Ethiopia food and friends

We are still on vacation, right now we are in Tennessee at my friend Kristy's house. We went to Dawn and Bernie's in Indiana, on Tuesday and had a really great time. We all went to eat Ethiopian food, and Abel and Tes loved getting to see each other again.

It was so cool because they got to see each other again exactly 5 months to the day since they arrived in America and last saw each other.

I will post more when I get back but here are some pictures..

Tes with Abel and Steele at the Ethiopian Restaurant..

Evangeline and I enjoying some of the best coffee in the world!!

Abel, Taylor and Bailey (Dawn and Bernie's boys) with Steele, Tes, and Evangeline

Bernie, Taylor Dawn, Bailey, Steele, Tes, Evangeline, Abel, me and Dean

Tes and Abel

There are more pictures from our entire trip on my Facebook..

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=86461&id=547874556&l=b3af4439e5

From where I sit

I took this picture sitting at my computer, looking out the window onto the back car port. This is where my boys STAY!! That's a big bowl of popcorn, they are sitting on TOP of the table eating. A little break before going back to riding bikes, playing with the wagon, farting on Cleo, farting on each other, Talking about farting, bickering some and laughing, a lot.

Watching my kids is sometimes very overwhelming for me. I wish I had a better vocabulary to describe the almost unbearable emotions I feel. OH MY GOSH!! These are my kids.

Look at Steele! I could kiss his face right off!! How are you so stinking cute and such a Rascal at the same time my sweet baby boy? You make me laugh so much. What a wonderful gift you are Steele.

Evangeline. My sunshine.My helper. You are so sweet and kind and a servant. I see Jesus in you my baby girl...oh wait, your not a baby anymore, sad and joyful I am at the thought of you growing up.

Abel. Oh my dear Abel Joseph Gebre Medhin Turner! How did we ever live without you? How did Evangeline and Steele live without you? Your little snicker, your kind heart, your joy? Oh how we knew something was missing, and it was you!

Good to be back Online

Breaks are good, needed, but thank God they are just a break.

I realized during my time away that this is definitely one arena of communication that is meant for me. It is a tool I am supposed to use to do what God has called me to do BUT on the very same hand is accountability, self control and submission to the proper order of life. God first and over all, my family second and ministry next. THIS Internet is part of my ministry. Advocating for Orphans and hurting and vulnerable children, here and everywhere.

It's easy to quit something, It's not so easy to use self control which is what's required here. I am not saying I wont take anymore breaks in the future, mine was good cuz' it wasn't a complete shut off but I really do feel God is telling me I have to do this and submit it all to him.

So that's what I will strive to do.



Kids are doing great! Abel is really doing good. Seems to be loving life. He is driving us crazy wanting to pack and work! I can't believe I just said that but it's hard when he always wants to pack and there are just some things he cant pack. But it is also a wonderful trait. He's such a hard worker. And have I said lately how sweet and kind he is? Evangeline and I were just talking last night about how good his is. And I get lots of lovin' daily! There is no hesitation or holding back. Hugs, kisses, sitting with me. It really is great.



I look at all the kids together and it really is freaky how much love they have for each other. No gap, nothing missing for them, just brothers and sister.



Jordan Earles asked me to sing with him a couple times over the last month at Jones Creek Cafe where he plays every Friday night. I sang Landslide By Fleetwood mac and Crazy by Patsy Cline. I love to sing and I'm glad I am getting to do it more lately.



We had Pamper Night for the Ladies at HPC last Monday night. I brought two really great ladies. They loved getting pampered and they saw Jesus shining brightly in the hands that gave them Pedicures, Manicures, Eyebrow waxing and a Message. I love my church.





We are moving. So I need to go load the van.

"I love Baseball Mom"

As we drove down the road headed to the library yesterday, Steele said "mom, Abel's crying." I looked back and saw tears rolling down his cheeks. I said "Abel, what's wrong?" He told me he was sad and I asked him why. "I miss Baseball Mom. I never gonna play it again." I told him "Yes, yes you will, next year, right when you turn 8 baseball will start up again." He continued to look out the car window as the tears ran down his face.



The season just ended last Saturday. He did great, hit good, caught balls in the air, ran fast and always had to have me sitting in the stands cheering for him. He would look over to me constantly to make sure I was still there. He loved his coaches too and his team mates, especially Coach Matthew.



I tried to comfort him by telling him he could play baseball at home or at the park with Sissy and Steele and daddy until next season started and it seem to make him feel better.



