Weeks 7 & 8...

I intentionally did not make a post last week about week 7. To put it bluntly...it was a poopy week...literally! Poop in the toilet, poop in pull ups & diapers, poop on the floor, on the walls, smeared on a bed...you get the picture. So this of course...made for poopy attitudes! Although week 7 was VBS week at our church for Phoebe & Samara...and lots of good things happened while they were there...by the end of the week both of them were acting out just to get some attention from me because I had been so involved with poop & the pooper all week. I don't know why Shakira had such a bad week that week but she did. By Friday I was worn out.

We were all suppose to go to a baseball game on that evening but I knew that Shakira just wasn't up to it. I didn't know what to do. I knew that if we brought her with us that it would most likely end up in disaster. I also knew that my chances of finding some one to watch her at the last minute was slim but I had to try. I called my amazing friend Kristina & she said they didn't have any plans that night & that they would be happy to watch Shakira while the rest of us went to the ball game. Half of me was thrilled while the other half was feeling guilty for not taking her. We picked her up after the game & was thrilled that she had such a great time with our friends. I could tell that she was truly happy...something I had not seen all week. Randy's parents came to visit the following day. It was nice to have them here & it was their first opportunity to really see the kids in action. Shakira, Samara, & Caleb got baptized on Sunday. It went really well but unfortunately I don't have any pictures to prove it :o(

Today makes two months since Shakira, Samara, & Caleb came home. I can't believe it's been two months. In some ways it feels like they have been home with us much longer & in some ways it feels like they just came home. I can however, see major progress in all three since they came home. Some days I wish for more...but am very grateful for what we have...as they say, "It could always be worse" which in most cases is very true. I have to remind Phoebe & Samara...as well as myself, of that, from time to time when we get frustrated with Shakira's behavior. I tell them, "I know this is really frustrating right now but if you look at the wide range spectrum of how it could be...she could be banging her head on the wall non stop & screaming at the top of her lungs" so we should be thankful that she doesn't do that.

Week 8 has been a much better week...Thank you Jesus! We all needed a good week. What does a good week look like in our house? Well, right now it consists of no poop smearing, minimal hitting, pinching, or biting, minimal time outs & other discipline, no major illnesses or injuries. It also includes a moderate amount of laughing, playing dress up, reading books, swimming, & children sleeping until at least 6am. Wednesday I took the kids to the zoo & to McDonalds so they thought it was a very good day :o)

Thursday evening we went to another ball game except this time we took Shakira & it included all you can eat food & drink, & fireworks after the game. I was quite leary of how Caleb & Shakira would respond to the fireworks but was pleasantly surprised by their reactions. They both looked at them intently at first & then Caleb decided he had seen enough & just wanted to be held by Mama. Shakira started getting overwhelmed half way through but just looked away & held on tight to Papa. Samara really liked them. She said, "They are loud but they are really pretty. I like them!" Tonight we will be going to a fireworks display at the river not far from our house. Hopefully they will enjoy these as well.

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!!!

Week Six Addendum...

After looking back at my week six post I realized that I had forgotten some very key things...very good things...so I want to include them now.



Last week when I was some what frustrated with some of Shakira's behaviors I prayed & God told me, "Sing to her." Without thinking...I started singing the worship song, "I love you Lord". She immediately lifted her hands in the air & started singing in her "own language." Then God spoke to me, "Praise & worship music is Shakira's love language." Wow!!! Thank you Lord! So now, when we are both on the frustrated side, "I start singing & she immediately joins in with me & we both feel better afterwards.

She has also went from just saying "I love you Mama" after I tell her that I love her to saying it whenever she feels like it & gives me lots of hugs & kisses.




I can't pin point one particular thing that Phoebe did last week that speaks to me but rather a collection of things that mainly has to do with her being loving & helpful to her siblings.

Phoebe has always been a very bright child...in many ways she is wise beyond her young years. She is my "shining star" which for those of you who don't know...her name is Phoebe Starr & Phoebe means shining or bright.





Samara has always been a very gentle & sensitive child. She is very attentive to what is happening to others & jumps in to help whenever she can. Last week she took extra care to help out Shakira whenever she could. She is also very eager to help me & Randy do housework...which of course is a very good thing :o)




A couple of weeks ago I started teaching Caleb to give me kisses after I realized that he had never kissed any of us. He is always eager to get our kisses but never gave out any. So last week he started giving kisses on his own & when he kisses me he says, "I love you Mama." It melts my heart :o)

May Video Clips...

Week Six...

