Our Family Walking Toward Him

The "Brooks Family News" Blog is up!

2011-11-17T22:44:00.000-08:00

I invite you to be one of the first to join us at (drum roll, please)...
http://mixedandmatched-brooks.blogspot.com/
If you'd like to subscribe to the site (have a notification sent to you when I post), you are welcome to do so == just snoop around and find the link.

Remember, though: If you get an email with the update, you need to go to the site to reply, if you want others to see what you say!!

Time for a New Home...

2011-10-23T09:20:00.000-07:00

Transition brings out the best in me. Really. I love change and the challenges it brings.
Perfect timing, really. We are going back to Texas. So with this change, I am going back to blogging.

So, if you have been missing posts from me, I appreciate you. I miss posting. We have TONS of FABULOUS photos from the last year I know you'd like to look at... but more importantly, I think we need to just move forward. I'll put a few random pics in now and then (when something spurs my recollection); but honestly, don't you just want to see the CHANGES from here on out? At least for the most part, I would.

I'll be creating a new 'online HOME' with an new name, to reflect our new place in life.

I'm as excited as I've been in a long time... but it truly is a bittersweet change for us.

I'll post the new site here as soon as it's ready!!

June (Pt.2) - Cali's Redwoods and Grandparents

2010-09-01T22:59:00.000-07:00

If you are short on time, YOU HAVE TO SEE THE MOHAWK pics at the bottom!

So, while the summer began, we bought a second small, pocket-sized digital camera to replace my FOURTH SONY CyberShot! (The 4th one only began to fail because of its "got-bubbles-poured-on-it" state of suffering.) We replaced it with an Olympus that is waterproof and shockproof... hoping that it stays together a little longer. Why am I saying this? Looking for sympathy. My photos for July and August have been a real pain to sort through due to quirky time/date stamp issues with the failing camera and (oops) forgetting to set the new one when I opened it. I know you may not care, but my MAC puts my photos into nice, neat little events folders for me based on the DATE and TIME of the pic... and when the date defaults as 2001, my whole photo-blogging world goes topsy-turvy. So... I hope to make sense of the next few months, but if not... blame it on the bubbles.

The rest of June (after last month's focus on hair) focused more on TREES! My parents flew in from Dallas on a Friday afternoon and we headed to California that evening... making it as far as Grants Pass, then spending the next three days in the northern end of the Redwoods. You may remember our trip there two years ago as we prepared for our adoption -- so much has changed in TWO short years!!

Trees of Mystery, CA along the riverbank

If you are one of my FaceBook friends, you may have seen our pictures. So, for the sake of time, I'm going to let you follow my FB link (which should be available even if you are NOT a 'booker <=click here)... and simply give you a few of my very favorites to look at here.

Aquarium in Crescent City

Crescent City Beach

Oooooh my, I LOVE MY CUTIE KIDDOS!!

June (Pt.1) - Dancing, Graduating, and Shaving?

2010-08-11T00:18:00.000-07:00

~~~~ JUNE ~~~~ JUNE ~~~~ JUNE ~~~~

As the school year wrapped up, the last round of end-of-year performances kept us busy -- and entertained. Emma and Murphy sang and signed (sign language) their songs, including the Pledge of Allegiance by Murphy's Kinder/1st class. Emma's 2nd/3rd grade class also demonstrated some traditional American square DANCING.

Waaay too cute picture of my four chickens after E and M's performances!


Yes, it's June. Yes, Emma insisted on her Christmas boots... 'cuz they matched and were good for dancin'!

We were so grateful to the sweet staff at Bright Futures Christian School for letting our Zinash step in at the end of the year to help her with some educational balance! The experience she had there (as well as with her homeschool co-op earlier in the year) helped her make incredible academic strides. She has officially 'GRADUATED' from preschool and will be a full-blown Kindergartener in the fall!!

She is getting ready to do the line, "All the king's horses..."-- note the stick pony! Zinash loves that on Sundays at church, she gets to see her teachers from this year: Miss Tia (pictured here) and Mrs. Melody.

Hair's what also happened in June. Zinash had her hair braided at a 'real' hair place (off MLK in Portland) with a sweet woman, KayKay. She did great, but the braids were too wide and came out too quickly -- however, they worked GREAT for vacation!!


Yes, she took her "My Twin" doll with her for moral support!

Murphy, not to be left out, got his 2nd annual after-school mohawk. You can see how much hair he had before -- and we ended up with a 4-inch mohawk!!

I know, it doesn't look very long... but look at the post for this year's Redwood Forest vacation ** coming soon** to see the final result. My mom suggested we spike it, so we had to oblige!!

Catch-up Posts: May 2010

2010-08-07T16:42:00.001-07:00

~~~ MAY ~~~ ~~~ MAY ~~~ ~~~ MAY ~~~

May started off with a bang! Literally. That first week was h3ll week for Keith, as he totalled my car on his way out of town Monday morning... He made it back into town Thursday, only to pull in the driveway in his pickup and run over our dear, sweet fledgling robin, Steve -- right in front of the kids (Facebook chronicles kept many of you posted). Bad week. Just heartbreaking! These pictures honor Steve's memory. Little did we know the heartache that loomed in the distant months for us. My children grieved well and now fondly remember Steve as a pet just passing through... then passing away.

Preschool!! Classes (and families) from Zinash's preschool visited and
sang at a local nursing home.

I also managed to get a few decent pictures at one of Zinash's end-of-year performances. You can see how much she loves participating in large group singing (which she cannot do well, but totally loves) and shining on stage! Keith's parents were visiting us for a long weekend and were able to be with us for this exciting evening, BUT we somehow managed to NOT get any photos with them on my camera... could that be?? I guess I need to get some from Rita!

The month ended with time well spent with the Kasten family at Renaissance Farms, their family home. The kids began learning to enjoy and be comfortable with horses (and horse poop) and gain some exposure to horse-farm life, thanks in part to just being with this wonderful family.

Sarah was so patient with all four kids, as they took (muddy) turns riding.

(Emma really was excited!)

This shot of Zinash says, "JOY!!"

Murphy (and his muddy knees)

Even YoYo got a turn. (Those were the only boots we could find that day!)

Catch-up Posts: April 2010

2010-08-07T16:17:00.001-07:00

~~ APRIL ~~ ~~ APRIL ~~ ~~ APRIL ~~ ~~ APRIL ~~

April brought the blessed celebration of Easter, and we joined the Thompson family again this year. What a blessing to be included like family when we are so far away from the rest of our family.

April started a new phase of spring ball for us -- "Coach Pitch" was a fun venture. Murphy was on a team with several boys from last year's t-ball team. Emma's coach was a real riot... Daddy!! Keith and Chera Thompson teamed up to put a great coach-pitch team of 2nd/3rd grade girls who show great potential... and have fun!

Zinash and I tried to always be stylish at the games this season... when it wasn't raining, or sleeting, or hailing, or thundering. Ugh! We also had a fun afternoon in April when some of the Bergstrom clan joined us for their Gabrial's FIRST haircut -- a la Shelley! He did fine with the clippers, and I helped YoYo's 'do out a little, too.

May certainly earned its own post... click there to see the chaos and fun!

Catch-up Posts: Feb and March 2010

2010-08-07T15:31:00.001-07:00

As I sit and absorb the first week of August 2010, my Emma is off on her first solo-trip-by-air, having just landed in Texas to spend time with some grandparents and family.
I realize so much time has passed.
So, if I were to highlight the last 7 months, I'd say whirlwind.

I will add some pics to keep you entertained!

~~ FEBRUARY ~~
Emma and Murphy went back into public school, riding the bus often to Mt. Pleasant Elementary School, about 10 minutes away. M was in an all-day Kinder/1st -- right next door to E, who join the 2nd/3rd grade class.
(above) February 2010 -- Back home after YoYo's 2nd birthday dinner at
Dalo's Ethiopian restaurant in Portland
(below) Emma's 8th bday party at the house

February also took us to Seattle to visit friends I haven't seen since I lived in the Netherlands in 1993!! (see below - we're atop the Space Needle) In from Pennsylvania, Jack and Karen O'Brien were such great pseudo parents when I was overseas -- it was like reconnecting with family! We had fun for the couple of days we were together -- and the kiddos came home with cute handmade pillowcases!
~~ MARCH ~~

In March, my mom treated me and herself to a weekend in Vegas -- a fun, fast getaway. We laughed and walked and laughed some more.
March was full of fun, also, as I took Zinash and two of her friends (and YoYo) to JJ-Jump in Clackamas, OR, for a few hours of fun. (below)
(Trinatee, Zinash and Hailey)

Gentle reminders for the Mamas out there!

2010-01-27T15:19:00.000-08:00

I wrote this for myself today after a conversation with a hurting friend. I shared it with her. Now I am being prompted by the Lord to share it with you...
It is in three parts... first is the paragraph below for introduction. Then I outlined the two "Ah-Ha" moments that the Lord gave me over the phone. There is nothing new under the sun (Thank you, Solomon) -- but it can sound so fresh and new when spoken in a different way, by a different person. Be challenged and encouraged!

Dear {Friend},
Again a reminder that you are not alone. Like I said earlier, when we pause to think, we can acknowledge that God, our Father, is constantly showing us unending mercy for the sin we choose. When we choose to ‘win’ rather than to wrap our arms around [our kids]. When we choose to ignore rather than engage... yet again. When we choose frustration (which is selfishness, essentially not getting our own way) over compassion. Hmm... when we spend more than we make (ouch! ugh!). He never runs out of mercy. Over and over again He loves us and showers us with mercy. May we, too, be as He is.

FIRST:

#1) Choose your battles.
#2) Choose your battles!

Joshua 24:15 --
“Choose today whom you will serve.”

Here is another verse to encourage this thought... from three different translations that use powerful words. (Isn't it amazing that God can use man to make words so touching and beautiful).
~~~~~~~~
2 Corinthians 10:5 --
We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. (NIV)

(same verse, different translation:)
We use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ. (The Message)

(same verse, and yet another translation:)
[Inasmuch as we] refute arguments and theories and reasonings and every proud and lofty thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge {plan?-- my question} of God; and we lead every thought and purpose away {from our disobedient impulses} captive into the obedience of Christ. (Amplified)

THEN... in that same conversation... God gave me the SECOND BIG POINT for the day! It comes from scripture -- go figure that I'm not as original as I thought!! :)
Our strength to go on is not something that comes from inside us... it originates in the JOY of the LORD!!

Nehemiah 8:10 --
This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.

Here are a few verses to go along with this thought:
~~~~~~~~
Psalm 28:7

The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song.

~~~~~~~~
Isaiah 49:16

“See, I have engraved you on the palms of My hands;
your walls {obstacles, challenges, frustrations, fears} are ever before Me.”
~~~~~~~~
2 John 1:3

Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father's Son, will be with us in truth and love. (Tell yourself the TRUTH -- you are a loving mom, gifted of the Lord. Then let God’s grace, mercy, and peace permeate your heart!)

