Monday, December 31, 2007

Out and About on the Eve of '08

Today the kids and I took a short trip to see a couple of kids that recently came home from Haiti. Jeremy, Marcy, their 3 bio. boys Austin, Christian and Kaden and now Hope and Grace were all in town visiting family for the holidays. It is amazing to see kids once they are home...what a change it makes. It still amazes me to see children who have lived in an orphanage for a while acclimate to family life, being with a mom AND a dad and siblings in a country that is so different than what they are used to.
Hope and I said a few things in Creole to each other (which I think made her like me a little more....) and I kissed both on the foreheads. The girls remembered me and my 2 youngest kids from our trip last December, when Kai and Nikaya came home. Jeremy and Marcy went to Haiti to visit their girls while we were in Haiti, allowing them to get to know them before they were ready to come home. It is a time I will always remember fondly, but also with sadness. I KNOW that sadness of visiting and having to leave your child behind again....not a feeling I wish on anyone. The experience of getting to know your child a little before, making them real to yourself and you to them, is so priceless and really encourages the bonding once you return to get them.

After visiting, we headed out to see Curtis at work...a quick stop in to say HI and Happy New Year to everyone before the Holiday. We then left and went to eat an Early dinner. I ran into a family I have known for a while. They adopted from Dr. Bernard 14 years ago...the first 2 kids Dr. B every placed in the US. The oldest boy is now 16 years old and HANDSOME! I have not seen the family for several years and was floored when they walked in. Of course, seeing someone who was brown made my kids look, but my son Hunter immediately said "I think he looks Haitian.' YES! I told him....he could not believe it was true.
I spoke to the family some and gaped-mouth stared at Alex. What a handsome young man he has turned into! Tall, well spoken and such a cutie with his girlfriend...hehe
My kids were so excited to meet (Hunter has met them before but was younger and didn't remember) the first boy Dr. B placed. As I was leaving I called Dr. B to wish him Happy Birthday and was able to let him talk to Alex....I think he was truly blessed to talk to him. We had a bad phone connection plus it was loud at the restaurant and Dr. B was at the orphanage for the New Years Eve/Birthday Party so the conversation was short. We did however exchange numbers so they could talk in the future. I hope to make a connection for this boy so he can see where he is from and how many people love him and think of him often.
Well, off to celebrate the New Year!

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL OF YOU!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO DR. BERNARD!!!!

Sunday, December 30, 2007

Food Issues, Dieting and Celiac

I decided to give a little update on me, the D Word: DIETING and how it goes....

I have been working as diligently as possible to keep from gaining any weight during the Holiday Season. I am still managing to keep the weight at 28lbs lost! I have encouraged Curtis to go along with me and he is down about 2lbs. He is excited to see how much he can lose as well. He is FAR from needing to lose as much as I do, but feels that some off the middle will help the overall picture of life. :-)

I am proud of the fact that I have maintained the loss even through Christmas. We have received candy, baked goods (which thankfully I cannot eat anyway) and more candy. This however is like supplying crack to a drug addict as anything chocolate is my addiction. I do not use the term addiction lightly here either. The big joke throughout my life has been that if you covered ANYTHING in chocolate I would probably eat it....probably true. hehe
I crave chocolate like an alcoholic would crave booze, a drug addict would crave their next fix. I have a personal NEED for chocolate. I tell ya, trying to break that addiction is hard. I joked about taping a piece of chocolate to my arm to lick whenever a fix was needed (like a cigarette patch) but decided that I would probably just eat my whole arm. I have decided the best way to defeat this addiction without going 100% cold turkey is to drink 1% milk with a little chocolate syrup in it. I allow myself this once a day...it has really helped. The chocolate craving is gone and I feel like I have given myself a treat as well.

To diet is not a good thing for me. I have so many restrictions in what I can and cannot eat due to my Celiac Disease, that denying myself anything else is not an option. I must also watch myself for the fact that I am a perfectionist/control freak at things and a past Bulimic/Anorexic. During my early teen years I would starve myself. When forced to eat I would either hide my food in a napkin or purge after the meal was over. It is hard to overcome that as well, and the urge to do this can be overwhelming and the control factor with it is overwhelming as well. I think it all has to go in with the addictive tendency in my life.

