Enright Family

Miracle of Adoption

2012-01-13T13:04:00.010-06:00

So many people speak of the miracle of birth. I agree, it is pretty neat. The science that God created is miraculous. And I know for some that have decreased fertility or problems in pregnancy, giving birth is quite a bit more of a miracle.

I have to be very careful with how I'm going to write this post....

I am pregnant, and very excited. Please, NO ONE misunderstand me. I think as we have announced that I am pregnant, it has reminded Braegan and me of the difference in people's reactions to an announcement of a pregnancy versus an announcement of an upcoming adoption. If you talk to pretty much any adoptive parents, they will tell you, they are more excited when they hear of an upcoming adoption.

I'll tell you why.... Adoptive families have been blessed to experience a complete miracle that absolutely has no science behind it. Again, I am not judging those that have not adopted. There are things that other people have experienced, that I have not - and I'm sure they have similar feelings. Braegan and I are in group that have been able to go through both birth and adoption. We both agree that the miracle of adoption is in fact greater than the miracle of birth.

When a child has your genetic make up, it is very easy to see how he/she can develop to be just like the parents in looks and in behavior. But, when you have a child that has been adopted, that has no genetic relation to you at all, and that has been through very bad times, it is far more amazing to see them turn into a "little" you. I can't get over how similar Braegan and Nati are minus the temper that Nati doesn't have, thank goodness. :) (Braegan had a temper as a child/teenager.) The attachment that Nati and Ada had to us immediately following placement was also more than the attachment Claire had to us. Claire could be passed around immediately. I know, Claire was a newborn, that's different. But, if you really think about it, Nati and Ada had been through hell, and were able to trust us within 1 day. Try that on an adult. I remember in Ethiopia, when Ethiopian women would speak to Ada in Amharic, she would completely ignore them. When I spoke to her in English, which she did not understand at all, she would give me her full attention. How miraculous is it that two children that had been faced with so much tragedy, could grow to trust us and attach to us almost immediately? It is also a miracle to watch Nati's attitude towards the world. Oh, he can be silly and needs re-direction quite often, but he understands the hurt and heart break in the world. When we talk about the rest of the world, he understands it at such a high level. There is a sense of wisdom. It does not stop with Nati. That piece of wisdom has traveled down to Claire. She asks questions. We answer, and we can tell she is beginning to get it. A lot of this wisdom she has attained, has come through her understanding adoption. It's hard to just teach about poverty unless you have witnessed it. Claire has not witnessed it, but is very aware of the lives that Nati and Ada had before coming home. That is a miracle that she really understood it at the age of four. I love that both she and Nati have already spoken of possibly adopting when they are older.

Adoption is a miracle, because it is only out of love. Nati was older when he came home, and has many memories of his first mother. It is a miracle that he loves us the same. It is a piece of cake to love a child that was born to you. That's not a challenge at all. It's a little different to expect a child that has been through tragedies to love a new set of parents. It is also not immediate bonding for parents when a child comes into a home with habits that you are not used to. When these things are overcome, it is a miracle. Again, absolutely no science with adoptions, just love.

I love my children equally. But, I do recognize the different ways they came to us and the process of adoption is neater. Now, I know of the heart breaks of adoption with attachment and bonding problems. I'm in the adoption community, I'm not naive to this at all. I am only speaking in this blog of our experiences. I do want to say though, that I have seen issues with parents raising biological children as well.

I know this post is going all over the place, and I apologize for that.

People announce pregnancies on facebook all the time (me included). My reaction is always that I'm happy for them. Recently one of my friends in the adoption community just let everyone know that she was beginning the adoption process again. My reaction was ecstatic!!

The miracle of adoption is just that.... a miracle. The ones that have been able to experience it have received great blessings that very few have experienced first hand.

Claire is Five

2012-01-08T12:30:00.004-06:00

What a wonderful five years it has been. Claire chose to have a day of family fun yesterday instead of a birthday party, which I was all for. :) We started out the day making Tie Dye shirts. We then went to watch Nati play basketball. After that we went to Jump 'N Land and the kids wore themselves out. Braegan then came home from a continuing education course, and we went to Claire's favorite park (preschool sized homes and a caboose to play in). And lastly, we drove down to Dallas, and met Braegan's parents and brother at McDonalds for dinner and cake. I think Claire had a great day.

Now for my birthday special of pictures throughout the years...

Baby Makes Four

2012-01-02T09:26:00.004-06:00

I've already made a facebook announcement, but in June we will be having a little boy. I cannot believe we will be the parents of four children. We are very excited and plan to name him Joshua Thomas. He is going to have the best big brother in the world and the best doting older sisters in the world.

Very short post, but more next time, I promise. :)

July

2011-10-14T11:36:00.005-05:00

Still getting caught up....

July was HOT!!!! Braegan was home with the kids, and at times, it was too hot to even go swimming. At the beginning of July, Nati went to stay with Braegan's parents to go to a church camp, which he really enjoyed. We also went to a Texas Rangers game with some of my cousins. We planned on going to Los Alamos, NM at the end of the month to see some of my family, but they had a very large forest fire. Everyone and everything is fine. We ended up doing a stay-cation, which we actually really enjoyed! And... we will get to go to Los Alamos at Christmas time. My kids have never seen the mountains in the winter, so it should be lots of fun. My parents also came up for a few days in the end of July.

For our stay-cation we went to the Ft. Worth Children's Museum, which was an absolute blast. The kids could have stayed there for hours longer. We also went to the Omnimax (different and much better than the IMax) to see a documentary on bugs. Nati and Ada loved it... Claire, not so much. She was clinging to my arm the whole time. We also went to Rainforest Cafe which was really neat. Expensive for average food, but I guess we were paying for the atmosphere. There were robotic elephants and monkeys, and a waterfall. One night we went out for Ethiopian food. Excellent, of course. We also went to a water park, which I did not take any pictures for obvious reasons. I was there to have fun too. :)

All in all, we had a really nice family time.

Pictures from our stay-cation...

Pictures from the Rangers game... (Julia was there too, even though I don't have pictures of her.) I love the picture of Braegan and Zac and the girls- the girls were exhausted.

A fun afternoon hanging out with another cousin, Madeline.

Yep, it was a good month.

Happy Birthday Nati!!!

2011-09-14T21:26:00.005-05:00

I'm taking a break from catching up tonight, because Nati turned 8 today! I really can't believe he is already 8. I want the next 10 years to go as slowly as possible.

We are so incredibly blessed to have Nati as our son. He is generous, sweet, funny, protective, loyal, smart, athletic, respectful, and really just the best son anyone could wish for. Today is bittersweet, because I cannot and will not forget the lovely lady that brought him into this world. She, Braegan, and I have the most incredible son.

Enjoy the pictures through the years...

About 4 years old

5 years old

6 years old

7 years old

Today!

June

2011-09-07T17:57:00.003-05:00

OK, let the catching up begin....

June was our last decent month this summer that wasn't CRAZY hot. We swam a lot and the kids really enjoyed time with Braegan at home. (He's a teacher.)

At the end of June we had our family reunion with my mom's side of the family near Austin. It is pretty much my favorite weekend of the year. We all had a really great time. There are way more pictures than this, but here is just a taste. It was a fun packed 3 days!

First Week of School

2011-08-26T18:40:00.004-05:00

Oh my goodness!!! It has been forever since I blogged. I guess a little under two months is the same as forever to me. I'm going to start with our first week of school and work our way back to where I stopped.

Of my three children, two of them are pretty loud. I found it very interesting that my loud ones (Nati and Claire) were the most nervous. Ada couldn't wait to get back to school. She has Claire's old teacher, who we all love, so her change really wasn't that big. Claire is now in pre-k, which is a bit different than preschool. She was very nervous the first day and then when I picker her up, she said she was over the nervousness. She was disappointed though, that she did not learn how to read on Monday. Nati did just what I expected. He didn't appear nervous until it was time to walk into the building. We moved about 8 months ago, and so he is going to a new school. (We let him finish the school year last year at his old school.) As we were walking to the classroom, he said, "Mom, I'm nervous." I told him that I knew he was and that I would pray for him all day. He seemed relieved that I said that. When I picked him up, he told me that was one of the best days ever and he was so glad I prayed for him. The three have done very well this week, and I think it's going to be a big year for all of them with their development.

I completely forgot to take a picture the first three days of school, so here is a picture of their fourth day.

A Late Happy Father's Day

2011-06-27T21:09:00.003-05:00

I am so blessed with the best dad in the world. He really is amazing and I can't imagine a better dad out there. He has taught me so many life lessons. And, I really do think of many of them just about every day. One thing he has taught me (which I have absolutely NOT mastered), has been through example. He is one of those people that has the skill to not speak about meaningless things. When he says something in conversation, it is very well thought out and really means something. One thing he told me when I was a teenager, (which might have been a hint) was that it is really a challenge to go throughout an entire day without saying the words, "me", "my", or "I". I don't think he really meant it as advice, but rather a fun challenge. But, I have taken it as advice. My dad has been supportive in every life decision I have made. He is a very open minded person and one of the most compassionate persons I have ever known. I really could go on and on and on, but I don't want to embarrass him. Happy Father's Day Dad.

The next Happy Father's Day goes out to Braegan. He is absolutely the best dad I can imagine raising our children. They LOVE him. I think summer time is their favorite time of year, because they get to spend all of it with Braegan. He takes them out nearly every day to find new parks and splash pads. He teaches them about God and about the world at an age appropriate level. He encourages them to do well in all that they do. He also does the dirty work like bathtime and cleaning up messes when the littlest one doesn't quite make it to the toilet in time. He is simply amazing. Happy Father's Day Braegan.

Special Mothers

2011-05-08T21:26:00.002-05:00

I wanted to write a post about five very special ladies to me.

My mom is incredible. I was a pretty emotionally high maintenance child and teenager (and still can be as an adult). She stuck to my side the entire time and was able to calm me. She went above and beyond what a mother needs to do everyday. As an adult, she is still my mom, but has also become one of my best friends. She has taught me what it is to follow Jesus. She loves me in all of my imperfections. Happy Mother's Day Mom!

One of the reasons my mom is pretty awesome is because of her mom, my Granny. She is absolutely a wonderful lady. One of the many things I admire about her is how beautifully she has accepted change in her life, while still remaining true to herself. She has allowed all of her life experiences shape her to be a beautiful mother. She is the reason that our extended family is so incredibly close. She is an amazing gift.

This is not Father's day, but my dad is who he is because of his mother, my Grandma. She is such a role model. She lived in Brazil for many years raising her children as a missionary's wife. She has faced many hardships and doesn't ever complain. She has very strong opinions, but allows others to voice their different opinions to her and only accepts those differences with respect. She faces everyone she meets no matter how different they are from her, with love and without judgment.

These three ladies have so much more than I have mentioned and also share many of the same character traits that I mentioned. I really cannot believe how blessed I am that these three ladies are considered mothers to me.

The next two mothers I have a relationship with through my oldest and youngest children. Enat (yes, to all of you adoptive Ethiopian families- I know this name means mother, but it is actually her name) is Nati's first mother. Nati carries her character with him. She is beautiful and strong. I hope to see her again on this earth, but if not, I cannot wait to see her in Heaven. I wrote quite a bit about my feelings towards her a couple of years ago in this post. Malawe is Ada's first mother. I also was able to meet her and to share an embrace and kiss with her. In the face of very difficult hardships, she was able to still show love to our daughter. I will never be able to put into words how special these two ladies are to me. Nati carries on memories of Enat with love. Unfortunately, Ada will not have those memories because of her age, but I will be able to share our meeting. Malawe did give Ada two of her most beautiful traits though, her lips and her eyebrows.

Thank you God for these blessings, and I will make sure to pass these blessings on.

Fun at Tour Dallas

2011-04-24T21:34:00.003-05:00

I've been a really bad blogger lately. I'm going to try to do some catch-ups on what's been going on. So, here is my first post of catching up....

A few weekends back, Nati and Uncle Gian did their second Tour Dallas. It's not a bike race, but just a tour. This year they did the 20 mile ride. And, once again, Nati had a blast!!! Thanks Uncle Gian.

First a picture of their biggest fans...

And then a picture of the cyclists....

Front Page

2011-04-02T21:32:00.003-05:00

Look what was on the front page of McKinney's newspaper last Sunday!!!!!! Pretty cool.

FYI: We did not change his name to Nathan. His name is still Natnael, aka Nati.

Baseball

2011-03-26T20:57:00.003-05:00

After a couple of years of asking, Nati's wish finally came true. He is now playing baseball. I know I'm his mom, and I know there are other incredible child athletes out there, but Nati is a very good baseball player. He's an above average hitter and an excellent fielder. Yesterday, in his first game he made a double play at first base. (Apparently they are not called double outs, like I was thinking.)

Ada is Three!

2011-03-14T21:54:00.002-05:00

Our littlest angel is now 3!! I'm two days late in posting this - she actually turned 3 on March 12th. We had a wonderful birthday with just the family. (We have a big family - lots of cousins, grandparents, uncles, and aunts).

Not to take away from Ada on this post, but 3 years ago today, we saw this cute face for the first time.

Today, we also had our first post-placement home study. Pretty painless. We're all adjusting fine.

Claire in the Middle

2011-03-03T21:25:00.007-06:00

Oh my! It's been a month since I last posted. We've been busy, and I just haven't had anything really to blog about. I still don't have anything major, so I thought I'd just do a quick post about my middle child - Claire.

Claire has had an interesting 4 years. She was our first born, and at 17 months old was bumped down to the youngest, and then at 4 years became the middle child. Braegan and I have always joked that she has the perfect personality for a "middle" child. She's fun, social, hilarious, lovable, and hands down our most difficult child. We love her to pieces, but she will be the one that turns our hair gray.

