Amazingrace Our Ethiopian Adoption

i heart faces | best face photo from 2011

2012-01-09T11:10:00.000-06:00

This was tough to pick only one photo. I had to go with this one because it shows the serious side of Mr. G...one that we don't see often. In most photos he's laughing hysterically with his head thrown back and eyes squinted so much they're almost closed. I love those photos too, but this shows part of his personality that most people miss. Plus...how cute is that sock monkey hat?? :)

Head on over to iheartfaces to see more best face photos from 2011!

Balance Bike

2011-09-14T20:46:00.003-05:00

I had no idea what a balance bike was until several months ago. We got this one for Gabe for his birthday (opened several weeks early-because I can't wait for surprises) he's been practicing for a while, but really just got his balance yesterday. He's been walking around on it for a while, but out of nowhere it just clicked! Now he just glides along, kicks his feet up and goes wherever he wants to! He was even turning around in circles. It won't be long at all until he's ready for a "real" bike with pedals...but I don't see him giving this one up anytime soon. One of the best investments we've made for sure.

Disney World

2011-09-11T09:12:00.004-05:00

We love Disney World!! Is it too early to plan the next trip? :) I was worried that Gabe would be too young to enjoy it, but I really think he was the perfect age for a first trip. He missed almost all his naps for a week, but we expected that going into it. This was definitely not a lazy, relaxing kind of vacation...we were up and heading to the parks before 7 each day, and didn't get back until after 10. We spent three days at Magic Kindgom, two at Epcot, and one day each at Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios. We were able to see and do everything on our list! We had so many favorite things...Mike and I agreed that the best ride was Expedition Everest at AK. Gabe's favorite was the Tomorrowland Speedway at MK.

I've heard that Disney does so many extra little things to make vacations better, and we really saw that this week. Any trip with a 3 year old can be stressful, but it seemed like anytime Gabe or I were heading for a meltdown, there was always a Disney Cast Member right there to smooth things out. For example, when Mike went on Mission Space at Epcot, Gabe didn't like the idea of him leaving, but a Cast Member was right there to offer Gabe 4 Mickey Mouse stickers and tell him that he could go play in the waiting area (a huge climbing, tunnel, play place area like you see at McDonald's--only way better!) Another day at lunch, Mike went to order our food while I sat down with an extremely cranky boy, and didn't realize that our table was dirty. I couldn't do anything about it until Mike got back...and at this point we were both getting upset-like people staring at us because a little boy was standing in the booth screaming b/c it was naptime, and then out of nowhere a cast member magically showed up and said "hello little prince" as he began cleaning our table and visiting with Gabe. It's amazing how the "little things" can make a huge difference!

My overall favorite thing was the food! We had the Disney Dinning plan (so worth it!) At the quick service restaurants Mike and I actually split most of the meals because we had so much food. Every meal included dessert....and I'm really missing that now that we're home! We had 4 character dining meals, but Gabe's absolute favorite was Chef Mickey's because he could watch the monorail come by every few minutes. He still talks about the monorail almost every day. The funniest dining experience was at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall: I knew that it was dinner with the Disney princesses when we made reservations, but I thought there would be other characters there as well. Gabe was more interested in the food and his Lightening McQueen car than the princesses. He enjoyed having them sign his autograph book, but couldn't be bothered with pictures. EVERY princess picture we have of Gabe shows him stuffing bread into his mouth! I know he'll love these when he's older!!! Well, if you're still reading this you're probably planning a trip to Disney soon! Don't forget your poncho...it rains every day :)

Happy Birthday

2011-09-10T21:42:00.001-05:00

We celebrated Gabe's 3rd birthday with a Little Man Mustache Bash. He loved playing with all his friends and being a little host. It was so cute to watch him walk around the room and take orders for what kind of sandwich each person wanted. God has definitely given him a compassionate heart of serving others. We had so much fun planning the party too. Gabe and I worked on it for the past few weeks in between studying for my classes. After we finished making everything, I found out that we could have just bought the personalized party templates! Oh well, I'll know for next time :) So go check out this website for other great party ideas!

Happy Birthday Little Man-We love you!

Cribmates

2011-09-10T11:13:00.000-05:00

We went to visit Silas and Esme's families...can't believe these guys were together in Ethiopia two years ago! Seems like we just came home :) They had so much fun playing together and getting in trouble :) Renee thought they would just play in the water table with cups and not really get messy, but this is what happens with boys! We'll remember next time to just put them in the pool! So much fun

2011-08-04T15:51:00.000-05:00

We're getting ready for Gabe's party. He helped me put together invitations today, and his favorite part was licking the envelopes! It worked out great, because that's the part I hate. I never lick the envelopes!
The theme for his party is "Little Man Mustache Bash" it fits his personality so well because he loves to dress up like his daddy and wear ties. I got a lot of ideas from this website. They will even do custom orders so all you have to do is print everything. If I knew that before, I definitely would have ordered our supplies instead of making everything!

2011-07-20T11:23:00.000-05:00

Our countdown jar is is getting smaller and smaller! Can't wait :)

I heart Faces: Best Face Photo from May | People’s Choice Contest

2011-05-31T08:43:00.000-05:00

I love this photo of baby A and her momma! Go check out more photos at I heart faces, and you can vote for your favorites this week!

2011-05-18T19:24:00.001-05:00

2011-04-06T05:56:00.000-05:00

This was in my inbox this morning...

"Fathers, do not aggravate your children, or they will become discouraged."

Several years ago, Who's Who Among American High School Students® surveyed 5,000 high achieving high school students. The 1,957 surveys that were returned had some startling revelations. Among them:
-one in five of the females had been a victim of a sexual assault,

-forty-two percent of the males have access to firearms,

-more than half reported frequent fights between students

-one third had considered suicide,

-eighty percent said cheating was common at their schools,

-seventy-eight percent admitted to cheating themselves.

Remember, these are high achieving students--the kind chosen to appear in Who's Who. They aren't non-achievers, under-achievers, or dropouts.

