We met Sarah and Ilaria to take the boys bowling. We all had a great time and the boys did exceptionally well. We took a little video, including the first frame that each of them bowled. They each developed their own style, with Daniel using a two-handed approach because the ball was a bit too heavy for him. David, on the other hand, slid up to the line like a baseball player. It was adorable.
I almost forgot to mention that Daniel bowled a 112, including a strike in his second frame (when the camera was not rolling)!!!
Two months ago today we returned from Ethiopia with Fraol and Behayelu. We are completely amazed that so much has transpired so quickly. We are settling into life as a family and, as with all families, this requires a lot of hard work – on everybody’s part. The boys are adjusting to a radically different life and there is virtually nothing that is familiar for them – including their names!
In so many ways, our boys are adjusting incredibly well. They seem comfortable in the home, the neighborhood, the shopping centers… many things that we were very concerned about. They love church and Bible Study Fellowship (BSF). They have no problems calling us “Mom” and “Dad” and they are very affectionate toward us. Their ability to speak and understand English is progressing beyond our wildest hopes! They have much better reading ability than we expected them to develop by this time. Their comprehension is evident when we do their BSF homework and memory verses – we notice improvement every week. All these things are a great relief and a blessing to us.
But parenting is still a full-time job that is filled with challenges. Imagining how the boys see things – and trying to understand their frame of reference – is our best tool and one we sometimes forget to use. Daniel, for instance, has never really had an authority figure in his immediate family. In fact, he was probably the authority figure for David. So he’s having to make big adjustments. He’s doing very well, but this is clearly a long road we’re on. David is happy-go-lucky and extremely expressive. He enjoys using his full body and amazing facial expressions to make his point! They’re both incredible kids and we are extremely grateful for the opportunity to be their parents.
We really can’t remember what life was like two and a half months ago! We do know that life is very fulfilling right now (tiring also). Please keep us in your prayers for the following:
Adapting to new roles in the family
The boys will know they are loved unconditionally
Energy for the parents (and maybe less energy for the boys – no, that’s not right)
Wisdom and discernment so that we know how to correct them in a way that encourages them
Employment for Randy
The weather improved dramatically today so we went back to the park. Here’s a little video to mark the two month milestone.
Our friends (Fun Faith Filled Family blog) have done some crazy scrambling in the last couple days. On Sunday, we attended a shower for their adoption (brother and sister from northern Ethiopia). They shared their story and pictures of their kids with everyone present, and we prayed for them. We talked about their upcoming travel, with an appointment in the US Embassy in Addis Ababa scheduled for December 10.
Then on Monday they received an email that caused them to change their plans dramatically. They accepted a new embassy appointment on November 25, which required very significant changes in an extremely short time window, and they are now leaving this Thursday (tomorrow). We were blessed by hearing how God worked out all the details, including job flexibility (Dad, an attorney, is in the midst of a fairly significant trial – but he can travel), four kids already at home (all cared for), travel reservations (no problem). Amazing. We are especially touched by their willingess to change. It causes us to recall our eagerness to bring Daniel and David home – when your kids are thousands of miles away, there is nothing you want more than to bring them home.
Please join us in lifting up this family. They’ve never been away from their other four kids this long; they’ve never traveled abroad (and, as we know, Ethiopia requires some adjustment); they’ve got a very demanding itinerary. We can’t wait to meet their new kids.
Our friends Jeff and Chris called with news that they have a court date in Ethiopia! Their court date is December 4. In addition to our rejoicing with them, the significance for our home is huge – they are adopting two friends of our precious Daniel and David. The boy they are adopting is absolutely the BEST FRIEND of Daniel and David and the girl was also close to them (boy, I wish I could post names – but I can’t).
Two nights ago, Daniel shared with us that when they first met the boy, he “no love Jesus” (that is, he was not a Christian). But that, over time, he came to love Jesus. Daniel said he was present when “he” prayed to invite Jesus into his heart! What a joy (and I wish I had that story on video to share with Jeff and Chris).
When we traveled to Ethiopia we were privileged to meet these two beautiful children and to share with them that we would see them again – in America. I believe they understood us and I can’t wait to see them again and to see the joy on Daniel’s and David’s faces as these best friends are reunited here. If court goes as hoped, Jeff and Chris will most likely travel in January. Please join us in praise to our loving God for moving this long-awaited adoption forward in His own perfect time!
Our friends (see the link to Fun Faith Filled Family blog) invited us to join them for lunch at an Ethiopian restaurant in Seattle. Despite the fact that Sary-Jo could not join us, we had a good time and I think everyone thoroughly enjoyed the food. Tim and Katie are preparing to travel to Ethiopia in just a few weeks to bring their new kids home, so we talked about travel, the embassy appointment, etc. Daniel and David really loved food from their birth home (especially the injera). And of course, all the kids got along great. Click the picture to see more from the restaurant.
This morning, Daniel came to us to tell us about a dream he had. We think it’s a great example of how well he (and David) can communicate with us so we asked him to tell the story with the camera rolling. Enjoy this short video.
The boys’ ability to communicate in English continues to grow at an incredible pace. We are able to tackle subjects that we did not imagine we would be addressing so soon. Tonight at dinner we started talking about the boys’ names and I really don’t recall how the conversation moved on to the topic, but along the way we asked them each what names (Ethiopian or American) they would like us to use at home. We had assumed they would prefer the names they had used all their lives, but they each asked us to call them by their American names. So from now on, we will refer to the oldest as Daniel and the youngest as David. Except when we forget!
With over 200 costumes to choose from, the boys stuck with what was familiar to them – Spiderman… in duplicate. They enjoyed their matching costumes. On the 30th, we went to the carnival at Karshner School and played games, ate a corn dog, and met many of the kids and staff. On the 31st, Dad took the kids (including Sarah and Ilaria) Trick or Treating while Mom stayed home to hand out treats to the many dozens of Trick or Treaters who came by. Click the picture to see more. And watch the video.
