The Tyner Family

Be Still and Know

2011-12-11T15:35:00.005-05:00

I've been learning what it means to "be still and know." I don't like to sit still, and frankly, it's not really possible around here, but God has His ways and through circumstances that He's orchestrated, I'm learning. One thing I've learned, or maybe that I've known all along, is that we all have "seasons of life." Sometimes our circumstances restrict our activities. With one self-sufficient child, we could still do almost whatever we needed or wanted to do. But having three children now, especially young children, I'm learning our "season of life" has taken two giant steps back, and that's okay.

So right now, our "season of life" does not allow us to go out to eat very often, especially where we have to wait. It also doesn't allow us to shop for more than about 15 minutes or go out of town for a weekend getaway. We spend a lot of time just maintaining the cleanliness of our house inside and out, instead of changing out our flower beds with the season or cook meals that take more than 30 minutes. All of this will come eventually. The fingerprints on the refrigerator will get higher and higher until they're gone, and then our "season of life" will change once again.

Our "season of life," however, does not excuse us from doing what God has called us all to do. God still calls us to carry out the Great Commission, no matter your stage of life. And not just give money or pray for those going (which are GREAT things to do), He calls us to GO. After hearing the message this morning, it confirms what God has already been teaching me. And although this "season of life" may be the most difficult to pack up and go, He still wants us to be available. (And you're not available if you don't have a passport. CLICK HERE to apply online.)

"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20

Happy Halloween!

2011-11-15T21:12:00.010-05:00

The last several weeks in about 5 sentences...

Happy Halloween! Trying to explain the holiday is interesting. Why do we dress up, ring peoples doorbells, and ask for candy? I just don't know. But they caught on really quick and loved it. And now we have three children who don't like candy. Go figure. But I wonder where all the Reese's went...

Next, Jack's children's choir sang in church. Here's a snapshot from that.

Also, Ben's choir sang this past week. I haven't loaded up the pictures yet, but here's the link if you want to watch it. It's about 2 minutes right at the beginning. He did so great!!!

Random thoughts and I guess this post was more than 5 sentences...All 3 boys learned about Pilgrims and Indians this week. That only fueled rough play time. We just had to pray their Pilgrim hats and Indian feathers didn't get smashed. Eli's English has taken off this week. Watching kids learn a language is fascinating. They pick it up so quickly, and then plateau. Then spout off 50 new words and sentence structure falls into place, and then plateau. Anyway, he's doing great. Indoor play time, since it's been cooler and rainy, has gone well so far. The little boys can be entertained pretty easily, like with a balloon. A single balloon can bring at least an hour of fun. We've been explaining a lot of holidays lately. Those are some interesting conversations. Here are some examples: 1.) Why do Santa come in da fireplace? He so scary. 2.) If Christmas is Jesus' birthday, why do presents give to us? (Why do we give presents if it's His birthday?) 3.) I not like turkey. I want hamburger. 4.) I want Christmas tree for my birday (birthday). It so pretty.

I promise the next post will be slightly more interesting. As much as I want to remember the BIG milestones, the little ones can be just as important and funny! :)

Pumpkin Carving Contest 2011

2011-10-28T20:55:00.008-04:00

First of all, look at these cuties. :)

Now to the contest. Since we had more little people this year, our pumpkin "carving" contest has been modified to the pumpkin "decorating" contest. Voting ends on October 31 at 5:00pm. Cast your vote at the poll to the right. Here are the contestants...

1. "It Just Doesn't Go Away"

2 "This Might Belong to Jack"

(who carved it all by himself)

3. "The Classy Crooked T"

4. "The Porcupine"

5. "The Slightly More Traditional"

6. "The Sea Turtle"

7. "The People Pleaser"

Caramel Apples

2011-10-13T20:24:00.000-04:00

Another first. So much fun! :)

Santa Rosa Beach 2011

2011-10-10T14:44:00.002-04:00

This year at the beach was much different than previous years for obvious reasons. Definitely busier, but much more fun. :)

Eli karate chopped or kicked every single wave that washed up. We couldn't keep him out of the water.

Ben built sandcastles the whole time. He'd get his feet wet and jump the waves, but he loved playing in the sand.

Jack went in between the water and the sand. The red flag and jellyfish kept us out of the water a little, but we're glad all three boys are beach bums like their parents.

God is Good

2011-09-21T20:48:00.003-04:00

We have our 6-month post placement visit on Friday. SIX months already??? For the few of you who knew the ups and downs of the first 2 1/2 months home, you can whole-heartedly say with me, "God is good!" Now say it fifty times over, and it still wouldn't be enough.

The Bible we read to the boys at night talks about the love of Jesus as a Never-Stopping, Never-Giving Up, Unbreaking, Always and Forever Love. He is our Rescuer. We can personally attest to that.

God is good.

Be Holy

2011-09-21T20:33:00.004-04:00

"We should wash ourselves clean from every impurity of the flesh, making our sanctification complete in the fear of God." 2 Corinthians 7:1

I read this verse today in my daily Bible reading. So many verses in the Bible talk about washing yourself in the Word, coming before Him with clean hands and a pure heart, cleansing yourself from impurities, and so on. But in the verse above, it says to wash ourselves from the impurities of the flesh, in order to make our sanctification complete in the fear of God." God is telling us to be holy.

First Peter 1:15-16, "But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy." He is not calling us to be all-knowing or all-powerful or so many other things we can somehow almost idolize.

Be holy. This is how we honor God.

We do not glorify Him by eloquent expressions of pompous service, but by aspiring to converse with Him with unstained spirits and live to Him in living like Him. -Selwyn Hughes

Adoption Video

2011-09-18T21:36:00.004-04:00

Here's a (rough) video we put together of our trip to get the boys. Only 6 months late. :) But you'll have to adjust your volume. (Apparently, we were really close to the camera, but then sometimes really far away.)

Fall Soccer

2011-09-10T14:00:00.008-04:00

First soccer game of the fall soccer season. Where did this long-legged fast runner come from? Jack is playing with his good buddies Parker and Hudson this season. He's giddy about it.

This was Ben's first time to play "organized" soccer. They played all the time at the orphanage, so he's pretty intense. He's happy to be on Mr. Greg's team with Turner and Elin. :)

Jesus in the Sky

2011-09-08T19:45:00.002-04:00

Ben: "Jesus, thank you for Paw Paw, Grandmama, Big Mama, Nana, Poppy, and for our food. And Jesus in the sky, Mommy say play in backyard. Jack do homework. And Jesus in the sky, I step on poo poo and Mommy said I come in the house no. And Jesus in the sky is so big and so long arms. My frisbee on the house. You can get it, no? And Jesus in the sky and on the cross. Amen."

Name That Tune

2011-09-07T09:25:00.001-04:00

11 Things We've Learned, Part 2

2011-09-06T21:27:00.006-04:00

This post is continued from the last post entitled 11 Things We've Learned. I'm sure this will be an ever-growing list...

1. Dinner, play outside, shower and in bed QUICKLY before they ask for 2nd dinner.

2. Boy #3 likes to pick up spiders. Step on them before he sees them.

3. Coffee stains baby teeth.

4. When boys do really dangerous stunts, like ride their bikes down the big hill with their feet propped up on the handle bars, don't look.

5. Anything can be turned into a weapon. Legos, spoons, a PB&J...

6. Karate and any other rough play must be done without a shirt.

7. Starting the day asking for wisdom and safety along with gratefulness is a good combination.

8. The smell that you can't locate is coming from sweaty Keens. Trust me.

9. Don't break up the wrestling until someone starts bleeding.

10. The bathroom can be flooded in a matter of 5 minutes. One little boy, two plugged sinks, and a bunch of dirty toys apparently needing a bath.

11. The big black streak that shows up on the side of your WHITE car from a scooter handle comes off with a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser.

One Year Ago

2011-09-06T06:35:00.003-04:00

One year ago today, we received an unexpected phone call followed by an email. Our dossier had just left the U.S. only weeks prior to this phone call. But God's timing is perfect, and in His perfect timing, we received these pictures...

And we fell in love.

We studied these pictures and prayed for these boys over and over.

And so many of you did too.

"Father to the fatherless, defender of widows—

this is God whose dwelling place is holy.

