Phoebe's Turn!

I still have a lot to say about our Haiti trip & our children but I thought it was time to give Phoebe the spot light. While we were in Haiti she spent the week with her Uncle Darrell (Randy's brother), her Aunt Sandra & her two cousins Hannah & Olivia. She had lots of fun!

Please pray for Caleb's birthmother...

I got word today that she did not show up for her DHS appointment & they do not know where she is. Thanks in advance for your prayers!

Our beautiful Haitian children...

I didn't realize until we got home that I didn't get a picture with all of us together so this will have to do for now. Hopefully someone in our group got a family shot for us.

Our baby boy...

I was going to torture you & not post this picture until tomorrow but I know many of you are waiting to see a new picture of Caleb so here it is. He is the sweetest baby! He's very laid back. When he's hungry or needs something he does this "hehehehe" softly & then increases in volume & speed if you don't respond quick enough for him. He loves to be cuddled. I miss feeding him & even changing his diapers. I love you Caleb!

My Shakira...

Shakira was waiting outside for us & was jumping up & down when she saw us. She was held by Randy first but bonded quickly to both of us although she doesn't like mamma telling her "No." She is a beautiful child with lots of potential. We went to Haiti knowing that she had "delays" but didn't really know what that meant. Although we won't know for sure until she gets to the US & is tested by our pediatrician, she does exhibit signs of what I would call mild autism. I must admit we weren't "prepared" for something like that but we know that God is in control & He will use Shakira for His glory. She also has something wrong with her right foot (I think it's her right :o) but my physical therapist friend said that can be corrected with some orthotics & therapy. She does talk some & seems to be able to say more in English than Creole. She very quickly learned the few signs that I showed her...especially "more." She went around calling out for "mamma & papa" & did say " I love you mamma" & then showered me with what I call "guppy" kisses.

The first one...

When we arrived at the orphanage Saturday most of the kids whose parents were on this trip were waiting outside for us. The first one I saw was Samara & she was immediately handed to me. I thought this was appropriate since she was the first one that God chose to reveal to us to adopt from the orphanage. Of course I don't have pictures of those moments because I was holding her & sobbing uncontrollably. Randy was holding Shakira or Caleb...I can't remember which one. All I know is that all the waiting to finally hold Samara in my arms was over & I just cried like a big baby. She just looked at me first. She was probably thinking..."What in the world is wrong with her?" but it didn't take long for her to become almost permanently attached to my hip. She bonded with me very quickly...Randy not so much...but after a couple of days she warmed up to him & was letting him hold her & she was calling him "Papa." I can't wait for the day that she is home & is running around the house & calling out "Mama & Papa." She is beautiful & sharp as a tack. I have nick named her "Phoebe JR" because they are a lot a like.

HOME...

at last. We pulled into our garage at 1:20am this morning. And of course as soon as we got in the door Phoebe decides to wake up & wants to do her normal bed time routine...I have to confess that I was "not" in the mood for it & she quickly decided it would be best to do it herself & let mommy & daddy go to bed. I think she fell asleep about 5 minutes after we got into bed so that was good. Randy is getting ready to down load pictures now so I should be able to post some soon.

We're almost home...

Hi Everyone! Although I miss my kids dearly, it is good to be back in the U.S...the land of flushing toliets & warm running water,....& a/c :o) We are still in Florida & are ready to be back home. We fly out of Fort Myers tomorrow evening & land in St. Louis. Then we have a 3 hour drive home which should put us home around 1am Tuesday morning. Phoebe has Kid's Day Out Tuesday morning but the chances of her going are pretty slim at this point. She really misses home & I'm sure she's not going to want to get out of bed early to leave it.

I'll have to wait until we get home to post pictures of our trip. There were several things that stood out to me regarding our trip.
1) It's hard to describe Haiti. The best description I have is "Words can't describe it & pictures don't do it justice." It's definetely something you have to experience for yourself.
2) Despite their circumstances...the people are very resilient. They make the most of what they have.
3) I have 3 beautiful children. I savored every moment with them. I learned different things about each one. I miss them dearly & leaving them there was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do.
4) The people involved with Three Angels & St. Joseph's are amazing & I am truly blessed to have met these people.
5) Sometimes you have to experience great pain before you are showered with an amazing abundance of joy.

