While We Wait

                            While We Wait

I have been here before, I have been here twice.  Amanda was only 8 weeks early with 12 weeks of bed rest and Joshua a mere 6 weeks early with 6 weeks of bed rest.  That is 18 weeks of bed rest due to pre-term labor!  Those who know me well know that was not fun for me and surely not for those around me!

Amanda Senior 2012

Amanda Senior 2012

I feel like we are on bed rest.  We know the kids are coming and we know it is soon but we have to wait!  I mean really!?  Haven't we waited long enough?  OK so Haiti is a "Third World Country" adoptions from "those types of countries" take time.  Well, for those taking notes, we are done in Haiti.  Yes, that is right, we are done!  We have gone through IBESR, we have adoption decrees, been through Parque, MOI and we now have passports.  So what are we waiting for?  Um...  The United States of America!  Yes, that is right I said the United States of America, you know the forward progressing country, the #1 country in the World, the promised land for so many. Our USCIS made choices that were not favorable to our case.  She has done this with other families so we would appreciate it if you could pray for her, for God to change her heart towards adoption or move her to another position.

Amanda Senior 2012

Amanda Senior 2012

So while you wait with us check out a few pictures of our oldest daughter Amanda.  Not just because she is beautiful but because she is a Senior and deserves to be "show cased" this year!! She is now dangling her head in embarrassment because she hates to be the center of attention.  Sorry Amanda every now and then it is just your turn!

The King's going HOME!

While we wait we also watch others going home.  Was their road easy?  NO! But hope is given when we FINALLY see others bringing their children home.  Please note the King's would have had their daughters home 2-3 months ago if the U.S.A. had been on the ball, yes I said U.S.A not Haiti.  We have been with the King's in their journey almost since the beginning.  It has not been easy! The parent interview did not go well, we made new holes in our already worn out jeans but the girls are now home and the King's are now complete, praise God!  January 16, 2012 the King's landed in Nashville and are now home and feeling quite complete!

MyLifeSpeaks

While we wait and become desperate we also visit. Enjoy a few pictures of the recent visit Joshua and I took January 11th - 16th 2012.  We attended a celebration of sorts on the 12th with My Life Speaks for their grand opening in Haiti.  This was the 2nd memorial of the devastating earthquake of January 12, 2010.   We had a great time serving God in their facility.  Please stop their website to learn more about their service in Haiti and here in America.  They are an amazing organization we are honored to support.

Over looking Port-au-Prince

We also got to visit the over look of Port -au-Prince and the Baptist Mission.  We have to love the zoo.  They have rabbits, peacocks, goats, and a monkey.  Yes, that's it and it is called a zoo.  The kids love it!  Hey they get out of the creche, out of the confines of the 10 foot fences with razor wire and live a little.  If they get to go there twice a year with their adoptive families they are thrilled!  They haven't been to any other zoo so they don't know that there is more waiting for them when they get home.  It's a brand new world as Disney proclaims.

Mom, I love her!

There came a point in this adoption process that our 6 foot teddy bear Josh just couldn't wait any longer to see, meet, hug you know to know that he knew the kids are real we really are adopting these three beautiful children in all these pictures.  So... we went to Haiti to visit.  Now Josh is Josh and other than Frantz there really isn't anyone that comes close to this amazing young man's energy, love for life and well determination.  So... there came a time in our visit where Josh said "Mom we can't leave with out visa's and passports, I mean it."  I get that, visas and passports mean we take the kids home with us!  I'm game!!  The next morning we learned we were out of MOI!!  That means we can get passports, whooooo, hooo!!!  We were so excited!   We are so close now!  Ahhhhh.... this trip was so worth it!!

Brothers!

Monday morning we get up and know we have to say goodbye.  We knew it would be difficult at best.  I struggled with the thought when we planned this trip we didn't even think how hard it would be for Joshua to say goodbye.   Not exactly the thinking a head kind of planning we usually do.  We knew a visit is what Josh needed so we did it. 
We tried to explain to the kids that the steps needed to bring them were; passports, physicals, biological parent interview and the final visa appointment.  We have come a long way!!  We are so close but still so far away.  The kids do not understand, we do not understand. Please be praying for the last few steps, our children and our fund raising process.  When we were getting ready to say goodbye and take the kids to their school Dr. Bernard said "Do not take your children to school, they are not going today.  We are taking them to get their passports prepared."  WOW!!! 

Frantz, Josh, Junior, Mom and Monique

So on the way to the airport we dropped the kids off at the New Life Link office where they met Dr. Bernard and he took them to immigration.  To our surprise just 3 short days later we received an email with photo copies of our children's passports!! 

We are so excited and we just can't wait to be a family all under one roof.  Being separated by 1400 miles might not be much for some but is too far for us!!

If you have been on this journey with us for a long time or just joining us please know we appreciate you so much!!  There is still time to pray, donate, email us if you want to help in other ways and we can tell you what we need still as far as clothes, toys, etc...

Here is a link for immediate donations.  We have sent out a challenge if you can give up one meal out and want to help just click $12.50 to donate.  Please share this link, you never know who might want to donate let them decide.  We do appreciate it!!  Let's watch that thermometer rise!!