Happy Anniversary Honey!!!

I thank God for him choosing you as my husband! Thank you for 18 years of marriage & 20 years of being in my life!!! I look forward to many, many more! You will always be my "handsome prince!" I love you Randy!

Getting together...

Here are some pictures from another one of our Haiti adoptive parents "get together's"

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17 Blessings...

I "borrowed" these pictures from a friend's blog so I could share with our family & far away friends the 17 blessings from Haiti that are coming to our area. They are in order of who started the adoption process first although some of us added another one or two along the way :o)

To Jeremy & Michelle: Noah, Mia, & Hope











To Todd & Kristina: Jonas & Ellie










To Shawn & Angela: Steven & Belle:







To Troy & Cathy: Manthania & Isaac







To Derek & Tanya: Glory




To Randy & Kathy: Samara, Shakira, & Caleb









To Don & Teresa: Samendia & Jefferson








To Tim & Sarah: Isaiah "Daniel"




To Jason & Amy: Reece "Richecard"

What not to do with paint...

Wings of Hope....

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Wings of Hope is a place where physically & mentally handicapped children live. It was established by the same person who established & still runs St. Joseph's Guest House. We didn't take close ups of the children for obvious reasons but let me assure you that all of our hearts went out to them. I am so thankful to Michael for Wings of Hope! It is an amazing place!

You will not be forgotten!

Randy & I had the opportuntiy to "talk" with Caleb & Samara's birth mothers via translator when we were in Haiti in July. The one thing that both of them expressed passionately was that they "not be forgotten" by their children. I have already sent down one time use cameras for all three birth mothers so they can take pictures of themselves, their family, & their home land. I will then have the pictures developed. They will keep a set for themselves & then they will identify who is who & what is what on another set for us to keep for the children. We will try to do this periodically through out their lives as well as give them picture book updates on the children.






















"For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "They are plans for good & not for evil, to give you a future & a hope." Jeremiah 29:11
























"May the Lord richly bless both you & your children. May you be blessed by the Lord, who made heaven & earth." Psalm 115:14-15

SARAH...

is some one that I just met in person last week but feel like I've known for a long time. I've been following her blog for a couple of months now but yesterday I took the time to play "catch up" & read all the entries from the beginning of her blog to where I started reading it a couple of months ago. I feel like I know her even better now. I also want to thank her for her openess & honesty. Many people are afraid that others will percieve them as weak or "messed up" if they show their true selves. I so appreciate your "real ness" as well as it's "about Jesus, not me" attitude. I appreciate you taking the time to openly thank Him for the little things as well as the big things. I appreciate how you openly share your struggles as well as your victories. I appreciate how you so amazingly communicate your love about Jesus, your husband, & your children. Thank you so much!!! I thank God for allowing our paths to cross.

I don't know if you know my entire adoption story...it's pretty "lengthy" but I wanted to share with you something that you may not know...something I feel connected us before we ever met.

In March we were getting closer to "the light at the end of the tunnel" in our adoption paper work for the girls. I started feeling that we were not "finished yet" with regards to adopting. I didn't say anything to Randy about it at this point because I knew where he was with that at the time so I just kept quiet & prayed about it. By May the feeling had gotten so intense that it was starting to affect my thoughts & sleep. I felt like God was directing me back to the Three Angels web site & that he was telling me "You are finally going to get your baby boy." So I went back to the site & looked at all the pictures that I was so familiar with. Daniel was the youngest boy available at the time. I had always thought he was a cutie pie & had "looked" at him when God was directing us to adopt Shakira. I stared at his birthday & thought aloud, "Is this the one Lord?" I didn't know for sure but thought that him having a September birthday was one thing leaning toward the yes column. Phoebe, Samara, & Shakira's birthday's are in September.

So I started to pray about adopting Daniel. I still didn't have a "positive" for him but was feeling very "positive" for adopting a third child although it didn't really make sense to me to adopt 3 at a time. I then checked into to seeing if we would even be allowed to adopt a 3rd child. I found out it was "possible" although it was very unusual to adopt 3 children at the same time with out any of them being siblings. I finally told Randy & asked him to pray with me about Daniel. He prayed for a week & at the end of the week on Friday May 11th he said, "I do not think that God is leading us to adopt another child at this time." I said, "Okay." Although deep down in my heart of hearts I knew it wasn't "over" yet. I didn't know if Randy was going to have to meet Daniel in person on our July trip & fall in love with him before we started the process or if God would provide another child before our trip. I knew it was possible that another baby boy could come to the orphanage before our trip but I felt like I was running out of time for "that option" because I felt like we would be submitting all of our paper work for all 3 at the same time & in order for that to happen there had to be "something" happening soon. So I kept praying for the Lord's will to be done & if we were not to adopt Daniel that He would make it clear to us & that He would send the right family for Daniel soon.

