Waiting for Our Hearts' Desire....A Son (or two) from Ethiopia!

Thanks for your support!

2010-03-13T10:25:00.002-06:00

After all our Christmas orders were filled, together we raised $2700 for orphans in Ethiopia. The Alem Tote has honored a wonderful woman and as helped to provide orphan care for many precious orphans in Ethiopia!

We were also able to send $700 to Haiti for orphan care after the devastating earthquake. We were so excited that we were able to reach orphans in Haiti as well...all because of your generosity!

I can't thank you enough and I'm so excited that you all LOVE the Alem Tote! It is so dear to me and seeing all of you carrying it makes it that much more special!

Be Blessed!
Heather

Pictures from Heather

2009-06-21T16:12:00.001-05:00

Click here to view these pictures larger

"Simply Having a Wonderful Christmas Time..."

2009-01-01T23:08:00.003-06:00

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Still alive and....THRIVING!!

2008-11-06T09:54:00.040-06:00

Wow, it has been a very looooong time. We have been growing in so many ways as a family....God has done great things! I am going to spend some time on all the members of this family and get everyone caught up! I have failed to blog about so many wonderful things; I'm almost mad at myself:) We have had so many experiences, so many firsts for the boys, and have taken literally 1000s of pictures since they came home. Thanks for continuing to care and pray for our family; it means so much to us!

Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders you have done.
The things you planned for us no one can recount to you;
were I to speak and tell of them,
they would be too many to declare.
Psalms 40:5

Let's get started.....Happy Birthday, sweet hubby!

Eyob and Daddy at the apple orchard!
Daddy and Abel on the boat late summer! Abel has a love/hate relationship with that life vest.
**I have discovered that Daddy is in far too few pictures:/

Erica RaNae...our sophomore in college!

Erica and Eyob...Beautiful!

Erica with the special man in her life, Zach! They joined us at the apple orchard this fall. Erica never misses out on a family event:) Erica is a great young woman, a wonderful sister, and a dear friend to her mother. I look so forward to watching Erica's life unfold over the next couple of years; I can't wait to see what God has planned for her!

Alison Kae....freshman in high school!

All dressed up for Homecoming....Erica, Ali, and Mom!

Helping Eyob to "fly" like Spider Man!

>Ali loves to drive....ANYTHING! Even a golf cart will do!

Alison is now in high school, and loving it! We just finished up her volleyball season, so things are settling down around here for the winter. She is also a great big sister and brings so much life to this house. She is the crazy one of the bunch and keeps all of us laughing, sometimes when we don't even feel like laughing:) This mom loves her spunk!

Elaina Marie...my 5th grader!

We have had incredible weather here in the Midwest and were able to get in one last really late summer boat ride:) Elaina loves the boat; she really just loves being outside!

Mom, Elaina, and Ali

Elaina is having a great year in school. She is becoming such a young lady. She has a special relationship with Abel; he thinks she's pretty great. It really helps when John and I go out, because Abel is really starting to feel comfort in her. It is very nice for me as I spent 3 months not being able to leave Abel's sight without major screaming...I mean SCREAMING! It was rough for everyone during that time, but we persevered and now have a much happier, and more confident little man, Yeah! What a blessing Elaina is to Abel all because she took some extra time with her little brother!

Eyob Scott....4 years old!

One of Eyob's favorite places....the boat!

Another favorite place....on the back of a horse! Eyob loves horses and can spot one anywhere!

Eyob on a nice autunm hike!

Oh, what a young man! We have been enjoying months of more firsts and many transitions. Eyob is awesome! He is FULL of love and life. He goes to a Pre-K program at our elementary school and loves it. He is learning so much and doing very well; his English ROCKS! I believe he is at a point where we can say he is our typical four year old. Which means sometimes he's very wild, very loud, and very loving:) He does sneek a bit of an attitude in there every now and then for good measure as well. I have to tell you he received his first timeout at school last week for pushing another student, but this mom has been assured that it is normal and it doesn't mean Eyob is going to be beating kids up;) It was a push in good fun; I think the timeout was a bit of a surprise to him. Eyob has been home almost 9 months and the first 5 months were spent in a pretty low valley, but I am praising God that at this point we're reaching the top of a very high mountian. I am confident that we are going to lay in green pasture for awhile, at least until Eyob shows us some more of what it means to be a boy;)

Amelia Raye....3 years old!

Amelia loves making silly faces for the camera!

Amelia celebrated her golden birthday on Oct 3rd, so it was a three layer cake all in gold:)

It was a birthday all about dress up! She received her very own "Amelia's Closet" stocked full of clothes, accessories, and of course shoes:)

Some fun at the orchard with one of her favorite people, Zach!

