Larson Quest

Migraines, migraines, and more migraines

2012-02-01T09:41:00.000-06:00

More specifically the same migraine for over 2 weeks. Now that we have been in the hospital and emergency room for over 10 days, including 4 days at Mayo Clinic, I can tell you the official name is status migrainosus. Nice name, huh? Basically it is a migraine that lasts over 72 hours, is super painful, and unbelievably difficult to get rid of!!! We are still dealing with a residual headache and lack of energy, most likely from all the pain and hospitals. Please continue to pray with us that Noelle will be relieved of the pain and that the changes made by Mayo will be effective!

Number one...ME!

2011-12-29T21:45:00.001-06:00

So...my boy can wrestle!!

Fairly certain, Scott may have a heart attack some time in the next few years:)

Though he is not as vocal as a lot of the parents!

Noelle and I just scream "Go Teme!" All six of us were there for this tournament:)

Yes that is a girl! He wasn't sure about that.

"I love you baby Jesus!"

2011-12-29T21:38:00.003-06:00

There is a local Catholic Church that had a Nativity Scene. They chose to add Jesus on Christmas.

Today was the first day that we had a chance to go see Him:) Sabrina was so excited!

We had a nice but different Christmas. We celebrated as an immediate family at home on Thursday evening. We intended to leave Friday for Des Moines to see my family. Instead we spent the day in the E.R. with Noelle's migraine. After some morphine, we headed home so she could sleep. Fourteen hours later she woke up, still with a headache. We elected to head to Des Moines anyway. Probably not our best decision making. We were able to participate in some activities but on Christmas Day we were back in the E.R., this time in Des Moines:( So rather than head to Lincoln to visit my grandma, when Noelle was a little more comfortable we headed back to Waterloo. Upon waking Monday she was a little better and has had some respite from her headache this week. We will see her neurologist again next week.

Praying for some answers!

Decked out with some new Christmas clothing.

Hat, tee and necklace (Go Pack! and Cyclones!) on Teme!

Sparkly boots, leotard and tutu on Sabrina.

Quick prayer request!

2011-12-23T19:40:00.002-06:00

Noelle's migraines are back. This is week three of lots of drugs. Today we went to the E.R. for some morphine. That is what finally kicked it back in September. We are home and she is sleeping but if she wakes up in pain we will probably head back to the hospital:( We were to go to Des Moines today to spend Christmas with my family and on to Lincoln to see my 97 year old grandma on Monday. All plans are on hold at this point, which is obviously not a big deal compared to Noelle's pain. We covet your prayers!

Toby Mac - This Christmas (lyrics)

2011-12-21T17:37:00.000-06:00

Busy little superstar

2011-12-19T20:33:00.001-06:00

On to the ballet! She is stinking cute in a tutu! This was actually practice, as you are not allowed to photograph or video the actual performance. Wish someone had helped her retie her shoe before she went on stage:)

It has begun

2011-12-19T20:29:00.001-06:00

Wrestling that is. And I think Teme is going to be very good at it. He is 91 pounds without his prosthetic. He has wrestled two meets. The first he got second at his weight. He had a bye, a win and then he got pinned. Yesterday he won all three of his matches! Pretty awesome!

Sabrina's Christmas Concert

2011-12-19T20:07:00.003-06:00

Thanksgiving

2011-12-19T19:57:00.002-06:00

This is honestly the only picture that I took that turned out. We had Scott's family with us for a little over four days and mostly I cooked and did dishes:) We had a great time and I think fun was had by all. There was a trip to the farm, a wii bowling tournament (1st place to Jake, 2nd place to Kim), lots of food, and a crazy gift exchange.

Hunting mama!

2011-12-19T19:47:00.002-06:00

So....I was tired of being ditched at home while the guys hunted. So....a couple of days before Thanksgiving I went on a guided hunting trip with Jake and my dad to the Mississippi River. Jake's favorite hunting is waterfowl, so he was in heaven. I shot at a few birds but don't think I actually hit anything.

Say What??

2011-12-05T21:43:00.001-06:00

YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!! No offense to the Duggars...but they get a TV show and the Twiemeyers get a NO????

Finally...

2011-11-14T11:12:00.002-06:00

someone captures my feelings! Before we added Teme to our family, everyone with a larger family told us..."after three it doesn't really matter". Implied to me was doesn't add stress, doesn't get more difficult, etc. When reading a Reader's Digest my mom passed on to me I found my feelings captured.

"If you want to know what it's like to have a fourth kid, just imagine you're drowning and someone hands you a fourth kid."

Please don't be offended, it was on the LAUGH!:) page!

Halloween

2011-11-04T14:30:00.002-05:00

Big differences from last Halloween.

Last year Teme went in a wheelchair as he

wasn't really used to crutches yet.

This year, he and a friend went trick or treating

on their own! No walking aids at all.

Apparently the Halloween dance was lame,

but they sure look good. Especially in Dad's hat and

Mom's boots. Haki's hat is Teme's from Ethiopia.

Teme wasn't too sure about the whole sharing thing.

Stinking migraines!

2011-10-24T22:23:00.002-05:00

Noelle has had a great start to the year. But for the last month has been plagued by migraines. She even had to spend the night in the hospital. The good thing about that was that they were able to perform some tests to rule out tumors, etc. When she cooperated through a MRI, CAT scan and a spinal tap, I knew she was in serious pain. We would appreciate your prayers as she is still battling the headaches on a daily basis.

She struggles to make it through school, takes pain meds, sleeps and starts over:( She hasn't found a pain medicine that will kill the headache without knocking her out so she can't take them until after school. She is working on increasing the dosage on a preventative medicine that should help...someday!

If anyone has any great advice, we would love it!!

Sports Sunday

2011-10-24T21:49:00.009-05:00

Noelle played Recreational outdoor soccer this fall, for the first time in four years.

She has played some indoor, but no outdoor.

Sunday were their last games. Two. In two different small towns.

First game, no subs.

Noelle usually plays midfield, but also played defender on Sunday.

After throwing in a ball.

Second half, of the second game, she played goalie. I cannot remember the last

time she might have done that! It was so much fun!

Then on to football. American style.

Teme has played on a 5th/6th grade team this fall.

Sunday was their last game.

They were able to play in the UNI-dome, which is our local

college football arena.

October, breast cancer awareness:)

Teme does not play with his prosthetic on at this point.

His balance is not good enough.

He does a great job, and in the fourth quarter made an amazing

quarterback sack!

Teme is a defensive end.

He also got to be the placeholder.

Spectating soccer and borrowing some cool cowboy boots!

Spectating football at the end of a long day.

Teme's game was at 6:45.

Party on the patio

2011-10-24T21:45:00.002-05:00

We have really been enjoying our new patio.

As have Noelle and her friends.

This is before (or after) a visit to a haunted house.

L to R: Conner, Kaitlyn, Haki, Noelle, Ali, Krystal, Garland, Kelli and Lucas.

Teme's Twelve!

2011-10-24T21:40:00.003-05:00

Yes, that is a Packer's cake!

Teme invited Izik, Elijah, Nathan and Yoni to join him and

we hit the go carts and ate some pizza and cake!

Not sure that determination is a good look for me:)

Homecoming

2011-09-10T21:23:00.006-05:00

I know I am not supposed to be encouraging this whole

"relationship" thing...but aren't they cute?!

First Day!

2011-09-10T21:16:00.004-05:00

Thursday, August 18th, 2011

Temesgen, 5th grade

Noelle, Sophomore!

The infamous Jake pose!

Noelle got her school license so she is driving to school,

even though she is still 15.

It is great for both of us:)

Distinguishing marks!

2011-08-03T23:13:00.004-05:00

So.....I've wanted a tattoo for over 20 years.

Apparently, I am having a mid-life crisis.

Or....it is just the combination of crazy Brandi and crazy Noelle.

Not really.

I finally decided on the perfect location and the perfect tattoo.

I am sure it will look fantastic when I'm 90.

And, if it doesn't I probably won't be able to turn around to see it:)

Thanks, Joe at Living Art in Colorado Springs!

Brandi...FINALLY!

2011-08-03T22:58:00.005-05:00

We decided to adopt in May 2007. We applied to adopt from Liberia in August 2007.

