Carpenter's Children

This Life is Meant to Be

2011-02-06T07:47:00.000-05:00

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." ~Jeremiah 29:11

Happy Metcha Day!

2011-01-21T23:56:00.014-05:00

Three years ago today on a warm sunny day in Ethiopia, we met our little ones for the first time!

In the van on the way to the transition home, I remember feeling completely unprepared for this amazing, challenging roller coaster of a ride called motherhood, despite the stacks of parenting books I had read and the countless hours filling out paperwork tolling what a great mom I would be.

And then it happen... I got to hold Josiah...

and then I got to hold Alexandra...

Truth be told, I was unprepared. I had no idea that these two little ones would make their way so deep down in my heart that every day I love them more and am in awe of how God brought them into my life. I am one very blessed mama.

Even more special this year, we get to spend this day with our travel buddies. All of our little ones are not so little any more. They are all amazing and so precious.

Happy Metcha Day, Davids, Mihnovichs, Singletons, and Stums!

As Tracy said, "Adoption rocks!"

Happy Timkat

2011-01-19T23:15:00.000-05:00

Our December and January are full of special days and holidays. So full that our final Christmas decorations came down just last week. Today we celebrated the Ethiopian holiday of Timkat or the baptism of Jesus. Here's a short blurb from National Geographic about Timkat.

We saw the video on Ethiopia from which this segment came before we traveled. As it so happens, we were actually in Ethiopia three years ago on Timkat. It was such a special time because it is the biggest holiday for the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. Not to mention that fact that the next day we were able to hold our little ones for the first time.

We didn't do a huge celebration this year, but I wanted to acknowledge the day with Josiah and Alexandra. God definitely worked out the details for me because we had two baptisms at church this Sunday. They were able to see a baptism and our pastor talked about what it means to be baptized.

Today, we talked about Jesus' baptism. We also talked about Ethiopia and how the church there celebrates the day. In honor of that, we gave both the kids umbrellas. (Watch the above video if our choice of gifts doesn't make sense.)

They were so excited and couldn't wait to show Grandma.

They can be left white or decorated and Alexandra was very excited to hear that she could paint her umbrella.

The Carpenters wish you a very happy Timkat!

Have a Very Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T09:51:00.000-05:00

Star of Bethlehem

2010-12-20T19:31:00.000-05:00

I'm sure I'm not the only mom who is continually amazed at her child's development and learning, but Alexandra has not ceased to amaze me this autumn. While Josiah is at school for a few hours, she and I have our own activities to do together. Some times we bake or go shopping or craft. Today we were gluing together a crèche.

She was very deliberate with her glue and put it just where she wanted it. Then she put her star on top and remembered hearing about the star in Sunday school yesterday. This is what she said:

And recently whenever I have my camera out, she also wants to take pictures. She has her own child's camera and can take some decent (albeit blurry) pictures.

The Ornament Hanger

The Star

Mary

Joseph

Baby Jesus

Here is her final product:

She did a great job with very minimal help from Mama. As a recovering perfectionist, it is hard for me not to "correct" or try to make it "better". I want her to learn how to do these things and feel the pride that comes with completing a project all by herself.

Everlasting Father

2010-12-19T14:24:00.000-05:00

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.

~Isaiah 9:6-7

Papa's 80th Birthday

2010-12-15T22:30:00.007-05:00

My grandparents both had wonderful celebrations with the whole family on both of their birthdays. I made a video for my Grammie's 80th, but hadn't yet done one for my Papa. So three years later, without further ado, here it is:

P.S. I'm pretty sure my grandparents don't read this blog. They are getting these DVDs for Christmas, so be very shh about it if you know them.

Support the Laughner's Adoption

2010-12-15T14:50:00.000-05:00

Another AWAA adoptive family, the Laughners, are trying to raise funds to bring home their beautiful daughter from Ethiopia. Below is the sweet montage they made of this precious girl. Please prayerfully consider supporting them one piece at a time.

Life in the Desert

2010-11-28T08:13:00.000-05:00

The poor and needy search for water,

but there is none;
their tongues are parched with thirst.
But I the LORD will answer them;
I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.
I will make rivers flow on barren heights,
and springs within the valleys.
I will turn the desert into pools of water,
and the parched ground into springs.

~Isaiah 41:17-18

Universal Hunger

2010-08-08T09:12:00.001-05:00

"There is more hunger for love and appreciation
in this world than for bread."
- Mother Teresa

Braiding and Bonding Time

2010-08-07T22:58:00.022-05:00

Somewhat unintentionally, I spent the greater part of the last few days braiding, about ten hours total, not counting our breaks for eating, playing, and napping. I hadn't really intending on making such small braids and so many, it just kind of happened as I started. Here's the result:

As you can see, I did her hair in stages, a quarter at a time, so here she is during one of our breaks today ~~harassing~~ petting Columbus.

I have such a gorgeous, funny girl.

Because it made me laugh the first time when she did it accidentally, she asked me to take a picture of her toppling over in her car. She loves it when I laugh at something she does.

Alexandra has only mama as a playmate for a few days as Josiah is with Nana (aka Gabe's mom). I miss Josiah terribly, but I do so love time alone with just one of my kiddos. Her personality shines through and I get to enjoy her, for her, all the more. In her car, Alexandra "went" to the post office and posted a pretend letter for me and on her way home, stopped off at the library to pick up a few books. I love how this little girl's mind works.

Maybe it's because they are finally still or maybe it's because they look so angelic, but whatever the reason, I so enjoy taking pictures of my little ones sleeping. I think my little girl is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen and this is just one of those moments when I get to capture that for all to see.

Alexandra used to be a daddy's girl through and through, but somewhere along the line, she decided that Mama ranks pretty highly too. Yesterday she said to Gabe, "Daddy, you can’t marry mama; she’s my best friend." Obviously we have to go over the whole daddy is married to mama thing again, but I can't help but smile when I hear that my baby girl thinks of me as her best friend. *sighs* I know it won't last forever, but I'll take it when I can. Here's to you my beautiful girl. I love you.

Fun in the Sun

2010-07-27T15:21:00.001-05:00

This morning we went to Hope Lake for some fun in the sun with Grandma and Grandpa.

These are my favorite pictures of the day.

She is such a cutie, my beautiful girl. Of course, Alexandra will often remind me that Josiah is handsome too. He's my little handsome man. We have such fun together.

In the Garden

2010-06-06T08:51:00.000-05:00

I come to the garden alone
While the dew is still on the roses
And the voice I hear, falling on my ear
The Son of God discloses

And He walks with me
And He talks with me
And He tells me I am His own
And the joy we share as we tarry there
None other has ever known

He speaks and the sound of His voice
Is so sweet the birds hush their singing
And the melody that He gave to me
Within my heart is ringing

And He walks with me
And He talks with me
And He tells me I am His own
And the joy we share as we tarry there
None other has ever known

I'd stay in the garden with Him
'Tho the night around me be falling
But He bids me go; through the voice of woe
His voice to me is calling

And He walks with me
And He talks with me
And He tells me I am His own
And the joy we share as we tarry there
None other has ever known

~In the Garden

Abandonment Pain

2010-06-02T23:17:00.002-05:00

These past couple of weeks, I have been a wreck thinking about abandonment pain and the feelings of being unlovable that go along with it. As Angel at the Voice of Adventure puts it, I have been "overwhelmed by ugly". I feel overwhelmed and helpless when I think about the pain my little ones still have yet to go through. When parents leave because of death, divorce, or just their own problems, at one time or another, children feel abandoned. No amount of being wanted by another parent or even God can stop that feeling from welling up every now and again, a feeling of being unlovable. We can even tell ourselves that our parent leaving was really for the best. And it can be true. Still the pain, the hurt is real.

There are times when you want to cry so hard, you can't and as Christine at Welcome to My Brain writes, "Healing from trauma takes time, even for the parents." It's just plain hard. It's hard for our little ones who will have to go through this many times as they grow and mature emotionally from one stage to the next. And it's hard for parents who also have to go there with our children.

I'm trying to learn from Apryl as she deals with adoption angst. I know that the questions her daughters are asking will some day be asked of me. I'm glad for this. I want to be there for my little ones and help them grow up healthy. I just don't relish the uncertainty and the helplessness I will feel, not to mention reliving some of my own baggage. I pray that God will show me how to help heal their hearts as they grieve their losses.

Along with the abundant joys, there are so many losses, both good (poverty, malnutrition) and bad, in adoption. Be Bold Jen wrote a wonderful devotional about saying goodbye and following God's lead. Children who are adopted needed to say goodbye to their birth parents whatever the reason. Thankfully, like for Abram, God had a plan for my children and brought them into a family. Involuntarily, they were following God's lead and as they grow, they will hopefully own that decision. While it is by no means ideal, it is for the best. I am once again reminded of the song "Everything to Me" by Mark Schultz, who through the song thanked his birth mother for giving him life. And then of this man's story of his own adoption and adopting his child. He too thanks his birth mother for giving him life and his adoptive parents for their love.

Bethany Christian Services - A Story of Hope from Catalyst on Vimeo.

I began thinking about this anew after reading The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. The main character, Lily, is a teenage girl whose mother was killed when she was just a tot. She runs away and finds home with three sisters. Lily wasn't an orphan, but she was dealing with the hard fact of her mother's abandonment and death. Lily expresses it this way on page 278, "I wished she’d been smart enough, or loving enough, to realize everybody has burdens that crush them, only they don’t give up their children."

One of the sisters, August, tries to console Lily and lead her to forgiveness.
“The whole problem with people is [t]hey know what matters, but they don’t choose it. The hardest thing on earth is choosing what matters. Every person on the face of the earth makes mistakes, Lily. Every last one. We’re all so human. Your mother made a terrible mistake, but she tried to fix it. There is nothing perfect. There is only life.” (page 256)

My heart hurt with her loss, the same loss my children will feel. I can only hope and pray that I can help them come through the other side, to a place of forgiveness. As Lily says, "I guess I have forgiven us both, although sometimes in the night my dreams will take me back to the sadness, and I have to wake up and forgive us again." (page 301)

It will be a process, but I am determined to help my little ones feel the sadness, and wake up and forgive again.

Memorial Day Celebrations

2010-05-31T23:05:00.001-05:00

Every Memorial Day, there is a parade in our town. The fire trucks, the mayor, the marching band, the scouts, and the veterans come out to celebrate the day.

Our family also comes out to support this man:

Gabe's grandfather who fought in World War II

Then we attend the remembrance ceremony in the town square. The kids liked singing, but the 21 gun salute scared them. And me for that matter and here I was warning them about the loud noise coming.

Of course, with any parade, there is candy. Alexandra enjoyed her stash. She graciously shared with mama. She's such a little sweetheart and so giving.

We get very few opportunities for a family picture, so we snapped a few in front of the fountain. This is the best one. Sad, I know. I have had little luck getting my two toddlers to pose for pictures. I guess I'll stick to the candid shots for a while.

The picture of our extended family (on Gabe's side) came out better. We're a good looking group if I do say so myself.

