They're home!

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!

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!

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!

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?

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!!

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??

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!