Delectable Thought

Today you are four! Four is a good age, a fun age. You are already an incredible little boy and everyday I catch glimpses of the man you'll be one day. You LOVE to talk and make jokes. You love to "play pretend". Sometimes I stand back when you don't know I'm watching and take in your imagination and creativity. You are shy sometimes, but you love people. You are determined and no never means no to you. It means find some other way. This can exasperate me sometimes, but I know that one day this determination will serve you well. You love music. You already are selective in your choice of music. I like that about you. You are rambunctious and loud and don't really have an inside voice. Even your laugh is loud, but mine is too, so I understand. You are a lot like me. I see myself in you. We look a lot alike. You have my eyes and a lot of hair like me and I'm already starting to see a spattering of freckles on your face and arms. But you're like me on ...

I like to run.  I run a lot.  Not a lot like these ultra runners, but I logged 86 miles in the month of July. I impressed myself. Sometimes though being a runner and being a M.O.B.-- mother of boys don't flow cohesively.  Enter this bad boy--the stroller not the baby.  I snagged it today from my new friend Jennifer, whom I just met when I bought this stroller from her today in the parking lot of Panera in Brannon Crossing. I paid 50 bucks and walked or better ran away this little piece of running freedom.  Obviously my awesome husband accommodates my running or I wouldn't have logged 86 miles this month, but this blessed little (large) thing gives us all a little freedom and lets my boys have a little fun riding along on my runs.  I know life is compared to a race. And what's important is that we run steady and that we finish well. Life has felt like a sprint lately and it's seemed to fly by at locomotive speed.  I learn a lot about motherhood, life an...

Being the mother of a boy or M.O.B. means NO PERSONAL SPACE. Being the mother of anyone really means that. I didn't expect my boys to be so entranced with me all the time. I thought at some point they would attach themselves (rightly so) to their dad and I would be left waiting for a snippet of their attention as they stomped through their house in their muddy shoes newly home from some grand adventure with dad. This is a false thought. My boys seem to find everything I do fascinating. It's like I'm some incredibly entertaining toy that they must always be around. It's as if they think they're going to miss out on something I say or do or some expression I make if they aren't with me and not just with me, but touching my body at all times. (O.k., I'm exaggerating about the "touching my body" thing.) I've often wondered why my children don't have black eyes or beat up faces from the many times I've taken a step sideways and elbowed th...

Time is not my friend. Before my very eyes my little boy, John Owen is becoming a little man. It's like the dawn of every day brings some new growth or change in him. He has always been highly verbal--quite the talker. Usually he's used up all his word allotment by mid-morning. This does not deter him though. Never fear, he does not run out of things to say or ask. For months, he's been asking for a belt like Dad's and mine's. He hasn't really needed a belt until recently when he's in that awkward stage of not really being a size that you can buy in the stores. This perplexes me because I know he's not the only child to be like this--in between sizes. I just don't understand why retailers don't make some in between sizes. Not just 3t, but "No longer 3t, but not quite 4t" size. That's what size he is. So we go up a size and the 4t pants are too big. I bought him a belt yesterday and brought it home to him. He promptly tried it on an...

Is this parenting gig hard or what? And I only have two kids. I can only imagine what a day is like for those who have way more kids than I. A lot has been going on around here which has compounded the toughness of parenting. We are replacing the shower in our master bathroom. Really, I mean Zack is doing it and I'm checking in every now and then to see how things are going. I've been busy with some things from church, so our normal daily routine basically hasn't existed this week. Add these monsoons that we've been having that have been exchanged for blazing hot days and we've got some rowdy boys 'round here, y'all. Not just rowdy, but grumpy, too. Or maybe I'm the grumpy one! I've had some parenting fails--someone should follow us with a camera and then upload the videos to youtube. We'd be an instant hit with the "What Not To Do When..." just fill in the blank. Most of the time when I'm tired or distracted and one of my kids st...