My segway here is the control freak in me and the lack of control my Celiac life gives me:

The other day I gave in to the kids and we had McDonald's. Something we have not done much lately due to money and watching what we eat. The kids had their kids meals and I had some fries and a chicken sandwich, no bread. WELL....as with anytime I eat out, I got something I was not supposed to eat and my Celiac went into overdrive. I ran, with 4 children in tow, from the back of a Target store to the front to make it to the restroom before becoming ill. Quite a feat that we ALL made it, I did not get sick in the middle of Target and the store didn't think I was running for the door with stolen merchandise..I was running like a thief with a load to steal too! ;-)
After I somewhat recovered, I ran into a friend of mine, who happens to have Celiac as well. She commented on the way I was looking and how the Holidays were going etc. When all of a sudden Kai says "we had to run to the potty so my mom wouldn't be sick in the store." NICE....Tell everyone there boy......
At least my friend is a fellow Celiac who knows what it is like and told me that while I continued shopping to holler for her and she would watch my kids where they stood so I didn't have to haul them all to the front again. hehe

New Years Eve

Any big plans for New Years Eve?
Us, we have been invited to a couple of different parties, however, they are adult only parties and kids are not to be included. :-(
We have decided, like we do every year at this time, to have a Family celebration for New Years Eve....come on, you KNOW we are party animals!!!
We are in the process of deciding which movies we will watch, and how much popcorn we will consume tomorrow night. :-) We always end up with at least 2 movies, mounds of candy and popcorn, soda or juice (tea for mommy) and enjoy each others company until the Little's (Kai and Nikaya) fall asleep and the rest of us welcome in the new year.
It should be a fun night with just us in the house with the pets.

We came to this idea because all of our kids LOVE family movie night.
The other day we received a gift from someone that contained popcorn. The popcorn was stored in the pantry. Hunter saw the popcorn on the shelf and declared
"Hey, is it family movie night? "
To which I replied.."No, why do you ask?"
Hunter "Because I see popcorn!"
Mom "Just because there is popcorn doesn't mean it is family movie night."
Hunter "YES IT DOES!"
To which all the kids replied "YES IT DOES!!!"
So, we have decided that New Years Eve will be Family movie night! ;-)

Here is hoping you have an enjoyable New Years eve as well.
I will post about how Family Movie Night went!!!

Thursday, December 27, 2007

Man Cold

This is to funny NOT to share. For all the women out there, share THIS with your men and show them how they really are to live with! hehe

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

Angels Of A Lower Flight

I just read the book "Angels of a Lower Flight" written by Susan Scott Krabacher.

I requested this book for Christmas and was thrilled when my mother found it for me. The book was released in October, but I had not gotten the chance to get it yet.

Was it a good book you ask?! YES....I read it all (320 pages worth) last night and today and finished a little bit ago. The book will make you laugh, cry and shout out in disgust at the very things Susie has seen in her trials in Haiti. It is a good depiction of Haiti, the people, the triumph, the corruption and all that goes on during a typical day in the life of Haiti; yet things still get done.

I like how she does not portray herself as a hero, that she shows her frustration of the things she sees and still has the determination to do what feels called to do. She tells it like it is, warts and all, including her own life and thoughts and tribulations....amazing.

There is no amount of writing here that can do justice to the book, you must read it for yourself..plain and simple

I have never met Susie, but have spoken to her, her hubby Joe and her Father Frank on the phone. They are all wonderful and kind and trying to do the right thing for the people of Haiti, most of all the children no one wants....the handicapped.

Please, take time to find and read the book:
ANGELS OF A LOWER FLIGHT
BY SUSIE SCOTT KRABACHER

Christmas Plans

Well, we survived Christmas! Kids are doing well (not getting along 100%...they are kids out of school ya know). Everyone is unwinding today just letting the whole 3 days sink in, relax etc.

