Life with Elias

2010 Happenings

2010-12-21T11:12:00.007-05:00

I just mailed out all our Christmas cards and didn't include a family update like we usually do. Since so many people are on facebook it seems redundant to write about all the family happenings that most people already know about. So, since our card included our blog address, I thought I'd just do our family letter here. And maybe now I'll be more consistent about updating this blog too.

We were just a little into 2010 when we found out that I was pregnant, and by the time we wrapped our minds around the fact that we would be having a newborn, Merin was here! It has been an absolute delight to have a newborn baby in our family. I'd prayed throughout my pregnancy that this experience would soften all of us, and it certainly has. There is just something magical about how a baby- so fresh and new- brings sweetness and peace into even the darkest of moods. We have all enjoyed her so much. She's an easy baby which means I can say "sweetness" and "peace" when I talk about a newborn. She just started smiling this week which is so much fun.

Chase, who wasn't too sure about how it would be to have a daughter, is absolutely smitten. And Elias loves her more and more everyday. He loves to sing and dance and talk to her and feels so important when he gets to help take care of her. We work to find plenty of ways that he can be included and this has really helped his transition from being the only child. It'll take time though. We were a family of just three for a long time!

Chase is commuting to San Antonio for his job which is hard on all of us, but he loves what he does and where he works. We are so thankful for this. Between working and his long hours in the car everyday he doesn't have much time for his many hobbies, but gets out to the gun range whenever he can. He went deer hunting recently for the first time and we had to buy a new freezer to house all the meat. Venison is the new chicken in our house. Anyone have good venison recipes?

Elias goes to Kindergarten every morning and really loves it. Well, he loves math and recess. He still talks nonstop and has more energy than all of us put together. He's gotten really into soccer and loves playing at school during recess and wants to play more as soon as he gets home. I was a pretty lame soccer opponent late into my pregnancy, but I could at least stand there and kick the ball with him. He played t-ball this year which was perfect for him and will probably play again this next year.

Elias recently got into legos and it's the only thing he's ever encountered that will keep him occupied for hours. He completed a 362 piece set yesterday while I took care of Merin and got a ton of Christmas stuff done!

I worked part-time for my church this year which was so much fun for me. It's helped make my transition to having two children go smoothly just because I'm not as busy trying to juggle working on top of home and all our other activities. We have simplified life a lot since October and it's made all the difference. I still "work" with refugee women in Austin which I love. I don't like to say "work" or "volunteer", because the women are truly my friends and I love to be with them and a part of their lives. You can see more about my refugee friends here: http://www.hilltribers.blogspot.com/

We are still waiting on our Ethiopian adoption. We never thought we'd wait this long and it's hard to even talk about. But we know that God has this whole adoption under His faithful, loving control and we'll have our child in our arms not a moment too late.

You can read more of our blog for a couple other happenings in 2010 (like the Endeavor Games and Chase's trips to Haiti), and I'll post a few of our other favorite pictures of the year below. (I lost my hardrive though so only have pictures from the summer until now).

Merry Christmas!

Family Camp at Laity Lodge

First Day of Kindergarten
Cool Tatoo
MERIN IS BORN!

We finally meetComing out of delivery room with Chase

Meeting Big Brother Elias, Aunts, Grandmothers for the first time...

Any day now

2010-10-20T16:50:00.004-05:00

Baby Girl Brown is expected to arrive any day now and we are ready for her to be here!

I don't have much energy or pain tolerance to be out and about anymore, so Elias and I spend a lot of time at home playing games, watching movies, reading books, and kicking the soccer ball outside. It's been a sweet time together as we wait for his sister to arrive.

He is SO excited about being a big brother and is especially excited to have a sister. I was actually suprised by this since he is so into all things boy, but his expressions have been super sweet about having a baby sister. And loves to see her dresses and pink clothes and ooh and aah over them. :-)

We haven't taken any pictures as a family with me pregnant because I'm always the one with the camera. But we had a friend snap a few informal shots in our living room the other day. I'm revealing to the blog world me and all my pregnant belly glory.

I'll post again with the first pictures of our family of FOUR!

Happy July 4th!

2010-07-04T13:59:00.004-05:00

Just in time for Independence Day... Elias has taken his patriotism to a whole new level.

Happy July 4th everyone!

It's a.....

2010-06-25T21:10:00.003-05:00

I haven't posted much the past several months because I've been tired and have had other things occupying my brain. About 5 months ago, we found out that I'm pregnant! My due date is toward the end of October so I'm more than halfway there.

We are, of course, very excited about the baby that will be coming into our family soon. We get lots of questions all the time- - here are the answers. :-)

Yes, we are excited.
Yes, we're still adopting. Our decision to add to our family through adoption is independent of us having/not having biological children.
Yes, we were surprised, and at the same time, no we were not surprised.
Yes, I'm feeling well.
Yes, Elias is really excited. Then Elias always pipes up and says, "I can't wait to have TWO "babies" come into our family!" So then I respond...
No, I'm not having twins- we're adopting as well.
Yes, we're finding out what we're having.
No, we don't have a name yet. (And if we did I wouldn't tell you).

It's been an adjustment to be expecting a baby by birth after expecting our next Ethiopian child for so long now. Adoption is so up and down with twists and turns and heartache and so many unknowns. With pregnancy, I can pick up a hundred books at my local library or look at thousands and thousands of websites that tell me exactly what my baby is doing today, how I may feel or look, and give me pages upon pages of suggestions, remedies and opinions on how to handle any bit of uncomfortable feeling, ache, or pain.

It's amazing really the illusion of "control" all this information creates. No wonder people are afraid to adopt! For us it's been fun to experience the polarities of both experiences at the same time.

Now, on with the title of this post. We found out recently what we're having and decided to surprise Elias and the grandmas with a homemade cake announcing the gender. It was fun to celebrate together in this way!

GIRL!

Endeavor Games 2010

2010-06-16T22:23:00.005-05:00

Elias had the awesome opportunity to participate for the second year in the Endeavor Games in Edmond, OK. We love the Endeavor Games for a million reasons, but especially because Elias gets to be with other amputee kids and this has proven to be really significant in his life. The EGs are also special because each individual gets to be exactly who they are without people staring or them feeling so different. Legs and arms are laying everywhere, and no one bats an eye. I love it!

Elias ran in the 60, 100 and 200 Meter races and also participated in "Softball Throw". The best part for him is that he medaled in each event- 2 gold medals and 2 silver medals! Every night I hear them clanking up in his room as he plays with them before bed. :-)

Here are some of our favorite pictures from this year. There is a link at the bottom of this post to pictures in the Edmond newspaper that show the whole story of the Endeavor Games (and not just my awesome son). :-)

Practicing with friends the day before the race

Taking rest on the field (and actually devising a strategy as his friends ran all the way around the track. He cut across the field and got right in front of them, beat them to the finish line and then cheered as if he'd been winning all along. Elias is SO competitive!)

Cousins Melinda and Kaden (along with 3 grandparents) got to come. It was so fun to have them there!

Getting ready to race on game day

Running the 100M race

Crossing the finish line

Getting ready to jump in Daddy's arms (tongue was out the whole race).

Funny faces on the field

Posing with friends at the Closing Ceremonies Banquet

Two of the medals

Click here and here to see the slideshow from the Edmond Sun Newspaper.

We can't wait until next year!

New kind of beer

2010-04-08T21:51:00.004-05:00

The other day Elias was with me at a BBQ joint for lunch with large group of young people from our church. (By "young people" I mean younger than me. I'm old, so I get to say things like that now).

He thoroughly enjoyed all the attention he was getting from the YPs. With the focus of everyone on him, he took a big swig of his cherry limeade in a bottle and said,

"Aaaah. Cherry Limeade. It's like beer for kids".

Haiti Trip #2, Update 1

2010-04-06T22:15:00.003-05:00

Chase has been in Haiti for several days now and is having an incredible time. Sounds like it's been exhausting, exhilarating, emotional, and a ton of plain ol' hard work.

Once he arrived home from his last trip just 4 weeks ago he hit the ground running with getting all the details in place to start the prosthetic clinic at Mission of Hope in Haiti. He said it felt like starting a brand new business in three weeks time for a clinic that is 2000 miles away. Throw in the cultural differences and resource limitations and general chaos and it was a tough job! He had lots of help from his boss and doctors and many others around the country who have pulled together to make this dream a reality.

A huge logistical component was ordering all the equipment and supplies for the clinic and getting them shipped just in time. In fact, the shipment was still in customs on Thursday morning, and customs was closing at noon that for the Easter weekend! Miraculously though every single piece of equipment arrived safely at MOH on Thursday evening, just in time for Chase and his crew to arrive and set up the clinic over the weekend. It was hard manual work but they got it all done!

Chase started seeing his first patients on Monday and hopes to have their legs or braces ready by the end of the week.

Today was an emotional day as he had to deliver devastating news to an 18-year-old boy that a prosthetic will not work for his leg due to the condition of his residual limb. This family lost their home in the quake, is living in a tent city and also lost their sister/daughter in the earthquake. Chase said that the conversation with this family today was one of the hardest he's ever had and they all broke down crying together. The only option this boy has is to undergo a second amputation on the same leg and then after it heals the boy would be a candidate for a prosthetic.

Our prayer is that God gives peace to this family to make the right decision and that the shame of disability and immense discouragement of today's news be redeemed by the plans God has for this young man.

Finally, one more story from today. Chase helped with food distribution outside the gates of Mission of Hope today and a riot broke out. Some people were injured and Chase was the ambulance driver to get the injured to the hospital. He said he is emotionally drained and appreciates your prayers!

Thanks for your love and support!

Letter to an amputee child in Haiti

2010-03-26T08:58:00.003-05:00

msnbc.com is doing a spotlight on the amputees in Haiti. They have a special section of their website where they are following the stories of amputees in Haiti as they seek treatment and get their first prosthetic limbs.

A reporter contacted us last week and asked if Elias would be interested in writing a letter to a 4-year-old boy who is getting his first prosthetic leg this week. I sat down with Elias and showed him pictures of Schneily and asked if he could tell me a few things to write in a letter to him.

Elias said some of the sweetest things, all with no prompting from me.

His letter is on the msnbc website today: Dear Schneily, I'll be your friend

It warms my heart to know that Elias was an encouragement to this family who is enduring so much right now!

Pictures from Haiti Trip

2010-03-24T13:25:00.003-05:00

Chase was fortunate to have a professional photographer (Kevin Morrison) in his group in Haiti. He took some great shots of Mission of Hope and the neighborhoods around Port Au Prince. Most pictures are labeled briefly underneath.

Picture of Mission of Hope with ocean in background

The people streamed in each morning to go to the clinic when the gates opened.

Waiting in line for the clinic

External Fixator (prevents amputation)

Presidential Palace

Tent City

Street in Port Au Prince

Lots of garbage and skinny dogs

Monument in city with humvee driving in front

Chase has been incredibly busy with getting all the details together for his next trip to Haiti. They are putting together an entire clinic, including construction to build out the clinic, purchasing and shipping all the equipment and supplies, filling out government forms, lining up volunteer staffing, and much more... all in just a few weeks time!

His team will leave next week to set up the clinic over the weekend, and then Chase will start seeing the first patients the following Monday. There are a million details that have to coordinate perfectly for that plan to be successful, so he appreciates your prayers!

Haiti Update #3

2010-03-08T14:27:00.003-05:00

Chase is home! He had a phenomenal, life-changing trip and said he'd turn around and go back tomorrow if he could. He came back to a house full of out-of-town guests and then is back to work today. He hasn't really had a chance to even unpack his bag, but will hopefully catch his breath in the next day or two and then post some stories himself to the blog along with some pictures.

His last day in Haiti he sent me two pictures and a funny story that I'll post below...

This tent city sprung up in the days following the earthquake. Haitians that lost their homes or who are afraid of being inside because of the aftershocks fled the neighborhoods and came into this flat area and staked out places to live. Homes are constructed by pushing four sticks into the ground, then covering them with a sheet or blanket. Lucky ones have found tarps to place over the sheet. The rainy season starts in a just a couple weeks which is a huge cause of concern for the several hundred Haitians living in these tent cities.

This picture is the hospital at Mission of Hope being built on to existing clinic. The bottom layer is done. Red doors will be entrance to prosthetics clinic. Lots of turkeys and goats around with an occasional donkey.

One funny story: I was down by the clinic and heard what sounded like a woman wailing/screaming like she was in severe pain and anguish. My thoughts were filled with the images of legs being amped or bones being set. Wounds being cleaned/debreded. Oh what must be happening to this poor soul...

It was a goat. A darn old goat with what seemed like a case of heartbreak.

Chase in Haiti- Update #2

2010-03-05T09:49:00.002-05:00

I had one quick conversation with Chase yesterday (in the middle of coaching Elias in his T-Ball practice). He said that things are going really well. His biggest impression is Mission of Hope and the amazing things they are doing in Haiti. Even more, the amazing vision they have for the future.

Chase spent a lot of time yesterday sorting supplies and food from containers. It was mind-numbing work, but desperately needed. Three more 18-wheelers with containers were arriving last night, and two more today. While many organizations are not able to get their supplies out of the port, Mission of Hope has access to one just five minutes away from their facility. So, supplies come through in a quick, steady stream and they are able to get them distributed to the people and organizations that need them most.

