International Justice Day

Re-Adoption Day!

A year after getting the referral phone call we were stepping into the Judge's chambers to finalize the adoption in the State of Wyoming. Woo Hoo!

Mother's Day

This was my first Mother's Day and it was more than I could have ever imagined or hoped for. It was a beautiful day filled with many moments that brought laughter, tears, and overwhelming emotions as I reflected on the reasons why I am a mother today. Although I greatly appreciate the recognition and honor, it has been completely humbling to reflect on the privilege and opportunity to raise this little man, knowing he was once so dearly loved by a very beautiful woman who would have loved to celebrated this day with him.

A Time of Sharing

We gathered with friends today to share a little about our journey to Ethiopia and what our time has been like in the past six months of being home with the little man.

I have to be honest, I was really looking forward to this day for a long time.

But sitting there - I had so many thoughts and emotions running through my head.

Have we done the right things?

Is he adjusting as well as he should be?

How do we convey to people all that we have experienced and feel?

Do we share the ups and downs...or just the ups so they aren't turned off to adoption?

Have we advocated enough for adoption and the millions of orphans waiting to be heard?

What gives me the privilege to be celebrated, when others have sacrificed and continue to struggle?

It is still incredibly difficult for me to put to words all that was felt and experienced throughout this journey, but especially while in Ethiopia. Thankfully people are very understanding and even in the absence of my words, they still loved on my family beautifully.

Melkam Ganna

We had a great day celebrating this Ethiopian holiday.

We started the morning by decorating sugar cookies with the Ethiopian flag and ended by celebrating and dancing with some good friends.

Oh, and apparently the little man's smile now looks as if he is going to take a big bite out of something.....

I Need Africa

For several months now I have been struggling with how to convey all that we experienced while in Ethiopia. This was not our first time traveling abroad or even to a country overwhelmed with poverty and injustice. Our hearts have yearned to share all that we saw, both in pain and in joy, but the words are hard to find...very hard to find... to paint you the wonderful picture of all that we experienced.

And it is not just the difficulty of finding the right words. We, I especially, can hardly let our minds begin to replay all that we journeyed through while in Ethiopia without being moved to tears that bring up even more overwhelming emotions.

So we are searching.... for the right words...how to correctly convey our emotional and amazing experience....and how to best advocate for these people that so quickly stole our hearts.

I don't know how we came across this video, but it brought tears to our eyes and we felt that this says so much of what we have been feeling in a much more beautiful way than we ever could.

The video is created by an organization called Mocha Club. I encourage you check out their website.

Aching Heart

Tonight I was up late working on my final research paper for a class while also trying to move through how awful I felt from being sick with a cup of tea.

I took a quick break from writing my paper and went to check our agency website. Periodically I look at the waiting child list out of curiosity and to put some faces to my prayers.

My heart sank as I stared at the photo of a little boy we had met while in Ethiopia. This particular little boy was in the same room as the little man and within the first minutes of playing with the children had gained a very special place in my heart. And now here he is waiting for a family to give him the loving home that he and his birth parents long for him to have.

My heart aches for him.

This little guy has a beautiful smile and a laugh that shakes his whole belly while filling the room with joy. I smile now just thinking of him laughing.....

I specifically remember asking Micah while in Ethiopia if all of the children in the care center are waiting to travel home - he said yes - and maybe he was right....

This little boy's profile description matches so much of our little man's story.

That is part of what brings an overwhelming sense of sadness up for me.

I think about those first twenty minutes after our referral phone call and questioning whether or not I could raise a toddler. Whether or not it would be what I had been waiting all this time for. Could I handle the challenges? Was this the right child for our family?

I wish I could say that I knew without a doubt, but I didn't - we didn't. We had to pray about it - and calm ourselves down emotionally. But I can tell you now that it was the right child for our family - WITHOUT A DOUBT. As a matter of a fact it is hard to ever imagine why we were questioning.

But as I checked the website tonight - looking at this little boy's photo - my thoughts immediately questioned if this is what would have happened to our little man if we said no. I want so badly to be there to love on the kiddos and hear his laugh again. I want him to know that he will be provided a family - and that there is nothing he has done wrong or has wrong with him that has caused this wait.

It also reminded me that our family can not be done with the fight for orphans around the world. There is still so much more that needs to be done and so many more that need to be made aware.

So tonight, with tears in my eyes and a heart full of sadness I begin to pray for this friend of little M. placing him in the hands of the Father.....