James 1:27

Triathlon!

2010-07-29T20:37:00.000-07:00

Carter entered his second triathlon! I am so impressed with him! He finished it and was still standing when he finished!!

More summer pics!

2010-07-29T20:23:00.001-07:00

It's a band!!

Children's Museum!

Ah, Kellan!! We love Kellan!!

C.B. is a very patient dog! He gets lots of kisses!

I think they were playing restaurant!

Fourth of July!

2010-07-28T21:42:00.000-07:00

Maya's first 4th! First in America, first as a citizen, first with our family, first fireworks, lots of firsts on this day!! It was a great day, courtesy of some wonderful friends, the Lengefelds!!

Ms. Personality!

2010-07-28T21:26:00.000-07:00

Her personality is so much bigger than we ever imagined!!!!

Happy Birthday!

2010-07-28T21:01:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile but we've had a great summer so far! Here is Maya's second birthday. She gets more amazing everyday! Yesterday was our adoption year anniversary! Where a judge in Ethiopia said "YES!" and helped create our family. Celebrating her birthday was a joy but for me, it was mixed with sadness as I thought of a beautiful young woman half a world away. She knew what day it was, she knew the significance of that special day. I pray that she knows how happy and healthy our daughter is today. I can't imagine her grief, her sacrifice and her love. I am so thankful to her for this amazing gift, Sitota.

She also has the greatest big brothers in the world! Happy Birthday Maya Sitota!

Wildflowers!

2010-05-12T12:47:00.000-07:00

Maya's Baby Dedication

2010-05-12T12:20:00.000-07:00

Maya's "baby" dedication!! Her dress is one that we brought home from Ethiopia and yes, I did her hair!! She loved being the "it" girl at church Sunday. Her brothers also loved being right there with her. These three kids are some of the best in the world!! What a great mother's day I had!!!

Mother's Day

2010-05-09T17:52:00.000-07:00

Today is mother's day. I am so thankful for my mother, grandmothers, and mother-in-law! They have all been such amazing models for me and so supportive through all of my life. I am also very thankful for my children who allow me to be their mom on good days and not so good days!!! This year though, I am very aware of a young woman on the other side of the world, who so loved her daughter that she gave her to another amazing woman named T. so that her daughter could be fed and cared for because she was unable to provide for her. She sacrificed everything so that her daughter could live. She made it possible for me to become that little girl's other mother! I pray that she knows her daughter is safe and healthy and extremely bright and full of life!!! I pray that she is safe, that she is happy and that she has found peace in knowing that she saved a life that day in June. I have never met her, but I owe her everything and I love her from the bottom of my heart. She will always have a place in our lives and in our hearts and mother's day will always have an extra special meaning for us. Maya has two mothers, one who gave her life and one who is doing her best to help her live life and live it to the fullest!! What a wonderful day this has been for us, even though there is an element of sadness and loss, we celebrate the love and sacrifice and hopefully, learn more what it means to love.

First Easter together!

2010-04-05T11:12:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Easter with Maya this year!! Last year we just had pictures of her and were waiting for our court date! It was so much fun seeing things through her eyes!!

She loved decorating eggs!!

She was very happy to see the Easter Bunny had come to visit! I think her brothers enjoyed seeing her check out her gifts more than anything!!

Beautiful!!!! She wouldn't really sit still for picture time so I chased her around the house with the camera and then we just did the best we could!

Hunting eggs!! It took a little while to get her to actually go get more eggs. Once she opened the first one and saw the jelly beans she decided it was a good idea to just stand there and eat them all! It didn't take long to get the hang of it though!!

Playin' the wii!

2010-03-15T01:08:00.001-07:00

A Gift

2010-03-15T00:56:00.000-07:00

We have ben given a great gift! Through some different connections we have been able to talk with some people who were in Ethiopia when our little girl came to live at the baby home! We have heard more of her story and we have some pictures of her when she was only one month old!!! It is a gift that we treasure and one that I know she will as well. I can't thank all of these kind and generous people enough for their hearts and for their love and care for people all over the world! God has used them in so many ways and God is using them now to impact our lives forever!

I love this face!

2010-02-23T13:46:00.000-08:00

SNOW!

2010-02-23T13:39:00.000-08:00

Valentines day!

2010-02-17T14:27:00.000-08:00

Dakota's school has a valentine's day tea for all of the kindergartners! It is awesome! They go out to Circle T and have cookies, sandwiches, fruit and apple juice (tea)! The kids dance with different partners and have a blast! Thanks to all the parents who helped make it happen and the teachers for pulling it off!

A new do!

2010-01-29T12:18:00.000-08:00

Trying new things. Little twists all over seemed to work well in her hair. I just need more practice!!

Fun at home!

2010-01-29T12:06:00.000-08:00

I love my shades and my rain boots!

I love to give and get kisses from C.B.! He's the best dog ever!!

YEA! Melmo! Maya loves Elmo! She work up the other morning and wanted Melmo to go night night with her, so here they are!

Homework time! I'm not sure how much Carter got done with all the help he was receiving!!

I love my fuzzy pink slippers!!

Christmas in Alabama!

2010-01-13T12:21:00.001-08:00

Christmas #2!

2010-01-13T12:09:00.001-08:00

Christmas!

2010-01-13T11:53:00.001-08:00

Maya's first Christmas with us!

