Urgent Need in Ethiopia....Can You Help?

While Zack and I were still in the adoption process, we were made aware of an urgent need for formula in the orphanages in Ethiopia due to the ever worsening and complex economic issues in Ethiopia. Thankfully, many people joined together to raise a huge amount of money for the transitional home and many other families took large donations of formula when they traveled to Ethiopia. This sustained the shortage for a short time, but there continues to be an urgent need. I know it is difficult for us here in America to understand the reality and urgency of this need, but I have seen with my own eyes the effects of malnourishment. Some of the children we held in Ethiopia were fighting for their lives. Thankfully many of these children will eventually be placed in forever homes, but while they are waiting, nutritious formula is their lifeline!

Malnutrition is real and it is heartbreaking, and it is something that we must work to eliminate! I have never shared this photo with anyone other than our closest family, but I felt led to share it just to show the difference that proper nutrition can make. We don't believe that Caleb was malnourished to the extreme that many of the babies are, but it is obvious from this photo that he was far from healthy. This photo was taken as soon as he was brought into the orphange after being found abandoned.

Of course, you know what Caleb looks like now :)

That is why I have added this link: http://tomdavis.typepad.com/tom_daviss_blog/formula-drive-blog-buttons.html. This is a link to the blog of Tom Davis, author of many books including "Fields of the Fatherless", which I have personally read. He is an amazing advocate for orphans and is doing all he can to work on their behalf. Please look at it. If you can help at all, even just by donating a few dollars, please do! It is easy- just click on the button on the right side of the blog-the button that says "Urgent Need". You could literally be saving the lives of many children! Thank You!

Home for Four Months.....And Meeting Steven Curtis Chapman!

Let me explain this picture ....this is Pooh's position at every meal- he stares at the floor directly under Caleb's high chair, just waiting for the tiniest crumb to drop :) He hardly even looks up any more!

Caleb's first mowing experience with Pap....

As you can see, it was quite exhausting :)

Fun in the tub!

Our Family after 4 Months Home!!

Last night Zack and I had the amazing privilege of volunteering for Show Hope (a ministry of Shaohannah's Hope, founded by the Chapman family) at the United Tour featuring Steven Curtis Chapman and Michael W. Smith. Show Hope is a sponsorship program that funds an amazing special needs medical facility for orphans in China and helps to give financial assistance to families in the adoption process. Zack and I were very grateful recipients of a grant for our adoption, so we felt it was the least we could do to volunteer for this amazing organization. And what a blessing it was! We met so many other families who had adopted and got to hear their stories. At our booth alone (I think there were 4 other booths), around 75 people agreed to sponsor adoption! Praise the Lord!

It was also such a blessing to hear Steven Curtis Chapman and special guest Geoff Moore speak about how adoption has touched their lives. I found myself in tears many times throughout the night. I was reminded, once again, of our own calling to adopt and overwhelmed by the blessings God has given us and continues to gives us through adoption.

At the end of the night, we were led down onto the floor of the arena and through a back hallway. There stood Steven Curtis Chapman! I could not believe it!!! We stood in line to meet him and a thousand thoughts ran through my mind! Mainly thoughts of gratitude for what he and his family have done to promote adoption and how they have helped so many families bring home their children. Truly, their story had a great influence on Zack and I and our decision to adopt. As it was our turn to meet him, I got choked up and could barely even tell him "thank you" for what he had done for our family and for adoption in general. I finally gained my composure enough to show him a picture of Caleb (he loved the name, as he has a son named Caleb too :), and to properly thank him. Zack also thanked him and spoke about the amazing impact his family has had on adoption. Just think- because of one persons obedience to God's call (their daughter Emily who relentlessly spoke to Steven Curtis and Mary Beth about adoption), thousands of lives have been changed!

It was most definitely a night to remember!

Finally! A short video montage of our journey!

Today at a doctor's appointment I was talking to my doctor and nurse about our adoption. He told me about someone on his staff that was interested in adopting and asked if it would be okay if she spoke to me to get some more information. Of course, I was more than happy to talk to her! We had a great conversation, and I pray that God used something I said to lead her to adopt!

The conversation we had caused me to reflect back on our time in Ethiopia, and I found myself sitting this afternoon and browsing through pictures of our trip. I realized I never made any type of video or montage- and suddenly I was inspired to do so! After it was finished I sat with Caleb in my lap and we watched it together. I couldn't help but cry as I marveled at all that God has done in our lives and held Caleb in my arms! Praise Him!

Our First Easter With Caleb.....

