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Adeye Salem

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recently I’ve been…

August 10, 2012 By Adéye

~~~  Making a list and checking it fifty times!  SO much to do before I leave for Bulgaria in just 7 days!  Praying that God will multiply my time.

~~~  Ordering school books galore. It is totally outrageous what homeschool books cost!

~~~  Thrilled that my big kids are home after their little trip.  They had a fabulous time in VA.  I missed them terribly but loved that they were able to spend time with precious friends. 

~~~  Grateful for amazing friends in my life.  People who love me unconditionally, speak the truth when I need to hear it, extend me much grace when needed, and always point me to the ONE who is my more than enough.  They are like gold to me.

Girls!  No one can multi-task like a girl!

~~~  Organizing a schedule for my family for when I’m gone–school, friends to come and help on the days when Anthony cannot be home, meals, appointments, therapies.  I am so thankful that God has all the details (which are a concern to me!) already taken care of.  I love it that He is even in the most tiny of concerns on my heart

~~~  Rejoicing that Hailee has finally reached a milestone in her growth! It took a while, but she finally did it! I’ll share soon.

~~~  Making the most of the last days of summer.

~~~  So looking forward to holding Hasya and Kael in my arms.  Some have written to ask me how I am feeling about meeting Hasya–especially after seeing Amelia’s (who comes from the same orphanage) condition.  I will share my heart on that soon.

~~~  Loving our newly painted yellow house.

~~~  Thoroughly enjoying my dreadfully early morning gym workouts.  I am feeling so much healthier, stronger, and I have way more energy.  The challenge of living a more disciplined life has been so good for me.  I must admit that the thought of heading out the door when it’s still dark, snowy, and zero degrees outside, well, let’s just say that that will, without a doubt, be my greatest challenge.

~~~  Thankful for God’s amazing provision in our lives.

~~~  Marveling at how quickly Harper is learning new things.  She is such a smart little girl.

~~~  Feeling so awful that my inbox is literally busting at the seams and I simply cannot find the time to respond to everyone. I am so sorry. I fail!

~~~  Praying that God would protect my heart as I visit Hasya and Kael’s orphanages.  They are both in horrible places!  The thought of having to leave my children there for a few more months is hard enough…but knowing that I will see so many others who will not be able to leave with me when I am finally able to take Kael and Hasya OUT forever…oh my goodness!  I cry just thinking about it.

~~~  Looking for some excellent books to read.  Got some great ideas on Facebook when I asked for friends to share. If you’ve read any amazing, inspirational, challenging books recently, would you please leave a comment with the name?  Thanks!

~~~  Pondering His faithfulness!

The Lord is my shepherd!  I shall NOT want.


Filed Under: Embryo Adoption

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recently I’ve been

September 22, 2009 By Adéye

Painting~~
Way too much, actually.  I have this little obsession thing with paint.  The problem is that I adore change.  Painting, moving furniture around, changing the bed linen–all that kind of stuff–I LOVE.  So things don’t really stay the same for very long around here.
It’s just my obsession thing.
(My hubby is convinced that if he sits in the same place for just a tad too long, he’ll either be painted, moved around, or packed away.)
This was a fun little project that worked well…
A tin of chalkboard paint on a lonely wall = hours of entertainment.  
The kids love it.

The next project, however, not so good.

I changed the paint color in our kitchen eat-in area last weekend.  It used to be kind of a burnt orange. I felt like a radical change, and that’s exactly what I got.  Now it’s purpley–a tad toooo purple for my liking.  So I spent last week studying and examining paint samples.  I like orange.  I thought I’d go back to orange, but make it a wee bit brighter than it was.  So I found just the right color on Saturday.  I came home with a tin of my delightful color choice and started to paint a small part of the wall.

Dear hubby walks in the door and takes one look at my fabulous orange color…

“What in the world is THAT!”

“Um, that’s orange paint, Hon.”

“Yes, I can see that.  I really don’t like it!  My mother used that in the 70’s in our kitchen and I hated it then, and still do.”

Eeek–the 70’s???

