My friend, Sarah, needs prayer. I'm not sure how much detail to share but she is currently hooked up to life support and things have definitely been touch and go. Please pray for her. Her sister is one of my dear friends and her family is wonderful. I am heartbroken and just pray for God's miraculous healing for her. And for His comfort for the family.
Thanks. I'm a bit distracted right now b/c I think about Sarah all the time right now, yet I'm not telling the kids why I'm so distracted and I feel kind of bad, but it's just so scary and sad, but not above God!
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Check this out!
My friend, Sonia, is working on bringing home her 3rd son in about 6ish months. I am still fathoming paying for 1 adoption and we've been working on this for coming up on 2 years. They are shaking out their piggy banks trying to bring Joshua home.
On top of that Joshua has a heart condition (and some other medical issues that you can read about on their blog) that means he needs to be home SOON! It's questionable whether or not his condition is operable so the plan is to get this boy home soon so he can know the love of a family. In the mean time we're praying that operations will be possible and healing will be complete. But getting him home is the first hurdle.
Please help them out by sharing this blog, praying for this family, and if possible chip in to their wonderful give-away! Those bracelets look awesome (I already bought one for E, hoping to win one for me!). :)
On top of that Joshua has a heart condition (and some other medical issues that you can read about on their blog) that means he needs to be home SOON! It's questionable whether or not his condition is operable so the plan is to get this boy home soon so he can know the love of a family. In the mean time we're praying that operations will be possible and healing will be complete. But getting him home is the first hurdle.
Please help them out by sharing this blog, praying for this family, and if possible chip in to their wonderful give-away! Those bracelets look awesome (I already bought one for E, hoping to win one for me!). :)
Thursday, August 11, 2011
10 years ago today...
I married the most amazing man in the world (sorry to all of you who think you did, but I actually did)! :)
10 things I've learned in 10 years of marriage:
1. The first year of marriage is HARD. I think we do a disservice to young couples by calling it a "honeymoon period" b/c it gives the impression that it's downhill from there. Let me tell you, it's all been better since the first year. And it just keeps getting better!
2. Sometimes separation can help bring you closer.
3. Men and women communicated differently - I've learned to be blunt and not hint around at what I'm trying to talk about. It has helped a lot!
4. Lists are hard - even though you know you've learned a lot, it's hard to recall it when you're making a list.
5. Even though Brian is the love of my life, I still do need other friends. He can't be my everything. I needed to learn to rely on God for that.
6. We grow closer with time in all ways and enjoy time together more and more.
7. Kids can make marriage more interesting rather than putting it on a back burner.
8. Sometimes you have to work to make your marriage a priority over soccer practice, volunteer opportunities, work, and yes, even your children. Not saying your children's needs are ignored, just that you remember that your marriage really needs to be a priority! That helps our children feel secure.
9. Did I mention that I married the best man in the whole world? I've learned this more and more over the years.
10. I'm constantly learning and amazed at God's awesome work in our lives and how that really led us to where we are. We never would have gotten here on our own.
I want to share one last bit of news that has me celebrating and SO excited!!!! Read my friend, Becky's post here: Day by Day Just so happy for them!!! I can't wait to meet Joshua!
10 things I've learned in 10 years of marriage:
1. The first year of marriage is HARD. I think we do a disservice to young couples by calling it a "honeymoon period" b/c it gives the impression that it's downhill from there. Let me tell you, it's all been better since the first year. And it just keeps getting better!
2. Sometimes separation can help bring you closer.
3. Men and women communicated differently - I've learned to be blunt and not hint around at what I'm trying to talk about. It has helped a lot!
4. Lists are hard - even though you know you've learned a lot, it's hard to recall it when you're making a list.
5. Even though Brian is the love of my life, I still do need other friends. He can't be my everything. I needed to learn to rely on God for that.
6. We grow closer with time in all ways and enjoy time together more and more.
7. Kids can make marriage more interesting rather than putting it on a back burner.
8. Sometimes you have to work to make your marriage a priority over soccer practice, volunteer opportunities, work, and yes, even your children. Not saying your children's needs are ignored, just that you remember that your marriage really needs to be a priority! That helps our children feel secure.
9. Did I mention that I married the best man in the whole world? I've learned this more and more over the years.
10. I'm constantly learning and amazed at God's awesome work in our lives and how that really led us to where we are. We never would have gotten here on our own.
I want to share one last bit of news that has me celebrating and SO excited!!!! Read my friend, Becky's post here: Day by Day Just so happy for them!!! I can't wait to meet Joshua!
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
First day of school and 13 months!
