We have some big updates! We finally got our USCIS appt. a month ago and had our fingerprints taken 4 weeks ago today. However, about a week ago, after extensive prayer and discussion, we decided to change course and go to Zambia with our good friends, the Jeantets, from church. We're so excited! They have been planning to adopt from Zambia for a year or so and hope to leave in about 3 weeks, and we're hoping to go with them. So instead of traveling in Dec. to Ethiopia we're traveling in Apr. to Zambia!
Some changes have to be made to our home study which our social worker is hopefully finishing as we speak. Then we will overnight the amended home study to USCIS so they can approve us to adopt from Zambia. This is what we're waiting on in order to be able to travel. We're really hoping for everything to be fast because we don't want to hold the Jeantets up since they're waiting for us and they're ready to travel. So for their sake also we hope USCIS hurries!
We will be staying for anywhere from 1-3 months depending on how long the adoption takes, so we've decided to bring the kids with us. They're so excited! As are we! I think it will be a life changing experience for them to live in Africa for a few months. Our 5 hour visit to the health dept. yesterday for immunizations was good practice for us to be out of our comfort zone! It was quite the experience!
There is much to do to pack for 5 of us not knowing for sure how long we'll be staying, etc., but we cannot wait to go and play with orphans and help where we can and find baby Zoe!! Nona is on stand by waiting to fly out to Zambia if we have to stay longer than 2 months since Luke will have to come home and go back to work. So we're extremely thankful for that. I wouldn't even want to think about flying home from Zambia with 4 children and just me. The Jeantets would love to help me but that's too much to ask of anyone except your mother!
We'll be blogging while we're there and updating about the trip. Thank you so much for your prayers for travel safety and travel hurry! And most of all, for the adoption to go smoothly and for Luke when he goes before the judge to plead our case, etc., etc.
"Zoe from Zambia" has a nice ring to it!!
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
USCIS
Well, we're waiting for a letter to come in the mail that gives us an appointment to go to Tampa and have our fingerprints taken for immigration. After our fingerprints are run through the system(s) and show that we're not criminals, we receive a form that is the final piece of paper to be included in our dossier. Our dossier will then be mailed to Ethiopia for them to approve and put us on the waiting list for a baby girl.
So, I'm checking the mail every day as soon as it comes and on Fri., we received the first letter that we have to receive from USCIS (immigration), which says that they've received our request to bring home an orphan and they're processing our request. Which is great news, and we were happy to receive that. But some people, we've heard, receive the actual appointment letter the day following the initial letter that says they're processing the request. So Sat., I ran out and there was no letter in the mailbox. And yesterday, I ran out to check the mail, only to remember it was a holiday. I felt so silly running out to the mailbox at my usual time and remembering Presidents' Day. I hoped no neighbors saw me!
And still nothing today in the mail... So hoping to get the appointment tomorrow... Waiting on God and His perfect timing...
On a happy note, we are LOVING spending so much time with Lisa and Danny and Michael and Kathryn, Luke's siblings and their spouses. Lisa and Danny are in town for 3 weeks before they move to Indonesia for 5 years to be missionaries. So we're seeing them as much as we can while they're here, which also means we're seeing Luke's brother, Michael, and his wife, Kathryn, a lot too, which we love. And tonight, Mimi and Papa are babysitting all 5 grandkids so the 6 adults can go out to dinner and a movie!! I'm so excited! I've been wanting to see The King's Speech for months and we're finally going to see it tonight (hopefully). It was sold out the last time we tried to see it. I love that I married into a sweet, close family who all loves each other so much. It's so wonderful. And Lisa has a fancy camera and has been taking so many pictures of the kids that I will post on the blog soon!
A funny thing Will said: He's so into Star Wars that we have to ration how much the kids are allowed to watch it because really, they all 3 love the movies. So they fight with light sabers and pretend to be Star Wars characters all the time. Hudson told me this morning that I could be Ventress, who is a terrible villain. But that's ok... Anyway, so they're into fighting and playing Star Wars and I've told Will I don't want him to say words like "kill", "murder", "shoot your head off", etc.,because he seems like he's saying them so often and it sounds terrible. So I told him to say the word, "defeat" instead. So at the family picnic the other night, he and Hudson were playing Star Wars with sticks they found on the ground and Will was starting to say some of those words, so I reminded him of the new word to say instead, and he said, "I defeated your head off!!" Not exactly what I had in mind, but still sounds better than the more explicitly violent words!
I'll update when we have some exciting news!
So, I'm checking the mail every day as soon as it comes and on Fri., we received the first letter that we have to receive from USCIS (immigration), which says that they've received our request to bring home an orphan and they're processing our request. Which is great news, and we were happy to receive that. But some people, we've heard, receive the actual appointment letter the day following the initial letter that says they're processing the request. So Sat., I ran out and there was no letter in the mailbox. And yesterday, I ran out to check the mail, only to remember it was a holiday. I felt so silly running out to the mailbox at my usual time and remembering Presidents' Day. I hoped no neighbors saw me!
