Team Killeen

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-18T10:25:00.000-08:00

A free digital ecard by Smilebox

Happy Halloween!

2010-11-02T17:05:00.001-07:00

Happy 13th Birthday Ryan!

2010-11-02T17:00:00.001-07:00

Ryan turned 13 on October 19! Happy birthday Ryan! We love you!

Fall Festival

2010-11-02T15:47:00.000-07:00

We have had a very busy fall so far. Grandma and Grandpa have visited and one of the things we did was go to our neighborhood fall festival. We all had a great time and Gracie ended up winning the pumpkin painting contest for her age group! Hope you enjoy the pictures!

2010-11-02T05:13:00.000-07:00

View on the way to Church

2010-07-21T16:31:00.000-07:00

Ever feel like you are going against all odds just to make it to church on Sunday?

Remembering Grandma...

2010-05-10T12:39:00.000-07:00

Personalize your own photo album

Happy Easter!

2010-04-04T17:18:00.001-07:00

Create a free scrapbook

Help Me Feel the Love!!!!

2010-04-03T07:57:00.000-07:00

This dog has a serious attitude! Please help me 'feel the love'. The vet asked me her name and I had to think because normally I call her "the white dog" ...."the brat"...and a number of other names that I will not post. Don't get me wrong...she is sweet and very cute. But....she has an attitude! Poor Henry (who has been the lone ranger here for 9 years...has been gracious even when she growls at him just for wanting a little attention, like when he has to go outside to do business! She also was suppose to be 100% potty trained....NOT! She is a sneaky pooper. Even after a LONG walk, she will sneak upstairs and poo in the kids room...as if to say "I am the only child here". She also has a serious attachment disorder and literally will climb up my body crying and wimpering in high pitch tones when I walk in the door. She steals toys off of beds and eats their eyes...She is also like a cat and can jump, climb and walk on things you would never imagine! Have you noticed I said 'she'...can't even use her name in a sentence...help! I need to feel the love for this DOG!

I wonder if...

2010-03-28T15:39:00.000-07:00

I will ever have time to write on this crazy blog
We will ever have enough milk in this house
There will ever come a day with no laundry to do
I will ever be able to take an important call and not have to hide in the garage
I will ever be able to finish in the bathroom on my own time and not because someone is walking in...saying ...MOM!
We will ever get through the month with money left over to spend..just because.
My dogs and kids will ever learn to communicate quietly
I can ever leave for a trip without putting my kids in a tail spin for days upon my return
The deer who visit my yard will let me enjoy flowers this year AT ALL!
I am a one note...only talking about the kids in my family, kids who need families, or the kids who just got families
My husband still thinks I'm pretty when I feel tired most of the time
I'm doing enough...
I truly recognize how blessed I am to be living this life~

Winter 2010

2010-03-14T12:10:00.000-07:00

Gracie turned 5! Snow Days!

2010-01-27T13:18:00.001-08:00

Our God is the God who HEALS!!! Welcome Home Dawit!!!

Happy New Year!

2010-01-04T17:28:00.000-08:00

Happy Fall Y'All!

2009-10-14T06:56:00.000-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KALKIDAN!!!

2009-07-20T15:16:00.000-07:00

Kalkidan is officially 6! We had a few friends over for cake and ice cream and she got her first bike which she had been really wanting. She had a great day.

2009-06-19T19:02:00.000-07:00

Pat made it to Ethiopia in time to say good-bye to one of our Arise families who are heading home. Please pray for his time there. He met with a new orphanage today and received 5 babies who need care (one of whom is in the hospital). There is so much to be done. Please pray that God will stretch out time and go before him in all that he tries to accomplish...in HIS name and for HIS glory!

Grandma and Grandpa are HERE!!!

2009-05-20T05:53:00.000-07:00

So...o.k., I am the worst at updating this blog. We have been BUSY, like most families. Here is what we are up to: one school trip after spring show after field day, etc. in between allergies, asthma, and other junk...(gotta love spring); Alli is graduating tomorrow from 8th grade and Grandma and Grandpa Killeen are here for 8 days. Travel and more Travel ...Alli is on her class trip to Chicago, then heading to Arizonia with Ry to visit cousins then on to Oregon to join the rest of us for a vaca...first in several years. Pat is heading to Ethiopia and we are hoping to begin working with Operation Tikvah to assist the Jewish Ethiopians in refugee camps there. We are celebrating progress in ARISE for Children with new families, traveling families, and 20 kids home!!! God is good!

Yes, he did come home!

2009-03-30T14:15:00.000-07:00

Michael helping dad carry in the first load of Ethiopian coffee beans.

Yes, Dad did come home! We have been very busy in the past month and I haven't had the time to write about his trip. He was gone around 10 days and we all missed him very much. He had a very successful trip. He got to meet Michael and Kalkidan's cousin who will soon be coming home to an American family. He got to see a lot of kids and see Michael and Kalkidans old house. He came home and brought back a bunch of souveniers; some included Ethiopian coffee beans and music. All in all he had a great trip!