So the two dates above were the same day. Yesterday my kids started school. Being from the northeast I find starting school in August slightly sacrilegious but it was actually a good thing. The kids needed a place to go make friends and all 3 of us were craving some routine after 7 weeks for abnormality (which also means my son only had 7 weeks of vacation, sssshhhhh - don't tell). I kept thinking we were traveling for longer than we were. I've lost all sense of time. Apparently we only traveled for 5 weeks and we got here 2 weeks ago.
How it went:
E's initial reaction was not quite positive. She packed up quickly the moment she saw me, ran over and said "Just like I thought, I didn't make any friends!" but much of her later report was more positive. She did play with one girl, her teacher is nice, and she liked a lot of things that they did. She is really struggling with this move and it's heartbreaking for me because I can't make it better.
B had a much more positive reaction. They went to the playground 3 times and he played with kids and had fun. He's feeling more comfortable than E but it takes time. He seems to remember that it took him time in VA and isn't getting too impatient. He did come home with a worksheet today where he wrote the following sentence that broke my heart: "I can trust my best friend, L, because he's nice and we play together." L lives in VA and I know B really misses him. Hopefully we can get skype up and running and skype with L soon.
13 months since HSTK. Hopefully only a few more left and we'll finally see our baby's sweet face. Plus I'm hoping a few of my friends and I will have similar timelines for traveling to Korea (K!) - how cool would be to finally meet there?!? Our home study is moving forward. Our interviews are next week and our home visit is fairly soon after (we think). Fortunately my amazing friend Becky came and helped me unpack today! We got the kids' toy room all set up and I am so thankful!!! Hopefully I'll get pictures up soon. :)
How it went:
E's initial reaction was not quite positive. She packed up quickly the moment she saw me, ran over and said "Just like I thought, I didn't make any friends!" but much of her later report was more positive. She did play with one girl, her teacher is nice, and she liked a lot of things that they did. She is really struggling with this move and it's heartbreaking for me because I can't make it better.
B had a much more positive reaction. They went to the playground 3 times and he played with kids and had fun. He's feeling more comfortable than E but it takes time. He seems to remember that it took him time in VA and isn't getting too impatient. He did come home with a worksheet today where he wrote the following sentence that broke my heart: "I can trust my best friend, L, because he's nice and we play together." L lives in VA and I know B really misses him. Hopefully we can get skype up and running and skype with L soon.
13 months since HSTK. Hopefully only a few more left and we'll finally see our baby's sweet face. Plus I'm hoping a few of my friends and I will have similar timelines for traveling to Korea (K!) - how cool would be to finally meet there?!? Our home study is moving forward. Our interviews are next week and our home visit is fairly soon after (we think). Fortunately my amazing friend Becky came and helped me unpack today! We got the kids' toy room all set up and I am so thankful!!! Hopefully I'll get pictures up soon. :)
Friday, August 5, 2011
Random thoughts on Arizona, moving, and the adoption process
We're in AZ. We've been here for a week and a half. It's definitely a different area but we're mostly enjoying it. Though we miss VA a lot!
We have a house full of boxes. We're working on getting those unpacked. Next week when school starts I can probably get even more done. It seems like right now it's a lot of start and stops so having a couple of uninterrupted hours in a row will definitely help.
We had an obnoxious mover who thought it was his business to push and push about why we were adopting internationally instead of domestically. I find this so frustrating because it's rarely from someone who wants to sit down and listen to our reasons, it's just from someone who wants to judge us for not doing what they seem to think we should do. Thanks - did you adopt? No? Then why do you feel you know more about it than I do? Sorry, this really irritated me.
E was a huge help in unpacking the kitchen. She would take something out of the box, sit on the floor (in case the object was fragile), unwrap it and bring it to me. If it was kid dishes she would put them away herself. What a huge helper! :) Later both kids helped in this way, but E was the one who truly enjoyed it.
Did you know that some times here if you get a soda from the fountain it looks like it's running out. The soda part and syrup part come out separated. B thinks it looks like a candy cane. It tastes the same, just strange.
When you first arrive here you really notice the brown everywhere (this was especially true in May - this is definitely the "green" time of year) but after a bit you start to look out and see the beauty of the mountains and how awe-inspiring it is here.
B chose his school. We looked into different schools around here (local school, on post, and a brand new charter school). B learned about the schools and visited and chose where he wanted to go (even though he has to wear a uniform). He's really excited and thinks his school is going to be great! I love his enthusiasm. I wasn't sure it would be there this year. E is super excited about her preschool. Both kids can't wait to make new friends.
Speaking of new friends - we got together with Sandra's friend C and her 2 kids. Thank you so much Sandra! It is wonderful to have a friend here and the kids had a wonderful time. I miss you though!