God places the lonely in families;

He sets the prisoners free and gives them joy."

Psalm 68:5-6

First Day of Mother's Day Out

2011-08-29T20:20:00.002-04:00

Aren't they just the cutest? And they can't wait to go back. Everyday they ask if it's a school day. So sweet.

Yet so mischievous. ;)

First Day of 2nd Grade

2011-08-15T07:48:00.004-04:00

Where has the time gone? It seems like only yesterday, we were walking in to Mother's Day Out saying, "No hitting, no biting, no pushing and say nice words, and please don't say Son of a Nutcracker." (Apparently he was listening to Elf more than we thought:)

Summertime

2011-08-02T20:29:00.012-04:00

Here are just a few pictures of our summer adventures, mostly to Pensacola. We swam, played, rode horses, watched fireworks, celebrated birthdays, cruised with dolphins, swam some more, laid around on the beach, ate popsicles, took naps, and loved on grandparents (I didn't know if three little boys would even come home with us.)

Swimming in Nana & Poppy's pool

Annual 4th of July neighborhood party

My birthday present wrapped in pink cupcake paper secured TIGHTLY with camo duct tape.

Family picture on my birthday

Farm day at Green Cedars Farm with family friends and farmers Pam and Roger and the lovely Laurel.

Jack could stay on a horse all day. He loved it!

Fearless

So stinkin' cute

Watching from the sidelines with my FAVORITE almost 2 year old baby girl in one hand and my benadryl in the other. :)

Dolphin cruise

Farm pictures taken by the talented Michael Newman,

husband of the lovely Laurel. :)

An Undivided Mind

2011-07-23T06:30:00.006-04:00

Teach me Your way, LORD, and I will live by Your truth.

Give me an undivided mind to fear Your name.

Psalm 86:11

This verse has been my theme lately. With three little ones, along with the adventures of life, I need to be spending more time with my Jesus. But somehow, I have less time... So I begin by asking God for an undivided mind, for my time praying and reading to be more efficient.

And while my time at home right now can seem so routine, some days not leaving my house, having my patience stretched farther than I thought possible, stepping on hundreds of army men, and pouring countless glasses of chocolate milk, this is what He's called me to do.

He's teaching this everyday girl that His power is manifested in my weakness. That while I think sometimes my work goes unnoticed and unrecognized and is unchanging, as I'm trying to teach and instill lifelong qualities like kindness, love, and humility, He is at work. He's changing me, and hopefully my children, to live a life of divine proportions.

Letter to Santa from Jack

2011-07-20T06:45:00.002-04:00

Dear Santa,

I'm trying to be a good boy this year. It's just so hard having brothers.

Love,

Jack

Bless it...

Top 5 Music Picks

2011-07-16T15:22:00.004-04:00

From the three boys and in no particular order:

1. Long Black Train by Josh Turner

2. Don't Waste Your Life by Lecrae

3. Forever Reign by Hillsong

4. Jesus Loves Me

5. Every Promise of Your Word by Keith and Kristyn Getty (Here's a picture of the Getty's singing to the boys on their bus.)

Our musical preferences are as diverse as our family. :)

English Funnies Part 2

2011-07-13T20:26:00.004-04:00

I FINALLY was able to come back to choir for good tonight. It's been SOOOO long! All three boys went to their Wednesday night activity.

Now, the English is coming along great! Ben is SO incredibly smart that he has picked it up with no problem and Eli, as well, has picked it up great for just a little guy. Also, Jack talks constantly, so they just listen and piece together what he says and repeat it. It's hilarious.

Well tonight, back to their Wednesday night classes, they each heard a Bible story and colored pictures. The two little boys, that is. And the conversations afterward went like this...

Angie: Eli, what did you color?
Eli: Picture.
Angie: Who is that?
Eli: Guy.
Angie: His name is Guy? Maybe his name is Noah.
Eli: Yeah! Noah.
Angie: What's happening in this picture?
Eli: Zenaabe all gone! (Zenaabe=rain)
Angie: Yes! Noah is so happy because the rain is all gone! What color is your picture?
Eli: Purple.

Wrong color, but he understood the story enough to tell the story back to me. Yay!

Next boy.

Angie: Ben, who is in your picture?
Ben: Esther.
Angie: What did she do?
Ben: Ben Zekiyos do it! Ben Zekiyos cut scissors, uh, and color.
Angie: Oh I know, but what did Esther do?
Ben: Ben Zekiyos cut it!

The End.

11 Things We've Learned

2011-06-26T14:55:00.003-04:00

1. If something in the house is missing, check the backyard.
2. If they say they've brushed their teeth, don't assume they used the end of the toothbrush with the bristles.
3. They really do like to play babies, even if they say they don't.
4. The fear of abandonment is a real thing.
5. You can't assume anything, such as knowing you can't open an umbrella in the car while driving.
6. Speaking the same language is not essential for most communication.
7. If someone eats toothpaste, it comes out the EXACT same color. Gross.
8. Tennis shoes are a treasure when you've never had them before.
9. Routine is a must, especially if there's a communication barrier.
10. Imaginations can be developed even at the ages of 3 and 4, especially if there's an overly imaginative 7-year-old involved.
11. When you don't think your house could possibly get any louder, it can.

Recipes: Tomato Pie

2011-06-11T14:09:00.002-04:00

Ingredients:
4 tomatoes, sliced
10 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1/4 c chopped green onion
1 (9-inch) prebaked deep dish pie shell
1/2 c to 1 c grated mozzarella
1/2 c mayonnaise
Salt and pepper

Directions:
Place the tomatoes in a colander in the sink or on paper towels in 1 layer. Sprinkle with salt and allow to drain for at least 30 minutes.

Combine mayonnaise, basil, and green onions in small bowl. Line the bottom of the pie shell with cheese and bake for 8-10 minutes. Then layer the tomatoes and spoon mayonnaise mixture over each layer. Should be about 3 layers. Sprinkle cheese over top and bake 30 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes. Serve warm.

Here's the actual recipe from Paula Deen. I cut about 500 calories out. You're welcome. ;)

Blessing for Today, Promise for Tomorrow

2011-06-11T07:33:00.004-04:00

I was reading in 2 Samuel a few days ago where David is fleeing for his life. He cries out to the Lord to be rescued. In the midst of his trials, he writes beautiful, encouraging, promising Psalms like this one from Psalm 40:1-3...

"I waited patiently for the Lord to help me,
and he turned to me and heard my cry.
He lifted me out of the pit of despair,
out of the mud and the mire.
He set my feet on solid ground
and steadied me as I walked along.
He has given me a new song to sing,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see what he has done and be amazed.
They will put their trust in the Lord."

The devotion that morning said, "How David must have rubbed his eyes in astonishment as he saw God provide for him a table "in the presence of his enemies." Can you cast your mind back at this moment to something special that God did for you to demonstrate His tender love and care? Every Christian has these times - how sad we forget them so soon. God never does anything special in our lives for the sake of the passing hour - it's done also as a pledge to the future. It's as though God is saying: "I'll do this for you now, not only to meet your need, but also that you might always know you are the object of My love."

If new dangers startle us with fear, we have forgotten His past mercies. How David remembered God's consistent love and deliverance. One reason I'm so glad we keep this blog is so we can look back and see His past mercies. Like this one or this one or this one. God is faithful EVERY SINGLE TIME.

I read somewhere else, in reference to 2 Timothy 2:13 which says, "If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself," that everything about God is vast and incomparable, including His faithfulness. He never forgets a thing, never makes a mistake, never fails to keep a promise, never falters over a decision, never retracts a statement He has made, and has never breached a contract. Every declaration He has made, every promise He has given, every covenant He has struck is bestowed by His faithful character.

I Love Cats

2011-06-10T19:07:00.001-04:00

Jon just watched this dumb e-harmony video on You Tube about cats. This is what Ben Z did after he saw it. LOVE catching this stuff on video. Hilarious!

Happy Birthday Paw Paw!

2011-06-08T15:29:00.003-04:00

Happy Birthday Paw Paw! I love how Jack gets tickled when they say Poppy instead of Paw Paw. :) We love you so much! We CAN'T WAIT to see you!!!

