Tonight Mihiretu received a collection of gift cards given by his Wednesday night Sparks leaders and friends.  They wrote him such a sweet card and reminded him of one of the Bible verses he learned this year.  

"Be strong and courageous; do not be terrified, do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you."  Joshua 1:9

Just as I was getting choked up over the kindness and generosity of all these people, I opened Mihiretu's backpack and in it found a card from his school, which simply stated, "Thinking of you and hope this helps."  In it was another very generous gift card.  This made me tear up all over again.  I really don't know who it is from and who to thank.  I think tomorrow we just might need to take a trip to Target to get the boys some toys or books.  We are so blessed by you.

Well, it is official...we must wait to until our house is complete before we pursue our next adoption.  There was a little girl who we thought...*maybe*??  So I called our agency, CHSFS to ask if we could possibly move ahead.  The answer is not now.  If we were to begin the process now, because we live with her, my mother-in-law would have to undergo a background check and we all know she'd never pass with her extensive ties to the mob.  Hahaha, sorry Joani.  I couldn't resist that one.  But seriously, we'd incur another expense with that and also because we'd be moving, we'd have to update our home study and that is another step.  They also thought we were going through a lot of transition now and it would better not to take on too much.  So we're to call a couple weeks before we move in and get the ball rolling.

I'm a little sad about this but I must admit, also a little relieved at the same time.  Filling out adoption paperwork, getting fingerprinted, background checks, notarizing everything, etc. takes a LOT of time and right now I'm not sure where I'd get the time to do it.  If I had all the inventory done, it would help.  But I have a long way to go with that.  God knows what we can handle and has the right timing so we trust Him.  But I'm still a little sad...

Right now I have 50 pages of inventory with about 40 items on each page.  So that's 2,000 items so far!  I have at least that many more to go, then must look up each item for it's replacement price.  Ughhhhh.  Can you imagine?  

I did finish inventory-ing the damaged clothing the other day.  The dry cleaner's did sort out a big stack that was damaged but when I went through the other clothing that was cleaned, I found quite a bit more that was damaged.  Due to the heat from the fire, many of the pieces of clothing have color that bled or actually completely changed.  Like spots on a purple shirt would turn to blue, green turned yellow.  Anything that was in the boys' closet that was white is now dingy grey.  The weird thing I'm also finding is that shirts that were hanging on a hanger have some spots that actually look like the fabric disintegrated and there is now a hole.  That makes me concerned for the clothing that looks fine now.  What will it look like after a couple washings?  It is amazing what they can do and we're thankful to have some of our old clothing.

I'm really going to try to learn patience through all of this.  Detail oriented I am not.   Everything about this inventory process is wrought with those dreaded details.  This is what I have to write down for one of Blaine's shirts - Claiborne 100% Cotton Mens solid color dress shirt 15 1/2-34/35 wrinkle free collar.  Seriously, it stresses me out just to read that!  Probably by the time I'm completely done, I will have written 5,000 items like that.   I like everything done yesterday.   So I hope I get it right this time.  The patience thing, I mean.  We'll re-assess after 2,000 more items.  I have a LONG way to go, don't I?? :)

Blessings,

Laura

As promised...

It took all weekend...but here it is!  

We had only had Mihiretu home a couple weeks when this was taken.  It is amazing how much English he is understanding already.  And how much he doesn't understand is kind of cute, too.   I miss that accent so much.  The helmet - who knows?  He wore it all day.

Yep, there is my old, lovely dining room.  Ahhhhh, someday again.

Now that you're done watching this adorable video, go to your phone and call your nearest adoption agency because - how can you possibly resist??

Blessings,

Laura

A cross post from our old caringbridge site

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2009 7:18 PM, CST

Drumroll please.......something has arrived in the mail......something I've been working on getting for over a year......Mihiretu's........GREEN CARD!!!!! Yahoooo!! It has his correct birthdate and name!!!! Now we can get him a social security number and get both boys' Certification of Citizenshipand passports and then we're DONE with paperwork, except for their post placement reports which we are required to do yearly until they are 18. Not a big deal, though. Those who know me KNOW that I am NOT the paperwork type and I lose things like checks or other important things. Analytical I am not. So to have gotten through the paperwork of an adoption is a miracle for me! I'm just so thankful to be almost done.

