What do earrings have to do with adoption?

I love the interaction I get with Nazeret on the way to school in the mornings.

This morning she was holding a pair of earrings in her hand as she got in the car.

 Noonday Collection Eternity Earrings -- India

Nazeret is so proud of her earrings that empower the poor.  She wanted to wear them to school even though we talked about some safety concerns due to the size of the earrings.  We agreed that she could wear them while in the classroom and remove them before she went to some of the more active parts of her day.

She struggled for a little while to get the post through the hole.  I pulled the car over so that I could help her.

As I gently guided the earrings through, I was reminded of a scrawny seven year old girl that wanted her ears pierced so bad that she was willing to fight for it every day.

Nazeret came home at age seven and didn't speak any English.  I'm guessing that she thought earrings were about the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.  She could see that I had my ears pierced and her two new sisters did too.  I think she expected to get her ears pierced the day she landed in America.

Once home, she saw the earrings her sisters had accumulated through the years as a sign that they were loved....and she wasn't.  If only I could communicate with her.  Of course I loved her. I wanted to give her the desire of her heart, but there were so many issues.  I couldn't make her understand that it was going to hurt and that the earrings couldn't come out for a minimum of six weeks.  She would have to clean and turn them.  I couldn't even take her into a mall.  She HATED the car and wouldn't wear her seat belt. 

We needed time to communicate and grow to a place of understanding.  I wasn't opposed.  I desperately wanted to give this to her....just not yet!

BAM! Right in the middle of my little flashback, God said "Exactly."

You see, I've been just like Nazeret.  I know God's heart for adoption.  I just can't understand why he is withholding this from me.  Our family has carried the picture of a little boy with a name for six months.  We prayed for him.  We dreamed of how he would fit into our family.  We made it through some tough ups and downs.  Then, one day we received word that he would not become a part of our family.  The reasons are complicated, but we could not adopt him after all.

I was crushed and I was angry with God. Yes, I even questioned his love for me.  I've been on an eight week journey of trading my plan for God's.

He isn't saying "No".  He's just saying "Not yet, there's more that you don't understand."
Just like Nazeret, when the time is right, I'll get my ears pierced bring my son home!

Tesfa - Hope - Esperanza

Webster's definition of hope: to desire with expectation of obtainment.

Holman Bible Dictionary definition of hope: Biblical hope is the anticipation of a favorable outcome under God's guidance.

Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen... Hebrews 11:1

So faith and hope are intertwined.

"The word hope I take for faith; and indeed hope is nothing else but the constancy of faith."
 --John Calvin

Sometimes I'm a lot like Peter! I can see Jesus; my eyes are on him.  He tells me to come to him out on the water.  I jump out of that boat with little or no hesitation.  Things are good.  I feel closer to Jesus than I ever have.  I may even take a second to wonder why more people haven't jumped out of the boat with me.  Then it happens....I start looking around at my circumstances instead of Jesus and I start to lose hope. My faith is shaken.

When we started this adoption (our second one), God had me back in the book of Joshua. Did I mention that's what we plan to call our son.  "When you see the Levitical priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD your God, move out from your positions and follow them.  Since you have never traveled this way before..." Joshua 3:3-4  I didn't get it.  This is our second adoption. So we are adopting a boy this time from a different country, but really how different can it be?  "Never traveled this way before"?

It turns out that Honduras is NOT Ethiopia.  I know, this is shocking!  Well, it kinda was to me.

Honduras is in Central America.....

and they function on Central American time (not mine).

There are always ups and downs in international adoption.  With Ethiopia on the other side of the world and speaking a very foreign language (as opposed to Spanish for a Texan), I was completely unaware of the political temperature.  There is a lot of information available out of Honduras.  At any given moment I can read a Honduran newspaper thanks to Google translate.

The roller coaster ride recently, really shook my faith and I lost hope that my son would come out of Honduras before I had grandchildren.  Someone suggested a fasting period.  I knew right away she was right, but I am not a very nice person without food.  The blood sugar drops and it's not pretty.  Since my weak point seemed to be information overload, I decided to fast from Facebook.  SHOCKING! I love my Facebook friends! My on-line adoption community is so supportive and encouraging, but God speaks in a still small voice and I knew I was drowning Him out with too many other voices.

