Our Special Family

Social time!

2012-02-05T17:03:00.000-08:00

We started off our new year with a fun time at a play maze with our homeschool co-op friends!

New Year's Eve

2012-01-30T16:59:00.000-08:00

Christmas Day

2012-01-29T17:54:00.000-08:00

Opening gifts and Grandma and Grandpa's

"Santa" this year

The Aftermath

Grandma helped the kids put on a Christmas play. Ato T was the official Jingle Bell player!

Cousins on a couch

The Christmas Play

Ready for a walk with Grandma

Christmas Morning

2012-01-29T16:12:00.000-08:00

Christmas morning, we opened stockings before heading to Grandma and Grandpa's.

Guess who found the hidden baby Jesus?

They always stick me in here when they're getting ready.

Christmas Eve

2012-01-29T15:50:00.000-08:00

When they are all 8 and under, it seems nearly impossible for me to get them to all smile, look and keep their eyes open for a picture.

Ready for church!

Pillow Pets for everyone!

Our traditional Christmas Eve dinner after church: chicken, cheesy potatoes and carrots.

The Nutcracker

2012-01-15T20:19:00.000-08:00

Every year, St. Catherine's college brings in a professional dance company to perform The Nutcracker, and they always offer a few school days. We have been going for 3 years now, and just love it! Here are the girls, waiting for the show to begin.

This year they added a question and answer session with the performers after the show!

Some families from our home school co-op, LIGHT attended together!

Olive Garden for a "fancy lunch" after the show!

Gingerbread House

2012-01-15T19:50:00.000-08:00

The week before Christmas, we also made our annual gingerbread house. The girls had a fun time, but Ato T was less than thrilled.

Because of his bad attitude, Miss I decided to finish Ato T's cookie for him, and then wanted to make sure he has his picture taken with it. What a sweet girl!

Christmas hats

2012-01-15T19:41:00.000-08:00

About a week before Christmas, our friends James and Will came over to visit and exchange Christmas gifts. Among other things, the girls got some adorable hats that Lisa made for them!

Ready to go...

2011-12-24T19:21:00.001-08:00

To the coldest Holidazzle Parade of the year!

Day after Thanksgiving

2011-12-23T21:28:00.001-08:00

Cousin Levi

Baking cookies with grandma before we have to go home.

Thanksgiving

2011-12-23T21:19:00.000-08:00

Before the hospital stay, we were able to spend Thanksgiving with my sister and her family, my mom and dad and my grandma. My kids always love to see their cousins!

They let me take some family pictures while we were there!

Helping grandma set the table.

Hanging out with great grandma.

Playing cards with the grandmas.

Decorating for Christmas

2011-12-23T20:44:00.001-08:00

Fall catch-up

2011-12-23T20:10:00.000-08:00

Here are some pics from this fall that I haven't had time to blog about until now. Enjoy!

True joy

Yep, I like to use my sister's chari to climb up onto the kitchen table!

Fun in the leaves

My Daddy is my prince!

There's nothing be

Update

2011-12-21T12:27:00.000-08:00

Sorry it's taken me so long to update our blog! I'm going to attempt to catch up on the last month. Ato T ended up spending a week in the hospital, after refusing to eat for 5 days. They placed a feeding tube, and he had lost 4.5 pounds by the time the placed it. Below is a photos that shows just how skinny he got. But I'm happy to report he is doing much better now, he is eating MORE than he was before all of this, and we have decreased his tube feeds to once a day.

Spending a day with mom and Ato T at the hospital.

Waking up after surgery is not a lot of fun.

Back home, still not terribly happy, but on the mend!

We felt incredibly blessed to have the support of friends the week Ato T was in the hospital. Our home school group set up meals for us and a couple friends offered to take the kids if we needed them to. It was such a blessing! We are thankful that Mike's job is so flexible. He was able to take some time away from the office and either work from home or the hospital, and the big girls came to spend one day at the hospital with mom and Ato T while dad went to work, and we had a babysitter for Little Miss. (During RSV season, children under 5 are not allowed on the hospital floor.) Our church was also incredibly supportive during this time. We are blessed!

Please join us in praying...

2011-11-23T07:49:00.001-08:00

...for our dear Ato T. This is what he has looked like for the majority of the past 2 weeks. He is "plugged up" internally and can't "go" without an enema. He is having tremors, that look like tremors people suffering from Parkinson's Disease have, his appetite has been steadily decreasing, and this morning he absolutely refused to eat. We are watching him lose weight in front of our eyes, and he's just not himself. Most of the specialty docs we go to have been taking turns passing him to a different specialty. We decided last night with his Developmental Pediatrician to take him off of one of his meds, in the hopes that it's what has been causing everything. I am praying with all my heart that's what it is, and he is happy and back to "normal" in a couple of days.

National Adoption Month

2011-11-22T11:18:00.001-08:00

A fellow Hydranencaphaly mom, and founder of the Brayden Alexander Foundation for Hydranencephaly, has been posting adoption stories this month, in honor of National Adoption month. We feel blessed that she chose to share Ato T's adoption story! You can read it here http://braydenalexanderfoundation.blogspot.com/2011/11/bee-ography-adoption-story_22.html
as well as other incredible stories of adoption. Thanks Alicia!!!!

Birthday Party for Little Miss

2011-11-18T20:12:00.001-08:00

Cousin Samuel

Cousin Ray

Uncle Jose and Samuel

Grandma and Little Miss

Uncle Scot and Simon

Cousin Keegan

I got to go shopping with Sophia at the end of the party! She's so fun to spend time with!

Levi and Keegan playing the WII

Gabe holding the new puppy! (For the cousins, not for us.)

I can't stand all this cuteness!

2011-11-05T22:36:00.000-07:00

Okay, I admit that I may be the teeniest bit biased - but I believe we have absolutely the cutest kids in the world! One picture of each kid in October.

Miss O loves loves loves her bonnet that Lisa made for her. She wears it EVERYWHERE, all the time. She thinks she's Laura Ingalls Wilder.

Little Miss just gets cuter every day.

When Ato T breaks out his smile, it's all over for me.

Miss I and mommy went on a special shopping trip together. We ended the day by eating supper at Perkins. It happened to be kids night, so she ate free AND got her face painted. (Spider Man rules, by the way.)

Happy Birthday Little Miss!

2011-10-26T21:08:00.000-07:00

Not a big fan of the cake

Family Photos

2011-10-16T19:39:00.000-07:00

Apple Cidering

2011-10-10T14:10:00.000-07:00

The girls and I went on a field trip with our home school co-op, while Grandma Lynn stayed home with Tariku, who tends to hate things like this. We cleaned up apples from the ground, picked from the tree, and made apples into cider with a cider press. We came home and made apple sauce and apple crisp with our apples. Yum!

Fun with friends!

Turning the Cider crank

Help for mommy!