Get ready kids because we're on our way!

We leave for Flordia tomorrow & depart from Miami to Haiti on Saturday morning. We will return to Miami on Friday July 20th & then stay at my brother in law's house in Ft. Myers until Monday evening & will get back to IN around 1am Tuesday the 24th. Please pray for us while we are gone. Thanks!

Kathy Eden...

Okay...after struggling for a search for a new signature name for blogging I have finally settled on Kathy Eden. I tried Kathy #1 & didn't like it because it may come across as me sounding "superior" to any other Kathy's. I then tried Edenbound which is the title of my blog but then thought it may be too vague for some people. Then I tried IN Kathy but when I posted it showed up as in kathy which seemed "strange" to me. So then I settled on Kathy Eden...Eden being my middle name because although I have met a lot of Kathy's in my life time...I've never met another Kathy Eden, so for now, that's what I'm sticking with. Whach ya think?

Look...I'm growing!

No, not my beautiful children but the youngest member of our feline family. Cali is approx. 6 weeks old now & she seems to be doing really well. I'll take her to the vet when we return from our trip.

The Purpose of Life...

This is from a devotion that Randy & I did this morning. It's from Max Lucado's "Grace For The Moment" devotion book. Although I know the "real" purpose of life, sometimes I get side tracked by the immediate things going on in my life such as now with the adoptions. I know that's not my purpose for living but the things that are required to make it happen require me to put a lot of time & energy into it. It is during these times that I need to remind myself that this is another journery in the journey of life to serve & praise my Lord.
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, & all your mind."
Matthew 22:37
Mine deep enough in every heart & you'll find it: a longing for meaning, a quest for purpose. As surely as a child breathes, he will someday wonder, "What is the purpose of my life?"
Some search for meaning in a career. "My purpose is to be a dentist." Fine vocation but hardly a justification for existence. They opt to be a human "doing" rather than a human "being." Who they are is what they do; consquently they do a lot. They work many hours because if they don't work, they don't have an identity.
For others, who they are is what they have. They find meaning in a new car or a new house or new clothes. These people are great for the economy & rough on the budget because they are always seeking meaning in something they own...Some try sports, entertainment, cults, sex, you name it. All mirages in the desert of purpose...
Shouldn't we face the truth? If we don't acknowledge God, we are flotsam in the universe. (Kathy translation of flotsam in this example: we are like worthless chaff blowing in the wind)

So what's your purpose???

Please pray hard & fast!!!

On the advice of a friend who has been through this before, she told me to contact the DHS officer today to inquire about the status of Caleb's I 171h that we need before we leave for Haiti. I am SO thankful that I did! I found out that the lady who approves these forms is out on leave & she had not approved Caleb's before leaving. So I spoke with a super nice lady who is filling in for her & she is going to try to do whatever she can to help us out. Please pray that she will be able to get it approved for us before our scheduled DHS appointment next week. Thank you so much!!!

You got to be kidding!!!

Okay...I've spent most of the weekend struggling with packing our supply bags. Randy & I have to bring 200 pounds of supplies for the orphanage. A) That's a lot of things B) That's a lot of things to pack in duffle bags. So I have packed, unpacked, repacked, unpacked, & repacked some more! I think I finally got the bags filled how they need to be. So I should be happy right? Ugh, NO! Now the really fun part begins. I have to pack a carry on...you know...those really small suitcases that I usually pack just tolietries in...with almost everything I am going to need for a week in Haiti. You got to be kidding! The people who made this rule obviously haven't seen how I pack when I go on a trip! Please pray that I can carefully cram everything I need into a itsy, bitsy carry on. And then pray that I can do it again for Randy's carry on. Thanks!

My Shaki...I love her soooooo much!

