The Bailey Family

Florida!

2009-02-26T09:03:00.004-06:00

Two weeks ago tomorrow, we began our adventure! 7 Kids (ages 7,6,5,4,3,2,2) and 6 adults piled into a 15 passenger van and headed down to florida. We left at 4:30 pm on Friday from Duluth Minnesota, and arrived in Destin Florida Saturday night around 7:30. Now our family has made a number of road trips of 20+ hours, Nathanael and I are crazy and drive usually drive straight through without staying overnight. But this trip was different. Sure, the volume level in the BUS was amazing at some points, there usually was one child that was somewhat one edge, but surprisingly I can say, this was the easiest road trip we have ever taken. Probably because our usual adult to child ratio of 2:4, was now a favorable 6:7!!! And we actually got to sleep during the trip. I am putting together a video documentary, and hope to share it with you soon.
BESIDES the ride to and from, our vacation in Florida was wonderful. Plently of sun, even if it always wasn't Hot. Lots of time at the beach playing, flying kites, and taking walks. We took in a dolpin and sea lion show at the Gulfarium. Went to TWO movies in three days, when does that ever happen!!!
It has been a long time since we've tried for a good family picture, so I planned to take some pics down at the beach. They turned out beautifully!!!

Happy New Years!

2009-01-01T11:25:00.003-06:00

Hope you all had a wonderful evening. We spent the night at my brother and sister-in-laws house. Despite the sub zero temps, and very cold wind chill, we bundled up and spent a few hours out on the rink. This was the first time ice skating for all our kids.

Belle

2008-12-13T18:23:00.004-06:00

Our sweet, kind, and passive dog Belle died a week ago. I wanted to post some pictures in rememberance of her. She really was one of the best puppies, but she had some quirks. Some endearing, and some annoying. For the first few years of her life she was extremly energetic. I had NEVER seen a dog run that fast. She was very cuddly. She would find anyone's legs appealing, and back her butt right up to them, and lean all her weight on you. Belle was such a picky eater. She rarely cleaned up the mess on the floor after a meal. And with four little kids, this was something I wished she would have done. But on that same picky note, she never got into the kids toys, shoes, or anything else that was laying around. Belle was so obedient, and listened very well. She was always tolerant of the kids, and well behaved. She was the perfect family dog. We miss her very much. These are pictures of us saying goodbye to her.

top- secret enviornmental recycling program

2008-11-24T18:58:00.002-06:00

O.K. so the secret must come out. For now there is proof of my recent activities. For years now I have been secretly involved in an environmental recycling program. Monthly jumping on large cardboard boxes from Nathanael's work. I break them down and burn them up. The mission has been top secret until this last Saturday when the programs vow (Yes... I am willing to risk life and limb) came to pass. Whilst jumping on a particularly large and strong cardboard box, I lost my balance, fell straight forward onto our unforgiving STONE patio.

The outcome of my unfortunate accident, a broken elbow. Recovery will be around six week. We'll keep you updated!

Build up a highway

2008-10-15T16:09:00.008-05:00

This is a song that I wrote a few days ago. It is based on Isaiah 62:10 that says, Pass through, pass through the gates. Prepare the way for the people. Build up the highway. Remove the stones. Raise a banner for the nations!

Here are the lyrics....
His eyes, are searching the land
For eyes, that look for his plan
And his hands, they're reaching down
For hands, that are reaching up

He is searching, he is looking, he is waiting, for his children To come now, and bow down, sayin us me, sayin us me.... to

Build up, build up a highway
Pick up, and remove the stones
lift up, lift high a banner
Make known the unknown, and build up a highway!

A mess that is blog worthy.

2008-09-16T14:02:00.000-05:00

Innocent you think?? I think not!!! When asked who got into the flour first, Samuel told the truth. I will credit him that! "Who did this!??" I exclaimed. "Samuel or Amilia?"

They Both exclaimed, "SAMUEL!!" Looks like they both had too much fun. I stripped Sam before I got a picture. But he was just as messy as his little sister.

We are enjoying a beautiful day here. It is in the mid 70's, so I am filling up the pool for one last dip of the summer!!

Lincoln turned five

2008-08-06T12:24:00.004-05:00

Amilia sings to Lincoln!!

Puddle Jumping

2008-07-25T12:20:00.003-05:00

Don't you just love Rain Showers on a sunny day. The boys were outside playing in the sunshine, when all of the sudden it started to pour. They came inside and colored. When it was done pouring, we slid on our puddle boots and went out to find the biggest puddle! We had a great walk!

Not too much

2008-06-03T09:51:00.002-05:00

Well, this is a first- a video blog entry. I wanted to share this song that I wrote a few months ago called not too much.
Here are the lyrics.

