Joy, Hope and Everything in Between

Team Uganda 2012 Almost FULL!!!!

2012-01-23T15:15:00.000-06:00

I'm about to explode with excitement! Last week, Visiting Orphans told me that I could take 35 people on my trip to Uganda. I previously thought that 30 was a full team. I thought, 35…hmmm I think that's doable! Ha…doable, more like almost done! As of today, I have 31 people signed up to join me in Uganda in July. In SIX MONTHS!

If you have been thinkning about signing up, NOW IS THE TIME! Once this team is full, there will be a waiting list. There is usually a couple of people, that for whatever reason, can't go and open up a few spots. To get signed up for the July 21, 2012 Uganda trip, go here! To learn more about our trip and see the video of my trip to Uganda last summer, click here.

Do you want to go on a mission trip, but feel like now is not a good time? I hope to be announcing another trip soon! I plan on leading two mission trips a year. Who knows where God will send me next!

How to Fund a Mission Trip

2012-01-07T22:58:00.001-06:00

Last year when I was planning my mission trip, the cost was an overwhelming fear. I knew I was suppossed to go. I had all the divine confirmation I needed. I had the overwhelming passion about orphans, the desire to help, and it's all I could talk or think about…this mission trip. I knew that God wanted me to go. There is no way He would put that desire in my heart and confirm it with His scripture and then not make it happen.

“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. James 1:27

After I signed up for my trip and paid the deposit, I did something I had never truly done before. I told God that I was going to have complete faith wiht the fundraising! I KNEW He wanted me to go on this trip, so I promised to have faith that He would get me there! I also asked him to show me if I was starting to doubt Him and to quickly redirect me. I also asked my friends and family to keep me accountable.

I had to do my part, but I also needed to trust completly in Him to make it happen. This wasn't easy. I had failed miserably at having complete faith during the adoption of our daughter. Waiting for over four years on "His perfect timing" was not easy, infact it was the most difficult and challenging thing I had ever encountered spiritually. Trusting Him with raising money for my mission trip was an opportunity to for me to learn to have complete faith in Him, to learn to ask for help and to grow spiritually in the process.

I am so thankful for that journey. It taught me so many things, but most importantly that if and when you give up control and trust completely in Him…HE WILL COME THROUGH! It's as if God was just waiting on me to stop doubting, worrying and being filled with fear, and just trust Him!

If you are signed up or are considering signing up for a mission trip, I'm pretty sure that you are supposed to go. That desire in your heart is the first clue. And His word is the second. Pray that God would give you more confirmation. For me, it was running into people that had been on a mission trip, an ad in a magazine, a burning desire to do something about it. I would follow blogs and watch videos of others on short term mission trips and picture myself there.

Fundraising for a mission trip can be very overwhelming. It can be overwhelmingly scary. Or it can be overwhelmingly amazing. My past fundraising experience was overwelmingly amazing! Thru my friends, family and strangers, I raised ALL of the money I need with EXCESS in just six weeks! For real! I blogged about it here. I am no superwoman, or anything extrordinary. I just chose to try something different, and I got different results!

So if you have considered joining a mission team, please don't let money keep you from doing it! I had one of the most memorable experiences of my life. I saw Jesus in the children I loved on. I fell in love with a country and it's people. I grew deeper in my spiritual life and I learned that if we trust God, He will do miraculous things!

I hope to lead two mission trips a year with Visiting Orphans. This year, I am leading the following:

Ecuador (March 3-10, 2012)

Uganda (July 21-August 1)

Join me…really! There are many spots still available for Ecuador and Uganda is filling up fast! There will be a waiting list after the trip is full.

Need a little more time? No worries…I will have another two teams next year!

The countries may vary, but the mission will never: to love, to serve, to give and to love some more!

Ecuador…Here I Come!!!

2012-01-04T14:49:00.001-06:00

I have recently been chosen to lead ANOTHER mission trip! Yes, you read right! Two in one year. I am elated! So I am headed to Ecuador in March and would LOVE for you to join me! This is going to be a smaller group and we will only be in country for seven days. If the Uganda trip is too much for you, this is the PERFECT trip!

Details: Ecuador teams will be working with two orphanages in Quito - loving on orphans who are desperate for love. There will also be a sightseeing day to experience the beauty of Ecuador.
Our missions teams do not go in with an agenda, they go in to serve and to love. Often times on our trips all you will do for hours on end is hold infants who need the love and attention they deserve, or play sports with a group of six year old boys until the sun goes down. Other times you will work on construction or restoration projects for the actual building that houses the orphanage. It will truly be a life-changing and unforgettable experience.

March 3-10, 2012
Quito, Ecuador

Here are some blog posts and a write up from some others who have recently traveled to Ecuador with a Visiting Orphans mission trip.

http://followinghimbyfaith.blogspot.com/2011/10/highs-and-lows-at-quito-orphanage.html

http://followinghimbyfaith.blogspot.com/2011/10/cristo-me-ama.html

http://followinghimbyfaith.blogspot.com/2011/10/couple-more-pics.html

http://followinghimbyfaith.blogspot.com/2011/10/heartbreaking-convicting-and-inspiring.html

http://followinghimbyfaith.blogspot.com/2011/10/adios-ecuador.html

Why I Didn't Want to Join Pinterest!

2011-12-14T15:39:00.002-06:00

I am an information junkie! There, I said it! Seriously, I will research stuff until it's dark outside! I just love information. I also am an aspiring Martha Stewart! In the past few months I have received more Pinterest invitations than I knew what to do with! I did not need another time stealer. But friends pushed me, and insisted that I would LOVE it! Well guess what? I joined and I'm hooked! I've Repinned and Liked so many things and that if I got off of Pinterest long enough, I MIGHT just have time to try one of the projects or recipes….seriously!

So today I was checking on the newest popular pins and it gets really quiet…REALLY QUIET! What did I find?

So thank you Pinterest for being so stinking cool that my child goes unsupervised (sarcasm attached)! Now I just need to figure out how to get lotion out of my sofa…hmmm, maybe I can find some ideas on Pinterest, LOL!

Spiritual Gifts

2011-12-14T13:39:00.001-06:00

I believe that we are all called to be Senders and Goers. As Christ followers, we are all given a Spiritual Gift that God ordained in us. You may call it your passion, your calling, your talents or skills, something you are really good at, or you may not even know what yours it. Think about what breaks your heart. What is it that you could go on and on about? Ask your friends and family.

The following scripture shows that whether your gift is compassion, teaching, healing, leadership, giving or one of the many others, you are a vital part of the whole body of believers.

Unity and Diversity in the Body
¹² Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. ¹³ For we were all baptized by^[c] one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. ¹⁴ Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.

¹⁵ Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. ¹⁶ And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. ¹⁷ If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? ¹⁸ But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. ¹⁹ If they were all one part, where would the body be? ²⁰ As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

²¹ The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” ²² On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, ²³ and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, ²⁴ while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, ²⁵ so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. ²⁶ If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

²⁷ Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. ²⁸ And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. ²⁹ Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? ³⁰ Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues^[d]? Do all interpret? ³¹ Now eagerly desire the greater gifts.

Spiritual Gifts are facinating, to me at least! I have been praying for my July Uganda Team that God brings all the gifts on my team that we need to accomplish something GREAT for Him! It is amazing watching my team fill up with the exact people I neeed with with skills that I don't have. He knows. It is truly a miraculous thing to watch!

We are all call to be Senders or Goers. Some of us can't send, some of us can't go. But we all can send those who can, and go for those who can't! So if you are a Goer, check out our July Uganda Trip. If you are a Sender, help sponsor someone who is going or go to Visiting Orphans give page and donate to our team! Enter Elisa Hyman Uganda 2011, and that donation will go towards our team!

If you can't tell, Missions is the thing that gets me going! It's what breaks my heart! It's what I can't stop talking about! It's my gift!

Two Years Ago...

2011-11-30T16:11:00.001-06:00

Two years ago I had cried my eyes out with joy as I held my daughter and learned how to be her mommy. She was such a fragile little girl with no hair. I remember getting off of the plane and our friends wondering if we really brought her home from Africa because of her fair skin.

Today, I still cry with joy as I remember the journey that led us to Marley. She is a tough girl who wrestles with her big brother…and can hold her own! She has a head full of curly hair that I LOVE to braid! And she has blended perfectly in our colorful family.

Two years ago, Miles finally became the big brother we had been talking about for over three years. He held her carefully and made silly faces waiting for her to laugh at him.

Today, Miles is still careful with her and still makes silly faces. He also gets frustrated with his baby sister beating him up. They tickle each other and scream when they get mad. Today, they are brother and sister!

Two years ago, this little Ethiopian princess joined our family and her life was forever changed. The language, the smells, the food and the routines were all different from what she knew. She studied us. She was hesitant to get too close.

Today, she knows no different. She knows that somehow "Ethiopia" and "Marley" go together, and when we say who is from Ethiopia she says, "Me!" She imitates us and wants to be as close as she can get to her forever family!

Two years ago seems so distant from today.

The Mission Your on Makes You a Missionary

2011-11-28T15:43:00.001-06:00

I have never really thought of myself as a missionary, although I am. I am on a mission to achieve great things for the Kingdom of God. Or at least I am striving to. I have a deep deep passion for many things. Some might say I have a soft heart for those in need, but I see it as a God given calling. It as if He put that ache in me to want to do something about it.

I love this video!

What makes your heart break and your fists clenge?

Whoooo Hoooo!!!

2011-11-24T10:51:00.001-06:00

Y'all read about my love hate relationship I have with extreme couponing. I saw both sides last night at the midnight walgreens sale, but…all I have right now is a LOVE LOVE LOVE relationship with it!

Walgreens is, by far, my favorite place to coupon. They lure you in with phenomenal deals, expecting you the consumer to buy other items while you are there for the "free" ones. Extreme couponers know these marketing ploys and only buy the deals of the week and save tremendous amounts of money.

At midnight last night, Walgreens Black Friday sales started. I had studied their add about a week or two before and collected the neccessary coupons to make my transactions practically free. And here is my loot!!!

ALL FOR $6.14, and a savings of $411.81!!!! This includes a $14 bottle of wine, two packages of Huggies Slip On diapers, three Revelon lip glosses, two Venus razor start up kits and much much more!

If you are not familiar with Walgreens, you MUST educate yourself…or don't…and leave all the deals for me…lol! I planned out 12 transactions at two different Walgreens stores and spent a total of $35.54 cash and I still have $15 Register Rewards (Walgreens Cash), and 12 free Redbox coupons! When I take the value of the Register Rewards and the Redbox coupons, I spent $6.14 cash on all of this GREAT stuff!

WIN A MISSON TRIP!

2011-11-15T12:01:00.001-06:00

This is for real! My girl Kari with My Crazy Adoption is partnering up with Visiting Orphans to give away a mission trip! For every T-Shirt that you buy you get an entry into a drawing for a FREE mission trip!

What a great way to give and get at the same time! And yes…I have a shameless plug! I WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO JOIN MY JULY 2012 UGANDA TEAM!!!!

So head on over here to get your T-Shirt and get entered in the drawing for a FREE mission trip!

My Babies

2011-11-08T10:53:00.000-06:00

I have some pretty cute kids! I love them dearly and am very thankful that I am a mom to not just one, but two earthly angels.

Miles just turned seven…seven! I can't believe I have a child that old! He is such a sweet boy and is going to make an amazing man, husband and father one day. He still likes to cuddle with us and wants me to hold him when he has had a bad day. I LOVE IT!

Marley…well she's just a big ham! For one, she KNOWS she's cute, and uses it to her advantage. She just learned how to say Paweeeeeeaaaassseeee, when she wants something really really bad. I'm sure the eye batting will be coming next. When she is not playing mommy with her baby dolls, she is dressing up in her tutu's and jewlery! A very fashionable and loving mommy she will make one day.

It just amazes me that in just a few weeks, we will be celebrating our Family Day! On November 29th, Marley will have been home for two years!

Adoption is such an amazing thing. In the beginning, it is exciting, challenging, frustrating, painful. Then is becomes exciting again, and then challenging, frustrating and painful all over again. But once they are home and they are yours, all the difficult times just seem to fade away, and become a distant memory.

For us, after two years, the topic of adoption mostly only comes up when someone else brings it up. It's not that we are avoiding the topic, it's just that it's not as important of a topic anymore. Marley is our daughter. Yes, she came to us through adoption, and we celebrate that. But she is our daughter, just as Miles is our son. We forget a lot of times that she was not born of my body.

Adoption will forever be a part of our family and a part of Marley's "story." But it will not define WHO Marley is, just how she came to us. We talk about Ethiopia often. It's so amazing how a two year old can begin to learn her story at such a young age. She points to the many many Africa t-shirts we have and says "me!" I love it! And we celebrate it!

I love my two babies. One born of the body, and one born of the heart.

Extreme Couponing

2011-11-01T12:22:00.000-05:00

I have a love hate relationship with extreme couponing…the show! I have been a couponer for many years now. Because of TLC's Extreme Couponing, I have sparked an interest in jumping up my game and dabbling in a little of extreme couponing myself.

I have learned that I will NEVER EVER pay for toothpaste, body wash, deodorant, pasta and over the counter medications again! And I will never pay over a dollar for paper towels, toilet paper, many canned goods, household cleaners and more! Basically, I am not impressed until I have saved over 50% of my bill at check out.

So thank you TLC for bringing me this show to help me to learn how to step it up!I LOVE extreme couponing! What I don't love it the flack a lot of couponers are getting in response to this TV show. I have been accused of stuffing my paper with extra coupons before checking out. I have been told I can not use coupons that are in Spanish. I have been limited to only using 4 of the same coupon per transaction. I have watched some of my favorite stores change their coupon policy…all because of this TV show.

It is giving couponers a bad name! Everyone thinks we are shelf clearing, hoarding, neurotic ladies that would give the birthrights of our next born for that $2.00 Olay Body Wash coupon. Okay, so maybe some of us are a little neurotic! But, we are not all shelf clearing hoarders, so please stop treating us like we are…hah!

Navy Wife

2011-10-19T11:55:00.000-05:00

I LOVE my Sailor, that's no secret! I love him almost as much as I love being a navy wife. I grew up as a Navy Brat, and know no other way of life! We live in a town where we are one of about 10 active duty Navy families. It has made me realize that I have enjoyed civilian life for over three years now. Our time is coming to an end! We will be transfering next summer and I need to start thinking more of life on base!

You know you're a Navy Wife if…

You understand the phrase "your wife doesn't come with your sea bag."
Your kids think that the random Sailor in uniform at the commissary is thier Daddy!
You still haven't taken the stickers off of your furniture from your last move two years ago!
You can unpack a house and have everything in place 48 hours after your belongings are delivered
You need a translator to talk to your civilian friends, because they have no idea what DFAS, LES, NEX, BAH, PSD, PCS, and duty mean.
You mark time in duty stations, not years.
You might have an MRE in your garage!
You've learned to sleep through the sounds of planes, helicopters, foghorns and jets.
Someone with a machine gun asks to see your ID before you enter the "gated community."
You can leave your kids with the wife next door, after just meeting her yesterday.
Your husbands clothes are still folded the way he learned in Boot Camp!
Everyone in your family was born in a different state or country.
Your drivers licence, licence plates and current state of residence are all different.
You know that inspection means you won't be seeing much of your hubby.
Your dining table is filled with the CMC, CO and SOY for Thanksgiving!
You know who the above are!
Sometimes you can't stand the life, but can't imagine it any other way

Faith and Works

2011-10-11T16:10:00.001-05:00

A few years ago I wrote down John 2:14-17 on a post it note. Just yesterday I found this little piece of paper and looked up the scripture to see why I had wrote these verses down. Now I remember.

¹⁴My friends, what good is it to say you have faith, when you don't do anything to show that you really do have faith? Can that kind of faith save you? ¹⁵If you know someone who doesn't have any clothes or food, ¹⁶you shouldn't just say, "I hope all goes well for you. I hope you will be warm and have plenty to eat." What good is it to say this, unless you do something to help? ¹⁷Faith that doesn't lead us to do good deeds is all alone and dead!

Many, many times I have been guilty of claiming to have faith and to be a Christian, but lacked the deeds to follow it! I have seen hungry people asking for food, and said "God Bless," or even worse, judged them by wondering if they truly did have a need. I have claimed to have faith and then worried myself to death, only proving that I had everything but faith. I have seen the needs of friends and said, "I'll pray for you," only to forget.

I have also seen the need of the faces of orphans and loved them until they could take no more. I have fed the hungry. I have prayed over the sick and oppressed. I have seen a need, and had ENORMOUS faith that God would provide a way…and He did!

I am on a journey, and I am not perfect! But I pray that God uses this scripture to strengthen me and you to become doers. To become servers. To become givers. To become goers and senders!

Join Me in Uganda 7/21/12

2011-10-06T15:00:00.001-05:00

I'm leading a mission trip back to Uganda, to love on the many many orphans I met this past summer. I would LOVE for you to join me! Head on over to Visiting Orphans and scroll down to the July 21-August 1, 2012 trip, and get signed up!

Click HERE to learn more about who we will be serving and loving on and to see the video I made of last summers trip!

Amaye

2011-10-04T15:37:00.002-05:00

On my way home from Uganda this past summer, I decided to stay a few days in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Addis Ababa was a lay over city on our flight back to the states and it is also very near to the birth place of our daughter. There was no way that I could just sit there in the airport without getting out and exploring…and search for my daughter's birthmother.

The last time I had been in Ethiopia, Brandon and I were busy with our Embassy appointment and getting to know our six month old baby. We had created a long list of questions a letter and a photo album for the woman who brought our baby into this world. We drove the almost hour drive to a village outside of Addis Ababa. We didn't speak a word to each other because we were both overwhelmed at the opportunity to get to meet Marley's Amaye (Amharic for mother). All I wanted was a picture of us together so that Marley would have a picture of both of her mothers. When we entered the little orphanage where she was taken at 12 days old, there seemed to be confusion. As if they had no idea that we were coming. Our agencies staff argued with the orphanage staff for a few minutes and then looked at us and said, "Sorry, no here."

What?! What do you mean she's not here! "Sorry, no here" is all she could say in her broken English. We toured and video taped every room in the orphanage, but all I wanted to do was get back to the guesthouse and cry. How would I get answered questions for my daughter? Would the woman that gave her life know how much I loved her? And I don't have the picture that I've dreamed of for years!