I saw this star part hair on another blog and knew that I wanted to do that for Alexandra's hair. I'm happy with the way it came out. The star is a little hard to see, especially with the hair band, but she was very happy to have beads to swing again.

She's getting much more patient with mama doing her hair. This style took about an hour and she didn't complain once. (The movie that I ~~bribed her with~~ let her watch probably helped too.)

It was a hot day, so we hung out at Nana's pool in the afternoon after naps. These little ones are water babies. They love being in the water and are fearless.

Josiah doesn't like getting water in his eyes, but loved seeing Nana's foster girl go under again and again.

We ended the day at home, playing with our flags. The kids would run up and down the side walk, then sling their flags over their shoulders singing "Hi, ho, hi, ho, it's off to work we go."

What two little cuties I have! So what about you? How did you spend your Memorial Day?

Remembering Today

2010-05-31T09:16:00.000-05:00

Today is Memorial Day. I wish I had something eloquent and beautiful to say, but the fact is I don’t. When I think about all of the courageous men and women who have died to ensure our safety and freedom, I am overwhelmed. I do not have the words to adequately express my gratitude. I will simply say thank you for all of those who have fallen. For those of you who’ve lost loved ones, nothing can make up for their loss, but thank you for their service and sacrificed on our behalf.

To all our heroes, Thank you.

And then they flew

2010-05-30T22:01:00.000-05:00

"Come to the edge, he said.
They said: We are afraid.
Come to the edge, he said.
They came.
He pushed them,
And they flew..."
~Guillaume Apollinaire

Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.
~Isaiah 40:30-31

More Than Enough

2010-05-23T21:22:00.009-05:00

Do not love the world nor the things in the world.
If anyone loves the world,
the love of the Father is not in him.
~ 1 John 2:15

Listen to the song above and go read this wonderful post at Totally Tots. Have a blessed day.

Take Heart and Wait

2010-05-16T07:44:00.013-05:00

I am still confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the LORD
in the land of the living.

Wait for the LORD;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the LORD.

~Psalm 27:13-14

Sewing for Boys

2010-05-11T22:27:00.001-05:00

When they were just wee ones, Josiah and Alexandra both received equal mama sewing time. I made them each a pair of baby shoes and lots of diaper covers, but as they have gotten older, I've found my pile of to-sew for Alexandra is much bigger than for Josiah. I felt guilty about that for a while until I until I realized, there are just more options for sewing for girls than there are for boys. Boys wear shirts and pants each.and.every.day. I have found though that there are some cute options for boys.

I hadn't thought about appliquéing for boys until I saw this cute robot tee giveaway at Grosgrain. Josiah saw the robot and knew right away what it was. I'll have to get thinking about other things I can applique for him. I love him in collared shirts, so that's probably where I'll start, we'll see.

I also just discovered a great resource for sewing for both boys and girls, www.ottobredesign.com. I know, where have I been. They have their catalogs online, where you can browse their designs. Most of their clothes look pretty simple and quite possible to duplicate on your own. I like the guitar from the Summer 3/2010 catalog and I think I will have to add it to my list of sewing projects for Josiah.

My current projects in the works are: t-shirts waiting to be freezer paper stenciled, an eddie cap, a three-piece pin-stripped suit, and boy's beach pants. I'll keep you posted as I get these done.

Happy Birthmother's Day

2010-05-08T07:50:00.074-05:00

Probably like many of you, I didn't know their was any such holiday as Birthmother's Day. That is until we began looking into adoption. The holiday, started in Seattle in 1990, is observed on the Saturday before Mother's Day because these lovely ladies are our children's first mothers.

I was sobbing by the end of this music video "Everything to Me" by Mark Schultz, who dedicated it to his birth mother. He has never re-met her, but he wanted to thank her for the most important gift she ever gave him... life.

This beautiful poem on Adoption Quotes about the love two mothers can share for a child spoke to me today as I was thinking about the love and sacrifice a birthmother makes either through placement or through her departure from this world.

Legacy of an Adopted Child Poem
Once there were two women, who never knew each other
One you do not remember, the other you call Mother
Two different lives shaped to make you one
One became your guiding star, the other became your sun
The first one gave you life, the other taught you to live it
The first gave you a need for love, the second was there to give it
One gave you a nationality, the other gave you a name
One gave you talent, the other gave you aim
One gave you emotion, the other calmed your fears
One saw your first sweet smile, the other dried your tears
One sought for you a home, that she could not provide
The other prayed for a child, and her hope was not denied
And now you ask me through your tears,
The age-old question unanswered through the years
Heredity or environment, which are you a product of?
Neither my darling, neither
Just two different kinds of love.
Author-Unknown

My heart yearns to meet these women who gave my children life, to thank them for their sacrifice and to show them our beautiful children. Unfortunately, I may never get that opportunity and pray that if I don't meet them in this life that I will get to hug them and thank them when we meet in heaven.

World AIDS Orphans Day

2010-05-07T10:41:00.007-05:00

Today, May 7, is World AIDS Orphans Day. Please take a moment to pray for these orphans and to read the eye-opening post that Erin wrote about this heart-breaking truth.

She writes:

World AIDS Orphans Day is a grassroots campaign to draw attention to and advocate on behalf of the millions of children orphaned by AIDS. It is a day to remember, and hopefully a day to do something to help out the children in the world who truly are "the least of these". (See below for lots of things you can do to help).

Here are some of the staggering facts. Please read them... please really stop and think a minute about these statistics.

There are over 15 million children orphaned by AIDS living around the world RIGHT NOW. 15 million is the equivalent to the number of all of the people living in New York, Paris, and Bangkok combined. That is an awful lot of children.
Well over 12 million AIDS orphans live in Sub-Saharan Africa, alone.
Experts believe that millions more orphans remain unaccounted for in India, China and Russia.
This year the number of children who have lost one or both parents to AIDS is expected to reach 25 million.

Today, another 6,000 children will be added to the already 15 million children world wide who have been orphaned by the HIV/AIDS crisis.

The result of being orphaned by AIDS is heart-breaking for these children. From the World AIDS Orphans Day website:

In addition to the trauma of losing a parent, orphans are often subject to discrimination and are less likely to receive healthcare, education and other needed services.
In HIV affected households lacking community support, food consumption can drop by 40% putting children at risk to hunger, malnutrition and stunting.
Impoverished and often without support to educate and protect them, orphans and vulnerable children face increased risk of HIV infection. (And there are already an estimated 2 million children currently living with HIV).
Orphans are often easy prey to many forms of exploitation: forced labor, prostitution and child soldiering.

In the United States, if a child loses a parent to accident or illness, it is considered a terrible tragedy. Such stories are covered by the media, communities mourn and show their support, etc. In Sub-Saharan Africa, parents dieing is a normal part of life. It is still a terrible tragedy for those children, but it happens so often that no one else really pays any attention.

And do you know what makes this really, truly horrible? Do you know what makes my gut twist and my heart ache? HIV IS COMPLETELY TREATABLE.

If a person contracts HIV in the United States or another country where there is treatment readily available, they have an excellent long term prognosis. Most HIV+ people receiving treatment now have close to normal life expectancies and can live in good overall health. With treatment, HIV+ children can be healthy and happy. They can go to school, grow up, go to college, have (healthy!) children, and live long enough to raise them and beyond. Without treatment, an estimated 50% of HIV+ children will die before the hit their second birthday. My Solomon was almost one of those 50%.

HIV does not have to be a death sentence, and yet for thousands of people every day, it is, because the world doesn't care enough to really do something about it.

Can you imagine for one minute if some terrible disease struck the United States (or whatever country you live in) and was killing thousands and orphaning thousands every day? Can you imagine if another country had treatment that could lead to good health and a long life, but it just was too expensive or too difficult or too much trouble to get that medicine to us? We wouldn't stand for it.

So why do we stand for it now?

I can't wrap my head around what 15 million orphans looks like. I can barely wrap my head around the 100 or so HIV+ orphans that I am trying to find adoptive families for. The numbers are staggering, and so is the need for action. Children are the future of our world, and I shudder to think about what this world will be like with so many millions of children growing up without the love and security of a family... and way too often growing up without adequate food, education and medical care. Where does that leave all of us?

Rich Stearns, President of World Vision, US said,

"I believe that this could very well be looked back on as the sin of our generation. I look at my parents and ask, where were they during the civil rights movement? I look at my grandparents and ask, what were they doing when the holocaust in Europe was occurring with regard to the Jews, and why didn't they speak up? And when we think of our great, great, great-grandparents, we think how could they have sat by and allowed slavery to exist? And I believe that our children and their children, 40 or 50 years from now, are going to ask me, what did you do while 40 million children became orphans in Africa?"

I know that it feels like the problem is way too big for us to really do anything to make a difference, but I know with all my heart that touching the life of just one, just ONE, child can truly make a difference. And if everyone touched the life of just one child, we could reach them all.

Here are some ways that you can help touch the life of an AIDS orphan this World AIDS Orphans Day.

- Get educated. One of the biggest roadblocks in getting people to care and take action is the stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS. This is not a disease that only strikes those who "deserve it" (yes, that is really how some people think!). This is a disease that strikes men, women and children... it strikes heterosexuals and homosexuals, it strikes people of all races and social classes and it strikes people in all countries. HIV/AIDS is a HUMAN problem. There is tons of great info on the World AIDS Orphans Day website.

Fear is another big roadblock. HIV can not be transmitted in any casual way, and people that are HIV+ are not a threat to those around them. HIV can only be transmitted through sexual contact, birth, breastfeeding and blood to blood contact (such as sharing needles).

I have written a ton about HIV/AIDS, and you can find those posts here. Once you are educated, join my Tell Two Campaign and share the truth about HIV/AIDS with others.

Two excellent books to read about the HIV/AIDS crisis and the orphan crisis are There is No Me Without You and 28 Stories of AIDS in Africa.

- Sponsor an AIDS orphan. There are many wonderful organizations out there that allow you to sponsor a child for a very low cost per month. Doing so makes a great difference in the life of that child, and getting to know the child you sponsor through pictures, updates, letters, etc. will have a great impact on your life as well. I promise. AHOPE for Children(which supports AHOPE Ethiopia, a home and community support program for HIV+ children in Ethiopia which literally saved the lives of my Belane, my Solomon and countless other children) has child sponsorships for $30 a month. And you can send a text to AHOPE to 85944 to make a $10 donation. I know that financially times are hard for many right now, but we live better than most people in the world and would have to sacrifice very very little to sponsor (and truly help) an orphaned child.

- Another great organization to support is Because Every Mother Matters. Today is $10 Friday and they are trying to raise money in honor of Mother's Day to build a maternity clinic in Ethiopia. If we care for the mothers, we we have less orphans.

- Consider adopting. Adoption is only an option for a tiny percentage of the 15 million AIDS orphans around the world and it is certainly not the solution to the AIDS crisis or the orphan crisis, but for the tiny percentage of children who do get adopted, it changes their world and their future dramatically (and for the adoptive parents, it is equally amazing). There are agencies and programs placing healthy and special needs orphans from all over the world with new families. If your heart may be open to adopting an HIV+ child, I have about 100 amazing children of all ages waiting for a second chance at love, family and life. I am proud to work for Adoption Advocates International who has a thriving program placing HIV+ children from Ethiopia, and is also finding families for HIV+ children in Ghana and Thailand. I currently have almost 90 HIV+ children waiting for new families in Ethiopia.

