Saturday, July 11, 2009
Quote of the Day
Me: Mom, your hair looks so nice today.
Mom: Thanks, Angela (her grand daughter), came over and gave me a perm and colored my hair.
Me: I love the new color.
Mom: Me to. I'm just not ready to be gray yet.
My mom will turn 90 in November.
Something tells me she will never be ready to go gray.
Here she is with my Dad before her new color.
She now has beautiful ash blonde hair again.
My mom always looks good. I hope I am as healthy and happy as my parents when I am almost 90.
You both are an inspiration!
*******************************************************************************
My parents have already started a photo album for our new Ethiopian kids. They are very distressed that we only have 5 pictures of them.
That is so sweet and it is such a blessing to our family that my parents are supporting us in our adoption as fully as they are.
We love you both so so much!!!!
Mom: Thanks, Angela (her grand daughter), came over and gave me a perm and colored my hair.
Me: I love the new color.
Mom: Me to. I'm just not ready to be gray yet.
My mom will turn 90 in November.
Something tells me she will never be ready to go gray.
Here she is with my Dad before her new color.
She now has beautiful ash blonde hair again.
My mom always looks good. I hope I am as healthy and happy as my parents when I am almost 90.
You both are an inspiration!
*******************************************************************************
My parents have already started a photo album for our new Ethiopian kids. They are very distressed that we only have 5 pictures of them.
That is so sweet and it is such a blessing to our family that my parents are supporting us in our adoption as fully as they are.
We love you both so so much!!!!
Friday, July 10, 2009
Happy Days!
Court dates have been given to those families stuck in the abandonment mess. July 20th is their big day. I know their will be lots of prayers going up that they all pass. Most of these kids have been referred since January. These families have waited a long long time to bring their kiddo's home. I am so happy for you all.
We are still waiting for a court date. We hit the three week mark yesterday. I am going to stay hopeful that we will hear something when MOWA opens again in two weeks.
The strangest thing happened yesterday. There was a referral for a little boy (2) and a girl (5). The family had only waited 5 months. That means we were at the top of the list for a boy/girl 0-6 (we had waited 9 months). It was so strange to know that if we had not been allowed to adopt our kids off the waiting children's page, most likely, they would have been the kids we were referred.
I had a moment of panic. Did we adopt OUR kids?
The answer is YES, YES, YES.
I am so in love with these children, however, I did have a moment where I let the enemy in and started doubting.
All along I have prayed that God would send us OUR kids. The mountains that were moved for us to adopt these children has left no doubt in my mind that they are OUR children, sent from God and an answer to all of our prayers.
Why do I let the enemy in? Some times I get so mad at myself.
I am off to the Christian Home Educators conference for the weekend. I am going with a few girlfriends and will be going to several classes that I hope will help me teach our new children. I am excited to go and get refreshed and ready for our second year of homeschooling.
I am so so excited.
Have a great weekend my friends!
We are still waiting for a court date. We hit the three week mark yesterday. I am going to stay hopeful that we will hear something when MOWA opens again in two weeks.
The strangest thing happened yesterday. There was a referral for a little boy (2) and a girl (5). The family had only waited 5 months. That means we were at the top of the list for a boy/girl 0-6 (we had waited 9 months). It was so strange to know that if we had not been allowed to adopt our kids off the waiting children's page, most likely, they would have been the kids we were referred.
I had a moment of panic. Did we adopt OUR kids?
The answer is YES, YES, YES.
I am so in love with these children, however, I did have a moment where I let the enemy in and started doubting.
All along I have prayed that God would send us OUR kids. The mountains that were moved for us to adopt these children has left no doubt in my mind that they are OUR children, sent from God and an answer to all of our prayers.
Why do I let the enemy in? Some times I get so mad at myself.
I am off to the Christian Home Educators conference for the weekend. I am going with a few girlfriends and will be going to several classes that I hope will help me teach our new children. I am excited to go and get refreshed and ready for our second year of homeschooling.
I am so so excited.
Have a great weekend my friends!
Labels: Adoption, Home Schooling
Wednesday, July 08, 2009
Sucked Into The Sadness
If you know anyone who is adopting from Ethiopia you have probably heard about the abandoned children's cases. If not, this is the story in brief. One agency was found to be putting children through court who were not actually abandoned or orphans. This stopped all adoptions of children who had been abandoned in the capital of Addis Abba. What this meant is that if you were referred a child and had a court date, or were waiting for a court date you were put into limbo. We have sixteen families at our agency that have been waiting to hear something about their children for months with no word.
There was an investigation and it has been completed. Only one agency was involved and we had been told that the abandonment cases would begin to be heard so these precious children and their families could be united.
We were expecting some good news this week.
However, this was just announced:
Two US agencies announced today that MOWA will be closing for training, effective tomorrow and lasting until July 24th. One agency reminded their clients that MOWA handles both pre- and post-court paperwork; the closing not only affects abandonment cases waiting for new court dates, but it affects all cases waiting for court dates, cases scheduled for that time, as well as people who have already passed court and are waiting for travel clearance.