After being back in the states for a few months, a friend of mine recommended an investigator. We hired a man in Ethiopia to locate her and translate a letter we wrote and answers some questions. It was amazing seeing her face for the first time…what a resemblance! She answered all the questions we had and received all of the letter and pictures. But I still didn't have a picture of us together!

When I finished serving with my mission team and we got off the the plane in Addis Ababa, I went through immigration, picked up my luggage and found a man holding a sign with my name on it. Melke, a driver many American friends of mine had used, waited with a huge grin. He knew many of my adoptive family friends and that set me at ease. It was night time and he drove me to Melkam Guesthouse, where Brandon and I stayed when we picked up Marley. I gave him the phone number the investigator had given me for Marley's birthmother and he dialed it. My heart was pounding out of my chest! Disconnected! Oh no! He dropped me off and said we would try again in the morning. All night I feared that I had made this trip for no reason. Would I ever get to take a picture with her?

The next morning, he drove up and told me, "Elisa, I have good news! She wants to meet you!" Ahhhhhh! Really?! Was this really going to happen? Well yes, it did! I got to meet the woman who carried my child in her womb. The woman who loved her so much that she realized that she could not provide for her and allowed her to be adopted. The woman that gave me so much!

Melke talked to her on the phone and she told us to meet her by a bank. We sat there for about 30 minutes. It felt like hours. We were waiting for a woman to walk up and find an Ethiopian man and Ferengi (white person) together. I had seen a picture of her, but would I really recognize her? Melke got out of the car and went up to ask a woman if she was the one. She nodded yes and I jumped out of the car and into her arms! What an amazing experience! We held each other and cried. There was this unspoken bond we shared, like we had been long lost sisters! She marveled over Marley's pictures, kissing each one, all while hugging my neck with her free arm. And guess what? I finally got that picture!

An Awesome way to Fundraise!

2011-10-02T19:48:00.000-05:00

Visiting Orphans is excited to announce our Go. Be. Love t-shirts for sale now www.visitingorphans.org/store !

ALSO, our Store Merchandise can now be used for fundraising for your adoption or mission trip!!! We want to make every way possible for you to easily raise your money for your mission trip to visit orphans or for completing an adoption to help bring an orphan home to their forever family.

It’s easy! All your donors have to do is:

1. Visit our online store (www.visitingorphans.org/store - please make this a live link so that if you click on Store it takes you there), featuring shirts, belts, necklaces, bracelets, earrings and passport covers.

2. Select an item for purchase.

3. Designate the name of who they’d like a portion of their donation to benefit.

If you are an adoptive parent or a missionary with another agency and would like to take advantage of this opportunity, or if you have any additional questions, please just let us know at store@visitingorphans.org. We can fill you in on the details!

Big News!

2011-09-29T11:14:00.000-05:00

After my recent trip to Uganda this past June, I felt an enormous calling to mission work. I've prayed and felt that over the next six years that leading short term mission trips would be the best way to prepare our family for long term missionary work. I say six years because Brandon has six years left in the Navy until retirement.
A few weeks ago, Brandon and I attended Visiting Orphans leader training. What a powerful weekend that was! Just this week, I was asked to lead a trip to Uganda next summer! I'm sure you know I said YES! If you have ever had a desire to serve and love on the orphans in Uganda, PLEASE join me!
My team will be traveling from July 21-August 1, 2012. We will be working with Sixty Feet, Canaan's Children's Home, Return Ministries and Amazima Ministries.
This is going to be an amazing trip and an unforgetable experience! If this trip sounds like it's for you, go get signed up to join our team HERE! I'd love to have you join our team!

Live from Financial Peace Plaza

2011-09-20T09:25:00.000-05:00

Brandon and I recently traveled to Nashville for Visiting Orphans Leader training. It was A M A Z I N G! I hope to start leading teams sometime next year! More on that a little later.

While in the area, we visited Dave Ramsey's Studio! What a neat place, and what an awesome opportunity! It was the weekend, so there was no Dave, but still amazing!

Early in our marriage, we paid about $60,000 in debt over the course of about three years. We love Dave Ramsey and live by his principles!

This is the Good Life!

2011-08-23T14:22:00.000-05:00

During the past year, I prayed and fundraised more than I ever have, to accomplish a calling. I had felt God tugging on my heart for missions for a very long time. I took a leap of faith and God came through and so did you! My friends and family supported my mission trip in huge ways. I was blown away by the amount of support, and I am forever thankful for it!

I want you to know that by supporting my mission trip to Uganda, you have had a piece in something much larger than a trip to love on orphans. First, every ministry we served at, received a monetary donation. I was even able to give above and beyond, which was a huge blessing, as many ministries work with so little. We also were able to bring hundreds of pounds of requested donations, such as medical supplies, clothes, shoes, sports and game equipment and much more. Because you all gave so generously, I was able to as well. There were a few times I slipped very very poor mothers money and they bowed down at my feet. It broke me. I wasn't so great to be bowed down to. God made it happen, thru you!

I have been home for two months now. The experience I had was unforgettable, in fact it has given me much more than I was able to give. It gave me my calling, something I have been searching for for a long time. The feeling I had, to finally know what I was put on this earth to do, is undescribable!

Brandon and I will be attending the Visiting Orphan's Leader Training this fall and plan to attend or lead one mission trip a year for the next six years. By that time, Brandon will be retiring from the Navy, and we hope to go into missions full time. We don't know what that will look like yet, we just know that this trip confirmed a lot for us. I could see my family living there. I could see my children growing up with the children there. I could see my husband and me serving together…there.

If you have ever felt the desire to go on a mission trip…GO! If you have no desire, that's okay…GIVE, and help others go! I would love for everyone of you to join me on a trip someday! I look forward to seeing what God leads me to next!

Again, thank you for the prayers and financial support!

This is the Good Life! from elisa hyman on Vimeo.

Miles - First Grade

2011-08-18T09:43:00.000-05:00

Miles was a bit nervous last night when thinking about starting first grade. He told me that he would be shy to meet his new class. Shy? My child?

This morning he woke up at 6:30 a.m. and was fully dressed with his backpack on! An hour and a half early! I don't think he is nervous now! I can't wait to hear how it went! My baby is growing up so fast!

Family Reunion

2011-08-18T09:22:00.000-05:00

Brandon's side of the family has a reunion about every other year. This was Marley's first one!

It was so much fun showing her off! The kids had a great time playing with thier cousins!

I also have the most amazing and beautiful mother in law ever! I'm so proud to call her my friend! And she did give me the most amazing man in my life, my sweet Brandon!

Dads, Do The Little Things

2011-07-13T11:58:00.000-05:00

This is Brandon again, I hope all is well. I have a public service announcement for the dads! First of all, I am very thankful for my family, and I absolutely enjoy being a father. One thing I don't want to forget as a father is my role as a husband. In my opinion, I think that an important part of fatherhood is how our children perceive us in our role as husbands to their mothers. I know talked a little about this a little in the past, but now I want to drive it home. This is for the FELLAS. Back when Elisa and I were engaged, a very wise man I know once told me that "The little things I did to get her, I had to do to keep her". To me, I thought it was simple and great advice. It made sense. I have tried to ensure I follow this direction as best as possible, and after more than 10 years of marriage I think it has been well worth the effort. My wife is happy, our marriage is healthy, and my kids do take notice.

Guys, this is just a friendly reminder to tell you to not get lazy in your marriage or relationships. If you opened doors, brought her flowers, wrote her little love notes, and held her hand back when you were courting her (yes I said courting), then continue doing those things. If you have gotten too comfortable and it has been awhile since you have done those types of things, then I want to encourage you to start again. She may look at you funny at first, but do it anyway. These little things help make her happy, these little things help make her feel secure. These little things can help keep marriages healthy.

If you have not taken her on a date in awhile, then YOU need to call the babysitter yourself and schedule a date. Take her somewhere new, or at least different than the norm…….don't go to the same place you always go to, make an adventure of it. The point is to get you out of your comfort zone. Elisa and I have kind of made it a point to try a new place every time we go on a date, and it is fun. We can't afford to go on dates as often as we'd like (babysitters can get expensive!), but when have yet to run out of new places to go. Try doing something with her that SHE likes to do. Take her to a play, or to a movie/concert that she would enjoy. If you show that you are willing to compromise, it should result in a win-win for all. Remember, it is the little things.

Also, help in the house. Wash dishes, or clothes, or both once in awhile. Help with the kids evening routine, give her a break. As a father, I am happy that my kids see me doing these types of things and helping my wife. As they grow older, I want them to see that being a team is healthy for a relationship, and that "compromise" is one of the magic words of marriage. So later on, if my son or daughter decides to marry, they will have a good template to follow and hopefully not become selfish, lazy or stagnate in their own marriages. As a father, wouldn't you want the same thing for your kids? So let's get back to doing the little things, because no matter how little they seem to you it can indeed make a difference.

A Special Day for Miles

2011-07-03T15:28:00.000-05:00

Miles had been talking to us for over a year about asking Jesus into his heart. The bible tells us that when we ask Jesus into our lives and accept that He was the only Son of God and died for our sins, that He saves us. Miles knew this story very well. We promised to raise him in a Christian home, and at his baby dedication, I dreamed of the day Miles would make the decision himself.

He did that about two months ago. Brandon prayed the prayer with him…and I got out the camera! With proud Mama tears, I hugged and kissed him and told him this was the best decision he would ever make!

Today, Miles was baptized, just as all believers were in the bible. He was dunked! I cried happy tears today!

MILES BAPTISM from elisa hyman on Vimeo.

Balungi (Ugandan for Beautiful)

2011-06-27T10:53:00.000-05:00

I started this journey in an attempt to find beauty myself. Inner Beauty that is. I had always been drawn to missionary type people and often wondered how my own life would play a part in serving others. This past month, I went on my first mission trip to Uganda, Africa. I had traveled to Ethiopia the year before to bring our daughter home, but this time my trip was dedicated to loving the sweet children of Uganda that couldn't be adopted.
You probably recall my post that challenged you all to donate hair goodies for these little princesses. I was blown away by the amount of donations that you sent it! It was the most amazing thing to go to my mail box daily and have boxes and boxes of very well packed and well thought out donations! You all sent in over 4,000 headbands, flowers and bows, thousands and thousands of barrettes and beads, and so much more! Everywhere we went, we crowned princess after princess! The girls were so excited that most times, when it came time to pass out the goodies, we got ambushed! Only a few injuries resulted, so no need to be alarmed!
You can read all about my journey to Uganda, here. I went on a trip through Visiting Orphans, who organize trips all over the world! I would LOVE to talk to anyone that is considering one! I truly think everyone should go on at least one in their lifetime! To learn more about the children and ministries of my trip and the children that you brought beauty to, you can find out more on their websites.

Sixty Feet ministers to the children's prisons of Uganda
Canaan's Children's Home
Amazima is the famous Katie Davis' ministry
My Father's House
Return Ministries
Amani Baby Cottage

Most of the girls in Uganda do not have hair, so the headbands were a very extra special treat! The girls that did have hair were so excited to get it all dolled up by this Mzungu, Ugandan for White person. My team and I loved on too many children to count and we were able to make the already beautiful girls shine thanks to your generous donations!

Since my trip, I have felt a strong desire to go back annually and to train to lead my own teams of short term missionaries. I hope that by sharing this experience, that you will be compelled to help again in the future, or even join me one day! Thanks again for you admirable compassion!

Balungi from elisa hyman on Vimeo.

Uganda Day 9 Return Ministries

2011-06-25T12:41:00.000-05:00

We headed back on the three hour drive to Kampala at about 10:00 a.m.. I got motion sickness for the first time, nothing too bad, but I did get to sit at the front of the bus! We went straight to Return Ministries. The children were all sitting in chairs, as if they had been waiting for hours. They actually had been, due to a communication error of the staff. But we jumped right back into missionary mode and jumped off that bus with our donations in hand and ready to love and sing!

After I found my donation bag filled with all the hair goodies, I headed out to find a baby to hold! For most of the trip, I had ben bonding with the older children, which is right where I needed to be. But today, I needed a little one to snuggle. Many little ones were already being loved on…and then I found Gloria! She seemed to be around two years old, the same age as my baby back home. I took her under the canopy tent and started loving on her…and of course her hair too! She just laid on my chest, sucking on her fingers. I so needed that!

The girls were so excited so excited to have hair pretties, especially the beads and barrettes. Pastor Samuel, the director of Return Ministries, has a daughter and his wife Sarah, was so happy that I had barrettes and beads. She said she had been looking all over the place for such stuff! I was so happy to be able to give those items out. A big thanks to all who donated!

When we got back to the Adonai Guest House, we got to unpack and eat an amazing dinner of lasagna and garlic bread! Moses and Betty, from Sixty Feet were there. And Pastor Samuel and his wife Sarah, from Return Ministries were there with their daughter Pearl. She is only 7 months old and has to weight 30 pounds! Such a sweet girl!

Uganda Day 8 Leaving Canaan's

2011-06-25T12:08:00.000-05:00

I woke up knowing that I would be saying goodbye to the three girls that have made me their American Mama. I wrote them each a letter and took it to their dorms. We had about 45 minutes to be together until it was time to take them to school. We sat down on a cement slab and held each other in silence. Words can not describe the emotions that I was feeling. I had only known these girls for a few days and they attached to me to easily. I can imagine that bonding one on one with a loving adult is not easy in an orphanage. I am thankful for the opportunity to love these girls, but will miss them deeply. I asked Carolyn what she was thinking and she said, "I will miss you." I look forward to being able to see their sweet faces in August via Skype when the next team comes to visit.

When it was time, i joined the rest of the team an the school children on the walk to their school it was a quiet walk up the red dirt path that sat next to the road. I had my arms around Sharon and Carolyn, while Helen held my right hand tight. They wore their new pack backs so proudly! A the younger sisters of one of my girls joined us. When we arrived at Canaan's school, I huddled around the three girls and prayed. I asked God to fill their hearts with the love I have been giving them and to protect them from harm and illness, the same prayer I pray over my American children. With tears streaming down my face, I hugged and kissed each one and told them I loved them. They looked at me with a blank face, no tears, just an empty stare. I'm sure on more than one occasion, these girls have heard the promises of family members, temporary sponsors, or other visiting missionaries. But I truly want to be their American Mama and hope they will grow to trust that.

I sent them on their way and left crying. I needed a moment to myself, so I started on the journey back alone. On the way back, I found two metal boxes and locks for the girls to store their belongings. I gave a staff member some money to find a third box, so all three would have one. I wish I could have seen their faces when they received them.

By 10:00 a.m., it was time to board the bus and travel to The Haven for our Sabbath, our day of respite. We have a little under 24 hours to rest until we head back to Kampala.

The Haven is a bungalow community on the bank of the Nile River. It is so beautiful and luxurious for Uganda. A team member and I walked down to the bank of the Nile and took picots and put our feet in the cold water. We saw a women doing laundry. It was truly a day of rest. In the evening, I took a boat cruise. There were so many kids cooling off, scooping up water in their gasoline like containers, or washing clothes on the bank. There were fisherman fishing. The steep hills that came to the bank of the water were covered rows of cornfields. They truly used any piece of land they can!

I slept so well in that cute little bungle for four overlooking the Nile rapids. We all needed that!

Uganda Day 7

2011-06-23T17:23:00.000-05:00

I awoke to the preschool children giggling and laughing. The school children were already off to school. They go to school sic days a week for eleven hours a day. I went a close by store and found two back packs. I was so excited and continued to look for one more.
At breakfast, my team informed me of my wild drunken night. Apparently, they woke me up right after I had fallen asleep with Ambien. OH MY GOODNESS! Sorry, no pictures or video were taken…to my knowledge! I would take the sleep aid because I'm a princess when it comes to sleep! And an unairconditioned room with 7 women in bunks and all sorts of animal noises outside is not an ideal sleep setting for this drama queen. So I secretly, or so I thought, would take the sleep aid as I was quietly minding my business in my own bed with the mosquito net already drawn. So what I am told is that I fell asleep while journalling and Mama Kiki, my crazy team leader, came in to tuck us in. When she saw me, she shown her flight light in my face. That is when I allegedly told her to "get that light out of my face you heifer!" I do not recall any of the above events.
After breakfast, we went to the market to shop and eat lunch. I found some good deals but much of my effort was towards finding my girls dresses and backpacks. Those sweet girls hardly left my mind.
We then traveled to Amani Baby Cottage. The director is a 20 year old Mzungu! Amani has a beautiful compound. The kids were in cloth diapers and had many things to do on the very large lot of land.
When i went into one of the rooms, a little boy ran right up to me holding out his arms. I scooped him u and he laid his head on my chest. I was accustom to this routine by know. I played Mama to baby Eric for a few hours. We played in the swing and I chased him around the lawn! Sweet boy! I did get to do one hair of head while at Amani. Unfortunately, I am not allowed to post photos of Amani Baby Cottage, as some of their children are in the process of being adopted and to respect their future families, we are not allowed to post.
Back at Canaan's , it was market night right outside the ministry compound. I grabbed a few team members and went looking for some great deals. I did find a few things too. I went back with Sharon about ten minutes later and bought her some flat bread. She was very thankful. Have I said that I am in love with these girls?!

Uganda Day 6 Canaan's School

2011-06-23T15:45:00.000-05:00

After breakfast, we walked over to Canaan's school house. They had 4-5 primary classes, each having about 100 children. They sang songs to us and asked us several questions about America. Like, "do you have chikens in America?" We sang songs to them, read a scripture and answered questions. the were asking about Africans in America, so we brought out my family photo album and they were in awe. The thought it was so funny that a Mzungu, a white person, was married to an African. I tried my hardest to explain that my husband was American AND Black. It was difficult for them to comprehend. I truly think that they believe all American's are White….haha!

The bell had rung for playtime and all the kids had run out into the courtyard. There were street vendors selling little seet biscuits. They were charingin one coin. Some children didn't have any money to buy one. I later found out that the sponsored children had coins and the children without sponsors did not. Since I had extra money to give (thanks to all my awesome friends and family!), I bought every kid in the school a snack! It was so sad to watch the children sit on the side while their peers ate. Thankfully, that day they didn't have to!