On the 23rd we went to my hubbies family for our Christmas Eve with his side of the family. Lovely time. Not much I could eat due to my Celiac, but it was still good. I did enjoy a few things that were supposed to be ok, but I have paid for it dearly over the last 3 days...eeww... We exchanged gifts with family members and watched the BSU football game on TV. For those of you NOT in Idaho, BSU is our local college (Boise State University) and they ROCK at football. Last year they were undefeated and won the Fiesta Bowl. This year they made it all the way to the Hawaii Sheraton Bowl game. We lost 41-38. Sad, but hey...it is just a sport. Next year is a new year and they will try again. I think one of the things that caused our loss was several players had been booted from play and left at home for being naughty...shame.

The 24th we prepped everything and had everyone on my mothers side of the family at OUR house. YIKES. About 30 people came, some I have not seen for a while....it was great. We do not exchange gifts but just get together and eat chili (Yes...chili) and sweet and sour meatballs and visit about our year with each other. I love it even with all the hard work.

The 25th we do Christmas morning with our kids. This year they were tired enough they slept later than we had thought, a little later than 0 dark stupid. hehe
The kids opened their gifts and we ate a little breakfast and enjoyed each others company and got ready to go to Mammy and Pappy's house (my mom and dad) for lasagna.
Ok...side note, I know we do not eat typical Christmas fair around here, but I only get lasagna once a year and I LOVE this time of year because my parents make Gluten Free lasagna and I get my own pan!!!
Anyway, we enjoyed the company of my parents and my brother Eric, his wife Lyndsay and their kids Addie and Ariya. By the end of the evening, we were all on overload, had more gifts and food than we needed and ready to go home for some quiet. ( I use quiet as a relative term since I have 4 kids here...)

Today we relax, recoup and just enjoy the fact that we have no plans to go anywhere.

Tuesday, December 25, 2007

MERRY CHRISTMAS

I hope everyone out there is having a wonderful Christmas with their loved ones. May this be the last one the adoptive families spend without their new children, the enjoyable first holiday for those newly united with their kids.
Blessings to all....

Friday, December 21, 2007

At A Loss

I am going to breach a subject here that may get me in trouble.

I have been told by people that my myspace and blog are offensive due to my music choices, multiple piercings and other life choices I have made. I have never felt the need to censor myself and have always known that 'to know me is to love me'.

The last couple of days my Christianity and Professionalism has been called into question because someone saw my myspace and blog and thought them inappropriate. WHAT? Of course, these people need to remember that I write this stuff for ME, no one else.
What is all the judgment about. These people have never met me, spent time with me, talked in depth with me about my likes, dislikes and ideals..my hopes and dreams for myself, the world and my children....they SAW and HEARD something THEY didn't like and now I am not appropriate.

I have a dear Friend as well that has been called out for her choices in life. While they may not be as 'risque' as mine in areas, they are 'odd' according to some....enough that they called social services on her. Yep, read that right. She did NOT abuse her children, neglect them or deprive them of anything.....she was DIFFERENT! She is Large Christian family with children of another color who home schools...THE GALL...I felt pity for my choices but see how she is even more persecuted than I am. Both of us wear our differences on the outside, it tends to draw the people who are holier than thou and don't like it, to react.

My myspace has a picture of black hands holding a white child and asks the question...."WHY DOES IT MATTER?" I am asking all of you....Why does it? Who are YOU to determine what is right and wrong.. acceptable and unacceptable?

All I know, some true heroes did what they felt was right for them, their families and themselves and have been persecuted for it. To them I say THANK YOU and to those who continue to be DIFFERENT....ROCK ON!!!

Sunday, December 16, 2007

An Early B-Day Present...A Date with My Hubby

I was in pure Heaven last night. My in-laws took all 4 kids so hubby and I could have a childless night (I think the first time in about ever that we have been 100% kid free in YEARS!

