7900miles

fabric/yarn stash projects 3-6

2012-02-12T22:21:00.003-06:00

It's been a while...but I have been slowly chipping away at this project. Using it up....

two letter-writing organizers/carriers for the big girls
one hobby horse for little Esther
a January sweater for Miss Esther, Boheme done in Cascade's Eco+ Wool, yarn just sitting around begging to be used up; and my favorite part - yes - buttons covered in a vintage cotton print

superbowl - Osburns' style

2012-02-06T00:07:00.000-06:00

We had our own little party at the Osburn abode. Attempted a few homemade, slightly "healthful"recipes instead of the standard Sam's fare.

Not bad: oven-fried mozzarella, spinach pies in puff pastry, mini pizzas and

nutella in phyllo shells (yum!!)

then the party really got started

tackle football in the living room

cheesing for the camera

a little football on the radio for background noise

board games for all

and that's how the Osburns "do" SuperBowl

hope yours was as fun as ours!

unloading the stuff

2012-01-24T23:05:00.001-06:00

A certain ruler asked him, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."

Luke 18:18, 22

I've been thinking about this a lot.

Layers upon layers upon layers of "issues" here.

Bottom line is, I have too much stuff. Too much stuff that I tell the kids "not to mess up or play with!" Too much stuff that I need to organize, clean or clean around daily. Too much stuff that literally makes my heart race when I see its mess. Too much stuff that I don't want to share. Too much stuff that I've spent money on. Too much stuff that I've wasted my time thinking about. Too much stuff that brings me guilt. Too much.

So where in the world do I start?

I do not know all the answers. But I suppose I must start with thanksgiving to my God for providing all I could ever need and more. Then confession of the sins of greed, coveting, withholding good from those in need, and unfaithfulness. Then I purge.

It's scary to write this down for all of you to see. Because that means I must do something.

I'll start with this as a guide: Organized Simplicity
this one too: http://jlgerhardt.tumblr.com/
and believe in my heart that God will and has provided for all my needs
and that is enough

we can't imagine the freedom we find

from the things we leave behind

Michael Card

"Things We Leave Behind"

look what I found....

2012-01-22T21:57:00.000-06:00

Last week we finally received the enormous number of images recovered from our hard drive. Many are "junk" photos - clipart and photos from online surfing. But as I organize them, I'm finding the gems I was waiting for. There is tiny Esther, the births of our boys and lots and lots of precious family photos. Now onward with the sorting.....

Christmas at home

2012-01-04T22:58:00.000-06:00

We've simply been enjoying family, playing games,

cooking and having a grand holiday.

Here are a few photos of our Christmas at home.

one of Ivy's greatest joys on the morning we celebrated Christmas at home was our "matching" flannel nightgowns - mine was a little small but seeing her light up made it not so tight
several of us were blessed with new hats - Esther's & mine were made by Ellis herself, quite the little knitter
yes, Esther has a "new" horsey with an old worn out SmartWool sock for a face - the other sock had holes - this is called "repurposing" and she loves it!
new crayons, jelly bellies and baking with mama were just a few of our highlights

19

2011-12-20T00:51:00.001-06:00

Nineteen years ago today Wade & I were married. Wow! Sounds like a long time. Of course, in some ways it feels like forever and in other ways just yesterday. I believe the one surprise has been all the ways in which God has led and acted in our lives that we didn't expect. Some hard, some good, all challenging, all blessings...all blessings.

On Wade's menu tonight: Italian Meatball Zuppa, Local Organic Salad, Italian Bread....and small contribution by me: Apple Dumplings. Childrens' theater included the ever-popular "Polar Express" and once they were tucked in bed, we watched "White Christmas," all the while knitting furiously (I, not Wade). A beautiful day, celebration in simplicity, filled with the chaos that is our lives. And I wouldn't trade it for the world. Happy anniversary my dear precious Wade!

P.S. For those of you wondering and "grieving" with me over 10 years of lost photos, still no word about our poor external hard-drive. But I know without a doubt now, a week later, all is not lost. Life, a beautiful life, goes on with or without photos.

what do you do?

2011-12-13T14:15:00.003-06:00

So....what do you do when your on again/off again broken computer (remember the magnet attack by Ollie?) and its back-up hard drive finally decide that 10 years of photos are too much to ask for and they disappear from the face of the earth and from two hard drives?

You cry, you search, you cry some more, search some more, you remember your favorite photos, you frantically think about who else might possess versions of these treasures. You sleep a little, you go to the Dr. for another ear exam, you take your kids to the Casey Jones museum, eat some pizza and try very very hard to ignore the pit in your stomach, the horribly swollen eyes, the tears constantly welling up and the deep grief you feel.

Then you know without a doubt that it could be at least a million times worse. Afterall, you have those precious 5 to look at and hug every day, you have that dear husband, amazing sister and incredible parents. And you know there is more to life than 10 years of photographs. If only your gut and tear ducts would cooperate....

reality - on the prowl

2011-12-05T12:15:00.001-06:00

We call this the "on the prowl" season. We've been through it with at least 2 other little Osburns (who shall remain nameless...). This is when toys or even "safe" household objects hold zero allure to the toddler in your life and instead he or she stalks through the house, on the prowl, with a gleam in the eye, officially searching for his or her next victim. Oh, who am I kidding, I'll drop the "his or her" business and name names. Anytime Esther's feet hit the floor, she is officially on the prowl for something, anything that she is absolutely never ever allowed to do. And yes, that is exactly what gives her the greatest joy.

On Thanksgiving Day of course it was the pile of Claritin pills that apparently tasted very good. Yesterday it was the honey dripping on her Christmas dress only minutes before leaving for church services. Today it's the glass ornaments that break oh so easily and interestingly. And some days it's the water in the toilet bowl - yummy!

"On the prowl" will pass, we know, but these days it's awfully tempting to go from crib to high chair to gated room to high chair to crib to stroller to car seat and leave very little time for those little feet to get into trouble.

So, to keep sanity I sit and write about it, oh yes on a borrowed computer since our 5 year old who really never went through the on-the-prowl phase attacked our new MacBook with a giant magnet......and yes, it died, may it Rest In Peace.

So we plow forward in this "on the prowl" phase and say things like I just said to Ellis: "Yes, it is absolutely wonderful that she is taking 100 baby wipes out of the container. It could be worse, much worse."

advent

2011-12-04T21:04:00.001-06:00

ad·vent (dvnt) n.

1. The coming or arrival, especially of something extremely important

Come, Thou long expected Jesus
Born to set Thy people free;
From our fears and sins release us,
Let us find our rest in Thee.
Israel’s Strength and Consolation,
Hope of all the earth Thou art;
Dear Desire of every nation,
Joy of every longing heart.

Born Thy people to deliver,
Born a child and yet a King,
Born to reign in us forever,
Now Thy gracious kingdom bring.
By Thine own eternal Spirit
Rule in all our hearts alone;
By Thine all sufficient merit,
Raise us to Thy glorious throne.

And this performance by Fernando Ortega may be as beautiful as it gets.

Come our long expected Savior.

Set us free.

days 25-30, thankful: for friends

2011-12-01T22:13:00.001-06:00

I missed a few days. Yep, I did. I've been busy doing life....

This one was hard. There is so much to be thankful for. What should my last post be?

I'm thankful for friends. Friends from the past, friends who live far far away and friends near and dear.

I am thankful for listening ears, strong shoulders, big hearts, kind eyes, challenging words, and wise guidance. I have had this in every step of my life, in every place I found myself: Springfield MO, St. Louis MO, Palm Springs CA, Searcy AR, Florence Italy, Abilene TX, Austin TX, Henderson TN, Addis Ababa Ethiopia. God has put friends in just the right places, in just the right ways.

Beth, Melissa, Julie, Melissa, Becky, Rachel, Christy, Wendy, Julie, Angie, Jen, Faith, Brenda, Lisa, Caryllee, Sheila, Carla, Cheryl, Daphne, Jamie, Sharon, Cara, Heather, Julie, Alyona, Peggy, Ramay, Dawn, Melissa, Melinda, Robin, Kim, Nancy, Lynne, Dana, Jenny, Polly, Becky, Laurie, Nancy, Renee, Beth, Cami, Mastora
.....and so many others.....

I am so so thankful for you all. I hope you know who you are. I'll be seeing some of you in just a few hours to say goodbye to one precious friend for another year.

Thanks be to God for you all and for your friendship.

"Count your many blessings. Name them one by one. And it will surprise you what the Lord has done."

days 23 & 24, thankful: for so much

2011-11-24T22:32:00.001-06:00

today I'm thankful for:
dear aunts/sisters
precious grandparents/parents
amazing grace
new mercies every day
going home
tiny shoes
little smiles
stinky boys' socks
hospitals
diapers
pumpkin pie
tall teenagers
beautiful braids
activated charcoal
sweet memories
fun games
nurses
curly hair on little boys
doctors
the Holy Spirit
dear "first families" far away
loose teeth
heart monitors
hospital food
mandolins
coffee from MacDonalds
friends who stop by to visit
ham
egg McMuffins
shoes
healthy hearts
messy charcoal filled diapers
goodnight bottles and rocking
banjos
a rocking horse
guitars
Charlie Brown
hugging baby girl, thanking God for her life
our dear Savior
forgiveness

days 18-22, thankful: for delicious local food

2011-11-22T22:06:00.001-06:00

I am so thankful that we always have enough food.

Well, not even just enough, far more than we can ever use.....it's almost too much.

But lately we've tried to focus not on quantity, but quality and we've been so very blessed to find most of our foods grown locally, grown in healthy sustainable ways.

I'm especially grateful to J&J Farm for the delicious meat, eggs and creamy goat's milk (which provided Esther with much needed high fat/high protein food upon coming home last year!) they provide. Thank you Jim & Jane for all you do and for being such an example of how to farm the best way.

And I'm equally grateful to Ray & Ashley at Rose Creek Village who grow the most amazing greens, carrots, tomatoes, squash, etc. They are providing our area with one of its first local CSAs and we are forever grateful. And it doesn't hurt that they live in a loving Christian community which we have been blessed to visit. Thank you Ray & Ashley.

And finally, I'm thankful for Rock Springs Dairy for providing us with delicious cow's milk in beautiful glass bottles.

These 3 families are committed to make their life's calling one that will serve their neighbors and all of mankind. They provide us with delicious healthy food and we couldn't be more grateful.

I salute you, local, back-to-basics farmers and thank you greatly for your service!

day 17, thankful: for access to medical care

2011-11-17T22:39:00.001-06:00

It is truly horrifying the number of children who die from diarrhea
the mothers & babies who die during or near childbirth
the people for whom malaria and HIV are immediate death sentences
And the unbearable pain that many of these suffer

We are blessed.
We have access to the best medical care and we can have it anytime we need or want it.
We can get almost any medication we desire as quickly as we can drive to the drug store.
We can usually get some form of pain relief.

