Our Journey to our Ethiopian Princess

Hasina's first b-day

2009-09-13T17:07:00.000-07:00

A Day At The Beach...

2009-07-29T16:42:00.000-07:00

Oh just one more...

2009-07-20T22:28:00.000-07:00

Boring Friday ...

2009-07-20T21:53:00.000-07:00

So the kids got a little bored last Friday so this is what it turned into! !. Stuffing pillows in shirts and getting dizzy. 2. Find a Geo cache. 3. Geo Cache close to a park so we can play. My poor kids never have anything to do! LOL

Fire Hose

2009-07-12T20:44:00.000-07:00

Great ending to a great soccer camp!!!

Aunt Jackie

2009-07-05T21:00:00.000-07:00

This is my sister who I am sure is going to be Hasina's Angel or Fairy Godmother or whoever it is that gives her ANYTHING and plans on making her every wish come true. Hasina adores her, she is the next best thing if mommy can't do what she wants. I hate when we have to leave the family in PA but this time was extra hard because Hasina and Jackie have a special bond that I know it breaks both their hearts to be apart. I just hope one day we can move back or at least closer ;o)

Still in PA!

2009-06-25T17:40:00.001-07:00

Well, I have been out of town with the kids for about three weeks now! I will finally get to see Jon on Saturday, and let me tell you I have been missing that boy something fierce! I can not wait to have our family back together... The first week we went to Disney World and then Jon flew back to NM till now. We have to do all our visiting in the summer since Zack is in school now. Here are a few pictures of the DW trip.

Geo Caching

2009-05-25T22:00:00.000-07:00

We went geo caching and found some fun treasures today. We all had a ton of fun and we got to try out the new camera. I am LOVING this camera and I have not even started reading all the other cool stuff it does!

New Camera!

2009-05-21T18:38:00.000-07:00

So I finally talked Jon into a new camera! After I made him look at Angie's website and he saw her amazing photos he couldn't resist :o) Thanks Angie I know it probably has more to do with the photographer but here's to hoping!
Our first day photos!

Mother's Day

2009-05-10T21:17:00.000-07:00

Today we went on a hike in Jemez Springs. We had a wonderful time the kids got to wade in the creek and climb on rocks they had a great time with their BFFs. We found lots of spots we want to go back for a camping trip. Jon also got me a beautiful necklace from Etsy the artist is donating 30% of the proceeds to a family that are adopting from Ethiopia. I love gifts with a cause. Hope everyone had a great Mother's Day! And my prayers are with the families waiting to bring their children home.

Mom and Son

2009-05-09T23:01:00.001-07:00

Today Zack and I participated in the Mom and Son Olympics. We had a ton of fun! We did sack races, water balloon toss, balloon hug race and lots of other silly games. There were many times that Jon felt the need to video tape so I am guessing I must have looked like a total fool, the things we will do for our kids! I guess I must not of embarrassed Zack to much he wants to do it again next year. I'm going to start training now ;o)

She might be loving me!!!

2009-05-02T22:42:00.001-07:00

I think Hasina is really starting to love me! All along Hasina has been able to go to anyone and be happy. I was not any different than anyone else, she just likes to be held and she likes to be talked to. Lately she has started to reach for me but still happy with just being held by anyone. Today it happened she actually got the "stranger danger" cry and whine! We went to a picnic at my friend Jenn's and she only wanted me not even her Dad would do. This might sound strange to be excited about for people who have not adopted but for adopting families you know how exciting this is! This means she KNOWS ME and that I am the one that will take care of her needs and be there. I loved her from the moment I knew she was on this Earth but now I really think she is falling for me too! I am just so excited!

Busy Busy

2009-04-28T21:21:00.000-07:00

We have been out of town for Easter,Passover and we also went on a little trip to Tucson to visit the AZ family. Life is great Hasina is doing really well she has gained about a 1 1/2 lbs since being home. She is in the 10% for weight and 50% for height Grandpa is hoping for a basketball player :o) Zack has about 20 days left of school and he is doing so great. He is also very excited about his up coming soccer tournament (he wants a green mo hawk). Aaron is staying home with me till next fall we are having a lot of fun going to the park and playing on the trampoline. Well that is all for now. I am working on getting my thoughts together for a post about Ethiopia. It is taking a bit because it was an amazing wonderful emotional trip that I have not been able to get my feelings around yet. Stay tuned :o) In the meantime here are a few pics to keep you going.

Bad Blogger!

