A Day at the Waterpark

We had a fun day at the local waterpark here in Georgetown. Due to Abrams intense love for water it was a day we couldn't resist and he loved it. His favorite part were the jets he could run through and the huge pool he could sit in. He did not however enjoy the lazy river and I was extremely sorry to anyone trying to lounge while we were passing by. It probably wasn't a pleasant experience. That may have been one along with some other embarassing moments for the day. Here's a couple more...

Abram got so excited (and I can't blame him) that he decided to take off running. After seeing and hearing the lifeguards yell at many other people for running I quickly decided that I needed to stop him. So there I went running after him. By the time I got a hold of him I completely wiped out on the ground skinning my feet and knees and shoving my son down and into the water as well. So there we were both laying on the ground one of us in pain and the other wailing. I'll let you decide who was who. But I picked him up and took him to the jets and all was well except for the cuts that I'm now nursing on my legs. At that moment when both of us were sprawled out on the ground I wanted to yell... it's only been 3 weeks people. But I didn't. I stayed composed and went on with the day. I got many sympathy smiles from the people around.

Another time we wanted to explain our situation was when Tony was taking Abram back to the jets. They were almost there and Tony went to wipe his eyes. Within about 3 seconds Abram had went and jumped into the pool that he cannot yet swim in. Thankfully there was a man sitting on the side of the pool that pulled him out. It wasn't very dramatic and Abram didn't even seem phased but once again you're tempted to explain...we've only been parents for 3 weeks! Needless to say we've been learning humility as parents but it's been a fun journey so far. We love taking the boys places because they're usually a joy to people wherever we go. Abram loves to wave and hug and usually has a smile on his face. Ellis just smiles and is usually held by many people. He's a heavy weight and I'm glad he's a magnet which means I'm not the one holding him all the time. Anyway...here are some pics from our day of fun at the waterpark. We'll probably go back sometime.

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A Reflection on the Gospel

When I have time to sit and think, or often times when I'm holding or playing with the boys I start to think what if. What if we'd never made the decision to adopt and what if we'd never brought them home. Even in writing that sentence tears well up in my eyes. It's only been 2 plus weeks and I can't even imagine the thought of it. It almost makes me feel guilty for the times when I asked myself... what are we thinking, or how can we adopt,or how can we adopt 2 at one time, and how can one of those children be older? I was scared and could see these questions in other people. I could see that some people thought we were crazy and it made me wonder if we were. But now none of those questions come to mind when I look at the beautiful faces of two young brothers that are now my sons. My SONS!

This process has affirmed my faith in God and my faith in his son Jesus Christ more than

anything else has in my life and maybe in my lifetime. As a Christian I had recently learned the correlation between adoption and between my walk with God. I started to realize more and more what it meant and what it looked like for me as a spiritual orphan. I thought I knew everything I needed to know about life before I came to know God. I thought there was nothing else I needed. But deep down I felt something was missing and I couldn't ever get it right. I can now see I was selling myself short and most importantly selling God short. I didn't see the CRAZY peace that could come in life from knowing God is in control of all things. I didn't see the joy that I would have even when I shouldn't have had any. And the love that can come

from God and from fellowship with other believers. An unconditional love that is full of grace, and forgiveness, and mercy. These kinds of relationships will change your life. All of this happened when God adopted me into his family. It was nothing I did but he came, chose me, died for me, and brought me into his family. If God hadn't adopted me I never would've known and have experienced all that I have so far. Sometimes I wonder if God feels as much joy adopting me and others as I do when I look at my sons. The joy when I look at them and know the life they came from and the life they were headed for and can see the life they are now living.

While in Ethiopia we saw street children begging for money. One child in particular looked as though he had acid poured on his face. This young boy clung to my side in the markets asking me for money. We then saw a man standing close by collecting all the money from the children. Was this our boys future? We met the boys mother. A prostitute just trying to survive... we saw men selling mops door to door and others laying on the ground begging for food. Was this the future for our boys? Who knows what would've happened to them at their mothers brothel. Who knows what kind of men could have gotten ahold of them. Our boys have scars from their past that we cannot explain but we do know they won't get those same scars again. These boys were destined for a life of corruption, disease, and abuse. So I guess the What if question wouldn't be to hard to figure out. From this we've learned that adoption is a messy process. Orphans come from a messed up life. This makes me wish other people would be questioning, "What if" and not thinking it's not possible. People say to us, "You're such great people", or "you deserve an award", or "this is such a good thing that you're doing." But honestly all I feel like is we had kids. And when they say that all I can think about is how what we have done is nothing compared to the sacrifice that God made to adopt us.

