4 More to Adore!!!

I know I am really late at posting this blog, but I couldn't not post it because the Joy and excitement found at a homecoming is just undescribable! Apart from angels singing Hallelujah and seeing our Lord face to face there are few things in life that can well you up with emotion as a child who was once an orphan coming home. They are surrounded by love and excitement by people they've never seen that love them deeper than they'll ever know. We had that joy as we welcomed our neighbors and friends home from Ethiopia with FOUR children...Nati 12, Mercy 9, Isaiah 6 and James 4 earlier this month.

It was nothing short of a miracle to watch all four of these children walk hand in hand with their forever family. I call it a miracle because we have watched this family prayerfully wait for this moment almost a year and a half now. At one point they were believing for two of these precious kids to be released from a horrible situation.
Mckenzie excited to greet her BFF ....Mercy! Watching her wait and pray for her friend to come has been another way God has shown me His patient love towards me!

Matthew is ready to have four more kids in the cul de sac to play with!!! "Summer is going to rock, Mom!"

Micah....as much as we have tried to explain that the Mihnovich family is getting four

more kids that will live next door....well, he just thinks Ethiopia is moving to America.

He's been fun to watch at these homecomings!!!

Micah meeting Isaiah for the first time! They are really close in age and they love adventure!!! I think they have given me an ulcer by going down my driveway in a wagon trying to hit everything in their path! (Including me!!!) They have fun being boys and are becoming great buddies, but any time they are together I make sure bike helmets are on them!!!

Elle...who is also our kids babysitter and Levi....the kid who launched a thousand

adoptions....go, Levi, go!!!! Micah can't keep his eyes off Elle! (He knows a good thing when he sees it!)
Elle with her new brother and sister at the airport! Both wonderful kids to be around!
It takes an amazing family to step up and take the responsibility of four more children. The Mihnovich family shines the Love of Jesus Christ in all they do ....so, when Tracy told me they were adopting four, I almost expected it. I was still blown away by it though!!! After all, she had just returned with a 9 month old blessing from Ethiopia, Levi, who steals everyone's heart! Now this family of FIVE would open their arms to FOUR more who needed a home, hope and unrestrained Love!
Micah and Matthew with a new friend....Nati!

McKenzie and her new buddy, Mercy. McKenzie loves Mercy! It was only the power of prayer that brought all four of these precious children into the arms of this family.

I stood amazed as they were walking towards us after landing in Nashville. Here were four children who had been in the worst conditions life can offer: orphaned at a young age, living in poverty and horrible conditions, hopeless for a better tomorrow. Now...they walk hand in hand with a family committed to love them as their own and smother them with kisses every day. A family that would embrace every dream they could possibly have and cherish every smile. Meals made with love and clean water to drink. A family that would love them in the good days and the hard days ahead.

The greatest thing of all is that they were rescued by a family who knows what it is like to be rescued by a loving God out of a hopeless situation. A God who wants only the best for them and their lives on this Earth. God blessed the Mihnovich family with four more beautiful children to love. No longer orphans pushed aside by society. They are loved, chosen and cherished.

As camera flashes went off capturing the moment they arrived at the airport that night, I couldn't help but wonder if they knew what a blessing they were....to all of us standing in awe of what God had done to bring them to America.

You can follow the Mihnovich's on their blog: ourunveiledfaces (click on my sidebar)

Micah's Visit to the E.R.

Well....we made it 7 weeks without our little guy getting a serious bump or bruise, but last night we had to run him to Vanderbilt's Children's Hospital after he fell and cracked his chin open ice skating.

Micah loves to ice skate,(play basketball, football, soccer, run, bike, baseball - you name it!) so we got him in a small class with his brother and sister. He loved watching the Winter Olympic hockey. So I'm thinking...hey, anything is possible and Ethiopia really needs more than one person at the Winter Olympics in the future!! (That's a momma's heart speaking!) He is amazing on the ice! Not so much his moves at this point, but his tenacity and determination! He probably went down 20 or more times in a lesson and he would bounce back up ready to conquer the ice. So when he went down the last time, he came up, pointed to his chin and said simply, "ouch". That's when his coach saw the blood and told me that it looked like a bad cut.