Although those statistics are appalling, we shouldn't be surprised by them. Consider the role models today's teenagers have had: a steady stream of politicians, on every level of government, caught, indicted, and convicted of criminal activity; scores of university athletic programs and their coaches slapped with sanctions by the NCAA for recruiting violations and other unethical practices; business executives and bankers exposed for conning the public and defrauding stockholders; doctors ripping off patients and insurance companies; contractors overcharging the government; lawyers chasing ambulances and filling courts with phony suits; ministers misusing funds from sincere believers; scientists faking research data; professional athletes and team owners greedily lining their pockets; crooked police and judges; and married adults cheating on their spouses as they move from fling to affair. Add to this the garbage and gutter values spewed forth from TV programs, movies, music, and their stars, and it's no wonder that the values of our kids have eroded so much.

The solution is not with more government programs, grants, or studies. The answer lies in the American home. We must place a priority on marriage and family, and parents must take responsibility for their children again. Face it, we cannot trust anyone else to instill the proper values. And we should not expect the schools to do the job.

Instead of investing in our careers, we must invest in our kids' lives. Instead of working hard today so we can retire in ease tomorrow, we should make time for our children today so there will be a tomorrow. Instead of looking to the lottery, politicians, or social workers for help, we should turn our focus back to God.

Let's not lose this generation.

Spring Break 2011

2011-03-26T18:36:00.001-05:00

We took Gabe to Exploration Place this week and he LOVED it!! I think his favorite thing was watching the trains. (all these pics are from my phone so the quality is yucky :( I just couldn't see any reason to carry the BIG camera for several hours, but that's okay...we had so much fun just playing)

you can't see the big tornado in this picture, but it's right behind him

two more of Gabe's favorite things-phones and computers!

at the castle...

we played right through nap time so he was out as soon as we got in the car!

We had to take Daddy back on Saturday to show him how much fun it was. On the way there Gabe recognized where we were going and started shouting "PLACE!!!" I'm not sure who had more fun this time though :)

just in case two trips to EP wasn't enough fun for one week....

Gabe LOVES to jump! We set up his new "trampLEEEEM" last night and he jumped for a few minutes before bedtime. He was so disappointed that we couldn't go out this morning because of the rain, so after naptime we bundled him up. This picture cracks me up...you can't even see his eyes under that hat! I have a feeling we'll be outside a lot this summer!

Valentine's Day 2011 and the Boat Sled!

2011-02-13T22:03:00.000-06:00

Scroll down for Valentine's day...but you have to see these pictures first!

When I pick up Gabe after school, it's not unusual for me to find him and Papa driving trucks, tractors, lawn mowers, four wheelers, etc. One day I even found Mamo driving one of the lawn mowers pulling Gabe behind it in the trailer, and of course I had to hop in for a quick ride down to the river before we could go home. But today was the best. Ever. The sun was out, 10 inches of snow had started to melt, so of course, it was the perfect day to try out the.....boat?
The pictures aren't great...i only had my phone, but this was too funny not to capture! It's not every day you see a boat-sled being pulled by a tractor :)

We couldn't leave before Gabe had a chance to drive.

This Valentine's Day card was a last minute idea I found here. Mike is having a big party at work tomorrow, complete with homemade Valentine's boxes! (his is a giant iPhone) so we printed some pictures and ordered a few extra for family and friends. Gabe just loved making the cards. When we delivered the first one-to Mamo and Papa-Gabe ran in the house yelling "Gabe made that! Gabe made that!"

He was so patient, something we have been working on. Gabe would say "tape please, mama" and then put a kiss on each card. When each card was finished, he kissed his hand a blew a kiss! Sometimes this little boy is just so full of love. it brought tears to my eyes! as we worked on the cards he also gave me random hugs and kisses just because. Love him! Now, for those of you thinking that he sat there and helped me with all 90 Valentine's...no way! he IS still a 2 year old boy :) he would help for five or ten minutes, then jump down off the chair to drive one of his Chuck trucks for a while and then come back to help some more....or for a bite of chocolate! so glad I got to spend this time with him.

Created for Care

2011-02-11T01:22:00.000-06:00

Here are a few more pictures i stole from angie!
This first one is all the CHI mamas-most of us had babies at the HOH at the same time

I've spent the last couple hours reading other blogs about the Created for Care retreat...and already hearing plans of next year! can't wait :) It's so amazing to hear how God is moving through the lives of the 250 women who were there. One post talked about the worship songs from the weekend and it's funny, because I had just told Mike how even though most of the songs weren't new, they are songs we sing most Sundays in church, it was amazing how God brought new life to them and used the words to encourage and strengthen me. I haven't really been able to sleep all week-starting the night before the retreat-but it's not a stressful kind of restlessness, it's the kind where you know God is moving and something big is about to happen. God-caffeine, is what I call it-this unexplainable energy when I'm so busy i should just crash...but He keeps me going. each day I wake up around 4am with one of these songs playing through my head and someone on my heart to pray for. There is so much more I want to write about from the weekend, but i do need some sleep before tomorrow!!

I'm so blessed to know these ladies, they have encouraged me so much over the last two years.

2011-02-07T16:09:00.001-06:00

Before the retreat this weekend, we stopped by Renee's house for a while and I got to spend some time with Esme! I think Gabe was a little jealous when I told him :) She is growing so much!! Love this girl :)

I never get tired of seeing the two of them together in Ethiopia! I can't believe how little they are!

The weather was great! We had some free time on Saturday and went for a walk around the lake. Even though I missed Gabe, it was so nice to spend time with everyone without taking care of kids :)

I stayed home today to spend extra time with Gabriel. He came with me to school for a few minutes while I organized lesson plans for the sub. Then, since we were up early we stopped by Gabe's favorite place for "coffee" and a little breakfast. My mom taught him to drink Starbuck's hot chocolate, and now he asks for it all the time! Later we went to the Nature Center, it was Gabe's first time there and he LOVED the fish!! He stood there for at least 15 minutes just watching. This is a big deal compared to his normal attention span of 15 seconds or less :) After the Nature Center we visited Mike at work. Gabe was missing him after having lots of daddy time over the weekend! I could definetely get used to spending all day with this little man!!

Created for Care

2011-02-06T05:52:00.000-06:00

I am in Atlanta at the Created for Care retreat. If you are an adoptive mom, or anywhere in the process, even just considering if adoption is right for your family, you need to bookmark this page and plan to go next year. Even though I've only slept about 10 hours over the last 3 nights...this weekend has been amazing! Isn't it funny how God gets your attention when you can't sleep!?

