JOURNEY TO OUR LITTLE GUY...

CATCHING UP!

2011-04-02T07:25:00.000-07:00

Wow...it has been awhile since I posted anything. Our lives seem to get busier as the months go. We have celebrated Elijah's first year home, His dedication, had fun playing outside and went and seen Toy Story on Ice. For his one year celebration we decided to go to the Great Wolf Lodge as a family. It was wonderful and the kids really enjoyed it. It was nice to spend time just us. Elijah LOVES the water so much that we have enrolled him in swim lessons. This helps Mom not panic as much. The boy thinks he can swim on his own already! The instructor says it will not be long since he is already trying to doggie paddle on his own. We had his baby dedication at Church. I know he has been home a year but we had a hard time trying to find a date that fit and finally we just decided to get it done with or without everyone. His grandparents were able to attend and be a part of it, which was great! Elijah was done after about 2 minutes. It is hard to keep a toddler still! We had a small window of great weather a few weeks ago so we spent as much time as possible outside. Elijah loves bubbles so we purchased a bubble gun for him to play with. it didn't work very well but he enjoyed walking around with it and saying BANG BANG. A wonderful thing his Sissy taught him. Elijah loves Toy Story. His favorites are 1 and 2. When we saw that Toy Story on Ice was coming to KC we knew we had to take him. He did great and was so very excited to see it. In the first few minutes he kept saying "Look Mommy...See!" He did so well just sitting and watching. He only got antsy a couple of times and it only last a minute or two and then he was staring again. Well worth the money spent to take him. Emilie said she even enjoyed it...which is really big for a almost teenager! Other things we are preparing for: Well...Elijah's bday party is coming up. We moved it up to the end of April because May is so full. We are planning a fun Toy Story party. Randy graduates in May and the guys are going on a little trip to celebrate. 4 Dads and and 4 young men returning to where they did their high adventure a few years ago. They are all looking forward to it. It looks like Don and Randy are both leaving on the same day. Don is headed to another year overseas and Randy will leave for basic training. The beginning of Aug will be difficult for all of us. I am dreading it already but going to enjoy these few months I have! =) Elijah is learning and growing. he is now in mostly 24 months with some 18 month pants still (little short legs). He weighs almost 29 lbs. He is now counting to 15 and can sing the abc song. I love the way he says w. (guddlgu) He is beginning to count objects and is a commercial junkie! He can repeat way too many commercial for you! AND I promise he does not sit in front of a tv all day. He has just begun with the imaginative play. I have loved just watching all of my kids do this. He will pretend talk like Buzz or other little toys. SO CUTE! Well...catching up takes too long. I must try to do better and posting! Hope everyone is doing well! God Bless, Tina Baby dedication 2/20/11

Celebrating One year home at GWL hanging out with Bubby

GO BUBBLES!!!

At Toy Story on Ice!

Making Daddy his tunnel slide... He climbed up and made Daddy put his hands on his head then proceeded to climb through and slide down him. =)

ONE YEAR HOME...

2011-02-21T07:07:00.001-08:00

One year ago today we landed at KCI in the middle of a very bad snow storm with our precious boy. Here is a video of the last year we have spent with our gift. What a blessing he is to our family and everyone around him. We thank God daily for our family of 6!

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Valentine's Day...

2011-02-14T18:54:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day will always hold a special meaning to us. Yes, it was always a special day to show our love to one another and to our kiddos BUT Valentine's Day 09 made it even more special. That was the day we held our sweet baby boy for the first time. The day our hopes and dreams became reality! The day 3 years of prayers were answered. That moment will forever be a wonderful memory. It was just like when I gave birth 3 different times and finally got to hold my babies but different also. I had been waiting 5 long months to get ahold of this little guy and 3 long years in the process. To say I was ready to get my arms around him was an understatement! I figured I would cry the first I held him but instead I just took in the moment. I didn't want to ever forget it. Elijah has blessed our family in so many ways. I knew God meant for us to be his family and for him to be our son...but I never imagined the joy this little guy would bring to everyone he meets. He is amazing!
My Dearest Elijah,
I have thought for weeks about what I would write to you on this day. I want you to know how loved you are by so many people. I want to tell you how much you mean to us. But most of all I want you to know that God did an amazing thing when he told Mommy and Daddy about you. We knew you were going to be someone very special and now we get to see it. I love the way you sing Praise songs or fold your little hands to pray. I love how you firmly remind us if we forget to say your night time prayers with you. God has big plans for you precious boy and your Daddy and I can't wait to see how they play out.
Our lives are so much richer with you around. You have brought such joy to our home. I love seeing your eyes light up when your sisters or brother walk in to the room. The way you wrestle with them and play with them makes my heart sing. And when you say I love you to us....oh how this Mommy heart melts!
You have already blessed so many in your 21 months. We will continue to thank God for you, our precious gift!
I am looking forward to sharing our first family day with you in just one more week!
Love you baby boy,
Mommy

FINAL HOME VISIT...

2011-01-25T08:49:00.001-08:00

Today is our final post placement visit. It will be nice to have this out of the way, although we are still required to send a notarized report yearly until he is 18. The good thing is we can do that on our own. AND we are happy to do it! I love sharing how much he has grown and all of things he is learning! It amazes us to look at pics we have sent at 3, 6 and now 12 months. He has changed so much. He is becoming a little boy and leaving that baby look far behind. (which makes me sad!)
I love watching his personality shine. He is such a people person. I always say he needs his "peeps". He loves to show off and get people to clap for him. I lvoe watching how quickly he picks up on things. He is working on counting to 15 now. He has to 10 down so we figured we might as well keep going. He can sing most of the abc song and loves his vtech alphabet toy. He LOVES to sing songs and to dance. He got 2 drum sets for Christmas and plays them all the time. We think he will be a drummer. He is putting words together now. I was folding laundry the other day and he climbed up on my bed and pointed to a pair of pants and said "this is Daddy's". My favorite is "cup all gone" it is so much better than him yelling GWINK!
Here are a few pics...

Sharing a chicken salad with Daddy!

Our little drummer

Blessings~

Tina

2011...A NEW YEAR!

2011-01-08T06:55:00.000-08:00

It is hard to believe we are already into another year! This year went a little fast having our 4th little one home finally. It will be hard to top 2010 in our minds although we know God has bigger and better plans for our family in the future. We shall just sit and wait upon Him to see what those are. (easy to say...harder to do!)
2011 will bring some changes to our household. Some changes that I am not sure I am ready to face but will do so anyway!
In May, Randy will graduate from High School. (UUGH...how am I old enough o have 2 kids out of HS???) Then on July 31st my baby boy will leave for basic training. I can not imagine not seeing him everyday or just talking to him. That will be a LONG 16 weeks for me. I survived it with my husband but I was 18 and clueless. Now this is my baby and...well...it is going to be tough.
Also, there is a possibility that hubby will be going "somewhere" this year as well. We are still waiting for a confirmation on that one. SO...as I said 2011 may be a year of changes for us.
As usual, our year always begins with a BIGGER celebration than New Years. That is the day we celebrate the arrival of our oldest son, Randall Earl Hubbard. He was born at 1229 am and was the first one born in 1993 at Ft Leonardwood, MO. He weighed 5 lbs 15.1 oz and 20.5 inches long. HAPPY 18TH BIRTHDAY SON! We are very proud of the man you are becoming. Love you, Mom

*This was one of the newspaper clippings.

*Elijah is helping Bubby blow out the candles

Blessings~

Tina

ELIJAH'S FIRST CHRISTMAS HOME!

2010-12-29T07:12:00.001-08:00

Don and I were just as excited as any little kid this Christmas. We couldn't wait to see Elijah's reaction to everything about the season and to our family traditions.
We spent Christmas Eve as a family and went out to dinner then on to Christmas Eve candlelight service. (One of my favorite services!) Elijah and Emilie stayed in the nursery until communion time and then after our family made it through the line for communion we got Elijah to share in the final candlelight part. WELL...this is a very solemn, quiet time and Elijah decided to make his voice heard! He said "Hi Mama" and I whispered back to him "hi baby"...then louder he said "HI MAMA" and I whispered back "hi baby"...this went on for about 10 times. He really wanted me to say it louder! Then as we made our way around the circle, he saw his Sissy handing out candles to people and very loudly he said "HI SISSY". We attend a very small Church who understand kiddos and afterwards several came up and said...Hi Mama...with smiles! =) A great memory to share in the years to come.
Christmas morning was filled with all of the joys we could have imagined. I think even the older kids were excited to have a little one in the house again. Elijah was thrilled with all of it. He loved his car and basketball goal and opening presents was fun too!
We feel so truly blessed to have him home this year to celebrate these holidays with us. As we drove to my in-laws in the afternoon, I took in the sight in my car. I had all 4 of my kids together with me. WOW~ God has been so good to us. These kids hold my heart and I love them more than I could have ever imagined. Knowing that next year will bring many changes to our house and that we may not all be together for the season next year made this year even more memorable to me. SO...I shed a few tears and thanked God for blessing me with an amazing husband and 4 really great kids!
Here are a few pics from our holidays...
*Santa came and then the older kids decided to play their nintendo!

*Elijah enjoying his car AND his basketball goal

*Weeble treehouse...Loads of fun!

*BIG Hubbard Christmas (12/26) seeing Santa again! He did enjoy them much more this time. Walked right up to them and talked and climbed up on their lap to open his gift!

I hope your Christmas season was filled with lots of love and joy!

Blessings~

Tina

ONE YEAR AGO...(another celebration!)

2010-12-24T07:41:00.000-08:00

One year ago today we became the legal parents (In Ethiopia) to this precious boy! We did not hear on Christmas Eve but on Christmas Day we received this wonderful news. I struggled through Christmas Eve and the morning of Christmas until we heard we had passed. It was tough having him so far away from us on his first Christmas.
It still amazes me to walk into his room at night and see him laying in the crib. For so many nights and days I would walk in there and pray for him and wish to see his face or just to know who he was. Now I get to hold him...hear him call me Mommy and watch him learn new things daily. I love watching the wonders of Christmas through his eyes! I love to hear him pray and and say "cank you Jesus!" This boy has opened our eyes to many things in this world.

(If you look close you will see an ornament with his referral pic in it!)

I pray that you all have a wonderful Christmas! We are so excited to share it with ALL 4 of our kiddos this year.

Blessings~

Tina

THE SANTA EXPERIENCE...

2010-12-21T19:23:00.000-08:00

I have been anxiously waiting to take Elijah to see Santa. I knew I could not take him alone because someone would have to chase while the other stood in line. Plus, both of us wanted to be a part of the 1st Santa experience.

**Elijah walking into the mall to get in line for Santa! He was on a mission...
**Seeing Santa. He did fine walking up to him and he said "HI Santa...then he babbled something and said "tree" and then said "car and cruck" were things he wanted. THEN Mommy put him on Santa's lap! At first he cried then he just got his serious "I am not comfortable with this" face on. They snapped the pic and he got his candy cane said "cank u" and BYE!

**After all of that he needed a drink and to get out of there! Another mission...

**The Santa experience just took it all out of him! He fell asleep about 2 minutes after we got him in the car!

Praying you are all enjoying your season of CHRISTmas!

Blessings~

Tina

RE-ADOPTION COMPLETE!

2010-12-21T04:03:00.000-08:00

YES! I said complete...finally, after having 2 extra home visits AND tons of changes and "stuff" it is final. When we got there last Friday were told the judge may make us wait another 6 months to finalize and that was going to make me MAD! We have already been home 10 months (TODAY!) so I knew there was no need in the wait period again.
It was pretty quick and easy once we got in the courtroom. Elijah ran around the whole time and even took the microphone at the end and sang to them. He is such a ham!!!! Here are a few pics of the event!
***Celebrating after with lunch at Red Robin. The boy loves lemons!!!

**Checking in and really wanting to push the button on the snowmen (AGAIN!).

Bereket Donald Hubbard is now officially Elijah Simon Bereket Hubbard...WOOHOO!!!!!

Blessings to all~

Tina

SATURDAY FUN...

2010-12-12T19:36:00.000-08:00

***We brought Elijah home in a snowstorm but at 9 months old he never really got to experience a snowfall. SO...I took him outside to watch it for a few minutes. You can't see the snowflakes coming down but he thought it was "COOL"...although, very windy and cold!

***Elijah LOVES to drink my peach tea when we eat at Olive Garden so for a treat we got him his own. He was very happy...later we were not! He only drank half of it...but oh my gosh did this guy wet! He peed through his clothes. YIKES...thinking no more peach tea of his own.

***Waiting for the Christmas in Park light show to begin. (This was when we realized he had soaked through his clothes! UUGH~)

***The fuzzy CHOO-CHOO

***My sweet boy all cozy in his bed with blankie and thumb! And to think a year ago I was so sad to see this crib still empty!! SO very thankful for this little guy.

Have a wonderful week!

Tina

FUN IN THE HUBBARD HOUSE!

2010-12-11T11:00:00.000-08:00

We have been busy this week with some fun things and some not so fun things. Earlier in the week we were preparing for ANOTHER homevisit (our second) just for the re-adoption. Long story really but made simple by the fact that the adoption judge here in our county is very picky about some things and not so happy about you using a "friend" lawyer. Her clerk is also new so things did not happen as they should have. Quite interesting really! Anyway...with that under our belt we now have a court date for Dec 17 for our re-adoption (it only took about 5 months to get this done!) We are pleased to get it finished and move on to the next round of paperwork for citizenship. Elijah was his cute adorable self during the meeting, of course. We told her he is a huge people person.
We made some Christmas ornaments this week. Heidi was here and I had promised her and Em we would get them done. I wanted to make some with our very cool Africa cookie cutter. My house smelled of cinnamon for awhile but it was fun to see them working hard on them. Elijah made an Africa one with his thumb print in the place of Ethiopia. Something I hope we can treasure for a long time!
Friday we spent the day baking for the Holidays. I usually get this done earlier in Dec but we just did not have any openings PLUS I still have a lot to do. My friend, Debra and I like to get together and get it done. We made banana bread, pumpkin bread, peanut butter balls, haystacks, oreo balls, pressed cookies, and choc covered pretzels. YUMMY!! Tifanie joined in on the fun as did Elijah. I still have some to do but we got a great start to it.
We are enjoying the Christmas season very much here. It is fun to see it through a toddler's eyes again! He loves SANTA but has yet to see him in person. That is coming this week. I am excited to see what his reaction will be.
Hope you are enjoying the season!!
Blessings~
Tina
***Making his ornament

***After enjoying some powdered donuts

***He loves to cover his head with blankets and this time he got my table cloth and was roaring at everyone

***Rolling peanut butter balls with Sissy

***Baking with Mommy

TIME FOR A HAIR CUT...

2010-12-07T09:15:00.000-08:00

Since we are a "military" family, we like short clean cut boy hair cuts. I had been debating about keeping Elijah's longer for a little while. I was enjoying being able to rub those soft curls! BUT he hated having it brushed out and it was starting to get a little frizzy on the ends. SO...when Daddy said he may try to shave it himself...Mommy rushed him to get it professionally done. =)
Oh my, does he look so much older! That is always tough for me. They start looking more like little boys and not so much like babies. =( He did a great job getting it cut BUT was very unhappy when she was combing it out to cut it. There was hair everywhere!!!! You don't realize how long it is until those curls are combed out. And of course, I didn't have my camera. When he was all done and had schmoozed all of the ladies there, he got his sucker! He was then a very happy boy.
BEFORE

AFTER

**The kid loves to have his picture taken!

Blessings~

Tina

HUBBARD HAPPENINGS...

2010-12-04T08:13:00.000-08:00

*Playing wii*

*Loving the singing snowmen*

*Putting the angel on the tree*

*Having his first Thanksgiving Dinner*

Well...As you see I fell off the wagon once again! I check several blogs almost daily and see no recent bloggings and feel sad and the disconnect I feel and then I remember..."UH...how long has been since I have blogged!?"

So...to catch you all up: Elijah is now 18 months old. He is amazing! He can count to five very well and we are working on going to 10 now. He sings almost non-stop but you can't always make out what he is singing. He loves quinkle quinkle little tar. =) He weighs 25 lbs and is a big boy for sure! He is finally saying Mommy (the sweetest sound EVER!) Everytime I hear my heart skips a beat. He is ALL BOY! He gets into everything all the time. He loves Mommy's tea (and I normally do not share with anyone (including kiddos or hubby!) because it gags me. A few days ago I put away all of the 12 month clothes as he is now in all 18 months. I was very sad. He came home wearing 6-9 months a little over 9 months ago and has grown by leaps and bounds. He saw his Pedi this week (sinus infection) and she is SO amazed at him and how well he is doing. She kept saying how advanced he is. Funny thing is he kep telling her "all done!" and "BYE" as she was trying to exam him. He does not like going to Dr.

I am so looking forward to the Holidays and the joy of having a little one again. We put the tree up and he was so excited. He loves everything musical so all of those were big hits. He helped Daddy put the angel on the tree and was eager to help with ornaments. Now he tries to take them off the tree and eat them! As I said he is ALL BOY!

The other kiddos are doing good. Randy is almost half way through his SR year! UUGH~ We have had Sr pics taken and family pics taken as I am not sure where he will be next yr. =( Tifanie is doing well and is now going to college and working at QT part time. She is here a lot more now that Elijah is here. He lights up when she walks in and yells SIS SIS or Sissy! Em is doing well in school and getting much better at her flute playing. She seems to be growing way too fast as well!

