Elijah's 8th Birthday!

Elijah Halloween 2005

Elijah one year

My middle boy turned 8 on April 14th. Elijah Gabriel Perez was born at 10:09 am. I can't believe how much he has grown. He was the cutest, fattest baby you have ever seen. I couldn't wait for him to walk because at one year he weighed 26lbs! Now he is lean and thin. He is smart and funny and sweet. Elijah loves animals and wants to be a scientist who works with them.

Elijah got guinea pigs this year and we are anxiously awaiting babies! I do wish he would clean the cages himself though:)

If there is a question to be asked about how the body works you can guarantee that Elijah will ask it. Elijah likes to collect papers and take pictures. Elijah has always loved stuffed animals. His favorite is Teddy. Teddy was his best friend for 5 years. I finally took Teddy away so he would be safe til Elijah is a grown up. Teddy still comes out to play when Elijah can find him! He is very passionate about his interests.

Happy Birthday Elijah! Your dad and I love you more than you could ever imagine. You are a delight to us and this family!

Easter

We had a great Easter this year. I was able to get everyone dressed well and only bought the two little girls dresses and one pair of pants for Louie and a shirt for Noah.

I know the reason for the day is to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ but I just needed the kids to "look" put together. For some reason people are watching large families to make sure you are doing it "right." Anyway, we got to Church on time and had my grandparents and mom over for dinner. Real simple but nice. It was fun to see Eden coloring easter eggs and hunting them for the first time. I don't have pics of the coloring cause I only took video. Carrying around cameras with 6 kids gets tricky! Someday when I figure out the video/computer I will post video.

The kids ate candy all day! Isn't that what it is about when you are young.

I wanted to make sure we weren't missing the true reason so I started quizzing my 7 year old about the story of Easter and he gave me more info than I think I even knew. I was so proud of him. I know my kids love the Lord. That is a great feeling.

Thank you Jesus for giving your life for our Salvation!

Imani turns 1 year!

Our first meeting.

Imani one year

Imani two months

Imani referral pic. just a few days old

Imani Elizabeth Genet turned one year old on Sat the 11th. We really don't know her true birthdate. That is just as close as they could get. She was found on the roadside in a town called Sheshamene when she was just about 3 days old. She still had her umbilical stump so she couldn't have been very old. A police officer found her and turned her over to the orphanage. She spent the first five months of life being cared for by some amazing nannies at Wanna house in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. I found out about her when she was two months old on June 11th, 2008. Her given name in Amharic is Genet. I was so happy that day. Like I had just given birth. Words do not express the happiness she brings to our whole family. God could not have picked a more perfect baby for us. We picked the name Imani because it has African roots. It is Swahili and means Faith. Elizabeth is a family name. It is my moms middle name, my great grandma's middle name and my name, Lisa, is a derivative of it. Also, my baby girl Ameliah had the middle name of Isabel which is Elizabeth in Spanish. It is special to me. I saw many pictures and even some video of Imani before I met her. Our first "meeting" was Sept 15th, 2008 and we came home together Sept 21st. She was five month old. She weighed 15 lbs and was so healthy. She did develop chicken pox 2 days after coming home. Today she is still healthy, only 2 ear infections since coming home. Imani is almost walking. She crawls everywhere and loves to eat. This is evident as she weighs 24lbs and is in 18 month clothes!

We are having a big celebration next weekend for Imani's first birthday. The road traveled, literally, to get here has been a long one. Somedays I can't believe how lucky I am to have her in my life. So, Imani, Happy Birthday from your mom who loves you more than you could imagine. I just wish the "mom" that gave birth to you could see you and know you are healthy and happy. I think about her every day and pray that she is safe and healthy. She gave me the most wonderful gift ever!

The Zoo

Friday we went to the zoo for spring break fun. We have always loved the zoo. Rick and I are big animal lovers. This was our first outing (other than church) as a family of 8! The weather was a bit cool but it didn't rain while we were there and the sun even came out a bit. I call that a good day. The kids had a great time and were so exhausted by the end of it all. Imani was such a good baby and never fussed. A total of 8 hours in the car and 5 in the stroller. She handled it like a champ! Eden had her first experiance with the zoo. For a kid who is scared to death of animals, I think she did great. She actually wanted to see the animals and never appeared scared. It was fun to be a part of one of many "firsts" for her. I am beyond happy that this little girl will grow up with as many of the fun childhood events as possible. The boys had fun running all over and just being boys. Getting out of the house and being outdoors was good for them. Louie loved the animals also. I think it was his first zoo experience also. What a blessing to be able to do this for our kids. It wasn't a calm and quiet day but what I have realized is our days our now judged differently than most families. We don't have leisurely outings and that is OK. We have to plan, organize, PRAY, and practice patience and teamwork. I was so happy that Rick and I acted as a team and things went smoothly for the most part. We do get many stares when we are all together. I actually had my first "are they all yours" comment. I was proud to say "yes."