How are we doing?

Well...

Let's see.

The kids are doing great.

They are adjusting well...

all 7 of them.

The "first 4" are a little shocked by the noise level and the sheer volume of crying in a day...

but overall they are doing well.

The new 3 are keeping me on my toes.

I had NO idea how un-baby-proof my house was until last Tuesday night.

Honestly, I am a little over the whole 

"Mommy's full service potty tour" 

that happens a billion times a day.

I am growing to HATE the term "ca-ca".

Baby boy is in diapers full time and I swear that is easier right now.

We have a few English words under our belts...

Doggie (who they still LOATHE with passion)

Banana (also known as bananamuz - a combo with Amharic)

Up - as in pick me up

Mommy, Daddy and all the other family names

Hi, Bye-Bye

And I think that's it.

Singing

The girls sing ALL the TIME.

Slight exaggeration... its actually maybe 6 hours a day.

Crazy lots of singing.

In Wolaytinga.

And Amharic.

And Kembatta.

Yeah... Lilly knows songs in 4 languages.

Talking amongst themselves

I hear a LOT of "backa backa backa America!"

and "blahdeeblah blah Mommy!"

Then they sing together!

Overall

We are doing fine.

I am tired, I will admit that.

I miss the old days of waking up to relative quiet or sleeping through the night without wondering who fell out of the bed this time (around the gauntlet of bed rails), who is going to wake whom up with said crying, or if they will go back to sleep or be up for the day at 5am.

I miss the days of running to the store and leaving the kids home since they are old enough to do that.

But...

Then I get those moments of joy:

Seeing a funny face made when they are happy and having fun,

Hearing a new song I didn't know they knew,

Seeing them dance to music on tv or on a commercial,

Hugs and kisses goodnight,

Sloppy wet kisses from a 2 year old baby boy,

knowing they are forever OURS.

My friend Lisa's perspective on our adoption journey

My friend Lisa has been there for our family during our darkest times and the absolute brightest shining spots along our journey the past couple of years! She is always, always, always there for me and is that person who will tell you what you don't want to hear, but need to hear anyway.

She wrote a beautiful account of our journey and homecoming that I think you would love to read also!

Joyfully ever after.....: Beyond Words: "We have great friends, Paul and Chrissy, who have been on a journey. It is a journey that isn't for everyone but when God is behind it, His ..."

Photos!

This was the day we met them!

Me and the girls!

Magnadoodles were a huge hit!

The cutest baby boy in all of Ethiopia... with the biggest eyes!

In Durame... other than meeting the birth father, this was the highlight. 

I NEVER drink soda. NEVER. 

Until this day.

More of the paradox of Ethiopia.

More later... I have to get the photos off of Hubby's computer first!

We are home!

Thank you to my friend Jamey for guest blogging for me while we were away!
I think she did an excellent job!

Our trip was wonderful.
Truly wonderful.
I have travel notes from just about every day we were there and we have tons of video... lots of photos... hopefully someday soon I can figure out how to post some of them!

Our three new kiddos are wonderful. We are so in love with them and they honestly seem to be attaching pretty well (better than we expected at this point!)!

The "first four" kids at home are great too! So much help and they love them all so much!

We put the final nail into our craziness coffin when we took all 7 kids, plus the inlaws and their two kids to the pool yesterday... on our first full day home from Ethiopia! It was very fun and a great day to be at the pool since it was like 100 degrees! The new kids loved the pool... not afraid of water AT ALL (thank God for floating swimsuits!!).

The inlaws are here till Saturday morning, then we will be our new-normal family of 9 for REAL.
Then the REAL fun begins!!

Top of my head thoughts from Ethiopia...

• The poverty is staggering, but the beauty is breathtaking.
• Begging is different when it's a life and death matter.
• The nannies ADORE the children in their care.
• Happiness is sharing their first Snickers bar with your three new kiddos.
• Joy is discovering they don't like Snickers and getting to eat the whole thing yourself (and ignoring them pointing and calling it CaCa).
• The bead shop in the pink building across the foot bridge has very nice items for good prices and one parent can walk there after you take custody for some additional shopping.
• The grocery store two blocks down the street has all kids of stuff and saves sanity when you just need something familiar to eat.
• The trip to Durame was priceless. Meeting our kids' birth dad was incredible and one of my top moments of the trip. The hotel and the food... horrible and if we could have driven the 6 hours back that afternoon, I would have agreed to that for sure.
• Pink goats and roaming cows... you just don't get tired of some sights.
• My husband has never been sexier than when he sat on the floor of the Union hotel and colored with three non-English speaking children and told them how much he loved them.
• My new baby boy LOVES his pouch. (baby sling)
• Internet is cheap at the hotel, when it is working.
• Laundry is cheap.
• Food is cheap.
• We came home with tons of souvenirs and had all our laundry done there, and still didn't spend our budgeted money.
• Bring your pillows.
• The rainy season is COLD. Bring long sleeves.
• The guy server in the hotel has a 1 year old and 3 year old at home.. if you have extra clothes or shoes he would be much appreciative.

More later...

I am so glad to be home!!

I am so thankful for my friends and family and the love they have shown us in this process!!

I can't believe I have 7 kids!!

Today's the day!

Paul and Chrissy will be home today and starting their life as parents of seven little sweethearts. I mean really besides mine (lol) have you ever seen a more beautiful family?

I've gotten a few texts from Chrissy when they were in Germany. They're exhausted and ready to be home. I can remember that feeling so well that I think I'm starting to feel nauseous again. They will be home this evening. They will start to emerge from their shock-induced coma in about six weeks. They will feel like things are steady in about six months. They will feel like they've found a new normal in about a year.

Remember to cut them some slack, send them some prayers, keep your stupid comments to yourself, and just be a friend. They're going to have a lot of reality setting in as the parents to so many, the parents of three new children, trying to meet everyone's needs, and dealing with the health issues and behaviors that come from living in an orphanage. The amount of adjustment that every single person in their family will have to do is mind-boggling.

Be the hands of Jesus for them.


PS. There's a giveaway at my blog. Come on over and enter to win and you could give the necklace to Chrissy.