2009-02-14T07:17:00.000-08:00

Dad is in Ethiopia!!! Please pray for him and the work God has for him to do to establish a new orphanage.

I Spy With My Little Eye...

2009-02-05T14:08:00.000-08:00

Deer! We see these deer all the time! It is so cool to come home and see them standing right in our own front yard! We know these deer so well now. When driving around the neighborhood we can tell the difference between other deer and the deer in that hang around our house. It is so neat!

Allison~

Happy Birthday Gracie - Party #1

2009-02-01T17:05:00.000-08:00

Gracie turned 4 this January. This was the first birthday that she actually enjoyed; whereas before she was to little to know what was happening and hated the attention. Her first celebration was at Nana and Papa's. She was all princess on her special day!

Snow Day

2009-01-31T10:40:00.001-08:00

Snuggling in Mom and Dad's bed with no electricity.

Alli and her friend who got snowed in with us...that makes 8!

A little sugar goes a long way, especially if you are stuck inside!

Little Miss Fearless

Enjoying the golf course

Birthday girl Gracie happy to have snow on her Birthday!

She later informed us that she didn't like snow any more.

Enjoying the snow~ Allison

Walkin in a Winter Wonderland

2009-01-29T17:24:00.000-08:00

We're O.K.!!! Our power is back and besides being a little stir crazy we are doing great! More to come!

2009-01-17T14:54:00.000-08:00

Allison got some curlers for Christmas and we decided to try them out one day. After Allison was done Dad said "Allison! Pretty! My daughter!" Then Gracie came into the room and wanted to curl her hair too. Now, this was a shock because she hates to even put a clip in her hair, but we did it anyway. When she was done she yelled "Daddy, come here! My hair is so pretty! Now I can be your daughter too!"

Happy New Year

2009-01-17T14:47:00.001-08:00

I know it's a little late, but Happy New Year! We brought in the New Year by playing wii and watching the ball drop. Ryan was at a sleepover, and Kalkidan, Michael, and Gracie went to bed so, it was just Dad, Allison, Mom, and Henry ringing in the New Year on the couch.

Kalkidan and her mini me!

2009-01-02T11:00:00.000-08:00

I forgot to put this classic one in the smilebox video. When she opened it up she yelled "She's just like me!" Thanks grandma!

2009-01-01T08:34:00.001-08:00

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Christmas Time is Here!

2008-12-21T12:15:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures of our December so far. We have been busy between parties, setting up decorations, going to school performances, and somewhere in the middle of it all unpacking many boxes... enjoy the photos!

(written by Allison)

Our MOVE

2008-12-05T12:52:00.000-08:00

O.K, so let me just start with "I hope to NEVER move again...EVER!" Yes, it was that fun. It began with our first load and a friend's cat. We had kept an open trailer in our friend's barn when our move was delayed for a couple of weeks. It was filled with boxes of books and garage items mainly. The first day we were able to have a key we retrieved the trailer (in the freezing weather I might add) and headed to our new home about 25 highway miles away. When we first got there Pat began to unpack...I urged him to come inside so that all of us could take time to eat and thank God for our new house...create a memory or two. Upon returning outside, I saw a flash of fur and then heard "MEOW" in a tone I cannot discribe...I called my friend Harper to inquire if she had a cat but was sure it had just jumped on from the neighbors house. In a paniced mother's voice I hear, "Oh, no...ROSEBUD"...after crawling on my hands and knees begging this poor, terrified cat, who had just taken the ride of her life, to trust me I finally was able to hold onto her. (I've never held a cat that shakes) And so, we returned her to her family that, thankfully are still speaking to us, and chalked up the memory of day one of the move!

2008-11-14T19:35:00.000-08:00

Today on the way to school Kalkidan screams "SCURL!!!"

What?

SCURL!!!

Oh, you mean squirrel?

Yes, Scurl!

Allison (trying to be nice) "Mom, she means a girl squirrel...you know, SCURL"

Love these girls! By the way...doesn't Kalou's hair look great? Finally, after 1 year I found a product to tame the mane...though I still enjoy singing "sha ka, sha ka, sha ka con" while working on it!

2008-11-11T20:07:00.000-08:00

It has been a very busy but exciting fall. We were successful in obtaining our license for our new adoption agency, ARISE Adoptions, Inc. Pat and I are working together to help families bring home children from Ethiopia and hope to broaden the process to other countries soon.

Our kiddos are doing well...school is great and we are so excited to be moving soon. It has taken a lot of work but we are just about ready to go! We had a visit from Aunt Janie who came all the way from Oregon to help us get organized. A big task for sure. We miss her so much!!!

Other big news is that we are on the hunt for a high school for Allison. Can you believe it...HIGH SCHOOL!!! Unreal! Next year we will have kids in every grade from preschool to high school...oy!

2008-11-11T19:41:00.000-08:00

Make a Smilebox postcard

pause music box first...enjoy!

Quotable Quotes...

2008-11-06T16:02:00.000-08:00

Kalkidan (the day after election day): "The president is so cool. He gets to live in the yellow house, right mom?" She apparently had been learning about presidents at school and got a little confused...

