Happy Birthday, 8 year old

It was a great day to turn 8 years old.
An awesome party at Stone Park with friends, a hike, hot dogs, baseball, and an obstacle course. Lots of presents, lots of family and lots and lots of Fun!!
Happy Birthday little buddy!

Snow on May 5th, 2009

It was a very odd storm, but the kids thought it was pretty cool.
Almost like having a snowstorm in the summer.

The kids made the video below to share the experience.

Ethiopia Memories

We were watching it rain and hail this morning as we sat on the couch and looked out our picture window into the backyard. We could hear the forceful rain on the roof. I asked Levi if he remembered it raining in Ethiopia. He said that when it rained Abahba (this is the word he uses to refer to his birth father) would check to see if the grass fell off the roof. He would put it back if it fell off. Here is a direct quote I recorded, "Abahba would get on the roof and fix it. Get some more hay and put it in the hole."

Sometimes the reality that my son lived in a hut in Africa with a grass thatch roof, hits me like a ton of bricks. I could just picture him cold and wet watching his Ethiopian father patch a roof with hay. Words really don't express my feelings. I just am reminded that God is the author of our destiny and I am blessed to be a mother to my children. We are blessed by the beautiful road of adoption and the ways we experience our Lord in a deeper way. All of our children our His, lent to us for a short time. Let's make the most of the time we have with them before they are grown up and living out God's plan for their lives.

Thanks for stopping by,
Tanya

Ethiopia Update

Wow! God is really doing something in the area our boys were born in Ethiopia. Last night we met for the first time with the board of a ministry entitled "Generosity International". God has united us with our dear friends, Awoka and Tess who were born and raised in the same area as our sons. This couple now live in the US, but have continued to try and minister to the needs of their homeland through there church in Ethiopia. Layne is going to work on updating the website so we will post this soon so anyone interested can read more.

Lord willing, at some point Layne would like to travel with Awoka back to Ethiopia. We are excited to see what God has in store for this ministry.

Also, last week we talked on the phone to a couple we traveled with to adopt our children. They used the same agency as us and we have become close friends. They have been back to Ethiopia and become friends and ministry partners with people there who are trying to care for orphans.

Matt, is actually traveling today with a team of 10 people on a work project. They have been given 5 acres of land by the government and are hoping to develop this into an orphanage, school, and medical clinic. While they are there this week they are digging a well.

Of all the places the government could have given them land, it again is the SAME area our boys are from, their daughter was born and our friends Tess and Awoke are from.

WE ARE IN AWE...............What is God planning for us???????? We really don't know yet, but continue to feel a pull to help in the name of Christ in the area.

Here is a verse Layne and I read this morning that speaks of the hungry and poor:

Isaiah 58:11,12
"If you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday. And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail."

Let us all, where ever the Lord has us, not forget about the hungry and afflicted. God calls us to pour ourselves out to them.