You can read here why I believe in adoption, and you can read here why I feel so passionately about adoption for HIV+ children.

- Support From HIV to Home, an organization that helps provide care for HIV+ orphans and supports and helps parents adopting HIV+ children.

- Support Project HOPEFUL, whose mission is to "encourage, educate and enable parents adopting children with HIV/AIDS".

- Visit the World AIDS Orphans website for other ways to touch your heart, get educated and get involved.

Into The Streets Of Ethiopia: God Give Us Eyes to See

2010-05-03T11:47:00.000-05:00

When we were in Ethiopia, you couldn't help but see the many children not in school, but working and begging. As written in Into The Streets Of Ethiopia: God Give Us Eyes to See: "Imagine: a child living in destitute conditions, struggling for daily bread, unable to provide for his blind parents and little brother, wondering what each day holds. Imagine him waking up in severe pain, unable to see, afflicted with the same eye infection that robbed his parents of their sight." Please check out this story of pain and hope and consider donating to help these children.

Songs of Joy

2010-05-02T07:45:00.019-05:00

When the LORD brought back the captives to Zion,
we were like men who dreamed.

Our mouths were filled with laughter,
our tongues with songs of joy.
Then it was said among the nations,
"The LORD has done great things for them."

The LORD has done great things for us,
and we are filled with joy.

Restore our fortunes, O LORD,
like streams in the Negev.

Those who sow in tears
will reap with songs of joy.

He who goes out weeping,
carrying seed to sow,
will return with songs of joy,
carrying sheaves with him.

~Psalm 126

U is for Umbrella

2010-04-29T20:58:00.002-05:00

I've been going with a rain theme this week, so when I saw the PreK Letter U at Confressions of a Homeschooler, I knew we would be doing exploring umbrellas today. We played with umbrellas earlier in the week when it was a nice, rainy day.

They loved being out in the rain and amazingly didn't have much interest in splashing in the puddles even after I encouraged them to do so.

I wanted to make a cake yesterday, so in keeping with our theme, I made my own umbrella template. The kids and I baked a yummy vanilla buttercream umbrella cake with rain drop cupcakes. The kids love to help in the kitchen. Baking is their favorite because they get to scoop, measure and pour. I like it because I can sneak a little math in there while they're not looking.

We did many of the age appropriate activities for the PreK Letter U and had so much fun matching shapes, counting, tracing, and sorting. I am constantly amazed at how quickly they learn. They are little sponges.

I liked the letter U memory verse too: “Unto thee, O God, do we give thanks, unto thee do we give thanks.” Psalm 75:1

We traced the letter U in shaving cream and combined that with a craft I had seen and liked at Chasing Cheerios. Josiah was all for it. He really got into the mixing and did some letter U tracing too.

The final products look quite good. The picture doesn't do them justice.

The upper right hand corner is Josiah and my attempt at the letter U, but as expected, you can't really tell. Alexandra let Mama mix her colors for her, but she was thrilled to use the squeegee. My two little ones really were meant to be together. Josiah loved the getting dirty and mixing and Alexandra loved the squeegeeing the final projects.

(A More Real) Love Story

2010-04-28T22:09:00.006-05:00

You gotta love Anita Renfroe. Here's her latest:
Gabe and I watched this together today and we both cried at the end. That is true love. That is how my man treats me. I am so thankful for my Romeo.

In another different kind of love story, congrats to Sandra Bullock on her new baby boy.Can you tell that I have a soft spot for white mamas with their brown babies?

R is for Rain

2010-04-27T22:31:00.003-05:00

As the saying goes, we're supposed to have showers in April, so I had planned to talk about rain this week. Unfortunately, this was what was falling from the sky today.

Yes, indeed, those are snowflakes.

Oh well, we still did our rain activities and learned about the letter "R". The kids pasted together a bunny in a rain coat. Josiah let me show him where all the pieces would go, but Alexandra just wanted to put them on the page. She decided that the bunny most definitely needed a bow on her nose.

On Friday, at our library's children's story hour, Aunt Laura (my soon-to-be sister-in-law) was the guest reader and the kids made rain sticks. A paper towel tube, some rolled up aluminum foil, rice, construction paper, and tape and you're good to go. Now if I can just convince Josiah that not everything cylindrical should be used as a drumstick.

The rain books from our library that I liked are Rain by Manya Stojic, which shows African animals experiencing the rain with different senses, and Raindrop Plop by Wendy Cheyette Lewison, which tells the story of a girl playing out in the rain using counting up and counting down.

Alexandra had a short attention span today, so Josiah and I continued with our letter "R". In honor of Earth Day, we played a Recycle from Ingles360 Freebies. I was very impressed that my little man could pick out the letter r almost every time. The "P" and "A" tripped him up once, silly look alike letters.

I was planning on doing some Seasons and Clothing matching from Montessori for Everyone, but just did not get around to it.

Lastly, we ended with a few songs about rain and the seasons.

April Showers Song (to the tune of "I'm a Little Teapot")
Pitter patter rain drops (wiggle fingers to imitate rain)

Falling from the sky   (wiggle fingers downward)
Here's my umbrella   (action of opening an umbrella)
Hold it high!   (hands over head)
When the rain is over  (bring hands down slowly)
and the sun begins to glow   (make sun with arms)
Little flowers start to bud   (Kneel down)

then grow, grow, grow!!! (slowly stand up)

Nikki {Tired, Need Sleep} pointed me to this great song about the seasons.

Seasons of the Year (to the tune of "Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush")
CHORUS:
Here we go round the year again,
The year again, the year again.
Here we go round the year again,
To greet the different seasons.

Wintertime is time for snow.
To the south, the birds will go.
It's too cold for plants to grow
Because it is the winter.

CHORUS

In the springtime, days grow warm.
On the plants, the new buds form.
Bees and bugs come out to swarm
Because it is the spring.

CHORUS

In summertime, the days are hot.
Ice cold drinks I drink a lot!
At the beach, I've got a spot
Because it is the summer.

CHORUS

Fall is here, the air is cool.
Days are short, it's back to school.
Raking leaves is now the rule
Because it is autumn.

CHORUS

Mind Your Ps and Qs

2010-04-26T22:01:00.006-05:00

For today's preschool time, we learned our Ps and Qs, played a game, and made a few crafts.

Isn't Alexandra intense when she is working?

For the letter P, we made peacocks from toilet paper rolls and tissue paper.

We played Polar Bear A-B-C.

For the letter Q, we made crowns, one for the Prince and one for the Queen.

I think they did a good job cutting and painting.

At the end of the day, when the paint was dry and I could take pictures, they got very silly. Can you tell?

Our Adoption Travel Group Reunion

2010-04-26T08:34:00.002-05:00

I can't believe that it has been two years since the Davids, the Mihnovichs, the Singletons, the Stums, and we traveled together to bring our little ones home. This past weekend our adoption travel group got together in Nashville for a reunion. Unfortunately, we were not able to attend in person, but we did get to connect over Skype. This was our view from the other side of the computer.

We miss and love you all!

My Heart's Delight

2010-04-25T08:55:00.001-05:00

Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.

~ 1 John 3:18-20

Blue & Yellow = Green

2010-04-24T15:43:00.006-05:00

Inspired by the above picture and the finger paints that just bought for the kids, I decided that we would do a little color discovery and painting tonight.Josiah was very enthusiastic about "getting dirty" and mixing the yellow and blue paints to make green. Alexandra on the other hand put one finger in the yellow paint, wiped it off on the paper and wouldn't touch the paint again. "Josiah paint" is what she told me. Here is his masterpiece.On the other hand, my sweet, clean-loving girl had lots of fun playing with her water pouring toys.

A Gingham Shirt Dress

2010-04-23T09:52:00.000-05:00

I have been bitten by the sewing bug lately and completed some projects that have been in the making for a long time. This one was not one of those.I have been enjoying sewing for Alexandra lately and in my searches for some cute patterns, I came across this shirt dress tutorial at made. I decided it was a perfect Earth Day recycling project for me.

I tried raiding Gabe's closet for a few shirts that I could pirate for my new project. He became extremely protect of his shirts when I told him what I had in mind, so the next day I went to the Salvation Army store (gotta love 50% off family day). I purchased three extra-large shirts that will get new life as a dress for my beautiful baby girl. I tried a couple of them on her and she hammed it up. The tutorial is very good and goes step by step, but I still agonized over the pattern and adding the adjustments I wanted. I loved the look of the cuff as a sleeve, so I wanted to incorporate it into the dress. In the end, I took off the cuff and then sewed it back on. I also learned that I needn't be so fussy. The dress design is very forgiving, so don't worry too much about making it the right size, just adjust the elastic and you're golden.

Here's the final product:Isn't she just precious? What would I do without this little one in my life? *heart bursting with mama pride*

Happy Earth Day

2010-04-22T22:59:00.000-05:00

Because we went to the zoo today. The kids and I didn't do a lot toward celebrating Earth Day. We did read this book:This one was borrowed from the library, but it's going onto our "to purchase" list because I liked I Love Our Earth so much. The pictures are beautiful with a combination of wonderful landscapes and children of all cultures and skin tone. The verse is short and sweet with concepts like colors, opposites, and the seasons. If I don't purchase it, I know this is a book we'll be getting out of the library again.

We talked a little about Earth Day and the things we already do to help preserve the environment then sang an "Earth" song that I found here (page 4).

E‐A‐R‐T‐H (sung to “B‐I‐N‐G‐O”)
We all live on the great big planet and Earth is it’s name‐o
E‐A‐R‐T‐H
E‐A‐R‐T‐H
E‐A‐R‐T‐H
And Earth is it’s name‐o
We all live on the great big planet and Earth is it’s name‐o
(clap) ‐A‐R‐T‐H
(clap) ‐A‐R‐T‐H
(clap) ‐A‐R‐T‐H
And Earth is it’s name‐o
etc.

Like many toddlers, we love anything that includes singing and especially movement, so this was a good one for today. I'm constantly on the lookout for good children's songs especially ones that help children learn and remember things. I would love any recommendations you have. Josiah loves anything upbeat. He is my rock and roller.

Have a Happy Earth Day everyone!

Zoology

2010-04-22T17:36:00.004-05:00

This week, we have been reading zoo books and learning about zoo animals in preparation for a big zoo visit. Thanks to our local library, these are the books we read to get us in the zoo mood.

Our favorite of these books is 1, 2, 3 to the Zoo by Eric Carle. It is mostly just the numbers 1-10 and pictures, but the kids engage with this book really well. They love to find the little mouse on each page. Josiah seems to think that all of the animals want to eat the little mouse; poor mouse.
After raiding our local library, I google searched zoo animal activities for toddlers and found these activities for animal themes and how to make elephant trunks and ears. Alexandra wouldn't let me take a picture of her painting, but Josiah obliged. He had fun mixing the white and black to make gray; although he was convinced that I said the color was "glue", a gray-blue hybrid.

