Favor

Ana Maria!

2010-12-18T14:37:00.006-06:00

5 years ago today, Matt and I got to hold our baby girl for the first time!! We can both picture it like it was yesterday.... the elevator doors opened at the Marriott in Guatemala and there was our sweet baby Ana!!

The adventure of loving Ana has continued to be amazing. We love her more and more. She is so hilarious and awesome. Ana's love for the little things in life is contagious.

We are honored that God chose us be her parents! We love you so much Ana. We could never put into words how much you mean to us.

Norton Basketbal - Pep Rally!

2010-12-16T23:22:00.007-06:00

Kentucky is serious about their basketball!! We got to see that first hand as Carter had a pep rally put on by the school just for the basketball players!! It was so much fun!!

Here's the team right before they were announced entering the gym!

Here's the entire school excited to see their team!

The cheerleaders even made signs for the guys!!

Carter getting ready to take a shot!

Carter got to lead the team in the cupid shuffle

Here's the team with the cheerleaders

Decorating for Christmas!

2010-12-04T16:54:00.007-06:00

We had fun decorating our Christmas tree!! We had the music going and we actually made a turkey and all the Thanksgiving fixing too!!! Can't have too much of that yummy food!!

So yes, it's a big mess of ornaments, many of them all on the same branch (thank you Jackson, Durant, and Ana)!! But we love it so much and I know I will miss having a messy looking tree someday!!!

Christmas Tree!!!

2010-11-30T19:27:00.000-06:00

We got to get our very first Christmas tree in Louisville this weekend!! It was a fun experience... especially because we weren't freezing, we didn't have to hurry, or bundle up.... it was so awesome!! It's funny how quickly all 7 of us could embrace this warmer weather! I think we are all ruined for living anywhere more North of where we are right now.

I sorta always knew God was going to call me away from Wisconsin but I'd often wonder how I would do without a snowy December or freezing for 6 months straight.... well judging by the fact we've made it to December now and I haven't busted out a winter coat, people are still golfing on the golf course behind my house, and while we were decorating the tree people were mowing, I think I will stay!

Our standard Christmas Tree picture. So we didn't add new children this year but we did lose the jackets, hats, and gloves!!! Something we all agree that we can live with!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-27T20:39:00.004-06:00

We had a good 1st Thanksgiving away from home. We missed having Grandma Connie over, but we had some kind friends invite us to their house for Thanksgiving dinner.

I got to do my Black Friday shopping, but I had to do it alone this year (don't feel bad for me, I still had fun). But Matt was kind enough to discuss the ads with me on Thanksgiving day since my Aunt, Cousin, and Mom weren't here to do it!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!

Jackson isn't mad. He was in the middle of telling a story.... image that!!!

Happy 10th Birthday Carter!!

2010-11-11T10:53:00.012-06:00

On November 6th, Carter celebrated his 10th birthday!! I can't believe that I've been a Mom for 10 years already!!! The time has gone by so quickly it's amazing!! But what is even more amazing is that God has blessed me with being the mom of Carter. He is truly a uniquely wonderfully made child. His heart is amazing. He is constantly entertaining us around the house with impressions, beat-boxing, dance moves, and just being his crazy fun self.

10 is a big age and I know some of these special times with Carter will start to disappear as he grows older, but for now I love ever minute of the times he wants me to tuck him in at night, holds my hand when we are walking around, or comes by me just to snuggle!!

We've always known that God would do great things through Carter. He's already done so many of those things and Matt and I just can't wait to discover which mission field God is going to give to Carter!! Is it Ethiopia like us, is it his school, the basketball team, or is it much more than we can even begin to image?

We started the morning out with a cherry bagel (or red donuts as Carter used to call them when he was little)!!

New street basketball!!

Tech Decks!!!

John Wall jersey from Grandma Connie!

We told Carter to go try out his new basketball..... on his new hoop!!!!

He was so excited.... he took a shot right away and of course he made it!!!

This was the first year since Carter was born that we didn't have a family party. It was a little strange, but he handled it well!! He did have a friend party (cause you know it doesn't take Carter long to make friends)!

All Carter needed for his party was pizza (Papa John's), root beer floats, basketball, and video games!!!

That's Carter's new hoop1! The boys played basketball for over 2 hours!!

We had 2 full fun days of celebrating Carter!! We love you so much Carter! Thanks for being one of my best friends.

Happy Halloween!

2010-11-01T09:40:00.000-05:00

We had a lot of fun trick or treating in our new neighborhood!! The weather was so nice. We didn't even need jackets!!

The cute snow tiger and Superman! So loving and kind!!

This is what they couldn't wait to do!!!

A little Kriss Kross!!! Matt and I are showing our age here!! We had to YouTube them to show the boys who they were!!

Ana was a unicorn! She was convinced we were still living in Wisconsin so she grabbed her hat and mittens!!! It was 63 degrees out!

The best part is sorting it all when you get home!!!

My Birthday!

2010-10-31T13:07:00.013-05:00

Yesterday was my birthday!!! My first one not in the state of WI. I think I handled it pretty well. Thank goodness I have a lot of family members to hang out with!!

We had a really fun day. It started out by Carter bringing me breakfast in bed. He made me peanut butter toast and a handful of Halloween candy (he knows me so well). On top of the plate was this sweet note....

The P.S. says "I'm moving Halloween to next week" Carter knows it's not my favorite holiday!!

I got to eat out lots this week for my birthday, which is one of my favorite things to do!!! I got lots of fun presents. The best being from Matt. He gave me a Coach purse!!! I LOVE purses so much and have wanted one for a long time now. For those purse lovers out there, no he did not pick it out himself, he gave me a gift card and we went together!!!

We spent the day at the Pumpkin Patch!!! It was such a beautiful day out. One of the perks to living in a more Southern State!! It's still really warm out!!

There was a petting zoo too!! This is one of Ana's favorite things to do!! So being that it was my birthday, I let her do it for a long time cause it brought me joy to watch her!!!

She's a little bit like Snow White with the animals flocking all around her!!

I know most of you will never get the chance to see Ana when a rooster cock-a-doodle-do's but it is hilarious!! It is as if the mother-ship is calling her home!! I think she's pretty sure the roosters are asking her to come over and play.... or move in with them!

We also had fun in a corn maze, rope maze, and bamboo maze! I lost the race every time :(

How funny is Carter's face? I think he's lost!

They had some fun tractors to ride on. This was Durant's highlight!!

It was a super fun birthday!! Thank you to all of you for the birthday wishes throughout the day!!

Ana's 1st day of School!!

2010-10-29T19:46:00.003-05:00

After 2 months of searching we finally found a school that works for Ana!! She started on Wednesday. She was so excited to finally be able to go to school again. Her first few days went well and she's starting to open up already!