That fall I began to "meet" some amazing people via email and blogging.

We later changed our adoption plans from Liberia to Ethiopia, but I have

stayed in contact with some of the people I originally met.

One of those people was an amazing young woman who has grown to be very

important not only in my life, but in the life of my daughter, Noelle.

We figured out that Brandi is exactly half way in between our ages!

We finally decided that almost 4 years was too long to go without actually meeting!

So the girls and I drove from Boulder to Colorado Springs to finally meet Brandi and her family!

Is this not the cutest?

Davis is was born in Liberia:)

We are hiking in the "Garden of the Gods".

Brandi and her kids were definitely more experienced hikers than we were.

Not that many mountains to hike in Iowa.

The boys were crushing a little on Noelle!

Colorado Springs Zoo

Free Face Paint!

The last night we got a hotel room so we could go swimming.

This is the view from the pool.

SOOOO AWESOME TO FINALLY MEET YOU, BRANDI!

Colorado or bust!

2011-08-03T22:49:00.003-05:00

Sabrina, Noelle and I took a few days and went out to Colorado. We finally got to meet my "new" nephew Hudson. He came home from China in December and had surgery for hip dysplasia in May. What a great kid!!

First trip to Noodles. I had some awesome Pad Thai. Sabrina was a little grumpy:)

I totally love this picture. That's my girl.

Doing it all...playing with Sabrina and texting her friends.

We were able to go swimming twice, but I was too busy swimming to take any pictures. Thank you Rachel and Kevin for your great hospitality.

My New Hobby

2011-07-24T00:57:00.003-05:00

Heyy! This is Noelle, my mom's daughter (: She has no idea im doing thisss but..... I have a new hobby of posing for and taking pictures. I just started so I dont have many pictures up yet but look and keep posted on my website!! http://beyondthebroken.deviantart.com
Thank You! comments on the pictures are appreciated!

Strong Enough- Matthew West

2011-07-14T08:31:00.002-05:00

Sometimes I just want to scream, "Are you crazy, God!

I can't do this! I am not strong enough!"

So when I heard this song this morning,

I just had to post it!

Sand Lake 2011

2011-07-13T22:35:00.007-05:00

For possibly the last year, we spent our family vacation at Sand Lake in Northern Minnesota.

I say that because though it is a wonderful place with lots of amazing memories...

I am tired of cooking and doing dishes three times a day on "vacation".

We stopped in Minneapolis on the way up and back and were able to see the Daigles.

Noelle and her friend, Alli, at the hotel pool on the way up.

Teme joined a water basketball game and

Sabrina played with Oliver in the shallow end!

Fishing off the dock with Daddy, and Matt.

So patriotic!

We had lots of fun tubing, knee boarding and skiing.

Though my skiing turned out to be quite expensive.

First, I noticed that I lost my watch, a pretty

inexpensive Timex sport watch. Sabrina says it is in Oceana.

Then...I noticed that I lost one of my diamond earrings!

I know, why on earth was I wearing them:(

Teme and Tyler Gerdes.

Feeding the ducks, with Anna.

4th of July!

But the bugs were so bad that we didn't last too long outside.

The best part of vacation, kayaking the Bowstring River.

Noelle and Alli.

Teme wasn't sure he was going to make it until he took the lead.

Then he was ready to stay in the lead!

Working hard or hardly working?

P.S. Jake was in Europe when we left so he did not join us this year.

Splash!

2011-07-13T22:29:00.003-05:00

Splash is the neighborhood private pool that we belong to.

Both Teme and Sabrina have been taking swim lessons.

They both would like to go swimming every day.

I am trying:)

Thank goodness Sabrina is a pool favorite.

So other moms help me keep her busy,

like by letting her do their hair!

They finally started letting Teme go off the diving board!

He loves it and is very brave!

He does like handsprings off the board.

Sabrina and her swim instructor, McKenzie.

Teme Update

2011-07-13T22:15:00.003-05:00

Teme has a very busy summer with Physical Therapy twice a week,

tutoring for over 3 hrs every week day and lots of swimming and biking!!

He is continuing to improve in walking with his prosthetic.

He is using either a cane or for short distances walking without assistance.

The goal is that he will be able to wear it all day for school in about six weeks.

A close up of the "bionic" leg and the shoes that Teme bought himself:)

Teme is loving his new bike. Brent helped us add stabilizing wheels.

The local bike shop wanted $200, I found these on Amazon for like $20.

We don't expect that he will need them much longer.

We also added toe clips to help him keep his leg on the pedal.

I think the biking is really helping to strenghen his legs and hips!

We took some photos for a photo album to send to Ethiopia with friends.

Teme wanted to flex, he certainly has some muscles!

Teme's "private" tutor, Mr. Worthley.

They meet from 10-12:00 each weekday.

Miss Mangrich, Teme's UNI tutor.

He meets with her from 8:15-9:30 each weekday.

He is working hard to learn to read.

More birthdays!

2011-07-13T22:08:00.003-05:00

You can tell we are all getting too old! I have no pictures for anyone else's birthday celebrations. Noelle turned 15 on May 28th. We took a bunch of girls down to Cedar Rapids for pizza, a teen dance club and an overnight. It was pretty fun, kind of interesting at times, and continues to live on as she met a boy there. Wow!

Jake turned 19 on June 17th. Mostly he just wanted cash. He left for a trip to Italy and Spain the next day. Poor guy! But we did celebrate with lunch at Newton's Cafe with Grandma and Grandpa and Franco. Franco and Jake ate the biggest tenderloin sandwiches you have ever seen and then couldn't manage to eat the fancy birthday cupcakes!

I turned 45 on July 11th. I celebrated with dinner at Montage with Mom and Dad and the family! Mom and Dad got my table refinished for me. Scott is sending the girls and I to Colorado to see Heasslers and meet our new nephew Hudson and our blogging buddy, Brandi!! And Jake and Noelle took Teme and Sabrina bowling and to Taco Johns so I had like two whole hours with the house to myself!!

Super Sabrina!

2011-07-13T21:44:00.005-05:00

So...I never would have believed that I would go to another preschool graduation!

But, here she is!

Graduating from Sonrise Christian Preschool.

The same place that Jake and Noelle attended.

(Jake for K and 1st and Noelle for P, K and 1st.)

Sabrina and cousin Elizabeth goofing around!

Ballerina Sabrina!

The Birthday girl turned 4 on June 24th!!

We planned on a swimming party but the weather

did not cooperate so we headed to Chuck E Cheese!

(Teme's first trip there:)

Dora, Dora the Explorer

Cousin Christian

Our fancy new bike from mommy and daddy!

San Francisco!

2011-05-02T19:25:00.004-05:00

Each year Scott has an opportunity to win an incentive trip at work. This year he won a trip to San Francisco! At the last minute, we decided to bring Noelle with us. We had a great four days in San Francisco.

Easter

2011-05-02T19:20:00.004-05:00

I REALLY wanted a picture of all six of us! Which obviously did not happen. We were all together in one place...YEAH! Jake had initiation for his frat, Pi Kappa Phi, the week before. He came home Saturday. My sisters and their families were here as well. We had pizza at our place Saturday night. Church all together on Sunday and Easter lunch at the Dike Country Club. The Good Friday service at Prairie Lakes on Friday night was probably the spiritual highlight of the weekend. I felt a little bit of a spiritual letdown on Sunday. How sad is that? I am sure I have no one to blame but myself:( But HE IS ALIVE AND HE IS GOOD ALL THE TIME!

Cute pics!

2011-05-02T19:16:00.004-05:00

Aren't they cute! Sabrina's hair is on a braid rest:) I usually take them out and leave them out for a day or two before I re-braid.

FYI: Teme started wrestling practice!! It is a feeder program for West High School. Look out Anthony Robles! Teme is so strong that he can do pushups with his entire lower body off the ground. It is crazy!

New Leg is coming!!

2011-05-02T18:51:00.004-05:00

It has been a really long process to go from Teme's amputation to an actual "leg". But...we are well on our way. March 22 we met with Clark Prosethics to create a cast of Teme's stump. From this they ordered his gel sock/protector. April 22 the gel protector was back and we met to create a cast over that to create Teme's socket. Today he tried out the first version of his socket. Hopefully Friday we will meet again to try out an updated socket and Teme's lower leg components. Everyone expects Teme to fly through the learning to walk process!

