tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51482013147953846222024-02-22T02:22:11.943-08:00All Things Work Together For GoodCorriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09878112197381260700noreply@blogger.comBlogger78125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5148201314795384622.post-76097723104013393922011-12-05T16:41:00.001-08:002011-12-05T16:48:23.083-08:00Back by Popular Demand :) I know it has been WAY too long since I have updated our blog! I am sorry! I do have a very good reason, but I will not reveal it in this post because it will take me some more time to put it together. <br />
However, we have so much to share and many of you have been faithfully checking for updates and I have disappointed you for too long, so I will do my best to update you on all the happenings one post at a time. <br />
But this post is about a very special blessing. Yesterday, our church had their annual kids’ Christmas Pageant and our girls got to have a part in it. Thanks to some very special friends and our wonderful Children’s Church Team, they even made it possible for Eliisa to have a part-and she exceeded all our expectations. My faith is so small! So, I wanted to share with you just HOW amazing our God is! Enjoy! <img alt="Smile" class="wlEmoticon wlEmoticon-smile" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-1yUYWbqEDVs/Tt1ksrNVcnI/AAAAAAAACHA/BY1HPc4vZgk/wlEmoticon-smile%25255B2%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none;" /><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJrFXP8iS3-AIdwj04WLCxe4i-21A7wKTo0FyEbpQG_hJBF1zgXkDgpI3R0Fus4KOHTwNcMvXUuz6OYaVXhm61QFeHwr8oMBvHj40s9OwLrfFy8lG1feyJTpGF0fGQB8cKLNlm9x_rniA/s1600-h/IMG_6703%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img alt="IMG_6703" border="0" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYIFK7SaNUevoYSRd36o3uK4kae2RWb7l4_0N7puxY7n5v6chrR6s6TogXUOsCgk1NbWRcV4OJF6t9ebRnN4TZrropu2JvFIwwv3r8nx_CVkt0KvYPF9ytKXhi-YfcPXj3xA_IRpXAVG4/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="IMG_6703" width="244" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4RzSP4_70IwHG1PmL08zPq1MfrO5RkoTnr4vO2pNbHsCQAMsv850mwpradLDNMbp-36J234Y0R9k3yWlJgkBJeLdd-GTEmOy2CyitVLmmpvm86p8PkYSHFA6IhcgS3XnbiqvrnTBCiM8/s1600-h/IMG_6704%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img alt="IMG_6704" border="0" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrApRMngnQ9XQq0ky9K9WysyoVMMAu03e0HbRYc9AC6DWLqq1YKZ9LGFQ-6v5xGzHe8X5t2Xb3InPDzwpa0DBWUr3USakF3RI16F83MbybT3vq7UW3HcA7jYr7rKX68N6_TK48SdRz3mQ/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="IMG_6704" width="184" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjL1neUYbaUTnH_ApaSXaYVx6W1OFzRUIm8lgYp704o2Vm36SVcfMQkUTxjb8pEtTbQG07izUSsvGZfDp5Sep6S-ZjVXKEhufhTZ2Ix6mHH03CCjJpfiKaBRf6m51BXfo6oB_YTYpPNNw/s1600-h/IMG_6710%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img alt="IMG_6710" border="0" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMzjlLoHbOupg1mSpCb4ryQZTA007RC7JSRGAanvoWVOfYIdETqhsFWPPYqVbXaP2jYGKmqsTeoAJ9mWuNbnxXNdQ7w9e_29bdYtWFhRyOliPdmyvnzq36JTAb9rNpXhuIj77lDCcQ9n0/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="IMG_6710" width="244" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0CmgArdaY6tcM7pAeK356FqwHHfVerlW1lUVchEsfsL8FPIsWDSWyAnY7tFcShEAortGAbdzHBfRuLrD_JxmhOOaEp7TuNNpoLJZ3ttZIbsCPvBAZSSQMlenTWqrOka4PtW2YzAmyRXY/s1600-h/Donkey%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img alt="Donkey" border="0" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIl0v7dVG8iia9tw1VXamhbvrihwie9b5jy6qwocbj8aoHq0vlyUAVzz9pkjjLlFlgdPmwf3CR6LIOuVUGjSiKxtfmcUYKNUWMEHS_hJgWR5zAF5HlbpzWnnSpLFBy3BCsv6cXnOWOZTk/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="Donkey" width="152" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTbW2IC4OcmrvYO-6lYEyoAxs31ZWFIWbcarRrBBw7PTVseZ2TXpwEXkGQF-5bbUo6MdH3xHU70JjsKyG_kBh2J8iSZBpDnwf3yfisOrEnjuujCBao2kSx6S9qGqW9H2yOZtzACCFuQlQ/s1600-h/IMG_6711%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img alt="IMG_6711" border="0" height="184" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-t_8xXkKR2Eo/Tt1kyvqEhqI/AAAAAAAACIA/S9Muv064BqU/IMG_6711_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="IMG_6711" width="244" /></a><br />
And Eliisa stood up on that stage and enjoyed herself tremendously! Just so you know how amazing that was: Since she has been home she has NEVER stood anywhere for any length of time without complaining (unless of course she was playing with something!). <br />
<div class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:f66aa75a-f81b-4c1a-8d36-eff5e380af27" style="display: inline; float: none; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div id="899452a1-4d7a-429b-b997-db2f29b7ccf3" style="display: inline; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCTVpn-qkM8" target="_new"><img alt="" galleryimg="no" onload="var downlevelDiv = document.getElementById('899452a1-4d7a-429b-b997-db2f29b7ccf3'); downlevelDiv.innerHTML = "<div><object width=\"448\" height=\"252\"><param name=\"movie\" value=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/aCTVpn-qkM8?hl=en&hd=1\"><\/param><embed src=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/aCTVpn-qkM8?hl=en&hd=1\" type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"448\" height=\"252\"><\/embed><\/object><\/div>";" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-WKpqC315ILU/Tt1kzMxm4NI/AAAAAAAACIo/LFVNmzoRCnk/video84f05d063a5a%25255B26%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none;" /></a></div></div></div><div class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:80ea0e39-8bab-4964-87ed-b5551bfc3a57" style="display: inline; float: none; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div id="ccd56dcb-9926-4fcc-a15d-567b55946536" style="display: inline; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86eiMezOyF4" target="_new"><img alt="" galleryimg="no" onload="var downlevelDiv = document.getElementById('ccd56dcb-9926-4fcc-a15d-567b55946536'); downlevelDiv.innerHTML = "<div><object width=\"448\" height=\"252\"><param name=\"movie\" value=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/86eiMezOyF4?hl=en&hd=1\"><\/param><embed src=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/86eiMezOyF4?hl=en&hd=1\" type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"448\" height=\"252\"><\/embed><\/object><\/div>";" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw4kR6nH4p-MB0vMoBAOWh2WOKxDVnCUvwwvqtwOcI5TSHSrHA2I2lP2y3R71-8mDXA2SyE75x4Ek_dB3MdcNaquY6TaHGyKmfLrkEdff2hnoEjVAeV3-JTxmYDrelKeSkf0O80m6iuFM/?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none;" /></a></div></div><div style="clear: both; font-size: 0.8em; width: 448px;">Even the donkey has to adore Baby Jesus. :)</div></div>Although this is a very busy time of the year, take time to celebrate the small blessings in your life and remember the real reason for Christmas! Corriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09878112197381260700noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5148201314795384622.post-77362105906209782292011-10-11T04:05:00.001-07:002011-10-11T04:05:18.016-07:00Exciting Times<p align="justify">We have had some exciting times around our house lately, so I thought I should share before more exciting times come. <img style="border-bottom-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-left-style: none" class="wlEmoticon wlEmoticon-smile" alt="Smile" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbnPAyhYNsW5CcePdyq2bzn2nJd3GtEmIRmYotWH_03SiY102HPJqcJwKuswIvGXsC_tdxxuedsDqVW5MjzFKvqPdZqylBB7NgNmB4NfFD6hO5sKqG19fOJvEiYA2EL4CYKKw11J3ag14/?imgmax=800"> We had the privilege of visiting the emergency room of our Children’s Hospital four times in the past month! (Yes, we are sooooooo lucky! <img style="border-bottom-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-left-style: none" class="wlEmoticon wlEmoticon-smile" alt="Smile" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbnPAyhYNsW5CcePdyq2bzn2nJd3GtEmIRmYotWH_03SiY102HPJqcJwKuswIvGXsC_tdxxuedsDqVW5MjzFKvqPdZqylBB7NgNmB4NfFD6hO5sKqG19fOJvEiYA2EL4CYKKw11J3ag14/?imgmax=800">) And yet, through it all God showed Himself mighty, and we are blessed beyond measure! </p> <p align="justify">Before I share our exciting times, I want to take the time to share with you about a little boy that I had the privilege to meet while we were in the process of bringing Eliisa home. This little boy had also already been moved to an older kids orphanage. His orphanage is for kids through age 8, so it is not a typical “institution” like Eliisa was in. The orphanage director also genuinely loves the children, and it is her desire to find homes for every one of them. We got to see some of the kids perform for us, and it was truly one of the highlights of our trip to Eliisa’s country! I would have loved to bring home one of these little boys in my suitcase! <img style="border-bottom-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-left-style: none" class="wlEmoticon wlEmoticon-smile" alt="Smile" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbnPAyhYNsW5CcePdyq2bzn2nJd3GtEmIRmYotWH_03SiY102HPJqcJwKuswIvGXsC_tdxxuedsDqVW5MjzFKvqPdZqylBB7NgNmB4NfFD6hO5sKqG19fOJvEiYA2EL4CYKKw11J3ag14/?imgmax=800"> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:e526885b-d3b6-4065-aedc-804379edbad0" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><div id="d1d7775f-ab45-4777-9803-a82f4f47631c" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; display: inline;"><div><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qad2B2RG6FM" target="_new"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-X_A4OyYHk_c/TpQhquWfYEI/AAAAAAAAB3E/DnRnaCn0vwI/video9f5993dbf734%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-style: none" galleryimg="no" onload="var downlevelDiv = document.getElementById('d1d7775f-ab45-4777-9803-a82f4f47631c'); downlevelDiv.innerHTML = "<div><object width=\"448\" height=\"252\"><param name=\"movie\" value=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/Qad2B2RG6FM?hl=en&hd=1\"><\/param><embed src=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/Qad2B2RG6FM?hl=en&hd=1\" type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"448\" height=\"252\"><\/embed><\/object><\/div>";" alt=""></a></div></div></div></p> <p align="justify">But this little boy we came to visit can’t stay there forever, and he is blind, which means that he will be facing the institution once he turns 8. Eliisa’s country has absolutely no resources for the blind, not for children and definitely not for adults. One day I will have the courage to post the pictures we took of the place where these children will go, but not today. The orphanage director begged us to send her more items that would help her teach the blind children in the orphanage. She has come up with several things on her own and spend many hours doing so, just so that the blind children in her orphanage would have the chance to learn. The main reason we got to meet this little boy is because he had a family committed to him at the time of our travel, and they had sent us some things to bring him. Thanks to our friend and missionary Max, we got that chance. </p> <p align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqf1FFeOU3J3jVXUbFx2LNd5zMvoJgKgNKie7FRFxZq6kzggBSA3Aa5EpSDw0Sybj_Z9LBZ-l8Or3NVuh-0h2eCHHDPyj_1dilXeT2TvEzATLDs7WtMSHYh_RwrqwdhPd1xiJBkpuuS3Y/s1600-h/Dima%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Dima" border="0" alt="Dima" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-LYrLtg-Qwvw7AO-7QXkagAvMYZkTHbawumstpgPhH5bEr7TxuOKNAOiNrheiw37VfL9bmKGPw9WKrbFl4suPiClq6SJ-GtZKDTGvjYBcYJrpY2ee4Ubr1DTOqrLzNAmQVtXkz0-Jj-4/?imgmax=800" width="196" height="244"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwc3svhTFYPyPXxuJXMmZr4gz4bQvH78eHtgpMPjin7DIw6w5l8k3rqvmHroyer2YmJgqxm_eENd0ZlPiM02bse6syUdAl5MXYg_xnAmsnuoGe6fDl-NJzw4eypu4O9ql8ukZi1olZGqQ/s1600-h/IMG_5299%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_5299" border="0" alt="IMG_5299" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-Saz5Hg559FQ/TpQhuXyGTaI/AAAAAAAAB3k/ZHUjYhmuWII/IMG_5299_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184"></a><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-Uko730ZmkMo/TpQhvmawA0I/AAAAAAAAB3s/lmxLjz7yNTE/s1600-h/IMG_5302%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_5302" border="0" alt="IMG_5302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuO4oFeqtWFhV5xLX5cpft2jBlWaVeeiRHBKDDxXXEM5glLdb4mcS-KNipe9s5W9iJm4c-yadSuC5OTIT95hwjVapS3I8NGA-bo0eI8R7s_N-TWQXxpDiW0LTGsaStl_3tCh4vaCm1Rms/?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6AegsnQOYXK1x7ZFTNbXHFBdFhhjv8eUBDnxbi11UUU5whyV3Lq968eYoWbLSvp7MB9OBa8z-O8QTBZXqJsYk17lTSZ5szCIDN7XXaSUnrnVQX6AvmpZ1YxmWLZlrO7rVs8QFqqxL3qs/s1600-h/IMG_5307%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_5307" border="0" alt="IMG_5307" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-LJP2tLm17S8/TpQhx89LXpI/AAAAAAAAB4E/DrUqvfnJ63U/IMG_5307_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgijW4SA-cFgYfhJnrg3AWyye0U88p41sv7OWhuRELunTgKTqCWka5ModO7hJSoIt7DBwpO01ggk52jytlj9jsftSgOOOsoZxFGRrSXsPXRhngl7l9q9HPkvd_R1xYaZ64UHL7lQz8EcuQ/s1600-h/IMG_5319%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_5319" border="0" alt="IMG_5319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWxbIe2moLhlkJ3cOIGqIpSB-uK-OYVhhB1q1LlG7DAFAMQlGI_RJudzZX3wzuqpJc7SBiClylFZ4VFFsCduj9cogCIel_5LuHx-J9uElq9dv860Nj4g39fYLWHk4EbEU9-rH1AOy8_H4/?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184"></a>“Andriy’s” family has been working very hard on bringing him home and is now getting very close to receiving a travel date, and they are trying to raise the remaining funds they need to bring him home. They are having a HUGE giveaway, (including an Ipad2). Please prayerfully consider helping <a href="http://http://justonemore4us.blogspot.com/2011/09/something-great.html">this family</a> bring home their precious son, who I got to love on even for just a short time. </p> <p align="justify">So, why have we been to the emergency room four times, you ask? Let me just share the short story. Since bringing Eliisa home, we have seen many specialists to evaluate her and help us learn about her needs and how we can best help her. We have visited the pediatrician, the Children’s Hospital, the neurosurgeon, the neurologist, the orthopedic, the ENT, the ophthalmologist, the audiologist, and she has been evaluated and started therapy with a physical, speech, and occupational therapists. Every doctor told us that based on her circumstances, Eliisa was healthy, her shunts were working properly, and that it would just take time for her to learn all of what she was never been taught her whole life, for the medication she was on to work out of her system, and for her to recover from the very traumatic experiences she has had in her life. I was, however, concerned that Eliisa had something that was causing her pain because there were days when she cried for hours. Since Eliisa can not tell us, and we had no physical evidence of what was hurting, all we could do is keep digging. We knew that the pain was coming from her right leg, but our thought was that it had to do with her right hip, and this is how we ended up in the emergency room three times with her. The first two times, the doctors could not identify a cause for pain, and we were sent home without any official diagnosis. But thanks to a radiologist, who chose to dig deeper after completing an MRI on Eliisa’s hip and brain, we finally discovered that Eliisa had a broken femur, and thus our third visit to the emergency room. Neither the doctors nor we know exactly how she broke her femur, especially because it is an unusual break, but we have a couple of theories.They placed Eliisa’s leg in a cast from toe to hip, and almost immediately, she became a whole new child. </p> <p align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-8nIyHd8uXAjVRE-2l0rVpekcM6iFzQbheTe7aTB5NMK5j2DDwetCB4FDHmcmyOtlgljJzmQkxeQEy4lp1zdv2bPi2LOL7cmt64F0Xt4z0IX6AN1hemxNTA9ksJW4igNY-IvKwtRGotI/s1600-h/IMG_6126%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: left; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_6126" border="0" alt="IMG_6126" align="left" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVCwZk-xze30DwrbpkP8c63DiXRvh_1amr247QA6EFIm6yxhS7VhfFj8NMleQIDHog1poJ0jRnP5aViGQJuGeeI2qesXMQSCOgNCT_HXe9JogMus_f0zCsnhgxqFj6Z-QIUITrv30t8EY/?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184"></a>However, she was still in pain whenever I moved her, so after two more trips to the orthopedic, they finally placed her in a Spika cast which means that she now has a cast from her toes all the way up to her chest. You can imagine what a pain that cast is, but if it means that her leg can finally heal properly, it is worth it. She will have to have it on for at least another three weeks and then she will get another shorter cast to finish healing the femur. We are so thankful to have found the cause for her crying, but it has definitely been a very tough time emotionally, physically, and spiritually in our family. Of course, through it all Eliisa cannot understand why we are putting her through all of what she has to go through, and that’s the hardest part about it. </p> <p align="justify">We also got to make a trip to the emergency room with our youngest daughter, Ammadea. While I was in the kitchen washing the dishes one evening, the girls were playing with each other and I heard a loud noise in Ellie’s room. Since I did not hear any crying, I thought they had dropped something very heavy and I asked what happened. Ellie came to tell me that Ammadea had fallen off the top bunk (where she is obviously NOT allowed to be!), and that is when I started running. Since she was not crying, I knew that something was very seriously wrong, and when I saw her laying lifeless on the floor, it was decidedly one of the worst moments in my life. I immediately called 911, and the fire department and ambulance came. I asked the neighbors to come over and watch our other girls until our priceless friend, Wanda, could get to our house, and off in the ambulance we went. During all that time, Ammadea never fully opened her eyes or responded to any questions I asked her. It was very scary! She was breathing when I found her, and I got her to start crying, but she would drift between “sleeping” and crying without ever opening her eyes the entire time that we were in the ambulance and at the hospital. We are so thankful how the Lord watched over her, and that we got to go home late that night with the diagnosis of “just” a concussion. She had a couple of very rough days after that, but slowly but surely, our Ammadea started coming back. Praise the Lord for His protection over her and His goodness to us! It was a clear reminder just how precious our girls are and how we have to make the most of every moment we get to have with each other. </p> <p align="justify">But we have also had some other exciting times, and since this post is already way too long, I will illustrate it in pictures. We have been to the apple orchard and the pumpkin patch, visited the fair, gone on hayrides, and visited many other places. We have celebrated six of our birthdays. We have gotten to meet some other Reece’s Rainbow kids. We have watched Eliisa continue to make milestones. And we have enjoyed the beginning of Fall. </p> <p align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdG8KjB_CWuO__xNQ_wiMI5BODK-pjtxF6rEaSt2Ue7QFXIrQ8ul683aLl3AFZSFH-t2aAHBWhl6FljLKP9eMCb1wR7lTFoABeWfzmepr1eF4G-5uaa_XmZzKdpxAeOKW65ftEKbiEPGY/s1600-h/IMG_5951%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_5951" border="0" alt="IMG_5951" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-pAq_NX1IFpA/TpQh3N6Y_BI/AAAAAAAAB40/Eo00if12-gI/IMG_5951_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184"></a><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-WtY1nQPtUnY/TpQh4k371fI/AAAAAAAAB48/_GKY5wpPjWU/s1600-h/IMG_5954%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_5954" border="0" alt="IMG_5954" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-I5CfrfruoSg/TpQh5FtTbfI/AAAAAAAAB5A/5oU6EUT7W4c/IMG_5954_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184"></a></p> <p align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEU_tcNX87ubl1OvAn_T1tywvhhMvWkEJDLPwy55tctA1wH5Vk9AWYRwWUfsHomz3xbQ7DUbHyDnv1rNR66hR65fHSlyqbGF7C44ET08jNRhzDbGf3lZaDTGrsEioN2o5Vdzuehdz6WGQ/s1600-h/IMG_5964%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; 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So, stay tuned as we have some more exciting days ahead of us. <img style="border-bottom-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-left-style: none" class="wlEmoticon wlEmoticon-smile" alt="Smile" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbnPAyhYNsW5CcePdyq2bzn2nJd3GtEmIRmYotWH_03SiY102HPJqcJwKuswIvGXsC_tdxxuedsDqVW5MjzFKvqPdZqylBB7NgNmB4NfFD6hO5sKqG19fOJvEiYA2EL4CYKKw11J3ag14/?imgmax=800"></p> Corriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09878112197381260700noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5148201314795384622.post-35503603433523353122011-09-11T14:41:00.001-07:002011-09-11T14:41:39.140-07:00Tired of Being Still?