And here we are...

The end of one week and transitioning into a brand new one. It was disappointing not to hear news today but I have to remind myself that God answers prayers to His glory not MY timetable. Still, my human nature is straining towards the homecomings of so many children that it's hard not to "pull a faith muscle" once in a while :0)

I think having the earthquake in Virginia and then the hurricane pass so close to Haiti before battering the US coast brigs the reality of disaster close to home. Not having the boys here in my care is hard for this Momma! Not that they are not being taken excellent care of in Haiti..they are.. I have no complaints.. but I also have no control. And the giving up of control for my little bitties is very hard.

SOOOOOO..I've scrubbed rooms and been cyber shopping for new bedroom set and dining set for our family. It is time for us to upgrade to a table we will all be able to sit around and we need to replace our bed which we gave away in South Carolina. After three months we have finally homed in on.. a truck load of options..narrowed down from "to infinity and beyond" or so it seems. When we  pick a finalist I'll post the winner :0)

I've been introduced to the crazy world of Wipeout. A family member is part of the black and blue team that tests these stunts for the show. The entertainment is watching humanity trying to scale these seemingly imposable courses for the grand prize of $50,000 and yes..once again I start thinking how many adoptions that would allow. As there are days I have a hard time scaling the few toys left in the hallway I doubt my progress would be spectacular in this show..but in my head I like to think it would be :0)

So, ending the week hopeful that next week we will hear our adoption decree is in the hands of our lawyers, our passports are in progress and we can plan a trip to get the boys. Also hopeful we will hear the same for friends at the same stage as we are AND that we will hear that Lovely Roseline is out of IBESR.  Praying for safety and security for friends and family on the East Coast tonight and through the weekend.

Hard day

It's not been a hard day all day, I've had moments of laughter, fun and joy. This evening we went to church and once again God had been filling the Pastor in on all my failings so he could cut to the quick and give me another humbling learning experience..God is good that way :0) Loves us enough to only let us rest on our laurels briefly before He continues His honing of us!

But all day I have felt like a cat on a hot tin roof. We got two forms back saying our paper work had been sent to the Haitian Embassy for processing. This means that once we get the passports and the boys have had their physicals we can go get visas for them and bring them home!! YET we don't have passports or even the adoption decree yet..so.....

And I have been missing Jesley so much today!!! The grief doesn't seem to be getting any easier and the closer the boys come to being home the big the Jesley gap is. I rejoice so in the boys, my sons, who will be coming home with us but I am mourning my Jesley..my Noah and strangely I'm mourning the loss of my twins as well. Can't really put my finger on it but it is part of this journey and so here it is...

So thankful the last two hurricanes have skirted Haiti. Being here and having the boys there has my Mummy heart wanting to jump on a plane and fly INTO the storms not away from them, I want my arms around them if danger is coming.. thankfully God loves them infinitely more than I do, but still.

My twins

So thankful I got the brief time I did with them and I know joy will come in the morning once my sons are home. I have such a great deal to look forward to.

School and Scholars

I am often asked how we homeschool... well this is how we do it TODAY! Everyday is different...

I missed getting photos of Emma making smoothies for us all this morning and the children doing their morning chores.. but here is how I found them when I just got up to get photos....

J finishing off science

E has injured her back but that doesn't stop a homeschooler :0)

B finished his reading unit yesterday and now is slogging through handwriting

A studying for a test

C getting ready for some painting

H is finishing her reading unit..

                                          C has finished painting and is doing her letter sheet

We all stop to check out hummingbirds (the bird of the month) at http://www.wbu.com/

and the owl cam at  http://www.ustream.tv/channel/bonnie-and-clyde-owlcam

and then it is lunch time....

Benjamin takes a marketing call.. no thank-you we don't want a free cruise..

and everyone indulges C and watches Hello Kitty with lunch..

after lunch we get our chores done.. laundry..

dog walking...

cleaning out the dogs room

(and dishes..the boys are on dishes today and I'm too busy refereeing disputes to take a photo :0) )

we are heading into the afternoon.. it will be more of the same...

Except C's bike chain will come off and get wrapped around the barrel of her bike..

so instead of riding she chooses to try to plant a few petals and see if they will grow into flowers..

maybe like this rose which we frequently take time to stop and smell..

the flower not yielding the results she had hoped she enlists big brother to help her make crayons..

and spend some time watching the old crayons melt..

as busy as she is she still manages to stage a little people invasion of H's school desk...

and...

crawls down the hallway like a slug or snail... which happens to be what H has been learning about today...

after tests have been completed guinea pigs need cleaning out...

and of course that leads to a great family art-o-tunity

 look familiar?

 how about now?

 or now...?

 now????

 maybe now.. all we need is the old house in the background!

Crazy kids!!!! :0)

And so endeth a homeschool day :0)

Cows and horses have four legs!

Sometimes it is the simple statements that stop you in your tracks!

"Mummy, cows and horses have four legs!"

"Yes they do!"

"Look one, two, flee, four...and one, two, flee, four!"

All this said in the awed tone of just having discovered the meaning of the universe! Sometimes it takes my breath away that I have the joy of raising this little girl, she brings such moments of intesity to our home.

"and Blueberry cup cake has two!"

uhh.. well Okie Dokie then.. my world of knowledge is now complete!

It is true, as evidenced by this photo taken by the great mathamatician herself.. horses have four and cupcakes have two!