When the process has been hard, when the boys are sick, when I don't get any sleep at night, I think about what Christ endured on the cross for me. I think about how a perfect and holy God, sent his perfect and holy son to earth to become a human just like me. I think about how that man lived a perfect life without sin. A life I could not have possibly lived. And then that man was murdered on a bloody cross to save God's children and to bring them into the family of God. And then he conquered that death and went to be with his Father again.

It should've been me and all of us on that cross. None of us can live a perfect life and all of us have offended God even if we don't see it. But God knew that and sent his son to die the death that I deserved. Our adoption of these boys is nothing in comparison to that great news. Because of that news we are able to extend the unconditional love to these boys. The love that says I don't care where you came from or what baggage that you come with but we will love you and serve you and die for you daily. It is a great honor and joy to have rescued these boys. And the joy that they bring surpasses all.

Ephesians 1:3-6 says, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In LOVE he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his GLORIOUS GRACE, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved."

I'm thankful that God chose me and I'm thankful that he also chose my sons. He picked 2 out of 6 million to be ours and it couldn't be more affirmed by them being here! They are Wells' through and through and hopefully one day they will have another adoption story by our heavenly Father.

Anyway, I was just feeling overwhelmed with the goodness of the gospel and the thought of bringing these boys out of destruction. Hope you're encouraged by the God that you already know or the God I hope you one day come to know. These pictures are random things we saw in Ethiopia.

Our First 2 Weeks!

First I want to thank everyone for helping us. We are so thankful for our families and friends that have helped us these first few weeks. They've enabled to catch up on some sleep and spend really good time with the boys. SO thanks to everyone whose brought us food and helped us take care of these guys.

Our first two weeks have been eventful to say the least. Within the first 6 days we went to the doctor twice and the hospital twice. Abram seemed to have caught a couple different viruses from becoming a U.S. Citizen. The little guy was so sick for the first week he couldn't eat and was in and out of fevers. But we got him medicine, took him to the international adoption specialist, and now we have medicine to hopefully cure him for good. He's been so sweet already that I can't wait to see him when he's feeling good!

Other than illnesses we are all doing great! The boys have adjusted better than we could've possibly imagined. They have adjusted to the time change, they're loving and trusting us, and we are getting into somewhat of a routine and learning new things everyday. Some things Abram has learned so far is to close his mouth, where everything is in the house, he knows some words (but isn't saying them yet) such as Mommy, Daddy, Smile, Hug, Kiss, Trash, discipline, yes, no, all done, eat, and all the African words for potty. He amazes us everyday by doing more things on his own. He can now get his own water out of the fridge, throw anything in the trash, climb the ladder in and out of the pool, and pee outside in our backyard. The last one is his favorite.

As for Ellis he is as sweet as ever. He's started eating 4 times a day which has helped in between feeding times extend and has helped him sleep better at night. So far he's made it through the night one time and we're hoping this becomes a habit. He's also been rolling all the way over and has recently started sitting up!!! He seems to be right on target.

Tony and I are also doing well. I am so thankful to have him home for the summer and know that I couldn't do it without him. People ask if it has helped or hurt our marriage and as of now I can only say it has helped. It's been fun trying to figure out what we're doing together. It's also made us much more appreciative of the little time that we now have to ourselves. This has seemed to help our communication and helped us show our love and appreciation for each other all the more. I have loved watching Tony be a wonderful Dad. It makes this whole parenting thing so much easier than I thought it was going to be. So as of now we're just enjoying the summer and teaching the boys more and more everyday!

The End of the Beginning...

Our Embassy trip was wonderful and now that we're back home it seemed more wonderful than ever. We were told on a Wednesday morning that we needed to be at the Embassy the following Monday morning at 9 a.m. Everything we had been planning for was finally coming to fruition. All the toys, clothes, "child proofing" we had done was about to be put to use. Yet all of a sudden we felt rushed to "get things together".

We had only been waiting 6 weeks. Throughout the adoption process you are always waiting for the next thing. This was our last waiting for our boys and we were ready for it to be over. So when we got the call it was some of the best news we'd ever heard but we really didn't have much time to think about what was about to take place.

We bought our tickets that day and on friday we were on our first flight. We arrived in Addis, Ababa on Sunday morning. It felt like we had just been there. Once again we were greeted at the airport by our lovely hostess Agie. She took us to the Guest House to get situated and then we went to get our boys.

We had been going and going since friday afternoon. I just remember praying. Praying they'd remember us and hoping they'd be the same sweet boys we left a few weeks prior. I was hoping Abram wouldn't be bitter or sad that we had left him but would trust us and know that this time it was for good. Our prayers seemed to be answered when we opened the gate to the transition house and saw our little boy standing there with a toy.