<p>I know you all are tired of my being still! <img style="border-bottom-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-left-style: none" class="wlEmoticon wlEmoticon-smile" alt="Smile" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-wyBEaAYOpbQ/Tm0qPH0K_LI/AAAAAAAABxM/uqceNqkoYnM/wlEmoticon-smile%25255B2%25255D.png?imgmax=800"> I am sorry it has taken me so long to update the blog! Many times during a day, I have a perfect post in my head, but by the time I get a chance to actually post it, I am physically and emotionally too exhausted to put anything sensible on “paper.” There are many things that I want to write about and have started to write about, but I want this post to be a little bit of a summary of the fun things that we have gotten to do in the past few weeks. It is amazing to stand back and see how far we have come! It is also very easy to forget the blessings when there are days that we are overwhelmed with the hardships of this journey. Since pictures are worth way more than a thousand words that I can write, and since my mom is the best photographer in the world and she took many of these pictures and shared them with me, I will try to illustrate in pictures….</p> <p>Thanks to my awesome sister and my mom, we got to take a trip to the beach. We even got to stay right at the beach, and it was really awesome to wake up to the sound of the ocean and walk out and be right on the beach. Although Eliisa did not enjoy going into the water at first, she really LOVED it once she was in it. She also loved playing in the sand, especially with her little red bucket. </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2AcR0Tnmg1CT50HoEzTSKJAKXasx_3Hwdq0karbwf9jDo9qDlA8FiyoZzmFPwsZ2llJ02f8UQx__zVGa_zK0JI8k-OqnW2VfCjjy11dhuN38ahNIAZ8KEi8TA7wrVwC8qdEkQlKnqejw/s1600-h/DSC_2525%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="DSC_2525" border="0" alt="DSC_2525" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV3pxR2Br916fWpg7DzDxDcvy3x_L63ZRwypiduOh9HZCRKDmclAgi0g3uV1TwjLgZJt6U9mkPWa1Xsn0PYZ-Cx2CXxjnWrUngPkL0Cv1NA7vojnhaEc89qYU9ZkRBSWVD_mrK5oFMl_M/?imgmax=800" width="244" height="164"></a></p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI0IeMV4bup16bh5iUQV7QObSrjCvZ8BIfMsJdxr2Wb1LeIgU4UXjflVBT2weAbbwagCnKv4l5yfSdiTbOL0c4JoqC3nBwemI40gUBea4FNdD8g_Wi8cevJoOLbxs2uvCJ7a6hSazlJ_M/s1600-h/DSC_2410%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="DSC_2410" border="0" alt="DSC_2410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjag07NJEBUDKklU-JBPaOLI98eU8ydJPzH9e7BumcBOJBfYab0bxHS6e58P2iEoVzuVcjPiCWCfU6Zdtj1qCDs7QTGmoD8wGH8CyCokRN-0vXSXzoHSUJfdO7AZ4lvj-KdlxrR68dmTOw/?imgmax=800" width="244" height="164"></a></p> <p> </p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-EV9C9r08oQo/Tm0qSPRCriI/AAAAAAAABxg/Ai17WhYQ0Vw/s1600-h/IMG_6524%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_6524" border="0" alt="IMG_6524" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeNwTE5JHdaOnydRcMQR2PeHfTmj_amHrUgKrGzpaQshNnntJuj9sxS6CMrILs3wyPpbPQed-Sak-cKnMJK5XtjfY_lraL-aFKh8n0Q0bLWAakcmvjIL5SJDEL1eEApLQXpH1wu7OkFrw/?imgmax=800" width="184" height="244"></a><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-WJ2begexw70/Tm0qS0-PROI/AAAAAAAABxo/d7JVclIioPc/s1600-h/IMG_6525%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; 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I even caught two, so I could show you.</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUWuiwWczOxRXxXjB0hS34j_76jYb7VUMtsXDdGqQ1oDFBES9thvjCIGQ679KCUl0rqoju3kiMMkGDAXS1Jn18pTE6QE7RtretRDtx3uvSokXxEeNWYzWZr1PKwAHQ0e17nMONKSKvLUI/s1600-h/DSC_2454%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="DSC_2454" border="0" alt="DSC_2454" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-hg686d7prJ4/Tm0qj90gA0I/AAAAAAAABzs/SFLWsRvlkCs/DSC_2454_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="164"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWpP6D5f0sMM_ysdlPBTktGjhUX7GqM2WSMejHiWrWSPXh66re6Z0FOZwVU9z9mL3C6EIWJ_OVoTAHwSve1fyqi9O9O3Nh726gVEAiayuBLsI8Tgj6K_LvnfCxcr3EyMq4sSR1M6PUMtw/s1600-h/DSC_2451%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="DSC_2451" border="0" alt="DSC_2451" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-vaFdCBGwbbI/Tm0qkWIVyNI/AAAAAAAABz0/DI0hg1p3ikI/DSC_2451_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="164" height="244"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7UwVPfC4jq5MLg2YPzsDLQ5LsBN6U_gAp-gY29qizmBBuEs-kMgjE6w59nyGhyphenhyphenqVcJQqRNFOcHvsXoB_Bt543UU2WFNl8vcwErAuQADgXFs-qIjKwmbEW0qlheKT1vI7-MiYwJd2_cuI/s1600-h/DSC_2455%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="DSC_2455" border="0" alt="DSC_2455" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI0esP6ZoK-Sg4XAHfxyPRwKvZVXI4J8MRDDt8XEF_GjFJmk-mRCTOTkGp2Nqc6OxpgRlzrZBAfPGNJqNzmHUPfY6ebqqM0fP9TndHW0PUXVdwF8Wxhf-M_UlnIo9v8n3dUUOhPFlCwnI/?imgmax=800" width="244" height="164"></a></p> <p>And I have a few short videos of Eliisa enjoying the water. <img style="border-bottom-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-left-style: none" class="wlEmoticon wlEmoticon-smile" alt="Smile" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-wyBEaAYOpbQ/Tm0qPH0K_LI/AAAAAAAABxM/uqceNqkoYnM/wlEmoticon-smile%25255B2%25255D.png?imgmax=800"> </p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:5f1fc691-5e22-4efa-8cb3-d1c2bf35eba4" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><div id="c5e6a1b3-7a60-4a1a-b485-e7c4f1191514" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; display: inline;"><div><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sD6PNDU55RQ" target="_new"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNaT_qttA9w3ObEuwdRpUC6qkZIckwoADITunmP6kg5NryGr8sFGIGjHhZIx2vX4wGsL15a0orbsFFwnZyFFJvqX6FqD2w1kCe-nzJfVSF4OefXsa99oGBvfvIqYx4CjURCGtcvwKrFok/?imgmax=800" style="border-style: none" galleryimg="no" onload="var downlevelDiv = document.getElementById('c5e6a1b3-7a60-4a1a-b485-e7c4f1191514'); downlevelDiv.innerHTML = "<div><object width=\"448\" height=\"252\"><param name=\"movie\" value=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/sD6PNDU55RQ?hl=en&hd=1\"><\/param><embed src=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/sD6PNDU55RQ?hl=en&hd=1\" type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"448\" height=\"252\"><\/embed><\/object><\/div>";" alt=""></a></div></div></div> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:3daf6728-8812-4c4d-a907-f7fca2ee0ae3" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><div id="868f5ed4-e194-4c02-aa7c-7f949d104e52" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; display: inline;"><div><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0sALT7NuXI" target="_new"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOiMCOSG6YD_3TGCZqltcP68aWcK70vMuY46VHzi-NGqjQz-qq5wHTyWWYLKmC-d2nEDRkYXG79HPBXLh33yS14utDxWmFnAmpuY9A2_RuqYFRPD5InkqUxqdfKcXSx8-PqNtkOjOoTfw/?imgmax=800" style="border-style: none" galleryimg="no" onload="var downlevelDiv = document.getElementById('868f5ed4-e194-4c02-aa7c-7f949d104e52'); downlevelDiv.innerHTML = "<div><object width=\"448\" height=\"252\"><param name=\"movie\" value=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/z0sALT7NuXI?hl=en&hd=1\"><\/param><embed src=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/z0sALT7NuXI?hl=en&hd=1\" type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"448\" height=\"252\"><\/embed><\/object><\/div>";" alt=""></a></div></div></div> <p>And just so you can experience a little bit of ocean yourself, here are a few “beach shots” my mom captured.</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-n3eLBaf1f90/Tm0qno7JEfI/AAAAAAAAB0I/Y1up4KcRJaA/s1600-h/DSC_2404%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="DSC_2404" border="0" alt="DSC_2404" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ9uYSNLllxrXWVZqt8cqP1MNeLwSTgn9mJHp5gARPRjLxeWPhw3GHE5TEUwyY5fQ5Atfwun9imbyotnYmJIA0cD39wkekkwq2S6RW13Wddd-5F-tamjlSzei_FTCpVFoppSdJiMc3V8o/?imgmax=800" width="244" height="164"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ0aplIxoEYLGSPiN9PRl2CO4JV5RMio-jQAy2cb6F7htgGirRx8kI_f3ksjudDsnhgt2l1RGTKGP3hlIziV7PTbCvI8H6Y-m4oyKCZEkd8JKrNN0dG0lZ06PtGDKR8icgBCCKMi5LzYE/s1600-h/DSC_2438%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="DSC_2438" border="0" alt="DSC_2438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK-cIFh5EHkeoi0vRqgc8Ko_HgEtnUKQYS4QyDDsHn7gF_gbUS0IaAxUgiNvYZMhAA9UJ1S8qlHq7qiBAsaTxS3rKYcnqO06gRya_rHDlMVHssabQp_fxmwxMe4E2x6BPCYuyoE-4uMBk/?imgmax=800" width="164" height="244"></a><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-Y9IITAllcWU/Tm0qpGz5AAI/AAAAAAAAB0Y/hA_eB2nQy0w/s1600-h/DSC_2441%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="DSC_2441" border="0" alt="DSC_2441" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2DS61Cvjoo4KceSYmE9Ymdn7l6oMP4fBW3Keloq8udQtJEo9xIBEbNTzcNxJF9PEvKTk_NMmee5RxRmP5Ugx1U352_7C5LI4uM9MWlvPGZxzYyMaIn2tdfEa6cuD9h6bTpt82OOOKias/?imgmax=800" width="244" height="164"></a><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-o9kx9pX1D8U/Tm0qqA0m7hI/AAAAAAAAB0g/GbB3onba2QI/s1600-h/DSC_2492%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="DSC_2492" border="0" alt="DSC_2492" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/--zCvUNkSvY4/Tm0qqJpLG9I/AAAAAAAAB0k/gLc3M2LI3FE/DSC_2492_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="164" height="244"></a></p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8A_yFVzmmx_c9VlTSPG0dPOfJWapHluLYSoxY5BboYGsfZvXVyYN9slsx66mtqWAfucSzZAki8Tx01pnHcAF40yjUsAA1GYMhAcAn0dYCikI2SQ_G38XAxp3fuHc8pE_idV773bYjTXY/s1600-h/DSC_2471%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="DSC_2471" border="0" alt="DSC_2471" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE7r1fM_fGmNc0Fj3y6yyMqbFHsmdgXtzPsj6s3okAi9ClcJxRA7egXpYBCeJSWTsuOSGFDMPRPwPd9bX1Wn4Ks2YRkXO3s2AYq4_CS7IWOF3KOR51-6_BPxTRQRS3N8UeO-3NUl4iSWM/?imgmax=800" width="244" height="164"></a><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-JYDu5XMw7tQ/Tm0qrui6h-I/AAAAAAAAB0w/utEHB9_hlHM/s1600-h/DSC_2473%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="DSC_2473" border="0" alt="DSC_2473" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-hf3PLielYqI/Tm0qr9GLugI/AAAAAAAAB00/Uv702NC1Y74/DSC_2473_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="164"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9_4dJjvfIwwwJXYDlK6h1VUK-H-7VotsO_gGc9tTYcBOjxTyvv2q6nSnc8damekKpCQuJrp-8wUX_Llh4h4yVNSmf48IVKZhl3VVgnUvEhmz4ydquwArJglLTeqGz1552kgPGZbGUJLM/s1600-h/DSC_2474%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="DSC_2474" border="0" alt="DSC_2474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCO2dyxmbApCb2C0S2b3tXQs-J298rwB8SC7qQ26mV-rnKrffDK6yBToF8XPKSCgMt6q0SS3CzsFzC_bboRA5GiURd-yrX2e3kuPkf7TfSLwd9Qk2vVUhOYOre_OdHcjWwWC1cZ0y6Fps/?imgmax=800" width="244" height="164"></a><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-0Da75pCnZBs/Tm0qtNmJRXI/AAAAAAAAB1A/XJKxLRG-mIw/s1600-h/DSC_2475%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="DSC_2475" border="0" alt="DSC_2475" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-QVWumDLXNP0/Tm0qtQVr4UI/AAAAAAAAB1E/B59JLEZIVOE/DSC_2475_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="164"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDDD_a4u_LBwYGp-daAOZ6kHlxbUR8IC2GbYbyZTntrUSgTMVGR3eigt61A2ZuKIGMdcigtmVhtoUTo5EBmuIRujhjsbgcsNYJRZUPbqn_ooniteQSUkTNr5HhHo9HxDcd5KQyw9i3Xhk/s1600-h/DSC_2476%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="DSC_2476" border="0" alt="DSC_2476" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-RJaXBnS055s/Tm0queKo7eI/AAAAAAAAB1M/JLzEUGYK12c/DSC_2476_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="164"></a><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-t2aQIf7PhJA/Tm0quwl3VDI/AAAAAAAAB1Q/DotaqT3uloA/s1600-h/DSC_2477%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="DSC_2477" border="0" alt="DSC_2477" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWYAzFN_vKWdI2wCjzT8gjyMcHihoTEGk8F4w-tlyxD08zkAkDfyT23vUsYuCy7f2wG1y5sC-5LY30MW4AkllymWkxBs14ifBpNmrDgSFzdswDUrLprEFIpzeNS9VExhiC8armPxfLPEo/?imgmax=800" width="244" height="164"></a><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-ay-j-lk5zIM/Tm0qv0em4VI/AAAAAAAAB1Y/fzfN2rjOPIY/s1600-h/DSC_2494%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="DSC_2494" border="0" alt="DSC_2494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQCP5q3wEIH8WwrA0nLYg-z0kqMMBlt2Z2bQ33zrOLvlDtT3Cfqlt2tehbsj8NHNpFQfMNvyYYibbu5lJZTQ0OSH-VBPG4Qd4BXw4L283OT1V4gMthbMr2c4Yt587Ge0IJHQlOhGnGotM/?imgmax=800" width="244" height="164"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjwTn-jGPwhqht-nWKSTctTXuiVnfXJzs8hUbzr6rLtukDnqdua6qnR-vLe6hc7kJix5y0H4NJfykCT6-ftGhtT0pyWtQUruCb70N5vpsJ60j6NnFVFdZsF7pNF94QtgSPxuCc4K-suZE/s1600-h/DSC_2501%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="DSC_2501" border="0" alt="DSC_2501" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpNq2oxKL5SlvL2l55gSw5RZfiLv-CVbhlQ5QxyFe6emlnsjpcU56gQN4Itv8rfKM02tmvF-nzcoXnQ-dTjnJMd4hqnQ8wzOg8BmzG-AH7OFKsxGWe2uD1Z3-NDORlP_wBRYjqXZ2NIZ0/?imgmax=800" width="244" height="164"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqEc8OTDO5VD79Lz-2q_mE3pq7ar31RmUPKJZ21uLaT6FsybFT2gIEXFGmAUbk3apR1oIalDxRkbqVa5AlT1GoScO-SoN3dzUzhVxPw2YzyTE3SmbGn7qbtV4G7vJWL0fyB85aK41N4Iw/s1600-h/DSC_2511%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="DSC_2511" border="0" alt="DSC_2511" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCTfyLN-TODXGJfqacxl4tJP8tAMOKkJbAE_-fZd-fXWP9sLadoXdJ5sbzYqPZgQCokNbaK70AKByIKy-rxraG5JXsgVSKQvyHchG-Ln4DT4K2ljJuf_5qCPLsYjs0nPHkbM79ilV5cIc/?imgmax=800" width="244" height="164"></a></p> <p>As you may have noticed, we also got to donate two more pony tails to Locks of Love. <img style="border-bottom-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-left-style: none" class="wlEmoticon wlEmoticon-sadsmile" alt="Sad smile" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-emVw3XhEbC8/Tm0qyPVaJEI/AAAAAAAAB1w/DAePiJMRUR4/wlEmoticon-sadsmile%25255B2%25255D.png?imgmax=800"> Here are pictures of that event:</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1zFv976jE79N9hqubqRHY7gbNveF4yDgmnOR-iIdxXGCNbcwKKbdv-PJEKcfFgoIpfuQGSH52ijBs9L6C722Qu0AInZ6w3pd67Noh51TUtSKDM4LcIiksfH0s1Vkt3O7VuynzF8BHyAk/s1600-h/IMG_6513%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_6513" border="0" alt="IMG_6513" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguaE27Xu7saNSevYdpq82VdQP7QGbrgn5uNnpTv3qNqzjHJzmUOxxSzXVkVJ9iBNElGCU7VhohsF9acy6T59oL1KXct1lEKZPCJvLt5ygaUQR0SM6717Ay7EMRMMKJk8ur1LEpqv1XDSQ/?imgmax=800" width="184" height="244"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmo0qhfRhvq6F7ISXWsx0bdXq_1Z2bpmtvypUWrm_l9uQlMOKwPxy1Vb3I8CeONAd4N3T8f_y47uHOqHaqv7xPPzQtz3jrjNJ14nUTPrMNChMGYChRiGS2YiwPvhrUaZ6KY_xn50dAlwE/s1600-h/IMG_6514%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_6514" border="0" alt="IMG_6514" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWoScp0VOa0RCKWo4NzW-equ_uXbWBzeiIYHZMRFsh75hgGIRe763-fskzSfcgRhPsKyEvZULOmMrh_n6wvYpXZ4-K34UOOusYFp_S7XiQOot2cnbKmLqezNAGN6p6S3uyK47N67SdIBM/?imgmax=800" width="184" height="244"></a><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-vxQEuVmrtoc/Tm0q04VGijI/AAAAAAAAB2E/SnyW3L7dIz8/s1600-h/IMG_6517%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_6517" border="0" alt="IMG_6517" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8wglt9LNWROC1ojyMTiYb4cSGmWjSbxfhrJAw0c0DgYCqbHnTFNKqvVkL_fp3rTqG-58ZABxp-k0JNf_JsMr21-aRO4L5Y2eDvqSeUl3Z4Xz-XKOoc6iMFb0Toipz7Q1UAced52-sNwI/?imgmax=800" width="184" height="244"></a><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-aZt6ywo9DGw/Tm0q2FCUSuI/AAAAAAAAB2M/XQo8qU6oD_g/s1600-h/IMG_6519%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_6519" border="0" alt="IMG_6519" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-hDUK-vU8uss/Tm0q2dHxa7I/AAAAAAAAB2Q/80SOJ9u_kWc/IMG_6519_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="184" height="244"></a><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-4sliWLzC408/Tm0q27pf4gI/AAAAAAAAB2U/7aJXHUsSBAk/s1600-h/IMG_6520%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_6520" border="0" alt="IMG_6520" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-kbTcPyQ_ogI/Tm0q3GWqiiI/AAAAAAAAB2Y/EUZADMEO87I/IMG_6520_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="184" height="244"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiST7QE5s9QGXjbv260s48OY2U13DgExdu85e4bOsMgE-iiDwtH2QEeuPlBndvbjmUD2JxcacnuX8d5v_dXrZ3gkLK9-aqonhBXtHgm9DTk6rD7pUDhz6DKlO2AO0kBLyPiosJY_cqNAas/s1600-h/IMG_6521%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_6521" border="0" alt="IMG_6521" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0GXKEzq08d-D07jlkQ4eP-vv09vaANW_IQUqsaolYYWOiq2luEbvEYUG9aI_JwuOx7QuePzVhYCuLx0UN01yxNwbBRkwudZ9fGl6fz6rJ8j5QY7R9MMW4MrXpk5MhqtKGjRIUbeS_rYA/?imgmax=800" width="184" height="244"></a></p> <p>And Eliisa got her first pair of glasses. It seems like we just got used to her face only for it to change already. <img style="border-bottom-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-left-style: none" class="wlEmoticon wlEmoticon-smile" alt="Smile" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-wyBEaAYOpbQ/Tm0qPH0K_LI/AAAAAAAABxM/uqceNqkoYnM/wlEmoticon-smile%25255B2%25255D.png?imgmax=800"> She is not quite sure that she likes them yet. </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLz5O9xvE9s1Ie9dVi0clX4PzZuRaK_YWxwRTTxKKouXObJKFftQUq6tjFFI2z5pXjMnpDFDwshyphenhyphenPmvO6h9hJ3oQ4CTHYY7ijVUSQBCNUHWQ41tRBNfU237qXGypF2Ox5RguTgHLljfas/s1600-h/IMG_6555%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_6555" border="0" alt="IMG_6555" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-OTWL34NTsj0/Tm0q5XK1jII/AAAAAAAAB2o/dCGzDYlx3dw/IMG_6555_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="184" height="244"></a><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-OU70zRVoDqA/Tm0q6seFGJI/AAAAAAAAB2s/bVCrrw3YSVs/s1600-h/IMG_6556%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_6556" border="0" alt="IMG_6556" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKBb6VIM6fF95WXC7Wnp3DMJGZPbuOpuQDIn0JUt1w2rrCAJBhO3HjRzeOoNHyK5oZ1DqnbC_w9if8lktGdggW5KXwY81x0b-VhzH0EIb7zQEF_teydZqBrn-8RqngGZ6alhU0RhUNpxQ/?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184"></a></p> <p>It goes against my nature to pretend to be someone that I am not or to portray my life as something it is not, and since this blog is a reflection of a small part of my life, what I post here is no different. I do not want you to have a picture that everything is easy when in reality it is not. I am not afraid of those that will read my posts and say, “See, I told you so. This was a bad idea!” (though we stand firm in faith that it was NOT our idea but God’s plan for our life and His plan is always PERFECT!) That is not why I have not posted in a long time. But it is hard to put into words what life is like with a child who has experienced so much hurt, so much suffering, so much pain, and so much neglect. It is also very hard for anyone to understand our trials unless he/she can experience them first hand and understand what Eliisa can be like on any given day. I have been trying to put those things into words to give you a real picture of what trials we are facing every day, so this post is coming very soon. In the meantime, we really do covet your prayers! Eliisa has been going through a VERY rough time the past two weeks and we are not sure if there is a physical reason for it (we already spent a whole day in the emergency room of our Children’s Hospital to try to pinpoint a physical cause) or if it is “simply” emotionally a trying time for her. Please don’t give up on this blog, on our journey, and above all on praying for us and with us to have patience, endurance, wisdom, and strength to make it through the rough times. </p> Corriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09878112197381260700noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5148201314795384622.post-32549784140910680772011-08-18T05:02:00.000-07:002011-08-18T05:02:58.029-07:00Be Still<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">For any of you, who know me and know me well, you know that to be still is VERY hard, okay almost impossible for me. Over the past few weeks that I haven't posted (and I am VERY sorry for that!!!), I have definitely not been still. But over the years, I have learned that taking the time to be still IS important and necessary because it is during those times that the Lord has the opportunity to share with us something we would not otherwise hear or learn. </div><br />
