Getting Bella

These were taken at our friends' house

when we went to pick up our puppy, Bella.

Fun tire swing!

Meeting Bella!

Cool barn.

Baby A. with J.

Sunburn

J has been working a lot lately since starting a special work project and picking up extra overtime. Right now he is on a nine day stretch. It is difficult for me when he is at work, because I feel like it is such a chore to load kids up and go anywhere. But yesterday was Pioneer Days in our little nearby town, and when my friend Sarah asked if we wanted to hang out with them, I figured it was worth the effort. It took me an hour to pack up the kids' things, medical equipment and stuff, but we made it!

We had a big time too, walked to the parade and the kids filled up with candy galore. Then while we walked to the local grocery store to pick up lunch, someone told us about some free hotdogs, chips and pop. The kids grabbed lunch there, and ate while we walked. 12 kids and 2 ladies walking across town. They all did well, except S. who probably should have been in a stroller or on a leash. He is WILD.

We made it to the store and the kids all were paired up with a buddy. They were sent to pick out one snack to share that wasn't candy, and was under $5. It was interesting to see what they picked out. I got a yummy chicken caesar salad that I didn't share. We loaded back up to walk back to our friends' house, and stopped at the park along the river to let the kids cool off by the fountain. Then finally made it back, exhausted. We ate, swam, and played hard. The kids were so worn out when we got home. And I was sunburned. BAD. The kids were good about the sunscreen, but I forgot about mom. Ugh.

I am going

to the ETAMM. I can't wait, you have no idea.

updates

Dust has settled a bit from our difficult week, but things are still tense.

L. is at a counseling session right now with his dad. I was planning on going but was not able to due to childcare issues/preschoolers getting on and off buses. I wonder if he might be able to open up more with me not there anyway. He did NOT want to go. It's a pastor from our church who is a school counselor and youth leader, so I am sure L. is embarrassed and worried about what might happen.

We had a fun day yesterday with friends at the bay. We packed hot dogs, salads and smore stuff and built a fire near the water. The kids had a great time playing and the weather was mild and perfect in my opinion.

We haven't had any more foster care placements, which I think is perfect for now. We had a lot going on and I can't imagine going through that while caring for another child. I am still learning the ins and outs of how things work. I haven't received an invoice for payment yet, and I think today is the last day to turn it in. I hope I can get things figured out soon.

We are needing to plan our summer. There are a lot of possibilities for activities for the kids. But I need to come to some decisions about what to do!

Public school is in the works for ALL my kids in the fall. I am a little sad, but I think it is the best thing at this point. L. will be a high schooler, C. a jr. higher, K. a 2nd or 3rd grader (not sure yet on placement), E. a kindergartener, S. a preschooler. Wow. If there is an event in our school district, you can bet we will be there!

Long days

I have been busy lately! I am always a bit busy but the last few weeks seem like a whirlwind.

We had a wonderful Easter. J led worship at church and we enjoyed a wonderful message. Then we went to our friends' house to have a yummy lunch and fun, chaos filled Easter egg hunt. We left there and drove to my parents house to visit and have dessert.

I have been cleaning and organizing the house to get ready for our home visit for our foster care license. It took me a LONG time. Partly because I procrastinated.

We did have the visit on Monday. It went well we think. The licensor will write up the report by the 11th. There is a 90 day deadline by state law to have paperwork completed starting the day we applied. I can't believe it's already been that long! After the office looks over the report we could have our license a week or two later. Wow.

I also got a job on Monday. A friend of a friend needed childcare for her son for two to three days a week. I am on day two of caring for him and so far so good! He is a cute little guy and fits in well with everyone.

Make a Wish volunteers came out this morning to do some site prep. Coast Construction volunteered to come out and pull stumps and level the ground. We ran into some issues...muddy, poor soil and cut electrical lines (yes we did try to locate them first but were misinformed). Thankfully the owner of Coast was a gracious and helpful man and had some good ideas. He brought in some heavy duty road fabric to lay over the muck. Then called in a load of sand to put over the fabric in the low areas. This will be delivered Friday or Saturday. We will have a bunch of wood chips delivered to put over that and then the playground. It is quite a process. J had to come home from work to help with the power line situation and stopped by the hardware store to get supplies to splice the wires. The Coast guy spliced and repaired the cut lines like a pro. He gave up so much time, resources and energy for us and S. Really made me feel good that he did such a great job.

