Very Berry

Found

2012-01-06T09:03:00.001-06:00

I thought I'd share some of the random pics that are on my phone. Some are pretty old. Most are of Wren. And some were taken when my phone was hijacked by little boys. It's kind of like a 2011 year in review, via crappy iPhone pictures. So here they are, in no particular order....Enjoy.

sorry mom

new floors!

the forever long trip home

the best garage sale-ing day ever

self portrait

desperate for firewood

under the carseat. just keepin' it real.

neighborhood gang

Mexico bound!

The things she does to entertain herself in the carseat......

see what I mean

???

Wren's room

what I look like when I sleep in a German airport

My mother's day present. Stolen flowers and a heart shaped rock. :)

going home. for the first time.

stair art

marshmallow/spaghetti art

junior plumbers

santa?

big gulp, huh?

halloween. she still loves to wear those glasses.

from aunt B. :)

Home

2011-12-28T20:47:00.001-06:00

After 2 weeks of travels, from Mexico to Michigan, we are home. Home is my favorite. Mexico was great! Got to see my youngest sister, Kenzie, get hitched on the beach. What could be better?!

It was a nice vacay, but not necessarily a relaxing one. Thanks to a certain 2 year old.

She kept me on my toes. Turns out that when in crowded areas she likes to spontaneously run away from me. Can't tell you how many times I had to run after her and wound up in the kitchen of a restaurant, a men's restroom or the wrong side of airport security. She thought it was hilarious.

As soon as we got back from our fab all-inclusive, over indulging beach vacation , we headed to Michigan to spend Christmas with the Berrys. We got to see some cousins that we don't get to spend enough time with, just relax and most importantly, I did not have to wear a swimsuit. Which is a really good thing. Because Grandma Berry's house is also "all-inclusive". And back to back all-inclusive vacations have made stretchy pants my new best friend.

It was a merry Christmas. So happy to be home. But even happier that we got to spend time with our awesome families.

Skater boy

2011-10-19T20:55:00.000-05:00

A few months back we went to one of the Street League skateboarding competitions. It was kind of a big deal. Well, to the boys it was. After the contest there was an autograph session. But we didn't get to stay for it, and the boys were pretty disappointed. I told them they should write letters to their favorite skaters and ask for an autograph. Ryder and Gavin wrote 3 letters: to Chris Cole, Ryan Sheckler and Dylan Reider (I realize those names don't mean much to most people, but they are pro skateboarders). That was 4 months ago. Today Ryder got a package in the mail. A big package.

I'm not sure which boy was more excited

Thanks Dylan Reider. You made this kids day!

She

2011-10-11T20:42:00.001-05:00

She has been home with us for 6 months now. Which according to the calendar isn't really that long. But she has nestled in to our family so amazingly well, that it's hard to imagine a time when she wasn't here. Sometimes I look at her and I still can't believe that she is here, that she is ours.

She is the only extrovert in a family of introverts. (Can't you hear God laughing?) She embarrasses me when we walk through Target. She says hi to every person we pass while simultaneously singing "Happy Birthday" at the top of her lungs.

She hates it when I am on the computer or the phone. She gets a wee bit jealous. But yet she doesn't need me at all once we get to Sunday school class or when her brothers get home from school. She loves people. Loves attention.

Oh, and the shoes. She still loves them. Her current favorites are a pair of flip-flops. Used, dirty flip-flops. Given to us a by a neighbor girl (who Wren worships). She will choose them everyday over any other pair of shoes. I can't wait till it's to cold for flip-flops.

aunt kenzie's shoes

She is sassy. Opinionated. Loud. Determined. Funny. Smart. Sooo smart. Needy. Messy. Fast. Cute. Darn cute. Loving. Cuddly. Independent.

She is my best girl.

No more milkshakes

2011-09-23T18:01:00.001-05:00

Yep, this post is long overdue. It's 59 degrees outside today. I guess it's no longer milkshake weather. Over the summer we visited 8 different ice cream places (well, we may have visited 1 place in particular multiple times) in search of the best milkshake. All in the name of science, of course. See the following charts and graphs....
And, drumroll please, our winner is OBERWEIS. Scoring a 26 out of 30. It was the first place we visited, and no other could top it. They've got lots of different flavors, you get a huge honkin' milkshake in a fancy stemmed glass, and their ice cream really is the best. It's a tad pricey, about 5 bucks. But ya get what ya pay fer. Our least favorite place was Portillos, scoring 12/30. They offer a chocolate cake shake. While it sounds good, the boys were not fans. It's basically a vanilla shake with a soggy piece of cake in the bottom. We will continue our research next summer. Ya know, for science.

scientific data usually involves crayons

We are back to our school year routine. The boys are doing well in school, despite their complaining about homework and not having enough hours in the day to play. Wren misses them. But she also enjoys having me to herself. More on her later...

Last days of August

2011-08-30T14:53:00.000-05:00

This is Ryder. He's 9 now. NINE. (Well, really he's some sort of middle-aged-man-kid hybrid. He plays chess and reads big fat books. I don't even know how to play chess. )

This is how we celebrated Ryder's birthday. It was good times.

And now we have a giant slingshot in our backyard.

Ryder's birthday also happened to be the first day of school. Lucky kid.

This was one nervous kid. But he survived, and I think he might have even enjoyed it.

Catch up.....again

2011-08-23T15:45:00.000-05:00

I'm super excited for school to start. Like really excited. Like counting the hours excited. Summer has been fun, but I'm ready to add a little structure to my day. And a little quiet time. (2 more days!)

Blogging has taken a backseat this summer. We've been busy (doing milkshake research and not watching TV). So here's a glimpse of the last half of our summer.

Child labor

Field trip to see the sunflowers (with Aunt Kenzie, Aunt B and the cousins)

Gav's first karate tournament

Wren's re-adoption day.

(We had to readopt her in the US so she could have a US birth certificate)

This is her being deputized by the Chicago police department. I have no idea why this is part of the adoption process. It was weird.

Fun with the chalkboard wall.

mmm. homemade donuts.

Gavin teaching Wren how to jump in the puddles.

Coming Soon: First Day pictures, a house project update and Milkshake Monday results.

Catch up

2011-07-21T08:28:00.003-05:00

It's been a while, I know. Here's what we've been up to this past month....

We celebrated Wren's 2nd birthday - 3 times, in 3 different states.

We enjoyed some quality time with some cousins, throwing gang signs.

Lots of this.

We ate this. You should give it a try too.

We spotted this "TIV" on the highway.......

on our way to Cedar Point.

