a wonderful life

A life changing moment.

Sunday was a crazy, busy day.

I was gone all afternoon with the girls.

Keith was home with the boys.

The boys decided to play "church."

They worked on a presentation to show us later that night.

Jake drew this sweet picture.

 

It reads, "To:Dad, From: Jake. Jesus and God. I am sorry that they made fun of you. He had to drink it. Gross. I love you Jesus and God."

The boys sat us all down on the couch and Jake started with the introduction. In walks Brady carrying a huge wooden cross on his back. Jake says, "See, this is an example of Jesus on the cross. He had to carry His cross and then was nailed to it." Then he handed us a cup that he had poured a little bit of vinegar into. He asked us to pass it around and each smell it. He said, "This is what they made Jesus drink. Doesn't it smell gross?" He then took us into the kitchen where they had set up communion. They had small cups (one for each of us) filled with red gatorade and a second cup with broken up ritz crackers inside. He explained that the gatorade was like Jesus' blood that He shed for us and that the ritz crackers were like Jesus' body that was broken for us. Then he looked at us all and said, "Now eat."  

So, we took communion together.

It was such a beautiful and thoughtful presentation.

It really made me stop and think about the importance of teaching our children biblical truths.

 After we picked up, we sent the kids upstairs to begin getting ready for bed. The boys were so excited. I knew they had something they wanted to talk to us about. We tucked the girls in bed first and then went into the boys' room to talk.

I sat down on Jake's bed and asked him what he wanted to talk about. He and Brady just looked at each other and with huge smiles on their faces said, "We want to ask Jesus into our heart." They were ready. Keith and I talked them through a lot and asked them a ton of questions. They knew all the answers. They had a complete understanding of what it meant and the reason why it is important for them to take that step in their life. They love Jesus and they want Him to be a a huge part of their life.

I asked them if they had talked about it with each other. Jake said, "Yes. We talked about it in the bathroom. We talk about it a lot."

We prayed together. Just the four of us.

Each of the boys prayed on their own. We just listened.

Jake prayed first (since he is 3 minutes older). Then Brady prayed.

It was so, so sweet.

When Brady said amen, we all looked up at each other and they could not stop smiling and giggling.

I asked Keith to snap a picture of us on his iphone so we could always remember this moment.

Jake asked for a copy of the picture so he could write on the back:

March 6, 2011 at 7 years old, I asked Jesus into my heart.

We brought the boys downstairs so Keith could show them a video from the day they were born. He plugged in the video camera and we snuggled up on the couch. The boys looked at the video camera and said what in the world is that? Um, our video camera (from back in the day). They thought it was huge. It makes me laugh because I remember getting it as a gift from my parents and thinking how compact it was. How quickly times change.

Keith showed us video of me getting checked into the hospital shortly after my water broke. Then a little bit of me in labor. Then video of the boys right after they were born. I only got to hold them for about a minute before they were swooped out of my arms and wheeled in isolettes down to the NICU. I was in recovery for several hours after they were born. Keith was able to go see them right away. I never knew he had done this, but just hours after they were born, he took video of himself praying over each of the boys. He prayed for wisdom as a father in raising, training, and teaching them. He prayed that they would grow up to be godly men. He prayed that one day they would ask Jesus into their heart.

With tear filled eyes we watched and listened and rejoiced as God fulfilled Keith's prayer that night.  

We feel so very proud and honored as parents to be able to experience that special moment with them.

It was even more special that they chose to do it together.

We tucked the boys in bed that night with many extra hugs and kisses.

A treasure.

I love this picture.

As I was flipping through (my sister Sara's) beach photos on my computer today, I came across this one.

I have hundreds of pictures from our beach trip this year. I haven't had the time to really sort through them all.

When I came to this one, I stopped. It made my heart skip a beat.

It was the first time I really saw this picture.

I love the emotion in this picture.

Me, loving on my girl. Kissing and holding her tightly. Comforting her.

Yemi, soaking it all in and obviously deep in thought.

A moment between mother and daughter.

 

Thank you to my sister Sara for capturing this moment.

It's beautiful.

For the love.

My little love bugs on Valentine's Day. 

  

 

 

Oh goodness, my heart is full.

I love these little munchkins with everything that is in me.

