So after this weekend away, we arrive home after a long drive, only to be faced with our "problem child." Mya, the kitten we brought home in November, had to be taken to the Vet. Mya was home by herself, nowhere near the dogs,and yet somehow damaged her eye...again. (Christmas Eve, we took her to the vet because her eye was irritated. It seems that she scratched it. At that same time she was also having a bad reaction to the sutures from her spaying.) This time it was the other eye, and it was a little more serious. So here we go with another round of antibiotics and eye drops. Hopefully, this time two visits will be enough instead of the four it took last time. The vet jokingly said Mya is going to be a problem child and we should have gotten insurance with this cat. She also said we are not allowed to go anywhere for about the next ten years. Either that, or we need to get a cat carrier to keep by our sides at all times. I'm starting to seriously think it might be worth looking into pet insurance with this one. ;-)
In moments of frustration, I have half thought of just finding another home for Mya. Neither David nor I are particularly set on having to keep the cat. But then I wonder how it will affect Elizabeth. When we bring home her siblings, will she think that we will just give them to another family when things aren't easy? In most adult minds there is a clear distinction between children and pets, but how would her almost-four-year-old mind see it?
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
"Weekend to Remember"
This weekend, David and I were blessed with a gift to attend a Family Life Weekend to Remember marriage conference. We travelled to my parents' home so Elizabeth could stay with Grandma and Grandpa while we were at the conference. My parents went a step further and paid for a hotel room for us, so we could have the whole weekend to ourselves! The conference was a good reminder of how God sees men and women, marriage, and family. There were no earth shattering revelations for us, but it was nice to have affirmation and encouragement to continue to grow closer to God and each other.
One of the interesting things was that the speakers have all adopted children, and they are at different stages and have completely different stories. The husband and wife who spoke adopted four children, now grown. What touched me was they didn't even say they were adopted until the third day. The only reason we know they adopted was because the wife shared her experience with infertility. They are their children, and that is what is important--not how they joined the family.
The other speaker often has his wife with him, but they brought home a newborn the day before the conference. They already had eight children, born into the family. But they felt God calling, and adopted this new little one. It was amazing to see how attached and "in love" this father was already. Many would think that it wouldn't be as big of a deal for him, as he already has eight children, but his excitement and devotion was constantly evident.
A woman attending the conference spoke up the last day and said she is a birth mother, and hearing the stories from these two families really touched her! God is so good! Listening to chatter among the couples attending, it seemed like adoption has touched so many families in some way, and it was just amazing!
One of the interesting things was that the speakers have all adopted children, and they are at different stages and have completely different stories. The husband and wife who spoke adopted four children, now grown. What touched me was they didn't even say they were adopted until the third day. The only reason we know they adopted was because the wife shared her experience with infertility. They are their children, and that is what is important--not how they joined the family.
The other speaker often has his wife with him, but they brought home a newborn the day before the conference. They already had eight children, born into the family. But they felt God calling, and adopted this new little one. It was amazing to see how attached and "in love" this father was already. Many would think that it wouldn't be as big of a deal for him, as he already has eight children, but his excitement and devotion was constantly evident.
A woman attending the conference spoke up the last day and said she is a birth mother, and hearing the stories from these two families really touched her! God is so good! Listening to chatter among the couples attending, it seemed like adoption has touched so many families in some way, and it was just amazing!
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Still no birth certificate--the tracking information doesn't even show that anything has been picked up yet. :-( Maybe for some reason they sent it by another method, but I don't know why they would have.
We did get our state certified documents back from Maryland today. A receipt from USCIS saying that they received our form also arrived today. I'm a little concerned because it says that if you have not heard about a decision on the case in 180 DAYS to contact them. (Oh my goodness, I hope it doesn't take any where near that long!)
We did get our state certified documents back from Maryland today. A receipt from USCIS saying that they received our form also arrived today. I'm a little concerned because it says that if you have not heard about a decision on the case in 180 DAYS to contact them. (Oh my goodness, I hope it doesn't take any where near that long!)
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Practicing Thankfulness
I am thankful...
...after about ten calls and leaving messages this morning my birth certificate should FINALLY be sent out today
...that someone in the NC SOS office actually returns phone calls! (That kind of practice could revolutionize the government!)
...that after almost a month someone finally figured out that they haven't been able to match my records up because the name on the order was my married last name, and the name on the certificate was my birth name. (Never mind that in all communications, I have given them BOTH names. And it's not like I have a first name they see all the time.)