We came back to Canaan's to eat lunch, then packed back up into the bus and drove an hour to Iganda to visit Living Hope. They are a church, orphanage and Christian Ministry in a predominately Islam village. Joanna is the director and a former orphan herself. The ministry has about 70 children. We also sang and did a bible story. The children and village kids and women really enjoyed the bows, beads and barrettes.

Since Living Hope is a new ministry, they have very little funding, so our team took up a love offering. I believe we raised well over $500.oo, which is HUGE in Uganda.
We arrived back at Canaan's and Ginger let me use her iPad to video chat with my family. That was the best thing ever! My girls, the Aunties and many others gathered around me in amazement. It was so nice to see my family, let them see the kids I was loving on and let the sweet Ugandan kids see my family! They giggled as my kids made faces and reached for me through the screen. What an awesome experience!

My girls, Helen and Caroline remained by my side. Helen mentioned to me that she had no shoes and no bag or snack for school. I love these girls and just want to shower them with love. A team member had brought pillowcase dresses her church had made, so I pulled the girls into our team dorm and gave them their new dressed and flip flops. They were so proud and very very appreciative!

After it started getting dark, we headed back to the open air chapel. We listened to children singing, playing and just being silly. Sharon, a 13 year old girl, started to get closer to us. I could tell that she needed love too, but didn't want to make it awkward for her, so I just talked to her. After awhile, I could feel her head fall onto my shoulder and her hands slip into mine. What a feeling! By 10 p.m., it was time for me to walk them to their dorms for bed. I tucked them in and kissed each cheek and finished it with a big mama hug! They loved it, you could see the happiness all over their faces!

Uganda Day 5 Amazima

2011-06-20T15:26:00.000-05:00

Our team traveled to Amazima Ministry today to help with the feeding program. We arrived and all the children were sitting in a recently built open air chapel. These children are from the Karimojong tribe, who are the poorest of the poor. They are bussed in once a week to the Amazima compound to play and eat.

I met some tween boys that fell in love with my sunglasses and camera. Roy, my new Ugandan friend, was such a charmer! He spoke very good English and was very curious about Americans. He kept telling me, "Mzungu (white person), give me a sweet!" With hundreds of Karimonjong children around, I knew better than to open up my sweet loaded, goody packed back pack in front of everyone. I would have been mobbed! So of course I snuck him a sweet on the down low…lol! Roy…that boy, so cute!

A little girl, about 12-18 months old, came crying holding her arms out to me. I scooped her up and she laid her bald head on my chest and there she remained for the next 3-4 hours. She had a running nose, and probably a weeks worth of crusted over snot and dirt in each nostril. She had on a camouflage button up shirt and a tattered pink skirt. She was covered in the infamous Ugandan red dirt, like most of the children, and myself at the moment. And like all the infants and toddlers there, she had on no panties or diaper.

I carried this sweet girl around the Amazima compound as I searched for little girls with hair. Little did they know that my Jansport backpack was FULL of barrettes, beads, combs and all other goodies! I spotted a few of the younger girls with hair, they were babies or toddlers. Most had yarn braids or extensions. Their older sisters were caring for them. I tried my hardest to single them out quietly and hand over the loot. Not possible. As soon as this Mzungu took the backpack off my back, those kids came running! They knew that meant there was something coming out! I tried to explain that the girls would be getting headbands soon, but since I don't know Karimajong they continued to beg. Girls with hair begged for the beads. It broke my heart. One girl told me, in broken English, that next time I come she will have hair and I can give her beads!

These girls had no idea what barrettes were. It was so funny watching them try to figure them out! But after they did, they LOVED them!

And they LOVED the headbands of course!!!

The children were very aggressive when we were passing our bows and other gifts. I understand their aggression, as many of these children have to fight for their lives. I watched as children climbed a mango tree to shake the green unripened mangos loose to fall to the ground. The other children scattered and danced around the base of the tree hoping to catch one of those mangos. They hoarded their findings in their clothes or in bags. The child I carried around Amazima had no way of getting a mango, as there didn't appear to be an older sibling to look out for her. So I traded a sweet, or candy, for a mango for my child of the day. She held on to that mango for two hours, not letting it out of her hand or sight. Everything it fell out of her grip she screamed for me to pick it up before another child did. It saddened me to see these children of God scavenging for unripened fruit to eat.

When feeding time came around, many of my team members served the children out of these huge pots o ver fires. They were served rice and beans and little pieces of chicken. I'm sure there were only 4 chickens to feed over 200 children. I got in the food line with my little one on my hip and they served her a very large bowl full to the brim. We walked over to one of the shaded play areas and i sat down to help feed this little one, or so I thought. She got down! I couldn't believe how this little girl could scoop up that rice and beans, so pipping hot, and pile it into her mouth! In the place about the size of an American bathroom, there were about 15 children squatting over their hot meal that they are bussed in for once a week. I can imagine the anticipation and excitement these children felt. They scooped up that rice and beans with their little fingers. Each child had a very small piece of chicken on the bone. Very small babies were gnawing on chicken bones and navigating to the meat. The small babies that were being carried by an older sibling were being fed with love. The little one I had wasn't claimed. It saddened me to think how did this little one get on that bus?

When it was time to leave, I tried to find someone to take this little girl that I got to love on. No one would take her! All the older children, obviously tired of caring for smaller kids, gave me the "no way am I taking her," look! I was baffled, but could understand. Finally, I found a girl about the age of five or six. She carried of my baby of the day and wandered off.

Uganda Day 4 (Canaan's)

2011-06-19T15:10:00.000-05:00

In the afternoon, we got on the road to Jinja, a town about two hours from Kampala. As we left the big town of Kampala, it slowly turned into beautiful, lush land, giant trees, tall grasses, mountains…just beautiful! You could also tell that the people,e were poorer the further we drove.

When we arrived at the gates of Canaan's the children screamed and cheered. They rushed to the bus. I handed Kari my camera to capture the craziness. As soon as i stepped off the bus, I had been picked by two girls who grabbed my hand and pulled me through the crowd. They pushed off any other child that tried to join us.

Helen and Caroline are the names of the girls who claimed me. Helen is the shy on but shows so much affection. She stayed by my side from the moment I got off the bus. She rested her head only chest and kept squeezing me. Her English is broken but she still was able to communicate with me.

Caroline has a more outgoing personality and has very good English and helped translate a lot of things for Helen.

We left the kids outside while we ate dinner and they patiently waited for us to finish to claim us again. I held those two girls so tightly and stroked their cheeks as if they were my own children. I sang to them and prayed over them and then I walked them to their dorm. They didn't want me to leave, but after the long day I needed sleep. I promised to be there in the morning.

Uganda Day 4 (M4 Child Protective Center)

2011-06-19T14:56:00.000-05:00

We left M3 and headed to M4. M4 is similar to a child protective center. Moses, the director of Sixty Feet, told us that the kids that are there, all 150 of them, were either abandoned, removed from abusive homes, tortured , had parents in jail, or committed a crime themselves. These children were young. Infants to maybe 10 years old.

Most of the team had gotten out quickly and picked up small children. I was pumping up beach balls. Betty, Moses' wife and also a nurse, was being called over to assist in an infant having a seizure. By this time I was done with the balls and walked over to the covered area flooded with children. I was shocked to see most of my team with babies and toddlers that laid on their chests with pitiful, weak expressions on their faces. The appeared tired, but as a mother, I could see there was pain, illness and hunger in their eyes.

Within five minutes I had a little girl, around four years old, climb up onto my lap and lay on my chest with a blank stare and no expression. None of the babies had on diapers and few even have clothes covering their naked bottoms. There were several special needs children and very few adults. We never really toured the place but could see that they needed everything. Heartbreaking. We only there for about two hours, and during that time two little ones had seizures, and most children screamed and ran for us when we had to put them down and leave. They obviously needed love, touch, and affection so bad. The director wouldn't let us take pictures, but I can see why. This children's home was in extremely poor condition and the children were very sick. We ALL left crying. It was on of the most difficult things I have ever seen or experienced. Please keep this facility in your prayers! These children need it!

Uganda Day 4 (Sixty Feet and M3)

2011-06-19T14:53:00.000-05:00

Today…where do I start? What an experience! After breakfast, we packed up the 30 passenger bus and headed to M3, the prison for 12-18 year old children. When we walked in, the kids were all sitting in an outdoor room anxiously waiting to preform for us. They have several different claps that express their excitement. The director Maria, is a healthy woman who obviously loves those children very much. There were about They danced around to the beat. They really liked it when we danced as well. Our team then sang worship songs back to them. Then the boys asked us to pray for them. We all disbursed and laid hands on them. Me and one of the other team members, prayed for the boys who were playing the drums.

By this time, it was time to bring out all the goodies we had for them. Me and a few of the teams members took the girls back into their dorm and let them pick the bows and headbands they wanted.

They were so excited! Then we painted their nails and played board games.

Most of the boys were in the courtyard playing football (soccer). It was so awesome watching the joy in these kids faces. I bonded very well with a girl named Doreen.

She loved carrying around my camera and taking pictures of all her friends. She had such smooth skin and was so beautiful. I promised to send her pictures when I got back to America.

Uganda Day 3 Sixty Feet

2011-06-18T20:59:00.000-05:00

Being my first mission trip, I wasn't sure what to expect when I woke up this morning. I packed my backpack with jump ropes, deflated soccer balls, kick balls, a parachute and snacks. We were told that we would need to pack our own lunch. Where do you get a sack lunch in Kampala, Uganda? We just packed whatever American snacks we brought with us. My lunch today was beef jerky, almond butter and a granola bar.

Our bus drove through many winding dirt road to a compound that is called M1. The real name or location of this Children's Prison is not allowed to be posted online. I was a little confused when I saw little children running up to our bus as it was still driving, looking for a parking space. The children we happy to see up, screaming "Mzungu," which means white person! Some of them were very small, maybe four years old! Why were they here, at a children's prison?

We all stepped off of the bus, one at a time, to be eagerly greeted by precious children who just wanted our full attention. I can imagine why. Lutyon was the little girl I got to love on today. She is an orphan girl about 10 years old residing at M1 because she has no where else to go. She held my hand and followed me all over the compound.

When we walked all over the place. I wasn't sure what to expect from a children's prison, but the children were so well behaved! Of course, the children got a little out of hand when we started passing out the sports equipment, but that was to be expected! They had nothing, nothing. They just roamed the field in between the buildings that housed them. The children loved having us there. We were the first large mission team to visit!

We go to worship and have fellowship with them, as part of the Sixty Feet Ministry. Sixty Feet visits these children at least twice a week to love on them and teach them about the love of God. They are doing an amazing thing here and could use tremendous support and prayers!

We did learn that most of the "offenders" were in this prison for minor things such as accidentally hitting a chicken with their bike. We also learned that the smaller children where Karamajon, who are the poorest of the poor in Uganda. They are orphaned children that were picked up and brought there.

Mission Uganda Day 1-2

2011-06-16T08:28:00.000-05:00

Day One
Today began with much excitement. I quickly woke up for the alarm clock and got dressed and was ready to run! I cut Brandon's hair, and was just about to get in the van when Kari, my team leader, called to tell me our flight had been canceled. It was due to bad weather in Chicago. It was a crazy day in the Springfield airport! Many people were told the only way that they would get out of Springfield and to Chicago was if they were to drive. Not an option for me. I HAD to get to D.C. by tonight in order to connect to my Ethiopian Airlines flight in the morning. I prayed and had faith the God would take care of it. After three trips to the airport, I finally got on a flight out of Springfield! I arrived in D.C. at 1:30 a.m..

Day Two
This morning, we woke up and ate breakfast at 7:00 a.m.. I met and make friends with Amanda, Valerie and Kari H.. I am getting very excited to get to Uganda! The flight was a long 13 hours. Not as long as the 20 hours we flew with Marley. I sat next to a Japanese Canadian that was traveling t Ethiopia to do Humanitarian aid. Good conversation.
We stopped in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to change planes. I wanted to get out so bad! It's as if I am drawn to Addis! I suppose I will always be!
Finally, after a very rough landing, we have made it to Uganda. Just looking out the window, I can see all of Ugandan's beauty! Hills, mountains, green trees and grass, the lake!
We are staying a Adonia Guesthouse for the first few days. It's nice and big enough to house all 27 of us.

We have to sleep with mosquito netting because of the high Malaria outbreaks. I'm bunking with Amanda and we seem to get along just fine. We are al so tired that we crashed as soon as we unpacked! We continued to walk around like zombies for the rest of the day.

Moses, from the 60 Feet mininstry, came by tonight to give us all the details for our visit ot M1 tomorrow. There are about 250 kids there, most are boys and most are over 12 years old. I really don't know what to expect.

The things we take for granted

2011-06-10T16:01:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone,

This is Brandon again. As many of you know, Elisa is currently on a mission trip to Uganda. While she is away, I took vacation to stay home with the kids. During this time, it has kind of made me think about things. About how when Elisa gets back, I plan on showering her with love, and affection, and maybe a gift or two. Not just because I missed her, but because I forgot exactly how much work it is to run a household with a 2 year old and a 6 year old roaming the halls. And that made me realize that we, as husbands, tend go get too comfortable with ourselves from time to time.

We guys (as in I), tend to forget that it is A LOT of work. Running this child to a doctor's appt, running that child to swimming lessons, then to soccer practice, or a play group, getting all the meals and snacks prepared, putting the house back together after a day's worth of playing, and clean ups, baths, bedtime stories, bed, assuring them nothing is under the bed to get them back to sleep, and press the repeat button in the morning. And sometimes doing so without getting anything done for yourself. Now I know that my wife is a Superwoman in her own right, and she is awesomely great at what she does as a stay-at-home-mom, but getting the hands on experience (in her absence) has opened my eyes even wider than before. That said, I now have a better understanding of how things are when I would normally be returning home from work. And those things are my own assumptions.

Before I used to joke to her about "living" on Facebook, and checking emails in the evening most nights after dinner. This is sort of a light-hearted complaint I hear from several husbands quite often. Well now seeing the full-on routine of the day, and seeing that my kids have only two speeds: Pedal-to-the-metal and Sleep mode, there is absolutely no time to sit in front of a computer during the day!! So now I understand why she runs to check her accounts when I get home, because that is really her first opportunity to catch up on things. So for that, I now feel silly, and apologize for thinking in my own head that things were not as they seemed.

So in short, I just want to tell her THANK YOU for all that she does and that I do indeed appreciate her. I also have a whole new appreciation for single parents…….for those of you out there, I applaud you for all that you do. This is a complicated enough job with two people involved, so I just can't imagine juggling the house, the kid's needs and work by myself permanently. Just can't begin to fathom it. So next Tuesday evening, I will be celebrating my wife's arrival back home! I'm sure she will be blogging soon to share her experiences from the mission trip. Until next time……...

A BIG Thank You!

2011-05-26T18:58:00.000-05:00

For the past month, I have been collecting hair goodies for all the sweet girls in Uganda and Ethiopia. The response has been amazing! I have collected approximately 770 headbands (that includes regular head bands and headbands with flowers/bows, 1oo ballies, 880 cloth elastics, 90 decorative elastics, 600 snaps, 27 combs, 5 quick beaders, 4000 rubber bands, 6 packages of sidewinders and THOUSANDS OF BARRETTES and BEADS!

I had to remove all the packaging and sort all like items to make packing everything much easier.

This is what YOU helped bring in!

I leave on Tuesday and will be back in mid-June. I can't wait to share the pictures and videos of girls receiving your gifts. Thanks so much, I could not have done it without you!

A special Thank You to Chocolate Hair Vanilla Care, Beads Braids and Beyond, and many others who helped me get the word out! And to Twist Braid Snap for offering free shipping and matching all donations! CHECK THESE SITES OUT…THEY ARE A MUST!

African Princesses

2011-05-02T15:30:00.000-05:00

Do you want to be part of something big? Do you want to help a little girl feel beautiful? I am traveling to Uganda and Ethiopia with a team of 30 missionaries on May 31. We are going through an organization called Visiting Orphans. We will be working with several ministries and hundred of girls.

Here is where we will be:

Cannan's Children's Home
Amani Baby Cottage
Return Ministries
My Father's House
Sixty Feet (The Children's Prison) Currently there are only 14 girls here out of 250 kids. I want to bless the pants off of these girls and make them feel like queens!

I am collecting all kinds of hair goodies for these precious girls in Africa. All the girls I will be loving on are orphans. Some have hair and some don't. My dream is to shower these girls with hair accessories to make them feel beautiful! Please help me by sending new or gently used hair accessories. I will be collecting them until May 27.

Some things that would be appreciated are:

Barrettes

Knockers

Rubberbands

Rat Tail combs

Sectioning Clips

Beads

Lots of Headbands (as many girls do not have any hair)

Here is a video of the last group that brought beauty to some precious girls!

Bows & Bows & Bows in Ethiopia from Kari Gibson on Vimeo.

You can mail these items to:

Elisa Hyman

P.O. Box 280

Willard, MO 65781

Sixty Feet

2011-04-25T21:32:00.000-05:00

Sixty Feet is a new and awesome ministry serving children's prisons in Uganda. Yes, you heard me correctly....children's prisons. My mission team gets to be the first large team to partner up with Sixty Feet and serve and love on these children! I'm sure there are so many questions that you have as do I. I will do my best to share what I know about these prisons and these children. I have not been there yet and will know much more after returning.

First, the locations and names of these prisons are not allowed to be shared on the internet, so they are referred to as M and M2. M is for children ages 12 and up. There are approximately 150 children there and about 140 of them are boys. M2 is for children ages 11 and under and there are about 100 children there.

The children are in these prisons for many reasons, and I know of just a few. Many were street kids that were dropped off by the government, to "clean up" the streets. Some are abandoned by there family. Some were brought in for being disrespectful, and some for crimes. Most of these children are orphans, not prisoners.

Some of the stories I have heard are just horrific. I hope that these children will feel God's love through our team! I just heard today, that the 250 children of these two prisons have nothing to keep them entertained.

I am the Sports and Games Team Captain for our mission team and am in charge of organizing donations with other team members. If you are local and would like to provide some of the following donations, I would gladly pack them and share them with the children on my trip.

Items Needed

Soccer Balls (deflated)
Ball pumps and needles
Parachutes (for games)
Beach Balls
Card games
Board games (think compact)
Jump Ropes
or anything else that you think children 2-18 (mostly boys) would like to play with outside

I would also like to collect new underwear for all ages of children boys and girls!