We received confirmation from our agency this morning that this news is indeed true.
This seems so unbelievably cruel to these families. They have already waited two months for news on their children and now MOWA is closing? There had been some rumors that the families would pass without being given court dates. I pray this is true. I don't want them to have to wait one minute longer to hold their children in their arms.
What does this mean for us?
It means our prayers of news of a court date this week have been crushed. We won't find anything out until after the 24th.
It means our sons friend, Eric, whose family was suppose to have a court date on the 14th will have to wait longer also. I am so sorry Roxanne.
I had dreams of my children swimming in the pool this summer and bonding over smores and campfires.
Most likely it will be Fall before they come home now.
This is a picture of the big kids shoes outside their room at the House of Hope. My friend Angie sent it to me. I find myself staring at the shoes wondering which pair belong to our children? What colors are thier favorites? Who are their friends?
There was an investigation and it has been completed. Only one agency was involved and we had been told that the abandonment cases would begin to be heard so these precious children and their families could be united.
We were expecting some good news this week.
However, this was just announced:
Two US agencies announced today that MOWA will be closing for training, effective tomorrow and lasting until July 24th. One agency reminded their clients that MOWA handles both pre- and post-court paperwork; the closing not only affects abandonment cases waiting for new court dates, but it affects all cases waiting for court dates, cases scheduled for that time, as well as people who have already passed court and are waiting for travel clearance.
We received confirmation from our agency this morning that this news is indeed true.
This seems so unbelievably cruel to these families. They have already waited two months for news on their children and now MOWA is closing? There had been some rumors that the families would pass without being given court dates. I pray this is true. I don't want them to have to wait one minute longer to hold their children in their arms.
What does this mean for us?
It means our prayers of news of a court date this week have been crushed. We won't find anything out until after the 24th.
It means our sons friend, Eric, whose family was suppose to have a court date on the 14th will have to wait longer also. I am so sorry Roxanne.
I had dreams of my children swimming in the pool this summer and bonding over smores and campfires.
Most likely it will be Fall before they come home now.
This is a picture of the big kids shoes outside their room at the House of Hope. My friend Angie sent it to me. I find myself staring at the shoes wondering which pair belong to our children? What colors are thier favorites? Who are their friends?
Questions I will have to wait a little longer to ask them.
My heart is broken over this whole situation.
Tuesday, July 07, 2009
The Boys Of Summer
The night ended with my 10 year old son standing on the mound in tears.
His team had just lost a game they were highly favored to win.
His team had been taken over by aliens for a few hours this evening. Boys who could catch balls and turn double plays just yesterday couldn't make the most basic of plays.
We lost 15-14. Generally if you put 14 runs on the board in an All Star game you are going to win. That is if your team mates can remember how to catch the ball.
To say it was painful would be an understatement.
However, it happens to the best of them.
The Yankees, Dodgers, Red Sox, Angels, Mets, etc. have all had such loses.
My heart broke for my child as he just sat down and cried after the game. Something I have seen him do only one other time.
I walked over and tried to comfort him as did several other parents.
I told him I was sorry they had to lose this way, however, their was some good news.
"What" he asked?
Well, no longer will our days have to be planned around practices and games. We can go to the beach, stay up late making smores, pitch a tent in the back yard and go to the drive in whenever we want.
That got a smile out of him.
Soon we were home and the seven of us were laying around eating a late dinner of burritos from the local take out place. Giggles and laughter had replaced the tears.
Tonight as I lay in bed I found I couldn't sleep.
The events of the night were still bothering me. I was thinking of the days in the not to distant future when I wouldn't be able to solve all my sons hurts with a promise of a chocolate bar and a trip to the beach.
There will be hurts that I cannot fix. It is hard for me to accept this.
Tonight it is late as these thoughts race through my head and I am reminded of why we need to nurture and grow our children's faith and knowledge of the Lord.
He can heal them when we cannot. He can guide them in ways we never can. Their trust in Him is so much more important than their trust in us. He is the great healer.
His team had just lost a game they were highly favored to win.
His team had been taken over by aliens for a few hours this evening. Boys who could catch balls and turn double plays just yesterday couldn't make the most basic of plays.
We lost 15-14. Generally if you put 14 runs on the board in an All Star game you are going to win. That is if your team mates can remember how to catch the ball.
To say it was painful would be an understatement.
However, it happens to the best of them.
The Yankees, Dodgers, Red Sox, Angels, Mets, etc. have all had such loses.
My heart broke for my child as he just sat down and cried after the game. Something I have seen him do only one other time.
I walked over and tried to comfort him as did several other parents.
I told him I was sorry they had to lose this way, however, their was some good news.
"What" he asked?
Well, no longer will our days have to be planned around practices and games. We can go to the beach, stay up late making smores, pitch a tent in the back yard and go to the drive in whenever we want.
That got a smile out of him.
Soon we were home and the seven of us were laying around eating a late dinner of burritos from the local take out place. Giggles and laughter had replaced the tears.
Tonight as I lay in bed I found I couldn't sleep.
