Singing Praises-Announcing the Referral of our littlest Angel!!!

I have so much inner excitement, I can't even begin to type. We are thrilled, no beyond thrilled to announce that we have accepted the referral for our little girl. Her name is Helen, which means beautiful light. She is!! We don't have the exacts on her yet, as we have not received her profile yet, but here is what we know. She is approximately 15 months to 2 years old and is from a province called Shashemene, which is the true origin of Regae music. She is half Ethiopian, half French Dutch and is absolutely precious with the most beautfiul brown curly hair. I can't wait to get my hands on it and play with it!!! We are told she is shy but very sweet. Because she is not officially ours until we make it through court we can not post her picture yet, but here is a sneak peak of her gorgeous locks!! We can't wait for Sof to hear the great news so he will have time to hang out with his little sister until we can get there. We are hoping to get a court date soon and so we believe if all goes well, Greg, Blake and I will travel over to ET some time in July to bring both Sof and Helen home. To think our journey to complete our family is almost reality overwhelmes me with joy!! Father God your plans and timing in our life is so much sweeter than I could have ever imagined. Singing praises and glory to you don't even begin to express my joy and gratitude for all the blessings you have bestowed upon our family!

Psalm 9: 1-2

I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will show forth all marvelous works and wonderful deeds! I will rejoice in You and be in high spirits; I will sing praise to Your name O Most High!!

Angels All Around

Today marked the 1 year anniversary of my mother's passing. I have spent a lot of time this last year allowing myself to miss her and to try to stay connected to her by wearing her favorite perfumes, cooking dishes that she taught me and sharing many memories of her with our kids. Today I choose to be quiet, for the first time in my life, about what the day marked and what was on my heart.
Once again, I am blown away by the awareness that children have of the spiritual world that is all around us. Caitlin and I were on our way to the grocery store today when we she said "Mommy, look at the sky (the sun was shining through the clouds creating beautiful rays) it's your mommies spirit shining down from heaven." Usually we say when we see the sun's rays that they are God's light shining down on us, but today out of the blue with no guidance she uttered differently. It was all I could do not to wreck the car by the tears that were now streaming down my face, all I could say is "yes baby you are so right!"
It is such a gift to be able to see your creations with such simplicity and clarity; the ongoing connection between heaven and earth. I believe it is always there, it's just as adults we get so near sighted to this world. Father God, I am so grateful for the gift of your constant connection that is with us. To know that heaven and earth are not so far apart. Help us to see this world through children's eyes and help us to shed our focus from ourselves to the beauty that is all around us. I do believe there are angels among us and all around us. I look at 4 each morning as I look into my childrens' eyes.

Our 15th Wedding Anniversary!!!

WOOHOO!!! Praising God, today is our 15th Wedding Anniversary!!! Wow, 15 years and I am proud to say still going strong!! When I think of who we were 15 years ago, as we exchanged our vows, so new to love and what the committment of marriage stands for, I feel so much more committed today. I understand just what those vows truly signify. We have been tested by the fires many times during the last 15 years and have witnessed many who have held on during difficult times, to those who let their marriages go. We have defintely been on our knees at times praying for God's guidance to keep us together. With every challenge that has come our way we have been blessed to have the union of our marriage made stronger and been brought closer as one; as God intended us to be. Every day I wake up giving thanks to the Lord for creating such an amazing man of God to share my life with. The depth of my love, respect and admiration for this man I call my husband grows more profoundly with each year.
As a father tending to skinned knees, sharing manly tasks with the boys like cutting down branches, dancing with our little girl, praising them for jobs well done, to disciplining them so they may become great godly driven adults. I am awed!!!
As a husband, he is my best friend, my trusted spiritual council, my playmate, my partner; tender, respectful, competitive, and affectionate. He takes my breath away!!!
As the man of God, he is solid in his foundation, quiet in his faith, patient and deliberate in his action, calm in the storm, and walks humbly yet boldly in the ways of the Lord. That is what makes him our family's spiratual leader!!
By knowing and experiencing my love with Greg, it is knowing and experiencing the love of our Lord. I am so grateful for the 15 years we have shared as one and I look forward to sharing many more 15 year celebrations with him. I rejoice in our union and I pray for God's hand to continue to bind our relationship bringing us closer to eachother and to the one who has created us.