Well....there's an update on the kiddos. Hope you are having a wonderful start to the Christmas Season!

Blessings to all~

Tina

THANKFUL DAY #13...

2010-11-24T06:43:00.000-08:00

I am SOOOOO thankful for my dear husband. He is a wonderful husband, father , and friend. He works very hard to provide for our family so that I can stay home with our kids. There are times when he goes without sleep because he is working which I know I could never do! I love watching him with our kids. He has always been a very hands on Dad, involved in everything the kids are doing. Last night when I left for Bible study he was putting together the outside Christmas decorations with lots of help from Elijah. When I returned from Bible study he was sitting quietly in our living room with Emilie watching and explaining a movie to her. Even our older kids know when they need their Dad, he will be there.
I have been blessed with a man that will love me unconditionally baggage and all. And let me tell you sometimes that baggage can get pretty heavy!
I am amazed that God placed this man in my life! We are pretty opposite on some things...he is more outgoing than I am. (Never knows a stranger!) He LOVES the outdoors and I could care less about the camping and ickiness of the outdoors. But we share so many wonderful things, Our LOVE for Christ and to raise our family in a Christian home. Our love of children and the want to help as many as we can!
Thank you God for giving me the "perfect" husband for me!!

THANKFUL DAYS 11 & 12...

2010-11-23T07:56:00.000-08:00

DAY 11: I am thankful for my baby girl Emilie. With Em around there is never a dull moment. She is either telling you a story or reading you something. She is such a joy, even when she is being difficult. I love the quiet serious moments with her. They are few but when we sit and read together or just talk I can see what a brilliant mind God has blessed her with. She was much prayed for and I know God has wonderful things planned for her.

DAY 12: I am VERY thankful for our baby boy, Elijah. I could write a book about how thankful I am but I won't. Over the last 3 Thanksgiving holidays I have begged God that he just be here next year. Well...the year is here. I look so forward to sharing this holiday and many others with him. To see things through a young ones eyes again and watch them experience it all for the first time is amazing. I am so thankful he is ours and God blessed us with such an active healthy baby boy.

Blessings~
Tina

BEING THANKFUL...DAYS 4-10...

2010-11-21T21:04:00.001-08:00

I did not forget my thankful post countdown to Thanksgiving. I just got sick with a wonderful bug for a few days and fell behind. (Poor excuse, I know!) I am going to try and catch up...so here it goes!

DAY 4: I am thankful for all of the wonderful people we have met, either in person or via blog, facebook, or yahoo group, that are such wonderful adoption support. I know without a doubt if I have any questions or concerns that these people are there to help and support. What a great gift that is. We have made some tremendous friendships throughout our adoption. Such a wonderful blessing!

DAY 5: I am thankful for my friends. The ones that I can call when I am happy, sad, mad, or just blah! I know these friends will listen without out judging me! They will pray for me when I ask them to and lift me up when I need it. They will laugh with me, cry with me, vent with me and or just be with me. Thank you my wonderful friends!

DAY 6: I am thankful for ALL of my parents. This includes the in-laws as well! I know when needed they are all always there. They have helped us through the last few years and longed for our little guy as much we have. They take care of our kiddos when needed and what a blessing that has been. It is tough when they end up sick because you just never think you will be there! Recently my Dad had 2 stints put in and was diagnosed diabetic. It has been tough and they are still working to get things regulated and right through the VA. I remember thinking...I am not ready to be here yet! I felt the same way a few years ago when we were going through all of this with my in laws as well! SO...today I am thankful they are all 4 here and doing pretty well.

DAY 7: I am thankful for my sibling in laws. I have the best! They are all more like my bios than in laws. I love each one of them and am so thankful to be a part of their families!

DAY 8: I am thankful for my sister and brothers. They are a HUGE blessing to me. My sister and I have found a new closeness the last few years and I love that! We have shared SO much together and it so helps when you are just having a moment and she gets it like no one else would. My life is so much more full with her in it. I have one older brother and one younger. They are both good men. They have struggled throughout their lives but they have overcome so much to be who they are now. I love that my kiddos LOVE their Uncle Joe and all of his wacky ideas and jokes. He can make them laugh like no one else. Elijah is still figuring Uncle Joe out but he thinks he is pretty cool.

Day 9: I am thankful for my oldest girl Tifanie. What a blessing she is. She has been so helpful coming and watching the younger two when we need it. It is hard for us because we don't like leaving them with a sitter. I see our relationship shifting some the older she gets. I love talking and visiting with her. I know she is headed for great things. My first born...what a blessing!

Day 10: I am thankful for my oldest son, Randy. Randy is growing up and all too soon it will be his turn to leave the nest. He is such a joy to have around that I know I will struggle when he is gone. I love that he will still come to be and talk and ask my advice. I also love the relationship he has with his older sister now. I see their relationship growing and I love seeing their friendship grow!

SO...now I am caught up. Hopefully, I will get on track since Thanksgiving is THIS week! A few special notes:
1. I turned 40 today!!!!!!! My goodness where did those years go? I remember when I thought 40 was SO old. HA
2. Elijah has been home with us exactly 9 months today. YEAH! That means tomorrow he will have officially been with us longer than he was without us! I LOVE that. He is one of my greatest joys!!

Blessings to all~
Tina

THANKFUL DAY #3

2010-11-14T19:40:00.000-08:00

Today I am thankful for the freedom to go to Church and worship God. What a blessing that is. There are times when I just sit and look around the room at our Church family and I am filled with love and peace. God placed us in this small Church about 3 yrs ago and we have been blessed by them every since. It is filled with wonderful loving people.
I love watching Elijah now walk in (as if he owned the place!) and tell everyone hi. He is not shy...young and old get his wonderful smile and a very loud HI! They love us as much as we love them!! They have helped pray our little guy home and so many other thing they have prayed us through.
We are blessed by Clay County Christian.

Blessings~
Tina

BEING THANKFUL...

2010-11-13T07:21:00.001-08:00

It is not hard this year to come up with several reasons that I am thankful. We have truly had a blessed 2010. In years past I would choose something I was thankful for each day leading up to Thanksgiving Day. Let me tell you as we journeyed through the last 2 years of our adoption it got a little harder to put on that thankful face! (I know BAD me!) I was and am always and forever thankful for my children, husband, family and many other things. BUT during the last of our wait...I didn't really want to be thankful about anything! I know that sounds bad but it was how I began to feel.
SO...as I start this year's Thankful posts, I will begin with God first! I am thankful He walked with me throughout all of it and continues to walk with me today. I am thankful He never said "well since she is not really being sincere I shall turn my back on her until she comes around." I never doubted His love for me BUT there were times when I was begging him for a reason why!!!??? I have learned a lot in the almost 4 yrs since we decided to adopt. A lot about God and so much more about me!
SO...Thank you God for ALWAYS being there and for carrying us through those dark days!

Blessings~
Tina

HAPPY VETERAN'S DAY!!

2010-11-12T14:44:00.000-08:00

YES...I am a day late get this done. But none-the-less, I am so very thankful for the many freedoms I take advantage of and many are due to the fact that many veterans were willing to sacrifice for me and everyone else. I am especially proud of my Dad and father-in-law, who both served in Vietnam. Then there is my hubby, who is still serving his country willingly and proudly. And last and certainly not least my son who has just begun his journey of serving his country. He says he is not yet a veteran but I tell him that he will be and that is what matters when I am thanking him.
I went shopping yesterday and as I walked in HyVee and saw so many Veterans (young and old) sharing their breakfast together and sharing their stories together, it brought tears to my eyes. It reminds me of the connection that Don and our Dads share. They just get it with each other, almost without the words but with a look. I know that connection will be shared between him and our son as well.
So...I am going to begin my yearly "THANKFUL" posts with this today. I am VERY thankful to all of the men and women who are willing to go where so many of us are not! May you all be blessed abundantly!

Blessings~
Tina

PARTY AND TRICK OR TREAT...

2010-11-04T18:48:00.000-07:00

Emilie had her very first "costume" party on the 30th. We don't do "scary" here so we sent out invitations requesting kids dress as their favorite tv or movie character and in nothing scary. Elijah would have been stressed anyway! I think they all had a good time. They played Fear Factor, which was fun and then played some other games as well. Emilie was a CSI agent and Elijah was the very famous BLUE from Blues Clues! :) Tifanie and Randy were AWESOME to stick around on their Saturday night and help me. They even dressed up for the occasion as well. I have pretty great kids!
We did go trick or treating in our home town. Elijah just went visiting as I did not really want him to have the candy! Em decided this was to be her last year. She was kind of bored by the time we were done. When we got home, Don had to take our little Blue around to show his buddies. Elijah enjoyed the attention and this time he DID get candy. In fact, at one of the houses he thought he would just take their entire candy bowl. He sat his bucket down and picked their bowl full of candy up! It was pretty funny.
It is hard to believe we are already into November. Some days I feel like we just got home from Ethiopia and others it feels like a lifetime ago.
Many changes are headed our way in 2011. Some are good and some not so good so I think I will hold tight to 2010 and try to enjoy every minute of it!
Here are a few pics of our Halloween weekend:

"Here's the mail it never fails it makes me want to wag my tail and when it comes I want to wail MMMAAAIIILLL!" The little guy LOVES when mail comes on Blues Clues. I love how his little hands are crossed here.

This is one of the teams for the games...Randy's team along with Elijah who tried to get involved as much as he could!!

This was the other team...Tifanie's team. They were having fun!!

We only did a little decorating...a spider web with orange and black spiders.

*My thankful posts will follow in a week or so. I really think about blogging everyday...but then I just run out of time! Chasing a toddler keeps me very busy!! BUT I am loving every minute of it!! Hoping our re-adoption will be completed soon. Who knew we lived in such a finicky county in MO!!

Blessing to all~

OUR FIRST BABY BOY!

2010-10-19T07:36:00.000-07:00

How quickly time flies when you have children! I was told this several times when I first gave birth to Tifanie but at 19 yrs old...it did not sink in! Now at almost 40, and with Tifanie 20 and Randy almost 18, I am wishing I had listened to them a little more.
When Randy was about 8 yrs old he assured me that one day he WOULD be a soldier like his Daddy! He would protect and serve our country and us just like he watched his Dad doing. He assured me he would be ready to go anywhere when he was told to. He was 8 so I said to him...Ok honey! That would make Daddy and I very proud. Well...as the years have passed my boy turned into a young man and the whole time he never waivered on what it was he was going to do with his life...the only uncertainty was WHAT his job in the Army would be. SO...on Friday Oct 15, 2010 we watched our son make his dream a reality. He was sworn in to serve our Country just as his Dad has done for 22 yrs and his grandpas had done before him. As scared as I was at that moment, this Mom could not have been more proud! The older Randy gets the more I see his Dad in him and that could never be a bad thing!
SO...As Randy counts down the months until he "gets" to leave and start his career, this Mom is going to hold on just a little tighter as she counts down the months until she "has" to let go and let him fly.

Blessings~

Tina

LOVING THE FALL...

2010-10-16T20:05:00.001-07:00

I LOVE the fall. I like watching the leaves change to beautiful colors and seeing God's wonders unfold in front of my very eyes. This year has been no different other than we are sharing it for the first time with our sweet boy Elijah. He enjoys being outside as much as possible!
We took him, Emilie and his little buddy, Alex to pumpkin patch recently. Elijah loved every minute of it. He is now 17 months and so very independent already. He absolutely LOVES his Daddy. If Daddy is around that is all he wants. He will scream for Daddy if he walks outside to get something only to come right back in. So my plan for another Mama's boy has failed...so far! :)
Our lives have been so very blessed by this precious boy. He is also at such a fun age. He can really make us laugh at some of the things he does. Yesterday we were eating out and Daddy was giving him tastes of his water. Then he told me to give him a taste of my tea...Elijah suck it from the straw and said "Tank You...MMMMMM". We just laughed at him. We were also at Target and Daddy was letting him walk instead of ride. Elijah walked right up to the candy shelf and grabbed a bag then walked to my cart leaned on his tippy toes and threw it in! Now...we do not give him candy especially, snickers! We had to laugh because it was SO cute.
He is learning by leaps and bounds and I love it! He will sing along with me when I sing to him. (it isn't the exact words but I know he is trying) He will climb up on my lap for no reason and say PAY... then fold his hand gibber a little then say AMEN!
We are gearing up for a fun next few months with the Holidays coming. It will be so much fun to watch Elijah through all of it.
Here are a few pics.

Trying to ride the pumpkin at the pumpkin patch!

Making lots of noise and lovin' it!

WEEEEEeeeee! The boy LOVES the slide.

Oh...and this is one of his favorite things to do. He will climb in after I take laundry out and just sit in there and laugh at me. *Thankfully, my dryer is usually never empty!

****I am going to try and post more frequently. I figure people may get tired of reading this but it is my journal of sorts so I need to be better about posting. :)

Blessings to all~

Tina

ONE YEAR AGO

2010-09-24T12:11:00.001-07:00

***It is hard to believe it has been a year since we saw this picture of our little guy for the first time. He continues to be such a blessing to us and our family. SO...HAPPY REFERRAL-VERSARY TO OUR SWEET BOY!

BLUES CLUES...

2010-09-14T15:25:00.001-07:00

Our boy LOVES Blues Clues. He asked to watch it several times a day. He can even get the remote and point it at the TV to "try" to get his "booz cooz" on. His favorite part is the mail. He can be playing with toys and the mail song will come on...he will drop everything and start dancing. TOO FUNNY! BUT then he must get very close to watch the mail scene. (I know this is not good on his eyes but I had to capture a picture before making him move back.)

***I think the boy does not have enough toys! (Oh, yes...he has many more up in his room!)

SEPT ALREADY...

2010-09-09T14:16:00.000-07:00

We have already had a wonderful Sept. We spent Mon and Tues of this week in St Louis, MO. We went to the zoo and the arch and then got to spend some time visiting with Tsegay and his wife Almaz at an Ethiopian Restaurant. This is the Ethiopian Director and his wife. What a blessing it was to be able to see them again and to visit with so many families WHO GET IT! :) Elijah had a great time. He kept trying to get into the kitchen/bar area. Emilie also loved seeing and visiting with everyone. She really enjoyed playing with the littles. She kept saying how cute they all were. She wanted to try lamb so Don ordered lamb to share with her. Then he taught her how to eat it without her fork. She did well trying all of it.

*Elijah eating injera and LOVING it!

Mommy, Daddy and Elijah at the museum in the arch

Mommy chasing Elijah through the tunnel at the zoo

* Emilie and Elijah at the zoo.

Last Sept started out as a very tough month for us. We were so tired of the waiting! We had been on the adoption roller coaster for over 2.5 years. We had been waiting for our little guy from Ethiopia for over 10 months. We were inching closer to the Holidays and the idea of spending another holiday not knowing our little guy was really tearing me up inside. Little did we know, God was getting ready to bless us in a HUGE way...

Have a wonderful week!! And if you think about it please say a little prayer for our family. We recently found out that my Dad is not getting a very good blood flow to his heart. He has been having "minor" attacks for about 3 months and has to take nitro to relieve it. He finally has an appt with the cardiologist on Sept 24th to see what they will do about all of this. Thanks~

Blessings~

Tina

SINCE I LAST POSTED...

2010-08-27T11:40:00.000-07:00

Well, another 2 weeks have passed by very quickly. Why does time seem to get away from me these days?? Maybe it is this active little boy I spend most of day chasing after!??! BUT I so love chasing him. He is such an active little boy and we knew he would be from the minute he was placed in our arms. He was going up the all of the stairs within a month of coming home...big sign! He is already running and trying to hide from everyone. (we can usually still see him...but he "thinks" he is hiding)
School has started so the kids are gone all day. Em had transitioned much easier than we had ever thought. **Thanks so much for all of the prayers**I am certain they have helped. I forgot to turn the alarm on last night so I woke up at 602 this morning and rushed into her room and woke her up. She hopped right up...got dressed...did her hair...and all of the other things she needed to get done and was out the door by 630. She even ate a bowl of cereal. I am SO very proud of her!! Randy has it easier since he can drive himself. He doesn't have to leave the house until about 710. Em is already in her first class at that time...poor girl! Tifanie started her college courses this week. A few days a week I keep another little guy who is a few months older than Elijah. It is good for Elijah to interact with another little one AND he is learning to share his things.
Elijah had his 15 month check up this week and he is growing like a weed! He is already over 24lbs and almost 32 inches long. The pediatrician says he is advanced in his language skills. The funny thing is it came on all at once. The beginning of Aug he still wasn't really saying a whole lot of words but then almost over night I noticed him repeating words more and more. He has recently fallen head over heels in love with Blues Clues. He gets excited when it comes on and will sit for about 10 minutes straight without moving. He can even say Blue. (sounds more like bwoo) He also adores trucks more and more. I took him down the toy aisle at Target a few days ago and he got so excited when he say all of the trucks. He held is hands out and kept saying Uh huh...he wanted them ALL! Christmas should be pretty easy. :)
We are headed out of town this weekend. This will be our first weekend away from him. I have already told hubby if he cries we are just taking him with us! We will see how I do. I am sure he will do much better than Mommy will.
Hope you all have a wonderfully blessed weekend.
Tina

6 MONTHS/15 MONTHS...

2010-08-15T14:39:00.000-07:00

On Aug. 14th we celebrated 6 months home with Elijah.
This was taken as soon as Almaz placed him in my arms. There were no tears (from him) and he just checked out my face and and looked like he was trying to figure out what was going on. You can see the startled look in those precious eyes. Poor little guy! And believe me he had no idea what he was in for. :) It is a good thing he fits right in to our crazy household! Don and I were talking yesterday and both of us think it feels like he has been here so much longer than just 6 months. We heard it would feel like this but I guess you just have to experience it to believe it.

