Sara Jean's Pies

Ethiopia day 5

2009-08-25T16:16:00.000-07:00

Wednesday
Oh how great it has been to have Stella with us. She has adjusted really well and is doing great with both mom and dad. We did not have a lot planned today-mostly at the guest house, everyone just learning to be a family with their new kids. We went to the orphanage after lunch to have our meeting with the doc. We went first and it went well. The doctor seemed to be quite happy/impressed that Tizibit was doing so well and she also knew her new name, Stella and would respond to it. The doc said she had clinical pneumonia at one time but that was it other than the cold. She said that Stella likes to be held close to the chest and we had figured that out already. There wasn't much more to be said. She was really encouraging to us as her new parents and that we could switch things up, as far as her schedule, and do what we wanted. Then we went over to the shopping area to buy some gifts. That was great to see all that was there and help support the women. The drivers came around 5:30 to take us back to the guest house. By this time i was really not feeling well as all the driving and food was just making me nauseous. We think they forgot about our dinner it didn't show until almost 7:30. I was still feeling really sick so fed Stella then ate a power bar and we both went to bed around 8. i was so tired that i didn't even hear Andy come in at 8:30. Stella slept until 10:30 Andy got up with her but she was hungry so i made a bottle and fed her. She then slept until 5:30! As did I. What a great night of sleep we had.

Ethiopia day 4

2009-08-25T15:54:00.001-07:00

Tuesday
Today we decided that it was time for Stella to join us and stay with us. When picking her up from the orphanage she is usually lethargic, i think that's her way of coping, today she got out of that state really quickly as we picked her up and then went back to the guest house. She loves being with daddy. He's so good at making her smile. He was sure to make the same noise each time he sees her so she will recognize him-it's totally working. Right now it's hard as we are staying at the guest house but then having to go back and forth to the hotel for lunch and dinner. It seems we are always on the move. Stella is doing great and seems to be enjoying her new mommy and daddy. She is eating and drinking really well. When it's time for nap or bed she really does best if you just lay her down. We put her to bed around 8 and she slept until10:30 and wanted a bottle. She woke up again a couple of times. If she were in her own room she would be fine but since we are all together i try to get her up before she gates to loud. At 5:45 she had her first huge blow out!!! It was all up her back, needless to say she was up for a while after that but finally went back to sleep. I of course did not go back to sleep. i think we finally woke her up around 8:30 so we could get the morning started.

Ethiopia day 3

2009-08-25T15:43:00.000-07:00

So today we had our breakfast around 8 and then went to Sinayue's office to finish up our paperwork. Got to the kids around 10:45. Stella was doing great, we decided it was time to take her with us, and the others did the same. We grabbed them up and loaded into the cars. It was almost time for lunch so we headed to the hotel to eat. Stella was awesome! She fell asleep in the car ride and had a great nap, about 45 minutes. She woke up and had some "pourage". She did great eating from Andy and I-we switched 1/2 way so we too could eat. After lunch we all headed back to the guest house for some naps and rest. i laid down with Stella for a while and just enjoyed being with her but she wasn't sleeping so we got up and walked for a bit and then i finally just laid her in the crib to let her fall asleep on her own and she did. Right now I'm waiting for her to wake so i can give her a bottle, it's 4:00. then at 5 we will take her back to the orphanage, i think Andy and I need one more good nights sleep before bringing her home with us. Plus we want her to sleep well to o. We did find out that we will meet with the Doctor on Wednesday at 2:30.

Ethiopia day 2

2009-07-28T10:37:00.000-07:00

Today we woke up had breakfast met the other families and were off to meet our babies. There were 4 families staying at the guest house. Us, the George's, a family from Minnesota Sarah and Phil (who were getting 2 babies) and a family from Maryland Josh and Maureen (who were also getting 2 babies). They were each great people and we instantly had connections with each family. It was a nervous ride to the orphanage. We were just so full of emotion. When we arrived at the orphanage they asked each of us the kids' names and they went to get them ready. All 6 babies came out at once. It was so great seeing Stella for the first time. Hearing them call out Tizibit (pronounced Tizipt) and me receiving her as her mom! I was overcome with joy! She is so beautiful and tiny and just perfect in every way. Out of the 4 couple Stella was the oldest baby so she was a little more nervous than the other kids. She cried and whimpered a little bit but over all i thought she did really well. i held her first while Andy was videoing the first time meeting. She went to Andy really well, still whimpered but nothing to bad. We arrived there at 9:30 and was able to stay until about 11:30. it was a little weird you are finally holding your child for the first time and then they just come and take them back. I didn't know quite how to feel. i do know our hearts were so full. I understand that they do that so they can feed them and put them down for nap, there is just no communication as the nannies didn't speak much English, if any. So we were going to come back at 3:30 so we were good for the time being. We were now on our way to the new hotel that Toukoul just bought. That's where we would eat lunch and dinner. We met Megan who had adopted a little 10 month old boy and had been in Ethiopia for 2 weeks already. It was good to talk with her and hear her thoughts. Wendy is the chef, and such a good one. He did a fantastic job. We were so happy with our first meal. Lunch seemed to be the big meal of the day. It's always served in 3 courses, salad first then the meal then fruit/dessert. After eating we were able to walk to a nearby market to buy some diapers, our luggage was to full to bring a lot. $15 for 40 diapers but we needed them so we bought them. It was great to walk outside, the weather would float between 65-70 degrees, their winter! Light jacket weather. After our walk it was time to head back to the orphanage, another surprise to us we would get to see the babies twice today! How wonderful it was to see them all again. Stella did much better this time and by the end she was laughing and playing great with us. We again stayed about 2 hours. Stella did this sort of leaning thing with her head that seemed to be her way of coping with what was going on. i was so glad we were able to recognize what was going on. It was great to see the babies for a second time today. The have a living room style room set up for the families to visit the kids in. It was great to sit around and see all these new families sitting and playing together. Next we were off to the hotel again for dinner. After dinner we went back to the guest house. Tonight we decided to switch rooms with Phil and Sarah, our room had 2 cribs in it and theirs only had 1 so it was better for them. however Phil was a big guy, at least 6'4/6'5 so i felt bad giving him those tiny beds. But it did come with their own bathroom, where as in the house we shared a bathroom with Mike and Laura which was fine. Andy went back to the airport to get our luggage-it was delayed. They got back around 10:30 and off to bed we went. I thought I would sleep really great seeing how the night before I didn't get much at all but it rained all night long, no not rain, DOWN POUR is more like it, very loud. I did sleep but it was definitely off and on.

Ethiopia day 1

2009-07-28T10:30:00.000-07:00

Hi all, I thought I would take some time and share my thoughts about Ethiopia, actually while we were there I kept a daily journal so I will just copy what I wrote at the time. Sorry no pics yet, they will come eventually.

We arrived late Saturday evening-by the time we got to the guest house it was 11:30 and of course they had dinner ready for us. We didn't get to bed until about 12:30. Sintayeu our lawyer was there to pick us up at the airport, it was great to see a face we already knew. When we got back to the house he gave us the best news of all, we would have breakfast and then the cars would pick us up to see our kids! We were all so excited as we were told we most likely would not get to see them seeing how it was Sunday. So needless to say even though I was totally exhausted I did not sleep much at all that first night. Not to mention we were put in a room with two "twin" size beds. I say "twin" because my feet hung off about a foot. The flights there were not bad. We almost didn't make it on our second flight. We were not booked all the way through and did not know to check in a head of time. At the very last minute they squeezed us on the plane. Needless to say our luggage did not make it on. It should be joining us late tomorrow evening.

