the winds of change are slow blowing

You may notice a few little changes here at G3. 

Did you know that I sometimes refer to the blog as G3?

 Go Go Galindo. Get it? You know. Because there are 3Gs. 

Right. Anyway. You'll notice some of the junk and busyness is missing from the sidebar on the right. And I've also added some tabs at the top. Well, only one so far, but more are coming so just keep a watchful eye. Or use both eyes if you prefer. It's totally up to you. 

***

Some things I'm thinking about today:

I started making a list. "Reasons Justin is Awesome". So far it has 171 reasons. We read through the first bunch a couple of nights ago and it was really funny. Then we saw a cockroach and I made Justin kill it. So I needed to add that to the list. But I didn't have a pen. 

"Reasons Justin is Awesome"

158. Justin is  a great roach killer.

159. Justin always has a pen. 

***

Today marks the 52nd day of my new lifestyle. 

Lifestyle of Health. 

I started paying attention to what I was eating.

And exercising.  (Gasp!)

And I actually like exercising! (Double Gasp!)

As of this past Monday I've lost 21 pounds. 

And over 7.5 inches in the last three weeks alone. 

I say that last part because that's when I started measuring.

***

I've been teaching on the Fruit of the Spirit this summer at our church.

Each week I think it's going to get easier. 

And each week I am not surprised by just how much the Bible has to say about different things.

Like, for example, did you know that patience is rooted in forgiveness?

What?! 

***

I read a fantasy novel. My first one.  A big one. In a series. 

(Because Justin asked me to.)

Then I read the second one. And now I've started the third. 

But I think I'm going to stop in favor of a book that actually adds something to my life. 

***

Asher will be out of school for the whole month of August. 

I'm trying to think of some fun things we can do.

And maybe some trips we can take. 

Any ideas?

***

If someone handed you a baby tonight and you had the task of naming it...

what name would you choose and why?

Taking back the blog

What? Two days in a row? I know, shocker!

Well, I'm here to say I'm taking back the blog. And I really mean it this time. I'm going to be doing some rearranging on the blog and changing things up a bit. And I'm going to write about what I want. I started this blog years ago for myself. I wanted a way to feel connected to the adoption community, but our adoption was taking so long with no adoption news that I ended up blogging about random things like our Christmas tree and horseshoes with friends and fun trips. Then we finally had adoption news and there was stuff to post about. My little community of readers grew and we all talked about adoption all the time. The blog was great for that because not many people in our little lives wanted to talk about it all the time because it was still abstract. And now Asher is two. And a half! And the adoption stuff seems so long ago (although we are still waiting on a blasted court date!!!) and that's why I don't post very often.

But now I'm taking back the blog -- my blog -- and writing about whatever I want. There are a handful of things that are going on in our family right now and I want those to be documented and people to know what's up with us. I also want to have a place to braindump. So there all that is.

Of course I'll keep posting things about Asher. To prove it here are some pictures from July 4th weekend. We spent it at the pool. I am full of surprises today. Brace yourselves for cuteness!

Asher loves to be thrown up into the air. But only by Daddy. And because Justin is so awesome, he does it. Over and over and over again. I swear I have hundreds (literally!) of pictures just like this. 

As soon as Justin's done, Asher immediately asks, "More! Please! Please! Again again again!!!"

To which, after he gathers his breath, Justin gladly grants the request. Over and over and over. 

Which is obvious. I mean, check out my mans biceps and shoulders. 

I love these two!

Just. Stinkin. Precious. 

How can one stinky little boy be so cute?

And bring so much joy? 

It's a miracle.

A gift.

from The Great Gift-Giver alone.

we are thankful. 

A Verse

I've always loved names with meaning. I have a name with meaning. It's not been an easy name to live with, but because of it's meaning, I've grown to love it more and more. {I am the namesake for my maternal grandmother.}

I've always wanted our children to have meaningful names. A reason behind why we chose a name other than it's popularity or quirkiness or how great the monogram would look on a pillow. Something with substance. Something that would provide direction for our children. Something that would promote our deepest prayers and hopes for their lives.