2010-01-09T08:59:00.001-08:00

Ever since I was little we make and decorate gingerbread cookies at Christmas time. We have my great grandmother's recipe and they are delicious! Maya particularly loved the m-n-m's!!

Holidays

2010-01-09T08:50:00.000-08:00

Seriously, could she be any cuter!!

First corn on the cob! She loved it and eats it like a champ!

What are these?!

2010-01-09T08:43:00.000-08:00

I love my new hat and gloves, once I figured out what they were!!!

SNOW!!!

2010-01-07T12:32:00.001-08:00

Believe it or not it really was snowing in these next pictures!!

Christmas plays!

2010-01-07T12:25:00.000-08:00

Carter was in "A Dickens of a Christmas" and Dakota was in "Bah Humbug" as Bob Humbug!! They did great!

BOWS

2010-01-07T12:21:00.000-08:00

This little girl loves bows! Lots of bows! It never fails throughout the day that she brings me more and more bows to put in her hair. It doesn't matter if she already has one, she needs another, and another!

Christmas Party !

2009-12-18T08:30:00.000-08:00

We had a great Christmas party with friends from Ethiopia! All three of these little girls were in the baby home together in Ethiopia and now they get to celebrate Christmas together here!

Go Bears!

2009-12-18T08:24:00.000-08:00

Guess who got to meet the Baylor bear!!

Happy Fall!

2009-12-18T08:16:00.000-08:00

Today and everyday

2009-12-01T15:25:00.000-08:00

Today is World AIDS Day. And sadly not even all of us think or stop to reflect or do anything even today, one day. For over 33 million people world wide (World AIDS Campaign .org) it is world AIDS day every day. What are we doing to help people all over the world get the medications they need to live? What are we doing to get our government to put funds toward stopping the spread of AIDS? What are we doing to love the people and families affected by AIDS? Find ways to educate yourself, (an excellent book is There is No Me Without You by Melissa Faye Green) to help, to give, to love. It is World AIDS day every day, in every part of the world. Be the difference and help change the world.

Great day!

2009-11-24T14:30:00.000-08:00

Today we had our court date to "re-adopt" Maya in the states. This happens basically so we can get a U.S. birth certificate, change her name, etc. Everything went great and this nice judge granted our petition! We now have a new Ethiopian-Texan ?! It was nice having everyone there to see it happen. The boys have been such a great part of all this journey and they loved being there with Maya and standing in front of the judge to make it "official."

Congratulations are in order!

2009-11-20T14:56:00.000-08:00

What a great day!! Today one of Maya's little friends from the baby home passed court and got a new family!!! Congrats to the Raines and to Baraket!! We can't wait to see you all together!

Now, who's next?! Which one of you is ready to open your heart and family to a little one who needs you? There are more children waiting . . . possibly waiting for you. Faith, hope and love are all you need.

http://www.beafamily.org/

Playing on a Sunday Afternoon!

2009-11-10T11:37:00.000-08:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAKOTA!!!

2009-11-04T12:09:00.000-08:00

Six years ago one of the most amazing kids was born! I could not love this little guy more if I tried! He is kind and funny, smart and creative. He is determined to be the best at whatever comes his way and he loves to help and take care of people. I love you Dakota and can't wait to see what this next year holds!!

Happy Halloween!

2009-11-02T12:13:00.001-08:00

Happy Halloween everyone! We had a cowboy a baby cow and a SWAT team member visit us this year!!

Soccer!

2009-11-02T12:10:00.001-08:00

Carter has had an awesome soccer season! He has played hard and done excellent!

Lady in Red!

2009-11-02T12:05:00.000-08:00

I did it!!

2009-10-16T10:29:00.001-07:00

I braided her hair!! After two days and lots of hair butter, it was finished!! She hates for me to braid/do anything to her hair so this was a huge accomplishment!! I had to get her very busy with some project, like putting cards in a box and taking them out again and again!! You know, very important tasks!! Whatever it takes! Anyway, it's not perfect by any stretch but at least it's a start!! I love her hair pulled back because it shows her beautiful little face!!

Popsicles!

2009-10-16T10:23:00.000-07:00

I love them, I can't stand the cold, no I love them!!Really!

The Wedding!!

2009-10-13T11:30:00.000-07:00

My brother got married this weekend!! We are so happy for him and his new wife, Cindy. She is amazing. They are a great couple!! I can't begin to tell you how amazing she looked! Everything was perfect and they graciously asked both boys to be ring bearers! Dakota loved it! Carter did to, but not quite as much as Dakota. Quotes from Dakota, "I've always wanted to be in a wedding." "Do we get to keep the tuxedos?!" Quotes from both boys," Look we're secret agents!" "Hey, there are pockets on the inside of the coats!" I think best of all was the dancing! All three kids danced, danced, and danced!! It was great! The band was incredible and the kids went crazy!!! Here are just a few pictures of the kids.
They left it all on the dance floor!! They had a blast!

What we've been up to . . .

2009-10-12T11:40:00.000-07:00

Yes, I have been "eating" peas!! Or maybe wearing them!

Taking a ride in my wagon! Thanks Grandpa for fixing it up and thanks Dad for the ride!!

Getting to know my dogs!! They keep trying to eat my snacks!!

Oh well!! Mom will give me more!!

I love to make faces!! I think I'm pretty funny!! It's been a great few weeks!! Maya is really growing and learning and keeping big smiles on our faces!! She is such a sweet and fun little girl!!

Go Cowboys!!

