We have started a new blog:
http://www.familyredefined.blogspot.com
You can click on the link above, or click on the title "New Blog" and you will be redirected to our new site!
In Christ,
Charity
Monday, August 31, 2009
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Secret Revealed
I have announced that I have a secret. I guess it is time to share. I am not one for keeping secrets real long... especially if it is a GOOD secret! This one is definitely a GOOD secret. I've decided it is time to redesign my blog. Is that the huge secret? What if I said it was... ? That would be kinda disappointing, huh? Not a real big secret either, and when it comes right down to it... Who really cares what my blog looks like? Probabaly not a whole heck of a lot of people. But what if I said I needed to redesign, even rename our blog, because we have decided to embark on a NEW Journey? Well, we have. We have decided to embark on a new journey, that will take us to a part of the world we have never been before, and a journey that will hopefully take us to the arms of a little girl who needs a family.
After much consideration, Tim and I have decided to go down the adoption road once again. This time however, we are headed to Ethiopia. Not a country I originally thought of adopting from, but not a country I had discounted either... it was more of a country not considered previously.
Now, here is a little bit about myself. Take a look at our blog pictures. Take a look at the kids. Two caucasian parents, two asian children. I kind of had a preconceived notion with regard to what our next child should look like. I know, I know... it sounds a bit shallow. None of us can determine what our children are going to look like, even our biological ones. Heck, if you had to decide which one of my children was my biological child, you would have one heck of a time choosing, or more likely you would pick c) None of the above. Well, one of them is my biological children. Just because you are genetically connected to someone, doesn't mean you have to look a THING like them. Ok, I'll give it away, if you don't already know, Cameron is the bio child. The only thing that we have in common, is that he has my crooked pinkie fingers. Wow! Lucky him! He got those crooked fingers from me!
So, I had to get rid of some of my preconceived notions. That took some time. Then I had to get rid of some worry and fear. That took a little more time. And then I had to ask my husband if he would be alright #1 starting the adoption process all over again, and #2 if we could adopt from Ethiopia. I truly believe Ethiopia is where God wanted us to go from the very beginning. Every attempt we made to start the adoption process over again, Ethiopia popped into my head. I quickly dismissed it, based on geographical location. My child wasn't from Ethiopia, because my child was asian. This time though, I simply considered all of the options. I researched. I discussed with Tim what our options were. We both stood firmly on Ethiopia. THAT is where our daughter is.
So, why the secret? Well, Tim and I have been through a lot in terms of an adoption journey. First it was Vietnam and that didn't work out. Then it was Kyrgyzstan, and that didn't work out. That is a very long, painful process. Friends would ask us how the adoption was going, and we would have to answer in disappointment that it wasn't going anywhere, but try to find some hint of hopeful anticipation in our voice (because you never know when someone is asking you about your adoption, because they are interested in adoption themselves). I never wanted to discourage anyone, so I would find a way to find something positive to say. Frankly, I got tired of trying to find the positive in a situation that I didn't find too much positive in.
So, this time I thought we should just keep it to ourselves. When things started happening, THEN we could share. Well, I just couldn't do that. I had to tell a few close friends of our plans, because we were using them as references. Then, me and my "non secret keeping self" decided that in order to let out a seed of my excitement, I would not tell my secret, but I would tell the world that I had a secret. Well, that was one foot in the door. The rest is history. I had to tell!
This time it seems different though. In our other two adoption attempts, I never prepared anything. I never got anything ready, even though for both of them we had either just submitted or were about to submit our dossier. Normally I would have done a lot of preparations by that point in time. I did nothing. This time I am confident though... so confident that even though our application just went to a new agency, and our first homestudy has not even been scheduled - I actually painted our daughter's room this weekend. I looked for furniture for her new room. We picked out her name!
Her room is awesome. It is "fresh guacamole". It is a beautiful color for a little girl's room. I freshly painted all of the trim and now the fresh white stands out beautifully against the fresh guacamole walls. I sat in the center of it, wondering what it will be like with her in it. As for her name - we have decided on Sara Joy. We have requested a little girl 9 - 30 months. It's fun imagining what she will be like. How old will she be? Will she be walking? Will she be talking?