Gracie (Randomly): "Ahh, I love Sleeping Dutie." She means Sleeping Beauty.
She loves her princesses!

Princess Gracie!

2008-11-04T17:43:00.001-08:00

Gracie and her "lip stick" (aka chap stick)

Gracie as a princess fairy on Halloween

Fall Festivals

2008-11-01T09:02:00.000-07:00

We have gone to several harvest festivals this fall. It's been a lot of fun!
Enjoy the pictures!
(~Allison~)

We're Moving!

2008-11-01T08:55:00.001-07:00

We are finally moving! Some one bought our house not too long ago after we had been trying to sell it for over a year! We found a house that we love and will be moving in shortly. Can't wait!

Written by: Allison (again)

Henry?

2008-09-25T13:14:00.000-07:00

Some of you may know that we have a dog named Henry, he is a shnowzer. Well, today as I was doing my work I heard him scratching on a toy playhouse and yelled at him to stop it and didn't think much of it. A little later I went out to get the mail. After a little while longer I started to wonder where my dog was and started looking for him; after a few minutes of searching I started to get worried. I remembered that I had gone out to get the mail earlier and maybe he had gotten out then- I headed for the car. I was thinking as I was stitting in the car "where was the last time I saw Henry?" then I remembered the girls' playhouse! I ran inside and looked in the house and he wasn't there. We have a large tv. next to the playhouse and I soon found Henry stuck behind it! I had been yelling and he hadn't even barked! Maybe he was hiding (there is a lot to hide from around here after all). I don't know but I'm glad he was found.

Written by Allison, Happened to my Mom
ps. He had been behind there for around 5 hours!

School Starts Today...Hip Hip Hooray!!!!

2008-08-18T06:10:00.000-07:00

O.K., so I'm a little excited! Just dropped 4 of the 5 off at school this morning! Couldn't stop singing...kept going back and forth between George Michael's "Freedom" and "Imagine me for you and you for me...so happy together" to my dog Henry. I know it borders on tragic and sad but good comedies always do!

Alli was met by looks of "Wow...is that Allison from the second grade?" since it has been that long since she has attended this school. Ryan seemed fine since he had a swimming party where he met lots of new classmates...yes, he did a cannon ball immediately to introduce himself (his father's child). Michael and Kalkidan went right in after a huge lecture in the car about not being disrespectful, not picking their nose & wiping it on the walls, listening and obeying and what will happen when they don't...(it was a rough Sunday at church with the volunteer teacher who was about in tears after watching them yesterday). Gracie is at home with me today as her first day starts tomorrow. She has Henry dressed and covered with a blanket as she is working hard to make him cereal in her play kitchen.

So what will I do, people keep asking me, with all this free time? It is actually just 2 days of freedom...just 12 hours a week....I'm sure I will find something...work, laundry, cleaning, grocery shopping, purging the house of junk, yard, my sister's new baby, etc., etc., Actually, I'm most looking forward to having quality prayer times and maybe, just maybe, reading a book!

Kalkidan's First Birthday Celebration

2008-07-22T15:59:00.000-07:00

Kalkidan turned 5 this July and in a way celebrated her first birthday. She had such a gleam in her eye (which you could see if I could get my other photos to upload...ugh) and was so full of joy and surprise throughout most of the day. She mentioned that she had never had a birthday cake before or presents and couldn't believe that the fun just kept coming! She was blessed by family both near and far celebrating with her either in person or in spirit. We kept it pretty low key for the most part, having a family pool party at Nana and Papas and dinner with Grandma and Silly Grandpa from St. Louis. All went well until the end (which you could also appreciate with the photo of her giving me a look to kill) as I announced the day was coming to a close...oh, the many faces of Kalkidan! (More to Come)

Happy 4th of July!

2008-07-12T15:38:00.001-07:00

We had an awesome time with friends this year to celebrate the fourth of July...actually it was the 5th but whose counting. We love these friends like family and it is so amazing to watch our kids growing up together. I was pregnant with Ry when we first met. How things have changed!

Summer Fun

2008-07-09T12:44:00.000-07:00

While Ryan was
away at camp
the rest of the crew
headed for Papa and Nana's pool
...way cool!

Welcome to our new Blog!

2008-07-07T19:34:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone!!!

Welcome to our new blog. O.K., so its been months since our last blog expired. We are still alive and still learning what it means to have a family of 7! Our friends and adoptive family, the Ellerbees, have been such an inspiration...We read their blog almost daily...it makes us laugh and feel somewhat normal (they're crazy too)! Allison kept prompting, pleading, begging,...well, you get the picture...until we got this done. I'm so glad we did! Stay tuned and we'll try to do a better job of keeping in touch.

If you want to see the videos just pause the music toward the bottom of the page.

Adding Two to the Team

2008-07-01T13:02:00.001-07:00

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Ryan Turns 10! Oct 07

2008-07-01T12:49:00.001-07:00

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

First Friends...Sept 07

2008-06-30T20:15:00.000-07:00

Make a Smilebox scrapbook