Finalization

2011-10-08T14:53:00.000-07:00

It's official! We finalized the adoption of Little Miss on September 23!

Grandma Bogie drove up to celebrate the day with us!

Grandma Lynn and Grandpa Bob were also able to celebrate with us!

Birth family visits

2011-09-28T14:07:00.000-07:00

Miss I with her birth mom

Miss O with her birth mom and sister

We were able to get together with both of the big girl's birth families at the end of the summer. It was so nice to see them all! It's been waaaaaaay too long since we've gotten together.

First day of school

2011-09-26T15:32:00.000-07:00

Ato T is going to an early childhood special ed. classroom again this year, and he really enjoys it!

Miss I is starting First Grade at home

Miss O is doing Second Grade at home

State Fair

2011-09-18T18:36:00.000-07:00

We decided to get a PCA for Ato T and babysitter for Little Miss, and hit the state fair with just the 2 big girls this year. Our first time at the state fair without a stroller. We had a great time! It was, unfortunately the hottest day of the fair. We drank LOTS of water, and discovered a trick to free cold water. Buy a cup that you use all day. As long as it's a state fair cup, almost all vendors will fill it with water and ice for free. Then you just keep getting it refilled until all the water bottles are filled up. :)

Cotton Candy for the first time ever!

Miss I jumping high!

Miss O jumping high!

Daddy and both girls on the giant slide. (Miss O is hidden behind Miss I's head.)

The dairy building

Ice cream to cool us down!

Or maybe the ice cream is just to drip all over and get everything sticky.

It never fails - every year on the way home. This year we stayed longer and they walked the whole time. It took less than 5 minutes for them to fall asleep.

Kids on Stage

2011-09-13T20:21:00.000-07:00

Miss O participated in Kids on Stage this summer. He place we go for Physical, Occupational and Speech therapies puts on a performance every year. It's a great way for the kids to get some practice speaking in front of a group. They rehearse for 10 weeks, and at the end give a performance. Miss O did a fantastic job!

As "Simba"

Her line: "What's a motto?"

Reply: "I don't know, what's a motto with you?"

As Paula Abdul, in the American Idol skit.

Her funniest line: "Well, I, um, like your energy. But I'm gonna have to say no."

Sesame Street Kid

Receiving her trophy from Deena. She did a great job learning to use her "big girl voice!"

After Walnut Grove

2011-09-12T20:17:00.000-07:00

The day after the Walnut Grove trip, we were able to spend some time at grandma and grandpa's before heading home.

One Nation Under God

2011-09-11T18:54:00.000-07:00

Where were you on this day 10 years ago? Can you remember what you were doing? Who you were with? If you were old enough to remember anything, I'm guessing you know.

I was driving to work with Mike. I was working as a DCE at a church in Minnetonka. That morning was my first meeting with the circuit pastors. I can honestly say I don't really remember any of the other circuit pastor meetings I went to in the year I worked there. I don't even remember much about that first meeting. Except for the beginning.

As Mike drove, I heard the news talking about the first plane flying into the tower. We turned the radio up, but I really didn't think much, other than, "that's too bad." I had no idea how big those buildings were, how many people spent their days there, how many children were in day care there. Then we heard that a second plane crashed into the second tower, and we turned the radio up louder.

The pastors were all watching the TV when I got to the church, and we watched prayerfully together as the towers fell. The rest of the day is a blur to me. I know that I organized a prayer service with our pastor, made phone calls to church members, made posters about the prayer service and put them out on the road to direct people to the service.

Ten years ago today, we didn't have any children yet. We actually weren't even thinking about having children yet. But I vividly remember thinking that night at home, as we were glued to the television, that my children would grow up knowing only a world after the attacks on 9/11. And now, here we are, 10 years later. Our oldest child is 8, and I have no idea where to begin to teach her about what happened. We had the kids leave church today as a missionary spoke of his experiences of living in a largely Muslim area when the attacks happened. We had them leave, because we don't know where to begin to teach them about this significant event.

So what will I be doing tonight? I'll be scouring the Internet for useful lessons to use during our school day tomorrow, to begin to teach our children about the tragedy that happened 10 years ago today, and the faith that was shown through the faithful men and women of our country in the minutes, hours, days, and months to follow.

I am often disheartened by our country, and where I see it going. There are times, especially when I've been out of the country, that I've actually been embarrassed to say that I'm from the US. (Don't get me wrong, I love living here. We are blessed. But the materialism, greediness, overindulgence and self-centeredness of our society are the things that bring out those emotions in me.) But tonight, I praise our Lord God that we live in a nation that gives us the freedom to worship our loving Father, and the freedom to proclaim the atoning sacrifice Jesus made for us on the cross.

Walnut Grove Part 3

2011-09-06T11:16:00.000-07:00

The Student

The Teacher

Miss I in jail

Checking out a sod home.

Sitting in the out house.

Playing in the store.

Walking to the sod house and log cabin.

Walnut Grove Part 3

2011-09-05T21:23:00.000-07:00

Out house

We went about 20 miles out of town to visit a site that had a dugout, sod house and log cabin. The sod house was once a bed and breakfast. We were so thankful my parents were willing to take Ato T for the day. We never would have been able to all of this if he had been with us. After this, we headed to the pageant, and the girls loved it again this year. Little Miss was fabulous, and fell asleep during the pageant

Walnut Grove Part 2

2011-09-05T20:20:00.000-07:00

At the dugout site.

Supper time! Picnicking at Plum Creek

Walnut Grove Part 1

2011-08-28T20:11:00.000-07:00

In July, we took the girls to Walnut Grove again to visit the sites and see the great play they put on 3 weekends each year, with pieces of Laura Ingalls Wilder's life. We were able to leave Ato T with Grandma and Grandpa B, which made him much happier than he would have been with us, and allowed us to really enjoy the museum and play with the girls.

Under the mantle used in the Little House on the Prairie TV show.

Learning about a small town at the hands-on exhibit.

Trying out one of the rooms.

Giddy-up!

Playing store at the children's exhibit.

Wading in Plum Creek. It was much higher this year than it was last year. We almost had a very wet Miss O.

Ato T

2011-07-28T08:44:00.000-07:00

We're having a tough summer with Ato T. The big girls are in more activities, which means he comes along with us and is away from home more. Ato T DOES NOT like to be away from home. More importantly, he doesn't like to be away from his little rocking chair, which is is sitting in for almost every photo, because that's usually when he's happy. He does well at school, and is usually fairly content at home, and does well if other people are caring for him. But when Mike or I are "in charge," he screams and has tantrums A LOT. So if you see posts of family activities and Ato T is not included, this is why. We only take him with us when we have no other choice or it's something he will enjoy.

It's hard to love someone so much, but still feel angry at them. We're looking into a 5 day dolphin therapy in the Keys, and praying that may help a bit. In the meantime, his PCA hours have increased dramatically. So much that I don't know that it's physically possible for us to actually use all of them. That's a blessing!

