More pictures yet!

I got a couple more pictures of Elijah from Kathy, and a couple more pictures of Josephine from Jennifer. Thanks Kathy & Jennifer!!! Also, Kathy thanks for the tidbit about Elijah's personality - she said he's very content to be held and just look around - doesn't have to be entertained all the time. These pictures of Josephine must have been taken shortly after her August update photo that I posted last week. She's so drooly too - must have been from when she was smiling earlier. :)






By the way... I was so excited to learn today that Jennifer and her husband Bryan live very close to us! They are adopting Rose-Angel Oreus and Abraham Kadensky from the same orphanage. We're planning to get together some weekend in September to get to know each other. We are at nearly the same point in the adoption process - they should be entering IBESR soon, and we're waiting for that step as well - and our children are fairly close in ages as well. Anyway...

That's all for now - must get to sleep. I think I've either caught a cold or my allergies are really wack-o this week. I think it's the former, because when I told Jock that today I've had a sinus headache/pressure most of the day, he said, "Oh no! You caught what I had!" I didn't know he really "had" anything, but I do vaguely recall him being stuffed up a bit on Sunday. Oh well. Sudafed is my friend, and it'll be better soon, let's hope!

Happy Birthday Jock!!!

Wanted to take some time out to wish my wonderful husband a Happy Birthday. I'm so thankful for him. He's the best partner I could ever hope for. He's such a great dad to Kaylen, and I know he'll be an awesome dad to Elijah & Josephine as well.

Thanks Jock for all that you do. You make me a better mom and a better person. I don't know where I'd be without you! I love you!!!

xoxo,
Lisa

More pictures

We got some more pictures of our babies - Thank you Kathy, Rick & family!!! Well, we have seen the blank stares and the half-smiles. Now the crying. Notice Josephine's crocodile tear. I just wanna go right down there and scoop them up and hold them forever!


And a couple more pictures - Elijah with Rick & Kathy's daughter Jasmine, Rick holding Josephine up next to Elijah, and I'm guessing one of the nannies holding Elijah:

Hurricane Dean

We've been watching the new these last few days and praying for safety for those in the path of Hurricane Dean. It initially appeared haiti was right in the projected path. The orphanage where Elijah & Josephine are is in Port au Prince, which is in the central portion of the country, on the Eastern coast, between the two peninsulas. Tonight we have heard that they had some rain and it was cloudy and breezy but they specified that it was not really even windy. I'm so thankful that everything's OK. But continuing to pray for those that remain in the path of this dangerous hurricane, and those suffering from it's effects.

Pictures of Elijah

Here are a few new pictures of Elijah. Thanks Courtney & Cate!!! I'm so glad to see him with a bit of a smile in one of the pictures - that a first for us. Josephine smiled for us a bit on the last picture I posted of her as well. I haven't seen any pictures of her from the missionaries (unless I missed here - there were so many pictures to sift through tonight), although one of them did mention that the many of the babies were sleeping when they were there doing the pictures and videos. Just a fact of life for little ones - they sure sleep a lot!

Video of Elijah

We got a new video and a few new pictures over the weekend, from missionaries who recently returned from the orphanage. I think the groups were mostly made up of other adopting parents. We hope to go with one of these groups in the future, even before our adoption is complete and we are ready to bring Elijah & Josephine home. I'm so thankful to them for sharing these with us, and hope to be as much of a blessing to other adoptive parents as they've been to us.

Click this link to view the video. Thanks Courtney!!!

Cool story - we first watched this video at my sister's house Saturday evening. Jock asked what that toy was that he was playing with. Amy held up one of Kenny's toys that she'd just picked up off the floor - it was different colors, but the same toy - his also had rings attached to it. :)

August Photos!!!

We've been waiting anxiously for them, and now they're here. Here are the August update photos of Elijah & Josephine!

Kaylen's Joke

Apparently at daycare today, all the kids were sharing jokes back and forth. Kaylen told me the one she told:

"Why did the pig climb the tree? ... Because the baby yelled at the horse."

What? Doesn't make sense? Me neither. Oh well - that's what you get with preschoolers telling jokes. I'm sure the teachers were just as confused as me. And they probably had to hear lots of them! :)

Discrimination

Interesting. Jock had a diversity training today, and he showed me the video they watched as part of the training. Actually he's on his company's diversity council, so he had seen it before when the council did training for their small group last year. He told me about it then, and I'd heard of it, having grown up fairly close to where it occurred.

A third grade teacher in Riceville, Iowa did an experiment with her class, dividing them into two groups - blue-eyed vs brown-eyed, and one group discriminated against the other, then switched it around the next day. Then years later a similar experiment was done with adults. It was scary how easily even the adults discriminated against their peers. I'd like to say that I wouldn't behave the same way if put in the same situation - where discrimination was rampant and even encouraged/taught - but I don't know. I think having seen this program now I'll be more aware at least!

Check it out here - you can see the whole program, which was featured on PBS Frontline back in the 80's, but it's apparently still widely viewed.

New Photos

I'm anxiously awaiting new pictures of Elijah & Josephine. The orphanage & facilitator staff sends out updates and pictures of the children to their adoptive families each month. This will be our first official monthly update.

While we're waiting, here are some other recent pictures we took...

The three of us with Elijah's birthday cake.

And Kaylen enjoying licking the beater from the same cake.

Caden (in high chair), Amy, Shauna, Grace, Kallie, Kelsey, Jock & Kaylen.

Caden: "Hmmmm... I wonder how long it would take a 2-year-old cowboy to mow this huge lawn with Grandpa's lawn tractor?! Sure wish Aunt Lisa would stop taking my picture so I can turn that key without anybody seeing me!" (Grandpa took the key away soon after this picture was taken, though.)

Kenny likes to listen to Grandpa sing. Puts him right to sleep!

Kaylen loves to run through the sprinkler on a hot summer day!