I hope this blesses you right where you are... you Mamas of great strength and wisdom! Ooooh, I just love Mamas!

"We Don't Have Time" ???

2009-12-28T22:13:00.001-08:00

I know you want photos before you read my musings... (these are on FB, too).

Merry Christmas from the Brooks kiddos!
Notice the smudges across their faces from Santa's kisses while he was at our house!
Zinash and Yoseph totally jumped right in -- just like they have from the very beginning -- and enjoyed every minute of Christmas. Hearing Z explain the birth of Jesus and the reason for gifts and celebrating is precious. Ask her sometime if you get a chance.

Yosey's Christmas Eve Shiner!

Murphy's super-saber!

Doctor Brooks??
(She ran around giving us all 'shots'.)

Emma's tooty smile

I'm sitting thinking about the last year of our lives. Hard to wrap my mind around. Funny, I don't sit and think about 'life' much lately, as I am more prone to focus on survival. The blessings flow abundantly, yet I often find myself so centered on having control of something, anything, that I miss the joy of things like patches of ice on the ground. I just watched my friend Molly's blog post video of her kiddos (younger than mine) sliding around on an ice patch and giggling seriously. I was reminded of a recent jaunt outdoors with my kiddos where I recall saying several times, "Stay off those ice patches... you'll fall and crack your head -- and we don't have time for an emergency room visit right now!"

Now, let's see... if I read that correctly, it seems that since we hardly ever get ice on the ground here, maybe what I was actually saying to my sweet children was, "I don't have time to let you have a little rare fun because I have my own agenda and the grocery store is only open for another... 8 hours?!?" I seriously need to lighten up and make TIME to play! (<== Prayer request #1) Reading "A Mother's Rule of Life" right now at the recommendation of another mother-of-four has given me a few moments of pause lately about this very issue... my TIME. How I'm spending it, how I'm wasting it, how I'm oblivious of it... and how precious it is. What do I have time for? What do I make time for? What amount of time should I be spending with each member of my family, esp. my children -- and even deeper -- what should I be doing to make the time special when I'm alone with each one of them. God knows I have a lot of alone time with my children right now... not right this minute, but during this phase of life. Keith's travels take him away most every week for 3-4 days or more. That stinks. But, the silver lining is that it's just for a season, right? Whew, we all sure hope so.

Praise God that Keith is working in the Portland area this whole week (!), and we are able to see him each evening... spending time with him and making it count is priority for our family right now. Games, puzzles, toys, movies, meals... and my house is growing messier by the moment! Ugh! So, we pick up a little as we go, wish it were better, pile up the extra and get it out of the way -- and have as much fun as we can AT THIS TIME. My prayer is that when he's gone next week I'll stay up late after the kids go to bed and USE MY TIME more wisely, tackling one hot spot at a time. What a great New Year's Gift for Keith when he comes home, huh? For now, if you stop by, you are more than welcome to help... Nah, we'll just take TIME to sit and have some coffee!

Finalizing our Adoption!! (pics)

2009-08-16T23:59:00.000-07:00

We had an incredible judge -- who commended our family and our faith

Long time no post... no real excuses, except I feel like so many things could be said. Big news: after just 4 1/2 months home, we have finalized the stateside adoption of Zinash and Yoseph! We are so excited to have their names officially deemed, their new birth certificates on the way, and all the paperwork completed to make paperwork life easier for them in the future!! Nothing was going to stop them from being 'ours', but this process helps them obtain SSNs and American passports, as I understand it.

We went to the Family Law Annex of the courthouse last Friday, and we were joined by our lawyer and members of five other families we love! Our kids decided to wear traditional Ethiopian clothing to celebrate the combination of culture and ceremony... or maybe just because they look so awesome wearing it?? (Except for Yosey, who cannot fit in his any longer.) -- Here are some more pics. Special thanks to the families who wanted to come, but couldn't. Huge thanks to the Yarbrough, Edwards, Wastradowski, Kobilan, and Ferguson families who made it there with us! What joy and precious memories we'll have when we reflect on this day!

Z and E with three of the Kobilan girls (our wonderful neighbors!)

Us with 5 of the Kobilans -- Thanks Kathy for being videographer!

Three of the Yarbroughs (including Anna, home from Russia just 6 weeks after Y and Z arrived from ET)

With the Fergusons (minus Andy)

Us with the Edwards Girls (minus Todd)!

Our Mrs. Kay brought balloons!!

Being Brooks

2009-06-04T22:10:00.000-07:00

I have some wonderful pictures for you to look at. But, I'll start with a few prayer requests, so if you don't get very far, at least you'll get to see some cute pictures and know what I need from you!

Please pray for us right now as we continue to blend and become the new Brooks family. I'm not kidding when I say that we have it easier than we could have ever imagined... But I'm also not kidding when I say that we cry (sometimes really loudly and long) through our struggles, stomp our feet in frustration, and shake our hands in angst as we try and make it all work. I'm trying to view setbacks as stepping stones, rather than stumbling blocks. I'm gently being reminded, from this longing deep inside, that I am not alone. But I feel it. There it is. I'm just down-right lonely in the midst of all these people. I miss being with the Lord each morning -- but not near as much as He misses me, I bet. It's so hard, yet so necessary. So far down the stairs, yet so close to the coffee pot. What IS my excuse? Maybe that's my biggest prayer request... that I'd commit to being swept away everyday by Jesus, 'Lover of My Soul', so that I can find my joy again in the middle of sweeping the floor... PICTURES NEXT:

Yosey looking very cute beside our garden

Zinash's expression after learning to STOP by herself

The Kauzlarics at our house Memorial Day weekend
(Note: On pretty days, geeky kids play chess outside!!)

The Koblians and their 6 kids with us Memorial Day weekend

below: Zoo with the Calde family Memorial Day weekend

Aser Heye, Keith, and Steve Calde --
handsome adoptive dads who make it look easy!
Trying to figure out our garden scarecrow... too dressy?
not quite it...

now, here's a good idea -- and without the helmet, here's how it looks!

But it never looked better than this!

Triumph... the successful backflip being performed!

More pics later... and hopefully a good report on LOSING 10 pounds, FINDING time for my friend Jesus' -- and and update on our garden. Because I know you are wondering! You know, a little accountability would be good, but if no one is reading since it's been so long since I've posted... I might just have to go it alone!

White House not celebrating National Day of Prayer??

2009-05-06T15:02:00.000-07:00

I don't have time to say much, but this is worth saying. SAD. I'd love to hear your thoughts.

http://www.onenewsnow.com/Culture/Default.aspx?id=518466

Different, but not in a bad way

2009-04-21T22:58:00.000-07:00

I'm not trying to be quiet on here, I just find it challenging to say what I want to. Life is so different. As I sit and try to post, I'll think a comment, but it sounds DIFFERENT when I type it.

To start, I want to reitterate how very glad I am that we are homeschooling. I cannot imagine expecting 'real' school work from Emma right now. Praise God He led me toward this decision for this time in our lives. I think we'll pick back up in May, and take advantage of the heat of summer to catch up. For now, just getting to know each other and our boundaries, is almost more 'learning' than we can handle. It's a DIFFERENT kind of schooling, for sure!

The question, "How's it going?" can be answered 30 DIFFERENT ways in one day - several ways in just a few minutes. Each hour brings a DIFFERENT mood, feeling, thought. I look at the faces of my children for a moment, then look back again and get a DIFFERENT glimpse into the future. I can sometimes feel that we are physically drifting away from the past, from the used-to-be-Brooks toward the going-to-be-Brooks... but I realize that, if I'm not careful, I'll miss just-being-the-Brooks. Some moments I'd rather forget. I've learned to say, "Az nah lo"... Amharic for, 'I'm sorry." I've also learned that forgiveness is not limited to one's complete understanding. My Zinash, with all her determination, is gracious to serve up a heaping load of 'shrug it off'!

Emma and Zinash are very much the same, but DIFFERENT... but not much. They want control, to be in charge, to help, for things to be fair, and to be first or last -- whichever is better.
Emma and I have been accused of being the same, but DIFFERENT... but not much. We want to be heard, acknowledged, and praised... and we've been known to embarrass ourselves (or you) to get your attention if you don't generously give it to us.
(Wonder whether the Lord is demonstrating His detailed tapestry skills or His sense of humor by putting the three of us girls in the same home?? I'm thinking both.)

The boys are pretty predictable. Yoseph belly laughs at unexpected movement or noise. He enjoys looking at the world upside down, for some reason. He is on the move and starting to walk... a lot. He complains when he's hungry. He sleeps... a lot, and wakes up happy. Not so DIFFERENT from his big brother. Murphy is celebrating completing a new level on Wii Lego Star Wars. He takes meal time very seriously... don't mess with the time of the feeding of the peoples. He's as tall as his older sister, but only 14 months older than his younger one. He's found that giving a sippy cup of milk to a sleepy little brother before bed brings a peaceful joy -- and is really cute. He's learned to say, "Ih bock ush, koy" to his younger sister... Amharic for "Please wait."

Keith's out of town travel is hard each week, but it's helping us see a real DIFFERENCE in Zinash. It seems to be true that absence makes a heart grow fonder -- Zinash is crazy about Keith when he comes home! Funny, it's like he needed to go back to work for her to miss him enough to show him some real affection. They'll be inseperable before long!

(I posted pics of our 'Welcome Home' at the airport in Portland on my Facebook page. Sad, I don't have any of some of the people who helped make it so special. Amy and Jenna, I need pics of you two from that day! I managed to use my camera and get your husbands, but your faces did not make it in any of the pics I took.)

