First Christmas Thoughts

This evening we gave the boys an early Christmas present- their first Christmas ornament of their own. They have spent the last few days watching the rest of their family decorate the tree with our ornaments.  It was wonderful and strange to share with them all the stories behind each one- 'First Christmas together', 'Baby's First  Christmas', childhood ornaments of Elmo and Curious George, and all the little horse figurines that invariably result from having four horse-crazy girls over almost eighteen years. One ornament, however, was amazingly poignant this year. As we all watched it mom and dad hang it on our tree, it took us back to our last two years- paperwork, waiting, praying, crying and hoping. Knowing who our boys were, knowing their names and being able to see their pictures, and yet not being able to have them with us as we celebrated Christmas.

SIX MILLION ORPHANS IN ETHIOPIA- MINUS 2

This Christmas, two little children who spent last year in an orphanage will be celebrating the birth of our Savior with a family who loves them. They are sons, brothers, cousins, nephews, and grandsons- no longer part of the indistinct '6 million orphans' but part of a family. Has it been easy? No! But following God's plan to 'bring us a future and a hope' is never easy. It means hard work, bad days, tears, and pain. However, His plan is perfect. I can see this now clearly, in retrospect, though it was cloudy and unsure a year ago. God is good! This Christmas, our boys are home.

Six million orphans in Ethiopia alone- what can you do for them this Christmas?

Our last few months- Post 1

It seems like just yesterday that it was May and we were bringing our boys home and now- December! It's amazing the way time flies and how little posting is accomplished! :o) The fall months have been busy and rewarding for the Grant Family, full of new experiences for Ethan and Levi- visiting a fish hatchery, experiencing the fun and noise of a Grant get-together for Thanksgiving, and now preparing for the wonderful time of the year when we celebrate the birth of our Savior Jesus! It has been a fun-filled and occasionally challenging time as we introduce our boys to all the traditions and experiences that surround the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons.

Since we haven't posted in a while, the stories and pictures have begun to pile up- so we decided to break down our experiences into a few individual posts for your veiwing pleasure... hope you enjoy!

This October we took two different trips to the Coleman National Fish Hatchery- a fun and informative trip we have taken as a family many times in the past and one we were eager to let the boys experience as well. We ended up making a field trip of it with two other families and we all had a blast. 



All the kids cheered as the fish tried to make it up the ladder

We watched the fish swim a little ways down the river from where hatchery ladders begin- the fish swim up the concrete ladders into the large holding tank. There is a chainlink fence just above the river bank, so everyone pressed against that and tried to get a good view!

From there we trooped to the holding tanks. It was a great chance to get an up-close look at these enomous salmon- some were several feet long! They were continually trying to jump out of the tank, and would often bang into the chainlink fence that we were bending over. Water would splash everywhere, and lots of screams and laughter ensued.

We moved to the huge tanks where they keep the growing baby fish and watched the tiny six-inch salmon work their feeder and knock the food into the water.

We showed the boys the posters on the life cycle of the salmon. I  don't think we were too successful in explaining, judging from their faces...

3 families- 17 children - 9 adopted!

We saw lots of fish, had lots of fun, and are looking forward to continuing to share fun traditions and experiences with our boys in the future!

Have a blessed December!

Savannah and Victoria

HOPE

   Adoption is amazing in so many ways! It is incredible to be blessed to watch our new brothers growing and maturing and trying new things. It is also amazing how God uses adoption in His sanctification process in each of our lives! :o) Pre-adoption, who knew that this eldest Grant daughter is selfish (gasp)?!? Truthfully, it is such a blessing to see how God uses the process of adoption to form us to be more like His Son.

   A few days ago, I was holding both of my little brothers as we looked at and talked about a photo frame that hangs in our front entry. It contains care package and referral pictures of both boys, surrounding an abbreviation of Jeremiah 29:11-

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD..."plans to give you a hope and a future."

   Ethan pointed to this verse and asked me what it said, so I gave him a five-year-old rendering, then read it the way it's printed.

   "That for me?" Ethan asked. Then he continued talking about the pictures.

   That stuck with me, though. Yes, Ethan, that promise is for you. For you and for Levi. And for every single precious child who is waiting for a forever family. For every daughter or son of God. For every adoptive family who is struggling and waiting through the process, longing to be united with their children and siblings forever. I know not everything God does makes sense to us. Especially in adoption. The never-ending piles of paperwork, the inadequacy of government officials at home or abroad, the timeline that keeps stretching longer and longer. The struggles and trials of real life after they finally come home, the bonding issues, the memories. But God gives grace, and it is His plans that will ultimately conquer- plans to give us a hope and a future. Praise the Lord!

