Hailu's Beautiful New Teeth!

BEFORE....

and AFTER

Here are the photos as promised! Once again, we are are so thankful that the Lord provided this opportunity for us to be able to do this for Hailu!

I looked out the window the other day and had to grab my camera to capture this sweet moment....I wasn't exactly sure at the time what they were looking at, or what they were saying, but they just looked so cute, I had to snap a few shots. I later found out that they were looking at the clouds and spotting "shapes" of all different things.
This was a refreshing moment in the midst of the many challenges we have faced with Hailu the past 2 weeks.
His sadness and frustration is coming out in many negative ways now.....sarcasm, greed, disrespect...he is argumentative, moody, and just simply hard to be around sometimes. It is such a comfort to me to know that ALL of this is completely normal and that many other parents have been through the same thing (some, even worse!).......and that it WILL get better. So many different emotions are flowing through me throughout the day and it is so draining.
November 11th

I started this post on the 31st of October, and I am just now getting back to finish......
I am pleased to say that things have gotten so much better in the past couple of weeks. I had some long talks with a few friends that gave me such encouragement and good advice! Thanks Shannon, Ajay and Misiker! These pep-talks gave me the boost I needed to really get cracking on some discipline and adjustments in how I approached Hailu. The fact that he is really learning english well is helping also! Now when we have a discussion about his attitude or his behavior, he actually is understanding. Our days are not without challenges.....but the difference now, is that I am ending the day feeling like much has been accomplished, instead of feeling defeated and discouraged.
Hailu had an episode on Sunday evening that gave Mike a clear picture of the attitude I am dealing with on a daily basis while he is at work. As stressful as it was, I can now look back and thank the Lord for this opportunity for Mike to be involved in the correction and instruction right then and there.....instead of after the fact. I let him handle it all, and he did an amazing job with it! The next morning, Hailu woke up very apprehensive to face me.....he and Mike had settled things, but he was unsure about my feelings still. I immediately approached him as soon as he finally came downstairs, and after a short discussion, he told me that he was sorry....I told him that I forgave him and that I loved him....and that it was now finished.....a new day, let's move on...... Well, ever since then, I can't even count the amount of times he hugs me tightly during the day and tells me he loves me! I am not sure if it is his way of saying he is really sorry, or if he is finally realizing that we actually do love him. All I do know is that he is obviously has had something in his mind and heart change. He is trying so hard to have a good attitude during our school day, and is happy to let me make the choices now. He may not always like my choice, but he hasn't been arguing it.
I really feel like in so many ways he is like a toddler, and then he has a side of him that is so mature. I think this has been why it has been so hard to figure out how to approach and discipline each issue. He doesn't remember ever having parents, so we are his first experience with this. There are so many things that we are having to teach him, that we taught Isaac when he was 2 or 3 years old. He has had discipline his whole life.....but it is obvious that he hasn't had the instruction and love behind that discipline. He is testing the waters and today was no exception to that, but with God's help I am ending each day feeling positive and looking forward to tomorrow, instead of dreading it.
On to some fun stuff, before I end this post. Last week I tried to make injera for the first time....The photo and video will speak for themselves. I am not going to give up! Hailu was so sweet and he encouraged me to practice....he said that all the ladies in Ethiopia had to practice! I think he really appreciated me trying. After I took that video, he came in and told me again that I did so good and that maybe I just need a good pan to cook it in.....ha ha.....I think that he may be right.....yes, I will blame it on the pan!

Last exciting tidbit.....Hailu has begun to get his teeth fixed!! Long story short, the Lord provided this wonderful dentist that has a huge heart for adoption and for Hailu. He is going to bond Hailu's top six teeth and fill his cavities for an unbelievably low amount of money! It is truly a gift from God, and we are so thankful and happy for Hailu. He got his front two teeth done on Tuesday....he sat in the chair for 2 hours, he even got novocaine....and he didn't complain once! Those two teeth look beautiful! He looks a bit like a bunny right now, ha ha because they stand out so much amongst the other teeth, but I can see that when the others are done, he is going to have a gorgeous smile. I told my sister-in-law the other day, that as happy as I am for him, it kind of makes me a little sad too....I had gotten used to that sweet smile just the way it was and it almost became endearing to me. That was HIM......he was already my handsome little guy! Fixing these teeth is totally for him and I can see that he is SO happy, so I am glad that we are doing it. We go back on Tuesday again.....hopefully the final 4 will be done then. I will post photos afterwards.