Catching up: Part 2

2011-07-28T08:36:00.000-07:00

Yep, she's cute: and she knows it!

More back yard fun:

Catching up

2011-07-27T18:46:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy summer, and I haven't had as much time to post. So here's the last couple of months in review.

Miss I was looking for some shorts, grabbed these and put them on. Only when they were on did she realize they belonged to Little Miss. Our 6 year old officiall can fit into our 8 month old's shorts. :)

This is how we roll in the back yard on hot days:

Little Miss has mastered the step from the family room to the kitchen. She's so quick now that we had to buy a gate.

Learning to eat

2011-06-23T10:06:00.000-07:00

What is this weird thing?

Ummmmm ... I don't think I like this.

Look at my cute smile!

What 'cha got there?

Why is this sticking to my hand?

Yuck! Get it out! Why would you do this to me?

7 months old

2011-06-04T18:51:00.000-07:00

I guess when you're child #4, your 6 month pictures turn into 7 month pictures instead. Enjoy!

Memorial Day weekend in pictures

2011-06-04T10:58:00.000-07:00

Daddy's motorcycle helmet

Tilling the garden

Pulling dandelions

Swingin' with Vincent (PCA)

Fun $1 buys at a garage sale

A well deserved nap

How quickly they grow

2011-05-25T07:15:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe that Little Miss is almost 7 months old already! Where does the time go? Snuggles are becoming less frequent, as she navigates her world. She is pivoting like a champ, and commando crawling well, and can crawl on hands and knees a tiny bit. Oh, it just goes way too fast, but what a blessing it is to watch her grow!

Wet Paint: Please Don't Touch

2011-05-15T19:09:00.000-07:00

We have finally had some success with Ato T and finger painting! Hooray!

Speaking, of not touching when paint is wet, here's something that's been bothering me lately. Mike and I are both Caucasian, Miss O and Miss I are also Caucasian. In case you haven't noticed, Alto T and Little Miss are both African-American. Our church has a small amount of African-Americans, and a large number of Caucasian people. Lately, Caucasian people in our congregation seem to feel incredibly comfortable coming up to touch Ato T to feel his hair. Now, I get the desire to do so. Before I had AA kids, I wanted to do that as well. Their (my 2 AA kids') texture is different than my hair's texture - we want to touch what is different to us. However, I held back touching other's people's heads - just don't think it's terribly appropriate. With Ato T, I have not seen the same respect for boundaries. People (especially at church) seem to think it's just fine to come up to him and touch him on the head to say hi, or rub his head, or touch the scar from when his shunt was placed and ask what happened. I'm not sure why they think this is okay. Maybe it's because his wheelchair puts him at the perfect height for people to do it, maybe it's because he's a little kid, or could it be because he is not able to run away from them when they are doing it? I do see him try to push their hands away, or give them looks that say, "Why are you touching me?" But none of these people seem to notice that. All they seem to notice is that they are making effort to be (or at least act) comfortable with his disability. Yes, I think it's great when people can step out and include those with disabilities. However, it would be nice if they would learn to do that without having to touch my son. No one finds it appropriate to touch a complete stranger on the head when it's a typically functioning adult. I would appreciate it we would all show the same respect to individuals with disabilities (and babies, pregnant women, etc.). So please, if you don't know him, think of him as having a sign around his neck that says, "Wet Paint: Please Don't Touch."

Equal time

2011-05-04T13:46:00.000-07:00

Ato T turned 4 yesterday. It's official - he's spent an equal amount of time in our family as he did in Ethiopia. It feels significant. Happy birthday sweet boy! You have stolen our hearts!!!! I love your smile, the way you dance while staring at you thumb, and the way you squeal with delight when someone you love comes into the room or when we drive into our driveway. You are a blessing!

Ato T has recently been saying "d,d,d,d,d" so he got a dinosaur cake. As a birthday gift, we gave him an MP3 and headphones, with the hope that listening to his music when we're out in public will help him sit patiently.

A Hard Month

2011-04-18T14:21:00.000-07:00

Miss O has had a hard month. It began with a tumble down the stairs, that resulted to a trip to the ER and a cast on her broken arm. It continued today with the removal of 4 teeth. The actual tooth removal was not too hard. Going there and thinking about what was going to happen that was the worst part of it for her. It took 3 nurses to hold her down because she was so scared. When it was over, she told me she didn't feel anything.

Here is Miss O when we got home, biting gauze to stop the bleeding.

The empty mouth:

The Teeth:

The Cast:

Home

2011-04-17T19:55:00.000-07:00

http://www.natureofcreation.org/

Oh my word - it is good to be home!

It was also GOOD to get away. It's amazing what a short break can do for the body and soul.

I don't have time at the moment to write a lot, but what a great weekend we had! We were able to spend time together, with friends, and learning about God's Word. How could a weekend get better? I'm not sure!

So for now, I'll just share my #1 favorite conference. It actually was a series of sessions, given by Mike Snavely of Mission Imperative. He is one a very select few who is willing so speak out about Creation, and reasons science can point to proof of a creator.

Do I feel the need for proof? - No. I believe God's word, no matter what. However, MANY children are rejecting the faith, mainly because of lies told to us and taught in our public schools. Mike has a fantastic way of presenting information in clear, concise ways, and making it interesting at the same time.

I invite you to check out his website and resources - I guarantee you won't be disappointed.

MACHE

2011-04-14T11:36:00.000-07:00

Once a year, Mike and I get to go off by ourselves to the MACHE (Minnesota Association of Christian Home Educators) conference, thanks to his parents, who graciously take the kids for us. This year it's this weekend, and in Duluth. Right now, the kids are all napping, and I'm hoping Mike will be home soon. We're hoping to meet up with some friends for dinner tonight, and then hit the conference tomorrow morning.

I look forward to this every rear, but am especially looking forward to it this year, for a number of reasons.

#1: I need a break. Ato T has been extremely difficult to deal with lately, and I just really need a break from it all

#2: Creation science. A number of the sessions offered are about topics in creation science. I'm excited to learn more, so that I am able to teach my children things I never learned about our Lord and His creation, that I never learned as a child.

#3: I'm anxious to also go to some sessions about teaching a struggling learner. it's nice to get get fresh ideas.

#4: It motivates me! I get pumped up to home school, at just the time of year that my energy for it starting to fade.

#5: I get to look through curriculum before purchasing it!

#6: I get to look for used curriculum to use, which makes home schooling the way we do it much more affordable.

#7: I get to eat meals while they are still hot, and don't have to cut or blend up food for anyone. :)

#8: We get to sleep - all night long! A rare occurrence at our home.

#9: My kids get to spend some quality time with Grandma and Grandpa - they are so excited!

#10: My kids get to learn that when I leave, I will come back for them.

