Merry Christmas...a bit late!

Ethiopia Adoption Update

How are things going with our Ethiopia adoption?  Our home study is complete, and our dossier is almost finished.  We are just waiting for the USCIS (citizenship & immigration) to send us a  fingerprinting appointment and then grant us pre-approval to adopt a child that has probably not been born yet.  That's basically the last step in the "paperchase" part of the process.  I'm guesstimating that we will send our dossier to Ethiopia before Christmas.  Although it's exciting to be almost done with all the paperchasing, we know that there is still a long wait once our papers are submitted to Ethiopia.  Currently, families that sent their dossier to Ethiopia in November of 2010, are "on deck" waiting for a referral.  We are so familiar with slow downs and long waits for a referral.  That doesn't worry me, but it does causes me to approach this adoption with a guarded heart.  I'll get excited when we are "on deck".  Unlike our previous adoptions, I'm also much more peaceful about the timeline, the delays, and the unexpected things that occur during the paper chase.  Having two energetic kiddos here with me this time around helps a lot too!

All in all, we are happy to be pursuing Cayleigh.  We think about her and talk about her frequently.  Kieran actually talks about her the most.  It's who he is, and I love that he is excited that we are adopting again.  Even Marisa is comprehending some of it.  She talks about sharing her dolly with her new sister, and comments on the items that are hers that will someday be Cayleigh's (like the high chair).  I'm very thankful to know what direction we are supposed to be going, and grateful that we can  actively take steps to bring our daughter home.  I do wish the the wait time for a referral would decrease, but I've never seen that happen in the years that I've been keeping a keen eye on international adoption.  Mike and I are definitely glad to be veteran adopters as it is making this journey simpler in some ways.  Also, as always, God is supplying the funds when we need them.  We are humbled and grateful that the Lord has chosen us to be Cayleigh's parents through the miracle of adoption.

Thanks for thinking of us, and for praying about our adoption process.  We'll post again once we have any updates to share.

Thanksgiving Trees

We have been busy painting today.  I've posted all the details on my Mom Thoughts blog.  So, if you'd like to know more about our project and what we plan to do with our Thanksgiving Trees, head on over to my other blog for more details.  Otherwise, enjoy a few pics of our cuties.  :)

Kieran Turns Five!

Happy Birthday, sweet Kieran!  He got to open five presents from us in celebration of his fifth birthday.

For Kieran's birthday, we went to the pumpkin patch again.  It's sort of become a family tradition.

Marisa rides a "horse" at the pumpkin patch while Daddy keeps her steady.

Always a favorite with the kids...the tractor ride.

Finally, Kieran is big enough to ride on his own now.  He was eager to have this new adventure. :)

Our family... we often think about how we will someday be a family of five!

Uncle Jon, Aunt Katie, and cousins Haley & new baby Skyler
 were also there to celebrate Kieran's birthday with us.

Auntie Kendra joined us as well for the big celebration.  Here she's giving a ride to two cute cousins: Haley & Marisa.

Pumpkin patch silliness. 

Wow, our boy is FIVE now!

Marisa & Kieran (our cat, Piglet, in background) with pumpkins that we actually grew in our own backyard.  

End of Summer Photos

An update is long overdue... We've been busy "paper chasing" for our third adoption.  We are close to being done with our home study.  While that's been in the works, I've also been compiling documents for our official dossier that will be sending to Ethiopia.  So, I haven't had much time to do any blogging.  We have been enjoying the wonderful weather lately.  Here are a few photos of fun times at home and camping.

Mommy & Marisa, who loves to "sweend"

Mommy & Kieran, who is a very photogenic boy

The kids were having a blast spinning around in Daddy's office chair.  It's hard to capture Marisa's smiles on camera; this is a really good one.

Every day we look at these two cuties and know that we're so blessed.

Our adventure in the great outdoors... We took the kids for their first camping trip.  

Here's our little home away from home!  Not the shady spot by a stream that we had envisioned, but it turned out well in spite of the parched terrain.  The kids loved their little tent and sleeping bags.  

Daddy did all the hard work of setting up and tearing down the camp site.  He is a camping pro!

Marisa did not want to smile because the scratchy grass was annoying her.

