Saying goodbye

2010 was a good year.

We watched in amazement as things 

progressed with our adoption of our babies.

We saw God provide in ways we weren't sure

were even possible.

We learned that nothing is impossible for Him!

It's a little sad for me to see 2010 leaving.

There's comfort in resting in the same place where

you have seen the Lord working. 

Reminding myself that there's nothing magical about

a number on the calendar, I still see the new year approaching

with a little twinge of sadness.

Here are some of my favorite memories of 2010:

• Finishing our homestudy the first week of January!
• Being approved (finally) for our babies on 1/21!
• Getting our dossier turned in!
• Business trip to San Antonio with my parents!
• Getting our dossier approved, and received in Ethiopia!
• Hearing we were being grandfathered into the one-trip program!
• My first niece was born! (We have 5 nephews!)
• Our monsoon yard sale that brought in amazing, much needed funds!
• Every message of hope, prayers sent, and happiness from people we know, and those we have never met!
• Being gifted thousands of dollars in the form of grants and unexpected checks from our family!
• Every time someone traveled to Ethiopia and returned with news of having hugged my babies and telling them we are coming for them!
• Photo updates
• Watching our four kids at home getting excited to meet their new siblings
• Trips to the pool as a newly unemployed mom
• Anniversary trip with Hubby
• Getting our very own Embassy appointment and learning we would wind up traveling with the mom of the "girl in the cow sweatshirt".
• Sitting in the airport restaurant after checking in for our flights and talking with my hubby.
• The Ethiopian taxi ride to our hotel at 1am
• First (shockingly strong) Ethiopian coffee
• Meeting the Holt staff, laughing with our travel group, and the visible excitement on all our faces
• Seeing and holding our children for the very first time!
• Meeting their birth parent
• Taking custody and feeling like a first-time Mom again
• Their first shower (THAT was hilarious!!)
• Arriving home and hugging my big kids!
• Our first morning in the house as a family of 9!
• Fumbling through Amharic words and being corrected by a 5 year old!
• Sweet little oiled-up brown babies fresh from the bubble bath!
• Big kids teaching little kids
• Annual Labor Day trip to local theme park
• Birthday parties
• Learning to "do hair"
• Wolaytinga songs
• The little girls singing "Our God" really loudly on the porch while handing out Halloween candy
• First Thanksgiving - "Mommy, dis BIG bila!"
• Shopping for the kids' yearly ornament in the first snow!
• First Christmas!

I know it's a long list...

and I know it's not complete!

Here's hoping for another great year in 2011!