I have a friend who is excellent at this. I was so excited when they had their first child, a daughter, and explained her name in her birth announcements.  I loved that it had to do with where she was born, but also provided some direction for her to grow into. Their next daughter was no disappointment either. I actually found the post that shows her announcement and the meaning behind it. This very week they welcomed their third child into this world, a son, whose name and meaning I could hardly wait for. I love that each of their children were given meaningful names with a history or verse. I also love that all their babies have so much hair. {Hi Glo! Congratulations!!!}

Then there's Emily. We've never met, but I want her to be a good friend of mine. She lives far away. Not as far as Dubai, but in the Pacific Northwest, so she might as well be. I mean, it's outside of Texas... I want her to be my big sister. I want to grow up to be a lot like her. Only without the red hair. It looks so lovely on her, but I am pretty convinced I could not pull it off. Anyway. She chose a beautiful verse for her daughter and prayed this over her. Love that. She also recently shared how a particular verse related to her name's meaning impacted her life and how she wants to live it. Love that, too.

All this had me thinking about names and verses and meaning and purpose. We chose Asher's name because of it's meaning and how it seemed to perfectly fit both his personality and exactly how we felt as his parents. And while there are verses about the Lord and His joy, none of them seem right for my son. I just can't find the perfect fit.

To be continued...

BUT! Are there certain verses you pray over your children? Certain ones that always make you think of your child? Does your baby's name have a special meaning? Please tell. Please tell.

Not Two. Nine. Thirty. Doves. Chili. Song and Dance. Boredom.

Brace yourselves, people. This could be an exhausting post. I have a lot to say.

First things first. TWO. My boy is TWO. It's earth-shattering and mind-numbing and not-a-big-deal all at once. I tried to explain to someone at church the other day that he simply cannot be TWO. We haven't had him that long, we haven't known him that long, wehaventhecan'tthat'sjustthewayitis. We're not having a big party for him this year. Just the grandparents. Secretly I tell myself that if we don't have a birthday party, he hasn't had another birthday and he's not really TWO.

I cooked for NINE hours on Saturday. All by myself. It's not even Thanksgiving y'all. It may have been somewhere around nine hours, minus some time outside with a certain birthday boy and his red wagon and a quick trip for more broccoli, but I made ELEVEN breakfasts and almost THIRTY meals for our family, plus a few to take to our pastor and his wife when their new baby is born.I'm actually blaming Gloria because she's the one who first talked about OAMC and then I thought that sounded fun and then several of my friends were also interested. So I bit off. A lot. Almost more than I can chew. But I did it and I didn't quit and my freezer is pretty full.

I'm also expecting about FORTY doves to arrive any day for me to stuff and wrap with bacon. They will also live in my freezer until we have a dove party. Does anyone even like dove?

We're having a party. In February. We're bringing back the Nell Annual. This time it's a Chili Cookoff. With a prize and everything. Start practicing.

I started doing a little coupon clipping. And while it drives me a little crazy, it also makes me feel so accomplished when my receipt says, "You Saved $39.48" which then makes me do a fun song and dance routine.

Speaking of routines and gallbladders, I'm getting a little bored with this blog. I know, it's not your fault, it's mine. And I'm sorry about that. So I think I might be shaking some things up. I'm not sure how yet, but I know that I used to love blogging and I haven't loved it in a while, because if I loved it I would do it more often.

Speaking of fun, remember last year when we did this? It was so fun. I can't believe it's been a year!

21 Months ... 21 Months!!!

Asher,

You are twenty one months now. Well, actually you have been for a couple weeks now. It's so hard to believe how much you've grown and how fast this time has flown. Right now you're sitting in a bar stool next to me eating grapes and string cheese. That's how big you are. Big enough to eat grapes all by yourself and not choke. Even when you shove too many in your mouth at once, which happens quite often. You love to share your food with me. But sometimes if I'm too slow to lean over and get it out of your hand you take it back and shove it in your mouth so fast -- and then you laugh like you've just swindled me and I don't even know it.

You still love hide and seek. You're really good at ducking down under things and you love to scream when you're found. Actually, you love to scream about everything right now. It's very loud and very high pitched. Hide and Seek is especially fun when you think that just by looking away you're hidden. It makes sense though.