Surrounded with love...but still feeling alone

I think that "the mourning process" has started with Hailu. We were told that every child goes through this at some point.....At some point they mourn the loss of their country, their friends, family, culture etc... He is so happy most of the time, but certain comments, or questions he has brought up lately have cut so deep into my heart. It isn't necessarily what he says or asks, it is the feelings that I know he must have behind those comments or questions. He asked if we could go back to Ethiopia one day and then come back to America again. He said "I miss it"...... I sometimes feel so sad that he had to leave Ethiopia and start all over. Overall, it sounds like he really enjoyed his life. He has told us so many stories about the fun he had with friends and all the people that he loved and that loved him. He speaks so fondly of the simple things he had in his life.....he treasures his memories. I honestly think that the only thing that was "missing" was a Mom and Dad. Sure, he didn't own a toothbrush, he tells us that he never took a shower or bath before the orphanage....(he just went swimming)...his clothes were tattered and dirty....but he was happy, or at least this is what he tells us. I have to remind myself that God has absolutely, without a doubt, had his hand in this adoption and that He has had Hailu's life and ours all planned out from the very beginning. What we see and understand could be very different than what God has in mind. For this reason, I just have to continually commit this all to Him and trust him to help us be the Mom and Dad that he has called us to be to this little boy. What he once thought of as "family" has changed....he has no memories of his birth father or mother.....and after his sister and brother died, he clung to his friends and they became his "family". He misses them....he told me tonight.

Hailu is so silly and loves to laugh... he has such a zest for life and adventure.......he loves any opportunity he gets to serve one of us in any way he can. There is never a time yet that he hasn't thanked me so sweetly for a meal or a snack...and he makes sure to tell me how good it was too. He loves all the one on one attention that he is receiving. He always has compassion and concern when he sees that one of us may be upset. He is so brave and strong....he has been through so much in his life and still continues to display all these positive traits. I know that he feels a sense of belonging here and I know that this is the Lord's doing.

There is that small part of him that feels so alone though.....I see it when he is frustrated that our school days are not like the school days he had in Ethiopia. I see it when we are with other friends or family that we have a strong bond with, that he has not developed that bond with yet. I see it when he stares fondly at the belongings and photos of his past. There are many more times that I know that he feels alone.....even surrounded with love, there is a piece of him that is seems to feel empty.

I want to make this feeling go away for him....as his mother, I am hurting right along with him. I don't know how to make things "all better".....only God can do this, and He will. I just continue to pray and hope that Hailu will do the same. I had a conversation with him today as he sat in my lap with tears in his eyes.....I tried to tell him that I understood his frustrations and that when he feels this way, that he can go to the Lord and ask him for comfort that only He is able to give. I think he understood....

What a huge gift but also a huge responsibility it is to raise children! I have said this before, but I will say it again.....Isaac and Hailu are not mine, they are both God's children....they each came into our lives a different way.....but the gift and the task are the same....to raise these boys to be Godly men who are dedicated to serving and pleasing Him in all they do....to teach them the love of Christ through our example. To care for, nurture and love them unconditionally. I pray each day that I won't let Him down.....Please help me Lord to be the mother to these boys that you would have me to be.

So much to say....so little time

I have wanted to post on my blog for so long now.....every night when the boys are finally in bed, I sit down at the computer and get ready to type and I just don't even know where to start. I am usually so tired and can't put my thoughts together to type out all that I have soaring through my mind. It has only been a couple of weeks now that I could actually truly pray. There was so much in my mind and heart, I couldn't even find the words to say to God. It is so hard to explain.....I am just so glad that He knows... In my devotions this morning I read a great quote, John Bunyan said, "It is better to have a heart without words, than words without heart."