I Love You Dis Much

2011-06-01T15:58:00.001-04:00

Bliss

2011-05-22T18:21:00.007-04:00

I rarely take enough time, especially on the blog, to talk about my sweet husband. Usually our posts are about Jack and now the Z boys, our house, theme dinners, adoption, recipes, and other randomness. Since our anniversary is this Wednesday, I wanted to tell some of my FAVORITE things about him.

He's passionate about so many things. His zeal for the Lord is contagious. His love for me is always apparent. His family is his priority. Always. He's a Believer, Husband, Father, and Worship Leader. In that order.

He's constant. His mood rarely changes. He's quick to forgive and then forget. And never to bring it up again.

He's funny. Hilarious in fact. We laugh ALL THE TIME!

He's so personable, respectful, and polite with everyone.

He loves his job. And in my humble, but encouraging opinion, he's awesome at it. He's such a hard worker.

He takes care of himself: physically and spiritually. And good thing he exercises so much, because he loves to eat. Fortunately, I love to cook. :)

He truly lives out Ephesians 5 which says, "Husbands, go all out in your love for your wives, exactly as Christ did for the church—a love marked by giving, not getting. Christ's love makes the church whole. His words evoke her beauty. Everything he does and says is designed to bring the best out of her, dressing her in dazzling white silk, radiant with holiness. And that is how husbands ought to love their wives."

Thank you for loving me consistently and unselfishly. I still get excited to see you walk in the door. I love watching you wrestle on the floor with boys climbing all over you. I love how you get so excited when you grill something. I love your impulse CD buys at Starbucks. I love how you Christmas shop on December 24 EVERY SINGLE YEAR. I love that your shoes are always in order. I love (and appreciate) that you always drive the crappy car so I can have the nice one and you never complain about it.

And this list, in NO WAY, can ever be complete. I'm better because of you. I love you.

Tyner Top Ten

2011-05-17T16:40:00.005-04:00

1. We're giving our farmers' tans a break this week and "practicing" playing inside since it's been freakishly cold!
2. Dreading winter. (see #1)
3. Practicing, practicing, PRACTICING violin.
4. Ben Z can tie his shoes. He says, "My shoes tired!!!"
5. Eli Z has gained 4 pounds. He's not so itty-bitty anymore!
6. All 3 boys can now make noises with their armpits.
7. Made asparagus and everyone, I repeat, EVERYONE ate it.
8. Jack is finishing up his last full week of school!
9. Jack won the 100-yard dash at Field Day! (I'd like to say I snapped a picture, and I did, but of the wrong kid. My allergies were so bad, I didn't have my contacts in. Oops.)
10. I've scheduled myself a much-needed facial for Friday. :)

For the Grandparents

2011-05-17T16:12:00.003-04:00

Jack's first violin recital is this week. We've been doing lots of extra practicing. Here's a short clip of his piece he'll be playing. It's MUCH longer, but only so much will download on the blog. He really wanted all the grandparents to see him play. :)

Energy Buster

2011-05-14T12:44:00.005-04:00

Major changes will be happening at our house due to the tornado damage, and we might be finishing out our bonus room at the same time. Yippee! When we bought our house, which we still absolutely LOVE, we were a family of three and at that time, had no intentions of adopting. Now, adding two more people, we're utilizing every square inch. :) One thing I know, as much energy as these boys have, all three of them, we need another play space before the weather changes in the fall. We'll be going from about 4-5 hours of outside time to ZERO. This Florida girl, and I'm guessing these African boys, don't go outside if the temp is less than 50. So along with our bonus room, this will probably be our next purchase...

Blog Changes. Or Not.

2011-05-12T15:40:00.000-04:00

So the header on our blog is of a super cute 4-year-old boy, who's now 7. And it featured our only child, who's not an only child anymore. And our blog address is jontyner.blogspot.com because Jon started it 4 years ago. He'd write about random things, and honestly, I never read it. Now he never writes on it. Some people have asked me when I'm going to update these things. The truth is, I'm not a tech-savvy person AT ALL, so I probably won't be changing anything. Since I'm not a creature of habit and like only a few things to be consistent, let's keep the outdated blog. And my morning cup of coffee. And the 8:00 kid bedtime. And that's all.

Blue...The New Black

2011-05-12T08:25:00.000-04:00

The Tyner Language Institute

2011-05-10T13:51:00.006-04:00

We found this website that translates words (on their list) from Amharic to English. Most of the time, it works great. Sometimes, it doesn't work since Amharic is the boys' second language. That's right. English is their THIRD! We're trying to video every bit of them talking to each other while they still remember their language, whatever they're speaking. For those of you expecting children from Ethiopia, this website is SO helpful!

It's absolutely hilarious to hear them put together English words. For example, when they know they've done something wrong, they say, "Good boy, no?" Ben Z asked me today in Wal-Mart, after seeing a pretty overweight man, "Eat 1 cookie? No, 10 cookies!" They get it. :) And Jack can interpret anything! Even things we don't understand. Maybe it's universal with kids.

Ben Z likes to quiz us on Amharic words. He'll say, "Mommy, dog?" and I have to give him the Amharic word which is wusha, or something like that. He thinks it's funny to hear us say his words. :)

Words they know now and can say:
Shirt
Shorts
Jeans
Socks
Shoes
Pajamas
Closet
Bed
Book
Eat
Hungry
Cheerios
Strawberries
Banana
Bike
Scooter
Helmet
Car
Sidewalk
Church
School
Store
House
TV
Not now
Later
Tomorrow
Swing
Turner :)
Bath time
Bedtime
Kitchen
And SO many more I just can't think of. :)

Life

2011-05-04T14:21:00.005-04:00

Life has been happening in our house lately. We're on a pretty disciplined schedule right now, and for those of you who really know me, that's not how I roll. :) But for now, consistency is the key. We wake up, get dressed, eat breakfast, make beds, say bye to Jack and Daddy, play outside on and off until lunch time, take naps, pick up Jack, play outside again until dinner time, bath, and bed. These boys LOVE to be outside! The occasional TV watching is thrown in there as well as puzzles, books, trains, and so on.

Some things of note, and really are of no importance, but we run out of food SO quickly! Everyone with boys is saying a big ol' fat I TOLD YOU SO right now, but seriously, they're only 3 and 4. And laundry. I just can't keep up! I know after they're really used to things, it will all get easier. But these boys have put anything and everything into an outlet, pulled every single string on every set of blinds, turned on every single light switch, touched every picture, stand in front of the oven just to see if it really is hot when I open it, ask for just one more bowl of Cheerios (just to make sure we actually have more), and still ask for coffee at least twice every day. The list could go on and on. And even though we missed their first steps, first words, and first tooth, we still have so many "firsts" with them. And it's amazing.

We were also hit with all these tornados last Wednesday, so we're waiting on insurance while we make sure our house is waterproof and pray the rain stays away until our roof and ceilings are repaired. The next day, someone backed into me at the grocery store. As Jon said one time, "LIfe happened today."

We had some new family pictures taken by a friend of ours, Jon Matthews. Check out his website here. I'll post a few of my favorites. :)

That's all for now. Back to life. :)

Check this out!

2011-04-26T15:44:00.002-04:00

Here's a link to a friend's blog...shirt sales for adoption! They were in Ethiopia the same time as us getting their sweet boy. Help support this sweet, sweet family! Check it out HERE!

Adoption 101

2011-04-13T19:27:00.004-04:00

Adoption is a beautiful thing. It's a Biblical thing. But it's not easy.

Let me preface this by saying we adore all three of our children. We're crazy about them! We've had some of the happiest moments and we've also had some pretty sad ones too, and we're only on week 2.

The movie Annie gives such a false impression of adoption. Most people think of orphans as innocent children who sit and dream of a family coming to rescue them. And the parents who come to rescue them are saints, to which most people say, "I could never do something like that!" And once again, for the orphan, life is perfect.

Wrong.

Orphans are, most of the time, innocent children who have faced more hardship and loss than the ordinary person. Orphans in 3rd world countries have seen their parents and siblings die of disease and starvation. One word. Poverty. They've been dropped off at an orphanage by their only living relative who was too poor to care for them. Maybe they were abandoned. Then, a "rich" family takes them away from all that's familiar, even though the living conditions may be absurd, and brings them to America or some other prosperous country, where they will sleep in a new bed, wear different clothes everyday, be overwhelmed by the amount of food and toys, and expect to be happy.

