Please Visit Our New Blog

Hello there:

Thanks for stopping by. I have overhauled and simplified my blog and hope you will now join me at
www.beginwithone.com 

I have big news to share so please take a peak. Enjoy your day and do not forget to subsrcibe and bookmark my new site. 

Peace and Love,

Melanie

What will 2011 bring?

Tomorrow night we will ring in the New Year first with our children and then with friends at an UGLY CHRISTMAS SWEATER PARTY. Yep, that's the theme and the gaudy sweaters are so hot this year that they are being sold for big bucks on Ebay. So do not deliver them to Goodwill just yet... You never know if you may need one for a party next year and heck why not go the Ebay route if it is truly a one of a kind crazy ugly sweater- just sayin'

Anyhow the new year comes in here at our house with lots of excitement and sweet little toasts our boys make about what they have enjoyed and what they hope happens this next year. Hayden already picked out his favorite sparkling white grape juice and I am thinking I will be on the hunt tomorrow for the basement box of noisemakers. It is a special celebration. Just the other day Bob and I were remarking that 2011 should look very calm and simple as we are not in the middle of both an adoption and an office overhaul both in one year. 2010 was a remarkable year of dedication and very hard work. It was a year in growing stronger in our faith and trusting God when we were on very unsteady and/or uncharted ground. It is a year I will never forget not because our daughter was born and came home to our family but because I personally was forced to surrender so much. Here is what I mean... I sort of stopped trying so hard and simply let be what was going to be. It was a cool transformation for me and still to this day it is a struggle not to drive the boat. You have heard me say that a million times but it is oh so true. I'm thinking there might just be a few of you out there who can totally relate. What cracks me up is that we are driven to step out, to form a new friendship, to grow a business, to join a new committee, to parent in a whole new way and it feels like we call all the shots. I mean don't we? In order to make things happen we must act! We must fill out the first set of adoption papers or make the first visit to the new church or team. So we act, sometimes with a calculated type A energy that makes people wonder what we are all about. I love that! I love the drive, the energy and the courage that takes. BUT HERE IS WHERE IT ALL LOOKS DIFFERENT FOR ME NOW... After I act, make my move, take that step...  I surrender. I ask God to make me a vessel and to use me. I ask God to send me, to work through me, to guide me. You see I have become a living testimony to the fact that nothing worth doing is worth doing without it being for God's greater glory!

So join me in welcoming in another year with a great big BANG! Some days I can hardly wait to see what is next as I know that my work has only begun. I want to live for others in need and be a beacon of light to my children, my family, my friends and to total strangers. I want to be a strong Mother who is here for my children in all ways needed. I want to open my children's eyes through dialogue and travel this year. I want to keep communicating with my husband so our hearts are united as we roll into a new year. What an honor that we have such full, rich and crazy loud and chaotic lives. SO full and SO much fun. Take a look below and what poor Ava had to endure as her wild and crazy brothers joined her on her first crackly sled ride. She barely moved a muscle with the exception of her eyes and never uttered so much as a peep as her brothers zipped and zoomed her all over the yard. Now we just need some more snow!!!!

  

Um yeah mom... I'll go sledding with you

but can you pull the sled?

Oh here we go with the Owen twirl...

Please note her same face.

I am telling you the child did not move a 

muscle.

Those big eyes say it all...

My favorite shot!

Here's to a happy and healthy New Year!

Holy Night...

Born and lying in a manager wrapped in nothing more than rags...

HE came to live here on earth so that we might learn the deepest 

lessons of peace, grace, trust and love.

It was an honor to be the holy family in the pagent this year at our church and I cannot express just how special it was to see this dear baby, our new daughter, who at one time was cold and lonely and without a home, embraced and touched by all in her presence. It was a moving reinactment of the birth of Jesus Christ our Lord and King.

 Happy Birthday Baby Jesus!

Merry Merry Christmas Cheer...

We are a wild and crazy bunch around here and I am amazed at the end of each day what it takes to make it all happen as a family of six. Our boys are in 5th, 3rd and 1st grade and I can honestly say the break from the school routine has been so needed. I love letting the boys wake up on their own, play cards before breakfast, head out in their snow gear while still wearing PJs. It is great fun to have them home and they just love the hang time. Is it perfect- heavens no! They are so active, moving from thing to thing. They are constantly hungry and running to the pantry more times than me in a day :) They come in from outdoors and think they can throw all of their gear on the floor, knowing full well of course I will clean it up. They are mess makers and leave everything they have just started when a friend rings the doorbell. Our days are crazy. So this Christmas take three active boys home all day from school and add and 8 month old baby. Yes it is an interesting picture both good and bad :)

Ava is a trouper and continues to surprise me with her resilience and happy nature. She goes with the chaotic and often loud flow and unless she is hungry or tired she is generally very easy going. This morning we invaded Daddy's office and we were all quite the spectacle as we kept running into friends who had not seen the boys in years or met Ava yet. Ava just kept spitting up or puking as the boys say and  I felt a bit like I was herding cats as I was talking to old freinds and trying to keep the boys from sneaking to the back of the office to consume any and all treats they could get their hands on. So why not chow down on chocolate, sprinkles and candy canes right after having your teeth cleaned-  Afterall it is Christmas! We left the office and although I was feeling a bit fried,  I was so filled with joy for all the connections to family and friends Bob has. It seemed all who entered his office door were connected through our high school, neighborhood, the boy's school, staff family or church. I love love love our community and all that happens in the exchanges of love and support for one another.  We are so blessed!