We rode rides. And we wore matching shirts. Don't be jealous.

We made a rope swing in grandpa's backyard.

And everyone enjoyed it.

We played on the beach. This was not Wren's favorite thing to do.

It might have been his favorite thing.

Is there anything better than digging holes?

We made our way back down to the beach to watch the fireworks.

first fireworks :)

backyard fun

I love summer.

Passing the Time

2011-06-24T10:00:00.002-05:00

Everyone wants to know how our NO TV summer is going (by everyone, I mean 4 people). And I must say it's actually going rather well. The boys have re-learned how to play and use their imagination. They have built towers, made forts, been reading more, and this...

This is the deconstruction of an old DVD player.

Kept them busy for hours.

Next week I am going to have them put it back together. ;)

Milkshake Monday

2011-06-21T09:32:00.000-05:00

The boys and I are conducting a scientific experiment this summer. There will be data gathering, sampling and even charts and graphs. Our goal: to find the best milkshake in town. Every Monday afternoon we will venture out to gather our data (within a 30 mile radius) (Radius is a fancy science and math word. It's important to use the proper technical grammer when recording your data). We had our first fact-finding mission yesterday at Oberweis Dairy.

Our highly technical data recording system.

Gav had the cookie dough. I have taught him well.

Ryder ordered the mint chip.

In our nine years on living in illinois we had never been to Oberweis, even though it is a pretty popular local dairy. And I must say it was pretty darn good. Very homemade like. I think it will be hard to top. But in the name of science we must continue on this quest. We can not come to a conclusion until all the facts are in and the numbers have been totaled. I'll keep ya posted...

I am the meanest mom ever

2011-06-09T15:24:00.000-05:00

That's the word on the street, anyways. You see, we're trying a little experiment on the Berry children: No screens this summer. Which means, no TV, no computer, no Wii, no Netflix. I know! How will they survive?! How will I survive?!

As a peace offering, we did purchase them this toy. It has already made us very popular in the neighborhood.

We're one day into this experiment. So far, so good. They haven't really missed their beloved TV yet. Bust ask me again next month and the answer may be different. Heck, ask me tomorrow and I may already regret this decision.

FAQs

2011-06-04T22:08:00.002-05:00

How is Wren doing?
In a word, great! It has pretty much been a seamless transition. It has been nearly 2 months that Wren has been home and things could not have gone better. Hallelujah for answered prayers!
Does she talk much?
Yep. She is picking up new words all the time. She likes to repeat everything we say to her. Just a few of her newest words: stinky, boogers, chicken, bounce and bottom. Yeah, I'd say she has the vocabulary of a typical 2 year old. She also loves to sing and be sung to.
Why don't you blog more often?
Well, I am lame. And my camera is currently broken. And no one wants to read a blog with no pictures.
How are the boys doing?
They generally like having a sister. Although, she has ruined a lego creation or two. And they do have to keep their ruckus to a minimum when she is taking a nap. Gavin loves making her laugh. Ryder loves to get her out of her crib in the mornings and will even feed her breakfast. But will still not even consider changing her diaper. She has those boys whipped.
How is her medical history/health?
We had very little information about Wren when we got her referral back in October. We received one slip of paper that had some blood work results and another sheet listing the vaccinations she got in Ethiopia. We knew that she was basically healthy, just malnourished. Since she has been home she has been to the doctors office 84 times. Our doc wanted to test her for everything under the sun, including to see what antibodies she had (to see if the vaccines she had in Ethiopia were effective) so she had about a dozen blood samples to give, 5 stool sample, and a urine sample that we still have yet to collect (have you ever tried to collect a urine sample from a diaper wearing toddler? It's not possible.) Thankfully all her blood work came back normal - her vaccines took, so she is all up to date. She did have parasites, but we got that treated with some simple antibiotics.
As I'm sure you've noticed, Wren has wart-like growths on her head. These are molluscum warts. They are fairly common in children that have weak immune systems and we noticed some other children in the orphanage had them too. We have been to the dermatologist and there really isn't much we can do to treat them. They can be frozen off, but with her skin tone, there is a good chance that would cause scarring. The doc gave us a cream to use, but most likely we will just have to wait out the virus that causes them.
Have you learned how to do her hair?
I have been studying and planning and buying. I got the tools, the products, the instruction. Now I just need a willing participant, and Wren is definitely not willing. She cannot, will not sit still. I can barely get her hair parted before she squirms away. I have managed to do some puffs a few times and even some flat twists. I do really love her curly hair in it's natural state. It's so soft and has such a pretty curl pattern. So most of the time we go natural, and she rocks a cute headband or barrett.

That's it for now. I'll reward your efforts for reading this forever-long post with a bizarre picture from a few weeks ago.

Wren, sitting on the potty (trying to collect that urine sample), reading daddy's thesis.

Fashion Forward?

2011-05-03T15:08:00.000-05:00

Things are still going really well with Wren. I am amazed everyday at how easily she is adjusting and how much she is learning. It truly couldn't be going any better! She has the normal routine of a toddler; loves to snack (goldfish and raisins are current faves) loves to steal her brothers toys, repeats everything you say, likes to collect random stuff from around the house and REALLY loves to play dress-up.

Exhibit A

What? Are clorox wipes not suitable toys for children?

And yes, that is a onesie on her head. I think she got it from the dity clothes pile.

Wearing Gav's shoes. Always, with the shoes...

When she is not wearing someone else's shoes, she is wearing her sparkle shoes.

Trying to wear brother's jeans

I don't know...

Thug

6 and 12

2011-04-18T11:22:00.000-05:00

My baby boy turned 6 yesterday. Sob.
He got a new ride. One with handbreaks and everything.
Too bad it's supposed to rain and snow all week.