I took a week off from Facebook and guess what!!!  Hope showed up in the word and in flesh.  I received words of encouragement from friends that I could hug!  A friend at church told me she felt a need to pray for our family and our adoption journey.  I ran into another adoptive mom (that I never get to see) at the grocery store with her newly home son from China and we shared our hearts right there in the HEB.

God is faithful and He keeps His promises! I'm so thankful that He never gives up on me! And like with Peter, when I loose focus, He pulls me up and reminds me that He is all I need!

By the way: Tesfa is Amharic for Hope and Esperanza is Hope in Spanish.

Overdue

I can't believe my last post was almost a year ago!

In March of 2012, I posted about a coming storm.  I knew it was coming, but I didn't know what it was....yet.  Then in June (our one year anniversary as a family of 5), we had our last visit with our social worker concerning Nazeret and how we were doing as a family.  That visit also became our first visit for our second adoption!  That's right, the Kuykendall's are "PAPER PREGNANT" again.  This time we are expecting a little boy 3-5 years old from Honduras.

When I started this blog I included Revelation 7:9  "After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb."  Even then, I could visualize my family starting to look a little like heaven.  HA! I HAD NO IDEA!  I'm getting a little concerned about the "great multitude" part and "every nation".  Just kidding.  If that's what God has planned for our family, we will need a lot of bunk beds and a really big van.

You might be wondering how we ended up in Honduras.  Well, it starts with Nazeret.  She was not even home six months when she started asking us to adopt (or birth) a baby brother.  The second is out of the question and so was the first at that time.  Then in February I saw a Facebook post about an orphan choir made up primarily of Ethiopian children and thought how much I would love to have them in our hometown, but...we live in a small town and I knew that wasn't going to happen.  A couple days later I got an email from my social worker asking if I would consider hosting His Little Feet in our church.  I should have known God was up to something big, but I just thought He was answering a prayer of my heart.  I was excited for Nazeret to spend time with Ethiopian children.  I was surprised after months of planning to learn that we (the Kuykendall home) would be hosting one Ethiopian girl and one Honduran girl.  Both girls have a little piece of our hearts to this day.

A couple of months later and several conversations about adopting another child, Michael took a weekend to get away with the Lord and ask Him.  He answered with Matthew 1:21 "She will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus..."  We took it as a clear sign that we have a son.  Now, the Jesus part....that was a cause for laughter until we asked Nazeret: "Where is this little brother you want to bring home, Ethiopia?"  It really was no surprise when the Ethiopian child that had only been in America ten months said "NO! Honduras!" Now laugh if you must, but Jesus is pronounced Hay-soos in Spanish.  I ran to the computer to see if America World (our adoption agency) had a program in Honduras and guess what....it started about the time we got Nazeret's referral!

Here we are about eight months later; all of our paperwork has been translated to Spanish and sits in the hands of the Honduran government....and we wait.

Waiting is so hard, but it is easier with friends.  I hope that you will join us while we wait.

Waiting for the Storm

There is 100% chance of rain and severe thunder storms today.  Spring in North Texas can be rough.  The younger girls and I will be out in town for routine doctor appointment, so I am not excited about the potential for bad weather today.  We are doing what we can to prepare: rain boots, umbrellas, jackets, etc.

As we look forward to the time of remembrance and celebration of Jesus' death and resurrection, our pastor brings the same question each Sunday.  Are you willing to follow Jesus, even unto death?  This has really been eating at the pit of my stomach.  A year ago, I thought following Him to Africa to take in and love one of His children might have felt a little something like following Him unto death.  There were so many unknowns.  We knew it would be hard and we knew it would demand sacrifice, but there were still so many emotions we could NEVER have been prepared for.