I think their favorite zoology activity may have been singing the "One Elephant" song. We played this over and over and over.
Today, we started our zoo adventure with an elephant ear breakfast. (Josiah did not like raisins thank-you-very-much-mama.)

Grabbed our trusty zoo map.

Then headed out the door for a day of zoo animal fun.

As I was editing the pictures for this post, Alexandra saw this picture:

and says "Somebody can touch him, but I don’t want to touch him. You can touch him." The zoo had a time when the 47-year-old elephant would watch along the fence and you could pet her. As soon as the elephant came near, Alexandra started climbing up the stroller and me trying to get away from this big gray animal. Which I find quite ironic considering she regularly enjoys going up to the Holstein heifers in the barn. Josiah was brave and touched the elephant's trunk. Unfortunately, I snapped the picture just a little too late.

All of the fun (not to mention walking) must have worn them out because this was the view from my rearview mirror not five minutes down the road.

After naptime, I made my sleeping beauties Diego Safari Animal Cheese Snacks.

Alexandra was so not interested in any part of these, but Josiah didn't mind because he ate hers too.

All in all we had a very yummy day at the zoo.

Ocean, Grass, Polar Bear Mountain

2010-04-20T23:55:00.000-05:00

We're doing an zoo animal theme this week and for "O" we made owls, Alexandra's favorite, from different shapes. I told the kids to find the big, yellow circle, etc and how to put the owl together. Alexandra was willing to let me guide her.

Josiah just wanted to do his own thing. They both did a great job.

Shortly after this, cowfolk rowdiness occurred.

Josiah and Alexandra were recently introduced to Dora the Explorer by friends of ours. Alexandra really interacts with the DVD and apparently got the map directions for one of the episodes stuck in her head.

Six years ago, we set our wedding date and found out that new friends of ours were also married on the same day. They graciously let us keep our wedding date and attended the wedding. Ever since we have been celebrating our special day together. This year we went to the Texas Road House with our friends, the Youngs, another couple whose anniversary was yesterday, and another friend whose birthday is also the 17th. Nothing like good food, lots of peanuts, and great friends.

Apparently Texans do actually eat here, who knew?

This is new

2010-04-15T14:57:00.002-05:00

Naptime is just after lunch in our house. Today, Alexandra was done eating and I was waiting for Josiah to finish when I realized that it was very quiet. She had gotten down from the table, cleared her plate and cup, went potty, and then disappeared upstairs. Much to my surprise, this was what I found curled up in bed:We usually read a few stories to wind down before naptime, but I guess she couldn't wait. Poor little thing must have been more tired than usual. A child who puts herself down for a nap: priceless.

God Provided a Way

2010-04-10T12:23:00.005-05:00

The Mihnovichs are celebrities! I opened my email today from LifeSong for Orphans and see their smiling faces. Tracy, Elle, and Nash were part of our travel group for their first adoption and they just recently returned home with four new additions. Below is the video that Tracy and Elle put together and LifeSong featured.

I can't watch it without crying and wanting to adopt again.

My Chains

2009-06-07T22:36:00.002-05:00

Remember Jesus Christ,
raised from the dead, descended from David.
This is my gospel, for which I am suffering
even to the point of being chained like a criminal.
But God's word is not chained.
Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect,
that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus,
with eternal glory.
~ 2 Timothy 2:8-10

How to Make a No Sew Tutu

2009-06-05T12:29:00.005-05:00

Somehow, I stumbled across a baby tutu website like I Love U "Tutu" Much that had cute tutus like this one:And I just had to make one for Alexandra. Silly me should have just googled "how to make a tutu" first, but instead I muddled my way through this first one:Alexandra liked it and started twirling around soon after I put it on. She didn't want to take it off, but Mama insisted that the tutu must come off for dinner. I tried to get a good picture of her standing, but I realized she doesn't stand. She is always on the move. Here's my cutie with her first tutu:I was going to write out how I did it, but this video does an excellent job describing the process. I used a spool of tulle so I only had to cut the pieces to length, but otherwise, this is just how I did it:

Blessed Mama

2009-05-10T12:32:00.002-05:00

"Her children arise and call her blessed" ~Proverbs 31:28

Happy Mother's Day!

I am indeed blessed to have such wonderful children and people who love me. I am honored to receive this award. Thank you, Lenka!

Coming Home

2009-03-22T22:17:00.000-05:00

Not all who wander are lost. ~ J.R.R. Tolkien

The Famous Carpenters

2009-03-16T07:42:00.002-05:00

We had lunch today at Boston Market...... where we met the Coens, the Schmidts, and the Tennants! We had such a good time with Candy, Henry, William, Susan, Jeremy, Marissa, Annika, Benaiah, Jill, Marshall, and Silas!Apparently, we Carpenters are famous. It must be so because Jill said so. I guess when you are one of the first families to travel to Ethiopia, your famous by default. We'll take it.

As Susan said, no introductions were necessary because even though we hadn't met in person before, we knew each other. It was like having dinner with old friends. It's such a blessing that God has brought so many wonderful people into our lives through our adoption. It just one more way Josiah and Alexandra have been such a blessing to us.I think Josiah would have been happy to spend all day just running around a playing with all the kids. Jeremy and Marissa had a good time tickling Josiah.Josiah is super ticklish. As Jeremy said, "he's the only boy I can tickle from ten feet away." We were sad to leave, but we'll hopefully see everyone again soon.

We would have loved to see the Forrests too, but thankfully, they are on their way to Ethiopia to bring their two little ones home. We're so happy for them and will be blog stalking during their travels.

We then hopped into the car to head for Wilkesboro and my grandpa's. Thankfully and uncharacteristically, both kiddos fell asleep as soon as we got into the car and slept the whole three hours until we arrived at Rose Glen. We had a wonderful evening with "Papa Tatro" and Grandma Judy, full of tales from the last nine years since I've seen them last and ending with this:

Bound Together with Love

2009-03-15T19:52:00.004-05:00

Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. ~Colossians 3:12-14

Virginia is for Lovers

2009-03-14T21:51:00.000-05:00

My husband is a veritable encyclopedia for all useless facts and all things dairy farming. One night, before we went to sleep he told me about how those pink plastic flamingos became popular. Today, as we were driving down to Raleigh, he tells me that Virginia's tourism slogan is "Virginia is for Lover" and sure enough he was right.

Our trip down was very uneventful and went really quickly, for me and the kids at least. We slept for the first half of the trip. Despite the rain, the last half went quite well. So well that we didn't have to break out any of the toys or a video. Have I said that our kids are the best lately? They are.

One of our favorite parts about traveling south is Chick-fil-A. When the fast food chain was started, the owner was committed to remaining closed on Sunday. Everyone said that they couldn't remain competitive, but they have persevered and continue to be closed on Sundays for the sabbath. It's a testament to the power of trusting in God. So each time we travel south, we seek out a yummy chick sandwich, waffle fries, and a hand-squeezed lemonade. Just not on a Sunday.

We found our Chick-fil-A in the Crabtree Valley Mall here in Raleigh just around the corner from our hotel. After dinner, we stopped by the local ice cream truck and found the cutest vendors in the world there to serve us:

They're pros at cruising the mall. They've got the two basics down. Shopping for sales:
And people watching:

Tomorrow we're looking forward to lunch with the Coens, the Schmidts, and the Tennants! We finally get to meet our blogger and fellow AWAA Ethiopia buddies in person!

Nomad Vacation

2009-03-13T20:24:00.000-05:00

I desperately needed a vacation and before I could even say anything, my loving husband suggested we get away for a week. Gabe and I are usually planners, but somehow (aka Josiah and Alexandra), we didn't do much planning for this vacation. Honestly, it snuck up on us. Life with two toddlers makes time fly by.

This vacation is all about seeing people we love. I guess you could say that was our ultimate destination because we don't really have one place we are going. We will be leaving New York early (5am) tomorrow morning and driving to North Carolina to see my grandpa and hopefully some AWAA Ethiopia friends. Monday, we'll be off to Williamsburg, VA to visit some college friends. Wednesday, we head up the east coast to Westport, CT to see my aunts, uncles, and cousins. Thursday, we drive up to Hooksett, NH where we'll stay with the Steigers until we return home on next Sunday. Oh, and we'll visit a good friend in Boston some where in there too.

I just Google mapped the trip and we'll be in the car for about 36 hours! I know, crazy with two potty-training toddlers, right? We'll see. They travel so well. I've also packed an arsenal of activities for them to do in the car. I raided my supply of activity bags that I made last year for our trip to Florida. We're also bringing my computer and our stash of Baby Einstein videos. Lastly, we're planning on driving during nap time as much as possible. I'll let you know how it goes.

My dryer buzzer just reminded me that I have to get back to packing if we are going to leave on time. Yikes, I didn't make a packing list. I hope I remember everything we need.

Perfectionism is out the window

2009-03-13T13:09:00.001-05:00

I hate to admit it and as much as I try not to be, I'm a blog perfectionist. I have been stressing too much about my blog. I have been in the "oh I can't blog now because I need to catch up on these past posts" frame of mind for too long. I have 32 blog drafts from the past few months that I just have to admit may not get finished. So here's to a fresh start and throwing perfectionism out the window.

P.S. If nothing else, I do promise that I will post all those cute pictures that I have been saving. Just give me some time to grieve the lost of the perfect blog.

God's Valentine

2009-02-15T08:45:00.000-05:00

For God so loVed the world
that He gAve
His onLy
begottEn
SoN,
thaT whosoever
believeth In Him
should Not perish,
but have Everlasting life.

Peace on Earth

2008-12-25T07:07:00.003-05:00

I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Merry Christmas from the Carpenters!

Beating Wings

2008-12-14T23:05:00.000-05:00

We hear the beating of wings over Bethlehem and a light that is not of the sun or of the stars shines in the midnight sky. Let the beauty of the story take away all narrowness, all thought of formal creeds. Let it be remembered as a story that has happened again and again, to men of many different races, that has been expressed through many religions, that has been called by many different names. Time and space and language lay no limitations upon human brotherhood. ~New York Times, 25 December 1937, quoted in Quotations for Special Occasions by Maud van Buren, 1938, published by The H.W. Wilson Company, New York

First Real Snow

2008-11-19T15:28:00.003-05:00

Today we had our first real snow of the season. As soon as Josiah saw the snowsuit come out, he was so excited and ready to go. My little boy loves to be outside whatever the weather. Ironically, when his hands get cold he gets super cranky. And yet this is his favorite part of being in the snow:

Where was my little girl all the while? Right here:Isn't she so cute in her little hat? I guess snow just isn't her thing, at least not yet.

It's a boy!

2008-11-17T09:43:00.001-05:00

A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. ~John 16:21

Josiah and Alexandra welcomed their new cousin into the world yesterday morning! Congratulations Josh, Katie, and Kyle!

