The Williams Clan

Two Short Years ago Today...

2011-02-02T09:00:00.001-05:00

I looked out a plane window with tears in my eyes.

I stepped foot in a country that would forever have my heart.

I had butterflies in my stomach and was more nervous than I have ever been.

I watched the clock on my ipod slowly tick the wee hours of the morning away.

I jumped in a van and dizzily watched this new land pass by.

I walked in a courtyard, squeezing my best friend's hand as tight as I could.

I looked up....I saw you.

Love you so much Yonatan. Thank you for turning my world upside down.

Its a Snow (wait, Freezing Rain) Day...

2011-02-01T19:54:00.000-05:00

Yay for Snow days!!! Today we finally had the time to just go out and play. The boys and I started out in the back yard. We were amazed at how hard the snow was (our huge snow fall ended up being a lot of freezing rain on top of old snow...yippee). Yonni wasn't heavy enough to make footprints and Elijah only made prints if he jumped. E tried his "snowboard" out on our tiny hill, while Y stuck with the red bullet.

Soon we decided that this was just not exciting enough, so we walked over to Mr. Joel's hill for some more fun...

After that, we decided to "hike" through the woods behind Mr. Joel's house and ended up at the church to see if Daddy was there. After making it to the soccer field opening, the boys were "exhausted". E said they had to stop and rest!

I'm a Mean Kitty Mommy!

2011-01-11T10:54:00.000-05:00

So all morning, Emma "the QUEEN of our house", has been acting completely crazy. She has been running around the house quickly...which is odd for her because she is sooooo lazy. She has been pawing everything....again odd. And most annoying, she has been meowing extremely loud all over the house. I was about to post on Facebook "is there any other cats out there acting crazy???". Anyway, a few minutes ago, I was sitting in a chair feeding Miles, our super adorable little guy that we get to spend the days with, and then Emma runs into the living room....jumps on the couch....meows and stares at me, and then starts pawing the couch like she would her litter box. It was in that moment that it struck me. I all of a sudden felt awful. It just dawned on me that Sunday night...yeah like a day and a half ago...I was cleaning out the litter boxes in the garage and had locked the cat door so they wouldn't some out there while I was doing it!! I immediately jumped up, with Miles still sucking down the bottle, ran with him to the garage and to my horror realized I NEVER had UNlocked the door. Those poor 2 kitties did not have bathroom access since SUNDAY NIGHT!!! (that would explain why Charlie pooped in the bathtub last night....something that he has NOT done in a very, very long time. I just was to clueless last night to figure out why!) Anyway, I think I'm gonna spend the rest of the day feeling bad and being a little extra nice to them...and I guess be thankful Emma didn't pee on our bed last night!!

Day 23...A Christmas Letter from the Williams Clan!

2010-12-23T17:30:00.001-05:00

We have been so blessed by our family and friends this year but most importantly by our God.

Elijah is in the first grade at the Spanish Immersion School and impressed all of his family in Texas with how much he has learned. He played soccer in the spring and flag football in the fall for the Titans, who were coached by his dad. He is fascinated by science and Legos, and found out losing teeth (2 so far) is not as bad as it seems.

Yonatan has grown so much and continues to amaze us everyday. He is in love with every animal he sees, which makes visits to the zoo exciting and frequent, and prays nightly for them. He loves putting together puzzles and being very active. Yonni will be starting soccer in the spring and is very excited to finally be able to play.

Frances continues to explore her passions and talents. She started a photography business, Frances Williams Photography, this year; and continues teaching piano several nights a week, coordinating the worship services at the church, and of course supporting Scott’s ministry to the students. Frances loves all of these things, but her greatest passion is being a mom and wife.

Scott continues to love his ministry at the Lexington Church of Christ with the students and congregation as a whole. December marks us being at the church for six and a half years. Scott has continued his odd habit of wearing kilts and going to Scottish Highland festivals to throw heavy things. Although he enjoys soccer every year, he really felt fulfilled coaching Elijah’s football team this fall.

We can’t wait to see what God has in store for us in 2011 and prays that He blesses you this Christmas and in the New Year!

Day 22...

2010-12-23T15:42:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was Elijah's first day home on break. We filled the day playing in the living room, having fun with Miles, finishing up with some final touches at church for Christmas eve, making sour cream cut out cookies, hanging out with the cousins, then a sleepover AND all the boys kept saying was, "3 more days" :

Day 21...

2010-12-22T00:09:00.000-05:00

Last Day of school for 2010!! Whoo hoo :) Elijah's day ended with combing the 2 first grades at the Spanish Immersion School and having a Christmas party. They had cupcakes, a craft, a lesson on Kwanza, and a book exchange.

Day 20...My Favorite Tradition

2010-12-21T23:27:00.000-05:00

The moment I saw this calendar in 2006, I knew this was going to be yearly tradition for the Williams' household. It began that year with Elijah opening a new door and learning little words every night to relate the story of Christmas, then the next year he was able to say phrases and it kept on getting better! Last year was Yonni's first year with this tradition, and it was a little rough remembering, but we still went with it. This year is a completely different story. Elijah practically has it memorized from last year and Yonatan just amazes us with how much of it he remembers every night. By Christmas Eve, both boys will read US the story of Jesus' birth and I know I will be all teary-eyed and hopefully video recording it.

Other than learning the story of Christmas, this calendar celebrates children from all over the world. Every night there is a different country that is brought to our attention and then we pray for the children of that country. Its super cool when we get to day 17 because that is when we get to specifically pray for the kiddos in Ethiopia. Of all the different little traditions we do every year, this one is by far my FAVORITE!

Day 19...

2010-12-21T01:38:00.001-05:00

Today was our last morning with Grandma; we rushed her to the airport right after church. We then had a yummy lunch at mommy's favorite Red Robin, and then headed to the Bosh-Baker wedding. It was so pretty. Brittany's dress was gorgeous!! After the wedding, we had a fun time at the reception and then left a bit early so we could make it home so Elijah could get in bed since his vacay hadn't started yet. All in all, a good day.

Day18...

2010-12-21T01:02:00.000-05:00

I LOVE days that we can just stay warm in our pajamas! That's pretty much what happened today. We had a lazy morning eating Star Wars pancakes and eggs. Then as I baked cakes, Grandma Jo made a gingerbread house with the boys. They absolutely had a great time helping out. For the rest of the day, the boys read books, played legos, and watched some Christmas movies with Grandma. Mommy and Daddy ran a few more errands, and before we knew it, it was time for a bath and bed.

Day 17...

2010-12-19T23:34:00.000-05:00

Friday, Friday, Friday! Because Scott's mom was visiting us for the weekend, Scott and I spent the night away from the boys. We awoke this morning with a mission...to, START Christmas shopping for the boys. It was a LONG day, but very successful. We made it home by 5pm and then loaded Elijah, Yonni, and Grandma in the van and headed to Columbus for the Christmas Zoo Lights. This was a first for us, and other than becoming popsicles, we had a blast!! The boys got to pet a reindeer (and snap a photo with him), decorate cookies, drink warm cocoa, and just take in all the lights.

Day 16...

2010-12-19T22:52:00.000-05:00

Thursday was a fun day. We got to go to Columbus and pick Grandma Jo up from the airport...she was going to be spending the weekend with us (and especially came for Elijah's Christmas concert). Elijah's concert went great, he was really nervous for some reason, but was super cute up on those risers. After the concert, Grandma took the boys home and Scott and I enjoyed a much needed night away!

Day 15...

2010-12-16T00:46:00.000-05:00

Not so much what happened today, but rather just a Christmas memory...

I catch myself glancing at this little tree several times a day during the month of December. At least one of those times (each day), I smile because I start thinking of my Grandma Margie. You see, my Grandma used to put this very tree up in her house. I remember being super little and mesmerized by the little marbles that lit up in intervals. As I grew up, I still was very fond of that tree. I feel very lucky that I now have it in my home. I spent many a Christmas with my grandma and tonight as I write this I realize how much I still miss her. So, if your Grandma is still hanging out with ya, give her a good hug this Christmas!

Day 14...

2010-12-14T23:30:00.000-05:00

Today started out with a 2-hour snow delay. On the plus side, I always enjoy those because it gives Yonni and I a little extra time with Elijah...On the down side, he doesn't get to school until 11:00pm, so half the day is already gone by then. After school was out, I rushed my boys out in the cold to snap a Christmas card picture in the snow. Hmm, it was a bit too cold, but I think we got a winner! (unless I change my mind, the one below is 2nd place) After that we surprised the boys with a matinee of Narnia:Voyage of the Dawn Treader. They were excited, and really enjoyed the movie. I liked it, but wow, they took a lot of liberties from the book! Anywho, that was our day in a nutshell.

Day 13...

2010-12-14T00:10:00.000-05:00

SNOW DAY!!! Yep, our first snow day of the year (which kind of scares me because we have sooooo much winter and Ohio changed legislation this year to only allow 3 snow days before having to make them up). Anyway, the boys had fun playing with their cousins this morning, a little this afternoon, and for most of the evening. Super Mario Bros. Wii was a big hit along with the DS and legos! I said this yesterday, but it feels like Christmas break should be here already! Oh wait...I've done like no shopping.

Day 12...

2010-12-12T22:51:00.000-05:00

This picture was taken at 3:00 this morning! We were awakened to Elijah coming to our room saying he doesn't feel well and then proceed to spew on my leg and hand....yuck!!! Well after getting everything cleaned up, we looked outside and saw a ton of wet snow falling, so I had to snap it and then head back to bed. After waking "for real" this time, I looked out and saw HUGE flakes falling. This made me nervous because it was finally the day of the cantata; I wondered if my choir people would be able to make it in and if they did would anyone else want to come out in this?? I was pleasantly surprised on both counts! The choir did great and so did all the kids! When it was time to leave, I finally realized it had been snowing all morning. The parking lot was crazy, the cars were covered, but the back woods were gorgeous!! I love the snow, so beautiful, so peaceful....it just makes me happy. I snapped a few pics of my niece and nephew, then of the woods and Yonni and Elijah, and then we spent the majority of the afternoon with some friends staying warm inside and enjoying each others company. It made me get excited about Christmas break and being able to just chill!

Day 11...

2010-12-11T23:33:00.000-05:00

This morning we rushed over to church for the "dress-rehearsal" of tomorrow's Christmas program. I'm so glad that it went really well! Scott then rushed the boys over to Deer Ridge for breakfast (lunch) with Santa. This has become a William's family tradition...year number 4, I think. By the time I made it there, they had already sat on Santa's lap and told him what they wanted, so I asked if I could just get a snapshot with both of them with him. I love the innocent belief that the boys have, but wonder if this is the last year that Elijah actually thinks Santa is real. It makes me sad, but its bound to happen I guess....we'll just have to wait and see.
In the afternoon Elijah started on a snowman, and then later in the evening (almost dusk) we all finished him with hopes that he won't be washed away with the rain and hold out until the snowstorm tomorrow evening!

Day 10...

2010-12-10T22:51:00.000-05:00

Its crazy to think that it is only 15 days left until Christmas. I guess its no surprise that the last month is going by just as fast as the whole year went. Well, today, I took no pictures : '( . Actually, that's a lie, I took 3, all of Elijah's school building for their facebook page. Anyway, we started the day with a 2-hour snow delay, so by the time we took E to school it was practically lunch time. Then we set the risers on the stage for Sunday. We went home for a few and then I headed back to E's school for my Friday volunteering and experience my first fire-drill for this year. After that, I took E to Burlington Coat Factory and took FOREVER finding a winter jacket for him. Its crazy to me how much this child grows!!! But then it donned on me that his previous winter coat was used for 2 winters, and I can't expect more I guess! (this next one better fit for 2 years as well). We had planned on going to the Zoo lights, but after taking so long getting a coat, we decided to postpone to next week. Now the boys are in bed awaiting what tomorrow may bring...possibly a visit to Mr. Claus :)

Here are some pictures we took while setting the tree up on November 28th. The ones of mommy and daddy were taken by Elijah...not to shabby! (and just in case you are wondering, the ornament I am holding up is the 2010 William's ornament and has 6 stockings to include Charlie & Emma....Elijah's idea)

Day 9...