The morning started out heavy with a woman dying in the clinic. Death is such a part of life there. As he watched a line of 150-200 people line up at the clinic as the sun was rising, they spontaneously burst into song, then into prayer with one another. God is redeeming the Haitian people and it has been amazing to witness that in person.

He plans to evaluate amputees today and possibly work in another clinic. I don't know much other than that.

Thanks for your prayers everyone!

Chase in Haiti- Update #1

2010-03-03T20:36:00.002-05:00

Chase is in Haiti! A few weeks ago he connected with a group of medical professionals and other Christians here in Austin who have been involved in helping the Haitians since the day after the earthquake.

Chase was asked to help establish a prosthetic clinic in Haiti and he jumped at the chance! There was an extra spot on a private jet so he left for Haiti on Tuesday morning. He only found out about the trip three days ahead of time, so his mind was a bit of a whirlwind as he tried to make plans and gather his thoughts and things before leaving. He was so thankful that his boss let him go on such short notice.

Today was his first full day in Haiti. We finally had a successful phone connection this evening so he talked as fast as he could before the phone went dead. These are the basic details of his time so far....

He is working with a ministry called Mission of Hope that has been in Haiti since 1998. Located about eight miles north of Port Au Prince, MOH is in a strategic location and is doing incredible things. Chase said they are feeding up to 400,000 people a day! They have 18-wheelers coming in delivering much-needed supplies that are then used by MOH or distributed throughout Haiti. They also have a church, school, orphanage, clinic and are building a hospital. Chase and others will be setting up the prosthetic clinic in the basement of this hospital.

Chase went around Port Au Prince today and said that people are slowly getting back to living life again. Vendors are out selling their wares in the streets and cleanup is beginning. There are piles of rubble everywhere, but some buildings are left standing and operating once again.

He passed by a white-looking field about an acre in size. He was told that it is a sulfur mine area but has now become a dump for an estimated 80,000 bodies. The bodies were dumped there in hopes that the sulfur would cover the stench of the decay. Horrible. Just horrible.

Part of the amazing timing of this trip which seemed random but was certainly ordained by God is that Chase was able to take part in a very important meeting today with all the international players involved in medical and prosthetic care in Haiti. He said it was like the UN- people from all over the world from various organizations and the UN, WHO, IRC, USAID, Handicap International, etc. It was a very serious meeting for people to report who they are and what their intentions are in Haiti.

Chase was third in line to stand up and speak, and he said he was nervous but just prayed for the right words to communicate. He was relieved that no one drilled him with questions like they did with the others and he credits that to the solid reputation that Mission of Hope has in Haiti. He had several people come up and talk to him afterwards and was invited to a second meeting tomorrow for prosthetists to go over more technical details of prosthetic care there.

He also spent time playing with kids in the orphanage today and can't wait to go back and play more tomorrow.

Chase feels amazing favor from the Lord and miraculous provision. Thank you for your prayers!

He ended the call by saying, "My life will never be the same... and neither will yours!" Looks like we have some new adventures ahead and I can't wait!

I'll post more as I hear from him. He's been trying to send pictures so hopefully I can post them soon.

Home for the Holidays

2010-03-01T21:56:00.003-05:00

Our family had the special opportunity to be featured in an adoption special that was aired on the local ABC affiliate on Christmas Eve. I wish we could link to the whole show here because it was heart-warming to see families and children from all walks of life who were brought together through adoption.

The team that came out to film our family were so talented and did a great job at editing a couple hours of footage into a three minute feature. Of course it's a little weird to watch ourselves on TV. But this is God's story, not our own, and we hope that people who watched were encouraged by our experience with adoption.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cWAepnXbOI

Future Para-Olympian

2010-02-21T22:18:00.005-05:00

Elias was so so so excited to try out the prototype for his running leg this weekend! He's been anticipating this for a very long time and it was awesome to see him finally run with a "real" running leg.

Chase is especially excited because he was able to fit a knee on the running leg. Usually kids start out with just a straight bar instead of a knee. While it will be a little more difficult to control as Elias learns to use the running leg initially, he'll run much better and with correct form in the long run if he starts out with a knee now.

The first day Elias put it on he convinced me to wear it all day, including during his nap. Then he cried and cried when he didn't get to wear it to school the next day.

The running leg has also inspired his imagination about what it will be like when "he runs fast and wins a race and gets a trophy." He's been practicing a special run with his arms raised in the air like a champion.

And a champion he truly is.

I'm back

2010-02-15T17:43:00.004-05:00

I'm going to jump in here on this blog and completely ignore an explanation for the 137 day absense. 137 days? Pathetic. Truly pathetic.

I'll get right down to business with an adoption update: There is no update. We are still waiting. I repeat- We. are. still. waiting. We never ever in all our lives imagined that we'd be waiting this long. I could write a hundred posts about this waiting and how we've dealt with it. (Sometimes with grace and sometimes with utter impatience and tears).

International adoption is never straight forward and usually full of lots of unexpecteds and twists and turns. There is usually a general timeline or order of things that one follows. However in our case, we've been waiting extra long because of our own choice. Crazy to some, but the right thing to do to us. Okay, I admit that sometimes crazy to us too. But we still believe that God wants us to continue to wait for an amputee child, so that's why we wait. At some point we may feel "released" to accept a referral for a non-amputee/special needs child, but at this point, we are certain that we are to continue waiting.

In the meantime, we try to live life as normal even though there seems like something/someone is missing. :-)

Here are some general going-ons:

- Elias turned FIVE. I'll post some pics of his awesome birthday party. I can't believe my sweet little boy is no longer little and growing up so fast. He's so smart and funny and challenging and loving and snuggly.

- Chase has a new job in San Antonio. It's a long, long commute, but he loves it and believes it is worth the sacrifice. He says he's learned more in a couple months than he has in years and really enjoys the challenge. We've been forced to simplify life because of this major life change and are better for it. Saying "no" to things and people is hard, but worth it for the quality of our family life.

- Elias is asking lots of questions about God and faith lately. From, "How can I really know God if I can't see Him?" to "Does Jesus poop? Does it smell?" Deep stuff.

- Elias has been loving school and has recently memorized all the books of the Bible, Psalm 100 and Psalm 23. It's so awesome to hear him recite these things, not only when we ask him to, but also while he plays with his cars or other toys.

- I continue to work with refugee women twice a week and love it. Elias goes with me on Mondays and it has been fun to serve with him at my side. It's not always fun for him, but it's been a good lesson for both of us to remember that serving isn't about us, but about the people we get to love and help. Our lives are richer because of our refugee friends!

Some random pictures:

MONSTER TRUCKS!!!

2009-09-30T21:12:00.005-05:00

The Monster Truck Show came to town again, so we surprised Elias and took him and Elijah. The whole thing was a surprise, and while they asked an occasional question, they never really even wondered why we were driving so far or buying tickets for something.

Elias on the way to Elijah's house. Totally unsuspecting.

So excited to be together.

We stopped at the only restaurant we could find- authentic Mexican food. I even had (got) to order our food in Spanish. And the boys' favorite part was drinking Jarritos.

Elias takes a picture of us.

Video:They figure out where we are!

At the Pre-Show Pit Party

Fans are interesting and butt cracks are funny to young boys.

Check out the backflip and then the boys' reaction!

A little Monster Truck action for your viewing pleasure. The truck hits the wall at the end of the video- the driver actually passed out and they had to carry him out on a stretcher!

My Best Friend's Wedding

2009-09-15T22:29:00.005-05:00

Best friends' weddings are so fantastic! One of my best friends from childhood (met in 7th grade, friends through school then roommates in college) got married in her hometown of Rapid City, South Dakota in late August.

Elias and I flew to Colorado the week before the wedding and enjoyed spending time with friends and my wonderful, younger sister Liz. Then Chase flew in a few days later and seven of us drove in a borrowed mini van to Rapid City. While the drive seemed long as it stretched on at 12:30 a.m., the scenery through Wyoming was beautiful!

Ami (best friend and bride) was an amazing hostess with all kinds of activities planned and a ton of site-seeing around the Black Hills area. Again- very beautiful. Us Browns love us some purty nature and cool weather! I think Elias' favorite part of the whole trip was driving the ATV with his dad.

Elias and the groom, Nate

Elias and beautiful bride, Ami

Elias was very serious about trying on his tux for Ring Bearer

Cool Dude

Gearing up for his big debut as ring bearer

The Browns and Schroeders (Meagan's parents)

All dressed up in our wedding attire

Dancin' the night away with mommy

Gettin jiggy (yes, isn't that an AWESOME shirt to wear to a wedding reception? I was so tired by the time the reception came around that I didn't even realize what he was wearing until I saw the pictures later

A fabulous trip and we can't wait to go back to South Dakota!

First Day of Pre-K

2009-08-31T20:24:00.005-05:00

Elias had his first day of Pre-K last week at his new school. He was a little apprehensive about not going back to his preschool from last year, but he warmed up within the first few seconds of being in his new classroom and seeing the potential for so many new friends.

He goes to school three mornings a week and spends the other mornings asking me why he can't go to school that day.

We're really excited about this new school and know it will be a phenomenal experience for all of us this year!

This first day of school picture was actually taken after school. In classic Brown Family style we were running late to get him to school on time and miss the classic on-the-porch or in-the-tree first day of school picture. I'm sure it had nothing to do with the fact that Elias was up for 3 hours during the middle of the night before school started, causing extreme exhaustion for all of us. :-)

All the parents and students went to the class and read The Kissing Hand together. A really sweet story and Elias has talked about it over and over again.

First Sleepover

2009-08-11T09:43:00.007-05:00

Elias has a best friend named Elijah. The first things Elias will tell you about his friend is that "he has brown skin like me", he "likes cars too" and that "we're both from Eef-opia".

Elias has found a lot of comfort in the ways he identifies with Elijah. I honestly thought that identity around race/color and adoption would come at a later age, but these boys haved talked often about their color, adoption and birth families since eary on (age 3 and 4). Needless to say, all of us are just thrilled that they have each other.

We are fortunate to know Elijah and his family, and it's a huge bonus that they live just 4 miles away from us. The boys LOVE to get together and go through withdrawal if they are apart for very long. We've been out of town SO much this summer and Elias has been so sad not to see his best friend very much.

With all this time apart, we decided that a sleepover was in order. This was Elias' first time to have a friend spend the night, and to say that he was excited is an understatement. He checked in with me at least 30 times that day to make sure Elijah was still coming to spend the night.

The boys played for a while, had some yummy homeade ice cream, and then it was time for bed. They carefully arranged their identical Cars sleeping bags on the floor of Elias' room. While I was reading them a story, I noticed that Elias adjusted his sleeping bag over and over again to make sure that it was touching Elijah's at all points possible. He didn't want to be an inch too far from his best friend!

After the boys were down, us parents played games for a couple of hours longer. The whole time we could hear whispers and giggles and numerous trips to the bathroom. Every time I checked on them they'd be back in their sleeping bags, side-by-side, chatting away. I have no idea what two boys can talk about for so many hours! (Elias told me later they were talking about racing cars. No surprise there).

So excited to be together!

Getting settled in their sleeping bags

Finally fast asleep. (Notice how Elias, ever the snuggler, is touching Elijah's arm.)

Just 6-7 hours after falling asleep, the boys woke up bright (actually it was still dark) and early. Needless to say Elias was very tired and subsequently put his shorts on backwards. He couldn't figure out how to turn them around and kept trying to twist them to the front while still wearing them and got so frustrated. So sweet friend Elijah helped him get them off and on again.

After getting some fuel from chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast, the boys raced around and around and around until Elijah's parents came to pick him up.

We can't wait for the next sleepover!

ED Video and Final Pictures

2009-06-17T19:54:00.003-05:00

Here's a little video of Elias in his 60 meter race. The filming isn't the best, but it's still fun to watch. I only wish you could see the smile on Elias' face when he gets halfway down the track and sees his daddy cheering at the end. Chase cries everytime he thinks about it. :-)

Softball Throw Competition

Another Ethiopian at the Games!

We are so thankful to Chase's employer, Orthotic and Prosthetic Technologies, who not only gave Chase the time off to attend the Endeavor Games, but also sponsored Elias in the Games and even made special shirts just for us!

The Athletes- Our Heroes

2009-06-15T19:08:00.006-05:00

The most significant moments of the Endeavor Games were meeting the athletes, hearing their stories, and seeing them compete. There were a large number of veterans at the Games who lost limbs in the Iraq war. It was deeply moving to see them there, successfully living a life so drastically altered from the one they knew before. Their camaraderie is intimate and unique and we felt privileged to look on as they encouraged one another to achieve new physical feats.

Remember the athlete we met on the first day? His name is Kortney Clemons. We got to know him a little more throughout the weekend. His story is fills us with deep gratitude and admiration. Here it is in his words:

“We were on our way back to camp when we came across an overturned U.S. Humvee. There was a wounded soldier half inside, half outside. We got him onto a stretcher and at the guard rail, crossing over the median; there was an IED (Improvised Explosive Device). The two soldiers who were assisting me were killed instantly, as was one other who was standing by us. I knew I was injured pretty badly.” But it wasn’t until he woke to find he had been transported to a military hospital in Germany that he discovered that one leg was gone above the knee and his other had been hit by shrapnel. “I had to get a lot of surgery,” he says and a lot of vascular work Kortney recovered at Brooke Army Center over a period of ten months.

A true hero! You can read more about Kortney here and here.