Lately, I find my heart breaking for the many older orphans in Ethiopia. I have been recently introduced to an orphanage there for older boy called Kolfe Orphanage...google it and look at these gorgeous boys. What do you think the chances of these boys EVER getting a home or family? Extremely slim. After all, most families would choose a baby or toddler, not a teenager.

I recently found a quote that I quite like. It goes like this:

"Sometimes I'd like to ask God why He allows poverty, famine and injustice in the world when He could do something about it...but I'm afraid God might ask me the same question." Anonymous

Wow, how true is that?

Another quote I agree with is this:

"God is in the slums, in the cardboard boxes where the poor play house, God is in the silence of a mother who has infected her chlild with a virus that will end both their lives. God is in the cires heard under the rubble of war, God is in the debris of wasted oopportunity and lives, and God is with us if we are with them." Bono

Poverty is mentioned over 2,100 times in the scriptures. "As you have done it unto the lease of these my bretheren, you have done it unto me" Matthew 25:40. You see, these orphans are Jesus in disguise, each one of them, no matter their age. Would we leave Jesus in an orphanage? Would we leave him unfed, unclothed, unloved, unmedicated if He were sick. I don't think so, not many of us. I wouldn't. But I am. I really am.

This haunts me. I lose sleep over this.

How much is enough? How much should we do? When is it enough? Is it ever enough?

Ethiopia (and many other parts of the world) is not like America in terms of poverty. Our poverty is wealth in Ethiopia. Welfare, food stamps, Medical Assistance, Salvation Army, shelters, soup kitchens...non-existent in Ethiopia the way they are here. If you don't have food you will die in the street...that's just a fact.

I've got to do something. I wish God would show me what that is. But I have to do something about this terrible injustice. I am having a hard time living with this knowledge.

This has been on my heart for months now but I haven't known how to share it with you. I'm not sure what I've said is appropriate and if I have offended I am sorry. I know what I am suggesting is not popular and goes against human nature and the American culture. But this one thing I know...what is on my heart is directly in tune with the very heart of God.

"Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for ophans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you." James 1:27

I don't want to allow the world to corrupt me. God, show us what we should do.

Blessings,

Laura

I wanted to share this because although many of you have followed our previous blog, many of you are newer friends.  This goes back to February 8, 2009 when I finally had the courage to post it.  It had been on my mind for quite some time.  The cool thing you can see when you read it is that at the time, I was searching and asking God to show us what our next step was to be.  He answered us since then.  God does answer prayer.  It's adoption for us once again, but we will continue to ask what our next step after this adoption will be.  Retirement is not an option for us.  Too many in need.  Keep speaking, Lord.  We're listening.

Hope me adding this old posting doesn't confuse in any way.  Please let me know if it does so I can clarify.

Love,

Laura

Call me weird!

...but I absolutely love cooking magazines and cook books.  So today at Sam's Club, I decided to get some to replace my rather large, now burnt and non-existent, collection.  I got 3 magazines and a Taste of Home cookbook.  I'm a girl in heaven!  Now I just need some time to look at them. :)

My sister in law, Pam came over once again to help me organize our new home away from home.  Seriously, this woman is amazing and should start a company doing this for people.  She can come into a room and I think she blinks her eyes (like I Dream of Jeannie) and it's all cleaned up.  It might be a little more work than that but that's how it seems to me.  My sister, also called Pam  has this organizational gene, as well.  I didn't get it.  But I'm wondering if the key is simply to name your daughter, Pam and she turns out like this.  Don't be surprised if we name our new Ethiopian daughter Pam!!

Mihiretu spent the afternoon at his friend from schools house yesterday afternoon.  What fun!  Her dad is a fireman and was actually there at our house the night of our fire.  It was so nice because he took Mihiretu and M (their daughter) to the fire station to climb on the equipment.  Mihiretu even was able to put on some of their clothes, including the suspenders!  I know this little boy will one day be a fireman now!  Seriously, see how wonderful people have been to us?

