Mother's Day

Two years ago, after 2 years of heartbreaking infertility and just starting our adoption process, I gave a message at our church on Mother's Day about experiencing God as my Mother. The response was overwhelming. I was able to share from a raw and personal place about the pain Mother's Day can bring, and the beauty of God in a new way.

That year my mom and grandmother surprised me by flying out for my Mother's Day message, the first time I spoke to our entire church. It was one of the few times I've been TOTALLY surprised by anyone. It was beyond meaningful to have these two mothers in my life present for this important message.

Two years later, he's turned my mourning into dancing again. What gratitude tonight kissing Judah and Addise as we put them to sleep. I am a deeply, deeply grateful mother of two Ethiopian beauties...

Mother's Day - May 10, 2009 from Newsong Church on Vimeo.

"God as Mother"

Speaker: April Diaz

Happy Mother's Day to me and all my fellow women who've had unexplicably painful Mother's Day. Here's to a new day...

I Love YOU!

My mom can't get enough of videos and pics of our kids. And why should she? We've been trying to make a few videos for just for her, per her request, so the other day I thought I'd put Judah to the test with his first sentence.

Before you take a look, we've been working on saying "grandma" and teaching him how to say "I LOVE YOU" in sign language. He got a little gangsta with it...which makes me a proud mama!

In other news, Judah busted out a few new teeth and more are coming in! He's repeating most things we ask him to say these days including: oatmeal, what's up?, Addise, patience [guess he's been hearing that word a lot!], bath, pee-pee, veggie straws, ball, and home. He's also become really great at saying his own name, which he says excessively and with pride. His vocab is growing leaps and bounds. Hard to believe that only 3 months ago he didn't know 1 English word.

Judah is a mix of the patient, helpful older brother,

and the one who leads Addise astray.

Hopefully, I'll get some more videos of him soon with some other words and sounds he's learned. He's exceptionally proud of his knowledge, but gets a little silly once the iPhone is brought out for performing. He is a goof, and we are astounded at his progress this past month. Happy and grateful!

Addzilla's Coming!

Addise has been 2 or 3 steps for the past month, but just in the past few days has she become more prolific at her walking skills. I don't think she's started walking yet because she simply gets too excited and pleased with herself when she starts walking...and so do we. So when she takes a step or two she starts squeeling, smiling, and falls down. But on Sunday I grabbed my iPhone just to see if she might cooperate.

Cooperate she did! This is her longest walk to date!!



As for the name "Addzilla", she's such a big girl that Brian coined the term when she would start attacking Judah. They made a game out of it. Judah would giggle and play along, and the name stuck. Somehow it makes her awkward walking funnier knowing that her nickname is "ADDZILLA".