TODAY is the VERY DAY LAST YEAR that we got that much awaited for phone call for our son! A day I will NEVER forget!!! If you would like to reminisce with me you absolutely must journey with me down memory lane by clicking on the sweet airport run-way call HERE (yes–I was ON an airplane runway when THE call came!) I will NEVER forget that phone call and then having to wait HOURS to actually read the documents and see his SWEET FACE!!!
The first few pictures were hard to look at…our sweet boy had such a hard start. BUT at the end of the hard pictures–there was ONE picture taken just a few days prior to our call…and oh–it just MELTED my heart. And while he wasn’t doing much other than smiling–that was enough to melt us! Our sweet boy’s name Isaac means “he smiles”…
Sweet Isaac,
I will NEVER forget the first time I saw your precious face. I knew you were mine before I ever saw it. The words on your referral papers describing your “old man soul” made me smile…and my mommy heart just couldn’t WAIT to pass court and get you quickly home. You were worth EVERY bit of waiting–and I’m so thankful for you and who God is already growing you to be! You are kind, loving, silly, mischieveous, determined…and LOVING. I remember you being described as not wanting to be held–but OH HOW THAT HAS CHANGED! You love being held, rocked and snuggled with. You are HOME…and you are a BLESSING my sweet son!!!
Happy 1 year referralversary son! While you had no idea a year ago you had a family coming to bring you home–WE KNEW…our there was nothing we wouldn’t do to bring you home after we saw your sweet face! How thankful we are for the work God has done!
Love,
Mommy
Isaac Temesgen Young – our happy boy yesterday at the museum!In other fun Young family news…
It’s SPRING BREAK at our house!!! We parked it here for the week…and Monday’s wind storm knocked out our cable (no sweat since we gave up cartoons/tv/etc for lent) BUT our phones and internet have also been out! We just got everything back today (Thursday)…
JUST in time for momma to board a plane for Show Hope’s Empowered to Connect Conference. Can’t WAIT to go and get away with Christy Elphick and Susan Hillis and learn lots on how to most effectively help children from hard places heal and THRIVE. So excited! (AND guess why we are ALSO going??? IF you are planning to come to next year’s Created for Care retreat–we will have Empowered to Connect sharing some of the talks from this weekends conference! So, we’re gonna sit through 3 days of classes and such and pick what we think are the essential talks for adopted mommas to hear at next years retreat for breakouts!
Momma also got CRAZY on Tuesday and decided to load all 4 kidlets in the mini-van and head to the Fernbank museum! NOW–let me say WHILE we had fun…I wasn’t the only momma with this idea. It seems every mom who stayed in Atlanta for Spring Break 2011 had this same idea on Tuesday! AND I even managed to take a few pictures of the fun so I have something to remind myself of our fun in 5 years when I no longer have a memory left from all our craziness:)
They made GIANT bubbles…
With big brother’s boost–even Frank made some…
And I was SO PROUD of Isaac Temesgen who doesn’t do crowds…he did AMAZING and had a blast too!
THEN…we learned all about cool things like green walls and how the weather folks aren’t really in front of a map–here’s my weathermen/woman…
THEN we learned all about dinosaurs…
THEN…it was time for the nature exhibit. THESE were Frankie baby’s favorite…
The mist “waterfall” was ITY’s favorite…
Laney parked it in the ocean exhibit…
And Parker–he was hard to catch!!! (He was all over the place on the pretend forest!) Laney and Frank spent so much time in the water area…I was afraid they might turn into mermaids (Rich would be proud right?!;)…
And then it was time for the fun exhibit of legends and such…mermaids and unicorns (again…Parker was checking out the Chinese dragon and I couldn’t get him in this picture either…)
Before we left we made another stop by the dinosaurs for a rest–and we are waited patiently for some dinosaur eggs to hatch:)
THEN on Thursday’s we had some more educational fun and we BUILT a ROLLER COASTER from Kinex pieces! It has a motor and everything! Laney, Parker and I worked hard on this–and the little guys thought it was SO COOL!
I think we need a field trip to a roller coaster now that they know how they are constructed and work:)
Frank thinks this is the coolest thing!
Alright you guys…y’all pray for Rico Suave as he tries to man the fort tonight and until Sunday solo! I’ll be chiming in from Denver I’m sure…what a fun way to end Spring Break 2011, right?! Oh if I just had a tyed-dyed t-shirt to wear it’d feel complete.
Hope you all have a GREAT rest of the week…and weekend!
P.S. CONGRATULATIONS to the Johnson family on passing court THIS week to bring home their SWEET BABY BOY!!! PLEASE keep baby Wes in your prayers and please pray for a super fast embassy date to get this sweet baby boy home so he can get healthy and well! Praise God for their passing this week!!!! This is THE best news…and we are SO excited and thankful!!!
by admin
I vividly remember you calling me the next morning at 7AM our time to share your amazing news. Isaac is already such an amazing testimony of God’s goodness. I am so thankful that we get to witness the other amazing plans the Lord has for him and your family.
Love ya,
Amy
Happy Referralversary!!! I remember your listserv posts that day and I could HARDLY WAIT to hear your good news!
No, what you actually need to complete your spring break is an airbrush t-shirt that says “Richard and Andrea Forever!” or “Kelly and Andrea BFF!”
happy referralversary! i think laney is going to grow up to be a weather girl and parker and frank can be…mermaids???? looks like so much fun!
We share the joy of your day! One year ago today we got THE phone call (the call that makes your heart stop for just a second and then beat ten times faster) that a baby boy in PA was to be our son! We got to meet him a few days later and brought him home a few days after that…. such an amazing time. It has been a hard year in many ways but for our sweet son I am grateful! God is so good!
Andrea, are you kidding me, girl? NEXT year’s CFC conference? HELLO, I’m there. You 3 gals have a wonderful weekend. I cannot imagine how it’ll be better than CFC was in Feb, but I’ll look forward to hearing how grea it was for y’all. Me?, you ask? What will Esty be doing instead? FLYING TO UGANDA on April 16 to bring home my DAUGHTER. Oh yeah – I said it. :)xoxoox
P.S. Anything you want to tell us, hmmmmmmmmmmmmm, Andrea?
Happy Referral day Young Family!!!
I feel your pain with having to wait to see the pictures of Isaac, we were about to board a plane when we got the call and had to get all the way to DC and to our hotel before we could open the email! I have never moved more quickly in my life 🙂
Hello Andrea,
I started reading your blog recently, and today I went back and read your story you linked on today’s post. I stopped at the line that spoke of how you prayed for your husband to want to adopt as much as you did and your story gave me hope.
I felt the calling as a child to adopt, I always said I will have two kids and then adopt a child. I have my two kids and I have a husband who is hesitant. But God is working in his heart and I have learned to be a gentle and quiet wife, constantly praying for God to shape his heart. I see it more and more everyday.
I know that God will keep his promises. I enjoyed reading your story and reading your blog. It’s encouraging to find others with a heart as large, genuine, and passionate for our Savior and his children. God Bless your family. -Amanda
I remember your blog post of Isaac’s referral!!! OH can it have been a whole year???? WOW!!!! PRAISING GOD!!!!!!!!!!
Your kids are adorable. Glad you had fun – looks like they did 🙂
ANdrea, we live around the corner from Fernbank ! Next time ! Paxand hugs ,Marci