Gratitude!

I haven't posted in forever! Facebook kind of took over for me and blogging just seemed to unnecessarily long. ;) But today I was challenged to start a gratitude journal and even though I have journals that I've used for prayer and gratitude and even some where I have numbered thankful lists, I've decided to come back to this blog that I started way back when we were in process of adopting Charlie. So it seems fitting that I start with him! 1. I am thankful that Charlie has been home for over 4 years now and that he is such a huge part of our family! I very often forget he hasn't been part of our family since birth. But when I do, I fight btwn feeling a little jipped out on the first 7 years of his life and being extremely thankful that we've had the last 4 years with him! I'm glad the thankful always wins over the jipped. ;) 2. I am thankful for a husband who said, "Let's get McD's dinner boxes" after church today! I didn't have to cook! 3. I am thankful for a church that is fun to go to, as well as so good at teaching me more about God and how to depend on Him for everything! 4. I am thankful for exclamation marks because I seem to have a tendency to use them quite frequently! God makes me excited! 5. I am thankful for music! We sang a song called "I Need Thee Oh I Need Thee" (I think) today at church. It is such a great song! I love listening to amazing musicians and being able to worship God through music. 6. And lastly I'm thankful for Sunday afternoon naps on a day like today! God, who fearfully and wonderfully made me, gave me a commandment that is fun to obey! ;)

Buzz and kids (1 photo), by Danelle Kilpatrick

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Kaitlyn's final-fun writing assignment for the school year!

GUEST WRITER-Kaitlyn
This Year
5-25-10
This year has been pretty crazy. At the beginning of the school year we had six people in our family; today we have nine. Each of the three new additions is under the age of eight. We had very little warning both times we added on to the household, but now it seems very natural to look around and see kids everywhere. Of course, this being my first year of high school there has been some school complications too, none of which seem very notable though. Maybe that’s because Mom always taught us that family is most important, but the family changes seem more prominent. Anyway, these are two things I’ve learned this year: Attitude and childcare. I learned other small things too, of course, and I’ve also learned some boring things like Algebra 2 and Biology, which I chose not to bore the readers of this paper about. J
Attitude Counts One school related trait that I learned was simply realizing that your mindset does matter. If you go into a chore, assignment, or life thinking that you won’t like it, or won’t be good at it, you’ll be right. If you tackle it with confidence and diligence though, you will at least learn from it and have fun with it. Mom always told us this when we were too young to think of it ourselves, and I remember not really wanting to listen. I’d have assignments that I never thought I could accomplish, and I’d be ticked off about it. Mom could force us into just about anything, but attitude was always a choice. After awhile I got used to “just doing it,” and I could’ve told you last year that “attitude shows in your work,” but it didn’t click until now.
I suppose that’s because I was doing a lot of my schoolwork on my own this year after the hectic changes when life got more complicated. About then I realized that having an attitude about it wasn’t doing me any good. I just had to get though it. A fact of life is just doing what you need to do, even if it isn’t enjoyable.
Kids Aren’t so Hard A large family is easy to figure out. It can be tiring and disastrous even, but it isn’t mind-boggling. I used to baby-sit, which I never thought I was good at. I couldn’t make decisions on whether to stand them in the corner or leave them alone whenever they got in trouble. I would second-guess myself on whether to let them have a snack or go outside. I never seemed to know exactly how they would react or how to handle them. Mothering seemed like it was way out of my league. I was rather depressed because of this. I always wanted to be more like MacKrea who never lacked confidence or leadership.
But then came Julie, then Billy and Raeanne, then Charlie. I don’t really remember when I realized it wasn’t that necessary to be right all the time. I’m not sure when I discovered how easy it was to judge how they would react or what was safe. All I know is that now, it all seems as easy as pie. Well not all easy perhaps, it is still very tiring to chase them around and there a still catastrophes to be dealt with, but I no longer have the continuous suspicion of doing things wrong. Sure I make mistakes and I know I do, but I’m not completely inept about it and I am learning.
I’m not finished learning yet in school or in life, but I hope I will do the best I can in everything I do, learn all I can at every opportunity, and do all I can whenever I can.


