How Do You Know?

This post is going to probably be very random as I have so many things going on in my head right now! How do you know if the feeling you are getting to adopt again is a call from the Lord or just a mother's heart wanting to help? Every since we brought Ade home I have just felt that the Lord isn't finished with us. We are a very blessed family and we have so much to offer another child. And seeing how much joy Ade has brought us it just makes sense to adopt again.

But adopting again scares me to death. The thought of all that paperwork and the waiting and the heartache. And now taking 2 trips to Ethiopia. And 5 kids? I mean am I crazy! Things are going so smooth now and I don't want to rock that boat but I also can't shake this feeling in my heart. What if the new child has a really hard time adjusting? None of the kids in our travel group have had that problem, but it does happen at times.

The kids are all for it. And I know it would be great for Ade someday to have someone like him. But maybe God is just calling me to help the orphans, to go on missions trips and to help others with their adoptions, but I just can't help to think that there is a little Millie waiting there for her mom and dad, or another little boy. I guess through prayer and time we will know!

Poor Maya Girl!

So this week has been a rough one for little Maya Jane! We headed into the church for Bible study and she opened the glass door into her toe. Her toenail was like half way bent back and it was dripping blood! I almost passed out. Thankfully my friend Amy who is a nurse came to the rescue. And my friend Christin was there for moral support. I mean it, I get all dizzy and sweaty and then I need to put my head between my legs and it is just awful. I am NOT good in these situations! Needless to say, she ended up staying in Bible study with me and added a lot of wisdom to our table!

As if that weren't enough, after Bible study a bunch of us were headed to the park with the kiddos. I had Joe's car because mine needed a new headlight and tires rotated. So I'm not familiar with his doors, you have to close the back one before you can close the front, so I was trying to get ALL the kids in the car and I slam the back door RIGHT ON MAYA JANE'S LEG!!! I mean really, she already has a bloody throbbing toe and I just smash her leg to go along with it? Let's all say it together..... LOSER MOM!!!

So then yesterday she and Max were taking a bath together and apparently concocted a soapy potion which she drank. A couple of hours later she was running to the bathroom and pooped her pants! There was a lot of drama there. I felt so bad for her. I hate to see her upset or hurt. She is just such a precious little scoot! Then after she said, phew I didn't poop in my favorite undies!!!!!

So tonight we were all playing and Joe ripped off part of her dangling toenail and she screamed it hurt more than she thought it would and Max came tearing into the room at full speed and smacked her right upside the head!!! I mean let's put the girl in a bubble right? She can't catch a break.

So I guess another year will pass where I will not be "Mom of the year" again!!!

Happy Birthday and Father's Day to an Awesome Guy!!!

Yesterday was Joe's birthday and Father's day! What a blessed guy he is! And what a blessing he is to us! I just wanted to say thank you to him for all his hard work and all the things he does for our family! We are very blessed. This father's day was especially special because it was the first father's day that Ade celebrated where he was no longer fatherless!!! I love to watch the bond he and Joe have. It is special! You can really tell he LOVES his daddy!

So some of my favorite things about J:

-He loves his kids.
-He loves Jesus.
-He can be a real dork!
-He is SUCH a daydreamer and scatterbrain at times!
-His eyes
-His scar on his eye!
-His work ethic.
-How he treats his employees!
-That he said yes to adopting.
-That he loves to exercise!
-That we are in this thing together.
-That he thinks I'm funny, sometimes!
-When he acts like an old man.
-When he dances!!!

Those are just a few things. So Joseph Wilen Freudenthal, thank you for being the man of the house and providing for us. Thank you for keeping me grounded like you do. And bringing me back to reality at times! I love you very much and appreciate you beyond measure! We are sooooo blessed!

My little Choco Baby is Turning 2!!!

Tomorrow is Ade's 2nd birthday! I can't even believe my baby will be 2! It doesn't seem like he has been home long enough. When I think back on his birthday last year I remember it being such a sad and emotional time. We were trying to get past court and I so badly wanted him home with us for his 1st birthday. But God's timing is perfect and I am soooo thankful we have him home this year.

