Little Shot big tears

Hannah had to get her Hepatitis A booster today and Wow what a production she put on. This girl went from giggling and telling her nurse Thank you for a shot the previous three years of her life to I am going to cry and be as stiff as a board before you stick that neetle into my leg. The very patient nurse was finally able to get the job done and Hannah just sobbed saying"I just want my daddy"...I hate that I have to by the bad guy that takes her to get shots. Although this has been the first bad experience. We headed directly over to Daddy's office just across the street still tears in her eyes and she didn't want much to do with him but just clung to me...that made me feel a little better.

Reason for the shot is if we decide to take her with us to ET. We had pretty much made the desicion not to take her when we thought we would just be traveling for an infant. The trip would have been too much for her and us both. God has been really working in our hearts as far as adopting an older child and that is what we are pursuing at this time. I can't really give out too many details at this time but am very excited about adding a 10 yr. old ET girl to our family. If everything works out we would want Hannah to join us on our trip.

Happy New Year (Chinese that is)

They started the Chinese New Year celebration today. Since we have a daughter from China I feel I need to keep up with the culture in her country. So I found this web site that really explains how the Chinese celebrate Spring Festival (New Year). Click on the link here to learn about the Chinese culture. This year celebrates the year of the OX. I don't believe in any zodiac calendar at all but it was fun reading about our different signs. Ron (Snake) Bliss (Sheep) Hannah (Monkey). The descriptions were almost spot on for the most part...especially Hannah.
Blessings,
Bliss

Powerful Video

Please Friends and family click on the link below. It will give you some idea why we are so moved to adopt from Africa. As a Christian I feel I need to do even more than adopt. Please keep this organization in your prayers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3v7ZQUzr0yo

Blessings,
Bliss

Someone is missing at our table

Since my husband's brother retired and moved back home we have all taken turns hosting a family dinner on Saturday evening (us, Ron's parents and Ron's brother). Ron's mother has had to miss a few dinners this past year because of her illness, but this is the first one she won't be attending because she is dining in heaven. Oh the feast she must be enjoying. She will be missed at our table each Saturday night but we will think of her and try to imagine the great dinner table she is sharing with our Savior.

The photo is a beautiful rose arangement sent in honor of Charlotte (I took this photo this morning...these flowers are a week old and still look great).

We had not had a chance to do Christmas with my father so he made the trip up for Charlotte's funeral and we finally exchanged gifts. OK is this pay back. One of Hannah's gifts was a lollipop bigger than her face. Thanks dad. I swear it will take months to get rid of this sugar monster. I like to refer to it as a sugar discus on a stick.

Blessings,

Bliss

Final Goodbye

I was holding Hannah as she watched Grandma's coffin being put into the hearse and she said "Mommy are they going to drop Grandma off at Heaven?"

We had Charlotte's funeral yesterday. It was a beautiful service. Hannah did really well during the service I was very proud of her. She has really handled the situation in such a mature way. She finally broke down in tears on Sunday evening and got all her sadness out.

Last evening Ron's whole family gathered at our home for a delicious meal provided by my awesome bible study pals.

This morning all the family we hosted for nearly a week left and the house was so quiet. We really enjoyed having the whole family from all over the country gathered together these past few days. I am so blessed to have married into such a great family that has so much fun and love to share.

Hannah had her second session of swimming lessons tonight. She is having so much fun but she is a little more advanced in her swimming skills than what she is being taught. I was on swim team growing up and Hannah has loved being in the water since we met her. So I have worked with her in the water before she was even one. She could probably pass a couple of levels and move up but honestly she just loves being in the water so what the heck...I'll just let her have fun.

OK I know there is probably more than I want to share but am a bit exhuasted from this past week.

Blessings,

Bliss

Another Loss

Goodbye, Ariel, Flounder and Flounder's cousin (Hannah's fishes names)

As if Hannah hasn't had enough to deal with with losing her grandma her daddy killed her fish today.  He accidentally used water with chlorine in it to change the water...and within minutes they were dead.  Hannah put her little hands on her hips and yelled at daddy "You killed my fish!"  This poor child.  Daddy apologized and reminded her that she is one step closer to getting a dog.  Her plan was when these fish died we would get some more fish and when those fish died we would get one more batch of fish and when the died we would get a dog.  I'm upset because I think those fish would have lived forever (and now we are one step closer to having a dog again).  Don't get me wrong I love dogs but am allergic and it has been nice to be dog free for nearly two years.  They were the craziest fish I have ever seen.  I will miss them.  

Hannah and I went over to grandpa's house after the accidental death of her fish.  The house was full of Ron's relatives and Hannah entered the house and said "I have an announcement...Daddy killed my fish".  Her uncle who gave them to her for birthday kind of laughed when he heard what his brother the doctor did...isn't he supposed to be in the business of saving lives.Most of Ron's family arrived yesterday and they went to the funeral home to plan their mother's funeral.  Afterward they all came to our house for a fantastic meal provided by my husband's office staff.  It was very kind of them.

More family arrived today so we have three houses full of family.  Charlotte's funeral will be on Tuesday and visitation Monday evening.  I'm really torn if I want Hannah (age 4) see grandma in her casket.  I don't know what that will do to her.  She saw my mother at her funeral (2 yrs. old).  When we walked out the door she cried I just want to see grandma.  But she was OK.  She wasn't nearly as close with my mother as she was with Ron's.  I do think I will chose to let her see grandma.  I think it will be good for her to say goodbye and open a door for us to discuss heaven and what happens when you die.