So with just one day to go before we celebrate the birth of a KING I cannot seem to put our dear Ava down. I am so in love with her and the reminder she brings that God sent a baby- can you even imagine the wisemen bowing before a baby- a baby who would change the world and give his life to show us God's amazing grace? I stare at Ava Eleanor and I feel like a chosen Queen. I still cannot believe that adoption was placed on our hearts so long ago. That God chose me so that I might raise Miss Ava, teaching her to walk in the light with Jesus along side her.  Ava makes my heart sing yet I feel a deep ache for those children all around the world who are without those to love and support them. There are so many children who will not wake up to presents around the tree and stockings hung by the chimmney with care. I cannot save all children from being lost and alone but we will work hard to advocate for the orphan and support the agencies that strive to rescue children and bring them to the love of Jesus. There is much on my heart as we move into a new year. The orphan crisis continues to tug at my heart now that I have seen first hand the mercy and work that is needed. This year our merry Christmas cheer comes with eyes more open than before making our prayers deeper and our love deeper.

So we have spent the last few days delivering goodies to our neighbors and trying to find a few quiet moments to read a few books around the tree. The reality is that the subdued Christmas days where we all sit by the fire relaxing and enjoying an eggnog are not exactly how our famiy rolls but we are grateful for the cheer in the house, the excitement of the baby whose birth we will soon celebrate, the gorgeous Christmas cards that are still arriving in droves each day, the smells of chocolate and the red and green m&m cookies we are crave.  All three boys have been very emotional this year about buying each other gifts and while we should have thought of it a bit earlier, well we are trying to embrace their generous hearts. We also wonder if their ideas to buy for one another (all nerf I might add ) seem a bit like a conspirary threory as they all huddle in discussion but hey, isn't it all in the way you choose to see it?

Have a wonderful day tomorrow as we all prepare our heart and homes for the merriest of days... Below is a little eye candy of the daughter who brings our hearts so much fullness and joy this Christmas. She is our little ANGEL and we are grateful to celebrate our first Christmas as a "complete" family. Merry merry to you and yours!

One more thing... several fellow AGCI families who were scheduled to fly to Ethiopia tomorrow for thier return trip to bring their children home were notified today that the US Embassy is requiring more time to review paperwork. They will not have Embassy appointments this next week and they do not know when the appointments will be rescheduled. Things are up in the air and so are their lives right now... It is a very tough spot when your heart is ready to get on a plane and bring home the baby you bonded with just weeks ago. It is teven tougher to remember that God is in control and they there must be a reason why all of this is happening. I know they are hurting and feeling lost right now as we roll into Christmas day and their hearts ache to get their little one's home. We are praying for you and with you in this process. This adoption road is not always a straight path and we are asked to sit tight and breath deep many times throughout this winding journey. God is over the details and never forget that HE will hold you in the palm of HIS hand while you wait- even with questions and tears. 

A gift that will SHINE!

What a week it has been and now we roll into an even bigger week of celebration and Christmas cheer. With only four days until Christmas I have to chuckle that my cards have been in transit for five days now. I hit the wrong shipping option and here I sit with envelopes all addressed and no cards yet. This year our priorities have changed a bit :) Last week was full of hoopla and excitement as school was winding down for the two week break, I had a birthday and Ava is now eight months old. There was much to celebrate.

Last week the most special gift was delivered my way. I can only share a few details but needless to say it made my birthday the very best ever!  Here is the story... 

I have a friend who has an amazing job and one of her tasks is to help her company determine where donations should be made and why. She was chosen to pay it forward and invest in something that gives back, makes a difference, changes a life. Such a cool concept and so much fun for me to hear her grapple with where the monies should go. This friend and her family have been right there alongside us in our journey to Ava and have been moved by the miracle in the plan God has shown through Ava. So in looking at where funds should be donated this year, my friend thought of our family and our passion for those left behind in Ethiopia, the struggle of those in orphanages who will have nobody to call their own this Christmas. She and I spent a great deal of time last week looking carefully at a few organizations that are doing what they can to bring light and hope to the least and the lost in Ethiopia. Here is the part you will love... After much consideration and prayer we decided the donation should go to our outstanding adoption agency, All God's Children International. AGCI has an excellent reputation as an adoption agency and has for many years. What many may not know is that AGCI is hoping to increase their impact in the world through their Embrace Missions work this year. Take a look:

The best part about the donation to AGCI is that the funds will be designated to go directly to the renovation of several Bethzatha Government Orphanage locations that AGCI partners with and where babies and children must be placed may be placed before being place at Hannah's Hope, a transitional home before adoption. Bethzatha locations are very well run but they are teaming with babies and the facilities need updating and repairs. These funds will be used this year by the AGCI mission's teams (yes, there are still opportunities to join them) to make the living conditions for orphans better.