Talk about going above and beyond.

Blaine will get the video of the cutest (ok, one of the cutest!) newly adopted 4 year old boy up this weekend.  Busy, busy, busy!

Gotta run to pick up Mihiretu.  Where does the time go?

Blessings,

Laura

Settled in

We are getting settled into our new way of life.  Today I bought a toaster so we could have breakfast downstairs, where most of us sleep.  My super organizer sister in law, Pam helped me make a useful little kitchen out of the wet bar area.  We have our own snacks, cereal, toast, juice, peanut butter and my homemade strawberry jam, which survived the fire.  Yum!  I bought paper plates, paper bowls, plastic knives and spoons and cups to make it easier to eat down here.  

The kids are getting more settled in and comfortable.  Mihiretu has been invited to several of his classmates homes after school this week and last.  He's had SO much fun and it's been so helpful to have him entertained so I could do other things.  It's amazing how these parents have reached out to us to help in this way.  I'm so thankful.

This past Sunday, we went to church, then out to lunch then home (here) to settle in.  Having down time instead of go-go-go all the time, I found makes me have time to reflect.  I MUCH prefer to keep chipping away at the tasks at hand.  If I keep busy "doing" I cope much better.  I don't have time to reflect.  If I let my emotions get the better of my, my kids will see and get upset and this will just make things harder.  So you see, it's better to be strong and tend to everyone else's needs.  It just is.  I've learned this and I'm pretty good at it.  So good, in fact that my precious niece - the one who is pregnant (and who I was there the day she was born and remember it well) has asked me to be in the delivery room with her when she gives birth to my great-niece.  She knows that I can remain calm with a little smile on my face, no matter what comes, which will keep her (and her husband) calm.  It's a gift I think.  Plus, I have helped 5 friends and family members during labor and delivery because I have this stone faced gift.  It has served me well.  Some call it denial.  I think 'gift' has a much more positive ring to it.

The enormity of it all sinks in when I let it and I really can't get my head around all of it.  It really is so big, with all it's complexities and what it means and how it effects each family member.  Many people have commented about how shocking the pictures of the house are.  When I looked into the kitchen from the garage for the first time, I had to turn around and go to the back yard for a while.  It was so shocking, like a horrible nightmare.  I love to cook and take a lot of pride in my kitchen and to see all the black soot coating everything, boarded up windows and stuff everywhere it looked to me like a crack house.  

How quickly everything can change.  One day, we are having company for dinner and kebabs on the grill and the very next day our house looks like a crack house.  

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."  Matthew 6:19-21

I quote these verses often out loud trying to remind myself of their truth.  Like one morning when you wake up, the once flawless wood floor is scratched beyond recognition by 2 little boys riding their trucks and bikes on it all winter.  (It really didn't happen over night!) Or when ink gets all over your leather couch and won't come off. (Guess it looked like a great coloring spot!)  When I discover these lovely things, I grimace and I feel this little twinge inside for just a second and then those verses come, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth..."  

When I saw my lovely kitchen in that state, they came to my mind again.  

We only have "stuff" to be used.  If it is blessing a human being, then that is it's intended purpose.  We shouldn't treasure our "stuff" or our money the way we do.   It is because of this misdirected treasuring that we don't:

- have people over for dinner (our house is too small, messy, I can't cook, you fill in the blank), or 

-allow a person who is in need to live with us (it costs too much to feed them, how uncomfortable, they might see me in my underwear),

 or

- do foster care (what if they steal from me, they might keep me up all night, too stressful, they might wreck my "stuff")

or

-adopt (woah, way too expensive, they'll take time from my other kids-not fair, I've worked all my life and I *deserve* this time to enjoy myself,  I'm almost done - this is my time, WAY too much work, they might have to learn a new language - how do you do that?)

or

-give money to a ministry.  Who knows what they are going to do with it?  

Yep, pretty much I've heard all of those things at one time or another.  I've said some of those things.  I'm as guilty as the next person when it comes to misdirected treasure.  And yep, there is some truth to those concerns.   

But to that I say, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."  Oh, yeah.  Actually Jesus said that first.

