Chapel Day

Chapel Wednesday With A Prayer

At Chapel last week Makenzie had the honor of saying the prayer in front of the whole school. Her class did a great job telling a story from the bible and everyone had a part they had to say out loud, it was really sweet to see her and spend the morning with her at Chapel.

Slide

Sliding fun

Finally a picture of the 4! and of course Makenzie at the park.

My Sunday To Update

You don't choose your family. They are God's gifts to you,as you are to them. ~Desmond Tutu

I have been out of the blog loop for a little while and thought I would start back with some misc. pictures of the 2 little ones. This month Aslynn is 16 months and Bryce is 19 months. They are both doing really great, and we are so proud of them both. Aslynn amazes us everyday with tons of new words, hugs out of nowhere, fully bonded, she is so integrated into the family,its like she was here from birth. Bryce we still are working through all our surprises we were unaware of and still attaching as he had to have been through some rough times growing up that he really blocks off people and the world. He would rather be alone and in his crib than out and bout and with others. He pushes love away, but we just keep sharing and giving, we are slowly breaking that shell,along with helping him overcome eating and gaining a little weight. I need to measure him, his legs look longer, and he has been eating hamburger and other foods that he has been holding down, he is progressing in many ways, we hope he will know we are his forever family build the trust if his mind will allow it even though he is special needs, and we can help him with the resources possible so he can grow and become the fullest God allows him to be.

We do have our daily battles, it is challenging and at times I do have my moments, but I know he was sent here to our home for a reason and we as a family are strong and will push through the rough times.

Makenzie is doing wonderful in school, she loves her after school classes. She does cooking,dance,chess club,and golf..she picked these all, I know she is crazy :) but doing great, she moved up a level in math!

Logan loves preschool and the teacher said he tests higher for his level, enjoys his friends, we shaved his Mohawk off for a new look as he turns 4 this Wednesday, sad he is growing up so fast.

Everyone is doing the best we can right now, scabies comes and goes, and we are beating to the best we can and keep on trucking through life. We know that 2010 will be a fresh new year and change for everyone.

Many blessings to you all, hope everyone's referrals are coming in quick, traveling is going great, and enjoying their new little ones that are just arriving home.

Jon in Addis

Don't ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive".

~Howard Thurman

I finally have a moment to post Jon's pictures he took while picking up Bryce. Jon took TONS of pictures, so I picked a few to post, but gosh he took so many random. I thought I would put the ones with Abebe and Aster since people don't know what they look like sitting at the table and standing with Jon. I love the one with the lady walking away and her garment blowing behind her and it looks like maybe a umbrella in her hands as she exits the gates, it grabs me. It's interesting to see what pictures a guy takes with a camera compared to you when you go a few times. :) As far away as Addis is, as sick as we have all gotten, and as much as I love being in American...the country STILL calls my name! Not for adoption,but for something else..who knows what is in store for the future, we will see what projects and adventures may come across my path.

A moment,a thought,no regrets,a future...

Do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Aslynn's Crib in Toukoul Orphanage
Bryce's Crib in Toukoul Orphanage

This weekend and the past few days have been going really good. We are slowly healing up, sores closing and I can tell we are getting better. I feel a lot better and I am excited for tomorrow's doctors appointment for the kids to get them all checked out and the thumbs up that EVERY last bit of everything they all had is gone. I'm dying for tomorrow to come.

Bryce ate meat yesterday, I know doesn't sound too great, but its a big deal for a little man that has only gained 1 lb and is so tiny and need to put some weight on. I was so happy and proud as we have tried and tried and he just shrugs meat away. Well,yesterday my little man actually ate some, actually a lot, and smiled and enjoyed his hot dog all cut up. It was a different brand than we normally use, go figure, little picky boy. :) He doesn't like Mac and Cheese either,Ravioli's,chili,beans,the list goes on. He would be happy with milk or formula, BUT the doctor says FOOD FOOD and we do both and do exactly what the doctor says plus supplements. I think he just burns the food off so fast as he eats and walks in the walker or is crawling so fast everywhere. If he was not mobile I could see him gaining weight but he is all over the place. I hope the doctor can give me some answers or we can do a xray of his hips. When he stands he tilts and is off a bit with his hips, and how his legs go out when laying down.