Another reason we had to start telling people... is because Anna is extremely excited about the idea of a sister and is telling everyone she sees. Yesterday she got her hair cut and she told the lady who was cutting her hair. She told her teacher. People start giving us strange looks when our six year old tells them that we are going to go get another little girl from somewhere. Saying "ssshhh, it's a secret, would probably make it seem even more strange!". So, there is is.
I'm the queen of preparing adoption paperwork, so it will probably all take place on our end very quickly. I'll keep track of the timeline.
So, soon I will have a link up to a new blog. I'll keep this one as some other life events unfolded on this blog, but the new one will be the one maintained. I'm working on a name for it right now..... It'll be up and running soon.
So, if you are a praying type of person, please pray for Tim and I as we go through this process again. Pray for our Sara Joy - wherever she may be, that she be safe and healthy until we can come and bring her home.
In Christ,
Charity
After much consideration, Tim and I have decided to go down the adoption road once again. This time however, we are headed to Ethiopia. Not a country I originally thought of adopting from, but not a country I had discounted either... it was more of a country not considered previously.
Now, here is a little bit about myself. Take a look at our blog pictures. Take a look at the kids. Two caucasian parents, two asian children. I kind of had a preconceived notion with regard to what our next child should look like. I know, I know... it sounds a bit shallow. None of us can determine what our children are going to look like, even our biological ones. Heck, if you had to decide which one of my children was my biological child, you would have one heck of a time choosing, or more likely you would pick c) None of the above. Well, one of them is my biological children. Just because you are genetically connected to someone, doesn't mean you have to look a THING like them. Ok, I'll give it away, if you don't already know, Cameron is the bio child. The only thing that we have in common, is that he has my crooked pinkie fingers. Wow! Lucky him! He got those crooked fingers from me!
So, I had to get rid of some of my preconceived notions. That took some time. Then I had to get rid of some worry and fear. That took a little more time. And then I had to ask my husband if he would be alright #1 starting the adoption process all over again, and #2 if we could adopt from Ethiopia. I truly believe Ethiopia is where God wanted us to go from the very beginning. Every attempt we made to start the adoption process over again, Ethiopia popped into my head. I quickly dismissed it, based on geographical location. My child wasn't from Ethiopia, because my child was asian. This time though, I simply considered all of the options. I researched. I discussed with Tim what our options were. We both stood firmly on Ethiopia. THAT is where our daughter is.
So, why the secret? Well, Tim and I have been through a lot in terms of an adoption journey. First it was Vietnam and that didn't work out. Then it was Kyrgyzstan, and that didn't work out. That is a very long, painful process. Friends would ask us how the adoption was going, and we would have to answer in disappointment that it wasn't going anywhere, but try to find some hint of hopeful anticipation in our voice (because you never know when someone is asking you about your adoption, because they are interested in adoption themselves). I never wanted to discourage anyone, so I would find a way to find something positive to say. Frankly, I got tired of trying to find the positive in a situation that I didn't find too much positive in.
So, this time I thought we should just keep it to ourselves. When things started happening, THEN we could share. Well, I just couldn't do that. I had to tell a few close friends of our plans, because we were using them as references. Then, me and my "non secret keeping self" decided that in order to let out a seed of my excitement, I would not tell my secret, but I would tell the world that I had a secret. Well, that was one foot in the door. The rest is history. I had to tell!
This time it seems different though. In our other two adoption attempts, I never prepared anything. I never got anything ready, even though for both of them we had either just submitted or were about to submit our dossier. Normally I would have done a lot of preparations by that point in time. I did nothing. This time I am confident though... so confident that even though our application just went to a new agency, and our first homestudy has not even been scheduled - I actually painted our daughter's room this weekend. I looked for furniture for her new room. We picked out her name!
