A sparrow when I'm broken, and eagle when I fly.....

Welcome to my world. I am an ordinary wife and mom who has been extraordinarily blessed by an amazing husband and house full of beautiful children. My prayer is that you will be somehow blessed by our family's story. It is a tale of God's grace and forgiveness...His loving kindness and patience with us His children as we strive & struggle everyday to bless His name with our lives

Monday, August 18, 2008

my new blog

Here is photo of our current smaller family, just thirteen of us living at home. We can all fit in the 15 passenger van now.

I decided to finally catch up to the rest of the world and start a “blog”. I started our newsletter yahoo group in 2001 during our first adoption of Anna from China. Many of you have walked beside us since the beginning. You’ve gone through our “virgin” adoption walk of a screaming grieving toddler and on to adoptions of every other kind. You’ve been beside us as we brought home deathly ill babies and we went without sleep for months on end. You bore with my whining and impatience during the long waits for every new child. You have listened to my worries of parenting scarred and abused older children and my complaints of angry teenagers. You have prayed with us as we limped through Jonathan’s battle with aplastic anemia; and you wept with us at his death after the bone marrow transplant. I hope too that along with my struggles you have also shared in our joy and awe at how God has taken two very flawed people like Mike and I, and created a wondrous thing. Every family is miracle and every child a blessing. Mike and I still marvel God brought us together as a family and chose to make us HIS people. That He chose to make us so RICH in blessings and children, that He LOVES us so much. He uses us in our puny weakness and grows us up into HIM through each and every adventure and battle. I pray that you will continue to share in our unfolding story and that God would bless your life through it.
Thanks for being interested enough to read what I write and for supporting us with your friendship. Keep praying for us. God is ALWAYS good. It is just very hard still sometimes missing our Jonathan. It feels like we are doing good hard “grief” work. It is a summer of learning to live a lot of changes. Jonathan gone forever….. Mommy back home fulltime after being away so much with Jonathan….. Big girls Hope, Haimanot, and Roza gone at Job Core. This week we are going camping at Jubilee Lake. With the medical challenges of the last few years we haven’t been there in a long time. I am so excited to be there. It will be some of the kid’s first time fishing and swimming in lake. And we can count on it being cooler on top of the mountain than the 104 degrees it is here at home.
Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance,
Julee

15 comments:

Ely said...

Hi Julee, I am so excited to hear about the new adoptions. I can hardly wait to meet them. I'm passionate about adoptions and opening my home for children who may otherwise not have the chance to experience life in a family.
We have been so blessed by each of our children. God knew we needed them as much as they needed us.
You and your family have been a tremendous blessing and inspiration to us.
Maybe someday we'll be able to go to Ethiopia together and bring home the next member/s of our family...

Unknown said...

yay!! welcome to the blog world! so exciting!! :)
and...congrats!

Beverly said...

Hi Julee, this is such a neat way to keep in touch. Boy, would my teenage son be proud of me for using a blog:) You have a beautiful family. It makes me want to adopt more---having all boys I'd love a little girl from Ethiopia.
Hope you are still taking time to grieve. It is a process and can be a very long one. Take care and God bless.
Bev

June Berger said...

Julee, so glad you are blogging, I too just started. I must admit, I like your layout better than mine. Ah well, we are constantly being improved upon by God, thankfully He doesn't give up on us! I will enjoy following along with you all this way. Please follow us as well.
http://ajourneyofgrowth.blogspot.com/

Carolyn T said...

JULEE~~~~
How God will continue to use you and your family for HIS cause!!! Gives me chills!!! You are such a blessing in so many areas.....
Care

Melinda said...

I am on the AAI yahoo group and found your blog link. You have such a beautiful family! It is so amazing to see familiy's like yours following the will of God. I can't wait to follow your journey to two more.

Joy Portis said...

So glad you have entered the Blog world. Your daily testimony will be a blessing to so many. You first post has already been to me :-) Can't wait to follow along.

Blessings,
Joy

Blessed and content mom of 6...
always open to more if it's Gods will

Anonymous said...

Julee I love your blog! It's definitely a fun (and sometimes addicting) way to keep friends and family updated. CONGRATULATIONS on your newest blessings and your upcoming trip to Ethiopia. You have such a beautiful family!

Anderson Crew said...

Julee-welcome to the blogworld! What a beautiful family and story you have! Looking forward to "tuning in" to your adventures!

Michelle Riggs said...

When you described your blog, on the Ethiopian Yahoo list, as overtly Christian I had to read it. I loved your intro and first message. What a testimony to God's grace and love. I am writing you from my daughter's hospital room. I can relate to so much of what you wrote. I am so sorry that your son is no longer with you. Praise God that He is holding your family, including Jonathan, in the palm of His hand. I will be praying for your family


http://www.riggsfamilyblog.com/

Lory Howlett said...

Saw your post on one of the message boards....beautiful blog! In Christ, Lory Howlett www.thehowletts5.blogspot.com

Rebecca said...

I, too, saw your post on the ET yahoo group. You have an absolutely beautiful family and I sit here in awe of you. God bless you and yours. Thanks for inviting me to join you on your journey!! Rebecca (your "almost" neighbor in Vancouver WA)

The Mansell Crew: said...

Julee,
Welcome to the blog world! We have adopted 6 children from Ethiopia and pray that God will bless us with more!

www.tenmansellarrows.blogspot.com

Ethiopianmomma said...

Hi. I am excited to follow your blog. We adopted our wonderful son from Ethiopia last year (through AAI) and are adopting again now. What a crew you have! That is such an inspiration.
Can't wait to read your stories.

Katie Brabson
www.brabson.blogspot.com

Thankfulmom said...

Julee,

I am so happy to find your blog. I have been "out of the loop" since we left for Ethiopia, but I think I getting back into life now.

Adoption is a wild adventure with the Lord on our side. We are excited to see the blessings He has in store for you and your family.

Lisa