One year ago today, I had the most precious baby girl placed in my arms!! I had a wonderful gift from God GIVEN TO ME in a miracle moment in Ethiopia, Africa. I'll never be able to accurately describe the feeling one has when handed a child from across the world!! To know that someone is trusting you to give this child THE LIFE they couldn't!! It's a moment in time I NEVER want to forget....It's a moment I'll forever be grateful for..I'm grateful to God..but I'm also forever grateful to this VERY young Ethiopian Mom that made the ultimate sacrifice for her daughter!! June 15th will always be a special day in our family...it's the day Lucy Lane Martha was placed into my arms by the Hannah's Hope director, Almaz!! I woke early that morning in Addis Ababa and walked a long dusty, dirt road to arrive at the All God's Children, Hannah's Hope Orphanage where Lucy lane was waiting on the other side of the famous red gates!! The adrenaline and tears were flowing....simply amazing....
AND, ONE YEAR LATER...we have a running toddler girl that keeps us on our toes every second of every day!!! Lucy Lane has filled our hearts more than anyone could ever know...but it's her impact on the rest of the world that has left us speechless...We're forever grateful and humbled by the way God is using our little girl to bring more children to their forever families!!
And, without any further ado....Here is our ONE YEAR HOME VIDEO!!! Thank you to my friend Karen for once again making us such an incredible gift to share with the world!! We are so thankful for your friendship!! Pause the music at the bottom of my page first and ENJOY:(it may take a second to upload or at least it did on my computer :)
Lucy Lane Gotcha Day - One Year Later from kristi johnson on Vimeo.
We love you Lucy Lane Martha!! Because of you...We are better people, a better family, and richly blessed!! Happy One Year Home and Happy Tuesday to you all, kj
AWESOME!
ReplyDeleteLove, love, love it!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful! And I'm sure it's even better with the sound!! ( I'm sitting in a hotel room with all of my family sound asleep! ) I'll show it to the boys tomorrow, with sound next time!
ReplyDeletewell, that was just FABULOUS!!!! I loved it...what an inspiration. WOW. your story has touched the lives of sooooo many. praying that it continues to be heard.
ReplyDeleteThank you for continuing to be an inspiration to all of us! Sweet baby girl, sweet family, sweet video! :)
ReplyDeletetears. tears. and more tears. happy tears of course! :D
ReplyDeleteHappy Happy One Year Home LL!! Obedience is contagious. Thanks to your mom and dad for their obedience. May God bless your precious birth mother and your precious forever family!
ReplyDeleteSuch a sweet video. I'm sitting here with tears in my eyes. Loved it.
ReplyDeleteP.S. I had a dream the other night about being at an event that included speakers about orphan/adoption advocacy and you and sweet Miss Lucy Lane were there on stage. :) Sadly, my dream didn't allow me to make it to the front afterward in time to meet y'all.
wow! I think I counted 75 photos. We didnt send one, but we are adopting from Ethiopia too because God has been working through your story.
ReplyDeleteLove, love, love this!!!
ReplyDeleteI especially love the expressions on that sweet little face, that darling little Lucy is so funny!
You have a beautiful family.
i feel like i've walked through the year with you from a distance. what a joyous celebration! all the pictures of the families who have been inspired by lucy lane and your family gave me chills!
ReplyDeleteWow!!!!! I have to tell you that this video really spoke to me. I very clearly felt several months ago that we were to adopt. I badgered and pestered my hubby about it until he finally said okay!! I blogged about that song, "That's What Faith Can Do" because it really spoke to me one day that I was supposed to adopt. Then, I freaked out and decided I just couldn't do it. I wasn't strong enough, I was too scared, etc. I just know though that this is something we are supposed to do, but my hubby never really was in to it and I think he was relieved when I stopped bugging him about it because he's content for things to stay as they are and I admit it would be so much easier. Anyways, it was no surprise to me that that would be the song you would choose for this video because I still believe the Lord is not done with this plan yet and I still believe He is telling me not to give up. That was such a great video of such a precious little girl!! Thank you so much for following God's plans for your life and for hers!!!
