Merry Christmas!!

Jwaye Nwèl.........MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!........jwaye Nowel

I just want to wish EACH and every one of you a very Merry Christmas. We send our love to all of you. Had we sent out cards this year maybe it would have had all the kids on the picture...........maybe one child holding up a sign that said JOY........maybe one child holding up a sign that said PEACE.........and another holding up BLESSINGS.....

We've experienced all of these through out the last year. It's been a year marked with PATIENCE.........and yet God being FAITHFUL!

See, we never got around to doing our Christmas cards. Once we were SOOOOO close to the end in Nov., we kept hoping that maybe........just maybe......we'd be able to send out a picture of our FAMILY!!!! But, I guess you'll have to wait to get New Years card or something at a different time. But we do send our blessings to you on this special day celebrating our LORD!

December Updates

Our update:

"This month, instead of the usual story on your child, I have done something a little different. I have asked several of our long-term staff (Molly, Joyce, Susan, Stephanie) for the words they would use to describe your children. That list will be included with this update. I hope you enjoy reading the descriptions as much as we enjoyed describing your children!"

Manuel is...

Gentle

Jolly

Good natured

Comfortable

Snuggly

Loving

Samar is...

Content

Joyous

Affectionate

Sporty

Loyal

Inquisitive

It's official....

The paperwork trail has finally catch up and we have some official paperwork taken care of for our 4th adoption!! Let me introduce you to Samar......

She is 6 years old....... and has a beautiful smile :) I know i've talked about her a little bit already........but it's so exciting to be officially connected with our paperwork now!! We'll get monthly updates on her and I'm so looking forward to hearing more about her. I can't even describe how cool it will be to meet her once we pick up Aidan. Anyways........just had to share the good news!!!

No news on Aidan Manuel..........I think the "passport printing" stage ran out of ink.......lol..

In all seriousness.......the following was posted on the GLA websight: So realistically that expected 2 weeks to have the passport printed, which has been 6 weeks...........could very well end up being 8 or 9 weeks...or later........ til after all the holidays.........

***most recent update***The storm passed this afternoon about 3 PM. We mopped floors and cleaned up leaves all day long. We have not seen this type of wind and rain since the Hurricanes of August 2008! The Toddler House lost their avocado tree and the blow up Santa someone donated for their roof! Their front gate was also blown off the hinges. We also lost a baby during the night. He was a baby born to a very young mother and was born with a bilateral cleft palate and lip with other birth defects. He was only here 2 days and was 15 days old on admission and had not been fed since birth. I am very happy that the storm has passed and things have quieted down tonight!

***posted Wed. during the day****We woke up this morning to gale force winds and lots of rain! At 5 AM, my fan went flying out of the window by my bed and woke us all up when it crashed to the floor! The weather map shows a large tropical storm moving over Haiti from the south going toward the north east. It looks like it came from South America overnight.

The wind is so strong right now that it has blown all of the paintings in the stairwell off the wall! There were toys on the balcony where the children play that were blown off and we have no idea where they have blown to! Some children in the neighborhood will truly believe that Père Noël (Santa Claus) has come to visit when they find toys have fallen from the sky into their yard!!!

We had no warning from the TV nor radio that this storm was coming. The staff tells me that everything is closed and I am just praying that things settle down and the government opens today! We need some paperwork from different offices and if we do not get the papers today, we may not get them until after Christmas!

I know this is affecting the people in the mountains and the low areas probably much worse than us at GLA. Please say a little pray for Haiti and the Haitian people for safety today as this storm passes over us.

by the way.....

Since you can't really read my mind.........I thought I better update you on our status :)

We've been able to process events----actually lack of events-----so we have changed....... and re-changed our expectations..........daily. But I know there are some of you who are anxiously waiting and praying for us to have our Dec. child yet, so let me just fill you in that.......... it's not going to happen this year.

Our first hurdle of a series of a few small hurdles was suppose to take about 2 weeks. Well, today came and went and it's been 4 weeks, and still no passport. So another hurdle that follows is suppose to be about 4ish weeks-------I guess I have it in my mind that it's going to take about 10 weeks....