So, I am not going to even try, at this point to re-cap our trip to Ethiopia....I will do this eventually. For now I am going to just focus on what is happening in the present, since we have been home. There are so many things that I don't want to forget.....and that is one of the main reasons I started this blog......so I would have a record of all the big and little things that happen in our lives.
In the middle of last week, Isaac mentioned to me that he thought Hailu was doing really well with his english. It is true.....it seems like all of a sudden he is talking so much more and is full of stories and is always trying to make us laugh. From the very first day we met him, he has been full of laughter. He LOVES to be silly and really loves it when we act silly! At least twice a day now, he will just bust out in laughter over something small, and he will just keep laughing until someone else joins in with him. Most of the time, he and Isaac will be cracking up, and I will ask what is so funny, and they will say "I don't know" and just keep laughing. I love hearing them getting along and having so much fun together. The only time this is not appealing to me is during school. Today for example, Hailu just wasn't in the mood for school and he was goofing around and saying silly things the whole time when I was trying to teach him. This was extremely frustrating, even to Isaac. Isaac just wanted to get his work done.....I had to keep correcting Hailu and this was slowing down his progress. I have gotten a good idea of what Hailu has learned and what he is capable of learning now, so starting next week, he will be under a strict school schedule. I think that is what he needs.....consistency and a strict schedule, in order for him to take school serious. In most areas he is at a 1st-2nd grade level which is awesome......the only thing that is making it hard is the language barrier.....I am not always sure if he truly doesn't understand what I am explaining to him, or if he just doesn't feel like doing what I am asking him to do.

There are some phrases in english that over the past few weeks he seems to really like to say. Sometimes it fits correctly to the situation, but sometimes it doesn't.....and then this is when we all start to laugh.....of course he loves that! He likes to say "He's OK" , "watch this", "what are you doing".....and today he must have called to me 7 or 8 times from another room in the house "MOM!!" then I say "Yes? or What?" and then he would say really slowly and with his cute little accent "How are you doing? " then I would answer him and ask how he was doing and then he just laughs and says "I am fine". Yesterday he started asking us what different words we say meant.....and he has been really interested in the books that I have been reading to him. I think that the language is beginning to become clear to him and now he is feeling comfortable trying it out and asking us more questions. To anyone that has been through this before, you know how fun and exciting this is to see the progress.
So much more to tell....this is just the most recent....I will get back on here soon and tell about the horrible doctor's visit, social issues, his talents and desire to serve others and help, his funny quirks etc...

For now I am going to end it here....I am exhausted. I will finish off this post with a couple more photos and a video.......

We are home!!!!

(photo was taken last Sunday in Ethiopia)

I don't have the time to post details yet, but I wanted to at least update that we are finally home! All is well, and everyone seems to be adjusting beautifully. I promise I will post more information soon and more photos. We are so happy to be home!! We are praising God for all He has done!

HAPPY 9th Birthday ISAAC!!

Today we celebrated Isaac's 9th birthday! I can't believe how the years are passing by so quickly! We feel so blessed to have had another year with such an amazing little boy! I am so thankful for him and so proud to be his mom! Isaac, we love you so so much!

Over the years he has grown so close to his cousins...they are more like brothers and sisters to him...he absolutely considers them his very best friends.Along with having them here to celebrate with him, we also got 2 new videos of his brother today!I think he had a great birthday

We got the call!!!

We got the call this morning!!! We expected an update on our case, but not our actual travel approval and embassy appointment!!! We are so excited that God has chosen to finally let us go get our sweet boy! We were crying, laughing, jumping up and down and just praising and thanking God for this amazing gift today! It feels like a dream....I can't believe that we are actually going next week! I feel as if God got both of us right where He wanted us....in total submission and trust in Him....and then He said...ok, now you can go. What cherished lessons we have learned that can't even be put into words!
We will leave next Wednesday, Thursday or Friday and we should have that handsome little boy in our arms by Sunday the 22nd for sure! That is my birthday! Won't that be the most amazing gift?!!
Ok, off to look for flights and make arrangements for a place to stay when we are there!
YAY!!!!!!!

