Old News--Girl's 2nd Cruise

I was just looking through pics that Alex took back in August 2010. The girls got to go on a free cruise (almost free) with my parents and my grandma. This was the "make-up" cruise for the one the girls missed back on Aug. 11, 2009--my 29th birthday and the worst birthday by far. Ever. I wrote about it, and don't want to repeat it, but here are some of Alex's pics, I think from Key West.

Memorial Box Monday-The i-Touch and Jessa

This February, our family lost 2 very important things:
1) Our i-Touch
2) Lila's green Blankie.

The i-Touch had been lost for 3 weeks and Lila's blankie, that she sleeps with EVERY night had been gone for a couple of weeks. One morning, while we were doing Bible Study, I told the girls that God knows EXACTLY where those 2 things are and even though we can't see them God can help us to see!

Ears that hear and eyes that see—
the LORD has made them both.
Proverbs 20:12

I said that God wants us to pray even for the small things. He wants us to always come to Him for help!

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation,
by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."
Phil. 4:6

We each took turns praying that God would help us find the i-Touch and Lila's blankie. We continued to look whenever we thought about it, but nothing turned up. That night, after the kids went to bed, Vince and I were sitting in the living room on our couch, talking about the day, and I told him about our prayer requests we had made that day. I got up to go look behind the chair for Lila's blankie, and as I was saying "God knows exactly where our i-Touch is and he can give us eyes..." I saw the corner shine. Vince saw it shine at the SAME time too!

I went over to the mantle and there it was! I went CRAZY! That was incredible! I sit underneath the fireplace everyday doing
Bible Study with the girls, and we had passed that mantle hundreds of times in those 3 weeks. And there it was and it shined and we BOTH saw it at the same time! I had to go downstairs and wake Alex up and tell her that God had answered our prayer.


The Blankie on the other hand took some time to find. I was really wanting God to provide Lila her beloved blanket, but we looked, cleaned, looked some more and nothing. One night, well, about 1 am actually, I was praying, just asking the Lord to help me find her blanket, and then I felt I needed to check the sleeping bags. So, at 1 am, I open my closet and unrolled and shook and dug in the bag--nothing! I went to the girls room and went through their 2 bags--nothing. Went downstairs unrolled, shook and dug in the last sleeping bag--nothing! I was so discouraged. This blankie is very special--all my kids have one made from Miss Kerrie. This was horrible. Everyone woke up in the morning, seeing the sleeping bags unrolled all over the place. I think another 2 weeks went by and honestly, I thought her blanket was long gone. We had Mandy, Alex's friend spend the night and early, early in the morning, Lila comes tearing in our room yelling "I FOUND JESSA (her blankie's name)!!! I FOUND MY BLANKIE!" I was thrilled and asked where she found it. It was in the sleeping bag Mandy was sleeping in. I forgot that we had that sleeping bag; the only one I hadn't checked! CRAZY!!!!

It was just so cool to see the girls pour out their requests to God for help and to see him answer!

Tariku--The Next Steven Spielberg

This is Tariku's first movie, taken from my iPhone--Had NO idea he was filming or how he even figured it out! He's an electronic genius!

Memorial Box Monday-The Vision

I follow a blog called "A Place Called Simplicity" (check it out on the right), and every Monday, she does a Memorial Box post. Memorial boxes are cabinets that hold trinkets or reminders of when God has shown His faithfulness to you. I don't have a box yet, but I'm looking, but I have lots of Memorial Box stories, and my hope is that I will be able to continue sharing them with you every Monday. I also want to write them down for my kids so that they will always have them. I want them to know their Father is active in their present lives (not just in Bible times), faithful even in the small things and loves them enough to show them his faithfulness and provision. So here is my first story and it is a "Knock your stinkin' socks of kind of story!" Actually, you'll probably think I'm crazy after this, but it's the honest truth!




On July 17th, 2009, I wrote about "The Vision"--You can search it, but I will recap.