2010-12-10T19:39:00.000-05:00

So, today ended up being unexpectedly crazy. I had to practice with 2 different choirs, Yonni came along for one of them. Then Scott helped me get the stage ready for Sunday's cantata. After that it was off to piano lessons and then rushing over to Bellville for 2 school concerts. Unfortunately my second one didn't end up starting until 9pm so it was a LONG night. The picture below from my cell phone pretty much was my view for a couple of hours! I then came home to a quiet house, kissed my sleeping babies, and hopped into bed myself!

Day 8...

2010-12-08T23:10:00.000-05:00

Well, I decided to have a little fun with Yonni this morning and had a mini-photo shoot. He is so photogenic, it makes me crazy! (AND he is easily bribed with tootsie rolls) So here is a sneak-peak. Elijah had an early release today from school, and when he got home, a special box from Zappos had arrived. He received an early Christmas present from Grandma Jo...snow boots. So, both boys got on boots and I dropped them off at the church with Daddy and they played in the snow while I went to go teach piano for a couple hours. Then, I ended my night directing choral practice for our program on Sunday. When I got home I noticed a piece of paper on the floor which Elijah had written on. (He goes to a Spanish Immersion school, so it was written in Spanish--well kinda) Translated it says, "Please Don't Come In Here". Apparently they wanted privacy while jumping on the bed...haha!!! I love those boys!

Day 7...

2010-12-08T00:12:00.000-05:00

Is it only Tuesday??? So much to do this week, I'm just trying to stay afloat! I shouldn't be surprised though; December is always my craziest month of the year (it was a toss up between that and June). Anyway, for me, its been a day of practicing with choirs and then playing for one concert tonight. So glad its over, only 5 more to go.... Because of that, Scott has been a huge help today!! While I practiced this morning, he watched the boys (Elijah had a snow delay this morning) for a little bit. Then after school, he took Y & E to a swim meet in Mansfield to cheer on our favorite butterfly swimmer, Abby Kuhn (who was also celebrating her 18th birthday today) and our new favorite diver, Aiden Ford. After the concert, I made it home in time to kiss my babies goodnight and then shortly after that became brain dead :) Here are some pics that Scott took at the swim meet.

Day 6...

2010-12-07T17:33:00.000-05:00

A little late, but nonetheless...

On this particular Monday, I found myself in the full swing of Christmas concerts. So...I had to practice a little, and then we decided to have a game night. Yonni picked Candy Land and Elijah picked Harry Potter Scene It. The night was fun!!

Day 5...

2010-12-05T22:36:00.000-05:00

I sit here in my darkened living room, illuminated only by the twinkling of our tree and a glistening of snow outside. I think of the day that just was and it brings a smile to my face! Our little Yonatan was finally dedicated this morning at church. And while yes, he was given to us by God, and we have already known that Yonni is His child, it just felt good to publicly say that we will make it a priority in our family to raise this child in a way that is honoring to our heavenly Father. This is something we did with his big brother and now it was Y's turn. I love that little guy so much....and sometimes being distracted by what an almost 4 year old independent child does, I often lose sight of the feelings of gratitude and humbleness of the fact that he is even a part of our lives. Thank you God for such an incredible gift!

I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the LORD. For his whole life he will be given over to the LORD.” 1 Samuel 1:27-28

Day 4...

2010-12-04T23:41:00.000-05:00

Oh man!! Today has been a day! We started it off by hanging out with some of our youth group kids....making meatballs and sauce and more salad dressing than I have ever made from scratch! The kids did a great job working hard and getting stuff ready for the lunch they are serving to the Seniors tomorrow. They are really excited about hanging out with them! After that we did some housework, and the boys played outside in the little snow that was out there. Yonni came in frozen, and as I walked by the window I spotted Elijah making (as I found out later) a castle from Narnia. We ended the night with Elijah losing his second tooth!!! He was way more nervous tonight than Thursday, but it came out all the same. (at one point Yonatan told Elijah he was acting like a baby....that didn't go over well) Now, my sweet boys are sleeping soundly and I'm nervously watching the Big 12 Championship.....Come on Nebraska!!!!!

Day 3...

2010-12-03T23:55:00.000-05:00

Well, I realize its only December 3rd, but tonight may be a hard night to beat!! My 3 guys and I enjoyed a quiet evening in. Scott made a nice ham, cheese, and oranges platter, we popped some popcorn and made some cinnamon pretzels along with hot chocolate. Then we all curled up to watch my all-time favorite Christmas movie (mentioned in Day 1) "A Christmas Story". Now, the living room is quite and dark, the boys are asleep on the floor, Scott is reading and I'm mesmerized by the twinkling lights of the tree. What a fun evening...I love my family!!

Day 2...

2010-12-02T23:34:00.000-05:00

On this second day of December, I was ready to write about the nice bowl of soup we had on this cold winter evening....

And then my son decided it would be a great night to lose his first tooth!! Yay for Elijah!!! Then the reality sinks in of how all of a sudden he is so grown up...and now I'm sad...

Light Up Lex

2010-12-01T23:56:00.000-05:00

Living in Lexington, OH at Christmastime reminds me of my FAVORITE Christmas movie...A Christmas Story. In particular, the first Monday after Thanksgiving...its Light Up Lex. The "whole" village comes together at the square drinking hot chocolate, eating glazed donuts and cookies, visiting the live nativity, and of course to wind the evening down....Santa arrives on a fire truck. He leads us all in a countdown where we then see the 5 trees light up. Haha, well, maybe just being out in the cold air and seeing the smiles on my boys faces makes it magical! This was Yonatan's first Light Up Lex, and he loved it! Although this was not on Dec 1, it was close enough and will be my first entry for my December blogging.

Trick-or-Treat

2010-11-05T23:01:00.000-04:00

My boys had many opportunities this year to wear their beloved Star Wars costumes....Here's a look at them and my sister and her girls the night that we actually went Trick-or-Treating. It was soooo cold outside that it almost made it not fun. Well, for me that is, not them!

Apple Orchard!!

2010-10-19T17:03:00.032-04:00

One of our favorite things to do in the fall here in Ohio is visit the beautiful Apple Hill Orchard! Having Grandpa and Grandma around this weekend made the visit even more enjoyable!

There are not too many pictures of Elijah, because I think he has unfortunately entered the age of "no pictures mom"! Bummer!!! Well, At least Yonni still loves it!

I LOVE these next 2, especially the one on the right! My boys to a "T"...super goofy and super funny!!

hmmmm...to clean or not to clean...

2010-09-02T23:23:00.000-04:00

So I have no idea what is going on with me, but I am feeling an overwhelming need to clean, purge, and de-clutter my life!! Maybe its because I know winter is not far away... Who knows? Anyway, I'm excited because I'm having 2 of my rooms' rugs cleaned tomorrow afternoon...and for me this is exciting! I've always either rented a machine or borrowed one from my sis...nope not tomorrow! A real guy with a REAL machine will be doing the cleaning for me...sooooo excited! So this got me into a mode to pickup the rooms he will be cleaning and purge things that are pretty much just taking up space. You know, the stuff that is just sitting there and the last I cleaned I justified why I needed it and didn't throw it out. Well, not tonight, thanks to my wonderful man, we filled some garbage bags up and I fear that this is only the beginning. I'm now on a mission to purge and really DEEP clean every room in this house! Not sure when its going to get done, but its gonna happen!! Just looking around my house, in the boys room, everything just feels excessive. Do the boys really need all those toys? nope!! boy are they in for a rude awakening! Even though Yonni really only plays with a couple things and Elijah would be happy with his Legos and a little imagination; everything else just gets in the way. I know there a lot more kiddos that would have fun with some of those toys. I digress...hmmm....what to do now?

Frances Williams Photography

2010-07-23T23:53:00.000-04:00

So, I'm excited about this! Here's a link to my website and my new photography blog!

http://www.franceswilliamsphotography.com/

http://www.franceswilliamsblog.com/

STAR WARS ROCKS...

2010-07-09T20:28:00.007-04:00

OK, so I know I've been vacant in blog world for like almost 3 months....sorry, its just been that crazy in my world(: Even though I'm probably just writing to myself anyway!

Oh well, I have a lot of memories to catch up on...but that will come later. As for today....

Elijah has been begging for an all Star Wars day ever since hearing about it at camp a few weeks ago. So....today was the day(: It was perfect too, raining and muggy, nobody wanted to go outside anyway.
For breakfast we started out with Vader & Yoda pancakes (which after making them I was told about a mold that exists...have to look into that!) and Princess Leah's-"cinna"-buns. Instead of "Blue Milk" we decided to wash it all down with "Muja" juice.

For lunch we went with "Jabba Bits", Gungan Fruit in sauce, Protocal Droid Pasta, and and lovely red beverage from the famous Mos Eisley Cantina.

For dinner, we had "Spud Rocks" from Luke's "home" planet of Tatooine. They were yummy!

Let's see, its 8:45pm and we are almost done with Episode V, will we get the last one in before bed meltdown occurs???? Only time will tell!

~Ciao

Check this Family out!!

2010-04-20T16:21:00.002-04:00

Such an awesome family, working on their second adoption from Ethiopia....check them out, and a sweet giveaway!!

http://thisshubinclan.blogspot.com/2010/04/giveaway_19.html

Soccer Soccer Soccer!

2010-04-17T22:24:00.006-04:00

Today was Elijah's first soccer game of the season! And of course this is northern Ohio, so after a beautiful week in the 70s, of course today was a VERY COLD and windy 45! Oh well, we braved it anyway. Elijah did great. It's amazing how much a kid can grow up in a year!

I'm Blue...

2010-03-22T11:21:00.003-04:00

Ok, so I couldn't resist this story! Yonni and I were walking out of the Y this morning. It was cold, rainy and just very dark. So, as I often burst out into random song...I started singing "I'm Blue da bu dee, da bu di, da bu dee, da bu di, da bu dee, da bu di...." by Eiffel 65. Yonni started dancing in the rain puddles, so I kept singing it. As we were almost to the car, I stopped singing and a moment later Yonni burst out with "I'm RED....la la la....MAAAAHHHHMIIIEEEE'S BLUE la la la....I'm RED....lalala" I was laughing so hard I think the other people hurrying to get out of the wet cold were thinking, "that girl's lost it." Anywho...I love my kids, they are soo funny!!

~Ciao!

Wow, You are 6!

2010-03-05T07:45:00.001-05:00

My little guy, the older you get the faster the year seems to go. How on earth can I be the mom to a 6 year old??? Well, I hope you have had a great year and that you will remember all the memories we made! Let's see, while you were 5, You....

Wore a kilt for the very first time, became an awesome little swimmer, developed into big brotherhood quite nicely, tossed a caber-granted it was cardboard(: , became a kindergartner, started learning a new language, visited a tropical island, rode on a roller coaster, were tall enough to do the big rides at Kalahari, introduced your little brother to all kinds of new traditions....your favorite being Christmas morning(: , made snowmen and sledded down hills, went camping "for real" for the first time, became super obsessed with Star Wars, made new friends and the list goes on...

You did all kinds of incredible things as a five year old, but the best thing you do on a regular basis is simple! It's when you crawl up on my lap and say 4 little words... "I love you momma!" ("Hey, can we snuggle" is a close second!) I love you little dude and I can't wait to see what God has in store for you this year! Happy 6th Birthday.

It's Been One Year already!

2010-02-02T08:30:00.002-05:00

So hard to believe that a full year has gone by since I held you in my arms for the very first time! I love you little guy!! Thank you God for blessing my life so very much!

Here's a little video (:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1F_hgGa6Ik

oh the drama!