Not too much
By Anna Bailey

Come to me, Come to Me, You are Weary
I will give you rest
Come to me, Come to Me, You are Weary
I will give you rest

What about my rebellious ways
Look what I’ve become
Many days I’ve gone astray
I feel I’m overcome………
But it’s not too much, It’s not too much for HIM

Be at rest, Be at rest, Oh my soul
For the Lord is Good
Be at rest, Be at rest, Oh my soul
For the Lord is Good

But what about my selfishness
And my ugly Pride
I can’t hide my life’s distress
And I’m growing tired
But it’s not too much, It’s not too much for HIM

Let's be encouraged that there is nothing that we do, say, or think that God cannot forgive and make new!

Forgive me- Oh Faithful Blog readers!

2008-05-14T21:35:00.005-05:00

So, what are the reasons for my postponed blogging? I think it is because so much has happen over the last few months!

Here are the pictures, and captions in review!

April 12th- Nathanael turns 30! He celebrated with two birthday parties, one in the Cities with family, and one in Duluth with friends.

We celebrated Sammy's third birthday! He giggled all night long at his new CAT dump truck!

Surprise! I also found him doing some light reading!

We celebrated Amilia's gotcha day! It was May 3rd of last year that we began to care for her 24/7. Wow! What a trying and wonderful year we have had!! This picture was taken while she was trying on one of Nathanael's birthday gifts!

I celebrated my 31st birthday with a nice quiet night at home. Nathanael made fajitas that went wonderfully with a glass of wine! Here I am opening a card from the kids!

It has been a busy few months!
Stay tuned- I hope to post more frequently!

One year ago!

2008-03-13T10:19:00.000-05:00

It is so hard to believe that a year has passed since we received our referral of Amilia Degenesh. I got the call on March 6th in the afternoon. I was painting her nursery when the phone rang. I picked it up, heard our social workers voice and screamed! We had been waiting 5 months for that call. After I settled down, I sat down on the basement stairs and she gave me all the information. I then called Nathanael and we both opened up our email- him at work, me at home, and we looked at her picture. What a moment. Seeing your child for the first time.

That night we celebrated and called family and friends.

Now, one year later... it has gone by too fast. It has been the hardest and most wonderful year of my life! After a hard 6-8 months, we have really settled in to our new family. Almost every day I look at her and get close to tears. She is such a blessing.

Our kitchen is done!

2008-02-11T14:18:00.000-06:00

After 7 months of renovation our kitchen is complete. Here are some pictures of the whole process.
*July* we pulled up four layers of flooring the the kitchen, and laid hard wood done. They we had someone come in and refinish them.
a long pause in the action while we waited for the money to come in for the rest!
*December* Made a corner bench out of two pews our church gave to us! Put up the paneling tongue and groove for the breakfast nook. (Much thanks to Dad and Mom Bailey for all their help)
*January* Installed new counters, got a new kitchen table as a gift, and installed a new "old" sink I got at a garage sale for $20!!!
*February* Finished the paneling and painted!

Give till it hurts

2008-01-18T14:31:00.000-06:00

I always knew there would come a time when I would learn life lessons from my children. Last night was a profound lesson from Lincoln. After christmas we decided as a family to go through our toys and give away some of them. When I first explained the idea to the children, they were excited. So we went through the house and looked for toys that other little boys and girls would really enjoy. When we were nearing the end of the collecting, Lincoln came to me with a brillant idea. "Can I give my blanket to a little boy that doesn't have one?" Now this is the blanket I knit for him before he was born, and has slept with it almost every night. Part of me wanted to say, NO- that's your special blanket that mommy made for you, you should keep it. But I decided to see how this one would play out. Lincoln preceeded to get a ziploc bag and placed his blanket inside. Not much more was said about the matter.
It was the next morning that I realized he fell asleep without it, and didn't even ask for it.
Now toy drop off day was still a week away, so the blanket did make it out of the ziploc for the rest of the evenings. But when it was time to drop off the toys last night, Lincoln remembered the blanket, and placed it back in the ziploc. Out the door the boys went with Nathanael to drop of their things. 20 minutes latter they arrived home, and I asked Lincoln, "Did you leave your blanket there?" He looked at me like, OF COURSE, it's for a little boy that needs one. He had already made the decision, and had the resolve to go through with it. There was no question about it, that blanket was for someone else now. AMAZING!! It seems it was almost harder for me to see the blanket go, than for him.
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:19-21
Lincoln, thanks for the great life lesson!!