Wren has been home for 12 days now. And she is still doing amazingly well. It's almost like she has always been here. There have been a few tantrums here and there. You know the kind. Where you throw yourself down on the floor, scream and cry and then bite your mom and try to claw her eyes out. Fun times. It's hard to say if these tantrums are part of her adjustment phase, or because she is cutting molars, or just general 2-year old crabbiness - or maybe a combination of all that.
But other than those few moments of hysteria, she is generally happy. Shoes are still her favorite pass time. I am not sure weather to keep them in her closet or in her toy box. This tutu has also become a staple in her wardrobe. (excuse te crappy iphone pictures)

Party of 5

2011-04-10T17:06:00.000-05:00

We've been home for 4 days now, and things are starting to feel normal again. Wren is doing great! Better than we expected. While we were in Ethiopia, she was sad, confused and generally unhappy. She spent most of the time in my lap or crying and fussing. But since we've been home she has been smiling, laughing and generally happy. She loves to play. She LOVES her brothers. She has been getting plenty of attention from them and the grandparents. I am happy to report that I am still her favorite, though. I am her primary caregiver; the one who feeds her, changes her and puts her to sleep. Which, by the way, she is a great sleeper. I guess I have the transition home to thank for that. They kept the kids on a pretty regular schedule, which included 11 hours of sleep a night. Score!
She's has learned so much and has been picking up words so fast. Mama, daddy, up, down, more, eat, Joey, out. She is a smart cookie. It has truly been amazing to see how well she fits into our family. Of course, my optimism is cautious. I know that we may just be in the honeymoon phase. There is always the chance and likely hood of regression. But for now, we are happy. She is happy. All is well. Thank you God. :)

More Ethiopia

2011-03-10T17:00:00.003-06:00

Here are a few more pics from our first trip. We didn't really do any sight seeing this time - that will be part of the next trip. These are just pics we snapped as we were being escorted to and fro.

(mom, you can click on the pics to make them bigger)

view from the balcony at the transition home

the steps outside the dining room at the transition home

the big kids were in there for lunch

the chore that never ends, washing diapers

some jinky wiring at the transition home. my engineer is a tad concerned.

just hanging.

new construction. the stick scaffolding also concerns my engineer.

sewing. outside. with the very first sewing machine.

Away We Go: Our Day in Court

2011-03-07T17:22:00.000-06:00

Our court date was set for Friday, February 25 at 9am, our last day in Ethiopia. We arrived a few minutes late, but that didn't really matter. Apparently, in Ethiopia, when you have an appointment at a certain time, it's really more of a suggestion, or a possibility. We climbed 18 flights of stairs (well maybe it was only 2, but if you factor in the elevation of Addis, it was 18) to get to the waiting room. Where we waited. And waited.

The room was polarized. A mix of joy and pain. Happy and sad. Smiling, adoptive parents, sitting right alongside solemn birth parents, waiting to give their final statement of surrender. It was hard not to feel guilty. So many families having to experience such loss at a time when I got to experience such joy.

We were the second family called to appear before the judge. We were lead to an adjacent room, the size of a closet, where 2 young women sat behind desks piled high with folders. Jeff and I had agreed before hand that he would be the one that would do the talking. I was too nervous. And I feared I would say or do something that botch the whole thing. But once the judge started asking us questions I couldn't keep my mouth shut. I felt like I was rambling on when all she wanted was a yes or no. She asked us if we were prepared to be a multi-racial family, if we planned to educate her about Ethiopian culture and if our other children were ready to have a sibling. I guess I didn't botch things up too badly because after about a minute and a half of questions, she closed our folder, looked up, smiled and said "You are approved, she is yours". Tears of joy. She is ours.

outside the courthouse

We got to go back to HOH to play with Wren before our flight left that evening. We soaked up our last moments together. We played her more music. More bubbles. More peek'a'boo. More hugs and high-fives. More falling asleep in my arms. I knew that leaving her would be hard. And that I would cry. But I still wasn't prepared for how hard it was, and how much I would cry. But it is only temporary, that's what I tell myself. And I know she is getting the best care. (Her nannies are amazing! They love those kids so much!)

first official family photo

Hopefully we will be able to go get her in about a month. Between now and then she will be getting a birth certificate, medical exam and passport. Her room here is ready. Her brothers are getting pretty excited.

I still have some guilt issues. I still think of her birthmother. Of all the birthmothers and families that feel they have no other option but to surrender their children. It's not fair. Not fair that because I was born in America, I get to be her mom. Heavy, huh? So I will wrestle with theses issues, taking them to God. Trying to figure out how to deal with this social injustice. I am convicted that there is more for me to do...

Away We Go: Part 4

2011-03-04T20:53:00.000-06:00

Looking back now, the rest of our time in Ethiopia was kind of a blur, full of happy and sad, excitement and anxiety. I am glad I took the time to journal about it each day, preserving details I was sure I would never forget, but already have.
We woke to a freshly made hot breakfast every morning (except the one when the power was out) and were then taken to the HOH to see Wren. We were nervous each time, not knowing if she would be glad to see us. But she was always happy, even when wasn't feeling so hot for part of our visit. Runny nose and an icky cough made for a sleepy girl. She fell asleep in my arms twice - which is just the best feeling, let me tell ya. We got to perform other normal parental duties as well, like change her diaper and feed her lunch (they feed her so much! it's like an enormous bowl of cream of chicken soup).

After our morning visits our driver would take us back to the guest house for lunch, which was always accompanied by coffee and Coke. Coffee and Coke. Coffee and Coke. Every meal, all the time. Even at breakfast. Not sure if you know this, but coffee is kind of a BIG deal in Ethiopia. Coffee was born in Ethiopia and coffee ceremonies are held daily. We didn't have the chance to be part of a coffee ceremony on this visit, but will on the next.

After Wren's afternoon nap we got to back for our second visit of the day. Again, she was always easy going and easily entertained. We would played music from our computer or phone to see what her reaction was. She especially loved the itunes visualizer and some old school Michael Jackson. Ya gotta start somewhere...

On our second to last day in Addis we were able to meet Wren's birthmother. For weeks I had been very nervous about this meeting. Like, sick nervous. I really had no idea what to expect. Her mother had traveled from southern Ethiopia, a two day trip, to go to court and then meet us. Even thinking about it now I get uneasy. She was very polite, she answered most of our questions. It was hard to tell if she was sad or bitter. She was very reserved, showing no real emotion. My heart broke for her. I am sure it was painful for her. So needless to say, it wasn't an easy meeting. I'd go as far to say it was the most awkward moment of my life. We will save the details of our meeting for Wren. It is her story, her family history. As awkward as it was, I am glad we had the opportunity to meet her and someday share it with her daughter.