Even though Soccer is coming up in a couple months, which he played all the time in Ethiopia, Baseball now holds his heart. Right after his first game he said " I love baseball mom!"

He had never played it before coming to America.

"..the best of times the worst of times..."

That is a Charles Dicken's Quote. I used to love Dickens. He said that at the beginning of a Tale of Two Cities. I liked Oliver Twist better then Tale of Two Cities, go figure.

I have been without a computer for over a week. It's been both great and terrible.

So much life is happening that I want to blog about. Inside and out "some strange things are a-foot.." (another quote, this time from the movie, Bill and Tedd's Excellent Adventures).

I have started mentoring *Rachel, an ex drug addict, fresh from jail pregnant mother and God is showing me himself so much through this relationship. Last week I got to take a friend of hers, very similar life situation, to the doctors also. We are all going to Pamper Night on June 8th. I love that God put us together. Wow, is all I can say. Where some may think I am doing a "good" thing, I know God is doing a great and wonderful work in all of us and I am a recipient of the good thing.

Did I mention Rachael was raised in the foster system? Yea, God is moving.

Abel is loving the daily playing of Shoots and Ladders and the reading time. He's not talking about dieing anymore. I think the classical music I put on at bed time has helped him with his dreams. He says he doesn't remember them now, instead of that they were full of monsters. That is really good.

As a family we have scaled back on our volunteering so we can be at home more, together, reading, playing games and of course watching Sponge Bob, Abel's favorite TV show.

THIS is hard for me. I am not the stay home mom. Me, Dean and all my kids have always gone and volunteered together, we did After School, Friday Thrive, Baseball, basketball, Soccer, spent all day on Sunday at the Dream Center "doing" but now, we are not doing any of that. Even Sunday is gonna be a much shorter day. Sure, Abel always acted fine being there, busy, playing while we worked usually, but It's still not the same as connecting, bonding, attaching at home with your immediate family. It's hard to explain but what matters is we get it. We will do what is needed for him to be a full complete part of our family. I have no interest in raising an Orphan that we adopted. I want to raise my son. He's my son, Dean's son, Evangeline's brother, and Steele's brother. He was not our for 7 years, I get that, I know it will never be exactly the same as if he was, BUT I also know that my goal is for him to recognize and appreciate his past, but also to be able to let it go enough to embrace his future with us as his family. Yes, all of you that say "oh wow, he calls you mom?" he does because I am now..and forever.

I miss my computer terribly. It will be at least another week before we get one, maybe two weeks. I twittered a couple days ago that Evangeline said she liked us not having a computer cuz' I spent more time with them and didn't get mad when they talked to me. Some people got way to much "I told you so" joy out of that. I wonder how many gleeful "I told you so" people work away from home in an office where they have their computer time? How many of them are writers, researchers and advocate internationally for Orphan care through the Internet, from home, like I do? I know I spent too much time on the computer, but not as much as many would think and when I took the computer back I knew I would be without one for a while, I also knew I needed that time to jump start our new phase of connecting with Abel.

I'm learning not to Twitter everything...kinda.

So yea..the best of times the worst of times fits perfectly...

"Life's a garden Dig it!" (that quote is from the Movie Joe Dirt)

Life without a computer

That's been me since Wednesday. We took ours back cuz it was a piece of crap lap top that froze up all the time. So now, I am at Summer's using her computer to blog.

It has been really hard, I miss having a computer BAD!!

But life goes on, even when you cant blog about it.

Here's some snippets from the last couple days;

Abel is doing good. He's grieving now and we are working through his questions and just trying to love on him. It's part of the process and I am very thankful that he feels free to tell us how he feels and ask us questions. I love him so much. Everyday the love grows between us all and I'm excited about his future.

Steele turned five on Thursday! I told him to stop growing up but he said he cant. I love his little scratchy voice, that I know he will grow out of but the good thing is his fluffy pillow lips will always be with him and I pray he never out grows kissing me with them.

Evangeline is at the Navigate retreat. Navigate is the HPC student ministries summer intern program. That's why I feel I don't need to teach E bible courses during the school year, she gets it all in the summer, from her Navigate classes :-)

Finally a funny, painful story. I was driving to Thrive on Friday in the church van. It was my first time back at Thrive since November! I was excited to be going and even more excited that I was bringing *Rachael, an unwed mother that just got out of jail, been clean from drugs for 6 months and is giving her baby up for adoption, and has been coming to church at the Dream Center and Thrive each week.

