Emma's playing with a baby doll from Grandma
Kristopher has his new leapster game going
Brianna's playing with a Leap Frog Scribble and Write (mostly scribbling going on)
Micah's laying on a new book rubbing its cover (don't ask, he's just funny like that)
and Lynae's telling me it's time for everyone else to go to bed so she can have my undivided attention.
Mike's at church, they're having a meeting after service tonight about his quickly approaching trip to Kenya.
And I'm watching all of my kids in awe that God has blessed us so abundantly today and always!
Saturday, December 26
Merry Christmas!
Our Christmas and the festivities leading up to it were a lot of fun! I hope you had a blessed celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ!!
On Christmas eve we let the kids exchange small gifts that they'd bought for each other. Kristopher earned 1/2 of his Christmas 'buying power' for the kids and he and I went shopping last week to pick things out for them. He even wrapped them all himself! Then we went to Mike's parents' house in the afternoon and had a big family dinner together. Afterward we went to church... which was an experience. In a 45 minute service we managed to have one kid spit up ALL over and another kid load their diaper (twice!). And Emma kept periodically yelling throughout. But we made it through! I hate to feel that way about church, but with 5 kids and 4 adults (Mike's parents were with us some of the time) it really did work out ok.
Christmas morning my sister was here for a short time. Lynae started SCREAMING while I was getting dressed- No idea why! So Elizabeth got up whether she really had wanted to or not :) The kids discovered that Santa had come and we had a relaxed morning exchanging gifts for one another and seeing if Santa brought what each of the kids asked for. This was Micah and Emma's 2nd Christmas with us, but the first year they really enjoyed opening gifts. Micah was still somewhat off in his own little land, but he would try and wanted to see what was in them if we were with him.
Of course this is Lynae's first Christmas and after that initial screaming fit she had a great day! She st with each of us, laid on a blanket to see what was happening around her, and loves the Christmas lights :) She did like the gifts she received too, which is always nice. And the good thing about big brothers and sisters is that they will 'restart' the music on a toy!
In the late morning we went to my parents' house and celebrated with five other bro/sis/sis in law, an aunt and two uncles! It was the most people to be home at Christmas in a long time! My one uncle wasn't feeling well so we did miss seeing him for Christmas. We all had a nice time visiting together, the kids playing with toys, the adults hanging out and talking, and Micah even got a nice long nap!
Unfortunately, yesterday I woke up with a bit of a sore throat and was careful not to share any germs throughout the day. Today I am achy and still have a sore throat, but DayQuil is a wonderful thing and I'm doing ok now that it's had some time to set in.
We had a blessed Christmas filled with family and friends! Eventually I'll get some photos up, but for now I'd rather enjoy my kids anad husband this beautiful Saturday! (Maybe at nap time :) ).
On Christmas eve we let the kids exchange small gifts that they'd bought for each other. Kristopher earned 1/2 of his Christmas 'buying power' for the kids and he and I went shopping last week to pick things out for them. He even wrapped them all himself! Then we went to Mike's parents' house in the afternoon and had a big family dinner together. Afterward we went to church... which was an experience. In a 45 minute service we managed to have one kid spit up ALL over and another kid load their diaper (twice!). And Emma kept periodically yelling throughout. But we made it through! I hate to feel that way about church, but with 5 kids and 4 adults (Mike's parents were with us some of the time) it really did work out ok.
Christmas morning my sister was here for a short time. Lynae started SCREAMING while I was getting dressed- No idea why! So Elizabeth got up whether she really had wanted to or not :) The kids discovered that Santa had come and we had a relaxed morning exchanging gifts for one another and seeing if Santa brought what each of the kids asked for. This was Micah and Emma's 2nd Christmas with us, but the first year they really enjoyed opening gifts. Micah was still somewhat off in his own little land, but he would try and wanted to see what was in them if we were with him.
Of course this is Lynae's first Christmas and after that initial screaming fit she had a great day! She st with each of us, laid on a blanket to see what was happening around her, and loves the Christmas lights :) She did like the gifts she received too, which is always nice. And the good thing about big brothers and sisters is that they will 'restart' the music on a toy!
In the late morning we went to my parents' house and celebrated with five other bro/sis/sis in law, an aunt and two uncles! It was the most people to be home at Christmas in a long time! My one uncle wasn't feeling well so we did miss seeing him for Christmas. We all had a nice time visiting together, the kids playing with toys, the adults hanging out and talking, and Micah even got a nice long nap!
