Elijah & Josephine were awesome on the trip! We had such a great time with them.
Elijah is still fun and playful and busy and silly and cute. Josephine is still quiet and cuddly and sweet and cute.
Elijah was brought out to us on the orphanage porch first. He was fine with both of us right away - maybe like he remembered us, but that could just be wishful thinking. He hadn't seen me since July, and not Jock for a year. Maybe he's just beyond his fear of strangers. The minute we tickled his big tummy we got his cute little smiles out of him.
He is now in the Toddler room, and I think he's enjoying it. He's reserved around other kids, and likes to stand back and observe what they're doing. There are some very fun little girls in his class, and also some kids that are older than him, so I can understand why. That's just his personality though - just kind of goes with the flow.
Josephine was very reserved. They brought her out to us soon after I'd handed Elijah to Jock. She was very cuddly at first, so I just held her, but then she started quietly crying - it was like she was just very sad. So, I stood up and talked to her a bit and she calmed down. When we started eating lunch, though, she couldn't take it anymore. So when Jock was finished with his lunch I passed her off. That was a bad idea - she screamed - more a scared scream this time. He couldn't calm her down so handed her back to one of the nannies hold her for a bit, and then when I was finished eating she handed her back to me, and she was then OK
She was fine with me after that, although it took a day or so for us to see smiles. We didn't think we'd be able to show you any though, as she'd only smile for me, then she'd immediately turn towards Jock and her face would return to a blank stare. Same for the camera until the last couple days, when we did get some nice smiles on pictures and videos. She did let Jock hold her a few times - mostly when there was food involved. Otherwise she only wanted me.
Elijah was happy most of the time when we were playing or eating or just sitting around. One day at the hotel someone had left out Uno cards, and he had a fun time playing with those - looking at them, putting them in the tin box, dumping them out, and trying again. Josephine also played with them a bit, but I had to watch closely, as she kept trying to eat them.
I was very happy when Josephine started smiling, and would let me get a look at her teeth. She's got 15 in there so far, and it looked like the 16th was ready to come out soon. They're a little jagged, but look clean, same as Elijah's. I think the nannies are good about brushing the kids' teeth, which I've heard from other families who've brought their kids home and they seemed to know all about that. I didn't count Elijah's teeth though, for some reason.
E & J both liked the bubbles I'd brought to play with them. Josephine had big smiles when I got them out - but Elijah then got busy with the cards at that time. He really had fun with them back in July though.
The hotel has a few dogs and cats that wander around, and the orphanage has a couple dogs too. Elijah just watched them when they'd go past, which is an improvement from last July when he was a little scared of them. I think Josephine liked them, as she would yell at them at bat her hand towards them - so funny!
Elijah and Josephine both got in the pool. I think they were scared of it for about two seconds. Then E just kind of sat in his floatie and watched what was going on around him. I taught them how to splash, and Josephine really got into it. I loved her smile and her sticking her tongue out when I'd lift her up and then splash her back down into the water. Elijah liked it too but would just smile.
Both E & J are good eaters. They wouldn't take a bottle, or maybe they just aren't used to formula/cereal anymore. I'm kind of bummed about that, as bottle-feeding is a great attaching thing, but I can do that with cups/water too. Elijah did drink milk at the orphanage, and I'm certain they do that for both groups - I just saw it for him. They both liked the baby food bananas and the fruit bars I'd brought, they ate the toast, french toast, and eggs at breakfast. They also ate pasta, french fries, fried plantains (if they weren't too crunchy), mashed potatoes. They didn't care for the hotel beans & rice, but they were different than the orphanage's, so understandable. One day we had lunch at the hotel and they shared a hotdog. They both enjoyed that - I cut it up into small pieces and they each had part of the bun. So, we didn't branch out a whole lot, but they were good eaters.
Josephine is walking now, although still wobbly on those long skinny legs. I think she's going to be tall! We measured them the last day, and she was about 32 inches and Elijah was about 34. She's grown so much, it was less noticeable with him. He's still pretty chubby, she's skinny. The 24 months clothing & 2T clothing fit her well for length but ballooned her. He fit well in the mix of 2T-3T clothes - depending on how big his belly was on a given day. One night he must have eaten a lot, because his belly was enormous! It went down some overnight though - wierd! Both seem healthy though, despite her possible pink-eye and his patches of scalp ringworm, which we put anti-fungal on a couple times a day. That's pretty common in the orphanage, as it's very contagious, and takes a while to treat. We just did what we could while we were there.
