Working with Daddy!

It's been a busy couple of months. Swimming, wrapping up school, fixing cars, building a fence, going to Omaha, VBS and more. Back in May (I think) I walked outside to check on Vince, who was putting a piece of something under the car, and this is what I found! So cute, so I had to take pics.

Life in the fast lane!

It has been a long time since I've posted. We have been busy homeschooling, swimming, running laps around our house when we get in trouble :), singing in Choir, going to zoo's, and trying to stay sane while daddy works so much. Did I tell you he is a fill-in supervisor for the TWO supervisors who moved positions and is still the Planning/Outage Manager, while being in outages most of the past two months! Daddy=BUSY! Mommy=CRAZY!
Tariku is the SWEETEST, most LOVING little boy ever!!! He whispers sweet baby-talk into momma's ear, gives me kisses and pats my back. He yells "ALEX!" when he wants her to get him and laughs and cries at the same time when he sees his bottle.
School is almost over and VBS is coming soon! We are so excited for school to be over and we can just relax and have fun!
In Lila's picture, she is wearing our Ethiopian Airlines eye cover. She was so excited to have one, she wore it every night for a few weeks!

More Pics

It's crazy getting to FINALLY rock Tariku to sleep in my arms...after all of these months praying and crying for him. He is doing very well, but has no problem going to anyone. So mommy and daddy are going to have to really work on bonding with him a lot so that he will be more discriminate with others. He loves all the attention he is getting, but it is going to change a little with homeschooling getting back on track. Tomorrow should be an interesting day of learning at the Avila house.

We're Back!

I will post more later, but I wanted to share some pics. We had some amazing experiences while we were there. We are so glad to be home with our girls and are still trying to catch up on sleep. Tariku is doing great and the girls LOVE holding, feeding, changing, picking out outfits, playing, strolling, etc. with him. I hardly get time with him now that I'm competing with 3 other mothers!

Leaving on a jet plane!!

We are off tomorrow morning for Ethiopia! We are so excited and yet sad to leave our girls. Please pray for them as they won't see us for about 12 days. Lila is on steroids for croup (which makes her silly!!) and I am on antibiotics for a bad cold/sinus junk. Pray that I am not in the bathroom during the whole flight :( Thanks so much and we'll try and update you all, but internet connection is s l o w and power outages are regular. WOW! I can't believe it is actually here!!! Love you all!

Praying for Tariku

We just found out late last night, that they moved Tariku yesterday from his first home to the orphanage in Addis, where he will stay for three weeks (when we pick him up). I prayed and thought about what must be going through his mind "Who are these people? Where am I? Where are my mommas (that have been taking care of him)? Why did they let me go? I miss my bed. I miss my friends. When am I going back home?" I just ache for him and wish I could be there now. Can you please pray for his little heart?

Embassy Date!

We finally got an embassy date for March 11. Of course it wasn't as soon as what we were planning, but we SEE God at work in our lives and KNOW we have needed this time to prepare us and grow us so that we can experience all that God has for us in Ethiopia. We leave on Wednesday, March 3rd and arrive late the 4th. Friday we rest, (hopefully see Tariku) and get ready for our long 10 hour car ride to Gimbie. There, we will meet and hold and love on our younger son Chala. Then we will come back and spend three days with Tariku, while we wait for our Embassy Date and his visa to be completed. We leave late Friday night and return Saturday.
Honestly, it was surreal, praying last night with Vince. I knew this date would come, but just kept thinking "when will this come and how will this play out?". It's here!!!
Please pray for Tariku, as he is being moved from the home he's always known, his crib he's always slept in, his mommies that he's always had. It breaks my heart thinking about what he is going through and I am praying for God to PROTECT his little heart and comfort his FEARS. I can't imagine...I wish I could be there now, just holding him, telling him how special and loved he is and that he won't be alone. But I know God is there and he isn't alone and as God had protected him these past 20 months, He will protect him through this transition too.

*"as a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you" Isaiah 66:13
*"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles!" 1 Corinthians 1:3-4