Well, once again I'm late on my weekly update :o) but I'm sure you all are very impressed that I even update at all anymore :o) Week six was overall very good which leads me to brace myself for a not so good week this week :o)

Shakira had a great week last week! She even went a day or two without soiling her pull ups during the day & I think she went one day without being put into time out.
One day while I was holding her & we were snuggling, I noticed that she had holes in her ears...as in pierced ears. I have no idea when that happen because she had just turned two when she was taken to the orphanage. So the other day I decided to see if the holes were still open...and they were...so she is now wearing ear rings. I thought for sure Phoebe would be all over that but so far she is not. Phoebe is not much into pain so I think we're good for awhile on the pierced ears thing. Shakira also did real well last week with her glasses. Today however, she decided to wear them upside down again...something that really makes my blood pressure go up :o)

Phoebe was a little whiny last week so I made sure that I gave her some extra one on one time & TLC. She is doing much better with trying to be patient & nice to Shakira. I bought her a dress fit for a princess for her to wear this coming Sunday for her siblings baptism. She's really excited about wearing it. Hopefully I'll get some good pictures or video of her in it.

Samara had a really good week except for her picky eating habits. It's pure torture watching her eat most vegetables.

Caleb was the one who had the most difficult week. He has a very deep rooted stubborn streak! If you tell him to sit...he stands. If you tell him to stand...he sits. If you tell him to sit "there"...he sits "here." And for some strange reason, the past two weeks he has developed a nap time phobia. He doesn't cry or pout at nap time...it's an all out very loud, screaming fit...that can last for two hours if you let it...yes I did... one day... just to see if it would stop on his own...he did not. So naptime is a real struggle every day right now but going to bed at night time isn't. Not sure what that's all about but hoping he gets over it soon! He's very smart. He's learning so many new words & wants to do everything himself...change his diaper, dress himself, put his body & hair oil on, his shoes on, etc. & he gets mad at you if you help him.

We're trying to go to story time at the library once a week & the kids really seem to enjoy it. We went to the pool several times last week. All of them like going to the pool. I took Phoebe & Samara to a Christian comedy show last Thursday night & they really enjoyed that.

I started exercising again & I am feeling better physically as well as my stress level is decreased. I had stopped for several weeks due to my back & then the kids came home & I just got side tracked. Randy works out almost every day after work at the hospital fitness center. We're looking forward to Randy's parents coming for a visit this weekend for the kids baptisms.

Things I've learned during week six:
1) Wearing white pants is really not a good idea anymore (Yeah, not sure why it
took me this long to figure that out :o)
2) Alcohol consumption goes up with the number of kids you have...so does chocolate
consumption :o)
3) Adult conversation is not over rated
4) You can get a discount if you buy Lysol by the case
5) People really like to stare at people who are different from them
6) True friends are priceless...yes, I knew that before...but I'm really
appreciating it more now.

Happy Father's Day Randy!!!

I know that you have waited a very long time for this day...19 years to be exact...for your family to be complete. Thank you for being such a wonderful father & husband! I love you!

For my Auntie You-You

This picture is for my precious Godmother/"Aunt" You-You :o) She gave me a gift card for my birthday & this new church outfit is one of the things I bought with it. I really didn't need more clothes but most of my clothes are from my good bud Cole (aka: Reece's younger brother) & I wanted a church outfit that said, "Caleb!" I hope you like it on me. I miss you & love you!
Love,
Caleb
(aren't you impressed that I can use the computer already? :o)

Five weeks ago...

our three Haitian beauties came home. It's hard to believe that it has been five weeks already. I wanted to make a one month post in review last Saturday, but in addition to it being a month since they came home, it was also my birthday & I spent most of it away from the house being pampered. Then the rest of the week just sped by so here we are at week five.

It's definitely been a interesting ride so far. Week one was amazing in the fact that they were finally home but it was difficult as everyone tried to figure out what to do & how to fit into our family. Week two was better as everyone was getting comfortable with each other. Week three was good for the majority but not for Shakira which I still attribute to Randy being gone part of the week. Week four was up & down. One good day then a not so good day or a really good first part of the day & then a really not so good second half of the day. This week has been busy with appointments, some of which were last minute notice. But overall I think it's been a good week.

Phoebe & Samara are playing really well with each other. Now they just have to learn how to include Shakira. They started out including her but then they get frustrated or tired of Shakira "being Shakira" so they started ignoring her this week so I had to have a little talk with them. Today they played well with her. It's good that she's playing with them because she needs to be watching what they are doing...at an almost 5 & 6 year old level...not a 2 year old level like she has been doing with Caleb & for quite some time...the nursery kids at the orphanage. She does love him dearly though & he's always looking to see where she is.

