Celebrating Eli

Yesterday was Eli's birthday (he turned 5!) and we celebrated the occasion at home. It was only the second birthday celebration he has had at home with his family.

I don't think I will ever forget the bittersweet September 14th which passed with Eli still in Ethiopia, before we were able to be with him. We knew our son was half a world away, not even aware that something as special as his birthday was happening that day. Our hearts were so full with anticipation of bringing him here (at last!), but I know mine was also breaking to not be with him.

And, like all things, God has made something beautiful in His time. Eli is home and we are together. As he continues to struggle with life's difficulties, I know that God can make that beautiful too in His time. And so we love him and we wait.

It was a wonderful day for Eli. A truly happy birthday!

Eli woke up with this big smile!

He liked his new shirt with the Ethiopian flag.

Happy 5th Birthday, Eli! I love you!

You have to love it that Eli sang along to his own "Happy Birthday" song!

It's Been a While

The other day I realized it's been a really long time since I shared anything here on "Blessed Life." I guess you could say I took the summer "off," although if you know me and my family, you know I definitely was not off! :) Now that the boys have gone back to school, and we are getting into new day-to-day routines, I am looking forward to having more time to spend here.

As summer ends, it seems that whenever I run into someone I haven't seen in a while, the big question always is, "How was your summer?" I admit I just don't know how to answer that question this year. The question reminds me of when someone asks "How are you?" but really only wants to hear a repsonse like "Fine." Most people would probably not really want me to go into details about how our summer really was. The truth is it was not an easy time, but God is seeing us through.

I am a big believer that our lives go through seasons. This past summer started a season for our family that is stretching us in new ways. Like all trials, I am confident that God will use this time to draw us closer to Himself and to each other.

The First Day of School in Pictures

Geoffrey and Eli have started a new school year! Here are some pictures taken at home. (Geoffrey, a 5th grader now, does not consent to having pictures taken at school. Ha!)

Making sure they are "looking good"

Waiting at the bus stop with Eli

Eli thought the bus looked much bigger than he had imagined it would be...

Here's to a great school year! May God keep them safe and help them grow more each day in His image.

Love This Picture!!

Love this! My husband, the sweetie, really blushed after I gave him this little kiss!

Car Show Winners :)

This past Saturday, we had fun out at the South Haven Festival of Cars, where my dad entered his 1969 Camaro convertible. As usual, his car was awarded a trophy (it's quite a winner, actually!), and, also as usual, my dad ("Papa") shared his moment with his grandson, Geoffrey.

Fortunately, Geoffrey is not too big to sit on his mother's lap--of course, no one he knew was there, so that helped... :)

Wanting to be just like Papa, here is Geoffrey hanging out in the Camara during the show. Unlike Papa, though, Geoffrey is not napping!

Geoffrey polishes the car almost constantly and seems to take a lot of pride in doing so. If anyone comes near the car, he is certain to go behind them with the cloth to polish away any possible finger or hand prints. I think he did a great job--considering you can actually see his reflection on the side of the car as he polishes it yet again!

Dad sent Geoffrey forward to claim his award when the car was announced as one of Saturday's winners.

I am confident that Geoffrey will always remember spending these times with his Papa. I know they both love that car, but the real lasting love is the love they share for each other. And I'm so blessed to witness it!

Nana and Papa

Highlights From the Last Days of School

It's hard to believe the end of the school year came so fast! Here are some highlights from the last days...

Geoffrey's teacher hosted a pool party & picnic for the class at her house! I know none of my teachers ever did that! It was lots of fun and I'm so glad I got to be there. After lunch the kids played some relay races, including this one--walking while hula hooping! Glad I didn't have to do it, but Geoffrey rocked it!

Geoffrey is on the far right... and that very young looking lady to his left is his teacher.

At the school picnic, Geoffrey wasn't sure how to handle sitting with his mom and his siblings... um, isn't he a little young to find us so embarrassing?!? I'm happy to say that after I forced the issue (and forced him to sit with us, I might add...) we had a nice time. And, a couple of his friends actually came and sat with us--alert the media! :)

Geoffrey was blessed this year with an exceptional teacher! It was a very successful year for him in so many ways. He really came into his own with a teacher who treasured him for his personality, abilities, and his contribution to the class. The sky is definitely the limit for Geoffrey!