2009-09-21T17:15:00.000-07:00

Birthday!

2009-09-21T17:02:00.000-07:00

Since we couldn't be with Maya on her first birthday, we had a "Wish we had been with you on your birthday, birthday party"!!! The candle is one our friend Lucy gave us. We burn it every year until she is 18. It has her name at the bottom.

One Week

2009-09-20T18:13:00.000-07:00

I can't believe a week ago we came home to a wonderful crowd full of love and support with our beautiful daughter!! What an amazing week it has been! Full of big brothers hugs and laughter, waffles, dogs (not so sure about these yet!), kisses and more kisses, a backyard and swings, friends, and more love than any of us can fathom!! She is full of wonder and surprises us every day with her smiles and kisses! She is actually beginning to understand some things and make some connections and I think she is beginning to believe that we are all here to stay and that she is loved and so are we!

Thanks Ms. Debbi for the beautiful dress!!

Since we've been home

2009-09-16T19:24:00.000-07:00

Breakfast with our sister!!

I love my new bean bag!!

How abou that hair!!! We took out the braids and Carter said her hair looked like a volcano exploded!!! It was big! And very cool!!!

On our way home from the airport! We were worried about strapping her into the car seat because in Ethiopia she would ride in our laps in the back seat! Well, when she go tin and saw her two brothers, AND that they had twizzlers (thanks Aunt Cindy!!!) she was set!! She loved the twizzlers and her brothers were pretty entertaining as well!!

And more pics!

2009-09-16T19:16:00.001-07:00

This is a gorgeous resort in the town where Maya was born!

We had lunch with Tigist, the director of the baby home and had a wonderful relaxing time, just enjoying the beauty of our daughter's country.

Mommy and Sitota!

We took the braids out!!! Is she pretty or what!

More Pictures from Ethiopia!

2009-09-16T19:08:00.001-07:00

How 'bout that smile!!! Is she cute or what!!!

Ethiopian food! It really is great!!

This is the baby home where Sitota lived. A wonderful place. Happy, clean, bright and full of love!

First night with mommy and daddy!

She's warming up!

It's a band!

2009-09-15T12:22:00.000-07:00

Our little Ethiopian princess!!

Ethiopian food! Really good! Sometimes best not to know what you're eating, but it was always great!!

The band!! We went to a cultural restaurant where they played music and danced to all of the different tribal music. It was so great, especially when we got to hear the music from Sitota's tribe!

2009-09-15T12:12:00.000-07:00

Tigist, the director of the baby home and one of the care givers. Tigist is amazing and wonderful and has done more for our family than she even knows!!! She follows God's leading and helps bring families together with love and care like no one I've ever met! We love Tigist!!

The baby home.

One of the care givers who loved on and cared for Sitota and all of the other children. We can never say enough about how wonderful they are and how amazing they are. Their selfless, humble nurturing and love helped our daughter to develop into the wonderful, healthy little girl she is today. They give all of themselves to care for these little ones who will leave them someday to be with forever families. They are the epitome of sacrificial love and we are forever in their debt.

2009-09-15T12:05:00.000-07:00

Happy New Year!

Tigist prepared some amazing homemade bread!

The coffee ceremony!

Our very favorite guest home staff!!

2009-09-15T11:57:00.000-07:00

Celebrating Ethiopian New Year at the Guest House

I like my new toys!

Sleeping with Dad at the Baby home. I think this was a defense mechanism, hoping we would be gone when she woke up!!!

The view from the guest home. Addis is surrounded by mountains. Beautiful!!

The view off our balcony. The rooster lived over there somewhere! Also a donkey!!

We're home!!!

2009-09-14T19:01:00.000-07:00

We're home!!! I can't believe it! What an amazing journey! Ethiopia is an incredible place, the people are some of the most beautiful in the world and absolutely the most generous and humble. I will put more pictures on and add much more as the days come. Funny thing we learned on about day 3 after being very frustrated we could not do anything with our blog. The government of Ethiopia, for whatever reason, has blocked all blogspot addresses!!! It was also the rainy season and so the power was off at least every other day! Anyway, things are great, Maya Sitota is loving her brothers and very attached to mommy! She loves daddy, too and thinks he's very funny! We are all so grateful to be together! One funny story, tonight as we all held hands to pray at dinner, Carter reached out his hand to Maya and she put a green bean in it!! The boys thought it was hilarious!!! Let me also say how humbling and wonderful it was to see everyone at the airport! We love you all so much and really can't express how much it meant to see your faces and share your hugs! Thank you and I'll try to get pictures on here tomorrow!

An update from Sharon and Keith

2009-09-12T08:11:00.000-07:00

Another amazing day in Ethiopia - Today we traveled to Debra Zeit,
the city where Sitota was born. Her story is an incredible one. When
she is older and ready, she will decide if and when to share it. We
ate lunch at a beautiful resort. We had to say goodbye to Tigist
tonight (baby home Director) - very difficult. She and the caregivers
have taken extremely good care of our daughter the first year and a
half of her life - how does someone say thank you for such a thing as
that. We've had such an unbelievable experience here - far greater,
bigger, extraordinary than I ever imagined. We are thankful to God
for his grace and faithfulness and creative plan for our family. Our
daughter is indescribable - words fail, all the adjectives seem
inadequate, our gratefulness to God and all who made this possible
simply brings tears because earthly words can't touch what we have
been gifted with - Maya (means 'mine') Sitota (means 'gift') - my
gift, our gift in the most precious girl I've layed eyes on.

