Well, I don't know what happened to the post where I asked if anyone out there had success in changing their blog over to Wordpress, but I made the change while blogger was down (for the past 2 days).
We can now be found at http://meehanfive.wordpress.com/ (You can click on the title of this post above to go directly there). Come on over and check it out. Blogspot is not viewable in certain parts of the world (including the part we hope to move to). So, we've switched over to a blog host that is viewable. Hope to see you there!
Friday, May 13, 2011
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Changing our Blog
Has anyone out there changed their blog from blogspot to wordpress or anything else? Blogspot is not accessible in some parts of the world, so I'm feeling like we may need to change ours over before we head overseas, but I would HATE to lose everything that's already here. If you've moved yours and have been able to import all your old blogger posts, please let me know how you did it!
Thanks a million.
Thanks a million.
Monday, May 09, 2011
20,000+
How fun! I wish I knew who viewer 20,000 was on this blog, but I just logged on and became viewer 20,001. I've been at this since October of 2006. I started out posting one new picture a day just to keep far away family up-to-date. There was about a year in there where I didn't blog at all and then I started back up with our recent adoption and I don't see stopping anytime soon. Thanks for checking in!
Sunday, May 08, 2011
Mother's Day...good again
Warning...this is another one of those heavy thoughts posts, so if you hate 'em, skip it.
Mother's day has been hard for me for the past few years. You see, this is not the first time that I've been the mother of three kids. In 2005, I celebrated my first Mother's Day with these two munchkins (and VERY pregnant with a third). It was a good day.
In 2006, I was supposed to celebrate Mother's Day with these three, but something happened the day before Mother's Day that I will never forget.
One of our foster boys had a "special needs" moment that started us down the process of losing both boys. It was crushing. These two boys that I had planned to adopt and had loved as my own for the past two years were slipping away. Mother's day hasn't been the same since then. It's been hard. I have wanted to celebrate. I had two beautiful biological boys that were still with me and who love me very much. I have the very best mom that a kid could ever hope for, but something (more specifically, two of my kids) were missing. It doesn't help that it all started that Mother's Day weekend either.
This year, however, I haven't dwelt on the sadness of that. This Mother's Day has been good and I've just let it be about celebration. I'm enjoying my day and I'm glad. It could be that having three kids again has healed some of that. It could be that time has healed my heart some more. I don't really know. I just know that I've enjoyed this day. I got hand made gifts and cards from my kids. My husband sent one of my boys into my room this morning with a menu and I got breakfast, of my choosing, in bed. Chris worked with Kayla on saying "mama" and she came into my room saying "mama, mama, mama". She's said it before, but not for quite a while and it felt good. We went to church where I got a cute flower and then home for lunch with my parents, brother and his wife. Now, the kids are napping and Chris is at work, but it's a beautiful day and we're going to enjoy pizza in the park once everyone is up. I'm loving today. It's a good day...thank goodness! I still miss my other two boys & I always will, but these three have made my day.
Mother's day has been hard for me for the past few years. You see, this is not the first time that I've been the mother of three kids. In 2005, I celebrated my first Mother's Day with these two munchkins (and VERY pregnant with a third). It was a good day.
In 2006, I was supposed to celebrate Mother's Day with these three, but something happened the day before Mother's Day that I will never forget.
