Christmas Eve has always been a little emotional for me. I remember year after year sitting in service surrounded by families...because let's be honest, those are my people. I would ask God "Why not me?" "When will it be my turn?"
Since I was young, my greatest desire was to be a mother. I knew God would follow through and give me the desires of my heart but the waiting. The waiting was rough. I do not remember a Christmas service in recent years that didn't involve tears and maybe even a little questioning of my purpose.
But this year was different. This year during Christmas Eve service we had so many new things to celebrate. Our church met in a new theater that is more wheelchair accessible. Our sin could actually choose where he wanted to sit! Our daughter got to dance with her Poppi and sing about Jesus. I got to hold our son and praise a great God who does follow through on His promises.
Tonight we opened gifts. J & S had a great time. Their individual personalities are starting to show more and more. They were more than spoiled but mostly they know they are loved.
Would you take a moment as you read this little piece of our story and pray for their first mom? Wherever she may be, we wish her peace. She gave us our greatest gifts and we cherish them more than I think she could ever know.
May your Christmas be blessed by a God who fulfills his promises...often in the form of a child.
Monday, December 25, 2017
Wednesday, October 11, 2017
1 page & 2 pictures
A little over a year ago, while I was at work, I received an e-mail from our global agent T Bethany. She said she had a profile on two year old twins and asked if we were interested in reviewing it. I remember it being such a bittersweet moment. Just a few weeks before we had submitted a letter of intent on two boys. We had read and considered and prayed about these boys. When another letter of intent was accepted just a few hours before ours we felt hurt and even a little betrayed.
But this...we wanted children under age 5 And twins! I hurried to reply that we were interested. We received a one page summary...barely a page at that and 2 photos. By the time my husband got home, I think I had read that page a hundred times. I had researched big words I didn't know like Chiari malformation. I was ready. I knew in my heart these were out kids. It didn't take long before he agreed. So late that night, we wrote another letter of intent. And prayed.
I remember clear as day the agency coming to us and saying, we want to be very clear that he may never walk. Now I believe in a great big God. I know He is capable of all things. I also know there are things far worse than never walking.
Last weekend the little boy I wrote that letter about, received his first wheelchair.
He is so excited! He has freedom and mobility! Do I think he will never walk? I don't know. As any parent does, I hope and pray great, big things for him. Some days, walking is one of those.
But lately, I have spent more time praying God will show me how to navigate this world as a special needs parent. That I may learn how to best advocate for my son. I have been praying he might help me understand the vast world of Spina bifida. And I've been praying that my care and concern for my son with special needs may not overshadow my care and concern for his amazing sister.
There were so many things we did not and could not have known the day we received that short summary and photos. My son and daughter and both amazing, incredible, unique people. They are growing and developing and exceeding people's expectations. However, I am still confident that there are worse things...much worse things than never walking.
But this...we wanted children under age 5 And twins! I hurried to reply that we were interested. We received a one page summary...barely a page at that and 2 photos. By the time my husband got home, I think I had read that page a hundred times. I had researched big words I didn't know like Chiari malformation. I was ready. I knew in my heart these were out kids. It didn't take long before he agreed. So late that night, we wrote another letter of intent. And prayed.
I remember clear as day the agency coming to us and saying, we want to be very clear that he may never walk. Now I believe in a great big God. I know He is capable of all things. I also know there are things far worse than never walking.
Last weekend the little boy I wrote that letter about, received his first wheelchair.
But lately, I have spent more time praying God will show me how to navigate this world as a special needs parent. That I may learn how to best advocate for my son. I have been praying he might help me understand the vast world of Spina bifida. And I've been praying that my care and concern for my son with special needs may not overshadow my care and concern for his amazing sister.
There were so many things we did not and could not have known the day we received that short summary and photos. My son and daughter and both amazing, incredible, unique people. They are growing and developing and exceeding people's expectations. However, I am still confident that there are worse things...much worse things than never walking.
Monday, October 9, 2017
Home
We have been home 7 weeks as of Saturday. What a whirlwind those seven weeks have been. We met our son and daughter 3 weeks before that. Jhohan and Sofia are adjusting very well, possibly better than expected. They are attending preschool at Two by Two, which they love. They have amazing teachers who have become active members of our village. They also love going to The Point on Sunday mornings and often joining Mommy at small group on Thursday nights.
Sofia is a morning person. (I am not!). She rises early, ready to tackle the day. She has big emotions always and she is very stubborn.
Jhohan is a people lover and very go with the flow. He is up for facing whatever comes his way. He is very compassionate and empathetic.
They both love Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Paw Patrol, trying new foods, and snuggles. They both hate when Mommy or Poppy have to go to work and bedtime.
Every single day we discover new things about them. They let us into their little hearts and minds more and more. They try new foods and new activities. They tell us more of their story...some good and some painful. Each one shaping them into who they are and who they will be. We feel so blessed to a part of that story, even when it is hard.