First, some photos....

At the "Easter Eggstravaganza" on Saturday..... Receiving his Easter basket, hand made by grandma:)

With pap and mommy before the start of the Passion Play

With Grandma.....

Eventually the pants just have to come off :) As you can see, he was much more interested in the "fower" as he says than in smiling for a family photo :)

With his daddy....two fine looking fellas :)

Soooo adorable....I stared at a him a lot today :) Thanks to granna and grandma for the lovely Easter outfit. Grandparents....what would we do without them?

This weekend was truly wonderful (the only thing that could have made it better would have been if Zack hadn't been scheduled to work most of the weekend....we missed him so much!). We took Caleb to an Easter event our church puts on every year for the community on Saturday. It has lots of things for kids- an egg hunt, face painting, lots of inflatables, etc. Caleb actually went down the giant slides a couple of times with mommy and then with pap, and he seemed to like it okay. Then he decided he wanted to get in the big bouncy inflatable. That was all well and good until a few bigger kids got in and made it really bounce....then Caleb decided it was time to get out! Later that afternoon we went to pap and grandma's house, and Caleb received his first Easter basket! He got some new books, fruit snacks, and some cool cups with straws (we are working on getting rid of the sippy cups :) Mommy and daddy also got their Easter baskets :)

This morning we performed the final performance of our passion play at church. We had performed throughout the week as well, and as I reflect on the performances, I realize what a true blessing it is to be able to tell the most beautiful, amazing, and awesome story ever! I am moved each time they raise the cross and I see Jesus hanging there, bearing the sin of the world, for you and for me. And how I am overjoyed when the choir breaks into "He's Alive".

Praise God, He is Alive!!

While backstage, I also thought today about how blessed we are to have Caleb with us this Easter. He watched the Passion Play about three times this week, and though I know he doesn't really understand what it is all about right now, I pray everyday that one day he will. He looked so pretty today, yes, I said pretty :) I just kept looking at him all day, in disbelief that we could be so blessed. Something else I thought about today.... I wondered if the children we met in Ethiopia were thinking about what Easter means. I hope that they were, and because our agency is a Christian agency, I believe that the staff probably recounted the Easter story to them.

I also thought about how very few of the children there would have an Easter basket or have a nice Easter outfit to wear or have a nice Easter dinner spread before them. I know that stuff really doesn't matter, and that it is not truly part of what Easter is all about, but still, it was something I thought about. It is a "no brainer" for most of us here in the USA to go out and purchase a new Easter outfit and to have a nice Easter meal....but that is not the case in Ethiopia. I thought about the kids there, and I wished that I could give them all a brand new outfit and an Easter basket full of things that would make their eyes sparkle and food that would fill their bellies. I wish that for all of them. Though I can't do that very thing, I can make a difference, and so can you! If you aren't involved in helping children that live in poverty stricken countries, would you please consider it? There are links to two great and credible organizations, Compassion International and The Mocha Club at the top of our blog, on the right side. Both have wonderful ministries and help to make the lives of children better for a very small monthly donation.

Happy Easter!

Prayers for Micah Richardson

Tonight we need to lift up little Micah and his mommy Julia and Roscoe. They just brought little Micah home from Ethiopia and immediately he had to be admitted to the children's hospital. He is one sick little boy. They realized how ill he was about midway through their trip to Ethiopia. Thankfully they were able to return home as scheduled so that Micah could get the proper medical care he needed.

I came to know Julia through our Ethiopia Yahoo group, and we quickly discovered we had a lot in common! Both of our sons shared the same Ethiopian name, our birth dates are the same, and we also share many of the same health/nutritional issues....it is too weird, really!

I truly can not imagine what this family must be going through- they are brand new parents, have just traveled half way around the world and spent many, many hours on a plane (which equals serious exhaustion, trust me, I have been there!) and they have a very sick little boy.....they need our prayers! You can visit their blog by clicking here.

Caleb is 16 Months Old!

Happy 16 Month Birthday Caleb! We Love You!

What A Difference....3 Month Reflection

Wow- If you would have told me when we first arrived home almost three months ago that we could have come to have loved this boy so much, that he would have made such strides, that we couldn't have imagined our lives without him and that our lives would be this totally different, but in a good way....I might have not believed you :) It's just awesome!