2009-04-16T13:28:00.000-07:00

Things are better than great, I really don't know how I could ever be happier! Hasina is a true blessing just like her big brothers. Hasina is sleeping all night 10 hrs, can you believe it? Here are a few pictures to get you through till I can get some time to be a better blogger ;o)

Home again Home again gigidy gig!

2009-03-19T17:55:00.000-07:00

And We're Off

2009-03-07T07:47:00.000-08:00

I received the most thoughtful gift from my Mom yesterday! She sent me the above necklace with the engraved message "Everything will be fine" Whenever my Mom and I are going on a trip or something special is coming up my Mom and I worry. We started say "Everything will be fine" a long time ago to calm each others nerves. Throughout this process my Mom has had to say this a LOT to me. She knows we may not be able to talk to each other while I am in Ethiopia so she wanted me to have the words with me. She really is the most thoughtful person I know!

We leave tomorrow VERY early! I am feeling excited sad overwhelmed all at the same time. I am really getting emotional about leaving my boys but I know in 10 days all of this process will be worth it. My family of 5 will all be together! Thank you all for your well wishes and the next picture will be of my family of 5 :o)

Something from the boys

2009-03-03T16:23:00.000-08:00

Well we decided to make some shirts to take for Hasina from the boys. They had a blast! Blue Green and Red fingers and all :o) We told them we will put her new shirt on her as soon as we see her, so it will be like a BIG HUG from them!

9 Days

2009-02-27T19:02:00.000-08:00

9days till we leave! We don't have to count today since it is 8:00 pm and we don't have to count the day we leave so I am going to say we really only have 1 week :o) One week till I get to kiss those chubby little cheeks one week till I get wake up and see and touch her face everyday. I am getting so excited to get to her but at the same time nervouse about leaving my boys. It will all be worth it when we all can be together in the same house same country same time zone. Good Morning Hasina I love you!

She is for sure a Fine!

2009-02-19T21:28:00.000-08:00

New Pictures :o)

2009-02-19T20:23:00.001-08:00

Mistake???

2009-02-18T12:59:00.001-08:00

So I guess we passed court today not last week? Crazy but our rep from CHI called today and said they had made a mistake telling us we had passed and that we actually passed today. Now our Embassy date has been pushed a week so we will not be leaving for Ethiopia till the 8th instead of the 1st. I am bummed but it is only a week in the whole scheme of things right? URGH! The positive of this is my sanity if I would have known we had not passed yet Jon may have divorced me! JK

2 Weeks till we fly out!

2009-02-15T20:23:00.000-08:00

Well the tickets are bought the guest house is reserved and the packing begins. I washed her clothes this weekend and tried to organize the donations. I am getting so excited but it still doesn't seem real that in 2 weeks our little princess will be in our arms! I am guessing it will not sink in until we are home with our boys...

One more

2009-02-10T12:22:00.000-08:00

We PASSED!

2009-02-10T11:40:00.000-08:00

We officially have a daughter! I told you she was breathtaking :o)

This is it!

2009-02-09T20:24:00.000-08:00

Tonight sometime between 12am and sometime tomorrow AM the decision will be made if Hasina comes to her forever home this month or we wait even longer to have her in our arms. Here's hoping all this stress will have a wonderful outcome tomorrow. I hope tomorrow you will all get to see the beautiful face I have been staring at for the last few months,instead of my whining :oP

Down to 2 Days

2009-02-08T20:31:00.000-08:00

Ok work tomorrow then as we sleep (yeah right) Monday our little Hasina will hopfully become trully ours! Keep those prayers coming please :o)

3 DAYS!!!!!

2009-02-07T20:39:00.000-08:00

My nerves are shot,Nuff Said...

Please Pray for Abby

2009-02-05T21:30:00.000-08:00

Update to the Thursday Abby Update...

Abby is doing worse this evening.

Her lungs have become “junky” and she is having a hard time breathing, and taking quick, choppy breaths. Her oxygen levels are down some. She has no immune system at all at this point. Her sores are worse today. Not sure what the docs are going to do, but we are watching her closely.

Without trying to over alarm or be melodramatic, it is COMPLICATIONS that are usual cause of death for kids in Abby’s situation. So every complication that arises at this point is very concerning.

God is in control and we rejoice in the opportunity to depend on Him and observe His mercy and goodness.

We appreciate your prayers. We appreciate you letting other people know to pray. We appreciate are blogger friends posting to their readers when they can. We’ll keep you updated.

Blessings,
Brent & Michelle

Down to just DAYS!

2009-02-05T19:33:00.000-08:00

Court date in 5 days!