There are rules as to what I can do to help fund raise for AGCI so soon after completing our own adoption, but I will say this... I know many of you reading this are praising God this Christmas for the beautiful gift we have been given in our new child(ren) home from Ethiopia. They were so well loved with so much attention and nurturing, and for those yet to visit HH to meet your babies, there is nothing quite like the HH environment on the planet- let alone Ethiopia. So I ask you as one proud AGCI adoptive momma... How can we support all that AGCI hopes to do this year to be the hands and feet of Jesus to those who are orphaned and alone? Perhaps we could all give, adding to the funds given this week for the renovations at Bethzatha, or maybe you, like me, are being nudged in the direction of going back to Ethiopia to work and love on orphans. Maybe you could be the answer to even one orphan's prayer in 2011...

Donate to our Orphan Care Projects: Your financial support will provide clean water, essential medical care, and a safe place to sleep for children who dream of a place to call home.

Participate in an Embrace Missions Trip: There is no greater way to embrace the needs of a child than by extending your own hands. Join one of our Embrace Missions trips in 2011.

Become a Church Partner: Invite your congregation to put their faith into action by sponsoring our orphan care programs or by joining a mission trip.

Explore the links to each country to learn more about the Orphan Care 2011 projects. Find a ministry that touches your heart, then use the 'Donate Now' button to help fund the project. God uses your gifts to transform an orphan's helpless moments into miraculous moments of hope.

Please join our outreach efforts to make a difference in children's lives in 2011.

Our prayer is that you will be the answer to an orphan's prayer today. Visit www.allgodschildren.org to learn more.

Peace and may your light shine bright!

Why not give shoes?

Ever since discovering last summer that our family would be a part of the first group with our agency to have to travel twice to Ethiopia,  first to meet our daughter and then again to bring her home, I just knew that there was a bigger plan in order. I took the news and the expense it would take to make two trips,  and made it my mission to get many needed supplies into Ethiopia. SHOES were the number one item that sprang to mind as we prepared for our journey. I would dream about seeing the eyes of a child wear his or her first pair of shoes. I dreamed of going through all the many choices of shoes we have here in our home and packing them up for those who have no choice but to wear nothing on their feet. My prayers were answered as so many supplies and many shoes poured in. Our son, Hayden, made a basic flyer, delivered it throughout a small section of our neighborhood and wah-lah SHOES!

Then within days of bringing Ava home we discovered that she was suffering from hookworn, a parasitic infection that is contracted through the soles of feet that touch the soil. Parasitic diseases plague over 1 billion people worldwide and can have devastating effects on children both mentally and physically while they are developing. Ava had very disturbing symptoms that caused her to cough constantly to the point of vomiting. The symptoms made her sound like a wheezing asthmatic baby since the parasite had gone untreated for the first four months of her life.

Next came an idea again inspired by my heartbreak for those who have no shoes... For my so's birthday we asked friends to consider bringing shoes instead of gifts. It was so much fun and we raised 24 pair of like new or new shoes to send to Soles for Souls since we love their vision and work all over the world!

Let me leave you with this... What a good idea huh- shoes for someone on your list&
while another pair is donated to a child on God's list.
One pair sold= One pair donated!

A must see...

International Adoption Crisis from Both Ends Burning on Vimeo.

God's Plan...

Next week is my birthday and I feel a bit of hesitation now that I am in my forties as the day draws closer, yet I am can honestly say I am right where I feel I am supposed to be. That feeling doesn't come along every day so I am grateful for the days I feel headed in the right direction and living out the call that has been placed on my heart to serve. The calling is just there. It is even heavy at times as I feel a bit strange or perhaps selfish in that I feel the need to get back to Ethiopia to live out the calling I keep hearing in my head. It is an extraordinary life I lead and I am grateful every day for my faith, my team and my family. This mother of four definitely knows that I could not be doing all that I do in planning for the future without my village of support and the hand of God.

Tonight was so amusing as I had to punish one of my sons for his nasty talk toward his brother and he was yelling from the basement, " I mean the rules around here make me want to hitchhike to another house." Yep that is how it goes for a moody fifth grader when he does not like to be punished but while we were up here in the kitchen choking back laughter all I could think about was immersing him in a world where hitchhiking is not an option and where choices and opportunities do not abound. It is theme that keeps replaying in my head as I go through my days after visiting Ethiopia twice and wondering why we feel so compelled to have it all. Some days I want to give it all away so we can head back to Ethiopia with open arms in support of those children who have no one.

The night is then topped off with whipping cream and a beautiful red cherry when my third grade son says. "Mom I know you are going to be on a call tonight to learn more about going back to Ethiopia but when you and I take our trip this summer, a special thing I plan to do with each of my children after third grade, can we go somewhere that is not like Ethiopia. Somewhere that is a little less poor where we can do things and stay in a hotel? I mean no offense to those who need help in Ethiopia."  I fought back my chuckle and my tears as I looked into his eight year old eyes and said, "Yes Carter we can go somewhere where there will be things for us to do and a hotel." This for me was an Ah-ha moment in that all the dialoguing we have been doing for some time as a family is starting to sink in. Carter is beginning to see and feel what I see and feel. That is my prayer. Stretch me, Oh Lord, so that I may stretch and encourage others.  Help my children hear my hope of giving to those in need and serving those who need it most, the orphans of the world, who are left with nothing. Help me to have my kids see me living out the change that God has so generously placed on my heart.  Help my children to see that my life is now your life in being the hands and feet of service to others.