Curt and I went to Outback Steakhouse and had a Chocolate Thunder from Down Under.....WONDERFUL Gluten Free Brownie dessert that is to die for. ;-)

We then went to an early show of 'I Am Legend' with Will Smith. Good show, not 100 % what I thought it was going to be like, but good anyway. We then trotted over to Shopko and did a little Christmas shopping for the family. We decided we were feeling spunky and the night was young so we went to the $2.00 theater and watched 'Resident Evil 3'.....scary as heck, but I love zombie flicks! We came home and watched 2 movies we had here to watch, 'Blades of Glory' and 'Bug'. 'Blades of Glory' is silly, Will Ferrell and Jon Heder are hilarious as men couple figure skaters. 'Bug' was the dumbest thing I have seen in a long time....what a waste of valuable time in my life. By the time we were done, it was 3:30am and we were bushed.

I slept for a while, got a message from Wendi that her plane was delayed so I got up and tried to get a hold of Haiti to let Samuel know when to pick her up. No one would answer so I emailed instead hoping that someone would check for it...YES...they did! I went back to sleep for a while and hubby and I got up and loafed around the house together, just hanging out in quiet....something we have not done in forever.

We picked the kids up this afternoon after a wonderful quiet time together. What a great few days early B-day present!!!!!!

Saturday, December 15, 2007

Fight Update

Quick update on fights!

I have to say that the evening was fairly low in the bloody category. I had one fighter in a submission position and when he tried to get out, it snapped his ankle in half.....EEWW....he made a lovely trip via ambulance to the Hospital for the evening and his opponent went home with a win, but feeling bad that he had broke the other guys ankle......part of the sport when ya climb in the cage I guess.
Almost had one audience member thrown out for his mouth and language. One of the Medics and I were looking for a vial of pain med's that had fallen out and an intoxicated man in the audience hollered obscenities and names at me for 'being in his way...' I shot him a mean look and Security went to him and had a 'shut your mouth or else' speech. The guy came up to me after being surrounded by about 5 security people and apologized to me for his comment. I LOVE the way they take care of my safety at the fights...nothing worse than drunks, testosterone and fights...hehe I did have a couple of the fighters come up and ask me if I wanted them to take care of the guy for me....thanks, but I will file that request in the back of my mind for a later date! ;-P...Nice to know they have my back!

The Latest Ones Home

Below are photos of the kids that have just come home. I am so excited that they are spending their FIRST Christmas with their new families. By all reports, all the families are doing well, children are bonding and everyone is settling in to their new lives!

WELCOME HOME!




Hope Louna-In mommies arms December 2, 2007; Home December 6, 2007

Grace Haylee-In mommies arms December 2, 2007; Home December 6, 2007



Elliot Rose-Meeting mama December 16, 2007; Home December 18, 2007


Graceline Rose-In mamas arms December 3, 2007; Home December 8, 2007



Elliot Rose is Coming Home

One of my families is finally traveling to Haiti! It has been a long 2 1/2 to 3 year process for this family.....well worth the wait, but long none the less.
Elliot Rose (Rose Nancy) Will be home for Christmas! I am so happy to write that here, I cannot express it in words alone.
I will post photos of the kids next!

Thursday, December 13, 2007

Fight Night

Tonight is Fight Night at the Qwest Arena in Boise. I will be ringside once again taking care of business. Should be between 10 and 12 fights tonight....hopefully not as eventful as last time. Pray for my ability to care for the guys and their wounds as I sit as Medic for the fighters and brave the boo's and nastiness I receive when I stop the action...always making friends, I am! :-P

Sunday, December 09, 2007

UNICEF and Haiti

I am going to jump on the bandwagon of many of my fellow adoption bloggers.....UNICEF.

