Photo albums, toys, and Skype!

We've prepared a photo album to send to K. The captions under the pictures must be translated before it's sent but that shouldn't take too long.

We are also sending along a letter from Andy and me to her, explaining why this very special name "Katelyn" means so much to us and why we want that to be her name. We will keep her given name as her middle name, but Katelyn has been in our hearts and minds for a long while. How exciting to have a child now that will hopefully wear her new American name proudly. I think it will go fine but I'm bracing myself in the event she has a few words to tell us about it. ;)

Lastly, we have a little baggie full of a few toys that I believe she'll love. Every child that likes to draw as much as she does needs a pad of drawing paper, and some new markers, right? And after declaring that Barbie is her favorite doll...Barbie soon became part of the first care package we're sending. The boys put in some plastic costume jewelry, and a book.

I know she'll pour over all of it and view it again and again. And in a month we will send her more pages to add to the album, and that's when the indoctrination begins. First it's some cute OSU bows for her hair...or maybe a tee-shirt from Joes. Then we slip in an OSU book bag with "Future Cowgirl" embroidered on it. I'm certain the shirt that says "Friends don't let friends go to OU" won't make it into the package, but I make no promises. As long as she understands the rules...we love and cheer for all things OSU, do the waving wheat, and shoot our pistols when we score a touchdown, we're all good. Next semester we'll address the expectation of how you behave during Sooner games. It won't take her long to learn that if the Sooners are playing, you cheer for the opposing team. It's a rule, one she will follow or my heart will be permanently broken.

Covers all the important stuff right?

We do get to Skype tomorrow night. I'm so excited to see her little face and visit again. Can't wait!!

Saved and Baptized

Another week behind us, a week closer to Andy's return. We are on the downhill side of him being gone and I pray the time passes quickly. I'm more than ready for him to be home where he belongs.

On a side note, I really, really need the lizards to stay outside. I might, almost, on a really good day think they're sort of cute...if they didn't scurry along, regrow appendages, and show up when I least expect it. Bleck.

Matt and I were both baptized today. We got to share the day with many close friends and Andy was "there" the whole time on Skype watching it all go down. I was so elated afterwards that we got to do this with friends and on the same day. I asked Matt several times what he thought, how it went...and his 11 year old self shrugged his shoulders, and agreed it was "pretty cool." When I begged asked him to elaborate, he paused and said "I got to be baptized and that's a big deal..then I got to swim and hang out, and eat dessert..it was pretty cool." I guess I asked right?

After we returned home Nathan adamantly declared that he needed to be baptized too...this Sunday. We discussed that you can't be baptized unless you've been saved and are a believer. He calmly explained to me what being "saved" meant...made it clear that he believes that, then again declared he wanted to be baptized this week. After talking to Andy, next thing I knew, Nathan was praying that prayer with me. Awesome.

For my entertainment, I pointed out to Matt that not only have I prayed for their salvation and baptism, I pray for his future wife. I pray that she too will be a believer and an Oklahoma State fan...I even suggested that somewhere out there on this big earth, is a little girl around his age who maybe has just been baptized too. Matt found the idea intriguing...then Nathan made kissy kissy sounds, Matt punched him in the arm, and my moment of "wow...that's sort of cool" dissolved into brotherly "love."

I was baptized today. My 11 year old son was baptized today. And my 6 year old son was saved today (baptism as soon as church can schedule it). I prayed about their salvation long before they were ever born. Watching God work in their lives is such a joy and a privilege. It just doesn't get any better than that!

Baptism and an Awesome Mom

I am so happy to share that this Sunday, our oldest son will be baptized. Matt is 11 and ready to make this very special step.

And so am I.

I was saved many, many years ago, but I grew up Catholic and was baptized as a baby. My mother is a devout Catholic and a very faithful believer. I've always put off my own baptism (by immersion) because I knew it might hurt her or feel like a sleight to her, her religion, and the faith in which my parents raised me. Catholicism is part of WHO she is. I also believed that I had been baptized and didn't need to re-do it.

Well, time went on, my relationship with God grew, and I really, really, really felt that I needed to comply with God's command that I make a public confession of my faith and belief in my Savior, Jesus Christ. I'm a little slow but I eventually realized that this Voice inside my head that kept prompting me to be baptized again was not going to stop.

I also never wanted any of my kids to ask me when I'd been baptized and have to explain or justify that my infant baptism was "good enough."