Miss Amelia brings me so much joy in the day to day around here. She is our baby girl and she loves being the baby girl. She is developing the sweetest relationship with Eyob. It is a relationship that we pray over and work on daily, but they are beginning to be true siblings and best of all friends:) She likes to give Abel more love then he cares to receive, so if he's screaming she's probably kissin' and huggin'

Last, but certainly not least.....Abel John, who just celebrated his 1st birthday!

Momma's sweet little man!

Got to love that cheese!

Precious!

Did you know that I have four sisters?

Happy 1st Birthday, my baby boy!

Little man loved his Ethiopian cake!

Yes, I have a mouthful of teeth and I love my walking feet!

We have been so blessed by this little guy! We had a few months that proved to be pretty rough, not that he cut 6 teeth all at the same time. That's right he cut his first two and then the next 6 teeth came in ALL at the SAME time, well all within about a week and a half of each other:/ He is so happy, content, and loves to wear his cheesy smile. He has been walking since about 10.5 months, so he's a runner now. He loves to give kisses right now; they are precious! The sound affects are great too. He is so much fun and I can see so much of Eyob in him. This little boy has a family that has fallen so in love with him.

We continue to grow in love as a family. This adoption has forever changed the members of this family; we ALL have learn so much about priorities and perspective. We all walk around with new priorities and a far clearer perspective of what this life on earth is to be made of....and for that I thank God!

The Great Outdoors!

2008-07-30T21:29:00.019-05:00

Daddy outside, Dixie ca ca, Amelia step in it!! That is an example of Eyob's English. . . .all the important information, in no particular order:)

Wow, the boys have been home for four months already! We have been doing all the summer fun stuff and have found so much joy sharing in all of Eyob's firsts. Some of those firsts include his first time to the lake and fishing, as well as his first time horse back riding! He has been obsessed with horses from the very first time he saw one. A sweet friend let us ride their horses one evening last week. It was so very exciting for Eyob, Amelia, and Elaina.

The boys are doing wonderful. We still have our struggles, but things are amazing for only being home for four months. It is easy to forget that it has only been four months and somethings I find myself expecting more. My love grows each day with each experience we share with the boys; I am enjoying watching God's perfect plan play out in my life.

"God had planned something better for us so that only together with Him would they be made perfect." Hebrews 11:40

Checking out the lake!
Amelia taking one last peek!

Elaina, Alison, Amelia, and Eyob doing some hiking!

Alison and Amelia

Eyob and his "trees"!
Getting ready to do some fishing!

Our beautiful Abel baby!

Daddy helping Eyob with his very first cast of the fishing pole!

Eyob was in heaven on the top of this horse, Rosie!

Elaina is a country girl at heart!

Eyob "leading" Amelia on the pony!

Eyob loved the little white pony, Sugar!

PRAISING JESUS. . . and so PROUD of my kids!

2008-06-29T13:34:00.005-05:00

Today was a day to PRAISE JESUS in the Needles' house!

It started with Eyob. . . he has never wanted to go to nursery or Sunday School at church since coming home. We made attempts for the simply fact that in church I would become his favorite play thing; he would climb ALL OVER me, lay on me, kiss on me, hug on me, and I would leave church each Sunday with a new hair-do that he had given me during service. My husband and I were looking forward to getting back to Sunday School without having to worry about Eyob as well! Eyob would scream out of control if we tried to leave him, so obviously we didn't. WELL, today we were walking into service after leaving Abel and Amelia in nursery and Eyob says, "I go too!" pointing back to the nursery. I say, "Eyob would like to go to nursery with Amelia?" "YES!" Praise Jesus for whatever reason today Eyob was ready for us to leave him in the nursery; he ran in and had the best time. He was having such a good time that I heard him a number of times squealing and laughing all the way in the sanctuary :) PRAISE JESUS!

Then there is my Miss Alison . . . She has a friend named Abby who has faced many struggles this past year at home and school. She always looked to Alison for friendship. I didn't let Alison do things with her because she was making poor decisions and is a couple years older than Alison. We did always allow Abby to come over and hang out and she seemed to enjoy the whole family. Abby lost her Aunt a year ago this past January. Her aunt was her rock in life, because her relationship with her parents lacks communication and can be abusive. When school was over this year Abby went to North Carolina to spend the summer with her other Aunt. This morning after church Alison received this text message from Abby. . .
"I have to tell you something. . . .On January fifth. . . I lost everything. And I lost God! Today . . . I found Him :) with the help of everything that you've been doing and telling me. I found HIM!"