Sigh

Busy getting ready for an impromptu garage sale. I don't enjoy it, but we really need the extra cash to pay some nagging medical bills. Plus it will be a huge plus to have less clutter around! Hoping it's successful and sunny tomorrow and Saturday.

The Make a Wish project has become a HUGE stressor for me. I know it is not supposed to be. I think because it involves our property, some big prep work projects going on before the big day, and finding friends to help, it's been difficult. I am getting very discouraged trying to find volunteers to help for the day of May 11. It should be a lot of fun. I hope it is kind of like a big party with lots of friends, food and celebration of a wonderful kid.

Spring has yet to find it's way to our area. It was actually snowing the other day! I know I am super tired of rain, cold and muck.

Baseball has been fun for L. And J. has been putting in a lot of time helping coach when he is able. And soccer for E. was quite entertaining last night. He was more concerned about his (girl)friend A.J. than listening to the college students running the practice! Too funny.

Need help

I have a friend who has been through some really hard things. She has lost a lot in her young life and now is struggling to get by as a single mother of two. Soon she will lose her apartment and will be homeless. She is receiving some help from the state, but the wait list for housing assistance is currently 3 years long. She has a few options and has a few months to figure out a solution to her problem, but I can see it is causing a lot of stress for her, which is understandable.

Our family is trying to think of ways to help. We have five acres AND a covered parking space for an RV or trailer. We thought she might be able to live in a trailer with her boys on our property temporarily and give her a chance to get back on her feet. BUT we don't have a trailer. And no one really has money to buy one.

If you know of someone selling an older nicer RV or trailer locally, will you let us know? Or if you have one you could lend or give (will be during the summer months), contact us? If you have space to rent for 3 people for under $300 a month contact me? Or if you want to give financially to my friend, let me know too. If you could pray about this situation I would appreciate it much.

"If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth." 1 John 3:17-18

ramblings

I know on my last post I said I would see you when I am home. I am not home yet, but just couldn't stay away! Blogging really helps clear the head and kill some time.

The other day I met up with some friends I met online. Another adopting mom and a mom who lives here with her family. They are both wonderful ladies. We hung out for most of the day. They offered support and love, and I offered...well I don't think I really brought much to the table. Beth was planning a Halloween party at her house, and was driving back to the city that night. She offered a place for me to stay for a the rest of my trip if I wanted. It sounded really great to have a change of scenery, hang out with some great new friends, and get a ride closer to the airport so I wouldn't have to travel so far alone on Tuesday. So, I took her up on that offer, went back to HSH, packed my bags, said goodbyes, and left. M. did not seem sad or upset at all. She was really excited about the things I was leaving behind. New to her clothes, books, little toys, etc. She forced a hug and a kiss, which was better than the last time I left!

Last night was the Halloween party. A group of adoptive families who are here in country attended. It was the second time I had seen them. And for some reason it was so hard to be around them. Most of them were young. The children they are adopting are young. And I felt so dang jealous. They have been here for a small amount of time, with court way behind them, and some are ready to go home very soon with their precious kids. They didn't really have a lot to say to me, and I ackwardly escaped to my room a few times throughout the night. I did have a good time visiting with several women who are missionaries here, and learning more about the way things work. We ate homemade chili, coleslaw, cake and lots of candy! The kids went from door to door inside the house trick or treating. They dressed up as characters from Lost. So cute!

