Thursday, December 25, 2014
Monday, December 1, 2014
Thankful
I didn't take a lot of pictures on Thanksgiving, because I was too busy enjoying my family. We had all seven children, a grand-dog and a grand-kitty join us at home for a lovely day together. The feast was delicious, if I do say so myself, and the company was even better. My heart was so full as we sat around the dining room table, eating with the good china and just enjoying each other. I never expected when we began the adoption process for Lisle that he would actually be here for the holidays. God generously blessed us this year.
I will share a cute picture of the littles taken the weekend before Thanksgiving and an outtake of the Christmas card family photo. Enjoy the season, everyone!
I will share a cute picture of the littles taken the weekend before Thanksgiving and an outtake of the Christmas card family photo. Enjoy the season, everyone!
Thomas, Candace, Lisle and Sarah
The whole crazy gang. And Harry cat.
Thursday, November 13, 2014
One week home
So far, things are going grandly! Lisle Fitsum was a trouper during our long hours of travel. He has adjusted to the dogs, who originally terrified him. He enjoys his siblings, especially Thomas whom he adores. I had dental surgery today, so this is short, but I just wanted to post so my friends who aren't on Facebook would know that all I well. Better than well...sometimes my heart just overflows when I'm holding my little son close. God is good.
Thursday, October 23, 2014
Ready, set...
After finally getting the go ahead from the embassy, we leave Omaha on November 2 and on November 4, we will take our son away from the transition home to be loved in our family forever! We will board our return flight on the evening of November 5 and be back home on November 6. Yes, it's the quickest trip possible to Ethiopia. :)
We are beyond excited.
Thursday, October 16, 2014
Monday, September 29, 2014
The unpleasant business of waiting
This is me, unable to stir up enough energy to fold a load of laundry.
Insomnia
...and so, I'm not sleeping well. So then, I'm tired in the morning, which magnifies my feelings of anxiety, which makes me listless, so I nap, then I'm restless at night, which makes me tired...
Aargh. Please, oh please, United States Embassy/USCIS people. Approve my baby. I need some normal here.
Thursday, August 28, 2014
Things are happening, but all I can do is wait
Wow, Labor Day is this weekend! Fall is right around the corner. These kids went back to school:
These girls moved to their own little house in Lincoln and the older one graduated with a master's degree and started a grown up teaching job. And she got my first grandpuppy.
Of course, oldest son is still living in Omaha, working and going to school. Tom is working on about fifty things at once, both at home and at the business.
Me? I'm just...waiting. Waiting. Waiting.
For my little guy to come home. Yes, this seems to be the world's speediest international adoption, I know. We applied to adopt him in February and we have already passed court and likely the entire process will be over by October. But gosh, once you see that face and hold that little body in your arms and hear that sweet little voice call you "Mommy"...the waiting is painfully hard. Adding to my angst is the fact that our boy is the only child left in his transition home. It's just him and a nanny, all day and all night. How lonely he must be, and how scared! I am not exaggerating that not five minutes go by without me thinking about him. I nested like crazy before we headed off to court, and now I seem to have lost the will to perform productive actions of any kind.
Praying that the embassy and immigration people approve his case soon. My family needs a functional mom. :)
Candace and Sarah, 4th grade and Thomas, 2nd grade.
These girls moved to their own little house in Lincoln and the older one graduated with a master's degree and started a grown up teaching job. And she got my first grandpuppy.
Emily and Anna on moving day.
Tom and I with our master's graduate, newly employed daughter Emily.
Emily and her baby Mia, who is huge.
Of course, oldest son is still living in Omaha, working and going to school. Tom is working on about fifty things at once, both at home and at the business.
Kenneth is 25! How did that happen?
For my little guy to come home. Yes, this seems to be the world's speediest international adoption, I know. We applied to adopt him in February and we have already passed court and likely the entire process will be over by October. But gosh, once you see that face and hold that little body in your arms and hear that sweet little voice call you "Mommy"...the waiting is painfully hard. Adding to my angst is the fact that our boy is the only child left in his transition home. It's just him and a nanny, all day and all night. How lonely he must be, and how scared! I am not exaggerating that not five minutes go by without me thinking about him. I nested like crazy before we headed off to court, and now I seem to have lost the will to perform productive actions of any kind.
Praying that the embassy and immigration people approve his case soon. My family needs a functional mom. :)
Monday, August 11, 2014
Adoption update...surprise!
I haven't written much about our latest adoption. There has been a lot to keep me occupied with my other six kids, and I have been in a blogging slump. And we weren't really expecting anything much to happen until late this fall at the earliest.
Until two weeks ago...when our agency asked if we could be ready to appear in court in Addis Ababa on August 5th.
We said "yes". Then scrambled like mad people to make it happen.
His Ethiopian name means "perfect", and he is. We chose the name Carlisle to honor my dad, who passed away two and a half years ago. We plan to call him Lisle.
He is ours and we are his. Family. We can't wait to bring him home to meet the rest of his forever family.
Until two weeks ago...when our agency asked if we could be ready to appear in court in Addis Ababa on August 5th.
We said "yes". Then scrambled like mad people to make it happen.
This is our son, Carlisle Fitsum Spears.
He is five and a half years old, and full of fun.
On August 5, 2014 the judge said that he is ours.
His Ethiopian name means "perfect", and he is. We chose the name Carlisle to honor my dad, who passed away two and a half years ago. We plan to call him Lisle.
He is ours and we are his. Family. We can't wait to bring him home to meet the rest of his forever family.
Tuesday, June 10, 2014
Reuniting, part 2
The second part of our trip to southern Ethiopia took us to the Hadiya zone and the tiny village of Sewore. This is where Feyissa Thomas was born and where he lived for the first four years of his life. It is the village where virtually all of his extended family still lives. Thomas began to get excited as we passed through the town of Bonosha and near to Sewore. Suddenly he sat up straight and said excitedly, "There it is...this is it!"
Indeed, it was. There was the cluster of simple picturesque huts that Thomas remembers as home and which we recognized from the video provided by our adoption agency. There was a crowd of people near the road, but Thomas had eyes only for one...his birth father.
The entire village was there to welcome home their boy. Not just his family...an entire village.
The pictures tell the rest of the story.
Friday, May 30, 2014
Reuniting, part 1
The twins' birth mom surprised us with a special request: that we take the twins to visit their half brother. Although Tom and I knew of this boy's existence, it was our understanding that birth mom was not in contact with him at all and we never expected the twins to meet him. So...it was a little awkward telling the twins that they have a brother whom we were now going to visit. Fortunately, they took it all in stride. The family resemblance is striking.
Thursday, May 22, 2014
Fledglings
Two of my chicks are preparing to leave the nest. Emily and Anna are moving into a nice little rental house in Lincoln with two of their friends. Emily will be taking up residence this weekend. Anna is going with us on our trip to Ethiopia to visit the littles' birth families, so she doesn't officially fledge for a few more weeks.
Mother hen that I am, I feel quite anxious. It will feel strange to have all three bigs in my house only as visitors. It's the natural order and what we raise them up to do: be independent and make a way in the world.
It still makes me sad. Fly high, little chicks.
Friday, May 2, 2014
Dessie, Ethiopia...Because Every Mother Matters
Visiting one of my sponsored mamas, Worke, and her family. I am so happy to see them healthy, well-fed, and looking forward to a brighter future. Worke has accomplished so much, and has plans to do so much more. Gobez! (Good job!)
Sunday, April 20, 2014
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