Ellis Gang

2009-12-05T08:15:00.000-08:00

3 years!

Today marks the 3 years since we picked her up from Guatemala! Moriah is such a blessing in our lives. We love her so much. It has been a long time since we posted last. We are now living in the Oklahoma City area.

2008-08-03T01:33:00.000-07:00

Moriah's first (REAL) hair cut!
I gave Moriah a french braid the other day and noticed how many dead ends she had and thought...ok it is time for her first hair cut. (Well, her foster mom told me that she gave her a hair cut before she came home, but I am not sure what that amounts to.) Her hair was only a couple of inches from her waist. So we went to the lady down the street who does our toenails. She adores Moriah so much and had a great time cutting her hair. Now her hair is about 3 inches below her shoulders....Lots of hair for a 24 month old!

2008-08-03T01:26:00.000-07:00

Mommy's Birthday!
Kris, Moriah, and P Goi took me out for my birthday. Overall the day was nice. I recieved several nice cards and calls from friends and family. Mom, Dad, Kris, and Moraih all gave me some very nice gifts.....I just really can't believe how old I am now though! Yikes!!!

2008-08-03T01:18:00.000-07:00

Misty's language tutor's birthday's!
These are Misty's language tutors and both of their b-day's are in July and they have really been wanting to learn to make cake so....they came over and we made a chocolate cake! It was great!

They had an awesome time playing with Moriah and Moriah with them. What a very fun evening! The tutor's names are A and Jiff!

2008-08-03T01:00:00.000-07:00

A trip to the Laos border to see friends.

A couple of weeks ago we went to the country and we mean the countryside in all senses of the word! It was so far out, but we had a great time and got great lanugage practice! The purpose of the trip was a see a couple that Kris had first met in Dallas. He is Laotian (but now a US citizen), and she is Thai and they are now married trying to start churches amongst their local people group. They have a daughter Moriah's age and they had a blast together.
These pictures are taken in the nearest city about 40 km away. In the background you can see Laos. We really want to go into Laos, but as US citizens, we have to pay both to get into Laos and also to get our visas renewed to reenter Thailand. As a family this would cost us around $175. So we have not gone yet.

Moriah and her new friend!

Overall we did a poor job of taking picture of the countryside views. Here are a couple. One of the challenges of our trip was Moriah, me, and the sqatty potties. Out in the country especially there are few toilets as we Americans know them to be. Moriah began potty training right after her birthday so it was time for us to conquer the squatty potties.....Overall Moriah has done an awesome job with potty training very very few accidents etc, but let me just tell you this sqatty potty thing requires some great skill (mostly on mommies part!!!) I will not go into all the details, but let me just tell you my feet were wet and smelly most of the trip! Yuck! I am trying to find some local mom's to teach me this much needed skill. Some people say that boys are harder to raise, but with potty training and sqatties....I think boys have got it made :)

2008-08-03T00:55:00.000-07:00

Celebrating the 4th of July on the 12th!
We had a small celebration at our supervisors house with both Thai's and other Americans. Moriah had a great time with the sparklers! It's times like these though that really make us miss our family back home!

2008-07-16T02:30:00.000-07:00

Portriats in Thailand are not the same as in America!

Some friends recommended a studio that takes pictures in a local shopping center. We went expecting a photographer, maybe a few props and some nice backgrounds. When we got there we found lots of really busy backgrounds, tons of props, and a photographer that it was not part of his job to position the people which is especially hard with a 2 year old involved. In addition you had to choose your exact package you wanted before you even took your pictures which was so hard since we didn't even know what pics we would be taking. We chose a package that included 4 pictures. We paid a little extra to get the disk. They are semi good, but I was disappointed as this was not what I had in mind. Cute picture, but not showing off her cute smile.
I love her smile in this picture, but you can see me in the background in the mirror and due to her holding the ball which the photographer insist she hold you can't see her pretty dress.
Moriah's legs look a little awkward and she is not smiling, but this one turned ok I guess.
This I thought was the best one. It is a very natural pose for Moriah. We were playing the Thai version of Peek-a-Boo.

2008-07-16T02:19:00.000-07:00

A Few More Pictures from Moriah's Birthday!

2008-07-10T06:34:00.000-07:00

As promised...more birthday party pics!!!

2008-07-07T06:05:00.000-07:00

Moriah's 2nd Birthday Party
We can hardly believe our little girl has turned 2 already. We had a super fun party with over 30 in attendance. The kids played in the little pool and in the sprinker. I didn't get many good pics, but a friend did so I will post those when she gives them to me. We ate hotdogs, fried rice, chicken, and fruit. Moriah had a blast! Such a blessing to share our little blessing with those God has put in our lives here. We missed family and friends back home so very much! Will post more soon of opening gifts as well as more water pics.

Moriah, our helper Banyen and Elliot

Kids playing in the water...notice here in THailand they don't wear bathing suits to play in the water...just plain clothes.

Our decorated dining room before the party.

Everyone enjoyed the strawberry cake I made. I asked Moriah what flavor she wanted and she quickly responded strawberry!!!A few of the grown up guests.

