Prayer Request

Hi everybody,
I just wanted to let you all know.  My sister called me today to let me know that my grandpa is not doing well.  It's not entirely unexpected, as he has been on home hospice care for quite some time.  He is almost 93 years old.  My dad and one of his sister's have been taking turns staying with my grandparents for the last few days, as he had been quite restless and sick to his stomach.  When my sister stopped to see them this morning, Grandpa was unresponsive, even when hugged and talked to.  Amy called again after my dad talked to the nurses some more this afternoon and the way I understand it there is fluid around his lungs and maybe his heart, and his heart is not pumping well enough to make his stomach work, which is why he's been sick.

Anyway, at this point, my prayer is for him to be comfortable, and for our family's strength and peace during this time.  This is going to be really hard on my dad and my grandma (who is 89) when he's gone.  My grandparents are believers - probably the best Christian role models I've had in my life - so there is peace in that.  Also, I'd like prayers for my dad's other sister.  She lives in Pheonix, and is trying to get a flight out tonight.  Apparently there is heavy rain in Pheonix now so that may cause problems for her, and with the nasty storm on its way to Iowa, we're afraid she wouldn't be able to get here if doesn't get out tonight.  She will probably be trying to fly into Cedar Rapids.
 
He could pull out of this - he's surprised us several times before, but this is seeming much more serious - his lows have just kept getting lower the last year or so.  Thank you so much for your prayers.  We just spent time with my grandparents over the holiday last weekend, and with the storm coming, we are not planning to travel right now.  We'll let you know if anything changes.
Thank you,
Lisa

Nov07 Pictures are in!

The pictures were posted yesterday. I found Elijah's picture right away, but had to go through a second time and look at the names to find Josephine's. She looks so different every month - probably because she's younger, and maybe because she'd been sick. Also, she has her hair done up now - it looks so cute! They're not the best pictures - Elijah looks dis-interested, as usual, and Celena looks very tired and squirmy. It's so nice to see their pictures each month though. It's one of the only connections we have to them right now.

We should have a process update by this weekend, although I'm not expecting a lot. We've been in IBESR since late September - two months - and it has been taking 4-7 months. We're praying they're out of IBESR by Christmas!

What kind of pie are you?

I found this quiz on Heather's blog. Now, since they only ask about 5 questions, so sometimes these are way off - but this one seemed to work pretty well. Here were my results:

You Are Apple Pie

You're the perfect combo of comforting and traditional. You prefer things the way you've always known them. You'll admit that you're old fashioned, and you don't see anything wrong with that. Your tastes and preferences are classic. And classic never goes out of style. Those who like you crave security. People can rely on you to be true to yourself - and true to them. You're loyal, trustworthy, and comfortable in your own skin. And because of these qualities, you've definitely earned a lot of respect.

What Kind of Pie Are You?

Here's what Jock's results were:

You Are Mud Pie

You're the perfect combo of flavor and depth. You are overpowering and dominant - and that's what people like about you. You bring energy and a new direction to most interactions. People crave you in a serious way. You're that important to them. Those who like you give into their impulses. You don't represent reason. You represent pure temptation. People get addicted to you rather easily. You offer people a dark side that is very hard to resist.

What Kind of Pie Are You?

So much to be thankful for!

This morning, we talked about what we were thankful for. Kaylen's list was much the same as what she told me earlier this week in the post below.

I'm thankful for the same things, and much, much more. Too numerous to list here, but here's a sampling:
- I am thankful for my wonderful husband, who stands with me through thick and thin
- I am thankful for my beautiful daughter, who has brought so much joy into our lives for the past couple years
- I am thankful for my two babies that we are in the process of adopting, for those that are caring for their every need right now, for those that are working towards us bringing them home with us, and for those supporting us through this journey
- I am thankful for my parents and grandparents, for the model they lived for me these last 30 years
- I am thankful for my siblings, and for the fun and laughter, sadness and tears that we've shared with each other over the years
- I am thankful for many friends that we've shared great experiences with over the years
- I am thankful for a God who is loving and forgiving, for His grace and mercy in Jesus Christ
- I am thankful that I live in a beautiful home in a place where we are free from persecution, where we are able to live safely and comfortably, with proper nutrition & medical care

On this day, I also pray for those that don't have so much to be thankful for. May you have a blessed day of giving thanks.

Happy Thanksgiving 2007!

What a fun holiday. It actually started for us last weekend, and continues through this weekend.