Is that not the most precious? It brought me to tears and again I'm PRAISING JESUS! I'm a mom so proud of my kids and so thankful for the work God is doing in their lives!

Our Very Own Spiderman?!

2008-06-28T07:25:00.005-05:00

This kid really thinks he's SPIDERMAN!

Instead of climbing buildings, he climbs trees!

And, instead of swinging from webs. . . he swings from his daddy! Too sweet!

HAPPY 4TH BIRTHDAY, EYOB!

2008-06-14T07:39:00.005-05:00

Eyob CELEBRATED his first birthday today and what a wonderful day it was. It was awesome to watch him take it all in; I was moved to tears on a few occasions! I was given a special gift the day I received that young man. A gift I can't go to bed at night without thanking my God for. I still look at and watch the boys in awe of how I came to this place; sitting here with two beautiful sons that came to me from the other side of the world, I never could of imagined it!

I am a woman who will forever feel blessed, honored, privileged, loved, hopeful, and forgiven because my God, my Creator has made me feel that way!

"No one has ever imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him."
1 Corinthians 2:9

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By the way check out Abel's new teeth:)

All the sweet faces that make up this clan we have been blessed to call FAMILY!

2008-06-10T12:00:00.004-05:00

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

A Graduate. . .off to High School!

2008-06-10T08:37:00.003-05:00

Heading off to High School.... WOW! Our kiddos grow up all too fast! A mom who definitely understands the importance of enjoying these days with my little ones. It will all past soooo quickly! We have a very small window to make a difference and just enjoy them in this life; all too soon they are gone!

Summer Fun!!!

2008-06-10T08:14:00.007-05:00

Eyob and Amelia Swimming for the first time at the Grandparents!

Safety first~he loves his floating devices!

Abel and Daddy!

Not sure, but it looks fun! Eyob loves it!
Amelia is always looking for the opportunity to hug Abel!
LOVES the water! Looks pretty cute hanging too!

Another Needles fish!

FUN! That is what summer is all about, right? Eyob and Abel are definitely Needles, because they love the water. Our four girls are fish in water and we are so happy the boys are too! We spend most of the summer at the pool; the older girls working on their tans and the kiddos swimming like fish.

God is fast at work in the Needles' House!!

2008-05-28T22:59:00.042-05:00

Wow, we have had an amazing last couple of weeks here at the Needles. God is working so diligently here on our behalf. I fail Him daily and He comes in and cleans up my mess and rewards my efforts too! Crazy but, oh so God! He rewards me with an Eyob that is growing and bending. An Eyob that is beginning to find his perfect place in this family and an Eyob that is feeling at home in this house! Eyob is so in love with the members of this family; his relationships just keep growing and growing. Eyob has stopped calling out momma hundreds of times a day, because he knows his momma is there. Just a couple of nights ago I hear his little feet running through the house in the middle of the night only to listen to them run into the bathroom, flip the light on, go potty, flip the light off and run back to his bed and fall fast asleep without a word. Why? Because our Eyob is at home! I smiled so BIG and gave thanks to an awesome God! We still have a long way to go, but our young man is headed toward the young man we desire him to be. We are blessed with the opportunity to watch this little life unfold, not to mention I can be certain that a part of who he is...is because of me.

Eyob fills my days with so many wonderful things, like. . . fake sneezes (honestly they are more like a cough) just so he can hear me say "Bless you, Eyob" and if I don't catch it immediately then he blesses himself. His language is coming along quickly; he is very smart (if I do say so myself)! After he hears something a few times then he begins to say it back to me. Every night as I put him to bed I say "Sweet dreams, Mister" so as soon as he wraps his little arms around my neck at bedtime he will say "Sweet dreams, Mommy!" During bedtime prayer he crawls up on my lap and puts his arms around my neck and his face in my neck and quietly repeats everything I say, it is precious! He comes running out of his bedroom every morning to me so he can hear me say "Well, Good morning, Mister!" and he then says "Good Morning, Mommy!" I can't tell you the number of times a day he looks at me with the silliest face and says "Whatcha doin' mommy?" Eyob whom I call "Mister" most of the time loves the movie Shrek; I mean LOVES, LOVES the movie Shrek! The only thing I'm not sure about yet is that he will look at me in one of his silly faces and say "Mommyyyy, Donkeyyyy!" I mean seriously, is he calling me a donkey? I'm just not sure:) Needless to say Eyob is bringing much joy and many, many laughs to this house!