Images from Ethiopia...

2009-09-11T14:20:00.000-07:00

2009-09-10T11:50:00.001-07:00

Update from the Feltons

2009-09-09T18:52:00.000-07:00

We did it! Our Embassy appointment went great! We also got to bring her home after the Embassy! She was really having a hard time with us at the baby home. She really didn't want anything to do with us and when we did have her she was not impressed!!! When we took her out to go to the embassy we broke out the Cherrios!! She loved them, still not sure about us but at least we were making some progress. When we got back to the guest house we just sat on the bed and played, ate cherrios and gave her a few little toys. Before long she was smiling and even laughing a little!! After we played for a little we walked over to the other guest house with the staff and other families. The staff had graciously prepared a feast for all of us to celebrate the new year! It was wonderful!! They built a fire cooked some meat. Wait I must back up, Aki, a driver for the guest home, told me that earlier that day they had killed two sheep for us! To eat!!! Yikes! Anyway, they made a very special sweet bread, injera (their bread staple), and various versions of sheep meat (not lamb, sheep)! They set off fireworks (no fear, the Lengefeld fireworks are still the best), performed the coffee ceremony, which consists of popping popcorn (not in the microwave!) and then roasting the coffee beans, (Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee!) and then feeding us wonderful food! It was such a perfect ending to a wonderful day. Sitota laughed and ate the bread, she smiled and clapped, she was finally opening up! Keith and I both talked about what a privilege to share the New Year with our new daughter in her country. New beginnings filled with hope and joy are part of the New Year celebration, that could not be truer for all of us this year. We came back to the guest house and Sitota took her bottle and went right to sleep! By the way, thanks Ellie for the warm clothes!! It is cold here tonight! We did it!

News from Addis from Sharon and Keith

2009-09-07T18:51:00.000-07:00

We made it!! Everything went so great on the flights, bags made it everything was on time, movies were good!! We are in a wonderful guest house and the country is amazing. The people are beautiful and kind. It is exactly as I imagined from the crazy roads to the goats in the road, even the smells and noises. Although the rooster across the street (literally) we could do without!! Keith is praying for hail again!! Addis is surrounded by mountains and is beautiful. It is between 60 and 70 degrees here!! We met Sitota today!! She was even more beautiful than her pictures! She obviously knew something was going on. When we arrived we were greeted by the older children with hugs and handshakes, they are amazing, some of you need to start your paperwork and come get them!!! We went upstairs to the baby room and everyone was saying Sitota, Sitota. She was standing beside her caregiver and when she saw us she slid behind her caregiver's legs!! She was hiding!! We sat down on the floor and played with the other children and then her caregiver put her on the floor. She cried, so I picked her up and she cried for a few seconds more, then she was very quiet. She kept one hand over one eye most of the day, hiding! She only cried when I put her down, so I held her until she fell asleep. She is very sweet. She woke up when I tried to put her in her bed so we let her lay there for awhile and then I picked her back up and we played a little and then I gave her to Keith and he held her and sang to her. He sat down and gave her a bottle and she just watched everything, very content. Tigist, the orphanage director's oldest daughter, braided my hair and she sat with Keith and watched the whole time. Keith gave her back to me and I held her while she finished her bottle and then she fell asleep. We passed her back to her care giver and said goodbye for the day. She is amazing and we can't wait to go back to day and she her. Hopefully, she will warm up a little more today and want to play, if not, we will just hold her and love on her some more!!

2009-09-04T07:32:00.000-07:00

We come in on Lufthansa flight 438 from Frankfurt, Germany on Sunday Sept. 13th at 2:30 pm! We would love to see anyone and everyone at the airport, if you want to come. I can't believe we are leaving today!! Please continue to pray for all of us here( my parents and the boys) and there (Sitota and us)!! We love you all so much and thank you for walking along beside us through out this journey! God is so amazing and faithful and we can't wait to bring our little girl back here to meet everyone!!! See you soon!!!

Transitions

2009-09-02T20:44:00.000-07:00

A few things to let you know. When we get home we will still call our little girl by her African name, Sitota. It will be another part of the transition to slowly allow her to get used to her new name, Maya. We will eventually begin to call her Maya Sitota and then after some time just Maya. We just want to make every effort to help her transition at her speed and help her adjust to this new life. We will also take our time getting back into the swing of life as we recover from jet lag and help her transition to a new world. Please pray that we all bond quickly and that everyone gets the rest we all need and that we all stay healthy in the process!! It's going to be fun!!

Thanks is not enough!

2009-09-02T20:27:00.000-07:00

Thank you does not begin to convey how we feel about all the love and support and generosity we have received over this last year or so as we have walked through this adoption journey. God has given us the most amazing family, friends, church and community. We can not say thank you enough or begin to give back all that has been given to us and to our family. It is overwhelming and humbling. It makes it even more wonderful to be able to bring Sitota to her new family and community. I can't wait to see her play with little friends like Kate and Kellan, Harper and the triplets! To see her chase after Campbell, Grace, Laurel Ann, get squeezed by Ms. Barbara and Ms. Clydell and loved on by Aunt Bridgette!! I will love seeing her grow in her love of Christ when she hears Ms. Betsy or Ms. Brenda teach her about how much God loves her! Then when she prances around the "big school" with her brothers and gets hugs from Mrs. Chapman or Mrs. Z or Mrs. Poe. She will learn all about girly girl stuff from the Hales and the Killians, how to love animals from Syd, and how to swim at either one of the Hailes!! I can't wait to see how she blesses each person's life and shows them God is new and different ways. Thank you for loving our family and helping us grow, literally!! We love you all!