This August will mark four years that I have been a mother to a boy. One boy for three years was interesting. Now that we've added a second boy, well, life is really interesting. There are some things about boys that have surprised me somewhat.  For example, they really like their mamas. Before becoming a M.O.B., I thought they'd be all about Dad. They do love their dad, but my boys seem to find everything I do riveting. Like showering. It's the one thing I like to do alone. I shut the door, turn the water on and enjoy the five or ten minutes of solitude. I keep the bathroom door locked during this "mommy time". And then I hear it. An bone-chilling scream coming from the living room. What can it mean? Did some intruder enter the house? Have they gotten into the steak knives and cut off a toe? I stop the shower, grab a towel and race into the living room. They are where I left them. Sitting in front of the t.v. watching an episode of Clifford the Big Red Dog . I l...

My boys like to wrestle.  A Lot! I used to wrestle with my brother, which really meant I tried to keep from dying when he jumped on me. My brother is only thirteen months older than me. Yes, you read that right. Thirteen months. I was the perfect wrestling partner for him because we were always about the same size, so it didn't seem like he was a big kid whoopin' up on his little sister.  Here at our house, John Owen is bigger than James, but the whoopin' up happens all the same. So far there have been no broken bones or any blood. I call that "playin'". I heard them "playin'" today and found John Owen holding James from the back, running and falling on a mattress we have on the floor.  (Why do you have a mattress on your floor, you ask? Good question friends, but it's come in handy for days like today. ) I did what any caring mom would do and I videoed it.  While these sweet boys can be so rough and tumble, they have their sweet moments wher...

No, I've not turned into the Incredible Hulk. I love these toe socks for running. They keep my feet from rubbing together causing major blisters. I found these jewels on Amazon for cheap! I like cheap running toe socks better than toe socks. (But not better than cake!) I went to the bathroom today. I shut the door. This is what happened. Apparently my "bath rooming" is great entertainment for him to want to be in there so badly.  Today, this guy just wants to be by himself. This is highly unusual, so I fear a sickness or such may be on it's way, or another growth spurt.  He asked to be naked today. Not very naked, just a little naked. He cracks me up!     My hottie husband is home, so all is right in our sphere of the universe and I'm off the single mom status.       Hope you all have a great weekend!

Dressing boys is about as fun as losing toenails. I do both of those things. I usually go for casual/play most days, which translates to "I don't care if you get your clothes so dirty I can't get the stains out!" But for those occasions we venture into public, I go for a "Let's make the baby loom like a smaller version of dad." But then I'm gifted with gems like the outfit in the picture and dressing boys becomes fun! This shirt brings me so much happiness and bumps the cuteness factor up by at least a thousand percent! I hope it makes you as happy as me! You can't go wrong with the "thumbs up/down." Good grief that's cute!! Enjoy your Thursday!

My boys like to whomp and by whomp I mean they like to rough house. Their dad is the official whomper. I take no part in it. But Dad's been gone for over a week now and the boys were crazy for a whomping. I found this out the hard way when little sweet James tackled me when I made the mistake of sitting in the floor. And then John Owen joined in and I was being whomped. I quickly cried "uncle" and ran for cover in the kitchen.  I succeeded in making the ugliest cupcakes known to man today. Check out the picture below. They were undoubtedly ugly, but man were they good. I may or may not have eaten two or three. It's really hard for me to tell because I usually eat almost all of it and then throw some of it away so I don't have to count it as a whole one. Psycho, I know! I do have some good-looking boys though. The proof is below.  Good-night friends!   Yes, that's blue cake with poop brown frosting.  Good-looking boy #1 Good-looking boy #2

I've had a few epiphanies lately. One is that I'm an exaggerator. I big one. (I'm not exaggerating there.) I'm addicted to funny and like to tell stories in such a way to elicit a laugh or two or three. My last three posts are evidence of this issue. I hope you laugh and don't take me so seriously. I realize I could seem quite crazy. (But isn't everyone a little crazy?) Secondly, I epiphanied (this isn't a word, but it sounds funnier than "realized") something about sweet baby James. I'm apparently stupid or didn't really pay attention when I was reading all those adoption books because I feel this is something I should have figured out a while ago, but it took a friend who's also adopted just telling me her "first year home" experience to epiphany this. Are you ready for it?!! James struggles with insecurity. No brainer I know, but sometimes and by sometimes I really mean a lot of the time, I forget. Yep, I forget that he...