QUASH

2011-05-02T18:43:00.006-05:00

Not long ago my good friend, Sue Flynn, lost her daddy to Alzheimers. A couple of weeks ago she, her daughter Megan, Rachel Kauten and I participated in a fun fundraiser for Alzheimers. It was called the Quest to Unravel Alzheimers Scavanger Hunt. It took place at the University of Northern Iowa, where both Sue and I attended. It was a cool day but we had a great time. We were Harald's Angels!

Baby Bear

2011-04-01T21:58:00.006-05:00

Sabrina had a Talent Show at her preschool a couple of weeks ago. She was in the story of the three bears. And, obviously, she was the cutest baby bear ever!

A Spiritual Retreat

2011-03-21T21:49:00.004-05:00

There are things I can blog about and things I don't feel comfortable blogging about. The past month has been rough and I don't feel that I can share any details. I can say that as a "diamond in the rough" I was able to get about eight days of really good time with God. I have read through Judges. I have listened to tons of praise music and I have prayed and prayed and prayed some more. I also read some great books: "A Place of Healing" by Joni Eareckson Tada, "God is Closer than You Think" by John Ortberg, "Life of the Beloved" by Henri Nouwen, "Breaking the Rules" by Fil Anderson, and I started "Five Smooth Stones" by Tom Nelson.

I feel very refreshed and that was needed. Now I just pray that I can continue to find the Lord throughout my day. Right now I am going to read my Bible before I go to bed. No Pogo for me!

Things are still hard for our family. Lots going on in many different areas. But our world is in HIS capable hands.

Love like the Ethiopians!

2011-02-22T16:24:00.003-06:00

John 13:34&35
"So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples."

Hebrews 13:1&2
"Continue to love each other with true Christian love. Don't forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it."

I have always considered one of my gifts, possibly a spiritual gift, to be hospitality. Since knowing our Ethipian friends my definition of how to love and show hospitality has changed. They know how to really show love, to draw you into their family. This was so evident when we were in the hospital. Two wonderful families drove from Cedar Falls to visit us. Many of their friends visited and loved on us. They brought us wonderful food, mangoes, this yummy warm oatmeal drink, a man who spoke Haydia (Teme's heart language), flowers, companionship and encouragement. When our story appeared on the news, an Ethiopian man came to thank us for "saving one". That means so much.

We are learning how to love. I so hope that we are able to love our friends and family in the way that we have been loved.

I have said that I have been amazed at the friends we have made since adopting Teme. So many of those that have shown us love during this time are new friends, people that we have not known very long. I would just challenge everyone who reads this to show love to someone today. It means so much! Send a card, take a meal, give a word of encouragement. It doesn't take very long or cost very much...and who knows you might even entertain angels.

Photo Journal

2011-02-22T15:33:00.005-06:00

Long overdue update

2011-02-14T10:39:00.003-06:00

Before I even start the update...Thank you: Stoddard family, Gez and Tarik, Teme's class, teachers and room parents, the Starbeck and Tjaden families, Daigles, Tesfas, Grandpa Al, Tilahun and Nunu, Muellers, Jim, Lynn, Sue, Weimers and many others, I am so sorry if I forgot anyone, Your love and prayers has carried us through these last couple of days.

Friday night after Teme got back to the room Scott stayed at the hospital and I took the girls back to the hotel. It had been a long day for everyone. Thank you Gillette for having nice, well-equipped waiting rooms. Eight hours waiting in a waiting room went as well as it possibly could have gone.

About the time that I came back Saturday morning Teme started waking up agitated and in pain. We spent most of the day managing pain. By 9 or 10 in the evening he was himself for about 20 minutes. He sat up and ate some and talked coherently. It was nice to see after our day. Scott was afraid to leave Noelle and I at the hospital overnight but that is what we did. Teme did great. I woke up every two hours when the nurses came in and struggled to get back to sleep, but better me than him!

We had a great day on Sunday. Lots of visitors, both from Waterloo and from the Minneapolis area. Sunday late morning Scott headed back to Waterloo with the girls for a little school and work. Jake was one of our visitors and he and Teme shared a pizza and a nap. I also took Teme for a little walk in a wheelchair and we played a little Wii. Shortly after we returned to our room Teme's pain became uncomfortable again. We had an uncomfortable night and morning. Lots of drugs. He is comfortable now and just ate a little.

This morning the plastic surgery team removed Teme's bandage to change the dressing. He and I both did better than I expected. He was a little squirmy with the pain of removing bandages from fresh stitches but not too bad. And I saw no sense of emotional distress at this point, which was very relieving. The area that they grafted from his heel is larger than I thought and there are two places where they relieved the stress of some scaring and made "lightning bolts". I told him we will have to start calling him Flash Larson. Later the orthopedic doctor came by. I did not realize that they also grafted bone. The heel bone was attached with three screws. So to prevent any damage to the healing process Teme will be limited to a wheelchair for about 3 weeks. That should be fun, huh, Mr. Nass? Teme is very active but we thought it better to really limit him than leave any room for errors or accidents. He will transfer from a wheelchair to a walker just to keep him at a reasonable speed:) They were able to remove his epidural this morning, so one less tube. They said some patients actually do better on oral meds so we will see.

I cannot express how great Gillette has been. How privileged we feel that our son was able to have a surgery that has been done 7 times EVER. It required, beyond excellent surgeons, a "good" upper leg, "bad" knee and lower leg, and a "good" foot. Apparently not that common. In the long run this surgery will promote much fewer problems with his stump and therefore enhanced mobility. Thank you to those of you who recommended Gillette, Brionn and the Newmans. Thanks you most of all to our mighty saviour Whose plan is so much greater than ours. Who has this whole process in His hands.

Thank you specifically for those of you that prayed for Noelle. She was magnificent Thursday through Saturday. At the thought of going home without mom both girls became a little "fragile". Please continue to pray for Scott and the girls for the next couple of days. And continue to pray not only for Teme's healing but that he and I would have an opportunity to bond in a special way as we are alone for a few days. So far so good!

Sorry no pictures yet. The Tesfas were nice enough to bring me my camera but I did not have my computer cord in my bag as I usually do. So I will update some pictures sometime on Wednesday.

Parents Give Boy New Family; Doctors Give Hope To Walk « CBS Minnesota

2011-02-14T10:38:00.001-06:00

Parents Give Boy New Family; Doctors Give Hope To Walk « CBS Minnesota

In Recovery

2011-02-11T18:01:00.003-06:00

We haven't seen Teme yet, but he is in recovery. Things went great. He has a lot of stitches so we will be heading back up to have those removed under anesthesia in about three weeks. About an hour until we get to see him.

Surgery Update

2011-02-11T16:24:00.003-06:00

It is 4:25 Central time and Teme entered surgery at 12:50. We have only had one update shortly after they put the epidural in. They expected the surgery to take four hours but they are doing quite a bit of reconstructive work using Teme's heel. It is pretty amazing actually. The local Minneapolis CBS station has been covering Teme's story. They came to the hotel last night to watch him swim. Today they interviewed Scott, Teme and I before surgery. They were also able to take a camera into the surgery for awhile. The segment will air Sunday night at 10:00. I will post the link when I have it. Noelle has been an amazing big sister!! Very loving and incredible. Sabrina is doing great considering the long waits!

We just received an update! Teme is doing well but the surgery will be about another hour and a half. They are just starting to place the skin graft.

Unbelievably, I forgot my camera:( I should have access to one tomorrow and will try to post some pictures. Thanks you so much for all of your prayers. We FEEL covered in prayer!!

He has my world in His hands!

2011-02-08T09:02:00.002-06:00

*He has Teme's surgery in His hands!
*He has my mom's skin cancer in His hands!
*He has Noelle's anxiety and depression in His hands!
Nothing is impossible for HIM!! I can't do this by myself. I need you Jesus.

Surgery Scheduled!

2011-01-25T19:55:00.004-06:00

Teme's surgery has been scheduled for February 11th at Gillette Children's Hospital in St.Paul, Minnesota. We will go up on Thursday evening. Surgery is at noon on Friday. He is expected to be in the hospital four to seven days. He will be out of school about two weeks and approximately six weeks after surgery will be fit for his prosthetic. Please pray with us that we find a tutor. We hate for him to lose any school time but have had trouble finding someone to tutor.