I have started and never finished several blog posts over the past few weeks, so in time, you will get to read them as I finish them. :) I knew all the time that I am leaving all of you hanging, who had such an important part in our journey to bringing Eliisa home, and that you want and need to know how it is going, but I just didn't take the time to come here and BE still for a while. So, I am VERY sorry! For all of you, who have called or emailed to check on us, THANK YOU!! It means so much to us. <br />
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So, what exactly have we been up to? This year is our first official year of homeschooling. To all of you, who have ever done or are doing it right now, I have a HUGE admiration for you! It is not a task that you can one day decide you want to do and then just turn around and do it. At least, it is not that easy for me. As some of you know, our oldest daughter Annalee has some learning difficulties, speech and language delays, and she does not necessarily learn the traditional way. Annalee attended kindergarten last year to give her access to the resources she needed to continue to help her get caught up. But school was very hard on Annalee because she wears bilateral BAHA's (two bone-anchored hearing aids). If you don't have any idea what that is, don't worry, I didn't either. Annalee has a very unique hearing loss, it is a conductive loss. The simple definition is that her ear canals are so tiny that sound cannot travel through them to give her clear hearing. While there is nothing wrong with her cochlea, sound is distorted too much by the time it reaches her cochlea to give her normal understanding and expression of speech. As is the case with any type of hearing aid, all sounds are amplified with a hearing aid, and although technology has advanced so much as far as hearing aids are concerned, for a child who has never learned how to tune out background noise, it was a huge challenge for her in a kindergarten classroom. Annalee did not learn to read this past year and by the time she would come home to allow me to work with her one on one, she was so exhausted that the only thing we could do with her was put her to bed for a nap. :) I knew that we would be homeschooling this year, so the past few weeks, I have spent all of my spare time preparing, researching, and putting together our curriculum, classroom, and lesson plans. I knew we could not easily go with any curriculum for all subjects because Annalee learns at her own pace and in her own way, so it was a little more challenging to decide which would be the best approach to help her get caught up and interested in reading her own books, which she loves so much. <br />
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But you all don't want to know all about our other girls and what I am doing in my spare time, so I will fill you in on little Eliisa. Eliisa has also been very busy with doctors' and therapy appointments this past month. We started getting her on track with her shots, we have tested her blood for all kinds of things, we learned that she needs glasses and have picked them out and ordered them, we have had her hearing tested (which was a challenge and we will have to go back for a second round), we have had her ears cleaned out of five years of build-up wax, we have had her evaluated by a speech therapist, occupational therapist, and physical therapist, and next week, we will finally get to see the neurosurgeon. We will see the neurologist beginning of September. While we are very used to constant doctors' appointments, this is a very new experience for us because we know very, very little about Eliisa's history, so every appointment there are so many different things that need to be addressed and explored, and Eliisa is definitely NOT used to these appointments. I wish there was a diagnostic machine that takes a look at every part of the internal workings of her body at one time and then anything that needs medical attention can be addressed by the appropriate doctor. But alas, it is not that easy. It helps to remind me just how fearfully and wonderfully we are made by our Creator, who is the only one who knows everything there is to know about us-physically, emotionally, and spiritually. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Eliisa has done okay with these appointments considering that she has never experienced so much attention on her in such a short time. We often forget in our daily trials in teaching her new things, just how far she has come already, so I thought I would be still for a moment and share some of the victories and progress she has made since coming home. One of the very first things, Eliisa learned was how to hold hands while we pray at the table before a meal. At first, she would fight us and cry, and now she anticipates it and willingly holds our hands while we pray. She has learned to drink out of her own cup. She learned to use a straw. She is learning how not to stuff an entire meal into her mouth at one time, but to chew and swallow between each bite. She can feed herself with a spoon! She has learned to "fix her legs." The only position we ever saw Eliisa sit in is the "W" sit. This is what it looks like. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfVcENOCHdiCurIxcVPhPIFkoxNdHe8UhOHbJDIalPq1xWLIjBx2rxV2RyrKYjYLXLQhwTBm1hv21Q5y0Al7y4LcYZ8wWjAs2Txrayb9JeAyf7fvsppofYHDDdX3UE42uHXaJLlHcawws/s1600/IMG_6360.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfVcENOCHdiCurIxcVPhPIFkoxNdHe8UhOHbJDIalPq1xWLIjBx2rxV2RyrKYjYLXLQhwTBm1hv21Q5y0Al7y4LcYZ8wWjAs2Txrayb9JeAyf7fvsppofYHDDdX3UE42uHXaJLlHcawws/s320/IMG_6360.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoibeZge5mBiJDuNw2N0C3Hq78XaOxX0lF5qUX71QqDNSKkNmcUg6QujBOUj6ovJRgVI9IWcnaK8Hzp_iXHEzHyevSRor38JRxVTQykmmRtWGFZE_3ofkfIxCjzkig1x_rhHqzStzY_y0/s1600/IMG_6003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoibeZge5mBiJDuNw2N0C3Hq78XaOxX0lF5qUX71QqDNSKkNmcUg6QujBOUj6ovJRgVI9IWcnaK8Hzp_iXHEzHyevSRor38JRxVTQykmmRtWGFZE_3ofkfIxCjzkig1x_rhHqzStzY_y0/s320/IMG_6003.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQKu99odjzFy73RLrZDbrwDLtMLSXEDSO5dJCX8ehzqtMn6pT9kLvgSqxqgsOqbvEA7C3Np93uMpLc4_ku8ufi5KDhDKBK8cbcgz96VWsheBWg2v0AAB9s9JmRY2fAHs5hO1zKmg9lf4I/s1600/IMG_6004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQKu99odjzFy73RLrZDbrwDLtMLSXEDSO5dJCX8ehzqtMn6pT9kLvgSqxqgsOqbvEA7C3Np93uMpLc4_ku8ufi5KDhDKBK8cbcgz96VWsheBWg2v0AAB9s9JmRY2fAHs5hO1zKmg9lf4I/s320/IMG_6004.JPG" width="320" /></a>It is NOT a good position to sit for many reasons, and we have been working on consistently reminding her to "fix her legs." At first, we had to constantly move her legs out of that position, now we can simply tell her to fix her legs and she will fix it herself (unless she chooses to ignore us), and she even remembers herself at times to sit in a normal position. She has learned how to keep her legs down while we are in the pool rather than floating on her back like a turtle on its house. She is learning how to put herself to sleep without keeping herself awake for hours, although she still does it on occasion. She is starting to play with toys rather than simply putting them in her mouth. She learned how to turn on the music on the sit and spin and will do it every time it turns off. She is learning not to rock herself constantly but to find other ways to stimulate her senses. Those are just a few things that she has learned since she came home a little over a month ago. To us, it seems like tiny progress, but when you look at how many months it takes a baby or toddler to progress to these milestones, it is HUGE. Eliisa is also very, very stubborn. Another reason why she fits right into this family. :) Stubbornness is not necessarily a bad thing when it is applied in the right way, but it has often served Eliisa to her disadvantage as she is still learning that surrender to what mama and papa want and expect from her is the easier choice. Being persistent is the part that takes up 100% of our time right now, but it is the only way to achieve the desired action, and there are some things that only Eliisa can do for herself and we cannot "make" her do those things. One thing, we are still struggling with is communication. Hopefully, in time, we will find a way to help her communicate her needs and desires to us so that we can help her in those times that she is sad or hurting or wants to share something with us. Right now, the only form of communication she uses is scream, cry, grunt, or laugh and on occasion, she will do very little babbling. We long to hear her sing and laugh and sign or speak, but as we experienced with Annalee, it takes a LOT of time and practice and patience, and she has to come to a point where she desires to communicate with us like our other girls do. </div> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-s5cVvCyA0LpeSFPoC2bREb7R0OWYFS5am4bvVkmKxVnia96NdkrPlqrKcXr-xhB3Yt3tMVkTYSYdu39UIV6aRbv-GSfV0B7e_GN4vjq1liFLz_xORCLviBe-fBFDds7LCJKPQWG9XHo/s1600/IMG_6510.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-s5cVvCyA0LpeSFPoC2bREb7R0OWYFS5am4bvVkmKxVnia96NdkrPlqrKcXr-xhB3Yt3tMVkTYSYdu39UIV6aRbv-GSfV0B7e_GN4vjq1liFLz_xORCLviBe-fBFDds7LCJKPQWG9XHo/s320/IMG_6510.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's the longest she has ever sat still on the couch!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWGTDyi_PA5s-N9QuQ53jLM_RvzZ8teAqazJfdb-uh1f9ujC7R8FktzS3GMpck0yF_g9oBty_A4S9lV9SVxr_oC_DQLGbUF38QIQfuZHj3EMg-b3l9HSg7uJ43ht1BCZEV5IFMmSzNIyE/s1600/IMG_6505.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWGTDyi_PA5s-N9QuQ53jLM_RvzZ8teAqazJfdb-uh1f9ujC7R8FktzS3GMpck0yF_g9oBty_A4S9lV9SVxr_oC_DQLGbUF38QIQfuZHj3EMg-b3l9HSg7uJ43ht1BCZEV5IFMmSzNIyE/s320/IMG_6505.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First Taste of Popcorn</td></tr>
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There are so many more things I would love to share with you about what Eliisa has experienced this past month, but if I did, this post would fill pages and you would never get to read the update. I am sorry, I do not have a lot of new pictures as I am NOT good at taking pictures at all, and Abe is unfortunately not home to take pictures during our day to day routine. Hopefully, over the next weeks as we fall into a new routine, I will get time to finish and publish all of those started posts I have. If you feel like I do and you have not stopped to take a time out to be still, maybe this song will help you do that, even if it is only for four short minutes. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/FKWGSzxtcZA?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Corriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09878112197381260700noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5148201314795384622.post-13024492408453934802011-07-22T14:38:00.000-07:002011-07-22T14:38:06.759-07:00I Have a Tick... Or Maybe a Few?Before I get into my ticks, I want to thank you guys so much for all your encouragement, prayers, and advice for us since my last posts! We appreciate every one so much! It means more than we can ever put into words! With the suggestions many of you have offered and much prayer and patience, we are making some progress, but I will do that in another post. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYEyCVaFwy29ASzvGjuFewYC3Lkefy7ZtX9jX2O_O4D2AoRRikmTuj9vGDXx_8HtlJjNVd_u0wAGV6eCxgX7yJrPo1yghAdZJ8bOaNMWYeU892VOTD0-_y55xmhVUPj5UROtzIglNUhz0/s1600/DSC_1311.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYEyCVaFwy29ASzvGjuFewYC3Lkefy7ZtX9jX2O_O4D2AoRRikmTuj9vGDXx_8HtlJjNVd_u0wAGV6eCxgX7yJrPo1yghAdZJ8bOaNMWYeU892VOTD0-_y55xmhVUPj5UROtzIglNUhz0/s320/DSC_1311.JPG" t$="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No! These can't be found in MY garden!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I do have a lot of ticks, when I start to really think about it. One of my worst ticks is that I like to have things done before the weekend comes. I want the laundry washed, folded, and put away; the house cleaned; the lawn mowed; meals and desserts prepared; the car washed; the house in order and all the projects done so that I don't have to do any of that on the weekend. Well, as we added more children to our family, I have had to learn to let some things go because my girls are only going to be little for a short time, and my house can always be clean and my laundry pile can always be gone and my yard can always be beautiful twenty years from now when they are all grown up. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSXkhCi6eiruQRDWy4gaq8eTg4fa2y8kBIku0KiAXExJiYuKCInf03IU-eJluVTERyE0J75nmtzgyZh0UWPac7QuYY8bs-TFY7b4Z30uQpyju7GqFjF7eOB26rooPDvXbgLNIBnxGXSdM/s1600/DSC_1330.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSXkhCi6eiruQRDWy4gaq8eTg4fa2y8kBIku0KiAXExJiYuKCInf03IU-eJluVTERyE0J75nmtzgyZh0UWPac7QuYY8bs-TFY7b4Z30uQpyju7GqFjF7eOB26rooPDvXbgLNIBnxGXSdM/s320/DSC_1330.JPG" t$="true" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hey, these weeds can be beautiful, too!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"> So, I have to walk through the house with blinders on my eyes and play with the girls in the yard with my eyes closed or I get overwhelmed by the projects that I can find there. :) I remember getting angry seeing 10 workers working outside on beautifying the yard where we adopted Eliisa from and yet watching kids strapped into wheelchairs or sitting on benches without any toys to play with or anyone to give them any attention for hours. Yes, sure a nice appearance to the orphanage or institution is important, but is it important enough that children get even more neglected in the process? NO!!! So, I have tried to ignore that tick I have since bringing home Eliisa. But like most things that we try to ignore, there comes a time when I see the weeds growing in my flower beds and the grass growing taller than my two-year-old or from the sidewalk into the street from lack of edging even when my eyes are closed. :) There comes a time when I can no longer tolerate walking barefoot in my house because there is so much dirt on my floor, my feet are always dirty. :) And a time when I can see the soap scum turn a deep brown around the bathtub rim from little girls who love to play outside and need to get clean sometime before the whole house will get sick. And a time when I can't walk through the house early in the morning without tripping over half the toyroom spread all over my house and thus waking up the whole house.</div><br />