Sometimes I have these surreal experiences. They are really almost like out of body experiences. I'm standing outside of myself watching the situation unfold before me. I had one of those today. I had the bright idea that I'd take John Owen to Lexington to be fitted for the suit he's going to wear as ringbearer in a friend's wedding. Of course I did all the right things beforehand. I had a precious conversation with my little angel about what was expected of him and how he should act and how I understood that he might be nervous  or even a little afraid of some strange person taking his measurements, but this was something that we needed to do.  I even offered a great "incentive"/"bribe" for good behavior. We'd passed a cupcake store that was right next to a Starbucks and I felt I'd won the lottery. I envisioned this great mother/son date (you those things I read about happening in other people's blogs, but have never really experienced ...

Butts. I wipe my share of them everyday and I only have two boys. I'm sure wiping boys' butts are easier than girls because it's quick. Boys (at least mine) don't care how clean their butts are. A few swipes with the "wipey" or toilet paper or both if needed and off they go. James never cares if his butt gets wiped. He actually hates it and by hate, I mean loathes it. He's comfortable in a dirty diaper apparently. It's not unusual to hear Zack (he usually takes dirty diaper duty (the pun is intended)) say, "Stop crying James. I'm the one who should be crying." Hysterical...and true.  Another favorite is when he says, "One day you'll have to wipe my butt." Equally funny and most likely true. John Owen is a little more complicated. He's almost four (Don't judge me if your two year old is already reading and tying his own shoes) and he can be heard throughout the house or probably outside yelling, "I need my but...

Boogers are a constant part of my life. They're like a third child who doesn't say much and stays mostly hidden until we're in public and people want to talk to my boys. Then, well then the boogers show up. James' nose is the biggest contributor, but John Owen can hold his own in this booger fest that we have going on over here. Today, my friend, Lee Ann and I ran the Capital Stampede 10k downtown. We're training for a half-marathon in September and hit this race up for a nice change from our routine of running ridiculously early in the morning before most of you have even hit a good REM sleep cycle. We did really well and raced across the finish line to PR. I walked over to my little family of Zack, John Owen and James and yes, you guessed the boogers. Of course no one had a tissue, so James' booger, my third child just hung out (literally) with us while we cooled off and watched the rest of the finishers. John Owen sat in the stroller with his knees in his c...

Just like there are many orphans in the world, there are many books about orphans, how to help orphans, how to adopt orphans, how to parent an adopted child. I've read a lot of them and they've been helpful and informative, but none have fully covered the issue of the Orphan and God's command of His people like Johnny Carr's Orphan Justice . This book goes beyond the standard book about adoption and encompasses what it means to move beyond the idea that caring for the orphan equals entering the adoption process. When we think of orphan care only in terms of adoption, we tend to shy away from doing anything because we don't feel led to adopt, we already have many children, or feel overwhelmed by the idea of grafting a person into our families. Carr removes this excuse from every believer in his book. He covers many topics including adoption, but goes so far beyond adoption that it truly is a book about caring for the orphan. His statistics are staggering and convict...

Sometimes (or a lot of times) we don't hear what a person said. I don't mean that he/she didn't speak loudly enough or some other noise kept us from hearing clearly. I mean they say something and by the time it makes it through all of our "stuff", our past experiences, our hurts, our fears, we hear something different. Maybe someone says "I can't meet you for dinner" or "I can't come to your party". We may hear "You aren't a priority so I'm not meeting your for dinner" or so on. We've all got our "stuff" that we filter every experience through. That's just what our pasts do for us--a special gift if you will. That explains my James. He's got a small past that's a big ole whopping past and he filters all of these new experience through that past. It's all he knows right now. We can mature and grow and begin to understand that we can't filter new experiences through our old ones. We can...