Please pray for the everything involved with the surgery. That Teme would continue to have peace about what is happening even with the pain and the six weeks without his "new" leg. Pray for our other kids as we need to be focused on Teme. Pray that this would be a special time for our family to connect!

Just as a side note: We finally got Teme to the dentist today and his teeth are perfect! Unbelievable, though the dentist said that less refined sugar is a big factor.

Tough Stuff!

2011-01-16T16:54:00.003-06:00

I know the reason that I have been avoiding blogging is because I am in a tough spot. God has brought us here and I hope and pray He will deliver us. But it is hard. It is hard to hang on to our marriage. It is hard to show love to anyone when I am tired and challenged. It is hard for me to back down when my instinct is to fight. I mean all these things as much or more with the kids as with Scott.

The delicate balance and workings of our family have been dumped into a big concrete mixer and tumbled to a place that is beyond recognition. Our first born, has gone off to college. Our second born is struggling with her place in life and her place in this family. Teme is fighting to adjust to a new culture and a new family. Sabrina...well I always just say Sabrina is 3. Scott and I have zero time to ourselves. In an effort to create a sense of relaxation for each other we are constantly splitting up, one of us one direction and one of us the other.

Huge, scary things are on the horizon. Thank the Lord that He is in control and not I!! This week we will spend some time focusing on Noelle and the things that she is struggling with. Please pray for us. Her battle has been a long one and she so desires healing. We are still waiting for a confirmed date, but sometime in the next two months Temesgen will have his left leg amputated. Obviously there are huge issues involved with that. Please pray for all aspects. Pray especially that the hearts of our two oldest would be touched toward Teme during this process.

I can't begin to pour out all that is in my heart and soul. This has been harder than anything I could have imagined. When God said go, we just went. I did not sit and think about all that could go wrong. I knew God was in control. I know He is in control. But I wish for different timing, different plans. I must know that HIS plans are ideal!

Go Pack!

2011-01-16T16:51:00.004-06:00

This is for you Grandpa Al! Sabrina's preschool had sports day. I assumed she would wear Panther gear since we have season tickets to both football and basketball. Nope, she wanted to wear her new Packer shirt that Grandpa Al got her for Christmas. Face art courtesy of Daddy, mommy tried and it was not a pretty sight.

Merry Christmas!

2011-01-16T16:36:00.003-06:00

It's the most wonderful time of the year! The holidays went really well. It was great to have Jake home! It was great to celebrate with my family and Scott's dad. All Teme asked for was a yellow button down shirt and new shoes. Of course, he got both! Sabrina was Dora crazy...CD player, pajamas, etc.

Winter fun!

2011-01-16T15:58:00.005-06:00

These are actually pictures from two different days. The snowman building was a little bit of a bust. It was not packing snow! And the next day we got tons of snow which buried our snow buddies! Teme loves to snow board and has incredible balance! Sabrina was not loving the sledding trip:) Believe it or not, I made a run down on Teme's snowboard. Sorry no pictures or video to prove it. Scott said he was not taking me to the hospital if I fell, such confidence.

More programs!

2011-01-16T15:55:00.001-06:00

Teme also had a Christmas program. They did a number of songs. It had been awhile since I had been to a public school winter program. It didn't feel very christmasy without the Christmas carols! I am sure it will be easier for Teme next year, with improved English and a new leg to stand on!

Our Ethiopian Community

2011-01-16T15:51:00.003-06:00

I am so proud to be a part of an emerging Ethiopian community here in the Cedar Valley. I am so happy that Sabrina and Teme get to experience this. We had a pizza party and coffee ceremony. Two "new" families attended. It was great to get to know them. Unfortunately, it was finals week and none of the Ethiopian college students in the area could come, maybe next time! Sabrina LOVES Nunu, our "coffee hostess"!

Dance recital!

2011-01-16T15:43:00.004-06:00

This is our budding ballerina! Most of the photos are from the rehersal. The scheduled program was cancelled due to the weather. So a week later they had their performance. Of course, I had her hair braided "professionally" for the cancelled performance. Everyone made it to the performance, even Jake!

Jingle Bells

2011-01-16T15:29:00.008-06:00

This is from Sabrina's school Christmas program. I have video but I can't seem to get it to load:( She sang Jingle Bells with two other kids!

WOW!

2010-11-29T12:17:00.002-06:00

Front Page

2010-11-14T08:39:00.007-06:00

I went out to get our paper this morning forgetting that our family might be featured, and I saw my husband on the front page! Hopefully, this link will take you the article and video.
http://wcfcourier.com/news/local/article_921c2c99-4ec8-56f7-81c7-99ed63562d1a.html

What I didn't expect...

2010-11-03T23:22:00.003-05:00

...to be constantly moving from sunup until sundown.
...another big time physical touch kid!
...sibling stuff. Pestering the younger sister, annoying the older sister.
..."Mama, I love you so much!"
...an 11 year old boy with a shoe and clothes fetish, especially shoes!
...God's anointing in so many ways!
...full time school within two months of arrival in the US. (at a school representing 13 languages with a great ELL program and a fantastic male 4th grade teacher!!)
...lots and lots and lots and lots of ketchup (on everything, even waffles...YUK!)
...more laundry, makes sense but I just didn't think about it. And he likes things clean, even his shoes.
...that Scott and I would make new friends as a result of Teme coming.

I know there are so many more so I may have to update sometime. Adoption is a crazy thing. And crazy times a million when it is an older child! We have two post placement reports coming up. The end of this month, Sabrina will be home 2 years and Teme will be home 3 months! WOW!

Good eating!

2010-11-03T22:59:00.006-05:00

A couple weeks ago I started receiving bimonthly deliveries of organic produce. It makes it easy to ensure that we have fresh produce without frequent trips to the grocery store and I figured it would help me try new things and eat healthier. If you live in Southern Minnesota or Northern Iowa their website is http://www.naturallivingdeliveries.com/. Check it out! I got our second delivery yesterday. I received lots of yummies including avocados and tomatoes. I'm thinking guacamole! And I found a great recipe, especially if you like a little bit chunkier guacamole. (If not, I guess just throw it in the blender:)

Guacamole

3 avocados (I used 4)

1 lime, juiced

1 tsp. salt

1/2 cup diced red onion

3 T chopped fresh cilantro

2 plum tomatoes, diced (I had Roma)

1 tsp. minced garlic

1 small to medium Jalapeno, chopped (if you like it hot, use more)

Mix onion, cilantro, tomatoes, garlic and jalapeno in a small bowl. In medium bowl, mash together the avocados, lime juice and salt. Add onion mixture to the avocado mixture, stirring well. Refrigerate for one hour for best flavor. Store with plastic wrap pressed down on the guacamole to prevent browning.

We picked up some red lentils at the Ethiopian market in the Twin Cities at Teme's last doctor's appointment, so I wanted to try something new. I found this recipe in Cooking Light. Scott and I loved it, the kids probably wouldn't care if we didn't have it again but what do they know! Noelle has some vegetarian friends so I am going to store the leftovers to heat up when they come over next. Tomorrow I plan to try injera for the first time, I'll let you know!!

Red Lentil-Rice Cakes with Simple Tomato Salsa

Salsa:

3 cups finely chopped plum tomato (I used Roma)

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil (I used about a tsp. dried, the store was out of fresh)

1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar

2 teaspoons capers

1/4 tsp. salt

Cakes:

5 cups water, divided

1 cup dried small red lentils

1/2 cup uncooked basmati rice (I used quick cooking brown rice, I swear I bought basmati...)

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1/2 cup finely chopped red bell pepper

1/2 cup finely chopped red onion

1/2 tsp. fennel seeds, crushed

2 garlic cloves, minced

3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs (I had Italian seasoned so I skipped the following spices)

1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

2 large egg white, lightly beaten (didn't realize until just now...I was in a hurry and used whole eggs)

1. To prepare salsa, combine first 5 ingredients; set aside at room temperature.

2. To prepare cakes, bring 4 cups water and lentils to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes or until tender. Drain and rinse with cold water; drain. Place lentils in a large bowl.