2008-07-07T05:53:00.000-07:00

Meeting Time!
We were blessed to be able to attend a meeting with some other people from our company the last two weeks of June. Our hotel was on the beach, but this particular beach had lots of trash and stunk pretty bad. But the meeting was full of fun having corporate worship for the first time in 8 months, visiting friends, and hearing what God is doing around the world. Here are a few pics we took there. (The first one is at a near by aquarium.)

2008-06-14T18:36:00.001-07:00

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

2008-06-14T05:33:00.000-07:00

A few Pics from this week!

The other day I was walking down the stairs and this was what I saw, daddy, daddies girl, and baby all chillin on the floor. Moriah and baby are under a purple bandana that she gives me multiple times a day along with baby and says "Wrap her up."
Near our house is a very small lake that we walk around in the evenings. There are people there selling old bread to feed this fish. We have fed them the last few evenings. Moriah really loves to feed them!

This is my new bicycle. Moriah has her own seat up front. We have been taking lots of rides around the neighborhood! It's lots of fun! Moriah likes to ding the bell that is on the handlebar! It also has a nice basket so when we buy stuff we have a place to put it. I guess when Moriah gets bigger or if she ever gets a little brother or sister, Moriah will move to the backseat. What fun!

2008-06-07T23:51:00.001-07:00

Make a Smilebox free ecard

2008-06-04T00:30:00.000-07:00

Fun pictures!
Yesterday I got out the camera to snap a few shots of Moriah in the dress that Kris' mom made her for Christmas. (You may remember seeing the other one earlier..it was a Christmas pattern). You may be wondering why her cheek is the same color as her dress???? Well, last Friday Moriah thought she would try to climb our stairs and look behind her and down she went (luckily it was only the bottom 2 stairs), but is left her a nice bruise on her cheek. But, I still think she looks beautiful!

2008-06-02T02:01:00.000-07:00

What a little Mom!

Moriah has become quite the little mommy for her 4 babies. Is is amazing (a little scary) how much she imitates exactly what I do from how I push the stroller, hang my purse on the side, push the stroller up over the stairs, how she talks to baby, feeds her, changes her diaper, but especially how she talks to her. This is a good reality check to know exactly what I am doing everyday as I am being constantly mirrored!

It is also very important that baby learns to color! What a good teacher she has!!!

2008-05-28T05:41:00.000-07:00

The Scoop about Poop

Well if you were in our house recently you might be asked by a certain little angel a question like "Potty or Poop" while you are doing your business in the bathroom. I guess this was just the prelude to her first poop in the toilet today! Yes, I am so proud. She told me, poop poop which usually she tells me when she has already pooped in her diaper. However, today she walked into the bathroom so I thought...well I guess we will give this a try! So we did and after a bit down came a little pebble! And we clapped and celebrated!!!!!!

2008-05-28T05:34:00.000-07:00

ME AND MY SHADES

2008-05-22T06:55:00.000-07:00

Wow, we finally have internet and I can post from home again. I have not taken many good pics lately which is a shame but here are a few of the interesting conversations I have had with Moriah who is quickly approaching her 2nd B-day on July 6!

This was 2 days ago. I was washing the dishes and I told Moriah to that when I was done it would be nap time. Well after a few minutes and I finished washing the dishes I said ok Moriah what time is it (thinking she would say no not nap time) and she lifted up her arm looked at her wrist and in a very confident voice she said "2:30" I couldn't believe it. How funny that she has already has an understanding of time.

Today Moriah told me she had some money in her pocket. I said oh really how much? She said 3 baht (baht is the Thai currency). I said oh really that much...what are you going to do with your money? She said that she is going to Big C (kind of like Walmart) to buy milk and eggs. She then told me bye bye and when outside and got on her tricylce to go to the store.....I thought wow! She really has quite an understanding for her age.

Last night, I was getting Moriah's jammers on to get her ready for bed. She looked over at the wall and noticed our shadow's on the wall. She pointed at my shadow and said Mama, and then pointed at her shadow and said Moriah. I was so shocked. We have never told her about shadows. I guess she just recognized us!

Our helper, Ban, that watches Moriah told me this happened the other day. Ban was cleaning the glass doors. She said she wasn't quite done yet and Moriah was saying, "Ban, Ban" and pointing at a spot that she thought Ban had missed. Ban said she just cracked up laughing that she was helping her in this way.

Ban also told me this story. Last week we had some people planting grass in our front yard. Ban said Moriah walked outside, stood on our front porch and then raised her hands, closed her eyes and began singing very passionately. The yard workers asked Ban what she was singing about. Ban (who has been a Christian almost 10 years) told them that Moriah was singing about Jesus which gave her a chance to share a little about who Jesus is.......

I am praying that many will know Him through her kind heart!!!

Some of Moriah's favorite things to do currently are to make play food, serve tea, play do and color. SHe loves to watch Seasame Street and asks to watch it by saying Big Bird repeatedly. Moriah is a great singer. I would guess she knows at least parts of over 20 songs. She is getting very good at singing her ABC's and enjoys singing praise songs with mommy and daddy as well as her personal favorite "Jesus loves the little children". Moriah also really loves talking on the phone and especially on the webcam.

She is a definate joy. She has a very strong personality which tests our patiance from time to time, but she more than makes up for this with her servant helpful spirit!!!

