Gratituesday... Adoption Process

Here I am again... it is Gratituesday!  Technically this week we are on a media fast.  It's like when you do a fast from food only we are giving up media for this week.  That includes TV, PS3 games, Wii games, Games on our phones, zune, Nintendo DSi, etc.  Pretty much anything electronic.  BUT I decided that I wouldn't give up the opportunity to type a Gratituesday response here since really a fast is supposed to bring you closer to God and what better way to do that than to share with others what you are thankful for.  So here I am and here I go!

I am so thankful for the process of adoption!  If you don't know our family's story, we have been in the process of adopting two sisters from Haiti ages 11 and 12, about to turn 12 and 13.  We started this process March 2010.  We had a lot of doubts, a lot of fears, a lot of anxiety about the whole thing but every time we needed something to do with these adoptions God provided.  He provided peace, finances, wisdom, time off of work... the list goes on and on. 

Here is a picture of my husband and I and Guerline (girl ene) on the right and Fafane (faw fawn) on the middle of us.  They are such precious little getting older, girls.  

 

 Even though we've been in the process of adoption for 3 frustrating trying years, it has been an awesome growing experience for our whole family.  We have gotten to know the heart of God so much more.  We know that all we can do is PRAY!  There is nothing more that we can do, so we've had to really rely on God for everything!  I am thankful for the PROCESS because the process tells me that these girls, and some others in the orphanage are going to be able to have a chance at a much different life than they would ever dream of.  As time goes on every second, every minute, every hour, every day, every week, every month, every year is one more closer to the time GOD has decided that these girls will be with us!  I am PRAYING and VERY HOPEFUL that they will be coming home this year.  Please if you get a chance pray with me!  There is so much POWER in prayer especially "where two or more are gathered"!! 

Here is Fafane.  She is more serious than Guerline, she's the older one.  I just love that sweet face.  I have trouble typing this even now... missing them both!  I have been to Haiti 3 times and my husband has been twice so we know these girls.  I feel like I know them more than I should for someone who is in America and they are in Haiti!  God is good like that.

This is our Guerline.  She is super outgoing!  She loves getting her picture taken and loves to make faces for said pictures.  Here is a great example of that!

Guerline is the one two in from the right.  She's wearing the same outfit that she's wearing in the picture above.

 

 

One thing that we get asked a lot is "why are you adopting from Haiti when we have so many kids in America that also need homes?".  The answer is simple, God asked us too.  But other than that we don't know.  Never in a million years would I have thought that we would be adopting from Haiti!  I have thought about adopting but kind of as "it would be really cool to adopt" not "Hey, let's adopt from Haiti, spend a bunch of money, and wait 3 years for some kids".  We are just trying to be obedient to what God has for us. 

I don't believe that everyone is called to adopt but we are all called to help orphans (and widows) in their time of need.  (James)  So ask God what you should do for orphans, whether in America, Africa, China, etc... 

I am so thankful for this process!!!

Join us for Gratituesday at Heavenly Homemakers!

Christmas Eve and Christmas

I LOVE Pinterest!  I think that may be an understatement.  I really do!  I love the idea that people can share recipes with me without having a recipe exchange, not that I don't like that too, I just love that it can be done 24/7.  And the craft ideas that I get from there!?  What!?  I love it!  And then there are the movies people love, oh and the pictures people post of beautiful places and beautiful things.  Okay so I'm a little bit of a pinterest junky I guess lately.  I just need to sit down and do some of the things I've pinned and quit pinning them.  Well, I'll keep pinning things anyway, but I'd like to do and pin and repeat.

Okay now that I've admitted to my pinterest addiction I will post some pictures of our Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.  It was so much fun.  Micah's grandparents are here and enjoying our crazy family during this time.  I'm so grateful for family.  Sad that we're not closer to family!  Maybe someday...

Okay so here are the pictures.

This is Christmas Eve.  We are "decoration Christmas trees" with sugar cones, frosting, and some sprinkles and such.

Samara decorating hers.

I caught Nattie off guard so she wasn't posing, one of her favorite things to do.