I could sit here and tell you all about how great and perfect every thing is, but I don't think it would do either of us any good. You see adoption isn't perfect. It is messy. It is hard. It is painful. But oh is it worth it. In the last 24 hours, I held my terrified son each time as he fell back to sleep after night terrors. I cleaned up my house as my husband cleaned up our daughter after an accident. I worked both my jobs, picked my kids up from preschool, and came home to make dinner. While feeding my kids one of them projectile vomited on me because they tried to eat too much, too fast. Now, I am eating my dinner while writing and waiting for my husband's work shift to be over. These days aren't easy, but I wouldn't trade them for anything.
Here are just a few pictures of our family. Life isn't perfect, but I praise God that it is mine!
Sofia is a morning person. (I am not!). She rises early, ready to tackle the day. She has big emotions always and she is very stubborn.
Jhohan is a people lover and very go with the flow. He is up for facing whatever comes his way. He is very compassionate and empathetic.
They both love Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Paw Patrol, trying new foods, and snuggles. They both hate when Mommy or Poppy have to go to work and bedtime.
Every single day we discover new things about them. They let us into their little hearts and minds more and more. They try new foods and new activities. They tell us more of their story...some good and some painful. Each one shaping them into who they are and who they will be. We feel so blessed to a part of that story, even when it is hard.
I could sit here and tell you all about how great and perfect every thing is, but I don't think it would do either of us any good. You see adoption isn't perfect. It is messy. It is hard. It is painful. But oh is it worth it. In the last 24 hours, I held my terrified son each time as he fell back to sleep after night terrors. I cleaned up my house as my husband cleaned up our daughter after an accident. I worked both my jobs, picked my kids up from preschool, and came home to make dinner. While feeding my kids one of them projectile vomited on me because they tried to eat too much, too fast. Now, I am eating my dinner while writing and waiting for my husband's work shift to be over. These days aren't easy, but I wouldn't trade them for anything.
Here are just a few pictures of our family. Life isn't perfect, but I praise God that it is mine!
Saturday, August 5, 2017
Day 7-9 - Adjusting
I would like to be able to write every night but I am quickly finding that is not a possibility. So I will try to recap a few days at a time.
Day 7 - We spent most of the day out and about with the kids. Our goal is to bond as much as we can with the kids. This is a HUGE transition for them. We went to parque (the park) which seems to be their favorite. S loves the swings! J is a big fan of climbing on everything he possibly can.
We were picked up in the afternoon by one of our hired drivers. Off to the embassy doctor for TB test recheck. This was the first glimpse of how the kids are bonding. S was not interested in our legal rep at all. While in the moment that seems sad, it is a big hurdle for us. It means she is finding comfort in us instead of other people.
This is also the night we gained new house guests. While it means the house is not as calm and quiet. But for my sale it is adult conversation in English. And many of them are adoptive parents so they get it.
Day 8 - We were up very early for another doctor's appointment. Traffic was especially bad because it was raining. After the doctor we went to the notary to complete some more paperwork.
S & J discovered the back yard at the guest house. They both love the ride on car that is here. We are finding S is quite the soccer player. Overall they just prefer to be outside. A few more years throughout the day but we are working through it. We also learned that if a nap happens, either both need to nap or not. S went to bed as expected around 6:30. J took a nap mid day and was up for an extra 2+ hours because of it.
Day 9 - Our kids are naturally early risers. Today they slept in aka 6:30 am. So we got up and they had breakfast. Then we headed to the frutera (aka fruit store). So much of the fruit here is foreign to us so we let them pick out whatever they wanted. I'm afraid they are going to be very disappointed by mangoes in the US. On the way back we stopped by a bread store, getting some cheese bread, cookies, and empanadas. So we had second breakfast since the empanadas were fresh and hot. We attempted a nap but I think Pappi may be the only one who slept at all. Down stairs for lunch and then more play time. The kids love the mission team - and love being the center of attention. We are all still figuring each other out.
Tyler realized this afternoon that I was feeling a bit overwhelmed and drained. J needed some smaller pants so Tyler let me go to the store by myself. It was a difficult time for him (the mission team helped too) but it was exactly what I needed. Some time to clear my head, re charge, and grab some coffee! I love that he knows what I need. So thankful We are on this journey together.
We have had some really difficult moments. We have also had some really great ones. As the days go on we keep loving on and praying for our little ones.
On a more personal side - Tyler is still not feeling 100%. It makes it more draining to parent well when you're sick. Please keep praying for him.
*Find your tribe. Love them well*
Day 7 - We spent most of the day out and about with the kids. Our goal is to bond as much as we can with the kids. This is a HUGE transition for them. We went to parque (the park) which seems to be their favorite. S loves the swings! J is a big fan of climbing on everything he possibly can.