So this week Shakira got her glasses, new shoes & orthotics. Samara got a hair cut & all 3 of them got some more immunizations. Randy, Phoebe, & I got our teeth cleaned :o) We didn't get to go to the pool much this week due to the weather & some bad attitudes but all 6 of us went today & I think we made the life guards earn their money today :o) I thought we were doing fine...a little water swallowing going on but no choking or drowning but the lifeguards watched us like a hawk. Shakira had a blast! She's actually doing much better in the water than I thought she would. And Samara...for any of you who saw her in the pool for the first time at the Guest House in Haiti & saw her scream, cry, & carry on...you wouldn't believe your eyes now! She was actually swimming today in the deep water with a life jacket on. Caleb had fun too. He enjoys me throwing him up & down in the water, as well as spinning him on top of the water. Phoebe continues to improve with her strokes as well as under water swimming. I will not be surprised if she's on a swim team when she's older.

Samara's English improves daily as well as her comprehension of it. She's eager to learn how to read it. I think she will really enjoy the preschool she will be attending in the fall. Shakira is saying more words but still repeats a lot of words instead of making sentences. Right now we are focusing on when she says, "Mama" I say, "What Shakira?" & then trying to get her to say something else other than "Mama" again, like "Mama, I love you" or "Mama, look at me." Our new motto is "Mama is a word...not a language." She's doing about 50/50% most days on the potty training during the day so that's a huge improvement. My goal is still to have her potty trained through the day by the end of the summer. Caleb is wanting to get in on the action too so we started putting him on the potty chair when he says, "potty."

Shakira & Caleb are both doing better at not following me around all the time. They are also getting better at just sitting, or sitting & playing with something for a few minutes. Samara likes to play with her doll that she can fix her hair, color, play dress up & school & house with Phoebe. Shakira is showing interest in books now & often goes to the bookcase in her room & gets a book or two & looks at it. Right now Caleb is more interested in the girls toys than his "manly" or educational toys...hoping that will wear off soon :o) Phoebe still likes to read & is often found reading to her siblings. She has asked several times to do homework since school has been out. She is really looking forward to the first grade. We are still waiting for Shakira to be assessed this summer so she can be placed where she needs to be when school starts in the fall.

Randy & I are doing well. We take turns being exhausted which is a good thing because it would be counterproductive to be exhausted at the same time :o) We are looking forward to a laid back, quiver full Father's Day.

Do Not Lose Hope!

I woke up today with a heavy heart for all the adoptive parents still waiting for their children to come home. For the ones that just started the process & the ones that have been it much too long & their children should already be home. Please know that I continue to pray for you & your children.

Hear my prayer, O Lord; listen to my plea!
Answer me because you are faithful & righteous.
Do not put your servant on trial, for no one is innocent before you.
My enemy has chased me. He has knocked me to the ground
& forces me to live in darkness like those in the grave.
I am losing all hope; I am paralyzed with fear.
I remember the days of old.
I ponder all your great works & think about what you have done.
I lift my hands to you in prayer.
I thirst for you as parched land thirsts for rain.
Come quickly, Lord, & answer me, for my depression deepens.
Do not turn away from me, or I will die.
Let me hear of your unfailing love each morning, for I am trusting you.
Show me where to walk, for I give myself to you.
Rescue me from my enemies, Lord; I run to you to hide me.
Teach me to do your will, for you are my God.
May your gracious Spirit lead me forward on a firm footing.
For the glory of your name, O Lord, preserve my life.
Because of your faithfulness, bring me out of this distress.
In your unfailing love, silence all my enemies & destroy all my foes,
for I am your servant.
Psalm 143 NLT

Like David, many of you are losing hope, & are caught in paralyzing fear & deep depression. And like you, I've been there. The wait for our children to come home is long...and very hard. There are days when you don't even want to get out of bed...but you have to. Every day is a gift from God...even the days that don't feel like it. It's not wrong to express your heaviness of heart & your frustration. Take it to the Lord...the one who cares more about you than anyone else. He does hear your cries...and he catches your tears in his hand.

My footnotes from the Life Application Study Bible say this: At times we feel caught in deepening depression, & we are unable to pull ourselves out. At those times we can come to the Lord &, like David, express our true feelings. Then we will find help as we remember his works, reach out to him in prayer, trust him, & seek to do his will. David's prayer was to be taught to do God's will, not his own. A prayer for guidance is self-centered if it does not recognize God's power to redirect our lives. Asking God to restructure our priorities awakens our minds & stirs our will.

"Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior & my God." Psalm 42:11

"Be strong & take heart, all you hope in the Lord." Psalm 31:24

"Praise be to the God & Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." 1 Peter 1:3

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

Harmony

If you're expecting a wonderful post about harmony in my house...you'll have to wait for another time for that :o) We're getting closer to that but not ready for a warm, fuzzy, honey dripping post about it yet :o)

Actually this has been on my heart for awhile but I've just now been able to post about it. A few days ago I read Psalm 133 which is written by David about the joy of harmonious relationships.

