Oh Happy Day!!

We have had another TB scare in the last couple of days. Zoey went in for her regular TB x-ray last week. On Friday night I got a call that the doctor wanted to see her right away on Monday or Tuesday. We were headed to the mountains and knew we would be back on Tuesday so we brought her in and chatted with the doctor about his concerns. He ordered another x-ray and called today with the results. He said there has not been a change for the worst based on a different view of Zoey's lungs and that they look somewhat better. Overall Zoey has a very scarred and nasty looking chest x-ray but we will continue to pray that she stays healthy this winter with her compromised lung situation as it is. We are also praying that the TB stays in the latent phase and that she continues to heal. Thanks for your continued support, prayers, and calls! Shonda

Tatem Turns "3" and more.....

Tatem turned 3 on December 6th! I know that many of you including family did not even know when his birthday was going to be. I overlooked letting you all know because the date snuck up on us as well during this busy time of the year! We decided to stick with Tatem's Ethiopian birth certificate since we thought that that date seemed within 6 months of his actual age! He loved every minute of being celebrated and he has caught on quickly. He puts on his birthday crown constantly and sings "Happy Birthday" to himself each day!

The birthday tradition at our house is for each of the kids to kick the day off with a bday candle in their waffles and to be sung "Happy Birthday." Tatem was pleasantly surprised!

Cousins Ella and Moira enjoying cake with Zoey. Although Zoey does not like chocolate! I have never heard of a girl that doesn't like chocolate!

To dad's enjoyment Tatem chose a baseball theme for his birthday cake!

Tatem enjoyed ice cream too at Red Robin!

We were laughing so hard because after we sang "Happy Birthday" to Tatem he slammed his lips down into the cake!

Ice Cream Delight!

Faith, Zoey, and Mom at House of Bounce

After church on Tatem's bday we headed to "House of Bounce" for some jumping fun! The kids all had so much fun together. Tatem and Zoey had never been to a bounce house and all Zoey can talk about is how she is going to a bounce house on her birthday, which is Jan. 18th. After House of Bounce we went to the traditional birthday hang-out for kid birthdays at our house, Red Robin. Uncle Seth, Aunt Kelly, Moira and Ella met us there!

Zoey brought tears to my eyes at her Kindergarten Thanksgiving/Grandparent's Day program. She beautifully asked everyone to stand for the pledge and she led the pledge in front of a large group after only being here for 3.5 months and not knowing any previous English. She constantly amazes us with her English skills!Zoey & Tatem with Hana from the orphanage that they were at when we got them. Hana is the mother figure at the orphanage. She and her husband were here from Ethiopia in November for a fundraising banquet. Zoey and Tatem enjoyed seeing her yet I think they were fearful that she was going to take them with her so our visit was short. Hana is such a beautiful, sweet, Christian women that loves the children so much at Sele Enat. I am forever grateful for the good care that she ensures is given to all of the children at the orphanage.

I don't get Blake in the kitchen to help very often so I treasured that when things were quiet today he joined me to frost cookies for Christmas.

Tatem woke from his nap so he enjoyed his first sugar cookie ever! He LOVED piling on frosting and sprinkles!

I love holiday baking and this year we actually have family coming for Christmas to eat some so I have a good excuse to bake away! I made 3 recipes today and it was more enjoyable then I expected. The kids moved in and out of the kitchen in shifts to help me and sample treats. The girls were around for the first round of cookie baking. Zoey loved decorating, crushing graham crackers, and forming peanut butter balls.

Last Saturday we went to "Christmas at the Ranch" at our church with the kids. Zoey posed by the Christmas tree afterwards in her dress. She loved the Christmas concert with all of the lights and sounds, she kept whispering under hear breath how cool it was throughout the performance.

Our very own in-house Santa. Bryce cracked me up the other night while

I was giving Zoey and Tatem a bath. He came upstairs with this get-up on! He was greeting Zoey and Tatem with his best Santa impression to ask them what they wanted for Christmas this year!

Zoey has such a fun spirit. She was unwrapping Christmas decorations for the tree and she opened this one saying, "Oh my goodness, this is beautiful!"

Tatem was the official ornament unwrapper/destroyer:):)!!

I have no idea why this photo was cut off but I just had to share a photo of Zoey at her 1st swimming lessons today. She LOVES the pool but I had to get her in lessons! She about pulls us under when we take her to the pool. She enjoys being in the water so much and counts down the days until Fridays when she can swim!

I Like America!!!