Unfortunately, yesterday I woke up with a bit of a sore throat and was careful not to share any germs throughout the day. Today I am achy and still have a sore throat, but DayQuil is a wonderful thing and I'm doing ok now that it's had some time to set in.
We had a blessed Christmas filled with family and friends! Eventually I'll get some photos up, but for now I'd rather enjoy my kids anad husband this beautiful Saturday! (Maybe at nap time :) ).
Friday, December 25
Irony
I get weird spam comments occasionally. Not enough to care so much. I just delete them and move on. Ironucally, this message was just left for me:
Great story you got here. It would be great to read something more concerning this theme. Thanx for sharing this info.
Sexy Lady
and of course there's a link which I've discarded.
But it wasn't just on ANY post... It was left on my post that it directly from the Bible with the story of Jesus' birth.
I wish "she" really did want to read something more concerning that theme. Yet somehow I don't think that's what the original author intended.
(these type of messages are left so people will visit their websites with... ick... on them. They're written "nicely" so that you might visit and not delete it.)
Great story you got here. It would be great to read something more concerning this theme. Thanx for sharing this info.
Sexy Lady
and of course there's a link which I've discarded.
But it wasn't just on ANY post... It was left on my post that it directly from the Bible with the story of Jesus' birth.
I wish "she" really did want to read something more concerning that theme. Yet somehow I don't think that's what the original author intended.
(these type of messages are left so people will visit their websites with... ick... on them. They're written "nicely" so that you might visit and not delete it.)
Thursday, December 24
The Message- Matthew 1
The Birth of Jesus
18-19The birth of Jesus took place like this. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. Before they came to the marriage bed, Joseph discovered she was pregnant. (It was by the Holy Spirit, but he didn't know that.) Joseph, chagrined but noble, determined to take care of things quietly so Mary would not be disgraced. 20-23While he was trying to figure a way out, he had a dream. God's angel spoke in the dream: "Joseph, son of David, don't hesitate to get married. Mary's pregnancy is Spirit-conceived. God's Holy Spirit has made her pregnant. She will bring a son to birth, and when she does, you, Joseph, will name him Jesus—'God saves'—because he will save his people from their sins." This would bring the prophet's embryonic sermon to full term:
Watch for this—a virgin will get pregnant and bear a son;
They will name him Immanuel (Hebrew for "God is with us").
24-25Then Joseph woke up. He did exactly what God's angel commanded in the dream: He married Mary. But he did not consummate the marriage until she had the baby. He named the baby Jesus.
Wednesday, December 23
The Loux Family... prayer request
From the beginning of our time in Ukraine we were made aware of a family who was coming to adopt the little Misha. They were a family that saw so many obstacles in their process and continued to overcome them, but they were the real reason that I ever saw a need in the Ukraine program and stepped in to Reece's Rainbow. The Loux family completed their adoption and brought home three sons all with special needs. They almost simultaneously adopted 2 girls from the Marshall Islands. This family of faith and with the biggest heart for the orphan that I have ever met... has met today with tragedy.
Derek Loux, when driving home from a conference to learn about combating child trafficking, died in a car accident when his vehicle hit black ice.
Renee (his wife) and their ten children along with his brother John and wife Tracie and family are now mourning the loss of their husband, brother, father... and we mourn the loss of a wonderful friend and advocate.
Please be in prayer for the Loux family. This kind of loss is difficult any time of year, but two days before Christmas is so much harder...
www.louxfamilyblog.com
Derek Loux, when driving home from a conference to learn about combating child trafficking, died in a car accident when his vehicle hit black ice.
Renee (his wife) and their ten children along with his brother John and wife Tracie and family are now mourning the loss of their husband, brother, father... and we mourn the loss of a wonderful friend and advocate.
Please be in prayer for the Loux family. This kind of loss is difficult any time of year, but two days before Christmas is so much harder...
www.louxfamilyblog.com
Tuesday, December 22
It can't be ignored
Once we know the plight of orphans...
once we know the treatment they receive...
once we know how many are waiting...
once we know the lack of medical care...
--- the lack of love...
--- the lack of therapies...
--- the lack of attention...
Once we know their life span...
once we know their destiny...
once we know that there's a way to help...
once we know that God can even use me...