God has been doing amazing things here this weekend, I'm so overwhelmed. Last night I talked to someone who met Gabe in Ethiopia when he was 6 months old. Most of you know his story-he was a special needs baby when we decided to adopt him. At 5 months, he weighed only 7.7 pounds and was malnourished. A month later, our agency's director called us to make sure we were still committed to adopting him because he had grown only 1cm and still weighed seven pounds. During that time there were at least three other families who reviewed his information and decided that they could not bring him home. Later, we found out that U.S. doctors said that he wouldn't make it. When we said yes, he was moved to our agency's transition home-he lived in the orphanage for 6 months, and then waited at the transition home for the next 6 months until we met him for the first time.

Cindy, who I just met last night, was in Ethiopia in March 2009 to bring her son home. Gabriel had been at the House of Hope for one or two weeks while she was there-and she told me there was this TINY baby who she just couldn't take her eyes off of. She thought he was a newborn, but when she learned that he was 6 months old, she couldn't believe it. (We know his age is accurate because of the date he was found and taken to the orphanage) I showed her a picture of Gabe when he was 5 months old and she confirmed that it was him. So of course, I had tons of questions for her! I asked if he looked healthy, if he was happy, if he was smiling-she just looked at me and said, Chelsea, he was just SO TINY. She also said that she would hold the other babies in the room and talk to them, but wouldn't even pick up Gabriel because he looked so frail that she didn't want to hurt him. Tseguy, the director of the House of Hope, told Cindy that he didn’t think Gabe would make it when they brought him there, but he was fighting.

At the House of Hope he started gaining weight. At 8 months he was up to 12-pounds and when we met him two weeks after his first birthday, he was a perfectly healthy, 19-pound, extremely happy little boy!

You can imagine how much this means to me, to know about his history. We knew that God’s hand was on Gabriel-we chose his name because it means “God is my strength” but to know really how sick he was and how much God protected him is just overwhelming. It was so hard to know that we were 7,000 miles away and could do nothing. There’s no way I could have survived that time without trusting God to take care of him. I’m so honored and humbled that God chose me to be this little boy’s mom. I know there are big plans for his life.

Here is a post from one year ago--you can see what he looked like at 5 months and what he looked like last year.

Please pray for safety for everyone traveling home today, and for the 250+ women who are here, the 200+ adopted babies who are home, the 111 babies waiting to come home, and everyone else touched by the lives of these sweet families. I can't wait to see what God has planned next.

2010-11-02T21:23:00.000-05:00

Pumpkin Patch 2010

2010-10-02T21:04:00.000-05:00

Last year....
at this time last year, Gabe couldn't walk yet. Most of the pictures from the pumpkin patch are of him sitting in his stroller. These were taken after we got home

Today...
I can't believe we've been home long enough to post pictures from a year ago. Today Gabe had so much fun. We went back to the pumpkin patch with aunt steff and uncle andy...something we've done for several years even before gabe was here. He got to do everything this year...

I'm not sure who had more fun on the giant jumping pillow...all the way home gabe talked about "daddy's hat...fall...boom!"

Tesfaye

2010-09-22T14:32:00.002-05:00

www.edenprojects.org

Happy Birthday Little Man!!!!

2010-08-16T22:24:00.002-05:00

I can't believe my baby is two!! We have been home for almost a year. This birthday is so special because it's the first one that we get to celebrate with Gabe at home. Saturday we had a big party with lots of Thomas the train stuff :) and tomorrow just the three of us will spend time together. This is a busy time of year with kids coming back to school-today was the first day for my 6th graders...so I don't have much time to update the blog but I put together a little slideshow from the past year. Gabe, we love you so much!!

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

2010-07-16T21:45:00.000-05:00

"Katie Davis is a precious young woman living out the gospel in Uganda. Being the hands and feet of Jesus. Daily." I had to steal this from Erica...we've been reading Katie's blog for a long time and she is such a blessing. If you don't believe that miracles still happen-every day-you need to see what he is doing in Uganda. Her blog is http://kissesfromkatie.blogspot.com/

Death In His Grave

2010-07-09T08:59:00.000-05:00

If you haven't discovered John Mark McMillan yet, you need to. John Mark is a singer/songwriter/worship leader, and while most of his songs aren't mainstream enough to make it to the Top 20 on KLOVE, that's the beauty of the whole thing.

Real music doesn't live on the radio; those songs come and go with the latest single. (Don't get me wrong, there are some good songs on the radio, but there's more to music than FM airwaves.)

Real music, real worship music, isn't perfect. It's raw, it's dirty, it's genuine. Just look at the Psalms. There's nothing pretty about Psalm 88.

It communicates something real, something that hits you in your core, that makes you want to sing along even though you don't know the words, that makes you want to cry, to be better, to be different.

Have a go with this, Death In His Grave, from John Mark McMillan's newly released album, The Medicine.

The Way I Work

2010-06-20T23:22:00.001-05:00

Came across this good read about TOMS Shoes founder Blake Mycoskie.

Not that I'm jealous or anything, but man, I wish I could have had the vision to create an organization like TOMS, travel the world and take long vacations surfing in Costa Rica and fly fishing in Colorado! But Blake works long and hard; he deserves the vacations. And it hasn't been without sacrifice, as he openly shares at the end of the article.

While it would be sweet to say I'm an experienced world traveler and that I live on a sailboat in Marina del Rey, I wouldn't trade my life for Blake's, no questions.

While living with two SWCs (strong-willed children, and yes, Chelsea counts as #1) can be extremely frustrating for the rational, logic-driven norms of the world population like myself, if given the chance to choose differently, I wouldn't.

I'm so happy that God has blessed me with a loving wife and a beautiful son. I couldn't ask for anything more on Father's Day.

And even though Chelsea and I discussed/argued/almost-drove-to-the-courthouse-right-then-and-there about philosophical and tactical approaches/differences to raising our march-to-his-own-drum son for -- not kidding -- four hours today, it was worth every agonizing minute of it.

I learned that I'm afraid. Not just afraid of the unknown, but afraid that my self-inflicted logical approaches to life and love aren't going to cut it with Gabe. I'm not going to be able to reason my way out. I'll go around in circles, and he will just be running in circles in the opposite direction.