Calling All Prayer Warriors!! Help!!!

So here is the latest status of our referral.... We have been matched but..... due to some major power outages in Addis Ababa they can't e-mail, copy, scan, etc the file to our coordinator here in the states. We were told the power outages are from the fact there are 4 milion people in the city using approx. 200 mega watts of electricty and the power company can only handle 150 mega watts. In the past they have used hydro power to compensate, but unfortunately Ethiopia has been experiencing a major drought this year. Meaning no power for most of the city. They estimate this to be the case for up to 2-3 months. Yikes!! What this means for us, I am not sure other than at this point we can't even get the profile and therefore can't truly receive a referral, therefore we can't accept a referral to set up court dates etc. This has got me a little rattled to say the least. I feel the enemy is coming down strong! Yes it makes me sad we cannot get a referral until whenever, but more the fact that all those children and people that live in the city, what it means for them to be without power for the next two months. To think of peoples livelihoods being affected, the safety, the health of the children knowing that they will have to stay in the orphanages even longer. We are so fortunate to live in a country that does not have to worry about those type of things happening. Can you imagine. I understand that Ethiopia is not as dependant on electricity as we are, but I am sure this will negatively affect many.
So I am calling out to all my prayer warriors out there to help me pray for Ethiopia, the situation, the people and for there to be a quick resolution to the power outages. For God to put a hedge of protection over all of his people during this difficult time watching over them keeping them safe and making sure their needs are met. That our Mighty Heavenly Father who can do anything, will, for the sake of what is right and good for his people!! I pray that all those affected find refuge, shelter, peace and comfort in our Lord. Trusting that he is with them and will not forsake them! Father God, I lift this prayer up to you, in Jesus name, Amen!!
Psalm 91: 1-4
Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare of the Lord. He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I am trusting him. For he will rescue you from every trap and protect you from the fatal plaque. he will shield you with his wings. He will shelter you with his feathers. His faithfulness promises are your armor and protection.
Verse 11: For He will give His angels charge over you to accompany and defend and preserve you in all your ways.

Another Round Please!!

Yesterday, Greg and I had a date lunch giving us the one on one time which we were long overdue for! In addition, to the lunch we shared at LaFogada (one of our favorite local mexican restaurants), we went down to the local health and immunization department to take our first round of shots for when we travel this summer. Not the shots, or liquid lunches we used to take over lunch together in our earlier, pre-kid days. Boy are we growing up! So after much discussion with the man at the desk, we decided to get the full gammit: Meningococcal, Hep A&B, Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis), Yellow Fever, and Typhoid. Little did I know that the man at the desk was also the "shot Nazi". I think he was a bit of a masochist for he was way too happy at the idea of us getting them all. And seem to enjoy even more the grimaces of pain on our faces as he administered each one. By far, that was the most expensive round of shots we have ever shared. But then again, tomorrow will be our 15th anniversary, so guess what we got for eachother. Yes shots, and we will have the great pleasure of sharing a second round in a month. It is still under debate which type of shots are more painful. Oh the things we do for love!

Be Still and Know..........

Still no word on the referral for our little girl, so we are taking refuge in the fact we must be still and know that God is in control!! Knowing and trusting his plans and timing for our family are glorious and beyond our own!!

Phillipians 4:6
Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God.

Feathers From Heaven

As my father put it so well, it was as if the angels were having a pillow fight up in heaven. I never knew snow could be so amazingly soft. So radically different than the sleet/hail we call snow here in good ole SA. Sad to say the kids first words were "mommy, the snow here doesn't hurt like at home. It feels and looks like feathers!"