His birthday brings up a lot of questions in my mind. Like what was his labor and delivery like. What did he look like as a newborn. Did he have hair? Did he nurse easy, how did he sleep, what kind of baby was he? The list goes on and on. Did his birth mom think she would be relinquishing her rights 8 months later? I mean so many questions. I don't much about the first 14 months of his little life, but I can be thankful that I will know the rest of his life story! We are writing his life story every day. His birthday will always be so special just like the other 3 kids. He will know that he is loved!

My heart hurts for his birth mom on his birthday. I tend to think a lot of her feelings and the fact that she is his birth mom. But I know in my heart that I am his Mamma! I take care of him every day and I love him with all my heart! But she will always be a part of his story and I pray that she has peace tomorrow and that the Lord would just speak to her that he is doing great and he is the king of the castle!!! I love that baby boy!

So some fun memories about Choco's second year of life with us:

-He went to his first pumpkin patch
-Celebrated his first Thanksgiving and Christmas and Halloween
-He has started talking soooo much.
-Had his first dentist appointment
-Had his first Diet Coke
-First Ice cream
-He got a Daddy and a darn good one at that!
-He has grown so much.
-His legs have straightened out.
-He LOVES basketball.
-He flipped out in the water the first time.
-He has gone to the beach and seen the ocean.
-He has got EVERYONE we meet wrapped around his little finger.
_He is going to Yo Gabba Gabba Live in November!

There are so many more things I could share about our precious boy. He is such a blessing to us and he brings even more light to our already bright family! We could not have gotten a more perfect baby for our family! God has truly blessed us! I am so thankful that my husband finally said yes. I can't imagine our lives without Ade Joseph Tariku Freudenthal! We are so glad that God led you to us!!!!!!! WE LOVE YOU AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY PRECIOUS BOY!!!

Dance Recital

My little dancing princess was in her 2nd dance recital this weekend! She was born to dance, I am convinced. She is such a HAM on stage. She looked darling and danced great. The second night she kind of got in her own little world and made up a few steps of her own which was adorable! I love that little girl with all my heart and I am so proud of her and what she can accomplish! I love you Maya Jane!

Summer is Off to a Good Start!

So our summer is off to a good start. We have really enjoyed sleeping in and not being on such a strict schedule! We have made "Freudenthal Focus" for the summer. It is to have a servants heart and look for ways to be a servant! My kids have dove right in and are always looking for ways to be a servant and I love it! We started our Bible study this week on Boundaries with Kids. It is such a great book and has so many useful tools! I think it is going to be an awesome group. Ella gets to be a youth helper in the child care and she loves that. She makes $5. Big stuff!

One thing I have been really been working on with my kids is how they treat each other. It amazes me sometimes how many kids are so mean and disrespectful to their parents and siblings. My kids are not allowed to act that way to one another, now don't get me wrong, I realize they are kids and around each other all the time, but that doesn't give them the right to treat each other like dirt! We have been doing a lot of work on that! And hopefully in time they too will see how blessed they are that God gave them to each other!

I took all 4 kids swimming by myself for the first time. Now this may not seem like a big deal to you all, but it is when you have 4 different kids with 4 different swimming levels and one who is like velcro to you! And 3 others yelling at you to stop making the baby cry!!! Oh boy do I have A LOT of help! By the end of the day though Ade was getting much more comfortable in the water which was nice. I can't wait until next summer when we have our own pool and don't have to haul everything over to Grammy's! But I love going to Grammy's we are blessed to have that pool!

Tonight the girls and I are having a girls night. We are going to meet our good friends the Scheerer's they are coming home with their 2 little Ethiopian beauties and I CAN"T WAIT to meet them!!! Then Maya, Ella and I are heading to Zona Rosa for dinner and some Charming Charlies!!! So excited to spend time with my little lovelies.

Joe is going to a Royals game tonight and then he is doing some scavenger hunt in the morning so it is a lot of mommy and kids time which is just fine with me. I'm glad he gets to go out and do something he enjoys!

Just a little story of amazement about Ade, we drove by Joe's office which he hasn't been to too often and he pointed out the window and started yelling "DADDDDIEEEE"!!!! I love that boy and he loves us!

Have a great weekend.