I learned that I'm going to have to adjust, be flexible and leave some wiggle room, even when my left brain is screaming that the world just doesn't work that way...I don't don't work that way.

But I'm a father now, and that means that I have to put aside my own personal affinities and do what's best for my son and for my family. Ultimately, it will be what's best for me.

Email, Project 365, and Summer Update

2010-06-09T08:11:00.003-05:00

This was in my inbox this morning and I thought it was good enough to share. As a sixth grade teacher, it's scary to hear some of the things kids talk about every day. Parents really need to be more involved and know what is happening. Also, know what books they are reading...even from the school library. Last year a student showed me something that I wouldn't even read as an adult, and it was in our 6th 7th and 8th grade library.

	Overrated and Undervalued

	Love wisdom like a sister; make insight a beloved member of your family. Let them protect you from an affair with an immoral woman, from listening to the flattery of a promiscuous woman. Proverbs 7:4-5

	Recently, Time magazine discussed the ongoing problem of teenage pregnancy. It has, they concluded, reached epidemic proportions. The basic cause for this tremendous problem is the unusual combination of sexual pressure and sexual ignorance. Children are influenced toward sexual activity as early as grade school. Of course, much of the blame for early sexual involvement can be attributed to the media, which feed us a continual stream of sexual escapades and perversion, implying that adultery and similar affairs are “normal.” Reports Time, “Social workers are almost unanimous in citing the influence of the popular media--television, rock music, videos, movies--in propelling the trend toward precocious sexuality. One survey shows that in the course of a year, the average viewer sees more than 9,000 scenes of suggested sexual intercourse or innuendo on prime-time.” But Time continues to say, “For all their early experimentation with sex, their immersion in heavy breathing rock music and the erotic fantasies on MTV, one thing about American teenagers has not changed: they are in many ways just as ignorant about the scientific facts of reproduction as they were in the days when Doris Day, not Madonna, was their idol.” Through its obsession with sex, our culture has cheapened sex. Because it is the all-consuming passion of our society, freely available and encouraged, sex is lowered to the level of just another appetite that must be satisfied. In the meantime, teenage girls by the thousands are pregnant, and they’re having babies or killing them through abortion. Sex is not just good feeling; it is God’s way of renewing the species . . . of producing more human beings. Sex should be understood, cared for, and valued. In America, however, sex is overrated and undervalued. Of course, the usual secular answer to this dilemma is to “protect” ourselves from impregnating or to kill the unwanted fetus when pregnancy occurs. “Let’s teach them about birth control and abortion,” the loud voices in society say. But this is a “Band-Aid” approach at best and a heinous sin at worst. The only real answer lies in raising high the value of human life and of human beings. Women are not “play things” to be used and cast aside, and babies are not toy dolls to discard when we tire of them. When a teenage girl has a baby, at least two precious lives are at stake. As Christians, let us become vocal in our stand in society . . . through letters to the editor, to our congressmen, and to the networks. Let us become active with our money, boycotting products and businesses that profit from pornography (including video stores). And let us take the lead in sex education, teaching our children about the God-given sex drive, its purposes, and its responsible use under his control and guidelines.

And if you are wondering about Project 365...
I'm taking a break for now. I've had this horrible feeling since it started that I was wrong to commit to something every day for a year, when I was struggling with even reading my Bible every day. Don't misunderstand me, there is nothing wrong with Project 365, and I think it's a great idea. But I've just felt bad for the last several weeks that I can make time to take and post pictures, but I can't find the time to spend in God's word so I'm making that my first priority now.

A few of us are starting a bible study to keep each other accountable and I'm really excited about that. I still have tons of pictures to share, so I'll try and update the blog as much as I can, just not every day...at least for now.

By the way...the Bible we're using is The Message Remix Bible, the Solo edition. So far I really like it because each day it gives a passage of scripture and also tells the extended passage for extra reading. (for this i like the NLT versoin) And also each day there are prompts to Read, Think, Pray, and Live. It's so easy to build a bible study around it because no one has to prepare a lesson before we meet. We're just reading each day and then once a week we'll read that day's lesson together and talk about everything from the past week.

I also started my Anatomy and Physiology class this week, it's every day plus lab twice a week until August, so that will also keep me busy :)

Then in less than three weeks (Yay!!!) Marina will be here from Germany. And we'll also get to spend a few days with sweet little Esme and her family. This summer is going to be so busy, but so much fun!

These are two of my favorite things

2010-05-20T09:44:00.001-05:00

I opened my email this morning and just about fell out of my chair.

First, a bit of back-story. For Chelsea's Mother's Day gift, I donated to charity: water. It was awesome. She was so excited; I was, too. She chose to send the donation to Ethiopia. I couldn't help but think that this one simple act might somehow help Gabe's biological mother in Ethiopia. We don't know who she is or where she is, but God knows her, and we ask Him everyday to protect her and keep her well. Maybe this is how He will do it...

Anyway, so when I checked Gmail today, I was so excited to see that our two most favorite charities working in Ethiopia are teaming up: TOMS Shoes and charity: water!

You can l earn more about the specifics, but here are the basics:

For every pair of limited-edition charity: water TOMS purchased, $5 goes to build a well in the village of Sekura, Ethiopia, a well that will give 540 people clean water for 20 years. And of course, TOMS gives one pair of shoes away for each sold, which is especially important for curing podoconiosis in Ethiopia.

This so makes me want to do a happy dance!

2010: 126-135/365

2010-05-19T20:26:00.000-05:00

May 8th

2010-05-07T23:52:00.001-05:00

Just hearing that date sends an awful chill down my back.

back up one day...one year ago today (May 7th) I posted this. For the first time (since our 5 month referral pictures of Gabriel, where he weighed 7 pounds) we got to see new pictures. and not just pictures....videos! I spent all day just memorizing every detail, his smile, his laugh, every sound, i can still hear angie's voice saying "you're so smiley!" I could hardly sleep that night, just kept watching those videos over and over, just staring at him counting down the days until we could bring him home...

the next day...
was probably a normal friday at school, just a few weeks before summer break. Before I left school I had to check some blogs since I was already on my computer...I had several friends who were scheduled for court dates in Ethiopia and I couldn't wait to see if they had passed. after reading about one family who had passed I knew something was terribly wrong. her post said that many of the families did not pass.... then I checked my email and found a message from our agency that gave very little information...just enough to know that something was really wrong and we would probably not have our court date in less than four weeks. and of course it was friday which meant no news over the weekend, which just happened to be Mother's Day. I called mike in tears. he came to the school on his way home and we ended up calling our whole family to pray that night.

