Miscellaneous Monday

Happy Monday! Its cozy here in our house. The boys are nicely playing and I am doing laundry and blogging :) We had a wonderful Valentines Day last Monday. It was filled with simple love which is the kind I like best just having my loves close to me.
Brysen making his Valentine to Daddy. It was really his first time to color and he did good!
My little Valentines
Cupcakes for our dessert :) The boys had so much fun helping me make these and I think they were on a sugar high the rest of the day!
The boys got several Valentines in the mail and they had so much fun opening every one!

Little Valentine men from Grandma Kay!!! They squealed with delight when they opened them! * Do you spot our missing special people in the background? We are reminded to pray for both of them until they are home!

Our simple little Valentine supper with Daddy home! Just enjoying the little special moments.
MENU: Vegetable Soup ( my boys LOVE this soup!) bread, frozen peaches and cupcakes
Ok moving on from Valentines Day. I made this dessert for a gathering at church. We love this dessert and it is my go to dessert for when I haft to make something last minute I seem to always have everything on hand. Its called "Poka Moka Torte" its in the Pink cookbook on page 284. I never take any home! But in case you dont have the cookbook :)
POKA MOKA TORTE
2 cup whipped cream~1tsp vanilla~1tsp instant coffee~1-2 tsp maple flavoring~ 1/2 c brown sugar~1 (23 oz) brownie mix.
Bake the brownie mix cake-like method in 2 (9 in) greased round pans. Bake 20 min at 350. Remove from pans before completely cooled. For the frosting whip the cream to peaks. Add remaining ingredients gradually. Put 1/3 frosting between layers and cover with remaining frosting. Top torte with chocolate shavings and chopped walnuts if you prefer. Serves 12 Its SO easy and SO good!!

Ok does anyone elses laundry room look like this on Monday morning?? SIGH! I really don't mind doing laundry but I like to have it all washed and put away before supper otherwise it sits in a pile all week. So thankful though that I have a family and I can take care of them!


Here's a picture of my sweet boys this morning before breakfast :)
One last picture of last week we went to Jumpys again in Toy with cousins Colton, Chase and Cohen. The boys had so much fun!! Hope your day is blessed! Proverbs 21:13

Adoption Update

Adoption update finally!! I wish I could post the pictures we got of our sweet little girl on Thursday but I can't do that until she is home. But she had a very fun "field trip" the other day. I will write off the email our case manager Micheal Arrowood sent to us. He is there in Addis taking care of some things.
" Thursday was a really big day for the older children at Acacia Village. Who knew it is so exhausting to take a bunch of kids to an amusement park and zoo? It was a glorious day here because of an unexpected heavy rain. The air is clean and cool again tonight. We got off to a bit of a late start, owing to the need to bring in a second hired van. We took a total of 23 kids--9 boys and 14 girls. Unfortunately we distributed the new tennis shoes, khakis and jeans before the trip (the girls also got their hair done for the outing). (One girl) didn't get a new pair of jeans and had a bit of a meltdown about it. So we went through the older kids clothes...I don't know how the nannies or Helen did it but eventually we got her on the bus wearing red checked pants, and her happiness returned. The tennis shoes look great and were a big hit.
They totally enjoyed even the drive, just any chance to get out of there and see a bigger world. We went to Bora Amusement Park where I kept busy buying tickets for rides and trying to keep some semblance of order. We had six adults including the driver-it wasn't really enough. But the little things make them happy. We tried to get pizzas there but the service was terribly slow. So only half fed we headed over to Friendship Mall on Bole Rd. where they have MUCH better pizza. But at that point the kids turned it down and opted for various injera-based dishes. I was very amused when one of the littler girls asked for raw meat...there Ethiopian through and through! (Note: raw meat is for adults only) They were very well behaved all around...no tantrums just alot of high energy. And I wish they would eat there food at Acacia Village half as calmly as they do out in public.
Then Helen took the kids to the "lion zoo"up by Sidist Kilo Square, where they saw lions and monkeys. I reconnected with them at a cafe where Helen had gotten them all ice cream and we stopped for gum on the way back. It was pretty much a perfect kid day all around. I have some video of the kids singing on the way home as we pulled into the compound. They were very happy this evening and I reaped lots of hugs."