Last night I was tired and fell asleep early. Then I had some dreams. Weird dreams that seemed to last the whole night. I woke up around 4 am thinking. I thought about homesteading; raising animals and gardening. I thought about Christmas gifts and how I should shop for some while I am here. I thought about what foods I want to eat when I get home. I thought about my family and how excited I will be when I see a few of them at the airport. I have one full night left before I board that plane. I can't WAIT.

news

I've been so busy I haven't had much opportunity to blog. Here are some short little updates about life right now:

• We had a great weekend seeing family and friends. On Sat. we went to reunion for COTP kids and volunteers. It was a great time and we are so glad we had the chance to go! On Sunday we went to church and then to a Father's Day brunch at my aunt and uncle's house. One of my dad's sisters is very sick and she was able to come over to visit. It was really nice to see my dad's side of the family. It seems there are years between get togethers even though most of live so close to each other.
• We had a good father's day. My kid's father (my love) did NOT have to work! We came home after the family brunch, made a special dinner and cake, and watched Alice In Wonderland together.
• L. had the opportunity to work at Grandma and Grandpa's house over the weekend (he missed the reunion but met us at the family event). His aunt and uncle graciously made a donation to him too, so he getting close to earning his fees for his mission trip to Mexico. He is leaving mid-July with a group from our church. I am a little worried. Grandma is a lot worried!
• The boys and J. had a great trip over the mountain to visit family and celebrate J's brother's college graduation. I really enjoyed the quiet time and fun activities with the girls.
• M. in Africa is really not doing well. Our attorney was out of town dealing with a death in the family. Courts are closing in July sometime. We are hoping we might be able to get a court date before courts close. Hoping for some end in sight to be able to bring her home. Many people have been helping us with suggestions and advice on what we can do to help M. She was going to head to the doctor and get some blood work done today to see if there is a problem with the medication she is on. Our congressman's office called today. She is trying to see if they can do anything to help speed things up, at least on the US side of things.
• If we travel soon, we are going to be paying big bucks for airline tickets.
• The weather here has been a little strange. Cold and rainy for five days, then one beautiful weather day. Then back to cold and rainy. Sometimes it's cold and rainy most of the day, then it clears up for a few hours.
• We are planning a camping trip at the end of the month. My hubby will be working. I am a bit nervous about how that will all work out, since we will be in a tent! We will have friends around so at least more eyes to watch kids.
• VBS is this week. E. is really liking it! He did great today, and I hope he will continue to enjoy the remainder.
• My friend is coming to visit tomorrow. She and her family moved and I miss them terribly. I have been trying to clean up the house and get ready for her to visit.

some quiet

well, almost. It's been a really rocky, emotional week for me, and us. We are getting past it and moving on. J. has been working a lot of overtime lately, which is great for the travel plans in the looming future. We are still not sure what is going on with M. and our court date. It would be lovely to get some news about that this week, but I am not holding my breath. Today is J's first day off in seven days. That means we really have not seen him in seven days. He works at least a 10 hour, 20 min. shift. But with the OT it means even longer days. I did get a chance to get out of the house and go with a friend to a movie and treat. It was so nice to vent to someone who understands this stuff and has some valuable advice to share. Today we tried to sleep in, but S. and E. would not have it. They woke us up at 6 am. J. is now bowling with four of the kids, while S. plays with his toys and E. is resting. Love the peace!

What we did yesterday...

We met up with some of my favorite people at the Children's museum about an hour away from our home. One of the women who runs RHFH's rescue center had a chance to see S. again during her visit to our area! S. stayed at the rescue center for a few weeks of his life before he came to us in 2008. I am so grateful for what RHFH has done for so many precious kids (and adults) in Haiti. If you can, please support them!!! It has been such a pleasure to get to know these wonderful people and call them my friends.

Support System

I have been thinking about our upcoming trip. While we still don't know when it will be, it could be soon and most likely last minute. I have been in contact with a few parents who have some great bits of advice. Here is something that's really gotten to me as we prepare:

"I would encourage you to hold tight to your faith in God's great plan for you, your future daughter, and your whole family. My experience left me crying on the floor, but God still held me and still had a big plan for my daughter. It gets really hard to hold on to your faith when there are so many balls in the air, so many things that can go one way or another. I tried to take each day minute by minute and that really helped.

Do you have a big support system? I couldn't have made it without great friends who were willing to e-mail me every single day and call and do nice things for my family at home. I don't usually ask for help too often, but this time I accepted help from whoever offered and it was needed and so appreciated."

The support system. We have a small one. It will be hard for us to ask for help. J's mom said she would come and stay as long as she is needed. My parents will most likely spend time with a few kids at their home when they can. My friend has offered to help as well.