Her relationship with Nati is amazing. She adores him. When he first came home, she depended on him more than us. She would only let him feed her and their relationship has just grown. They are extremely close. About a month ago they were sitting next to each other in the doctor's waiting room, and she had put her legs on his legs and was stroking his hand, and he was completely oblivious to it - they are just that close. Extremely comfortable with each other. Claire is also teaching Nati to be a great husband one day to a high maintenance wife. She walked in to the kitchen a couple of weeks ago in her Sunday dress. Braegan told her how pretty she looked, Claire said in a very girly way, "Thank you". She paused a second, and then turned to Nati and asked, "Nati, what are you going to say?". Nati responded with a "Claire, you look very pretty." Claire also likes to do things to bother Nati on purpose. I was recently giving the girls a bath when Nati walked in asking where one of his toys was. Claire told him that she didn't know. He left and continued looking. A couple of minutes later we heard him say, "I found it!!". Claire, looking down at her hands, said, "Good!" and then in a quiet singing voice added, "That's because I hid it from you." I stopped what I was doing and just looked at her and she slowly lifted her eyes to me and just grinned. I should have disciplined her, but it was just too funny. I'm just glad I walked out of the bathroom before I started laughing.

Ada is definitely her best friend. They do EVERYTHING together. Claire was the one we were nervous about when Ada came home, but she fell in love with Ada rather quickly. They laugh and play together all the time. She tries to be the "big" sister, but really they are just peers. They are so close in age, I don't know if Claire will ever really get that "big" sister role. When Ada first came home and didn't know English, Claire took total advantage... She would ask Ada to do things that Claire wanted, and then would quickly add in a "Say yes!" Ada would then say, "Yes", and Claire would show her how she unknowingly agreed to do something that Claire wanted to do, like give her a toy. That was short lived. Ada caught on after a couple of weeks, and Claire's fun is over with that.

I think Claire was born to be a middle child. God designed our family perfectly.

Ethiopia Trip

2011-02-04T15:46:00.009-06:00

I figured today would be a good day to write about my trip....

Once again, I had a very nice time in Ethiopia. Because of Ada's age, I was not allowed to leave the guest house with her except for visiting the Gladney home, visiting her first mother, and her embassy appointment. If I did want to leave, I had to hire a caretaker to come in and watch her, which I did twice in order to shop and go to the cultural dinner.

In McKinney, we celebrated Christmas on Christmas Eve morning. Braegan, Nati, and Claire then took me to the airport, and I left around noon. I flew to Washington D.C. I then spent the night at the Hyatt Hotel. It was the loneliest/most exciting Christmas Eve night I've ever had. It was just kind of weird. I was exhausted, and went to sleep at 8:30, and then woke up by myself on Christmas morning. (Side note - the man that helped me find my shuttle to the airport, the woman that brought me my dinner, and the man that drove me back to the airport were all Ethiopian) I then left around noon again and went over to Ethiopia without any stops. (I think it was around 12 hours) I flew Ethiopian Air and it went really well. We landed in a warm Ethiopia with Ethiopian Air playing "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas" by Bing Crosby.

I was then driven to the B.Joe's Guest House and got there around 10ish am. I was told I would not have Ada until the next day. Because I was by myself and exhausted, I actually wasn't that disappointed. I just went straight to sleep. No other guests would be at the guest house until the next day. So.... it was a pretty quiet day. I actually for the first time ate by myself at a restaurant that night. OK, I'm going into way too much detail... sorry about that.

The next morning, the other two families came in. Rob and Ami came to adopt a baby boy and John and Cynthia came to adopt a baby girl. Those four people are about the four neatest people I've ever met. I had a blast with them. Shortly after they came in, Genet (Belay's sister) brought our children to us. Ada came up the stairs first. I think people are most curious about the initial meeting. It's not at all as glammed up as people think it is. It is not a private meeting, and your child is going through quite a traumatic experience. Ada did well. She let me pick her up. I just said, "Hi Adanech" a few times. She sat in my lap and faced me, but wouldn't look at me. After a few minutes of avoiding my eyes, she gave me about a second long stare. That was good for me. The two babies did wonderful in their meetings.

During that whole day, Ada didn't make a sound. She did smile a couple of times though when I gave her some gifts in our room. The first night went well. In the morning I started playing with her by hanging her upside down briefly, and then I heard her laugh. After that, things just kept improving. She started opening up to me more and more over the week.

On Tuesday we had our embassy apt, which went well. Belay met us there. Ada was exhausted and crawled up in his lap and fell asleep in his lap. That night we went for our cultural dinner also with Belay, which was amazing. One of the ladies there that ate with us was one of the ladies that brought Nati to the foster home. Belay asked me for the pictures I had brought with me of Nati, and she was able to look through them. I loved that Nati had been remembered.

Here are a couple of videos of the dancing from the cultural dinner:

On Wednesday we went to the Gladney Foster Home and were able to tour it with Belay. I was able to hold and love on babies that were waiting for their parents to come pick them up. Ada said goodbye to her special mother who gave her a beautiful dress. We then had a coffee ceremony there which was really nice.

Here are Malia, Ada, and Ricky at the coffee ceremony:

On Friday Ada received her visa. We then went to say goodbye to her first mother that afternoon. It went well.

Throughout this whole trip, I was able to drive with Dawit, who was fantastic. All of the drivers are great, but there was something extra special about Dawit. We plan to all travel back as a family in a couple of years, and it will be great to see him again.

Here is a picture of Ada with Belay and then a picture of Ada with Dawit.

That night, we began the process of going home. I was really nervous about this trip. It was much longer than the trip to Ethiopia and I would be with Ada. Luckily the other two families were flying with me. We didn't get to sit together, but it was nice knowing they were there. There were probably 20 other children on the plane being adopted. All of the children really did well. It could have been a loud flight, but it wasn't. Ada threw a fit when we took off, but once I was able to get the seat belt off, she slept the majority of the time. Ada slept between me and a very tall Sudanese man. She kept kicking him in her sleep, and I kept trying to block her feet. After several times, he told me to not worry about it. At the end of the trip he asked me to take a picture of him and then he wanted to take a picture of Ada and me. He had gone to Sudan to visit his family, but was headed back to the US to go to school and work in Vermont. We landed in DC again and had a few hours of a layover. We then flew to Chicago. I sat next to a really nice lady that was on her way to S. Korea to teach. The flight went really well until we hit bad weather. I'm not thrilled about flying to begin with, and the plane dropped quite a bit at once. I was so happy to touch ground again. The next flight was Chicago to Dallas (home). I was crying on the phone before I got on that last plane. I was pretty much done with traveling. Ada slept while I was crying. When I was able to calm down, I woke her up to get back onto the plane. She then began crying. Somehow I remembered the Amharic word for "gum". I hadn't said it since Nati couldn't speak English. I told her the word, and she nodded her head, and calmed down immediately.

The flight went great, and we landed. Braegan, Nati, and Claire and my parents and Braegan's parents were there to meet us. The trip was over. And, I can't wait to go back to visit. I LOVE Ethoipia.

How Is Ada Doing?

2011-01-23T20:59:00.003-06:00

This is a question I get a lot, so I thought I'd share.

She's doing exceptionally well. She really isn't very shy at all, but rather quiet. If she's at home, she really opens up. She comes off as extremely quiet though compared to her older siblings.

She has a smile that brightens a room. Her eyes smile just as big as her mouth. Not many people can do that, but she can. Ada is full of love. Her hugs are strong, and her kisses come with a "muah!".

She's a very happy child. She rarely gets upset. She can get a little fussy when she's tired, and she's not our dogs biggest fan, but she's working on it. She will now pet them and even kiss them, but does it more as a dare. She's still learning to trust them. Nati has really helped her with this. He takes her outside and works on her relationship with the dogs.

Ada is one of the most resourceful children I've come across. When things are being put together, she studies it and looks at it at all different angles to see how it will work. (Ex. watching Braegan put together her tricycle.) She is very interested in how things work. She also took apart my super cool stylus/pen/pencil that I use for work. We haven't figured out how to put it back together. She is very good at dressing herself, and is doing quite well with potty training.

She LOVES music. I thought Claire liked music, but Ada likes it at a whole new level. Any music comes on, and she starts grooving. She also loves to sing. (all in Amharic).

She's doing amazing in daycare. I was so nervous with this. I wanted her to be happy, but I wanted to make sure she knew who her primary caregivers were (Braegan and me), and she seems to have mastered that. She loves her teachers, but always comes to me with a big hug when I drop her off and pick her up. Her teachers are amazing and they say she is doing wonderful. They told me last week that she was playing dress up, and out of all of the outfits (princess dresses included), she chose scrubs ( just like me!). I was flattered.

She is doing very well with both Nati and Claire. She looks at Nati as a big brother that's really "cool", and Claire as a perfect play mate.

She is definitely on the girly side. She likes bows in her hair and was so excited about wearing her new shiny Sunday shoes this morning. She loves having a Daddy. Once I dress her up, she runs to him so that she can show herself off and hear from him that she is pretty.

I cannot believe how blessed we have been.

I thought I'd include a picture of Ada from Ethiopia with her special mother. (each child from Gladney has a special mother which is a caregiver that becomes a mother to the child during the wait - They become very close, and the goodbye isn't easy.) These two love each other, and I know her special mother is a big reason that Ada has done so well with us.

Sweetness

2011-01-08T21:05:00.002-06:00

This pose was originally not planned. The three were just playing. I saw the great photo op and asked them to get back into position. I'd say we're all getting along just nicely. :)

Happy Birthday Claire

2011-01-07T19:34:00.000-06:00

Happy 4th birthday Claire!! What a blessing you are.

And The Journey Begins

2011-01-03T13:28:00.002-06:00

We have closed the chapter to her adoption process (minus re-adoption - which is a piece of cake). But... the journey has now begun with adjustment. We are all doing well.

Since Nati is pretty much fantastic at all that he faces, he is probably doing the best. Braegan and I are trying to keep up with adding a new child with new needs.

She (at this time) is the most different from Nati and Claire. Nati and Claire are extremely outgoing and fairly loud at times. Ada is not. She will go to anyone, but will not talk to anyone. When she does talk to us, she is very quiet. She gives kisses and we can make her laugh easier than we could in the beginning. She's terrified of the dogs, but has made big progress with that since Nati and Claire took a lot of time yesterday to show her that the dogs aren't scary. She doesn't like naps. (Claire told me today that she used to cry during naps also when she was a baby - I guess she means just a few weeks ago.) Ada is adjusting very well all things considered. Where we notice the most that she is still working on adjusting is that she does not actively go play with Nati and Claire. She follows me everywhere in the house instead. I took her to Claire's daycare this morning to meet the teachers and her classmates. She did wonderful! Braegan and I have been so nervous about starting her in daycare so soon (next week), but today's visit boosted my confidence quite a bit. The teachers are amazing. They let me know that they are going to do everything possible to make the transition easy. Next week she will begin, but just like Claire will only be there part time.

Claire has been interesting to watch. She actually has behaved exactly how we thought she would. She really likes Ada. She really likes being a big sister. She also is very well aware there is another girl/sibling in the home. Anything we do for Ada, Claire wants done for her as well. This weekend was a little rough, but today we have turned a corner. I know there will be sisterly fights. But, Claire is showing today she is adjusting well also. I have the girls at home with me this week, where they can have a chance to bond with each other. Before lunch they ran races throughout our house several times. Ada was following Claire, which was huge!

I know I'm cutting this short and I know I have so much more to blog about. I will eventually get to it. We are just really busy right now beginning an awesome journey of a family of five.

I'm On My Way

2010-12-23T21:40:00.003-06:00

What a week... Last week on Thursday, around lunch time, I got the 817 area call. It was in the middle of the day. I knew it was Natalie. She calls on the evening before we leave for our trips, not in the middle of the day. I figured it wasn't good. Her tone of voice as soon as I said, "Natalie?" made everything clear. I knew what it was before she said it. A delay in the embassy apt because of an investigation. (No details to share - because it was all resolved.) What was an exciting day took a sharp turn. Rather than doing last minute packing, I was going to be on the phone with my travel agent and un-doing everything that had taken me weeks to get into place. I was impressed while Natalie was talking that I wasn't losing it. I remember even thinking, "wow, I can't believe how well I'm handling this." I think it's just because it wasn't clicking in my brain. In a few minutes after listening to her, I started crying on the phone. She's heard me cry before, and I'm sure she's heard others cry before. Natalie is so understanding, and I have appreciated that this whole process.

The next day, on Friday, we had a conference call with Belay. No update, but just to get everything cleared on what was going on. Gladney was very concerned for the families that this happened to. I could tell in their voices and with what they had to say. It was nice to know that it wasn't just a job to them.

Monday, we had the update that things were going well. I was told I would not hear anything the next day, but would on Wednesday.

Tuesday, I left my phone in the car while I was with a patient, and when I came out, saw that I had a missed call. This was either good or bad. I listened to her voice mail, heard "good news", hung up, and called her immediately. Ada was ready to come home. We would get the embassy apt the next day.

Wednesday, we got the call again. Our embassy apt is Tuesday, the 28th. I will have her visa on the 30th, and then bring her home.

Since Wednesday, (so yesterday), I have been re-doing everything that took me weeks to do in 1 day. Impressive, huh? No, I just know the right people. I have been working with Kathy from Susan Parr Travel Agency. She has been absolutely wonderful. She is taking care of everything, while she is on vacation. I'm now packed and ready to go. Santa is coming tonight (I'm writing this waiting for the kids to go to sleep). I leave to DC tomorrow at noon, spend the night, and then head straight on to Addis Ababa on Christmas day. I will get there in the morning of the 26th. Belay will bring Ada to me as soon as I get settled.

