Merry CHRISTmas & Happy New Year!

I posted the update on our lives in the 2 blogs below, but I remembered I had wanted to include this incredible C.S. Lewis quote that our friends had sent in their Christmas letter...in reference to how fast time passes, and our continued amazement at it...

C.S. Lewis said our being surprised by the passage of time is akin to a fish being surprised by the wetness of water. Time is the dimension in which we live. Of course it passes. But suppose, Lewis goes on to say, the fish is destined to be a land animal. In that case, he would find the water to be very strange. And of course, the reason we find the passage of time to be strange is because we know, deep down, that we are destined for eternity.

May our thoughts be focused on the Eternal as we continue to be amazed at "how time flies"!

Update 2...guess who is WALKING!?!!

This was at Thanksgiving, Ellyana found Great-Aunt Lucille's cane & decided she could take off...Great-Grandma & Aunt Theresa had to help :)

Those 1st wobbly steps

And here she is coming down the hall...one hand lifted for stability! She is just so precious to watch!

Update...Part 1

Lots of fun days to come with going to visit family & getting some days at home...today is the boys' last day of school till the New Year...hoorah!!!

Any one want us to make you something? Things are really sanitary here ;)

The boys anxious for snow after the neighbor gave them this cool sled for Christmas! I'm missing all the snow we had by this time of year last year...can't wait!

We will celebrate, I found several of these sticky notes around the house yesterday morning, after BJ slept in till 7:00 AM after his 5:15 AM streak....mommy was very happy, we may celebrate every night ;)

A little goofy before our church's Christmas program...the boys both said their parts so nice & sang well! We were very thankful!

I've been trying to take lots of pictures though I haven't been keeping up with posting... Ellyana got to celebrate more birthday with both sides of the family at Thanksgiving time, she loved it!

Pantry bandit!

Zach has been mommy's helper with cooking this year!

I'm going to attempt to post a different blog with our biggest news...Ellyana is walking...it is soooo cute!

Much love to you (sorry, for the random blog...tried to capture the last month in 10 minutes ;)! May you enjoy JESUS as the Reason for the Season! We have so much to thank the Lord! Merry Christmas!

Happy Birthday, our precious Ellyana!

Birthday Girl got flowers from Grandpa & Grandma Knobloch yesterday!

The kids got special candy/toys from Ethiopia this morning after breakfast, they have been waiting to open them till Ellyana's birthday! We have been home 3 months, yesterday!

We had a special celebration tonight with family/friends...the Birthday girl enjoyed her day today...with lots of "Happy Birthdays" at church! Still more birthday to come as we look forward to celebrating with both sides of the family at Thanksgiving time!

After she tasted the frosting she decided to skip the fingers & just eat right off the giant cupcake!

Loving the frosting! It really was a "Happy Birthday"!

Ellyana Blume
Happy 1st Birthday!

E – Ellyana…I love it everytime someone asks what your name is…Ellyana it means “God has answered our prayers”… that’s what you are…our answer to so many prayers, its been 3 months since you are home & I think my eyes still fill with tears at sometime everyday…at the “amazingness” of having you here with us, our 17 pound bundle of answered prayer!!!

L – Light, you light up every room you are in…not sure if it is your beauty, your smile or your fun personality…probably just a lovely combination!

L – Laugh, you love to laugh…Little Miss Giggle…especially at your brothers, who endlessly perform tricks to get another giggle

Y – You, you are just perfect for our family…I shouldn’t be surprised, because the God of the Universe picked you just for us…but we think you are perfect…you remind us so much of the boys so its fun to see that God must think this is the kind of kiddos that are just right for our family!

A – Animated, yes, just like your brothers, there isn’t a moment that we don’t know what you are thinking…and we love it!

N – Never a dull moment, you are on-the-go…into everything & always trying to keep up with the boys!

A – Angel, that’s what we think you are…as very beautiful on the inside as you are on the out! A gift from heaven! Our little joy bell! Sister Bear, we love you…Happy Birthday, precious ONE!!!!

Thanks to each of you for your prayers along this amazing journey, we are so thankful!

My Aunt Sheila Steffen went home to heaven this morning, 41 years with Down Syndrome she has a new body & gets to be with Jesus tonight! Ellyana & I fly out Tuesday evening & fly back Wed night. for the funeral/visitation. I think the whole family would appreciate your prayers in this coming week! Thanks so much & God's blessings to you!