Welcome Elijah Thomas Bailey

2008-01-12T20:11:00.000-06:00

Please forgive this belated welcome to our newest nephew! Nathanael's brother Philip, and his wife Abby had their first baby. Elijah Thomas was born on November 13th. He is a very healthy little one, but was tiny when he first arrived. We got to see and hold all 3 pounds and 10 ounces of him just one week after he was born. We are so excited and proud to have Elijah join our family.

psalm 126

2008-01-03T14:19:00.000-06:00

Lately I have noticed that some of my family and friends are going through times of great trial, suffering, and pain. Some of you may be reading this right now. I want to encourage you with this promise from God.

"Those who sow in tears, will reap with songs of JOY. He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him." psalm 126: 5-6

This psalm is such an encouragement to me because it holds a promise from God. If we sow the Word of God in our lives and the lives around us during a time of weeping, we WILL reap a harvest of JOY.

Below is the way that I have interpreted and applied it in song

Sow the Seed
Sow the seed, amidst the sorrow
tears of pain, soak the harvest tomorrow
Go forth in hope, of the faithful ONE
He prepares the soil, for the work of the Son

Those who sow in tears, will reap with shouts of Alleluia, Alleluia
Those who sow in tears, will reap with shouts of Alleluia, Alleluia

Reap the sheaves, with Joyous strains
Carry it with laughter, that's replaced the pain
All praise to HIM , he's forever Blessed
He's renewed, restored, and brought a new harvest

Those who sow in tears, will reap with shouts of Alleluia, Alleluia
Those who sow in tears, will reap with shouts of Alleluia, Alleluia

I thank you God for your great renewing promise!

HAIR

2007-12-21T10:22:00.001-06:00

Here are some pictures of Amilia's hair-do's over the last few months. It is getting so much longer, and I am able to do lots more with it. BUT I HAVE A LOT TO LEARN. African hair is very dry and brittle. It needs the natural oils of the scalp, so I only wash her hair every two weeks. Styling in braids and twists can encourage hair growth. I have also learned that hair is a symbol of status in the black community. All this is very new, and very interesting!

Sing a new Song

2007-11-30T15:56:00.000-06:00

It is hard for me to put into words the wonderful experience I have had over the last six weeks. But here goes a try at it.

God has been so real and close. I go to bed at night, excited about the next day thinking, "I can't wait to see what God has in store for me tomorrow." It seems my soul longs to be with him. In the last six weeks, I have written 7 songs. Never before have I had such a passion for writing music. I have been experiencing so much of God, and I think writing music is a way of applying these spiritual truths to my life. I now understand personally what the psalmist meant when he wrote, "sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things." (psalm 98:1)

When reading and studying the Bible, the words are fresh to me. (Even though I may have read them many times.) Specifically I have been pondering a scripture found in Ephesians 3:19
... and to know this love that surpasses knowledge-- that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

What does it mean to be filled to the measure of ALL the fullness of God?? That is the question I couldn't get out of my mind. After studying the Bible, and praying about it, I wrote the following song.

Fullness

God was pleased to have his fullness dwell
Within the one, sent ahead to for tell
of a new covenant, a blood poured out
that saves lives, from sin and doubt
he was... filled to the measure, of the fullness of God

The fullness of God, he died and rose again
He left his presence, in the hearts of men
When I seek the one, who died on the tree
All of God's fullness, can be found in me
I can be ... filled to the measure , of the fullness of God

Now we are his Body, his fullness today
Filled with his spirit, in every which way
The body of Christ, upon this earth
A Kingdom within, of eternal worth
We can be.. filled to the measure, of the fullness of God

Seek the Lord, Abide with Him
Seek the Lord, Abide with Him
Seek the Lord, Abide with Him
to be ... filled to the measure, of the fullness of God

Thanks for letting me share what God has been doing in my life.

Fall Pictures

2007-11-14T10:21:00.000-06:00

Minnesota in the fall.... beautiful, breathtaking.... a little bit of heaven. These pictures where taken at Grandpa and Grandma Bailey's house.

What a Mommy can do in 20 minutes.....

2007-10-25T20:30:00.000-05:00

I should have awoke to the radio.... I should have taken a shower the night before.....I should have packed Isaac's lunch yesterday....

These are the thoughts racing through my head at 7:40 when I awoke to sammy's voice. THE BUS WOULD BE HERE IN TWO MINUTES.... THE RACE IS ON....