And still nothing today in the mail... So hoping to get the appointment tomorrow... Waiting on God and His perfect timing...
On a happy note, we are LOVING spending so much time with Lisa and Danny and Michael and Kathryn, Luke's siblings and their spouses. Lisa and Danny are in town for 3 weeks before they move to Indonesia for 5 years to be missionaries. So we're seeing them as much as we can while they're here, which also means we're seeing Luke's brother, Michael, and his wife, Kathryn, a lot too, which we love. And tonight, Mimi and Papa are babysitting all 5 grandkids so the 6 adults can go out to dinner and a movie!! I'm so excited! I've been wanting to see The King's Speech for months and we're finally going to see it tonight (hopefully). It was sold out the last time we tried to see it. I love that I married into a sweet, close family who all loves each other so much. It's so wonderful. And Lisa has a fancy camera and has been taking so many pictures of the kids that I will post on the blog soon!
A funny thing Will said: He's so into Star Wars that we have to ration how much the kids are allowed to watch it because really, they all 3 love the movies. So they fight with light sabers and pretend to be Star Wars characters all the time. Hudson told me this morning that I could be Ventress, who is a terrible villain. But that's ok... Anyway, so they're into fighting and playing Star Wars and I've told Will I don't want him to say words like "kill", "murder", "shoot your head off", etc.,because he seems like he's saying them so often and it sounds terrible. So I told him to say the word, "defeat" instead. So at the family picnic the other night, he and Hudson were playing Star Wars with sticks they found on the ground and Will was starting to say some of those words, so I reminded him of the new word to say instead, and he said, "I defeated your head off!!" Not exactly what I had in mind, but still sounds better than the more explicitly violent words!
I'll update when we have some exciting news!
Friday, February 11, 2011
Edit
I meant to say Will was getting his 2 big toeNAILS cut out, not his toes themselves cut out or removed. I'm using Luke's iPad and I'm having a harder time than usual figuring out my blog so I just had to add a new post instead of editing the other post. No judging on my technology issues either!
Homeschool
We have started on a fun new adventure as of 2 weeks ago! Homeschooling! It's going so well so far. Kate, Will, and I are loving it and I'm so thankful that I took the plunge and did it.
I've thought about it off and on for a little while but really just long enough to say, "not for us". But I'm so glad we're doing it. We observed a group today called Classical Conversations that we'll be joining in the fall and I'm so excited about it! We'll homeschool 4 days a week and attend this group on Fridays with tutors to teach the kids in the classical style of learning, complete with Latin! I'm way more excited than the kids, I'm sure. It's so fun to be a teacher again. The kids are learning Bible verses every day, we're all getting along better, we're not rushed and frazzled in the mornings, and they can learn at their own pace. What's not to love? I should've done it from the get go but better late than never.
In adoption news, we sent our USCIS form off and are waiting for our appointment to be fingerprinted. This is the final step before we send our paperwork to Ethiopia and hopefully will be accepted and put on the official waiting list. I've been feeling like the Lord might want us to consider special needs adoption, but Luke is not feeling it so that's fine. I completely trust his judgment. It still feels like we have such a long way to go till we get our baby but homeschooling and Rays baseball will keep me busy till then. Pitchers and catchers report to spring training this Wed.! Hudson got a new David Price shirt today so we're officially ready for Apr. 1!
I went to the most wonderful adoption conference last weekend called Created for Care and was so inspired by all the families with multiple adopted children. A few Ethiopian toddlers were there and they were so beautiful. I can't wait for my African princess! I hope it's not considered bad form to dress her up in big bows and monogrammed outfits. The African American beauty shop I take her to may frown on that but it's going to be hard to resist!
We lost our camera cord so I haven't been able to post the pictures from Hudson's first basketball game but I'll hopefully be able to do it soon. Will is supposed to start baseball next Sat but he's having his 2 big toes cut out/removed because of infection from ingrown toenails so I kind of doubt he'll be starting baseball the very next day after his procedure. The nurse reassured me that they would give him a local anesthetic and he would just sit there and not know anything was going on but they clearly don't know Will, who has to be restrained by 2 nurses and me just to get a flu shot. Next Fri should be very interesting.
Kate and Daddy will be selling Girl Scout cookies outside the grocery store tomorrow night so that should be fun. She's also in a fashion show at a new children's store in Ellenton tomorrow which I'm super excited about because of the shopping I'll need to do after she walks the runway! No more school uniforms! We can buy adorable clothes for her again! I hope she stays petite so I can match her and Baby Zoe in cute dresses and leggings.
