We made it!

After 5 hours of delay in the Miami airport, we finally arrived in port-au-prince. The group was amazingly patient through all of the delays. More patient than I was! One of the delays was due to a valve malfunction on the first plane. I was pretty sure we would have been just fine. In other words, just get me to my boy!! Shelley quickly retorted that it is a good thing they don't let adoptive moms fly the airplanes. Cuz she is pretty sure we would make unwise decisions due to the absolute excitement of seeing our children.

Our reunion was as sweet as ever. Pierre was kind enough to bring Kervens to me late that night when we arrived at the hotel. It was a magical time as me, Michelle, Haley, and Hanna Ray sat around just in awe of him. He warmed up too us all very quickly.

I can see a big change in him since February. He is much more independent, willing to go to other people - which has been a huge blessing to me, allowing me a few breaks here and there. He is talking non-stop, so the language barrier has been more of an issue than before. I am dying to know what he is saying!

He interacts playfully with his friends and others on the team. He absolutely adores Michelle and Shelley. He sings songs, counts to 10, and runs the show around here. It has been a blast so far.

Hanna Ray is such a trooper! Her little buddy Dalanka has latched onto her and won't let anyone else hold her. It is precious!

Oh, and the weather is so pleasant! I mean, we are not even sweating! It is nice and cool, overcast, with a cool breeze. Wow! What a gift!


- Posted by Carlee, using my iPad

Happy 40th Birthday!

Eddy turns 40 this week, so we threw him a party!  We had sooooo much fun celebrating him.  At the party, I scattered 40 fun facts about Eddy throughout the field.  Everyone enjoyed reading some amazing facts about this amazing man.  It was truly a special and unforgettable night!

Eddy Fun Fact:

#1 

Eddy was born in Missoula, Montana, on June 16th, 1972. 

#2

Eddy’s dad served in  the Air Force which took their family to many states: AK, CA, MT, NB, and CO.

#3

Eddy grew up downhill skiiing, hunting, and fishing.

#4

Eddy killed his first 8 point deer when he was 14 years old.  It was a 300 yard shot at a dead run.

#5

Eddy killed his first elk when he was 14 years old.  It was a 400 yard shot.

#6

#6Eddy’s first taste of chewing tobacco was at age 10 with an older cousin.  He could barely walk and started puking.

#7

At age 11, Eddy used to sit above the freeway in Montana and spit tobacco onto cars passing by.

#8

Eddy has broken 11 bones in his body.

#9

In 1996, Eddy went from weighing 142 lbs. to weighing 195 lbs. in 6 months.  

#10

Eddy toured all over the world as a professional cyclist: Japan, England, France, Luxembourg, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Germany, Holland, and the U.S.

#11 

Eddy did not hit puberty until his Junior year of High School.

#12

Eddy grew 6 inches in 3 months over the summer of his Junior year in High School.

#13

Eddy had a resting heart rate of 29 bpm (beats per minute) during his cross country days at Covenant College. 

#14

Eddy catapulted from a CAT 5 to a CAT 1 in just one season (6 months) of road biking.  

#15

Eddy achieved the 2nd highest score on a VO2 max test in Sacramento, CA, at Max Testa’s lab facility.  He was second only to Lance Armstrong.  

#16

The average professional cyclist has a VO2 max score of 75.  

Lance Armstrong...90

Eddy Hilger...86

#17

Eddy and Carlee took an 8 week honeymoon and spent time in:

St. Lucia, Florida, Aspen, Vail, Breckenridge, Alabama, and Chattanooga.

#18

Eddy was hospitalized at the age of 10 after a motorcycle accident where he received a fractured ankle and a six inch gash.

#19

Eddy was a three sport athlete at Covenant:

soccer, basketball, and cross country.

#20

Eddy was a national contender at the NAIA Div. I collegiate level in cross country and soccer. He was also a captain on both teams.

#21

Eddy was an Interdisciplinary Major at Covenant College...

Biology, Bible and Physical Education.

#22

Eddy studied so much his Senior year in college that his desk chair had a permanent imprint of his butt cheeks.  

#23

Eddy married Carlee Jo Bevis in 1998.  He proposed to her by washing her feet.

#24

Eddy forgot to get the marriage license for their wedding.  They were married illegally at LMPC on June 13th.  They were married legally, two days later, by the Justice of the Peace, 

Ed Gomez, at the court house. 

#25

Eddy and Carlee’s entire honeymoom to St. Lucia was mysteriously paid by someone.  We still don’t know who.

#26

Eddy used to drink an entire 6-pack of 7-up, then lie to his mom about drinking them.  He would stated confidently that he had not touched them!

#27

Eddy broke his hip in his last season as a professional cyclist.  It was a crash in the Claridon Cup, held in Pennsylvania. 

#28

Eddy’s favorite food is 

Filet Mignon.

#29

Eddy said he would never adopt.  He now has a son in Haiti.  

#30

Eddy answered the door naked (with only a guitar covering him) during preview weekend at Covenant College.  

It was a girl at the door. 

#31

Eddy was 5’1” tall in 9th grade.

#32

Eddy weighed 105 lbs. in 9th grade.   

#33

Eddy was the only white kid to make the AAU basketball team for the state of Colorado.  

#34

Eddy would consume 6000-8000 calories per day during his peak training as a cyclist. 