Her room is awesome. It is "fresh guacamole". It is a beautiful color for a little girl's room. I freshly painted all of the trim and now the fresh white stands out beautifully against the fresh guacamole walls. I sat in the center of it, wondering what it will be like with her in it. As for her name - we have decided on Sara Joy. We have requested a little girl 9 - 30 months. It's fun imagining what she will be like. How old will she be? Will she be walking? Will she be talking?
Another reason we had to start telling people... is because Anna is extremely excited about the idea of a sister and is telling everyone she sees. Yesterday she got her hair cut and she told the lady who was cutting her hair. She told her teacher. People start giving us strange looks when our six year old tells them that we are going to go get another little girl from somewhere. Saying "ssshhh, it's a secret, would probably make it seem even more strange!". So, there is is.
I'm the queen of preparing adoption paperwork, so it will probably all take place on our end very quickly. I'll keep track of the timeline.
So, soon I will have a link up to a new blog. I'll keep this one as some other life events unfolded on this blog, but the new one will be the one maintained. I'm working on a name for it right now..... It'll be up and running soon.
So, if you are a praying type of person, please pray for Tim and I as we go through this process again. Pray for our Sara Joy - wherever she may be, that she be safe and healthy until we can come and bring her home.
In Christ,
Charity
Friday, August 21, 2009
Secrets
Secret, secret... I've got a secret!
Wanna know what it is?
I bet you do! It is something fun and exciting, wonderful and amazing, perfect and beautiful. It is so far away from me that I can hardly reach or imagine it... yet it is so close I can feel it. Do you want to know what it is???? You will have to stay tuned for the big news!
My heart is full though! Full of anticipation in waiting to tell you. Full of excitement in allowing you to share in my joy with me. Full of wonder in how things will unfold. Full of faith... not knowing, but leaving it all in God's hands. My heart is truly full!
While I'm waiting to share, I'll think about some other things... like the fact that I have a bedroom that I need to paint and I'm not sure what color to paint it. Probably a neutral tan. I'm going to buy a new bedspread set for our room and move our stuff upstairs to make one of the rooms look more like a guest bedroom. I'll think about all the work that needs to be done in the yard... I've kind of let the flowers take care of themselves this summer and they don't really like to do that. They are growing great... but so are the weeds :) Definitely need to get that taken care of.
Tim and I are doing some "remodeling" minor projects around the house. I need to pick out some new light fixtures for in the upstairs hallway. I need to buy picture frames. I need to prod Tim to decide what we are going to do about redoing our deck and decide when we are going to do it. I need to pick out a new ceiling fan for in the den - oh yeah, and a light for the office. Sooooo much fun! I'm not one to spend money, so planning on spending all of this money kind of irks me, but it needs to be done. I need to bite the bullet and just do it. We are very conservative with our finances, so doing this every once in awhile is ok.
So, what are we doing all of our remodeling projects for? Well, truthfully, we are not sure. We are kicking around the idea of selling the house and buying some property and building a new home. That way, we could make the house exactly what we want and need. So, for right now, we are just doing the "minor" fixes that will either get the house ready to sell, or will just be things that we don't need to do later if we decided to stay here. We need to remodel the kitchen, but we will definitely decided what road we are taking before we take on a task like that. If we decide to remodel the kitchen, it will be because we are staying here. If not, we will just do some minor things and make it more desirable to sell. We'll see. That is one decision that I guess needs to be made. If we do decide to sell, we will sell this house, probably try to find a rental or a large condo until we can build our new home. Lots of things to work out, but I'm sure we could make it all work. God is in control!
What else do I need to do this weekend? Well, I could tell you, but that might ruin the surprise :) I do need to plan a birthday party for my sweet babydoll Anna. She is going to be turning six soon and we need to find just the right party supplies to make it special for her. Not sure if we will do a party with a few friends from school, or if we will just have family over. Hhhmmm... She will definitely take treats to school to celebrate with her class.
Next week Cameron will start football games. I can't wait to see my little boy play! That will keep me busy until I can unveil the big surprise! Anna will have cheerleading every weekend, so that will keep us busy as well! Fall is so much fun.