If you know me well at all you know I believe we take this for granted.
We overuse and abuse our medical system and its drugs.
We often do this to our great detriment.
(But that's all for another post someday, aren't you glad?)

Today I am truly thankful.
I am thankful for advil.
It helped this migraine-bearing mama be semi-functional today.
And I am grateful.

day 16, thankful: for men of courage

2011-11-16T22:17:00.001-06:00

Have you heard the song "Courageous" by Casting Crowns?
Of course you have!
Every single time I hear it
I immediately think of the three men who have had the most enormous impact on my life.
And every one of them is courageous in a BIG way.
I'm so thankful.
Where would I be without dear grandpa Edwin Eagleman
or my precious dad Larry Owen
or my wonderful servant husband Wade Osburn.
They were and are courageous in the unique ways they live their lives for God.
And I can never thank them enough.
The impact on my life and the hearts of future generations can never be measured.

Where are you, men of courage?
You were made for so much more
Let the pounding of our hearts cry
We will serve the Lord

We were made to be courageous
And we're taking back the fight
We were made to be courageous
And it starts with us tonight

The only way we'll ever stand
Is on our knees with lifted hands
Make us courageous
Lord, make us courageous

This is our resolution
Our answer to the call
We will love our wives and children
We refuse to let them fall

We will reignite the passion
That we buried deep inside
May the watchers become warriors
Let the men of God arise

day 15, thankful: for rain

2011-11-15T23:47:00.001-06:00

Last night and this morning we enjoyed loads of rain.
And a surprisingly warmish fall day.
Just perfect for the kids to play outside, getting wet and muddy.
And a great day for a walk, even if we did get rained on.
Thank you God for rain!

days 13-14, thankful: for time with my children

2011-11-14T22:01:00.001-06:00

yep, having a hard time keeping up with this. Not that I don't have mountains to be thankful for....

Today I am thankful that I get to study ancient Greece along with my children. Diving into the details of David & Solomon's reigns is pretty fascinating too. Seeing God's work in all of Scripture.

I'm also thankful that the kids get to spend SO much time together (some loving times, some not so loving). Time enough to line up babies in strollers, put a few in baby carriers/slings and ride up and down the street on bicycles while taking those babies on vacation in Chicago. I saw it with my own eyes. Even in small town Tennessee, anything is possible! Photos added tomorrow....when I'm not so tired.

Goodnight

days 9-12, thankful: for the body of Christ

2011-11-12T23:25:00.001-06:00

Yes, I've been slacking....but can't I combine 4 days into one? Especially since it includes my whole church family? I've thought about this and how I can possibly express my thanksgiving for this family God has given to me. There are the Noles, the Brambletts, the Childers, the Webbs, the Baldwins, Will, Cliff, the McGills, Nancy, the Markums, Charlotte, the infamous Smiths :-), Josh, the DeLays and on and on and on I could go. More people than I could name, especially coming and going in the 10 years we've been with this church family. I've never known anything like it, true family in the name of Christ. True love, true sacrifice, true devotion to one another and to our Lord, true confession, pure honesty, true disagreement, true unity, true forgiveness.

I am so very very thankful for my church family. This little one I see at least 3 times every week and also the worldwide family I may never see before heaven. Thanks be to God for his son's body seen in the flesh through his church.

day 8, thankful...for a new day, led by God

2011-11-08T22:31:00.001-06:00

I had so many plans for tomorrow. I kept thinking of what Grandma Owen would say about New Year's Day. Something like, "The way you live today is the way you'll live the whole year!" I'm sure she said it better but that's the idea.

long brisk morning walk, lots of reading with the 5 little O's, nature walks, looking at leaves, baking something yummy, acts of love & service, peace, knitting

Those were my plans. But you know what God does when we make plans....even if it is on your birthday. Now my day will be busy every moment: a troubled ear needs an immediate check, boys need to play with friends to avoid "claustrophobia" (sibling-obia!) at the Dr. office, friends need to come to our house for a visit so they don't make a crowd for their Mama at the Dr., etc, etc. Life goes on. Blessings indeed.

And so it will be....

a day led by God.

As I begin a new year.

photo by Scott Hammock

day 7, thankful.....for my bed

2011-11-07T23:23:00.002-06:00

Tired tonight....after a great day with the kids I went to town to grocery shop and hang out alone. I try to get everything for at least a few weeks so it's quite a wonderful chore! Now I'm tired and so thankful I have a soft cozy bed to sleep in. So thankful...

day 6, thankful....for my 5 children

2011-11-06T22:47:00.003-06:00

They are precious, they are opinionated (yes, especially the 2 year old!), they keep me young, they wear me out, they give the best hugs, they give the greatest critiques.

They are our blessings from God!

Yes, this photo is from last year, but I love it!

day 5, thankful...for clean water

2011-11-06T00:33:00.000-05:00

today I'm thankful...

-for water that comes out of the tap ready to drink
-that I can easily give my children water to quench their thirst
-that I don't have to tote gallons of water for miles
-that I don't have to worry about getting disease from water

Such blessings.

day 4, thankful...for mom and dad

2011-11-04T22:37:00.001-05:00

This is who I'm thankful for today. I really can't even put into words how much they mean to me and how thankful I am for them. If you know them....you too have been blessed by their lives. If you don't, well you need to :-)

I love you Mom and Dad.

I'm so thankful God gave you both to me.

day 3, thankful....for Wade

2011-11-03T23:04:00.001-05:00

He's been my partner for almost 19 years now. He is so selfless, such a servant, filled with kindness, brimming over with courage to be a different kind of father and husband. Not one who seeks any glory of his own. He does not seek job promotions, esteemed career positions, and really isn't into climbing ladders (except around the house!). He seeks to serve God by serving us, his church family and all of mankind.

I am so thankful and blessed.

day 2, thankful....for PBJs

2011-11-02T22:30:00.002-05:00

On some days when I make 'em, I have guilt....why am I feeding everyone all this sugar, why can't I fix a "real" lunch for once, why am I "wasting" a whole loaf of bread (yep, that's what it takes in this family!), why am I giving in and fixing the only thing the kids won't complain about.....

But today, I lined 'em up, spread on the peanut butter and jelly thick, and served them outside on the red picnic table, just where a fall feast should be eaten. I was thankful every step of the way.

day 1, thankful.... for a pantry so full

2011-11-01T23:09:00.001-05:00

This month of November - a month of Thanksgiving.
And what better time to count blessings every day.
God's blessings are too numerous to count!

together

2011-10-28T15:03:00.002-05:00

just read the latest Newsweek

projected spending on Halloween this year in the US:

*******
average amount per person (costumes, candy, decor).......$72.31

6 weeks of treatment to bring a severely malnourished child back to health

less than $60 per child

*******
pet costumes.........$310 million (most popular: pumpkin, devil, hot dog, bee, etc.)

wells built to serve an average of 250 people with no access to clean drinking water

62,000 wells at $5000 each = $310 million

*******
children's costumes......$1 billion (most popular/est amount purchased: princess - 5,134,868, witch - 2,058,908, etc.)

compassion international

sponsor a child to help provide food & education and to help preserve the birth family

over 25 million children at $39/month = $975 million

*******
adult costumes........$1.2 billion (most popular/est amount purchased: witch - 7,305,503, pirate - 2,107,817, etc.)

provide bed nets lasting 3 years, each large enough for a family of 4

helping to prevent the 1 million deaths from malaria each year

120 million bed nets at $10 each = $1.2 billion

**********

grand total.......$6.86 Billion

Let's not say there is nothing we can do. Together there is much!

http://www.compassion.com/default.htm

this world

2011-10-20T22:29:00.002-05:00

Have you read Katie's book?

If not, you really need to.

It is a stark reminder that this world isn't all there is.

And that there is so much work to be done.

Have you seen my header?

That's the old barn at my grandparents' farm in the Ozarks.

Where I spent some of the best times of my life.

Where I felt love from parents, grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles and just about all living things (except when Honey the Pony bucked me off....)

I think 1/3 of my heart resided there with Grandma & Grandpa Eagleman,

1/3 with dear Grandma Owen who lived a few miles away surrounded by her beloved flowers & woods,

and 1/3 of course in my home with Mom, Dad and Sheila.

I was and am blessed beyond measure with a loving family.

But what happened in 1997, 2000 & 2002....when my grandparents went to live with Jesus?

I grieved in desperation for who I was losing, for the memories I thought were gone, for three of the people in this world who I knew loved me beyond measure, for three dear lives who in their own unique ways served and loved their God.

I believe I have thought of one or more of them every single day since then.

And the lessons they taught me about love, work, simplicity.

They are engraved on my heart.

During those 5 years of loss, I finally understood the words, "This world is not my home...."

Oh, I had sung that song possibly hundreds of times. It was an "oldie but goodie."

The words flowed without much thought. But I finally knew.

And now when I sing it to my 2 sweet boys at bedtime,

they ask for the stories and why the song means so much.

And I tell them.

I tell them about pieces of my heart that are in heaven now with those 3

and how someday we'll all be there together.

This world is not my home I'm just a passing through

My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue

The angels beckon me from heaven's open door

And I can't feel at home in this world anymore

Oh Lord you know I have no friend like you

If heaven's not my home then Lord what will I do

The angels beckon me from heaven's open door
And I can't feel at home in this world anymore

fabric stash projects 3 - 18

2011-10-17T08:35:00.000-05:00

# 3 can be found on my clothesline

4-18 in my etsy store

have a lovely day creating

and using what you have!

today

2011-10-14T23:03:00.002-05:00

....Owen made a garden of his own, complete with a holding pond, dam and canals

for proper irrigation of course

(his attempt to copy the ancient Egyptians' fabulous canal system around the Nile)

...and this little girl enjoyed the mud!

....and I had a grand time at an estate sale across the street
many treasures came home
including a pile of very old, very vintage, very beautiful, handmade doll clothes

can you just imagine what "American Girl" would charge?

(these both have layers of tulle!! one on top and one underneath...ahhhhh)

and the tucks on this tiny piece of art make me sigh with joy

just knowing that someone many many years ago made these for a treasured girl

and now 2 more will play

and 1 more little one down the road

they are already being modeled up in the cozy attic room
by dolls lovingly displayed
ready for adventures tomorrow

fellowship and food

2011-10-12T22:06:00.000-05:00

a couple weekends ago may have qualified as one of my best weekends ever

why you ask
well let me tell you
my dear sister Sheila came to visit
(by the way, check out Sheila & Oliver's matching hair below...amazing)
we see her often but usually at her home or at our parents'
this was extra-special
having her in our home

we went to a very early thrift sale, checked out the Goodwill
and had a wonderful sisterly day

then the night of bounty
dinner in the field
at Rose Creek Village
with Ray & Ashley who grow our veggies

we were honored to be among some of their first CSA families
enjoying fruits (actually vegetables) of their labor
all summer long

we were blessed by their hospitality
and good food
and fellowship

small town fest

2011-10-11T15:24:00.000-05:00

in our town

at the end of September every year

we have a barbeque festival

there are tons of great things to eat

like fried oreos, funnel cakes and loads & loads of barbeque

we like to wander around

visit with friends

and have a little fun

God's work

2011-10-07T14:51:00.000-05:00

Thanks to all who read about and no doubt advocated for those precious 5 siblings I wrote about. Well, God works in mysterious ways and Chrissy has just announced that she and her family will be bringing them home! Their family will now have 12 children!! Amazing and beautiful. I know they would love to have your prayers. Read all about it here.

mourning into joy

2011-10-03T14:26:00.003-05:00

A blogger who I've followed for a couple of years now, Chrissy, put this photo on her blog:

Yes, it is a photo of 5 precious children, siblings in fact. These 5 children need a home. I cannot look at them without seeing the eyes of Ellis, Ivy, Owen, Oliver & Esther. What would happen to my precious ones if there were no relatives, no friends or acquaintances who had the means to take them in? Would they be split up or spend their lives in an institution?

