The Moment Our Lives Were Changed....

Do you have those moments in your past that you didn't even know were coming?  You didn't count down the hours or mark off the days on the calendar?  You didn't know to be excited and anxious!  You simply woke up and went about your every day life, minding your own business, comfortable and content with where you were in life.  Then it happens - unexpected and unforeseen - a moment in time that will change your life forever!  Two YEARS ago today was this day - - it was a Sunday - - a day we were enjoying as a sweet and complete (Or so we thought) family living the American dream.  Three chips off the ole' block, the jobs we had always dreamed of, cute little house with a picket fence, and two dogs to round out the deal!  We were comfortable with our five year plans and our expectations for the future!  Then it happened - God broke through - - He was working on my husband for close to 18 months - - preparing him and nudging his heart!  Two years ago while I made dinner for my family my jaw hit the floor when my husband told me he thought we should look into adopting a little girl!  Sure we had talked about adopting - if we couldn't have kids - or if all we had were boys(LOL) - but now???  When everything was so set...and easy....and comfortable!?

I kicked and fought God for a few days but it did not take long for Him to change my heart from fear of the unknown to Passion and Expectancy for children I had never met - children I never even knew I needed!  My heart went from comfortable and content to passionate and hurting - our eyes were opened to a need...a world...that we never really knew existed before!  Sure, you see the commercials and you may even send a shoebox at Christmas...but we never really SAW the reality...the reality is we didn't want to see...we didn't want to see OUR PART in it all because it is scary and forces you to stand up and not just move idly along in our complacent lives.  My heart started aching for the least of these - God started molding and shaping us to trust Him in ALL aspects of our lives!  We went from telling GOD what we were willing to accept to accepting that GOD was in CONTROL!  We went from putting limits on God to telling God we were ALL IN - NO MATTER what that looked like!

The thing about following God and choosing to be ALL IN is that there is no going back!  The commercials of starving children become a reality when you meet them on the streets in a third world country and see the glimmer of hope in their eyes that has almost gone away.  When the kids with no shoes have a name and a favorite color!  There is no taking that passion back once God takes you down that road!  It is hard to sit at our all you can eat buffets surrounded by excess when the children that now call you "Mama" were once struggling to find food - in the not so distant past!

Our lives have changed over the last TWO years - our hearts have changed - our family has changed - our ideas and passions have changed - and we are SO VERY THANKFUL!  What good is being comfortable and content when there is SO much that God has to show you!?  What good is needing to be in control when you are missing out on the blessings that GOD has planned for you if you'd only be willing to be broken for His kingdom and trust in HIM to lead the way!?

Throughout our adoption our motto became "ALL IN - No matter what that looks like!"  Our expectations changed from what was safe and easy to what GOD had planned - knowing it probably wouldn't be safe or easy!  We realized as we went along if we made a prayerful decision and felt God leading us that was enough!  If it seemed insane and crazy and scary then it was probably where He was leading us!

We also learned that GOD loves us and knows that I am a detailed person!  He knew I would need confirmation and affirmation that He was in this!  I LOVED watching God work in our lives and work out ALL the details.  One of my most favorite things to do is look back and see how God cared about the LITTLE THINGS!  There were so many little things along the way that we can see God's hand and how He tied it all together - confirming that these boys were meant for our family!  Today - TWO years ago our lives changed without even expecting it.....TODAY - ONE year ago our lives also changed without EVER expecting it!!!  One year from first having that talk in the kitchen - trusting God enough and allowing Him to take us on this crazy ride - I looked into the eyes of my SON for the first time!!  I didn't know he was my son at the time - but GOD did!  I didn't know how he would change our lives - but GOD did!  I didn't know that MANY other families saw the same sweet face and wondered if he would be theirs!  I didn't know that the ache in my gut and the pounding of my heart would not go away until we got the call letting us know that he was ours!  He was NOT what we were expecting - but he was EXACTLY what God knew we needed!

Looking back I am SO thankful GOD used this sweet little boy - half a world away - to show us what it means to love....to have compassion....to have joy....to laugh....to see a glimpse into the world that God wants us to see....to see a glimpse into our role in it all - if we are only willing to get out of our own way!  SO thankful GOD is continuing to use this sweet little boy to teach us and show us more of His Heart!

