August11th
Today we had a goodbye celebration at the care center with all of the Holt staff and nannies. We enjoyed a traditional coffee ceremony and other snacks. Here are a few pictures from today.
After the goodbye celebration, everyone went shopping. Evelyn and I stayed behind to take a nap at the hotel. After napping, we played and I got these adorable pictures of her!
August9th
We returned from Durame today after meeting with Evelyn’s birth mother. It was an AMAZING experience that has helped me to fully understand my daughter’s history and love her even more (if that’s even possible!).
After returning to Addis, we were able to go to the care center and bring our sweet girl back to the hotel. After returning to the hotel, we gave her a bath and her mommy enjoyed dressing her in some pink clothes.
August7th
Here are a few pictures of us meeting our sweet girl for the first time.
June19th
We just got home from our Florida vacation with the Cheathams. We had a wonderful time with some of our very best friends. We LOVE the Cheathams and can’t wait to plan another trip with them when Evelyn and Olivia can be part of the group! I highly recommend becoming best friends with a photographer, and then going on vacation with him. Zach took some amazing pictures during our trip. 
These are just a couple of the great shots he got. You can see more on Zach’s website. 
While in Florida, we took the opportunity to meet up with our friends Jill and Russell. They were part of our Ethiopia travel group last summer, so Nell and Josiah are adoption buddies, and they are both from the same village.
Aren’t they adorable? It was so fun to spend time with Jill and Russell again and to meet their sons, Raleigh and Jack. Altogether we had 5 kids under 5, so you can imagine how crazy it was. We did manage to get some conversation in.
It’s amazing how quickly you make friends when you share your adoption experience together. We only spent a week with Jill and Russell last summer, but it feels like we know them so much better than that. I hope that we’re always able to keep in touch.
While we were in Florida, Josiah decided that it was finally time to become a walking man. He had taken steps before, but on our last day at the beach he started walking consistently, and now he is definitely a walking dude, and I am one happy momma. The more he walks, the less I have to carry him.
We had a wonderful vacation, followed by a quick trip to Grammie and Pops’s house. But by the end even Caleb was asking to come home. I think we wore him out.
We’re still waiting to hear travel dates to bring Evelyn home. Yes, we’ve been waiting FOREVER. I really feel like we’ll hear something next week, but who knows. Right now, I’m guessing that we’ll be traveling in late July. We are so ready to bring our baby girl home!
June9th
We’re having a great time! No oil to speak of, and the boys have been having lots of fun playing in the water. We’re about half-way through our vacation, so there’s still lots of fun to be had! We’ll post more pics when we get home.
Yesterday we went on a dolphin cruise and Josiah was jamming out to the Jimmy Buffett music that was playing on the boat. We got a great video of his dance moves…
May8th
. . . to my own sweet momma, who taught me what it means to mother . . . to my precious grandmothers who have poured unconditional love over every moment of my life . . . to my wonderful mother-in-law who raised an amazing man and who has been so kind to me . . . to all of the women who have “mothered” me for my entire life, aunts, aunts-in-law, grandmothers-in-law, teachers, mentors, friends . . . to my high school and college friends whom I’ve had the great blessing to watch become mothers . . . to all my “mommy” friends, sisters-in-law, and Bible study partners.
I could never be a good mother without all of you. You have shown me what it means to love, to sacrifice, and to pray for my children, to say “I’m sorry,” take a deep breath, and start over in the morning, to keep giving and keep going, when it feels like there’s nothing left. I can make one more peanut butter sandwich, clean up vomit in the middle of the night, and read one more story because I know you’ve done it too. I know with every tear, every smile, every laugh, you’re right there too, enjoying the amazing, challenging, and bountiful blessing it is to be . . . MOM.
Your encouragement, your wisdom, and your faith inspire me. Happy Mother’s Day!
May1st
This week was Caleb’s 4th birthday. On Tuesday, we woke him up with cinnamon rolls before the kids and I went to Bible Study.