I have an idea...

Keep in mind it is just an idea, but I keep asking myself what if, so I had to share with all of you.
Over the past few years in addition to being home with kids, I have been using my time to research and connect with various charitable organizations both locally, nationally and internationally. Stepping out into the adoption arena helped us to see things we never imagined we would see in terms need and the chilling circumstances that many children face daily throughout the world. My first hand account of poverty at it's best has propelled me even further into research and tangible ways to give back and help others.

 Today is December 5th and we here in the United States are in full Christmas buying mode. The Christmas bling (as I like to call it) is everywhere and we cannot turn a corner or even enter a grocery store without thinking of all the stuff we might need to make our holidays just a wee bit brighter for ourselves and certainly for our children who all have the Christmas "wants." We scramble to take care of so many on our list who have helped us throughout the year, the favorite bus driver, the school secretary, the teachers, the neighbors, the business clients. I do the same people so I am totally in the know here. :) Most of us have good intentions and generous hearts filled with the Christmas spirit.

Enter my idea... What if the gifts we gave mattered more? What could be accomplished if we took our lists and matched each name with a gift from an organization that is doing more and giving more in the world.

Perhaps your children would love to sponsor a child for a year or more. What an awesome gift and through several organizations it is easy to communicate with your sponsored child and see exactly what you are doing to change their lives through education and nourishment:

Compassion International

Wiphan Care 

Children's Hopechest

Here is a list of organizations I love for tangible gift giving. You can change lives through the purchase of an animal or soccer balls for a village. Think what the purchase of bibles might do to change a life...

Purchase your gift in the name of someone you love or wish to thank this year.

World Vision

Samaritians Purse  This organization is a Strobel favorite. For years we have packed up shoeboxes as a family in hopes that a child somewhere in the world would receive something special and the knowledge that Christ knows he or she by name. You can purchase mosquito nets for remote areas where people die from malaria. Such a lifesaving gift will have true meaning this Christmas.

Heifer International  Why not give a gift that could benefit a family or perhaps an entire community!

Soles for Souls  See what a big time corporate executive turned philanthropist is doing with shoes. He is helping to save lives one pair at a time and recycling shoes to be donated all around the world and across the US. What if we donated new or gently used shoes in someone's name. Now that is a very unique and heartfelt gift!

FashionABLE Scarves These scarves help to provide and sustain business opportunities to women in Ethiopia. The scarves are absolutely gorgeous and a great price point!

Lifesong This organization has a rockin gift catalogue. You can purchase a brick in the name of someone to help build a classroom in Zambia. Your donation might help a child from the Ukraine
attend a bible camp. Think about how one gift might change a life!

Women at Risk If you live in the Grand Rapids, Michigan area there is a place you have to consider visiting for gifts. I am talking stunning gifts with amazing purpose!  The woman who started the organization is the most spirited soul. She has dedicated her life to this cause after growing up in Bangladesh and witnessing first hand what happens to young girls and women all around the world and right here in our own city. Please visit the website or the store if you are here in GR.  Even if you are not compelled to purchase a gift you will learn so much. 

I am excited to purchase my gifts a bit more carefully this year after seeing firsthand the poverty that still haunts me. We all love to give and to receive and with all the many gifts we purchase to celebrate the most memorable day of the year, I have had it on my heart to encourage us all to be a bit smarter in the gifting we do! We can all make a difference in raising up a woman living in poverty or providing shoes to a village child or sending love and monthly prayers to an orphan with nobody to wake up to and call his or her own on the blessed day of Christmas.

Peace and Love to you and yours.

A grateful heart...

This week was big! So many blessings to count and so many blessings I want to remember each day. Some days I wish I could take more photos or actually take better photos to document the many doings in our lives, the forward motion of our children or the tough days when we wish we could wake up and begin again.   We lead such full lives rich in opportunities and my heart is heavy with gratitude during this week of Thanksgiving. Such a day seems to mean more to me know more than ever!

I am grateful for the friendships my children have.

We took a group of friends rollerskating for Hayden's

10th birthday and had so much fun zooming around to the cheesy music.

My heart is grateful for Grandparents and the presence in the lives of our children!

I am thankful for the ever developing open mind and giving heart I see in my children.

For Hayden's party we asked that those attending consider bringing a gift of new or gently used shoes to share with the more than 300 million people (primarily children) who have no shoes around the world.

This child was totally excited about collecting shoes and forgoing gifts. I love his heart!

On Thanksgiving day Bob said our prayer before dinner and said this, "I am grateful for my three sons and how they have embraced and accepted Ava into our family so generously and graciously." Yes they have been so supportive of her and she has brought more joy than we could have know to our home.

EHTIOPIA!

I am thankful for Ethiopia and the many ways being there twice this year has changed my heart!

I am thankful for SPONSORSHIP! WE sponsor this wonderful 

child (who is almost grown up) from Korah and it is the most amazing feeling to know that 

we are giving so that he might have HOPE and feel our LOVE and learn about how GOD LOVES HIM! God is using us to change the life of this child right there in his own Ethiopia.