This is Ana outside of her new school! The best part is that it's a place for kids with special medical needs so they know exactly how to handle any medical issues Ana might have. Plus there are lots of nurses on staff at all times.

Ana got to carve out a pumpkin and go on a field trip to the pumpkin patch!!

The Least of These....

2010-10-15T13:51:00.002-05:00

Matt and I have been talking a lot about the least of these. He posted this on the Eyes That See blog so I thought I'd share it here....

When you think of it, this is a difficult concept. Any definition of who this describes becomes slippery. It’s a label no one wants to wear, yet Jesus clearly speaks about this reality.

We just moved to Jefferson County, Kentucky. You may have read about our school busing in the USA Today lately. It is a case study in the “least of these.” People from West Louisville are being bused to go to school with everyone else. People are upset, and stereotypes abound.

We live in a nice area, next to nice people. We often hear about “lower income families” and people with state assistance or health care. Because of our daughter’s health situation, we have to stay at a salary right now to receive that state health care. We are the unwanted neighbors that everyone is talking about, they just don’t know it.

Some wonderful people are doing work in Ethiopia right now. They are in one of the parts of Addis that is so difficult to walk into, yet even harder to walk away from. I haven’t been to this place yet, but I’ve seen others. Places where people are living in pieces of tin leaning on one another. People drinking from the same river they use for a toilet. These people would welcome death as an end to their pain. When you are there it is so clear that they are “the least of these.”

I just returned from Addis to a city that is learning to love the poor in Africa. The radio is raising sponsorship for children in Ethiopia. Organizations are rising up to help everywhere. People are changing the way that they live, but I cannot help wonder, are we missing “the least of these?”

For me, I want to devote my life to help those who are in need in other countries. I want to work with those in West Louisville to see God’s Kingdom come alive in their midst. At the same time, I have a hard time with passive Christians. I pass them by. Sadly, I’ve been known to judge them in my heart, seeing them as less than anyone else. Isn’t that statement in my heart the very definition of “the least of these?” Doesn’t my problem with the passive show the brokenness in my heart and where I need healing?

For some of us “the least of these” are in Africa, and yet for others I know that is the trendy, easy scapegoat to use. If “the least of these” are in Africa we don’t have to worry about our neighbor. We just give our money, our time, our conversation and go on living unchanged. I don’t think that is the gospel.

Maybe for you, “the least of these" are the successful. You would never say it out loud, but you can’t stand them. Maybe they are the single parents, the delinquents, or the people on the west side. Maybe it is those, like myself, who have their insurance through the state.

I don’t know who “the least of these” are, but I’m pretty certain that there is not a definition to be placed on one people group. “The least of these” is a matter of the heart. Nikki and I have been talking about this all weekend and we are praying that some of you take time with your Father about this question. Who are "the least of these" that He is inviting you to love?

Matthew 25:40

And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.'

2010-09-29T13:10:00.005-05:00

Here are some more pictures from things we've been up to.

Since Ana isn't in school yet we've been spending lots of quality time together. We went to McDonald's to hang!!

This is just Ana being cute!

Durant was super excited about his train track he made!!

We've been getting to know our city better!! Here are the boys sitting with a former mayor!

A morning before school. Durant was so excited when it was finally cool enough to wear a sweatshirt in the morning!!! He asked me to take a picture and send it to Grandma (she bought the sweatshirt)!

Grandma Connie came for a visit!! The kids were so surprised. We decided not to tell them. We had fun eating old fashion malts at the Steak and Shake.

Shout out to Matt

2010-09-26T07:38:00.001-05:00

So Matt the non blogger, non facebooker, non tweeter, and recently just discovered what Google Reader is has decided to start a blog all by himself!!! So I thought I'd share it with you all.... turns out he has some pretty good stuff to share, who know?

Oh right just all the regular attenders at Valleybrook church, Coffee Shop workers, friends, family and pretty much any stranger that will listen!

Check it out..... Caught My Eye

Playing catch up!

2010-09-24T20:48:00.001-05:00

Well since Matt has the camera in Ethiopia with him, I thought I'd use this time to catch up on some stuff that just didn't make the blog during the move....

Since we've been in Louisville lots has happened. Jackson turned 7! He got to choose anywhere to eat and he picked Culver's! I know, I know with 1.2 million people here and countless choices of eating establishments he picks that one......

The kids started brand new schools!! And they also starting riding the bus to school for the first time ever!! Here is a picture of Matt talking with the bus driver and learning that oops.... this was the wrong bus!!!
Okay, here is the right bus now!!! We're still learning this big city life!! The boys are really liking school a lot and they think riding the bus is really fun!
There go my boys.... yes it was very hard putting them onto a bus all by themselves! I'm so glad they have each other.

Matt and I also celebrated 11 years of marriage!!! Yahoo!! 11 years living with my best friend and it just keeps getting better and better. He is an amazing man of God and I am so blessed to be able to be his wife!

We also celebrated living in Louisville for one month!! It went by super fast and at the same time feels like we've been here forever. I think we're starting to get into a nice routine and figure some things out.

Thanks for following along with us on these crazy journeys that God takes us on! Eyes That See if officially getting started in Ethiopia as you read this!!!!

Family Palooza

2010-09-16T22:28:00.006-05:00

On Labor Day we went to a Family Palooza put on by Southeast Church. We attended this church last week and enjoyed it. We are going to go back again this weekend to see if we all still like it. Finding a church is not an easy thing!!

The Family Palooza was a lot of fun and all free!!! The kids had a lot of fun.

Durant and Ana riding the train!

High fives and hugs for Larry Boy!

Jackson and his friend Kalkidan had to do some jousting!

Bouncy Houses are the best!!

Cooling off with some treats! It was a hot day!

Durant and Ana getting close with the animals.

Here are the boys standing in front of the actual horse used in the Disney movie The Secretariat.

KY State Fair!

2010-09-12T18:41:00.000-05:00

We had a chance to check out the Kentucky State Fair! It was a lot of fun and the weather was really nice. There were a ton of animals to see. We had to try all the fair foods.... corn dogs, roasted almonds, cheese fries, and funnel cake!

Ana thought this tiny pony was awesome!!

Durant being super cute!

Jackson really liked the dancing bears!!

Camping Fun!!

2010-09-09T17:26:00.000-05:00

Wow! I'm very behind in my blogging these days!! Still getting caught up with things. Here are some fun pictures from our camping trip this summer. This was the first time that Matt and I ever camped together - 11 years!!
And lets be honest.... probably our last time camping!! We are so not campers, but we did have a great time. The kids loved it too!!

Eyes That See

2010-08-28T13:30:00.002-05:00

Matt and I are busy getting things going with Eyes That See! We are so excited to see where God leads us with this.