Busyness of our first two weeks

2009-04-12T22:50:00.000-07:00

*** I just read an awesome, timely blog entry (something I've not done in a week, I think) by the people of Values Driven Family.com- about homeschooling older kids with toddlers and preschoolers underfoot. The summary: I need to remember what's important... and LEAN a little!***

We are faring well... all things considered. Mostly, we are tired of being sick - coughs (esp. at night) and runny noses seem to be doing us in. But, things could be worse! I wanted to list some of the things we've done in our two weeks home to try and explain why I have not been posting, why I've not chatted with you on Facebook, and why we are so tired!

* Three doctor appointments and one dentist appointment
* Our first official t-ball practice for E and M (go Royals)
* Two visits to church (Z sits quietly on my lap and absorbs every detail; Y goes and plays in the cry room with Keith after the singing!)
* Two sunny days filled with bubbles and scooters, as well as wonderful visits with neighbors and friends who stopped by. Plus, swinging and playing ball in the backyard, walks around the neighborhood, and visits to playgrounds. We've had more rainy days than I care to count --keeping us stranded inside much of the rest of the time.
* An OVERNIGHT trip to Seattle Thursday (for one of the doctor appts) took us to a fabulous Homewood Suites (love those hotel "points" for free stays) just a few blocks from Pike St. Market, where we celebrated Good Friday by watching men throw fish at the fish market!
* Two easter egg hunts and chocolate bunnies!

All this, with sniffles and snot to boot!! We are enjoying being a loud, busy family -- but are not naive enough to think our 'honeymoon' will last forever. We've encountered a few recent 'restless' moments (hours) in the middle of the night with our Yoseph (usually a 12 hour sleeper). Our Emma is challenged by the idea of being 'big' sis, when much of the time, she'd really rather just be silly... W are praying for new, consistent ways to speak her love language and help fill her up as often as we can. Murphy is our steady, as he is beginning to engage with each of his younger siblings in personal ways. He's learning to "offer help first, then tell" when Z is into or out of or near or away from something she should not be.

Next on my to-do list:
* MAKE A LIST of household chores for ME to do daily, so I don't get so behind.
* Create incentives to help the kids get involved in maintaining the house, so I don't get so frustrated... we had a good system before we were gone for so long. Got to find that rhythm!!
* Pray about (and remember the wisdom in) getting up early to get some things done before we all wake up later. No wonder I don't have time... I'm not making any!

With that, I'm off to bed. I'll try to post some pics of our latest adventures soon.

Hugs and sleepy drool to all!

We're back - and getting settled in!

2009-04-01T14:54:00.000-07:00

I can't say much right now -- nap time is almost over -- but WAAA HOOO, We're home and loving (most) every minute of it all. Your prayers have been answered with a resounding, "Yes, I will bring them comfort, peace, and joy!" We are doing so well. I'm going to post a few pictures really quick -- and then will begin the backward posts to show you some more of what we saw.

A HUGE thanks to everyone who was able to join us and welcome us home in the most special way at the airport on Monday afternooon!! The posters, balloons, cameras and hugs were more than we could have ever imagined! But, arriving home to groceries, muffins, signs, posters, balloons, streamers... oh, wow! We are still playing with the balloons and the shiny star streamers may never come down!

Also, I want to make special mention of our family and friends who were able to make it (and to those who were snowed in and could not) to Texas this weekend. From the bounce house to the post roast to the cookies and last minute 'big boy' clothes... lip gloss, hugs, tears, gift cards and a thousand photos... we loved every minute of being 'back home' and your love helped make it perfect! Thank you!

Here's an eyefull of pics from Texas!

Keith's parents and sister and her family

My brother and his family - with my parents

Bounce house was a hit! - Cousins Hope, Zinash and Emma

Where's Yoseph??

Julie, me and Lori - friends since 3rd grade!

Playing 'ride the elephant' wore Keith out!

Isn't she beautiful - love the clip-ons from my mom???

More to come later!!!

Preparing for our Return

2009-03-25T13:00:00.001-07:00

We are wrapping up our time here in the heart of Ethiopia, and we are ready to be home. I (Shelley) ended up getting the same stomach mess Keith had and was vomiting and running to the bathroom all day on Tuesday - except when I had to muster the strength to ride the bus and make our embassy visit. I had to miss the morning ceremony at the orphanage when the kids staying behind and nannies all said goodbye to our children who are leaving this week. I've been told that Keith's closing prayer was 'inclusive' and very powerful. I was very sad to have had to miss, and even more touched that Keith was able to make the trip on Sunday four hours away -- if he felt at all like I did on Tuesday, I don't know how he did it.

I've come to a realization. In life, we face time in "moments," "days," "weeks," "months," or "years." We refer to the longer periods as 'seasons.' Yet, on days like today, we face seasons of moments. Hard minutes seem to last hours. Yet the giggles and laughter fade too quickly to frustration or sleep. Through mispronounced Amharic words, miming, and pointing -- and tears -- we are trying to catch up on 4 years of Zinash's precious life, as well as one year of Yoseph's. Time, it seems, is our enemy. We wish to be home, but realize that it will be harder to communicate once we're away from the guards and kitchen workers who help interpret for us. Yet, we also see that even with their help, our Zinash is in desperate need of her normal to kick in as quickly as possible.

Much of these thoughts came to us as Wednesday was a 'stay at home and get to know your kids' day. Obviously, we have had some tough moments, but Keith's tendency is to kick in and be goofy or silly - which often proves to be a good distraction and fun way to bond! Now that I am up and feeling better, the kids only want ME most of the time. We know that seeing Emma and Murphy crawl all over Daddy will help to bridge this gap -- and we can't wait! For me, it is very tiring, physically - of course - but emotionally, as well. We've read about this and prayed about this... but the reality of it is still difficult. Poor Keith - please pray for him. Though his big heart realizes 'this, too, shall pass,' he's still feeling the rejection. Praise God for the day when we look back and remember this as just a 'moment'.

Ahhh -- and with this, we look forward(?) to 24+ hours of travel starting Thursday around 2pm Central time until Friday evening around 6pm Central time. -- I wish I'd had time to ask for hourly prayer while we are traveling. If you are thinking of us, pray for Y and Z... they'll be experiencing sensory overload. We'll be glad to get to Texas on Friday evening!

Hard Day in Hosanna

2009-03-24T11:05:00.001-07:00

(Sorry, this is 2 days late, but better late than never.)

Words escape us as we head to bed tonight. We have experienced something we'll be hard-pressed to ever accurately share. We made a journey today to a beautiful area of the Southern Region - FOUR hours by bus each way - to get a glimpse into the former lives of our children. We were broken to our core, yet our faith has sustained us. Sounds trite. By no means is it meant to be. Please pray for our healing and guidance as we lean on our Sustainer for all the strength we will need to help our family grow up with reverence and respect for this culture, this specific region, and the first family of two of our children.

On a different note, Keith has been deemed Father of the Day, for as he awoke this morning, he was throwing up and had horrible stomach problems. Yet, in his determination to go on this once-in-a-lifetime trip, he boarded the bus with the rest of us and let us know when the driver needed to pull over! I've deemed our special time in Hosanna as Divine Intervention, as Keith was able to be present for the most important part of our day and participate most of the time. Feverish and vomiting intermittently, we were so grateful for our new lifelong friends - someone had a cold, wet towel (thanks Corey and Jeff) - which proved to be the one thing that worked. Additionally, we were offered Tylenol, nausea medicine, barf bags, and salt water rehydration medicine -- all of which contributed to Keith's safe arrival back at the guest house -- where he's been gradually recovering for the rest of the evening. As soon as he can keep the Cipro down long enough for it to work, he'll be fine.

The food and accomodations here at the Guest houses are incredible. For those of you traveling in the months and weeks to come, you are in for a rare treat!!

We love and miss all of you. Pray for Emma and Murphy, as they are spending their second day with Shelley's parents in Dallas - the last changing of the guards before we arrive back 'down home' this Friday. We'll spend half a day with Y and Z tomorrow... we can't wait!!

Selam!
Shel

WE MET THEM!!!

2009-03-20T10:08:00.001-07:00

The day arrived and is coming to a close. We held and kissed and cried over our Zinash and Yoseph today. They are as wonderfully perfect as they look in their photos.

We went to meet Zinash at her school first. She was shy, but came to us and sat in Mama's lap. Keith took out the bubbles and the kids enjoyed them a lot. After being there an hour or so, pushing her on a swing a little and playing with a ball, we took her with us to the orphanage to meet Yoseph (He is lovingly called "Josey" by all the kids and workers).

He was not really bothered, nor excited by our presence, but is very taken with his nannies. He let us hold him (and all of his heftiness) and he played with Zinash. After an hour there, we left the children and returned to the main guest house for lunch. The electricity had gone off during breakfast and had not come back on, yet, so we ate in the dim dining room, rested in our dim bedrooms, and headed back to the orphanage from 2pm-5pm.

Both little ones were asleep when we got there... so we just watched them. The most precious moment of my day as a new Mama all over again occurred when Zinash became frustrated. We'd been there about an hour, and she had awaken -- looking very sleepy -- and had come to sit in my lap. She was still very tired-looking, but she and Keith played really hard with a blow-up beach ball we'd brought. She loved watching Keith blow it up -- and wanted to do it the same. She got really frustrated ... and Keith tried to help her, but she wanted none of it. The more she got frustrated, the more she withdrew back into her little silence. Soon, tears just poured out her eyes and she began to just boo-hoo. The camera man and one of the nannies, along with a nurse, decided Zinash needed some more nap time, so they took her and laid her back down.

Keith and I were sad to see what will be the first of many frustrated tears fall from our Z's eyes. I went to her room in a moment and just laid alongside her. She was doing that heavy short breath every once in a while to try and stay calm. We just cried together. The nanny came over, and in her language, asked her if she loved her new Mama. She nodded. I cried more.

Yoseph likes to be walked when he cries. We didn't have to walk much, but some. All is good. We get another 1/2 day tomorrow, then won't see them until Monday.

Pray for us! We are doing great and are with a fantastic group of families. What a blessing.

Facebook pics and today's update

2009-03-18T13:21:00.001-07:00

I have posted some pictures to my Facebook account. Probably will not happen again after tomorrow, due to lack of access to high speed line. Please go see what we are doing.

To explain the Facebook pictures: Our friends Kimberly and Aser Heye have family here in Addis. Hareg (Aser's mom) and Yared (Aser's brother) own and manage a school for 400 rural children outside of town. Precious Hareg is a treasure. Yared gave us a tour for royalty - and we fell in love with the school. The children LOVED (just as all the people we have photographed) when we turn the camera around and let them "see" the picture we took on our digital camera. Wish we'd have had the $ to bring a Polaroid and film!!!

