Tuesday

What a day! Today was our day for all of the government appointments. We started at the US Embassy. What an experience! There's nothing more disconcerting than being surrounded by hundreds of people speaking a language you don't understand. And most of them were staring at us. Anyway, after lots of sitting and waiting, we met with the immigration officer who basically just confirmed that we're real people adopting a real baby. Now, Grace's guardian will go for an interview on May 12.

After the embassy, we had to appear before Judge Bob. This involved signing a blank notebook in a small dark room. The picture below is the courts building. From there, we went to see another judge. Turns out he didn't even need to see us...just copy our passports. More waiting in a small room full of Haitians staring at us. 

Finally, we got back to the orphanage right at noon. Did I mention we left at 6am? After lunch, I went to the nursery to get Grace for playtime. It didn't go so well. I'm going to call it an overtired 2 year old meltdown. She was very upset about leaving the nannies. She had been in preschool all morning, so I knew she was tired. I was able to sing to her and rock her to sleep. This is BIG. in all of the training we've had on attachment, being able to calm her when she's upset is key. Plus, she was relaxed enough to fall asleep. Of course, Mama was not too sad that she took her nap in my lap instead of the crib! After a while, I transferred her to Robby's lap and even though it woke her up, she cuddled with him and ate a snack. I was so thankful for that time we both had to snuggle her. Good stuff. She is one precious girl...especially in real life! 

After her nap, she was full of giggles and we had a great time playing. She loves the Duplo blocks, but is very Type A with them. Robby says just like her Mama. :) She will only stack the same size blocks with each other. No two-blockers on a three-blocker. It's pretty funny. This girl loves to swing! We knew that already because some of her best pictures are in the swing. We took some video of all the swing fun. 

We got to take her out for a walk. She LOVES to go for walks. I'm sure it's like a jail break for her! We walked down to a lookout and that's where we took the picture of the 3 of us. She has to have her hat for walks. This girl is ALL girl...loves the hat, the shoes, and dressing up. Mama has big plans! 

Tomorrow we get to spend the whole day with her. Yippee! Thank you for praying. God has blessed us with such an incredible time with her already. Leaving her Thursday will be extremely hard, but we're not thinking about that yet. Grace was having a lot of stranger anxiety before we came and the staff has been fervently praying for our meeting. I think God has answered. 

We learned some Creole words today which really helped us communicate with her. She was very chatty this afternoon. Her little voice is precious to hear. 

God is good and everything He does is good. Psalm 119:68

Up with the Roosters!

Literally. There were roosters crowing right outside our window this morning. We were up at 5:00 to get ready for our appointments. We go to the US Embassy and to appear before 2 judges today. Praying it will go quickly so we can get back to our girl this afternoon.

I will blog in more detail tonight about yesterday but we both agreed that it was the best day ever...so far! So many had prayed for our meeting and God answered every prayer. Our little girl is sweeter than sugar! She is so very smart...every parent says that, right...and has the greatest sense of humor. We met her at 9:30 and she was giving me kisses a little after 11. Only God. The biggest blessing was the hour we had alone with her on the balcony. She had just woken up and cuddled with me for a long time. She knows her Daddy, too, and just giggled playing ball with him. More to come...

Pure joy

We are here! Before they introduced us, they told us she has been having some stranger anxiety. So instead of bringing her to us like they normally do, they asked us to go to the balcony and try to slowly integrate into her playtime. That was very hard. I so badly wanted to scoop her up. It's gone remarkably well! I have even gotten kisses on the lips. More tonight...

Almost there!

Even though we have just a few hours to sleep before we board our plane to Haiti, it still seems very surreal. We will hold our Gracie girl in our arms tomorrow morning! After talking about her and praying so fervently through the process for 19 months, we finally get to meet her. 

Today we flew from DFW to Ft Lauderdale, Florida. We will try to sleep a little tonight and be at the airport by 5:15. Our flight arrives in Port au Prince about 8:00am. 