I feel a lot better mentally today, I feel like I got a boost of support through friends and emails of other people that have gone through or going through a lot of what I am going through or have already. I give all these woman a round of applause, especially the woman that check that spot for special needs children, I applaud you for your actions and think only the highest for you.

I wish my story was one for the books, a happy fairytale "couture life" ending, but it will keep going on for awhile until everyone heals mentally,physically,and emotionally. I wish that our 2nd adoption went so great as the 1st. But again, maybe we were blinded by the thought of bringing her home that we did not see the bumps in the road along the way. The agency did change as we went from Aslynn to Bryce. They grew from a low number of clients to a large and when he has so many families and not the staff to support it, there are cracks along the road, and a few must fall through those cracks.

I want to be able to share my whole journey, from start to end with nothing left out. The uncensored version of "the road less traveled", and I will, I just want to phrase it right as I don't want people not to adopt or stop adopting just because of my experience, as I would do it over again in a heart beat. I DON'T regret my decision,I know God gave me my 2 blessings for a reason and I love them dearly. I see my family growing into something wonderful as time goes on. United and bonded forever, I see that when I got the calling to adopt, I know I first had to stop myself in my tracks and really pray hard about what I was going to do and wow what a big step. I followed my heart,my Lord,and my dreams and they have lead me here. It might not be the prettiest place right now, but soon this garden will bloom and the flowers will grow and when they do, we will all see the blessings that came out of Ethiopia and into our home.

8,923 miles away there are 2 cribs. One in the boys section, one in the girls section,already filled with a new baby sharing its space with another. Where my 2 lived,ate,drank and the life they knew before the day I got to hold them and bath them and love them and let them in on a whole new world. This road is just beginning for them both, let us heal,let us mend,let us love and unite forever. We are a family,strong and bonded with so much love to give to each other and to share. Thank you all for your prayers and support. I know my writing is as I am talking literally so you have to take it as I am standing with you face to face.Very blunt and chatty. :) I hope to get some time to catch up and read all of your blogs again and see where you are at in life and your adoptions, I am so behind!

First Day of School!

First Day at Joy

Makenzie started 1st grade, yes can you believe it, first grade on August 10th. Logan started a week later preschool 3 days a week. I miss him so much, its so hard to drop them off, they are growing up so fast, they are little people now, not babies. They are blessed to attend Church of Joy Private School and get a Christian Education. Makenzie takes dance,cooking,golf and chess after school. The crazy child really loves activities and has a blast. I love to see smiles on their faces.

Jonas Brothers Concert

Mom and Makenzie night at the Jonas Brothers Concert

Paris and Shawna,Paris falls asleep at EVERY concert, its so loud, we don't know how she does it, but its too cute and she is a doll!

Dancing with the Jonas glow sticks


Jonas Brothers, My Fav is Joe..he is my crush :) HA

Jonas FAN smile

Ice Cream and a Concert!

Mom and Makenzie

My feet addiction

August 11th Makenzie and I joined Shawna,Paris,Rose Mary and Jacque for a night of fun at the Jonas Brothers Concert. The girls had a blast, and we did too! They performed so well and did some great interaction and put on a show for us. It was a late night, but fun :)

Faith,Life,Moving Forward...

If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, "move from here to there," and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. (Matthew 17:20)

I got a thought on the way home from dropping KK off at school and decided to set everything aside for a little while and sit down at the actual computer, check emails and blog. I hope to get pictures and my updates up on here, lets see how far I can get.

Life has been rough, I will admit it. 4 kids is not different than 3, I don't see that as a issue, I think that we got hit with a lot more than we thought or bargained for with Bryce and since the arrival of him its been none stop and we are all so worn and beat up mentally.

After Bryce arrived and he had to go into the hospital, coming out and home, we all got scabies! It went away, came back and went through cycles. We had to be treated with 10% Permethrin cream and the oral Ivermin and we still seem to show signs it.
We have been treated a few times at the Mayo Clinic hospital and numerous doctors and specialists due to Intestinal Parasites, Bacteria in the blood,worms,scabies,lice,and my brain is not working I know some other stuff.