The four months following that have to be the hardest thing I have ever experienced. It seems like every week we were told that "maybe we'll hear something next week" Our agency stayed positive through all of it, saying that everything would be resolved soon....but I just knew that there was a possibility of never meeting Gabriel. There is no way I could have survived that without God. It was still a very difficult time, but He got us through it and my faith was strengthened like I never imagined it could be.

After a long wait we finally met Gabe in September...while we were in Ethiopia, Tseguy, the agency's in country director, told us that he was VERY worried that the ban on hearing court cases could have gone on for a long time. He said that he was worried it may take even TWO YEARS for us to pass court. That is completely the opposite story we were getting from our agency in the U.S. but I'm so glad that we didn't know at the time.

Everyone told us during that time that once Gabriel was home we would completely forget about the wait....that it wouldn't be a big deal looking back on it. While we are loving every second that we get to spend with Gabe, and it has gone fast....that doesn't make the time we waited just go away. I think about it all the time. What if we didn't pass court? What if we were still waiting? That pain will never completely go away and people who have not adopted or experienced something like this just don't understand. But I'm thankful that it was resolved as *soon* as it was, and that God used that time to work in our lives. I just can't imagine life without Gabe.

So what was that little man up to a year ago while all of this was going on?......
(you knew I couldn't leave you without a picture)

2010: 125/365

2010-05-05T23:34:00.000-05:00

we had our picture taken for the church directory today. mike signed us up for it. I'm glad he did, but....I pretty much hate having my picture taken. i would rather be on the other side of the camera. the last time we had church pictures taken it was awful. there were way too many people scheduled at the same time and we had to wait forever. then after being forced into some really awkward poses with ugly backgrounds and this white, plastic, fake, half column looking thing.....we were supposed to sit around and wait some more to be talked into buying some of these photos. (and choosing which one made it into the church directory for our kids to make fun of for the next fifty years) UGH. after what seemed like hours...we had to get out of there. at this point I didn't care if they chose the worst picture for the directory. and of course, they did!

I have to say that this year's experience was much better. the whole thing took maybe thirty minutes. the photographer did a great job with gabriel. I really can't complain about anything. before we even went in, mike and I had agreed not to buy anything. then they showed us the photos and made us choose several favorites. they were good pictures, but nothing better than what i have been taking of gabriel for the last 8 months (and i don't consider myself a great photographer) but I can't justify spending that much money on a picture. I didn't want to be the one to make a decision so i left it up to mike. i just don't like the way that they make you choose the pictures and then expect you to buy something without knowing how much it costs. we finally decided to get just one 8x10 of gabe. it was supposed to be $30, but then they said that with tax and shipping the total was $45 something. AND we don't get the picture for 4-6 weeks! This is the first "professional" photo we have ever bought of gabriel, and maybe the last. I just can't believe anyone would pay that much. I can email my photos to walmart and pick up an 8x10 in an hour for $2.99 or if i'm being lazy I'll just upload it to Apple from iphoto and have it mailed for just a little more. then the rest goes to buy a nice frame.

So I wasn't too happy on the way home....thinking how far $45 could go towards a new lens (not really that far, but still!) and since gabe was already all dressed up, I grabbed my camera, a blanket, a basket and headed into the backyard.
Pretty sure these are way better than what we just ordered.....and we don't have to wait 4-6 weeks.

2010: 124/365

2010-05-05T21:26:00.000-05:00

we have been playing outside a lot lately. our neighbor has a maple tree and all of the little helicopters are everywhere. I showed gabe how to throw them up in the air and he thinks it's the funniest thing! when one lands on the ground he will say-more! more! and bring me another one. he hasn't got the hang of throwing them himself yet, but i'm sure it won't take long to figure out :)

2010: 123/365

2010-05-05T21:19:00.000-05:00

we had lunch in the backyard after church. i think this may have to happen every sunday...gabe can play while we cook and then sit at his picnic table and eat. when he's done he goes back out to play and mike and i have plenty of time to finish lunch.

and if you've never had grilled pizza you have to try it!

2010: 122/365

2010-05-05T21:11:00.000-05:00

Rosemary. it's about time to move it to a bigger container. everytime i walk by the table on the patio i have to touch the tiny leaves and smell them....it smells so good! i can't wait to find some new recipes :)

2010: 121/365

2010-05-05T21:07:00.000-05:00

2010: 120/365

2010-05-01T15:55:00.000-05:00

I just stole this picture from Mike's facebook page. His company gives away trees every year for arbor day and this is the magnolia he planted in our yard. only two more pictures and I'm caught up with project 365.....i think

2010: 119/365

2010-05-01T15:40:00.001-05:00

2010: 118/365

2010-05-01T15:39:00.000-05:00

I took pictures for some friends....this is one of my favorites!

2010: 117/365

2010-05-01T15:37:00.000-05:00

Working with daddy. Mike changed the lightswitch in Gabe's room because it wouldn't stay on....gabe went right to his toolbox to help!

2010: 116/365

2010-05-01T15:35:00.002-05:00

2010: 115/365

2010-05-01T15:32:00.001-05:00

2010: 114/365

2010-05-01T15:29:00.001-05:00

Not much going on today. We had paninis for dinner. Food is always a good thing to take pictures of when you are too busy for anything else right? I almost thought that Project 365 was over....I just can't keep up with it right now with school and everything else going on. Seven credit hours this semester....5 more this summer and trying to get 97% or higher in all of my classes because of the new plus/minus grading system to keep a 4.0 (plus taking care of Gabe, and working, and volunteering...... I wonder why I don't have any free time?)

2010: 113/365

2010-05-01T15:21:00.000-05:00

Praying. He reminds us if we forget too!

2010: 112/365

2010-05-01T15:19:00.001-05:00

Gabe's new big boy fork. He loves feeding himself and doesn't want any help now :) (most of the time!)