Please check out the link of Sixty Feet, and consider the ways that you may be able to help bring the love of Christ to these precious children. If you are local and want to donate some of these items, please email me at hymanshouse@yahoo.com.

This video will give you a glipse of M and M2

God's Children from Sixty Feet on Vimeo.

Things I've Learned from My Kids

2011-03-30T20:49:00.000-05:00

Hello Brandon again!! Making another "cameo" to post this article I wrote recently for Ozarks Marriage Matters News & Notes/Operation Us. I hope you like it:

Fathering is not always an easy job. I would never, EVER claim to have this thing we call ‘fatherhood’ perfected, as I am learning new tips and tools to use to make my life, and my kids’ lives, better every day. I have learned that my kids have taught me a few things about being a good Dad.

LITTLE THINGS MAKE THEM HAPPY – As much as we love playing video games and watching television, I have learned that my kids especially love it when I get off of the couch or computer and get down on the floor and just play with them. Whether it’s wrestling around with them, playing tag in the back yard, or hide-and-seek, they really enjoy that quality time with me. On occasion, I will pick up a few empty office supply boxes, whatever I can get my hands on from work and take them home. My son and I have a ball building whatever his imagination wants! He likes me to build a wall of boxes and crash through them like the Incredible Hulk!

When I go on business trips out of town, one of my favorite things to do is go to the library and check out TWO of the same book (and one set of two books for each day I am out of town). I give my son one of the books, and I take the other with me on the trip, and I read his bedtime story to him over the phone. He ABSOLUTELY loves this, and I think it helps him feel more secure even though I am not home…..yes sometimes my suitcase gets quite heavy from the extra books, but my son is worth it.

DON’T ASSUME – I have learned that it is not realistic to assume that my children know what I am feeling or thinking if I don’t voice it to them, such as saying I love you. We know our kids love us, but let them hear you say it to them. Confirm it to them, over and over again. If I as a parent do or say something wrong to my son or daughter, I make sure I apologize to them verbally. They likely won’t learn to be genuinely sorry for something if they don’t hear it from you. Just don’t assume, they need to know that it is ok to show and share those kinds of emotions and actions.

THEY WILL FOLLOW YOUR LEAD – I have learned that our children are watching our every move! Meaning that, they take on more of our habits, our disposition and temperament than we believe at times. I have learned that because my son hears me say “Yes Ma’am/Sir, No Ma’am/Sir” (I’m still a good ol’ southern gentleman at heart!) he has no problem saying the same to adults whether I am in his presence or not. My almost 2 year-old daughter hears me say thank you, and she has started saying thank you for everything! My son sees me open doors for everyone, so he now opens doors and holds them for people. He sees me being compassionate and giving, so he mirrors my actions and does the same……in his own way.

I am so thankful that my kids are learning manners, and developing a giving heart. Most importantly, they see me adoring my wife, and being a loving and supportive husband to her. I am hoping my marriage will be a great example for them to follow in the future and help them make good decisions on their future relationships. Whatever we, as parents, show them, whether it be good-natured, dysfunctional, or anything in-between, that is what they most likely will look for as adults because that is what they were exposed to as children. Give them positive examples to follow, and as best as you can, be proactive instead of reactive. It can make a difference.

Spring Break 2011 - Houston

2011-03-30T11:44:00.000-05:00

Brandon's has family in Houston, so off we went! Quite the tour of Texas this trip was! One of my favorite things to do in Texas this time of year is have a crawfish boil! Yum! This year, both of our kids enjoyed it! Marley wasn't quite sure how to eat it...too funny! Blogger is giving me a hard time with uploading the pictures so check out facebook.

Brandon and his Mom had a special date night at a Rockets game. They had great seats and some awesome Mother and Son time!

Spring Break 2011 - Corpus Christi

2011-03-29T14:57:00.000-05:00

We always enjoy visiting Corpus Christi. It is very special place for me and Brandon. We met in Corpus, were married in Corpus and were baptized together at this very beach! Miles and Marley loved getting to take a break from winter clothes and play in the sand. This was Marley's first time at the beach. At first, she was scared of sinking sand and the waves. She warmed up to it pretty fast and didn't want to leave!

The most memorable part of our trip was the quality time the kids spent with Mimi and Gigi. Being raised a Navy Brat, I know what if feels like to not really know your grandparents. Fortunately, our kids are able to see their grandparents at least two times a year.

Spring Break 2011

2011-03-28T20:54:00.000-05:00

What a great Spring Break our family had this year! We traveled to go see both sides of the family in Texas. The grandparents and the kids really enjoyed each others company. I will be posting pictures throughout the week. We took a tour of Texas, so there are many many pictures!

Our first big adventure was Sea World! Almost all of us had on our Simply Love T-Shirts!

Then we got to visit with the Salyer's again! Marley got so excited when she saw Ru. Ru was in the same transition home in Ethiopia as Marley. Luckily, Ru's mama and me are GREAT friends! Our families have become great friends as well!

What Does Crazy Faith Look Like?

2011-03-06T21:28:00.000-06:00

While I am not the picture of a person that has complete crazy faith, I do strive to grow in my faith. This past month I vowed not to worry and to have complete faith that God would provide in an amazing way for my mission trip and to exceed my goal and be able to give like crazy. And He has!
It all started last summer when Kari announced that she was going to be organizing two mission trips in 2011. I knew that mission trips would play a part in my life, but didn't realize how much God wanted it to be as well. I emailed Kari and told her that I was interested in possibly the February mission trip to Ethiopia. Just a week later, I found out that I was pregnant with a due date in April. That pregnancy was a huge surprise. 11 weeks later I miscarried and got very sick. As I was grieving that loss and lying in a hospital bed, I emailed Kari back and told her that I wanted in on the June Uganda trip. She quickly responded with kind words and a "we'd LOVE to have you on our team!" I turned in my application and deposit back in September and kind of put it on the back burner because it seemed so far away.
In late January, I received and email telling me that my money would be due by March 1. The panic began to set in. Really?! I needed to raise about $3500 in around five weeks?! During one of our monthly Ethiopian Adoptive Family gatherings, I was talking to another family that has participated in several mission trips. They were a huge encouragement to me. We calculated that all I really needed was $100 a day until March 1. Just $100 a day....I could do that, right?!

The following is how awesome God has been to me in the month of February:

January 30 - I blogged about my mission trip and vowed to not worry and have complete faith.

February 1 - I begin to write letters to my friends and family asking them to support my mission trip. I was reluctant to send them out at first, fearing what people would think. I was reminded by a friend that this is not for me, it's for a mission trip. I am going to serve, to love on orphans and to raise money to meet needs. I prayed over every single letter, asking God to open the hearts of my friends and family, making them want to give.

February 5-6 - I had my first bake sale at the Army and the Navy's drill weekend. I prayed over every baked good, asking God to have people want to contribute. I made around $300 this weekend!

February 6 - I received my first large check from one of Brandon's co-workers. I didn't even expect anything like that. She gave me $100 check and said, "isn't God good?!"

February 15 11 a.m. - I was talking to a friend who was asking me about my progress. I told her about the $900 I had raised. I was excited until I realized that it was the 15th day. According to my original goal, I should be at $1500. I quickly put that fear and doubt out of my mind and trusted that the money would come in.
February 15 5 p.m. - I went to the mail box and discovered two checks totaling $600! That put my total at $1500 raised on the 15th day of my fund raising!!! I was meeting my $100 a day goal!
February 17 - Discussed the idea of a giveaway with two friends over lunch. I was reluctant. They convinced me that it was a fabulous idea and helped me work out all the details!

February 22 - TWO unexpected refund checks came in the mail ON THE SAME DAY!!! One check may have been a coincidence, two is definitely not! One check was for something we "overpaid?" and the other was for an overpayment of Escrow on our house. Seriously, TWO unexpected refund checks in one day totaling $800!

March 4 - It was the last day of my drawing for the iPad and Touch and we were having company over for dinner. I decided since they are from Southern California and appreciate REAL Mexican food, that I would grill some fajitas. I opened the sliding glass door to our back yard and the deck and found an envelope in between the door and the screen. At first I thought it was a piece of paper Marley had been coloring on. After I picked it up and saw Africa on the envelope, I squeezed it and thought it might be an adoption or mission t-shirt. When I opened it, I about fell over! I thought it was all ones and immediately called a waitress friend of mine accusing her of the generous gesture. She denied it. After our dinner company left, Brandon was counting it as I was getting ready to end the drawing. He told me I had been tricked, there were two $100 bills in the middle of all the ones. Seriously! Someone left me an anonymous gift of $328!

March 5 - I drew the names for the drawing and announced that I had exceeded my goal by $1700!

If anyone has doubt that God exists, I wish you could have spent the last month in my shoes. He has grown me so much this past month...I am in awe! I haven't even left yet, but KNOW that I am supposed to go. I don't even know how He is going to use me and I KNOW He is going to use me in great ways!

I hope to continue raising money and items to make an even bigger impact! I truly believe God is teaching me that if I just have COMPLETE CRAZY FAITH that He will be alive in my life!

It Couldn't Have Gone to a Better Person!

2011-03-06T13:34:00.000-06:00

As you all know, Dawn was the winner of the iPad. After I posted the video of the drawing, I was still attempting to get a hold of Dawn. She had no clue! Several people were messaging her at work and she finally called me. She couldn't believe it! This is the message I got from her late last night!

Ok. So Im finally home. And have had the chance to let this extremely exciting news sink in! I just want to let you know how amazing I think you are. God is using you in incredible ways. Your famiy is beautiful, you are incredibly blessed! And you have shared those blessings with everyone around you.
I may have won the iPad, but I just wanted to share something with you, and how much this means to me (not the iPad itself, but the life lesson all of this has taught me)
Im sure you know that I am not the richest person in the world. Im a struggling single mom of 2. I wouldnt trade my life for anything, but its definately not easy. Ive also had a lot going on lately with other things, and its hard to kind of "keep the faith" when everything is so turned upside down. But I try.
Ive followed your blog since you started your journey with Marley...thanks to Cafemom! And when i read about your mission trip, and your giveaway, I was so excited for you!
Money has been really tight lately, Ive missed work here and there because either me or one of the girls have been sick. But I was lucky enough to get some overtime last week, so my paycheck was a little better than usual. I am faithful in tithing. And usually do 10% of whatever my check is, but I wanted to donate my "extra" for your trip. I had to wait til the very last minute (seriously, I got it in about 15 minutes before it ended), and I knew the giveaway had been going on for a while, and lots of people had multiple entries in, so I wasnt donating to try and win either one. I was simply donating to have a small helping hand in your mission trip journey.
God has tested me before with my finances and trust. (I struggle with this too) And He definately did not let me down. I was laid off from my job over the summer (6 months total) and ONLY by the grace of God did we make it by.
So, through all the hurdles that I have to overcome, and all the difficulties I face, I am once again reminded that God is watching out for me, and is paying attention to what Im going though, and takes care of whatever it is. And, sometimes He may even surprise me with an extra little bonus (aka the iPad!)
Thanks again Elisa. :)

God is so good! It's so amazing how he orchestrated everything and a little thing like winning an iPad can help renew someone and grow them in their faith! I am so thankful for everyone who gave, I'm sure there are other stories out there. I just had to share this one!

And the Winners are...

2011-03-05T15:16:00.001-06:00

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

TODAY IS THE LAST DAY TO GET YOUR ENTRIES IN!!!

2011-03-04T08:30:00.000-06:00

Get your entries in by 10:00 p.m. CST in order to be in the drawing for a BRAND NEW iPad and iPod Touch! I will draw the names tomorrow and it will be videotaped and the winners will be posted sometime on Saturday!
I am raising money for my mission trip to Uganda. I leave June 1 and all the details of my trip is right here.

How to Enter:

To enter in the drawing for the iPad, just make a $20 donation to the right using the safe Paypal link.

To enter in the drawing for the iPod Touch, just make a $10 donation to the right.

You do not have to have a Paypal account. Just use any debit or credit card.

How to Earn Additional Entries:

You will receive an additional entry for posting about my Great iPad & iPod Touch Giveaway on Facebook and linking it to this page (one extra entry for every day you post!)
You will receive another additional entry for posting an entry on your blog about my Great iPad & iPod Touch Giveaway linking it back to this page
You will also receive another additional entry if you Tweet about my Great iPad & iPod Touch Giveaway on Twitter and link it back to this page (one extra entry for every day you post!)
After you have made a donation for either or both drawings, I will automatically have your information for the drawing (well whatever name and email address you have listed for paypal). If you want additional entries, please post a comment here on this blog post telling me where you posted. It may look like this:

ENTER BY FRIDAY!!!

2011-02-28T20:44:00.000-06:00

Make sure to get your name in the drawing for a BRAND NEW iPad and a BRAND NEW iPod Touch!

I am raising money for my mission trip to Uganda in June. All money that is donated will be used in Uganda to make an impact and meet any needs in the lives of the orphans I will meet. Read more about my trip here.

How to Enter:

To enter in the drawing for the iPad, just make a $20 donation to the right using the safe Paypal link.

To enter in the drawing for the iPod Touch, just make a $10 donation to the right.

You do not have to have a Paypal account. Just use any debit or credit card.

How to Earn Additional Entries:

You will receive an additional entry for posting about my Great iPad & iPod Touch Giveaway on Facebook and linking it to this page (one extra entry for every day you post!)
You will receive another additional entry for posting an entry on your blog about my Great iPad & iPod Touch Giveaway linking it back to this page
You will also receive another additional entry if you Tweet about my Great iPad & iPod Touch Giveaway on Twitter and link it back to this page (one extra entry for every day you post!)
After you have made a donation for either or both drawings, I will automatically have your information for the drawing (well whatever name and email address you have listed for paypal). If you want additional entries, please post a comment here on this blog post telling me where you posted. It may look like this:

"Hey Beautiful Lady! I'm so excited to have the opportunity to win some AWESOME stuff, and am even more excited to be helping out such a great person on her mission trip! BTW, I made a donation! I also posted your link on my FB, on my blog and on Twitter! That's 3 more entries for me!" myemailaddress@email.com

Drawing will be on Saturday March 5!!! Get your entry in by this Friday!!!

I am super excited to be giving this stuff away and even more excited at the response I have had. I have some pretty amazing friends and family that have been super supportive! I can't wait to tell y'all the full story of how everything is coming together!

The Great iPad and iPod Touch Giveaway!

2011-02-20T20:10:00.000-06:00

Have you been drooling over your friend's iPad? Or would you just be happy to have an iPod touch? Yeah, I know I would! Well here is your chance to win either one or both!

I am raising money for my upcoming mission trip to Uganda. I will be traveling with a team of 30 others through an organization called Visiting Orphans. I look forward to making a huge impact and most importantly loving on these precious children! To read more about my trip click here.

I will be giving away a Brand New iPad with 16GB and Wifi. To enter this drawing, just click the iPad donation Paypal button, and make a $20 donation! That's it!

I will also be giving away a brand new 8GB iPod Touch. To enter this drawing, click on the iPod Touch Paypal button make a $10 donation.

The GREAT iPad & iPod Touch GIVEAWAY details:
How to enter

To enter, you must first make either a $10 donation for the iPod Touch or a $20 donation for the iPad on the right side

For additional Entries:

You will receive an additional entry for posting about my Great iPad & iPod Touch Giveaway on Facebook and linking it to this page
You will receive another additional entry for posting an entry on your blog about my Great iPad & iPod Touch Giveaway linking it back to this page
You will also receive another additional entry if you Tweet about my Great iPad & iPod Touch Giveaway on Twitter and link it back to this page

After you have made a donation for either or both drawings, I will automatically have your information for the drawing (well whatever name and email address you have listed for paypal). If you want additional entries, please post a comment here on this blog post telling me where you posted. It may look like this:

PLEASE leave your email address! It must be the one you use on Paypal.

I will be verifying additional entries

Dates
To be entered in one or both of the drawings, make a donation between Monday February 21 until Friday March 4 , 2011 10:00p.m CST.

Drawing
The drawings will be held Saturday March 5, 2011. It will be videotaped and aired on my blog that same day. I will be contacting the winners via the email address that was used for their entry. They will have three days to contact me with shipping information. If the winner does not contact me within three days, I will draw and alternate name.

Simply Love T-Shirts are HERE!!!

2011-02-11T16:04:00.000-06:00

What a great opportunity to share some love this Valentine's Day! Purchase a Simply Love T-Shirt to help me raise funds for my mission trip to Uganda in a little under four months! The shirts are Charcoal colored and are a slimmer fit. They are unisex. So I would suggest ordering up a size if you don't want a tighter fit. These are nice shirts! I'm so excited to be able to offer them to you. I will be placing my order on March 1, so please allow that much time for your shirt to arrive. I want to get the best price possible and by ordering in bulk, I will be able to do that. Please contact me at hymanshouse@yahoo.com with any questions!

Order your T-Shirt safely with Paypal on the right side. Thank you!

Complete Faith

2011-02-08T12:18:00.001-06:00

So many times in my life journey, I worry, I fear and then I complain. I lack faith. Whatever the pray du jour, I lack the faith that God will provide. Well, I know that He will provide, the thing is that I want things in my time and in my way. I fear that He won't get it done according to my plan. So funny, isn't it? I'm not living my life as my own. I am His. Every week during worship, I surrender myself to Him and say, "Here I am, arms open wide." I truly want to surrender myself to God and have Him use me as He wants. BUT, I am human, and I worry and doubt and complain and want things my way and in my time.
I will be traveling to Uganda in less than four months on my first mission trip. I am overjoyed to be part of this team of 30 missionaries. I have chosen to have complete faith that God will provide the money that I will need to go on this trip and go above and beyond that, so that I can give generously. So far, I am at peace. I am not worrying. I have been doing bake sales, and I'm working on T-shirt sales. I have sent out letters to family and friends asking for support, and I have faith! I prayed over every letter, every baked good, and I will pray over every T-shirt. I will have the faith! It feels so freeing!
And just because, here is a picture of Marley doing the "My Mama's Got Faith" dance!

Sledding

2011-02-02T12:37:00.000-06:00

We have been enjoying our winter in the midwest! This is Marley's first time sledding. She doesn't really enjoy it too much, it's too cold for her blood!
Miles, on the other hand, LOVES snow!

