Greenup Family Blog

Friday, September 12, 2008

Ezra turned 2...on Sept. 1st

Ezra's classic smile...along with Papa Greenuyp's smile

Ezra got a new book for his birthday and he successfully had each person there him the whole story.

This bike was gift that he was pretty excited about...even though his feet don't touch the pedals...yet.

Ezra loves ice cream. The first time we gave him ice cream he turned his head away and didn't want to eat it...he is a quick learner.

Olivia Bouncing....

The voice you hear laughing is Ezra...not Olivia.

Sunday, August 17, 2008

Today is an anniversary of sorts for Heidi and I. It was 1 year ago today, that by God's graciousness, Ezra Abera Greenup, was placed in our arms to love & care for as our son. As we look back over the course of this last year, we are humbled by how God has provided a huge measure of grace to our family. We love Ezra with all our heart and are so thankful he is in our family. It is hard to believe that it has only been 12 months since we were in Ethiopia picking him up.

Much has happened over the course of this last year, the biggest change being the arrival of his sister Olivia in March of this year. We don't know what the Lord has in store for us next, but we look forward to see how He will lead us.

Heidi and I looked through our pictures of our trip to Ethiopia as a reminder of that long week in Ethiopia a year ago, but in the end we are so humbled by God's goodness in our lives. We want to be faithful parents who live out the Gospel and point our children to the centrality of the Cross of Christ on a daily basis.

We also look back and have many thanks for so many people who prayed for us and financially helped us in this adoption process.

If any of you are considering adopting a child or children, we would wholeheartedly encourage you to take that step of faith and extend your life, family and home to one or more of the 143 million + orphans in the world. Adopting a child or children has many countless trials, but our Risen Savior provides the necessary faith and endurance to trust Him through it all.

A family picture

He hasn't worn that pink sleeper since he has been with us.

Learning to play and use his nuk

Ezra's first finger food meal

Saturday, August 16, 2008

Family Vacation and rice cereal

We had some family friends who for our wedding (3 years ago) gave us a few night stay at their home on Deer Lake. Wow! This was the most relaxing 3 full days we have had since our honeymoon. We were extremely blessed and thankful for the Kersul's generosity. It was just the four of us and it was a lot of playing in the water & relaxing.

Ezra was a little sheepish of lake water, but by day 3, he relaxed and enjoyed his time in the water.

Olivia loves to smile and loves her toes.

We started rice cereal for Olivia a few weeks ago, but she gets more on her than she does in her mouth. Mommy has a cute new haircut!

Olivia trying to figure out which she should try to eat...her fingers or rice cereal?

A work in process

The result of her rice cereal...a needed bath.

Olivia's favorite thing...chewing on her toes.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Greenup Family Update

Sorry we haven't posted in a month or so. We got behind and realized we hadn't posted any pictures. Well, it is summer, but hopefully we'll try to post at least once every week or two. Oh well, life goes on. Here area a few pictures from the past month.

Olivia is really starting some fun movements. She is starting to grab for toys and can turn over from her stomach to her back, but not the other way as of yet. She's close though and with the way she kicks, she'll launch on over to the other side and wonder what happened.

Andrew and Ezra in our 'pool'. Ezra absolutely loves playing with his cousins. He loves to get rowdy with them and run and chase and play and take toys from each other. We are working on teaching him to share and not having a bad heart/attitude if someone else is playing with the toy he of course wants to play with.

Olivia with her little hat to keep the sun out of her eyes!

Wow, I'm pooped, mom.

Here's a better picture of Olivia. She has a wonderful smile. Heidi says, "My favorite time's with Olivia are early in the morning for her first feed and at night for her last feed. In the mornings, Olivia is usually awake by the time I come to feed her, sometime between 6:30 and 7:00am. Olivia gets a giant smile and kicks her feet in excitement because she knows it is breakfast time. At night, we wake her up about 9 or 9:15pm for her last feed, and picking her up from her basonet is wonderful. She is most always still sleeping and has the sweetest most innocent face. I just love how she has her eyes closed and she's just sucking away slowly but surely. It usually takes changing her diaper and burping her to wake her up, even though now I want her to go to bed."

Ezra's first time in a lake or any body of water bigger than a 3 ft. by 3 ft. pool which he has come to love and each day says, 'Wannano (WHAD -NA- NO)' which from our understanding refers to water he can play in. It is kind of confusing try to pick up on his phrases, but we are learning and he is picking things up we say very quickly.

Ezra and Mama at 2nd Cousion's Pace's birthday.

Yeah for party hats.

Olivia loves being in Great Grandma's arms

Brother and sister together. It has been fun to watch how Ezra has really taken to a love for Olivia. When he gets up in the morning, he repeats all of the names of people he knows...mommy, daddy, papa, nana, Olivia (which he pronounces A-VI-VA-VA). He loves to get close to her and look into her eyes with his. We recently started to let him touch her toes and hands, but quickly learned that wasn't going to work for very long. One morning Heidi turned away for about 30 seconds only to find Ezra practically laying on top of her. He was giggling away and she started to cry. Even though she is growing, about 10 1/2 lbs currently...having a 27 lb. brother on top of your stomach doesn't feel too good.