New Life

2008-11-16T23:17:00.004-05:00

"Go, stand in the temple courts," [an angel] said, "and tell the people the full message of this new life." ~Acts 5:20

Are you Kreativ?

2008-11-13T17:11:00.005-05:00

According to Amber, I am indeed creative. She's such a sweetheart.
As Amber said, I do love being creative in ways that benefit my home and family. My creativity usually centers around the practical. I love to bake, sew, knit, and make about any type of paper craft out there. Still, I'm not sure I completely deserve this award, but will nevertheless gladly accept.

So as per the rules, here is the low down on me:

1. What I Did Before: I was a bank internal auditor and all around numbers nerd.

2. What I Do Now: I am mom to two wonderful kiddos who pretty much keep me busy 24/7. I do some volunteer work at our church and somehow have managed to get suckered onto the board of just about every organization in town.

3. What I'd Like To Do? I would love to spend a kid-free, husband-free weekend catching up on the sewing and craft projects just waiting for me to finish.

4. What Attracts Me To My Husband? There is so much that attracts me to my husband. The biggest things that first attracted me to him and still do are his amazing sense of humor and his gentle, caring heart.

5. Favorite Food: I don't really have a favorite favorite food, but if I had to choose, a good, soft cookie would be at the top of the list. Anything minty would also be fairly high, so mint chocolate chip ice cream would also be on the list.

6. What I Say Most Often: Ever since becoming a mommy, I find weird things come out of my mouth, like "Don't sit on your sister's head" and "Your sippy cup shouldn't go in the toilet." Probably what I say most often is "yep". How do I know? My son loves to repeat things I say and it is hilarious when "yep" comes out of his mouth. There is just something cute about how he says just about anything.

I'm supposed to pick seven bloggers to pass the award along to, but I could not decide! There are just too many lovely ladies who are super creative! Thank you to those ladies who have inspired me and given me great ideas!

National Adoption Month

2008-11-11T11:37:00.002-05:00

In case you were unaware, November is National Adoption Awareness Month! It's a wonderful time to celebrate the miracle of adoption and to educate others about adoption. We donated some of our adoption books to our local library after I noticed that there weren't many current books available. I chickened out and didn't ask them to feature adoption this month. I have a year to work up to courage to do so next year.

I think the best way to celebrate is to pray for everyone involved in adoption, particularly the children. Kingdom Vision International is asking for exactly that here. For other great ideas about how to celebrate, check out the National Adoption Awareness website.

I also stumbled across this Adoption Poems site and the poem entitled Daydreaming by Tom Fisher brought back memories of our wait. This poem reminds me of the joy it is to be an adoptive mother:

I Carried You In My Heart
by Brooke Keith

I know for certain the day you were born
I smiled without knowing what for.
Perhaps just walking along the street -
I laughed all the way to my door.
Even though we did not know it
God was working on something grand!
Every little step we took
All part of his wonderful plan.
The day I became your mommy
All of my dreams came true.
Inside your laugh and your smile.
The best dream I ever had was you.
And every day since, those in between,
Those to come and there before -
Each moment I loved you to the moon
And then a thousand times more!
Maybe our family is different,
but wonderfully one of a kind.
We were brought together by angels.
God placed your hand in mine
And forever that's where it will be,
Forever I will always be here.
Each step you take ahead of me,
I'll follow and always be near.
Did you know I am proud of you
And all the things that you are?
You are so far from average it's true.
You are a shooting star!
And now that I have you in my arms
We will never be apart...
I never carried you in my tummy -
For I carried you in my heart.

Look Who's Two!

2008-11-10T16:28:00.016-05:00

This little guy turned two years old yesterday! We had a blast celebrating Josiah's birthday with our families! Our theme for the birthday party was The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. I decided on that theme after viewing the cute caterpillar cakes at Amazing Cake Ideas. Josiah and Alexandra both love to read and this is one of their favorite books. Josiah will come to me with a boonden (book in Josiah speak) and snuggle right into my lap. I think he could read for hours (which is okay with Mama... as long as it's not the same book).I love having a theme because then I can just run with it (which consequently is the reason that my husband isn't such a fan of a theme). I, of course, googled very hungry caterpillar party and came up with a few cute ideas. I loved the caterpillar decorated cookies that one grandmother made for her granddaughter's, Annalise's, 1st birthday party. Gabe wouldn't let me try to do these. He liked the caterpillar balloons, though, and helped with hanging those (not enough helium, arg = sad looking caterpillar).After our family arrived, I read the story and had everyone make Family Fun's Very Hungry Caterpillar Kabobs by placing all the foods the caterpillar ate, in order, on two skewers: one apple slice, two pear pieces, three plum chunks, four strawberries and five orange sections on one and a pickle (which I forgot), a cube of cheese, a pieces salami, and a vienna sausage on the other, then wrapping the skewers together in "one nice green leaf".Other than the vienna sausages (yuck) the kabobs were pretty good and Josiah loved taking the food back off of the skewers. Alexandra's favorite was the mandarin oranges. They also both liked the bug shaped pasta in pesto sauce (because everyone knows that bugs are green). I found these "Crazy Bugs" in a macaroni and cheese mix and though they would be perfect for Josiah's birthday. (So if anyone knows of anything to do with six packets of powdered cheddar cheese mix, I would love to hear your suggestions.)After lunch, it was time for the cup cake caterpillar, complete with dirt which my brother-in-law said was the best dirt he had ever had.We all sang to Josiah and he made a valiant effort of blowing out his candles. Here's a video of his happy birthday song. Listen for Alexandra saying "Ziah" after we all sing Josiah's name. Gabe laughs at that every time. Josiah wanted to listen to it over and over again.

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

After the cake and the massive cleaning up effort, owing to Alexandra's cupcake mess and the fact that Josiah was sitting on a very squishy strawberry unbeknownst to us, Alexandra was ready for a nap and Josiah was ready to open all of his presents.Once presents were opened and guests had gone, my little one crashed in my arms as I read him his nap-time book. He's such a special guy and I thank God that He brought him into our lives.

I think my mom thinks so too. Look at the cute scrapbook she made for him.

Who couldn't love cuteness like that?

Be Still

2008-11-09T21:59:00.000-05:00

Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth."

The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Selah
~Psalm 46:10-11

A Thing of Beauty

2008-11-07T14:19:00.000-05:00

No, not me. This:

The FedEx man just delivered my newly repaired camera! (Don't ask. Let's just say that gravel driveways and carrying way to much stuff don't agree with LCD screens.) I was missing my camera. I borrowed my brother-in-laws for a couple of days last week, but I was going into picture taking withdrawal. Who wouldn't with these two cuties as the best subjects?

Tropical Tree Frog Costume Giveaway

2008-11-07T13:37:00.000-05:00

This Tropical Tree Frog Costume is just too cute! Grosgrain is giving away this costume! I think Josiah would have a blast in this next year! Yes, I'm already thinking about next year. Is that sad?

Warm Tootsies

2008-11-06T20:31:00.000-05:00

(Isn't my baby girl goregous? Those cheeks get lots of kisses.)

I bought Josiah a pair of Robeez shortly after we came home in January. I liked the shoes, but not the price. I attempted making a pair myself from recycled leather and felted wool sweater scraps left over from making him a wool longie soaker (diaper cover). I say attempted because they were misshapen and I didn't like the way they turned out.

The misshapen shoes sat on my sewing to-do pile for the summer and just recently, I did a little googling for patterns. I found this pattern at Tacky Living Baby Shoes and tried again to make a pair for Josiah, this time successfully. Here is him modeling his new apparel:I was so happy with the way those turned out that I immediately began a pair for Alexandra. For hers, I wanted brown leather to go with the sweater I picked out. I was blessed to find a worn brown leather coat at our church's annual rummage sale for $3 that I pirated for the soles of Alexandra's shoes.Here's the close up of the shoes:I am very pleased with the way they came out and the kids seem to like wearing them. I may experiment with other materials and perhaps an all leather shoe next.

I've since found similar patterns at On Pins and Needles and Chloe Toes Boutique. I haven't tried them yet, but perhaps on my next pair. I also really want to make Alexandra a pair of these adorable boots from Make Them Yourself. I just have to bite the bullet and actually buy the pattern first. I found another great thrift store find for the fabric, so I can't wait to see them on her feet. Hopefully I will get them done before the snow flies again here.

And one last picture that I just couldn't not post because he's just so darn cute.

First Attempt at Cornrows

2008-11-05T15:20:00.000-05:00

I finally worked up enough courage to try my hand at cornrowing. Josiah's hair is about six to eight inches long in the front now, so I also knew I had enough to work with. Josiah is a good guinea pig because I've found if I put in a Baby Einstein video, he is super cooperative. It took me about half an hour to do to front half of five rows. Josiah was tired of sitting and my hands were a little tired, so I put in some clips and took a break.While he was napping, I finished the back of his hair. (A tip I had learned from other adoptive moms.) Praise God for a heavy sleeper. I could even move his head and he stayed fast asleep. It was a bit awkward for my hands, but I finally got the hang of it.

I think it took me a little over an hour to finish the five rows. The pictures here are of the rows the next day and you can see they are getting a little frizzy. I didn't pull the rows tight enough, which will help with the frizziness. I'm pretty happy with the first attempt. My mom isn't so sure she likes the cornrows. Like me, she loves his natural curls. Her vote is to trim his hair shorter while still keeping his curls. I obviously still haven't made up my mind. Gabe is deferring to me, his only caveat being that his hair styling is left to me. I may trim it soon, but in the meantime, I'm enjoying having someone to practice my new skills on.

Making Friends

2008-11-02T07:48:00.000-05:00

I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings. ~Luke 16:9

Show Hope

2008-11-01T15:19:00.008-05:00

My mother-in-law was extremely jealous that Gabe, the kids and I all went to Rochester for the Michael W. Smith & Steven Curtis Chapman concert. Though technically we were volunteering for Show Hope again.Notice the so stylish blue with neon yellow shirts. You definitely couldn't miss us in this year's Show Hope shirts. I could have been directing traffic in it.

Aside from our shirts, it is always amazing to see how God is working in the lives of the concert attenders prompting them to give financially or to consider adopting. God is so good. At the Williamsport concert last year, Gabe and I talked to a woman who didn't seem very sure about adopting, but would look into it. Praise God that she and her husband are in the process of bringing home a sibling group of four children! At Thursday night's concert, we met the couple who received a grant on-stage at the Syracuse concert. They are home with their beautiful ten months old baby girl. Isn't it amazing how God works things together?

This year, we were a bit more compelling with two of the cutest adoption billboards. Josiah had so much fun handing out pamphlets to everyone with another older boy, Caleb. Caleb was so sweet with Josiah, holding him and helping wrangle him. Alexandra helped hand out a few fortune cookies with Show Hope messages inside, but she mostly wanted to practice her almost-walking skills with Mommy. They also both loved the stairs, up, down, up, down, up, down...Once the concert started, Josiah could not be held back from the auditorium. He had to be in to hear the music. He is without a doubt my music lover. He loves anything that has a good, uptempo beat. He was enthralled for at least half an hour while he danced in my arms. Being held was his choice because he could see better. His eyes were glued to the stage at all times. I see a lot of concerts in my future. That's okay by me. Daddy isn't a big concert goer, so Josiah (my fellow night owl) and I will catch all the shows together. With two little ones and a booth to man, we didn't get to see much of the show, but what we did see was amazing.