1 week 1 day

2009-06-24T08:16:00.000-07:00

Okay so we are down to 1 week 1 day before we take off to get our baby girl, can you believe that, I'm having a hard time believing it. It seems there's so much to do and it just doesn't seem like there's enough time. Let's see it's only 8:15 and I've already cleaned the bathroom including the shower. I'm sure everything will get done that "needs" to get done. On top of that we received yet another packet of paperwork to fill out i looked at it and put it away. It looks so confusing am I suppose to put my name, Stella's name ugh! We have a conference call today with the agency to get it figured out but really I'm ready to be done with the paperwork. I know there will be some when we get back but we will have Stella and then i can do it but seriously now, no thank you, I could totally do without. On top of that we are purchasing another route with FedEx, which is totally a God thing and we are so blessed to be doing but I'm just not sure it will be finalized before we go, prayers are appreciated!!! The boys are doing great, having fun counting down the days until mom and dad leave to get baby sister. We have been trying to spend lots of time with them, just blessing them and surprising them. I sat Ezekiel down to talk with him and asked if he's been enjoying all the surprises and he replied yes of course. then i went on the explain that when baby sister gets here things may be a little different for a while just trying to get her adjusted and he got all serious and said "mom are we not going to do surprises with baby sister" i thought that was so cute, he wanted her to get surprises too. i explained that yes we would but it may be a while. Needless to say that night Andy and i sat down and looked at the calendar to plan a weekend away with the kids before school starts. Well the kids are starting to wake up, that will be it for now.
Laugh today!

We passed!

2009-06-05T10:15:00.000-07:00

Today is June 5, 2009 and we got the call at 9:25 that we passed court! Stella Jean Tizibit Adams is officially ours! We have an embassy date of July 9th so hopefully we will be leaving the Sunday before, we will work on getting tickets soon, through a travel agency. We are so blessed to be able to call her our daughter. How awesome that God chose her for our family, it was meant to be. I can finally put a picture of her on here as she is legally ours!!!
I will let you know when we get our dates for traveling for sure. Thanks to all for the many prayers that have gone out on our behalf. We truly have to greatest friends in the world!!!

Court Date

2009-05-06T16:38:00.000-07:00

So, an update is needed. We have our court date for Stella, no we won't be there, it's all official and then we travel. Our date is June 5 and i just found out that we find out that same day how it turned out and we get our travel dates!!! Yeah, i'm really excited and am ready to go in a heart beat. Stella is a beautiful little 7 month old girl who God chose to be in our family, out of all the families in the world He knew that we would not be complete without her. God so amazes me with His love for all of us. And our friends will be traveling with us hopefully, they have the same court date so we are praying we get to travel together, that would just be awesome. So much fun to be able to share this experience with another family.
Well Gabriel's birthday is this weekend so Rob, Vicki and the 4 boys will be heading over on Friday, i'm so glad. i've been missing them terribly. We are hoping to head their way for Memorial weekend. i think i'll need to stop and get my Charysse fill on the way.
I can't believe i have a 6 and 8 year old and now i have a 7 month old too, life is great.
Oh by the way we finally decided her full name will be
Stella Jean Tizibt Adams.
Cry today, out of joy!

Notin much to say...

2009-04-15T16:24:00.000-07:00

Nothing really new to say, i just wanted to be able to say that i updated my blog. Still waiting to hear that our papers are all finished and Tizibt is really ours. They say it could take a month or two so no rushing. Then after that waiting for our travel date. God is so good and we are so excited to meet our daughter. Right now it's still a very surreal feeling, knowing she's ours but not having her. i've been checking out all the clearance sections at each store looking for the best deals. We already have about 8 outfits, moms have each bought some and i've been buying here and there. She should be no older than 9 months when we get her so i've been buying 12 months, hoping that will work.
Boys are awesome, Gabriel lost his first tooth on the 5th and then 6 days later lost his second one, both on the bottom, no worries though, both the top ones are loose too! We took them to their first Monster Truck show and that was fun, very ammature(sp?) though, only 4 trucks and 1 they couldn't keep running. All in all the boys had a blast.
Andy's great, still FedEx'n it. Looking at getting another route but it just all depends on how the dice land.
Well that's it for now, we're having Joshua and Mandy over for dinner and i need to start the cornbread.
Be joyful!!!

We got it!!!

2009-03-27T16:51:00.000-07:00

Yesterday at 3:15 pm we received the phone call that i thought would not be coming for a while. Our little girl has been matched to our family! She is absolutely precious, beautiful, delicate, scrumptious, just everything you could imagine. I am not able to post a picture just yet, but when she is officially ours i will, don't worry. We had our phone meeting today with the agency and found that it will be between 3-4 months before we can travel. I'm okay with that, just knowing that she really exists and having pictures and updates is enough to keep me going. Her birthday is Sept. 17, 2008 so she is only 6 months, how perfect is that! There are so many emotions running through my mind it's hard to describe. You sit here and look at the screen and then up pops a picture of your little girl, out of the blue totally unexpected. (I think God knows I like surprises) So now we can breathe and know who she is, oh how I'm ready to hold and kiss her but i know that too will come in God's perfect timing. So much to say, so hard to find the words to describe. So I simply just say, rejoice with me our daughter Stella is on her way!

God's Peace!

2009-03-18T15:52:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! i really don't have much to say but it's been a while so i thought i would jot down some thoughts. Can i just say to have the Lord's peace is an awesome thing! i really thought the wait for Stella's referral would be really hard and the first two weeks it was. My heart would jump every time the phone rang. But then i had this revelation that God's timing is perfect and to rush ahead of that would just be silly. There's nothing in my power that i can do (except pray) so why bother wasting tons of energy on something i can't control. It's crazy, i really feel that when we get the call it will be in just the perfect time, she will be ready and so will we! The room is coming along, we are hoping to have a butterfly painting party in the next couple of weeks, other than that it's all ready. You know what else is cool about this whole thing, God is giving me a gift, the gift of a daughter, how cool is that! And it's simply because He loves me, all i have to do is sit back and receive this precious gift and that she is!
Right now we are fighting sickness with Gabriel. Last Thursday he came home from school with a fever, took him to the doctor on Sunday, nothing wrong so they say but every night shortly after dinner his little face gets flushed and the fever comes back, a week, that's crazy huh? So if you think about it say a little prayer for my little man that he would be healed and he could go back to school, he misses it! Well it's 55 degrees outside better go get some bike riding in before dinner, the boys are desperately wanting to go play.
Be Joyful!

NO WAY

2009-02-13T06:45:00.000-08:00

Two things in my life right now that i'm looking at and saying no way to.
#1 We just got our taxes done and are receiving more back this year than ever before, our travel to Ethiopia will totally be paid for, no more worrying!!! YEAH GOD, He always comes through.
#2 My little Ezekiel is going to be turning 8 on Sunday!!!! Wow, it so hard to believe he's almost 8. Years go by so fast now it's just incredible. i need to figure out better ways of keeping track of neat things that they do. 8 seems like a milestone for some reason. i know in our family 12 is a huge milestone but also 8. We feel like it's time to give Ezekiel more responsibilities and to let go a little. We are going to be coming up with a list of chores for him, we will let him start the car for us, no more holding hands in the parking lot (unless of course mommy wants to) just little things but i know to him they will be really big. He's such an awesome little man if you know him you know that, if you don't know him you'll just have to take my word. Ezekiel is a blessing that i never could have imagined. We were able to have a moment the other night, he couldn't sleep so i just held him for a while. It was great to remind him that no matter how big he gets, he will always have room on mommy's lap, he's always welcome.
Anyhow, just a short little update with my thoughts. Speaking of thoughts, our car door broke last night. You have to love automatic doors right??? But when the door decides to lock itself before it's actually closed really sucks. Luckily Andy was with me so he sat in the back holding the door closed. Getting home realizing he can't fix it so now it sits jimmy rigged closed in able for me to take it somewhere. So now instead of having a relax day picking things up for Ezekiel's party, valentines and getting ready for wife day (which is today, YEAH) i have to try to find someone who can get it in and fix it today, yeah for me.
That's it, be blessed!