2010-01-18T11:38:00.002-05:00

So yesterday we had our final visit from the post-placement social worker...YAY!! It went really well...but on with the story. Towards the end of the visit, Elijah was sitting in a chair looking out the window with a super sad look on his face. So as our social worker left, I had E sit on my lap and asked what was the matter. In response to my question, he buried his head and just started sobbing. So, at this point, I start to worry a little bit...wondering what was going on. Finally after a couple of minutes, he started to breathe normally so I asked again what the problem was. He goes on to explain that he misses our old dog Cooper. OK, for those who don't know might think, "Aww, how sweet, poor kid" And then the rest of the story...

Cooper was a beautiful, yellow lab that we had for a mere 8 months. Not only was it 8 months, but it was when Elijah was like 7 months till 15 months. Yeah, exactly...the kid doesn't even remember the dog, other than the ONE page dedicated to him the scrapbook. And yet, I was finding myself consoling this heart-broken child! I totally wanted to start laughing...which is what Scott did when he walked in the room. Anyway, such a random thing...no clue where it came from, but nonetheless, I thought it was funny(-:

My little guy is Three today!!!

2010-01-17T08:00:00.001-05:00

It's so hard to believe...not so much that he is three but that a year has almost gone by. One year ago we had yet to hold him in our arms and smother him in kisses. Instead we were at home wishing the next 2 weeks would fly by and we would be in Addis Ababa with him. I remember crying silently to myself on the eve of his birthday last year, wishing I was there with him. Well...like I said, a year has gone by and we are finally able to celebrate a birthday with our son!

Yonni, you have blessed my life in so many ways this past year. You have stretched me into becoming a better mom and given me an even more exciting journey to be on. You have grown so much since I first laid eyes on you. It is so fun to see the world through your little but very smart mind. I love and need to appreciate more your curiosity for the small things! I hope I have not already taken for granted your bright eyes and beautiful smile that you greet me with every single morning. I hope that I always cherish your sweet kisses that you give me at least 100 times a day. I pray I never forget how I felt the moment I saw you coming down those stairs and then how it felt when you were placed in my arms. You are such a blessed gift from Heaven to your brother, your father and to me and that is what I am thankful for everyday! I love you little guy!! Happy Birthday!!

Its Christmastime...

2010-01-03T21:06:00.004-05:00

Ok, well, not so much anymore...but apparently I vanished for the entire month of December. This past December was a whirlwind. From the moment my plane from St. Croix landed on Dec 1rst it was nonstop...several school concerts, parties, more parties, church activities, wowzers it was crazy. So now, I am finally getting back online and don't know what to say so....In case I didn't have your address....here is our Christmas letter we sent out...

Top Ten Ways God has blessed the Williams family in 2009

1. God has blessed us so much this past year, but by far the most exciting thing that happened to us as a family was that we FINALLY were able to go to Ethiopia and unite with our son Yonatan. We met him on February 2nd and were able to bring him home shortly after that. It was and continues to be one of the most humbling journeys we have embarked on. Yonni LOVES swimming, Handy Manny and the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.

2. In March, Elijah turned 5, and thanks to the Lexington Church of Christ who blesses us in so many ways, we were able to celebrate at Kalahari! He had a great spring of Upwards Soccer and loves swimming, books, Wii, and legos.

3. It’s hard to believe, but in June, Scott and Frances marked 5 years of working with the students from LCC. God has blessed us so much in this ministry and we are so thankful for the people here in Lexington.

4. Also in June, Scott and Frances celebrated 8 years of marriage! While Scott’s working at LCC, Frances continues to hold down the fort at home, gives piano lessons, accompanies for choirs, and helps out with the music ministry at LCC.

5. We were blessed with a non-stop summer full of trips with the youth group, camps and just hanging out with the kids from Lexington.

6. Scott has felt blessed this year with the opportunity to start competing in Scottish Highland games both in Ohio and Michigan.

7. This doesn’t happen every year, so we were very blessed this year to be able to see all of our siblings and parents.

8. By the time August came around, our family was blessed again with the addition of a new cat, Charlie. Emma (our other cat) doesn’t quite feel the blessing part yet!

9. Also in August, Elijah started kindergarten at a Spanish Immersion School. We feel so blessed that he is able to be a part of this program, and are looking forward to next semester.

10. To bring our year to a close, we were so blessed to be able to go visit family in St. Croix in November. It was a great time to relax and rejuvenate, and we were so thankful for the opportunity.

So Thankful

2009-11-26T21:39:00.002-05:00

Another Thanksgiving came and went. My family and I enjoyed a morning at the beach and an afternoon celebrating with very hospitable people here in St. Croix. It was fun making new memories of a totally different Thanksgiving. And then as the evening came to a close...God reminds me of how blessed we really are. As we were driving home we passed a lady who was waving down cars in the dark. After stopping we realized she needed a ride home. I am so ashamed to admit this, but because this is the world we live in, we are driving her home and all of us in the car were secretly saying our silent prayers..."please keep our family safe" The lady came and went...and all she needed WAS a ride home. This poor women who apparently was not having a good Thanksgiving...mentioned her husband was shot and killed a couple years ago...mentioned she was shot as well...she is in shambles.......and then, bam....the guilt set in, "how could we immediately think she would bring harm to us??" And then more set in....we are so blessed. God has cared for our every need and we have been given WAY more than we deserve. Sitting on this gorgeous island in pretty much paradise I am reminded of how blessed I am to even be here. I am so thankful I have a risen Savior that brings hope to my life. I am challenged to be used by Him in every way possible...that I allow Him to work through me for the benefit of His kingdom and that I love unconditionally those who need it most...without reservations...without fear...

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.
God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.

1 John 4:7-21

I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him. 1 Samuel 1:27

2009-10-28T15:43:00.004-04:00

So, this verse has been posted on my blog for a year now! Its so hard to believe that a year ago I was wrestling with God and the purpose of the waiting and the journey in general. And then at 1:30pm my phone rang and caller id said CHI and the rest is history. Yep this is the celebration in our home of "The first time I saw your face" day! And what a face it was!!!Its so crazy to look back and see how small he was and realize how much he has grown. Little dude, I love you so much and wish you the world! Actually, I've been debating all day as to whether or not to post this next thing...but I guess I'm gonna. That's the thing with blogging, you can be as vulnerable as you want to sometime..well today I'm letting it all out there. A couple weeks ago I was sitting at the piano playing through a few chords and for some reason just started singing some random stuff. Well, anyway...this is what I came up with...mind you I am no lyricist, songwriter, singer or whatever...but here are some thoughts what this journey was and what I thought of after finding out who Yonni was and how he was with his mom for 18 months before being taken to the orphanage...anyway....sorry if you think its silly...ok now I'm thinking maybe I shouldn't post...better do it before I change my mind.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dca6krEw7tM

Trunk or Treat

2009-10-25T21:59:00.004-04:00

So tonight was the first of the Halloween activities in our house. We had a blast at our church's trunk or treat tonight! It was Yonni's first time to dress up and say those magical words, "trick or treat" and had no clue why he would say it...and then noticed that afterwards candy went in the bag. He was a quick learner!! Here are the boys as we were leaving the house. Elijah is Harry Potter and Yonni is Handy Manny. The hat that came with the belt kept falling off so our backup was this angel's visor.Here's big brother showing Y the ropes.

He's figured it out!

So a great amount of thought doesn't go with my van. After lunch today, we finally decided to carve the pumpkins. We went again this year with Nightmare Before Christmas pics, so then I decided to add some Christmas stuff with our halloween stuff and played The Nightmare Before Christmas on our lappy. yep...nothing spectacular.

The pumpkins came out cute though...

So they say I'm 30 now.

2009-10-21T14:41:00.003-04:00

Yep, today marks my big 'ol 30th birthday! So what's a girl to do other than...get a nose ring??

Haha, yeah, I've been wanting one for forever, but was always chicken...So, all this year I have been saying for my 30th I was getting it pierced. I think it was just a year long process to get my guts up to it(-: Anyway, last night while Scott was at a soccer game with the boys, I had it done. Even my husband was surprised, he thought I would come back and not gotten it done. hee hee, yep, I finally did it!
Anyway, so now I'm thirty...I thought maybe I would feel depressed or whatever...but so far...nada...nothing. I've known many people who have freaked out about it, but its just another day, right? Took Elijah to school, worked out at the Y, did laundry, baked a cake (gotta have cake pops for my bday!!), had a yummy lunch thanks to Scott and now just chillin while Yonni is napping and waiting for Elijah to come home. Same ol, same ol I guess.
I will say this though, I am way more content with where I am in life than I have ever been. Oh my, last year on this day I was a wreck! Maybe not so much on the outside, but I was struggling so hard on the inside. I wanted so badly for my phone to ring about news on my new child. That was the only thing I wanted for my birthday. It came and went and I just felt like giving up. I feel silly saying that now, but that process was so hard on the emotions. Today, I sit here alone in my quiet living room so thankful for all the blessings God has given me; a man who loves God, me and our boys more than anything...and the boys, the 2 most "perfect" little dudes I know. I guess the only thing I have to say about turning 30 is, "what's next?"

Oh yeah, and I totally look like my mom here!

Country Bumpkin

2009-10-06T23:48:00.004-04:00

OK, not quite, but a couple of weeks ago we visited the "World Famous" Bellville Street Fair where little miss Kali Weikle was showing her pig, or hog, or hmmm...I think pig. Well anyway, we were excited because this was going to be Yonni's first "fair experience". Turns out, he was completely terrified of all the animals, from the cute little bunnies to the ginormous cows. When we found Kali and her pig he wanted nothing to do with it, so either Scott or I took turns waiting outside the tent with him. Here are some shots of Kali...

Elijah was scared at first but then decided to climb in the pen to get a closer view...He was, after all, sporting his cowboy boots(-:

After spending some time at the pig tent, we ventured to the tractors...this was something Yonni could wrap his head around. He thought they were so cool and wanted to climb on every one...which I don't think you are allowed to do... Here is Elijah and Yonatan checking out Mr. Hamilton's tractor...

On our way back to the car, we ran into an Upward family and while talking to them, the clogging, or whatever you call them, people started their "show". Yonni was immediately mesmerized. I was laughing so hard because he loved them so much. He's on daddy's shoulder's getting a better view.

Explaining to mommy how cool these "dancers" are(-:

So I wouldn't quite call us country folk yet, but we had a good time!

a mad mommy here...

2009-09-21T20:35:00.002-04:00

Part of the adoption process had us taking classes or watching videos on how to adapt in being a multi-racial family. There were all kinds of scenarios of what "might" happen, and then the question..."what would you do?" Well, up to this point I haven't really encountered rude, inconsiderate people. Everyone seems curious and accepting and are definitely drawn by my son's adorable smile. Well, that was until today. I found myself heartbroken. Scott, Yonni, and I were eating lunch today at a chick-fil-a and while Scott was getting our food I took Yonni into the play area. There were no other adults in there and quite a few kids, so I kept an eye on Yonni and watched as he started to climb the tree thing that would eventually lead to the slide. Then out of nowhere, a little kid who was maybe 4 or 5 started yelling at Y...saying, "I DON'T LIKE YOU, YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED ON HERE, I DON'T LIKE YOU!!" He continued to yell this over and over at Y and I immediately told him that was not a very nice thing to say and Y was infact allowed to play on that, just like the rest of the kids. Then he stuck his tongue out at me and kept yelling at Yonni. Then he tried to block off one of the stairs. At this point I'm trying to explain to this kid that anyone is allowed to play here, just wishing that this kids mom would show up so I could tell her a word or two. He left to play on something else and Yonni made it to the slide and thought it was awesome and seemed clueless that this kid was even yelling at him. So we go sit with Scott and eat lunch and told Scott what happened and then I just felt stinging tears swim to my eyes. I was so mad that anyone would treat MY precious child like that, especially when there were many other children playing in there. It made me wonder, was it really because my sweet little Yonni was brown that made this child react that way??? I know that I'll never know if that's why, but still...my heart was breaking. After we got done eating, we noticed who this kids mom was. She actually was sitting right outside of the play area, right next to where I was talking to this kid. At no point did she come over to see if everything was ok or not. That made me more mad. Wouldn't you wonder what was going on if some strange woman was talking pretty sternly to your son?? Anyway, at that point I said nothing to her. Now I'm regretting that. Ugh, I don't really even know where I'm going with this...my brain isn't really forming full thoughts at the moment...so I guess that's that. It just made me so mad!