So why now? Why is this question eating at me? It is so easy to feel like we have checked off that box.  Look Lord, you said go and we went.  Ta-da! Done!  I don't think it works that way.  You see there was this guy named Paul.... He was CRAZY for the Lord.  He never stopped risking it all so that others could know Jesus.  He was beaten and imprisoned more than once, but He didn't stop.  I'm pretty sure this means I am not done.  There is a whole world out there that needs to hear the Good News of Jesus.  This is where it starts to freak me out a little.  Unreached people groups are unreached for a reason.  They are scary/unsafe.

I just read that there are 30 unevangelized people groups in Ethiopia that account for some 25 million people.  The number of Somalis that have fled into Ethiopia is around 4.5 million.  Ethiopia is about 45% Islamic! Due to the sheer population size of the country, Ethiopia contains more Muslims than Saudi Arabia! This country that I love is not only in desperate need, but about half of them have been deceived.  Sharing the Gospel with these people is risky.  They hate Christians, but I'm pretty sure Jesus knew that when He said "... a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God.  They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me." John 16:2-3.  But then He still said "GO and make disciples of ALL nations..." (emphasis mine).

We sponsor a child that lives in an Islamic region of Ethiopia.  It's a start, but I feel an electricity in the air.  It feels like a storm is coming.  I have NO idea what my role will be, but I want to be prepared.

LOVE

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

 

Our family has never really celebrated Valentine's Day.  I don't know why exactly, but I think we saw it more as a holiday for dating couples.  This year we have decided to go all out on Valentine's Day; make it a day to fully express our love to our girls.

We have all learned so much about love this year and God has broken down many of our old barriers. Love has a new and deeper meaning for us.  Our joy in this day starts by sharing with our girls that we can only feel and share our love because God first loved us. He brought Michael and I together in love (a long time ago) and out of that love came ALL three of our girls.

I am personally having one of my best Valentine's Days ever.  Giving and receiving love can be a little challenging for adopted children, but on Valentine's Day....well, the whole country is showing love.  My girl has been so sweet the past few days as she has looked forward to today.  There have been many hugs and kisses and the "I love you"s have flowed freely.  We received a valentine thanking us for being her mom and dad.  This morning I even heard that I was the greatest mom ever.  (that one comes with a mix of joy and pain as many things in the adoption life do)  I am looking forward to a full day of little gifts and gestures of love.

May God bless you on this day of love.  Let His love show in you and through you to your family and others that He places in your path today.

What a Difference a Year Can Make!

I have been silent for far too long, but this occasion demands that I take the time to sit down and share my heart and what the Lord has done.

The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy! Psalm 126:3

You see, one year ago today I saw my youngest daughter's beautiful smile for the very fist time.  This was the day she went from being LG (short for Little Girl unknown, but loved) to Nazeret.  My beautiful seven year old Ethiopian daughter, Nazeret Hope Kuykendall.

You know the famous line "Every time a bell rings an angel gets its wings"?  Well, that is what it was like on that sweet day a year ago.  You see, our agency encourages each family to get to know and support other families on the adoption journey.  We communicate through a yahoo group; at that time, I had my iPhone set to "ding" every time I received an email.  On this day a year ago some family, I am sorry to say that I do not remember who, was matched with their little angel and the yahoo group was celebrating.  As I drove to the school to get Amelia, my phone went crazy and my tears started to flow.  This much activity could only mean that there was about to be one less orphan in this world.  I could not wait to park my car and check it out.

Much to my surprise and delight there had been a match made in heaven, but there was also a lot of chatter about a beautiful seven year old girl that had just been added to the list of children waiting for a forever family.  My heart started to race and my mind went even faster.  I could barely function to direct my phone to the internet address...and then...there she was...my daughter was looking at me with the most beautiful smile.  As they say "the rest is history".

So here we are a year later and Nazeret has been in our home for seven months and EVERYTHING has changed!  Our family has grown and been changed in ways that we NEVER could have imagined.  God has birthed the most amazing and crazy love in my heart for this child that did not grow in my tummy.  I knew He would, but I couldn't have imagined this.  She brings me such joy!  But that's not all....