With a busy day planned at the orphanage on Tuesday, we left E & J in their rooms, and they didn't like it one bit - both cried at first, then calmed down, then cried again if they saw us walk past - especially Josephine was this way. It was nice to feel wanted and loved, but also sad that I know they were getting attached and we may not see them again for a long time. At this point, we're thinking that we may not travel again until it's time for them to come home, but we said that after the last trip too, so we'll see...
I just pray every day for this adoption process to speed along, or for me to be able to accept it if a longer wait is what God's perfect plan is for us. Like someone said earlier - every day is one day closer to having them home. I am holding dear this knowledge and thanking God for this every morning as I thank Him for the day.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Haiti Mission Trip, Mar09 - More Photos of E & J
Jock gave them both suckers to try - they really liked them - until they'd bite off the stick just below the candy and we had to dig the rest out of their mouths.
Josephine with Jock - a rare sighting (which is also why there aren't many pix of me with Elijah):
No, he is not blinking - this is Elijah sound asleep on the patio bench. This is something he has in common with me and his big sister - he sleeps with his eyes partially open! At first when we laid him down, we could only see a tiny bit of the whites, then it looked like he was watching us...
Josephine with Jock - a rare sighting (which is also why there aren't many pix of me with Elijah):
No, he is not blinking - this is Elijah sound asleep on the patio bench. This is something he has in common with me and his big sister - he sleeps with his eyes partially open! At first when we laid him down, we could only see a tiny bit of the whites, then it looked like he was watching us...
Haiti Mission Trip, Mar09 - Precious Videos
A few videos of our kids. I just love watching them play, hearing their voices and seeing them smile & laugh! (To listen, you'll need to turn up your volume, and turn off my playlist at left.)
Elijah & Josephine playing at the hotel:
Daddy pretending to be hungry ("grangou"), and eat ("manje") Elijah's arm - Elijah's awesome laugh:
Josephine playing the last morning of our trip, after breakfast:
Elijah & Josephine playing at the hotel:
Daddy pretending to be hungry ("grangou"), and eat ("manje") Elijah's arm - Elijah's awesome laugh:
Josephine playing the last morning of our trip, after breakfast:
Haiti Mission Trip, Mar09 - A Few Photo Teasers
A few of my favorites:
More tonight of pictures, videos, and info about our kids...
More tonight of pictures, videos, and info about our kids...
Friday, March 20, 2009
Haiti Mission Trip, Mar09 - What We Did & When
We left home last Thursday, and arrived in Haiti on Friday just after noon. We dropped things at the hotel and then went to the orphanage. We were greeted with many of the older kids singing and playing their recorders for us as we got out of the van. Then a yummy lunch, an orphanage tour, an assessment of the desired work projects, and the remainder of the afternoon playing with the kids before heading back to the hotel for devotions and dinner.
Saturday we headed to the orphanage to start the work projects. A couple of men went to Ecko Depot (Haiti's version of a Home Depot) for supplies for one project, while some of us women got to work folding and sorting clothing in one of the storage rooms. We stopped around lunchtime, having made some good progress, and awaiting more direction from Clenide. We had some others join in to help in the afternoon on that project, so I helped sort out the school supplies. There were tons of crayons, pencils & markers, but they definitely needed organizing - I'm not sure you could have found much of anything in those tubs. I heard later that Jen & Eveline had the fun task of washing out that closet with bleach-water. It had apparently been home to some termites. (Christina - Jock did mention how impressed he was with Eveline's work ethic and willingness to help out with this yucky task!)
Sunday we headed to the orphanage for church with the older children. One of the moms on the trip did a children's message, with Steven translating for the kids. It was very neat to watch most of the children listening so intently - even the younger ones. The message was about how God is our king, so we are all princesses and princes of God's kingdom. They passed out pink feather boas to the girls, and then all the kids got to decorate a crown to keep. After church, Jock passed out oreos as the chidren went back downstairs. That was definitely a highlight of Jock's passing out oreos and also dum-dum lollipops to the children throughout the time we were there.
Sunday after church, the cooks at the orphanage had prepared for us a very special meal: fried chicken legs, rice/sauce, piclis (kind of like cole slaw but spicy), fried plantains and plantain chips, lettuce/tomatoes and juice. It was so good! I could only eat a bit of the piclis (too spicy!), but Jock loved it! We found a recipe he wants to try.