As I started to drive down Airline Hwy, I felt a shooting pain in my back hip, like picture far left cheek, no, wait, stop, don't picture that..anyway. It got worse fast and before I knew it I had to pop a half a Lortab! It helped me make it through Thrive (which was great) and then I crashed. I think I have been laying in the bed on a hot pad, popping Motrin ever since.

BUT I did get up and go to the ball park for a couple hours and I took Abel to his first ever trip to the library. He loved it.

That's it for now. I'm praying I get a computer soon..

Oh, in the mean time, please check out my friend Karen's blog. She is my favorite writer of all times and now she is opening up about her life and being very raw...I love her!

karensporch.blogspot.com

Adopting a child with HIV

So in case you were wondering why the talk of adopting an orphan with HIV AIDS. Well because we feel our next adoption will be a child with HIV AIDS. Dean is still cautiously quiet...but he is aware of my current correspondence with Project Hopeful Founder and Director, Carolyn Tweitmeyer concerning plans for our future.

"Hello Carolyn,
In about 4 to 6 months we would like to begin the process of adopting a girl with HIV from Africa. We are thinking we would like her to be anywhere from birth to 4 yrs old. Can you put us on the list to receive pictures and information about waiting children?
Also, do you know if it will be a problem to adopt a child with HIV since my 13yr old daughter has type one diabetes and does frequent finger sticks to draw blood? I am not worried about her getting AIDS but I didn't know if legally there would be an issue.
I covet your prayers for us concerning this process. My husband is more cautious then I am Thanks for all you do and for inspiring and encouraging others.
Grace, Carole Turner "
__________________

"Hi Carole!
There is ABSOLUTELY nothing to worry about with finger sticksetc...NOTHING legally or medically..There is NOT a single case of transmission within a family or at school or anything in normal living! It would be GREAT if you could be here for our workshop in July at Universityof Chicago....after this one we will be doing webinars with U of C...I will forward your info to Lelie, that takes care of our Waiting Childlist... I will check my "desk jumpers' that I have now.. :)...I will SOOOOOOOOOOO pray for you and your family in this. It is abeautiful thing...BEAUTIFUL...Loving the MOST vulnerable children in the world...GLORIOUS...All for ONE.
Carolyn Twietmeyer
Founder, Executive Director
Project HOPEFUL, NFP
EDUCATING, ENCOURAGING and ENABLING families to adopt children with HIV/AIDS.
"A FATHER of the FATHERLESS and protector of widows is God in His holyhabitation. God places the lonely IN FAMILIES and gives the desolate AHOME in which to dwell;" Ps 68:5-6"
________________

Of course, this is all in God's hands and we are praying about every step. We don't think any of this will happen before 2010. Cool thing is that since sending that E-mail I have found out that the adoption agency we used to adopt Abel is in the middle of handling their first adoption of an HIV positive child from Ethiopia.

I have also learned how ignorant I really was about HIV AIDS. I honestly thought I would be adopting a child that would die young, I now know that is not necessarily the case.

So, what questions do you have about this? If you are a person in our lives, what concerns would you have if we had a child with HIV?

No question is off limits. I am still learning about all this myself.

Project Hopeful, helping AIDS Orphans

I see these necklaces and I think of Pepe, a 12 year old AIDS Orphan in Swaziland Africa. She is the size of a 5 yr old because of her illness. There have been many times where she was near death due to lack of medication because her surviving relative would delay giving the permission needed to give Pepe AIDS medication. See, the stigma of just the word "AIDS" being attached to a person is still very real in Swaziland and many countries.

BUT Pepe is now getting the care she needs thanks to organizations helping AIDS orphans around the world. Children's Hope Chest, Children's Cup, and groups like This one, Project Hopeful, all of them are working in one way or another to help AIDS Orphans.

Project Hopeful's role in AIDS Orphan care is to help these kids find families, get adopted. Yes, adopted. It is doable, it needs to be done and the mission of Project HOPEFUL is to encourage, educate, and enable parents adopting children with HIV/AIDS.



Click and order a necklace or a shirt to help raise awareness and also fund this great organization so they can further help AIDS Orphans to be Orphans no more..

