Christmas Giving with a Purpose

Christmas looks a little different for us this year - to be honest it has looked a little different for the last few years!  We never went out of control and overboard - but we were content in our materialism and were awfully close to being consumed with presents and stuff and all the hub-bub of keeping up with the Jones'.  A few years ago - as we walked through our adoption story - God opened our hearts and eyes to SO very much!  He showed us that there are SO many important things to be done in the world and that it can start right here - in our family.  We want to teach our children to focus on others and that Christmas is about LOVE.  That God LOVED us enough - when we didn't earn it or deserve it - HE became flesh and dwelt among us!  Christmas is about GIVING - God GAVE His only SON that we might LIVE!  It isn't about Santa and Stockings and Presents.  All of these are fun and exciting things and still bring joy to our family - but our focus and our purpose is to GIVE LOVE!

Teaching to Give with Love Can Start Close to Home - - For the last few years our kids have gotten to shop for each other for Christmas.  They love to pick things out for each other and they also love the one on one time with Mom or Dad that comes along with the shopping part of it.  On Christmas morning the kids are so much more invested in watching what everyone else gets because they can't wait to see them open the present from them.  When our family was smaller - they got to shop for both of their siblings.....now that our family is bigger - we draw names between the kids!  They have truly enjoyed the joy of giving and the surprise and anticipation of the season.

Teaching to Give with Love Can Reach the WORLD - - This year we are implementing a new way of giving.  On top of getting to spend a certain amount on each other, the kids get to spend the same amount gifting to someone in need.  We gave them a whole bunch of ideas of how they wanted to spend their money but in the end they got to choose how to give it.  I LOVED the conversation that circulated through the kids.  I heard things like...."It is so hard to choose - I want to help them all!"  "Which one do you think is the most important, mom??"  "I want to help as many people as I can - which one will help me do that?"  "I want to give Bibles, because without Jesus they would have nothing!"  "I want to give chickens because I want another little boy to be able to eat eggs too!!!(Any guesses on who that was!?)".....I was BLOWN away by the depth of love that the kids were showing.  They took it very seriously and had awesome reasons for the choices that they ended up choosing.  We also teamed up with our parents and my brother's family to make a difference in the world this Christmas!

Here is how our family is choosing to Give Love this Christmas:
~ We are providing 1500 meals for needy people in Burundi!
~ We are providing Bibles and Song Books to Kids!
~ We are providing 3 families with baby chicks!
~ We are providing a little girl with a Musical Lamb that sings Jesus Loves Me!
~ We are helping sponsor a missions team to travel and spread the Good News!
~ We are providing 5 chickens to families in need so they can have eggs to eat!
~ We are sponsoring a teacher in Haiti!
~ We are providing 650 vaccinations for children in rural villages!

Here are the organizations that helped us give love this year!
~ Child Care Ministries http://www.childcareministries.org/
~ Mission Aviation Fellowship https://maf.org/donate/giving-catalog/2013/all#.UqNxD_RDsuc
~ Samaritan's Purse http://www.samaritanspurse.org/gift-catalog/give/
* There are SO many great organizations out there - - these are just a few that we used!

Our family is learning to love through giving!  I hope you take time this Christmas season to think about what Christmas is all about and how you can make a difference this Christmas!

Precious Memories

I have been thinking a lot lately about this time of year - the leaves falling and the weather getting colder.  I have been reflecting on how different our lives looked this time last year - just barely having brought our boys home.  There were lots of precious times - and lots of hard times!  Looking back it is hard to believe how far we have come - with growing, and grieving, and becoming family!!  I am in awe how God orchestrated it all!

 I think my most favorite thing about this time of year - for this year - are the memories that the boys have!  I hear them say "Remember last year...." and "Oh yeah - I remember...." and "When we do that this year...."  I LOVE that they have a memory to draw from with holidays coming up and all the hustle and bustle that it brings.  To those outside of the adoption community - holidays are a nightmare for transitioning kiddos.  They truly do need structure and routine and calm and people and things around them that they are comfortable with and used to!  You take the holidays - on the go, out of routine, over-stimulating, with people and things around them that they are not used to.  They stress easily over things that they are unsure of....the holidays are a big mystery to kiddos from a different culture.  We had lots of meltdowns, shutdowns, tears, and stress over the holidays last year!

This year - the kids are looking forward to what is to come with hopeful anticipation!  They have a reference point in their memory of what to expect - sweet precious memories that help them feel connected.  We still deal with issues of the hustle and bustle and the over-stimulating behaviors that can come.....but OH MY - - we are SO much better off this year!

I LOVE my 'not so little family' and all that God has and is doing in and through us!  I am so proud of my children and the young people they are growing into!  I am excited to share this holiday season with kids excited about life, thankful for what they have, and grateful for the baby in the manger!  Can't wait for more PRECIOUS MEMORIES to be made this year!

Twins NO more!

With International adoption, a child's age is usually a little fuzzy.  With Ethiopia in general, birthdays are a little vague.  We know several families who realized once they got home that their children were actually older or younger than their paperwork stated.  With older child adoption you have to teach your children how old they are and when their birthday is - the birthday that someone at a desk picked for them at random.

