MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

“...behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream saying Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.” Matthew 1:20

Christmas Greetings:

It seems that every year God shows me something new in the very familiar Christmas story. This year I've identified so much with Joseph. There was nothing really special about Joseph. He was a simple carpenter from Nazareth, a lowly town that religious people of the time looked down upon. Yet it is just like God to choose insignificant people and despised things of the world to reveal His special glory.

What made Joseph's life significant was that God chose him and gave him a dream, a dream to be the adoptive father of the “Son of the Most High” and that Joseph “obeyed”. Through obedience and faith, he chose to marry the woman he was engaged to and who was already with child. He could have had her stoned as was custom. He could have committed to his “own” plan to send her away in secrecy. Instead through faith, he obeyed God's will and stood beside her sharing the condemnation, shame and ridicule from the surrounding Jewish community and most likely from his own family too.

I've found in my own life journey, answering God's call is only the first step of obedience and trust. Saying “Yes” to God, is a continuous journey of trust. Likewise, things didn't get any easier for Joseph. He had to take a very pregnant wife on a laborious journey to Bethlehem, help her give birth in a dirty stable, and then flee to live in a foreign land so he could protect his adopted son from the murderous King Herod. It was Joseph's obligation to raise his son according to God's law. Scripture credits Joseph as being a righteous man. He carried out all the customs of the law for his adopted son and made the annual pilgrimages to Jerusalem for the feasts. From his earthly father's spiritual leadership, Jesus grew in wisdom and stature and favor with God. God rewards those who follow in obedience. I don't know all the ways Joseph was blessed for his faith but I do know that he spoke to angels three different times and had the privilege of walking hand in hand with the Living God. To walk hand in hand with Jesus, what could be better than that!

There is nothing significant about our family either. Like Joseph, God gave us a dream to be adoptive parents and has led us down paths that we never would have walked down on our own, paths that we never dreamed would be so amazing. Last December, we traveled to Ethiopia, leaving the old behind to venture outside our comfort zone to a new and exciting family life. We picked our girls up in February and from the first time they called us mommy and daddy, our heart and life have never been the same. On the other hand, this new life has been a big adjustment, required many sacrifices of self and at times has been overwhelming. Like Joseph, we've had to die to self and our own abilities and depend on God to carry us through each day. This year has been a continual walk of trust and dependency as we try to balance all our responsibilities.

I don't know if Joseph ever stumbled along the way but many times my own humanness has shown as I have taken my eyes off of the Lord, wasted the journey on grumbling when I am tired, or I have mindlessly gone through the motions of life instead of embracing each moment. While my journey has had more emotional ups and downs, David has been our stable backbone holding things together and bearing the yoke when I am at the end of my strength regardless of how tired he has become. I am so thankful that God has blessed me with such a wonderful partner in life. We've also been so blessed that the girls have fit and transitioned so beautifully into our family and lives. Truly, the real joy of our adoption journey was not just God making the dream for us come true but experiencing Him throughout all the phases of faith. He has been so faithful and blessed us beyond measure. I imagine it was that way for Joseph too.

Betty and Jeri had a wonderful first "American" Christmas and it was even white!  They have been so keyed up and excited for weeks.  They have loved the lights (but were disappointed we did not put any up on our house), Christmas music, caroling, parties, goodies, buying gifts and the Advent preparation.  This morning, they were up in the early hours checking out their stockings.  Thankfully they did not wake us up until around 6 a.m.  Jeri received a doll that walks, a fuzzy blanket and a blue thin-line Bible (I think she was disappointed it was not pink though).  Betty received a scooter and helmet, a fuzzy blanket and a purple thin-line Bible.  The kids also drew names and got each other gifts.  Their excitement and thankful hearts made this a very special Christmas.  We look forward to celebrating Christmas the Ethiopian way on January 5th at a nearby Ethiopian church.  It is in January because the Ethiopian calendar differs from our Western calendar.     

Bringing home our girls into our family was the best part of our year.  It has been a year of many firsts for them and us.  My greatest treasure was to see tears of pride well up in my father's eyes as he presented our new family to his Sunday school class. Our real dream for ourselves and our children is that we can stand before our heavenly Father, see those same tears of pride in His eyes and look back on our walk with Him with no regrets.

Glory to God in the highest and on earth, peace among men with whom He is well pleased. 

HAPPY ADOPTION DAY!

