Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Oh my!!! Where to begin??? I probably should have posted updates while we were in country, but I guess at this point the best place to begin is at the beginning.

We started our adventure late Friday morning. We dropped of Cat (Yes, my daughter really named her cat Cat) then we were off to drop off the kids with my parents. After eating lunch and spending a couple hours with them we were off for Denver with a teary goodbye. This also happened to be our 5th anniversary so we took advantage of the time alone to go eat a nice dinner while it was still hot! Then it was off to bed to be at the airport at 2:30 am and be off to meet our daughter.

We made it through check-in and security without a hitch then off to our gate to wait. I was not a flier when I started and was starting to get used to it by the end. We missed our last connection and there was not another flight until the next day which we had to be there to meet with the director by then. So, we hopped on a bus and across the country we went. We saw some beautiful scenery and in the end we were thankful we missed our last flight.

Our translator met us at the station and took us to the hotel to check in and get settled then to dinner. We were definitely feeling the jet lag at dinner. I know I felt like I was in a haze.

The next morning we were off to the orphanage. After a short meeting with the social workers and the director we were taken up to meet our sweet Sally. They had been preparing her for us and so, she immediately came to my arms yet was still a little unsure. They had some activities planned for her to show us what she could do. She is an amazing, strong-willed, determined, and independent little girl. We then took her out in the courtyard to play. When lunch rolled around she said Mama had to feed her. While I know it was a control thing for her it still made me feel good. We left while she took her nap then came back around 3:30. We played inside and on the balcony for the afternoon. We learned little miss loves to blow bubbles. The day had gone so well they decided we could take her from the home the rest of the week!! This is almost unheard of for children in orphanages.

The next morning we picked her up at 9. We went to a walking museum and saw some of the amazing history and master craftsmen at work. We then went to lunch then took her back to our hotel room for a nap. We spent the rest of the afternoon playing with her in our hotel room until we had to take her back at 6.

On Wednesday we took her to the zoo and then to a park to play in the morning. She enjoyed seeing the animals and was mimicking the names we would say. She really didn't get very excited about the animals. Then once again ate lunch then went back to our room for a nap and an afternoon of playing.

Thursday  we decided to do some shopping and hit the tourist information office to gather more information about the country and some of the sights we had seen. Once we were done we went to a small outdoor play area to let her play until it was time to head back to our room.

Our last day to spend time with her we decided to stay at the orphanage to maximize the amount of time we could have with her. So we spent much of the time playing with musical toys, blocks, and bubbles. It was very difficult when they came and said it was time for her to go to lunch and we needed to say goodbye. We left her with some gifts including a baby doll from her sister and a blanket that I made for her. We then went to the notary office to sign all of our paperwork to continue with the adoption.

This week solidified for us that Sally is our daughter and her personality will fit wonderfully with our family dynamic. The caregivers were afraid we would be turned away by her stubbornness and bossiness. We replied that she is a normal three year old and that we have three at home that are the same way. After the paperwork was signed we were off to the coast. This is the only time that Chris and I had completely alone without our translator. It was wonderful. We walked to the beach and Chris swam and I waded. Then back to the hotel to get to bed early for another early morning at the airport.

We made it through the airport with ease and had no issues until we reach Minneapolis. Going through customs was a breeze. But, then we learned that our bags had been short checked so by the time we had them checked to Denver again it was to late for them to make the plane even though we made it without issue.  But it was our last leg and I was ready to be back in Colorado and see my other kiddos. We stayed the night with a friend and then stopped back at the airport to get our bags on our way home.

Sally was so much more than I could have ever imagined and it makes it so much more difficult to wait to be invited back to pick her up. The next five months or so I will make it through looking at the pictures and videos we took on our wonderful meetcha trip!
God Bless!
This is a picture she took of her daddy.




Monday, June 1, 2015

What a week it has been definitely full of its highs and lows. I had a wedding cake this week which kept me busy. Boy was that topper heavy.

We were blessed to receive a $5000 grant. If you look to the right you will see we are only about $3000 from being fully funded! God has provided every step of the way and is continuing to do so. We are getting everything gathered and ready to go meet our sweet girl. The day is almost here that we get to go over and excitement is setting in.

It has been wonderful this spring having extra time with Chris. Since May 1st we have had over eight inches of rain which keeps him out of the field. We have been able to do many fun things as a family and knock out many little projects that have needed done.

As I said this week was full of highs and lows, guess it's time for the lows. On Monday I found a tick on Jeremiah. I removed it and cleaned the bite. On Thursday he was acting sluggish and just out of sorts and I woke up and knew I had a sinus infection. So, it was off to the doctor for us. At the time he did not have any other symptoms and the doctor couldn't find anything wrong, but decided to treat him as a precaution for lyme disease and gave me meds for my sinus infection. The very next day the bullseye rash appeared on Jeremiah. Glad I took him in. We were told the earlier you catch it the easier it is to treat. On Friday Josiah also ended up with an ear infection. Now to pray everyone is healthy before we leave.

Until next time, God Bless!