Say it isn't so......

                                   

 love this pic...i walked in & found Ageze with binocular's staring at the snow:)

All 4 admiring the fresh snow!!!

Another first for our little guys!!! I wish it made me as happy as it made them!!! I have to say, though...seeing the looks on their faces this morning was sooo worth it!!( I am not a cold weather girl!!) And that is why I declared today our very own "Snow day"...yes, we all stayed home today. and in fact, I'm still in my jammies & enjoying the morning just hangin out!! I mean, whats one more day off of school...afterall we are headed to a really cool cabin in the woods this weekend...so might as well make it a 5 day wknd!!! hmmm...think we'll be venturing out for a few new pairs of snow boots!! Ageze was letting Nala( our dog) out this morning, and he yelled.."Nala, get shoes on...brrrr...owie feet!!" Nala then ran on out, and Ageze looked at me in disbelief!! Ha!! Well, have a great rest of the week!!! Won't be blogging the rest of the week...afterall..it's a family wknd..so instead I hope to be enjoying hot chocolate, good-cookin, hot tubbin & hanging with the fam!! xo kristen  

another first...carving pumpkins!!

Well, it was an unusually warm day last week, that we decided to dig into our pumpkins!! Ageze & Tesfa keep hearing all about eating the seeds...so they were excited to eat those..but, didnt get to the part of explaining that we roast them first...Tesfa dug in, and began to eat them..straight from the pumpkin!! Anyhow, I never was able to take pix of their finished product..camera was on the fritz..and well, now....we have a blizzard..ooops....wasn't expecting that yet!! Oh well, a few will have to do!! Once the seeds were roasted, the kids all enjoyed them!! Ageze & Tesfa kept saying.."yummy, momma..Ethiopia!!" Something about them must have reminded them of ET!! So, we do get a few nice comments about ET too!!
                              Happy Fall...or up here..Happy Blizzard:(

deep...

OUR AGEZE...Let me tell you, the moment I saw his sweet face...I was in love, and there was something about his pictures that captured my whole heart...He is so very sweet, tender, kind, loving, helpful..etc. Yesterday, I took Ageze & Tesfa to the doctor to start their immunizations...not fun!! My mom was brave enough to come with me...whole purpose there, was so she could be in the waiting room with one while the other was being seen...& so on. Well, I thought it was best to have Ageze start...so, upon entering the room..he said.."Momma, what doin??" I thought, "Do I tell him??" Well, I really didn't need to I guess, because you see, he's so smart, he said" Momma, shot today??" Well, I couldnt then lie, so I said "Yes, you are honey, and it might hurt just a tiny bit, and then you'll be all done." Momma Loves you Ageze!! WHAT??...good one on my part!! I'm sure he thought..."right, you must really love me, you are letting me get shots..." Anywho...the nurses(yes, 4 of them!) came in..each gave him 1 shot, and he started to wail...NO ETHIOPIA, MOMMA!! Hurt my heart..I mean, I guess I couldve waited longer, but with the winter bugs coming, I thought, well, we might as well get goin.... The only thing I can think of is....he had bloodwork done before coming to the U.S....he was probably terrified of going back. Anyhow, the difference between both of the little guys was huge...Tesfa whines a minute, was handed a treat and forgot all about it...Not Ageze!! I think part of him was embarrassed, terrified, scared..etc. So, I cuddled with him alot after that...tried to explain the best I could as to why we get shots, reassured him again, again, & again that I loved him, and he was not going back to ET. We came home, and he went directly to the computer..I followed, and he said.."momma, ethiopia photos??" So, I asked him if he wanted to look at the pics from ET. He said yes. So we spent a little more than an hour & he went through each & every picture of while he & Tesfa lived together in the orphanage...explained in detail...like crazy, amazing, details...details that only he could educate me on. And so, Grant, Kate, Tesfa & I listened to him spill his heart over each one, told us that he hid his treats & toys we sent him under his bed, a little girl bit his bracelet we sent him, and he said.."momma, Ageze cried & cried..BIG cry, momma, and Sister said,"no, no, bite Ageze bracelet, (little girls name)" He said, " Momma, Ageze & Tesfa cry big...momma where are you??" Oh man...make a mom wanna bawl for hours. Kate then ran upstairs & grabbed his broken bracelet, and Ageze smiled ear to ear..."Momma, fix it??" Of course, I'll fix it!! So, he now wants to go back & retrieve all of his items he left behind...his little puppy, photos, and letters we sent him...yep, that's our Ageze...he's a thinker & a dreamer!! So, each day that goes by, they are both healing more & more...we are putting together all of the pieces of this enormously large puzzle...and what a privilege it is to be their family, to love, hold, nurture & listen to them while their little hearts ache...a little less each day. Lord, I pray that you continue to heal Ageze & Tesfa's emotional scars. I pray that with each day that passes, that the fear of returning to ET will become less & less. Thank you Lord for bringing them into our lives...we are forever changed.  ( the pic above was taken about 1 month before bringing them home....see what I mean...he's our little thinker!!)    xo kristen

