Our first "Gotcha Day" celebration was filled with several of our favorite activities: kiddy pool time, dinner out, ice cream, playing at the park, lot's and lot's of hugs and kisses and many prayers of thanksgiving for the year we have had together as a family.  It was so fun being able to look at pictures and share the story with the boy's how the Lord united us as a family.

trying to take a family photo

We LOVE family time
They also seem to be enjoying the salsa

Park time

ice cream messiness 

just being cool

 can you tell he was just a little excited?

Recently, we have been able to enjoy some time with some new friends.  Knowing that we have been craving real authentic Chinese food they have been gracious to cook us some real treats

Yummy.

a precious family

the boy's sure did enjoy picking some tomatoes in our friends' garden
Our friends were impressed that the boy's did not pick the green one's after being told just to pick the red one's...that's our brilliant boy's.

GOTCHA DAY...thinking back

This time last year we were returning from Ethiopia to bring our son's home to the US. These were days of rejocing, pain, newness, friendship, sleepless nights, sickness and life. The Lord had promised me years before that He would allow me to be a joyful mother of children (ps113) and on Aug. 3, 2009-i truly became that mother. The first few moments with our boy's were unlike any other moment in our lives. The sweet presence of the Lord was near and His mercies reached to the deepest parts of our souls.

The daily scene outside our guesthouse.

Moments before leaving to get our babies

I

was

PUMPED

Holding one of my gift's from the Lord...

a compassionate, loving, strong and active little one.

The first smile from our baby boy.

This one is a deep thinker,so loving, has such a joy for life and our little cuddle bug.

Finally Daddy arrived
Hubs was on a later flight, his first moments with his little ones.


Sugars from Daddy

P.R.E.C.I.O.U.S

US

Peacefully sleeping...meeting your family at 14 months can be pretty overwhelming

love this face

Mimi praising the Lord that our babies were finally -HOME


Pops was beaming

This pretty much sums up our time in Ethiopia-we were all four sick and adjusting to life as a family of four was very tiring, but of course...WONDERFUL

Seeing how it was going to work carrying two little one's. I love being their mommy!!

I love this.

My husband's heart for this land is inspiring. He loves the people, grieves over their heartache and longs for their restoration.

The Lord has poured out His tender mercies in abundance by giving us our two son's. I have learned so much about myself, the Lord's perfect love and of His eternal promises through the lives of our children. They are such example's to me of how to live in the strong arms of our Heavenly Father. We will never stop proclaiming His praises and goodness. His plans are truly beyond our comprehension.