Ishtar and Capt.Obvious..

No, I am not talking about some bad 80's movie or a weird superhero-I am talking about my two sons.  Isaac (aka Ishtar, Mr. magoogoo, Isaac-o and dude).  And Felix (aka feelix-o, ol' papa, buddy, Capt. Obvious and dude).  I have mentioned my boys here and there on this blog-specifically as it pertains to why I run.  How they are always watching what I am doing, how I want to be a good example for them and how they run with me on occasion. 

In 2006...they were so small I bathed them in buckets!!

If you have not yet noticed...(then you need glasses) my boys are, as they would say, "brown".  Yes, we adopted both of them from Haiti, Isaac 7 years ago and Felix a year later.  We never planned or expected that to be parents we would have to adopt-but to make a long story short, adoption was are only option.  God's plan, of course, is perfect and I see that everyday when I look at my boys.  I can honestly say that we would not be here in Liberia, if we would have had our own biological children-when we should have had them (we should have a 17 year old!!! MERCY!).  But let me reiterate -God's plan is perfect-and He gave us the perfect boys to compliment what He wanted us to do-and for now that is being here in Liberia.  So let's get to know these young men a little more...

...Five years later-look at these dashing young boys! Isaac(glasses) and Felix

I do have two videos that I have been trying to load-they are interviews with the boys...with no success-but I will try on another blog entry in the meantime pictures will have to do-sorry!

I am a very blessed mom, for many reasons-one being that my boys are best friends and on the whole get along very, very well.  However, you could not find two more DIFFERENT boys-let me explain:  First, you have your 'philospher', 'question everything', sensitive Isaac...as soon as he comes in the door it is a rapid fire of questions here are some example of his questions:

'mommy what is for dinner?' 
'mommy what is a bailout?' 
'mommy, are only brown people poor?' (yeah that one-was an interesting discussion...) 
'mommy what is that spice?'
'mommy what is a PhD?'
'mommy what is philosophy?'
'mommy who was Osama?'
'mommy are you tired? you look tired...' (thanks...).

There are times when I have to ask him to stop asking questions and just give mommy a few moments to rest.  Or I do the classic "go ask your father..."  But his mind, it really is amazing-always asking 'why?' and not just on kid things-on heavy life things-"mommy what is slavery?"  "What is debt?"  "Why did Jesus have to be baptized if He is God?"-yeah this is just a taste...trust me!

Isaac singing solo at VBS in the village of Forkpata- he sang an Liberian chorus "There was a man his name was Job.."

Then there is Felix-who reminds me of myself at that age.  Very independent, trying to help to the point of getting into trouble and off doing his own thing sometimes leading to trouble...  Building lego structures that take him hours-and are amazing, drawing in three dimensional, taking things apart to see how it works, he could sit and watch mythbusters for hours, he is my mister logical, very literal and always stating the obvious.  For example, we went to Disney World and he was asking if the things there were 'real'  I said no- (as in not a real moose, or a real T-rex) his response was "then why do they have it here?"  Ummmm son hate to break it to you but this whole "Disney" thing is not real...he is all about the facts.  He is incredibly orderly, neat and has a gumpy like spine that allows him to do backflips and front flips like an Olympic gymnist-but mischievous, and sneaky-he hides and scares his brother EVERY day-after they shower-and gets Isaac EVERY time...not surprisingly, he wants to be a police man when he grown up.

Felix handing out Christmas shoe boxes

As different as they are they also have commonalities-one of them being their HUGE hearts.  I am not saying this because they are my kids-if any of you know me-I am a little bit of an- ahem...Sgt. Mom ;)  but seeing my boys participate in our projects or come to me with money/toys/clothes that they want to give to some 'kids in the village' makes this tough mom get a little teary.  I am so proud of them-regardless of what they do in life-their heart is what I am most concerned with. 

Mother's Day walk on the beach...

Marathon Flashback-mile 18 and 19 of the marathon:  I am starting to get really sore-and very tired-I look down at my pace/gratitude band and see two names-Isaac and Felix.  Their faces fill my mind like a full blown wall mural-I want to cry, I want them to be proud of me, I want them to grow up to be men of God...these thoughts flood my mind and I hold back tears.  The road for these boys to be our boys-was not easy, I will fully admit, and the lifestyle that we made them part of-is also, not easy.  But God's plan is perfect and He blessed us with the perfect boys for the life He has given us...and that has made understanding why my plan didn't come to fruition a whole lot easier...