Obviously, there was no chance to get Isaac to the bus stop on time, so that gave me 20 minutes to get out the door and to school. I ran upstairs got Isaac's and Lincoln's clothes out, and while they got dressed woke up Amilia, changed and dressed her. Then down stairs to figure out breakfast- two rounds of waffles in the toaster would be quick. Amilia sat in her chair and while I got started. Isaac and Lincoln made there way downstairs to the table. Sammy still wasn't changed, but found his way downstairs to the table for breakfast. While the kids were eating, I jumped in the shower. Yesterday I had the flu, and was feeling so gross. I HAD to shower!!!! My soaking wet tangled hair was covered with a stocking hat, and I quick threw on some clothes. Once out of the shower I gave the kids a one minute warning and laid out the coats and boots. Isaac finished up, washed his face, brushed his teeth and was ready to go. Lincoln also was quick to be ready by the door. Sam was not about to move that quick, he was insistent on finishing his waffle. So I gave him some extra time while I got Amilia ready. By then he was finished, but still in pj's and a soaking wet diaper. I didn't have time to change him, so on went the rain boots and coat. Our usual routine is to watch Barney after breakfast, so he was headed that way. He was not about to head to the car on his own, so I had to carry him kicking and screaming out to the car. On the way out I hit his head on the door frame- oops! Amilia was left in the entry screaming- and SHE CAN SCREAM!!! Out at the car I realized Amilia's carseat hadn't been refastened since it was taken out the day before. hummmmm... Ok.... Isaac, you sit in amilia's seat, Lincoln in Isaac's, Sammy in Lincoln's and Amilia in Sammys.
We arrive at the school to see the principle close the side door - Isaac is tardy!! In I ran to the office, and Isaac to his class.....

As if that wasn't crazy enough.... Lincoln had to be back at the same school in 15 minutes for preschool- We headed home to change Sammy, and get Lincoln's school stuff. On the way out the door to school for the SECOND TIME of the morning.. I picked up Amilia and she stunk!!! So after a one very messy diaper, Lincoln was also 5 minutes late for school.

THEN...... Sammy, Amilia, and I headed to the vet to pick up Belle. She had surgery yesterday on her ear. This is her second surgery on the ear in two months. I looked at the ear when I got home and..... The surgery didn't work, her ear is still swollen. She has another appointment tomorrow morning.

I am thankful...
I am thankful I didn't yell at my kids this morning...
I am thankful......

The coveted family picture

2007-10-10T09:44:00.000-05:00

I was reminded a few days ago- "A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS."
We'll try again another day:)

Sammy's introduction to the potty!!

2007-10-06T15:17:00.000-05:00

******Rules to follow******
(for mommy and daddy Bailey)
don't expect to get anything else done
roll up the rugs
have plenty of m&m's on hand
washer must be running at all times
have plenty of rags and cleaner in every room
throw a poopy party- complete with a poopy present
be very excited about every little drop of pee
expect to find "presents around the house"
DON'T GIVE UP

Lincoln's First Day of Pre-School

2007-09-12T09:01:00.000-05:00

Lincoln has been anxious for this day. Last year when Isaac rode the bus to speech, Lincoln stated he was six, and it was time for him to ride the bus. So, if he was six last year, that puts him this year as an eight year old going to pre-school. He ran up to the school door, showed me where his class was, and that was that. He was VERY VERY ready to go to pre-school. Here are some cute pics!

Off to school

2007-09-06T08:53:00.000-05:00

So this is what it feels like to have my first born off to school. I woke Isaac at 7 this morning. He usually sleeps until 8!! But he woke with a shot, excited that today was Kindergarten. The WHOLE family hopped in the car, and we headed to Rockridge. It is a quaint little school, nestled under hawks ridge and is just for Kindergarten and First grade. Mrs. Baker met him at the door, he hung his coat up, put his gym shoes away, and found his seat. And that was that! He was definently ready for school. As we were walking up to the school he said, "Can I walk in the door by myself?" He is enrolled in the all day Kindergarten, from 8:05- 2:45. He will be so exhausted these first few weeks.
Lincoln is at a loss this morning. He has asked me to play trains with him a dozen times. Isaac and Lincoln got to be excellent playmates this summer. Lincoln will be off to pre-school next week at the same little school. He will go Tues, Wed, and Thurs, mornings. I will blog next week with Lincoln's school pictures.

It all began with....

2007-08-19T21:20:00.000-05:00

TWO- individuals who came together as one.
A POST about the two of us.

Last night, Nathanael and I drove to the cities for his 10 year high school reunion. My parents came over from the cabin and generously offered to watch all four kids. We don't often get so dressed up, so we snapped a quick picture before walking out the door.