Today we celebrate the One Year Anniversary of Betty and Jeri's adoption!  One year ago we stood before the judge in Ethiopia as she pronounced us the proud parents of these two girls.  Betty had a school Christmas musical tonight so we are going to celebrate this weekend by dining at a local Ethiopian restaurant on Sunday.

Betty and Jeri have been home with us 9 1/2 months now.  They are no longer the tiny girls that we brought home with us in February.  Jeri has grown an amazing 4.75 inches and gained 18 pounds!  She is almost as tall as Stephen.  Betty has grown an equally amazing 4.8 inches and gained 10 pounds.  They've both sprouted up through a couple of sizes of clothes within that short time frame.  We are especially thankful to all of you who have donated clothes to them this year.

It seems that our family has reached a new normal and life proceeds as usual.  School has been our story for the past 3 months.  Even in the routine of everyday life, we have seen God work in some amazing ways.  Before we ever brought the girls home from Ethiopia, I put them on the wait list for a cottage school that our kids attend one day a week.  The girls were in lower Kindergarten in Ethiopia so I requested K-5 for Betty and 1st grade for Jeri.  Betty got a placement right when school started but Jeri did not.  God miraculously provided a placement for Jeri one week after school started.  After a few weeks of school, it became apparent that K-5 was not challenging enough for Betty.  Once again, God miraculously provided a placement for Jeri in 2nd and Betty to take Jeri's place in 1st.  Both times I was told it was unlikely that placements would happen since there was a waiting list for both grades but God is faithful even in the small things of life.  I was a little concerned that skipping 1st grade would be difficult for Jeri, but she catches on so quickly and is already doing grade level work with very little assistance.  Betty is also flourishing in 1st grade.

Balancing the schooling of four kids and all my other responsibilities has been my biggest challenge this fall.  I don't think I have succeeded in conquering it yet.  Life seems to be at a level of chaos that my "organized" self has trouble wrapping my arms around.  I get what I can done and everything else just has to wait.  Perhaps that is part of our new normal.  Each day I pray that God gives me strength for the day and patience for all the voices that vie for my attention.  I've had four kids at home before but there was an 8 year gap between the older kids and the younger kids, the older kids attended public school and the younger kids were in lower elementary so they did not require as much of my time.  Large families who homeschool many kids have my utmost respect.  I would love to know their secret!  I do feel blessed that Betty and Jeri are such quick learners and catch on so quickly to everything put before them.  At any rate, if I have not communicated much with you this year, you now know why!

Betty and Jeri attend Bible Study Fellowship with me.  We are studying the book of Genesis this year which is great place for them to start; "In the beginning.... "  The girls enjoy going to their class and have a Kenyan friend from up the street who goes with them too.  They both do a great job with their memory verse each week and with understanding the Biblical truths.

The girls enjoyed their first Thanksgiving.  We went to my parents' home that is in a small town. They were so excited for weeks before our trip and it was difficult to keep them subdued enough for school. My sister's family visited too.  Her children are the same age range as ours and the kids always have a blast playing together.  The weather was perfect and allowed the kids to play outside in the open fields around the house.  On our trip, we were excited to visit with another family that went to court at the same times as us last year.  They adopted a 4 year old boy who is adjusting to American life very well too.

Betty and Jeri's first Christmas with us is next on the list.  I was going to delay putting up the decorations to help keep the level of excitement down long enough to get some schoolwork done in December but they talked me into decorating last weekend.  We put up the decorations in record time with four kids helping!  They get so excited looking at all the Christmas lights that are already up in our neighborhood.  We are doing our best to keep Christmas simple and keep the focus on serving others and Christ's birth.  We told the kids that they would each get three gifts from us, something they want, something they need and something to read.  Hopefully that will keep future expectations realistic.

Betty and Jeri open up occasionally about their past life.  I just get bits and pieces but it seems like they had a happy childhood.  I can't really determine anything about their father but they speak of their mother and grandparents taking them to church.  They played with their two older brothers, played in an open field next to their home, had their own little baby chicks, and walked with cousins to school.  I hope I learn more as time goes on.