Prayer for Stella

2009-02-09T09:26:00.000-08:00

Okay so at Saturday night prayer at church we dedicated the first 1/2 hour, which ended up being 50 minutes, to praying for Stella with worship too. It was great. Charissa lead worship, i love Charissa. One of the songs she picked was Bring Restoration. Instantly as she started to sing i knew this was Stella's song, here are the words:
Bring restoration, bring restoration, bring restoration to my soul, bring restoration, bring restoration bring restoration to my soul, you've taken my shame, called me by a new name, taken my pain and in it's place you give me joy, bring restoration, bring restoration, bring restoration to my soul.
There's a second verse by i have to email Charissa to get it, anyhow this was Stella's song. As her mom i was so overwhelmed with the Lords heart for her. Even though she's not here yet the Lord so wants to heal her little heart and soul, it was such an awesome time. Then we read parts of Psalm 31 which was great, had a time of prayer and prophecy which of course was awesome. It just felt great to know that everyone is with us and our family is carrying this with us, we are not alone. Then later on when we got home, Andy went to bed he wasn't feeling well and Josh D. called me to say that their family had sat down and taken time to pray for our family and the words his girls got were just awesome and blessed me so much, Zephaniah 3:17 "The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing." How awesome is that the Lord is saying that for Stella. Then each of his girls prayed awesome prayers, which i have written down. i was just so blessed that they did that for us. Also before prayer Nanci had asked the boys with Andy's help to craft a prayer for Stella and here is that prayer:
"We praise you Lord and give You thanks for baby sister and we ask for protection, that You would lead and guide her wherever she goes. Taking care of her with divine health and no weaknesses. We pray that you would show her loving kindness with no fear. We ask that You would bring her home quick so we can play with her and show her how much we love her."
My boys are awesome and we have been continuing to pray this prayer.
I'm just so thankful that the Lord is in control and that i get to put my hope in Him, He never changes and He has good gifts for His kids.
So today, look for your gift!

Here you go...

2009-02-06T12:46:00.000-08:00

Finally an update, but really does anyone actually read these anymore now that there's facebook, i know i do i'm just not sure about anyone else. Oh well here it goes anyways.
So we are officially waiting now for our daughter Stella to get matched to our family. Our papers arrived in Ethiopia on January 24,2009, so now we wait some more. They say a good 4-6 months but that's just to long for me so we will wait but are praying it's quicker than they say. Still working on getting people here to paint butterflies in her room, it's so much fun seeing what people paint i can't wait until more people come, it's so much better than i could have expected. i finally finished her blanket, it says baby sister on it. We pray for her daily and know she is in the Lords hands and that He is watching over her preparing her to come home. i think this Saturday for prayer at church we will be devoting some time to pray for her so if you're reading this, come and if you're out of town it will be around 6:30, pray where you are for her to be released quickly into our family.
The boys, Ezekiel got strep but you would never have known it he was such a trooper and so bummed he had to miss 2 days of school, i hope that last. Gabriel is good, we have to teach him a hard lesson about taking what is not his but it's a great time for him to learn. Andy's great, he continues to amaze me. He works so hard every day and does so many extra things and never complains, he's the best ever. i even hear wife day may be next week which is ironic seeing how Valentines is on Saturday, wife day will be Friday, yeah i love wife day.
Well i'm working out and feeling great, still have kept the 20lbs off from my fast which makes me really happy. i didn't know if as soon as i started eating it would all come back on but it hasn't. Hoping to loose another 5 by wife day, better get back on the elliptical 45 minutes might not be enough.
Friends, aren't friends the best!!! Nothing beats having conversations with people you love enough to be your family but by blood they are not. Anyone wants to go for coffee i'm open most days, not Tuesday though that's my day at school.
God, God is the best too. It amazes me how if i get time with Him my day just goes better, i feel better, i get everything accomplished, i talk to the right people to help me through what ever is going on. i love that He looks out for me. He's such a good daddy, even when our earthly daddy's do a horrible job and leave messes that we have to clean up God always makes the way to clean them up, He's so good.
Well i guess that's all i have for now, until next time pray for Stella please!

40 day fast

2009-01-08T13:25:00.000-08:00

Wow, i have a lot to blog about so first i will start sharing about my 40day fast. Around the middle of September i felt the Lord was calling me to a 40 day liquid fast. So i prayed more about it and decided i would start the week before Thanksgiving that way it would take me into the new year. So i felt God gave me some strategy on it and it was to be a liquid fast with some protein drinks mixed in and mostly fruit and vegetable juices. i felt the Lord wanted to speak to me in lots of different ways. I knew part of it was for Stella and part was for obedience and part was to hear the Lord. I think the biggest thing i have taken away from it is a since of self control. i absolutely loved that i made it all 40 days, including Thanksgiving, my birthday and Christmas. It felt so good to not fall short and cheat or feel like i was missing out. I was never just exhausted like i normally am when i fast. i had energy, i even worked for Andy most of the time. i felt the Lord gave me some insight to my weight and the traps that ensnare me so much of the time. Being bored is huge!!! Being bored or being bored with food, it was interesting to drink the same thing day after day after day. i became okay with it knowing that it was what my body was needing. So now im eating more veggies because i know it's what my body is needing and i'm okay with that. If you have ever struggled with your weight this next part will totally make since to you. i didn't realize this at the time but i listened to a CD about fears and false refugees. i didn't realize i was fearful of getting really obese. However when i was listening i remembered saying (in the past) that i just wish i would hurry up and get really fat that way i just wouldn't have to deal with it anymore. Which i know sounds totally stupid but i said it. i think out of fear, and out of self pity and self hatred even. But now i can renounce that fear and i know i'm not going to ever be really obese because that is not my portion. i am worthy of more than that because i am a daughter to the King. He desires me to be healthy. It's funny how what we say can make life easy or hard. i want to be positive, think positive act positive and talk positive. Did i make a new years resolution, no! However since i am done with working for Andy i can now work out on my elliptical and get back into my core exercising, which i have done all week. It's time to start thinking about me, not only me but my kids my husband all my family. i want to be active and do the things they enjoy and just flat out be healthy. So i say i'm done with the 40 day fast but not totally. i don't feel quite released to go back to all foods. i'm trying to stay away from bread, just a little meat and no sweets just yet. I'm really cutting back on caffeine too. So now i'm eating better and smaller portions and getting ready for Stella. That's part of the reason for not being totally released yet. i want to really feel the Lords heart for Stella, i know that He loves her but i want to know more so that's where my time is going right now. i'm sure there's so much more i could say but i'm running short of time.
My next post will most likely be about Stella and not to forget we are totally in a new year, that's gotta be talked about too. So for now that's all,
Be joyful today!

Birthday

2008-12-18T19:46:00.000-08:00

Well another year has come and gone and now i'm 33. Which i think it kinda a cool age, i guess i just like how it looks. Nothing to exciting for my birthday, work, clean house, Gabriel's school program, youth Christmas party. All i really wanted to do was go out to Starbucks with my family and have a coffee (i felt like that's what i could do on my fast). But maybe next time. It's so funny when you work there's just not enough hours in the day. i'm so thankful it's only for 1 more week, and maybe a couple of days. i miss cleaning the house and cooking good meals and baking. My Christmas goodies are running a little behind this year and won't be tons. Oh well, it's just food right? I got some good things for my big day, slippers (which only seem to last a year), pajama pants (which i was secretly wanting) and some perfume, just the little bottle but it will last. i've learned that it's not an everyday scent, just for special occasions.
Well we are still waiting on our last paper to get in so they can send our paperwork off, Stella is on her way, i'm just not for sure when that is. After Christmas i look forward to starting on the room. i was going to start but didn't want to start and not finish, i have enough of those kinds of projects.
Well that's the short version up date, what can i say, i'm tired.
Be blessed with time...

