I LOVE SURPRISES...

Good Ones, that is.

We've been waiting for a call from our agency. We were hoping for that call to come this week. We were also hoping for the call to bring news of a court date in late July, as that seems to be the usual time frame.

Well, we did get the call yesterday. And we did get a court date. But the big surprise was that our court date was YESTERDAY!!!!! YES.TER.DAY, as in June 26th. Are you kidding me??? Poor Kiersten on the other end, I totally yelled into the phone. I was so googly-moogly, I forgot to even ask how this even happened. I'm going to call this a "good surprise". So very good. While this is so exciting, I feel a little bit like a cutter in line. Or maybe more accurately like we got the Fast Pass at DisneyWorld. I don't feel guilty, I just feel like I like the "line" I'm in.

With my pregnancies, I always wished for a scenario in which I go in for one of the last check ups and have my OB say "Wow, this is incredible! You are already 7 centimeters dilated! Let's admit you to the hospital because you are having this baby." That's kind of how it feels now.

Of course, we do not know the outcome of our court case. We are praying and hoping that we passed. I am trying to guard my heart, but it is so stinkin' hard! We won't hear anything until next week. If we did pass, Kiersten may choose to wear earplugs before she calls this time.

In any case, we better get this name thing figured out huh? Whatever her first name will be, I am hoping right now that her last name is Kollar.

Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine be glory!
(from Ephesians 3:20,21)

What's in a Name?

Several people have asked about a name for Her Loveliness. She has a given name that we will definitely keep as part of her name, but maybe not as her first name. We have decided to hold off on naming her until she is legally ours. But we've been playing the name game for months. If you want, you can play along.

I already enlisted the help of this fun blog I found: babynamesnob.blogspot.com. I love their ideas and thought we could use her genius. Go here, to read my letter and the response. After reading my letter you will know the (many) limitations we have in the search for the perfect name for "Koko".

We had a family naming session going through each letter of the alphabet brainstorming name ideas. Emmie is my least finicky in the name department and the one most willing to spend hours brainstorming ideas with me. She likes Zoie, Neve, and Tess. But her favorite is Eden. I think she is envisioning the decorating possibilities in their room with names that both begin with "E". That's my girl.

Tate likes very few names, but one he does approve of is Romy, which was our boy name after the keyboardist in the band Switchfoot (I know, we are strange people). I just don't know if it flies as a girl name. Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion, anyone?

And then there's Jack. As you might assume, Jack has come up with some doozies. For "Z" he came up with ZeZa (pronounced ZehZAH). It's not like there are a lot of four letter Z names, so I give him credit for that one. It's kind of a "Hollywood Baby" type name, don't ya think? But the real winner was for the letter "C"...Crusher Hogan. For a baby girl. Naturally, it has since become a family favorite.

Our kids are laboring under a misapprehension that our family operates as a democracy when it comes to naming Her Loveliness. Though we love that they feel such a part of this process, do not be mistaken, this is very much a monarchy. King Daddy and Queen Mommy call the naming shots. But the King and Queen are slightly a divided monarchy in the name department.

In addition to the ones I mentioned in my Name Snob letter, I love Evelyn or Evaline or Evalyn (how do you spell that name?) with the nickname of Evie, but Bill can't go there. He says he won't be able to get the vision of this singer from 80's Christian music out of his head...

As I mention in the letter, the King (a.k.a "High Maintenance in Only One Area: Naming This Child") likes one name: Luci. But he does also like Lola a bit. Lola Kollah (Kollar). Can we do that to our child? Sing with me now...

"Her name was Lola, she was a Kollah... "

"Lola, La, la, la, la Lola. Kollah, ka, ka, ka, ka Kollah..."

Granted, Lola is arguably one of the cutest names ever, but can we do that to our child? Maybe we could legally change the "o" in our last name to an "e" and she would be Lola Kellar. That sounds better. But then we'd have to do all our adoption paperwork over. So I guess that's out.

