Our Story

Our Story
We witness a miracle every time a child enters into life. But those who make their journey home across time and miles, growing within the hearts of those who wait to love them, are carried on the wings of destiny and placed among us by God's very own hands.
~ Kristi Larson ~

Not flesh of my flesh, Nor bone of my bone, But still miraculously my own. Never forget for a single minute, You didn't grow under my heart - but in it!
~ Fleur Conkling Heylinger ~
Adoption is not the call to have the perfect, rosy family. It is the CALL to Give LOVE, MERCY, and PATIENCE.



Thursday, August 1, 2013

Happy GOTCHA Day Nahome - One Year HOME!!

A year ago tonight I wrote this POST!!  It was a whirlwind of a day as we picked up Nahome from the orphanage, presented ourselves to the US embassy and finalized our adoption of him, met with Nahome's mom, reunited with Isaiah, and returned to our guest house with little man in hand to begin getting our lives together!  It feels like FOREVER ago since we walked through that door to our room with an overwhelmed and unsure little boy!


He was So little and fragile...but full of spunk and life!


His whole world was changing!


Our honeymoon period lasted only a couple days until the scared little boy made it known!  Those many families who were in Ethiopia probably remember the screaming and yelling resonating through the guest house and every restaurant that we went to.  A few days in as I held him on the steps of yet another restaurant as he cried and I cried as he threw another fit - screaming with his every being that he didn't understand what was happening to him - why his world was changing - and fearing what was to come - I rocked him and cried hoping to take the fear and uncertainty away!  The hard days only lasted about three weeks after getting home - they were HARD and TRYING but necessary for his healing - and after talking with LOTS of other adoptive mama's it was short lived!  Three weeks.....twenty-one days....of hard....of grieving....in the realm of eternity...in the scope of his lifetime....it was a blink of an eye!  Adoption is hard and messy - but SO worth it!  Adopting older kids can be scary and frightening of what trauma they will come with - - but it is oh SO worth it!
(Still cannot get over how little he was!)

Nahome has grown leaps and bounds - in mind and in spirit, in body and in heart!  He has gained EIGHT pounds and grown FIVE inches since arriving home one year ago!  He has grown two pant sizes and grown into a big boy bike!  His smile has developed from an unsure giggle to a true and heart felt joy.  He is love and joy and we are blessed and thankful to have spent the last year with him!  We look forward to SO many more years looking ahead!  Love you little man!