After lunch, we went back to the orphanage. Some in our group took a trip out into the country to visit a possible location for building a new orphanage and mission, that would provide them extra space, no rent as it would be purchased, and some measure of sustainability. We and a few others opted out of the trip, to spend the time at the orphanage with our children. We had a nice, fun, relaxing afternoon. It was a gorgeous day, like all while we were there (around 90 during the day & humid, with a good rain at night), and we got E & J in the pool for a bit too!
Monday, Jock headed back to the orphanage to continue working on the remodel project in the preschool room/toddler lunchroom. Half will remain the preschool room/toddler lunchroom, while the other half we understood would become the new infirmary and/or room for new little ones entering the orphanage to keep them separate from the current kids until they know they're healthy. I stayed back at the orphanage with the kiddos, and had a very nice day with them and a few others that stayed back. We just played, swam for a bit, had lunch, and then they took naps outside under the shady patio area, while I visited with Anne.
Tuesday was our last full day there. We went to the orphanage in the morning, and took the kids to their respective rooms. They didn't like it, but we had work to get done. Jock continued working on framing in the room divider, and had fun with Elijah peeking through the door between where he was working and the toddler room. He'd come through, holler, "Papa!", and then they'd meet eyes and smile. It was apparently a fun little game for them, and good because Elijah was not too happy to be in his room if he saw me walk past. :(
I assisted Jodie with the monthly update photos of the kids. That was a lot of fun, but I have a new respect for the monthly photos we receive. It's really quite the effort, getting 130 kids' photos in one day, and trying to get one where they're smiling. Some of the babies were very scared of us, and also scared to be taken from their environment. We did about 1/2 of the babies, then moved on to many of the older kids. We then went back to the babies in Baby Room 1, and then I made the mistake of walking into Baby Room 2. That was the end of my work - Josephine took one look at me and started crying. I left the room, and they calmed her down, I found Anne to help Jodie with the rest in that room, but then she escaped to find me. Then Anne & Jodie finished the toddlers pix, and I headed back to the hotel with Josephine on the first van load, since I was no longer helpful.
It was a hot day, so Josephine and I had a nice dip in the pool, before I had a nice hot shower. Josephine still was in her wet swim diaper and suit in the bathroom with me while I was showering, and then I realized that she was standing in a puddle of pee. I'd figured I'd just leave her in her suit she'd done that most of the day Sunday and not had problems! Duh! Of course - it's already saturated! Oh well, so I got her cleaned up, much to her dismay, as she was very afraid of the shower. About the time we were ready, Jock got back to the hotel with Elijah, so I got him dressed for dinner while Jock had a quick dip in the pool after a busy hot day.
Tuesday evening at dinner, the kids were very squirmy and testy - a sign that they were getting comfortable with us. Although they are generally tired at night anyway, and it was a long dinner, as people shared their experiences of the trip.
Wednesday morning, we had breakfast, took a group picture, and then loaded the van up for the trip back to the O. We decided to not go back to the O that morning, but to send ours back with a few others that wanted to go. It was hard enough that way, but I think that was better than the last time, leaving them in their rooms at the O.
I got a report from Carrie that neither E nor J were crying on the way back to the O, and were happy when back in their rooms. She also said that Josephine was then brought to the Pharmacie where they were treating her eye with eye drops. I think she had pink-eye, but the day prior when I brought it to the attention of the nurse, she just rubbed some salve at the corner of her eyelid. She didn't understand English or my hand gestures. I'm glad it's being treated now, and was very happy to hear Carrie's report from that last morning. It put my Momma's heart at ease, however difficult that morning was to watch them go back to their home, and me back to mine.
We made it home late Wednesday night, on flights that were all on time! It was a long, hard day, but we were glad to be back at home, in our own beds, and see Kaylen the next morning!
More on the kids & some pix later (hopefully some tomorrow). Lots to process yet...
Saturday we headed to the orphanage to start the work projects. A couple of men went to Ecko Depot (Haiti's version of a Home Depot) for supplies for one project, while some of us women got to work folding and sorting clothing in one of the storage rooms. We stopped around lunchtime, having made some good progress, and awaiting more direction from Clenide. We had some others join in to help in the afternoon on that project, so I helped sort out the school supplies. There were tons of crayons, pencils & markers, but they definitely needed organizing - I'm not sure you could have found much of anything in those tubs. I heard later that Jen & Eveline had the fun task of washing out that closet with bleach-water. It had apparently been home to some termites. (Christina - Jock did mention how impressed he was with Eveline's work ethic and willingness to help out with this yucky task!)
