Molly

We asked and we asked "Eva, what do you want for your birthday?" She never could decide. This is our slightly, eccentric child. any other child would give us a list a mile long of wants and desires as far as birthday gifts. We asked for weeks, as we have been trying to plan her birthday party (which we still have not gotten nailed down). She never knew what she wanted. So, we decided to surprise Eva with a gift picked out especially for her. I took a little convincing, and I still cannot believe that I was the one who came up with this idea. It was all too perfect for Eva!We gladly introduce our newest addition to our family....Molly Ann West (name chosen spontaneously and with out the planned coaching I had practiced, by Eva herself). she is a welcomed addition. She is very fun-loving, feisty, laid-back and sweet kitten. Eva is smitten as are most all of us.

While Lila (our Queen kitty) was not a fan at all, in the beginning, staying hidden for weeks under the beds and on the top bunks of the kids' beds, she has since warmed up to Molly. They have fast become friends and sparring partners.

Welcome to the family, Molly!

Sweet Relief

Forgive me that I have not posted sooner, for we have been celebrating! We received some much-awaited, positive news regarding international adoptions in Ethiopia at the end of January. Here is a letter from our Family Coordinator.

Dear Marcus & Alecia,

We are thrilled to share positive news from Ethiopia.  Earlier today Minister Zenebu, along with other high level MOWCYA officials, met with agency network representatives.  In this meeting it was clearly expressed by Minister Zenebu that she does not plan to work to stop adoptions, but desires to focus on eliminating bad practice and continue to invest in good practice of Ethiopia adoptions.  She reiterated that neither MOWCYA nor the Ethiopian Government plan to shut down adoptions within Ethiopia, and went on to encourage agencies to continue their work as normal.

We know this news comes as relief for many adoptive families in process.  America World will continue to work on behalf of Ethiopia’s orphans and vulnerable children to place them into Christian homes.  We expect MOWCYA will likely hold more meetings in the weeks to come and will continue to keep families updated with any new information.  We are seeing several regions issue clearances for children to be adopted and are hopeful more will start soon.

America World is in full support of improvements to uphold the most ethical practices in adoption. We care deeply about adoptions operating with integrity and transparency.  We will continue to support MOWCYA in their efforts to implement better parameters around adoption processes and safeguards against fraudulent practice.

We are glad to hear this news today, and know it has been a long few weeks for families since Ethiopia’s first statement about adoptions. Thank you for your perseverance throughout this month. Please feel free to contact me with any follow-up questions about this. 

Praising His mighty name! He heard the floods of prayers on behalf of the precious littles waiting for families. We are thankful for His mercies. We continue our wait with renewed hope. A referral could come at any time! In the meantime, we still have t-shirts for sale and we are hoping to hear news this month concerning a grant we have applied for. Please keep us and all of these children, in Ethiopia and around the world, who need homes, in your prayers.

Little Lady: 18 months

Seems like she grew up over night. I know, I know....she is still our baby! She is becoming more and more independent, needing me less and less. She is on to the world of discovery! She is in the midst of a vocabulary EXPLOSION! She breaks out a new word almost daily, that I did not know she knew. If I do not pay attention quick enough to her whines and grunts, she will tell me exactly what she is wanting. Her newest word was bubbles. I was running water to wash dishes and she could see the dishwater bubbling. She wanted a handful of bubbles! "Whine, Whine, grunt, grunt....BUBBLES!" It certainly got my attention! She says all of her sibling's names, Lila (We are working on Molly.), mine, no, yeah, nose, mouth, ear, toes, baby, go, hi, hot, out, in, shoe, boo, "beela" (belly), pea-pie, bye-bye, night-night, amen, snack, cookie, cracker, "beena" (banana), "ont in" (want in), "ont up" (wants up), "I got it." "Get down, Lila."She still has 10 teeth. She has the spunkiest personality thus far. Not a morning person! Gives us a mean face to show us she means business, but we are mostly greeted with the biggest smile! She is stubborn about some things (Hates to sit down in her high chair!). Loves shoes and wears everyone's! Loves to eat! Plays pat-a-cake and chase. Likes to put away the silverware from the dishwasher while the "bigs" help with chores. Likes to explore...mainly inside cabinets. LOVES the outdoors! Rubs her nose with the tip of her bear's hat (comfort measure), each night I lay her in her crib. Still has her binky. Such a funny girl! Wild haired and will not be coaxed into wearing a bow or barrette.

 teeth

nose

 eyes

 mouth, mouth, mouth (we have to say it 3 times)

 ears

 pretty hair

 please

 more...

 bubbles!

Love her to pieces! She is so much fun!