2008-03-30T19:13:00.000-07:00

Easter in Thailand 2008

For Easter this year we were able to meet up with a few Americans here with CAmpus Outreach. It was a blessing. Here are a few pictures. PS...you know my mom sent this pretty Easter dress to her grauddaughter! :) I tried to post a bunch of pics, but since we don't yet have a house we don't have internet. Now I'm at an internet cafe and I can't get them all to post so here are just a few.

2008-03-25T19:27:00.000-07:00

Catching up!!!

Well, we have gotten way way way behind on posting pictures on Moriah's blog. We have not had internet in quite some time, but I have found I nifty little internet cafe to post on. I will post a lot of pictures we have taken since January. Moriah has grown so much. She is speaking many words in English, Thai and Isaan. At first the transition of moving to Khon Kaen was hard on her, but is doing better now. She says most of her animal names in Thai. Some of her other favorite words are swim, gramsey, pops, up, down, eat, thank you, sawasdeekha, khopkhunkha, and ma (dog). The list goes on and on. We are praying that we will make friends soon for Moriah to play with. When we go to Bangkok, she loves to play with Caleb Casebolt! And, he really loves playing with her too!

This picture was taken at a little festival near the town we used to live in.
Here we are at Werakul's wedding. (He was one of Misty's first Thai friends that she met years ago at OSU). Misty spoke at his wedding..all in Thai!

Of course Moriah is an OSU fan! You can see she is showing they are #1. May sister's inlaws (the biggest OU fans ever!) They said it was the hardest gift they ever bought.

This is our family on Kris and I's 5th wedding anniversary! Not a lot of romance with your 1 year old with you, but she makes our family so much better even for anniversary celebrations.

A cute pic of Moriah with a dress Kris' mom bought her.

Moriah playing with her baby, in a picture with our new helper, P Banyen, and trying to escape the extreme heat playing in the sprinkler!!!!

March and April are the hottest months in Thailand. We are finding all kinds of ways to keep cool!

2008-01-24T05:12:00.000-08:00

Moriah still loves swimming, even after not being able to go for a few months. We are blessed that there is a pool about 15-20 minutes away from us. We try to take her at least once a week. Moriah really never wants to leave the water when it is time to go!

2007-12-28T04:42:00.000-08:00

My life in Thailand so far!!! We have been meaning to post pictures for awhile. On December 5, we celebrated one year with Moriah! God has blessed us so much this year with her as a part of our family. She is growing up so fast. We are amazed that she can already sing parts of songs and say multiple words in the local langauge that we are learning. In the picture above (taken today) moriah first thought that her baby doll needed to sit on the potty, and then she decided she needed to take a seat as well. Here in Thailand she has already made friends with the local children, and many of the other local people. With her smile and always wanting to be around people, she has helped us to make many new friends.
Moriah playing with playdough!
Moriah and her new doll she got from Gramsey! She is telling her to sssh!
Moriah and her friend Caleb.

Thank you family for all of the wonderful gifts!
Dad and I!

I love my new dolly!

Moriah and Johnson.

In Bangkok with the Num's.

Having fun with family!

I love my mommy!
Wit and Moriah at church.
Look at me! I am riding the sky train in Bangkok.

I love water!
Moriah and Johnson playing ball.

Coloring is so fun!
Finally, after all of this traveling I get to swimm again!
At P-Dang and P-Tongs house.

2007-12-10T06:31:00.000-08:00

2007-11-26T18:43:00.000-08:00

2007-11-24T05:49:00.000-08:00

Holidays are so different here in Thailand. Moriah celebrated her first Thanksgiving today at one of our collegues house in Thailand. It was nice to have a day of eating good american food! Our little helper loves to sweep!
one of Moriah's friends!!! She loves to moo! He comes to graze right next to our house.
Playing with a friend.

Moriah looks so cute with her headband on, that is if she will ever keep it on!

I love to fold laundry!
I am ready to go! Purse and all! Moriah loves her purse that Aunty Ang got for her...

2007-10-27T23:39:00.000-07:00

We have been in Thailand for almost 2-weeks now! Moriah is loving all of the new experiences, but missing her family and friends in the U.S. Here Moriah is with her new wheels! She loves being outside!

At the house we are staying in Moriah has made her self at home. She loves to play in this little cubby space, and other small areas in the house.

2007-10-16T00:52:00.000-07:00

We made it here to Thailand!!! Below is a picture of Moriah with her friend Caleb who she was able to see after we arrived! Moriah is experiencing so many new things, she loves all of the dogs and cows roaming around the streets.

2007-10-08T10:45:00.001-07:00

Here is the a cute Franklin family pic. We love our family so much and Moriah has gotten quite attached to everyone. We are sad to say goodbyes.

On Saturday, we went to a pumpkin patch. Moriah had a great time petting all the animals.

Pumpkin patch pic!

2007-10-08T08:59:00.000-07:00

2007-09-17T16:48:00.002-07:00

Our 14 month old!
Moriah is all about wearing her shades lately. She is so funny with them on and she looks so very cute. Just the other day she got her ears pierced. You can kinda see it in the pic below.

We had a Latin American worship service and I thought it only fitting that Moriah wear her native Guatemalan dress. This is the style dress little girls wear in the province Moriah is from.