ReplyDeleteOh Girl ... I didn't think your Gotcha video could be topped. WOW! Cannot wait to see how God will use your new video to continue the ripple of effect of your obedience to God's call for adoption!
ReplyDeleteLives are changing indeed.
Loved, loved, loved it!
Praising Him from Hong Kong,
KIm
Soooo beautiful! I am in tears!!!
ReplyDeleteIt still hurts my head to think that we live 40 minutes away from each other, that we used the same agency in Portland, OR, without knowing each other, that our kiddos were together 8000 miles away, that we traveled together, and they are still this close. It will be a great testimony for God's provision over their lives. We were going through some pictures from Ethiopia last night and couldn't believe how tiny Silas and LL were :)
ReplyDeleteGreat video ... glad Silas made the cut :)
Love the video and the fact that God has used beautiful LL's life to inspire so many other families. Happy 1st Gotcha Anniversary Lucy Lane. We love you!
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Amy and Family
LOVE it! I especially love ALL the families adopting now b/c of your adoption!!! wooooot! congrats on one year home, LL! :)
ReplyDeleteLoved it! I cried when I saw your first video. I cried when I watched this one!
ReplyDeleteHappy 1 year home!
Precious! And impossible to watch without shedding a tear. What an incredible blessing your LL is. Amazing.
ReplyDeleteLOVE IT!!!!
ReplyDeleteSo thankful for your heart in sharing your life and your story of getting Lucy Lane and because of that many others are adopting! Praise God for following Him in obedience and setting an example of what it is to really love! Our family has been blessed from the moment I first watched your Gotcha Day video, we had begun the adoption process but new very little and your video inspired us like you could never believe. So confirming! and still to this day I cry every single time!
ReplyDeleteTo everyone who comes to my house I show that video of what God does to those who open their hearts wide!
Loved LL's one year video, great!
LOVE IT! AWESOME! The tribute to LLM's birth mother at the end toward the end was so touching. How amazing that her story, your family's story, and especially your adorable LLM has been used to inspire so many others!
ReplyDeletexoxoxo
LOVED it :) i still dream of adopting one day....i'm dreaming of my little china doll, thanks soooooo much for still making me dream...you inspire me everyday !
ReplyDeleteBeautiful!!! Let the ripples continue!!!
ReplyDeleteoh kristi, I am a bawlbaby right now! What a precious video! i remember right after God spoke to my heart about adoption that I found your gotcha day video on AGCI's website and that touched my heart so much and ever since I have been following your blog now for a little over 6 months and its been so great to watch lucy lanes journey and I am excited to start our journey!
ReplyDeleteIs this video something you would like us all to share b/c I would love to share it on facebook and/or my blog sometime to reach even more people!
oh how I LOVE THAT!!
ReplyDeleteIt was just breathtaking. Happy "Gotcha Day" Lucy Lane. I love seeing how God has worked in others to bring their babies home. Just amazing. Blessings, Rhea Anne and Lennon
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely Awesome! We have followed your story for a while now. Thank for your openess and candidness. God has used your story in ways you could not even have imagined! We have posted both of your videos on our blog. Our prayer is that our adoption story will also reach beyond the walls of our home. Thanks so much!
ReplyDeleteRubeinna Bobo
mrbobo-theroadtoethiopia.blogspot.com
I have been looking forward to this video just like it was a premier of a big new movie and ya'll sure didn't disappoint!!!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing! Your family is beautiful from the inside out!
What a beautiful blessing. Thank you for including our family in the video. I cannot wait to hear of others that are inspired through this new video.
ReplyDeleteOh gooooodness!!!! BIG HUGE tears of happiness for ONE SUPER Fabulous year! LL has got the sweetest smile ever!! What a total DOLL!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing... and mostly thanks for the inspiration, the idea of 'adoption' and what it all looks like it!
I pray that God uses your AMAZING video to TUG on the hearts of more families to adopt...
AWESOME! Thanks...
