Family

Thoughts on my mind tonight.  Family.  Family is important.  All children should have a family to belong too.  Regardless of how good an orphange is, it's still an orphanage. 

Every child deserves their very own mama and papa.  Brothers to build forts with, play with, run with.  Sisters to tease and torment. FAMILY... isn't that what we all want? 

Our family is not perfect.  But it is ours.  And i think, pretty cool if i do say so myself.  We fight and argue sometimes, just like anyone.  But under it all, we love.  We love each other.  We love others.  We stand up for each other and what is right.  Isn't that what every child wants and deserves?????

Random Pics

  Got some news today that it might be longer than we were thinking before we travel.  And although my mama's heart is sad, i know it will happen when it is supposed to.  So, while we wait, i will soak up this fleeting time as a family of five, and look foward with joy to our coming time as a family of six!

Water table!

I could sneak my foot in here if mom would just look away!

I'm super cool!

stop taking my picture mom!

Father's Day Post From Dad

For Father's day I thought I would write a post about adoption. Since I work in IT Jamie is normally the one posting but I thought this was important. So here are a few things from my point of view.

Jamie and I have 3 wonderful young biological children and then begin the adoption process to bring home another child. Its definitely been an eye opening experience for me. I certainly hadn't planned to end up here but my only regret so far is we didn't start this process sooner.

When did you first consider adoption and how did you first become aware of the need for adoptive parents?

We first started thinking about adoption at the end of 2011. We had been discussing foster care shortly after our daughter was born at the beginning of 2011 but were waiting till she turned one. As we learned more about international adoption and what it entailed we thought we could make a difference.

Did you have any hesitations or fears at first and if so, what were they? 
Like any major life changing event there were concerns. Financially international adoption is expensive as most of you know. Can we help another child and handle the cost? Also how will he integrate with our family?
I thought I was completely done having children period but after looking into adoption and realizing we could make a difference and help someone have a better life that changed my perspective. Now I can't wait to get our son home so he can be part of our family.

If your child is already home, did you find it hard to bond with him or her? 
Our child isn't home yet but we are hoping to travel in August.

In your opinion, what is the hardest thing about adoption?
The hardest part of adoption is the waiting and not knowing what condition your child is living in. Are they safe and getting enough to eat. Do they have someone that spends time with them and holds them?

In the adoption world, we hear a lot from the women/moms who have adopted and not so much from the dads. Is there anything you’d like to say to other adoptive or potential adoptive dads?
I would say to other perspective dads considering international adoption give it a chance. Like I said above I didn't think we would have or adopt anymore children. Take some time and learn about the process and the difference you could make in a child's life. 

Picture

Well, we are in waiting mode here...so nothing all to interesting on the adoption front.  We are trucking along at home.  We have a couple of things we need to finish out for our homeschool year, and then i do plan to continue doing homeschool-light as it were over the summer.  I don't think a 12 week break from all school is good for kids in general :)  Luckily, my kids like to do homeschool so i don't anticipate much fussing from them!  We are also doing swim lessons, a co-op day every week with my friend Jane,  piano, zoo, museum, acquarium...all fun summer stuff, so don't feel to sorry for the kids!!

Here are some recent pics of the kids...

Luci loves to put random clothes on her head and laugh hysterically!

This is Tom's favorite new thing to do!  I think it is pretty awesome myself!  And, on a side note, it keeps him occupied and quiet for a LONG time :)

Gwen likes to play in the sprinkler :)

Luci is a cool cat!

Why we are doing this

Questions that we have gotten since we started the process to adopt our sweet boy.
1. Why are you adopting a child with special needs?
2. You know you can't save them all right?
3. Surely you are done now right?

Well, let me tell you, we are adopting a child with special needs from another country because of children like this.  Meet Tsveti.  She died today.   She died alone in an institution.  She died alone with no mama to tuck her in at night.  No papa to pick her up and swing her round and round.  No brothers and sisters to play with, to laugh with, to fight with.  No Nanny to dress her up and put makeup on her.  No one at all to care for and love her.  She spent all day every day in a crib, even at 11 years old.  The thought that this child went 11 years without a family, kisses, hugs, tickles and mama's warm arms is more than i can bare tonight.  No one deserves that, especially a child whose only crime was to be born with an extra chromosome. 