Is it harder than you imagined it would be?????

That is one of the most frequent questions I get asked!! To put it quite simply....It is hard at times(but, whoever said parenting was easy,right??)..BUT,OH...SO MUCH BETTER THAN I COULD HAVE EVER IMAGINED!!!!

wish i were there...

                                    Mediterranean Sea & entering Africa!!

                                          We made it to Africa!!!

                                          Nile River!!!

                                          Bole Int'l Airport...Addis Ababa
Since Africa is almost always on my mind, I had to share a few of my favorite pics...they're probably not that great to you, but these are just imprinted in my mind...and I dream of being back in those same spots!!
                                                            xo kristen

Friday Morning funny!!!

As I was making breakfast this a.m...Kate wanted to get toast out of the toaster...she however doesn't like to touch anything hot!! So, I grabbed it for her, and here's the funny part...Grant said.." Kate, how are you ever gonna be a mom then?? Mom's have to cook for their children, so I guess if you can't touch anything hot, you won't be able to be a mom!!" Ha!! Just had to share with you all!! xo kristen

Sweet songs:)

Ok, so tonight the 3 older kids(Grant,Kate & Ageze) prepared a few songs, dressed up in costumes & sang their sweet little hearts out!! I LOVE listening to their beautiful little voices, and soooo enjoy when they get along sooo nicely!!! It is also so fun to see their reading & writing skills grow...have I mentioned how proud I am to be Grant, Kate, Ageze & Tesfa's mom!!! xo kristen

What if???

What If?? What if this was your mother or daughter?? What if you saw this as you looked out your window?? What if that was your grandbaby wrapped tightly in in those arms?? WHAT WOULD YOU DO?? If this was in our own neighborhood...I choose to think we would do something to help...So, are we just going to sit here pretending this doesnt happen?? That mother & her child will forever be etched in my mind & heart...I saw what I saw and I can't forget it...I don't know about you...but, I'm on a mission!!! A friend and I were visiting yesterday about adoption...Many people think..."Well, you can't help them all, or even attempt to adopt them all...so, when is enough...enough??" When I say enough is enough, I wish people meant...Ok, enough is enough...we've gotta do something to help, serve, or provide for the least of these. Instead, what I'm referring to is...they usually are talking about how many children one should be adopting!!
So....offer me your opinions...suggestions...advice on how we as God's children, can positively affect the lives of his people...here, there & everywhere!!!

more...

You are probably wondering what the title of this post means...More?? Since returning home from Ethiopia, that has been a constant word on my mind...There has to be MORE that we as a family, community, or society can do. But what does that mean for us?? One of the things that comes to mind for me is....We dont have an excess of $ just sitting here...to help, sponsor, go on mission trips, send people on mission trips, support other families adoptions...those are just a few of my desires!! I sure hope in the near future I can look back and say..."Wow, we stepped out in faith & look what God made possible".... I WANT to do more, I have a constant voice in my head saying.."Do more..Do more...make a difference!" Some of you may say..."Well, you did!" "You adopted these children..your done." I do believe we as a family have made a huge difference in Ageze & Tesfa's life..but that doesnt go without saying.."They continue to bless our life, we have learned an abundance from them, and although there have been tough days here & there...we are forever grateful that we were chosen to be their forever family." So, I guess what I'm saying is...I DON'T want to be done serving, helping, loving on God's people...and not only here in America...I can't get Ethiopia to leave my thoughts...and I hope it never does.  Lord, I pray that you lead me on the path that not only fulfills my purpose, but also brings you Glory.  Amen.