Our Bible study group has several members (adults and children) that wanted to be baptized. The plan soon came together and we decided to gather together, invite friends and family, and baptize all of us on the same day. It was a unique situation and a way to share a very special day with some of our closest friends.

I want to share this news. I certainly didn't want to avoid it or worse, hide it when speaking to my mom or other family members. So today I told her about Matt being baptized this Sunday. It was sort of my way of testing the water...to see how she received it before admitting (yes admitting..what a word to choose here) to her that I too would be baptized.

I told her and she was pretty great. She did say it hurt. I know it's because of her deep faith and belief in the teachings of the Catholic church. I know it's because she loves us and wants us to follow the same path. If it didn't mean anything to her, she wouldn't care what we chose to do. But when she said it hurt...I decided to ask about their time at the beach. Way to go me.

Yes I chickened out. After she said she was hurt, I certainly didn't want to say "Oh really...because I (the one you raised in the Catholic church complete with the usual sacraments) am going to be baptized too!" Nope, I froze and didn't mention it.

Then I spent the next two hours imagining the different scenarios. Where Matt blurts out at Thanksgiving dinner that we were both baptized. Or where Nathan decides to question mom on her baptism and tells her about mine. I knew she couldn't find out in that manner.

I also knew that the very reason you get baptized is to make a PUBLIC confession of your faith. That's sort of hard to do if you then have to avoid mentioning it, threaten your children's lives if they talk about it, or pray that no one tags you in a picture from that day on Facebook.

Stupid Facebook.

So, I called her back. I had already sort of missed the "oh and by the way" window, but I knew waiting any longer would make it more awkward. We chatted and then I spilled it. I explained that I never want to hurt her, but that I wanted her to know I was being baptized too.

Amazingly, my dad had helped her process my earlier news about Matt. Since my first call, he had pointed out it's just a good thing. Period. Matt is a believer, knows God, and baptism is a good thing. Mom very nonchalantly repeated what dad had said, said she understood, and that she was okay with it.

Wow. She has always been so supportive of me when it came to not being part of the Catholic church anymore (we weren't married in the Catholic church), but I knew that this baptism was a pretty big departure from it, perhaps the final one for her. I know what my beliefs mean to me, and what I want for my children. Of course she feels the same way.

What I hope she realizes is that while I might have left the Catholic church, and I might have ended up on a slightly different path, this is all her fault. She put me here in this place where my faith and belief system are incredibly strong and influential in how I live my life, and how I parent. My parents gave me that background in church. They laid the foundation and set the example. I have witnessed her (and my Grandmother's) deep faith in the Lord. God was part of our family when times were troubled, and He was at every family celebration. Because of mom and dad, I don't remember a time when I didn't know about Jesus and that He died for our sins.

This isn't about the differences in our beliefs. This is about the gift my parents gave me. They exposed me to God and His teachings and it's why I am in this place today. What a blessing to have been raised this way! And it's part of why my children are being raised this way. It's why a little orphan girl in Taiwan who currently wears a Buddha necklace around her neck, will soon know about Jesus and the incredible sacrifice He made for her.

So, I am so excited to share that I too will be baptized this Sunday. And my mom is awesome, and influential, and a blessing to me and my kids both near and far.

Living with critters

I've just about had my fill (okay, yeah I've definitely had my fill) of animal life in my house. Lizards are the theme of the week. Anyone who knows me knows that I simply don't do reptiles. Of any kind. 

There was the lizard scurrying around the couch. Armed with a broom (I really need to look into better weapons I think), the boys and I chased him out from under the couch and slapped a cup on top of him. Well sort of. We missed...by about a lizard's tail width. 

As the cut off tail continued to wiggle and squirm, Matthew helpfully informed us that it was no big deal because the lizard's tail would just regenerate. Which prompted Nathan to ask what regenerate means. The boys had quite a conversation which included Nathan imagining how cool it would be to re-grow limbs. I pointed out that he'd have to lose one in order to re-grow one. Apparently it's still a cool idea. 

Once Merriam Matt Webster had us all on the same page, we decided to use a dust pan to slide under the cup (again, I really do need better tools for all of this critter catching that I have to do). Since letting the tail-less lizard escape was simply not an option, I was very careful to slide the cup up onto the dustpan without losing contact with the floor (and if that makes any sense at all to anyone else, congratulations). 