We'd love to have you follow along at our blog: Eyes That See

Thanks for your prayers and support!! Things are going pretty good here in Louisville!

More about our KY trip in July!

2010-08-25T19:49:00.000-05:00

Our trip to Kentucky was really fun!! It was our first vacation as a family of 7. One of the most fun things we did was go to the Louisville Slugger Museum. Louisville Slugger's are made right there in Louisville!

Matt holding Babe Ruth's bat!

We got to tour how the bats were made which was very cool. Here I am having a meaningful conversation with Ken Griffey Jr.

The boys really enjoyed the museum. Especially Carter since baseball is pretty much what he talks about and thinks about!!

Ezra and Babe Ruth hanging out!

Matt is listening to tapes of Babe Ruth. He had such a cool voice.

Carter with one of his favorite baseball players - they almost look like twins!

Matt got to hold Mickey Mantel's actually game used bat!!! That was a highlight of the trip for sure!

I love this picture..... Matt just taking in the moment!

Carter chose to hold the bat of David Ortiz!

Me holding my favorite players bat....... do you know who's it is????

Derek Jeter!!!!

Carter loving on Jackie Robinson's bat! I love his cute face in this picture.

Jackson holding Jackie's bat!

Durant with Jackie's bat!

Matt got to hit with the same bat style that Ernie Banks used.

There's a ginormous bat in the front of the building!! Super cool!!

First Day of School!!

2010-08-18T21:34:00.007-05:00

So we are here in Louisville now!! We have been here for 5 days. The kids started school yesterday (today is Jackson's birthday... more on that later). I'm super behind but will do my best to catch up here on my blog.

The first day of school went great!! We are super excited about the kids schools. Ezra had a great day of middle school. I can't believe I have a middle schooler!!! Ezra took the bus the very first day. He did great and is enjoying school. The big city schools are a bit different then our small town Eau Claire schools, but I think Ezra will do awesome!

Ezra goes to a uniform school - totally new to us, but turns out that it's not that bad!! We're getting used to it!

These three boys had great days!!! They really like their teachers and have already made some friends.

Look at this cute Kindergarten kid!!! He was so excited for his first day of school!! Although he did ask if I would take him and also come eat lunch with him!!!

Ana will start school in about a week or so. We are having a meeting next week to discuss what her day will look like. She will be going to the same school as her brothers. They were all excited to hear that!

Jackson checking out his room and table!

Durant getting right to work in Kindergarten!

Carter fits right into 4th grade!

Things Change....

2010-08-08T08:24:00.002-05:00

Most everyone knows by now, but just wanted to post the letter that went out about us leaving for Louisville, Kentucky. I will be updating on the rest of our visit to Kentucky and other fun things we've been doing these last few weeks but wanted to share this letter first.

I'm excited that you can join me on this next part of our journey. I will also be posting information on our new non profit called Eyes That See!! Very excited to see where God leads it.

July 27, 2010

Dear Valleybrook Family,

About eleven years ago I got the opportunity to come on staff at Valleybrook Church. Two months later Nikki and I were married in the auditorium. Carter was born into this community. Next, little Ana was brought home, followed by Durant, and now Ezra and Jackson. Our family came into being here at Valleybrook. I learned who I am within this community. My eyes were opened to God's people around the world and to His word. I fell in love with Scripture here, and have had the honor of teaching you from the Bible. As we have learned the Word of God together, we have seen clearly how we are to be doers of the word and not just hearers. I am excited that this is true for me as well as it is for you. I cannot just teach His word, I need to continue living it as well.

In light of this, last Sunday I offered my public resignation to pursue God's invitation to step out in faith in starting a new ministry called Eyes That See. Eyes That See is a nonprofit that is being born out of our incredible experience in helping to start KVI in Ethiopia. Eyes That See has been invited by Arise for Children in Louisville, Kentucky, to partner in their work within Ethiopia as well as other countries that God calls us into. Those of you who have adopted know Pat and Susan. They have taken a step of faith, and like you, they believe in what God is doing through us enough to give significant financial support to us as we oversee their humanitarian aid projects in Ethiopia and raise awareness within the States.

We have been so blessed to see the fruit of our obedience as we worked with KVI in our extra time over the past few years. For the past year KVI has grown in significant ways and is currently run completely by Ethiopians. It is stable and thriving. We have seen the community of Valleybrook embrace Ethiopia. Some through financial giving, others prayers, still others through adoptions. In light of all this, God has clearly spoken to our hearts that now is the time to embrace this calling full time for the children and the nation of Ethiopia, a nation we love so dearly. We have friends there and in other places that don't know their Father or that He is good. I cannot wait any longer to be able to show them His love.

We feel like we have stepped out in faith before, but never like we are now. While Arise is being very generous, we are responsible for raising the remaining 40% of our salary, plus all of the start up costs and ongoing monthly overhead that will be required to run a ministry of this scope and magnitude. While we have never been in this position before, we are confident that God has spoken and now in faith we must follow his voice. We have walked this openly with Doug and with the overseers and are asking for Valleybrook's continued support of what God has called us to do.

The urgency that I feel is incredible. I cannot ignore that. In light of this, the timetable for transition is short. With needs being so great within Ethiopia, God's clear calling and heading into the fall, we have decided that my last Sunday will be August 8th. I am honored to be given the opportunity to teach you one last time on that Sunday.

Over the coming weeks Doug and the overseers will share how the church will go forward. I know that our God is good and that He is ordaining the steps of my family and others as well. I'm excited for what is next for this great community.

While this last Sunday was one of the most difficult days of my life, my family believes that God's favor rests on obedience. So we ask for your continued support, love and prayers in the days ahead. We are moving to Louisville, but we believe that our relationship with Valleybrook will continue to grow in new ways as His Kingdom is established in our midst.

Thank you for loving me and my family well. Our story is here and you will never be forgotten.

Your friend,

Matt Ness

Our trip to Kentucky!

2010-07-27T16:42:00.000-05:00

Our trip to Kentucky was a lot of fun. The kids did really great on the 11 hour drive. We all cheered when we saw the sign!! We learned on this trip just how city we all are. There is a lot of green and grass and fields on the drive down. It was sooooo good to finally see a city!!

We tried out the local Chinese place. This is everyone who was willing, eating some frog legs!

Ezra got to get his hair braided!!! It turned out great!!

We took the kids to IHOP!! First time for Ezra and Jackson!!

We ate out at this fun place while in Louisville. I don't remember the name right now but they had these things in the parking lot!!!

Of course we had to do some swimming in the hotel pool.

Happy 4th of July!!

2010-07-05T14:13:00.006-05:00

We had a fun 4th of July, even though it rained for most of the day. This was our first 4th of July with all 7 of us.

