Vow!

I couldn't decide on how to start this update. First, sorry for the silence!!! We have been crazy busy in a whirlwind of unexpected events, a plethora of emotions, excitements, challenges, and continuous cooking, eating and cleaning. Keep reading :)




I want to be honest about things here. So I will start out with the challenges and then move onto how our Lord has met us at each challenge. In the last six days:

• Nastya and Katya arrived in the middle of the night



• We have kept my three year old niece who was starting to really miss her mommy and needing lots of comfort



• Zach's grandfather died and he and Allee left town for a few days



• N&K had their first dentist appt which they were very very fearful about



• I went to Target with the girls (big mistake, enough said)



• Nastya came down with an ear infection and we had to get anitbiotics (another dreaded doctor visit with six kids)



• Some 'testing of the waters' on the part of Katya's attitude and behavoir and certainly a fearfulness of not being accepted/loved



• My parents and my sis arrived in the Austin airport without my brother in law and new nephew b/c Bennet's visas issues were not resolved in time for them all to come home together, so they were all frustrated and sad about that and of course extremely tired and a bit sick.



• Besides the normal work of cooking cleaning, buying endless fruit as it disappears instantly upon arrival, and caring for basic needs, I think that about covers the past few days



• Oh, the day after the girls arrived I lost my special watch that was from my grandmother before she died, my wedding ring and my Aggie ring

Okay, but here are the really amazing parts. I want you to know that I write about all this above only so that it can show how God is so good and His grace is sufficient even when times are very difficult, including minute details:

• The arrival was amazing and I really didn't feel all that tired the next few days.



• Ella was a sweetheart and had the sweetest reunion with her mommy at the airport AND our sweet friend Becca kept the other kids while I went to the airport to pick them up because it is such a far way and they have been getting car sick. It was great to have a little time on the way home to hear about the highlights of Ethiopia and see pics on the camera and hear all about Bennet Toufiq.



• Zach and Allee had a nice time together enroute to the funeral, which was really nice and truly honored the life of his grandad. AND I stayed at my parents' house that night with the kids and everyone went to sleep by 8:00 including my parents and it was so wonderful to have some extended quiet time alone with the Lord. Thank you to those of you who were praying specifically for that.



• The dentist was SO kind and gentle and would you believe it - they actually said that they kind of liked it!!! They left all smiles :) (The good news is that Katya has pretty good teeth with only a few cavities but the bad new is that Nastya has some really serious issues and they won't be able save some baby teeth, but long term it will be okay)


• Target, well....let's just say that we left alive and without Bratz dolls but with a cute new pair of sunglasses, goggles for swimming, new shoes, a few other small goodies, and some food...only minimal pouting about the many "no's"


• Our kind doctor (also a family friend) prescribed antibiotics without us coming to see him and the ear is much better - Thank you Dr. Nelson!!!


• My sister's baby boy finally got the visa paperwork fixed and they have an appt at the US Embassy in Ethiopia on Monday - Jason and Bennet Toufiq will be home Wednesday assuming all goes well


• AND I found my watch and rings!!! - a kind person had put it up after I forgot it at my parents' house one day and I didn't get the message about where it was until much later

As far as the girls, they LOVE swimming and want to "kupatseeya park, please Momma" (swim at the park) every day. Katya LOVES to sing and dance - just as Nastya told us - and has asked countless times to go get dancing shoes and a leotard and to have dance lessons. We have not had a chance yet to get the shoes, and I kind of want to surprise her too. She is very sensitive - in a sweet way - and wants love and affection so very much. She gives the greatest hugs of all time and enjoys reading and drawing as well. She is a bit more shy in personality that Nastya (who will jump off a cliff if it we tell her it can be done :)), but certainly is trying very hard to learn English. She was so excited when I showed her a book that is written in Russian that I bought for her.

Nastya is doing great - she is a little bundle of energy and joy and is ready to pull a prank on you too! She LOVES horses and even kisses the pictures that Allee has of them. She can't wait to ride again. She seems much more comfortable with us than before and we really have not had any struggles so far on this trip.

All in all, things are going well. It was a hard few days but honestly I could feel the grace of God sustaining us and the past two days were such a blessing. God is so gracious to us. We had a wonderful time with the girls today and they are such an incredible joy to have here. I just look at them and am filled with wonder that they are here and at all God is doing in their lives and ours.

More later...