This has been a busy month. Like I continually keep saying, Moriah is growing up so fast. She is so friendly to everyone she meets, and is always waving. One of her friends has taught her has to do the formal Thai greeting.

Pops and Gramsey came to visit us over the Labor day Holiday and we all had a wonderful time seeing some of the historical places in Virginia.

In class Moriah is learning so much and she loves playing with her classmates. Last week she made one of her first art projects, and we as proud parents have it hanging up.

2007-08-27T18:02:00.000-07:00

Well we have been in Virginia for three weeks now. Moriah began walking on her own a few days after arriving here. Now she loves to walk by herself (miss independent) all over the place. She is saying so many words like... ball, bird, mama, dada, butterfly, bannana, flower, I love you, and thank you...

I think most people here know Moriah more than us. She is so popular with her friendly smile and genuine love for people. Right now, I think she is cutting four teeth, so you can imagine the pain in all of that process.

She is loving her class and the new friends she has made. Of course she still cries a bit when we drop her off, but then she is fine. This weekend Pops and Gramsey are coming to visit us, so we are all looking foward to seeing them again. And I know for sure Moriah has missed them both so much.

This small video has taken multiple attempts, so hopefully after an hour of work, (the connection is very slow here), Iwill be able to post this video so you all will be able to see our little darling walking... =-) Also just so you know, Gramsey bought Moriah shoes with squeakers in them, which she absolutley loves, to encourage her to walk. I guess the squeakers did the job, cause she is walking.

Well I finally got the video to work after much effort. Sorry it is so short, but this is all it would let me upload. Enjoy!

2007-08-07T17:20:00.000-07:00

First we apologize for the long delay in adding pictures and posts. There has been so much going on in our lives this past month.

We are in a new state as of today, (Virginia). We will be here for a two month trainning before we head off to Thailand in October. Moriah was sad to say goodbey to Gramsey and Pops this morining and she misses them very much.

Tomorrow while Mommy and Daddy are in class Moriah will spend part of the day in a class with new friends. This will be her first time to spend longer periods of time away from Moomy and Daddy on a regular basis. Here she will learn how to transition to moving overseas, (I guess as much as they can with a one-year-old. Below are a few pictures we took while spending time with family before leaving.

PS... Now that we only have dial-up it takes so long to upload pictures, so we can't post as many.

2007-07-25T20:41:00.000-07:00

These pictures were taken when Papa E, Nana Lori, Sonja, Derek, David, and Sarah came to Kris' oridination at First Baptist Sulphur. Moriah enjoyed seeing them so much! Our dear friends (in the second picture) also came up for this event.

2007-07-08T21:11:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to Moriah. Moriah turned one on Friday, but we had a birthday party for her on Saturday. Moriah loves ducks, so that was the theme for the party. Our little girl loves cake, which she had for the first time. Thank you to all friends and family who made this day so special for her.

2007-07-06T13:52:00.000-07:00

Happy First Birthday Moriah!
Moriah turned one year old today. Tomorrow we are having a party for her with friends and family. It has been such a blessing to have her in our lives these past seven months. Wow... time goes by so fast!

2007-07-04T05:50:00.000-07:00

Pops and Gramsey took us all on an amazing trip to Miami, Florida. We all enjoyed swimming in the ocean and playing in the sand. Moriah is the happiest person. While in Florida she waved to all of the people passing her way. We went to see the alligators, to Jungle Island, and to downtown Miami (amongst other places).

2007-07-04T05:37:00.000-07:00

This is Moriah's first ponytail. We can't believe her hair is so long.

2007-06-21T19:48:00.001-07:00

Moriah is nearly 1 year old. She will turn 1 on July 6th. She is crawling all over the house and pulling up on couches, coffee tables, and anything else that she is curious about.
We are so blessed to have her and love to watch her grow. It is so amazing at how fast she learns things and how fast time seems to go by. Moriah is a joy to our life!!!

2007-06-21T19:26:00.000-07:00

Moriah had a fun time in the San Francisco area meeting all of Mommy and Daddy's friends. Her Aunt Shasha blessed us so much.
Moriah enjoyed playing the drums with Aunt Annelies.
Moriah was so happy to be near the ocean and enjoying the sunny weather.

2007-06-21T18:52:00.000-07:00

We were in Carmel, California. Moriah spent time with Grammy, Grandpa, and Uncle Collin. While in the area we went to the Monterey Bay Aquarium and to the beach.
Moriah had a wonderful time. She loves water.

2007-06-21T18:42:00.000-07:00

Moriah went to Chico California. She met her great-grandma, great-grandpa, aunts and uncles from her Daddy's side of the family.
She enjoyed playing with her cousin Shawn so much!

2007-06-21T18:31:00.000-07:00

Moriah visited Nana Lori, Papa E, Sonja, Derek, David, and Sarah in Colorado. She had a fun time learning how to crawl up and down stairs.

2007-06-05T20:13:00.000-07:00

This has been a busy week. We had Moriah's baby dedication at First Baptist Sulphur last Sunday. From the many pictures you can see that Moriah is enjoying herself at Gramsey and Pops' house, (especially swimming).

Moriah is now 11-months. She entertains us all with her sounds and funny faces.

Tomorrow we are on our way to visit Nana Lori and family in Denver. Then we will go to California to visit Kris' family.