For the last several years we've gotten together with some college friends for a "Friends' Thanksgiving". Three years ago, Jock started making Turducken for this gathering. For those of you who haven't heard of it, it is a turkey stuffed with a duck stuffed with a chicken, with layers of stuffing in between. It's a lot of prep work (about 3 hours), and a long baking time (10-12 hours) with all that meat and stuffing, but the end product is so good!

Here's the turducken preparation process:
- Thaws out the birds, cuts them open down their backs and lays them out flat.
- De-bone the chicken and duck, except for the legs, and de-bone the turkey except for the legs and wings.
- Put it all together: turkey, stuffing, duck, stuffing, chicken, stuffing.
- Fold it all back together, hold it in place (this requires an assistant), and sew the turkey back together so it looks like a really big fat turkey.
- Place cut&sewn side down in a rather large roaster pan with a rack, bake for about 12 hours at 200-250.
Here's a website with the more detailed instructions we use if you want to try it yourself.

I will say one of our friends got to our house Friday night just as he was layering it, and she thought it was rather disgusting to see all that raw meat laying there. But it's so good! The duck provides a good flavor for the meat, stuffing, and drippings for gravy, and it also keeps the turkey from getting all dried out (no basting required!) as is usually the case with just a baked turkey.
...
This morning we slept in, had a late light breakfast, and watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Since we don't do Thanksgiving at our house, we decorated for Christmas. It's so fun putting up the tree, setting out the santa and snowman decorations, and getting out the nativity set. I love this time of year. Also, this year is the first that we've had a full-size Christmas tree. We've only had a 4-foot tree since we've been married, so now we actually have two. We have yet to do any outdoor decorating. We didn't do any last year other than hanging out a wreath, as we were so busy in November with Kaylen's adoption and then the holidays. We're hoping to still get some done this year, but we'll see. We got an early snowstorm this year (about 4 inches yesterday!) and it's mighty cold and windy today, so that put a kink in our plans. Who knows...

This early afternoon has been kind of lazy, except for getting some laundry done, and Kaylen is taking her nap while Jock's playing a computer game, and I'm blogging. Later this afternoon we're going over to Jock's dad's house for the traditional Thanskgiving meal.

This evening we'll come back home, get a good night's sleep, and then in the morning we'll take off to spend the weekend with my family. It's been so long since we've been up there - usually we see them about one weekend every month or two. It's been since early August - too long! We're going to drive the long way around, so that we can stop off to have Karen cut Jock's and my hair. Then we'll have a quick lunch and head up to Dad and Terry's. We started a couple years ago going to a movie one night with all the adults and kids. This year we're still deciding what we want to see Friday night. Then Saturday we're going to have our Thanksgiving meal. A couple weeks ago, my sister said that we've talked about turducken so much but we'd never made if for them, so Jock's going to make it for my family Friday night/Saturday morning. It should be a fun weekend.

I'll try to post some pictures early next week of all our fun. We'll be back home Sunday night to get back into the grind - work, daycare, and the normal insanity of our lives. At some point I'm also going to have to start my Christmas shopping too! YIKES! It always comes up on me so fast. But I refuse to go shopping the day after Thanksgiving. Nothing against those of you who love it, I just don't enjoy the crowds - the deals aren't worth that to me. If I didn't have plans for tomorrow morning that required me to be away from my laptop and internet, I might do some online shopping though. Maybe next year.

Wishing you all a wonderful Thanksgiving Day!

What are you thankful for?

Wow! Kaylen just told me something she told her daycare teacher. Her update sheet said they read Thanksgiving Day today. Apparently the teacher then asked the kids what they were thankful for. Kaylen said that she's thankful that "I have a Mommy and Daddy, and for love in my heart, and for Jesus and God." And she says it so certain of herself, it's just awesome!

I'm thankful for my family and friends, for my daughter and for the love she has in her heart for Jesus and God. Where would we be without all that?!

NATIONAL ADOPTION DAY 2007 – NOVEMBER 17

The following is from the National Adoption Day website:

ABOUT NATIONAL ADOPTION DAY
National Adoption Day is a collective national effort to raise awareness of the 114,000 children in foster care waiting to find permanent, loving families. For the last eight years, National Adoption Day has made the dreams of thousands of children come true by working with courts, judges, attorneys, adoption professionals, child welfare agencies and advocates to finalize adoptions and find permanent, loving homes for children in foster care.

National Adoption Day is celebrated every year on the Saturday before Thanksgiving. For the first time in 2006, National Adoption Day was celebrated in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. In total, more than 250 events were held throughout the country to finalize the adoptions of more than 3,300 children in foster care, and to celebrate all families who adopt.