But for these children, they're just now getting to the point where they can grieve. Grieve whatever horrible loss they had to face. And they ALL had to face something. Every single one of them.

Think of the mom or dad that dropped their child off at the orphanage knowing they would never see them again. Knowing they couldn't provide even the basics like food and clean water, and this was their only option. That's sacrificial love like no other.

Well, like one other.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
John 3:16

What a sacrifice He made so that we could have life. A second chance. And we come with hurt, pain, baggage, mistakes, and He takes us just as we are.

What a privilege to extend the love of Jesus, our Rescuer, to these two...just as they are.

Africa: Embassy (2 weeks late)

2011-04-13T19:14:00.006-04:00

I'll just post a bunch of pictures from our trip. Once again, it was a great trip. Jack was such a trooper! And our moms were a huge help. Honestly, navigating through the airports was probably the hardest part! Right now, we're adjusting to life at home. These guys are hilarious and they adore Jack. More to come later...

Necessities

2011-03-21T18:47:00.002-04:00

When traveling to a third world country with a 6-year-old.

EMBASSY!!!

2011-03-21T08:02:00.009-04:00

Great news!!! We're leaving Thursday to get our boys! We received a phone call Friday morning saying the embassy cleared us to travel. This is the news we've been waiting for since we came back from court. Our actual embassy appointment "Gotcha Day" is Monday, March 28 which is exactly 6 weeks from the day we passed court. And it's my niece's birthday which makes it even better. :)

Our house is CRAZY right now if you can imagine. In fact, when I received the phone call, I had just started painting my bathroom. So today, I guess I'll be finishing that up and then onto cleaning, laundry, and packing.

Friday afternoon, we were scrambling to arrange flights before the weekend. Saturday, Jack spent the day and night with his "Knoxville grandparents." :) He had a blast! They had a cookout in the mountains, played, laughed, collected rocks and sticks, and then went back for a sleepover. What a great way to finish up our Knoxville Spring Break Staycation.

While Jack was gone, Jon and I cleaned the garage, read books and magazines, had a date to Bonefish and Starbucks, did some birthday shopping for Jack, and went to a movie. What a great day!

Back to the trip, we'll be traveling over there with a five and returning with seven! Jack is going with us as well as both of our mothers. So Jon has assigned everyone duties on this trip.

Big Mama - Trip Tutor

Nana - Trip Nurse & Photographer

Jack - Director of Entertainment

Jon - Luggage carrier, security, chaplain, applier of sunscreen (since I am terrible at that, click here), carrier of the toilet paper

Angie - CEO

I think we're a little overwhelmed at this point, so making jokes and laughing about how much we have to do in the next few days is all we can do. :)

On a slightly more serious note, we can't even begin to say how thankful we are to be getting these boys, and getting them so quickly. Pray for the others who traveled with us. Some are waiting on a their MOWA letter, some are waiting for paperwork to be cleared, and some are just waiting on their phone call. There's so much uncertainty and emotional highs and lows through this. After we found out we had snags in our paperwork last week, we were clinging to Jesus. He really is the only constant. Ever. Yesterday, our pastor spoke about how God gives us open doors. Adoption is an open door. WIDE OPEN DOOR. Now that we know that, it's our responsibility to apply it. And we pray that the Lord receives ALL the glory for it. We just reap the benefits.

News

2011-03-16T06:39:00.004-04:00

We got word yesterday that our case was submitted to the embassy. Good news! However, we were missing another piece of paperwork, so we'll just call that news. :) Jon, my hero, who would drive from here to Timbuktu if he knew he could get the boys faster, took care of the paperwork, and it's on it's way now. We're praying that they'll be able to receive the paperwork electronically and not have to wait on snail mail to process anything further.

In other news, spring break week has been fun and relaxing so far. Our activities have included the park, bowling, and hanging out with friends. I know a trip to Disneyworld or a cruise would have been more fun, but it's hard to plan anything right now. For a social 6-year-old, these around-town activities have suited him just fine. :) He's the best!

Pray and Be Thankful

2011-03-11T09:16:00.007-05:00

"Be joyful always, pray continually, giving thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thess. 5:16-18

There's been lots of news lately regarding adoption in Ethiopia. The article, to sum up, says that Ethiopian adoptions will be decreased by 90% starting yesterday. Fortunately and only by God's divine timing, we don't think we'll be affected by these changes. However, we have SO many friends that could experience this slowdown. Pray for these decisions to be revised; nothing really appears to be concrete quite yet.

So, for today, I'm confidently choosing to be thankful for all circumstances, even as we're waiting on our Embassy appointment. I'll be thankful that God is in control. His way is perfect and His timing is precise.

And we know that God causes EVERYTHING to work together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose for them. If God is for us, who can ever be against us? For Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and He is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, PLEADING for us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, NEITHER OUR FEARS FOR TODAY NOR OUR WORRIES ABOUT TOMORROW—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Passage taken from Romans 8:28-40

And we have names!

2011-03-08T06:13:00.006-05:00

We FINALLY have names! Who knew that naming children, who already have names, that nothing really flows with, would be so difficult? Please don't tell me your opinion on these names... unless you like them. :)

We absolutely LOVE their African names. They are also very difficult to say and really no way to shorten one of them. We wanted something really easy to pronounce and fairly short since they'll have double names for a while. Both of these names are pretty common names, but after meeting the boys and seeing their personalities, these names fit them, popular or not.

Please welcome to our family...

Benjamin Zekiyos and Elijah Zelalem

(Ben and Eli)

I'll just say them over and over in my head until I'm used to them. Jack, Ben, Eli, Jack, Ben, Eli, Jack, Ben, Eli, Jack, Ben, Eli, Jack, Ben, Eli, Jack, Ben, Eli, Jack, Ben, Eli, Jack, Ben, Eli, Jack, Ben, Eli.

Hurry. Wait. Hurry Wait.

2011-03-08T05:56:00.004-05:00

Hurry. Wait. Hurry. Wait.

This pretty much describes the adoption process for the last 16 months. Now we're waiting again, and each waiting time is harder than the previous. I'm trying to finish last-minute projects around the house, while Jon is planning weeks ahead at work just in case we get that phone call and we have to drop everything and go. So many of you have asked us about prices of plane tickets, especially buying them last minute. At this point, we really don't care how much they are. :) But on the other hand, Ethiopia is not really a hot spot for vacationers, so the ticket prices, no matter when you buy them, are pretty consistent, give or take a few hundred dollars. I'm sure many of you would love to be a fly on the wall on that plane ride home. Two kids that don't know us, that don't speak English, on a plane for 20-something hours? I know you're jealous. ;)

I keep reminding God that Jack's and my mother-in-law's spring break is next week. And then I thought again of what my dad told me several months ago, "Aren't you glad you don't have to worry about the timing? It's His timing anyway!"

His timing is perfect.

“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord.

“And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.

For just as the heavens are higher than the earth,

so my ways are higher than your ways

and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.

Isaiah 55:8-9

We're Making Progress

2011-03-04T06:35:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, we got an email saying that we officially have birth certificates for the boys! All we're waiting on is their passports and then we'll be submitted to the Embassy for our appointment. Could be just a few more weeks. :)

Fresh Flowers

2011-03-01T22:24:00.006-05:00

Let me preface this by saying, "Reading this post is a complete waste of your time."

With that said, I have made a decision that while tulips are in season, I will give up my one weekly Starbucks for fresh flowers.

Unless I have a Starbucks gift card. :)

Sneak Peek

2011-02-23T08:50:00.003-05:00

Court Trip, Addis Ababa, Part 2

2011-02-23T08:05:00.007-05:00

Anyone that knows us knows that we are not picky eaters at all. This is the traditional meal served in Ethiopia. The spongy sour rolled-up pancake is called injera. They tear off a piece of injera and use it to pick up the food. It was good. The first time we ate it. ;)

These ladies carry 100 lbs. of eucalyptus branches from the top of the mountain, about 10,000 feet, all the way down to the bottom and sell if for 20 birr. About $1.25.