~Ciao

Melkam Addis Amet

2009-09-11T23:22:00.008-04:00

Today was an exciting day! We celebrated week 2 of kindergarten being done and also the Ethiopian New Year. We had a blast going up to Cleveland to Empress Taytu (an Ethiopian Restaurant) and meeting up with other North East Ohioans who either are in the process of adopting or have already adopted from Ethiopia. Here are some pics of from the evening.

It was so nice to see the Williamsons and their little Mesfin! We started our first leg of our trip on the same plane with them and didn't realize it until we arrived in Addis. It was amazing to see how much Mesfin had grown!!

Little adorable Sammy

The Popa girls

Yonni and Maya

Yonni, Ellie, and ElijahSuper Cute EllieAnother super cutie...MayaMaya and her Mommy, Annie
And then comes my guilt trip story. So we've been back from Ethiopia for, um lets see...7 months. Living in little Lexington, we do not have the opportunity to frequent Ethiopian cuisine. So, this is Yonni's first time eating REAL Ethiopian food since we've been back (mommy sticking Berber in the Spaghetti doesn't count(-: ) I know, I know...I feel awful!!! Especially seeing how he totally dug in and ate half the plate that was to feed all 4 of us! I'm a bad mommy and either need to figure these recipes out, or find a way to get here more often!
ok, my beating myself up is over. So here is Yonni's reaction after asking him if he liked it?
This is him showing me HOW ITS DONE...
First peel off the injera
Second, dip it in whatever looks yummy to you (for him it was all 4 items on the tray)Third, throw it in your mouth and enjoy!I must say, after eating in Ethiopia for 11 days, my palate wasn't too excited about eating it again. Bad Brain, Bad Brain!! Tonight's cuisine was soooo yummy! Can't wait for next weekend...a possible Ethiopian festival in Columbus! ok, I'm tired, going to bed.
~Ciao

Mochilla!!!

2009-09-09T23:20:00.002-04:00

The kindergarten that Elijah is going to is part of a Spanish Immersion School. We have been so excited about it for many reasons, the 2 big ones being the diversity of students and of course that he will be learning Spanish. So granted, today was only his 4th day of kindergarten, but every day so far I've asked, did you learn any Spanish words today. The response has been..."umm, I don't remember." Well, today when I picked him up he was so excited because he had a super fun day, and he said, "Guess what mom??"
"what?"
"I even remembered a Spanish word, I bet you don't know what it is.....mochilla!! That means backpack!"
So we were very excited that on day four he retained what backpack was. Well, I was excited until I thought to myself that he should have remembered that from all the Dora "episodes" he has watched in his 5 long years of life!!!

gotta love it(-:

mmm...blueberry pancakes

2009-09-03T09:42:00.005-04:00

Growing up in the Baker family you had to become a lover of pancakes. My dad always made the pancakes and prided in the fact they were the size of the plate they were served on. I must say, I don't make pancakes as often as I had them growing up, but when I do, I remember how good they really are.
Since stumbling on Bakerella's blog I have become a huge fan, so it was no surprise when she posted the Blueberry Cornmeal Pancakes and Orange Maple Butter, I had to try them out on my boys. The picture actually came from her link...

http://bakerella.blogspot.com/2009/06/good-morning.html

Well, I made mine this morning and they didn't come out quite as glorious as hers pictured...plus I didn't stack like 15 on top of each other, but they were yummy. So, final thoughts would be if your into pancakes and want to try a different spin on an 'ol favorite...try these out!

My little dude's a Kindergardner!!

2009-08-31T14:02:00.004-04:00

Well, the moment finally arrived. After dwelling on it all last week, not believing it was actually happening....the day came to go to school. I broke down a little last night while ironing his shirt, which btw will not be a regular thing!! Scott told me this was the next step in this process called parenthood. I agreed, but it still didn't make it easier. I told him it felt like the beginning of the end. He laughed and said we still have 13 more years before he's out of here. Anyway, based on last night I was not looking forward to today, but as I awoke to the beautiful sunshine and crisp autumn air God just put a peace in my heart...and I made it the whole day without crying!!!

Elijah was a bit nervous of the unknown, so I am so excited to hear how it went! Here a few pics from this morning...

Nothing Like Grandma Margie's Bowl

2009-08-29T10:03:00.003-04:00

So this morning we woke to the sound of shattered glass. Scott immediately jumped out of bed and when I got to the living room I saw 2 sheepishly looking boys and my husband who said, "You are Not going to be happy!"

Apparently one of my favorite kitchen items or just items in general had been dropped and was now shattered all over the carpet. At first I saw the yellow pieces but it had not registered what it was. I was glad the boys were OK and then sent them to their room. It was then when I asked what it was, that my heart began to sink. OK, OK "its just a bowl" you say. And yes, no item on this earth is more cherished than my family.....but then again, this wasn't just any bowl...it was that 1940s, vintage yellow, Pyrex bowl that had belonged to my grandma so long ago. My first memories in the kitchen were watching my grandma put things in that yellow bowl. I loved when she would pour the yeast into the warm water and sugar and watching it bubble.

"no touching" she said, "just let it rest for a few minutes".

And then to see that become such a beautiful dough that wasn't quite done until it "felt like a baby's bottom" (no clue where she came up with that one(-: ) And then she would roll out the dough, spread out melted butter, sprinkle some Cinnamon sugar and the most delicious Cinnamon rolls would emerge. So simple, yet so hard to replicate!

There wasn't a time that I used that bowl that I wouldn't just think of Grandma, if only for a second. Just yesterday Elijah and I were mixing a batter in it and I thought to myself, "How cool, my grandma gave me a passion for baking and cooking starting with this bowl and now I am sparking an interest with my son."

One of our favorite uses for the bowl was what we did with it last night...it was the vessel to some might yummy popcorn. Anyway, the bowl is gone and with it a symbol I would always equate with my grandma. Thank goodness God allows us to keep such special memories with or without the bowls.

Wow, 6 months has flown by!

2009-08-14T00:48:00.002-04:00

Well, actually August 2nd was the 6 month mark, but whose counting??? Well, it just happened to work out that Shoahannah's Hope deadline for submitting grant recipient stories is this Saturday, so it was perfect timing to work on a video! Here it is, well the link anyway, and I promise to start blogging more often(-:

~ciao

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6sEyVwVjBY

2009-07-25T23:20:00.003-04:00

So, I have been AWFUL at blogging this summer. its probably facebook's fault(-: I'll try to get better, well maybe after the summer is over! Anywho, this little video is for gramma jo, aunt kelly and aunt susan...and well, anyone else that want to peek into the mind of Elijah. Most of the pictures and videos were taken by him on his camera he got for his birthday...

What a PAIN!!

2009-06-15T21:58:00.002-04:00

So, I hate migraines! Seriously, are they really necessary?? I'm trying to enjoy our 2nd day of camp, and whammo...ugghhh! I HATE MIGRAINES. Anywho, I'm obviously feeling better, at least enough to mess on the 'ol lappy...in the dark mind you. anywho, that's that!

June 2nd, another special day!

2009-06-03T21:57:00.004-04:00

So far in 2009 we have had many incredible days. January 2nd, we officially became the parents of Yonatan and a family of 4. February 2nd we finally got to hold him in our arms. Yesterday, June 2nd, we readopted him in the State of Ohio. Going into the courtroom we knew Yonni was our son and nothing would change that, and this was just another paperwork thing towards his citizenship...but for me it still had its hints of excitement. Because we were not able to be in the courtroom for the original adoption in Ethiopia, this gave me the sense of it being official. As a family, this time we were all able to be participants. Although we have had our share of tough days, we are so blessed to have gone on this journey and even more blessed to be able to call Yonatan our son.

Here is Elijah and Yonni as we made our way to the courthouse.

Daddy leading the way

A quick photo opp before entering the building.

Waiting in anticipation for the judge to see us.

They took us into the courtroom and we were seated and had to wait for the judge to arrive. Elijah and Yonni had fun playing peek-a-boo under the table.

YAY, its over and my name is now officially Yonatan James Williams!!!

Sometimes they are just so darn cute!! I love to see how much they care for eachother!

Where has May gone?

2009-05-26T23:40:00.006-04:00

So I looked at when I last posted and wow...May 3rd? Where has this month gone??? Well, in a nutshell...Here I go...

Elijah is still doing super at soccer

For Mother's Day Scott made an incredible lunch

and I had fun playing with my boys!

Elijah had his last day of preschool...which means kindergarten starts soon...so sad!

Here's another of him on his last day with my new flower bed in the background. Yep, May included a lot of yard work and gardening too!

That takes us to this past weekend, where we enjoyed getting away to Michigan of all places to attend the Alma Scottish Festival. Some friends let us borrow their pop-up camper and we made a weekend out of it Here's some pics of the boys sporting their prized possessions...their kilts!

I must say, at first i may not have been the most excited about those things, but darn if they don't look cute! They're winning me over(-:

So the main reason we went to the festival is because Scott is really getting into the Highland games and will be competing a couple times this summer in them. So the last picture has a little to do with that. On Saturday, after the "Pros" competition was over, they opened the field up to the "common man". They had a farmer's walk, you had to walk as far as you could carrying 400lbs! Yep, 200lbs on each side! So Scott said he was going to try. After seeing the bodybuilders that were doing it as well, I was a little nervous for Scott. "Oh ye of little faith" Sorry honey, but I had no clue you'd be able to get 2nd!! Yep, he took second out of 8, so I was very proud of him and must say shocked as well!! The pic below is what he walked around the track with. I'll have to post the video later!

Geographical Tongue

2009-05-03T17:10:00.003-04:00

So...anyone ever heard of this??? For us, I'll start at the beginning. The second day after being united with Yonatan we started to notice some random weird white spots on Yonni's tongue. At first I just thought he had a couple of fever blisters, but by the third day they had grown into lines and circles and then the next couple days they seemed to move around in different places on his tongue. Jokingly I said it looked like his tongue was an alien road map. Being in Ethiopia at the time, we started asking and no one really seemed weirded out by it or worried, but no one really had answers either. Scott and I started really freaking out. After being there a week, a new family came into the guest home and the wife was a dental hygienist and she right away suggested that it was "geographical tongue". After returning to the US, that was one of the questions we had for the pediatrician. Of course, the day of our appointment, his tongue was completely normal. We described what was going on and he too right away said "Geographical tongue". He too seemed to not even give it a second thought and said don't worry about it. I've since been trying to research it and have read horror stories from random Internet sites but on webmd and more trustworthy sites, they all suggest that it is really nothing.

The mayo clinic says...

"Geographic tongue is a harmless oral condition that gives your tongue a map-like, or geographic, appearance. The distinct look of geographic tongue occurs when parts of your tongue are missing the layer of small bumps called papillae. Although geographic tongue may look alarming, it doesn't cause any health problems and isn't associated with infection or cancer. Geographic tongue is usually painless but can sometimes cause tongue discomfort and increased sensitivity to certain substances. Geographic tongue often heals in one area and then moves (migrates) to a different part of your tongue. Geographic tongue is also known as benign migratory glossitis."

So anyway, random info about our son's tongue. At this point he doesn't seem to be bothered by it, so I'll try not to either. I think he thinks that sticking your tongue out all the time to show people is just a common thing, like saying hi(-: And just because I think its rather interesting to look at...here are some pics(-:

Big Brother Little Brother

2009-04-30T23:02:00.006-04:00

Our neighbor's lawn was so beautiful with weeds...yep that's what I said...I had to get the boys playing in the flowers! Anyway, on to the post, so my in laws were visiting last weekend and brought a book to the boys called Big Brother Little Brother. Elijah is absolutely loving it! So much so, he came home from school yesterday with this...

