JOY multiplied!

JOY x 5 little ones and 4 BIG ones

We are so thankful for all our 

children.

I think I can say my heart was overflowing and tears threatened to come pouring out this Christmas

as we were exchanging gifts.

One BIG son had wrapped up 

his own i pod plus some fun stuff 

and given to his oldest brother.

He gave another brother his small computer like an i pad plus accessories to go with it.

He gave his Dad his personal binocular straps that Dad really liked plus a cool bag for archery stuff. 

They were thoughtful, personal, from the heart gifts.

My Mom heart almost couldn't take it and as I looked around at the other big boys I saw they were as moved and touched as we were.

Our sweet 6 year old had wrapped up his special handmade blanket plus a box full of his cars for his Daddy as well. He gave his treasures too.

In spite of all our failures ( I should speak for myself! My own failures as a Mom)

God gives us hope and allows us to see the goodness and preciousness of each child He has created and made unique.

Sometimes as a Mom life gets overwhelming...

the day to day..

the dishes over and over again...

the laundry that will never end...

the endless whining (or so it seems :))

the nights of homework 

the worrying ( I never thought I was a worrier but my oldest says I am)

and so onnnnnnnnnnnnnn..... 

and then I have to step back 

and look for 

and appreciate

 and savor 

the moments of

JOY

and 

VICTORY

and 

sweet

smiles

and I LOVE YOU's

and all

that is

GOOD.

Not sure where all that just came from :) but on to how we have been doing and some of the 

challenges we have faced since bringing home our 4.

Oct. 15th to now

1. 12 samples of poo within 3 days delivered to children's hospital!

2. giardia for everyone!

3. Scabies anyone? You Bet!

All of us treated.

4. Blood work taken from all 4. Two sat and watched blood being drawn. 1 screamed till all our eardrums burst! Baby cried for a bit.

5. Banana peel next to trash can on floor next to toilet in bathroom. Hmmmm...

6. Refusing to move, wailing/screaming/mad for all day fits.

7. Above happening for small things.

8. Whining as a means of communication.

9. Learning to ask for things with words.

10. Visit to dentist/screaming for 1 with eardrums once again bursting.

11. Everything given to them stuffed in their backpacks, tucked away in pillowcase.

12. Learning different personalities and how to best work with them.

1 Tomboy girl who loves to do hair and help.

1 Princess girl who loves to take care of her baby.

1 sweet boy who loves to help, play ball and read the Bible storybook with Dad.

(also trys to take Dad down in wrestling!)

1 Climbing baby who is into everything! He can shimmy up the stairs in 30 sec!

Loves to laugh!

1 Precious boy who is learning how to share his LIFE with 4 new brothers/sisters.

13. Getting used to stares when we are out as a family.

14. Getting used to comments such as:

3 Asian men came to look at our formal table:

him, "Lots of kids", me " Yes,"  Him, "Babysitting?"

me, "Nope, all ours!"

end of conversation.

Fireplace guy: all kids napping when he comes in, 1 by one they get up.

At end when I am paying he says, "Day care?" I said, "Nope, they are all ours! 24/7!"

15. Listening to singing in their language all together.

Listening to them speak to each other part English and part their own.

Life has been a whirl wind! Some days my brain can't think anymore such as the day I get a call from the school office:

"Mrs. Auty? Just wanted to let you know today was an early day out and M is sitting here in the office"

Me: " Do we not have school tomorrow? Usually it's an early day out the day before it's a no school day."

Her : "Today is Friday!" (EVERY Friday is early out!)

I didn't even try to explain to her my life!

And then another day we are driving after I picked up M from kindergarten:

M: "Mom, is there a reason we are driving and I am not buckled up?!!"

UGHHHHH!

I have been so grateful for all the meals we have received! They literally have been a lifesaver... the help with housecleaning, laundry washing, encouraging etc.

Mom has come up and spent all day with me. She has worked with the kids on school and seen first hand LIFE here.

She about summed it up when she talked with M's teacher.

He had come home with a bag of stuff for me to help the teacher with here at home.

There was NO way I could do that so Mom took it back up to school for me. She talked with M's teacher who said something to the effect of it still figuring things out over here. 

Mom told her she was a retired teacher who knew what to do and it was even overwhelming for her! :)

We are learning our new normal :)

and growing as a family.

I am so thankful for Randall who has taken all 5 kids out to give me a break!

He loves to spend time with them and takes such good care of all of us!

The troops are up and on the loose so I better run!

Love, Tracy

HEAR YE! HEAR YEA!

Announcing the Silver Hill Images Winter Gallery Show!