Okay, okay! I know that is not having a thankful heart. I have finished my rant, so now I can share...
~I am truly thankful that I was able to speak with someone to get this figured out.
~I am truly thankful that it has happened now, so we were not just waiting on this one document to have our dossier complete.
~I am truly thankful that we have had so few problems in gathering our documents this time
~I am thankful for another lesson in patience and God's timing!
...after about ten calls and leaving messages this morning my birth certificate should FINALLY be sent out today
...that someone in the NC SOS office actually returns phone calls! (That kind of practice could revolutionize the government!)
...that after almost a month someone finally figured out that they haven't been able to match my records up because the name on the order was my married last name, and the name on the certificate was my birth name. (Never mind that in all communications, I have given them BOTH names. And it's not like I have a first name they see all the time.)
Okay, okay! I know that is not having a thankful heart. I have finished my rant, so now I can share...
~I am truly thankful that I was able to speak with someone to get this figured out.
~I am truly thankful that it has happened now, so we were not just waiting on this one document to have our dossier complete.
~I am truly thankful that we have had so few problems in gathering our documents this time
~I am thankful for another lesson in patience and God's timing!
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Give thanks FOR everything
My husband and I often read "Daily Manna From the Net" on the International Bible Society website. Today the Scripture was from Ephesians 5:15-20, and part of that passage really got me thinking. Verse 20 says "...always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." That's the NIV. I was curious, so I looked it up in other versions. NIRV, KJV, NASB, NLT, and AMP all use that word, "FOR."
I know that we are supposed to be thankful to God at all times, even DURING trying times. God is always good, so I believe there is always something to be thankful for. It's so much more difficult to be thankful FOR those times and situations.
God, please give me a truly grateful heart; teach me to give thanks for everything.
I know that we are supposed to be thankful to God at all times, even DURING trying times. God is always good, so I believe there is always something to be thankful for. It's so much more difficult to be thankful FOR those times and situations.
God, please give me a truly grateful heart; teach me to give thanks for everything.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Valentine's Day...early
Today was like Valentine's Day at our house. Elizabeth had a party at pre-school. She received so many cards and candy you would have thought it was Halloween! After school, we had fun going out to meet some friends for lunch and shopping.
When we arrived home, there were flowers waiting fo me--a dozen beautiful roses and six Calla Lillies! Yes, they were a little early for Valentine's Day, but David knows I appreciate the flowers more knowing he did not pay the $30 or so they were going to charge for delivering Thursday.
After we had been home a little while, the delivery man came again and brought red and pink lillies for Elizabeth! What a sweet Daddy! He made sure to include Elizabeth in the Valentine's surprise. (Any guy who tries to date her in the future is going to have to treat her like a queen...just as it should be!) Of course, this melts my heart more than just getting flowers myself. "The way to a mother's heart is through her children," I've heard. I'm finding it more and more to be true!
When we arrived home, there were flowers waiting fo me--a dozen beautiful roses and six Calla Lillies! Yes, they were a little early for Valentine's Day, but David knows I appreciate the flowers more knowing he did not pay the $30 or so they were going to charge for delivering Thursday.
After we had been home a little while, the delivery man came again and brought red and pink lillies for Elizabeth! What a sweet Daddy! He made sure to include Elizabeth in the Valentine's surprise. (Any guy who tries to date her in the future is going to have to treat her like a queen...just as it should be!) Of course, this melts my heart more than just getting flowers myself. "The way to a mother's heart is through her children," I've heard. I'm finding it more and more to be true!
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Go Lady Terps!
We were able to attend a women's basketball game at the University of Maryland last night, and had a lot of fun! Elizabeth was especially excited to have her friend Alex come with us. (We missed you Dawn and Callum!) The girls were all decked out in Maryland sweatshirts--David wouldn't have it any other way ;-)--and cheered and danced with the crowd.
It was a great way for the girls to see positive images of young women, and was an excellent way to spend a Friday night! As David pointed out, it was cheaper than a movie and more exciting!
MD 86 VA 80
GO MARYLAND!
It was a great way for the girls to see positive images of young women, and was an excellent way to spend a Friday night! As David pointed out, it was cheaper than a movie and more exciting!
MD 86 VA 80
GO MARYLAND!
In the Mail
Our home study update was approved February 5! We received it in the mail yesterday. This means we are ready to move onto the next step--asking for our USCIS approval process to be changed for the new criteria...Two children under the age of four from the country of Ethiopia! Hopefully, things will move quickly!
