Smitten

The children had their first experience at a wedding this weekend. They were awe struck with the bride (Martha was beautiful!) and tore up the dance floor afterward. In their short lifespan, it could possibly have been their most favorite night yet.
While we were in Tennessee for the wedding, a dear friend took these photos [...]

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When Can We Do It Again?

I’ve been holding it together for just about 4 months now. All that comes with raising two toddlers has taken precedence over absorbing what’s happened in our home. It’s had to. Survival-mode, as I’ve called it.
Overnight we’ve gone from long sits in the sauna, long soaks in the bath, long runs, long evenings to just [...]

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Eden’s Ethiopia

I keep hearing about families who have adopted older children whose children are now beginning to tell them about their home life and experiences in Ethiopia. I figured Eden, being 4, might have some recollection of her life even just 6 months ago. Now that she’s grasping more of the language, I thought it appropriate [...]

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Give ‘Em What They Want

This blogging thing is mostly selfish.
For much of my life I’ve wanted to have some sort of crazy artistic expression of what’s inside of me. I can’t draw to save my life and, although I’ve recently picked up finger-painting, my two year-old puts me to shame. I don’t let lack of skill prevent me from [...]

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Remembering

All feels right to me when my life is organized. When my desk is clean, my task list has lots of lines through it and my inbox is empty, my heart is at rest.
I’m quickly realizing that I need to scrap this strategy.
I haven’t really had to have a planning session to come up with [...]

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“Mommy Stay Here?”

The children are learning new words every day. Nate–gone for just 5 days on business–came back to a bevy of new expressions.
“Sho [sure]” is Caleb’s most recent response to most everything. Pretty much sums him up — ready and game for anything–and a man of few words alongside his verbose big sister.
I’m wondering if Eden’s [...]

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Then …And Now

Every once in a while I look back at the pictures we received just after we learned of Eden and Caleb as a reminder of how far they’ve come.
Here’s from early April. At Sele Enat orphanage.

And today. On our back deck.

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Happy Birthday, Caleb!

This post should more appropriately be titled “Daddy and Caleb Are Boys” as it seems that birthdays in our home have taken on a whole new meaning.
As you may have read in an earlier post, we decided to celebrate the childrens’ birthdays, which were 2 weeks apart, on one day in-between both birthdays. The combination [...]

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Love Is As Strong As Death

I’ve been knocked off my feet a bit by my father’s death. I don’t know what I was expecting to feel — or what I thought someone who lost a father at this age should feel — but this certainly wasn’t it. Whether 16 or 32, navigating life “fatherless” is as if somehow your equilibrium [...]

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Lord, Teach Us to Pray

This is a prayer I pray a lot, repeating what the disciples asked Jesus. And now that I am not only responsible for one, I want just as much — if not more — that my children would develop deep hearts for God and for prayer.
While it’s tempting to wait until Eden is praying for [...]

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My Dad

This morning my father passed away.
My mind is a maze of thoughts and emotions … and why am I blogging right now? Because I just have to tell someone — even if I never publish this post and it is only read by its Catalyst — of the glory of God rising higher than this [...]

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“One More Big Cuddle, Mommy!”

Each morning, after the children wake up, among a few other daily traditions, we have what we call “the big cuddle.” What started as a sweet excuse to wrap our arms around our little ones has become an elbow-jabbing, hair-grabbing, saliva-dripping heap that ends with something similar to a team huddle. It’s not really a [...]

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Happy Birthday Eden!

Birthdays aren’t celebrated much in Ethiopia. Our childrens’ first experience with a birthday was mine a few weeks ago. Thanks to these little eager beavers (trying their hand at any bit of language they can remember) I heard “Happy Birthday, Mommy” for multiple weeks.
So … this morning, when I woke Eden up to tell her [...]

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Everyday Life

I should be planning what I’m going to cook this week (can you believe it, the first week I’ve had to cook since we brought these children home … thanks to some wonderful friends!!) but instead I diverge.
Just want to give a few snapshots into daily life post-adoption. In general life here with them feels [...]

