I received a snippet about Mame today, from a mommy over visiting the orphanage in Addis Ababa. She said:
"Mame is such a good girl, such a mother hen and I have a picture she is saying 'HI MOM'."
A mother hen, huh? That will be nice to help with my growing brood, but maybe a challenge moving from being one of the oldest, to in the middle! But still the oldest sister, so maybe a little mother "henning" opportunities.
Although, we call Mary "little mama" sometimes, because she LOVES to boss around her brothers and try to make them obey me!
Back to waiting for new court dates. :) Hoping Hanna will be moved from Nazret to Hope soon, so she can meet her sister Mame.... Wanting to get photos and send a little photo album....but.....I don't know when she will move.
I ordered the extra set of bunkbeds today for the girls room! So I will have room for all three of my girls, plus an extra bed for stuffed animals or sleepovers!
Plus I got two sets of under the bed drawers for both sets of beds in the room!
Yea~.
Now on to finding a while armoire...I have found that very difficult to find!
With Mame's court delay and with the addition of Hanna on the way, I have been into organizing the nest. I am so grateful to other large families on the yahoo group(s) I belong to and all their great ideas and suggestions.
(Denise, thank you for all your emails and great ideas! Makes me excited that it IS doable!)
Looking at bunkbeds, and bedroom armoires. Going into Mary's room and mentally rearranging it again and again, Scouting out where I will putup a set of hooks for coats by the back door (Thanks Denise for the idea) and a bench or box for shoes.... Last night we had our first dinner "buffet style" Rather than take all I cooked and move it from cooking dishes to serving dishes all over the table...I just put plates on the table and then one by one we went into the kitchen and I filled the kids plates...and then they could go back for seconds. Table was less cluttered, serving and clean up much easier! (Again thanks to Denise...wise wise woman!)
I made up my "honey do" list for my dad, Nick said I need to call it my "papa do" list.... I revamped my budget, caught up on bills, actually negotiated a lower interest rate on one... and I ordered a couple books....
So nesting, big time. I wish I could post pictures of Mame and Hanna. I have this new one of Mame, I just LOVE and I only have one of Hanna, but she look so precious, and delicate and just quiet. How can a picture look quiet? I am not sure, but she does.
I am so happy and thrilled to announce, on our way to finding Olvia (Mame) we also found another little sister (big sister to Mary) too!
Although yesterday had the cloud of Olivia Mame not passing court and us having to wait on another courtdate, the Son broke through, shining bright with a referral of a second daughter from Ethiopia. Hanna, a precious little 6 year old...will be joining our family. I told you something was stirring in my soul and it wasn't cookie dough. Gotta go find that 5th apron.
I am just so thrilled. The kids are thrilled. I told them all last night and you would think it was Christmas again! Even Angela was grinning from ear to ear, perhaps thinking I am nuts, but still grinning.
So yes...we will be a family of 6, counting Momma. 6.2 counting Bella, our pint-sized Marley. I don't have a lot of details on Hanna, she is in Nazret right now, and I hope she will soon move to the orphanage, Hope's Place, where Mame is, so they can get to know each other.
(I am going to modify some things on this site, when I get a chance this week, to track the timeline of both the girls.).
So I am looking for a extra white twin bed, a new armoire, a white toy box... a few things to make our adjustment.
It was so funny, I told the kids one by one, starting with Nick...who was so excited he immediately was yelling for Tadpole to come here...when we got to Mary and shared with her, after her excitement she said. "And then we will have to get another boy for gege's"
God is awesome and I could cry. :) He loves me...why else would he bless me with these wonderful children? I am doing good., even with the setback news today.
My kids are home from school, everyone is happy and I know our house will be growing...God is good.
So I need to find an armouire ( I have no idea how to spell that word.) for the girls room to hang dresses...and another bed..... I am wondering whether I should get another bunk bed, or just a single...hmmmm.
A missing piece of paper still. But God is in charge, I know..and no plan of His can be thwarted, so He must have a better timing. I appreciate prayers for a court date and a complete file.
It made me think of myself, and the other adoptive families. All of us awaiting our new additions. We prepare, we read, we share, we chat, we pray, we nest and gather, and organize, we dream and wish....
and get ready...
but we know the road is really unknown, both in the journey TO them, and then of course on the journey WITH them. So we know, whatever we do, we will never be truly ready. How can you be ready for whatyou don't know?
So it is peaceful to take on the thought of being ready to not be ready. Being ready to go with the flow, move with what happens, adjust, hug, share, pray and dream some more..
and face our futures...ours and theirs...with a ready heart.
