spring is here!

 

I watch Crystals girls on fridays when she teaches art at her kids school. This works out well because Savannah gets out early that day, so she enjoys being with her girls. Boo boo also loves playing with them or hanging on them!
I LOVE flowers, so we planted some and also had fun painting the pots (Olivia filled hers with water, paint mixed and made a disaster), Crystals girls also loved it because in Ethiopia there are flowers blooming year round.

 

 

 

 

 

my brother Jordan and his family were here, we celebrated my niece Bridget birthday at our house, we had a houseful and we didn't even have the whole family, my oldest brother & wife and his five kids were missing. They are coming this weekend. Its amazing when we get together how big our family has grown! My parents will have 28 grandkids when my four are home!

 

 

 

 

 

Letters from big girl-A/11-12yr - Buddy is thrilled about the beaded necklace

 
 
 
We or shall I say Jake made popcorn balls last night, we pulled out our old fashioned air popper we got when we were first married - (16 yrs ago!) The kids were amazed at how it popped popcorn.... I actually was too, what happened to those good-old days before micro's, when food like this was entertaining??

 
this is one of our foot tracings- an idea of what we are working with

COURT DATE

We now have a court date for our kids!! I'm soooo excited! It is the 27th of April, please mark this on your calenders and remember to say a prayer or two for all to go well at court. Some thing to pray for on that date are - the guardian needs to show up and sometimes they don't for reasons like - travel is hard, sick or whatever. Also the paperwork all has to be approved by MOWA which is a group that is in charge of orphans in Ethiopia. The agency doesn't know until after court if MOWA approved or even looked at the papers, depends on how busy they are. If we pass court we wait for an embassy date which now they are requiring (this is a recent requirement) that all immigrants to the US have to pass a TB test. This is a skin test for Tuberculosis and if they pass they are free to come to America. If they don't pass the first test they will x-ray their lungs to check for active TB, if that is positive then they do a sputum check if that is positive they are considered contagious and will be required to be treated in Ethiopia for up to 7 months! This would be terrible! Julie's little Samuel had active TB and was on meds here in the US. It is not contagious after they are on med for a certain amount of time. It is easy to treat but if left untreated is very serious. I could go to Ethiopia and pick up whoever is TB free if 1-2 end up with it but it would be so sad to leave the others behind! PRAY that they will be TB free!
We are trying to get ready for our four kids, this is exciting and challenging. I have been trying to slowly get some clothing but that is hard because I'm not real sure what thier sizes are and I'm sure they have been growing a ton since entering the orphanage, once they started getting regular nutrients. Crystal got thier foot size for shoes so that is nice. A lady that lives by us is leaving for Ethiopia to visit her babies and she has offered to get clothing sizes. Anyhow ... say a prayer for us all and actually they will be having court when we are sleeping the night before that would make it April 26th for court.