Kortney is now at the Olympic Training Center training for the 2012 Paralympics. Kortney won the gold in the 100m at the Endeavor Games. One of the most special moments was when he later saw Elias and gave him his gold medal. Elias wore it so proudly!

One more friend we met is Atzel. Atzel lost his leg at the ankle this past year in an accident at work. He got his prosthetic leg just 20 days before the Endeavor Games. He and three of his friends drove 22 hours from California to compete and meet the other athletes. Isn't that incredible!! He left just a couple hours after his amazing race to drive back to California!

Endeavor Games Continued

2009-06-13T22:43:00.003-05:00

We just came back from the closing ceremonies of the Endeavor Games. Wow. Wow. Wow!

We have had a packed schedule the last couple of days and are exhausted but oh so happy. It's going to take a while to process everything- the amazing people we've met, deep conversations, inspiring stories, witness to phenomenal victories as athletes over come significant challenges... It's easy to say that this has been a life-changing event.

Most impactful is the obvious- that Elias has had the opportunity to be surrounded with others who are like him. I've loved to see all the kids (and adults too) compare prosthetics. No one stares. No incessant questions. Legs lying around all over the place like it's the most normal thing in the world. :-) He has been so free to be himself.

There are many pictures and lots of stories to tell. But it's late and this hotel internet is slow. Here are a few pics for now. Stay tuned for more once we're home and rested.

Hanging out with new friends

Having some fun before the races start

Hanging out with the "competition" in the runners tent

The big 60m race!

2009 Endeavor Games

2009-06-11T20:44:00.006-05:00

It's been forever since we've posted anything and there is so much to talk about- travels around Texas and to New York, swimming, summer time fun, Family Day 2009, etc. But for now I just have to post a few pics from our first afternoon at the 2009 Endeavor Games.

We found out about the Endeavor Games a few weeks ago and jumped on the opportunity to come and be surrounded by amputee athletes (and those with other disabilities) from all over the world. This couldn't have come at a better time for Elias who is starting to really struggle with being "different" and wishing he had "two yellow legs like Mom."

We arrived in Oklahoma this afternoon and attended a running clinic. Elias had post-nap grump and it took him a while to warm up. Actually he acted quite serious the whole time and hardly ever even cracked a smile. I think it was a lot for him to take in, seeing all these amputees of all ages and sizes running and exercising around the track.

I took him on the track to show him where he would be running in his 60m race on Saturday. We did a few practice runs, but then he said he wanted to run with the other athletes. So, he bravely went and asked the fastest guy out there if he would run with him on the track.

The guy was so kind to Elias. He took some time to give him a few tips and coach him a little, then they ran the track together. He had some very encouraging and inspiring words for Elias that I hope he remembers for the rest of his years.

Tomorrow we'll practice more at the track, watch an amputee basketball tournament, watch some swimming, and then participate in the Opening Ceremonies. Saturday morning is Elias' big race, then we'll spend the rest of the weekend watching the other events.

This is exciting stuff!

World AIDS Orphans Day

2009-05-07T15:49:00.002-05:00

Today, May 7, is World Aids Orphans Day. The magnitude of the orphan crisis overwhelms me to the point of paralysis sometimes. The statistics alone boggle my mind; I can't even comprehend the reality of these all these numerical digits connected to the word "AIDS orphans". Numbers like these...

There are over 15 million children orphaned by AIDS living around the world RIGHT NOW. 15 million is the equivalent to the number of all of the people living in New York, Paris, and Bangkok combined. That is an awful lot of children.
Well over 12 million AIDS orphans live in Sub-Saharan Africa, alone.
Experts believe that millions more orphans remain unaccounted for in India, China and Russia.
At least 10 million more children will be orphans by AIDS by 2010.

When we visited AHOPE we fell in love with the sweetest girl named Belane. We later learned that she was one of the first children to be adopted by a family in the U.S. Her mother is now working for AAI to facilitate the adoption of children at AHOPE and her blog post today is excellent and gives great ideas of what I, you, WE can do to make an impact. She includes this quote in her post from Rich Stearns, President of World Vision, US:

"I believe that this could very well be looked back on as the sin of our generation. I look at my parents and ask, where were they during the civil rights movement? I look at my grandparents and ask, what were they doing when the holocaust in Europe was occurring with regard to the Jews, and why didn't they speak up? And when we think of our great, great, great-grandparents, we think how could they have sat by and allowed slavery to exist? And I believe that our children and their children, 40 or 50 years from now, are going to ask me, what did you do while 40 million children became orphans in Africa?"

I think about my own son Elias, a former orphan. When I see him run and jump and feel him snuggle in to my neck to whisper "I love you Mom", I can't fathom the former life he had during the first 16 months of life. I can barely stand to think about the circumstances that led to his birth grandmother caring for him for as long as she could before she made the most unselfish decision on earth to take him to Sele Enat orphanage to be given up for adoption. I mean, it's almost phyically difficult for me to even type these words.

The reality is that now this boy is MY son and I have the honor to be his mom. I get to witness the way God's redemption and grace plays out in his life on a daily basis and the way he touches and loves people all around us, all the time. I get to laugh my head off at his funny jokes and fix him his favorite foods and drive matchbox cars around the couch together and even wipe his bottom.

But who is going to do that for the millions of children around the world who don't have a mom and dad to care for them?

I love the quote that AAI's director has as her tag line on her email signature: "Adoption doesn't change the world. But it can change the world for one child."

Adoption isn't the answer though. Solving the AIDS crisis is. Some might say you just don't have that "calling." I'd argue though that you do. We all do.

Don't know where to start? Here are a few ideas from Erin's post: Educate yourself and spread the word, sponsor an orphan, sponsor an organization that supports orphans and their communities, or even consider adoption.

There are lots of blog posts and articles today, May 7, about World AIDS Orphan Day. Maybe next year there will be even ten times the number, because many of us have spread the word. ANd perhaps even just two years from now, the statistics will be going down, not up. And a decade from now? Maybe there won't even be this World AIDS Orphan Day thing.

Drop Off at the Governor's

2009-05-06T13:57:00.004-05:00

Many people across Texas have been hard at work getting petitions signed to show support of the House Bill that will grant coverage for prosthetics for amputees. As I talked about here, this will have a huge impact on the lives of many, many amputees!

My mom was a champion, collecting signatures everywhere she went, including the mechanic and copy store. Thanks Mom!

Several thousand signatures were collected in just over a week. Last Friday we headed back to the Capitol to meet with a few others in the Governor's office to deliver the petitions.

It was great to see our new friends. The adult amputees are encouraged and energized by Elias and how incredibly well he is does with all his running and jumping around. And Elias equally enjoys being around these other amputees and checking out their cool prosthetics.

In Front of the Texas State Capitol

Presenting the Signatures to the Governor's Aide
Signing the Governor's Reception Book

Elias' favorite amputee friend, Frieda

The bill has officially passed through the Senate and will become final when it is signed by the governor in the next few days. Hoorah! This will be a huge benefit to Elias for the rest of his life and we are so grateful towards those who dedicated their time for the last two years to make this a reality for 30,000 amputees across the state of Texas.

Our First Venture into Politics

2009-04-17T20:20:00.005-05:00

Elias and I had the unique opportunity to testify before a Texas Senate committee this past Wednesday regarding the need for insurance companies to cover prosthetics. Currently there are no mandates for insurance companies to pay for prosthetics, which is obviously a necessity and not a luxury.

Prosthetics are expensive! Elias' leg costs between $11,000-$15,000. And he needs a new one every 10 months or so. His current insurance policy only covers $2500 per year. That's it.

We once tried to get an independent policy for Elias. He was denied coverage by every single company. It was very discouraging!

We are very fortunate that we have the option to pay for his prosthetics at cost, and Chase has been able to swing some deals where we get some stuff for free (like Elias $1500 foot) in exchange for our input on the product. The great majority of people though do not have this advantage.

So a group of amputees in Texas have been working hard to get legislation passed that requires insurance companies to cover prosthetics at a reasonable amount. House Bill 806 was being voted on this week by the Senate committee so Elias and I were asked 24 hours in advance if we would go and testify.

Being there in the Capitol with a group of amputees, all of us passionate about our cause, was an incredible experience. We had the opportunity to testify before the committee and then visit the offices of a couple of the Senators. It was wild to be there in the middle of all the political activity and overhear all the coversations between legislators and lobbyists and citizens.

Best of all was getting to meet and connect with other amputees and hear their stories. Elias hit it off with an 11-year-old boy named Drew who lost his leg due to cancer at the age of six. The boys compared Mr. Stumpies and Elias got to ride in a wheelchair with him which was the highlight of his day. (Drew doesn't have a prosthetic leg right now because his new one is currently being made). These connections are always so significant for us and we're already making plans to go to San Antonio to see one of Drew's baseball games.

Here are a few pictures of our day. They were taken with my phone so aren't the greatest of quality, but I think you'll get the idea.

Elias and Drew become fast friends

Elias sits with others while they testify (I spoke later)

Future Senator Brown

Learning to Ride a Bike

2009-04-02T16:01:00.007-05:00

We got Elias a new bike and helmet for Christmas. He hadn't really been into bike riding yet since he wasn't able to pedal on his own. But we figured a new bike and flaming helmet would help his motivation. We were right.

Chase customized the pedals on Elias' bike for him so that he can strap his feet in to help with pedaling. Now that he's getting the hang of it he wants to ride it everyday!

He forgets to steer most of the time because he's concentrating on getting his feet to go around and around. But that's okay. This is a huge accomplishment for him and we're so proud!

A new family tradition

2009-03-29T14:07:00.003-05:00

The whole fam participated in the Capitol 10K race today. It was a blast!

Chase's mom, "Lulo", came into town this weekend and decided to walk the race, which was significant since she just finished her chemo treatments not long ago. It's awesome to have her healthy and active again!

Over 18,000 people participated in the race. It was really crowded the entire 6.2 miles and a little hard to navigate a clunky stroller through all those people. But Elias had a great time and I'm so glad we decided to push him along with us.

The highlight of the race was when Chase had to wait in line for TWENTY MINUTES to use the port-a-potty. Right in the middle of the race! Argh. I got a picture of that while I waited not very patiently on the sidewalk.

Elias got out of the stroller at the end and ran across the finish line. He loved it and kept saying "I won! I won!"

Definitely a new family tradition for the Browns.

Interview with Elias

2009-03-28T21:41:00.002-05:00

These little interview questions were floating around on facebook, so I thought I'd conduct my own interview with Elias. It was pretty funny and insightful...

1. What is something mom always says to you?
"I love you"

2. What makes mom happy?
Playing with me.

3. What makes mom sad?
Spankings.

4. How does your mom make you laugh?
Doing funny jokes.

5. What was your mom like as a child?
You looked like your little dog sammy.

6. How old is your mom?
Thirty three.

7. How tall is your mom?
twenty and three feet

8. What is her favorite thing to do?
Um play with me. No I mean, clean up.

9. What does your mom do when you're not around?
She tries to find me.

10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
No I will be the famoust.

11. What is your mom really good at?
Drawing.

12. What is your mom not very good at?
Going up hills.

13. What does your mom do for a job?
Pay money.

14.What is your mom's favorite food?
Tires. No, chocolate. No, soup.

15. What makes you proud of your mom?
I don't know.

16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?
Superman.

17. What do you and your mom do together?
Play cars and trucks.

18. How are you and your mom the same?
We're not. I have brown and you don't.

19. How are you and your mom different?
Our clothes. Because that's how God made us in the whole world!

20. How do you know your mom loves you?
Cause she loves me.

21. What does your mom like most about your dad?
Hugging him.

22. Where is your mom's favorite place to go?
Taco Bell.

My commentary: Some of these answers really touched me, especially question #18. I was struck by how quickly he answered that we're different, not the same; that he's so cognisant of our different skin colors. I found it interesting and relieving though the way he answered it- that HE has brown and I don't, not the other way around. I DO need to work on playing more and cleaning up less. :-) And for the record, Taco Bell is NOT my favorite place to go.

Time w/ Daddy in the Workshop

2009-03-16T16:45:00.003-05:00

Chase here. I haven't written on the blog for many moons now and I know many of you are frustrated with the lack of media coverage provided by my lovely wife and family news correspondent, so I thought I'd write a little something for the many fans out there in blog land. (By "many fans", I mean our parents and a few close friends who check this now and then.)

One of my favorite things to do in order to relax and spend time w/ Elias is spend time in the workshop. By workshop, I mean my approxiamate 1/3 of the garage that is mine and that I use as a work space to do whatever tinkering I feel necessary. We do everything from gunsmithing, auto repair, and an occasional HotWheels monster truck axel repair. No, I'm not kidding - I have fixed more than one HotWheels monster truck in my time. Any of you who know Elias well know exactly why.

This past Sunday was one those rare, wonderful days where we had no plans and nothing too pressing to do. So naturally, Elias and I spent some time... in the workshop. We also wondered outside a bit and practiced a little baseball, which Elias is getting into lately. I share this simply because it is one of my favorite things in the world and it is a little glimpse into our life. And I got a great pic of E that I had to post...

Making a Leg- The Series Returns

2009-03-13T18:30:00.003-05:00

Well the "Making a Leg" series was very short-lived. There was about a five month delay on getting Elias' new prosthesis made. Daddy Prosthetist (DP) made several prototypes with different designs, but many of them didn't work for Elias.

A couple of these practice legs would fall off several times a day. Let me tell you that is not convenient when you're running across the Walmart parking lot with groceries and your 38 lb son in your arms and have to go back and pick up a leg in the parking lot.