7 Days!!!

I can't believe it! We only have 6 days until we're in Florida & 7 until we're in Haiti! After all this time we are finally going to meet our children. It was the end of January when we decided to adopt Samara. Hopefully she has been "patiently" waiting for us. I know Shakira is waiting for us & I can't wait to see the look on her face when she sees us for the first time. I get teary eyed just thinking about it. I will probably cry the whole time that I'm there. I can't wait to hold Caleb in my arms. I know it's going to be very hard to leave at the end of the week. Please pray for all of us. Thanks!

Emma...

is our cat that you never see. She's very shy & hides as soon as she "thinks" some one other than her owners are approaching the house. She is really starting to warm up to Cali & they were playing with each other this morning. Sass however keeps hissing at Cali.

Happy Fourth of July!

"GOD BLESS OUR NATIVE LAND"
#497 from the Blue Lutheran Worship

God bless our native land, Firm may it ever stand
Through storm & night, When the wild tempests rave, Ruler of
wind & wave, Do thou our country save By thy great might.

So shall our prayers arise to God above the skies,
On whom we wait. Thou who art ever nigh, Guarding with
watchful eye, To thee alound we cry: God save the state!

I'm sleepy...

From Staff Nurse to H.I.S...

Randy refused to let me take his picture this morning like I wanted to. He said, "You are not taking my picture & putting it on your blog." Well, that's exactly why I wanted to take it so since I couldn't post it in on my blog...I didn't take his picture.

Today Randy starts a new job. He is going from wearing scrubs, direct patient care, & a variable schedule to wearing dress clothes & a tie, no direct patient care, & a set "normal" schedule M-F with no weekends & holidays. Please pray for him as he transtitions into his new job. We are both very excited about this new position because it will be the first job he has had where he will be able to utilize all of his degrees: math, computer science, nursing, & Masters in Health Sciences. His offical title now is a Health Informatics Specialist (H.I.S).

Even though I don't have a picture to show you, I must say that he looked very handsome this morning as he walked out the door in his neatly ironed navy blue dress pants, blue checked shirt, & red tie. :o)

14 Days!!!

Finally...after the months of waiting to see our children...it's "almost" here. Two more weeks!!! Please pray for Phoebe & I because we have not been away from each for a week since she came home. I know she'll have a blast with her cousins in Florida although I am a "little" concerned about her going to the beach for the first time without me because I know that she has "NO FEAR." The packing has started & I'm really getting excited!

LIGHTEN UP!

I figured after the day I had yesterday I needed to lighten up today. These are pictures that I took yesterday when Phoebe decided that she needed to make me laugh...she succeeded!

I WANT TO SCREAM!!!

I'm trying very hard not to have a melt down right now! The first time I submitted the I-600a's for the girls I got them returned because they no longer accept personal checks for payment but on their web site did not say that. So I spent almost $40 express mailing them documents when it should have only cost $17 something...not to mention the extra "wasted" time period.

We had just received our I-171h letters for the girls when we decided to adopt Caleb. So I called the person at DHS who is in charge of those things & she said to do "such & such." So I immediately did "such & such." Today I walk out to the mail box & there was a large envelope from DHS & I already knew that meant trouble. And sure enough, the same person who returned my documents the first time, who is not the same person you talk to on the phone when you call, returned my documents again & said I needed to do "this & that." My blood pressure shot up at least a gazillion points! So I calmly called the lady at DHS who I need to speak to & of course I got a voice mail as usual. So now I am waiting for her return call while I try to take slow, deep breaths. Please pray for me & EVERYONE involved in this! Thanks!

Can't wait!!!

to see my children in person instead of looking at their pictures on the wall! 17 more days!!!

Graduation Gown...