Smitty

SCC

For the ushers, however, it was Josiah who stole the show. They loved how interactive and sociable he is. One usher even made him a paper airplane and Josiah and Alexandra had fun flying it back and forth (with Mommy and Daddy's help). Amazingly, they both lasted the entire concert and didn't fall asleep until we were well on our way home. Silly little ones.

This is my favorite picture of the night. Daddy and his little Cinderella:We had a great time, saw some of the concert, and above all, hopefully made a difference in lives of some orphans.

Happy Halloween!!!

2008-10-31T23:26:00.003-05:00

We had the most interesting pumpkin grow in our patch this year and our scarecrow is just too cute to scare away any crows.

I was given this pumpkin costume in January and just couldn't resist pairing it with this scarecrow costume that I found. Thankfully, the snow has melted and it turned out to be a nice night to be outside. The weatherman said t-shirt weather, but I was glad to have a light jacket on. I'm glad that I didn't have to figure out how to get snowsuits on under the kids' costumes. (I remember trick-or-treating in snowsuits one year. The year that school was canceled the next day due to snow.)The wheelbarrow and hay were last minute additions when we needed some way to get them to the fire station a few blocks away.While enjoying cider, donuts, and an apple, we waited in line (an hour and a half, but whose counting?)... ...to ride... the fire engine!Here's my two favorite men enjoying their long awaited ride on the fire engine:Josiah definitely thought it was worth the wait. Alexandra fell fast asleep.

We had so much fun seeing all the other kids in their costumes. Josiah was in his glory, going up to kids and saying hi. He even went into the middle of a ring of six teenagers and started giving high-fives to each and every one then asking for hugs. The girls loved giving hugs and even the guys couldn't resist his cute little face. They were definitely very popular. As soon as we walked into the fire station, some one asked if she could take their picture. I think we had two or three others also take their picture, which I completely understand, being the two cutest kids in the world! (Slight bias may exist.)

One of the littlest members at the station got hungry and thankfully Batman was on hand for the feeding.We decided not to do any trick-or-treating this year. I don't want the kids to have candy and I definitely don't need it. Even so, we did take a trip to the grandparents houses where they received goldfish and dried fruit (gotta love moms who help you be health conscious). As you can imagine, they were thrilled to see our little pumpkin and scarecrow. At the end of the night, though, we had at least one little one who was plum tuckered out.We had a great first Halloween and hope you had a good day too!

Rhymes with Duck

2008-10-30T13:33:00.000-05:00

Both Josiah and Alexandra are learning a new word every day. Yesterday, Alexandra's newest word was church. We were passing by our church and out it came. She is constantly surprising me like that recently. It seems like just a few months ago that she said her first word. Now she knows a couple dozen at least. Typically, she'll pick up on the words that Josiah uses first and will pronounce them how he does. I'm hoping that she doesn't learn Josiah's work for truck.

At first, Josiah called all things that didn't look like a tractor ("putt-putt"), a car. He has since learned the word truck. Unfortunately, dispite Gabe's and my best efforts, his tr sounds a lot like an f. Yes, my not-quite-two-year-old has said the f-word... in front of my mother-in-law. Thankfully she has is an understanding woman. So, if you happen to hear that word come out of my son's mouth, look around and you'll probably see a large vehicle going down the road.

It's Snowing!

2008-10-29T14:24:00.000-05:00

It's the gonna-stick,-more-white-than-green-lawn kind of snow... in October! Josiah loves it! Alexandra would rather be inside and warm, thankyouverymuch. All day Josiah, who had a 103 degree fever a couple days ago, would walk over to the sliding glass door and announce that it was "rain outside". After a couple dozen times, I think I finally convinced him that it was snowing. Much to his chagrin, I did not let my little sick ones go outside. When they are well and we really get some good snow, we'll go make some snow angels.

Sadly, I have no first season snow pictures because I recently broke my camera. I've dropped it many times before, but last week, it fell out of my bag and onto the gravel driveway. The LCD screen broke. I've been using the camera with the broken screen and finally decided that it was worth fixing. I can't wait to get it back and take more pictures of my little ones.

In the meantime, I have had a few friends take pictures for me.

Columbus Day, we went a local pumpkin patch with the area MOPS groups. The kids took a hay wagon ride, picked pumpkins, navigated a corn maze, picked their own apples, and saw cider being pressed. We had a great time and they were super cute among the pumpkins. Here are a few pictures a friend of mine took for us. I love Josiah's look in the second one; he's so GQ.
I have been remiss in sharing some of the cuteness that is Josiah and Alexandra. Sometimes the kids do the cutest random things. Back in February, after being home only a month, our 16-month-old Josiah saw how I washed Alexandra's hair and took the unopened bottle of shampoo, pretended to squirt some shampoo in his hands, rubbed his hands together, and gently stroked her head to shampoo her hair. It was so cute and one of the first brother/sister interaction they had. While there have been many such moments since, that's a moment that I hope I never forget.

In May, Alexandra demonstrated her new cognitive and verbal skills. She has learned from Josiah that cows (pronounced 'caw') say moo (pronounced 'mmmmm' without opening your mouth). I was holding Josiah and Alexandra, one on each hip. I asked Josiah who I was and he says, "caw" and Alexandra mooed. Daddy laughed, a little too much, and mommy wondered if it was time for a diet. Actually, it was really cute. For months, anytime she hears the word cow, sees a cow, or plays with the "Mr. Brown Can Moo" book, she would moo. You can't tell that our parents own a dairy farm, can you?

In more recent cuteness:
Alexandra is just about walking. She is standing up on anything and everything and cruising all over the place. Her favorite way to get around (besides being carried) is to walk while holding onto Mama's hands. Josiah has figured this out and while I'm walking with her, he'll come over and say, "hand" to take her hand. It's so cute, but unfortunately, Alexandra wants nothing to do with it yet. Soon the two of them will be getting in trouble walking hand in hand.

I'll leave you with some cuteness that somehow has not yet made it into the blog. Enjoy!(If you can't tell, that's a pea in Josiah's hair. I have no idea how he got it there.)

Calling

2008-10-26T11:22:00.004-05:00

Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name;
make known among the nations what he has done.

~1 Chronicles 16:8

Tempura

2008-10-22T22:59:00.000-05:00

When I was 13, my grandparents took my sister and I around the world to London, Hong Kong, and Japan. I loved the food ever where we went (except the chicken liver, which due to the traumatic experience my mom had had in her childhood with chicken liver, my sister and I had not been subjected to its nastiness). Eel tempura was my favorite. Don't knock it until you try it. However, this is coming from the woman who ate cow stomach and goat kabobs while in Ethiopia.

While eel isn't readily available here, I decided that we would have a Japanese night tonight and make tempura and miso soup.The kid's favorite were the carrots. In fact, Josiah would eat the carrot right out of the breading and then reach for another. Here he is enjoying some broccoli.I've wanted to do a weekly ethnic food night each week, but Gabe isn't as adventurous as I. He'll stick to meat and potatoes given the choice, but perhaps once a month I'll be able to slip in something different under the radar. This one went over well this time. I would love to add some sushi next Japanese night!

Narrow Gate

2008-10-19T08:43:00.002-05:00

"Enter through the narrow gate.
For wide is the gate and broad is the road
that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.
But small is the gate and narrow the road
that leads to life, and only a few find it."
~Matthew 7:13-14

Faith in Action

2008-10-12T08:18:00.000-05:00

What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds."
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.

You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless[d]? Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,"[e] and he was called God's friend. You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.

~James 2:14-24

We Are Alive

2008-10-11T15:35:00.022-05:00

It's nice to know you're loved and have been missed. I apologize if I worried anyone. (You know who you are.) It has been an incredibly busy month. On top of all of our daily adventures, I've been battling some health issues. It's nothing too serious, but has left me with no energy lately. Many days, you'll find me fast asleep napping with the kids for two to three hours in the afternoon. I have finally found a doctor that I like and am finally beginning to feel like myself again. For a while there when I was less observant than usual, I wasn't so sure that I would get back to feeling like myself.

Now, if I can just find some me-time, I'll be good. I haven't really had time to touch my computer or the phone recently and feel completely out of the loop. I have to catch up on all the happenings in the blog world. I have missed so much and hope to talk to all of you soon.

So what have the Carpenters been up to this month? Well, the last me-time I had, I went out to my 10 year high school reunion. If you have ever been to a reunion after not seeing people for 10 years, it is an experience. Check out a few of the pictures, even one of me, here.
Perhaps I'm crazy, but just me and the kids went to the New York State Fair in August. We had an absolute blast! While not planned, the kids took turned napping on Mama's back at nap time. Apparently, Mama is the comfy sleep spot when their cribs are not available. I had at least one of them in the Ergo for the whole six-hour day and let me tell you, I love my Ergo. It's a little pricey, but so very worth it. At the fair, we got to see all the animals, crafts, African village, butter sculpture, and all the state fair sights and sounds. I finally finished the post about the fair here.

The kids and I also took a trip to the blueberry patch to do some blueberry picking. We were a little late this year, but still got enough blueberries that I think we'll be able to keep the blueberry monster (Alexandra) happy until next year's blueberries ripen.

We've also been enjoying the end-of-summer/beginning-of-fall weather and activities. We don't do it often, but we have fun helping Daddy around the farm. We recently went to the farm to help Daddy load some hay.We actually have gone out with Gabe a lot this month. We enjoyed a play day, just the four of us. We attended a cow auction.

My mom took us out to the Binghamton Zoo at Ross Park. We visited my mom's new kitten. We even went with her to our local cider mill.

We even celebrated a couple of Ethiopian holidays: New Year and Meskel.

I didn't think we had done much this past month, but looking at it like that, I guess we have been more active than I thought. We have such fun together. I can't wait to see what next month brings.

Ingathering

2008-10-05T11:52:00.000-05:00

"Celebrate the Feast of Harvest with the firstfruits
of the crops you sow in your field.
"Celebrate the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year,
when you gather in your crops from the field.
~Exodus 23:16

Meskel

2008-09-30T10:11:00.000-05:00

It was raining on Meskel, Sunday, so unfortunately, we didn't get to authentically celebrate the finding of the True Cross with a bonfire. We had to live vicariously through others and YouTube.

We also watched this video of the Toronto St. Michael 2007 Mesqel. My favorite part is at the three minute mark. Too funny!

We also checked out the International Community School of Addis Ababa's Meskel celebrations each year. They have lovely pictures here and here.