One week

2009-02-03T21:21:00.000-08:00

So today takes us to one week to go till the court date! Needless to say I am going absolutely CRAZY! I have been trying to analyze every blog and everyone who has or has not passed court. I think it has turned into a sickness! I just read on the yahoo group that there will be a big meeting on Feb 10 in Ethiopia regarding adoptions and this makes me so nervous that it will affect our court date. I have to just get through and keep praying and thinking positive that she will be in our arms very soon. Feel free to join us in the prayers :o) Thanks!

Two weeks till court

2009-01-27T17:04:00.000-08:00

I am going crazy! I just want some guarantee that everything is going to go well at court. I feel so out of control. Oh wait I am so out of control! I have given up Diet coke, Red Hots, and I am not going to read the 4Th Twilight book till we are on the plane to Ethiopia. I figure this is something I can control. I know I know I'm losing it! Please keep all those prayers coming and those fingers and toes crossed. Thank you you all are the best :o)

Thought I would post some pictures of the boys hard at work... Honest they like to help!

Abby

2009-01-18T07:36:00.000-08:00

Please say a little prayer for Abby. Her blog is to the left with a picture she is going through the toughest part of her chemo right now and is really in need of some positive thoughts and prayers. Thank you

Is it Feb 10 yet?

2009-01-11T08:49:00.000-08:00

One thing about this process that I really am not a big fan of is the way I want time to go faster. Everything during this time is a wait so you are always wishing time to past quickly; I really dislike this part. I can not wait to finally have her in my arms and in our forever home so that I can go back to enjoying every second of everyday instead of wishing for it to pass... Don't get me wrong I have enjoyed time with my family and friends this year but I always had in the back of my mind how much longer. I work with a group of doctors in Internal Medicine which if you didn't know is mostly elderly. The Patients tell me all the time how time just flies by and then you are old and and the kids are grown and you don't know when it all happened. That is why I am so anxious to get our life back with our brilliant addition, and I know it will all be worth the wait in the end. I just wish I was better at just letting things be and letting things work out how they are suppose to instead of worrying every second of everyday about what we need to happen next. Lets just hope after we are through this process I can use my magic powers to slow time down :o)

She's a Keeper

2009-01-10T09:02:00.000-08:00

So many of you know that we lost our beloved Joey this summer; he was an eleven year old short hair black cat. We had him and our cat Stormy since the year Jon and I got married 1997. Our family is still heart broken over the loss even though Joey was kind of a bad cat we still LOVED him. After he died of a heart condition we decided no more pets till the boys were older, Stormy was it. Well about a month ago I was home alone (doesn't happen often) making jewelry sitting looking out the window and I saw our neighbor's big black cat walking along our adobe wall in the back. I usually would chase him off because Stormy gets very upset about other cats, but I really liked seeing a black cat again so I let him lay there so I could watch him. After he left I heard a very tiny meow outside. I thought OH NO when I looked I saw a kitten probably 6 months old there. I chased her off 3 times and when Jon got home I asked if I could bring her in the garage for the night. He was apprehensive till he saw her and then he let her in. We then took her to the vet about three days later because she didn't seem to want to leave and I did not want a sick cat around Stormy; she was negative for all the bad stuff so we decided to try and introduce her to Stormy. Let's just say they tolerate each other. I decided to have her spayed so that at least if she left and came back she would not come back pregnant. That was two weeks ago and I guess we have decided to keep her. I really like her; she is very sweet and playful a little jumpy about the kids but I would be too :o)The kids decided on Pepper as her name since she looks a lot like the seasoning. The boys asked the Vet what kind of cat she was and I laughed but the Vet actually told them she is a short hair tiger cat. Anyway sorry so long I guess I was in the mood to type!

Wait for it... And everyone thought Zack was so sweet?

2009-01-04T10:42:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T17:12:00.000-08:00

Today we just lounged around and then we decided to go to a park. The park we found was awesome. It was right next to the Bosque so we got to throw rocks in the river and look for cool ones to add to our rock collections. The boys are really looking forward to doing all these things with their sister when she gets here. Looks like the pole for a name is very close. FYI Hasina means good and beautiful in Africa... Not trying to sway anyone but the boys are definitely digging it ;o)

Later!

This is who we spent New Years with!

2008-12-31T11:59:00.000-08:00

Terri is a real party animal!!!

