Happy Memorial Day! We have had such a fun day today. Nana came over last night and spent the night, and all of us went to a local kiddie water park this morning with the boys. It was nice and warm, but not too crowded, and the boys had a great time splashing in the water. So did we adults!
Here are a few pics of my All-American Ethiopian baby and me wearing our patriotic colors! Oh, how I love this boy!!!
I'm feeling very thankful for my precious family, and I'm thrilled that my aunt and uncle and two cousins will soon be moving to Houston from Florida...our local clan is growing!
I'm also thankful today for those who have made the ultimate sacrifice to give me and my family the freedoms we so enjoy (and quite frankly take for granted). God Bless America!
One year ago today, Daddy and I got the telephone call we had been waiting for and hoping would come for months! It was our caseworker, Sara, from the Gladney Center for Adoption saying that we had been matched with TWO BOYS! We were so excited! We had hoped and prayed and officially told Gladney that we would like to adopt a sibling group, but had also said that if a sibling group wasn't available for adoption, we would happily adopt one child. We also said that we would happily adopt girls or boys, so hearing "TWO" was the first delightful surprise, and hearing "BOYS" was more exciting news! When Daddy and I heard the words, "TWO BOYS", we looked at each other like this:
Then Sara told us she was sending us an e-mail with your photos. She told us that the younger brother was a one month old baby named Biruk and that the older brother was a 19 month old named Robel. We fell in love when we saw your sweet faces, and we didn't stop gazing at those photos for a long time!
Now here we are one year later. You've been home with us now for almost nine months, and it's hard to remember our lives before you joined our family. It's as if you've always been a part of it. You are such wonderful boys, and I'm so blessed to have you as my sons and to be your Mama!
These photos were taken during the past few weeks. Look how far you've both come in a year!
Jeremy Robel: 31 months old!
Zachary Biruk: 1 year old!
You've come such a long way, both in miles and milestones. I'm forever grateful for the miracle of adoption, and the way God has woven you both into this family so perfectly. Perhaps more wonderful still, is the way He's woven you so perfectly into our hearts.
I remember last year on Mother's Day, we had been on the waiting list for our boys for many months, and I was sad. I remember calling Emily, another waiting mom, and we comforted each other over the phone and across the miles, knowing it would be our last Mother's Day to be without children, but still wishing we knew who they were. Only days later, we both got our referrals.
And now look! I'm a Mama, and it's kind of hard to remember what life was like before these fabulous little guys became a part of our family!
Mother's Day was lovely and laid-back.
We kicked things off with a family brunch at our favorite restaurant.
Then we came back to the house, played with the boys for a bit, and took naps!
The best thing about the day for me was getting to be with my own mother, my husband
and my kids for my first Mother's Day. I'm a family gal, so togetherness means the world to me.
The mimosa with brunch was pretty awesome, too! ;)
Happy belated Mother's Day to all you Moms out there....
Ever since we found out that this little blue and white outfit was the one Brian wore the day his own adoption was made final in a Florida court, we've been waiting for the right opportunity for one of our boys to don it. Easter was just the time, since it is a super cute little outfit to wear to Easter service, and Brian's mother was here visiting that day, too. Here is a photo of Zachary wearing Brian's baby outfit!
And here's one more of my three handsome guys together!
We became a family of four on August 30, 2010 when we adopted our two beautiful sons in Ethiopia. In March 2013, our Texas-born daughter made us a party of five!
January 2009 - We saw Slumdog Millionaire, and God really began to stir our hearts about international adoption.
February 2009 - We had serious conversations and prayer about adopting from Ethiopia.
March 2009 - We had our phone orientation with Gladney (our adoption agency), decided to adopt from Ethiopia, and sent away for our application.
April 2009 - We submitted our application to Gladney, and began the paper chase!
May 2009 - We had our doctor appointments, continued the paper chase, and had our homestudy visit.
June 2009 - We submitted our last item of required paperwork to accompany our application to Gladney. Our homestudy report was completed and submitted to Gladney. On June 30th, our second anniversary, we received word from Gladney that we were fully approved to be an adoptive family through the Gladney Center, and that they sent our homestudy to CIS.
July 2009 - We received our "invitation" from CIS to come for fingerprinting. We were fingerprinted on July 18, 2009.
September 2009 - Our CIS approval notice arrived in the mail. Dossier completed and sent off on September 8. Placed on Gladney's wait list on September 8.
May 2010 - We received our referral for two boys--brothers--on May 24. The older is 19 months old. The younger is 1 month old.
July 2010 - We passed phase one of the court process on July 19th.
August 2010 - We traveled to Addis Ababa to meet the boys, go to court, legally become their parents, sight see a bit, and return home for three weeks. We returned to Ethiopia on August 30th, when they were placed forever in our arms! We are a family of four!
October 2010 - We received the boys' Certificates of Citizenship in the Mail from CIS!
November 2010 - We completed the Recognition of Foreign Adoption Decree process here in Texas, and received the boys' original birth certificates issued by the state of Texas!