"How wonderful & pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony!
For harmony is as precious as the anointing oil that was poured over Aaron's head,
that ran down his beard & onto thhe border of his robe.
Harmony is as refreshing as the dew from Mount Hermon that falls on the
mountains of Zion.
And there the Lord has pronounced his blessing, even life everlasting."
Psalm 133 NLT

One of my footnotes for this psalm from the Life Application Study Bible says this:
David stated that harmony is pleasant & precious. Unfortunately, harmony is not always found in the church, as it should be. People disagree & cause division over unimportant issues. Some delight in causing tension by discrediting others.

Harmony is important because 1) it makes the church a positive example to the world & helps draw ohters to the Lord; 2) it helps us cooperate as a body of believers as God meant us to, giving us a foretaste of heaven, 3) it renews & revitalizes ministry because there is less tension to sap our energy.

Living in harmony does not mean that we will agree on everything; there will be many opinions just as there are many notes in a musical chord. But we must agree on our purpose in life...to work together for God. Our outward expression of harmony will reflect our inward harmony of purpose.

"Work at living in peace with everyone, & work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord. Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many." Hebrews 12:14-15 NLT

Shaki's Big Day!

Unfortunately Shakira's new glasses don't really show up on pictures but trust me...they are stylin!...and most importantly...she can see now! She basically couldn't see out of her right eye so hopefully the glasses will help tremendously. Please pray that she keeps them on & that she doesn't break them. I have a picture of her new shoes which she got to sport her new orthotics which hopefully will correct her feet & leg problems.

"Man Up"

Since Caleb has arrived home, Randy & I have been working hard trying to get him to "man up"...not be such a mama's boy & to do "boy" things. As you can see by the pictures...we're not doing a very good job of it as Phoebe & Samara are working hard against us :o)

Short & Sassy :o)

their hair I mean...not in height :o)

Pedal...

I've have read this before but reading it now is a great reminder for me during this particular time in my life. This is from Dr. David Jeremiah's daily devotions a few days ago.

Pedal

The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD. Psalm 37:23

Recommended Reading
Jonah 1-3

An unknown author once described his journey of giving God control of his life as a tandem bike ride with Christ in the front. He said, "When I had control, I knew the way. It was rather boring, but predictable. But when He took the lead, He knew delightful long trails up mountains, and through rocky places at breakneck speeds; it was all I could do to hang on!! Even though it looked like madness, He said, "Pedal!" I was worried and anxious and asked, "Where are You taking me?" He laughed and didn't answer, and I started to learn to trust. And I'm beginning to enjoy the cool breeze on my face with my delightful constant companion, Christ. And when I'm sure I just can't do anymore, He just smiles and says..."Pedal."

Though we may fear and doubt where God is taking us, when we give Him control, our life will never be the same. We'll begin to find adventure in the midst of adversity, and peace during times of pain. All we have to do is let Him steer our life while we simply pedal.

"Give your life to God; He can do more with it than you can!" Dwight L. Moody

Sometimes...you gotta do...

whach ya gotta do :o) Anyone who has met these two precious children...know the story behind these pictures :o)

Family Pictures & Weekly Update...

Well, so much for me getting to my weekly update on Saturday as I had hoped. But I guess I did have somewhat of a good excuse...Randy was gone from Wednesday morning until Saturday evening so I was solo with the kids. I was very thankful to see him Saturday night!

So Saturday marked week 3 of the kids being home. Some people might expect that it gets easier each week but I was prepared by other friends that have had their children home for awhile, that's not the case. They told me, "The children will have good weeks & bad weeks...and in no particular order. They will take one step forward & two steps back. This is a marathon adjustment...not a sprint." And they were 100% right!

Week one was very rough. Week two was pretty good. Week three was "okay." Everyone seemed to be doing okay except for Shakira. She had a rough week & when she has a rough day or week...it affects everyone. I'm praying that this week will be better but you never know. With special needs children...the slightest change in routine, the weather, or no change at all...can set them back. We knew this before hand but experiencing it...day in & day out...is something that you can not truly understand unless you experience it.

Please don't take this wrong...we love all of our children more than words could ever express...and Shakira is no exception to that...but we would be lying if we said it's "easy" to parent her. Yesterday I said to a friend that Phoebe was a very difficult child from ages 18 months until about a month before the 3 came home. I told her that I knew some day I would understand why I had to experience that with her. It was preparing me..."seasoning" me for this time in my life. Without it, I would have already "drowned". There is a reason...sometimes many reasons...why we experience difficult things...and many times they make us wiser & stronger. I see Shakira & I as "iron sharpening iron" & I can't wait to see the finish product...in both of us!

We had our first "official" family pictures taken yesterday by our amazing friend Todd. Here are some of them.

Sa-mare-a...

