy day for the Motts. My mothering skills were seriously put to a test. Caitlin has been sick with a high fever, coughing, tummy aches the whole gammit, and whinning understandably. Reagan has had this strange looking sore on his arm which he said was a spider bite he got at school a week and a half ago. So I took them both to the doctors. After 2 hours, I found out Caitlin has a virus, which I have totally exposed myself to, being I have been sleeping with her and Reagan has Ringworm. Which is not what I thought. When the doctor told me, I said "what Reagan has worms?" She quickly corrected me and explained that Ringworm is a fungus and that I simply need to put Lotramin on it for a few weeks. Not to worry. So I take Reagan back to school and instruct him not to say anything to his classmates. Of course, he came home from school and told me that he told all of his buddies and they thought it was cool. What are you going to do?
Then there is Blake, who came home Sunday from a Boy Scout camp-out totally sunburned and blistered. His face actually swelled up, it was so bad. We had packed the sunscreen and a baseball cap, but did he use it- NO! He told me no one else did, so he didn't want to look like a baby, since he is one of the youngest. I think through the pain and random comments at school he has learned his lesson though! A mother can only pray!
But this is not it, tonight is our Cub Scout pack meeting and I am responsible for bringing Spaghetti for 50, having my boys sing a song, do the opening and closing flag ceremony, and pass out awards. All with a happy face. I am exhausted to say the least, but the show must go on.
Happily all went well. The kids are all on the road to recovery and I have once again survived the storms of motherhood!!

Getting Old- It's for the dogs!!

Our poor old sweet Prince is having more and more health issues. At first it was his hearing. Then his eye sight. Next came a slipped disk, arthritis, teeth extractions, and sadly doggy alzheimers. A few months ago we took him into the vet, who is a total doggy lover and I trust, and she sat me down for the talk. She looked me in the eye and said "you know he has lived a long good life. He's fifteen for goodness sake, but his kidney functions are rapidly declining. At this point, you probably have a few months left. So embrace your precious moments with him." I wasn't too sad until I got into the car and processed this reality. Prince was one of my first children. And even though I know he has lived a long good life, it really broke my heart at the thought that his time on this earth with us was drawing to an end.
So Greg and I talked with the kids and explained to them why he was having all the accidents and what was going to happen. And that we should embrace our time with him and show him extra love and mercy in these next few months.
I hate to say it, but honestly it is no fun. There is not a day that goes by that I am not cleaning up after him several times. At this point he is restricted to our kitchen, because he likes to pee on the carpet, everywhere and if we let him outside he escapes through our fence posts and wonders off. He also barks constantly and at nothing. I am doing my best, but it is challenging. I keep telling myself this is a test to see how we will handle getting older ourselves. My kids on the other hand have little to no mercy. Grant it they don't have much of a bond with him, for he is not much of a kid dog. But I am afraid to see what lies ahead for Greg and I. I think the first moment we show any sign of old age they will quickly sign us off or put us out to pasture. Only when I remind them of our decreasing days with him do they cut him any slack. I pray daily for God to give us all the love and mercy towards our sweet Prince that he deserves. Sadly, this is a life lesson that we too will be old and have our issues someday and I hope and pray someone show us a little grace as well!

Greg's Birthday Bash!

It was Greg's birthday on the 15th. He turned 41. Wow, he just gets better with age! When I asked him what he wanted for his birthday he replied "a son!". I love that man of mine. We really enjoyed the birthday weekend celebration with family. I am not sure who enjoyed making the cake more Greg or Caitlin. Either way they are pretty cute! I thank God every day to blessing me with a husband who has a heart for God and for family. Thank you father for creating such an amazing man who is better than any prince charming I have ever read about or could have created in my dreams!

Giving Birth to an 8 year Old!

Wow, I feel like a proud new mama who just gave birth to a beautiful 8 year old boy. Ouch!! I catch myself looking at the picturte of Sof's beautiful face and fall deeper and deeper in love with every breath. Just as I did when each of the kids were born. It suprises me how much I am already feeling even though I have never met him, seen him in person or held him. I am so eager for the day we bring him home and are able to become his family for real. I can't wait to be able to comfort him when he is sad, hurt or scared. Shower him with hugs and kisses and the words I love you with each new day. To rejoice with him at his accomplishments. Celebrate his birthdays and holidays with him. Just celebrate life with him and watch him grow! And to share the love of our heavenly father, who by miracle brought him to us. As a friend, and a fellow adoptive mother, Cristie Martini put it so perfectly "I've been blessed with three from my womb and one from my heart- so far"! I am so blessed!!

Real Stinkers!

I was going through our pictures from our recent family outing to Enchanted rock and I came across this picture of the boys. I couldn't help but have a flashback to a funny picture I took this summer of some baby skunks curled up on a rock wall. Can you pick out the real little stinkers?

Caitlin's Prayer

Last night at dinner I asked, as I usually do before we eat, if anyone felt led to say Grace. Caitlin quickly chimmed in "I do!". She usually says something quick like thank you Jesus for this day and for this food, but not tonight. Instead she said the sweetest thing with no prompting. "Dear Jesus thank you for our new brother Sofonyas and our little sister. Please watch over them and bring them home soon so we can keep them and love them forever." Greg looked at me, and of course, being the cryer that I am when it comes to those things, the tears were rolling down my face. It never ceases to amaze me how pure in love children are. They are able to speak so clearly and openly from their heart. Another thing we can learn from our kids. Thank you father God for the love that you have put into our children's hearts and for giving them the voice to speak it so freely. Father I pray they do not loose that as they get older, but that their voice of love grows stronger and bolder! In your precious name I pray, Amen!

