Happy Mother's Day!! Thoughts........

We have had a busy week around the Cantrell House. Last weekend, Bryan and I went to our required training for our adoption. Our parents tag teamed the kids so we actually got to stay in Dallas Saturday night. It was a good thing because we were so incredibly brain-fried that we might not have been able to do much. We were in training aprox 10-12 hours. It felt like 27. I had done so much research about this process as well as bonding and attachment and health possiblilites, most of the info wasn't new but we did get some ideas. We also got to connect with 6 other couples that are in this crazy scary God ordained adoption journey with us. We hope to to keep in touch with some of them!

Happy Mother's Day!! I am so blessed to be the mom to my wonderful children. I can't think of one single thing I would rather do than pour myself (sometimes all of myself) into my children. I take this responsibility to disciple them very serious. I love them so much and have been truly blessed. Bryan and the kids made me feel so special. We spent the afternoon Saturday in Dallas, they took me shopping for a purse and then out to eat. In true mom fashion I ended the night in the Pedi urgent care with Averie. We coach her softball team and we are at the coach pitch level which means Bryan is our pitcher. Well as she went up to bat Friday night, he hit her thumb!! She is so tough and I have to totally rely on mothers instincts with her because she had tears in her eyes but before I could get to her she had her bat back up in position ready to go. She admitted that is hurt "kind of" . I noticed Friday night and Saturday that she was dropping her fork, pencil and she couldn't zip her pants. Since we were in Dallas anyway, and this momma just knew we took her on for X Rays. Fracture. There isn't much you can do and the Dr. just said let her do what she can and sent her with a splint. Our next game is Tuesday and she had made it extremely clear that she intends to play. I will keep you posted. I love that kid!!

I can't wait to have all 3 of my kiddos with me on Mother's Day. Praying it is next year.




We met my brother and his family in Athens to take our mom out for a nice lunch. Here she is in the pic above with all of her grandkids, my 2 and then my niece Sadie.

I have to be honest, I have been an emotional wreck today and it caught me totally off guard. I have thought continually about a very special mother on the other side of the world that is about to do something that I think is the epitomy of a mothers love. I have prayed for her and prayed for her. Well I always do but this weekend more so. I will never have another Mother's Day that she won't be on my mind and in my heart. She will always be a part of our family. Bryan and I pray that we will be able to always honor her in our home with our children so that "Baby E" will always remember her and her sacrifice as well. This is just another aspect to what God has clearly called us to. Since we do not have our referral yet we do not know of our childs circumstances but are so hopeful to be able to meet this lady that I will share part of my heart with forever.

I love this poem below.



Once there were two women who never knew each other.
One you do not remember, the other you call mother.
Two different lives, shaped to make your one...
One became your guiding star, the other became your sun.
The first gave you life and the second taught you to live it.
The first gave you a need for love, and the second was there to give it.
One gave you a nationality, the other gave you a name.
One gave you a seed of talent, the other gave you an aim.
One gave you emotions, the other calmed your fears.
One saw your first sweet smile, the other dried your tears.
One gave you up ... that's all she could do.
The other prayed for a child and God led her straight to you.
And now you ask me, through your fears,
the age old question unanswered throughout the years...
Heredity or environment, which are you the product of?
Neither, my darling … neither.
Just two different kinds of love.
~ Author Unknown ~

Melkam Fasika (a day late)

Melkam Fasika!! or for those of you who don't know any Amharic Happy Easter! I feel like there should be a real monumental post regarding Easter because after all that IS what it is all about. However I am a little speechless! I know it isn't a condition that I ususally experience. I have been reflecting so much on the Ultimate Sacrafice and what that really means for us as Christians. Not about our sins forgiven, that is obvious but about how I have gotten what being a Christian is almost wrong for almost my whole life and I have even been in church. It isn't about lots of Bible studies even though we are suppose to be in the Word but it is really about Bible doings. So many times we stop short of action. We want to be involved as long as we can be comfortable too. I am soooo tired of being comfortable and am ready to "get dirty" so to speak. There are so many people hurting and dying because of lack of food, water, and proper protection from the elements all over the world. My family is ready to be the hands and feet of Jesus at any cost. Averie even mentioned moving to Africa last week to take care of lots of hungry children. NO, we do not have any plans of the like at this time. But we are open to whatever we are called to. I am just so thankful that our eyes have truly been opened and we have been obedient (over time) to see more than what is comfortable. I have no idea what this means for the future but Bryan and I both KNOW that there is more in Africa than just the child he has for us. At the very least we want to be a voice for the voiceless. So stay tuned..... This will be an adventure and we are so blessed that you are following along.

We had a great Easter weekend with lots of family. The little angel with my 2 littles is my niece Sadie.

We have just been having as much fun as possible while we are waiting on the call for our Ethiopian angel.

Riding horses. Cole got to ride by himself as a reward for being in big boy undies for a week!! Yay Cole!! We have also played in the dirt pile a lot.