When we got the boys home we had pretty good evidence that Isaiah's birth date was fairly accurate.  It became pretty apparent in those first few months, however, that Nahome's was not.  We had some pretty solid evidence pointing at a much younger age than his paperwork said.  Documentation that is hard to deny, when put up against some person sitting at a desk taking a shoot in the dark as to how old and when his birthday should be.  So we decided to see if we could use this evidence to move his birth date to a more appropriate age for him - developmentally, physically, maturity - it just made sense.

So - I'm writing to tell you that we received signed documentation from the judge that Nahome's new birth date has been approved.  The evidence led us to July and we chose the 7th day of the month - we liked that his birth date would be 7-7....God's number!  The kicker is that this change makes him five once again - instead of almost 7!  When we talked with Nahome about it he was a little confused....but once we told him he got to have FUN summer birthdays and he is the only kid probably anywhere that gets to have TWO six-year old birthday parties he was all smiles and giggles!!

So - we no longer have TWINS in the family - just a brother and sister who have grown so very close over the last year!  I am thankful for them and the joy they find in the little things of life!

Happy GOTCHA DAY - Bizuayehu ISAIAH!!

It seems like just yesterday that we fell in love with Isaiah in Ethiopia, but this last week we hit our ONE YEAR HOME mark!!!  A year ago I wrote THIS!  I was giddy with anticipation for our unexpected blessing to finally make it home and for our family to be together - on the same continent!  Josh traveled to Ethiopia alone and picked up Isaiah one year ago.  This year, on his gotcha day, Josh and Isaiah were spending some time together up hunting!  It has been a year full of blessings as Isaiah has joined our family and everyone has gotten used to the new normal!  I cannot believe how far we have come and cannot imagine my life without Isaiah in our family!  He seemed so quiet and timid when we first met him...

He quickly became part of the family!

He started his new adventure on his first airplane ride!

Isaiah has grown so much this year!  He is 3 1/2 inches taller and 16 pounds heavier than the scrawny little boy that walked into our lives a year ago!  His English is amazing and he has made HUGE gains in school!  We are so blessed by him and his heart for others!  We have had a lot of fun this last year....here are some pics to show the joy that he brings to our lives!

He made lifelong friends so very quickly!

He had a blast learning and participating in sports for the first time!

We spent a lot of time outdoors this summer!

Blessed beyond measure to be the family that God led us to be!!!

Crazy Busy - Every Day Life

It used to be so easy to sit and write - maybe it was the fact that I only had 3 kids and now I have 5....maybe it was the fact that I was in the waiting and yearning to connect with anyone who would listen....maybe it was the fact that blogging kept my emotions in check and it truly was my therapy.  Now that we have our crazy busy life with five kids - I often think that I should blog.  I am always stuck with the same dilemma - what do I write about??  For almost two years along our adoption journey it was easy to pour my heart out in the wait.  To give updates and prayer requests.  But now - our life is just Crazy Busy Every Day Life.  Nothing special - nothing miraculous - it just is.  I always want my blogging to have a message or to touch someone somewhere - so I'm going to do my best to update you all about our crazy busy every day life while trying to share with you about what I have learned along the way.

* I have learned that parenting FIVE kids is CRAZY!  Lots of people say that after three it really isn't that hard to add more.  Well, I have to tell you that it has been a journey this last year getting used to all the adding - adding up more groceries, more laundry, more homework, more ER visits - it IS CRAZY!  But we've also got to add up more hugs, more giggles, more memories!

* I have learned that when you have FIVE kids - there will ALWAYS be someone MAD about something!  They may be ticked at you, another sibling, or just ticked at life in general!  And guess what - IT IS OKAY!!!!  It is NOT my job as mom to make everyone feel all warm and cozy inside all the time!  It is my job to raise up a few young men and a sweet little girl who can work through problems, who have conflict/resolution skills, who can handle disappointments, and who know what consequences for their actions feel like.

* I have learned that having FIVE kids is EXHAUSTING!  There is not a day that goes by that I feel energized at the end of the day - most days I am truly and deeply exhausted!  Some days it is just physical - and others it is emotionally, physically, mentally, spiritually!  Being a mom is no easy feat and it is not for the faint of heart.  Don't get me wrong - it is ENTIRELY worth it - but it is exhausting!

* I have learned that parenting kids from Hard Places is Hard Stuff!  I have shed tears for and with broken little boys who do not know why or how life turned out the way it has.  I have been told hurtful things - emotions directed my way because that is the only way they know how to deal with the loss.  I have learned to hear the grief and hurt and not to take it to heart.  I have learned to show love and grace in the midst of the storm.

* I have learned that with heartache comes healing!  I have watched all FIVE of my children struggle to find their place in our family over this last year.  I have watched all five of them grieve how life used to be.  We walked through crazy months of bickering and fist fights - through tears and deep sighs.  As everyone found their place and God worked in our family, I got to watch my children discover new best friends.  I got to watch brothers bonding with brothers and littles giggling and playing!  I am amazed at the unity in my kids these days and I am reminded of how far we have come - and I'm thankful!