God used this past year or so to open our eyes and change our hearts.  Michela now feels strongly called to missions in Africa.  She is going back this summer.  We have a passion to love Jesus by caring for widows and orphans.  Our definition of "need" and "want" has been forever changed. Praise the Lord!

As you can see, our sweet Nazeret has grown and OH how that personality has blossomed.  She is healthy and thriving.  Her English blows my mind and she is doing great in first grade.  My baby has a love for HER Jesus that is so beautiful it makes my heart flutter.  God is so good and we are so blessed!  

Thank you for sharing in our journey.

"Not my mom"

Yesterday afternoon was full of small conflicts easily resolved with a suggestion to "Try again with respect." I am so thankful that Nazeret and I are truly comfortable with each other and learning how to do this mother/daughter dance. Just three short months ago these small conflicts would have been full out melt downs for hours.  I believe this is becoming easier (for both of us) because we have attachment and trust that were not there in the beginning.

So, why the "Not my mom" title? Well, that one got lobbed at me at dinner. It's not the first time and I know it won't be the last. This one was different though because my baby girl added that she was not staying here; she was going home.  I felt the pain stab into my heart, but probably not for the reason that you think. I knew that her emotions had just moved to another continent. Her argument with me started over eating dinner before she could have a sweet treat, but now we were dealing with loss and grief.

I snuggled her in my lap even as she insisted that I was not her mom and she was not going to stay here.  She started to cry and talk about the people and places that she has lost.  She misses them and my heart breaks for her.  She wants to go home.  Who wouldn't?  The situations and brokenness of her life in Ethiopia have not changed; she cannot go back.  I don't take it personal (by the grace of God).  She loves me and I AM her mom, but she has to grieve the loss and this is just part of it.  I assured her that I will always love her and be her mom no matter what feelings she shares with me.

It was over as quickly as it began.  We sat down together, finished our dinner and had a sweet treat.  Later at bed time, she held her arms open for a hug and whispered in my ear "I love you, Mom."

Life is good....hard....but GOOD!!!!

I have to add how proud I am of my other two girls.  They handle all of this with such grace.  Nazeret's "issues" often show up at the dinner table which makes eating rather unpleasant.  They worked together to clean all but mine and Nazeret's plates and gave us some space.  When we finished eating they rejoined their little sister (all forgiven) to play and watch a VeggieTales Sing Along.  I am so blessed to have three wonderful daughters!

What I am learning about love

"You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think."
--Christopher Robin to Pooh

As we approach our "home 3 months" mark, I am reflecting on how much we have all grown and changed individually and as a family.  When God first called us to this journey of adoption, I was filled with fear.  I told God that I was not brave enough; there is NO WAY I am strong enough; and I am NOT "one of those" smart parents.  I can NEVER do this.  He promptly told me that I was right!

You see God doesn't call up people who are full of themselves.  He wants to use people who are willing to be full of Him.  There were many days before Nazeret came home with us and many sense  that God has waited for me to remember that I CANNOT do this, but He can.  When I ASK and allow God to fill me with his perfect love, my fears are quieted and He is able to love my family through me.

Adoption is not for sissies! I have seen this said many times and I cheer inside each time.  It is true that adoptive parenting is very hard at times, but the hardest part is learning what God is teaching you through it.  The Bible says that God's perfect love is casting out fear. (1 John 4:18) Oh how I want to truly bask in His perfect love and never be afraid, but Satan knows my weakness and he hits me right there EVERY time.  Well...he may hit me there, but I still have to choose who I am going to believe.  Fear could have stopped me from experiencing the blessing that Nazeret is to our family.  I cannot imagine my life without her, but that was a choice.  I came to a cross road and I had to decide who I was going to follow.  It is still a daily struggle to trust that God's love can cast out all my fears and that He is ALL I need to....well....He is just ALL I NEED.  This is a lesson that God wants me to teach Nazeret and I so want her to be free.  (People, we can only imagine her deep rooted fears.)  How could I possibly teach this lesson without learning it myself. 