Sunday we headed to the orphanage for church with the older children. One of the moms on the trip did a children's message, with Steven translating for the kids. It was very neat to watch most of the children listening so intently - even the younger ones. The message was about how God is our king, so we are all princesses and princes of God's kingdom. They passed out pink feather boas to the girls, and then all the kids got to decorate a crown to keep. After church, Jock passed out oreos as the chidren went back downstairs. That was definitely a highlight of Jock's passing out oreos and also dum-dum lollipops to the children throughout the time we were there.
Sunday after church, the cooks at the orphanage had prepared for us a very special meal: fried chicken legs, rice/sauce, piclis (kind of like cole slaw but spicy), fried plantains and plantain chips, lettuce/tomatoes and juice. It was so good! I could only eat a bit of the piclis (too spicy!), but Jock loved it! We found a recipe he wants to try.
After lunch, we went back to the orphanage. Some in our group took a trip out into the country to visit a possible location for building a new orphanage and mission, that would provide them extra space, no rent as it would be purchased, and some measure of sustainability. We and a few others opted out of the trip, to spend the time at the orphanage with our children. We had a nice, fun, relaxing afternoon. It was a gorgeous day, like all while we were there (around 90 during the day & humid, with a good rain at night), and we got E & J in the pool for a bit too!
Monday, Jock headed back to the orphanage to continue working on the remodel project in the preschool room/toddler lunchroom. Half will remain the preschool room/toddler lunchroom, while the other half we understood would become the new infirmary and/or room for new little ones entering the orphanage to keep them separate from the current kids until they know they're healthy. I stayed back at the orphanage with the kiddos, and had a very nice day with them and a few others that stayed back. We just played, swam for a bit, had lunch, and then they took naps outside under the shady patio area, while I visited with Anne.
Tuesday was our last full day there. We went to the orphanage in the morning, and took the kids to their respective rooms. They didn't like it, but we had work to get done. Jock continued working on framing in the room divider, and had fun with Elijah peeking through the door between where he was working and the toddler room. He'd come through, holler, "Papa!", and then they'd meet eyes and smile. It was apparently a fun little game for them, and good because Elijah was not too happy to be in his room if he saw me walk past. :(
I assisted Jodie with the monthly update photos of the kids. That was a lot of fun, but I have a new respect for the monthly photos we receive. It's really quite the effort, getting 130 kids' photos in one day, and trying to get one where they're smiling. Some of the babies were very scared of us, and also scared to be taken from their environment. We did about 1/2 of the babies, then moved on to many of the older kids. We then went back to the babies in Baby Room 1, and then I made the mistake of walking into Baby Room 2. That was the end of my work - Josephine took one look at me and started crying. I left the room, and they calmed her down, I found Anne to help Jodie with the rest in that room, but then she escaped to find me. Then Anne & Jodie finished the toddlers pix, and I headed back to the hotel with Josephine on the first van load, since I was no longer helpful.
It was a hot day, so Josephine and I had a nice dip in the pool, before I had a nice hot shower. Josephine still was in her wet swim diaper and suit in the bathroom with me while I was showering, and then I realized that she was standing in a puddle of pee. I'd figured I'd just leave her in her suit she'd done that most of the day Sunday and not had problems! Duh! Of course - it's already saturated! Oh well, so I got her cleaned up, much to her dismay, as she was very afraid of the shower. About the time we were ready, Jock got back to the hotel with Elijah, so I got him dressed for dinner while Jock had a quick dip in the pool after a busy hot day.
Tuesday evening at dinner, the kids were very squirmy and testy - a sign that they were getting comfortable with us. Although they are generally tired at night anyway, and it was a long dinner, as people shared their experiences of the trip.
Wednesday morning, we had breakfast, took a group picture, and then loaded the van up for the trip back to the O. We decided to not go back to the O that morning, but to send ours back with a few others that wanted to go. It was hard enough that way, but I think that was better than the last time, leaving them in their rooms at the O.