But what is Meskel? The school site write this:

September 27, is an Orthodox Christian celebration of finding the True Cross. Legend says that Queen Helena (mother of Constantine of Rome), followed heavy smoke from burning incense to the location of the True Cross. Once she found it, she notified her son of her success by lighting a large fire on a mountain.
In Ethiopia, demeras (large bundles of sticks with Meskel flowers interwoven) are lit the evening of the 26th. People dress in their white clothing and sing and dance. A procession circles the fire three times and there is singing. The bonfire is supposed to collapse in the direction of the True Cross.
Ancient Ge'ez writings tell of a fragment of the True Cross which was brought to Ethiopia. This fragment is buried in a golden box within Egziabher Ab church on a mountain that is shaped like a cross. People will note the smokiness of the atmosphere the evening of Meskel with a plethora of demeras at individual homes. Meskel flowers have become so popular that they no longer grow in such profusion as they did years ago.

While I'm not convinced that the true cross is indeed in Ethiopia, I like celebrate holidays like these to incorporate some of our children's birth culture into our home. Plus, who wouldn't want to have a bonfire?

Cider Mill Memories

2008-09-29T13:11:00.002-05:00

One of my favorite childhood autumn memories were our trips to Hollenbeck's Cider Mill. During the apple pressing season, many Sundays, my mom would take my sister and I to the cider mill to watch the cider being pressed and to watch the donuts being freshly made. Back then, as the cider just began to flow, Mr. Hollenbeck would catch some of the yummy juice in small cups and pass it out to the children. It was the absolute best! We would get a gallon of cider and a half dozen of donuts. The donuts we usually managed to eat before we made it home. Thankfully at least some of the cider survived to be enjoyed later in the week.

I knew that this year, I wanted to share that with my kids. Yesterday was our second trip this season and unfortunately, we have missed the whole apple pressing demonstration. They must do it during church. It's very sad. We did however get freshly made sour dough donuts. It partially made up for not being able to see the mill in action.
This week, my mom went with us too. Aren't they beautiful?I love being able to share these things that I loved with my children. Hopefully we'll get to see the apple press in action sometime this season. I think both of the kids would really enjoy that.

Holy Ground

2008-09-28T09:13:00.000-05:00

"Do not come any closer," God said.
"Take off your sandals,
for the place where you are standing is holy ground."
~Exodus 3:5

Visiting the New Kitty

2008-09-22T15:17:00.001-05:00

My parents just got a new kitty and yesterday we went to go see her. She doesn't have a name yet, but they are working on it. Shasta is the current forerunner. Josiah loves the kitten and had so much fun playing with her.Alexandra on the other hand wasn't so sure and kept her distance.

Thoughts from Josiah:
"The kitty is under the bed. Perhaps I can get under the bed too..."Going...Going...

Almost gone..."See, I knew I could make it, Mama."Yes, you did, bud. Yes, you did. How can you resist such an adorable face?

Where is that smell coming from?

2008-09-22T14:35:00.000-05:00

You know you're a mom when it takes you two hours to realize that the poop smell isn't just residual room smell, but in fact, a small amount of poop on your shirt. I'll spare you pictures.

Broken

2008-09-21T08:43:00.000-05:00

If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, do not boast over those branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you. You will say then, "Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in."

~Romans 11:17-19

Bluberry Picking

2008-09-17T22:31:00.003-05:00

We have been meaning to go blueberry picking for weeks now and just haven't gotten a chance. Thankfully, the blueberry season has lasted longer this year than usual and today we got to go!

Alexandra and Josiah are getting ready to head out. Josiah was checking out one of our picking buckets. He didn't quite get the idea because eventually he decided that it made a good hat.We went with good friends of ours. The kids were great and did a good job hunting for good blueberry picking bushes.The eldest girl decided that she wanted to carry Alexandra the whole time and did so except while we were eating lunch. She made sure that Alexandra had a steady supply of blueberries. Alexandra's diaper can testify to that fact.Josiah was more adventuresome and took to picking on his own. He still didn't catch onto the whole bucket idea and decided his mouth was a much better place to put the blueberries.
We picked 13 pounds in all. I was going to make a few pies, but ran out of steam, so we now have 13 pounds of beautiful blueberries in our freezer just waiting to be made into muffins, buckles, and pies. Yum!

Back and Forth

2008-09-14T16:16:00.001-05:00

Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.

~Ephesians 4:14-15

Trip to the Zoo with Grandma

2008-09-13T21:54:00.005-05:00

It was a just-stopped-raining day and a perfect day to go to the zoo.We saw lots of ferocious beasts like bears and kangaroos.One even had a tremendous paw, almost as big as a wolf's paw!Seriously, the kids had a great time seeing all the animals at the zoo. Even Alexandra who doesn't really like animals seemed to have a good time. Actually, little miss I'm-afraid-of-house-cats was not at all intimidated by the big lions. Silly girl.Josiah like watching the grey wolves eat.
The otters are always so fun to watch.When we went down into the underwater area, one of the playing otters quickly swam in Josiah's direction and he literally jumped off his perch by the glass and only the floor. He was so scared. He's one brave little man though because he got right back up with Grandma and begin watching the two otters swimming again.

It began to rain just as we were leaving the zoo, so we enjoyed our post-zoo-visit snack of ice cream cookie sandwiches under the gazebo then made our backtrack over the animal footprints back to the car.

Ever been to a cow auction?

2008-09-12T21:24:00.000-05:00

If I am remembering correctly, this would be my third cow auction. It is just what it sounds like, a sale of cows. Gabe wanted us all to go with him today to this auction. Believe it or not, we were not the only ones there with a stroller.Josiah's checking out all the cows to see which ones Daddy should by. If you look closely you'll see that he has his hand in his pocket. He discovered pockets today. He saw me with my hand in my pocket and found out that he could do the same. He kept his hand this way for a good five minutes. What a silly boy!

We always have such fun with Daddy ~~especially because~~ even if he didn't buy any cows.

Melkam Addis Amet!

2008-09-11T09:00:00.002-05:00

That's Amharic for Happy New Year. Today in Ethiopia, they are celebrating the beginning of the year 2001. We celebrated last year's Ethiopian millennium without our two little ones. While this year's celebration was even more low key (read: I didn't prepare anything for today), it was much sweeter with our little Ethiopian's at home and learned a little more about the tradions of celebrating the new year.

'Enkutatash' - Ethiopian New Year.

The Ethiopian New Year falls in September at the end of the big rains. The sun comes out to shine all day long creating an atmosphere of dazzling clarity and fresh clean air. The highlands turn to gold as the Meskel daisies burst out in all their splendour. Ethiopian children clad in brand new clothes dance through the villages giving bouquets of flowers and painted pictures to each household.

September 11th is both New Year's Day and the Feast of St. John the Baptist. The day is called Enkutatash meaning the "gift of jewels." When the famous Queen of Sheba returned from her expensive jaunt to visit King Solomon in Jerusalem, her chiefs welcomed her back by replenishing her treasury with enku or jewels. The spring festival has been celebrated since these early times and as the rains come to their abrupt end, dancing and singing can be heard at every village in the green countryside. After dark on New Year's Eve people light fires outside their houses.

The main religious celebration takes place at the 14th-century Kostete Yohannes church in the city of Gaynt within the Gondar Region. Three days of prayers, psalms, and hymns, sermons, and massive colourful processions mark the advent of the New Year. Closer to Addis Ababa, the Raguel Church, on top of the Entoto Mountain north of the city, has the largest and most spectacular religious celebration. But Enkutatash is not exclusively a religious holiday, and the little girls singing and dancing in pretty new dresses among the flowers in the fields convey the message of springtime and renewed life.

Underwear Inside Out

2008-09-08T14:56:00.003-05:00

I apologize if this post includes TMI (too much information), but this is life as a mom:

Apparently, my day started today with me putting on my underwear inside out. I can't ever remember doing that before. And it totally personifies where my head has been the last few weeks. I have been in funksville and La-la land both at the same time. My husband warns that for those of you who don't know me, this may not seem at all funny. I'm a perfectionist, so this is so not me. I was appalled to find that I went most of the day in this condition. It just goes to show where my head has been at.

Turning Leaves

2008-09-07T09:46:00.001-05:00

But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task? Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, like men sent from God.
~2 Corinthians 2:14-17

Play Day

2008-09-06T16:31:00.001-05:00

Time out with Gabe and the kids is my favorite! There is nothing better than a sunny day, the park, the farmer's market, and my three favorite people.

Okay, so it began as a slightly drizzly day, but I'll take it. We had a picnic lunch, which is always an adventure with two newish toddlers. Josiah proved once again that he is all boy. He had this caterpillar crawling on him and was checking it out, unfazed.He then decided that that geese looked like they needed to be chased, so subsequently, Gabe needed to go chase Josiah.Then we find him half way up the stairs to the tall twisty slide. He smiles and waves, then slides right on down. I was then thankful that it had rained because the moisture slowed his little hieny down enough that Mommy wasn't scared for her little boy's safety.All too soon it was time to leave. Here is Josiah as we arrived at the park:And here is Josiah now that he's been told that it's time to go:Alexandra's solution was slightly different.Actually, I'm not sure what she is doing here. She's done it a couple of times while she is in the car and she cracks herself up doing it. What exactly she is doing, I have no idea.

We then headed to the local farmers market.They have the best egg rolls and I was so looking forward to getting one. When I got there, the bean cake looked good too, so I changed my mind. I shouldn't have. The egg roll would have been better. I really enjoyed seeing all the vendors and handmade crafts. Gabe is so not a city boy. He thinks this is very crowded.
It was actually a really good time to go to the farmers market. It wasn't packed and we got to see everything we wanted to see before nap time.

Gabe and Josiah obliged me with one last photo op before we left. Aren't they just the handsomest guys?

Helping with Hay

2008-09-02T23:48:00.000-05:00

The kiddos and I try to help Daddy around the farm every once and a while. I'm not sure we're much of a help, more of a presence, but we usually have a good time. Josiah has so much fun "helping" with hay. He watched how Daddy and I toss and stack the bales. Once he understood the whole process, he picked up a handful of hay and tossed it off just like we do. It is super cute to see him struggle to try to pull the bales along, announce that it is stuck, then ask for help.Alexandra mainly hangs out among the stacked bales looking cute and letting us know that she is still there. Plucking bits of hay from the bales keeps her busy for a good long time, then there are books and ultimately snack to keep her happy until we can get the hay off of the wagon and onto the trailer.It was painfully obvious that I hadn't been doing this all summer when I got a blister through my gloves after unloading a little more than a wagon full. It's a decent workout, but I could do without all the hay chaff in the little ones' hair. Have you ever tried getting little bits of grass out of the curly hair of a squirmy one year old? It's not my favorite thing and let me tell you, there are still hay bits hiding after a bath. Gabe's vote is to shave it all off (Alexandra's included), but I nixed that idea. I would rather pick out the chaff than lose those soft, lovely locks.

Towards the end of the day, Josiah and Alexandra were getting a little antsy, so we let them pretend to drive the car while we finished the last load. They obviously have a blast. Anytime they get to spend in the car not in a car seat is okay by them.We have fun helping Daddy. Josiah can't wait until he's big enough to do all of the things that Mommy and Daddy can do, like climb on top of the wagon. I'm just enjoying each day with them just as they are.