******************************************************************

I wanted this year to be extra special for the 5 people in my life that mean the world to me.

My hubby and I started the day with a romantic lunch together at the Cheesecake Factory. Yum! It was a wonderful time...just the two of us.

Later that evening I surprised my little family with a special dinner. Spaghetti (a family favorite), rolls, and strawberry lemonade. I even attempted sprinkling parmesan cheese on top in the shape of a heart. Not quite as easy as I thought it would be.

The kids were outside playing ball with daddy while I prepared everything. When I called them in they were so surprised by the dark candlelit room. They LOVE eating dinner by candlelight. Each of them got a new heart shaped plate and wine glass. Even the little things, such as the Valentine's napkins, made them smile.

 

 

It was such a quiet, peaceful, enjoyable, memorable dinner together.

Star Student Brady.

Brady and his teacher. January 28th.

 

It is a very exciting week in the life of a 1st grader when they are chosen to be star student.

Along with this, come many privileges.

Brady was asked to decorate a bulletin board with pictures of himself to share with his class. He was also allowed to bring any objects that represent who he is or something that is special to him. He chose to bring a ribbon he received in kindergarten for reading, a couple of magic tricks, drum sticks, and one of his most prized possessions...his Boise State bobble-head that he bought at a yard sale.

On the Friday before all of his things were going to be displayed for the week he was asked to present everything to the class.

I loved seeing him stand up in front of the class, using his bumble bee pointer, and sharing stories behind each of the pictures he had hanging up. His favorite picture was the one of him holding the dead mouse with a pair of pliers. This was the mouse that they chased and killed on the farm in Kansas. He also talked about things that he loves to do, like play the drums. He brought in two magic tricks and performed those for the class as well. One was disappearing cards and the other was a neck popper. It was so hilarious. While in the middle of talking, he said to the class, hold on my neck hurts. Then he proceeded to fake a nasty neck pop. The kids' eyes got huge. So funny! His teacher asked him what is one dream he has. His answer, "To go to Disneyworld again." Then she asked what is his biggest fear. His answer, "To get run over by a car." Do you think I've scared the kids enough about running out into the street without looking for cars? Geesh.

 

 

 

 

Brady, showing the class his drum sticks.

All was good, until.....

 

Dad said, "Brady wants to be like Justin Bieber when he grows up."

This may have embarrassed him just a little.

It was totally worth this cute look on his face.

 

His teacher asked that we write him a letter. We could either send it in or come to class that day and read it to him. We obviously chose to bring it in. The night before I was talking to Brady about the letters that the other kids in class have received from their parents. I was thinking it was just supposed to be a short light-hearted letter. Then he said to me, "Zach's mom cried when she read her letter," as he giggled while telling me. Okay, now the pressure is on!

As I sat down at my computer and began typing I couldn't help but think of the miracle that Brady has been in our lives and the endless amounts of joy that he has brought to us. Laughter is a big part of who Brady is. The words came rather easily and I felt like I could go on and on about this sweet boy.

After he finished his presentation I read him his letter. 

Here is what the letter read:

Dear Brady,

Wow, we can’t believe you are seven years old. We remember the day you were born. It doesn’t seem that long ago that we were holding you in the hospital at just 4 pounds 4 ounces. You were so tiny and cute. You were born with lots of dark brown hair and the softest skin. When you were 2 weeks old you got really sick. So sick that we didn’t know if you would live. We prayed a lot for you and God answered our prayers by making you all better. It was a miracle!

We came home from the hospital the day before Valentine’s Day and from then on you and your twin brother, Jake that is, have never slowed down. Life with twin boys has been so much fun. There is something so special about having twins. Although you are identical and you look alike and act alike in so many ways, you are very unique at the same time.

You love to have fun. You have so much energy. As a toddler you and your brother would wrestle and tackle each other all the time. You two never stopped. You would not sit still to watch TV. You always had to be up running around or finding some creative thing to play. We remember one specific day when you were four and you had a couple of friends over to play and you guys thought it would be a great idea to jump off your top bunk bed. Well it didn’t take long, maybe even the first jump, and you broke your foot. You hardly cried. You were so strong. Once again it didn’t slow you down. You just crawled around the house until you got your cast on and were able to walk. Then mommy and daddy were out of town and you were at Nana and Papa’s house. You were bummed that you didn’t get to go down the big water slide in their backyard with your cousins so Papa wrapped your cast up really good in a trash bag and duct tape. You had hours of fun. When the bag came off, your cast was soaked. You had to get your cast taken off by the doctor and you were then put in a walking boot. You thought that was pretty cool.