Geoffrey and his friend, together on the very last day of school. Happy Summer!!

What Lovely Children

What Fabulous Hair! (Part Two)

Last fall, I wrote about the fun Hope & I have with her hair. I'm happy to say that my skills are really improving with practice. When asked, "Who braided her hair?" (often by African-American females), I am always proud to be able to reply, "I did!" It is also nice to then hear in response what a nice job I did!

As my skills improve, my styles for Hope have gotten nicer, and can last a lot longer. We used to style once a week, but now we are able to go a month (sometimes longer) in between styles. This is good, since it literally takes hours to go from one style to the next. (Un-braiding, washing/conditioning, detangling, and putting in the new style can take 6-7 hours over the course of 2-3 days... un-braiding all those dozens of braids alone takes 1-2 hours, so then we like to enjoy the curly, "braid-out" Afro for at least a couple of days before moving on.) The amount of braids I am able to put in has also increased--I can do anywhere from 50-70 braids in a particular style depending on how small I make each one. I have also learned to add beads to all those braids--what a fun way to change the look of her style and she LOVES the sound her hair makes when she shakes her head around. Let's just say... we can always hear Hope coming!

Hopie & Her Music

So, lately, Hope really seems to enjoy making her own music at the piano. The really cute part is that she brings a book or two (or more) with her and opens them up as though the books are piano music. She then "composes" her own orignial songs based on the pictures. In this clip, listen for her to sing about the moon and the sky, and later she sings a "delicious" song about apples and the doctor (see, the picture on that page was a doctor's office and the doctor had a poster on the wall about healthy foods...).

What a cutie!

Easter Blessings

It was lots of fun at our house on Easter morning (maybe a little earlier than any of us would have liked, but that's beside the point) as the kiddos searched for their Easter baskets...

Hope was the first one to discover a basket . . . BUT, it wasn't hers--it was Eli's!

With a little help from Mommy, Hope was able to find her own basket next...

...while Geoffrey still hunted high and low for his own. (I guess the Easter Bunny knew he could use more of a challenge than his younger brother and sister!)

The real blessing is being able to gather my children close to me. They are truly wonderful children. God has created each of them to accomplish a specific purpose according to His will. I can never forget how long we waited for each of these kids, and how truly blessed we are to be with them each day!

Hope looked absolutely beautiful! And I'm not just saying that because I'm her mother! And talk about two most handsome boys! Seriously, these kids are good looking!

Happy 10!

10 years ago on this day God gave us the blessing of a healthy baby boy! And that child was you, Geoffrey! Your parents had been waiting for you for a long time, praying that God would give them a child. You were the answer! Ever since that day, you have been the light of your parents' lives in so many ways. You have been a source of pride and amazement to us as we have watched you grow. Your potential in this life is limitless! Only God knows for sure how you will impact this world--but those of us who know and love you can imagine that you will certainly do great things in His name. God has given you many gifts and talents. You continue to be a blessing to your parents. We are so proud of you--the wonderful boy that you've been and the young man you are becoming. Happy Birthday with all my love, Mom

A Quiet Saturday Morning?

If you are looking for peace and quiet, my house is probably--make that definitely--not the place!

Blessed

They've Got Talent :)

Since we're catching up a bit, here's another fun item! Last month, Geoffrey and some of his classmates participated in the school's variety show and were quite entertaining!

Geoffrey the Science Guy

A bit late in coming... but recently Geoffrey participate in the Science Fair at his school. He is a big animal-loving naturalist, who very well may grow up to work in the animal science field. His choice of a project for the Science Fair certainly reflects this passion of his. The title, "Dining Out Owl Style," explored the question, "Can you find out what an owl eats by dissecting its pellets?". He hypothesized that there would be evidence of what an owl had eaten in its pellet (bones, fur, etc), and, indeed, there was! He dissected three different pellets and wrote a detailed report about his procedure and findings. He diplayed some of those findings in a shadow box along with his project board.

Not only did he receive a PERFECT score from his teacher on the project, but she was contacted personally by one of the judges of the Science Fair who was so impressed with Geoffrey's project!

Way to go Geoffrey! We are so proud of you!

p.s. Geoffrey would be proud of me if I pointed out that pellets may not be exactly what you think they are. Many people assumed owl pellets were, uh, the owl's . . . poop. But, an owl pellet is actually what an owl coughs up which its body cannot digest.