In regards to adoption, children with HIV are being placed from Vietnam, Guatemala, Ethiopia and Brazil as well as several other countries. Chances By Choice, an organization that advocates and educates with the goal of finding adoptive families for children with HIV, has available children listed on their website in Vietnam, Ethiopia, Liberia, Haiti and Russia. There are some children born HIV positive in the United States that are available for adoption as well, but with the medications available to HIV+ pregnant women resulting in a remotely small chance of the disease being passed on to their babies, there are relatively small numbers of HIV+ children now being born in the U.S.The adoption process typically goes the same as any other adoption from the country the child is in, however if it is an international adoption, there is an extra step, the HIV waiver, during the immigration process, which adds time and paperwork to the process.

http://transracial.adoptionblogs.com/weblogs/hiv-children-can-be-adopted

--What you should know about HIV--

-HIV can NOT be spread through casual/household contact. HIV is not spread through hugging, kissing, shaking hands, sharing toys, sneezing, coughing, sharing food, sharing drinks, bathing, swimming or any other casual way. It has been proven that HIV and AIDS can only be spread through sexual contact, birth, breastfeeding and blood to blood contact (such as sharing needles).

- HIV is now considered a chronic but manageable disease. With treatment, people who are HIV+ can live indefinitely without developing AIDS and can live long and full lives.

- People who are HIV+ deserve to be treated with love, respect, support and acceptance as all people do.

If anyone wants more info on transmission, there is great info on the Center for Disease Control website at http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/resources/factsheets/transmission.htm

Follow Project Hopeful on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/projecthopeful

Visit the Project hopeful web site, projecthopeful.org and watch the video of the Twietmeyer's own AIDS Orphan adoption story.

We all have a role to play in Orphan care..what is your role? Is it to sponsor a child? Mentor a fatherless teen? Fund an orphanage? Help and unwed mother? Rescue a child prostitute? Adopt or help someone with the finances to adopt?

Please ask God today what He would have you do...to help Orphans be Orphans no more.

Just what the body needs

I used to do a spin class about 7 years ago. I loved it. I started back doing one this week. I have been feeling like I needed to work out for a couple months now. I'm very out of shape and in need of more energy so I knew I had to start doing the minimal thirty minutes a day, three times a week, just for health reasons. I'm also 15lbs heavier then I want to be right now so I'm hoping I can lose some weight too.

I was reading Carey's blog yesterday (she just brought home 3 kids from Ethiopia, added to the 3 she already had) and she was saying how her trainer was working her hard and THAT was helping her avoid post Adoption depression. Just then I knew why I had started back doing a spin class.

Exercise is the God given way to release endorphins and lower stress. Sure, prayer is THE answer, He supplies the greatest stress relief but sweat and getting our heart rates up were made a part of our body dynamics for a reason, and it's been proven to help stress.

According to studies done by medical professionals volunteering and exercise are the two greatest ways to lower your chance of a heart attack, alleviate stress, have more energy and be happier...now that I've added exercise to volunteering I doubt I will ever frown again, snap at my kids, yell or stress out...

Ha! ok, well it will help ...already is.

Oh, did I mention the class is at 5:30am? Bed at 9pm now, up at 5am..it's a new day.

Thank you Jesus for compelling me to exercise again. HE is good.

Water, shots and baseball

Abel loves the water, just like Evangeline...Steele is scared to death of it.

BUT all the kids like going to a pool. Today we went to the Jarreau's to swim. THEN I took Abel to the doctor. He is an inch taller but weighs the same as he did when he arrived in America. BUT the Doctor said he was healthy, not to worry. I think it's just that he's so active. He doesn't ever want to just sit and watch TV. He likes to be outside on his bike or playing with whatever, all day. So, I'm not gonna worry and I am gonna feed him even more...he eats a lot already. He winded up getting a few immunization shots today at the Doctors, he cried but really did great.

Tomorrow morning I take all of them to the Dentist. This will be both Steele and Abel's first time going...pray it goes well please :-)

Right now Abel, Steele and Evangeline have all gone with Dean to the LSU baseball game. I am sitting here in silence typing this blog post on my lap top...it's very nice :-)

Voodie Baucham on Christian Adoption Anxiety

THIS is a great blog post by Voodie Baucham about Adoption Anxieties. He nails it..

Here is just a taste...

My biggest concern with this adoption anxiety is that it seems to suggest that we should limit the offer our home, our hearts and our help to children whom we know will give us minimal difficulty. “I’ll take the one who will comply, but you can keep the one who may struggle with rebellion or identity in an institution, or with non-Christians who are better equipped to minister to them.” I know this is not what we mean. However, this is often the end result of our adoption anxiety. In the end, there are only a few guarantees when it comes to adoption:

I can guarantee you that adoption will cost you something: If you choose to adopt a child it will cost you time and treasure.

I can guarantee you that adopted children will have struggles: Every adopted child will struggle in some way with his or her place in your family and in God’s plan.