At the school, they have a farm - complete with cattle and garden and a greenhouse. The proceeds from the sales of the vegetables, wheat, tef (Ethiopian wheat), and plants grown go to subsidize the school. Much of the work (including woodworking, too!) is done by the children and/or their families. A garment sewing room, one of their latest additions, is occupied with ancient-looking machines run by gracious mothers of the school children. They sell what they make in order to buy material and supplies! Why the garment sewing rooms were my favorite I still do not understand, but we bought two of the smocks! Under construction are a guest house, large meeting room, grain mill and clinic!

Our small world example for the day: Monday night, we met and had dinner with the some of the families from CHSFS who are in country right now to pick up their kids. (They leave tomorrow.) Today, Hareg took us by a little, tiny 'shop' (her favorite, where she takes people) to buy some scarves and trinkets to bring home... and when we walked in the shop, the CHSFS families were IN THAT SHOP buying last minute things before they head home. Now, Kimberly, as you know, we are in a city where shops are literally everywhere - and the one Hareg takes us to is has people we know!?! It was soooo weird, eerie, and cool. One of the moms (Molly) told me she'd seen my Zinash today. I cried.

Later this evening, we had another treat. A friend from church (Chelese Bergstrom) has a cousin who just moved to Addis Ababa two weeks ago from DC with her husband and 6 month old daughter. They came to meet us and we had dinner here at the Hilton -- and really enjoyed meeting them. Heather and David (and sweet daughter Romi) were great company. Plus, we now have a diplomatic connection: He works for the State Department at the U.S. Embassy (Director of Security??) and will be there on Tuesday when we go for our embassy appointment! We felt so honored to have them join us as they are trying to settle in to a new life, as well.

Whew -- sleep calls to me as you finish up your afternoon. Blessings and hugs - please keep us in your prayers. We meet our sweet children in just two more mornings!! Selam and chow!

Ethiopian Thoughts!!

2009-03-17T22:27:00.001-07:00

We've had a wonderful time! We can't believe we are 48 hours away
from meeting our Zinash and Yoseph -- and feel like we are cramming
for a life exam, trying to see and feel and record as much of this
beautiful country as possible to help preserve some of it for our
family to enjoy later. Finding the right words is difficult.

We spent 1/2 day Monday touring the city of Addis Ababa. We visited
and had a guided tour of Holy Trinity Church during Holy Trinity Day
(a monthly holy day in ET). Since it is the fasting season before
Easter, the day was more special; people were everywhere praying -- in
the gated church yard, the walkways, the steps, and the inside of the
church. It was beautiful to see them worship our Jesus and show their
devotion to Him. Later, we went to the high point outside of AA on
Entoto Mountain, then the National Museum and through the Mercato, as
well that day.

Tuesday, we spent the day driving and taking photos. We went to Debre
Libanos - a Monastary up high on a cliff in a gorge, then drove down
to the Blue Nile Gorge and had a picnic lunch -- complete with coffee
prepared by a woman on the side of the road under a tree (the pics say
it all), and wrapped up the afternoon with a steep trek down to see
the Portugese Bridge. We drove the hour home in off and on unseasonal
rain showers. Our guides were fantastic and incredibly informative.
We met with the friend of an acquaintance last night (here at our
hotel), a woman who has made a dress to send back to her sister (along
with about 25 pounds of flour, honey, and spices). She insisted we
have a meal with her and her family before we leave, so we are going
for Thursday lunch. Last night was the first time we've eaten genuine
Ethiopian food. We went to Yod Abyssinia for dinner, which was
wonderful with dancing and music.

Today is Wednesday. We are spending today with our friend Aser's Mom
here in Addis. She runs a school and we are going to get to go and
visit it. We are very excited. We will be contacting our friend
Heather's friend today, and then calling our friend, Chelese's
cousin. We are glad to have a couple of hours this morning to just
relax before two more full days ahead.

Please keep Emma and Murphy in your prayers. Murph has had a pretty
hard time getting to sleep and resting well, much like we thought he
might. They are still at Keith's parents, and will head to Shelley's
parents' this weekend. They will know you are praying for them!

If you are on FACEBOOK, we are able to post pictures there -- so go to
either of our profile pages to see a few shots of our trip!!

Sorry About the Pics!

2009-03-16T06:47:00.000-07:00

So, it looks like we CANNOT let you see pics until we return to the States -- even the low res files we have sent are not posting. SOO SORRY, but we'll have tons to share when we return!!! For updates in words only, keep logging on!

shel

Shelley Brooks

Follow our Ethiopian Adoption Journey -- and other crazy events in our family!

http://www.thewayshelseesit.blogspot.com

Psalm 139

Trying pics again: First Glimpses

2009-03-16T05:28:00.001-07:00

First Glimpses

2009-03-15T23:13:00.000-07:00

We have landed, eaten, slept, eaten... and inhaled the wonderful aroma of roasting coffee beans! The smell we learned to love -- by roasting coffee ourselves at home on our deck -- is everywhere! The photos attached show some significant firsts for us:

* A look at the French Alps from our plane window.

* The African coast! Just west of Egypt - our geography escapes us.

* Us after 23 hours of travel (16 hours on the same plane)

* Then two views from our hotel window showing the shanty community that is adjacent to the Hilton parking lot. We watched as people emerged, dressed in suits and dresses, heading to work as if coming from a posh apartment in any metropolitan city.

Tonight, we will try to meet up with several other CHS families at Metro Pizza, exchanging hugs with people we have known only electronically. Tomorrow, we have booked a day excursion with GETTS Travel to see the Blue Nile Gorge and the Debre Libranos monastery, about 60 miles outside of Addis. The bellmen downstairs here at the Hilton (Dawit/David and Yoseph!!) have given GETTS great reviews. We feel safe, and surprisingly not out of place. Thanks for your prayers! We'll post again soon.

Pics and Post ...waiting in DC

2009-03-14T15:02:00.000-07:00

We are waiting to leave DC and wanted to say THANK YOU for your prayers. The pics in this post (don't know how to format; just sending via email post) say so much about how much fun the kids are having with their Star Wars garb. Shelley's mom surprised them when they got there! ** Pray for the kids' calmness and peacefulness. They have had a hard time getting to sleep.**

You can see us with our donations (101 pounds!!) and our carry-ons leaving DFW. When we landed in DC, we spotted our Ethiopian Airlines plane already at the gate and snapped a pic from the tarmac. We are thrilled to be visiting, right now, with two very kind Ethiopian gentlemen as we prepare to leave soon. Their words of encouragement are precious, as they wish us well with our adoption. Thank you, thank you!! We love, miss, and send hugs to you.

Head 'em Up and Move'em Out!!

2009-03-10T13:22:00.000-07:00

Just a quick peek in here to let you all know that we're incredibly excited to start our journey tomorrow!! I still have several emails (itineraries, contact info, grocery info) to send, and we have to make sure to get all our carry-ons organized, but our 6 suitcases are packed (and out of our reach)!! If you are praying for and watching our journey, here's an outline of what we'll be doing: Grab your calendar and PRAY, PRAY, PRAY!!

* 3/11 (Weds)- leave with Emma and Murphy for Dallas, staying with Shelley's family until Sat.
* 3/13 (Fri)- E & M go with Keith's parents to stay with the in OKC area
* 3/14 (Sat)- Keith & I fly to DC, then to Rome, and finally arrive in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on the evening of 3/15
* 3/16-3/19 (Mon-Thurs)- Staying in Addis. Keith and I have contact information for several friends' family members and friends of friends to visit while we are in Ethiopia! In addition, we plan on having dinner with some of our 'forum friends' who will be meeting their children the week before we do, and we hope to visit a school for 400+ students, directed by our friend Aser's mother.
--- Thurs night, we meet with other families from our agency. For the remainder of our trip, we will all be staying in one of two guest houses provided by CHS for our convenience while we are there. ---
* 3/20 (Fri)- After a brief orientation with the other families, we meet Y & Z for the first time for a few hours this day, morning and afternoon!!
* 3/21 (Sat)- Visit with kids a few hours, but still leave them in care of the orphanage; shopping and dinner activities for the evening.
* 3/22 (Sun)- Trip to a city called Hosana with the other adoptive families from our agency. Four hour ride each way, over dusty roads, with limited toiletries and water! Pray hard!
* 3/23 (Mon)- Half day with Y and Z; visit museum, tour the city, and hopefully get to visit AHOPE
* 3/24 (Tue)- Going away ceremony at orphanage; we receive the children into our care full-time!
* 3/25 (Wed)- Family day together with children and other families; hair braiding class!
* 3/26 (Thurs)- Ethiopian cooking class; bags packed; head to airport. Fly Rome-DC-Atlanta-(and finally) D/FW with our two precious little ones!
* 3/27 (Fri)- Arrive D/FW to introduce our four children to each other!!!
* 3/28-3/29 (Sat and Sun)- Close family and friends meet us in Dallas
* 3/30 (Mon)- Return to Portland!!

What a wonderfull time was had by all

2009-03-07T00:52:00.001-08:00

* Photos soon*
Our donation party was a huge success! We raised over $685 (not $620 as I put in a note earlier today) in formula, vitamins, diapers, and hand sanitizer. Plus, kids books and stickers, baby blankets, and clothes. With the cash we were given to buy donations with, we bought 30 bottles of hand sanitizer, 15 bottles of infant vitamins, as well as pens and notebooks (think light and necessary). Forty-four of our friends were able to be here to celebrate giving for such a great cause. Thank the Lord for generous friends!

Plus, with the money that was given to us for our own personal use (again, thank you to the sweet friends who helped pull it all together), we were able to hit Babies R Us and buy most everything we NEED to help get our home ready for little ones!

What a wonderful blessing to be on the receiving end. We are especially privileged to be the special deliverers for such precious cargo -- going and coming home from Ethiopia!

Sweet and Silly

2009-03-07T00:34:00.001-08:00

Some glimpses at Emma and Murphy's week:

* During our last official homeschool assignments for a while, we've been talking about how letter writing can affect the people receiving the letters. Using Paul's epistles as examples, and a free lapbook lesson download template, we've enjoyed discussing some basics of letter writing and the U.S. mail system -- at a first grade level. It was so sweet... Emma's first letter was to Zinash. She told her how much she already loved her and could not wait to meet her. Precious one.