Remember when you were five years old? We had a very scary evening in our house. We had a bunch of friends over. You were playing in the back yard and your friend swung a golf club and hit a whiffle ball smack on your eyeball. Your eye instantly turned red and you were in so much pain. It was a very serious accident. You were put on strict bed rest for one week. You could only get up to go to the bathroom, with fear that you could lose your eyesight. You were amazing through it all. You never complained. You are definitely one tough boy. Wow, we’ve gone through some scary things with you. We are so grateful for the protection over your life.

You are a boy of adventure. You love the outdoors. Some of your favorite things are going to your grandparents farm in Kansas, catching and killing mice, riding four wheelers, snowmobiling, riding motorcycles, riding bikes, skateboarding, going to the beach, building sand caves, playing basketball and football, going to BSU games…pretty much anything that involves being outside. Your energy never runs out.

The other side to you is that you are a very sweet, caring person. You always like to make other people happy. You love to laugh, a lot. It is very fitting of you because your middle name is Isaac, which means laughter. You like to help out around the house. You are laid back and very giving. You are always willing to give up things that you have because somebody else may want it. To you it doesn’t matter. You would rather them be happy. You are a people person. You love to be with other people.

Brady, there are so many things that we love about you. We are so thankful you are our son. You make us smile and laugh every single day. We are so proud of you.

Thank you for being you!

Love,

Mommy & Daddy

Brady just smiled and I even got a hug from him in front of the enitre class.

It turned out to be such a special time with him.

Next Brady called on kids as they had questions for him. Things like...What is your favorite color? What is your favorite game? What is your favorite toy? Then a little boy asked, "What is your favorite dinosaur?" Brady got a smirk on his face and said, "Too snoopy." I died laughing. Their teacher informed me that they are allowed to answer, too snoopy, if a question is asked that is too personal. Oh, funny Brady! 

I was so proud of Brady as he made his presentation to the class. He was so bold, confident, and full of personality. He definitely feels comfortable in front of a crowd.

This was a very fun memory with my boy as a 1st grader.

 

FYI

If anyone has tried to contact me by emailing me through my blog, I apologize for not responding to you. I was unaware that my old email address was still linked to my blog. My current information has been updated and there should no longer be any problems trying to send me an email. Thanks for understanding!

Bed head.

Came across these pictures today.

Oh, how they made me smile really big.

My little man Brady, two years ago this month.

During one of the whole let's grow our hair out phases. They go back and forth in this house. "Let's grow our hair out. Let's cut it. Let's grow it out. Let's cut it....."

 

 

Now that's proof of a good nights sleep.

One year ago...

a little 3 year old girl in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia received her very first brand new outfit of her own.

A mommy and daddy in Boise, Idaho were so excited to see a picture of her wearing her brand new outfit.

The day came and they received the pictures.

Their hearts were so happy that their daughter now had a gift all her own.

And they were told that it made her very happy.

 

 

  

One year later, she still wears the "well loved" outfit at her new home.

She loves it so much that she often asks to wear it to church.

Usually her mom just lets her wear it around the house since she has grown so much and the outfit no longer fits her as well.

It will always be something they hold onto. It is very sentimental.  

Recently her very first brand new outfit was replaced with a new yellow and white striped outfit.

Her mom was so happy when she saw that Target had a new spring collection. The new outfit reminded her so much of the old one.

And it looks so bright and beautiful on her.

 

 

 

Even though she has the new outfit to wear, which she loves very much, her old one still makes its appearance quite often.

As a matter of fact, she is wearing it today! 

Don't ya know?

...that everything tastes better with chips?

 

Who doesn't eat tortilla chips with a chicken nugget and green beans on top?

This girl eats chips with everything. Yes, everything.

.....chili, rice & beans, macaroni & cheese, pasta, sandwiches, vegetables, meats, casseroles.....

She is a huge fan of tortilla chips and nacho cheese doritos.