The view from our room. Jon woke up the first morning and just had to take a picture of it. We were officially in Africa.

This is the cup of coffee we had in celebration after court. Lots of coffee in that little cup.

This is the coffee ceremony we had at the guest house. Traditional Ethiopian families have this ceremony 3 times a day.

This is Abel, the family services coordinator, for the Bethany office over there. He is AMAZING! And his brother is in school at UT.

Birtukan and her husband Nesibu. They owned the guest house where we stayed. They are INCREDIBLE people. They own and operate this guest house as well as an orphanage and foster care system for children in Ehtiopia. Their organization is called Yezelalem Minch. They have 1,000 children in their care.

And guess what? You can help. We are. Just $30 a month will give a child food, clothing, and schooling for an entire month. From the money raised at the guest house, 35% goes to helping orphans, 10% to widows, and only 55% operating budget. Amazing, amazing people.

Court Trip, Addis Ababa, Part 1

2011-02-18T18:54:00.011-05:00

I can't even begin to tell you what an incredible trip we had. I know it was because we had 57,893 people praying for us while we were gone. Not really, but close. We met our children, did some pretty amazing sight-seeing, met lots of great people, ate some interesting food, went to court, drank lots of coffee, and flew on an airplane for what seemed like 4 days. I think it actually was almost 4 days.

But the boys. Oh the boys! We can't wait to bring them home. One thing we learned, language barrier or not: boys are the same in Knoxville, TN as they are in Ethiopia, Africa. They run, play soccer, do cartwheels, play chase, fight, laugh, color, cry, watch cartoons, stick stickers on their noses, blow bubbles, hug...

Big Z is definitely the leader of the two. He's strong and bold, serious and hilarious. Little Z is his shadow. He's climbing on things way too big for him, running to keep up, and just sweet. Until this point, we've only seen pictures, so when we saw them, we recognized them right away. They were a little smaller than they looked in the pictures. I forget they're only 3 and 4. We had so much playtime with just them. And now they're legally and officially forever ours.

We cannot wait to go back. And I'm not sure if it's because our boys are there or because we just really loved it. I wish we could post more pictures and videos especially of the boys. Soon.

So many sights and experiences made a deep impression. I'll never forget the orphanage. The way it looked, the way it smelled, the sweet ladies that work there. They genuinely love those kids. I'll never forget all the kids that had their faces pressed up to the glass of the windows while we played in the baby room with the boys. I'll always remember Big Z giving his half-eaten sucker to his friend out the window, and the happy dance his friend did after receiving such a treasure. We passed out hundreds of stickers to the kids and watched as they stuck them on their hands, noses, shirts, and ears. We saw them fight over the plastic that the sticker sheet was packaged in and shove it in their pocket just to have something to call their own. They had one TV in the corner of the playroom. Now this playroom was not fully enclosed probably to let in the outside air, but it also doubled as a dining room, school room, and whatever else they needed it for. And the TV was only working because someone stripped and twisted the wires. The kids cheered for coloring time, when they color on already-colored-on coloring sheets with broken crayons and dried-up markers.

They have nothing.

Just like us. Until God adopted us as His children.

"For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.

So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves.

Instead, you received God's spirit when he adopted you

as His own children.

Now we call Him, 'Abba, Father.'"

Romans 8:14-15

More to come...

And We're Off

2011-02-09T07:21:00.001-05:00

It's amazing how God orchestrates everything. Who would have thought 6 1/2 years ago that we'd be where we are today. We're leaving this afternoon for our court date over in Addis Ababa. The purpose of this trip is to see the boys (without them knowing who we are) and sign the papers saying that we'll love them forever. Pray for us as we see these babies, love on them, and then leave them there until our embassy appointment, which hopefully won't be too long after this court trip. I've got my tissues in my purse for the trip home. Lots of them.

Of course, you can pray for the obvious, like we'll be wrapped in bubble wrap until we make it there safely and that everything will go smoothly. And pray for Jack, even though he's a little excited about us leaving so he can have Nana all to himself. :) But also pray for opportunities to share Jesus with the lost. Not everyone who is adopting is a believer, but it does pave a way for us to share the amazing love of Christ and how He's adopted us.

Excited and nervous all at the same time. It seems like just last week that we were looking at their pictures for the first time. Look at the excitement on that sweet boy's face. :) We can't wait to show him the pictures we take and the stories we'll be able to tell about his new brothers.

Thank you Lord for choosing us.

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving,

let your requests be made known to God;

and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,

will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." Phil. 4:6-7

Photo of the Day #WHO KNOWS

2011-02-07T21:16:00.003-05:00

I stink at photo of the day!

Photo of the Day #35

2011-02-05T12:33:00.002-05:00

Jack and his favorite playmate, Travis.

Photo of the Day #34

2011-02-04T21:33:00.002-05:00

Mardi Gras King Cake :)

Strong and Courageous

2011-02-03T08:40:00.002-05:00

"Then Moses called to Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, "Be strong and courageous, for you shall go with this people into the land which the LORD has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall give it to them as an inheritance. The LORD is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed." Deuteronomy 31:7-8

The Lord is the One who goes before me and He will be with me. And not just when something big and out-of-the-ordinary is happening, like traveling to the other side of the world to meet your two new children. :) He tells us to be strong and courageous because He is with us ALL the time. It's easy to forget that God is in all the small details of life, not just the major events such as marriage, moving, children, etc. He's called me to live with boldness and courage even on days when my routines become monotonous and my faith is not being stretched. And even when our faith is stretched and our courage is shaken, I pray that we don't forget how we've clung to Him so tightly this past year. That even the remembrance of His faithfulness, promise and purpose will sustain us in the future.

Photo of the Day #33

2011-02-02T20:27:00.004-05:00

Today's photo of the day is of my favorite person ever. Wednesday is our lunch date day. Every single week. I love him. :)

Photo of the Day #32

2011-02-02T20:19:00.010-05:00

This photo of the day is one of my favorite nieces modeling her new shirt. This is the year of babies in the Tyner family. We're so, so, so excited for them!

Video of the Day #31

2011-01-31T19:30:00.003-05:00

Photo of the Day #30

2011-01-30T12:07:00.003-05:00

Been waiting months for an open sunroof!!!

Shopping and Gathering

2011-01-29T20:10:00.000-05:00

I recently learned that gift-giving is a BIG part of the culture in Ethiopia. We have been collecting clothes to take to our kiddos orphanage, but I've slightly overlooked the gift-giving to the nannies, caregivers, caseworkers, translators, and all the other people that have helped or will help us along the way. I love to buy gifts, so this is right up my alley. But when it comes to buying things for people you've never met and don't know anything about, gift giving is a little more of a challenge. Then trying to pack gifts for these 40+ people??? My sis-in-law is helping me out with a few fabulous goodies from her online shop and a few other super sweet friends have given some special treats for the nannies. The nannies are the ones who have had the hands-on time with our boys, so we'll give a little extra to them. For the rest of the workers, I'm gathering American goodies such as Ghirardelli chocolates and Starbucks, and a few "orange" items as well. :)

We leave in less than 2 weeks. It sounds so strange to even say it! So much to do between now and then. More on that soon...

Photo of the Day #29

2011-01-29T19:58:00.004-05:00

Tamales! But I'm starting to see a pattern with my pictures. We did play at the park and play basketball all afternoon. We don't just eat and then take pictures of our food. Yikes. I'll do better.

Photo of the Day #28

2011-01-29T19:56:00.003-05:00

Dinner with great friends and a giant piece of Tiramisu.

Photo of the Day #27

2011-01-27T19:57:00.003-05:00

Little man defense at basketball practice.

Photo of the Day #26

2011-01-26T10:19:00.003-05:00

Bliss. :)

Photo of the Day

2011-01-25T15:17:00.008-05:00

About mid-January, a friend of my sister started a small photo-sharing group on facebook. All you do is take a picture a day. Seems easy. But guess who hasn't taken a picture every day? Hmmm... So, maybe if I post the picture on the blog as well, it will keep me a little more accountable. I'll post the pictures that I've shared so far. So check back. Maybe I'll stick with it. ;)

Day #14

A gift from a sweet, sweet friend of mine. It's a paper chain to help Jack count down the days until we'll be back from Africa. :) One of my most favorite gifts ever.