For reasons she doesn't go into, Chrissy is not able to take these 5 children home, although that is her heart's desire. (She does already have 7 children for those who may not know) I could list many reasons for us, not the least of which would be a social worker who would likely run from our house after seeing our one bathroom! But someone out there has 2 bathrooms, someone probably has more than 3 bedrooms. Everyone reading this probably has more than enough food to eat and clean water to drink. These children need a home. If you are interested,

Please contact IAG directly at 770-962-7860 or email from their website at www.adoptionguides.org .

The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' Matthew 25:40

created for care retreat March 2012

2011-09-26T11:46:00.002-05:00

My sweet generous husband just asked me kindly to register for this retreat. I am really really excited about it. It is for rejuvenation and fellowship among adoptive, adoptive-to-be mamas, and mamas interested in adoption. I read so many great things about the one early this year and was hoping to go in 2012. But then their January retreat booked up in less than a day!! But now they have added a March retreat also and I'm already registered. Check it out!

I would love to see you there.

fabric stash projects 1 & 2

2011-09-21T22:09:00.000-05:00

presenting fabric stash projects one and two:

first is a grocery bag
made from an Ethiopian coffee burlap bag
veggies & fruit compliments of fabric scraps
perfect for Esther's birthday
she loves it!

second is a brand-new outfit for Ivy's new Ivy doll

royal blue cotton knit in a teacup pattern

vintage looking trim along the bottom of dress

blue rick-rack trim on the bloomers

-hidden of course on this modest doll

both Ivys seem perfectly pleased

Stay tuned for more!

10

2011-09-19T16:05:00.002-05:00

It's a good number. Ivy turned 10 on Friday...10 years she has been with us, blessing our family.

My due date with Ivy was 9-12-01. Several folks called on 9-11-01 to check on me. I wasn't a TV watcher and they all figured I didn't know. They were right. And none of it really sunk in until after Ivy was born. I was focused on this little baby, tired out of my mind taking care of 3 year old Ellis and enduring weeks of pre-labor. When Ivy finally arrived, Grandma & Grandpa hopped on a plane in AR only days after driving 13 hours to and from Austin for the delivery that my doctor said was imminent (pre-labor can make us all do crazy things!). They said flying for a grandbaby was the only reason they would fly on 9-16-01. Ivy's birth was the only one that went very very fast, very smoothly, and with no needles anywhere on my body. She calmly arrived in this world, caught by a couple of nurses after Wade pushed the "panic" button. Ivy and I then, unfortunately, each had our own health issues that took a few hours to resolve separately. She went away with Wade and I was alone in my room to dream about my precious new daughter and make several attempts at standing after losing way too much blood. We were finally both declared healthy, reunited and the rest is history :-)

Ivy:

is beautiful, inside and out, with those mesmerizing blue eyes and kind heart
loves to write letters, sometimes writing 10 letters a week!
draws the most amazing families, with 10-15 children in each, all with very creative names
takes very good care of her baby sister Esther
has learned to love reading
has always possessed a mischievous look in those beautiful eyes; they simply twinkle
is a great singer
is very efficient about doing chores, packing for trips, etc.
loves her American Girl dolls
dreams of traveling to New Orleans, to the home of Louis Armstrong
has always been super incredibly strong - don't let her thin body fool you for one second!
loves to be with her family

Oh how we love you Ivy Laine.

You are precious to us and you are growing into such an amazing young lady.

God bless you this year and always.

the great fabric stash project

2011-09-12T16:19:00.000-05:00

About one year ago our attic looked like this:

Now it looks more like this.....

So I'm kicking off a fabric stash challenge. I'm committing to not buy any more fabric until I use LOTS of this up. I collect it, ooh and aah over it, talk about what a bargain I got and there it sits. So, now my job is to use all this beautiful fabric.

For about the past 2 years I've given careful thought to what I want to "store" in and around my home. I came up with a few things I believe are okay for me to store: photos, one rubbermaid full of baby items, handmade cradles, old letters, off-season clothing and sleeping bags. Of course, there are a few others like flannel sheets and things used only during certain times of the year. But mostly I pared it down to those things. Fabric is NOT something I want to store. It just gets old and dingy and does no one any good.

So I've made it public. Hopefully this will keep me accountable. I'll post my first project shortly.

Happy destashing!

my inspiration:
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. Matthew 6:19-20

P.S. And oh yes, you do see moth traps. They LOVE my wool fabrics.

school and the party outside

2011-09-08T17:12:00.001-05:00

This is our first week "back to school." I usually give myself a couple of weeks without Wade (yep, he gets the summers off) to readjust, rest on Labor Day, then we hit the books. This is my 8th year and I still go into it with great fear and anxiety. Haven't learned much have I?

This year we are studying ancient cultures, primarily Egyptian, Greek and Roman. We're working to follow along in the Bible as well as we can, matching up time-frames. Ivy is beginning cursive and joining Ellis in Latin. Owen is joining his sisters this year in typing. They each have their math, handwriting and grammar, etc. Then of course we have little Miss Esther and her side-kick, the great Oliver. So you may see why I was a bit gun-shy.

This week has been filled with grace...around every corner. God has miraculously given me more patience than usual, more calm, more peace. The three big kids have been absolutely wonderful scholars. They are eager to learn, excited about their new topics and diligent about their studies. Esther & Oliver have been....Esther & Oliver :-)

The weather has been 100% perfect. Cool in the morning, cool in the evening, warm in the sun, delicious in the shade. Walks have been abundant!!

And now I'm making veggie soup to go with the loaves of bread made earlier. And the kids - they're having a party in the backyard. Oliver just woke from his nap, hair all a mess and asked where "everyone" was. "In the backyard, playing away, my sweet Ollie!" And off he ran to join the fun.

two

2011-09-07T22:07:00.000-05:00

And now our dear Esther Selam is two. She had a special celebration on Saturday with two of her favorite girls in the whole world, sister Ivy and aunt Sheila, who also have September birthdays.

Brown was the color and coffee the theme (Ivy chose well!!)

We celebrated this young life who has taken over our hearts in this past year. She has grown by leaps and bounds; from 16 to 32 pounds in a little over a year. She has blossomed into a toddler. She talks all the time, mostly about her siblings: "Ella go night-night!" (Ellis loves to sleep :-) or "Ah-dee did it!!" (Yes, Ollie gets blamed for all kinds of mischief.) She loves Bible class and discusses who might be there each time we're preparing to leave. Esther loves to boss other babies around and has been known to growl and push if they're not doing precisely what she wants them to. She locks her van door with her foot, dances to Johnny Cash and considers wrestling with Daddy her favorite sport.

Esther Selam, we are so very proud to be your family.

Happy two years our dear, precious girl.

And many many more!

fun, Osburn style

2011-08-30T22:57:00.000-05:00

What do we do around here for fun? Last week it was the extravaganza "I'll Be Jiggered" featuring the boys Oliver & Owen. You may see Ivy's name on the program; she was unable to perform due to....uh, not sure but she liked being an audience member better.

This show was quickly put together and was the dream child of Ellis. She was inspired by Oliver's amazing jigging talent (he really looks like he knows what he's doing).

daddy was the MC

Owen did an outstanding job opening the program, jammies and all

next came the very talented Ollie, jigging up a storm...watch those feet fly!

then the dance duet

then after Ollie offered jigging lessons to the audience,

Wade decided it was time for homeschool gymnastics

I stayed safely anchored to the couch taking my photography job very seriously

sometime I'll show you the video

what a memory - what a night - wish you could've been here

fun, Osburn style

great to be eight!!

2011-08-17T00:53:00.000-05:00

Our dear little boy-man Owen turned 8 yesterday. Actually last night around 11:30 pm. An exciting day it was 8 years ago. Marching around the mall wasn't quite bringing the expected results but suddenly a possible emergency occurred (I'll spare you the bloody details :-) and my Mom called 911. I was taken to the hospital in fashion, by ambulance, where it was decided there was not much of an emergency going on (how embarrassing!) and about 6 hours later Owen came into our family.

He was the first boy on my mom's side after a streak of 9 girls in 3 generations. Number 10 was our lucky number! And oh how I wished my farmer grandpa could have held his first precious boy. He would have loved little Owen...

But on to celebrations. Owen:

is incredibly handsome already
has one of the most infectious laughs you'll ever hear
has huge blue eyes that rival Oliver's
loves to pester his siblings til we all about pull our hair out
has a HUGE adventurous streak
would rather take anything apart than put it back together
has a deep deep serious soul
asks hard and good questions
loves to be the life of the party with his band of buddies (oh...they all like to be the life of the party; Henderson better watch out for this group in a few years)
wants to be a man
desires a spy watch and a pocket knife more than almost anything
has a super quick mind and wit to match
rarely sits still (he runs circles around Oliver, literally)
gives incredibly sweet hugs and kisses, especially to Mama

We love our little man Owen. He has brought such love, fun and adventure to our family. We cannot imagine our lives without him. Owen, may God give you many years to serve Him and use your talents in serving others. We love you dearly!!!

50 is a good number

2011-08-13T23:19:00.000-05:00

Spending almost a week in the Smokey mountains with my sister and parents was truly one of the highlights of this summer. And joining in celebration for their 50th anniversary, that was wonderful beyond belief. I'm so proud of my parents. They show the rest of us what a devoted, committed, respectful, fun, loving marriage is all about. I am so very blessed to have them as parents.

Stopping in Nashville and eating at Abay Ethiopian restaurant was a treat and meeting these 6 Ethiopian beauties was just the icing on the cake. They were precious - so sweet, so encouraging and loving on Esther as if she was their sister.

The week was a perfect vacation in more ways than one. Now we slowly enter real life again. It is all good, very good. Blessings abound.

Oliver is 5!

