Projects of the day

Today John Harvey and I printed off some free paper toys from the toymaker. The Plane only lasted ummm 19 minutes. The truck, however, came with us on errands all afternoon!

New pictures

We have some new pictures of E! I wish I could post them, but I just can't until they are legally ours. She looks like she has grown a FOOT! I am thrilled she looks so healthy. Her skin is shiny and maybe they cut all of her hair off. I need to find that out...
Baby Y has a rash so no new pics of him! Must be a pretty bad rash, but I am sure he is fine.
Here is a pic of our little one we CAN post up. This is JH helping Papa put the beds together. Fun day

Okay, Thanks for your comments about our room yesterday! The whole family loves to just go sit in there. Well, Harvey likes to get something he is not supposed to have and hide under the bed-quite often actually. V-the bed was a pottery barn clearance find. We had been looking at it for months and bought it the LAST day they had it available! Fawn and Forest has a really neat site for baby furniture. They do free shipping and though it is not posted, you get free items with your purchases too-like our white rocking chair!
We are totally thinking yellow and then I considered orange, red, and blue...but I keep coming back to yellow. Please don't think I am obsessing about this-I am not super concerned because I know this will be a welcoming and loving room for the kiddos. It is just a fun distraction (along with the oil painting I am starting-first one in 3 years-more on that in another post!) But, doing the project nursery site is super fun since I don't have to have it finished soon...it helps the wait.
They just emailed me last night and said they really like the pieces and will make me a board of inspiration ideas. You can see my post on project nursery here.
This is a really neat site run by designers, but full of pictures of neat nursery ideas.
I posted mostly because Ben is not to sure about my fabric choice for the curtains. I am not positive either. Part of me wants to save the fabric to cover a chair when e has her own room. So, before I go and buy something else "to save for later" it will be fun to have some input. Yours too! Send any ideas!

Help designing a nursery

I am submitting these pictures to project nursery. Hopefully they will help us with our colors and fabrics!

(cold) day at the park

Some of you may remember I used to keep a list of ethiopian blogs I liked to follow. Sometime last spring/summer I grew weary of following all of the different cases. Although I was excited to see God moving in so many people's lives, it also could be overwhelming to see what's in store.
So don't ask me WHY I decided to check out the blog scene today. But really-Harvey is taking a long nap and I am all caught up on laundry.
Paperwork for BOTH children is now in the hands of HOPE, the agency filing for our court date. Apparently there are now only 2 judges to hear ALL the adoptions going on in Ethiopia. Some agencies are telling their families the wait is 10 WEEKS for a court date to be assigned. This used to be only days! The court date is then assigned 4-6 weeks out. And honestly, a good portion of those court cases do not pass the first time. I am frustrated by this, but wanting to live by faith that God will redeem this time and use it to His glory. I have already seen Him redeem so much.
At this point I HOPE we bring the kids home before court closes this summer. I don't mean to sound untrusting about the March/April timeline. I just can't let myself picture them here for Harvey's birthday...

Watching history, living my own.

I am asked from time to time how I am feeling about the adoption. I cannot ever answer that truthfully. I am at any moment elated, scared, fiercely protective, in awe, ready, not ready, incredibly excited...At all moments I am trusting in the One who cares so much for us. He hand picks our families in the hopes of leading us to a place of knowing Him and Loving Him faithfully. I am grateful he has chosen Ben and me for such an honor of telling H, E, and Y of His Love. I believe with all that is in me (only when I minute by minute bend my knee to His truth) that we could not have orchestrated our life any other way. Sometimes my fiercely protective side comes out as I hear others question our path. But in God's grace He has revealed to me He is my great Defender. And by His grace others will see God's goodness and mercy to our family this year.
I have just let John Harvey stay awake to see Obama sworn in. I don't have to agree with his politics to respect him and the weight of this day. And today, I can't stop thinking about our new little ones. I do wish they were here to watch with us. What an honor I have to watch their history take shape...

Praise

Spending the morning praising God for His perfect timing, His good gifts, and His absolute Sovereignty in our life.

Add this to the photos of Harvey's unique style

lovin ups! John Harvey put a new chair together for his little siblings

Wondering if the "red hair" comments had any lasting impression on John Harvey I decided to ask him what color his hair is. Alas, no effect as he answered "PURPLE!"