Silver Hill Images

Winter Gallery Show December 2-4, 2011 Opening 5:30pm Friday Dec. 2 Fri Dec. 2, 5:30-9pm Sat Dec. 3, 10am - 9pm Sun Dec. 4,  2pm - 6pm   You are cordially invited to the winter gallery show by Silver Hill Images.  The show will feature the fine art photography of Vince Wallace.  Work will include both abstract and representational pieces from various locations around the world, including the iconic city of Havana, Cuba. Vince received his degree in art from the University of North Texas College of Visual Arts and Design.  He enjoys a wide variety of artistic styles and influences - Rococo to Romanticism to French Impressionism to American Realism. In his creative expression, he is mostly drawn to movement, color, and light with an interest in panoramic scenes as well as the intimate details of the subject whether it be rural or urban, animate or inanimate, natural or man-made. He has fully embraced the digital photographic medium but merely as another tool in the creation of art. All pieces at the show will be available for purchase. Interested in helping out with the show behind the scenes?  Click HERE for more information! Franklin Creative Suite 731 Columbia Avenue,Suite 200 Franklin, TN  37064

Copyright © 2011 Silver Hill Images, All rights reserved.  unsubscribe from this list | update subscription preferences

IF YOU are wondering what this has to do with our 

ADOPTION journey

read on... 

Vince is my brother and is an INCREDIBLY gifted artist/photographer!

I would LOVE for

him to meet his 4 new nieces and nephews for Christmas...

so am helping in anyway I can to get the word out about his Gallery Art Show!

So all you Tennessee people head over to the show!! :)

Don't feel left out if you don't live there! 

You can always order online :) 

(they make great Christmas gifts)

https://silverhillimages.com/

Love, Tracy :)

Pictures of kids coming soon...the joys of cutting down their  first tree together!

PS I haven't forgotten about the struggles from previous post :)

PPS Sorry I can't get the invite sized right for the blog!!  :(

If you go to his gallery online you can view all the photographs on the invite as well as all of his work!

Apples in toilets, kids in sprinklers!

first hike!!

olive oil hair treatment-M just wanted plastic bag on his head :)

1st Sunday to go to church with Dad

Mini van completely full! Baby is on right facing back

They love doing dishes!

Had to show you Luke's creative hand made halloween  robot? head! 

M's 6th birthday!

first dusting of snow!

My climber!!

1st BIG snow!!! They SCREAMED with excitement !

LIFE in the fast lane! :)

(or at least the carpool lane!)

It seems like we have been a family FOREVER 

and then some days 

just like we got home yesterday.

We have had so much LAUGHTER

and some tears.

The Funny MOMENTS : )

1. One of the girls was eating on an apple in the morning. I couldn't find it anywhere..looked in the trash and it wasn't there. Thought that was strange b/c I knew she didn't eat it all.

Little bit later took a girl to go to the bathroom. There sitting in the toilet plugging the hole was the whole apple! Of course we had to RUN upstairs b/c she had waited too long! Hollared at Randall that there was an apple in the toilet!

Before he could get to it a boy went poop on it. 

Never did ask how he got it out!!

Very funny to us until....

2. Next morning... take a girl to same bathroom...ANOTHER apple in the toilet.

Not so funny this time! Thank goodness we have long barbeque pitchfork.

Everyone banned from apples! :)

3. The kids LOVE water! While it was still warm I had a friend come bring us a meal. I was visiting with her and had the baby inside. The big kids were running in and out the back door playing outside.

She leaves I go outside wondering why I hear water running.

M has turned on the sprinkler and ALL the kids are running through it with their clothes on. 

Our sweet neighbor is sitting on her side of our little 4 foot picket fence watching her little guy. He was even getting sprinkled the water was turned on so high. 

I really DO watch the kids! :)

4. Another afternoon we were outside with the kids. The sprinkler system was going off and the kids thought that was so fuuny. They were running through them, jumping over etc.

A little girl stepped on one of the sprinkler heads. At that moment the cycle changed and the head disappeared and the water stopped. 1 boy stood there and looked at where the sprinkler head vanished. He felt all around, very puzzled. Then he hollars at his sister b/c he thought she broke it. Then he starts hollaring at Randall, "DAAAD! WATER?? , DAAD WATER!!!!" 

He was so loud and his mouth was literally almost has big as his face yelling, DAAAD!!

We were laughing so hard!

5. The first big snow I was upstairs with the baby and M and the kids were downstairs in the kitchen. All of a sudden I hear screaming. I'm hollaring down what is going on..who is messing with who!

M informs me no one is hurting anyone. They are all looking out the back door screaming about the snow.

That was the day they built the HUGE snowman with Randall. 

