We meet

We're here!! Our flights were great and we got to spend our first afternoon with Aidan. He's a cuddler :) When we first arrived, he had actually been woken up from his nap so he was all cuddly for the first bit and then we also were able to end our day with him sitting by us as he was getting sleepy and ready for bed --so he was cuddling then too.
We spent 3-4 hours playing this afternoon. It was great to interact with him.
We seem to be having trouble posting a picture of us all together---so when we're able to we'll post that.

Every Day Life

We recently received our September update for Aidan. They tell us that we'll receive our updates in the 3rd week of each month, so every day this week I check my email hoping to get it. It's so great that they do that consistently for us, and it's something to look forward to.

This month they sent pictures of everyday life for Aidan. Instead of dressing and posing the kids, it was just snapshots of them in action. Alyssa is just loving the fact that he sucks his thumb. She is still quite fond of hers, so she thinks they will be on each others 'team'. Of course, then Austin says that Aidan is on his 'team' because he's a boy. I think I feel sorry for him, because he's not even home and he's already part of the sibling fights.

I can't wait to see his face and see his smile for ourselves. SOON!!!!--end of the month here!!!!

Refingerprinting and I-600 Haiti papers

Even though this is such a long process, it seems like there is always something to do. Last week we sent in papers to be refingerprinted. I guess your prints expire after 18 months. Today I stopped by our social worker and reviewed our paperwork we will be taking to Haiti. I wanted to make sure we had the correct forms all completed properly. You never know with all these legal papers if you need something that takes a while to complete or needs to be authenticated or original, or whatever.......but it looks like we have it all correct. Yea!!! I just have to do finishing touches with that.
So I'm starting to think about our trip and getting excited. The reality that we will get to see Aidan just makes it so exciting----I can't imagine how thrilling it will be when it's finally time to take him home. It sounds like another couple is going this weekend, so hopefully it goes well and we get good reports about it all.
Despite all the terrible stuff going on in Haiti, their trip is still on and no major problems with the GLA area. Praise the Lord!!!!

Hurricanes

Many of you have asked how Haiti is doing. With Hurricane Gustavo GLA fared well with only heavy rains. However the situations in Haiti continues to get worse. The following is the latest on the hurricanes:

FAY - lots of rain and wind, but no damage
GUSTAV - a lot more rain, but GLA weathered the storm well
HANNA - This was posted on GLA's website yesterday:

"GLA is really being noticing the presence of Hurricane Hanna. We just received an email from GLA. They are experiencing really high winds, but little rain. They were not expecting to be hit, and even right now, weather.com is not reporting much impact on Haiti. However, this is not the case. A couple of the metal panels providing cover over the balcony where the children play and the balcony where the children eat their meals have flown off. As well, the solar panels have flown off of the toddler house. The toddler house gate has also been lost. Inside all GLA buildings though, everyone is safe. Please be in prayer for GLA and for all others in Haiti who are being hit hard by Hurricane Hanna. "

today's update included this:

"Hurricane Hannah brought destruction to Haiti last night , September 2nd. Gonaive had flooding with some deaths reports. Our area sustained downed trees, toppled brick walls, and roads blocked. People are already out cutting the trees blocking the roads. Our metal roofs got blown off the house and we lost the internet dish at the Toddler House. The wind was blowing so hard the rain came in around the closed windows of the orphanage and flooded our dining room table and floor! There seems to be as many leaves inside the house as outside! Thankfully, we are all safe and God kept us from harm. Now we just have to clean up from the storm. This was much worse than any storm we have personally seen in the 17 years we have lived in Haiti. "

There are 2 more storms expected to hit Haiti---so please pray for them.

We also received news from GLOW ministries with Phil Snyder of the following: (we went with him during spring break to Haiti and our church has been active with GLOW)

"Got a short email from Phil last night, he says the bridge in Montrouis went down yesterday. This is the only route by which help can arrive to Gonaives, the area which is so badly flooded. This means these people are essentially on their own now. No help from Port au Prince, no food, no fuel, nothing can reach them from the south. This means that anyone who lives North of Montrouis, in St Marc, anywhere, is cut off from supplies till they fix that bridge. It is the only road in Haiti between P-a-P and the northern cities."

