Our Newest Blessing

Eva has been with our family for one month today! She has blessed our family in so many ways. I am so proud of her, Nathan and Noah for how everyone is adjusting. We love you, Sweetie... you are amazing!

My Three Blessings

"Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God."
~ I John 4:7

Family Photo Shoot

My dear friend, Julie, offered to take some family photos of us this past Sunday at the park. We had so much fun! Thank you, Julie for the wonderful gift!

Freed to Visit Orphans (Ethiopia)

"Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their afflication, and to keep oneself unstained from the world." JAMES 1:27

The word for "visit" in James 1:27 means "to look after, care for."

Our First Week Together!

It's hard to believe that Eva has been with us for week... it seems like we have been together much longer! We love her so much... she has come into our lives like a burst of sunshine. She has a contagious laugh and the biggest smile that lights up a room. We have nicknamed her "Sweetie".

Eva loves to cook and I am so excited about that! I also love to cook, so together we have been making Ethiopian food (we even found some teff at a store and tried to make some authentic Injera, but it was a dark teff and the injera was too heavy. I think we will stick with the flour + wheat flour version.) I was surprised how she has remembered recipes and quickly put together the most delicious wat (spicy and good!). She makes great scrambled eggs with onion, and she loves raw jalapeños with salt. We've made cookies and homemade pizza, too.

Eva is a great hair braider and stylist! She has braided Noah's hair and last night braided mine... I've never had cornrows in my hair, but I really like them! She has this great technique that she said the girls in Kechene discovered for their hair: she boils flax seeds until a goo or gel forms and then puts that on small stands of hair and wraps that hair around her finger until a cute bouncy curl appears... it's so cute! (see photo above)

She also likes swimming! We have been to a nearby lake and she has even gone fishing with her brother and cousins. She loves, loves, loves music! And she is great with technology... she says she would like to be a computer teacher someday. She is a beautiful and sweet girl who has blessed our lives in so many ways. We thank God for sending us our daughter!