When we first decided to adopt Samara, I asked how they pronounced her name because I thought it should be pronounced Sa-mare-a because Samara is derived from the word Samaria. Well, I was quickly told that they pronounced it Sa-mar-a. Okay, no big deal. I started pronouncing it that way. Everyone pronounced it that way.

Well, guess what? There is one person that doesn't...and it's the pretty girl that has the name. She says Sa-mare-a & when I tried to get her to say Sa-mar-a, she said, "No...Sa-mare-a." So I went to bed last night thinking how in the world can we continue to say "Sa-mar-a" when she says "Sa-mare-a?" So this morning I told her of my dilemna & asked her which way she wanted us to say it & said, "Sa-mare-a." Now after 2 years & 5 months of pronouncing her name one way...I have to get use to saying it another way. I told her that I might "mess up" once in awhile & say it the other way but that I'm really going to try to say her name "correctly" all the time. Who wants to join me in this endeavor??? :o)

Finally!

I have homecoming pictures to show you. Still working on the video clip but hopefully this will hold for you awhile :o)

Samendia & Jefferson...

So I got "dethroned" from filming the video this time around! Randy took this one :o) I thought we were going to miss this homecoming after finding out that they were delayed in Immigration & missed their flight to come home Sunday evening to our home airport but after finding out that another family (which turned out to be 2 other families besides use) decided to hop in their van & make the 3 hour road trip to the airport they got a flight into, we decided to do the same...yes, with our 4 kids! I am so glad we went! Don & Teresa are very good friends of ours & we started the adoption process together & I wanted to ended it together as well. Welcome home!

Two weeks ago...

my three beautiful Haitian children came home. It's hard to believe that it has been two weeks already! Although I was very excited & thankful for the best Mother's Day present ever, I will admit that the first week was pretty rough. We didn't expect it to a piece of cake but as I have said in a previous post...you can't really ever prepare for something like this. There's too many possible factors & scenarios that can play out due to a clashing of cultures & personalities.

The second week has been much better. Caleb is no longer sick & everyone is starting to settle in & adjust to each other. I know it will continue to be an ongoing transition for awhile but I am so amazed at the progress so far. We look like a family, act like a family, & feel like a family :o)

The kids homecoming did teach us some things about friends as well. I have talked to some other mothers who have already brought their children home & they say the same thing I have been thinking: "You find out who your true friends are when the kids come home." I want to thank each & everyone of my friends who "stepped up to the plate" to help us when the kids came home. Thank you! Thank you for the prayers, support & encouragement! Thank you for the food! Thank you for the gifts! Thank you for having Phoebe come over to your house so she could have a break! Thank you for letting me drop off the kids one morning so I could have some alone time! Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

I tried really hard to do several updates & pictures since the kids came home because I know that family & friends want to be a part of this transition, however, I don't expect it to continue quite as frequently from now on. I will try to post weekly updates but it may even be longer than that as I don't have a lot of spare time on the computer these days.

Birthday pictures...

Guess what I can do???

This morning I cleaned my own bottom...after going number 2 :o) Then I put on my pull up all by myself...and then I put on my skort all by myself!!!

I am saying a few words in English & Mama is teaching me some sign language. I have to sign "more please" before I get more food...and then I have to say & sign "thank you" after I get more.

Last night I was very excited because some very nice people gave me a very pretty, pink beach towel. I said, "Thank you" very clearly as soon as they gave it to me.

I am learning so much! I do spend some quality time in time out but it is teaching me that I have to follow directions & obey rules just like everyone else. I really like being home with my family!

Happy 2nd Birthday Little Man!!!

Mama is so thankful that you are home to celebrate your 2nd birthday! Thank you Jesus! She is so excited that she can't go to sleep. Hopefully lack of sleep will not affect her party planning :o)

A weekish in review...

To say that we've been busy since the kids came home would be an understatement :o) But I wanted to take the time to post some pictures...still waiting for homecoming pictures from other people...and to let you know how things have been going so far.

We are so thankful that our children are finally home & that our family is now complete! We thank God for bringing his plan for our family to completion. We thank God for his perfect timing...and for the children coming home the day before Mother's day & 10 days before Caleb's birthday. We thank God for bringing them home when he did so Caleb could get the medical care that he needed. This however, does not ease the difficulty of the transition process. Whether you bring home one child or multiples, it is an adjustment...both for the child(ren) you bring home, the parents, & any children already in the home. When two very different worlds coming colliding together...it will be challenging. It is not something you can "really" prepare for. All the books in the world, advice from others, etc. can not prepare you for the responses everyone will have to their rapidly changing environment.