Ada and I will come home on Thursday the 30th at night, and arrive in the evening of New Year's Eve.

I am full of joy.

Delay

2010-12-16T15:53:00.002-06:00

I just wanted to thank everyone for all of the support throughout this entire process. As many of you know, I will not be leaving tomorrow. We feel confident I will be leaving soon though. We are thankful to the US Embassy in Ethiopia that they make sure everything is done ethically. While we are very disappointed, I do appreciate that Ethiopia, Gladney, and the US Embassy have their hearts in the right place.

love

2010-12-15T21:17:00.002-06:00

Our Ada!!!

2010-11-24T12:40:00.004-06:00

Our embassy apt is December 23rd!!!!! I'm going to have three children with me for Christmas. I'm too excited to process much right now. I'm overloaded with love right now.

Second Meeting

2010-11-23T07:08:00.006-06:00

Somehow 'A' found out who Braegan was before he came in this morning. She has a picture of us, but she didn't seem to recognize him yesterday, so I'm not sure what happened today. She wouldn't leave his side, she wanted him to hold her the whole time. She kept looking up at him and smiling and then resting her face on his shoulder. He became worried that she was getting too attached, so he put her down and started walking around. She went to the other side of the room and became very upset. Braegan was pretty heart broken over the whole incident. He was able to get her to smile when he said goodbye. He has one more visit with her. I hope that it goes better and there is some explaining done for 'A' on what is going on.

Braegan said 'A' has a soft voice and doesn't talk a lot. So, the might learn English a little slower than Nati, who picked it up almost immediately. Anyone who knows Nati, knows why. He never stops talking. :) Anyway, Braegan said 'A' can "soften your heart with one look". It sounds like she may already have Braegan wrapped around her finger. :)

Please pray that we have a quick embassy appointment. I want to bring home our little girl FAST!

Father Meets Daughter

2010-11-22T06:21:00.004-06:00

Braegan just sent me a wonderful email about our little girl. Here's the part about 'A':

"Everything went great this morning. 'A' is awesome. She is so sweet but very quiet. They say she is the best behaved in the room. She came and sat in my lap and so I got to hug her and play quite a bit with her. I probably held the other kids more, just because they were coming up so much more. She is a watcher and then she picks her time to come up and play. She is two though, (FYI - with her rapid increase in weight Braegan and I were thinking she was older - ok, back to the email) she's just a thick little girl with pretty eyes. I met with Travis and the other families this morning and will have court at one on Wednesday. 'A' is so cool, and that's just from meeting her once. I think it is going to be hard on the caregivers to say bye to her, she seems like a favorite."

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! - That's how I feel right now. :)

Count Down

2010-11-12T21:16:00.004-06:00

Oh my goodness, the time has finally come! In one week Braegan will be on a plane to meet our beautiful little girl.

With that comes a lot of preparation. We've been filling out forms, collecting humanitarian aide, and starting and completing our education requirements. We definitely procrastinated on that last one. We had done it for Nati's adoption, but Gladney wants you to get updated education. I just finished the required reading,and Braegan's on schedule to finish it on Sunday. Anyway, the book is AMAZING. It's called The Connected Child by Karyn Purvis and David Cross. It's made us think a lot about how we parent, and gives us lots of ideas for improvement. It's designed for children that are adopted, however, we've been using a lot of the techniques on Claire, and her behavior has improved a lot in the last three days. I wouldn't mind it at all if Karyn Purvis moved in with us. :)

We have finished collecting our humanitarian aide. A huge box of diapers, wipes, and hand sanitizer came in the mail today. We'll have to figure out how in the world we're going to make it fit into Braegan's luggage. We also have clothes that Braegan's mom bought for us to take and the cutest dresses that were made by my Aunt Linda and her sister. Thanks a bunch!

Aren't these dresses pretty??

A funny story today by Claire: She was in the car with Nati and me going over again the schedule of bringing 'A' home. This story came with a little twist. She said that "Daddy is going to go to Ethanopida (that's how she pronounces Ethiopia) to visit 'A'. Then he will come home. Then Mommy will go back and pick her up and bring her back to ME." Nati and I were silent for a moment trying to grasp what she had just said. Nati and I both took the opportunity to explain that 'A' will be coming home to all of us, not just Claire. I'm sure Claire understands this, but I think she is a very hopeful little girl and wants 'A' all to herself. The transition of two adorable little girls 14 months apart becoming sisters while one of them is wanting to play big sister AND mom should be very interesting.

The Jesus Storybook Bible

2010-11-07T20:42:00.004-06:00

I just finished reading this book to my children last night. For anyone that has elementary children and younger, this is a MUST!!! It was an amazing book. It's the Bible re-written for children and it emphasizes how Jesus was in God's plan from the beginning. Nati and Claire were completely into the book, and asked for it nightly. I looked forward to the stories as well. There were many nights where I told them I'd only read one story, and we'd end up reading three or four because I wanted to keep going. I told them we will read it again from beginning to end once 'A' understands English.

Oh, How She's Changed

2010-11-01T21:18:00.002-05:00

'A' has really blossomed since being with Gladney. Check out her most recent update and her first update.

A new update on 'A':

I found 'A' playing outside this morning enjoying a fun game of chase with some of the caregivers. She laughed uncontrollably throughout the whole game! She has such a playful spirit! She seems to display a sense of leadership among the children in her foster care home. She continues to follow directions well and includes all of the children in daily activities. Every time I visit, her happiness can’t help but shine through!

Update from July:

When I showed up to visit with 'A', she was enjoying reading time with all of her friends in her room. Apparently, she really likes to read. She likes to point to pictures she likes in the book and likes to share books with you, wanting you to join in the fun. She’s curious about things and likes to learn. As evidenced by this little anecdote, 'A' does not really exhibit any stranger anxiety, but she does seem to be more on the quiet side. When you interact with her, there often appears to be a slight smile brimming right on the edge of her lips that she tries to contain. She wants to let loose a bit but is a bit shy. Moreover, she has this spark in her eye, which makes me think that given the right circumstances, she might just show off a different more mischievous side.

Passed First Court Date

2010-10-26T19:32:00.003-05:00

We passed!

Braegan will be leaving November 19th, to go see our beautiful little girl. Court will be November 24th, and then Braegan will come home November 27th.

We're hoping I will be going before Christmas to bring 'A' home.

This is finally happening!

College Homecoming

2010-10-19T22:22:00.006-05:00

Last weekend I (by myself - Braegan had to coach cross country) drove Nati and Claire to Abilene, TX to see a lot of our family. None of us live in Abilene, but lots and lots of us went to McMurry University and it was their homecoming. It was like a mini family reunion. Those that were not there were missed!!!

Needless to say, we had a lot of fun. I came down with a cold, but with my family there, I had lots of help. Anyway, here are some pictures!

Together for Adoption cont.

2010-10-03T21:23:00.010-05:00

I was moved this past weekend more than I think I have ever been. This conference I went to is designed to encourage the church to address the global orphan crisis. And.... it is a crisis!! The most recent number released on orphans in the world is 163,000,000. If that doesn't break your heart, then I'm not sure what would. These are children. Everyone of you either has children, or cares greatly for at least one child. What if one of the children you loved was in this number? Can you imagine your child going to sleep at night without a parent? Can you imagine your child aging out of the system and being tricked into human sex trafficking? Can you imagine your child not having their physical needs met? Can you imagine your child not knowing what a mom or dad is? Can you imagine your child not having parents AND being the caregiver to her younger siblings? The list goes on and on and on... This is a problem that needs fixed. It's hard to imagine fixing a number like 163,000,000 by only adopting two children. That problem just won't be fixed.

BUT...... guess who can fix it? THE CHURCH!!!!! "It is in our DNA as Christians to care for the fatherless." The church is making a move to reclaiming its children. "Jesus is calling its bride to take care of His children." Now is the time we are becoming organized and doing something about this horrible epidemic. I bet you could ask anyone that went to this conference if they felt the Holy Spirit moving, and the answer would be "Absolutely!"

In a very disorganized way, I'm going to go through some very special or alarming things I heard this weekend...

One was that "Adoption is bigger than the universe." Let me explain.... Jesus is bigger than the universe, and through Jesus we were ALL adopted. We were adopted by God!

An incredible dream that was shared really shook me. A couple had decided to adopt a child through a private domestic adoption. The mother was nearing the end of her pregnancy, and the adoptive parents were called into the office and told that they just found out the child was going to be born with Spina Bifida. They were told that they could re-think adopting this child, since this was not what they signed up for. The couple went home that night, and this is what the mom dreamed.... ---She was in a room with a lot of people. One by one someone brought out a baby. Every baby brought out was beautiful. People were saying, "I want that one." over and over for each baby brought out. Then, an ugly baby was brought out. The people were silent. Jesus stepped forward and said "I want that one." When the mom saw the baby's face, the face was her own.--- Jesus adopts us even with all of our sin. Jesus is pro-adoption. Shouldn't we be too?

One speaker spoke of his church deciding to take on foster to adopt. I'm sorry that I can't remember the exact number, but it was over 100 children. For those that didn't adopt there was a man that said he would start up college funds for each child adopted. There was a man that said he would give bunk beds to each family that adopted. There was a man that said he would re-finish basements for at cost for each child that was adopted. This church came together to do what we are called to do.

There is a church in Austin that has partnered with a church in Ethiopia to care for the orphans and to teach Ethiopians to adopt. In other parts of the world, and I'm sad to say, in the U.S. too, keeping our blood line going is so important. I love this verse that was shared regarding this, "Don’t just say to each other, ‘We’re safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.’ That means nothing, for I tell you, God can create children of Abraham from these very stones."-- Matthew 3:9. Do you really think Jesus cares about our biological relationship to each other?

One pastor that spoke said he found in a trash can a book that was written for a social worker on how to talk to Christians on adoption. It had written ways to use the scripture to show Christians why we should be adopting. Isn't that backwards? It's all through the Bible. Why is a social worker who is already busy, having to figure out how to convince Christians do what we have been called to do over and over in the Bible?

One of the hardest things to hear was human sex trafficking. Many of these children are children that age out of the orphanage without ever have been adopted. Let these statistics speak for themselves.

1.2 million children are trafficked every year; this is in addition to the millions already held captive by trafficking
Every 2 minutes a child is being prepared for sexual exploitation
The average victim is forced to have sex up to 40 times a day
The average age of a trafficked victim is 14 years old

Heart breaking. Go to http://www.sheispriceless.com/ to learn more on this horrible problem.

I could go on and on and on about all that I absorbed this past weekend.

Clearly, my heart has been stirred. Adopting two children is not going to solve the global orphan crisis, BUT the church can. Tonight at my Bible study I spoke to a friend of mine about this conference and asked her what she thought about starting a ministry in our church. Would it surprise you that she had just been thinking the same thing? The Holy Spirit is moving. I realize we have lots of work to do, but it has begun.

He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few."- Matthew 9:37. The church I know can increase the workers.

Afterall, "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." - James 1:27

This verse also reminds us that it is not just about the orphans, it is about the widows also. Something must be done to assist these widows or single mothers to not have to find themselves in a situation where they are having to give up their children.

I do want to make something clear before I end this post though.... I realize not everyone is called to adopt, BUT we are all called to orphan care.

Together For Adoption

2010-10-02T22:28:00.004-05:00

I just came back from an extremely emotionally and heart breaking conference called "Together For Adoption". I thank God that he broke my heart several times in the last two days. I have so much to say, but first I need to sort out all of my thoughts and feelings. I will share later.

Happy Birthday Nati!

2010-09-14T22:00:00.003-05:00

Today, Nati turned 7! I can't believe it. He's so old. :)

For his birthday, he wanted to go to a Texas Rangers baseball game rather than have a birthday party. So, we went on Sunday and had a wonderful time. It's always nice when they win too.

Nati is a special 7 year old. He is so age appropriate in many things he does (ex. insanely high energy level), but then he does things that remind us that he is wise beyond his years. He is wonderful at sharing, consideration, generosity, his faith, selflessness, and a refreshing positive attitude towards everything. How blessed we are to have him as our son.

Since we don't have baby pictures, I thought I'd share his announcement video of when we passed court on May 13th, 2008. He was 4 years and 8 months old.

COURT DATES!!

2010-09-02T12:36:00.005-05:00

What a surprise! I came out of a patient's house, and checked my phone and there was a message from Natalie. I called right back, thinking it was probably bad news, because nobody was supposed to hear anything during the rainy season. Well.... it was GREAT news.

Our first court date is set for October 24th. We will not be there for that one. If things go well, we will travel November 21st and have our court date on November 24th. We will be spending Thanksgiving in Ethiopia. Nati and Claire will be staying with Aunt Amy and Uncle Gian!!!

I should be traveling sometime mid to late December to pick 'A' up.

Oh my gosh, I just can't believe this happened!!!

Update on 'A'

2010-09-01T20:28:00.001-05:00

“I found 'A' enjoying the therapeutic qualities of scooping up rice out of the rice bucket in her room and pouring it back in. She seemed really mesmerized by it until a caregiver told her I was there at which time she stopped and walked over to say with a smile, “Ababa”—her way of saying “hello.” The more I am getting to know 'A', the more she seems to like being teased—the more I see a playful side to her. As I said last month, she seems shy at first, but there is plenty of energy and sociability (even a bit of mischief?) under that veneer. Any kind of “where’s the object?” kind of teasing, she really likes. If she hands me a ball, and I hide it behind my back, she thinks it’s a lot of fun to find it again. In addition to being a beauty, she’s got a cute personality to boot.”