Best Thanksgiving Program Ever

Mr. Turkey Zach is the "Chef" in the middle with his face covered :)

Anyone remember the "Best Christmas Pageant Ever"? Well, today it was Zach's preschool...it was all too funny! 4 yr olds alone are a really funny bunch, but today mixed with the background music "mix-up" it was hilarious. They kept announcing... and now we will sing "Praise Him, Praise Him" only to have a different song start up over the speakers and of course the 4 yr olds tried to join into whatever was playing (if they knew the song or not). The last song ended up being "Praise Him, Praise Him".

Zach was chosen as one of the 3 chefs for one of the songs, the teachers put the chef's hat on him & left the stage & didn't realize it was completely covering his face. Which he just stood there stirring his bowl (probably singing) for quite awhile till a teacher noticed & came up during the song to fix it. He has a wonderful Christian preschool that we are so thankful for & we "Praise Him, Praise Him" for God's many good gifts!

Our Ethiopian Princess turns "1" on Sunday...

Sickness

Zach... before we realized he was sick, we took the kids to the zoo on their day off last week. He was too weak to walk & we hadn't brought the double stroller.

Very sick baby girl.

The kids were quarantined to different floors. BJ had the basement. Mr. Social hung-out at the top of the stairs so he could still keep talking & set up a library for everyone to come to...though he didn't get much business.

We have been hit by "the bug"...yes, probably H1N1. Michigan was one of the last states to get it, and also one of the last to get the masses of vaccine. The kids all got vaccinated Monday at noon, Zach we think may have been actually infected earlier that morning. It is nasty stuff, try to avoid it. The characteristic very high temp & strange bad cough, body aches, nausea...the kids all got started on the Tamiflu (anti-viral) which I do give credit for really reducing the fever & minimizing the cough. The boys have been on the mend & Ellyana seems like she is getting some better this afternoon.

As for things I'm thankful for...

*that H1N1 didn't land us in the ER

*very thankful for the medication that I think lessened the symptoms & shortened how long it lasted

*that Ellyana is here with us & can get Advil for her fever

*Brian & I are still healthy

*BJ's asthma did not flare up too bad

*that there is forgiveness for sin...especially for a certain Mom that thinks their kid is "faking" it for a few days till the 104 fever strikes.

*hand sanitizer, Clorox wipes, Lysol, anti-bacterial soap & warm weather...to get outside & air this place out

*and that Zach gets to be "Special Me" next week at school, because the teacher says now she can probably count on him not to be sick ;)

This weekend!

Annual "Pumpkin Carving"...Ellyana had a big mouthful of seeds before we knew it!

BJ our very proud NASA astronaut! My mom says when I was a little girl I wanted to be an astronaut too...funny I'm so scared of heights & not very detail-oriented...maybe

not the thing for me! Our very bouncy...Tigger!

And our sweet little love-bug! She actually really enjoyed herself in the days activities!

The kids "trick-or-treating" to our very special neighbor. Actually our whole neighborhood is special & they have been so very sweet with the arrival of Ellyana...it was a great night to go around & get to catch up again with everyone! We feel blest to be in this neighborhood & we pray that we are a blessing also!

International Children's Choir

We were glad to get to see the International Children's Choir perform last week, they did a wonderful job & raised lots of awareness for orphans & the water crisis in the world. There were several children from Africa, but unfortunately there were no kids from Guatemala on this team. It was sooo good though to be reminded of the big picture!

We had listened to several songs (Ellyana has music "in her bones" as she "sang", clapped & danced to the music), I pulled out her sippy cup to give her a good, long drink of water...just as they started talking about the Global Water Crisis & how far people have to walk to get water & even more so to get to good, clean water that isn't filled with parasites that make them sick or die.

It was humbling to be there with our kids & being reminded of our simple, yet giant blessings like fresh water!

The kids got to meet the choir afterward, the African girls thought it was so cool Ellyana had a hairbow like them ;)(read the next blog for whatelse we have been up to)

Loving the Fall!

Attempting to get a Christmas pic, the background is "for real"...so are the cute kids ;)

Picking apples

Guess who found her brothers' bath, notice the pants hanging on the faucet that she had just thrown in...she LOVES water!

Picture in her hat...glad we caught her dimple!

Feeding the ducks at the Cider Mill...I had never heard of a Cider Mill before I moved here. The Cider & Cider Doughnuts are so yummy!