(Now, for Anthony to actually tell me that he hates it–well, he must really hate it!  He is so full of grace when it comes to our ever-changing color schemes around here.)

He went on to tell me just how he felt about my color choice–and then graciously added that if I loved it, I should just keep it.  So sweet.

Back to purple it went.  Can’t torture the poor guy by having him stare at orange walls every time he comes into the kitchen. 

So purpley it is…for now.                           
           
                                                         

Actually, it’s not tooooo purple.  I  thought cranberry spice would be a little more, well, a little more spicy looking.

But that was just the beginning of my painting woes.

I painted the formal living and hallway too.  You’d think that any color with the word mocha in it would be a little brownish.  Nope!  Not my choice.  It was seriously gray!  And I mean gray…dark gray.

Anthony thought we were living in a mortuary.  And trust me, in his line of work, he has seen more than his fair share of the inside of those places. 

No can do.  Can’t be living in a mortuary!  The living room got changed yesterday.

Yep–heaps and heaps of painting. 

Keeping warm by the fire~~

The kids loved the snowy day today.  They’re praying for more overnight so that they can sled tomorrow.  I have a little feeling their prayers may be answered.  More snow heading our way over the next two days.
Anyone live down South have space for 7 more???
Just kidding.
Missing~~
My family so desperately.  I can hardly wait to see my Dad next year.  My heart aches to see my beloved family.
Missing special friends around the world.  I wish I could convince them all to come and live here in the cold North Pole with me. 
Pondering change~~
Bringing a new child home is always accompanied by change.  How will this adoption affect our family?  What changes will we have to make?  Can I handle Hailee’s needs?  Can I be a good mom to her?  On and on and on….
So many thoughts, feelings, cares and concerns.
But at the end of the day I rest in the ONE who is sending us.  I know that when He sends us on a mission, He equips us with everything we need for the journey.  Everything.  He commands us not to worry about tomorrow–and so I choose not to.
Counting my blessings~~
In hard economic times I am being purposeful to be thankful.  Anthony has been working such long and weird hours.  We miss him.  He comes home emotionally drained from being with dying people and their families all day long.  We wish it could be easier.
Yet, we choose to be thankful that he has a job!  We thank the Father for His amazing provision in our lives.  He is so faithful.
And when I feel a little bummed that I’m not seeing my dear hubby very much, well, God reminds me of my sweet friend, Holly.  Her husband is serving our country in faraway places.  She is such a courageous woman of God to be doing all she does to hold down the fort while he is away for such a long time.  I have never once seen her complain.  Amazing. 
Yes, indeed, I am so blessed.
Life is so busy.  Times may be tough–but the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords is alive and well and more than able to take care of every care and every concern we have.  What love!
———————————–
Oh my goodness, if you don’t know Lori–you absolutely have to go and read her blog.  They just got their [older] daughter in China today.  What a beautiful testimony that older child adoptions can  work and that ALL things are possible with God.   So exciting. 

