Adoption #2

My apologies for this is a VERY long overdue post!!  Last August (2011) there were a group of Ethiopian kids here in Bozeman for a hosting program called The Summer of Hope.  Our kids were spending time with them and Mahlea was SO excited there were two girls her age.  Mahlea spent a lot of time with them and the week before they were headed back to Ethiopia, we discovered that one of the girls Mahlea was spending lots of time with was not being "pursued" by a family.  We were at a picnic and I don't ever think I will forget it because I knew the moment I heard the words...

You see, Brian and I are HUGE fans of adoption!!!  Our three Ethiopian kids have blessed all of our lives in unimaginable ways.  Despite what most people say (and some people verbalize) THEY  "rescued" US!  They have shown us love, despite our failures; they have shown us strength and courage-coming to an unknown place where the language, food and people are very different than their own.  The things that these kids have endured in their short lives is more than any human should endure in a lifetime.  Despite the amazing children we have been blessed with, we weren't really "looking" to adopt again.

However, God had other plans for us (as He often does)!!!  Brian and I prayed about it and then sat our older three kids down and talked to them.  It was one of the most humbling conversations of my life.  Brian started by jokingly saying "Mom thinks we should adopt Addis"  Silas immediately piped up "Yah Mom!!! You are GOOD!!!"  Josh and Mahlea both agreed "YES we should!!"  There was silence for a moment and we looked at Silas, he was counting his fingers..."We have 5 seats left in the van, we should adopt 5 more kids!!!!" he said. We all busted up laughing.  Then he said "when I get older and have a wife, we are going to adopt LOTS of kids!" (this is a warning to any girls out there, I think he is serious about this!!!)  Josh said "I want to help kids who live on the streets in Ethiopia"  Mahlea added "I want to help orphans with AIDS".  My eyes welled up with tears.  I cannot believe that these incredible human beings call me "Mom"; that I get to know them and be part of their lives.

We called our younger four kids up and asked them what they thought.  They all jumped up and down and shouted "Yay!!!"

I truly don't know why Jesus chose me to be the mom of 7 these amazing human beings but I am SO incredibly thankful that He did!!!

There it is, the beginning of adoption #2.  We submitted our application to America World Adoption and began the paper chase!!