* Driving around Portland last week (using donation money to buy all the infant vitamin drops we could find), we bribed the kids with some McDonald's ice cream cones, promising that if we could just make a couple more stops without any fussing, we'd swing through a drive-thru. Shortly after, we passed a McD's -- to which Murphy says, "Oh, man, we can't go to that McDonalds! It will take us a whole day to get our food!" We looked, but there were no cars in line; so we asked him what he meant. He replies, "Well, the sign there says 24-hour drive-thru." He thought it was serious.

* We made up a joke while driving around Portland that day:
Why did Anakin Skywalker cross the road? A: to get to the Dark Side

Since then, Murphy has learned three jokes from a Highlights magazine. He tells them several times a day, and we always laugh... at him laughing at himself!!
Here they are:
1) What is orange, long, and wears a diaper? A: a baby carrot
2) What does a cat say when it's hurt? A: Me- OWWWW.
3) Where does General Greivous* keep his armies? A: up his sleevies

* modified to fit with our current Star Wars themed-life

I've been wondering...

2009-02-27T23:43:00.001-08:00

I had to pause and think tonight as I browsed the latest posts on our amazing online forum for Ethiopian adoptive families. It was titled, "While you were waiting..." and was a question to the rest of us adoptive parents. She wanted to know what the rest of us wondered about *most* while we are waiting on our family to grow.

Answers ranged from toes to smell to birth mother's face to their eyes. Here is what I posted about my (most recent) wonderings before Y and Z join us in just a few short weeks:

I wonder if they will ever truly, deeply, honestly love me.
I wonder how soon before I hear them call me "Mama" and how I will react.
I wonder which one is most 'active' - my girl at home or my girl in ET.
I wonder if my little guy in ET can persuade my little dude here to talk about something besides Star Wars... and if he might even win him back over to Elmo?
I wonder if sibling love can transcend the many facets of difference between their births.
I wonder how my heart can love two children on the other side of the world, two children I have never seen in person.
I wonder where the tissues are.

We're leaving in TWO WEEKS!!

2009-02-25T13:40:00.001-08:00

We are having trouble believing what we thought COULD happen so quickly actually IS! We leave in 2 weeks... March 11 is our official departure date to start our trip. We'll fly into Dallas and drop off Em and Murph for two fun weeks with grandparents (there and in Oklahoma). We'll be back the last weekend of March!!!

Wow!! So much to do, so much to do. Gotta run -- Oh...

I am attempting to make arrangements for a housesitter for part of the time we're away (to take care of our doggies, Tulip and Daffodil). I wouldn't mind if someone wanted to take them into their home instead... in case you know someone trustworthy (and in my area)!!

We are OFFICIALLY a family of 4 CHILDREN!!

2009-02-20T10:49:00.000-08:00

Join us in praising the Lord for our newest family members!!
Yoseph turned 1 on Feb. 6th ~ Zinash turned 4 on Oct. 30
We are still working out middle names.

We received the call from our agency at 8:15 this morning!! (More information below the pics!!)

So... what's next:
~ We should receive a tentative travel date (the date we need to arrive in Ethiopia) some time next week. We will have to wait on our agency to receive the birth certificates - BCs - (with their names changed to Brooks) before travel dates can be confirmed. The wait for BCs varies from 1-2 weeks. We are hoping to have a travel date of March 19, but it could definitely be later. (Travel dates for our agency are always on Thursdays.)

We'll post more photos on our photo blog later. For now, we are rejoicing, making phone calls, and trying to walk through our day without blubbering all over everyone we see!!!

Update: What's in a Social Report??

2009-02-17T11:13:00.000-08:00

Today, we received two packets (12 and 14 pages) via email from our adoption agency with numerous photos and detailed information about our Y and Z while they have been in care. What a joy to get to see OUR kids playing, smiling, hugging, sleeping. It's hard to communicate how we feel about these precious ones. Murphy's words: "Z is extreeeemly cute!!" Sweet words from big brother about his little sister.

It's coming into focus in my mind, more each day. These two faces with names and statistics are actually little huggy, active persons who will be moving from our hopes into our home. FRIDAY we find out just how soon it will be. It's incredible knowing that we COULD be leaving in three weeks. (Sadly, we must, at the same time, be preparing ourselves for a different outcome on Friday -- which could push travel several more months away).

The social reports we received have paragraphs and photos that pertain to the following headings:
* In Depth Look
* Physical Description
* Temperament
* School Activities
* Feeding
* Bathing
* Sleeping
* Development

We are amazed at how much they have physically blossomed, esp. little sister. Ooooh myyyy! Keep us and the lawyers and judges in Ethiopia in your prayers as you head to bed on Thursday night. We'll let everyone know on Friday what we find out, as soon as we are able.

Tears I Never Expected

2009-02-10T23:20:00.001-08:00

Tonight, Keith is out of town. I wish he'd have been here to see and hear what I did. It was so unexpected. (Amy Yarbrough mentioned one of her boys saying something similar recently, as they are waiting for their adopted daughter to join them.) Here is what happened:

Dinner's over, the kids and I had been folding clothes. The kids head to their rooms to put away clothes and get ready for bed. I go help Murphy in his room. Emma is in her room putting her clothes in her drawer, changing into her pjs -- and ... well... she just begins to cry. I don't know how long she cries before she comes into Murph's room. Big tears. Long streaks down her face, dripping onto her pj top. Sobs.

ME: Honey, what is it?
EMMA: I miss Zinash...
ME: (silent, opening my arms... Emma just falls onto me and sobs more)
EMMA: I want her here right now.
ME: Honey, what made you cry? Why do you say you miss her? (Seeking her explanation, as we have never been with Zinash in person.)
EMMA: I see her pictures in my room, and it makes me sad. I just want her here NOW! (Beginning to get loud)
ME: Sweetheart, that sadness in your heart is so precious. (Then I just prayed, for words failed me:) Lord, be with my sweet Emma. Thank you for her precious heart. Help her understand, in ways that I cannot, why we have to wait for her new brother and sister to be here with us. Whisper to Zinash, tell her that her new sister loves her. Tell her that her new family is waiting to hug her and hold her. Lord, the wait is hard. But we know that having everyone home will be hard for us too, in some ways. Help us always remember this very special moment, especially during the tough times we'll have to work through.

Murphy got teary eyed, too. He doesn't often see his big, silly, tough sister just break down like that. He was saying, "It's not much longer, Emma. They'll be here soon. I wish Yoseph was here, too - but it's not much longer." I am grateful for strong-spirited, tender-hearted children.

Emma turns 7 years old!

2009-02-09T00:17:00.000-08:00

We celebrated Emma's birthday (which is actually the 9th) on Friday night (the 6th**) with a Pizza, Polish, and Painting slumber party!

** The 6th was our little Yoseph's First Birthday -- we thought of him, prayed for him, and wished he was with us!

The girls were so precious; there were 6 here total, including Emma. Besides the occasional 'friendly' aggravation from Murphy and his friend, all went off without a hitch. The kiddos totally impressed us and kept us laughing! You can find the photos and hilarious videos on the "2009" link from my photo page on the right!

Here's a video sample!!

Girly Room of Sorts

2009-02-03T20:37:00.000-08:00

So, the girls' room is moving right along -- much thanks to the talent and $$ of others! Jenna helped us pick out the paint to go with the girls' quilts that Keith's mom bought (that GeeBee -- I call her Reet -- is a keeper with style!). A 1" pink with polka dots ribbon is centered on a brighter pink one, and it runs across all four walls, wrapping itself around the cutest room in the house! (Note Emma's Betta baby doll on her beanbag.) -- more below pic --

Next on the list: I'll be making curtains from an extra set of sheets we bought that match ones on the beds. AND Reet is working on some 5 1/2" wooden letters to go over the beds in fun and colorful arrangements, complimenting the fancy fun of the bed covers! (Again, thanking Keith's mom ahead of time for her artistic talent!)

A Whale of a Room

2009-02-03T20:31:00.001-08:00

First, we are glad to be mostly finished with M's room. We don't have much on the walls in the shape of photos and such, but, a fine whale has definitely taken shape, thanks to prepasted wall decor -- and compliments of Keith's mom. His closet (half is shown here) is mentionable, as well!

Portland Ethiopian Adoptive Families!

2009-01-24T15:14:00.000-08:00

I just have to say how blessed we are to have found this group!! On Friday night, we went to eat pizza, share pictures and chase little ones with other families with Ethiopian children. Some, like us, are still waiting. Others have been home a while -- three families there were leaving in less than two weeks to bring their newest family members home! We gain so much from being around families that will look like ours. E & M always look forward to our time with these families. We talk about their experiences and feelings at our breakfast table, or while driving down the road, or while writing for homeschool. It's a culture all its own ... and we are part of it.

Thank you, Lord, for uncovering this group for us. We truly cherish the friendships you have prepared for us as we journey down this adoption road.

Missing Teeth and Clean Closets

2009-01-18T22:44:00.000-08:00

Not much to say except that Emma is now "Thaying Cheethe" with the loss of both her top front teeth in the last couple of weeks! She is tooo cute! And (sorry, no pics) we celebrate that all four bedroom closets and the downstairs/under-the-stairs coat closet have all been de-cluttered! One trip to the dump, a pile for consignment, and more than one stop at a Goodwill. Now what to do with all of the 'decor' that I no longer want -- oh, yes... Craig's List!

Fresh Fruit...

2009-01-09T07:45:00.000-08:00

I am so glad God's mercies are new every morning (Lam. 3:22-24). I realize my family has had to deal with my not-very-tasty fruit lately, you know the kind that is not quite ready to eat, so it's bitter. I was reflecting about the Fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22) this morning, picturing myself be 'loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle and self-controlled' with friends and people I meet in order to win them over to the Lord. But the most bitter (un-ripe, still on the tree, not palatable) taste came into my mouth... not a nice taste first thing in the morning!

What about showing that same Love to Emma when she acts like she's three -- again, today? What about being Joyful about doing the dishes? Where's my Peace and Patience when Murphy is testing my boundaries? Do I really think it's Kind and Good of me to spring on my kids last minute changes in plans or consequences without warning them first? Is it Faithful of me to ask if we can just go out for dinner when Keith has already asked that we watch our budget? Does Gently ignoring the clothes that need to be washed count? And, honestly, the whole Self-control question can be seen in my waistline lately, so there is really NO argument there!