What choice do we have but to act on it?
Or turn away.
Unfortunately, turn away is what many choose to do.
I consider it a huge blessing to help be a voice for these sweet children. To advocate for them both in this online environment of 'virtual life' and in my day to day life as we meet people along the street... in the mall... at the doctor's office... at the school... and we share our story. Our story. The story God wrote for us. The one He's allowed us to be a part of.
But more than just being a voice, more than living it out with our two adopted kids, I am touched more by the adoptive families that I work with and the children they are bringing home than I could ever return to any of them. It's an honor to be a part of God's plan for these kids to come into their forever families!
Now that we know, though, what do we do?
One of the parents I'm helping adopt right now posted a blog post about the orphan. About how adoption is often looked at as an 'ok' thing for people who can no longer have their own children. It's a great second try at parenting. It's a way for parents to have the baby they long for if they cannot birth their own.
Or maybe...
It's ok for a family that has decided not to have more biological kids. One that has that drive for a larger family but will not be giving birth again. Then the orphan is there to fill that void.
But the point she made is that the orphan isn't even a part of the story until there's a mother longing to hold one. Until then, it's about the parents.
There are 147 million orphans!! Seriously, One hundred forty seven MILLION.
And whether or not you're looking to hug one or hold one or send one a $1/month meal, they're still there. Still living out their reality and not knowing what life is like in a family or with people that really care about them.
Especially orphans with special needs that lay in their beds day in and day out with little or no interaction and often minimal nourishment.
So what will you do? How will you choose to act on the knowledge of these people suffering? How has your life changed knowing about the orphans? How might theirs be? What will you do with this knowledge?
once we know the treatment they receive...
once we know how many are waiting...
once we know the lack of medical care...
--- the lack of love...
--- the lack of therapies...
--- the lack of attention...
Once we know their life span...
once we know their destiny...
once we know that there's a way to help...
once we know that God can even use me...
What choice do we have but to act on it?
Or turn away.
Unfortunately, turn away is what many choose to do.
I consider it a huge blessing to help be a voice for these sweet children. To advocate for them both in this online environment of 'virtual life' and in my day to day life as we meet people along the street... in the mall... at the doctor's office... at the school... and we share our story. Our story. The story God wrote for us. The one He's allowed us to be a part of.
But more than just being a voice, more than living it out with our two adopted kids, I am touched more by the adoptive families that I work with and the children they are bringing home than I could ever return to any of them. It's an honor to be a part of God's plan for these kids to come into their forever families!
Now that we know, though, what do we do?
One of the parents I'm helping adopt right now posted a blog post about the orphan. About how adoption is often looked at as an 'ok' thing for people who can no longer have their own children. It's a great second try at parenting. It's a way for parents to have the baby they long for if they cannot birth their own.
Or maybe...
It's ok for a family that has decided not to have more biological kids. One that has that drive for a larger family but will not be giving birth again. Then the orphan is there to fill that void.
But the point she made is that the orphan isn't even a part of the story until there's a mother longing to hold one. Until then, it's about the parents.
There are 147 million orphans!! Seriously, One hundred forty seven MILLION.
And whether or not you're looking to hug one or hold one or send one a $1/month meal, they're still there. Still living out their reality and not knowing what life is like in a family or with people that really care about them.
Especially orphans with special needs that lay in their beds day in and day out with little or no interaction and often minimal nourishment.
So what will you do? How will you choose to act on the knowledge of these people suffering? How has your life changed knowing about the orphans? How might theirs be? What will you do with this knowledge?
The ICK.
I'm SO TIRED of the ICK!
Today we brought Emma, Micah, and Brianna back to the pediatrician to retest for Strep now that they're just finished with 10 days of Omnicef, a strong antibiotic. Guess what?
EMMA IS NEGATIVE!! WOO HOO! This is the first time since August that she's tested negative! Which is a good thing because we now KNOW she's not a carrier. Unfortunately, it means that every time she tested positive in the last 4 months (4 times!!) she really DID have strep and really WAS sick!
Micah and Brianna, however, both tested positive. I'd say this gives us an answer, but it doesn't. Not at all. Brianna did NOT just do an antibiotic. And both have runny noses and coughs. So even though we know that they just finished anti's and SHOULDN'T have Strep unless they're carriers, it's possible that they both really DO have it and that the last anti just didn't kill it off for Micah.