#35

Eddy’s fastest time for a 5 mile cross country race in college was 25min 26sec.

#36

Eddy held his first job at the age of 12, carrying a paper route through the snow of Colorado.

#37

Eddy stuffed 21 large marshmallows in his cheeks to win the championship “chubby bunny” game in high school.

#38

Eddy received the Student Athlete Award for Covenant College as a Senior.  

#39

Eddy’s favorite movie is 

THE BOURNE IDENTITY

#40

Eddy is the best husband and father that any woman could ask for...

AND THAT’S A FACT!

The soccer clubhouse turned into a sports bar.

Each balloon scattered around the field had a "fun fact" about Eddy.  40 of 'em.  

Jerseys and pictures of Eddy slathered the walls of the makeshift sports bar.  

Trying my hand at some cornhole.

Giving my "I respect this man more than anyone in the world" speech.

Lighting the candles.

Blowing 'em out.

Though this was an adult only party,
the kids got to come for the lighting of the cake and the singing of Happy Birthday to daddy.

What an amazing night!  A night we will never forget.  

I am a blessed woman to get the privilege of being married to Edwin David Hilger!  

Rosemary Beach

annual beach trip is always a blast!  What a great time to get away as a family, especially after a hectic end of the school year.  I am so thankful for a husband who makes these a priority for us.  Rosemary Beach has become our favorite spot.  Even though it feels like we are missing someone in these pictures (cuz we are), we got some great ones of the kids.

Speaking of that special someone that is missing from our family pictures, I get to go see our little Kervens in 5 days!  Daddy is staying back with the kids.  I can't wait to see Kervens again after four months of being away. Each time I go, he changes so much.  His birthday was last month, so we will celebrate him with presents and cake (even though they do that at the orphanage).  And a really special part of this trip is that my sister and two nieces will be joining me!  They get to meet Kervens for the first time, and I am so excited!

Happy Easter

We had a wonderful Easter weekend with my parents.  They came into town to help us build a new swingset/playhouse.  Costco had a deal we could not pass up, and the kids are super excited about it.  Kenzie says she has always wanted to swing in her own yard.  Brooks says he wants to climb up the rock wall and slide down the slide.  Jackson says he wants to use it as an airsoft gun fort and hideout.  Whatever the function of the playhouse, we will all be forever grateful to Eddy and my dad (and Mark Ellis) for spending two entire days building it.

And we did something a bit different this year.   We have never been an Easter-bunny-brings-you-toys-and-candy kind of family.  But I do love giving gifts to our kids.  So, this year we decided to hold off on giving any gifts until after church.  So, when the kids woke up, there wasn't a focus on what they were getting.  They didn't come running down the stairs to see what they got.  They came down slowly, and we had meaningful conversations about Jesus dying.  Jesus raising from the dead.  Just Jesus.  Just the resurrection.  Just HIM.  It was really special.

On a more practical note, I also loved not having to decide how much candy to let my kids eat at 8 AM!

So, we worshipped as a family, then we came home and had lunch.  Then, we sent the kids on a scavenger hunt for their baskets and gifts.  And it is so fun to give them gifts just because we love them.  And we finished up our day with some easter egg hunting outside.  It could not have been a more beautiful day!

Celebrating our "Fresh Water"

B R O O K S... his name means fresh water.  And that is exactly what he is to our family.  When we all get stressed or upset with each other, he comes in, pouring the fresh water of his delightful, grateful, precious spirit over our souls.  If we get thirsty, we just get ourselves a little-bit-of-Brooks and we feel much better.  =)

Our FRESH WATER:

thanks me for wiping his bottom.

tells me I am the best mama ever.

shares graciously with his brother and sister (most of the time). =)

speaks expectantly of being a big brother to Kervens....telling me he can't wait to teach him this or that.

loves his daddy with a vengeance!

is passionate about baseball (thus, the baseball birthday below).

is pleasant almost all of the time!

is easy to correct and requires very little discipline.

is a gift to us!


We love you Brooks! Happy Birthday!

Baseball cake!

The Birthday Boy!

brothers....

Cousin Lacey (and, of course, Kenzie's new pet Sandy the Caterpillar)

The family photo... missing one little black face, though.  

GG and Jackson

Zac Efron? or Jackson?

Cousins Hanna Ray and Heather

A big hug for sister after he opened her gift

His first Phiten necklace!

I absolutely adore these boys!!!

This birthday was all about guns!

Cousin Lindsey

This year, we had our first annual family cup... in honor of the birthday boy.  His greatest desire was to play a real baseball game.  So, all grandparents, cousins, uncles, aunts, siblings, and parents graciously obliged his dream.  We played three innings of "REAL" baseball.  Can you believe it?  Brooks hit four homeruns!!  He was also awarded the MVP trophy at the end of the game (compliments of one awesome thrift store).

He's got all the gear.  He is ready!

One of his many homeruns

He is NOT stopping!  No way!

Nice form on that swing!  No wonder they let him play t-ball a year early.  =)

First Annual Family Cup MVP!

Just a few hours later - crashed in my lap like the four year old that he is.
One of my favorite memories of the day!

I still love this man as much as I did the day we married.
Actually, I respect him even more now!

Later in the day, the grandchildren had a tickle-fest with Pop - B.  What a wonderful grandfather he is!

Aunt Michelle and cousin Hunter

Linnie and the girls!