Apparently they had a project where they looked through some pictures and picked one and dictated to the preschool teacher their story behind the picture. In case you couldn't read the picture above it says...

"Its like I'm the big brother and that's Yonatan, And I go on a bunk bed like that and Yonatan sleeps on the bottom, and I sleep on the top. And we do everything together. We drive our car together, and even a funnier thing that we do, we watch TV while we're resting and that we can do everything together."

Yep, he made his mama cry!

What a FUN Weekend!

2009-04-12T22:35:00.008-04:00

Don't you just LOVE this little guy's smile??? I find myself just falling in love with it ALL the time! He's a charmer and totally knows it too! Anyway, so how's life been? I've been falling behind in the blogging world, so sorry if this is a long post(-: The past few weeks have been... well, lets just say, Elijah caught whatever bug was going around...you know the one...High fever, nausea, fatigue, for lets say 6 days straight!! Thankfully, he seems to be on the mend and the rest of us didn't catch it. I was just getting tired of not sleeping in my own bed. The first night I was on the couch with him...then it dawned on me, "hey, we have a guest bed....duh!"
OK, back to the weekend. We went to Columbus on Friday to get a last minute Easter outfit and just hang out as a family. The boys had fun playing at the indoor play area at the mall, mom found no clothes though, bummer! It was a drizzly day, so I decided to take some playing in the rain shots of the boys, I think they came out pretty cute...

Love those boots! We had bought Elijah a pair well over a year ago, and Scott's mom found the same pair for Yonatan. So let's see, that was Friday....Saturday, the boys and I did some yard work in the backyard. Cleaned the garden up a bit and brought out the lawn furniture from the shed. Scott had fun helping out at the track meet and then coming home to finish raking the backyard(-: During Yonatan's nap that afternoon, Elijah and I painted Easter eggs. Even though this was Elijah's 5th Easter, this was the first time I had ever done the decorating egg thing with him. Call me OCD, but the mess always scared me. To my surprise, it wasn't too messy at all, maybe next year I'll brave both boys helping(-:

Later that night, I had the brilliant plan to start on Cake Pops (check this blog out, http://bakerella.blogspot.com/ seriously fun stuff if you are into baking). Anyway, not realizing how time consuming they would be for a first timer, I dove in (yes the night before Easter..before getting up early for 2 services...not too bright am I?) Oh well, I think they turned out super cute and am now wanting to make up holidays to make these for! Seriously, cake on a stick...who wouldn't like that??

OK, so that brings us to today. Easter Sunday! I awoke to my husband saying, "He is Risen" I was supposed to respond, "He is Risen Indeed!" But couldn't remember the liturgical stuff. Sorry babe! We had a really good time at church, being reminded why we are here, what our purpose is founded on and really just challenged to take our faith seriously. It was a good morning! After church we ran home and took some pics of the boys...

and headed over to my sister's house for a yummy lunch. The pic below is of the 5 "Ohio" cousins. That was the best shot I could get. It had been a long day for them!

All in all it was a fun weekend. The sad thing is that Upwards Soccer kicks in this week and we will no longer have free Saturdays for a very, very long time.....that's depressing!

My Little Photographer

2009-03-29T22:34:00.005-04:00

For Elijah's 5th birthday, the only thing he asked for (more than once) was a camera. So we found an inexpensive one on clearance and gave it to him. Since then, he has randomly been taking photos...some are pretty funny, I'll have to post them later. This particular photo, I actually took (i haven't uploaded any of his yet), but it was after I walked into the living room and noticed him placing my willow tree figurines like you see up above. I asked what he was doing and he then explained that he wanted to set them up so he could take a picture of the whole family seeing the new baby. Like most photographer's I think he took like 20 photos of the same scene. Gotta love it!

New Pics

2009-03-20T23:49:00.004-04:00

So because I am trying to go through the different days in Ethiopia, I haven't really posted much of Yonni since we've actually returned, so I thought I would put a few on the 'ol blog today. I had a "mini photo shoot" a week or so ago and we took these 3.

A week or so after we got back from Africa, we had a movie night and watched Madagascar 2. Yonatan loves popcorn!

Here is Yonatan and his cousin Ethanah having fun together.

This past week had a couple of gorgeous days, so we joined my sister and her family and went to the park...

Ethiopia Days 2 and 3

2009-03-18T22:21:00.009-04:00

Days 2 and 3 in Ethiopia were pretty simple really. On Tuesday morning we met with Tsegey at the House of Hope to go over the meeting we would have with the US Embassy on Thursday. After that, we had the opportunity to see the bed that Yonatan slept in for his last 3 months in Ethiopia.

We also noticed what they had written on the walls in their bedroom...it brought tears to our eyes. The castle below made us chuckle because back home Elijah is obsessed with castles.

Later that afternoon, I stayed back at the Guest Home with Barb and Yonatan. Scott, Vern and Elijah went sight seeing in Addis and also visited the Lion Zoo.

Day 3 was pretty similar. Vern, Barb, Yonatan, and I went sight-seeing and the Lion Zoo while Scott stayed back at the Guest Home with Elijah. He needed a little one on one Daddy time. Since I actually went on this trip I can talk about it. We first stopped at the National Museum of Ethiopia. Looking back, I was so focused on just getting to know and bonding with Yonni, that I honestly didn't pay that much attention to what was going on. One thing I did pay attention to was Lucy, yep Lucy. Its the oldest "human" remains that we have and they were found in Ethiopia and is why many people believe Ethiopia is the birthplace of civilization. I'm a bit skeptical.... but here she is...reconstructed of course.

After the museum we too went to the Lion Museum, which was actually quite sad. Such magnificent animals, and given such small spaces with NO grass to live in. After that we went back to the guest home, hung out and blew bubble. I'll add more pictures from days 2 and 3 to the montage above. Here are the boys blowing bubbles.

Happy Birthday

2009-03-05T22:43:00.003-05:00

My sweet, little guy...how have five years gone by already? Why has the time flown so fast? It seems like yesterday that your father was crying next to the operating table saying, "look Fran, you're a mom...he's beautiful." And then not long afterward, we brought you home and begun the best journey of our lives. It has been so awesome watching you grow. Its been great enjoying your gentle spirit that is still so refreshing. Everyday is something different and something new, I love it. Although we sometime miss your baby and toddler days, we are so excited about where you are right now. You amaze me with everything you are learning and comprehending. And although I am sad, I am also so excited that in this 5th year of your life you will be starting kindergarten. What a new chapter in all of our lives. I am also looking forward to seeing your relationship with your new brother blossom. I know it was a rough start and you were just wanting to love on him all the time. But I see the light at the end of the tunnel. I see how excited Yonatan is now when you get off the preschool bus and I can't wait to see that relationship grow. You are a great big brother and I know you will always be looking out for him. Thank you for being so patient, encouraging, loving, and accepting in this whole process. I am SO very proud of you. I love you little guy....nope, I love YOU more.....Yep, I love you as high as the moon and the stars in the sky too!! Happy Birthday!!

Ethiopia - Day 1

2009-02-27T20:57:00.008-05:00

So, I've been receiving quite a few hints that I need to post pictures....so I am finally starting to get to it. Its been a rough week in the William's home. Elijah and I have had sinus infections, and poor Yonatan is probably just wondering...wow, these people are so not fun! Anyway, I'm stealing this format from an awesome girl we met in Addis (Gretchen, you know who you are(-: ). On her blog she posted pictures according to the day while in Addis...so I am doing the same.

OK, so I had already posted about our trip as far as London. So after leaving Great Britain, we boarded a plane that we would be on for the next 9 hours. After a fuel stop in Damascas, Syria, we landed a little late in Addis at 2:30am. At this point, we were met by Akie from our guest home, and he already had me in tears. He was carrying a little bouquet of flowers for the new mom. So at this point we pile into the van, oh yeah, this is funny... Elijah was in the front seat with the driver and Akie. As we started to drive away he said, "WAIT A SECOND EVERYONE, where are the seat belts?!" We all had to laugh and explain, "When in Rome..."

OK, so we made it to the guest home and tried to sleep for a few hours. We woke up excited and ready to go, but we then found out the House Of Hope van wouldn't pick us up until 10am. When the van finally arrived, we piled in the van along with the other families that were heading over to the HOH. Along the way, we were told to get ready because there was no formal introduction, Yonatan could be just standing in the driveway. So we threw the video camera on Vern and the camera to Barb and said, "Get ready!" We arrived and we got out of the van and did not see Yonatan right away, and then we noticed a little girl helping a little boy down the stairs and at that point I think we lost it. Elijah almost immediately ran up the stairs and gave him a hug and tried to give him a bear. Yonatan didn't like that so much and kept walking down the stairs. He then passed me and then passed Scott and we were like, "uh, ok". Then all of a sudden he turned around, and went to Scott. Everyone in the courtyard at that point cheered and we were all crying. At this point we all got acquainted, ate lunch, headed back to the guest home and had our first night as a family of four. So, I am sure you are all tired of reading and ready to see pics of that great day, so, here they are...

I'll post more day one pictures in the picture reel at the top of the page. Hopefully, I'll get to day 2 soon(-:

~Ciao

We are Home!!!

2009-02-14T04:24:00.003-05:00

The first time we held Yonatan.

So we are back from Addis! Even though our trip was amazing, we were so glad to be back. My brain is not functioning quite normal yet...hence the 4:30am post. The boys took a "nap" at 4pm yesterday and then I dozed off around 7pm. Well, Yonatan woke up at 1:30am and Elijah at 2am....I think we are about ready to sleep again until 9:30am or so and then hopefully stay up most of the day.

ok, so again, my brain is dead, but over all our trip was awesome. Yonatan has been great for all the changes going on in his life, The staff at the Ethiopia Guest Home were absolutely amazing and we recommend them to anyone heading over! Ephrim was also amazing. Cannot say enough about how he blessed us! For now, here are a few pics and as I post more pics later, we'll reveal more of our trip.

Daddy and Elijah playing futbol with Yonni.

Yonni and Daddy listening to some tunes. Yonatan LOVES music and has a great since of beat already. I thought it was funny because the first song he listened to on my Ipod was "Seed to Sow" by Michael W. Smith. This was not on purpose, but he became addicted to it as the days progressed.

The brothers chilling out at the Guest Home. We brought a portable DVD player, which proved to be very useful!

And We're OFF!!!

2009-02-01T05:43:00.004-05:00

So I really meant to post something before actually leaving the country, but our life has been a whirlwind, so now that we have several hours to kill in London, I thought I would catch up. So, for those of you who are reading this that are family...we have made it to London!!! (you probably already figured that out(-: ) Thank goodness we've had an uneventful trip so far. My "plan" was to sleep the whole way from DC to here. Well, that didn't go as planned. Elijah and Grampa Vern slept about half of the trip and Scott, Grama Jo and I tried really hard, but couldn't. When we got here, we were extremely exhausted, so I found an empty row of chairs and slept for a couple hours here. Feeling a little better, I guess. The fact that we will be meeting Yonatan soon still hasn't hit me. I feel like I am in a surreal state right now. After all the waiting, it doesn't seem like it could actually possibly happen. Can't wait!

So, on a side note.....

Last week we went to California for my cousin, Leilani's, wedding. First off, those of you that live there that we were not able to see....I AM SO SORRY! It was a crazy fast trip (because we had to turn around and go to Ethiopia so quickly). Anyway, we really wish we could have seen everyone, but alas....we couldn't. So, because I assume I will be posting many photos of Yonatan and our trip, I thought I'd post these few from good 'ol California now.

My dad with all but 3 grand kids...we were missing Yonatan, Micah, and Rylie

Elijah and his "Teddy bear" (cousin Tamila)

On the way to Santa Maria for the wedding we stopped at the Oxnard State Beach, Elijah love this rock.

I hope you don't mind me posting these Leilani...you were so BEAUTIFUL!!!

