Friday, April 30, 2010
Just out enjoying the weather
The weather is getting nicer and nicer! God made a beautiful creation, and we all like to get out and enjoy it!
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Aubrey Mei... 9 months old
Yesterday while Emily was napping, Aubrey and I played portrait studio. :) I have to purposely make sure 'second baby' gets some camera time. Aubrey was happy to play along, and these pics are what we ended up with. She's 9 months old now! So she's reached the point where she's now spent more time outside the womb than inside. An important milestone!
She is a joy and a treasure, and we are so thankful for her presence in our lives!
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Just dreaming...
We like to dream about what the next 2 or 3 additions to our family will be like. I (Carey) sketched this picture one day while I was drawing with Emily. She's nice enough to let me borrow her real Crayolas. REAL Crayolas are like gold here.
Anyways, as I drew, I found my heart overflowing with excitement at the possibility and nearness of bringing beautiful children like this one into our family.
Do we know how to do this kind of hair? No. Do we know everything we should know about raising a child of a different ethnicity? No. Do we know how to help a toddler through culture shock? No again. Do we know how to make any familiar Ethiopian food? No.
Do we want to learn?
More than you can imagine.
Friday, March 12, 2010
We don't know her, but it is worth reading...
This is written by Missy, who blogs at ItsAlmostNaptime. A letter she writes to her young children.....
Dear Shepherd, Sissy, Maggie and Ikey,
Recently we were told by people whom we love and respect why they oppose our plans to adopt. One of the reasons given was that we would not be able to pay for your college education.
It's true.
You all have college funds - college funds which recently took a terrible hit - but "they" say that by the time you're 18, college will cost anywhere between $200,000 to half a million dollars each. You might as well know now, we won't be covering that. I'm telling you now, babies.
The people said that the day would come when you would look at us with resentment because you had to apply for school loans while many of your friends got a free ride from their parents.
Maybe you will. Maybe you'll resent us. I really hope not. But maybe I should tell y'all now why your dad and I have decided to do what we are doing.
I know you're going to think I am going off topic (I do that a lot) but several years I saw a story on a TV show about how the latest trend was for parents to give their daughters boob jobs for high school graduation (I don't know what they gave their sons.) When interviewing one of the moms, she said, "I just want my daughter to be happy." And as I tossed a throw pillow at the television, this really huge thought occurred to me: I don't want my children to be happy.
My goal as your mom is not your happiness, sugars. In fact, I spend at least half my day making you unhappy. If I had a nickle for every tear that falls in this home on a daily basis, we wouldn't need to worry about college tuition at all.
Happiness is fleeting, sweet babies. That means it doesn't last. It's a quick feeling that comes from a funny movie or a heart shaped lollipop or a really good birthday present. It's great. I love to be happy. But happiness is a reaction that is based on our surroundings. And our surroundings are so very rarely under our control. Even when - especially when - we think they are. So no, I absolutely don't want you to spend your life chasing something that has so little to do with your own abilities. You'll just be constantly frustrated.
There are two things I desire for you, precious loves. There are two things that I spend most of my time as a mother trying cultivate in you. Happiness ain't one of them. (This means, sorry, no boob jobs for you.)
The first is, I want you to be content. Being content is so much different from being happy. Being content is not based on your surroundings. Being content comes from within. Contentment is a spirit of gratitude. It's the choice you make to either be thankful for the things you do have, or to whine about the things you don't have.
Being content and grateful leads to consistent joy.
As you know, because I've told you lots of times, Paul talked about being content. Paul said that he had "learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want." And Paul was in some rotten situations, kiddos, really rotten.
How could Paul be content whether he was in prison or if his life was literally a shipwreck? Because Paul was constantly seeking to be in the will of God instead of his own, was constantly sacrificing his own comfort for the sake of the gospel, and was constantly being confirmed, strengthened, and blessed by God because of his obedience. He was given a supernatural power - that means something kind of like magic, God magic - to do things that most other humans could not do. And guess what? The bible tells us (in Ephesians 1) that God will give you the exact same power! If you want it!
Which leads me to my second desire for y'all.
I don't want you to be happy. I want you to be holy. That means, I want you to seek that God-power to make you content. I want you to want the Kingdom of God more than your own kingdom. And that's hard, babies, that is so hard. And that usually means passing up a lot of what the world considers happiness. But it means that you will achieve blessings directly from God that most of the world never dreams of because they are too occupied with the achieving the perfect birthday present!
This means you may be poor, 'in want' as Paul said, and that's okay. It will never, ever be okay with the world for you to be poor. So you'll be up against the world. But not your dad and me, loves, because it was never our goal for you to be wealthy - at least not in the way that the world considers wealthy.
Darlings, we love you so much. You will never even grasp how much we love you until you have children of your own, and then you'll get it, and then you'll apologize for the ways you treated us ;) But our goal is not to please you. Our goal is to please our Heavenly Father. And nowhere in the bible does the Lord command that we save our money to send our kids to college.