We were picked up in the afternoon by one of our hired drivers. Off to the embassy doctor for TB test recheck. This was the first glimpse of how the kids are bonding. S was not interested in our legal rep at all. While in the moment that seems sad, it is a big hurdle for us. It means she is finding comfort in us instead of other people.
This is also the night we gained new house guests. While it means the house is not as calm and quiet. But for my sale it is adult conversation in English. And many of them are adoptive parents so they get it.
Day 8 - We were up very early for another doctor's appointment. Traffic was especially bad because it was raining. After the doctor we went to the notary to complete some more paperwork.
S & J discovered the back yard at the guest house. They both love the ride on car that is here. We are finding S is quite the soccer player. Overall they just prefer to be outside. A few more years throughout the day but we are working through it. We also learned that if a nap happens, either both need to nap or not. S went to bed as expected around 6:30. J took a nap mid day and was up for an extra 2+ hours because of it.
Day 9 - Our kids are naturally early risers. Today they slept in aka 6:30 am. So we got up and they had breakfast. Then we headed to the frutera (aka fruit store). So much of the fruit here is foreign to us so we let them pick out whatever they wanted. I'm afraid they are going to be very disappointed by mangoes in the US. On the way back we stopped by a bread store, getting some cheese bread, cookies, and empanadas. So we had second breakfast since the empanadas were fresh and hot. We attempted a nap but I think Pappi may be the only one who slept at all. Down stairs for lunch and then more play time. The kids love the mission team - and love being the center of attention. We are all still figuring each other out.
Tyler realized this afternoon that I was feeling a bit overwhelmed and drained. J needed some smaller pants so Tyler let me go to the store by myself. It was a difficult time for him (the mission team helped too) but it was exactly what I needed. Some time to clear my head, re charge, and grab some coffee! I love that he knows what I need. So thankful We are on this journey together.
We have had some really difficult moments. We have also had some really great ones. As the days go on we keep loving on and praying for our little ones.
On a more personal side - Tyler is still not feeling 100%. It makes it more draining to parent well when you're sick. Please keep praying for him.
*Find your tribe. Love them well*
Thursday, August 3, 2017
Day 6 - The part where everything changes
Amazingly Tyler and I both slept through the night on Tuesday. I think God knew we would need our rest. Up at 5:45 for showers and last minute preparations before our driver came. Nelson was our driver again. We like him a lot and rumor has it, he is the only driver in Bogota who is early.
We then headed to ICBF. We were early and anxiously awaiting in the parking lot for what seemed like forever. We were finally permitted to enter. We were escorted to a room decorated with lots of Mickey party supplies. (Which was great since they both love Mickey)
We met with the secretary of the committee, the ICBF psychologist, and the nutritionist. We were given a full update on the twins. They have continued to advance even more than we expected. It is really incredible. We were given an incredible gift from their foster mother. Each child has a notebook of every appointment, soothing method, etc; a book of all their favorite things; and a baby book filled with pictures from the last 3 years! This is amazing and something many adoptive families do not ever receive.
Next up was meeting time. I don't even know how to put those moments into words. These little ones we have been waiting for, praying for, and loving from afar were suddenly in front of us. We played with the things in the room as well as the new gifts we brought them. A few different people took pictures and videos. It was incredible.
Leaving ICBF was a little more difficult but we made it. S & J were blessed to be in a great foster home for the past 3 years. We could not be more thankful. However our little ones miss them and are sad to leave them. Those are big emotions for little ones to work through.
After we got back to the guesthouse, everyone was struggling a bit and hungry! So J went in Mommy's Lille and S went in Mommy's and off to Titan Plaza. We got pollo and papas fritas for lunch. Then off for new shoes (neither had tennis shoes) and some things to play with. We decided we loved the escalators and rose those a few extra times before going home.
They were asleep by 6:30 and slept for a full 12 hours! (Mommy did not...waking often to check on them)
Please continue to pray for bonding as well as the adoption process itself.
Pray for Tyler. He has not been feeling well and the altitude is a struggle.
Pray for us to be able to help our little ones navigate big emotions.
Thank you. Y'all give us strength.
Ps - I have no idea why the font is 2 different sizes and I can't fix it
We then headed to ICBF. We were early and anxiously awaiting in the parking lot for what seemed like forever. We were finally permitted to enter. We were escorted to a room decorated with lots of Mickey party supplies. (Which was great since they both love Mickey)
We met with the secretary of the committee, the ICBF psychologist, and the nutritionist. We were given a full update on the twins. They have continued to advance even more than we expected. It is really incredible. We were given an incredible gift from their foster mother. Each child has a notebook of every appointment, soothing method, etc; a book of all their favorite things; and a baby book filled with pictures from the last 3 years! This is amazing and something many adoptive families do not ever receive.
