Thanksgiving Weekend

Thanksgiving Day, we spent together with just our family. It was an awesome day! We started the morning kind of late, with the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. I missed part of it because I had to make a quick run to the store. Then we watched the National Dog Show while I was fixing dinner. What's your favorite dog? Mine are always the Komodor and the Puli - love that rope-like hair! Last year's Komodor was prettier - this one had shorter dreads, but I did like this year's Puli. Neat to look at, but would never have one though - that'd be a mess to keep clean!

We had left-over Turducken that we'd made for our Bible study group last Thursday. I'd made a casserole of the stuffing, rice, meat, and gravy. We made up a great bean casserole and some jello with fruit in it. I also made Shaylyn's Pumpkin Dessert - it's so easy, and VERY yummy! Before we ate we all went around and shared what we were thankful for. We prayed for E & J in Haiti, gave thanks for the food, and then ate WAY too much! :)

After eating we had to rest for a little while, watch some football, and played a computer game together. Then when we thought we could move again, we went downtown. It was a perfect day for Ice Skating! The outdoor rink was open from 4-9, so we got there just after opening, and there were only about 10 people there - AWESOME!!! By the time we got skates rented, went around the rink once VERY SLOWLY, had the skates sharpened, and then got back on the ice, there were more people there, but not crowded like we'd seen before. It was soooo fun!

Kaylen is such a good skater! She can skate faster than me - although that doesn't take too much effort. It's a little humorous though because she looks like she's jogging. But this girl no longer has fear. She did fall down a lot, but got right back up. She was also VERY good at re-balancing when she was almost going to fall. Crazy! It was a game to her also to stay in front of us. She was so very tired last night though - of course from "jog-skating" all those laps! :)

I'm so bummed that my camera memory card pooped out on me (it said it needed to be re-formatted)! We had some awesome videos and pictures of Kaylen skating. I guess that means we'll have to go again. Would be nice to do anyway, because tonight is downtown's holiday lighting ceremony (it'll be packed tonight!). The ice rink is right along the river, with a great view of the downtown buildings, so it's beautiful to go in December. I'll try to get pictures/videos again if we do go.

We left the ice rink around 6:15, so we'd be home just in time to watch A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, which was on TV at 7. Always a fun way to spend the evening after you're pooped from a long fun day!

Today, Jock had to go to work. Daycare was open, and since we pay by the week, Jock took Kaylen on his way to work. She would otherwise have been extremely bored with a 4-day weekend at home. I just half got up and fixed her hair for her. I then went back to sleep for a while, did some reading (Bible, 3:16 book, and computer-email/blogs/facebook), and spent some time in prayer. I had my breakfast/lunch of a bowl of cereal and a piece of pumpkin dessert around noon.

After lunch, I started cleaning and re-arranging the living room furniture. I worked some on my Christmas playlist - added it to my blog, but then noticed that there were several songs with broken links, so I spent some time finding new versions of my favorites. I put a batch of Chex party mix in the oven and some hot cider in the crockpot, and was about ready to get my shoes on to go pick up Kaylen, when Jock called and said he was on his way home and he'd pick her up. YEAH! I haven't been outside all day. Maybe he'll even bring the mail in for me. :)

Tonight we are going to finish off the left-over turducken casserole, listen to some Christmas music, drink hot cider, and put upour Christmas decorations. Should be fun. Tomorrow will probably be another lazy day, and Sunday we'll be going to church and then celebrating Thanksgiving with Jock's family, and Jock's Dad's birthday. Monday, it's back to work (and school for Kaylen).

Hope you all had a blessed Thanksgiving!

Christmas Season

The Christmas season is upon us... so I've changed over to my Christmas playlist. :)

I wanted to listen to my Christmas favorites while I'm preparing my home for Christmas decorating/baking. :)

What is your favorite Christmas song?

Happy Thanksgiving, 2009!

I wanted to wish all our friends and family a very happy Thanksgiving!