Anyway, the final product is in and it's a huge hit! It was originally going to be Spiderman leg but Elias was captivated by some "flames" fabric at Hobby Lobby that took the look of his prosthetic leg in a whole new direction. I asked him why he chose the flames and he said he wanted it so he could "fire everybody". I told him to call Donald Trump.

So here is a picture of E on fire. Now I'll back up and finish the rest of how the prosthetic leg is made.

P.S. My apologies to all our fellow Aggies who notice the blatant display of disrespect in the first picture. Austin has had a bad influence on our son and we're trying desperately to gain some ground in this area. :-)

Nothing New

2009-02-15T21:35:00.003-05:00

This blog is overdue for a fresh post, but quite frankly, we can't think of anything interesting to write about. I even commissioned Chase for his input, and we're both here staring at the computer with blank minds. That's the thing about blogs. You feel like every post has to be something interesting and exciting. Or at least include some good pictures. I don't have any of those components right now though.

Here are some random things...

* Elias has been learning to read. I try to catch him in teachable moments and we sit down and do a few minutes of Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons. He is loving it and gets so excited to find the letters on everything around town.

* I haven't run even a single step since the race 3 weeks ago. My excuse was that I was waiting for my new fancy running shoes to come in. They did. Five days ago. So I'll start tomorrow.

* No news on the adoption front. Just waiting for a referral, but we don't feel like it's going to happen anytime soon. For a variety of reasons that require a post all by itself, we're pretty sure that our kid(s) won't be home with us this year. Maybe late this year, but we're not counting on it. That's a little disheartening but we remain peaceful and confident that God will bring us together at the right time and not a moment too soon or too late.

* We made a lot of valentine treats this last week. It's a family tradition to have huge heart cookies for each person on Valentines Day. I think we all ate ours for breakfast. I'll admit that it's not unusual for me to eat something horribly unhealthy like that first thing in the morning. But it was sure fun to share that guilty pleasure with my wide-eyed little boy. He was amazed that I said "yes".

My mind is blank again. So if you have any ideas for a post, write a comment and let us know!

What in the....

2009-01-27T23:37:00.003-05:00

New phrase coined by Elias when Chase woke him up at 5:45 am the morning of the race.

"What in the wide world heck is going on here? What are you doing wakin' me up in the middle of the night!?!" (said with wild hair and puffy, sleepy face)

#2907 has crossed the finish line!

2009-01-27T11:50:00.004-05:00

Thanks so much everyone for your encouragement and support of my Race for AHOPE! The race was inspiring, challenging, fun, painful, and an unforgettable experience. Assembling together in the early morning hours with several thousand other runners, all who had been training for this same 13 mile race was an amazing sight!

Two days before the race I started to get a huge pit in my stomach. I was so nervous and just couldn't shake it. I was driving Chase crazy! I kept telling myself that all I had to do was put one foot in front of the other and I'd be fine. Sounds easy, but I guess the anticipation of the race just made all my nerves go to my stomach.

The first few blocks were the hardest for some reason as all that adrenaline went to my legs, turning them into jello. I quickly turned my iPod on and got into the groove and didn't stop running until I crossed the finish line.

My unspoken goal was to run the race in 2 hours, 10 minutes. That's a pretty average run and something I felt I could accomplish. I was actually on par to finish under 2 hours, but some serious pain started in my hips and knees at mile 6, so I was thankful to just keep moving at that point. I finished in 2 hours, 7 minutes.

The highlight of the race was seeing Elias and Chase at mile 10. Elias was on the sidewalk so I jumped up there and ran towards him. He took off running towards me and threw his arms around my sweaty neck, screaming "Go Mommy!" It was such a sweet sight seeing his hop-skip-run and filled my eyes with tears at the thought of his perseverance in life.

And here's my favorite story of the race: For those who don't me in real life, this is a very "Meagan" story. It's common for me to not really think through things before I try them and I'm quite absent minded. I lose my keys several times a day. (Actually I prefer to say that I temporarily misplace them.)

So, I thought that I had read in my packet that there would be gatorade and gel packs for energy being passed out at a couple of the water stations. I had never tried those gel packs but thought I might try one around mile 10 for an extra energy boost. At the water station I slowed down to look for the gel packs. I didn't see the packs, but I did see someone dipping popsicle sticks into a container and then holding the stick out for the runners. I thought that was a pretty ingenious idea to just have to lick the gel off the stick instead of trying to open the gel pack.

So I grabbed my stick and immediately scraped the gel into my mouth as I raced off, anticipating a miraculous surge of energy. However I immediately knew something was wrong as my mouth filled with a tasteless goo.

Vaseline.

I ATE the vaseline!

I spit it out of course, but it was all in my teeth and mouth. Not quite the energy boost I was hoping for, but the laughter alone carried me at least another mile! I'm such a smooth athlete. Not! (The vaseline is supposed to be applied to your skin to prevent chafing).

My Race for AHOPE goal was $2000, and as of Sunday, the total amount raised was $1,656.00! I am thrilled, and so is the AHOPE staff!

I've had several people say they wanted to donate a little bit but forgot to do it last week. So if you were planning to donate but didn't get around to it, you can still follow the directions here. AHOPE can continue to receive donations indefinitely. As long as you write "Race for AHOPE/Meagan Brown" in the designation line it will count towards the goal amount for my race.

I am requesting that the Race for AHOPE money to go towards a portion of the sponsorship of a boy I'll call N. He's been at AHOPE for 3.5 years and is 8 years old. He wants to be a pilot when he grows up and likes to study Math. His favorite food is hamburgers. The good news is that he's in excellent health right now and has not had to begin an anti-retroviral therapy. I so wish I could post his cute picture here for you all, but the Ethiopian privacy rules prevent me from doing so.

The rest of the money will go towards AHOPE's Child Development Center/Community Outreach program. This is a phenomenal program that AHOPE has recently implemented that equips and trains extended family to raise HIV+ children. This allows the kids to receive the quality care they need but to stay with their loving families.

And if you're new to AHOPE and inspired by the amazing work that they do, you might be interested in sponsoring one of the children in their care. We have found such joy in having the opportunity to sponsor kids there. We love to get updates on our sponsor children's lives throughout the year and new pictures to put on our fridge. You can learn more on their website http://www.ahopeforchildren.org/.

RACE FOR AHOPE

2009-01-19T01:31:00.002-05:00

I've neglected to post at all about what I (and Elias) have been spending a lot of our time doing lately. Running! At least, I run and Elias hangs out in a comfy jogging stroller.

Next Sunday, January 25, I'm running in the Austin 3M half-marathon. Running 13.1 miles isn't something I thought I would ever do. The longest I had ever before last fall run was four miles, and that was over ten years ago!

But last summer I decided that my non-exercising days were over and I had to do something to get into shape. I started out with walking around my neighborhood while pushing Elias in a stroller. At least it was something, but I needed more of a challenge- a goal to work towards that seemed significant.

My idea for "RACE FOR AHOPE" was born.

AHOPE Ethiopia provides two children’s homes exclusively for the care of children infected with HIV. In 2005, the first pediatric program to provide the life saving antiretroviral medications in all Ethiopia was established at AHOPE Ethiopia. The focus of care and outreach changed dramatically with the arrival of the ARVs; what was once considered a hospice program which anticipated death is now a program of education and hope for a real adult future for every child.

Chase and I visited AHOPE while we were in Ethiopia in 2006 and were deeply moved by what we experienced. We spent a whole day with these fabulous children who had such zeal for life. We have sponsored children there ever since our visit, and already three of them have been adopted into loving homes here in America.

As you can imagine, the needs at AHOPE are great. Conditions this past year in Ethiopia have been increasingly difficult and it's becoming more and more expensive to provide loving, quality care to the AHOPE children. RACE FOR AHOPE is my way to raise a small amount of money to help these precious children.

I've trained for seven months, through the heat of the summer, the cold of the winter, and through sheer exhaustion of running. But to be honest, I've loved thinking about the AHOPE kids and praying for their needs as my feet pound the pavement. As much as I'm ready for the race to be over, a small part of me will miss the intentionality and focus on Ethiopia's children that my running time has given me.

My fundraising goal is $2000. And I have just six days to raise it!

Here is an idea of what your money can do at AHOPE Ethiopia:

* $25 provides the fees needed for one child's education for 3 months, including tuition, uniforms, books, supplies, and gym clothes
* $35 provides individual sponsorship of one child for a month
* $50 pays a cook's salary for one month
* $75 pays a certified nurse's salary for one month
* $100 pays for the food of five children for one month, purchases a crib and bedding, or provides one teacher's salary

Here's how you can can support me in my RACE FOR AHOPE:

1. Visit the AHOPE website.
2. Click on the Network for Good button in the top right-hand corner.
3. Click Donate Now on the Network for Good/AHOPE Children page
4. Enter in the amount you want to contribute and follow the rest of the prompts to process your donation. All donations are tax deductible.
5. Please be sure to type "RACE FOR AHOPE, Meagan Brown" in the designation box.

Thanks everyone! Please don't hesitate to contact me with any questions. I'll post the race and fundraising results on our blog after the race.

The Color of Poop

2009-01-09T15:22:00.003-05:00

Ooo I'm just sure everyone is jumping to read a post with such an inviting title. :-) Thankfully I don't have pictures to post with this one!

I've actually refrained from posting much about poop on this blog, but believe me, we have a LOT of poop stories around here.

One of my favorites so far occured over Christmas time and I thought it was cute and clean enough to actually post on the blog.

Elias was on the potty and I was in the bathroom waiting for him, just as he always wants asks me to. He started to talk about poop (again, very common) and the conversation turned to the color of poop.

"Mom, is your poop white?"

"No Elias, it's not."

"Is all the people's poop white?"

"No, it's not white."

"Well then, what color is it?"

Not wanting to get into too much poop detail I told him poop is usually brown. Elias thought for a minute and then said, "Well, all you people are white, so your poop should be white. And I'm brown, so my poop is brown."

Very thoughtful of this four-year-old boy that figured people poop according to the color of their skin! He starting to talk a lot more about his brown skin color and I just loved this insight into his brain and these new thoughts on race and color.

Jesus, AKA Chicken

2008-12-23T20:37:00.002-05:00

After breakfast this morning, Elias crawled up into my lap to read a story from our favorite book, The Jesus Storybook Bible. We were reading the story of Jesus' birth and got to the part where the angel Gabriel appears to Mary.

The book reads...

The God who flung planets into space and kept them whirling around and around, the God who made the universe with just a word, the one who could do anything at all- was making himself small. And coming down... as a _______.

I was reading this with great gusto and at this point I paused so that Elias could participate and fill in the last word. He promptly said...

"Chicken!"

Oh I laughed so hard. "Baby" would have made a normal end to that sentence, but "chicken" sure did give us a good laugh.

(I figured out later that there was a rooster in the picture on that page so that's what Elias' mind was thinking about.)

FOUR Years Old

2008-12-16T13:57:00.003-05:00

Elias is FINALLY four! He has been talking about being four ever since he turned three, asking me everyday if his birthday is here yet. After months with the DAILY (no exaggeration!) questions about his birthday, I eventually told him his birthday would happen around Christmas and when it is cold outside.

Well one early day in September we walked into Walmart and Elias screamed, "My birthday is here!!!" I was confused until I looked up and saw Christmas trees in the store. So the last 3 months have been a looong wait as Elias has seen Christmas stuff everywhere but it wasn't really his birthday yet.

Needless to say, he was the most ecstatic boy I'd ever seen about being four. At church that morning he even waved to people with just his four fingers. A sneaky announcement to the world about his special day.

We had a birthday party at our house with family and friends. It was wild and fun! He loved opening presents. Surprisingly his favorite gift of them all was a pair of shoes. Not just any shoes though- SKETCHERS. That light up!

So for now, the Sketchers is what we hear about all day long and I'm sure as soon as that obsession wears off then we'll start right into counting the days until he turns five.

Pin the Wheel on the Car

Decorating Car Cakes

Too excited to show his face during the birthday song

Putting on those new shoes

Our four-year-old BIG boy

Dossier is 8,483 miles away

2008-12-12T21:45:00.005-05:00

Remember that blue folder? Well, we just got news today that all of its contents are now assembled into our dossier and on their way to Ethiopia! This is great news as it means we are officially on the waiting list for a child.

Of course that also means the wait just got a little harder. Ugh.

We really hope to adopt an amputee child again, and we are prepared to wait longer for that to happen. Our agency director told me back in 2005 that the Ethiopian government doesn't think amputee children will be adopted so they aren't released into the orphanages or care centers very often.

Just as there was a plan with Elias, we are confident that there is with this child as well. We know that God will bring us together with him or her at exactly the right moment, and not a day later. And that brings us great peace!

Advent Conspiracy

2008-12-09T23:40:00.003-05:00

I've seen this "Advent Conspiracy" phrase floating around lately and had no idea what it meant. Just found out. And I love it! The video is great. Totally expresses my heart and thoughts this season.

Arm Amputee

2008-11-25T00:09:00.003-05:00

Chase has been working with a new patient recently who lost his arm in a work accident. His prosthetic arm is top of the line and Chase and the patient even went to FL for a few days in September to get training on the arm.

One of the Austin news stations came out to film the patient and Chase working together with the new arm. It's an inspiring story! You can see the news special here.