I work with Haitian adoption, and have for about 8 years now. I have helped many children go to their forever families and have ached and rejoiced with the adoptive families as they rode the roller coaster that is Haitian adoption.
Until the last little bit, a Haitian adoption would take about 9-11 months to complete...any longer and you were the odd family that happened to hit a snag or two during the process.
NOW, families are waiting 2 years for their children, often times 10 months or so of this wait is AFTER the children are legally adopted by their American families. Adoptive families throw the names IBESR (Haitian Social Services) and MOI (Ministry of Interior) around like old pro's by the time they have finished their processes. These are two offices that seem to hang most families up. The IBESR problem seems to be coming to a close and files are being processed at about 6 months or so typically. MOI on the other hand has had its fair share of crap. First there was a couple of people asking for bribes....if you didn't bribe you didn't get files out. Now that those people are gone (arrested...PTL) UNICEF has stepped in to the office along with a new MOI Director, to take care of business. Well, for those of you that do not know, UNICEF is STAUNCHLY AGAINST International Adoption. Please read their page below where it states their position.

http://www.unicef.org/media/media_15011.html

I would love to agree with UNICEF. In a perfect world biological parents could love, feed, clothe and educate their children without interference or help of others. Haiti is FAR from perfect. In Haiti the majority of children are given up due to poverty and the hope that their child will have a better life and opportunity somewhere else. I tell you, to look in the eyes of your child's birth mother and father is something amazing and sad at the same time. To see people who know nothing about you, the place you are taking their child and hoping all the while that you will give them what they cannot. It is an extremely humbling experience.
I would challenge UNICEF to look outside their ignorant small box and step inside of Haiti and see what they could do to help with the true problems....Restavek's (Child slavery), Child Prostitution, Sweat Shops...etc...and clean up that MESS before they try to fix International adoption.

Friday, December 07, 2007

Settling In

I spoke to Jeremy and Marcy and Tim and Beki today...they are all home and settling in well.
Blessings to them all and I KNOW they will have a Merry Christmas!

My next mission is getting Wendi to Haiti before Christmas.....I am going to do it if it kills me! Wendi and Her hubby Guy have been working on getting Rose Nancy home for about 3 years now...WAY TO LONG and it is about time Rose is home. Pray with me that she gets home for Christmas!

Thursday, December 06, 2007

Almost Home


I have not spoken directly to Beki yet, but I have heard from her hubby Tim that she and Graci have made it to Dallas Ft. Worth en route to home! Trip was rough I think, alot of flight delays on the way home and some frustration at the Haitian airport....not that I've had ever heard of that before....but they are getting in about 12:35am....I am so glad they are on their way home for Christmas and cannot wait to talk to Beki about her trip, frustrations and happiness. What a feeling.

Wednesday, December 05, 2007

YES!!!!!

I have so much to be excited about. I have one family in Miami WITH their 2 girls...WELCOME HOME LOUNA AND HAYLEE...CONGRAT'S JEREMY AND MARCY!!!

Beki will be entering the US with her little one tomorrow...stay tuned for the announcement of her arrival as well. I have another family that will be traveling in the next week or two as well....YES...it has been about a 3 year battle for this family and MORE than time for Rose to come home.

Also, I have been attending a church for about 2 months now. I have never felt more welcome and at home in a church ever in my life. Montana Avenue Baptist is a wonderful place. Our Pastor, Geoff Williams and his wife Beth are amazing. Both have such a heart for missions. Beth was raised in South America until the age of 16 as a Missionary child and her and Geoff lived and served in Colombia for 7 years. Pastor Williams served as the Head of Church Missions in California as well, traveling anywhere from South America to Togo, Africa. When I even hinted at the hopes of finding a church willing to go to Haiti and see the children, help and minister they were both overjoyed with the thought of it!!! Usually you get the "oh, why would we go to Haiti?" Like it is the single most hell on earth place to go to and not worthy of their presence. I am so excited for the option to teach them about my dreams in life and how to help my adopted country and to have them teach me how to be a better Christian.

I THINK I AM FINALLY HOME!!!!!

I Saw What I Saw...

This is a Sara Groves song and video. This song touches me as it reminds me of my trips to Haiti, the way Haiti makes me feel and expresses my love for my Adopted Country.