We spent the day inside playing board games, grilling out, and we did do our annual trip to DQ!!

My cute Americans!

I love this picture!! Matt knew of this cute little park so we ate our ice cream out there.

Ana really liked doing sparklers.

Durant was a little worried about them!

Settling in to watch the Fireworks!! This was Ezra and Jackson's first US Fireworks show. They enjoyed it.

I have to admit that I LOVE living in the United States! I really really do. I'm so thankful for the opportunities and freedoms that we all have.

Happy 4th of July!

Fun in the Sun!

2010-07-03T09:41:00.001-05:00

Here are some summer fun pictures!! We've been enjoying the great summer days we've had!!

Carter's All-Star baseball!!!

2010-07-01T19:38:00.001-05:00

Carter had his first All-Star games this weekend. He ended up playing 5 games in two days. He did great!! He got to pitch and play the outfield. This was also the first time his team has played actual game together and they ended up getting 3rd place. Way to go Eau Claire Red!!!

It is so fun watching Carter steal bases!! He really enjoys that part too!!

Look how cute that #7 is!!!!

Getting their awesome trophies!!

It was so fun watching Carter get his trophy!! Way to go Carter. Not only is he a great baseball player, he's also has great sportsmanship!!

Our City

2010-06-28T09:25:00.000-05:00

Last month we helped our church clean up our city. We do it every year! It was a beautiful day this year and a lot of fun. All the kids got to be involved. We helped plant flowers.

Carter even got interviewed by the news. He did a great job on camera and looked super cute!!

Summer Fun!

2010-06-17T06:23:00.002-05:00

Our first week of summer is done. It has been a super fun start so far!! We have kicked off swimming lessons, tennis lessons, junkyard symphony, theater games, soccer, baseball, preschool fun class, and we're only getting started!!! Still more fun classes and sports to start!

Carter at swimming lessons. He's loving it. He's getting so good in the water!

Jackson is LOVING swimming so much!

Ezra is being a good sport and doing some catch up for the years he missed not having swimming lessons. He's doing great!

Jackson is enjoying learning a new sport!

Carter found out that he made the all-star baseball team for this summer!

He was so excited to get this call!!! His dad got a call just like this one when he was about the same age!!

Ezra made 5 goals in his last soccer game!! He loves playing soccer so much!

Ezra's 12th Birthday!!!

2010-06-13T20:22:00.002-05:00

Yesterday was Ezra's golden birthday!!!! He's 12!!! This is also the first birthday we have gotten to celebrate with him. It's fun celebrating these first with him, but also moments that are tough as Matt and I remember the 11 birthdays we weren't there for. But we didn't focus on that, instead we focused on making this one full of fun memories!!!

I don't have baby pictures to show, but here are some from the "past"!

This is the first time I met Ezra in June 2008.

This is the first time Carter met Ezra in April of 2009 in Ethiopia.

Opening 1 of the 12 presents he got from his family!

Ezra was so excited to open the present he's been wanting... a rip stick!!!!

He was so excited we all went out in our pajama's to watch him try it out!! He's doing great!

He chose to go eat at China Buffet!

Ezra with his first cake! He wanted a soccer themed party.

Blowing out the candles for the first time!!!

It's been so great to watch Ezra grow into the boy that God created him to be. He's been with us for 10 months now and I have seen such a change in him as he learns to be in a family and be loved by a family.

Happy Birthday Ezra! We love you!

3 years home!

2010-06-08T14:12:00.001-05:00

Three years ago today Durant landed in the USA for the first time!! He got to meet his daddy, brother, and sister for the first time.

We've loved watching Durant Natnael grow into the awesome, fun, and beautiful boy that he is!! We can't image life without him. He brings us so much joy!!

We love you so much Durant!! Your smile is amazing!

My Little Graduate!

2010-06-03T07:00:00.001-05:00

Durant graduated from 4 year old Kindergarten Tuesday!! Such a big boy!! It's so hard for me to believe that my baby boy is now officially ready for Kindergarten... am I? No!!

Durant did an awesome job singing all the songs he learned!!

He's getting his diploma!

In this video clip you can get a little taste of Durant's awesome moves!!! So cute!

Mrs. Olson

Durant giving Mrs. Olson a hug good bye and telling her thanks for being my teacher!!

Congratulations Durant. You did a great job! We are proud of you!

Mother's Day Program and Family Fun!

2010-05-28T07:04:00.001-05:00

Here's a post a little late......

For Mother's Day Durant's 4 year old kindergarten put on a little tea for the moms. It was really cute. Durant and his classmates sang 3 adorable songs about moms. He got right into it.

We got to eat treats made by the kids. Strawberries dipped in chocolate and banana bread. Yummy!

I also got presented the "Golden Juice Box" award. I won for being the best mom to turn off the hall light at night!!!!! I was very proud to win that award!!!!

We had a little family fun with Grandma Darla, Aunt Heather, Uncle Brian, and cousins Alisha and Camden!!!

Grandma Darla with some of her grandsons...... so proud!

Wow, do they look alike or what?

Happy 5th Birthday Ana!!!!

2010-05-24T07:21:00.000-05:00

Today my baby turns 5 years old!!! That's a whole hand!!! I can't believe that Ana is already 5. The time has gone by so quickly. Ana is an amazing little girl. She keeps on surprising us with new things that she is learning.

There are still tough days though. The ones where I watch 2 and 3 years old being able to do way more than Ana can or the times I long to hear Ana say "come play babies or tea party with me mom." We aren't there yet, but we're hopeful that some day we will be.

Ana was so excited about her princess cake!! We had a princess themed party.

But watching Ana become more and more who God created her to be is wonderful. The other day Matt and I were watching Ana play in the back yard. She was picking flowers (dandelions). For those of you who don't know Ana well that may not seem like a big deal. But for those of you who have journeyed her life with us know that is huge!!! There was a time that we didn't think Ana would ever be able to stop and find a flower and be able to pull it out of the ground or even care that it was there. Now she's bringing me bunches of flowers from our backyard!

She did such a good job blowing out all of her candles!!!

Ana is so awesome. Somehow she can get all 4 of her brothers to fix her hair!! They actually enjoy it too!!! I don't know any other sister with that kind of power!!!

We love you so much Ana!! Happy 5th Birthday!!

Ezra's Soccer

2010-05-17T20:52:00.002-05:00

Ezra was very excited to play his first ever soccer game!!! He did a great job. He really loves to play soccer. It's a lot of fun being at this level of competition. He gets to travel and have a couple of tournaments. His first tournament is this weekend in River Falls.

Ezra has no problem going after the ball! He made his first goal in his second game. He was very excited about that!

Go #6!!