So now what? Now we do another 10 days of antibiotics for both of them. This is the FIFTH TIME that Micah has been positive for Strep since August!! The third round of anti's for Brianna. *sigh*. We're trying something else and adding another drug on the end of the antibiotics to see if that will help. I forget what it's called, but we'll try it... It's supposed to reduce Strep even in a carrier.
In a month we'll go back and have these two re-tested again. That is, assuming that they don't show symptoms and end up back in the office before then. And at that point if we're still showing trouble we'll be putting in a call to the ENT. It sounds like unless this disappears very soon, Micah and maybe Brianna too will bee losing their tonsils. Brianna's already had her adenoids out.
For now, we'll enjoy the antibiotics and know that as long as they're on anti's they shouldn't be contagious! So we can enjoy the Christmas festivities with family without the fear of sharing the love :). Here's hoping no one else gets it!!
Oh, and a few things I learned-- A carrier CAN still spread it. Wasn't sure on that one. But often they don't treat a carrier... In our case, it is a BIG DEAL to get rid of it even in a carrier because the other kids are obviously catching it and we can NOT have the kids all constantly sick! And even if they remove the tonsils and adenoids, it's not a guarantee that this will get rid of Strep. It can hang out in the larynx and other places in the throat too. But in my opinion... the tonsils are a pretty good place to start if we're trying to get rid of it! As much as I hate for the kids to go through another surgery :( It's still got to be better than being sick constantly.
One more thing. If it doesn't go away even after the surgery, the other suggestion is to pull them out of school. If they're healthy while they're home, then there's likely a carrier at school that they are in close contact with and that they keep catching it from. Since both kids are in the same class, this isn't that far fetched of an idea. I hate to pull them from school since it really is a great program and I love their teachers, I will if that's what it takes to get them healthy and to STAY healthy. We could also change classes within the school if we'd be allowed to. That might be something we look in to.
For now, off to more antibiotics, and we'll spend our Christmas break trying to kick this ick!!
(PS. they've had 3 different types of antibiotics and this is round #5. We did one twice, then a different one, then another different one, and we're back to the 2nd one again with some other 'added' drug whose name escapes me and we have to get insurance prior approval for... no idea...)
Today we brought Emma, Micah, and Brianna back to the pediatrician to retest for Strep now that they're just finished with 10 days of Omnicef, a strong antibiotic. Guess what?
EMMA IS NEGATIVE!! WOO HOO! This is the first time since August that she's tested negative! Which is a good thing because we now KNOW she's not a carrier. Unfortunately, it means that every time she tested positive in the last 4 months (4 times!!) she really DID have strep and really WAS sick!
Micah and Brianna, however, both tested positive. I'd say this gives us an answer, but it doesn't. Not at all. Brianna did NOT just do an antibiotic. And both have runny noses and coughs. So even though we know that they just finished anti's and SHOULDN'T have Strep unless they're carriers, it's possible that they both really DO have it and that the last anti just didn't kill it off for Micah.
So now what? Now we do another 10 days of antibiotics for both of them. This is the FIFTH TIME that Micah has been positive for Strep since August!! The third round of anti's for Brianna. *sigh*. We're trying something else and adding another drug on the end of the antibiotics to see if that will help. I forget what it's called, but we'll try it... It's supposed to reduce Strep even in a carrier.
In a month we'll go back and have these two re-tested again. That is, assuming that they don't show symptoms and end up back in the office before then. And at that point if we're still showing trouble we'll be putting in a call to the ENT. It sounds like unless this disappears very soon, Micah and maybe Brianna too will bee losing their tonsils. Brianna's already had her adenoids out.
For now, we'll enjoy the antibiotics and know that as long as they're on anti's they shouldn't be contagious! So we can enjoy the Christmas festivities with family without the fear of sharing the love :). Here's hoping no one else gets it!!
Oh, and a few things I learned-- A carrier CAN still spread it. Wasn't sure on that one. But often they don't treat a carrier... In our case, it is a BIG DEAL to get rid of it even in a carrier because the other kids are obviously catching it and we can NOT have the kids all constantly sick! And even if they remove the tonsils and adenoids, it's not a guarantee that this will get rid of Strep. It can hang out in the larynx and other places in the throat too. But in my opinion... the tonsils are a pretty good place to start if we're trying to get rid of it! As much as I hate for the kids to go through another surgery :( It's still got to be better than being sick constantly.