"You may kiss your bride...or the other way around"

Yep, that's my bro... no explanation necessary(-:

Next post....either from Addis Ababa or upon our return!!!!!

~Ciao

Happy Birthday Little One

2009-01-16T22:20:00.003-05:00

Well, since it is 6:20am in Addis Ababa right, it is YOUR birthday! Happy, Happy Birthday Yonatan. I so wish that we could have been there for this awesome day, but I guess know that 2 weeks from tomorrow I will be on a plane nervous and excited and just wanting to let you know how much I love you. For me, that will have to be enough to get me through the night. I remember when your brother was about to join our lives, we were so excited but had no idea what the journey entailed. As I sit here typing this to you, I feel so much more. It seems like we have been longing to meet you for forever now. Know that since we have started this journey there has not been a day that has gone by that we didn't pray for you. Even more so since we saw your little picture that 28th day of October. My birthday wish for you on this 2nd year of your life is that God blesses you beyond what any of us can fathom. He has already done that for me because through this journey God has humbled me, comforted me, encouraged me and has softened my heart. He has shown me that He is in control of my life, that He is "good to those whose HOPE is in Him, to the one who seek Him." I am so thankful the He has brought you into our lives. I am so thankful that the Holy Spirit has guided us through all the doubts and frustrations and because of that we will be united soon. I so cannot wait until that day. I love you, I love you, I love you little one. Happy Birthday!

18 days and counting

2009-01-12T21:27:00.003-05:00

So we were pleasantly surprised today to get some pictures of Yonatan from CHI. It melted our hearts even more. We were so amazed at how different he already looks from his referral photo that was taken in October. Aggh, can't wait to go get him.

Elijah thought he was so cute and wanted to jump into the computer to get him. If only it was that easy. 18 days and counting! (unless something changes yet again...I won't go there)

INTRODUCING YONATAN WILLIAMS

2009-01-04T18:21:00.010-05:00

WE PASSED, WE PASSED, WE PASSED!!!!! We just checked our e-mail a little bit ago and found out we passed court! YONATAN WILLIAMS IS NOW OFFICIALLY OUR SON! So excited right now. A little bummed that our visa appointment is not until February 5th, but as with this whole process God's timing is best. I guess one good thing is that we will not be missing my cousins wedding. Thank You so much for all your prayers and encouragment along this journey of ours, we really appreciate it! Anywho, gotto go finish calling people!

~Ciao

Waiting SUCKS!

2009-01-03T17:07:00.004-05:00

I haven't posted in a while....busy December...but our court date was yesterday in Addis Ababa. We "knew" that we would probably not hear anything yesterday because the CHI offices were closed in St. Louis until Monday, the 5th....BUT GOLLY we were hoping we'd hear something. Waiting has been such a part of this whole process and now that our journey is practically over, it keeps getting harder. I just want to know NOW what the future holds! When can I go get my new little guy. THANK GOODNESS those of you that have recently come back from Addis have been kind enough to call or e-mail me with the little tidbits of info that you have. It really has warmed my heart and its just good to know that he is really being taken care of well at the House of Hope.

Just a few lines of what some of them have said....

"LB is the cutest!!! He is very friendly. He loves to play with balls. He lets you know what he wants and loves to ride on the round ride. He is so cute and loves to smile."

"LB is such a beautiful little boy. His hair is full and thick. He is one of the youngest kids that get to go out and play in the courtyard. So he is out there with all the older kids. He isn't quite big enough to bounce balls or kick balls with the others, so he does a lot of walking around and watching. He always came up to me and wanted a hug. He has such a beautiful smile."

And then I actually talked with someone that met him and they said they loved him. They said he was very outgoing and such a charmer. He loved giving hugs and was too cute. He apparently is also very intriuged by the automobile. Agghh, I can't wait to meet him, but I guess these little memories will have to hold me over until we get there!

Oh well, pray for good news on Monday and we are wishing everyone a GREAT 2009!

Through the Eyes of a Child

2008-12-08T23:55:00.003-05:00

Salem.

So Elijah and I were driving home today and passed a house that had a lot of Christmas lights and then further down their lawn was a large cross with a light on it.

As we passed it Elijah exclaimed,

"look mama, look...a cross, a cross!"

"yeah, do you know why they might have a cross lit up at Christmas time?"

"because Jesus died on the cross to save us from our sins"

"that's right, but why would it be up at Christmas time"

silence

"because who was born at Christmas...?"

"Jesus"

"that's right"

At this point we continued in the car as the Christmas station played in the background. I wondered to myself how much Elijah comprehended. He gave a wonderful "Sunday School answer", but how much did he really get? A couple minutes later Elijah broke the silence...

"mama, I'm glad I wasn't born Jesus"

curious.... "why's that"

"because I wouldn't like to have nails cut through my hands and feet and die"

me, a little choked up, "that's why Jesus was so awesome babe, He went through all of that just because He loved you and me and everyone else so much"

"yep"

My Final Post

2008-12-06T22:46:00.003-05:00

OK, not final final, just for tonight. Earlier today we went to a breakfast with Santa, so I had to include a pic with Santa. It was so perfect. We were in this lodge and it started to snow pretty good, it felt like we were in a snow globe. I love this time of year, so beautiful. Anyway, that's that.

Having fun in the snow when we got home.

New Room

2008-12-06T22:28:00.002-05:00

OK, with the arrival of, oh my gosh, I almost just spelled out his name. That's a big no, no. Anyway, for clarity purposes let's just call our new son LB (little brother) until we're allowed to share his name with those of you who don't already know. Anywho, we needed to add another bed to Elijah's room before we get LB. So on our way back from Tennessee last week we stopped at IKEA and picked up a loft bed. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Ikea!! I am so glad they finally are coming to this part of the country. That was one of the sad things to leave behind in California. Anyway, I digress... So we stopped at IKEA and found this awesome loft bed in the As-Is department. Elijah has been dying for a pirate ship room, so we picked up a few things and started on that yesterday. In a split moment decision, I painted the bottom 1/3 of his walls brown for the pirate ship...but I think it is going to end up being half pirate half castle because of some of the accessories we picked up at Ikea. Anywho, he was super excited and seeing 2 beds in there definitely makes us want to go pick our boy up from Ethiopia even more!

The View as you enter

The Loft and Elijah's toddler bed

Awesome "Torches"

The view from LB's bed

Light Up Lex

2008-12-06T22:04:00.004-05:00

This might sound silly, but one of the fun things I enjoy about living in Lexington, OH has to be Light Up Lex which we experienced again on Monday night. If anyone has ever been to Disneyland or even Cedar Point or Kings Island...this is sure to pale in comparison, but nonetheless, I really love it, Pretty much everyone who lives in our small village, who want to brave the elements, go to the town "square" and enjoys hot chocolate and donuts while they countdown for Santa to come to town. It reminds me of "The Christmas Story" when they are at the parade...much smaller scale of course...probably why I love it so much. Anyway, this year it was really, really cold. The wind was blowing hard and snow was starting to fall and winter was just in the air. Here are some pics from the night.

Elijah waited with anticipation for Santa to arrive on the big, red fire engine.

The Big man finally arrived!
A great pic of my husband whom I love and appreciate more than words can say.Yes, Christmas cheer is even on his face.

Christmastime is Here!

2008-12-06T21:53:00.003-05:00

Melkam Yelidet Beaal! (Merry Christmas in Amharic)

So, I haven't posted in a while, so I know I'm going to post a lot tonight, well post pictures anyway, not promising on words, I'm tired! Anyway, this week started with setting our tree up Sunday night and putting the rest of the decorations up on Monday. I told Scott after spending almost 8 Christmases together, this is our first respectable Christmas tree (thanks to Target clearance last year!!!!) Here are a few more pictures...

Emma's loving it too!

Bittersweet Excitement

2008-11-25T22:02:00.005-05:00

Salem!!

OK, so this past Thursday we got some very exciting news...our court date is set for January 2nd. Although we cannot be MORE excited about going to Ethiopia to join our son, it seems very likely that if everything goes smoothly on our court day, we will be traveling to get him at the same time that my cousin Leilani will be getting married in California. Scott is actually the minister who is supposed to marry them. So hence the bittersweetness of it all. Of course, nothing is more important than our son joining our family, but I must say my heart was breaking a bit today when I had to break the news to Leilani. So, chica, please know we love you so much and could not be more excited for you and Chris...but I know God's plans are good and perfect. Your wedding is going to be the best day ever and even if we are on the other side of the world, we will be celebrating with you! We love you!!

Ok....I have lots of pics to upload here....Halloween stuff mainly and our first real snow....enjoy!!

yes, my husband IS weiring a skirt...oops I mean Kilt.

The Knight or Prince Charming, depends on who you ask!

Cousin Micah as none other than Captain Underpants

The beautiful Ariela as Snow White

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Elijah's first day of riding the bus to preschool in the SNOW!!

It doesn't get much better than throwing a snow ball at mom through the window!

Not many of these moments left...

2008-11-06T16:58:00.002-05:00

So, Sunday after church, we were really exhausted. After we finally got home we had about 45 minutes of rest time before having to go back for Trunk-or-Treat. Elijah and I laid down and I tried to get a power nap. I felt myself slipping away almost immediately. Elijah, although tired, was not so cooperative. As I laid there, I felt him touching my face, so I could tell I was not going to get any sleep, but I kept my eyes closed anyway. He proceed to pat my cheek and then slipped his hand under my face. I then peeked and saw his eyes were closed and he was just snuggled right there next to me with the cutest smile on his face. I closed my eyes again and then he started whispering..."I love you Mommy" "You are the bestest Mommy ever". It was such a sweet, touching moment. Our minds have been racing all week about our new son and how excited we are about that and everything we need to get done before going to pick him up. At this moment though, on Sunday afternoon, my mind relaxed and it was so nice to just enjoy Elijah. It was awesome to just spend those few moments snuggled with him and thanking God for the years we have had with just Elijah and yet so thankful for the changes to come. Its hard to put into words, but lets just say I cherished that fleeting moment.

~Ciao

4 Months, 3 Weeks, 1 Day

2008-10-28T23:04:00.005-04:00

Our sweet day has finally come! We are no longer just a "waiting family" but a waiting family with a referral! God is so good! Although we cannot give too many details, I will say we have a referral for a beautiful 21 month old boy, and can't be more thrilled. So lets start at the beginning...if you've talked with me already today, you'll probably skip this over because you've already heard it...but I have to write my memories of this day somewhere, right?

Ok, so our day started off pretty much like most Tuesdays. Got up, got Elijah on the bus, went to the Y with Scott, came home and ate breakfast....and here is where I see God at work. Again, I won't get into details, but lets just say I spent a lot of time with God after breakfast and cried and just gave our adoption up to Him...again. Don't you love how we trust Him with things, and then so easily get back in the same 'ol ruts of worrying. I am so thankful He has so much patience with me!!
Anyway, I felt at peace after that and went about the morning. Had a nice chat with my mother-in-law, made lunch, and then about 1:20pm...as I got Elijah settled in my room, while I was getting ready for a piano lesson I was about to give...the phone rings. I noticed on the caller ID that it was from CHI and I started shaking. I tried to answer the phone as calmly as possible and Erin told me who she was and said she had a question for me. So at this point, I'm thinking, "Oh no, something is wrong". Then she proceeded to ask if there was a number where she could reach Scott so she could talk to both of us together. Then I started shaking a ton! (OK I'm crying again...wow my eyes are sore!!!) Anyway, he got on the line as well, and I remember her telling us she had a referral for us and at that point I completely lost it. I heard Scott sniffling on the other end as well. (which totally reminded me of when Elijah was born. I had an emergency c-section and was on lots of medication so was not all there...but I remember Scott holding my hand and sniffling...crazy) OK, so I'm a little ADD right now, sorry. OK, so the rest of the phone call was a blur, she mentioned that she was sending us an e-mail of the info, and that's about all I remember. Right after hanging up with her, my piano student pulled into the driveway, so I went outside (a complete wreck, mind you) and told her we had to reschedule, just got a referral...
So I rushed inside and went to tell Elijah that Africa finally called us. He kind of looked at me dumbfounded as I told him he was going to have a little brother (ok, crying again). He said "YES!" and then proceeded to watch his cartoon. At this point Scott came home and we opened the e-mail together and cried as we saw him for the first time, It was awesome!

