The Social Worker just left

We have a new social worker. This is the first time we've met her though.

Today she came because our baby in Ethiopia is older than we had in mind in the beginning. So now we have to change all our information to an older age. The social worker was only here for an hour and a half or so.

Usually when the social worker visits, we clean the house from top to bottom. Not that we're trying to hide anything... :), but we never know whether they are going to walk through our house inspecting it. And we'd like our house to be kinda clean ! Unfortunately, there have been waaaaay too many times when the social worker HASN'T walked through our house. And then we cleaned the house for nothing!

So today Mom has us just do a basic clean up. It was SO much better! It only took us about 45 minutes. And, hey, the social worker only stayed in the living room and kitchen!

We accepted the referral!!

Mom was looking at some children from Ethiopia. She saw a couple little ones that she was interested in. She showed Dad who later told her to e-mail for info. After learning more about them she and Dad decided that the one had too severe special needs for us to take care of him. The other baby,( a little over a year old), was a possibility.

They talked to an internation adoption doctor last night, prayed and discussed it, and  told us they were going to accept the referral!

I can not give much more information over the internet, however.

Emily

Several new things...

So, besides this referral, (I'm not allowed to give any details at the moment), we have had several new things happen since last I wrote.

1st. On my way home from spending time with friends, my car began to smoke through the exhaust pipe in the back. Looking behind me, and seeing nothing because of the white smoke, I pulled to the side and called Dad who came and drove my van home. After calling Grandpa, Dad concluded that my van had a problem that seems to be common with Montanas. Unfortunately, this is not a cheap problem to fix, so I am hoping Dad will be able to fix the problem himself with less money! So right now I am carless and driving our family van.

2nd. Lucas and my basketball practices have begun. Luke has one in fact in a couple minutes.

3rd. (And this is funny.) Tuesday Dad and Mom took the little ones shopping in our red car. When they got back, Dad took out their carseats to move them back in the van. As he was moving Ethan's, something jumped out! Our cat, C.D., grabbed it. It was a mouse. A VERY large mouse!  Obviously Dad was freaked out, and Mom was grossed out. Apparently this mouse got in the seat when it was in the garage. Then it took a ride in the car. (Dad even stuck his hand through the back to pull the seatbelt soon. He could've touched the mouse! Eeeew!!) Ethan even sat on it. (Have I grossed you out yet)? So, obviously we have been cleaning carseats for the first time in years. Mom says there was a lot of food in there for him to munch on.

There might be more news I can't think of, but I will try to share later.

Referral

We are looking into a possible referral! Please be praying!
Emily

Poll

We love the Steelers! They're awesome. And they've gone to two Super Bowls since I've really been paying attention!

Dad especially likes the Steelers! Going WAAAAAAY back... when he was little, he liked the Steelers because his brother, Dave, liked the Cowboys,(I think). So when he married Mom, he watched the games and she became a fan as well. And as they've had kids, they have taught them to stand up for the Steelers as well! :) So now we are a Steeler family. We are now trying to turn people away from the Lions!

The boys and Mom got Steeler shirts, but Mom gave me hers. Dad got a jersey for last Christmas, I believe. A number 7, ROETHLISBERGER, (he's the quarter back), jersey!

So those of you who voted Roethlisberger, (including my mom), GOOD JOB!

Happy Halloween!

We are leaving soon!

Dad just called about pumpkin picking. Yes, we haven't gotten pumpkins yet. If you're surprised, you don't know us well. We are ALWAYS late! Pumpkins late, Christmas tree up late, everything.

We are going to go to Gene's. He apparently has some huge ones. But we have to do it in the RAIN! Lucas wants a huge pumpkin. I'm going for tall and small to medium. And of course the little ones will get huge ones and then have us get the goop out. Especially Ethan. He hates how it feels on his hands.

So, off we go. The little ones, (mostly Ethan), are thinking up cool, (ssshhhh, (crazy)) ideas for carving. Lucas probably has another creative design that will take until midnight as it has these last two years!! :) The outcome is awesome, though!

Ethan Wrote a Story today

Ethan grabbed a load of papers and a pencil and began working. We weren't sure what, but we were informed that we were NOT to watch him! Finally, by lunch, we were able to read what he wrote. This is it, without the illustrations, but not corrected in any way!

Because I

Spat a pit

BY Ethan V.h.

I didn't know that my parents were missionaries until I was ten. My mom told me. One day I was outside eating a apple. I accidentally bit into a pit. I spat it out. Next thing I new there was a apple tree right by me! you know that apple trees are grown by pits and take about two months to grow but this one took about two seconds! I was surprised! I bet you would have been to. I ran to tell my mom. She screamed loudly mom", I said you do not have to scream. It was so loud it woke up my baby sister. my mom had to get her. I was happy that the cry was gone. Then my dad came in with a basket of apples. i picked these apples he said. i smiled. sometimes you do not no what will happen next.

THE END

On the back he wrote:

Ethan VanderHart
was born in Detroit.
This is his first
book. He was 7
only! He lives
in Michigan, Kalamazoo