Eyob and Ali at Grandma's and Grandpa's

Mister Eyob Scott

Playing in the rain~He LOVES umbrellas!

He is now a successful bike rider. . .with training wheels:)

First smore, and honestly didn't love it!

Amelia and Eyob are little buddies! We can see God working in their little hearts to bring them together as brother and sister!

It just happens when you have four sisters! I mean come on, he's pretty enough to be a girl ;)

And then there is Abel. . . .sweet, sweet Abel! Abel is just that, SWEET! He is so very content, happy, filled with joy. He sings with joy all the time! Well, he sings or screams whichever you prefer. He is VERY vocal; lots of happy sounds that are really just about too loud most of the time. We have to laugh and pray that he grows out of it, because a teenager that likes to hear their own voice just can't be good:) Abel would love to be a crawler, but not quite yet! He is what we refer to as a "mover and shaker"; always on the move, no matter what he is always on the move!! He is really starting to take everything in. It is precious to watch him sit and study something; moving it back and forth from hand to hand, sitting still and quiet for a moment to take it all in, PRECIOUS! Mind you it may simply be his paci or toy he has played with hundred times before; maybe he just thinks he's big stuff moving it hand to hand, who knows I just know it entertains this mom! He is also just days away from his first tooth! His nose is a faucet and those two little bottom teeth are going to be debuting very soon. I'll post a pic as soon as I can:) Oh, and did I mention that he likes to blow his spit all over; he literally foams at the mouth. I'm blaming it on teething:)

Another really great thing about this little guy is that he loves his momma. I mean he loves his whole family, but he makes this momma feel special! He shows so much joy when he see me. He desires me to be with him all the time; he'll do anything as long as I'm sitting right there. He wants to be touching always, he reaches for me and longs to be with me even if I'm just across the room. No one can take the place of his momma and that fills my heart with joy!

Momma tells me I could be a model!

Lovin' Life!

Praise Jesus my Momma buckles my seat belt:)

Thank goodness I have that big belly!

Legos and cars, Love them!

Just because I'm cute!

The whole family at the same place at the same time:) Not so easy to do anymore!

Coming soon. . . .an update on the family as a whole. There are a number of wonderful members to this family that make it so special and there are a lot of great things going on around here. I'll get a slide show together of all the sweet faces that make up this clan we have been blessed to call "FAMILY!"

**Blog friends~ thank you for being so patient with me:)

The LOOOOONG awaited update....

2008-05-02T09:30:00.005-05:00

Please accept my apologies for taking so long to get anything on this blog!! We have been very busy with the day to day here at the Needles' home, and after 5weeks home it is STARTING to feel like we may see "normal" again:)

Everyone is adjusting well; God is so good and His grace is always pouring out on us!! I have learn so much about myself through this adoption and God continues to teach and change me each and every day!

Abel is 6 months old and is perfect. He is sitting up all by myself as of yesterday. He is absolutely beautiful, his smile is amazing, he's happy and content; we are falling so in love with him!! Amelia is amazing with him! She takes precious care of him; I love to watch her being mother.

Eyob is giving us so much of himself, he has the sweetest spirit ever! He is full of love, joy, fear, and insecurities. Everyday we have to pour more of ourselves into Eyob then we have the strength to pour; it is such a Jesus kind of love! I look up to our God daily and literally say "I have reached my limit please help me love Eyob like Jesus does." And everyday He helps me to move a step closer to Eyob; the reward is that God fills the gaps and for every step forward I take Eyob takes three. We have breakthroughs with Eyob that melt my heart; I feel more attached and in love with him everyday. His walls are BEGINNING to crumble and I look forward to the day that we look at Eyob and see a confident and secure little man!

Everyday we do what love does and know that true love is growing like little wild fires in our very souls; we have two amazing sons and an amazing God that sustains us through each and everyday! Thank for thinking of us; we are on an awesome journey and it's not over yet!!!

A Few Pics...

2008-04-10T10:09:00.001-05:00

A Family ONLY God Can Create....

2008-03-31T15:01:00.002-05:00

This picture represents a family. . . .A family created by my Creators hands. One of the most amazing moments was when we met the boys' birth mother and their older brother. The love this woman holds for her children is the most selfless love; we all could learn something from women like her! One of the questions I asked her was. . . .What dreams do you have for the boys that we could help to fulfill? What is your vision for them? The answer was so simple and will live with me forever. . . ."I come from nothing, anything is better than what I can do!" When she said that all I hear her say is. . . I am nothing! That women has no idea how amazing she is; she will truly live with me daily through the boys. I will forever feel her in my arms; I am blessed to have been able to wrap my arms around her.