2011-07-24T22:24:00.000-05:00

Five years ago dear little Oliver Wade came into our lives. He has always been a laid-back, happy little guy. Here's what I love about my Ollie:

his almost constant smile
his love for cuddles, especially with Mama; add the thumb and he's ready to snuggle!
his gorgeous curly hair
his baby blue eyes that crinkle just right when he smiles
his love for his siblings
his love of reading & knowledge that the best part about being 5 is getting his library card
his great questions: "Will my toes tingle and grow longer while I sleep before my birthday? Can I finally reach the kitchen faucet tomorrow when I'm 5?"
the dimple in his cheek....ah....perfection

Oliver is truly a ray of sunshine.
He is our joy.
We are thankful to God for the gift of being his family.

Happy happy birthday little Oliver.

a mama's heart

2011-07-19T23:09:00.000-05:00

It's been a while. Busy and fun summer times in the Osburn home and traveling. Much time on my knees seeking God's wisdom, strength and courage to be the wife and mother he has called me to be. It is never easy; struggles are around every corner; struggles to be grateful, patient, content, serving...always serving; leaving discontent, bitterness, anger, selfishness at the door; pushing them far, far from this place where God and his Spirit are. Tough battles sometimes.

Here is the battle raging in my heart now. My mind and heart cannot fathom how I should even begin to reconcile these... While this is going on in the Horn of Africa: Drought in Africa; this is going on around the corner in my neighborhood: Baby Starved. And then I read inspirational stories about dedicated families giving up everything to move across country to live and receive the best treatment for their sick child; and wouldn't we all do the same. So what do we do? Criticize our extravagance and waste, decry the child abusers as animals, throw our hands up in despair knowing we cannot change the famine? I want to do all that and more....in despair and anger at a world completely turned upside down and inside out by Satan.

But, a better plan might be:

pray for, write letters to, visit and bring compassion & love to people involved in family atrocities
thank God every day for the blessing of clean water, good food, health care and the opportunity to give our children the best chances in life, never taking it for granted
find ways to pass those blessings along to mothers and fathers who have no choice but to leave precious sick ones behind in order to move ahead and find food and water for the others

Places to start:

Will You Share Your Lunch?

Compassion International

World Vision

Life doesn't always make sense. Life usually isn't fair ("The fair is in Little Rock!"....one of our favorite quotes from Grandma to the complaining kids :-) But God is just and his will always prevails. He will keep using our weak and feeble attempts at sharing and serving. Only he can multiply those acts of service and love.

faith, the jar and a seed

2011-06-22T12:32:00.001-05:00

Back in the summer of 2008 our kids grabbed the first jar they could find and began filling it with money. Ivy emptied all she had into it. The other kids were very generous. This would help bring Esther Selam home.

We've kept the jar around and add loose change to it now and then. For a while it was for an Ethiopian well - we emptied that and sent it to "A Glimmer of Hope." It still gets small additions now and then.

But this week, the kids decided that there are too many children without a family and that we needed to bring another home. They began fervently filling that jar again, having complete faith that it was going to help some child somewhere find a home.

I talked a bit with them about uncertainties. We simply don't know if that is where God is leading us. We have recently sponsored two little girls in Ethiopia (with our big girls help!) and are looking for more ways to help Esther's beautiful home country and its people. Maybe these are paths God wants us to pursue in new ways.... The kids insisted that they are ready to share again, ready to adjust again, whatever it takes.

I challenged them and myself. I shared the areas of growth I could see God putting before us: contentment, joy, doing work/chores cheerfully, taking quick showers (with only one bathroom this is a true necessity), satisfaction with what we have, serving one another cheerfully. I reminded them (and myself most of all) that we need to prepare our hearts, minds, bodies and homes for whatever God puts before us. We all have much stretching, growing and "becoming more like Jesus" to do. Those things that only God can do will ready us for whatever lies ahead. They heartily agreed that they would pray for God's help and guidance and for patience to see God's plan. Then they added more to the jar.

...if you have faith as small as a mustard seed,
you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move.
Nothing will be impossible for you.

Matthew 17:20

P.S. When I told Wade about some of this discussion, he said, "But people would think we are totally crazy!" I reminded him that it is too late....

365 days

2011-06-20T23:24:00.002-05:00

On Saturday we celebrated Esther Selam's "family day."

On that day she had been in our family home, in West Tennessee, for one year.

We celebrated in Memphis at Abyssinia restaurant and were blessed to have Aunt Sheila along and surprised & delighted to see the Youngs with their precious family (2 newly arrived from Ethiopia).

Enjoy!

family

June 2010

Daddy, Mama, Esther Selam

June 2011

Ivy, Owen, Esther & Oliver

June 2011

Daddy & Esther Selam

June 2010 & June 2011

Mama & Esther Selam

June 2010 & June 2011

Aunt Sheila & Esther Selam

June 2010 & 2011

look how I've grown...almost doubled my weight and definitely my hair!

Esther Selam Osburn

June 2010 & 2011

Children are a gift from the LORD; they are a reward from him.

Psalm 127:3

together at last

2011-06-15T22:01:00.000-05:00

one year since she was fully in our care

for 365 days she has been with one of us

this is when the dance of family began

tonight as she fell asleep on my shoulder

I reminded her of this milestone

and that we are so proud to be her family

we cannot imagine life without her

what a blessing from God

P.S. We thought she was doing so GREAT on this morning...honestly...maybe just because she was still alive. Yes, we were that scared. But those pictures - looking at them now - she looks pitiful. She was so so tired and still a sick baby. I look back and praise God again & again for her healing!

Day 5 (June 15) was a GREAT and exciting day. We awoke early to eat breakfast and walk with Tarren, Jude’s father, to the hospital. As we left our room that morning, I told Wade, “My goal today is to not be jealous!” Walking down to the dining room full of families with children wasn’t as hard as I thought. I was so very happy for our friends who were united with their children and couldn’t wait to see our own little girl.

I wish I had photos of our walk to the hospital. It took about 20 minutes and we saw so much that I cannot even describe. We saw all kinds of people walking to work or school, beggars, men selling lottery tickets, shops with fruit spilling out, donkeys, cows, goats, and many many cars. But our favorite sight was the head nurse from the Care Center, Sister Martha. We were surprised to see her and she explained that after a night of praying for Selam, she just had to see her before her work day started. Sister Martha smiled and said that Selam had responded very well to the antibiotics and was doing great. Our pace picked up as we hurried to see our precious Miss Peace.

The hospital entrance and grounds were well landscaped and welcoming. However, near the entrance was a pet baboon (or some type of monkey). He was chained up and didn’t look all that happy to see us.

Selam looked more like herself that morning and I just couldn’t keep my hands off her. I fed her a bottle and she fell asleep in my arms. I was able to tuck her in for a morning nap. We spoke briefly with the pediatrician and reminded him that our US Embassy appointment was at noon. He explained that he wanted Selam on her IV antibiotics through the day and that we could come back and take her at 9 pm. He even wrote it down! He said that after this day she would be on shots for a few more days to complete her medication.

While we weren’t looking forward to changing our embassy appointment and airline tickets, we were completely thrilled at Selam’s progress and the realization that we would have her in our arms that evening. When we returned to the hotel we ate lunch and planned our afternoon. Since we wouldn’t be going with the group to the embassy, we had the afternoon to shop and walk around town on our own. Wade called our agency and let them know about the change in plans and an employee said she would get back to us.

Here is where it gets interesting….very interesting. As we were in our 3rd story room preparing to leave, we noticed our vans sitting outside for quite a long time. Wade yelled down to our driver, Tsegaw, that we couldn’t go with them to the embassy because Selam was in the hospital. He nodded but still the vans didn’t budge. I finally went downstairs to see if I could communicate what was going on. Tsegaw said that he was working everything out and was making phone calls. He quickly explained that he had called the Care Center director, our agency, and our pediatrician at the hospital and after reminding them how difficult it would be to get another embassy appointment, they all agreed that Selam should be released from the hospital ASAP. He told me he would wait for Wade to come down and for me to get in the other van and go to the hospital. I jumped in the van with the other families and we raced to the hospital….at this point maybe an hour late for our group appointment to the embassy! The driver, Fikreab, and I ran into the hospital, grabbed Selam (thankfully her IV was already unhooked) while the nanny put some pants on her, and waved goodbye to the pediatrician. I also made sure I got Sophie the Giraffe, who the driver carried and squeaked the whole way back to the van. Our fellow families clapped when I arrived and assured me of extra clothing, diapers and whatever else I needed for our possibly lengthy wait at the embassy. We did meet up with Wade at the embassy and without too long a wait, we answered a few easy questions and received Selam’s new birth certificate!

We celebrated back at the hotel and couldn’t believe Esther Selam was with us, in our arms, never again to be taken away. We laughed at how our driver had taken charge and initiated her release from the hospital. He is the Ethiopian driver for Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie (we saw pictures…it’s true!) so I guess he knows how to take care of his clients. We were so very grateful to him.

one year

2011-06-12T20:35:00.001-05:00

One year ago yesterday, we met her.
One year ago today we visited and played again.
One year with our littlest love....

The Care Center out our window

Our view of gorgeous Addis Ababa

Day 1 (June 11) How do you describe a day when you begin to fall in love with a country and most important, when you begin to fall in love with a person you have been admiring from almost 8000 miles away. Day 1 was that day. We awoke to sights and sounds outside our window so foreign yet destined to be emblazoned in our hearts and memories forever. Every ounce of our beings cried out to float to the building next door, the one it seemed we could touch from our window, to hold our precious Selam. But first came the meetings, the introductions, the first glimpses of people who would become dear to us in the next few days and the building up of an anticipation so deep, so powerful, so heart-wrenching it would leave us shaking.

Up the hill on our street, you can almost see the Fistula Hospital

People working, starting their days

Meeting Dr. Fikru, director of Holt International in Ethiopia

Finally it was time. We saw the long staircase in front of us and knew what the building held. We entered and sat on chairs in a semi-circle as we wondered whose child would be first; would we recognize our newest little family members. I almost stood up twice to greet a child, then abruptly sat down as I recognized it was not Selam and another family took the little one in their arms. Selam was last. We saw the other families' long waits melting away as they took their children in their arms. Finally it was our turn. Nothing could have prepared us for the beautiful, innocent and fearful little girl who climbed into our hearts. Nothing.

13

2011-06-08T22:31:00.000-05:00

Thirteen years ago today our precious Ellis Ann was born. Last night she and her very generous & brave aunt (thanks Sheila) left on "The City of New Orleans" to explore new places, namely Chicago. What a gift!!

To say that Ellis is loved and cherished would be an understatement. Things I love about Ellis are:

her love for family
her excitement about reading, libraries and all things "bookish"
her excellent motherly care of children
her long silky golden hair
her service to our church family mostly by teaching little ones
her wonderful cooking skills
her terribly funny family newsletters
her desire to sleep til 11 am everyday - not that we let her :-)
her almost non-stop talking about the world, what she is seeing and experiencing
her teasing
her knowledge
her love for God

Here are a few of my favorite photos of sweet Ellis.