Mission: Uganda

2011-01-30T12:15:00.000-06:00

This last week it hit me, I'm going to Uganda in just four months! I am overjoyed! To get to love on God's children, the ones He loves, the ones He fathers, the ones that need so much. I get to serve these little ones. Oh the joy that is in my heart! I can't wait to provide for these children!
This is my first mission trip, and I am hoping to learn how to lead my own group of missionaries on future trips just like this one. These are just a few of the children I will be visiting on my trip.
Just three days ago I received an email saying that all my mission money is due on March 1. AHHHHHH, what?! I faithfully believe that God will provide. I just felt like I had so much more time. But then it hit me, oh my goodness, I'm leaving in four months. The panic start to set in. I have 30 days to raise at least $3000-$3500. Okay, I'm cool with that. Basically, I just need to raise about $100-$150 a day for the next month. So doable, right?! I have decided to have COMPLETE and FULL trust in God and not worry. This does not mean that I won't do my part. Quite opposite. I am taking on Substitute Teaching jobs, I am doing bakes sales, and I am babysitting. I will do everything in my power to raise this money and beyond. But I WILL NOT WORRY! Please hold me accountable to that. If you hear me start to have a tone of fear, please remind me to have faith!

So here are the details of my trip:

I will be traveling June 1-12 to Jinja, Uganda. The trip is being organized by the organization Visiting Orphans.

The vision of Visiting Orphans is:

To enlist Church volunteers to visit orphanages so they may meet physical, emotional and spiritual needs of orphans.

To develop relationships, provide comfort and to share the Gospel with orphans.

To provide financial aid for child sponsorship, medical assistance and construction to improve the living conditions of orphans.

To mobilize Christian churches to help orphans experience the blessing of family.

I will be traveling with a team of about 30 people. The team will be lead by the wonderful Kari Gibson and Michael Smalley.

Here is our team website.

While in Uganda, we will be working with:

Return Ministries

Canaan Children's Home

Amazima Ministries(Katie Davis's ministry)

My Father's House (Rebecca Sorensen'sministry)

The trip will cost approximately $3,000-$3,500 depending on the cost of flights. I am hoping to raise above and beyond this amount to be able to provide tremendous support while in Uganda.

You can support me and my team in several ways:

You can make a direct donation to my Paypal account (Paypal option is on right side of screen).

You can be my billboard. Tell your friends, family, whoever about our work in Uganda. Advertise on Facebook or Twitter.

You can make a tax deductible donation through Visiting Orphans. Just be sure to select the June 1-12, Uganda trip. Select "yes" when asked, "Would you like to designate this donation to a specific team member?" Type "Elisa Hyman" in the box provided.

You can purchase a Simply Love T-Shirt. These are amazing and I have several from others fundraisers. What a great way to show your support for orphans and missions!

If you are in Springfield, Missouri, I could REALLY use some help with baking. I need bakers to provide items for my bake sales, people to help at the bake sales, someone to find locations for bake sales.

I could also use an individual or team of people to organize any other fundraising ideas!

Most importantly, remember to PRAY for my team over the coming months. I am so excited to see how God is going to use us!

Happily Ever After

2011-01-05T14:42:00.000-06:00

As a young girl, I dreamed of my wedding day. I'd wear a big white dress, my Daddy would walk me down the isle and my new husband and I would live happily ever after. Thankfully, I found that man at the car wash. Our story is truly fate. The week before, we both were at the airport. I was picking up my best friend and he was getting onto the plane she was getting off of. This was before 9/11, so I was waiting for my friend at the gate. Brandon was dressed in his uniform looking very nice. We stared at each other, smiled and flirted. I wanted to say something to him so bad, but he was in a uniform and at the airport. Surely he was leaving. So off I went, we didn't even say a word to each other. The next week we were both at the car wash, doing the same thing...flirting. Again, I wanted to approach him, but wanted him to make the first move. He drove off and then turned back around and said, "I know this sounds like a line, but do I know you from somewhere?" That was it! We have been inseparable ever since. We knew very very early that we would be married, but to avoid freaking everyone out, we waited...just a little while. Brandon proposed to me in a very romantic rose garden on Valentines day in 2000, just six months after we met. And on January 6, 2001, I became his wife. Thank you God for marriage!
Brandon and I have a strong marriage. We aren't perfect, we don't always get along, and we have fights. But we have a solid foundation, that always brings us back together. We have to thank God for giving us that, and of course our Texas church pastor and his wife for being awesome examples and mentors to us in our dating years. I wish everyone could have that foundation or beginning in their relationships. It sure would save a lot of hurting couples.
Over the last ten years, I have learned a lot about marriage and being a wife. While we aren't quite experts on the topic, I feel that after this length of time, we do have some idea of what makes a marriage work and what doesn't.

I would like to share the top ten things that have helped our marriage to be strong and to thrive:

1. Never, EVER use the "D" word. Threatening or joking about divorce only creates insecurity in a marriage. If you are already married and have already broken this rule, start over today! Come together and agree that neither one of you will ever use this word, ever! By the way, by doing this, it will also take divorce out as an option.

2. Date. Make dating a priority in your lives, real dating, no matter what your circumstances. Date if your happy or not, if you have kids or no kids, if you are broke or wealthy. We try to date two to three times a month. We make this a priority in our schedules and our budget.

3. My money is our money. Money and money related issues are the number one reason couples divorce. When you are married, you should have one account. If you don't feel comfortable with combining your money and bills, you have other issues and marriage will not make them better. Having his and hers bank accounts and his and hers bills makes you more of room mates with benefits than a married couple. Debt is also shared. I was honest with Brandon about the debt I was bringing into our marriage, as he was with me. We agreed that even though I was the one bringing in the most amount of debt, it was still our debt. It was something we tackled together. Obviously, marrying with no debt is the best, and should be a goal all engaged couples should make. Who wouldn't want to start a new life with no debt?

4. Be on guard. Your marriage should be your highest priority next to your relationship with God. Protect it. Don't put yourself in compromising situations that would make your spouse angry, jealous, or question your integrity. Avoid being alone with a person of the opposite sex. Don't go on lunch dates or give rides to a coworker of the opposite sex. Don't make or take phone calls, emails or social network messages from ex's. Guard your marriage with all your might. While some of these suggestions may sound silly to you, you would be surprised what may start an argument or create a wedge. Temptations are out there. We all know that a simple, innocent compliment from a coworker of the opposite sex can turn into an affair under the right circumstances. If you aren't sure what boundaries to cross, ask your spouse. While me and Brandon haven't always been the best at this, we are getting better. There was a lot of tension in our marriage early on because of simple calls from coworkers. There are ways to avoid them. You shouldn't be worried about your friends, coworkers, or ex's feelings. You should be concerned about your spouse.

5. Lift each other up. Praise your spouse, even when you can't think of anything nice to say. I'm sure he smelled good after he showered, right? There you go, tell him. Thank him if he took out the trash. Remember what it was that attracted you to him in the first place. Try not to put him down in front of your friends or his. Actually, bragging about him will do wonders if it gets back to him. Men like to be respected and to feel needed. If you aren't the one lifting up your spouse, someone else will. It's hard at times, I KNOW!

6. Define your roles. It's very important to discuss the roles each of you will have in your marriage and the expectations you have of each other as spouses. By discussing how you see your role as a wife before you become one will help your husband picture his own role in the marriage. For example, before Brandon and I got engaged, we had conversations about what our lives would look like. I always wanted to be a stay at home mom. I didn't want to marry a man who didn't understand that. We also talked about how our plans may change, but that I would take on the primary role of taking care of the home and the children. While this may seem very 1950s for your family, it works for ours. My point is, discuss what role you want to take in your marriage, and what you expect from one another. It's never too late. If you and your spouse are butting heads on the matter, sit down when you both are calm and define your roles. Who's going to be responsible for providing for the family? Who's going to be the one that cooks? Who's going to be the one that handles the money? If you both agree on the roles and expectations you have, you are less likely to disagree on them later.

7. Forgive. We are forgiven by our God if we ask for forgiveness. Yet, it is one of the most difficult things to do, and even more difficult for a spouse. Why is it that it is so hard for us to forgive? It seems that sometimes we treat our husbands worse than our enemies. I'm sure you have things that you think are unforgivable. But if your husband shows true remorse, you have to forgive! On the other end, if you have done something that you regret and your came clean and asked for forgiveness from your spouse, you have to understand that you may have broken the trust. That is something that is hard to regain. You have to understand that if you broke the trust in your marriage, you have to work to allow your spouse to regain it. Don't expect it to be over night, but you have to prove that you are sorry.

8. Don't get complacent. I can remember how long it used to take me to get ready for Brandon to pick me up for a date. I would shower, shave, do my hair, and make up, find the perfect perfume, make sure my nails were done. I would try on 10 outfits to make sure I looked just right. And then I'd change again, just to make sure. It's unrealistic to say that I get dolled up everyday, actually it would be a lie. I try to get dolled up for Brandon, but the reality is that being a mom takes over a lot of times. I do try to take the time to put on my best for our dates. It really makes me feel better about myself and well, my husband gets pretty excited! As for the men, well you need to make sure you are taking care of yourself too. We don't get turned on by wholly knee high socks and sandals. And remember what you did to win us over when we were dating? Court us, open doors, tell us we are beautiful, hold our hand!

9. Communication. First, communicate with your Father together in prayer. Praying together isn't always the easiest, especially if you aren't accustom to praying out loud, but there are ways to work up to it. There was a study once that said that married couples that attended church together on a regular basis and prayed together had a 2% divorce rate, wow! Second, be honest with your spouse and communicate. We have a recap of our day at the dinner table. We do what we call "highs and lows." It helps us to talk about our day and what's going on in our lives. When there are difficult conversations, listen to what the other person is saying. I know easier said than done, but for some people just talking is a start.

10. Sex. I saved the best for last. Sex is fun, it's satisfying, it's beautiful, it feels good and our God designed it for marriage. He wanted us to enjoy it. I know you're thinking TMI, but seriously, this is a big issue and I don't feel like people talk about it enough. First, we know that men need sex. I am not a man, but I am married to a very manly man and I know that men need sex. Second, being a woman and knowing many that feel the same way, women don't NEED sex, but they enjoy it. Here's the thing, we are commanded to not put anything before sex besides prayer. I know, I don't really like that scripture either. But for whatever reason, my husband craves it. And while I enjoy it too, I don't throw fits if I don't have it. But as a wife, I need to make sure my husband's needs are met, just as he should be making sure my needs are met in other areas. So if sexing up my man means that he is happy, not dipping in other areas, and is loving me and taking care of my needs, then sex it is. I think too many women take their marriages for granted and let this area go. Get your sexy on ladies!!!

Many other married couples have made it much longer than we have and probably have their own list of things that make it work for them. This is our list. This is what has made our marriage work. I hope that by sharing this, someone is able to have a long lived and healthy marriage as we have so far!

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What is it?

2010-12-09T08:58:00.000-06:00

What is that little voice inside of you that draws you to something? What is it that you are supposed to do with your life? What is your gift? What is your calling? What is it that you are so passionate about? What is it that God is asking you to do? Do you have a healthy discontent with something? Is there something you feel you were just meant to do? Could it possibly be a passion that needs fueling?
I'm not an expert on the topic, but I do have deep passions about orphans and adoption. So much so, that sometimes the thought of adopting again consumes me. I have love to give and their are children that need love. But if you let my husband tell it, I would adopt 20 kids if he let me. I have been playing with the idea for a year now, ever since we brought Marley home. Goodness, adopting was by far the most difficult thing we have ever gone through. But God never calls you to something that you can do on your own. He wants you to rely on him, and boy did we have to rely on God.
So this passion, this healthy discontent I have with orphans and their situations pull on my heart. What am I supposed to do with that? I feel like there is so much more I could be doing, I just don't know where to start. Adopting again would be one way, but leading others to adopt would be a bigger way. Giving money to an orphanage or an organization that helps support and educate orphans would be another way, but leading others to give as well would have a larger impact. Going on a mission trip would help, but leading teams of missionaries would have a much larger impact.
While I pray and ask for the guidance and wisdom on how to fulfill my calling, I challenge you to do the same. What is it that you are passionate about? What do you feel called to do? What are you going to do about it?

Happy Family Day 2010

2010-11-29T14:57:00.000-06:00

Today marks the day that we have been a Family Day of four for one year! In the adoption world, there are so many benchmarks to celebrate. However, Family Day will be the one we celebrate every year! November 29, 2009 is when Me, Brandon and Marley walked off a series of planes after about 23 hours of traveling and ran into Miles' arms. It was the day that we were FINALLY all together! What a day. I can still remember Miles running up to me in his winter coat with a HUGE smile. He missed us tremendously. I remember the way he was all over Marley. This was the sibling that we had prayed for, talked about and cried about for years. He was instantly in love!
It's amazing how a five year old can have such a profound love for a new sibling! He was used to having all of the attention, but having her in our lives never seemed to bother him. In fact, he often tells me how much he loves Marley and how thankful he is that she is in our lives. I'm for real! He's got a heart, my sweet boy.
After one year of being a family of four, I have to say that yes....It was worth the wait. And yes, God does know what He is doing! I know, I'm such a hypocrite! I hated hearing those words while we were waiting, but it is so true. I still promise not to shove those phrases down any prospective adoptive parents throat. But goodness, is it true!
Marley came home a tiny tiny little girl, weighing just 11 lbs. at 6 1/2 months old. She could barely hold her head up, had no use of her legs, didn't roll over, but was full of joy. She was the one God had intended for our family, and we for her. Within months she progressed at tremendous rates and is now on target, or above...lol, for her age! I hope you too will enjoy of video of how we became a family one year ago today!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Halloween 2010

2010-11-01T15:04:00.000-05:00

We had a wonderful Halloween! This was Marley's first and Miles....well, he's an expert! It's also the first year that I didn't make the costumes. I have to say that it truly was a relief. I put way too much pressure on myself when it comes to those kind of things. Although, I did add things to Marley's costume to give it a little extra girlyness!

There is No Excuse

2010-10-26T14:24:00.000-05:00

Brandon here again!!!! I have something I have to get off of my chest today.

On occasions more often than not, I hear the conversations of MANLY men in my office building, the gym locker room, and many other places that guys talk. Beyond football, NASCAR, business transactions, hunting leases, and small talk, I hear something that really bothers me. I hear these MANLY men complain about how they couldn't finish watching "the game" because they had to BABYSITT their kids. It just infuriates me when I hear this. They are YOUR kids that you helped bring into this world, so why oh why would you call it babysitting?

The MANLY men, who walk around beating on their chests like they just field dressed a deer on the hood of their truck........in a business suit! LOL. It just really bothers me that some (not most or all) guys seem to think that fatherhood just means that their only responsibility is to put food on the table, but not much else. It almost seems as if it is an inconvenience to them to spend quality time with their families. I know that sounds a little extreme, but that is the overall tone of the conversations I hear.

I absolutely dread cutting my grass, especially with a push mower, but it is what it is. It normally takes me about an hour and half to cut all of my grass, so to me, that is an hour and half I could be playing with my kids. I already work about 10 hours a day during the work week, so my time at home during the week is very limited. Since I can't press the pause button to do chores or conquer the honey-do lists, I try my best to tie them together. Case and point - the pictures you see.
Marley has a great time laughing and playing while I pull her in her wagon all over the yard. She is happy because she is next to me and she gets to ride around, I am happy because she is enjoying herself, and I get the grass cut at the same time, and Elisa is happy because she gets little break, and can recharge her batteries a bit.

All I am trying to say is the MANLY men need to actually MAN UP!! Sometimes you have to be willing to try something different to get different results. I am just tired of hearing excuses like "The game is on", and "I just got home from work" to get out of doing what is the most important job they have....being fathers. Yes, I like watching sports, yes I have my own hobbies, yes I work very hard (and occasionally get stressed out) at my job, I am not a hypocrite. But I know that Miles and Marley are reading me, they are watching my every move, and learning from my behaviors....so yes, I will drop what I am doing for them just to let them know that they are my #1 priority (under my wife) and that I want to care for them. Even when I have bad days at work, I try my best to put a good game face on for them and leave work at work. Hopefully, if I do this thing right, my kids will remember how important they were to me and when they have kids they will do the same.

So for you MANLY men who can't EVER turn off NFL Network, have become slaves to the Xbox/Playstation/Wii Gods, or say they are just plain too tired........MAN UP, and do your job......THERE IS NO EXCUSE.

Out of touch.................

2010-10-14T18:38:00.000-05:00

Brandon here!!! So the other day Miles comes home from school and says "Daddy I have a note from school". Automatically I am thinking "Great, his teacher wants to inform me he is misbehaving"......but no, he hands me this note to read and to my surprise it is from a girl. A note from a 7 year-old girl (keep in mind Miles is 5) and it has her phone number on it!!! I was speechless. Not because of the note, but because I was SOPHOMORE IN HIGH SCHOOL before I got a girl's phone number!!! LOL. Almost immediately that old Hall & Oates song "Your out of Touch" started playing in my head.

I don't know if I have become naive, if this is my reality to remind me I am getting old, or both! Now I know that the note is a totally innocent and sweet gesture, but I don't remember kids being this advanced (aggressive even) at their ages. I was too worried about Legos and Lincoln Logs back then to think about girls. But I have to look at like this too: Internet, Cable, Ipods, sup'd up gaming systems, all these things we have come to love and enjoy were not around back in the day. All the technology obviously advances as time marches on, so why wouldn't our kids advance right along with it? I mean, Miles was able to navigate to the Playhouse Disney website all on his own at age 3, while to this day I still can't successfully set the time on a VCR........if I still used one it would still blank "12:00" till the end of time.

So maybe I am not terribly out of touch after all, but I might still take his bedroom door off of the hinges for good measure! LOL!