Vacations are wonderful things that sometimes elude us, but when we do get that wonderful opportunity to take a really long road trip to somewhere besides where we live, they are pure bliss. That's what our Vacation was for us. We packed our boys and bunch of stuff and then some more stuff and headed south to Treasure Island, Florida for seven days of sand, sea, and doing a bunch of nothing. The weather was great (no surprise, right) and we soaked up every drop of sunshine we could. To say John Owen loved the beach is an understatement. He spent a lot of time in the sand, near the edge of the water, and watching for sharks. He was our official shark look-out person. I contribute this obsession with sharks to Finding Nemo  and Soul Surfer.  (Yes, he has seen parts of Soul Surfer . I will never win a Mother of the Year award.) James. Oh, sweet baby James. His response to the beach was as opposite of John Owen's as any response could possibly be. He did warm up to it e...

Three months can seem like a little bit or a lot depending upon the circumstances. Before James was home, three months was a lot. A lot of days to wait. Now that he's home, three months have literally flown by. It has been three months of learning our new normal and we're not quite there yet. Some days seem like dreams with smiles all day and that fuzzy feeling of togetherness. Other days seem like long journeys up a steep mountain, like I'm that mountain climber from that game on the Price Is Right. You know the one? If he reaches the top he falls off. There are more "Other Days" than the dream ones. I've learned and am still learning a lot. The grafting process takes time, for everyone. But we have made leaps and bounds and them sometimes we regress and I feel like that climber who fell off the peak. I've learned that no matter how young, abandonment is a tough thing, even for a little fella and sometimes it might make him angry and sometimes maybe th...

I've never been a boy (haha), so most days I watch in amazement as my boys interact with each other, eat, play, and just romp around as loudly as they can. That seems to be the one rule---be loud as much as possible. They are not overly emotional---we do have the occasional meltdown over some truck or car or not liking what I put on their plates to eat, but mostly--they're just loud. John Owen is the loudest, but James is quickly learning to imitate his big brother. I also watch as the life we knew before James quickly fades away. We still remember those days before he was with us (at least Zack and I do), but they seem so far off as to be in another lifetime. Isn't that amazing? He's only been with us for 3 1/2 weeks! That's how quickly God has meshed our lives together. Those first few weeks were a lot smoother than we had anticipated, though not easy. We all had to "get to know" each other and learn each other, but this past Saturday we turned ano...

It's amazing the changes that happen in one week. I'll recap a few for those interested. 1. Melaku now responds to James! 2. John Owen shares a little better. It was a real issue mainly because JO just got invaded by a one year old and that's tough for a 3 1/2 year old, but he's rising to the challenge. 3. James eats anything you put in his mouth. I think I could put a fried chicken liver in his mouth and he'd eat it. 4. Our anonymity has forever disappeared. We've ventured out to Kroger and Walmart and maybe Cracker Barrel and gone are the days of walking into a place unnoticed. 5. Memories of Africa are beginning to fade---for James. As we introduce new people and places, the life he knew before is fading away being replaced with this new one. And now for a few pictures.

A picture is worth a thousand words so if you haven't already seen the pictures of James Melaku we posted on FB, you should go take a look. We've turned a corner and I know God is answering your prayers for us. Please continue to pray as we have many more corners to turn. We have James' passport and Visa and his immigration papers. We fly out tomorrow night. We can't be more excited to get home on Sunday. Please pray for a good flight home, that we make our connection in DC. We have to go through passport control and the lines could be long. Pray specifically that James begins to trust Zack and will allow Zack to hold him. Right now, I am the only person who can hold him. He started today to interact with Zack so we're headed in the right direction. Love you guys and see you soon as a family of four! Praise God that a journey begun two years ago is coming to an end at a new beginning for a little boy named Melaku!