AND...now at 15 months old TODAY...this is what our little guy is up to. He has now figured out how to dump everything out of his toy basket and climb in it to play. He is quite inventive at times and truly baffles us with what he can figure out.

This is Elijah's favorite chair. If anyone else is sitting in it he will climb up on a end table/ storage box and act as though he is counting (giving them til the count of 3 to get up) and then he jumps on them. He thinks he owns this place (and I guess he kind of does!)

We took a trip to Chuck E Cheese a few weeks ago. I love the look on his face. Chuck E was standing not far away from him and he is watching him very closely making sure he doesn't get too close to him.

He had a lot of fun riding the rides and playing. His favorite was talking on the phone and going up and down the slide.

At 15 months Elijah is saying about 10-15 words. We have only added one sign that he can do and that is pray. We say pray to him and he folds his hands and will repeat "pay". It is pretty cute. In the last week I hear him repeating more and more words that I say to him. He gives the best hugs and kisses. Last night he climbed up on my lap and laid several kisses on me....I love the MMMWAHH sound he makes with each kiss. Today at lunch he kept grabbing Tifanie and giving her bear squeeze hugs around her neck. I think she said she would forgive him for not saying her name yet after that. "Sissy and Tifanie" are both really hard words to say but we are working on it. He says bubby and Emi and Mama (sometimes Mommy) and Dada but not Sissy yet. He has just started saying OWIE...so he will get hurt and yell it repeatedly and then laugh! Or he will hit you and say it.

We are getting ready to turn in his re-adoption paperwork so we are hoping to have that all out of the way very soon and will legally change his name from Bereket Donald to Elijah Simon Bereket.

We have a busy month coming up. Don and I are going to his Yearly Guard conference in a few weeks and that will be the first time he has stayed over night with Grandparents for the weekend. I hope he does well...and me too! Then the beginning of Sept we are taking a trip to St Louis to see the Ethiopian Director and his wife. I am SO looking forward to seeing them again. Then the end of Sept I am taking my parents back to St Louis to my cousin's wedding.

Busy Busy!!

I am going to try and be a better blogger. :)

Blessings~

Tina

12 YEARS AGO TODAY...

2010-07-23T09:55:00.001-07:00

...Our third child was born. Emilie Jean entered this world on July 23, 1998 at 1013 am. She weighed 6lbs 14oz and was just 18 inches long. She was such a little butterball with the chubbiest cheeks. We thought she was huge compared to our first 2 kiddos who were just 5 pounders. Em was a miracle baby. It took us about 2.5 yrs from the time we started wanting another baby to finally get pregnant. Then she was our first baby to carry to full term. Emilie has such a love for life. She is always on the go and has been from day one! We are truly blessed by this girl. This is her last yr before being a teenager...YIKES. Here are a few pics of her...

almost 12 yrs with Elijah

4 yrs old

2 yrs

3 months old.

** I really need to scan the photos and get them on the computer!!! :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY GIRL!!

LOVE, MOM

THE ZOO

2010-07-19T10:24:00.000-07:00

We went to the zoo today. It was a very "warm" day but we ventured out anyway with lots of snacks, water, and gatorade! We took our little friend, Alex, along with us. The boys had a great time as did Emilie. Elijah got a bit fussy towards the end. I think he was tired of being confined to the stroller. The boy does not like feeling trapped! :)
Here are a few photos from our day:
Emilie watching animals...Elijah checking out the ground.

Elijah and Alex climbing on the frog slide

At the chimp habitat...Alex was nervous at first and Elijah was just looking at them.

"Hey, this is fun!"

Having some lunch. Elijah has cheese on him but Alex never allows crumbs!

Praying for a wonderful week for all~

Tina

ADOPTIVE PARENTS...

2010-07-16T08:41:00.000-07:00

Don and I were never so aware of being "adoptive parents" as we were at the Children's Hospital the other day. I think we were asked at least 20 times if we were his adoptive parents. By the time we were headed out I wanted to firmly say..."I AM HIS MOMMY!!" It has never bugged me before. Of course, I have never been asked several times in a row either.
Don did say later, that at one point he just wanted to say "DUH!". We kind of discussed it together and I guess it only bothers me at the thought of someone not thinking we are his parents. AND that I would prefer it not be stated several times in a row! :) I wonder what he would think if he heard people asking repeatedly? Would it make him so aware of the fact that he is adopted? Would it make him feel less in some way? I guess those are the things that I am thinking right now.
We mentioned it to our caseworker when she was here. I told her they were not rude or mean about it. They just kept repeating it over and over. But I found myself stating the same thing later in our conversation when I was sharing an adoption story I had read about to her. Hmmm??
Anyway...I am still trying to figure it out and why it bothered me as much as it did? We have not really encountered any weird or off the wall questions. We have not enocuntered any real negative reactions yet. I am not so naive to think we will not at some point but we just haven't yet. The most frustrating question I have gotten was how much did he cost? I NEVER comment on this one. I think the only time I did...I was caught off guard and just said "enough". That was during our first week home. Now I just give them a look of "I can't believe you asked that" and walk away or just change the subject.

~Blessings~
Tina

14 MONTHS OLD...

2010-07-15T11:32:00.000-07:00

It is hard to believe that Elijah is already 14 months old. He is quickly becoming a toddler and not so much a baby. BOOOOO!!! I love watching him learn and grow but it makes me sad at the same time. He is such a quick study and learns so fast. I love watching him take things in and then figure it out on his own. I have said it before but this little guy amazes me more and more each day. We have been so blessed to have been allowed to parent him. We grow more and more in love each day!
The rest of our month will be a busy one. We are planning a trip to the zoo (for the first time) this coming Monday. Don leaves for Haiti on Wed so it will be a family day. Em's bday is next weekend and the following weekend we are planning a road trip to OK to see my Aunt Carol. I am trying to keep us busy to pass the time while Dad is gone.

Hope you are all enjoying your summer~
Blessings to all~
Tina

2ND POST-PLACEMENT VISIT...

2010-07-14T13:21:00.000-07:00

Today was our 2nd post placement visit. We have been home almost 5 months already. My how time flies when you are having fun. She was very impressed with Elijah and says she tells many of her families about him. He played and showed off for her while she was here.
In preparing for our visit, Don got the living room painted last night. AND I forgot about the needed pics so he ran this morning to get those printed up for her. Nothing like waiting until the last minute.
Emilie decided she needed to see all of our bedrooms again! So she showed her around, even to the basement. That is usually the scary part of the house. That is where the boy teenager lives. NEED I SAY MORE??? I think I finally threatened him and took his car keys and said he could not have them back until the room was clean...MY WAY! :) Yes...Mean Mom.
Now we will have our final post placement visit in Jan 2011. We are hoping to get the re adoption done in Aug and then we will have to start on the citizenship part of it.
Elijah got circumcised yesterday. He did much better than I expected him to. We knew it was needed due to some issues but I was concerned for him. They did put him out for it. It was heart breaking to hear him cry as they took him away from Daddy (more like peeled him off). We could hear him crying as we walked to the waiting room. We were both in tears by the time we got there. When we went back to him afterwards the nurse said he was the hit of the room. He was sitting up drinking his bottle, waving and smiling at everyone that came his way. But as soon as he saw us he started to get upset. He was ready to go home. We got him home and he slept for about an hour and then ate dinner and played then was back to bed. He woke this morning as if nothing had ever happened and has been happy and playing like usual all day. This boy continues to amaze me!
Next week Don leaves for Haiti until the 8th of Aug. I know Elijah will miss his Daddy very much but I am just as certain that Daddy will have a tough 2 weeks without his little guy. Elijah certainly brightens a room where ever he goes.
Hope you are all staying cool~
Have a blessed day!
Tina

4TH OF JULY AND OTHER "STUFF"...

2010-07-09T07:58:00.000-07:00

We spent the 3rd of July in Adrian with both sides of our family. We went to the annual parade and Elijah enjoyed it and Em got her backpack pretty full of candy! SO...everyone was happy with that. After the parade we headed to my parents for lunch. My Mom did a shrimp boil that went over very well with everyone except me and Amanda (we don't eat shrimp!). SO...my Mom also had chicken, hot dogs and hamburgers. What a great Mom! We had a good time sharing and visiting with family. Emilie got to shoot off some of her fireworks there.
Then later in the day we headed to my in-laws for the evening. There we enjoyed fried chicken. My mother-in-law makes the best fried chicken so we were all very happy and very stuffed when finished. We also celebrated my niece and brother in law's birthdays. Maggie will be 4 on the 10th. She is so sweet and I really enjoy my conversations with her. She actually played more with Elijah this time. It is tough sharing your Mammy and Happa, you know!
Elijah did well and even played in mud puddles while we were there. He was not real crazy about the fireworks. He didn't mind the single booms but the ones with several booms made him very unhappy! He finally crashed on me while the guys were shooting off the night time fireworks.
On the 4th we went to Church and then to our friend's house for dinner and more fireworks. We have gone to their house for the last few years. The boys are all in scouts together and they enjoy shooting off the fireworks. Unfortunately, our final display got rained out. Elijah was not unhappy about it. :)
Elijah Update: Elijah is doing great! We are still teaching him a few signs at a time. He has added drink, book, and snack. He is also saying up and all done. He just started going down the stairs on his own. I was in the restroom one day and put him in with Em for a few minutes, telling her to keep an eye on him. When I came out and started looking for him upstairs, I couldn't find him. Randy hollered from downstairs and said he was down there. I assumed Randy had gotten him. Then Randy said he found him playing in the living room when he came in from work. I freaked out a little. Then a few days later, I watched him to see how he was going down. He goes down on his bottom and scoots. I can't believe he is only 13 months and going up and down the stairs on his own. This boy amazes me. We weighed him and he is now 23lbs 2oz. So, He is also a BIG boy!

Here are some pics to enjoy!
*Elijah...ready for the parade!

*waving at the horses going by

*waiting for the parade to start

*Elijah picking up candy

Hope you are all enjoying your summer! We certainly are having a great time with our little guy.

Blessings~

Tina

OUR LITTLE WATERBOY...

2010-06-29T12:57:00.001-07:00

The other night Don took Elijah out to help him water the garden and other plants/flowers. He just watched from the deck while Don watered the garden. After he was finished he took Elijah to the front of the house to water the bushes and our flowers. There he began trying to help Don with the hose so Don just let him have it. He LOVED it. He would water a bit and then play in the water. Here are a few pics we got of him. He was NOT a happy boy when I brought him inside. He threw the biggest fit I have ever seen him throw. He was MAD!

Hope you are all having a wonderful week!

Blessings~

Tina

ELIJAH'S FIRST FAMILY VACATION & 4 MONTHS HOME!!

2010-06-27T18:26:00.000-07:00

*Our family +Broch (Tifanie's boyfriend)

*Emilie tubing

*Don and Tifanie

*Randy teaching Elijah to fish

*Mommy and Elijah relaxing in the lake

*Randy on the waverunner

*Mommy and Elijah on the boat*

We just returned home from our first family vacation with Elijah. We had a wonderful time at the lake. All of us enjoyed swimming and just lazing around in the lake. We found out that Elijah LOVES the water. Don would hold him on his belly and he would kick his legs and wave and splash his arms in the water then dunk his face in. He didn't care for his floaty very much. It was too confining for him.

I enjoyed watching all of my kids hang out with each other and enjoy each other's company. Don't get me wrong, by the end of the week, they were getting a little edgy with one another but for the most part it was all good.

We rented a boat one day, a paddle boat (UUGH too much work!), and a wave runner one day. We took one day and shopped at the outlet mall and one day we went and played miniature golf. I think the kids had a good time and I know Mom and Dad did.

This may be our last family vacation with all of our kids. Randy is joining the army and may be gone by summer next year. The guys are planning a big fishing vacation before he leaves. It is a father-son trip. Anyway, I tried to enjoy every minute with all of them this year! :)

We also celebrated 4 months home with Elijah on the 21st AND Tifanie's 20th birthday on the 20th.

Life is good and we are certainly blessed in the Hubbard house!

13 MONTHS ALREADY...?

2010-06-15T10:17:00.000-07:00

YES...Our precious boy is now 13 months old! He had his 1yr check up today since he is still trying to get caught up on shots so we had to space it out enough between the last visit and this one. Anyway... He is a growing boy! He weighs 21.9 lbs and is 30 inches long. He is 25% for weight and 50% for length. He goes back in 2 months for a check up and next round of shots.
Elijah is still not talking much. He says a few things like: bye, Ma, Dada. He signs: more, hi, bye, working on please and cup. He jabbers like you should know exactly what he is saying! He is drinking whole milk and still has 2 bottles a day. His absolute favorite food is yogurt and ice cream sandwiches. He will chase you down if he sees you with either. TOO FUNNY! He is eating all table food now. I love watching him experience new foods. The other day he had fresh pineapple for the first time and he could not get enough of it!
Elijah is a busy boy. He plays hard all the time. He loves to climb, play wrestle and play chase. He knows when Don is getting ready to go bye and bye and starts fussing to go with him. He LOVES his Dada. We are certainly loving every minute with him. He makes me laugh all the time! He has started enjoying reading books. He will sit in his chair and jabber away like he was really reading. Emilie loves to read to him and he will sit with her for about half a book most of the time.
We are leaving for vacation this Saturday. I am so looking forward to our family vacation with our newest member. I hope Elijah enjoys the lake as much as our other kids do. I will take lots of pics to share.
Here are few other pics:

**Em and Elijah after getting their vacation hair cuts.

**preparing to read a book.

Have a wonderful day! **Please pray for the families that are traveling to get their kiddos this weekend.

Blessings~

Tina

ATTACHMENT...

2010-06-03T09:09:00.001-07:00

I have noticed in the last few weeks that Elijah is getting more weary of strangers or people he does not know well. He will hold more tightly to me or will whine/cry in certain situations. When we first came home he would go to everyone with a smile on his face but now he looks for us more. The thing that made me realize this is, we were at my brother's for a bbq this past weekend. He was playing chase with Aunt Amanda and when he came through one doorway there was a guy that he did not know. He stopped, eyed the guy, then turned to Aunt Amanda and started to cry. Then he did a quick look around the room and as soon as he saw me he smiled and walked over to me. I hate to hear or see him cry but I am glad he is getting a little stranger anxiety. That is a good sign for attachment.
He is becoming quite the toddler. He is trying to run now and it is so much fun to watch. His favorite game is to play chase. We will get on the floor and say, "We're going to get you," and he takes off giggling. LOVE IT!!! He is not talking much still. He says Ma and Dadda, we think he is saying Em, he can say bye and hi. If you tell him to say hello he will put his hand to his ear like a phone. :) Too cute!
Today he is not feeling very well. He has been running a temp since yesterday so I took him to the Dr since he has only been off meds for a week for ear infections. The Dr said his ears were clear but his throat was a little inflamed. She did a rapid strep that came back negative but they are sending off a culture just in case.
Thought I would post recent pics that we took. Hope you enjoy... Taking a walk outside.

We found him asleep like this the other night.

At the Memorial Day service/dedication.

This was taken right before we went and got his 1 yr pics taken.

Have a great weekend!

Blessings~

Tina

MY KNIGHT...

2010-05-26T19:31:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow we will celebrate our 21st Wedding Anniversary. WOW...where have the years gone?
We spent a night away from home last Friday night to celebrate and just get away. As we were driving home I asked Don if 21 yrs ago he thought this is where we would be? He said well... :)
When we got married we both wanted 2 kiddos. Then we had 2 kiddos and I decided I wanted another one. It didn't take me long to convince Don that 3 kids would make our family complete. ;) And then several years later we felt God calling us to adopt and now here we are raising our 4th child. Are we done??? Well...I think I have learned not to say we are. We are praying and will see where God leads us.
We have had 21 years of adventure. Don told me when we got married that we would spend our first 3 years on an extended honeymoon in Germany. That is where we had our first child and we came back to the states expecting our 2nd! It was quite the honeymoon!! :)
We have had many ups and downs but we have always found a way to get through the tough times. Marriage is never easy and you have to be willing to fight for it. We have experienced many times apart (since he has been in the military/Guard) over the past 21 years. We have learned a lot about each other during those times as well. We try not to take things for granted (although, it does happen). We know life is not always what we expect BUT we are sure that after 21 years we are still in love.
He is certainly my knight in shining armor and I love him with everything I have in me. God brought him to me at the perfect time. I thank God daily for him.
Summer 2009 Military Police Ball '94

May 27, 1989

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO MY WONDERFUL HUSBAND...THANK YOU FOR A WONDERFUL 21 YEARS...LOOKING FORWARD TO THE NEXT 21!!!
I LOVE YOU!!!