Well, I hope to be able to share our little secret soon! Until then, I guess you can just keep guessing!
Wanna know what it is?
I bet you do! It is something fun and exciting, wonderful and amazing, perfect and beautiful. It is so far away from me that I can hardly reach or imagine it... yet it is so close I can feel it. Do you want to know what it is???? You will have to stay tuned for the big news!
My heart is full though! Full of anticipation in waiting to tell you. Full of excitement in allowing you to share in my joy with me. Full of wonder in how things will unfold. Full of faith... not knowing, but leaving it all in God's hands. My heart is truly full!
While I'm waiting to share, I'll think about some other things... like the fact that I have a bedroom that I need to paint and I'm not sure what color to paint it. Probably a neutral tan. I'm going to buy a new bedspread set for our room and move our stuff upstairs to make one of the rooms look more like a guest bedroom. I'll think about all the work that needs to be done in the yard... I've kind of let the flowers take care of themselves this summer and they don't really like to do that. They are growing great... but so are the weeds :) Definitely need to get that taken care of.
Tim and I are doing some "remodeling" minor projects around the house. I need to pick out some new light fixtures for in the upstairs hallway. I need to buy picture frames. I need to prod Tim to decide what we are going to do about redoing our deck and decide when we are going to do it. I need to pick out a new ceiling fan for in the den - oh yeah, and a light for the office. Sooooo much fun! I'm not one to spend money, so planning on spending all of this money kind of irks me, but it needs to be done. I need to bite the bullet and just do it. We are very conservative with our finances, so doing this every once in awhile is ok.
So, what are we doing all of our remodeling projects for? Well, truthfully, we are not sure. We are kicking around the idea of selling the house and buying some property and building a new home. That way, we could make the house exactly what we want and need. So, for right now, we are just doing the "minor" fixes that will either get the house ready to sell, or will just be things that we don't need to do later if we decided to stay here. We need to remodel the kitchen, but we will definitely decided what road we are taking before we take on a task like that. If we decide to remodel the kitchen, it will be because we are staying here. If not, we will just do some minor things and make it more desirable to sell. We'll see. That is one decision that I guess needs to be made. If we do decide to sell, we will sell this house, probably try to find a rental or a large condo until we can build our new home. Lots of things to work out, but I'm sure we could make it all work. God is in control!
What else do I need to do this weekend? Well, I could tell you, but that might ruin the surprise :) I do need to plan a birthday party for my sweet babydoll Anna. She is going to be turning six soon and we need to find just the right party supplies to make it special for her. Not sure if we will do a party with a few friends from school, or if we will just have family over. Hhhmmm... She will definitely take treats to school to celebrate with her class.
Next week Cameron will start football games. I can't wait to see my little boy play! That will keep me busy until I can unveil the big surprise! Anna will have cheerleading every weekend, so that will keep us busy as well! Fall is so much fun.
Well, I hope to be able to share our little secret soon! Until then, I guess you can just keep guessing!
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Beach Fun
Ok, so the kids had their first full day of school today. All went well! Not too much interesting to report on, so I decided now would be a good time to share some of the beach safari pictures.
First, here is a picture of Anna with her "beach braids". They looked really cute on her!
Here is a picture of me and the kids before the safari.
And it's not often that Tim and I are in a picture together (because one of us is usually taking it!!), but Cameron decided to take a picture of us. Here it is!
While we were on the Safari, we happened upon this bird's nest. I asked the guide about it, and he said that it weighed as much as 120 pounds. Imagine that! That is HUGE!!!
Finally, I think this picture is beautiful. We were in the jeep, and came around the corner, through some brush, and there stood this horse. Isn't it beautiful standing in the water. It was great to see them out in nature, wandering free. I have some more pictures to share, but they have been taking forever to load onto the web page, so I decided I would share more tomorrow. 
I need another vacation with my family! I so enjoyed it!