A few minutes...

2008-12-12T07:32:00.000-08:00

Okay i have a few minutes so here's a quick update on life.
Our adoption, well it seems really close. Our paperwork was being reviewed and come to find out we needed to change a letter before it could be sent to Ethiopia. So the letter has been written and then the person had surgery (i have no idea on what) so hopefully it will get notarized today and then sent to the agency so our paperwork could leave the US next week and head to Ethiopia. Please pray that it leaves and gets there quickly. Also i went ahead and sent out an email to friends and family asking them for money. i really DON'T enjoy doing this however, we have a need and if no one knows about it than how can it be met. So i did, I've heard some little response and that's okay. i know the money will be there when it needs to be and if not we always have the ugly Visa. Still feel in our hearts that we will be traveling by January, i know crazy but our God is a big God and can make the impossible possible!!!
The boys, Ezekiel had his Christmas program last night at school, it was really cute but really long. It started at 7 and didn't end until 8:30. i know that doesn't sound long but when your kids usually go to bed at 7:30 it can be really long. Gabriel's program is on my birthday next week from 6-7, then after that at 7 we will have a youth Christmas party here at the house. CRAZY but that's the only time we have.
Work, work is picking up so that's great. i've been working most days and from this point will work every day until Christmas. Which is good, extra money for paying taxes, trust me we need it. It's so expensive having an employee.
Andy, Andy's great, just tired. He gets up 4:45 and goes to bed around 9-10 and works very hard during the day and then we have lots of things in the evenings so he's good, just tired.
And me, well i'm doing pretty good. i'm on a 40 day liquid fast that will take me into the new year and it's going surprising well. i was really concerned having to work and drinking only juice and protein shakes but God has been faithful and i'm doing good. i to am tired but things still have to get done. Just last night i told Andy i couldn't believe the maid had forgotten to do the dished (me) but you know what, they are still there today and will get done today so that's okay. Although today she needs to change the sheets too.
So it's almost Christmas and doesn't really feel real, don't know why. Every time i get into the car i have the Christmas music on full blast. i guess when we finish our shopping and wrap the presents and put them under the tree then maybe it will seem real.
So be blessed take every moment in step with the Lord and be joyful.

Funkness....

2008-11-17T11:08:00.000-08:00

Ever been in a funk??? Boy one has been settling on me for a couple of days. The funny thing is i know i'm in one but yet i have a hard time pulling myself out of it. Satan is soooo sneaky. He makes it so comfortable to be there. You know you want out but at the same time it feels comfortable to be sad and depressed, it's easier to just stay there, for me. Not so much for my family. Well today i've decided that i need to pull myself out. i've asked for prayer and by the end of the day i plan to be out and feeling better. It's so stupid how i get there. i guess it's just when i start focusing on me and justifying feeling the way i do. i think this one started with something said, not directly to me, but in my presence that just made me feel so inadequate and makes me question who i am and should i really be in the positions that i am? Am i really good enough or is it that i'm married to Andy and he is but i just get to tag along? Stupid, i know. On top of that, i know the Lord has been talking to me but i haven't obeyed what He has told me to do, i need time to process. I need accountability, someone to stand with me but not pat me on the back, i need consequences, i want to change.
But by the end of the day i will be better. So if you happen to read this, sorry for the vomiting of emotions, it's just who i am today. Now i think i'm going to watch The Christmas Shoes, it's a tear jerker and i need to cry a little more, then off to pull myself up, in the Word i will go.
Pull yourself up today, i know i will....

My Birthday

2008-11-12T09:04:00.000-08:00

Birthdays...okay i hope this isn't rude to do but i'm going to do it anyways. If you are my friend or family member and you would like to get me a present for my birthday, i'm asking that you not do that and make a donation to our adoption fund at our church. My daughter coming home would give me so much great joy than any gift right now. And you know how much i like presents!!!! You make the checks out to Desert Streams Church and put "adoption" in the memo, they know it's for us. This can be a tax write off so it will benefit you too:) i know my birthday is still over a month away but i know i plan ahead and i'm pretty sure i have friends that plan that way too.Thanks all for supporting us. (if you already got a gift, no worries)
Okay on a side note, Kendal had a soccer game here yesterday and can i just say, i love high school sports!!! It was so much fun, even though he only played 1/2 the game. He is on to the state championships this weekend, we won't be able to make it and i'm sooooo bummed. So send up a prayer for them to WIN!
Blessing to all...

Offically updated

2008-11-07T10:41:00.000-08:00

Okay so now i've got the facebook thing going, really fun. It's so good to catch up with friends that i haven't seen in a long time. However i like that i can come to blog and just write. It would be so great if everyone would read it then i wouldn't be explaining things over and over but oh well. At least i know people are interested in my life!!!
Okay can i tell you how awful the waiting process of adoption is!#%? Arrggg is all i have to say. So we go and get fingerprinted in Portland, a 15 minute appointment that just couldn't be done in Bend, then we have to wait for then to finish our paperwork before we can send everything in. And to find out it may take up to 3 months, seriously because according to my timeline we would have already had our daughter by then! So i know there's a purpose and a season for everything but right now i'm just tired of my daughter not being with me. i know she exists, i can feel her, we talk about her but yet i can't be with her. What a crazy feeling, one that i know some mothers can feel with me but for those dads who read this (if any) it's a hard thing for them to feel. If i hadn't felt the Lord give me the timeline of January than i don't think it would be as frustrating but why would he give me January if it doesn't happen by then? Right now i've been telling everyone it'll take a miracle to get her by January and i totally believe that God can work it out, i'm just a little frustrated at the moment. So i will continue to have faith, i'm pretty sure that's the point and if God chooses a different timeline for us than it's His will and i will be okay with that. For any of my prophetic friends out there, let me know if God is telling you anything, please!!! Sometimes it's just really hard to hear for yourself with all your own emotions running through your head. So there you have it, we are waiting for our last piece of paper work. When we get it I will be making a trip over to Salem to have it authenticated and then our paperwork will go to the agency be okayed that everything is there and then go to Ethiopia. From there we will wait for our referral (just to let you know, we are praying that we are the family they have been waiting for, if you want to join in that prayer) we will receive our referral, contact a international doctor to go over the file (over the phone, she's in Portland) then send an acceptance packet and then get our travel date. See what i mean, when you look at all those things it just doesn't make since that we would be going in January to get her, BUT OUR GOD IS BIGGER!!!!! There you have it, that's what is left.
On a different note just to let you all know and have you pray, Andy is preaching this Sunday. He always does a great job, but he is usually nervous so if you think about it, send up a prayer for him!
Okay i'm officially updated for now.
Find joy in a little thing today.

Weddings, costumes and more...

2008-10-31T08:16:00.000-07:00

So i know you have all been waiting for an update so here you go, it's gonna be short but at least it's here.
Tina's wedding was beautiful. i think it was just what she wanted which makes it even better. We tried to add what we thought would be great but when it got down to it, it was very much her and Jeremy's wedding. The reception turned out just how we had pictured it so that was great. She had lots of people help cleaning up so we didn't have to do it, which was awesome. It was a very tiring week and i feel like i'm still trying to catch up. Because when i got home, Lori and i drove to Salem to pick up Charysse and then headed to Portland for an Amy Grant concert. Thanks to Kristy we had great seats, 4th row back and VIP/Meet and greet tickets so that was fun. So needless to say i've been running non stop since before the wedding. After Tuesday next week it should slow a little. We have to go to Portland to get fingerprinted on Tuesday morning and i believe after that it slows. Of course we have Andy's birthday next Thursday, (happy birthday Kyle, a little early).
Can i just say, i don't think it's the best idea to wait before the night before Halloween to make a costume that you really don't know how it goes. We waited, really because that was the only time, to make Ezekiel's Wall E costume, it looks really cute but seriously it was a little nerve racking. I was so glad Gabriel decided to be batman, the costume from 2 years ago:)
Well life is good, be thankful for Fall today!!!