 And what's a post without any pictures...a few funny one's from our wknd!! Here's to a great week!!

the ick:(

So, I'm sure you have all been wondering about our ick in the past week....WARNING: if you get queezy easily you might not want to read...just a warning.... So, I guess I'll give you a bit of history...About two days after picking Ageze & Tesfa  in ET, Kasey experienced something he definitely didn't want to see again....YES...the dreaded parasites we had heard were possible....& I have to admit, I felt quite smug sitting at our guest house with Tesfa, eating an afternoon snack..thankfully not knowing what Kasey was enduring upstairs...oh.my.goodness. This is a man who can't even stand looking at boogers!! Ha!! Anyhow, we asked Sister Almaz at the C.C if she had anything we could give to our little guy, and she said he had been medicated the previous friday...that was just 3 days prior.. So, upon returning home to the U.S, the boys saw our pediatrician, one testing positive & the other negative...we decide to medicate both, just in case...Well, 2 1/2 months have gone by..thinking that we were in the clear...WRONG. So, im gonna get graphic....you never know, you might need this info...One of our little guys have, or had pinworms & roundworms...pinworms come out at night..never knew this till I researched it..but they basically lay eggs on your rump, the child then itches, gets under fingernails, they put hands in their mouth, and the cycle continues...I know..GROSS..but as their parents.. we toughen up, deal with it, clean like a crazy lady, get them on meds, clean again & again etc....Roundworms...not quite sure about their egg-laying process...2 words...LONGGGGGG & ROUND! There you have it....They are almost off their meds...and don't you worry..the only way you can get them, well, you would have to come in contact with their poo, and ingest it...ick!! So, you should all be in the clear...& now I have one tough, manly, not grossed out by boogers anymore kind of a husband!!!! Anyhow, I really don't say all of this to scare, or completely gross you out...& in fact I'm learning that alot of people have them & just don't know it....ick!! Also, as icky as this is...it also has brought up emotional ick for our little guys...In the last few weeks of all of this going on, I have heard over & over..."No Ethiopia, Momma!" Ageze & Tesfa America!" After they use the b-room, they insist they are staying here in America, and say.."Momma love Tesfa & Ageze??" And follow it up with.."America LOVES Tesfa & Ageze!" Talk about emotional scars....How I wish I could take their pain away...& yes...America loves you Ageze & Tesfa!! You are both loved sooooo very much!!! xo momma

                                                      

Our week in pictures!!!

Ok, so this past week has been jam-packed full of fun, silliness, grand-parents day at school, fashion shows(at home of course!!) and more fun!! Although our past week has definitely been all of these things, it has also been challenging, frustrating at times, and a bit icky!! More on the icky, not-such-fun stuff next post......

This is how he rolls......

Tesfa , that is!! He is such a goof-ball!! He loves wearing his crocs...especially on the wrong feet!! Ageze quickly reminds him..."Tesfa, no, no!!" "Wrong feet!!" And as you can see, he could care less!! Love his curious, bubbly, noisy,cuddly self!! Wouldn't want him any other way...backward shoes & all!!  xo kristen

Fall Adventures....

                                                         best buddies!!

                                              hunting cougars!!!!

                                               this kid cracks me up!!!!

                                               Tesfa's famous pose!!

                                               Catching a cougar!!!

                                                   our girly-girl:)

                                              Ageze's lady bug friend!!

                                              Kids' creation from our hike!!

Well, Fall has definitely arrived here in Bismarck!! This morning when I woke up it was 33* out...brrrrr!! Of course, since it was Saturday & all....we had a nice sit down breakfast, didn't have to rush out the door, and took as long as we wanted just hanging out!! We then decided it would be a perfect day for a little nature hike!! We ventured out..to Nana's of course...but, by foot....visited, waited for it to warm up a bit, ate lunch, and headed out for our walk!! The kid's & I had a blast being together, enjoying the outdoors, and of course...snapping a few pic's!! Grant made the comment this a.m..."mom, Ageze is the funniest boy I know, and I just decided he's really fun to play with!!"  The kids were pretending there were cougars in the trees, chasing them with sticks, and growling quite fiercely...how I love their imaginative minds:)  xo kristen & crew