Carter's Baseball

2010-05-12T12:45:00.001-05:00

Carter is on the Yankee's this year!! We are all very excited about that!! Okay so Matt and I are a little bit more excited about it then Carter cause come on... it's the Yankee's!! Carter got number 7 - Mickey Mantle. Sweet number to get!

He's doing an awesome job. So far he's been able to pitch, catch, and play short stop. All totally awesome positions.

Go #7 - Also the same number Jackson has!!

Happy Mother's Day!

2010-05-09T18:45:00.001-05:00

Today is my first Mother's Day with all five of my children!!! We had a fun day of celebrating. After lunch we played an 8 person - 4 on 4 Mario Cart tournament!!! Grandma Connie was our 8th player.

I also like to take time out of my Mother's day to remember 3 very special ladies - my children's birth mothers. These women hold a very special place in my heart. Their brave sacrifice of letting go of their children's hands allowed me to open my arms to them forever.

Me and my boys - I LOVE having a bunch of boys!!

I got a bunch of favorite things from my favorite people!!!

Grandma and Ana getting ready for the big race!

I'm amazed and grateful to God for allowing me to fulfill my dreams of being a mom!! He picked the exact right kids for me! Maybe someday He'll pick more.

Happy Mother's Day!

Jackson's Soccer

2010-05-08T13:22:00.003-05:00

Jackson had his very first soccer game ever!! He was so excited about it. He reminded us everyday for about a month so we wouldn't forget.

He gets to play for team celery.

Before each game Jackson likes to tell us how many goals he's going to make for Jesus and how many goals he's going to make for the rest of us!! It's super cute to hear him list it off!!

Jackson has made several goals already. He has no problem being aggressive on the field!

Jackson is super excited to have #7 because it's the same number his big brother has for baseball!!

Manz All School Program!

2010-05-02T15:26:00.006-05:00

Manz had their All School Program on April 22nd. They do a great job putting on a good show! It was fun and crazy having 3 kids in the program this year. It's a lot different then the last few years of just having one. The good part was we always had someone to watch!

The theme was Water, Sun, and Lot of Fun!

Jackson did great singing!! He was super cute waving to us from the stands!!!

Carter still likes finding us and waving to us too!! Which I just love and cherish!! He even got to sing a solo this year. He did AWESOME!!!! He has a great singing voice.

Ezra got to show off his dance moves during this number!!! He got to play the drums too!!!

Had to have a little fun too!!

Minnesota Zoo!!

2010-04-29T11:38:00.001-05:00

We took a family day out of our busy schedule and went to the MN Zoo!!! It was a lot of fun!!

The Tiger was a big hit with everyone. Ana thought he was a cute puppy! She blew him kisses when we left.

Carter and Durant checking out the camels!

There was also a petting farm happening for the month of April. This was probably the highlight!!!

No fear for our kids!!!

The only fear comes from Matt!! Look at Carter's face. That's him saying "No way!!! Dad's touching a goat!"

Jackson really liked combing the goat's beard!

I think this one wanted to be another "kid" in our family!!!

Ezra petting a cow!!

Ana LOVED the farm animals. This piglet was one of her favorites!

Meeting our new friends!!

2010-04-21T12:19:00.002-05:00

This post is a little late but a couple of months ago we had the privilege of welcoming home our good friends Ernie and Christy when they arrived home for the first time with their 3 boys from Colombia!!
It was so much fun for our family to be on this end of adoption. Here are some pictures from that first day......

There they are!!!!!!!

Nope, false alarm!! Still waiting......

It was so exciting to see them walk through the doors!!

Our children instantly love these three boys without even a second thought!! They are our family!
We raise our children to know that family has nothing to do with blood or genetics but all about heart and love.

More Easter Fun!

2010-04-17T11:21:00.006-05:00

After church on Easter we had an Easter Egg Hunt!! The kids all had to find 10 eggs before they could get their Easter Baskets. They had a lot of fun looking for all the eggs.

Carter was excited about his chocolate bunny!! He doesn't get sugar very often so this was a special treat!!!

Ezra was excited to get his new Webkinz!!

Ana got a new bike horn and Dora band aids. She goes through A LOT of band aids!!

Durant got some new Lightning Cars!!!

Jackson was So exited when he saw his black spider man shoes!!!!

Ezra eating his very first chocolate bunny!

Bike Riding!!!

2010-04-08T15:36:00.000-05:00

Over spring break both of the little boys learned how to ride bikes with only two wheels!! They were both super excited!!!

Jackson learned in about 30 seconds but did have a few falls. His first attempt he took right off but didn't know how to stop so ended up right in the middle of the street!!

Durant really wanted to learn too. It only took him about 2 minutes to get it. He's still working on stopping. He prefers to just crash into something or someone (sorry Grandma!)

Pretty impressive for just turning 5 years old!!!

Happy Easter!!

2010-04-04T08:29:00.003-05:00

I'm so glad to be home this Easter!! Last year Carter and I were in Ethiopia with Ezra and Jackson.

This is our first Easter together as a family of 7!!!

He is risen!!

Here is my traditional kids picture that I like to do each Easter!!

Not sure what they are doing, but they sure are cute!!

Yesterday we colored Easter eggs. It was a lot of fun!!

Jackson and Ezra's very first time ever coloring Easter Eggs!!

All Durant's eggs were super bright!! He has some secret to it I guess!!

Ana colored her hands more then the eggs I think!

Happy Birthday Matt!!!

2010-03-30T19:03:00.000-05:00

Today is Matt's birthday!! We had a fun family day of celebrating. It was low key just like Matt likes it. We went to the park and played for awhile. Matt got to grill for supper. One of his favorite things to do!!

Started the morning with a birthday donut hole!! It even had a candle in it!!

We opened presents later in the day!!

Matt is an awesome daddy, an amazing husband, and my very best friend!! I LOVE living life with him. It's not dull or boring and an adventure is always right around the corner!!

Happy Birthday Mattie!! We love you so much!!

Durant's 1st Friend Party!

2010-03-26T09:53:00.001-05:00

Okay making up for some lost time. My computer was getting fixed (again) and now it's back!!!

Durant had his very first friend birthday party last month! He was super excited. It was a Lightning McQueen theme. This is actually the only theme he has ever chosen for his birthday. So year 3 of Lightning!

We had a lot of fun at his party. We made necklaces, ate donuts and pizza rolls, and played some games.

Winter Fun!!

2010-03-21T07:16:00.000-05:00

Our family is NOT a winter type of family. I honestly think all seven of us were created to live in a climate more like Southern California, but until God calls us there Wisconsin it is!!!

So every once and while Matt and I think it's probably a good idea to expose our children to things like sledding!!! The kids had a blast! Matt and I did too!

Happy 5th Birthday Durant!!!