Tomorrow...

2008-10-20T10:58:00.000-07:00

Well tomorrow i head over to Eugene to help finalize all of the wedding details with Tina. My brother and family fly into Portland tonight and then will meet us in Eugene tomorrow. I am throwing Tina her personal shower tomorrow, it should be fun. i just want it to be a personal and intimate time, no silly games just making it about Tina, this is her time. i still need to come up with a speech for the toast, guess i'll work on that when i have a few extra minutes. Well not much else is going on.
We are waiting on our finger print appointment because they of course set it on the day of Tina's wedding so i had to reschedule. Hopefully we can get in on Friday, that's what i asked for, we'll see. Then they just have to review our case and then all the papers can go to Ethiopia, YEAH. Then of course just more waiting but at least it won't be us causing the wait. Our daughter is coming!!!!!!!

I forgot to tell you....

2008-10-13T16:53:00.000-07:00

By the way i forgot to tell you all....twin boys are on their way! Rob and Vicki are having boys, yeah, we Adams know how to do boys:)

Almost...

2008-10-13T16:46:00.000-07:00

Well today i finished with all the papers for our adoption. They are ready to be notarized! We are just waiting to get one back from the state then i have to go to Salem to get it authenticated, yeah, another trip over the pass. It was really fun to put the family pictures together for our dossier. They wanted 5 different pictures of the family, mainly Andy and i so i had one of each of us plus a couple shot on a heart and then put 2 family pics, with the boys, on a rectangle with left over paper from Tina's shower invitations so it looks really cute. They said that was one, the only are we could have fun and do whatever we wanted, so i did. So if you are reading this please be in prayer that we would get our paper back soon so we can get our dossier sent off to Ethiopia, our daughter is waiting and so are we.
On a different note, things are going great for Tina's wedding. This last weekend we had more "hang out" time and that was fun. i attacked both mom and Tina's eyebrows, they look very pretty now:) She is ready to be a bride and a beautiful one she will be.
That's it for today, be blessed and live in the Lords presence.

Remembering a Sister

2008-10-06T20:36:00.000-07:00

I just thought I would jot down a few words about Allison, some that you might not have known.
Allison was a great sister! She was always there for me, to love me, to have fun with me, to correct me even when i didn't ask for it, to inspire me, to tease me, to be everything that a sister is suppose to be.
I miss her, her laugh, her smile, her phone calls, her cards for no reason, her tattoos (my first one was one we all got together as sisters), her singing, even her teasing, I miss it all. She was a great friend who loved to show you her love for you. She really knew how to throw a party, always over the top, that was her style. I'm so glad that I had all the time that I did with her. God is so good in that way. None of us have tomorrow guaranteed and i think we take it for granite sometimes, i know i do. If only i could have told her one more time how much i loved her and what a great honor it was to be her baby sister, to take one more picture with her, so many things. She taught me a lot in life. How to be a girl, hair; nails; make-up; all the girly stuff. She taught me how to make peanut butter fudge using the Jet Puff marshmallow cream, mmm yummy. She taught me how to pursue God and to strive to be who He saw me to be. i got to make her an aunt, the greatest thing ever, she really loved my boys. I am sad that she will never know my daughter, she would have loved her. She gave me many horrible hair cuts, remember the steps shaved into the side of your heads, i had that thanks to her and the shortest bangs of my life. We knew how to laugh and cry together, i really liked laughing with her. I have many memories of going to visit Tina at EBC before she moved to Eugene, just us sisters, good times as Tina would say. Then there were the girl weekends away with us and mom, those were great. I wish we would have started those sooner and had more. i have great memories of childhood with her but more than that i have all the memories of our friendship as adults, finally growing up. We encouraged each other in areas where we were weak. We were better because of each other. i know this is just rambling but i miss her and just wanted to take a moment to remember.....Allison a great sister and friend.

One Year

2008-10-06T08:28:00.000-07:00

One year ago last Saturday marked the passing of my sister Allison. Wow, was that a fast year. So many things can happen in a years time it can be overwhelming. i'm so glad the Lord knows exactly what we can handle and never gives us more than that. So i think like everyone else in my family i was going to stay pretty busy on Saturday, the whole day was planned out. Andy had a men's breakfast and then work at the church so i was on my own for the morning. i made the kids breakfast and took my time getting ready, watching the memorial DVD from last year. Not really a smart thing to do when you're trying to put your make up on but oh well. It really made me miss my brother, i'm so glad he and the family are coming out for Tina's wedding, that will be a great time. Then there's a knock at the door. Oh great, my house is totally trashed and Lori shows up. What a great friend, she had a beautiful bunch of flowers and a card, just what i needed! It was great to see her and just chat for a few moments, it was nice to stop the day. But not for long, off to shots for tots we went, first dropping Ezekiel off at the church with daddy. You'd think it would go a little faster. They really did have a nice organized way of doing things but sitting and waiting for 1 1/2 hours was not what i was planning on. i was going to meet mom as soon as i was done for coffee or whatever. So at 11:30 we finally leave, go to Goodies for doing such a great job waiting and then getting a shot, McDonalds to take the men working something to eat and to church to drop Gabriel off so i could go out with mom. Well by this time i only have 1 hour left before i have to get Gabriel to soccer. So we run over to Jakes for lunch. Well kind of, we shared biscuits and gravy in memory of Allison, that was her favorite thing that she had to have every time she came over. So mom was keeping herself busy with Tina's wedding stuff. She finished all the flowers in one day! Then back to the church to pick up the boys, run home and get soccer stuff (because i forgot to plan ahead and have him bring everything), then off to the soccer field we go, only 5 minutes late whew! Only 6 of the 8 kids show up for their pictures and then we start practice of which Andy and i became the coaches in a round about way. Actually we really enjoy it, kindergarten soccer is the best to coach, it's only 1 day a week for 6 weeks. You practice for 20 minutes then play for 20 minutes with a 5 minute break in there. Okay soccer is done, yeah, oh shoot, we forgot to pack for our quick trip to Eugene. Because we spontaneously had James and Torrey over for dinner Friday night, which was great but left no time to get ready. So home we go and get packed in 20 minutes, wow that was some quick packing. Back in the car and off to Eugene we go. Apparently i wanted to get there quick because i made it in 2 hours 15 minutes! We arrive and Vicki had graciously made dinner for us, Chicken Alfredo, so yummy! We ate then off to the river we go. Rob had kept the wreath from Allison memorial and had planned to set it in the river that night. There were quite a few people there, 6 youth gals, Leo and Gina, Rusty, Tina and Jeremy, Kendal, Christian, Rob, Vicki, and my family. The moms weren't quite able to make it and that was okay. So Rob started by asking if anyone had anything they wanted to share about Allison and quite a few people did. She really lives on today through all of us, you can tell by the way everyone was talking. i of course did my best to hold it together but didn't do a very good job. Then Rob got the wreath which had ribbons on it and had me, Tina, Kendal, Christian, Vicki, Rusty, and Gina all cut one off to keep, that's really where i lost it. Then he walked over to the edge of the bridge and threw it down into the water. We all just stood and watched it until we couldn't see it any longer. It seemed to take a long time but we enjoyed the quiet and peace of just watching it float away. Rusty asked if i had any worship songs i could sing, yeah right like i could sing at that point, i understood but wasn't able to lead out, none of us were. So i think we were all thinking and singing in our heads but no words were coming out. We talked a bit more and then Christian broke down and started crying, that was really hard. i so appreciate his tender heart, both him and Kendal are great kids. Over all i think we were on the bridge for a little over an hour. Then the family went back to the house and looked through all the pictures Rob had found while going through the house. That was fun! Lots and lots of memories. Tina left around 10 to go to work and i stayed up till about 11:30 with the boys. Then we got up, got ready and headed home so we could make it to Ezekiel's football game. Busy, that was how i kept it. Was it right or not i don't know but it worked. i think i would have liked more time by myself to just have some thoughts but i guess i can do that anytime. A year has gone and there is new life happening all around us, God really does give beauty for ashes. Rob and Vicki find out what they are having this week, Tina is starting to realize her life is changing forever very quickly, our daughter is real in our hearts, life is good. Thank you God for good life.