So, this week, we only had one doctor's appointment, so I decided to attempt to get one or two of those things done every day of this week. On Monday, I had to pick up a prescription for Eliisa, so although I really DISLIKE Wal*Mart, I decided that I had to face it in order to get the prescription filled the cheapest. :) So, I decided to ignore all the looks I knew I'd be getting and take all five girls and get it done and hopefully a couple other errands along the way. We were gone all morning, but I am proud to say that we successfully stocked our pantry, fridge, and medicine cabinet and I didn't even pull all my hair out (only the gray ones!:)). And I made sure that those people who were in the stores that we were in, will NEVER go shopping on a Monday morning again. :) On Tuesday, we recovered from Monday, and then tried to go outside to do a little work in the yard in the evening. It did not go so well, so I had to abandoned my efforts in the middle of the edging. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp7ydZnPGpW7T1UPUfdlRXE-LWRO15E_ffQjvAI6S4C35-4VMjVVeMGPapY2WZZGDruBo6csJGl_D52SgpnVJPrrPjE_XihGOxGriE3VAYPrzXIM4dUM3_nosn80boYFzcfFWu-3dtL_w/s1600/IMG_5979.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp7ydZnPGpW7T1UPUfdlRXE-LWRO15E_ffQjvAI6S4C35-4VMjVVeMGPapY2WZZGDruBo6csJGl_D52SgpnVJPrrPjE_XihGOxGriE3VAYPrzXIM4dUM3_nosn80boYFzcfFWu-3dtL_w/s320/IMG_5979.JPG" t$="true" width="320" /></a></div>On Wednesday morning, I decided to try again, and was able to get much of the yard done while the girls were happily entertained on the swing set and in the kiddie pool and later finish it during nap time. Why, oh why did we ever buy a house with a corner lot? It increases the amount of edges exponentially. And then I discovered that while so dutifully taking care of my yard, I really got a REAL tick! Praise the Lord, I was able to remove it's full body from where it had tried to make a new home, BUT let's pray that it did not give me any diseases while it tried to make my body its home! I cannot get sick at such a time as this! :) <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiykgGz9bfQka10pTZS_aHa96xsdj4kBYCTvOfHfxh6_OI9PWnP6AOvNO5ByerJSWD8fwZ6lB1Ha48LrWk4_5e95Zjn-MTZ1le9Teiqx45iPlh4h1DWTxOjNTkXalOnLWHCOLNsgwPZVg/s1600/DSC_1625.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiykgGz9bfQka10pTZS_aHa96xsdj4kBYCTvOfHfxh6_OI9PWnP6AOvNO5ByerJSWD8fwZ6lB1Ha48LrWk4_5e95Zjn-MTZ1le9Teiqx45iPlh4h1DWTxOjNTkXalOnLWHCOLNsgwPZVg/s320/DSC_1625.JPG" t$="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Why would anyone ever be afraid of all of us?! </td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"> On Thursday, I took all five little girls to a doctor's appointment in the big city. When the nurse saw all six of us coming into the office, she quickly ushered us to a treatment room and shut the door. :) It was a quick and easy appointment anyways. Since I can't let all that gas go to waste, I made a couple of other very important stops on the way home including picking up a new frame for my glasses which did not survive the last tantrum. Although I said I was walking around with my eyes closed for fear of seeing the projects, I need to at least see the road while I am driving. :) And we made it home all in one piece! </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">And then came Friday.... Today, I was able to at least get the surface dirt in my kitchen, bathrooms, and floors cleaned up. All of the girls had an awesome day-the best day since coming home. I am so thankful and know it was all of your prayers for us getting us to this point! And now, I am sitting here to complete one other tick that I have-to update the blog so that you all don't think that life is all terrible around here. It is NOT! We do have a lot of good times together along with the tough times. But we also wanted you to know that, yes, it is not always easy, which is one more reason to go and bring home one of the 147 Million orphans in this world! And now, for one last tick of the day... I am going to sit here for the next five minutes and enjoy my "clean" house before five little monkeys get up and turn it upside down. :) Ahh... too late already! Off to the pool we go because at least there, I am not responsible for any projects. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRrMMs7SAKbOzHI5ftvN_6c_AIz3AvP7C8mPN_Sjs5FouM69NrD1NQ1sSkIKjDZDgWQMJAU2WgQvsv1p_fKfTmrV3nzz4ylH3_qN0zGgtm_i0W3CjHSZSdcZ3kHp7QHhBMPPuui2YaiRQ/s1600/IMG_5733.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRrMMs7SAKbOzHI5ftvN_6c_AIz3AvP7C8mPN_Sjs5FouM69NrD1NQ1sSkIKjDZDgWQMJAU2WgQvsv1p_fKfTmrV3nzz4ylH3_qN0zGgtm_i0W3CjHSZSdcZ3kHp7QHhBMPPuui2YaiRQ/s320/IMG_5733.JPG" t$="true" width="320" /></a></div>Corriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09878112197381260700noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5148201314795384622.post-72113603683960918382011-07-19T19:06:00.000-07:002011-07-19T19:06:44.821-07:00Urgent Prayer Request for Another Adopting FamilyThis prayer request is one that I could have written a few short weeks ago. I haven't shared this miracle the Lord did with you all yet, because well at the time, I had no idea how good the Lord was to us. When I took Eliisa to the medical clinic for her medical evaluation to be cleared for her visa to immigrate into the U.S., the doctor there reviewed her medical records and wanted her to have a chest x-ray. Due to the language barrier, I did not fully understand why she requested the x-ray, although I did understand that it was because Eliisa had TB at some point in her life in the orphanage. The chest x-ray came back clear, praise the Lord, and we were cleared by the doctor for our visa. Since returning home, we have visited our pediatrician twice for testing to find out if she did indeed had TB. I found out then that the reason there was concern at all is because Eliisa was only treated for 3 months, when the normal course of treatment for TB here in the U.S. is supposed to be for 9 months. Eliisa did test positive for the skin test (as she should have since she did have TB), and per the advice of the infectious disease doctor, we have started her on 9 months of TB antibiotics. <br />
Now to the prayer request: The Warner family adopted their son Joshua from the same country we adopted Eliisa from. When they went to the medical clinic that has to sign the medical release this past week so that they could complete their journey home, they found out that Joshua has either pneumonia or TB. If he has TB, he will not be issued a visa nor allowed to travel home until he completes at least 6 months of treatment in U. However, in order to rule out TB, three sputum samples must be obtained. In order to obtain these cultures the doctor is telling them that he must be sedated. Since Joshua has Down Syndrome, sedating him is very risky and not optimal. However, if they choose not to do this test, they have to remain in country to have Joshua treated for 6-8 weeks for pneumonia before another chest x-ray will be obtained to make sure that he does not in fact have TB. Staying for 6-8 weeks in U. away from family, friends, and being treated by foreign doctors would be very hard on the family and they do not have the funds to be able to do that. Also, Lisa Warner's sister passed away yesterday unexpectedly, and they really need to be able to come home to be here for her family. Please pray that the Lord would intervene mightily on this family's behalf and that they would be able to decide the best option for their son and that he could be cleared to travel home so that he can be treated and get well. You can read the Warner's blog <a href="http://buildingourvillage.blogspot.com/">here</a>. This is how great our God is because we could have also been retained in Eastern Europe for weeks or months. Praise the Lord for His goodness to us! Corriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09878112197381260700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5148201314795384622.post-83895270134430050222011-07-18T12:44:00.000-07:002011-07-18T12:44:53.320-07:00I'm Back! :)I know, I know! I left all of you hanging and for that I am very sorry! The last couple of weeks have been VERY busy and often very stressful and overwhelming. I had a lot of growing to do and the Lord is still working hard at teaching me. <br />
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The past three weeks have been by far the most challenging weeks of parenting in my life. Now, remember that at one point I had four little girls under the age of four, two with special needs, and my husband was an over-the-road truck driver and not home except for on the weekends and then he needed to catch up from lack of sleep and pre-sleep for the week ahead. :) To give you an idea of what the past few weeks have looked like without giving you the WHOLE story (which I promise I will give you piece by piece or post by post!), here are some pictures. <br />
<div style="text-align: center;">We had SOME of this:</div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A LOT of this:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqVq9lXR5menRLy_-jbgAupa7ywodCXmKvq-vA4odzidkidszey0-ETT-kJ1BPmX5F7AhbURGjVcNhuUi3yYPDDwrSdDC12x8LCKU4RGXegJq42G2TchUBs2bpcxC5wplR2qYf8igaoWo/s1600/IMG_6501.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqVq9lXR5menRLy_-jbgAupa7ywodCXmKvq-vA4odzidkidszey0-ETT-kJ1BPmX5F7AhbURGjVcNhuUi3yYPDDwrSdDC12x8LCKU4RGXegJq42G2TchUBs2bpcxC5wplR2qYf8igaoWo/s320/IMG_6501.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And very LITTLE of that</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj83l8RDLTnbshdATt3atG51Uyq6OEgi5qgfl_RMY4e_ydAmeu-gQuW1NLpAC7yD9nqK-jsTGhJn544cfM7dsVExtXNf7BLfrsQRrZO0rZkZQmaS_a0kWYsmsSeyINCEbhWqRcmXaI9an8/s1600/Sleep.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="289" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj83l8RDLTnbshdATt3atG51Uyq6OEgi5qgfl_RMY4e_ydAmeu-gQuW1NLpAC7yD9nqK-jsTGhJn544cfM7dsVExtXNf7BLfrsQRrZO0rZkZQmaS_a0kWYsmsSeyINCEbhWqRcmXaI9an8/s320/Sleep.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Adoption is not a decision that one can just make because is seems like a good thing to do. Although, it is a wonderful thing to do. There are 147 million orphans worldwide, it is something we MUST do if the Lord calls us to it. However, during the entire process, there were many times, when I wanted to bail out! It is a constant roller coaster ride. And after the adoption is complete, the real challenges only begin. We knew that this would be the case, but there was not really anything we could do to prepare ourselves for the time after. Sure we read parenting an adopted child/special needs child books and many blogs of other families who adopted. We asked lots of question and did a LOT of research. But no one could tell me how Eliisa would handle the change in her environment. No one could tell me how the sedatives would work their way out of her body. No one could prepare me for the constant crying, screaming, head banging, biting, etc. she would have. Especially, no one could have known that it would be an every day battle just to get her to sleep at nights. <br />
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Was it all worth it? ABSOLUTELY! When we do the Lord's will, it does not always immediately "feel" like it was worth it. I am sure Noah asked many times during the years of building the ark and being ridiculed if it would be worth it. I am sure Moses wondered in the 40 years of wandering through the wilderness if it was worth it. I won't say that there aren't times when I asked the Lord if He didn't make a mistake by making me Eliisa's mama. Every day I go to bed feeling like a failure. I don't know how to help her cope or how to let her know how much we love her and want what's best for her. I am, however, absolutely sure that He gave us Eliisa and that He has a very special plan for her life and ours. Every day, I am learning something knew about her and every day, the Lord is teaching me new lessons about Himself and my adoption in Him. <br />
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I know that when Jesus died on the cross for my sins, He never once wavered at His calling to die for my sin. Yes, He asked the Lord to find another way to save all mankind from their sins so He would not have to suffer, but He was ready and willing to pay my price without wavering. God in His infinite wisdom also knew that after our adoption, we would still have a hard time obeying and doing His will and how much more we would hurt Him. Yet, He did it anyway. When I stop and think about how hard it is to teach a five-year-old, who has never been taught how to obey, how to be thankful, how to be kind to others, how to be careful when there is danger, how to accept the word "no," how to share, how to act in any situation, how to make good choices, how to be patient, etc., then I have to think about myself and my life since I have been saved. I have behaved far worse towards my heavenly Father than Eliisa will ever come close to. In the past thirty years, the Lord has been VERY patient with me. He has continued to correct me when I have failed; He has picked me up when I got hurt or fell out of pure stubbornness to do it my own way; He has walked by my side even when I was kicking and screaming because I didn't want to go His way; He was ALWAYS there for me when I was ready to come back to Him; He was ALWAYS ready to forgive me even before I asked Him for forgiveness; and most amazingly of all He has loved me through all of the pain that I have given Him. Best of all, He is NOT finished with me yet. :) <br />
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We have had some good times, but we have also had some very rough times. Every day we can discover something new that Eliisa has learned since coming home. Every day, we can catch a glimpse of that beautiful little girl that is hiding underneath all of that anger and crying. Every day, we are thankful that the Lord allowed her to come into our lives. Right now, we are struggling the most with Eliisa still having a VERY hard time going to sleep at night and most days refusing to take a nap, so by the time it is finally quiet in the house, I am emotionally and physically completely spent. Not only does she keep herself awake, she keeps the rest of the house awake as well with all the screaming and crying. I have tried every trick in the book that I know, but without success so far. Unfortunately, because she has hydrocephalus and cerebral palsy, our pediatrician does not recommend Melatonin due to a risk for seizures, so that trick is also a "no go." I'd like to know what they did to put her to sleep every day for naps and night time when she was in the orphanage because I know that they would not tolerate anyone falling out of line there. We would really appreciate your prayers for that. I bought a hammock type chair specifically designed for autistic children that she and I can both sit in and rock. Once I get it hung, I will try that along with a warm cup of milk at nights to help her relax before bed time and to give her some one on one mama time. I will let you know how that goes. :) Over the next few days or weeks, I will fill you in on all of the happenings that Eliisa has experienced so far as well as her doctor's appointments. Thanks for not giving up on this blog and us!!! Corriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09878112197381260700noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5148201314795384622.post-53012435674234590022011-07-05T12:56:00.000-07:002011-07-06T02:06:43.327-07:00Our Trip Home<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-4rAEzaMuI0AnN4bExhjOn28z5Yvqv6ERQvxLsvVSo_X7FM04pTzQqCdUe1N9AtOMrIwRYwfUnwo4CXlpwmJdlwJoTMQc7Udxb_aSCIhleXxxqkjFGhPNolJZ8SjqnNKc4dDU0NDOgZE/s1600/IMG_6402.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-4rAEzaMuI0AnN4bExhjOn28z5Yvqv6ERQvxLsvVSo_X7FM04pTzQqCdUe1N9AtOMrIwRYwfUnwo4CXlpwmJdlwJoTMQc7Udxb_aSCIhleXxxqkjFGhPNolJZ8SjqnNKc4dDU0NDOgZE/s320/IMG_6402.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;">Waiting on our Ride to the Airport</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I promised I would share our homecoming story with you. I am sorry it has taken me so long to get around to posting it! We and Eliisa are trying to adjust at home. It has not been an easy adjustment for her. Eliisa is five-years-old, yet much like a baby in a great many ways. She is also suffering from withdrawal symptoms from the medications she was on to keep her sedated while in the institution she was in. She has extreme mood swings and goes from screaming to laughing and back to screaming within seconds. We are having a hard time with her going to sleep for naps and at night time as well as getting her to eat when everyone else is eating. We have not been able to make much progress with communication both verbal and nonverbal, so that's adding to her frustration. Because she was the youngest in her group, she has learned to always defend herself, and she does not know how to receive love from her sisters. She simply pushes them away. She is still throwing toys, but now mostly when she is mad. She is having a very hard time dealing with the word "no." Yes, we are having quite a few struggles. Struggles that could have been so easily avoided. Should any child have to struggle like that? No!!!! It is hard to comprehend how it is possible that a child can suffer such great injustice in life, and yet there are so many children around the world suffering the same injustice and worse. Would Eliisa's struggles be less severe had we been able to adopt her several years ago? YES!! How I wish we could have known about her then to keep her from having to go through what she has gone through. And, yet, I know that the Lord allowed her to come into our life at exactly the right time. Even in this time, He is molding us and teaching us so many lessons that we would not have learned otherwise. We are learning how to be completely dependent on Him. I am learning how much patience the Lord has with me because I am often very unloveable and disobedient, and I don't want His help, and yet He is always there for me when I am ready to come back to Him. He is always by my side even when I am pushing Him away. </div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">BUT in the midst of this time of adjustment, we are also seeing some great progress as well. Eliisa LOVES bath time. She cannot get enough of it. She has obviously never had a real bath as she does not know how to be afraid of the water at all. She loves to be hosed off with the shower head. She laughs and laughs. I have also learned that wrapping her tight like a baby for nap and night time is the best way to get her to go to sleep without hours of struggeling. We were told that she cannot feed herself, yet aside from us keeping her from stuffing her mouth beyond full, she has been feeding herself. She loves music and loves it when her sisters sing to her. She loves to dance whenever she hears music. Eliisa has also started to learn what to do with toys, even learned to stack legos on top of each other. She is starting to make eye contact more and more, even if it is only for a mere second. She is learning that she doesn't have to sit in one place all day long and rock herself, but she can be free to roam around the house. Little by little, I know she will learn to thrive in our family. She will learn what it means to be loved and to receive love. She will learn that it is a good thing to be held rather than fighting it. We are blessed beyond measure that the Lord would choose us to have a part in her life and watch her blossom before our eyes. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Now, to our coming home story. I am so thankful that I was able to update our blog the evening before we left, because it was the last contact to home I had before leaving Eliisa's country. I lost the internet connection I had and wasn't even able to skype with Abe and the girls one more time before leaving. :( To tell you the truth, I was not sure what to expect about our long airplane trip home. I was afraid that Eliisa would continue her tantrums like she had had and scream the whole way home. I was afraid that she would not want to sit buckled in her seat. I was afraid what would happen when we got to immigration in the U.S. because of her name problem. But the Lord carried us through each step. </div><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waiting in the Airport in Kiev</td></tr>