***Also wanted to add this about my mother in law. She is willing to come here, last minute, to take care of her grandchildren. She lives across the state. She may even have to give up her job, and she is willing to do that for us! What a wonderful woman. One who will need and deserves some help. She is not likely to ask for it.***

It terrifies me to leave our five children. It makes me sad to think how much I will miss them and they will miss us. My girls get teary eyed just talking about it. My little boys are so little. One is still forming attachments and bonding with us. One has special needs. Ugh, my heart hurts just typing this.

We will need support.

We will need help.

We will need prayer warriors.

We will need encouragement.

Here are some ways our local friends/family can lend a hand:

• offer to take one or a few kids for a break for my mom in law
• bring over a meal (even pizza is great!)
• offer to help with housework
• help in case something is needed with the house/property
• offer to run errands for my kids/ mom in law
• take a kid to an appointment if needed
• pray and send us emails with words of encouragement
• we may need help with unexpected finances while we are gone

Some ways out of town friends/family can help:

• call my family at home to encourage, check in, and pray
• send emails to us to encourage and lift our spirits
• send notes to our children
• send gift cards to favorite eateries for a special treat (you know, the places kids love!)
• pray pray pray for us!
• put us on your prayer chain at church, ask anyone you know to pray
• we may need help with unexpected finances while we are gone

Can you think of other ways people can help us?

Please pray about how you can help.

Chocolate fix

I had a emotional breakdown after driving home from my adoption support group yesterday. I am so anxious for our friends trying to bring their son home. So sorrowful for the Haitian people who've lost everything. So helpless. I ended up going to my friend's house last night for a last minute sleepover. There is nothing a little wine and chocolate can't solve, right? We woke up early to the phone ringing and emails...news changing every minute. I am so glad there are so many people trying to help them out. Read Sarah's blog for updates. Pray for them please.

M's story

My friend M. and I have been in contact with each other since we were in process of adopting our E. She was a volunteer at his orphanage and has a real heart for Haiti. She gave me permission to post her email she sent the other day, describing her recent trip to Haiti.

Thank you all for your patience in waiting for me to find the words to tell the story of our adventure last week. It is still very surreal to me that Little M. and I were in Port Au Prince, Haiti when the earthquake struck on Tuesday. The destruction to Port Au Prince is devastating and the suffering of the Haitian people absolutely incomprehensible. And yet Little M. and I survived the inital quake and I felt protected at every step of our journey over the next few days. For that, I praise God. And I write, not to sensationalize the event, but to personalize it and to ask you in the coming weeks, as the media moves on to other news, to continue praying for and supporting the Haitians through their recovery and rebuilding.

Last month I had planned a short trip to Haiti for some meetings regarding Little M. Our American Airline flight into Port Au Prince landed half an hour early at 3:45 pm on Tuesday and we deplaned quickly because the airbus flight was only 3/4 full. I had only checked one small bag so Little M. and I were out of the airport by 4:30pm. We went straight to the Visa Lodge hotel (which is only a 5-10 minute drive from the airport). I checked in, quickly dropped our bags in our room, and returned to the patio restaurant of the hotel. I had just ordered food for Little M., when the shaking started. Ceiling fans and panels fell around us and chaos immediately broke out on the street below- people screaming, dust clouds billowing. At first we werent sure if it was an earthquake or if a bomb had gone off. I even initially felt relief with the first aftershock, knowing that we were not dealing with a coup or chemical weapons. Most hotel guests immediately went to the pebbled driveway/parking area of the Visa Lodge. An American pastor also staying at the hotel had an iPhone that worked intermittently for the first few hours after the earthquake. That is how I immediately knew the magnitude of the quake and was also able to send a text message that Little M. and I were safe. The American Airline staff arrived at the Visa Lodge later that evening reporting that part of the control tower at the airport collapsed and that their offices were destroyed. Had our flight not been early or I had chosen another hotel or we had been in a different part of our hotel, our outcome could have been very different.