Next up was meeting time. I don't even know how to put those moments into words. These little ones we have been waiting for, praying for, and loving from afar were suddenly in front of us. We played with the things in the room as well as the new gifts we brought them. A few different people took pictures and videos. It was incredible.
Leaving ICBF was a little more difficult but we made it. S & J were blessed to be in a great foster home for the past 3 years. We could not be more thankful. However our little ones miss them and are sad to leave them. Those are big emotions for little ones to work through.
After we got back to the guesthouse, everyone was struggling a bit and hungry! So J went in Mommy's Lille and S went in Mommy's and off to Titan Plaza. We got pollo and papas fritas for lunch. Then off for new shoes (neither had tennis shoes) and some things to play with. We decided we loved the escalators and rose those a few extra times before going home.
They were asleep by 6:30 and slept for a full 12 hours! (Mommy did not...waking often to check on them)
Please continue to pray for bonding as well as the adoption process itself.
Pray for Tyler. He has not been feeling well and the altitude is a struggle.
Pray for us to be able to help our little ones navigate big emotions.
Thank you. Y'all give us strength.
Ps - I have no idea why the font is 2 different sizes and I can't fix it
Tuesday, August 1, 2017
As we prepare
Tomorrow, we get to meet the little ones we have spent the past 3+ years preparing for. (Did you know we had our first meeting with our adoption agency the same month the twins were born?!) There are so many thoughts and emotions swirling inside me that I'm simply overwhelmed.
As we get ready for this long awaited day, we have a few requests. By Colombia adoption law we will not be permitted to share pictures of them for at least 2 more weeks in any public forum. We know you are excited to see them. We are excited to share them with you but we will be respecting these laws.
Please do not ask for details regarding their background. Their story is important but it is their story. If they want to share it with the world, we want that to be their choice. We are thankful for their birth mother, grandmother, and foster family and desire to honor them in any way we can.
Do not be surprised if we do not respond to texts, calls, messages, or social media tomorrow. We desire to be present in every way possible. We have waited a long time for this day.
Right now, returning home still feel as far away however, when we do please be understanding that we are still bonding. So not ask to hold our children. Do not hug or kids them. Do not offer them food. These are all very important pieces to establishing us as their providers and care takers. These bonds are essential.
And finally please Pray with us and for us. We have dreamt about this day for so long. We know God has gone before us and prepared the way for us.
"God sets the lonely in families." Psalm 68:6
As we get ready for this long awaited day, we have a few requests. By Colombia adoption law we will not be permitted to share pictures of them for at least 2 more weeks in any public forum. We know you are excited to see them. We are excited to share them with you but we will be respecting these laws.
Please do not ask for details regarding their background. Their story is important but it is their story. If they want to share it with the world, we want that to be their choice. We are thankful for their birth mother, grandmother, and foster family and desire to honor them in any way we can.
Do not be surprised if we do not respond to texts, calls, messages, or social media tomorrow. We desire to be present in every way possible. We have waited a long time for this day.
Right now, returning home still feel as far away however, when we do please be understanding that we are still bonding. So not ask to hold our children. Do not hug or kids them. Do not offer them food. These are all very important pieces to establishing us as their providers and care takers. These bonds are essential.
And finally please Pray with us and for us. We have dreamt about this day for so long. We know God has gone before us and prepared the way for us.
"God sets the lonely in families." Psalm 68:6
Day 5
We have been pretty real, raw, and honest so far. When I started writing our journey #1 it was more about me than you (sorry). Writing helps new process. #2 I promised that it wouldn't just be a highlight reel. If you were going to stick with us through this process, you were going to get everything. The good, the bad, and the ugly.
I don't see any reason to stop that now. Day 5 had some of all 3. We woke up with hopes of our Meeting Day being scheduled for the afternoon. We thought only 1 more person had to confirm in order to make that happen. That was not the case. Our legal two Sara was very quickly at ICBF advocating for both us and our children.
Over the weekend a new secretary of the committee was put into office. As often happens in the US, when someone gets a new job, things were not immediately communicated. A few other people at the regional office needed to send things to or communicate with the SoC yet failed to do so.
This is where our legal rep shines. She really is incredible! She made over a dozen phone calls and spent many hours at ICBF fighting for us. She made sure all the right paperwork ended up in the hands of the right people. And when they tried to delay is another 9 days she refused citing what is in the best interest of our children.
Through all of this she communicated openly via text, voice message, and calls. She was straight forward and honest yet sensitive and compassionate. After dealing with all of this she also rearranged our hotel stays and scheduled our hired drivers. I'm my opinion she is basically super woman.
So Tuesday, she will take the twins along with their roster mother to the doctor in order to keep our timeline on track. Then Wednesday morning at 830 am local time we will be united with our children. As you can imagine, this momma is counting the minutes until then.
Tuesday our main priorities are rest and preparation for Wednesday. We are both a bit sunburnt and a bit worn out.