Away We Go Part 3: The Day We Met

2011-03-01T17:07:00.000-06:00

We left our house at about 3:30 am. It was dark. And I was deliriously tired. And nauseatingly nervous. The flight to DC was a breeze. The flight to Addis was not. It was a full flight, so there was no stretching the legs or sprawling out over a row of seats. I got to sit next to a man who had no shame. A nose picking, armpit scratching and beer guzzling stinky stranger. I did not sleep the entire way there. It was painful and I was on the verge of tears. I was quite a mess. When we arrived in Addis there was no one to meet us at the airport. A Children's Hope rep should have been there to pick us up and take us back to House of Hope II, the CHI guest house for adoptive parents. But no. We waited. And waited. We finally decided to try and call HOH. No dice. Our phone could not get service, and we couldn't figure out the pay phones at the airport. And we were cranky and tired. I guess we must have looked pretty pitiful because a woman approached us and asked if she could call someone for us. Hoorah! We finally got ahold of our escort, who showed up at the airport about 30 minutes later. Apparently there was some miscommunication between our agency and the HOH director about our arrival day.
We made it to the HOH II so we could get some rest and have lunch before going to the transition home to meet our daughter.
The children are at the House of Hope, aka HOH, aka The Transition Home. It is about a mile from the guest house where we were staying. Wren was waiting for us when we got there. She was in a very good mood, singing and smiling, happy to see us. Her nanny carried her upstairs and lead us to a family room, where all the magic family bonding happens. It is just a plain room with some tables and couches. At first she was not too keen on being left alone with us, but after just a few minutes she warmed up to us and her nanny snuck out. Wren was very excited to show us her new shoes. She would point to them, smile and say "chamas" (shoes). We would take them off and put them back on - that was a fun game. She was also entertained by the computer and the phone and a piece of cardboard she found under the sofa. We left the transition home late in the afternoon. Wren was very sleepy - she had skipped her nap to see us. We would go back the following morning for some more bonding/play time.

sleepy wren. sleepy mommy.

Our drive took us back to the HOH II, where we had dinner. It was a traditional Ethiopian meal; cooked veggies, rice, some mysterious meatball things, and injera - a traditional Ethiopian bread. everything was great, except the injera. Some people love it, some hate it. It looks like a giant pita, but it tastes nothing like pita. It's spongey. And sour. And kind of bitter. It is used as a utensil; just tear off a piece of injera and pinch up some rice and veggies. It wasn't our favorite, but it is the pride of Ethiopian cuisine, so we cleaned our plates.
There were no other CHI adoptive parents making the trip with us, so we were the only ones at the guest house. It was lonely and we would have loved to have had the opportunity to meet and talk with other adoptive parents. Hopefully next time!

our (messy) room at the House of Hope II

exterior of HOH II

Away We Go: Part 2

2011-02-27T14:02:00.000-06:00

Well I am sure you have seen our video or heard the news - we passed court and are now the proud parents of a little girl, Wren Kibnesh Lee Berry!

The hubs made this little video. And I'm gonna warn you, it might make your allergies act up.

Over the next week I'll post more about our adventure in Addis Ababa and the time we got to spend with Wren.

In the meantime I think you should read this. It will also make your allergies act up, but for a different reason.

Away We Go: Part 1

2011-02-19T20:40:00.002-06:00

Very soon we will be leaving on our first trip to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Eeek! I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous. Nervous. Excited. Anxious. Downright giddy I tell ya! I get to hold her!!!! But not until after the the LONG flight there, which is one of the reasons for my nervousness. While I love to travel, I am not a great traveler. Airplanes kinda freak me out. I mean after all, 'an airplane is just a building on it's side, being thrown through the air' (Claire, Modern Family).
I am also nervous because I have to leave my boys. My babies! How will they get along without me?! In reality I know that they will not miss me one single bit. In fact they can't wait to get rid of me, and manipulate their poor, sweet, unassuming Grandma into taking them to Chuck E. Cheese. They are so crafty. I will miss their craftiness.
So, here we go. Off to see our girl. And hug her. And play with her. And make her our own.

ps. Once we get back, we'll answer the ever so popular question "What's her name?" Stay tuned....

Scenes From a Blizzard

2011-02-02T19:51:00.001-06:00

the beginning…

reading by candlelight when the power went out…

Heading outside…

Heading back in

Smile and wave

2011-01-28T13:21:00.000-06:00

We got a new photo of baby girl yesterday.

happiness.

For Baby Girl: Donations and Art Projects

2011-01-22T14:42:00.001-06:00

Lifesong for Orphans is an incredible organization whose mission is to “bring joy and purpose to orphans.” They provide food, clothes, schooling, discipleship and support to orphans all over the world. They also partner with adoptive parents, like us, offering matching grants and interest free loans. At this point we’re not sure if we qualify for a matching grant or not (we’ll find out soon), but in the mean time Lifesong will be accepting all financial donations on our behalf. Meaning, if you were going to help support our adoption, checks and money can be sent to Lifesong, with our name in the memo line. They will collect the money for us, and send you receipts for tax purposes. And, if we do qualify for that matching grant, then all the money donated to our Lifesong account would be doubled!

So, if you’re willing and able to help us bring baby girl home, here is where you can make a donation:

By Check
Please make checks payable to:
Lifesong for Orphans (with our name in the memo line)
Mail checks to:
Lifesong for Orphans
PO Box 40
Gridley, IL 61744
By Credit Card (PayPal.com)
On the PayPal screen, please indicate where you'd like your donation to go.

Our goal is to raise $5,000 to help fund our second trip to Ethiopia. And we truly appreciate everyone who has already and is going to help support us financially. If fact, we want everyone that helps with our adoption fund to also help us with a little art project. We have a stack of 4x4 canvases and we would like you to paint/decorate them however you chose. Use paint, crayons, pencil, newspaper, hot glue, scrapbook paper, photographs – whatever you like! There are no rules or guidelines, anything goes! We just ask that you sign the back and then return it to us so we can hang them in her room. We want this “canvas collage” to be a representation of how many people care for her before they even knew her.

I think I might have a problem

2011-01-12T14:20:00.000-06:00

I don't know how mothers of little girls do it! How do you stop yourself? Where does the self control come from?
Of course, I am talking about buying little girl clothes. How can you resist the cuteness of little flowery dresses and glittery shoes? I can't do it!. After years of buying ho-hum t-shirts and jeans for little boys that would just assume hang out in their skivvies all day anyway , I feel like there is no way I will be able to control myself when it comes to baby girl's wardrobe.

I resisted the urge for a long time. I didn't even buy her anything until a month after the referral. And even then, just looking at itty bitty girl clothes gave me crippling anxiety. But then I found a $3 dress at (where else?) Target. And I thought It's only $3, so no big loss if it doesn't fit. And then it began. And now she has a dozen outfits or more (some were gifts, thanks Mom!) I fear I won't be able to stop myself. I cannot go into a store without looking at clothes for her. And don't get me started on accessories! Headbands, tights, SHOES. SHOES, people! Have you seen how cute the tiny sparkly shoes are? I am going to need a support group or an accountability partner or something.

