Finally a family of Seven!: February 2007

Journee had to write an autobiography for class about a month ago. Calvin helped her with it, and she enjoyed reading it for her class.
Last weekend, she decided to write her whole families autobiography. She has been working on it all weekend and yesterday. She writes a paragraph, then has me edit and correct it, then she records it into a journal. She is really proud of herself, and it is great therapy for her. She said when she is done, she wants Grandma to read it, she really loves my mom!
When they first got here, she used to pull Meya and Maree aside, and make them recite family history and get mad if they couldn't. She quit doing that when she saw it upset us. It is fine for them to talk about their family, but don't make Maree feel guilty or bad if she doesn't remember.
With this, she is involving us. She wants me to help her do it, and she is going to include us in it, at the end of course. She wants to write down what she remembers about her different family members and how much she loves them, how may wives and children they have etc.
Just thought Id share. She has figured out how therapeutic writing is, all on her own!

After a crazy and heck tick weekend, the week started off with a bang! I talked to the girls classes today about Ethiopia. I decided to do a casual talk, and show the kids lots of cool stuff, that's what kids enjoy! I think their classes appreciated it, and had some interesting questions. One girl asked why our skin was different colors, and I explained that the girls are adopted. But what I wasn't expecting anyone to ask, was how the girls mom died. I don't know why I didn't expect it, but it threw me for a loop. I just said that they don't have doctors there like we have here, so when their mom was having a baby, she died. Journee got quiet, but tried to hide her sadness. She did great. After, I pulled her aside and said I was sorry it came up, and that she did great.
I am still struggling with the decision to switch churches. I found a church that is a mission outreach and church, it is in one of the poorest parts of Albuquerque. But, I dont want to decide out of emotions, we want to go where we should be.

Journee and Meya got baptised today at church. The top picture is of them in their baptism dresses, the bottom two are of them actually in the tub of water. They did great! They have been looking forward to this day for a long time.

God is Merciful!
For about a month now, we have been having Bible study and worship with the three older girls twice a week. Hannah and Luke are a little too young to obey for very long, so we do this after they are in bed for the evening.
This has been a great time of teaching, talking and praying. But also, it has been a great time of bonding. The girls spiritual life is SO very important to them, by us fostering it, they are drawing closer to us.
I (KT) have personally been feeling a bit dry with my walk for some time now. This past month has shown me just how dry I've gotten and has convicted me. It is so easy to grow complacent with life.
A couple from our church read the book "Always Enough" and thought of us, so they got us a copy of the book. It has truly been inspiring to read. It has also brought back my childhood desire to do mission work. Since I know right now isn't an ideal time for that, I am seeking God about what I can do.
I feel a strong desire to find an inner city church to start attending, to break away from the comfort of our Mega Church. Calvin agreed that I could go visit some and we would pray about what to do. Calvin has a gift in the pulpit, that he has currently put aside, but I'm sure God will only tolerate that for so long:) Surprisingly, I am really enjoying doing Bible studies with the girls, because I never saw myself teaching kids for some reason..... I also feel so free Praising with them. They have this innocence in their faith and dedication in their worship, I cant seem to get enough of it. Tonight, Calvin finally ended prayer at 9pm, since it is a school night, we all wanted to keep going.
Last week I began doing research about attachment disorder, as Maree is pretty unattached to us. She loves us and wants all of our attention, the problem is, she wants EVERYONES attention. She tries to go home with strangers and get strange men's attention at the park! From what I am reading, she doesn't seem to be severe, she is not violent and does not steal. But, none the less, we NEED to work on this now, so we don't have an unattached teenager! Tonight while worshiping, God told me to put my arm over her and pray, which I did, as we were both laying on the ground praying. Then He told me to pick her up and hold her like a baby and sing and pray. I did this, and she loved it. I feel impressed to do prayer every night this week, continuing to bond with Maree in this way. I know that with God, all things are possible, and I am believing this will be a healing week in our home. Please pray with us for this.
I remember reading in Adoption books that parents grieve the loss of their children's life prior to them coming into the family. I couldn't relate to this, I thought it sounded dramatic. It seemed like something a mother who never had bio kids would experience, but not me. I have had no such feelings until tonight. As I was holding Maree singing, I imagined in my mind, her as a three year old, wailing in the night for her mother. I felt so sad for what she went through, and I felt such a huge LOSS that I wasn't there for her and with her. I imagined every night she cried herself to sleep, confused why her warm mommy wasn't there holding her. Her mommy she had nursed from and slept with and been carried around on her back her whole life. I feel so sad for her, and so guilty it took three years for her to get a new mommy.