Kaitlyn Faith

6-year-old boy from Haiti now calls Tuscarawas County ... His forever HOME - New Philadelphia, OH - The Times-Reporter

6-year-old boy from Haiti now calls Tuscarawas County ... His forever HOME - New Philadelphia, OH - The Times-Reporter

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Charlie talk and actions

I don't do scrapbooking so I'm doing this blog...hoping that kids will be able to view it for a long time...so I decided to copy and paste some of my facebook statuses for Charlie to see later. Probably won't make a whole lot of sense, just bits and pieces of what's been going on here since he arrived. And it's all backwards. The most recent posts are first.

For what?" means "Why?" ....so Charlie wants to know "We take showers, for what?" I say, "So we won't stink.That's for what." Charlie, "For what, stink?" "So we will have friends." "Awwwww....hahahha" even his laugh has a Haitian accent! =)

SLAM...Charlie wasn't too happy with me evidently. So I had to let him know we do not slam doors in this family. Bit sad yet at the same time glad he feels secure enough to vent. Later he helped stir the cinnamon into the applesauce for supper and just love love loved on me. BTW Charlie does NOT like applesauce...bahn...ahnahs, YES, 2 or 3 if you will let him, but applesauce just makes his face go all scrunchy.

Charlie called them figs at first...thought that was interesting. But now it's bahnahnahs. I LOVE that Haitian accent! He says "feeneesh" for finish too. And when we got on the plane to head for home, "No attash, no attash" for the seatbelt. He didn't want it attached

He also tells us to "close the Tv" and "close" or "open" the lights. Just love it!


Yes! Whenever one of our three younger ones ages 8,6,4 get in trouble he does the same thing! But he's quickly learning. He DOES want to know why they got put in the corner...and then seems to store it in his memory banks...cuz I don't think he's ever ever repeated any of those offenses!
Charlie did NOT like mashed potatoes...I've only cooked them once though so far. Charlie also uses the pronoun "him" only. So it's "Him did it" even when it's a sister he's pointing at... =)
..he laughs when the littles get in trouble...I didn't know if it was a nervous kind of laugh or what...but I do know that humor is a big part of who Charlie is! When he learns something he makes it into a joke...and seems like what I've read about Haitians in general, humor seems to be an important part of their culture and how they cope maybe?
Brother and sisters have been amazingly patient, generous, and kind with him...I had no time really to prepare our littles for his homecoming and was a bit nervous about how it was all going to pan out. But they have been fabulous! Whew!

Kids watched Madagascar 2 last night. There is nothing funnier than a 6 year old Haitian boy with a deep voice (especially for his age) singing, "I like em big. I like em chunky.... She like my eyes. She like my plumpiness." And he gets the right inflection and rhythm...and moves.... It's hilarious! I'm glad he enjoys ...making us laugh! Have I mentioned how he fits right in?!

So funny! You should've heard Charlie giggle when we started the Tae Bo Kicks with Billy Blanks dvd just a few minutes ago. We all had a good work-out and Charlie LOVED it!

Charlie's "blessing" tonight was "the sky"....when I asked him if he liked the sky because of the snowflakes falling from it, he just grinned and said, "Yes!" It has been so much fun watching him enjoy the snow! Thank you Jesus for these blessings!

So now we know that "sleep" is Haitian for boys' underwear..."keelot" for girls' underwear...oh my...this is quite the learning experience! `and Mama's are "big keelots" ...sigh...

Charlie loves to help fold laundry, but when he finds anyone's underwear besides his own, he just laughs and laughs! I won't even tell you what he did with my bra!!

just got in from sled-riding & snowball fighting with whole family! Charlie would show me his snowball, motion for me to be quiet and watch, and would sneak up on Daddy then throw it and run away laughing! He also made his very first snow angel!