Four Little Angels

2010-09-29T19:31:00.000-05:00

A few months ago, we were surprised with a positive pregnancy test. WHAT?! Yes, I was pregnant! The emotions were all over the place. I couldn't believe the two little lines that popped up on that little stick. I have seen those two lines five times in my life. Five times. Five times I cried and thought of clever ways to tell Brandon he was going to be a Daddy. Five times I thanked God for the little baby He was growing inside of me. Five times I have thought of my belly growing, the baby that would soon join us and if it was a boy or a girl. Five times.
We didn't want to announce our surprise pregnancy until I was past the first trimester. I was so sick the first few weeks, I didn't think I would make it without someone noticing. At 11 weeks pregnant, just a week from our big announcement, we found out we have one more angel. That makes four. Four Little Angels.
With every miscarriage I have grown. Our first angel was our very first pregnancy. We were so excited and told everyone we knew. Weeks later, we grieved. I was so hurt. I didn't understand why it happened. Our second angel was right after we began the adoption process. We were a bit surprised by the pregnancy, but were so excited. Again, we told everyone. We saw the heartbeat on an ultrasound and felt secure that the pregnancy would last. After another routine ultrasound, we found out that we now had two little angels.
That second miscarriage shook me. It made me realize who my friends were. Friends who I thought were my core and my support system, weren't there. They showed more sympathy to their friends who had wisdom teeth pulled. It was very difficult for me, but it made me realize that I needed to rely on my God and my husband for support and comfort.
That second angel did a lot for me. I became a little more, okay a lot more guarded with my time. I didn't give that time or effort to people, things or events that didn't lift me up. I am sure I made a lot of people mad, but I needed to clean out the closet. I needed to clean out the people I called friends, and I wasn't sure why. I quit worrying about what people thought, not in an "I'm going Gothic" way, but in a Godly way. I was caught up in the business of hosting everyone's baby shower, surprise birthday parties, house warming parties, bible studies, small groups and play groups. I had to be in the middle of everything because I didn't want to let anyone down. I wasn't worried about pleasing God, I was worried about pleasing people. In a way, I am glad that that miscarriage helped me to see that I cannot rely on others to fill my needs. They will fail you every time. I was looking for people (my family, church family and friends) to comfort me, when it was God that I needed to seek out.
Angel number three was an angel before we knew it. I will never forget it, it was on my 3oth birthday. We kept it to ourselves, and continued in our adoption process.
Angel number four. You bring tears to my eyes. We didn't know you were coming, and quite honestly we were shocked to find out. We didn't share your news, to protect the hearts of the ones we love. Your heartbeat brought us hope, so tiny...yet it still fluttered. The sickness I felt made me confident that you would be joining our family. Still the fear of loosing you kept me from getting too excited. After about two months, I let my heart accept you. I started to wonder if you were a boy or a girl. What would your name be? Would we use another M name? Would I really have three kids? I started going through Marley's baby clothes, putting things aside. I started looking at double strollers and finding your spot in the minivan. I was planning our future, as a family of five. We thought of creative ways to announce our news. We had just made our parent's get webcams so we could see their faces when we told them they would have another grandchild.
It's only been two weeks, but already I feel like I have grown through this. I appreciate my children even more. Every parent loves their children. I have always been pretty crazy about mine, but after this...they are so so much more precious. They are both truly gifts! I also have accepted that we will not have anymore biological children. I truly feel comfortable saying that, almost like a relief. It's not something I am sad about, quite opposite. I am happy to say that childbearing, for us, is a thing of the past.
These past few weeks have also made me want to live life more, to quit making excuses. I am going on a mission trip to Uganda in June. We are taking our family to Mardi Gras!
There are a few explanations as to why I keep making angels, but really when it comes down to it...to me, it doesn't matter. It's done. I have always cherished my sweet boy, but now more than ever. Miles was the only one out of five that I get to hold! What a gift! Marley, well I don't even need to explain what a blessing and gift she is. One miracle born of the body, one miracle born in my heart, and four sweet angels. My heart is full!

Readoption Day

2010-09-02T10:30:00.000-05:00

Today was a success! This morning we met our attorney at the court house. Brandon and I sat in a little lobby full of adoptive families not sure what to expect, but anticipating tears. For those not familiar with the adoption process, a friend of mine put it best when she said "it's like getting married twice." Marley was already adopted legally in Ethiopia. But in order for us to get a U.S. birth certificate and then citizenship, we needed to readopt her here in the states.
It was a quick and pleasant hearing. There were only a few people in the court room. Marley sat in the lap of the Guardian at Litem. He was a friendly man, and Marley decided his lap was more entertaining that ours, so there she was. They doodled on paper the entire time. The lawyer asked Brandon a bunch of questions, to which he answered "yes" to and then the judge smiled very kindly to us and proclaimed that Sifen would now be named Marley Haset. We chose the name Haset, which is Amaric, because it means joy. We will be getting her Missouri birth certificate in the mail in the next few months. I cried. Of course.
So today, Marley was adopted again!

Miles' First Day of Kingergarten

2010-09-02T09:49:00.000-05:00

On August 19, 2010 Miles had his first day of Kindergarten. He was so excited to go and to get to ride the bus with all the neighborhood kids. Mommy did cry, but only for a minute. He did so good and we are very proud of our Kindergartener!

Our Summer

2010-08-03T13:17:00.000-05:00

Where have I been? Why haven't I been blogging? Well there isn't a great excuse, other than being a Mommy! Seriously though, great summer time in our house!
We became a minivan family! We sold our 4Runner and paid CASH for our new to us Minivan. We LOVE it and can't believe it took us this long to become one!

We had a great visit from Nonnie and Papa.

The kids and I drove up to St. Louis for a weekend for our agency's Reunion Picnic. I got to meet many blog friends and reunite with a few of the children we saw while in Ethiopia.
I met Alida, whose son looks so much like Miles.
Marley got to see Ru again! And Miles got to spend time with Biscut! Then we all drove back to Springfield and ate at Lambert's. Good times.
The garden is doing amazing! I will be canning another years supply of tomatoes, along with maybe a years supply of carrots and green beans. I also learned how to harvest and dry herbs and cure and store onions and potatoes! Yay me! Next years garden is going to be awesome!
Marley is officially a walker! She started taking steps in June and by the end of July she was trying to run. Sweet girl!

One Year Ago Today...

2010-07-20T13:10:00.001-05:00

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Family Pictures 2010

2010-05-27T12:09:00.000-05:00

Marley at 12 Months

2010-05-22T15:17:00.000-05:00

Wow how fast that went! Marley is one and on target for her age! She caught up so so quickly and we couldn't be any more proud of our sweet girl! She is still small for her age, but the doctor says it's her height that throws it off. She is still not on the U.S. chart for height, but her weight is just fine for how long she is. Confusing, I know. But nothing to be alarmed about. We just have a short little girl. So at 12 months, Miss Marley is:

Crawling on all fours
Pulling up and cruising around
Walks while holding our hands
Says Mama, Dada, NiNi (night night), Nana (Banana)
She learned the sign for sleep and for bath
She is done with baby food
She has 3 1/2 teeth
18.5 lbs. and 26 inches long

It's amazing that she has made so much progress. When we brought her home at 6 1/2 months old, she was like a newborn, just learning to hold her head up! Yay Marley!
We finished our second post adoption visit and are now on the path for readoption. Since Mar Mar came home as a resident and not a citizen, we have to readopt her here in the U.S. in order to gain citizenship. It's not required, but will make her adult life easier. We also plan to be the first family in our county to do it ourselves, without a lawyer. We will see how that goes!
We are quickly approaching the day that Miss Marley has been with us longer than she hasn't. What joy she has brought into all of our lives!

Mommy & Marley 6 months old

Mommy & Marley 12 months old

Happy Birthday Mar Mar!

2010-05-13T10:45:00.000-05:00

My baby girl is no so much a baby anymore. I, like all mothers, will call her my baby for all of her life. We celebrated Marley's birthday with a picnic style party at one of our many local parks. Marley had fun playing on a blanket and showing off her huge birthday bow with pride. She liked the cake, but like big brother, she just kind of messed over it. No big cake mess in our family...lol! She received a lot of really nice toys, all of which make noise. I love it! What a special day in our house. Miss Marley is one year old!

Why Do I Feel Like I Need to Explain Myself?

2010-05-11T09:37:00.000-05:00

Lately, I have found that I feel obligated to explain myself. If I am unable to commit to a function that I have been invited to, I explain that I have a party, theater lessons, swimming lessons, we are going out of town, or I am just too exhausted to attend. If we are late to something, I feel like I need to justify our tardiness by blaming the traffic, the kids, my husband or just life. When someone tells me that Marley is so petite for her age, I feel like I need to explain to them that she is Ethiopian and Ethiopians are small people, or that she was so so tiny at birth and that she has gained 7 pounds while in the United States in the last 6 months. Why do I feel the need to explain myself? Why can't I just say, "I'm so sorry I won't be able to attend your jewelry party?" "We made it," when we are running behind schedule, or "why yes, Marley is petite" when people comment on her size. Why do I feel like a simple answer isn't good enough?
Yesterday, at Miles' acting class, another parent asked Marley's age. When I said 12 months, she immediately responded with, "wow...12 months, she's so tiny!" Okay, so if you know me, this really frustrates me. I know it may sound petty. But what I hear is, " she just isn't perfect in my eyes." Ridiculous, I know. I think she is the most perfect little girl ever! I just don't get why people feel the need to ask her age and why she is so small all the time? Okay, back to this lady at the theater. So after she stated that Marley looked so petite for her age, she did have a curious look on her face, as if she was waiting for an explanation, I told her that Marley was Ethiopian. Still dumbfounded, I further explained that Ethiopians are smaller people. Then she said, "Oh, so your husband is Ehtiopian?" I suppose this would have been a valid question had she not seen my husband, but she had! Brandon is HUGE. Standing at 6'7" he is not petite...lol! So now is it okay for me to call this lady a moron? I replied with, "No, my husband is not Ethiopian. Marley was adopted from Ethiopia." I did it, I explained my situation. But I only did it with the intention of educating this lady thinking I may encourage her to adopt, silly me! This woman pried on. "Well your son isn't petite?" I explained again, "Miles is a tummy baby, you know home grown." No she didn't go there! I don't know this woman from Adam, this was the first time I had ever met her, seriously! She continued, "so you couldn't have anymore children after Miles?" Why didn't I see this as prying and stop right there? Hmmmm? But no, I kept going. "Well, we felt called to adoption and had some situations that confirmed it for us. "Didn't it take a long time," she continued. I won't bore you with the rest, but you get the point.
Just today at Miles' school, a teacher saw me carrying Marley and said, " she's so bitty but seems so grown, how old is she?" When I said 12 months, she asked if she was early, I replied with "actually I have always though of her as very late, but looking back now, I'd have to say that she was right on time!" Yay me!
I'm totally fine, if not overly enthused, to talk about adoption...our adoption to interested folk. But nosy people...that's a different story. I suppose my frustration comes with just a plain lack of words. I need clever, one liners to shut those nosy people up. Or perhaps I just need to quit feeling obligated to sharing our entire story with everyone off the street. Sweet and simple, "why yes she is petite, and perfectly made" should do. Right?

Mother's Day....Wonderful

2010-05-09T22:00:00.000-05:00

I love being a mom. I LOVE being a mom! Brandon has only made my role as a mother even better. He is such a great support. He allows me to pretty much do anything I want, and follows me along on my crazy adventures, like my dream of living off the land! He doesn't complain when my newest hobby is scrapbooking, knitting, sewing, cooking, canning, gardening or blogging. He actually encourages me to go out with friends and takes the kids, okay begs me to leave the kids.
Today, I woke up to coffee, breakfast and gifts. The kids gave me a subscription to Mother Earth News, a magazine for self sustainable living. Brandon gave me a dress and shoes! And he did good! He took us out to a local Italian restaurant. So yummy.
This Mother's Day was wonderful. I am so elated to have my children...both of them. They are truly gifts that I thank God for everyday.

To Amaye

2010-05-08T15:04:00.001-05:00

Amaye,
Happy Mother's Day! You are my baby's first mother. You carried my sweet sweet girl in your tummy. You gave her life, you loved her, you nurtured her. You fed her when she was hungry. For just twelve days. Most importantly, you chose life for her! I can only imagine how you felt on that day. I'm sure that walk to Biruh Zemen was difficult. I wonder if it was raining, or hot? If she laid quietly in your arms as you walked or if she was tied on your back? I wonder if the staff comforted you, if they gave you a tissue to wipe your tears? The sweet kisses that were your last, oh how that must have felt. To smell that baby's breath for the last time. I'm sure you whispered sweet wishes into Sifen's ear, telling her that you loved her so so much and that she would have a forever family soon. I can see you crying as they shut the gate to the orphanage compound as you leave. I wish I was there to hold you, to love you, to give you hope and whisper in your ear, "we love you so so much and promise to take care of this tiny tiny baby girl." I would have told you that she is loved, loved beyond measure. That this child, God's child, will be fed, clothed, sheltered, have access to doctors, be educated, and have every opportunity imaginable. This child, the one you chose life for, will live!
Eleven months have gone by since that day. I wonder if you are counting them. I am sure you are. In our country, we celebrate mothers once a year. We call it Mother's Day. Last Mother's Day I cried. I cried so hard. I shook my fist at God and cried out "Why?" My heart was broken for the child I wanted so bad. The pain was tremendous. I couldn't understand. I didn't know His plan. Last Mother's Day, you felt the same way.
Amaye, thank you. Thank you so much. I promise to love her, kiss her, wipe her tears and fill her with joy. I promise to share with her the love you have for her. She will always know that you, her Amaye, loved her . And that that love is what led her to us. Sifen will know that she has a mother and she has an Amaye. Both love her in indescribable amounts. You had her first, and I'll have her forever. Last Mother's Day, I can only think that we both were brought together that day. We both cried out to God for the same little girl. We didn't know it at the time, but now I can see how it came together. You cried out to God to save her and I cried out to God to bring her to our arms. He knew. It's not always a pretty beginning with adoption. I know that. I know that in my joy, it brought you pain. But I also know that you wanted this for her. Thank you for that! This Mother's Day I celebrate you, the most amazing mother I will ever know.

With Much Love,
Sifen's Mommy

Sweet Girl and her Friends

2010-05-05T16:23:00.000-05:00

Sweet Girl went to the park today. We had a little picnic and spent some time with friends. Marley has quite a few babies her age in our town. We had so much fun! Notice all babies have something in their mouths at the same time...lol. Must be the age! Marley is the oldest of the four. We are quickly approaching her first birthday and are in just disbelief. This sweet baby that came home just 5 1/2 months ago is turning one! Oh....by the way, we now have a proficient crawler! I thought she was going to skip crawling. Marley has been pulling up and cruising for a little while now and scooted all around the house. She just refused to get on all fours. Well today, she's a crawler!

Give

2010-05-02T08:10:00.000-05:00

What does giving mean to you? Do you give because you feel it's the right thing to do? Do you give because you feel obligated? Do you give? Sure you do. You give your time and money all the time. You give your time to your children, your spouse, your job, your child's school or sports team or your church. You give your money to mortgages, bills, restaurants, stores, gas stations or your kids. You give. We give. But are we really giving of our money? I'm not sure we are. A wise man once said, "show me your check book, and I'll show you what's important in your life." Boy does that speak to me. While a lot of people don't use check books anymore, you get the point. Where does your money go? Bills, I get it. But after that? I've been guilty in indulging in fast food restaurants, hair appointments and scrap booking stores. When you look at your check book, who or where are the most checks written to?
Our family believes that God commands us to give. To give ten percent, to be exact. I recall growing up and my father telling me that that could mean ten percent of your time and not necessarily money. Neither me nor Brandon knew anything about giving monetarily. When we first started attending church together, we would see the bucket go around and might put in a couple of dollars. I recall the day we put in a $20 bill. WHOA, were we big stuff...lol! We didn't understand the concept of giving ten percent of our incomes. Okay, Brandon's income. I was a student. As we grew spiritually, we learned that our money is not just ours, it was God's first. All He asked for was 10%. It was gradual for us. We built up to a ten percent monetary giving. Is that the right way to do it? For us, it's how we did it and it was a faith thing. We knew that this was the only area that God said to test Him in and we tested Him. And He blew us away! There were refund checks that came in the mail, check book balances that never made sense, and the ultimate gift of wisdom to manage our finances. It wasn't always easy. There were months that I sold treasured items on eBay to give. I don't write this to boast, only to show that it can be done...if it's what's important to you.
Now the whole giving to a church thing is what holds a lot of people up. It did to us at first. And while God's word says to bring your ten percent to the church, He also says that the body of believers are His church. There have been times in our marriage when we didn't belong to a church building, in our transient lives. Or we felt an overwhelming desire to give to God through someone in need, or to a cause we felt that did God's work. Is this right? Ultimately, it's between us and God. While we believe that our local church does God's work, we also believe that God is everywhere and can use us anywhere! Our church is a building that we go to to worship and serve our God.....BUT, it is not our God. God is much bigger than that building. We choose to give to our church. The building serves our community, brings people to Christ, and gives to those in need. But we also allow God to use us wherever He needs us. Not that He needs our money...lol. We are open, or are trying to be open, to giving more to God and His people everywhere.
Man, if we all gave....gave generously, like it was our mortgage, our car payment, our grocery bill, our kids sports team. Imagine the impact that would make! God doesn't need your money, but He uses it to bless people. To give them hope, to care for an orphan, to feed people, to clothe people, to build water wells for clean drinking water, to house the homeless. Jesus said, when you do these things for other people, you do them for Him. I want to be at those gates one day, and be able to say that I fed Jesus, I clothed Jesus, I gave shelter to Jesus, I gave Him a drink....that I loved Him!
Our family is not perfect. We do believe in striving for perfection, but know that we fall short in many areas. We do remain faithful in giving, while it may only be ten percent, we are faithful. Not because we feel obligated, but because it brings us joy. We long for the day to give more. What a journey giving is.
For me, my passion is orphans. I feel called to them, to love them, to feed them, to clothe them, to give them clean drinking water...to mother them. If we all adopted an orphan, there would be no more orphans! If we all gave money (like you give to Walmart, Kohl's, Lowe's, you fill the blank) to a family adopting an orphan, money wouldn't be an issue. If we all contributed to orphanages, orphans wouldn't go hungry or thirsty. If we all would just give! Be generous, do something you never would have done! Empty your savings account, sell your car, take on an extra job, have faith! GIVE! We are a testimony. The savings account will build back up and then some, you'll get another car, someone will feel called by God to BLESS YOU! JUST GIVE!
So what is your passion? What cause, issue, or need would you contribute to if you had the money or time? What has God laid on your heart? Have faith, go crazy and GIVE!