Where has the week gone?!

We have been keeping the UPS driver busy in our house!
One of my goals before the kiddos come home was to organize all of our 2006-2008 pictures because I never printed any out other than harvey's first year book (for him it was a baby book). I decided to make 3 online photo books-one for each year. After spending a week setting them up I placed the final order on Monday and we got them in the mail yesterday. We LOVE them. We have not stopped pouring over them and harvey is especially obsessed. I ordered them through shutterfly and I highly recommend them. The books look professional. Now I am all caught up on family albums. I just hope to begin the two new "1st year" scrap books so they are caught up to the present when the kids get here and I can take pics with my own camera. From what I hear the orphanage does have new pics, but with the bad internet virus in Ethiopia I will not be seeing them anytime soon.

We played
"dress up" this morning. John Harvey dressed as Buzz lightyear and I dressed...well ok, John Harvey played dress up this morning. I was his adoring fan running around taking pics. Of course, with all of his flying i didn't get too many. I love these- after getting out his own buzz and checking out the buttons he was a bit dismayed to find that he did not have any!
Ben and I made a big decision last night to put the kids in the same room. They are sleeping in the same room now and I think this will bring them comfort. I have been thinking all along to do a very girly bohemian room and a modern little boy nursery, but totally think this will be best for them. We will probably only be in this house one more year and after that they should be able to transition into their own rooms.
I am still using the blue bed, some anna marie horner fabrics, and gray furniture...we just ordered the furniture. Stay tuned, pics should be coming in the next two weeks.

No matter how cold, Harvey LOVES this car.
If anyone is interested the long thread has a fabulous link for the best free tutorials of 2008 for all kinds of hand made items. (Note to C-there is even a link for a handmade eve softie toy)
I can't wait to make some fabric beach balls.

I am loving this hat from anthropologie! we got an owl one for his sister. No, I am not on an owl theme. Well, I am trying VERY hard to not be on an owl theme. They are just so adorable. Somebody stop me.

We are working on some top secret Valentines day projects so this is just a peek of John Harvey hard at work. I didn't get a picture of the hundred times he put the scissors in the glue or glued something to the table. Those will just be sweet memories.
I worked on the owl while Harvey napped. I used some great Amy Butler paper from a local store (which I also used to make these). I am considering putting this sign in little girl E's room. We are not definite on which E name we will use, so I have made letters for a couple. Can't wait to try the owl in felt too.

I can't seem to get enough pictures of these two interacting. Check out the pro washing John Harvey's hair. Such adoration! Not exactly the same reaction I get :)

Update so soon?

I didn't expect to have any news on the adoption front for quite a while. However, it turns out we received some very happy news today. Little girl E's paperwork is done! I truly thought this might take months longer. The paperwork is being handed over on Thursday with hopes of applying for a court date. So we will be bringing the kiddos home together. Great news!

My heart jumps in the middle of the night when I hear John Harvey wake up crying and screaming for Mama (the sound of the cars on the wet road really got to him last night-they were so loud!). Just as quickly, my heart melts when I go to him and hold him and he instantly calms and cuddles into my arms. I am in awe that my presence could have such an effect on him. After putting him back in bed, I started thinking about our two who don't live with us and I wonder if they wake up at night. I wonder if they will awaken scared when they move here. And when they do, will my presence calm them or frighten them more? I know it will take time for them to know me. Time to know I love them so and I want what is best for them. Time to know I am their protector and provider...I pray after spending time with us they will believe this. And so I know my goal for the year. To be always aware of spending time with the One who is always with me. The One is can calm me so swiftly and protects me so perfectly. And as I do I think I have the perfect image in my head of how that could look

Imagining a little girl's room

Back in the fall I found this fabric from anna maria horner. I was looking for crib bedding at the time and unsure of how to work it in.
Well now I am looking to decorate our little girls room and check out this inspiration!

Ben and I found an adorable blue bed from Pottery barn and I think Yellow walls with these fabrics would work perfectly! Anna Maria Horner has a really neat blog-you should definitely check it out. Enjoy

When it comes time to clean up after the Christmas tree it helps to have two able bodied boys who think vacuuming is fun! Although the house feels a bit empty without our celebration decorations there is nothing like starting a new year with a clean and roomy house just anticipating future fun. I can't imagine the sweet messes three children will bring this summer...