Life

2008-09-24T11:04:00.000-07:00

Well not much to post on today. i got my hair cut yesterday, it's cute, a little short but i figure that way it will be perfect for Tina's wedding. Speaking of which i'm headed over there this weekend to spend some time with her and mom and do some wedding stuff. She has a shower, one of three, on Saturday.
i've been thinking about our daughter a lot lately. She's so awesome and i haven't even met her yet, it's a weird thing. i love her though and i pray for her all the time. The Lord gave me this new idea for her room. i want to paint butterflies on one wall and i just haven't had the motivation to start (i was finishing the boys room first) but i feel like i'm suppose to have all our family and close friends, that want to, come over and paint their own butterfly. We will provide the paint that way it matches but then all our loved ones will get to take part in welcoming her into our home. What do you think? i think it's a cool idea and will turn out great! So that could be a heads up for all of you reading, find a butterfly you like. i will send an email invitation when time gets closer, i'm no where near ready to start painting yet.
The boys are doing great. Ezekiel had his first flag football game, i don't quite think he gets it yet, but he had fun playing and that's what counts. Gabriel likes soccer, Andy and i ended up being the coaches. Mostly Andy seeing how i'll be gone for 2 of the 5 games. It was fun though and Gabriel did great. Ezekiel is getting 2 awards at school on Friday (they are a surprise) he's getting the sportsmanship award from PE and the Friendship award from his teacher, pretty cool. i of course won't be there to see it as i will be in Eugene. i missed it last year too when he got awards. They give them out at the school assembly, it's pretty fun!
Well i guess that's all i have for right now.
Enjoy the day!

2008-09-09T08:43:00.000-07:00

Gabriel is a big kindergartner!!! Yesterday was Gabriel's first day of school and of course just like his big brother the greatest thing of all was being able to ride the bus. He said he had a great day i asked lots of questions and got some fairly good answers. He is excited to go back, yeah! Of course last night as i was putting them to bed came the question that comes every night, what are we doing tomorrow? Well i replied you get to go to school, every day. His response was, well do i get to ride the bus again??? So funny to me that that is the one thing that just makes my boys really happy.
On a side note my first day of being kid free was pretty good. Of course Andy called and i needed to help him out for about an hour but i didn't have to find a sitter so that was great, plus i still was able to go walk the river trail before i needed to go and that was just wonderful, something i am looking forward to on a daily basis (when i don't have the little ones). Lots of shopping, cleaning, i enjoyed it so very much. And today i have Emma and Samuel so we will go for a walk and enjoy the day with them.
Rejoice in the day the Lord has given you!!!

1+1=2

2008-09-03T08:45:00.000-07:00

Well school started this week and i forgot to get a picture of Ezekiel on his first day. Oh well, i don't think he really cares. Ezekiel loves school and has the opportunity to make new friends this year as he has a lot of different kids in his class. i like that thought there are tons of kids in his school so it's great to meet new people and make new friends. Gabriel had his "testing" yesterday, i think he did great. When i walked in the teacher that i didn't know says, so i hear your adopting. i love that my boys are always thinking about baby sister and how even though we don't have a picture or know who she is they very much are in love with her and tell everyone about her. i think he's going to do great. He was a little nervous and asked if i was going to stay with him luckily i told him we'd have to wait and see what the teachers wanted. They of course took the kids away and left all the parents in the library. He walked away just fine. It was funny to me listening to the other moms there and how they just knew they were going to fall apart come Monday and be sobbing messes. Not that there's anything wrong with that, it's just not me. I'm so glad for my kids and them taking each new step that comes with age and the thought of having a couple of hours to myself everyday just makes me giddy. i guess i'm just not that crying mom, i'm sure it will come sometime i just don't know when. Maybe for 6th grade, that's big stuff!
What am i going to be doing with all that time, well first of all i will be in the class room once a week for each of them so there goes 2 days and i have Emma and Samuel for 2 days so that really only leaves 1 day for just me. My goal with this new time and season is just to focus on me and the house. i am going to start walking the river trail, which i love, and i will start getting Stella's room ready, a little at a time. There's a lot that needs to be cleaned out and then it needs painted and things need to be put away, lots of fun stuff. On a side note if anyone finds a day bed in good condition with a trundle, let me know, the one i thought was guaranteed is no longer. i also need to finish painting the super hero symbols in the boys room. So it sounds selfish but i really feel that this time is suppose to be about me and the family and you know what, i'm okay with that. Because i'm sure very soon it will be a new season and i will be grateful that i had this one.
Well that's the update for today. I'll write more next week to let you know how Gabriel's first day went!!!
Be blessed and bless others!

TWINS!!!!

2008-08-29T15:29:00.000-07:00

So i can't remember if i've spilled the beans already or not but Rob and Vicki are having a baby!!! Not only one but they just found out they are having twins! The first set in the family, we are all so excited. Rob just sounded giddy on the phone when he called. So i guess two of everything for them:) All seems to be well in their family. Boys are starting sports, Kendal soccer and Christian football (just in case you were wondering where my boys get it from) and school starts too, next week, one weekend left.
Ezekiel is all signed up for flag football and eagerly awaiting the phone call with all the details, Gabriel is all ready for kindergarten soccer i think he's going to do really well. We had the chance to go and meet Ezekiel's teacher last night, Mrs. McDerrmot (sp?) i think she is going to be lovely. We won't know who Gabriel's teacher is until after he tests next week, we'll know Friday and will have to opportunity to go in and meet her. He's going to do great this year. Ezekiel is in the new wing of the school so he's really excited.
Homefront, business is going well, busy but Andy still has time to come home and rest so that's good. We are looking to hire our first employee here pretty soon so that will be great and help take some of the load off Andy.
Our adoption....adoption is a funny thing some days you feel great about it and some you don't. Like yesterday we got hit again by another obstacle. You feel so close and then some more hoops sneak in that you have to jump through. So we have to get health insurance on the whole family, okay i totally see the need for that. i go to the internet find some that we can actually afford and apply. Well it takes over a month for them to get back to us and then i find out that they won't insure me because i'm over the weight they think i should be. Which i could accept if it were somehow effecting my health, which it's not. So now i have to appeal, got a letter from my doctor and will send it end and who knows, i'm praying that it will work because once again this is something we need to send in with our home study. ARGGGG this is so frustrating. So today it's feeling a little like it's never going to happen. However in writing that i guess i should take my own advise and change how i'm speaking to change the atmosphere. My words have power and i want Godly power so by faith i claim that our daughter is waiting and fulfilling her role while she's there and she will be here in just a few/4 short months, it will happen because God says so.
Well the kids are all starting to wake up so i need to go for now....
Change the atmosphere today!