I ran to the front door and tossed the lizard out. He sort of looked okay, but not really. I think my sliding-onto-the-dustpan maneuver didn't go so well for the lizard. 

A few days ago our a/c went on the fritz. It's nice and cool in the evenings and so I opened a few windows so that the house would be livable. The first 2 windows I opened had lizards clinging to the screens. I slammed shut those windows and found one that at least for the moment was animal free. 

This past week I've also found these little skinny, black, crunchy bugs. They don't get to live IN my house. It's against my law.

Lastly, I was helping Nathan dress for soccer. I reached down to grab one of his shoes and a stupid lizard poked it's head out of the shoe and looked at me..then dove right back into the shoe. 

I am almost embarrassed to say I screamed like a girl and held the shoe out as far as my really long arms would reach. I ran to the front door (my new repository for all things with 4 or more legs) and proceeded to hand the shoe to Matt and told him to shake the lizard out. Yeah...I did. I panicked and gave it to my 11 year old son to handle. I just kept imagining it jumping out of the shoe and onto my arm. I knew the amount of therapy that would be needed after that would be at an astronomical cost. So yeah, I handed it off to Matt. 

In between laughing at me and shaking the shoe, he managed to get rid of the lizard. Now every time we have soccer, Nathan will hand me his shoe and say "Hope there's not a lizard in there mom...want me to open the front door?" Such a sweet little angel child. 

Lastly, and the reason I even sat down to write is that our paperwork has officially left TECO. It is at our agency and will arrive in Taiwan either tomorrow or Friday. The orphanage is anxious to get this show on the road so they will be initiating the court process quickly. We are thankful that we are over that last hurdle, and praying that the court process goes smoothly. 

Adoption is not for the faint of heart. Neither is catching lizards in your house.

Our future

I enjoy this writer so much and her blog is both entertaining and informative. She and her husband adopted two older children from Ethiopia and she wrote this post about adoption, 1 year later. What an amazing glimpse into our future...both scary and hopeful. 

Waiting, our new hobby

We overnighted our authenticated documents to TECO on July 18th. As of today, the documents are supposedly all in order. Last week they were supposed to send the package of documents to our agency...they make copies of certain things, then they overnight them to the orphanage in Taiwan. 

The documents have yet to arrive at our agency so the agency director tracked the package. It has not been shipped yet. This very moment, it's still sitting on someone's desk in Atlanta. 

The person who made this difficult on day one at TECO has simply been dragging her feet. We've done everything extra that she required. But she's in control and we simply must wait. 

Honestly, I keep hearing the words "it could go as quickly as 6 weeks, or 4-6 months" in my head. And I cringe each and every time. I have a feeling it won't go quickly, but I hope that's just my frustration speaking.

Either way, nothing happens while they sit on Cecilia's desk. And our daughter spends more time in foster care. It's beyond maddening. 

Every day life

Let's see, Matt can put one of his contacts in himself now. If only we could move the other eye to the "good side" long enough to put in the other contact, we'd be good to go. 

Murphy brought in yet another animal/play toy. It was a ground squirrel and he carried it right to his kennel as if he was going to keep it for later. Unlike the bird, this poor creature was no longer alive so I didn't need the distance of a shovel to carry it outside. A dustpan worked just fine, though it's a little more difficult with your eyes closed/averted. 

Nathan likes school. He and Fletcher have become friends and he sometimes calls him Fletch. I don't know why but it makes me smile each time Fletch said this, or did that. 

We see Andy in exactly one week. I can't wait to spend a few days with him. I long for his company, and laughter, and hugs. And his ability to pack school lunches.

Soccer starts next week. Matt is attending the church Youth group on Wednesdays, and our weekly Connect Group starts meeting on Wednesdays again. I look forward to all of it. As much as I enjoy a lazy summer day, the scheduled activities and on-the-go way of life are also appealing. If only none of it required clean clothes, I'd like it a lot more. 

I think of K so many times each day. I am apprehensive about the changes for her, for us. I want her here. I am a little scared unsure about her adjustment..our adjustment. But as usual God's Word is so clear about this and I'm thankful to have read this very verse tonight. 

"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 
Jeremiah 29:11

It may or may not be easy, but it will be okay. We are part of her future. She is part of ours. What a gift!

TECO update

Finally! Our paperwork is there and they don't have any problems with the documents. There is one last letter for them to approve and then they will send it all back to our agency.