There aren't any at the US Embassy in Ethiopia. You still have to wait in line and they still take your phones and any other electronic device. We did get to wait inside as opposed to outside, not because we're US Citizens, but because we had a baby. So there are perks to being a baby! There were many, many Ethiopians waiting to interview to receive a visa to enter the US. Beza, our adoption officer said most would not receive a visa, yet they will continue to come back again and again. We "interviewed", which was basically just standing in front of a window and saying "Good afternoon " to the American guy on the other side. That was literally it. He gave us some documents, told us the visa would be ready tomorrow and that as soon as we stepped foot on American so, Melaku would become an instant American citizen. Amazing, isn't it? All those other Ethiopians working SO hard for a chance into America, their promised land and Melaku gets automatic entra...

The guy we know in Addis hooked us up with a converter so we can charge our devices. He's a blessing! Today while most of you were sleeping, we were picked up by Beza. She is our adoption officer here and works/worked for CWA. We went to the orphanage to pick up Melaku. It was highly emotional for Melaku and the orphanage staff. We stayed a few hours so everyone could say their good-byes adequately. The staff was very happy for him and he was very upset to be leaving. We got back to the guesthouse around one. Melaku has cried most of the afternoon and evening except for the hour he slept. We are sad he's sad, but feel incredibly blessed that he was so attached to his nanny. We took his picture with her so he can always have it. He also has a severe ear infection--liquid is literally dripping out of his ear. Please pray it heals quickly. Pray also that he begins to find comfort in our arms. We feel very blessed to have him with us. We go to Embassy tomorrow and then home on...

It's 10:30 pm here and we're not sleepy because we broke the first rule of time zone travel and we took a nap when we got here this morning. I keep thinking about tomorrow and that tonight is James' last night in an orphanage. His life and our life will change tomorrow! Our converter died so we've had no way to charge our phones. The guy we know says he has one and will bring it to us tomorrow. Pray we get one somehow and if we don't, I'll update when we get back to DC on Sunday.

(Disclaimer: this post is just the minute details of our flight. Feel free to skim the boring parts.) Luggage was not made to survive arduous flights and careless handling. Thus, the first thing we had to do when we reached Washington, D.C. (actually it was Chantilly, VA) was to buy a new piece of luggage. We ate well, slept so-so, and arrived at the airport in record time thanks to our Colombian-born shuttle driver. Our plane took off ahead of schedule and then had to make an unexpected landing in Rome to pick up some stranded Europeans. May I just pause and say that life is such a wild ride at times?! The man next to me must be deaf because he blares the sound to his movie, music, etc. I get to share in his viewing/listening experience with him. As way of thanking him I'm now blaring The Lumineers back at him. He can thank me later for introducing him to great music. (You can, too.) On a different note, my dinner on the plane tasted like...bad breath. Yes, food can taste l...

Sometimes the most unexpected things happen in life at the most unexpected times. For instance, two days before you leave to pick up your son in Ethiopia, you don't expect to receive an email saying your adoption agency, the one you've been with for almost two years, is "going out of business" and filing bankruptcy. But rarely is life what you expect, so you just have to stop expecting from life and starting expecting from the Creator of Life. Not that things work out like I expect, but that He is true to His word and I know that He is. So, we leave tomorrow to travel to Ethiopia to pick up James Melaku. And yes, our adoption agency has closed its doors and has filed bankruptcy. We are to "settle up" with the orphanage, meet with the Embassy and then get ourselves home! Originally, our agency staff in Ethiopia was going to meet with us, go with us to the orphanage to pick up James, and then to the Embassy. We have not heard if this is going to happen or...

Who wasn't listening for the sound of something like a train or the crash of trees this morning? Who knew we were so dependent upon the Emergency Sirens? When I woke up at four this morning, there was no email from the Embassy. I thought, "She didn't make it." And then I began to wait for an email telling us our case was being sent to Nairobi. Instead, I received one that said our case had cleared and we had permission to travel! We received an appointment with the Embassy for February 14th. Now we'll begin preparing to travel! Praying God's will continues to be done and that we glorify Him in everything!!