The girls.  Although Micah and I joined in the fun and made some too.  I took a bite of mine and Micah's was for decartion only but the girls gobbled theirs all up.  SUGAR HIGH!!!

Nattie's finished masterpiece

Dig right in!!!

Alyssa's Finished, ready to eat.

And Samara.

Here's my hubby's finished

 

We went to church on Christmas Eve.  Thank you Grandma Sue for the beautiful Christmas dresses!!!

We sang happy birthday to Jesus!

Christmas Eve was a success.  Wonderful worship service at church.  Lots of fun games and things to do.   They said it was the best Christmas Eve ever.  They always say stuff like that though so I don't know if it really was or not.  Well, I'll take it for what was said and not over analyze.  BEST CHRISTMAS EVE EVER!!!

Here are the Christmas pictures.

I crocheted a headband for each of the girls.  I think they turned out really well.  I also made a ton of the scarves you see on Samara.  I made there's a little smaller, out of the extra yarn I had.  It's a weird type of yarn but wasn't difficult to figure out how to use.

 

Alyssa digging into her stocking.

My friend made this one for Nattie.  She wanted to use it as a necklace instead of a scarf.

Grandpa digging in to his stocking.

Meemo's stocking and some liqueur.

The headphones you get with Rosetta Stone aren't very good, or we are just hard on headphones, so we got a new pair of headphones (wireless, so the chair doesn't roll over the cord). 

The girls made a lot of handprint gifts this year.  This is one they made for Old Grandpa, as they call him.

Thank you pinterest!  This idea was on pinterest.  It is a Friendship bracelet kit.  I didn't do the whole kit because I have 3 girls that use the floss for them.  But I love the idea of these boards so you don't have to use tape or a safety pin to hold it steady while you do the bracelet.

Meemo wearing the ear warmers I made for her.  I think they turned out really cool too.

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Micah's grandma Nita made us this quilt.  It is so comfortable.  I LOVE IT!! 

Time to make some grub!  I felt like I was cooking or cleaning all day in the kitchen.  Although the food was so worth it!

Carving the turkey.  YUMMY!  I'm wearing the jewelry Mama Jay got me for Christmas.  I really love it too! She did such a good job picking it out.

The only thing that would've made this day better was to be with the rest of our friends and family all day.  I love getting together with all the family and friends and having a GREAT BIG get together.  At least we had some family here.  It makes me happy that we could spend Christmas with them.  They are pretty awesome!!!

Long Way Home

We went back home in July for Micah's sister's wedding. She is now happily married and I'm so excited for her and proud of her.  Here are some pictures of things we did on our trip.  I noticed that I don't have any pictures of Micah and I on Erin's wedding day which I'm not super happy about. Hopefully Erin's photographer has some that I can get. Anyways.... enjoy!
 

While we were back home Grandpa Ozzie taught the girls how to ride a dirt bike.  Oh boy were they thrilled!

Syssa caught on really quick.

Samara's turn to try it out.

She caught on really quickly too.

Nattie even gave it a shot.  Grandpa kept a hold of the throttle so she couldn't take off... or else I think she would have!

During our visit we all got haircuts.  Here's Nattie.

Samara

Syssa

Me

Micah and his mom.

Erin and her mom.

Girl night doing pedicures and painting toenails.

This was the old schoolhouse that they had the reception in.  I got to ride on scaffolding and put up the tool on the ceiling.  It was fun!  They got married on the lawn of this same schoolhouse.

Mama Jay already is emotional.

My three princesses.  And we already had a talk about how they had to space their weddings apart by more than a year each so I don't go crazy.  Maybe it's too early to talk about that with my girls but just in case it's not too early we've had a discussion... and they agreed.

Natalie and Samara were her flower girls and Syssa was a junior bridesmaid.  This is the girl side of the wedding party.

Me and my three.

Me

Mama Jay, Papa Oz, and the three.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The drive back home was long but it was a lot of fun doing it with my husband.  And the girls were pretty good traveling buddies too.  They watched movies and read books most of the time.  I LOVE my in car DVD system.