That's all our news for now. I can't believe what the Lord is doing in all of our lives. Kate has been a voracious Bible reader and quoter of Scripture to her younger brothers for a while now, which we've been thrilled over. But Will's little heart was growing hard and his attitude had been so defiant and unkind to all of us. In the few short weeks we've been homeschooling, we've seen such a change in him. He is coming back to the sweet little boy he was before he started public school and it makes me get teary eyed with joy and thankfulness. It's like I've got my Will back and I feel so blessed. My children are my greatest blessings, next to Luke, and I'm honored that I get to spend my days teaching and pointing them to Jesus. I'm sure we seem weird to most people but we're just trying to be obedient and it's always worth it.
I've thought about it off and on for a little while but really just long enough to say, "not for us". But I'm so glad we're doing it. We observed a group today called Classical Conversations that we'll be joining in the fall and I'm so excited about it! We'll homeschool 4 days a week and attend this group on Fridays with tutors to teach the kids in the classical style of learning, complete with Latin! I'm way more excited than the kids, I'm sure. It's so fun to be a teacher again. The kids are learning Bible verses every day, we're all getting along better, we're not rushed and frazzled in the mornings, and they can learn at their own pace. What's not to love? I should've done it from the get go but better late than never.
In adoption news, we sent our USCIS form off and are waiting for our appointment to be fingerprinted. This is the final step before we send our paperwork to Ethiopia and hopefully will be accepted and put on the official waiting list. I've been feeling like the Lord might want us to consider special needs adoption, but Luke is not feeling it so that's fine. I completely trust his judgment. It still feels like we have such a long way to go till we get our baby but homeschooling and Rays baseball will keep me busy till then. Pitchers and catchers report to spring training this Wed.! Hudson got a new David Price shirt today so we're officially ready for Apr. 1!
I went to the most wonderful adoption conference last weekend called Created for Care and was so inspired by all the families with multiple adopted children. A few Ethiopian toddlers were there and they were so beautiful. I can't wait for my African princess! I hope it's not considered bad form to dress her up in big bows and monogrammed outfits. The African American beauty shop I take her to may frown on that but it's going to be hard to resist!
We lost our camera cord so I haven't been able to post the pictures from Hudson's first basketball game but I'll hopefully be able to do it soon. Will is supposed to start baseball next Sat but he's having his 2 big toes cut out/removed because of infection from ingrown toenails so I kind of doubt he'll be starting baseball the very next day after his procedure. The nurse reassured me that they would give him a local anesthetic and he would just sit there and not know anything was going on but they clearly don't know Will, who has to be restrained by 2 nurses and me just to get a flu shot. Next Fri should be very interesting.
Kate and Daddy will be selling Girl Scout cookies outside the grocery store tomorrow night so that should be fun. She's also in a fashion show at a new children's store in Ellenton tomorrow which I'm super excited about because of the shopping I'll need to do after she walks the runway! No more school uniforms! We can buy adorable clothes for her again! I hope she stays petite so I can match her and Baby Zoe in cute dresses and leggings.
That's all our news for now. I can't believe what the Lord is doing in all of our lives. Kate has been a voracious Bible reader and quoter of Scripture to her younger brothers for a while now, which we've been thrilled over. But Will's little heart was growing hard and his attitude had been so defiant and unkind to all of us. In the few short weeks we've been homeschooling, we've seen such a change in him. He is coming back to the sweet little boy he was before he started public school and it makes me get teary eyed with joy and thankfulness. It's like I've got my Will back and I feel so blessed. My children are my greatest blessings, next to Luke, and I'm honored that I get to spend my days teaching and pointing them to Jesus. I'm sure we seem weird to most people but we're just trying to be obedient and it's always worth it.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Final home visit
We had our final meetings with our social worker yesterday and today and now we're finished with our part of the home study! It's a great feeling! Yesterday were the individual interviews with the social worker and Luke and me separately. Today she came back to our house and wrapped things up with us and talked to the kids. It was so funny that Kate had been so excited to talk to the social worker and tell her exactly why she wanted a baby sister and Will wasn't really into it and didn't want to "practice" what he was going to say when I would ask him why he wanted a baby sister. Yet when it was actually time to talk to the lady, Kate wouldn't say a word and Will talked her ear off! But it went well, and we're thankful to be almost finished with the home study. The social worker said she would have the final part written up this week. Then we mail it to our family coordinator who will put it in with our dossier, which is some other big portfolio of documents that goes to Ethiopia. So we're 1 step closer to getting our baby!
It's starting to seem like I'm pregnant with an Ethiopian baby at this point!! Hopefully in 9 months she'll make her appearance in our household, but we'll see....
It's starting to seem like I'm pregnant with an Ethiopian baby at this point!! Hopefully in 9 months she'll make her appearance in our household, but we'll see....
Sunday, January 16, 2011
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