LOTS of changes around here! :) You need to read this post!

Yeah, so it's been a few months since anything has been posted on this blog.

I'm not gonna lie. It's been a rough few months. We have had a lot of things going on in our family and it's been probably the hardest few months of our lives. Months of pain and suffering and heartache that I would not re-live for anything. Someday I hope to share some of it with you and God will use it all to bring glory back to Him, but for now it remains to be shared at another time.

SO....

On a more positive note, here's a little bit of an update on our crew. There have been lots of changes around here. Including:

• Austin (15) getting the privilege of working outdoors with a friend, who works in construction, is very patient with teen boys and is just an all around cool guy. He worked for 2 weeks as an apprentice from 8-5, just like a real job- and he loved it!
• Jensen (13) started attending jr high school at our local public school. It was quite a change from being home all day and they have SO much homework, but he is adjusting great and doing really well. He joined the track team and went to FCA last week and he is really getting in the groove of everything. 
• Nathan (11) started 5th grade at the local school 2 weeks ago and is doing pretty good as well. This is his very first public school experience, so again it is quite a change from being homeschooled for so long- but he is very social and already has made lots of friends. He is thrilled that he gets to ride his bike to and from school every day! (and so is mom!) 
•  Austin began attending a center called Brain Balance a few weeks ago. He had intensive assessments done beforehand that helped the staff to develop a custom program specifically designed for him and that will stimulate the parts of his brain that aren't making the right connections.  By integrating physical and cognitive exercises with dietary change, they are able to help correct the underlying imbalance, improve function and reduce or eliminate negative behaviors. We kind of stumbled upon it, but quickly realized that this is what we have been looking for and praying for for so long. He goes 3 days a week and also has exercises that must be done 7 days/week at home. I will let you know how it's going as we get further down the road.
• Elliana (3) has been her typical self. She talks non-stop and simply must say hi to every person in the world, whether it's at the park, Target or on the phone. She misses her 2 brothers now that they are in school, but now she gets more one-on-one time with mommy so it's not really that bad. She wants to do "preschool" with me all the time- which basically is just coloring, learning letters and playing with playdough or puzzles- nothing fancy! She is very anxious for her new brother and sister to come home and play with her. She wakes up almost every morning and asks me if sissy (Mihret) is going to come home today? I tell her no. Then she asks if it will be "in a minute?" I say no, but it will be soon. "Tomorrow?" she will ask. And I have to tell her that it will be a little while longer. And up until yesterday, I had no idea when how much longer that little while was going to be.  A few days ago, we were hoping that it might be mid to late March...

BUT....

Yesterday we got a surprise email from the embassy and....well.... there's a story behind it, but for now I just wanted to shout the news to y'all that I have been waiting for almost 18 months to shout. Perhaps the biggest change of all: 

It's FINALLY happening!!! 

OUR KIDS OUR COMING HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Most likely I will be traveling by myself, leaving in 2 weeks- February 27th. The visa appointment is scheduled for Thursday March 1st and Nati, Mihret, and I will be arriving HOME on Tuesday March 6th!

Did I REALLY just say that??!!! 

HOME!!!

We will all be together!!! Yeah!!! I will update more soon, but for now...

Join with me in PRAISING GOD for this amazing, wonderful news!!!!

Praise the LORD!

Praise God in his sanctuary;

praise him in his mighty heavens!

Praise him for his mighty deeds;

praise him according to his excellent greatness!

Praise him with trumpet sound;

praise him with lute and harp!

Praise him with tambourine and dance;

praise him with strings and pipe!

Praise him with sounding cymbals;

praise him with loud clashing cymbals!

 Let everything that has breath praise the LORD!

Praise the LORD!

Psalm 150