I can guarantee you that adoption will teach you more about salvation than just about anything you could do: I will never look at passages like Ephesians 1:5 the same way again.

I can guarantee you that adoption will change a child’s life: We will not know this side of heaven how adoption has impacted both Elijah, Asher and Judah. However, we know their lives have been set on an entirely different trajectory than they would have been had God not seen fit to send them home with us.

I can guarantee you that adoption is an indispensable pro-life act: I do not believe that every Christian is called to adopt children. However, I do believe that it is critical for us to give young women alternatives when we plead with them to give their babies life.

Click HERE to read the entire article.

African-cajun-hip hop

That's what I call this dancing, "African-cajun-hip-hop".

See, Abel has incorporated some traditional Ethiopian dance moves, using some plastic Marde Gras beads with break dance moves.

You can tell they watch the movie "Breakin It" was to much!

..Steele MAY have a little too much white in him I'm afraid :-)

Help for a birth mom

There is a birth mom here in Baton Rouge, looking for an adoptive couple. The child will be biracial.

She needs $360 a month until September, this pays for her to live in a Shelter that includes education, counseling, GED classes, drug/urine test, food, etc...the money would go DIRECTLY to the house and not the birthmom.

If you are interested in sponsoring her time at this Christian facility (she needs 360.00 per month to live there) as they nurture her spirit, or if you are interested in adopting the baby, please let me know and I will pass you more information.

There is a local lawyer with a heart for adoption and the costs for all the adoption expenses would be about $4000 if you complete it in Louisiana.

She wants a closed adoption, does not want to see the baby after birth, etc. She herself is a product of the fostercare system and does NOT want that for her child.

She is due Sept 9th and is on medicaid getting prenatal care and vitamins.

She attended a bible study support group this morning for single moms and she is getting lots of love and support right now but she is in need of lots of prayer so please pray for her daily.

God is moving for the Orphan..this woman, who was raised in the foster care system and the child she is pregnant with. Let's be His hands and feet and show her His love, provision and guidance during this time.

E-mail me if you want to help or need more information. carolesturner@yahoo(dot)com

Pray for this Orphan

I received this E-mail yesterday..

"Please pray for us. *Doug went to the Embassy to get S's passport and they said that she can't have one because she is older than her birth certificate says. Doug has to go to the Dept. of Immigration because apparently he has some school certificate with her birth date on it, 1993..."

The Ethiopian government won't let children over the age of 16 be adopted. This young lady has been in an Orphanage since she was 7yrs old. This family that is adopting her has grown children and the mother is a wonderful child development specialist who helps people like us with different issues facing adopted children.

They have a court date of May 25th after a year of waiting and many road blocks, to adopt this girl. In that time their daughter has seen her two friends become too old to be adopted.

Do you have any idea what the life of a 16yr old girl in an impoverished country, that has aged out of the Orphanage, looks like? Many times they wind up selling themselves to eat, getting pregnant themselves then turning around and putting that child into an Orphanage or worse.

Not being dramatic here, I am being truthful.

This couple has found ways to help their daughters friends with getting and education. They ARE giving these girls a glimmer of hope.

BUT right now, they need to get their daughter home before she turns 16 in September. *Doug needs to get the paper work that proves her age to the courts and the courts need to believe them, and stamp it all done!

Please join me in praying for this to happen.

"Lord you are bigger then this situation. Please put your hand on *Doug so that he can get this situation resolved today and gets the papers to them that prove her age. God I ask that you open the eyes of the courts, let them see the paperwork, approve it, let S come home to the family that is waiting for her. Give peace to this family. Comfort them in the wait. Guide everyone involved. Push back the hand of the enemy that only wants this girl NOT to be adopted. have your way Jesus. I pray this all in Jesus name Amen."

I'm a mess..

I feel like all I do on here is throw pity parties, or make it sound like I'm always dealing with something.

Sometimes I want to pull back and not be so raw.. But then I just cant. This blog has to be true to who I am more then anything.

I am a mess.

Not like you all don't know how much Ethiopia and adoption has wrecked my heart, my mind, but to say it again, It has totally destroyed me.

Destroyed in a good way, in a surgical removal of self way.

But sometimes I just don't know what to do with myself. I have a hard time being present. Here and now.

I am joyful, at peace, happy. I laugh often, dance, sing and play.My heart is full of all that.

I hope. I dream. My faith is stronger now then ever. I know He's working so it's all very good BUT my heart is also shattered for everything normal.