Aftershocks continued through the night and we spent it outside in the driveway (open space) of the Visa Lodge. The kitchen of the hotel was destroyed in the earthquake and the main buildings had large cracks in the walls. At first light Little M. and I, 2 American pastors, and a few other guests from the hotel caught a ride with an airport shuttle that was taking some pilots to the airport to survery the damage. We all knew the international side of the airport would not be running flights that day. But we were initally hopeful that the small airport, which normally runs small airplanes back and forth to other cities in Haiti, would be cleared to at least fly its planes out and we could get to Cap Haitian. After a few hours we realized that was not going to happen and that we were also not going to be allowed to leave on the private plane of a man from the DR who had offered to take us. One of the other Visa Lodge guests who was at the airport with us was from the DR and had a pickup truck parked at the Visa Lodge. At that point he decided to try to drive to the border and he graciously allowed us all to go with him. It was 12 people total by that time and we must have been quite a sight piled into that pick up truck with all of our luggage, too. We had no idea if roads would be passable and I wondered if I would have trouble getting across the border. The critical care nurse part of me was pretty disgusted leaving a place in such dire need. My heart was torn over the unknown whereabouts of many friends. But it seemed the only option as I had no way to provide safe refuge or clean water for Little M. for more than a few days.

We saw small bits of the destruction in PAP as we passed out of town. But by the time we were a few miles outside, it was eerily quiet and undistrubed. The rest of our trip to the border was uneventful. Our time at the border was tedious but no one questioned us and we all passed through within a few hours. From the border we drove 5 hours to Santo Domingo. Once we were across the border into the DR cell service returned to the iPhone and we were once again able to send a text to family and also (unbelievably!) rebook our plane flights to leave from Santo Domingo Thursday morning. We found a hotel in Santo Domingo by 7pm that evening. And our travel from there to Miami through customs/immmigration and to home on Thursday was smooth... another amazing occurrence.

Little M. and I had an adventure last week. An adventure we will not forget. We were protected from harm and safe during extensive travel. I thank the Lord for that. And I am deeply indebted to the pastor whose preparedness for his trip (iPhone with an international plan!) allowed us to contact family and who provided help and protection in countless other ways. We will continue to process our experience for a long time- but at this time I feel, above all other things, blesssed. Thank you all for your prayers, support, and encouragement this week.

In closing, I want to offer a few suggestions for practical ways to help Haiti in this time of great need:

The most efficient and effective way to donate to the immediate relief effort is to give money to organizations that are already in place in Haiti and prepared for this type of situations. Organizations that I recommend include Partners in Health (www.standwithhaiti.org), Doctors without Borders, Real Hope for Haiti (www.realhopeforhaiti.org), Feed My Starving Children (www.fmsc.org), and Water Missions International.

One of the next greatest concerns at this time is for the NGOs who run orphanages and rescue centers in Haiti. Many of them survived the earthquake but are concerned about access to necessary supplies (infant formula, medications, food, soap) to continue caring for their children and the ones they will receive from this crisis. If you are interested in helping in this way, please send money to Children of the Promise (www.childrenofthepromise.org) or Real Hope for Haiti. And if you are interested in collecting basic supplies, please contact me for more information.

Blessings,
M.

Christmas Party

group photo with Father Frost and Snow Maiden

The kids enjoy their gifts!

Dance Machine! Who knew you could boogie to "Good King Wenceslas"?

C. and E. sing Christmas carols

S. gives his buddy a big hug.

sadness...

The last few months I have witnessed many amazing miracles in our lives and lives of friends and family. I have also unfortunately witnessed a lot of horrible attacks on some people I like to keep up with. Some of them have been spiritual attacks, some verbal, some written, and some physical.

Please pray for the families of the four fallen police officers that were shot to death while having a meeting at a restaurant. This sort of thing is just unimaginable. J. is going to be attending the memorial tomorrow. I will be watching it on television.

Pray for several different friends struggling more than you'd ever know with some very difficult things.

Revelation 6:3-4 (New International Version)
3 When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, "Come!" 4 Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make men slay each other. To him was given a large sword.