</tbody></table> I felt myself carried through the whole way home. We left our first airport promptly and without any major meltdowns. I was able to meet another family who was on their way home with their newly adopted son. However, the airline would not allow them to travel together as a family due to the plane being full, so the mom had to travel ahead by herself. I know the Lord placed her there on the plane just for me. What an encouragement it was to have her help, and also to share our stories and our love for the Lord throughout this journey with her. Eliisa sat quietly for the whole two hour flight while we talked. Once we got to Amsterdam, we parted ways since the mom was going to try to arrange flights so the whole family could be reunited before making the transatlantic flight.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amsterdam</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So Beautiful!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Eliisa and I ventured through the airport to get our tickets and then waited to get through the gate. We had to wait for a long time to get through security at our gate, but the Lord used that time to open up a window seat for us. I was so thankful that after initally being told there were no window seats for us, that I was persistent and asked again (which is totally against my nature!). I know the trip home would have been a LOT harder without being able to have that window seat for Eliisa. Eliisa got quite impatient waiting on us to go through security, but finally we were able to make it through that as well. Then we had to wait on our plane to get to the gate in a very full waiting area. I let Eliisa walk and walk until she could not walk anymore. She was trying to find anything and everything from the floor to put in her mouth. I was constantly "chasing" her to keep her from doing so. And then we were finally on our plane to our final destination in Atlanta with about a one hour delay. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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Eliisa was asleep before we were even in the air, and although she did not sleep very soundly, she slept for 6 of the 9 hours that we were on that plane! Praise the Lord! The rest of the time, she just sat, rocked, played with her little taggy blanket I made her, and ate until we finally landed on American soil. Wow, what a moment!!! :) We ended up in a very short line for immigration, which is the first time that I have ever experienced that. From the first officer, we were escorted to our interview room where another officer reviewed our paperwork and put that stamp that makes Eliisa an American citizen into her passport. He was so kind! I know the Lord put him there just for us! And since I did not have any checked luggage, we were able to breeze right through customs and our third and final security screening, got on the train, and came up the elevator, and were welcomed by Gretchen and her wonderful son, Ari! Abe and the girls were stuck in traffic (welcome to Atlanta!), but they had just made it to the parking garage when we made it through immigration and customs. What a moment it was to be reunited with Abe and the girls!!! As soon as our plane had landed in Atlanta, I could not hold back the tears. I was fighting them back through immigration and customs just so that no one would declare me crazy, but once we were reunited as a family, I just couldn't hold them back anymore. What an amazing journey this has been! I can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for us and Eliisa in the days, weeks, months, and years ahead of us! <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWmLyzzWtNawUpA7cB0AtMMMdBCNVGKOmhyphenhyphenrjNtdSZPc9LIIhk00B9DZfWAEK7ylrWUwLO_OueyHURO-XH-1M3lIhPPdx64xuuQFvoilU5zhx97A5WWbJ-HsAnlab7Tku0KbN4jO0XVIY/s1600/HomecomingEliisa-13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWmLyzzWtNawUpA7cB0AtMMMdBCNVGKOmhyphenhyphenrjNtdSZPc9LIIhk00B9DZfWAEK7ylrWUwLO_OueyHURO-XH-1M3lIhPPdx64xuuQFvoilU5zhx97A5WWbJ-HsAnlab7Tku0KbN4jO0XVIY/s320/HomecomingEliisa-13.jpg" width="243" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSg6BrJWamOf4OlDZ3CiYldr3Uk8lQexXzpBwayoJnHEcQPu9AREUNgk0ykpOk56i919gxReciLr3KecR7qPNmQ_FL2H6-KWqe-eQSWdIav5RmOR0lNSN7xA88EDG_N60HVicyPqZrlYQ/s1600/HomecomingEliisa-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSg6BrJWamOf4OlDZ3CiYldr3Uk8lQexXzpBwayoJnHEcQPu9AREUNgk0ykpOk56i919gxReciLr3KecR7qPNmQ_FL2H6-KWqe-eQSWdIav5RmOR0lNSN7xA88EDG_N60HVicyPqZrlYQ/s320/HomecomingEliisa-4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Since coming home, we have pretty much stayed home. We ventured out on the first day to go to the park, but it was simply too much for Eliisa. Yesterday, we started out the day by going to the pool. Eliisa LOVED it, but she was constantly drinking the water. It will take some time for her to learn to keep her mouth closed. We just love our puddle jumpers! It is the BEST invention of all time for our girls. I am looking forward to many more days in the pool with my girls!! We celebrated Independence Day as a family, and what a new meaning it had for us this year! How thankful we are for the country we get to live in and the freedoms we have! I have never been so happy to be home! This week, we will celebrate Eliisa and Ellie's fifth birthday. I will share that special day with you when I get another quiet moment! :) </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXreO31ItJsrW-z045sXuObvgbeagadtKP8mZHU463UFHnE1poEZ_zFqOwKxZjjLN_2IczqjRAdoihatbOkWfu0qg_AFqDoFaM87mGa8SfwN9YY24hjBHTWpbG93d2Dv8_p0Us28BmFQk/s1600/IMG_5789.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXreO31ItJsrW-z045sXuObvgbeagadtKP8mZHU463UFHnE1poEZ_zFqOwKxZjjLN_2IczqjRAdoihatbOkWfu0qg_AFqDoFaM87mGa8SfwN9YY24hjBHTWpbG93d2Dv8_p0Us28BmFQk/s320/IMG_5789.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Corriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09878112197381260700noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5148201314795384622.post-30435654493569343182011-07-02T05:25:00.000-07:002011-07-02T05:25:27.070-07:00And then we were HOME!!!!Yes, we are home! Praise the Lord! I am sorry I did not update you all sooner! Thank you for all your prayers! I felt myself carried in prayer the whole way home and I am so grateful. Eliisa did AWESOME!!! We had no problems when we went through immigration and the officer who handled our case was by far the kindest officer that I have met in this entire journey or during any other dealings I have with any government entity! All glory be to our Lord! I will fill you in on all the details very soon and upload some pictures. Our wonderful friend Gretchen and her son Ari were at the airport to capture our homecoming in pictures. We are so BLESSED! Please keep Gretchen and her husband Craig in their prayers as they are about to travel for their second trip to have court for their son, Ian. He is also in Eastern Europe, but in a country that is MUCH more difficult to adopt from than where Eliisa was. You can follow their journey, <a href="http://bring-hope-home.blogspot.com/">here</a>. :) More to come soon! Thank you for all your prayers!!! Keep the coming as we are adapting to our new life at home. Right now, we are "baby proofing" on a whole new level. :) Corriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09878112197381260700noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5148201314795384622.post-85459986522238626382011-06-30T12:36:00.000-07:002011-06-30T12:36:06.021-07:00We are Homeward Bound and One More BIG Prayer RequestPraise the Lord, we will be leaving for home early tomorrow morning. We will be leaving our "home" at about 3:30 a.m. (or 8:30 p.m. ET today in the U.S.) to head to the airport. I can hardly believe it! The medical appointment and embassy took us pretty much all day, but we got it all done. There is however one small problem with Vika's passport, and that is why we really need your prayers. Since Eliisa has two middle names, they were unable to put both on her passport in this country. They were supposed to write out her full name on another page within the passport, but they failed to do so. So, her immigrant visa and her birth certificate have her full name; however, her passport does not. The officer at the embassy said, this may be a problem when we immigrate into the United States. PLEASE PRAY that there will be NO problems. I know both Eliisa and I will be very worn out by the time we reach immigration after a long day of flying, and there is really nothing that I can do either. Thank you for praying us through this entire journey and praying us home! Your love, encouragement, comments, and prayers mean so much to us, and we could never have made it to this point without you! I am finishing up some last minute packing, and then we will be ready to leave in a few short hours. I will do my best to let everyone know that we made it home! I'm sorry, no pictures today. I did not even take my camera with me today. Here we come! Corriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09878112197381260700noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5148201314795384622.post-34576972373723821622011-06-29T12:39:00.000-07:002011-06-29T12:39:53.920-07:00Still Here! :)Yes, we are still here, still in the capital city of Eliisa's country and still in the rain, but still hanging in there and still alive! :) I'm sorry I did not update the blog yesterday. I had put Eliisa to bed, and THREE hours later, she was still not sleeping! I was a little weary to say the least! <br />
Yesterday, we ventured on the metro to finally meet up with the Colemans. They were delayed even longer than we were delayed with their interpol clearance, and so the Lord worked it out that we could see each other in "real" life! We are so thankful for all they did for us! It was wonderful to meet them, their daughter, Ashley's mom, and their newly adopted son! Ashley had fixed a wonderful lunch, and we just talked and kept Eliisa entertained for a while. It was so nice to be able to fellowship and pass the time more quickly. I think Eliisa also enjoyed being able to get out of the "house." And although it had rained on and off during the day, both coming and going, we did not get rained on! What a blessing.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju0iBUfE_TPQrIcQ_ifZX_-ucioViX7sXUiO6HCxNri0lQgbjnP6u44oxUqhJN1ShZbiIp7apkkVBpOmhpQlYzDWAzDh6N2MXTwVb_8mfWIBF5s2zmBsCgK3FDRu16Hf6dskVAa0zU_7M/s1600/IMG_6374.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju0iBUfE_TPQrIcQ_ifZX_-ucioViX7sXUiO6HCxNri0lQgbjnP6u44oxUqhJN1ShZbiIp7apkkVBpOmhpQlYzDWAzDh6N2MXTwVb_8mfWIBF5s2zmBsCgK3FDRu16Hf6dskVAa0zU_7M/s320/IMG_6374.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>We were not able to go to our second embassy appointment today because Eliisa's passport has not made it here yet. It is supposed to be on the overnight train right now, and should be arriving in this city tomorrow morning at 6 a.m. Please pray that there will be no problems, or we could be delayed again. I am so thankful that it was issued today and that it is on the train here! So, tomorrow, we will have the medical appointment first (it's required in order to obtain the visa), and then at 2 p.m. we will have our embassy appointment. We may run into the Colemans again for both of those appointments as they are also finishing up tomorrow and Lord-willing traveling home on Saturday. So, this morning, I planned to get out and do something on our last day of having nothing to do. It was raining, but not constantly, so I decided to take the Metro with Eliisa and visit a beautiful park. It took me a while to orient myself once we got off the Metro and it was raining pretty heavy, but we were able to find the park, enjoy playing on the playground, and just walking through the park and enjoying the beauty while the sun peaked through the clouds. Eliisa really enjoyed the playground, but she has obviously hardly experienced a playground in her life. She had no idea what she was supposed to do on the slide. But then once she did it a couple of times, she couldn't get enough of it. I am glad that I brought the stroller for this adventure, because it would have been way too much walking for her. We stopped and picked up a late lunch and then headed back to our room in the seminary to skype with Abe and the girls. Eliisa is definitely seeking any attention she can get, even if it is negative attention. She has a tantrum every time I am on the phone. It is really amazing how quickly she figured that out. :) Lord-willing, things will settle down as we get home and get into a routine as a family! I took a few pictures of the last couple of days for you to experience these last few days with us. I will try to update you all with a quick update tomorrow. Lord-willing, we will be leaving the apartment around 3 a.m. on Friday morning (which is really still Thursday in the U.S.) to get to the airport for our flight to Amsterdam (just for you Leanne!:)), and then from there back to Atlanta. I am praying that we will be able to get window seats for our transatlantic flight so that it will be a little easier on the people around us. :) <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgninFZExgn9CQOPT6xx14YwPrTWl17lCG2zLA9U7bV3P1LTGBtgHcxs7rDb2qYIlsaFTMd_FoeQWlzupltz6LdCsp4zTgjJpzsR5VEv4tGaEfBn8geD6_SawQNP_1QcDr42JGhMC1pm7c/s1600/IMG_6401.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgninFZExgn9CQOPT6xx14YwPrTWl17lCG2zLA9U7bV3P1LTGBtgHcxs7rDb2qYIlsaFTMd_FoeQWlzupltz6LdCsp4zTgjJpzsR5VEv4tGaEfBn8geD6_SawQNP_1QcDr42JGhMC1pm7c/s320/IMG_6401.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>Corriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09878112197381260700noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5148201314795384622.post-5949745866672939302011-06-27T13:06:00.000-07:002011-06-27T13:06:02.783-07:00Embassy Part 1-DONE!!!This morning at 9 a.m. was our first embassy appointment. I was a little nervous with all the paperwork stuff-which turned out to be completely unnecessary! We have been through so much paperwork-this was a walk in the park! I was picked up by a taxi, who had a little difficulty finding where I was at, so we had to walk a little to where he was in the rain. Then we had to get the passport pictures from Y.'s husband, who also had a difficult time finding us. But we found each other, and eventually the driver found the embassy, and I found Niko-a little late but it was no problem! He is such a wonderful driver and "helper." He had all the remaining documents I needed save one. He checked to make sure that I had everything I needed and walked me inside the embassy past a long line of people standing in the pouring rain waiting for their turn. Eliisa's ticket out of her country is an easy one as a child of an American citizen. For most people who want to leave this country even just for vacation to America, it is VERY difficult-most will never be granted permission to leave for fear that they will leave and NEVER return. If you wonder how I know this for sure, I recently spoke with someone who is from Eliisa's country and how he applied for exactly such a visa to leave this country, and all the hurdles he had to go through to get it. In the end, it was a divine act of God that he actually got permission to leave. <br />
Anyways, I went through security screening and then was ushered into another building where a kind officer helped go through all the paperwork to make sure it was completed correctly and that I had everything. We paid our fees and out the door we were. We will return either Wednesday or Thursday (depending on when we get the passport) at 2 p.m. for our second appointment where we will officially receive a bundle of paperwork and Eliisa's visa, and we will be FREE to come home! Hallelujah!!!<br />
The past few days since returning to the capital city have not been an easy transition. Yes, Eliisa has done extremely well and continues to do well for the circumstances that she is going through. Over the past five years, she has acquired some very typical though very challenging orphanage behaviors, most of them she probably acquired during the last year in the institution where she was at. She has a difficult time expressing her needs and controlling her behavior when she is frustrated or hurt or needs something. She does not know how to understand "No," and that "No" really means "No" in mama's book. It is my responsibility as her mama to keep her safe, so there are times when I have to say no even when I know all that she has been through and my heart hurts for her. She is also having a very difficult time going to sleep at night. NOT because she is not tired, but simply because she is being exposed to so many new experiences. We have also had a LOT of rain, and getting out is very difficult in the rain in a city where no one speaks your language, and a society that has very little tolerance for children with disabilities. Eliisa has some very typical food issues as well. For example, if I give her food in her hand to put in her mouth, she will not put it in her mouth, but rather hold onto it forever in case there is nothing more to come. Also, when it comes closer to the end of a meal, she will start to just keep the food in her mouth rather than swallow it. Again for fear that she will not get something else later. Many of the issues she faces are typical for a 6-12 month old. It will take time to give her the security she needs to know that we love her unconditionally, and that we will be here to provide for all of her needs-physically, spiritually, and emotionally. <br />
At no point in this adoption journey, did I doubt that it was God's will for us to adopt Eliisa. However, I have had plenty of doubts that I/we would be capable to finish this journey, and to bring her home, and to give her what she needed to heal from the past wounds and to overcome the physical and emotional difficulties she has. However, the Lord is reminding me daily that He is NOT asking me to be capable to give her everything she needs, but He is asking me to be a moldable vessel to be used by Him to give her everything she needs. I am learning how to be that vessel of clay that the Lord needs me to be, and sometimes, just like in the hands of a potter, it requires some "beating, bending, and stretching." I have given Him plenty of resistance as He has been trying to mold me. Lately, it has required a lot of bending, beating, and stretching, and I am sure in the weeks to come, there will be much more. :) Please pray for strength and endurance as we make it through these past few days here in Eliisa's country. I am weary and lonely and ready to come HOME! I know it is tough on Eliisa to be in this place of transition as well. There are only so many things you can do in a little room on a rainy day! :) Also pray for Abe and the girls as they prepare for us to come home. This second trip has been harder on all of us, and the lack of communication with each other has made it even harder. <br />
I have no new pictures of our day today, as it was cold, windy, and VERY rainy, but I have the promised pictures that Alla sent me. Enjoy! :) <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY9VPOgGeY0jRTPXZyYnDhUB1LQEGzES31bKI1eOybiB-In60SlRBPi-EQHh58rguAWfqWK_GNa9OLBrp9EJ1ixpSzGPkCWbSMD0OEYWi2v5BXGIapHfjHuGJJzOAz014OUSMjzVlbI-w/s1600/_1060775.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY9VPOgGeY0jRTPXZyYnDhUB1LQEGzES31bKI1eOybiB-In60SlRBPi-EQHh58rguAWfqWK_GNa9OLBrp9EJ1ixpSzGPkCWbSMD0OEYWi2v5BXGIapHfjHuGJJzOAz014OUSMjzVlbI-w/s320/_1060775.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Corriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09878112197381260700noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5148201314795384622.post-80857218402708377752011-06-26T12:14:00.000-07:002011-06-26T12:14:40.990-07:00Guess, what I got to hear today?<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Well, I heard a lot of things today. Most of the things I heard, I can very gladly live without, but today, I got to hear this:</div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><img height="77" src="http://img2.blogblog.com/img/video_object.png" style="filter: alpha(opacity=30); left: 198px; mozopacity: 0.3; opacity: 0.3; position: absolute; top: 103px; visibility: hidden;" width="96" /></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/M8XFjPiZZBk?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Other than that, it was another rainy day in the big city. :) Tomorrow morning will be our first embassy appointment. Please pray that I have all the forms and that they are all filled out correctly. We are nearing our final day. PLEASE come quickly FRIDAY!!! </div>Corriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09878112197381260700noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5148201314795384622.post-69377158758828345322011-06-25T13:18:00.000-07:002011-06-25T13:18:50.984-07:00A Rainy Day in the Big CityThe whole time we were in our region, we did not have ANY rain, and since I have been to the capital city with Eliisa, it has rained every day. :) Eliisa did not sleep too soundly during the night as she fell out of bed at least three times. A couple of times, she went under my bed, and I lifted her back into her bed. I was debating just setting up a bed on the floor tonight. :) When she woke up this morning and after she had had some breakfast, she started to scream and was unconsolable. I am not sure why or what was bothering her. I did give her some Motrin and after about 20 minutes, she calmed down and there were no more tears the rest of the day, so that makes me think that maybe she was in some kind of pain. I am just glad and praise the Lord that she did stop. Our morning was very quiet after that, and then around noon a group of missionaries to the orphans in another city about two hours away came for a visit. We went to a traditional restaurant. The drive there was incredible. So many cars and buses just gridlocked while it was pouring down rain. I imagine it would have taken us about fifteen minutes to walk there. Instead it took us an hour by van. The problem is that when it rains the sidewalks become very hard to navigate, and virtually impossible to navigate with a stroller.<br />