One more thing. If it doesn't go away even after the surgery, the other suggestion is to pull them out of school. If they're healthy while they're home, then there's likely a carrier at school that they are in close contact with and that they keep catching it from. Since both kids are in the same class, this isn't that far fetched of an idea. I hate to pull them from school since it really is a great program and I love their teachers, I will if that's what it takes to get them healthy and to STAY healthy. We could also change classes within the school if we'd be allowed to. That might be something we look in to.
For now, off to more antibiotics, and we'll spend our Christmas break trying to kick this ick!!
(PS. they've had 3 different types of antibiotics and this is round #5. We did one twice, then a different one, then another different one, and we're back to the 2nd one again with some other 'added' drug whose name escapes me and we have to get insurance prior approval for... no idea...)
Mike’s Master’s Commencement!
Down in West Palm Beach some friends from the world of the Internet were having surgery. Coincidence? Maybe, but it was wonderful spending a few hours getting to know Debbie better and to learn more about her and her family! Debbie has adopted twice from Ukraine and her second adoption, a daughter, just completed some pretty intense limb surgeries and is still doing rehab for a few more days. We found a ritzy area to grab a Starbucks and walk around. The picture is a bit fuzzy, but here it is…
Graduation was fun, Kristopher and Lynae went with us and here’s the Ham…
Here are Mike’s parents and Lynae
Notice something missing?? I only have a quick video clip of Mike walking, NO PICTURES! My battery died. His parents took pictures but I don’t have them yet…
Pictures with Santa
Kristopher and Brianna went to a breakfast with Santa last weekend and Kristopher got his picture taken with Santa!
And while we were in West Palm Beach, my parents took care of Micah, Brianna, and Emma, and brought them to see Santa too!
(this is a picture of a picture, the original doesn’t have as much glare!)
A visit from friends!
Last Monday we had the privilege of meeting someone that I’ve emailed with many times and who shares our heart for adoption… I shared earlier about our get-together, but here are some pictures!
Linda with her new baby Beth- she’s just a week younger than Lynae :)
And with Miss Emma…
This one, Right to left is Linda with Beth (and a stuffed dog courtesy of Kristopher, he says the dog has Ds too so it should be in the photo and Linda is just too sweet!), Melissa (Missy) with her son Erik, and Me with Brianna, Emma, and Micah. Missy and Erik live here in our town and Erik is from the same orphanage as Emma and Micah :) SMALL world!! We didn’t really know each other very well until her paperwork was sent my way to help her adopt and she didn’t know about our adoption…
I think Mike took these other pictures (with Missy’s camera LOL) while we were trying to get everyone together… they turned out pretty cute- thanks for sending them to me Missy!!
Monday, December 21
Wednesday, December 16
More conversations with Kristopher
We were listening to Christmas music in the car and one of the songs has John 3:16 in it. So I turned off the radio for a minute to take that teaching moment and once again work on Kristopher memorizing the verse. We copied through the verse once then I sang him a children's song version of the verse. We talked about what it means. Then, he responded.
"Mom, God made our heads out of rocks that he covered with heads, that's why they're round. How did God make rocks? How about sand? How'd he make that? Oh, can you turn the music back on?"
I know he hears me :) And I love the thought process of a 5 yr old boy! LOL
"Mom, God made our heads out of rocks that he covered with heads, that's why they're round. How did God make rocks? How about sand? How'd he make that? Oh, can you turn the music back on?"
I know he hears me :) And I love the thought process of a 5 yr old boy! LOL
Mom...
When will we have another new baby that looks like Lynae? Because she's beautiful and always smiles at me and I want another baby like her.
Goodness, the things a 5 yr old can come up with! I don't think he's having jealousy or adjustment issues with the new baby, what do you think?
(and the answer was no, not right now, Kristopher! LOL)
Goodness, the things a 5 yr old can come up with! I don't think he's having jealousy or adjustment issues with the new baby, what do you think?
(and the answer was no, not right now, Kristopher! LOL)
Catching up on photos…
Last week Brianna was holding Lynae and both were all smiles! It won’t be long until Lynae catches up with Brianna. I’m guessing they’ll weigh the same by the time Lynae is about 18 months old. Brianna is only 23 lbs! Lynae looks chunkier in this picture than she really is, but she’s a good size for her height, 75% in weight and 90% in height for her age!