V. for the Grant Family 

A Weekend of Solitude

The boys have been home just a few days shy of 4 months now, and Scott returned to work three months ago on the night shift. That shift always takes a toll on our lives, but even more so when our old trailer air conditioning broke about two weeks ago and Scott has been unable to sleep out there. That is usually our “lifesaver” method of sanity while Scott works nights…he sleeps in the trailer on work nights so he is able to get some sleep without being woken up by the gaggle of kiddos.  When he sleeps inside the result is less sleep for Scott and more stress for me as I try to keep everyone quiet each day until 10:30 or 11:00 a.m.  – an impossible task! Tack on to that the fact Scott has been out of town the last two sets of his days off for special events, and you have the recipe for one tired, worn out, empty momma.  I decided I could really use a little time alone to seek the Lord and replenish my heart and soul.  God had just the right plan…He provided a wonderful personal retreat for me… for free!  My parents had an out of town obligation and their house would be sitting empty on the very days Scott had off from work. I threw a few clothes in a bag, took my Bible and a big ol’ stack of books, and left Friday at lunch.  It is never easy for a momma to leave her kids, even a tired momma. As I drove down the driveway my youngest daughter chased after me, waving goodbye with tears sliding down her cheeks. Sigh.  But I knew that I was running on empty and really needed the Lord to refresh my spirit. As the weekend began, my heart cry was, “Lord, I am tired and weary and I have given all I have to give. I am empty. I need you to hold me, speak to me, and give me your wisdom with how to proceed with our kids, and refill my empty heart and soul.”  As the weekend progressed… and it went so very slowly as I sat in an empty house, hearing NOTHING except the tick, tick, tick of a clock. (Who knew clocks made noise?)…the Lord brought the following to my heart and mind.  

This scripture was to become the “theme” of my get-away:

“For He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness.” Psalm 107:9

And this scripture became by “action plan”:

“Let us search out and examine our ways,”

(What am I doing right, Lord? Where have I gotten off track and am doing wrong?”  

“ and turn back to the Lord”

(Give me your wisdom and the diligence to only do what you call me to do. Nothing more. Nothing less.)

“Let us lift our hearts and hands to God in heaven.”  Lamentations 3:40-41

(hearts = my attitude;  hands = my actions)

(Here are a few photos of what I enjoyed this weekend. My kiddos wanted to know "What are you going to do?!?!?"

a reading bubble bath...ahhhh!

a hot mocha I actually drank while it was hot!

an uninterrupted bible study time!

Who wouldn't love reading here?

 I was able to read most of a very interesting book, One Thousand Gifts  by Ann Voskamp, which challenges you to establish a life of thankfulness. Someone had challenged her to write out one thousand gifts the Lord had given her, and in doing so she came to realize this habit of thankfulness and awareness of the small blessings in life was the “flip side” of prayer…the time to open our eyes to all the Lord is doing around us and to thank him for it. The habit of being discontent can only be driven out by the habit of gratitude.

As a busy mom whose days seem to rush by in a blur of activity, I especially appreciated Mrs. Voskamp’s

Insights into the plague of busy-ness…how hurry makes us hurt and how always being in a hurry empties a soul.  I especially enjoyed this nugget:

                “Time is a relentless river…the only way to slow time is to enter into time’s swift current with the weight of all my attention right here.”

I can only slow the torrent by being all “here” in each moment, rather than rushing through tasks or  giving a child a cursory, “that’s nice” as I rush on to the next child or school subject. . I only life the full live when I live fully in the moment. Taking time to stop and look at the details around us and seeing all there is to be thankful for is key to living a joyful life.  

I also felt ministered to by these thoughts, which I admit I have read before and still forgotten:

      “We don’t have to earn our joy and blessings. They are gifts from God, which are freely given to us when we first come to Jesus and are saved. However, when we don’t trust God or fail to obey the personal guidance and correction we receive from the Holy Spirit, we sometimes build barriers that dam up the flow of power and prevent us from enjoying those things that are rightfully ours. God is not the one withholding these things. We are simply failing to appropriate them for ourselves."… 

and now the ZINGER….   

“Everything you need to become a joyful home-schooling mother is inside you right now. All you have to do is to peel off any layers you may have placed between yourself and God. … Stop trying to control everything and everyone around you. Give God control of your life. Learn to let go and trust Him. Trust the Holy Spirit to guide and direct the people in your life, including yourself. The joy and the blessings will return. “(Mary Hood, The Joyful Home Schooler)

The final blessing of the weekend was simply worshipping the Lord. I love our home church family and I know that is where the Lord has called us to be… discipling and ministering to our children in this season of life. To close out my retreat weekend, however, I went  to a different church all alone this Sunday morning and simply enjoyed standing and praising God without any distractions, hands raised and eyes closed, without worrying what havoc my small kiddos were wreaking in that brief moment! It was a time to be fully “there” in the moment (as I had been reading about), fully concentration on worshipping God, and it felt so good!

I know all the same issues are still here when I arrive back home, but the difference is a momma who is a little more well-rested, and one who has been nourished and replenished by time with her Lord. And THAT is the first thing on my personal list “One Thousand Gifts” to be thankful for.

(Book warning: after posting this, a friend emailed that she had read some negative books reviews about One Thousand Gifts, mainly concerning the final chapter. I did not read the entire book, so I can't speak to the final chapter, but I wanted to include her warning here about the final chapter containing "a sexual overtone in regards to the Lord, and one comment referred to her writing as "Extra Biblical"...reading into the Word something it doesn't say." So..read with discernment!)