I realize that I find myself trying (YET, AGAIN) to get my 'house' ready for two new children, but forgetting to focus on the family that lives here, NOW!

All that to encourage YOU to encourage ME to BAN BITTER FRUIT!!

Happy to have some things done! (Edited 1/6)

2009-01-05T21:30:00.000-08:00

(Forgive the random alignment of pics... I just cannot figure out how to do them right!)

*EDIT*: Whoops -- forgot to give special THANKS to Papa Terry and Granda for the Christmas money we used to buy the girls' mattresses AND GeeBee and GeeDad for sending us the VeRy cute quilts for the girls' beds. Plus, I want to thank Jenna for helping pick out colors and give pointers on rearranging rooms.

Go ahead and look at the pics first (either on this blog page OR see more by clicking HERE ** <==See large pictures by clicking on them, not by selecting 'Slideshow'!) -- you won't hurt my feelings! Just come right back and let me tell you all about them! As you can see, we are not done, yet, BUT... things are moving along nicely. It all started about a week after we accepted our referral for Zinash and Yosef... I began a panicky, nervous series of thoughts -- listing all the things that "needed" to be done. From cleaning closets to rearranging bedrooms, buying needed furniture and baby items to personalizing and completing care packages that go directly into the hands of our new kiddos -- the list got out of control fast!

So, Keith started a funny thread a couple of weeks ago on our CHSFS Ethiopian Adoption Forum about my NESTING issues (yes, he typed it in all caps!). I've also mentioned some of our projects on my Facebook page. -- As promised, here's my post to show you all we have done, so far. I need to be sure to say that Keith totally rocks!!! He's put up with my big ah-hahs, my required painting and wood-refinishing projects, and my lingering combination of PMS and ADD. Praise God for sending me the right man!! * Emma and Zinash will be sharing a room (green and white, waiting on the pink stripe/ribbon to pull it all together around the middle). Thanks to Cindie and Leigh for helping us paint in here. For those of you who have been to our home, you may recognize this as the previously lilac room. See those cute beds (and, yes, that's Emma sleeping)? We refinished them ourselves -- we bought them as bunkbed off Craig'sList for $10, but they were shiny lacquered brown. They came a long way, baby!

* Two of Murphy's walls got a new coat of paint in Leisure Blue. Again, if you have been here before, this was originally the guest room where you stayed. Thanks Doug and Leigh for your time helping us paint in here, too. It looks awesome. We need a new-to-us dresser in here, so Keith is combing Craig'sList even now.

* For the care packages, we had pillowcases printed with our Christmas family pic, I made a Shutterfly photo book for Z; Keith did most of the work on Y's flip book of 5X7 pics laminated and bound with grommets and ring. Finally, we bought the cutest flannel quilt-tops. It took a lot of effort, but thanks to Hometown Threads, we had them beautifully personalized. While Keith moved furniture out of the kids' rooms, I sewed the flannel backs on -- then we tied them with yarn.

* Meanwhile, we put a crib and glider rocker (again, loving Craig'sList for the chance to recycle and add the perfect touches to our home at such reasonable prices) in the Nursery!! Murphy had this room until this fall, and we are keeping the full-sized bed in there for guests... in case you want to visit! We are so glad to have large bedrooms, but it's funny how small they seem to get when they're filled with treasures! I'll be finishing up a photo page soon... but I owe grandparents and friends Christmas picture pages, too!

Adoption Court Date!!

2008-12-22T23:32:00.000-08:00

We received news today that February 20th is our assigned court date!! [Court dates are for the official adoption to occur by power of attorney on our behalf.] As with all international adoption cases, court dates are very important, but are susceptible to change due to unforeseen circumstances. We PRAY (and ask you to join us) that this date holds and that we PASS COURT the first time! Doing so would result in the Y & Z's birth certificates being issued and a travel date being assigned to me and Keith soon thereafter!!

P.S. If you go back and look at comments for my "referral" post, you will see that on Dec. 12, an online friend blogging as "Rebecca and Andrew" posted her prediction that we'd get a court date the week of Feb. 16 -- Lo and behold, she was right!! Thanks Rebecca! Hope you don't mind my little promo of your blog!

Okay, one more snow post!

2008-12-22T23:15:00.000-08:00

I just had to show you the unbelievable amount of snow at our house! I could understand if we were in the Northeast, or north-central US, but this is crazy for the Portland area. Enjoy!

First: Neighbors shoveling snow -- look at the depth beside the blue jacket

Next: Backing out of our driveway; this pile was waist high, but it's really only about 2 feet deep across the yard.

Our deck out back and our yard. The house blocks the wind; you can see there is almost no snow on the play structure because it blew off.

Let it (NOT) Snow!

2008-12-21T16:37:00.001-08:00

Here's a shot of our back deck this morning -- YIKES! The wind blew last night so hard we could literally feel the shake. We live in a neighborhood at the entrance of the Columbia River Gorge where the highways (both the state highways and the interstate) are closed due to ice layered and blizzard blowing snow!

Poor Tulip and Daffy just sat and looked when we opened the back door this morning.

Good man! He cleared a path for the doggies!

Keith is standing in a drift beside our house. The hard part was breaking through the 1/2+ inch of ice layered on top of it!! Our neighbors who've been here longer than we have said we've had ice this bad, but they don't remember this much snow. Thank goodness we got a break from the falling precipitation today. While we were out playing, we were able to help neighbors who were stuck in our cul de sac. Alas.... (below) tonight it is coming down again -- and that wind is incredible!

"Double Double" Yolk Kind of Day

2008-12-20T19:56:00.000-08:00

So, hopefully, these pictures give you an idea of how fun our Satur-fun-day was as a family.
* We started out early with eggs for breakfast -- and the first two eggs we cracked were BOTH DOUBLE-YOLK eggs!! Then, we spied these very cute items on Craig's List... the entire nursery bedding set and a crib (you can see the crib beneath the blanket) -- and we had to brave the elements to get them!

The Portland snow was beautiful; though drivers were sCaRy sometimes. Keith did a great job, even with the front passenger seat driving I tried to do.

Once we got home we decided to get some exercise with our Wii -- Outdoor Adventure is GREAT and the kids work up an incredible sweat. (It's one of our homeschool PE activities!) The kids can even play at the same time on the Teamwork setting, rather than against each other -- which works great for us, most of the time. (Notice Murphy jumping!)

And finally, we watched the snow drift up the back door as the wind whipped the snow around the side of the house. We've never seen the snow pile up on top of the hot tub. We have several drifts in the yard over three feet, right now -- and official 'blizzard' conditions are underway. You can see our mini-weenie dog's hiney beside the hot tub for a reference point. We are on our way upstairs to listen to tonight's installment of "Cinnamon Bear" and then off to beddy-bye and sleeping late. Church is cancelled in the morning!

Poor Keith

2008-12-15T21:36:00.001-08:00

Poor Keith -- For his dutiful service and graciousness, I applaud him. He replaced the downstairs toilet for me. I LOVE it when he says, "This project should take about 15 mintues!"... and 2 hours later, he's done! Actually, I'm very glad for his willingness to go along with my "nesting" to-do list. Now, we need to get started on the upstairs and downstairs closets, kitchen drawers and pantry, rearranging the guest/nursery room, swapping Emma's and Murphy's rooms, sanding and painting the new (craig's list) twin beds for the girls' room, painting at least two of the bedrooms upstairs -- and childproofing EVERYTHING! And that's just what I remember from my Excel spreadsheet that I created today... Poor Keith!

Face Lift

2008-12-12T23:10:00.000-08:00

So I decided to branch out and spice things up a bit on the blog. Nice, huh? The only credit I can take is following the very clear instructions on the web site where I found the cool FREE background! Thanks Aqua Poppy! * NOTE: Her page is VERY graphic heavy... it can slow down your browsing for a moment or two while it loads. I'll be sending her a note to let her know! The free backgrounds are too cool to miss because of download time.

Sharing, observing, wondering...

2008-12-12T09:44:00.000-08:00

You know, one of the most difficult parts of life -- at least for the next few months -- will be trying to decipher what others are thinking when we talk about our adoption, when we show them our pictures, when we talk about our excitement. We get mostly positive responses -- which is reassuring and peaceful.
* Some people immediately cry. Whether it's because you know how hard it will be for us or it's because of the joy in your heart, we appreciate your tears. If you didn't cry, that's okay -- we appreciate your shock! :D
* Some ask questions that really have no answer (and that's okay) -- you know, questions about Emma and Murphy, why Ethiopia/Africa, how we plan to deal with grief. Though these kind of questions may very well have answers, we really don't always know how to answer them. Again, that's okay. No one would ever ask to hurt our feelings -- they are just expressing their curiosity. In all honesty, no offense taken; it's just something I'd like to share to help us all think.
* Some people just smile and nod, blink, and raise their eyebrows.
* Innocently, most people ask more questions than we CAN answer -- whether we know the answer or not, we want to, again, thank you for letting us maintain some element of privacy regarding these precious children's birth families.

One thing Keith and I realized right away was that we have never ever, not even once, wondered about the history of the birth parents of our FRIENDS' adopted children. Something in us has been satisfied with the process, with the knowing that our friends adopted children who simply needed parents, needed families -- children who God brought to them. We know the stories of a couple of families, because those families chose to tell the stories along the way. That said, please bear with us, as we are still learning how to, without offending or hurting anyone's feelings, simply not answer questions that we'd be sad to have our kids overhear someone talk about later. -- Does that make any sense?? In some ways, except to our very closest friends, we feel as though we may have already said too much to the 'general' public. No remorse -- just a heads up to ourselves (and anyone else reading this) that sometimes we'll have to preserve the few pages of information for Y and Z -- it's really all they have.