God is ready.... Emmanuel...
It is Christmas in Ethiopia today... Merry Christmas Mame!
tick tock tick tock...my court date is Friday. I saw this video made by Angel on her blog and she said others can post it. It is beautiful and such a testimony to families and hearts and God. http://thevoiceofadventure.blogspot.com/ I have to share it.
I have been doing some book browsing today...and thought I would share some of my finds and what appealed to me regarding the book...Most I ordered used, from Amazon.com.
This one, because it is a picture book, and talks about multi-racial families.....
Colors Come from God Just Like Me (Hardcover)by Carolyn A. Forche (Author), Charles Cox (Illustrator) This one, is based on Genesis, and all the variety that God has created, including skin color....
Siblings Without Rivalry: How to Help Your Children Live Together So You Can Live Too (Paperback)by Adele Faber (Author), Elaine Mazlish (Author)
This one to educate myself on some different ways to handle the conflicts between my children.
We're Different, We're the Same (Pictureback(R)) (Paperback)by Bobbi Kates (Author), Joe
Mathieu (Illustrator) This one, because of its message and also the fun exercise of going through how we are alike and how we are all different, and not just because of skin color.
Holding Time (Paperback)by Martha G. Welch (Author), Mary Ellen Mark (Author) This one, because I am reading up on attachment and another parent recommended it, but also, because, I notice, even with my big boys (10 and 8) they love when momma holds them in her lap...even if they feel silly, and so does little Mary. Something I need to do more of.
Connection Parenting: Parenting Through Connection Instead of Coercion, Through Love Instead of Fear, 2nd Edition (Paperback)by Pam Leo (Author)
And last, but not least, the reason I went to amazon.com in the first place, to get this book, recommended by another mom: I Love You Rituals (Paperback)by Becky A. Bailey (Author)
So Friday is our new court date...I could wake up that morning and find out, I have a new daughter....after waiting for so long, it just feels so unreal....but I am so hopeful, with God and a new year, that this will be an awesome year in God for my family. He is faithful, sovereign and so very loving.
Relentless, he is relentless in His love and pursuit of us, regardless of how flawed I may be..and THAT gives me great hope.
We got our annual family Christmas pictures done today. I had held off, before my failed court date, hoping Olivia Mame would be in them. But she was not....however we still had fun and it documents our last Christmas as a family of four!
And next Christmas....she will be here.
Well I don’t know if you remember me or not I’m one of the kids they brought in from the home I was the red-haired boy in an old green flannel shirt You may not have seen me – I was standing off alone I didn’t come and talk to you, ‘cause that’s never worked before And you’ll prob’ly never see this letter anyway But just in case there’s something you can do to help me out I’ll ask you one more time
All I really want for Christmas Is someone to tuck me in A shoulder to cry on if I lose Shoulders to ride on if I win There’s so much I could ask for But there’s just one thing I need All I really want for Christmas is a family
Well I guess I should go ahead and tell you now If it’s really true about that list you have Somehow I always seem to end up in a fight But I’m really trying hard not to be bad But maybe if I had a brother or a dad to wrestle with Well, maybe they could teach me how to get along And from everything I’ve heard Sounds like the greatest gift on earth would be a mom
All I really want for Christmas Is someone to tuck me in A shoulder to cry on if I lose Shoulders to ride on if I win There’s so much I could ask for But there’s just one thing I need All I really want for Christmas
Is someone who’ll be there To sing me “Happy Birthday” For the next 100 years And it’s OK if they’re not perfect Well, even if they’re a little broken, that’s alright ‘Cause so am I
Well, I guess I should go It’s almost time for bed And maybe next time I write you I’ll be at home
‘Cause all I really want for Christmas Is someone to tuck me in Tell me I’ll never be alone Someone whose love will never end Of all that I could ask for Well, there’s just one thing I need All I really want for Christmas All I really want for Christmas is a family
As I am waiting for my court date, and with all the stuff I have to do to "make Christmas", I am doing anything but "waiting". :) I realize how truly smart and well-thought out God is. This very week, would have been the week I would have traveled to Ethiopia if we had passed court in November.
How hard it would have been and chaotic. I would have missed the Christmas program at church, and Mary's play tomorrow night, I would NOT have had the Christmas gifts done, I would be feeling frantic, my children at home would be missing me the week before Christmas...and then trying to help sweet Olivia transition into her new life the week of Christmas would have been confusing and too much for her.
Isn't God smart? Thank you Lord, that your wisdom saw the months after Christmas as a much better time in so many ways!
We are blessed...and dear sweet Olivia Mame will be with us soon...what a Valentine.