First day of school, sort of!

2009-08-31T17:53:00.000-07:00

Well, another year! Carter is in third grade and Dakota started kindergarten!!! I can't believe how grown up they are now! The best thing is that they both love school and are doing very well!! This is Carter's first day of school picture, but it is Dakots'a second day of school picture! His first morning was a little rough so we took another picture! He was a little nervous but after the first thirty minuntes, he loved it, every bit of it!! I love these two boys and can't wait to see how they grow this year!

I think I'm going to throw up!

2009-08-28T10:44:00.000-07:00

We leave in one week!! I am so excited, nervous, excited, nervous . . .AGH!! I can't believe it. I think we have done all we need to do and now we just need to pack and spend time with the boys! We are going to try and post something at least every other day but it will depend on the internet! It is spotty at best I've been told. We will do our best. I know the week will be amazing and sometimes difficult but I'm just ready to be there and to meet her and see her amazing country and meet the unbelieveable people who have been caring for her and nurturing her through this first year. We owe them so much. I just can't wait to see it all unfold and to see how God is working through all of this and in all of us. One week!

New picture!

2009-08-23T13:29:00.000-07:00

We just received a new picture of Sitota from our friends who are there picking up their son! She's the cutest!!

Two Weeks!

2009-08-21T13:03:00.000-07:00

Two weeks from today and we get on a plane for Africa!!! I can't believe it! Her room is ready, her family is ready, her bag is packed and we are just pulling the rest of what we need to take with us together. We still have a lot to do i nthe next two weeks, but I it will all get done! One of Maya's friends form the baby home is meeting his new parents this week! They are there and hopefully all is well! We can't wait to get updates on their trip and on Maya! If we get some new pictures we will post them! For now, here are some from the last year!

Get-a-way!

2009-08-12T17:22:00.000-07:00

We thought before Keith and I head to Africa we would take the boys on a little trip. Staying in a hotel is always a highlight. Swimming in the hotel pool, great. How about Cowboys Training Camp?!?!?!?! It was amazing! We got so close and it was really cool watching them do drills and then actually run plays! And did I mention, they look GOOD!!!!! Oh, we also went to the Alamo because Carter loved studying it in school. It was fun and really fun to see it through the boys eyes!

Remember the Alamo!!

Summer Music Camp!

2009-08-12T17:14:00.001-07:00

Carter and Dakota had a blast this year at summer music camp at our church. Here are a few fun pics of my aspiring actors/singers!!

It's really happening!!

2009-08-08T06:54:00.000-07:00

Well, we are officially traveling September 4th to go get little Ms. Maya Sitota!!! The tickets are purchased, guest home booked ( www.ethiopiaguesthome.com ), and packing started!! I can't believe it! We got updates on Sitota this week and her birth certificate and court documents. She is really our daughter! Funny story: Since we received our referral I have thought and talked about her birthday as being in May and that she was now 15 months old, well . . . . I forgot that in most of the world when you write dates you list the day first and then the month. Her birthday is really in June and she is only 14 months old!!!! We just gained an extra month with her!! I've lost my mind!!! What ever her birthday, she is beautiful and smiley and ready to be loved on by her family ( I hope she can handle all the love because it is going to be alot!!!).

Pictures

2009-07-31T20:20:00.000-07:00

If anyone has been to Ethiopia and visited the baby home on a mission trip, etc. and you happen to have pictures of Sitota, we would love to have copies of them! We want to have as many baby pictures of her as possible for us but also for her as she grows up and wants to see herself as a baby. You can send me a note through the comments with your email or just email me with them! Thanks so much!!

What's next?

2009-07-31T20:11:00.001-07:00

Time to fill out more paperwork and get ready to travel! It looks like we will be traveling September 4th through the 13th! I found out to day that we will be there over the Ethiopian new year and will get to celebrate the new year!! We are so excited about getting there and experiencing all of it and most of all meeting our daughter!! It is all too much to take in! I can't believe we are really going! Now I have to pack!!!

WE PASSED COURT!!!

2009-07-27T09:19:00.000-07:00

Here is our beautiful little girl! Maya Sitota Felton!! ( We like her little braids!!!) Sitota means gift in Amharic and she is our gift from Ethiopia! We are so thankful to everyone for all of your prayers and encouragement! She is officially our daughter and we will find out tomorrow about our travel dates!

COUNTDOWN!

2009-07-25T20:31:00.000-07:00

Here is our official family countdown poster! The boys made it and we all decorated it! We are finally here after all these months waiting! Sunday night somewhere across the world a judge will be hearing our case. Please pray that everyone who needs to be there will be there, that there will be electricity, that the judge will find everything satisfactory and pass us!! We should find out Monday morning what happened. We are cautiously excited.

July fourth!

2009-07-25T20:23:00.001-07:00

What a great day we had with wonderful friends! Here are all three of my guys having a blast!!

My GQ models!!