I got a report from Carrie that neither E nor J were crying on the way back to the O, and were happy when back in their rooms. She also said that Josephine was then brought to the Pharmacie where they were treating her eye with eye drops. I think she had pink-eye, but the day prior when I brought it to the attention of the nurse, she just rubbed some salve at the corner of her eyelid. She didn't understand English or my hand gestures. I'm glad it's being treated now, and was very happy to hear Carrie's report from that last morning. It put my Momma's heart at ease, however difficult that morning was to watch them go back to their home, and me back to mine.
We made it home late Wednesday night, on flights that were all on time! It was a long, hard day, but we were glad to be back at home, in our own beds, and see Kaylen the next morning!
More on the kids & some pix later (hopefully some tomorrow). Lots to process yet...
Back from Haiti
We are back from Haiti and attempting to reintigrate back into society and real life here in Iowa. It's hard every trip! I've got pictures downloaded, but not yet sorted through. I've got lots of thoughts I'll be trying to put into words about the trip. For now, we're enjoying the remainder of spring break with our daughter, and trying to catch up on a few things at home, including sleep, groceries, tax forms, and much more. Will post words and photos when I have time - hopefully I'll get to some of that this weekend.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
TONS of Photos!
OK - I had to go back a long while to find where I'd left off with pictures. I posted a bunch from Kaylen's birthday in January, and Elijah & Josephine's January update photos, but before that... I didn't even post any pictures from Christmas! What's up with me?!?
Well, here are some photos for your fix:
Christmas 2008:
Good friends came to visit for New Year's Eve:
Other random stuff from the last few months:
I saw this truck on my way to work one day - and have seen it a couple more times since then - awesome witness! (In case you can't read it, the smaller words say, "Not a swear word".)
My favorite picture of Karen & Buddy chewing on her sweater. :)
Look closely at that score. The top one is mine, and the "record" score belongs to Jock. Could he do this in a real bowling alley - absolutely not - this was done from his recliner. ;)
Jock & Kaylen's snowball fight.
Jock's mom's send-off for her 2-week Hawaiian vacation. I heard she had a grand time while she was there.
My nieces being goofy.
And, even when Karen has a weekend "off", we always seem to put her to work. She's very handy to have in the family. Not only did she cut & color Amy's hair (in the picture), she also cut Shauna's, Jock's & my hair. Love you, Karen!
Well, here are some photos for your fix:
Christmas 2008:
Good friends came to visit for New Year's Eve:
Other random stuff from the last few months:
I saw this truck on my way to work one day - and have seen it a couple more times since then - awesome witness! (In case you can't read it, the smaller words say, "Not a swear word".)
My favorite picture of Karen & Buddy chewing on her sweater. :)
Look closely at that score. The top one is mine, and the "record" score belongs to Jock. Could he do this in a real bowling alley - absolutely not - this was done from his recliner. ;)
Jock & Kaylen's snowball fight.
Jock's mom's send-off for her 2-week Hawaiian vacation. I heard she had a grand time while she was there.
My nieces being goofy.
And, even when Karen has a weekend "off", we always seem to put her to work. She's very handy to have in the family. Not only did she cut & color Amy's hair (in the picture), she also cut Shauna's, Jock's & my hair. Love you, Karen!
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Elijah & Josephine Feb09 Photos
I can't wait to see these beautiful faces, and see their happy smiles again!
Elijah ~ 30 months
Josephine ~ 21 months
"You woke me up for this?!?"
With any luck, we'll have some beautiful smiling faces to show you by month's end. :)
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Encouraging Verses
Back in January, a fellow adoptive mom (who brought her son home from Haiti this past week - congrats Mary and Josh!!!), shared a challenge that her pastor gave their congregation - to read all 4 gospels between then and Easter - one chapter per day. What a blessing this has been for me!
The waiting for the adoption process has been hard, but this challenge has kept me encouraged by the Word. Some of my favorites so far are referenced below. Look them up and read the context. There are many situations in everyone's life that these apply to:
Mark 9:22-24, 29: "But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us." ... " 'If you can'?" said jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes." ... "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief." ... "This kind can come out only by prayer."
Mark 10:27: "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God."
Mark 11:22-24: "Have faith in God," Jesus answered. "I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours."
Luke 5:12b-13a: "Lord, if you are willing, you can _____." Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said.
The waiting for the adoption process has been hard, but this challenge has kept me encouraged by the Word. Some of my favorites so far are referenced below. Look them up and read the context. There are many situations in everyone's life that these apply to:
Mark 9:22-24, 29: "But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us." ... " 'If you can'?" said jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes." ... "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief." ... "This kind can come out only by prayer."