We are recovering and taking meds and trying to get up to speed but we cant seem to get over the problems this has caused. Also, African Termites..Nice! And some other bugs from Africa have infested our house and even in bedded into our skin, the doctors are literally pulling BUGS of all kinds OUT of our skin. Hands,feet,arms,legs,fingertips, face etc! Its the weirdest things you would ever see, and our bodies are scared up.

We have infectious disease helping us at the Mayo Clinic and 2 wonderful doctors at the hospital that have taken so much time and care for us, its been nice.

Its a ongoing battle that seems to not have a end yet, we are praying, and its hard, and its a struggle. On top of that, Bryce is not gaining weight, very picky eater, happy as can be, crawls, gets on knees, can stand holding on things, walk in walker, and do a lot of things. I DO think he is OVER 2 years old, I don't think he is 18 months. I DON'T think he will grow fast, or be very tall if he does. He will struggle in life and really have a hard time to catch up if possible.

We will resource all options of course for help and therapy, we CANT now, which everyone emails me about. HE IS CONTAGIOUS, and NOBODY will come near him! New patches show up here and there of all sorts of funky stuff, and than I am his primary person that touches him, so I get it, and it gets passed through the house.

I think the hardest part is that I have to stay away from Makenzie and Logan so they are over the bug and scabies so they can have some sort of normal life and go to school. So washing bedding everyday, washing them, medicine from head to toe, and then I cant hug and hold them, and they cant cuddle up with me. Its very very hard, and than THEY SEE that I can touch and hold the 2 babies and change their diapers bath them and feed them, but not the 2 older?! I can explain to them a million times, but THEY ARE KIDS, and emotions and thoughts still in their little brains. Its heart breaking when your children cry to you about not getting love, attention, etc because of Bryce and his needs. Because Mom is in the hospital again, or the meds have made me so weak.

The kids have been through A LOT with this adoption, I look into their eyes and can see how much they want to give him and I love and cant. And they want him to be apart of our lives closer, but he has limits and he is so fragile. Its a tough spot to be in. My family is not that close so I don't have anyone that comes over, helps,gives me a break, etc. Its been none stop since he arrived. Of course no sitters or nannies want to be around sick people, and if you saw the marks all over us, you would stand 10 feet away. My sister has helped with walking the kids into class and out to the car for me, that has been such a big help. I hate not being able to do it, its so hard to watch them walk away and I drive off to go home clean the whole house again, wash everything again, and start all over again for when I go and get them from school. Its a cycle that feels like a trap. Its so wearing on me mentally physically and emotionally. I am very blessed to have met Joy from our board. She has given me so much support through the phone and email and just prayer. She is amazing, and I hope she is blessed by the Lord is so many ways with her life and family and all she does. Its amazing, I would love and die to have one ounce of the strength she has and the drive she gives to her family,faith,and others. I am so lucky she is in my life.

Now how do you attach and bond and get so tight with a new baby when you are getting sick from him? you are watching you and your family have to be on medicine, go to doctors, get things from him, that YOU exposed them to?! Hard to deal with as a Mom, hard.

I pray and pray WHY, I know I was suppose to go back to Africa and get him, and now all this bad that follows with us. Not only all this but I could write a book of just our lives in general seem to be at a stand point or crash point since his arrival. We pray and know God has direction for us. Answers, and will lead us to where he wants us in life. We hope we can heal, bond, and move forward with our lives and put all this bad,illness,etc behind us and just go back to LIFE and LIVING! This is NOT suppose to be like this, I understand delay, and that he will need help to catch up, that's fine, but to hit me with all these medical issues on top of it, WOW.. blows my mind. I feel like a punching bag, and when doctors know you by name and the pharmacist's and special medicine ordered in for you, the list goes on, IT WEARS YOU OUT.

Just a little of whats going on here, I need to post past things like first day of school, and concert, and other stuff. I need to catch up and have time for me and a moment to think :) thanks for every ones love and support and emails. Its nice to have people out there even though you are not here..literally.

When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears, and rescues them from all their troubles. (Psalm 34:17)