Day #15

Relaxing Saturday afternoon reading.

Day #17

Sorting through mounds of little boy clothes.

Day #18

After-school snack.

Day #21

Brave boy...just got 4 shots for the trip.

Day #22

Star Wars Pancakes, the breakfast of champions. I mean jedis.

Day #25

Little man enjoying leftover apple fritters from the Apple Barn in Pigeon Forge.

Theme Dinner: Winter Wonderland

2011-01-15T19:39:00.003-05:00

The four main food groups in a Winter Wonderland:

candy, candy canes, candy corns, and syrup.

Dessert

On the menu:

Biscuit & Gravy Snowmen

Yellow Snow (scrambled eggs)

Firewood & Scarves (bacon and sausage)

Snow Tubes (donuts)

Smores for Dessert

Living Christmas Tree

2010-12-10T06:40:00.001-05:00

2010 Living Christmas Tree: This Is Christmas from patrick murphy-racey on Vimeo.

What Happens Next

2010-12-10T06:24:00.005-05:00

We finally got our court date! In most cases, a court date is not a good thing, but in our case, it's what we've been waiting on since mid-September. And funny enough, we got the phone call just hours after the final performance of the Living Christmas Tree. Once again, God's timing is ALWAYS best.

So, what happens next? We'll fly over to Ethiopia for the court date, but while we're there, we'll do a little sight-seeing, make several trips to the orphanage to play with the kiddos (we'll know who they are, but they won't know us), scout out things to do for the second trip, attend a church service, and so on. We'll be there for about 5 days. Then, we fly back home and wait on a U.S. Embassy appointment over there, which is about 6 weeks after the court date. We'll fly back over for that with Jack and Big Mama and Nana in tow. This is the final trip and we'll bring the kids back home with us. Since the timelines have been nothing like we thought, I don't know if 6 weeks for the embassy appointment is accurate, but let's pray it is. Estimated timeframe now: April?

I wish I could post their pictures. They're beautiful. But I will post this little guy. :)

Jack's New Room

2010-11-30T09:34:00.003-05:00

We've been making changes around here preparing for the little boys. We've switched the boys' bedrooms, divided toys, cleaned out closets, painted rooms, and on and on. We've finally finished Jack's room. Thanks to the parents who helped us out...ceiling fans, curtains, etc. :)

And it's even complete with a Christmas tree and a dirty sippy cup. Oops.

Adoption Article, Fundraising and other Stuff

2010-11-02T08:51:00.006-04:00

First of all, thank you to all who left a comment on our article. There are more comments on there than we would have ever imagined! And it's just the second day! Thank you also to those of you who have passed our story along. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Second, I've had a lot of people ask me about Sixseeds. A friend of a friend is one of the writers for this organization. I've gotten to know them through emails regarding adoption. I've been getting their e-magazine for about a month now. I've really enjoy reading it! To those of you who are adopting and would like to get involved, here is a link to a $2,000 adoption giveaway they're doing right now! Just leave a comment and it enters you in the contest. As far as the articles go, they're not taking anymore right now, but they do plan on doing this again soon, so stay tuned to their website. It doesn't take long to get 30 adopting families to submit their story. I'm talking days. Even hours.

Thirdly, I've also gotten a lot of questions about fundraising. Adoption is quite expensive, as some of you know. We haven't talked much about the cost, and may disclose a little more info after we're done with the process. Just to put it into American terms, adopting two children can be equivalent to buying two new cars. The thought can be overwhelming. But then you begin to think of things you can live without. Like a home phone, especially when you have two cell phones. Cable. If you're like us, cutting your home phone and cable will save you $100/month. Now is a perfect time to refinance. Don't go out to eat as much. Instead, plan theme dinners. They take a little more preparation, but it's much more fun than going out to eat.

We've made a lot of changes over the last year, but we could do so much more. The things we've cut out of our normal daily life are things we should have cut out from the beginning. One challenge though. Don't change the way you give. Give cheerfully and give abundantly. God will bless your obedience. Deuteronomy 28 talks specifically about the blessing of obedience. Verse 12 says, "The LORD will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands." If God has called you to adopt or take another leap of faith, He is faithful to complete whatever He's called you to do. 1 Thess. 5:24 says, "The One who calls you is faithful, and He will do it." End of story.

If you would still like to comment on our article, here is the link. Feel free to post on your blog or facebook page! 28 days and counting to leave your comment. :)

Adoption Opportunity that Involves YOU

2010-11-01T08:58:00.006-04:00

Dear Friends,

A new parenting e-magazine SixSeeds.tv is partnering with our family to help bring our child home! Leave one comment under our family’s article located here:

http://sixseeds.tv/s/content/adoption/626-adoption_the_tyner_family

You can say anything in the comment, make it short and sweet or leave a heartfelt note. Then, SixSeeds will donate $2 toward our efforts! Not only will you be helping our family's adoption, you will also receive a weekly e-zine that talks about the best in good, family, fun! (SixSeeds includes team members who brought you the Narnia movies, best selling authors, and other great family fun!) (You may unsubscribe to this article at any time; you're under no obligation to keep it.)

Please comment, send others to our page, and spread the word about this offer. We have the entire month of November to comment, but please do it today!

Thank you so much!

The Tyner Family

Drumroll please...

2010-11-01T08:32:00.006-04:00

And the winner of the 3rd Annual Pumpkin Carving Contest is: SHIM! Congratulations Shanle!

Second place goes to Shay for the Pirate Pumpkin and third place goes to Jack for Frankenstein!

The 3rd Annual Pumpkin Carving Contest

2010-10-26T20:45:00.009-04:00

The contestants this year were Shay, Shanle, Tim, Jenny, Jon, Angie and Jack. Vote for your favorite on the poll to the right.

1. Shim

2. The Pirate Pumpkin (P.P.)

3. Deja Vu

4. Starry Night

5. Swoosh

6. Frankenstein (this might possibly be Jack's pumpkin) :)

7. Haunted Ghost House

HILARIOUS

2010-10-25T21:09:00.004-04:00

My sister called me today and told me about a clip on Sesame Street that she'd seen. The song was written by Sesame Street's head writer for his daughter from Ethiopia. So funny!

Fall Fun

2010-10-25T20:35:00.005-04:00

I'm probably the only person in East Tennessee who has not chosen fall as my favorite season. Even though I do like fall, my favorite is actually spring. Maybe it's because Jack was born in the spring. Anyway, it's my favorite. And winter is my LEAST favorite.

Back to fall. We had a big day lined up this past Saturday to do the usual "fall" things. There was a lot of talk about a pumpkin patch just outside Maryville, so our plan was to do the real pumpkin picking this year. Well, Jon came down with a bug, and we settled for make-shift fundraiser pumpkin patch at a nearby church. They had the prettiest pumpkins! I'm attaching just a few pictures.

We also went on our annual beach trip. The weather was perfect...80 degrees and sunny every single day! Pictures to come soon on that. I do think it's important to make note of some improvements that can be made for the following year. So far on my list...

1. Don't forget the camera.

2. Or Jack's shoes.

3. Always keep medicine handy. (in case we get the stomach bug again)

4. Eat more seafood. (like 3 meals a day instead of 2)

Adoption update: Still waiting on that court date. If there's one thing we learned from the timing of the referral, it's that God knows best! As badly as we want those sweet boys home, God's timing is always perfect. As my dad said the other day, "The good thing is, you don't even have to worry about it!" And right he was.

The annual pumpkin carving contest begins tomorrow! Competition will be fierce this year. Shanle has been taking a woodcarving class, which puts her skill above everyone! We'll put a poll on the blog so you can vote. It only adds to the fun.

Stay tuned for the pumpkin carving pictures as well as an adoption opportunity for our family that involves YOU. More details to follow on the blog and on facebook.

I Like Mondays

2010-10-11T11:49:00.005-04:00

I'm probably the only person that does though. Don't get me wrong...I LOVE the weekends, but something about getting everyone off and cleaning the house on Monday morning is refreshing. A sunny beautiful Monday morning definitely makes it that much more enjoyable. I am not a person that enjoys too much routine nor am I a creature of habit. I just like Mondays.