The young man holding Eyob is their brother, he is nine years old. His tears broke my heart; that young man will grow up with nothing, but it is my prayer that he grows up to know that he is something! We will be sponsoring him through Hannah's Hope, he should get the care and education he needs. I also pray that one day he will make a trip to America.

I have so much to share, but in all honesty I am still digesting all I have experienced. We are transitioning pretty well. Abel is so happy and full of joy and contentment. . . . and there is a reason for this:) Eyob is a wonderful, free spirited young man. He has a lot to learn and rediscover; he is making great strides each day. These great strides are not without great, long battles though. My husband and I have committed to winning this war, because Eyob deserves it!! There will be good days and better days to come. . . .today was a good day:)

Getting Closer...

2008-03-17T21:27:00.007-05:00

WooHoo! We are about four days from leaving to pick up our little men :) We have had a few bumps in the road to our travel date, but may I remind Satan that he can "get behind me." Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men." Matthew 16:23 There is nothing that is going to take away the joy and excitement I feel anticipating the meeting of our sons! It all started last Thursday as I sat at the Health Dept. waiting to get the last of my shots (and I'm just saying I think she chipped the bone with that needle, OUCH!). I had put a call into the USCIS, because I had not received my new FDL stating that we had been approved for the two children. A looooong story short, I had to drive up to downtown Chicago (6+ hours round trip) pay $585 and get this white piece of paper that had a lovely 2 in place of the original 1. We had managed to fall through the cracks; an incomplete file just sitting there never to be found until it became urgent. Ummm...hello, I'm leaving to only days to get these boys from Ethiopia! The following day we ended up at the hospital with Amelia and a horrible bladder infection. She was and unfortunately is still very sick. She has a very high fever and her bladder is causing her a lot of pain; it is really very sad. We are praying that she is on the road to recovery and feeling much better by mid week. Doctor thought it could take 3 to 5 days for the fever to go away and for her to really start feeling herself again.

On to a brighter note...We had the best time at our fundraiser this past Sunday. We had 200+ people come and celebrate the boys with us. We had asked God to AWE us with support for our adoption and that is exactly what He did! We raised over $4600 that day, which covered the airline tickets we had purchased a day earlier! Praising God, and so thankful for all of you who came to celebrate with us:) Here are some pictures from that day....

Me and my sweet hubby!

Daddy and our Elaina girl making lemonade!

My beautiful Grandma and our Miss Alison!

My college girl, Erica, and my baby girl, Amelia!

Simply Amazing!!

2008-03-08T15:04:00.008-06:00

YAY! We have our travel dates! We will leave on March 22nd and return home on March 28th with two beautiful little boys:) We can hardly wait; I get butterflies in my belly every time I think of it.

I have yet another amazing story of how awesome God is....throughout this journey I have prayed and placed little hopes in my heart of things I would like to see happen. Small things that would make this journey that much more sweet, but wouldn't take away from the journey if they didn't happen either. Our first travel date was to leave on March 29th. By leaving on the 29th three little hopes I had would pass away, but that was fine with me because I was bringing my boys home! Well, it seems as though God said, "Oh, you really will be happy even without your hopes being made reality." So then the call comes that our travel dates have been changed to March 22nd! I'm thinking"What, are you kidding me?" Let's just say that our new travel date not only meant I was a week closer to my boys, but that my three little hopes would become a reality!

The week we are gone my girls will be on Spring Break. What a blessing to the Grandparents! It makes things much easier; One hope down and two to go!

John and I celebrate our 19th anniversary on March 25th. We thought it would be so cool to be in Ethiopia picking up our sons. Guess what? We are! Two hopes down and one to go!

My family has planned a shower for the boys on March 29th. Yes, the day we were originally going to be leaving! When planning the shower I had said, "It is going to be pushing it, but hopefully it will work. If we happen to be in Ethiopia the girls can take my place and it will be fun for them. But, wouldn't it be cool if we were home with the boys and they could be there?" Yep, that's right we will be home and God willing we can ALL be there! That's all three little hopes becoming reality!

God continues to amaze me with His attention paid to the small details. I actually hope I never become use to it, because that probably means I'm just not looking for it anymore. We serve an amazing God! So thankful!

By the way, that beautiful head of hair I shared with you in the post before....has been shaved off :-( That's right, something about hygiene. Oh I know, I know it will grow back!

It's Official...