Aaron's 4th B-day Party

2008-12-21T18:59:00.000-08:00

Today we celebrated Aaron's 4th b-day. We had 15 kids over and we decorated gingerbread houses. The kids had a blast! I just can not believe my baby is going to be 4 on the 23rd. Here are some pictures :o)

First Book

2008-12-21T08:39:00.000-08:00

My friend Marcey gave me our baby's first book. It is so sweet ...
"God bless me and God bless all the children in my own country" is a quote from it; the book takes you all over the world to say good night, even Africa :o)

Court Date Court Date!!!!!

2008-12-19T21:40:00.001-08:00

We received an email this morning that we have a court date! February 10th then we will travel about 3 weeks later. Sometimes the court date does not go through the first time, but we are just going to think positive and have faith that everything will work out. I just can't wait to get my hands on her. I fall more and more in love with her everyday! The song I have set on this blog "I Love You" is a song that I thought of after each of our boys was born and now it makes me think of her. The love you feel for your child even though we have just met is amazing ;O) Thanks for the prayers and finger crossing just need it a little longer...

Great News

2008-12-17T20:58:00.000-08:00

No not a court date but another fellow CHI family Angie and Joe recieved their referral for a sweet two month old baby boy! They have been waiting for 19 months because they switched from the Viet Nam program after all the problems with the adoption process there started. I am so ahppy to see this referral; it has been a long wait for them. You can check out their blog to the left "love is spoken here". Angie lets hope for some quick court dates!

I am Blessed

2008-12-11T21:23:00.001-08:00

No court date

2008-12-08T17:55:00.000-08:00

So remember when I whined about the wait? Well that was nothing compared to this one! I see her face and I want to hold her and squeeze her and never let go... Right now we wait and wait to hear if we will have a court date. Our agency will be closing the 19th for two weeks; this is for the Christmas holiday. I would really love to have a court date before that so that this Christmas could be even more merry!

On another note the boys are doing awesome. Zack is a little book worm; he loves just sitting by the fire and reading his Goosebumps books and he is also learning to make hats with me. We are planning on donating them to the NICU at the local hospital. Aaron is learning to add numbers and really working on his letters and sounds. He does not love to write yet but if you let him color he will be busy for hours (can't leave any white on a page).

Keep those prayers coming and those fingers and toes crossed that our little lady will be home soon!

Thanks

Catch up

2008-12-01T20:59:00.000-08:00

We had a great Thanksgiving- good friends, good food, good times! Saturday we went on the Rail Runner to a Christmas festival in Belen it was lots of fun . We went to a great cafe called The Rail Cafe; it is super cute and way worth the trip! We are still awaiting our court date. I am guessing it will most likely be a couple more weeks before we hear anything. A few families had court dates today that did not go through and they were rescheduled for January 15th. I feel very sad for those families and hope that second time is the charm.

We accepted our referral

2008-11-25T20:01:00.000-08:00

We took all the medical reports and her pictures to out Pediatric Dr. She said everything looks great. After the appointment we got all the paperwork together and sent it to CHI. Now we just wait for a court date. Our Agency told us we may have a court date in about 5 weeks! I am going to try not to get my hopes up because of the holidays court dates may not come so quickly. Keep your fingers crossed please :o)

Breathless

2008-11-19T20:17:00.000-08:00

Today is just so surreal! We got our call for our little lady; she is 2 months old,healthy, and absolutly breath taking! Everyone always seems to want to know about the call so hear it is...

Jon had my cell phone today becasue the battery kept losing power so he took it back to the cell place. I had not realized he put his in my car so neither of us had our cells. Next apparently I had given a fax number on our application so Sharon called that number and could not reach me. Then Jon was volunteerring at a place called Project CURE so he was not at work to receive the call. When Jon got to work he got the message from Sharon saying she would like to speak to us but she would be in a meeting till 1:00 her time, 12:00 my time and then she would be leaving for the day at 2:00 her time, 1:00 my time. We got this message at 12:45 our time so as you can imagine our frantic call to Sharon.

Unfortunately we got her voice mail. I was so afraid we would not get her before 1:00 our time and we would have to wait till Thursday to know what she wanted. I went home to get my son off the bus (he had a short day) then my phone rang and it was Jon and Sharon. She told us we had a baby girl and that she was just beautiful (understatement) and that she was healthy, the rest is a blurr. The boys are IN LOVE; they want her to sleep in their batman bed. We have talked about changing the name we had picked (Hasina) to something else, so we asked the boys and so far GIRL BUZZ LIGHTYEAR is the front runner.

My house has been grand central station with all the calls and I can't seem to get this smile off my face :o) Now the real wait begins!

Still no referral...