"The days are long but the years are short."

so very short

home

2011-06-06T23:32:00.000-05:00

Traveling "home" to the Missouri Ozarks, to the place of my grandparents' echos, where my parents were raised, it always brings a flood of emotions and this year was no different. My 3 precious grandparents have been in God's hands for years now, their homes, gardens, fields and forests desolate or else occupied by others. So why was I looking for them? I looked for them in cousins' eyes, uncles' laughs, aunts' hugs. There was plenty of love to go around but my grandparents weren't there....my connection felt tenuous at best. And what I longed for and could almost taste....was for my 3 grandparents to surround me and my 5 littles in huge warm hugs and then sit down for a big dinner. But they weren't there. I miss them so and as many of my relatives commented, "It's just not the same around here...."

But we are so very very blessed. Our home is in heaven and for now, we will stay on the journey - loving, laughing and serving as we go.

blessings of family

2011-05-22T16:34:00.000-05:00

these days....

tea parties, park playdates, unpacking the new mower, dressing up, summer hairdos, fun in the sun

the blessings of family

what do you do, dear?

2011-04-26T20:00:00.014-05:00

What do you do, dear....
When you wake up on a humid day with really big hair?
Laugh everytime someone says, "Hi Ollie with the hair" or "Hello Mr. Kramer"
of course

what do you do, dear...

when some sweet little person is VERY hungry

and will mostly eat only eggs?

feed her 2 fried eggs for breakfast every morning

only pasture-raised, local, organic of course

what do you do, dear....

when those eggs seem to have made a mess?

wait patiently for Daddy to vacuum them up

of course
(and if you're wondering if this is staged or daddy really cleans the babies this way....he really and truly does...has been for 12 years now...nifty, huh?)

what do you do, dear...

when your librarian daddy brings home a large unslightly replica of the check-out desk?

play librarian of course (what other profession is there?)

no libraries, books nor librarians were harmed by this furniture move;

it is just Wade's way of practicing his famous yearly library presentation

which always gets a few laughs from the students at FHU

This post inspired & sponsored by one of our favorite books:

the end

Easter

2011-04-26T00:23:00.001-05:00

Great times were had by all this weekend. The weather was truly beautiful, which cannot always be said of Tennessee in April. Eggs (and fingertips) were colored, baskets filled, church family gathered at our friends' home to eat, fellowship and celebrate Jesus' resurrection.

This Mama dreams of 3 hand-made matching (or slightly coordinating for the "almost teen" among us) dresses and new crisp linen shirts for the boys. But....as is often the case, reality is much better than dreams. Esther wore lavender linen from Ivy's younger years, Ivy wore a well-designed (by her!) dress made by Mama, Ellis wore a hand-me-down from Mama....taken in quite a bit at the waist of course, and the boys wore whatever we could rustle up from their closet.
They were beautiful and the day was perfect.

proud Oliver

Esther and beautiful friend Emily

boy buddies: Oliver, Drew, Owen & Luke

precious "little" Osburns

Ellis gave up egg-hunting this year to help baby sister

Ivy absolutely shone all day - she radiated joy & beauty

Oliver rested in the tulips

Owen hunted in bare feet

I didn't show how he colored eggs; no-shirt of course

Precious days, precious friends, dear amazing Savior.

We rejoice in his resurrection!

He is risen!!

one year ago today....

2011-03-25T09:45:00.000-05:00

....this is what I wrote:

Well, the moment many of you (and we!!) have been waiting for has arrived. We received a referral today for a 6 month old baby girl!!!!! We are thrilled, excited, stunned and still in shock, I think. The kids are so very happy and the girls especially can hardly talk about anything else. We are at my parents' for spring break and so sharing this time with them is an amazing experience.

Right now we are praising God for this beautiful & precious little girl who will likely become part of our family.Thanks for sticking around with us on this journey.

To God be all the glory.
March 25, 2010

One year since we saw her face and fell deeply in love. She has blessed our lives so richly. We have been taught more about love, sacrifice, dedication and responsibility than ever before. We are so thankful to God for the gift of Esther Selam. Happy referral day sweet precious girl.

time...

2011-03-10T07:00:00.010-06:00

today marks one year since she first arrived at an orphanage
two weeks from now will be Esther's one year "referral-versary:" the day we learned about Esther Selam and saw her picture
Esther is 18 months old
she was with her first family and in an orphanage a total of 9 months
she has been home with us in Tennessee for almost 9 months

Dates, times rushing through my mind and heart like waves filled with joy and thanksgiving and wonder at this little life in our family. How did she get to small-town West Tennessee from the Southern hills of Ethiopia? How did her loved one take those steps he chose to take? I wish I knew how he traveled, how many miles, how many steps, did he accept transportation from someone, was she crying...she was very hungry, we know that much. Sorrow mixed with joy. Milestones of beauty and of pain. Who is thinking of her 7900 miles away? Who is remembering this time last year? My prayer is that peace fills hearts, as it does ours, and that food and clean water fill stomachs. My prayer is that we honor and cherish this most overwhelming and beautiful and humbling task set before us.

Time...goes on...marking steps along the way. Each day now adds one day more she has been with us than anywhere else. We are thankful to God for his blessings, especially for five young ones who fill our days with joy (and sometimes fatigue :-). We are thankful for our newest one who God has known about since she was in her mother's womb, whose life-path God has always seen and known. We are thankful.

And yes, this is going around adoption blogs like wildfire.

But it is worth it if you watch to the end.

mom is great - she feeds us chocolate cake!

2011-02-24T22:06:00.001-06:00

In the midst of a day and evening filled with tornadoes, a baby girl (and her Mama) very very tired of being sick, a long day without seeing much of Daddy for 13 hours, what do you do? You make decadent homemade mac n cheese for dinner, you watch "Princess and the Frog," volume up just loud enough to drown out the constant storm sirens, bake a chocolate sheet cake and smother it with icing, serve with cold milk from the local dairy and call it a day. (all recipes from the Pioneer Woman's cookbook...yum)

This does follow a serious bedtime talk last night with 2 girls who accused their Mama of being way too healthy and "green." They expressed their feelings of being deprived....so I showed em. Yes I did!

Sorry no pictures, we were too busy eating.

P.S. Confession: I may have included whole wheat pasta, freshly ground whole wheat flour and maybe just a 1/2 cup reduction in sugar in my recipes....but my kids thought this was sheer indulgence after the cardboard granola and raw spinach they normally get!

faithfulness

2011-02-20T10:20:00.000-06:00

Great is thy faithfulness, O God my father

There is no shadow of turning with Thee

Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not

As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be

Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest

Sun, moon and stars in their courses above

Join with all nature in manifold witness

To thy great faithfulness, mercy and love

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth

Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide

Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow

Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside

Great is thy faithfulness

Morning by morning new mercies I see

All I have needed thy hand hath provided

Great is thy faithfulness, Lord unto me

adoption

2011-02-13T22:12:00.001-06:00

Friday night was filled with girl time: eating at a delicious Mexican restaurant, shopping at a huge consignment sale, visiting as much as possible. Sets of overlapping friends, some meeting for the first time. All four of us deeply affected, lives changed because of adoption. Two of us with parts of our hearts in Ethiopia, one with a brand new baby daughter domestically adopted and one placed in a wonderful loving family 30-some years ago through adoption. Two in our group had passed court that very day - one 8000 miles away and the other 3 miles down the road. Sixteen precious children represented among us - wow! Adoption, woven into all our lives. What a blessing it is, preceded by a road of heartbreak and loss. But redeeming. Oh how adoption is redeeming, for all of us.

our life, our home

2011-02-09T23:17:00.001-06:00

A few glimpses of what we've been up to lately....

enjoyed some gorgeous spring weather

lots of snow too

had snuggle time

sat on this crazy new guy the big kids "invented"

they thought he'd be a great babysitter

strange, huh?

fed babies

hung out in my spot

usually fun, always busy, always blessings along the way

some Youngs

2011-02-08T23:27:00.001-06:00

After months of hearing our pediatrician and social worker
sing the praises of the Young family
We finally got together
all 14 of us (10 kids, 4 adults)
to eat and fellowship together

we had an incredible time
as you can see from the photos below

This looks like the start of a blessed friendship

please pray for the Youngs
they recently returned home from their 1st of 2 trips to Ethiopia
for the adoption of their 2 newest Youngs

we love you
some Youngs!

and Wade really really likes your van

please pray....

2011-02-02T23:16:00.001-06:00

....for Beth & Eden

Eden, a few months older than our Esther

they were orphanage buddies

Eden is home with her Mama

but very very sick

with something doctors say

cannot be cured

please pray with me

on your knees

begging for God's healing

for dear little Eden

buddies

2011-01-28T08:00:00.005-06:00

Perfect example of a typical moment in any given day.

These two are usually together, loving on each other.

They cannot get enough hugging and giggling.

True buddies!!

an opportunity....a child waits

2011-01-21T23:51:00.003-06:00

Here is an amazing opportunity for a family. I received this email from a yahoo adoption list I'm on:

Urgent! 30 days to find family for 3 ½ year old girl w/ urinary infection $9500 grant We have to find a family interested in adopting her in the next 30 days or this little one will no longer be available for international adoption. She has developed a urinary infection that is requiring catheterization but her orphanage doesn't have enough resources to care for her. In 30 days she will be transferred to a facility where she won't be able to get adopted internationally. If you are interested in this child, contact FamilyFinders@wacap.org To instantly receive a password to see her photo go to WACAP www.wacap.org and select waiting children. There is no fee to see her whole file.

This 3 ½ year old girl, from Southeast Asia is post surgical meningomyecele, and recently had surgery for both her club feet, but may need canes to help her walk. She seems to be on target developmentally and she is described as a very friendly child who communicates in sentences clearly. Her recent urinary infection requires catheterization and frequent care. She is a beautiful charming happy child with bright eyes, lovely smile and gorgeous hair. There is a $9500 Promise Child Grant for families with incomes under 125,000 and you can subtract $3700 per child in your home. Regardless of income please let us know if you have had extenuating financial circumstances. Please ask about additional private grants and tax credit. Her ID is R.0307.16121.02

Information we need from you: If you are interested in adopting her since time is of the essence… please send the following information for us to send to her orphanage. Your names, ages, indicate if you are married or single, if married how long, street address, any health issues, income, experience with adoption, experience with children with medical needs, number of children in your home, ages, gender, any special needs? Do you have medical insurance? Resources for this child near you (schools, doctors, hospitals, cultural centers, etc). Do you already have a home study done? How old? Do you already have a dossier? How old? Please include a photo of your family in conservative dress. Thank-you FamilyFinders@wacap.org WACAP (www.wacap.org) is a non-profit adoption agency.