Isn't that so neat? We got 22 pictures of this special day in her life and I am going to do a page in her scrapbook on it. She looked so very happy in all the pictures just beaming! And the amusement park looks like a very old run down one here in America. Oh I am hoping she was not the one little girl that asked for raw meat! ewww!
As far as where were at with paperwork...ALL of our papers are at the Ethiopian office. My other case manager said the next email we get should be to notify us that our papers were submitted to court. And since that was at least a month ago I am hoping any day now. And then we will wait for a court date. Its all in God's timing

Here is a poem I found on a blog. It didn't have who the author was so I am not sure but I didn't write it :) And its going to be a great poem for Gracie and I.

A Tale of Two Women

Once there were two women who never knew each other
One you do not remember and one you call Mother

Two different lives shaped to make yours
One became your guiding star the other became your sun

The first gave you life. The other taught you how to live it.
The first gave you a need for love and the second was there to live it

One gave you a nationality the other gave you a name
One gave you the seed for talent and the other gave you aim

One gave you emotions the other calmed your fears
One saw your first smile and the other dried your tears

One gave you up for it was all that she could do
The other prayed for a child and was led strait to you

Now you ask me through your tears the age old question through the years
Heredity or environment, which am I a product of? Neither my darling

Just two different kinds of love.

Goodbye Brent *February 7 2010*

We had so much fun with Brent when he was home on 'boot leave'!! The above picture is him opening his Christmas gifts. He took Britton and I out to eat and then we and watched "The Green Hornet" in 3D, we went to Jumpys one morning, we laughed and joked, we heard many stories of his adventures which weren't always so grand btw, we ate many wonderful meals by my mom and he gained at least 10 pounds! He got to go skiing and hang out with friends and be on fb and watch movies and the superbowel and eat anything he wanted. He got three haircuts and text and text some more! :)
He had two of these and then a garment bag and a carry on. The above bag was so heavy! I couldn't even lift it and I usually can lift heavy thing. When he got in Jacksonville NC last night he had to carry all that outside to a taxi by himself.
The usual picture spot :) He didn't wear his uniform leaving because he didn't want to get it wrinkled or get it dirty during his flight so he was going to change when he got there.
We always have our birthday party together since our birthdays are 8 days apart. There will be no reason to celebrate this year!
A few last words from Dad. We got security passes to go back to the gate and wait with him.
He just finished up his supper. We didn't want to go to the gate quite yet so here is really where we said goodbye instead of in front of everyone.
Waiting, with him nervous about what lies ahead and us nervous to say goodbye. But this is what he wants to do and he is really good at it! He love the adventure part of it! We want him to be happy and although we may not all agree on certain things we are so glad for our precious freedom and someone has to keep it that way. Probably 5 people asked him, " What branch are you in?" and "Thank you for your service young man" and to which he would reply, "Marine Corp" and "Thank you sir or mam"
Waiting at the gate. We saw 3 other Marines in the airport and one was sitting with his family behind us and I looked over my shoulder once and he had the same look that Brent did. Nervous about whats to come.
There he goes! And we don't know when we will see him again :( He might come home for Christmas? He doesn't know and those kind of goodbyes are the hardest. While we were hugging goodbye there was several people crying around us wiping tears. Maybe they had a family member in service but they all knew what we knew that this goodbye could be forever.There are some Marines that won't make it back home. And when someone you love hasn't accepted Jesus into their heart it makes it much sadder to say goodbye. He did stick his Bible into his carry on bag. Please pray for his soul and that Jesus would keep knocking. We talked to an old lady at his graduation and she said, " I Love people! I don't always Love what they do but I love them anyways" What a great example of Jesus!
He is headed to Camp Gieger in North Carolina for more training. It wont be like bootcamp because they are Marines now and will be treated that way but it will still be tough and they will haft to pass. They will have a graduation after this camp but its not as big or as important so we probably wont go. He is signing in at 1:00 pm today. He does have his cell phone so hopefully he will call today and let us know he got there safely. Then for this next month we will not hear from him. They will hike out far somewhere for a month. He said they wont take a shower for a month! wow! They only eat the packaged rations. So he will probably loose the 10-15 pounds he gained on leave and quickly get back into shape. He will be at this camp for 3 months. Then he will be stationed on a base in Hawaii, California, or North Carolina for a year. Wherever they have a need in Security Forces. He is hoping for his top choice Hawaii. He gets 30 days leave a year and he has 20 days left this year. My prayer for him is that he finds Jesus. Life is nothing without Him! And once you figure that out your life has a much bigger meaning!
Please join me in prayer for ALL of the service men and women that are keeping our country safe.