The other day I was cleaning up my room and tidying up the baby area with a heart full of longing for my sons to be home with us. Little Miss C popped right up and asked what I was doing.

"Getting the area ready for our babies"

"Oooohhhhh," squeeled C "I just get so'ssssssss excited when yous says babies!!!!!!!!!!"

Yep, me too little girl!

22 children home in their families arms

Today I am praying for:
and we are continuing this week in prayer for these children and the continuing process in government selections in Haiti.

Children to come out of IBESR

Lovely Roseline
Yphterline & Ben
Carline
Betson
Brandalene
Claude & Mithe-Love
Stephania,Lorvens & Janelson
M & L
Stephania & Peterson
Guerry
Wensley
Moise & Fredly
Wilguens & Vertilus
Wilnes, Wendy, Woody
Rose Bendy Isma
Loudjina
Thurstan & Tatum
Babala (Lulu) & Virgile
Benji Love & John Dearson

and my friend Dell's adoption.

More than 22 :0) but I know God has a plan for each of these little ones and I'm happy to be a praying part of it. Many of these children have become friends  as we have gone through our adoption process. As I pray for each of them my love for them grows and the joy of seeing them home with their families increases.

Praying today for progress on their dossiers.

I'm enjoying having my 22 focus.. it seems to be WAY more overwhelming than simply bringing the boys home so I'm thinking that is a good thing. A lot like dropping something on your left foot to stop your right from hurting.

We are finally seeing the end of the 2010/2011 school year. With the move, trip to Haiti and other life events we found ourselves scrambling to finish by September. A gigantic effort by all has resulted in lessons flying off the pen and projects finishing completion... we are ALL looking forward to cracking open the new books and starting afresh. There will be a couple of repeat courses next year but a LOT of determined children ready to "get all the work done so it's not hanging over our heads next Summer!"

Miss C has become a great little kitchen helper!!! Here she is helping me make bread rolls for an event at our house....

We gave away three bags of left over rolls!!!

This Summer the base library had a reading program and we all signed up and began to log the number of pages we read. Thousands of pages were consumed and logged, the children have always loved to read and even I managed to set aside time for some lighter summer perusing. I am currently reading a book called "A Year in Provence" I'll let you know how I like it, so far I am really enjoying this insight into a British Couples foray into French life and culture.

We miss our friends from South Carolina every day and are being blessed with a great neighborhood and church here, life really is VERY good!

Love Wendy

Twenty Two:

Being true to my nature I have to consider what it might be to have to wait "the longer time frame". I have hope we will not have to wait this long and we are praying for a much shorter time before reunion..but... while I wait here is my 22 in 22 list:

1. Lose 22 pounds in 22 weeks (2 down)
2. Pick up 22 things a day and decided to keep, give or throw away (8 down )
3. read 22 books (7 down )
4. learn 22 verses (18 down )
5. write 22 blog posts (2 down )
6. walk 22 miles
7. bike 22 hours
8. cook 22 new recipes (3 down )
9. give  22 loaves of bread to 22 neighbors (4 down )
10. save 22 dollars a week (price of a plane ticket to Haiti by the end of the project)
11. write 22 letters
12. buy 22 Christmas gifts, bought, wrapped and sent
13. make 22 scrapbook pages
14. pray for 22 children to reunited with their forever families
15. learn 22 hours of French (5 down )
16. learn 22 Kreyole phrases
17. read 22 books to my four year old (4 down)
18. knit 22 new stitch patterns
19. visit 22 place in OK
20. have 22 dates with my husband (1 down)
21. plant 22 flowers in my yard
22. spend 22 weeks praying, studying and preparing for my sons.

I'll be adding updates and photos as I achieve or pass each goal :0)

Wendy

Proud Parents... still.. of Wadley and Peter

Steve was able to see the Judge on Friday!! What a joy, she signed our papers and we are now the legal parents of Wadley and Peter in Haiti.

So what now?

Well first a picture of my two sons and Steve:

and another cause I know youwant to see them again :0)

Well now we enter MOI.. Ministry of Interior. They will sign off on the signatures on our dossier and confirm that the Judge really did sign the papers. Then our papers (along with the official adoption decree and name change) will be submitted for passports. Once we get the passports we will then get a call to arrange an appointment with the US Embassy for visas. Once we get that appointment it is on a plane and go visit the Embassy and then... homeward bound this time not having to say good bye to our babies!!!

As far as a time line? As usual not too sure..somewhere between six and twenty two weeks! We are praying for nearer to six!

 Cause these little cheeks need some kissing and my little guys need a lot of loving!

Home from Idaho.. Off in Haiti...Heat and Hurricanes...Life Goes On

The children and I made it home from Idaho in three days. We had lots of fabulous memories to hold onto and The narnia Series to listen to. Time flew, roads were clear and we managed to pop by and visit with our Great Greandma Millie and Cousins Carol and Ken on the way.


As we were heading home Steve was flying out to Haiti. We had news that our petition for Adjudicate Orphan Status First (AOF)has been sent to the consular... meaning we are one step closer on teh US side. Steve is now trying to see the Judge in Haiti so we can finish the paper work for the adoption on that side. Tropical Storm Emily put a big kink in the plans yesterday. We are thankful and relieved to know the storm downgraded before hitting Port Au Prince but aware of teh dangers of flooding the rain brings. The Government declared a holiday yesterday so people could preare for the storm. Steve went to see the Judge but she wasn't at the court house. He goes back again today.

Today is a clean and catch up day for us and school resumes on Monday.