We keep up with the current happenings of Haiti because we have a little boy there-----however this goes beyond just us. With all the devastation it just reveals how desperate the country of Haiti is. They are in need of such prayers. Many people have probably lost everything and with the crops being washed away and bridges out, their future seems of such little hope. I don't even think we can comprehend their desperation. Please remember Haiti in your prayers that God can still be shown to them and they will cling to the Hope! And also remember Aidan----I can't help and think about how he is probably scared at times with all the wind and storms. Just the other night it was lightening and Austin crawled in bed and said he was scared, and it just hit me the reality that Aidan is without us to comfort him. However, God is his comforter and I have to trust that Aidan is feeling that.

Below is a link of some pictures of Haiti

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/7597680.stm

Also a link to GLOW ministries. (God's Love for Orphans and Widows) Their passion is schools, feeding programs, and helping with sustaining life to Haitians. I'm sure with all the destruction, they are in even more need for sponsorship of children. This would be a great way to choose a child and pray specifically for them. Theresa at GLOW could get you set up and you could support and pray for someone in need. Think and pray about it!!!!

http://www.glowmi.org/index.html

Starting School

We're off to a GREAT start with school. Both the kids seem to really like it. I was expecting alot of crabbies.......but each day we are still looking forward to it.....so life is good. It's a new change for me with Austin gone a couple half days. Their first day at school I took the dog for a quick walk. It was the first time in over 6 y ears that I didn't have a stroller or bike or scooters following along. It makes me a little sad, yet there is a glimpse of freedom.

I love the time with the kids, yet I am looking forward to scheduling stuff without worrying about a sitter......or thoroughly cleaning (or decontaminating) my house before Aidan joins us. I have these high hopes, yet the couple hours will zip right by as things fill up the calendar.

Here's a couple pictures of our first day of school. When they came home Alyssa pulled out her yearbook from last year and was filling Austin in on who all the kids and teachers were. I walked out to them and overheard Alyssa saying "Now Austin who is this?.......It's Mrs. Harris.....Can you say Mrs. Harris" I thought it was pretty cute.

Typical 2 year old photo sessions!

In all our excitement of planning our trip, we also received our August update from GLA. It is good to see his smiling face. In his update they said he is always quick to smile for the camera --- You gotta love the smiles and expressions he has. It makes me want to squeeze him!!

I'm so thankful he seems to be doing well. I know GLA does a fabulous job with the kids and he's being taken care of but the most assuring thing is to know that God is his comforter, his provider, his Father---and God is always with him.

Plans made to meet Aidan Manuel!!

We're going to Haiti at the end of Sept. !!! It will feel so good to get another step moving, but best of all we get a chance to be with Aidan!!!! We've had our tickets bought for 2 days now and it's finally sinking in that we get to be with Aidan and hold him and meet him!! So in a month we'll get to spend time with our little boy.!! We'll get to know him personally and not just with pictures but we'll be the ones to hug him. I think it will be a very special time. Of course it will make the rest of the time that much harder to wait, but at least we'll have a moment with him to enjoy!!
The purpose of this trip is to get another aspect of the adoption going. Up til this point adoptions have always moved from point A to B to C and so on down the line............but this will allow another aspect to be going on simultaneously so point B to C will be going on with also point E to F--or whatever. So in theory it will cut time at the end of the process because the finishing part of the process will be started already. Since this is a new aspect, there really is no idea of how this really affects the timing. so we really don't have any estimate--we just have to leave that to God---and completely enjoy this new opportunity to meet Aidan!!

Timing

I just had to share some excitement!! Adoptions haven't been going super fast from Haiti--however we knew that since we recieved our referral. Adoptions are taking 9 months all the way up to 18 months to complete (after having a referral)----so realistically speaking Aidan could possibly not come home until this time next year. However there have been a few good things happening. They have been changing some of the process so that if we are interested in doing 2 trips to Haiti, we could take 1 trip relatively soon here and file some paperwork IN Haiti and that could save a couple months off the process. So we said "YES--when can we go?" !!!!!! And now today I was checking out the blog of information for us and this is what it said ..........."I just spoke to Dixie from GLA, and she informed me that the Head of Parquet (District Attorney), has resigned from his position. The Haitian media has been widely broadcasting this news since early this morning. For the past year and a half, he has been making adoptions very difficult in Haiti, causing many delays in the process. We are praying that whoever will replace him will be in favor of adoptions, and will have the children's best interests in mind, resulting in the adoption process moving more quickly." So this is good!!!!.....but we still need prayers that indeed the replacement will benefit adoptions and not further hinder them.

So God continues to open doors and help in this process. I still have no idea, but I do know that God is working it out. Our desire is still to spend Aidan's 3rd birthday with him.