2009-07-18T16:20:00.000-07:00

This is just a small sample of my soon-to-be sister -in-law's amazing photography! Cindy James of Cindy James Photography, Pink Dot Productions is incredible! We could not be more excited to welcome her into the family! She is a wonderful human being, funny, brilliant, gorgeous, and full of passion and love of life (and she's a great artist as well!)! She did a photo shoot with the boys and these are just some of the shots. They had a great time working with her and it was so much fun to watch her work. Of course her subjects were pretty good looking, too!! Thanks Cindy for loving my brother and for taking such fun photographs!

NEWS!!

2009-07-09T08:41:00.000-07:00

We finally have some good news to report!! I have been quiet about all our adoption stuff for t he last two months because we have had no good news, until today!! We have been on hold because of some investigations in the country regarding all adoptions there. It was officially confirmed last week that the ban was over and the investigation was finished. Then we were reading on various blogs that something would be decided on July 2 then 3 then Mon - Wednesday. Needless to say it has been a rollercoaster and frustrating. Then we heard that the agency who prcesses the cases was closing for two weeks, another blow. But, this morning we got a wonderful call from our agency telling us our new court date was JULY 27!!!! The good thing about this date is that it is after the agency in the country is open which should prevent other delays. Now we just hav eto prya that everything is in order and that we will pass this time. If all goes well we will travel the third week of August or the first week of Sept. Either way, we will make it work!! Thank you for pryaing with us and please keep it up!!!

Triathlon!

2009-06-22T10:08:00.000-07:00

Hamilton had it's first kids triathlon this month and Carter entered it! He did awesome!!!! It was so much fun to watch and all the kids did amazing! He came in second in his division! They swam 80 meters, biked for a mile and ran for 1/2 a mile. I was very impressed with my son!

Graduation!

2009-06-22T10:00:00.000-07:00

This post is late but here are some pictures of Dakota graduating from preschool!

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

2009-05-27T10:16:00.000-07:00

First Fish!!!

I love fishing!!

And the ever popular mud baseball!!!

Frustration

2009-05-19T09:28:00.000-07:00

We have no news, except that we have no new court date and it may be a long time before we get one. There are some problems with some of the cases and agencies in the country and so they have put a hold on everyone. We have been assured that ours is fine but they will not process any until they (the government) figure out exactly who is the problem and take care of it. Ours is fine but we are caught in this mess . . .and it is frustrating.

Waiting . . .

2009-05-07T11:56:00.000-07:00

No word today. Maybe tomorrow.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

2009-05-06T10:40:00.000-07:00

On a much brighter note, today, Maya is one year old! Happy birthday little girl! We will have one big party when you get home!! Your brothers are ready to see you eat some cake! Hope you have a wonderful day!! Today, there are a lot of people praying just for you!

Not yet

2009-05-06T07:22:00.000-07:00

The judge didn't hear our case today. The orphanage director has to go back tomorrow to find out when they will reschedule our court date. It's not looking like we will travel the first week of June like we had hoped. We'll just have to wait.

One more day!

2009-05-05T08:10:00.000-07:00

Well, no court in Africa today, it is a national holiday. Our agency called and they are going to hear our case tomorrow instead, hopefully!! Please continue to pray and hopefully tomorrow we will have good news. It would be great if we passed tomorrow and she legally became our daughter because tomorrow is her one year old birthday!!! What a great day that would be!

Maybe, maybe not . . .

2009-05-04T13:39:00.000-07:00

Our agency just called and there's a holiday in our little girl's country tomorrow. The problem is that they don't know if they are or are NOT going to hold court?!?!?! We find out tomorrow whether or not they hold court and then if they don't, we should find out Wednesday when they will reschedule us. Who knows when that will be. SOOOO, please pray that court meets tomorrow, holiday or no holiday! Thanks!

BIG DAY!

2009-05-04T10:07:00.000-07:00

It's here! I can't believe it! Tonight somewhere in Africa our case will go to court! Sometime between midnight and probably 3 a.m. they will hold court and a judge will look at all of our paperwork and decide if we can be her parents. If the judge approves us we will legally be her parents! Please pray that everything is in place, that they will have electricity, that everyone who needs to be there will be there, and pray that we pass! If we pass court, we will travel in about three weeks to bring her home! We will know something in the morning and when we do we will be able to post pictures and her full name! Please pray! We are so excited but cautiously optimistic because most people do not pass court until the second or third time. We are just praying it works! We will be up tonight praying so feel free to say a prayer when you go to sleep or if you are up in the middle of the night, pray some more!! Thank you and hopefully tomorrow we will be able to celebrate!!!

I have amazing friends!

2009-05-04T09:58:00.000-07:00

Our friends gave us the most wonderful baby shower! Everything was perfect, down to the napkins!! We received some beautiful gifts and I can't wait to bring Maya home to see everything! She is going to love her new community and her new church family!

Carter and Dakota also received some great things!

Check out the shirts Mrs. Barbara Caraway had made for them!!

The quilt!

2009-04-20T12:23:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of the quilt my grandmother made for Maya. (Notice the little girl's arms and feet!) She did an amazing job and the quilt turned out beautiful! It is just perfect for our little girl!! I can't wait for her to see it, of course it will be several years before she can use it, this one's going on the wall for a while!

Coming home!

2009-04-17T12:32:00.000-07:00

Our wonderful friends left yesterday for a long awaited trip to Africa to get their little girl! It has been a crazy last few months for them with delays and unknowns but they actaully arrived in Africa today and are going to get to see their little Ellie tomorrow!!! You can follow their trip at their blog. They are also getting to love on another little girl while they are there!!!!

