Wednesday, November 4, 2015

One year for Lisle

One year ago today, Ethiopian Airlines flight 501 touched down in Washington, D.C.  After going through immigration, the USA had a new citizen, Festum Thomas Spears... a train wreck of a name; we'll be fixing that next month. To us, he is Carlisle Fitsum Spears; our Lisle.  It's been a wonderful year getting to know our new little boy, filled with many joys and many challenges.  He's done a ton of growing:  physically he's about eight inches taller and ten pounds heavier; he's also speaking English, going to school, speech therapy, occupational therapy and playing organized sports...growing as a little person.  We can't imagine life without him.
 
Then

 Dulles Airport 

First snow

First Christmas home


Now

 Today at our house

 Henry Doorly Zoo in September


Last month, hunting butterflies


Monday, November 2, 2015

The final firsts

It's hard to believe, but we are coming up on one year as a family of nine.  The end of summer and the beginning of fall leads to the last of the firsts for Lisle...here are some pictures documenting a few events.


Lost Valley Ranch in Colorado with our little cowpoke.

Lisle rode Astro everyday for a week all by himself.

Tubing with Thomas...Lisle was Mr. Cool until he was dumped minutes later.

Vala's Pumpkin Patch

The not-so-haunted house.

Corn!

Danger at the Pumpkin Mine

Lisle and Sarah on the train.

Halloween

The twins helped Lisle make a jack-o-lantern.

Ready to go...disco diva Sarah, vampire-businessman Candace, 
zombie Thomas, and Spiderman Lisle.

Super amazing spiderman.

Trick or treat?!


 The littles carved their own pumpkins this year.

More to come in an upcoming post...so much is going on here ALL THE TIME...I need to make more of an effort to keep up.

Sunday, May 10, 2015

On being a mom

Me as a brand new mom

On a hot summer evening over a quarter of a century ago, after hours and hours of grueling labor, a nurse placed a bundle in my arms, a son, and I became a mom.  Just like that.

I didn't really understand it at the time, but I had found my vocation.  Lots of people have careers that they find unbelievably rich and fulfilling and also manage to be wonderful parents.  That was never me.  Once they put Kenneth in my arms, nothing ever drew me in the way mothering did.  I gladly left my industrial engineering job behind and became a stay at home mom while my husband entered graduate school.  I had passing thoughts of entering this field or that when my children were in school, but Tom's very busy career and other circumstances came up, and the thoughts stayed passing.

Lots of times, it was hard.  I was alone a lot during some of the years... hats off to you single parents. That's tough.  It was hard when my kids were babies.  It was hard when they were school age.  Boy, was it hard when they were teenagers.

But I am grateful for every second.  Every second.  When my baby entered high school, I knew I wasn't ready for the upcoming empty nest.  God nudged me.  I nudged my husband...well, God helped.  We ended up adopting three more beautiful kids before Anna graduated from high school and just added a fourth.  Seven children!  My cup is full to the brim.

So I am now a mother of seven.  Tom and I would have laughed if you would have told us that would happen when we got married in 1986.  Our children run in age from nearly twenty-six to six years old.  Full-grown adults down to a kindergartner.  Guess what?  It's still hard.  I am a fretful person, prone to worry about things I can do nothing about.  It's something I need to work on with God.  Now my worries run the gamut from job prospects and study abroad trips and mortgages for the eldest children, and will they all end up with happy marriages; to making it to baseball and soccer and pioneer day to please can my child learn to use silverware appropriately before he goes to first grade.

I was thinking today that I have bitten off more than I can chew.  I am nearly 52 years old.  I am bone tired pretty much every day.  Wondering how my own mother managed to raise five kids and be so cheerful and serene all the time.

Then I realized that when I unloaded my troubles on my mom today, she was probably feeling the same things I feel.  I wish I could fix it for you, daughter.  I wish I could hug you, smooth your hair and tell you it would be fine and then it would be.

Because she's a mom.  It's her vocation, too.  I always tell people that we have a lot of pets and children because I have a strong need to nurture small things.  It's true.  And I know exactly where it came from.  The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.  I'm very like my dad in most ways, but I'm so proud and happy to have this from my mother.

Right now, I have three young adults negotiating the wide world away from the security of our home.  I have four energetic elementary school kids crowding every day with activity.  I have joy.

Joy that is the same...whether it came from a doctor's hearty congratulations in the delivery room after a long labor, or a judge's quiet words in a courtroom in a far away country.  "You are a mother"...again and again and again and again and again.

I am a mom.

My mom and my kids at Easter.

Friday, February 6, 2015

Three months in a family

Today marks three months home for our sweet Lisle!  I will admit, when we first brought him home, I was nervous...he lagged significantly in social skills, language, and maturity.  He has come so far!  He is speaking English in two and three word sentences, and understands much more.  He can write with a pencil, he can color, he can identify letters, and he can count to twenty.  He goes to bed and sleeps like a rock.  He eats well whatever we put in front of him.  He is happy, he is joyful.  He sings, he plays games, he is even wrestling with our local wrestling club.  He started kindergarten!  He behaves in a much more age appropriate fashion when he is upset.

I have never seen a child more ready to be in a family.  Lisle loves all of us so much.

He is such a joy, and we are thankful for him everyday.

Lisle celebrated his sixth birthday on December 27!


Lisle loves our dogs.


He is pretty much the cutest six year old around.


Lisle is a kindergartner!


Fun in the snow.


Lisle is eagerly anticipating his first wrestling tournament!