But the Lord does command us to care for the orphan around fifty times. He does tell us to care for the poor around 300 times. He does tell us that when we care for the neediest, we are caring for Jesus Himself. And in chapter six of the book of Matthew, He tells us to seek His kingdom first, and let Him worry about the rest, like college tuition. Because it's all His anyway.
They said that one day y'all would resent us for using 'your' college money to go and get your sister out of an orphanage in Ethiopia and bring her home to you.
But I know my babies. Even at your tender ages, I know your hearts, and I have already seen you weep for the least of these. I know the prayers I offer up to God that He and not the world would shape the desires of your hearts. I am trusting Him to answer those prayers.
So, sugarbears - I just don't believe those people.
Love,
Mommy
Dear Shepherd, Sissy, Maggie and Ikey,
Recently we were told by people whom we love and respect why they oppose our plans to adopt. One of the reasons given was that we would not be able to pay for your college education.
It's true.
You all have college funds - college funds which recently took a terrible hit - but "they" say that by the time you're 18, college will cost anywhere between $200,000 to half a million dollars each. You might as well know now, we won't be covering that. I'm telling you now, babies.
The people said that the day would come when you would look at us with resentment because you had to apply for school loans while many of your friends got a free ride from their parents.
Maybe you will. Maybe you'll resent us. I really hope not. But maybe I should tell y'all now why your dad and I have decided to do what we are doing.
I know you're going to think I am going off topic (I do that a lot) but several years I saw a story on a TV show about how the latest trend was for parents to give their daughters boob jobs for high school graduation (I don't know what they gave their sons.) When interviewing one of the moms, she said, "I just want my daughter to be happy." And as I tossed a throw pillow at the television, this really huge thought occurred to me: I don't want my children to be happy.
My goal as your mom is not your happiness, sugars. In fact, I spend at least half my day making you unhappy. If I had a nickle for every tear that falls in this home on a daily basis, we wouldn't need to worry about college tuition at all.
Happiness is fleeting, sweet babies. That means it doesn't last. It's a quick feeling that comes from a funny movie or a heart shaped lollipop or a really good birthday present. It's great. I love to be happy. But happiness is a reaction that is based on our surroundings. And our surroundings are so very rarely under our control. Even when - especially when - we think they are. So no, I absolutely don't want you to spend your life chasing something that has so little to do with your own abilities. You'll just be constantly frustrated.
There are two things I desire for you, precious loves. There are two things that I spend most of my time as a mother trying cultivate in you. Happiness ain't one of them. (This means, sorry, no boob jobs for you.)
The first is, I want you to be content. Being content is so much different from being happy. Being content is not based on your surroundings. Being content comes from within. Contentment is a spirit of gratitude. It's the choice you make to either be thankful for the things you do have, or to whine about the things you don't have.
Being content and grateful leads to consistent joy.
As you know, because I've told you lots of times, Paul talked about being content. Paul said that he had "learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want." And Paul was in some rotten situations, kiddos, really rotten.
How could Paul be content whether he was in prison or if his life was literally a shipwreck? Because Paul was constantly seeking to be in the will of God instead of his own, was constantly sacrificing his own comfort for the sake of the gospel, and was constantly being confirmed, strengthened, and blessed by God because of his obedience. He was given a supernatural power - that means something kind of like magic, God magic - to do things that most other humans could not do. And guess what? The bible tells us (in Ephesians 1) that God will give you the exact same power! If you want it!
Which leads me to my second desire for y'all.
I don't want you to be happy. I want you to be holy. That means, I want you to seek that God-power to make you content. I want you to want the Kingdom of God more than your own kingdom. And that's hard, babies, that is so hard. And that usually means passing up a lot of what the world considers happiness. But it means that you will achieve blessings directly from God that most of the world never dreams of because they are too occupied with the achieving the perfect birthday present!
This means you may be poor, 'in want' as Paul said, and that's okay. It will never, ever be okay with the world for you to be poor. So you'll be up against the world. But not your dad and me, loves, because it was never our goal for you to be wealthy - at least not in the way that the world considers wealthy.
Darlings, we love you so much. You will never even grasp how much we love you until you have children of your own, and then you'll get it, and then you'll apologize for the ways you treated us ;) But our goal is not to please you. Our goal is to please our Heavenly Father. And nowhere in the bible does the Lord command that we save our money to send our kids to college.
But the Lord does command us to care for the orphan around fifty times. He does tell us to care for the poor around 300 times. He does tell us that when we care for the neediest, we are caring for Jesus Himself. And in chapter six of the book of Matthew, He tells us to seek His kingdom first, and let Him worry about the rest, like college tuition. Because it's all His anyway.
They said that one day y'all would resent us for using 'your' college money to go and get your sister out of an orphanage in Ethiopia and bring her home to you.
But I know my babies. Even at your tender ages, I know your hearts, and I have already seen you weep for the least of these. I know the prayers I offer up to God that He and not the world would shape the desires of your hearts. I am trusting Him to answer those prayers.
So, sugarbears - I just don't believe those people.
Love,
Mommy
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Eating the 1800's
Would you eat something that you knew was 139 years old?