I am so ready for a court date!

First Day of School

2010-08-23T22:30:00.006-05:00

The first day of school went very well for Braegan and Nati. Nati is now a first grader. I can't believe it. Once again, just like last year, I was the one hanging around the classroom with him turning around several times to say "Goodbye". I think he liked that I was there, but completely fine with me leaving also. I had asked him yesterday if he was nervous at all. He told me, "No, God is always with me." Faithful little boy.

Claire technically started her new class last week. Over the summer while we kept Nati and Claire home, she lost her spot in her class. The pre-school let her start last week anyway, but they had to move her up early. Today, the rest of her old class moved up to join her. Her teacher said that she was the"senior" of the class, since she already knew the rules, and was helping her friends learn the new rules.

Just like last year, we celebrated at Chili's. Compare these pictures to last year's.

When we came home, we received a wonderful email from an adoptive family blog friend, Emily, who recently came home from Ethiopia. She delivered a photo album of us to our little girl. I can't wait until we can all see each other in person. Oh... also, Gladney is feeding her well. She looks very healthy. She's only 1 pound lighter than Claire now. In March, she was 12 pounds lighter. She has also grown 3 inches! She looks absolutely wonderfully beautiful.

Name Change!!

2010-08-11T22:18:00.003-05:00

So, I'm a just a tad bit early working on a certain, very fun project.... our picture montage video to announce when we pass court. It's ready, other than adding pictures as they come in from other adoptive families. I love the song that I chose too.

While working on it, Braegan suggested a different middle name, and I love it. I still can't give out her first name, but her middle name will be "Bell" ( my maiden name ). It had been bothering me a little that she was the only one of our children without a middle name named after someone, and "Bell" fits her first name perfectly, especially with the nickname she will be called.

We can't wait to share her pictures and her name, but we'll just have to wait a few more short months.

Waiting Builds Character

2010-08-06T14:13:00.008-05:00

That's what we will be focusing on for a while.

Natalie called today to say we did not receive a court date. I was not at all surprised with this. We're kind of used to waiting now. I know others that have waited longer than us, so I won't be complaining too much on this post. :)

But... are you ready for the good news....? Our file was submitted!!!!!! This means that when the courts re-open hopefully on September 28th, we should hear something soon of a court date. While it's just a guess, Natalie is thinking the next batch of court dates will be late October or early November. Again.... this is just a guess.

Thanks for all of the prayers and support.

An Update!!!!

2010-08-03T17:34:00.002-05:00

We've been told personalities can change as the children get more used to their surroundings. It looks like it may be happening.

“A isn’t shy, but she seems that way at first. If you call her, she’ll come over to you without a second thought, it seems, but she also seems equally comfortable playing by herself or with others. In addition to her quiet gregariousness, A is really inquisitive. She loves to know what I’m doing when I'm in her room to visit her. “What’s that he’s writing in that notebook? What else is in his bag?” she seems to be thinking as she stares intently at my every move. And then, to break the spell, I tickle her little ribs, and a huge grin spreads across her face and irrepressible giggles bubble up from deep inside her little belly.”

Please please please, may we have a court date Ethiopia???? If it doesn't happen by Friday, we will have to wait until October.

Happy Birthday Sam!!

2010-07-30T20:54:00.004-05:00

July 26th, a little before 11PM, my new nephew, Sam, came into the world. He is beautiful!

A new picture of the Bell cousins. We can't wait to add one more precious little girl to the mix in a few months.

Also, thank you for the supportive comments to my last post. I really appreciated it. Y'all are the best.

Feeling Left Out

2010-07-29T20:59:00.004-05:00

So.... in case anyone is wondering if we have received our court date.... we have not. According to the Gladney FBI list, we are the only ones that have not received one for everyone who accepted a referral through 6-24-10. I guess you could say, I'm feeling pretty left out.

Also, I know my last post was saying no one would be getting court dates until the courts re-opened, but clearly that was wrong. TONS of people received court dates, just not us. And, yes, I'm happy for everyone who received that special call, just letting everyone know that we did not.

Until October....

2010-07-09T20:46:00.005-05:00

I will be resting my mind. :)

I already knew it in my heart, but we had confirmation today in a group email sent from Gladney saying that if you have not heard of a court date by now, it's safe to say you won't hear anything until they re-open after the rainy season in late September or October. I really felt that this would happen, so I'm not very disappointed. It's weird to say, but sometimes it's nice to have all hope taken away from you.

We will now just live the last few months of our lives as a family of 4 with wonderful monthly updates on our soon to be youngest daughter.

Also... I will spend this time practicing becoming better at making braids. Claire gets to serve as my guinea pig.

Side note: If you like the flower, go buy it from the Mathews.

Update on Little Beauty 'A'

2010-07-06T15:34:00.004-05:00

An email from one of the in-country representatives: A picture was also sent, but again, no smile.... She is wearing the dress we bought her though!!! Something we have touched is on her! What a neat feeling!!

“When I showed up to visit with 'A', she was enjoying reading time with all of her friends in her room. Apparently, she really likes to read. She likes to point to pictures she likes in the book and likes to share books with you, wanting you to join in the fun. She’s curious about things and likes to learn. As evidenced by this little anecdote, 'A' does not really exhibit any stranger anxiety, but she does seem to be more on the quiet side. When you interact with her, there often appears to be a slight smile brimming right on the edge of her lips that she tries to contain. She wants to let loose a bit but is a bit shy. Moreover, she has this spark in her eye, which makes me think that given the right circumstances, she might just show off a different more mischievous side.”

New Mexico

2010-07-01T21:09:00.009-05:00

Every summer we travel up to Northern New Mexico to visit my grandmother and the rest of my dad's family. She lives in Los Alamos, NM - which is also where Jaiya John is from (the author of a must read for adoptive parents of transracial adoptions - Black Baby White Hands.)

We had a wonderful time. We did lots of walking. It would be so cool I think to live in a town in the mountains where so many things are so close, you can just walk to in the middle of a summer day. It is simply too hot here in Texas to do that. I LOVE the mountains, and I have to get a dose of them every year or I go crazy. :)

My grandmother is one cool lady. Claire's middle name is my grandmother's maiden name. She is an incredibly strong Christian lady. She is open to talking to all sorts of people and I love that. She's one of those people that has very strong opinoins but will ALWAYS listen to and respect someone else's opinions. She is a great example to follow. She was also a missionary's wife from Brazil, which leads us to the next topic.... Brazil. It's the World Cup, which means Brazil's a big deal. I'll be honest, I am not a soccer fan, but I always want Brazil to win - even more than the U.S. Braegan accepts that, but is in full disagreement.

The pretty flowers at my grandmother's house.

The Brazilian flag at the campsite and following my parents to my uncle's house to watch Brazil's first game.

We had a very nice picnic with a lot of my family. (It's a big family, with some living in Washington state and others living in Brazil, so it is very difficult for all of us to get together). We had a wonderful time playing.

Cousins!

We also went camping. Oh, I love camping!!!! Especially, with my dad. He is the best cook anyway, but he really goes over the top when we go camping. I love the cool crispness of the mountains. It was just so dry though. We all had bloody noses, and poor Nati's lip cracked open and became very swollen. He looked like a duck and still has a scar on his lip from it. Again, even with how dry it was, it was WONDERFUL!!! I can't wait until next year.

Visiting some waterfalls. The water was FREEZING!! Well... not freezing actually, that would have been impossible to swim in, but EXTREMELY COLD!!

Around the campfire.

Isn't it pretty?

Hardwick Family Reunion

2010-06-28T20:19:00.010-05:00

After our very sweet referral, we have been very busy with lots of family time. We went to northern New Mexico 2 weeks ago and had a wonderful time. ( I will blog about that next.) This past weekend we went down to Burnet, TX with my mom's side of the family for our 3rd family reunion. We stayed in two huge log cabins and made wonderful memories.

We had fun pool time...

We enjoyed the river...

We had a surprise baby shower for Amy...

We enjoyed the rope swing...

We had a blast at the pool... (I love this picture of my extremely goofy husband.)

The Hardwick Family (minus Matt and Robin - We missed y'all)...

I can't wait to see everyone next year...

Story of the Referral

2010-06-09T22:58:00.003-05:00

I said it would be tomorrow, but I'm awful at waiting.

So... here's the story...

I was with my last child of the day today at 4PM (I'm a physical therapist that goes to my patients' homes) when I heard a pretty little ring. Being used to the fact that it was never Gladney, I didn't think it would be this time either :) . I thought it was Braegan calling about Nati's and Claire's dentist appointments. Anyway, there was an 817 number. Oh, how beautiful. I answered (which I never do when with a patient. :) ) and asked, "Natalie?". She said in a very happy, "Yes!" And of course, what did I have to say.... "Oh, I'm in a session right now, can I call you back?" ( I did say that excitedly though.) Needless to say, the last few minutes were very hard to concentrate, and lucky for me, the boy I was working with decided to cooperate extremely well. It was funny though... he kept looking over at my phone - it's like he knew.

Anyway.... I called Braegan and it seemed to take him a little while to grasp what I was saying. It took me a while to get a hold of Natalie. The number she called on cannot be called back and information did not give me the right number to Glandey. So... I guessed the number, and I guessed right. We rushed home in separate cars and Braegan put a movie in for Nati and Claire while Braegan and I met our youngest daughter over the computer. She's simply beautiful. I can't believe how pretty she is. She's estimated to be 26 months old. Looking at pictures of her, she seems kind of on the bigger side, but when we plugged her numbers into percentiles, she's pretty small actually.

Nati and Claire are very excited. Nati is excited that he now has two baby sisters and Claire insists that Baby A does not need her own bed, because she will be sharing her twin bed with her. Baby A sounds like she is opposite of Nati and Claire. For anyone that knows Nati and Claire - they are both ridiculously outgoing. Well.... apparently Baby A is the definition of shy and reserved. I realize this can change with a different environment though.

Oh, how I wish I could post her pictures. She's so beautiful, it's hard not to share them, but that will simply have to wait. As far as court dates go, I'm expecting after the rainy season (August and September). We hope to have her before Christmas.

While these calls are so exciting, it is important to remember that these calls also contain sadness. I will be praying for more than just my daughter tonight.

REFERRAL!!!

2010-06-09T19:41:00.003-05:00

Today we accepted our referral for the most beautiful 2 year old girl in the world. We're in love!!! More details tomorrow! We are on Cloud 9 and my mind is just a mess right now.

Summer Is Here!!!

2010-06-01T19:18:00.007-05:00

This is how Nati slides down the Slip N Slide. Pretty efficient.

And, this is how Claire slides. I can safely say... pretty inefficient.
It's hard to see in this one, but Claire is smiling. Nati is helping her by pushing her down the Slip N Slide.
It's hot here in Texas, so we're making the best of it. I think we're doing a pretty good job at it too. :) As always, you can check out more pictures at our "Pictures" site.

I have a couple of videos to post also, but my computer's being pretty slow, so those videos will be posted later.

Moving On Up

2010-05-25T21:11:00.003-05:00

So... most of you know about the unofficial wait list for Gladney Ethiopia Families. It's crazy to think how many times that site is visited by me, much less by everyone else that stalks it. Well, now, we are on the top. The very tip top actually. This is including those waiting for babies also. It's very surprising we made it to the top with our age range, but here we are. I must say, I'm very hopeful our call will be coming soon. I'm also apparently obsessing about the wait according to my husband. :) So.... I have decided to make this my last post about waiting. My next post will hopefully be about a referral, but may just be about our little happy family.

Are We There Yet?

2010-05-21T22:23:00.004-05:00

I remember asking that question when I was little on long car trips. And, now, years later, this question is back. It is just so much more powerful. It's a feeling of desperation. I'm so tired of waiting. I'm tired of missing my daughter. Our very large age range (18 months to 5 years and 8 months (1 yr younger than Nati)) is very big. This makes this wait even harder I think. We have no idea what to prepare for. Do I keep Claire's toddler toys and 2T clothes? I don't know. Do, I start thinking about getting a tutor for a little girl that I will be putting into Kindergarten immediately. I don't know.

I prayed today that I would get the call today. It didn't happen. I know that God listens, and I know that he is control. It's just that I want to see her face. I will pray tonight that I can see her face in my dreams. That will make me happy.

I know our little girl is being loved on and it will be our turn soon enough, but I'm ready for our turn to be now. I'm ready to fly over there. Everytime I hear a plane overhead, I look up and wish that I was on it and heading to Ethiopia. And, when our turn does come, I know the whole way there I will be thinking, "Are we there yet?"

8 Months

2010-05-07T20:53:00.002-05:00

On Monday it will be 8 months. Wow! Never ever would I have thought it would be this long. Natalie called me a trooper this week, which makes me feel better. She knows it's been a long one also. How I am doing? Well... not great honestly. I'm not crying or anything, but in my head I am very emotional. I just don't know what to think about all of this. I tend to jump ahead of the game a lot, and more than anything, I am dreading the wait for a court date. That's hands down the worst wait in this whole process, and I'm already thinking about it. I just want her home before Christmas.

On a totally different note, Nati's teacher emailed me today.... From the email it sounded like the class was supposed to take turns in giving a reason why they love their mother. Nati said, "I love my mother because she chose me. " Made my day!!!! Nati's school was obviously talking about Mother's Day today. The moms were invited for donuts this morning (and we were given a flower) and we were invited for lasagna for lunch. And, surprise.... it was really really good. :)

As We Wait...

2010-04-25T20:26:00.010-05:00

We keep busy...