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Twelve years ago, I Skyped Anthony from my cold, d Twelve years ago, I Skyped Anthony from my cold, dreary apartment in Ukraine. I had just met our newest daughters and could not hold back the tears."I just don't know if I can be Hailee's mother," I told him that day. "I don't know if I have what it takes to parent her. What if I fail her?" I asked him through so many tears. I had just discovered that Hailee had been drugged with an adult tranquillizing drug for her entire five years of life. She could not handle being held, and she screamed for most of my visit. Being taken out of the only environment she knew--the confines of a crib--was absolutely terrifying. She pulled her ears until they were raw and infected. She banged her head on anything near to self-soothe. She could not eat solid food. At five years old, she weighed just eleven pounds. Back then, I questioned a million times whether I could be the mother Hailee so desperately needed me to be. I felt so inadequate for the calling. Goodness! It's been a journey! We have both grown and learned how to live our best life together. We've succeeded and we've failed. Looking back, Hailee has been one of my greatest teachers in this life. I have learned so much being her mom. But more than anything, I have seen the hand of a faithful, loving, merciful Father as I have shared my life with this little girl. And I have seen that when we give God our yes--so often afraid and unsure and positively terrified over all of the unknowns--He turns it into our greatest blessing. I just cannot imagine my world without this little darling in it. She keeps me on my toes, ensures that we are always laughing over something that she does, will dance with us day and night, and gives the very best hugs that make any hard day better. Today, on her seventeenth birthday, we count the enormous blessing that is Hailee. We thank God for the gift of this child who just makes life so much sweeter. Happy, happy birthday, sweetest Hailee! I am so, so grateful that twelve years ago, your precious Dad reminded me that I had what it took to be your mom. Because being your voice, your caregiver, your dance partner, your hugger, and your mom is, by far, one of my greatest delights in this life!
Growing up, I never really wanted to be a mother. Growing up, I never really wanted to be a mother. In many ways, the thought of raising another human terrified me. What if I failed? What if I couldn't be the mother a child needed me to be? I was so afraid of all the things that could possibly go wrong. Goodness, was I wrong! Now that I have young adults, I look back on my mothering journey and honestly, it makes me tearful. I'm 100% sure that I have failed these sweet humans more times than I care to remember. I know for sure that there have been times when I handled situations all wrong and wished that I could have had a redo. But children don't need perfect parents! There is no such thing. God chose me--in all of my brokenness and with my countless flaws. This Mother's Day, I am so thankful for the enormous amount of grace that these five extend me every single day. They see past the things that I see as my weaknesses and love me so sweetly. Motherhood is such a precious gift from God. My highest calling. And though I never knew it and could not see it all those years ago, I am so thankful that God knew that I needed these five blessings so much more than they would ever need me. Because He's just so very kind like that. I hope you all had a beautiful Mother's Day. ❤️
Thank you, @shadwickstrom and @julie.wickstrom, fo Thank you, @shadwickstrom and @julie.wickstrom, for the blessing and the absolute honor of being able to share my heart, my journey, and His redeeming love in my life this morning. He is worthy of it ALL--every broken piece made whole, every victory we see, and every praise whispered through tears. Happy Mother's Day, friends. It's been a most beautiful day with my beloved family. ❤️
Grateful for...warmer days (finally!). Messy hair Grateful for...warmer days (finally!). Messy hair days. The sweetest smiles. Sister love. Grace for a very, very busy season. Manna for today. And tomorrow. Amazing adult children who fill my heart with so much love. The ability to workout and get stronger. Friends who love us unconditionally. A church who embraces us wholeheartedly. Physicals done for six children. Healthy bodies. Exciting adventures. Longer days. Summer. The undeserved favor of God. It is well. ❤️
Today we celebrate the man who deserves more than Today we celebrate the man who deserves more than I could ever give him. I remember the days of praying for a man who would love me with his whole heart. A man who looked past my many flaws, my brokenness, the shattered pieces of my life, and my many imperfections and saw all who I could become. A man who chased after the things of God with everything that he has. A man who would adore his children and be an amazing dad. A man who loved people and cared deeply about the things that matter most. A man who walked in integrity and chose to do what's right, no matter what. A man who would hold my heart so tenderly and always point me to Jesus. God gave me all of this and so much more. He gave me a man who always, always puts our needs way above his own and loves this family of ours with every ounce of his being. Today, we honor and we celebrate you, Anthony! No words can ever express how grateful I am that God heard every prayer on my heart and sent me you. Doing this crazy, amazing, beautiful life with you is my greatest joy and delight. Happy, happy birthday! How we love and treasure you! ❤️🎉
