Learning, Love, Longing and reLocating

What a week! I sit here tonight in awe of all the challenges and opportunities we faced this week.

The boys all started school on Tuesday. It is the first time they are all in school all day. It was such a change to have them all three gone for the day. H-man is now at the 5/6 buiding so C and O take the bus in the mornings and the afternoons and they are A-OK without their fearless leader. 

The first school morning all three boys begged to wake up Ava before thier departure.  They were desperate to see her before beginning their day. Of course the rule of never waking a sleeping baby always applies in this house so that idea was a no go. Bob delievered the youngest two kiddos to the bus and just before backing out of the driveway Owen jumped out of the backseat and ran around the car for a final kiss. It was priceless. Within minutes of their departure Hayden and I heard Ava and Hayden raced up the stairs to get his sister for a few back to school shots on the front porch. She was happy to cooperte as she wakes up so happy most mornings.

Tuesday Ava and I laid low. She napped for a couple long stretches and I began my journey into what has been building in my heart as it relates to my return next spring to Ethiopia. I can tell you it is a longing that I never saw coming. There is a hole in my heart for the many children and people who need a smile, a touch or a kind word in Ethiopia. I want to go back. I want to step out and be the hands and feet of Jesus to those who need it so. I want to inspire others to consider visiting orphans. I want to educate myself and in turn educate others as to all the ways we can help the vulnerable women and children of the world. It is a desire that I have prayed I might someday find. I am willing to accept the challege, roll up my sleeves and dig in. This of course does not alter my job as a Mother but I hope to 

combine the two and hopefully begin to involve my children as they age.

The clarity I found in Ethiopia is a miracle of sorts and has helped me begin to put more things into perspective than ever before.

So...

next came Wednesday and I knew it was time to take Ava in for the bloodwork needed to get her all checked out. It was horrible and while I held her little boday so tight making sure to keep her still, I felt my heart just bursting with love. My tears ran as her tears ran and I felt true love for my daughter. how much I love her! I love her more than I can put into words. I feel like she is the biggest blessing and that I have been given such a gift in this sweet child with the big beautiful eyes. 

She has stolen my heart and she fits so well in our wild and crazy family. Fast forward into early Thursday when our pediatrican himself calls with a strange sounding voice. Yep not a good feeling... 

What we did not count on was receiving news that Ava had elevated white bloodcount and she needed a chest xray due to her persistent cough. So off we ventured again and I had to let the nurses strap her to this small xray chair. I held her hands and talked to her as soothingly as I could and frankly I prayed. My prayer was for all the babies coming home to forever families to somehow understand that we love them and we can be trusted in spite of the tests that hrt or frighten.

It was a tough afternoon. We waited and waited.

Then came the answer- hookworm.  

Yes I know. I probably should keep that private but really it is a bigger issue at this point. I hope this blog serves as a resource to others who may be adopting and I want others to know that parasites happen. Click here for a great resource for hookworm and other parasitic infections. I am struck by the fact that deworming drugs, proper sanitation methods and probably most important, SHOES are the best ways to help those who live with parasites. NOt so easy if you live in subsaharan Arfica or a very poverty ridden area of Asia. Perhaps you make a living as a farmer in Latin America. The larvae cycle moves from soil to the body and back again and there are no tests or drugs to prevent infestations.  It hits very close to home that Ava, if she were left untreated, could suffer from long term mental and physical impairment.

Nearly one tenth of the world's population is infected and 44 million are pregnant women who would give birth to very low weight babies with greater risk of death due to improper protein nutrition. 

Once again it is the women and children of the world who are most at risk. It is tough to get right with that when I am able to pick up a test kit, send it to a lab and then treat my daughter for a condition that is rampant where she was born.  It's another example of how called I feel to BE THE CHANGE.

What can I do to save ONE women or one child from the long term effects of parasites?

I am realizing this morning that something happened to last night's writing. UGH! I think I need to change to Wordpress

Our relocating began in full force over the weekend cause believe it or not after three plus years of thinking about adoption and over three years of searching for the perfect location for Bob's move to a new office as a third generation owner after 42 years in the same location, everything all came down to this month. Yep that is how we seem to roll around here. WE are a bit nuts but that is how we roll! 

So the build out of the new office is complete and this weekend it was time to decorate. Our Friday night date was this... Mom, Dad and daughter hanging out at the office decorating. As we hung art work I watched Ava watching us. I look over at Bob and said, "It is as if she had to come all the way from Ethiopia in time to see all of this come together." She did not want to miss out on a dream coming true.

Two big dreams coming TRUE in one month. 

We are richly blessed beyond our wildest dreams. To HIM we give all the glory.

Have a wonderful week!