In the past two weeks we bought our first minivan! Crazy!! I didn't think I would ever own one, but oh do I like it. It's a Toyota Sienna. Nati and Claire like it a lot too, but there are a lot of new rules they are adjusting to.... No touching the windows and no eating in the car. We told them it won't always be like this, but for now, it is. :)

I traveled alone with Nati and Claire last weekend to Midland, TX. (Braegan keeps busy this time of year with Track.) We sat on a ramp in Ft. Worth for 30 minutes and then sometime after Abilene, I decided to time how long Claire could scream at me. It was an hour. Great lung capacity. Even more impressive, is that Nati slept through most of it. We had a great time though in Midland. I love going back where I grew up. It was wonderful seeing my family.

With my Granny.

Nati is aware that my dad grew up in Brazil, but I think he was unaware of what my dad did while he was in Brazil.... played a whole lot of street soccer.
Bed time story by Uncle Gabe.
After dinner with me, Claire, my mom, and my granny.

The family walking to the park. Don't you love the wide streets?

This weekend, I participated in my first adventure race with one of my good friends, Dawnda. It was a blast. It involved running with a couple of random activities (a tandem walking game and planting flowers) and it also involved about an hour's worth of paddling in an inflatable canoe. Ours took over an hour though, since half of our trip was in a partially deflated canoe and a malfunctioning oar. Luckily, Dawnda is a very optimistic person and kept me going.

I read Pope Joan. Great great book. Oh my goodness! I highly recommend it. Wonderful. Also, before the last two weeks, I read Cry the Beloved Country - also wonderful. I think reading is helping me go into another world while I wait.

Today we went to Six Flags with my dad. He's a teacher in Midland and travels to Six Flags every year with his students. We had a great time and the weather could not have been prettier.

And this week.... well, nothing is planned, but I sure can think of something that would make it an awesome week. :) Lots of referrals have been happening. This is promising. Our turn is around the corner. I can feel it. Thanks EVERYONE for the support. Y'all are the best!

7 Months

2010-04-09T21:35:00.007-05:00

Wow!! Long wait. Much much longer than I thought. March was a hard month for me waiting. I couldn't stand it. I emailed Natalie at least once a week. She was so understanding. She emailed me back earlier in March and asked if I wanted to talk on the phone because she knew I was having a hard time, but I declined. I had it set in my heart that the next time I spoke to her, it would be the call. Well, she asked me again the week before Easter. I decided it might not be a bad idea. After 25 minutes of me asking questions (she does not have answers of specifics- but is able to go through all that takes place for a referral to happen), she asked me, "Ellen, how are you doing?" I couldn't believe it, I started crying on the phone. I've met her in person only once, and I just started crying. It might surprise you, but that was actually the first cry I had over this wait. I've been near crying, but had not done it yet. She was more than understanding and let me know it was ok to be honest with my feelings. After I hung up, I didn't know if it was a good idea that we had spoken, but within hours, I felt like a huge weight was lifted off of me. And, it has stayed off. I was a different person this week. I have known all along, but I finally accepted that absolutely none of this is under my control. I'm at peace now with this wait. I know it will happen, and until then, I'll just wait and hope. God wants the five of us to be a family, and I'll gladly wait for that day.

I do think it is important to add, that one thing I love about Ethiopia and Gladney, is their love for their children. While, it adds to our wait, Ethiopia and Gladney make very certain that EVERYTHING is done ethically. They make sure they do what is right for the children, the birth families, and the adoptive families.

And because it's sinful to post a blog without pictures, enjoy our Easter egg hunt:

Swim Lessons

2010-04-03T20:10:00.004-05:00

Claire swimming. She was very hyper and excited that we were so close watching. Most of the time, we had to watch from the other side of the pool, but since it was the last day, we were able to sit right in front of her. She loved it!

Nati swimming. He has been working so hard. Here he is swimming 25 yards independently. The lifeguard is NOT helping, even though it looks like it at times. Nati turned around and swam back too, but I didn't get that on tape. Less than a year ago, Nati was terrified of swimming. We've come a LONG way, and we are so proud of him.

Spring Break in Pictures

2010-03-20T13:58:00.008-05:00

I haven't posted anything in a while, but a lot has been going on. So, to fill you in, here are some pictures...
Nati went on a trip with his kindergarten class to the Dallas Zoo. Claire and I met him there and had a blast.

An unposed picture of the little ones watching tv.

We met Braegan's sister, Tara, and her husband, Brent, and her daughter, Haley at the Dallas Arboretum and also had lots of fun. We did lose a lense and a camera bag there, and Claire did throw one of the biggest tantrums ever, but it was still a great day. Oh. You're wondering why Claire threw a tantrum.... Well, don't you get mad at your mommy when she won't let you take your pants off in public? I mean, so mad, that people are staring and that your own cousin doesn't want to be anywhere near you because you are hurting her ears. Oh, that doesn't happen to you? Maybe it's just Claire.

My dad and little brother, Gabe, came near McKinney and went camping and we spent Sunday with them. My dad's pretty much the best cook ever. We had roast at the camp site!!!
Gabe, Claire, and Nati skipping rocks.
Claire assisting my dad in fishing.
Uncle Gian and Nati training for their bike race in two weeks. Yes, that's right, Nati's in a bike race!!

Then, my mom came in town later in the week. I love when my parents come in town!!
My cousins, Julia and Liz, and their husbands, Zac and Andy also came to visit.
Liz and Andy have two super cuties, Madeline and Owen.
Amy, with my cousin, Liz, and her son Owen.

Earlier in the week, Braegan took Nati and Claire to see his parents. They had lots and lots of fun there also. Braegan didn't have the camera for that trip.

OK, here's to hoping my next post will have a very detailed story involving a long awaited phone call. Do you think??? Just maybe. Come on Gladney!!!!

Sorting Through My Thoughts

2010-03-12T14:53:00.003-06:00

A lot has happened this week.

The first, is the new requirement of an orphan investigation to take place on each child before a visa is issued. This can add time. However, it seems that Gladney must not be too concerned. I think this is just because Gladney is so ethical. They follow the rules and ALWAYS do what is in the best interest of the child, the birth family, and the adoptive family. They just never have any funny business about them. I'm so glad I did so much research and I feel strongly that I chose the best agency in the US.

The second is the requirement for two trips to Ethiopia. This was quite a blow. More time to take off of work, and of course a lot more money. Both Braegan and I are required to appear in court. There are a couple of reasons for this, which were given yesterday. The government wants us to meet the child first and the judge would like to speak to the adoptive family at court.

Another blogger brought up an interesting point... In court a relative has to be present to relinquish rights. Obviously, a very emotional day. They then typically come back to meet the adoptive family a few weeks later and say goodbye to the child. Many of these relatives do not live in the capital. They make journeys for these trips. Each of these trips can be very emotional, and maybe this will be easier on the biological family to have the option of just doing it once.

One of the big reasons this 2 trip visit makes it so difficult, is because we will meet our child, and then leave her in Ethiopia. On the second trip, only one of us will be required to go to pick her up and get her visa. We are not completely sure yet which one of us it will be. Nati will not be going with us as originally planned. But, because of this, good things will come. We will spend one on one time with our daughter. Both Nati and Claire got that with us. And, now, since he will not be going, we will be traveling to Ethiopia within the next 2-3 years as a family. I'd love to do some humanitarian aid there. If Nati had gone with us, I don't think we would have put a very high priority to go back to Ethiopia soon.

A change already happened again yesterday, but it will not help us out at all. But, if you get your court date before April 9th, you do not have to go twice. I'm glad for those people that will qualify.

When there are lots of changes like these, it makes one nervous. I have wondered what else might change. These changes seemed to happen so quickly. There is no reason to believe at this point that adoptions will be stopped, but that doesn't completely stop the fear. This is a risk that anyone takes from the beginning.

Adoption has taught me a lot. It isn't easy. It has a lot of disappointment, but it is also very rewarding. I'm somebody that, like most Americans, loves security and comfort. I firmly believe that those two things are not what God desires for us. I think he desires faith and love. These changes have really thrown us out of the comfort and security level we prefer, but in turn, we are getting to work more on faith.

Thanks for all of the support and also thanks for all of the book ideas given in a previous post. :) I'm still reading a lot. :)

6 Months

2010-03-10T19:10:00.003-06:00

Today, we have waited 6 months.

Today, we found out two trips are required to Ethiopia.

Today, I am very tired.

Today, I know it is still COMPLETELY worth it.

Books Books Books

2010-02-25T22:55:00.005-06:00

I've really gotten into reading lately. Or, maybe, finally would be the more appropriate word. I've decided to dive into them. I've wasted way too much time not reading. I'm writing this blog entry, so you can give me some suggestions...

But, to help you help me, I'm going to list some books I've really liked, that way you know my taste.

Recently, I read The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns back to back. Loved both books - emotionally drained after them. I learned a lot about Afghanistan. I wish I was in a book club to discuss these books. I could probably talk about them for hours. No exaggeration. I think I must like historical fiction.

I'm reading The Wedding right now. It's taking me a while to get into, but that is only because the character's problems seem so trivial compared to the characters' problems in the first two books I listed.

My next book is The Glass Castle. It's sitting right next to me, just waiting. It looks AWESOME!

Less recently, I read A Long Way Gone. Very good. I mean, VERY good.

I'm normally not a fan of fantasies, but Harry Potter and Twilight consumed lots and lots of my time. 4AM and I became great friends during the times I was reading those books.

As far as classics go, I loved To Kill a Mockingbird, Gone with the Wind, and A Tale of Two Cities. I love stories with strong characters that hold true to who they are and what is right. Atticus, Melanie, and Sydney are possibly my three favorite characters ever. Although, I sure loved Miriam in A Thousand Splendid Suns.

I will say this of books that I promise you I won't like.... Books that are far too descriptive and won't just tell the story quickly. I really like getting to the point. This is probably why I tend to read the last chapter of a book well before I'm finished reading the book. Bad habit, I know.

So, thanks ahead of time. Don't feel bad either if you suggest something that I don't care for, because I'm not buying any of these books. I'll be checking them out from the library.

Thanks again!

It's Tough Being a Kid

2010-02-19T22:04:00.009-06:00

Claire and Nati are funny to watch sometimes. They both are trying so hard in their after school activities, but sometimes, it's just a little tough.

Claire standing on top of a about a 3 foot high ledge ready to jump into a pit of foam.

Claire climbing down because it's just a little too scary. She stood up there a while contemplating, until another 3-4 year old boy gently pushed her aside.

Claire thinking that maybe she made the wrong choice.

Nati is pretty comfortable on his back now when he's kicking.

However, once his arms start moving, look where he goes. I've never seen someone have to hold his breath so much during backstroke.

Getting a little extra help, with a smile on his face. 9 months ago he would have been terrified.

They are fun to watch, and oh my goodness, they are so cute.

I know I've been taking lots of pictures lately. I just got a new zoom lense. It's AWESOME!!! You can check out more at our picture site.

Curious

2010-02-18T20:52:00.004-06:00

Everyone has curiosities about various things in their lives. Wanting to know more about a place, an event, a culture, a religion.... on and on and on. I can say that today I was FULL of curiosity. I mean, really full of it, but it only covered one person. I can't get my mind off of a certain little girl in Ethiopia. What is her name? How old is she? What does she look like? What is her history? What does she like? What is she scared of? Does she like dogs? Is she happy? Is she sad? Is she quiet? Is she full of energy? I realize that I'll have all of these questions answered soon enough, but today- that just wasn't good enough for me. I hope I'm in a better place tomorrow.

On a side note:
I know I've written a lot about waiting, but I don't mean it to be complaining. While I like to share with others, I really look at this blog as a sort of journal. Journals discuss your feelings at the moment, and today, my feelings are full of "her".

Until next time...

Lots of Fun Accomplished in Very Little Time

2010-02-14T21:11:00.008-06:00

OK, you ready? More pictures than text, so enjoy...

Lots and lots of snow Thursday and Friday. Most snow in DFW within 24 hours EVER!!!!!

Then, we went to Austin, and I was able to meet my new little cousin, Owen. CUTE CUTE CUTE!!! It was interesting watching Nati's and Claire's reactions to him. Nati - very gentle and in awe. Claire - Not too interested, but VERY excited to see his sister, Madeline.

Claire, Nati, Owen, and Madeline
The happy family... Andy, Madeline, Liz, and Owen

We spent the majority of the weekend with some friends. One of them had a 2 year old little girl, Caroline, that Claire befriended immediately.

And of course, who doesn't love some love from Nati?

Then Sunday, Braegan and Erin (the mom of Caroline and Caroline's brother, who I forgot to take a picture of) ran the half marathon together. But, first, the picture of the elite runners...
If you look carefully, the man on the far left (sorry, not a good picture of him), but his name is Gilbert Tuhabonye. He is from Burundi, near Rwanda. You can read about him - he has a book.

Nati was not the happiest boy on the earth right here. It was COLD!!!!
Braegan and Erin after the half marathon.

And now onto Monday.... which I LOVE, because that means somebody can give me a little ring if she'd like. :)

The More Natural Way

2010-02-09T22:57:00.005-06:00

I know!!!! 3 posts in one night. I'm on a roll! Don't expect anything for a while. I just had to add this quick one, before I forget it.

As you know, my sister is pregnant. Lots of questions have started flying in our house from our two children. But, my favorite, was from Claire. Yes, she is very aware that she was in my "tummy", but I think the thought of that is very strange to her. She doesn't quite get it since she has tried to lift Amy's shirt a few times and doesn't see anything. Anyway... the other night, she asked Amy, "Is your baby in Ethiopia?" I love that to Claire, this makes more sense. All she has known is that children coming into our family come through adoption. I love that she considers this to be the most natural way. It just makes sense to her. Now, of course, I know pregnancy is very natural too, but in our family, both are equally natural.