Pray for our physical well being.
Pray for our twins as they go to the doctor today.
Pray for understanding and bonding as we finally meet tomorrow.
Pray for their roster family. They have raised these little ones for 3 years. Tomorrow will be hard but we are so thankful for them.
Pray for our legal rep Sara. She is working so hard. I can not imagine doing this without her.
Finally thank you for all the extractive prayed thus far. We wouldn't be here without our awesome tribe!
Love, peace, and hope from Colombia.
I don't see any reason to stop that now. Day 5 had some of all 3. We woke up with hopes of our Meeting Day being scheduled for the afternoon. We thought only 1 more person had to confirm in order to make that happen. That was not the case. Our legal two Sara was very quickly at ICBF advocating for both us and our children.
Over the weekend a new secretary of the committee was put into office. As often happens in the US, when someone gets a new job, things were not immediately communicated. A few other people at the regional office needed to send things to or communicate with the SoC yet failed to do so.
This is where our legal rep shines. She really is incredible! She made over a dozen phone calls and spent many hours at ICBF fighting for us. She made sure all the right paperwork ended up in the hands of the right people. And when they tried to delay is another 9 days she refused citing what is in the best interest of our children.
Through all of this she communicated openly via text, voice message, and calls. She was straight forward and honest yet sensitive and compassionate. After dealing with all of this she also rearranged our hotel stays and scheduled our hired drivers. I'm my opinion she is basically super woman.
So Tuesday, she will take the twins along with their roster mother to the doctor in order to keep our timeline on track. Then Wednesday morning at 830 am local time we will be united with our children. As you can imagine, this momma is counting the minutes until then.
Tuesday our main priorities are rest and preparation for Wednesday. We are both a bit sunburnt and a bit worn out.
Pray for our physical well being.
Pray for our twins as they go to the doctor today.
Pray for understanding and bonding as we finally meet tomorrow.
Pray for their roster family. They have raised these little ones for 3 years. Tomorrow will be hard but we are so thankful for them.
Pray for our legal rep Sara. She is working so hard. I can not imagine doing this without her.
Finally thank you for all the extractive prayed thus far. We wouldn't be here without our awesome tribe!
Love, peace, and hope from Colombia.
Monday, July 31, 2017
Colombia
Well it appears that this is really happening. There have been many times in the last week that I've said, "Oh I should blog." But it has been kind of s whirlwind. We also didn't bring a keyboard so everything is being out into the tablet keyboard, so it is a little more time consuming.
Here is a brief outline of the last 6 days of chaos and then I'll try to write detailed posts about each day.
Tuesday July 25 - I got the message that the embassy had requested payment on the twins' visas. This means their article 5 (necessary for meeting day is in motion)
We decide with our Colombian Rep Sara to buy our plane tickets for Thursday.
Wednesday July 26 - I finish up all the paperwork needed for the restaurants. We finish last minute packing. At about 9 pm we leave for Atlanta.
Thursday July 27 - We arrive at the secured lot, leave my car and take a Lyft to the Atlanta airport. We fly Atlanta to Miami at 6 am. Then after a layover and some running through the airport we fly Miasmi to Bogota, Colombia. We are picked up by our driver and taken to our guesthouse. We get some dinner and then sleep. A lot.
Friday July 28 - We find out our Article 5 has been issued so meeting day can be scheduled. We spent a few hours exploring this part of the city on foot.
Saturday July 29 - We visited Cerro de Monserratte. It was incredible!
Sunday July 30 - We were able to live stream church service at The Point Knox! Then we went to explore the Titan Plaza (mall) and are lunch. On our way home we went grocery shopping. We spent the evening preparing for the week ahead.
It's now Monday at 7:00 am and we are praying for our little ones. As long as everything goes well at ICBF this morning, today is the day when everything changes.
Will you pray with us for a smooth transition, great bonding, and strengthening of all our relationships?
Here is a brief outline of the last 6 days of chaos and then I'll try to write detailed posts about each day.
Tuesday July 25 - I got the message that the embassy had requested payment on the twins' visas. This means their article 5 (necessary for meeting day is in motion)
We decide with our Colombian Rep Sara to buy our plane tickets for Thursday.
Wednesday July 26 - I finish up all the paperwork needed for the restaurants. We finish last minute packing. At about 9 pm we leave for Atlanta.
Thursday July 27 - We arrive at the secured lot, leave my car and take a Lyft to the Atlanta airport. We fly Atlanta to Miami at 6 am. Then after a layover and some running through the airport we fly Miasmi to Bogota, Colombia. We are picked up by our driver and taken to our guesthouse. We get some dinner and then sleep. A lot.
Friday July 28 - We find out our Article 5 has been issued so meeting day can be scheduled. We spent a few hours exploring this part of the city on foot.
Saturday July 29 - We visited Cerro de Monserratte. It was incredible!
