Going Mainstream ~

Greetings ~
If you follow me on facebook or twitter than you know last week I was in warm sunny florida at the annual association of bridal consultants conference. I ALWAYS look forward to the week of conference as a time to re-connect with industry pals, learn amazing new things, and come back inspired and ready for the next year. This year is no different EXCEPT I can truly say it was soooo much more than I ever expected.
 I have always been a public speaker, my first formal time on a stage speaking was in 3rd grade and I spoke to 1,500 adults in Hawaii about why my mom was the best shaklee mom. As I went onto high school and college I spoke and competed and became a nationally ranked speaker. In my professional life I have been asked to speak, submitted topics to speak, been paid to speak and created speaking opportunities. What all of these have in common is they were safe. I always knew the group WANTED to hear what I was saying. 
 This brings me to the last speaker on the last day of conference. His name is Simon T. Bailey  I have known Simon since my earliest days with the Walt Disney World Company when he was over new business development for the Disney Institute.  I have followed him and heard him speak time and time again.  In fact in one of my presentations I give away his book!  But this time his talk was different.  It was talking to a different part of me - as per usual he has the group (376ish of us) work through an exercise with what we will STOP doing, START doing and CONTINUE doing.  As he went around the room asking people what their stop and starts were I thought about my continue - imagine my surprise when he landed right in front of me with Courtney what will you continue to do?  I knew it was a moment not to be wasted and so in front of 376ish believers, non believers, atheists and everything in between - my answer was simple - I will continue to be a voice for the 147 million orphans worldwide.  As I went to hand him back the microphone he told me to keep it - he asked me what exactly my continue meant and there in a mainstream room I was able to share what my eyes and heart had been opened to over the last 5 years.
I share this story with you today because you never know when you will get the moment to share your story - so be ready - the lord continues to work in mysterious ways in my life but one thing I know for sure is that I need to seize my moment whenever it comes. And if you are so inclined check out Simon's books.  Great reads such as The Vuja de Moment and Release your brilliance.

Many thanks to my dear friend Lisa with Gabbi Grace Events for capturing this amazing moment on camera!

Dear Tariku James ~ Happy 3 year GOTCHA!!

Dear Tariku James ~

3 years ago today your life once ago changed forever – you entered your forever family when you were placed in my arms to be your forever mama.  As I look back over the last year here are the things I want you to remember about your 3^rd year in America.

It was the year you turned 8 and stood 4’11

It was the second year you received a gold medal at school

It was the year of Marilyn – you had the most amazing nanny after school – who loves you like crazy and because of you she has now seen Ethiopia

It is the year you raised enough money to build a well for your sisters in Southern Ethiopia

It was the year of your 1^st Disney Cruise (and we went with the ENTIRE family!!)

It was the year you met the Grinch

It was the year you successfully completed 1^st grade and read 100 books in 45 days

It was the year you came into your own with your ASL not only at home but also in public

It was the 1^st year you played travel soccer

It was the 1^st year you played basketball

It was another year you were still OBSESSED with trans formers

It was the year your first best friend moved far away – and not a day goes by that we don’t still talk about Jack and look forward to his coming back

You still love the color yellow

You still eat tibs fir fir like there is no tomorrow (and wish this mama would learn to make injera)

My sweet boy I am blessed to call you my son and honored that God called me to be your mama.  Your heart for Teddy is huge and you make sure he is taken care of all the time.  You love your daddy and nana and papa like no other.  You are an amazing friend and huge help at home.  May you always know how incredibly special you are in the eyes of God and in my heart!

I love you to Ethiopia and back sweet boy

It's all about PAPA

Greetings -
So growing up I always thought I had a pretty cool dad!  He taught me to downhill snow ski before I could walk!  He was at all my events, he helped me and my brother with math (since he was a math teacher you would have thought his kids would have understood it!!), he walked me down the aisle not once but twice (perfection takes practice!) He held my hand when I told him I couldn't have children, he talked to me on the phone while a hurricane passed over my house as he drove to Utah.  In my eyes he was amazing.  But it wasn't until I had Tariku and Teddy that I realized what a remarkable man he truly was.

You see from day one he never saw a different color, he never saw that they were adopted, all he saw were his grandsons.  When I called him a few weeks ago upset that Teddy was having a hard time not seeing him he called me the next day and said he would be down for the weekend.  When I was struggling with Tariku he called and asked if he needed to come down and talk with him.

For close to 10 years I worked at Walt Disney World and getting my parents into a theme park was worse than a root canal.  Now that there are the boys we have been twice in one year and my dad rides EVERYTHING - which mind you he rode NOTHING with my brother and I EVER!

And so PAPA I want to say thank you!  Thank you for loving my boys like no one else, thank you for teaching them to ride a bike, and soccer, and fish!  Thank you for believing that our family as different as it may be is the right family for you!

Because at the end of the day it is all about PAPA and his boys!

Wishing you a MAGICAL Day~
Courtney

Disney Magical Moment - at least for Kenneth and me

Greetings -

A year ago I would never have believed what I saw happen at Disney's Animal Kingdom on Saturday Jan 14 2012!!  You see for all the sweet gushy times I write about Tariku I never have really written about the Tariku we have every day.  The every day Tariku has seen a whole lot in his short 6 years of life - a lot more than I know about I am sure.  He is a happy child, but he is also a very guarded child - a child that has seen famine, and family die, a child that has seen a lot of loss and has had to learn to take care of himself.  In the year and a half that we have had Tariku he has yet to initiate a hug or say I Love You, he has fallen and ripped his hand to shreds and when I try to help he says mama I am fine I am fine.  So imagine my surprise when at the Festival of the Lion King Show Tariku got up and went on stage and danced and danced and smiled and waved at the few 100 people there!!  Kenneth and I could not have been prouder or happier than at that very moment!  Because for those brief moments we saw Tariku the 6 year old ethiopian - learning to just be a 6yr old!

Wishing you a MAGICAL Day~
Courtney

Walt Disney World through the EYES of Teddy!

Greetings -

WHEW!  We did it - 5 days at Walt Disney World!  The boys had an amazing time and of course there are 2 million photos I could share with you (and probably will) but today is about something bigger.  It is about how GOD is with us even in the little moments, even when you wouldn't be thinking GOD - he is there!  As some of you know Kenneth and I both worked for the Walt Disney company for numerous years - and in that time neither Kenneth or I were ever approached or asked about sign language assistance. And believe me we both received numerous requests every day.  So imagine my surprise when we were walking through Liberty Square a little after 3 headed to Splash Mountain (read family on a mission for a ride) and out of the corner of my eye I caught the parade - and as I turned to look what did I see but 2 interpreters signing the parade.  Right there right in front of my family, right in front of my DEAF son on his first trip to Disney.  The tears were flowing from my eyes and my mother's you see we were not stopping for the parade we were on a plan and yet someone bigger then us thought we should stop and enjoy the moment!  A moment the WHOLE family would understand.  Teddy loved the parade and watched the interpreters with great intent! And as the parade came to an end they were gone - I looked up and they were no where to be seen.  There was no opportunity to thank them for what they had given our family, no opportunity to see who they worked for (Kenneth noticed they did not have Disney name tags on), so to those 2 amazing interpreters the Hammons Family says thank you!  Thank you for allowing our family a moment to be inclusive!

Wishing you a MAGICAL Day ~

Courtney