2010: 111/365

2010-05-01T15:15:00.001-05:00

2010: 110/365

2010-04-22T08:24:00.001-05:00

2010: 109

2010-04-22T08:21:00.000-05:00

This is the second time this week I have made this recipe. I almost wish they harder to make....we have had to give most of them away or I would eat them all myself!

The look just like regular rice crispy treats....but trust me, they are SO much BETTER! I think their official name is Scotcheroos. and you need to make some today. and then brush your teeth. because there is no way they are good for you.

So here's what you need:

5 c rice crispies

1c light corn syrup

1c sugar

1 c peanut butter

1 c semi-sweet chocolate chips

1c butterscotch chips

Melt the syrup and sugar in a saucepan until it starts to bubble. While this is heating, melt the chocolate chips and butterscotch chips in the microwave for about 45-60 seconds. Stir the peanut butter into the sugar mixture. Pour this mixture over the rice crispies in a big bowl. Spread into a 9x13 pan lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil (this is important!) and cover with the melted chocolate. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (or put in the freezer if you can't wait that long) leave a little bit in the bowl so you can taste it while you're waiting. Then get a big glass of milk ready....

2010: 104-108/365

2010-04-19T20:41:00.000-05:00

helping open the mail

learning how to write...he is so left handed YEAH!!!

Gabe finally learned how to climb up onto the dining room chairs. I'm not sure yet if this is a good thing :)

Girls Night! I have to post two pictures because the ones of all three of us didn't turn out well. we we're laughing so much that most of them are blurry!

Easter (a little late)

2010-04-13T17:40:00.001-05:00

Brunch was AMAZING this year!!! so good. These pictures are making me hungry...these little cookies were the only thing on the table not homemade. I could eat brunch everyday!

Mamaw helping with the egg hunt at church

keep scrolling down...more 365 pics

2010: 95-103/365

2010-04-13T17:20:00.000-05:00

I just can't keep up with posting pictures everyday! I still don't have all our Easter pictures up....and it's only going to get busier! So here's the last week real quick...no editing. Gabe is busy playing in a box so I have a few seconds :) (And that box means we received the last of our bedding for downstairs! Soon our guest room will be finished!!)

new clothes for spring

Gabe LOVES to be outside. the only way we could convince him to go in was with a b-a-t-h which he also loves

saturday morning tickles. i'm loving gabe's milk face!

the only pictures i got today are of his back. he's so serious when he plays outside, always going somewhere looking for something

these are supposed to be shorts...pretty sure he'll be able to wear them next summer too :)

so happy!!

everything is so pretty right now

2010: 86-94/365

2010-04-04T23:23:00.000-05:00

more pictures from today soon. keep scrolling down, I'm behind on posting

homemade brioche. so worth the time it takes...even though I lost about half of the dough. i won't even tell you the whole story about me leaving it on the oven to rise (while baking other dishes for easter brunch) part of it was completely baked in the bowl! i think i invented a new type of bread machine :)

I can't even believe it's already April!

shopping for easter brunch

gabe LOVES school busses. my grandma and grandpa bought one for him today and he was so happy :)

I couldn't wait another week...gabe got his easter basket today :) we found out that he REALLY likes peanut butter cups he has been eating the candy for a couple days already. (mike has been helping too) so there was no way it would last until next sunday. plus, we were just so excited to see what gabe would do...of course he went right for the chocolate!

i heart faces Week 13 - “Dramatic B&W”

2010-03-28T22:49:00.003-05:00

2010: 85/365

2010-03-26T21:31:00.000-05:00

brrrrmmm brrrmmm

Gabe had SO much FUN driving! mike was playing with him so i could get some school work done. i heard them outside, and when they came back in gabriel grabbed mike's hand and pulled him to the door, making his brrrrmmm brrrrmmm truck noise. mike took him back to the truck to play some more and i followed with my camera :)

i can't believe how much he learns all the time. when he was sitting on mike's lap he turned around to the backseat cupholder in the middle of the console where we keep the hand sanitizer and wanted mike to put it on his hands - i do this EVERY time i get in the truck. he watches and learns everything we do, even if he has only seen something once.

he loved turning on the lights because the bell would ding b/c the truck was parked. then mike taught him how to honk the horn. i'm sure the neighbors loved that! but when it was time to go back inside....oh my gosh, i have NEVER seen gabe so upset about ANYthing! even a reese's peanut butter egg didn't cheer him up! (we're going to have to buy more candy before easter!) he finally calmed down after a while and was happy when it was bathtime. so glad i could capture this moment. if you're not doing project 365 it's not too late to start!

2010: 84/365

2010-03-25T19:55:00.000-05:00

2010: 83/365

2010-03-24T17:49:00.000-05:00

helping set the table :)

2010: 82/365

2010-03-23T21:42:00.000-05:00

climbing at the doctor's office today...i didn't believe angie when she said that he would be climbing on EVERYTHING, she was right! that's ok, it will help his muscles develop faster right!? :)

sorry for the fuzzy cell phone picture...i need to keep my camera with me more often

19 month stats:

height: 31 inches 10th %
weight: 25.4 pounds 25th %

he's still a little guy, just growing at his own pace. he's *starting* to grow out of 12 month clothes...we still have a little more time to use them :)

2010: 81/365

2010-03-22T09:00:00.000-05:00

a new trick gabe learned from his buddy silas :)

sorry it's so blurry.....he was jumping up and down. love how sulli is running through the background :)

2010: 80/365

2010-03-21T17:11:00.000-05:00

i started spring cleaning/organizing today. i can't remember being this excited about it for a long time! but i'm ready to make sure everything has a place...especially gabe's toys!

today's job was to reorganize the phone table (although there's no phone on the phone table anymore!) but all of our upstairs office supplies have a place now instead of being piled into one big basket. if you haven't tried the new sharpie pens yet, you have to! i've never been able to write with pens because they smear all over my hand, the joys of being a lefty :) but these are so great i hardly ever write with pencils anymore...and they come in different colors! they're definitely my new favorite school supply

2010: 79/365

2010-03-20T14:03:00.000-05:00

we made it home safe after having a great time in atlanta. gabe was sad to leave his friends (we were too) but it was nice to see everyone.

the weather was pretty nice all week, one kind of rainy day, but shorts weather before we left. look at this amazing view of the sunrise....one of the only things i like about flying...

but by the time we got home there was snow on the ground!! probably the last time we'll see the white stuff for a while, but i never get tired of it :)

2010: 78/365

2010-03-20T14:02:00.000-05:00

2010: 77/365

2010-03-20T13:11:00.000-05:00

playing at the park with esme
we were also able to spend some time with the coffeys, we were so sad to leave after just a short time. gabe will not know what to do when he doesn't have his friends to play with when we get home!