I truly am amazed at how far we have all come. If you read my reflection after being home for one month, you might have gotten the sense that it was a tough time- and it was. The transition was especially hard for me. I wish someone would have told me (and in reality, I am sure they did) "Give it time!" For some people, all the feelings and instincts, etc. are instant....for others, like me, it took time, and that is okay (I know this now). Time....It truly makes such a difference! All the things that seemed so overwhelming and "big" when we arrived home seem so manageable and not such big deals now. That doesn't mean we don't ever have difficult times, but they seem like molehills now, instead of mountains :) Praise God!

So, what is Caleb up to? How has he changed? He is probably the happiest human being I have ever met. He just bursts out in laughter at random times. He lives to make others laugh! How does he do this? Well, he might roll his eyes back into his head (I am going to have to post a video of this....it is hilarious!) or do his special dance move, or make his face shake all over, or he might try to sing opera. Oh, and my personal favorite, he loves to shake his head no and smile when I ask him to give me a kiss- it is so cute! But what I love more than that is when he just walks up to me so sweetly and surprises me with lots of kisses...oh, I love that! What a sweetie. Okay, so he isn't perfect.......but pretty close :) He is beginning to be much more independent and "trying", which means he likes to smile and laugh when he is told "no" and when he is told "no" he likes to throw a temper tantrum. He can get fussy anytime he wants to do something on his own that he really can't do yet. If we have to assist him to get the job done, he isn't too happy. Strong willed? yep :)

I have found myself reflecting at the 3 month mark on our time in Ethiopia. What an experience- truly, the experience of a lifetime. I can't explain the emotions that I feel now looking back at pictures of our time there, or even seeing pictures of other families time there. It just does something to me....it moves me in way I can't explain, kind of like a part of me will forever be there. Know what I mean? And when I think that this precious child came to us from this beautiful place- it just overwhelms my heart. I don't know if this means we will adopt again or if we will ever go back or not, but I do know it means that Ethiopia will forever be in my heart in a very special way. I am excited to see what God has in mind for our family and Ethiopia. Who knows! God does :)

Well, I could go on and on, as any mom could, but most of you may not have even made it to this point....I know, you really just want the pictures :) And I don't know how to make them appear at the bottom instead of the top :) Lucky you! No, lucky us. No, blessed us. We are truly blessed.

Beautiful Video....

A very sweet family in the AWAA Ethiopia program recently made a video collage of many of the AWAA families now at home with their precious children from Ethiopia. They showed the collage at their baby shower...what a great idea! As I watched it for the first time, I stood in awe of God's goodness and the miracle of adoption. Praise him that there truly are no orphans of God. The Video is below....oh, and grab some tissues :)

The Vandruff Family has their day in court next Friday. Please keep them and their two precious children in your prayers as they seek to be united as a forever family.

The Bowman's Passed (and so did I :)

Our sweet friends from Lexington, Chad & Karen Bowman, found out this morning that they passed court! Praise the Lord! Their sweet daughter Natalie is now officially theirs! We met the Bowman's toward the beginning of our adoption journey and have been friends ever since. Honestly, we thought we might travel together, as our dossiers were submitted to Ethiopia only a couple weeks apart. Unfortuntaley, that wasn't the case, but we did get to meet precious Natalie while we were in Ethiopia. To see a video of their beautiful new daughter, click here.

Also, I was very suprised today to find something in the mail from my graduate school. It was my test results for the comprehensive exam I took this past weekend....I passed! Praise the Lord! I am finally finished!

What does Caleb think about all this great news???

He is very excited, of course :)

Home 2 Months!

Saturday marked the two month anniversary of Caleb being home with us- it is beginning to feel like he has been with us forever! He is such a part of our family now, we can't imagine him not being with us. He is loved by everyone who knows him, and it is easy to understand why. He lights up the room as soon as he enters. I remeber when we had just received our referral, our program director, Duni, had emailed me about a paperwork issue. At the end of her email she added, "I have never met a baby that can capture your attention from across the room with just a smile." Now we know what she meant! He truly has a joyous spirit!

As most children do, he is learning so much with each day- it is truly amazing. New sounds, new movements, new games, each day is a new learning adventure. Never could we have hoped that he would be doing so well after only being home for two months. In some ways, he seems like such a different little boy than the tiny and scared child we met in Ethiopia. God has removed the fear in his eyes and replaced it with love and happiness. We give him all the glory for that!

Zack and I are continuing to learn the joys and challenges of being parents. I am still struggling with fatigue, mostly due to Lupus, I feel sure. We rely on God for strength for each day, and he is faithful. The love he has placed in our hearts for Caleb grows with each day- we are so blessed.

Well, that is all for now- this is one tired momma :) More to come next week, including Caleb's first haircut :) Should be fun :)