Here are the girls in their Valentines dresses.

Today is a special day. Not only did the girls get to have their belated Valentines party at school, but it is also 6 months to the day since I got the girls at the Hilton in Ethiopia. The time has gone fast on one hand, but what a long journey it has been on the other! I remember longing for this day, wondering where we would be in the adoption, and hoping we would be past much of the pain and regret. I would say we are all doing pretty well!
I will post pics from the day at the girls school.

Our third snowstorm of the year!! We got over 12 inches!

Journee writing a letter to her friend from the childrens home, and Meya reading a dictionary!

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!

Last night the girls bathed, picked out clothes for the next day and had me paint their fingers and toes for their Valentines party at school. No one could be left out, so Luke also got clear polish on his toes!
Despite their excitement, we woke up to snow and cancelled school! After breakfast, I gave the kids their Valentines, which they loved!
A week ago we set a new rule, that Journee had to start doing her own homework, and we would check it. This has been going good. And today, on her own, Journee got a book out of her room and read it!! So, her first book she read on her own was Savanah's Birthday Party, from the American Girl collection. We are SO proud of her!!!

Luke and Meya napping:)

Here is an example of how the girls dote on Luke when he pouts!! Pathetic!!

Saturday I took the three older girls to see an IMAX movie called "Mystery of the Nile". It was about a group traveling down the entire Nile River, most of which goes through Ethiopia. It was a great film and good experience together. The girls could tell what a few people said, who were speaking in Amharic. There wasn't a lot of interaction with locals, it was more landscape, but they were all silent and still for the whole thing! They loved it and learning what they learned. At the end there was a song playing, and they said it was talking about, this is my country, this is my homeland. I would highly recommend this film!
Sunday the girls sand at the Methodist church where they go to an after school program on Wed. They enjoy being in a children's choir. I have them signed up for children choir and drama team at our church, but that isn't until Spring.
Please continue to pray, as some of Journee's teenage attitude is getting to me. I know I need to be more patient. I also know that it is teenage stuff. She is little miss know it all lately, and thinks she needs to correct everything I do. Like telling me that I'm driving the wrong way!! I need more patience!!!
We are working with Maree on her CONSTANT tattle telling! She recaps everything everyone does all day long. I know this is also age appropriate stuff for a 6 year old, and we are working with her, because it is SO annoying!
Over all, things are going well. The kids are pretty much gelled together like natural siblings, they love each other and fight a lot:)
V-Day is coming up, so we will be spending the day at their school on Wed, for class activities. They love when we show up for school stuff! And Journee doesn't care as long as Luke is there!! He is getting spoiled out of his mind by her!

Journee got Student of the day for PE!
She has gotten student of the day in class several times,
so she was proud to get it in PE also. I keep them for her scrapbook, so she loves to bring them home to me:)

Once again, our luck with NM contractors is HORRIBLE.
To add to our list of bad luck with the roof, deck, and now the stucco people that havent worked for two weeks! Im thinking I should just go to school for this stuff, since I will be the one stuck fixing it anyhow!
But I must say, Im pretty proud of myself!

Here is an example of my finished product!!!

Here is an "In progess" project....

Here is what the counter looked like after the guy tried to do it!! I could have screamed! Then, I had to tear it all out and I need to try to figure out why we NOW have a leak under our sink. I woud ask him to come fix it, but I dont want him touching my house again!!! URG!

Some of you may know that we are working on turning our mountain home into a resort, where it will be rented nightly or weekly.
Here are some pics of the progress we have made:)
I know I havent posted for a while, we have been busy on other things:)