Shakira...

The four of us...

Happy 7 months Caleb!

Today my "little man" is 7 months old. He has grown so much since July! The nannies have totally "spoiled" him.

"Squirts & Shivers"

I know that many of you are eagerly awaiting details of my 2nd Haiti trip. I thank you in advance for being patient as I continue to recover from a significant case of the "squirts & shivers" that I acquired while I was in Haiti. I am also recovering from over stimulation & sleep deprivation as well but am thankful that I made it safely home, even though it was 12 hours later than planned. I will try to give you excerpts of my trip over the next few days. I will say now that our children are doing well & it was so wonderful to see them again.

Two Horses...

There is a field, with two horses in it. From a distance, each horse looks like any other horse. But if you stop your car, or are walking by, you will notice something quite amazing. Looking into the eyes of one horse will disclose that he is blind. His owner has chosen not to have him put down, but has made a good home for him.

This alone is amazing. If you stand nearby and listen, you will hear the sound of a bell. Looking around for the source of the sound, you will see that it comes from the smaller horse in the field.

Attached to the horse's halter is a small bell. It lets the blind friend know where the other horse is, so he can follow. As you stand and watch these two horses, you'll see that the horse with the bell is always checking on the blind horse, and that the blind horse will listen for the bell and then slowly walk to where the other horse is, trusting that he will not be led astray.

When the horse with the bell returns to the shelter of the barn each evening, it stops occasionally and looks back, making sure that the blind friend isn't too far behind to hear the bell.

Like the owners of these two horses, God does not throw us away just because we are not perfect or because we have problems or challenges. He watches over us and even brings others into our lives to help us when we are in need.

Sometimes we are the blind horse being guided by the little ringing bell of those who God places in our lives. Other times we are the guide horse, helping others to find their way....

Good friends are like that... you may not always see them, but you know they are always there. Please listen for my bell and I'll listen for yours.

(Author unknown)

An extra ornament???

We found our mischeivous kitten in the Christmas tree today.

Christmas cookie baking...

Phoebe & I started our Christmas baking the other day. We made a "few" cookies so far. I'm taking 9 dozen cookies with me to Haiti for the Christmas party.

A house full of jewels...

The past couple of weeks have been somewhat difficult for me as I have been struggling with people who just "don't get it" when it comes to our children.
When we adopted Phoebe, people would tell me that it was so "nice" of us to adopt a transracial baby who needed a home. Now that we are adopting three children from Haiti at one time, & one of those with special needs, I am getting a lot of "it's so "nice" of you to do this", "you are a better person than I am", "you are so brave", "you're really going to have your hands full." Ugh!!! Some days I just want to scream & pull my hair out!
I have to really restrain myself so I don't shake them & say, "Don't you get it??? It's not about us...it's about God!!! We're not doing this because it's something "nice" to do. We're not doing this because we're bored & don't have anything else to do. We're not doing this because we're delusional & think that adopting 3 children at one time will be easy. We're not even doing this because we love children...which we do. We're doing this because God called us to do this!!!"

God knew I needed some encouragement so he had my "dreamer" friend call me the other day. I call her my "dreamer" friend because God speaks to her a lot through her dreams. The last dream she had about me was that we were adopting 3 children instead of 2 & that one was a boy. So when she called & said, "I had a dream that I need to share with you" I said,"Okay"...and braced myself for anything. Before she told me about her dream she said, "You do know that there is a specific reason why you are adopting these 3 children. That God hand picked each of your children for specific reasons that are part of His plan. That this wasn't just some random thing going on." I told her that I did know that although I don't know the specifics of it at this time. This was her dream: She & many other people were at my house with Phoebe, & they were stocking our pantry, frig, & freezer with food & getting the hosue ready as Randy & I were gone to bring Shakira, Samara, & Caleb home. During this time she noticed Phoebe standing in the living room holding a very large diamond in her hands. She asked Phoebe several times to give it to her & each time Phoebe would say, "NO...I can't...it's me...it's who I am." She was getting more & more frustrated with Phoebe & then we came home with the other children. She said as soon as the children walked in the house, jewels just started dropping off of them. Rubies were dropping off of Shakira, some beautiful purple stone that was not an ameythest, was dropping off of Samara, & sapphires were dropping off of Caleb. She said all of the jewels shined brightly & not one shined brighter than another. Then she woke up.

She knows the difference between "her" dreams & God's dreams so she asked God what the dream meant. God told her that our children's gifts will shine like those jewels & that our house will shine with the essence of these children & their gifts that He has given them. I just started to cry & then I thanked God for giving me that encouragement. I long for the day when all four of our children will shine brightly together in our house!

7 more days...

until I'm back in Haiti holding my beautiful children!

Advent Tea...

Yesterday was my church's 2nd annual Advent Tea that I coordinate. I had been apart of the Advent Tea of my previous church for several years & have really enjoyed starting the Christmas season off with it.

Thanksgiving Road Trip...

Here are the limited pictures from our "sick" trip to Missouri for Thanksgiving. And yes, there's a reason why I'm not in any of the pictures...I'm not photogenic on a "healthy" day much less a "sick" day!