"Charlie, come see the ladder Pap made for your bunk bed." "What ladder?" "This ladder in here." Sees Mom standing in his bedroom with Pap, but looks in the girls' room, "In here?" "No, Charlie, in here." Peeps into the bathroom with a big 'ole grin, "In here?" "No, Charlie, right here." "Oh, oh, in HERE!" The more com...fortable he gets with us the more oinery he's becoming! Fits right in with the rest of the bunch! =)

Last night, French Toast, Charlie loves to help me cook! He stirred the "goop" then put the bread in "goop" and slapped it on the skillet...and then looked up and me and grinned big. He wasn't too impressed with the goop, but my, did he like it cooked! 6 pieces of french toast he ate! "More please" is something we hear alot!

If family laughter levels could be measured, ours would be off the charts right now! Charlie likes to mimic me especially at the table. Then he just giggles! I end up tapping my head or doing something goofy just to see him do it too! He also likes to pick something up of mine, put it in his pocket, then ask me if I'v...e seen it! I look around don't see it right away and he pulls it out of his pocket just laughing!

Charlie likes Highschool Musical! So funny to watch him and foster son (age 6 too) tryin out their dance moves along with the movie! Hand-stands that turn into flips, side steps with their light saber swords, fancy foot-work with couch as a rebound type platform (til Daddy says no more) =) All to the tune of THE BOYS ARE BACK! Good times!

And at lunch yesterday I had my little Creole book of phrases out and was asking him different things. thought I'd try something funny.In Creole I asked him if he needed his diaper changed! He busted up laughing and shook his head, "no, no, no."Everybody else wanted to know what I had asked him, so I told them and he l...aughingly said, "no diaper, no diaper!" We are having so much fun!! THANK YOU JESUS FOR CHARLIE!

First hamburger.wanted "vermahj" on his sandwich.we think it's cheese..at least that's what made him happy!

Hope this Honeymoon doesn't end soon if ever! =) He eats whatever we've had. He only needs me to explain the rules and a couple of times I've had to take him aside and talk seriously/firmly to him and he "gets it" and obeys. I hope it lasts! He gets lovey once in awhile almost as if he's making up for lost time....

Charlie Home, HIS Home blessings and prayer requests!

Charlie is HOME!!! We are settling in. I will try and do pics, but no promises. things are quite busy here and I'm not sure there's many who check this blog now that I'm on facebook. =) But I did think this was interesting and wanted to share.
Hal is the director at HIS Home. Chris, his wife, is in Ohio with the three children they are adopting. These two are amazing people! We feel so privileged to have met them and support what they are doing in Haiti! They are our heroes!


Right now my emotions are so raw that I just am elated one moment and tearing up
the next. I am so grateful for all that you have all done for the kids and my
family. God is Good!!! I am so thankful that the kids that have been united
with their forever families got out of here before France and Unicef started
their posturing. I wasn't very nice to a Unicef team the other day when they
visited and refused to talk with them yesterday when they returned to tell me
that I could not move any of the children without their permission. We have
secured the new big house and will begin moving and preparations next week.
Thank you for your prayers in that matter. Chris and the kids got in to Lima
late last night/early this morning. Thank you for your prayers in that matter.
We still have about 12 children that were in the very beginning stages of
adoptions that we need to get out of here. Please be in prayer for these
families that want to be united with their children. They are currently going
through all of the emotions that you have all been through for the past 2 1/2
weeks. Their journey is not over and they desperately need our prayers. Thank
you for your continued prayers for me. I slept in my bed (not very well) last
night and determined that I am ready to go when God decides He wants me. Keep
this process bathed in prayer until it is over for everybody. Blessings on all
of you my dear CHRISTian brothers and sisters!!! Give all of my beautiful
children hugs and kisses from Pastor and never forget that God truly did move
mountains to get your children home (Natalie). :-) Love, Hal

coming home!