2008-03-07T06:41:00.008-06:00

WOW! We are now the parents to SIX children. Yes, I know....SIX! My husband and I look at each other and say, "Who would of thunk it... that 19 years ago when we were married we would EVER have six children!" God would of thought it and He obviously did!! Oh the great plans He had for these two babies (17 years old) and we didn't even know it; we didn't really even know Him! John and I have been on an awesome journey since we married as seniors in high school; one filled with amazing moments and not so amazing moments. One filled with joy, sorrow, fear and praise God faith! We are rejoicing for the work God as done in our lives; rejoicing for the precious sons He has so graciously given us! I'm going to leave you with a glimpes of a couple of my favorites: "E's" hair and "A's" chin!

Have you ever been in AWE of God?

2008-02-18T08:26:00.013-06:00

awe noun, having the mind fixed on something with a mixture of delight and deep emotion caused by something extraordinary. (...Something extraordinary created by my amazing God!)

I mean really in AWE of Him! Do we ever really give ourselves the opportunity to be in awe of God? I STAND IN AWE OF GOD. For the last four weeks I have been awed by my Maker. This adoption has taught me many, many things. The most important being how to let God work in my life! As I reflect on how I came to this point in my life it really all makes sense; God was working towards this place and I didn't even recognize it! I think that is the case most of the time; we fail to see what God is doing in our lives from day to day!

I stand in awe of our new toddler son; where was I the day he was born? What was going on in my life 3 plus years ago when my son was born? I know that is when the seed of adoption became deeply rooted in my heart because of some life experiences I was going through. Little did I know that my son was already in the works and was being given a name that would fit perfectly in our family. My four girls have an "E" "A" pattern with their names: Erica, Alison, Elaina, and Amelia. I stand in awe of God paying attention to such a small detail like the letters in my son's name; he was given his name with an "E" because he was to be a Needles. I stand in awe of my baby with an "A", because a little over three years later my second son would be born and given the name "A" because he too would become a Needles. AWED!

I stand in awe of how God has orchestrated my life's journey to bring me to this place, but isn't that what He does? We just fail to recognize it! I think it's like this: when we are seeking the will of God by faith then we will be awed! God desires to WOW us; we just don't give Him the opportunity to do so. I am awed by the boy's birth mother, who has made the most sacrificial decision a mother could make in this life: the decision to give up her children with the hope of a better future for them. Then God looked to me and said, "You are this mother's hope for her children." But, I feel I am so undeserving and so under qualified...however, I'm deserving and qualified because God said I am. It is because of His grace and mercy that I am. Not because I'm something special, but because God showers me with His grace and mercy.

I have to tell you though...I really don't want to let their mother down! I want to do my best for these boys and for her. I feel like I have a lot to live up to. I also know the only way that is going to happen is with God. I'm writing this so I never forget how awed I was in my Maker and for my boys. I want them to know how awed I was to receive them, I want them to know how awed I am by their birth mother. She is a special woman, a woman that will live in my heart forever. She is a woman I will pray for always and think of often, a woman whom I am indebted to because of the special gift she gave me when she gave up her precious sons, because of a hope and dream that was in her heart. I encourage us all to take the opportunity to be AWED; even by the small things this life holds!

I want to congratulate Tracie and her family; they just returned home from Ethiopia with their beautiful son, Abel! I know she is a woman in awe of her God! I am so thankful to her, as she took amazing pictures of the boys while in Ethiopia. I am staring at them in AWE!

REFERRAL!! OH, HAPPY DAY!!

2008-01-25T08:39:00.001-06:00

Yes, that is right, the day I have only seen in my dreams became a reality for our family on January 23rd. WE RECEIVED OUR REFERRAL! Not just one son, but two!! God tells us that when we are doing His will we will be blessed beyond measure; we have been DOUBLY BLESSED!

It all started with a phone call from Julie on January 22nd....."Heather I would like to go over your parameters one more time with you!" Our first desire was an infant boy, but we had said we would be open to siblings, because we didn't know God's plan and thought well what if there are twins? I knew that the likelihood of twins was small, but I wanted to be ready. I never imagined we would be facing what came next....Julie says, "You're the next family in line open to siblings and the ages of these children work with your children. Would you like to hear about them?" I tell Julie that I need to call my husband, but would like to know the ages of the boys. The boys are 3 1/2 and 3 months! All at once I'm asking myself, Are you serious? Can we do this? The big fear was in that Amelia is 2, sandwiched right between the boys and I became fearful for Amelia! We decided to pray about it and touch base with Julie in the morning.

After the house was quiet I went to my prayer journal and started reading my prayers for this adoption from the last few months. I began to ask God to show me specific answers. I had written down so many of God's words, His truths, and His promises.