2007-06-01T18:52:00.000-07:00

Saying Goodbye to Dallas! Moriah was a big help... Helping Mommy pack boxes, but maybe she did a little more unpacking than packing.
We are now staying the summer with Pops and Gramsey.

2007-05-21T18:48:00.000-07:00

Well! Moriah has passed the 1o month mark. She is very mobile and pulling up on everything. She is helpful, as we pack boxes to move- she unpacks them.
This past weekend we spent at a reunion from Misty's mothers side of the family. AND, just so you all know Moriah is NOT a Sooner!!!!!!!! I(Misty) did not check the weather before we went and packed all warm clothes and it was cold! The local WAL-MART only had one set of winter clothes (this is what my cousins Brad and Jeremy say that went to the store anyway). Yes it was difficult to see my beautiful girl in these clothes, because she is FOR SURE a Cowboys fan forever!!!!

2007-05-13T07:18:00.000-07:00

Kris graduated yesterday from Dallas Theological Seminary. Moriah is very proud of her daddy. She was a very big girl during the graduation. Later that day she went to Oklahoma to see her Aunt Kristin graduate.

2007-04-24T07:24:00.000-07:00

Here is our happy girl. Moriah is doing so well. She is crawling everywhere and pulling herself up. The dress she is wearing we purchased in Guatemala when we went to pick her up in December.
She is such a blessing to our lives and reveals God's grace and joy to us daily.

2007-04-21T15:37:00.000-07:00

Moriah and mommy had a day out with friends!

2007-04-09T19:48:00.000-07:00

Moriah had a great Easter weekend. We first had a Franklin family reunion on saturday. Moriah enjoyed hunting easter eggs for the first time. On Sunday we were at Pops and Gramsey's house. Moriah loves spending time with them!
Moriah turned 9-months old on April 6th. Time is going by so quickly.

2007-04-01T07:41:00.000-07:00

Moriah enjoys taking a bath and trying out new foods. This weekend we went to the Dallas Zoo with Uncle Josh and Auntie Ang.

2007-03-26T12:19:00.000-07:00

Riding my Zebra

My first biscuit. Yum! Yum!

2007-03-26T12:12:00.000-07:00

Crawling is so much fun!

2007-03-25T07:05:00.000-07:00

2007-03-25T06:32:00.000-07:00

Swimming, swimming and more swimming. Moriah loves being in the pool. She had not been in a few weeks, so she seemed super excited to be in the water.
This month Moriah has learned to crawl and to put her little crackers in her mouth. So, watch out she is now mobile. We also got her this little car that she can ride in. Yesterday, she went for a ride down our hallway and had lots of fun.

2007-03-17T20:40:00.000-07:00

This has been a great week. Misty's friend Jen came to stay with us from Iowa. Moriah loved having her here. Today we went to the Dallas Arboretum and enjoyed the beautiful flowers, weather and Irish dancing.

2007-03-11T17:43:00.000-07:00

2007-03-09T05:47:00.000-08:00

Moriah turns eight-months old! As you can see from the pictures, Moriah is a happy girl. This weekend she is going to visit her Uncle Marcus, Aunt Kristin, and Auntie Ellen.
Moriah has two front teeth coming in and she is trying to crawl.
She says "DaDa" and "Mama".

2007-02-24T20:30:00.000-08:00

2007-02-22T17:51:00.000-08:00

2007-02-21T20:04:00.000-08:00

2007-02-20T21:04:00.000-08:00

Moriah personality is really coming out these days. She laughs, and lets out happy screams. In this picture she is helping mommy by taking the stuff out of the bag, (that mommy just put in).
This past weekend our good friend Megan came from California. We spent the weekend in Oklahoma at Pops and Gramsey's house.
Please continue to pray for us as a family as Moriah adjusts to being with us and for the months ahead. At this point, we plan to leave for Thailand in October, after Kris graduates from Seminary in May. So we have a lot going on...
Our family is blessed to have Moriah and all that she brings to us. We love her so much!!!

2007-02-11T18:43:00.000-08:00

This week was busy but we always have so much fun with Moriah. Nana Lori and and Aunt Sarah came from Denver and spent the weekend with us here in Dallas. We had a great time with them and were sad to see them leave.
Gramsey came down today from Oklahoma for a baby shower hosted by our sunday school class at church. It was such a blessing. Moriah received a lot of books and dvd's that she will be able to enjoy for a long time.
Time is so precious with Moriah and watching her grow is such a blessing to our family.

2007-02-07T07:14:00.000-08:00

Look at Moriah!!! She is able to stand up- as she holds onto her toy. Moriah is doing so well. She is now 7-months old... She has been home with us for 2 months now.

2007-01-28T17:36:00.000-08:00

2007-01-28T17:28:00.000-08:00

Moriah is growing and doing so well. She is nearly 7-months old now. We took her swimming at our local gym. She loves the water so much.
She makes us laugh and keeps us busy.

2007-01-28T14:13:00.000-08:00

2007-01-20T10:12:00.000-08:00

Six Months Old

Moriah is sitting in her big girl chair now at the table. For lunch she at peas for the first time. Our time in Virginia went really well and we are glad to be at home with Moriah again.