#11: This is my favorite. I get to spend time alone with my husband! Lately it seems that we are always running in different directions, trying to get things done. I really look forward to spending time alone with him.

I'm off to finish packing. I can't wait to write about things learned this year at the conference!

Transformation Complete

2011-04-10T18:35:00.000-07:00

The bedroom transformations are complete! Little Miss and Miss I moved in together this week. Miss O moved into her new room a few weeks ago. She did not want picture of her room up on the blog. She says "it's private." So if you want to see it, you'll have to come over. :)

Little Miss and Miss I have a Disney Cars themed room, and Miss is oh so excited! the painting took longer than I had expected. I went to start, and noticed I had to do the ceiling. Then I primed the 3 walls that would be creme. The Creme walls all took 2 coats of paint after the primer, and the red wall took 4 coats. But it was worth it to see the excitement Miss I has to have such a "cool" room, and to share it with her baby sister!

We still need to put doors on the closet, and then we'll be finished, but I couldn't wait to get the pictures up.

Things you could say

2011-04-10T14:29:00.000-07:00

So I decided that just writing what not to say sounds pretty negative, which I don't want to be. It's great when people truly want to know answers because they are maybe interested in adoption, want to know how to care for people with disabilities, or want to know how to help. It's the rude and nosey questions and comments that are disturbing. So, I thought I'd write some kind ways (in my opinion) of asking questions.

Where was your child born?

When did your child join your family?

Do you mind talking about what led you to choose adoption to build your family?
Would you like some help? (But please, if you ask this and the answer is "No, I'm okay thanks" - PLEASE don't insist on helping, saying "I know you need help." Sometimes I do need help, but if I say I don't, I really don't.)
I've been thinking of adopting, do you mind sharing with me what fees are involved? (In my opinion, this question is appropriate if you truly would like to know because you are seriously considering adoption as an option. However, if your intention is just to know what we paid for our adoption fees, just don't ask. We don't ask you what your hospital fees were, do we?)
Why did his birth family make an adoption plan? (I put this here for a more appropriate way to ask, if you really feel the need to ask this. Just be aware that child's birth history is their private information, and many parents choose not to tell. We try to keep our kids' birth family information private, because it is THEIR information to share, or not share, as they choose.)
God had greatly blessed you. (This would be great to hear, rather than "Boy, you sure have your hands full!)
Does your child have a disability that could effect how I interact with her? (Please, don't ask "what's wrong with her?")

Concert night

2011-04-07T11:08:00.000-07:00

The big girls don't love doing many things more than they love putting on concerts for us in the evenings. Here are some shots from our latest concert night.

Miss O Conducting Daddy and Ato T play the drums

Things you shouldn't say

2011-04-06T19:17:00.000-07:00

I read a fantastic blog that my sister introduced me to. The woman who writes it actually referred us to our adoption consultant, who led us to Little Miss' birth mom. It's a great blog to read! Check it out at www.storinguptreasures.com Courtney wrote a post today called "Things you Should Never Say," and I'm stealing her idea and a number of her comments. She wrote a number of things that really struck a cord with me, and I'd like to share with you my own list. Some of them I am borrowing from Courtney, and others are my own.

Never ask an adoptive family if those are their real kids, or which ones are their real kids. They are all our real kids, no matter how they entered our families.

Never ask an adoptive family if the children are "real" brother and sisters. Siblings are siblings, no matter how they became that way.

On the same note, never say they "really could be real siblings." - They are real siblings! No, your intentions don't matter, especially to young ears listening who hear things like that all the time. It plants in the back of their minds thoughts that are not true.

Never ask a homeschooling parent about socialization. It's Laughable.

Never ask if the black child (or children) in a family is from Africa. Not all black children who were adopted are from Africa.

Never offer disciplinary advice to a mom with a child who is out of control. You don't know if that child has Autism, ADHD, RAD and that mom may very well be doing the best she can.

Never give a dirty look or sigh to a mom appropriately disciplining her child, even if that child does have a disability. Having a disability does not mean a child doesn't need to learn.

If a child is having a melt down in a public place, don't stare. Move on. Again, you have no idea what that child may be mentally dealing with.

Never ask a homeschooling mom how she manages to teach all of her children. Paid teachers have 25-40 students to teach, and they are not even their kids.

Never ask an adoptive family which child(ren) was adopted. No adopted child wants to be pointed out.

Never ask an adoptive parent how much their child "cost."

Never make an Angelina Jolie reference to an adoptive family. Most of us don't have nannies, personal trainers and housekeepers, or look like her.

If a child you don't know very well comes up to hug you, redirect them to their parents. The child may have RAD.

Never ask an adoptive parent about their child's birth parents, especially in front of the child. Things like Why didn't they want him or Why was she given up? are hurtful to the child, and private information.

Never ask a family who has chosen to adopt first when they are going to have "their own." They ARE our own!

Never ask a family what their fertility treatments were. They don't ask you what position you used to conceive your child.

Never say how "lucky" the kids are to have been adopted by you. It degrades their birth parents. You have no idea what kind of people they are.

Never say "You sure have your hands full!" Hearing it gets REALLY old, and we don't see it that way!

Never ask an adoptive mother, "What about his real mom?" or "Where is her mom?" or "How old is his mom?" I am his mom! I am her mom! ME! The one who takes them to every appointment, fights to get them medical supplies, advocates for them, holds them until they sleep, changes every diaper, teaches them, hugs and kisses them. I am their mama!

When a child passes away, never say, "I know it's sad, but I bet it's a relief." It's NOT! No matter how much extra care that child required - It's NOT a relief!

Never assume that because a family is adopting first they are infertile. If someone is infertile, never say to them they will get pregnant now that they have adopted because "it happens all the time." NOT TRUE. Adoption is not a fertility treatment.

And finally:

Never read information like this and then continue to do the things you were told not to do. Learn to change your words that can be hurtful to others.

Well, that's my big way of breaking back into hopefully blogging more regularly again. (Hopefully) Thanks for reading and not judging, especially if you have never been in the same place. Thanks to Courtney for bringing up the topic!

Death

2011-02-24T14:52:00.000-08:00

Not a fun topic. Even less fun when your small children have to deal with it.

This week we had a funeral for Ato T's speech therapist, who has been battling cancer for a long time, and was finally released from her suffering and brought home to our Father.

This week we also attended the funeral of one of miss O's friends from therapy. She was only 11, and it was an unexpected passing. Elsie and her beautiful smile and attitude will be missed tremendously. We actually haven't seen her for about 3 months, but all day yesterday Miss O kept telling me Elsie was her best friend, and that she couldn't stop thinking about her. Mike also had some interesting bedtime conversations with the two big girls last night.

We also have a friend who has 1p36 deletion, like Olivia. She has been struggling for weeks and weeks. Now, after just starting to recover from some treatments last year. Her family has recently made an extremely difficult decision, and we are continuing to hold them up in prayer.