Here’s how bad Micah was feeling last week… With a 104 fever I can’t blame him! He fell asleep sitting up. Granted, he does this quite a bit in his crib when he’s not sick too!
Kristopher went through the house posing people with Christmas things and taking their pictures… Here’s Lynae with a small stocking and me with a Santa hat… Gotta love a 5 yr old’s creativity!
His self-portrait (not bad actually!)
Micah came out a bit fuzzy but still cute with the antlers.
Emma’s hat has a character on it like Cat in the Hat, which was close enough to the Grinch that he said it’s Christmassy. No, there wasn’t a rhyme or reason to Emma being Grinch. It was just the one he actually got a photo of.
Brianna didn’t want to participate so he put this container on his t-rex’s face and called him Rudolph
Decorating the Christmas tree…
I was amazed that Micah wanted to help! He found where Brianna was getting ornaments from and went right over, picked one up, and set it on the tree!
Here’s Linda with Emma while they discussed a baby doll :)
And here’s the real-live baby doll wearing a hat her great-grandma crochet’d for her!
All the kids got one, but I only got pic’s of Lynae and Emma…
Isn’t this sweet? Brianna is watching the Christmas tree with her ‘friends’ :)
Tuesday, December 15
an update all around
This weekend went by quickly and proved to be just as busy as it sounded like it would be. Yesterday and today have been far more relaxed though!
Saturday Mike had a great time kayaking and was able to make it back in time to change his clothes and join us for the Special Olympics Young Athletes meet. In the morning Brianna and Kristopher went with Mike's mom to have breakfast with Santa and seems like they had a fun time there. I spent the morning getting the house picked up and making cookie dough and candies for the holiday's baking and gifting.
After the SOYA meet we had a little down time before Mike took Emma and Kristopher out to the Christmas parade. The lieele ones and I decided we'd stay home and I was able to finish up baking the dough from that morning and we played, got the kids bathed and in bed at a decent hour. During the parade Mike's mom about got run over by our float (she fell and ended up under the trailer) so even when Mike and the kids got home there was another period of busyness with phone calls and such related to that. Thankfully she is fine and just bruised up a bit.
Sunday morning we went to church and the last group to go to Kenya spoke about their trip, then this next group to go was prayed over and 'sent off'. Mike'll be in Kenya for 12 days pretty soon. He's going as a leader on a college group trip but while he's there he's also finishing a project that he started a few months ago getting the pastoral college set up with a computer lab of sorts. He'll also be helping a radio station with some networking while he's down there. He's really looking forward to it and I'm not dreading him being gone too much :)
Sunday afternoon Mike's aunts, grandma, and some of the cousins came by and hung out for the afternoon. It was nice to be able to visit and have our kids free to roam and play. It's always hard to bring them into someone else's home that doesn't have any young kids and be able to let your guard completely down. This side of the family usually gets together on Christmas day in Orlando/Sanford (an hour away), but we decided to invite them over this weekend instead of trying to attend that this year. With all 5 kids we know they'll want to play with new toys and just lay low and not have to be in the car for an hour each way and be told 'no' constantly in someone else's home! It was great being able to visit with everyone and we hope to be able to do this again in the coming years!
Monday we got a surprise! Well, we set it up on Saturday, but a wonderful "online friend" came over, one that I'm SO glad to have been able to meet face-to-face and spend some time with! This sweet woman is a single mom to FIFTEEN. Yes, she's that good :)
My real connections to her are because she has a child that I had and I have a child she almost had! Confused? Not hard to do! When we went to Ukraine there was this doubt in our minds that we'd be able to get Sasha's referral. So RR was 'holding' Daria from anyone committing to ger until we knew we'd be able to get Sasha. When we did get her referral, we didn't realize that there was still a chance that we wouldn't get to adopt her and RR's hold of Daria was released. This sweet momma committed to bring Daria home knowing that she was in pretty bad shape and she jumped right in to try to get her.
Just a week later (or less) when we realized there was no way for us to bring Sasha home, L released Daria knowing that we were THERE and could bring her home quickly. Daria then became Emma and it was great to be able to introduce my daughter to someone else that log]ved her enough to commit to bring her home! (God's timing... Ukraine soon closed to allowing singles to adopt and L would not have been able to bring her home... isn't God amazing?)
