Obviously a very bad blogger!!!

Dusting off the keyboard for a little update...

Time has been flying by! I guess when I started this blog it was a way to keep my sanity during the long process and then after they were home a way to share what life looked like in a new "adoption" family..Now we are just a regular family. Despite the obvious difference in our complexions we are no different than any other family.  We have 5 crazy kids who all love each other one day, fight with each other the next. Defend each other when needed, tattle on each other, cover up bad behavior for each other, pray for each other. We are a family.

I recently had someone say in conversation (no clue we had adopted) " I don't know how parents of adopted children can love their adopted children the same as their biological children?" "When they look at their faces they will not see any similar features." "How do you love them the same?"

YES we hear stuff like this all the time, some people just don't get it. I don't know if we did when we started this process either, the fear of the unknown.

What did I say... Umm our youngest 2 are adopted! (persons jaw dropped) then apologized and said Oh I hope I didn't day anything offensive (hahahaha) See clueless.

I love ALL of my children the same and I love all of them differently too. I would fight fiercely for all of them, hug them the same, discipline them, pray for them, guide them. I watch them all when they sleep and think they are growing way too fast! I worry when they are hurt or sick. Now some kids require a little more snuggles, some need less. Some need a few more reminders or directions. Some need to feel independent. Every child is completely different YET all 5 share similar traits. Maybe its a look or the way they laugh. Maybe they roll their eyes or make that oh so popular fish face their older sibling does. We are a family, an every day semi ordinary CrAzY busy family!!!

I am a mom who is feeling sad that all my kids are growing so fast! My oldest just finished her Junior year my youngest graduated Kindergarten!!! So I suppose I feel the same as most other moms these days. So when someone who looks at our family sees differences we see none. I feel like we have always been a family of 7. Our house is oddly quiet when we are missing even 1 child. (don't mention my oldest only has 1 year left of school..Im slightly freaking)

So I say all that because I think that is why my blog has been neglected. I feel like the newness is long gone and now we are a boring average family. Nothing other than regular every day stuff here!  So here are some of our normal every day happenings..

                                             Milly graduated Kindergarten today!!!

 

 

 

We spend pretty much every day at one or more children's sporting events!!

 

 

So if you don't hear from me in awhile

Know that I'm either sitting courtside,

at the side of a field,

in a stuffy auditorium listening to the best musician

or driving someone somewhere!

So until we meet again...

 

3 years ago today.....

I cant believe how time flies!!! 3 yrs ago it was a Friday..My DTE buddy  and I were counting down the hours till the close of business for our adoption agency! Fridays were the last day of the week to receive a referral call.. so we texted back and forth all day until... we both got the call read about it here..http://ourethiopianblessings.blogspot.com/2010/07/referral-day.html

I opened up my computer to see these pictures!!!

 It was an amazing day one that we will never forget!! I toted these laminated pictures around for months showing everyone our children that were living on the other side of the world!! We only had a small window of time to tell our agency YES but I knew the minute we saw their sweet faces what the answer was!! Now It seems like a lifetime ago..

The struggle to get them home a distant memory now everyday life and a whole new mindset. You imagine what life will be like but you have no real clue until it happens.

We are a family of 7.... a multiracial family.... What has changed in 3 years??? A LOT!!

 For starters these kids have grown like weeds!!!! They are both doing amazing!!! If you never met our family and had no clue that they were adopted you would never know. Their English is amazing and they both are doing awesome in school and socially.

What has changed for our family??
At first you wonder will you ever be attached to kids whom you did not give birth to..umm YES!! I have 5 children all a gift from God! It will be 3 years in December that we all stepped off the plane but it feels like we have always been a family of 7! So if you are new to the journey keep the faith it will happen! Maybe not at the same pace as another family you know but at your own pace! Adoption is not easy the whole bonding thing takes work..lots of work but God will walk with you on this journey!!! One day it will be easier and it will feel Normal..Or as I say a new normal!

Well talking about being a multi racial family and being one are way different! You throw out all of these hypothetical situations in your head, you try to come up with responses for the statements and questions you will be asked BUT until it happens you are clueless what your response will be. We walk out the door and you never know how people will respond.. You get questioning looks.. some rude comments but we Are a family living in a 98% white suburb some days our kids are the other 2%. We as a family have all opened our eyes to a new world. A world my sweet brown kiddos will live their whole lives. Will they be looked upon differently because of the color of their skin..Yes! Is it right? NO is it and unfortunate reality? YES is their real racism? YES! We educate ourselves and our children, we pray that our children our judged for the amazing indiviuals that they are but prepare them for the fact that may not always be the case. But we as a family don't see color we see Love and we pray for the hearts of those who don't to be changed. We cant change the world view but we can control ours..

What did I not expect the day I got the call???

Well my heart being broken. Broken for family half way around the world. Heartache for the Millions of children I cant save or help. A feeling of overwhelming Joy and heartache every time I share a special moment with my kids. Joy because I am their mother and get the experience so many of their "firsts" heartache knowing they have family in Ethiopia missing these amazing moments. God used this whole experience to open our hearts wide open and I would not change it for a second!!