We only have a few more things to have notorized, then we can get everything state sealed for our dossier! I'm probably being too optimistic, but I'm hopeful our dossier will be out of our hands before the end of February.
We also finished our Hague compliant training in January and received our certificates in the mail today!
We only have a few more things to have notorized, then we can get everything state sealed for our dossier! I'm probably being too optimistic, but I'm hopeful our dossier will be out of our hands before the end of February.
We also finished our Hague compliant training in January and received our certificates in the mail today!
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
His Plan
We chose Psalm 139:13-16 as a theme verse because it is God who created us and brought us to this place. He has plans for our lives and for whatever children He chooses to bring into our family. He knew them before He ever created the world. What an amazing God!
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Update
Just wanted to give you an update about what has been going on with us. Sorry...it's kind of long...lots of prayer requests :-)
It is definite that we will not be able to bring Jose home. Both a praise and a prayer request is that we have been told he will go to live with his birthmother. How wonderful that he will be able to know her and she him! However, after not having him for 19 months, it will be quite an adjustment for both of them. And the reasons she relinquished him at his birth have not changed. Please be in prayer
for them and for the foster mother who has been caring for him all along.
This has been a very painful time for us. We know that Jose was not legally ours, and that we have never physically seen him. However, in our hearts and minds, he was already part of our family. We know that God brought him into our lives for a reason. It has been such a blessing to have friends around us who understand. Some have been through similar situations, but all have been very loving and supportive. We have told Elizabeth, and at times she seems to understand that he will not be coming home, but at other times she still speaks about him being her brother. We let her know that we can pray for him and love him even though he won't be here with us.
A huge praise! A law was passed in Guatemala that allows in-process adoptions to continue; it's not everything we hoped for, but it is a step. There are still MANY details that need to be figured out. Also, there is no provision for the children who are not in process for being adopted. Continue to pray for all the children who are being adopted internationally and who will remain in Guatemala.
*Please pray especially for some friends of ours who are trying to bring their little boy home! They are SO close to having him home, but there are some very large obstacles in their path. Thankfully, God is bigger than anything that can be placed or thrown in the way.*
With much prayer and thought, we are begining the adoption process in another country. Though the law passed in Guatemala, now is not the time to begin with a new referral for a child there. Perhaps God will lead us back in the future. Right now we are trusting and trying to take one step at a time. We have been approved within our agency to enter their program for adoptions in Ethiopia. It means we will have to do a lot of redundant paperwork since we won't be able to use many
of the items we needed for Guatemala. But that means we should already know what we're doing, right? ;-)
Thank you all for you love and support! It means the world to us!
~Blessings~
It is definite that we will not be able to bring Jose home. Both a praise and a prayer request is that we have been told he will go to live with his birthmother. How wonderful that he will be able to know her and she him! However, after not having him for 19 months, it will be quite an adjustment for both of them. And the reasons she relinquished him at his birth have not changed. Please be in prayer
for them and for the foster mother who has been caring for him all along.
This has been a very painful time for us. We know that Jose was not legally ours, and that we have never physically seen him. However, in our hearts and minds, he was already part of our family. We know that God brought him into our lives for a reason. It has been such a blessing to have friends around us who understand. Some have been through similar situations, but all have been very loving and supportive. We have told Elizabeth, and at times she seems to understand that he will not be coming home, but at other times she still speaks about him being her brother. We let her know that we can pray for him and love him even though he won't be here with us.
A huge praise! A law was passed in Guatemala that allows in-process adoptions to continue; it's not everything we hoped for, but it is a step. There are still MANY details that need to be figured out. Also, there is no provision for the children who are not in process for being adopted. Continue to pray for all the children who are being adopted internationally and who will remain in Guatemala.
*Please pray especially for some friends of ours who are trying to bring their little boy home! They are SO close to having him home, but there are some very large obstacles in their path. Thankfully, God is bigger than anything that can be placed or thrown in the way.*
With much prayer and thought, we are begining the adoption process in another country. Though the law passed in Guatemala, now is not the time to begin with a new referral for a child there. Perhaps God will lead us back in the future. Right now we are trusting and trying to take one step at a time. We have been approved within our agency to enter their program for adoptions in Ethiopia. It means we will have to do a lot of redundant paperwork since we won't be able to use many
of the items we needed for Guatemala. But that means we should already know what we're doing, right? ;-)
Thank you all for you love and support! It means the world to us!
~Blessings~
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