Saturday, December 29, 2007

Merry Christmas!

It is time to say goodbye to the blog, not that I am so regular(no poop jokes, please). I have never been a journaler(is that a word?). It is hard for me right now, anyways. These kiddos are wiping me out. It seems that 3 is our final number. I never say never, but I give it a firm "probably not"! Ok, I will probably come to post every month or two, because I can't completely let this go and I definitely will keep reading everyone elses! I had to add these last 2 sentences after writing this thing b/c I can't do it!

This has been such a fantastic journey. God never lets me down. Every time He says to do something, and I actually listen, I have the time of my life! Mission trips, children's ministries, working at the pregnancy help center, adoption. Every adventure turned out more rewarding than the next and I can't imagine what the next one is. I am always attempting to help someone else out or do what I think I should be doing, and it seems that I am the one who most benefits. Is it possible to want to help others unselfishly knowing full well that YOU are the one who scores?! Am I selfishly unselfish or the other way around? I seem to have over thought this...what a conundrum.

In true Elliott fashion, our camera broke a couple of weeks before Christmas, so everything is on video, but no pictures. We hoped it was a battery issue, but no such luck.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. Piper thought opening presents was a blast and I think next year, she will truly "get" it all. The boys "got" it this year and are finally coming down off their Christmas high.

The other day we saw a panhandler on the side of the road with several funny signs he was trying. He had a full beard and long hair, and Brodan said, "Look Mom, it's Jesus" By the time I got a dollar together, he had passed us and the light changed. Now my kids think Mom didn't give Jesus any money. Not only that, but I didn't recognize him, and they did. Food for thought.

Saturday, December 8, 2007

Funny email

YOU KNOW YOU ARE LIVING IN 2007 when...

1. You accidentally enter your password on the microwave.


2. You haven't played solitaire with real cards in years.


3. You have a list of 15 phone numbers to reach your family of 3.


4. You e-mail the person who works at the desk next to you.

5. Your reason for not staying in touch with friends and family is that they don't have e-mail addresses.


6. You pull up in your own driveway and use your cell phone to see if anyone is home to help you carry in the groceries.


7 Every commercial on television has a web site at the bottom of the screen.

8. Leaving the house without your cell phone, which you didn't have the first 20 or 30 (or 60) years of your life, is now a cause for panic and you turn around to go and get it.


10. You get up in the morning and go on line before getting your coffee.


11. You start tilting your head sideways to smile.
: )


12 You're reading this and nodding and laughing.


13. Even worse, you know exactly to whom you are going to forward this message.


14. You are too busy to notice there was no #9 on this list.


15. You actually scrolled back up to check that there wasn't a #9 on this list

AND NOW YOU ARE LAUGHING at yourself.

Tuesday, December 4, 2007

Deep thoughts, by Rachel Elliott

I have been thinking a lot about Bushe, Piper's very young mother. I have read with envy several birthmother meetings where the families have felt a connection with the birthmom. Or even had meaningful conversations. Ours was very quiet, with only a couple of questions answered. Maybe it is because of her young age, or what I am sure is a lack of self esteem or even the fact that she may have never been allowed to form her own opinion that she was unable to answer some questions. Questions like her dreams for the future, if she could choose it. Or the question about what she would like Piper to know about her. Communication was rough, to say the least, since we had to translate what I said to Amharic, and then that had to be translated into Oromo. I guess the possibility of the meaning of what was said could be really lost that way. I am just sad for Piper because I know that she will have many questions some day. Of course, we hope to travel back and visit when she older, maybe 10 or so, and see her mom again, if we can still find her.

Just thinking about it all, and this is just one of those things. I should be grateful that we were able to meet her at all. Piper has pictures and the video so that is good.