All of The NLL Group That Came
New Extended Family
Us with Kim and Sarah and Jack the Dog. Sarah is Nikaya's Biological Birth Sister.
The Gang at Dinner
Friday, August 25, 2006
More NLL Pictures...
All of The NLL Group That Came
New Extended Family
Us with Kim and Sarah and Jack the Dog. Sarah is Nikaya's Biological Birth Sister.
The Gang at Dinner
Nll Reunion Photos....Finally...
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
First Day of School
Today was the first day of school. Hunter boarded the bus to go to his fist day of 4th grade, Demi Roo boarded the bus to go to her first full day of first grade...I am home alone for the first time in a LONG time!!! ;-P
I have read my book. lounged, dozed off, and will now have to start the day in full as the school is hoping I will come and volunteer ( I supposedly retired after 3 years on PTO, 2 of them President, but I cannot say no). I will go and help with the new registration of new kids and packets to the teachers, kids find their new buses home today and parents find their way thru the halls to pick kids up. Whew....I think I may actually be busy today.
I will probably get a nice comfortable routine down and the new kids Kai and Nikaya will come home and I will have to start over...I am so glad to have that to look forward to!
I have read my book. lounged, dozed off, and will now have to start the day in full as the school is hoping I will come and volunteer ( I supposedly retired after 3 years on PTO, 2 of them President, but I cannot say no). I will go and help with the new registration of new kids and packets to the teachers, kids find their new buses home today and parents find their way thru the halls to pick kids up. Whew....I think I may actually be busy today.
I will probably get a nice comfortable routine down and the new kids Kai and Nikaya will come home and I will have to start over...I am so glad to have that to look forward to!
Saturday, August 19, 2006
Out of Courts, One Step Closer
Well, we got the official report that we are out of the Courts in Haiti. We now have the official adoption decree, Kai and Nikaya are ours!!!!!
We are done with translation of doc's into English and we will be entering legalization/Ministry of Interior Monday. This is the first part of the passport process. Our time frame now looks like this:
Legalization: 2-3 weeks, 2 being average
Passport Printing: 15 days on average unless a machine breaks down, it rains or there are no books...I mean hey, it is Haiti after all! ;-P
Birth Parent Interview with USCIS (INS): This varies on how busy the office is as to when they get families in. They have made contact with both sets of our Bparents so they are ready to come in when needed, that is half the battle with Haiti.
If no DNA is required and Bparent goes as planned we will then be able to travel to Haiti to get our kids!!!!!!
Not long now and we are excited.
We are done with translation of doc's into English and we will be entering legalization/Ministry of Interior Monday. This is the first part of the passport process. Our time frame now looks like this:
Legalization: 2-3 weeks, 2 being average
Passport Printing: 15 days on average unless a machine breaks down, it rains or there are no books...I mean hey, it is Haiti after all! ;-P
Birth Parent Interview with USCIS (INS): This varies on how busy the office is as to when they get families in. They have made contact with both sets of our Bparents so they are ready to come in when needed, that is half the battle with Haiti.
If no DNA is required and Bparent goes as planned we will then be able to travel to Haiti to get our kids!!!!!!
Not long now and we are excited.
Roo's Hair
Well I was able to do Roo's hair in the twists again and semi camo the areas that she had cut. Some of them had to be put together in an interesting way to cover a bald spot and some have to be waitied down a little with beads to cover the BIG bald patch, but I managed. No one at the reunion noticed until I pointed it out, which is a comforting thought. I do know the mom's would have been honest with me, we are all like that with each other...it comes from being in the trenches with each other I think! ;-)
This time I tried beads on her hair...Thanks for the instruction Amy...it looks beautiful. I will try Jana's lesson on corn rowing and french braiding next. When I tried it yesterday it was difficult since there are so many bald patches, but I think I may be able to do it with Nikaya's hair....until she cuts hers off I guess...:-P
Demi Loves the beads since they make a clacking sound when she shakes her head and runs etc. She thinks it sounds soooo cool.
Well, off until later.
This time I tried beads on her hair...Thanks for the instruction Amy...it looks beautiful. I will try Jana's lesson on corn rowing and french braiding next. When I tried it yesterday it was difficult since there are so many bald patches, but I think I may be able to do it with Nikaya's hair....until she cuts hers off I guess...:-P
Demi Loves the beads since they make a clacking sound when she shakes her head and runs etc. She thinks it sounds soooo cool.
Well, off until later.
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Home Again
Well, we are home again from our reunion trip to Couer D Alene. It was beautiful up there and we had a blast with the other families.
The kids made a lot of new friends, and many of the important people in my life got to meet. It is weird to say that you consider some of your best friends to be people who live so far away and all you do is talk on the phone or email everyday, but that is the way it is with me.