2008-11-18T18:26:00.000-08:00

We still have not gotten our referral but the Ethiopia program is still giving them out, boys lots of boys! I am very happy for any family and child finding each other . I know I may be a little partial but I think boys are amazing so all the boys finding homes makes me smile ;o) Don't let me fool you it still makes me a tad jealous but still happy all in one, I think I've mentioned my emotional roller coaster ride.

On another note I got to see my friends Andrea and Ryan's new additions and they are soo sweet! I got to help out a little and play with them while Andrea put the older kids to bed; that was fun and Naomi fell a sleep on me... I must say I am SO ready for Hasina to come home! Soon Soon

Noah and Naomi Home at Last!

2008-11-15T17:29:00.000-08:00

My friends Andrea and Ryan have had their referrals for Naomi and Noah since June! They had to wait through the two month court closure so it has been a long wait to get them here. They are all home now and really getting to start the bonding process with their new little angels, Check out their blog link to the left "St Clair" :o)

Sibling Referral Today

2008-11-10T20:41:00.000-08:00

A family today received a referral for twins! Sibling referrals are harder to come by they have been waiting for 11 months! I am sure they are over the moon and I am so happy that they will be a family soon ;o)

The Wait

2008-11-04T18:47:00.000-08:00

I feel compelled to write this post regarding the wait for our little girl. When we started the process for Ethiopia the wait for a referral was 3-4 months. We have now reached 7 months today; this is nothing compared to domestic adoption for an infant nor compared to the wait in China, but when you prepare yourself for 4 months and you go seven it gets to you. I have been on an emotional roller coaster. I can be totally positive and know she is coming to us soon one minute then go to bawling because I am so anxious to have her but her Ethiopia Mom will have to do something so selfless so that I can have a daughter. I have always been so excited to see referrals come in but now that we are so close I am so jealous that it is not us. Some days I feel that it may never happen! Jon and I have now stopped calling each other during the day; instead we email because it is almost painful to hear the phone ring when it is not the news we wanted. I thought this process would be easier than pregnancy but right now I feel as though I am in my tenth month and it stinks! I know these feelings will subside as soon as I see her face and know that there will be an ending to this pain when she is in my arms, but for today I ache.

ZACK LOST A TOOTH!

2008-10-30T20:19:00.000-07:00

My baby has finally lost a tooth! He has been agonizing about being the only second grader who has not lost a tooth and now he has finally joined the ranks of the the toothless crooked smiled kids ;o) He did have to have the dentist pull it because the tooth behind it was really coming in and he was kind of reminding us of a shark. Here is the after shot ...

Zoo and Pumpkins

2008-10-29T20:27:00.000-07:00

I worked a half day today so I picked the kids up early and we went to the zoo. I know this is something our North East friends can not do right now given all the SNOW! (hey got to hold something over all your heads) We had a wonderful time and there was a couple of new babies and an addition

to the play area!

We also did some pumpkin carving.

No News...

2008-10-26T22:00:00.000-07:00

Hey all no news yet on the adoption. There has not been any referrals the last two weeks I am just hoping we are not going to go through another dry spell! Keep you fingers crossed :o)

Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-12T17:13:00.000-07:00

Here are the pictures of our wonderful time at the McCall's Pumpkin Patch...

Hannah Banana's 2nd B-day

2008-10-12T17:01:00.000-07:00

We had our family from Tucson here this weekend and we got to celebrate our niece Hannah's b-day here is her with her First whole cookie... oh yeah and we celebrated Jon's 4th anniversary of his 29th b-day and his millionth cookie ;o)

Lewis Twins Come Home!!!!

2008-10-12T16:47:00.000-07:00

Well today is the day Keira and Molly finally come home! They may look small in these pictures but they have actually doubled in size. Congrats Jenn and Ryan and Miss Katie ;O)

More Referrals!

2008-10-10T09:03:00.000-07:00

Our blog buddies Kane and Dawn Webber received their referral for a 7 week old baby girl! I am supper excited for them they waited 6 1/2 months. We have now been waiting 6 months and 4 days I am feeling very anxious that we could be next or very soon, but at the same time I feel it may never happen... I know it must be close because even Jon my cool calm and collected man is jumping whenever the phone rings :o). This wait is making me a little nuts! I know after we know who she is this ache will finally subside, oh but wait then I have to wait to go get her. I am guessing this wait will be just as tough or even harder.

Our Tucson Family is in town so we are going to the Pumpkin Patch today. I will post pictures soon.

Referrals...