Sunday July 30 - We were able to live stream church service at The Point Knox! Then we went to explore the Titan Plaza (mall) and are lunch. On our way home we went grocery shopping. We spent the evening preparing for the week ahead.
It's now Monday at 7:00 am and we are praying for our little ones. As long as everything goes well at ICBF this morning, today is the day when everything changes.
Will you pray with us for a smooth transition, great bonding, and strengthening of all our relationships?
Saturday, April 22, 2017
Waiting...
I have not posted in a while for a few reasons. The first is the family I work for opened a new restaurant. It has been crazy and exciting. It also takes a lot of time. The second reason is we are waiting.
Somedays waiting is easy. I am busy. I am distracted. It isn't as hard. However, lets be honest. Most days...most days, waiting sucks. There are two sweet little ones hundreds of miles away. Their little fingers are wrapped around my heart. I want to be there. To hold them. To care for them.
The good news is we are getting closer. Our dossier was approved! That means Colombia has approved us to adopt children from their country. Our next step will be receiving our full official referral. This will include pretty much all information we are expected to get on the twins, their background, their birth family, etc. I am also hoping for more pictures and more videos!
This is expected to arrive by the end of the month. It will then be translated. After that we will officially accept our referral and begin preparing for travel.
Preparing for travel includes, you guessed it...more paperwork. Most of the paperwork at this point will be on the US side. That isn't always faster, but it is a little more structured and predictable. So for now, I'm off to fill out more papers and jump through a few more hoops.
But don't worry...it won't be too much longer and we will be able to share the names and faces of our sweet little S & J!
Pray with us that the process goes quickly and smoothly and that mommy and daddy don't go too crazy. Thanks for walking this journey with us!
Somedays waiting is easy. I am busy. I am distracted. It isn't as hard. However, lets be honest. Most days...most days, waiting sucks. There are two sweet little ones hundreds of miles away. Their little fingers are wrapped around my heart. I want to be there. To hold them. To care for them.
The good news is we are getting closer. Our dossier was approved! That means Colombia has approved us to adopt children from their country. Our next step will be receiving our full official referral. This will include pretty much all information we are expected to get on the twins, their background, their birth family, etc. I am also hoping for more pictures and more videos!
This is expected to arrive by the end of the month. It will then be translated. After that we will officially accept our referral and begin preparing for travel.
Preparing for travel includes, you guessed it...more paperwork. Most of the paperwork at this point will be on the US side. That isn't always faster, but it is a little more structured and predictable. So for now, I'm off to fill out more papers and jump through a few more hoops.
But don't worry...it won't be too much longer and we will be able to share the names and faces of our sweet little S & J!
Pray with us that the process goes quickly and smoothly and that mommy and daddy don't go too crazy. Thanks for walking this journey with us!
Sunday, February 19, 2017
Dossier, Birthdays, and Matching Grants
So...at this point in our journey, I get asked at least 2 or 3 times a day, "How is the adoption going?" I always wish I had easier answers. I realize what most people are really asking is, "How much longer?" Believe me, I yearn for an answer to that question more than anyone.
Unfortunately, I still don't have that answer. However, let's celebrate the steps that are getting us closer to being there! Our dossier has been completed! A dossier is a legal paper representation of us, and our adoption to the Colombian government. It was shipped to Colombia at the end of last week. It is our hope that ICBF (Children's Services for Colombia) will have an available appointment this week to begin the process of reviewing. Our in country representative will meet with them to start this process. They then have up to 40 days to review our dossier. They can then either approve or request more information from us. (Our big prayers are a speedy review and approval without extra information). After approval, we wait for an "Official Referral." This will include full files on our sweet twins! Clothing sizes, education, medical information, behavior analysis, birth family information, etc. We will then (of course) accept the official referral. At that time, ICBF will give us travel dates! WooHoo!
Each one of these steps also is accompanied by fees. Some fees go to the US government. Some fees go to the Colombian government. Other fees go to our adoption agency. Finally, we will also need to pay for our full travel costs. Sounds overwhelming, right?! However God has blessed our family immensly! We are $2000 from being fully funded! That is incredible! We started this process with no idea how we would come up with $40000, but God had big plans to show how BIG and GREAT He is!
So now that you have a better idea of how the adoption is going, let me tell you about the other exciting part of our week. Our incredible babies will turn 3 this week! Now I'd be lying if I said the only emotion connected with that day is excitement. This momma wants to be with them! Like now! So, will you bless us and our babies on their birthday? Below are 2 birthday boards. One for S and one for J. For their birthday, will you sponsor a present? You choose a square and make a donation of that amount (aka - square #3 is a $3 donation). Your donation will be doubled by an awesome matching grant we have through Brittany's Hope! So that sponsorship of square #3 actually gets us $6 closer to full funding! In fact, all donations made from now until we are fully funded will be doubled!
