Great news

A couple of weeks ago we found out through the "friend grapevine" that a family who lives in our baby sitters neighborhood is adopting a 5 year old girl from Ethiopia. Her name is Tess. The principle at Helinas school emailed me today asking for permission to give our email address to this family so that they can contact us and find out about Helinas transition. All I have to say is YAY YAY YAY. We have several other families in our community who have adopted or are in the process of adopting from Ethiopia (BIG congrats go out to one of those families James and Nancy who just returned with their baby boy last Sat!!!). To have a little girl exactly Helinas age who will be in the same school system (and maybe even in the same class) is so awesome. I know that it is going to be so important as these kids get older for them to have others within this community that share their culture.

What WAS I thinking

Since I have all of Logans baby clothes/accessories, clothes that Noah and Helina have outgrown and a TON of toys, etc that have managed to multiply in our house over the years I decided to have a garage sale. I obviously had no idea what a hassle this would be. I have been dreaming of prices, "50 cents, no 75 cents, no I think I can get a buck for it" for a week now. "Garage sale frequenters" as I will lovingly refer to them are quite the unique bunch. They park WHEREVER the mood strikes them and buy some of the strangest things. Like a pleather suitcase from the late 70s in a lovely shade of brown that Mike dug up from the basement and marked for a buck. Seriously? Ignore the Abercrombie jeans on the next table marked at a price thats a steal but certainly make sure you take home that lovely suitcase. Then, to make it all much more fun add intermittent rain storms all morning. Now mind you it hasnt rained in 8 weeks (no exaggeration) but today the skies opened up. Move tables into garages.....move tables back out......in........out. I am hoping I will be laughing all the way to the bank by tomorrow afternoon. It'll be awhile before this girl decides to garage sale again for sure.

Progress is good

A couple of months ago we had a speech therapist come a few times to work with Noah (she couldnt keep coming because she was allergic to my cats). She told us that once he was walking proficiently his speech would start "taking off". She was so right. In the last week or so he has become a TOTAL chatterbox. His favorite things to say are "Hi dada, ouch, dog, thank you, mama, and the ever present NO". He also likes to sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. Too funny. I'm afraid now that he has started talking we might not ever get him to stop.:)

Another area of progress I have seen in the last couple of weeks has been the relationship between Helina and Logan. They have always played pretty well together, but lately I've noticed that they actually enjoy their time together and would rather play together than alone. This afternoon they played with about every toy that they own over a 4 hour period. They read books and played barbies and pirates and rode their bikes. Not once was there a harsh word or any attitude. I am certainly NOT naive enough to think that this will be the status quo between the 2 of them. I am however thankful that their bond continues to grow.

For 2 and 1/2 hours a day.........

I am down to 1 kid again. I had forgotten what it was like to be able to go to Walmart, strap that 1 sweet kid into the front of the cart and shop. Yes folks, actually shop without saying 150 times "stop touching that" or "if you dont sit down in the cart you are GOING to fall out" or "if you dont stay with me where I can see you, you are riding in this cart". I told my dad I was doing some shopping this morning and he asked me if I wanted him to keep Noah so I could shop and I laughed and said "heck this is going to be a piece of cake":)

Now, to the flip side of this giddiness. 2 of my kids are going to school. I cant believe Logan had his first day of pre-school today and that Helina has had 4 days of kindergarten under her belt. Another reminder of how precious time really is. Both of them are LOVING school and that is what is most important.

Hope Reunion

We went to St. Louis last weekend for the first annual Hope Adoption Agency Reunion. We had a fantastic time. It was so fun seeing the Pruitt gang (Grace and Miranda were my traveling buddies on my trip over to Ethiopia to get Noah) and catch up with some of the other "Hopers". It did my heart good to see all of the children together. It really feels like we are family. We all share a love for Ethiopia and these wonderful children. We also got to meet our agency director Shimellis. Helina couldnt have grinned any wider when she first laid eyes on him again. After a jam-packed weekend of Ethiopian food Friday night, picnicing on Saturday and the St Louis Zoo on Sunday we came home tired but refreshed. Wishing I didnt have to wait another year to see everyone again!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Beating the Heat and birthdays

My little man Logan turned 4 last Thursday. I always get a bit nostalgic each year as his birthday approaches. You see, 2 weeks before he was born I had told Mike (and the Lord) that I was finally "done". Done longing for, wishing for, dreaming about having a child. We had been foster parents for a period of time and had had several short-term placements that had left us feeling a little weary. I had finally begun dealing with the idea that I was obviously not meant to be anyones mommy. Then, on Saturday morning July 24 at 8:15 am we were awakened by my BFF Kelly (who is also a caseworker for DCS). Mike answered the phone and when Kelly said "we have a baby for you" he said "Oh for heaven sake" and handed me the phone. All we had was a crib, so I very calmly called my mom and told her we needed to go shopping. We picked our sweet boy up at the hospital 48 hours later and ......the rest they say is history. My aunt said it best when she explained that I got pregnant on a Saturday and delivered on a Monday:). God truly stretches us in times like these and the blessings He bestows are oh so sweet!!!!!!

