precious in His sight

Pics For Kate

2010-02-06T18:42:00.004-06:00

2009-09-23T12:11:00.003-05:00

2009-09-23T12:11:00.000-05:00

Memories

2009-09-23T11:56:00.002-05:00

I need to start lifebooks for my children. I need to journal in them for the here and now as well. Yesterday my son told me about how his "Ethiopia Mommy" had to lay on paper because she kept getting messy when she got sick. He also told me that when she couldn't get up anymore, they went to live with a relative. Adam said that he was old like a grandpa with a walking stick but was not his grandpa. A few days later, this same man took them to the place where all the children lived (Enat Alem) and told Abi and him that their mother would come back for them when she felt better. She never got better....

I am convinced that as much as I want to, I will never fully understand the full scope of what these two beautiful children have been through... They are healthy and happy in their new home, but their story is hearbreaking. As information begins to unfold I want to capture it on paper. I dont know much about their "Ethiopia Mommy" except that she was so sick during the time we were in Ethiopia that we could not go and visit her. I want to help the children remember all they can about her and their birth country. No more procrastination....

Court humor....

2009-09-22T05:48:00.002-05:00

Abi to the Attorney: "Who is that man in the black dress?"
Attorney: "He's the Judge"
Abi: "I need to have a talk with that man!"

Court Date

2009-09-22T05:45:00.000-05:00

2009-09-20T14:32:00.003-05:00

I dont know why I dont keep up on this blog. In theory I really want to, but Im not sure why I dont. I have so many things that we are experiencing with our children that are noteworthy, cute things, crazy things, lessons learned, hopes and inspirations. Our courtdate for our "readoption" is tomorrow and another chapter of this process will be closed. An amazing journey at the very least...

What we've been up to this last week....

2009-05-23T20:44:00.006-05:00

Blogging for Kate

2009-05-23T20:35:00.002-05:00

Ok, so I haven't been very good at keeping this up but since my oldest daughter Katie left today for a summer internship in KC I will be blogging and posting pics of what she is missing with the little ones at home!

Bye Katie, we'll all be missing you....

2009-02-08T20:57:00.002-06:00

Just in case one might wonder if Jello can be eaten with chopsticks.....

Gung Hey Fat Choy!

2009-01-28T18:18:00.005-06:00

Last weekend we spent on the bleachers in the rink watching Alyssa compete.

She was so excited to get a first place medal. She also won a 2nd and 3rd in 2 other events.

Go Alyssa!!!

2009-01-13T19:23:00.000-06:00

Finished do!

2009-01-13T19:19:00.002-06:00

I had started to do Abi's hair before lunch and when she sat down to eat, one of the boys said "hey, she's got a mohawk!" And someone else said no, its a "fro-hawk!"

Picture doesnt do it justice...

Hey, I really am still here.....

2009-01-06T18:18:00.005-06:00

I decided to make a new years resolution to start blogging again. Dont know how I'll do, don't know if anyone will even read it..... but I decided to give my blog a makeover to give me some inspiration.

So..... Ta Da!!! Here it is!!

Adam and Abi are doing great, and I wished that I had blogged all the silly and cute and crazy things that have gone on since we've had them. One of the more "memorable" moments was...the day after the kids were introduced to sidewalk chalk out in the driveway, Adam decided that maybe markers would work well on the light camel colored carpet in my bedroom... Ugghhh! He was so proud of himself.... such nice LARGE drawings... just for me!

There were so many others, I wished I'd written down.

Some of the things that I now miss...

* The way they jabbered in their native language at the breakfast table. I wish I had video taped them.
* How they wouldn't get out of bed without having their shoes right there to put on before using the bathroom.
* The way they folded their jammies and placed them on their beds when getting dressed.
* The look of wonder and excitement with things they have never seen, or experienced.
* Christmas... We watched Polar Express after Thanks giving and the kids got up every morning that we had snow, expecting Santa to have come already. When Christmas finally came, they were in shock!

Some of the things that I dont miss at all ...

* The puddles Adam left in the floor after using the toilet. (a very good reason for wanting your shoes on when you get up to use the bathroom!)
* The shoulder shrugging, and the angry stares. Not to mention the tempertantrums with snot and drool, etc. They're almost gone.
* The lovely little intestinal buggies and molescum that we brought home. Good riddance!

Some of the things that I am looking forward to...