Change a life just one child at a time!

 I am grateful for a heart that is called to SERVE.

In the bustle of life we often forget that we need to be living to serve one another.

I want to BE THE CHANGE not just hope and pray for change.

Last weekend we were able to serve Thanksgiving dinner to those in great need who live of the streets of our own community. Our children loved it and begged to do it again.

We learned that people are people and that although we all are dealt a different set of circumstances we all desire the same basic need for food, shelter, love, attention, a warm touch or a kind smile.

I am most grateful for FAMILY! 

We shared a simple Thanksgiving together with Bob's Mom and Uncle and my Dad and of course each other. It was a splendid and casual day of games, football, feasting and just being together.

I would be nothing without my family to share it with. 

The Christmas season is now upon us and I am grateful for the birth of a dear babe born in a manager who was sent to bring us grace, mercy, forgiveness and HOPE.

Peace and blessings to you and yours!

Steering the boat...

I will never forget walking off the plane and down the ramp to the many family and friends who were so eager to meet our daughter home from Ethiopia. My sister, Shannon, was by my side and Ava was tucked into the front carrier asleep and I was fighting to be able to walk I was so tired and so filled with raw emotion. I could not wait to bring this once orphaned child into the arms of her community, her home, her brothers and her Daddy. It was magical. It was a feeling that has changed me. I sit here today, 12 weeks after bringing our daughter home, and I am amazed by the love we have for our daughter and the many tangible ways God is using adoption and having been to Ethiopia twice to transform m life.

I feel compelled to tell you that five years ago I knew almost nothing of the plight of the orphan and very little about those living in poverty or being forced into modern day slavery. I was quite clueless even though we were caring and charitable people who always had the needs of others in our picture. I was raised as a Methodist and I was always taught right from wrong. I attended Young Life and although I was never comfortable being outward with my faith, I did believe in God. Growing up I can remember praying but like many people, I often only prayed when the going got tough which it often did. I cannot recall many times when I simply chose to dialogue with God and looking back I am quite certain that I was living as if I was in charge of me not as if God were in control of me. 

Several years ago I endured a very painful situation when my stepmom basically abandoned myself and my sisters after living in my family home for nearly eight months in order to be healed after a severe accident. Upon her wishes we were all working to help her exit a very troubled 18 year marriage and doing all that was needed to transport her to numerous appointments to better her health both mental and physical. 

I can remember so vividly stepping up to help her and being in control of making all that she needed to heal happen. It was tough stuff but I we would overcome it and see her through it. If we planned enough or if I controlled enough she would get well and she would exit her awful marriage and come back to her daughters and her grandchildren. That is truly what I can recall thinking and those who know me know that I love to be in control. I am a planner and I like to orchestrate what will happen next. Makes me chuckle just typing that... 

Then the bottom fell out of the boat. The bottom fell out of the boat I was so carefully and properly steering while hoping above hopes that she would remain on board with me until the bitter end so that I could have my Mom back. 

I was preparing dinner and after returning from what I thought was he weekly therapy session she simply announced the she would be leaving and that her husband (almost ex-husband) would be picking her up within a few minutes. I lost my mind and felt in that instant that I had lost everything. 

You see when we took her in we placed all of our adoption dreams on hold. We actually thought the dream was over and that we were meant to help her instead.

OK so get to the point- perhaps that is what you are thinking... I had to tell you all of that in order to tell you this...

I can remember feeling so lost and so broken by what she was doing not only me but my immediate family and my extended family and I can recall thinking that the only thing I could think to do was to beg God to take control of the situation. allowing me to find peace and comfort and quiet from the pain and the hurt and the rage that was swallowing me whole. Sometimes I wish it had not been such pain to lead me to my epiphany but God does have HIS ways :)

 So...here I sit nearly three years later and I feel like my faith has flourished beyond anything I could have written or dreamed. After choosing to see HIM in a way I had never chosen before and I chose to ask GOD to be in the driver's seat of my life. Remember I like to be in the driver's seat so this was a iant leap for me. charge. I've always thought that being in control was something I do best.

How could I have known that God does a better job of running my life than I do? I sure wish someone's magic words or a lightening bolt to my head could of convinced me. In many ways it matters not how or why I was granted the grace of the epiphany I had after my Mom left me with very harsh words and now gratitude for all my family had endured for her. What matters is that God intervened and God stepped in when I needed Him most. HE showed up as some like to say, and I am now a testament to God's sweet grace.

This precious baby below is the most wonderful testament to God's grace.

God spared her, rescued her, preserved her and shared her with our family.

God rescued and restored me and God can intervene and drive the boat of your life too.

I feel so filled with praise and love for the miracles that have occurred since saying an even bigger yes than I ever had before to allowing God to work in my life. Today I rocked a baby who we have adopted into our home and quickly into our hearts just as God will adopt us if we let him.

Ava turned seven months yesterday on her sweet Aunt Shanny's birthday. Ava is everything we could have hoped for and certainly more of a blessing than I ever imagined receiving in following God's words to care for the widow and look after the orphaned or those facing such injustice. 