2007-01-14T12:52:00.000-08:00

Fun in the snowy weather

2007-01-14T10:44:00.000-08:00

Moriah is enjoying her first snow/sleet/ice storm. We are here at Pops and Gramsey's house in Southern Oklahoma. We have to fly to Richmond Virgina for an interview with the International Mission Board on Tuesday, so Moriah will stay with her grandparents. We pray that the roads will be okay for us to make our flight.
Moriah ate her first vegetable, (squash). Next week maybe she will try something else. Also she has enjoyed being at Pops and Gramsey's and playing in the ExerSaucer.

2007-01-10T18:27:00.000-08:00

Moriah is doing great! She loves this new jumpy thing that hangs from the door frame. Yesterday, she went to the doctor for her six-month check-up. She now is now 16lbs 12oz and 26.5" tall.

2007-01-04T08:08:00.000-08:00

This morning we woke up early to drive down to down-town Fort Worth to be at the readoption of Moriah. This process allowed us to receive a Texas birth certificate and to change her birth name of Jennifer to Moriah Joy Estefania Ellis. We are so proud of our girl and blessed that everything is finally complete as far as the adoption goes.
Now, we look forward to raising our daughter and watching her grow.

2007-01-02T17:24:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!!!
Here is our first family picture! Moriah really does not like to smile for the camera. She laughs and smiles any other time, but when you put a camera on her she gets so serious. But, we finally got some good ones!
Yesterday, we got Moriah a jumpy-thingy that hangs from the door frame. She loves it sooooo much. She enterains us all the time and is such a happy baby. On Saturday she turns six-months old. It is hard to belive that she has been with us for nearly a month...
Her great-grandma Ellis made her the white sweater, hat, and blanket, (in the picture below).

2006-12-29T14:54:00.000-08:00

We all had a wonderful Christmas! God is so gracious to allow us to spend Christmas with Moriah. We thank everyone for praying for us-that Moriah would be home by Christmas.
Moriah enjoyed spending time with her Pops, Grammy, Great-Granny, Aunts, Unlces, and friends. She was blessed with so many wonderful gifts and enjoyed playing with so many family members.
Over the weekend Moriah ate baby cereal for the first time! She loved this new experience. She entertains us so much with all of her new sounds and abilities. Today while Kris was at Target, Moriah rolled over for the first time at home with Mommy.
Currently, some of Moriah's favorite toys are "Monkey" (name given by Aunt Kristin,) and her favorite reindeer rattle, (given to her by her Auntie Ang).
We love Moriah so much and are so blessed to have her in our family. Happy New Year to everyone!

2006-12-17T16:55:00.000-08:00

Moriah is doing so well! She loves taking a bath and splashing her feet. This week has been busy for her. Meeting so many new people! She is adjusting well, but it is taking time for her to feel comfortable around so many new people. Moriah is such a happy girl.

Our dear friend Michelle is visiting from California this weekend! We all went on a walk tonight. Moriah loves to be outside...

You might be wondering about the fruit in the picture. The Davidson's gave Moriah, Mommy and Daddy this special gift!

This weekend Moriah attended three parties, and her Grandma Ray bought her the red christmas dress that she is wearing in the picture below. It is such a blessing to have this sweet little girl in our lives.

Over this past week she has been trying so hard to roll over. I bet by the end of the month she will have it down.

We are so excited for Christmas to be with family and to celebrate the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. Merry Christmas!

2006-12-09T19:05:00.000-08:00

ME and My "Someone"

Moriah met her grandma today, which her name is still being decided as to what Moriah will call her. This is why the title of the blog is "me and my someone." Maybe we will all have to take a vote on what the name will be.

Today Moriah went out with her Grandpa, (also known as POPS,) her Grandma, (name undecided,) Auntie Ang, and Aunt Kristin. And of course her parents, (Kris and Misty, also known as Mom and Dad,) went along as well. We had a fun day shopping at the mall. Moriah loves her family and can't wait for them to come back and visit again.

Now Moriah is sleeping after her long day! She did so well adjusting today and with meeting so many new faces. She is so blessed to have a wonderful family who cares for her so much!

2006-12-08T18:36:00.000-08:00

This past week with Moriah has been so much fun! She is adjusting a little more each day. On Wednesday she went to the doctor for a check-up and her pediatrician says she is doing great. For her age, She is a tall baby. Today, Moriah was a little sad when mommy went to work. She has enjoyed meeting all of her new friends that have stopped by to say Hi.

2006-12-05T18:56:00.000-08:00

From Guatemala to the U.S.A.

Today Moriah became a United States Citizen as we went through immigration and they stamped her passport. The flight went well, and we are so happy to have her home. I think she already fits in so well with us, and she loves her new home. Tonight she played for a long time and kept letting out her "happy scream." We are so ever blessed to have her home at nearly five months old and in time for the Christmas Season. Again, thank you to everyone for all of your prayers during the adoption process. Please still continue to pray for Moriah's adjustment to her new home.

Moriah is so blessed to have so many wonderful family and friends!!!

2006-12-05T18:47:00.000-08:00

2006-12-03T17:00:00.000-08:00

Moriah's First Swim

Today was Moriah's first time to go swimming with us in the pool at the hotel. She absolutely loved the water and we think when she get a little older she is going to be a natural swimmer. She is already kicking her feet and splashing in the water! We had a wonderful time spending the day at the pool today.