August Happenings

Hello, all! Life has been a 'little' busy around the Grant house lately. The last few weeks have been chock full of exciting activities and making memories...



We had so much fun spending time with our cousins from Washington, and we all had a blast swimming, making T-shirts, eating Italian Icees, laughing, dressing up, and partaking of sweets. :o) We girl cousins made special memories when our grandma gave us free rein to try on old dresses, including her wedding dress. We spent two evenings in the dresses we've seen our grandma and moms wearing in photo albums...fun times!

Having fun with our annual dress-up!

Our friends' parents sold their house and kindly invited the Grant Clan to come have one last swim day before they moved out. We had a blast in their pool, swimming and splashing with our friends, pushing people in, and generally just having a good time!

The way Grants do most things in life-full of chaos and fun.

  We also fit in a day down in Chico at "Camelot Equestrian Park" for a hunter-jumper show. Although Maggie, our Thoroughbred mare, had something akin to a mental breakdown at the thought of having to jump a lattice fence (Gasp! It might eat me!), and no ribbons came home, it was still a fun day to ride, look at beautiful horses, and jump half the course! :o)

Pretty horse, small brain...

   Then came an amazing time watching some friends' kids while their parents went to Monterrey for a well-deserved weekend getaway. All told, there were 13 of us kids, which probably short-circuits most people's brains. But Mom and Dad handled us amazingly (as they always do) and since we're used to this group size, we had a blast.

Yes, we do fill a fifteen-passenger van.

 
Well, that's about it! We're loving being a family of 8, through all the great times and challenges. The boys are such a blessing to our family and we are constantly amazed at God's goodness. We hope you all are having a great summer!!!

Trip to the Lake...

The Grant family recently had the pleasure of using a spare day off to take a day trip to Whiskeytown Lake, near Brandy Creek. The weather was absolutely gorgeous (praise God!)- in the low-eighties! Usual July temperatures in Redding will reach highs of 110-114! Despite an extremely belated start due to trying to find a missing shot record needed for a doctor visit the next day (found, thank goodness!), we arrived in high spirits with a car full of snacks, floaties, swimsuits, sunscreen, and eager kids. The drive afforded some funnies: As the lake came into view, Levi was bouncing up and down in his seat crying "Ooo! Big! Big!" until some hill or brush caused the lake to pass out of sight. Then, as soon as he saw it again, the squeals and shouts would begin again. "Daddy! Big! Very big!"  We enthusiastically pointed out a large trout jumping out of the water to Ethan, and tried to explain to him the concept of fishing. It didn't work so well, as he began to cry and finally was able to explain to us that he thought the fish was going to eat him. :o) Wow, those ferocious seven inch trout!

The view was amazing, as exemplified by the picture below.

Enlarge to see a better view!

It was the boys' first ever time to see and swim in a lake, and their excitement was cute to watch. We finally got everyone dressed, sun-screened and into the water, only to have a general mutiny due to hunger- so out everyone sloshed to come and eat some doughnuts and crackers with salami and cheese.
That was Levi's favorite part of the day!

 

If you look closely at this picture, you can see the crumbs all over his mouth!

 With their hunger thus satisfied, back into the water they went...
  

 ...only to declare within minutes that the water was WAY too cold, and they needed to come lie in the sun to warm up. :o)

The older generation, between doling out snacks, applying sun-screen, running back and forth to the water to help little kids, and laying out towels for shivering little ones to lay on, tried to relax and read a few good books and magazines, or explore a little ways down Brandy Creek.

.

 

 

 

 

 Victoria and I enjoyed having some free time (what a foreign concept!) and experimented with taking some pictures of each other, as well as photographing the beautiful nature around us. As the family photographer who never gets photographed, it was fun to be able to have my picture taken for a change- see, I do exist!

Isn't God great? How beautiful is that?

   

Victoria (17)

Savannah (me!) 15

Meanwhile, back at the beach, Levi was reaching "Grumpy" stage due to a swollen diaper (he filled his only swim diaper early in the day, and so he was stuck with a regular one!) and a late nap-time. For laughs, just note the size of his diaper in the picture. It was swollen to three times the normal size! :o) We all decided to call it a day. We packed up the car, the kids, and the snacks, and we headed home. It was a wonderful, fun-filled afternoon and we hope to enjoy more like it in the future!

Hmm. Not so happy.

In closing, we feel so blessed to be able to share these wonderful memories with these two little boys that we have been gifted with. It's amazing, how after an entire two years of working through the adoption process, and feeling like it will never ever end, that I am sitting here right now, posting pictures of MY two little brothers! That they are sleeping safely in their beds- and that I can go in and peek at them to make sure they're sleeping soundly, and get them a glass of water when they're thirsty, and pick them up to kiss them goodnight- what an enormous blessing! Adoption is such a miracle, even through the hard times, and God truly is good. 

Savannah for the Grants

Brandy Creek- it was gorgeous!

Ethan's first prayer

On Monday evening, July 4, Ethan decided he wanted to pray aloud for the first time. He chose to speak in English (he rarely speaks any Amharic or his native Sidama language), and he prayed simply, "Thank you come to America, home." How amazing and wonderful is THAT?!?