So... when becoming a parent you become selfless, but you don't want to loss yourself. You may ask, what have these selves been up to lately? Through the chaos of four children, surprisingly we have had some wonderful time together as a couple. We spend time chatting on the couch, having friends and family over, watching movies. It seems our relationship has a renewed sense of humor, which is a MUST in our crazy house.
Nathanael was recently promoted to foreman of his shop. This means he continues to work on cars, but also is the leader and trainer in the back of the shop. Every Thursday morning he meets with a group of good friends for breakfast and accountability. He also has been running the sound equipment at church a couple of times a month. This is something Nathanael loves to do, and does and excellent job.

My sanity lately has been grounded by a few activities- baking and music. I have gotten into homemade breads- yummy!!! Two weeks ago I bought a new guitar, and I should have it any day. I play piano and guitar often, the kids love it. Writing music also is a great creative outlet for me. There is just something special about singing and playing a song no one else knows - especially as a praise to my heavenly father.
So that's the TWO of us lately- catch you at the next blog.

Amilia's ONE

2007-08-17T18:51:00.001-05:00

It's hard to believe that yesterday, August 16, Amilia turned one. Since we have only had her for 3 months, it seemed so strange. We have a quiet day at home. We grilled dinner and had strawberry shortcake. Amilia would have NOTHING to do with her cake. No fun messes to take pictures of- oh well, we already have plenty of those. She is cruising along furniture, and crawling very fast.
Our hard wood floors are finished, but our kitchen is still under constuction. That project has been put on hold because some friends of ours gave us a nice wooden playground. So we have been landscaping our backyard to make room for it. It is now up and completed. We had a HUGE load of wood chips dumped in our driveway. The boys had LOTS of fun climbing and slidding down that. YES- slidding down a pile of woodchips!! Can you say- SPLINTERS IN THEIR CUT LITTLE BOTTOMS!!!

2007-07-09T15:52:00.000-05:00

What does 5 days with 4 kids equal?
NEW HARDWOOD FLOORS!!!!
Back in May we had quite a hail storm here- golf ball size hail!! Our window trim had minor damage, but the insurance company sent us a major check!! After living with CARPET in the KITCHEN for three years we decided to use some of our insurance money and refinish our hard wood. Nathanael tore up carpet, 2 layers of linolum and pine hard wood before he got to the sub floor. Over the weekend Nathanael and I installed oak hardwood in the kitchen. Here are some pictures of our progress. The boys enjoyed sitting on the counter and watching Nathanael rip up the floor. We moved most of our furniture out to the garage, but the we weren't about to move the piano out of the house. It didn't make it around the corner to the living room, so it has taken up residence in the bathroom. HEE!!! HEE!!!

Sorry so long...

2007-06-14T22:17:00.000-05:00

since I have blogged!!! I have heard that there are many of you that still check our blog often! We are definitely settling into life with four children. Amilia is doing so well. She has been battling a double ear infection since coming home. We just finished our second dose of Antibiotic and have a recheck next week. The boys are loving their new sister. Before traveling to Africa, I was worried about how they would adjust. Isaac would say often, "I just want is to be three boys, and mom and dad." Today he told me, "I love my new baby sister!" They are very sweet with her, and she has gotten used to the amount of action around the house. When we first came home, she would get freaked out by the noise and activity level, now she is joining right in!!! Nathanael and I are missing the sweet coos and talking we first heard from Amilia. Now she grunts and sounds just like Sammy!! (Sammy still grunts and doesn't say much, even though just turned two!!)

Tonight we had a photo shoot in the backyard!
We actually got some adorable pictures of them all together! It is quite a trick to get everyone to smile and look at the camera! Ages for these pictures- Isaac 5 1/2- Lincoln 4 1/2 -Sammy 2 - Amilia 9 months.

Amilia has adjusted so well. When in Africa she learned how to sit up by herself, and just yesterday she began to crawl on all fours!!! She doesn't go very far yet- but it will be soon enough. She is also doing a great job at feeding herself. She hadn't ever until arriving home, and now she is a pro!! She doesn't have any teeth yet - but she can gum a lot of it. It is taking some time to attach to us. Obviously, she prefers me to Nathanael, just because I am always with her. She is waking up in the middle of the night to eat, which she NEVER did at the care center! Needless to say, Nathanael and I are getting anxious for her to sleep through the night!!! The middle of the night feedings, and our American food has helped Amilia to gain 3 pounds since coming home!!! She is still tiny compared to other American babies, but we are happy with the progress!

Hope you enjoy the pictures!!!

Out of the fog.....

