Now we move on to the governmental paperwork and paper trail.
Huzzah indeed!
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Huzzah!
Now we move on to the governmental paperwork and paper trail.
Huzzah indeed!
Awake My Soul
"In these bodies we will live, in these bodies we will die.
Where you invest your love, you invest your life.
In these bodies we will live, in these bodies we will die.
Where you invest your love, you invest your life.
Awake my soul, awake my soul
Awake my soul.
For you where made to meet your maker."
Mumford & Sons
Where you invest your love, you invest your life.
In these bodies we will live, in these bodies we will die.
Where you invest your love, you invest your life.
Awake my soul, awake my soul
Awake my soul.
For you where made to meet your maker."
Mumford & Sons
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Walking a tightrope
Are you familiar with the Flying Wallendas? The circus daredevil act that does crazy stunts on a high wire without a safety net?
I was refelcting today on my thoughts and mindset with the adoption and realized that I feel like a member of the Wallendas. No, I am not writing this blog post perched on a pole about to walk out on a tightrope. However, I feel like I am balancing my emotions and they are resting on that highwire way up there without a saftey net. Let me try and explain.
On one side, I am trying not to get ahead of myself. Our home study is not complete. What if the agency comes back and says we are not qualified to adopt. (Crazy, I know, but these are my emotions folks). What if the process drags on and on for years? Do we have the staying power and patience for this to go on this long. What if Haiti ratifies the Hague and the process changes dramatically or even worse, adoptions get shut down? How will we cope? How long can we continue in the process with no end in sight?
On the other side, the more I read about GLA (the orphanage), the more I am encouraged by the care the children receive. These kids are loved and well cared for and the orphanage follows the rules and is looking our for both the adopted child, the adopting family, and the birth family. We are hearing reports that Haitian Social Services is moving more quickly on adoptions. This brings hope that our wait might not be as long as expected. We also hear that there are not many requests for boys, and that means that the referral for our son could be right around the corner once GLA gets our paperwork. And, God has called Leslie and I on this journey. That is incredibly powerful and uplifting.
Can you see how I am stuck in a balancing act? Stick with me. It's going to be a crazy balancing act on that high-wire. I know that when it is all over, we can all give a huge standing ovation.
I was refelcting today on my thoughts and mindset with the adoption and realized that I feel like a member of the Wallendas. No, I am not writing this blog post perched on a pole about to walk out on a tightrope. However, I feel like I am balancing my emotions and they are resting on that highwire way up there without a saftey net. Let me try and explain.
On one side, I am trying not to get ahead of myself. Our home study is not complete. What if the agency comes back and says we are not qualified to adopt. (Crazy, I know, but these are my emotions folks). What if the process drags on and on for years? Do we have the staying power and patience for this to go on this long. What if Haiti ratifies the Hague and the process changes dramatically or even worse, adoptions get shut down? How will we cope? How long can we continue in the process with no end in sight?
On the other side, the more I read about GLA (the orphanage), the more I am encouraged by the care the children receive. These kids are loved and well cared for and the orphanage follows the rules and is looking our for both the adopted child, the adopting family, and the birth family. We are hearing reports that Haitian Social Services is moving more quickly on adoptions. This brings hope that our wait might not be as long as expected. We also hear that there are not many requests for boys, and that means that the referral for our son could be right around the corner once GLA gets our paperwork. And, God has called Leslie and I on this journey. That is incredibly powerful and uplifting.
Can you see how I am stuck in a balancing act? Stick with me. It's going to be a crazy balancing act on that high-wire. I know that when it is all over, we can all give a huge standing ovation.
Monday, July 25, 2011
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).
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).
Friday, July 15, 2011
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.
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.
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| The Rocketeers |
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.
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| Eli's Bandito |
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| Katie's Viking |
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| Brad's Hi Flier |
Saturday, June 18, 2011
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.
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.
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| 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.
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| Beans, peppers, tomatoes and herbs. |
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