Waiting. Patiently. And other stuff.

2010-10-04T09:41:00.002-04:00

This week, hopefully, we'll hear about a court date for the boys. We keep thinking that it may be today. So, maybe today, we'll hear something. :) We're still thinking about names. We think we have the top two candidates, but are open to suggestions.

In other news, and I will probably jump from subject to subject quickly and randomly, Jack moved into his new room Friday. It's not completely finished yet. Pictures to come very soon though. We had a great night of praise last night which focused on Redemption. In a few days, I'll post a link and you can watch it on the church's website. We're so glad that God has us serving at Sevier Heights. Hopefully many more years to come. Our annual beach trip is coming up! One of our FAVORITE times of the year! Charleigh, who was an itty-bitty 2 week old last year, will be running, eating sand, and splashing in the waves. Can't wait!!! Avery will make her grand appearance this year. I have a feeling she will be a beach bum! It will be so hard to leave these little girls after spending a week with them. Whew.

I was writing Jack's Bible verses on his dry erase board to learn this week, and one of the verses was the same as last year. I remember this particular verse because he could never say it right. The verse is from James 2:10. It says, "For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it." It was slightly shortened last year though. I believe when he got into his class and said the verse, it went something like this, "Whoever fumbles the ball gets just one point." Not even close. Funny though. We'll try harder to learn it word for word this year.

Back to adoption stuff for just a second, we have a friend from college who has also decided to adopt from Ethiopia. We've only kept in touch through facebook, but now since they've decided to adopt, it's kept us in closer touch, which I am so thankful for. If you get a second, you should read Kelly's blog.

I guess that's all for now. Have a great fall day!

Hats Off to Christi

2010-09-28T23:00:00.004-04:00

Jack's new room was in need of a fresh coat of paint. So I had the idea that I would paint the whole room a neutral color and then add blue horizontal stripes. I knew stripes were a lot of work, and I anticipated extra work. Well, now that I'm finished, I'll say that 3 horizontal stripes will be the extent of my stripe-painting career. Then I recalled the nursery of sweet Charleigh. My sister-in-law, Christi, painted this...

Notice the detail...

Until now, I was guessing that took a LOT of work. Now I know it took A TON OF WORK. So, congratulations to Christi. The Paint Queen of the family.

Theme Dinner: Stranded on a Desert Island by Jon

2010-09-21T19:21:00.003-04:00

The Islanders with visitors Ginger and the Professor

On the menu:

Fish (fish tacos)

Assorted grasses and plants (cole slaw & avocado)

Pineapple

Berries

Fruit Relish (Mango salsa & chips)

Worms and Dirt for dessert (chocolate pudding)

And the preparation begins...

2010-09-18T07:26:00.003-04:00

It's been a busy week at our house. Jon has finished the Christmas recording sessions. Last night, he was even home for dinner. :) Jack has started violin lessons, so he had his 3rd violin lesson this Thursday followed by Open House at the school. He's waiting so patiently for his teacher to teach him "Rocky Top".

During all the normal busyness, we signed the acceptance papers for these two little boys. We think about them all the time, especially since we have a face and a name to go with these little ones we've been praying for for SO long! Right now, they're Big Z and Little Z, but soon will have American names for their first names and the Z names for the middle names. It's strange to name a child who is already walking around. When naming a baby, you choose your favorite name, and their personality grows into that name. Maybe we'll know it when we see them that first time.

Jack has decided to graciously give the little boys his room with the two twin beds, and he's taking the guest room with the big bed. We've been cleaning out the extra closet, looking for a dresser, and choosing new bedding and paint colors for him. He's picking out his favorite things (books, toys, wall hangings) and moving them over to the new room. We hope to have him acclimated to it around the time we leave for the court date. At least everyone will get something new, not just Z and Z. :)

Speaking of the court date... the courts in Ethiopia close for a summer hiatus every year from August to September. They're scheduled to open back up September 28. As soon as they re-open, they'll schedule all the families that have received referrals during the court recess. As soon as they have it scheduled, we'll book tickets and be ready to go. They key is flexibility, so we've heard. :)

I guess that's all for now. Back to cleaning and painting.

The Post We've All Been Waiting For

2010-09-12T14:31:00.004-04:00

We got a referral!!! And in record timing I might add. Our paperwork has been over in Ethiopia for a total of 3 weeks now and so have our boys! Yes, we're getting two boys, ages 2 and 3. Shocked and completely thrilled all at the same time! God, in His sovereign wisdom, placed our paperwork and little boys there at the same time. More to come later about this, and we promise to post pictures as soon as we can. Their names are Zekiyos and Zelalem. We're just guessing at the pronunciations. :) Continue to pray for them and us as we prepare for their arrival sometime around Christmas.

"Delight yourself in the LORD

and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the LORD;

trust in him and he will do this:

He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn,

the justice of your cause like the noonday sun."

Psalm 37:4-6

Drink Coffee? Support Adoption.

2010-08-18T14:13:00.003-04:00

Well, we're in the final stretch of the adoption process. All the paperwork is done. Gone. Out of our hands. What a great feeling it is. Now what? This begins the waiting process. The real waiting process that is totally out of our control. It's God's timing now. People ask us..."So, when are we getting those babies???" (which we love, by the way) And the answer is, "We don't know. Could be 2 weeks. Could be 12 months." But in the meantime, we're praying for those babies, praying for our little one here who will experience SO much change in the coming months, saving money, and plugging along like normal.

So, in the midst of all the waiting, we've decided to combine our two passions. Coffee and adoption. Check it out here.

"Listen to my voice in the morning, LORD.

Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly."

Psalm 5:3

Theme Dinner: Farmer Night by Shanle

2010-08-18T14:06:00.005-04:00

We left our camera in Pensacola a few weeks ago, so these were taken with Shay's phone. Too bad we couldn't get our traditional "everyone stand behind the table in the exact same spot as last time" pose. :)

Holy cow! Jack is SO tall! Ha!

On the menu:

Fried Chicken

Corn on the Cob

Mashed Potatoes

Fried Okra

Tomatoes

Cornbread

Peach Pie

Next theme dinner should be interesting. Stay tuned.

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

2010-07-15T21:47:00.003-04:00

Since we're going to a Smokies game tomorrow night and a Braves game next week, Jon chose "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" as the theme for tonight.

On the Menu:

Peanuts

Chili Dogs

Soft Pretzels

Corn on a Stick

Frozen Lemonade

WE GOT THE PAPER!!!

2010-07-13T13:53:00.003-04:00

Guess what we got??? YES! The immigration paper that we've been waiting on for about 4 months. Woo hoo!

So now what? We are collecting just a few additional papers today and tomorrow and these, along with our homestudy, will be our dossier that we send to Africa. But first, we need them checked by Bethany, notarized, county sealed (Knox Co.), and state sealed (in Nashville, of course). We HOPE to have all this done by Monday. After that, send it off to Ethiopia.

And wait.

Good Things

2010-07-09T12:47:00.005-04:00

The day started today with some great news. We received a email today stating that we have been chosen to receive a significant grant from Show Hope. We applied several months ago and basically forgot about it. Until today.

We're SO thankful, yet so undeserving of all these good things. Thanks be to God for the good gifts that come from Him alone. I'm happy to say that we're more than halfway done paying for this adoption. And I know that He is faithful to finish it.

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,

to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations,

forever and ever. Amen.

Ephesians 3:20-21

Thank you, thank you, thank you...someone

2010-06-17T15:39:00.008-04:00

Tuesday, we received a call from our caseworker at Bethany. I think she was just as excited to call and report the news as we were to receive it. Someone anonymously donated money to Bethany's corporate office. Our case worker said this amount would be enough to cover our entire first trip to Ethiopia...two plane tickets plus lodging. We can't even begin to express how thankful we are to Jesus for providing this money and to this person, who I hope is reading this. We're forever grateful.

"The One who calls you is faithful, and He will do it."