2010-02-28T09:08:00.004-06:00

Today is our baby boy's 5th birthday!! So hard to believe how quickly the years have gone by. Three years ago today Matt and I got to look at our boy for the first time!
As we were talking about it and telling Durant and the others the story, Matt and I realized that the boy Durant was when we first saw a picture of him is a testimony in itself of what adoption is about. He was a very frail malnourished little boy who we were told rarely smiled and was serious. His arms and legs were so thin they looked like they could brake if squeezed too tight. His belly stretched so tight from the parasites living in there. The day I met Durant he was wearing a size 3-6m shirt - he was over 2 years old.

Now to look at Durant you would never guess it. He's healthy and full of energy and his smile and laugh can light up a room!
Durant is our special gift! He's the little boy that God placed on my heart at just a young girl of 10 years old.

It's hard to believe that this little guy was once described as serious cause just thinking about him brings a huge smile to our faces. He is truly a joy and Matt and I are so blessed to able to be his parents.

We love you so much Nati!

New Family Pictures.

2010-02-19T10:02:00.001-06:00

I'm a little behind with this post, but back in December we had family pictures taken. I was little worried about getting 7 people to all smile and look good all at once but I think it turned out pretty good. Our photographer, Sarah, did a great job!

6 Months Home!!

2010-02-11T19:37:00.005-06:00

On February 2nd we celebrated 6 months of being a family of 7!! Some days it feels like we've been a family of 7 for 10 years and other times it feels like the boys just got home! Hitting the 6 month mark was a milestone I was looking forward to. Everyone is more secure with their place in the family and we all know each other a lot better now. We are still learning a lot each day but it has been a great transition overall.

We took the kids out to eat at Red Robin to celebrate and then to the Jabali Afrika concert, Kenya's Afro-fusion music group. It was a lot of fun! The kids really enjoyed it and even 4 out of the 5 ended up dancing up on stage!!

Clifford joined us because of a school project

These guys are a lot of fun. We went last year and really enjoyed it.

There's some of our kids up on stage dancing!

We saw several friends at the concert too. Here's Durant, Clifford, and our friend Brihan.

We're still around!

2010-01-22T22:32:00.006-06:00

We are still here!! It's been awhile since a post but things are going well. We are staying busy with basketball, soccer, and continuing to learn how to be a family of seven!!

We just had conferences for Ezra, Carter, and Jackson. They went really well. The kids are really loving school and their teachers. The teachers are really loving our boys!! That is such a great feeling to have all three teacher truly liking having our boys in their class. Durant and Ana's conferences are next week.

Here are some pictures of some things we've done lately.

Had some friends over and made cupcakes (thanks Paula for sending all the supplies).

Jackson had his very good friend Nahom over to play.

Since we went through a very cold weather stretch, we found other ways to use up all the energy!

More Christmas!!!

2009-12-28T16:58:00.001-06:00

Super sleepy kids!!!! We actually had to wake them up to open presents!!!! Matt and I couldn't wait any longer!! We started with stockings!!

The kids were so excited!! They love all of their presents!!

Our living room was a complete mess of wrapping paper and presents. It was awesome!!

Celebrating Christmas at Grandma Darla's!! Durant and cousin Camden hanging out!

Ana enjoying her new princess dress up clothes!! She put all of the clothes on at the same time!!!

Ezra and Carter having fun with their new Webkinz!!!

Merry Christmas!!

2009-12-24T13:35:00.011-06:00

Merry Christmas!! We had a lot of fun celebrating Ezra and Jackson's first Christmas Eve!!!

All the kids watching as Grandma was getting the gifts ready!

Ana sat and waited so patiently to open her first gift!

She loves her new baby!!

Durant learned how to pump all by himself on the swing this year so Grandma bought him an ornament to represent that!!!

The boys enjoyed their first Christmas. Ezra was amazed at how much he has already gotten. He said, "and I still have tomorrow Christmas too"

Carter was so excited to open the pink poodle Webkinz that he has been wanting!! Way to go Grandma!!

Jackson got the hang of opening presents in no time!!!

Thanking Grandma for all the great gifts!!

Merry Christmas from Matt, Nikki, Ezra, Carter, Jackson, Durant, and Ana!! We pray you feel the love of Jesus with you!!

My Ana!

2009-12-18T10:05:00.001-06:00

4 years ago today Matt and I kissed our baby girl for the very first time!! Having Ana in our life has been amazing!!! She has taught us so much about how to live each day. She is such a strong girl who knows what it means to fight for her life. Here's a little video of Ana. She is looking for her Dad who isn't home at the time. She's a persistent little girl.

Matt and I honestly fall more in love with Ana everyday. She is such a special little girl. She may not be able to tell us what she wants to be when she grows up or play like the other kids can, but she can give us the best hugs and kisses and make us laugh out loud. She is by far the BEST snuggler ever!!!

Ana has taught our family how to love better and cherish each other. She loves to laugh and play. She has her very own unique style which is what makes Ana, Ana!!! Rain jacket on a sunny day...... swimming suit on in the middle of winter....... just to give you an idea!!!

Happy 4 years being home Ana!
We love you so much!
We thank God for choosing us to be your Dad and Mom!!

Basketball!!

2009-12-17T09:19:00.001-06:00

Ezra, Carter, and Jackson are all in basketball this winter. For Jackson, this is his first time being on a team. It's a parent child class. He's enjoying the time with Dad. Even though he doesn't understand the game at all, he is still have fun trying!

Carter's first game was last weekend. He did awesome!! He really enjoys playing basketball. They ended in a tie game! Way to go #21!!

Ezra had his very first basketball game ever Tuesday night. Up until 4 months ago, he had never even dribbled a basketball. This kid is sure brave to go out for a sport he's never played. He did well out there!!! Way to go #11!!

oops missed this one...

2009-12-15T16:12:00.001-06:00

I guess I must have missed this post.

These are some pictures from when we went to Heather's house to celebrate the October birthdays. The kids had a lot of fun with their pumpkins!

This is a picture of Durant at school with his good friend Cy!!

Christmas Decorating!

2009-12-07T16:32:00.008-06:00

Here are some more pictures from getting our tree. The kids thought this little one was pretty cute!

Carter turning on the lights when it was all decorating.

It was really different having 7 people decorate the tree at the same time. I will admit it may not be the prettiest tree ever, but it was decorated with love. There are some branches with about 6 ornaments on it that seem to be right about the height of Jackson!

We had fun and we ended the night by watching the movie Elf. I hope it was a good first Christmas memory for the new boys.

Christmas Tree!!

2009-12-04T13:23:00.006-06:00

We got our Christmas tree last night!! It was fun to do this for the first time as a family of seven. This is Jackson's very first Christmas tree ever!! He was super excited.