For the last two years, I've been so much more del For the last two years, I've been so much more deliberate about what I allow myself to watch and listen to. We don't have a television, and we never watch the news. We spend more time with our children, drop everything we're doing when one of our adult children walks through our door, love hanging out with our animals, and always have a home renovation project we're working on. These days, I'm trying to be so much more intentional about only focusing on what  matters most to me. The days and the years sure do fly by...and I don't ever want to feel like I wasted this one life He gave me by worrying, stressing and focusing on all the things that I cannot change. I'm a work in progress, but I'm loving this season of children growing up, adult kids who are such a blessing to my heart, and intentionally living a life of gratitude. Thankfulness is a choice--no matter the circumstances we walk through. I fail at getting it right more than I succeed at living gratefully every day. Because life can be hard, and the world is messed up, and it's so easy to take my eyes off of all things eternal. But so gently and patiently, He reminds me daily to pause. To reflect on all that is good. And lovely. And amazing. Because I don't ever want to be too busy to miss moments like this. She's my biggest cuddler and my random kisser (like, all day long)...and I pray that I'm never too distracted to savor the sweetness of it all. ❤️
Twenty three years ago, I became a mother. I was n Twenty three years ago, I became a mother. I was never one of those woman who dreamed of motherhood since they were very young. Truth is, I had no clue who I was nor who I wanted to become for most of my young adult life. In so many ways, the thought of being a mother and raising children scared the heck out of me. That was, until I had my first son. Connor changed me! Never had I experienced the kind of love and absolute joy that I had in spending my days with him. This boy showed me that if I was nothing else in my life, being his mom would be enough for me. And for twenty three years we've been figuring out this crazy, amazing life together. I have loved and treasured every single day that we have grown together. Being Connor's mother has been one of my greatest delights in my life. And now that he's a young man, I look back and am so insanely grateful for the gift this boy has been to us. From the sweetest baby, to the most amazing young man that he has chosen to become, I am thankful. It has been such a privilege watching him grow and mature into a man who walks in integrity, cares deeply, and is so kind. Happy, happy 23rd birthday to the son who is one of my great riches on this earth. No words can ever express the blessing he is to my heart! Keep looking up, Connor. Keep your eyes on heaven. Keep being exactly who you are. And always, always put Jesus first. I am ridiculously proud of you. ❤️
Happy 18th birthday, sweetest Kael. You were a sur Happy 18th birthday, sweetest Kael. You were a surprise addition to our adoption of Hasya. A sweet boy who God added to us so far into the adoption process. We had to rush through the paperwork to make sure that we could adopt you. I'll always remember the day I met you. Driving through the gates of the mental asylum you had called home for nearly nine years changed me forever. Never in my life had I been in such a dark, lifeless place. A place where precious humans had no worth, no value. A place so hard to fathom. But God! By His amazing grace, He chose you to have a family. I don't understand it all. Why so many are left behind with no hope. Some days I just ache for heaven. But forever will I be thankful that you are here, loved and living your very best life. With hope and a future. You're our chillest kid! Nothing ever moves quickly for you, except, perhaps, when you see me preparing a meal and you know it's time to eat. You love your food and have never turned a meal away. You have the best laugh in the world, and when you smile, I am reminded that redemption is such a beautiful thing. You love our family outings and could spend your entire summer in a swimming pool. And even though you're completely dependent on us for all things, you have become so intentional about showing us your needs. You have amazed us with all that you have learned, especially recently. How you have grown in nine years! As you head into your adult years, we're so excited to watch you become all who God has made you to be. And we'll be there, making sure that you have every opportunity to learn, grow and live a life filled with wonder. We are so grateful that God rescued you, sweet Kael. So very grateful for the gift of you. ❤️🎉
It's World Autism Awareness Day. Today we celebrat It's World Autism Awareness Day. Today we celebrate everything that makes Hailee, Hailee. She is fearfully and wonderfully made...JUST the way she is. Thank you, God, for the big victories that are simply amazing and the seemingly tiny victories that we count as blessings...they are ALL from your hand. Grateful for the gift of this tiny little firecracker who ensures that my days are never dull nor boring. ❤️
She's fiercely independent. Picks out her own clot She's fiercely independent. Picks out her own clothes. Can figure out anything on her own. Got the stubborn gene. Loves to help. Can rearrange an entire house in five minutes flat (and keeps us guessing where everything went). Has to have everything in its rightful place. Adores her siblings. And her puppy. Is the boss of everyone. Thrives on routine. Keeps everyone (animals included) on their toes and doing what they need to do. Loves pretty dresses and accessories. Forgives easily and teaches me to do the same. Yells at Hailee a gazillion times a day for messing up the playroom...again..."Oh, Hailee! No!" She is absolute perfection and I am so thankful that she's mine. ❤️
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