* Watching Abi and Hannah's sisterhood and friendship develop.... they're doing so much better than they were.
* Teaching Adam to ride a bike in the spring.
* Abi's hair growing out a bit more, so that I can put it in braids that last more than 1 week.

So, I am still here... and hope to do a better job keeping every one updated.
New pictures are in the link on the right!

Hello!

2008-05-13T11:35:00.002-05:00

Im still here, Lol!

The kids are settling in well, better than expected. Our days have the normal amount of craziness that a household with 2 - 2 year olds would have. We are learning new limits and boundaries and the kids seem more secure with more limits set. They are both sleeping well and eating fairly well. They like most types of bread and fruit, but are limited on the types of protien that they will tolerate.

I am still a bit jet lagged but am regaining a little more energy every day.
I seem to need to go to bed about an hour and a half earlier, hopefully that will level out soon. :)

New Pics

2008-05-08T10:55:00.003-05:00

I finally got all my pictures uploaded... I had to go to a subscription because I had too many pictures!
The kids and I were up at 3:30 this morning. I think that our systems are still a bit off. I had a hundred things running through my mind and thought about posting while I was up this morning. Its a good thing that I didn't, I would have had to change the title to "Insane Ramblings of a Mother of Seven" and decided not to.... Lol!

Today Adam-Mamo lifted the lid when he went to the potty.
Praise the Lord for small victories!

We're back

2008-05-07T07:27:00.002-05:00

Good morning, I think. Wow, am I jet lagged! Abi woke up at about 1:00 am and cried for an hour. That would be about the time she would have been waking up in the morning in Ethiopia. The flight went pretty well. Abi cried off and on during the second flight (9 hours) but it still was not too bad. They are settling in and so am I. I will post some pics in a bit. The picture sight is password protected. Most people from Hope have the password, but if for some reason you dont have it, email me and I will give it to you. We did not get to go to Nuns or Bethel, I am so sorry. Emme, we got pics of Ganewnew giving your little ones their gifts and telling your son about his new family... He is sweet. We were running constantly, and could not squeeze everything in.

Katie got some personal information on almost all the kids at Hope and I will send that to each of you directly after the kids go to sleep tonight. My Hannah is having a bit of trouble adjusting to Abi. She wants to hold her and touch her all the time. Abi has a stalker, Lol! When she sees Hannah she runs away. I would too, but she just wants to love on her and Abi is not ready yet.

Bye for now...

Farewell from Ethiopia

2008-05-05T12:57:00.000-05:00

Today we went back to the orphanage to say bye. Not so much for our kids, but Katie has become attached to several of them... they are hard to leave behind. We did a little shopping and walking around the little town here. I am trying to decide if I am going to toss my shoes before I leave. It has been rainy here the last few days and they are a mess. I have no idea what all I have stepped in (Lol) and I dont think I want to bring it home.

The kids are a bit on edge today. I know they sense something is about to happen. I had Ganewnew (our driver) explain how we were going to travel home on the airplanes and what to expect. Adam looked a bit perplexed, so I dont know how much he understood. Abi has no clue. Hopefully they will sleep the first flight. Thank you for all your prayers, we have certainly felt them here. It has been amazing and incredible.

Katie has been a trouper and has helped me greatly. They have offered her a job here training women to help them get back on their feet and out of impoverished situations, complete with free room in board. (Lol) And I think she has gotten several marriage proposals as well. (Lol) It has been a wonderful week, but I am glad to be coming home.

See you soon!
Kim

AHope

2008-05-04T15:24:00.000-05:00

Today was tiresome but good. I watched as Katie read the story "For God so loved the world" to the children of Ahope. These children are of all different backgrounds. They are Muslim, Ethiopian orthodox, and Ethiopian Evangelical but they have one thing in common....HIV. We did a craft with them and had a snack. Later we went over to the compound for the older children 8 and up and hosted an ice cream party for them. Katie handed out little airplanes and stickers and they played hapily... It was fun to watch.
Im ready to come home, but if I didn't have family at home that I am missing, I could easily stay here a while longer. The people are truly beautiful and so kind.

Looking forward to seeing everyone soon.