Quiet...

I know that some of you have noticed that I have been unusually "quiet" in blog land lately. I just want to let you know that I'm not doing it on "purpose". I have been distracted with other things. We have had back to back weekend road trips, then I got sick, now I'm working on the Advent Tea at our church this Saturday, needing to put Christmas things up, starting my Christmas baking, & leaving for Haiti in 14 days. Although I am "quiet" on the computer...I can assure you that I am not being "quiet" in my corner of the world :o)

Thankfulness...

The following is a devotion from Dr. David Jeremiah & is a great read for Thanksgiving.

Your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.
Matthew 6:8

Recommended Reading
Matthew 6:8-13

Half the Pilgrims died during their first winter at Plymouth. The onset
of spring found them wondering if any of them would survive, but that's
when a miracle of God's providence occurred. On a Friday in March, as
the men gathered for military training, a cry went up: "Indian coming!"
Everyone gathered around the young man. Suddenly he boomed in
near-perfect English, "Welcome!" His name was Samoset. Shortly
thereafter, Samoset introduced the Pilgrims to another Indian, Squanto,
who was a godsend for the settlers.

Squanto taught them how to catch eels, plant corn in the Indian way, and
survive in the wilderness by stalking deer, refining maple syrup, using
herbs for medicine, and trading beaver pelts. Without him, Plymouth
Colony might not have survived; and that's why, at the end of the
growing season, the Pilgrims and Indians celebrated Thanksgiving.

The heavenly Father knows our needs before we ask; and at unexpected
moments, He sends just the right person or provision to help us. That's
why every day is Thanksgiving for Christians.

Just when I need Him, Jesus is near . . . Ready to help me, ready to
cheer.
William Poole

Be thankful today...and every day!

Dear Heavenly Father, I thank you for the gift of your Son, Jesus. I thank you for your unfathomable love, mercy, & grace that you bestow on your children. I thank you for all the blessings you bestow on me: health, family, friends, & all that I have because I am nothing...and have nothing...without you. Amen.

You-You's Room

This is You-You's room...aka...the "guest room." This is where she, Carsen, Ann, & anyone else who wants to come for a visit can stay. It has a Haitian theme with 2 things that I brought back from my July trip as well as pictures of the families in our area that are adopting from Three Angels.

6 months!

Our precious baby boy is six months old today. Mommy will be there to hold you in 22 days!

My "fish"...

Here's some pictures of Phoebe on our Indy trip. An indoor pool if it's not summer...is a requirement for her these days. She was in the pool for a total of about 5 hours over the course of a day & a half & she still complained that she didn't get to swim much.

Going to Indy...

We're getting ready to head out the door to go to Indy. Randy has a work conference to go to. We'll be back Saturday evening. Have a great weekend!

The money is in the mail...sort of...

I have heard about people praying for a finanical blessing & right when they needed it, they went to their mailbox & there would be a check(s) for the exact amount that they needed. I have even had some friends that have experienced this. Although I had never experienced this personally on a large scale, I know that God can do that...and a whole lot more. When we first started this adoption process we knew that God was calling us to do this but had no idea where the money for the adoption expenses were going to come from. We continued forward believing that He would provide us with what we needed. We did this for all three of the children. By the middle of August it was clear that the money we had accumulated so far was not going to be enough to cover all the expenses. We kept believing & trusting. We saw others around us do fundraisers to help raise funds for their adoptions but we did not feel called to do any although our mind raced with all kinds of ideas that we had for some. I knew that God wanted us to trust Him to provide the remainder of the money. I knew that if we did a fundraiser on our own...without His leading...that it would fail & we would be frustrated to say the least. So we kept trusting & praying. Not long after that, two good friends of ours approached us & told us that they wanted to do a fundraiser on our behalf. We felt at peace with that & said ok. They had originially set a date to do the concert fundraiser in September but as the date drew closer, the details to make it all happen just weren't coming together. I kept praying & believing that it would come together just when we needed it to. A month & a half later the concert & ice cream social were held. Our friends personal goal for the event was at least $2,000. My personal goal was at least $4,500 which is what we needed to pay for the rest of the documentation fees. After the event was over the total was at $1,400. We prayed that more money would come in the following Sunday at church & heard from various people that more donations were given. The following week our church's financial secretary said she was going to wait another week or so to see if any more money came in before she sent a check to Three Angels on our behalf. We continued to pray that more money would come in. The last update we had recieved was that the total was $1,800. Then we got the news that we were in IBESR. I thanked God that we were in & kept thanking Him for providing us with the rest of the documentation fees we needed for when we exit IBESR. I was expecting to hear from our church's financial secretary on Monday but didn't. I sent her an E mail Tuesday to see if she had sent the check to Three Angels. She replied saying she was getting ready to send it & that the amount was for $4,325. I couldn't believe my eyes! I immediately thanked & praised God!!! I spent the rest of the day "floating" around the house & thanking Him.

"Those who know your name trust in you, for you, O Lord, have never abandoned anyone who searches for you." Psalm 9:10

Trivia Answers...