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Taking the Bronze

Every September 2nd I have felt like it was just yesterday that Nate and I got married.
This year, on the eve of our bronze anniversary, I just can’t believe it has only been eight years. I look back at the people we were that day and think only God could have known that we would [...]

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6 Weeks As A Family

As a part of our bedtime routine each night, we hold them and give them a bottle. May seem a little unnecessary for an almost 2 and 4 year old … but it’s something we decided to build-in to help with bonding. And it has.
I get a lump in my throat just about every other [...]

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A Picture is Worth A Thousand Words

Every time I try to compose a post I’m either interrupted by the end of nap time or just stuck without words to explain the overwhelming gift Eden and Caleb have been to our lives.
I’m not quite sure what I’m going to do with this blog as it was intended as a baby-book of sorts [...]

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Contrast

Life at home continues, and the joy just grows.
I’ll leave longer commentary to my wife, but I thought that it would be interesting to share the photos we were given when we accepted our referral…and show you a few of more recent times.
It’s quite a contrast. Here was our post when we received our referral.
And [...]

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The Rescue

The first night we had the children in the guest home — the day we met them — Nate and I went to sleep saying “parenting is so much easier than we thought.” Yes, you can laugh. We were totally green, yet one day of having these two follow us around repeating everything  we said [...]

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We Will Extol

Eden knows she’s adorable and it’s not yet trouble but, if unfettered, it could be. When she snuggles into bed her almond-shaped brown eyes just stare into mine and she gives this knowing smile–as if someone taught her how to woo (and possibly manipulate ) her parents by her affection. Last night she whispered [...]

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Life at Home

Can’t wait until I have the time to write about our experience since we’ve been home. In the meantime here are some shots of our little africans in their new home life.
Bath time is definitely a favorite …

Especially with our cool animal towels

Just like many of the Ethiopians we saw, our little girl likes to [...]

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More Trip Photos

We’ve been able to post some other pics from the trip to Nate’s facebook account here:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=90627&id=711954443&l=6c22d6e25d

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Coming Home…

Some friends met us at the airport to welcome us home (the kind of friends you feel comfortable being around after a 17 hour flight). Then, they put this video together and showed it to our church on Sunday (even without us being there). People in our church have been amazing throughout this process … [...]

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Rubber Ducky

[written last night, but only posted now]
I’m updating our blog with what little time I have because it seems easier at the moment than returning phone calls and emails. Friends please forgive me for being so impersonal. I’m settling down to a cup of tea and about 10 minutes of bandwith before my head needs [...]

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Highlights

We’re back. I’ve blocked the flight and travel from Ethiopia home out of my mind and only have the best of thoughts about our trip and ever-forming adventures with our children. So much to say, but no time to write.
Over the next few days, we’ll post some photo highlights from our trip and maybe someday [...]

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We Are Coming Home … With Children in Tow

For months we have been praying for July 15th …even before we received our court date.
He blessed us with this embassy date. It came and went and we are as official as we can possibly be.
We still haven’t quite mastered the language barrier, but we are now ones whose ears perk up when we hear [...]

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Learning Them

We continue to realize (with some added help from some experienced parents staying in the guest home with us) that we are in survival mode while we’re here. It’s sort of like bootcamp.
Although the guest home (we’d HIGHLY recommend it — Ethiopian Guest Home) is amazing, it’s still a small space for 5 families and [...]

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Embassy Appointment Tomorrow

We have our official embassy appointment tomorrow (tonight for those in the U.S.) at 1pm here. Would love your prayers for this as it is the last step before we bring them home (and have the honor of being indoctrinated into parenthood by a 17 hour flight).
There should be no hitches …we’ve heard all the [...]

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A Little Window Into Our Trip So Far…

Some shots from our first days in Ethiopia
(on Facebook)

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They Are In Bed!

After a day of meltdowns — all around meal time — they are asleep. We had a very good ending to a rough day. Maybe it was bathtime?
This is more like a full contact sport for Eden who scrubs herself furiously and sings little ditties in Amharic while she does. Unfortunately, it hasn’t registered yet [...]

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