Ahhhh 6 days in Keystone!!! Another milestone for the Mott clan. We have talked about taking the kids skiing for the last few years but never actually did it. So with the coming of our 2 additions this summer we felt we better squeeze it in before then.

This was definitely one of the best vacations we have ever taken as a family. The weather was perfect; sunny in the day and snowing at night. The ski conditions were perfect; nice and powdery, especially since it was at the end of the season. The ski runs were just right; not too hard and not too easy, and the condo was a dream.

From making hundreds of snow angels and snow balls to skiing the whole day we all had a blast. Never once hearing "this stinks, I wonna go home". We skied all 4 days. The kids did amazing considering they had never even seen snow before! Just 1 day of lessons and they were off flying, literally flying down the mountain. Reagan our extreme jumper, Blake our mogle maniac and Caitlin the queen of speed.

It was an absolute perfect vacation. If I had put in my request to God I could not have asked for more. I am always astounded at God's goodness and blessings in our lives. We defintely have our struggles like everyone, but sometimes it seems too good to be true. And I know it all comes from Him! This was one of those life moments you just want to freeze time and yet we have so much more to look forward to. Father, I am so grateful for your constant love, wonders, and experiences that you have created and planned out for us to enjoy. I embrace them fully and am constant certainty that it all comes from you. Thank you father God for watching over us, keeping us safe and in the moment allowing us to be in sync to experience such a wonderous time together!!

Psalm 23:5 "My cup overflows with blessings"

Psalm 145:2 "Every day (with new reasons) will I bless You (affectionately and gratefully praise You); yes, I will praise Your name forever and ever."- Amen!!!

So here is what we know of about our precious son Sofonyas

Just look at that face~ Is it not beautiful. His smile which we are told he is always wearing, is as bright as the sun. What a smile to wake up to. I can't wait!!!

Name: Sofonyas Melesse (first and middle name, last name .....) Mott

Date of Birth: November 12, 1999

Place of Birth: Tigray Province

Siblings: None known

Tigray is a northern province in Ethiopia. Total population is 4.3mil, 81.2% are rural inhabitants. 95% are Orthodox Christians. It is a beautiful mountainous terrain occupied mostly by herders.

We also just learned that he doesn't know as much English as we originally thought, not that that matters. Blake, Reagan and Caitlin are eager to teach him, so I am sure he will learn quickly. We even purchased a software program "Amharic the EZ way", to learn his native tongue as well. It's not an easy language, but we are having fun trying!!

Galations 5:6 "For when we place our faith in Christ Jesus, who we are. What is important is faith expressing itself in love."

Hallelujah!! It is official Sofonyas is now a Mott!!!

We are so exicted beyond words to be able to share him. So here is a picture of our precious new addition Sofonyas Mott............

Praise God!!! Father God thank you for giving us this amazing opportunity and blessing of being able to bring this beautiful child of God into our family. Please watch over him and keep him safe and filled with our love and yours until the day we bring him home.

Ephesians 1:5 "His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. And this gave him great pleasure."

Longest Pregnancy Ever!!!!

Seriously this has been the longest pregancy ever, for me at least! I am now beyond 650+ days into our adoption journey. This idea got me to thinking, is it really the longest pregnancy? So here is what goofy me found out: The average gestation period:

Humans: 266 days (longest known is 306 days)
Chimpanzees, Apes: 260 days
Dogs: 60 days
Rabbits: 33 days
Mice: 20 days
Cows: 284 days
Whale: 517 days
Elephants: 645 days

Therefore, I am correct that I have reached beyond even the elephants painfully impressive pregancy of 645 days, making this the longest pregancy ever!!

The Wait Continues.......