PS. On the upside, though, I am very thrifty. And so far the most I've spent on one single item is $6. It pains me to have to buy clothes that are not at least 75% off. But still, I gotta learn to fight the power of the lace eyelet sundress and the pink satiny shoes.

Counting Down

2010-12-15T10:37:00.000-06:00

We have our first travel dates! Feb. 23 is when we will get to meet baby girl for the first time! We are a tad disappointed that it is so far away. We originally hoped that we would get to meet her in January, but what's one more month? Right? Right. We're no stranger to waiting. And this way we'll have a little more time to scrape together our pennies for the trip. AND since we have a two month lead time, plane tickets will be cheaper too. So there are a few positives . Right? Right.
But still...we are anxious to meet her, hug her, hold her, never let her go. It's kinda strange, this feeling of missing someone you don't even know. So here's hoping that the next two months go by quickly, smoothly and hiccup free. :)

Impatiently Waiting

2010-11-19T16:26:00.000-06:00

This waiting part is no fun. No fun at all. We think of baby girl all the time. What is she doing right now? Is she having a good day? What are her favorite things to play with? Is she being taken care of? Did she sleep well? Those are the things that are easy to wonder about. The simple things. But many times my mind wanders to her painful reality. Does she miss her birth mother? Is she overwhelmed with grief? Is she confused? Will she be forever scarred by the trauma of losing her mother, then losing her caregivers at the orphanage? Are we doing the right thing? Sheesh, I could make myself sick with worry.

I pass the time and ease my anxiety by reading about others' adoption stories. There are a billion other adoption blogs out there, with families all sharing their unique experiences. One of my favorites is Flower Patch Farmgirl. I recommend reading her Big Adoption Series, if you like a good story or are considering adoption.

Getting baby girl's room ready also keeps me distracted. We now have paint on the walls (robin's egg blue, if you'd like to know). I've been mentally rearranging furniture, trying to decide on bedding and what to put on the walls. Which reminds me, sometime soon I'll be posting some details about a cool fundraiser/art project for baby girl and her bare bedroom walls.

And lastly, while we wait for baby girl, we also make t-shirts.

Referral!

2010-11-01T17:04:00.001-05:00

She is 16 months old and she has beautiful eyes. We can't wait to meet her! As of yet we have no travel dates, but our best guess is that we will make our first trip in January, to appear before the court and legally adopt her. About a month later we will travel to Ethiopia again to finally bring her home.

As much as I want to, I cannot legally post a picture of her on the internet, or give out too much information. So for now you can just get a glimpse those beautiful eyes.

Road Trip

2010-10-18T14:50:00.001-05:00

Our weekend got off to a rocky start

But we eventually made it to Kansas

and had a good time with the fam.

boys...

2010-10-13T15:51:00.000-05:00

Sweet 15

2010-09-21T12:21:00.003-05:00

We are currently number 15 on the waiting list! I still have no idea when we can expect a referral, but to give you an idea of our timeline, we have been on the list since January 2010. And at that time we were number 76. So we're truckin' right along.
Also, as you may have noticed, we've added a few things to the sidebar of this blog. Fundraiser things. Just Love Coffee is one of them. It's simple, really. You order some coffee, we get some of the proceeds. They are a super cool company who's mission is to help orphans and adoptive families. Check em out. Also, there is just a plain 'ol simple PayPal button, where you can give directly to our adoption fund. Easy peasy.
Now, I hate asking for money. And thankfully we have saved most of the money on our own so we don't need to ask for much. And at this time I'm not even gonna ask. But be forewarned. There will be a time (as soon as we get a referral) when we will be kicking this fundraiser business into high gear. So until then prayers for a speedy and smooth process are greatly appreciated. But of course, we'll take any money any time you feel like donating. ;)

First days and birthdays

2010-08-26T17:07:00.001-05:00

Second grade. Geez, I’m old.

This is what Ryder was doing before I forced him to pose for his First Day pictures. It’s 7:30am, mind you.

My baby headed off to kindergarten today. Walked right in. Didn’t need me. Didn’t miss me. Apparently I cramp his style.

It’s also Ryder’s 8th birthday. But he’s not too excited about turning 8 yet. We won’t have his party for a few weeks. He wanted to wait until after school had started, presumably to make some more friends. Which means he could invite more friends. Which means more presents. He’s a genius.

(a double wave, for Aunt B)

This boy...

2010-07-31T10:27:00.000-05:00

has always been afraid of water. He never liked bath time when he was little. He was deathly afraid of being splashed and getting water in his eyes. Every swimming lesson has always ended in tears and frustration. The boy would not even put his mouth in the water to blow bubbles. Last year he started to enjoy going to the pool, but mostly just hung out on the steps, never getting more than up to his shoulders wet.
Well, I am happy to report that as of last week – thanks to our trip to Table Rock - his fear has been conquered. He is now a cliff jumper…

and VERY proud of himself.

Last week

2010-07-11T22:49:00.001-05:00

Ok, so technically it was the week before last. We spent a few days up in South Haven, as we like to do every year around the 4th of July. This year Jeff's sister Joanna and her girls were there too, so Ryd and Gav got to play with their cousins that were visiting from Salt Lake. A good time was had by all. We went on the dune rides, fished, hot tubbed, played at the beach and ate our weight in freshly picked Michigan blueberries. We also went to the children's museum that was hosting the Grossology exhibit. Who doesn't like to learn about gross bodily functions? Here are a few pics of our adventure.

Summa Time

2010-06-06T18:58:00.001-05:00

School is almost out (finally) and I have been pondering what to do with two rambunctious boys this summer. I wish they were more like me; sleep in till 10am, watch Martha, Oprah, Ellen and GH, bake scones, go to thrift stores and garage sales, paint fingernails, etc. Oh, life would be so easy then. But no. They like to get up at first light, make noise, fight, get dirty, touch bugs, not brush their teeth, and all kinds of other gross stuff. So in order for me to keep my sanity, we have devised a list. A list of all the fun things we want to do this summer. We totally stole this idea, but I think it will really help me us to get off the couch and enjoy summer vacation - minus the bug touching. Here is the list we have come up with so far:

I think Gavin had the most original idea. He asked me if I had been everywhere in our house. Uh. Duh. Of course I have. "Yes, baby. I've been everywhere in our house. …Well actually, I don't think I've been in the attic." "Let's go to the attic this summer!" he exclaims. So this afternoon we made his dreams come true. Up the ladder he went to visit the attic. Which I am sure is full of gross bugs.