High School Reunion

2008-09-01T01:39:00.002-05:00

So much and not a lot changes in ten years. This weekend was our high school reunion. I will admit that I wasn't so sure that I wanted to go. After all, I hadn't seen or talked to many of these people for ten years. It was a little surreal walking into a room full of people I "knew when", who aren't so different from when I saw them last and who (for the most part) have just become more mature and more themselves since then. Instead of bringing up all those painful memories I think we all had from high school, I had a great time reconnecting with some wonderful old friends, picking things up again after all these years. It turned out to be a great weekend and seeing everyone was so wonderful!

Wide, Long, High and Deep

2008-08-31T09:28:00.000-05:00

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge — that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
~Ephesians 3:16-19

Remembering "The Wait"

2008-08-28T13:01:00.001-05:00

I couldn't help laughing and identifying with these two great t-shirts from Adoption Mama:

Adopting. Still.

Warning:
I am in love with a child I haven't met yet.
I am in the process of an adoption.
I am subject to cry at any moment.
Please bear with me until my referral comes.

I definitely remember those days. Although I would amend the last line to read "bear with me until my children come home." There's just no getting around it, the wait is just hard.... But so worth it:

New York State Fair

2008-08-27T23:38:00.010-05:00

I just couldn't pass up the chance to take our two little ones to the state fair this year. My mother-in-law had some free tickets to the fair, so today while Gabe was off at work, Josiah, Alexandra, and I took the trip to The Great New York State Fair.
With Alexandra in the Ergo on my back and Josiah in the stroller, we grabbed a fair map at the gate entrance and set off to explore. The first thing that piqued Josiah's interest was the tractor tent.I think boys are born with a love of all things big and noisy. Tractors, or put-puts as Josiah calls them, fit the bill and are just so much fun to play with.

I like to old farm equipment, looms, and such so we headed to that part of the fair next. Wednesday is a great day to go to the fair because it's not busy. Josiah had had enough of the stroller once we got there and I took advantage of the enclosed space to let him run around. He had a blast running from one intriguing area to another.As you might imagine, milk and ice cream are favorites at our house, so we next headed over to the Dairy building to get our fill and to see what I consider to be one of the highlights of the fair experience, the butter sculpture:
If you click on the picture, you can make it bigger. You may be able to tell that this year's theme was the Hey Diddle Diddle nursery rhyme. Who knew what you could do with butter!

Just outside Alexandra wanted to get a closer view of the pond and fountain. If she could walk, I think she would have been out of the stroller and daring me to catch her run around the pond or perhaps catch her before she climbed the fence and ended up in the water.
While Josiah was napping on my back, Alexandra and I took a detour to one of my favorite buildings, the Americraft Center of Progress. I so enjoying seeing all the beautiful things that people create and it's a great place for creative inspiration. My favorite was this show winning quilt:I'm not sure that I have the patience (or the time) to make something like this. It was simply stunning in person. The quilter who made this quilt is super talented. There were many other beautiful pieces, but this was my favorite.

Our last stop before heading out for the day was the Pan-African Village. They had a kid's section with drums to beat and other fun activities. We could have jammed for quite a while there.
There were some nice African items for sale there too, but after being to Ethiopia and shopping there, they just couldn't compare. Seeing the displays reminded me of Ethiopia and I am so yearning to go back.
After six hours at the fair, the little ones were done for the day, so we headed back to the car with our newly acquired state park stickers and fun memories.

Aside: If you see strangers with children who look like they may be twins, never start a conversation with the question, "Twins?"

Freezing Corn

2008-08-25T22:55:00.001-05:00

Today we froze 661 cups of corn!

We picked sweet corn from our fields first thing this morning (and when I say we, I mean Gabe because there isn't much that would get me up that early). 10 bushels of corn to be exact. That's 650 ears for those of you who may not know how many ears to a bushel (I don't). We try to freeze enough corn to last us about a year. This year we decided to get a little more industrious and invite a few friends over to freeze with us. We froze enough for 27 people (and little people).

Here's how we did it (after the picking, of course):

As Alexandra is so nicely demonstrating, we shucked all of the corn.We had lots of little people help with the shucking. They kept calling the husks, the shucks. It was quite cute and they had a good time.
Gabe's grandfather came over to help too. His hand was the only causality of the day getting a small cut.

We blanched 40 ears of corn at a time in these cookers.Then cooled them down quickly in the ice water. Josiah was quality control here. My little man loves ice, well, really any form of water.
Once the ears were cooled, we cut the corn off of the cob and measured them out into freezer bags depending on family size. We put about two cups into our bags, which should be about right for one dinner for us.In all, it took us about 8 hours to shuck, clean, blanch, cut, bag, and freeze all the corn and clean up. I must say, with more friends this year, it was a lot more fun, even if it did take longer.

And just because they're so darn cute. Here are the littlest people who will be enjoying that corn this year.

Chillin', Sleepin'

2008-08-24T08:47:00.001-05:00

When you walk, they will guide you;
when you sleep, they will watch over you;
when you awake, they will speak to you.
~Proverbs 6:22

This Day

2008-08-17T08:02:00.001-05:00

This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
~Psalm 118:24

Happy 1st Birthday, My Baby Girl!

Take It

2008-08-16T23:09:00.000-05:00

This week, the kids and I went back to North Lake with Nana and Grandpa (Gabe's parents). This picture is just a teaser. I was going to share more pictures today, but was interrupted by a call from my husband saying that he just got into a car accident. Don't worry, all parties involved are okay. The kids were with me and he was the only one in his car. He hit another car and everyone in that vehicle appears to be alright too. I have not seen his car, but it sounds bad. The cars grazed sides, Gabe's car spun around and he finally stopped the car by a couple of bushes. Both driver's side doors of his care are inoperable, so he had to squeeze by the bushes to get out of the car. I am just so thankful that no one was hurt.

Honestly, after learning that everyone was unharmed, I began to throw myself a little pity party thinking about what was going to be involved in getting the car fixed and dealing with the insurance. Then I looked at the post directly below this one and that put things into perspective. This is really just a small thing. After all, no one was hurt and the vehicle and money to fix the car are God's anyway. For some reason, He wanted us to spend the money there. I'm not sure what caused the accident and Gabe wasn't speeding, but it reminded me to slow down and be thankful for each moment. Yesterday, I was stressin' about my to do list and getting things done while at the same time feeling guilty that I wasn't spending more quality time with my little ones. Thinking about that, I just felt God saying to me that I need to slow down, leave my to-do list to Him (and yes, some of it will not get done...ever), and enjoy each precious moment He gives me. It is definitely a lesson that I need to remember. Try to keep things in God's eternal perspective and focus on what is truly important, the people around us.

Speaking of focusing on the people around us, my little girl who Josiah calls "Baby" will be one year old tomorrow. I can't believe how quickly these last six months have gone by. And "they", the older and wiser mothers, say it just keeps going faster. Again, a good reminder to slow down and enjoy this time I have with my baby girl who will no longer be a baby soon. In the midst of the party preparations (the balloons and extra cupcakes have already been a big hit), I have to slow down and remember that this day is about celebrating birth of this beautiful girl that God has entrusted to us for a time. We have also chosen this day to dedicate our two precious little ones to God in the presence of family and our church. They are already God's children, but tomorrow we will affirm that.

So, at the end of the day with my mini-car-freak-out over, I am so thankful that Jesus is here now extending Grace for all my short comings and reminding me that this day, each day, is a blessing that He wants to give to me. The only question remains if I will take it...

SCC Speaking Out

2008-08-13T08:52:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Katie, I was able to see the Larry King Live Interview of Steven Curtis Chapman and his family in this six part YouTube video. It is definitely worth seeing. And as Katie put it, "[God] gave them last night to honor & speak of Him humbly & courageously..."

An Ophan's Ticket Home

2008-08-11T08:12:00.002-05:00

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress...." ~ James 1:27

It helps me to think about Mother Teresa' quote when I think about the millions of orphans in the world. I don't know how and I can't solve the problems of the world, only Jesus can do that, but I can and you can make a difference. There are many wonderful ways to help orphans in their distress and this is one of them:

Visit An Orphan's Ticket Home for more information.

Don't Be a Missing Drop

2008-08-10T07:50:00.001-05:00

"We ourselves feel that what we are doing is
just a drop in the ocean.
But the ocean would be less because of
that missing drop."
~Mother Teresa

The Lomong and Short of It

2008-08-08T23:30:00.001-05:00

Last week, Gabriel came home with our local paper and on the cover was an intriguing story titled "They're Mom & Dad to us: Otisco couple created a home and a new life for six Lost Boys from Sudan, including one Olympian"

If you haven't been living under a rock, you know that the opening ceremony of the Olympics were today. What you may not know is Lopez Lomong carried the flag for the United States. Who is Lopez Lomong? Among other things, including being an Olympic runner, Lomong is a son by adoption to Robert and Barbara Rogers. He and five of his brothers were Sudanese refugees who came to the US as teens to a home and to hope for a future.

I encourage you to go read this article and view this video. I walked away from both with an encouraging picture of what adoption really is; as Rogers put it, "[You] accept them as your children fully." These boys who expected to be living in servant quarters have found a home. My heart aches for those "older" children who have not yet, but through this am more hopeful for the future of these waiting children. Adoption is a beautiful (although sometimes, hard) thing for children at any age who need a mother, a father, and a home.

I am glad I can point to this young man whom Josiah and Alexandra to can to look up to as a local athlete who was born on the same continent as them and is following his dream. Like the Rogers who were "worried about the ramifications of bringing in three 'very black, young men from Africa' into a predominantly white community." Gabe and I have also had concerns for the self-esteem of our children. I think our children are beautiful and I wouldn't change anything about who they are. I am not naive enough to think that everyone will judge them as I do. Thankfully, however, we have received nothing, but love and support in our community. Even still, I know there will be times when they will have to face the challenges of being different. I hope that with young men like Lomong, they not feel so different and see that they too can follow their dreams.

Facing the Future with Great Hope

2008-08-06T23:24:00.004-05:00

If you missed it (I did), please take a few minutes to watch the beautiful Chapman family as they appeared on Good Morning America this morning. Grab a tissue first though, you'll need it.

If I had a million dollars...

2008-08-05T13:06:00.000-05:00

Normally, I wouldn't want a nanny (just a cook and a maid), but I am really looking forward to a day where I can be spontaneous, pick up my purse, and go if I want. My exceedingly wonderful cousin-in-law is going to watch the kids for the entire day, Friday. She has come over many times to watch our little ones so Gabe and I can go out on a date. She had time between work and going back to school and she has graciously offered to give me a "Mommy's Day Off" and date night with Gabriel.

I have started my list of things I want to do on Friday. Sorry, none of it is very exciting and yes, cleaning is on the list. What can I say? I'm a mom. I will be home much of the day because I don't think I can go a whole day without seeing my little ones, but it will be nice to give someone else the responsibility of caring for them, at least for one day. So if I had a million dollars, I wouldn't hire a nanny. (However, Gabriel, if you're reading this, you can add cook and maid to my Christmas wish list.)