The blessing of adoption is so life changing, so huge and heart stretching.

I hurt for a family right now that has decided to give up the 4yr old girl they adopted only 3 months ago from Ethiopia.

I hurt for the millions of children that will not eat today, will die today from treatable diseases, will be left in an orphanage by a single mom who can't support her child, or conceived the child from rape or incest.

I hurt because so many people would rather drink another Latte instead of helping a child not starve to death.

I could go on and on but I wont. I will rest.

Be present for Abel, Steele, Evangeline.

All I Need - Kim Walker

Where You Go I Go - Kim Walker

Check one two..Check, Check

Some call it "a check in your spirit". Others may say it's your "Gut instinct" as a follower of Christ. I call it the Check. God speaking to me in a situation, saying "No. Stop. This isn't it, etc.."

I hear it. I can always in hind sight say "I knew that" but I need to start hearing and acting on that "Check" right when it is spoken to me.

Problem is I don't trust it. Even though in my heart I know it's Him talking to me, If it's not what I want to hear, I can brush it aside by justifying what I am wanting to do with lots of "God reasons" that it should be done.

In the summer of 2006 I got a call from a friend in California telling me about a girl giving up her bi-racial baby boy for adoption. When I was listening to my friend tell me all the details I heard in my heart "this isn't it Carole" but I found a thousand reasons why this "was" it. Long story short, the girl backed out two weeks before the baby was born. We had named him, fell in love with the dreams of our future child, and so we grieved for him when he did not become our child.

I should have listened.

In April of 2006 Evangeline and I took part in Invisible Children, Displace Me protest. It was a wonderful experience that deepened my commitment to help Africa and it also helped educate Evangeline on the war in Uganda. A couple months ago I started receiving E-mails about an upcoming "Rescue" event with Invisible Children. It was to raise awareness and get action taken against Joseph Coney who is the leader of the LRA in Uganda. Invisible Children was now trying to get Coney to release the child soldiers that make up most of the LRA with the "Rescue" protest.

I watched the video and as I did I felt that check..."no" is what I heard as I considered getting involved. But again, I didn't listen. Even when we were at the event, buying the T-shirts I was thinking, "something about all this just doesn't feel right to me"...but I still bought the shirts. No, nothing bad happened, just wasted money and time but I have since begun researching how to really help Uganda and I am now convinced that IC is misguided and may do more harm then good in this situation.

I should have listened.

After I came back from getting Abel three months ago I just knew I had to get back to Ethiopia. I found a missions trip and started planning. I prayed for God to guide me but I didn't like when I heard again "this isn't it" so I forged ahead, even changed countries in Africa thinking THAT would help me shake the "this isn't it" but finally, I had to confess, going back to Africa was not what God wanted.

I finally listened...this time.

My point in all this is I have to not only know His voice but obey His voice even when it doesn't seem like He should be saying no.

Go read this..

We traveled with this family to Ethiopia, I love this story, you will too..

Family Rooted in Love

Fun with the Camera

What's 'Dream'?

Every night I tuck the kids in and I put one hand on their head and with the other I am hugging them close n I say a pray in their ear for the next day and for their dreams.

For the boys I pray they will have good dreams of bikes, trampolines, playing with our neighbor Jackson and baseball, stuff they like.

Last night Abel said "mom, what's 'Dream'?

I said "it's the pictures and things you see when you sleep".

He said "I only see monsters, no bikes, trampoline"

I said "Abel, I am praying you don't see monsters anymore, just bikes, trampolines, baseball and all the things that make you happy. Ask God for good dreams, just like I do for you when I put my hand on your head".

He said "God. Up" and pointed to the sky.

I said "yes, but He's listening and He can give you good dreams. Just ask Him for them."

My girl takes good pictures...

Abel likes to get his picture taken..

He's quite the ham..

He knew Evangeline was taking these so he struck the "contemplative" pose.


Yes, she took this of herself with her new phone that the really nice Mrs. Evelyn Chaisson gave her..

She took them but I did do a little photo shopping :-)


And this is Steele on Sissy's phone..at the crime scene..


This is his "getting ready for trouble" smile..


And this is Abel washing our neighbors car. He had already washed ours. He literally BEGS to wash the car! In Ethiopia there are car washes everywhere. Not drive thru ones, or buildings set up for them, but guys washing cars in pastures, right beside the goats and sheep, all along every major highway or street. SO, Abel considers washing the car to be a really cool thing.

Before he got here, my car was washed every six months or so, now it's washed every six days!