She also loves to mix all of her foods together. Tastes better that way I guess. At least she eats her vegetables! Throw in a little of her berbere (hot ethiopian spice) and she is set.

This momma doesn't allow her to eat chips with every meal. Just most.

 

{Ethiopia} Day 4. Our favorite day!

The day we laid eyes on Yemeserach Zahara, in person, for the first time!

We woke up early. To be honest, I didn't sleep much at all that night. You know those mornings when the alarm goes off and it doesn't feel like you even went to sleep. It was one of those nights. How could I sleep? I was like a kid on Christmas morning. I woke up with butterflies in my tummy. Our outfits were laid out. Yemi's bag was packed and ready to go. We joined the Marquis' and JT at the restaurant hotel for breakfast. I could hardly take a bite. I was forcing myself to eat just because I knew I needed something in my stomach.

Here we are ready and waiting!

 

We were told to be ready by 9 am. So we met for breakfast at 8:00. We had no idea what time our driver would be at the hotel to pick us up, so we wanted to be ready...early. We did not want to take a chance on having to make him wait on us. Thankfully once we made the phone call to our agency we found out we had one hour until he would be there to get us. Holy cow!

We all went back to our rooms for last minute preparations. Keith and I shot a quick video message to Yemi, explaining to her all our emotions going into the day. I could not get through it without crying.

Here we are outside our hotel, ready to go.

 

It was such a crazy feeling driving through the city of Addis Ababa, knowing that at any turn we would be driving down the road leading to Kingdom Vision International, our daughter's orphanage. JT timed it and I think it was only a short 7 minute drive. Little did we know that for the previous 2 days we had only been 7 minutes away from Yemi! I had seen the KVI sign many times in pictures through other traveling families and couldn't wait to see it for myself. We made one last turn and we were on the dirt road.

Here we are, in the car. Our driver Ayele just smiled and laughed at us a lot in all our excitement. Keith is videoing. We're getting closer and closer.

 

There it is. The sign. I think I started screaming.

There was a lady sitting outside the orphanage walls. We were not sure what she was doing. I would've loved to hear her story.

  

We had to wait a minute for this truck to move out of the way to make our final turn into the gates. Quite a load to carry. 

 

Here we are. We pulled up to the black gates and Ayele honked the horn and waited for someone to come let us in. We were in the second car to arrive at KVI so Deena was able to capture this picture of us pulling in. I love it!

 

We had all made an agreement with one another to meet our kids' one at a time so we could take pictures and video for each other. When the first car pulled in the Marquis instantly saw Yemi and Tedi standing there, waiting. Thankfully Deena was able to explain to the workers what our plan was. Doug and Deena saw Hiwot peeking out through a window so naturally they were united first.

I was trying to take pictures of them through tear-filled eyes. I was becoming a mess. It was such an emotional experience to witness. She is so precious, tiny, and beautiful!

Next was JT's turn. Out came Tedi, walking slowly to JT, and willingly went into his arms. Another precious moment. Tedi's eyes capture the heart of anyone who looks at him. More tears.

The moment is finally here.

It's our turn!!!

We caught a glimpse of our little beauty.

 

 

By this time a van had pulled into the driveway, blocking our view from the door Yemi was to come out of. We were standing at the end of the driveway, hardly containing our emotions.

My heart was beating out of my chest.

Yemi rounded the corner and came running, and I mean running full speed, to us and jumped right into my arms with a huge smile on her face. She was carrying the ziploc bag full of things we had sent to her just a few weeks before. She was holding her stuffed dog and wearing the butterfly necklace we gave her.

I melted.

I cannot formulate into words what I felt in that moment. It was as if everything was right. I couldn't stop hugging, squeezing, touching, and kissing her. She was mine. My little girl. She was happy and we were happy. I cried big tears of joy. It was better than anything I could've dreamed or imagined.

 

 

 

I will never, ever forget the first few moments we shared together.

I couldn't help but think of how big God's love is.

 

I handed her off to Keith and she was so loving with him. I loved seeing Keith hold his new little girl. I could tell they were going to get along well. She loved to be silly and have a good time. I will never forget that first day we spent together. It was the most perfect day. We couldn't have asked for a better "meetcha" day. God's presence was so evident.