On the second Tuesday in June, after our first failed court date with Tariku and almost 9 months after we got his referral- "should" have had him home by Dec., I was cleaning the house fighting back angry tears. I was downstairs wiping off the end table and I stood up and the phone rang. It was Pam calling to say we had passed and he was ours. I felt a tangible weight of anxiety taken from my gut and the longing for my son was fulfilled. It was a REAL moment in time for me. Now, I have only had 2 visions in my life and I don't think God gives them frequently, but He did give me this one, because he knew I needed encouragement and he wanted to knock my socks off. That day and the next couple days I was just at complete peace and I knew, KNEW that God had promised Tariku to me on that day. I knew that him becoming my son was going to happen, I just didn't know when, but I believed God would be faithful. I wrote the post 6 weeks later thinking that maybe we could pass court the following week, it being the 7th week and all. The number 7, in the Bible stands for perfection, fullness of time, and I just thought, maybe he would pass court on the 7th Tuesday from the vision I got. Well, that date came and went. In August, we renewed our vows, October we failed our 2nd court date, November failed our 3rd. (THAT one was a doozy and another cool story). I thought at that time "When is the 7th month?" That would have put us in January passing, but surely we'll pass court before then. In December, we found out we failed our 4th court date and Pam said then, that she was NOT going to tell us anymore when the court dates would be, but that one day she will just call us and let us know the GOOD news. On January 12th, before 8:00 (yes, I was in bed :) Pam called. She told me we passed court and tears just rolled out of my eyes as I lay there, taking in those words. I can't say I was giddy or jumping up and down for joy, I guess I felt just pure exhaustion, like running a marathon emotionally, and I finally finished the race. Too tired to celebrate, just relieved and a little amazed that it was finally over. After about 10 minutes of talking I got out of bed and as I was walking toward the bathroom, it struck me that it was the 2nd Tuesday of the month, exactly 7 months to the day of the vision God gave me. I am crying as I type this. I just stopped in my footsteps and stood there, amazed, undone, that the Lord worked, TO THE DAY! HE KNEW! He knew I would need encouragement and the promise to endure watching my baby grow up through pictures and video. He wanted me to be reminded of Him being in control (to the very day) of Tariku's adoption. And I think He wanted me to know how much He loves me to do something so cool as to fulfill the vision 7 months to the day.



I believe God wants to do cool things for His children all the time, but busyness, or brushing it off as coincidence keeps us from seeing God really work in our lives. It is just a huge reminder, whenever I see impossibles or get discouraged, that God is right there with us, in control, and knows our needs (to the very moment we need them). When I do get my Memorial Box, I will put a telephone in it with the number 7 highlighted on it. Read on www.aplacecalledsimplicity.blogspot.com for more encouraging God stories.

Tariku's 1st Year!

Sunday, March 13th, marked the anniversary of Tariku being home. We got him in Ethiopia on March 6th and on the 13th, he met his three waiting sisters late that evening. That night he was so shy and didn't know what to think. As I look back, I can't help but see God's protective hand on Tariku's heart. He went right to us in Ethiopia with no tears and just held so tightly to us. He was calling me ma on day 3 of meeting me. Vince and I had taken him out to play in our guest house's courtyard. When Tariku fell in the grass, he screamed with fear, because he had never seen or felt grass before. He hated baths and showers, because he was probably used to cold water and quick washings. The first night we got home, I got in the bath with him and he started to scream, but quickly got over it when we handed a baby doll with a bottle to feed her with. Now he loves bath time, loves Dora and Bob the Builder, guns and vacuums, and of course, the girls' barbie doll cars that he sits on and scoots around the house in. I think all the wheels are all bent out now! This year has been one of the best on record for our family! Just having him home and getting to rock him to sleep every afternoon, singing "Down to the River to Pray"--his favorite--is the sweetest gift in the world!

Ethiopian Adoption

Dear friends and family,

I am asking for your PRAYERS !!! the petition will go to the Prime
Minister of Ethiopia. There are about 10,000 signatures so far, but we need
about 250,000.

We have received notice that the government of Ethiopia is planning to
reduce the amount of adoptions from their country by 90%. This is
devastating for the children of Ethiopia and for us who have a desire to
adopt them.

We are pleading with you to sign this petition to have the government of
Ethiopia. This needs to be done no later than Friday in order for this to
be of help. Please go to the following link and sign the petition now!!

http://www.gopetition.com/petition/ 43714.html

Thanks

CAUTION! THESE PICS MIGHT MAKE YOU QUEASY!!!

Today in Life Science I dissected a frog! It was so AWESOME!! Smart advise, don't eat before you dissect, trust me. One of my friends had eggs in her frog, and another frog had bug shells in it's stomach! Mrs. Flickner, our teacher, says that it is easier to dissect after you name your specimen, it works! Naming your specimen keeps you from getting queasy. I named mine Croak-less. FROGS ARE SO COOL!!!!!!!! Thanks for teaching Mrs. Flickner! Next week we are going to do a squid and I might post pictures of that too!

Posted by Alex

Meet The Duggar's

On February 13th, The Pregnancy Care Center of Lawrence had their annual fundraiser. The Duggar's from "19 Kids and Counting" came to speak. Vince and I and our kiddos got to meet them and they were so generous (didn't accept payment or travel reimbursements) and so sweet. I definitely had my own premonitions about them, but as I met and saw their children, I was blown away by how they were all so different, fun, respectful, and normal they were. They shared their testimony and their kids played their instruments and sang for us. The center was blessed to receive a bunch of possible volunteers and I think everyone in Lawrence knows about us now. Now, if you could just pray that we get a bigger, more visible space... Didn't Vince look hot?!

Lila's 7th Birthday

It's been way to long since I've updated and I will be trying to do better! Lila turned 7 on Feb. 25th! I can't believe it! She had lots of family parties and a slumber party with a couple friends. She wanted to go to Spangles and she wanted Legos, a Ken Barbie doll and a lock box to keep all of her treasures in! She always makes us laugh and is totally the most fiery of our family. People say she looks exactly like her momma, but I think she is so much prettier! Oh, and that adorable little baby with Vince is our niece, Addison Jean Avila!