I know that there are literally hundreds if not thousands of situations like this, but somehow this email struck a deep place in my soul. I just had to put the information out so that somewhere, her family could see. Also, in my research on and finding of the very few highly ethical international adoption agencies, I believe WACAP is one. Not perfect, but ethical. Read the information above again....ask for the waiting child password, see her photo, pray for God to open your eyes and the eyes of her family. Thanks.

finally a little something to show you

2011-01-20T09:11:00.000-06:00

this has been a long time coming

7 months to be exact

this is for Esther Selam

all the glory is the Lord's

thank you thank you

2011-01-17T20:35:00.000-06:00

We continue our yearly tradition of watching this speech as a family. Thank you Martin Luther King Jr. for spreading the message, for honoring God, for choosing peace.

We will never forget.

a glimmer....

2011-01-09T19:26:00.001-06:00

...of hope to those in Dube Bute! Today a little over $1000 is making its way to A Glimmer of Hope....Hope for Dube Bute. This is a specific Glimmer fund started by the Alexander family to build water wells and schools in this part of Southern Ethiopia where their son is from. I have followed Emily's blog for about 2 years now and was blessed to meet her in Ethiopia at the airport as we were all leaving Addis. This is an amazing family. Reading about their 2 Ethiopian adoptions will move you deeply! The love, sacrifices made and commitment this family has is nothing short of incredible. Only by God's grace.

Thanks to all who commented on our SixSeeds article - they generously gave $152 to this project. Some other dear friends contributed a large amount as well and we are excited to see how God will use this gift. It's a drop in the bucket compared to what He can do and will do, but it is a start.

Oh, and if you're interested, the Alexander family has a pretty neat raffle going on for those who contribute to their fund in the next 2 days. Go to their blog here to see what's it's about and give generously!

Happy New Year!!!!

Happy Anniversary - take 2!!

2010-12-19T22:22:00.000-06:00

On this day 18 years ago my dear husband Wade and I were married. Can't believe it has been 18 years...isn't that just for old folks? Here we are, 5 children later, blessed in so many ways.

Wade made orange cranberry scones and scrambled eggs for breakfast. Of course organic Ethiopian coffee wasn't far behind. He is a chef, an artist, a jungle-gym, a great librarian, a reader, a handyman, a writer, a servant, a lover of God, a listener, a sports fan, a comedian (just watch his FHU chapel service each spring), Prairie Home Companion's biggest fan!!, a Jackie Chan fan, my best friend, my biggest fan and the love of my life.

6 month family-versary

2010-12-18T23:14:00.001-06:00

Today marks 6 months since Esther came to our home - her new home - to live.

She has now been here as long as she has been anywhere....

living in her Ethiopian home about 6 months and each of 2 orphanages about 1-2 months. Bittersweet...she has lost so much; hard transitions for such a tiny little girl.

We humbly ask God to bless this hardest of beginnings and give us wisdom in raising her to be strong, compassionate and ready to love & serve others in His name.

We pray she finds some measure of comfort, peace and insight from God

not in spite of but because of her experiences.

We love her dearly and are honored to be her family.

Happy 6 month family-versary dear sweet Esther Selam.

"We do!"

2010-12-16T00:10:00.001-06:00

Yesterday, December 14, 2010, we readopted Esther Selam as our daughter. She is now doubly adopted - once in Ethiopia and now in the US. We are often asked the reasons for the "double adoption." It is red tape...insurance...insuring that no judge or court in the US could ever deport Esther or keep her from traveling in and out of the US. We can now get her social security card and certificate of citizenship. We also legally changed her name. She has been blessed with 3 meaningful and beautiful names in her short lifetime: Selam Mathewos (given by her 1st family), Selam Wade Osburn (given by the Ethiopian court) and now Esther Selam Osburn (given by us :-).

We had a cold, crisp day in beautiful downtown Jackson, TN. There were other adoptive families waiting and there was excitement in the air. Esther received lots of attention for her hot pink shoes and her gorgeous curls. Into the judge's chambers we went; we were sworn in; our attorney talked about all we would do for Esther: "Meeting most of her needs and some of her wants...;" our family said, "We will!" and it was done. Like a wedding in a way.

On another note, 6 months ago today we were given full custody of Esther. What a day it was: sick baby in hospital, working to reschedule embassy and flights, driver insists that Esther be released, race to the embassy to receive her visa, back to the hotel with our daughter forever. What a day it was! Read the short note from that day here.
Pictures come tomorrow.

a milestone....a Glimmer update....

2010-12-04T11:53:00.001-06:00

Just a quick note to tell you about our last post-placement visit with our social worker. Have I mentioned that we LOVE our social worker? It's like having a friend over for a visit. She is so much fun to be around and such an encouragement to our family. We were all so sad to see her go and wondered if we would ever see her again.... Kind of like saying goodbye to doctors, nurses and midwives after a beautiful delivery. So many good and precious memories tied up in the visits. We are truly blessed to have Kirby in our lives. We are thankful to her!

We don't have a final count from SixSeeds yet (they have to check for duplicate emails, etc) but we are hoping for about $100 from them to go toward A Glimmer of Hope. Some dear church friends came forward with another $100 just to go toward the cause -- these friends of ours really "get it," respect our passion for Ethiopia and love Esther just like she was their own daughter. Thank you sweet friends!!!! And with us matching what we had hoped we would raise, we should have around $700 to give toward Ethiopian wells. Yippee!!!!!!! That's about 1/7th of a well. I'll let you know when we have the final total.

Hope you're enjoying the holiday season as much as we are. We are so very very blessed.

2 days / 200 posts to go....

2010-11-28T20:26:00.001-06:00

But I know we can do it....right? I'm making it easy for you. Go right here: SixSeeds, make a comment, and you're done.

4 days to make a HUGE difference

2010-11-26T22:41:00.000-06:00

Okay folks, we are 4 days away from our goal to give $1000 to AGlimmerofHope for wells in Ethiopia. Do you know how much we have? Approximately $80 from SixSeeds and $80 from us...makes a little over $150...... So yep, we need almost 10 times the number of comments on our article - in the next 4 days!!!

So, while you're here, please check out the SixSeeds logo on the top of the sidebar, click on it and comment on our article.

If you already have, thank you! Only one comment per email address (for all of SixSeeds) will count toward our $ total. If you haven't, please make a quick comment, then SixSeeds writes a check for $2 per comment to AGlimmerofHope and we match it. Can't think of a better way to celebrate Thanksgiving and give thanks to God for all we have, than by giving to others.

Oh, and please please post this on your blogs, facebook and wherever else you can think of. Thanks for your help. And happy Thanksgiving.

these days

2010-11-23T23:44:00.001-06:00

My precious ones
always find something interesting to do

the 12 year old loves hanging with her baby sister & brother
even backpack biking with baby sister around the yard
Yikes!! But everyone came out unscathed

the 9, 7 and 4 year olds are pioneers

caring for their homestead and sweeping the dirt floors til they shine

everyone enjoys a good old-fashioned cookout in the backyard

it's extra fun without shirts...for the boys

These are the days. These are the young loves of my heart.

thankful for....

2010-11-22T22:36:00.000-06:00

....friends who "get it." They don't tire of hearing about how Ethiopia has changed me because of what I saw....forever in my heart, my mind. They want to help. They speak of what we can do together with such passion, it's as if they traveled with me. You know who you are and I love you. I'm thankful to God for you.

cool clear water

2010-11-18T00:07:00.001-06:00

$38.98 for years of yummy tasty water

$51.99 for about one year's worth of necessary filters for that yummy water

$90.97 the first year

$51.99 each year thereafter til worn out

if 54.9 families did without the new set-up for one year.....

or 96.2 families did without the filters for one year....

there could be less of this....

(photo by Matt Ness, taken in Southern Ethiopia)

and more of this....

(A Glimmer of Hope well in Ethiopia)

You can just imagine what would happen if we all abandoned these for one year....

What can you do?

Click on the sidebar of my blog to comment on our article at SixSeeds. $2 will be given by them and $2 by us for every new person commenting. The money will go to A Glimmer of Hope.
Donate to aglimmerofhope , waterforchristmas or any other organization that helps provide clean water to those who have none.
Donate to an even bigger, holistic cause at ourglimmerofhope. This amazing family is partnering with A Glimmer of Hope to build wells, schools, clinics, etc, in the community where one of their sons was born. Incredible story.
Finally, see if you can guess what happened when this slightly paranoid, sometimes health-nut, super-sensitive taster began to shell out $$ to replace her old scratched-up Brita pitcher -- the one she had loved and held on to for many years and relied upon to bring her the safe, clean, tasty water she trusted for her family....this only months after going 9 days in Ethiopia with no clean running water. I COULD NOT DO IT. I wanted to very badly. I do not like how my water tastes nor do I like thinking of extra fluoride, chlorine plus other nasties going into my sweeties' bodies. But I just could not do it.

There is much work to be done. Find out your part.

thankful....

2010-11-07T22:50:00.001-06:00

Today I am thankful for:

migraine-free days

parents/grandparents who will lovingly care for 5 young ones at a moment's notice

an incredible husband waiting at home, working while we travel
precious supportive family, immediate & extended

a warm/cool house

a bed

clean water

clothing

food

good medical care around most every corner

books

friends

church family

God's saving grace

my Savior, Jesus

my 5 incredibly precious children

one dear man 7900 miles away

God's redemption through adoption, ours and hers

What are you thankful for? How can you devote a piece of your life to orphans, either those already orphaned or those only hours or days away from being orphaned? How will you help?

Turn your blessings into service, your hands & feet into those of Jesus.

Today is Orphan Sunday.

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. James 1:27

quick sidenote

2010-11-01T22:09:00.001-05:00

I realized I probably should explain what A Glimmer of Hope has to do with National Adoption Month. Well....everything!

For those who have adopted from or even visited third world countries, I know you already understand. And most of the rest of you probably do too....just bear with me while I indulge a bit. While adoption is a wonderful means of growing our families and helping orphans of the world, it is simply not enough. When you see the conditions of countries like Ethiopia and begin to understand first hand the reasons children no longer have parents or why their living parents cannot feed them, you take on the burden to do more. So then the adoption/orphan issue gets bigger and much more complex than even I can understand. But you do know that you must do more....more....more....This is a tiny droplet into that more. A first step toward helping those we left behind, those who currently cannot care for their families or who are headed in that direction. This is a simple explanation and leaves out far too many details but I hope it shows the connection, the strong connection, between building wells in Ethiopia and taking care of orphans through adoption or by whatever means God shows us.

So go back, read my previous post and comment away - not just on our article but on all the others you see there. There are three precious families also listed who we traveled with: the Johnsons, the Blumenthals and the Groces. Please take a moment, read their stories, make comments and help everyone raise a little $ for charities close to their hearts.

All to the glory of God!

let's get started....and work together

2010-11-01T14:57:00.002-05:00

Okay, to kick off National Adoption Month, I have an exciting way for you to contribute to something our family is doing. We are looking for meaningful ways to give to the

orphans/would-be-orphans/and those in need in Ethiopia.

There are so many organizations doing wonderful things in Ethiopia that it is almost impossible to choose one to partner with. But we have to start somewhere, so we are focusing on A Glimmer of Hope, specifially their work in Ethiopia. Please read about all they do. They are an inspiring organization and of all the things they do, we are most impressed with their water & sanitation work. They have funded 3378 projects so far and the work continues. Clean water in Ethiopia would prevent so many children from being orphaned, so many deaths and terrible illness. It is a HUGE need. It doesn't hurt a bit that Glimmer's headquarters are in Austin, TX - a place near and dear to our hearts. And it is absolutely essential that they promise "100% of donor funds go to recipients," which they do!

So here's how you can help...in a very easy and unique way.

In honor of Adoption Month, a new parenting e-magazine SixSeeds.tv is partnering with our family to help orphans across the globe find forever families… and they asked our family to be featured on their site!

SixSeeds has pledged to give us $2 for every comment under our article here: Osburn family We have asked that our check be written to A Glimmer of Hope and have promised to match that amount to contribute as well.

You can say anything in the comment, make it short and sweet or leave a heartfelt note! (Please just leave one comment per e-mail address, but do pass this along to anyone you know who cares about orphans!) Not only will you be helping our fund-raising, you will also receive a weekly e-zine that talks about the best in good, family, fun! (SixSeeds includes team members who brought you the Chronicles of Narnia movies, Waiting for Superman, Ramona and Beezus, best selling books, and other great family fun! And a couple of those team members traveled with us to Ethiopia. Great folks!)
Please take a moment to comment, send others to our page, and spread the word about this unique offer. We have the entire month of November to comment, but please do it today.

We would love to raise $1000 for A Glimmer of Hope. So if 250 of you make comments, that's $500, plus $500 on our part....$1000!!!

So start those comments!!! Right here........ Osburn family article

Thank you and pass it on!

Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. James 1:27

back to what matters....

2010-10-27T09:03:00.000-05:00

Contests are fun and all...and it's been exciting seeing Esther in the finals :-) but that is just the cream on top of life, not where the real substance is.

November is National Adoption Month, November 7 is orphan Sunday. There is always much to think about, much to pray about, much to do.

This is a perfect time to act!

Coming soon: A series of posts about what our travels to Ethiopia have done to my heart.

Also lots of options for acting upon

God's commandment & our desires to help the orphans and widows.

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. James 1:27

cutest baby

2010-10-22T14:42:00.002-05:00

Esther Selam has been chosen as one of the 25 finalists for Kiwi magazine's "America's Cutest Green Baby" contest. I couldn't be prouder!
And if you'd just really like to vote for her, you can go here.

Vote as often as you'd like through Thursday, October 28th. There are lots of great baby prizes involved :-) Thanks to everyone!

the eyes....those eyes

2010-10-21T15:30:00.001-05:00

"The incision of eyelids (in an attempt to prevent or cure conjunctivitis)
is common in Ethiopia"
[leaving behind culturally significant scars]
---Rick Hodes "This is a Soul" (great book by the way)

These eyes are in full view

for all the world to see
and wonder at their unique beauty.
They are a part of her past.

We love our girl. We love her eyes.
Beautiful eyes with which to see the world.

attachment....adjustment....and all things Esther...part 2

2010-10-14T22:24:00.002-05:00

Adjustment....falling in love just like we did with the other wee ones. However, this time instead of oohing and aahing over a newborn who just lays there looking angelic, we ooh and aah over a one year old who is pulling the books off our shelves! That has truly been an adjustment of my heart. I was used to the other way, 4 times over - the tiny helpless shriveled creature that was bundled up in a blanket or laid in a cradle looking like he or she just fell out of God's hands right into our home. This is different --- not worse --- just different.

But the falling has happened, the love is thick! We are head over heels for this girl - every single one of us. It makes me want to cry when she tries to run to Oliver saying "Ah-yee!!!!" and hugs his knees with everything she has in her. Or when Oliver does the same to her, arms around her big belly and says in his outdoor voice, "I LOVE this sweet baby!!!"

Adjustment has gone well, beautifully in fact. Esther is getting used to our routine, used to seeing church family often, used to the walk to Daddy's university library, and is starting to get used to college students getting in her face to drool over her beauty. She's still not quite sure about that one yet, especially if she's in the stroller away from Mama's arms.

The kids have all adjusted great as well - now their baby sister is old news! Oh they still love to play with her and take care of her but babysitting (for a few minutes at a time, of course) isn't quite what it used to be. Still there are times when picking out her outfit for the day or PJs for the night is a huge thrill to be fought over. And pushing her stroller on those walks is certainly something to be proud of. They are all so good with her and truly think she hung the moon. The kids now know more about adoption, Africa, Ethiopia, birth family issues, attachment, etc, than I would have dreamed of knowing as a child. They are growing and stretching in so many wonderful ways because their precious sister has joined our family. Maybe some missionaries in the making....we'll see.

Here are a few photos of our adjustment in action.
Praising God for his blessings, his help and his grace!

attachment...adjustment....and all things Esther...part 1

2010-10-07T22:26:00.001-05:00

Sorry it's been a while. I've just been living life around here. A life of blessings.

Attachment, how's it going you ask. It's been 3 1/2 months since we've been home. This is finally longer than another significant part of Esther's life - her life in orphanages, 2 of them to be exact. She spent 3 months in 2 Ethiopian orphanages.

Attachment: We thought it went great from the start. She tolerated us, gave smiles out with great effort and care and certainly not readily. She slept well from the start, snuggled a bit with us, played a bit. Now we look back and can see shock, sometimes terror, sometimes the "Okay, I will humor you...I will check you out" attitude. But she did it with style, with grace and without much fanfare. Several weeks after being home everything relaxed. She broke into smiles spontaneously, began slobbering on our faces to give kisses, tried to repeat what she saw our lips saying, squealed with excitement when one of her siblings came into the room.

It's really going great. I almost feel bad saying that when so many suffer and struggle with attachment and don't know where to turn to make it better. But really, so far it's been great. Esther now seems to completely trust and love us and know we will take care of her. She finally trusts that we will give her as much food as she wants and doesn't gorge herself as much. She molds her little body into ours when we hold her. She is willful and sassy and gives us her beautiful smile, saying, "Yep, I know you think I'm cute!" And we do :-)

We'll still be careful, we're still working toward the attachment, knowing that there are/will always be wounds. I simply cannot imagine having anyone else tuck her into bed so that Wade & I can have a date night. We'll just wait on that for a bit. While she handles most everything so well, we really don't know what is going on in her mind and heart and we certainly, not for one moment, ever want to give her reason to return her heart back to those days of losses - the losses she went through over and over and over and over again in her first few months of life. Oh she will go back there, but we want to be the ones she can cling to and cry on and grieve with. So she's pretty much stuck with us! And we like it that way. I think she does too.

wrestling in community

2010-09-20T23:27:00.001-05:00

No, not wrestling on TV, real, honest-to-goodness wrestling of the soul!

I'm not so eloquent sometimes, but others are. And I'm glad. Take a look at the link below, be moved, be changed and let's wrestle together.

wrestling

“And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”

Mark 10:21

milestones

2010-09-13T22:44:00.003-05:00

I've been feeling many milestones lately, especially with Esther and her adoption.

two years ago, we began praying and planning toward adoption
one year ago, we began the adoption process
one year ago, Esther Selam was born
6 months ago, we received our referral and saw her for the very first time
3 months ago we met Esther and she came home to her family

Whew! A lot has happened in these 2 years. God has worked miracles during that time...in our hearts & minds and in those around us.

Milestones....the good, the hard, the amazing moments.

good and sometimes amazing: Having an agency like Holt, who we could depend on (based on their long track-record) for an ethical adoption and placing a child who needed us in our home. Having support from so many, some who we knew would support us and others who surprised us :-). Financial help from individuals, our church family, grants, etc. Seeing photos of our baby for the first time. Falling in love with a fuzzy picture. Watching our kids stretch and grow and share so they could include a new baby into our family. Meeting Esther Selam. Getting to know incredible Holt staff in Ethiopia. Seeing the breathtaking beauty of Ethiopia. Meeting birthfamily...sigh..... Coming home. The welcome of our immediate family and church family. Having a baby who sleeps all night! Watching Esther fill up on our love and good food. Hearing her try to talk (less than 3 months into her 3rd language no less). Watching her fall in love with the other kids, my parents, my sister - words cannot describe.

hard/sad: Feeling the loss that must come before the joy of adoption. Putting the dollars together to meet adoption expenses (although God provided for this in amazing ways -- still hard at the time). Seeing Esther's fear and anxiety upon meeting us. Meeting birthfamily...sigh..... Leaving Esther at the hospital overnight in Addis. Heartbreaking poverty in Ethiopia. Traveling home on an airplane, for 24 hours, with a 9 month old. Helping Oliver grieve over not being the baby anymore. Sometimes (very few I must add) receiving zero acknowledgement that God had just added a precious child to our family - both face to face (with Esther in my arms) and across the miles :( Chasing a crawling baby. Baby-proofing the house. Having a baby who likes short naps. Making homemade goat's milk formula every day or 2. Washing diapers every 2 days. Having a few more mini-mountains of laundry to climb!

All in all, we would of course do it again in a heartbeat. But like any change, any lifelong commitment, it is hard. But oh so worth it. And in the hard parts, we know that God is refining us, molding us like clay. And in the good and hard times, we see God's hand on every moment, every second of the day.

Will we adopt again? Only God could possibly answer. We have said, "We are DONE!" 3 times now, but we will not say it again, because only God knows. I will add too, that each of our children was planned and very much sought after...not that we would love/value them any less if they weren't. But basically, God has moved our hearts time and time again to reconsider the blessing of children, the value of their lives, the value in making sacrifices for our family, for one another, the value in serving, which perhaps can be best learned within these walls we call home. Right now we are complete, we are busy dawn to dusk with our little ones. There seems no moment to spare. But only God knows and only he can stretch us in ways we never imagined - as he already has.

Thanks for listening and following along on our journey. God is so good and He gets all the glory!

Two of my favorite girls in the whole world!!!

happy birthday little one

2010-09-03T09:41:00.000-05:00

One year ago today (or somewhere around this time) our precious Esther Selam was born.

So much is rattling around in my mind today....what emotions were felt in her home and family one year ago, what we were doing at that time, what did she look like, what did she do when she was newly born, was she a thin or fat newborn, did she immediately suck her thumb, how much hair did she have....on and on I could speculate. But knowing the answers would change nothing.

Esther Selam is here with us, in our family now. She is our precious daughter and we are honored to be part of her life's plan and to have her part of ours. We are so thankful to God for bringing her into the world one year ago. We love you sweet girl.

Blessed be the name of the Lord!

March 2010

6 months

referral picture

May 2010

8 months

June 2010

9 months

June 2010

9 months

June 2010

9 months

finally home!