As I look back over our journey this past year and how we've been blessed along the way, the following verse comes to mind:

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us... Ephesians 3:20

Happy Family

Mom and Girls

Fun at the Park

Ready for Christmas Concert

Looking at Christmas Lights

SIX MONTHS HOME

It is hard to believe 6 months have flown by since we brought Betty and Jeri home.  It has been amazing watching them progress from toddler stages of actions and behavior to that of 7 and 9 year old little girls, all in the matter of a few months!  They went from playing games such as the Memory Game, Chutes and Ladders and Candy Land to games like Battleship, Phase 10, Life and Skipbo.  They went from barely being able to balance themselves in the water to obtaining their green band at the YMCA that allows them to swim in the deep end of the pool and not have a parent attending them!  They went from riding tiny tricycles and scoot along toys at the church playground to riding bicycles without training wheels.  They went from speaking very little English to speaking complete sentences and and cracking jokes using play on words.  Sad to say, they have lost their Amharic language though.  Betty grew 2.75 inches and gained 6 pounds.  Jeri grew 2.25 inches and gained 12 pounds.  They both grew in clothing sizes and shoes!

Their personalities have become more apparent too.  Betty is a vivacious, very stubborn, determined little girl.  She wants to be able to do everything the big kids get to do and is highly competitive.  She has a bright, captivating laugh that everyone loves.  Jeri is my little helper.  I can always depend on her to do something for me and she loves to work beside me in the kitchen.  She is kind and giving but also has a mischievous, playful side to her too.  Betty is a deep thinker and very fearful of loss.  Not surprising since she has seen much loss in her short life.  After seeing a movie where a character died of a heart attack, she told me that she would do all the work so I would not have to work hard and have a heart attack and die also.  One day I was explaining something about the Revolutionary War in America.  The next day she said "Let's pray that there is not a war here again so we don't have to leave our house."  It is usually a day or two later that I find out something I said or something she heard elsewhere has caused her worry.

Both girls are very frugal with their money.  They get a small allowance and instead of spending it on instant gratification, they keep saving and saving it.  Betty did break down once and spend hers on some candy.

Both girls are shy around others but have come a long way in using social manners.  They earned points for each effort of politeness and then we had a "Kid's Night" party when they reached their goal.  They had been wanting a kid's night for some time because they thought it unfair when they had to play outside while David and I had a few date night dinners at home.  We made a menu and waited on them while they enjoyed their favorite foods.  I love to here Betty's little "You're welcome" behind me when a stranger has thanked her for holding the door open.

They are both smart as a whip.  They catch on to games in no time at all and are easy to teach.   Betty will be attending a cottage school two half days starting next week.  Jeri is still on a waiting list.  I will be using the "Five in a Row" unit study with her at home.

The girls have had a taste of camping this summer, ranging from primitive, dispersed camping, to a national park to a state park with toilets.  They did great with all three.  They have become pretty good fisherwomen too.  Just last week they caught several little sun fish by fly fishing at a local lake.  Both girls also did wonderfully in the car for a 2 day drive to visit David's parents.  They were great travelers.  Last week they enjoyed a visit from my parents.  They were sad to see them go and could not understand why they could not stay forever.

Betty celebrated her 7 year old birthday in August.  She was so excited and exclaimed "It is the first birthday party I have ever had!"  Jeri will celebrate in September.

We have been truly blessed by these little girls.  God certainly knew what He was doing when He selected them for our family as their personalities blend in so well.  They bring us great joy.

Jumping on the Salt Flats

First roasted marshmallow.

Betty's birthday

Our little dare devil!

ADOPTION DAY!

On Tuesday, June 12th, we went to court for our U.S. re-adoption.  The judge finalized everything, changed the girls names to Kathryn Jerusalem and Rebecca Bethlehem and changed their ages to 6 and 8.  This will enable us to receive a correct U.S. birth certificate for both girls.

We celebrated with an Adoption Day Dessert Party that evening at our local neighborhood park along with friends and family who journeyed with us through the process.  All the kids had a great game of kick ball. 

Both girls are doing well in all aspects of family life and learning English.  They certainly keep us busy!  They just finished their first 2 weeks of swim lessons and are ready to move up to the next level.  They finished their handwriting book, have almost finished a year's worth of first grade math and are 1/2 way through their "Learning to Read in 100 Easy Lessons" book.  They are eager, bright students!

The girls are still very shy around other people and we have instituted a reward system for using polite manners with others.  They are beginning to do much better using social skills.  It is hard to believe it has been 4 months since we brought them home.

The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord endures forever.  Psalm 138:8 

A HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

It has been 3 months since we picked up our newest family members in Ethiopia.  My heart overflows with such joy from our newly expanded family this Mother's Day.  Surely God has similar feelings when each one of His adopted children comes home to live with Him and His Son.  I'm so thankful He has grafted these special girls into our family tree.