2006-12-03T16:43:00.000-08:00

2006-12-03T09:13:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we went to Antigua with our new friend Rose Anna. It was really neat to get out of the hotel and explore a little, but Moriah had a sad day yesterday. We believe she is officially teething and with her not being quite used to us still she threw her first big fit. She seems to be doing a little better today...probably she is getting more used to us and we are keeping the baby oragel on her!!

Here are some pics from the market we went to in Antigua. This is Moriah getting her first pair of shoes. These are shoes that the little Mayan girls wear here.

2006-12-03T09:08:00.000-08:00

Here's Moriah in the tub. She likes to splash the water. The hotel has a little baby tub in all the baby rooms which is super nice. She has plenty of hair to wash...and as soon as she gets out of the tub it must be sculpted or she will have CRAZY hair, but she still looks super cute!!!

2006-12-01T13:45:00.000-08:00

Today has been a good, but long day. We woke up early to be at our appointment at 7:15 at the US Embassy. Our interview went great! We will receive our visa on Monday afternoon and then when we hit American soil on Tuesday our little cutie will be a US citizen.

This afternoon we had Gloria and her four kids over to swim! They had a blast. The oldest boy even said he wanted to live at the hotel. Today has been a pretty tough day for Moriah. Last night she hardly slept at all so this morning we witnessed her crying for the first time. It was good to spend a little time with Gloria to see how Moriah liked to be held and fed. We were so blessed to have such a good foster mom. When she left I(Misty) cried. What a blessing God gave us through her. I think I was crying Moriah's tears since I knew how much she meant to her.

What an overwhelming day!!!!!! Moriah is now down for her first good nap. Kris just asked if he could wake her up to play with her. I had to be the meanie and say no since she is so tired. Moriah truly is a blessing from God.

2006-11-30T13:07:00.000-08:00

Sweet Moriah: Coming Home

Here we are in Guatemala. Moriah is doing well. We got her around 12:30 today. We have our US Embassy appointment tomorrow and then Gloria, (Moriah's foster mom) is going to bring her children over to the hotel to go swimming. Thank you to everyone for praying for us and getting us to this point of finally being able to bring Moriah home. We will be coming home on Tuesday, after we receive her papers that she will need to travel.

2006-11-24T18:18:00.000-08:00

2006-11-22T20:17:00.000-08:00

Moriah Is Coming Home!

Today we found out that our file was approved by the US Embassy and we will be traveling next Wednesday, November 29 to go pick up Moriah from Guatemala. We have an appointment on Friday with the US Embassy and then will have to wait until Monday to receiver her final paperwork... Then on Tuesday December 5 we will make our way back to Dallas! These past few weeks have been hard for us--- trying to be patient through all of the trials. We are so blessed by God to be able to take part in this beautiful girl's life.

Thank you all for your prayers! Please continue to pray as Moriah transitions from her foster mom's house in Guatemala to our home in Dallas. Can't wait to go get her and for all of you to meet her!

2006-11-20T12:33:00.000-08:00

Waiting on Moriah

I thought I would update you all on Moriah. After "supposedly" being rejected by the US Embassy last Tuesday due to a form being dated in the wrong spot.... Our file was resubmitted today. If everything goes well we should hear on Wednesday as to the date we will travel to Guatemala to pick Moriah up! I have included a few pictures of Moriah's room for you all to see.

2006-11-14T20:35:00.000-08:00

Well we thought that we would be leaving Sunday to go to Guatemala to pick up Moriah, but it seems there has been a delay. We were waiting for the US Embassy to assign us an appointment date, but instead they kicked our file out. It seems on a particular form in our file they wanted the date under our signatures instead of beside. Also, it appears someone checked one of the boxes on the form after we sent it making have some incorrect info...which is kind of scarry! Anyway we just sent the new form to Guatemala by FedEx and hoping our file can be submitted by Thursday. If this does happen we should know by Monday what day our appointment will be. We are just kind of sad since we thought we would have her in our arms by this time next week. We will keep praying and trusting God for his perfect timing!

2006-11-13T07:28:00.000-08:00

Shower at DBU

On November 10, 2006 Dallas Baptist University hosted a wonderul shower for Moriah. Over the past few years Misty and I have been so blessed by our friendships at Dallas Baptist Univeristy. We want to say thank you to each person for praying for us and blessing our lives so much! We also want to send a special thank you to Dr. and Mrs. Cook!!! Misty spent the day yesterday putting together Moriah's room. Can't wait for her to be here.

2006-11-07T14:51:00.000-08:00

Moriah's file is Approved!!!

Our agency just called me and confirmed that our file was approved by Victor Barrios, (attorney General in Guatemala) today!!! We are so happy, but I wish Misty were here, who is away on a business trip--- to share the excitement with! We praise God for working this miracle for us and letting little Moriah's case come out after 6 weeks in his office.

So what's next. Moriah has to get a new birth certificate with our last name on it and her passport from the US Embassy. This could take between 1-3 weeks. We are praying to be able to pick her up before thanksgiving!=-)

Thank you all so much for your prayers through this rough waiting period! We are so grateful to have such great family and friends! I know we can't wait to have Moriah home, and she is so ready to meet you all!!!