You're also a big fan of the water hose. When I water the plants and flowers you run and stand right in the way and get drenched. I love to see you laugh while you do this but I also know we then have to go back inside, towel off, and change clothes, which is slightly less fun.

You love to be in the kitchen, preferably right under my feet or between my legs. Lately you've started hugging one of my legs and it's so sweet. Usually your time in the kitchen is spent in the two big drawers by the stove. You dig out mixing bowls and cake pans and strainers and double boilers and this one heavy LOUD bundt pan (that you are playing with RIGHT now and I already have a headache from it) and one of those rubbery muffin tins. Those rubbery ones are your favorite. You squish the pan down, flip it over and squish it the other way. Sometimes we stir your toys or put them in the muffin tins. You think that is so funny. You also LOVE to crawl up on our bed and mess up all the pillows. I mean, you think you're hiding or being silly, but I think you're just messing it up after I went to all the trouble of making the bed. I still love you because you are so happy when you find yourself successful!

We bought some of those little foam letters and numbers from the bath section at Target and you play with them everywhere. We try to make words but since they are in every room we can only make a few words in each room. In the bath we can only spell bus and jugs. And the number four. You like to hand them out to people and recollect them.

Your Daddy made a giant house for you out of a cardboard box and you hide in it all the time. One day I had to feed you yogurt through one of the windows because you wanted the yogurt AND the house. Who am I not to oblige those sweet brown eyes? Speaking of those eyes, you know how to work them! There is even a cashier that we see weekly who just hangs over the counter and tells you how handsome you are. Every week. Except the week I went without you and I got mean looks and she made me feel like a bad mom for leaving you with your Dad. Sheesh. She is under your spell. It's probably because you say byebye to her one million times and blow her kisses. I'd fall for that, too. You are very liberal with your kisses when you want something ... and other times you tightly hold on to every kiss. You are never stingy when it comes to blowing kisses to yourself in the mirror. I'm a bit worried about your conceit. I mean, we all know you're gorgeous and beautiful and one of God's best creations, but seriously, you don't need to play in front of the mirror all day. We have a full length mirror in our closet and in the entry way and those are your favorite places to play. Lately you've discovered how to make funny faces at yourself. You also like to wave and tell yourself Hi and ByeBye (and of course blow yourself kisses), and see how you look while playing with different toys. (I can't believe I can't find a recent picture of this!!!)

You love playing with the barn that Grandmama gave you for your birthday last year. You love certain songs and play them over and over again. You've started making animal sounds. Your favorites are hoohooheeeheee (monkey), eeeow (cat), heahhh (donkey), and arrrr (lion/tiger/dinosaur). You love when we sing "Old McDonald" because of the sounds and you say e-e-e-e-ooo. (It's so precious.) You've also learned to say Yeehaw when riding the horse at MeMaw and PawPaw's house. You love to slide and slide, climb up the slide and walk down the slide and roll things down the slide.You love to say Mimi and get hung up on saying it over and over and over again.   You always go exploring at Papa's house.

You love airplanes and we stop to point out everyone that flies by as we wave and say "byebye". Your love for bubbles knows no bounds.

We took you to a pumpkin patch last week and you went crazy for the little pumpkins! You picked up one and carried it everywhere. You dropped it, spiked it, rolled it down a ramp, sat with it, ran with it, and you still carry it around the house. You like to carry all sorts of things, especially my big camelback water bottle, which you've finally figured out how to drink from. I think we'll have to get you one of your own that's not hot pink. And a bit more your size.

The world absolutely stops and stands still when your favorite show, Word World is on. We dvr it off PBS so you can watch it on Saturday mornings and snuggle with Daddy on the couch (the only time you sit still). Not even food can steal your attention from this show. You like Veggie Tales too because there's lots of singing, but it doesn't hold your attention as well as Word World. Nothing does.

We joke that you have one speed and it's "there he went". You are always going full speed ahead (although lately you like to go backwards, too!) and at church everyone knows you as Asher the Dasher. You are fast and sneaky. And fearless. You have no fear for anything -- not heights, not pools, not girls, not bigger kids, not stairs, not any of the things that leave me breathless, either from fear or from chasing after you or from both. I hope and pray this translates to your faith. I pray you are fearless when chasing after the Lord.