Its been SO hot here the last week or so that we have been spending alot of time hanging out at the lake or under the sprinklers. My little water bugs are loving it.

Racism

I knew that it was bound to happen at some point....but it still feels like a sucker punch in the gut. We had our first "encounter" of blatant racism. Our babysitter Lynda is a wonderful lady with 2 grown kids of her own. Her husband is finishing up his degree and is home with the kids during the day alot of times as well. Our best friends twin girls stay with her too. They are just the best, always going above and beyond to help our family. There were a couple of kids who Lynda has been watching a few days here and there recently. Today Lynda explained to me that she will not be watching them anymore as their father decided they would not continue to bring them to a babysitter who was also watching black kids. What......are you kidding me????? I teased with my mom that the kids are in more danger of learning bad habits, etc. from Logan than from the "black" children. But in all seriousness my heart just aches. Helina has the kindest, most generous heart and has so much to offer to those she encounters. What will happen when she and Noah are old enough to understand this stupidity that is racism? These 2 kids (who both LOVED Helina) may very well be the next generation of narrow-minded people because of their parents influence. Racism is LEARNED at the hands of those who have the responsibility of teaching the next generation.

"Parking" it

We were able to get away for a few days last week. We headed to one of our favorite summer time places. Cedar Point Amusement Park in Northern Ohio. Its one of the biggest (and best) amusement parks in the world and is located on beautiful Lake Erie. We stayed at one of their resorts right on the lake. We were "on the go" for 72 hours. From water slide, to wave pool to rollercoaster to hotel pool. I came home more tired than when I left:). I'm not complaining though. We had so much fun together. We bonded over the icecream and bumper cars. Nothing better than spending quality (and fun) time with my family!!!!!!

Walkway to our hotel
Beautiful Lake Erie

Logan LOVED the bumper cars (whats better than being able to ram into people and not getting time-out for it:))

Ok guys.....give me the corny smiles

Helina and Megan, or....aliens from another planet

My peeps:)

Logan and I on his first rollercoaster ride (nope, he didnt put his hands up)

Papaw with Helina on her first rollercoaster ride (yep, she had her hands up the WHOLE time)

This is one worn out girl

Looking back

I was scanning all of my favorite blogs tonight and was reminded of how hard the wait to bring your child/children home can be. AlthoughI cant imagine how, I had in some ways forgotten just how hard it is. On the 4th we always watch the fireworks out on an island of one of our big area lakes (thanks Janice for letting us popsquat on your yard:)) and as I was watching Helina and Logan run around playing it struck me that exactly 1 year ago I was sitting in that exact spot dreaming of the time when Noah and Helina would be enjoying the fireworks with us. Wow, what a difference a year can make. It seems like time slows down when you children are waiting for you on the other side of the world but I want to encourage those who are waiting who might be visiting me here. Before you know it your children WILL be here and your lives will be richer and fuller for it.

Tonight as the kids were out front playing in the sprinkler Helina came running towards me (trying to get me wet I think). Something in the way she was smiling as she ran took me back to that day in January when I was anxiously awaiting my first glimpse of her at her orphanage. She came running through the gate after school with that same big smile on her face. It brought me to tears for some reason. I feel so blessed to have been given the gift of these children. And now that I am looking back on this journey and all that it entailed instead of trudging through it I can say without a doubt that it is ALL worth it!

Summer Fun

We are having such a great summer. The weather has been absolutely beautiful and we have enjoyed being outside in it as much as possible. We enjoyed our 4th of July weekend by keeping with some of our oldest "traditions" and starting a new one. Attending a 4th of July parade in our area that we have gone to since I was a little girl and then heading to my Aunt and Uncles house for a big family cookout afterwards was a blast. Helina LOVED her first fireworks display. She kept saying "oh mommy, that one was really cute":). We also started the new tradition of a block party. Good food, friends and our husbands fireworks display (they wait all to buy and set off their fireworks) had us all saying we couldnt wait to do it again next year!


Waiting for the fireworks to start
Doesnt get much better than this for scenery to watch while you wait.

Hangin with cousins at Aunt Pollys cookout. The kids rode on this golf cart ALL afternoon.

My patriotic sweeties!

Noah enjoying his daddies rocking chair from when he was a little guy.

Zoey is the most patient little thing. Good thing in this household

Helina and Megan. This is the night we went to see Wizard of Oz at our local theatre. Helina was completely mesmerized. She loved the singing and dancing.

Enjoying a Friday night concert in the park.