I know I suck

2008-08-14T16:57:00.000-07:00

i know i suck, i haven't updated my blog in forever. And guess what this is going to be a short one, i have a dinner to get ready for and it's 5:00. So what's happening, went camping at Crater Lake with the family, had a blast great weather, tons of fun. Went on vacation, Oregon Caves, Redwoods, Brookings, Eugene, and Salem. Lots of little stories there, like why mapquest is retarded, but I'll have to dig into those later. This weekend the boys and i are heading to Eugene again to spend time with Tina and Rob and family. Going to go shopping for bridesmaid dresses, yeah shopping. Uncle Rob has the day planned out with the boys, he's on duty since daddy is staying home. Finished our adoption classes now just waiting to get part 2 of the home study done. There you go that's life in a blog shell for Sara.
I'll post more when i get back:)
Be Blessed!

The Bucket List

2008-07-22T07:12:00.000-07:00

The Bucket List, anyone seen that movie yet??? Everyone that i had talked to said that it was a great movie. Morgan Freemon, love him great actor, Jack Nickolson great actor but on the sketchy side sometimes. Well it was a great movie, no violence, very little language, no sex (some talk but no show), great movie, about 2 guys that make a list of things to do before they kick the bucket right? Well what people didn't tell me was that they had brain cancer and eventually die from it. Needless to say by the end of the movie i was balling my eyes out. Andy looks over and says, "are you crying?" All i could respond with was, "it hits a little to close to home". It just brought up all the emotions of loosing my sister to the very same thing. i called Tina (other sister) and asked her if she had seen it and her reply was that was a horrible movie. Not because of the movie itself but again the emotions brought out by it. She said she would not own it or see it again. i think i would like to own it. Sometimes you just need to cry and let things out and sometimes it can be easier if you have a reason to do it. i just need help getting things started sometimes.
So if you are looking for a good movie, i totally recommend it however with me i needed a box of tissue.
i will post about our camping trip a little later, i need to download the pics first.
Have fun and play today:)

Life at the moment....

2008-07-15T15:35:00.000-07:00

....is great so i guess it's time to update. Not much going on here. We just had our yard sale at the church to raise money for our adoption and can you believe it we raised over $2,000. How awesome is that, only $8,000 more to go:) Last week i trained Becky to take over my job as secretary at the church so i am officially not working, yeah! It feels great to know i don't have to go anywhere if i don't want to. Today i was able to take the boys to the free movie and then to the park for lunch. We had a great time. This weekend we get to head out to Crater Lake to go camping, first time of this season. Not only are we going camping but Rob, Vicki the boys and Papa are going with us. Needless to say my boys are on countdown. They've been asking about every other day for months when we will go to Eugene to see them. A weekend away sounds great to me, it seems like it's been a long time since we've just gone and not had any plans or events we had to be at.
So my advise for the day, keep pressing in and see what the Father is doing in and through you. You don't have to do everything!!!
Be Blessed

Who's go the beat?

2008-06-28T08:51:00.000-07:00

Well i guess it's about time for me to update, hmmm.....what's going on with the Adams. Well not much really. Ezekiel's drum set just came in so Andy is going to try to set it up while we are at a party today to surprise him. Caleb says he's doing well for not having a set so hopefully he'll just take off now that he can practice anytime he wants. Although i think it was daddy's wish to get a set to, he'd like to try his hand in playing as well. It will be fun to watch Ezekiel teach Andy and Gabriel:) We got a really great deal on it. Bobby is a dealer for some kind of music thing and got it for us at cost, $219 for a set that retails for over $700, yeah what a deal. It sounds silly for us to buy one right now with the adoption taking so much of our money but we knew this was the right time and with how well Ezekiel is doing i think it shows it was time. Wow 7 years old maybe by the time he's 8 he'll be able to play on the worship team. Although it's not just about being able to play, we want him to know what worship is and be able to lead a lifestyle of worship, not just play the drums. It's so neat to be able to watch your kids come into who they are and who God is desiring them to be. Just wait, you will all see what i mean, if you haven't already.
Oh no, i forgot i just turned the oven on to make biscuits for breakfast, better go and get on that.
Play a lot today:)

It's about time!

2008-06-11T15:16:00.000-07:00

So whenever i look at other blogs and see that they haven't been updated and i think, huh they need to update it makes me think, well mine hasn't been updated in a while so there you go I'm finally updating my blog.
So last weekend we went to Portland for a day trip to take a adoption class with our agency that we are using and it was fantastic! First of all it was great to finally meet the people we have been sending our money to and talking with on the phone. But the information we learned was great! We learned a lot about Ethiopia and what a great country it is and how ethical they are on adoption and that there is some real heritage there, it was great. Then the people that were running the class have all adopted or have been to Ethiopia so we got to hear first hand the up and downs to bringing a child home and the transition between the orphanage and the flight home. I was feeling very overwhelmed and almost thinking this was going to be impossible before we went to the class and after going and hearing and meeting the people it feels very real and very much like we could have our daughter before the end of the year. How exciting is that!!! The dossier packet of paper work was very over whelming the first time i looked at it but one of the gals called me on Monday and walked me through the papers and it seems so doable now, God is so good and knew we needed to be at that class. Also we found out there's another lady in Bend who is going through the same agency and same country so I'm hoping we will get to meet and be in touch. Our daughter is coming, it's very real and only 6-8 months left!!!
What else is going on....tomorrow is the last day of school, YEAH! Ezekiel loves school but has been so tired these last couple of weeks you can just tell he's ready for a break. What are we going to do with our summer???? Lots of things outside hopefully. i think we all just feel better if we can get out and enjoy what God created for us. Hopefully we will finally be done with spring, it has been rainy and cold for about 3 weeks finally it's suppose to stay in the 70/80's for a while, hot that's what i like.
Well i guess that's all that's going on in our life right now of course this has been a busy week, something every night and it doesn't end until next Tuesday but oh well, i love God's grace.
Live in the Grace of God today!

Weddings

2008-05-24T12:54:00.002-07:00

Okay so here's the update! Rob & Vicki's wedding was great! She is so beautiful and it was such an elegant wedding. However the weather could have been a little cooler. Nothing like having a reception in 95 degree heat with all Chocolates! Needless to say everything was melting and everyone was wet with sweat but it was lots of fun. i of course was so busy with everything at the reception that i totally didn't get a chance to say good bye to anyone, so if that was you i apologize! i'm so glad to have a new sister and am so looking forward to spending some time with them. So the next day we went to the beach and boy was that fun. Cloudy of course but that didn't stop us. We flew kites, made sand castles and of course got wet! We took Christian with us so the boys were in heaven to have their cousin there. i love the beach, oh to be only an hours drive away, that would be great.
Then last night i went to Kim Spot-Haaby's wedding. It was great only i was solo with the kids. Andy had a men's thing at church but i really wanted to go and support them. It was all great until Tammy, Kim's sister, sang during the ceremony. i was a mess from that point on. i think i was just missing Allison and it felt like she should've been there you know. She was such a huge part of that family, and i know i am too but she is the one who started our togetherness as family's. I hate that emotions can come on so quick and take over. i held it together for most of the night until Becky found me then i started crying again. So i guess i'm just saying that to say that i do miss Allison, very much and you never know when it's going to show or what will spark the emotion. i am so grateful for all the new life happening around me. God is such a faithful and good God.
So it's raining out and Brynne and Ben are over for the day so i guess it's time to find a new activity for them. Outside is now out of the picture.
Laugh today and smile galore:):):)

W

2008-05-24T12:54:00.001-07:00

5 Days Left

2008-05-12T06:26:00.000-07:00

Well so we are down to 5 days left for Rob & Vicki's wedding, Yeah. i'm so excited for them to start their new life together. We went down this last weekend for her last shower and we will be heading down Thursday to be able to help all day Friday to get everything ready. So for this week i have lots of choc to make, cookie dough truffles and i still need to dip some peanut butter balls, i have them made though so it won't take to long. It should be a great time, i know i'm looking forward to it. Oh yes and i still have to find a shirt for Andy to wear, i'm thinking a fire red shirt with a black tie. My dress is black with white polka dots and red satin line around the top. And of course i still need to go and get a tan, spray tan here i come. i just hope i have better luck than Ross (for my Friends lovers)! i handle busy weeks all the time so here we go for one more, although this is fun stuff to have to do.
On a side note but very close to the same, Tina bought her wedding dress this weekend and it's so beautiful and it has a train which is something she really wanted but didn't have on the last dress she looked at and went in to buy. Lucky for us it wasn't there anymore and we found a couple more for her to try and she loved it, we all did. Can i tell you that is so much fun, you make an appointment at David's Bridal and then go and pick out some dresses and try them on with whoever you want there to watch, i loved it!
Well i guess if i'm going to get going on my busy week i had better stop writing and get started.
Accomplish much today!

