Almost an A+

Today The Littles and I went to visit Aunt Kris.  We headed out for our 2 1/2 hour trip first thing this morning and had a day of partying with Aunt Kris. 

The Littles thought her house was super-fun, new beds to jump on, new things to throw down the stairs, new backyard with new dogs, new cupboards to scour and the Disney Channel! 

At dinner, after The Littles were done with their food, they decided they wanted to eat with chopsticks.  Probably one of the funniest meals I have ever witnessed.  Their favorite cartoon, Oso, had an episode where he teaches how to use chopsticks and they definitely recognized them, successfully using them was a different story,  they haven’t even got the knack of a spoon!

 

Don’t worry, I used about 15 baby wipes cleaning up the table and the floor and we left a big tip.  Although I definitely think it was the closest I have ever come to being asked to leave a restaurant.

So the day was nearly an A+ and maybe it would have been had Little J not choked on an apple slice on the way home and vomited.  Sigh.  I will have to wait a bit to get up the nerve for another roadtrip.  :)

Thanks Kris, it was a blast!

Snaps of Sweetness

To escape the rainy evening, we hit up a local play place.  The girls were delighted and they aren’t even old enough to realize what a scam it was that we went to McDonald’s and they didn’t eat a thing.

We quickly realized that a playplace is no place for skirts. :)  Excuse the skirts around their middles.

 

Little J gives Little A a squeeze. 

And if you aren’t smiling yet, do you remember when I asked for prayers for Dave and Angie?  Well, they have an embassy date in May and they are bringing their kiddos home!  Praise God!

Worms

It is a good thing The Littles have a daddy, one who loves them like crazy and who lets them have experiences that mama never would.  For example, The Littles first pool party.

On Saturday, The Littles played outside with Daddy.  He got a phone call and although Jon has a great many gifts, multi-tasking isn’t one of them.  This series of pictures was captured by Daddy during his phone call.

Little J wasn’t as experimental…

“Yuck!”

While Jon showed me the pictures, I laughed until I almost cried, but was also slightly horrified that Little A took a bite of an earthworm.  When I asked Jon why he didn’t stop her, he said, “I couldn’t, I had the phone in one hand and the camera in the other!”

April Showers Bring…

Late April grouchies

 

It’s not all bad.  We are just ready for the sun again.

A Feeling Like None Other

I am going to make this “Gotcha Week” on the blog.  :)

Every mother has experienced it, that feeling when a child for whom you have longed and prayed is placed into your arms…

A few snapshots of April 19th, 2010

Forever Family

It has been one year since we first held our Littles in our arms.

Relive these steps with us, from referral, "Gotcha" and arrival home with The Littles...the six minute version. :)

I watched this with The Littles this morning and watched them, watch the day they met us.  I have been on the verge of tears ever since. :)

More to come!

Because A Year Brings Miracles (Part III)

Scott and Susan were another family on our travel group and another family who has been grown by the miracle of adoption, from the US, Russia and now Ethiopia (Did I miss any Susan? :))

 

Entering into orphanage…

 

On waiting child list…

Meeting their forever family…

The craziest part of this story is, Scott and Susan heard about their older sister. Lete, 16 years old, still in ET with no parents and God laid it on their hearts that she should be there daughter as well!

They just brought her home (yes, 3 adoptions in one year) and the best part of it all is the following conversation had by Susan and Levi:

We were driving back home today from the store. It was warm, quiet and both Ethan and Levi were quietly looking out the car window.
Levi said," I like myself like dis."
Me " What do mean? "
Levi " I really do believe now dat I can talk to God."
Me." Huh."
Levi " I didn't believe it in Etiopia. I was like 4 or something. Now I believe it."
Me " What do you mean Levi? Tell me more."
Levi, " Every night I say prayer, quietly, in Tigrinya. I say for my sister to come to America. I pray like you say. "
" Now she come to America and I believe God hear me when I talk Tigrinya or English. ."
" My life is good now,..... I believe God hear me."....." I hear him too. "
Levi...." mom why you cry?"
Me " I am proud, happy."
Levi " I do not understand girls cry when day happy."

Learn more about their family at http://nicholsfamilyzoo.blogspot.com/

Because A Year Brings Miracles (Part II)

Last year today we were in Ziway, with missionaries Gary and Peggy Ifft with Misgana Ministries.  We saw a Lifesong School and a Compassion feeding program as well. We also saw a group of the cutest kids ever created, beatboxed, were swooped by huge birds, ate fresh caught fish under a big ole’ African tree and and I was asked by a woman of the side of the road for my undergarments. Not kidding. See pictures of that day by clicking here.

