Summer 2019

Because I'm on Covid-19 Quarantine with the rest of the world, I decided to catch up on this blog as it's my best attempt at keeping a family record.  Plus, Summer 2020 is upon us, so I need to get a move on.

I started the summer of 2019 acutely aware of how fleeting time is.  All of our kids are growing up so fast.  We finished up summer birthdays with Angel turning 7!

Plus, our oldest, Rahel would be entering her senior year.  I had all of these great plans to document a little every day of her senior year, but alas, here we are with just 4 weeks left and we will have to settle for quarterly updates.   Such is life.

We had bowls full of blueberries for about a month.  I am always so delighted when they start to ripen.

We spent some of our summer days working on life skill.  All the kids learned to shop on a budget, plan and cook meals and work on the car replacing door handles and changing tires. 

Rahel and I learned how to add extensions and box braid.

The finished product and one happy girl.

We took a fun trip to the Biltmore House. I've always wanted to go and kids were free over the summer so we jumped at the chance. 

The gardens were lovely.

Some risk taking with dad.

And my most prolific plant of the season, my super squash. I didn't have much luck otherwise, except for my jalapenos.

Nick had to travel for work for three weeks ( I am not a fan of being apart for so long), so we headed to Florida to visit family and friends.

We got to spend a couple of days at one of my favorite places with two of my favorite people.  We dreamed about Haddis Ministries and had a Board Meeting in the sand.

Look at all of these kids! Just our three families.

We brought one friend home with us for the week. The kids loved having Kay stay with us.

Dinner out with the big girls.

We also had a fun overnight visit with more of our favorites as they were headed up to camp.

And like all good things, summer vacation came to an end and the kids were off to school.

I love all of these people so much.  

Our life is super crazy and it's not easy raising 8 kids, but I am so thankful for the opportunity to be their mom.

We had one more round of summer visitors for Labor Day weekend.  Our most frequent flyers, the Schusters!

Squeezing out the last bits of summer fun and sunshine

 before the cool breezes of fall set in.

June 2019 NYC

My last family post was titled "Spring 2019," which I guess means I'm a year behind in posting.  I'm going to try to catch up a bit.  June was a big month, so it's going to have a couple of posts.

We took our first ever family trip to New York.  None of us had ever been so we excitedly embarked on the 16 hour drive.  Let's just say the drive there was a little more fun than the drive back.

We started the week with a baseball tournament for Colton.

Faithful supporters.

Then we headed in to the big city.

Our first walk to the subway.

Getting a lesson in subway etiquette from our amazing tour guide Mar Mar.

Looking like city girls.

Our first subway ride. The boys loved the "train."

We had a lovely walk across the Brooklyn Bridge.

And took this beautiful waterside walk. 

 My handsome man!

Mar Mar took care of Caleb when he was a baby. The have a special bond.

Angel the Mischievous 

A sobering time at the Trade Center Memorial

By this point, we had walked about 10 miles cramming in as much fun as possible in one day because the forecast for the next day was 100% rain.

We loved seeing the Statue of Liberty from the Ferry and the City at night from the water.

We ended the night in Time Square, totally exhausted, but loving every minute of it.

Day 2 in NYC was Meron's 13th birthday.  We started with hotel breakfast (so fancy).

A subway ride.

Souvenir umbrellas for all and a wet walk in Central Park.

    

Caroline had turned 13 two weeks before, so we celebrated both girls in the Big Apple with a mini shopping spree in a fancy store.

We had dinner and then headed to the Cake Boss for dessert.

It was a whirlwind trip, but well worth the memories that were made.  We loved NYC!

Not My Plans

Tonight, we would have been landing in DC right about now, excitedly anticipating our flight to Ethiopia in the morning.  A flight that has become so familiar and routine that it just seems natural to hop on a 15 hour flight across the world.  I am usually so jammed packed with to-do's preparing to leave that boarding the plane has become my opportunity to rest, read, take in a movie and cram Amharic phrases in my head before we land in the country I love so much.

By early last week, we knew we would have to postpone our trip.  One in which we hoped to form new partnerships to support over 50 children in Addis while also checking in on our current project in Gondar.

Mostly, I was looking forward to my husband joining me and meeting all of the wonderful children and staff that we have been given the opportunity to serve.  Getaways without the kids are few and far between, but this trip would have been more special because he would have been there to experience the love I have for our Haddis kids firsthand.

My most precious one, Tewadaj (right) and her sweet friend Eyerus.

As much as I am sad that we can't spend time with our friends, I am even more burdened for the well-being of those we love there.

A couple of weeks ago, I halfheartedly bought a few more non-perishable food items and paper products than I normally would on my weekly grocery trip.  It was uncertain how prepared we should be for the possibility of quarantine.  As the days went on, and things became more serious, my thoughts were flooded with the inability of our kids and families in Ethiopia to do the same for themselves.

I have been grateful for the many ways God has blessed us through this time.  Even the fact that we have 8 kids means that all of my kids have a live-in-friend to hang out with and talk to.

When I do think about the challenges we are all facing, my thoughts of how much worse things potentially could be in Ethiopia break my heart.

The population we serve is already at great risk for illness.  They are undernourished, lack clean water and hygiene items in their homes and have very little access to medical care.

Last week we received our monthly report and celebrated that the well project and shower house have been completed.  The timeliness of this news along with news of a shipment of hygiene supplies on the way because of our Christmas fundraiser is evidence of God's continued provision for this community.

Shower House

Additionally, thanks to the generosity that we experienced this past year, Haddis Ministries was able to send emergency funds to provide for a food and soap to be provided to every family who's child is sponsored and all of the kids at the orphanage along with the staff members so that they can also take care of their families. We are hoping this will give them a sense of peace and an understanding that they are not alone and that we are all in this together.

Please continue to join us in prayer for our Haddis family as we pray alongside of you for yours and for this virus to be contained around the world.  Our biggest prayer is that through this trial, many, many people will fix their eyes on the Lord and follow Him, the one in whom we place our hope.

I lift up my eyes to the mountains—

    where does my help come from?

2 

My help comes from the Lord,

    the Maker of heaven and earth.

The Lord will keep you from all harm—

    he will watch over your life;

8 

the Lord will watch over your coming and going

    both now and forevermore.

Psalm 121:1-2, 7-8