The agency will send it all to the orphanage, and the social worker there will initiate the actual court process. According to our agency, we seem to have a great social worker, one who is pretty good at navigating the courts. YAY!

K's birth family is out of the picture in a variety of ways. She has a sibling that was adopted over a year ago already. She's also been in foster care for a long period of time. Apparently these are all things that can help expedite the process if we happen to get a favorable judge. There is really no reason to delay it and they want her to get to her family as soon as possible. Music to my ears!

Our agency said we could possibly travel as soon as 8 weeks from now...and if it goes slowly, there are hold-ups, etc, it could be up to 6 months before we travel. I'm praying it's sooner rather than later. I know God is in control and the timing will be perfect. But there are no two ways about it, waiting is hard, no matter how you slice it!

A good update though and another step closer!

School Year 2012

Our sweet boys started school today. Nathan reluctantly marched off to 1st grade. He mentioned several times last week that he REALLY loves homeschooling. Subtlety is not his forte. Matthew looked forward to 5th grade just as any normal, red-blooded, American, sleep-in-all-summer boy would. 

Nathan's teacher is exactly what I wanted. Her classroom is organized and bright and focused on reading, reading, and reading. She is organized and bright. It's such a refreshing change from last year. And I controlled myself very well...didn't even come close to hugging her like I wanted to out of pure happiness. When I left him there I was a little sad, but I knew he was in good hands. He had already befriended a boy named Fletcher and I decided I hope they are best buds. What's not to like about a 6 year old with brown hair named Fletcher?

Matthew's two teachers seem great. His homeroom teacher is a man and it's just a totally different feel. I watched him talk to some of the kids and he's just relaxed and funny. He's not the type of teacher that will necessarily hug the kids or comfort them...but he'll nudge them with his elbow, and get them to crack a smile while learning about the cottage industry and the industrial revolution. He also has a bass and two deer hanging on his classroom walls. His cool factor went up exponentially in Matthew's eyes. 

When I grow up I want to be like his other teacher. She is ON it! She teaches all of the language arts and boy will she be asking a lot of them. They learn, write, and perform plays (instead of doing yet another worksheet). She uses novels and activities to teach the simplest of ideas. And they brought back the good ol' fashioned spelling test. Apparently last year this district abandoned the idea of spelling things correctly. It must have gone really well because they've completely reversed their thinking this year. I'm glad to see it. She even grades handwriting. Matt would rather pull his fingernails out than write in cursive...this will be good for him!

No first day of school is complete without the requisite front door pic. 

Matthew informed me there would be NO pictures on school grounds. I teased him that I planned on taking a picture of him sitting at his desk. He couldn't roll his eyes back into his head fast enough. Love him. 

Anyway, here's Nater and his new teacher. So cute!

Let the school year begin!

Allergy shots, contacts, and Oscars

Like any other well-behaved Oklahoma girl, I suffered from horrible allergies. I saw the doctor, went through the torture skin testing, and ended up receiving allergy shots each week. We lived several miles from the doctor's office and so they trained my dad to give me the shots. 

As a kid, it was no big deal. Dad made it seem so easy and I never really thought abut it. Recently, dad admitted that he HATED giving those things to me. Like most parents he did not enjoy the process of jabbing a needle into my arm.

I thought of him this past week...each morning. 

Matthew has begged to wear contacts. At his yearly eye checkup, he finally got his wish. The eye doctor decreed that if he could insert and remove them, Matt was cleared to wear them. 

Knowing that his world would end if he was unable to get contacts, the pressure was on. He practiced, tried, worked hard, stressed, practiced, stressed, and well, you get the idea. 

Try as he might, he couldn't quite get them in yet. Enter, mom. With me prying his upper eyelid up, and him prying his lower eyelid down, I put his contacts in each morning. I cannot explain in words how horrible it is to touch another person's eyeball. Not even cute Matthew's. It's really disturbing to be honest. Bleck.

In addition, I as the mom must not show that it's completely gross. It's totally normal to mess with that jelly-ish globe and touch it. So  yeah, I deserve an Academy Award. 

Each evening, I thank the Lord that he is able to remove them. I'm pretty sure I just couldn't do that part too. 

It is pretty cool to see his face without glasses. He's a pretty cute kid so after I recover each morning, I enjoy the view. And so does he. ;)