update on adoption process

I actually talked to the lady on the phone today that’s doing our adoptions. I usually email b/c we don’t have a phone that will do international calls, but she’s in the States now so I took the opportunity to call her up and hear from her what’s going on.

Here’s the update: nothing is new.

The funny thing is that nothing has changed since last time I heard from her, but it is sometimes just reassuring to hear any update. Even if it’s nothing. I know that doesn’t make sense, but sometimes silence is harder than hearing nothing is new.

Weird. Adoption news is weird. Sometimes just hearing nothing is better than not hearing.

Anyhow same thing is going on. We’re waiting on Amos’ papers to be archived. You see it’s way too long to explain on here, but the way that H aiti does birth/death certificates is so 1885 it’s not even funny. Goods news is that I know of a family that has been waiting on this same thing in M OI and they just got theirs recently, so maybe ours will be next.

On to Story. They requested more papers so our lady is working on them as we speak. She’ll be back in country Monday to turn them in. Then if they are happy they’ll send her file over to the C onsulate (I think that’s what’s next) and then we’ll be given a Visa appt date (if they like all that they see!) and then when that date arrives we’ll get the Visa and she’ll be ready to go home.

Our lady sounded good. She said we’re moving. She said things are progressing. She also said that they are moving papers in the department Story’s in, so hopefully progress will be good for us.

Specific things to pray for:

1. Amos’ certificates to get archived soon. We need this to move out of M OI. We will not move until this is done and done correctly.

2. Story to continue to move through the US CIS stuff. Pray that the papers are approved and that her physcial goes well and that we receive a Visa appt during August.

3. Pray for strength and safety for our adoption coordinator and her assistant who work diligently day and night on this stuff.

4. Pray for favor over our papers.

5. Pray for our kids to know our love.

6. Pray for Amos to know that WE WILL COME AND GET HIM AND BRING HIM HOME.

7. Pray for bonding with Story.

Aaron’s heading to Haiti at the end of this month. How cool would it be if he could bring one of our kids home. Oh my goodness. Trying not to get my hopes up, but that would be nice!

Shawnda is home with her baby.

Another family is reunited.  Jason and Shawnda just brought their newest child home from Uganda this week.  Oh how I have been waiting for them to be reunited.  I have been waiting to see their kids meet their newest brother as I’m sure they’ve been talking, dreaming and praying for him for some time now.

Seeing these pictures on their blog makes my heart swell.  It brings hope that kids do come home to their families.  There are happy endings.

new back pack or old back pack?

Tell me how silly this is.  I’m struggling with wanting to get Cayden a new back pack for school.  One that is new and cute and maybe even with his name monogrammed on it.  I would probably even throw in a matching lunch box with his name monogrammed on that as well.

Why is this a struggle you might ask.

Well because he DOESN’T NEED a new back pack.  He has one that he got last year that works fine.  It is super cool and even camo.

But it isn’t new.

But it doesn’t have his name on it.

These are my selfish thoughts I’ve been struggling with all week long.

Then I get the latest Pottery Barn Kids magazine and all the back packs are so cute.  They even have free shipping.

Literally I have thought about this dang back pack more this week than I have thought about the word of God.  What the heck is wrong with me?

I think I’m already having to fight the temptation to make sure my kids look the best and have the best and newest stuff.

I will not bow down to that god of “STUFF” with my kids.  I refuse to do it.  Not this momma.  Not with a five year old.  No sir.

That is why my biggest battle and temptation this week has been over back packs.  Wow that makes me sound like a looser!

TOO early for school.

School is approaching quickly.  In fact four weeks from today we will be sending our first child to school.  Oh my goodness.  I seriously will cry.  It will be a day full of nerves for me.  I will worry.  I will stand at the door and try to watch.  The teacher will have to tell me to leave.  Is the first day of school too soon to have lunch with Cayden?    Maybe I can have him accidentally forget his lunch box so I’ll have to come back up and bring it to him.  Am I weird?

There are many things that are going to be hard for us with school.  The one that we talk about daily is the hour of day that they start school these days.  I think that Cayden’s school starts around 7:30.

That’s 7:30 AM people.

OH.MY.WORD.THAT.IS.FREAKING.EARLY

The other day I set my alarm for 9AM.  Yes we had an alarm in our house set for 9AM so we all wouldn’t sleep later than that.