Our home study is moving along. It's a bit frustrating that our agency is about 4 hours away but the plan right now is to go out on a Sunday and do our joint interview Monday and our individual interviews Tuesday. Still working on what to do with the kids during the joint interview. Hopefully we can figure something out. :)
We have a house full of boxes. We're working on getting those unpacked. Next week when school starts I can probably get even more done. It seems like right now it's a lot of start and stops so having a couple of uninterrupted hours in a row will definitely help.
We had an obnoxious mover who thought it was his business to push and push about why we were adopting internationally instead of domestically. I find this so frustrating because it's rarely from someone who wants to sit down and listen to our reasons, it's just from someone who wants to judge us for not doing what they seem to think we should do. Thanks - did you adopt? No? Then why do you feel you know more about it than I do? Sorry, this really irritated me.
E was a huge help in unpacking the kitchen. She would take something out of the box, sit on the floor (in case the object was fragile), unwrap it and bring it to me. If it was kid dishes she would put them away herself. What a huge helper! :) Later both kids helped in this way, but E was the one who truly enjoyed it.
Did you know that some times here if you get a soda from the fountain it looks like it's running out. The soda part and syrup part come out separated. B thinks it looks like a candy cane. It tastes the same, just strange.
When you first arrive here you really notice the brown everywhere (this was especially true in May - this is definitely the "green" time of year) but after a bit you start to look out and see the beauty of the mountains and how awe-inspiring it is here.
B chose his school. We looked into different schools around here (local school, on post, and a brand new charter school). B learned about the schools and visited and chose where he wanted to go (even though he has to wear a uniform). He's really excited and thinks his school is going to be great! I love his enthusiasm. I wasn't sure it would be there this year. E is super excited about her preschool. Both kids can't wait to make new friends.
Speaking of new friends - we got together with Sandra's friend C and her 2 kids. Thank you so much Sandra! It is wonderful to have a friend here and the kids had a wonderful time. I miss you though!
Our home study is moving along. It's a bit frustrating that our agency is about 4 hours away but the plan right now is to go out on a Sunday and do our joint interview Monday and our individual interviews Tuesday. Still working on what to do with the kids during the joint interview. Hopefully we can figure something out. :)
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Day 21 of travel!
First - thank you so much to all who left encouragement on my blog! Your kind words, verses, etc. are so greatly appreciated! I don't know that I could ever express how much it means to me!!! Thank you!
Not much news just wanted to tell you that I'm still here. We've been to NY, NJ, IN, and now we're in Nashville, TN. We did hear that our "application has been approved" from our home study agency. Hopefully we'll be moving forward soon.
We also found out that our household goods still exist and that we WILL be able to get them one day! :) It took almost 3 weeks to find out about them - no one wanted to call us or email us back. I decided to be annoying but politely so - I emailed and left (polite) voice mail messages a few times a day for 2 days and someone called me! :) Not sure if they would have anyway but glad to have an idea of what is going on. We'll have our things at our house by August 2! :)
Last piece of good news - E got into a preschool (she was on 2 waiting lists)! :) I got to talk to my new friend, C, today that Sandra so kindly connected me with! I am excited to meet her! She recommended this preschool! Praise God! Things are coming together, slowly but surely!!!
Have a great weekend!
Not much news just wanted to tell you that I'm still here. We've been to NY, NJ, IN, and now we're in Nashville, TN. We did hear that our "application has been approved" from our home study agency. Hopefully we'll be moving forward soon.
We also found out that our household goods still exist and that we WILL be able to get them one day! :) It took almost 3 weeks to find out about them - no one wanted to call us or email us back. I decided to be annoying but politely so - I emailed and left (polite) voice mail messages a few times a day for 2 days and someone called me! :) Not sure if they would have anyway but glad to have an idea of what is going on. We'll have our things at our house by August 2! :)
Last piece of good news - E got into a preschool (she was on 2 waiting lists)! :) I got to talk to my new friend, C, today that Sandra so kindly connected me with! I am excited to meet her! She recommended this preschool! Praise God! Things are coming together, slowly but surely!!!
Have a great weekend!
Friday, July 8, 2011
A day we didn't think we'd see...
1 year ago today we were HSTK. We were told that we were likely to receive a referral in 4-6 months. Every few months since then something new has come up and it has not been the journey we expected. But I know that God is in control and He has a plan. I have to trust in His timing and not get upset by delays. Of course financially this move is tough. The cost of a brand new home study as well as the amount we're going to have to pay each time they do a home visit (or interview, etc.) is much more than we'd originally budgeted for. But I know that the money we have is not our own and I need to have faith in God's plan.
I hope you all had a great 4th of July! We did and this weekend the kids and I are blessed to have time with my in-laws PLUS my brother-in-law and his girlfriend. It will be such a fun day today so that will be a terrific distraction from my own thoughts! :) Have a great weekend!!!
