Anybody Still Out There???

It's been far too long, I know! We've had an eventful few months, but I just haven't had the heart to share our journey. It's been hard, but we're starting to find our way out of the fog and see our direction more clearly!

After we lost the chance to adopt D & K, we spent some time thinking and praying about whether we wanted to continue the adoption process in Russia or if that would be too painful. In the end, we decided that our hearts were still with Russia, so we had our home study updated, and our dossier was registered last week in St. Petersburg. Within the next week, we hope to hear from the Committee with travel dates to go meet our little one!

We also received a diagnosis this summer that, although it was not a surprise, required some adjustment of our lives. Our little guy, Garin, has autism. It's amazing how the very thing we expected to hear the doctor say still threw us for a loop when the words were actually spoken. Suddenly, after seeing friends struggle with autism diagnoses for their children and watching countless television interviews during Autism Awareness Month, we were in the club. The club no one WANTS to be in, but at the same time, a club that we feel privileged to be part of. These are amazing people who learn to cope with the most overwhelming circumstances, and not only cope but thrive. These are kids and adults who fight hard for what most people completely take for granted. These folks may not behave in ways we consider acceptable, but they behave far better than the rest of us would, given their challenges. The more I understand about autism, the more I admire my son's abilities to adapt.

We have started ABA therapy twice a week and have seen him make incredible strides in the one month he has been doing it! His language development has taken off, and he is beginning to understand feelings that he couldn't identify before. We're also making rapid progress toward potty training, which previously was a source of terror and tears. There is great potential and great hope! Every day is a new awakening for us, and we are thankful for it. I wouldn't change who he is and what he is teaching us. He is a joy!

Matt is up to his eyeballs in senior-year fun! He went to State in cross country, which was a great way to finish his high-school career. His Hi-Q team goes to semi-finals and finals in a couple of weeks, and then the regular Scholar Bowl season starts. The last couple of months have provided precious little free time, as he has also been writing college application essays and getting them in. I must brag that he got a 33 on his ACT! I'm hoping for lots of scholarships!

So I'm back into the blog world to chronicle this newest leg of our adoption journey, as well as the events of our lives....if anybody's reading....

Dear Friends,

I've been putting off blogging in the hope that my next entry would be sharing the excellent news that we were traveling to Russia to meet our children. We were expecting that to happen in March, after our paperwork was accepted by the adoption committee. Without going into too many details, I must share with you that this trip will not happen. Although the government of Russia is willing to move forward, as we have been for over two years now, there are others who have the power to halt the process by not providing the necessary documents for the adoption. Unfortunately, because of their own negative opinions about Russian children being adopted by American families (whether for economic, political or personal reasons, we'll never know), they have chosen to make it impossible for D & K to be adopted. Our hearts are broken, but we know that God has a plan for us and for them, and we will trust His will. We know that we are called to adopt, and we will. For now, we are trying to grieve this loss and figure out where we are supposed to go from here.

I've started a part-time job as Music Administrator at our church. I'm responsible for scheduling the praise team and planning all the music for worship, among other things. I am so blessed to be able to work with people who are so special to me, and it doesn't feel like work so much as fun.

Life is great for us, overall. Please keep us in your prayers as we try to decide when, where and how we will adopt and add to our family.

Stellan's Story

Pray for Stellan

Friends,

It has been a busy time, and there is so much to update, but this is not the moment for it. I would ask those of you who pray to do so now for little Stellan, whose life hangs in the balance (again) today. You can read his miraculous story and updates here:

I don't believe it!

It's only been a week since my last post, and here I am again! Remember the old days when I was writing more than once in twenty-four hours???

What's been happening this week? We finally moved our YMCA membership from Dover and have been making (almost) daily visits. I love what regular workouts do for my body and my spirit....ahhhhh. We've had one sick little boy, and my biggest boy (my husband) is coming down with something. My tall, skinny teenager has been back to the doctor to get a new physical therapy referral for his bum knee that keeps messing up his cross-country running. I have been cooking and cleaning and running the taxi service, and in between those duties, I'm still trying to find a home study agency to do an update since we left Delaware. We continue to wait for travel dates and wake up every morning thinking maybe this will be the day. Not yet...but one day it WILL be! Matt is going to see his buddy's band play tonight, an all-day scholar bowl competition tomorrow and a band concert on Sunday afternoon. Naw, we're not busy!