We'll be spending the day/weekend together, reflecting upon what we are thankful for. The Lord has blessed us with so much to be thankful for! I've been reading the book 3:16 The Numbers of Hope by Max Lucado, and it is really making me reflect on the gift he's given us in Christ Jesus. That's my number one, but after Him, the next four that come to mind are these:

1)
2)
3)
4)
In addition to:

• our extended family
  
• our wonderful friends
  
• good health and availability of medical care
  
• gainful employment that affords us many luxuries
  
• a nice warm home
  
• food in the cupboards/refrigerator/on the table

I could go on and on... I pray that you take some time today to reflect upon the many blessings in your life.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Prayer Update

I am humbled and filled with gratitude for the many friends and family that have prayed and continue to pray with us over our adoption process. While my mind is constantly drifting to our children in Haiti, and dreaming of the day we can bring them home, I am blessed by the trust and hope in our Lord. He will will fulfill his purposes and will bring our children home in HIS perfect timing. Until then, I continue to lift E & J, this adoption process, and my worries up to Him. I rest in the knowledge and peace that they are well-cared-for, and are loved by the nannies and staff at the orphange.

I faxed letters to both our US senators and our US Representative in the House. I got an email back from one of our senator's offices within a couple hours. The person that emailed me back is a friend of another family in the area that has adopted from our same orphanage, so it was nice to see her familiar name in my inbox. It's always good to know someone - and we are praying the contacts she makes on our behalf with USCIS are fruitful and help to move along the birth parent interviews and DNA testing.

I'll keep my blog updated as we learn any more details or information. Thank you all SO MUCH for your prayers!

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths. Proverbs 3:5-6.

Nov08 Adoption Update & Prayer Request

We received an update on our adoption process this week. Our dossier is progressing along within MOI, and they are ready to have the "long forms" filled out for our passport applications. I wasn't exactly sure what this meant, but I remember others having this done - checked with a friend who has their children home, and she said they were out of MOI about a month after their long forms were filled out. AWESOME!!!

Usually what this means is, when we're out of MOI, they will print the children's passports (a few weeks), then immigration/visa process (a few weeks to a couple months) - then they can come home. Wow! That really got me thinking about just how much I have to do here at home before they come home. Don't get me wrong, if they called me tomorrow and said to come get them, I would totally do it, and it would work out just fine - granted, a little crazy, but it'd be perfect, and we'd LOVE having them home.

BUT - and that's a big BUT - in order for immigration to go smoothly, we need both children's birth parents to come in for their interviews. Josephine's father is ready to come in, and our processor has requested an appointment but hasn't received it. Since Josephine's birth mother is deceased, it apparently is standard for them to request DNA. It used to be that a USCIS rep would meet the lawyer, child and birth parent at one of a few USCIS-approved labs in Port-au-Prince. Now USCIS requires it to be done at the US Embassy- BUT (another big one) they do not have a process, so they're not doing them yet - they've been at a standstill for DNA for several weeks (maybe longer than a month!). Elijah's birth mother is still missing. We understood she came to the orphanage at one point, about six months ago now, but hasn't been back.

Our processor has also asked us to contact our US senators and representative because of the issues with the DNA testing. Absolutely! If you'd like to contact yours on our behalf, feel free to do so. I'm not 100% sure how to go about this, and I'm nervous and words tend to escape me on the phone, but I'll do it for our kids! I'm glad we're getting to a point when our government is involved, and feel like there's something I can do about this insanity!

Please pray the following with us regarding our adoption process:
*For MOI to continue to go smoothly, and that no errors are found on our documents.
*For Elijah's birth mother to be located, able to come in long enough for her interview, for DNA to not be requested.
*For Josephine's birth father's interview to be scheduled.
*For our US Senators and Representative to be willing and able to advocate for our children in Haiti's USCIS/Embassy office.
*For the USCIS DNA office to be opened up, for them to catch up to the backlog quickly, and for our DNA to be tested and come back quickly with no issues.
*For our hearts and our children's hearts as we prepare for their homecoming.

We are going to fast in prayer for our children on Wednesday. Please join us if you can. We were blessed when we fasted and asked friends to join us in prayer in February - our process has gone fairly smoothly since then, and I've had such a peace about our children coming home in perfect timing since then. We'd like the help of our friends and family to lift our process to the LORD again. “Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.” Matthew 18:19-20.