3. Combine remaining 1 cup water and rice in pan; bring to a boil. Cover , reduce heat, and simmer 18 minutes (or according to package directions if you use brown rice). Cool 10 minutes. ( I skipped that step.) Add rice to lentils.

4. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add bell pepper, onion, fennel seeds, and garlic to pan; saute 2 minutes or until tender. Cool 10 minutes. (Again, I skipped that step.) Add to rice mixture. Add mozzarella cheese and remaining ingredients, stirring until well combined. Let stand for 10 minutes. (Guess what? Who has time for all this sitting around!)

5. Wipe skillet clean with paper towels. (Or get out your griddle.) Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in skillet over medium heat. (or spray if using griddle) Spoon half of rice mixture by 1/3 cupfuls into pan, spreading to form 6 (3-inch) circles; cook 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Carefully turn cakes over; cook 5 minutes on other side. Repeat with rest of batter. Serve with salsa.

Trick or Treat!

2010-11-03T22:44:00.005-05:00

Please note...I understand all the objections to Halloween, but it is sooooo fun!

After carving pumpkins, the big kids went one way and

Scott and I took the little kids the other way. Tons of fun!

Captain Teme!

Pretty sure he had no idea what was going on but he was very polite,

loved the candy and is always up for a good schmooze!

Dancing the night away

2010-11-03T22:41:00.003-05:00

My girl does love herself some dancing!!

Halloween dance at West High, aren't she and Katelyn cute?

Note, the false eyelashes...first time I've ever dealt with those.

She did NOT get those legs from me!

Crazy October Weather!

2010-11-03T22:37:00.004-05:00

Yes, these are our two youngest OUTSIDE, in a pool, in IOWA at the end of OCTOBER!

I, was not home, guess who the supervising adult was...

Teme is wearing part of his Halloween costume rather than a swimsuit:)

Fall at the cabin

2010-10-28T04:44:00.004-05:00

I haven't actually been to the cabin for awhile, but Scott and Teme and friends have been going quite a bit. That's one thing we need to figure out. (One of many:) Scott has a tendency to take Teme and disappear when he thinks I need a break or when he wants to get away. As a result there has been a lot of time with Scott and Teme, and me and the girls. Probably not that great for bonding between Teme and I.

Yonas, Daniel and Teme

Teme's big day!

2010-10-28T04:33:00.005-05:00

On a great fall day, October 12th, we celebrated Teme's 11th birthday.

We celebrated at a park, and except for the threat of rain and a little wind, it was perfect.

We were joined by my mom and dad, and JAKE, the Tesfas, the Weimers (our first chance to meet their new addition from Ethiopia) and the Gerdes family.

Pizza and cake kept us all full.

Football, silly string and glow in the dark jewelry kept us all busy.

I love this picture of my dad and Jim Weimer.

Please tell me that is NOT a gobble I see on my neck!!

I just might have to buckle down and start watching what I eat....TODAY!

We didn't get an overly good picture of the cake, but it was Spiderman.

Teme loves action movies.

I can't wait to take him to see the new Chronicles of Narnia in December.

Crutches

2010-10-28T04:22:00.003-05:00

This first picture is just fun!

Teme is a BIG physical touch kid and a big copycat!

He wanted Noelle to carry him and she obliged!

I love it when everyone is getting along.

This is the first night that Teme got serious about learning to use his crutches.

Here Daniel is explaining the process to him.

Daniel and Elizabeth's son, Nathan.

Sabrina's favorite person in the world!

It was a good thing that Teme started getting serious about his crutches. In another amazing move by God, Teme started full day public school on October 18th. He has an amazing male teacher whose wife is disabled and has two adopted children. He is joining an ELL program that is headed by a former kindergarten teacher. He makes the 13th language in the program. The kids and his teachers all love him! And...he loves it. Yesterday he came home with a picture a girl in his class had drawn him and a sheet where many of his friends had written down their names for him.

Having Teme in school all day has been a tremendous relief for me. Seven weeks with little to no breaks was a lot! I also feel less pressure about being the one that needs to catch him up academically. Now we can just come alongside the school. That I can do:)

God is good, all the time!

Fun Fall Days!

2010-10-28T04:13:00.004-05:00

Teme can pout when things don't go his way. I was trying to remember if it was the Liberian pout or the Ethiopian pout I had read about, maybe it's both! Sometimes when he is frustrated he heads outside for awhile. This particular day, he had been outside for awhile so I decided that Sabrina and I had better check on him. Usually I would find him under a tree or on the side of the house. This day he was playing in the leaves. He had made a big pile (with his hands) and was jumping in it. Sabrina and I decided to join in and I ran for my camera:)

Thank goodness for great neighbors.

This is actually our neighbor's yard that we are dragging leaves from the street into!

The heart of a child.

The heart that God protected and cherishes.

Learning Curve

2010-10-28T04:01:00.003-05:00

Most days I have no idea what God was thinking when He entrusted us with this adventure, this boy. Most days Scott is pretty perfect in relationship to Teme. It seems like more often than not, I am struggling. I think Scott is able to focus on one child at a time without the other three's problems floating around in his head. I have no idea how people with truly large families do it! I feel so incapable to meet the needs of these four. I think it may have been easier if they were closer together, four in 4th grade and under or whatever. But one in college, one in high school, Teme and Sabrina, is pulling my already fragile brain in so many directions:)

God has blessed us in so many ways throughout this process. I know I have mentioned our Ethiopian friends, but I cannot thank God enough for leading us to each other! I cannot thank God enough for protecting Teme, physically and emotionally. No one would ever guess the life he has already lived.

Which leads me to the learning curve. Yesterday morning was rough! If Scott is not home, I take 3 kids to 3 different schools on MWF. Teme is NOT a morning person. So getting him up is frustration number one! Yesterday was very windy and chilly in Iowa. Teme refused to wear pants or a jacket. Then he refused to eat breakfast. I was so frustrated that all I could see was stubbornness, maybe disobedience, as he went to school in shorts and no jacket while others wore their winter coats and gloves. Last night I learned that Teme did not want to dress warmly because he thought he had to wear his jacket all day, and he gets hot during the school day. We both could have handled things differently, but I didn't even think through WHY he might be refusing. I pray that God would give me patience and a soft heart toward Teme. That I would know when to be strict and when to explore further. That Danny would always be available when we need a translator!!

Work it girl!

2010-10-04T22:25:00.005-05:00

Homecoming

2010-10-04T22:18:00.005-05:00

No, this isn't what she wore to the dance. For homecoming week they had dress up days. The freshmen were supposed to be babies. Aren't they too cute! Sabrina wasn't too sure about them borrowing all her things!

For the Homecoming dance, Noelle went with Krystal and Derrick. They went to Chuck E Cheese and then to the dance. Noelle danced all night:)

Weekend with the Larsons

2010-10-04T22:06:00.004-05:00

September 24th and 25th we joined Scott's family in Minnesota for the weekend. They were anxious to meet Teme and we were remembering Scott's mom. Shirlee went to be with Jesus one year ago. We had lots of fun meeting up with everyone though I must admit it was a little anxiety provoking being in a hotel room with the three kids. A lot going on there!! I can't believe that we didn't get any pictures at the swimming pool. I think Scott didn't want me to get the camera wet. Teme and Sabrina had a blast. Teme has never really swam before and it is a challenge with just the one functional leg. But he loved it and he is a quick learner and very athletic. On Saturday we went to an apple orchard and out for a fun lunch.

At the drive-in restaurant with cousin Oliver. Scott's sister, Christy's son.

On the hayride, Holly, Sabrina and Naomi.

Updates

2010-10-02T21:57:00.004-05:00

Teme came through his surgery with flying colors. He had some vomiting from the anesthesia but quickly felt better. The surgeon was pleased with the condition of his knee. Miraculously after having his injury for almost 10 years in a third world country, there was no infection below the surface! Our God is awesome. They told us Tylenol should control his pain and it seems to be working. He even went to school Friday afternoon.

My mom was in the hospital for two days having every imaginable test. The good news is they seem to have ruled out heart and a blood clot. The bad news is that they don't have a very good explanation for her pain. They think it may be related to an earlier scope that she had done. I think if her pain is not gone by next week they will seek another opinion.