Leap of Faith

Over the last few days since we announced our adoption of Sofonyas I have been blessed to chat with some Hope friends (friends from our agency) regarding the view point that the older kids might have. It's funny as we have told people about Sof, it has been said to us "wow, what a leap of faith for you to take in adopting an older child." But as Susan, a Hope friend who is also adopting older child, so wisely addressed, it is our Ethiopian kids who are taking the true Leap of Faith. They are the one's that will leave the country they know as home, and all the people that have become like family, to go live with a strange family, in a new country, with a new language and a new way of life. Leaving everything bit of security and what they know behind. After pondering this for a short while I started trying to see things from their perspective. Wow, I don't know if I would have the courage to take such a bold leap. I believe in my heart that God stays very close to orphans giving them courage, visions of their new life, and the security that he is with them now and will always be with them where ever they go. These children may have never even been taught about our Heavenly Father, but their spirits know him well! Thank you father God for always being with us and for never forsaking us! Father I pray that you fill Sofonyas and all the orphans with your love, peace and courage and that you keep them close to you. Keep their spirits strong to have the courage and the joy to take this huge leap of faith. In Jesus name I pray, Amen!

And Then There Were 7!! We Have a Son!

Yes, it's what you think! And yes, we are crazy! But we are crazy excited about our latest decision. In addition to Layla, our little Ethiopian pricess we are in the process of adopting an 8 year old boy named "Sof" from Ethiopia. We are hoping that this will be the month to receive a referral for our little Layla, but in the meantime we have a picture a beautiful boy that is available at Shim's place who we soon hope to call our son. In the last few weeks Greg and I have been discussing the idea of adopting an older boy. No sooner than we brought it up, a group of amazing boys who are available at Hope's orphanage came to our attention. Unfortunately, the older kids are the least likely to be adopted. Everyone wants the little ones. We are guilty of this as well. We began this journey with the idea of helping an orphan that was in need. We thought that was in China, but we quickly realized that we were a little late on that ban wagon. So hence came Ethiopia and there is no doubt about the need there. We have always thought how wonderful it would be to adopt a second child from the same country. So as they say "there's no time like the present." Knowing that our hearts are open to it, financially it makes since, and we believe that it will help them adjust a little easier to do it at the same time, it seems like a no brainer. The only complication to this is once we adopt 2 from Ethiopia we are no longer eligible to adopt from China. China has a 5 children maximum policy. 5 sounds nuts I know! If from today until we get a referral from China God opens a door allowing us 6 we will be prayerful in our decision. We feel as though we were called to adopt those in the most need, and in our minds that is through Ethiopia. It's troubled me though the idea we had this notion it would be by the "Grace" of God we be blessed with another child. This is how we came to the name of Grace for our China princess. What's funny to me, is the name of our coordinator at Hope is Grace. It was by talking with her we decided to go with our agency Hope Adoptions and by way of her voicing the need for families for these older boys that we have found a son. So maybe Grace was to be the facilitator (she is definitely an angel sent from Heaven) in this process, not the child all along. I know I am an out of the box thinker when it comes to these type matters, but it is important to me that everything line up. And it does, praise God! I can't wait to share him with everyone, but first we need to make is through court before he is officially ours (approximately 5 weeks). I will keep you all posted as to our progress. Please keep us in your prayers! Father God, I am so grateful for all the blessings in our lives and for the vision of this beautiful child "Sof" to be a part of our family. Father God please watch over our precious son Sof and keep him safe and well until the day we bring him home. Please cover all the details of the adoption so we may call him our son. In in Jesus name I lift this prayer up to you. Glory be to God! Amen!

Boys to Men

Blake and Greg recently went on their monthly Boy Scout camp-out. This month it was called the "Freezery", because it usually is planned to be during a cold front. Not only was it freezing, but it acutally made it down to 19 degrees both nights. BRRRRRR! During the day they participated in events called the "Highland Games", hence kilts (aka man skirts) were worn. They threw giant cedar posts (twice Blake's size), tossed kegs (emptied by father's) as well as tried a hand at golf. I did not know this was a Scottish game. All in all, fun was had and no frostbite to report.

Going Mental!!

Upon the new year I have decided my resolution is to work out more.. mentally that is. You know the saying "if you don't use it you'll loose it". Well I think I've lost it, but hopefully not for good. This reality dawned on me the other day when Blake and I were reading together and after an hour he said "mom, so how far are you?", to which I pathetically replied "page 50". He showed me that he was nearing 200. So thanks to my dad and a friend I have two books under my belt. The first book the "Thank You Power" which is about the power of gratitude- the more you acknowledge your blessings the more you seem to have. The second book the "Red Letters" which is about the fact that we are all called to be the hands and feet of Jesus and reach out to those in need (focusing on Africa and the pandemic of AIDS and the orphans because of it). They are both very good reads. Internalizing them, and ultimately morphing them into one book in my head, it hit me that the more I am grateful for all the blessings in my life (i.e. family, friends, freedom, health, house, education, etc) the more confirmation that I feel about adopting. I look around our perfect little life and yet I picture the faces of the innocent victims and their vicious reality; starvation, death, disease, poverty and little to no hope, knowing we can make a difference. By adopting were are acting as Jesus' hands and feet by reaching to those in need. I know adoption isn't for everyone, we are very blessed to have such supportive friends and family that it makes this right for us. Thank you father God for putting this on our hearts and I look forward to watching unfold the many blessings that will come from it.