It's times like these that I am so thankful our children know the Lord, and know where they will be going when they die. And I'm thankful that all the friends we have known who have passed recently also know the Lord.

Today, I'm incredibly thankful for my family, and for the health we have been blessed with. 4 kids, 3 with significant health issues, and we have been extremely blessed that they have stayed so healthy for so long. Praise the Lord!

We continue to lift up all the families who have lost loved ones or are struggling with sick family members. Please join us in prayer.

Fun Daddy

2011-02-18T09:16:00.000-08:00

My kids have such a fun daddy! The other night, he tied balloons to the tips of kites, and they had a balloon kite party. :)

Valentine

2011-02-14T13:38:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day!!!!

Science

2011-02-13T19:08:00.000-08:00

Sometimes science experiments are, let's face it, lame. They don't always work out the way they are supposed to - especially when the "teacher" doesn't learn how to do them before teaching them. Fortunately, this was not one of those experiments. We made "gooey plastic" with glue, borax and food coloring. Hours of fun!

Play time

2011-02-02T18:46:00.000-08:00

Now that we have a PCA for Ato T who actually comes to work and does her job, we have time for some more fun! :) Here's some pictures of shaving cream fun.

Told you I'd post it, Sam! :)

3 months

2011-01-30T07:47:00.000-08:00

Little Miss turned 3 months old this week! It has been 3 months of joy! She is a very serious baby, but also a very content baby. She gives smiles easily, puts herself to sleep, and sleeps about 10 hours straight at night. She is a joy!

Here's our Little Miss figuring out that she has feet. :)

Sweet, sweet smile.

She's 8!!!

2011-01-29T15:48:00.000-08:00

Miss O turned 8 last week. She celebrated with a princess crown cake and lots of baby gifts!

It seems like it was yesterday when we were called to the hospital because her birth mom was in labor. What a joy she is in our lives!

Reminder

2011-01-17T11:51:00.000-08:00

Walk on Watercolors is still donating 50% of each sale made through us to our adoption fund! We recently had to turn in a total of our expenses, and to date, without finalizing yet, we have spent a little more than $35,000. The fees ended up being a bit more than we had originally expected, to say the least. So, we're feeling the need to raise some funds and start paying back our life insurance. (Please don't think we "paid" this money for Little Miss. We did NOT "buy" her. We only paid fees to agencies and also a hefty hotel bill while we were in MS. And we wouldn't trade any of it for the world.)

Above is a picture of the "Love" print, which would be perfect for Valentine's Day coming up! The prints are all only $30, and $15 of that comes straight back to our adoption fees for Little Miss' adoption. Mother's Day is coming up, too. :) All you need to do is click on the link at the bottom of the page to go to the web site and choose your print. When you check out, use the discount code "Antoine" and 50% of the sale will come back to us. You get a beautiful watercolor that is based on a Bible verse or story, and you also get to help us with the adoption of Little Miss! Please share this with family and friends you think may enjoy the prints! Thanks!

http://www.walkonwatercolors.com/

She's 6!!!

2011-01-09T21:29:00.000-08:00

I can't believe Miss I just had her 6th birthday! I seem to say this a lot lately: Man do they grow fast! She is really loving the Disney movie Cars right now, and that was the cake and gift theme for this year.

I was pretty happy with how the cake turned out.

Miss I with all her Cars gifts!

Thanks for a great 5th year Miss I. We love you!

They grow so fast

2011-01-06T21:07:00.000-08:00

Can you believe this little girl???? She's only 2 months old! And she's amazing, and oh so sweet. She makes my heart just melt. How can you be crabby when you look at this face? It's just impossible.

Our Tenderhearted One

2011-01-02T15:52:00.000-08:00

We visited a new church today, just to mix things up a bit. They had a very contemporary music style, and we loved it. At the end of one worship song, Miss O looked at me with tears in her eyes and said, "That one made my eyes water." I love her heart!

Ringing it in!

2010-12-31T18:21:00.000-08:00

Yep, I know it's early. We celebrated before the kids went to bed. They don't know the difference, and love ringing in the new year together!

Decorating Daddy is so fun!!!

Goofball!

He's growing up

2010-12-29T19:33:00.000-08:00

This little boy is amazing! I can't believe how much he's grown and changed in the last year! He's lost his baby face, and it's being replaced by this handsome little boy face. He's a charmer - and he's most definitely a 3 year old. (Although his big fat "I'm so sad" lip is being rivaled by his new baby sister's.) Even though he doesn't have words, we still know that he does things to get a reaction out of us. He has a stimming (stimulating) behavior of rubbing his hand on things over and over, and he knows he isn't supposed to do it. But he will look right at me, and the look says, "What are you gonna' do?" and then he does it. What a stinker! Yep, he may be significantly delayed physically, but he's definitely a typical 3 year old in attitude.

Another Christmas

2010-12-27T17:50:00.001-08:00

Sunday we celebrated Christmas with Heather's family.

Snuggles with uncle Scot.

Opening a fun present with daddy!

Snuggles with a great cousin!

Snuggles with Auntie Kristin.

A cousin in concentration.

Love from cousins is the best!

A pretty blanket from Great Grandma, and adorable outfit from Grandma.

Fun with Grandpa!

Kisses from Grandma.

Wrestling

Grandma snuggles!

Grandpa snuggles!

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T18:43:00.000-08:00

When the big girls woke up, they looked for baby Jesus, and found him in about 45 minutes. Once Ato T was up too, we headed downstairs to open stockings. When everyone was dressed and ready, we headed to Grandma Lynn and Grandpa Bob's.

Grandma reading answers to a "nut" game.

2010-12-25T18:17:00.000-08:00

"And she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn." (Luke 1:7)

It's our family tradition to go to church for the Children's Christmas program at 4:30 on Christmas Eve, then come home and have a candlelight dinner with Great-Grandma's wedding china, and then open gifts from each other.

Sorry some of the pictures are a little dark. Hope you enjoy them anyway.

First Christmas

Our Girls

A baby is always a hit with Miss O!

The Aftermath

Our friend Bethany was able to join us for Christmas Eve this year!

Every year ...

2010-12-23T13:22:00.000-08:00

Making a gingerbread house seems to be something the big girls need to do every year before they feel like Christmas is coming. It's fun to see their abilities progress each year!

2 months

2010-12-23T13:04:00.000-08:00

I can't believe Little Miss is almost 2 months old already! She is amazing! She learns new things every day. God is good!

Sleeping Beauty

2010-12-21T20:45:00.000-08:00

What a blessing! This little girl will sleep anywhere!

In a basket with mommy taking pictures:

In the swing:

Getting ready for bath:

In Grandma's arms:

In mommy's arms:

In the middle of the family room floor, with big sisters running around and a big brother screeching:

In the Pack-N-Play:

In her car seat:

And today, she fell asleep on the couch in the therapy waiting room.