When we say we live in Michigan, lots of people groan & say "its too cold or it has too much snow"...we actually love the snow & we love the beautiful fall...especially these warm, sunny days! All 3 kids are outside every chance they get, for as long as possible!

Our life...

Well, I decided this one was worth a post of its own...BJ started 1st grade...and it basically "rocked" our world! New baby, no big deal, she goes with the flow. BJ gone all day to school...huge adjustments for the whole family. I can't quite identify what was the big deal, and everyone said it would sort out by the end of September...which it did. He loves his teacher, school...but there has been this big transition of moving a very "night owl" family into an "early bird" one...so that maybe was it. Who knows but we thank God for how much BJ loves school & that things seem to be looking less daunting around the Blume household these days! :)

And enjoy the "rest" of our life in the post below!

Our Life now...

Zach started preschool too, 3 mornings a week. It is going well & thankfully he LOVES to play with Ellyana...as the 2 of them are spending lots of time together! They have really formed a cute friendship!

If you ran into us in town, this is the sight you would see. Ellyana tucked in with her bottle, shuttling around (sometimes you would barely see us...we run so fast to not be late picking up our boys ;)

At home this is what you would see (maybe not all the frills), but Ellyana is loving to pull herself to stand, anywhere...no matter how unstable it may be ;)

In the cupboards, she is just like her brothers & loves to pull things out & explore everywhere (including the toliet...yuck!)

And the most amazing part of our new very busy life, is how happy this little girl is. She sneaks a nap anywhere & anytime & even when she gets woke up...she wakes up like this!

We call her our little "joy-bell" and we think she is as beautiful on the inside as she is on the out! We have so much to be thankful, we praise the Lord for His incredible goodness! And thank Him for His faithfulness in this transition time!

Similar girls..

The girls share their 10 month birthday & remind me lots of each other. I had even taken this picture last night to surprise Daddy...look familiar to their recent post...same Target jammies package & a bow way too big ;)? Thankful for the excitement for adoption that they share! http://weloveourlucy.blogspot.com/

A day to celebrate...

"Self-timer" family picture

Digging into the frosting before we were ready, didn't her brothers do a great job decorating the cake!?!

Enjoying her special day!!!

Happy 1 month "Forever Family" Day at the Blume's... August 14...we were all home together...and now 1 month later we get to celebrate the goodness of God of blessing our family with our precious Ellyana, we love her so very, very much!!!!

Lots of firsts

So many firsts, Ellyana got her 1st 2 teeth, learned to crawl, went on her 1st big road trip, got to meet her Blume grandparents last weekend, lots of Knobloch-side relatives this weekend, went to the pool & "our" beach (and ate lots of sand there ;) And Ellyana was so happy to get to see precious Jada Rinkenberger here in the States, they have been roomates for a long time, so happy they can both be home with their families, lots of prayers answered!

Tomorrow is the 1st day of 1st grade for BJ, Brian & Zach start back to school this week too!

Thankful for God's faithful hand in our family!

Our precious girl...

After 1st Sunday at Church

Loves to go "bye-bye" & her bottle!

Jumping like crazy!

Little Sister loves to be in the middle of it all!

Trying to get some baby food in her mouth, we figured out she likes "big people" food better!

Our little over a week here has went so fast & has been so fun...I'll try to answer our most frequent questions...

How is she doing? GREAT!!!! She is amazingly sweet, good, precious, loving (and on & on ;)

How are the boys doing? So good! They love her & she loves them right back. The adjustment has went really well for the whole family...it just feels like this is just how its to be & we thank the Lord for that!

How is she sleeping? Well, she is adjusting to a total time zone change...last night we slept 5 hours in a row...its a record!

What is she like? She LOVES to smile & scrunch her nose & laugh. She loves to bounce in her Exersaucer (just like her brothers did). She likes to eat Cheerios & be outside. But mostly she loves her bottle & to be held all the time!

We've had wonderful meals from our church family, a visit from Grandma K & more family to come & visit soon! School doesn't start for a few weeks so we are thankful for this time! I hope to get started on a little "trip recap" soon! Much love & thanks to each of you for your prayers! It is just amazing to hold her in our arms, just a 16 lb bundle of answered prayers! She got amazing care in Ethiopia, you can tell by the way she interacts, she's healthy & has adjusted so well to our family! Praise be to our glorious God!