Maybe by the time Aidan comes home, it will be just enough time for him to get to know us before he has to put us in the nursing home.....lol!!

Okay--so seriously back in Sept. I had a dream one night that Aidan was coming home in March. I could vividly recall everything. I brushed it off to absurd--and just a dream---but....I'm facing the possibility that it may be reality and not absurd...........so my new goal is that Aidan is home in March!! Okay---I really, really, really want to spend his 4th birthday with him in Feb., but I don't want to get any hopes up. I'm going with the dream............. I guess all we can do is keep on living and keep praying.................and clinging to God's promises that He will protect Aidan.........He will be his father while he has none.........and his life is in God's hand......

Ps. 68

⁵ A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows,
is God in his holy dwelling.

and

Deut. 10

¹⁸ He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing.

seriously.....

My eyes are a little more open to how socially unjust our culture is. I have a little gift bag to bring down to Aidan and Samar..........or have someone bring down for us assuming we don't hear anything soon....

but anyways.....I made a photo album for Samar and put a few treats in it, and thought I'd do one little toy like a polly pockets. Nothing too big since we'll be seeing her soon hopefully........but most importantly ----pictures for her to know we are her family and sending some love to her.

Ok............so........would you believe I couldn't find a single black polly pocket or barbie doll? Seriously..........

I looked at Target 3 different occasions, and at Meijers during one trip. Oh....they make them. At least barbies.............but they weren't hanging up........Seriously--- what does 30% of the population that is not Caucasian do? Wouldn't you want to buy a doll that looks like the child you are buying it for? Naturally I was looking for a doll that would look like Samar......and couldn't even find one.............what an injustice....disappointing.................and unfair...............makes me sad for the inequalities.......instead we went with a Littest Pet Shop-----something small.....just from us.......to her....

Age old debate

You don't have to be in the adoption world too long before you hear comments like......'what a lucky kid.....just think of the life they would have had'. It's the age old debate about.......are you saving a child or is the child saving you?......

The answer has always been very clear to me ...........

I look at Alyssa and am amazed at God's path for our life. He saved us from pursuing years of infertility treatments........He saved us from struggles..........everything about it benefited us.........as with any first child---it changed our lives forever........for the GOOD.........

Austin....again--we were completely blessed to have 2 children. God saved us from struggling and blessed us with an AMAZING story of God's TIMING and working out EVERY detail when Austin arrived...........we were blessed....

Manuel.....we struggled for a long time figuring out what God wanted of us............we tried living as a family of 4 and convincing ourselves we were complete---but God never gave us the peace...........it was a long struggle.............when we found the path of adopting from Haiti I felt peace.......God saved us from struggling for a lifetime................we were saved..........we could leave our feelings of uncertainty at the feet of God and we could go on with a purpose.............Life was whole again.............we were complete.........

Samar--her journey is still beginning with our family. She gave us purpose and reason to why we moved at this point in our life....our eyes have been opened to letting God go deeper in us........she will complete us......I look forward to her journey.........

I'm very passionate that God picked each of our kids to save US. They each were hand picked by God..... at a certain time in our life.......... to fill a purpose in our life. And God has much more planned for their lives.....I pray that they can follow HIM!

IGBOK

Over the past 2 months it's been good meeting all our neighbors. On one side is a retired couple and as I was chatting with her I found out she headed up the English as a Second Language program at school for the past 20 years. I was thinking..."Yea!!....she might understand things that might be helpful to me...What a great neighbor to have for us God"....

Then I met another neighbor right next door. I found out she's a lower elementary teacher......teaching learning disabilities and special ed. My first thought was........."Ok Lord, I don't really want to get to know this lady....why did you move me next to her?......We may be feeling like you want us to have more kids...............but, really?........I do not want to have her be needed in my life......"

Well...........the kids got to know her after about 2 weeks. It didn't take long to find out she handed out popsicles......Yummmm.......but I still wasn't going to get to know her.....

She invited me to a holiday coffee time at her church last week. She was inviting other neighbor ladies, so I thought it would be a great time to meet others.