As parents we all know that bedtime is such a special yet exhausting part of the night. The baths, brushing teeth, drinks, reading, prayers and then the talking starts!! Why, why at bedtime I sometimes wonder as I snuggle into bed with one of the kids to hear a story from the day or deep question that makes you wonder where it came from. I also wonder at the same time why I never thought of some of those questions! Anyway as I was putting Zoey to bed the other night and about to leave her room and she said, "I like it here." Of course she captured my curiosity and I wheeled around forgetting about the dinner dishes still on the kitchen counter, lunches to make, three other kids that still were not in bed, and piles of laundry in the family room. I was anxious to ask "why" because I love that we are able to finally communicate fully about emotions and thoughts. Zoey went on to tell me how she loves it here. She loves having brothers and a sister, she loves the park, swinging at the park, school, her teachers, her family. She is not scared here and she feels safe. She warmed my heart it reminded me of when Faith, Blake, and Bryce were babies. The first month of each of their lives was exhausting with nothing in return but diapers and crying. The first smile always took my breath away and reassured me "oh this is all worth it and I can do this." Zoey after 4 months seems so well adjusted and content with where she is. It still baffles me that among our chaos and adjustments as a family around here that she is at peace with where she is. I realize that this might not always be true but right now she is peaceful and that warms my heart.

Long Overdue Updates

Faith and Sierra~Purple and Pink!!
Spunky Little Princess

Tatem made a perfectly cute MONKEY!

Zoey was a beautiful princess and Bryce

a champion baseball player! Blake decided at the last minute that he wanted to dress up for Halloween. He quickly put together something in his closet to run off with his friends. Mom was not quick enough to get a picture!

Zoey got right in there and loved carving pumpkins! She had no problems with pulling the "goo"out!

One of our 1st crazy snows in Colorado this fall!
Tatem's 1st reaction was "COLD!!"
Zoey was beside herself with excitement!
Once Tatem had all of the snow gear on, he was good to go!

Zoey loved the idea of "Hot Chocolate" after playing outside in the bitter cold!

Sledding a few days later with Zoey and Tatem was full of laughs!

There's Blake finally! Blake doesn't like to get his picture taken! Tatem's loves playing with Blake! When he rides on Blake's back he says, "Heeeyyyy Mommy, Heeeeeyyyyyy Look at Me!"

This was funny! We were driving to church on Sunday morning~late as usual of course! We were almost up the hill and to church, "I think I can, I think I can!!" The car just got very quiet and turned off! We were in the center lane and Wade made it over to the side to ease into a park position, no gas allows for a nice quiet stop:):)!! Luckily there was a gas station right up the hill. Wade to the rescue ran in his church clothes up the hill and retrieved gas for us all to only be 15 min. late for church. Faith shot this photo as he was running back to save us all! We all had a good laugh as we watched dad sprinting to the car.

Zoey and Tatem at Faith's Vail Soccer Tournament playing in the field. A little break from the soccer games at the park!

Fun Times

Tatem's 1st Horse Ride at Highlands Ranch Days

Zoey took her 1st Horse Ride at Highlands Ranch Days! They both loved and it and were very excited.

Zoey and Tatem taking their 1st Hay Ride at Highlands Ranch Days
Lots of laughs snuggling on the couch!!

Tatem looooooves his big sister!

Zoey got her face painted for the 1st time at a Winter Park Labor Day Festival

A few of my favorite things lately are our paintings that we got from an art gallery in Ethiopia. We just got them back from being framed. This picture is a painting of the countryside flowers that bloom in Ethiopia in the Spring. I love this painting with the yellow flowers. We have had a huge space above our couch in the family room just waiting for a painting from Ethiopia. I am thrilled to look at this picture all day since I spend all of my time in the kitchen these days!! The picture makes me smile! Come and see it....

We put this painting in our formal living room. We thought it was beautiful and we thought Zoey would especially treasure it.
A city scene of Ethiopia that also has the tiny well-proportioned ET flag on the top which was a key part of the painting for Zoey and Tatem we think.

Lots of good times playing together in the basement and just being crazy!
Not always some happy moments either, what can I say they fight like siblings too!

Can you believe it??? I always need to add photos of some of the things the devil has tried to throw at us since we have gotten back from Ethiopia and this is one of those things!! I was wringing out a towel one day in the sink and I pressed down to get the water out. To my shock the sink completely fell out of the granite. I literally stood there in disbelief and just looked at the hole in amazement. I couldn't believe it. I left the bathroom came back and just stared and then I started laughing. I called Wade laughing and that is when he truly realized that I have turned into a crazy women since we have been home with 5 kids. I was laughing at yet another fix-it job that only cost $175 to get adhered again!! Add it to the lice hell that ended up finally costing about $600 when it was all said and done, shower head fix job that cost $325, $300 granite crack fix from someone standing on the counter and so on since we have been back!

Bryce got braces on his top front teeth this week and he couldn't be a prouder 1st grader that looks like a REAL big kid around all of his friends!!

Mamma stills needs to get her exercise somehow, even if it's cramming these two in the bike trailer and hauling around 80 lbs. of kids while the other 3 are at school. They were smiling at the beginning of the ride and by the end they were screaming at me, "House, House, House!!" Zoey got out stretching and sore as if she had just pulled us around.....too funny!
And last but not least, from our Little Soles to Yours, 50 big and little toes that are veeerrrrrry busy making noise within these walls!