After calling lots of family, we had a celebratory dinner with Barbie, Tj & family. After that some great friends brought us our first new "baby" gift. The picture above is of the flowers, balloon and the big brother and little brother bears they got Elijah and his new brother. Thanks you guys!!!

Anyway, we are so excited right now, and so thankful God has not forgotten us or this child, and that someday soon He will hopefully unite us as a family! Thanks so much for all the prayers you've offered up on our behalf and for the ones still to come!!

~Ciao!

The Best Birthday Present Ever

2008-10-20T23:05:00.005-04:00

OK, so its about an hour away from my 29Th birthday...yippee skippee...anyway we've been talking all day that the best present I could get tomorrow would be that phone call. I get choked up even thinking about it. I know that the likely hood is slim to none, but how awesome would that be??? I've always hated surprises, which is probably why this waiting thing is so stinkin' hard. I just really want it to happen like yesterday. I gotta keep thinkin' positive and reminding myself that our God is awesome and in control! But it would be a cool birthday present!!!

On a side note, we went to Cleveland Saturday night and had fun meeting the other Northeast Ohio families who have adopted or are adopting from Ethiopia. I can already tell they will be a lifeline for the rest of our journey. It was a bummer Elijah was not feeling well, because of that we kind of stuck to our table, so hopefully next time we can connect with more of the families! It was a fun time.

On our way to Cleveland, we had fun just chillin' and enjoying the scenery. We loved the farmers market there! I so wish we had stuff like that in Lexington. The produce was amazing! At the beginning and end of this blog are a couple of pictures of my boys I took in Cleveland. Elijah was taken at a parking garage and Scott's was outside the farmers market. So fun to just enjoy each others company!

Pray, pray, pray for a referral tomorrow!!!!!

Is our turn next???

2008-10-10T14:54:00.002-04:00

That is definitely a question that has been floating around in our heads the past 2 weeks. The Ethiopian courts reopened last Monday, YEAH!!!!, and since then there have been so many referrals, I've lost count. I think it is like 10 or 11....in 2 weeks!!! So we keep praying that our phone call will come, but we know that God has a plan for our family and we need to take this one day at a time. Can't say that has been easy though! Every evening when we pray for dinner, Scott or I pray that someone will call tomorrow and Elijah pipes in..."no God, today". I love his excitement. We know we are still around 45 on the wait list, but who knows actually how long it will be because we are accepting up to a 3 year old. I keep thinking that will make it sooner rather than later....but who knows?

Anywho, if anyone reads this, please add this to your everyday or every hour prayers...We so believe in the power of prayer and, like most of you know, waiting stinks!

~Ciao

The Story of our Tree

2008-09-25T22:08:00.004-04:00

Our Tree may not be the most beautiful tree on the block, but it definitely has a spot in our hearts. Shortly after moving in, we put a baby swing on a branch. We've played underneath it, rested underneath it, raked many leaves under it...and then jumped in the piles over and over again. After Elijah was old enough, we switched out the baby swing and hung a wooden saucer (above). Elijah absolutely loved it. We loved lots of things about that 'ol tree, but now...our tree is gone.

It all started with the winds from Hurricane Ike Sunday, 09/14. We arrived home that evening from church to no power and a huge chunk of our tree laying on the ground.
Sadly, we were told it would probably be best if the tree came down. So tonight, that is what happened. Joel, Ben, Max, and Scott brought her down. I must say it was a bit nerve-racking! That tree was HUGE! Here are a few picks from the evening.

The mastermind, Joel, making the first cut. Yes, he is on a ladder, with no safety harness and a CHAINSAW!!

Ben and Joel up in the tree. Its hard to relate how big the tree was, but you know its big when Ben looks small way up in there! They were tying a rope around the trunks at the top to pull it down. Mind you, we don't live in the country, we have neighbors. "Please don't fall on any one's home!"

Elijah had a moment to himself. All the other boys were running crazy and Elijah was just taking it in. He was whimpering the other night about losing the tree. He told me swinging on the tree was his most favorite thing to do ever.

So this next picture looks weird, but I morphed about 5 pictures together to save space. Its supposed to be the progression of the fall. After tying ropes to the tree, they tied the other end to Ben's truck. Yep, they're CRAZY!
OK, so God blessed us. The tree came down, exactly where Joel was hoping it would fall. No people, homes, cars, light poles, or plants were flattened. Thanks so much Joel, Ben & Max. You guys are awesome to help us out!

Elijah and our 2 neighbors, Kevin & Jacob

The Lonely Swing...
I guess we need to find somewhere else to hang it!

First Day of PreSchool

2008-09-13T22:01:00.005-04:00

OK, so this post is a "few" days late, but its here anyway. I was shocked that it was still dark at 6:45 in the morning....I know, we are lame! Also to my surprise, I barely mentioned that it was time to wake up and Elijah popped out of bed, mind you I have never, ever seen him get out of bed that fast. It was a drizzly, cold morning, but he was excited! I guess that made it a little easier to say good-bye. We had him ready super fast so that just left us time to wait for the bus. Here are some pics...

WAITING WITH DAD

GIVING MOM A HUG

OK, so the bus didn't come on our side of the street the first day, which is what we were expecting, so when it came everything was a whirlwind and I didn't get a picture of him getting on the bus, but here are 2 of him on the second day getting on like an 'ol pro...

So he got on the bus, it left, Tj had ridden his bike over to see the waterfall of tears, but I must say I held together pretty well. Well, until we went inside to get reading to go to the Y and Scott gave me a hug and then I just cried for a minute or two. Oh well, everyone needs a good cry every now and then!

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Scott and I were both standing in our front yard at Noon waiting for his bus to bring him home. I guess the first day is one of delays, because it didn't come until 12:45pm. Anywho, here was our first sight of it and I must say my eyes got all stingy with tears as it approached.

Day One, in the bag and he loved it!

Hi, I'm Mimi

2008-09-07T23:06:00.004-04:00

Wow, its feast or famine from me as far as blogging is concerned. So from the looks of this photo, anyone who has seen the drew carey show knows what I am talking about. Elijah has really been into fixing hair and playing with my make-up, so....On this particular day, he wanted to do my hair and add a little makeup. Here's the final result...

Skater Dude

2008-09-07T22:34:00.005-04:00

This past week I told Elijah that I would take him to the skate park since all the "big boys" were out of school. So, we picked up Ariella and off we went, on I think the hottest day we've had this summer (and from the looks of it, the last). Anyway, was a bit nervous because we could only find his knee pads and so I hoped he didn't land on the elbows. Here a few shots from the afternoon.

So, no major falls and he loved the every minute of it. Ariella tried the scooter out on a small hill and decided that cheer leading would be safer.

~Ciao

Where does the time go?

2008-09-07T22:09:00.003-04:00

Wow, it's already a full week into September. What is going on? I sit at my desk very emotionally torn. It is so hard to believe that Elijah is going to start preschool/Head Start on Tuesday!!! I don't think I've really thought about it much deeply since we enrolled him, but as I wrote those words I felt the burning of tears coming on...(which isn't hard to believe if you know me). Thank goodness it is only for 3 mornings a week, and next year kindergarten is only half day...baby steps.

Anyway, back to preschool. I was one of those parents, the moment we found out we were pregnant with him I knew I was going to stay home with him and enjoy every moment of it (for the most part I have). I was the one who looked down on preschool because in my mind I thought "he will be in school for the 13+ years after he starts. why start him even earlier" So I sit here now thinking, "what am I doing??"

eh, who knows. I'm excited for him, sad he is growing up so fast. ugh, here come the tears again. Why can't we just bottle them up and keep them small forever. OK, a bit demented, I know. Anywho, he is excited and its only 4 hours on Tues., Wed. and Thurs. I can handle it. Pray for me Tuesday!!!

The Countdown is finally DONE!!

2008-08-23T23:36:00.003-04:00

~Salem~

Okay, while some of you might have just felt a twinge of excitement, possibly thinking, "Awesome, they have finally gotten their referral!!" Well, not so much, but another countdown is done. I'll explain...

As Scott, Elijah, and I were sitting this morning at the table, eating our breakfast...after we ALL slept in until 9:30AM... I started to think out loud (which I do often).

"This is the first Saturday we have had

'nothing' to do in quite a long while..."

So that made my anal self pull down the 'ol calendar and we started to count back Saturdays... Let's just say it started to get depressing. We counted back as far as April 12Th!! That's like 19 weeks people!!! That was the last Saturday that we had "nothing", no family visiting (take no offense-we love you), no 7:30am-1:00pm days devoted to soccer games, no traveling home from youth activities, no traveling...etc. You get the picture.

So what did we do on our "nothing to do" day? Well, cleaning the house is ALWAYS fun. Scott also did some trim work around the house. Its amazing when you have nothing to do and you think, "relaxation here we come", and then before you know it the day is done. Aaw well, we did end this momentous occasion by getting a treat at Dairy Queen this evening. (you know its been a busy summer when the last time we were there was when my sis had her baby on May 4Th!!!)

Anywho, here's too fall and the leaves changing and hopefully a lot of scrapbooking pages to be done!!

~Ciao

2008-08-07T14:23:00.003-04:00

So I've come to the realization that I am "Stinkin" at this whole blog thing! I wish I was just disciplined enough to just do this thing! I would also love to just be able to communicate well. I love reading other blogs, especially my sister-in-laws. You guys are so good at putting your lives into words. Oh well, I guess some of us are just not gifted with the word thing!

On a positive note. Since my last blog, we received confirmation from Shoahannah's Hope that we would be getting a grant from them. GOD IS SO GOOD at providing just what we need. Why do I even doubt sometime?? Through out this whole process it seems right when we are down or questioning what we are doing, GOD steps in there and shows us we are following what HE wants for OUR family. So anywho, now we are just holding tight on a referral!!!

~Ciao

Sick of being Sick

2008-07-22T11:23:00.002-04:00

So we finally are home from what seems months of traveling here and there, even though it was just 4 weeks. Wow, 4 weeks is still way to long to be on the go. Anyway, we are finally home, and guess what, yep, I'm sick! The last few days at my in-laws house brought on some allergies which then decided to change to a full blown sinus infection. Yippee Skippee!

So, we got home last Thursday night, I was up at the crack of dawn waiting for Rapid Response to open. They gave me a Z-pack and told me to rest. So today is the last day of the Z-pack (which I remember the last time I used this I thought it was a miracle drug, working within 24 hours of taking it). Not so much this time around. I feel I think the same or a tad worse than I did on Saturday. Lets just say this sucks and I'm off to rest again, oh yeah, and flush my nasal cavities out with saline solution. Don't ask, its really gross!

Bummer

2008-07-08T17:12:00.003-04:00

Salem!

So I can't believe our dossier has already been out of our hands for a month now! That is one advantage to being busy I guess, time flies! So last week was fun, we went to Easton, PA to visit with Scott's uncle and sister's family. It was a fun time, but I must say that we were bummed as Thursday came and went. That was the last day to get a referral and be able to travel before the courts closed in Ethiopia. (They close the courts due to rainy season from August 1 to October 1.) I know we were wishful thinking, but it would have been cool to get a referral by then. Oh well, we can still get referrals during this time, but would not be able to travel to get our child until October. Anyway, I keep reminding myself that this is all in God's timing and not my own. He knows what is best for us as a family, not me(-:

Kudos to all of you with multiple children! We brought our 2 nephews back home with us for the week, and holy guacamole!!! Its no wonder Starbucks is making it big!

~Ciao

2008-07-08T16:48:00.005-04:00

Here is a pic of Elijah from the slide at camp, as promised....

It was so much fun!

As we were leaving and packing up the vehicles,

I walked by one of the doors and this is what I saw...