Halloween 2008

2008-11-19T22:27:00.006-05:00

Sorry I'm so late in getting these pictures posted!

We had a hard time coming up with a Halloween costume. Elias wanted to be supermanbatmanspiderman. By the time I got my act together and started looking for costumes, most stores were already selling costumes at clearance. And this was three weeks before Halloween! Apparently people get all crazed out about Halloween when the economy is bad. Seriously. I saw that on CNN.

So I thought of Bob the Builder and knew Elias would love it, but I would have to convince him a little. So I had a great strategy... I pulled up the internet and Elias looked at pictures of Bob the Builder online. Then he played a few Bob the Builder games, we read a BTB story and at the height of his enjoyment, I sprung the big question.

"How would you like to be Bob the Builder for Halloween?"

He was ecstatic.

And I was relieved.

Bob the Builder goes to party at preschool

Bob the Builder comes home from school, ready to play but quickly falls asleep on the job.

Warm-up run before "truck" or treating

(he seriously thinks that's what it's called)

Bob the Builder has an identity crisis and "arrrs" like a pirate

At the church festival with Uncle V and Aunt Meg

A great family night!

The blue folder

2008-10-23T14:01:00.004-05:00

A blue folder. Doesn't mean much to most. Pretty nondescript. Good logo. Plain.

But it's the inside that's exciting. It's filled with lots and lots and lots of paperwork that we get to complete for our next adoption!

I'm weird in that I actually enjoy filling out forms and working on administrative stuff. So it's not that big of a pain to me. Time-consuming? Check. A little confusing? Check. Monotonous? Check. Major financial commitment? Check.

But every time I see that blue folder sitting on the table or the bed or the counter or wherever it ends up around the house as we work on its contents, I feel a thrill and excitement about this next adventure that God has for us.

That folder reminds me so much when we went through this process to adopt Elias. At the time, we were often fearful of so many unknowns that lay ahead of us. The paperwork process seemed challenging and a daunting task. Being parents to a little child across the world who we didn't even know yet seemed impossible.

But then love entered the picture. First through our hearts as we encountered a sweet, tender love in Jesus that we hadn't experienced before. And then as we saw that first little picture of a beaming Ethiopian boy that was to be our son.

And now we get to live life day in and day out with the gift that God had for us that whole time. That reality is a great perspective as we are going through the process for Ethiopian child #2.

So far we're patient, calm, and expectant about all that God is going to do. And in the same breath I can say that we're afraid, hesistant, and wondering how it's going to all work out. But really it's a great place to be and a perfect time to take an honest assessment of priorities and Who and what we put our hope in.

This is long enough already, so here's the skinny on our process so far...

We're using AAI again and Lutheran Social Services for our homestudy agency
Our first visit with the homestudy social worker is this Saturday. Hopefully the follow-up appointment will be shortly after that and then the homestudy will be finished
We've applied for USCIS immigration stuff
We hope to be finished with the dossier paperwork (minus the homestudy) this weekend
Once the dossier is at AAI and some processing done, we'll be on the official waiting list. We hope this happens in December sometime.
We have no idea when we'll receive a referral. Probably a long time from now. In my head I've been thinking a timeframe of traveling to Ethiopia next fall to get our child.
We're asking to adopt an amputee child or child in need of an amputation. Just like they told us when we were in the process for the first adoption, there are no amputee children in the orphangae. So we'll just wait and see what God does! It was a miracle that we got Elias and so we know it could happen again.

For quite a while now, Elias has been saying that we're going to adopt a little boy with a baby sister. Who knows?!? Maybe God has already given him the inside scoop. :-)

The Shark

2008-10-14T16:15:00.007-05:00

Our swimming season is finally coming to a close. In Austin, no one seems to swim anymore when it's a chilly 84 degrees outside.

Elias did GREAT in the pool this year. He's brave and courageous when it comes to trying new things in the water.

We first got to experience this side of him when we were in Ethiopia in 2006. He was quite ill most of the week and very quiet. On the fifth day of our week there, we drove three hours through the countryside of Ethiopia to visit a hot spring area.

As soon as we got into the water, Elias became alive. He smiled, laughed, splashed around and had the time of our life.

It was a sweet glimpse into the true personality of a little boy we knew hardly anything about at the time.

He's still the same today and needless to say, we spent lots of time at the pool this summer.

Update on Sam

2008-10-13T22:01:00.003-05:00

Sam is doing better and even smiling and laughing at times! He is so courageous and strong.

His mother Carole wrote the following on their caringbridge site. I was so touched by her words and encouraged by her Godly perspective on this tragedy...

It has been one week since our lives were altered by the accident. Horrific and tragic - yet I won't be using those descriptors again.

Because we have SAM! He's with us. His body has changed forever but he's still got the same spirit and I am seeing him emerge from his sadness and flickers of that little guy who could make me laugh and see red with regularity.

I have been described as strong and such and believe me, it is simply God and prayer. Sam is the one who has been so strong and he's not only fighting this setback, he's starting to shine. I can talk about when he gets new feet/legs and he'll look at me and give his head a shake of affirmation. He is still sad but at times I am too.

So am I mad at God? Heaven forbid, no! Haven't even thought of it. Where was God then? Right there. When I first realized I tried to grab Paul and Mary and get them up the hill to the house. We stopped on the driveway and held hands and I instructed them to pray. And we did. And we asked God to hold little Samuel. And He did.

During the long drive to the hospital (its about an hour) I was of course in shock and for the first part Marty and I drove in silence. I realized that it was grave and that we would very likely experience the horror of losing a child. I admitted that I didn't know what to pray. Sam's injuries were so severe that I felt selfish pleading with God not to take him from me. And yet I thought of Maria Sue Chapman and knew that I didn't care what - I wanted my son. And I was torn. How could he survive and yet, how could he ever function?

So I prayed specifically for Sam to know he was loved and to have peace and to realize he was being held in God's very hand. And that is exactly what happened.

Sam's injuries have altered his body permanently. We still do not know the exact extent - yet he is still our Sam. If I cannot look at his severed limbs and accept, then how can I ever ask for him to? And I have come to realize a couple of things this past week . . .

Sam is beautiful. His legs are beautiful, his arm is beautiful, his colostomy is as well. He is precious and although his legs are now "different" from many others, he is no less precious or loved or worthy. I saw his arm for the very first time today and as the area was being exposed I simply prayed that I could look at this area and see him simply as God did. I could look at his arm and then directly in his face and say . . . hey, it looks great! And I wasn't telling him a lie. He is gloriously and wonderfully made and this accident did not change that.

I live in Wisconsin so I have to put a Wisconsonite spin on it. This accident happened and to quote Brett Farve (during the recent trade request) . . . "it is what it is." I cannot change it. So as a Christian I can rant and wail and lament and lash out, or I can set my shoulders forward and step out in faith in this new direction. We had an accident and God stepped in a swooped up my child and carried us through to a place where Sam is able to begin the healing process.

This is an opportunity. We can either fold up and wither or we can choose to plant ourselves firmly right where we are and decide to aim for blossoming once again.

I have been enriched, embraced and enveloped in the body of Christ through this. How could I think about choosing otherwise?

Pray for Sam

2008-10-09T13:59:00.004-05:00

Our hearts are saddened by a recent tragedy in another adoptive family. Sam is Elias' age and was adopted from Ethiopia just five short weeks ago.

He was in a tractor accident last Saturday and his injuries are very severe. He is currently stable, but his condition is still serious and complicated.

Both of his legs are amputed and they are trying to save his arm. He has multiple other injuries as well.

Please pray for Sam, his parents and other siblings. They live in Wisconsin. You can access their caringbridge site here.

Making a Leg PART I: Casting

2008-10-05T19:51:00.003-05:00

Daddy Prosthetist is in the process of making a new leg for Elias so I thought it'd be fun to chronicle the process here on the blog.

The process involves several steps. The first step is to cast the residual limb. However in our house, we're very casual in the terms that we use, so rather than using the technical term of residual limb, we say, "Mr. Stumpy".

I should note here that Mr. Stumpy is like his own entity. We say things such as, "Put Mr. Stumpy in your shorts" or Elias may say "I hurt Mr. Stumpy!" We love Mr. Stumpy.

I digress.

First Step: Cast Mr. Stumpy

Elias puts on a special little outfit made out of cotton stockinnette (that's a real word). At this point Daddy Prosthetist affectionately calls him Huck Finn.

Daddy Prosthetist (herein referred to as DP) then smooths out all the wrinkles on Mr. Stumpy's stockinette and makes it as tight as possible.

DP then dips the casting tape in water and begins to wrap it around Mr. Stumpy. This part makes Elias a little nervous because he's afraid it's going to hurt or something. Of course it never does.

The water sets off a chemical reaction with the casting tape and becomes rigid as DP smooths it all with his hands.

After about 5 minutes, the cast becomes rigid enough that it will maintain the perfect shape of our friend Mister Stumpy. (Notice Elias' fan club at the end of the table. Two of his cousins are visiting for a week so they got to tag along).

The cast is now ready to come off. DP cuts off the Huck Finn outfit at the top of the cast then slowly begins to pull the cast off. If it gets stuck it may be necessary to use bandage scissors at the top of the cast to loosen it a bit.

Wha la! A finished replica of Mr. Stumpy!

Stay tuned for the next installment of Making a Leg.

Mom, just go somewhere!

2008-09-07T14:30:00.004-05:00

Elias had his first day of preschool this past Wednesday. Buying school supplies, picking out his lunchbox and getting his backpack ready was a huge deal for all of us!

I stuck around his class for about 10 minutes and Elias finally turned to me and said, "Mom, just go somewhere!" I think he was more ready for this than I was.

Celebrities in the house!

2008-08-25T19:27:00.003-05:00

Chase has a new patient named Angelina. She's not just an ordinary patient though... she's a horse! Her leg got caught in a barbed wire fence and so the owner called the clinic where Chase works and asked if it would be possible to make the horse a prosthetic leg. So, Chase agreed to take on the special project.

A couple weeks ago a local news crew came out to film the story. Elias and I met everyone out at the ranch so that Elias could meet the horse. Elias was pretty excited about meeting the horse (and the other 20+ horses, 16 dogs, pigs, and goats). Elias stuck right by Angelina's side the whole time, helped put the leg on, and ended up being in the filming as well.

They filmed for hours but the clip is only a few minutes long. Some of the details are wrong, like the name of the company, Chase's title, and a few other things. But camera shots of the horse (and Elias too) are pretty good.

The organization featured in the YouTube video is Hearts and Hooves. It's a great place and the owner, Veronique, is so creative in the way she uses her horses to bring joy and healing to others. As you may have caught in the video, Veronique's goal is to use Angelina as a therapy horse for children and adults who are amputees. Cool!

Once the horse is walking better and actually being used as a therapy horse, the news station plans to do a follow up story.

I'm stuck!

2008-08-19T12:22:00.004-05:00

Chase put in a new cat door and so of course Elias promptly decided to try it out. It was easy to stick his head through the little door, but not so easy to get it out!

He cried for help so we got him unstuck , but not before capturing a few photos of course.

Uh-oh

This is funny but not very funny. Stop taking my picture and get me out of here!

I'm out and never trying that again!

Is it starting already?

2008-08-14T13:28:00.002-05:00

I forgot to add this to the earlier post...

Shortly after the poopy comment, I told Elias to go to the bathroom (he still needs reminders). He kept playing with his car so I told him he needed to leave the car with me and go into the bathroom.

He took in a deep breath, let out a long, deep sigh, looked me right in the eyes and said, "Mom, you just don't understand me."

Deep Thoughts

2008-08-14T09:36:00.003-05:00

Not much going on here that's really blog worthy. The last couple of weeks we've had visits from grandparents and old friends and also got to reconnect with friends we haven't seen in years. It's been fun! Elias of course remembers everyone's name and asks about them constantly.

So early this morning I was trying to create some intentional, sweet moments with Elias before our day rushed by us. We read a little Bible story together and then I was holding him. I felt a little sappy I guess, wooed by his big eyes and soft curls.

"Elias", I said, "you are so special and God has a very special plan for you. What do you think that is?"

Elias thinks for a split second.... "Um... poopy?"

Perfect, three-year-old boy response!

Birfday Message

2008-07-27T18:06:00.008-05:00

Interviewer: Today is your Daddy's birthday. Tell me some things about your daddy.

Elias: I like to give him some hugs. I like to give him, um, little hugs. And I like some BIG hugs. And Happy Birfday Daddy! He is a guy and he is a nice guy. And he is a big guy. And I like to work on the workshop with my Daddy. Daddy is a good boy and he is REALLY tall.

Interviewer: Anything else you'd like to say?

Elias: Nah. That's all I have.

Sideways Birfday Message from Elias

Not only is it Chase's 33rd birthday today (our ages are now all 3s- 33, 33, 3), but history was made.... Elias fell asleep on his own. I know, not shocking to most, but he has never ever ever just fallen asleep outside of a required nap time or bed time (except for in the car). Elias just fights sleep as much as he can. Today though the Tour de France had him asleep in 5 minutes...

Summer Pickin'

2008-07-04T17:19:00.005-05:00

We've been in East Texas for the last week, keeping Lulo and Papi company as they each recover from major surgeries. It's good to come and spend time where the grass is greener, trees are taller, air is cooler, and time moves a little slower. Most of all it's good to spend time with family.

I took Elias out to pick blackberries one day and then we went back again today. We picked over 15 pounds of berries and are getting ready to enjoy our second cobbler. Yum.