On the plane today I was listening to Anthony Evans' version of "How He Loves". Powerful lyrics. "If grace is an ocean, we're all sinking." The LORD just used that time to remind me that if He hadn't loved me first, called me, and adopted me into His forever family, then I wouldn't have the blessing of adopting Grace. I am adopted. Plain and simple. I was an orphan and He rescued me and bought me with a price. 

People say we're doing something good. They try to praise us for our efforts. The truth is we don't deserve any of that. Even the cab driver from the airport who was just chit chatting about our trip said, "That's a really good thing you all are doing." Yes, it is a good thing. But that's not why we're adopting. It's the Gospel. Plain and simple. He loved us first. 

How can you love somebody so much even when you haven't met them? It's true. Grace has our hearts and she's never even met us. Tomorrow we finally get to show her how much she is loved! 

Dress Up

This sweet doll was a gift from my friend. It came with a unisex green outfit but today I made it a baby girl! I can't wait to take her to Gracie. Then, I'll get to play dress up with her! Tomorrow I am buying her first dress. Giddy is the best word I can think of. 

Hugs, Kisses, and lots of cuddles

Our sweet Gracie girl, we are coming! We are coming to cuddle you and squeeze you. You aren't EVEN going to know what hit you....it's gonna be so great!

Haiti, here we come!

Whew....what a day! You know how you have those days when you never could've predicted when you woke up that morning how it would all play out? Yep, that was today. I knew I was baby-sitting a friend's kids. I knew it wouldn't be a "normal" day. The cat had to go to the vet with what seemed to be a broken leg and school did not look like it was going to happen.

While I was at the vet, Robby called and said, "They're asking us to travel NEXT WEEK!"
What?
After months and months of waiting and nothing, things started happening like fireworks. GLA could not book our appointment with the courts until we gave the ok. Once we gave the ok, they would book the court appointment and then tell us when to travel. After a few hours, we received the court appointment and then were told to find a flight itinerary. Another way God's timing is always perfect....Robby was able to spend a while online researching all the different flight options. During the busy season, that would NOT have happened.
Long story short (too late for that, huh?), we found an itinerary, GLA approved, and we booked it. We fly into Ft. Lauderdale, Florida on Sunday, April 20 (Easter Sunday). Monday morning, we will fly to Haiti and arrive in Port au Prince at 8AM. We leave Thursday afternoon, April 24,  and get back to Dallas late that night.

This is REALLY happening. That's what kept playing over and over in my head all day. We are REALLY going and I will REALLY get to cover my baby girl with kisses.

God is good and everything He does is good. Psalm 119:68

FINALLY!

We're out! We're out! We're really really out! Today we received an email telling us that after 19 months, the Haitian government has finally released our file. This means we get to travel to Haiti to meet our baby girl!!!!!
God is good and He has answered our many prayers!

13 & 10

Miss Bailee also turns 4 this month. Bailee Ann is my niece and I love her like she's my own!

Alert! Alert! We have a teenager in the house!
Annnnd...Luke has hit double digits! We had a fun day celebrating with family last weekend. I don't know where the years have gone. My babies are no longer babies. Noah is officially taller than I am. Luke is on his way.
Being our cat boy, Luke requested a cat cake--a tabby like our cat. I did my best and he seemed happy. Noah is a big Skillet fan (the band, not the cooking pan) and he wanted a Skillet cake. So, I made a cake in my cast iron skillet and wrote the band's logo on top. They were both delish! 

I am thankful for the boys they still are and the men they are becoming.

Spring Breakin' in the Mountains

We had a GREAT Spring Break discovering Mt. Nebo in Arkansas. We rented a super little cottage that felt like home the moment we arrived. We had a screened back porch where I'm pretty sure I could have spent weeks without ever getting bored. We geocached around the mountain, watched the sunrise from Sunrise point, hiked, biked, and mostly just relaxed. We will definitely go back!

Grace's Christmas Video

Each December, GLA makes videos for the kiddos who have been matched with families. Sadly, this is our second video. Most of these pictures we already have, but a few are new. My heart did not want to see this video. My arms ache to have her in our arms and I don't want any more pictures! Don't get me wrong, I'm thankful for all they do to care for her and keep us updated, but enough is enough! We have seen her grow through pictures for 17 months now! LORD, please bring her home. Thank you for praying with us.