"I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:11-12

"In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps." Proverbs 16:9 God is the only one really in control in adoption; only God can create a family. God knows the dynamics of our family and God knows the personalities of these two boys! Only God really knows!

"Faith is: being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." Hebrews 11:1 Every question John and I were asking had no answers. They were questions that couldn't be answered; all the "what ifs".

My Prayer Journal on 12/15/2007: "In the adoption I ask for patience Lord, it's like the end of a pregnancy: I really desire to see the child or children you have chosen." I'm not sure why I prayed that prayer, but I did! Maybe it was because it was early in the morning;)

12/20/2007 I write: "What will his name be? I am praying a specific prayer Lord: It is my prayer for a referral on Elaina's B-Day (1/21) or my Mom's B-Day (1/23). Thank you Lord for adoption." (I gave Him a little window in there; and He hit it!)

I could go on and on....But the morning of January 23rd Julie called me back and we decided to get the written information on the boys without pictures. When she told me their names I knew God was speaking. We have the whole E and A thing going with the girls names; well the boys names are an E and an A as well. Needless to say, we then requested the pictures as well and it became our official referral on my Mom's B-Day. I received 28 beautiful pictures at 3pm and had to wait to open them until 8:15pm when the whole family could be together! Yes, major self control!! When I requested the pictures Julie told me I had better be ready for them, there were lots of them and these boys were cute! It was a long 5 hours and 15 minutes:)

I can't tell you how I feel when I look at my husband admiring his sons or how I felt when he told me he has been showered with blessings! These two boys are perfect! I can't stop staring into their big brown eyes and crying. I just keep crying! I look at their mother and I cry for the pain that must be in her heart, yet she looks so peaceful; it is crazy! They are so beautiful. I am feeling so honored today; honored that in all the world I have been chosen to mother these boys. I really can't put it into words, but as I answered an e-mail I found these: overwhelmed with joy, honored, undeserving, amazed, crazy in love, heart-broken for a mother I don't know, but seem to be able to feel in my heart! I'm a grateful woman who is not sure what she did to deserve the life given to her. I am just so thankful to my Maker and thankful that He knows my heart.

UGG...Another Week and NOTHING...

2008-01-22T12:16:00.001-06:00

I think I can say this verse in my sleep...

"But these things I plan won't happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, be patient! For it will surely take place. It will not be late by a single day." Habakkuk 2:3

Remembering that God is telling me it will surely take place and won't be late by a single day! I am praising God for this promise.

BLOG THERAPY!

2008-01-15T17:26:00.000-06:00

Well, here I am in need of some therapy. So blog therapy it is, not to mention a little shopping therapy. My patience are running low; I am getting really antsy! It has been very quiet these last few weeks and I am feeling it. It's been a while since I updated the blog, because there is really not a lot to say. We have been busy working on the girls' bedrooms; there is some moving going on in the house to make room for "little man." We created a bedroom out of an extra room we had in the front of the house, so Elaina moved into that room. Erica then moved into Elaina's old bedroom and Erica's bedroom turned into Amelia's. Amelia has always been in our bedroom, so we are starting the transition into her own room. "Little man" will then take Amelia's place in our bedroom:) So really we have had a lot going on. . . .but NO referrals or even moving up the latter for that matter:/ Well, I thought I would share some of the things that have been providing me some therapy over the last few weeks.....

Here is my "Ultimate Diaper Bag" from Pottery Barn (a gift from my in-laws), but mine is in chocolate. My mom then sewed on my Ethiopian Flag. I LOVE IT!

I also received the baby sling I had my eye on (also from the in-laws) from MetroBaby. Yes, I LOVE IT! I love the pattern and colors; I can just see our little man's face peeking out of it. Yes, I tried it on and did a little pretending:)

Ok, so here is where the real therapy comes in. . . .SHOPPING! I was treated by my Mom this time :-D Yes, I know I'm blessed!

I would like to add that nothing was more than $5.97

Just a cute little outfit I couldn't past up. If for some reason our little man can't wear any of these items then I guess they turn into donations at Hannah's Hope Ethiopia.

I am sure that God will grant me the patience I need. When I tell my husband I'm getting a bit antsy he replies, " In good time hun, in good time." I'm pretty sure that's what God is telling me too! "In good time my dear children, in good time!