Shashamene

2008-05-04T00:37:00.001-05:00

Shashamene went well. The kids there were so sweet, and the place where they lived was amazing. Cement domes! Alot like the thatched huts that the villagers live in, only they stay cooler in the summer. The frame work for these are like the geodesic domes that they keep the salt in back in St. Louis, only they are made with bamboo, plant leaves, and chickenwire. Then the inside and outside are then covered in cement. The country side was beautiful and very much like what Africa looks like in pictures. I cant wait to upload mine when I get home. No baboons or camels though. The baboons were on the other side of the lake so we missed those. Lots of goats, sheep, mules, cows and oxen though. Most of which were in the road as we were driving. Gods hand was on us yesterday though. We had a few near misses with animals in the road and passed several overturned vehicles and trucks on the way. On the way home we heard a loud "bang" and some screaming and looked up to see that the large truck directly in front of us had blown out its right front tire and was running off the road. He missed the 8 or 9 villagers that were walking alongside the road. Scary, but no one was hurt. At the end of the day we were tired and smelled like dirt, sweat and car exhaust. Fun.... im glad we went.

Adventures in Africa

2008-05-02T15:52:00.002-05:00

Today we got our transit visas for the kids so all is well. The kids have had to sit through hours of waiting rooms and paper work. I dont know what I would have done without Katie, surely Adam would have wondered off. Thanks for all the prayers.... I was a little bit nervous about getting it in time. Today we did some shopping and walked all over the place. We walked out about 2 miles to find the coffee warehouse (yes Pat I am bringing back 3 Kilo's of ethiopian coffee I think you have to roast it yourself though) and thought we were lost. We called back the guest house because it would soon be dark only to find out that it was only 100 meters or so down the street. We have been eating alot of ethiopian food here and have gotten quite used to it. It is better than the stuff we sampled at home. The same, but better.

Walking the streets here is interesting. They are very busy and crossing the street is definitely putting your life in your own hands. Women wear scarves that cover their hair and neck because it is so dusty and it is part of their traditional dress. Thirty minutes after walking out, we are covered with a thin coat of grit and it gets into your hair and eyes. The streets are very rocky and uneven. The women here that are well off, hobble around in their high heels on these streets passing women and children who are barely clothed and sitting in the dirt. Cars often have to pause for cows oxen and donkeys who randomly roam the city, but the goats they keep coraled for sale. Went out to buy papayas and bananas today, as our food choices are somewhat limited.

Tomorrow at 5:30 we leave for the orphanage at Shashemene. Pray for safety for our travel. It is about a 3 1/2 hour drive one way and we will get to see Awassa and Lake Langano. We will see the African country side with banyon and acacia trees, baboons, hyenas and camels. The kids will be visiting their friends one last time at the orphanage while we go. The rural orphanage there is in desparate need of the medical supplies that we will be carrying along with some clothing and diapers. Thanks Oakridge for all of the donated items, they are appreciated every where we take them.

Katie chimes in (finally)

2008-05-02T15:41:00.000-05:00

Hi it's Katie finally.. I haven't been able to say much because mom doesn't tell me when she's doing it and I don't want to hog the computer lol.
Anyways..
I don't know how much mom has said about here about what we've done and whatnot.. But I really like it here. We've been in the city.. I don't know what you picture in your head when you think about an African city, and it's hard to describe. There are soo many people, and they are still very traditional. I've been waking up at about 4:00 every morning, and for about an hour it's perfectly quiet. Then at exactly 5:00, someone in the distance yells a wake up call, and people begin to rise and leave thier houses, some nicely hidden by tall fences, some made of corregated metal, tarp and scraps, and they walk down the dirt road, some to work, some to school, some to beg on the street. I watch them walk by and wonder where they're going. The women are beautifully wrapped in shawls and scarves, the men with more official jobs wear button up shirts, others in outlandish jackets. As the sun begins to rise there is chanting in the distance, a song that carries through the early morning. It's a beautiful thing.
Today is our fifth day, and I've only today realized just how many of the thousands and thousands of people we pass as we drive down the chaotic streets each day are beggars. There are so many. I don't think I'm going to come home with any money at all..We've had the kids for three days now, and they're settling in and getting into trouble :) Abebech is such a 2 year old, and Mamo is the coolest kid ever. I'm glad I'm taking them home with me. :)
The time we've had at the orphanage so far has been wonderful. Those kids are the sweetest. They all want love and attention, which I try to give as much as I can. I know almost every one of them by name now, and I wish I could spend more time there. I'm glad most of them have families waiting to adopt them.
Anyways, maybe I'll have time to say more later, about goat heads on the street and such, but I think there are people waiting to use the computer, they keep looking at me funny.