The events of the night were still bothering me. I was thinking of the days in the not to distant future when I wouldn't be able to solve all my sons hurts with a promise of a chocolate bar and a trip to the beach.
There will be hurts that I cannot fix. It is hard for me to accept this.
Tonight it is late as these thoughts race through my head and I am reminded of why we need to nurture and grow our children's faith and knowledge of the Lord.
He can heal them when we cannot. He can guide them in ways we never can. Their trust in Him is so much more important than their trust in us. He is the great healer.
Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will
never let the righteous fall. Psalm 55:22
Monday, July 06, 2009
A Dollar Just Isn't Worth What It Used To Be
Paige lost her first tooth two weeks ago.
One of Zach's friends was playing with her and it fell out during their rough housing. She was terrified, she didn't seem to realize you were suppose to lose your teeth, and Zach's poor friend was traumatized by the idea that he had knocked his friends little sisters tooth out. It really was a funny spectacle. Paige was crying that she was bleeding and she wanted her tooth back. You see, she swallowed it in all the excitement.
We explained to her about how you lose your teeth when you are little and why. I guess none of her friends had lost their teeth yet....or she just hadn't noticed.
Last night she lost her second tooth with much less drama. This time she was careful not to swallow it and Tyler took her upstairs to put it under her pillow for the tooth fairy.
This morning she came happily running down the stairs with her one dollar bill in her hands.
Look mom, my tooth turned into money. Now I can buy what ever I want.
I wonder how much she will cry when I tell her how much that dollar is really worth?
Maybe we can both have a good cry about that together....................
One of Zach's friends was playing with her and it fell out during their rough housing. She was terrified, she didn't seem to realize you were suppose to lose your teeth, and Zach's poor friend was traumatized by the idea that he had knocked his friends little sisters tooth out. It really was a funny spectacle. Paige was crying that she was bleeding and she wanted her tooth back. You see, she swallowed it in all the excitement.
We explained to her about how you lose your teeth when you are little and why. I guess none of her friends had lost their teeth yet....or she just hadn't noticed.
Last night she lost her second tooth with much less drama. This time she was careful not to swallow it and Tyler took her upstairs to put it under her pillow for the tooth fairy.
This morning she came happily running down the stairs with her one dollar bill in her hands.
Look mom, my tooth turned into money. Now I can buy what ever I want.
I wonder how much she will cry when I tell her how much that dollar is really worth?
Maybe we can both have a good cry about that together....................
Saturday, July 04, 2009
I was so excited this morning when I realized next Fourth of July we will have two new citizens living in our house to celebrate with. We are still praying for a court date before closure. I am having a good feeling about it, but trying not to have my heart set on it so it does not break if it doesn't happen. Maybe we will hear something by the end of next week.
All Stars is still going on. They lost one earlier in the week and then won last night which means we will play into next week. Zach had a tournament this weekend so he and Dave are gone and will be home around 1:00 p.m..
We are going to head on over to a local park for a carnival and fireworks later. This afternoon I am planning on enjoying a book out by the pool for a while.
Have a wonderful 4th with your families!!!
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
We Won!
My two guys preparing to leave for the big game. Poor Garrett, he doesn't look excited at all.
Singing the National Anthem. Made me cry a little.
Getting final instructions from the umpires.
And look who was on the mound even though his mother (me) asked the coach (hubby) that he not pitch the first game. I wasn't sure I could handle the stress with everything else that has been going on.
You know, he never listens to me.
It all turned out fine. He pitched great and only gave up 3 runs in 4 innings of pitching.
We ended up winning 12-6.
We all had a good time and everyone behaved themselves beautifully. Even Pete and Rose.
Hubby met with the parents and told them he would talk with them about anything except playing time. Don't ask about your kids playing time. It is not negotiable.
That may seem a little harsh, however, every parent thinks their kid is the best. Six different people would have six different idea's of who would start the game and who the best players on the team were.
I guess since they knew Dave wouldn't talk with them about playing time they felt I was the next best candidate. Really people, get over yourselves. When you are on an All Star team it is just that. A team filled with All Stars. Everyone can play well. When you have 13 kids on a team and 9 positions in the batting order and on the field some kids are going to have to sit a few innings. It's not rocket science people.
Lastly, and most importantly, the boys had a blast. They were dancing to the music being played between innings and having a fabulous time. They kept playing the chicken dance song and Garrett would do the arm movements in between pitches when he was warming up. I think the kids on the other team thought our boys had lost their minds.
Here is a sample of some of their moves. Turn down your volume because there is this obnoxious lady (me) cheering them on that is really LOUD.
To close, my husband wanted me to let you know that he is not a saint. He thought I portrayed him a little to kindly in the Rose and Pete saga. So, just to make him happy I am going to share a secret with you.
Ready?
He forgot our 24th wedding anniversary yesterday. I guess with all the drama going on lately it slipped his mind. Don't think to harshly of him. I forgive him. He has never forgotten before. So once in 24 years isn't to bad. We are going to celebrate next month when all this baseball craziness is behind us.
I bet I will get a better present now anyway. What do you think?
Labels: baseball, summer time fun