It was the perfect time for picking berries. They were huge, black, juicy and just fell off in your hand. Makes me love summer!

2,772

2008-06-30T19:55:00.005-05:00

People who meet Elias for the first time often ask me if he is talkative. I usually just smile politely because I'm at a loss for words to even begin to describe how much he really talks. And talks. And talks.

And it's not just talking. It's the questions. Constant questions. 99% of them are not real questions actually (meaning the answer is unknown). They're mostly questions with obvious answers. Such as, "Am I a boy? Are you a boy? Is Daddy a boy?" etc.

On top of that, he almost always asks "What?" after everything someone says. I often respond "You tell me" and he can usually repeat word for word what I said.

So because I'm a dork, today I was pondering how many questions Elias asks in a typical day. Too hard to count. So I thought about narrowing it down to one hour, then ten minutes, and finally decided to do a quick five minute test. As Elias talked, I simply made marks on a piece of paper each time he asked a question.

I should mention that this was over lunch at Taco Bell, which means that he was chowing down on a taco and beans for much of this time. Not that that would slow him down or anything.

(And I should also mention that these results are not very scientific because they were recorded with a half-melted blue crayon that I found in the bottom of my purse onto a crumpled, old receipt.)

So, the final count after five minutes?

Twenty-one.

Doesn't sound like much, but when you multiply that by 12 to estimate the total questions in one hour, the number is 252.

And if you multiply that by the eleven hours a day that he is awake (2 hour nap and 10-11 hours sleep at night) that comes out to a meer 2,772.

Two thousand seven hundred and seventy two questions in one day.

Wow.

What?

New crinkle-nose question face

New Addition

2008-06-22T22:32:00.005-05:00

His name is Ruger (Roo-Ger). His presence in our home has certainly kicked things up about 10 notches. But he's a great dog and in the end I think I'll survive and actually enjoy him. :-)

An unfortunate and accidental introduction to jalapenos

2008-06-20T13:01:00.006-05:00

We tell Elias all the time to not put things in his mouth without asking us first. For one, he's allergic to just about everything so we don't want him to eat something that will cause a reaction. But of course there's the other logical reason that some things are just not good for him to eat. (Like my secret stash of chocolate chip cookies for example).

We were in the middle of preparing dinner the other night when Elias suddenly started screaming. I looked and his hand was grasping his mouth and tears were pouring out of his eyes. On the counter right above his head was a cutting board with remnants of jalapeno that Chase had been cutting up for salsa. Uh-oh.

We felt so bad for the little guy. We tried everything we could think of to help him, but as everyone knows, relief is only temporary when your lips are on fire from jalepeno.

Finally I started taking pictures of him to distract him and then let him see his picture in the camera like he loves to do. As pitiful as the pictures are, it actually helped to distract him for a while.

In the end Chase gave him a spoonful of sugar and that seemed to do the trick.

I'm sorry he had to learn this lesson the hard way! But now we have some great documentation of his first encounter with an unfriendly little pepper.

(I will add here that I am not being calloused and laughing at my child's pain. I was extremely compassionate and kind at the time. But to be honest, it was just a little funny at the same time. Elias' facial expressions are pretty dramatic but I promise you he wasn't really crying that hard the whole time, but the spice sure did make his eyes water!)

And so I will now share the pics to the masses.

Camping Trip

2008-06-16T15:34:00.006-05:00

We have had quite a whirlwind of summer traveling and activity lately. Best of all for Elias is that he has spent more than half of the last month with his cousins. Elias LOVES his cousins!

He spent several days with the cousins while I was in Rochester. Then three of the cousins came to our house in Austin for a few days. Then we all drove back to Dallas and on to Kansas for the Schroeder family reunion. Then all seven of the grandkids stayed with Nani and Papa for the annual Camp NiPaw while I helped my sister paint her house.

We had a few days of separation then met together again at Inks Lake State Park where we camped for the weekend. It was hot, hot, H O T! At least 100 degrees each day. But we had the lake to swim in and park store nearby where we could buy unlimited bags of ice to keep us and our food cooled off.

It's difficult for Elias to walk with his prosthetic leg on uneven terrain, but his new foot helped him tremendously and he was a champ walking up and down hills and over and around big rocks. He had a few spills, but nothing too major.

Chase asked him last night what his favorite part of the weekend was. His answer: "You, me, and Mommy." :-)

Chase hard at work to set up the tent

Hot, exhausted children waiting for dinner to cookMmm. Yummy, campfire-roasted corn.

Nani went to the camp store and returned with cold Sprite for the kids to share. Elias savored every last drop! (It was his first Sprite).

Final family pictures before we all head home.

Elias and Ruger were fast asleep before we even pulled out of the state park.

The Evidence

2008-06-16T15:23:00.004-05:00

We have a cat, Davidson, who is obsessed with my hair rubber bands. He has figured out likely places for these things to be lying around and I find him prowling on top of the dresser or around the sink at all hours of the day or night, trying to find my hair bands.

I rarely see him actually carrying one in his mouth- he's sneaky. I do however find a pile of them around his water bowl. I used to try to wash and dry them near the kitchen sink, but when I would go back to retrieve them, the whole pile had already vanished. So now I just pick them up directly from his water bowl area and put them in my hair. I know. Gross.

So we were out of town all weekend and when we returned I discovered evidence that Davidson had broken TWO of our house rules, apparently at the same time.

1. Don't play with the fish.

2. Don't play with hair rubber bands.

(Notice half of the water from the fish bowl is gone, which means he must have stuck his paw and splashed water around for a long, long time).

Ethiopian children dying daily from starvation

2008-05-20T15:20:00.005-05:00

This article brings sadness coupled with thankfulness as I think about how good we have it, even with all the complaining about $4 gas and rising prices everywhere.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/africa/05/20/ethiopia.children/index.html

Family Day 2008

2008-05-08T06:00:00.001-05:00

Two years ago today we woke up in Ethiopia, just hours away from going to pick up our new, 16 month old son. We were full of wonder. How I would feel that first time I saw and held him. Would he attach to us? Would he like us? Would we like him? How would he look? Would he be sick? How about his leg- how bad would it be? Would he be sitting up? Crawling? So many questions tumbling around that don't even seem like they were directed at the same boy who is now my son.

We'd been waiting for him for months, examined the few pictures we had of him hundreds of times. Mountains of paperwork were completed and processed in order to get to this point. He was legally ours and we even shared the same last name. I loved him deeply in a way I hadn't loved before. And yet, I had never even laid eyes on him, held him in my arms or touched his soft curls.

Now it feels like he's just always been with us. Like there was never a time without him. This all feels completely normal in a miraculous sort of way because God ordained it to be like that.

And most days I settled into that normalcy and forget what was before. If I'm honest, “normal” is important to me because I don't want outsiders to doubt our family. To think this family- my family- is second-choice or second-rate or is so different or something they could every do or relate to.

But them some days, especially anniversary days like today, I like to center down and go back 2-3 years and recount all that has happened.

It's painful to think about the days between December 14, 2004 and May 8, 2006 because I wasn't there with him. I couldn't help him. I don't know any of his birth statistics or growing milestones or his first smile or what made him laugh. At the same time, I am deeply grateful that he had almost a whole year with his Ethiopian family. I believed they played a significant role in who he is today. He was obviously loved and cherished. I imagine that he was held all the time and the center of attention.

The part I can't really go to yet is how difficult it must have been to take him to the orphanage. How did they decide? How did they know they couldn't provide for him? With his birth parents gone, did the grandmother just try her best until she couldn't do it anymore? Until he was too sick to thrive anymore? Was it mostly his leg, knowing he'd have no opportunity there- most likely not even school, a job or a normal life?

He was the size of a 5 month old. Medical records show he was sick in subsequent months with pneumonia, mono, bronchitis, and some atopic dermatitis that caused bumps and scabs over his whole face and head.

But we saw pictures where he was smiling and playing. He learned to sit up. He was held a lot. The question in my mind most often was, “Does he even know?” Across the oceans, thousands of miles away are a mom and dad, head over heels in love with you, counting the unknown number of days until they can hold you in their arms.

And now he's here. Sitting at the kitchen table, slurping his cheerios from the bowl, spoon and cup that he picked out himself and carried to the table.

This story- all the known and unknown details- is his. All embodied in this little three-year-old.

My son.

Elias Leul Brown.

I have deep respect and honor for you, Elias. And carry great responsibility as your mother, for I know God has destined you for significant works for His glory.

Your story gives us so much perspective and inspiration. We are immeasurably blessed to have you as our son.

Family Day 2008

Family celebration last night at Ethiopian restaurant in Austin.

Daddy Took My Leg

2008-04-29T20:43:00.003-05:00

Elias is quite a bit more outgoing than I am and I find myself cringing inside on many occasions as he loves to chat it up with every. single. person. he sees. Don't get me wrong- I love that he is so friendly. But I guess I can be a little introverted among strangers. But in Elias' world.. strangers? What are strangers? I love this about him.

So usually any venture out in public has me calling Chase on the way home to relay all the Elias stories. Elias will talk to everyone he passes, and is especially encouraged if someone actually makes eye contact with him.

There is usually a certain theme that he shouts out to passersby."Hey! Do you like tattoos? I'm into tattoos!" or "I have a monster truck at home. Do you like trucks? Do you have trucks? Do you want a truck? Do you want to see my truck?" or any other random thought in his brain. Could be about the cheerios he ate for breakfast or the dead skunk he saw in the road 3 months ago. There's just no tellin.

We just had a unique two days without Elias' prosthetic leg. Daddy Prosthetist was finalizing his new leg (which uses parts of the old leg) so had to take it with him to work.

(As a side note, it was interesting to see Elias get so sad about not having his leg. Since we had been talking about it so much I wasn't prepared for his grief. He would burst into tears throughout the day, bemoaning the fact that daddy took his leg and how mean that was or how sad he was. This is the first time in a year that he has gone a day without his leg and it is really a part of him. The sadness wasn't related to not being able to walk- he enjoys crawling around- but a very real attachment to his leg. )

Yesterday at Walmart, Elias was wearing shorts so it was obvious to people around us that he has only one leg. He was chatting it up with a lady in the garden section asking a million questions about her flower selections when he suddenly got very quiet and said,

"Daddy took my leg."

Complete silence and uncomfortableness overcomes the woman. So Elias repeats himself.

"Daddy took my leg."

The lady was being so kind but obviously confused that this kid was telling her that his dad had taken his leg. All she can see is his one leg hanging out of the cart and obviously missing the other. Who knows the stories she had concocted in her head!?

Elias never cracked a smile so I stepped in and explained that he was referring to his prosthetic leg and his dad was making him a new one. She nodded her head politely as if she had had the same conversation with a million other toddlers and then I soon pulled my cart into the next aisle to relieve her from this awkward conversation. :-)

By the way, the new leg is pretty cool. My camera is broken but we'll try and post pictures soon.

Bite Back

2008-04-25T13:18:00.002-05:00

I just read here (a blog that makes me laugh out loud on a regular basis) that today, April 25, is World Malaria Day. And through the Bite Back campaign, people can give a one-time donation of $10 and provide a mosquito net for a child - or a family, if they’re all sleeping in the same place - who otherwise would have no protection from this completely preventable disease. That $10 will also provide education and treatment for people who are already sick with malaria.

What an easy, inexpensive, and great way to make a small dent in a worldwide problem yet a significant impact in the life and future of one family.

Click here to donate $10 that will provide a mosquito net for a child (you can donate more than that if you feel led). Each net lasts three years, so for $3.33 a year - less than a penny a day - you can save a child’s life.

Deep Thoughts

2008-04-01T22:47:00.003-05:00

I was shopping at Walmart with Elias yesterday. I was deep in thought while deciding on shower curtain rods (who knew there were so many choices!?). Apparently, Elias was too. He suddenly spoke into the silence, "Mom, I was meant for bigger things."

What? Where did he come up with something like that? I asked him where that came from and after some thinking, Elias remembered that that's what Scuffy says in the classic Golden Book, Scuffy the Tugboat.

Cute! And what truth there is to that statement. I mean, there's so much more to life than shower curtain rods! :-)

Monster Truck Rally

2008-03-10T13:56:00.003-05:00

Elias' long awaited dream finally came true- - a trip to the Monster Truck Rally. And he hasn't talked about much else ever since. (But that's not really saying much because all he really ever talks about is monster trucks. Seriously. I'm not kidding. It is an obsession).

We got to the show a little early and found some great seats. Then we moved down the the second row for the last part- the freestyle competition. To be honest it was a little scary to be so close with mud spraying in our faces and the deafening rumble of the trucks threatening to bust our eardrums. Not to mention being eye level with theses HUGE tires that seem as though they're going to roll right into you.

Elias's favorite part was the donuts. Not the eating kind, but when the MTs (that's Brown family lingo for Monster Trucks) go around and around and around in circles. Pretty wild.

I highly recommend that everyone visit at least one show in their lifetime. It's America at it's finest, and the best people watching you'll ever have. :-)

The Best thing a dad can hear...

2008-02-22T10:17:00.002-05:00

I have to write this down so I'll remember some day when Elias is a teenager and we arguing about taking the car or staying out late, or whatever teenagers and parents battle over.

Elias and I were rolling on the floor the other night, wrestling, laughing, tickling, etc. We stopped for a moment...

Elias: "Daddy, you're a famous guy."

Me (chase): "I am? Why am I famous?"