In Christian Love,
Charity
Monday, August 17, 2009
Back to school
So, after my post yesterday, I decided to hit the back to school post today. The kids did actually go back to school today. It was their first day, and they only had orientation and about an hour with the teacher, and then they were dismissed to go home. Tomorrow will be their first actual full day of school.
Here is Cameron before school. What a handsome young man. He is at that stage though where he does not want to get his picture taken. I was lucky that I got this one. I told him if he looked silly, it would be all over my blog. Way to threaten a kid with public humiliation!
Cameron got Mrs. Matthews this year. She is a wonderful Christian lady who has been teaching at the school for about 30 years. She is great! She is in the church choir and has vocal cords that ROCK!!! She can belt out a tune, that's for sure! I was told that she sometimes sings in class. I told that to Cameron and he said "SHE DOES!!!". I guess she sang to them today! I think it is great. Cameron rolled his eyes. She sang a poem.... he said "Who sings a POEM". I explained to him that most songs are poems and he denied it and said you are not supposed to SING a poem. He is really going to like having Mrs. Matthews. Actually, he has both of the 5th grade teachers - Mrs. McArthur is just as wonderful... she does not sing in class though. The 5th graders spend 1/2 of their day in each classroom, but have a homeroom teacher.
It should be a fun year! I can't wait for Cameron's first football game, and Anna's first cheerleading show. She does Cheerleading for the Upward team at church. Cameron is actually playing football for the school. I think his first game is next week. I really can't wait to see him play! I'm one of those moms who really gets into the game. I don't just root for my kid, I root for the team, but you can definitely hear me cheering them on. I cheer for the other team as well - just nowhere near as loudly. I don't scream at my kid from the sideline, and I support the coaches and the refs... I just really like to support the team... Good or bad. This will be Cameron's first year of tackle football, so I'm not sure how I will like that. I will probably have to cover my eyes a lot of the time - but it will be fine! it will be fun!
Ok, so this last picture has absolutely nothing to do with back to school, but it was on the camera memory card from our vacation and when I was downloading the school pictures I saw it and decided to post it. It is a good family picture. I need to get all of the other pictures from the beach safari off of there and share some of them. I have some of wild horses that are awesome. Anyway, here is our family in front of the Maritime forest. We really did have a good time that day...you will have to excuse my hair... it looks like some funky bird tail or something sticking up in the back... but it was a bit windy there, and remember my vow not to do my hair while on vacation. Well, I stuck to it. That's what happens! Still a nice picture though!
Here is Anna with her dad before school. Isn't she cute with the little uniform skirt and knee socks? I don't particularly like the shoes, but they are comfortable for her and she has cute ones for chapel day.
Anna started 5K. She has a wonderful teacher who I think Anna will really like, and who will be really good for Anna. I can't wait to see the progress Anna makes in 5K. It will be a challenge for Anna to sit still and learn for an entire day, but I guess in 5K they still have time to play and do things like that... things that do not require so much focused attention. Anna is a very smart little girl, and if she applies herself, she learns quickly and will do remarkably well. Anna is however a bit of a wiggle worm. She likes to be active.... she likes to be moving. She has her first project due in a week. She has to put pictures of her favorite things on a poster board and then go up in front of the class and talk about them. I wish I could be there to see her do it!!! So, as we were waiting for Cameron's orientation to start, I asked her what some of her favorite things were - she said "Mrs. Miles". Mrs. Miles will be very pleased, however, Mrs. Miles is NOT her teacher! I hope Mrs. Langnecker (her teacher) is not offended :) Anna had Mrs. Miles for childcare over the summer and she is a 4K teacher as well. I asked her what else she would put on her picture board, and she said the picture of us parasailing, the color blue, Pearl, Me, he Daddy (I asked about her brother and she said yes, but she had to be prodded). She said she wanted to put a picture of everything in her lunch box (peanut butter sandwich, chips, cupcake, juice box). She should have about a million pocket books on there, because she LOVES pocket books (and stashing things in them that are not hers....). Anyway, it should be an interesting project, and it will be fun to see what else ends up on there.