And I know some of you are asking when - well, it still is unknown. Kaylen asked me this morning, "how many days". I'd love to be able to answer that question - with a number less than 100 - or wouldn't 50 make it an awesome Christmas?!? ...but it's all dependent on the above things. "How long, O LORD, how long?" Psalm 6:3b.

Psalm 4

1 Answer me when I call to you,
O my righteous God.
Give me relief from my distress;
be merciful to me and hear my prayer.

2 How long, O men, will you turn my glory into shame?
How long will you love delusions and seek false gods?

3 Know that the LORD has set apart the godly for himself;
the LORD will hear when I call to him.

4 In your anger do not sin;
when you are on your beds,
search your hearts and be silent.

5 Offer right sacrifices
and trust in the LORD.

6 Many are asking, "Who can show us any good?"
Let the light of your face shine upon us, O LORD.

7 You have filled my heart with greater joy
than when their grain and new wine abound.

8 I will lie down and sleep in peace,
for you alone, O LORD,
make me dwell in safety.

New Pix of E & J, & Process update

We found out last week that we are, indeed, in MOI. Praise God! We'd been waiting nearly 4 months to enter MOI for an unknown reason, but found out earlier this month that it was because of errors on our adoption decree(s). I have asked for an estimated timeline before we get out of MOI. Last I heard (a few monts ago) was that MOI takes 3-6 months. I'm praying it's shorter than that. But I caveat all that with the fact that our children's birth parents interviews have not yet been completed. So even if we get out of MOI and have E & J's Haitian passports printed, if the interviews haven't been completed, they won't be able to get a visa to enter the US. Please pray with us that Josephine's father's interview will be scheduled and completed, and that Elijah's mother will resurface for her interview to be completed successfully.

I was so please today to see some pictures that another adoptive mom took of my two little ones. We adoptive moms all LOVE to see any glimpse of our children, so it means so much when another family traveling is able to walk through and snap as many photos as they can - thank you Mabel!!! Here's our two precious little ones:
Also, there is lots going on at the orphanage this week:
* Several adoptive families have traveled to Haiti last week and this week, to appear before a judge to "prove" that they want to adopt their children. Most of these families will be saying goodbye to their children at the orphanage tonight or tomorrow morning.
* Some families are still being notified of the need to travel, with little to no notice - or still waiting to hear if they will need to travel.
* There is also a medical team at the orphanage this week, doing health assessments on all of the children. I look forward to hearing how the children are doing - they certainly look healthy to me - Josephine's eyes even look clear! Both are growing up WAY TOO FAST!!!
* A family from Ohio will be bringing their twin boys home on Friday!
* And of course many families are still enduring LONG waits and encountering challenges in one step or another.

Please pray with us over these things. Our LORD is stronger and mightier than these mountains standing in the way of our children coming home!

Gotta Love Haiti!

I enjoy reading the blogs of two missionary families who live in Haiti. It gives me a lot of perspective into the ways of life in Haiti. My favorites are the Livesay family and the Mangine family. Tara Livesay recently wrote about names, and Gwenn Mangine wrote today about the language barrier, having just moved to Haiti in the spring. There are many more examples on their blogs, but I just read these two today. Enjoy!

Yucky Head Lice!

Yep, we've been battling head lice. It pains me to even talk about it – I’m itching my head as I type, just thinking about it! With me never having even seen it before, I probably let it go unchecked for a week or so. When we found it, the week after Labor day, it was a huge infestation. I spent a couple hours picking eggs out of her hair, sent her to bed with clean sheets, and then spend the next day attempting to rid it from my house. We continued to change/wash sheets and clothing in hot water, wash hair brushes/combs and pony tail holders in the shampoo and hot water - then spray them, spray down/vacuum the furniture and her backpack, etc.