God is not through with me yet and in fact so much is just beginning. I have been given the opportunity to return to Ethiopia very soon and I am listening very carefully for God's whispers in what I am meant to do next. First I was changed by relinquishing my need to be in control and then my heart was broken for the least of these in Ethiopia.

I thank God every day for creating in me a passion that will allow me to become more like his son, Jesus I want to be the hands and feet of Jesus to those who need it most.  The more I learn the more I realize that as Christ followers we are asked as ordinary people to live out the very meaning of the good news. I am being asked each day what I will do with all that I have now seen and all that I now know. How will the next chapter of my life unfold? Will I be willing to live beyond myself and my comfort zone? 

Now more than ever I want to see the world through God's eyes. This may sound funny or far out or foolish to some but I am listening with a very ope heart and ears as to where God wants to use me and I am hearing him say, "Keep your eyes on me but in the meantime change a life, reach out to those left behind, feel the pain of the abandoned, help to set the lonely in families, learn more about those facing severe injustice."

This is all to be continued friends but I leave you with this thought...

What might, just might happen in your life if you chose to let God steer your boat?

Where would you go and who might you meet along the way? 

I just love the idea of getting on board and giving up what we think is best and letting God dictate the plan. It is far from easy but please consider joining me on the journey of a lifetime.

Send me a message and let me know where God is working in your life!

Thank you God for the gift of an open mind and a faithful heart. Thank you more and more each day for bringing your Ava into our lives. She is the such a great gift and although we know she is ultimately yours, we are so grateful to raise her and love her in our wild and crazy Strobel clan. Below is Ava gazing into the eyes of her brother, Carter, who insisted on a few shots with his sister. "Mom I think she thinks I am her favorite brother, Carter informed me while loving on his baby sister.  

These photos are pure eye candy to a Mom who never knew I could love and trust so deeply. I am so blessed and so filled with love.

This baby and all her funny faces...

This week Ava is SOOOOOO BIG! Here is what she looks like when she makes her wild face and raises her arms above her head.

The crazy face below had her brothers absolutely roaring with laughter last night at the dinner table. Ave girl you are the sweetest thing and during this season of gratitde I am so thankful for 

YOU!

Look at her look up at her big brother Carter. There is so much love between 

them. You are so dear Carter with your baby sister.

A Must See Video to Share...

One of the greatest gifts in working through our wonderful adoption agency,All God's Children International, has been meeting families who are truly the salt of the earth. Most of the families who have gone before us in adoption or who are waiting to know who is intended for their families,  have been so instrumental in helping us grow in our faith journey. We had the delight of traveling twice to Ethiopia with the same families, first to meet our little ones and then three weeks later to bring our children home.  One family we traveled with was the Burleigh family and we absolutely love the story of how God called them to bring home a son. With three little girls waiting for a brother, you will see that little Markos is the perfect fit and rounds out their home.

The Burleighs stepped out in faith and just yesterday stepped out again to share their story with others at their church. Watch their Gotcha Video and be ready to weep when you see their darling son. We look so forward to planning a time when all our families can reunite. Watching the children who have come home from Hannah's Hope Ethiopia grow up will be great fun over the years. As a family we strive to share the story of Ethiopia, a country we fell in love with and a country where so many more children wait to find their forever families and their forever homes.

So many sweet faces below... Thank you Burleighs for sharing your touching story. Hug that dear boy of yours and all your smiling girls too.

Markos Gotcha Video from Kristin on Vimeo.

A few firsts

A new baby in the house is such fun. Owen is only six and yet I feel that I have fogotten much of the exhiliration of the many first. This past weekend in West Michigan we had our first snowfall. The big wet white falkes even stuck around for a few hours, causing all the kids to run around dreaming of sledding and snoball fights. Ava was out with Daddy on a walk when the snow began to fall and she was just a starring with her big dreamy eyes. A few flakes even landed on her mile long lashes but I was not quite quick enought to capture it. Here are a few pictures to remember Ava's first snow...



Today Ava sat in the tub without her tub seat and just sat so well. She had one tumble over but she was loving being a bit more free in the tub. She is a splashing machine and you forget how one little person can make such a wild mess. She just propels herself around via her legs a kickin and her little arms a moving.


ONE more big ONE. This week our eldest son, age 10 lost a tooth and today I was wiping away yet another pile of drool and finally realized that one little tooth had made its way through Ava's gums. Yippeeeee! Can't wait until the drooly moments are gone.

The Orphan Crisis...

I have found myself consumed last week with the crisis that is happening all around us. That crisis is the 143 million orphans in the world today. Let me repeat 143 million. My husband and I have seen first hand what that looks and feels like on the streets of Ethiopia and we are very aware of the thousands of children right here in the US who live in the foster care system. The orphan crisis knows few boundaries and spans the globe. Today is Orphan Sunday and many churches and organizations are focusing on educating about the statistics and the solution. You see WE can be the solution and the hope for the orphan. Take a look at the video below to learn more. Remember to head to the bottom of my blog to pause the music first.


Creation Groans from Christian Alliance for Orphans on Vimeo.