2, 4, and 7

Well, the summer flew by without much blogging. It was a good summer. Usually I complain that summer went too fast, but I felt like we really soaked it in this year. We relished in the relaxation and the play time. Lots of sleeping late, seeing friends, and time in the water. :) Probably the reason I didn't blog much is because this blog is mainly to keep up with our adoption and not a thing has happened. Nothing. Nada. Zip. Zilch.

August 22 was one year since we "met" Grace and saw her picture for the first time. In some ways, it's hard to believe it's been a year. But, it also feels like it's been an eternity since we've longed to have her in our arms. This has grown my faith like nothing else ever has. The LORD continues to remind me that we are on HIS timeline and not our own.

Our dossier is in the same office it has been in since last September. The only thing we've been told is that they are waiting on a document on the birth mother. It's from a court and it's "tough to get". That's all we know.

In the meantime, many babies are going home with their families and although we feel like the kid stuck on the sidelines during the big game, it is encouraging to see movement happening.

Last week we began our FOURTH year of homeschooling! Hard to believe! What's even harder to believe is that we have a 7th grader, a 4th grader, and a 2nd grader. I am so very thankful that I have this time with them. When I meet people and they find out I homeschool, they usually say, "Oh, I don't have the patience for that!" What I want to tell them is that I don't have the patience either. I don't have the strength or the stamina or the self-control, or the energy.....BUT....the LORD fills me up each morning with just enough to do what He's called me to do. There's no greater calling. I have friends in our homeschool group who have dropped their kids off at college. They've completed their homeschool journey and they continue to remind us that are still in the trenches to keep on keepin' on because we'll NEVER regret this time. I love being friends with those "veterans". I love the encouragement I get from them.

The newest thing this year is that since Noah is in junior high now, most of his work and assignments will come from his co op classes. He will complete the assignments at home, but will be taught by teachers on Friday. I am so thankful for our co op. I'm so thankful that he can sit under teachers (even doctors!) who specialize in their subject area. It will enrich his education immensely!

I have made two big leadership commitments this year. I am still on our homeschool group's board, but changed positions. I'm now the Internet Tech instead of the VP. This is a job that I can do at home (and Robby has helped me tons!) and I think that will be a blessing when Grace comes home. Another position the Lord lead me to take is the coordinator position in our A.S.K. (After School Kids) Bible study. We were involved in this Bible study last year. I was a core group leader for the Kindergarten girls. A.S.K. is a branch of Community Bible Study, a non-denominational, international ministry. Being the coordinator will be very different. I am managing all of the paperwork and money instead of being with kids. But, again, this is something I can mostly do from home. The LORD continues to prepare our family for Grace's homecoming.

A few bits of summer....

July Update

The month of July is one of the busiest months here at God’s Littlest Angels.    This is partially because many of the full-time staff members took a trip home to visit their family and friends.  We have had a number of staff members out throughout the entire month.  This creates a different dynamic from week to week as we continue to host adoptive families, visitors, volunteers, and teams here on a weekly basis.  In addition to the lack of staff and typical in and out of visitors, our school sponsorship program is now open for applicants.  This means that literally hundreds of students from all across Haiti arrive at our gate to apply for the sponsorship program in hopes of receiving help with their tuition for the coming school year.  While they are here they present their report card from the year past, fill out an application, color thank you cards, and get photos and a video taken.  I coordinate this program as well so that makes July the busiest month of my year.  I am putting together updates a little later then I typically do this month and I want to apologize in advance if this month’s update seems to be lacking more then usual.
I chose a “Noah’s Ark” for the theme for July’s photo day at the main house.  I have been thinking about doing photos with this theme since I started at GLA three years ago.  I love the way that the story of Noah and the Ark reminds us, as believers, of God’s faithful and unending promises.
Here is a passage from the story from Genesis 8:15-19…
“Then God said to Noah, “Come out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and their wives. Bring out every kind of living creature that is with you—the birds, the animals, and all the creatures that move along the ground—so they can multiply on the earth and be fruitful and increase in number on it.” So Noah came out, together with his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives. All the animals and all the creatures that move along the ground and all the birds—everything that moves on land—came out of the ark, one kind after another.”
It is important to remember, as you walk through your adoption process, that no matter where your file is or how long you have been waiting that God is faithful to the promises He has given to you.   The same as He has been and will be faithful to the promises He gave to His people after the flood.  I would encourage you to read through the entire account of Noah for some encouragement if you find yourself doubting God’s goodness or promises. 