2006-11-06T21:10:00.000-08:00

four months old!!!

Well, Moriah turned four months old today. I can't believe that it has already been 2 months since we have seen her. We miss her like crazy! These pictures were taken on Friday, November, 3. We received them today. We continue to pray that she will be home with us soon! Misty and I were excited to see that some of the pictures were taken in the chair that we got for her.

2006-11-04T15:12:00.000-08:00

Showers/Preparation/ And Waiting
Today, we were so blessed by all of our friends we know from DTS. Dana, (our wonderful neighbor) hosted a fabulous shower for Moriah at Swiss Tower, (the housing we live in at Dallas Theological Seminary)! Thank you so much Dana for making us feel so special!!! We had great food, time with friends, and a fun game. Also, thank you to every one who attended and for your continual prayers. We are so blessed by all of our wonderful friends!
Currently, we are still waiting for Moriah to get out of the attorney General's office. We really hoped and prayed that it would be last week... Since, Kris has a 2 week break for Thanksgiving, it would be wonderful if we could bring Moriah home then, so he can make the pick-up trip. We know that this timing is still possible with God! But at times it is discouraging in this waiting process.
After we receive word that Moriah's file has been signed off by the attorney General, (Victor Barrios), we will be able to pick her up in about 1-2 weeks from that point.
Thanks again for everyone's prayers and continual support. We will update everyone when we receive the good news that Moriah is out... But until then we will keep praying!!!

Look at all of the great FOOD!
Dana-(Our Wonderful Hostess)!

2006-10-30T16:26:00.000-08:00

Still Waiting

Well many have been asking and our blog has not been updated in a while so I thought I would post to let you know that we still have not heard anything about our case. It has been in the Guatemala's Attorney General's Office (PGN) now for 5 weeks. This office is very unpredictable. Some cases are kicked out for one reason or another, some take 10 days and some take 3 months or more. Well we have not been kicked out yet...so we are hoping this means we will not be kicked out, but rather our case will be signed out soon...hopefully this week, but in reality it could be next week or even next month. We have heard the Director, that has to sign off on every single case, Victor Barrios, is quite behind so it is going super slow these days. Please pray for him and that he will be drawn to sign off on our case!!!!

We are so ready for Moriah to come home and for her to meet all of you!!!!

2006-10-09T10:42:00.000-07:00

3 months old/In PGN/What do you think of my hair?

Today we received these updated pictures of Moriah, (they were taken on October 6, 2006- her three-month-old birthday). On September 26, 2006 Moriah’s case went into the Procuraduria (PGN). We also refer to this as the Attorney General’s office of Guatemala. This is the second to last stage of Moriah’s file before she can come home to live with us for good! The average wait in PGN right now is 5-10 weeks, and of course we are praying for a miracle that she can get out even sooner than this. Please pray for Victor Barrios and his reviewing staff that Moriah’s case will have favor and she can come home soon. After her case is approved, it will be about 1 week to a month before we can go and pick her up. Again, thank you all so much for your continued prayers!
In this months update, Moriah’s report shows her now weighing 12.5 lbs and measuring 60.5 cms. Gloria her foster mom reports that she smiles a lot and can now lift her head up 45 degrees while lying on her stomach.
So, WOW!!! Look at all of her hair! I guess fast growing hair is common in Guatemalan’s. Just from the time we visited her a month ago her hair has grown so much, and Gloria said she gave her a little hair cut 2 weeks ago.
God has been teaching us a lot about faith and depending on him in this current (emotional) waiting period of life.
“How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD Almighty!
My soul yearns, even faints,
for the courts of the LORD:
my heart and my flesh cry out
for the living God.”

-Psalm 84:1-2

2006-10-09T10:31:00.000-07:00

2006-10-08T21:18:00.000-07:00

A Shower of Blessings

We went to Sulphur, Oklahoma this weekend for a baby shower honoring our precious Moriah Joy Estefania Ellis. We were so blessed by all of the wonderful gifts and generosity. We thank each and everyone of you for your kindness and love! Moriah is blessed to have such caring and wonderful, friends and family. We know she will love each one of you and can’t wait to meet y’all.

2006-10-08T20:57:00.000-07:00

2006-09-24T19:29:00.000-07:00

We Are out of Family Court!
What does this mean? Well our Lawyer in Guatemala is now going to review our entire file, with hopes to submit it on Tuesday, September 26, 2006. This will bring us into one of the second to final stages before we are able to bring Moriah home for good. But this is also one of the most technical and critical stages. Most people are having trouble getting caught up in this stage for more than 10 weeks.
Please pray with us, that when our file goes to this stage, known as the PGN, that the main person who signs off on the cases, (Victor Barrios,)-that we will have favor with him and that we can have Moriah home soon. We thank each and everyone of you for joining with us on this journey. It will be such a day of celebration when she comes home. I know that you will all love her so much as we already do!

2006-09-09T11:36:00.000-07:00

We made it home safely. Thank you to all of you for your prayers. It was one of the hardest days we had to endure so far in our lives. To love some one so much and give her up for this time. Today is hard as well. There has been a lot of tissue. But we have faith that God will reunite us soon. Until then we will continue to serve God and keep walking on the path He has for us.