The Big Snow

2010-12-20T20:51:00.000-08:00

17 inches of snow is a lot of fun for little kids! Miss I is the only one who wanted to brave the cold. She spent about 1 1/2 hours out there. I spent the majority of the weekend in my jammies.

Big sisters

2010-12-20T20:36:00.000-08:00

Miss O and Miss I are fantastic big sisters! They are helpful and loving! (Sometimes, a little too loving.) Most of the time they are even willing to be helpful! We certainly could not be good parents to Ato T and Little Miss at the same time if we didn't have our big girls helping us out.

I used to be a person who believed parents are the ones who choose their family, not kids, so parents should do all the work with the kids. However, the older my kids get, the more I have learned that if I want my kids to grow up and be ready to have a family of their own, or even learn to help others, they need to learn to help with a happy heart at home. Afer all, if you can cheerfully help the people you spend almost all of your time with, you can easily be a cheerful helper to others. Praise God for His mercy when we fail to be cheerful helpers.

A Cup of Christmas Tea

2010-12-19T13:59:00.000-08:00

Our friend Bethany works for World Mission Prayer League, and they own a beautiful mansion in south Minneapolis. She had us and some friends from church over to the mansion for a Christmas tea party. Bethany knows A LOT about tea, and had about 20 different teas for us to try! It was such a treat to have this special day! Thanks Bethany!

(By the way, you can check out World Mission Prayer Leageue at www.wmpl.org They have a wonderful ministry! They never advertise or ask for donations to support their ministry. They rely on God to bring all the finances they need to run, through unsolicited donations.)

Baptism take 2

2010-12-19T13:35:00.000-08:00

Little Miss with cousin Sophia.

All the cousins from Heather's side of the family!

I love this family picture!

Little Miss with her Godparents, Auntie Stef and Uncle Jose.

Time with Uncle Scot.

Lovin' from Auntie Kristin.

The drive home from Mississippi

2010-12-12T09:02:00.000-08:00

Yep, I'm finally finishing the "story" from our trip to Mississippi! The drive home was actually much better than I had excpected it to be. Little Miss slept, except for when we pulled over for a bottle or diaper change. The big girls and boy did a great job at keeping themselves entertained by playing together, reading books, listening to mommy read stories, or watching videos. We actually only watched 3 videos on the whole drive home. We spent 2 full days driving, and by the end, they were all finally almost falling asleep. :) What a blessing it was when we arrived home safely!

Walk on Watercolors

2010-12-10T20:02:00.000-08:00

Ruth

Peter

Noah

Love

David

Daniel

Walk on watercolors is a wonderful ministry that has graciously offered to help us raise funds to pay off the funds we borrowed for Little Miss' adoption. Above, I have posted some pictures of just a few of the prints Andrew has available. Each of his paintings are themed from the Bible, and include a verse and description about the meaning of all the items included in the painting. I have fallen in love with Andrew's art! He is generously giving 50% of each print sold back to us for our adoption. All you need to do is type in the discount code "Antoine" when you check out, and click on the "apply coupon" box. The prints are extremely affordable, meaningful, and could make some great Christmas gifts! :) Andrew is willing to leave our fundraising account open for an indefinite period of time, so even if you're not in the market now, please consider purchasing one in the future. Hop on over to http://www.walkonwatercolors.com/ and check out Andrew's talent that he is using to glorify the Lord!

Baptism

2010-12-01T21:17:00.000-08:00

Thankful for the gift of the Holy Sprit that the Lord gives us through baptism! Welcome to the Lord's family Little Miss!

The Park

2010-11-29T11:58:00.000-08:00

There was a terrific park just a few minutes from our hotel. It was $3 each time we went there, but was worth every penny we spent! It was a great place for the big kids to burn off energy and get some sun, and was enclosed, so we didn't need to worry about them (Miss O, especially) running off. I didn't get any pictures of the girls, but here's Ato T enjoying the swing. We spent time there almost every day we were in Jackson.

Medgar Evers' Home

2010-11-28T15:02:00.000-08:00

This was probably my favorite outing from Jackson, even though we weren't able to go inside.
There was a phone # to call and make an appointment, but no one ever answered it, so we just drove there one afternoon and saw the outside of the house. For those who are not familiar, Medgar Evers was a strong leader in the civil rights movement. He was shot and killed in his driveway on June 12, 1963. If you have never heard his story, I encourage you to read more about him. He was a wonderful man.

We had taken the kids to the Medgar Evers Pavilion at the Jackson Airport, and had also done some online learning about him before we visited his home. The girls were detectives while we were there, trying to figure out where the gunman could have been hiding. What a great way to learn some of our history!

Planetariun

2010-11-28T10:36:00.000-08:00

At the Jackson Planetarium we saw 2 shows. The first was "Pluto: The Vanishing Planet"

It was really informational!

The second was "Space Storm," and taught us about how the sun causes space storms.

Ato T fell asleep during the second show.

One Month of Joy

2010-11-27T21:21:00.000-08:00

Yep, Little Miss is one month old already! The older I get, the more I wonder where the time has gone. I know this isn't the best picture, but it's the only one I had time to get yesterday on her one month birthday. She's changing so much every day! This little girl continues to astound me. We are thanking God for His continued blessings!

The trip from Miss O's view

2010-11-27T14:27:00.000-08:00

The trip from Miss I's view

2010-11-27T14:13:00.000-08:00

Mississippi Museum of Art

2010-11-27T13:00:00.000-08:00

One afternoon I took the 3 big kids to the Planetarium. We say 2 shows, but there was an hour between the shows we wanted to see, so we walked across the street to the Mississippi Museum of Art. That's always a fun way to spend time! They had a great room in the middle of the museum where the kids cold sit and draw, so the girls spent some time drawing while Ato T and I looked at more pieces of art.

Sal & Mookies

2010-11-27T12:49:00.000-08:00

Our first Sunday in Jackson, I was blessed to spend the afternoon and evening with Miss S (Little Miss' birth mom). She and I went out for lunch at a Chinese restaurant, then she took me grocery shopping, so we could be stocked up on groceries for the week. What a thoughtful lady! Just as she was leaving our hotel, mike and Lynn pulled up with the kids! so she came in to the hotel with us and we all hung out for a while, and then decided to go out to eat together. We went to this place, Sal & Mookies. What a great restaurant we randomly picked out of the hotel phone book! They had THE BEST homemade ranch dressing, and were all very friendly.

By the way, I should mention that taking 3 kids, who have been driving for 2 days straight, to a restaurant in the evening to meet a birth mom for the first time, is not the best idea in the world. Of course, Ato T had the hardest time. (Miss S actually asked if we were sure we could handle another one.) We assured her it was because of all the driving and stress. Thankfully we had the chance to show her a more relaxed family just before we left for home.