I had to do some cleaning & organizing this weekend to complete the transfer of our bedroom things from our previous bedroom to our "new" bedroom. One of the things I did was to go through my Hope Chest that my mother bought me as my high school graduation gift. I was amazed at all the things I had thrown in there over the years. There was an assortment of graduation gowns...my high school gown, my two college gowns, & two of Randy's college gowns. We decided to trash all of them except for Randy's sash & hat from his Master's degree graduation but before I threw them out Phoebe decided to model my high school gown. Pretty hugh? :o)

Rice Crispy Treats!

Phoebe really likes helping out in the kitchen & like me...she loves to bake. She has helped me bake cookies, cakes, rolls, & make home made candy. Today was our first time at making rice crispy treats together & as you can see in the pictures...I think she really enjoyed her self!

Please Pray...

that we get Caleb's paper work completed before we leave on July 13th. If we don't get the I 171h addendum before we leave we will not be able to keep our DHS appointment in Haiti that was previously scheduled to file the girls I 600 & we really need to keep it for a couple of reasons: 1) it will slow down the process even more if we have to wait 2) either Randy or I would have to make another trip to Haiti soon to file the paper work...something that would not be a good thing at this time. Thanks for your prayers!

Cali

Meet Cali...our newest addition to the family. She's a very young (not really weaned yet) kitten that a friend of ours found on the golf course that she works at. She couldn't keep it because her mom & sister are really allergic to cats. I'm "technically" allergic to cats & dogs but that doesn't stop me :o) So now we have a kitten to go along with our 4 year old cat who is afraid of Cali & our soon to be 12 year old cat that hisses at her.

Cliff...

is a very sweet & precious man who suffered a severe stroke when he was 46 or 47. It's been several years since his stroke & he's getting "tired." Since his stroke he has been basically paralyzed from the neck down, has a trach for him to breath, & get's tube feedings for nourishment since he can't eat without choking. He's been in & out of hospitals since his stroke with pnuemonia & various other infections. His amazing & faithful wife has taken care of him around the clock at home when he's not in the hospital or rehab center. She turns or repositions him every 2 hours except at night when she lets him sleep for 3-4 hrs at a time before turning him.
They are an amazing couple. They love the Lord.

Cliff can see the toll that his constant care is taking on his wife. Nursing homes aren't an option (long story). A few months ago he started telling his wife that he's "tired" & just wants to go home to Jesus. About a month ago he told her that he will be going "home" in July. As a nurse I've seen many times a person say "it's their time & they are going home soon" & then they do. I don't know what God's will is for Cliff at this time but I am praying that God's will be done & if he is to be called "home" soon that he would go quickly & without pain.

This is a man trapped in his body. His mind is sharp as a tack. He is totally aware of himself & his surroundings...which makes this even more sad. But even so, he continues to focus on others & not himself. Today is my 3rd day of fasting. Monday my mother fasted with me. Yesterday my husband fasted with me. Today Cliff is fasting with me. He normally fasts on Wednesdays as a gift to the Lord & to draw closer to him. I asked my mom if she would ask him to fast with me today & "stand" in prayer with each other. He's is praying for me & I for him. Praise God to whom all blessings flow!

Vivid Dream...

I had a very vivid dream...you know the ones that are so "real" you think it's really happening. I was at the orphanage & it was time for Randy & I to return home. We were saying good bye & Samara was crying & hugging me & wouldn't let go. My stomach was in knots & it felt like my heart had been ripped in two pieces.

One month old...

as of today. Our precious baby boy is one month old. We love you Caleb!!!

Happy Father's Day Daddy!!!

Praying & Fasting...

Ever since I felt that we would adopt a 3rd child I have been praying for God to provide us with the finanical resources to do so. Now that we are in the process of adopting this child we need to have the money in our hands to pay for the adoption expenses. Today I will start a journey in ferverent prayer to ask for God's guidance & provision regarding this. Monday I will fast for a period of time as well. I would like to ask for your prayers during this time not only to sustain me through the fasting but for clear guidance & peace regarding the finances.
"And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19

And then there were four...