Elias: "Because I love you!"

Does it get any better than that?

A glowing dad-

Chase

A Boy's Dream Realized

2008-01-28T16:04:00.000-05:00

A new house is being built two doors down from us. Today when we pulled up in our driveway I noticed two tractors working in the backyard. Just when Elias and I walked over to get a closer look, one of the workers noticed us and asked if Elias wanted to drive the tractor. He promptly picked him up and placed him right on the knee of the driver.

Luckily I had my camera in my purse and quickly yanked it out and started snapping pictures. It was hard to get a good shot considering I was on a live construction site and all. Those construction workers looked at me like I was a little strange, prancing through the mud and dirt with my camera out, lugging a shopping bag and purse while trying to stay out of the tractor's way. :-)

They let Elias drive the tractor and "trencher" the whole length of the backyard, digging deep holes in the soil to lay the pipes. Elias' face was awesome to watch. He was either very serious, concentrating on keeping that steering wheel straight and acting as if this was standard, daily business, or smiling hugely, or trying hard to suppress a grin. I also noticed that he was chatting it up the whole way with the tractor driver who was doing his best to understand him and nodding a lot, but I'm sure he didn't catch a single word from that 3 year-old voice over a loud piece of machinery. When Elias got off the tractor I told him he ran right over a snake and killed it. He thought that was the coolest part of all!

When we were walking back home, he was quiet for a while, then said, "Mom, I REALLY love bugs and tractors."

P.S. I should mention that this little adventure was after we went to a sporting goods store and Elias shot a rifle (on a laser shooting range), stood next to a stuffed bear, elephant, zebra, lion and buffalo, stared at a "talking" deer for 10 minutes, and drooled over all the spiderman fishing poles. Oh yes, a good boy day indeed. I wonder what the world holds for us after nap time is over? A bug hunt outside perhaps and flips on the trampoline?

Christmas Card

2008-01-23T14:37:00.000-05:00

We tried really hard to find all the addresses for our friends and family members to send out Christmas cards. If we missed you (especially if you've moved) then please forgive us, and send us your address for next year! Here are some of the pics from our Christmas card photo session.

Christmas Pictures

2008-01-23T14:35:00.000-05:00

Christmas was a whirlwind of 3-4 days and lots of family visitin'. Elias got sick for the whole week so that was a real bummer. We have hardly any pictures of him smiling. He got to the point that he didn't even want to open presents. Of course it didn't take too much prodding to convince him.

Nothingville

2008-01-23T14:24:00.000-05:00

Wow how time flies when you've moved to a new state and do nothing all the time since you don't work and have no friends yet and don't live in your own place. :-) Okay, that's only partly true. Like, the "nothing" part. Because I do make coffee at least twice a day. And wash clothes occasionally. We find an errand or two to run each day. Hmm... what else? (I am not kidding when I say that I'm thinking hard about this). Play!?! Just lots of 3-year-old play.

Oh, and we've been to Dallas 5 times, New Boston twice, and Florida for a week. And my best girlfriends from childhood came in for four days. Does all that count for something?!?!

I'll post some pictures from Christmas, New Years and other exciting events soon....

THREE years old, THREE parties!

2007-12-16T23:28:00.000-05:00

Celebrating Elias' 3rd birthday has been a ton of fun! He had his first party when we first arrived in Texas with all his cousins since not all of them would be in town for his real birthday party.

His next party was on his actual birthday in Austin at Aunt Meg's house. While he was sleeping we worked hard on making these little car cakes. They were awesome and he loved it! Best of all though, Elias could actually eat these cakes since they were wheat, egg, and dairy free! The neighbor kids came over and we stuffed ourselves, then jumped in the car for Dallas, which was an extra long drive (6 hours!) b/c of bad weather.

Finally, we celebrated in Dallas at Nani's house with grandparents, cousins, friends, and aunts and uncles. This time he had a Lightning McQueen cake that Lulo (Chase's mom) did and it turned out perfect!

A boy's best friend

2007-12-16T23:16:00.000-05:00

Elias really loves dogs! He always tries to go right next to Checkers or Brio and mimic whatever they are doing.

Nothin' Like a Texas Hill Country Sunset

2007-12-16T23:08:00.000-05:00

A wonderful welcome on our first night back in Texas.

Moving Pictures

2007-12-16T22:28:00.000-05:00

Playing in the empty moving trailer was lots of fun for two-year-old boys!

PACKING THE HOUSE
Before

During

After

UNLOADING IN AUSTIN
All of this...

Had to fit into here....

Chase is a master at life-size Tetras. It all fit, with room for more!

Lessons I've Learned

2007-12-11T13:53:00.000-05:00

It's been a whirlwind the past 6 weeks and this poor little blog has suffered terribly. But I'm happy to say that we survived our cross-country move, and while we are not necessarily settled in yet, it does feel good to have that all behind us. Here are the biggest lessons I've learned:

1. Never, ever agree to your husband packing just his tools and then leaving for his new job while you stay behind to take care of the kid, pack the whole house, negotiate sale contracts on the house, sell the car (and then not have one for a whole week), say goodbye to friends and also continue working in your own job up until the very last week.
2. You should always buy triple the rolls of tape that you think you need.
3. You will absolutely use all the boxes that are piled on your front porch.
4. No matter how much stuff you get rid of, you will still have a million more boxes to pack.
5. Basements are really just black holes for tossing and storing things that you will never, ever use.
6. Going back to the house for one last time to pack just two more boxes will really turn into FIVE more times and FIFTY more boxes.
7. When every item is finally packed and loaded, the truck will drive away and you will silently hope that a fireball from heaven will crash into the trailer and destroy your stuff so that you don't ever have to see it again.
8. I will always offer to help every friend in their moving process and I will stay by their side when they are delirious and crying and walking in circles. (Thank you Jayana!)
9. It's terribly heart breaking to say goodbye to best friends that you love so much.

Twuck-o-Tweeeeeeet!

2007-10-31T19:56:00.000-05:00

Candy candy candy. We got a LOT of it tonight. And such a shame that Elias is allergic to chocolate. :-)

Our tradition is to take our two little friends from Somalia along with us for trick-or-treating. This was our fourth year, and maybe the best one yet!

We went to a few of our neighbor's houses where Elias would yell "TWUCK O TWEEEET" multiple times and then as soon as the candy dropped in his bucket he'd say "Let's go to another house!" Then drove to where a group of our friends from church were handing out candy. Along the way the kids were really quiet in the car, so I asked if they were tired. This was Elias' exact response...

Tired? Who's tired? We're not tired. We're HAAAAPPY!

Ha!

Elmo, Mermaid, and Princess Fiona

Sweet Pea Eli and Elmo

New Knee

2007-10-17T13:17:00.000-05:00

Chase and Danielle, the Physical Therapist, decided that Elias is finally ready for a knee on his leg. This requires a lot more strength and skill and we've tried it once before a couple months ago for half a day and it just didn't go well. But lately Elias has been asking for a knee on his leg and we've been talking a lot about how it will be hard and he will fall sometimes, but that he is real strong now and we will help him. So he's been really psyched about getting this knee.

He's had the knee now for a couple of days. He's taken some pretty hard falls, but wipes those tears away and keeps on trying!

First Prayer

2007-10-17T13:14:00.000-05:00

We sat down today for lunch and I asked Elias if he would like to pray. Surprisingly, he said yes! (Usually he says no). This was his sweet prayer:

Thank you Jesus for this food.

Thank you for my sandwhich.

Thank you for my new knee.

Thank you for my exercise.

Amen.

What an awesome sound it is to hear my son's prayer to Jesus!

Brown Like Me

2007-10-17T13:02:00.000-05:00

Chase and I are hoping to start the adoption process again soon, but really don't have a timeline yet since we're in the process of moving out of state. Regardless, we've started to bring up the idea with Elias. When we ask him if he wants a brother or a sister, he always responds, "No. I want a new Levi." You see, Levi is his best little friend here and Elias just can't imagine having anyone other than Levi as a brother. So, a NEW Levi is what he wants. He must have been thinking about this a bit b/c this is what he told me the other day...

"Mom, I want a new Levi. I want another Levi. A brown Levi. Brown like me."

I was so touched by this on many levels. And it was interesting to me that he has this awareness already of his race. We talk a lot about his pretty brown skin. But the fact that he identified that he specifically wants a brown brother (or a brown Levi) was so sweet to me.

Here a picture of Elias and Levi:

Born to be a Rock Star

2007-10-17T12:36:00.000-05:00

Elias loves to sing. He has tons of songs memorized -a product from many, many sleepless nights in the beginning when we sang him all the songs we know, over and over again. As soon as he gets in the car he starts requesting songs from CDs as if I am a DJ. I almost always comply with his requests, even if we hear the same song 10 times in one short car trip. His favorite song is Chris Tomlin's How Great is Our God. I just love that Elias has latched on to this song, because the words really testify to Elias' life and how awesome God is.

So anyway, we captured him on video the other night singing a few of his favorites. Well, it's a cross between singing and shouting. The image is a little dark, but I think you'll be able to hear quite clearly. :-) Oh, and check out his sweet air guitar.

Mopping

2007-10-01T12:14:00.000-05:00

The other day Elias was rubbing his eyes for a long time. Finally, Chase asked him what he was doing.

Elias' response: "I'm mopping my eyeballs. "

Video of Elias Walking

2007-09-26T09:57:00.000-05:00

Elias is getting an MRI done right now so I'm trying to find things to keep me busy while in the waiting room... I found this video taken about a month ago of Elias walking down the driveway and then putting on his brakes (high squeaky sound) when he stops. I haven't posted any video of him walking in a while so I thought I'd update everyone with how well he is doing!

Best Friend

2007-09-26T09:39:00.000-05:00

I just couldn't resist posting about this cute conversation between Elias and Chase....

************************
Scene: Chase and Elias are in the car and Chase has just finished talking with me on the phone.

Chase: That was Mommy on the phone.

Elias: Yeah. I like Mommy.

Then after thinking a little bit, he adds... "She's my best friend. "
************************

Ah! My heart is melting...

Ethiopian Buddies

2007-09-05T20:04:00.000-05:00

A couple weekends ago we went to a picnic with the Ethiopian community in our area. It was great to meet so many Ethiopian families. Best of all, our other friends who have adopted Ethiopian kiddos the age of Elias came as well. It was our first time for all three families to be together. Our kids' birthdays are all within two weeks of each other so it was fun to see how similar they all are. The kids had a blast playing!

Vacation to Florida Beach

2007-08-24T08:33:00.000-05:00

Vero Beach was awesome! Thanks Sack family for letting us stay at your beautiful condo with you!

I took advantage of Elias' early rising (6:30am, no matter what time he went to bed) to get on the beach at sunrise. It was awesome.

Elias and his (Great) Aunt Meg.

As long as Elias has a dump truck, he's happy!

Vacation in the Adirondacks and Montreal, Canada

2007-08-24T08:18:00.000-05:00

We've had a wonderfully busy month with trips and visitors and all kinds of fun! Here are some pics of our recent adventures.

View of Lake Placid from the top of Whiteface Mountians (where the Olympics were held).

Roastin' weenies.

Sweet coon hat! Are these the new thing or something? We saw them everywhere!

Up close and personal with a penguin at the Bio Dome in Montreal, Canada.
Cute penguins.

Hand-Powered Trike

2007-07-16T20:57:00.000-05:00

It's been just way too long since we've posted anything. What can I say? We're busy, busy, enjoying summer to its fullest!

Elias has a great new toy! A few months ago, we found out about the Marine Corps League in Troy, NY giving away hand-powered tricycles to children. Apparently they raise funds and give these trikes to 3 lucky children each year. I contacted them right away and after lots of paperwork and phone calls back and forth, they picked Elias to receive the trike! This past weekend, the Marine Corps League was having a state-wide convention and they thought it'd be a good time for us to come and pick up the tricycle. So Elias and I drove to Syracuse (about 1.5 hours drive). I didn't really know what to expect and was surprised at what a big deal they made out of it. Two marines met us out front and showed me where to park then ushered me into the conference area. They called out for everyone to make room for us as we walked down the crowded hallway. The next thing I know, double doors swing open, our names are being announced, and 200 people give a standing ovation!

Now, this is TOTALLY Elias' kind of thing and he just ate it up. He took the hands of the marine and walked down the center aisle, just beaming at everyone. His red, shiny trike was at the end of the aisle and he kept saying, "It's my new bike! It's my new bike!" They put him in the seat and got him all buckled in then stepped back. And he started to pedal! He went up and down the center aisle a few times, just giddy with excitement. Because his leg doesn't have a knee, he isn't able to bend his leg and pedal any riding toys. His other friends are just now getting into these toys, and so now Elias has one of his own!

They asked me to speak so I got behind the podium and I almost got choked up. I mean, it's just a tricycle... but this is no ordinary tricycle! And just looking at all these retired marines and how proud they were to give this to Elias meant so much to me. I also couldn't help but think that not too long ago, his Ethiopian family would have never dreamed that Elias would have opportunities like this.

Elias drove his trike all the way out of the hotel, down a ramp and right to the back of the car. He didn't want to get off! On the way home I put down the passenger side visor and adjusted the mirror so that he could see the trike behind him. He kept an eye on it the whole way home!

Here are a few pictures of when he received the trike and then a short video of him learning how to ride it at home (in our neighbor's driveway).