This week marks ten weeks home with our precious Ava and loving her and caring for her each day makes us even more convicted about the plight of the millions of orphans who are still waiting. It's Orphan Sunday and yes the thought of her being alone, cold and hungry takes my breath away so I am choosing this important day to share some of the details of our journey to the daughter of our hearts. I hope you will read with eyes wide open all the while listening carefully to your heart. Perhaps God is calling you to the very same path of caring for the orphan in his or her distress.

 Five or so years ago we were your everyday basic family of five. We were a working Dad and a stay at home Mom raising three young boys and like most of you, sometimes tearing our hair out and wishing we could "google" parenting 101 to find out all the many things we did not do well. We worked hard and played hard, creating new family traditions and exposing our children to all the many wonders of the beautiful world.  Many days we were on the go and wondering where our next bit of patience would come from or how we would make it through the next fit our youngest would send our way. We were the average American family who enjoyed our days working, attending church, raising our children to understand right from wrong.  We were happy and healthy, connected to friends and family and cherishing every moment we could spend together as an immediate family. Bob was finding peace in his profession and although his days required hard work,  the rewards were great. We were back in our home town and finally building a house we had waited so long for. We were blessed and in so many ways truly in love with our family and our lives.

But deep down something was a brewin'. Things were going well yet I can very clearly recall the questions I began asking of God. "So is this it? We seem to have it all, are we supposed to feel like we just continue to climb the ladder of more stuff and bigger things? Are we giving enough of what we have been blessed with away?" There were questions and it did seem that something big was missing from our lives.  With three boys I was aware of my growing desire to raise a daughter and my dear   eldest son, who knew that I wanted a little girl in our world, began to send me these little messages that he said were coming from God about adopting a little girl. "Adoption" became a word we threw around and a word we were very comfortable with after numerous health concerns that made us question our ability to conceive back in the late 1990's. Adoption became a word we all used when people would comment or ask about our brood of boys. I kid you not when I say people would often stare when I was out and about with our first two and a big round belly pregnant with our third. I had three boys in four years and we did look like crazy people even on our good days. LOL! So people would ask, "So are you thinking of going for the girl?' To which I would so casually reply, "Yeah sure but she is not going Never in my wildest dreams did I think it would become such a passion and a calling.

Then one day God flipped a switch. I wish I had the clarity to remember exactly when it happened, but I do know that we went through several months where all we talked about where the many children of the world who needed so much. We began to discuss as a family the children who were in need of clean water, a safe place to live, food and of course parents. We began to talk to our three young boys more strongly about how we give more to the needy children of the world. We participated in packing shoe boxes through Operation Christmas Child. I began to read about the child soldiers of Uganda in this child's true story.We began looking at the various adoption agencies and researching those that served children both domestically and internationally. Way back when we even attended a meeting through the local Adoption Associates Agency and the Director of the China Program came in to the meeting to discuss a new program opening in Ethiopia. I'm telling you even way back then, four or more years ago, God was trying to open our hearts to Ethiopia.

What came next was the reading of a book by Patricia McCormick called Sold

Then came a weekend that changed my heart deeply. The Watoto Choir came to our church for a performance that was eye opening beyond measure. The children are all Ugandan and most are orphaned due to the ravages of a 20 year war. We signed on to house choir members and I will never forget the connections I felt immediately to these three precious young girls.

Each has a unique story as to how she was brought to the Watoto compound. The oldest girl was actually brought to Watoto by her older brother who was caring for several family members after parents were killed and could no longer care for her. Their stories were harrowing and although the structure of the choir and the discipline that it took to travel the world with over 100 children for 16 months left us with a few questions, we have carefully watched what the Watoto organization is doing and it seems they are changing lives for the best. The idea behind the choirs is to give each of the Ugandan children a skill and to bathe them in the love of Christ to help heal their hurts and hopefully raise them up to become leaders in their own country. Watoto children are adopted by Watoto and each is raised in a family setting with Special Mothers as the heads of the households. Check out their website. It's worth it. The three girls who spent the night in our house changed me and made me realize that there was so much more our family could give.

So back to our story... From 2004 on God was really pushing me to become more curious about the children of the world.  HE was opening me up to all sorts of Global crisis situations through books, films, reading, blogs, other families, etc. I can confidently say now that what seemed coincidental was no accident to God. HE was in the details and leading me all the way all the while begging me to TRUST Him. Yeah not my strongest skill- that lovely TRUST thing. So the story continues with us knowing that All God's Children International was the adoption agency we were most interested in. We had read the story of how the family run agency was founded, and we loved the faith and love they were pouring into the orphans of the world. But again I need to pinch myself in remembering that choosing a Christian agency was not my top priority. Yes another thing God knew about what we needed! AGCI means the world to us now and we are so in awe of the amazing families we have met and the exceptional work that AGCI strives to do in the world. AGCI brought us hope when it felt like there was none after having signed on with the Nepal adoption program  that quickly began to dissolve. The ultimate gift  AGCI provided was the comfort as they cared for our precious Ava for the first three months of her new life. The entire team on the ground in Ethiopia from the drivers, to the cleaning staff to the Special Mothers and of course the agency Director are the most caring and loving souls we could have hoped for in the first few months of our daughter's life. Now we cannot even fathom being on such a life changing journey without our AGCI family.

