Our girl can get adopted…and we are happy!
We just got the best news of our life last night (ok in the top 5). A girl named Sophia will be able to be adopted by our great friends. Her birth mother just lost parental rights. This was after over 3 years in foster care. This is a big deal to us because we had Sophia for nearly a year in our home before we moved to Wisconsin two-years ago. We always did foster care to help reunite kids with their birth parents (and sincerely tried in this case) but it was clear to us then that this would not be a good decision for mom or her children.
When we were deciding to move to WI Sophia was the main reason and at the end the only reason why we felt we might stay in Washington. We really loved her and were willing to stay months longer to possible adopt her ourselves. It became extremely clear that would not happen any time soon. It was also at that time our dear friends Will and NaKena decided to get their foster license to take care of a teenage boy (who they later adopted). They grew to also love Sophia because of their interaction at church and other activities and offered to be her foster parents.
We felt good to leave at that point. When we left Washington we gave many people in our lives gifts of remembrance but there was no greater gift then Sophia. She was truly part of our family and we deeply loved her. She has now been a part of Will and NaKena’s family of six since we left. Anyone that has foster cared or entered into the world of adoption understands the up and down roller coaster that occurs after every visit or court date. They have valiantly navigated those times these last two years and now are moments (barring any crazy court stuff) away from being able to call Sophia their own.
Side note about Will and NaKena. I have done some good things as a pastor but the day I decided to marry this young couple and choose to look beyond the negatives that others saw was the greatest thing I have done in ministry. That day when I pronounced them husband and wife at the Purple Wedding Chapel (a whole other story) and NaKena’s daughter Toryia promptly corrected me, in front of everyone, of my mispronunciation of their last name…I knew I liked this family.
I saw something that others didn’t. I normally don’t brag about things I have done, but I love to brag about the EgelerSix and the impact our family has had on them. I am really proud of them even as I sit in my writing chair some 2ooo miles away wishing to be with them as they celebrate. The FehlenFive is bursting with tears, pride, joy, excitement and any other adjective similar to those you might think of.
We love you guys.
Here are few pictures:
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- Celebrating Dwanye’s adoption (and soon to be first bio baby)
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- Three kids blending together (Sophia in center)
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- Glamour shot of Sophia
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- I would like to think I taught them to hunt for trees also
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- Here is a time when I gave Toryia a Trophy for BocceBall Tourney
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- Giving Will and NaKena a certificate suitable for framing
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- Friends over for MeatLover’s Fest. Sophia at my leg and NaKena at my right.
Ice Cream outside in the Winter like Spring day
This was the day we had been planning for months. The opening day of Nelson’s Ice Cream, April 2nd. We had visited last fall and it was already closed for the winter. I have been depressed all winter long and I blame it on that one day. We were not going to miss the opening (at 3pm) Tuesday.
Nelson’s Ice Shop in Stillwater MN is a place where our family has frequented as long as I can remember. Even at a very young age I remember reminding my mother about how to get there when she was lost. It is in a local neighborhood on Greeley Street. It is a place where you don’t feel like a wimp when you purchase a child size(and you get several flavors). Also a single scope size is way more ice cream than one should ever eat.
As you can tell from the pictures the weather not completely cooperating with our outside eating adventure. But on the bright side it wasn’t melting as fast as it does in the summer! AGrowingFamily had a great time with our parents (Bernie and MaryAnn) that we met there. Joseph and MaryAnn had licorice ice cream in honor of mom (Eileen). That was her favorite and would talk about it all the time.
The prices are great, the size amazing and the taste is beyond expectation.
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- Outside Snow
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- Child size as big as my hand
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- The workers don’t mess around
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- Dad still trying to figure out which of the 50plus flavors he wants
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- outside enjoying the sun
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- Downtown Stillwater still not alive like Nelson’s
Largest Root Beer Night Ever: Virgil’s Micro Brewed
After our Easter lunch and egg hunt downstairs with our family we decided to have our biggest Root Beer Night ever! I found two cases (8bottles) Virgil’s when I was in Madison. After our daughter’s track meet I stopped at a grocer and found a couple other cases of Virgil’s which gave me the idea to get more for Easter. With Christy’s parents and brother’s family over we went to the basement for an egg hunt and a family night sharing a new brew.
Everyone seem to really like Virgil’s. It had several nice natural flavors added…Anise, Licorice Vanilla, Cinnamon, Clove, Wintergreen, Sweet Birch, Molasses Nutmeg and Pimento Berry.
That is not your normal mixture! And the bottle is one of the coolest yet with a guy that has a sweet beard.
Kids Cook Night : Macaroni and Cheese
Elliot took to an old stand by to another level. He makes macaroni and cheese all the time. But it is from a box with the powder cheese. He wanted to give homemade Mac&Cheese a try. He did a great job. With a recipe at hand he added all the ingredients…the cream cheese, shredded cheddar, milk, flour and salt & pepper. He got to do something that he hasn’t done before by melting the butter then adding the table spoons of flour until it was stirred together in a paste. From here he added the milk and cheese followed by the noodles.
The funny thing about Elliot is he hates to mix foods on his plate and that came out in his cooking. He measured the butter in a measuring cup after that he had to measure milk. He insisted that he clean the cup of its butter before the milk was added. He didn’t care that it was mixed together in the pot he had to clean the cup.
He added a few steamed broccoli to the bowl as a garnish. He made four cups of dry elbow noodles which is more than enough for a family of five. We had extra to give Grandma and Grandpa for them to have as leftovers.
Want to see more of kids cook night? Put ‘kids cook’ into the search bar on the right.
Root Beer Night : WBC Goose Island
We recently had another Root Beer night with Christy’s cousin and her family over as well as one of Samuel’s friends. Most people have asked us, “So what is Root Beer night?” Well it is at it’s basic form an excuse to gather our family, if if be just for one moment, together.
The drinking of the Root Beer usually follows the meal for the evening. After the dishes and the room are cleaned we pop the tops and say a few nice words then drink up! We are always trying a new brand each and every time. So our guest are usually experiencing a new brand along with us. We have a couple brews that we purchased extras for just in case more come over. Check out what we have had and yet to drink.
This particular night we drank WBC Goose Island Root Beer from Chicago. It was a really nice brew that didn’t have much crazy stuff going on but yet was not a basic no flavor taste. We liked it a lot!
Kids Cook Night : Chicken Pot Pie
Our 15 year old daughter took a crack at our kids cook night. She got her brother involved in making a chicken pot pie. She used all her favorite fresh vegetables. She tossed them together with the cooked chicken and sauces and added the bread mix to the top. She also made a coconut seven layer bar for dessert that was amazing both hot and the next day. (sorry no pictures for that one.)