A Typical Tuesday Afternoon...

2010-02-09T22:37:00.006-06:00

First off, I just want to say that the adoption community is probably the most supportive community in the world. The first three people that commented on my post from earlier this evening are three people that I have never met face to face, but have all been so supportive in their words over the last few months. They are all in different stages. One just passed court... her little girl's a beauty. One has a court date next week. Pray for a first pass. And, the other one just saw her twins for the first time yesterday. Ah... I love the excitement everywhere.

OK, now onto the title of my post...

I work part time, which allows me to do fun stuff in the afternoon with my kids 3 days /wk. Tuesdays is a busy fun.

Claire is loving gymnastics. This is her first time to be involved in an activity where Nati has to sit and be a spectator. I think she thinks that's pretty neat.

After gymnastics, we cross the street, and head on over to swim lessons for Nati. Nati is becoming a pretty good swimmer, if only he would breathe to the side. :) He does not have to be a competitive swimmer, but I am requiring him to be a strong swimmer for safety reasons. His teachers that he's had at this place are excellent. And, today, Nati finally started being comfortable on his back. The boy has very little body fat, so he sinks very easily, which makes the whole back thing difficult, but he's mastered it.

And, both of my kids keep busy, while the other one is taking a lesson.
Claire reading my manual on my camera. She's been fascinated with this manual for a while. Weird.
Nati addressing his valentines for the party on Friday. He did a wonderful job.

Not Complaining.... Just Telling It Like It Is

2010-02-09T20:30:00.002-06:00

It's been 5 months on the wait list.
And at the end of February, it will have been 1 year in this process.
And I know, just like labor pains, I will forget how tiring this is. I will probably forget the second I give my little girl our first hug.

I love...

2010-02-05T19:00:00.006-06:00

I know my last several posts have been about waiting. It is hard. I won't deny that. However, I'm loving life. I loved having donuts with Nati and Claire at Nati's school this morning. I love that it's pizza night tonight. I love that Claire loves her gymnastics class. I love that Nati's becoming a good little swimmer. I love that Claire starting patting Nati's back the other night while Braegan was reading them a story, and she told him, "You're my best friend Nati." I love that Nati loves school. I love that Nati is always happy. I love that Claire took a nap today. I love that Nati and Claire ask me frequently about where their sister is. I love that I've got a great husband and that my kids have a great dad. I love that I have a lot of support with this adoption. I could go on and on and on...

I haven't posted pictures in a while... so I thought I would today.

Double

2010-02-03T20:26:00.002-06:00

So, today we have officially waited twice as long as we did for Nati. Can you believe it? I can't. I really can't. I'm going to do my best to not dwell on it. If she is in the Gladney home, I know she is being very well taken care of.

Yesterday, I started going through our adoption paperwork again to see what we need to update. We've been in this process for almost a year now. Braegan and I have our medical updates we need to go through again pretty soon. Fun stuff!

On a cool note.... My son is AWESOME. This morning, I was dealing with Claire and he came into my room to let me know that he went ahead and made Claire's bed for me. How cool is that?

OK, until next time.... I'm hoping next time is a more exciting post. I hope I hope I hope.

Week 20

2010-01-27T22:06:00.001-06:00

Check. How many more am I going to have to check off?

Go Enright Team!!!

2010-01-24T20:29:00.009-06:00

Nati and Claire really make a cute little team. Last week was a little rough for Nati. For three days in a row at school, he had trouble controlling his talking. His teacher is working with everyone at school on the fact that your behavior doesn't just effect you, but effects the ones around you. So, here's what we did. His school was having movie night Friday night, that both Nati and Claire went to in the fall. We told Nati, that if he had another bad day, he AND Claire would not be attending. We were including Claire to teach him that it wasn't all about him. Well, poor guy, I picked him up from school, and he had his folder open with a sad face, ready to show me that again, he decided to talk too much. When we got home, I told him that he needed to tell Claire why they BOTH would not be attending the movie. I was in the living room listening to them in the kitchen. Nati's voice kept breaking, as he told her that he had made bad choices that day, and that he was so so sorry. It was painful to listen to, but I think it started to sink into him, that his behavior had effected someone else. Claire told him that it was ok. Nati is one of the most caring kids in the world, so I know this was really hard for him. Well, we all got over it and drove to his swim lessons, where he did quite well. He was in a good mood, and the bad day seemed to be done. Well, when we were back in the car, I again, heard him apologize very quietly to Claire. He really did feel bad about this movie night. Well, unknown to Nati, Claire had been fairly defiant that day to one of her teachers. So, I was pleased with the response she gave him, "It's ok Nati, I had a bad day too." Wow, what a team. These two LOVE each other. They took the fall together, and took responsibility for their own actions. By the way, Nati had a great day the next day.

Now, Nati is always a good team player, or at least attempts to be a good team player.... Claire, sometimes, not so much. This weekend, Julia (my cousin who wrote the sweet email to me) came to spend the weekend with us. She slept in Nati's room, and Nati slept on Claire's top bunk. Claire is AWFUL at falling asleep. Nati was trying to go to sleep and I guess was telling her to go to sleep when she kept talking to him. I heard her ask him, "Nati, what are your eyes doing?" That poor boy. When he was telling Aunt Julia goodbye this morning, he told her he was happy she came to stay with us, but he was glad he didn't have to sleep in Claire's room anymore. I really don't blame him. We are trying to work out the kinks before Nati's and Claire's sister becomes a roommate of Claire's. Oh, to our sweet little girl in Ethiopia, We are trying!!!!

Nati, Aunt Julia, and Claire
Molly, Julia's daughter. Yes, I said daughter. Look nothing alike though. :)
What we often wake up to in Claire's room. She doesn't just talk a lot in bed, she destroys her room also.

Goodbye Week 19 and Hello Week 20

2010-01-20T19:38:00.004-06:00

A conversation I've been having in my head with Week 20 - Yes, I've gone crazy... That's what waiting does to me....

Anyway, Hello Week 20. I'll be honest with you... I never thought I would actually meet you, I guess because I really didn't ever want to meet you. (We're 10 days over the average wait) But, now that we've been forced to introduce ourselves, I've decided, that I kind of like you. Yes, that's right, you are one week closer to me meeting my daughter. But, if you'd like a hint in what you could do to make me love you, well, here's what you need to do.... be THE week. PLEASE!!!!! I'm begging!!! PLEASE!!!!!

OK, see everyone.. there's proof - I'm crazy. Right there in writing.

Now, onto one of many reasons that Julia is one of my favorite people in the whole world... Check out this email she sent me a few days ago... (I took our daughter's name out, because we haven't officially announced it yet, because we haven't officially decided. )

Ellen, I am dreaming non stop about ________ for some reason, and now I can't fall back asleep because I'm thinking about her. Isn't that funny? I'm not saying that anything in my dream will be true, but here is what it was... It's in past tense because this is just how she WAS in my dream...
She was young. She had a harder time adjusting to her new life than Nati, and she was very clingy and needy, but no one minded because she was so sweet. She had short hair and you laughed about trying to fix it. Her eyes were big and bright and she seemed wise beyond her years. She was very cautious of strangers (unlike Nati was) but she warmed up to me fairly quickly. That is about all I can remember, but I just know she was such a cute and LOVABLE girl. Weird that i've been dreaming about her for the last few hours, huh? Maybe that means the call will come soon? :) Sorry to write in the middle of the night, but i just didn't want to forget and I wanted to share with you. I love you, and your daughter in Africa!!! ;)

New Cousin for Nati and Claire!!!!

2010-01-17T22:31:00.006-06:00

That's right! Gian and Amy (my sister) are expecting a bundle of joy around July 27th!!! Thrilled? YES!!!!

My parents came in town and Gian and Amy announced it while we were eating Subway sandwiches in our kitchen. Braegan jumped up in joy and ran to my closet and starting bringing Amy all of my old maternity clothes and brought out a summer dress I had, and in these words, said, "Amy, this dress is really cute! I always liked it when Ellen wore it." I never saw a man so excited about giving someone "cute" maternity clothes.

Here's a picture of the soon to be parents. We love you two!!!! Y'all are going to be incredible parents!!!!

A Good Weekend

2010-01-10T17:22:00.003-06:00

Yesterday, we celebrated Claire's 3rd birthday. It was freezing outside, or just below, and we decided to have fun in an in-door swimming pool. I posted pictures at our pictures site on the right. (It's a new site, because my old one shut down for some reason. I'm still in the process of moving all of the pictures to this new site.) Anyway, we had lots of family come in along with one of my good friends and her son. Claire had a blast. Thank you everyone for coming. It was a great great day!! I would post more pictures on my blog, but I'm tired of looking at this computer, so please go to my pictures site to see pictures of so many people that love our children!

With all of its greatness, I woke up again, this morning a little sad. Not getting called is just killing me. I had a very encouraging message from a friend that helped Braegan and I both cope with this wait. I'm renewed, and I'm going to now do my very best, to not be on edge about this wait, and to just chill out. I have a very special prayer for our little one and I can honestly say, that in this moment, if the wait is 2 more months, I'm ok. Now, lets not push it with 3. :)

To sum up the remainder of our adoption process... in answer to Kelli's question... :)

There are 3 very special phone calls that we must wait for to complete this process.
The first is the referral - This is the call with our match. The first pictures and information of our new daughter.
The second is the call of a court date - This is usually 4-6 wks after the referral call. I'm saying that, because that's what it was for Nati. This is a really really tough wait, it's just shorter. This is when they call you to say when your court date will be. (At this point, our little girl is still not OURS).
The third is the call of the results of the court date - Possibly the most exciting or disappointing call. This is when they call to say that you either passed or did not pass court. If we pass, then our daughter will be officially ours, and we can post pictures at this point. If not, we wait for another court date. Once we pass, we travel around a month after that.

So, there you have it, we are still in the beginning of all of the waits. But, like I said, Braegan and I are renewed, and we are ready to face it, knowing that Gladney will take care of our daughter until we come pick her up.

4 Months

2010-01-08T20:30:00.002-06:00

It's official, we will have waited 4 months on Sunday. So, starting next week, we will be over the "average" wait time. I thought that we would be under the average wait time because we are requesting for a child quite a bit older than 13 months. (Gladney's average of 4 months is for 13 months and older). Oh well, now I can at least breathe during the weekend. Monday will begin a new week of anxiety over this call. Hope Hope Hope for next week!

Happy Birthday Claire - Merry Christmas Ethiopia!

2010-01-06T21:36:00.007-06:00

Tomorrow is a special day for two reasons!

Claire will be 3!
Tomorrow is Christmas (in Ethiopia).
Maybe, just maybe, could we have one more thing happen to make it even more special???? One can only hope!

I had a very vivid dream about her about a week ago. In my dream, she was beautiful (which of course I know will be true) . She was about a year younger than Claire, and her birthday was Jan 29th. Now, I am somebody that doesn't believe in dreams telling you something, but I'm only sharing because that's as close as I've had to a referral call so far. :) And I'll treasure that dream, until the real phone call comes. Call me crazy.

Now, about me dreaming of her being younger than Claire, that does not at all mean that I am hoping for a younger child. Braegan and I have been asked this question a lot. We can HONESTLY say we really don't care either way. We just can't wait to grow in happiness and love!

I also want to thank everyone for all of the support we have been receiving. I love the daily texts asking about the referral from Tara (Braegan's sister). And, I love the new friends I have found via internet, that share the same desires as we do. I love that a family we traveled with in Ethiopia (who is in Ethiopia right now picking up their 5 yo little girl ) sent me a message through facebook telling me to let her know as soon as I get our referral so she can take pictures. And of course, I love the sweet emails I get from Natalie. Yes, I do randomly bother her with silly questions, just so I can contact her :). EVERYONE is so supportive - and we LOVE it.

Now, onto celebrating Claire's birthday (who was wondering if her sister would come to her party)...
A Few hours old.

1st Birthday

2nd Birthday

One of my most recent pictures of her. I haven't taken any since Christmas. I'll get some though of her this week. Yes, yes, she is pretty, isn't she? For those of you who don't know her personally, she's also a little firecracker. She is the most affectionate girl, but has a massive temper. She's a lively one, and we love every bit of her. Happy Birthday Claire!

Little school update on Nati:
Apparently he is showing some signs of the Bells ( my side of the family) . I'm from a fairly science friendly family. My parents and I majored in Biology. Well, I had a little talk with Nati's teacher yesterday, and she was telling me how fascinated he is with science. They have this new thing at school called a Smart Board. It sounds like a high tech overhead projector to me. Anyway, she shows the class science stuff from it, but apparently Nati will not stay in his seat during this time, because he's just dying to see the actual "thing" she is showing. (She thinks this is very neat by the way, not annoying). She said all of the other students are very content with what they see, but he wants to know more about it. So, during science time, he doesn't have to sit at the table, he gets to sit right next to her while she's teaching. I must say, I'm very happy, with this eagerness to learn. :)

Here he is, with his very scientific granddad. (Who was also my high school physics teacher. )

These Are Some of My Favorite Things (People)

2009-12-27T22:30:00.005-06:00

We had a wonderful Christmas. We were able to spend time with lots of family and feel the love in all directions.

And to top it off..... A White Christmas!!! Can you believe it?!?!? In Texas!!!!

This is a short post. I've spent way too much time on my shutterfly account today making calendars for certain people for their January birthdays :), and then working on Claire's scrap book. I'm all computered out now. I just wanted to post this picture of 3 very special people!

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas.

Tired

2009-12-17T19:52:00.001-06:00

of waiting.