He'll be in Miami on Monday and Dayton on Tuesday!!!

HUMANITARIAN PAROLE

We got the call last night that Charlie has been granted Humanitarian Parole!!!! Rejoicing and Praising God from whom all Blessings Flow!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now we wait and see when they can fly him home... Longest labor of my life~!!!!!!

Waiting some more

"Be still and know that I am God."

Well, tonight CC is sleeping on American soil...yet he's still in Haiti. The whole crew of 56 children and orphanage directors and other staff and even an American team that just arrived yesterday are sleeping at the US Embassy. They decided to sleep inside the gate so that they could be first in line tomorrow morning!

It's hard to imagine that I have a son who is sleeping outside on the ground without a pillow...not to mention the fact that the only time I think he's had a pillow is the time we went down to visit him and he slept with us in the motel...he got to sleep on a pillow then. I remember him wanting to share mine! =) I know there is so much more to be concerned with about his safety and comfort besides pillows..but this is easier for me to think about right now. He will definitely be getting a nice pillow when he comes home.

My mom made a quilt for him in two days! It is so soft! He's never used or maybe needed a blanket either. The beds at the orphanage had plastic sheets (sometimes they used plastic table cloths made to fit the mattress) and then a sheet over that. No pillow. No blanket. My kids here have a pillow...some of them have two! They all have special allergy cover things for their mattresses. And this seems kinda crazy since i'm trying to help with dustmites with those allergy covers...but they each are sleeping with some sort of stuffed animal...even the big girls! =) CC will get to learn all about all the bedtime amenities we have wont he? I hope he's sleeping ok tonight. I hope he's not sick. They said 26 of the children are sick. Some needing medical care badly.

Today they were told by the embassy that they needed more paperwork. So a wonderful man named Junior "ran around town" gathering all kinds of documents and such and now they hope to have everything needed so that tomorrow clearance can be given and arrangements to fly out can be done. We were told that they will be flying into Dayton then chartered buses will be picking them up and taking them on to a church in Lima where we will get to pick him up.

The whole transportation experience will be something these kids will be amazed with. When we went to Haiti, CC hadn't ridden in a car for a very long time. It was so fun listening to his French-Creole as he excitedly talked about what he was seeing while Hal drove us around! The roads are so bad in Haiti though that we never went over 30 miles per hour maybe even less than that! That bus trip will probably be something else to him!

We are all praying here. As Tim and I sat at the dinner table tonight after everyone else had vamoosed. Our little 4 year old foster sweetheart ran past us and into the living room chanting, "I hope CC comes home tomorrow." .....we all hope that sweeety! I told Tim tonight that we don't have a vehicle to fit us all! We have 2 8-passenger vans, but we will need room for 9 now! =) He hadn't thought about that. I asked him if he ever thought back in '88 if we'd ever have 7 kiddos around the table...he said, "The thought never entered my mind." .....funny me either! =)

Dear Lord, You are the one in charge here. All this plus ALL THIS is in Your amazingly capable hands! I love resting here. I love the comfort in knowing that You are in control. This is a wonderful place to be. Help me stay here. Help me even when I get up out of this comfy recliner to not leave the comfy place of peace that You have given to me. The grace dear Lord that You have given that enables us to function and walk the path You have for us is overwhelming. You have CC in Your hands too. You have all the Haiti orphans in Your hands. And because of this I can rest. I have a God who loves orphans. I have a God who cares. I know You will shield and protect their eyes from the horror, their bodies from sickness, and their minds from evil. No man can stand in the way of the path that You have ordained for CC. We are his family and he needs to come home. You are my Love and my Trustworthy Father. I don't need to place this in Your hands...it's already there. Thank you Jesus. Thank you for it all. I love you.

News!

