One crazy, long, rickety roller coaster ride of a month!

Well, I know at least one thing for certain  - I'm not a dedicated blogger! 

It's really hard for me to believe that it has been so long since we made the announcement about bringing 5 more into our family.  A lot has happened during that time, and considering that the adoption journey in general is a roller coaster ride, you could say that for the past month we have been on one crazy, long, rickety ride - filled with many of the emotions that a person can experience during all the twists and turns and really steep hills, where you can't see the rest of the track and you feel like your falling into the unknown and then when you finally see the end your stomach can start to settle back into place and you are so very happy to get off the coaster (at least, that's the way it is for me when I ride one!)

I know, I'm being vague and I'm sorry that I can't be more straight forward, but the important thing is that our home study update approving us for the children is, as we speak, being fed-ex'd to USCIS so we can now get the approval from our government for 5 children instead of 4.  I'm not positive how long this will take so I'll have to hop on over to China Adopt Talk, a website with a forum that tracks the paperwork process of adopting from China (among other things adoption related) and let you know what I find out.  Our last update took about 3 weeks, but a friend said they just did theirs and it took just over a week (but they are not adopting from a Hague country, so I'm thinking it will take longer for us).

After we get the approval from our government, we will then be waiting for the official referral for the children from Colombia.  There has been a really big slowdown in Colombia recently due to an investigation into the files of children who can be referred for adoption.  We aren't sure if that will effect us or not.  We are getting kind-of used to this adoption taking way longer than we expected so I figure if we plan on it taking months to get the referral than we may just be pleasantly surprised :)

Tomorrow is a day that will be filled with applying for grants.  There are a couple that are due at the end of this month, and I didn't feel we should apply for them until our update was complete - so I'm going to be pretty busy!

Thank you to all who have been praying for us and the children this past month.  We really, really appreciate it and know that God has heard you.

In His name,

Karen

Annual Homeschool Used Book and Curriculum Sale Tomorrow!

I know I am really, really late in getting this out, but I still need to do it!  I'll post more later about what is going on with the sibling group of 5, but for now I want to tell about the book sale that is, gulp, tomorrow!

Every year we organize a homeschool used book and curriculum sale at Plainfield Christian Church in, you guessed it, Plainfield! (Indiana).  The sale is from 10 to 2 (Thursday, May 24th), and this year it is going to be bigger and better than ever!  We received so many requests for tables to sell books at that I had to ask PCC (Plainfield Christian Church) if we could get more tables set up - and they said yes!  There will be over 55 tables set up tomorrow - all filled with great buys on books, curriculum, games, puzzles... a homeschool mom's (and sometimes dad's) dream!

So... I'm so sorry this is late in getting to you, but I really hope that someone out there will benefit by it!

Karen

Whoops!  Forgot to mention an important part!  Our family will be selling the food at the fundraising food booth (there is always one food booth at the book sale that is used for fundraising of some type).  If you can make it - come hungry!  All proceeds go to our adoption expenses, which help give some children a home and family! And some parents (us) some more children!  And our children - more siblings :)

Sweet Lemonade, Cocoa Brownies, Chex Lemon Buddies - YUMMY!

Our family is working hard on all the preparations for tomorrow - Lemon-Aid for Orphans: An Adoption Fundraiser.  We have almost all the baking done - the last batch of Chewy Cocoa Brownies are in the oven!  We finished up (making it!  not eating it - grin) the Chex Lemon Buddies and Crunchy Sweet Snack Mix earlier this morning. 

After we get the baking done, we are going to finish the signs we started yesterday.  We plan to put a lot out to drive traffic to our stand.

I have to admit, I'm really excited about tomorrow - and a little nervous!  There is going to be another lemonade stand in the morning at the same Kroger we will be at.  And then later on towards the evening, there will be another one.  Seems like it will be difficult for someone who comes into Kroger to shop to make a decision about which stand they would like to support.  My prayer is that in the end all of us feel blessed by the day!  We are even planning on bringing a little extra money so we can purchase some lemonade from the two other stands :) 

In His name,

Karen

Join us for our Lemon-Aid Day Adoption Fundraiser!

Please join us this Saturday for a refreshing glass of freshly squeezed lemonade and help us raise money for all those adoption expenses!  We will be at the Kroger store in Plainfield on Saturday the 19th from 12 to 6, serving up ice-cold lemonade.  The weatherman tells us it is going to be a perfect day for it, with no chance of rain and the temperature at 86 degrees!  (At that temperature, we just may be sipping lemonade right beside you!)

Uno. Dos. Tres. Cuatro... Cinco???

One. Two. Three. Four... Five???  Yes!  We are happy to announce that our family has asked to be officially matched with a sibling group of 5!  We are beyond excited and anxious for each step of the paperwork process to occur just as fast as it can.

While we thought our dossier was sitting quietly in Cali, waiting for a sibling group of 4 to obtain their adoption decrees, it was instead traveling to other parts of Colombia.  From Cali it went on to Medillan and then back to Bogota, where it was originally sent.  It was then that we were asked if we would consider a sibling group of 5.  Of course we would!

We would have updated the blog sooner, but decided to wait until we received approval from our home study agency to bring 5 into our family instead of 4.  Happily, we were approved towards the end of last week, and on Friday the 11th our agency sent a letter to Colombia asking for us to be officially referred the sibling group.