2008-10-02T20:40:00.000-07:00

Referrals have come in this week 4 were baby girls and one baby boy. Congrats to the families! Two of the girl referrals were for families that submitted their dossier 2 weeks before ours. I hope that this means soooooon! I am kind of bumming today this process has been a lot harder than I thought, with all the emotional up and downs of the WAIT. My boys keep me so busy but I find my mind wonders often when it comes to when will that phone ring and it be OUR turn. I know the wait is nothing like other countries but it is still a tuff one. I feel at this point she is out there somewhere needing me and I don't even know her yet. It is also hard on the boys they ask all the time when is my sister going to be here, can I put this toy in Hasina's room for her, when Hasina is here I am going to show her how to play this, or when my sister is here she can sleep in my bed or I will sleep in hers :O) They are just so sweet and are going to be amazing big brothers to their sister! That's all for now but cross your fingers it's soon, I don't know how much more I can take... (JK) It's all in G-d's hands and I know he has the perfect match for our family somewhere out there.

Little Sunday Hike

2008-09-28T18:43:00.001-07:00

This was the first Sunday in a very long time that we did not have Volleyball to stop us from doing anything on a Sunday afternoon. I had a Softball game at 12:00 and then after that we decided to go for a hike. The temperature was perfect and the boys just love being outside so it made for a perfect afternoon as you can see :O)

Official

2008-09-27T18:28:00.000-07:00

We have now officially stopped discussing her first name! We have put it on the wall in her room so it will be HASINA (means Beauty in Amharic)! The middle name is going to remain open until we know if her birth mother has named her something that means something special to her. The courts open this Friday so we are hoping to hear something very soon. Our friends Andrea and Ryan have a court date for Friday to make it official in Ethiopia that Noah and Naomi are theirs. They have had their referrals since May and did not make it through court before the closure so this has been a very long few months for them. I am keeping everything crossed that everything goes smoothly from here on out!

Baby Room

2008-09-14T21:20:00.000-07:00

We have been trying to distract ourselves with little projects, so the boys and I decided to get the baby's room ready. My mom bought her this adorable bedding set with pinks and greens and lots of flowers, butterflies, dragonflies, and lady bugs. I decided with my Mom's help to use two shades of green and Jon put a brown chair rail up in the room. Then after setting everything up I decided to add some flowers to the wall free hand so don't look to close (ha ha)! Jon is also cutting out lady bugs , and the other shapes to put up in the room and the boys and I are painting them to match. Now all we need is our little girl here to make it complete! FYI the courts open October 3 rd and last week CHI had 5 referrals four boys and one 6year old girl. Our Congrats to the happy families!!!!!!!!

Happy b-day Jay!

2008-09-13T21:42:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we went camping to celebrate our friend Jay's b-day, the adults got to stay up late play games and sit around the fire to talk religion politics and whatever else Jon decided to say from atop his soapbox :o)

The boys had fun too cooking out, hiking and freezing their butts off!

Jon's box for Nana

2008-09-10T21:15:00.000-07:00

Nana wanted to be cremated, so Jon decided to make her the box for her final resting place next to Papa Pete. I think it turned out perfect, and I am sure she loves it :O)

Lewis Twins

2008-09-10T21:07:00.000-07:00

Lewis Twins are here!!!!!!!!!! Kera and Molly were born Friday Sept. 5th check out these cuties http://ryanandjenn.spaces.live.com/, P.S. Nothing new on the adoption front but keep those fingers crossed that soon:o)

I'm Fine

2008-08-25T14:27:00.000-07:00

Well I am well on my way to recovery! I am still out of work till Thursday, if all goes well at the Dr;s on Wednesday apparently when you have fmla you can not return to work till the Doc gives the ok :o( Sad thing is I really miss work since we were on sabbatical for 6 weeks and I was only back for a week before my little vacation in the hospital... I got to say THANK YOU to all that sent cards and good wishes it is so nice to know how much people care about us! I also have to say having my sister Jackie and my Mom Linda fly in on a moments notice to surprise me was a G-d send, they took turns staying in the hospital with me and helped me get back on my feet I truly appreciated them for all their help! Thant's all for now Oh yeah no referral yet keep your fingers cross it will be before courts open so we can get her here by Christmas!!!

Letter from Jon

2008-08-17T14:26:00.000-07:00

Hi all-first off, if this is my first communication with you about Robin, I apologize. I’ve tried to contact many of you, but I’m sure I missed many.