Here is Cameron before school. What a handsome young man. He is at that stage though where he does not want to get his picture taken. I was lucky that I got this one. I told him if he looked silly, it would be all over my blog. Way to threaten a kid with public humiliation!
Cameron got Mrs. Matthews this year. She is a wonderful Christian lady who has been teaching at the school for about 30 years. She is great! She is in the church choir and has vocal cords that ROCK!!! She can belt out a tune, that's for sure! I was told that she sometimes sings in class. I told that to Cameron and he said "SHE DOES!!!". I guess she sang to them today! I think it is great. Cameron rolled his eyes. She sang a poem.... he said "Who sings a POEM". I explained to him that most songs are poems and he denied it and said you are not supposed to SING a poem. He is really going to like having Mrs. Matthews. Actually, he has both of the 5th grade teachers - Mrs. McArthur is just as wonderful... she does not sing in class though. The 5th graders spend 1/2 of their day in each classroom, but have a homeroom teacher.
It should be a fun year! I can't wait for Cameron's first football game, and Anna's first cheerleading show. She does Cheerleading for the Upward team at church. Cameron is actually playing football for the school. I think his first game is next week. I really can't wait to see him play! I'm one of those moms who really gets into the game. I don't just root for my kid, I root for the team, but you can definitely hear me cheering them on. I cheer for the other team as well - just nowhere near as loudly. I don't scream at my kid from the sideline, and I support the coaches and the refs... I just really like to support the team... Good or bad. This will be Cameron's first year of tackle football, so I'm not sure how I will like that. I will probably have to cover my eyes a lot of the time - but it will be fine! it will be fun!
Ok, so this last picture has absolutely nothing to do with back to school, but it was on the camera memory card from our vacation and when I was downloading the school pictures I saw it and decided to post it. It is a good family picture. I need to get all of the other pictures from the beach safari off of there and share some of them. I have some of wild horses that are awesome. Anyway, here is our family in front of the Maritime forest. We really did have a good time that day...you will have to excuse my hair... it looks like some funky bird tail or something sticking up in the back... but it was a bit windy there, and remember my vow not to do my hair while on vacation. Well, I stuck to it. That's what happens! Still a nice picture though!
Here's to another year of learning, another year of loving the Lord, another year of learning about Jesus! Another year of making friends and making memories - together as a family.
Love,
Charity
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Cambodia
I was writing a meaningless blog on everything dealing with back to school... in the background, on the computer, I had turned on Dateline and minimized it. It was a program called "Children for Sale" and was in regard to the children of a particular village in Cambodia that were very small and being sold for sex. I clicked over, watched a segment, and erased my previous blog. Back to school was nowhere near as important as what my heart had to write now.
I have always been drawn to the children of Cambodia. I'm not sure why, but the children of China, Vietnam, Korea and Cambodia have always touched my heart. I'm not sure why... don't really care. They have just always touched my heart. When I adopted from China, it was a dream come true. It was one child. One little girl who got to have a home. Two years ago, Tim and I tried to adopt from Vietnam, and then it closed. I then learned about Kyrgyzstan - we tried to adopt from there as well.. in fact, that is when we started this blog. That didn't happen. We kind of put the adoption dreams on hold. Cambodia was always a country that I researched though.... it was never open.
Recently, I had it in my heart (as if it ever left) to prod Tim about the adoption again. I asked him if Cambodia opened, if we could adopt from Cambodia. He said yes, that he would love to try to adopt again. I had gotten an e-mail regarding information related to the possible opening of Cambodia for international adoption. My heart jumped. This could be our chance! I contacted an agency currently doing humanitarian work in Cambodia. Unfortunately, it seems as though opening of Cambodia to international adoption will take quite some time.
