Adoption Update - July 25th

When we last touched base with our Adoption Specialist, the word was our home study would be complete around July 23rd. So far, we haven't heard an additional update, but Leslie and I are both hopeful that it will be complete this week. As I have mentioned in previous posts, the completed home study feels like a milestone, an acheivement.

We should not be looking at this journey in the form of achieving milestones. I imagine that taking that approach will shift focus from the process itself. Dave preached in church on Sunday and his sermon was about achievement versus attentiveness. He challenged us to focus on being attentive (at home, at work, running errands) and not to focus on achievement. He used the story of Mary and Martha to contrast the difference.

My challenge then becomes how to I act more like Mary (who was in the moment with Jesus) and less like Martha (who was fixated on completing her chores)? That is tough in this process. Being achievement minded gives you some sense of control. And that "control" is something you cling too with all your might, especially when so much of the adoption is up to other people, organizations and governments.

So, prayers for continues patience and strength to be attentive. Prayers for the leaders in Haiti. And prayers for the kids at the orphanage (God's Littlest Angels).

3-2-1 Blast Off

We launched model rockets last night. It was "awesome". That was what Eli said all night and continued on into the morning. It really was fun. The kids each built their own rocket that I helped with. And of course I had to build one for myself. It was as much fun as I remember as a kid.

The Rocketeers

It reminded me of my first launch as a kid. I remember Gunga and Apopps being there. So, Mom and Dad laid out a blanket. There might have even been some picnic food. We got everything all set up for the launch. We didn't know what to expect, but we weren't prepared for how quick the rocket left the launch pad. I think everyone expected a slow lift off like the Space Shuttle.

Well, I did the count down, hit the launch button and the rocket took off with a ppfffsssstttt. Right into the sky. We also miscalculated the wind. So, when the chute deployed, the chase was on. I had to run and run and run to chase that thing down. By the time I got back to the family the car was packed. What a memory.

Eli's Bandito

Katie's Viking

Brad's Hi Flier

How do you choose?

I haven't had an update in a while on the adoption process. Sorry about that.

This past Tuesday we had our fourth and final visit with the adoption specialist. That means that she can now work on completing her home study report. We should have that in 3 weeks or so. Once that is complete we can move forward with the Immigration paperwork. It also allows us to apply for grants/loans and some of the financial aid that might be out there for us. Getting the home study complete is also a milestone and passing milestones provides the feeling of progress.

Our next set of tasks are compiling all of the dossier paperwork. This is the paperwork that goes to Haiti and starts the formal process there. This is were it gets fun. We get to go back to the doctor. We get to see a licensed shrink so he/she can report that we are not insane. We get to gather formal birth and marriage certificates. We get to talk to our bank. And we also get to gather a bunch of photos. Sounds like we will be on the grid in both the US and in Haiti now.

The other neat part of all of this is some of the documents need to be notarized, some need to certified by the state of Indiana and other have to be translated into French. Yeah, there is a little sarcasm in those last comments. While I am frustrated by some of the process, I know deep down that this is what God wants for us and something that needs to happen. Keep the eye on the prize right?

To the title of this post. When we meet with the agency on Tuesday, they informed us that they were working with a second creche (orphanage) in Haiti. On the surface this sounds great right? Two orphanages, more options for potential children to be matched with.

Well, we had to pick one of the two orphanages to work with. For some reason, this weighed heavy on my heart. I had the feeling that we would choose incorrectly. We'd pick the wrong orphanage and the child that was supposed to be with us would reside in the other orphanage.

We found out today that we DON'T have to choose after all. The new orphanage let the adoption agency that they are not interested in working with us because of our biological kids. Because we have Katie and Eli, there is an extra step that our application/process needs to go through with the Haitian government.

I am relived that we don't have to pick an orphanage. At the same time, I need to be prepared to have my big boy pants on because I am sure this won't be the last tough decision we will need to make.

June Garden Update

The garden is really coming along nicely. Tons and tons of lettuce. The leaf lettuce has come in and is a nice contrast to the volume of Romaine that we have. I recently added jalapeno peppers to go along with the green bell and cascabel. I also added a roma tomato plant. The trellis is new since the last post and as you can see the snap peas have grown up nicely.