It's now 5:44pm in Ethiopia. We just heard that the Finder is en route to Addis Ababa. It is roughly a five hour journey, so please be in prayer for her travel and her safety. The plan is for her to spend the night in Addis and meet with Embassy officials tomorrow morning. Thank you for your continuing prayers! Stay tuned!!

It's 4pm in Ethiopia right now. I imagine that if all is going according to the plan, someone from the Tikuret orphanage staff is driving to the Finder's house to pick her up. Perhaps they wind through the broken down streets, swerving to miss a group of goats or a skinny, leathered man trying to master the donkey pulling his cart. Perhaps she reaches the Finder's house and the Finder has not disappeared, but is ready and willing to travel the five hours to Addis Ababa to spend the night and appear before the Embassy Wednesday morning. Maybe this is happening right now as I begin my daily chores of cleaning bathrooms and ironing clothes. I hope that maybe the orphanage staff will talk with the Finder about our case and maybe they will talk about the ONE true Finder. That is my hope. Perhaps someone will come to know HIM in all of this...maybe. If all goes according to plan, maybe we'll wake up tomorrow morning and have an email from the Embassy (my penpal) tellin...

If I had only one thing to tell people on this day, it would be that God is on our side in this battle of good versus evil we call life. He wants us to make it! He fights for us! We heard today that the orphanage has made contact with the finder and the plan is for them to take her to the Embassy next Wednesday if the Embassy will give them an interview then. Please continue to pray that above all, God's will is done. God hears the cries of His people. He breathed life into Melaku and chose us to be his parents. He is writing this story. May He be glorified. You all are a part of this story. Cry to The Lord for this boy to come home to his family.

Today I'm reminded that God controls ALL things, even people's hearts. Today, I'm asking God to change the heart of one person--a woman in Hawassa, Ethiopia. This woman is our finder---the person who discovered Melaku when he was three months old. The orphanage contacted her by phone and asked if she is available for an Embassy interview this upcoming Monday. They heard nothing back and have not been able to get in touch with her because...wait for it...she has turned her phone off. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that she doesn't want to travel the five hours to Addis to interview with the Embassy about a baby she was unfortunate enough to find on the steps of her workplace. The orphanage personnel is going to travel to Hawassa and attempt to speak with her in person and persuade her to come. They'll never persuade her because we (humans) cannot change people's hearts---only GOD can. I believe there is a delay in our case for a reason. I do...

Forgive me two posts in one day, but I wanted to let everyone who is interested where we are in the Finder/Embassy/Agency/Orphanage saga. I hesitated to use the word facts in reference to anything I'm about to tell you because I'm just not sure of anything really. First, Zack and I were really disappointed when we learned that the Finder interviewed schedule for today didn't happen. Our disappointment doesn't equal unbelief or wavering faith----we were just plain ole disappointed. Not in God, just the circumstances. Second, I immediately contacted our case manager who is a sweet girl who works at our agency's office in North Carolina. She is always helpful, though a little awkward at times. (I can probably be described in the same way---helpful, but a little awkward at times.) She contacted our agency's office in Ethiopia fondly referred to as CWAE and also the director of the orphanage that Melaku resides in known as Tikuret. We learned many things from all...

We woke up off and on last night to check our email hoping to find one that said we were clear to travel. There was never an email, so I took a chance and emailed the Embassy myself. I got a prompt and kind reply. The Finder did not make it to the interview and our agency did not contact the Embassy to tell them why he didn't. Today as I drink my cup of disappointment I will rest in the fact that God is faithful. He is always on time. He never just doesn't show up. Today, I will be looking up at Him and not at my circumstances! Please pray, pray, pray that God will supernaturally bring things together so that Melaku can come home. We appreciate ALL of you and your faithfulness to us!

I'm not going to lie--I doubted his existence. Alas, he does exist and has an interview with the Embassy January 16th. After this interview we will know more about our case and if we'll travel soon. Please pray the interview goes well and that Melaku is home soon! Thanks for taking this journey with us. We are so grateful for each of you!