3 MONTHS HOME...

2010-05-22T19:54:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we had been home with Elijah 3 months. WOW! Time flies when you are having fun! And that we are...Elijah has brought so much joy to this household. Don now leaves for work a little later. It is just so hard to leave him! He will get ready to leave and Elijah will yell "DAH" and run to him and hold up his arms. So sweet!! He calls me "MAH".
He, unfortunately, ended up with another ear infection over the last weekend. He doesn't run a fever or really show any signs of his ears hurting so it is hard to tell. This time he woke up Sunday and had drainage from his ear. When I took him in on Monday to see his ped. she said he had a hole in his eardrum. YIKES~ SO...he has been on an oral antibiotic and antibiotic ear drops. He does so well taking his meds and letting me do the ear drops. He doesn't go for his 12 month check up until June due to being late on shots but he now weighs 21.5 lbs! He is a big boy and I love it! He certainly loves his food. :)
He is trying to run instead of just walk now. He loves being outside but since the weather has been so crummy he hasn't really gotten out much. Today was great so we spent a little time out this evening. Then I rocked him in my glider before bed. He enjoyed it until he heard a motorcycle fly by and he had to check out where it was going.
Hubby and I went on our first overnight without him last night. Don said he was taking me away for one night but it was close to home. We went to the Elms in Excelsior Springs. It was very nice and I did have a nice time. I missed the baby but I knew he was in good hands with his Sissy. Tifanie is a great big sis to give up her Fri night to stay with her siblings so Mom and Dad can get away. Elijah was happy to see us this morning, though. He came right to me but when he saw his "DAH" he got all excited. He loves his "DAH".
We are enjoying every minute with our little guy! I can't wait for Em to be out of school so we can plan some fun summer outings with him.

Hope you all enjoyed the great weather today.
Blessings~
Tina

MY FIRST BABY BOY...

2010-05-19T19:06:00.000-07:00

Randy went to his Jr prom on Sat. (yes same as Elijah's bday) He took a beautiful young lady and they made a very cute couple. This Mom was a little sad, though. I am trying to figure out when this young man grew up on me. He has become such a handsome guy and a little too grown up for this Mom! I remember those days when I could not get out of his sight without him crying for me. He would even follow me to the bathroom and I would shut and lock the door and he would stick his little fingers under the door and say..."Hey Mommy it's me Randy...let me in...I need you!" Such sweet words from a little guy. Now, he doesn't need his Mom quite as much and definitely not to follow me to the bathroom. :) But there are still those moments when no one but Mom can make it alright! They are fewer now but oh so cherished! All too soon he will be headed out into the world. I just hope and pray he knows that Mom will always be here when he needs me!
***PROM 2010

***Such a handsome guy...

Hope you are all having a wonderful week. It is half over!! :) I know there are 4 families celebrating tonight after receiving their long awaited referrals. Congratulations to them all.

Blessings~

Tina

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELIJAH!!

2010-05-15T06:50:00.000-07:00

Today Elijah is ONE! Wow, how time flies. We have been home a little less than 3 months and he has grown and changed so much. We love this little guy so very much and are so thankful God blessed us with him. He truly is a perfect fit for our family.
We had a family birthday party on Mother's day. Today we plan on just enjoying the day at home with our boy. He will get a few gifts and we got him a cookie to enjoy. Here are a few pics to enjoy and I will post more pics in a few days of our day today.

*His big gift from Mommy and Daddy

*Riding toy from Aunt Shari and Uncle Brent

*Noisy push button toy from Grandma and Papa (He loves this).

*Cool trike from Mammy and Grandpa (Loves to push this across the floor).

*Not real sure about the choc cupcake and icing.

*Cupcakes made by Awesome Aunt Amanda.

He got several riding toys, some clothes, shoes, and a Cars chair. He likes to push his riding toys close to the tv and then watch his commercials and dance! I need to post a video, it is pretty funny! Many of his new toy make noise...and everyone knows how much I enjoy noisey toys (sarcasm!!!). I am known to take batteries out and tell the kids "so sorry but it must be broke!" :) I promise to not do this too soon!

Elijah is doing great! He is walking all over the place. He is not saying much. Ma and Dada is about it. He knows about 4 signs and uses them correctly most of the time. He has started pointing at things. *(The other day I went to get him up from a nap and he was standing up and pointing to his musical crib toy. I went to push the button for him (which he knows how to do) and it was going very slow. The batteries were running down and he was letting me know. TOO FUNNY! So...we sent Daddy right out for new batteries. This is his favorite thing and he listens and plays with it a lot. After I put batteries in it and turned it on for him he was so excited!* He weighs about 21/22 lbs. He goes back to the Dr in June for his next check-up and shots so we will see then.

I am constantly thinking and praying for Elijah's first Mommy. Yesterday, while we were at the store, a lady asked me where we got him from. I told her he was adopted from Ethiopia. She asked if he had any contact with family and I told her no. Then her comment caught me off guard...she said "I just don't know how people could do that." And...I just looked at her...as I walked away...I thought (and wished I had said it!) she did it because she loved him! I am not certain I will ever understand that love. I think of her all the time. I wonder how she is doing and if she thinks of us and Elijah. I am sure she does. I hope that the letter and pics we gave her

bring her peace and show her how thankful we are to her and how much we love and cherish this precious boy. I still struggle sometimes with the idea of thanking her for our son. Thank you just seems like it will never be enough!

Today we will celebrate and we will be thankful!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Blessings~

Tina

MOTHER'S DAY WEEKEND...

2010-05-09T15:35:00.000-07:00

Today we had Elijah's first b-day party AND a Mother's Day celebration. I will post pics of his party closer to his b-day but thought I would share other photos from our day and our weekend.

**My 4 blessings!

One of my Mother's Day gifts

My other gift a glider :) Can't wait to sit on the deck and rock Elijah!

Elijah walking

Dad, Randy, and Emilie planting the garden

I am very blessed this year to finally get to celebrate Mother's Day as a Mommy of 4 kiddos. I woke this morning, very early, to a little voice saying Ma...and was reminded of the journey we took to get him home and how I spent a few Mother's Days longing to have him in my arms, to just know who he was and now he is here. I am so thankful for all of my children. They all are huge blessings to me! SO...to all of my kids, thanks for making me a mom! And to God, Thank you for allowing me to be the Mom to these kids!!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

Tina

TAKING OFF...

2010-05-01T12:11:00.001-07:00

Elijah has really taken off this past week. He will walk from one end of the room to the other. He has stood up from a squatting position but most of the time he will find the closest thing he can pull up on and head off to whatever he is after. We did finally get the camcorder out and tape it. Now to figure out how to get it on here.
He is one of our earliest walkers. He took his first steps at 10 months...I think Tifanie took her first steps at 11 months and was walking well at a yr. Emilie took her first steps right at a yr. Randy was our little lazy boy! He took his first steps at about 13 months. I think he figured why walk if you get carried everywhere. :) He was so small that everyone just carried him around. Elijah is our heaviest little one and get heavier the longer you hold him! He is quite the chunk but still so short. He weighs about 21 lbs or so.
He has also discovered how much he loves being outside. Daddy took him for a walk/run the other night and then when he got home Dad had to mow and Elijah was not a happy boy. I don't like to take him out while dad is mowing (for safety reasons). So, I finally had to shut the door so he couldn't see Dad. I guess while Don was out with him, he would stop to walk and Elijah would start signing "more". He loved the running. I am working on a few signs with him. He pretty much does his own version of them but that is ok. He does more and all done and we are working on please next. He does wave hi and bye also.
We are celebrating his first b-day on Mother's Day. My nephew is graduating the weekend of Elijah's b-day so we just bumped up his party one week. We are not doing anything big since we just had a huge welcome home party for him. We are just having immediate family for a bbq.
This week Tifanie and I took Elijah shopping with us. We hit the consignment store first. I was looking for some outside toys for him. We didn't find much in that area but Tifanie found a truck that he was enjoying and I found a rocking police car. He loves them both and since Daddy is a policeman I couldn't pass it up. So...Here he is enjoying his new police car.

***Yeah for my new police car!!

Emilie goes back to the Dr this week to see if her arm is healing and has stayed in place. A broken arm has certainly not slowed her down. She makes me so nervous with it.

Randy has hurt his knee in school so we have a follow up appt this week for him. I am telling you when it rains it pours! :) But we are surviving...and enjoying every minute! Well, maybe not the ER visits but...

Hope you are all doing well. I am still praying for everyone "waiting"!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Tina

ORANGES...AND NUMAN.

2010-04-27T07:30:00.001-07:00

I made a snack for myself yesterday. I cut up an orange and as I was sitting down Elijah saw it and decided he wanted some. I didn't think he would like it so gave him a taste. The boy could not get enough. He was slurping away at the juice. Everytime I took it away he would try to attack it with his mouth.

Now...I wanted to ask for a little help. The orphanage that Elijah came from is needing some help and thanks to a wonderful family with the help of our agency they are working to give them the help they need. This family has started a blog to fund raise to help Numan Orphanage. Don and I were able to visit this orphanage before they moved to a different building. It was a wonderful visit but also very hard to see. Sometimes we need a reality check and I believe our trip to Ethiopia was just that. It was a reminder for me to not take what the Lord has blessed me with for granted. I saw through the eyes of someone else and it touched me in a way that I will never be able to put into words. We knew we wanted to find an organization that we could give to monthly that would benefit our son's birth country and this is what we plan on giving to for now. They took care of our baby boy at the very beginning and we are so thankful to them and what a wonderful way to pay it forward. SO...if you feel led to give or if you just want to check it out, I am posting the blog link here. And thank you so much in advance.

http://www.helpingnuman.blogspot.com/

Have a blessed day.

Tina

FIRST POST-PLACEMENT/ACCIDENT!!

2010-04-22T11:00:00.000-07:00

We had our first post placement visit yesterday. We LOVE our caseworker! She was so excited to see Elijah and we talked about how God had worked in our situation through Vietnam and then on to Ethiopia. Elijah took right to her. Then he got down and did some showing off for her. She was surprised at all he was doing and how happy he is. It is nice to hear from her how well he is attaching to us. We got to praise the HOH staff and all they did for us and share stories about the wonderful families that we were blessed to travel with. I also shared about a few I have never met but that I pray for often!
THEN...Our visit got cut short!
Emilie got home and visited for a few minutes then headed outside to play with her friends. While we were visiting the doorbell rang and I sent Randy (our son) to answer it. He went outside and about 10 minutes later walked in with Emilie and said...I think you better take her to the ER it looks like she broke her wrist. Don is so laid back and the type to say "just rub a little dirt on it and it will be fine." BUT as we both looked at it we KNEW it was broke. SO...we finished up what she needed really quickly.
Thankfully, Randy stayed with Elijah and then our daughter came over to help him. And Don and I headed to Urgent Care. There we found out that she had 2 breaks. One was small and the other bigger. UC could not set so we had to go to the Hospital. They sedated her and then set it and she is now sporting an ugly white cast up to her shoulder. We are hoping that it stays set so that she will not need surgery to have pins placed. We should know that in a week or so. She is the toughest little thing I have ever seen. She really never cried over any of it. She would say OUCH but never any more than that. I am amazed at her. If it had been me I would have been a mess!
I will try to get a pic of her but today she is trying to get used to the cast and is in a bit of pain. Please keep her in your prayers. We are hoping she is not in this cast during our vacation to the lake in mid June.

Hope you all have a great day.
Tina

TODAY...

2010-04-21T08:22:00.001-07:00

Today we celebrate 2 months home with our little guy. Elijah has changed so much in those 2 months. You can tell by just looking into his eyes how much he has changed. He is attaching and bonding well. There are days we feel he is attached more than others but I believe from all that I have read that he is doing well. He knows what he wants and when he wants it. He will come to me and and climb up my leg if he wants to be held. He wants to be rocked to sleep every night. He just started signing for more and the boy loves his snacks!!! :) I just started giving him cheerios and thinks they are the best. He can dance...oh boy can he dance! The other night we were watching some country music award thing and he finally just plopped on the floor and started bouncing and rocking in the crawling position AND he was bobbing his head up and down. The boy has rhythm! Our camcorder was not charged so we will have to try and get him doing it later. It was pretty funny.
We have been so blessed by this little guy. He amazes us more and more everyday. Soon he will be walking. Just last night he went from the chair to me walking. It was about 4 steps. We were so excited for him.
He has started to get jealous of other kiddos. The other day I was holding another child and he crawled over to me and whined and pushed the other kiddo away. When I put the other kiddo own he plopped himself in my lap and laughed!
Today is also our first post placement visit. I am excited to see what our caseworker thinks of him. I have been cleaning like crazy for the past 2 days. I have been letting too many things slide since Elijah has been home. I would rather play and cuddle with him than clean! SO...my new goal is to try harder to get things done maybe during nap time. I just need to organize my time just a little bit better.
I thought I would share some pics with you all. The first two are from the day we were handed Elijah.

Getting read to go up the stairs.

Laughing at Daddy.

Blessed~

Tina

11 MONTHS OLD...

2010-04-15T06:21:00.001-07:00

It is hard to believe this precious little guy is 11 months old today or that we have had him in our arms for 2 months! He is such a joy and a blessing to our family. If you are feeling a little off all you have to do is look at this smile and all is good.
He is doing amazingly well. He has his pedi so baffled that he was actually in an orphanage for 9 months of his life. We know God had his hand gently wrapped around our boy. *He is taking a step or two when he feels brave enough. *He gives kisses but usually only if he is in the mood for it. *He claps and does peek a boo. * He loves the stairs and can now make it up all 14 steps with ease. (he has fallen down about 7 of them and no tears...and was ready to go again!) *He will eat some table food but still prefers his baby food. *He will drink juice out of a sippy cup. *He dances... Usually, if he hears a commercial with music in it! Or you can say...dance Elijah and he will dance. Pretty funny! *He will mimic just about anything. I am sure he is doing so much more but I will not bore you with it all. I will say that he is certainly the highlight in our house! We are so looking forward to the summer and all of the fun "firsts" we will get to experience with him.
Now...on to the best part...PICS!!! :)

Getting ready to head up the steps!

In Mommy's laundry basket!

He loves to climb in my laundry baskets while I am trying to fold the laundry.

Mommy is sharing some of her frozen custard with Elijah...YUMMY!

AND...Mommy gets a kiss for sharing! Mmmmm a nice open mouthed one at that!

STATS: 29 inches long 20 lbs 2 bottom teeth and 2 top teeth coming through

Hope you are all having a great week! We are certainly enjoying the great weather.

Blessings to all,

Tina

7 WEEKS...

2010-04-12T05:59:00.000-07:00

We have been home with our boy for 7 weeks yesterday! The time has flown by....I used to read where people would say that it felt like their little ones had been with them forever...and now I feel the same way. He fits perfectly with our family. God's plan was a perfect one for sure! Why should we ever doubt? :)

In these past 7 weeks we have enjoyed so much watching him grow and learn. He seems pretty attached to his Mommy and Daddy and is getting there with his sisters and brother. He will look for me when I leave the room or follow me when I go up the stairs! (Yes we have a baby gate) He is quite our little adventurer and doesn't seem to have much fear, except for when it comes to walking! :)

He will be 11 months this week and I will update more on what he is doing and post pics.

Emilie is doing well and healing. She will get her stitches out this week as well. She is a little nervous about this.

Hope you all have a wonderful week~

Tina

EASTER...SICK BABY BOY AND HURT LITTLE GIRL

2010-04-06T11:08:00.000-07:00

Our Easter weekend ended up being quite eventful! We went to Adrian (our hometown) on Saturday and stayed the night to go to church with my in-laws. I knew Elijah was not feeling great on Saturday morning but was hoping it was just the same crud he has had. BUT throughout the day as he would suck on his bottle for only a few minutes and then push it away, I thought maybe it was an ear infection. He never ran a fever! (all three of the other kiddos always ran a fever with an ear inf.) Anyway...we decided to wait and see. Sat. night was BAD! The longest he slept at a time was 2 hours. I finally ended up on the couch holding him up so he could try to sleep. I felt so bad for him! Then he woke at 630 am and sat up with a huge smile on his face! NO KIDDING!!! He got on the floor was laughing and playing like nothing was wrong and he had a great nights sleep. ME?? I was a walking zombie! :)
We went to Church and we ended up sitting right up front. (never a good idea with an active loud baby!) During their prayer/praise time Elijah was eyeing the minister and smiling and talking. He came over and asked to hold him. Told everyone his name and a little about the adoption and then said say HI. Elijah lifted his hand and waved at the congregation!!! Everyone laughed and clapped. What a cheeser we have!
After Church we headed to my brother's for dinner with my family. While we were there Emilie was out back flying her kite. Elijah decided he had had enough and was getting more and more upset. Emilie wanted to stay for the egg hunt but I had gone out to tell her we were going home. I told her I would hide eggs in our back yard and explained about Elijah. She agreed and asked if she could try to get her kite up one more time. I said yes...THEN, as she was running she looked back to see if it was up (before I could warn her) she turned and ran right into a barb wire fence!
SCARY!!! She ended up with 3 stitches in her neck and 4 stitches in her arm. We were told a little one way or the other and things could have been REALLY bad! We have thanked God several times for watching over her!!
Monday I took Elijah to the Dr and found out he has an ear infection and they did not like the congestion so I have to give him breathing treatments every 4 hours for 2 days. He is getting used to them but the first time I did it he screamed the whole time!! I was not a happy Mommy either.
SO...that was our Easter. Certainly one for the books! Hope everyone else had a great Easter.

Emilie at he Emergency room. She did a great job!