Just some stuff I had to get off my chest tonight.

Love to you all,

Laura

 

2 Weeks Ago

As I woke up this morning, I remembered back 2 weeks ago today and what a different day it was than any other had ever been.  When we went to bed Thursday night, the kids were preparing to go to school the next day, Blaine was prepared to go to work, and I was wondering how I would tell my friend, Angie (who I work out with every Friday) that we were adopting again.  (We both have 4 kids and *sometimes* while on the treadmill, talk about how busy our lives are!)  Never did we imagine that a couple hours later our house would be on fire and we would be running out to escape the smoke.  Life can sure change instantly.

I know this will make us a stronger family, corporately and individually.  We are learning how to empathize with others who are going through difficulty.  The one thing I've learned is to be sure to be the one who calls, emails or sends a card when someone you know has a crisis.  For some reason, it means an enormous amount.  We sure appreciate all the prayers, assistance, offers, gifts, meals, help and kind words offered to us.  

It looks like most of our pictures on our computers were able to be saved.  The Geek Squad was able to mirror our hard drives.  We got them back yesterday and it is pretty promising.  One thing that we found that we had on computer is a short video of Mihiretu, taken about 2 weeks after we were home.  It's hilarious!!  His accent is strong and his English is very limited.   He's eating lunch (Ethiopian wat -like a lentil stew- on a tortilla because I didn't have any injera -Ethiopian bread.)  He's wearing a snowboarding helmet at the table,  just because he thought it was cool, I guess.  I'm going to get Blaine to post in here so you can see it.  Then after watching it, if any one of you does not run to your nearest adoption agency to adopt a 4 year old boy, I'm not too sure what to think!  It's adorable.

We are excited and thinking about our next adoption.  I'm planning on having the application filled out and ready to mail the day we move back into our house.  It breaks my heart that our daughter has to remain without a family for another 6 months.  We don't know why this is but trust that God in His perfect timing has it under control.  I am learning a lot of patience during this time and I'm sure that will come in handy in the future:).

Blessings,

Laura

Looks like a garage sale!

After taking Mihiretu to school, my mom came over to Joani's and we began dumping out huge plastic garbage bags full of smelly, smoky and some wet clothing that we'd deemed too small, too big, too old, too wholy, etc. to keep.  The way insurance works is that they will clean whatever you tell them you want but they don't want to clean clothes you don't really want.  So if you chose to discard some items you receive the cleaning cost for these items.  For example, for a afghan would cost $18.64 to clean so if you don't want it cleaned, you get the $18.64.  If you want it, they clean it and you keep it.  If it is unable to be cleaned due to too much damage or heat causing the color to change, you receive the full replacement cost of the item.  Are you bored to death by this yet?  

Ok, anyway I wish we'd have had the camera with us today because we had huge piles all over the driveway of clothes.  A pile of pants - 77 to be exact.  WHAT?  231 shirts of all kinds.  WHAT? 32 Sweatshirts.  33 boxer briefs.  Ugghhhh.  Are you getting the picture??  Would have made a great photo op!  I can't tell you what a huge relief it is to have that huge job done! 

We went out to the house today to meet with the owner of LeMaster, our restoration company.  What a nice, genuine man.  We raved to him about his great employees, which they deserve.  They are really working hard on our house.  At this point, all the cabinets on the main floor have been removed.  Downstairs  I think they have some sheetrock out and are drying out the 2x4's.  

It really is a blessing to see things moving along so quickly.  I can't imagine how stressful this would be if it was moving at a snails pace.  Our insurance company, which I think I will say is Travelers Insurance, has been absolutely wonderful, as well.  They have advanced us money so we can purchase the things we need and are making sure LeMaster's has been paid so they can keep things moving along for us.  We feel they have been perfectly fair in their dealings with us.  This blog is really not for advertising but I felt that it has helped our family so much that I want to share it with you.  If you live in MN and want to know our agent, let me know.  We can't be more impressed.  

I don't know if I ever gave the fire department credit but as long as I'm on a roll...they were so kind and compassionate to us.  Ditto for the police who were there.  Super helpful and understanding.  

Blessings,

Laura