If only the dog's name wasn't Ruby, we'd be set. Dang.

Now it's your turn to weigh in. It will probably only make my life harder since I'm a people- pleaser, but please let me know your opinions on the above names, Name Snob's fun offerings and any of your own suggestions. Tread lightly, though. I like honest, just not brutally honest. That's what my kids are for.

Nothin' says summer like...

an outdoor concert...

playing in the sprinklers...
Fully clothed, of course.


And chillin' at the pool...
When I say "chillin", I mean it literally because the pool here is C-O-L-D. But we are still having summer F-U-N.

Ain't no other Dad...

One of the truest expressions of God's grace I have seen in my life is a man who grew up with no father being the best father around. That's my man...

Throughout this adoption journey, there have been many times that I have doubted my ability to raise another child. But I have never once doubted Bill. He is well-suited for this whole Daddy gig. I have watched him lay down his life for his family again and again. He consistently balances truth and grace in our home. He can be both firm and gentle. Strong and tender. He builds our children up instead of tearing them down. I'm not trying to say he's a perfect Dad. But he is a faithful Dad. And he's perfect for us.

I am so happy that he is the father of my children. All (almost) 4 of them.

Ain't no other Dad but you!

Happy Birthday to me

It's embarrassing what a big deal my birthday is to me. I wish I was like most normal adults and didn't need a lot of attention and celebration, but instead I am like a 7 year old. Only, since yesterday, I am 39. Which sounds kinda old. But I'm okay with being 39. The reason I'm okay with it is because I'm not 40 yet. Also because I got to have a day that included a lot of attention and celebration. And presents. I really like presents.

On the "holy day" (as Bill refers to it), I awoke to crate paper decorating the place, thanks to my kids. Jack was particularly proud of his work in the shower. After I was served breakfast in bed (un-rinsed strawberries and yogurt with no spoon), the kids and I headed out to some garage sales. Here's what made them happy shoppers...
Along the way we stopped for some donuts, chocolate milk and coffee at Lamar's. The donuts were huge, and since I didn't pay attention to any of the prices, so was the bill. Almost $15!!! But it was my birthday, right?

After some time at the pool we hit Happy Hour at Sonic for some Strawberry Limeades. Yum...
While I was watching Emmie and a bunch of other girls in the afternoon a spontaneous birthday party broke out. I did NOT initiate this, although I would never put that past me. Madeline did my hair. Ava painted my nails. And then they ALL frosted the cake that Emmie had made me all by herself. It was hilarious to see the chocolate frosting on their cheeks, chins, and shirts after it was all over. I loved my cake...
I also loved my impromptu party. I made Bill promise not to have a surprise party for me this year since he has done that the past 3 years. Emmie was really disappointed about that, but this made up for it in spades. They threw crate paper on me and sang to me...
It's hard to say who enjoyed it more, they young girls or the old one...
How perfect for me to celebrate with girls who are my own maturity level when it comes to birthdays. I love my sweet little buddies...
The night ended up with dinner at PF Chang's (How do you say "yummy" in Chinese?) with our friends the Lewises...
It's nice to have kids old enough to take pictures for us. Kind of...
Thanks, Tater.

Today I woke up and there was it was no longer June 19th. The "holy day" was over. No crate paper. No breakfast in bed. No PF Chang's. And no presents to be opened. Good thing each day is a gift to be treasured. I guess that makes every day a holy day.

Vacation is as Vacation does

I've been out of the blogging loop for a bit while we were on vacation in Frisco, CO. We get to go to some pretty cool places with our ministry...San Diego, Colorado, Orlando. But a few years back we were encouraged not to let our ministry assignments be our vacations. Though they are incredible opportunities, we are working.

But there has been very little work involved in the past 4 days. Unless you want to count my huffing and puffing to make it to our third floor condo in the high altitude. Our vacation was not about work, but about play.

We slept in...
Went on hikes with breathtaking views...
Went biking...
also with breathtaking views...

