Chip In Challenge

The missionary at Maison (our orphanage in Haiti) has issued a challenge to try to feed the children for a month... she is really close!

Here you can help too!




Here is what she says:

As I wrote about in a blog post and email earlier this week, the orphanage is facing an interesting situation in the next month. I gave a general request for help, a blanket statement that I make from time to time.


I decided to make it specific. And I did my math. I’m going to challenge you to feed the orphanage for a month. Yes, a month. But I’m not asking you to do it alone.

Between my facebook friends and those of you who receive this email, and those who read my blog (I realize there is some overlap) I figured that if each of you gave $10, you could feed the orphanage for an entire month.

Did you catch that? $10 as in the cost of a movie ticket, 2 awesome beverages from Starbucks, a sale DVD at Target, all of those things are around $10. For that amount, together you can feed all 74 children and the entire staff (yes, we are responsible for feeding the staff daily) for a whole month.

When is the last time you fed that many people for just $10? I’ve watched other ChipIn meters go to the goal. And then go past them. And then rejoiced that so many people came together to make a difference in the lives of kids.

So now it’s your turn.

I’m going to make it short and sweet, because I know you’re going to respond quickly.

So between now and November 15, I challenge you to feed my children!

Let’s do this!

It is Final!

Today, we were able to finalize the adoptions of our two beautiful girls that God has placed in our family! We first met the girls - and started this process - 28 months ago. C was a tiny baby in a hospital in Port-au-Prince... and A was an 18-month old toddler in the orphanage... They are now both three years old... legally have our name... and are completely our daughters in the eyes of the State. :) And Zach and Josh got to tell the judge they will be good big brothers (wish we had the video camera to remind them from time to time! :))

We went to Denver yesterday and stayed in a hotel... with a pool... and then finalized this morning. Now... we are going to head to Chuck E Cheese to celebrate (we have a gift card... and the boys love it! (this will be the girls' first time...)) and then go get family pictures taken! What a fun day to celebrate. We are so relieved it is finally here... and final!

Z's First Violin Recital

Today was Z's first violin recital! And he did great! :) He was on the program to do a bow, but his teacher had invited him to play a couple of notes of "open up the elbow" (the first variation of Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star that they learn) during the encore. He has only had his violin for a couple of weeks... and just two days ago he figured out the second two notes... so, when he got up there, he played all four notes over and over. He did great! We didn't know for sure when he would stop... but his teacher was impressed because she didn't know he knew that much of that first song yet... :) You can see it below. Great job Z!

We Did It!

Earlier this summer, I decided to take the kids to Helen Hunt Falls. I wanted to get out of the house and go do something... so, we all loaded up in the car, stopped by McDonald's for our picnic lunch (I HATE packing sack lunches! :)) and headed for the falls. I really didn't intend to take them to the top... (or I would have put C in something other than Crocs...) - but we had a great time... and I was a very brave Mommy attempting this hike with all four of my little ones by myself. (Keith was at work.) Now... it took us about 2 hours to complete a 1/3 mile hike in each direction... mostly because we had to stop about every two to three steps to dump out the rocks from C's shoes... but, none the less, we had a great time, got to yell, "We Did It!" when we got to the top and got to enjoy some of God's beautiful creation. Next time, I'll put real shoes on each of them!

Everyone celebrating that we reached the top!!!

A checking out the water rushing below the bridge.


All four in front of the falls before the hike.



Taking in the view.

Rest break... and a very sweet smile.

J's 4th Birthday

Now that I've discovered Picasa will let me "blog this" for photos... I'm trying really hard to start getting pictures up for family and friends more often! So... Grandmas, Grandpas, Aunties, Uncles... this is for you!

Here's some great pictures of J's 4th Birthday. We celebrated by going to the circus for the first time... then came home and had cake and ice cream... presents... and a nap. He had a great day! His favorite part of the circus (which changes from time to time) was the motorcycles in the sphere... I can't believe he is already four! Love you little guy... :)




J on his birthday table cloth.


Z & J with a clown at the circus!


J with one of his great smiles! (and his birthday cake - Lightning McQueen and Mater)


A (aka, Karate Kid) stomping on the rocket launcher J got for his birthday!

Vacuum Their Hair???!!!

A few weeks ago, we were at a friends house for dinner and the girls decided to PACK their hair full of sand from the sandbox... we worked and worked to get it out - and even vacummed it with a shop vac. Another good friend couldn't believe I forgot to grab the camera... Well, Jill... I got it this time! :) This time it was actually MUCH easier to get most of it out b/c I caught (and stopped) them right away... and, I had just put their hair into pom-poms last night - so it didn't get down into it quite as bad...

I'm hoping to post some pictures in the next few days of Josh's birthday and our hike up Helen Hunt Falls (which I BRAVLY did all by myself with all four!!!)...

Indescribable

This time Daddy gets to post...

Some day I will take the time to reflect on this whole process, but let me just quickly summarize our glorious news...

Our girls are home!! The arival was shakey and included a direct transport to the Children's hospital in Denver but we are finally home as of last night and are starting the settle in. The Boys are doing great adn the girls are finally warming up with smiles and laughter. We are under a 2 week quarentine to keep people away from our youngest until she is able to handle the likely risk to her health. I am certain Tana will post more later.

Keith

Flight has Landed in Orlando

We've received word that the flight from Haiti for our girls has landed in Orlando. We are receiving conflicting reports on if we need to fly to Orlando. We had been told that the Colorado DHS would be taking custody of them in Orlando and flying them to Denver, where they would be given to us. Now, we are hearing that USCIS in Orlando will only release them to the adoptive parents... so, we are still waiting for a definitive answer. So... we may be trying to take the first flight to Orlando tomorrow.

The kids are reportedly all in a room where the Red Cross has food and water for them. It may take hours to process them all through...

Here's a Fox News video of the kids on the plane. We couldn't identify either of our girls for certain... but we have received a call from DHS that Christela was on that flight - still waiting to hear for certain that Aliyah was.

Report on Fox News

Here's a story on our orphanage on Fox News. They are covering our orphanage quite a bit.

Desperate Need

Keith and I have been working non-stop since the earthquake trying to help For His Glory get all of our kids out. Right now, the situation is very desperate. There is no water, formula for babies, medicine, they are experiencing looters. We are praying that the State Department will give us permission to evacuate all the children. We have everything else in place to be able to get the kids out - and just need permission. PLEASE PRAY! The news clip below is from our orphanage.

Earthquake

I'd like to thank all of you that have called and emailed to let us know you are praying following the devestating earthquake in Haiti yesterday. It means so much to hear from our friends and know you are praying for our girls as well as the people in Haiti!

The news we initially received from the orphanage is that all the kids were safe. We did have a nanny that was injured when a wall fell on her and Pierre, the manager of the orphanage, was injured in the eye. We do not know the extent of those injuries. There was some damage to the building, but we do not know the extent of it. For His Glory has not been able to get in touch with the orphanage since about 20 minutes after the initial quake, so we do not know how the orphanage, children and staff have weathered all the aftershocks.

You can read the newsletter from For His Glory by clicking here.

On a personal note, we'd ask that you pray that Christela's medication would be available to her. Also, in a country where there are already MANY ophans, this disaster will likely leave many more children orphaned... in addition to affecting all the adoptions that are in process. We've received word that JCICS and the State Department are discussing possible solutions. Please be in prayer about this as well for the sake of all these children.

For continued updates from the orphanage, you may visit their website at: http://www.forhisgloryoutreach.org/earthquake_relief. Updates are being posted just under the donation information. If you would like to help, you may do that as well by making a donation on that page.

Thank you all for your prayers!