2010: 76/365

2010-03-20T13:07:00.000-05:00

playing with his buddy silas.
we had so much fun visiting everyone...even though we missed the reunion after our first flight was canceled. but it was so nice to have time to just relax and let the kids play without a schedule to worry about.

2010: 75/365

2010-03-20T13:01:00.000-05:00

gabe ready to go. this was taken on tuesday in denver. we REALLY wanted to stay there for a couple days, especially after we could see the mountains. he was so good on the flights, slept pretty much the whole time!

2010: 74/365

2010-03-20T12:57:00.000-05:00

2010: 73/365

2010-03-20T12:55:00.000-05:00

steff and i had to make more cookies since we ate the first batch that was supposed to go with us to atlanta :)

2010: 72/365

2010-03-20T12:51:00.000-05:00

hanging out with papa after the flight was canceled

2010: 71/365

2010-03-12T23:15:00.000-06:00

a $25 'band-aid' is better than stitches any day! we've had a long day....

right before I was getting ready to leave for work, I ran downstairs to print something. Gabe was playing right beside me and tripped and fell, hit his head on a shelf on the printer desk and started screaming. I was praying the whole way to the doctor's office that he wouldn't need stitches, especially since last time we were there he started crying just walking to the room and having his temperature taken.....I don't want him to be scared every time we go in. the doctor said it was one of those cuts that he could put a couple of stitches in...or just let it heal on it's own. we decided to just use the steri-strips, I was so relieved that it wasn't as bad as we thought, but it was still hard to leave him with mom and go back to work...not such a great start to spring break.

we figured out that his new shoes don't bend enough when he walks because he kept falling down ALL day today at mom's house. I felt so bad, so when mike got home from work we had to go shopping and get some new shoes. we also bought a couple of hats to cover up the scar....i'm sure there will be LOTS of pictures taken this week with all the babies. angie, we may need your photoshop skills if he doesn't leave the hats on! :)

2010: 70/365

2010-03-11T09:38:00.000-06:00

I have no idea how BOTH of them stopped moving at the same time...even if it was only a couple seconds!

2010: 69/365

2010-03-10T09:28:00.000-06:00

every morning when gabe wakes up, his first word is "milk!!"

2010: 68/365

2010-03-09T22:09:00.002-06:00

2010: 67/365

2010-03-09T22:00:00.000-06:00

finally! all seventy-something of these cell models are graded and will soon be out of my classroom! it's a really good project but it's time for them to go home :)

2010: 66/365

2010-03-09T21:51:00.000-06:00

2010: 64/365

2010-03-09T21:39:00.001-06:00

every time gabe goes to the doctor's office for shots, he gets a duck. he is always so happy playing in the waiting room and saying hi to everyone....this time though, he was only happy until he realized we were going down that same hallway where a few weeks ago he had three shots. still holding my hand, he tried to pull me back the other way a couple times until finally I had to pick him up. he cried all the way back to the room....and this time he didn't even get shots! just had a little rash that needed to be checked. but he was SO unhappy! the nurses are all so sweet....they came in just to see him on a day when he wasn't getting shots and to add a new member to his duck family :)

2010: 65/365

2010-03-09T21:16:00.003-06:00

thought I would get a head start on the garden this year. gabe helped me plant some seeds that we'll keep inside for a few weeks. I'm already thinking about new recipes to try!

2010: 63/365

2010-03-08T22:30:00.003-06:00

For the last couple weeks, Gabe has been running around the house saying "li-las" (silas), "jo-jo" (jordan), and "may-may" (esme) he can't wait to see his friends! several families are meeting in Atlanta next week for a house of hope reunion...all of our babies were there at the same time last year and it will be so great to have them all together again.

2010: 365

2010-03-03T22:38:00.000-06:00

62/365

61/365

60/365

59/365

2010: 58/365

2010-02-27T22:28:00.002-06:00

2010: 57/365

2010-02-26T20:21:00.000-06:00

Mike surprised me with flowers after work today for no reason! great start to the weekend :)

2010: 56/365

2010-02-25T12:19:00.000-06:00

2010: 55/365

2010-02-24T21:59:00.000-06:00

mike coloring and gabe destroying the crayon box. :) the funniest part is that after I put gabe to sleep and walked out of his room.....mike was still laying there on the floor finishing his picture, complete with a signature and date! guess i should hang it on the fridge :)

2010: 54/365

2010-02-24T21:51:00.000-06:00

made this recipe that i've wanted to try for a while. so easy, and yummy! you should try it!

2010: 53/365

2010-02-24T21:46:00.000-06:00

2010: 52/365

2010-02-21T15:15:00.000-06:00

first girl scout cookie

2010: 51/365

2010-02-20T15:04:00.003-06:00

2010: 50/365

2010-02-19T14:57:00.006-06:00

first ice cream cone

2010: 49/365

2010-02-18T14:48:00.000-06:00

We started shopping at Aldis...I wasn't sure if I would like it at first, Target is usually my favorite place to get everything. but if we just need groceries and no baby stuff, Aldis is a great place. it's small so it only takes 15 or 20 minutes at the most to get everything...and with a baby helping shop that is a good thing! I remember Marina saying that it was a German store when she was here. I found out the other day that German store equals German Chocolate!!!! and about half the price you would pay at Target. so I have ate WAY too much chocolate in the last couple days! oh, and this is only one kind that we bought...there is also the famous chocolate hazelnut YUM

2010: 48/365

2010-02-17T19:48:00.001-06:00

It was so nice outside today! well, at least above freezing, no wind, and the sun was out, so we spent some time at the park with aunt steff! today was really the first time gabe has been outside since he learned to walk, he couldn't get enough of it!