So, we drove and talked. Eliisa really loves driving in the car, which will be really great when we get home. I see a trip to Florida and a trip to the mountains in our near future. :) Eliisa got a little anxious while we were getting our food. It was sort of set up like a buffet style. You go through the line and pick what you want to eat and then pay and sit down to eat. It was quite crowded and loud, and Eliisa got impatient. Thanks to Pastor Misha, she calmed down once he took her somewhere quiet. We sat down and ate and talked some more and drove back to the seminary, which was again a long drive. Eliisa slept sitting on my lap for most of the trip. We got back and Alla, Oksana, Nadia, and Pastor Misha got on their way back home, while Vika and I enjoyed laughing and playing. She loves to laugh and giggle and once she figures out how to have fun on her own, there will be no stopping her. It is really interesting how she will just sit and do nothing unless I come and entertain her. She can have all the toys in her reach and a lot of space to walk around and play in, and yet, she does not know what to do with the freedom she has. Hopefully, once she sees her sisters playing, she will understand that she is allowed to play and enjoy herself. Here are some pictures and a couple of videos of our day. I will add some more later as Pastor Misha and Oksana took quite a few as well. Tomorrow, Eliisa and I will try to venture to church together. I am looking forward to and praying for some fellowship. <br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/JsSqi4VAaK8?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/rtMpE4Lp6LI?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Corriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09878112197381260700noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5148201314795384622.post-23777718292525812632011-06-24T14:39:00.000-07:002011-06-24T14:41:17.724-07:00How Great is Our God!To tell you the truth, I was feeling like writing a much different post today. But the Lord reminded me that dwelling on the negative aspects of my life never brings me anywhere. However, when I choose to take my eyes of my misery, He has the opportunity to show me all the GREAT things that He has done in my life, and I can keep on moving forward, and He can use those things to work GOOD in my life. Yes, this second trip has not been easy. Yes, I am looking forward to home more than I ever thought possible for many reasons. Yes, I do not enjoy being stretched to my very limit and beyond, physically, emotionally, and spiritually, but I know that through it all, the Lord has blessed me with so much. <br />
<br />
So, I thought I would share some of the wonderful blessings, He has blessed me with on this second trip. The list would be too long to share in one blog post, but here are some of the highlights:<br />
<ul><li>All of the main paperwork is done and we are safely in Kiev.</li>
<li>Eliisa Vika has done EXTREMELY well through this whole ordeal. Remember that she has very rarely been outside the four walls of the orphanage she has been in. She has not experienced riding in cars, buses, trains, etc. She does not know about the loud noises that she has heard, like the train blowing his horn right as we walk past it, or cars honking their horns, and buses blowing off steam as we walk directly past them, or dogs barking, etc. She cannot express her needs, and I am just getting to know her and her needs. It is much like having a newborn, except that she has learned not to cry for things because it would not do her much good. She has been very patient with me as I learn to meet her needs, and we get to know each other. </li>
<li>How much joy Eliisa Vika has to give me. How can I be discouraged when I look in her face and she always has a smile or a giggle in spite of all that she has been through? I am so undeserving of the blessing of her in my life.</li>
<li>I got an internet connection, and was able to skype with the girls and Abe today for the first time since leaving home! How can I even praise the Lord enough for that? </li>
<li>I have been supported and lifted up in prayer and truly been carried by those prayers on this second trip.</li>
<li>I have met many wonderful people on this journey, who have given of their time and energy to help out when I had no idea what I was doing.</li>
<li>I am able to stay in a dorm at a seminary for a great price.</li>
<li>I was able to venture out and go shopping today, and although it rained while I was doing this errand, it rained the whole time I was in the store, but not before and not after. :) </li>
<li>I was able to navigate potholes, construction zones, busy streets, stairs, etc. with a 5-year-old in a stroller and groceries and water, and I did not even get runover or stuck or worse. And Eliisa Vika just sat in the stroller quietly the whole time.</li>
<li>I was given two CDs with music that I brought with me by my dear friend Ulla that have been wonderful encouragement and given me a renewed strength in the Lord . </li>
<li>I have had wonderful friends and family who have sacrificed so much to be help Abe as he has the girls all to himself for the first time ever. I think he is looking forward to me coming home. :) Sometimes, going away is good for a new perspective of what we mamas do in a day. </li>
<li>The girls have done so well with my being gone. I am so blessed! I was at my breaking point today, and then I got the chance to talk to them, and to hear how well they are doing, and how much they love me and their new sister, and my spirit was just instantly lifted.</li>
<li>Even though there have been extremely few people who speak any English, I have been able to communicate at least the most important things.</li>
<li>Although I have traveled the train by myself on two occassions without any idea who would be in the same compartment with me, the Lord was so good in giving me "good" companions, who have even been willing to help me to get out of the train quickly with all my luggage, printer, and Eliisa Vika. </li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">This morning, I was blessed by a visitor knocking on my door with some freshly prepared food and some markers and paper for Eliisa. What a blessing from a complete stranger! </li>
</ul>You see, the list could go and on, but this is just from the last couple of days. I am blessed above measure. I leave you with a picture, a video, and a song that I have sung many times, but really got a new meaning for me today. I am sorry about the lack of pictures. I am obviously NOT the photographer in our family, and it is a little hard to take pictures and take care of our new daughter at the same time, and we really didn't do anything of significance today. :) If it wasn't for Abe, we would have NO pictures of our life at all. <br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguzDrsSgMEl3-Fr4QgyodX10Tr7gvO8ZS78uffCQ6dRodguCCGQnPz652dA1NkCQ8NwoL-S2gsEF5Oci6NLGsT7vkhO6yLbNCTD38WV7cyn0Bnfy6L7fzliTJG32oCYLBUJrx_ruYAVfE/s1600/IMG_6362.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguzDrsSgMEl3-Fr4QgyodX10Tr7gvO8ZS78uffCQ6dRodguCCGQnPz652dA1NkCQ8NwoL-S2gsEF5Oci6NLGsT7vkhO6yLbNCTD38WV7cyn0Bnfy6L7fzliTJG32oCYLBUJrx_ruYAVfE/s320/IMG_6362.JPG" width="240" /></a><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/uWwqgQYAAZA?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/7gN1YCbPT04?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Corriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09878112197381260700noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5148201314795384622.post-33905155723688314532011-06-24T05:08:00.000-07:002011-06-24T11:53:16.108-07:00Dear Eliisa Vika...<div style="text-align: justify;">I am sorry, but once again I was without the internet all day yesterday, last night, and this morning... but I wrote a letter to our precious daughter and wanted to share it with you. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">My Precious Eliisa Vika-Faith, </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Today, June 23, 2011, one week after your fifth birthday, almost 7 months after seeing your first picture, and almost 6 months after you became our daughter in our hearts, I had the privilege of becoming your mama FOREVER.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today, we left behind the life in an orphanage, which is the only life you have ever known, and you are starting a very new life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t promise that the life that lies ahead of you will always be easy or better than the life you have known.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t promise that I will be able to give you everything you want or need.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t promise that you will be able to talk and communicate one day or do all the other things that your sisters can do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t promise that you will easily adjust to this new life that is ahead of you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I can promise you, that we will ALWAYS love you, unconditionally for all that you are and all that you will ever be, and that I will be right there by your side through the good and the tough times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">You have four sisters at home, who love you in the same way, unconditionally.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They have prayed for you, pleaded for you to come home, waited patiently on mama and papa to work through the mountain of paperwork, the ups and downs of the process, and the time of being away from them so we could be with you and bring you home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Undoubtedly, there will be times when you will disagree and argue or when you will feel misunderstood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But no matter the circumstances, you can know that you have four sisters, who will always love you and be there for you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">You have a papa back home, who loves you, my precious daughter, with an unconditional, undying love – a love, that was willing to step out in faith and follow God’s leading in our lives; a love, that was willing to be bent and stretched to the very limit and past that so that we could bring you home; a love for your mama, that entrusted her to come back here by herself while taking care of your sisters back home; a love, that will love you forever through all the hard times that may lay ahead of us; a love, that is willing to sacrifice any pleasure or convenience to give you whatever you need; and above all a love, that prays for you daily and for the day to come that you will be able to understand and become adopted into God’s heavenly family, so that we can spend all of eternity together with God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">You are loved by people around the world, who you may never be able to meet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People, who have prayed for you, supported us financially, helped us complete paperwork, encouraged us when we were discouraged, watched our girls for countless hours and everything associated with them and our home while we were away, advocated for you when you were still a lost orphan without a family, loved on you even when they knew that they would not be able to take you home with them, and who have raised huge amounts of funds making it possible for us to bring you home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You were loved by a couple and later an organization, that raised money so that you could have surgery and rehabilitation so that you could learn to walk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You were loved by people who have followed and prayed through our journey to you, who not even I will ever have the privilege to meet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">But most of all, you are loved by your heavenly Father, who loved you from the beginning of time; who knew where you were and what your needs were; who spent years molding your mama and papa into a piece of clay that would become a vessel that He could use to bring you into our lives; and who loved you so much, that He gave His only son to die on the cross to pay for the cost of your adoption into His family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He loves you even above and beyond any love that your Mama and Papa, your sisters, your extended family, and the people around the world together could ever love you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Today, you came officially into our family, but it feels like you have been my daughter since the day you were born.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How I long to have been there for you on that day and every day after that before today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will never be able to make up for that time, but from here on out, we will only walk forward together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I promise with God’s help that I will try to be the best mama I can be to you, that you will not go hungry, that you will not hurt without us by your side, that you will always know that Mama and Papa are here for you and love you just the way you are.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is not a mile I have walked to bring you home that you I wouldn’t walk another thousand miles!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I LOVE YOU, ELIISA VIKA FAITH!!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thank you for blessing me with the privilege of calling you my precious daughter and teaching me so many things, simply by your mere existence!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t wait to see what the Lord has in store for your new life.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Once again, I am without an internet connection!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I still haven’t talked to Abe and the girls back home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How much I can’t wait to get home!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today was the day I got to take Eliisa Vika out of the orphanage forever.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What an emotional day it was!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It did not start as I had envisioned it because my alarm did not go off, and when my phone rang, I had no idea what was going on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was supposed to meet with Erica another adopting mama, who had just gotten to Vika’s region the day before, and I slept in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was so thankful that I had packed and prepared everything the night before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, I fixed some coffee and quickly got ready and spent some time talking with Erica.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And then, Igor came and we loaded up my stuff once again and checked out of the apartment, and we headed to the orphanage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I handed off Eliisa’s clothes I had brought with me, and I waited for her to come.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are no words that can describe how it felt to be able to pick her up and wrap her up in my arms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I couldn’t hold back the tears!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We said good bye to the orphanage staff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think Eliisa was overwhelmed by all the attention she was getting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, off we went in the car, and drove out of the orphanage gates for the last time, never to return.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We drove straight to the capital city of the region we were in to finish up the passport application with M., another RR facilitator.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During the drive, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> tears were streaming down my face as I sat there in awe looking at Eliisa and realizing that she is really mine/ours. What a precious gift from the Lord. </span>Eliisa Vika just snuggled up to me and turned her head to look up to me from time to time and just had the biggest smile and a look on her face that said: “I am really yours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t believe you are taking me home forever.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It went quickly, and then Igor brought me to the train station to buy tickets and then we waited on the train back to the capital city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We did go and walk for a long time and had some Eastern European “fast food.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We made it on the train where we spent the next six hours riding in a car with two more people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We finally got to our destination at 11 p.m. and Eugene picked us up and brought us to our apartment where we will spend the next week until we can finally pick up the paperwork.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We don’t have anything that we need to do until Monday, when we have our first embassy appointment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our second appointment will likely be on Thursday after we get Eliisa’s new passport.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And then, on Friday, very early in the morning, we will be on our way back home!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t wait!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hopefully, I will be able to update regularly again once I get an internet connection to work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am a little lonely without being able to talk or communicate with anyone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Tahoma; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></div><span style="font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjptUUpdt2F374O-ShO4TqDRyLmtfoIynLacRzV5Wv9AFXtFH-Wc0V1yeI9yoWfZ8NDVDVB_oIhuv5f01blM2yNJ-m3l2Y67RqiDeau_DHhQCe9VJsmOE-0XFB8tVcLorvFBf3lryQZsiE/s1600/IMG_6335.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjptUUpdt2F374O-ShO4TqDRyLmtfoIynLacRzV5Wv9AFXtFH-Wc0V1yeI9yoWfZ8NDVDVB_oIhuv5f01blM2yNJ-m3l2Y67RqiDeau_DHhQCe9VJsmOE-0XFB8tVcLorvFBf3lryQZsiE/s320/IMG_6335.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div align="justify">I'm getting you out of here! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHNxcf2WARA0L3E1d8e0tQvStDaRB1kRcAvVt9Qk08idQffwjUwGSRcw4mj4Go_jGlthNFyDIcjEZq7Y5bEshqbzuprGNShTnKbuHZPpg0uELGgYNH16fnSYrRUgFy_E0ejfE8hDhtLh8/s1600/IMG_6341.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHNxcf2WARA0L3E1d8e0tQvStDaRB1kRcAvVt9Qk08idQffwjUwGSRcw4mj4Go_jGlthNFyDIcjEZq7Y5bEshqbzuprGNShTnKbuHZPpg0uELGgYNH16fnSYrRUgFy_E0ejfE8hDhtLh8/s320/IMG_6341.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