Blessings,

Bliss

Sad day

It is a sad day for our family. My husband lost his mother and my daughter lost her dear grandmother today. We knew it was coming as she as been fighting cancer for nearly 4 years. When she was first diagnosed I thought Oh know she won't get to meet Hannah. But God had plans to get her well and that is what happened. She was able to meet her granddaughter and over the last couple years they have created such a beautiful relationship. Grandma Charlotte loved Hannah more than anything on earth... that was her words from her hospital bed a few weeks ago. I was so happy to see my daughter sing and dance for her grandmother just before she went to be with Jesus.
Blessings,
Bliss

Sick of Winter

OH MY GOSH I AM SICK OF WINTER. We woke up to probably the worst blizzard yet this whole winter season. We couldn't even see ours neighbors house the snow was blowing so hard. Guess what? It didn't stop us from driving to McDonald's for breakfast...we couldn't barely see the road in front of us. Ron took the day off early last week...probably a good thing as nobody would have shown up for their appointments anyway. We made it to McDonald's which was quite busy considering the horrible weather. It turns out Hannah and I were the only females (besides the employees) there. It was kind of funny all these men sitting around shootin' the breeze enjoying their coffee and egg mcmuffins. Ladies you understand why Hannah and I were the only females in the room. Women are just way too smart to adventure out in such horrid weather just to get their coffee and Mcmuffin fix.


So what do you do when it is like the worst blizzard and you are up to your eyeballs in snow. You call your travel agent and book a vacation in Jamaica. Yep, that is what my husband did today...PTL we can't wait to feel some warm weather. We love Jamaica. We have been there several times this will be Hannah's 2nd trip there. We are actually going back to the same place we went with her a couple of years ago (the resort has Sesame Street Characters that put on fun shows each evening). It was fun then but will be even better now because they have added a water park to the resort. Oh, the added bonus is that we got an incredible deal. If you are interested in travel...prices are way cheap right now.


We also have to say God is doing great things this month with our agency. There were a couple of more referrals today. That is a record 13 since the beginning of the new year. We are so excited for these families. Praise God...children in ET are getting forever families.

Blessings,
Bliss

Baby Aida

Hannah got this beautiful doll as a Christmas gift from her Aunt & Uncle. It l0oks like what Hannah's little sister will look like. Hannah actually received the gift on the Christmas Eve of Ethiopia (Jan. 6th). We didn't plan that but I think it is kind of cool how it just happened that way. Anyway when we got home Hannah said she wanted to give her baby an Ethiopian name. So I went my list of Ethiopian girl names and started reading them off to her (not telling her the meanings) and when I came to Aida she "Yes, Aida should be her name". This child has Princess radar built right in. Aida means Ethiopian Princess. I've seen "Aida" on Broadway a couple of times and absolutely love this show. I liked it better the first time I saw it because Heather Headley played the lead and she is so very talented.
Hannah is practicing to be a loving a caring big sister

Isn't this doll just the cutest ?


Hannah noticed that her baby needed some baby booties and I said we would shop for some. Her Aunt called today to tell her she had found some preemie baby booties and a sleeper for her baby. This made us think of how much things have changed in the last 30 years. Hannah has a cousin that was born prematurely nearly 30 years ago (less than 2lbs). Her mother actually had to buy doll clothes for her because there was really no baby clothes that small for a baby. Now you can buy preemie clothes for your doll...I think that is so funny.

Blessings,
Bliss

mälkam gäna/መልካም ገና (Merry Christmas)

A little information on Christmas in Ethiopia...interesting stuff. Also just wanted to share an update about referrals. So Exciting. In the last 2 days something like 6 or 7 families have received referrals. This is very good news as there were only 3 referrals in the whole month of December.

Christmas/Genna
The Ethiopian Christmas, known locally as Ganna after a hockey-like game the shepherds played when Jesus was born, usually falls on the old Julian calendar date of January 7.
On Christmas Eve, a religious ceremony takes place in all Orthodox Christian churches throughout the Ethiopian highlands. The ceremonies are long and involve the whole congregation. Priests dance sedately, swaying side to side in time with their sistrums (silver percussion instruments), while the younger, more athletic men gather around a drummer dancing, leaping and jumping, achieving an almost trance-like state.
Ganna is really enjoyable. There is a gently festive air, especially on Christmas Eve in Addis where lots of urban types go out eating, drinking and dancing.

OK can you picture the shepherds playing hockey during the birth of Jesus...I can totally picture this as they would probably have been like teenage boys with staffs that work very well as hockey sticks. I don't know what they used as pucks but I'm thinking those sheep left some droppings that would work. Do you really think hockey got its roots from biblical times...was Jesus a hockey fan?


Blessings,
Bliss

Good News

So excited to report our adoption agency made three families new year very happy today.
The following families received their referrals today.
Bowmans, Crowells, Luncefords Check out their blogs. They won't be able to share photos until they pass court but...know they are so excited to see photos and read information about their children. Keep these families in prayer...It is so hard to see photos of your child and have to wait months to actually hold them in your arms.

Blessings,
Bliss

One Last Merry Christmas

Hannah's Grandma has little time left to spend with us before she gets to go to heaven. She gave us money to get Hannah a special Christmas gift. We knew Hannah wanted a bike and Grandma agreed she would love to give Hannah her first bike.