The latest

2010-05-13T17:14:00.000-05:00

Nothing super significant to report on the adoption front. When we were officially put on the waiting list back in January we were told we were number 76 - meaning there were 75 other families ahead of us in the waiting line. A few weeks ago were were told we were number 39. That may sound like we've made a lot of progress in the last 4 months, but really the number is not all that telling. Because we want a younger girl (as do many adoptive parents on "the list") our wait will be longer than families seeking boys or older children.
We also recently found out that there has been a new change regarding Ethiopian adoptions. Sounds scary, right? One of the reasons we decided to adopt from Ethiopia was that you only had to make 1 trip. But wouldn't ya know it, the Ehtiopian government has recently decided to change that policy. Starting ASAP all adoptive families are now required to make 2 trips. Sigh. One trip to appear in court and make your adoptive intentions known, and another trip to finalize the adoption and bring your child home. Since this is a new rule, not much is known about the timeline of the trips or what exactly will be expected of us. While this change in policy is annoying to us, we consider it just another minor bump in the road (Lord knows we've come to expect the unexpected) and know that it will still get us to the end goal of welcoming another child to our family.

Signs of Spring

2010-03-08T15:46:00.001-06:00

Sedum growing in the front garden

Boys playing outside

Dog enjoying the sunshine

Boy #2 learning to ride without training wheels

(success!)

Muddy shoes, floors, furniture, paws and boys

Statistically Speaking

2010-01-27T10:33:00.001-06:00

Over the last week there has been a plague on our house. Well, maybe I'm being a tad dramatic. Germ infested might be a better way to describe it. Last week Gavin had a nasty fever for 3 days. It sure wasn't fun for the little guy, but we managed and he was back to his old charming self in time for the weekend. I guess Ryder was jealous of his brother and decided to one-up him. At the beginning of the week I got a call from his school nurse telling me Ryder was in the bathroom puking his guts out. I'm pretty sure those were her exact words.
So here are a few statistics I have compiled that summarize the last few days at the Berry house You know how I love numbers:

Number of sick boys: 2
Number of whiny boys: 0    (no whining! almost wish they were sick more often)
Hours of cartoons watched:   36 and counting
Number of times Ryder threw up:   13                                     Number of times Ryder threw up on me:   2.5   (ick!)
Number of times Gavin threw up:     0    (he's totally my favorite)
Hours I spent cleaning the carpet:   3
Loads of laundry I've done this week:   473

The good news is Ryder is on the mend today. Now I just need to convince him to take a shower. That boy is rank!

Now for the deep cleaning and Lysol-ing of the house…and another load of laundry.

It’s officially official

2010-01-14T18:53:00.001-06:00

As of January 5, we are officially a “waiting family”. This means we are on the waiting list to adopt a baby girl from Ethiopia. Our dossier passed inspection and has gotten it’s final stamps of approval. So now we sit back and wait……again. Our agency did not give us a time frame of how long we can expect to wait. But we do get weekly updates from them listing their current “stats” of adoptive families. And based off that information it looks like we could be waiting anywhere from 9-15 months. Things change so frequently in the world of international adoption that you can really never know when things will happen.

While we wait we plan to continue studying and learning more about Ethiopia. We also plan to read up on attachment and bonding and transracial adoption issues, and maybe even learn a few phrases in Amharic.

So this may be the last post regarding adoption for a while. In the next few months I doubt I’ll have much news to report. So I guess I’ll have to get in to the habit of blogging about all the many fascinating and exciting things that happen in my life everyday. Like today, for instance, I spot cleaned the carpet and watched General Hospital.

It’s going to be a long 9-15 months.

Another trip to the mailbox

2009-12-10T09:04:00.001-06:00

Well, technically it was the FedEx overnight box.

The dossier is done. It made it through the state certification process with only one minor snafu (I forgot to send in a few pages) which was easily corrected. So now it is off to our adoption agency, Children’s Hope International, in St. Louis, where it will be given one final review. From there they will send it to the US Department of State in DC where it will be “authenticated”. Then it will travel across town to the Embassy of Ethiopia, where it will authenticated for a second time (sheesh!) This whole authentication business is supposed to take about 3 weeks, but may take a little longer this time of year, with all the holidays a whatnot.

And here it is. Isn’t this an exciting picture? Jeff holding an envelope, just before heading out in a snowstorm to make the FedEx overnight drop. You can tell he’s excited too. This would be the last time we’ll ever see the dossier. It feels good to be done with it, but also a little nerve racking. Now the real waiting begins. Say a prayer, cross fingers.

And here’s some random pictures of the boys, 'cause I know that’s what my mom really wants to see (she definitely doesn’t care about seeing Jeff hold an envelope).

Gavin shoveling the sidewalk.

Ryder trying to break dance . Wish I had a video of it.

Progress! (sort of)

2009-11-12T16:04:00.002-06:00

Do you see this folder? It is a very important folder. It contains our blood, sweat and tears (and a stack of papers that claim we are suited to become adoptive parents). We have all the medical letters, reference letters, financial statements, immigration approval, DCFS approval, yada, yada, yada, that we are required to gather. Everything has been signed, dated, notarized and agency approved. This morning this folder began it's first leg in a very important journey. I dropped it off at the post office where it is now making it's way to the Illinois Department of Index. It's a magical place where life changing things happen! And where all those notarized documents will hopefully (fingers crossed, prayers said) meet the approval of the state and become CERTIFIED. "What is this certification?," you ask. Well, it's basically a "super notary", but instead of just a stamp, each notarized document gets it's own fancy sheet of paper stapled to it with a gold seal, approving the original notary's signature.
Now, I have heard horror stories regarding the Certification process. I hear they can be pretty finicky over there at the Dept of Index. If the notary's signature is does not exactly match what they have on record, or the stamp isn't dark enough, or the planets are not properly aligned, they can refuse certification, which would severely irritate me. So, cross your fingers, say a prayer.

