Who's Sleeping In My Bed?

Last night when we came to bed, we found this... 

Maya had gotten out of her bed and crawled into ours last night before we came to bed.  I have to admit, I started a bad habit with Maya.  It started when Dave was in Ethiopia this past month.  Maya would wake up, walk into my bedroom, and I would let her crawl into bed with me.  Honestly, I didn't mind having her with me.  It was lonely without Dave home and Maya made it less lonely for me.  I think I made it less lonely for her too.  

Maya has been a trooper with everything going on with Makenna, Dave being gone, and everything else going on right now.  I know she is feeling the stress in the house which breaks my heart.  Maya deserves to have her mommy and daddy back.  She deserves to have us present.  I know she feels the stress as she is begging for me to cuddle with her while watching TV, she is crawling into our bed or at least trying to a lot more often, and she is acting out while seeking attention.  Good news is we are aware and trying to make sure Maya gets the positive attention she deserves.  We are trying out best to get back to normal (whatever that is).  

*Many of you are asking for an update on Makenna - I promise to update the blog very soon.  Please keep her in your prayers as we do have a long road in front of us.

Wordless Wednesday - Love These Girls

Last 5-6 Weeks

As many of you know from reading my blog and visiting with us, Makenna had been sick and was admitted to the hospital the week of Christmas. Right after Makenna got released from the hospital, Dave left on a 10 day mission trip with our church to Ethiopia. Needless to say it has been a very busy and emotional 5-6 weeks hence the lack of blogging. I am finding it hard to not only managed all my daily and weekly task but to also manage my emotions.

Makenna being sick really took a toll on me. It hurts so badly inside when your baby is sick and the doctors have no idea what is going on. Makenna is scared of doctors and would cry hysterically whenever she was touched, poked, or even when the medical staff got too close to her. It broke my heart to see her in so much pain not because of her leg but because of how scared she was. Thankfully we have been home for awhile now and she is doing so much better. Yes, we still have scary doctor appointments and yes we are still trying to figure out how to treat her but her spirit is back. Makenna is a trooper.

Thank you to all of you who have prayed for us, visited us in the hospital, and given us a free pass to be selfish with our time. By knowing we have a great support system makes all of this much more bearable. We really appreciate all the love and support we have received. Soon we hope Makenna will be fully recovered and we can put all of this behind us.

Wordless Wednesday - Oh Makenna

Happy Forever Home Anniversary Makenna!

Today marks our one year anniversary of being home as a family of 4. Last year today, friends and family gathered at the airport to welcome us home and to meet the newest member of the family. I remember walking off the plane in pure exhaustion as well as being anxious to see Maya. I couldn't wait to give Maya a big hug and lots of kisses. It was an emotional day for me to be home and be surrounded by so many people who love us and supported our adoption process.

Our friend Evan took our first family photo and framed it for us which is still on my shelve in my family room. Although it isn't the best picture considering Dave and I hadn't slept much or showered for almost 30 hours, it is our first family picture which I very much treasure.

I have to admit that I have been struggling with the fact Dave just recently traveled to Ethiopia without me and had an experience without me. I feel incredibly jealous and feel that whenever Dave thinks of Ethiopia, he thinks of his recent trip versus the two trips we shared together. I never thought I would ever feel this way and it has been very hard. Thankfully Dave and I have been able to talk through this and he assures me this last trip has not replaced the other two but it was simply a different trip with different experiences.

Today we plan to spend time together as a family. We plan to celebrate our blessings and enjoy each other.

Happy Forever Home Anniversary Makenna! We love you to pieces.

One Year Ago Today

Sunday will be our 1 year forever anniversary of being a family of 4. Crazy to think Makenna has been home for almost 1 full year. Wow time goes by so fast! This year we had experienced so much and we have so much to be thankful for. Each day that comes and goes, I feel incredibly blessed and very lucky to be mom to my two girls. I know I have many not so great moments and some really bad days but I never forget how blessed I am.

This past year we have learned how to be a family of 4 which isn’t so easy at times. Makenna had to adjust to being with us as we did with her. The attachment piece didn’t happen overnight but instead over a course of months. We got there though and trust me Makenna is very much attached!

Today I took a moment to reflect back to last year on this very day. At this time last year, we spent much of the day visiting the Alert Hospital and Korah. It was truly an amazing experience that wrecked us even further. It is really hard to even put words to this experience as it tore my heart to pieces but at the same time gave me some joy as I got to spend time with such wonderful people. These people have gone through so much and have so little but yet managed to make us feel welcomed. Dave did a beautiful job blogging about our visit there so feel free to read it here.

Dave and the group he traveled with had the pleasure of visiting these amazing people at the Alert Hospital. While looking at pictures, I recognized many faces. They same group of individuals have continued to work hard and I assume will continue as long as they need to in order to provide for their families. Dave and the group provided them with much needed supplies so they can continue to make their crafts and sell them in the gift store. God is good!

Here are just a few pictures from that day. 

Acacia Tree

Last week I mentioned my first close-up encounter with an acacia tree while in Ethiopia. I commented on how beautiful and stunning the image of a lone tree in a landscape is but yet how fierce and thorny the tree is up close. A close friend and mentor, Norma Smith, provided some additional background on the tree that I thought I would share.

Read your blog and noted the comment about the acacia tree. I actually centered a Sunday School lesson on the acacia tree a few months ago. There are many different varieties throughout the world, however a few of the salient points that would probably interest you are....

• Scholars believe it is quite likely the acacia wood is what the ark of the covenant was made from. This is because of the incredible strength/durability of the wood.
• The acacia tree has a tap root that can extend 200 ft + down into the earth. This is how it can thrive in the driest of desserts (ie., Holy Land, etc.)
• Some scholars think that gopher wood is the same thing as acacia wood. if this is accurate, then Noah's ark was also made of this wood.

Thought you might like to know that, as you suspected that the acacia had some deeper meaning, symbolism...