Attachment

2010-04-19T08:46:00.000-05:00

What does a secure attachment look like, in terms of parenting an adopted child? We have read books, participated in online forums, sought out advice from experts and experienced adoptive parents and prayed for a secure attachment with Marley. Attachment is not something that just happens over night, well for the adopted child anyway. We, as adoptive parents, can be attached to our child and feel fully bonded before he or she even comes home. We build a bond with an idea of a child, not knowing who she is or if she is even born yet. The picture comes and we study every detail, trying to put that deep love we have for this child with the picture. Trying to bond with the face of a child we have never seen. Months go by and the love that we have for her grows and grows to a profound level. Only adoptive parents really understand this. We see her for the first time she is placed in our arms and we melt, it's a secure attachment, for us anyways.
For the adoptive child, of various ages, it's a tramatic experience. She was with her birth family for however long, abandoned or taken to an orphanage. Then picked up by an agency and assigned to a family. That family knows who she is, but she doesn't know who they are. She lays in a box or sleeps with 20 other children two or three to a bed. She has nannies coming and going. They hold her or they don't. They prop up a bottle with a pillow and move on to the next crying baby. She doesn't know that their is a family for her, just her. That loves her unconditionally, regardless of her past, color, illness or age. They are attached to her.
For the adoptive child, when they are placed in our arms, they may feel confused and be afraid. Who are these people that don't look like or talk like me? They may push you away, or cling to you in shock. They are not bonded or securely attached. As much as we like to convince ourselves that our story was different, it's not. Adoptive children need to bond and attach to their parents.
Marley was all smiles when she was placed in our arms. She talked and laughed at us. It was amazing! But she wouldn't let us comfort her. She would push herself away when we held her to our chest. It was unfamiliar to her. I don't believe she was really held or formed a bond with any person. A smiling baby is what most people saw when we brought her home. I saw a child that was craving attention and a baby that didn't want to attach to me. I loved this little baby with an unexplainable about of love. I was so securely attached to her, how could she not be to me?
For months, I held her...when she didn't want to be held. I rocked her to sleep. I ran to her at every little cry. I carried her in the sling all day long. I never left her. She started forming an attachment. I could see it! I would let close friends and family hold her and she'd look back to me for reassurance. What a milestone! Then she started crying when I would hand her to someone. Oh what a sweet sound! I believe attachment is a process, that happens over time. There are days that I feel that she is securely attached and am ready to blog about it. Then there are days that I feel that I have done something wrong and have to go back to square one.
This past weekend we were at church. Marley was in her sling, like she always is. We lead a greeting team at church and I slipped away, letting Brandon take the lead, to hear the worship music. I sang loudly, because no one could hear me. I swayed back and forth with my babe on my chest. I could feel the vibrations of her singing on my chest and on my hand covering her cheek. She was singing with me. I sang four songs, rocking back and forth. I felt her singing stop and looked down and sweet Marley had fallen asleep on my chest, gripping my hand. That is attachment for us!
She loves us. While there are days that I feel so confident that this little girl is so secure in her attachment to us, there are also days that I feel that she just sees us at the people who feed her. Those are the days that I put her in that sling and sing, sing loud and sway back and forth.

One Year Ago Today

2010-04-14T07:53:00.000-05:00

One year ago today, my Daddy went home. He battled various illnesses for years and it was his time to be at peace and out of pain. It was difficult. He was just 60, and I was just 32. My brother was 27. That is too young to lose a parent. I know there are people who lose parents much earlier, and I feel for them. I had envisioned a life where my parents would live long lives and watch our children enter high school, go to college, get married and have children of their own.
This past year has been a lot easier than I thought. I suppose it is because I had been grieving the loss of my father for about 10 years. His first sign of failed health was an emergency heart valve replacement. That was shortly before Brandon and I got married. I remember the surgeon coming out into the waiting room and telling us that he would be surprised if my Dad made it through the night. His aortic chamber had torn during surgery, due to an enlarged heart, and they had to repair it with graphing. I was just 23 and my brother 18. I'm so thankful we had my Dad for almost 10 more years, but his health never fully returned after that. For years he battled with things like Parkinson's Disease and COPD. So for about 10 years, I cringed at every late night phone call from my mother. I jumped on planes and drove home when I thought it was his time. I can't count how many times I packed that black dress. My brother and my mother saw me as negative, I'm sure. I thought it was just being real. It was going to happen, whether I wanted it to or not.
During those 10 years, I got to talk to my Daddy on the phone a lot. He'd always end our conversation with, "Daddy loves you princess." He always, ALWAYS told me how much he was proud of me. He loved Miles so much and couldn't wait to get to meet Marley. Brandon was his son, from the beginning. Brandon would call him Mr. B. And my dad would love to chat about anything Aggie's, baseball or jazz with Brandon. Some of my favorite memories are of my dad and Brandon playing sax and trombone together. We always talked about the trio they would be when Miles would join with his trumpet.
The last time I saw my dad was about a month before he passed away. He was on a ventilator and various other machines. He couldn't talk, but tried so hard. He was there. His eyes trying so hard to communicate. I knew all he wanted to say was "Daddy loves you princess." I held his hand and asked him if he felt confident that he would be joining our Lord in heaven one day. He looked into my eyes and nodded yes, very calmly, like he knew it was coming. This wasn't something I doubted, but I felt like I needed to know.
Today, I am remembering my Dad. The great father he was to me. Oh Daddy, I miss you so much!

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

What a Steal!

2010-04-13T09:40:00.000-05:00

I'm a coupon mom. It is not something that happened over night, it's been a gradual work in progress. I am still learning and every month I am saving more and more due to coupons. As of lately, my average monthly savings due to coupons has been about $170. This is in addition to store sales. This is only coupons, on average, about 100 coupons worth. When I come up to the register, the sales person usually sighs. LOL!
I had to share my most recent deal! I'm sure you all have heard of the Walgreen's and CVS shopping deals. There entire blogs dedicated to the researching and deals that can be found at these stores. You'll hear terms such as money makers or free. So, I'm not quite there yet. I spend a lot of time on my coupon sorting and organizing. I haven't yet graduated to the research of sales from various stores, price comparisons,
Register Rewards, EBC's, etc.. But I couldn't resist it when I saw that Walgreen's had Pampers boxes on sale for $18.99 and were giving $4.00 Register Rewards (RR) for each box purchased. The sign said it was like paying $14.99 per box. Well that's an okay deal, but not great. BUT I have some pretty AWESOME Pampers coupons from the manufacturer. I emailed Pampers about some leaky diapers and they sent me some $10 off coupons. As a matter of fact, every time I have even the smallest problem with any diaper or product, off to that products website I go, to complain. I have, in my current stock, about $100 worth of Pampers coupons. So back to my deal of the month! After I handed one of my $10 Pamper coupons to the cashier, my total per box was $4.99! That comes out to $.08 a diaper! Holy Cow! So here is my loot! I got all six of these boxes for just $30!And just because this is too freaking funny, a picture of Marley after Miles had colored on her with a purple maker!

New Tricks

2010-04-07T12:55:00.000-05:00

The other day, I put Marley down for a nap. It was the usual routine, feed her a bottle, put her to bed, give her a binky and slip out of her room and shut the door. She goes straight to sleep. She slept about an hour and then it was not so much the usual wake up. She normally coos and talks for awhile until I go get her. This time she was screaming. I went in to see what on earth this girl was so upset about and this is what I saw.
She was scared and couldn't figure out how to get down...lol! Silly girl! After about three days of this, she has it down! She's all over the place pulling herself up and showing off! I love it, no I LOVE IT! It is a time of celebration! She is so quickly reaching all of her milestones and we are so proud of her!
Easter

Marley at 10 Months

2010-04-01T15:07:00.000-05:00

Miss Marley is more of a joy everyday! I love to wake to her calling out Mama and to see her excited face when I walk in her room. I love how she smothers me with baby kisses. I love how she lays on my chest for comfort and I LOVE when she turns to me when strangers approach her. She's my baby girl!
At 10 Months Miss Marley :

Is scooting all over the house! (She gets up on all fours and rocks)
Is starting to eat more solid foods
Waves Bye Bye
Blows Kisses
Points to her nose on command
Shakes her booty on command (I know, crazy!)
Knows signs for eat, more, all done, water, milk, bath
Is taking swimming lessons and learning to float on her back
SHE WEIGHS 18 LBS! This is up to the 20th percentile!!! (she was in the 3rd percentile in November)

Spring Break 2010 (Houston)

2010-03-31T12:33:00.001-05:00

On to Nonnie's and Papa's we go! Houston's weather was fabulous during our visit. Nonnie got to give Marley the much anticipated Nonnie/Grandbaby bath!

Marley got her ears pierced! Auntie Chaun was loving all the kisses!
We had a Sip & See and got to show off our precious little princess to all of our Houston friends and family. Marley loved her new shades!And a trip to Houston would not be complete without a Crawfish Boil! Miles was scared to death of them! Papa made that boil so hot that I couldn't hang too long...lol!

Spring Break 2010 (Corpus Christi)

2010-03-30T17:33:00.000-05:00

On the road we went. That drive was something else! But we made it. And the weather was amazing! Marley had not shown any skin on U.S. soil in the four months she has been here, so it was time. We put her in a sun dress and BOOM....instant Texan!
We got to go to Bay Area Fellowship only to be blown away yet again. God is doing some pretty amazing things at that church! The Million Dollar Giveaway is this weekend and we are going to miss it! If you are in South Texas for Easter this year, this church is the place to be! They are giving away at least 10 cars! Man, I wonder if they have a van...lol!

Mimi got to meet Marley.

Marley and Ru (Marley's BFF from Ethiopia) had a reunion. They live in San Antonio and drove down to see us. Marley and Ru got to hang out in the slings, play in the swings, got called twins and went to the beach. I loved seeing Missy, my adoption mommy friend!

Spring Break 2010 (Dallas)

2010-03-30T13:46:00.000-05:00

The tour of Texas! That is what we are calling our recent vacation during Spring Break. We took a much needed vacation back home to show off our little lady. Marley hadn't seen most of our family and it was time. She is boding and attaching very very well and we felt comfortable enough to take her home and pass her around. Plus we needed to get out of these winter clothes! Ahhhhh, it was so nice and warm!
Our first stop was Dallas. We have some old friends there. Okay, so they aren't "old" they have just been friends of ours since Brandon and I started dating. Their kids are the same age as our kids. Miles and Trey had a BLAST! It seems that every time they get together, I capture the funniest picture of them! I know they aren't going to like it when I bring these out in 10 years!
Miles is saying goodbye to Trey early in the morning. Sweet boys!

Some Lessons I have Learned

2010-03-09T13:11:00.001-06:00

I'm a work in progress. I'm on a journey, and while I have come a long way, I still have a way to go. I am learning to never say never. You never know where life will take you, what your destiny will be.
Prior to meeting the love of my life and my husband, yes they are both the same person, I said I would never marry a man younger than me. I always thought I would eventually marry a man who was older than me. And I had recently proclaimed all, let me say this again, ALL Navy men were dogs. I vowed not to date a Navy man again. When Brandon and I met, we were three years apart in age. I know three years isn't that much, but when I was almost 23 and Brandon was only 19 that was a big difference. I was about to graduate from college and Brandon had kinda just graduated high school and he was in the Navy. We both fell madly in love pretty quickly and wanted to elope after two weeks. My point is, had I stuck to my guns and refused to "never" date a man younger than me and never to date another Sailor, I would have never given Brandon a chance. I had always dreamed of the Godly man my future husband would be. I imagined the amazing father he would be, like my own father. He would love me and our children unconditionally. Thank God I did get the Godly husband and outstanding father to my children. I learned that the man God had intended for me to marry had been Brandon and that being stubborn about my ideals was not godly.
Before we had children, I envisioned the type of mother I would be. I was going to breastfeed, be a stay at home mom, we would co-sleep, I would have my children in all kinds of activities and sports from day one. I even silently judged mothers who didn't breast feed, co-sleep or stay at home. I couldn't understand why a mother would choose not to breast feed. Why a family would push a baby away from them in their own room after they had grown inside a womb for 9 months and were used to closeness. Or why, if the chance was available, would a mother go back to work instead of care for her children. Boy did all of those ideals go out the window.
I wanted to stay home. I always had known that being a wife and a mother was the reason I had been placed on this earth. More than anything, I wanted to fulfill that dream. When I was pregnant with Miles, I dreamed of all the play dates we would have and the Mommy and Me swimming lessons. His time came, he was born. I was on maternity leave. I couldn't imagine going back to work. But then I soon realized that this cute little baby was driving me crazy. He cried all the time, he wouldn't sleep. It was not making me a good person. Soon, all I could think about was going back to work. Before you judge me, hear this. The lesson I learned is that you never, NEVER, know someone elses circumstances. As much as you think you might know, you never truly do. I went back to work because it made me a better mother to Miles and a better wife to Brandon. I did it because it was what was best for our family.
Now just a few short months later I felt an overwhelming calling to quit my job and stay at home. I obeyed and am glad I did. It seemed I needed those few months. During our adoption journey, I took on some jobs to help pay for our adoption. In our house, we believe that it is the husbands role to provide for the family. It is not every one's belief, but it is ours, it works for us. What may be right for our family, does not mean that it is right for all. I took a job because I believe that my role is to be my husbands help mate. The stress to pay for our adoption was a lot. It was not fair, in my opinion, to leave that solely on him. It made sense. So how can I judge families with working moms? How can I truly know all of their circumstances? How fair is it of me to think that I know what is best for them? Mothers go back to work for many many reasons and that is their families business. How can I know their circumstances or criticize them for it?
Breastfeeding is something I always thought was so beautiful. So natural. I thought I would be one of those mothers who nursed for years...lol! When Miles was born, I tried, oh I tried. I sought out the counsel of La Leche people, Nursing consultants, Nurses, Doctors. I was one of those women who couldn't breastfeed. It was devastating. Miles had jaundice and I had very little milk. I couldn't feed him. I remember sitting on my bed, feeding Miles with an eye dropper so he wouldn't get used to a bottle nipple. I tried so hard. I cried. Then finally, I accepted it. I would be one of those mothers that formula fed. Once I truly accepted it, it was relieving. I was formula fed and I turned out fine. I let it go and let Brandon help. Boy was that nice. I also let go of my preconceived notion that all mothers must breastfeed. Who am I to judge? The thing is you never know the situation. I started meeting other formula feeding mothers and I learned that there are many many reasons a mother chooses or resorts to formula feeding. Most obvious is the lack of milk supply or other issues with letting down, etc.. Single mothers may formula feed because they have no help and work and for them, it's easier. Some mothers had husbands who aren't supportive. Some are on heavy medications and it's not safe. Some mothers work and have to work long hours and it's difficult to pump and wake several times at night. Some children were adopted. Whatever the reason, it's their reason. It doesn't affect my family so I learned to not jump to conclusions.
After I started formula feeding, I remember being at a play date with little Miles and needing to run and get something and handing Miles to a friend with his bottle. She looked at me and said, "I don't know how to feed a baby a bottle, all of my babies were breastfed." Are you kidding me? I would get pity party looks and comments on how breast milk was best for him. That's when I learned that I know what is best for my baby and my family. How could others know my situation. I have heard it all and the most disturbing thing is hearing a breast feeding mother say that watching a mother bottle feed her child is disgusting. Really? Disgusting? What disgusts me is when mothers start judging other mothers. Lets all be on the same team. We are mothers. We, most of us, want what's best for our children. And sometimes formula is what is best for our children. It sure beats starving.
A fellow formula feeding mother once told me about those studies that state that breastfed babies have higher IQ's and lower immune systems. She brought up a great point. She said that the studies that show that breastfed babies have higher IQ's is not accurate. That, typically, breastfeeding mothers are stay at home mothers . Typically, stay at home mothers are more involved in the education of their children. So therefore, parents that are more involved in their child's learning have children with higher IQ's. While not all breastfeeding mothers stay at home and not all stay at home mothers are more involved in their child's education, she did make a good point. There are many different factors in a child's IQ. I understand, breastmilk is natural and is the best thing for babies. However, there are alternatives, and the use of them should be the business of their families, not others. Okay, I know that is going to be a controversial argument. I just had to say that in my own experience, judging a mother who doesn't breastfeed has made me eat my own words. I became one of those mothers who had and chose to formula feed. I did what I thought best for my children and I am so glad I did. It has made me a better mother. Besides, I'd like to test my child's IQ against any breastfed child's IQ any day....lol!
Co-Sleeping...another hot topic amongst mothers. I truly thought that both of our children would co-sleep. The thought of a child growing in my womb or growing away from me for so long, and then to push them away in their own crib and in another room, seemed harsh. I wanted my babies with me, I wanted to be able to comfort them all through the night. Well...Miles was a true test of sanity, for us. We were new parents, and he was a very demanding baby. Miles was born just about a year after some close friends of ours lost their 13 month old child to SIDS. I was a nervous wreck. I wanted him to sleep with us, but I was scared I would smother him. Every little noise would wake me and if it didn't I would wake up to check on him to make sure he was still breathing. If I couldn't tell, I would poke him until I could see him move and then he'd wake up and the cycle started all over again. Sleep was something our family did very little of when Miles was a baby. I do think it had a lot to do with me wanting to go back to work. Having him in the bed with us made it difficult for all of us to sleep. We tried, we really did. It was not the right fit for our family. It is great for others, but not ours. When Miles started sleeping in is own crib in his own room, he got more sleep and we got more sleep. He was happier and we were happier and better parents. I learned that judging a mother who chooses not to co-sleep is foolish. That mother knows something that I wish I knew before I had Miles...lol. Choosing not to co-sleep made me a better mother and a lot better wife...haha!
I could go on and on about the lessons I have learned as a wife and a mother, but the point is that I have learned to take my own preconceived notions of a mother and understand that mothers and families are all made differently. What works for one mother doesn't work for another. In the end, I believe that we all do want what is best for our children, and no matter how much I don't understand, the way another mother parents her child IS the best way for her!