Long time No Post and DTE

Oh my goodness - it has almost been a month since my last post. It has definately not been because there hasn't been anything to post about. I am not even sure where to start and don't have time to cover it all but I am vowing to never go this long between posts. The other thing that I am going to do if it is okay with all of you is this blog is going to be about not just adoption but about our lives now. When you really think about it there really isn't a place to start and stop. I thought about starting a separate blog for our family life but it just doesn't make sense. This blog was started to share our journey and family and what God is doing in our lives so ITS OFFICIAL this is going to be about both from now on. This probably only makes sense to you, invisible friends but to this left brained, type A personality I had to make an official announcement!! LOL.


As far as Ethiopia, the situation has seemed to worked itself out for now. We, at this time, have not seen a reduction in the cases being processed. Great News. These kids need families NOW. A child should not live in an orphanage 1 second longer than necessary. We got word last week that we are DTE. DTE (for my non adoption friends) means Dossier to Ethiopia aka our dossier is in Ethiopia. When we sent our dossier to Holt we were placed on the waitlist. But the final and intended destination for that baby is Ethiopia. Everything in it has to be translated and then it will wait with us for the child God has known we would raise since the beginning of time. From my understanding once we get and accept a referral then it will all be submitted to court. While we are on adoption lingo, referral is a beautiful word. When you get an email, facebook post or blog update from me that says referral IT IS a BIG deal. That means that we will have pics in our hands of our baby. We will know if it is a boy or girl, how old and all of those details that we are leaving up to God.


We have had quiet a bit of excitement in our house lately. NOT the good kind of excitement. Both of my kids were sick with fever for a longer than normal period of time and then I got sick with pneumonia. Last week we noticed that a previous water leak had actually damaged A LOT of our new home. As I type this neither of my end brick walls have brick on them, my flowerbed is destroyed and we have to be out for at least 2 weeks in the next few months for them to re do 2 rooms of our wood floors. On a brighter note, the plumbers GL policy is covering the repairs and I have booked a lake house just 20 minutes away for our home away from home. Beautiful lake front 3 BR 2 Bath house with a Large deck and a 2 story boat dock. I think it might make it easier to be out..... don't you??


We also are hosting our US congressman in our home this next Saturday afternoon!! Yes, remember my brick isn't on our house!!!!! It will be by then hopefully. It is a good thing I don't get too worked up over that kind of hooty tooty fancy schmancy stuff likt that. If I did it wouldn't be fun to be at my house. Anywho.... it is a total God thing. I couldn't say no. On a Thursday in early January I was reading a friends blog and another message board, both alluded to the fact that it wouldn't be a bad idea to get aquainted with our US congress people so that if something happened while we were in Ethiopia or during this process and we needed their help that we would have made prior contact. I just stored that little tidbit in my brain and mentioned it to Bryan. On Sunday just 3 days later, I was sitting in church and a lady that I have known for a while turned around and said that she had a crazy question. She said that "they" was looking for a place to have a fundraiser for the Congressman. She said that she knew my mom had a nice sized house but thought that we had just built and wondered if either of us might be interested in hosting this event. I said sure I would like for someone to come look and make sure that my accomodations were right to know for sure but that I was willing. She then tried to explain that there would be lots of people and our current Congressman was a big deal in the US right now and I have since saw him on any given Sunday on a news talk show. I still agreed. Is that not GOD showing up? I just couldn't say no. I have no idea why this has happened but there is a reason. I am not the hostess with the mostess I can assure you. So about 1000 invites later here we are!! (with 2 walls down and a flower bed destroyed) It should be fun. I will keep you posted on that.


We are honored to have you following our journey and appreciate your prayers.

I choose faith......

There is a lot of speculation since yesterday when an article came out on the internet. It said that Ethiopia is about to limit by 90% the adoptions out of there. This makes me sick not for our family at all but for the 5 million orphans there. This HAS NOT been confirmed by our agency, who we trust. Holt, our agency, has told us that they are aware of the speculation and that a meeting has been scheduled. Last week, last month or maybe even tomorrow I would have or might choose to panic. But today and hopefully in the days ahead..... I choose faith. Faith that God is bigger that all of that and total confidence that HE called our family to this. The motive is secure and legit adoptions which is a must but there are other ways to enforce this. I am asking you to join me in praying for the children in Ethiopia (and around the world) for them to know what a loving home is. I totally feel a peace that is only given by God. Believe me, since this process started I have had several roll on the floor crying, screaming and bargaining with God moments when other speculation like this came up. (yes yes I know that doesn't help anything)

We are on the "wait list".!!!! We got on there Feb 28 and there have been some (at least 1) referrals since then. So we are closer... How close? I don't know. Holt quit giving wait list numbers and yes it is driving this left brained, type A personality, like to know it all person CRAZY. But this is how I am rolling. We do have a yahoo group for our agency and we try to keep a semi accurate count but not all families are on it. Sooooo to the best of my guessing ability we are at 44. But like I said it could be as low as 32. So we will all be surprised when the call comes.

Prayers please! and thanks for joining us on this journey. I will keep you posted.