 

She was so long and skinny. She had the most beautiful, softest skin ever. Her smile lit up her whole face.

  

 

More giggles and smiles. It's amazing to me to see the joy that lit up her face considering all that she's been through in her little life. Such a happy girl.

 

 

Here we are looking at pictures of her and the kids on daddy's phone. Keith's phone ended up being a wonderful thing to have on the trip. It didn't take her long to figure out how to work it. It was hours of entertainment.

 

Oh, she makes me smile. This is one of my favorites.

 

Over the next several hours we spent time just getting to know each other. 

I loved hearing about what a typical day was like for Yemi. What her schedule was. Seeing where she slept, ate, played, etc. Meeting all her friends and caregivers. They were wonderful people.

Yemi loves to stick out her tongue, especially when she is laughing really hard. She is so ticklish.

 

Kisses from dad(s).

 

Yemi's room.

 

Injera for the kids.

 

The cooks. These ladies fed lots and lots of kids out this kitchen.

 

Sister (that's what Yemi calls her). She is the orphanage nurse. Such a sweet, sweet lady. I loved spending time with her. She was so helpful, informative, and just fun to be around. Love poured out of her.

 

A picture we saw in Yemi's file, probably the day she came to the orphanage.

 

We were able to take a tour of KVI. It was immaculate.

Here is a view of the facility standing at the front gates. The building to the far left is where the older kids ate their meals, had their Bible time, and probably any other large group activities. The building to the right is the babies room, nurse's station, and some extra rooms. All the kids were inside at this time. That's why it looks so empty.

 

The grassy area for the kids to play on.

 

The front gates to enter KVI. The guard shack is on the right.

 

The older kids' dorm. The room on the right is Yemi's room. The one in the middle is the boys' room. The next rooms down include the kitchen, office, bathroom, laundry area, etc.

 

 

The facility was gorgeous. It was kept so clean and orderly. The layout of everything was perfect. Out of all the orphanages we visited while in Ethiopia this was by far the nicest. I felt very blessed that Yemi was at such a nice place to live. All of the staff was wonderful. They loved the kids SO much and took excellent care of them.

 

Yemi talking with Natty. Natty was wonderful. He is the one who introduced us to our kids. He had a very sweet relationship with each one of them. He was so caring and loving. I love this guy!

 

Yemi and Tedi. Best buds.

 

Yemi and Eyob (Director of KVI). All the kids call him Ababa, which means father. What a nice, genuine, caring man. He is from the same area of Ethiopia as Yemi so he spoke her language, which I'm sure was very helpful when she first came to the orphanage.

 

Fun with the jump rope and bubbles. I know...jumping with a sucker in her mouth. Oops, I failed to notice that one.

 

 

Preparation for a coffee ceremony. I was so excited about this. Coffee ceremonies are a huge deal to the people of Ethiopia. It is a way to show honor, appreciation, and thankfulness. As a matter of fact, ethiopians only celebrate two ceremonies in their country. One being a wedding ceremony and the other being a coffee ceremony. This was very special to me. We enjoyed a wonderful cup of coffee served with a snack, and also one of my favorites, popcorn.  

 

Yemi with her bunk mate at nap time. We decided to leave the orphanage for about an hour, per the nannies request, so the kids could get a nap. It was hard to leave even though it was for such a short time.

 

The kids line all their shoes up outside the door before they go into their room. I thought it was so cute. Yemi replaced her blue crocs with new sparkly silver shoes.

 

This boy was so special. I was told that he sits by Yemi at every meal and takes care of her by helping her eat and making sure to wipe her mouth off (with his hand). All the kids joke and say that he is "Yemi's father." What a sweetheart!

 

 

Another family picture. I love this one. The thumbs up was all her idea.

 

Yemi and Yonas. Another staff member of KVI. He was so sweet.

 

This is where the kids wash their hands and get drinks of water. Yemi washing some "goldfish" salt off of her hands.

We had brought her a few snacks for the day. One was a small cup of goldfish crackers. She was so sweet. She asked the nanny to line all the kids up so she could share. They all sat in a row on the curb and she went down the line giving them each one cracker. When she got to the end she realized she had enough to give her friends more. So she went back to the beginning of the line and one at a time gave them each one more cracker, only leaving a few for herself. Wow, I was so humbled. Here is our little girl sharing what little she had with all of her friends. What a self-less act.  

