8 Months Home!!!

WOW!!! The 8 month mark really snuck up on me! I can't believe it has been 8 months. It seems like I have learned and grown so much in the past 8 months. God has been doing some really great stuff in my life. He has helped me overcome some obstacles and he has brought some great people into my life. He has shown me so much in this past 8 months!

When I look at pictures from when we first brought Ade home I can't believe how much he has grown! He has gotten so much taller and just more mature. He's much less like a baby! He has quite the attitude. He is beginning to be such a 2 year old. Attitude and all!!! He is so much fun. He can be quite the pill. There are times when I can't even take anymore of his whining and sassiness!

I know we are so blessed to have him in our life. I am soooo glad we answered God's call. He really completes our family. He was born to be a Freudenthal! I have had a couple of people tell me that he looks like me in some way! Haha! How funny is that. I wish I had that black curly hair and that silky chocolate skin, those big beautiful brown eyes and who can even stand those LONG eyelashes!!!

He has had so many firsts since he has been with us. He just recently had his first Easter with us which he really could have cared less about. He got about 5 eggs and then he was on to the outside toys! He looked so cute on Easter. How awesome to celebrate the resurrection of our King with our precious little man. He has gone to his first circus. He rode his first scooter which he LOVES. We had his finalization and his first pizza party. He has colored his first picture. He has gotten his first time out at church! He has experienced a lot!

8 months into this journey, it seems like he has been with us forever. Sometimes when I look at scars on him and see him staring off into to space, I wish I knew his WHOLE story. I wish I would've gotten to meet his birth mom. To look into her eyes and let her know what a gift she has given us! I know I have said this before but there are many times when I look at him and get sad that his BM is missing this. I wonder if she ever thinks about him. I wish there was a way I could meet her and tell her how much we love her. That would be a dream come true. But for now I will continue to pray for her and ask to show her how much he is loved and how happy he is!

A Little Blue

I love my kids and my husband so much! The past couple of days I just haven't felt well and I am heading to the dr. this afternoon. It is so funny how your perspective on life changes so fast when your not feeling well! I have just felt really sad these past couple of days. It has also been really rainy here as well.

Last night I went to a baby shower for a friend and Max and Maya were crying that they didn't want me to go! It broke my heart! I came home and they were already asleep. I was laying in bed about to cry because I missed them while I was gone! It is so funny because at times I want to get away from them so bad, but when I am gone I miss them! Funny how that works! Every night when I put Maya down, she comes down to my room and says, "but Mom I miss you too much when I am sleeping!" It is an awesome thing to be loved!

But could make your gray skies turn blue you ask? Hearing your precious 22 month old boy from Ethiopia say "I wud you"!!! What a precious gift! Thank you Jesus!

Ade's First Easter!!!

Today was Ade's first Easter with us! It was so great to have him here with us! Ella said today, "I am so glad we adopted him!" Yesterday we had family at our house and had a great time. He and Maya ate A LOT of candy! They were conked out! We got up this morning got them all ready and let me just tell you, Ade was A-dorable!!! He had a blazer and a fedora on and it was precious! The girls looked beautiful and Max looked handsome as ever. We headed to church and from there went to Grammy's for a fun day! Ade got totally tired and he and I went upstairs and took a little nap while the kids did their fun hunt Aunt Denise planned for them! She is the most fun Aunt!!! My kids are blessed to have her! But the crazy part was my niece brought her boyfriend! I can't believe they are all getting old enough to have a significant other!!!

On Resurrection Sunday, I am so humbled by what Jesus has done for me! I am such a mess! I mess up all the time but he still loves me and he still died for me! If you really think about that it just really hurts your heart! Happy Easter to all and I hope you all know Jesus!!!

Finalization Day!!!

Today was our finalization day. It was awesome. My parents were there and my friend Joey and her daughter and niece came! It was so special! I got all choked up when the judge was asking Joe if he was prepared to love Ade and provide and care for him for the rest of his life and if he loved him like his own. It just touched my heart so much when Joe answered yes to these things because without Joe Ade would not have a daddy! I mean he had a birth mom whom he met and he had the nanny's, but he didn't have a daddy! And now he is not among the many who are fatherless!!! My baby boy has a Mommy AND a Daddy!

After the court hearing we headed on over to the Pizza Shoppe where some friends and family met us there to celebrate Ade! Those people mean so much to me. Those people were there through the WHOLE process with me. And showed a genuine interest in us and that means the world to us. We are so blessed!

My poor little Ade started running a pretty high fever yesterday. So he ONLY wants Mamma right now. He wasn't much in the celebrating mood tonight. When we got home his fever was 103.6!!! Poor baby boy! So we have snuggled and looked at pictures tonight and now he is finally asleep.

I am so blessed with the wonderful family I have. I have the best husband and the best 4 kids ever! Even though sometimes we do look like a circus! Welcome to the family Ade Joseph Tariku Freudenthal! We love you with all our hearts and are blessed beyond measure to be your family!

Short but Sweet!

Maya said a couple of funny things today that I wanted to remember.

First we were driving around a neighborhood trying to find a garage sale and she saw a house she liked and said she wanted to buy that house. When she was in college. Then she said, "No, I'll just wait until Aunt Brandi dies and I'll take her house!"

An Ethiopian Weekend

This weekend was an awesome weekend to say the least. On Saturday a former Prime Minister of Ethiopia was at my sisters church speaking and giving his testimony. It was so touching and his testimony was AMAZING! He has only been in the states for 2 years after spending 12 years in prison. The whole story is simply an amazing testimony of our great God! I went up and met him after the service and introduced him to Ade! It was so amazing to see he and Ade together. I had forgotten how loving the Ethiopian people are towards children. He just kept kissing him and loving on him! I loved the precious site of 2 countries together! And of course Maya had to tell him she lost her tooth and she said the one word she knew in Amharic and he smiled and kissed her hand and she had the sweetest giggle ever!!! He was such a great and kind men. I just wanted to take him home with me. He was just so kind just like most of the men in Ethiopia!

So today my good friends Joey and Kelly spoke at their church about their recent trip to Ethiopia.(Which by the way, I am going next year! Joe gave me the go ahead, he said he felt like I really needed to go!) They had me in tears, their testimonies were so great. And all that they are doing in Ethiopia just blessed my heart. At the end of the testimony they brought Ade out on stage and again, it warmed my heart to see what God was doing in his little life already! God has great plans for him. I am a blessed Mamma! Ade of course was a hit, like he is everywhere he goes!

And another little shout out. My neighbor gave me an awesome book to rad and it was amazing to me how much of this book related to the story of the Prime Minister. You should read it, Aame Kind of different as me!!! Please read it!!!

Boy Oh Boys!!!

My goodness my boys are active. They are constantly playing ball, getting into something, jumping off of something, knocking something over. I mean they never stop! When are they gonna get it that you don't walk by mom and rub the top of her head? Come on boys, I just did my hair!!!!!! And you don't throw stuffed animals or any other object at my head. If I'm not looking, DON'T throw the ball at me! I mean really?

These crazy boys keep me on my toes for sure! But then they can be super sweet and loving, giving me hugs and kisses, saying I'm so pretty and I'm a great mom. As much as they baffle me, I wouldn't give them up for the world! But good Lord, please help me to be able to keep up and survive these boys!