Ready.

READY. Ready, ready, reeeeady...

That's the state of this Mama. 

Room = visualized. Lots of stuff missing, (like cribs), but whatever. The room concept is there, and all it really needs is to be filled with two Mighty Men. It's ready.

Heart = swollen. Perhaps slightly past capacity. Ready to love more. (Already loving more the things two Mighty Men are surely doing. Things that today remain unseen.) Ready to hurt more, because that comes with the territory. To empathize, to anticipate, to rejoice more. Ready.

Life = waiting. The routines of this Mommy and Daddy are going to shift, maybe even flip upside down, to accommodate two Mighty Men. We welcome the change so much we're almost just holding... Ready and waiting.

OHHHHH Lord, please move things in the embassy. Please, please give us the call that tells us to come get our boys. Please keep them healthy and happy until we come for them. This Mama is ready.

Come With Me to a Sweet, Sweet Place

Welcome to IAG's care center, in Mekele, Ethiopia. 

Your visit is a big deal to everyone at the care center. The nannies will help the kids print out welcome signs to put on the walls. All of the children too old for the baby rooms will sit in the common room waiting for you. 

When you walk in, they will scream with delight, and run over to you for their turn to pull you down close so they can hug you and kiss each side of your face.

Every child here knows loss. They have lost parents to disease or poverty.

But look - every child here knows joy.

We had more fun playing with this sweetest group of children I've ever met, 

than I know how to tell you.

 

 

 

 

The children at this care center are well taken care of. They love their nannies and their nannies love them. They are being prepared for healthy transitions to safe and loving homes. (Who doesn't want to look at one of these faces and think, "My child.")

 

Some of these kids have families who can't wait to get them home. 

Some of them don't. Yet.

Message me if you'd like more information about one of these little faces. 

Message me if you think they might belong in our community. 

What a blessing it would be - to us!

My Three Boys

What's more fun than looking at pictures of my man? 

(Looking at pictures of my man playing with our kids.)

Cary and Gabe

 

 Cary and Zeke

These boys love their Daddy

 (Some extras, because Mama loves her boys in blue)

 

 

Sentiment and Symbols

So, we go back to school tomorrow after what's been a really nice break. I LOVE teaching, and have awesome students, but in my gut, I'm not ready. I'm not sure how these love and homesick and readiness emotions that have puffed out inside of me will mesh with the regular drive and compassion and order that "Mrs Hill" is supposed to have. And... I'm not so interested in finding out. Ugh.

So, I'm giving it up. Trusting God to provide the energy and compassion I can't imagine having tomorrow. Also, I have a new, secret, tangible reminder of my boys and the men I want to lead them to be.

These came in over break, and I was soooo excited. 

They're my "Mighty Men" rings. (Stackable rings with the boys' names inscribed on them.) Props to the ladies at "Cinnamonsticks," my new favorite Etsy shop. They work with hammered silver - my fave.

Mamas of the Mighty must also have some fight in them. Tomorrow I'm trusting God to equip me with all I need for a job well done; practicing what I (intend to) preach, suitin' up with the faith that makes mighty men (and their mamas) mighty.

This is How We Roll

So, one day the Hill boys were just layin' around. 

Zeke nudged Gabe and said, "Look - Dad's onto somethin'."

 

Dad came and sat next to the boys and told them if they wanted to, they could roll onto their tummies. They were like, "Whaaaaa?"

 So Gabe turned to Zeke and said,

 "Dude. I think we should try it. Dad shoots straight."

 And then, in a force of twindom, they simultaneously rolled onto their sides. True Story.

 And then they hovered there, which amused both Mom and Dad.

 

Dad was pleased with their first attempt at rolling. 

He and Mommy are pretty proud of their Mighty Men.

Day 2 - Mighty Men LOVE to Read!

Cary and I slept great after a full first day with our sweet Mighty Men. In the morning, we met up with our crew - the lovely Jody Hilt who traveled from her home in Addis Ababa to Mekele with us, and our new friends Wendy and Brandon who met and visited with their kids at the same time we did. Tshaye wasn't there to meet us per the norm, so we wandered out to the street where we discovered the delay.

It was pretty cool to observe this colorful bike race. We cheered on the athletes, and then we were off for another day with our cutest little guys!

Each night, Cary and I had the privilege of beginning the bedtime routine we plan to keep up for a long time in the household. We were delighted to discover that THE MIGHTY MEN LOVE BOOKS! Our first bedtime story was, "Llama, Llama, Nighty Night."

 

There are plenty of bedtime stories to come.