We love you so much and cannot imagine that anyone else anywhere in the world has as much fun as we do with you. I know that there are one thousand other things I want to tell you and want to remember, but I feel typed out. Besides, you're standing here looking at me and I know you want to play, and if I play my cards right, you might sit in my lap for a snuggle or two and I can steal some of those kisses before you realize I've hit my limit.

The Fear Factor

Are there things you should be doing or want to be doing but just can't get yourself to do?

There is this thing in my life.
I want it. I want to do it. I want to be it. I want it to describe me.
But it's overwhelming.
At times in a good way, at times in a hard way, and in times just too much to carry.

This thing is facing me right now.
It's knocking on my door, not pushy or demanding, but knocking.
And I know I'm going to answer the door.
I know I want to let it in.
But memories and other attachments to this thing give me pause.

It's hard.
This thing is hard!
It requires faith
and waiting
and patience
and dealing with other people who do not "get" this thing.
It's even a little scary.
It's full of the unknown.

But it's also full of good.
And full of hope
and joy
and excitement
and jesus.

Why is it so hard for you to get moving on these things? What struggles are you facing  -- and how do you overcome them to continue on? What advice do you have for others who need to take that step? What can you share with me?

on snuggling

I mentioned awhile back that I'd regrettably not snuggled enough with my son. Since then, at every nap and bedtime opportunity, I've been adding a little snuggle time to our routine. Sometimes he just wants to sit and snuggle. Sometimes we sing silly songs (anyone else completely over the itsy bitsy spider?) or my favorite hymns. Sometimes we pray.

Last night, during our snugglefest, I was telling Asher how much his Mommy loves him.
And how much his Dada loves him.
And his friends and grandparents and aunts and uncles love him.
And even people he's never actually met.
We all love him.

But our loves pale in comparison to the One who loves him.
The One who created him.
The One who dreamed up those long eyelashes,
those wild little curls,
his chubby hands,
his very busy feet,
and put them all together perfectly.
Knit together, piece by perfect piece, into this precious child that I have the honor of loving, too.

In those quiet moments of rest, where Asher looks into my eyes, takes deep breaths, and rests in my arms, I am reminded of the Father's desire for all his children to seek His face,
to bask in His great love,
and to rest in His arms.
No singing necessary,
no prayers to be said.
Just breathing in His righteousness
and resting in His strong and open arms.

NG Strikes Back

Hi friends. Me here. As usual. I'm sure many of you other APs, at least in the Ethiopia group, have been reading all about Korah and seeing videos. And I'm sure many of you have had sleepless nights and trouble reckoning your daily lives to those of the people in Korah. I know I sure have.

Hubband and I have been talking a lot lately, and we want to do more with what we have. Well, we also want to have less, which doesn't really stem from the same place, but God is surely quilting all these pieces together. We've decided to sponsor two children in Korah, and also to find ways to do more from where we are.

Since I stay at home with the cutest baby on earth, I've been praying about something I can do, with what little
"spare" (read as naptime and post-bedtime) time I have. I think it's pretty obvious. Nifty Giftys will be making a comeback. I've been spending time thinking about new products and working on improving what little skills I have so that I can make something that will make a difference. I'm trying to get a header for the etsy shop made and quickly whip up some product so that I'll have something to sell. I'm bringing back the burp cloths (both kinds) as well as the ever popular tagsies and I have some new products up my sleeve. Hopefully. Cross your fingers! Also, if you have some suggestions that don't require too much skill, shoot me a comment or an email or smoke signal or something.

Hopefully I'll be sharing some fun things with you soon -- and hopefully you'll want to purchase something to make a difference.

Nifty Giftys :: Support Orphans and Get Cool Stuff, Too.
{Even the slogan needs improvement. Wait, do we even need a slogan?}

Babying My Baby

It has occurred to me lately, on a nearly daily basis, that my little baby is growing up. He is by no means grown, but he is still much much more than he was only a year ago when we met. It's funny, because Justin and I were apparently both thinking about this yesterday.