Of course, Kieran was most fascinated by the windmills.  

Kieran took this picture.  I decided to include it to show that Mom really was there too.  

We watched the moon rise that night.  It was so incredibly huge and looked orange because of forest fires.  We couldn't get a good photo of it without a tripod, so this was our best effort.  

Mike & I thought the best part of taking the kids camping was star gazing with the kids and watching the moon rise.  We did an astronomy lesson with Kieran.  He learned about the Big Dipper and how to locate the North Star.  It was one of those awesome home school moments; totally worth the effort of planning, packing, and carting half the house to the great outdoors!

The Journey Continues...Our Third Adoption Begins!

The short story:
We are beginning the paperwork to adopt a baby girl from Ethiopia!  Right now we are finishing up our home study, so we're very early in the "paper chase" process.  I'm anticipating that this entire adoption will take about three years to complete. The longest part of the wait will be waiting for a referral, which at this point is taking about 24 months.   But after five years of waiting for Marisa, three years doesn't sound so bad.  Besides, whether we get in line or not, three years is going to pass us by.  So we might as well make the most of our time and gain a daughter in the process.

The longer version:
Over the years, Mike and I have discussed how many kids we wanted in our family.  Somewhere along the way, we agreed on three.  I started keeping an adoption journal in 2005 once we began the process to adopt Marisa.  In looking through my entries, I found one in January of 2007 stating that we were in agreement on our family being comprised of two girls and one boy.  By spring of 2008, we had chosen the name Cayleigh for our second daughter.  (The details on her name I'll keep for another post.)  At that point, we also chose the name Kieran for our son.  From then on, I wrote in my journal to all three of them.  So, once we finally met Marisa in Dec 2010,  and Kieran had already been home for 19 months, we still felt strongly that our family had room for one more.  We were in China finishing up Marisa's adoption.  We sat in the hotel room listening to Third Day's song "Cry Out To Jesus".  As the lyrics said, "...for the children around the world without a home say a prayer tonight..."  I was cradling Marisa in my arms and began weeping as I thought about how many more children were orphans.  I looked at Mike and said, "You know, this is not going to be our last adoption!"

Picture taken January 2011, shortly after we brought Marisa home from China.  
I've often thought this photo shows that there's room for one more child in our family.  

Fast forward 20 months later.  We've spent that time since China pondering- are we really up for one more child?  We've been praying- God, please show us the way.  Mike and I have spent many hours discussing, while the kids were asleep, and admitting that neither one of us is sure that two kids is where we stop.  Around and around we've gone for twenty months, but not sure what to do.  I've researched adoption domestically, internationally, looked into agencies, pilot programs, and state department websites.  Similar to all the searching we did to find Kieran & Marisa, we've just been waiting, looking, and praying for answers.  Recently, I'd been feeling more ready to take on the daunting mountain of paperwork for another adoption.  We've bonded with Marisa and found a balance with two kids that feels comfortable.  More and more, I found myself feeling like I was getting closer to starting another adoption, but I needed clarity and a real desire that it was a God thing and not just a me thing.

On one of the hottest days of the year, we went to a picnic/reunion with other adoptive families.  I had prayed in advance that God would give me some answers about our third adoption.  The picnic was hot and miserable.  I didn't want to be there, and didn't feel like God was sending me any answers.  (In retrospect, I'm laughing at myself!)  However, God did answer my prayers.  I had also prayed that I would be a blessing to someone else who was beginning their adoption process.  As it so happened, I met a lady named Amy who was just starting her paper chase for China.  I was happy to talk to her and offered to answer any of her questions.  As we sat chatting, my prayer to be a blessing to someone was answered.  God gave me the words to say to her that were encouraging to her, and have now been encouraging me in our paper chase!  I said to her: "The paper chase is hard.  There will be lots of little delays and mishaps that will be overwhelming and frustrating. (Printer runs out of ink, photocopier breaks down, documents take forever to be mailed to you, etc...)  However, God is in the delays.  HE places the lonely into families and HE is causing the delays so that you will be in the exact place at the exact time to be matched with the child He has for your family."  While Amy & I were chatting, I looked up and saw a little Ethiopian girl.  She captured my heart!  I said to God, "If it takes two trips to bring home a beauty like her, then I would totally do it!"  (Quick back story, Mike and I have been very adamant that we only wanted a one trip process to bring home a child.  That has been a prerequisite since 2001 when we first started researching adoption!)  Wow, to have God break down my resistance to a two trip process in the blink of an eye was incredible to me!  Needless to say, Mike and I had a long conversation on the way home that day, and the next two days after that.  He had also been captivated by that little Ethiopian girl.  God was stirring our hearts.

