Second Summer

As I recover from Graduation and all the end of the year busyness I realize that this is our second summer with our sweet boys.  Boy have they grown.  Not only in height and weight but in every other way.  Their language, personality, independence, and most of all their security in their family and home.  

They often sing the song from their coming home video, This is Home.  I smile and tear up every time they sing it  because this is their home.  They are no longer orphans.  They are where they are supposed to be and we could not be more grateful for their presence in our family.  We are so blessed to have them and they have taught us all so much. 

Looking forward to the summer ahead and grateful for the adventures we have already had this June.  Many frogs to be caught, fires at the pit, rides in the kayak with their amazing big brother Erik, and sweet times with their new college freshman brother who will be leaving soon.  

Graduation

Graduation...no rush.

Israel and his first frog of the summer.

Dawit and his huge frog.

The hunt for the biggest frog ever.

Meeting Champ at their first baseball game.

Israel running the bases after the game.

Dawit passing second base.

Learning to paddle with his amazing bro!

Showing off their big muscles.

Happy Summer!!

Kitchen window revelation.

Saturday morning I was washing dishes, prepping food for a big party and reflecting on what the day held.  I realized that my first born was stepping across the stage to receive a piece of paper that signified so much more than just finishing his classes in high school.  It was more than just making those all important grades to get into his college or walking the halls of his school.  It meant more than all the proms, girls, missed curfews, and cross county meets.

It was significant to me because the words that my mother spoke to me the day before my wedding rang in my ears.  "My job Stephanie was to train you to leave me".  Sean is leaving.  His first steps into the life that God has for him.  We trained him to love God, be self confident, love people, be thoughtful of others, pursue, finish well, respect others, have integrity in all that you do, open the door for the ladies, listen to his elders, give his seat to someone who needs it, have mercy on others, grace, the importance of family, and after you work hard, play hard and enjoy life and all the blessings that God gives. 

It was not easy.  Sean is a strong willed person who had to test it all.  The tantrums were amazing.  The fits in the car were deafening.  The testing was painful, but the fruit of it all walked across that stage on Saturday morning to receive his piece of paper to say he had done it.  We had done it.

The end of August he flies across the States to start a new adventure on his own.  With all he has had learned and grafted from us he will do well.  And believe me I will be at my kitchen window not only reflecting but praying for my son.  Praying daily for his safety, his daily walk with God, his relationships, his classes, and that he will continue to be a blessing to others, and that strong willed trait will be used for God's glory!

As my dear hubby reminded me as we drove to the graduation, hey we have 5 more graduations to go!!  I think I will just deal with one at a time.  That is all this emotional Mama can handle right now...until I was reminded I have twins!!  I have 14 years to prep for that one.

Congratulations Sean!  We so love you and are so excited for you and your travels ahead.   Cali here comes Sean!!

That all important piece of paper.

The graduate and all the sibs.

With his Aunt Amy

With his Grandpa James

His biggest fans and coaches.

The James Gang.

Brothers!

Time to celebrate!

Another Teenager?

Katie Lady turned 13!!  Four teenagers in one house!!  Happy 13 Katie.  She can finally be part of Face Book.  At 6am she was all signed up and had 98 friends by 3:00pm. 

She had quite the day.  Last day of school, annual physical(yes bad mom scheduled it on her bday), tetanus shot, dinner out with family, which included having to sit on a saddle while we all yelled, Yehaw!  Then off to an end of the year party and then home for cake and candles with her family. 

We love you Katie.  Such a spunky, creative, loving, fun girl, who loves people, cares deeply, and has a very quiet competitive side to her.  Don't mess with her in the final 200 meters of any race.  She will crush you!!! 

Her latest baking project-carrot cake cup cakes.

Love you Katie!!!

My Young Lady

Have you ever watched your kids and, paused because you were awe struck?  As I sat at dress rehearsal for Megan's spring performance I stopped and wondered who that young lady was.  Wow.  A young women.  From a little lady bug to a graceful young women.  So proud of my sweet Megan who loves ballet and all that comes with it.  She pursues even through the blisters, soreness, late nites, dinners in a cooler, and late nite homework.   Congratulations Megan!! Love you!!

Twins

I told the boys just because their twins they do not have to have the same of everything but apparently they disagree!