As I was typing my "back to school" blog though, the story caught my attention. It was sickening. I watched the faces of these poor, beautiful little girls, some as young as 5.... yes, I said 5, who were being sold for sex. It made my stomach churn. I guess because I could see the face of my daughter in them. My daughter is 5. I would have given anything to reach through the screen and comfort some of these little children who were being treated in such a disgusting way. One of the little girls was crying unconsolably - she said she had no mother, that she had died. It would only be one child, but I wish I could bring one of those children home. Home to a family who would love her. Home to a mother, father, brother and sister... maybe some day.
My heart breaks for these children. My children are in a nice home, with nice clothing, with food on the table, with a mom and dad to tuck them in at night, with a yard to play in and a school to go to. Some of these little girls were sold into slavery by their own parents. The thought of that just kills me.
If you saw the Dateline special, you likely have the same pit in your stomach that I do. If you are a mom, then you definitely have the same pit in your stomach that I do. If you are an adoptive mom you are wondering how you can get your hands, heart and love on one of these little girls. You wonder what it would take to bring one of them home to live a normal child's life. You wonder how much money it would take to bring just one child home - and you don't care how much that amount is. You wonder what it would take to be allowed to tuck one of those little girls into a warm bed and make them feel safe. If you are like me, you would do anything to see that happen.
Someday, maybe soon, maybe Cambodia will open again to international adoptions. If that happens, I hope when I ask my husband again, if he would consider adopting a little girl from Cambodia, I hope his answer again will be yes. I know that Cambodia is not the only place that this terrible thing happens. Heck, I know that it likely happens right here in the US - I just though it strange that the special was on, when only last week I was hoping against hope that I could find my next child from Cambodia. (There is still hope).
So, tomorrow morning my kids go back to school. My days from tomorrow on will be filled with homework, football practices, football games, cheerleading practices and all of the other normal things that come with fall and back to school - those will be my days. My heart will be filled with pictures of the little girls who currently don't have a chance... who need a home and a family. When I close my eyes at night, pictures of these little girls' faces will haunt me. Hopefully someday, back to school will mean sending one of those little girls off to school with my two other children....imagine getting her ready to school in a brand new, neatly pressed uniform - to go to a school that will teach her about the love of Jesus - with a pretty ribbon tied around a black-haired braid.
Some day....
In Christian Love,
Charity
I have always been drawn to the children of Cambodia. I'm not sure why, but the children of China, Vietnam, Korea and Cambodia have always touched my heart. I'm not sure why... don't really care. They have just always touched my heart. When I adopted from China, it was a dream come true. It was one child. One little girl who got to have a home. Two years ago, Tim and I tried to adopt from Vietnam, and then it closed. I then learned about Kyrgyzstan - we tried to adopt from there as well.. in fact, that is when we started this blog. That didn't happen. We kind of put the adoption dreams on hold. Cambodia was always a country that I researched though.... it was never open.
Recently, I had it in my heart (as if it ever left) to prod Tim about the adoption again. I asked him if Cambodia opened, if we could adopt from Cambodia. He said yes, that he would love to try to adopt again. I had gotten an e-mail regarding information related to the possible opening of Cambodia for international adoption. My heart jumped. This could be our chance! I contacted an agency currently doing humanitarian work in Cambodia. Unfortunately, it seems as though opening of Cambodia to international adoption will take quite some time.
As I was typing my "back to school" blog though, the story caught my attention. It was sickening. I watched the faces of these poor, beautiful little girls, some as young as 5.... yes, I said 5, who were being sold for sex. It made my stomach churn. I guess because I could see the face of my daughter in them. My daughter is 5. I would have given anything to reach through the screen and comfort some of these little children who were being treated in such a disgusting way. One of the little girls was crying unconsolably - she said she had no mother, that she had died. It would only be one child, but I wish I could bring one of those children home. Home to a family who would love her. Home to a mother, father, brother and sister... maybe some day.
My heart breaks for these children. My children are in a nice home, with nice clothing, with food on the table, with a mom and dad to tuck them in at night, with a yard to play in and a school to go to. Some of these little girls were sold into slavery by their own parents. The thought of that just kills me.