Onto the “A” family.  Scott and Heidi have bio twins, Parker and Brooke and God added Jonas through adoption.  Heidi and I had known each other prior to our Ethiopia experience through the wonderful blog world.  God knew we needed Scott and Heidi and Brian and Mabel to be our support on our first parenting moments. (Imagine first-time parenting in a foreign country with fussy twins).

 

(Scott and Heidi on the left, Brian and Mabel on the right)

If not for them and their support, encouragement, prayers, and their food deliveries, Jon and I probably would not be here now as we would have killed each other or starved.  (Okay, yes an exaggeration, we wouldn’t have, but it would have been a lot harder). I feel forever indebted and grateful!

Here is their precious Jonas right before they went to get him.

Sigh, isn’t he a doll?

Their first moments with Jonas…

and a recent picture!

Jonas with his siblings, plus, THERE IS A BABY ON THE WAY!

I wish I could bottle up this boy’s laugh and happiness.

God has been so evident in His working in this family. Follow along with their journey at www.armstrongfamilyof5.blogspot.com

A Little Bit of Dirt…

Is good for the immune system, right?

Eek.  I thought we were done with the everything-goes-directly-into-the-mouth stage.

Because A Year Can Bring Miracles…

Because a year ago we were boarding a plane to Ethiopia that means we are less than one week away from our family’s first Gotcha Day! See here and this one if you want to relive the days of AK (aka Aunt Kris).

We were with four other families and from the little snippets of their lives that we have kept up with, God has been doing miracles. Here is the “D” family update. 

This is a picture that I posted back on May 5, 2010 in this post. 

And here is what I wrote then: “This beautiful girl met her father on that day (Mike is standing behind her in the picture).  Her forever family has adopted multiple children from multiple countries.  They adopted a  young sibling group of two girls from Ethiopia, (last year I think).  As the girls learned English, they talked about their sister.  Mike and his family did the research and learned that they did have an older sister.  She was possibly separated from her siblings because she is older and therefore "less adoptable".  It was beautiful to know that this family pursued her and then adopted this child.  What a testimony of our great God and His adoption of us!!!”

This beautiful family blesses my socks off just through seeing pictures.  Although I have never met Sharon (she stayed home with all her kiddos), their family’s example is one worth replicating! :)

Here is a picture of the siblings, at referral and now.

 

Again, I echo my thoughts from last year.  The story of these sisters is an incredible testimony of God’s love and redemption of us.

Stay Tuned…

Just Helpin’ Out

Daddy taught The Littles how to help with sweeping.  One day I was sweeping and suddenly the vacuum stopped, Little J had decided to help me by draping the cord repeatedly around her neck like a necklace.

YIKES.  We had a nice long talk about cords. 

The Littles Explore

Here are a few pictures from the weekend. After the wide open spaces of Nana and Papa’s I can now understand more why The Littles feel like our town house with a small yard is cramping their style! :)

What's Missing?

Wait, where at the baby carriers, the strollers, etc?  Yep, we are missing two littles.  Jon and I had our first weekend getaway since we have become parents!  It was awesome.  Two nights while The Littles had the times of their lives at Nana and Papa's house.  (Thanks Mom and Dad).

We didn't go far so we could come back if need be, but we didn't need too.  So thankful. It was a great time for us to spend quality time (my #1 love language :)).  We did lots of crazy stuff like stay up past midnight and drink 3 diet sodas in one day. :)

I did miss The Littles (I maybe cried twice about it) but it was so worth it.  Now we will see what price we pay as we readjust to life as normal.  :)

Leave It To A Mother of Twins…

While each of your guesses are actual comments we have been asked at the grocery, our most frequent comment was guessed by Betsy Jo, a mother of twins.

#1 “Wow, you have your hands full!”

I hope this is not because I always look frazzled. :)

The runner-up comment is

#2 “Are they twins?”  :)  Hehehe.  I have realized it is just a purely rhetorical conversation starter…

#3 is a tie, between “Are they yours?” and “Where are they from?” 

Other frequent things we hear:

“Double the trouble!”

“Did it hurt to have twins?” (Yes, this is a frequent questions to me from strangers)

“Are they identical?”

“Who was born first?”

and just for fun…

A classic Little A face upon realizing that she has just got her hand stuck in the swing.

 

Morning “Quiet Time”

 

“Stop”

Thanks for all your prayers and encouragement.  We appreciate it more than we can express.

Hip, hip hooray for double carts!

While out getting groceries The Littles draw a lot of attention.  This is now only accentuated by Little A’s waving at each passerby and saying, “dop, dop, dop” (stop). She picked up this word from her most recent favorite song.  :) Two of my favorite artists, Andrew Peterson and Randall Goodgame have combined and done a great project for kids.  It is so fun! 

  check out www.slugsandbugs.com to see more about this cute project.

About 70% of the people we pass stop and say something to us.  About 75% of those are the same comment. 

What do you think is our most frequently heard comment?