Do you see how this will be hard for us?

I’m thinking of starting to try and get up earlier each day, but then I throw that idea out the window in the morning when the house is quiet and everyone is still asleep!

Any ideas on how we can make this work?

hard talk about adoption.

I think a lot about what our future holds for us and our family.  Not in big family plans, but in conversations that will happen at our house.  When situations come up I often find myself thinking about how in future years my kids will notice more and ask more and want to know more.

For example, today I got the kids all set up for “rest time” with the movie Annie.  I was so excited and decided to lay with them and watch a little bit of it.  Things I probably never noticed before were like light bulbs flashing before me as I watched a little bit with them.

Cayden asked why all those girls live together and where are their parents.  He couldn’t comprehend how they couldn’t have parents.  I told them that maybe they died, or maybe they didn’t wa _ _ – I couldn’t finish the sentence.  I was about to say maybe their parents didn’t want them.

I couldn’t say it.  Even though that could be the hard cold truth, I can’t bring myself to say it.  I will never tell any of my kids that their parents didn’t want them.  That would hurt to the core for a young child.  I will tell them they couldn’t take care of them, or they weren’t ready to be a mommy, or they wanted me to be their mommy.  Anything but the “not wanting you” thing.  I can’t do it.

We have always been told to use age appropriate information when talking to your kids about their birth parents, adoption, etc.  Age appropriate information is very easy when talking to a 3 year old.  It’s when they are 15 that the age appropriate talk freaks me out.  They will want to know it all.  All the facts.

I often wonder if our kids will ever regret us adopting them.  I know it’s a weird thought, but I would bet money I’m not the only mom that has children through adoption that thinks this.

I am big believer in the power of God’s plan.  I have no doubt that before time God knew that all my kids would be Ivey’s.  He is just God.  He knows.  He is all knowing.  He is sovereign and in control.  I pray that God will always give us parents the words to say to hard questions.  I pray and hope that we don’t back down from them, but answer them with confidence and love.  I pray that my children will fall madly in love with their heavenly Father and will never doubt his love for them even though they don’t know anything about their earthly biological father.

I am so madly in love with all four of my kids.  I pray for guidance when talking to them about the ugly things of this world.

Cayden’s letter to Wonsli

Cayden got so excited the last time he got a letter from his friend Wonsli in Haiti. This is Cayden’s compassion child and he is writing his own letters to him these days. Here’s the latest:

It is front and back and it says this:

Wonsli, Thank you for the letter.  I hope Jesus will bless your heart.  I am 5.  I am starting school soon.  I am praying for you.  Cayden

I love it!

Haiti children

don’t love puppy.

We got to talk to Amos again tonight via skype and Caroline!  It was so fabulous.  The connection wasn’t the best so most of the time we couldn’t see him, but he could see us and he loved that.

He was so happy to see Aaron.  Aaron will be in Haiti in about 5 weeks so he’ll get in some good daddy-Amos hang time!  I know that makes Amos and Aaron happy!

Cayden got to talk  to him and he told him that he was going to play football next week.  Amos was telling us that he wanted a football!  So, one thing Aaron will be taking him for sure is a football!!!

At one point when we were talking we showed him Carson (our dog) and he did not like it.  He covered up his eyes.  Then he said “I don’t love puppy.  I love papa.  I love momma.”  Hilarious!

So happy tonight to see our sons face for a few minutes and to hear his voice lots!

Lori was there so I got an update about Fedna.  Nothing new to report.  She’s doing good for all she knows!

Vitamins

These are the vitamins that we take every morning.   From top to bottom and left to right:  Juice plus fruits for the kids, L-Lysine for me to help prevent fever blisters, Crenberry pills to help my urinary tract, Mulit vitamin for Her, Juice plus veggies for the kids, Super Omega-3 for me, Vitamin C for me and Magma Plus Super Food mix that we mix with orange juice.

As a vegetarian I think I need to be taking more vitamins and supplements.  What vitamins do you take?  What should I add to my morning routine?  Do I need to discuss the combination of all these with my doctor?

We also just got some “green juice” for the kids that we mix in with milk in the morning.  This morning will be their first try.  They haven’t been liking my green juice, even though I make them drink all of it!

Cute tie shirt

I bought Deacon a new shirt the other day from Etsy and I love it!

Here’s where I got it: www.supersweetcreations.etsy.com