For those of you who know our family tradition of the picture by the Christmas tree guy. Well we got it!! And yes, he did remember us and noticed the two new children. We said since we didn't add a new child last year, we thought we'd add two for this year!!!

The kids had a lot of fun decorating the tree. Everyone got new stockings this year so they would all match and a new ornament to hang on the tree!

More pictures will be coming soon!!!

Soccer!!!

2009-11-29T08:28:00.005-06:00

Ezra had his very first soccer tournament!!! Actually it's his first official soccer game that he's ever played!! He did awesome! It's so hard to believe that less than 4 months ago Ezra had never played soccer with shoes on (broken sandals or barefoot) or on anything but dirt.

This is a picture of Ezra playing soccer in Ethiopia

It was so much fun cheering him on!! His team lost the first game, but in the afternoon they were on fire. They kept winning and winning. They made it to the championship game, but ended up losing in sudden death after 3 overtimes!! It was awesome!!

1st Thanksgiving!!

2009-11-27T14:42:00.019-06:00

It was a lot of fun celebrating Ezra and Jackson's very first Thanksgiving. This is a brand new holiday they had never heard of before. So the day was filled with a bunch of firsts. Doesn't matter if you are 1 year old or 11 years old, you still have a first time for everything.....

First Thanksgiving!!!

Jackson's first Thanksgiving with his mom!

Ezra trying turkey for the first time

Jackson trying turkey for the first time

Two cute boys eating some good Thanksgiving dinner! Thanks Matt and Grandma for your hard work in the kitchen. The food was awesome!!

Ana enjoying her meal!

Durant likes it!

Carter loves his cornbread!!

We fill up the table with just us and Grandma!!

Ezra trying Pumpkin Pie for the very first time!! He's a fan!!

Jackson trying pumpkin pie for the first time....

Jackson thinking pumpkin pie is disgusting!!!

We appreciate your support and prayers for our family!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

Re-adoption day!

2009-11-18T20:54:00.008-06:00

It was re-adoption day for our boys!! Which means that they are now legally Ezra Abel Ness and Jackson Fiker Ness! It always feels good to have this part finished. It's so crazy to think that Matt and I have added 4 kids to our family in less then 4 years! Wow!!

Waiting for court to be called into session!

Judge Gablier was very kind! Although he was a little confused why we weren't adopting Durant too today!! Ha! Ha!

Picture with our favorite social worker Melissa! She's been with us for the last 4 years!!

Afterwards we celebrated with Sonic drinks!!

Everyone got a drink!

Then we went out to eat at Pizza Hut!

We ended the night with a movie!! It was a good day!!

More snow pictures!!

2009-11-14T11:18:00.000-06:00

The last snow (which was awhile ago, I just forgot to post about it) was a huge hit with all 5 kids!! They could barley get home from school quick enough. They loved how nice it packed and played in it for hours!!

Ana's 1st haircut - take two!

2009-11-10T18:42:00.005-06:00

The take two is for those of you who remember the post about her first non-haircut!!! Now it was time, for real. We really cut it!!

Ana enjoying her first professional hair wash!

Ana's hair was cut by our good friend Becky from Studio 9A

The before picture - 21 inches long!

The first cut! Yes we saved it for her baby book!

Grandma helped distract Ana when it got a little long

Watching Becky cut her hair!

The after picture - 6 inches cut off!

Ana did great!! She likes her new hair!!! Thanks Becky!

Ana's Dad and brothers were super excited to see Ana's new hair!! They all came running when we walked in the door and said how beautiful Ana looked!! She has such a great Dad and brothers!!

Carter's birthday parties....

2009-11-08T23:12:00.005-06:00

Carter had a fun birthday!! He started out by opening some presents before school. He got a lot of skateboarding things from Mom and Dad!! Tech Decks are the coolest to him this year. He also got his very first skateboard!!

After school he had his friend party with 6 of his closest friends! It was a lot of fun. Thanks to the beautiful weather they were able to play football outside. Sports was Carter's theme this year.

On Saturday we had our family party. Aunts, Uncles, cousins, and friends helped us celebrate Carter's special day!!

No sugar for Carter, so we had sugar free pudding instead of a birthday cake. He's blowing out his candle here!!

Thanks everyone for helping us celebrate Carter!!!

Carter's Birthday!!!

2009-11-06T13:47:00.005-06:00

Today Carter turned 9 years old!! These past 9 years have gone by so quickly. I can completely picture myself in the hospital nine years ago today with my big 9lb 13oz baby boy!!! Looking at him now you would never guess that he was a big baby! He has trouble keeping his pants up because he's so stinkin thin.

I wanted to take a minute to talk about my first born son. He's totally awesome and I love him so much. He is one my best friends. His heart is what amazes me most. Carter has such a generous and compassionate heart. One of my most favorite memories of Carter (and I have a million) is traveling to Ethiopia with him. Riding around Addis Ababa and seeing his face as he handed out food to the hungry people on the streets. Carter said on that trip, "God told me to feed the poor".

This boy is awesome. As much as I don't want to see him grow up, I am so excited to watch him grow into the man that God has created him to be.

Happy Birthday Carter!! Dad and Mom love you so much!

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T21:28:00.005-05:00

The kids had a lot of fun celebrating Halloween. This was Ezra and Jackson's first Halloween ever!! They hadn't even heard of it before coming home. They are big fans!!!!

Black Spiderman

Ninja Turtle

Superwoman - but also a frog

Ezra - Ninja and Carter was a football superhero

Ezra and Jackson's very first trick-or-treating house!

Durant is very excited about his candy

Jackson kept saying, I love Halloween!!

2009-10-24T23:42:00.002-05:00

Here's a little something just for fun!!!

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

First Snow!

2009-10-22T19:41:00.005-05:00

The boys were really excited to see their first snow ever!! They had fun feeling it and putting it on their faces. They are really looking forward to building snowmen and throwing snowballs.

Jackson was so excited about his new boots! He's never had boots before and it was like Christmas for him to be able to wear them to school!!

2009-10-15T13:24:00.004-05:00

Things are going well here. Last week the kids had a couple days of off school. It was fun to have them all home for 4 days straight!! We took them all to the Mall of America. This was Ezra and Jackson's first time there. They really liked it! Especially the rides!!

Durant driving his big truck - this also happens to be what he wants to do when he's a grown up!

Ana playing with some Legos with Daddy

Ezra and Carter on the bumper cars!!

Jackson was the lead truck driver!

Legoland was a hit!

Jackson and Durant both love to match. Here they are in matching shirts and pj bottoms.

Ezra has spent the last three weeks being a crossing guard. He really likes it!

Back again!

2009-10-04T11:39:00.004-05:00

I'm back from another trip to Ethiopia. The trip went really well. I saw some really tough things and also some really awesome things!!