What happened:
On Friday night, after dinner at our house with friends, Robin had a very sharp pain in her belly, but thought it was just a bad stomach ache and made it through the night. When she woke up Saturday, her lower right torso was very sensitive to the touch. I urged her to go to Urgent Care. I won’t bore you with the hospital frustrations after that, but in the end her appendix had burst (probably Friday night) and she had an emergency appendectomy ~2am Sunday morning. The procedure was done laparoscopically, which was a good sign as it meant the ‘gunk’ in the appendix had not spread too far. However, she did have an abscess (infected area) near her appendix that also needed to be removed. The procedure lasted about 1.5 hours.

Because the appendix had burst, she is required to stay in the hospital longer than if it hadn’t, in order that she gets enough antibiotics to stave off any further infections. She may be released tomorrow. She is doing well and is in good spirits, as always. She’s still pretty sore, and having a bit of a tough time getting back an appetite. Her mom and sister flew in Sunday night to be with her, and she appreciated that very much.

Thank you all for your very kind words, thoughts, prayers, and offers to help. It is so comforting to both of us that we have such good friends that are there to help in any way possible when life throws these curveballs at us. It means more to us than you know.

Also, a direct order from Robin: if you were thinking of sending flowers, while she very much appreciates the gesture, she asks that you don’t (though if you want to handle that task for me for the next couple Valentine’s Days, anniversaries, etc, that’s cool).
Thank you all again,
Jon

Back From Sabatical

2008-08-11T21:20:00.000-07:00

Well our 6 week vacation is over and we already miss our families! Jon still has two more weeks but I went back to work today, it was nice to go back they all seemed to miss me. Jon has a lot of hunny do things for his two weeks off alone... Painting the babies room. No news yet but I figure it is better to paint with the kids out of the house and I really don't like to paint...

Disney

2008-08-04T21:15:00.000-07:00

Well we had a great time at Disney! We stayed at the Animal Kingdom Lodge which was AMAZING! We had Gerafes and Wildabeast outside our window everyday... We went to the differant park early and left late everyday. Check out Pics soon on our Picasa link ;o)

Canoeing

2008-07-20T18:19:00.000-07:00

Today we borrowed a friend's canoe and went out at Woodcock dam. It was perfect weather kind of overcast and a nice breeze. Jon thinks if we ever go to move home he would like a boat but Zack and I agree we would like a canoe first for the exercise!

Boating

2008-07-18T18:26:00.000-07:00

Today we took the kids out on Pymatuning Lake on a pontoon boat it was very relaxing! Jon let the kids fish but they didn't have much luck but they did like to drive...

Cedar Point

2008-07-16T18:16:00.000-07:00

Today my Dad, cousin Lori, Kevin, Jon and I went to the biggest roller coaster park in the world! We grew up at this park and we still can't get enough of the hair raising excitement! The boys went with Grandpa Ed to the beach and they had a great time!

Joey

2008-07-15T18:10:00.000-07:00

This has been a very difficult trip. Our cat Joey who we have had since a week before our wedding 11 years ago had to be put to sleep today. He had just recently been diagnosed with heart failure but we had him on meds and he seem to be getting better but it didn't last long. We had two of our very good friends Christine and Marcey come in daily to see the cats but unfortunately his heart was too far gone. I cannot express the gratitude we have for Marcey and Christine they were so wonderful to us! The boys have had to learn a lot about death this trip but I think being in PA with their cousins is serving as a great distraction.

Greek Festival

2008-07-13T18:07:00.000-07:00

Today we did a little sight seeing in Erie Pa, we went to a Greek Festival and watched the wonderful dancing and ate great food. We then went for a surrey ride around the bay.

Julie Jacobson!!!!!!!!!!

2008-07-11T18:29:00.000-07:00

Our very good friends received a wonderful gift today... A baby girl they did not find out what they were having and they have a sweet beautiful boy Nathan who is almost 4 already, so Julie makes a perfect addition.

Our Nana

2008-07-09T20:00:00.000-07:00

Our Nana went to heaven today... She was a wonderful women who was very loved. She was 87 and thankfully went very peacefully in her sleep. March 11 1921 - July 9 2008

Travel Shots

2008-07-09T16:00:00.000-07:00

Well we are getting a lot closer to a referral so we decided while we were in Pennsylvania to get our travel shots because it seems to be a little cheaper here and because my mother in law will be traveling with us and so we all got our shots together. The nurse and doctor were very informative and nice but still, OUCH!

Petting Zoo

2008-07-08T07:41:00.000-07:00

We took the kids to the Deer Park today; they got to feed lots of different animals and ride a train. This was fun but we are not big fans of animals out of their natural habbitat and they had tigers and leopards and many other exotic animals that were not in very nce enclosures. Probably will not go back!