After pondering, praying, and discussing all weekend, Mike brought up the conversation again.  "What do you think?" Was all he said.  I knew exactly what he was talking about.  Then he told me, "I feel like Cayleigh is out there and we need to go get her."  My response was, "I'm with you heart and soul!  Let's do this!"  So, I called our social worker.   We set up a home study time for the following week.  Meanwhile, I applied to AWAA's Ethiopia program.  Then I spent a week staying up till midnight and one a.m. doing paperwork!  Yesterday we got approved by AWAA to begin the process. Today we had a home study visit...the ball is rolling!  Now that we've made a decision, things are moving along quickly.  It seems so sudden, but honestly little Cayleigh has been in our hearts for a very long time.  I feel happy, a calm delight about pursuing a third child.  God is good and I feel His hand upon us as we begin this journey.  Kieran is overjoyed about the idea of having a new sibling, and he's very pleased that she will be African like him.  Marisa doesn't really grasp the concept, but when I explained it to her she said, "I will share my dolly with her!"  My goodness, that just about melted my heart.  Her comment and Kieran's enthusiasm has been a huge boost to me as I muddle through the mounds of forms that need to be printed and filled out.  Interestingly, Mike has been scheduled for three shifts of unexpected overtime at work.  God is sending the funds at just the right time.  It's been a happy beginning to the journey to Cayleigh.

Stay-cation Photos

After our big adventure to the beach in June, we decided to stay home and do day trips instead during Mike's summer vacation . We've never done this before, but found that it was a perfect plan for families with young children.  After a long day of fun, we were able to head home and sleep in familiar surroundings.  Everybody slept much better than we did at the coast.  

To celebrate the start of our "stay-cation" we made chocolate dipped ice cream cones.  What a way for Kieran and Marisa to experience an ice cream cone for the first time!  We had a blast making them and eating them.  The kids thought it was such fun to get messy. :)

Later in the week, we went to a wildlife park and rode on a tram to see some wild animals in their natural habitat.

Marisa and Mike rode together while Kieran and I sat behind them.  

Kieran was my buddy during the tram ride and helped me take some of the pictures.

Look what we saw sitting right next to the road!  The animals seemed to ignore the tram completely.

After the tram ride, we did a walking tour to see some other animals up close.  Surprisingly, the kids' favorite creatures were the otters and the skunks!  

Wink!

The kids didn't want to smile for the camera, so I surprised them by picking both of them up...not so easy to do anymore!

Kiss!

While Marisa and I trotted off the restroom, Kieran decided to take a break in Marisa's stroller.  

Can you spot the black bear in this picture?  We saw him and a couple of grizzly bears too!

"What did you think of that black bear?  Pretty cool, huh?
Wait until you see the next animal on our tour!"

Skunks!!...their stinkers had been removed, so we were able to safely observe them close up.

It was a good day! 

July Celebrations

Mike & I celebrated our 12th wedding anniversary recently.
We are both amazed at how quickly time goes by, and grateful
that every year together is better than the last. 

Happy 4th of July from our family to yours!

The stars of the show: Marisa, Kieran, and cousin Haley.  

The whole gang: grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, parents, sisters...
it was great to have everybody together as we celebrated Independence Day!

The joy of every holiday is seeing how the kids respond to the festivities.
They handled the chaos of the fireworks really well, but wanted ear plugs.  

Boys of all ages love explosives!

Mommy & Marisa enjoying a little snuggle hug while watching
Daddy set off some fireworks.

We tried a new recipe recently- Outrageous Cookie Bars.   Yum!!
Visit my Mom Thoughts Blog for the recipe. :)