My purpose in this post is honestly, mainly for me...to journal and keep a record, of what I feel was something amazing that God did in my life this week. If you choose to read on, and you are encouraged, then this time I spend typing this out will have served a double purpose! (:

We had VBS this past week at church, and I went into the first couple of days bogged down by all the tension and sadness concerning the adoption. On the outside I was smiling for the children, giving all I had into the lessons, and asking God to give me the ability to set this stress aside, and enjoy this week, telling these children all about Him! This would be the first time several of these children had even ever heard who God was! "Seeds" were going to be planted in their little hearts, and I had a responsibility to present our God in a way that would be pleasing to Him!
The first day was about Gideon leading the Israelites against the Midianites-how God helped them win the battle against this HUGE army in such a unexpected way......the lesson was, that God is undefeatable and no matter how things may "look", just trust in Him....
I randomly pick each morning either Oswald Chambers for my devotions or Joni Eareckson Tada......It usually depends on my mood- if I want to "dig deep" I go with Chambers, and if I need something a little more light and encouraging I usually will read Joni's. Tuesday morning was Oswald Chambers......There was one paragraph that got my attention that seemed to apply to my situation right now, but I just read the suggested reading in Luke that went along with it and prayed and went about my day. I have to admit....my mind was still in a fog and I wasn't focusing or giving God the proper time or attention He deserves at this point.
So Tuesday night was the exciting story about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and the fiery furnace! The kids loved this story and we were all so enthusiastic about this great miracle that God had done! The lesson was that God was unmatchable, and how once again He showed His power when these men put their trust and faith in Him!
Wednesday morning I decided to check out Joni's devotional....it comes to me every day by email automatically. The title of the email and devotional was "Chosen for the Furnace". I thought "oh that is funny...this is what we were just teaching the kids last night!" I read it and read the scripture and it was all about being chosen to suffer, what you do in that time of suffering, and what God has to offer through His Word to comfort you in these times of suffering. I thought it was ironic, but I even said to my mom that night when I told her about it..."I don't feel like we are suffering.....not compared to others in the world or these three men that we read about in the bible....."
Then Wednesday night was the story of Paul and Silas. They were thrown in prison and bound in chains because of their outward faith and testimony for Christ. While they sat in prison they never stopped praising God. God caused the earthquake which broke their chains, but instead of running away, they remained there and continue to witness to the guard who then gave his life to Christ because of their testimony. The lesson was that God is uncontainable!
Ok, so Thursday morning I opened up my email again to find the title of the devotional "Bolts and Bars". It was all about the "chains" that may be confining you in your life.....and what Paul had to say in Philippians about his time in prison and confinement..... how it enabled him to speak the Word of God even more fearlessly and courageously to those he came in contact with. God definitely had my attention now! I felt like 2 days in a row was not just by chance! My eyes were now open and I went back and pondered the scriptures and devotionals that I had read the past couple of days.
Thursday night was about Elijah on the mountain top looking to hear God's voice in his time of need and trouble. He expected to hear it in the wind, the earthquake and the fire....but ended up hearing God's voice in a whisper. The lesson was, that God is unpredictable. If we are "still" and just "LISTEN" we might just be able to hear what He is trying to "say" to us.
Friday morning's devotional was about Gideon! I am not kidding! That was our story at VBS from the first night! Joni asked "What battles are you facing in your life....whatever they are, draw encouragement from Gideon and the Lord Jesus...... and press on!"
It then dawned on me that all week long, God was trying to speak to me in a "whisper" through His Word! All throughout this adoption process, He seems to have spoken to us in a "wind" or "earthquake" or "fire".....He has provided so many things in so many ways that have been so clearly, undeniably huge, that I think I was probably just expecting something like this again. These devotions and stories and scriptures all tied together this week was not an accident, it was God speaking to me through His Word and showing me His power, His comfort, and His faithfulness. I immediately prayed and thanked Him for allowing my eyes to finally be opened to what He had been trying to show me all week! How did I get so privileged to have God's Word available to me at all times.....and why do I take it for granted so often?! It is so much more than just a book with stories in it or a list of do's and don'ts......I think that we forget that sometimes..... I will strive now not to just pass over and put aside a verse or a passage that I think may not apply to me ..... 2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness. I will strive now to make sure I am paying attention when God is trying to gently "whisper" to me.
So as this week approaches, we have the anticipation of possibly finding out whether or not the head of the US embassy in Ethiopia is going to grant Hailu his visa or not. There are high hopes of a particular individual meeting with her, and we are hoping that when things are explained in a proper way, she will understand the situation and clearly allow things to move forward and give him his visa. I don't want to go into all the details yet publicly, it is too fragile of a situation and I don't want to risk getting anyone upset. We are praying that God's will be done!! This lady has the power to change everything right now.....but she doesn't have ANY power that God does not give to her. He WILL get all the glory for whatever happens this week......His perfect plan will unfold exactly the way he intends it to. I am excited to see how He is going to work this all out! Stay tuned!