I took off his helmet and knew immediately that I would be making a trip to the E.R. I can't explain it, but every mom that has ever had a hurt child knows the feeling....you just automatically go into a calm mode that gets things done without hysteria. I knew it was God's hand on me because inside I felt like crying for the little guy!! He was so tough. He didn't cry once! Most would be hysterical at the site, but Micah remained calm and even thought the blood all over my hand was kinda cool. I knew he was hurting though because it was a bad cut.

I had a dear friend, Megan, who took my other two kids to her house and off I went to meet Mark to get our boy taken care of.

Mark blamed his buddy Jimmy Mihnovich because just the day before we were all in the cul de sac when Micah rode by being all boy! He then ran over to play soccer with a new buddy also from Ethiopia! Jimmy asked if we had added him to our insurance because we were going to need it!

We know we have an active little boy that loves life and adventure. I am going to have to increase my prayer time! I laugh because we thought our daughter, Mckenzie couldn't be out done when it came to adventure, but she was just our warm up act for what was to come!

Anyway, we got to the E.R. and they were amazing at what they do. Micah stayed calm and acted like this was old hat to him.

I can't tell you how often we were asked if he was our son. I didn't mind because I do realize for some it is confusing. I would mention Ethiopia and they always were taken by how he was so attached to us. It brought adoption into our conversation which is something I love to discuss! If even one orphan can find a home because of my big mouth, it will be worth it!

The doctors and nurses were outstanding. He didn't like the stitches but still didn't move or cry. He was so brave the entire time. He ended up with 3 stitches. I would've thought he needed 5 by the size of the cut, but I was glad when it was over.
I asked the doctor about the scars on Micah and he confirmed some of my fears. I almost burst out in tears. I love this little guy so much that I have a hard time knowing his past holds such hard times. I'm trying to bring his past together one piece at a time.

I want to hold him a little closer, kiss him a lot more and tell him I love him more than his little mind can comprehend. I guess it's just normal to feel this way when you're a mom. It feels like he has always been part of me. Last night my chin hurt just watching them do those stitches. I got home and was exhausted!!!

When it was all done. Micah acted like nothing had happened. He was giving Mark and I such a hard time....laughing the whole time! He was sooo happy!! Me, I'm still exhausted from the whole ordeal!!

So, next time you think of our family or see a child out roller skating or riding a bike...just say a prayer for Micah.... and us! I don't want his life loving spirit to ever change. I know that is exactly the way God made him. Micah is made for something that will take a lot of energy to accomplish. God must know Mark and I have the energy to keep up or at least go down trying!!!

*thank you Megan & Ashlie for taking care of our oldest and making the evening a lot easier!

Micah's Friend Comes Home

Last Friday night Micah Shewit went to his first Homecoming since his own to welcome the Peters family home with their two precious sons from Ethiopia. What made this so wonderful was the fact that the oldest son the Peter's were bringing home was a friend of Micah's in Ethiopia at the Hannah's Hope Orphanage. It was surreal to see these two together again!
To give you a little background on the story.....soon after returning from Ethiopia with Micah, I received a comment on my blog from Fikadu's mom, Cris. She said that she had a picture of Micah with her oldest son and that they were friends. Needless to say, I was thrilled and so excited to have someone Micah knew be so close to where we could have play dates!!! (The last play date they had was in Ethiopia!)
Right before the Peter's left to go pick up Fikadu and Abush, we met them at an Ethiopian adoption support group. It was such a great moment! I couldn't help but squeal with excitement! I can't wait to get to know this wonderful family even better. They took a picture with Micah to take with them to show Fikadu who would be waiting in Tennessee to greet him when he got off the plane. ( Micah ate Jalepeno chips with ketchup waiting! He just likes everything spicy or hot even if his eyes are running!)
Micah Shewit was so excited to see his buddy walk up from the gate and positioned himself were Fikadu would see him first thing....and he did. Fikadu walked right over to Micah and they gave each other a big hug. Such a priceless moment!!! When we got home, Micah asked were Fikadu would be sleeping! We explained that he was going home to sleep with his forever family but we would see him soon. Micah just smiled a very knowing smile that he was happy for his friend.

I stand in amazement at how God does not miss even the smallest details in our life....Every Life Matters to Him! To think that these two little guys came together because of a tragedy in their life. They became friends in an orphanage and now they will grow up down the road from one another in America... Brought together this time by God's Love!