We were able to get a convenient appointment for Sabrina with our favorite doctor. They did a blood test and Sabrina did not even cry! They are fairly certain the blood was in response to two antibiotics that she is on. She has not had any symptoms since.

The day of Teme's surgery Sabrina was able to play at a friend's house from preschool. Thank you Christensens. And thank you all for your prayers.

Please pray with us!

2010-09-30T07:02:00.003-05:00

Today at 1:15 Teme will have his first surgery. It is outpatient and will just "clean up" his knee. But it is still the first, of many I am sure. We met with our friends last night so that he could be as prepared as possible but I know it will still be scary. Please pray for peace for Teme, for the doctor, and for quick and painless (or at least controllable) healing.

Also, Sabrina is having blood in her stool so we will be running her to the doctor. Please pray for peace for her as I know they want to draw blood. And for an early appointment with a decent doctor.

My mom was admitted to the hospital last night with chest pains. They are concerned about heart or blood clots. Which is scary enough but also leaves us with no one to watch Sabrina this afternoon. Please pray for her health. That if something needs to be found they would find it. Pray that the pain would go away. Pray that my back-up plans for Sabrina would work.

And of course no one slept well last night. Pray for extraordinary energy and patience!! MY
GOD CAN AND WILL PROVIDE!

Oh, yeah.....if the person who left the cookies and note of encouragement on our doorstep yesterday reads this blog.....THANK YOU! It means soooo much!!

Amazing Ethiopian Friends!!!!

2010-09-22T14:42:00.004-05:00

Our new friends Daniel and Elizabeth have introduced us to an ever growing community of Ethiopians right here in Iowa. It is so fun and they have embraced us with such love and support! These pictures are from Sunday lunch with two families. And I didn't even have to bring anything. We love Ethiopian food. They thought Sabrina was pretty hilarious!

Sabrina and Meron, 9, I think.

Coffee ceremony

Our local paper wants to do an article on Temesgen. I am hoping that in connection with that we can start some sort of Ethiopian adoption support group. I keep hearing of people in our area that are or have adopted and it would be so great to be a support for each other.

Lots of changes

2010-09-22T14:02:00.003-05:00

So I never have time to do an in depth serious update. Sorry. We are crying out to God, a lot! Temesgen is amazing but he is an almost 11 year old boy who doesn't speak much English and has disrupted two girls' lives. That is definitely the hardest part. Noelle needs lots of prayer as she processes everything it means to be 14 and have some individual struggles and a new brother. Sabrina is not used to sharing or being pestered. Which leads to lots of howling!

Medical update: We went to Gillette Children's Hospital in the twin cities. They took many

x-rays and a CT scan. Things are pretty messed up. Separated bones, lack of soft tissue, etc. They will definitely be amputating. Scott was holding out hope of a repair/miracle, but I guess I always expected this. (Not in a "I don't believe in miracles" sort of way, just in the that's what I always figured way.) They do not know if it will be below the femur, or if it will have to be higher. There is also scar tissue on his hip to be repaired. First he will have to have some wound care surgery and clear the infections in his knee. Our next appointment at Gillette is November 5th. Our amazing Ethiopian friends are trying to help us prepare Temesgen for all that is ahead. Just today he had to go start the updating of his immunizations and repeat some tests that were done in Ethiopia. Scott said it was 8 pokes. Yuk!

Temesgen is able to attend Sonrise School, the same school that Sabrina is attending. He is in the 4th and 5th grade classroom from 1:45-3:30 each day. He loves school and can't wait to spend more time there! At home we are working on writing and recognizing letters and numbers. We are using some Preschool and Kindergarten workbooks. Temesgen's English is rapidly improving and we are pretty sure that he understands much more than he can say.

Our first trip to the mall. Temesgen wanted another pair of shoes. He also picked out this sweatshirt and a UNI cap. Go Panthers! We have been to two Panther football games. Temesgen seems to enjoy this though I am not sure how much he understands since it is hard to discuss football with the language gap.

Scott and Temesgen went fishing on the Cedar River with our friend, Darrin.

Temesgen caught this whopper and even got to drive the boat.

Big Girl!

2010-09-22T06:02:00.008-05:00

Oh, yeah! Big girl underwear!

Sabrina decided this would be the opportune time to potty train herself.

Though I have diligently tried for the past 6 months before Temesgen came home:)

She has not had a daytime accident for over a week!!

And.......BIG GIRL SCHOOL! Preschool MWF from 8:45-11:15.
This is the same small Christian school that Jake and Sabrina went to for a couple of years.
Jake for Kindergarten and first grade, Noelle for Preschool through first grade.

And...if that wasn't enough, Sabrina really wants a princess bed.
So as a compromise we turned her crib into a toddler bed. What a big girl!

Together at last!

2010-09-04T02:39:00.006-05:00

Temesgen and Sabrina have spent, literally, hours on Sabrina's Gator.

One thing I did not predict was the sibling thing. They definitely "fight" like a brother and sister! And the language barrier makes things even more interesting.

Sabrina is not sure about sharing everything and Temesgen is interested in everything!

Presents from Ethiopia! Temesgen helped Sabrina and I wear our outfits properly.

Temesgen took this photo:)

One of Sabrina's favorite places to go is the Youth Pavilion. We go to story time most weeks. Temesgen had a great time exploring. He got a little distracted during the actual story, again with the language thing. But he did well on the craft. Aren't they cute?

Temesgen found some of Sabrina's stickers.

I thought it was funny because I have seen many photos of

kids in Ethiopia with stickers on their faces!

I was pretty proud of myself. I was getting a little stressed. And I just said no!!

So I pulled out the baby pool and the sprinkler and we all put on our swimsuits.

Then we had a picnic in the front yard. It was lots of fun!

Though our neighbors may have thought,

"Who is this crazy 44 year old woman doing cartwheels through the sprinkler?"

Temesgen is doing fantastic! But I can't imagine doing this without the resources that our loving Lord has put in place. We have become good friends with a couple from Ethiopia, thank you Daniel and Elizabeth! Daniel and his son, Nathan, even came to the airport with us. Their translations have been invaluable this week. And Elizabeth even brought us injera and the best wat! Yummy! Daniel and Elizabeth have also introduced us to a student at UNI who was also adopted at 11 and has maintained his language skills. Daniel and Tesfay intend to regularly mentor/tutor Temesgen as he makes this transition.

As for Temesgen's leg, our first appointment at the children's hospital in the Twin Cities is Wednesday, September 15th. We have seen an orthopedic doctor locally to work on some wound care. He has sent us to a wound care clinic, Tuesday. He said we are in for a long haul. This is another area where translation will be imperative. Temegen is very nervous of doctors. And we haven't had to do anything invasive yet. We have even put off repeating some tests until he is a little more comfortable. Please pray for every aspect of this...healing, doctor's wisdom and sensitivity, translation needs at the hospital, etc.

Sabrina begins preschool this week. Most likely Temesgen will also start a very shortened day. Sonrise Christian School where Jake and Noelle attended Kindergarten and 1st grade has a combined 4th/5th grade class. Temesgen will be attending the last two hours of the day. We are hoping that this will help with some additional English immersion. We so appreciate this opportunity. Daniel says it is obvious that Temesgen is very smart. He says that even though he has not attended school he is very good at math. So this first few months we will be concentrating on Temesgen's physical needs, English acquisition and eventually reading. If any of you experts out there have advice on those last two, I would love to receive it!!

They're home!

2010-09-04T02:14:00.006-05:00

Scott and Temesgen returned from Ethiopia on Sunday, the 29th. I am finally getting a chance to blog a little, it is 2:30 am and I can't sleep:) Here are some photos from their week in Ethiopia. They had an amazing trip. Scott was able to learn lots of information about both Sabrina and Temesgen's birth families. This is so important so that they can know their history! Scott met many wonderful people!

First meeting. Scott brought Temesgen his first pair of crutches. He does not like them. He has a hard time getting his injured leg inside the crutch. It may not even be possible due to his scarred hip. So we are still motoring around on the ground. I am thankful that summer is almost over so that he is not having to deal with hot asphalt and concrete.

