School Begins & So Does the Fun…

All of us (4 kids & myself) all went back to school on September 1st. I leave home about 6:15am, in order to get in early and make sure I’m ready for my day. Brad takes all of the kids to school and then heads to work. I have the EASY part. I get up at 5:30am and am pretty much ready to go by 6am. Brad on the other hand, has to get the kids up and moving. He has to put up with tired, crabby, and grouchy kids. UGH! Nobody wants to feed the horses and alpacas. Nobody wants to share a bathroom. Nobody wants to eat fast. Nobody wants to do much of anything. This would drive me CRAZY every day and really start my day off on a bad note. But somehow, Brad just goes with the flow. Yes, the arguing gets to him after a while, but he really does let it roll of his shoulders. I’m SO LUCKY to have this schedule!



At work, I share an office with 2 other teachers. Even though they’re both great (love ya), it’s pretty hard to get any work done when they are there. I have a hard time focusing on my work. If I’m doing computer work, I really have to concentrate on what I’m looking for and if I need to write a report, I have to REALLY shut out everything around me to get anything accomplished. I do go to my classroom to set up and do prep work, but my computer is in my office and I’m lost without it.


After school, I am either picking up Jordan from volleyball practice or going to a volleyball game. If Grandma Lenz is unable to help me out, I have to hurry home and pick up Noah and take him back to Wega for football practice. I then make dinner, check homework, clean up kitchen, throw in a wash, make sure everyone takes a shower, and watch TV while surfing the internet, all while lying in bed. I can hardly keep my eyes open until 10pm.

Muluken was the most excited for school to start. Since I had left so early for work, Muluken thought they should leave by 6:30am. Even though Brad knew it was way too early, they still left before 7am to go to school. They all endedup waiting in the van until some other kids arrived at school.

First Day in First Grade for Muluken

First Day in Fifth Grade for Noah

First Day in Seventh Grade for Jordan

First Day in 10th Grade for Cassie!

Picture with backpack is so yesterday and "un-cool", so we have a group shot of the first day of school!!

Happy New Year!

Melkam Addis Amet!

Ethiopia follows the Julian calendar. There are 12 months of 30 days, followed by a 13th month of five or six days (depending on leap year). This means that it’s now they are now celebrating 2003 in Ethiopia!

In Ethiopia on New Year’s Eve, families set small torches of dry leaves and wood bundles in front of their homes and sing together. The next morning, families go to Church and then have injera and wat. Children go from house to house singing New Year songs. In the evening, families go to visit their friends and share their hopes for the New Year.

When I talked to Muluken about the New Year holiday in Ethiopia, he started telling me about one time when men and women came to their home, carrying a large tray of food in the air and singing. Even though his house was not that big, they put chairs around and people came into their home for a party. He said after everyone was done eating the people left. He was so excited to tell me about the "party" but I have no idea if it was for New Year's or not.

Something to think about...

I LOVE reading blogs. Blogs about adoption, Ethiopia, teaching, scrapbooking, and families. I look forward to sitting with my laptop, and just surfing the internet for my favorite blogs and new ones.

So, today I ran across this post on a fellow blogger's site and totally agree with everything she said! I actually could have written this post myself...

"We attended evening mass last night, and my brain is still all wrapped around yesterday's Gospel. It was from Luke, chapter 14, and it really struck me as having a ton of relevance to our adoption plan.



In it, Jesus said, "Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple." As I pondered this quote, I began to think about those of our friends and family who have suggested this task (adopting a little boy who's sick and from another country) is just too hard. There have been a few, and although I know they are well intentioned, that continues to rub me the wrong way. After all, we know this will be hard; in fact, that's one of the primary reasons we've chosen to do it.


Father Bob wrote in the church bulletin, "To be a true disciple is costly. Jesus does not want or need superficial disciples. He wants men and women willing to sacrifice, willing to follow all His commands.” In his spoken and written homily, Bob mentions how we, as a people, have come to relish our comfort and how so many of our choices flow from a desire to maintain that comfort. "Discipleship demands that in the face of all this we keep our priorities straight. True wisdom is knowing where to put our energies, how to focus our attention, with whom to commit ourselves. It may be demanding but it is not impossible for we are given the grace of God to sustain us."


He's right; it's easy to just say no or ignore the hard work of being a real follower of Christ. It's way easier to let others do the hard work and make excuses like, "I already have four children; between my two full time jobs, I just won't have time; someone in our family already has a serious health condition; it'll be expensive; we don't speak Amharic; it'll be physically, mentally and emotionally demanding"


Well, we've decided not to say no. This is just too important an opportunity to pass up! True, Tommy needs a family, and we'll do a superb job at that for him. But equally important is the opportunity that Tommy brings to us; in our comfortable home, with our 3+ meals a day, and virtually limitless freedoms.


Making Tommy a member of our family will change more than just how we appear. Just think of the lessons he can teach us; about struggling and hardship; compassion and humility; love and commitment; walking a mile in anothers' shoes. I believe God called us to Tommy for our benefit as much as for his. He needs us for sure. But God knows we need him just as much. And like Bob shared in the closing today, "If we make the right choices, our lives will unfold in ways that will enrich us and all those around us. Living in right relationships, thinking of the needs of others not just ourselves, following the straight path, lifting one another up as a brother or sister, is the only way to spend the brief time we have here on earth. Nothing else is really worth it." Posted on bringinghimhome.blogspot.com

We're not adopting a special needs child, but I sure haven't given up hope that we will adopt another older child. I know we have our hands full with 4 children and our zoo of animals, but I just can't shake that feeling that we could do so much more. What would one more child do to our home life? Make it hectic, but what else?! Share our life and our love with a child who desperately needs a chance. Another child will also remind us how unbelievably blessed we are. If God is asking us to open our hearts to another child, who are we to turn away???