Thank yall for following our journey, supporting our dreams, and praying big prayers with us!
Unfortunately, I still don't have that answer. However, let's celebrate the steps that are getting us closer to being there! Our dossier has been completed! A dossier is a legal paper representation of us, and our adoption to the Colombian government. It was shipped to Colombia at the end of last week. It is our hope that ICBF (Children's Services for Colombia) will have an available appointment this week to begin the process of reviewing. Our in country representative will meet with them to start this process. They then have up to 40 days to review our dossier. They can then either approve or request more information from us. (Our big prayers are a speedy review and approval without extra information). After approval, we wait for an "Official Referral." This will include full files on our sweet twins! Clothing sizes, education, medical information, behavior analysis, birth family information, etc. We will then (of course) accept the official referral. At that time, ICBF will give us travel dates! WooHoo!
Each one of these steps also is accompanied by fees. Some fees go to the US government. Some fees go to the Colombian government. Other fees go to our adoption agency. Finally, we will also need to pay for our full travel costs. Sounds overwhelming, right?! However God has blessed our family immensly! We are $2000 from being fully funded! That is incredible! We started this process with no idea how we would come up with $40000, but God had big plans to show how BIG and GREAT He is!
So now that you have a better idea of how the adoption is going, let me tell you about the other exciting part of our week. Our incredible babies will turn 3 this week! Now I'd be lying if I said the only emotion connected with that day is excitement. This momma wants to be with them! Like now! So, will you bless us and our babies on their birthday? Below are 2 birthday boards. One for S and one for J. For their birthday, will you sponsor a present? You choose a square and make a donation of that amount (aka - square #3 is a $3 donation). Your donation will be doubled by an awesome matching grant we have through Brittany's Hope! So that sponsorship of square #3 actually gets us $6 closer to full funding! In fact, all donations made from now until we are fully funded will be doubled!
Thank yall for following our journey, supporting our dreams, and praying big prayers with us!
Tuesday, January 10, 2017
Leap of Faith
You know, it really is amazing what God can do when you step back and let Him do it. In every day life, I am really bad about getting in His way. (see my last post...I really like being in control). However, I have had less opportunity to do this in our adoption. So much of this process is completely out of my hands so it has been a whole new world of surrendering control.
This has been especially true when it has come to finances. Tyler and I jumped into adoption with no set idea of how we were going to afford it. When everything is said and done, our total cost will be about $40,000. Needless to say, that was not something we had saved up. However, we felt strongly that adoption was how God was calling us to grow our family. So we took the leap of faith.
I am excited to say we found out this morning we will be receiving another grant. This one is a little different than the others we have been given. It is called a matching grant. This means any fundraising we do or donations we receive will be matched by the grant organization, Brittany's Hope.
Now here is where it really gets good! We could be eligible to have up to $5000 matched. If we are able to meet that goal and have it matched, we will be fully funded! From nothing to $40000 in under 2 years! It would mean we would not have to take out any loans in order to bring home our twins!
With that in mind, we do still have a few continuing fundraisers going on. We have tshirts. In honor of this awesome opportunity, we are reducing those to $10 each. Sizes are limited, so get them quick!
We have puzzle pieces! For $5 you can sponsor a puzzle piece. We will add your name to the back of the piece. We will put it together and it will be hung on the wall in the twins room. Throughout their lifetime, the twins will be able to see all the people who were a part of bringing them home.
We also know some of you still have our change jars. These have been a really cool project for us. All the coins that have come into our house this year, have gone to bring our children home. Others of you have partnered with us in this. We are so blessed that you have allowed your change to bring life change for our family!
Finally our PayPal account is still set up to receive donations. If you choose sending money to friends and family, we are able to accept the donation without charges.
We would be honored if you would partner with us in this leg of our journey. We are committed to do whatever it takes to bring our children home, but we would absolutely love to do so without loans.
Have you ever considered adoption and said, "I can't afford that"? Me too. But if God is calling you to it, He will provide for the journey. It may not look the same as it has for us, but I'd love to tell you more about what has worked for us.
This has been especially true when it has come to finances. Tyler and I jumped into adoption with no set idea of how we were going to afford it. When everything is said and done, our total cost will be about $40,000. Needless to say, that was not something we had saved up. However, we felt strongly that adoption was how God was calling us to grow our family. So we took the leap of faith.
I am excited to say we found out this morning we will be receiving another grant. This one is a little different than the others we have been given. It is called a matching grant. This means any fundraising we do or donations we receive will be matched by the grant organization, Brittany's Hope.
Now here is where it really gets good! We could be eligible to have up to $5000 matched. If we are able to meet that goal and have it matched, we will be fully funded! From nothing to $40000 in under 2 years! It would mean we would not have to take out any loans in order to bring home our twins!