2010: 47/365

2010-02-17T19:37:00.000-06:00

2010: 46/365

2010-02-15T19:21:00.000-06:00

just because they're so pretty....

flowers may not last forever, but pictures do!!

thanks Mike! Happy Valentine's Day, I love you too

2010: 45/365

2010-02-14T19:01:00.000-06:00

2010: 32/365-44/365

2010-02-13T21:38:00.002-06:00

I'm getting way behind...the last couple weeks have been so busy! check out what we've been up to!
(scroll all the way down to 32/365)

44/365
it was so nice outside this afternoon we went for a little walk. can you tell gabe was happy to be out there!?

boys.....they found the only snow pile along the way. I guess that's one way to use the four-wheel drive stroller!! (the sad thing is that I would have done the same thing if mike would ever let me drive :-)

43/365
I have always wanted one of these!!!! Grandma gave it to me today and I've already been busy making cookies :)

42/365

gabe loves to clean! we took the middle section out of the swiffer to make it just his size and he played in the kitchen for at least 30 minutes

41/365

found the box of cookie cutters...then started chasing sulli with it

40/365
this was taken yesterday, but I didn't want three pictures in one post :)

39/365.1
there are two pictures for today...first, Gabe looking for my phone:

39/365.2
found it...this is where it goes now!

38/365

37/365

we found out that gabe likes the wiggles. guess it's time to buy some dvd's (and clean my computer screen!)

36/365

MILK!!! his new favorite word. and it has to be warm. if i hand it to him straight from the fridge, he says, "brrrr" and points to the microwave

35/365

just hanging out

34/365

the first night of conferences

33/365

seriously. Who. Needs. Toys!? he could do this all day. he's a great helper too, my little sous chef!

32/365

checking out the snow

update...coming soon

2010-02-03T22:25:00.000-06:00

I have project 365 pictures from the past couple days-on my camera. they will be coming soon. We had our first day of conferences at school today, more tomorrow. They went really well, but I'm to tired to do anything else tonight!

2010: 31/365

2010-01-31T20:36:00.000-06:00

2010: 30/365

2010-01-30T12:44:00.003-06:00

i had no idea he could make a mess this big in less than five minutes while i checked my email!! the sad part is that i was right there in the room while he kept bringing me clothes and diapers, but i didn't see the whole mess until later!

I also love that mike is peeking in the window while taking a break from shoveling snow

***scroll down for project 365: 24-29 pics***

2010: 29/365

2010-01-30T12:40:00.000-06:00

almost ready to play in the snow! it took us about 30 minutes to get dressed and spent maybe 5 minutes outside :) we're going to try sledding next time

2010: 28/365

2010-01-28T12:59:00.000-06:00

Gabe has also discovered Sullivan's water bowl. we have had trouble keeping him out of it for a while, but now that his FAVORITE thing is taking a bath...yeah, her water bowl looks like a little bathtub to him. everything from socks, to spoons have ended up in her bowl in the last couple days.

I'm very strict when it come to playing in it-I don't want him getting sick. but it was so hard to get mad at him yesterday when he made a huge mess but then crawled over and grabbed a dishtowel hanging on the stove and started wiping the water off the floor...and then gave me a huge kiss. apparently, he thought his little trick worked (don't tell him that it did!) because today after splashing water everywhere, he decided to help me clean up again! it's a good thing he is so darn cute.

2010: 27/365

2010-01-27T12:08:00.003-06:00

Gabe has discovered Sullivan's tail. he will chase her around, hang onto her tail and laugh uncontrollably when he falls down. he thinks it is the funniest thing! the other day gabe was still in jammies, the kind with slick bottomed feet, and he grabbed her tail in the kitchen and didn't let go, sulli kept going and it looked like gabe was waterskiing behind her!! wish I had pictures of that! Sulli has such as good attitude and just puts up with him-although sometimes she will escape to go hang out on the couch (about the only reason we will let her up there now!)

One Year Ago....

2010-01-27T09:46:00.000-06:00

On this day last year, we had no idea that Gabriel would be our son, but the first of many many miracles happened.

January 27, 2009: we received an email saying that yesterday 11 children, 5 boys and 6 girls, ages 3 weeks to 5 months old were referred to families. and one child, (Gabriel) Yared, would be placed on the special needs waiting list.

I get goosebumps just thinking about this. we were not even finished with our dossier, had not had our CIS fingerprint appointment, and no I-171H form. For those of you who know the adoption language, you can see how "impossible" it is that we are now his mom and dad.

That email also said that Gabriel weighed 7.7 pounds (at 5 months old), was severely malnourished, and had failure to thrive. Some doctors in the U.S. who reviewed his information said that he wouldn't live. More than a month later, he had still not gained any weight. I am convinced that this was another miracle because during that time several familes had reviewed his information, and for different reasons, just knew that he was not their son. I have talked to some of these families and it's amazing to see how God's plan unfolded for all of us.

After reading the email, I began praying for this little boy. Not just a quick prayer and then forgetting about him, but he kept coming back to my mind-all the time. About a week later I emailed Toni to see if he had a family yet...not even thinking that it would be possible for him to join our family at this point, but just because I couldn't get him off of my mind. she said that a family was reviewing his info, so that was good. I even got excited thinking that someone would soon be bringing him home.

Things started to happen so quickly after that...we had our fingerprint appointment, received the I-171H faster than I thought possible (stories from other families waiting months and months on this last puzzle piece). I continued to check the waiting children's page-which now showed Y's picture-and watched the red letters "being reviewed" appear and disappear multiple times. All the details are kind of fuzzy now, but God just opened every single door and we were soon accepting a referral for our little boy.

Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26

2010: 26/365

2010-01-26T12:04:00.001-06:00

We went grocery shopping and as I unloaded everything my bags disappeared. he played like this forever! especially after he had some food to put in his bags

2010: 25/365

2010-01-25T12:29:00.000-06:00

2010: 24/365

2010-01-24T11:59:00.002-06:00

2010: 23/365

2010-01-23T21:02:00.000-06:00

packaging food for Numana. over 1.2 million meals packed for Haiti in two days! from the very first event Mike and I attended back in december, we have said that this is one of the most organized events we have ever seen. it must have been planned by teachers ;) God is definitely in control here. what an amazing thing to watch it grow from about 15 tables, to 25, to 50. we can't wait to see what happens next!

2010: 22/365

2010-01-22T20:46:00.001-06:00

2010: 21/365

2010-01-21T20:51:00.000-06:00