He was so ready to go home, but to tired to get in the car,

so he laid his pillow and blankie down right there...

Camp

2008-06-17T10:27:00.003-04:00

Well, I must say, I was not the most excited person leaving our home Sunday afternoon. We had just finished packing up and were heading to Jr. High camp about 45 minutes away. We had just got off of a busy week, an all day Saturday -- Upwards Soccer Games/Scott's Birthday/Upwards Finale Program. Let's just say I was tired and so NOT looking forward to spending a week with Jr High kids, get home for a day and a half go off to Michigan for a week at CIY with our High School bunch.

Well, its a good thing God knows what we need. So far it has been (surprising to me) very fun. My dorm girls have been so easy...they are great! It's 20 minutes before lights out (even though our lights were off already for Elijah's sake, but they didn't have to be in bed) and they are all in bed, whispering quietly. They get up in the AM great. They all happen to be in Scott's and mine family group as well where the whole group listens and is pretty much attentive.

Anyway, we are having a really fun time. During rec time yesterday, we were swimming at the lake. Elijah went down the "big" waterslide, all by himself, on his TUMMY!!! It was so fun, I have to take my camera today and catch some shots. Anyway, that's it for now.

WHAT IS THE DOSSIER

2008-06-09T21:27:00.003-04:00

I've had quite a few questions like this "what is a Dossier anyway?" So to answer the questions, it is pretty much a ton of paperwork, pictured above. Each individual document had to be individually notarized, verified by our county that the notary was correct, certified by the state that the verification was correct, sent to CHI in St. Louis, then to Washington DC to be certified by the US (I think) and then was sent to Ethiopia.

Don't worry, I had no clue what is was before entering this journey.

~Ciao

What we were doing the past few weeks...

2008-06-09T20:53:00.009-04:00

I mentioned in yesterday's blog that I haven't been on in a while, family in and what not. Well the major reason for that was the home improvement project of dividing our garage. 2/3 extra room and 1/3 garage. With a new child coming, we needed the extra space for sure!!!

Tons of thanks to Vern and Barb for their hard work and to Dad for his tidbits of how-to information. Anyway, here are some pics from the past 2 weeks of the transformation of our garage.

Before picture, the real before was a ton worse but I forgot to take a picture of it. This is after clearing a lot of the stuff out.

Morning of day 2

Day 3 (I think??)

A view from the new "Garage" side

2 Weeks Later...The Final Project....well until we get the trim and ceiling fan done.

~Ciao

2008-06-08T16:44:00.002-04:00

Salem, Salem, Salem!

So I am so lame, I know!! We have had 3 weeks of family, so I never made it to the computer other than a glance or 2 at the ol' e-mail. Anyway, We are SO SUPER DUPER EXCITED!!!!! As Scott was glancing at our e-mail this past Friday he noticed a note from Erin at CHI. It said our dossier was on its way to ETHIOPIA!!!!!! I got all choked up. It is so awesome to see a light at the end of this long journey. It is so overwhelming to think that in a matter of months our new child will be with us.

So, we went up during prayer time at our church this morning....something that I HATE to do; I am so not comfortable in front of a crowd! Anyway, we went up just to let everyone know where we were in the adoption process and Scott said the excitement we feel is similar to if we would have announced we were pregnant. After thinking about that, it made total sense. We are now just waiting to bring our new boy/girl 0-36 months old home. We can't wait!!! Its a good thing this summer is jam packed, maybe time will fly.

~Ciao!

One of those Nights

2008-05-22T23:30:00.003-04:00

Salem,

OK, so I haven't blogged in over a week, its been crazy. Last Friday we took our COMPLETE dossier to Columbus and the State of Ohio certify it. We then sent it to Children's Hope International in St. Louis and they confirmed they received it on Monday. We are so excited I can't even put into words what we are feeling. We got an e-mail on Tuesday that CHI reviewed it and everything looked good so they were sending our Letter of Recommendation to the State of Missouri to be Certified as well and then were sending the dossier to Washington DC. They will then send it to Ethiopia within 2-2 1/2 weeks. Again, we are sooooo excited. Not to mention that there were 8 referrals THIS WEEK alone in our program!!!!!

Anywho, back to tonight. Have you ever had one of those nights? It followed a fun afternoon of going to see Indiana Jones with Scott, my dad, Barbie & Tj. We then had dinner at their house. I had a concert to play for so was gone for a little while. As we get home a little before 9pm, Elijah decides he does not want to go to bed. Its the "let me stay up" routine that tends to happen after a no nap day.

Well, we put him in bed and proceeds to scream at the top of his lungs, I go to the kitchen to finish my dad's bday cake and try to ignore the craziness that is our son. At the point of hyperventilating, I go to calm him down and as I am rocking him on our hallway floor....he nears the point of exhaustion and then says, "I don't want to go to bed!" So, the whole routine happens again. I tried to calm him done, he screamed when I was there, so I left, he screamed that he wanted me back. Scott was getting beyond frustrated as was I. It is so hard to hear your child yelling for you, but then I don't want to keep going back and being manipulated by him.

Anyway, I was nearing tears, he was hyperventilating AGAIN, so I go in and just hold him and sing his favorite song, Holy is the Lord and as I sing to him, I broke down in tears, he is sobbing himself to sleep. It was one of those moments that I felt so close to God and how he has blessed me with this special little guy. Then I think that after all the screaming and tantrums I throw at God, He is there holding me.

OK, so I think I've written a short book, so I better go to bed. Did I mention Elijah is out like a light in MY bed(-:

-Ciao

AAAAAGGGGHHHHH

2008-05-14T17:40:00.002-04:00

I am so happy right now!! We have been stalking the poor mailman for the past 3 weeks....and it finally came!! That's right, our I-171H from the US Immigration (for those of you who are not adopting families it is the last and final document to make our dossier complete) arrived today!! It was filed March 14, we were fingerprinted April 24, and today, May 14th, 2 FULL MONTHS later we're done!

So excited I can not even tell you!!! We are going to Columbus on Friday to get the dossier certified and then it is off to CHI in St. Louis and then it is hopefully off to Ethiopia.

It is so funny, I was a little aggravated with Scott this afternoon, and of course was expecting to still be upset with him when he came home....but it was super hard to be upset when he walked in carrying that letter.

Anyway, bye for now, gotta finish cleaning the house before my parents come tonight!!

Happy Mother's Day

2008-05-11T17:15:00.006-04:00

It has been a great day, well besides the pouring rain. We had a good service at church, Tj made us all cry. After watching a video of all our kids telling us they love us, Tj gets up and reads the children's book, I'll Love You Forever. It doesn't help matters that he just had a baby girl a week before and had a hard time making it through the book. Anyway, after that we went home and Scott and Tj made a great lunch for me and Barbie and we loved reading the nice cards from them and the kids.

So now it is afternoon and I decided to play a little Wii Mario Kart...one of the Mother's Day gifts Scott got me a couple days ago.

I am absolutely addicted! We played it the past couple nights, so this afternoon I reached the end of the game at the beginner level (50 cc) I must admit, it was very fun, can't weight to start the next level (100 cc). So I get to the end, a big Congratulations screen pops up with my Wii Mii (the chic in the middle)...

and I am excited so I go to see where my family is so they can

celebrate with me and this is what I've found in my home.....

A tornado hit room

A child who looks like he zonked out and just fell backwards on his bed...

and a husband who did the same.

Even though it is Mother's Day, and I am all alone in my

HUGE MARIO VICTORY,

it feels good to looks at those zonked out boys

and know how much God has blessed me!

-Ciao!

Our Newest Neice

2008-05-05T22:53:00.013-04:00

Salem!

I debated making this post, so I hope my sister doesn't mind too much. I am just excited. My sister gave birth to her 3rd child yesterday afternoon, a beautiful baby girl. We have never lived near one of our siblings when they actually had their baby. It was so awesome to actually go see the baby in the hospital and spend a little time with her mom, even though it was a bit hectic and I am sure overwhelming for her.

It definitely is a wonderful thing to be a part of. The whole way to the hospital I psyched myself up and told myself, "I'm not going to cry". The first time we visited, she was in the nursery getting cleaned up, so I held it together quite well. But who am I kidding, when we came back a couple hours later and I held this little one, I got a little overwhelmed. She was precious and memories flooded back to when Elijah was that small. It was nice to remember those moments, because sometimes its hard to think he was that small. It was great and I can't wait to see her grow up just like the rest of Elijah's 9 cousins. Wow, 10 cousins total...that is pretty cool.

Don't know what Scott was thinking, but I know it made me want our child so much more. We know we can get up to a 3 year old, so it just makes me hope that they are OK and being taken care of. It definitely puts me in a humble spirit, praying God's blessing and protection on them each and every day and keep trusting that His ways are best.

-Ciao!

Rain, Rain Go Away...

2008-05-05T22:14:00.003-04:00

This past Saturday was the 3rd week of games in our Upward Soccer League. Week 1 had a gorgeous game day. Week 2 threatened thunderstorms, but they held of until after all the games were done at 1pm. Then there was Week 3! Rain, rain, and more rain. Not only was it rain, but it was pretty chilly as well. The worst part was that there were no actual Thunder/storm cells, so the games played on. Here are a few pics of the day.

I was completely shocked Elijah made it. He usually does not like to get dirty, so when he took his first fall in the mud I thought, "OK, now it's over!" To my surprise, he got up, showed me the mud on his socks, and kept on going. I did feel sorry for the only girl on his team (above) she was not too happy.

Ciao!

Family Bed...

2008-05-03T23:13:00.003-04:00

Salem!

So as of late...okay in reality, since Christmas and then some, Elijah has felt the need to wake up at about 2 or 3 in the morning and find his way into our bed. I really think it has happened EVERY night since Christmas! Scott and I don't even notice he is there till morning most of the time.

OK, anyway, the other day Elijah was talking about where the new brother or sister is going to sleep. I told him if they were older maybe they would share a room with him. The rest of the conversation went like this....

Elijah, "If they are a baby then they can't

sleep with me cuz they will cry"

Frances, "Well, maybe we will make the office into

the baby's room, if it is a baby"

Elijah, "No, we can't do that, then they will be all alone"

Frances, "Then where should they sleep?"

Elijah, "In your room!"

Frances, "You want their crib in my room?"

Elijah, "Yep, that way when I come in, in the middle

of the night, we will ALL be there!! There

will be four of us!!"

What have we gotten ourselves into????

Here are a few pics from the park. Elijah and his cousin Ariella played there for a little while this week. They are so cute. One minute they love each other, the next they hate each other, and of course love each other in the end.

This next picture makes me sad, because I remember last summer he wanted so badly to climb this thing, but just couldn't quite do it all by himself. This particular afternoon he was climbing up and down it non-stop, all by himself!

Ciao!

African Children's Choir

2008-04-29T21:41:00.007-04:00

Selam!

OK, so many of you may already know that we are in the process of adopting our child from Ethiopia. For those of you that don't have much contact with us, we are really, really excited about our adoption. We have been working on it for a while now...we applied just under a year ago, didn't start the homestudy until last fall, and are at a waiting point for the US government to send us our Immigration approval. As soon as we get that, our dossier will be on its way (after a few checkpoints) to Ethiopia!

A church here in town brought in the African Children's Choir this past Sunday (April 27th). Usually we like these types of things, living in a small town you enjoy any kind of different entertainment, but because of our adoption this meant so much more to us. The Children were amazing, beautiful, their song and dance were both worshipful to God and poetry in motion. We had a difficult time keeping it together, of course we really did not try to. We basically cried our eyes out, wishing that we were in Africa with our new child,rather than the Lexington High School auditorium. We have to constantly remind ourselves that God has perfect timing, and He wants what is best for our family.

So....we wanted to show some pictures from the moving performance.

The kids all told us what they wanted to be when they grew up. "I want to be a doctor, a lawyer, a judge, a pilot." One little boy told us he wanted to be a Bishop. Here's to the future of Africa!!!

Ciao!

-Scott-