Justin called, as usual, on his way home and I did not answer, also as usual. Sometimes I can't get to the phone fast enough, or last night it was still on silent from church, or I'm in the middle of changing a diaper or cleaning up from dinner or whatever the current mess situation. Last night was different though.

I'm not sure why or how, but I stopped rocking Asher before bed. It must have been when he stopped taking a night-time bottle. Ick, just reading that sentence makes me feel like a poor mother. We've always bragged on how easily he goes to bed at night. We just plop him in his bed, hand him his sleeping buddies, turn out the light and leave. So sometime in there the easy became the norm and I find myself missing all those opportunities to rock him and snuggle him and pray over him and be his mommy just a little bit longer. Last night before putting him to bed we sat in our chair and  I caressed his curls and rubbed his back. I prayed for more moments like that.

Justin can't wait for him to get bigger. He wants to "do stuff" with him and teach him things and talk with him. I want him to grow up, too. I dream of my baby growing into a strong man of faith and action. A man with his own family and ministry. But if it's alright, I'd like him to be a baby for just a little while longer.

cracked pots

My friend Christina has a knack for killing stuff. Mostly plants. Ok, maybe only plants. At least, as far as I know. She bought these cute pots from PB some time ago and had them grouped on top of her ancient entertainment center. They made even that beast look good. It only makes sense then thatI had been secretly lusting after them. She finally gave up the ghosts of those poor, defenseless, innocent plants, chunked them in the trash, and showed up at my house one day with the pots. Yes!

Did I mention that I live with toddler? Who is excellent, particularly, at toddling. And so we had an accident. 

Cracked pots. 

Realistically, shattered in some places. Who knew that a four foot fall onto the floor would have that effect? No amount of glue-gunning was going to fix this. I had to find the super glue. Key word: find. Who even uses that stuff anymore? Apparently not my hubband because this is the conversation that transpired:

H: So, I see you're using super glue.

Me: Mmmm hmmm. {Hummed in a "I already know what you're thinking!" tone.}

H: How is it going? Does it work?

Me: What do you mean, does it work? Haven't you used it before?

H: Nope. Why would I?

That made me snicker. Why on earth would you try to put something back together that is so clearly broken? In fact, why am I trying to put something together that is shattered and will obviously look "repaired" and not perfect -- without blemish -- as before?

Because I love these pots. And I want to keep them and have them even if they have hunks missing and obvious blemishes and I know that they will probably never actually function the same again. I still want them! 

And then it hit me.

 

I'm a cracked pot, too. I am broken and glued a lot. I have glue stuck to parts of me and am missing chunks in others. We all need a little glue, a little time, and someone with a little love to put us back together again. 

And while people can see that we're broken, and while we may never work quite the same again, it's worth it, right? I'm worth it. You're worth it. They're worth it. 

Even if we're cracked pots, we can still be used.
We can still be useful.
We can still be beautiful.


We belong to Someone. And He loves us so much that He wants to keep us, too, even if we're completely broken and look useless. Even if we think there's no hope in sight. He loves us that much, to pick us up, put us back together, and use us for something beautiful. We are His gifts to Himself. And I am so thankful for that!


{I'm linking this post to Tuesdays Unwrapped at Chatting with the Sky. Go and unwrap something beautiful there.}

the results are in

Well, the voting is finished. Lots of you told me you voted! Yay for you. Thanks for putting up with me and my blogging issues.

It turns out, more than 75% of you are adoption-related readers. I was kinda surprised by this! I really thought we had more friends and family, but I'm also thinking a lot of them didn't vote. {Shame on you silly people.} This means a lot of this content will remain adoption related. I think. At least, that's what the statistics say should be on the blog.  One of you said you were not adoption-related, and not a friend or family, and not a stranger. So now I am trying to think if that makes you a non-friend ... unfriend ... or an alien. Or maybe a zombie. If you are a zombie, please let me know because Justin has been waiting to meet a zombie for a really long time. It will be great. I promise.