I'm SO glad I went. I'm so glad I've had a chance to get to know her. She's very friendly, very inviting, full of hugs, screams grandma all over---as all her kids live out of state......... and I would love to have my kids know her. What a blessing to live next to her...........God did know what he was doing as we moved here...........

Not only did I have a wonderful time meeting other neighbors, but we heard a GREAT talk........about holiday gifts...........one of God's gifts to us................

Jesus says, "I am leaving you with a GIFT---peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don't be troubled or afraid." John 14:27 (NLT)

I could certainly apply that to my life. God has giving us amazing peace as we go through these LONG adoption processes............but even when I start to fret.............I know it's there......for me. I even looked around the table and thought about others circumstances........I thought about family members..or small group members........each and every person I know has stuff they go through......and the cool thing is.........God gives us ALL this GIFT!!!

The speaker summed it up by saying IGBOK--"It's going to be OK"

Great posts!

I just checked out GLA's sight and saw Molly had updated the Toddlers house blog. In fact there were about 9 posts I hadn't seen--all since Thanksgiving. They are wonderful and so great to see all the kids and what they are doing! A couple hightlights:

-There are pictures of Thanksgiving--what a celebration!

-There are pictures of the older kids going to church. I'm sure Samar is in that bunch and it's good to hear what they all do!

-The O got an aquarium. Very cute to see the kids line up......in the paragraph talking about it, it even mentions Manuel's name---as him being a little cautious to go up to the tank :)

-Movie night for the older kids......Samar is mentioned as being a 'sweet girl and easy to please and grateful for everything'. We haven't heard to much about her personality yet---so it's fun to find out about life for her.

If you get a chance, check out the activities

http://www.glahaiti.org/toddler_house_blog

Looking all snuggly

What a great picture!! No news on if our passport has been printed, but here was part of our Nov. update...

Manuel is doing well, and he is just such a precious little boy! He loves to smile and laugh, and he is a lot of fun to be around. Manuel is a sweet little boy and easy-going. He gets along well with the other children and is not one to cause problems or disruptions. Manuel knows what he wants, but he does not force his way on others. He still tends to suck his thumb quite often, but there is usually a grin behind his hand. Manuel is not a particularly loud child, but his eyes sparkle when he is enjoying himself, which is often. Manuel is just a great kid, and I am so excited that he will soon be joining your family!

Weight: 26 lbs

Height: 35 inches(89 cm)

Adoption Status: Passport Printing

coffee time

The unknowns are such a killer. My mind was racing around and I could feel myself getting very anxious. I was trying to plan out what I thought would be best and how "the end" might play out. I was thinking it would be cool to have Aidan home at the beginning of Christmas break so that during break the kids would get a chance to play with him...............then I was thinking maybe right before the New Years. And how should we handle Christmas parties...........and should I hope for "normal" holidays for Alyssa and Austin...........but I don't think life can be "normal" until after Aidan gets home. He's there.............on our mind................we're waiting............unable to plan............life is not normal while we wait. We're ready to get on with this. I could just feel my stomach being a bundle of anxious nerves.

so I stopped..........made some coffee............and had a date............

It was just me, my coffee, God and his word.

I didn't ask God to bring Aidan home in Dec., all I asked for was the ability to lay it all down. To feel His presence and be able to hand it all over to Him. God has a perfect plan..........a perfect timing. I don't have to worry about what is best for us, for the kids, or for Aidan. God knows what's best and it will all work out according to that plan. I just asked God for his peace and patience.

So I feel refreshed in Him. Yes---I still check the voice mail and email as soon as I walk in the house..........but deep down I know I have no say in when this all happens so why waste my time thinking about it. Deep down I think I know that my 6ish weeks can't be taken literally. It can be 3-12 weeks......so why try to plan.

i think we are going to enjoy the holidays with where we are at. I think I'd rather be pleasantly surprised and excited than to be disappointed and frustrated.

And as I was having my coffee time..........this is what I read......

⁶ so that from the rising of the sun

to the place of its setting
men may know there is none besides me.

I am the LORD, and there is no other..

.There is no one else----Only the LORD----YHWH---the keeper.

It's not by what man does.............only the Lord...........He is in control!!!

I am not anxious, my stomach is unknotted...........I love coffee time...........