So still have no word on our precious Layla. We are hopeful that no news is good news. When I last spoke with Grace our agency coordinator she said Shim was able to find lots of children, but they are still traveling and or waiting on their paperwork or medical reports. Therefore, she said it might be yet another week.
This morning I pretty much lost it from all the waiting. It has seriously gotten to me these last few weeks. To the point where I broke down and cried. Wow, it suprises me how renewing a good cry could be. Then I decided to go for a run, hoping that it would pass the time and allow me to get some of my stress out. And it did!! I ended my run with a song by Martina McBride named "There you are" which is about how God is always present in our lives-In the light of day and in the dark of night. It was as if God was speaking those words to me himself. It not only lifted me up but gave me new hope that I was needing. He has not and will not ever forsake me. I know his plans are so great for our family and I just need to be a little more patient, and we will have our sweet reward!! -Our family united as one!
Thank you father God for always being present in our lives. For being there in our time of need, for hearing our cries and knowing our hearts. For allowing us to find refuge in you and renewed hope just when we need it. Father, I praise you and I am so grateful for knowing your love!
Psalm 144:1 Bless the Lord, who is my rock. He gives me strength for war and skill for battle. Hi is my loving ally and my fortress, my tower of safety, my deliverer. He stands before me as a shield, and I take refuge in him. Amen!!

Mott Family Campout-Mission Accomplished!

Well we finally did it!!! After two years of talking about it and trying to time it we finally went camping- The entire family together!!! Between soccer games, cub scout outings, boy scout campout, as well as holidays and other activites it seemed like it would never happen. But God so kindly opened last weekend just for us to go camping. Being that Caitlin and I hadn't ever been roughing it before we were a little nervous. You know becoming dinner for a man eating bear or snakes attacking us at night while we sleep. But I am happy to report no casulties, not even poison ivy!! We had the best time! It was a perfect sunny day. Our campsite was right above the river so we could run down and go fishing and listen to the river while we sleep. We caught so many fish poor Greg has his work cut out for him. We roasted marshmellows by the fire and just embraced the great outdoors together!! NO TV and we survived!! :) It was fun to watch the kids just being kids, playing in the dirt, helping build the fire, cook and hang out together. It did get a little cool at night and there wasn't much sleep for Greg and I. Funny how noisy it is out there in the middle of nowhere. I must say it's a lot of work to roughing it , but well worth it! So mission accomplished and can't wait to go again!!

Good News All Around at Hope!!

The last few weeks have been filled with blessings all around at Hope. Little one's being brought home. Word of good health reports for some of the babies still there. And I am happy to report that all of the older kids at Hope have been adopted. Praise God!! A fellow Texan Hope family, the Wilkinsins are adopting Menti, the boy in my previous post. Go Texas!! So we have a wonderful, fast growing Ethiopian population here in our great state. I can't wait for the reunions!! Another Hope family, the Daughtery's have decided to adopt Mikiyas, a little cutie! The Brutto family is proud to announce they can officially call Ava their own. We have our court date for Sofonyas. Things are good around Hope!! And we are hoping and praying that more good news will come in the days weeks ahead of more refferals and court dates. The next group of families are headed to Ethiopia this week. Amy, Carrie and Shane may your travels be filled with safety, joy and good health!!
I am in awe of this Hope family and the constant openess, love, support, comfort, encouragement, help and friendship that never ceases!! Father God I am so thankful for all your goodness and blessings in our lives! Thank you for allowing us to be part of such an amazing group/family and to witness your goodness and mercy, kindness and joy everyday!!!

Yippee we have a court date for Sof!!

I just received the great news our court date for our precious Sofonyas is scheduled for March 31. So hopefully, God willing, all will go well and we will be able to officially call him our son and post his beautiful face on that great day!! The only thing is we will be on a plane headed to Colorado first thing that morning so I may not get to post for a week or so. I will call those of you I can and have you spread the news.

As far as a referral, no word yet. We are still anxiously waiting to hear as our director just returned from Ethiopia. We were told it may take a week or so more to here if we have been matched this time around.