At Uncle Joe's house before the crankies hit and the incident! Elijah did love Daisy.

Getting their Easter books.

Easter egg hunt at Mammy and Grandpa's.

Coloring eggs at our house Friday.

Hope your week is a good one!

Blessings,

Tina

GOOD FRIDAY...PROMISES...SPRING

2010-04-02T08:28:00.000-07:00

Today is Good Friday...what an amazing day! I like to reflect on what today means to me. I like to read my Bible and reflect on the sacrifice that was made...even for me! It reminds me of the most sacrificial unconditional love. I can only imagine it... **He who did not spare his own son, but gave him up for us- how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Romans 8:32** This year I feel so blessed to be sharing Easter with our new son. The Lord has graciously given us a very special gift and we are so very thankful and in awe of HIM.

Since our bird dog died a few years ago, we have been promising the kids we would get another big outside dog. We kept telling them that once Elijah was home and hopefully, in the spring we would get them another dog. They both wanted a lab. We decided to surprise them for Easter and instead of chicks or ducks or bunnies...we got them a lab puppy. He is 9 wks old and bigger than our almost 10 yr old min. schnauzer. BUT he is pretty cute. We loved surprising Emilie. We had a hard time waking her up even with him sniffing at her. I finally had to call her name. But the surprised look on her face was priceless. She hugged him and then jumped off her bed and hugged and kissed us. His name is Scooby.

I LOVE SPRING...(except for the allergies!) I think even Elijah is battling allergies. But he does love to be outside. When we first sat him in the grass he just looked at me like I was crazy and he did not move. Then he realized he could move and had fun trying to get all of the leaves and eat them!

May you find joy and peace this Easter and remember that sacrifice that was made for you.

And remember this promise: ..."I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies." John 11:25

WE ARE STILL HERE...

2010-03-30T16:55:00.001-07:00

AND...our boy is certainly growing (a little too fast for this Mommy!). We are having so much fun with him. He is certainly an explorer. Once he got out of that crib his whole world was opened and he has not stopped checking it out!
He gets up about 7 and has a bottle and empties his basket of toys by 730! He loves his car and dump truck and actually crawls along as he pushes them. He is becoming quite attached to his Mommy and Daddy, although, will still go to just about anyone. He does not suck his thumb near as much as he used to. He does when he is really tired or hungry (and it is taking Mom too long!).
He is a HUGE charmer! He can look at someone and give them that smile and head tilt and they are putty in his hands. It is pretty funny. Even in a restaurant, I saw him do this and the old guy stopped and talked with him. TOO CUTE!
He loves to smack his hands on things. I think he needs some drums! He does have a birthday coming up.
I am looking forward to our first holiday with him. It will be a busy weekend but will be so much fun. I am praying for good weather.
Now...to the pictures...
Learning to walk.

Playing in his room wearing his new hat.

Going up the stairs! UUGH-He has made it up 3 of the 15. Any further and the baby gate will go up.

Just looking cute!

Taking a ride on the horsey. This horse has outlasted several kiddos including my hubby! It has duct tape on the side of it. :)

Daddy went in to check on him one night and found him all curled up in his blanket. You can kind of see his head and his feet are sticking out.

I hope you all are enjoying your week. I have been a little under the weather but am hoping by tomorrow I will be back and ready to do some work around here.

Blessings to all,

Tina

HOME FOR ONE MONTH...

2010-03-21T19:08:00.000-07:00

WOW...One month has already flown by...It is amazing to see all that Elijah has already learned and done. He is starting to let go and try to walk but usually falls flat on his little face. Lately, he loves to mimic everyone, especially, their facial expressions. He is SO funny! He will be sitting and playing with his toys and stop look at me and cackle...it is great!
He is still a whiner...I will look at him and say "knock it off..." and he will look at me and just smile! :)
We have purchased a big gate to keep him from the kitchen. He likes the dog water and food if there is any left in the dish...YUCK! He loves to hang out at the gate...it is mesh in the middle so he loves to smoosh his face in there and laugh at me while I unload the dishwasher or whatever I am doing. Now...if he is hungry...that is a different story. He will stand there and whine at me until I have the bottle made or get his food ready at his high chair.
He loves to stand at the door and watch what is going on outside. If it is warm enough I just lock the screen door and let him watch. I love how excited he gets when he sees Randy, Emilie, Tifanie or Daddy come walking to the door.

He looks like such a big boy here! And so proud of himself.

One of most favorite things is to watch when Don comes in from work or whatever, and Elijah sees him, crawls as fast as he can to him and then climbs up his leg to a standing position and pulls on his leg until he picks him up. TOO CUTE!! He loves his Daddy for sure.

Our lives have surely been blessed by this little guy. Everyday I am so thankful for this little guy and all he has brought to our lives. Years ago I thought our lives were complete with our 3 kiddos but now as I watch Elijah I know it wasn't even close to complete. Do I think it is complete now...Hmmmm. That will have to be a later post. :) BUT I can say...we feel so blessed and are so thankful.

Blessings~

Tina

SOCK MONKEY WRESTLING & MORE

2010-03-17T11:46:00.000-07:00

Elijah got 2 new sock monkeys at his baby shower and this one made its way to our living room instead of in his crib. SO...Elijah decided to challenge him (Benjamin) to a wrestling match...

Got Ben by the tail...

AND...Elijah is the winner!!!

BUT he still loves Benjamin...

Elijah learned to clap his hands together this week. I was finally able to get him to do it so I could take a picture.

I love the monkey on his behind...SO CUTE!!!

I also showed him how to tap these toys together to make a clicking noise. Now he loves to do it!
He will empty his toy basket to find the stackable toys to click together!

Elijah loves our air purifier because it blows air out on him.

Hope you enjoyed the newest pics of our little guy! We are so enjoying our new life with him in it! He amazes me how quickly he picks up on things. He is getting braver and will probably (all too soon!) be walking.

Have a blessed St Patrick's Day!

Tina

1 MONTH/ 10 MONTHS!!

2010-03-14T21:28:00.000-07:00

I am going to combine 2 posts this time. We can start with one month since that is today...3/14!

Elijah has been in our arms for exactly one month. He is doing so great. The month has flown by and we are truly enjoying this blessing we have been given. He is attaching/bonding very well. We see progress everyday. He loves all of the kids and even loves to follow the dogs. Most days he will follow me everywhere and if a gate is in his way he will let me know about his unhappiness.

3/15...ELIJAH IS 10 MONTHS!

10 months old...wow. He is such a busy boy and into everything we will allow. He says Mama and Dada but we are not 100% sure he is meaning us although he does follow me around saying mamamammama! He is still eating baby food (we are still testing to make sure he is not allergic to any). He does not like peas. He will eat most everything else. He LOVES popcorn. Don't worry we only give him the soft part! But he will beg right along with the dogs if we have some. He is sleeping about 9-10 hours at night. He is walking quickly around furniture and it seems to everyone that he will be walking soon. (I am not ready...want to keep him a baby a bit longer!) He loves to look out our front door and it's a bonus if there is someone out there he can see. He loves his siblings and plays with them a lot. He will give open mouth kisses but not on request so... He likes to be rocked to sleep. He is an amazing little guy and we are very much in love with him! HAPPY 10 MONTHS BABY BOY!

OUR WEEK IN REVIEW...

2010-03-12T05:53:00.000-08:00

We have had a very busy week since last Saturday. We had our welcome home baby shower with our family and a few hometown friends. It was wonderful! I think we had about 100 people and I even had family travel from out of town just to see our precious boy. Elijah did very well. If he started feeling overwhelmed he would whine and we would cuddle him. I think I only saw a few times when he just wanted Mommy. We are so very blessed to have such great family and friends so excited to see our little guy home!

Grandpa Steve with Elijah at the end of the day.

Elijah was more interested in the cake on the table than getting a pic taken.

Opening gifts

Aunt Amanda made his cakes (they were yummy!)

Elijah went to the pediatrician on Tuesday and they were so much better than the visit we had with our MD. He weighs 18 lbs 6 oz. He is still very congested so they checked him for rsv and it was negative and then they did a deep suction thing. They took him to another room and told us we would not want to see it. We could hear him screaming and it broke our hearts. I had a hard time not just running out to find him. When they brought him back he was sobbing and I held him and he went into shut down mode and fell asleep. Then we had to go get his blood drawn. PRAISE GOD...all tests show he is a very healthy boy. :) We are starting his shots over but I have chosen to wait another month before put him through that. We do have an appt with a ped. urologist in April.

Emilie had a 5th grade music concert this week. She auditioned for a solo and was chosen to play her recorder. She played Amazing Grace for the concert. We were so very proud of her. We did take the video camera but Don said it kept shutting off and so he only got her bowing and the crowd applause. SO...we had her play it again at home for Elijah and Randy (they stayed home together so as not to disrupt the entire show!) I am hoping this video works as I have never tried putting one on here.

Hoping you all had a blessed week and have a wonderful weekend.

The Hubbards

BONDING...

2010-03-08T19:14:00.000-08:00

We know from reading and watching and following other blogs that bonding and attachment can take time. We have certainly not rushed our little guy in this at all. We just love on him, play with him, make sure we are the only ones feeding him and rocking him to sleep.
We have noticed in the last few days that he is showing signs of bonding. He is looking for us when others are around or holding him. He is fussing if he wants us or would rather be down. When he wants to let us know something he will whine and crawl around to find us. He says mamamama and dadadada and has since we got him. But lately we have seen him do as he crawls to us so we "think" it may be the real deal.
BUT tonight my heart melted for this little boy once again. He came crawling to me fussing as I was writing some thank you cards. He pulled up to the rocking chair and started trying to grab the things and throw them off my lap. I took that as a sign that he needed me. I quickly sat everything down and picked him up. He cuddled up to me, stuck his thumb in his mouth and just stared at me. I began rocking him and kept staring at me as I rocked and talked to him. He then began rubbing my face until he finally closed his eyes. This Mommy was so happy! Usually, he loves to be rocked but he doesn't really look at me as I rock him. This was like he was talking to my soul! I kept repeating how much I loved him and singing Jesus Loves Me to him. He was just staring at me and every once in awhile he would smile but he laid perfectly still the whole time. (Which never happens! This kid is on the move always!!) I LOVE THIS LITTLE GUY SO MUCH!!!!
Today we also took him to Em's school so she could do a show and tell with her class. He was a hit! One young man looked at him and then turned to the teacher and said..."He is a mini me!" The teacher and I got quite a laugh and had to agree! :)
SO...Life in the Hubbard house is certainly blessed. God has been amazing throughout this journey and He continues to be!

Hope you all have a blessed week,
Tina

HOW ARE WE DOING?

2010-03-04T13:16:00.000-08:00

We have been home about a week and a half and things are going very well. Elijah loves roaming the house and playing with all of his toys. He is a very curious little guy and has to check everything out. He can make it up one step...and has already fallen off of it!

He loves playing with his sisters and brother and wrestling is his favorite. He is eating babyfood and enjoys most of it. (could do without the peas)

We have spent time with extended family and at Church. He did well. He likes to talk so we had Randy take him out a few times.He still likes Mommy to rock him to sleep. We know he is ready when he starts really whining. He will cry but not a lot unless he is really upset about something.

He is sleeping from about 830pm to 7 am and getting 2 naps a day. He has learned to cry when he wakes up because Mommy always gets him up right away! :)

Elijah was not afraid of our dogs but our dogs are not real happy about him! :) They keep looking at me like what did I do??!!

He is certianly one of my greatest joys! We waited a long time for him and I know why...God hand picked this little guy for our family. We could not have asked for a better fit for our family. One of our most precious gifts ever. We are truly blessed.

OUR LAST DAY IN ETHIOPIA...

2010-03-03T12:41:00.000-08:00

2/20/10
*I can't believe how quickly time passed while we were here. We will be headed home by late tonight. Today is shopping (FUN!) and the traditional lunch and coffee ceremony. Once that is done we will finish packing and head for the airport around 630pm. It is going to be tough leaving here. We have formed such strong bonds that we never expected to.
*Shopping was an experience. I am sure I will wish we had gotten more. I tried to remember to get several things for him throughout the years. Almaz is amazing at shopping! We had fun just watching her. :)
*The traditional meal was neat. I am a very picky eater so did not put much on my plate. Our cook looked at my plate and said "Where lunch?" Then she took my plate and put food on it!!! Thankfully, I was sitting next to Don and told him he had to eat what she put on there because I did not want to offend her but was not going to eat it! :) He did. And still filled his plate again so I did not feel too bad.
*We got to make injera as well...I did not do well with this. Mine turned out to be a donut looking thing. I told them it was because I was married to a police officer. Almaz just kept laughing and laughing at me!
Almaz is an amazing person. Everyone we have met here has touched our lives in such a big way but she seems to have touched it the most for me. She is exhausted today and yet still stays and talks with us after everyone has gone. She keeps telling us how muh she will miss us. She said we need to come back and Don says in 6 years and she says NO...2 years! :)
We have been so blessed by this trip to get our son. A journey that we will never forget!
Our last day in Ethiopia

Don, Almaz, Elijah, Tsegay, and me

One of Elijah's Nannies

Last day with Almaz

My sad attempt at making injera

Daddy and Elijah relaxing

**I promise this is the last journal entry while in Ethiopia that I will post! :) I just wanted it all on here!

VISITING THE ORPHANAGE DAY...

2010-03-02T14:59:00.000-08:00

2/19/10

Our day began early. We had prepared Elijah's bag the night before thinking he would be staying with the ladies at HOH2 (what we were told...just a miscommunication) but when the van arrived we were told they were taking us to drop the boys off at the HOH. This made me sad. I know they have done a great job with him but the idea of him being stuck in that crib again for the next 6 to 8 hours just made me feel sick! When we got there and took him up, everyone was excited to see Bereket but he just kept looking at me confused. I handed him to his nanny and gave her directions the best I could. I kissed him several times and promised we would be back soon and walked away with tears in my eyes. It was very tough. I could only imagine what he was thinking. "Hey, I've had it great the last few days, why did you bring me back?" Talk about feeling guilty!

Our ride to Numan was a little crazy. I took my dramamine (and really thank those who advised me to!). I still felt icky but just tried to keep my head laid back and take it all in. The country side was beautiful! The fresh air was wonderful.

So many things caught my attention as we drove. The livestock that was just roaming free where ever. I just knew we were going to hit one several different times. Children walking to and from school. Several towns with different "specialties" that they were well known for. Ficker was with us as our guide and translator so he told us about the different things and answered our questions. We saw lots of mud/grass huts with families sitting around outside or kiddos playing around them. In my mind I wonder what it would be like. Karen and I have said several times...we are so spoiled! We have never really known what it is to do without the major necessities. The things we think are important...but are they?

We get to the orphanage and there really are not a lot of kiddos there. We are told that several are at school. We give them all of our donations and then Ficker comes out and says all of the birth mothers are there and that the Hubbard's will go first. Don and I look at each other and say why do we always go first! The nerves kick in and I begin to shake. I tell Don to ask the questions and I will write so that I can do my best to keep my emotions in check. Our meeting was amazing. I will NEVER forget it. But as most of us know...this is Elijah's story to tell so I will not give much details here. I will say...we asked her why she named him Bereket and she said because he was a gift from God. I almost lost it there...we know he is! We did promise he would be raised in a Christian home which pleased her. We gave her a photo album and she teared up a little. Then when she saw the picture of our other kiddos holding his picture the day we passed court she cried and that was all it took for me...she was so happy that he had siblings who are already loving him so much! We got a picture and thanked her several times.

As we waited for the other families we got to see where our 3 boys met each other and became the "3 amigos". The most amazing thing is that the three birth mothers have also become great friends through all of this. God is so amazing in the way he works. I guess there are times when we need to be reminded of this.

Once everyone was finished they had a coffee ceremony for us. This was the first time I had coffee while here. YIKES...it is sure strong. I am a tea drinker not coffee. I did like the roasted barley. It was yummy. During this time Don had grown attached to a sweet little boy of about 3 years old. He had climbed into the van with Don and was enjoying the fruit snacks we had brought to share. I think if Don could have take him he would have. The little guy did not want to get out of the van.

We said our final good byes and said thank you again (just will never be enough!) and gave big hugs. She hugged us tightly but especially Don. I really think she was so thankful that he would have a Daddy!

We pulled out all in tears sharing our experiences together. I know we will treasure this forever and are so thankful we did this for our boy. She will always have a special place in our hearts! She gave her gift to us and we will forever be grateful for that.

We stopped and ate on our way back. It was great food and even I ate. (just no meat!) We enjoyed visiting more with Ficker. He is really a great guy and has been with us for most of our trip.

When we got back we ran up to get Elijah. When I walked in the room he was just sitting in the crib looking down at the floor. I bent down a little and said "Elijah" and he looked up at me and got a huge smile on his face. It was like he was saying," Hey you really did come back!" Yes my love and we will be together forever! I snatched him up and gave him lots of hugs and kisses.

We truly have been so blessed during this week and are sad to see it coming to a close. We leave in less than 24 hours. Where did the week go??

EMBASSY DAY...