I know this isn't the best picture in the world but it's the only one I have right now. I would like to introduce you to our 4th child...Caleb Andrew! If I gave you the long version of this story this post would be a mile long so you're going to have to settle for the short version which is I started feeling led by God to adopt a baby boy back in March. We had actually prayed about another child but Randy said he wasn't feeling led to adopt that child at this time. Then came Caleb...a precious baby boy that was taken to the orphanage at 10 days old. He didn't have a name so the Orphanage House Manager named him Caleb. The same name that we have had on "hold" for a boy since Jonathan Marshall died in 2001. This caught Randy's attention & we began to pray about it. After prayer & several "interesting" confirmations, we asked the orphanage permission to adopt a third child. We were granted permission yesterday & now we begin the journey to bring Caleb home. Please keep him & all of our family in prayer as we begin this journey. Thanks! And...no...he won't be wearing pink when he gets home!

Catching lightening bugs with Daddy...

Walking around naked & barefoot...

No...not me! Thank goodness! I'm in the book of Isaiah right now. Isaiah is a tough book of the Bible for me to read. This morning I read the very short chapter 20. When I first looked at it I thought to myself, "This is really short...it won't take long at all to read it & then refer to my footnotes on it." Oh, boy I was wrong! I was stuck on verse 2 for a long time. "the Lord told Isaiah son of Amoz, "Take off all of your clothes, including your sandals." Isaiah did as he was told & walked around naked & barefoot."
I'm like, "You're kidding me right???" Why in the world would God tell him to do that? At first I thought he did it just once in front of the people to prove a point but no...read verse 3 which says, "Then the Lord said, "My servant Isaiah has been walking around naked & barefoot for the last three years. This is a sign-a symbol of the terrible troubles I will bring upon Egypt & Ethiopia."
Three years??? He walked around naked & barefoot for three years! Why??? Because God told him to!
This is what my footnotes say about those verses (from the NLT Life Application Study Bible):
God's command to Isaiah to walk about naked for three years was a humiliating experience. God was using Isaiah to demonstrate the humiliation that Egypt & Ethiopia would experience at the hands of Assyria. But the message was really for Judah: Don't put your trust in foreign governments, or your will experience this kind of shame & humiliation from your captors.
It goes on to say:
God asked Isaiah to do something that seemed shameful & illogical. At times, God may ask us to do things we don't understand. We must obey God in complete faith, for he will never ask us to do something wrong.
Wow!!! That's a lot of "meat" from such a short chapter. And like most times when I read the Bible...it's very timely for my current circumstances. Walking in humility & faith...how am I doing at it? Why is it so hard to do? That's a lot of "meat" to chew on.

30 Days...

WhoooooooooooooHoooooooooooooooooooo! Thirty more days until I get to meet my beautiful Haitian children!!! Thirty more days until I get to hold them in my arms. Thirty more days until I get to wipe the snot away from their noses. I can't wait!

The Voice of Truth...

"I know very well how foolilsh the message of the cross sounds to those who are on the road to destruction. But we who are being saved recognize this message as the very power of God. As the Scriptures say, "I will destroy human wisdom & discard their most brilliant ideas." So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, & the world's brilliant debaters? God has made them all look foolish & has shown their wisdom to be useless nonsense. Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never find him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save all who believe. God's way seems foolish to the Jews because they want a sign from heaven to prove it is true. And it is foolish to the Greeks because they believe only what agrees with their own wisdom. So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended, & the Gentiles say it's all nonsense. But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews & Gentiles, Christ is the mighty power of God & the wonderful wisdom of God. This "foolish" plan of God is far wiser than the wisest of human plans, & God's weakness is far stronger than the greatest of human strength." 1 Corinthians 1:18-25

"I have plenty to boast about & would be no fool in doing it, because I would be telling the truth. But I won't do it. I don't want anyone to think more highly of me than what they can actually see in my life & my message, even though I have received wonderful revelations from God. But to keep me from getting puffed up, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me & keep me from getting proud. Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, "My gracious favor is all you need. My power works best in your weakness." So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may work through me. Since I know it is all for Christ's good, I am quite content with my weaknesses & with insults, hardships, persecutions, & calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong." 2 Corinthians 12:6-10

One of my favorite Casting Crowns songs is "Voice of Truth" which is based on the above Scripture verses. I have been listening to it a lot lately because I need the reminder. I am easily distracted right now & need a constant reminder to focus on Jesus & not all the waves crashing around me as I attempt to get out of the boat.