I just received this from another mom adopting from HIS Home for Children:

We just got off the phone with Chris. Chris has an appointment and is going to the Embassy tomorrow with the 56 children that comprise groups 1 & 2. Because there have been so many questions around groups 2 & 3 - we asked Chris to distinguish between them – group 2 are those that have submitted paperwork, group 3 are for children that have identified families, but no paperwork has been submitted yet. Chris was scurrying around while talking on the phone trying to find enough shoes & socks and clothes & diapers for the 56 children that will be going to the embassy tomorrow – what an amazing woman!

As far as flights; Chris is working directly with American Airlines, and there are flights leaving daily that will be able to take the children once they receive their approval. Based on things as they stand right now, the children will be flown to Dayton Ohio where there will be a chartered bus to bring them to the church where they will await their adoptive families.

Chris said it is very unlikely that anyone will leave tomorrow, and probably unlikely for Friday either – but we’ll see what God can accomplish through their hands tomorrow – and we will see what His will is very soon!

As far as contacting the senators – it sounds like they have the needed openings to get the papers for the children already matched to parents – and she said we can still look to petition for an expansion of the humanitarian aid for children that have not been matched.

The tents arrived today and they were setting them up for sleeping quarters, supplies were ok – but they are VERY excited to get the shipment (they are in DIRE NEED of diapers! J).

The children are all doing well, there are a few colds and belly aches, but doing well! One thing Chris mentioned that we want to be prepared as parents for is the fact that many children are taking the earthquakes well, but many also seem to be terrified to go into buildings because they’ve seen the devastation when buildings have collapsed. She said they are VERY excited but are also upset realizing that they are going to be splitting up very soon.

Hal has already been looking at new Orphanage homes – the first had very poor security, the second was “a mansion”, but at that point the connection was getting bad so we couldn’t continue the rest of the conversation.

Keep up the thoughts and prayers for everyone’s safety, and health – things are still moving!

HIS Home in the news!

http://www.wdtn.com/dpp/news/parents-work-to-bring-orphans-home

If you copy and paste this there is a news clip with parents who are adopting from HIS Home for Children

Host Families for Haitian Orphans

I saw this on another Haitian adoptive parents' blog. I'm not certain of the particulars but if God is speaking to your heart about a way to help the orphans of Haiti..this may be a good way to help!

Need Host Families…

All families who are interested in hosting children being brought out of Haiti on refugee status please contact Fran at AMHfamilies@hotmail.com. There is an application and background check with fingerprints that needs to be done before children can be placed.

Due to the conditions in Haiti all missions trips this year will be scheduled medical trips or construction trips. If anyone has any questions they can contact us at angelsmissions2@msn.com

Pray for Haiti

Our heart aches for the people of Haiti. Please pray.
We are also praying that CC gets to come home soon.
On the US side of things permission has been granted for "humanitarian parole". Help us pray that CC can come home. It's hard to imagine what it is like there right now. We thought people were living in terrible conditions before the earthquake; Hard to comprehend what life is like now. We have so much to be thankful for and God has blessed us with so much. It is time to give sacrificially to the people of Haiti. William Carey said to "EXPECT great things from God! ATTEMPT great things for God!" I think we should attempt to give to the people of Haiti...and Expect God's name to be glorified through it!

May the people of Haiti come to know God as provider, El Shaddai, and Healer and Comforter and Father and Almighty and Lord through the people working so tirelessly to help and those of us here willing to send money. They are precious in His sight!

a way to donate to the orphanage where CC is living is by going to
www.hishomeforchildren.com where they have paypal or send money to their Ohio address at

HIS Home for Children
3172 Breese Rd
Lima, OH 45806

(they will send a receipt as your gift is tax deductible)

There are lots of ministries and groups to send money that will help the people of Haiti...just make sure they are legit before sending. We visited with Hal and Chris Nungester and know of lots of families who have their adopted children home here in the states that were from this orphanage. They have our trust!

website

I think that news will be updated about how things are at HIS Home on their website.
www.hishomeforchildren.org