We're excited that we have several friends coming to visit between now and Easter! Scott will be here in early March, and Josh & Kim are coming in mid-March. Then in early April, Kelley & Rob and Tory & Peter will be here! How fun it is when our worlds overlap and collide! Gotta love the Air Force!

It's almost bedtime for our little Pooh bear, so I'd better go get him ready. I'm looking forward to a couple of hours all alone before my big guys start arriving home! So many possibilities....what does one do with two hours of "me" time?!?!

Anybody Still Out There???

Hi Friends! It's been far too long (again) since my last post! I have got to get back in the habit, but life has been a whirlwind this past month, and I have barely found time to sleep. I have, however, managed to check facebook regularly, so it's a better way to stay connected with me these days. I guess I've joined the ranks of the FB addicts.

We are now settled into our new home in a new state. Karl has a new job, and our lives are looking much different these days in many ways. In other ways, things are very much the same. We have seen a 70-degree temperature variance in the three weeks we've been here, but I think the entirety of the contiguous 48 states could say the same. We are enjoying renewing relationships with old friends here, but we also miss our Dover friends greatly...especially our small group. There aren't any small groups for couples in our age range (at least not that we've discovered) in our church here, so we'll probably start one if we can find some interested families. We are starting back into the praise team rotation in March and are looking forward to getting back into the groove of Wednesday-night suppers at church, followed by Bible study classes and praise team rehearsal. Our church here is getting a new pastor. As much as we love the former pastor and will miss him, we are also excited about getting to know our new pastor! We have heard wonderful things and are looking forward to hearing her preach and seeing how God will use her to help us grow spiritually and reach out to the community!!! This predominately Caucasian church has, as long as I've been affiliated with it, been very welcoming to all people regardless of race, socioeconomic status, etc. We have many families who have adopted African-American children, as well as children from Russia, China and all over the world. I think it will be a great thing for all of us to have an African-American pastor with such a heart for God and for people! I hear she has a gift for preaching and an enthusiastic, fun and easygoing spirit that will be great for our church!

The good news, adoption-wise, is that our documents were registered and accepted in Russia in January. We were told to expect travel dates at any time, so we are cautiously optimistic and hopeful!

Garin celebrated his third birthday last weekend with his little friend, hot dogs, cupcakes and a beautiful afternoon at the park. We also took him shopping for his new playset and let him spend the birthday money he received. An evening at ToysRUs is heaven to a little boy, but the decision-making is impossible for a three-year-old, so Mama and Daddy helped with that part.

Matt and I have made three trips to the DMV to get his license, but the lines are crazy, and their hours are ridiculously unpredictable, so he hasn't actually gotten to drive yet! We'll go back today and try again. He has been stuck waiting now for over seven months past his 16th birthday, as he got caught up in changes and new requirements that were added to the state driving laws right about the time he was ready to get his license. He's met the requirements. Now if we could just take the stupid test!

Karl is really enjoying his new job! He finds it interesting and challenging and enjoys the people he works with. The nice thing is that he is home every night and is not flying while we're here. There is definitely a lot of adjustment happening, though, because he is working 12-hour days here and eating lunch at his desk. At Dover, we saw him a lot more when he was home and had more flexibility if I needed him to watch Garin when I had a doctor or haircut appointment. I'm learning to work around things, and we're beginning...BEGINNING...to find a rhythm to daily life again. I am looking at a preschool for next year, so Garin can be with other kids three mornings a week for 2.5 hours. That will still let me be with him most of the time and also provide him with socialization and organized learning time. It is becoming obvious that he needs to learn to accept more structure and not have everything his way, at it is when it's just the two of us all day.

In case I don't get back tomorrow...Happy Valentine's Day to all!!!

Merry Christmas to D & K...

As I write this tonight, the day is breaking in St. Petersburg. It is their Christmas Day. I am praying tonight that it will be a joyous and special day for them and that God will somehow give them hope of having a family....soon.