As soon as we made eye contact he smiled. He stood and waited for us to come get him. We walked over, Tony picked him up and he gave him a big hug. He couldn't stop grinning and neither could we. We then took him to go get his baby brother Ellis. When I first saw Ellis I was shocked to see how much he'd grown since we'd seen him last. Immediately he smiled, I picked him up, and our family was complete! There was an overwhelming peace and joy that came from holding them and knowing we would "Lord Willing" never have to let them go again. It was a good feeling.

We stayed and played with the other children for a while and then had the boys say their last goodbyes. We were surprised at how many children were gone that had been there before. We were happy that they were not there because that meant that they had already been brought home to be with their families.

The next few days went by fast and I'm so thankful that they did. This trip unlike our last trip the Guest House was full of other families adopting. One of the famillies was a Dad and his little girl Rebecca. Rebecca was friends with Abram. They came from the same village, orphanage, and transition home. It was fun to see them interact. They spoke to each other, shared toys, and shared food even if it came out of their own mouths. They were buddies. We ended up traveling back with Rebecca and her father and plan on staying in touch. They live only 20 minutes away and may be friends for life.

Staying at the Guest House those last few days in Ethiopia have made us very grateful to be home and to live where we live. We had a very small room in the Guest House with a shared bathroom and a toilet that wasn't working. With the end in sight it wasn't hard to rough it for a few days but helped us see al the luxuries that we have. Starting our family in Ethiopia has made it 100 times easier raising them at home. Even though it hasn't been easy, I am thankful for where our boys are from and for how our journey has began. Right now they're sleeping in their beds and it couldn't feel any better. Even though it feels like our journey is over we know it has just begun and what a crazy, fun ride it's going to be. Hope to update more soon!

The Room is Ready!

Well...tomorrow is the day we get to go get our boys and we never have to take them back! I guess it was time to officially finish the room. So we finished it today and here are some pictures to share!

My friend and her mom made these awesome Map Blankets for both of the boys. We thought they'd be nice decorations!

The Abram and Ellis signs came from a shower for the boys.

This was the laundry bag I used in college that I painted for their room.

My friend and I painted these canvases for their room as well. I wanted some scripture to be readily available in time of need!

Some little gifts for the boys.

This is the puzzle we used that raised a LOT of money to bring our boys home. It has the signatures of everyone that helped bring them home from donations to showers!

Their little Book Nook.

Ellis' bed that we are excited for him to soon be sleeping in!

The toy box, also used as a nice bench. One of our smartest additions to the room.

So that's all for now. Thanks to everyone who has helped us and made special things for their room! We are soooooo thankful to the Lord that they will be here within a week to fill it!

Our Packing List

I found a packing list on a blog and it was one of the most helpful blog posts I'd ever seen. As I begin packing for our second trip I thought I'd review my original lists and post them on the blog. Maybe they'll be useful to someone else someday. So here was the list for the first trip:

CLOTHING:

5 Outfits for each of us.

Nice outfits for Court Date

1 Light Jacket and Sweatshirt (Didn't need either went in April)

Undergarments

Shoes-wore sandals and Tony wore tennis shoes the whole week.

Airplane outfit to be reserved for home (not necessary, they did our laundry)

Baby Clothes (sleepers, onesies, etc.)

Diapers

Should've brought pull-ups for Abram.

Clothes and shoes for Abram (2 yrs. socks, lots of undies!

Swimsuits for each (not necessary)

Sunglasses

Belt

Baseball cap for Tony and Abram

MEDICINE:

Scabie cream (didn't use)

Children's Antibiotics (bought while there, definately needed!)

Children's Tylenol (used)

Cold Medicine

Band-aids

Neosporin

Thermometer (used and needed)

Children's Anti-Diarrheal (we used it)

Melatonin (used to sleep the first night there)

Beano

Allergy Meds

Advil

Cold Medicine

Had shots and Malaria Medicine (didn't need in the city)

BATHROOM SUPPLIES:

Kleenex

Face and Hand Wipes

Clorox Wipes

Hand Sanitizer

Sunscreen (didn't use)

Bug Spray (didn't use, we stayed in the village)

Shampoo/Conditioner small tubes

Cocoa Butter (used for boys)

Toothpaste and 3 Toothbrushes

Floss

Make-up

Brush, Flatiron, hair dryer and ADAPTER! (adapter very important)

Children's Vitamins

Adult Energy Vitamins

Chapstick

Deodorant

Nail Clippers

Tweezers

Qtips (very important for the boys!)

Leave in conditioner for boys and pick.