Our family is truly a blended family with 2 stepchildren, 2 biological children and now 2 adopted children.  I believe the Lord looks down and smiles because His own Son had a blended family too!  Jesus, had a stepfather, Joseph, and had biological 1/2 brothers and sisters and has adopted brothers and sisters from those who have received His gift of salvation through His grace.

My family blessed me with a delicious breakfast in bed this morning and beautifully drawn Mother's Day cards.  I also smell the delicious aroma of Peanut Butter Cake that they are baking for me this afternoon.

I love the unity of brotherhood I have seen in my children.  My ten year old son's little white hand holds the small brown hand of his sister as we walk.  My twelve year old son had fun putting his little sister's hair up into pig tails before church today.  I love the sounds of the kids working together as the girls willingly join their brothers in completing their chores.  I love the sound of laughter ringing out in our back yard as the children play kick ball together in our back yard.  I love seeing my boys adore and enjoy playing with their new sisters.  I love our "new normal."

I feel so undeservingly blessed that our transition has gone so well.  The girls seem to have attached, bonded and have fit right into our family.  It is not at all what I was prepared for in adopting older children.  I feel blessed when their little arms give me big hugs and treasure our bedtime routine as they giggle and snuggle into me as we read books and sing silly songs like Peter Cottontail.  I feel grateful as they so willingly and happily join me in kitchen work such as grocery shopping, cooking, setting the table, and dishes.

It has been amazing and fun watching the fast transition from preschool level behavior to behavior that is more fitting their age.  They are now learning boundaries in respecting other people's things.  It has been amazing how fast their grasp of the English language has progressed.  It seems that they understand so much of what we say and are even making complete sentences of their own.

It seems the girls are feeling safe and secure.  Jeri felt safe enough the other day to say "I don't like this family" when she had a day of not getting what she wants.  She certainly hasn't acted like she doesn't like us and was snuggling up into David's arms 10 minutes later.  I think she just felt safe enough to express her feelings of frustration.  Jeri has also been trying many new foods this past week and liking them.  I believe she was so picky before because it was one aspect of her life that she could control when so much change was taking place in her life.  It is hard to know what all they were told about life in America before coming here.  I'm sure they have had to adjust their expectations.  I know they are disappointed we don't eat beef every night!

The girls have also been doing well in school.  They both finished all the chapters in their math book on addition and are ready to move on to subtraction.  They are both reading simple sentences in their reading lesson book.  They love to sit and color, cut and paste during their free time.

We took the girls swimming one day and they enjoyed it so much we have joined the YMCA again.  They beg to go almost every day.  In June they will start some swimming lessons.

I started the girls on an allowance because they were begging for everything in the store and candy each time we went.  Now I simply tell them to bring their money if they want anything.  It is funny how they don't want to spend their own money!  Jeri has saved $14 now and Betty $12.  It certainly put a stop to too much candy.

Of course, everyday doesn't look picture perfect.  We live on the imperfect side of eternity.   There was a day when I put too much into one day, my cell phone disappeared, the front door was wide open when we got home, dinner was late and we still had to make it to Stephen's art show.  The girls are very sensitive and when they saw big tears dropping down my face, they scurried to clean up the dishes  so mommy wouldn't have to.

It has been an adjustment getting used to four kids again too.  We have the typical squabbling that happens between 4 kids.  My brain is often over taxed and hurting from all the noise and the attention demanded from me from so many family members and often all at the same time.  I will find myself walking to the pantry or somewhere and not remembering what I went to get or do.  I've accidently left the dog in the car for several hours on several different occasions.  Fortunately it was not hot.  I broke down in frustration and tears the other day because of the feeling that I am not able to listen to anyone very well at all because my mind becomes so numb from all the input and I have so much to do to keep the ship afloat.  The clutter that results from more people has been difficult too.  I keep trying to not let it bother me, but that is hard for someone who used to be a neat nut.  It is difficult to find time alone.  Don't feel bad if you haven't received communication from me.  I sit down at my computer and within minutes there are little warm bodies surrounding me with eyes peering over my shoulders.  I've already shooed people away from me this afternoon several times.  But each day gets easier as we establish routines and boundaries and establish expectations.

I've always found that saying "yes" to the hard things God calls me to do have been so worth it.  The blessings far outweigh the hardships and He has always been right by my side walking me through each step of the way through the times of famine and the times of plenty.  I look forward to reaching new summits.

"He makes my feet like hind' feet, And set me on my high places."  2 Samuel 22:34  

Family at Easter

First carousel ride

A mother's love

Dressed up Ethiopian style

Brotherly love

Happy kids hiking

Fun at the park