Played at parks with, you guessed it, breathtaking views...
And kissed with those same breathtaking views as our backdrop...
Ate Ben and Jerry's out of the containers...
Played in mountain streams...

Where the cold water makes you do this...
Since frigid water was notsomuch our thang, we made daily trips to the indoor pool...

Where the pool water was almost as warm as a hot tub, and the outdoor hot tubs were nothing short of bliss.

At night we played Charades and watched episodes of "Jonas" and "Hannah Montana" together...
And ate breakfast one day at our favorite local restaurant The Butterhorn Bakery and Cafe...
Not that I have an unhealthy fixation on food or anything, but I am still dreaming about their Eggy Bread and Eggs Butterhorn.

Vacation was good for us. God was good to us.

If we ever get another dog, Frisco is his name for sure.

The State of the Family address...

I love summer. I love that it's not dark until nearly 9pm. I love family bike rides. I love corn on the cob and fresh tomatoes. And I love grilling out. Not that I do the actual grilling...that's a "boy job" at my house. And the boy who does the grilling (aka Bill) is on a grilling vacation right now. Here's why...
Yes, that is a bird nest with 5 little eggs in our grill. I'm a mom and we mom's have to stick together. I can't harm this Mommy bird's babies. Even if they are trespassing on our yummy summer goodness. Enjoy your time off, Grill Boy. Thankfully, there are no bird nest's in the dishwasher or sink. Another boy job, of course.

As for me, I have a dream. In this dream I am running a mini-marathon without the paramedics being called on my behalf. Though I would love to fool you, you should know, I am not a runner. Heck, I'm barely a walker. But I have started "training" for a mini-marathon. Each day Tate and I plan to go running together. We started today. We made it down the street and back. He was humored by my out-of-shape-ness. The very same out-of-shapeness that had me gasping for air and begging to quit when we were only 3 houses down. It will be a small miracle if we make it around the block someday, let alone ever participate in a mini-marathon.

Speaking of my running partner, in an ironic twist of fate, Tate has decided he is going to miss school work this summer. He says he misses the sense of purpose that it gives him and has asked me to give him assignments over the summer. If I oblige him, can I call myself a homeschooling mom? I've always liked the way that sounds.

Even though it's summer, we can't sleep in every morning. Emmie was my alarm clock this morning playing Jingle Bells, Away in a Manger, and Yankee Doodle Dandy in loud succession on a kazoo. It was kind of cute...at first.

I'm not usually the kind of blogger that offers you much fun or helpful information like recipes. But Jack came to me tonight saying he knew how to make pie. So here is Jack's Pie Recipe... "Take rotten crust. Put it in the pan. Spray whipped cream all over the inside of the crust. Then take little pieces of chocolate that look like logs and put them on top of the whipped cream. TA-DA...you've got pie!". Let me know if you decide to try this at home, rotten crust and all.

And then there is Her Loveliness, who we hope to add to our family at some point in the future. I wish I could post a picture of her, but the best I can give you right now is a picture of her sweet feet. I'm not one to find feet attractive (unlike Tanner P. for all you Bachelorette fans), but these are some dang cute feet!

We don't really know what or how she is doing which, I am finding, makes one more passionate about praying. As I write this, it's 7:44am in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Good morning, Sunshine. We look forward to when we will greet our mornings together. All of six of us. As a family.

I didn't even need a kleenex

Last Thursday was the last day of school. This is usually such a fun and festive day. And this year was no different. Emmie was SO excited that the last day was "Manager's Choice" day on the lunch menu. I overheard her excitedly telling Jack about how special that day is because the manager gets to choose the menu. I think she may have figured out the real secret of "manager's choice" when all she had for lunch was yogurt and a cheese stick. But she was all smiles anyway. I love this about her.

This year there was heightened emotional intensity on the last day since it was Tate's last day of elementary school. Ever. We are now parents of a middle schooler. Not that we are old enough for such a thing!