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<div align="justify">I don't have time to explain the pictures, but I wanted to at least finally post some again: </div><div align="justify"><br />
</div><div align="justify">My trip to Eliisa's birth city: </div>Corriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09878112197381260700noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5148201314795384622.post-67366305267620684002011-06-22T09:44:00.000-07:002011-06-22T09:44:06.358-07:00Finally an Update!<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I finally have internet access, so I will post what I wrote while I was not able to update you. I am sorry again no pictures! Tomorrow morning, I will get to see Eliisa Vika Faith and take her out of the orphanage FOREVER. Tomorrow, there will be 147 million orphans minus one!! Praise the Lord! I promise to share that moment with you as soon as I can get online to share it, but it will likely not be before very early on your Friday morning as I will be in transit and again without the internet. Thank you Ashley and Max for making it possible for me to post this right now!!! Here is what I wrote earlier today:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I am sorry to leave you all hanging!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have not had an internet connection since my last post.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I never imagined that being without an internet connection would make me feel so detached from the world!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I haven’t been able to talk to my girls or Abe (though I was able to talk to him for a brief moment on early Tuesday morning) since I left on Sunday, which makes me feel even more detached.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also have not yet been able to see our precious new daughter again since I have come back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I brought my work with me, which I cannot do without an internet connection.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ahhh!!! I am sorry, everyone!!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">So, I am sitting here writing this post for when the time comes that I can actually get a connection back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yesterday (Tuesday), I finally got the call that the court decree had been issued, making Eliisa Vika Faith officially ours, around noon and that we could apply for her new birth certificate and passport and complete all the rest of the paperwork that needed to be completed before we can bring her home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I left with Igor, my trusty driver, who hurried to Vika’s birth city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He got there in record time and not a minute too soon because the vital records office had been waiting on us all day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Natasha met us, and we started the process.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was not sure that they would still issue the birth certificate since it was so late in the afternoon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, I sat in the office and waited and prayed while Natasha pleaded our case.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Praise the Lord, the lady was gracious, and after much waiting, I held in my hand Eliisa’s birth certificate, declaring Abe and I officially her parents!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was much like the moments right after I gave birth to my girls when the reality sinks in that we have a new daughter, a precious gift from the Lord.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After six months of waiting, praying, and working from early morning to late at night to redeem one precious life, God rewarded our obedience to His call with a gift so great, we cannot possibly put it into words.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">After we left the vital records office, we had to go to the social security office to apply for a new social security number, which we need in order to apply for her passport.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We got there a couple minutes after they had closed, but again, the Lord was so good to us and the lady came down and completed the paperwork for us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then I found out that the number was not going to be issued until the next day, but Natasha was able to convince the lady that she would pick it up so I would not have to spend the night to pick it up the next day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God is so good!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And then, I got back in the car with Igor and he brought me back to Vika’s city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we got back, it was already late at night, and again too late to do any shopping.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, I resolved to shopping for some groceries first thing in the morning!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What would I do without granola bars?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Tahoma; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I tried to connect to the internet and was not able to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I tried and tried and tried everything I could.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I tried to call someone to help me, but I was all out of minutes on the phone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, I decided to go to bed for a couple of hours and then try again in a couple of hours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No success!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got up at 5 a.m. and tried again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Still no success!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, I got ready for the day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I prayed and pleaded with the Lord to let me get on the internet so I could at least let Abe know that I was okay and just without an internet connection and to let my boss know that I could not get on the internet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then, I had a moment of brightness and turned on my cell phone from home to send Abe a text message.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At that moment, I didn’t even care how much it would cost!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Tahoma; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I was planning on going to the store as soon as it opened, but Y. came a little before that, and we got busy finishing up some more paperwork and errands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Poor Y. had come in on the overnight train but was not able to sleep the whole time! It is amazing how she can still function and keep track of all the many families she is helping! </span>How glad I was to get some more paperwork done because that means one step closer to taking Eliisa out forever.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> :) </span>We went to the orphanage and Y. completed paperwork having to do with the bank and the passport and off to the bank we went to close out Eliisa’s bank account.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The funds are donated to the orphanage, who will use it to send some of the children to another city for rehab and to purchase a freezer, etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We waited and waited there, and finally were ushered into a room inside the bank, which looked much like a prison cell (no kidding!).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There they paid out the funds and finally we were done.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then we went back to the orphanage to pick up the lawyer and then we picked up another lady and then we went to the city passport office where they started part of the process to finish up the application package which I will need to take to the capital city of the region we are in to apply for her passport.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a very complicated process, and I don’t understand half of it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am just along for the ride.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sign my name on the dotted line from time to time and wait while poor Y. is constantly running from one place to the next.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally, we were at a stopping point for the moment and Y. took another family, who got here this morning to meet their two precious children for the first time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By now, Y. is hopefully finishing up the rest of the paperwork so that I can pick up Eliisa tonight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tomorrow, we will drive to the capital city of the region and apply for the passport and then we will take the train back to the capital city where we will wait on the passport. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have our first embassy appointment on Monday to apply for the visa.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometime after that, we will do the medical appointment, and then Lord-willing we will get the passport on Thursday morning, June 30, and then pick up the visa that day and come HOME on Friday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will see where I will stay in the capital city tomorrow as there is another adopting mom waiting to get the last of her paperwork done at the embassy and I may room with her to share the cost of the apartment rental.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Otherwise, I believe I will stay at a seminary, where the missionary we met while we were here has connections.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It will be an important time of bonding with Eliisa before we travel home, but I am a little anxious on how this time will pass.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">There are so many things I want to get done right now via the internet, but I can’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Alas, I will have to wait and see what the Lord brings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know He has a reason why I can’t get on the internet right now, but I am not being very patiently waiting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Tahoma; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">When I get the chance to post this, I took some pictures of our drive to Vika’s birth city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was quite a beautiful drive, but very bumpy, so most of the pictures did not turn out so well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was too tired to take pictures on the way home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was just dozing off the entire time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Tahoma; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wonder if I will get caught up on some rest before I get home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">How I miss home right now!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Next week cannot come soon enough!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Please pray for Abe and the girls, and pray for Eliisa and I as we do our best to make it through the rest of this journey, to finish the race the Lord has laid before us and to bring home the greatest price the Lord could ever bless us with, a precious life redeemed!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thank you, each one of you for making it possible!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We stand in awe for how much the Lord has blessed us with you, with Eliisa, and with all that He has given us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today or tomorrow, I will be able to wrap up Eliisa Vika in my arms and say: “Fear not, for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by they name: thou art mine.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Isaiah 43:1)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I cannot wait to share that moment with you!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>Corriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09878112197381260700noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5148201314795384622.post-28428809428845487762011-06-21T01:52:00.000-07:002011-06-21T01:52:30.808-07:00I'm Back!!!After almost 48 hours of traveling, I am very happy to report that I am safely back in Vika's city! :) I had started my day early on Sunday morning to finish up some last minute preparations and then we left for the airport around 8 a.m. It was a lot harder to say good-bye for this second trip. Thankfully, I had brought some work with me, so I was preoccupied with working on that after I got all checked in and waiting on the first flight. All of my planes were on-time and the flights went without problems. Praise the Lord! By the time I got to the capital city in Vika's country, I was longing for a bed to stretch out in. But it would be a while before I got there. Another adopting family and I waited with the driver on one more family to come out, and then they finally came out. Their luggage was lost! This family has had a rough start into their journey here. They found out they were coming here this past Wednesday, then they had to travel two days to bring their kids to where they would stay, and then they got on a plane to come here and then they lost their luggage! Ahhh.... They were coming for a blind referral (meaning they had not yet chosen a child). We immediately had to go to an office for them to sign some paperwork, and then we went to the SDA to wait and see if they could still get an appointment to accept their referral. Our driver Niko came and brought the other family that was waiting with me to their apartment, and I got to stay with them for a little while to fellowship while Niko went back to the SDA to pick up the other family! They were completely exhausted and I think a little overwhelmed, so if you can remember them in prayer, I know they need it! Niko came and picked me back up and we headed to the train station. I was handed some important paperwork and my printer and climbed up to the top bunk of the train cabin I was sharing with two other travelers and off I went. I didn't care where I would sleep or who I would be traveling with. I was just so happy to be able to lay down and stretch out. One of the guys in the cabin had to get out at an earlier stop, so we got a wake up call at 5 a.m. Ahh... I think I could have easily slept another couple of hours. :) We got to our stop a little over an hour later, and Igor, my driver, was there waiting for me at the train station and helping me with my luggage. I was so happy to see a familiar face! He brought me to a very nice apartment, and the landlady immediately started fixing me breakfast! I was so thankful, I had to hug her! I had not eaten any "real" food since I was on the plane from D.C. to Frankfurt, Germany (Sunday night). She fixed me crepes and tea and filled up a whole bowl with chocolates, and then I finally got to take a shower, too. What more does a girl need??? I am thankful for safe travels and that I am here to finally bring home our daughter.<br />
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I do need your prayers! In order to keep our travel dates home, this final paperwork chase has to go very smoothly. I am still waiting to get a call that our court degree is ready so that we can get on our way to Vika's birth city (over 150 miles south of here) to get her birth certificate and her social security number changed. Since it is so far away, I need to get that call here very soon or I will already be delayed by at least a day. Since there are two holidays and a weekend during my time here, we need to apply for Vika's passport as soon as possible as it takes two business days to complete. If you would please pray for me the next couple of days for everything to go very smoothly, I would really appreciate it!!! Abe is home and left in charge of the girls (wasn't that a nice Father's Day gift I gave him? :)). I know he would appreciate your prayers as well! :) I know the girls are loving having papa all to themselves. I am sorry, I have no new pictures of Vika for you yet. I don't know when I will get to see her again, but I am praying very, very soon-hopefully tomorrow when I pick her up to come home forever! I do have some pictures of the little taggy lovey and the bean bags I made for Eliisa. I just got that call I've been waiting for, so off I go... pictures will come another time! :) Corriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09878112197381260700noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5148201314795384622.post-75608105396111393032011-06-16T05:31:00.000-07:002011-06-16T05:31:36.277-07:00Quick UpdateI wanted to thank you all for your prayers about Abe's remaining leave. Thanks to answered prayers and a wonderful HR department, we were able to work out Abe's leave for the next two weeks while I go and finally get Vika home. We are blessed above measure!<br />
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We found out yesterday that the long anticipated closure in Vika's country is really going into effect starting July 11. There are so many families currently in process that will be delayed by several months and some that may be delayed indefinitely with this closure and the change in the adoption process and which children will continue to be adoptable. Please pray for these families and the children that will be left behind without a mama or a papa! For many of these children, time is of the essence, and they do not have a voice to move this process forward! Pray that this closure will bring about a lot of positive change in a country, who has so many children, who need families! <br />
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Off I go... so many things to do... so little time! :)Corriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09878112197381260700noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5148201314795384622.post-32835030010594525852011-06-14T17:15:00.000-07:002011-06-14T17:15:51.160-07:00Happy Birthday!!!Today, is Eliisa Vika-Faith's fifth birthday! Today is the likely the fifth time that a birthday came and went without her knowing just how special she is and how thankful we are that on this day, five years ago, she entered this world so that we would have the privilege of becoming her family. I had prayed for this day to be the day that I would break her out of the orphanage forever, but God had different plans. His plans are so much bigger than my plans and although I can't always see why, I know it is ALWAYS good. We will celebrate our sweet Eliisa Vika's birthday when we finally bring you home, along with fireworks (even if they are for the 4th of July and not only intended for you) and with your sister, Elliana, who will turn five right after we finally bring you home. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMxi6AsvC75jRzpxrf_txwd3-VBG_qzuYTl3-4pLTdh5x46qdt5UngzdBodNTBAheEY5greT6KB1rjPHABAE7II8gPwauByfNWJ3IzooASTfUukSbAtQVetHNPOXNA7X0yQVDe1V6wTQY/s1600/IMG_5503.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMxi6AsvC75jRzpxrf_txwd3-VBG_qzuYTl3-4pLTdh5x46qdt5UngzdBodNTBAheEY5greT6KB1rjPHABAE7II8gPwauByfNWJ3IzooASTfUukSbAtQVetHNPOXNA7X0yQVDe1V6wTQY/s320/IMG_5503.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></a></div>Happy Birthday, our precious little girl! We love you more than we could ever tell you! We are so thankful that you were born on this day! Our lives would be incomplete without you! You have already taught us so many lessons for life, and we are more blessed by your existence than we will ever be able to give back to you! We miss you so much, our hearts hurt! We hurt that you don't even know just how special today is! We are praying for a lifetime of making this day one of the most special days of the year! Hold on just a little bit longer, and we will come and finally bring you home where you belong! WE WILL LOVE YOU FOREVER!!! Above all, we want you to know just how much your heavenly Father loves you. He created you in His image. You were created PERFECT in every way in His eyes, even if the world you live in does not view it this way. "I will praise thee for I am fearfully and wonderfully made, marvellous are thy works, and that my soul knoweth right well." Psalm 139:14<br />
