Our garden

 
The kids love the garden. We have a lot of produce growing, which is great until we have to do something with it all :)
Actually it's not too bad just a lot of freezing, canning and baking! We have apples, cherries, peaches, prunes, plums (yes, I didn't know that they were two different trees?)strawberries, grapes,raspberries,watermelon, cantaloupe, onions, peppers, peas, zucchini, carrots, lettuce, rhubarb, potatoes, peppers,cabbage, dill, cucumber and tomatoes

day at the park

 

the kids together, mine and Julies...it all the sudden hit us at the large group of kids we have :)

 

My sister Julie and I gazing in amasement at our children

 

Alemitu took this picture, she loves the camera

 

 

 

 

 

 

home

 

 

getting ready to go

 

 

Jason and kids in Ethiopia

Home!

We are enjoying our kids, just very busy! I have been trying to find the time to write but seems like something is always happening. Yesterday is the first day both Jason and I felt normal -most of the day, we have been dizzy and tired. The plane ride was LOOOONNNNGGG. On the plane the kids wrapped themselves in thier blankets like mummies- even thier head, most of the way, I think it was their way of dealing with the stress of flying. There have been so many new things for them and when they get overwhelmed they just fall asleep. We have enjoyed watching them expierience a lot of firsts! I will post some pictures soon.

We are OUT OF HERE!!

See ya with four more!

 

packed

I've never packed so light, I'm proud of myself, now watch I'll be wishing I had more! I wanted as much room as possible for the shoes(they weight a lot)

 

Savannah's shoe drive

Savannah with her friends at school collected 80 pairs of shoes for the orphanage!

 

this week- oh the things I have to do....

Well I'm thinking the rest of the week is going to go by too fast. We had a good long weekend with to much food (3 BBQ's)! We swam yesterday at my parents, the first time this year for my kids. They were so tired this morning.
I'm excited to be leaving for Ethiopia but also nervous! What a change it is going to be in our life! Right now the power is off in Ethiopia for 18 days a month to conserve power. This will make for an interesting trip. I have heard from other traveling parents to just think of it as camping. Ah- camping with four kids we are getting to know! The major motels will have power but we are staying at a guest house so our kids can stay with us. I keep trying to imaging our first meeting with the kids, how will they respond, how will we respond! It will be so weird, after thinking and planning for them for so long the moment will be here and gone in a flash and life will start and it will just be a memory. I have felt this way about a lot of things in life and try to savor the moment before it is memory!
I will try to update my blog while in Ethiopia but with the power issues this could be difficult.
So off to get last minute stuff done-- I think I save everything for last minute!

Embassy date changed

Our embassy date has changed to the 3rd of June, so we will now leave on the 30th of May. This will be fine I just have to reset my mind and not think about ( they could have been home!) I know that in everything it is Gods plan, and his timing.

Embassy Date!!

We got embassy date of the 27th of this month! We will probably be leaving on 23rd, Jasons b-day, and getting back on the 30th. I'm so excited and a little overwhelmed with the stuff I gotta do! You would think I had plenty of time to prepare but it seems to always pop up on us or me anyhow!

We Passed court today!!

 

We are now parents to four more beautiful children! This has been an amazing journey with Gods hand felt along the way! From the very beginning when we first seen the 3 younger Sib's, the older brother added later, and the peace from only God, we felt along the way! Thank you Lord for all you've done and all you will do, for the hard growing lessons to the rewards in this life and eternity, for this life is but a vapor. I feel honored and blessed to be able to raise these children. We will appreciate all your prayers for upcoming embassy, Tb testing, birth certificate issuing and all other obstacles we still have to face before bringing them home.

Happy 3rd Birthday Olivia Ann-Maria

 
Olivia celebrated her 3rd birthday on April 4th! I can't believe she is getting so big, time flies! We just love her so much and are so blessed to have her in our lives. On her birthday it makes me think of all kind of memories of Guatemala and our amazing pick-up trip. Also my mom and my visit trip when she was just 2 months old. We tried to visit when she was 1 month old but didn't make it passed the Portland airport, but thats another story!
Olivia is so special in everyway and I want to tell a little about her awesome personality
Her favorite saying are, You're GORGEOUS(squeezing tight around you're neck)... You're my Genuis(when I or someone else gets her something she wants)...Oh my goodness gracious(randomly)...MY MOMMY, you're BACK ( i've only been gone a little while!) recites ABC's all the time knows all letter sounds has for a long time (thanks - Letter Factory videos) I had to brag a little! She has such expressions and is very entertaining - at least we think so! She does have alot of spunk too!
So HAPPY BIG # 3 Olivia!!

 

Olivia loved her Guatemalan " Tres Leches Cake " I want to start making this for her birthday once a year as a tradition.

Tres Leches (three milk cake) Recipe:
3/4 cup butter softened
1 1/2 cup white sugar
9 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup milk
9 egg whites
1 teaspoon cream of tartar

2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 (5 ounce) can evaporated milk
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 cup sugar


directions:
preheat oven 350 degrees. Grease and flour 9/13 inch pan.
In large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks one at a time, beating well with each addition, then stir in vanilla. Sift together flour and baking powder. Add flour mixture alternately with milk; beat well after each addition. In large glass or metal bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until whites form stiff peaks. Gently fold the egg whites into the cake batter using a rubber spatula. Spread the mixture evenly into prepared pan.
Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow to cool.
In a small bowl, stir together the 2 cups heavy whipping cream, evaperated milk and sweetened condensed milk. Pour the mixture over the cake until it won't absorb any more. You may have 1/3 to 1/4 left. That's o.k..
Combine the whipped cream and sugar, spread over soaked cake. Refrigerate cake until serving, pour leftover milk mixture onto plate and swirl with jam if desired, before setting on cake plates.


(I actually really liked this cake and so did everyone else, it isn't too sweet.)