Square One

2009-07-30T12:00:00.000-05:00

As of yesterday we are set to go forward with an adoption in Ethiopia. It's exciting to us to be back on track and hopefully not have to deal with too many more ups and downs. However, this does mean that we do have to start all over again (ugghh) . We are already in the process of having our home study updated to reflect that we are no longer adopting from Haiti, and as soon as that is in then we will be getting our immigration paperwork updated as well. Here is the list of other things we will be working on over the next several weeks:

¨ Letter stating reason for adopting from Ethiopia

¨ Photos of applicants and home

¨ Letter of Commitment for Post Adoption – Social Worker

¨ Employment Letter

¨ Financial Statement

¨ Certified copies of Birth Certificate, Marriage Certificate

¨ Power of Attorney

¨ Medical letter

¨ Police clearance letter

¨ Three signed reference letters

¨ Letter of Obligation for Post Adoption Family

¨ Qualification for Naturalization

¨ Passport ID pages

¨ I-600 approval (immigration forms)

¨ Fingerprints

We've done all of this before, exactly a year ago. But now it all has to be redone with current dates and notarizations and state certifications. This list is actually much easier than the dossier requirements for Haiti, so it should go much quicker. Once this doss is submitted, we are told that the waiting time is 8-12 months, which is also much shorter than the Haiti time line.

Let's hope the 2nd time is a charm :)

No News

2009-05-13T18:51:00.000-05:00

People often ask us "So, how is the adoption going?". And I always wish I had some exciting news to share. But no. It has been nearly a year now since we started the international adoption process. As expected, nothing about it has been easy or straight forward. We spent several months getting our dossier ready for Haiti; gathering all of our financial info, getting reference letters, scheduling doctors' appointment to get medical clearance, getting fingerprinted, filling out form after blessed form. And I thought that was the hard part. In early 2009 we were told that Haiti was most likely no longer an option for us. The Haitian govt has made it much harder for adoptive parents, and we no longer meet their qualifications. - Sigh - Our case worker then suggested we consider adopting from Jamaica. Our agency is just starting the Jamaica adoption program, so it is not up and running at full steam yet. But hopefully soon (at least that's what they keep telling me.) We have submitted our "pre-application" to Jamaica, and that should get approved........someday. So as of this very moment we are stuck.

Oops.

2009-05-02T19:06:00.000-05:00

Today was a day like any other. I was in the kitchen making dinner. The boys were in the family room playing video games. Or so I thought. As I set the table I called the boys in to dinner. Jeff and Ryder came to the the kitchen. "Gavin!" I called. No answer. "Where is Gavin? Wasn't he playing video games with you?", I ask Jeff. Nope he wasn't. Neither of us knew where he was. Somewhat panicked, we called all through the house, looked in the garage, out in the front yard. No Gavin. Then Jeff glances up the stairs and this is what we see. Gavin. Peacefully sleeping at the top edge of the stairs.

Boys and their toys

2009-02-19T12:35:00.000-06:00

Despite the bitter winter weather, the boys have done a pretty good job at keeping themselves entertained this season (thanks to some fun Christmas gifts and handy woodworking grandpa).

Here is the "Bumper Ball" the boys got from Great-Grandma Hoefer. It's basically a giant inflatable ball you can climb in and roll around. And no, we haven't taken it down any snowy hills....yet, and yes, each hexagon shaped bubble has to be individually inflated.

Grandpa Berry made the boys this hand car. It took them a few tries, but they finally figured out how to steer with their feet and pump with their arms.

Gavin also got his "I Spy" quilt from Grandma Berry this winter (she makes them for all the grandkids). It can keep us entertained for hours! (well, maybe not 'hours').

And what fun would winter be without sledding?

Possibilities

2009-02-17T14:22:00.000-06:00

We are still waiting to find out if we will be able to adopt from Haiti. And while this has been frustrating (to say the least), there is a glimmer of hope on the horizon. Our case worker contacted us this past weekend to let us know of a new opportunity. Our agency is starting a new program to facilitate adoptions in Jamaica. So in addition to submitting our dossier to Haiti, we will also submit it to Jamaica. We still have a lot to learn about the Jamaican adoption process, but I do know that we meet all the requirements. And supposedly it is less expensive and has a shorter waiting time that Haiti. So, once again, we'll wait and see.

Frustration

2009-01-05T15:59:00.001-06:00

Last week we received an email from our adoption case worker. It was not good news. She told that starting in 2009, Haiti is raising the age requirements of adoptive parents from 30 to 35. This was a devastating blow, to say the least. Our facilitator in Hait recommended that we write a letter to the Hatian child welfare dept. explaining our situation, and basically beg them to allow us to proceed with the adoption. So that is our only hope, and who knows if it will work or not. Uggghhhh.

Snow is here!

2008-12-17T17:55:00.000-06:00

We recently had our first major snow here in Illinois. We have about 5-6 inches on the ground today, so Gavin and I decided to go out and "make a mountain" (the snow wasn't sticky enough for a snowman). So we got our shovels and started piling up the snow. It was't long before Gavin was distracted and began playing in the yard. But I continued on shoveling. I looked up and noticed Gavin digging a little hole in snow, down to the grass. Then he took about 5 steps and dug another hole, again and again. "Gav, what are you doing", I ask. "I'm making holes for Joey to poop in", he explains.
He's so thoughtful.

In adoption news, the paperwork is complete! Well, almost. We decided that pursuing this adoption independently was just more work than we could keep up with. The orphanage that we were working with (COTP)recommended an agency called Love Beyond Borders. So now we have a caseworker handling all of the paperwork and staying on top of all legal changes that take place in Haiti. Which is a huge load off my mind. Looking back, we should have used an agency from the beginning. But, we were trying to save a few bucks by doing it ourselves. Live and learn. Right now all of our documents are being translated into French, and will then be sent to Haiti to go through their legal system. And no, I have absolutely no idea how long that will take. We are optimistic, though. We know God has a plan :)

Slow going

2008-10-28T18:26:00.000-05:00

We have finally received our home study and our DCFS license - which basically means we are approved to adopt in the state of Illinois. The next step is to send our home study and license to USCIS (United States Citizenship and Imigration Services), to get approved to adopt internationally. That process should also take 2-3 months. Yippie! More waiting!
While we were waiting on the DCFS (Department of Children and Family Services) license, we received word that the orphanage we are working with in Haiti - Children of the Promise - has hit a few bumps in the road. They are now required to become a licensed adoption agency -according to some new Haitian government rules. So that process could take a while. It may be 2 months or 2 years -who knows. (Oh, the joys of working with a third-world country. ) Until that happens, they can no longer facillitate any adoptions. We will just have to wait and see. We may have to seek out another orphanage/adoption agency in Haiti - which I am sure will add to the waiting time. :)

Cookie Monster

2008-09-16T12:18:00.000-05:00

The boys and I decided to make cookies this morning (chocolate peanut butter cookies, to be exact). When we were done Gavin asked to lick the spatula. Reluctantly I said yes. (After all, I was the one who did most of the work. If anyone deserved to lick the spatula it was me) I handed him the spatula, covered in chocolaty peanut butter goodness. He grabbed it and ran out of the kitchen. I went back to work, cleaning up the mess from our adventure in baking. About 20 minutes later he wandered back into the kitchen. "Mom, I finally finished it", he said with a dreamy smile on his face, and held up the squeaky clean spatula for me to admire.
Yep, that's my boy.