"Voice of Truth" by Casting Crowns

Oh what I would do to have
The kind of faith it takes to climb out of this boat I'm in
Onto the crashing waves

To step out of my comfort zone
Into the realm of the unknown where Jesus is
And He's holding out His hand

But the waves are calling out my name & they laugh at me
Reminding me of all the times I've tried before & failed
The waves they keep on telling me
Time & time again, "Boy,(or girl) you'll never win!"
"You'll never win!"

But the voice of truth tells me a different story
The voice of truth says, "Do not be afraid!"
And the voice of truth says, "This is for My glory"
Out of all of the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen & believe the voice of truth

Oh what I would do to have
The kind of strength it takes to stand before a giant
With just a sling & a stone
Surrounded by the sound of a thousand warriors
Shaking in their armor
Wishing they'd have the strength to stand

But the giant's calling out my name & he laughs at me
Reminding me of all the times I've tried before & failed
The giant keeps on telling me
Time & time again, "Boy (or girl) you'll never win!"
"You'll never win!"

But the stone was just the right size
To put the giant on the ground
And the waves they don't seem so high
From on top of them looking down
I will soar with the wings of eagles
When I stop & listen to the sound of Jesus singing over me
I will choose to listen & believe the voice of truth. I will listen & believe. Jesus you are the voice of truth.

Most of us...

This is a family picture from Randy's mother's 70th birthday party yesterday. Six of the seven children were there but unfortunately Randy's brother Lynn was "hacked off" in the pictures...sorry Lynn!

Gone...

We're heading to MO this morning to celebrate Randy's mother's 70th birthday. We'll be back Monday. Have a great weekend!

For Jordyn...

Randy took some more flower pictures last night & I thought of you Jordyn.

Celebrating

Here's Phoebe celebrating my birthday. We had a very nice evening. No melt downs although she was a little fussy at bedtime but that's par for the course.

Happy Birthday to me!

My birthday started out on a great note. The sun is shining & there is a cool breeze blowing. My wonderful husband rolled over as he woke up this morning & wished me a Happy Birthday. We had a nice breakfast & then like every other "work" day morning we did a devotion together. Guess what it was about...if you guessed "growing old"...you're right! Here it is from Max Lucado's "Grace for the Moment" book.

"The Oldest & the Choicest"
"Even when you are old, I will be the same. Even when your hair has turned gray, I will take care of you." Isaiah 46:4

Growing old can be dangerous. The trail is treacherous & the pitfalls are many. One is wise to be prepared. You know it's coming. It's not like God kept the process a secret. It's not like you are blazing a trail as you grow older. It's not as if no one has ever done it before. Look around you. You have ample opportunity to prepare & ample case studies to consider. If growing old catches you by surprise, don't blame God. He gave you plenty of warning. He also gave you plenty of advice.

Your last chapter can be your best. Your final song can be your greatest. It could be that all of your life has prepared you for a grand exit. God's oldest have always been among his choicest.

BE STILL...

"Be still & know that I am God." I don't have a problem with the "know that I am God" part. I have a problem with the "be still" part. How do we make ourselves be still? I'm still trying to figure that one out but I figured if Shakira can be still & I know how hard it is for her...than I can too!

Cook Out Pictures

My friend Kristina took some pictures of the kids at our cook out Saturday.

Can you believe it???

I had this AWESOME birthday party tonight with my friends...my neighbors across the street, people from my church, & all the area 3 A's families except for Don & Teresa's (they were driving home from their vacation) & I somehow "forgot" to take pictures! How in the world did that happen??? And I don't think anyone else took pictures either...drats!!!

Everyone needs a grass skirt!

How to eat an ice cream cone...