We got to spend a lot of time with Sarah, she is the biological older sister of our little Nikaya Mitchelle. The family is also adopting Santo, the bio. older brother to the girls. It was nice to visit and strengthen a bond that will be forged for our whole lives as we keep these kids close as possible since they are full siblings. My children loved to see Sarah and to get a glimpse of how cute and crazy their sister will be. Nikaya is a mini me with Sarah when it comes to looks.....they are so much alike that after seeing Nik in person and now Sarah again I can see the similarities. It amazes me that 2 children that have never been in the same country at the same time but have a biological bond can be so much alike. Hunter was really drawn to Sarah. Not only is she a bio. sibling to his new sister, but she is a little girl...Hunter LOVES little kids of ANY kind. He would follow Sarah around and do whatever she asked...he was infatuate with her and would read her stories and talk to her about her likes and dislikes....it was so cute.
Demi Roo was excited to have so many little Diva's around to flaunt her attitude with....girls that could match her. You would think that it would cause discourse, but they all got along well and had a lot of fun. When we left and got a ways down the road the kids cried. They hoped their new friends would not forget them and that next year we could have another reunion and it comes soon!
The kids made a lot of new friends, and many of the important people in my life got to meet. It is weird to say that you consider some of your best friends to be people who live so far away and all you do is talk on the phone or email everyday, but that is the way it is with me.
We got to spend a lot of time with Sarah, she is the biological older sister of our little Nikaya Mitchelle. The family is also adopting Santo, the bio. older brother to the girls. It was nice to visit and strengthen a bond that will be forged for our whole lives as we keep these kids close as possible since they are full siblings. My children loved to see Sarah and to get a glimpse of how cute and crazy their sister will be. Nikaya is a mini me with Sarah when it comes to looks.....they are so much alike that after seeing Nik in person and now Sarah again I can see the similarities. It amazes me that 2 children that have never been in the same country at the same time but have a biological bond can be so much alike. Hunter was really drawn to Sarah. Not only is she a bio. sibling to his new sister, but she is a little girl...Hunter LOVES little kids of ANY kind. He would follow Sarah around and do whatever she asked...he was infatuate with her and would read her stories and talk to her about her likes and dislikes....it was so cute.
Demi Roo was excited to have so many little Diva's around to flaunt her attitude with....girls that could match her. You would think that it would cause discourse, but they all got along well and had a lot of fun. When we left and got a ways down the road the kids cried. They hoped their new friends would not forget them and that next year we could have another reunion and it comes soon!
Thursday, August 10, 2006
Reunion
I am excited to say that I will be going to a New Life Link reunion this weekend. It wil not be as big as we had hoped, but I will meet some of the kids I have placed, and meet hubbys I have worked with but have never met. Most of the mom's had a mom's weekend with me so I know them, but not the daddies! ;-)
I am anxious to see the kids in their homes, happy and loving family life. I remember some of the from their time in the orpahange and others just from photos...I AM SOOOO EXCITED!!!
I am anxious for my kids to meet the other kids just like them and spend a few days with people who are other than white...Idaho is VERY white and I desire for them to see more people who of a different color and not Hispanic (about the only other color Idaho has).
I will be sure to take pictures and post them when I return.
I am anxious to see the kids in their homes, happy and loving family life. I remember some of the from their time in the orpahange and others just from photos...I AM SOOOO EXCITED!!!
I am anxious for my kids to meet the other kids just like them and spend a few days with people who are other than white...Idaho is VERY white and I desire for them to see more people who of a different color and not Hispanic (about the only other color Idaho has).
I will be sure to take pictures and post them when I return.
Sunday, August 06, 2006
Roo Did What???
Oh, boy, today has been one of those days that make you question WHY you want to be a mommy.
I sat down on the couch to get ready to do Demi's hair tonight. She had 'helped' me by pulling her rubber bands out of her hair for me yesterday(which is NOT a good thing to do).....WELL...as I am greasing her head and hair, finger-fulls of her hair are coming out in my hand. With some looking closely I realize that there a several spots on her head that are down to the scalp...see where I am going with this??
Come to find out Demi Roo decided to use the scissors on her hair to get her rubberbands off and cut BIG bald spots on her head. I was so mad I could have spit nails, cried tears of sadness for lost hair growth and just anger at her for playing with the scissors. How am I going to do her hair? Is it going to have to be cut? Can I camouflage it by making twists bigger? Smaller?