Not much to say....

There isn't much to tell, other than we know now that the document has been submitted to the embassy for review. It remains to be seen whether or not this particular document will be acceptable to them. If not, we will have to continue to wait until something is created that WILL be acceptable. We have our amazing, wonderful, friend at Todd Platts (our state rep) office working with us now to try to expedite the decision. Today she reached contact with the embassy in Ethiopia, but there was still some confusion on their part, so tomorrow we are hoping some things will be cleared up. Since Ethiopia is 7 hours ahead, there is only a short window of time when they can be reached during their office hours.
I am feeling confident and absolutely at peace with however God chooses to work this out, but I am feeling sad at the same time. It is so hard to explain how I am feeling, because it is so strange to even me at times when I think about how much I love Hailu, when we haven't even met him yet. God has put this intense love in our hearts for him.......he is our son.....I miss him.....I want to hug and kiss him, laugh with him, play with him, teach him, comfort him......I want him home.

High Hopes!

We got word today that one of the social workers rented a bike and hopped on it for a long trip from Addis to Soddo to pick up a document needed for the U.S. embassy. This is the rainy season in Ethiopia right now and the roads can be quite dangerous and travel can be very difficult......it took him all day to get there....but he made it!! There are high hopes and many prayers that when this document is submitted to the embassy, they will in fact accept it and then give Hailu his visa. After that we would then get our approval to travel!! We are so greatful for this individual that was willing to take this hard trip for us and for Hailu! There are many details that I don't feel the freedom to post here publically yet about the situation, but I will just say that it could go either way....there isn't any way of knowing if the embassy will want something different or if they will in fact accept this and move forward. It is all in the Lord's hands and He will be the one to decide how much longer we will have to wait. I trust Him and know that He loves us and Hailu and He will bring our family together when the time is right. We should know more within the next week or two.

A picture says a thousand words!

I anxiously got on the computer this morning at 6:00 a.m. hoping that my friend Shannon had posted something about meeting her son for the first time today in China! SHE DID!!! I didn't even read what was written yet, but saw this picture and instantly started to cry.....tears flowing with a smile on my face....I still haven't stopped crying as I type this now. Jace is deaf and Shannon hasn't gotten any updates on him the past year, so that first meeting could have been very hard. Imagine not being able to hear or talk and some stranger just comes in and takes you away from a place you have been living for over a year now.

This picture shows that God can work miracles! Shannon I love you and I am so happy for you! I hope you don't mind.....I had to share this with my blog followers! Shannon and Ron's blog is www.ourdeafson.blogspot.com if you want to continue to follow their journey with Jace!

NEW PHOTOS!!

We got new photos of Hailu today! In the midst of the mess of trying to get his visa, this was a huge "pick-me-up"! I am so thankful for the gift of these photos ! I do not take them for granted at all! They are treasured ! Please continue to pray for us to have calm hearts and minds...Hailu is healthy and being well cared for and this is a blessing...it is just hard, because WE want to be the ones caring for him! We don't understand why this road block has come in our path to him, but we HAVE to trust God and know that He loves us and Hailu and is allowing it for a reason.