2010-03-01T12:32:00.000-08:00

2/18/10
Today we had a very relaxing morning. We got partially ready for the appt and then hung out outside visiting. It was a beautiful day and Elijah loves being outside in the sunshine and in the playroom. After lunch we gave Elijah a sponge bath and got him ready. He looked so cute in his pooh outfit and hat. We left for the embassy at around 115. I was nervous and excited.
We had to drive about 30 minutes. I wish I could put into words everything I see. I find myself wishing for better for ALL the children I see wandering alone. Today I saw a young boy sitting by a very busy roadside. He had on men's clothing (way too big) and no shoes. As a Mom I wish I could protect him and that breaks my heart. He could have been very easily run over sitting there. That is when I wish I could do more!!! And I begin to pray for guidance on what God wants for us next.
It was very busy at the embassy. We had to cross the road~SCARY! We made it through all of the security checks with minor issues. (someone forgot to take the laptop out of the diaper bag!) We finally got to the waiting room. There was another agency ahead of us so we waited about an hour. Then finally, we heard "Hubbard family please come to window 6". All of our families cheered because we were the first of our group to go. At window 6 we met a very nice man from St Louis, MO. :) Don and he swapped sports stories...some ball baseball game that took place years ago!? Then he asked us to raise our right hands...we did and we look at Elijah and he has his left hand raised. The guy got a kick out of that. We answered our few questions...no really, I blundered through them! Then he stamped the papers and said all was approved and we would get our visa and passport tomorrow. I, of course, teared up! Our final step to be able to take our boy home.
We go tomorrow to visit his orphanage where he was relinquished. I have so many thoughts going through my head~ but most of all, how do I say thank you when I know that it will never seem enough! Our gift came at such a cost to her.

ETHIOPIA DAY 4...

2010-02-28T14:18:00.000-08:00

2/17/10 UP VERY EARLY!

Elijah finally did his business last night! :) He had 2 very full diapers right in a row and after the 2nd one he laid back on a pillow and rubbed his little belly...too cute...and of course we did not have the video camera on! We could see clearly that he felt so much better. He had 4 more dirty diapers before falling asleep.

The Museum was interesting. One family got to try out the outside potty room. An experience I pray I never have!!! (and I did not!)

(2/17 cont.)

We got to the Hilton today and confirmed our flights home and was able to send emails home. We were unable to send pics but knew just hearing from us would make them happy. We came back to lunch and enjoyed visiting again. We have made some great connections and lifetime friends here.

We were first to go with our paperwork today. You know how God tends to get those over confident people? Well...I did not look over the paperwork just let Don handle it this time. :) He filled out the I-600A...OOPS! Wrong one...then we are missing the last 4 pages of the I-864. We both begin to panic. Ficker keeps telling us "no worries" it happens all the time. We of course are freaking out! Then...Barrett to the rescue! :) He had brought extra blank copies and all was good! Ficker (not sure if I am spelling his name right)was so sweet...he just kept saying "NO WORRIES!" I kept thinking...you have no idea who you are dealing with...I am the queen of worriers! :) BUT...all is good now and we are prepared for our embassy appt tomorrow afternoon. PRAISE GOD!!! And thanks to the Coffman family being so much better prepared!

ETHIOPIA DAY 3...

2010-02-26T16:34:00.000-08:00

2/16/10

We got up and had breakfast...still no bm from Elijah but trying not to worry. (Loving that we can text home for advice!!) We all loaded up for the HOH1 to take pics for other families. We all arrived in 2 van loads. There were not too many of taking pics but they still shuffled us through way too quickly for us. We got to see from the tiniest to the older kiddos.

I was so overwhelmed with making sure I got all the pics that I almost forgot to soak it all in. This is where our boy spent the last 5 months of his life. As we began to walk around one of the nannies told us Bereket (Elijah) was a favorite. Everyone there seems to love him! We were able to meet one of his nannies and we kept thanking her for taking care of him and loving him until we could get there. We told her she did a great job!

As we took pictures I fell in love with all of the kiddos. Is that possible?

Another family arrived today and they are getting a 7 and 4 yr old. We love sharing stories, prayer and mealtime with everyone. As we finish our meal today, Almaz and Tsegay bring in their girls. We all teared up. Watching families unite is amazing but watching these older kiddos running into their waiting parents arms...simply amazing!

Almaz checked with us about Elijah and when we told her nothing yet she showed some concern. She ended up having the other ladies make him some tea to see if that would work. She has been such a great comfort and blessing to us. I can not imagine having this experience with getting to know her. She has been so willing to help us each and every minute she is here plus she is the one to put our precious boy into my arms!

DAY 2 OF OUR TRIP...

2010-02-25T17:49:00.000-08:00

2/15/10 **Elijah is 9 months old!**
Elijah slept from 830-430 then woke for a bottle. Today has been a long day. He is still smiley! :) Although, poor guy has not had a bm since we got him and I think he is a little uncomfortable. Almaz brought us meds to try and help.
We went on a tour of the city. It was neat and sad at the same time. I enjoyed hearing the history behind places but to see how some live breaks my heart. We saw people just sleeping anywhere on the ground. We have met 2 new families who arrived today, Coffman's and Whyte's. We got to see them united with their precious boys~ SO COOL! Our 3 boys have been together since their initial orphanage so we feel quite connected already. We also met up with several others. It is nice to be with so many who understand this whole journey and and that you can share with. Tomorrow we will go to the HOH to take pics for other families.
Elijah continues to be a dream come true. His smile will melt anyone's heart!
Loving this smile!

Checking out the view with Daddy.

Checking out the city.

Rocking Elijah to sleep! LOVE IT!!!

Blessings~

Tina

DAY 1...

2010-02-24T16:54:00.000-08:00

2/13/10
We arrived in Ethiopia at 10 pm and stayed the night in a Hotel.
2/14/10 "Sweetest Valentine's Day EVER!"
We woke this morning at 7 am and began calling Tsegay to find out when they would be coming to get us. Finally, around 830 am we made contact to find out they had been at the airport waiting for us the night before and had no idea we were at this Hotel. **A minor lack of communication!** When Donald talked to Tsegay he told him the we would get Elijah right away! We were overjoyed!! Our driver arrived around 9 and we were taken to the HOH2 and told Almaz would bring Elijah to us at around 10.
Our room at HOH2 is small but cozy. The bathroom is right outside the door so no big deal there. We decided to unpack and get organized before his arrival. With all of that done we laid down and waited. Then we heard a honk and knew is was him arriving. We were standing upstairs looking out the windows as Almaz took him out of the car. Three years we waited for this moment...We couldn't wait so we met her on the landing of the stairs! I took my precious boy into my arms and I was overwhelmed with such a love and peace that we had finally made it to this point!
He just looked at us not sure what was going on but he did not cry at all. He is not as big as we thought but still looks very healthy. Almaz gave us directions on his care and we thanked her several times and hugged her tightly and thanked her some more for our special gift. Then we headed upstairs to enjoy him.
Once upstairs we decided to take more photos and hold and cuddle him. Then I changed his clothes. He is a small guy so I am glad I brought 6-9 months. His feet are tiny!
We played with him some more and then he stuck his thumb in his mouth. So we decided to try a pacifier. He took it and is now sleeping soundly with Daddy.
It is hard to put into words how I am feeling right now. He is finally in our arms and I am so happy. He has the most beautiful eyelashes I have ever seen. They are so long that they curl up and those heart lips~ He is beautiful! Our precious gift from God!
We went down for lunch. It was not bad, although I did not eat the meat. Don did and enjoyed it. Neither of us cared for the injera. Elijah ate all of his cereal and was eyeing everyone else's food. Almaz joined us for lunch and we enjoyed getting to know her better. I think she will always hold a special place in my heart because she handed me my boy!
After lunch we came back to our room. I put Elijah down on the bed and he got up on his knees and crawled away. We were both speechless! We have since discovered our boy has 2 teeth, can crawl, and pull up to standing. We played for about 30 minutes before he crashed again but this time I got to rock him to sleep. It was wonderful! We all slept for about 1.5 hrs then got up and fed him a bottle. He is already showing his happy personality that we had seen in his pics. His smile just melts my heart!
Mommy and Elijah meet.

Daddy and Elijah

Looking a little unsure...

Praising God every minute for this gift!

Blessings,

Tina

WE ARE HOME!

2010-02-23T06:44:00.000-08:00

We landed in Kansas City at around 530 pm on Sunday night. We were all in a little shock as it was extremely cold and nasty out. It was snowing and was pretty bad conditions so our last landing was a bit scary!
Elijah did great traveling. The first long flight he slept a lot and then the second long flight he did great until the last 2 hrs and then was a bit fussy. My husband was a great Daddy the whole time. I get really bad motion sickness and if I got up I would feel really sick so he did ALL of the diaper changes on the plane and did the walking him around. I would feed and hold him while he slept. He was super dad!! Thankfully, we did not experience a poo diaper until we landed in Detroit so that was a blessing.
I have a lot to share but for now am just enjoying my boy. He is a great baby. He is enjoying all of the fun things he can get into right now. He is crawling and pulling up.
I will try to start tomorrow talking about our trip. It was great and we enjoyed it so much. It was hard for me to leave.
We are headed for our first Dr appt today.

Have a wonderful day,
Tina

1 MORE DAY...

2010-02-11T16:35:00.000-08:00

Actually, 19 more hours until we take off! 16 hours until we leave for the airport!! I am getting so nervous excited!! Is that possible?

We went to Adrian today and had lunch with my in-laws and then went and got my Dad to bring back with us. He is here and settling in. I just finished dinner...Chicken fajitas...YUMMY! I have made a turkey for them to munch on for sandwiches and am making turkey chili for their dinner tomorrow.

Well...as I am typing this I am thinking of a dozen things to do. We are headed to drop off all of Em's stuff at her "home" for the next 9 days.

If I don't post tomorrow it is because...well... I am very busy!!! :)

I look forward to updating when we get back!

Have a blessed night,
Tina

2 DAYS LEFT...

2010-02-10T16:46:00.000-08:00

Only 2 more days...

Today I was able to get quite a few things done. The house is clean...please let it stay that way! Laundry is caught up...run to the bank-DONE...Explorer-oil change...DONE! Also, got to Walmart for the kids' Valentine' gifts.

Tonight we had a little dinner with the family. Nothing fancy just brocc/cheese soup, sandwiches, and salad. The kids are all here for a change.

Tomorrow we have a little running to do then we will go pick up my Dad from Adrian. He is staying with Randy while we are gone and he will be getting Em on and off the bus every day.

Don also made a trip to the Dr. He has a sinus infection...UUGH! He was really starting to stand bad and they warned him that take offs and landing will probably be painful. Please say extra prayers for us. Thankfully, sinus infections are not contagious so I should be ok.

SO...we are so very close to take off...YIKES!!

GREAT NEWS: Several families passed court today without even knowing they had court! What a very cool surprise for all them. Congratulations! Now lets see some referrals!!!!!!

Have a great night all,
Tina

3 DAYS...

2010-02-09T18:35:00.000-08:00

We have 3 days left to get everything done! Really, things have gone by so quickly this week. I kind of thought it would drag on but I was very wrong!

Today we picked up our last antibiotic and our malaria pills for our trip. I also got some pics made to take with us. Then we went to the grocery store so my Dad and Randy would be set while we are gone. We dropped off a few things for Emilie while we are gone and went and picked up the global phone we will be using. That is just the errands we did. I also got Elijah's bed all ready for him...we will see if he chooses to sleep there or with us. We are good either way.

Don has not been feeling very well so he took the day off tomorrow to go to the Dr and see what is going on. We are thinking sinus infection again. I figure better to be safe! Then he will make the run to the bank and get the oil changed in the car and we are good to go there. My Dad will be driving my vehicle while we are gone.

SO...we are getting very close! I am so excited and a bit nervous as well. Please pray for us!!

Have a great night,
Tina

4 MORE DAYS...LUGGAGE IS PACKED-

2010-02-08T13:38:00.000-08:00

I have all of the luggage packed minus the prescription meds that we still have to pick up. I even have Emilie all packed except a few last minute items I will need to throw in. She has way to many clothes really...but seems to have been really hard on her jeans lately!

I still need to go to the store, bank and get some pics done plus a few other things but I am feeling pretty good today.

Emilie told her Dr today not to talk about riding on the plane because it makes Mom very nervous. She is so funny. When you think she is not paying attention she hears it all! :)

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CRAIN AND HANSEL FAMILIES! THEY BOTH PASSED COURT TODAY...YEAH!!!! And we get to take pics of these precious kiddos next week...woo hoo!

Have a great Monday!
Tina

5 DAYS...

2010-02-07T11:31:00.000-08:00

I love doing the countdown thing. I know it is annoying to some and maybe even most but for us...we are finally nearing the end of our roller coaster ride and headed into a journey of love for a lifetime. Our precious Elijah began as a dream...then he became oh so real to us (even before a picture) and then with a picture our hearts were his. We have been counting down days for over 3 years and now...we are almost there! And the funny thing is I don't think I could possibly love him any more than I do right now, but I know when they give him to me I will!
I had almost everything packed when I realized one of our borrowed bags had a tear in it. SO...I am borrowing another one and will finish that up tomorrow. I know this week will fly by so I am trying very hard to stay on top of everything and to not get too overwhelmed.
We are going to a Superbowl party at the skating rink tonight so that will keep my mind busy. This is the 2nd year we have done it there and it is a lot of fun for the kiddos and the adults as well.

Hope all is going well. Please continue to pray for those referrals to come in...still praying hard for that toddler boy before Fri! :) Also, there are some court dates that are on their 3rd or 4th tries this week so please please say extra prayers for them! We were blessed to pass the first time so I can only imagine the sadness and disappointment this brings.

Have a great Lord's Day!
Tina

6 MORE DAYS...& A MINOR PANIC ATTACK!!

2010-02-06T10:32:00.000-08:00

I am watching the days fly by right now and am working hard to complete my lists as much as possible. I do not like to leave my house in a mess so that is mostly what my lists are right now along with finishing up some small projects and packing. We still need to install the car seat but that is on Don's list and will be done on Thur before we leave on Fri.
Today I am washing Elijah's clothes that he will have once we return home. I had waited until now because I wanted to make sure I was all caught up on the other laundry first. These are all 12 months size so we will see if he is big enough to wear them or not. It is still so hard to tell in pics. In some he looks little and in some he looks bigger. We will only know when we get there I guess.
Now on to the panic attack...Today as I was getting ready to work on some more packing, I went into the nursery to get my notebook that had my packing list in it. It was gone...I started looking everywhere...Then I thought of Em. She loves to draw and write stories. SO...I asked her and at first she said ," NO I don't know where it is." I explained again just how important it was to me and she offered to help me look for it. Not too surprisingly she found it quickly and...it was in her room! I did good...I was very calm and thanked her for finding it and asked her to NEVER again take it out of the room. She said she was sorry and was just using it to write a poem to her brother. I am still trying to breath normally. :)
I hope you are all having a nice quiet weekend.

Please pray for those still waiting...

Blessings~
Tina

ONE MORE WEEK...

2010-02-05T10:45:00.000-08:00

YIKES...

Only 7 more days and we will be getting ready to board a plane to Ethiopia. I still have one suitcase to pack and both carry on cases. I think that should go smoothly the beginning of next week. My lists are going down a little and I feel like I am still in control of things here. Now...ask me this next Wed! :)

Our meeting at the school went well. I am hoping we will see good things come from it. And if we don't, I guess they will be seeing more of me.

It is hard to believe in a little over a week I will finally have our little boy in my arms. I had begun to wonder if it would ever happen and now we are getting so close. We are very excited in the Hubbard household right now!!

I hope you all stay safe and warm and have a great weekend.
Tina

8 MORE DAYS...

2010-02-04T18:51:00.000-08:00

Today I did not get my total list done. I had a rough night. Emilie was not tired and so I kept getting up to check on her. SO...I was very tired today.
I did get a few errands done and a favor for my hubby. Then I came home and tried to get motivated to get something done. It did not work...so I took a nap. Thankfully, I had dinner in the crock pot so that was already going and I got a 2 hour nap in. I did get a few things marked off the list and will have to add a few things to tomorrow's list.
Tomorrow will be a busy day beginning early with a meeting at Em's school. That should be fun! I am hoping things will go well and we will accomplish something with her teacher. If not I guess I will start a new calendar for the a countdown to the last day of school! :) This will be our 2nd meeting and we are involving the counselor and vice principal this time. Pray we are able to get through and that our tempers all stay in check. THANKS!!

Please keep praying for all of those waiting on something! I know we can all use prayers...and am so thankful for those willing to give up a few seconds to send a prayer up on my behalf...what a true blessing that is!

Have a great night all.
Tina

THE COUNTDOWN CONTINUES...

2010-02-03T16:56:00.000-08:00

9 MORE DAYS!!!
Today I was able to get a lot accomplished. I did laundry, cleaned the kids' bedrooms, our family room, the master bathroom, kitchen floor, and vacuumed both sets of stairs. I also typed up information sheets for the kids' schools and the people they are staying with. I was able to mark a lot off my lists today and that is always a great feeling.

Today I also received a cd in the mail of our little guy. He is the most beautiful baby boy. I am so in love with him and we are all getting so excited about getting him home.

Today we also were emailed who the other traveling families will be. It looks like we will have a few on the final flight with us and departing the first flight from Addis Ababa. It will be fun to share this experience with other families.

Please keep praying for those traveling right now or in the near future, I know we have a few court dates tomorrow and coming up and those still waiting!

Congratulations to the Williams family for passing court today...Beautiful baby girl!