Again, praying hard for God to deliver the good news in the days ahead for both our Ethiopian blessings!!

Package for Sofonyas!

Next week another group of families from Hope will be traveling to Ethiopia to get their kiddos. One family has so generously offered to take a package to Sof for us. So this weekend we had so much fun putting together our second package for Sofonyas. This is not the first thought. As soon as we accepted the referral for Sof we quickly sent over a package to him, which was filled with little goodies, a Texas Longhorn Shirt and a letter introducing ourselves. We have since learned he really enjoys cars, like Reagan, so we included a few cars for him and his friends to play with together. We also put in a small photo album of us camping, fishing, going to the beach, our house and yard as well as a few of other family photos, to show him what he has to look forward to. Since both Reagan and Blake have real leopard gecko lizards we put in a small stuffed animal gecko so he wouldn't be left out. Couldn't exactly pack the real thing, and I don't think he's ready for that yet. Reagan found a Transformers shirt that he thought Sof would like, so we added that too. We were even able to squeeze in a bunch of Tootsie Pops for him and his friends and a few books as well. The last item we included was a letter from us to him explaining a little more about our family and all the things we like to do (to help explain the pictures). We are hoping that he will receive this and feel a sense of knowing us a little more. I have asked our director Shim to try to find out some information on what Sof likes as well so we can get to know him too. We enjoyed putting this together for him, and I hope it will somehow help prepare him and make him feel a little more comfortable for when he comes home to live with us. Father, I pray this package is received by Sof with the love and warmth in which it was put together with. I pray Father God that you continue to watch over our precious Sof and to keep him safe and fill his heart with your love as well as ours! In your name I pray, Amen!

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.

Reagan, not just the brawns in the family!

Today I went to my annual ARD meeting with Reagan's teacher, the school counselor and speech pathologist to be told what a bright child he is. Since Reagan has some speech delays and repeated 1st grade he sometimes questions his intelligence. To make it worse he has always been labled the "big,rowdy,slow kid" by others. So it was wonderful for him to hear it from other credible adults that he is smart. Praise God he got a 100% on both his math and reading benchmarks and the counselor said he was off the charts on his IQ test as well. We are so proud of him and are beyond thrilled watching him come out of his shell. Yeah Reagan!!!

Out of the mouths of Babes

Due to some female issues the last couple of years I have had the pleasure of many visits to my OBGYN's office. And so with Caitlin not being in school yet, she has been given many life learning opportunities of the joy of being a women. Even with all of the ackward, embarrassing, not so pretty moments, Caitlin has decided she wants to be a "women's doctor". As with every visit they check my weight, height and blood pressure, which usually never changes, but for whatever reason, during this last visit I was 1/2 inch shorter and of course Caitlin noticed, and immediately asked how that could happen. I gave her a quick response and heard nothing more about it. Until we were in the car with her little friend that afternoon. She immediately says to her friend " you know what, when we get old like my mom we are going to shrink. I swear, no lie." So there it is straight out of the mouths of babes. I am thankful though that out of all the things she could have shared with the world about me that was what she chose.

Whoopie!! Received our change of country approval for our I-171H

Yahoo!! Today I received our approval letter from USCIS for our I-171H to change our country from China to Ethiopia. Our I-171H for China was going to expire out, even with the one extention we are given, so it made since to use that approval now and submit a new one for China as we get closer. In addition, we received an early Valentine present, our refingerprinting appointment is set for February 14 at 8:00 a.m.. Ouch, a little early for me, but I will be smiling all the way. Definitely a good reason to get up early!! I know these are baby steps, but they are movement in the right direction. Sometimes if feels as though its never going to actually happen, so when I receive news like this I embrace it! Rejoicing for the blessings that God has brought to me!!

Why we are Adopting from Ethiopia- This Awesome Song By Brook Fraser- Albertine- Says It All

After seeing this on a fellow Hope blog, I had to share this.