Mark 10:27: "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God."
Mark 11:22-24: "Have faith in God," Jesus answered. "I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours."
Luke 5:12b-13a: "Lord, if you are willing, you can _____." Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said.
Friday, March 6, 2009
Haiti Trip, March 2009
We're heading to Haiti again this month. I can't wait! Please pray for smooth travels, for our safety, that we can be a blessing to the orphanage children, families & staff while we're there, and that, Lord willing, we'll hear some good news about our adoption process while we're there.
I took the afternoon off work today, and got a LOT done! It was a lot, and was a good start to my packing. I've got more donations to pack, our clothes that need to be laundered and sprayed with bug deterrent before packing, always those last-minute items. No, they won't all fit in that one suitcase - we'll have our carry-ons too.
I've got my packing list ready, a list started of what I still need to get, and a list of things that have to go in the last day before we leave. I'll probably also end up with a list of things to do for Kaylen & home stuff before we go. I think I inherited the list-making organizational tactic from my mom. She was a pro!
I took the afternoon off work today, and got a LOT done! It was a lot, and was a good start to my packing. I've got more donations to pack, our clothes that need to be laundered and sprayed with bug deterrent before packing, always those last-minute items. No, they won't all fit in that one suitcase - we'll have our carry-ons too.I've got my packing list ready, a list started of what I still need to get, and a list of things that have to go in the last day before we leave. I'll probably also end up with a list of things to do for Kaylen & home stuff before we go. I think I inherited the list-making organizational tactic from my mom. She was a pro!
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Catching Up, A Hodgepodge of Updates
Things have been crazy the last bit, so thought I’d just put some things out here for you to read what’s been going on with us:
All three of us here at home have been battling colds and related illnesses that we’ve passed back and forth for a over a month now. At the end of January, Kaylen had a fever for a day, but we never did figure out why. Then the first week in February Kaylen and I both caught a cold with the lingering cough. Then when we were about over it, Jock caught the cold, which for him ended with a round of antibiotics (as usual, because the other meds he takes reduce his immunity to stuff). Then Kaylen got strep throat. Then my cold came back – mostly just a lost voice (no sore throat), then I may have had a minor sinus infection. Now I think we’re all finally on the mend!
Kaylen had her yearly medical check-up today – and all was healthy for her. I thought it was going to be quick and easy, no shots. Then they reminded me that she needed a booster for one of the 5 or 6 she got last year. Then I remembered that the state is now requiring all public school students to have record of a lead level test. Apparently the state of Iowa generally does them with children between 9-12 months of age, but we don’t have records for Kaylen back that far. So, she got one shot, and one finger prick. It was very traumatic – although she did better than last year. She cried for a bit, but I was able to distract her after a minute. Last year, she cried loud for at least 5 minutes, maybe longer. After it was all over, Kaylen said that maybe when she’s 9 she won’t cry at all. I asked her what about when she’s 7 or even 6-1/2, but no luck on those – and she backtracked to 10.
I had an awesome couple days last weekend with my sisters. They came to shop for clothes to wear to my younger sister’s wedding coming up in May. The younger girls in our family have jobs in the wedding, so they all got dresses that coordinate with the bridesmaids dresses. And my older sister and I will also now be well-dressed, as the big-sister/personal attendants to the bride. We also did some planning for a bridal shower, and enjoyed each others’ company.
Thank you to many of you for praying & fasting with us a few weeks ago. It was a good day for me. I was able to at least gain a peace in knowing that God has our adoption in his hands, and left my burdens with him. Of course, this takes a lot of practice, because I keep taking them back and then leaving them and then taking them back and then leaving them… It’s a tough journey. Ultimately I know His purpose will prevail, and that’s the important thing. There’s a verse in the Bible I read not long ago: "I do believe, help me overcome my unbelief" (Mark 9:24). That verse really hit me that day. I go back and forth so often.
Concerning our adoption, there still has been no changes. We received an update this week - or rather lack there-of. Our files remain in the office they’ve been in since the end of July, and there is no update on Elijah’s or Josephine’s birth parent interviews. We continue to pray for our files to move more swiftly through the process, as well as many others that are in process, those working on the adoption files, and all the children and orphanage staff.