AS FOR WHAT WE DO KNOW...
Oh, my, this is starting to set in. The room-rearrangement will begin very soon upstairs. Discussions still have to be made -- but my latest thinking is eventually putting the girls in a room together, Murphy getting a room to himself, and making a nursery for Y. As for the emotional preparation, the role play and family discussions regarding sibling scenarios that may unfold have already begun. We are grateful for the literature we are reading, the wisdom being shared by people who have adopted internationally and cross-culturally, and for all of your giving us the benefit of the doubt that we really are not just jumping into this whole thing blindly! My, oh my, we have read volumes and are still piling up the books -- both for us as parents and for E & M. Mostly, we are making little changes, rearranging the extra place settings at the table to get used to how we might need to sit, shopping (already) for car seats [one of the big changes will be getting in and out of the car with two 'real' car seats and not just booster seats], and picturing how we'll sit when we read together as a family. Those 'dailies' are the ones that will present the biggest challenges, we think, to E & M... so we are trying to address those head-on, as best we can.

Okay... I think I've said what I need to for today. Along with our online adoption forum (which we are totally addicted to, thankful for, and active on), this blog may be a place where begin to ask some rhetorical question ... and we'll welcome your private message or gentle public post to answer. For now, to answer the question that a few precious of you have asked: What we need most is your prayers and grace as we move along in this bumpy, sometimes awkward, thrilling process to grow our family by adoption.

We got the call from our agency!!!

2008-12-05T13:21:00.000-08:00

We got the call from our adoption agency on Tuesday...

Our week has been a busy one -- sending Keith's parents back to OK after a week's visit, followed by getting ready to welcome Shelley's parents. But sandwiched in the middle has been a very emotional week for us.

We have been holding on to pictures, waiting to get the medical opinions from the International Adoption Clinic this morning. All is good! Pictures will have to be seen in person -- sorry - can't post! But, please join us in preparing to welcome, straight out of the heart of Ethiopia... {can you wait????}...

*!*!* Our soon-to-be DAUGHTER... 4 year old Zinash (Zi nosh)! Weighing in at just under 30 pounds, she is certainly a little one. [Under the 3rd percentile on standard growth charts] ... But wait! There's more!

She'll be joined by our soon-to-be SON (her biological brother)... Yosef, who is almost 10 months old. This little guy tips the scale at over 18 pounds, so there'll be plenty of him to go around [25th percentile]!

Rejoice with us as we celebrate this incredible beginning to a journey unlike any we can even imagine! My parents will be here today... in half an hour... and I am sitting her in the middle of messy counters and not-so-clean bathrooms... not believing all that is about to happen to our family.

We will give out more information later. Some of it is so sensitive, and of course all they have of their 'former lives' is about 12 pieces of paper... We are charged with maintaining some of their privacy, so thank you for understanding. We will definitely answer the biggies soon, like how they came to be orphans, when we get to go pick them up, and more -- later. But for now, REJOICE!!!!

Wish I Could Say More...

2008-12-03T23:09:00.000-08:00

We know God's timing can be trusted, and His provisions are perfect... we wait and wait... and wait again.

Please pray, right now, for our family as we wait for news regarding our adoption... we just cannot ask enough times. Pray for Emma and Murphy's hearts to be open and welcoming to the new family God has planned for us; pray for their flexibility -- and their honesty with us about their feelings. Pray for me and Keith to parent E & M according to their own individual needs, for us to access the truth in their emotions and present Jesus to them at every given opportunity as their ultimate resource and shoulder.

Well, I also know that November was a more active month than my blog showed. We had so much fun enjoying the AWESOME fall weather and watching the leaves change and fall. Not to mention, we learned a lot with our homeschooling adventure, we welcomed Keith's parent for a week-long visit, we connected with several long-ago friends (thanks Facebook!), and we shared Thanksgiving in our home with some of our dearest friends here in WA! Please click here to see some pictures of Thanksgiving.

Help us, Lord, to live thankful lives, not just say thankful prayers.

2008-11-06T00:28:00.001-08:00

You want to see my Spidey and Tink, don't you??? Here they are! We enjoyed a few minutes at our church harvest party, then met dad at home and did some 'real' trick or treating in our neighborhood. That girl of mine is sooo beautiful! My little man was a cool dude!

Friday Night Bug-lights?

2008-10-18T00:16:00.000-07:00

So, Keith and I spent the latest part of our Friday Night trying to kill a plaguing horsefly that avoided our every swing... we retrieved the fail-safe bug-zapper from the garage (everyone has one of those, right??), plugged it in, turned off all the lights and waited. He was one sly fly. He first landed on the instrument of torture, only to flit away -- teasing us remorselessly. Next, he continued his dance with death by climbing around on the outer layer, and then -- he flew away again, avoiding the temptation once more. Unable to withstand the ongoing taunts from his enemies (chants like, "Walk into the light, Carol Anne," and "Everyone tries it just once!" and "If you touch your tongue to it, you won't really stick... that's just in the movies!"), the guy just up and disappeared! If nothing else, we won by his forfeit -- hope he doesn't turn up in our morning coffee.

The Adoption Referrals are Starting Again

2008-10-08T13:33:00.001-07:00

For those of you tracking our adoption, we have been energized this week by watching the long awaited (almost four months, now) referrals from our agency pick back up. With the court closures, as well as several reasons we will never know, only two or three referrals have been announced since mid-June -- which coincided with the end of a huge batch of referrals AND our officially-waiting status. Other than a couple of random blips on our agency's Ethiopian forum radar, silence has been the standard.

Finally, we have seen families begun to be matched with their children, several just this week! All of the referrals we have seen this week have been for infants, but we are praying for the families longing for toddlers. For, the more referrals made to those families, the closer we get to our "little dude"! Keep us in your prayers as we wait...four months does not seem very long to have to wait to meet him, but we REALLY thought by now we'd have met him (or them... remember, we are open to siblings under 4??)!

Political test?

2008-10-08T12:48:00.000-07:00

I found a cool "vote test" web site! Feel free to follow the link (on the left) and see if YOU should vote for Obama or NOT. Politics aside (ha!), it's a good way to decide, if you have not... I've made my decision. Send me a note if you want to know.

HomeSchool Diet?

2008-09-29T23:40:00.000-07:00

So many of you have asked me how the HomeSchooling thing is going -- and I wish I'd have posted YESTERDAY, before today occurred! HA! I'm realizing that the beginning of a brand new year for a brand new HomeSchooling family is kind of like starting a diet that your DOCTOR recommends. Follow me here, to see if the analogy works...

If a doctor suggested to me that I should change my diet or else my health would suffer, then I believe I'd do my best to follow his guidelines as best I could. If I 'fell off the wagon' one day, would I quit the 'diet' and say to myself, "Nevermind, I'll just throw in the towel ... we're all going to meet our maker some day, right?" NOOO! I'd get right back on the plan at my very next opportunity! I'd remember that I've purposed to make lifestyle changes to LIVE! When my next moment of frustration came up, I'd have to choose, again, for that moment, to make the right decision or throw my hands in the air. ~~ Well, folks, I am right there! After having two fantastic weeks of homeschool glory, the hooves hit the pavement today! Thank goodness for PE outdoors!

[A wise woman once said something so full of hope that I'm clinging to it like Saran Wrap right now... (I'm giving credit to Jan Freeman at The Met in Houston, but it might have been from a book she was discussing). She said that even though we make moment-by-moment decisions, we live life in seasons. As I recall, she suggested we have should evaluate difficult times or overwhelming moments from a broader, more general perspective. My example: If I get frustrated with my kids for 15 minutes in the morning, am I going to let it ruin my (and their) entire day, or am I going to realize that before that moment, they'd made their beds, smiled, dressed themselves, tried to listen, and even wrote my name in a heart? The summary -- now cheer with me here, HS moms -- One rough day of homeschooling does not a failure make!! Thank you for your patience with ME, Lord.]

With that said, in general, I could not be more pleased! Emma, Murphy and I are home together on Monday/Weds/Thurs. each week. We 'do school' from 9-ish to noon-ish. Emma is going to a class from 9a-2p Tues/Fri at a public/homeschool campus. She's in a 1st/2nd grade class with about 15 kids. She made a friend the first day -- I'm sure you'll hear about her, soon!

Murphy and I go to MOPS every other Tues. I teach the 4s/5s "Moppets" class. On Fridays each week, we go to a HS co-op called First Class (or here, it's Friday School). He's in our friend, Melody's, Kindergarten class with 8 other kiddos & LOVES it!

Honestly, being home with our kiddos has not yet felt like a sacrifice. It takes some work, some preparation, a little scheduling... and a lot of devotion to purpose. I remind myself of the WHYs:
*... because we need to bond, to click, to respond to each other better.
*... because our family needs to rely on God first, then each other as best friends -- and that only comes with practice.
*... because I know that God has led me to this decision, and from obedience comes blessing.
*... because when we bring our son home from Ethiopia, we'll all be together to 'mesh' our family into God's design, rather than be apart from each other for the sake of 'learning'?!

Too many photos... too little time

2008-09-23T22:49:00.000-07:00

So, I'm grabbing the best photos from some of our latest August and September life events and sharing them with you. We have so many friends and family sooo far away -- we hope you let us know when you visit:

* Camping at Lake Billy Chinook in Oregon with the Thompsons (Labor Day) -- if that does not work, please let me know; I'm using a MAC, remember -- so some things are different.

* Murphy's 5th Birthday party (Sept. 4)

* Our first official soccer season (Coming soon)!

Enjoy!

Adoption wait may be longer than expected

2008-09-13T22:20:00.000-07:00

After an email from our agency last week, we've been able to interpret it to mean, very simply... wait. Our "six to nine months" may well be extended to 12 months - and that's just for a referral. It could be a long year as we seem to be more and more eager as each week passes. We are getting ready to switch-a-roo the kids rooms upstairs, just to give us something to do. (Yeah, like soccer, homeschooling, and basking in the last few days of summer weather are not enough to keep us busy??)

It's supposed to be cooler later this week, so maybe we'll start the re-arrangement then. For now, we are thankful for a few more warm days before our rainy season begins. This coming weekend, Keith and I are heading to the Puyallup Fair to see Steven Curtis Chapman in concert. Our friends Amy and Ryan Yarbrough asked us to join them, so we are looking forward to a night away. Pray that our friend, Jeanette, can come keep the kids as planned.

As far as other news... Murphy is now free from the constraints of training wheels and officially a soccer player!! Emma is his coach (both for soccer and for bike riding)! Weeee!