"But these things I plan won't happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, be patient! For it will surely take place. It will not be late by a single day." Habakkuk 2:3

# 6.....Could it be?

2007-12-18T13:57:00.000-06:00

Well, it looks like we are #6! It is so exciting to watch the families ahead of us receive their referrals. The excitement is awesome and only God given! A baby boy and a baby girl have been given their forever families and for this we praise God. Many blessings to these families has they enjoy this precious time. And, a big thank you for moving me along on this waiting list:) Praising God for His many blessings!

Dossier on it's way to Ethiopia!!

2007-12-11T17:42:00.000-06:00

Julie just e-mailed me to tell us that our dossier was sent off to Ethiopia yesterday! One more step completed in this amazing journey we call adoption. Our son is getting closer everyday; for this we rejoice!

2007-12-01T14:16:00.000-06:00

It's beginning to look (and feel) a lot like Christmas at the Needles' Home!

We absolutely love the season of Christmas in this house! There are so many traditions that we look forward to. From the decorating, the gingerbread houses, baking for days on end, Christmas programs, Christmas concert (this year it is Third Day and Jars of Clay~Christmas Offerings Tour), to the seafood dinner on Christmas Eve! I drive the family crazy with my 24/7 Christmas music; I really just can't get enough! We are doing something new this year by each of us finding a way that we can honor (by doing or giving something up) Christ each day the month of December. We are hoping to keep the reason for the season in the forefront. I won't share what everyone is doing because that is between them and Christ, but I will tell you what I have decided to do. I am horrible at finding a good block of time each day to spend with Christ. It can be any time of day, and I'm almost sure to be interrupted. Christ can definitely not count on me in this area. It is my hope to honor Christ by setting my alarm, getting up early and spending quiet time with Him. It is also my hope that it will become a habit for me and carry throughout 2008.

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year! Thank you for all your love, support, and prayers during our adoption. It is a wonderful thought that next Christmas our "little man" will be celebrating Christmas with us. Celebrating with peace and anticipation in our hearts of God's amazing grace!

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33

Merry Christmas!I love a cracklin' fire!
One of many sights of Christmas!
Our wild Christmas tree!

We're # 8....Yay!

2007-11-29T22:12:00.000-06:00

Today was an exciting day for the Needles Family; we found out that we are #8 on the boys list! I sent the dossier FedEx yesterday. The women helping with my package looked at me and said, "It's not worth more than $100 is it?" I kind of stuttered and said, "umm well, I guess monetarily NO, but that is my son in there! So, actually it would be priceless! Funny how that question caught me by surprise; you can tell how much of ourselves we invest into those dossiers:) Julie (All God's Children Intl) received it today and called us with the good news! We are so happy to just be a number at this point. She said the dossier looked perfect and she would be sending it off for authentication today; now that's what I call same day service! She also said we could expect referral in 2 to 4 months. I say "Praise God" to that. Feeling a little closer to holding our precious son and being thankful for God allowing us this journey!

Some Family Pics!

2007-11-29T09:29:00.000-06:00

Amelia Raye

All the Needles Girls!

Erica, Alison, and Elaina~Sisterly Love!

Alison and her Daddy

Alison and Amelia

Our Ballerina, Elaina, and Amelia

2007-11-23T21:42:00.000-06:00

Our Journey to Adoption

I want to tell you a little about our journey to adoption. Adoption has been a quiet desire in my heart for years; when Amelia was 5 months old John and I began conversation about adoption. I didn’t feel like it was what we were supposed to do or even that we’d actually do it one day. It was what I call a little seed planted that would grow a bit later. A year later John and I decided to have another baby; I love being pregnant, I love being a mom. I was so excited! That is when the seed planted months earlier began to grow. God was definitely pulling on my heart. I heard him saying, “Heather, I have given you four beautiful daughters, but never the son you desire for a reason.” I felt God telling me we had a son out there, but we needed to go for him. I told John of this desire, although I must say I wasn’t so sure that I wanted to give up on the idea of possibly having a biological son and the pregnancy that would go along with it. I felt so confident that God was telling me to give up on those things and take the biggest leap of faith that I could ever imagine, and just trust him. It was very soon that John and I realized through prayer and the prayer of some dear friends in our lives that God has chosen a son for us in a far off land; we now know to be called Ethiopia. The biggest leap of faith would be the financial burden that would soon rest upon our family. Which I have to add that God had already thought of this also, when a couple years earlier He put a desire in the heart’s of John and I to change our lifestyle. Selling our newly built home, going back to one income, and driving used vehicles all brought us to a place of contentment I would not exchange for anything. This change of lifestyle would also allow us to jump right into an international adoption. Thank goodness God knows our future- the journey only He foresees and the journey we are SO thankful to be on.