The Beach

My brother invited my family to join them for a week at the beach. We were thrilled to have the opportunity to spend a week with them, and the beach is one of our favorite places. Although the weather was a little chilly, the sun was out most days. The pool was heated, so all of the kids loved swimming. It was a great week. I am so blessed to have a brother that I love spending time with. He's funny, loving, and wise. I am so thankful for him. The great part is I love my sister-in-law just as much, and our boys love their cousins. getting all the kiddos together was not easy-

getting them to look at the camera at the same time and smile was impossible-

still a cute picture, I think

We did a lot of bike riding.

Isn't my neice so cute?!

Two Visits

Yesterday, we received an email from our adoption agency notifying us of a change in the Ethiopian adoption process. It will require us to make two trips to Ethiopia. Here's part of the email:

"Ethiopian Federal Court announced a change in the court policies today. This change requires both prospective adoptive parents to appear at court in person to testify to their desire and commitment to adopted their referred child(ren).

Beginning today, families need to be prepared to travel to Ethiopia approximately 4 - 8 weeks after receiving a referral in order to be present in Ethiopia for their appointed court date. Families will remain in Ethiopia for roughly 5 -7 days and will then return to the US. After officially passing court, families will then travel back to Ethiopia approximately 10 -12 weeks later to pick up their adopted child(ren)."

We have mixed emotions about this change. Part of what attracted us to Ethiopia was that it only required one trip when you went to pick up your child. Originally, you did not have to go there for the court date. We didn't want to have to leave our boys two times. Plus, this will add $6000 or more to the adoption expenses. The exciting yet really difficult part is that we will get to meet our little girl earlier than expected,. Yet, we will meet her and then have to say good-bye until we are back three months later to pick her up. My heart already hurts thinking about what that will be like.

I guess that's just the way things go sometimes with adoptions. We are not in control, and things can change quickly. It could be a lot worse and we are thankful that Ethiopia is still moving along fairly smoothly with adoptions.

This is another opportunity to trust God more with the timing of everything, with our finances, and with our emotions. We appreciate your prayers.

Off Roadin' with the Boys! (in Mommy's Truck)

Several of the Dads from church that take the kids camping decided to go to a local off-road park last Saturday. It was great fun for all, and it felt good to get out of the house after many days of cold.

Nice day for exercising the Discovery. As most people know, I have a higher than average love for cars and trucks. Life is too short to drive boring cars! With our new little girl coming this year, we needed a vehicle that could seat 3 car seats and handle our family adventures. After looking for nearly a year, I found this 2003 Model Land Rover Discovery with only 36k miles on it. It met our needs, the price was right, and the seller was motivated.

Jo's favorite feature is the winch built into the front bumper! If any of you get stuck in the mud or snow - give her a call.

Wesley was the official judge of which mud puddles were too deep. "Dat pud dul was too deep Daddy. . . too deep"

Snack Time - Mr. Brent has a neat folding picnic table. The crew stopped for a snack break at the top of a hill. We got several interesting looks as other drivers passed us. I don't think they had seen that many kids on the trail before.

Axle Articulation - Loaded with 4 Car Seats and 2 Dads, the Disco still soaked up the bumps with ease. With solid front and rear axles, a 2" suspension lift, a 9000lb winch, and rock sliders, the Disco is ready for the trail.

I don't think boys ever tire of getting muddy - it just looks a little different as we get older. I know Jo feels that way lately. The Franklin boys were voting to leave the truck muddy for a few days, but Jo made us clean it off on Sunday - bummer.

I wish my Dad were still here to go with us. I know he would have had a blast driving over the rocks, through the puddles, and up the hills while listening to the the kids giggling and asking to go again. Among many other things, he taught me that life is too short and to have fun. We are ready for the next trip . . . . .

This post is from Tim...