2007-05-10T17:28:00.000-05:00

And into reality!!!
**** Note- I started this blog on Thursday night, but didn't get to posting it until Saturday-
Today was the first morning that I had all four children to myself. I told Nathanael, "I bet you are excited to get back to work!!! HEE HEE!!!" He said no, of course. At one point yesterday,
Amilia was crying because she was tired, Isaac was chasing after the cat who had gotten outside, Sammy was throwing a fit because he didn't want his boots on, and Lincoln.... hummm... I don't recall what he was up too. But at that point I was thinking, what have I gotten myself into!! Can I really handle all four? Well, I made it through day one, and we are all in one piece. Amilia has started to cry a bit more, especially when she is hungry and tired. She has learnded to cry when she is hungry, which is great thing!! For the first couple of days we didn't know when she was hungry because she never cried.
***** Now it is Saturday, and there is never a dull moment at the Bailey's.. Yesterday morning I took Amilia to the doctor for her one hour appointment. The boys stayed with grandma at home, which was a good thing. We arrived at 8:45, and didn't get home until 12:30. Amilia was very well taken care of, and that was evident to the doctor. Although, he did find a double ear infection and ringworm on her scalp. The ringworm sounds worse than it is. It is just a fungus and we put lotion on it for the next 6 weeks. Then She got 4 shots, and had to get 11 viles of blood drawn for extensive testing. Well, lets just say it is the worst experience that I have ever had at the doctor. They couldn't find a vein in her tiny arm- so after 1 hour and 15 minutes of crying, we finally called it quits. We only got 5 viles of blood drawn, and I have to go back in on Monday to finish. The poor thing had a fever and slept the rest of the day. What a welcome to America!!!

She's almost home!!!!

2007-05-06T11:34:00.000-05:00

Well, it is hard to believe, but we finally made it home! Well- almost!!! We flew in last night, and stayed in White Bear Lake before heading home to Duluth. Nathanael, Amilia, and I have some wicked jet lag. I will post our trip in more detail later, but I wanted to post a picture of our newest addition. She is wonderful!!!

Heading Home Tomorrow

2007-05-03T20:39:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone

It still amazes me that with a click of a button, you all
can get this email half way accross the world. Today is Thursday, 5 pm our
time, 9 am for you all- we have a a great couple of days. We went to
the Crown hotel two nights ago for traditional cusine- injera and wot(stews and
large round flat pancakes). It was ok- but we have loved the food made
by the cooks at the guest house. The traditonal song and dance was
amazing!!

Amilia is doing so well. She slept through the night again, and is
always smiling and happy. She is know at the care center to always be happy
and contented!!! We are so thankful she is such an easy going baby. She
will fit right in with the chaos.

Everyone here is so nice!!! The driving is crazy- cars, goats, people, donkeys, horses, and cows share the streets. But we have not seen one accident. On the walk to the care center we pass the goats being slaughtered on the corner. It is amazing what you get used to so quickly. It doesn't bother us at all anymore. The food is all organic and fresh- delicious, but we have to be careful what we eat.

Our ride is here to take us back to the guest house, so the next time I
write, I will attach pictures of our Amilia- she is absolutly wonderful!!!
love you all, Anna

We're in Ethiopia!!!

2007-04-29T14:33:00.000-05:00

Hello. This is Erin posting for Anna and Nathanael.

We arrived in Ethiopia and met Amilia yesterday. She is very beautiful, healthy, and thriving. We had her with us for about 3 hours. She is also extremely active and crawling already! We were happy that she didn't cry when we held her and that we were able to get her giggling. When we don't have her she is well taken care of by loving nannies at the care center.

Today we took an eight hour trip south to meet Amilia's birthfamily. We spoke with them for 1/2 an hour and took a couple of pictures. We are so thankful that we had this experience and will be able to share it with Amilia when she is older. The people of Ethiopia have been kind to us. We are amazed at how gracious everyone has been even though so many live in extreme poverty.

Back to Erin: At this point, Anna's phone minutes ran out. She was calling from a roof top. We cannot wait for them to come home and to finally meet precious Amilia. We know that you are all excited as well.

The boys are enjoying their time at Grandma and Grandpa's house. They are keeping us all very busy! My parents took them to the cabin this weekend. They will be going to Grandpa and Grandma Bailey's house on Tuesday.

The Storm... before the calm

2007-04-25T13:29:00.000-05:00

Believe it or not, I am throughly looking forward to the day long journey to Amilia. Sittting on the plane sipping pop, reading books, and snoozing sounds wonderful to me. The last week has been a whirl-wind. Our packing list has gone from 4 pages to 1/2 page. The donations for the school in Ethiopia were bought and packed. OUr boys are ready to go!! (not with us of course, but to grandma and grandpas house) The paperwork is completed. Our house is somewhat clean. The last minute errnads have been made. The wash is caught up. Sheets are fresh. Our fridge is empty. (hum- that reminds me- what's for dinner- ????- how abount pancakes)
The picture posted here was just taken on monday. We are bringing it framed to the birth mother. It is crazy that everyone is smiling and looking at the camera- This has never happened before.
I am really starting to ache for Amilia- it is so close and I just want to hold her.
Thanks so much for your support and prayers! We love you all!

