No Longer MIA

I'm back and no longer "Missing In Action". I leave in one hour for the airport. Pasco-Seattle-WA DC- Addis Ababa Ethiopia! Finally Judah Gezehegn is coming home. It is a short trip for me, just 3 1/2 days in Addis and gone a total of only 7 days. I am so excited to get Judah Gezehegn in my arms and be able to visit Assefa. I will have to go back to Ethiopia after Assefa passes court to get him, hopefully by November.

I have really been out of the loop since baby Jarib came home three months ago. How about a speed reader catch up?

Jake, Holly, grand kids Silas and Lauren came for a nice visit after I got home from Alabama. Holly is having a new baby next month! Pray for her and their new baby daughter to be. We also went later in summer to Brookings where Jake and Holly live for vacation. It was so beautiful there and I think it was the best vacation I have ever had. We visited the beach everyday and stayed in a cabin up the river. Not camping out in the rain sure has it's benefits.

Jarib started getting casts on his legs to correct his club feet as soon as we got back to WA state. I drive him to Shriners Hospital for his casts and he also has had lots of other appointments in Spokane to see neurosurgeon for CAT scans and to check the pressure in his head. No VP shunt yet and this is TERRIFIC news. Jarib has had four surgeries in his short life...his spinal repair in AL, then since coming here surgery for spine wound repair, another for a HUGE hernia, and last week had his heel cords cut(for club feet). Poor guy is such a trooper. Unless he is in pain from getting new casts he is such an easy going little guy. I am SOOOO ready to be done with making the trips to Spokane for casting and I know Jarib is too. He is smiling and laughing now and constantly cooing and "talking" that adorable baby singing talk. We are all enjoying him so much. I am weeping as I write this to know I am LEAVING my baby in one hour for seven days! ugh. Jarib will be with my sister Katie when Mike is at work this coming week so he will be well cared for and loved on I am sure.

All the kids started school a few weeks ago and are liking it a lot. Yasab is even in public school this year. Solomon is in Preschool four afternoons a week, Tamar MyHao in 1st grade, Maggie, Berhanu and Josiah are in 2nd grade, Anna and Miriam in 4th grade, Meseret in 6th and enjoying her first year in middle school, Yasab in 9th grade and Tigist in 10th. Michael is working as checker at Safeway and saving money before picking back up at CBC to finish his degree. Mulu Hope is out of Job Core and on her own. Roza and Haimanot still finishing up Job Core. Kayla as always is a huge help and is watching the kids again for my trip to Ethiopia.

The whole family LOVED the AAI (Adoption Advocates International) get together at Warm Beach Camp. So fun to see all the families with adopted kids and catch up with my email friends. Of course the teen Ethio girls were in heaven.

Early September Maggie, Jarib and Solomon all had a couple days of clinic appointments at Seattle Children's Hospital.

Mike and I mostly just trying to keep our head above water. Strive for a little sleep, a little peace, and keeping the kids belly's full and clean clothes on their backs. We just want all our little ones home...and are longing for the day that Judah Gezehegn AND Job Assefa are both home. Psssss...we also are praying that big chick Cody will be moving back to town, and maybe another one of our grown kids too.....

I am not taking laptop to Ethiopia but may be able to access facebook or give Mike info to share on blog.

God is doing such amazing things. We feel we do live life on a battle field sometimes more than others. Serving a living powerful King is exhilarating and wonderfully rewarding....but we do get bloodied and beaten up at times. Pray for us. We have been so blessed in so many ways, but we are still get weak and tired and weary needing to remember constantly to fill up with His living water.