1 year of photos of our sweet boy! at OneTrueMedia.com

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

We got confirmation this morning that the embassy has all our paperwork and they are working on our case! Hopefully the next few days will bring the news we have been waiting for...approval to travel!

Progress finally made today!

I am so thankful that God provided such wonderful people to work hard on ours and Hailu's behalf! We couldn't have done this without you! Thank you Donna, Laura and Janna for all the calls and emails you have made.....you all worked with urgency and stood by our side to get this resolved!
I will give more details later, but for now the new update is that because our information hadn't been located yet, the necessary information was re-sent to the visa center and we are told that it was sent to the embassy in Ethiopia today. We will find out tomorrow morning whether or not the embassy has received it.
One hurdle jumped over, now one more to go! We aren't giving up Hailu! We love you sweet boy and we are coming soon!

Where is our paperwork?!!!

Well, it is official....NO ONE KNOWS where our paperwork is. I can't go into too much detail yet, for fear that making all the details public could be detrimental somehow to our case.....I don't want to make things worse....better safe then sorry.
I will just ask you all to please pray that we can get this figured out soon! We have had some individuals working with us that have really tried hard to help us crack this mystery. The addendum and new approval letter was sent to the NVC and was expected to be wired to the embassy within 10 days....it has now been over 3 weeks and no one seems to know where our information is. We have been tossed back and forth to different people and gotten contradicting advice from all official parties involved. This is the short version of the story....there have been several days of tons of emails, phone calls only to end up each day, more frustrated. Tomorrow is a new day with a new plan at hand, so we are hoping that we can either figure this out or, that our new ideas will pan out.
We know that God knows all of this and He has the ultimate control...but we also know that we feel responsible to keep at it, otherwise our paperwork could be shoved in a pile with thousands of other cases and go unoticed for quite awhile....leaving our son to wait for us even longer. We have passed court, we are already approved! This was just supposed to be a simple, quick addendum because of the embassy changing Hailu's age.....
Then there is the "simple" court appointment in Soddo that had to take place last friday concerning Hailu's records....also a requirement of the U.S. embassy. This didn't turn out to be "simple" and we are still waiting to hear about the resolution to this.
I probably shouldn't be posting today, because I am not doing well....not freaking out, but still...not where I should be. I am at a place where I feel that I trust the Lord and His timing, but I am having trouble accepting that He may be using people's mistakes and pride and opinions to accomplish His will.....
Wow, this is hard!

Just What We Needed!

Last night we had a wonderful evening with wonderful friends! We left the Kebede's house with some Ethiopian coffee and Kollo and with hearts filled with joy and peace! Misiker shared all the details last night, of his time with Hailu last month. In the midst of all the delays and all the feelings that go along with that, God knew that this evening was JUST what we needed and He provided it at the perfect time!!

We have been worried about Hailu.....we were worried that he might not understand why he has been in the foster home so long....seeing other children leave, and wondering why we haven't come to get him yet. These worries are gone.....

Misiker told us that Hailu is very aware of the adoption process and that he could tell that the staff had been explaining things to him clearly.....He said that when he was talking to him about it , and why it was taking so long, Hailu kept saying "I know".....he understood......but then Misiker said that he ended that particular conversation with...."but I can't wait! I am so excited"!!! Words can't describe how that makes us feel! He REALLY wants to be with us! What makes it even better, is that, Misiker told us that the staff was truly wonderful.....he said that the two women he saw with Hailu, treated him with so much love and affection and acted as if he were their very own child. The men he met were spoken of highly also........he said that the staff showed a genuine love for God and these children. He said that Hailu seemed relaxed, happy, healthy, and so comfortable.

What more could we ask for!!!? He is happy where he is and being taken care of very well, but at the same time will be so excited when we come to take him home! This is a gift from God for sure!!!
There is much more to tell, but I will save it for another time. I will leave off now, with HUGE thanks to Misiker for spending time with our son, joking with him, playing with him, and telling him how much God loves him and how much we all love him ......and giving him extra hope and confidence for the near future. Also, with all of my heart I give thanks to my Heavenly Father who continually takes care of our every need, and has blessed us with another amazing son that we will soon have in our arms!!