Ice cream that made Miss I's mouth all blue. She LOVED it!

God's Gift!

2010-11-20T18:38:00.000-08:00

God's Gift is what Little Miss' name means, and it couldn't be more fitting. What a wonderful gift the Lord has given us through her! Isn't she beautiful?!

Yes, we're home.

2010-11-20T18:27:00.000-08:00

Sorry I have been bad at updating the blog - we've been a little busy. :) We have been home for a little over a week, and are doing well. It's wonderful to be home! Ato T's seizures and most of his screaming are back under control now that we're home.

We arrived home to find that mice had gotten in while we were away. We called Orkin, and are working on fixing the problem, but it looks like it was a problem long before we bought the house, so it will take a while to fix. So, Miss O is back upstairs sharing a room with Miss I, which is actually going well this time around. Mike or I stay in their room until they are asleep, and after that the night is good. Added bonus is that Miss I stays in her bed now, and we get our bed to ourselves again! (Although Little Miss is in the cradle at the foot of the bed.)

We have been extremely blessed by friends and family! We came home to a new sink and fixed toilet in the basement bathroom, courtesy of Mike's dad! :) And to a vacuumed house and 2 meals in the freezer, courtesy of Mike's mom and sister, and a meal and gifts from our friend Lisa and Jess! :) Our home school coop also set up a take them a meal schedule, and has been bringing meals Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. What a treat! We also have a new PCA for Ato T! She's WONDERFUL, and couldn't have started at a better time! Did I mention how great she is?! She works HARD with Ato T all morning, and I can see him attaching to her already, after just one week!

The moral of this post: The Lord knows exactly what we need and when we need it. He continues to provide for us far beyond anything we could have ever expected or hoped for. May the Lord richly bless you during this holiday season, and may you always be aware of those blessings.

I still plan to publish some posts about other things we did while we were in Jackson, so keep checking. :)

Jackson Zoo

2010-11-07T19:21:00.000-08:00

What a blessing! The Jackson has reciprocity with the MN Zoo! (Means we get in for free with our MN Zoo membership.) We spent one afternoon there while grandma was still here with us, and we are planning to spend another afternoon there tomorrow. We were there the last weekend that the elephants were there, so we were happy to get to see the elephants before they left. Little miss was with us, strapped to mommy the whole time, but she never made it into pictures.

I don't mind

2010-11-06T18:01:00.000-07:00

I don't mind that I'm not sleeping well. I don't mind that my back hurts and I need a haircut badly. I don't even mind that I haven't slept in the same bed as my husband for 2 weeks, or that I've gained back about 10 of the 15 pounds I recently lost. Why don't I mind these things? Because we have our precious daughter in our arms, and our family is all together. I LOVE being a mother, especially to these 4 children!

Struggling

2010-11-05T15:56:00.001-07:00

We sure would appreciate your prayers! The kids are really struggling. (Especially Ato T and Miss I.) We had originally expected to be starting home today or Monday, and we have just found out that our paperwork was lost and hasn't even left MS yet. It still has to go through Utah and then MN before we can go home. Ato T has extra seizures when he is stressed, and his stress is definitely showing. Miss I is not sleeping well at all. And I am reaching my emotional stress limit. We knew going into this that things could change, I guess we just didn't expect to be adding an entire week onto our trip. We didn't expect it emotionally or financially.

The original plan was for Miss S to be induced Monday, consents to be signed 24 hours after birth (Tuesday), and clearance to happen 7-10 business days after consents were signed. What ACTUALLY happened is that Little Miss was born on Tuesday, and it was decided to wait for 72 hours to have consents signed, instead of 24 hours. Then we found out today that MS lost our papers until today, and won't get them signed until Monday. After that, they still have to go to Utah and then on to MN before we can go home. So realistically, we're looking at at least one more week here.

Ato T and Miss O have now missed 6 therapy sessions each, and Ato T has not been in his stander for 2 weeks, which is not good for his hips. He will also be running out of his seizure meds. soon, and he was supposed to have his blood levels checked this coming week, to make sure the dose of meds. he is on is safe for him. Little Miss also needs to see our pediatrician.

So, we would really appreciate your prayers! We know that God is using this time for our good, and that He will also work out the finances for us. It's just pretty tough in the midst of the action. We also know that soon this will all be distant memories for us. We'd just like to get home as soon as possible so we can get our kids' needs attended to.

Entrustment ceremonies

2010-11-04T10:50:00.001-07:00

We have been blessed by Little Miss' birth mom by having an entrustment ceremony. This is a ceremony planned by one or all parts of the adoption triad, symbolizing the entrustment of the child into the adoptive family's care. Little Miss' birth mom was willing to do this when I suggested it as an option. She came over to our hotel the day after they left the hospital. It was really simple, and pretty informal, but very significant to me, and I pray to Miss S as well. I read a poem for Miss S and a poem for Little Miss, Miss S said a few nice words to us, and then we lit the candles. The tall candles represent our family and Miss S, and the short one represents Little Miss. We lit Little Miss' candle together at the same time, much like a unity candle at a wedding. Below are the poems I read.

Dear Birth Mother

by Karen Ledbetter

You gave a gift,
A brand new life,

Tiny and sweet,

A blessing indeed.

A baby girl,

Precious and small,

An answer to prayer,

No joy can compare.

No more empty arms,

I'm thrilled like no other,

You chose life and

Made me a mother.

Thank you so much

For this precious gift,

For being God's answer

to my prayers and tears.

The Answer

Not flesh of my flesh,

Nor bone of my bone,

But still miraculously

my own.

Never forget,

For a single minute,

You didn't grow under my heart,

but in it.

Family Photo

2010-11-03T17:52:00.000-07:00

Here's our first photo as a family of 6! Today we went to the Mississippi Agricultural Museum, and had a great time! Later tonight or tomorrow I'll post some pictures from that outing. We're still waiting for ICPC to clear so we can go home! Please pray it clears quickly - we're ready to be home! Thanks!

More of Little Miss

2010-11-02T12:06:00.000-07:00

"Little Miss" seems to be the nickname that is catching on, so I'll use it here too!

Urgent prayer request!!!

2010-10-30T09:43:00.000-07:00

Please pray for sweet Mattie. He was born last Tuesday, and has been struggling and fighting for his life since then. The Lord is doing an amazing work in this boy's life. Please pray for his amazing family and the strength they are needing. You can read here to learn his story and follow their journey. www.tracieloux.wordpress.com

We're out of the hospital!

2010-10-28T19:35:00.000-07:00

And at the hotel! The girls are excited! Ato T is having a tough time; not because of Miss SJ, but because of all the travel and being away from home. Enjoy the new pictures!

Introducing Miss SJ!!!