We had a great visit with L and two local RR friends came by with their families to meet her as well. It was a lot of fun! I've been told I've never met a stranger, but with some of these RR families, L especially, I don't feel like she was a person I met for the first time... she and I may as well have been friends for life. It's so interesting how the Internet can make friends of people that live on opposite sides of the country (or world!) have such a kinship!
Today was just back to school, work, and play! Tomorrow is Kristopher's field trip to the supermarket then to sing at a local nursing home and have lunch at the park. Lynae and I will be joining them for the day and it should be fun!
Lynae and I have taken naps together twice today now... the weekend wore me out! But I don't think she's going to be quite as excited about going to bed as I am, even if it is getting late!
Saturday Mike had a great time kayaking and was able to make it back in time to change his clothes and join us for the Special Olympics Young Athletes meet. In the morning Brianna and Kristopher went with Mike's mom to have breakfast with Santa and seems like they had a fun time there. I spent the morning getting the house picked up and making cookie dough and candies for the holiday's baking and gifting.
After the SOYA meet we had a little down time before Mike took Emma and Kristopher out to the Christmas parade. The lieele ones and I decided we'd stay home and I was able to finish up baking the dough from that morning and we played, got the kids bathed and in bed at a decent hour. During the parade Mike's mom about got run over by our float (she fell and ended up under the trailer) so even when Mike and the kids got home there was another period of busyness with phone calls and such related to that. Thankfully she is fine and just bruised up a bit.
Sunday morning we went to church and the last group to go to Kenya spoke about their trip, then this next group to go was prayed over and 'sent off'. Mike'll be in Kenya for 12 days pretty soon. He's going as a leader on a college group trip but while he's there he's also finishing a project that he started a few months ago getting the pastoral college set up with a computer lab of sorts. He'll also be helping a radio station with some networking while he's down there. He's really looking forward to it and I'm not dreading him being gone too much :)
Sunday afternoon Mike's aunts, grandma, and some of the cousins came by and hung out for the afternoon. It was nice to be able to visit and have our kids free to roam and play. It's always hard to bring them into someone else's home that doesn't have any young kids and be able to let your guard completely down. This side of the family usually gets together on Christmas day in Orlando/Sanford (an hour away), but we decided to invite them over this weekend instead of trying to attend that this year. With all 5 kids we know they'll want to play with new toys and just lay low and not have to be in the car for an hour each way and be told 'no' constantly in someone else's home! It was great being able to visit with everyone and we hope to be able to do this again in the coming years!
Monday we got a surprise! Well, we set it up on Saturday, but a wonderful "online friend" came over, one that I'm SO glad to have been able to meet face-to-face and spend some time with! This sweet woman is a single mom to FIFTEEN. Yes, she's that good :)
My real connections to her are because she has a child that I had and I have a child she almost had! Confused? Not hard to do! When we went to Ukraine there was this doubt in our minds that we'd be able to get Sasha's referral. So RR was 'holding' Daria from anyone committing to ger until we knew we'd be able to get Sasha. When we did get her referral, we didn't realize that there was still a chance that we wouldn't get to adopt her and RR's hold of Daria was released. This sweet momma committed to bring Daria home knowing that she was in pretty bad shape and she jumped right in to try to get her.
Just a week later (or less) when we realized there was no way for us to bring Sasha home, L released Daria knowing that we were THERE and could bring her home quickly. Daria then became Emma and it was great to be able to introduce my daughter to someone else that log]ved her enough to commit to bring her home! (God's timing... Ukraine soon closed to allowing singles to adopt and L would not have been able to bring her home... isn't God amazing?)
We had a great visit with L and two local RR friends came by with their families to meet her as well. It was a lot of fun! I've been told I've never met a stranger, but with some of these RR families, L especially, I don't feel like she was a person I met for the first time... she and I may as well have been friends for life. It's so interesting how the Internet can make friends of people that live on opposite sides of the country (or world!) have such a kinship!
Today was just back to school, work, and play! Tomorrow is Kristopher's field trip to the supermarket then to sing at a local nursing home and have lunch at the park. Lynae and I will be joining them for the day and it should be fun!
Lynae and I have taken naps together twice today now... the weekend wore me out! But I don't think she's going to be quite as excited about going to bed as I am, even if it is getting late!
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