There are a few things we are working/waiting on right now.  The first is a reply from Colombia (ICBF) concerning our request.  Honestly, anything could happen, and they could say no.  In that case, we would just be waiting longer until we were referred another sibling group.  But, we don't think that is going to happen since they were the ones to ask us first if we would consider adopting the children.  We are praying that it is our Father's will for us to call these children our own.

Second, is our home study update.  We hope to have that done this week and sent on to USCIS to get their approval for our family to adopt a sibling group of 5.  Once that is sent, I believe, it takes about 3 weeks to get it back.  It is also possible that Colombia will not officially match us with the children until we have that approval, so we are working as fast as we can to get that done.

About the children...   I really wish I could show you pictures, but I can't just yet...  I promise I will post them just as soon as I can!  I can tell you that they look like a great group of children (we think they are really cute!), and we are all anxious to snuggle and play with them :)  One of the most fun parts about them is their ages - they are 6 1/2 on down to about 15 months!  Another part that will definitely shift around our family dynamics is that the boys will now out number the girls!  The two oldest and the two youngest are boys!  (Oh, boy!) And the girl is "smack dab" in the middle :)  So Kevin and I would have a grand total of 9 children - ages 14 on down to 17 months -  4 daughters and 5 sons!  It's going to be fun!

As many of our friends and family know, but what many of our readers might not know, is that we are a Christian family who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.  And as Christians, one of our responsibilities is to care for orphans; to look after orphans in their distress.  This can take many forms and adoption is one them, similar to the way that we were adopted in Christ when we accepted Him as our Savior.   

One of my favorite songs that says it better than I ever could is called "Though I Was Born an Orphan" by Eric Schumacher and David L. Ward. If you would like to hear it sung, click here, otherwise I will leave you with the words:

Though I was born an orphan,
Abandoned and alone,
Enslaved and bound in darkness,
Without a hope or home,
The God of grace and mercy
From his eternal throne
Ordained to be my Father
And claim me as His own.

That I might be adopted
The Father sent his Son
To live in full obedience
And die for what I’ve done.
Now through his resurrection,
Through faith, with him I’m one.
A member of his household,
I am an heir, a son.

To soothe my fear and worry
The Spirit from on high
Was sent to be a witness
That “Father!” I might cry.
O How I love this Father!
I’m never left alone.
He’s come to dwell within me
Until he calls me home.

Since I have this adoption,
I cannot close my home
To widows and to orphans,
Abandoned and alone.
Lord, fill me with compassion
To love the fatherless,
That I might show the nations
How great my Father is!

Wanted to share: Giveaway with Beautiful Feet Books

For my homeschooling friends: we have used Beautiful Feet Books study guides in the past and have really enjoyed them!  If you haven't taken a look at what they offer yet, hop on over and check it out :)

Here is a link to their website: Beautiful Feet Books and here is a link to the giveaway on their blog:
Beautiful Feet Books Blog Giveaway

Karen

While we wait...

It's been a busy month since my last post - and I'm so thankful that it was because it helped keep my mind off thinking about when we just might get our referral!  I've done really well the past few weeks and didn't contact Nichole from Children's Hope one time to ask if she could see if there was any movement on the children's adoption decrees... until today :)  When I realized a month had gone by I sent her an email to see if it was appropriate to ask if there was any movement.  Hopefully, she will think it is and will ask their contact in Colombia to check for us.

So what has been keeping us busy in the meantime?  Teaching the children, an amazing week in Alabama, and working on our garden.  The kids have been doing great with their school work.  For the most part, I have the three oldest now working on their own - without my having to sit right next to them and instructing them.  Strange, I find myself having some free time during the day.  Well, free time from teaching the older ones anyway.  I'm still taking care of Lyric and doing things with her.  That keeps me plenty busy since she is now 4 years old but really, really likes to stay busy!

As far as Alabama goes, I don't think I realized just how much I needed (and the family needed) a vacation!  We really hadn't had one since we brought Lyric home in December 2010.  To be honest, I was starting to get a bit stir crazy and was not being nearly as patient with the children as a mother should be - and that's being nice to me! 

Playing in the sand and collecting shells

While in Alabama, we were able to relax in hot tubs, swim in pools, dig in the white sand and fly kites in the wind, chase the waves, ooh and ahh at an impressive naval aviation museum, explore the remains of Fort Morgan, spend time with the children's grandparents, and watch dolphins catch a ride on waves from our dolphin cruise.  It was amazing, and I am so thankful for the time we had there.

Since we have been back the children have been busy not only doing their school work, but preparing the garden as well.  Last week they helped me turn the soil over in three raised beds in which we now have lettuce, spinach, onions and garlic planted.  Not to be outdone - Kevin tilled the whole garden not once tonight but almost two times (once each way)!  He would have kept going but it was getting way too dark.  He did this with a very, very touchy and old rototiller, and I am so proud to have him as my husband!

Enjoy the pictures!
 

Sweet little feet

Celebrated Carissa's 14th birthday!  Laurel and I were on the beach at 6:30 am writing this in the sand!

Laurel kept sneaking up on this seagull - one gentle foot shuffle at a time.  She got pretty close!

Searching for seashells - that's about as far in as they would go in the chilly water.

I took this while exploring Fort Morgan.  The room was completely dark and we had to use our camera's flash to find our way around.  I love the look on Carissa's face as I surprised her in the dark.

This is my favorite dolphin picture.  It looks like the front dolphin is going to jump right out at you.