The amazing thing is that hardly any of you (only 2) wanted all adoption related stuff ... so that is great, because I like to talk/write about all sorts of stuff. And now I feel like you will be less disappointed with me. There are a handful of you though (20%) who said they wanted more pictures of Asher and less of me talking. You are going to be disappointed. There will still be pictures of Asher. Don't worry. The world. Would. Stop. if we stopped taking pictures. But I'm afraid there will probably be more talking. And after the positive response to my all writing no pictures of Asher post, I'm ok with it and it will maybe happen more often. I have a lot of stuff like that all bottled up waiting to come out. Good thing, because I'm holding the three quarters of you who said you're completely smitten with GGG and devour everything here. So please keep coming back. And sending nice emails and comments. Those go a long way with me.

Here are some things coming up to look out for--
1. More updates more often: I am really looking forward to this now that I feel like I can color outside the lines of just adoption stuff. It's my blog, but for some reason I felt I needed permission. It's probably inherited from my perfect childhood and teenager-domness years. Yep. That's my story.
2. Our actual time in Ethiopia: It occurred to me recently that I never actually blogged about that. So hip hip hooray for something all of you will like. Me talking + lots of cute pictures of Asher.
3. More posts from my heart: I'm in pruning season. {This will be explained more fully in an upcoming post, but if you're dying for a head's up, check out John 15.}
4. Asher blogs: Yep. You read that right. Stay tuned for a series {yes, a series!!!} of blog posts written by Asher himself. It's going to be a great way to get to know him better. He's really excited about it.
5. Labels: You might not think this is very exciting, but if you're looking for all the posts about waiting, days at the park, or words only {yeah right, nobody is going to search for those!} then you'll be able to locate them much easier. This is going to be a big project for me, but I'm going back to the beginning and labeling each and every post. Just for you. Because you love Asher. And put up with me.
6. Sneak Peeks: It might be a sneak into part of our day, part of our weekend, or part of our next big plan, because nell ann likes to hold stuff over you we like to show a little love to our fan club. Ok, fine. Asher's fan club.

And because I feel like maybe you stuck with me and read this whole post, the next one will have pictures as your reward. I'm big into rewards. Real big.

Survey Says

Stick with me folks, this one is important.

1.) I've been doing a LOT of thinking about this little blog. Who reads it, what they like to read {ok, I know you usually only want to see pictures} and what I want to blog about. So, if you don't mind, we're going to have a little survey. Please check the upper right corner and check the box(es) that apply to you.

2.) While we're at it, I know one of the benefits of reading, commenting, blogging in the adoption world is for support, so if you are a fellow adopter or adoptee or have some place in the adoption world and you read this blog, please introduce yourself and I'll add a link to your blog in my sidebar. Plus, maybe we can be friends. We're always up for making new friends.

3.) This blog is going to change. It might be a little or it might be a lot, depending on your responses. Please respond! I'm told all the time about people who read this and I have no idea! I know some of my mother's co-workers read this (and send her lovely notes, too!) and I know several of you at BB (hi Mimi and friends!) read this ... and apparently lots of our distant relatives (unbeknownst to me) and probably more. You can leave a comment, there's an anonymous option, but we'd love to know who you are. We enjoy giving shout outs. (Hi Emilie and Boston!) Can't you tell? Wouldn't you love to see your name in lights? Or have your very own post dedicated to you? Don't be shy. Just do it.

4.) I promise promise promise to post more pictures. In fact, as soon as I finish this post I'm going to do another post full of pictures as a reward for your voting. Please go chime in on the poll. You can do that completely anonymously. And I'm rewarding you with a beautiful post full of pictures of my cute (and somewhat messy) baby. It will be posted at 10:03am. Promise. And I'll keep posting. But you have to vote. Otherwise you have no right to complain when I change up this here blog to suit my liking and those who voted.

5.) Because I'm feeling wild and crazy tonight, I've created another poll, also anonymous, about the content. Answer that one, too. And no, I'm not going to give you any pictures until I see some votes. So go vote. And come back tomorrow morning at (or after) 10:03am when there will be a post with pictures. But vote first. Thank you.

6.) I never promised I wouldn't be pushy. Sorry. Sometimes I'm bossy but my real friends love me anyway. : )

adopt a what?