With that in mind, we do still have a few continuing fundraisers going on. We have tshirts. In honor of this awesome opportunity, we are reducing those to $10 each. Sizes are limited, so get them quick!
We have puzzle pieces! For $5 you can sponsor a puzzle piece. We will add your name to the back of the piece. We will put it together and it will be hung on the wall in the twins room. Throughout their lifetime, the twins will be able to see all the people who were a part of bringing them home.
We also know some of you still have our change jars. These have been a really cool project for us. All the coins that have come into our house this year, have gone to bring our children home. Others of you have partnered with us in this. We are so blessed that you have allowed your change to bring life change for our family!
Finally our PayPal account is still set up to receive donations. If you choose sending money to friends and family, we are able to accept the donation without charges.
We would be honored if you would partner with us in this leg of our journey. We are committed to do whatever it takes to bring our children home, but we would absolutely love to do so without loans.
Have you ever considered adoption and said, "I can't afford that"? Me too. But if God is calling you to it, He will provide for the journey. It may not look the same as it has for us, but I'd love to tell you more about what has worked for us.
Sunday, January 8, 2017
Trust and Control
I never really understood why God chose us for adoption. Some of you are confused by this statement. You are thinking, "But Kerri, you've always cared about adoption and orphans." And to some extent you are correct. God placed a passion and burden in my heart for orphans more than a decade ago. But it is almost easy to have passion. It is a completely different thing to act upon that passion.
So in the past I've taken small steps. I have promoted orphan care. I have supported organizations that care for orphans, help in foster care, and support adoption. I've stood beside and prayed for friends who brought Foster children into their home. I cheered for those who adopted.
Those are all good things right? But they weren't very hard. Those things came naturally out of passion. And they really didn't require sacrifice.
But then God said, "It is your turn." That was the natural progression of things though, right? I mean if you looked at my passion, the way I promoted orphan care, the families I supported, it just made sense to grow our family through adoption when the time came.
I totally agree, conceptually. It makes sense. But oh my goodness, adoption is BIG! It is hard. It is difficult. It is uncomfortable. It is beyond my control. So yes it makes sense, but wow it is going to turn my life upside down.
And it has already done just that. It has changed the way I view family. It has changed the way we handle our finances. It has changed how we look at racism. It has taken away my control...
See that is where I struggle. I like being in control. I like having a plan. I like knowing what is coming next. I like it even more when I have the power to change the plan to fit my desires, my timeline, my finances.
Adoption means I have no control. And I believe that is why God has led us to this place. He is saying, "I want you to trust me with EVERYTHING." Right now in my life, I have no choice but to trust. He holds my precious children in His arms. He guides our paperwork, our agency, all the hoops we have to jump through. He has written our children's story and guided us to one another.
And if I can trust God with these great, big, important things...my children, how many other things should I trust Him with. How many other areas of my life is He asking me to let Him have control?
So yes I am passionate about orphan care, but I'm also madly in love with Jesus. His plan is greater than my plan. So one piece at a time, I'm releasing control and choosing to trust.
Will you pray with us? Ask God to help us trust him. There are still some big obstacles before we bring our kids home. I'm excited to see God show off how great He is.
So in the past I've taken small steps. I have promoted orphan care. I have supported organizations that care for orphans, help in foster care, and support adoption. I've stood beside and prayed for friends who brought Foster children into their home. I cheered for those who adopted.
Those are all good things right? But they weren't very hard. Those things came naturally out of passion. And they really didn't require sacrifice.
But then God said, "It is your turn." That was the natural progression of things though, right? I mean if you looked at my passion, the way I promoted orphan care, the families I supported, it just made sense to grow our family through adoption when the time came.
I totally agree, conceptually. It makes sense. But oh my goodness, adoption is BIG! It is hard. It is difficult. It is uncomfortable. It is beyond my control. So yes it makes sense, but wow it is going to turn my life upside down.
And it has already done just that. It has changed the way I view family. It has changed the way we handle our finances. It has changed how we look at racism. It has taken away my control...
See that is where I struggle. I like being in control. I like having a plan. I like knowing what is coming next. I like it even more when I have the power to change the plan to fit my desires, my timeline, my finances.
Adoption means I have no control. And I believe that is why God has led us to this place. He is saying, "I want you to trust me with EVERYTHING." Right now in my life, I have no choice but to trust. He holds my precious children in His arms. He guides our paperwork, our agency, all the hoops we have to jump through. He has written our children's story and guided us to one another.
And if I can trust God with these great, big, important things...my children, how many other things should I trust Him with. How many other areas of my life is He asking me to let Him have control?
So yes I am passionate about orphan care, but I'm also madly in love with Jesus. His plan is greater than my plan. So one piece at a time, I'm releasing control and choosing to trust.
Will you pray with us? Ask God to help us trust him. There are still some big obstacles before we bring our kids home. I'm excited to see God show off how great He is.
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