The first two days & nights went fairly smoothly as the girls were still in the "honeymoon phase" & poor Caleb was sick & didn't do much but sleep, puke, & poopy. After that it got more difficult due to Caleb being admitted to the hospital & the girls trying to figure out how to live life outside of an orphanage. This of course is not an overnight process but all 3 of them are taking baby steps forward each day...as are we in trying to help them with their transition.

After Caleb came home from the hospital we saw a side of him that we had never seen before. We still don't know if it is his reaction to the change in his environment or the fact that he is turning 2 & going through that phase, or if it's a combination of the two. He threw some pretty nasty temper tantrums & was hitting, kicking, throwing, & biting but that is starting to subside as well as his constant "Ma Ma" chant he had going on almost non stop for three days. He still likes to be beside me at all times but he's starting to get more comfortable with me doing something in one room & him being in another. Today we smiled & laughed a lot together & even started singing to me although I have no idea what he was singing. He is picking up English very quickly. Yesterday I was eating a salad & he pointed to the croutons on it & said, "Mama, I want that." So needless to say he got some croutons :o) I love holding him in my arms & rubbing his cute head of hair.

Shakira is amazing. The change in her environment has brought out some things that we had not seen before but I think they will decrease as she gets use to being home & her routine. Her smile melts my heart. Her wandering around the house has decreased & she can sit for longer periods of time. Her potty training is hit & miss right now. Some days she does very well & other days...not so well but I don't think it will be very long before she has it mastered. Her communication skills have really improved over the past week. I am focusing on her either saying an English or Creole word or using sign language for a word. No more grunts or groans to speak & she's doing a pretty good job of it. Shakira is definitely a Daddy's girl & she stands by the window & watches for Randy to pull up in the drive way after a days work. She then starts jumping up & down & saying, "Papa Papa."

Samara is by far having the easiest transiton out of the three but there are times when she's struggling & just needs some extra TLC. It didn't take her & Phoebe long to be come "real" sisters. They play well & argue well with each other :o) She is very eager to start school in the fall. I took her to the preschool she will be attending & she was very excited about it. Yesterday Samara & I went to a Chinese buffet by ourselves. You should have seen her eyes when she saw all of the food! I helped her with her plate & then we went back to our seats. She ate some chicken & said, "This is good. It is good for me." I said, "Yes, it is." Then later on she ate a cookie & said, "This is good. It is good for me" & I said, "Not so much" :o)

Phoebe has done much better with the transition than we had expected. She is stepping up to the plate to help out whenever she can although sometimes we have to remind her that we are the parents...not her :o) She has also been getting some much needed "breaks" from good friends that offer for her to go to their house for awhile.

We are very appreciative to all of our friends & family that have lavished support, encouragement, prayers, food, & etc. on us during this time. Thank you so much!

Puke & P_ _ p...

Well, Little Man had been throwing up & having the "runs" since last Thursday. He went to the doctor yesterday morning & they drew labs. Yesterday evening the doctor calls back & says, "He's pretty dehyrdated. I would like to admit him to the hosptial & have IV fluids overnight." So off he & I went. We got there around 6:30pm & he was discharged around 2pm today. He officially has the rhodovirus (however you spell it)...nasty stomach bug that makes lots of stinky puke & green poopy. He looks much better now. He gained 2 pounds since last evening. That's how dehydrated he was. Now he has cheeks & he's his "normal" self. He hasn't thrown up since yesterday but the doctor said the stinky poop will continue for a few more days. Please pray that no one else in our house gets it!

Enjoying outside...

Feeling at home...

They're here!!!

This footage is hard to see because the amazing person that had my camera was standing on the side facing the window & made the footage dark. Hope you can figure out who's who.

On US Soil!

I apologize for not blogging last night but it's been kind of "wild" around here. Randy & "company" arrived safely in Miami last night. The kids are now US Citizens! Samara & Shakira are doing really well. Caleb however is pretty sick so please pray for him. He started throwing up Thursday night at the O. Randy just called from DFW & said Caleb is still throwing up, & now has diarrhea, & a fever. I made jello for him last night & I'm going to the store this morning & get some Pedialyte.

Please pray for peace for my mom as well. She arrived yesterday around 1pm & late yesterday afternoon we found out that a bad storm went through our hometown & she has some house damage which of course is concerning to her.

I will try to post homecoming pictures & video as soon as possible but with a sick little one it might be a while. Thanks for all of your prayers & support!

Talk to the hand...

because that's where the visas are :o) Not my hand, but somebody's :o) I'm really getting excited now! This is really happening!!! Randy & Troy take off tomorrow morning & they are scheduled to come home with the kids on Saturday. Please pray for travel safety & that everything goes smoothly. Thanks!

Amanda...

Hey you...if you still have Michelle's E mail address...would you please send her an E mail & then she can forward it to me so I can send you an E mail about our travel plans. Thanky! :o)

APPROVED!!!