One of our foster boys had a "special needs" moment that started us down the process of losing both boys. It was crushing. These two boys that I had planned to adopt and had loved as my own for the past two years were slipping away. Mother's day hasn't been the same since then. It's been hard. I have wanted to celebrate. I had two beautiful biological boys that were still with me and who love me very much. I have the very best mom that a kid could ever hope for, but something (more specifically, two of my kids) were missing. It doesn't help that it all started that Mother's Day weekend either.This year, however, I haven't dwelt on the sadness of that. This Mother's Day has been good and I've just let it be about celebration. I'm enjoying my day and I'm glad. It could be that having three kids again has healed some of that. It could be that time has healed my heart some more. I don't really know. I just know that I've enjoyed this day. I got hand made gifts and cards from my kids. My husband sent one of my boys into my room this morning with a menu and I got breakfast, of my choosing, in bed. Chris worked with Kayla on saying "mama" and she came into my room saying "mama, mama, mama". She's said it before, but not for quite a while and it felt good. We went to church where I got a cute flower and then home for lunch with my parents, brother and his wife. Now, the kids are napping and Chris is at work, but it's a beautiful day and we're going to enjoy pizza in the park once everyone is up. I'm loving today. It's a good day...thank goodness! I still miss my other two boys & I always will, but these three have made my day.
Friday, May 06, 2011
Reverend?
Our denomination recently held their district council. Chris and I attended because I was a part of the credentialing service. I received my ministerial credentials almost a year ago, but this services was a recognition of that. 
My mom and dad got to pray over us, which was very special.
I don't know if Reverend Elysabeth Meehan will ever sound "normal" to me!
My mom and dad got to pray over us, which was very special.
I don't know if Reverend Elysabeth Meehan will ever sound "normal" to me!Fire!
This spring has been a bit rough--lots of snow and rain, not too much sun or warmth. We have had a couple of decent days and we've enjoyed every minute of them. S'mores are a favorite around here. We had a fun little fire outside and roasted some marshmallows one spring evening. We're hoping there's more good weather headed our way soon.
Easter
Took some great photos
Found some more eggs
Played at the park AND had Roth visit
Easter was great this yearEgg Hunting
Some friends hosted an egg hunt for our young marrieds group. The boys had tons of fun and got lots of junk.
Thursday, May 05, 2011
Ethiopian head spinning (Kayla style)
Okay, first you have to watch this video of this Ethiopian woman doing a traditional Ethiopian dance that involves an insane amount of head movement.
Then, you need to watch these strung together clips of my baby girl. This is how she always dances. I have seen many babies dance, but none like this. I don't know why she does this, but it's adorable and a little baby version of the other clip (at least in my opinion).
She also does the shoulder shrugging dance (if you've ever seen that Ethiopian one), but apparently the beat of this song wasn't hitting her that way. We'll have to capture that one some other day.
Then, you need to watch these strung together clips of my baby girl. This is how she always dances. I have seen many babies dance, but none like this. I don't know why she does this, but it's adorable and a little baby version of the other clip (at least in my opinion).
She also does the shoulder shrugging dance (if you've ever seen that Ethiopian one), but apparently the beat of this song wasn't hitting her that way. We'll have to capture that one some other day.
More on missions
The number one question we get is "where are you going?". Short answer, we don't know. We don't necessarily get to choose. We apply, our denomination's missions department decides whether or not we're approved, then a specific location/job is selected. After that, we start the whole fund raising process. Right now, all we've done is submit our application. We haven't even been approved yet, so we don't know where we're going. Of course, we're allowed to put down our preference and we're a part of the decision making process. Our hearts are in/for Ethiopia. That is where we would like to go. The exciting thing is that I have discovered that their are opportunities there. However, I firmly believe that God will put us where He wants us and I will not pretend to know where that is. So, we'll see!
Sunday, May 01, 2011
Why?
This blog has followed/highlighted all of our adventures...foster care, babies and adoption--to name a few--so I figure it'll follow our journey into missions, as well. No worries, I'll still be posting cute pictures and video clips of the kids--I have a killer one of Kayla doing her Ethiopian head spinning dance--but I also plan to take some time to focus on our journey into the completely unknown.