Seven Things

hehehe so I thought it would be fun to list some things that y'all might not know about me :)...cause I am board!

1) I am from California. BUT I moved to Washington state when I was three so I consider myself from Washington. And I moved out to Ohio when I was fourteen.
2) I do NOT like to live in Ohio (shhhhhhh) I really really don't! Not one day goes by hardly that I don't think about moving out of here to some mountainous place. Ideally back to Washington. And not that I don't have friends here but I really miss all my friends back home and wish so so bad I could live close to them. I feel like an alien in the "friend world" in Ohio. But I have learned that in whatever STATE I am in to be content. Ok so maybe I haven't learned it yet but I am working on it and home is wherever my family is BUT a girl can dream :)
3) If I could do anything in the world it would be to barrel race horses in rodeos. I have ALWAYS wanted to do that. I loved growing up in a rodeo town. Rodeo time was a huge highlight every fall and I would look most forward to seeing barrel racing.
4) I am 100% country girl. I love country music, jeans and t-shirts, horses and cows, ranches, rodeos, cowboys, farming, dirt, summer and anything else that has to do with "country" I LOVE it! But since Ohio is lacking somewhat I have to fit in in my surroundings hehe
5) I have a HUGE heart for the orphans. Expecially Ethiopian ones. I know God has big plans for me and my family... can't wait to see what they are! And I want to adopt {{lots}} of cute little ones.
6) It really really really bothers me to hear a "black" joke or hear somebody say "like the people in Dayton" like their some alien people. grrrrrr why do people do that? Who ever said that your different because of your skin color??!!?? Or when people think its not right to adopt a "black" child. That is SO SO shallow! Who made you so special because your "white" ?? Hogwash my friends!
7) I wish I had more patience. I wish I {{liked}} playing trucks and reading books with my boys. But thankful I LOVE spending {{time}} with my boys and whatever they like to do is fine but seriously how long can you push a matchbox car on the floor?
8) I love getting my hair cut and colored and my nails painted I just wish it didn't cost so much :)
9) I HEART inspiring positive people. So if you are one of those people can I be friends with you? Will you tell me about your life story and what you have learned to overcome and how you spend you time with Jesus and what you do for others? I love to learn and grow in this area of life
10) I like Enrique Iglesias...yes, yes I do. Yes I know the words to most of his songs aren't...........well................anywhooooo
11) I love JESUS! And I could write a hundred blogs about why I love Him and what He has done for me and how I am looking so forward to seeing Him someday! Oh what a day that will be!

There. So you think you know me now? YOU STILL DONT HAVE A CLUE WHO I AM! I am full of surprises for sure! My husband can't even figure me out sometimes :) And you know what? I am very happy to be myself. I am so happy that God made me just who I am! .......thank you Jesus

Minature Florida Trip January 2011

Ok so small pity party going on over at our house. Wishing we were in the Keys along with the rest of the Filbrun family instead of this nasty Ohio. Britton has only missed going to Florida every winter one year since he was born and we have went usually for 3 weeks ever since we were married. So 4 nights at Coco Beach did not really do it for us spoiled people. But we did have fun and we enjoyed every minute we could. Although it rained one whole day the rest of the time was in the high seventies soooo not to bad
Britton and Blake surfing. I would seriously give surfing a try if it weren't for sharks. Britton says he'd save me from the leg chomping creatures but for some reason I don't believe him :) They had fun catching the waves but they missed Brent! Funny story....When we got home Saturday morning early I had to go to the grocery so Britton didn't have time to take the surfboard off...3 people asked me about the surfboard on top. One man said I just want to ask where you go surfing around here...Not in this nasty weather obviously!
Picnic on the Beach. There is nothing better! Eating junk food and frying our skin.
My boys LOVED to play outside. They didn't bother anyone. It was so good for them to be outside and it makes me wish for Summer even more!
Where we stayed for four nights "The Resort on Coco Beach". My cousins Rod and Judy Miller from Zillah Washington were in Orlando the week before we got there and there stay overlapped ours for a couple days so they made the 1 hr drive to Coco Beach on Sunday to spend the day with us. It was such a blessing to be able to spend time with them. We swam, played on the beach, ate dinner and talked :)
Hoping to make a summer trip down to the Keys just our family with *Gracie* this summer for a week so we don't feel so deprived! Spoiled...I know :)

Family day Parris Island South Carolina
All grown up and handsome!!!!!