In the process of trying to accept and experience God's perfect love, I have tried to practice the Biblical definition of love.  I often repeat 1Corinthians 13:4-7 Love is patient and kind.  Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude.  It does not demand its own way.  It is not irritable and it keeps no record of being wronged.  It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices when the truth wins out.  Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful and endures.

Christopher Robin's words to Pooh are very encouraging, but I am so thankful that I don't have to be brave or strong or smart;  I just have to choose to allow God to be all of these things in me when I love the things that He loves.

Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.  James 1:27

First Day of School

Today was a HUGE day for the Kuykendalls; the girls went "back" to school today.

Amelia was blessed with simply going back to school.  I am so thankful that this was the situation for her.  Other than Nazeret, I believe Amelia has experienced the most change by adding another child to the family.  She started fifth grade today with teachers she already knows at the same school she has attended for years.

Nazeret still wins the prize for the biggest change.  She started her first day of formal education ever this morning in first grade at the same school as Amelia.  She has wonderful support from her teacher and other staff.  I am thankful that she was so excited to go and didn't have any issue when I left the class room.  As I walked out of the classroom door with her eyes on me, I placed the palm of my hand to my cheek.  (We read The Kissing Hand last night and I was reminding her that she can feel my love with her anytime by placing the kiss I gave her in the palm of her hand to her cheek.)  She raised her hand and placed it to her cheek with a BIG smile.

Michela had a BIG change this year too.  She home schooled last semester, but decided to return to public school this year.  Today, she started high school!  My first born started HIGH SCHOOL!!!  Where did the time go?  She can't wait to finish school and head to Africa.  We can't wait to see what God has planned for her life now and in the future.

After many tears of joy for how well the morning went and some time on my knees praising God for His miracles, I am enjoying some peace and quit (something I have not experienced for the last 3 months)!  I'm going to bake some cookies and then go get my girls.  I can't wait to hear all the chatter and giggles as they share their day.

Two Months as a Family of 5!!!

We arrived home from Ethiopia on June 11; that was two months ago today. Wow, so much has changed in two months.  In that first month I wasn't sure I would ever be able to go back to work, but I have been seeing patients in the mornings for the past month.  Michael went back to work today and we are all missing him.  I am taking off again while we make the adjustment to school.

Yes, Nazeret is going to start school in one week.  She doesn't fully understand, but she is excited.  She will be starting first grade and her teacher is also an adoptive mom. God is so good to work out the details!  She has been learning so much and I believe she is going to do great in school.

Our first month was so hard and full of so much change for all of us.  This second month has been smoother and a lot of fun.  We are all getting to know each other better.  Nazeret has the words to express her needs and feelings, when she chooses to.  We are starting to settle into our "new normal".  I am so thankful for the support of our friends and family.  Thank you all for your prayers.

Today, like almost every day, we watched Ethiopian dancing videos on YouTube.  She LOVES this and I enjoy seeing her face light up.  Today she even put on her traditional Wolayta dress to watch.  It still hurts my heart so deeply that she is not growing up in her beautiful country.  I'm so thankful for the love that God has placed in my heart for Ethiopia.

Some firsts for Nazeret in the past month:

Nazeret and Amelia went to music camp at our church every morning for a week.  They learned an entire musical and then performed it for friends and family on the following Sunday evening.  She LOVED it!  She may always remember the songs and motions.

We went on our first road trip.  (Nazeret does not like to be in a car.)  We went 3.5 hours south to New Braunfels, TX to take Nazeret to our favorite water park , Schlitterbahn.  She was fearless and road every ride with her Pap (my dad).  We all had a blast (except Amelia: she was having her own fun at church camp) !  Nazeret later explained that the "water house" was fun, but she was NEVER going back because it is "too long!"

Nazeret finally got her ears pierced.  She started asking to get them pierced when we were in Ethiopia for our embassy appointment.  She was so brave.  She only made a face when the piercing gun popped.  Now we are counting down the days until she can take out those simple studs and replace them with dangles.