Elias' Dedication

2007-06-20T21:56:00.001-05:00

Elias was dedicated at church a few weeks ago. Since we don't have any family living here, we invited our closest Ethiopian and Eritrean friends. We were so honored to have them join us that day. Not everyone was around for the picture, but at least we got most of them. The women standing to my right and slightly behind me is Elias' babysitter. We are so blessed to have her come each week. Her presence in our lives, and especially Elias' life, has been a huge answer to prayer. We love you Tadi!

Camping Pictures

2007-06-20T21:37:00.000-05:00

The camping trip was a ton of fun. We're already making plans to go back in just a few weeks. We didn't get much sleep that first night and all the adults were very weary and groggy that next morning. But we were so exhausted by the end of that second day that we all slept really soundly. Unfortunately Elias HATED the boat and cried the whole time we were out on the lake. Chase's dreams of him becoming an expert wake boarder at age 2 came crashing down. Oh well, there's always next year. :-)

Elias tries out his new sleeping bag. It is a mini air mattress and he was SO excited about it! Of course in the middle of the night in the tent he wasn't so excited about it (b/c my sleeping bag looked much more inviting to him).

He was even more excited when I showed him how he could fold it in half and use it as a chair.

First time to roast marshmallows. Chase showed Elias all his tricks.

Oh yum!
Fishing with Daddy.

Teenage affluenza

2007-06-19T20:32:00.001-05:00

I saw this video on another blog . The video is well done and really gives a good perspective. We have so much to be thankful for.

Nothing new here

2007-06-13T11:58:00.000-05:00

We haven't posted in a while b/c frankly life seems rather uninteresting lately. Of course we're busy from the moment my eyes open until they close late at night. And why is it that both take forever? My eyelids are heavier than cinder blocks when I want to wake up and lighter than a feather at night when I try to sleep. Argh!

The weather has been terrific here in Western NY which makes Elias thrilled about getting to wear poppy pants everyday. Even more thrilling is when everyone in the family is wearing poppy pants. He waves his arms and throws a little poppy pants party. This kid is a hoot.

Monster truck leg is thoroughly a part of Elias' self now. He wants it on immediately upon waking and doesn't want it off all day. He loves to walk! And stand. Dance. Jump. The other day he said his monster truck leg needed a bandaid. So we stuck one on there. He was so proud of that bandaid on his monster truck. But then we couldn't get it to peel off. It came off in tiny, tiny pieces that we're still finding all over the house. And no, I don't vacuum often.

Once I find my camera I'll post new pictures of recent going ons and some new video of Elias walking.

Oh, and this weekend we're going camping- with three 2-year-olds, one 3-year-old, and two 7-month-olds. Are we crazy? Absolutely!

One year ago- memories

2007-05-22T21:08:00.000-05:00

Well, I was on a role there, posting a measly two days worth of pics and stories of our trip last year this time to Ethiopia. What happened? Life I guess. And a trip to NYC. Then Elias got sick. And Lulo is here. I actually spent quite a while describing our last several days in Ethiopia when I hit a wrong button and erased the entire thing. I was so frustrated about it that I just couldn't muster up the steam to write it all again. So... here are just the highlights of our trip, my strongest memories that linger in my mind today...

- We brought several toys with us to give to Elias. I really fretted over what he would most like to have. What was the winner? Bottle caps! We carried bottled water with us everywhere so we always had these great little magic toys on hand. He LOVED them and had at least 3-4 with him at all times in his fist and pockets.

- After that first day of crying, Elias woke up and smiled and then even laughed a little! It was the most wonderful feeling to finally see him happy and to think that maybe we hadn't just wrecked his whole little world. (Which obviously wasn't true but I was starting to think that way with how sad he was at first).
- Elias' first haircut was in Ethiopia at a hair salon, done by women (a team of 5) whom I suspect had never cut hair before. The scissors were duller than a plastic knife so they had to really hack at his hair. After it was all over (and we drew quite a crowd) we gathered around the grass strewn on top of the tiled floor and drank coffee together.
- Vomit. Lots of it, everytime Elias ate something.
- Diarrhea. Lots of it, all day long.
- Our day at AHOPE, an orphanage for children with HIV was life-changing, eye-opening. I'll never forget those sweet voices that gathered around us to sing their little hearts out. We had a great time at an amusement park with the youngest children, and we packed into a van with 22 of the kids and rode over an hour in a small van to get there, singing all the way.
- A trip to Sodere hot springs that I am SO glad we did. We saw a completely different way of life outside of the city. And best of all, Elias laughed and smiled for over an hour in the pool. He had gotten pretty weak by this point (lots of lingering illnesses, stress from this sudden new family and life, and he wasn't eating anything anymore). It was an exhausting and exhilirating trip.
- The old woman on her knees at the edge of the road in the middle of nowhere, dust blowing all around. Only after we drove by did I realize that she was begging for money. It took a long time to forgive myself for not asking the driver to stop and turn around.
- Raw meat hanging in the open windows of shops along the road. The Ethiopians eat it just like that- raw. Ugh.
- Meeting Elias' biological grandmother, uncle and aunt who cared for him for the first 11 months of his life. Their love for him was so tender and sweet. I honor the selfless, sacrificial love they have for him.

The memories of our experiences in Ethiopia have nestled into a special little spot in my mind. I love to visit there. Some days I make just a quick visit and smile warmly. Other days I stay a little longer and leave with tears in my eyes and an ache in my heart. Ethiopia is a place like no other. I have a constant feeling of unfinished business and pray often that God would show us what else He has for us there.

One year ago today:May 8, 2006 PICTURES

2007-05-08T22:01:00.000-05:00

One year makes a HUGE difference! Here are some pictures comparing this day last year and today. And then a few of our pictures on our first day with Elias last year. (See the other post from today for the story).

First Family Picture 5/8/06

Family Self-Portrait today, 5/8/07

First time feeding Elias, 5/8/06

Eating with Elias today, 5/8/07 (We had injera to celebrate. Yum!)

Picture with caretaker who loved Elias

Arrival home to the Guest House

Walking with Dad, asleep in the carrier

First bath

One year ago today:May 8, 2006 STORY

2007-05-08T21:09:00.000-05:00

We awoke early, as many people do, to the calls to prayer. The time seemed to crawl by as we waited a few hours for Gail, the director of the orphange in Ethiopia, to come and pick us up. My mind had already logged a thousand miles about this day and it was strange for it to finally be a reality.

I'll never forget the sensation I had when Elias was placed in my arms for the first time. I could feel his little body through his thin, worn clothes. He was so small.

Shortly after we arrived home after our trip I wrote about this day on our temporary website. Here are those words again...

LOSS
We walked into the room where Elias had lived the last four months and my eyes quickly scanned the room trying to distinguish the son I only knew through pictures from the other twenty babies in the room. A caretaker was playing with him on the floor. She handed him over to me and it felt so good to finally hold that little body in my arms. I was savoring the moment, but then I quickly realized that Elias had started to cry and was reaching his arms out to the caretaker who had been playing with him before. And that's when it hit me. While adoption is this wonderful miracle and exciting thing, it comes about from tragic loss. And that's not really the very warm and fuzzy feeling I was looking for. I looked around at all the beautiful children surrounding me and my heart broke for the stories that brought them there. I looked at the caretaker but she was making a quick exit from the room. Through the windows I saw her wiping away tears. My heart swelled with love and appreciation for her and the way she had cared for and loved my baby. She was the one we had seen in pictures, tenderly holding Elias. I had prayed for her everyday that God would give her and the others a special love for Elias. And her tears showed me just how much God had answered that prayer. So there I was a blubbering mess with such a contrast of emotions exploding in my heart. So happy to be holding Elias yet deeply sorrowful for the loss he was experiencing yet again.

We took Elias back to our hotel and started doing all the things that parents are supposed to do. Changed diapers and clothes, fed him food, played with him and held him a lot. But his sadness didn't go away. In fact it seemed to worsen. At first he was just kind of distant and tired, but when a few hours passed, he actually started to cry. He could hear the Ethiopian women outside our door speaking Amharic, and that only made it worse. “What have we done?” was my only thought. Dad put on the baby carrier and Elias got all snuggled up next to his chest and we went for a walk outside. That seemed to calm him and the rest of the day he seemed better. Actually he just wasn't crying, but his soul still seemed a long way off. My prayer was that we would see him smile by the end of the week.

Despite the rough start, the tingles I had been waiting for finally came. We put him to bed and I sat next to his crib and just watched him through the bars. My heart suddenly swelled with this huge feeling of love like I had never felt before. Thank you Jesus for this sweet son you've given me! I wanted to hold him so desperately and touch his face and run my fingers through his curls. Chase wasn't in the room so I quickly picked him up and held him close to my chest, which woke Elias up of course and he started to cry. Chase rushed into the room wondering why he was crying. I just nonchalantly said that he needed his mommy, that's all. I held him like that on my chest for a long time as he slept. What a feeling a total bliss.

One year ago today:May 7, 2006

2007-05-07T19:59:00.000-05:00

We arrived in Addis Ababa late in the evening. Exhausted from the 30 hours of travel yet strangely full of energy at the same time. We were SO busy the days leading up to our departure- completing a huge remodeling job in our attic, Chase finished up his research for his residency, I wrapped up things at work since I wouldn't be going back to that position, we packed 4 bags totaling approximately 260 pounds, got Elias' room ready, etc. It was a crazy time! All the activity made everything seem so surreal.

As soon as I sat in my airplane seat on the first leg of our trip, I burst into tears. The emotion and enormity of the adventure we were embarking on came flooding into my heart and mind and I just fell apart. In a good way. I had prayed to be emotionally connected to everything that was going on and having a good cry crowded out the stress and ushered in the mommy excitement I needed.

Here is my journal entry, 36 minutes before we landed in Ethiopia... Wow! Are we really almost there? The reality comes in waves. I've been watching and holding these beautiful Ethiopian children during the flight and I can't wait until it's my own son in my arms.

Elias, we've loved you for so many months now. We loved and prayed for you before we knew your name. And each day since we saw your picture we've fallen more in love with you. And more in love with our Father who gave you to us. Our thoughts and dreams and daily activities have all been focused on you, and they will be forever now. Tomorrow we meet!

Our 270 lbs of luggage was a big part of our trip. We were carrying so many supplies for the orphanages and were so thankful that it all arrived!

"Poppy Pants"

2007-05-01T19:21:00.000-05:00

Has anyone ever heard of this? Me either. Until Elias said it to me one day recently in a dressing room. I put on a pair of capris and he kept saying, "Mommy! Poppy pants!" What? I was confused. Later that day we were home folding laundry, and each time I picked up Chase's boxer shorts he said, "Daddy's poppy pants!"

We've since figured out that he calls all shorts, "poppy pants". No idea why. Yes, he does have a "Poppy" that lives in Texas, but I don't think there's any connection there.

Anyway, I've decided I quite like this new term and I hope he never grows out of it. Because after all, he will always stay my little boy who loves to snuggle in my lap and talk about poppy pants, right? :-)

On another note, next week marks ONE YEAR since our trip to Ethiopia to get Elias. Wow! I plan on reliving each of our days there and blogging about it so that you can re-live it with me. I wrote about our trip after we got back only briefly on our little website that our friend Megan set up for us, but mostly I was too consumed with taking care of Elias and emotionally exhausted to get to do much writing. So I can't wait to finally get it all written out.

Walking for Marshmallows

2007-04-27T13:01:00.001-05:00


Several people told me they couldn't access the other video, so here it is again. This video was taken on 4/9 of some of Elias' first, unassisted steps on his prosthetic leg. Now 3 weeks have gone by and he's walking on his own most of the time. He's even trying to run! I'll try and capture new video soon and will post it here.

Will Walk for Marshmallows

2007-04-11T21:14:00.000-05:00

Elias is getting better and better with taking steps on his own while wearing his prosthetic leg. Some days he walks a lot and other days he won't take a single step. On this particular day he was motivated to walk for marshmallows as his prize. (Sometimes I'm just really out of ideas on how to get him to do any practice. He's too smart and the old tricks just don't work anymore. So now I've just resorted to plain ol' bribes).

Easter

2007-04-11T20:34:00.000-05:00

We had an awesome time with our dear friends the Crosses and their extended family on Easter. Elias had more candy that day than all his previous indulgences put together I think. Uh oh. Is this how candy obsession starts? Those darn little plastic Easter eggs!

Elias loved the Easter egg hunt, but he got a little confused halfway through and started putting his eggs back into the bushes. At which our friend's 3-year-old came tearing across the yard yelling, "He wants to shaaaare!" and promptly gathered up all his eggs from the bushes. He was having so much fun that he didn't care a bit! Since he has so many food allergies, I had a stash of eggs set aside for him anyway so that all his eggs' innards would be safe for him.

Interaction with 9-year-old girl

2007-04-01T18:22:00.000-05:00

We got to know several patients and their families during our week at Shriner's Hospital last week. One girl was a sweet 9-year-old who has been there for quite some time. She was excited to meet some new friends so hung around us our first evening. After introductions were made, she stared at us for a while and then this conversation took place (think sweet little girl voice with hick accent) (yes- even people in NY can be hick)..

Girl: Is he adopted? (pointing to Elias)
Me: "Yes, he is."
Girl: (After thinking for a little bit) ...Well it's a good thing you didn't borned him, cause that sure would have hurt. Ouch!
Me: (Speechless)

Chase and I have had several good laughs over that. I think it'll be a good family jokes for years to come.