God's Extravagent Grace to Us Remembered on This 6 Month Anniversary of Meeting MoMo

A picture can speak volumes over words in these moments. I meet my forever son and fall deeply in love and in awe
Moges checkin out his new Mama ~ July 13, 2009
Daddy tearing up big time while he tries to get a good look and a bit of a snuggle in with his new son
He has progressed through so many milestones since arriving home on July 17th. Solid foods (here is an early attempt but these days he gets much more IN his mouth), rolling, crawling, standing, and dare I say sleeping through the night, and climbing stairs
He is a delight every day and each morning wakes up with a few more curls than the day before!
First Christmas - here at Gram and Papa's house
Silas is not content to have taught him how to crawl ~ he is determined to get him to walk next!
MoMo, I can't wait to see what the next 6 months hold and I am so thankful to have gotten to be your Mama for each the days in the last 6 months!

Moges Walking?

Silas took this video today with his 5th generation ipod nano that he got for Christmas! : ) The outfit MoMo is wearing was Silas' when he was a baby ~ one of a few favorites that I had saved in a box.

I am trying to wrap my brain around the fact that it is 2010. 2009 was such an eventful year going from heartbreak to great rejoicing and blessing over a baby in the family. Mike and I hadn't planned on having another baby and God really took us by surprise with this turn of events. More times than I can count over the last 5 months, right after we get in bed Mike will say "a baby changes everything". It was true as first time parents and in a sense seems even more true this time around. MoMo has changed the whole dynamic of our family. Silas, Kate, and Maria simply adore him. We all sit around delighting in his babbling, crawling, playing, spitting, and now standing and walking with help.

Jesus truly is the one who gives us life in abundance and inspires Mike and I to do what we can to train our children well in love and grace. I think Jesus is using MoMo to draw each of us out of ourselves. I see 2010 as a year of growing closer as a family as we each grow closer with our Creator, Savior, and Redeemer.

Reflections of 2009

Of course this Christmas has been amazing. We have a precious baby boy in our home, all the way from Ethiopia. The journey all seems like such a blur now yet I daily am in awe of the miracle of MoMo.

On Christmas Day there were several minutes of tears and anguish. Thoughts of a two and a half year old boy in Ethiopia that was to be ours...........and then was not. Wonderings of "is he eating today?"..........."is he clothed today?"............"is he loved today?"..............Is he where he is supposed to be because I can't help but feel that he is meant to be with me, for in my heart I am his mom.

My biggest take away from 2009 is the way life can completely surprise you with the joy of an unexpected baby even while you are grieving the loss of a dearly loved toddler.

Life is this way, pure joy mixed with pain.

Now I ask the one who has redeemed me and I know has a purpose for my life, "what do You have for me in this?". My heart breaks for all the moms in Ethiopia who can't properly care for their children and all the children who suffer. May He find me faithful to, in any small way, do what I can to help the least of these.

Merry Christmas!

It has been a fun and productive few days in the Abbott home. I was inspired to stop being the only one in our family to shop, wrap, bake, do Christmas cards and all. So, Silas, Kate, and Maria have become the best little elf helpers you have ever seen! With all of us so busy Mo has been left to his own devices which has been a bit scary. (he actually crawled to the TOP of the stairs ~ note that at the bottom of our staircase is HARD wood floor ~ before we realized he could even climb a stair!) It has made the Christmas hustle and bustle a fun family time - crazy I know! This morning we took a little cocoa devotional break (pic above) and now they are all busy making cards. At 3 today we head to my folks (who live about one and a half miles away : ) ) for our traditional Christmas Eve time with them. Lots of FOOD and Lots of PRESENTS ~ my brother, Eric, and his girlfriend, Diane, should be there too. Tomorrow we will be home in the a.m. and have our traditional egg casserole and sticky buns (yummm ~ hope those go over well for your crew Mandy) and read the Christmas story. In the afternoon we will go up to Mike's folks (they are about 5 miles away!) and spend the evening with Mike's brother and family and have the traditional acting out of the Christmas story. Feeling so thankful for my amazing family and wishing you all a blessed holiday!

December 18 ~ Moges Michael Abbott forever

What is in a name? Well, quite a bit as we all know who have prayed and pondered over what to name each little blessing God has given us. Before we traveled to Ethiopia we decided to name Moges "Joseph Moges Abbott". Well, after travelling and coming home, and learning in the process that his name means "grace" we just haven't felt settled about his name. Yes, we sent out announcements that his name is Joseph Moges but here he is Moges, Mo, or MoMo. There is also a part of us that just doesn't want to take that cultural piece away of his given first name. So, Mike officially filed papers at the court today and we will have his court re-adoption on December 18th and he will forever be OUR Moges Michael Abbott. The perfect name for our blessing of a baby boy. His middle name is after the best man I know and it is also a name close to my heart since I have a brother named Michael who died when I was 6 and he was 11. Mo is our little gift of grace and we are so thankful.

Kate is Eight!

Oh yeah, she's sassy!

November 27 Kate turned 8 and we got to celebrate in Olympia with swimming in a hotel pool and fun with relatives. But, the party goes on. We had a big celebration here Friday night and will have a girls day out Saturday to see The Princess and The Frog.
Kate is our sunshine daisy girl. She loves drama, being contrary, singing, her new ipod shuffle loaded by dear Silas with .......... the Wicked soundtrack of course! Kate is a delight any way you look at it and we are so happy to have her at 8!

Mo on the Move