Teferra to the rescue

2008-04-30T15:25:00.002-05:00

Today was our embassy appointment. All went smoothly and it was very busy (and HOT!)because tomorrow is a holiday and all those scheduled to appear tomorrow were moved today. I am grateful for Teferra (the ethiopian lawyer) because is seemed as though our visa was not going to come in on time on Friday for us to apply for the German transit visa. When I told him of the issue he marched right back up into that room full of people and pulled some strings to get our childrens visas processed 3 hour later today (the same day) Halleleujah!!!

Travelling by car is interesting and scary at the same time. There are few stoplights and no rules, totally offensive driving. One honk for "im coming, get out of the way" two honks for "im coming through anyway". There are no seatbelts are carseats and I have held my breath many times as our driver has squeezed between two moving vehicles at speed limit with only inches to spare. I trust him though, every one drives like this and he drives everyday. Ethiopia is the home of the Toyota Corolla. At least 1/3. I have see several every day, just like the blue one we used to drive..... funny.

The children are doing well and are begining to bond enough with us to begin to "test the water" Abi needs to always make sure I will pick her up when she asks, and calls "Mommy Nay" which means mommy come, whenever she cant see me. Mamo is sooo funny and is very curious about everything. He loves electronics and when we arent looking takes the batteries out of everything and then hides the item from us when he cant figure out how to get it all back together. They seem to have taught us more Amharic than we have taught them english at this point. Its a good thing because they babble to each other constantly and occasionally laugh at us. It is funny!

Smile

2008-04-30T08:27:00.004-05:00

Yesterday we had our appointment with the lawyer and all went well, I think. Even those that speak good english have such a heavy accent that it is hard to understand. Today is our Embassy appointment. The attorney coached me on how to answer to avoid excessive questioning. Hopefully if all goes well we will get to do a little shopping. Katie has a bit of cabin fever. Now that we have the children we have to work around their schedule.

Saturday we will go to Shashemene, rural orphanage, and get to see some of the countryside. It is a 3+ hours drive. I wanted to stay overnight there, but malaria is a problem there and we opted out on the travel meds for that.... so we will leave before dusk to avoid the mosquitoes. We visited AHOPE yesterday and saw the compound and some of the children there. Sunday we will have bible stories and crafts for the young ones and an Ice cream party for the older ones in the after noon. Katie is taking the lead on this and I will just sit back and help where needed. Be praying for these children that we can show them Jesus' love. Also 9 of them were quarrentined with chicken pox which is life threatining when your immune system is completely wiped out as it is with these children already sick with HIV. Pray for them.

There are some new (bigger) pics on the photo site. It has been really hard for Kim to get pics uploaded. Takes a long time on slow dialup.

First pics are in, check the photo site

2008-04-29T15:00:00.004-05:00

Ok, I was not going to post this, but it is too funny.

Pat, just a few notes for you.
Try and find some type of target thingy for helping Mamo aim for the toilet. He stands to pee and I dont think he's made it once yet! I swear he whips it out and then walks around the room. I have resorted to standing there with him and helping him.

They pee on a schedule
They poop on a schedule
They eat and nap on a schedule
and if you mess with the schedule, they cry on schedule. (hey at least theyre predictable)

It is like they have adopted us...

2008-04-29T00:18:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was a "no electricity" day, so we were not able to post anything. Yesterday we went back to the orphanage to take pictures of the kids and get some information. We decorated the nursery walls with colorful decals. The kids are beautiful and so polite and helpful. We went ahead and took the kids back to the guesthouse with us. They are transitioning well and are all smiles and giggles. Mamo (Adam) has obviously taken care of his sister for quite some time. They love each other and are very close. Mamo noticed that his sister had pulled out several of the tiny barretes that they had put in her hair at the orphanage and he very carefully put them back in for her. He also took her to wash her hands and brush her teeth before we got to it. He watches over her very closely.

It is fun to watch their amazement with all things new and different. They speak to each other in Amharic and lead us around trying to teach us their language. It is like they have adopted us instead of the other way around. Mamo is actually the shy, and polite one and Abebech is outgoing, talkative and active. Alot like our Hannah.

I will post some about some of the kids at Hope when I get a bit more time. It has been very busy, and I am not sure if we will be going to all the places that we originally intended. We are going to try our best.