Darcee
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ReplyDeleteoh, my goodness. I can hardly comment through the tears rolling down my face. this was beautiful! i've been following your blog for some time now and love your story. my husband and i leave at the end of july to serve in zambia for the next year (likely more). your heart for africa, orphans, and the Lord encourages me and speaks to me. thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteYes, anyone may post this video, share it, pass it , etc. to help spread the word!!! May God continue to burn the heart of others to adopt, kristi j
ReplyDeleteWhat an amazing video! Your family has definitely made a lasting impact on ours. Thank you so much for stepping out in faith and trusting God to bring her home! God is so so Good!!
ReplyDeleteReally enjoyed your video brought a tear to my eye. Watching in Ireland, just put my beautiful Ethiopian girl to bed. Love reading your blog while we were going through adoption process
ReplyDeleteThank you. Thank you. Your family has inspired so many by listening to God's call and then encouraging others. We were inspired by you, and are now on our own journey. We love you, even though we've never met you.
ReplyDeleteBeen waiting for this one!!! A celebration of many beautiful things.....a beautiful little girl, a wonderful family and and mommies and daddies headed to rescue many of those still waiting. Thanks for sharing your journey so openly. It IS bringing glory to God! Happy One year home LL!
ReplyDeleteLOVE IT!!!!!
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness, I LOVE it!!! Brought tears and laughter! Lucy is so very beautiful!!!! What a precious baby girl who God has used to inspire so, so many families to adopt! We are so honored to be one of those families...loved seeing our kids holding up their "adoption signs"! Thanks for including us! Going to post it on my blog right now! Love it!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI too couldn't wait for the "release" of this video! Our extended family is on vacation together this week (23 of us) and we all watched it on the big screen today, looking for our family's photo! I knew everyone would be inspired and moved by your amazing journey to and with LL, just as we were! Thanks for sharing your life and heart.
ReplyDeleteMrs. Johnson,
ReplyDeleteI have only known Lucy Lane for about 2 month (through Helen's softball team) and I have already fallen in love with her! She is precious! She is the perfect addition to your amazing family! I have been inspired greatly by your posts and hopefully I will continue to strengthen my relationship with God. You truly are an amazing person! Keep up the good work! Lucy Lane is an awesome addition to your family and I LOVED seeing her at the ball parks whether she was asleep or stealing your diet coke! :) She is a beautiful work of God and will shine even brighter than she already has in the future! This season I was amazed at how well you handled everything! When Helen needed a drink, you were on it! When I grow older, I hope I can become an amazing mom like you!
Presley
Beautiful Kristi!
ReplyDeleteVERY inspiring!
ReplyDeleteAmazing. Incredible. God-designed. I can't quite pull myself together again after watching this. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteAWESOME! I linked it to my facebook page. I just love love love all the families Lucy has inspired and I love watching her grow over the past year. Blessings to you all!
ReplyDeleteoh my - LOVE the video Kristi!! amazing!! so cool that you've touched so many people with your story - keep it up!!
ReplyDeletecan't wait to see you guys next month!!
Beautiful! You can add one more family to the many impacted by Lucy's gotcha day video. I wasn't able to send a picture in because I was busy bringing our Addie Lou home from Ethiopia!
ReplyDeletehttp://amielizphotography.com/blog/bringing-addie-home/
The video was beautiful! I've never commented before, but I wanted to let you know that when we were first considering adoption, we found your gotcha day video on youtube. Honestly, your video touched us so much- I really believe God used that to really stir our hearts. We started the process a few months ago. We are days away from being agency approved and hopefully will be on the wait list before the end of the summer. My kids loved watching your 1 year home video. They are so excited about having a baby sister from Ethiopia!! Blessings to your sweet family!
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful girl and such an amazing family!! This was precious... loved watching it!!!
ReplyDeleteThe video turned out great! What an amazing year you guys had! I loved all of those pictures of Lucy Lane!To God be the GlORY!
ReplyDeleteTears are pouring!!! Love it!!!
ReplyDeleteLOVE the tribute to bio-mom at the end and ripple effect of your story to change the story for more children! Praise God!
ReplyDeleteohhh Kristi, loved seeing it, and so beautiful with Lucy Lane..love her, and the girls liked seeing their pics on it too...God bless, thanks for including us on this journey..put it on my FB page..
ReplyDelete