Is it hard?? Would you do it again??

Hard Oh my gosh unless you have been through it you have NO CLUE!! Its a long, hard stressful process..Its expensive, it stresses relationships, its makes you lose sleep, shed many tears and sometimes you hair falls out from all the stress!(well mine did!!) BUT I would do it again in a second!! I would go through anything for all of my children!!  For now being a family of 7 is where we will stay but only God knows what the future holds for us or our kiddos!!

Today we remember the amazing feeling that we all felt when we first saw your sweet faces!!!!

July 15th 2013

I've clearly neglected our blog!!!!!

I have not posted on here in forever!!! My last post was almost 1 year ago! So what has happened in a year....

First being an adoption blog I will update you on our "bottom 2" as we call them..usually its the bottom 3 (our youngest 3).

Last year around this time I was blessed to go back to Ethiopia, while there I got to meet with thier birth father for the 2nd time. The first time was the day we both went to court..over 2 yrs ago now! This meeting was surreal!!! This is a part of adoption that is HARD!!! Our children are loved by not only us but a family on the other side of the world. This is a reality that I as thier mom deals with every day, especially after forming a bond with thier biological father. Every time they hit a milestone or experience a first or special moment my heart hurts a little knowing thier mom and dad, siblings and grandma are missing it. Thier mom is in heaven looking down that I know.

This hurt in my heart is the first thing thier father addressed when I saw him again. I of course was a sobbing mess!!!! He told me that God placed us in his life to care for his children and we are thier parents..ok lots more tears!!  I gave him a photo album of our children and was able to share video!!! To see his eyes light up was incredible. He made a sacrife for his children one that I am in awe of!! As a parent most of us cant imagine our lives without our children in it so how do you voluntarily make such a choice??? Not easily and not without a great deal of prayer. God placed our families together. We share an amazing bond. They have so much love that is directed towards them and parents that want them to have an incredible life. I pray every day for family I can not see but are never far from our thoughts.Adoption is not easy and is not for everyone but God placed our families together and knew before we did that this would be our family!!

Ok so onto the kiddos....

Million..

      This year has been a busy one!! Last fall she played soccer and loved it! Defense is her favorite position!! Then come fall..full time Pre-k! She has made a ton of friends and is learning very quickly. When you tell people 2 yrs ago she spoke no English they are shocked! She also started dance this year ballet/tap combo. This picture is from her christmas recital.
      She is Miss Social and still comands attention from who ever looks her way.She is a little mother and loves to take care of other kids and loves to help around the house. She loves sports just like her big sisters and asked for a pink softball mitt for Christmas!! There isnt much she cant do when she puts her mind too it! She had surgury last year for her lazy eye which did wonders and now wears glasses to help evenmore. Makes us very thankful for medical care that never would've been possible in her own country.

 

Tommy

 

 

Well this picture sums it up.. seriously biggest sports nut ever!!!!!!!!! He is either watching or playing a sport during all waking hours and my guess dreaming of sports at night!!! I would say his 2 favorites are Football(NFL and college) and then basketball(NBA and college) then baseball a close 3rd!!! If you ask him he can name at least one player on every NFL team and probably college too!! He played soccer last fall, basketball this winter and now onto baseball BUT football this year!! His exact words were " If you sign me up for soccer again I will just stand there" "I want to play football!" ok eventhough Im not excited about it I figured we would give it a try..talk to me in the fall when im freaking out!!! He is doing amazing in school and nearing the end of 1st grade. He is amazing at math and reading. He loves to learn!!! He too has blossomed! Mr Shy is now Mr popular!!! Its amazing to see the transformation in both of them!!!!

 

As for the rest of the clan..

Francesca is finishing up her sophmore yr...this depresses me we have 1 so old!!! She has done awesome in school this year making the honor roll every quarter!! She is still sports busy too!!! Soccer in the fall, track in the winter and softball well thats year round! Next year it will be a drivers license and job OH MY!!

 

 

Marianna is finishing up 7th..this year allowed for school modified sports and a return to travel softball. So soccer, cross country, basketball, softball, travel basketball and softball, band, chorus and National Jr Honor society. Yes it alot!!! All while maintaining the high honor roll all year. She is never happy with just relaxing!!!

 

Matteo..our Big M as his dad calls him. He is ending 2nd grade. Matteo is a unique kid with not such an interest in sports but he loves nature and loves to be outside. He is in cub scouts and on a bowling league. He is an adult trapped in a kids body and you will notice this after talking to him for a few minutes!! Every day is an adventure to him!!

 

 

We were lucky enough to have a family friend in town over the summer who took our first ever family portrait!!! If you live near Grass Valley California be sure to look her up!!!

http://www.peggymphotography.com

 

 

 

All 7 of us!!!!!

 

Here are some more randoms from throughout the year!!!!