So I share a portion of our story on this Orphan Sunday with the hope of encouraging you in a couple of ways. What speaks to you in terms of reaching outside of your comfort zone and changing the world? What themes seem to continue to pop up in your life? Have you asked yourself if these conversations, words, things perhaps you have read or people who have come in contact with are mere coincidence or could they be very specific, God ordained signs that YOU were meant to do more. you. This week I would encourage you and I will do the same... to pray for the vulnerable children of the world. The statistics make me want to run and hide but then I am brought back to the realization that it God can do great things, beyond our wildest imagination. HE can use you and I one at a time to change the world one orphan at a time.  Perhaps we cannot all adopt, but we all have the ability to research the issue and learn more. We can all pray. Many of us can sponsor children and many of us have the passion and the church platform to spread the message of the poor, the helpless, the enslaved and the orphaned. Maybe you are being called to visit the hurting children of the world. Even if you are afraid or wonder how you could possibly do such a thing with such busy days or your role as parents- DO IT ANYWAY!
Change can happen, one child at a time.

Orphan Sunday Video

It's the Little Things

This morning while our daughter drank her bottle I noticed her latest trick. She now holds her hands up and opens and shuts them while starring at the movement of her fingers. Yes I know, no big deal for most children and of course when we are busy busy busy sometimes we just want our little ones to drink their bottle so we can get them down for a nap. Ava had changed us. We look at her with eyes wide open. We watch her every move with more excitement and perhaps more passion than we might have six years ago when our third son was born. It sounds strange but all the little things Ava does have become such a miracle to us and it is great fun to be still and quiet and just take it all in. This morning I called Bob into the room to see if he could watch her watching her own hands but instead she just began to star into the eyes of her Daddy. He was on his way out and I loved his words, "She is just soooo cool!" 

All of the little things that shape and define our day can be so refreshing if we choose to see them with clearer, less hectic open eyes. Not always so easy for me but I sure do try. Here is my attempt to capture a few to remember this week...

The smile of my first grade son when I met him outside his classroom all ready for his Halloween parade. He dressed himself as I was busy getting my

 very popular daughter into the school in time for the parade (more on that in a minute). He was thrilled that he did it all by himself. Rock on Elvis!

Last Sunday's gorgeous trip to the orchard with all FOUR

of our kiddos. I absolutely love fall and seeing Ava in all her beauty in the middle of 

all the small orange pumpkins on a bright warm day was just delightful!

Before anyone cringes about "no socks," I took them off only briefly to snap 

her little toes with the pumpkins. :)

Three happy, healthy and WILD 

brothers who are so tight.

They have a deep love for one another!

Carter rocked this week and he does so many little things in a day to help our family run smoothly.

He is sweet and grateful almost always. This week he could hardly wait for his after school art class and I am enjoying watching him learn a few drawing techniques. He loves it and left the house this morning 

with colored pencils and his little notebook in hand.

This little thing is BIG. My fifth grader, dressed as President Regan, was so excited to have his 

sister at school. I was totally prepared to run out of the building if Ava was scared but instead she 

giggled through the entire afternoon while I visited both schools, the elementary and the 5th/6th.

What was so endearing was Hayden loving on his sister with such a pride. He was so excited to tell 

others that she is from Ethiopia. He introduced her to everyone and she had a blast, costumes and all.

Walking through school with Ava with all the other parents around was truly 

a memorable experience. Pick some sort of icon or movie star and picture yourself 

walking through a public arena with he or she. Yes that is what it often feels like when traveling with 

Miss Ava. THIS IS NOT A COMPLAINT as much as it is a statement of truth...

Ava's smile is contagious and people want to know her story- our story!

I have said before that adoption is a huge responsibility on so many levels and here is one of those levels.

I feel like she is our child but she is also a child of God who can perhaps change the life of more children who may have started out life with similar circumstances. We do want to share her in a sense and we do want to hear and guide those who have had adoption on their hearts. I was overwhelmed yesterday as so many people were thrilled so finally see her and even those Moms who do not know us well had heard rumbling of Ava having come home. Even those people had to stop me to take a look at our new family member. It is wild, overwhelming, emotional and so much fun all at once to begin to introduce her to the world. I am rambling I know but I feel strongly like Ava herself and this blog platform will hopefully transform hearts and help people to just do it. Call me or email me. I will always be a listening ear or an open book with information on adoption, our process, the hardships, the joys. With 147 million orphans in the world we all need to be the change and begin with one, be it adoption, sponsorship and one time donation- anything. We can all do something :)

My favorite part of the walking the school halls was when my friend, Jenny, yelled during the costume parade, "Melanie, turn that baby around so we can see her!" Ava was in the Ergo and Jenny needed to see her. Yep then we were really on display for all the Mommas who were lining the lockers to see.

Thank you to all my many friends and our awesome community who have been so supportive and downright amazing. You have blessed us beyond words with your eagerness, messages and loving attention.

In many ways in seems that Ava came home to all of us!

One more thing. I shared this tip yesterday with a hundred others and my friend Andrea gives a bit more detail on her fabulous blog HERE

Have fun and don't forget to treasure the little things!