Some of my favorite new phrases:

What to go? = This question comes when I look like I am going somewhere.
One! = "Give ma a minute."
Sort of = You get that one; it's just so funny to hear from her.
Owee ah-NO! = "See how tough I am; that didn't hurt at all." (ears pierced)
Finger house = This is the place you get your nails painted. :)
Ice-cream house = Nazeret's favorite place to get ice-cream....EVERY day!  Don't judge; it's HOT!

I am thankful for the bond that has grown within our family over the past two months and I know it is in large part due to the gift we were given of time to spend together.  As we return to our routine and introduce Nazeret to school, I know that we have a great foundation to build on.

People always tell me how lucky my daughter is.

Nazeret has a very special little friend that she met in the orphanage.  They were from the same region and spoke the same language.  They were moved together from the orphanage to our adoption agency's transition home.  The language at the transition home is Amharic.  These two sweet little girls did not speak Amharic and so they had each other as they learned a new place and a new language.  I can't even imagine this kind of bond.

God arranged for these girls to meet their parents the same week, but due to government systems they did not get to come to America at the same time.   Nazeret has been home for almost 2 months and her friend came home this weekend.  Tonight, the girls got to Skype in America for the first time.  My heart was filled with such a strange mix of joy and sadness as these girls discovered that they could no longer communicate.  You see as Nazeret has learned more English (and she kept telling her friend, "I English."), she has lost her original language.  I am excited about how fast Nazeret has learned our language, but my heart is breaking for what she has lost.

My beautiful daughter has gained an entirely different life, but she has lost so much.  It's hard to see that as lucky.

Better Than the Tooth Fairy

She's holding the little box with her two baby teeth in it.

Yesterday, Nazeret had to have dental work done under sedation.  She had several minor things done, but they also removed two baby teeth that were not making room for the permanent teeth that were ready to come in.  The doctors were amazing! She was amazing! Recovery was great!

As we were driving off the technician came running out with a little box containing Nazeret's two teeth.  I hadn't thought about them because the tooth fairy is NOT going to be visiting our house.  I have read that this concept can cause more fear than fun for some adopted children (and really all children).  Nazeret wanted to see her teeth and then she made some gestures of throwing something into the air and said "and then the teeth they come in".  I was very confused.  I didn't know what she was trying to say, so I tossed the little box of teeth into the air and caught it.  This made her laugh.  She explained it again.  I could tell it was something about tossing the teeth into the air and then pray for God to bring your new teeth in.  WOW! I still didn't quite have the whole picture, but I thought it was pretty cool.  With a little help from another adoptive mom with a child from the Wolayta region of Ethiopia and more explaining from Nazeret, we finally understood that she wanted to throw her teeth where they would stick into the moon and then pray for God to bring in her new teeth.  COOL!

We waited for the sun to go down.  Michael and Nazeret love to take a swim with the moon and then shower and go to bed (I much prefer swimming with the sun.), so she got her swimsuit on and threw her teeth at the moon.  We then said a prayer for God to bring in her new teeth and she went for a swim.  It was a very special evening.

Notice how far those feet are off the ground.  She wanted to make sure that tooth made it to the moon!

ONE MONTH AS A FAMILY OF 5

Yesterday officially marked one month that we have all been home together.  It has been a L-O-N-G month.  There have been so many changes for all of us.  None of us have had as many changes as Nazeret; her whole world changed in the blink of a 17 hour flight.

That's right, we started our trip home with a 17 hour flight.  Nazeret LOVED the take off (and had all the passengers on a 777 cheering), made a trip to the potty every hour, and HATED her seatbelt...and ALL the food.  We landed in DC and Nazeret became a US citizen right there in the airport.  We then waited 9 hours to get on our plane to Dallas, so that we could sit on the runway for almost 2 hours waiting for take-off.  We finally made it home after 30+ hours of travel.