Fast forward to May 28th. I am reading You You's blog & see Caleb's picture. All though he was beautiful that's not what spoke to my heart. It was his name. The same name that Randy had picked out 6 years ago if we were to ever have a baby boy. My heart literally skipped a beat when I read the name. I looked up to the ceiling & asked God, "Okay, is this a sign?" I chuckled & then started praying. I was hesitant to mention it to Randy because it had just been 17 days prior since he had said, "I do not feel like God is calling us to adopt another child at this time." But I knew I had to tell him so I did. His response was not what I expected. The name got his attention as well & we decided to pray about it. On June 13th we got approval to adopt him & I made a public announcement about him on my blog on June 15th. Yesterday when I was reading all of your blog entries, I noticed that on June 18th you mentioned adopting a little boy from Haiti & on June 23rd you announced that it was Daniel. I'm so glad & thankful that God answered both of our prayers & that we get to experience this journey together!!!

Thank you for being a mighty servant of the Lord!

Psalm 113...

Praise the Lord!
Yes, give praise, O servants of the Lord.
Praise the name of the Lord!
Blessed be the name of the Lord forever & ever.
Everywhere-from east to west-praise the name of the Lord.
For the Lord is high above the nations;
his glory is far greater than the heavens.
Who can be compared with the Lord our God, who is enthroned on high?
Far below him are the heavens & the earth.
He stoops to look, & he lifts the poor from the dirt
and the needy from the garbage dump.
He sets them among princes, even princes of his own people!
He gives the barrren woman a home, so that she becomes a happy mother.
Praise the Lord!
Psalm 113 NLT

This was my Bible reading for today. I smiled when I got to verse 9 as I recalled this verse being prophesied over me by one of my patient's daughter 4 years ago this month. She then said, "You will have a quiver full of children." Phoebe arrived one month later. Up until January of this year I wasn't for sure if "quiver full" for me meant one child. Now I know that it doesn't. Praise the Lord!

Remembering Kent...

I always get a little "freaked out" when I find out about a death of some one I knew awhile after their passing. It's like I don't get to grieve "properly." So today I went to my mail box & pulled out a letter from my high school class. I thought it had to do with reunion stuff. Instead it was telling of the benefit auction & dance for one of my former class mates family. I had no idea that Kent had died in June. What's frustrating about that is almost my entire family...including Randy's...lives in the same town as Kent so you think some one would have told me.

Well, now the shock has worn off a little & I would like to pay tribute to a guy I went to school with from K through 12th grade. I always considered him sort of shy & sly in school with an incredible smile. He was a very nice & gentle guy & I don't remember anyone ever saying anything bad about him.

I hadn't seen him since we graduated from high school until last October at our 20th high school reunion (yes, I know how old I am :o) He had the same amazing smile & he had a twinkle in his eye. He was a lot more talkative than I remember in school. He recounted some things about me that I would have rather forgotten :o) but I enjoyed talking with him. I pray that he's in heaven joking with Jesus. I pray that the love & peace of Jesus will fill & over flow his family, especially his wife Kelly (who was also in my class) & his two sons.

Obituary from the Southeast Missourian Newspaper on June 19th:

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Kent J. Martin, 39, of Perryville died Sunday, June 17, 2007, at Perry County Memorial Hospital, as the result of a fall.
He was born Nov. 28, 1967, in Perryville, son of Nathan Earl and Anna Buerck Martin. He and Kelly Bauwens were married Sept. 15, 1990.

Martin was an aircraft mechanic at Saberliner. He was a member of Our Lady of Victory Catholic Church in Sereno, and American Legion Booster Post 133.

Survivors include his wife; two sons, Garrett and Nathan Martin of the home; his parents of Perryville; two sisters, Christy Dobbelare and Robyn Richardet of Perryville; three brothers, Kevin, Keith, and his twin brother Kurt Martin, all of Perryville.

He was preceded in death by an infant sister.

Visitation will be from 4 to 9 p.m. today, and 6:30 to 9:30 a.m. Wednesday at Young and Sons Funeral Home. The parish wake will be tonight.

Funeral Mass will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Our Lady of Victory Church, with the Rev. Francis Agnew officiating. Burial will be in Mount Hope Cemetery.

St. Joseph's Guest House

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This is where we stayed for the week while we were in Haiti.

Mark the date!

Hi All! I don't have all the details just yet but wanted to give you a "heads up" on a Christian concert & ice cream social that is being planned by some amazing friends of ours at our church, Lutheran Church of Our Redeemer on Friday September 14th. The proceeds will go to our adoption expenses to help bring our 3 beautiful Haitian children home. I will give more details as to the time & line up when I know it.

For those of you who are unable to attend but would like to make a donation, please let me know. Thanks so much for your support & your prayers!

A Glimpse of Haiti...Petion-ville

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Three Angels...An Amazing Place!

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God's love & light is clearly seen within the walls & through the grounds of Three Angels. There may not be much in wordly things, but God's love & grace is enough & abounds there! I thank all of you who are apart of Three Angels! You are a huge blessing to many!

UPDATE!

Just wanted to let you know that they have heard from Caleb's birthmother & her DHS appointment is scheduled for Tuesday August 7th. Please pray that she shows up when she is suppose to & does what she needs to do. Thanks so much!

Little People...

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More Shining Stars...

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Shining Stars...

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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)