Update!

Hello Everyone! This is Melissa, Julie's sister.

They are not having success accessing the internet in Addis, so I'll do my best to relay their updates! Even the phone lines are hit-and-miss. They will keep trying, but it's not likely that the internet will work. Keep posting notes, etc. either here or on FB as they will be a special thing for them to go back and read!

They had a long trip to Ethiopia, but arrived safely and without any incidents, so Praise God for that! They are having a tougher time with the jet lag and could use some prayers for a good night's sleep.

Addis is a place that is a full assault on the senses and they are feeling a little bit overwhelmed by it all. It's a wonderful and difficult place to be. She said they are definitely being stretched! They have been shopping the last couple of days, been up a mountain sight-seeing, been to a museum and out to dinner on bumpy roads with lots of new friends. In all that, they are also trying to relax some and just "be."

Tomorrow is the day they get to meet Isaiah, and they are very excited and hopeful. It will be a short visit, one hour, and I'm sure they'll be taking pictures and just getting in lots of hugs and kisses. Hopefully he will be in a happy mood and very receptive to them. Please pray that they will have a precious first meeting with their son.

Leaving Tomorrow!

Over the past few weeks, it has been fun to notice certain dates. I was driving by the local bank where the sign announced: August 3, National Night Out! The other day, I noticed the expiration date on our milk: It has been almost surreal to realize that we will be in court on August 3! This is finally happening, and we are so excited!

So, we leave tomorrow. We are excited, scared, thrilled, pumped, etc! It is tough to leave our kiddos for 10 days, but it will be worth it when we are able to see little Isaiah's face on Sunday. So, here is our schedule:

Friday: Arrive in Addis
Saturday: Do some exploring
Sunday: See Isaiah for the first time. We will spend one hour with him in his orphanage. We are thrilled that we will get to see his home for the past four months.
Monday: See Isaiah for the second time. (Another hour visit.)
Tuesday: Court! We will testify before a judge that we indeed want Isaiah. Wow. This is just going to be powerful.
Wednesday-Friday: Experience as much of Ethiopia as we can
Friday night: Start the trip home
Saturday night: Get home!

Please pray for safety for us and our kids. We pray that we will be able to take in as much about Ethiopia as possible in order to share it with Isaiah some day. We cannot wait to share it with you! We will try to blog/facebook while we are there; however, we are not sure if we will always have internet access. So, we'll see!

Thank you, Jesus, for bringing us to this place.

It Has Been a Full Month!

I want to do a quick "catch-up" post on our last few weeks. We have been BUSY with many fun events.

We have been bowling. . . and Cherry-picking and Peach-picking. Oh, these cherries made a yummy pie! I still need to make peach pie!
We have played lots of baseball in the back yard.We had a family birthday party, complete with two birthday cakes. (Thank you, Jeanne!)And, Sydney and I were blessed with free tickets to the Music Theater's production of Annie. We LOVED it, and it was even more sweet because we were able to share the night with friends.
It has been such a fun and full month!

God Continues to Provide

This week, we were busy organizing a fundraiser luncheon for after church today. Everything went so well. We want to thank all of you who contributed to making the lunch a success.

Melanie and I serving hot dogs and chili.

Overall, I am just amazed at how God continues to provide for our adoption--and other adoptions. This was a "surprise" fundraiser for us because it was initiated by a different small group in our church, and God showed up in a big way to provide so much for all three families involved. All three families were each blessed with $890 to add to our funds. This pays for most of our in-country expenses for our upcoming trip.

Chris is ready to eat! Here is his Masterpiece!

So, another thank you to all who came and ate, donated extra, helped cook, clean, pour drinks, etc. And, thank You, Jesus, for continuing to provide so much more than we expect.

The kids all congregated in the table closet and entertained themselves while we finished cleaning.

Notice our great t-shirts! If you still want to order, you have a few days left. I really want to get them ordered this week, so let me know by Wednesday if you want one.

Birthday Extravaganza!

Both Sydney and Raegan have celebrated their birthdays this week.

Yesterday was Sydney's 10th birthday. We actually started celebrating last weekend by getting her ears pierced. We were both a little nervous, but no one passed out, and she has beautiful rubies in her ears to prove it! Sydney invited 10 girls over to help her celebrate yesterday with a cooking-themed party. (They had to make their own food!) They made their own pizza, salads, fruit kabobs, and dirt desserts.

While the girls cooked, Jackson dressed up in order to properly serve the girls. He is becoming a pro at this! (And, doesn't he look smashing?!)

After all the cooking and eating, the girls were ready to be silly.
We had such a sweet time with them!

In the evening, we celebrated with a yummy birthday steak dinner,
complete with cheese cake! YUMMY!

I am amazed that my firstborn is already 10 years old. Sydney is a sweet, sweet girl. She strives to do her best on everything, and I can already see she has a heart for others. I am so proud of her, and I look forward to seeing her continue to grow in the upcoming years.

Today was Raegan's fifth birthday. Again, I am amazed that she is already five. Raegan is also a sweet, sweet girl. She loves to give hugs and kisses, sometimes on her brother and sister's tummies! Funny, I know. She works hard to keep up with Sydney and Jackson, and she does a pretty good job. The past five years have flown by, but I am so thankful for each day. I am also excited to see Raegan move into the role of "big sister" soon.
Raegan wanted to celebrate at the zoo, so we met a couple of friends for the morning.
We had a fun time eating donuts, looking at the animals, and playing in between.
We finished the day with a yummy macaroni and cheese supper, complete with cherry pie! (Thank you Roger and Sara for the cherries! We picked them from their tree, and they made a yummy pie!)

We actually have family coming over on Saturday, so the extravaganza continues. . . :)

T-Shirt Fundraiser!

T-Shirt Blitz! We are partnering with another adopting family, The Coppocks, in selling t-shirts to help raise money for our adoptions. Order yours before July 26. I want to be able to get the first order in before we leave for Ethiopia!!!

These are awesome t-shirts. We love the message of "Simply Love". We are all called to love God and love people. This shirt reminds us to look for ways to love the needy. They are super soft and comfy, and this is my favorite shirt! Because these are a women's cut, you may want to order a size up. I usually wear a medium, but the large fits me perfect.

Here is the men's shirt. It is also super soft. These are mostly true to size.

We are offering kids' shirts as well, and they will be the same design as the men's; however, if your girls want a "pink" design, they could probably order a Women's small since these run a bit smaller.

Prices:
Kids = $20
Womens = $25
Mens = $25

Until I can get my PayPal set up, just leave a comment or e-mail me, and I will get you set up! Thank you for helping us bring Isaiah and two other little kiddos home from Ethiopia!

We PASSED!

Yesterday, we found out that we passed court! We are soooo excited. Tickets have been booked, and we are heading to Ethiopia in less than three weeks. This is all finally happening! We are so thrilled, and we are thankful for all of you who have joined us in this journey. Thank you for walking with us!!!!!

Here are the kids in their excitement! We have imagined singing this song, "Sing, Sing, Sing," since the beginning of this wait, and it is fun to praise Jesus now!