as these days start and end, my mind just keeps going back to all the women before me....
the pilgrim mothers, the pioneer mama's, indian sues out on the plains...
how did they make it?

from sun up to sun down how did they keep their sick kids alive, make meals, do laundry,
respond to email, and answer the phone?

i need a spa day..... any chance this might be coming my way!

Bribe with donuts!

Matt resorted to bribing abigail with a krispy kreme donut to get her to sink herself in the bath last night. it worked.
(aunt megan, brought over donuts last night in hopes of brightening the day)

outbreak #4 of the famous ethiopian chicken pox!

abigail camille yonan has fallen to the pox- she is high with fever.
and we are praying it will be a fast episode.

madeleine gray is ALL poxed out- poor thing, or should we say rudolph the red nose reindeer.
yep a big one right on the end of her nose. not good for a 12 year olds self esteem.

dixon tommorow maybe and then wouldn't we have a funny picture.

well, we yonan's have been infested with flying things lately.
so we have resorted to yes, fly paper.

NO JOKE! fly paper.

have a good laugh on us.

yep.... it's arrived!!!!
madeleine the great care taker of jonah has finally got the spots.
we are glad that we are progressing along here with checking off this box of childhood illness that we have tried
to get for years.

just praying that the other 2 come down quickly.

the  boys are stripping before they even reach the bath tub, screaming all the way- and they never stop smiling the entire bath. wish everyone could see this joy. and to think we couldn't even get them to sit in the bath tub less than a month ago!

we encourage you to watch this video. so much of what it shows gives testimony to how we have felt about our time in Ethiopia. we have so much in america, don't get me wrong, i'm the girl that sang "God bless America" upon my return home, but we have to think everyday and tell ourselves the truth about where does joy come from? how do we find joy?

it can't be based on circumstance.... it can't! there just would be no hope to ever have joy.

our joy and hope is in the one who came to save us.... matt and amanda, the lost. Jesus came to earth and gave His life to show us how to know the Father. we don't have to have organized closets, obedient children, money in the bank, a wheat free diet, a dog that sits on command, or any other sign of success, we just have to trust that He is the one that saves us from our sin and gives us a future with Him for eternity.

that's joy!

1. the sound the car makes when it unlocks.

just a normal day at the downing house pool (a local house donated for ministry with a pool), a few moms meet there for some pool time in a low key environment. i was in the pool and this mom that i had not met and i started talking. she had also adopted from ethiopia. she asked what agency we used... i said "all gods children!"

can you see the love in his eyes?

not sure if he meant it but tonight.....

huge huge huge night for these boys.... 

NOPE, never does! 

wow. this is a big one!

when the boys came home, we quickly started playing the one and only cd that we had from ethiopia. it was a sort of traditional praise music. the kids and i played it every day for months as we waited for "our missing parts". we certainly did have a favorite song, although never knowing the meaning, it was a heartfelt song with an upbeat tempo.

low and behold...... guess who knows every single word and even adds in the drum beats?
yep, jonah yonan!
isn't that amazing..... as we were pining for him in ethiopia he was listening to "our song".

why are we surprised..... i have no idea. this was His story for our family before time, but it's oh so sweet to be the recipient of gifts like this dear boy singing his heart out(in amharic), Lord willing truths that are already written on his heart.
thank you Lord, for you are good. ps.... at the end when he starts whispering.... do you think this might be because the song talks about making a latte... maybe he'll be my next barista!

sometimes, when the boys get a foggy look in their eyes, and it is obvious that they aren't "here"- i can't help but wonder what they are thinking. 

I thought this would be fun for you to see. It's a slideshow of the photos of when my mom, dad & brothers got to the airport. I hope you enjoy it. Dixon

wish you all could have been there today as Jonah met George. they sat down right away on the same chair and started talking; george asking questions and jonah answering. mind you they do NOT speak the same language. what could be better? and sweet molly gray loved up fitsum with too many kisses to count.

the screaming that is.....

my sweet dixon, who was a big catalyst for this adoption and cheerleader through the process, while passing me in the kitchen

children all over africa are starving.... did fitsum eat all of their food?

BUBBLES, BUBBLES and more BUBBLES! is there anything that is better for kids; especially when you don't have to share with 40 other young children. We are having fun playing and exploring daily life together. Chicken pox are

on the mend, and last night was our first night of 9 hours of sleep. Amazing what that will do for a gal!

I ALWAYS sit my little ones on the counter. Against many complaints, advice and suggestions I have always done it this way... and once more my counter is FULL!

After 30 hours of travel (almost to the minute), we are home. We'll update soon....but you can click under gallery at the top right to see our photo album. When you click it takes you to another site and choose the "Ethiopia Trip" album.

M

Today was better. We are on our way to the airport in just 30 minutes. We are very excited. It was sunny nearly all day. We mainly stayed at the hotel but had a very nice visit with Samuel (pronounced samwell). This is the man whose agency partners with ours to bring kids to better places. He gave us a tour of his orphanage. It was a blessing.

Fits is doing a bit better but is holding out on eating for the most part. Nothing serious. Just being willful.

We are thankful that today has come.

#1 Pox Mania- all over Fits’s face this morning:), very sad.

#2 Meeting had a big surprise…Mesfin the birth dad, did a surprise drop by. Yep! We were shocked! Meeting was extremely emotional, but in all things the Lord was there in big ways. Mimi, the birth mom, prayed over the boys and she shared their stories, dreams and history. She is truly AMAZING. We will have no trouble loving her and sharing her goodness with our boys. The boys handled all of this amazingly.

#3 When asked why they chose the name Yonas, Mesfin said “well, because I love the story of Jonah in the Bible!” Of course, I burst out crying because of the 3 names that have the same meaning as Yonas in English, we chose Jonah. See what I mean? Blessing upon blessing despite the heartbreak and drama.

We are stretched and tired. We’ll never be the same but we’re ready to be home. Our kids, normal food, no nighttime chanting (praise Jesus), normal shower- we’ll share more, my kids, clean pj’s. God bless America land that I love! Can’t wait to share it all!

Did I mention I miss my three yo yo’s?

Love overflowing,

Amanda and Co.