Friday, June 24, 2011
Update: Application sent, in NY
Well we finally sent our "application" in to Dillon Southwest (not to be confused with Dillon that is in the rest of the country which even our agency didn't realize until talking to them). It was a lot of work so we're definitely celebrating being done. Hopefully our 8 reference letters (yes 8) will be there soon and we can plan our interviews and home visit so this can get approved for a (hopefully) fall referral.
Brian is in AZ. No household goods, but at least we're getting there. Baby steps. I am very excited to see my friend, Becky when we get to AZ. It is such a blessing and comfort to know that I'll have a friend just an hour away.
The wildfires are 59% under control (which is good - it was 17% not long ago) and most evacuations have been lifted at this time. Praise God! Praying for rain to put those fires out completely.
We're in NY visiting family. It's wonderful to be here though hard to be in transition. We miss everyone in Virginia but it's a bit surreal that we've actually left and we're not just on vacation. I can't express how wonderful everyone was. Saying goodbye was HARD. I made some amazing friends, a few only in the past year but they came to be such terrific friends I didn't want to leave (K, S, and G - miss you already!)! I know we'll be back, which helps. It's still hard to know I can't see them whenever we want. When it starts to seem real I get sad but then I get busy with family and just go back to not really believing we're gone. I'll face reality eventually. ;)
Brian is in AZ. No household goods, but at least we're getting there. Baby steps. I am very excited to see my friend, Becky when we get to AZ. It is such a blessing and comfort to know that I'll have a friend just an hour away.
The wildfires are 59% under control (which is good - it was 17% not long ago) and most evacuations have been lifted at this time. Praise God! Praying for rain to put those fires out completely.
We're in NY visiting family. It's wonderful to be here though hard to be in transition. We miss everyone in Virginia but it's a bit surreal that we've actually left and we're not just on vacation. I can't express how wonderful everyone was. Saying goodbye was HARD. I made some amazing friends, a few only in the past year but they came to be such terrific friends I didn't want to leave (K, S, and G - miss you already!)! I know we'll be back, which helps. It's still hard to know I can't see them whenever we want. When it starts to seem real I get sad but then I get busy with family and just go back to not really believing we're gone. I'll face reality eventually. ;)
Friday, June 17, 2011
Packers are here, fire?!?
It's been a crazy month. I haven't blogged much. We're in the process of moving, a bit sooner than expected. We're headed to Arizona (via NY, NJ, IN - yeah, not quite the right direction so this is a long trip). It's been a lot of work getting ready for this.
On top of that we've been re-doing ALL of our adoption paperwork. Almost done! That will be mailed out Monday morning! We need our lab work to come back so the docs can sign off on everything.
We've had a few hang ups with getting our things moved, then I ended up not feeling well yesterday and today, and my brake lights are out and need to be fixed before we moved. These are the things I've been worried about, but they really pale in comparison to a new concern...
There are hugs wildfires in the part of AZ we're moving to. The very southern part of our new hometown has been evacuated and the 10 day forecast does not have a drop of rain. Instead there's sun and wind (not helpful!). Please pray for rain for AZ. Monsoon season should be starting in a few weeks, but it hasn't hit yet. Please pray that those rains will come very soon.
Thanks. I'll keep you posted on what I hear.
On top of that we've been re-doing ALL of our adoption paperwork. Almost done! That will be mailed out Monday morning! We need our lab work to come back so the docs can sign off on everything.
We've had a few hang ups with getting our things moved, then I ended up not feeling well yesterday and today, and my brake lights are out and need to be fixed before we moved. These are the things I've been worried about, but they really pale in comparison to a new concern...
There are hugs wildfires in the part of AZ we're moving to. The very southern part of our new hometown has been evacuated and the 10 day forecast does not have a drop of rain. Instead there's sun and wind (not helpful!). Please pray for rain for AZ. Monsoon season should be starting in a few weeks, but it hasn't hit yet. Please pray that those rains will come very soon.
Thanks. I'll keep you posted on what I hear.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Is it Wednesday?
B had a fever from Thursday afternoon until yesterday. He's on antibiotics (when I called to get him in the doctor's offices on base were all closed for the 4-day so we finally went to the ER Monday and he got some meds). He has a sinus infection and bronchial spasms. It changed some plans but we still got to see my wonderful brother-in-law and his awesome girlfriend who came to visit us (B's fever had subsided for a full 24 hours so we thought he was better before they came. It came back that night).
B was finally back at school today! Hurray! And I got to see my friends S and C and their daughter! But I still have trouble remembering it's Wednesday, so no whatnot today - but do check out Elizabeth's blog - it's great!!!
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