Well, I just got word that we got our visa approvals! Thank you Jesus! Thank you Lord for being with us every step of the way on this wild & crazy ride!
They should be able to pick up the visas tomorrow afternoon. Please remember that "should" is the key word...so please pray that they have the paper & ink they need to print them, & the printing machine works properly & for anything else that could go wrong :o) I will send out an E mail with travel plans once the visas are in hand.

Nothing, nada, zilch...

No news yet. I will let you know as soon as I know something :o)

Praise the Lord!

I was reading Psalm 113 this morning & this is what the last verse says:
"He gives the childless woman a family, making her a happy mother. Praise the Lord!"
Psalm 113:9 NLT

Thank you Jesus!

Getting closer...very close!

Wanted to let you know that we just got DHS approval!!! Praise God!!! Please start praying that we will get a visa appointment scheduled in a timely manner. Thanks!
Update: We recieved notice that our visa appt. is Tuesday!!!! That is all God!!! Thank you Jesus!!! Please pray for approvals on Tuesday!

Doing God's Will...

Ever since Randy & I recommitted our lives to the Lord in 1997, we have been striving to do His will. At the beginning we were pretty bad at it...missing the mark most of the time because we weren't listening or just didn't want to. We found out the hard way that it's really not a smart thing to not listen to God & to not to what He says.

So I think that over the past years we have been getting better at it even though most of the time it's not easy to do. We do it & trust that He knows what's best for us...and He has never failed us thus far...He does know what is best for us!

We had a back up plan in case I did not get doctor approval to fly to Haiti. I was happy Monday when my doctor said I could fly but I didn't have a peace about going. I was happy that I was healthy enough to fly but wasn't sure that I was suppose to go with Randy to pick up the kids. I called Randy at work & asked him if I should go with him & he said, "Well, if the doctor said you could fly, then I think you should go." I said, "Okay" but still didn't have a peace about it.

Randy sent me an E mail from work on Tuesday basically saying that he wasn't sure that I should go, so we agreed to pray about it. I then called a good friend of mine to ask her to pray about it too & she said that she would but then said, "I think your heart already has the answer." When I asked her to explain what she meant she pointed out to me that I had complete peace about not going...something that I had been waiting for over two years for...she said you would not be at peace about it if that wasn't what you were suppose to do. It immediately clicked inside of me because that has always been the determining factor for me on whether I should do something or not, or what path to take. I ask God for His will to be done & that He would give me a peace about it one way or the other.

I had total peace about not going but did not have peace about going so there was my answer! I called Randy & talked to him about it, & he agreed. So we are going with our original back up plan. Troy M. (Brandy's husand) will be going with Randy to bring our kids home. I am so excited that he is going! Phoebe & I will be eagerly waiting at the airport for their arrival...and no, I'm still not making my own cake or shooting my own homecoming video :o)

We did find out yesterday that the medical test results are negative. Praise God!!!
However, yes...there's always "more" in Haiti...they now want a certain translation certified so that is suppose to be done today. Praying that we will get DHS approval by the end of the day.

No and Yes...

No, I have not heard anything from Haiti today :o(
Yes, I did have my recheck with my doctor today...and he gave me the "green light" to fly to Haiti to bring my children home :o)

One month from today...

Caleb turns two. Please continue to pray that he will be home by his 2nd birthday. Thanks!

I will...

be joyful & thankful during this time of waiting! I must admit that out of all of the waiting that I have ever had to do in my life...waiting for my "knight in shining armor" to come along, waiting for 14 years after getting married for Phoebe to come along, waiting another 3 years after that for God to reveal his plans to enlarge our family, currently waiting for 2 years & 4 months for that plan to come to completion...that these past few weeks have been the hardest of the waiting that I have done so far in my life. I'm not exactly sure why but they have been.

Yesterday I was eagerly awaiting the news of negative TB results & instead got "kicked in the stomach" with the news that the tests results won't be back until Monday...which of course means that our DHS approval will not happen this week as most of us had hoped & prayed for. I will admit that I did get very bummed about this. But the good thing about having a "bouncy" personality is that you don't stay in one spot for very long :o) So last night before I went to bed I was determined not to let this get to me & that I will continue to wait patiently upon the Lord.

This morning I woke up & Psalm 100 really spoke to me so I am going to share it with you & I pray that it blesses you as well.

Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth!
Worship the Lord with gladness.
Come before him, singing with joy.
Acknowledge that the Lord is God!
He made us, & we are his.
We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving;
go into his courts with praise.
Give thanks to him & praise his name.
For the Lord is good.
His unfailing love continues forever,
& his faithfulness continues to each generation.
Psalm 100 NLT

Updated at 7:42am

My hubby sent this devotion from Dr. David Jeremiah to me this morning & it so goes along with what's going on in my life & possibly yours too.
Who Is in Control?