* I have learned that I am nothing on my own!  It takes a team to parent FIVE kiddos and I am SO very thankful for my husband!  Beyond that - I am SO very thankful for a loving Father who walks with me daily and gives me patience and love for those around me!  It is easy to get caught up in the day to day Crazy Busy Every Day life  - to try to lead and control and take care of things myself.  It is about this time that I fall flat on my face and God is always there to help me back up...reminding me that I am NOTHING apart from Him.

~ I have learned a lot over the last year as we have started our lives as a Family of SEVEN!  The biggest thing that I think I have learned is that life is not a destination...it is a journey!  There is NO ARRIVING....just carrying on!  And on THIS journey - the one we are CHOOSING to follow - we KNOW who is LEADING....we are THANKFUL for HIS leading!  We may be CRAZY BUSY in our Every Day Life but we will continue to FOLLOW HIS STEPS....will you?

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!

~~The PLAN~~

For anyone that knows me, you know I am a control freak and a planner!  I like to have a plan so I know what is coming - so I can brace myself.  The unknown scares me - even with little things.  When I was growing up I had to know where we were going on vacation and not just the overall theme of the trip.  I NEEDED to know where we were stopping for lunch, how long we were staying there, when we would arrive, if the hotel had a pool, what kind of breakfast they served - the ridiculous list goes on and on.  In not so funny tones - my sweet angelic Jarod has the same OBNOXIOUS need for planning and knowledge of what is to come!  I have been driving him INSANE all summer planning day trips and not telling him where we are going.  I remind him that he doesn't need to worry about it - to trust me - to not stress - that everything will be okay and work out even if he cannot see what is to come!  Mind you this only works and I only find pleasure in it because I am the one that DOES know the plan....if my husband tried this on me I would be one UNHAPPY mama!

Does this need for control - stressed beyond measure of the unknown sound familiar??  If this hits close to home you are the one nodding your head while you are reading this....you are the one that can feel your chest tighten just thinking about someone trying to surprise you with a trip somewhere that you didn't know all the ins and outs of....you understand why I put the words "NEEDED to know" in all caps above!  If you struggle with this let me tell you a little secret - there IS a cure!!

The cure is exactly what I told Jarod all summer.....I remind him that he doesn't need to worry about it - to trust me - to not stress - that everything will be okay and work out even if he cannot see what is to come!  The cure comes from the One who DOES know what is to come - the One who loves us enough to surprise us even when we don't like the unknown - the One who wants us to trust Him and not stress - the One who wants us to believe that everything will be okay.  Now this may be easy for our minds to grasp.  We have been told our entire faith journey to trust in God and lean on Him, to not worry or fret because God is in control.  But to put it into action is another story, to tell your heart and mind and soul that God really is the plan.

For me the truth came through action and obedience during our adoption journey.  God stretched me and molded me into his liking and I am so thankful that He did.  It was NOT easy and still is not - but it is worth it.  When I got married I had a one year plan - and then a five year plan - and then a ten year plan.  When I had kids I had a 3 kid plan - and then a new sister plan - and then God had plans for brothers!  When we bought our house I never planned their would be SO many new additions to the fam - chickens, kittens, goats, and kids(the baby goat kind)!  When I started teaching I had a plan to settle in and now I'm in my 6th year teaching and my 6th grade level/curriculum change!  I think I might be DONE planning....

The thing I am beginning to realize is that I can plan all I want - but GOD will do what is best for us in the end no matter what the initial plan was!  You see sometimes our plans line up with God's but often His plan pushes us beyond what our plan is for ourselves!  It is our job to trust in His guidance even when we cannot see what is ahead.  So, what's the plan???

Many people, including my daughter, have asked us when we are going to jump back into the crazy adoption world and get that sister that started us down this whole crazy journey.  Well - to be honest - the plan WAS a TWO year plan!  Two years from bringing the boys home we would start the journey to add a little more pink around here.  We are almost ONE year in and I can honestly tell you that there is NO plan!  We trust that God will lead and guide our family if and when it is HIS time!  My hubby talks about what he thinks we should look into next time for our daughter (country, age, etc.)  I just smile and shake my head - our silly planning - remember what God did last time!!  We were requesting a little sister for Leah and she got two older brothers out of the deal!  God will do whatever He sees fit - which could be scary...but worth it!  SO - our plan is to enjoy our family while God continues to work in and through us!  We trust that God's plan is all that we need - even when we cannot see it!

I had lots of plan for the kids and I over the summer and I can tell you that we have had some of the BEST times just hanging out and enjoying being together!  It has been busy and crazy but it has been refreshing to my soul to get to know each of my kids on a deeper level!  I LOVE spending time with them and it has been neat to watch them grow and develop into children who are willing to follow God's plan for their lives.  Feeling blessed to walk this journey...

"We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps."

~ Proverbs 16:9 ~