My Favorite Blog

2009-12-12T13:51:00.003-06:00

If any of you are wanting to read a great blog, check out Song of the Open Road. It's my FAVORITE blog. I found it by her emailing me one time, and then I just got hooked on her blog. It's a real eye opener, and she's an incredible writer and photographer.

Waiting

2009-11-30T22:06:00.005-06:00

How do you like those pictures? I'd say we have two pretty cute kiddos. But, I'm really wanting to add another one in the mix. They both talk about her now. Claire is excited about sharing a room, but when we suggested that they on occasion could share clothes, she became just a tad upset. Nati is just excited to have another little one that he can love on. I think that Nati thinks it is cool how excited we are becoming, because we have told him we went through the exact same thing with him. He is getting to see this first hand.

This wait has started getting really rough on me now. (Braegan is much more patient than I am.) I'm ready for Natalie to call me, but while I wait, I'm going to think of the benefits of "the longer the wait the better".

1. The longer she's in Ethiopia, the more culture she will remember.
2. The longer she's in Ethiopia, the more language she will remember.
3. If she is still with her family, the more memories she will have of them.

There you go. Those are actually more for me, than you. :)

Since you took your time in reading that, I'll give you some pictures.

My favorite ornament.

Nati with a crooked smile. His right side has a sore on it that has made him a bit swollen. It's gone down, but the day this was taken, it was actually a little difficult for him to talk. Thanks Aunt Robin for your advice.
My favorite candy/popcorn shop. I don't really care for popcorn other than buttered, but this place... well it has changed my mind.

Look at the love. But, do you see what I mean? Wouldn't it be just a little more complete if there was another little girl on Nati's other side showing the same love?

I'll Take a Late Birthday Present

2009-11-15T21:27:00.002-06:00

This weekend I turned 28!! Nothing significant about that number, but still my birthday. 3 days after Braegan's 28th birthday, we got a very special call from Mary introducing us to Nati. We waited 10 and a half weeks for that call. Guess what this Thursday will be. 10 weeks! I think the time frames are pretty close. Maybe, just maybe it's about time. Braegan and I don't think it's time yet, but we can always be hopeful, right?

Short post I know, but I haven't really posted too much about the wait. There's nothing to post. But I will say, I am about 2 weeks into the phase of waking up in the morning and thinking, "Maybe today...", and going to bed at night thinking, "No call today..."

"Opinions on Angels" by Claire

2009-11-09T21:05:00.004-06:00

I was combing Claire's hair the other night. It's hard to see in many of her pictures, but she has a freckle right at her hairline on the left side of her forehead. It's very cute I think. Well, Claire discovered it. She asked immediately about it, and just as we all know, freckles are angels' kisses. We all know that. It may not be scientific, but we all know it's real. :) So, naturally I told her what it was and how that's really special. She started throwing a fit (as she often does in the evenings). She began wiping at it frantically and saying it was ugly and that she didn't like it. I tried reasoning with her on the truth, and she just told me that she didn't like that angel and that she didn't want it to kiss her again. I guess I shouldn't have shown her the freckles on her nose. (Sometimes I make poor choices.) She did get over it, until last night when she looked in the mirror again.

Dear Claire's guardian angel, whoever you may be, please don't listen to Claire. She's going to need you throughout her life. I promise.

Fun Packed Saturday

2009-11-08T11:11:00.005-06:00

Oh my my!!

A fun Saturday yesterday. The only thing missing, which was a big miss, was Braegan. He was busy at a regional cross country meet having one of his girls qualify to state!!!

So, yesterday, Nati, Claire, and I woke up and went to the campgrounds that we camped at last year with Amy and Gian. We spent about 5 hours there with them. We did not spend the night, because we then drove to Dallas to go to my company's Christmas party for our patients' and their families. The therapists were able to bring their kids also. It was at the Dallas Natural Science Museum. Oh my goodness!! That place is awesome. Claire and Nati played so hard. I did not think to bring my camera in, so sorry. It was so nice seeing my patients and their families. I think my patients were probably happy that I was not there to do therapy. :)

I posted some of the pictures from the campgrounds.

Happy Halloween!

2009-11-03T19:32:00.004-06:00

We went to Gian and Amy's house for Halloween. It has become a tradition and we love it! Their street is AWESOME!! Check out more of our pictures for some of the great houses! The kids loaded up on candy, which means my stomach hasn't been feeling that great with all the candy I've been eating. :)(I promise, Nati and Claire are still getting their fair shares.)

Which Picture?

2009-10-31T17:33:00.004-05:00

Any suggestions on which one we should use for Christmas cards?

1.

2.

4.
I like 3. the best. I love the first two, but there are some sun rings (whatever you call them) in them. Now, I actually am a fan of those. I think they are really pretty, but I know that most try to avoid them. I need to get something to shade the lense. Anyway.... What do you think?

Nati's New Wheels

2009-10-28T10:39:00.004-05:00

So.... Nati is now the owner of a (small) motorcycle. I can't tell you how opposed I am to motorcycles (or anything dangerous). I'm the world's most careful person. ( I have never broken a bone or sprained or tore anything. ) How did I OK this?, I really don't know. I think that I know he will only be on dirt roads or out on a field with a very safe helmet helps a lot. Also, it doesn't go too fast. I'm just not sure at what age I start discouraging it. His Uncle Gian owns a motorcycle and Nati loves motorcycles, so I have a couple of things going against me. Gian actually built Nati's motorcycle, and so it was an early early Christmas present from Amy, Gian, Braegan, and me.

Nati cought on too fast in my opinion. He can do fairly sharp turns on the slope of a hill now. It's parked in our garage, and I saw him walking around it yesterday just grinning. Claire has informed me that she would like to take a ride, but understood that she is still a little young.

Enjoy the pictures!!

God's Little Children

2009-10-18T20:22:00.003-05:00

1 Month Down

2009-10-10T21:57:00.003-05:00

Well, it's been a month on the wait list. Yesterday was the first day, I actually ran to my cell phone because I thought it might be the call. Of course, one month is hardly a wait, but this whole time is an exciting time. Unlike a pregnancy, there are many more unknowns, which makes it just a little more exciting.

Braegan and I have set up a little guessing game. There are three questions we set up, that way there would definitely be a winner between the two of us. We did the same with Claire. ( I won, but I won't brag.) We didn't do one with Nati, but we're doing one with this one.

Here are the three questions..

1. What day will be the referral?
I answered Dec 10th ( 3 months after the wait list). Braegan answered Dec 11th. So, whoever is closest wins this one.

2. How old will she be?
I answered 5 years. Braegan answered 4 years. (If I could take mine back, I would, but Braegan informed me, that the first answer is what I have to go with. The reason being that she has to be at least one year age difference from Nati and Claire. Well, Nati just turned six. So, you see, I didn't think that one through.

3. This is more of a tie breaker. Not a very interesting question. Will the call come in the morning or afternoon? Well, since Nati's was the afternoon, I went with the afternoon. Braegan went with the morning, but the morning includes the lunch hour (12-1).

So, there you have it. Would anyone like to comment with some guesses? You'll only get bragging rights, but still kind of fun.

I'll give some guidelines that might make it easier.

The age we requested was from 18 months to the birthdate of 1-7-08 (one year younger than Claire) or 1-7-06 (1 year older than Claire) to 9-14-04 (1 year younger than Nati).

Also, the average wait for a child 13 months or older is currently 4 months. The older the children are, the shorter the wait is typically, which is why we both guessed less than 4 months.

You can also go to the right side of my blog and find the Gladney Ethiopia FBI list and click on it and then scroll to the bottom of the big white box and click on referral/court process to see some timelines of others.

It's no fun to post something without pictures, so here are some cute pictures of two super cute kids on a cold October day.

Loving Life

2009-09-28T11:45:00.006-05:00

Nothing exciting in this blog, other than an update on what our family has been up to.

Braegan is as usual crazy busy with school/coaching. He's teaching world history and this is first year doing that, so it's like a brand new year for him. He was teaching world geography before. He's also the head coach of the girls' cross country and track team. His cross country team is doing pretty well, and Nati, Claire, and I enjoy going to the meets. That is, when the meets don't conflict with Nati's soccer schedule.

He's had three games and has improved a lot. He's quite a little player. Braegan is again his coach. I, however, much to my dislike :), have been the soccer coach for the first 2 games. I know very little about soccer, but they needed someone to do it, or they'd have to forfeit. So... I guess that goes to the coach's wife. So, I sit on the bench, and sub at the quarters (yes, the young kids' soccer has quarters, not halves), and make sure Claire doesn't run off.

Nati is doing fantastic in school. We are super proud. Ms. Norman called me last week to talk about Nati.... Nati passed some screening test with "flying colors". I don't know the name of the test, but I think it's kind of a big deal. She said last year, only 3 kids passed, and this year, 12 did. She said the whole class is very intelligent and very competitive in learning, and that Nati is right in there with everyone else. She said he was intelligent and very driven. This was really good to know. We think he's smart and doing well, because he's ours, but it's always nice to hear it from someone being objective. He's doing well with reading. We can't spell out what we want to possibly go do for an activity or eat as a treat around him anymore. He's figured us out.

Claire is also doing really well in her pre-school. She has told us though, that she really wants to go to Nati's school. (We went to movie night at Nati's school on Saturday and had popcorn in the gym. I think she thinks they eat popcorn all day there. ) She is as funny and cute as ever. Her temper is still strong. When will that end??? I've heard the tantrums stop around 4. That's a little scary to me, but we're making it.

I'm sorry, that sounds a little like a Christmas letter. Like I said, nothing new, just life happening. I have no complaints other that wishing our third little one was with us.

Here are some pics to enjoy!

I can't say anything is really new in our lives. But, we are all happy.

Nati Turned 6 Yesterday

2009-09-15T08:55:00.005-05:00

I can't believe how old he is. :)

He had a wonderful birthday party (in the rain) on Saturday (check out our pictures site), and then we had a quiet celebration last night for his birthday.

Since we don't have a baby picture, I thought I'd post the earliest picture we have of him. He is somewhere between 4 and 4 and a half here.

On his 5th birthday.
Yesterday.

And The Wait Has Begun!

2009-09-11T10:12:00.003-05:00

I just received two very important emails!!!
One from Kate.... Our dossier is complete (as of last night).
One from Natalie..... We are on the wait list (as of last night).

Natalie informed us that on average for a child over 13 months, the wait is about 4 months. We are requesting 18 months to one year younger than Nati (5 years). And of course she has to be at least a year's difference from Nati and Claire.

Let the wait begin!!

U.S. Citizen

2009-08-29T16:01:00.004-05:00

On Wednesday, I was able to witness and be a part of a ceremony for people becoming U.S. citizens. Braegan was unable to go, since it was the third day of school. (Anyone who is a teacher or who has been around a teacher, understands this.) Anyway, Nati, Claire, and I woke up early Wednesday morning and drove to Irving, TX. There were already a lot of people waiting 0utside the doors. It was clear that this was a special day for everyone. Most everyone was dressed nicely. I had dressed Nati as nicely as I could, while keeping in mind he would be going to school right after. We were told to be there at 8:30AM, they did not open the doors until 8:45AM. Once inside, we all went through security (Claire decided to actually run away from me at that point. A little embarrassing to say the least.) We then went to one side of the building and had to finalize our paper work. It took about 2 hours for everyone to go though this. Once this was completed, we then went to the other side of the building where the ceremony would take place. All of those becoming citizens sat in the first 5 rows. There were around 150 people becoming citizens that day. All of the family and friends sat behind. Nati was the youngest, so they put him in the back of the 5 rows and we sat directly behind him. We were one of the first ones in, so we had to wait for everyone to finish their paper work. Nati and Claire actually did fairly well with the wait.

On to the ceremony... VERY NEAT! We found out that everyone becoming citizens that day were people, whose parents had done all the paper work, so no naturalization. We were reminded of all the different walks of life that were there, and that it is those faces that are what have made America. We watched a couple of montages of the early days of immigration. We sang the National Anthem. We listened to a message from President Obama. We then went onto the oath. For anyone that was under 14, the parent had to stand and take the oath with them. After that, we said the Pledge of Allegience, and then everyone received their U.S. Citizenship certificates.

I enjoyed people watching that day. Lots of happy faces! Parents extremely proud. I saw people from Europe, Asia, Africa, Mexico, and South America. All were pretty equally devided, with maybe there being slightly more Asians. I wish I had brought my camera. I'm so used to places like these having us not bring anything in at all. Afterwards, parents were having their children take pictures with their certificates next to a small representation of the Statue of Liberty.

That night, we did have dessert with Gian and Amy, and then took pictures of Nati with his certificate and Gian and Braegan holding the American flag behind him.

International adoption can be very difficult. It is full of unknowns and risks and undetermined timelines. It is FULL of paper work. It never ends it seems (until Wednesday that is. :) ) That being said, it has allowed us to experience so much more (like watching what it is to become a U.S. citizen) and all of those things have helped shape our family, and I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Approval!!

2009-08-27T18:36:00.002-05:00

Yep, it came in the mail! We're fedexing the rest of our paperwork tonight, and expect to be on the wait list in 1-2 weeks!

First Day of School

2009-08-25T19:10:00.007-05:00

Well, the day finally came.... Nati is going to "big school" - that's how I always described it to him when he didn't speak very good English. He already really likes his teacher, Mrs. Norman. I went into the office today to let them know he'll be missing tomorrow morning because he's becoming a US citizen, and the entire office staff already knew who he was. He wasn't even with me, they just heard his name. Apparently, they all love him.