Dawit came home from Ethiopia with a brown tooth.  The tooth next to it is chipped as well so he must have done a doozy of a fall.  So no big deal, dead baby tooth will come out when it is ready.

Israel went to the dentist today because yesterday during the Mothers Day festivities we noticed that his front tooth was getting more and more purple as the day went on.  Went to the dentist today and he has a bruised tooth.  When did he fall or knock his tooth?  Have no idea!  How many times do 4 year old boys fall, knock each other down, bump into things daily?  Too many for this mama to keep track.

Israel's purple tooth.

Matching knocked teeth.

The best smiles even with  brown and purple teeth.

Dentist Loot!!

Loot from the prize drawer even though he didn't get looked at!

So now they have matching brown teeth.  Same tooth.  Weird!  Some kind of twin thing I guess!!

I have been stewing on something.

I have been stewing on something for awhile which means if I had posted it in the moment you would probably never want to read my blog again.  Maybe you won't after this anyway but here it goes.

Working moms, stay at home moms, home school moms, public school moms, private school moms, adoptive moms, single moms, divorced moms, moms of blended families, nursing moms, bottle feeding moms, moms who feed their children only organic, those who don't,  those moms who let their children date during high school, moms who don't, moms who vaccinate their children, and those who choose not to vaccinate,  moms who have 10 or 18 children, moms who have 1, moms who let their children watch tv, those who don't.  We all make choices based on life experiences, how we were parented, our personalities, our likes and dislikes, opinions, discoveries, faith, and our children.

No matter the choice we are all moms.  Moms who care about our children enough to make these choices.  Choices that we have and can make freely.  So let's stop judging others about choices they get to make about their precious children and worry more about the children who don't have a mom to choose for them.

How about we care more about this child...

This is Lekini he is from Kenya.  He is three in this picture.  He has been abandoned and when found he was eating dirt and flies to survive.  He weighed 17 pounds. He was rescued and is doing well,  thankfully!  

Don't you think we should be a little more concerned about the children here in America and around the world who do not have a family to make choices for them than this?

We are all mom enough.  So don't feed into the medias ridiculousness and start caring and speaking up for what really matters.  (I know the article is about attachment parenting....another choice)

It has taken me awhile to get to this point.  In my own mothering insecurities I would make judgements about other moms and their choices until I realized how others were judging me and continue to.  Who my son dates, how much time my daughter spends at ballet, when I stopped breast feeding Katie at 4 months,  public school,  international adoption versus domestic adoption, having six children.  It happens but I am not going to do that to another mom.  We need to encourage each other and step up for the children who so need us to and love them and bring them into our homes.


OK I feel better.  Been stewing on this for weeks and the Time pic put me over the edge!!!  Along with watching Blind Side twice in one evening. 

Happy Friday you super MOMS!!!  Have a wonderful Mothers Day and remember that you are enough no matter what you choose!!

The back porch.

There has been a lot of talk lately about going to Ethiopia.  Dawit and Israel will tell me to turn left when leaving a certain road and we can go to Ethiopia.  They will paint a picture and it will be a map with America, Ethiopia, the middle school, the high school, church, preschool, and last but not least the grocery store.  Sometimes they will throw in Idaho.  They talk about bringing their friends from Ethiopia home(to America).  We talk about Ufyesa their brother and how we are praying and hoping to find him one day soon.  They talk about bringing him home to America as well.

I am glad they talk about Ethiopia.  It is their homeland.  It is their birthplace and we will take them back someday.

Tonight Dawit said he wanted to bring all his friends from Ethiopia home.  We asked him their names and he went on to make up many names of people.  Yo, Ano, Eto, Ano, Eto, Ethiopia, and he went on to make up more names.  Mike asked him where we would put all his friends and without skipping a beat he said, while pointing, "the back porch!"  So sweet.  We can always make room!!

I wish that could be everyone's motto.  There is always more room.  As we look at the waiting child lists just in Ethiopia we are burdened.  Our whole family is because there are so many children who need us to step up and become their family.  How about this group of siblings?  They are just precious and just need some one to step out in faith and love them and give them what they desperately want.  A home and a family.

Read their story here.
/http://holtinternational.org/blog/2012/01/a-family-thats-all/

I am praying that soon they will have that family that they so want.  Please pray with me.  They have been on my heart for months.  Thank-you