Toma- "Fast"

Today is the day to toma (fast) prior to Tigist checking back with the government on the status of our agency's liscence to operate in Ethiopia. Good news for the agency will mean good news for our children. Bad news for the agency will mean that God is still sovereign and not taken by surprise. And I can rest in that. But I am hoping for good news for the agency!

Yesterday started out particularly bad. Like when you work in customer service and people you don't even know call you up and yell at you as though their problems with their new toaster are actually your fault! (All of my customer service readers know exactly what I'm talking about and a few of you "yellers" are also understanding!) I don't work in customer service...actually, being a mommy is a little like customer service...but my day yesterday sure did feel like it!

But, then I decided that though I can't control what others do and say, I can control my reaction. Not that harsh words don't hurt, but I decided that I didn't really want to have a bad day. So, I didn't. Instead, I took Lucas to the library dressed as Batman. I helped out at Kaitlyn's party at school. Then we had so much fun in the evening taking the kids trick or treating. My only regret is that today is the day we're fasting and I can't even sneak into their candy stash! :) I guess the peanutbutter cups will still be there tomorrow though!

Unfortunately, none of the pics of the kids in their costumes turned out, so I'm including some cute pics from our trip to the North Carolina Zoo this past Saturday. Now, that was fun! There was a huge wall with pictures of people from various African countries. The Ethiopian picture featured an entire family with all of their earthly possessions. We didn't see it right away and Lucas heard Avery and me trying to find one from Ethiopia. He pointed right at the picture and said, "those people are from "Efffiopia" Mommy." Not knowing how he'd picked the Ethiopians out of the 25+ pictures of Africans, I asked him. He replied, "I knew they were Efffiopians because there were so many black people in that picture!" ??????? I guess he didn't notice the dark dark dark brown Sudanese guy, or the Nigerians, or the Kenyans surrounding the Ethiopian picture! The kid keeps me laughing all the time.

How blessed I am that even on a really bad day like yesterday, I have this little comedian who likes nothing more than to entertain Mommy! It's hard to be sad for too long with Lucas around.

Kaitlyn with her friend who came to the zoo with us- Adorable!!!