All I know is that I had to go visit granny and papa (my grandparents) down the street for a couple of hours. This is where mommy goes when she needs a time out....no kids, we sit on the porch and drink ice water, have home made ice cream and visit....very calming. ;-)
Now I am home and the anger is gone...I still love my little Rooster, although tomorrow will be an exercise in futility I am afraid, I will try to make it look nice so she can start 1st grade without a bald head. I am also feeling that I am going to take some photos of her to use to horrify her as a teenager when she brings her boyfriend over. ;-P
I sat down on the couch to get ready to do Demi's hair tonight. She had 'helped' me by pulling her rubber bands out of her hair for me yesterday(which is NOT a good thing to do).....WELL...as I am greasing her head and hair, finger-fulls of her hair are coming out in my hand. With some looking closely I realize that there a several spots on her head that are down to the scalp...see where I am going with this??
Come to find out Demi Roo decided to use the scissors on her hair to get her rubberbands off and cut BIG bald spots on her head. I was so mad I could have spit nails, cried tears of sadness for lost hair growth and just anger at her for playing with the scissors. How am I going to do her hair? Is it going to have to be cut? Can I camouflage it by making twists bigger? Smaller?
All I know is that I had to go visit granny and papa (my grandparents) down the street for a couple of hours. This is where mommy goes when she needs a time out....no kids, we sit on the porch and drink ice water, have home made ice cream and visit....very calming. ;-)
Now I am home and the anger is gone...I still love my little Rooster, although tomorrow will be an exercise in futility I am afraid, I will try to make it look nice so she can start 1st grade without a bald head. I am also feeling that I am going to take some photos of her to use to horrify her as a teenager when she brings her boyfriend over. ;-P
New Photos
Some recent photos from one of my wonderful adoptive families....Thank you Ryan and Kim!
Nik looking out at the world
Kai checking out the camera
I am sad because the latest photos they do not look as happy. Well, Lord allowing they will be home in 6-8 weeks and the smiles will be abundant!!!
Nik looking out at the world
Kai checking out the camera
I am sad because the latest photos they do not look as happy. Well, Lord allowing they will be home in 6-8 weeks and the smiles will be abundant!!!
Friday, August 04, 2006
We're Out...Kinda
Well I got word today from our Lawyer in Haiti. He went to IBESR (Haitian Social Services), where our dossier has been for 7 months, to check on it and several others. I am happy to say we are OUT OF IBESR...kinda...
Our dossier is signed and completed but had one mistake on it that IBESR needed to correct.
Our Lawyer will be going back Monday to pick it up and get it ready for the Courts!!!
This is making a hopeful mommy pray that only 6-8 weeks are expected before her kids come home! ;-P
Doing the happy dance at our house!!!
Our dossier is signed and completed but had one mistake on it that IBESR needed to correct.
Our Lawyer will be going back Monday to pick it up and get it ready for the Courts!!!
This is making a hopeful mommy pray that only 6-8 weeks are expected before her kids come home! ;-P
Doing the happy dance at our house!!!
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
BooBoo Funny
I have to put this one down.
A little bit ago BooBoo came into the computer room where I have been doing some last minute working for Jesse Johnson on his ride and answering emails for adoptive families. He asked me if I would change his sheets on his bed because they were 'itchy'. To BooBoo, this means that there are germs or something on his bed that make him itch??!! BooBoo is a germ-a-phobe, fatalist. In his life everything is always "I Never", "You Always", etc....
Anyway, I told him to give me a minute. He said "you always say a minute and if I time you it is more than that." I said "BooBoo, go away you are making me crazy" to which he replied with a stone cold face "hey, I am just a kid in this house trying to survive!" hehehe
When I begin to laugh out loud at his comment he storms off asking me "why does everyone always laugh at me?" What a card!!!
A little bit ago BooBoo came into the computer room where I have been doing some last minute working for Jesse Johnson on his ride and answering emails for adoptive families. He asked me if I would change his sheets on his bed because they were 'itchy'. To BooBoo, this means that there are germs or something on his bed that make him itch??!! BooBoo is a germ-a-phobe, fatalist. In his life everything is always "I Never", "You Always", etc....
Anyway, I told him to give me a minute. He said "you always say a minute and if I time you it is more than that." I said "BooBoo, go away you are making me crazy" to which he replied with a stone cold face "hey, I am just a kid in this house trying to survive!" hehehe
When I begin to laugh out loud at his comment he storms off asking me "why does everyone always laugh at me?" What a card!!!
Adopting is a Waiting Game
Well, so far things have been slow but sure-enough in Haiti. I have one family there this very moment getting their 3 children to bring home forever...God is good!
We wait for our turn, which will not be soon enough. Some dossiers have come out, 12733 -12,735...both dossiers have been in since December '05. Ours went in 1-23-06 and are 12,899 and 12,900 so we are getting closer.....please God let it be soon!
We wait for our turn, which will not be soon enough. Some dossiers have come out, 12733 -12,735...both dossiers have been in since December '05. Ours went in 1-23-06 and are 12,899 and 12,900 so we are getting closer.....please God let it be soon!
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