Thanksgiving day and after

We celebrated Thanksgiving with friends this year. My parents decided to spend the weekend on a mini vacation and my newlywed sister and her husband didn't wish to make the 4 hour drive up. We were invited to two family's homes, but having temporary memory loss I forgot about the first invite and accepted the second. I messed up and felt terrible. Because the first friend is so sweet and understanding, she forgave me and moved on. I love her! We spent the morning cleaning up, watching the parade on tv, and giving the boys a nap in the early afternoon. We left around 3 and spent the remainder of the day with our friends. The turkey dinner was DELICIOUS, almost as good as my mom's. We ate until we could eat no more. I was encouraged with kind words by a wise Christian woman.

This was E.'s first thanksgiving. He loved all the food and had seconds! After dinner, E. was getting pretty tired. He didn't want to share a toy with S. He wanted to make a lot of noise around the sleeping baby. (who I got to snuggle and love for a little while) I told him to have a timeout. He screamed, a newer tactic he's been using for a while, mostly in public because he knows how annoying it is to everyone. We went upstairs away from people, and my husband comes up, 3 flights of stairs, to see what is going on. He could hear him from that far away. I was really embarrassed. E stopped screaming when daddy came upstairs, and sat somewhat quietly for a few minutes before coming to apologize. Later, when he was being disobedient again, I gave him that mama look, and he sat down on the kitchen floor saying "I needa timeout!". He was very tired by the time we got home at 8:30. He gets overwhelmed after more than a few hours of excitement. S. was a trooper, and I am so thankful he was being so easy going!

Today I woke up at 3:45 am. I met Sarah at her house for Black Friday shopping. I seriously considered not going, but she talked me into it. I have only gone BF shopping twice in my lifetime now. We had a good time. I spent more than I had planned, but most of my purchases were non toy, sensible items. S. is done, K. is finished, L., C., and E. are partway. I got J. a few things too! We are making Christmas a bit simpler this year, which I love.

This coming week is going to be busy. My mom has surgery for her cancer. I am going to go stay with her on Wednesday. Then, on Friday three fun girls are going to have a birthday celebration/adoptive mom chat fest/movie night/relaxing soak in the hot springs up in Canada! Hurray! Thankfully the cost of this mini girl's vacation is under $80 but to me it's priceless. My hubby is so wonderful for giving of his time so I can do this sort of thing occasionally.

Unfortunately I have no photos of our Thanksgiving. I am getting to be terrible at remembering to take pictures. I brought my camera...

Thankful day 28...final post

This first time I saw S. smile (in Haiti)....

S. a few weeks ago...

I am so thankful for many things on this holiday. I'm thankful to be celebrating E's first Thanksgiving with our family. I am thankful for my children, and our growing family. I'm thankful for our health. I am thankful for the opportunity to celebrate today with friends. I am thankful for plenty of good food and drink. I thank God for the miracles He has done and will do. I am especially thankful for a loving heavenly Father. He saved me, protects me and knows everything about me yet still loves me!

Today...

• Waited for something important to arrive in my in-box- it didn't
• Bought a mattress and bed frame for C.
• Made jello salad for Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow
• Made several calls to specialists regarding S.
• Connected a bit with other adoptive parents
• Worked out at the gym with my friend
• Missed a very special little girl
• Attended a Thanksgiving church service
• Cleaned up the house a bit
• Did three loads of laundry
• Was glad that S. took a nap today after two days of not much rest
• Made crock pot roast beef, but waited too late to put it in, and we didn't eat dinner until 8:15!
• Watched Glee!
• Sold a t-shirt. Thanks for your support and love Sarah!
• Went grocery shopping with J. and little boys
• Cleaned up after two "accidents" when E. waited too long to go to the potty
• Looked forward to my mini getaway with friends
• Pitched old paperwork and schoolwork
• Thought about how thankful I am... many times

Thankful day 23

Our friend's daughter, R.J. as a newborn

I am thankful that the girls are going to a friend's house for a sleepover tonight. My friend T. and I have known each other for about 9 years, we met at our former church. She has a little girl E.'s age (3). For the last year we've been talking about having a girl's sleepover at her newly remodeled home, but we just hadn't gotten around to doing it. Tonight is the night. T. is taking them out to McDonalds, a local school play and then to her home for a movie and snacks. I get to join them as soon as J. is home from work. So much fun!