Easter

2009-04-17T11:54:00.000-07:00

We had a great Easter, one week early! Here are some pictures from the Easter pageant our church did this year (Carter was a young Jesus and Keith was Pilot's assistant, love the make up!)

Dakota had an Easter program and egg hunt at his school . . .

We also had an Easter egg hunt! This is our friend Campbell. She is the surrogate little sister. The boys love her!

A blur!

2009-04-17T11:48:00.000-07:00

This week has been a blur of pain medication and no sleep! Dakota, I think is finally on the upside. He hit the five to seven days and they have been awful! I think today may be the day he finally is feeling better. He still has to stay "quiet" for another week! That should be interesting!
Thank you to everyone for your prayers and kind words and fun balloons. We have wonderful friends!

Dakota

2009-04-09T20:18:00.000-07:00

Well, tomorrow morning is the big day! Dakota gets his adenoids and tonsils out! We have to be there at 9:00 a.m. Please pray that all goes well and that he recovers quickly. We have the fridge loaded with popsicles! I can't wait to see if this changes his eating habits!! He may take off and grow a foot! Who knows!

A busy month!

2009-04-01T11:26:00.000-07:00

I can't believe March has already come and gone! This past month we have started baseball and t-ball, seen lots of doctors and worked on adoption stuff! Carter and Dakota are excited about baseball! They have been having "spring training" out in the back yard for a few weeks now! Games begin this next Monday and they can't wait! It makes evenings a little crazy with two boys going in two different directions on every night of the week! I think this is only the begining!

We also found out this month th at Dakota has to have his tonsils and adnoids out. I shold receive the mother of the year award for this one! The doctor looked in h is nose and said, He doesn't eat much?" No not really. "Well, he's having to choose between eating and breathing. He can't smell any thing his adnoids are so large, so it all tastes the same."
He has to choose between eating and breathing!!!!!! Good grief! I just hope I haven't stunted his growth! Who knows, he may take off and be six foot! Anyway, he goes in for surgery April 10th, Good Friday! Happy Easter Dakota! Needless to say we are celebrating Easter this weekend.

We also had a giant yard sale to benefit our adoption. It was such a wonderful outpouring of support from our community! This is such a great place and everyone was so encouraging and helpful and generous! It is going to be so great to be able to tell Maya what this community did to help get her home and how much they all love her already. It is overwhelming and humbling to be a part of such a loving and kind group of people. I am very thankful!

We also got an update on Maya. She is crawling and babbling. She has gotten a few more shots, and she is growing! She weighs 20 pounds and 11 oz. now and is 29 inches long. She will be 11 months old next week! We can't wait to meet her and bring her home! Just another month until court. If all goes well and everythign works just like it should we will be in Africa the first week of June. We have alot to do to get ready, but it is great and fun. I spent yesterday folding pink clothes and flowery outfits!! It's very fun!

Amazing moments along the way

2009-03-05T09:25:00.000-08:00

I wanted to tell you some of the amazing things Carter and Dakota have done through out this adoption process:

Dakota came in one day with a handful of something. After chasing him down and asking what he was doing, his reply, " I wanted to put my money in the adoption jar to help bring Maya home!" He had emptied his piggy bank to help bring his new sister home. After Carter learned what Dakota did, he disappeared and came back to do the exact same thing. I have incredible kids!

Every night they both pray for Maya. Carter prays at dinner and bedtime that she will be healthy and that she will come home soon!

Dakota prayed one night that, "Mommy and Daddy would have a safe trip to Africa and that we would all learn English soon!"

One morning Dakota woke up and decided that we needed to paint the baby's room! I said no and so he thought we should paint the baby bed! Still no, we settled on putting the bed together and packing up the guest room so we could make it the baby room. That seemed to satisfy him and he worked all morning with me getting it ready!

Every time he finds something pink, girly, or babyish he brings it to me and says, " This could be for our baby sister!" Then he promptly runs and puts it in her room.

They are both learning so much about Africa and the country where she lives. They have met other kids from there and love talking to them. This past Saturday our agency had a heritage day for all the families and the boys got to hear a praise band from our daughter's country. I loved watching them listen, clap, and dance along with the amazing music. Carter's class (thanks to his fantastic teacher) is collecting books to send to the orphanage and both boys take her pictures to school and show her off! Dakota wants to bring her to show and tell when she comes home!

It is so incredible how much they get it! They already love her so much and are so proud of her! She has no idea what she's in for when she gets home! I love these two boys and could not be prouder of who they are and how they love!

A new family!

2009-02-27T07:20:00.000-08:00

Our friends passed court!! They are now a beautiful family of four! Go tell them congratulations on their blog and see their beautiful new daughter!!

Next Step!

2009-02-26T10:44:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I was sitting in our living room when my cell phone rang. I answered it and it was our agency calling us to give us "good news" she said! I thought she was calling to give us an update on Maya, but she was calling to tell us we had a court date!!!!! A court date!!! I couldn't believe it! The agency in Africa was suppossed to be closed until March?! I'm not sure what happened but they opened early and gave us a court date. Our date right now is May 5! Now, we are considering this a tentative date because everything I have heard and read lets me know that almost no one gets to actually pass court on the first date given. Court dates get moved, court closes, no electricity on that day, paper work is missing, birth families need to be located, a myriad of reasons why people don't actually have court the first day assigned or why they don't pass court the first time. We are trying to be flexible and patient. We also are just happy to be in the system at this point!