Have you seen this? Check it out. 

It poses an interesting question about Jesus:

Are you using Jesus to promote your interests -- 

Or are you using your interests to promote Jesus?

And because I feel like I tricked you, here's a picture of my baby, too: 

christmas recap

I promise there are more photos coming. I am uploading and editing {and deleting!} as you read. Probably still, even if you're reading this months from now. New baby = one billionmilliontrillion pictures. Trust me. 

But this one. This picture needed to be seen today. I know it's blurry. I'm actually squeezed between about forty people trying to see my son and then rescue him from the family Santa. Santa was fine when he road up on his three wheeled bicycle. Santa was dandy as he walked by and said his best "ho ho ho". Santa was, however, very bad terrible no good awful upon closer inspection. Even if he was bearing presents.

More cute {and in focus} pictures coming!
Happy New Year!!!

Merry Christmas

From our blessed family to yours ::

Have a Merry Merry Christmas!!!

Love,

The Galindo Family

eleven months

This is my baby. He's eleven months old today. He's been home with us for six whole months. Six whole months and three days, actually. Isn't he cute? Look, you can even see his two teeth!

Our son's name is Asher Elyas Galindo. Asher is one of the tribes of Israel. His name means happy, fortunate, blessed. Elyas is the name his birthmother gave him. It means The Lord is God.

Today, I am tearfully thankful that we are fortunate enough to serve the One, True God. The Sovereign Lord who knew where our son was, and was able to connect us to him so we could live happily ever after.

I am tearfully thankful that our son lives up to his name with laughter and giggles and big giant toothy smiles that show the world how happy he is. Everyone we meet comments on it.

And mostly today, I am just plain tearful at how blessed we are.

lucky lucky lucky you

Turns out since I have to order our Christmas Cards in packs of 20 that I will have approx. 15 left.

If you'd like to receive a fun Christmas Card from the cutest baby ever, leave your info in the comment section.

{If you've received cards from us in the past, you're still going to get one this year, too!}
{Oh, and this picture is not what you'll be receiving!!}

Promises, Promises...

Shocker! Another post! Ok, so here's the deal. I'm going to do TEN DAYS IN A ROW of posting. Hopefully, that will be enough to start making people happy. Kristy Johnson, you have to stop blogging. My MIL found your site and is always asking me why mine isn't as good as yours...you know, music, videos, blah blah blah. KJ, stop having a perfect blog with perfect pictures of my little friend. Sheesh. You're making it really difficult for the rest of us. And by the rest of us, I mean me. Sorry. I do still like you. And your blog. I just want people to like mine again. For what it is. That's all.

So, moving on. I am promising TEN DAYS of blogging. I'll answer any questions you have for our boy or our adoption or anything like that. I think day ten will feature a fun interview with the little man himself. Yes, I know. He is realizing his popularity and understands that his public needs to get a little somethin-somethin every once in a while. And guess what else? I'm promising pictures, too. Here's proof:

slight delay and apology ... again

Well folks, I really want to do a post (or a million) about our time in Ethiopia and meeting our sweet son and Hannah's Hope and being home and being a family of three and about twenty other things...but I don't like to blog without pictures and blogger isn't letting me upload any! It's a complete tragedy! I hope you accept this one tiny picture as an apology. This is our first picture as a family, when we met our son for the first time. He isn't really so sure about it...but we were having a blast! 

I'm also having a hard time trying to decide on the next post. So let's have a vote! 

1. Should I go ahead and start about being home and the here and now? 

2. Should I recap our time in Ethiopia?

3. Should I tell you all our travel tips and secrets -- and warnings?

4. Something else you want to know that I haven't thought of...?

Leave a comment with your suggestion and I'll get to posting real soon! Oh, and I know you want more pictures. I know! 

tagsie winner and our baby, too!

We're back! We're busy visiting with relatives and friends but doing great! Here's a picture of our handsome little boy for you to drool and coo over until I sit down to post more...

And our Tagsie Giveaway Winner is Cindy of The Sweetest Thing. Yay! Send me your address and I'll send you a tagsie. : ) Ok, fun times. : ) More later. Right now I'm too busy loving on this baby.