Small Update

We received some new photos and an update of our sweet boy yesterday! We also have little bit more insight on what is going on with our case...although we hope to know more by the tomorrow.

I have to start by saying that I am so thankful to God for the peace that only He can give! I still have moments where my heart literally aches with anxiousness and this is when I have to return to Him....and rest in Him. He is VERY real and the work He is doing in our lives is VERY real.........one thing I am learning is that, this can't truly be seen until we reach a point of TRUE surrender! Once I reach that point, it seems that true peace from Him starts trickling in.....nothing beats the feeling of this confidence and peace!

So, on to the update....July and August are slower months in Ethiopia due to vacations for embassy workers etc.....therefore, they have cut the normal 10 children per embassy appointment to 5 children. Because of this, obviously those spots are filling up much quicker, and pushing travel times and embassy appointments later and later for many families. July 13th is filled, and there are only 2 spots left for the 27th, last I heard....but this was a couple days ago, so that could have changed by now. We are probably looking at traveling in August, or possibly even September. Our updated information STILL has not reached the NVC and now the embassy in Ethiopia has brought up an inconsistency in our paperwork....I am assuming this is nothing we have done wrong, because we haven't been asked to change anything yet. I hope to find out more about this today...... I feel like, COME ON!!!! Will you just cut this out and let us bring our son home!!!!! UGH!!!!! Obviously I need to be praying about this some more....I am getting all fired up again just typing about it.

So on to the update of Hailu! One of the staff at the foster home said that he has been spending a lot of time in his bedroom drawing and writing in the book we sent him......they said that he was quiet and shy but that he is always willing to play if a child comes in and asks him. This is a different description of his personality from when he was at the orphanage. They said there, that he was involved with all the small children, helping them read and write in English and that he was always outside playing soccer and exercising with his friends etc.... I said to Mike, that I wonder if this is a way he is "connecting" with us.....we sent that book to him and maybe when he thinks of us he draws in it. I did write in it ,that I would love for him to draw in it and write in it, and he could show us what he had done when we came to get him. Maybe not, but this is just a thought that crossed my mind since he seems to be more to himself and more quiet than described in the months past. I don't know......but one thing I DO know is that he is quite the little artist!!! They sent a picture of him drawing as "proof" that he draws really well (:
He has two uncles that are amazing artists and cousins that love to draw and are really good at it too! He will fit right in with that! Isaac said to me...."It seems like all the boys in our family can draw good except me" I told him it is because that is what they love to do and they practice all the time.... and it is a talent that God has given them. Isaac has never really been interested in drawing or coloring....he seems to gravitate to anything having to do with a ball or nature.....it will be fun to see if Hailu will bring out a new interest in drawing for Isaac.

Ok, so here are a few of the new photos of Hailu, and photos of my brother's artwork......just a little bragging all around (: My brother Dan does concept art and my little brother Jon is a painter.

www.jonathanhardesty.com www.radikinstudios.com

Summertime

I know that many of you check my blog to see updates about our adoption process.....sorry to say, there isn't any new developements yet. In the meantime, I will share some other things that we have been up to.

We got a membership to a pool this year, along with my sister-in-law and Isaac's cousins. Although it has been alot more crowded than we had anticipated, the price of membership was amazing and the kids are having fun being able to swim several times a week. We noticed that there are several adoptive families there every day too....It was so encouraging for me to see this....I am hoping this will be encouraging for Hailu also, if he is home in time to enjoy the pool with us.


Isaac and Lucas (his cousin) made muffins for the first time without any help from me. I put them in the oven and took them out, but they did the rest! I was so proud of them and the muffins tasted great! The video I am posting is just a little taste of how cute they were with it all.

We have picked strawberries, we had crabs on Father's Day (Mike's FAVORITE!), and we have spent some really good times with family and great friends! Summertime is in full-swing, and I am loving it! Now we just need our other sweet little boy home to share all this fun with us!

Isaac picking crabs by himself for the first time.....he was so proud of himself and he announced that he now LOVES crabs and rootbeer together! (: