Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas!  This year has been a year of many firsts for our family.  Last Christmas brought our first Christmas as parents.  It’s amazing how adding one more little person to the day can wear you out but brings such joy at the same time. 

  We started 2012 off by celebrating Aerin’s first birthday.  Amory has found her new role as official party planner to be great fun.  It was a huge blessing to be able to celebrate our daughter’s first birthday with our family and closest friends.  Even with just family it ended up being a large party! 

  

  Each new month has brought new developmental milestones as we have watched Aerin grow from a baby to a little girl.  She has gone from having 18 words at the beginning of the year, to speaking in complete sentences.  We never cease to be amazed at how smart this little girl is that God has blessed us with.  Those smarts and her strong will combined have made for some interesting times for us, but we thank God for all of it.  We have discovered that Aerin is just like her Mommy and sings as long as she is awake.  The only moments she stops singing is when she is talking.  Basically, her mouth is going non-stop at all times.  The only thing that can keep her quiet for any length of time is watching Finding Nemo or Winnie the Pooh (or pooh pooh pooh as she called him for some time).   Aerin’s favorite play time activity is still reading.  She would spend hours reading books if you let her.  There’s a little bit of both her Mommy and Daddy in that.  In May Aerin went to her first Texas Rangers game. She loves watching baseball and was able to stay for nearly the whole game. It was a proud moment for her Daddy.  (please excuse the overheated sweaty appearance)

  In June we took our first family vacation together.  We drove down to the Texas coast and enjoyed a few days in a condo on the beach.  Aerin loved the beach and ocean, though was not too fond of the heat.   Aerin’s favorite beach activity was walking behind her Daddy, as he made sandcastles and immediately demolishing his creations.   It was special to see Aerin’s excitement at seeing the ocean for the first time, as well as dolphins up close. 

   The rest of our year has been filled with just trying to soak up as much of our daughter’s toddlerhood as possible without letting the house get too out of shape.  Both Bryan and Amory being working parents is still very difficult and especially hard on a mama watching her baby grow up, but worth it for the moment as it has allowed us to start our second adoption.   In October we were added to the waitlist again and we are excited to see what child or children God is going to bless our family with next.  This adoption will be a much longer road than Aerin’s, but we’re ready to wait.  We expect to be on the waitlist for two years before we see our next children’s faces.

 God has blessed us richly this year with being able to see life through the eyes of a child.  Everything is new and exciting.  We see God’s faithfulness to us and blessings much more clearly now.  As Paul said in Philippians, we are also learning the secret of being content with were we are, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.   Our prayer for all of our friends and family as we wrap up this year and head into another one is that you may all be able to see God’s faithfulness and blessings in your lives clearly.  May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13.

  

We're still here

  If anybody ever reads, I'm sorry it's been sooo long since we've posted. BUT today I have felt a post brewing.  So, for adoption updates, our current numbers on the waitlists are 109 for a boy and 58 for siblings.That's actually some fantastic movement EVEN THOUGH we did actually move backwards on the siblings list.  Our end of October numbers were 113 on the boy and 60 on the siblings list, so I'll call this month progress.  How's that for a different perspective?  I was NOT so positive during the last wait when we moved backwards.  God's timing is perfect and He has already picked out our next child/ren.  We rest in that truth.

  Now, for the child that lives with us already.  Today, as I was pulling up to the house, Audio Adrenaline's new song, Kings and Queens, came on.  It was one of those moments that happen every once in a while still, where I am utterly overwhelmed by God's goodness.  How is it that God planned and beautifully orchestrated picking my first child from all the way across the globe?  How am I so blessed?  Every day I am in awe that God picked us to be physical example of what He has done for us in Christ.  We were lost, without hope, and God rescued us by the redemptive sacrifice of Christ and adopted us to be His own.  It is a beautiful thing to be a part of.  Best part of it all, we get to do it again.  Our God is so gracious.

Wooooo!!!

114 on the boy list, 57 on the sibling list.

  Guilty as charged...  I have been neglecting our blog, and I'm kind of sorry if I have any readers left.  I'm only kind of sorry because I have this amazing 20 month old sweetie that keeps me too busy and tired to do much writing, and I just can't be sorry for that!  Since my sweet hubby gave me an evening away and took care of A, I have just enough energy and brain power left to do a short update.
  Current adoption:
  Well, it's amazing the difference knowledge and peace can make when going through the paperwork phase of an adoption.  Things so far have gone so much smoother with our second adoption than with Aerin's, or maybe that's just my perspective this time around.  A couple years ago all of our hopes and dreams were wrapped up in the adoption paperwork, and still are today, but now it's obeying for future plans, not every day having hope deferred.  We pray every single day for the future children that God has for us, but I'm at peace now when I pray that, not struggling with a constant war within.  I am so thankful that we have obeyed God to adopt again so I can experience adoption this way.  This doesn't meant that there won't come a time that we go through those same emotions again, but for now we have peace to enjoy the daughter God has already placed in our care as we go through this adoption.
  So you want an update on the process?  Ok!  Our homestudy is complete! YAY!  I'm waiting to get it in the mail and then should be able to promptly send our dossier in to get waitlisted.  We're hoping to be on a waitlist by the end of next week.  That being said, (warning,thoughts on what I wish somebody would've told me last time coming up)  I know that is just our hope and the timing is completely in God's hands.  I HOPEFULLY learned my lesson last time of trying to control everything.  I want this time around to be able to easily surrender everything to God's control (not that I really have a choice in the matter, just much easier on me if I readily surrender).
  What's next?  We wait...and wait...and wait...and wait some more.  We're expecting this wait to be years people, so don't expect a whole lot of updates on our wait coming up.  I mentally, emotionally, spiritually, can not get wrapped up in the month to month hope built, then dashed, of the wait.  I have a little person who needs me present this time.  So, I'll update when I can, but maybe not monthly.
  Update on A: LOVE TO!  God is SOOO good to us.  A is 20 months old now and still in the 90th percentile.  She is smart as a whip and fiery.  Her latest favorite book is Brown Bear, of which she can already recite and can tell you what all of the animals are in it and what color they all are.  She says her ABC's and on a good day can count to 20.  She LOVES to sing and dance.  Her favorite song right now is Jesus Loves Me and she is super cute when she sings it.  She also sings Come Thou Fount with me every night before bed, all three verses.  Like I said, God is so good to us.  Daily I thank God for our sweet, silly little girl.  Daily I love her more and more.
  I was reminded today as I looked at a picture of God's sovereignty and perfect plans.  I was showing somebody a picture of our travel group that we went to Ethiopia with for court.  I was explaining who everyone was and was reminded that one of the families' dossier was submitted minutes before ours.  Not sure why our adoption coordinator shared that with us, but it has always stuck in my head.  God's timing was perfect down to the second.  That same family was matched with their son the same day we were matched with Aerin.  God determined that by making sure their dossier was reviewed minutes before ours.  God had the perfect little girl for us.  That people, is why I know that God is perfectly in control and I can fully rest in His timing.  I've seen it at work.  I snuggle with it every night at bedtime.
-amory

18 months

  Today our sweet girl is 18 months old.  I can hardly believe it.  A year ago at this time we were screaming in despair as our daughter, our heart, our love was all the way on the other side of the world and we couldn't get to her.  I secretly grieved on the 4th of July as I watched fireworks with my nephew, every inch of me aching to celebrate with my daughter.  We had already met her, already snuggled and fallen in love.  Most of the other families we had traveled to court with had already brought home their children, but we had no answers as to when we might be united again with our daughter.  The pain was nearly unbearable.
  This year our daughter has been home for 11 months.  We enjoyed a barbecue with good friends and watched our children run around wearing their red, white, and blue.  We were finally able to celebrate with our daughter.  God has healed our wounds and brought us joy.
  To our friends that are still in the midst of the all consuming ache to be united with your child, God WILL bring healing.  The ache will leave in an instant and God will bring joy and peace that passes all understanding.  The holidays that bring even more pain will soon bring more joy than you could ever have imagined.
  Happy 18 months old, my beautiful A.F.T.  You're presence brings me joy and your infectious laugh makes my heart soar.  Ewedeshalo!

-amory

Happy Mother's Day

  One year ago today I rejoiced with my husband over my "first" Mother's Day.  We celebrated the gift God had given us of a little girl still on the other side of the world that we had never met.  It was such a special day to me, but this year, I celebrated my first Mother's Day with my daughter home. This morning I was met by my sweet girl bringing me a present and showering me with hugs and kisses.  Oh what a year it has been.
  Last year at this time we were packing and preparing to meet our daughter.  Little did I know how my world would change that moment.  Little did I know about being a mother that Mother's Day.
  This year I better understand.  In the last year I have gone from a still quiet home to a home bursting with joy. In the last year I have gone from sleepless nights because of insomnia and stress to sleepless nights because of teething and fevers.  In the last year I have learned the inexplicable joy that comes from two little arms squeezing me tight and slobbery sweet kisses.  But this year I also remember what was happening to a mother on the other side of the world at the same time last year.
  Last year on Mother's Day a woman on the other side of the world found out when she would have to go to court to terminate her rights to her daughter. This year I better understand the sacrifice of that mother and stand in awe and gratitude of the great strength it took for that mother to make such a difficult decision to give her child life, hope, and a future.  So, this year on Mother's Day we also celebrate and thank God for that mother through whom God made me a mother.

-amory

Can I just take a moment to say how NICE it is to be one week into our adoption and already be where we were two months into our last adoption.  Oh happy day!

We're adopting again!

  You read it right!  We have just started our second adoption from Ethiopia!  We are excited to see what God has in store for our family next.  Why Ethiopia again?  Our answer is kind of the same as last time.  We just feel like this is how God wants us to grow our family.  It's that simple.  However, this time God has moved in our hearts in a way we would have never dreamed possible 3 years ago when we started our first adoption.  We are opening our parameters to include two siblings up to three years old.  We're expecting this adoption to take three or four years at least to complete so...you've guessed it right.  I could have three children under 5 years old.  YIKES!!!  

  It is a bit scary knowing that God is going to prepare us to parent that bunch of kiddos.  However, we are thrilled and humbled to see God move in our lives, yet again.  Thank you for all of your prayers and support as we walk down another road to Ethiopian adoption.  God is good!

-Bryan and Amory

STAY TUNED......

Today

Today is a very special day. There's no great name for it and no big celebration. It will only happen one time so there will be no anniversary of it, but today is a very special day. As of about nine or 10 this morning, our daughter has been in our care longer than not. As of today our daughter has been in our arms, felt our love for her expressed through hugs and kisses and cleaning diapers, longer than not. Today our daughter has been in our home longer than any other home she lived in. It seems like such a short time to have known her, and it is, but today our daughter has known us as Mom and Dad longer than anybody else. Today my heart soars and is humbled by God's goodness. Today I have pondered on and been thankful for God's perfect, sovereign plan for our lives. Praise God from whom ALL blessings flow.

-amory

Taking A into my arms permanently

Leaving Hannah's Hope

My wild child now!

Dear birth mother

Dear birth mother,
I wish I could write this letter and know that it would get to you. I wish that I could find some way to tell you about our daughter's first year of life. Instead I will just have to write what I have to say and pray that God writes it on your heart all the way across the world. Our daughter is resilient and amazing. She has now been in our home for six months. It has been the most beautiful, sweet, happy six months. She has gone through more change in her first year of life than some people go through in their entire lives and has handled it like a champ. Not having heard much English before she was seven months old, she said her first words the week before she turned nine months old. She started walking at ten months old and by a year old she was practically running. At 13 months old she has over 30 words, about 40 if you include animal sounds. She can point out the color yellow and tell you that it is yellow. She has a sweet, obedient spirit, but is also passionate with a temper at times. She says please and thank you and likes to know that she has done something good. Our daughter LOVES books and would sit in your lap and let you read to her for hours if she could. Every now and then she'll read the book to you, which just might be the cutest thing ever, though completely unintelligible. She loves to dance to music and will randomly break out singing "lalalala". She is above the growth curve and according to the pediatrician is very muscular. Our daughter is thriving. Our daughter is a survivor and has fight in her. God has used our daughter to break down walls and heal hurts. Our daughter is loved.

I like to go back and read my old blog posts to see what God has done in our lives. Every time I finish reading I am humbled and thankful. We have such a merciful God! A year ago I was tired of waiting and frustrated. I was about to be very frustrated as our waitlist numbers actually went up one month. Embassy requirements were changing and things looked very, very uncertain. But, a year ago a little girl had just been born and was being loved and nurtured by a wonderful woman that had a very hard decision to make. While I was complaining about my waitlist numbers not moving, a woman on the other side of the world was handing her daughter over to an orphanage. I thank God for that woman, her courage and love. Now that little girl is my daughter. A year later, I try and carry on the torch that was started by a woman on the other side of the world, to love and parent a sweet, sassy, silly little girl. I pray I do her sacrifice justice. I pray I have the same courage and wisdom in raising A.F.T. Thank you God for using a woman on the other side of the world to give me such a beautiful gift. Whoever is reading this...please take a moment to pray for all of the birth mothers/fathers and families that have had, or are going to have to make this difficult decision.

-amory

Somebody is one!

Happy Birthday sweet girl. One year ago today, as I sat waiting for the big reveal of your nursery to be set up, I had no idea that you had just been born. God's timing is funny that way. One year ago today I had no idea that the very neutral nursery taking shape would soon be filled with hot pink. God has blessed us beyond our wildest dreams with your sweet, silly spirit. I love seeing your personality finally coming out. I love that you LOVE to read books. I love your sweet giggles and perfect smile. Happy Birthday Aerin Faith Tarikua. I can't believe you're already a year old, but I have LOVED every second of it.