Knit Knit Purl Purl

2010-02-21T20:31:00.000-06:00

I'm taking a knitting class! Yes, you heard right! I have been wanting to take one for years. My brother actually purchased a Knitting for Dummies book years ago and I just couldn't figure it out. Hilarious, I know. So I thought the Y offered some knitting classes and asked a few months ago and the guy at the counter laughed at me. Seriously, he laughed at me.
Brandon brought home a local college's catalog of non-credit classes, and alas a knitting class! I put it off and put it off, until a friend of mine offered to take it with me. So here I am, almost done with my knitting class and I almost have my class project complete. A 16x16 pillow. I know, what a horrible project. But hey, my teacher and my classmates have about 30 years on me, so knitted pillow it is.
In my spare time, since I have so much of it (sarcasm attached), I knitted a headband and flower, and a wash cloth. I really like making the flowers and have all kinds of patterns to learn. I'm hoping to graduate to some booties and a really cool hat soon. Just in time for spring. But hey, I'll get a head start on next year.

Cat Daddy!

2010-02-15T20:55:00.000-06:00

Miles had a date. We took him to his first dance! The recreation center had an all age Valentines Day dance and Mr. Miles took his friend Christa. It was too cute. He told me that Christa would think he was a Daddy because he had on a Daddy Hat! Too funny! So here he his, Mr. Cat Daddy!

Marley at Nine Months

2010-02-13T20:26:00.000-06:00

My sweet girl. Sweet sweet baby girl! Happy Nine Months Marley!
Marley has learned so many new things this month! She's such a phenomenal little blessing. It's so crazy to think of the lives we would have lived without her. It's unfathomable. Thank you God for this child, this child that we have prayed for.
At Nine Months, Marley:

Cut her first tooth
Started scooting (the army crawl)
Claps her hands
Raises her hands in the air (on command...lol)
Eats, oh my how she eats!
Started feeding herself, she's starting to learn to pinch her fingers together
Weighs 16 lbs! She's gained 3 lbs in 2 1/2 months!

Marley's favorite foods are apples and blueberries, prunes, corn, chicken noodle soup and avocados. Oh how she loves avocados! Just like my Miles baby!
She gets weighed in a few days and I can't wait to see how big my baby is. I look at her and can't believe how much she has grown in a little over 2 months. I would always hear how children would just blossom once they got home and received love and stability. I can say that I have personally witnessed this. Marley's hair is growing in, she's filling out. Her personality is just shining. My sweet pea!

Marley and her Friends

2010-02-11T09:34:00.000-06:00

We have been attending some play dates with Miss Marley. Okay, so I have been taking her to play dates while Brandon is at work and Miles is at school. She's becoming very curious. Last week, we played at her friend Stella's house. Stella is a month younger than Marley. Owen is almost a year. They played so well together. Marley, the talker that she is, didn't make a peep until about an hour of playing. She has to warm up, then she really gets going!
This week, Marley got to meet Ari. Ari just came home a few weeks ago and is just a ham. ADORABLE! He is two months younger than Marley. She was all over Ari. Since she's started scooting, she feels like she has more independence and I suppose she was trying to teach Ari the ropes...lol. Marley would take Ari's binki out of his mouth and try to trade with him. She wanted the blue and thought he might want the pink. I suppose she's getting tired of all the pink. She was taking toys out of his hands. Bossy, that Miss Marley...lol. They had a great time. We listened to an Ethiopian children's CD my good friend Justine gave Marley. It was too cute!

Here is Marley trying to give Ari a kiss. This girl....lol! Of all her friends, her brother Miles is her best friend! He can't wait to play with her everyday. The first question he asks when he gets off the school bus is, "is Marley awake?" He rolls around on the floor, reads to her, plays peek-a-boo and sings to her.
I love my kids!

She's Loves Me!!!

2010-02-03T14:02:00.000-06:00

And I absolutely LOVE it! Miss Marley is doing wonderful! She's becoming so attached to me, and it's just such an amazing and monumental thing. I rarely hear many adoptive families talk about the attachment or bond, or lack thereof, with their adoptive child. Admitting that things may not be right can be hard. While at the same time, the boding process goes very smoothly for some families and not so with others. Ours has been pretty smooth. When Marley first came into our arms, she was hesitant. The best way to explain it would be to imagine your child, your baby being taken away and parented by a stranger. Marley is a happy, social baby. She gave us smiles and laughs from the moment she placed into our arms. She did, however, hold back on love. She really didn't know what to do when we wanted to hold her and kiss on her for hours on end. She didn't like to be held to often and would resist being too close. I'm not sure she had formed any kind of attachment before.
For me, I feel like it's easier to identify any non-attachment issues because I have an attached child. I've heard of first time adoptive parents having the mother's intuition as well. Over the past two months, Marley has definitely become a Mama's girl. She wines for me when I leave her sight, or when someone else is holding her near me. She snuggles into my chest and loves to give me kisses. She seeks me out when she is tired, hurt or in an unfamiliar place. I am simply happy. We had some really good quality Mommy & Marley time today. Gosh, this little girl is just such an amazing gift. I'm so glad she has come into our lives. She loves me, she really loves me!
Today was the day I realized that Marley considers me her Mommy! Today. We had some playtime, just us. I realized that we have so many games that just her and I get. She thinks I'm hilarious. She needs me, as her comforter, her nurturer, her guide, her teacher, her Mommy. As I was getting her ready for bed I fed her a bottle, she was cradled in my arms, her eyes closing and opening. The grunting noises she makes while drinking her bottled made me smile. She paused to make sure I was still there, took the bottle out of her mouth, and gave me the biggest smile. She squinted her eyes, scrunched up her nose and just let me absorb the beauty of her happiness. I held her tightly, pulled her up to my face and gave her Eskimo kisses, she gave me a belly laugh in return. The smell of baby, my baby is just perfect. I have loved this girl for years. For years, I waited for this day, the day that she loves me back!

Some Lesson's I have Learned

2010-02-02T16:25:00.000-06:00

I'm a work in progress. I'm on a journey, and while I have come a long way, I still have a way to go. I am learning to never say never. You never know where life will take you, what your destiny will be.
Prior to meeting the love of my life and my husband, yes they are both the same person, I said I would never marry a man younger than me. I always thought I would eventually marry a man who was older than me. And I had recently proclaimed all, let me say this again, ALL Navy men were dogs. I vowed not to date a Navy man again. When Brandon and I met, we were three years apart in age. I know three years isn't that much, but when I was almost 23 and Brandon was only 19 that was a big difference. I was about to graduate from college and Brandon had kinda just graduated high school and he was in the Navy. We both fell madly in love pretty quickly and wanted to elope after two weeks. My point is, had I stuck to my guns and refused to "never" date a man younger than me and never to date another Sailor, I would have never given Brandon a chance. I had always dreamed of the Godly man my future husband would be and the amazing father would would be like, my own father, and love me and our children unconditionally. Thank God I did get the Godly husband and outstanding father to my children. I learned that the man God had intended for me to marry had been Brandon and that being stubborn about my ideals was not godly.
Before we had children, I envisioned the type of mother I would be. I was going to breastfeed, be a stay at home mom, we would co-sleep, I would have my children in all kinds of activities and sports from day one. I even silently judged mothers who didn't breast feed, co-sleep or stay at home. I couldn't understand why a mother would choose not to breast feed. Why a family would push a baby away from them in their own room after they had grown inside a womb for 9 months and were used to closeness. Or why, if the chance was available, would a mother go back to work instead of care for her children. Boy did all of those ideas go out the window.
I wanted to stay home. I always had known that being a wife and a mother was the reason I had been placed on this earth. More than anything, I wanted to fulfill that dream. When I was pregnant with Miles, I dreamed of all the play dates we would have and the Mommy and Me swimming lessons. His time came, he was born. I was on maternity leave. I couldn't imagine going back to work. But then I soon realized that this cute little baby was driving me crazy. He cried all the time, he wouldn't sleep. It was not making me a good person. Soon, all I could think about was going back to work. Before you judge me, hear this. The lesson I learned is that you never, NEVER, know someone elses circumstances. As much as you think you might know, you never truly do. I went back to work because it made me a better mother to Miles and a better wife to Brandon. I did it because it was what was best for our family.
Now just a few short months later I felt an overwhelming calling to quit my job and stay at home. I obeyed and am glad I did. It seemed I needed those few months. During our adoption journey, I took on some jobs to help pay for our adoption. In our house, we believe that it is the husbands role to provide for the family. It is not everyone's belief, but it is ours, it works for us. What may be right for our family, does not mean that it is right for all. I took a job because I believe that my role is to be my husbands help mate. The stress to pay for our adoption was a lot. It was not fair, in my opinion, to leave that solely on him. It made sense. So how can I judge families with working moms? How can I truly know all of their circumstances? How fair is it of me to think that I know what is best for them? Mothers go back to work for many many reasons and that is their families business. How can I know their circumstances or criticize them for it?
Breastfeeding is something I always thought was so beautiful. So natural. I thought I would be one of those mothers who nursed for years...lol! When Miles was born, I tried, oh I tried. I sought out the counsel of La Leche people, Nursing consultants, Nurses, Doctors. I was one of those women who couldn't breastfeed. It was devastating. Miles had jaundice and I had very little milk. I couldn't feed him. I remember sitting on my bed, feeding Miles with an eye dropper so he wouldn't get used to a bottle nipple. I tried so hard. I cried. Then finally, I accepted it. I would be one of those mothers that formula fed. Once I truly accepted it, it was relieving. I was formula fed and I turned out fine. I let it go and let Brandon help. Boy was that nice. I also let go of my preconceived notion that all mothers must breastfeed. Who am I to judge? The thing is you never know the situation. I started meeting other formula feeding mothers and I learned that there are many many reasons a mother chooses or resorts to formula feeding. Most obvious is the lack of milk supply or other issues with letting down, etc.. Single mothers may formula feed because they have no help and work and for them, it's easier. Some mothers had husbands who aren't supportive. Some are on heavy medications and it's not safe. Some mothers work and have to work long hours and it's difficult to pump and wake several times at night. Some children were adopted. Whatever the reason, it's their reason. It doesn't affect my family so I learned to not jump to conclusions.
After I started formula feeding, I remember being at a playdate with little Miles and needing to run and get something and handing Miles to a friend with his bottle. She looked at me and said, "I don't know how to feed a baby a bottle, all of my babies were breastfed." Are you kidding me? I would get pity party looks and comments on how breast milk was best for him. That's when I learned that I know what is best for my baby and my family. How could others know my situation. I have heard it all and the most disturbing thing is hearing a breast feeding mother say that watching a mother bottle feed her child is disgusting. Really? Disgusting? What disgusts me is when mothers start judging other mothers. Lets all be on the same team. We are mothers. We, most of us, want what's best for our children. And sometimes formula is what is best for our children. It sure beats starvation.
A fellow formula feeding mother once told me about those studies that state that breastfed babies have higher IQ's and lower immune systems. She brought up a great point. She said that the studies that show that breastfed babies have higher IQ's is not accurate. That, typically, breastfeeding mothers are stay at home mothers . Typically, stay at home mothers are more involved in the education of their children. So therefore, parents that are more involved in their child's learning have children with higher IQ's. While not all breastfeeding mothers stay at home and all stay at home mothers are more involved in their child's education, she did make a good point. I understand, breastmilk is natural and is the best thing for babies. However, there are alternatives, and the use of them should be the business of their families, not others. Okay, I know that is going to be a controversial argument. I just had to say that in my own experience, judging a mother who doesn't breastfeed has made me eat my own words. I became one of those mothers who had and chose to formula feed. I did what I thought best for my children and I am so glad I did. It has made me a better mother. Besides, I'd like to test my child's IQ against any breastfed child's IQ any day....lol!
Co-Sleeping...another hot topic amongst mothers. I truly thought that both of our children would co-sleep. The thought of a child growing in my womb or growing away from me for so long, and then to push them away in their own crib and in another room, seemed harsh. I wanted my babies with me, I wanted to be able to comfort them all through the night. Well...Miles was a true test of sanity, for us. We were new parents, and Miles was a very demanding baby. Miles was born just about a year after some close friends of ours lost their 13 month old child to SIDS. I was a nervous wreck. I wanted him to sleep with us, but I was scared I would smother him. I would put him in is own crib and every little noise from the baby monitor would wake me and if it didn't I would wake up to check on him to make sure he was still breathing. If I couldn't tell, I would poke him until I could see him move and then he'd wake up and the cycle started all over again. Sleep was something our family did very little of when Miles was a baby. I do think it had a lot to do with me wanting to go back to work. Having him in the bed with us made it difficult for all of us to sleep. We tried, we really did. It was not the right fit for our family. It is great for others, but not ours. When Miles started sleeping in is own crib in his own room, he got more sleep and we got more sleep. He was happier and we were happier and better parents. I learned that judging a mother who chooses not to co-sleep is foolish. That mother knows something that I wish I knew before I had Miles...lol. Choosing not to co-sleep made me a better mother and a lot better wife...haha!
I could go on and on about the lessons I have learned as a wife and a mother, but the point is that I have learned to take my own preconceived notions of a mother and understand that mothers and families are all made differently. What works for one mother doesn't work for another. In the end, I believe that we all do want what is best for our children, and no matter how much I don't understand, the way another mother parents her child IS the best way for her!

Marley meets Marley

2010-01-31T19:44:00.000-06:00

Okay, so it's pretend Marley meets Marley. For those of you that don't remember, my In-Laws gave us a doll that we, okay Miles, named pretend Marley before Marley came home. Our Marley came home about the same size as that doll. Now, Marley is bigger and LOVES to play with her. It's the cutest thing when she gives kisses to the doll. I love it!

And just because she is too cute, and we are in bow training...

Bad Blogger

2010-01-27T08:38:00.000-06:00

So I have entered the world of post adoption blogging. I have neglected to keep my blog updated with our exciting new lives and post pictures daily. I swore I would not be one of those bloggers that fell off the planet, after returning home, and I promise I won't. We have just been trying to figure out some kind of routine around our house. Adoptive parenting is very different than biological parenting, for us. We chose not to let Marley "cry it out," etc.. So, needless to say, I'm at her beckon call, and I absolutely LOVE it! After about six weeks of just being her Mommy and meeting every need that she had, I realized that I do need some kind of schedule or organized parenting. So we are reading Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child. I do have to say that my previous approach to sleeping, with Marley and Miles, has to be revisited.
It's amazing the things we have learned, and we aren't Baby Wising our baby...lol. Baby Wise may work for some families, but not ours...lol! So, basically, we put her to sleep around 6:30. We wake her up, YES I SAID WAKE HER UP (haha), around 10:00 p.m. for a bottle, and then back to sleep she goes until about 6:30 a.m.. She then naps around 10, 1 and 4. We totally modify it when needed, but we knew she took about three naps a day, and we knew she was tired about 6:30. We were trying to keep her awake longer, thinking that the longer she was awake the longer she'd sleep. Funny, the way we think. So, I've learned that she needs sleep, and so do I. I was also out trying to serve at church late on Wednesdays and had to stop doing that. The entire time I was there, she was tired and I was trying to keep her happy for two hours, when all she wanted to do was sleep. I am very happy to learn new things and am glad that a friend brought me to this new thinking!
We had our first Post Adoption visit from our Social Worker, whom we LOVE! She is so thorough and kind. We have had a few, not so sincere Social Workers, and she makes up for them and more. We will have two more visits with her over the next six months and then we are on our own. The purpose for these visits are to make sure the transition is going well and to report to our agency, who reports back to Ethiopia, as to Marley's transition and American life. In the Ethiopian adoption world, updates are required after 3 months, 6 months and 1 year home. And then every year until Marley is 18. The Ethiopian's would just like to follow the progress of their children to assure that international adoption is going well. After two post adoption visits by our Social Worker, we get to file for readoption. This is required for to apply for citizenship. Good times...lol!

Marley at 8 Months Old

2010-01-13T15:34:00.000-06:00

Our sweet girl is eight months old today. It's so crazy to think that she is that old already! When she was put into our arms she seemed so small. She was six months old at the time, but seemed more like a 4 month old. She has made so many milestones and so much progress that she is more and more like an eight month old everyday. She amazes us! The bonding is going superb! Marley does not like it when we leave the room and loves to be in our arms all the time. She will go to others, although we still are refraining from passing her around, but looks to us for reassurance and will reach for us. She has started holding back her smiles and laughs for us, which is a really good thing.
At 8 Months Marley:

CAN SIT UP!
Says Mama and uses it to call me
Shakes her head no and knows it's meaning (she shakes no when she doesn't like something...lol)
Is starting to prefer baby food, my food of course
Is now starting to wear 6-9 month old clothing (she was in 0-3 months just 6 weeks ago!)
Is reaching for us
Gives kisses

I am so proud of her growth. She was a little one. At 2 months old, she weighed just 6 pounds. According to the Ethiopian growth charts, she wasn't that little, but still small. She's catching up, very quickly. At 8 months, she now weighs almost 15.2 lbs. While she's not as large as most American 8 month olds, she's doing very very well. I have to reassure myself. While I know she's doing great, I am a little frustrated when strangers approach me and ask her age, only to then reply with a "wow, she's so small," as to sound concerned. I know, I'm probably overreacting. In fact, I know I am. I have to get it out. I've been thinking about it for a few days and have come to realize the reason it bothers me so much is because when a stranger approaches me to ask about my sweet girl, whom I think is perfect just the way she is, and comments on how small she is, it makes me feel that in their eyes she's not the right size for them. Seriously...how do you respond to something like that? Please, any advice would be greatly appreciated. This is totally not for our friends and family, it's one thing to say, "Oh, she's so cute and tiny," and another to say, "Oh my! She's so small" in a concerned way. Okay off of my soap box.
Miles got his cast on yesterday. They ended up doing a full arm cast. He was very excited to get a glow in the dark cast. He is running around and jumping off things as if his arm were never broken. It's making me crazy. I know the cast is there to protect him, but geez! What a boy!

Marley's Apples

2010-01-10T17:27:00.000-06:00

Marley loves apples, she really does. I have quite a few friends that make their own baby food, and I have no idea why I had never tried this before. Really, it's so easy and after watching Food Inc., I'm glad to provide her with some real food. Her first homemade baby food was some beef stew my friend Shannon brought over. She went to town! I then tried apples, oh my! I've made sweet potatoes, a winter bean soup, and turkey.
On this particular day, she learned a new sound. Or rather, she started using it when she was mad. I couldn't stop laughing and grabbed the video camera. So yeah, I tortured her for about two minutes to get her to do it over and over again. But do know, she demolished those apples after all, and she is in no way really tortured...haha!
My Funny Girl!

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