To learn more or to find an event in your area, check out the website. If there is an event in your area, I'd encourage you to attend. The courtrooms are off-limits to the general public (except for adoptive families and their invited guests), but there usually is a speaker, adoption workers available to answer questions and talk with families, and of course one of our family member's favorite part - treats!

This day is special to us for this reason:
Kaylen's adoption was final on National Adoption Day, November 18, 2006.

As you can see a bit from the photo above, they made it a lot of fun for all involved. Really there were stuffed animals, beenie babies, and balloons everywhere. Kaylen got to keep a stuffed animal of her choosing. She could have chosen a large stuffed animal, but she found a pretty little angel beenie baby that she fell in love with. They also let my 5 neices and nephews that attended each take a beenie baby. Kaylen pretty much wandered the courtroom - sat on our laps while were giving our "testimony". When it was all over, the judge let us come up behind her bench for more pictures, and let Kaylen pound the gavel.

Most of our photos turned out blurry or dark - probably because our automatic-focus cameras focused in on stuffed animals instead of the intended targets, but that's OK. We did get a beautiful professional photo that day for free that we have hanging in our living room.

After we were finished having our snacks at the courthouse, we went back to our house, and finished preparing for our party. We had invited lots of family and friends to come celebrate with salads, appetizers, cake and punch. Our house was packed, as it gets a little chilly in these parts this time of year, but we had so much fun, and were so glad so many came to celebrate with us.

I can't believe it's already been a year. Where has the time gone?! It's been a wonderful year. We love you Kaylen, and always will. You're our little princess forever!

Can You Hear...?

**Turn off my playlist first (in left margin) to listen to this beautiful song.

Can you hear the prayer of the children?
On bended knee, in the shadow of an unknown room
Empty eyes with no more tears to cry
Turning heavenward toward the light

Crying Jesus, help me
To see the morning light-of one more day
But if I should die before I wake,
I pray my soul to take

Can you feel the hearts of the children?
Aching for home, for something of their very own
Reaching hands, with nothing to hold on to,
But hope for a better day a better day

Crying Jesus, help me
To feel the love again in my own land
But if unknown roads lead away from home,
Give me loving arms, away from harm

Can you hear the voice of the children?
Softly pleading for silence in a shattered world?
Angry guns preach a gospel full of hate,
Blood of the innocent on their hands

Crying Jesus, help me
To feel the sun again upon my face,
For when darkness clears I know you're near,
Bringing peace again

Dali cujete sve djecje molitive?
(Croatian translation:
'Can you hear all the children's prayers?')
Can you hear the prayer of the children?.

Encouragement

Thanks, Kayla for posting this today! It's just what I needed after a very long stressful couple of weeks. It's from Hebrews 10, and is also applicable to most everyone - whatever challenge you are going through...

"So do not throw away your confidence, because it has great reward. For you need endurance in order to do God's will and so receive what is promised."

Don't pass over it quickly or lightly…even if you heard it years ago. Absorb what it's saying. God has made us certain promises that we will only see fulfilled on the other side of a demanding climb. We're going to have to sweat this one out and feel the burn in our limbs but the reward is going to be "great." There is something God wants to give you, Beloved, but He's purposely requiring tremendous perseverance from you in order for you to have what it takes to receive it rightly. Humbly. You will need ENDURANCE to do His will in this particular situation. It will not come easy because it's too good to come cheap.

In order to try to stop you, Satan is attacking your confidence. Making you feel stupid. Ill-equipped. Or just plain ill. DO NOT THROW AWAY YOUR CONFIDENCE. Without Christ you can do nothing but, with Him, you are capable of things you've never dreamed. All surpassing power abides in your jar of clay. Do not shrink back. The God of the Universe looked the world over and found you.

Creative ways...

... to keep from getting really annoyed at having hair in her eyes. Daddy convinced her to want to grow out her bangs. So, Saturday I braided the back half, leaving a bit of the others, since they curled up a bit. They stayed in really well until her shower tonight. I didn't think to take pictures until I took it out - we all laughed so hard at her "wrinkled hair":











And, Today's new 'do:

Halloween Pictures - Take 2

I just realized I didn't post any pictures of Kaylen in her costume! (It's been a long week.) Here's our ballerina princess - and make sure if you talk to her about it you don't leave off either word - she'll be sure to correct you! :)

Halloween Pictures

Finally getting around to posting some pictures... Cleaning out pumpkin guts is kinda disgusting:









But the result is some pretty neat pumpkins:

Our IBESR Numbers

I found out our IBESR Numbers. They are 15780 and 15781.