Baby Girl

2008-05-08T16:12:00.000-07:00

So for mother's day my mom got me this cute sign/picture thing to hang up in our daughters room it says, "Such a big miracle in such a little girl" wow, how awesome is that. For those who may not know Andy and i are adopting a girl from Africa, Ethiopia to be exact. It seems like such a long process that it's really hard to give your whole heart although it's hard to not give your whole heart too. I was glad i was side tracked when my mom gave me that gift (it was on the day of Gabriel's b-day party) because when i think about it, that's so true. Every child is such a big miracle and to know that we have a daughter in another country far away is really cool but really hard at the same time. i know she's in God's hands and she needs to be right where she is for the time but it sure is hard. God has told me that our daughter is bringing such life and joy to the nurses and workers of the orphanage she's at and that really gives me a big peace. She is a special little girl who is being used by God even at the very small age she is. You may ask, "do you know who she is yet" and the answer is not at all. We won't actually know until all the paperwork is sent in and they approve us and refer her to us. But it's funny how you can know someone just because you know the Father that made them. She is very dear to my heart and we pray for her often just as if she were already here. So if you think of her, say a prayer of thankfulness for her and the work she is doing in the hearts of the people around her. We are thinking her name will be Stella if you would like to call her by name you surely can. Pray that the paper work would pick up the pace and be finished quickly. And can i just say that i am so happy to be able to buy pink for someone other than me:) i was going to do the room in butterflies in this really cute way but i've been thinking about doing something with stars, that is what her name means, star. If you have any thoughts, let me know. Well that's all for today,
Laugh today!

Blogging

2008-05-01T09:20:00.000-07:00

Blogging, it sure is a funny thing. So i found out that not only myself but most people read all the blogs of their people everyday, yet at the same time we don't update our own everyday. How funny is that? i guess we just want to see what's going on in everyone else life but don't take the time to fill everyone in on ourselves. Or i know for me it just doesn't seem like things that take place are very interesting all the time, say like for today my morning is starting out great, i got the sheets changed by 6:30 I'm thinking oh it's going to be a productive day and then Gabriel wakes up and runs to the bathroom and i hear the dreaded sound of heaving into the toilet! Yeah, at least he made it to the bathroom. So i put in a movie make him some toast and hope that it was just a flook and he is all better? Well not so much just as we are getting our shoes on to take Ezekiel to school there he goes again, this time missing the bowl right in front of him and landing on the couch, great now i have to take a boy who's throwing up in the car because his brother has to get to school on time and well i guess the couch will just have to wait 10 minutes until i get home. Well there goes my productive day, because of course it's all running errands getting ready for Gabriel's party on Saturday and of course this is the only day to get things done. Oh well, we'll see how he's doing in a couple of hours.
Now see, that's not very exciting but i guess it's about the family and what's happening right now and i suppose that's the point of a blog, right? Well i hope you've enjoyed my ramblings for the day!
Be well today!

Big God

2008-04-30T07:09:00.000-07:00

So as I was doing my study this morning i came across this:
"Do not allow the enemy to get your focus off of Jesus and His righteousness. Refuse to be controlled by your feelings or circumstances. RISE UP IN FAITH and begin to reign in life through Jesus Christ and His righteousness! i have some good news for you; You don't have to wait! You can start today!"
WOW, that's great....so how do i do that???
i guess it's by just realizing that God is sooo much bigger than i think He is. He is God He created this whole world, He created emotion they are good, as long as you don't live by them. You feel them and ask God why you are having them and you move on. i think that may be it, just remembering to include God in everything, even your emotions! Wow, thanks God for being such a GREAT BIG GOD!
On a side note, we just watched Akeelah and the Bee, have you seen it? It was a nice movie. i was wondering if anyone out there new where/who that quote was by about being fearful of yourself and letting yourself be all the many things you truly are? It was a great quote, see the movie if you haven't it's good, you can borrow it from me, we bought it!
Well have a great day and remember to LIVE BY FAITH!!!

Why Sara Jean's Pies???

2008-04-19T21:02:00.000-07:00

Why Sara Jean's Pies??? Well on the Santiam Pass on the way to Eugene there's this little place called Mom's Pies and they had the best pies ever. Well we've been going over there since 1992 when Tina started college and we have stopped there several times. Mom's Pies closed and is for sale now. Every time I drive by, which seems to be a lot lately, I always think of how fun it would be to own a little pies shop and the name I would use would be Sara Jean's Pies. I so enjoy making pies and think some day it would be fun to do it for a living. You know along with my salon that I will one day have, what do you think about the name Rooster Chops??? There is a giant rooster infront of a nursery on my way to church and I absolutely love it. Andy's not to fond of the name, I guess I'll have to work on that one. Well that's it for now so now you know the reason behind the name of this blog!
Be Joyful!

2008-04-17T08:38:00.000-07:00

So yesterday at Gabriel's preschool it was Daddy Day. Andy was able to take 1 1/2 off during the middle of the day to go in, yeah, i love that he wants to be involved. So Gabriel wrote up a little thing about his daddy and drew a picture, here's what he wrote,
"My dad is taller than a dirt bike and he is 57 years old. His job is Christmas lights and my favorite thing to do with him is help put up Christmas lights."
So do you think he wrote that a while ago??? When daddy walks in in a Fed Ex uniform that kinda gave away the Christmas light job. Andy said it was really cute one boy wrote that his daddy worked with women, of course all the daddy's had to ask, he was a Les Schawb worker, who knows how the little guys come to their conclusions.
Be Blessed:)

2008-04-14T09:09:00.000-07:00

So I finally found my blog again so I can get it updated. I'm still pretty slow at this whole thing. Well life is good, we got a mini van and are excited about that. However when we told the boys we were going to pick it up (last Monday) Ezekiel excitedly shouted out "Is baby sister coming too!" In his mind he had thought that when we got the mini van baby sister would be coming too. I told him that she would be here at the end of the year and that we needed to continually be praying for her.
On the kids note, yesterday in church Marta, the kids teacher for the day, told me to ask them what the Lord had told them during childrens church. They had taken time to wait on the Lord and each child heard something so to make sure and strike up a conversation about it. So on the way to Pilot Butte, yum, we asked what did the Lord speak to you guys this morning? Ezekiel chimed right in and said that the Lord told him that He loves everyone. Gabriel took a minute to sort out his thoughts, not wanting to say what Ezekiel said and then he goes "I know, God told me He was going to be sending Angels to me so I can see them." How cool is that, I know I can take a lesson from that and start asking the Lord to show me things, I know that He wants to but so many times I run using my own faith and not His.
So I ask you, what are you wanting the Lord to show you, in His faith and not your own????
Have a blessed day:)

Here we go...

2008-03-21T11:26:00.000-07:00

So here we go i think i finally got it figured out, i still may need some help in some areas but i've got it going. How fun to have a place to jot your thoughts and maybe help someone who's needing a little encouragement or just needing to focus on something other than themselves. i need that and i love reading other blogs. So here it is read it if you want or don't i'm just going to enjoy doing it. We'll see how good i am at keeping it up. Have a blessed day!