Albertine


I am sitting still I think of Angelique
her mothers voice over me
And the bullets in the wall where it fell silent
And on a thousandth hill,
I think of Albertine
there in her eyes
what I don't see
with my own
rwanda
[CHORUS]
now that I have seen, I am responsible
Faith without deeds is dead
now that I have held you
in my own arms,
I cannot let go till you are

I am on a plane across a distant sea
But I carry you in me
and the dust on, the dust on, the dust on my feet
Rwanda
[CHORUS]
[BRIGDE]
I will tell the world, I will tell them where I've been
I will keep my word I will tell them Albertine
[CHORUS]
I am on a stage, a thousand eyes on me
I will tell them,
Albertine I will tell them, Albertine

Did you know it is against the law for a donkey to sleep in a bathtub- Crazy But True Laws

I love books, especially kids books (my mentality, so I am told by my family). The kids and I sit around reading to eachother whenever possible, usually bedtime. Some of my favorite most recent books are "Marley- a Dog like no other", "Stink", "Love that Dog, poems","Holes","Titanic" and "Captain Underpants". Reagan came home yesterday with the funniest book "Chickens May Not Cross The Road and Other Crazy (But True) Laws". As we read, we just couldn't stop laughing. So here are some of our favorite crazy but true laws:
1.)Elephants may walk on main street only if they are on a leash, San Francisco, CA. (after living there this does not surprise me)
2.)It is against the law to lick a toad in CA.(Some are poisonous and people were getting druglike high)
3.)No one may take a lion to a movie theater, Baltimore Maryland(I have to say this seems a little discriminative to lions)
4.)Monkeys shall not ride on buses, San Antonio, TX (This is why I have not taken the kids):)
5.)It is forbidden to Fish for Whales,Oklahoma State Law (What? Not a coastal state.)
6.)Cats may not chase dogs up telephone poles, International Falls, Minnesota (think about that one!)
7.)A pickle is not to be sold unless it bounces, Connecticut State Law(I want to see how they test this one in the grocery stores)
8.)No dog can appear in public without its master on a leash, Belvedere, CA. I love the language!
9.)Riding an ugly horse is illegal in Wilbur Washington (beauty is in the eye of the beholder, or maybe not)
10.)If two trains meet each other on the same track, they must both stop and wait until the other one has passed. Texas(HUH?)
After reading the ones that apply to our great state of Texas, I can honestly say I am a little worried about my childrens education!:)

Walking On Mars Or So It Seemed

After a few days of cold wet weather(I'm not complaining though, that's about as bad as it gets) today was sunny and warm (72 degrees, not bad for winter) so we decided to take the day and get outside. We actually for the first Saturday in a long time had nothing to do, nothing important anyway so we decided to make it a family fun day and go on an adventure. We drove out to a place called Enchanted Rock. It is a huge mountain (I say that loosely since we live in Texas) made from granite with a state park around it. It is so amazing. I couldn't help but feel like a was walking on Mars since it's all rock. It was a steep walk up about a 1 1/2 miles or so. What a view from the top!! You could see almost to Colorado. Being that it was such a perfect day there were lots of other folks that had the same great idea to go. We had a blast. At the bottom was a running creek so the kids had their fun getting wet and playing in the crushed granite pebbles. Reagan our rock lover wanted so badly to take one home, but there were signs everywhere stating not to deface the park. So we took a picture of him with some rocks instead. Wonderful place, I can't wait to go back and maybe camp-out for the night!

My Other Labor of Love

Besides the time that I devote to God, family, friends, school, church, scouts, etc, in my free time, I have been able to devote a little time to my other love- home improvement. Since we moved into our house almost a year ago I have been able to mark my territory or is that make my mark on almost every room in the house. Most of the rooms were filled with white walls and wallpaper/boarder of some sort. I REALLY HATE WALLPAPER! So I have had to tear down wallpaper, plaster and paint. These are some of the rooms I have had the pleasure to work on.