Wash clothes

Baby Washes

Small towels

Regular towels

SNACKS: (took more than needed)

Instant Oatmeal (didn't use)

Fun Candy (didn't use)

Almonds

Chewy Granola Bars

Dry Soup Mixes (nope)

Mac and Cheese (nope) They cooked for us!

Ramin Noodles (nope)

Paper Bowls

Roll of Paper Towels

Plastic Forks and Spoons

Animal Crackers

Fruit Snacks (awesome!)

Fruit Cups (awesome!)

THINGS FOR ORPHANAGE:

Bouncy Balls

Blow up Beach Balls

Stickers

School Supplies

Formula

Diapers

Clothes

EXTRA:

Paperwork (Dossier, passports, I-600A, and copies of everything!)

Swiss Army Knife

Waterfilter (not used, had bottled water the whole week)

A little detergent (didn't use, they did our laundry)

Line to dry things (nope)

Paper with Words in Ahmaric (helped us communicate with Abram)

Flashlight (a must, especially when the power goes out and you need to change your baby at night!)

Camera and Chargers (make sure to bring adapter!)

Video Camera

Pack with Ziploc Bags

Wal-mart Bags

TOYS FOR THE ROOM AND PLANE:

Playdough

Coloring Books

Crayons

Blow-up Balls

Cars and Trucks

Photobook

Bubbles

Books

Bear and Blanket for each boy

BABY STUFF:

Diapers

Butt Paste

Wipes

Baby meds (gas, tylenol, GRIPE WATER, cold, benadryl) only used Gripe Water.

Baby Wash

Sleepers

Hat and Jacket

Blanket

Rice Cereal

Onesies

Socks

Toys

Pacifiers (should've brought an assortment)

Bottles and variety of nipples

2 different types of Formulas

Baby Spoons

Dirty Diaper Bags

And there's the list!

Tony's Letter to Abram

Tony wrote Abram a letter on our flight to Ethiopia. I'll let the letter speak for itself. It's titled, "Unstoppable.":

Abram, (Praying in 5 days I will call you son!)

Your Mom and I are sitting next to each other on the plane. Millions of thoughts have been running through our heads. What will you be like? Are you ok?, Do you smile? How will you react when we take you from the transition home? What happened to you and your baby brother Sitota? Will we meet your birth parents? How will you react when we leave you at the transition home? Will we pass our court date? How long till we can come back for you and your brother...etc. The list goes on.

Above all those questions I have an inexpressible excitement to hold, kiss, play, feed, and stare at you. We have been looking at pictures of you since December (over 4 months). I can't wait to meet you. After this week we should know the answers above so we can talk about them one day me and you are together.

As all of these thoughts were flooding my head I decided to do something mindless and watch a movie on this 7.5 hour flight. The movie is Unstoppable with Denzel Washington (we will watch many movies with him in it). It's about a runaway train that has the potential to cause serious desolation as it goes through the cities of Pennsylvania. As this 10 ton train is going with nothing stopping it things are being detroyed, lives are being taken, and fear is filling the hearts of the people.

This train reminded me of the great force and catastrophe that is happening with the 147 million orphans in the World. 5 million from Ethiopia alone. 5 million orphans is a hard force to stop just like the train. It is destroying children's identities, value, purpose, and most of all their lives. You are an orphan and this train is coming to you and your brother. Wanting to destroy you and leave you hopeless with no last name and no family to be apart of.

In the movie 2 men risk their lives to stop the train. These men discovered how the train could be stopped but what they discovered is it would cost them their lives. They knew their lives were worth putting on the line for the sake of serving others. When risking all that they had, THEY DID IT! They stopped the train.

My lip was quivering, tears forming, and my heart was pounding throughout the movie. Although not the same it reminded me of the many months of hard work and waiting we've spent trying to stop this train of 147 million orphans in the world.

Your mom and I know we can't rescue all of the orphans but we know we can stop the train for 2! We are willing and committed to lay our lives down for you and your brother for the rest of our lives.

Ultimately it's because Jesus Christ has came and stopped the train (sin) which was going to destroy us by laying dow His life so that we might live. Your mom and I are so thankful Jesus rescued us from the sin train that it moved us for you! Because of what Christ did for us we want to be the same for you. Stop the train of 142 million orphans for 2 orphans Bruike and Sitota. May you never feel the weight of the train as Abram and Ellis Wells!!! We love you and are so grateful for what the Lord has in store for us. You are a blessing and I'm so thankful that one day soon I'll be able to call you my son! I pray God would mold you into a man that lays His life down for the good of others! Praying you would be a train stopper!

Trainstopping! Love, Tony...Soon to be Dad.