A good friend recently asked me why we were going into missions--what our intended purpose is. I suppose there are a many different reasons that a person would choose to go into missions, but here's mine:
I grew up as a PK (pastor's kid). I've always been taught think about others and respond to their needs. My parents had me volunteering at a very young age. They took me on my first foreign mission trip when I was only 12. We spent 7 weeks in Europe and my dad preached at some youth camps in what was then Yugoslovia and Hungary. We also toured some and visited many different countries. When I was 16, I went on another trip to Romania and worked with children and visited orphanages. I believe that it was on that trip that my eyes were truly opened to the differences between my world and how so many others live. A desire to do something with missions or social service started at that point. When I was 18, I graduated high school a semester early and moved to Belgium where I worked with some missionaries for 3 months. In college, I participated in two state-side mission trips and just last year, Chris and I spent a week in El Salvador doing medical missions work. This was his first trip and he had a definite God moment on that trip that led him to also want to pursue missions, but that's really his story to tell so you'll have to ask him if you want more details. I guess you could say my whole life has been leading up to this. It's just that now it finally seems like the right time.
Does that answer why? Maybe 1/2 of it. The other half is that I want to make a difference. There are basic social needs that must be met in other parts of the world. AIDS is something you almost never hear about in the US anymore, but it is still making orphans on a daily basis in Africa. Fistula is a word I had never even heard before going to Ethiopia, but this is a minor medical issue that causes thousands of women to be ostracized and left to die. A simple surgery often fixes the problem in just a few minutes and a little education before the problem is created would do even more. (If you have Netflix, I highly recommend A Walk to Beautiful if you want to learn more about this specific issue.) My heart's desire is to meet some of these social needs. But I also know that meeting a social need doesn't do anything to impact someone's eternity. So, we will take the message of Christ's love with us while meeting these basic needs.
I believe that God asks each and every believer to do this on some level. I just think that God is asking us to do this in this way right now. If you have questions...ask them. I am not easily offended and am happy to answer anything. We really are excited about this journey. I don't know where it will lead or how long it will last, I just know that God is asking us to be willing and we are.
A good friend recently asked me why we were going into missions--what our intended purpose is. I suppose there are a many different reasons that a person would choose to go into missions, but here's mine:
I grew up as a PK (pastor's kid). I've always been taught think about others and respond to their needs. My parents had me volunteering at a very young age. They took me on my first foreign mission trip when I was only 12. We spent 7 weeks in Europe and my dad preached at some youth camps in what was then Yugoslovia and Hungary. We also toured some and visited many different countries. When I was 16, I went on another trip to Romania and worked with children and visited orphanages. I believe that it was on that trip that my eyes were truly opened to the differences between my world and how so many others live. A desire to do something with missions or social service started at that point. When I was 18, I graduated high school a semester early and moved to Belgium where I worked with some missionaries for 3 months. In college, I participated in two state-side mission trips and just last year, Chris and I spent a week in El Salvador doing medical missions work. This was his first trip and he had a definite God moment on that trip that led him to also want to pursue missions, but that's really his story to tell so you'll have to ask him if you want more details. I guess you could say my whole life has been leading up to this. It's just that now it finally seems like the right time.
Does that answer why? Maybe 1/2 of it. The other half is that I want to make a difference. There are basic social needs that must be met in other parts of the world. AIDS is something you almost never hear about in the US anymore, but it is still making orphans on a daily basis in Africa. Fistula is a word I had never even heard before going to Ethiopia, but this is a minor medical issue that causes thousands of women to be ostracized and left to die. A simple surgery often fixes the problem in just a few minutes and a little education before the problem is created would do even more. (If you have Netflix, I highly recommend A Walk to Beautiful if you want to learn more about this specific issue.) My heart's desire is to meet some of these social needs. But I also know that meeting a social need doesn't do anything to impact someone's eternity. So, we will take the message of Christ's love with us while meeting these basic needs.
I believe that God asks each and every believer to do this on some level. I just think that God is asking us to do this in this way right now. If you have questions...ask them. I am not easily offended and am happy to answer anything. We really are excited about this journey. I don't know where it will lead or how long it will last, I just know that God is asking us to be willing and we are.
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