Part of our dinner tonight was from 1871. It's essential for one of our favorite eats these days! Bruschetta's key ingredient.... balsamic vinegar. The balsamic vinegar in our cupboard was around before Alexander Graham Bell's first successful telephone experiment. Just months after Robert E. Lee died. When there were only 30 something states in the union. Before Ghandi went to primary school. Before the works of Mark Twain were published. Before Einstein was born. Before Buffalo Bill Cody's stage debut. Before Thomas Edison got married. And it tastes.... great!
For an interesting culinary lesson, just research how balsamic vinegar is made. It's pretty crazy! Lots of sitting around in barrels of differing types of wood, with different flavors to absorb, lots of time, and it has to be a family project I guess, since it takes more than a lifetime to complete. However they do it, we approve!
Part of our dinner tonight was from 1871. It's essential for one of our favorite eats these days! Bruschetta's key ingredient.... balsamic vinegar. The balsamic vinegar in our cupboard was around before Alexander Graham Bell's first successful telephone experiment. Just months after Robert E. Lee died. When there were only 30 something states in the union. Before Ghandi went to primary school. Before the works of Mark Twain were published. Before Einstein was born. Before Buffalo Bill Cody's stage debut. Before Thomas Edison got married. And it tastes.... great!
For an interesting culinary lesson, just research how balsamic vinegar is made. It's pretty crazy! Lots of sitting around in barrels of differing types of wood, with different flavors to absorb, lots of time, and it has to be a family project I guess, since it takes more than a lifetime to complete. However they do it, we approve!
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Out and about
One day, while waiting for a bus, Emily decided it was taking too long and we should hail a cab. She's got it down! (Cabs cost about $2 to go all the way across town.)
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Living here means....
* ...you fear any amount of bathwater getting into your mouth may have a serious adverse effect on your health.
* ...there's not a dishwasher in our whole city.
* ...year after year, I never have to drive a car!! I really like this!
* ...when we do get in a vehicle, we don't have carseats or seat belts. Just guardian angels.
* ...no Mexican food. My kingdom for some nachos!
* ...no carpet. I really like this too!
* ...never wearing shoes more than 2 feet inside the door.
* ...the inside of your friends' homes are only 30 degrees (like outside) since they don't want to pay for electricity costs, even if it's accessible.
* ...buying a box of fireworks for 12 cents.
* ...you can pick your nose in public and no one minds. (Can't pick your teeth though.)
* ...it's acceptable to ask anyone about their age, salary, rent, and even their diarrhea problems.
* ...you don't have to stand in line. It's every man for himself.
* ...no worries if you forget your deodorant, everyone else did too.
* ...looking 360 degrees every time you cross the road.
* ...never watching TV (it doesn't speak English).
* ...it's very very easy to say the wrong thing and cause much laughter.
* ...dear friends are dearly missed, new friends are dearly treasured.
* ...there's not a dishwasher in our whole city.
* ...year after year, I never have to drive a car!! I really like this!
* ...when we do get in a vehicle, we don't have carseats or seat belts. Just guardian angels.
* ...no Mexican food. My kingdom for some nachos!
* ...no carpet. I really like this too!
* ...never wearing shoes more than 2 feet inside the door.
* ...the inside of your friends' homes are only 30 degrees (like outside) since they don't want to pay for electricity costs, even if it's accessible.
* ...buying a box of fireworks for 12 cents.
* ...you can pick your nose in public and no one minds. (Can't pick your teeth though.)
* ...it's acceptable to ask anyone about their age, salary, rent, and even their diarrhea problems.
* ...you don't have to stand in line. It's every man for himself.
* ...no worries if you forget your deodorant, everyone else did too.
* ...looking 360 degrees every time you cross the road.
* ...never watching TV (it doesn't speak English).
* ...it's very very easy to say the wrong thing and cause much laughter.
* ...dear friends are dearly missed, new friends are dearly treasured.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Happy Valentine's Day!
On Valentine's Day we hosted a Superbowl replay party, complete with Valentine's Day sugar cookies, and later enjoyed fireworks from the neighbors' New Year celebrations. It was a mix of cultures, holidays and party games. :)
Monday, February 8, 2010
Emily mapping things out
Emily was quite excited about a new magnifying glass a friend gave her. She loves to try it out.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Thursday, January 21, 2010
My teacher says....
My teacher says that most of what can be known about a culture is evidenced in their eating utensils.
Chopsticks - quiet, earthy, simple, peaceful, gentle, efficient
Fork and Knife - loud, violent (cutting, stabbing), aggressive, force-wielding, wasteful (so many sizes of forks and spoons), cold, etc.
And this strange feeling crept over me... of needing to defend my silverware drawer.
I kept quiet. In fact, I prefer chopsticks too (except when eating pancakes of course).
I really like my teacher.
She really likes her motherland.
Chopsticks - quiet, earthy, simple, peaceful, gentle, efficient
Fork and Knife - loud, violent (cutting, stabbing), aggressive, force-wielding, wasteful (so many sizes of forks and spoons), cold, etc.
And this strange feeling crept over me... of needing to defend my silverware drawer.
I kept quiet. In fact, I prefer chopsticks too (except when eating pancakes of course).
I really like my teacher.
She really likes her motherland.
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