Beach Vacay 2013!!!

Some fun pictures of our vacation in July 2013.....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First Day of School!

First Day of School 2013! Bella is in 7th, Drew is in 5th, Carmen is in 2nd, and Julia is in Pre-K.

                                         Julia's First (and long awaited) day of Dance!!

25 Months

It's hard to believe that 25 months have passed by on the waitlist. Our kids have grown and changed so much, so we did some re-evaluating and decided to change our age preference from a child less than 2 years old to less than 4 years old.  We are equally excited at the idea of an infant son or an older toddler!  Some days I begin to wonder if this will ever really happen, as major changes occur within Ethiopia and within our agency, but I know that God makes no mistakes and will bring our little man home on the day that He planned long ago.

20 Months!

Today marks 20 months on the Waitlist!!! Keep on tickin'....

2 YEARS

WOW! It was 2 years ago today that I held my breath and pushed the "send" button on our initial applcation to begin the adoption process. In many ways, the days waiting have been slow but the years have been fast.  That is a weird concept I am learning more and more about as I get older.
We are coming up on 18 months on Waitlist and I have no way to speculate how much longer it will be other than- ALOT.  In the meantime, our babies aren's babies anymore. Bella is 12, Drew is 10, Carmen is 7, and Julia is 3 1/2. I. Love. Them.

Waiting

Today marks 16 months on the Waitlist and about 22months since starting the adoption.  I would love to say that maybe we have made it to the halfway point, but who knows?

ONE YEAR!

Today marks one year on the waitlist and a little over 18 months since we started this crazy, God-led adoption process! The presence of one little Ethiopian boy grows larger in my mind and my heart even though we have a very long road ahead.  These lyrics continually run through my head as I think about how far we have to go and bring me great peace-

God I look to you
I won't be overwhelmed
Give me vision; to see things like you do
God I look to you
you're where my help comes from
Give me wisdom; you know just what to do

God I Look to You by Jenn Johnston

Ten Months!

9 Months!

Yesterday marked 9 months on the Gladney Waiting List! When we started this whole process in January of 2011, we thought we would be getting a referral right about now since 9 months was the average wait.  My biggest concern then was, what if got our referral in May and didn't receive a court date before the rainy season.  My how things have changed.  At the rate of referrals, we are looking at a very long road ahead.Many days I feel weary at the months that loom ahead, but many days I feel at peace with the waiting ahead and as I rejoice with friends at the referral of their beautiful child, I can't help but daydream about what that day will look like for our family.  I choose to trust that it will come for us and we will know in that moment that our son, who was chosen for us from the beginning of time, was well worth the wait.
In the meantime......guess who turned (GASP) three???

Randomness

Well, somehow months 4 and 5 managed to slip by the way that time often does.  These last few months have been great for our family.  Randy had an amazing trip to Ethiopia, we had nice time to slow down over Christmas break and just be together celebrating the birth of our Savior, but now the crazy cycle is back in full swing!  With all of the kid's sports picking back up, new wonderful church activities and classes, a mission trip to Mexico coming up, and the usual day-to-day my hands and heart are full!  Here's to hoping that the next 2 months of waiting will slip by just as quickly as the last!

Christmas 2011

Randy in Ethiopia 2011

My baby turns 11!!

Three Months!

Somehow the 9th managed to sneak up on me without my realizing it, so I don't have a cute "3" month waiting picture, but am very excited that 3 months have flown by in a blink.  In only 3 more months, I will have to begin updating clearances, letters, physicals, etc. so that will at least give me something to do for a few weeks.  Sometimes I am completely at peace with waiting however long this takes and other times my heart just aches when we all lie in bed at night for prayer and the feeling that someone is missing is so tangible.
Here are a few photos from the last few weeks: 
1. Halloween 2011- Bella the duct tape girl (yes everything on her body is made of duct tape), Carmen the mechanic named Gus, Drew the baseball player (shocker, I know), and Julia the rock star!
2. Bella had a day at school to dress up as an adjective. Her adjective hits close to home. :)
3. Drew enjoying our neighbors hay bails.
4. Carmen pulling the guts out of our pumpkin- she is the only want who likes to do this
5. Julia celebrating her LAST day in her CRIB.  Can you hear the word FREEDOM coming out of her mouth?  She is doing amazingly well in her big bed! :)

TWO

We have now been on the Wailist for 2 months!!!

Carmen is 6!!!

How did my baby go from this:

...to this?

I love the song "Stones Under Rushing Water" by Needtobreathe.  The lyrics say
"the years...go by....like stones under rushing water" and that sums up exactly how I feel about watching my kids grow up. 
After a whirlwind delivery ( she was born exactly 15 minutes after I walked in the hospital doors) and a torrential rainstorm the night we drove home from the hospital with her, we should have known she was gonna live out loud!

At times it seemed that Carmen would be that defiant, stubborn little two year old forever.  The one who would plant her hands on her hips, dig in her heels and let me know that if it wasn't her way, it wasn't happening! She redefined parenthood for us, and after having two easy, complacent children before her, we sometimes wondered where we had gone wrong in parenting her! :)  Two more turbulent years went by with her trying to find out who she was, testing the waters time after, but suddenly the tides started to shift.  All those qualities that are just so difficult to manage as a parent suddenly became her BEST traits.  She is now so mentally STRONG, such a leader, and we know that as God continues to harness the strong will he gave her for the good of his kingdom, she is going to do amazing things!  We are so proud of our girl!!!  She is loved by so many!


Morning of her 6th Birthday!




Getting her ears pierced the night before her b-day!




Ta-Da!!



ONE

One month on Waitlist!  Many to go.....

"And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus."  Philippians 4:19

Julia's First Day!

 Julia had her very first day of Preschool in Miss Bonny and Joy's 2 year old classroom on Tuesday!  She was so excited to finally get to go to her own school and have her own cubby to keep her coveted Princess backpack.  She ran right in and started playing giving me the "mom, go on and leave now...I got this" look.  As I looked around at the other parents both in her class and in other classes, I suddenly realized I was the "grandma-mom"! No longer the fresh-faced 26 year old that I was when I brought Bella to this very same room nearly 9 years ago, I just couldn't get over how YOUNG all the parents looked.  Most of them were also either pregnant or were carrying newborn babies in slings around their necks and I suddenly felt ancient! :)  I hopped in the car (alone for nearly the first time in 10 years), cranked up the radio, rolled the windows down, and just drove.  If felt so great to just "be" for that quiet morning, but by the 11:30 pickup time, I was so ready to see my J.  She LOVED it and had stories to tell all day long!
                                                           It happens in a BLINK!!!!