Happy Birthday Sweet Cara Ebeth! Here she is doing what she loves! Holding her nephew Levi. She loves having 4 new nieces and nephews under the age of 4 months. Cara has such a beautiful heart. We are so proud of how she opened up her room and everything she owns :) to her new sister. She is such a blessing and I can't believe she is 10!

Hudson and Ela ask to go through the car wash almost every day! Mia isn't so sure about it :)

Mia is so much fun! She just started walking at 19 months. She has been enjoying her new freedom. She decided to hop in the bath with her cousin, all of her clothes on, and one of Mikes running shoes.

I just started reading David Platt's book Radical, about taking back your Faith from the American Dream. It is SO good. Convicting and inspiring. Thinking and praying through the fact that God has given us excess, not so we could Have more, but give more. Praying that the Lord would show me areas of blindness in my life. I am so thankful the Lord is patient and kind with his sheep!

Surgery is Over! It was a long couple days in the hospital and Ela was in a lot of pain. She will wear this next cast for about 4 weeks and then get fitted for a brace. We are so thankful for the Lord's provision. We found Ela through Rainbow Kids exactly one year ago!

Yesterday I was reading through my prayer journal from that day one year ago . The verse the Lord gave me in my devotions on May 14, 2oo9 was from Isaiah 54. It spoke of enlarging the place of your tent.

" Enlarge the place of your tent, and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out; do not hold back; lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes. " These verses burned in my heart that morning. I looked in the study notes to read more about these verses.

The notes spoke of " preparing for more people to be added to your family" Later that day I saw Ela's picture. I showed her to Mike and he immediately knew she was our daughter. It was a little crazy how it all fell into place. It was so quick that it was tempting to doubt the Lord was really speaking to us. But He was and here we are one year later finished with surgery and living life with our new daughter! Sorry this is a bit choppy but the kids are now awake and need some breakfast.

One more thing! Yesterday was the shower for my friend Carissa! She will be traveling soon to get her little girl Gianna from Ethiopia! Ela will have a neighbor that is from her same town in Ethiopia!

Happy 5th BirthdayHudson Robert!!

We have had a very busy couple weeks. Hudson had a party on the Sat. and then the next day was Ela's dedication and Mothers day.

Mothers day was so special. Mia's birth mom Amy came to church with us and then we all went to my mom and dads for a celebration. We had many things to celebrate! Graduations, dedications ( my sisters son Levi and my friends daughter Chloe were also dedicated) Mothers day and birthdays! We are so thankful for Amy who gave us the most wonderful gift!

Ela's dedication was so special! The pastor said the meaning of each child's name and then the church prayed for them.

Over the next few days we had to shift gears to prepare for the final cast removal by me and surgery. Every week I remove Ela's cast and she takes a long bath. We are always amazed with the progress of her foot.

Thurs. morning we drove to the city for her surgery. My brother Jon was there to pray and read scripture with Ela.