At last we meet

2008-04-27T13:56:00.000-05:00

Today was amazing.
We were to go to the orphanage at noon since this was Easter sunday and most families were at church this morning. Katie and I decided to take a walk into the little town around the corner while we were waiting for Genawnew to pick us up. The streets were lined with sheep and goats for slaughter. People were also carrying the empty pelts back up to where they were selling the sheep to re-sell. Apparently when you purchase the goat and are able to sell the pelt, the meal is almost free. Lots of different sights and sounds. (The next bit of info is not for the faint hearted) They leave the sheep and goats heads by their back gates to feed the wild dogs. We saw them every where!

But back to the orphanage. It was crazy. We walked in and had little ones of all sizes greeting us with hugs and kisses. Mamo (Adam) saw us, smiled and then froze. He kind of backed off into the corner and would turn to check to see if we were still there every couple of seconds. I found Abebech (who is called Abi at the orphanage) she came to me fairly quickly and sat on my lap. Adam was watching me very closely to make sure I was being nice to his sister (they are close, and love each other very much) and began to slowly move a little closer. Abebech would turn her head and look back at me every few minutes and smile. Mamo soon sat next to me but wouldnot look at me.

By the meal time they were both warming up a bit and were much more comfortable. Abebech is so sweet she just sings and babbles away. Mamo seems a little more shy than I expected. He got upset at me when he saw me take Abebech to the potty without her shoes on. When I got in there, I realized why. He shook his finger at me and mumbled something that I didnt understand. I quickly put her shoes back on, and he forgave me. We soon had him laughing and smiling as well. He clings to the teddy bear that we sent him a month ago and has the stuffing nearly falling out of it. They say he has been sleeping with it every night.

When we left, we said bye to them both and they asked to give us kisses and hugs. It was soooo hard to leave them, but tomorrow after their dr. appt. we may go ahead and bring them home.

Let's eat

2008-04-27T08:05:00.000-05:00

Well remember all the sheep that we saw in the streets for slaughter? We have been told that they are preparing a special meal for us at the orphanage. Can you say sheep???
It is a celebration meal for easter sunday here in Ethiopia. Ethiopians have been fasting for 40 days and today they break the fast with sheep or goat. There was music and singing out in the streets all night long celebrating Christs ressurection. We will be a part of that celebration this after noon. We will be seeing our kids about lunchtime, we are very excited!

We made it!

2008-04-26T15:33:00.003-05:00

Well, we made it. After figuring out that we were going to make all our flights after all, it was a smooth but long trip. The airport in Germany is a little crazy and hard to navigate and we actually stopped for refuelling in Khartoum, Sudan. We landed right next to the Nile. As the plane was coming down for a landing it looked super smoggy. (Like LA or China) But the men behind us mentioned that it was actually a sand storm. Katie tried to get a pic of the Nile as we took again. Dont know if it will be real clear.

Katie -
I saw the world today! From frozen Canadian tundra to pretty German towns to Egyption deserts.. It was a looong trip without much sleep but we're here at our guest house now. We got here after dark so I haven't been able to see much yet... except sheep. They're all over the streets because tomorrow is their Easter and they're selling them for slaughter. We get to go to our orphanage for the first time tomorrow and meet the kids. I'm excited.

Signing out for now...

2008-04-24T21:44:00.016-05:00

3 1/2 years ago, God laid a burden on our hearts for a little orphaned girl in China, and just as that trip changed our lives forever we stand in anticipation of what He has for us this time around. I know our lives will be forever changed once again.

It will be several days before I am able to post, but I will as soon as I can. Until then I leave you with this video from Sara Groves. The words have touched my heart...

Interesting day with the boys today....

2008-04-21T20:14:00.004-05:00

They decided that since Mamo (Adam) had his head shaved at one point in the orphanage, that they should have really short hair too. They said "that way all of us boys will have short hair together and maybe Mamo will feel like he fits in good with our family."

So I buzzed their heads just like they wanted.... thankfully it will grow out (Lol!)

Ok, now where was that flashlight????

2008-04-21T08:46:00.003-05:00

I dont know why, but we can never find a flashlight in this house!!! I know we own several as some very dear friends of ours have an abundance of flashlights and occasionally recognize that we are lacking in that dept. and come to the rescue bearing gifts. (Lol)

For the time being, there is no electricity in Addis Ababa on Mondays and Thursdays. I figure bringing a flashlight or two might be a smart idea. Apparently the country's state-owned utility can only meet 60 % of the current demand right now and has decided to rough it two days a week.

I intend on updating this blog as often as possible, but if you dont hear from me on Monday and Thursday you'll know why!!

9 Days and Counting...

2008-04-16T08:20:00.007-05:00

(The big box is full of Tylenol!)