Coffee ceremony. Scott so loves the coffee in Ethiopia.

He said we must get an espresso machine!

Temesgen and Eyob, the director of KVI, the orphanage that both Sabrina and Temesgen were at. Sabrina was in Nazret and Temesgen was in Addis,

though he is originally from the Sodo region.

I was so excited when Scott said that he took over 300 pictures. If you know Scott you will not be surprised to hear that probably 200 of them are landscape and animal pictures:)

They were able to visit two or three national parks/lakes.

KVI going away party!

A good friend met us at the airport and took many photos but I haven't received them yet.

I'll try and post those soon.

Fun pictures!

2010-08-24T17:24:00.003-05:00

She's not in pain, this is her "smile for the camera" smile.

Holly, check out our new (sale!) Keens!

My first small group girl got married a couple of weeks ago. This is one of the bridesmaids, Megan, and Sabrina in their Converses. Megan is our friend Sue's daughter.

Sabrina took this picture at the reception:)

Third big event in one week!

2010-08-24T17:18:00.003-05:00

Sunday, the 22nd, was our 23rd anniversary. It is was also the day that Scott left for Ethiopia to pick up Temesgen Jonathan Larson. I took him to the Cedar Rapids airport for an early flight. He then flew to Chicago and on to D.C. He had a long layover in D.C. then finally left for Ethiopia around 7pm. I heard from him today and he is with Temesgen! They are doing great! He said that Temesgen is happy and skinny:) After their embassy appointment tomorrow they will go on a trip to visit Nazret, Sodo and Hosannah. Sabrina was from Nazret so we have been there. Temesgen is from Hosannah. I am so excited for him to see so much of our children's birth country! My guys will return on Sunday the 29th!

Another one at a new school!

2010-08-24T17:05:00.006-05:00

Wow, Noelle's in high school! So cool! She is going to West High, here in Waterloo.

It is a public high school that Jake and I both graduated from! This is the first year they have required a strict dress code, much stricter than when the kids attended private school.

I really didn't like the idea, but they sure do look great!

Orientation: Payton, Noelle, Lena, and two Kaitlyns

Second day. I screwed up and forgot to take a picture the first day!

I am not sure if her excited expression is from the picture taking or going to school!

Freshman again?

2010-08-24T16:49:00.005-05:00

I am not sure that I pictured Jake as a frat boy, but he is! All summer different ISU frats have taken him out trying to impress him. He narrowed it down to three frats, and the Pi Kappa Phi house "won". Partly because they had the "nicest" house, definitely in the eye of the beholder. His roommates are both design majors and have lots of creativity and skills for college students, so they have a nice room. It has actually changed since I took these photos on move in day.

Jake and Sabrina chillin' on his bed.

Full size fridge and mega TV! Love upper class men roommates!

Jake's bed is on the lower right. Where the dressers are in this photo,
the guys are building a closet. Including shoe rack!

Gosh I love that boy!! Pray that he finds a fellowship of Christians! Pray that he would do well in his classes. He is a Bio-chemistry major with dreams of doing medical research, possibly medical school. Pray that he could stand up to the intense pressures of living in a fraternity and that he might be a positive influence!

Embassy Date!!

2010-08-04T22:12:00.003-05:00

We have an embassy date!! August 25th! We haven't purchased tickets yet but that is the week we will be travelling. It will just be Sabrina, Scott and I as Jake starts school at Iowa State University and Noelle starts her freshman year at West High School. Please pray for all the details to fall together. Please pray for Noelle's first two days of school to be fantastic so that she is not so nervous about us leaving!! I'll add more prayer requests later. Thanks for your prayers, they mean so much!

Are you Radical??

2010-07-28T21:43:00.006-05:00

TEMESGEN UPDATE!

We do not have a travel date, which is really frustrating. We traveled to get Sabrina just under a month after she passed court. Temesgen passed court May 20th and we are still waiting for our US Embassy date to be approved. They used the term "investigating" today. We are unsure what that means. I asked if there was any way the courts could be reversed and our agency representative gave me a very reassuring, "I don't think so." OUCH! They are shooting for an embassy date of August 25th. This gives us time to get Jake to Iowa State, where he will begin his freshman year, majoring in Biochemistry. It also gives us time to support Noelle as she begins her first year in high school. Unfortunately, it also means that neither of them can travel with us. I so wanted Jake to travel since he did not travel to get Sabrina. Pray that even though he can't travel that he and Temesgen will have an opportunity to "bond" in a unique and awesome way!! I keep trying to remember that God's timing is perfect and that His plan is much better than my plan. Please pray for us as we try to make preparations to bring our son home. I really have no idea how to pursue issues of language, education and even medical issues with Temesgen's leg. Pray that God would guide us and give us peace and patience. Pray for the unbelievably hard transition that Temesgen will have to make as he leaves Ethiopia!

This is a great book recommended to me by many of my blogger buddies. I am waiting for Scott to read it to fully process what it is saying to me. But, as Scott's dad would say, it resonates with how I am feeling about the American Dream right now and how I think God wants us to live and deal with our wealth as Americans. Pick it up and see if it challenges your thinking!

Family reunion!

2010-07-28T21:32:00.003-05:00

Many thanks to Riley and Kathy Tonkin and Steve and Nancy Tonkin for hosting the first, hopefully annual Tonkin reunion in Lincoln, Nebraska. Thirty-six of us gathered from Colorado, Nebraska, Minnesota and Iowa. My grandma is 96, her three sons and their wives, their nine kids and their spouses, and their thirteen kids (not including the three expecting mommies!)

Highlights included a video montage of the lives of the Tonkins!

Snuggling after the brunch!

Working it, in our picture clothes and some shoes
apparently high-jacked from someone else!

I love to take my kids to places that I went as a kid!
This is the Lincoln Children's Zoo, an awesome place!
Sabrina, cousin Christian and Aunt Karen

Cousin Emilee, Noelle, and cousin Elizabeth.
Noelle was such a great help and entertainer over the weekend!

One of the cute moments!

Spider cousins!

Beautiful sisters!

More birthdays!

2010-07-28T21:21:00.003-05:00

On the way home from our vacation we spent a night in Minneapolis. To celebrate my birthday we attended an Ethiopian Culture Fest and hung out at the mall of America. Somehow I didn't get any good pictures from the culture fest. The event is sponsored by Ethiopian kids in the twin cities and it is called Mehebar. It had lots of fun activities and we met some nice families,

even some from Iowa!

My niece, Naomi, and I celebrated our birthdays at the Rainforest Cafe!

It was lots of fun to see them.

We hit Legoland while we waited for our seat at dinner.

Apparently this is a high concentration event:)

We love rides!! But mommy missed going on the big girl rides.

This is about all daddy can handle. Silly daddy.

Shopping isn't really that fun, but the hat was cool!!

(We only made it to two stores.)

Vacation in Minnesota

2010-07-28T21:10:00.003-05:00

I'm so glad that we booked our vacation last year. With waiting for a travel date, we probably would have skipped it this year, but it was sooo fun! Jake was even able to go this year! We were at Island View Resort in northern Minnesota. http://www.islandview-resort.com/ I have gone there since I was a kid. It makes you feel like a kid again. We had great weather this year.

The bugs were pretty bad at night so we didn't have too many campfires.
But they sure are fun!

Sabrina and Anna chillin' in the lake.

I love this picture.

Can't you see it 24x36 at a high school graduation?

This was too much fun. We buried Sabrina first and I can't believe she stayed still while we buried Jake, it took a little while considering he's not that little any more:)

My fourth of July princesses! Aren't they beautiful!!

Sabrina is a BIG 3!

2010-07-28T21:04:00.004-05:00

Sabrina loves the water so we had to have a pool party! Joining us were my sister, Karen and her family, my parents, Scott's dad and our good friends, the Gerdes'.

Their daughter, Anna, is almost 3 as well.

Sabrina and Anna hitting the baby pool!

Yummy cupcakes!

I was way crafty and made butterfly treats to take to story time at the library. They were really cute. http://familyfun.go.com/crafts/butterfly-bounty-841052/ Guess what? Sabrina is almost 3 feet tall! 353/4" and 28 pounds! We are on the charts!! 15% for height and 18% for weight!!! Much better than 8# at 9 months. Thank you , Lord!