"So shall My Word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it." Isaiah 55:11

Parenting experts disagree on quite a few things, such as spanking, time outs, manners, sleeping, eating, obedience, and tantrums. Typically though, there is one common thread among those who claim to know how to raise children; you must follow through on what you say. If a parent explains the consequences of disobedience to their child, they must be ready and willing to carry them out. In other words, parents must mean what they say. This fosters respect and prompt, pleasant obedience in most cases because children quickly learn who is in control: the parent.

Just as smart parents follow through in order to teach their children obedience, sometimes God uses prophecy for the instruction of His children. He wants us to know that when He says He will do something, we can be absolutely sure it will come to pass as He said. At the same time, He is showing us His authority and trustworthiness so that if we ever question what is going on in the world, we can simply search His Word, discover what He says about it, and remember who is in control: Almighty God.

"He who breathes into our hearts the heavenly hope will not deceive or fail us when we press forward to its realization." Anonymous

This waiting...

will either:
a) make me stronger
b) drive me crazy
c) drive me to drink
d) make me throw away all clocks & calendars
e) eat 100 pounds of chocolate
f) all of the above
g) none of the above

I promise that I will post new info. when I have it...right now...it's still a waiting game! Cara...I think you need to come visit me :o)

Spring Break Pictures...

Sorry that it has taken me so long to post these! We did have a great time in NC although we didn't take many pictures :o( Phoebe did really well visiting a whole lot of people that she doesn't remember :o)

Happy Easter!!!

Praying that you are having a very blessed & joy filled Easter. He is RISEN...He is RISEN indeed!

The "Scoop"...

I know many of you are wearing yourselves out checking my blog to see if I have posted any new news on our adoption progress :o) so I thought I would give you an update although it's not too terribly exciting at this point.

Our children's passports have been obtained & their files are in review at DHS for final approval. I'm not sure if they actually had their medical exams, but for some unknown reason have not had their TB tests done yet & now can not have them until Monday. So please pray that they will get them on Monday & that we will get negative results on Wednesday & have final approval by Friday of next week. Thanks!

I surrender...

Have you ever been in a season in your life where you think you're doing the right things, you're trying your best to seek & do God's will in your life, & then all of sudden...........WHAMO!.................you get "thrown" down to the ground & you're only hope of getting back up is to take the hand that Jesus is extending to you & let him pick you up & put you back on your feet? Well, I am experiencing one of those seasons right now. I would probably still be cluessless today about my predicament if it wasn't for having a wonderful, caring friend who loves me too much to tell me just what I want to hear. She spoke the truth in love...even though it was still painful to hear...and God's words through her voice...spoke to my heart & spirit. This song pretty much sums it up about what I'm doing about it.

The Gathering...

You're mama...

was doing the same thing yesterday but I didn't get a picture of it! Two peas in a pod! :o)

Our Awesome God!!!

Wednesday was a rollercoaster ride of emotions for me. After learning the news that Passports wanted to see Caleb's birthmother before issuing his passport, I was a "mess." I bawled my eyes out & then was briefly overtaken by fear & selfishness. Fear that this gave his birthmother another opportunity to change her mind, & selfishness of not wanting to go through the pain of all kind of scenarios related to that, even though I know without a doubt God has chosen Caleb to be a part of our family. I want my children home now! I feel like I've waited long enough & do not want to go through a long, drawn out something else to test or grow my faith or anyone else's. I just want my children home...now!!! So after telling God all of that I broke down & did what I knew He was calling me to do...which was to trust Him...and give it all to Him. So I did...even if that means waitng another year or two more for my child(ren) to come home. Once I released Caleb to God I was filled with complete peace.

Thursday morning I found out that our usually mild mannered, not so assertive but very hard working Orphanage Director told passports that everything was complete & legal on the Haitian side & that they had no right to ask for the birthparents presence at this point. I am totally convinced that this was Holy Spirit led assertiveness...and they responded with, "Okay, you can come pick up the passport." Thank you Jesus!!!
So he was suppose to have picked up Caleb's passport yesterday morning & then submit all of our files to DHS for final approval. We are waiting for confirmation today whether he was able to do everything as planned.

The next "hurdle" we face is the children's TB test. They are suppose to be going for their medical exams today which are needed for the final DHS approval. We need to pray that all 5 children's (including the 2 that aren't mine :o) TB test come back negative because if they don't...you're looking at about a month delay in getting a chest x ray, the results of it, & the 10 days of treatment that is required before they are allowed to enter the US. They will read the results Monday so please pray that they are negative. Thanks!

Please pray!!!

I can't even write about this right now but you can go to Cara's blog...see right side blog listing...and read her post for today. The "other" child is Caleb. Please pray! Thanks!