In Loving Memory2000-2012

 

I watched my kids play and laugh and scream today, and had to fight back the tears more than once.  Every child deserves a day like my kids had today.  A normal day in a family.  A family who wants them and loves them. 

 

Some people think we shouldn't ask others to help us raise the money to set our son free.  Some people aren't interested in helping at all, whether that be fundraising or spreading the word or helping in other ways to support us.  Some people don't understand why we care about a random kid halfway across the ocean we have never met before.  SHE is why we care.  So many of these kids meet the same fate as dear Tsveti.  Unloved and uncared for and end up dying alone. 

 

So, when you say to me, "you can't save them all", it makes me want to scream, but we can!!!  I personally may not be able to save every single orphan, but i can damn well try to help.  I'm tired of people pushing this problem aside.  Everyone can help.  Adopt, donate to a family adopting, pray if you are so inclined.  Call up a family who is adopting and ask what they need.  Let them vent about mounds of paperwork and let them cry in your ear if they need to.  Offer to bring them a meal.  Send them a text letting them know you are thinking of them.  DO SOMETHING!

 

As for the last question, well, maybe we are done and maybe we are not.  But really, when you look at that sweet face above and think about her dying alone, do you really have the heart to discourage families trying to bring home a kid?

 

 

More information can be found about Tsveti at this blog, http://www.only1mom.com/2012/06/she-died-alone.html

Our friend Brady

Many of you know about our friend Brady!  He and his wife Andrea are the couple who raised all the money for Eli's original grant!  We owe them such a debt of gratitude for giving us such a good start on bringing our boy home.  But Brady's generosity didn't stop with Eli.  He and Andrea have raised money for another child with down syndrome and are currently working on a third!  They are tireless in their efforts to help these orphans find good homes :)  Brady is currently participating in a contest to get a chance to run in an ironman and bring a TON of awareness to these needy kids!  He needs our help with voting.  It's free and easy and such a great way to help this man who has helped so many others.  Below is cut and pasted from Brady's blog, please please please go vote for him!

Racing for Orphans with Down Syndrome

My family and I have loved being able to work on behalf of the children on Reece's Rainbow since finding this great organization. It's for this reason that I had a hard time sleeping because of the excitement after hearing about this announcement!

Two months ago, Ironman announced a contest called Kona Inspired. How it works is they have given the general public an opportunity to submit a 90 second video based around the theme, "Anything is Possible". Winners receive a spot to race in the Ironman World Championship in October, but most importantly, they will race as a media athlete and have the opportunity to share their story on NBC's nationally televised broadcast of the championship this year! THIS COULD BE OUR OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE THESE PRECIOUS CHILDREN'S STORY WITH THE WORLD!!!

After reading Ironman's press release we immediately went to work. This is an opportunity to help these children in a way that I never imagined possible! The video came together with the help of many wonderful people and we submitted it. 105 videos were submitted. After over a month long preliminary public voting, we just received word that we are one of the top 15 videos and will compete in the final round of voting June 4 - June 18!!!

Please take a moment to WATCH, VOTE, and SHARE our video as much as possible throughout the day from your home computer, work computer, laptop, phone, etc! We need to be in the top 2 videos at the end of the day on June 18.

KONA INSPIRED VIDEO LINK

Thank you for your time and willingness to make the dream of these orphans of finding their forever family a reality!

apostilled baby!!!

Jared and the kids and i took a trek up to columbus today to get 33 papers apostilled!!!!!!  He sat with the kids in the car and they watched a movie and i sat in the state office and waited (not) so patiently for the nice man to bring my life back to me.  I was so nervous i forgot a paper or the worker would loose one or something...what can i say, i was bored, my imagination ran away from me!

After a while another man came in and i overheard him say he was adopting also!  We struck up a conversation to help pass the time.  He and his wife have no biological children, they decided that they wanted a child and that there were plenty of kids who need a good home.  Awesome!!!!  He was asking about why we decided to adopt after having 3 biological children.  I got to share the story of so many of these little children who are abused or neglected, simply because they were born with an extra chromosome.  It was great to spread the word and who knows about a seed that may have been planted?

We went to COSI afterwards and the kids had a blast!!!  We were so busy chasing them around that we didn't take any pictures!  Sorry!  Next time i promise!