SO SOON....... IN MY ARMS

2007-04-24T12:09:00.000-05:00

We just received our birth certificate for Amilia. This is the photo on it. She has hair now, and the most beautiful eyes! In two short days we will begin our journey to her. We also got an updated weight and height. 13.2 pounds and 25 inches. She is rolling over, and scooting!! I have got to get Isaac from school, but I will post more later today!

Travel Details

2007-04-18T13:05:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone!!! The last two days have been a blur. We have so much to get done. We booked our flight today, but not without a little scare. We were put on a wiat list for our flight home- and didn't get a confirmed flight until today! We fly out of MSP on Thursday night at 6:50 and arrive in D.C. around ten. We will stay over night there, and then take a direct flight on Ethiopia Airlines Friday morning at 9:45. We will arrrive in Addis Ababa 8;15 am their time. We stop in Rome for fuel, but we don't get off the plane. Bummer!! I think they are 8 hours ahead of us. We we arrive at the airport, we will apply for our Visa's- and someone from the orphange will be their to pick us up. We will meet Amilia sometime on Saturday. On Sunday we get to travel to her birthland and possibly meet her birth mother and some other relatives. WOW!!!! Aside from meeting Amilia, this is what I am most excited for. I am not quite sure what we will be doing the rest of the week. One day we have to go to the Embassy and present some paperwork for Amilia's Visa. I think we will also go shopping sometime during the week. Amilia will be in our care from the beginning of the week on. They really bundle the babies there - even though it is very warm. Here are some pictures I found on-line-
Thanks everyone who has leaft comments- I love to know who is reading these posts!!

10 days until.....

2007-04-16T22:08:00.000-05:00

We can hardly believe it, but it is a mere 10 days until we are on are way to Ethiopia to pick up Amilia. Today Nathanael received a phone call from agency around noon. Our adoption went through the courts with no delays. We were not expecting a phone call for awhile still. At the very earliest we were hoping for was the second week of May. I was gone all morning long, and didn't even have the cell phone on to receive a call. We were totally shocked.
So the next 10 days will be a whirlwind. We have to finish the last set of paperwork to obtain her Visa. Along with packing and getting the house organized. We will be heading down to the cities next Thursday morning. The children aren't traveling with us. Both sets of grandparents are taking care of them. We fly out of MSP at 6:45 on Thursday, April 26th, and arrive in D.C. where we will stay the night. Friday morning we are flying Ethiopian Airlines to Addis Abba, the capital city. We stop in Rome for fuel, but don't get off the plane. BUMMER!!!
We haven't gotten any new information about her, we still are looking at the same pictures. We are thinking she will be around 12 pounds (pretty tiny for 8 months.) In her referral picture (the one posted here) she doesn't have any hair. We think they shaved her head when she came to the orphanage for sanitary reasons. I hope we will recognize her when we see her!!!
I will post more later about the detail of our trip.

Amilia Abera Leigh Bailey's Nursery

2007-03-13T20:09:00.000-05:00

So after a week long search for the perfect name for our baby girl- we have finally decided. It is Amilia Abera Leigh Bailey, and we will probably call her Lia. Whew- it feels good to have that decided. It has consumed my thoughts for the last week. Lia is african and means, bringer of the gospel.

Ok, so this is my first girl! I have been dreaming about decorating her nursery for five years. I started with one adorable crib bumper from pottery barn (clearance of course:)) and let my imagination run wild. Here are some pictures of the finished product.

The picture on the wall is in her native language and says "Praise God."

Degensh Abera

2007-03-12T23:30:00.000-05:00

Last Tuesday, March 6th, I received the best phone call of my life. I had just finished painting our new babies room and was cleaning the brushes in the basement when the phone rang. It was our social worker!!! Let's just say she heard an earful. I screamed!!! It took awhile for me to calm down and let her tell me about our little Degenesh Abera. She was born on August 16th (my Grandma Tschetters birthday). Her mother relinquished her on February 15th. At that time she weighed 11.5 pounds and was 24 inches long. She is under the 3rd percentile for her height and weight. When taken into care she had pnemonia, but is now healthy. I wish that I could post a picture of her on the blog, but I can't yet because she isn't legally ours. Let's just say she is adorable. She has big brown eyes, beautiful dark skin, and no hair. :):) I think they shaved her head when she came to the orphanage.