6. They LOVE to ride bicycles. They will CAREEN down the sidewalk out of control (trying to teach the one who can really ride a bike to use the brakes) and then walk them up the hill back to the starting spot.

We have had a few minor crashes (you can imagine with 4 kids on bikes/tricycles all on the same sidewalk!)

7. M and Randall set up cones to divide the sidewalk in half. One side up/ one side down. At the end by the neighbors driveway are cones to not go past. At the top are cones at the next driveway. While 3 kids are busy riding up and down and taking out a few cones 1 little girl is at the top of the sidewalk busily rearranging all the cones. :)

8. They are learning English more each day. We do a lot of hand motions ! They can understand A LOT more than they can speak. One boy says "Oh my gosh!" all the time. 

Baby says "Ca-Ca" which he came from Ethiopia saying! 

We were outside playing and 1 little girl says to her Pop-Pop, "SIT DOWN, SIT DOWN!"

We all laughed! That was the first time she said that in English... she wanted him to sit down on the sidewalk so she could trace around him with sidewalk chalk. :)

(you can tell what we say to her quite often!)

They all say/hollar, "MOOMM!! MOOOMMM!" all the time!!

I have never heard my name called so much in my life!

Teaching them to say in a normal voice, "Mom, may I please...."

or "Micah (insert various sibling's names), please stop...."

9. We have sweet moments reading at night and then singing together.

R usually gets the boys ready, I get the girl's and baby ready. Put baby to bed while Randall reads to all of them. They LOVE M's children's Bible story book and he has already read all the way through and has started over. 

Then they go to their own rooms and get in bed. Boys are usually out quick. Girls giggling and getting out of bed. Sometimes I lay with them and get my hair braided :)

10. They LOVE music! I hear " MOM! musica! Up!" Every time we are in the van they want the music up!

We have listened a lot to the Ethiopian music until we say "okay, finished" M's turn to pick! :)

They LOVE to dance and even Baby claps his hands and moves around!

On another day I will post more and share a few struggles and what we are working through.

It's ALWAYS good to remember the GOOD and SWEET times to help get through 

the 

wailing and gnashing of teeth :)

(but that will be for another day!)

Good night!

Love, Tracy :)

Please and Thank you :)

First Days Home: A brief recap :)

1. Learning Please and Thank you :)

2. Hummus is like Shiro

3. All our kids like cold green beans

4. They love spinach lasagna, sausage potatoe cheese casserole 

5. Can eat almost whole 9 x 13 pans of above items

6. Like to eat all day

7. Learning to stay in bed

8. Learning how to live again with baby permanently attached to hip

9. Teaching to spit in sink no on bathroom rug

10. Hands are not for hitting :)

11. Learning " I feel Alive" song and singing all the time

12. playing for hours on slide is great fun!

13. Watching them experience an elevator, escalator, hand dryer, water fountain, airplane etc. for first time

14. Seeing them say "I'm sorry" and " It's okay"

15. Thinking I have NEVER heard "Mom, Mom!!" so much in my life

16. Praying for sleep 

17. Being totally overwhelmed and stressed on first 16 hour flight with screaming, flailing kids and thanking 

God

for zonked out kids the whole 2nd 4 hr flight

18. Wondering if we were ever going to keep one little girl in bed and get any sleep

19. Thanking God for easier bedtimes every night

20. Randall hearing , "DAD! BICYCLE over and over"

21. Pushing such child on bicycle with soccer cleats on who doesn't know how to turn peddles yet.

22. Sore backs

23. Backpacks carried everywhere. 

24. Watching transition of wearing shoes with pjs to no shoes with pjs

25. Girls changing clothes all the time!

26. Having the entry date into US Oct. 16th, my birthday, instead of Oct. 15th which is when we landed.

27. Debating driving around all day with everyone buckled into car... no escapees that way..

well except for the child taking her arms out of car seat harness.

28. Hearing, "Let's Go!! Mom, Dad" whenever we slowed down or sat at a stop light.

29. Seeing Micah and 2 big kids bond and giggle and play together outside.

30. Watch baby go to Daddy for first time.

I took off!

31. Thanking God for family and good friends who have prayed and stepped in the gap for us.

Well, I know there's more but I'm pooped. :)

Praying everyone sleeps all night tonite! :)

Thankful for a sweet husband who has spent so much time playing and taking care of the big kids while baby is stuck to my side :)

Thankful for my son who has helped with kids and cleaned kitchen and toys every night.

Thankful for Mom who watched Micah all week while were gone along with all the cleaning etc :)

For friends who are bringing meals and came over and cleaned! :)

Thankful for Kelly who went to Ethiopia with us. We literally could not have done it without her.

Thankful for all you praying...!!!

Love, Tracy :)