Christy, still praying for that referral! Breann, praying for your court date tomorrow!!

Have a blessed night all,
Tina

10 MORE DAYS...

2010-02-02T16:03:00.000-08:00

Hubby looked at me today and with a huge smile said..."10 more days!" I was excited and scared all at the same time. He keeps making fun of my lists, which have grown to like 10-ish. He even asked if he needed to write down quality time with him on the list! Such a funny guy (sarcasm!)
I am working my way through my lists and making more lists as I need to. I do have our 3rd suitcase (donations) packed but I believe a few more items are coming. It only weighs 34lbs right now so we have room for more. I have most everything else organized to pack and have even started getting Emilie's things together to pack.
I have been playing so many things over and over in my head. I am sure most of you understand the "what ifs" that we worry about right before we travel. I keep thinking about the plane ride and "what if" I freak out since I am not a fan of confined spaces. Then there is the "what if" we get delayed on one of our flights and things get all messed up. And the "what if" things don't go well with the orphanage and birth mother visit...I mean come on is thank you truly enough??? So you see where I am at? And this is not to mention the "what ifs" about leaving our kiddos here without us. I guess I just need to get over all of this.
I also think about the first time I hold him and what it will be like? I am so in love with him already but I know when I get him in my arms I will be lost! I pray he feels the same way.

SO...10 more days and we will be on our way...Yes...10...MORE...DAYS!!!

Have a blessed night,
Tina

2 MORE WEEKS...

2010-01-29T09:14:00.000-08:00

REALLY!!??!!! WE LEAVE IN 2 WEEKS...THAT IS ONLY 14 DAYS!!!!
This week has not been a very productive one. After I was tested for allergies on Monday I started not feeling well. I don't know what it was but I was very tired and feeling a little overwhelmed along with it plus my stomach hurt a lot! The Dr wants me to make so many changes and most of them are not exactly cheap changes... normally it would be no big deal we would just do it...BUT we are getting ready to leave and are trying to keep our spending at a low so we will be able to travel comfortably and leave behind money for those with our kiddos so that they will have it when and if needed. So when you throw in having to buy several new prescriptions, plus have the pharmacist order body wash, shampoo and conditioner along with lotions, new bedding for our bed, and air purifiers...well it is all just a little much right now. On top of that we are supposed to be finding a home for our cat. (which I am allergic to also!) This cat is Em's cat and I am sure you can imagine how she feels about that. So...after 2 really bad days from her we have decided (unless some really good friends want her) the cat will stay in the basement for a few more months until things have settled around this house some.
OK...Now I still need to pack the last donation suitcase, pack our last clothing suitcase, get our carry ons packed and organized. I still need to organize the final pieces of paperwork and get a system prepared for taking pics for other families. I need to pack Emilie and get all of her meds and stuff together and written down. I have already prepared the family keeping her but a few things need to be adjusted. I need to pick up our last prescriptions to travel with, and more D batteries. I want to clean the house spotless before I leave... Do you think I can accomplish all
of this is 2 weeks...Really I only have 12 days to get it all done. YIKES...
Well...maybe I will be so exhausted from all of this that I will knock out on the plane instead of worrying about whether I will have enough space or air to survive the flights...Oh yes...that will have to be another post! :)

Have a wonderful weekend! We are going to have a family weekend...hoping to take Em to do something special that does not cost a lot of money!

Blessings~
Tina

IT'S A GREAT DAY...

2010-01-28T08:00:00.000-08:00

When you wake up and see new photos of your precious little guy!! He is such a handsome little one...Yes, I am biased but I think I am allowed! :) Thank you so much Crouch family. We were told he was happy, friendly and not afraid as they visited with him.
**This smile may be the official downfall of our being in charge!

I keep thinking...a little over 2 weeks...can I survive that long!! :) I better get myself busy now...because once he has arrived...I am not sure I will have time for anything but loving, cuddling, and playing with my boy!! :)

Have a wonderful day!

Tina

**God is an awesome God!!!

ALLERGIES...

2010-01-25T14:26:00.000-08:00

Today I went to an allergist for the first time. I had a scratch test done along with the needle stick tests done. They did not test for foods but other things. It was kind of creepy what they did test for...I understand trees, molds, weeds and such BUT rat, and cockroach...That freaked me out! AND I was highly allergic to roaches. ICK- I am also allergic to ragweed, molds different weeds, AND the cat. Yes the cat...so we are looking for a home for the cat. We are hoping we can get a home for her close. She has been with us for 7 years and is Emilie's cat. Emilie is not a happy girl. It breaks my heart to see her upset about it. Actually, poor Emilie is very angry right now about it.
I am also highly allergic to dust mites (ICK). He suggested special mattress coverings and pillow covers. I am going to check them out on line and see what the cost will be there.
I am going to have to take a lot of meds and hope they will help otherwise I will need to start taking weekly shots. He is also thinking my face splotching is maybe contact so I have to use special soaps and shampoo for awhile to see if that helps.
Isn't this the best time to have even more change to our lives!! I am feeling a little crazed about it right now. I know we will all adjust but I do really feel bad for Em. She has a lot of change coming her way and losing her pet is not going to help. The good thing is I was not allergic to her guinea pig!

Have a great week all!
Tina

A FUN DAY

2010-01-23T17:14:00.000-08:00

Today Emilie and I headed out for a small shopping trip. We had a list of items we needed to pick up including a pair of gray or khaki pants for Elijah. I have a very cute little polo for his embassy appt but did not like the pants I had ordered from Children's Place. (too heavy and too wide legged) The bad thing is I had checked several stores and was unable to find any pants in gray, khaki, or black. Today I was headed to B.R.U. and a few other places in hopes of finding a pair and getting a few other things done. First stop was Gordmans and did not find any there. They did have a lot of cute summer things but the only pants I found were in an outfit. And he truly does not "need" any more clothing! SO...I was able to get my father in law a birthday gift there along with a donation for the orphanage so it was not a wasted stop. Then on to lunch...Em chose Olive Garden and it, as always, was YUMMY!
Our next stop was the "baby store" as we call it. You would have thought I had taken Em to the toy store. She was so funny. She kept wanting to get him everything! I let her pick out a couple of binky clips and a holder and she chose a bib for him. We headed over to the clothing...and she was nuts! A girl after my own heart for sure. She kept showing me cute things and wanting me to buy them. I had to keep telling her no. I did find a pair of gray pants here. I opted for the 12 months because there was only an inch difference in the length between 6-9 and 12. Then I was so excited to find crib toys without batteries and they were under $10 so I bought 4 of them to take with us. I also broke down and got him a pair of shoes and a pair of fuzzy slipper things. I promised Don I would keep the tags on them and if they are too small I can return them but 1. They are too cute 2. They were on clearance!
Our next stop was to Target and there I found gray and khaki courds for 2.00 each. I went ahead and got them but I think they may be too warm for the embassy appt, from what I have heard. Our last stop was to finish father in laws b-day gift from the bird store.
Emilie had a great time shopping and so did I. I love seeing how excited she is about getting her brother. She found some of the cutest things for him and maybe after he gets here we will have shop some more! Just can't let Dad know...HA.
We spent the rest of the day at home. Don finally was able to get almost all of the Christmas decorations down. The snow is now almost all melted. The funny thing is I have the blow up things in my garage. They are blown up and drying out. That was a pretty funny sight when I pulled in from our shopping trip.

Please keep praying for those referrals, court dates, travel dates...and safe travels! Your support is what keeps us going.

Have a blessed night,
Tina

3 MORE WEEKS!

2010-01-22T13:18:00.000-08:00

REALLY!!!???!!! In three weeks from right now we will be on our first flight headed to get our baby boy. WOW- I still have quite a bit to do but have been able to cross several things off the lists.
Today...I got suitcase #2 completely packed and I still have 6.5 lbs to spare. WOOHOO I will hopefully, get started on suitcase #3 next week. It will hold mostly donations. I am not going to pack our last suitcase and the carry ons until the last week because we still need clothes and such until then. :) I will also have to get Emilie packed that last week and do some last minute errands. I just can't believe only 3 more weeks...AND in 3 weeks and 3 days we will have Elijah in our arms FOREVER!

Please say a special prayer that some referrals will come in soon. I know there are several out there waiting...but my special request is for a little guy 12-33 months (I think?)...Christy, I am praying for you!

Have a wonderful weekend!
Tina
***You chart the path ahead of me and tell me where to stop and rest. Every moment You know where I am. Psalm 139:3

GOD IS IN CONTROL...

2010-01-21T16:25:00.000-08:00

Well, apparently, I needed to be reminded once again that my plan is not always the right plan! Since we booked our tickets we had thought that we would arrive, spend the night in a Hotel, get picked up Sunday and be taken to our little guy. Well...found out today that was not how it was going to go. We will arrive, spend the night in a Hotel, get picked up on Sunday and be taken to our guest house. Apparently, there is no staff on Sundays to do the facilitating so we can not get him until Monday. I was not very happy with this news. I still can not imagine being minutes away from our boy and not get to see and hold and love on him! I have vented to family...and some great friends...and to my hubby (who is still pretty aggravated about it).
Then I began to calm down. I got some great advice from some who have been there. As I was still having my little pity party, I sent my son to get the mail. I got a card from my Aunt Carol, who has been such a source of help throughout this! It was a musical card...I teared up as I read it...then I opened it. The song...God is in Control by Twila Paris started playing. The tears came and I was clearly reminded that God IS in control and has been throughout this entire journey. It has been long...it has been hard...it has been frustrating...but we have not ever for one minute walked this alone or had control over it! And for that...I thank God! Because He brought us Elijah and OH MY GOODNESS...our lives are going to be so rich with this little guy! So...if I have to wait another day...I will not like it...but I will do it.
So...Aunt Carol, Thank you so much for the card and the "gift". You are such a wonderful person and I have been so blessed by you. I can not wait for Spring Break! When I can walk up to you and place my boy in your arms!! Thank you for praying and for being there to answer all of my questions.

Have a blessed night all,
Tina
***Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. 2Corinthians1:3-4

A PRODUCTIVE DAY...

2010-01-19T17:34:00.000-08:00

YES...today was a very productive day. I spent time cleaning the kids' bedrooms...they should be doing this themselves but...I wanted it done my way! :) I was able to mark that off the list early. Then I was able to get lots of my questions answered after talking with Missy for almost 2 hours on the phone! Yes...I talked on the phone...such a big girl I am. (HA) I am so appreciative to her for spending that time out of her day to help me better prepare for our trip. I took notes almost the whole time and Don came home for dinner and read over them. We both felt so much better about a lot of things. We are a lot alike on some things...we like to be prepared.
Then I tackled the "scary" crib full of things. I was able to get all of our donations, so far, packed in one suitcase with 2 lbs to spare. WOO-HOO I also was able to get another suitcase almost completely packed and still have 10 lbs to spare on that one. I still have things I need to put in it but still need to shop for those items. I think we are going to try and finish up the "to buy" list this weekend. I also was able to prepare dinner and get laundry done. I am finally starting to feel like myself again.
I have been on some meds due to several allergic reactions and I think that was kind of making me over tired plus I was allowing everything that was going to weigh me down. I do go next week to be tested for allergies and hopefully find out what is going on. I should have had this done years ago but have just put it off. So...please say a prayer for me next Monday...
Also, I wanted to say thank you to Tiffany ( I am mailing you a card as well!). I got this great surprise the other day when I got home. There was a box in front of my door...so I opened it to find some great treasures including the little bitty blue Bible (so sweet!). Emilie loved the bracelets...she said she is not going to take hers off until we get home...she said she's even going to shower with it on! I have the plastic pants packed already. THANK YOU...You are a great blessing to me and I appreciate your prayers and help!
We are getting closer...and are so very excited about it.
I am praying for everyone still waiting...

Have a blessed night,
Tina
***There is a right time and a right way for everything. Ecclesiastes 8:6
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!! HOPE YOU HAD A GREAT DAY...

OVERWHELMED...

2010-01-18T19:53:00.000-08:00

We have waited for what seems like forever to be here at this point of our journey. We are preparing to leave to get our little guy in a little over 3 weeks and the most I have done is make several lists and buy several things for our trip. I have sorted all his clothes and decided what I am taking for him. I have a crib full of stuff but every time I look at it I am so overwhelmed that I just stare at it all and then walk away. I just keep adding to the pile. Tomorrow my hope is to get some things packed and ready to go. I am going to make myself do this.
I am not sure if I am allowing fear to make me so unmotivated. It seems throughout this journey we get all prepared for something and then delays seem to come. We have had a close to complete nursery for about 2.5 years. I like to be prepared. :) And it has been used throughout those 2 years so I am glad it was there and available.
We do have our plane tickets purchased and lodging taken care of. We are getting there and I need to get myself in gear and get things done!
I keep praying for motivation...hopefully I will get it in full force tomorrow!

Please continue to pray for those families still waiting on something...I know it is hard to wait...but I do promise those still waiting...it is such a blessing and so worth it when it comes!

Have a blessed week and I will keep you informed on my progress!
Tina
***Fear thou not; for I am with thee. Isaiah 41:10

ELIJAH IS 8 MONTHS OLD!!

2010-01-15T08:07:00.001-08:00

Our little guy is 8 months old today. In 4 weeks from today we will be preparing to board an airplane on our way to get our little guy. We are so very excited. We paid for the plane tickets yesterday (OUCH!) and have started picking up things for our trip. I was able to go to Walgreens and get some great deals on meds to take over and donate.
His crib is full of things we are collecting to pack. I have all of his clothes and other needed items ready but can't really pack anything for him until I prepare to pack for us. I am going to divide all of our stuff between 2 suitcases just in case one is lost on the way. PLEASE LORD...let us make it with all of our luggage! I am also packing an outfit a piece in our carry ons so we should be ok.
Hope you have all had a great week. Mine has ended much better than it began! I am feeling much more positive about everything and trying to keep myself focused on the positive and not the negative.
Please continue to pray for those waiting...referrals, court dates, travel dates...and other things!

Have a wonderful weekend!
Tina

HAPPY 8 MONTHS LITTLE GUY! WE LOVE YOU AND WILL SEE YOU IN A MONTH!!

GOD HEARD THIS MOMMY'S PRAYER!

2010-01-13T13:12:00.000-08:00

I have been a bit bummed lately. We got updated photos on Monday and are so thankful for them. In the pics he looks kind of sad to me. I tried to tell myself that maybe he was not feeling well that day. But my heart kept saying something different. I am sure all other Mommy's would get this! Not everyone agreed with me and tried to cheer me up but it just wasn't working for me. My Mommy heart was so sad for him and just wanted to go get him then and there. Then yesterday we got updated stats on him and that did not help. If we were to go by the stats it looks as if he has not grown much at all, but looking at his updated pics tells me that somehow something is off, either at referral or now. I have been told he is good size and he obviously, looks healthy. So I started praying that God would give me peace about all of this and would please hold my little one tightly until I can get there.
Today we had to run and get a few things notarized so we could get them sent off and we returned home with about 15 minutes to spare before our travel conference call. While the call was taking place we realized we had forgotten to print off something so hubby got the laptop and clicked the email button. To our great surprise there was another pic of our little guy. We clicked on it and...

My Mommy's heart was full and happy again! How could it not be. Our little one is sitting up (even if it is just leaning) and SMILING! I just stared and whispered Thank you God! And I promise I did still pay attention to the conference call. I was just a lot happier about doing it.

We have new tickets on hold now and plan on ticketing them tomorrow probably. We will be headed to our little guy on Feb 12 and returning home on Feb 21. We are getting very excited. This Mommy wants to get a hold of her boy!

I hope you all have received a blessing today~

Have a great day,

Tina

***A heart at peace gives life to the body. Proverbs 14:30

UPDATED PHOTOS!

2010-01-11T19:49:00.001-08:00

We got updated photos of Elijah tonight. He didn't seem quite as happy as we have seen him but he is still so beautiful. Those eyes just get me everytime!

TRAVEL DATE CONFIRMED...

2010-01-11T10:26:00.000-08:00

Not exactly the date we were hoping and praying for...but a date none the less! Our embassy date is set for Feb 18th. We will be leaving around the 13th and returning on the 21st. My mother says she had planned to run and hide on her birthday but now she plans on running to the airport! Her birthday is the 21st and it is a BIG one for her this year!
SO...now we can book our tickets, which we are being told they may be more since we are traveling later. (that is how things seem to go for us) and we can begin packing and preparing. We are staying at our agency's guest house, which is what I wanted.
Although we are SO very excited about having an exact date, we are also a little bummed that it is the later date. We know there is a reason and I am praying it is the reason I am hoping for!
Now time to get to those lists!! I have cleaned some today and really need to get on the laundry. The crib is getting full of all the items I am gathering to pack so now I can actually start packing them.

Keep praying for travel dates, referrals, court dates, we all seem to be waiting on something!

Have a wonderful Monday,
Tina

CHILDREN...

2010-01-10T12:54:00.000-08:00

Today has been a pretty good day. Good sermon at Church...I always seem to hear what I need to out of it, especially on days I really need it! What a blessing that is.
I have 2 extra kiddos for a day. Heidi we have quite a bit and her brother Matthew, we used to keep before he started school this year. Their Mommy is in the hospital again with pneumonia. Please say a prayer for her that she can get well and get home to her kiddos. Heidi slept in "Don's" bed with me last night(she calls our bed Don's bed???), we have transitioned her out of Elijah's crib. Matthew slept on a cot in the office. They both slept very well last night. I got all of us up and around for Church this morning, with the help of Randy (thanks son!). He installed car seats and loaded them up for me. Now Heidi is napping and Emilie and Matthew are playing on the wii.
I was thumbing through my devotions just seeing one that would fit my mood for today. **LOVE this book my in-laws gave me for my birthday.** I found this one and I hope you all enjoy it, too.