We got home in the middle of the night, so we didn't get to see Nazeret's reaction to her new home, but she did try on ALL the clothes in her closet before going to bed.  Between jet lag and whatever upper respiratory infection I picked up, it was a rough first week.  I honestly don't remember a lot, but I do remember the second week.  This would be the week that I didn't recognize my newest child.  This was the week of HUGE adjustments.  This was the week that I lost 10lbs, a lot of sleep, and wondered how I was going to ever survive my new life.  This was the week that God showed up in a HUGE way and reminded me that HE was going to get us all through the adjustments.  God brought new people into my life who gave me such encouragement and He brought out old friends who met our needs when we were just getting through each day.  God is good and His mercy is new every day.  We have all grown and changed so much this month, but Nazeret has changed the most.

NAZERET, you are "a so silly girl"!  You are so outgoing and funny!  You love people and you have already claimed some of our closest friends and family as "yours".  I have been amazed by how much you have learned.  You are a very smart girl. 

Somehow, we kept you from knowing we had a pool the first week we were home.  (I think you were just too tired to care.) That second week you were in the pool.  Swimming lessons were a must your third week home and now you swim like you have been doing it your whole life.

Another funny thing about you is your sense of direction.  You are 7 years old and you have been drawing a mental map of our little town.  You already know the locations of home, church, Mommy's work, the doctor, and the best place to get ice cream.

We have come through our first month (I believe it is the toughest).  I am looking forward to the steps we will take together next month as we prepare for you to start school!  I love you and I thank God everyday that He has allowed us to be your family.

OUR TWO WEEK EMBASSY TRIP

We are now a family of 5 and we are all adjusting to our new roles.  God is so good to meet us exactly when and where we need Him.

I haven't had time to post anything, so I want to go back to the time we spent in Ethiopia when we went to get Nazeret and make our adoption FINAL!

On May 26, Michael, Amelia, our friend Janet and I all left for Ethiopia via Washington DC.  We were so blessed to stay the night with another adopting family that we met on our court trip.  May 28 we arrived in Ethiopia and went to see Nazeret.  We had been away from her for 7 long weeks.  Our reunion was sweet.  It happened VERY fast because she saw her Daddy before she was "supposed" to and ran and jumped on him.  I don't know if anybody got pictures.  She also got to meet Amelia for the first time.

The next day, Nazeret left the Transition Home forever.  She would never be alone again.  She will always have a family!  Praise God!

We spent two weeks in Ethiopia and saw many amazing sights together.  The girls became sisters.  They played together; they slept together and Amelia really became a great big sister.  I am so proud of her.  When we had 7 days left in Ethiopia, Nazeret started counting down the days to come to America and see Michela.


Our memories of those two weeks together in Ethiopia will always be so precious.  I am so sorry that Michela could not be there with us.  It was great to have time with Nazeret in her environment, with her foods and where people spoke a language she could understand.  Thank you Lord for that sweet time and the wonderful people that we got to know while we were there: adoptive families and Ethiopian's who love the children and support adoption.

I think this has to be the most beautiful view of Addis Ababa.  Thank you David and T. 

 SISTERS!

For Better or Worse...

Monday, May 16 is our 19th wedding anniversary.  For those of you doing the math, I was 20 years old when I got married.  We are so blessed to have Mother's Day, our anniversary, bring home our Nazeret, and Father's day all within a month!

When we got married, and I was just a baby, I discovered the Calla Lily.  It is such an elegant flower.  This has been our flower and a symbol of our love for the past 19 years.  A couple of days ago I discovered a beautiful "touch point" from God.  It turns out that the national flower of Ethiopia is...the Calla Lily.  All species of this flower are endemic to Africa.  Just another beautiful way that God has slowly woven a love for Ethiopia into our hearts throughout our lives.

If you will indulge me, I wanted to share some of my most meaningful pictures of the Calla Lily.

This picture was taken the year that our anniversary collided with the loss of our Nandad.  Notice the Calla Lilies in my bouquet in our wedding picture. (Yes, Michael had hair.)

 This beauty was growing in the Garden Tomb when I visited Jerusalem.

 Michela took this picture at the Transition Home the day we met Nazeret.

This was taken at one of the orphanages that we visited while in Ethiopia. It makes me think of a line from a Disney movie that goes something like this: "The flower that blooms in adversity is beautiful indeed."