I thought we’d been rid of it since mid-September, but two weeks ago they were back! I then was checking her head every couple of days, and would find one or two of those little buggers each time, but no eggs - so I knew she was still getting them from somewhere/someone. Ugh!!! I’d also been careful to have Kaylen’s hair pulled back tightly each day, which takes time, but we just get up a few minutes earlier, or I do it when it’s wet on shower nights and it stays well overnight if done when wet. She used to have her hair down all the time because I didn’t want to fight the complaining, but it’s not worth the risk anymore and she’s getting better at not complaining. Problem is, you can’t stand over a 6-year-old nonstop and tell them not to lean their head on something, don’t let someone/something touch their head, don’t hang your coat next to that kid’s coat, etc.

We notified school and daycare twice – Sept 11th, and again two weeks ago. The school nurse’s reaction, on September 11th, was, “Uh-oh… We’ve sent notes home to the kindergarteners, but if we get too many more in first grade, we’ll have to send home letters to them too.” Too many more?!? WHY didn’t they send notes home the first time they heard of it!!! We received a note home Tuesday of LAST week – almost 5 weeks after we first found it. Sheesh! I just wanted go in that classroom, armed with several cans of permethrin spray, and douse all the surfaces and her locker & contents - and also throw out those reading pillows - that Kaylen had been instructed by me not to use any longer! I didn't though.

However, after a VERY LONG 6 weeks, I think we've finally conquered the lice. I've checked twice this week - Monday and today - and I haven't found a thing, other than dry flaky skin - typical for the colder weather we've been having. I can't tell you how tired I am of spraying, vacuuming, laundering, and picking every other day! Luckily Jock and I, and any houseguests we’ve had, were spared. We're hoping those nasty creatures are gone for good, and that they NEVER return!

Church Activities

Our church activities are keeping us busy as well. Our small group Bible study meets one evening each week. Every other week, we meet at our house, so that keeps us on top of our house-cleaning activities, which is a good thing. Jock and I also help once per month, teaching/being helper for the preschool Sunday school classes. That doesn’t take much prep time, only one Sunday morning per month of being at both services (attending one and teaching for the other). The preschoolers definitely keep us busy though. I teach the craft portion of the lesson to three different groups (ages 3, 4, and 4/5), and Jock rotates with the 4/5 group to the story/music, and game/snack areas. It’s really a lot of fun, but those preschoolers (usually 8-12in each group, but varies) definitely keep you on your toes!

Jock and I are singing in the worship choir, which sings for both services once a month. We sang last month for our church's anniversary celebration, but will miss this month. Hopefully we can make most months after this, because we really enjoy it. Our church has wonderful music program, and it's such a joy and a blessing to sing with the choir!

In addition to Sunday school, Kaylen has activities on Wednesday nights, which include learning Bible verses, Bible stories, and an activity that goes along with the weekly lesson. This fall’s series is focused on Paul’s journeys. Kaylen chose her activity (they have several classes to choose from) for this fall’s series to be the creative cooking class. They don’t really cook, but they assemble snacks. The teacher is superbly creative with the snacks and tying them into the lesson! The first week, they decorated cupcakes to look like lawn mowers (green frosting, chocolate bar mini for the body, M&Ms for wheels, a licorice string for the handle), and tied it in with "All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever" (1 Peter 1:24). Then during the week, we have to practice the Bible verse, and Kaylen gets points for doing other pages in her weekly packet, which include coloring pages, word puzzles, community actions (e.g. praying for neighbors, sharing about what God means to you, etc), and a prayer. At the end of the semester, they use their points to "buy" treats and trinkets. It’s really an awesome program, and she’s REALLY enjoyed it last year and this year. She’s learning so much – she’s such a little sponge!

This Wednesday, Jock and I had a little dinner date while Kaylen was at Kid Central. She doesn’t even know we did that, or she might’ve been mad that she didn’t get to go out to eat – one of her favorite things! We did make the mistake of heading to Applebee's though - Wednesdays is their 99c kids night, so it was packed. Luckily the bar was empty, so we just sat up there - and got great service from a bartender who was not busy at all! It was really nice to have that time together where we could just talk amongst ourselves – no little ears present, no manners reminders, no requests for condiments or seconds, etc – something we don’t get to do very often.