July 2010

10 months

August 2010

11 months

September 2010

12 months

picnic weather

2010-09-01T22:59:00.000-05:00

I am SO behind on updates. So to start us off, here are just a few photos from Esther's very first picnic here in the US...maybe her first picnic ever! It was warm but a great time was had by all. What an amazing blessing to have her home and share such special family times. All the glory is God's alone. Enjoy.

P.S. Yes, Ivy was there - just not feeling very photogenic on this particular day. You understand...

wisdom from Oliver

2010-08-25T15:39:00.000-05:00

Oliver comes up after a rough (VERY rough) day with him yesterday and not-so-great morning today and informs me: "Mama, I have been a GOOD boy today!" I kindly agree and kiss him as he moves away, missing my target. He leans in and says he needs another "nostril kiss" which I give and then he proceeds to give me one. We may have just invented the newest form of affection! Oh the sweet ornerniness of a 4 year old...

braces and babies

2010-08-19T23:06:00.001-05:00

It's been a little while. Busy living life while the blog-world just slips on by. Biggest news around here is braces for Ellis Ann. Yep! And she is being a real trooper. Not much complaining, just the tiniest bit. And still such a beautiful smile. We think they're rather becoming...but still can't wait to see her mouth free again. And little Miss Esther is fascinated. She thinks they are a toy in Ellis' mouth and tries to touch them every chance she can get.

What's the little lady doing you ask? She working on tooth #3, says, "Uh-oh," "up-down," waves bye-bye, points at everything, pulls up and walks around every object she can find, is jealous of and threatened by sweet little harmless Oliver (but loves him as long as he's not in Mama's arms!), and is spunky from her curly hair right down to her toes. She keeps us hopping! She is such a joy. We all love her...especially those big sisters of hers.

And just for your reading pleasure, here are 2 blog posts I've run across. I'm chewing on these....they're embedded in my brain and won't let go. I can relate to them.....and the question they're asking, "What does God want of me? How must I take up my cross? How can I serve and sacrifice and die to myself?" Take a look: read the post titled "Changed" and "In Her Name"

God's blessings on you as you seek Him

6 weeks - full home full hearts

2010-08-05T22:52:00.001-05:00

Home 6 weeks tomorrow. What a 6 weeks it’s been: two trips to the doctor, almost 4 pounds heavier, 2 teeth, still working on filling the bald spot, loving Mama and Daddy more and more each day, totally in love with all those brothers and sisters, wishing the cats would let her get closer, swimming twice, vacation at Grandma & Grandpa’s – loved being spoiled, vacation in Nashville, visit with 6 cousins, eating bananas/avocados/applesauce like a pro, loving goat’s milk – yep really!, getting used to church family, loving Mr. Joe, one trip to eat Ethiopian food, one very fun but very loud VBS, being showered with gifts and love, a full family.

We are simply crazy about this precious little “Star of Peace.” She lights up our family and brings new meaning to the word joy. It is a miracle to watch her personality unfold every day and see her grow in trust and love. Crazy, hectic, busy, tired…yes, that is our life. But we wouldn’t trade it for the world.

Days 8-9

2010-07-27T00:04:00.000-05:00

Days 8-9 (June 17-18) Travel…in 24 hours…with a “brand-new” 9 month old. Sounds bad, huh? Really it wasn’t as tough as we thought it might be. On our first and longest leg of travel from Addis Ababa to Washington, DC, our agent had booked our seats with an empty seat between us. And lucky us – it stayed empty. Well, it was filled with Esther Selam. She slept there, crawled back and forth between Mama and Daddy and generally had a fine time there in her seat. Keeping her there was another story but we managed. She looked awfully cute in her pink hat and received loads of attention from the other Ethiopians on our flight. By the way, our flight consisted of mostly Ethiopians, either traveling to the US to visit or going home to the US after visiting family in Ethiopia. We definitely stood out. It was one of our first opportunities to feel the stares, the puzzlement but mostly the sweet smiles of those around us toward our newly blended family. Thankfully two of the other families from our group were also on board and provided familiar faces and helpful consultation in the DC airport as we stumbled our way through customs and immigration.

Funny story….in DC as we waited in line for immigration (THE time and place when Esther Selam was to be admitted into the US as a citizen, provided all her papers were in order) we noticed one of the several immigration workers did NOT look like he was having a good time nor did he appear to be providing patient and kind customer service. Wade and I crossed our fingers just hoping we wouldn’t be his next victims. But we were. Upon standing at his window, we were met with one of the coldest and most impatient stares (unless you count the agent in the Addis airport, but that’s another story….). We held our breath as he opened the huge manila envelope we had painstakingly delivered that held all of Esther’s important papers. Then we heard a “crash” and looked over to see our friends Beth and Jared standing by the now broken glass baby bottle they had been holding. Our agent muttered something about what kind of crazy people would bring glass baby bottles while he called for “clean-up in immigration line” to some unknown worker. I kindly offered the information that those were our friends, coming home from Ethiopia with their baby too. He was not amused and continued glaring at our paperwork. Suddenly he smiled, asked if we were really from Henderson, TN, and told us he grew up down the road in Selmer. Now we were buddies and he was all smiles.

When we finally made it through the customs and immigration mazes, we were really really ready to be home. But our next two flights were Esther’s least favorites. On one of them (I’ve blocked out which one it might have been…) she screamed nearly the entire time. We could not get to our overhead luggage so a kind flight attendant unpacked our bag and helped us make a bottle. I also lost track of how many bottles she drank during those 24 hours. She was bored, really bored, and I think drinking bottles was her only source of entertainment. Poor thing.

I was SO relieved when we finally arrived in Memphis and saw Ellis, Ivy, Owen and Oliver’s sweet smiles as we came to them with their new baby sister. We were surrounded by love and hugs and oohs and aahs. Our dear friends, the Greens, were also there with their 5 precious children. What a wonderful homecoming! I was in quite a sleep deprived daze but tried with all my might to hold onto the realization of what a momentous occasion this was, especially for sweet little Esther. After a short visit with my parents we made the 1 ½ hour drive and introduced Esther to her new home. The kids all gathered around her and we showed her the toys, her bed and the cats, all while she slept. Precious Esther Selam, home for good after our 10 month 7900 mile journey to her. God is so good!

Day 7

2010-07-20T23:27:00.000-05:00

Day 7 (June 17) - The day we left. Thursday began early as I met with other families to finish up the shopping we hadn't yet gotten to. Wade again had time alone with Esther Selam, which he claimed to enjoy much more than shopping :-) Our group first went to the Leprosy Hospital in Addis, which was such a beautiful place. There were trees everywhere and flowers...and it really felt like you had stepped out of the craziness of city life into a peaceful oasis. There were people sitting out in the sun embroidering and weaving beautiful pieces. The craft shop was amazing. You could buy almost anything you might want, handcrafted, for incredible prices. And the best part - the money goes to people who are disabled and unable to work at other jobs. Such a wonderful ministry. This is where most of our Ethiopian treasures came from. Next we went to Cafe Tomoca to buy our coffee beans. This was an adorable coffee shop and just the place to purchase authentic Ethiopian coffee. Finally back to our hotel to pack and of course to visit the nearby jewelry store one last time in the rain! It was starting to sink in that we were leaving. I was SOOO excited to see the kids but very sad about leaving. It felt like the week had gone by in an instant. Wade got some great final photos of our 3rd floor view.

Care Center laundry next door

Care Center workers doing laundry

More laundry....I love clotheslines....

Nancy and new baby Naomi in the courtyard

Tarren and neighborhood "helper" boy Danny...sweet kid

After lunch Wade went with others in our group back to the Holt office one last time to pick up our children's passports and immigration paperwork.

I love this one of Scott and Ryan looking over their babies' passports.

Finally, dinner time and time to load up the vans and say goodbye.

Cami & Etta, me & Esther Selam, Beth & Lucia

Saying goodbye to our buddy Tarren, the twins' father.

He would end up staying in Ethiopia about another week.

Our drivers Tsegaw & Fikreab: wonderful men with servant hearts

Fikreab, Esther Selam and me; one last Sophie squeak!

Bundled up and ready to go!

Last look at our "home away from home"

We drove to the airport with most of our group and began the wait in lines to check bags, etc. While waiting in line, I saw a fellow blogger (my kids say she's famous :-) who I've enjoyed reading for the past couple of years. It was amazing to see her in person, near us in line at the Addis airport!!

Emily teared up when meeting Esther. Much of her heart is in Ethiopia, where two of her sons are from. She had just finished a mission trip which you can read about here.

This was an emotional day. I was torn about leaving. I didn't really want to take Esther from her home country and yet I wanted her to be home with us more than anything. I wondered if she would ever see Ethiopia again. If it is within our power she will! But you just never know. This land, this country had blessed us in ways we never imagined.

And you'll have to wait just a bit more to hear about our trip home.

too good to pass up....MUST read!

2010-07-18T22:56:00.000-05:00

Yep, too good to pass up. You just gotta read this. Without spoiling it, this is about mission work with the people in the city dump of Addis Ababa. Similar to the "untouchables" in India. We met Sumer Yates and her family as they were moving to Addis to officially work with this ministry....they were on our flight over. She is mentioned here. Wouldn't it be great if within a couple days all the children are sponsored? Go read, open your hearts, share what God has given.

read this

Thanks for indulging me. Soon we'll be back to our normal (and much-too-drawn-out) journal of our trip. And soon on to the present and how little Esther is doing in our family!

Day 6

2010-07-17T22:16:00.002-05:00

Day 6 (June 16) was our last full day in Addis Ababa. We had the whole day planned but unfortunately it was my day to feel terrible. I decided not to let it stop me, although most of the day was a fog for me - hoping I wouldn't throw up or pass out on anyone!

After some good rest time with Selam, we headed next door to the goodbye coffee ceremony that the Care Center staff gives to the children who are leaving. It was a beautiful time to be together with all the families, the children in the Care Center waiting for their families to come, and the beautiful staff. The director, Sister Martha, said some kind words of gratitude and asked one of our fellow "Dads" to read the Scripture about Moses. It was a sobering time of reflection...on all our children had gone through and the task now in front of us. But it was also a time of celebration! All of the children were decked out in traditional outfits chosen for them by the staff. They were gorgeous!!

After the ceremony our original plans included a visit to Kolfe orphanage, where we sponsor Tesfalem. We had collected loads and loads of donations from friends, family and our church for this orphanage. We were excited to meet the boys, see their "home" and especially meet young Tesfalem. But after Selam's bout with pneumonia, we were very hesitant to leave her again at the Care Center, where most of the children had the sniffles and the only place she could go if we went out together. So we reluctantly cancelled those plans and I went out shopping with some of our group. Wade and Selam had quality time at the hotel together and enjoyed the quiet. We were able to send the donations to Kolfe the next day and the staff was so grateful for what we gave. It felt inadequate....but maybe next time we can take more and see the boys for ourselves :-)

Day 6 was a good day, a day of conclusions and tying up loose ends. But I didn't feel ready to leave. I wanted just a little more time in Selam's birthplace.