Peas, cucumbers, onions, lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower.

Leah (my sister) and I were talking recently and she reminded me of being able to pick peas fresh from Grandpa Manbeck's garden and eat them on the spot. Eli and I sample one of the peas last night and with the help of that conversation, the flavors and experience brought back a rush of memories.

We've been able to have an onion and broccoli as well. There was also one lone grape tomato that Eli said was yummy. All delicious. Can't wait for the carrots to be ready to harvest and the cucumbers to start climbing the trellis.

Beans, peppers, tomatoes and herbs.

Mid-May Garden Update

The garden is really humming along. Eli and I did have one mishap from planting too early. We lost the first tomato plant we added too frost. I just couldn't help myself and planted too early.

We have harvested some romaine lettuce. Used it in a salad and also on Tuesday for Taco night.

The newest and maybe most fun edition is a pepper plant from my friend Needham. Needham works with my and lives in North Carolina. He is in Bloomington, IN this week helping IU with a project for work. There is a pepper lady in Bloomington and Needham is a hug pepper fan. So he bought some peppers for himself and picked up a Cascabel pepper for me. When harvested I am going to dry and then grind these peppers and use them in chili and similar dishes.

Happy Cascabel Pepper.

Here are some photos of how the rest of the garden is going. From bottom left, we just planted cucumber seeds. Then there are peas (Eli and I need to create a trellis). There is broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, then spinach, lettuce, romaine, onions, then some carrots, more lettuce and a broccoli.

The other box is not quite as full yet. Starting at the bottom left we have a grape tomato plant, the cascabel, then some beans we planted as seeds and a bean plant Eli grew in school, and finally a regular tomato.

2nd Home Study Meeting is in the books

We continue to make progress in the Home Study process. On Monday, Leslie and I meet at the BCS offices with the Adoption Specialist. We each meet with her individually as well together as a couple. In this meeting we focused on our childhood, how we were raised, what we remember about growing up. All in all an interesting exercise. You don't spend a lot of time thinking about these kinds of questions.

So what are the next steps? Well, we have our 3rd of 4 meetings scheduled for 6/2 at the house. This one will involve the kids. We are starting in on the initial educational requirements. We have an online set of classes that will fulfill 10 of the 30 credit hours we need. We also need to get working on the second set of paperwork. This is for the Dossier. The Dossier is all the paperwork that goes to Haiti.

Keep those prayers coming. For now, we need prayers of patience and perseverance.

Enjoying the "firsts"

So, up until recently, Eli has expressed very little interest in riding his bike. By 6, most kids have mastered this skill. But Eli, he'd rather zip around the neighborhood on a Razor scooter. Well Sunday, peer pressure won out.

He came into the house on Sunday afternoon and asked me to remove the training wheels on his bike. He wasn't alone. There were three other neighborhood kids with him, all wanting to teach him to ride a bike. We got the training wheels off no problem and then came the learning part.

To my amazement, he was riding in on his own in less than 5 minutes. Once I could convince him to let me help him get started, that was all it took. I helped him with his balance and away he went.

Now, you can't get the kid off his bike. He even showed up to meet me in his bike helmet last night when Leslie and Katie went to choir practice. So later that night we took a friend of his and went on a long ride around the neighborhood. And believe me, the kid has little fear on the bike and acts like he has been riding for months.

I've got to say that while there is some sadness that we are working through some if the big kid "firsts" (losing a tooth, riding a bike, etc.), I'm more excited about how both kids are maturing and growing as individuals. It is incredibly heart warming to witness and be a part of.

Which brings me to the thoughts swirling in my head about the adopted child. How old will they be? Have they been born yet? What firsts will we get to be a part of? How many of those firsts will be different than Katie and Eli? Can we get Katie and Eli to be as engaged and excited about all of this as us? Do we really know what we are doing in trying to adopt?

I suppose the length of the process is also designed to help bring some amount of clarity or peace to these swirling questions.