Because he went to pre-school all last year, I thought I would drop him off fine without me getting emotional. When we crossed the street with the cross guard, it hit. No, I did not cry. It took lots of focus to prevent it though, and a friendly face I saw in the school, right before I was about to turn down the kindergarten hallway. Thank you Michelle; I think you really saved me. Nati had absolutely no problem with the drop off. He said "Bye Mom", without even looking at me. I asked him to please look at me, in a begging tone. I think he realized then, that I needed this. He then turned, looked at me, smiled and gave me a big hug and a kiss, and said, "I love you Mommy!"

Claire also went back to pre-school, and really likes her teachers. She wasn't too happy when I left her today, but she sure gave hugs to teachers when I picked her up and said how much she likes Ms. Laurie and Ms. Layla. - Ms. Layla's from The Sudan, and Claire had her last year, and really bonded with her. She runs down the hallway to have Ms. Layla hold her.

I love my new hours. I walk Nati to school every day and take Claire to pre-school every day. The pre-school picks Nati up from school Monday and Wednesday and takes him back to the center and then either Braegan or I pick both of them up later. On Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, I pick Claire up after her nap and then we walk to Nati's school and pick him up. I almost feel like a stay at home mom sometimes!

A tradition that I am going to continue with my kids, that my sister and I had with my mom when we were younger, was going to Chili's every first day of school for dessert. Well, I couldn't do it yesterday, but today, Nati, Claire, and I shared a Chocolate Molten Cake at Chili's. It was oh so good!!

Modeling

2009-08-23T14:39:00.008-05:00

Where did she get this from? Or, who has she been hanging around with so much?

Maybe it's her dad...

P.S. Enjoy this quickly, Braegan's out getting ready for tomorrow's first day of school. When he finds this, I might be made to remove it.

Quick Little Update - UPDATED

2009-08-18T13:59:00.005-05:00

UPDATED:
How cool is Natalie?!?!? She is simply the best case worker ever! She called me 15 minutes ago, and asked if I had received her email. I had not, since I had been away from the computer. Anyway, she let me know that USCIS is going to proceed with the application process and to disregard the letter sent. Apparently they are never told when placement does happen. So, I doubt we get the approval this week, but I hope soon! What's so cool about Natalie; she takes time out of her insanely busy day, to not only take my initial stressed phone call, and to tell me she'll take care of it, and email immigration, and then get it taken care of, and email me back, but then she calls me when I didn't respond to the email. All of this was done in 3 hours! Yes, she is awesome!

-------------------------------------------------------------------

We received something from immigration today. Naturally, while I opened it, I was super excited. But, it was not what we wanted. Apparently it seems that USCIS might have forgotten to close our original application for Nati, which was just for the approval of one child. I think that they haven't realized we received placement of a child (Nati). Which, they should know, since he is scheduled to become a US citizen next week. So, they are confused I guess on if we are wanting an extension or a new application. (We want a new application) Natalie is taking care of this, and she doesn't feel there will be much of a delay. I hope not. I'll let you know when we get more news on this.

Mr. Independent

2009-08-13T15:06:00.004-05:00

Last week, Nati went on a week long vacation with my dad, Gian, and Amy serving as his temporary guardians. He drove to Los Alamos again with Gian and Amy and went camping and then went to see my grandmother again. While in New Mexico, he hiked, swam, ate smores, played soccer, and played with cousins. He had a blast and seems more independent now. We were lonely without him. The house was still loud, which proves to us, that it is not Nati; it is Claire that is so noisy. :)

There are pictures on "The Falcos" and "The Bells" picture sites on the right side of my blog. Here are a few...

I Have Something to Say...

2009-08-05T22:15:00.004-05:00

"Warner Bros. new horror movie Orphan proclaims that it must be hard to love an adopted child as much as your own. Let me tell you about how an orphan changed my life..."

Since high school, I day dreamed that some of my children quite possibly may be from other areas of the world. The day dream grew into a reality 14 months ago. The reality is so much better than the actual dream. MY son, Nati, is not biologically my son, but he is MINE; he is MY OWN. He is my little boy, and I love him. He has opened our world. He came to us with greater wisdom than other children his age. He understands things that some adults continue to struggle with... compassion, unconditional love, trust, responsibility, places himself behind others. He doesn't understand things that some adults understand too well... jealousy, hate, prejudice.

He has taught Braegan and me so much.
The things he has told us and the observations we have made of OUR son that knock us off of our feet...

"I want to make a lot of money when I get older so I can help others."

An absolute love for family. Cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents... if they are in our family, he automatically loves and imitates.

He trusts us with our disciplining. He understands that we want to help guide him from a wonderful boy to a magnificant man. He never holds a grudge after disciplining, but instead apologizes, hugs us, and goes on with his life trying hard to correct himself in the future.

He IS the protector of his younger sister. She is always safe with him. He watches her every move and steers her from danger as well as helps her climb onto the potty when she tells him she needs to go.

When he receives candy or gum, he wants to share more than eat it himself. His feelings are actually hurt, if we don't accept.

He dotes on his little sister more than anyone else.

We are trying to be the best parents we can be in teaching our son, but really, I feel he is the better teacher.

It is hard to remember our family before him. We are lonely without him. We are not the same without him. God created our family just the way he wanted. We are so blessed that this is the way he created us. I would NEVER ask for anything different.

Join me in Defending the cause of the Orphan.... From Tom Davis' blog:
This is the opportunity to defend the cause of the orphan. But instead of cursing the darkness, lets put the truth on display.

Tom is challenging his readers and friends to write 500 positive blog posts about how an orphan has impacted and changed your life. Post this on your own blog so that when people search for the movie, they are flooded with positive messages about adoption and orphan care.

Just finish this sentence: "Warner Bros. new horror movie Orphan proclaims that it must be hard to love an adopted child as much as your own. Let me tell you about how an orphan changed my life..."

This is the heart of defending orphans. Help push back the darkness and deceit here by holding up as an example the powerful love that adoption and orphan care can unleash.

Heres how you can defend the orphan:
1. Write a "positive protest post" on you blog that references the movie, Orphan.
2. Focus on your orphan care or adoption story that is positive, redeeming, and full of love.
3. Link your post to www.tomdavis.typepad.com
4. Send out an email, Facebook message, or tweet to get others to do the same thing on their blogs.

Catching Up

2009-08-01T13:33:00.009-05:00

First thing, yes, I did take this off of "private". The reason being, is that when I first started this blog, part of it was to not just talk about our family, but to promote adoption and be a source for others. That's hard to do, when it is set to private. The reason I went private initially was because a dear blogger friend of mine was attacked through comments for her view points by another blogger, and I just didn't like the idea of those types of people being able to make attacks on my blog also. I am going to open this blog again, but continue to not be too open with my opinions. I know that sounds like I'm being a chicken, but I'm some body that gets my feelings hurt fairly easily, so I'll just be a chicken. :)

OK, so onto our little family. We went on our big summer vacation!!! Here's how it went down...

We drove to Aspen, CO. We took a break and spent the night at a hotel in Clayton, NM. Interesting town - Clayton. Example: At the local Dairy Queen, it had 4 photos from the 1800s of the steps of hanging a man. It even had the man laying dead on the ground. Isn't that disturbing?

Back to Aspen. Just as pretty as the last 2 times I went. We went to see Braegan's sister (Ranee), her husband (Ryan), and their son (Kai). Kai is 10 days older than Claire. While Kai and Claire had fun together, the two that bonded were actually Nati and Kai. Pretty much inseperable. I'm guessing it's a "boy thing". It was a lot of fun to watch them play together and go on adventures in the house where they were somehow always "lost".

Nati and Kai looking "oh so cute" .

On top of a mountain!
Same mountain.

Ranee and Claire at an outdoor pool in Snowmass. The water was as warm as bathwater.

On a walk.

Good buddies!

Braegan and Ranee on the gondola . Braegan was nervous the whole time that one of the kiddos was going to fall out. SIDE NOTE: Braegan does not like others on ledges. When we went on a cruise 3 years ago with my mom and dad and Amy and Gian, he asked all of us to step away from the ledge of the ship numerous times. He did not care that the dolphins going out to sea with us were really cool to watch. Funny quirk I think.

Eating one of Ryan's very good meals. I think this was the night of ribs. MMMMM.

Claire getting a haircut from Ranee.

Nati and I at the top of Independence Pass. I think it was in the 40s. Cold!

The next stop was Los Alamos, NM, where my grandmother lives. My dad flew up from Midland to meet us there. As always it was great seeing her. She's awesome with kids, and Nati and Claire couldn't get enough of her. She always had fun chores for them to do. Nati liked the chores involved with feeding the birds. She read them books and helped Claire color A LOT. Just like in Aspen, we were served great meals here too. When we got home to McKinney, Nati asked if we would be eating something like what we ate at Grandma's. I told him, "no, I'm not as good as she is." :)
In the cool mornings on my grandmother's patio.

My dad reading to Nati in the back of our car.

Braegan and Nati checking out a cool water hole.

My dad and Claire.

My dad, Nati, and Braegan in front of a volcanic crater.

Nati and Claire had just finished filling the bird feeder and then helped Grandma hang it.

Grandma and Claire coloring.

A very common scene when we were there.

Nati and Grandma cooking an omelette. See the green chile. I wish we had the fresh stuff here.

Playing a fun marble game. Grandma is suprisingly competitive.

After our two great visits in Aspen and Los Alamos, we made it back to McKinney. We stayed the night in Childress, TX. Not as interesting as Clayton. We did get to stop in Amarillo, TX though and eat some excellent Rosa's!!!

In summary.... A whole lot of driving, and some recovery time, but extremely well worth it. Braegan and I are blessed with great families.

Fingerprint Appointment

2009-07-14T14:25:00.001-05:00

Just got in the mail...
August 6th! And then we get to wait again.

Bummed

2009-07-10T13:55:00.003-05:00

OK, so I just got off of the phone with immigration again. We have yet to receive our re-schedule for our fingerprint appointment. I asked if there was anyway we could find out when it would be. The man said that it takes up to 45 days to receive it. !!!!!! Had we have known that, we would not have re-scheduled. So.... even though I am bummed, I'd like to give a free piece of advice....... for anyone reading this, and you plan to adopt later on.... DO NOT re-schedule a fingerprinting appointment!

On a happy note.... Claire is ....................................... POTTY TRAINED!!!!!!! She's been extremely close for about 3 weeks, but we have had no accidents during the day for the last 3 days!!

Quick Adoption Update

2009-07-05T18:25:00.003-05:00

Hey there!

By now, this thing should be private. I just thought I would give a super quick update on the adoption. As I previously said, we were just waiting on the notice to go get fingerprinted for CIS. Last time with Nati, we received the notice, and went to Dallas the next morning. Well, times have changed. Last Saturday we received the notice, but it was for an actual appointment date and time. And it was to be during our vacation that has been planned for quite some time. We have coordinated several schedules, and it was just not a good thing to switch it around. I called immigration and asked what to do about it. She was extremely helpful and told me to write a short letter stating that I would like a re-schedule, and to make it earlier if possible. That got sent off on Monday, and we have yet to hear anything. I'm starting to have some regret in this decision, but it has already been made, so now I must live with it. In the whole picture, it isn't a big deal at all, it might just delay it a few weeks, but that seems like a long time when you are dealing with a child.

Now, because I am a blog stalker, I recently read someone's blog who lives in Dallas.... they waited 2 weeks for CIS approval and then.... are you ready..... 2 and a half weeks for referral. The child is only two and a half years old. Can you believe it?!?!? Everyone's adoption journeys are completely different, but it is too hard to not compare. Who knows, we may have three little ones by Christmas...

Hardwick Family Reunion

2009-06-25T14:49:00.007-05:00

Last weekend we had a blast at the Hardwick Family Reunion. That is my mom's side of the family. My cousins and I are fairly tightly knit, so it's always a blast. Here's how we'll do this blog.... I'll post some pics and then describe them. Also, remember I have a "pictures" site. Gran and Granddad with Claire watching everyone swinging on the rope. Doesn't my dad look great? He had a hip replacement at the beginning of June. You look good to Mom. :)

The rope swing....

The first one is of Gian. (Amy's husband)

The second one is of my cousin, Julia, doing a face plant. It was too funny Julia. I had to add it.

The third one is of Braegan. Pretty good form.

The last one is Nati. Yes, it is a high, high swing. No, he does not have much concept of fear sometimes. Yes, I realize this can be a problem in his teenage years.

Nati, climbing up to do the swing again!Some pretty cool girls.... Liz (with Baby Bartlett yet to make an appearance), Amy, and Robin.Madeline and Nati. Madeline followed Nati everywhere, and he loved it.

I'm waiting for the rest of the family to post some pictures, and then I can "steal" some. :)

Today's happenings:

Nati is spending the night with Julia and Zac tonight. I just met her in Dallas to drop him off. He's pretty excited.

As far as the ADOPTION goes, we are waiting for a letter from immigration asking us to go get fingerprinted. It should be in the mail any day. So, today I went to the mail, and saw the return address.... "Department of Homeland Security". I was pretty excitied. When I opened it, it was something else though. It was our appointment to go and have Nati become a U.S. citizen. Yes, that is still exciting, but we are actually going to be on vacation when we are supposed to go in, so it's going to have to be re-scheduled. At least I know all of the crazy paper work to make Nati a US citizen was done correctly. I am really really wanting the letter to get fingerprinted again. We are at a stand still until that letter comes in. And then another wait for our fingerprints to be approved, and then the wait list for a referral, and then the wait to find out about the court date, and then the wait until the court date and to pass, and then the wait to travel. Lots of waiting. While we have lots of distractions here at home, I don't like to be too distracted, because I do very much remember that I have a daughter in Ethiopia right now that is most likely going through a very difficult time in her life. I wish I could hurry up and get to her to help whatever pain she is feeling to go away. Until next time....

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