The wait to travel is 8-12 weeks, so with one week down, we are getting busy!!! We will get 1-3 weeks notice before we leave. In preparation for our trip we got our travel shots on Friday. OUCH!!! I got six shots, and Nathanael got five!!! So if anyone needs an international travel companion for the next 10 years, our shots our taken care of!! Let's see- there was the flu shot, Hep A, yellow fever, meningitis, tetnus, polio!!!! And lets not forget the Malaria Medicine and antibiotic for diarrhea. And tomorrow we will start our live Typhoid pill vaccine.

Since things have really started moving on the adoption front, I will be posting more often.
Thanks all for going on this journey with us!!! We love you all!!!

Let's Catch Up!

2007-01-14T21:09:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year! Wow- have we ever had a busy last month and a half. Apologies to those who check the blog often- I haven't had a lot of extra time to post. One of the main reasons for the delay was Nathanael was scheduled for a double hernia surgery on the 20th- but instead of just 2 hernias, the surgeon found 4! So, for about three weeks we were taking care of him!!
Two days before the surgery Isaac celebrated his 5th Birthday. And the best news of the season, Henry our Nephew arrived from Guatamala. I will dedicate a whole post to that wonderful news.
Then there was Christmas- we were crazy and went down to the Twin Cities to be with our families. Nathanael was a trooper, but still in a lot of pain. The day after Christmas, Nathanael needed a refill on pain meds, and the process of calling it in and dealing with the pharmacy took almost all day. So the girls decided to waste the extra time and go shopping.
Hope you had a great Christmas and New Year!!!

Three Loads a Day

2006-11-28T21:16:00.000-06:00

I really wasn't being overly lazy. These things just catch up with you. My excuses were- Thanksgiving, Christmas shopping, sick children- blah blah blah-
Whatever the reasons, I contiued to throw laundry in the washer and dryer, but I had let it pile up clean on the basement floor. So, I am estimating about 5-7 days of laundry that hadn't been folded. I didn't count the dryer sheets, but I was folding for about 2 hours. (and I am lightning quick)
That is about 12 loads of laundry- some drawers were pretty close to empty. Poor Lincoln was wearing tight, short, dated Levi's.
The pictures chronical the process- Isaac took one, and Nathanael the other. I bet you can't guess who took what!

Henry is Coming Home

2006-11-22T08:49:00.000-06:00

I am so very excited to share the news about my newest newphew. My sister and brother-in-law have been in the adoption process and just found out they will be traveling to Guatemala to pick up Henry. He will be five months old and I can honestly say he is one of the most adorable baby's I have ever seen. He will be home for Christmas, and we are all praising God.

Welcome Herbie!

2006-11-13T16:41:00.000-06:00

I would like to invite you, family and friends, in welcoming our newest member to the Bailey Brood! No, the adoption of our little girl is not completed, but we have adopted a long haired white and orange kitty. He is absolutely adorable and very tolerant. The children
are in love with him already. Isaac is actually very gentle with him, and the other boys are learning quickly. Herbie and mommy are excellent teachers!

Why?

Well, some will call us crazy, but I was feeling our house was a bit empty and needed some more commotion. Actually, we have quite a mouse problem here, and after trying deal with it our way, I thought maybe we could try natures way. So, we turned him loose in the basement. He must have stirred something up down there, because I just noticed fresh mouse in a trap! Yeah Herbie!

The Wait has begun!

2006-11-04T19:28:00.000-06:00

Well, we are officially waiting for our precious baby girl. We decided to start this blog to keep family and friends up to date on the process of our adoption. Here is where we are... (and what we have done to get to this point)

For the last 3 years we have been thinking about adoption. After three difficult and dangerous pregnancies, we excitedly looked more into adoption.
In July of 2006, we filled out our application for Children's Home Sociecty and Family Services.
August - we attended Pre-adoption classes and decided officially on international adoption from Ethiopia
September- Our hometudy and completion of dossier
October 10- our dossier was accepted, and we officially began waiting for our referral

Where do we go from here-

We understand the next phase is the hardest!! WE WAIT!!! The wait for a referral of a 0-12 month girl is 4-6 months (lately most referrals are around 6 months)
Then we frantically get ready to travel and bring home our new baby- the wait to travel is 1-2 months.
The plane ride to Ethiopia is a full day long expedition
We are in Ethiopia for about 1 week

Why Ethiopia?

Good question. We had narrowed down our country options, and began to talk and pray about each one. We felt drawn to Ethiopia because Nathanael Grandma (HI NORMA- hope your reading this) was a missionary there for over 40 years.

I hope you enjoy this journey! Let us know if you have visited and write us a quick comment!!