This is what the Lord says..."I will comfort you as a mother comforts her child." Isaiah 66:12-13
***Raising children is the most difficult, rewarding, exhausting, beautiful, chaotic, amazing job a woman can have. It's a mixed bag of dynamic emotions, pure affections, and unwavering devotion. When her children need comfort, a true mother instinctively provides it. God is the same way with His children. When you are hurting, He is there without fail, reaching out to you.

I hope you all are having a great Lord's day,
Tina

TRIALS...

2010-01-08T22:51:00.000-08:00

Just because we are getting closer to the end of this very long journey does not mean that there won't still be some bumps along the way or that we won't feel a little more disappointment when things do not go the way we want them to. Yes...once again we are there. This is nothing major! Just that we may travel a few weeks later than we thought. We will hopefully know for sure this coming week. NO BIG DEAL, right? As our daughter says...what is 2 more weeks compared to over three years! I am feeling ok with it. I am praying if that is God's will then that is what will be. Don, not so much! He is out of town and I called to tell him and he text me later..."I just want to go get him!" Now let me tell you...that broke my heart! This man has been my rock for three very long years. When I would break he would pick up the pieces. SO...to hear his sadness and then to see those words was almost more than this gal's heart could take. And what advice did I have for him. **PRAY** I know there is nothing I can do to change things...I would if I could.(as he has said to me many times over the 3 years!) There is only One that can make things change and that is what I am holding to. If it is 2 weeks later then there is a reason and it is part of the plan! Hey, I will get a trip to Ethiopia for Valentine's Day...and the sweetest gift EVER! SO...I will throw in some optimism and hang to the fact that God will continue to carry us through all of this and we will walk out with our beautiful boy in our arms! My God can move mountains and I have surely seen that in the last month.

When you have many kinds of troubles, you should be full of joy, because you know that these troubles test your faith, and this will give you patience. Let your patience show itself perfectly in what you do. Then you will be perfect and complete and will have everything you need. James 1:2-4
God never discounts the pain you go through during life's difficult trials, but He always finds a way to use your pain for your advantage. Through trials, He reveals to you the quality of your faith, so you can see where your weaknesses are and take these things to Him in prayer. Without trials, you might never realize the deep comfort of His presence or the penetrating glow of His eternal love.

Have a great weekend!
Tina

AWE...THE LITTLE SOCKS....

2010-01-08T13:17:00.000-08:00

YES...I have officially now lost my mind!!!! Ok...so maybe not quite. I have washed the first load of Elijah's things. (Not the ones I promised I wouldn't but the others) Those little socks are killing me! SO SWEET- I can not ever rememebr my kiddos having such small little feet. Oh, I know they did-really smaller- but oh my, I am lost in babyland right now just folding his laundry. I can not imagine how I will be when he is sitting her with me. I will never get my list done again! YIKES...
Today I did get to the store and have done some laundry and picked up the house some. I really need to clean the kitchen floor but I clean it and then the pups need to go outside and they track the snow right back in with them. Never ending cycle.
I am having a bit of a girls night tonight. Two of my best buds and my oldest daughter Tifanie (I think) are coming over for dinner and a movie! I will turn off my computer and enjoy their company! Now I MUST repeat this ten times!! So I will actually do it. :) By the way, Em will be here, also, but my hope is that she will want to be on the computer or playing her new PS2 games that she will be too busy for us. We shall see.

Please continue to pray for all of those waiting people! We all seem to be waiting on something, right.

Have a wonderful weekend!
Blessings~
Tina
***On the day I called, You answered me; You made me bold with strength in my soul.
Psalm 138:3

OUR TRAVEL CALL...

2010-01-07T13:09:00.000-08:00

I got an email saying that our travel conference call will be next Wed (13th). When I saw the email my heart began to beat faster and I got butterflies in my stomach! I know this is one step closer to us actually getting on a plane to go get our baby boy! SO EXCITING!!
And yet...what have I gotten done today??? HMMMM...well...I have washed and folded two loads of laundry and started another load. I did get lunch done and cleaned up...AND well...that is just about it so far. OH YES...I made my bed (that is a must for me anyway!).
I have had no motivation AT ALL today! I sit my rear down and get on face book and check emails and blogs and...well, I am truly being pathetic! I have a growing list of things to do to prepare to travel, in what could be 3 weeks tomorrow, and here I sit! I think I am overwhelmed right now. I am trying not to get ahead of myself for fear of disappointment. If I have everything packed before we have actual confirmation of our embassy date then I will be so sad if we end up with a later date. So instead...I guess I am choosing to really stress myself out by waiting! :) I do have some things prepared to pack but have not actually packed it because of how I would like to pack it all. Make sense?? Well...it does to me! :)
Emilie has had 2 pretty great days so maybe spending this extra week here at home with Mom will help her. I do know she is getting bored and is ready to head back to school. We are praying for decent weather for Monday!!

Hope you are all staying warm and are having a wonderfully blessed day,
Tina
***My...sisters, be full of joy in the Lord. Philippians 3:1

WHAT SIZE TO TAKE????

2010-01-06T17:31:00.000-08:00

Today I decided to figure out what we are going to take for Elijah. The crib is filled with all of it right now. My only concern is if he will be able to wear it all. I am taking mostly 6-9 months, 9 months and a few 12 months. All of the 6-9 are 2 pc so I am hoping they will work ok even if he only wears them one time they will serve a purpose and we can pass them along to someone else. I have compared most of them to all the sizes and I chose the ones with the longest pant legs to take. I am not washing them so I don't have to worry about them shrinking. ***You must know that I am making myself not wash them!***I always wash before we wear! Some of these clothes have been hanging in his closet for almost 3 years! I have bought most of it on clearance so they all have tags of like 3.00 and 5.00! Gotta love clearance!
I asked another adoptive Mommy (Missy) what size he was compared to her little one and she said about maybe 9 months. Then I emailed our consultant and asked if we would get updated stats soon. She said it should be coming soon. :) YAH!!!
SO...this is today's stress! Wonder what it will be tomorrow??? :)

Hope you are all staying warm! My kiddos will be out of school again today and tomorrow AND Friday. An extra week of Christmas vacation will now take a week away from their summer vacation.

Have a blessed night all,
Tina

ANOTHER DAY AT HOME...

2010-01-05T19:51:00.000-08:00

SO...today was an inclement weather day...tomorrow will be the same...and it looks like the rest of the week will be the same! UUGH- Please, I do love my kiddos...BUT I am ready for some normal to begin again.
I believe Em is struggling with the idea of Mom and Dad leaving her for a week+. She has been acting out a bit more than usual. We are trying to hang out with her a little extra and do some extra fun things with her. She has gone to camp for 10 days before and gone to camp for 7 days for 2 years in a row. We are keeping her in as much of her routine as possible while we are gone. She will ride the bus to and from school and go to her normal lessons. She is a routine child which is part of the problem right now as well. We got her prepared to go back to school and now she is still at home and getting a little bored. Anyway, that is what we are dealing with right now.
Don got his upgrade on his cell phone a little early so we would have better contact while we are traveling. He has been trying to figure it out all night. We should be able to text and do facebook a little while we are gone and call home.
We are hoping to hear confirmation of our embassy date within the coming week. We have tickets on hold right now but we can change them if need be. We just wanted to get the better rate while we could.

**Some families did not pass court today for paperwork reasons, please pray for them. I know they have heavy hearts right now.

Have a warm and blessed night!
Tina

AND SO THE LISTS BEGIN...

2010-01-04T17:43:00.000-08:00

I am a HUGE list person. As my hubby says...I probably have lists for my lists...and sometimes I do! :) I am a pro at vacation packing and I love being the one to pack the car because I WILL make it all fit plus the kiddos! BUT this preparing to travel overseas to bring home Elijah is different. I know there is a packing list to follow and I have tried to keep emails and posts of those BTDT families to help but... when you are unsure of sizes and all it is hard to pack for the little one. We were told in the beginning he was a big boy, BUT as we see updated photos he does not look that big. I do not want to over pack and have things we do not need BUT I really do not want to be without something that we will most definitely will need! SEE...I could and probably will drive myself crazy over the next 3weeks! Not only do I need to prepare us to travel BUT...Em will be staying with friends of the family so I need to have her packed and all of her stuff that goes with her. I need to make lists for my Dad who will be here with Randy and putting Em on the bus each day and taking care of our pets. UUGH- OK...I just need to breathe! I am also doing the whole nesting thing. I am trying to start out the year by de-cluttering some things. I think I got a lot of it done today. My house is clean and that makes me a happy person and a nicer person to be around! :)
We are also working on trying to book a flight but so far the one that is on hold, we discovered, will not work. SO...back to the drawing board tomorrow. SO much fun!! I am getting very excited about going to get our little guy. We are finally so close...
The kids are out of school again tomorrow. I believe because of the very low temps. I was ready for them to go back TODAY! I know I love having the home most of the time BUT today was rough day and I was SO ready for them to go back. Then when I found out they were out...I figured it was God reminding me to enjoy my children...even if they drive me crazy sometimes!

Hope you all are staying warm and have a blessed week! Please pray for the families with court dates this week, plus for those waiting on court dates, referrals, and travel dates! CONGRATULATIONS to the families who received referrals today!

Blessings~
Tina

HAPPY BIRTHDAY RANDY!

2010-01-01T07:24:00.000-08:00

NEW YEARS DAY 1993...started with a new baby boy. 2010 begins with us headed to get a new baby boy! How excited we were 17 years ago to start our lives as a family of 4 and now soon we will be a family of 6!

We have many changes headed our way this month. Randy is now 17 and wants to enlist in the military delayed program. He will not leave until after he graduates in 2011. This has been his goal since he was a vry small boy and I am glad to see him follow through. I am nervous about it but it is his life and to see his goal reached makes my heart sing.

SO...HAPPY BIRTHDAY RANDY!!

LOVE,

Mom

2010 PROMISES TO BE A GREAT YEAR!!!

2009-12-31T19:16:00.000-08:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR...tomorrow I will be posting about a certain boy and his birthday...so today I will say Happy New Year to all!

I am anxiously awaiting 2010 and the wonders it will behold. A baby in our home again after 11 years!! One that we have dreamed of for many years and waited on for 3 years. We are so excited and are planning many activities in the coming months. BUT first we have to get the little guy home and we are praying that it will be happening in 4 more weeks!

I hope that God blesses your 2010 with lots of love and happiness!

Have a blessed night!
Tina

RANDOM CHRISTMAS PICS...

2009-12-30T11:05:00.000-08:00

Our house Christmas morning before everyone opened the gifts. Elijah's picture was on the mantle and he had a stocking as well.
Emilie did her annual gingerbread house.

Emilie's Christmas program at Church. She was Mary in the Nativity.

She also played herself. Our program was taking a trip down memory lane. We took a trip back through 10 years of videos and programs. It was great! We took many pics of Christmas but most did not turn out very well. This was the highlight of our Christmas '09. We are very excited about what 2010 has in store for us.

Have a blessed day,

Tina

FINALLY GOT OUR SHOTS!

2009-12-28T19:44:00.000-08:00

We had our appt to get our shots today at the health clinic. We just made it last week! I have procrastinated this one very thing for the adoption. WHY? Because I hate to get shots. I am a BIG baby! The idea of a needle going into my skin makes me sick to my stomach. Well...today I knew we had to go because PRAISE GOD we are getting very close to traveling to bring our little guy home. All morning I felt like I was going to throw up...I knew it was just nerves so I prayed and tried not to think about it. But my great Hubby decided to keep reminding me of it!! :) Anyway...I ended up getting 3 shots and one pill form and opting not to get the other 3 they wanted me to. The Nurse kept telling me to just think about getting them. I told her I would and guess what? I THINK I am NOT getting them! We had budgeted for the cost of the shots and we were under budget by $140...WOO HOO!
Now we are trying to get in contact with a few travel agents with experience in international adoption travels. We have heard from one but the other has not contacted us back yet.
Our plan is to stay at our agencies guest home that was recently done. I think we may be traveling with a large group so we will see if it is available. So much to plan and do in the next 5 weeks or so. I have started my lists so that makes me feel like I have some control...HA!

Blessings~
Tina
For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him. Philippians 2:13

UPDATED PHOTOS!

2009-12-27T19:13:00.001-08:00

We woke to some updated photos of our little guy today. (Thanks Salyers Family!) Isn't he just so cute! We sent this bib so we could have a record of his first Christmas even though he was not home with us! And we sent him a little photo album so he could look at Mommy, Daddy, Sissy, Bubby, and Emi. Yes, those are the names they want him to call them! Ha- They don't realize that sometimes it just doesn't work out that way. :) He is 7 months old in these photos. Such a beautiful little one!

This is my favorite of the ones sent! Just that sucking in the lower lip and those eyes! I can not wait to love on him!!!!

Hope you all had a safe and wonderful weekend! Please remember to keep those with court dates coming up in your prayers...along with those getting ready to travel!

Have blessed night,

Tina

SHARING MY THOUGHTS...(Extra long!)

2009-12-27T11:33:00.000-08:00

I wanted to blog about my feeling on Christmas Day. Not those of pure joy, which I am sure you could read, but those of the pain of the unknown...
We had so many people praying for us on the 24th and I can not tell you how many told me they were up between 1am and 3 am praying for us! I still sit here in awe of it. I was CERTAIN we would pass and find out quickly! That was not to happen. I had a friend text me and say she had just prayed that we would get an email from our consultant to let us know something. I had just opened that email about 1 minute before I received the text. Sharon just let us know that she has not been able to contact them and had heard nothing but to be encouraged. When I read it...I cried! Poor Emilie thought we had not passed and began crying too. I looked at her and asked her why she was crying...she said we failed didn't we! Then I had to comfort her...poor girl! Anyway, I made the necessary phone calls to anxiously awaiting family and friends. I did call hubby first, he was at work. He took as hard as I did. Let me say, this three year journey has at times been rough for us!
I had planned on going to Christmas Eve service at our Church but Don said the roads were really icy and the ice was still coming down. SO...I told Em we were not going to be able to go and she was very sad about that. (Emotional Day!!) I was looking forward to it as well. I knew it would help me get in the mood I needed to be in...the real reason for Christmas! But a few minutes after I made the announcement, one of our elders called and informed us it had been cancelled due to the weather. SO...the guys made it home from work and we did our traditional tacos and watched A Christmas Story (You'll shoot your eye out!) Don then went and got our oldest at work and she stayed the night. We read the Nativity before we all headed to bed.
I woke up at 3 am Christmas morning and I walked through the house a few times...I prayed that God would give me peace for the day. I was so sad and I did not want to ruin the kids' Christmas. (This is the 3rd year I have done this!) After that I woke about every 30 minutes and laid in bed and prayed the same thing over and over again. Then at 6 am I decided to check the email before everyone got up. NOTHING-I laid back down and prayed and cried! I just knew we were going to see our Christmas miracle this year and yet...it sure did not look like it at this point. The kids were up at 7 and we began opening gifts. At one point a comment was made that I was too tired and shouldn't have been up all night! I lost and it and started really crying! My kids gathered around their "crazy" mom and just held me. I knew I had to get it together for their sakes if not for anyone else!
By 930 I had probably check our email 20 times. (in between fixing breakfast and cleaning up)Finally, I decided to shower get ready to head to my in laws. As I showered I prayed again and asked for peace and finally gave it all back over to HIM! I dressed and found my devotion book and found the perfect devotion and decided to put it in my blog along with my struggle for the day.
As I was pulling up my blog I saw that I had a few more emails and decided to check them. There it was...YOUR ADOPTION HAS BEEN APPROVED!...I started crying and yelling for everyone to come here. They all thought I had finally gone off the deep end, I think! But with tears of JOY I told them that we had indeed received our Christmas miracle and we all hugged and held on to each other!
We made lots of phone calls, emails, texts, and posted on facebook. You should have seen us all trying to post things and pics and everything!
Before we headed out for the day...I walked back into the office and looked at the devotion book still sitting there opened to the page I had chosen...I thanked God for our miracle...and for taking us on this long journey to our little guy. What a blessing we are getting from all of it...even the hard times. Elijah will know just how much he has been loved, even before he was conceived!
We are praying in about 5 weeks we will have our boy in our arms. That will be our biggest miracle of all!!
Now the devotion: "Endurance"
Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. Hebrews 12:1-2
You long to scream "ENOUGH!" and turn your back on everything, but you don't. At times like this, God raises your spiritual eyes to Jesus, the one who not only walks with you but has gone before you to the end. Trust Him to take you to the finish. There you will thank Him for making it possible for you to endure present hardship and reap the eternal reward of achieving His purpose for your life.
I just wanted to share this with anyone who would read it. I have faith and I trust in God but I have those moments when I wonder WHY? And Christmas morning as tough as it was...was something I needed to help me to remember that as I prayed I was not fully handing it all over. I am sure in the coming weeks I will deal with things as well and I pray that I will give it over and leave it!!

Have a blessed Lord's Day!
Tina