School pictures

Caleb and Hannah eating breakfast....they wanted to sit close together so they could talk about school.

Beau was more excited than anyone!!!!!

I love their uniforms, backsacks, and lunch boxes....I love all the school "stuff"

This is Caleb saving a seat for a friend....and he is freinds with these kids too! Hope he didn't have too much fun at this table!!

Hannah with her teacher

1st Day of School

At 6:55am I went into Caleb's room to wake him. He saw on his clock that it was not 7am yet, so he asked if he could sleep a bit more. I reminded him that it was his first day of school, and he jumped out of bed. He was so excited and so ready for school. Beau and I both agreed as we walked him into school, that we are so glad that we listened to the Lord on when to start Caleb in school. Walking Caleb into school today was such a confirmation that this was the right year and we had made the best decisions the last couple of years to keep him home.... When he got into his classroom he was allowed to pick out a seat...he was so excited and immediately tried to get his friend Ryan to sit by him. It was precious to see him so comfortable and excited...and honestly a bit bossy too.

At 6:56am I walked into Hannah's room...she was already a bit awake. I didn't say a word, and she immediately put her head into her pillow and started crying. This is unusual for her to wake up unhappy. I went to sit by her and comfort her....she just started repeatedly crying "I want to stay home." She obviously remembered that it was the first day of school, and she was a bit scared. Those were her last tears of the morning thankfully. She put on her game face and timidly entered her classroom. She only went a half day, and we have spent the afternoon together cooking. She is now in another room playing "preschool" and has asked me to leave...I am too big for preschool. Her stuffed animals and dolls are the right size and make great students.

Many have asked how I did since this is my first time having my kids in school. Honestly, it was easy...I am used to being away from them some thanks to great babysitters. What was most fun about my quiet morning was being home by myself and getting to listen to something grownup...

ADOPTION MINISTRY

We had a gathering at our house last night for about 20-25 folks at Watermark who are in various stages of the adoption process (were adopted, have adopted, in process, foster parents, etc). It was a very encouraging night of fellowship as we were priveleged to see God's hand in so many lives in such unique ways. This was the first of what we hope to be many gatherings in our local body.

Our prayer is that we would be a group that helps people process what the Lord might have them do as it relates to adoption and more broadly caring for the "orphans and widows" of our day. We look forward to many celebrations (and of course some heartache along the way).

We have some friends that will be making a decision this week about adopting three older children, so we ask everyone to join us in prayer for clarity and peace for all involved in this process. We know the Lord's plan for these children was penned an eternity ago.

Waiting and praying

We are just waiting for our final CIS approval...it should be another month or so before we hear anything. Meantime we are continuing to prepare oursleves and Caleb and Hannah for the changes ahead. We are also continuing to pray over what else God would have us do for Ethiopia's people...one can't turn away from the enormous needs in Africa once you learn the reality. Beau and I have such a heart for God's people there and are continually moved to "do more" I love this video here....I'm afraid I am a lot like these teenagers on many days....so spoiled and not nearly thankful enough!

Teenage affluenza is spreading fast.

When Love Takes You In - Steven Curtis Chapman

Since we don't have any fun pictures of us or future us to post....here is a great video!

FINGERPRINTING

We went to get our fingerprints this morning. The office opened at 8AM. We got there about 20 minutes early, and we were the first in line. We were out by 8:15 or so...very quick. When we left, the line was much longer. One potential problem was that the letter had Natalie's maiden name on it, not her current name. Natalie had her SS card with her, and since it had part of her maiden name on it, they let her do it. We should have had her passport with us, which would have made it less complicated. Now we just wait for the CIS approval document. According to the letter we received from CIS a few weeks ago, it takes about 60 days to get the approval letter from this point. We will see.

FINGERPRINT LETTER

Today we got the letter from CIS to go get our fingerprints. The office is open Tuesday through Saturday, so we hope to get in tomorrow morning for our fingerprints. If so, we should only be a few weeks away from CIS approval. Very exciting.

Dancing boy

Family fun

This weekend we went to a ranch for my birthday. We brought the kids and had a great time. I read "There IS No Me Without You" over the weekend....Beau and I enjoyed our last trip with our two "older kids" where Beau and I could read and relax while our kids swam in the pool. This is the first trip we could actually read poolside as our two kids just learned how to swim:) Next trip with more kids will be a bit different....though of course we are so looking forward to having new additions to the family.

A quick thought about the book I read. I wish I could convince everyone that I know to read this book. I think it would help you all understand more deeply where our hearts are during this process. The book looks "big" but it reads really quickly and is so wonderful. It would explain to any of you what is happening on one of God's big continents and specifically in Ethiopia. I think the book also helped me to better define why we are doing the adoption and has given me greater vision on ways we must be helping God's children in so many ways.

This above video of Caleb (Dancing Boy)is from a previous trip. I put it here because I just figured out how to do it:) It does fit well though as Beau and I talked a lot this weekend about what we want for all of our kids....looking forward to having more kids in the near future. Most importantly we want them to live a life dedicated to the Lord, where they can enjoy His presence and serve Him well today and forever. We can have lots of laughter in these days with children....we so look forward to bringing more kids into a life were they can be loved, be healthy, and have many fun memories.