We're getting down to the wire here.... I have made my packing lists and then made lists of my lists, Lol! I am so excited, we have 85 lbs of over the counter medicines to donate to the orphanages that we will be visiting and working at. We will pack all that we can fit (without being over weight) and what ever is left over will be held for our churches Mexico mission trip this summer. Plus, my friend Amber reminded me of all the donated items she will be leaving behind for us at the guesthouse to be taken to the orphanages and AHOPE, so that is on top of all that we are travelling with! God is sooo GOOD!

Katie will be doing profiles on the children in the orphanages, which will be fun for her. She will have a great time getting to know, and love on all these little ones. I pray that God will place them in the families that He has for them soon.

~~~~~~ Gods Amazing Provision ~~~~~~

2008-03-27T10:41:00.011-05:00

I am just so amazed at how God has provided for this adoption. It is confirmation, time and time again that when you follow His leading that He will provide a way. A few weeks ago we were blessed by a travel company who not only qualified us for a missionary travel rate and "open-ended" tickets, but provided a humanitarian discount for our kids one way tickets. These tickets were $500 less (each) than anything that I could find online. Then the following week someone at church donated enough money to cover all but about $600 of our airfare. I was figuring out that all but $3,000 of our adoption, by the grace of God, had been provided for when I received a call from Lifesong international letting us know that we were being considered for a $3,000 interest free loan.

Is God not amazing???

Do you know Him?

Passed Court!

2008-03-21T14:26:00.002-05:00

Praise God! We passed court! Now I can post pics of my beautiful babies.... We'll have them home the first week in May.

Check out my Slide Show!

2008-03-21T14:25:00.001-05:00

Faith tested

2008-03-16T16:34:00.006-05:00

Well, our documents had a translation error and we didn't pass. We have been rescheduled for March 21st.
Thats fine though, Gods timing is perfect and I am learning to be patient even though it is not my nature!

I saw a quote that I like.... it said -

Don't look God in the face and say NO when you know that He is speaking to you. Have faith and move...

I like that... (Thanks Julia)

Court Date

2008-02-21T06:59:00.004-06:00

WE HAVE A COURT DATE! March 11 th. I pray that all goes well with that. If it does, then we'll probably travel in April.

I guess I've neglected this blog a bit. Between college applications for my oldest and grant applications for this adoption, I've been somewhat burried in paperwork! Trying to keep busy and distracted. Sometimes the wait is hard and other times, I look around here and think that time is short (assuming what life as the mother of 7 children will be like) knowing that I need to get a few things done around here before they come home!

Announcing our Referral!

2008-01-15T06:17:00.001-06:00

We are adopting 2 children, brother and sister. Their ages are listed as 2 and 4, but I am positive that they are older than that.
Im fine with that, it seems so hard to pinpoint ages with the older children there.

Adoption is hard. As we walk throught this process we've watched precious children join their families and recieve love, health, and happiness. But some are not so lucky. We've watched babies struggle to survive as their adoptive parents are still wading through the red tape. Some fight for their little lives as if they know that salvation is coming, and others are just simply not strong enough. We've watched several precious little lives slip away. It is so very sad.

"I will not leave you as orphans, I will come to you" John 14:18
Hold on, little ones, hold on......

2008-01-06T16:52:00.000-06:00

Well, our Dossier is on its way to Ethiopia as I type.... It should be there tomorrow or Tuesday at the latest. We have pictures of a sibling pair in our possesion and are anxiously awaiting more information. As I remember from our first adoption, this process is such a rollercoaster. This journal is going to help me document those ups and downs and (hopefully) keep myself occupied during our wait.

precious in His sight

Pics For Kate

Memories

Court humor....

Court Date

What we've been up to this last week....

Blogging for Kate

Hey, I really am still here.....

Hello!

New Pics

We're back

Farewell from Ethiopia

AHope

Shashamene

Adventures in Africa

Katie chimes in (finally)

Teferra to the rescue

Smile

First pics are in, check the photo site

It is like they have adopted us...

At last we meet

Let's eat

We made it!

Signing out for now...

Interesting day with the boys today....

Ok, now where was that flashlight????

9 Days and Counting...

~*~*~*~*~*~ Gods Amazing Provision ~*~*~*~*~*~

Passed Court!

Check out my Slide Show!

Faith tested

Court Date

Announcing our Referral!

~~~~~~ Gods Amazing Provision ~~~~~~