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This post would not be complete without a few updates on my second trip. Once again, our plans were not God's plans, and our second trip will look a little differently from how we had hoped and prayed. I will be leaving for Vika's country on Sunday morning. I will arrive on Monday afternoon and take the overnight train to either the city where her she is at right now or directly to her birth city to start the paper chase. I am praying for Wednesday to be the day that I will go and get her and never look back. The next few days after that will be spent waiting on the passport. There will be a weekend and two holidays that we will not be able to accomplish anything, and I was unable to get a ticket home before July 1. So, our tentative return date is July 1. Please pray for me as I will be traveling by myself for this trip. There will be a great many unknowns and also a lot of traveling involved. There will be no more families in our region from the States when I return, and I am unsure of where Vika and I will spend most of our time waiting. Please pray for Vika as I am taking her away from the only "home" she has ever known. As I take her into a whole new world of unknowns. As she adapts to a new schedule and new freedom she never had before, and most of all as we travel home. Pray for the preparations I have to make this week. I have been in a daze, not knowing what exactly to prepare, and now I only have a few short days left. :) We also need your prayers for another issue we just found out about this evening. We found out that because Abe returned to work this week that this officially ends his leave of absence. We are not sure why no one told us this would happen, but we need your prayers that we can find a workable solution for Abe to be able to take off the last two weeks that I will need to bring Vika home off so that he can stay home with the girls. We feel that it will be very important for the girls to have this time with their papa before we bring home their new sister, especially because their new sister will need a lot of attention and if they have not had mama or papa for so long, it will be very hard on them to adapt. PLEASE pray!Corriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09878112197381260700noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5148201314795384622.post-5011497805090715112011-06-12T13:29:00.000-07:002011-06-12T13:29:20.804-07:00Home, Sweet Home<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">After too many hours without sleeping, I finally made it home on Thursday evening. It was a very emotional trip home, but I am so thankful to be home! If someone had tried to explain to me how good it would feel to be home, I wouldn't have believed them! :) How can anyone really describe the appreciation for a car with airconditioning to drive, being understood and understanding everything that is being said to you, eating food and knowing what you are eating, having a LARGE washer and dryer to wash your clothes, that actually come out CLEAN, taking a deep breath and appreciating the fresh, clean air, being able to drive your car wherever you want to go without having to walk on dusty roads or crowded on a bus, being able to open the doors and windows and not hear constant barking and talking but just listen to the quietness of the rain, or to hold my precious girls and not have to let them go. YES, it is so good to be home, but it was harder to leave Vika behind than it was to leave my girls behind! I knew our girls were well taken care of! Yes, I had never left them before except to give birth to one of them, and then I was only gone for a day and they got the chance to see me somewhere in there. It was incredibly hard to talk to them via skype and not being able to wrap them up in my arms. But it was infinitely harder to leave Vika where she is because I cannot know for sure that she is well taken care of. I cannot talk to her via skype and know that she is okay. But I know that God loves her more than I ever could, and He can take care of her infinitely better than I will ever be able to! So, for now, I am doing my best to make the most of our time at home! Abe should be coming home on Sunday afternoon and going back to work on Monday morning. I am not sure yet when I will be headed back to bring home Vika or what our schedule will be like on the second trip, but I will fill you in as soon as I have some details. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj42yYonZ6Q0yQPpzkguj4ml18uqyPSdJkTHU89WHR_Q0-zaa-6LcyWaLKJtQZd_qcSNDqLM5dEFSx58Syd0VH4mraxGLm9bfnw18iTmmk53zzUiczBoBexUEOw1oaZjw8MhscCsEkU8go/s1600/IMG_5567.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj42yYonZ6Q0yQPpzkguj4ml18uqyPSdJkTHU89WHR_Q0-zaa-6LcyWaLKJtQZd_qcSNDqLM5dEFSx58Syd0VH4mraxGLm9bfnw18iTmmk53zzUiczBoBexUEOw1oaZjw8MhscCsEkU8go/s320/IMG_5567.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></a></div>Now, I promise to write about our whole court experience at some point, but I am not going to take the time to do so right now. I will tell you that from the short moments we met our judge, we learned that she has a very special heart for the orphans and especially those with special needs. Having been in Vika's country for almost three weeks and having experienced many orphanages and meeting many people involved with the orphans, I know that this is VERY unusual for Vika's country. We are so blessed to have met her, and know that the Lord can use her mightily in the position He has placed her in. I even got to give her a hug and thank her for what she does for these precious children. <br />
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Our last visit with Vika was tough. I had started out my day very early because I knew that we would have to be completely ready shortly after we would get back from our visit with her. I was feeling very restless inside and just could not get control of my emotions. We got on the bus as we did every day, and told the driver "nostanovke pashausta" at the place where we always tell the driver so that he will stop at our bus stop. But on this day, he did not stop. He just kept on driving and driving and driving, until finally we got him to stop at a bus stop. The Lord knew I needed a long walk to surrender my emotions and this day into His hands. All this time, we had no idea that our facilitator was frantically trying to find some documents that somehow got lost from our court paperwork. We had no idea what she was doing on our behalf so that we really could go to court. It turned out that the documents were there all along where they were supposed to be, they had just been put in the wrong place in our file. We finally made it to Vika's orphanage and delivered some gifts that we had brought with us for the workers. Normally, you give these gifts after court, but since we knew we would not be able to come back after court, we brought them with us for our morning visit. I did not want to bring them with me on my second trip since I will be traveling by myself and will do my best to come with as little as possible. :) We waited for a while for them to bring Vika out to us. Vika was very, very tired, so we just spend a lot of quiet time with her. The best part of the whole visit was when she snuggled up to me and just rested on me. Here are a few pictures. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkp801AY50S7nsALGtP3xtoa3pAkOteaegZUkLHmYezeuuDMoZbxan0OBCKornRwFPnyfl2hV70L3idRSbqmXmihMR58pPMq-jFNlysmovvQ43GU3HpFLz9Cq51k01woI4iAfzW0NssZQ/s1600/IMG_5544.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkp801AY50S7nsALGtP3xtoa3pAkOteaegZUkLHmYezeuuDMoZbxan0OBCKornRwFPnyfl2hV70L3idRSbqmXmihMR58pPMq-jFNlysmovvQ43GU3HpFLz9Cq51k01woI4iAfzW0NssZQ/s320/IMG_5544.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUt4FZ-UQP09gapxXd2L4IZXY0viJJjZaRPyaBXwI1o3j9Z1BI9N5IO3zfqgPk1WN6sToTbZOq6zgn6bcmQLy97gN2u5PaS7U9Gd7I797B08609YncS4oaTWQpMftXmRIHSVb1HSpFVmI/s1600/IMG_5569.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUt4FZ-UQP09gapxXd2L4IZXY0viJJjZaRPyaBXwI1o3j9Z1BI9N5IO3zfqgPk1WN6sToTbZOq6zgn6bcmQLy97gN2u5PaS7U9Gd7I797B08609YncS4oaTWQpMftXmRIHSVb1HSpFVmI/s320/IMG_5569.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></a>After we got back, we had some lunch and finished up some cleaning and packing, and soon after that, we got the call that our driver was waiting for us. We met with the landlady and communicated with our hands and feet and face to tell her how thankful we were for her beautiful apartment. And then we were picked up by our wonderful driver Igor. Igor then proceeded to pick up several other people and we stopped to make copies or pickup more documents along the way and finally made it to court. We started court promptly, and it lasted about 1.5 hours from beginning to end. We then dropped off everyone again and then we found out that we would need to drive back via car in order to make our flights on time. We traded out the van we were in for a car and Igor got on the way to Kiev. We had a few short stops and finally arrived at the airport around 10:45 p.m. We drove through some BEAUTIFUL countryside, too! If I only had my camera in the backseat with me, I could have recorded Igor and Abe having a "conversation" about cars in Russian! It was quite amusing! Good thing, men use their hands more than their mouths to communicate anyways! :) </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEHUNj9w2awPBPH3cwqnOE1XpzeP_-nZ9JctizfdRdDtLoXbadKJwFOytGmnfPFpTdRT-pcEJd7LAf3RHXRu48_ZAJugwm4-pHLgqkywTSr9YEfBxC_yvgn3tyLh4l4E5R1x1fm3Ik3VU/s1600/IMG_5572.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEHUNj9w2awPBPH3cwqnOE1XpzeP_-nZ9JctizfdRdDtLoXbadKJwFOytGmnfPFpTdRT-pcEJd7LAf3RHXRu48_ZAJugwm4-pHLgqkywTSr9YEfBxC_yvgn3tyLh4l4E5R1x1fm3Ik3VU/s320/IMG_5572.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbQrr5A6yIBNMNA2nHwFdgyO50H71d_sWA93HFJzBe8Is7bLxE2rdMu9yE0lRlXk9fW7R-Ta2-W3MJcNYjYURynWRD7M1ex_GB9XRhcilVtlyXHBko9rBlxmkaBpuN4B2YKmTFZJUjf3U/s1600/IMG_5588.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbQrr5A6yIBNMNA2nHwFdgyO50H71d_sWA93HFJzBe8Is7bLxE2rdMu9yE0lRlXk9fW7R-Ta2-W3MJcNYjYURynWRD7M1ex_GB9XRhcilVtlyXHBko9rBlxmkaBpuN4B2YKmTFZJUjf3U/s320/IMG_5588.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes, we did get pulled over by the police! :)</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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</div>We found a place to sit down and wait until we could check in for our flights at around 3:30 a.m. The flight back is just a blur. I spend a lot of time reading and reflecting and praying on the way home. I had to wait and wait and wait on my suitcase to finally come so that I could go through customs in Atlanta. I was so glad to be coming up that escalator and seeing my girls! Words cannot even begin to describe it.<br />
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We got home after spending some time in a traffic jam-welcome to Atlanta! :) Wanda and Derick had stocked the pantry and cleaned the house! Somehow there are more groceries in my pantry and the house is cleaner than when I left! :) They are way too good to us! The last couple of days we spend mostly laying low around the house. We did make a trip to Stone Mountain, and the girls got to play in the water hole and have a picnic. I have been so tired and my body is definitely not back on this time zone. There have also been so many emotions that I have had to work through since having time to reflect on all that happened the past three weeks. I will do my best to share some of the experiences that I have not yet been able to share over the next few weeks to help you understand. Thank you for all your support and prayers for us! We are so thankful for you and know that it is only by God's grace and by your prayers that we have made it this far! Vika has already taught us so many lessons without even saying ONE word. <br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Corriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09878112197381260700noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5148201314795384622.post-43641761689737299502011-06-08T10:19:00.000-07:002011-06-08T10:19:03.896-07:00And Then There Were Seven!<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Just wanted to let everyone know that today we became the proud, blessed, and very happy parents of Eliisa Vika-Faith Koenig.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Court went very smoothly, although there were some paperwork bumps this morning that we did not know about!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had a wonderful interpreter, inspector, and above all judge!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are so blessed!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No matter the road bumps we have encountered along this journey, Vika is worth every one and infinitely more!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We are on our way to Kiev by car as we were unable to get back another way tonight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will not have internet access until I am back home!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then I will update you on our last visit with Vika!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thank you for all your prayers for us!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are so thankful and blessed above measure!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>Corriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09878112197381260700noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5148201314795384622.post-90559475709424293772011-06-07T13:29:00.000-07:002011-06-07T19:37:42.916-07:00Tomorrow is the Day!!!Praise the Lord, we got some good news today! Tomorrow, at 2 p.m. (7 a.m. Eastern Time in the United States), we will stand before a judge and a jury to petition to become the parents of Vika. Exactly seven months ago tomorrow, we found Vika's picture and her story on someone's blog. Six months ago, we knew that the Lord wanted us to become her parents, we started the long process, and Vika became our daughter in our hearts. Two weeks ago, we got to meet Vika for the very first time in person, and it was instant love just like when we saw her picture for the very first time. Tomorrow, it will be our job to share our hearts with a judge, jury, and other members of the court hearing why we would choose to travel thousands of miles, leave our own children behind, live in a foreign country where we can't even read the letters, much less speak the language, raise and spend thousands of dollars and countless hours of time for a "worthless" (yet in our eyes and the Lord's eyes priceless) child. Thank you so much for all of you who have supported us financially and in prayers to bring us to this point! We would not be here without you! Please pray for us tomorrow that the court hearing would be smooth, that we would share our hearts the way God wants us to share it, and that the judge will grant our petition to officially make Vika a part of our family forever! And one more prayer request after court: We will need to travel back to the capital quickly in order for me to make my flight back to the States on Thursday morning at 5 a.m. We are not sure yet how we will do that, but Y. said she will arrange it all. Please pray that we will NOT have to pay a driver to drive us all the way there as it is a LONG drive! :) Tomorrow our family will be divided across three countries! Abe will be coming back to the States on Sunday and will go to work for a week since we had so much delay with court, and then I will be on my way back to bring home Vika in about ten days from now. What a journey!!!<br />
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We had a good visit with Vika today. She enjoyed eating and playing and walking, and was recovering from the weekend! We will get to see her one last time tomorrow morning, we believe! It will be very hard to leave her behind! That is for sure! I am not sure when I will get to update all of you tomorrow, but just know that I will do so as soon as I can! Until then, here are some pictures of our day with Vika. <br />
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We had a good visit with Vika this morning. She was again very, very tired and having the same symptoms that she had last Monday, proving what I was fearing when we said good bye on Saturday. It is very hard to be out of control, especially when it comes to our children. There have been many times since God gave us children that I have felt very helpless when it came to my girls, because I could not fix what I wanted or needed to fix for them. This is something I cannot fix right now, but more than ever, we are praying that the day will come for Vika when we can finally bring her home. No, we will not be able to make up for the times past! No, we will not be able to fix everything for her! But, I pray, that with the strength and wisdom that the Lord gives me, I can fix many of the things that I cannot fix right now. Vika is learning about freedom and being able to do what she chooses to do with us rather than the path that was very clearly laid out before her since she was born. To go from freedom back to confinement is hard, and I believe she is having a hard time dealing with that, and letting her nannies know how she feels about it. :) One day, little girl, you will not have to go back. One day, Mama and Papa will not have to say "Paka," but "Welcome Home, FOREVER!" We did have a few moments of giggling today, but mostly it was quiet times together today. Vika enjoyed just being held, and I enjoyed snuggeling with her. <br />
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One verse, that I want to share as I close for today: "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8-9) During the last six months of this adoption journey, this is one thing that the Lord has proven to us over and over again. I am praying that I will not miss the lessons that He wants me to learn on this rollercoaster ride!Corriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09878112197381260700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5148201314795384622.post-57355787275403290422011-06-06T07:45:00.000-07:002011-06-06T07:45:29.085-07:00Postponed AgainWe have been postponed again. Our interpol clearance did not get signed as we had hoped and prayed for, so we are praying for that to be done tomorrow. We are praying for a court hearing on Wednesday morning if our paperwork gets signed. Please pray for us! I will update on our visit with Vika later on this evening! Corriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09878112197381260700noreply@blogger.com1