Ode to the first week in September

2008-09-04T21:56:00.000-07:00

How do I blog thee? Let me count the ways:
1) I blog thee with my husband, out of country, out of town.
2) I blog thee with my jeans still on, longing for my gown.
3) I blog thee with my oily face longing for a scrub.
4) I blog reclining in my chair, wishing 'my hot tub'.
5) I blog thee knowing morning dawns my girlie's first 1st grade. I'm thankful that she's part-homeschool, but stressed my plans aren't made!
6) I blog with 5 years flashing by; today's my Murph's birthday!
7) I blog thee with 'two' super kids who'll SOON be 'three', I pray!
8) I blog with trepidation at my pending soccer season.
I've never coached a team before; I can't play-- that's one reason!
Not that I need another, but I know it's going to rain...
I wish we played our games inside so I'd be dry and sane!
9) I blog now, Lord, with weary bones; please soothe my aching joints. I'm sure somehow this rhyming ode has earned me brownie points!!

Keith, come home!! Colombia, SA, is too far away!

Home movie madness -- and a trip to the Oregon Coast

2008-08-10T08:07:00.000-07:00

We figured out how to post MOVIES on our web gallery! Waa Hoo! Here are a few to help our family catch up with us (some of the kids reading this spring, a piano recital, some random pics) and then our short trip last week to the Oregon Coast and the Clark County Fair. One of the coolest parts of the fair was just before the featured "Motocross Bikes" races held at the grandstand area, the announcer prayed! Now, I'm talking a "forgive us our sins, help heal our broken relationships, create in us a generous heart, in the name of Jesus Christ -- the Son of God who died for all this to happen -- Amen" kind of prayer!! It was awesome!! Lots of cheering afterward.

Anyway, for those of you who have nothing better to do, click here for some more pictures of the Brooks family!! Now, go enjoy your Sunday! We are off to church!

July just slipped away...

2008-08-09T10:43:00.000-07:00

So, here are some pictures we took with our friends, Taylor & Aimee Henderson and their son Caden. They were here the first week of July. Also included are some of our neighbors on the 4th! Is anyone else surprised that it's already August 9th??? We took advantage of really doing nothing in July, so we are picture-short for the month. Gratefully, I've already taken some for August and will post them next! (Click on photos to see more!)

Musings of a future homeschool mom?!

2008-07-12T00:11:00.000-07:00

(I'm sharing with you an edited excerpt of an email I sent my friend M this week. We humbly submit our request for your prayers!)

As for Emma's schooling...KG (a friend) said something this week over the phone that really hit home (and I haven't even told her... so maybe I'll forward this post to her!). She mentioned their son J coming home very soon to them from Guatemala (sp?); in that conversation she offered praise to the Lord that the change will be exciting, but less difficult and ultimately more rewarding since all of her kids will be home during the day to make the adjustment together. It was right around that point I realized (even tho' she may have already stated it) that ALL of her kids were homeschooled, not just the younger ones... and immediately my heart went out to our Emma Grace.

We've been willing to 'try one more time' to make the whole regular-school thing work (she's been in 4 preschools - one was in Houston before we moved - and 2 elementary schools and she's only going into 1st grade) that we now realize we've probably been focusing on the wrong part. It's not her education we need to highlight and pour ourselves into; it's the relationships we have here at home that really matter. K mentioned that her kids are learning to really depend each other... I think she said something like, "relying on each other" for things. If ever our family needs each other, it is during the months before and months after we bring a new toddler into our family -- especially one whose life will need stability and consistency. Shipping Emma Grace off to school eight hours each day is simply not logical, not in the best interest of our family, and would leave her out of a critical time of bonding and connecting.

So, with that, I wait. Just like with our pending adoption. We're reading, studying, and praying. (Which leads me to another ah-ha moment: we've been doing a lot of prep for our newby-on-the-way, much like we did when our bio kids were on their way. What we haven't been doing is keeping quite on top of reading and maintaining our kids-in-house -- something we are remedying.) I'm realizing I'm overwhelmed if I take more than a baby step in any direction right now. I'm looking into a homeschool/public school combo offered nearby, simply because she's always been in school and it might be a shock not to have that 'formal' reinforcement and social bonus. Ironically, though, one of the most concerning issues we had with our girlie in school was the strong bonds she made to the other kids... the wrong social choices. So, we're still in decision-making mode.

Thankfully, we rely on the Giver and Author of All Wisdom, right? I'm not ready to ask everyone 'Why do you do what you do in regards to homeschooling?"... Keith and I are following our spiritual noses as best we can. When I'm ready, I'll be asking! Thanks, in advance, for any of you hs moms making yourselves and your personal journeys available when I need to chat about it. I know I'll want your input!

I find myself amazed that all this really matters to the Creator and Conductor of the universe, but it just does!

Just Him...

2008-06-28T22:13:00.000-07:00

We now have an appointment for our 'fingerprints' -- they call it 'biometrics' in the letter. I hope it's just fingerprints. I don't really want to share the metric measurements of any of my other biological parts with the government. (smile)

As our adoption process becomes more and more official; life in the big W just keeps going. My position at the church as the Children's Coordinator takes a lot of time and prayer; adjusting to the idea of having a third (or fourth) child takes faith only God can provide; helping our two kids get ready for the changes (and the persons) this adoption will bring takes a great deal of planning and preparation. Besides all this, we are laying before the Lord our financial needs. Plus, we share life with friends whose lives are riddled with grieving losses, new life on the way, and overwhelming challenges.

I've found myself admitting, weakly, "Lord, I don't know what to pray about first..." Only to find, ultimately, I am left able to focus on Just Him. Relief. Just Him. Relax. Just Him. Rejoice. His cross, His sacrifice, His love, His gifts, His blessings, His provision. Just Him. How perfectly satiating, how wonderfully complete. Thank you, Lord, for being in control of all I think, wonder, wander, or worry about. Thank You for taking these as I lay them at Your feet -- and for being "Just". You.

Let the Waiting Begin

2008-06-21T22:09:00.000-07:00

We are now officially "waiting" for our Ethiopian child(ren)! A lot has happened in the last few weeks. We have filed all of our paperwork, our dossier has been accepted; now everything is out of our hands. The process has been quick, but our wait to receive a referral could be a long haul... or not. It's simply a waiting game. Currently, only a few families are ahead of us waiting for a 2-4 year old boy (or siblings under 4). We were told we could receive a referral next week -- or in October. There is no way to know. In addition, as we have submitted all local governmental paperwork, we are waiting for the USCIS (formerly INS) to schedule our fingerprinting appointments.

By going to this link, you'll be able to see some pictures of our last couple of weeks:

* Murphy's end of year preschool program and preschool graduation

* Creative prune pizza made by our kiddos

* Emma's end of kindergarten hoe-down (Can we believe we have a first grade girlie?)

* Random signs from a local store

* Visitors in our home from California and China (We welcomed into our home and completely enjoyed the family of some friends from church who were in town for a wedding; the family is part of an organization called Mahahaim China Ministries - A ministry of Mission to Unreached People).

Whirlwind of Wonders...

2008-05-31T10:57:00.000-07:00

Whew! This month has given us much to ponder in regards to the incredible love of our Creator.

Personal

* I (Shelley) started a new position at our church as the Children's Coordinator at Grace Foursquare.

Adoption Update

* We finished all the autobiographical and other required paperwork, sending it to our home study agency. He has now (as best we understand) submitted his completed home study to our agency.

* We submitted all the paperwork and were accepted into the Ethiopian program of our adoption agency (Children's Home Society and Family Services).

* We are finished with 10 of the 13 steps toward being considered a "Waiting Family" through our agency!

* We have been blessed with gifts toward and sold items (like our camper!) to secure the first $10,000 of our adoptions costs!

CLICK ON PHOTO TO SEE OUR ONLINE GALLERY OF PICTURES FROM CALIFORNIA!

( or go to http://gallery.mac.com/keithandshel/#100008)

Other Family Events

* We enjoyed a Memorial Day weekend trip where we drove to a hotel (using Keith's hotel "points") on the rocky beach of Crescent City, California. We were surprised that it was less than 6 hours to some of the most beautiful "wow's" we'd ever seen.

* While in northern California, we visited incredible groves in the Redwood Forest, met Paul Bunyan, pet leopard sharks, played on the beach and at a great park, and saw some sea lions. All in all, we had an incredible break from 'everything' and came back ready to jump back into the fast-pace we have grown accustomed to.

A Hope and a Future...

2008-05-03T17:13:00.000-07:00

Ethiopia? Us adopt? A child? Maybe TWO? "Oh, Lord (and I am actually praying this), what are You thinking??" Well, it seems that Emma's losing her first tooth is just icing on the cake-of-a-week we've had!

The verse from Jeremiah (chapter 29, verse 11) that tells us God has a plan for us, one to prosper us, to give us A HOPE AND A FUTURE has become a prayer in our hearts that we are believing for a child on the other side of the world. Our crazy, busy lives have hit a place requiring faith like we've never known before... and the Lord is 'healing our unbelief' Mark 9:24 as we walk through each door He opens!

I want to say more, but I need to sit and absorb all this myself!

For now, please keep us in your prayers... and read about Ethiopia online to learn what we're doing! It looks like we'll be using this agency out of Minnesota: www.chsfs.org.

Oklahoma Trip in April

2008-04-20T15:32:00.000-07:00

Pictures hardly ever say 'it all', but these are pretty good glimpses of our trip back South. I took this one from the airplane window(!). Mt. Hood is in the forefront, and Mt. Adams is behind.

Two cousins! Hope and E

mma played and played. They even had their first sleepover while my brother and his wife (and baby Micah) stayed in a hotel. "Hopi" was glad to be with us and VERY sad to go home. While they were preparing to leave, she kept saying, "This is not fun! Why can't we all go to the same 'home' together?"

In Keith's parents' backyard, Moo Moo and Paw Paw got a great picture with me and my brother and our families!

Emma Grace received her first (?) pedicure

Posing with GeeBee is priceless.

Uncle Michael, Michaela, Brooks (and Aunt La, GeeBee and GeeDad) made the visit to the Exotic Animal Ranch fun!

techno oh-no

2008-04-09T23:51:00.000-07:00

As soon as my mac and my camera "make nice," I'll put some photos on here for you!

Test Drive...

2008-04-09T22:57:00.000-07:00

Can you hear me now? So, here's my chance to be heard... or maybe to just say it. This space will be mostly about me, my views, my opinions. But the good stuff will be filled with family photos and witty quips my kids spout off and I remember to share. I pray we will enjoy this journey... and I welcome our posts and comments. As much for the idea exchange as to let me know that I'm not the only one reading my blog!

Blessings.