SEBLE TURNS ONE!

This week was both a fun and bittersweet week as we celebrated Seble's First Birthday....we are SO blessed to have her in our family and we can't imagine not having her as part of our family-she was definitely made to be a Stutzman 110%!  No doubt!  She is SO like our kids were as babies-she has spunk and definitely tells us (often in not so nice terms) :-) what she wants or needs!  She is a fighter and we figure that she would have to be having survived what she did to get to us! 
The part that has been hard has been the thoughts that have come over and over in the past few weeks (more than usual) about Seble's birth mom.  She has been on my heart very much and I continue to think of her and pray for her-that she knows Jesus and that she will have peace that her daughter is safe and ok.  I can't imagine what she went through and the decision that she had to make to leave her baby girl on the road -hoping and praying that she would be found and given life. 
I pray that IF her birth mom is still alive that she will feel a sense of true peace that only The Lord himself can give - that she will know deep in her heart that her baby girl is living, safe and happy.  I wish with ALL that is in me that she will know that-that I could just show her for one minute her happy baby girl and let her know that YES, she made the right decision!  YES, she is thriving, more than she could have probably ever guessed or hoped for and YES, she is loved beyond words!
I ask God daily-how we could have been so lucky to be picked to be her parents and we are so thankful that we were brought to her and her to us!  Life wouldn't be the same and we wouldn't have grown as a family or in our faith if we hadn't have stepped out on this journey.
People have asked us what taking that first step toward adoption was like.....we can only say that it was scary, emotional and that we just had to totally step out in faith that it would all work out.  God didn't fail us at any point and he ordained the entire process to bring us together as a family.  We only pray and wish that others could take that step-there are millions just like Seble out there who just need a home and someone to love them-if you are on the fence-just jump!  Will it be scary-YES, will you wonder if you are crazy-YES, but just look at her now-compared to when she was brought into our orphanage at 3 weeks weighing just over 4lbs, after almost dying at government orphanages-(which we got to go and see while there), and my heart broke as those little voices cried out to us with their hands outstretched to just be held-that's all they wanted!  So, no, there is no doubt that it was the right decision!  Seble is alive, has a family to call her own and she is thriving and happy-we are blessed!
Our kids have grown and it has brought us closer together as a family-they know now that there is more to life than their own wants, etc...they know her story and they see it in her and are reminded of it everyday-they truly love her and ask us to adopt again-they have completely fallen in love with her more than we would have EVER hoped for when we first talked to them about adopting a baby-they love her to pieces!  There isn't any doubts now that it was the right step!
Here is Seble's first picture-3weeks old-just over 4lbs-septic and near death, wow what a difference a year will make with love and nurturing!  No one would ever guess her start in life by looking at her now!  Just pray and be open to what God has for you and your family-don't shut it out and think "impossible" cause it can happen!

SEBLE HAS HER 1ST BIRTHDAY PARTY........

Big Birthday Girl - Seble Alaine





Miss Birthday Girl

Cake Table

African shaped cookies made by Grandma Karen- yummy!



Seble and her siblings

She's clapping for herself :-)

Picking Flowers

Mommy and Seb

Friends Allie and Anthony

More Friends-Kristin & Matt

Friends - Jodi & Mailey

Friends Ben & Bonnie Hoerner

Friend Kris

Friend Kristy with Amber & Birthday Girl

Friend Mailey wants to share my new car!

Driving with talking on her cell phone-a TRUE Oregonian! :-)

Big brother Jacob is all ready with his helmet on-to ride my new car! :-)

Matt likes to play with my new doll :-)

Aunt Kelly made Seble this awesome book-I am gonna do a whole other post on it so everyone can see it soon-but it was awesome!  She worked SO hard on it and we LOVE it!

My niece Norah made Seble a card- she drew a picture of Amber (high heels and big butt) on the front with our dog and Seble.....and YES, I always wear high heels that is why she drew it! LOL I love it and it was so sweet of her!

Aunt Kelly and Seble

Aunt Ashli and Seble

Aunt Rachael & Seble

My Africa cake made by mom & dad

Bring on the Cake!!!

Don't even think about touching MY cake! LOL

Add caption

anyone want a bite?

SO YUMMY!!

Seble's Great Grandparents - Bob & Grace Stutzman

Great Grandma - Mary Ellen Bigler with Seble

Grandma Karen with Seb

Grandma Ron & Grandma Tami Stutzman

Seble with big brother Jacob

Seble with her favorite sister - Cassidy

Big Brother Zach and Seblina

Big Brother Noah and Seble

Big Brother Logan with Seb

Girl cousins-Emma, Lucy, Seble and Cassidy

Cousins Lucy & Seble Having Fun

 

Cousins Logan & Will

Anthony & Matt finishing off the cake :-)

Big One year old! We love you "Seblina Konjo"!! -
What will this next year bring??