That evening, Casey and I took him on a special “date” while Josiah stayed with Grandma. We went to eat at a Hibachi Grill. Caleb had a wonderful time and loved watching our chef chop, toss, and spin everything. Caleb ended up eating almost an entire plate of fried rice. Yummy! After that, we went to see Oceans at the movie theater.
Today we had friends over for a small birthday party. After tornadoes ripped through our area all night last night, we were expecting to have to move our outdoor party indoors. But the weather cleared up for a few hours this afternoon, though it was incredibly hot and muggy, so we had a few games outside before coming in for cupcakes.
Here is Caleb with some of his best buds.
Check out some of these same kids at his 1st Birthday party.
It’s hard to believe how much they’ve grown in what seems like such a short time! I’m so proud of my sweet little boy. He is such a blessing in our home!
On the adoption front, we received the news this week that we have a court date scheduled for May 18. We’re praying that we will pass court on that day. It is pretty common to be postponed or rescheduled, but please pray that we will pass! Once we pass we will be able to travel to bring home Evelyn 6-8 weeks later! Oh, I can’t wait to get that girl in my arms!
April8th
Let it go down in the history books that Grammie bought the first dress. And isn’t it cute? I’ve left it hanging where I can see it everyday, as a reminder that this IS happening, that there is a little girl out there that this dress is waiting on, that she WILL wear it one day, in the next few months, and that I have lots to do to get ready for that day.
Our house has been a blur of activity over the last week as we have celebrated Easter and had family in town. But, in the back of my mind there is a little face that never leaves.
I know that I will spend the rest of my life unpacking this adoption process, examining every detail, and marveling at God’s great provision, His wonderful plan, and His excellent care. But here is what I’ve learned thus far. First, I think that God is making clear to us (especially me) that we are still not the ones in control. We had to trust Him so much with our first adoption process because it was all new, overwhelming territory, but I think that this time around I felt a little too comfortable, a little too “in control.” This last week, I’ve felt God gently remind me, “This is out of YOUR hands. You will have to trust ME.” And, man, has that been challenging. There have been so many unexpecteds with this referral, and it is so easy to be anxious about the things I don’t understand, but I know that He is in control. I have to keep going back to what I learned as a little child: ”When I am afraid, I will trust in YOU.”
And His provision has been so sweet, so timely. He has held us in the palm of His hand and reminded us that when He is in control, He supplies all our needs. We’re overwhelmed with His goodness.
And we’re greatly anticipating all that is to come. Even though this is so different from our first adoption, we already know that nothing compares to this journey, and we are preparing ourselves to be blown away by all that He has planned.
April2nd
Over the last couple of weeks, we’ve been using Resurrection Eggs as a teaching tool to help Caleb understand what Easter is all about. He has really gotten into it and wants to get out the eggs every night.
So, for those of you who need a reminder of why we celebrate Easter, here’s Caleb the “Teacher”:
Caleb Tells the Easter Story from Casey on Vimeo.
January18th
So we’re finally settling in from our recent move over here at the Picker House. We are feeling very happy and very blessed. We love our new house; we have lots of room, lots of yard space, and even more toys. In fact, there’s another thing we have lots of around here: BOYS.
BOY #1 (or Stud #1, as he likes to be called)
BOY #2
BOY #3
Even our dog, Boo, is a BOY (kind of)
Do you think I’m a little out-numbered? It’s definitely becoming a problem. We’ve got cars and trucks coming out of our ears (we even discovered the other morning that Doc Hudson, the car, had spent the night in our bed . . . creepy); we’ve got boy toys, boy clothes, boy noises, and boy smells everywhere! But you know what we don’t have a lot of around here? Pink. There is almost no pink in this house, no dolls, no little dresses, just boys, BOYS, BOYS!! (Don’t be fooled, I’m in LOVE with my boys.)
Another problem that keeps popping up at the Picker House: Ethiopia. We can’t quit talking about, thinking about, and dreaming about this incredible country, beautiful people, and amazing work God has poured into our hearts. We’re absolutely in love, and like love-sick teenagers we can’t get Ethiopia or the orphans there out of our heads.
So . . . two problems: not enough pink, and not enough Ethiopia. Hmmm . . . what would be a good solution?