Tuesday, December 04, 2007

Update on Things

So far the two families I have in Country are doing well. Visas are in hand!! Marcy leaves Haiti tomorrow afternoon and Beki leaves Thursday afternoon....both with their new children. I am so excited for them and happy that they have finally come to the end of their journey. I often laugh when the families have traveled. During the process they ask me over and over..."are you sure this is going to happen, are you SURE that I will get these kids home?!" I always encourage..."Yes, they will come home, it will happen...in good timing...God's timing." After travel the families finally see the hopes and dreams they have had for so long finally come to fruition and they finally agree "I knew they would come home...." RIGHT...hehehe

Our new church is going well. All the kids love it, and I finally feel like I am not AS lost in Bible Study as I was before. I Will be glad when January hits and they have a new members class to go to as opposed to the regular one....definitely help in the lost category a little more.

They are having choir tryouts and I am THINKING about trying out. I love to sing, sang in school and sing all the time. However, I am new to the church and I am shy to just get up and sing my heart out.....it could sound like a bad karaoke bar if I do...very frightening...hehe

The kids have all enjoyed the Sunday school and Children's church as well as AWANA's...they LOVE IT! I am so glad to find somewhere that everyone seems warm and friendly and accept the kids regardless of color. I even convinced Curtis to try it once....the church never caught fire..he may return again someday. :-P

The church is fairly small, I like that. The Pastor seems to be a real funny, easy going guy. This last Sunday he gave announcements. He said he had to add to the ones already in the bulletin and added the following:
"Fasting meeting to be held on Sunday Dec. 9. Snacks to be served.... "
"Choir tryouts are coming up. If you enjoy singing, please try out, these guys can use all the help they can get."
HEHEHE.....everyone was laughing.

The Church also seems to be fairly mission minded. The Pastor and his wife lived in Columbia for several years and preached at a church there. The church is fairly interested in the kids and what I do for a calling and I may be able to get some of the women involved in a mission trip to NLL sometime....here is to hoping and praying for that.

OK...off to bed. I need to get some sleep. I will try to post some photos of the kids decorating the Christmas tree. Every year we let the kids do it and we take photos. They LOVE to tell everyone THEY decorated it. Of course, some of the tree has 100 ornaments and the other part is bald but hey....it is a special tree. This year was Kai and Nikaya's first time decorating a tree and they had a blast. Kai was dressed in his Spider man Halloween costume and Nikaya had freedom hair and a Cheerleader costume from Halloween on....good times, good times!

A quick poem for you

This is from my Friend Pastor Rick. I love this guy...his thoughts are wonderful. Please enjoy!


From Pastor RickMyspace.com/ReachOutCenter
The following is based on real life events.
God is good... all the time.

You Will Have All You Need © 2001

I saw a little boy, he was cold and he was crying
I gave him the gloves my father gave to me
He looked up and stared, surprised someone cared
I told him don't worry, you will have all you need

I saw a little girl, she was hungry and she was crying
I gave her the lunch my mother packed for me
She looked up and stared, surprised someone cared
I told her don't worry, you will have all you need

I saw a young man, he was half naked and he was crying
I gave him some clothes I had just bought for me
He looked at me and stared, so grateful someone cared
I told him don't worry, you will have all you need

I saw a young woman, she was lonely and she was crying
I gave her a hug, like those given to me
She shook as she shared, surprised that I cared
I told her don't worry, she would have all that she needs

I saw an old man who fell, and he had been crying
I helped him up and bandaged his knee
He looked at me so scared, so tickled someone cared
I told him don't worry, he would have all he needs

There was an old woman, half blind, trembling and crying
I helped find her glasses so she could see
She looked through them with tears, as I comforted her fears
I told her don't worry, you will have all you need

Then I had a dream, I saw Jesus and He was crying
I asked if there was something I could do
He said thanks for showing you care, in my times of despair
And don't you worry, you will have all you need

But I said hey Jesus, when did I ever see you crying
Sick or half naked or begging for bread?
He said, you have blest me my son, unselfish things you have done
For what you've done unto these, you have done unto me
For what you've done unto these, you have done unto me.
What you've done unto these, you have done unto me.

Pastor RickMyspace.com/ReachOutCenter "You Will Have All You Need" © 2001