1 Thessalonians 5:24

Catching Up

2010-06-15T07:29:00.010-04:00

Where to begin. So much going on lately. We'll back up to May and start with the garage sale. So many people gave so much of their time, energy, money, garage sale signs, treasures, tables, brownies, cookies, hangers, regaining our stolen garage sale signs, basement and garage space, and more-than-happy-to-help attitudes. Thank you so much to Amy for coordinating this thing for us. Her great vision combined with organization skills (and love for our babies) helped make this so successful. One verse that we really tried to focus on for the garage sale was Deuteronomy 28:12 which says, "The LORD will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands." We give God the glory for He truly blessed us that day.

Next, we had our choir trip to Washington D.C. In the midst of all our adoption paperwork, I'll admit that the plans and preparations for the trip were not on the forefront of my mind until about 3 days before. But we had THE BEST time! I honestly can't say what I enjoyed the most...working in the inner city neighborhood or getting to know people that I only knew as a smiling face or touring all those great museums that I haven't seen in years... I hope we get to take another trip like this soon. :)

Following this trip was a night away at Whitestone Inn. Catching up on a little needed R & R before our trip home. More pictures to come soon.

Birthday Party Pics

2010-05-04T07:59:00.007-04:00

Ahhh, I can't believe I didn't post pictures from the real birthday shindig. So here they are...

Squirt guns, silly string wars, cheetos, and cupcakes. What more do you need?

Theme Dinner: Pajama Night

2010-05-04T07:52:00.002-04:00

This theme dinner by Shay. And of course, we ate breakfast. :)

Theme Dinner: Beef

2010-04-27T16:19:00.006-04:00

You guessed it. It was Jon's turn to pick, and he chose BEEF night. :)

On the menu:

Beef with a side of grass

Texas Toast

Dusty Water

*This post is actually about a month overdue.

Another theme night tonight.*

Birthday Snapshots

2010-04-20T17:09:00.003-04:00

Paw Paw came to see us for Jack's birthday. Just a few snapshots from his visit. :)

Happy Birthday Hannah!

2010-04-18T13:06:00.003-04:00

Happy 6th

2010-04-16T05:50:00.006-04:00

Dear Birthday Boy,

Wow! I can't believe you're 6 years old today. When you were born, everyone told us how fast time would fly. I believed them, but looking back, seeming like you were only born a few months ago, I never knew it would fly by this quickly. Those chubby arms are gone. You're getting so tall now (I have NO IDEA where that came from). You now have to hold up two hands when you tell people how old you are.

You've lost 6 teeth already! I think you've set a record for the youngest child with the most teeth lost. When I took you for your 12-month check-up, MIND YOU ALREADY HAD 16 TEETH, and your doctor said, "Well, I guess he's an overachiever!" I guess you're an overachiever with loosing teeth too.

I love how you love people. I guess we would wonder if you didn't, since Daddy and I like being around people so much. I love how you speak to everyone so politely and confidently.

I love how you love to be like your Daddy. You fix your hair like him, dress like him, play your guitar like him. I love how you love to wear ties. ALL THE TIME. I love how you love to cook with me. I love how you love legos, Star Wars, cowboy boots, animals, your firetruck, drawing, reading books, math pages, the food network, cauliflower, shrimp, blueberries, chocolate milk, and cheese crackers. I love how you so passionately do not like mango, coke, candy, raisins, dictionary pages, and picking up your dirty clothes. I love how you love costumes, and how you have such an imagination. I love how you talk with such expression and enthusiasm. I love how you use the words realize and recognize interchangeably. I love how you are already passionate about things that I didn't even know existed when I was 6 years old.

I love to watch you play with your friends. I love how you're always coming up with a plan for inviting people over or going out to eat after church. I love how you play with Elin. I am thankful for your best buddies like Parker, Hudson, Sarah Beth, Riley and Andy. Even your buddies far away like Katie and Hunter and your far-away cousins... Hannah, Kate, George, Charleigh, and Avery.

I love how you love your grandparents. Sometimes, I think you'd rather be there. But I must say, we're okay with that. It only reminds us how blessed you are to have them. I love how you're always adding days to Camp Big Mama, or talking about swimming in Nana's pool, eating Trix cereal. I love how you always think of Grandmama when you play play-doh or go to the beach. I LOVE that you think your two grandpas hung the moon. I love that you always want to wrestle with PawPaw or go fishing with him or play ball in the yard. I love that you'll always remember the kittens that were born in PawPaw's boat. I love that you know you can always find soft peppermints in his pocket. I love that you always play army man just like Poppy. I love that you tackle him completely blindsided and he ALWAYS plays along. I love that you love to go to his house in the summer to play in the treehouse or swim in the pool, or ride in the camper to Sonic.

I love how you're so excited that you're getting a brother and sister, or two brothers, or two sisters, or whatever from Africa. I love how you pray for the EVERY SINGLE DAY. I love how you set the table for them. They are going to learn so much from you. They're going to learn how to speak English, dress up in costumes, dig in the back yard, swing on the swingset, swim like little fish, make snow angels, dribble a basketball, share toys, love people, love church, and love Jesus.

Of course we love you because you're our son. We REALLY like you for who you are and who you're becoming. You're handsome, smart, outgoing, chatty, and SO funny!

Our home is a better place just because you live here.

Happy Birthday baby boy!

Love,

Mommy :)

Lickin' Lucy and her stinkin' breath

2010-04-14T18:57:00.004-04:00

Moving right along

2010-04-12T05:09:00.007-04:00

Today, we have an appointment at Bethany to put our dossier together. We're still waiting on that one piece of paper from the Dept. of Homeland Security, but it's on its way, we hope. We have now been in this "gathering paperwork" stage for about 6 months now and you would think that we're getting antsy and impatient, which we are a little, but we just know that our little ones are not ready yet. We're so blessed to have our own child as well as adopt, and the best way I can describe it is hoping your baby doesn't come before 9 months is over because it's just not time. Now I'm sure if you ask us after our paperwork has just been sitting over there for 6 months and the answer might be different, but for now, we have a peace about the timing of this whole thing.

There are so many things that we've learned already from these kids and from the adoption process that, had we not decided to do this, we would have never learned. And we're still learning. But for right now, it's Luke 11:13.

"If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"

This verse has come alive to use the last few weeks by the kindness and generosity of others, especially our parents. Thank you for showing us how much more our Heavenly Father loves us. And the way our Daddies explain it, "You'll understand later." :)

Adoption T-Shirts

2010-04-08T06:10:00.021-04:00

Some sweet friends of ours have gotten together and planned a big SALE-a-bration (garage sale) on May 1st for us in an effort to raise money for our adoption. We're so humbled by all these people giving their time and energy to help bring our little ones home. Our friend, who is a graphic designer, made this t-shirt originally designed for those working at the garage sale to wear, but thought we might offer them to others as well. It's also posted as an event on facebook if you follow this link. We've attached a paypal link to make it easy to donate for the shirts.

Adult sizes: M, L, XL

($20.00 suggested donation)

(Be sure to note the size when ordering through Paypal.

The shirts will be available after May 1st.)

Boys Breaking Stuff

2010-03-22T20:17:00.005-04:00

(He was also in the middle of practicing with the children's musical...if you noticed the blue jeans and cowboy boots)

Daily Bread

2010-03-18T15:05:00.005-04:00

Sometimes when I'm not able to have my quiet time in the morning (like today because little man came down with strep and threw up ALL night), I go here and see what they have for the verse of the day. SO many times, it is exactly what I need to be thinking about for the day. And today is just one of those days.

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13

Arrrrrrgh...because we wanted shrimp and grits

2010-03-16T19:33:00.003-04:00

We've decided to have our theme dinners twice a month instead of once a month. This theme dinner picked by Shanle.

On the menu:

Shrimp and Grits

Seaweed Salad

Golden Biscuits

Alligator Blood (to drink)

Our treasure chest dessert was stolen by the bad pirates, but pirate Jack found a treasure map that led to our golden cookies.

70 and still going

2010-03-16T07:52:00.005-04:00

And Happy Birthday to one of my best friends, Kelly! So sorry you didn't get a pig-in-a-blanket with a candle. Maybe when you turn 70.

Some kind of record

2010-03-16T07:34:00.004-04:00

Is it normal that a 5-year-old has lost 6 teeth already? I think I had my phone too close. Like when you look in the back of a spoon.