For those of you who haven't heard how this works. We give power of attorney to people over in Africa and they handle court for us. If/when we pass court we are legally her parents. We must then travel about three weeks after we pass court to go meet her and bring her home! Thank you so much for your prayers for us and for our little girl and for this process. Please continue to pray for all of us.

As you are praying today and tonight, and if you wake up in the middle of the night between midnight and three, please, please pray for a wonderful family that has their court date tonight! Their little girl is in the same baby home as Maya and they are going through the same agency. Hopefully, tomorrow they will legally be the parents of a beautiful little girl all the way over in Africa!!

Birthday Festivities!

2009-02-16T11:05:00.000-08:00

We had such a great time this year! Carter wanted to go to the Baylor bears basketball game for his birthday! It was great!!! Baylor beat the Aggies! The boys had such a great time and really got into the game. One funny note, there were some really great aggie fans holding a sign that said "Beat the hell out of Baylor!" Carter, of course, saw it and made certain to inform us that there was a bad word on that sign!! Who would write such profanity?!?!?! It was a perfect teaching moment to show him why he never wanted to go to Texas A&M!!!!! LOL!!! Here are some pictures of the day! He wanted a "stunt" birthday cake?! What?! Well, he designed it and I made it! A motorcycle jumping a wall of fire! Crazy!

CARTER!

2009-02-13T11:55:00.000-08:00

Today is Carter's 8th birthday! I can't believe that it was eight years ago he was born! Where did all the time go? Carter is the most amazing young man! He is kind and funny and generous. He is smart and unbelievably imaginative and creative! His teacher told me just this morning that Carter is so honest that they call him Honest Abe! She said anytime she needs to know what actually happened, she asks Carter. She said he even told her once that it wasn't all the other kids doing something they weren't supposed to, it was just him! He is caring and a fantastic big brother. I can't wait to see him with a little sister. His big brown eyes are so full of excitement and curiosity, that I always wonder what's going on in that head of his! I am so thankful for Carter and for the way he chooses to live his life. One day he came home and told me he wanted to buy gifts for all his Sunday school teachers and all the kids in his class. We went right then and bought flowers for teachers and he picked out toys at the dollar store for all the kids in his class and then we delivered each one! He has a heart like no other! I love him so very much and could not be prouder to be his mom! Happy Birthday Carter!

Delay. . .

2009-02-07T13:05:00.001-08:00

Well, international adoption has its quirks, to say the least! Our agency called this week and the government agency that handles adoptions in our daughter's country, is closing for the entire month of February!! Evidently they are moving and reorganizing. Which means, they did not accept our paperwork before they closed and so our case cannot be submitted until they open back up in March. I am bracing for what could be many delays. My prayer is that when the office opens things will run more efficiently and smoothly and things will move faster!?!?!? Keep praying!

I did get a chance to talk with a friend who was just there and she got to hold Maya and play with her and she said she is very happy, content and seems pretty laid back!! Wow, laid back, that will be a new dynamic in the Felton household!! Overall she said she was very well cared for, loved and given lots of attention. She said the home was wonderful and the care givers genuinely loved all the children, and for that we are extremely grateful! It is humbling to know someone is giving love and care to your future child as if she were their own, knowing the whole time that the child will be leaving them. The people there give so much and give so sacrificially. They have a unique and wonderful calling. We can never thank them enough for all they are doing in the "meantime." We love them already!

Check this out!

2009-02-03T12:24:00.000-08:00

Another family adopting through our agency is doing a really fun fundraiser to help with their adoption expenses! They are getting people to trade items which will eventually be sold on ebay. Sounds crazy? Go check out their blog and see if you can help them out! They may have something you need and you may have something they could use!

New Pictures!

2009-02-03T11:55:00.000-08:00

We have some new pictures!! Sorry you can't see them! She is beautiful!!! She is really growing! She has new teeth and she sits up by herself! She is very smiley and very squeezable!! Every night at dinner and at bed the boys both pray, " God help our baby sister to come home soon and keep her safe and healthy!" Dakota also adds, "And help her to learn her name quickly." They are so excited. They love to look at her pictures and show them off. They have shown them to their classes at school and church and they have told everyone they meet all about her. I hope they are as happy when she destroys their lego ships!! Some how, I think they will be!

Update!

2009-01-30T10:03:00.001-08:00

A friend who is adopting through our same agency went to Africa this week and sent this update on Maya: Your sweet girl is just that - SOO sweet! She laughs easily, lets me hold her and love on her and puts out the biggest, toothy (4 that I could see) grins I've seen in a long time. She plays easily by herself and others, ate well and napped well, too. I've got tons of pics and video for you!
We really can't thank Jill enough! It is so great to hear information and to know that she is being loved and cared for so well! We can't wait!

Excited!

2009-01-27T11:48:00.000-08:00

Dakota and Carter are so excited! Dakota woke up today and said, "O.k. we need to paint her room today and then paint her bed." I said Hold on! We are not painting anything. He was pretty adamant that we needed to paint, so I said let's put the baby bed back together (it's been a toddler bed). He was excited and so today he and I put the bed together and cleaned it all up for his little sister! He was very proud. He's ready to put the sheets and blankets on and get the room all fixed up. I told him that we still had a long time to wait, but we would so a little each day. He was satisfied, for now! Anyway, we have accepted the referral and now we just wait for a court date. It could be four months, or five weeks, who knows. We'll just pray for quick turn around!