 

Yemi, Tedi, and Hiwot. These dear friends of Yemi will always be special to our family. Not only because we were able to travel together and experience our firsts together, but also because they are all from the same region in Ethiopia. Upon coming to the orphanage they all spoke the same tribal language. Yemi and Tedi actually came to the orphanage on the same day!

 

Our traveling buddies and forever friends. 

 

I have so many awesome pictures of all the kids at the orphanage, but unfortunately I'm not allowed to post them online. They are beautiful people inside and out.

 

Yemi and one of her best friends. They were so cute together. This little girl was so sad to see Yemi leave at the end of the day. It broke my heart.

 

Yemi and Desfanes, her nanny. This lady holds a very dear place in Yemi's heart. She talks about her all the time. They were so loving together.

 

The day was coming to an end and I didn't want to leave. It was hard to leave what I knew of Yemi's life in Addis Ababa. It was so hard to leave all of the other kids and the workers.

It was bittersweet to drive out of the gates at the end of the day. We knew Yemi would never be going back. I think she was very happy about that, but I was sad to know that she would not see her friends and wonderful nannies or caregivers again. They loved her so much. The played an important role in her life journey. I will forever be grateful to them for loving and taking care of our sweet Yemi in the 10 months that she was at KVI. We were so excited at the same time to begin our new life together.

The road on the way out. It was the rainy season while we were there. Typically every afternoon it would down pour, but it would only last for a little bit. God gave us the perfect weather for our "favorite" day. The sun was shining and it was warm and beautiful!

 

The car ride back to the hotel. Her eyes were filled with wonder. She had no idea where we were going, but she didn't seem to mind. She was just happy to be with us.

  

We all ate dinner together at the hotel restaurant. It was a long, exciting, adrenaline filled day and we were starving. We were so happy to have each other's company.

 

Yemi's first time ever having her teeth brushed. She wasn't too sure what to think at first, but she loved it and kept wanting to do it over and over again. She also discovered her socks and flip flops. This is usually the first thing she put on when we were at the hotel.

 

She did NOT however enjoy her first bath, at all. We had to get her cleaned up and wash her hair. We had heard that this may not be a good experience at first. Whoever said that was definitely right. I think the combination of the running water, the tub of water that seemed huge to her, the trash bag that we had to use to plug the drain all scared her horribly. She did not know what was going on and we couldn't explain it to her. Keith even tried to get in the tub with his swimsuit on to show her what to do, but she wanted none of it. It was horrible. We survived, even though it was traumatic for all of us. We got her in her jammies, all clean and smelling good.

She was worn out from all the excitement of the day. Here she is sound asleep. It didn't take long at all. Only a matter of minutes.

 

What an amazing, emotion-filled day!

She was such a brave little girl and I was so proud of her. It was as if she instantly felt safe with us. She knew we were her family. Only God could ordain something so powerful and miraculous as that. 

You've got a friend in me.

When Yemi first came home from Ethiopia she was very intrigued by all the tv shows/movies. However, she was not crazy about anything animated. This made sense to me. It would be kind of hard (and boring) to sit and watch funny little characters running around speaking another language. She liked older kid movies or grown-up movies. I think she loved hearing the language and seeing all their expressions. It was real life to her.

Since that time and as her language has drastically developed, she now enjoys animated shows.

She enjoys watching Toy Story 3. She was so excited with her recent discovery in our drawer full of toys, Woody & Buzz. She loves them! It makes me laugh every time I see her playing with them. It was just not something I expected of her, but I think it's so cute.

This morning I caught her playing outside my office doors talking up a storm with the two of them. She didn't know I was watching which made it even better. Adorable.

"Come on Woody, hold my hand."

 

"Wee, Woody."

 

"I like you Buzz. You're funny."

  

Oops, I got caught. "Hey mom, what are you doing?" Nothing Yemi, just keep playing.

 

"Ok. To infinity and beyond." Love how she tries to say this. It's a totally mumbled bunch of words.

 

"I'm going to shoot you." .....with a smile of course!

 

"Hey watch out, I'm flying."

 

Serious cuteness.