1. January
2. Feburary
3. June
4. 9/03
5. 12 days
6. Hope
7. Joy
8. Andrew
9. Starr
10. You-You
11. 14 years
12. Africa
13. Teresa
14. 41 1/2inches
15. 54 pounds
16. 129
17. 15 pounds
18. Pink & Yellow
19. Red
20. Purple

Caleb's turn...

I got sidetracked with us entering IBESR & the baby shower so it's time to get back to my sequence of posting the children's pictures & it's Caleb's turn. I've included two of him to make up for him missing his "scheduled" day :o) The first one is of him with my friend Amy & the second one is of him, Amy, & Reece her son that she is adopting.

Baby Shower Trivia...

Continuing on with the baby shower theme for one more day I wanted to share with you the Baby Shower Trivia game we played. Get out a note pad & a pencil & write down your answers. I'll post the answers tomorrow. Hint: If you need help...ask Michelle :o) She was the winner of the game. Congrats Michelle!

1. What month did we start the adoption process with Samara?
2. What month did we start the adoption process with Shakira?
3. What month did we start the adoption process with Caleb?
4. What month & year did Phoebe come home?
5. How old was Phoebe when she came home?
6. What is Samara's middle name?
7. What is Shakira's middle name?
8. What is Caleb's middle name?
9. What is Phoebe's middle name?
10. Who named Caleb, Caleb?
11. How long were we married before Phoebe came along?
12. What country did we originally think we were going to adopt from?
13. Who is the person who led us to adopt from Three Angels?
14. How tall is Phoebe?
15. How much does Phoebe weigh?
16. How high can Phoebe count to?
17. How much does Caleb weigh?
18. What is Shakira's favorite color?
19. What is Samara's favorite color?
20. What is Phoebe's favorite color?

Baby Shower!

Here are some pictures from the baby shower we were given yesterday. Michelle started the shower with a beautiful prayer remembering our children who were not there to celebrate the day with us. For Samara, Shakira, & Caleb...

What's next???

I know some of you who are not in the adoption process can get confused by all the steps that are involved so below I have posted the steps that take place after your dossier is in Haiti. Our file numbers are #15912, 15913,& 15914. Please continue to pray that our files go through the process smoothly & quickly. Thank you!

Minister of Foreign Affairs (1st legal)· Documents notarized and authenticated are now legalized.
DHS
· Submit Orphan First Petition and birth parents interview happens, DNA testing is done if requested by DHS officer.
Justice of the Peace
· Judge issues a formal request for IBESR to exam potential adoptive family as permanent family for child.
IBESR· Family and child’s dossier are examined. 4 signatures required to exit. (The step we have just entered)
Civil Judge· Issues official adoption decree.
Parquet· Social Representative (similar to a prosecutor in a US court), insures that the above departments have done everything legally.
Civil State Officer
· New birth certificate is issued.
Archive· Verifies all signature’s, certificate is issued. (Similar to being notarized)
Minister of Justice
· Above verifications are now legalized (similar to notary being authenticated).
Passports· Minister of Interior
Insures all of the above documents have not been falsified.
Political Affairs
Gives final authorization to issue the passport.
· Passport is issued
DHS· Take adoption decree to finalize orphan first petition.
Embassy· Visa is issued.
****We get the call to come and get them**** Do the HBWD & get on an airplane!!!

We're in!!!

Praise God!!! I just got a call & we're in IBESR!!! Time for the HBWD!!!

Shy Samara...

You have to be really "sneaky" to get a picture of this child!

Phoebe's Promotion...

We had Phoebe's preschool parent/teacher conference today. To make a long story short...she's been promoted to the pre K class & will begin next week. Seems that she's been reading..."real reading" to her classmates.

Need I say more???

If anyone has an "appopriate" catchier title for this post...please let me know. The first thing that came to my mind was "Do you think I'm sexy?" but I was thinking that wasn't "appropriate." :o)

The "Fab Four"

Baptismal Outfits...

So I thought it was fitting to post a picture of the children's Baptismal outfits after the "Godmother" post but was unable to get all of the outfits in one picture & still see the details of the outfits so I had to take three separate pictures. Shakira's is first, Samara's second, & Caleb's third.

Thank God for Godmothers!!!

Angela with Caleb, Amy with Shakira, & Teresa with Samara

Psalm 8

O Lord, our Lord, the majesty of your name fills the earth!
Your glory is higher than the heavens.
You have taught children & nursing infants to give you praise.
They silence your enemies who were seeking revenge.
When I look at the night sky & see the work of your fingers-
the moon & the stars you have set in place-
what are mortals that you should think of us,
mere humans that you should care for us?
For you made us only a little lower than God,
& you crowned us with glory & honor.
You put us in charge of everything you made,
giving us authority over all things-
the sheep & the cattle & all the wild animals,
the birds in the sky, the fish in the sea,
& everything that swims the ocean currents.
O Lord, our Lord, the majesty of your name fills the earth!

From the Bible, NLT.

The "Haiti Three"...

I have gotten some pictures from my friends who went on the first mission trip in October so I will share a few at a time.