First Day

2008-09-09T20:24:00.000-05:00

Last week was a bittersweet milestone in the Berry family. Ryder had his first day of kindergarten. Although I have waited anxiously for this day for the last six years, I must admit that when the time came to send my baby off school I was feeling pretty sad. But I'm over it. After all, it is only 1/2 day kindergarten. He had a great first day, but still tells me that he wishes he was in first grade (we held him back a year because of his late summer b-day). Other than that I think he really enjoys being in school.

Gavin, too, had his first day of school yesterday. Preschool that is. He goes 2 mornings a week. I thought it was going to be a big transition for him (since he suffers from severe separation anxiety, and usually freaks out if I am not in his direct line of sight) but he walked right in to school without me and never looked back. He had a great day too, but I think I was the one who was actually more excited for him to be in school.

August

2008-08-20T08:38:00.000-05:00

Last week Jeff and I finished our second and final Home Study interview. We still have a little ways to go before the Home Study is completed, though. We have to complete 10 hours of adoption education, pay a visit to a notary, and then send all the completed paperwork in to our caseworker. ( We should be done by mid September) Then we will just be waiting on the state of Illinois to grant us a license to adopt. After the state's approval, we send everything in to US Immigration, where we will wait to be approved for international adoption. And then, we will once again send everything in, this time to the Haitian government, to be approved to adopt from Haiti. So for the next several months we'll spend a lot of time waiting. :)

Last week we also celebrated Ryder's 6th birthday. For his party we had a picnic and did some hiking at Matthessien State Park (same place where we took the sunflower pics) . We had a great time and the kids loved stomping in the puddles and climbing through the caves.

ahh, pretty

2008-07-27T23:17:00.000-05:00

The boys and I took a road trip last week (well, a 2 hour road trip, on our way home from visiting friends in Peoria). We stopped at Matthiessen State Park to scope out a good place to have a picnic. As we drove down the winding road that leads you through the park, we came to a clearing. A perfect green patch designated for flying RC airplanes. But the green patch is not what caught our eye. It was what was just beyond that green patch that demanded our attention. A sea of yellow, as far as the eye could see. Sunflowers. It was a breathtaking view. And I was glad I happen to have my camera to capture it.

Go ask your father

2008-07-14T13:32:00.000-05:00

The other day Gavin, my 3 year old, asked me why God lets bad things happen. (I think he was concerned because of some stormy weather that had recently experienced.) Hmmm. How do you explain something to a 3 year old that is so hard for even us adults to understand sometimes. I tried to explain to him that while we live on earth sometimes bad things will happen. People will get sick, there will be storms, and there will be times when we feel sad. But, when we get to heaven everything will be happy and perfect and we will get to be with God.
This lead Gavin to another question; "how do we get to heaven?" (Did I mention that he is 3) "Ummm, well", I fumbled, "you have to believe in God and do the things he wants us to do. That's why we read the Bible. " He seemed satisfied with this simplified answer. But yet, another question: "Mom, can Joey (our beagle) believe in God? He wants to go to heaven with me."
"You can ask daddy when he gets home" ;)

I love summer

2008-07-08T14:59:00.000-05:00

We just got back from spending a long weekend at Jeffrey's parent's house in South Haven, MI. They live just a few blocks from the shores of Lake Michigan. I love going up there for the 4th of July. The charming little shops, the main street and the soft sanded beaches are nice break from life in cookie cutter suburbia. Jeffrey and I also got to get away for an evening while we were there. Grandma and Grandpa Berry watched the boys while we went to a Switchfoot concert, which was awesome. I highly recommend it if you ever get the chance.

The week before we spent some time in Missouri at my beloved Table Rock Lake with my family. It was another relaxing retreat, where all I had to do was exist ...... and cook and clean and take care of the boys. But all that didn't seem like such a chore when you are surrounded by family and have such an amazing view of the Ozarks. The boys loved every minute of it. Ryder has turned into quite a fisherman, catching 13 fish and a snake. Luckily he never actually reeled in the snake, it wiggled off the line every time he got it up out of the water. We all had a good time and got our fill of tubing, skiing and wake boarding.
I think we'll make this trip an every-other-year event.

Since my first post a lot of people have been asking me how things are going in the adoption process. There isn't much news to report. We will be having our first home study interview in the next 2-3 weeks. The home study will be a series of interviews and a gathering of documents and letters. In all, I'm guessing it will take about 2-3 months to complete. After that, I am not really sure how long we will have to wait to be "assigned" a child. I do know that things in Haiti do not always progress as they should, and that it will be a rocky road ahead. The wait to bring a child home can be more than 3 years, or as little as 12 months.
We'll just have to sit back and see what God has planned for us.

Here we go

2008-05-30T22:27:00.000-05:00

So I'm new to this blogging thing. But I thought I should start one - kind of like a journal - to keep track of the things that are going on in our lives, and share them with family and friends, and whoever else has too much time on their hands. Most notably what I want to share is the journey we have just started on. International adoption.
We've only taken the first step on this journey - and that was to be approved by the adoption facilitator in Haiti, an organization called Children of the Promise. The next step will be the home study - which will take a few months due to the mountain of paperwork we'll have trudge through. Then, papers will be notarized, authenticated and finally sent off to Haiti; where we hope to adopt a baby girl.
So, "why adopt?", you ask. And "why from Haiti?" The simplest answer I can give you is that it is a calling. I know this is something God wants us to do. It is a mission. It is a responsibility. God has blessed my family so richly - freedom, education, jobs, house, food, family, friends, and the list goes on. We have to share these blessings.
Adoption was something I always knew we would do. But I never had a specific place in mind. Then a friend (you know who you are, Jerica) was talking to me about her mission trip to Haiti. That perked my interest. There is a great need there, and very little is being done to help. And as it turns out, Haiti is one of the less expensive (relatively speaking) places to adopt from.

So there you have it. I could go on, but you get the gist.

I imagine I'll have other things to post too. I do have those two adorable little boys, that from time to time say and do things that I think are hilarious - so I'll probably force that on you as well. And what's a blog with out pictures. Here's one just because.