Malozie has had an excellent month this July.  She continues to be a bright and friendly little girl.  She is adorable and she knows it.  She is not yet saying many words.  She does use some basic Creole words to communicate what she wants and needs but she is not yet forming sentences.  She is, however, a huge fan of noises.  She notices noises that most people don’t notice because it would be like background noise to them.  For example any time a dog barks she will run to the window or end of the balcony to see where it is coming from.  After looking herself she always wants to make sure that everyone around he noticed it as well.  She will call over whomever she can get to join her, point, and indicate that something has caught he attention.  When she is on the balcony she continues to enjoy spending time blowing bubbles, buidlign blocks, and playing in front of the mirror.
Malozie is healthy and growing:
Height: 80 cm
Weight: 22 lb 5 oz

June Update

Warm Greetings from God’s Littlest Angels, Robert and Amy!

It is hard to believe that we are already well on our way into the summer.   The weather is warmer and it is currently rainy season so we see thunderstorms roll through on a daily basis.   June has held more families coming in to meet their children and more children joining their forever families in the States and Canada!  It continues to be an encouragement and blessing for us (long-term staff) to have families here on a regular basis.  Fort Jacques is still a work in progress as we have had teams here throughout the month to help with various projects there.

This month I would like to introduce you to the amazing women who care for your children on a daily basis.  Their nannies!  These women are there for them throughout the entire day.  These women spend more time with the children than anyone else.  From morning to evening, their days are spent feeding, changing, comforting, encouraging, playing with, and meeting the children’s needs.  What our volunteers do is very valuable and necessary but we could not provide the level of care we do for these kids without our Haitian nannies.  I would like to give you the opportunity to get to know Malozie’s nannies a little bit so below you will find some info about each of the nannies that are currently assigned to her.  Each lady works four days on and then they get two days off.  In our main nursery the nannies sleep right in the room with the kids so they are able to be there for them if they need something in the night.  Each of these kids has two primary nannies that tend specifically to them. The smaller nurseries are staffed by night nannies and nurses for nightly feedings and wake-up calls.  The kids who live in these nurseries are cared for by three primary nannies that are assigned to the specific room.  There is at least two nannies in these rooms at any given time.  Malozie has lived in each of the nurseries throughout his life here at GLA.   It is amazing to see the love these ladies have for each of the children in their care.  We want you to know and value the love and care Malozie receives from her nannies on a daily basis. 

Malozie has 2 primary nannies because she lives in the main nursery at the Main house.  Their names are Guirlene and Betty.

Guirlene has been working with us here at GLA since September 2012, and is a wonderful nanny. She is great with the children, and truly loves them!  She can often be found doing the girls hair, even if they are not the ones in her primary care group.  She has a sweet smile and is genuine and caring in her interaction with each of the kids in her care. Guirlene lives in Petionville, which is the city just down the mountain from where we are located.  It takes her about two hours to get to work; she uses a form of public transportation which is often called a taptap. She has one child who is five years old.

Betty has been working with us here at God’s Littlest Angels since May 2008.  She is such a sweet, caring member of our staff and we appreciate the care that she provides for our children!   Betty is a loving lady who is sure to be the first to help out when another nanny needs it.  Betty is from Kenscoff, a community further up the mountain.  She takes a moto and taptaps (transportation in the form of a motorbike and pickup truck, respectively) to get to work, taking her up to an hour to get here. She has one child who is six years old 

Attached to this update you will find photos of Malozie with her nannies.  The title of the photo has the name of the particular nanny in it.  You will also find a few candid photos attached so you for a few extra glimpses of Malozie this month!  Enjoy!

Malozie is healthy and growing:
Height: 78 cm
Weight: 21 lb 11.5 oz

Happy Summer!