Good times at the cabin

2010-07-28T20:58:00.003-05:00

In June we spent a couple of weekends at our cabin. We hosted Scott's family for a memorial service for his mom. We had up to 16 people at our cabin! Which, though very cool, has no running water or indoor bathroom facilities! I think everyone had fun!

We love to have fireworks at the cabin.

The good ones aren't legal in Iowa but we bring them in as often as we can.

The neighboring cows love them!

Riding in the Gator while papa does projects is very tiring!

We love to kayak! These pics are from Backbone State Park which is near our cabin.

Noelle's 14 (for 2 months!)

2010-07-28T20:50:00.004-05:00

Okay, so I know it's been forever. I've probably forgotten how to do this:) We had Noelle's party at a bowling alley. So these aren't in very good order.

Much easier to watch the ball while laying down.

The girls! Noelle is second from the left.

Too cute! Hard to believe how quickly my babies are growing up! I told Noelle today that it is a good thing that she and Jake are four years apart since I couldn't handle them going off to college too close together!! She sure wished her brother was still going to be around as she heads off to high school in a couple of weeks! Noelle, you'll do great!! I LOVE YOU!!

GRADUATION!!

2010-06-01T19:04:00.004-05:00

Friday, May 28th, Jake became an official graduate!

Also, Noelle's 14th birthday!

Also, grandma's birthday!

Monday, the 31st, we celebrated in style with pancakes and 220, or so, people!

Jake and his aunt Kat

This is NOT a date!

2010-05-24T16:56:00.004-05:00

I repeat, this is not a date!

It is the 8th grade dance. And this is Noelle with a boy named Ethan.

The protector, Kaylee.

Tuckered Out

2010-05-24T16:51:00.002-05:00

Some days we nap and some days we don't, and some days we fall asleep sitting up!

Temesgen is our son!!

2010-05-20T15:41:00.002-05:00

I am so excited that I am blogging before I call Scott. Oops! Temesgen passed court today and is officially, according to Ethiopian courts anyway, our son. Isn't he handsome!

Garage Sale and Cookie Stand

2010-05-10T14:02:00.004-05:00

We usually do have a spring garage sale, and I felt it was really necessary this year with a graduation open house and an additional child coming soon! So we plunged in Friday afternoon and Saturday. The weather was pretty pathetic for May, but we did OK. We decided that all the proceeds would go to Scott's sister's adoption of a boy from China. Yeah!! Scott even made monster cookies for he and Sabrina to sell. We probably would have sold more if we actually could have gotten her to sit at the stand for more than a couple minutes at a time. But we made $350 to send to the Heasslers in Colorado. Expect the check in a couple days, Rach!

Court date!

2010-05-01T22:24:00.003-05:00

Wow, we have a court date. Well one of three anyway. Our agency called and they said they got three court dates and were not sure which one was ours:) But on May 17, 18 or 20th our son will appear in court and we will know if he is to be a part of our family! If he passes court we will be travelling to pick him up in the next few months. So exciting! So many changes!

So handsome!

2010-05-01T22:19:00.004-05:00

Jake is the handsome guy on the left. Oh, yeah, he is that tall! 6'4"

Jake and his date, Julia. She's beautiful and they look great!

What a perfect pair!

Adoption update.

2010-04-12T15:54:00.004-05:00

Not too much to report. But for those of you in the "adoption-know" you will realize what this all means! Our dossier is in Ethiopia! So we are waiting for our official referral and our court date. It has been implied that our court date will most likely be this summer. The biggest change is that we will need to travel to Ethiopia twice to complete our adoption. We will need to travel for the court date and the embassy date. For Sabrina's adoption we were not required to travel for the court date. So we need to get the kid's passports updated so that they have the option of traveling with us. Now that I am finally blogging again I will try and update more often. We appreciate your prayers. Adopting an older child is fairly intimidating!

Easter

2010-04-12T15:46:00.003-05:00

Al, Scott's dad, his sister Rachel and her daughter Holly joined us from Thursday through Sunday. Then my mom, dad, sister Karen and her family joined us for Easter dinner. I didn't do a great job with pictures.

I felt kind of like we lost the spiritual significance this year. We did not attend any holy week services. We are kind of between churches. Then we attended a new church, being held in a school. It was OK but I very much missed the traditional Easter lilies and the "HE IS RISEN"!

Not very sure about the hat, so most of the morning it was on the floor!

I like this picture. It is so seldom that I get a picture of all three of them:)

Sabrina and cousin Christian, both turning 3 in June!

Noelle was in charge of dying the Easter eggs.

She did a great job while I got things ready for dinner.

Spring Break

2010-04-12T15:37:00.005-05:00

We rented a condo in Gulf Shores, Alabama. The girls and I went down on Saturday and the boys joined us Tuesday night. They felt the need to hunt part of the week. The weather wasn't great but we had lots of fun.

Yes, they are that weird, silly, naughty:)

Isn't that sweet?! The water was freezing.

Shortly after this my son proceeded to throw me in, shocking everyone at the pool.

For some reason, Scott did not save me. I believe he was laughing too hard!

On the ferry. Not so sure about this!

About time for that first ferris wheel ride!

A budding artist at the art show in Orange Beach.

More firsts!

2010-04-12T15:31:00.003-05:00

Our first haircut and our first cornrows! Bummer they only lasted about 3 days. I think she was afraid to do them too tightly since it was Sabrina's first time. They sure were cute. I really want to learn how when her hair gets a little longer and/or even. Her hair is very sparce around her face.

Lessons I'm learning

2010-01-03T07:23:00.003-06:00

Some days the lessons our Lord has to teach us are so hard. Lessons about loving and being joyful. Lessons about patience. Those are the lessons I am learning.

Patience is a long battle for me but with adoption it takes on a different significance. Things are moving very slowly with the pursuit of our second adoption. We have sent our application and updated our home study. The agency however would like to gain a better understanding of our son's situation before we proceed. The adoption laws in Ethiopia have been changed since we adopted Sabrina. Probably these changes were needed but they will most likely slow things down. So pray along with us that these issues are resolved quickly and that T doesn't have to wait any longer!

The lessons on joy and loving are harder. They reach into me and make me squirm. I don't feel unhappy, but certain people in my life say I come across that way. That saddens me so much. I want the joy that Christ offers me to be so obvious! And the impatience that plagues me causes me to come across as unloving. Yuck! So these are the things I will be pursuing...JOY, LOVE and PATIENCE. If you have any great places to start in the Word, let me know.

Holidays

2009-12-29T17:08:00.006-06:00

OK, how domestic is this? Family Fun magazine comes through with an idea to occupy the young ones while Thanksgiving dinner is cooking. Yes, I said Thanksgiving. Al, Scott's dad, and the Daigles (Scott's sister, Christy's family) came for Thanksgiving. We threw in a little Christmas while they were here.

This is Naomi, Christy's middle one, playing dress up with Sabrina.

Now it is really Christmas, with Diane's family. This is Elizabeth, and Christian. Believe it or not Christian and Sabrina are only a couple weeks apart in age. His dad always jokes that Christian shouldn't eat his cousin!

Princess Sabrina, Christmas eve!

On the way to Grandma Mary's with stocking goodies in our lap.

This is the best I could do with a Christmas morning photo. Rather pathetic considering the ages of the older two. Mostly it was the uncooperative oldest!

Oh, yeah, she's a tool girl!

Even if it is a little late...

remember, JESUS IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON!!

Sabrina update!

2009-12-29T15:34:00.003-06:00

Sabrina has officially been home a year. WOW! Cannot imagine life without her! She is finally growing a little. She is about 24 pounds and 331/2 inches tall. She still mostly wears 18-24 month clothes. (Jake wore that size when he was less than a year old!) She is walking really well, but still with a little swing of the hips. The doctors think she will out grow this. Our big news was that Sabrina has latent tuberculosis. This means she has no symptoms and is not contagious but could one day develop TB so she has to take 9 months of antibiotics! She did have a chest x-ray to verify that the doctors didn't see anything suspicious. We joked with her that she was getting a picture of her boobies. Anything to distract her. She continues to have an amazing vocabulary and is adding 3 and 4 syllable words like comfortable, tomorrow, and together.