2010-10-27T19:38:00.000-07:00

Today was a great day! Hanging out at the hospital with Miss SJ and her birth mom. The plan is that they will discharge Miss S tomorrow, and she'll then place Miss SJ with us. We'll need to be here about another 2 weeks so that all the paperwork can go through. Enjoy the pictures!

No shower

2010-10-26T19:47:00.000-07:00

Well, I didn't get to take a shower today. Miss S (birth mom) called us at about 6:20 am to tell us she was on her way to the hospital, and we should meet her there! Now, we all know I usually move fast, but I've never seen Mike move this fast before! :) There's a long story I could tell you, but I'm tired, so for tonight you get the short version. She had the baby at 9:42 am!! It's a girl!!!! Her name is Shiloh Jeanell, 8lbs ever, 50 cm long, apgars 8 and 9, lots of hair. And she is GORGEOUS!!!! We will be waiting to post pictures until placement, which will hopefully be on Thrusday. We'll be spending all day tomorrow at the hosptial with birth mom and baby, and Thursday all day until they are released, God willing.

I know so many of you have been praying, and we have felt your prayers. THANK YOU! Please continue to pray for this hospital time to be a great time of bonding for all of us, and for Miss S and all of the transitions and emotions she'll be dealing with. She feels like a long time friend, and we're so thankful for her and her wisdom and grace throughout this process.

Thanks again!

The new plan

2010-10-25T18:34:00.001-07:00

Well, birth mom told us that she wanted to give it one more day, and if she doesn't go into labor tonight, she will be induced tomorrow. We're really hoping this will happen. She wants us here for labor and delivery, but we just don't have the money to stay here longer than the 7-10 business days after she signs that we need to stay already. So, our first prayer is that she is able to go into labor on her own tonight. Our second prayer is that if she doesn't, she will be willing to be induced tomorrow. We're truly hoping that these changes don't mean she's questioning her decision, but in reality we know that's just what it might mean. So we are praying that she has peace of mind and heart.

We'll post when we know anything tomorrow!

Another bump

2010-10-25T12:20:00.000-07:00

We've hit another bump in the road. Birth mom is afraid of being induced. She doesn't want the doctor to have to break her water. She's with the doctor now, and has told us she'll call us when she is don. PLEASE PRAY. If she is not induced, we will most likely have to leave, because we just can't possibly stay her for an indefinite period of time.

I will update when I know more.

Good Day

2010-10-24T19:35:00.000-07:00

Thank you all for your prayers! Birth mom and I had a wonderful afternoon together! We went out for lunch, and then she offered to take me grocery shopping so I could stock up on food for when the rest of the family got here. She drove my by the hospital so that I would be familiar with where to go, and she took me to the dollar store for items at the grocery store that she said we could find cheaper at the dollar store. What a wonderful woman she is! I feel like we're old friends catching up!

Just as she was about to leave the hotel, Mike, Lynn and the kids drove up! So she came in to meet everyone, and we all ended up going out to eat together. Ato T was having a tough night, so we're really hoping she doesn't think it's always as crazy as it was tonight. She just called to let us know she got home safely, and she's going to call us tomorrow when she's on her way to the hospital. Her plan right now is that I would be in the room with her for delivery, and Mike will step out. Of course, we know that her plan can always change.

On a side note, we went to this great restaurant tonight called Sal and Mookie's! They had the BEST homemade ranch dressing, they were incredibly hospitable to us, and were even willing to blend up food for Ato T. We highly recommend going there if you're ever in the Jackson, MS area!

We're all off to bed now. Hopefully the next time I post I'll be able to tell you about our new baby! Thank you all again for your prayers!

Update

2010-10-24T11:04:00.000-07:00

Well, I arrived here in Mississippi yesterday afternoon. I was not able to meet up with the birth mom yesterday. We have planned to get together for lunch today. I spent all yesterday and last night alone and wondering. Adoption feels a lot like "hurry up and wait." This morning is more of the same waiting. I miss my family and can't wait for them to be here tonight! It sounds like the drive is going as well as can be expected. Mike was able to roll up towels and make some supports for Ato T during the drive, but he was still extremely tired when they finished driving last night.

So right now I'm waiting for birth mom to come and pick me up so that we can go to lunch. The plan was for her to be here at 1:00, but she called at about 12:40 to tell me church ran late, she was going home to change and would be her within an hour. It's 1:10 right not. I'm just praying everything goes smoothly, and praying that birth mom is feeling at peace and comfortable with her decision.

As I was anxious last night, the Lord gave me these verses. "Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you. So may we boldly say 'the Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?'" (Hebrews 13:5-6)

What a wonderful message from my Heavenly Father! It brought peace to my heart, and I have continued to read and ponder these words.

The Plan

2010-10-21T05:48:00.000-07:00

I will be flying out to go to Mississippi early Saturday morning. This was the cheapest flight we could find, which is why I'm going down early. Mike and the kids will follow in the van, with his mom, who has volunteered to go with us and help with the older 3 kids while we do hospital. Mandy (the dog) will go my parents farm and have a fun "vacation" with their dogs!

I'm really hoping that flying down 2 days early will allow me to spend some time with the birth mom, but we need to talk to her and see what her schedule will allow. If nothing else, I'll spend time shopping for groceries for the time we'll be there and checking out things to do in the area. We'll be in Mississippi 7-10 business days, waiting for the interstate compact to go through, and then we'll drive home.

Right now, the plan is to fly Mike's mom home once the hospital stuff is done. Unless we have a very crabby baby, then plans could change. :)

I'll do my best to keep you updated on our blog. Thanks for the prayers!

Here we go!

2010-10-20T14:41:00.000-07:00

We matched with a wonderful woman last night, and her due date is this Sunday, October 23! She is in Mississippi, and we will be traveling there for the birth. We're currently waiting to her from our agency, because she was going to ask her doctor today if she could schedule an induction, to be sure we would be there for the birth. We are excited and flustered all at once! Mike has been in New York on work since Tuesday, and is due to come home Friday. He's been doing lots of financial work for us in between his meetings, and I'm at home trying to get laundry and packing done, and looking for a place for us to stay.

We were hoping to have some of our fundraising done before another baby came, but we are ecstatic that it is happening so quickly. Today Mike secured a loan for us, so that we could cover all of the fees, and we still hope to hold a dinner in December to help us cover some of the costs. However, we do still need to pay for our travel and stay in Mississippi. If the Lord is calling you to it, please feel free to make a donation to our adoption fund. You can use the paypal button at the top our our web page.

Most of all, we ask for your prayers. Especially for our birth mom, and all the decisions and transitions she will be dealing with in the next few days. And for our kids and their stress levels during this time of anticipation.

Thank you all so much for your support! We will do our best to keep the blog updated as we have time and information.

UPDATE: "Our" birth mom is being induced Monday at 1:30!!!!!

S: if you're reading this, we can't wait to meet you and we love you already!