Guess who is HOME!!!!????!!! We are so thankful to have him home for a several days! Please keep him in your prayers as he prepares to leave for a year.
Psalms 91 THE MARINES PSALM ( Gods protection in the midst of danger. God doesn't promise a world free from danger but He does promise His help whenever we face danger)
1) He that dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty
2)I will say unto the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress, in Him will I trust
3) Surly He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence
4) He will cover you with His feathers and under His wings shalt thou trust His truth shall be your large and small shield
5)You will not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flies by day;
6)Not for the pestilence that walks in darkness: nor for the destruction that wastes at noonday
7)A thousand shall fall at thy side and ten thousand by thy right hand but it shall not come nigh thee
8)Only with thine eyes shall thou behold and see the reward of the wicked
9)Because thou hast made the Lord which is my refuge even the Most High thy habitation
10)There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh unto your dwelling
11)For He shall give His angels charge over you to keep you in all your ways
12)They shall bear you up in their hands lest you should dash your foot upon a rock
13) Thou shalt tread upon the lion and cobra the young lion and dragon you will trample under your feet
14)Because He hath set His love upon me I will deliver Him and I will set him on high because he knows My name
15)He shall call upon Me and I will answer him I will be with him in time of trouble I will deliver him and honor him
16)With long life will I satisfy him and show him My salvation
God is good.....All the time! Amen? Amen.

20 things adopted children wished thier adoptive parents knew

I always feel so guilty that I don't blog much and its not because I don't like to its just that I don't have time AND I don't know how to post pictures on here. Hopefully one of these days I can get Britton to help me.
Last year when we were in Destin Florida we went to a Barnes and Noble book store. I asked the lady there where there section on adoption was. She looked at me and said, "Are you all adopting?" And at the time we had just sent in our application to CWA. And of course we said YES :) She went on to tell us that she herself was adopted from America. Her and her husband had been trying for 5 years to have a baby and they were adopting a little girl from China! Such a great "God moment"! We bonded right then and there and talked with her for at least an hour! She printed off ALL the books they had on adoption just in case we ever wanted to buy more.
My Mom got me one of the books for Christmas this year and I just finished reading it. SO good! I was so blessed to read it. I would love to share it with you if your adopting and want to read it. This book is called, "Twenty things adopted kids wish their adoptive parents knew" written by Sherrie Eldridge

1. I suffered a profound loss before I was adopted and You are not responsible
2. I need to be taught that I have special needs arising from adoption loss, of which I need not be ashamed
3. If I don't grieve my loss, my ability to receive love from you and others will be hindered
   
4. My unresolved grief may surface in anger toward you
5. I need your help in grieving my loss. Teach me how to get in touch with my feelings about my adoption and then validate them
6. Just because I don't talk about my birth family does not mean I don't think about them
7. I want you to take the initiative in opening conversations about my birth family
8. I need to know the truth about my conception, birth and family history, no matter how painful the details will be
9. I am afraid I was 'given away' by my birth mother because I was a bad baby. I need you to help me dump my toxic shame
10. I am afraid you will abandon me
11. I may appear more 'whole' than I actually am. I need your help to uncover the parts of myself that I keep hidden so I can integrate all the elements of my identity
12. I need to gain a sense of personal power
13. Please don't say I look or act like you. I need you to acknowledge and celebrate our differences
    
14. Let me be my own person...but don't let me cut myself off from you
15. Please respect my privacy regarding my adoption. Don't tell other people without my consent
16. Birthdays may be difficult for me
17. Not knowing my full medical history can be distressing at times
18. I am afraid I will be to much for you to handle
19. When I act out my fears in obnoxious ways, please hang in there with me and respond wisely
20. Even if I decide to search for my birth family, I will always want you to be my parents