2012 - A year to REMEMBER

This is by far the FULLEST year we have ever had!!!  SO many memories and life changing experiences...SO many firsts and heart breaking-eye opening encounters with GOD!!  Here is my attempt at recapping our year!!

~ JANUARY ~

* STILL WAITING on our REFERRAL for a little SISTER!
* Passports for the Kids arrived after we decided to take them with us to AFRICA!!

~ FEBRUARY ~

* NOAH bug turned SEVEN!!!  Love HIM and his joy he brings!! We celebrated with a trip to the Aquarium!

* Nahome turned FIVE - even though we didn't even know him yet, GOD KNEW!

* BOTH of our boys made the trip from their orphanages to our agencies Transition Home to begin the paperwork process to be adopted.

~ MARCH ~

* LEAH turned FIVE!!!  Such a sweetie among the chaos of brothers!!  We went to the Zoo and the Art Museum to Celebrate!

* God turned our world upside down and showed us HIS plan - We signed our REFERRAL!!!

* For a sweet little BOY whose eyes and smile stole our hearts!!

~ APRIL ~

*JAROD turned NINE!!!  Can hardly believe my baby is growing into such a young man!  We went to Wahooz to celebrate!!

* We anxiously awaited our paperwork to be ready so we could travel to Ethiopia and meet our new little man!!
* We celebrated Easter for the last time as a family of FIVE!

~ MAY ~

* We celebrated our 10 year ANNIVERSARY...cannot believe it has been that long since we said "I DO"!!!  It was an anniversary to remember as we flew out ON our ANNIVERSARY on our adventure to meet our son!

* We became WORLD travelers - FOUR of us for the first time traveling Internationally!!

* We met our precious NAHOME and spent time together as a family of SIX!

~ June ~

* We PASSED court in ETHIOPIA officially making NAHOME our son!!

* We had to say goodbye to NAHOME...one of the hardest things we have ever done!

* God planted a seed in our hearts for another young man in need of a family!

* Bizuayehu didn't know it, and neither did we...but he had a birthday and turned 10!!

~ JULY ~

* We put on a 5K race to raise $$ to finish up the adoption!  We were blessed by all the friends and family who came out and supported us!

* GOD once again surprised us with HIS plan when HE threw open the doors and brought us another REFERRAL!!!  The boy who stole our heart with his love and kindness and his sweet smile!

* The day finally came....Mommy and Daddy headed across the ocean to go pick up Nahome (for good this time) and spend some more time with our newest member of the family, Bizuayehu!

~ AUGUST (It was a BUSY one!) ~

* GOTCHA DAY - We picked Nahome up and presented ourselves before the US Embassy in Ethiopia and made our adoption FINAL!!

* We flew to Nahome's birth city and visited his orphanage.  We spent time praying with and crying with Nahome's birth mom - a young woman so full of love for her son - a young woman who will forever be a part of our hearts!

* We were REUNITED with BOTH of our BOYS!!

* Bizuayehu chose "Isaiah" as his new American name!

* We were overjoyed to bring Nahome back with us, but once again had to say goodbye to one of our sons and leave him halfway around the world (Yet again, one of the hardest things we have ever done!)

* We passed court making Bizuayehu "Isaiah" Krohn officially our son!!

* Nahome arrived home and became a US Citizen!

* The rest of the kids started school (Leah - kindergarten, Noah - 2nd grade, and Jarod - 4th grade) while Mom, Dad and Nahome spent some time at home adjusting to our new life!

* Mommy and Daddy BOTH had birthdays!

* We went camping - NAHOME's first ever Camping Trip!

~ SEPTEMBER ~

* Mommy and Nahome started school!

* We decided to BUY our FIRST HOME!!

~ OCTOBER ~

* A world away, Isaiah saw his mom for the last time and said tearful goodbyes!  I wish we could have been there to wipe away his tears and meet the woman who raised such an amazing young man!  Another woman who will forever be a part of our family and will hold a special place in our hearts!

* The time was finally HERE....Daddy headed to ETHIOPIA to bring Isaiah home!!!

* Isaiah became a US Citizen and we were finally a family of SEVEN - and all in the same COUNTRY!

* Isaiah learned how to ride a bike (his first day home) and he started school!

* We took the kids to the ZOO - - both of the boys' first times in a zoo!

* We introduced the boys to the SUGAR RUSH that we American's call Halloween!

~ NOVEMBER ~

* We FINALLY closed on our new house and got the KEYS!!!

* We were extra thankful this THANKSGIVING...our first as a FAMILY of SEVEN!

~ DECEMBER ~

* We celebrated CHRISTMAS with all the holiday traditions...

Decorating of Trees

Christmas Programs GALORE

FIRST IDAHO SNOW

And of COURSE some stockings and PRESENTS to go with it...

We started our year changed - on a journey to grow our family through God's grace and love!  We started the year as a family of five with hopes and aspirations of what the year would bring!  We started the year with a picture in our minds and hearts of what was to come!!  GOD sure surprised us along the way and FAR SURPASSED the blessings that we thought we would encounter in 2012!!  We started the year in a 3 bedroom house with 3 kiddos to fill it.....we end the year in a FIVE bedroom home with FIVE little blessings that fill our HEARTS to overflowing!!!  2012 will be a HARD year to TOP...but we serve a BIG God and HE is NOT done with us yet!!!  Stay tuned to see what CRAZY adventure HE has planned for us in 2013!!!

From our FAMILY to YOURS....May GOD bless you beyond measure and may HE grow your heart to LOVE HIM more!!  May HE take you OUT of your COMFORT zone to the place HE has planned for YOU!!  Trust Me - IT IS SO WORTH IT!