We will be leaving soon for Haiti, so expect the blog drought to continue. Please pray that all goes well on this trip. I can’t wait to see our children again. I, of course, have been somewhat stressed with the amount of things I have to get done between now and then, but am happy with the progress I’m making. I’ve got this weekend to finalize things, including the packing that I have yet to do.
I was, however, disappointed with a large grocery store chain in our state, from which I’d requested donations to take to the orphanage. I’d been told by the store manager & the person that coordinates donations, that they have meetings each Monday and part of those meetings are to go over requests for donations. I worked quickly to get the form filled out, and get a letter from FHG’s director stating what the donations would be used for. I was hopeful that I had put together a good request. I heard nothing. I followed up about a week after I sent it in, and still have heard nothing. Not even a standard response stating that they’ve declined. So, not very happy with that. Ugh! Well, I’ve got a few other options, but my time is extremely limited at this point.
I’ll try to post some recent pictures of various things sometime soon. I have to clear off the camera memory card before we go on the trip. :)
All three of us here at home have been battling colds and related illnesses that we’ve passed back and forth for a over a month now. At the end of January, Kaylen had a fever for a day, but we never did figure out why. Then the first week in February Kaylen and I both caught a cold with the lingering cough. Then when we were about over it, Jock caught the cold, which for him ended with a round of antibiotics (as usual, because the other meds he takes reduce his immunity to stuff). Then Kaylen got strep throat. Then my cold came back – mostly just a lost voice (no sore throat), then I may have had a minor sinus infection. Now I think we’re all finally on the mend!
Kaylen had her yearly medical check-up today – and all was healthy for her. I thought it was going to be quick and easy, no shots. Then they reminded me that she needed a booster for one of the 5 or 6 she got last year. Then I remembered that the state is now requiring all public school students to have record of a lead level test. Apparently the state of Iowa generally does them with children between 9-12 months of age, but we don’t have records for Kaylen back that far. So, she got one shot, and one finger prick. It was very traumatic – although she did better than last year. She cried for a bit, but I was able to distract her after a minute. Last year, she cried loud for at least 5 minutes, maybe longer. After it was all over, Kaylen said that maybe when she’s 9 she won’t cry at all. I asked her what about when she’s 7 or even 6-1/2, but no luck on those – and she backtracked to 10.
I had an awesome couple days last weekend with my sisters. They came to shop for clothes to wear to my younger sister’s wedding coming up in May. The younger girls in our family have jobs in the wedding, so they all got dresses that coordinate with the bridesmaids dresses. And my older sister and I will also now be well-dressed, as the big-sister/personal attendants to the bride. We also did some planning for a bridal shower, and enjoyed each others’ company.
Thank you to many of you for praying & fasting with us a few weeks ago. It was a good day for me. I was able to at least gain a peace in knowing that God has our adoption in his hands, and left my burdens with him. Of course, this takes a lot of practice, because I keep taking them back and then leaving them and then taking them back and then leaving them… It’s a tough journey. Ultimately I know His purpose will prevail, and that’s the important thing. There’s a verse in the Bible I read not long ago: "I do believe, help me overcome my unbelief" (Mark 9:24). That verse really hit me that day. I go back and forth so often.
Concerning our adoption, there still has been no changes. We received an update this week - or rather lack there-of. Our files remain in the office they’ve been in since the end of July, and there is no update on Elijah’s or Josephine’s birth parent interviews. We continue to pray for our files to move more swiftly through the process, as well as many others that are in process, those working on the adoption files, and all the children and orphanage staff.
We will be leaving soon for Haiti, so expect the blog drought to continue. Please pray that all goes well on this trip. I can’t wait to see our children again. I, of course, have been somewhat stressed with the amount of things I have to get done between now and then, but am happy with the progress I’m making. I’ve got this weekend to finalize things, including the packing that I have yet to do.
I was, however, disappointed with a large grocery store chain in our state, from which I’d requested donations to take to the orphanage. I’d been told by the store manager & the person that coordinates donations, that they have meetings each Monday and part of those meetings are to go over requests for donations. I worked quickly to get the form filled out, and get a letter from FHG’s director stating what the donations would be used for. I was hopeful that I had put together a good request. I heard nothing. I followed up about a week after I sent it in, and still have heard nothing. Not even a standard response stating that they’ve declined. So, not very happy with that. Ugh! Well, I’ve got a few other options, but my time is extremely limited at this point.
I’ll try to post some recent pictures of various things sometime soon. I have to clear off the camera memory card before we go on the trip. :)
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