Geocaching

2008-07-06T07:23:00.000-07:00

We have been geocaching a lot during this visit: at the Nature Trail, at the beach, at Presquale. The kids love finding their little treasures. The one we found at the beach had a Geo bug in it that the mission is to get to Georgia so we figure we will get it a little closer on our way to NC. It is a whole different world here compared to NM! Lots of huge trees and green grass and humidity!

All Stars

2008-07-04T06:57:00.000-07:00

Since we have been home we have watched a lot of baseball! My nephew Jake and his two cousins all in different age groups have been playing in an All Star Tournament so that means we can watch a differant game just about every night! All three teams are doing really well and 2 have not lost yet in the double elimination tournament and one has lost one. This means more baseball, and we love it !

Pilgrimage to PA

2008-06-28T06:47:00.000-07:00

Well we made our pilgrimage to PA... We spent 32 hours in the car and ordered the same meal at MC Donald's 3 times! (yuck)
The kids did great; Aaron talked a lot and I don't think he watched a single move completely, Zack on the other hand is a champ! I told Zack that the trip would be about 16 movies long and he decided to take that literally and he watched as many as he could! Over all the trip went well; Jon and I took turns driving and sleeping so we got to do it straight through and that means more time with the family! ;o)

Sabbatical begins!

2008-06-27T08:00:00.000-07:00

Ethiopia is Raining Referrals!

2008-06-26T20:30:00.000-07:00

Well today 6 more referrals came in; 3 were baby girls. We are very excited for all the happy families but also hesitant for what to hope for... This is most likely the last week that families receiving referrals will make it through court before the seasonal closure. The courts in Ethiopia close from August 6-October for the raining season. We would have loved a referral by now but now we almost hope we do not get one till October so we will not need to wait a extra month for our little girl. Referral to Court date is about 5 weeks so with the court closure it would add bit more time to get to our baby. We are just going to leave it in G-d's hands and whenever she comes our way we will be thrilled! :O)

Oh and by the way, Jon starts his sabbatical Friday at 5:00. Yippee!!!!!!!!!

Father's Day in Durango

2008-06-17T20:35:00.000-07:00

For Father's day we went to Durango, Colorado, and stayed at our friends Joe and Nina's family's cabin. The Dads went fishing for the weekend and then we all rode Thomas the Tank Engine on Father's day. The Moms and kids made T-shirts for the Dad's to wear for the train... Paul was the Bad to the Bone dad, Joe was motorcycle dad, and Jon was the World's best ;o) We had a great time!

Na Na Bat Man and a little Napoleon...

2008-06-10T19:45:00.000-07:00

Going a little crazy waiting on a referral so I thought I would lighten the mood. Aaron will wear this outfit anywhere; isn't he cute!

Adoption Update

2008-06-09T21:59:00.000-07:00

Still waiting... Our friends Andrea and Ryan sent their dossier to Ethiopia at the same time as us and they got 2 referrals last Tuesday. They did use a different agency but I hope that this is a sign our time will be here soon! The court in Ethiopia closes on or around August 6th for about 6-8 weeks, so I hope either a referral comes ASAP or not till September or October.

Can you believe 11 years

2008-06-07T21:54:00.000-07:00

It was 11 years ago today that Jon and I tied the knot... To celebrate we went to a spa for a massage and it was just wonderful! We are so blessed to have found each other so early in life, and to still feel so much in love...

Camp

2008-06-02T21:51:00.000-07:00

Zack started camp this week, and he just loves it! He got Camper of the week, he is just such a sweet boy...

Aaron and his big boy bike

2008-06-01T22:06:00.000-07:00

Aaron is just getting so big! Jon took the boys to Zack's school parking lot to ride bikes and Aaron wants to be a Big Boy like Zack going over curbs and up and down ramps; he is just such a little daredevil!

My Zachary is turning 7!!!

2008-05-31T21:47:00.000-07:00

My little man Zack turned 7 today! Grandpa Fine came all the way from PA to surprise him... We went to Putt Putt and to see Indiana Jones for is birthday and he got lots of Pokemon things. He was just soooo excited!

Mother's Day

2008-05-10T20:00:00.000-07:00

I had an awesome day today! The boys took me to the botanical garden where they just put in a new Japenese garden and we rode the train. It was such a pretty day and we had such a great time! I also got to wear my new bracelet my friend Terri bought me that has 3 picture frames for my two boys and my little girl on the way, hopefully soon :o)