If you want to read more about our adoption story and the journey our family has taken over the last two years you should read...

Where we started - HERE

Choosing to be ALL IN - HERE

About that day ONE year ago - HERE

How God is in the Details - HERE

How God used One little boy to Bring Another into our Hearts - HERE

~ With God's Love and Blessings ~

Krohn Family of Seven (and counting...)

BUSY SPRING - UPDATES!!

I have not purposefully been neglecting all of you who follow our blog - I have FIVE kids you know and we have been SUPER busy!  I am going to do my best to fill you in on where we have been over the last month or so!!!

Back in February we kicked off BIRTHDAY SEASON!!!  Around here - four of the five kiddos' birthdays fall within 8 Weeks of each other...and the fifth one is only a couple months later!!

NOAH starts us out on FEBRUARY 9th!!!  He turned EIGHT this year and we got to celebrate up in the mountains with Family!  Noah is the life of the party and such a joy and blessing to be around!  He gets along with everyone and has such a sincere heart!

NAHOME was next with his birthday on FEBRUARY 21st!!!  He turned SIX this year and we got to enjoy celebrating with Nahome for his VERY FIRST BIRTHDAY!!!  Ethiopia doesn't celebrate birthdays or even really know when exactly they are.  We started the day with EGGS which he loves - followed it up after school with some yummy Ethiopian food  - and ended the day with a cake made by his big brothers!!!  There were plenty of presents involved too!!  I love this little boy and still can't believe we get the privilege of having his as our son!!!  Can't imagine my world without him!

Just a few short weeks later it was LEAH's turn!!!  On MARCH 16th she also turned SIX!!!!  Her brothers were very kind to share their colds with her so she spent the day with a fever!  We pumped her full of meds and spent the day at her brothers basketball and soccer games!!  We celebrated with family for lunch where she got to open her presents and blow out her candles!  She is such a sweetheart and I am thankful for her everyday!  She is the only girl I know who can hold her own with FOUR big brothers!!

Apart from birthdays we have been CRAZY BUSY with extracurricular activities for the older boys!!  For a while there we were in it SIX DAYS A WEEK!!!  Here is a RECAP!

Jarod and Isaiah completed their Hunter's Ed course and are officially hunting ready!!!  We are waiting a few short weeks for Jarod's birthday so they can both go get their licenses together!!  Daddy has been waiting for this day to come ever since he found out he was going to be a daddy! I think it was a pretty close tie between who was more excited about it - the boys or Dad!

Jarod started the winter out playing some Basketball and he rocked it!  Being a head taller than anyone and already wearing a size 9 shoe doesn't hurt the situation any!!  He is really starting to develop his skills and this basketball mama can't wait to watch him through the years ahead!

Isaiah was asked by Jarod's basketball coach to become an honorary member of the team!  He enjoyed hanging out with them all at practices and Jarod was excited to have him play with them for a couple games at the end of the season!  Isaiah scored 3 baskets during their last game of the season and he was SO incredibly excited!!

Isaiah and Noah decided to try out wrestling this year!  Neither of them had ever done it - with the exception of the living room of course - and they both picked it up fairly quickly!  Noah usually wins most of his meets and Isaiah has been rockin' it - I think he has only lost one and tied one - he has won all of the rest!  They are both having a lot of fun!

Not that our lives weren't busy enough with all the FUN activities above - then a couple weeks ago SOCCER started!!  All three of the big boys are playing!  Noah was excited to get back on the field - he played indoor soccer last year and loved it!!  Isaiah was SOOOOOO incredibly excited to play SOCCER and has been dreaming about playing on his own official team for years!!!  Jarod is along for the ride and is having a lot of fun learning the skills of the game!  They had their first games this week - - Jarod and Noah both scored 2 goals and Isaiah had a couple shots!  Fun Times!!

Life has been busy but I wouldn't have it any other way!!  I LOVE getting the opportunity to be mama to FIVE amazing kids and watching their joy as they experience life!!!  We are just starting our Spring Break, which is sure to have lots of FUN and probably not much of a BREAK!!  Can't imagine my life any other way!