I will be updating in the near future about my time in Ethiopia. Thank you so much for all the prayers and support during this trip. It was tough to leave my family especially with the Ana's health and the boys being home less than two months. Obedience is costly, but there is no place I'd rather be then right where my Father wants me.

Alezar - my Ethiopian brother

2009-09-22T19:28:00.001-05:00

Things are continuing to go pretty smoothly around here! Matt and I are still exhausted at the end of the day, but can now manage to stay up until 10pm!!! Progress!!!

All 5 of the kids are doing well in school and really enjoying it. It's so great to have them excited to go each day. We had conferences for the three older boys today. Matt and I are so blessed to have such wonderful children. All three of the teachers, plus the ELL teacher were all so pleased to have our kids in their classrooms. Two of the three teachers even said they "love" having our son in their class. I left feeling so blessed and happy and reminded that this is all God. I can take none of the credit for these boys.

This past weekend we went downtown to the International Fall Festival. We had a fun time and we totally fit it.... now when does that ever happen?!?!

Oh and another thing.... I leave for Ethiopia on Thursday! Crazy to think I'm going there again. I will be checking on the orphanages plus looking into some new projects and opportunities for the future. I'll keep you posted! If you think of me this week and next please pray for:

safety and good health for me while gone
safety and good health for my family at home
Matt and the kids as this is the first time I've been gone while having 5 kids!
Ana's health, we've had a tough last couple of weeks trying to get seizures under control
my eyes to see and my ears to hear what God has for me on this trip

Thank you so much for all of your support!!!

Go UT!

2009-09-12T14:10:00.002-05:00

Just in case you'd like to know what we are doing today....

Go Longhorns!!!

Fall fun and orientation

2009-09-10T16:21:00.011-05:00

On Labor Day we took the boys to the Eau Claire Apple Orchards. It was really fun because Ezra and Jackson have never experienced that before. It was fun to watch them pick apples right from the tree, ride the wagon, launch apples from the apple launcher, and play some fun games.

Here are some pictures from Ana's orientation day at her school. She was super excited to get back inside her classroom and see her teachers again.

Ana's 1st day of school!

2009-09-08T13:07:00.004-05:00

Today was Ana's first day of school! She was super excited to see her teachers again. This year is different because Ana is riding the bus in the morning. It was hard to put my baby on the bus but I know it's what is best for our family.

Ana was super excited to get on the bus. We were waiting and waiting, but as soon as we saw it she got nervous and grabbed my hand

Even though she was nervous, she did great on the bus!

Ana's teacher is so great. She called me as soon as Ana got to school to let me know that she made it and did great on the bus. Ana's first day was super, but she was a little sad to see me pick her up instead of the bus to bring her home!!!!

Happy Pretend Birthday Ezra!

2009-09-06T09:06:00.007-05:00

On Friday we celebrated Ezra's pretend 11th birthday!! We missed his actually birthday, June 12th, and we didn't want him to have to wait that long to celebrate a birthday with us. So we chose Friday to celebrate it!!

Ezra had a lot of fun celebrating. He said this was the best pretend or real birthday he has ever had!!

He got an MP3 player. He was so excited!!

Ezra could choose any place for his birthday dinner. He chose Famous Dave's.

Grandma came along to celebrate too!

We love you Ezra! We've enjoyed getting to know you and having you in our family these past 6 weeks!!! Happy Pretend Birthday!!!

Orientation Day!!

2009-09-02T10:51:00.007-05:00

Today was orientation day at school for Ezra, Carter, and Jackson. Durant also had his first day of 4 year old Kindergarten.

They were all very excited to go!! Today isn't the official first day of school, but almost. Here are some pictures before they headed out the door!!!

Ezra 5th grade

Carter 3rd grade

Jackson Kindergarten

Durant 4 year old Kindergarten

They got to meet their teachers, get their supplies put away, and get their picture taken. All three of them have very kind teachers. I am very thankful for that. Also a great ELL staff to help Ezra and Jackson adjust.

Jackson listening very well to Mrs. Smith

Giving my baby boy a hug before 4 year old Kindergarten.

One month home!

2009-08-30T16:40:00.003-05:00

We are all still doing well. It's nice to have the 1 month home mark. We've come a long way in the last four weeks. We are enjoying our last few days of summer.

Carter has started flag football. He had his first game last week (we will not mention the score). He's enjoying it.

Go #33!!!!!

This is Ezra and Jackson's first haircut in the United States so of course I had to take pictures!!

Both Jackson and Durant got lightning bolts in their hair!

Ezra is into fixing his own hair so he just got the line. They didn't cut anything else.

2009-08-24T22:20:00.001-05:00

The past 3 weeks have gone by pretty fast. We have all adjusted a little bit more to being a family of 7. We're figuring out more of what a family of 7 means:

running the dishwasher daily
going through a loaf of bread in one day
making a dozen eggs for breakfast
washing clothes.... always
laughing a lot
taking 20 minutes to get everyone's shoes on and to the car
feeling happy but exhausted at the end of each day :)
always having someone near by to talk with

10 years ago!

2009-08-21T07:49:00.001-05:00

Ten years ago today I had the wonderful honor of marrying my best friend!! It's hard to believe it's been 10 years already. Living life with Matt is an adventure and I have LOVED it! Matt is not only my best friend, my pastor, my husband, but also my fellow dreamer, adventurer, and follower of Jesus. We knew that our journey together would be bigger then we could ever dream because our lives are not our own!!

Thank you Mattie for 10 awesome years! I have loved growing up with you and I look forward to growing old with you. I can't wait to see what other adventures God calls us on.

Happy 10 year Anniversary!!

Jackson's Birthday!!!

2009-08-18T19:15:00.006-05:00

Today is Jackson's 6th birthday!! We are so glad he got home just in time for his birthday. We kept it low since this was his first U.S. birthday.

We had donuts for breakfast (his favorite) and McDonald's for supper (also one of his favorites).

His first Happy Meal

He got his own birthday cake to eat!

Yesterday we got to celebrate with Grandma Darla, Heather, Tony, Alisha, and Camden. (sorry Grandma Darla, pictures of you are on Heather's camera)

Ana's last day of horse riding!

2009-08-15T11:46:00.000-05:00

On Wednesday Ana had her last day of horse riding class. She really enjoyed riding on her "puppy" Turk each week. Here are some cute pictures from her last day....

Cute Ana on Turk

Getting a little too comfortable

She got to lead Turk around

Stopping for a quick kiss

Ana even got to ride bareback the last day!! So fitting for Ana!

She got to feed Turk a treat for all his hard work!

And of course give him a kiss good bye

Thanks Turk for being such a great horse to Ana.

We will miss you!!