There was a promotion ceremony at the end of the day and I didn't even cry. Tate had told his teacher we were going to need a bowl for all my tears, but I proved him wrong. A wave of emotion flooded me as I realized we sat in that same room 6 years ago gathering for a Kindergarten Orientation, but still, no tears. I cheered for so many of these students that I have come to know and love over the years, namely the one who I gave birth to. I am notorious for not letting go of things. I am just so stinkin' sentimental. But this was a good day for me. I was able to celebrate the years he has had at this sweet school and look forward with anticipation to the next stage that awaits him. Even if it is a stage that involves him swatting my hand away when I try to hold his in public. He is becoming. And I don't want to miss out on it because I am too busy looking back on what used to be.

To celebrate, we had our annual School's Out party in the back yard to celebrate with some friends. The kids were in charge of decorations. Six rolls of crate paper later, we had a marginally festive back yard...

This time there was no elaborate menu planning. Just popsicles...

and ice cream sandwiches...


And for games, I went "all out". A palm tree pinata...

stuffed with leftover Halloween candy...

It was pretty low key as far as parties go, but the kids had a great time...

Consequently, so did the adults...

And now it's Monday. It's 10:00am and we're still in our jammies.

Ahhh...Summer is here at long last.

So we have been matched with a baby girl. What now?

1) I try to make it for 3 minutes without looking at her picture and sighing. Can't do it yet. The first two mornings after we received our referral, I woke up at 6:30am just because I had to look into those eyes. Bill had a dream about her last night. It is SO amazing to be able to picture that sweet face when we pray now.

2) We mailed in the paperwork to make our referral official. Paperwork gives me a nervous tick. I was relieved to send it off.

3) Yesterday, we had a conversation about the transition when we bring her home with the social worker at our agency. This was eye-opening for us as we think about the reality of what her needs will be as an infant dealing with grief and loss and needing to bond with us. We are going from having children who can do just about anything for themselves, to having a little one who will need us for everything. It will be a big change, but an even bigger privilege. We hold with honor the opportunity to care for her and teach her how to trust. This weighty task means we need to think through how we will make this transition as a family. We've got lots of reading to do and y'all know what a big reader I am. Apparently, the articles in People magazine about Brad and Angelina don't really do much to prepare one to be an adoptive parent. If they did, I'm pretty sure I'd win the award for Most Prepared Adoptive Parent Ever.

4) We will be waiting to hear if and when we are assigned a court date. For those of you who don't know, the way the process works is our orphanage director will go to court on our behalf in Ethiopia. If we pass, she becomes legally ours and usually traveling to meet her and bring her home is about a month after that. We should hear in the next month about our court date. They generally are about a month to six weeks after receiving the referral. We are hoping for a July Court date and that we pass the first time, which doesn't always happen. If we do, we would travel in August. This is all a "best case scenario" situation and we really only have a slight chance of it working out this way. But we are praying toward this end. The Ethiopian Court System in not in session during their rainy season, which is the months of August and September. So if we don't pass court in July, October will be the earliest we can travel. Regardless of what our scenario may be, we trust that God knows the right time for us to bring her home.

5) If we get to travel yet this summer, there are quite a few things around the house that need to happen. She kinda needs a place to sleep. And it might be good for her to have a place to put all the clothes my mother is going to want to buy for her. We had hoped to have a garage sale in August to raise money for Tate's airfare to Ethiopia. If we are able to pull that off, it would help if the garage was cleaned out and not so "obstacle course-y."

6) The naming discussions are in full swing around our house. Emmie and I are the only ones who truly enjoy them. Those conversations are a post all to themselves, especially when Jack is a part of them. She has a given name, which we refer to her as around the house. This will remain as part of her name for sure. The kids have nicknamed her Koko (for Littlest Kollar), but we won't be officially naming her until she is legally ours.

So we have quite a bit to think about and to do. But we realize much of this is out of our control. We want our hope to be in God, not in everything working out the way we want it to.

Sorry, gotta go. It's been way longer than 3 minutes now and I have some picture-gawking and subsequent sighing to do.