If you saw the Dateline special, you likely have the same pit in your stomach that I do. If you are a mom, then you definitely have the same pit in your stomach that I do. If you are an adoptive mom you are wondering how you can get your hands, heart and love on one of these little girls. You wonder what it would take to bring one of them home to live a normal child's life. You wonder how much money it would take to bring just one child home - and you don't care how much that amount is. You wonder what it would take to be allowed to tuck one of those little girls into a warm bed and make them feel safe. If you are like me, you would do anything to see that happen.
Someday, maybe soon, maybe Cambodia will open again to international adoptions. If that happens, I hope when I ask my husband again, if he would consider adopting a little girl from Cambodia, I hope his answer again will be yes. I know that Cambodia is not the only place that this terrible thing happens. Heck, I know that it likely happens right here in the US - I just though it strange that the special was on, when only last week I was hoping against hope that I could find my next child from Cambodia. (There is still hope).
So, tomorrow morning my kids go back to school. My days from tomorrow on will be filled with homework, football practices, football games, cheerleading practices and all of the other normal things that come with fall and back to school - those will be my days. My heart will be filled with pictures of the little girls who currently don't have a chance... who need a home and a family. When I close my eyes at night, pictures of these little girls' faces will haunt me. Hopefully someday, back to school will mean sending one of those little girls off to school with my two other children....imagine getting her ready to school in a brand new, neatly pressed uniform - to go to a school that will teach her about the love of Jesus - with a pretty ribbon tied around a black-haired braid.
Some day....
In Christian Love,
Charity
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Funny Story
Well, the Lord looked over us, and we made it home safely this afternoon. We are still unpacking, but I had to jump on real quick and tell a sort of funny story...
Have I ever told you that my Anna is a pack rat? Well, she is. She keeps every scrap of paper and fills purses full of them. Her pockets constantly contain neatly folded up pictures, little pretend notes, cards etc... all folded up and stuffed into her pockets. It's not just paper though. It's every single little tid bit thing that she can get her hands on. Fake watches, cheap sunglasses, little clips that are her "keys", pretend makeup. I know having possessions is normal, but Anna really does go over board. She collects and carries around EVERYTHING. McDonald's toys, trading cards, scraps of paper, receipts - you name it, and she will pack it. Well, last night as we were packing up the house, getting ready to leave the Outer Banks this morning, we got all of the kids' things ready and just left them out clothes to wear home today. We left the suitcases in their room and packed them up this morning.
When we got home today, Tim and I unpacked the truck and decided that we were not going to quit unpacking until we got everything put away and back in order. Well, Tim started unpacking Anna's bag and came out of the bedroom....Anna had packed in her suitcase, after we had packed it and set it aside, the sheets to her bed at the OBX house. Then after Tim came out of the room with one neatly rolled set, he says from the room "Oh, you are kidding me". Anna had apparently packed two sets of sheets in her bag to bring home.
I'm guessing we will see a nice little charge on the credit card for those. :) Oh the joys of living with a pack rat!!!
Love,
Charity
Have I ever told you that my Anna is a pack rat? Well, she is. She keeps every scrap of paper and fills purses full of them. Her pockets constantly contain neatly folded up pictures, little pretend notes, cards etc... all folded up and stuffed into her pockets. It's not just paper though. It's every single little tid bit thing that she can get her hands on. Fake watches, cheap sunglasses, little clips that are her "keys", pretend makeup. I know having possessions is normal, but Anna really does go over board. She collects and carries around EVERYTHING. McDonald's toys, trading cards, scraps of paper, receipts - you name it, and she will pack it. Well, last night as we were packing up the house, getting ready to leave the Outer Banks this morning, we got all of the kids' things ready and just left them out clothes to wear home today. We left the suitcases in their room and packed them up this morning.
When we got home today, Tim and I unpacked the truck and decided that we were not going to quit unpacking until we got everything put away and back in order. Well, Tim started unpacking Anna's bag and came out of the bedroom....Anna had packed in her suitcase, after we had packed it and set it aside, the sheets to her bed at the OBX house. Then after Tim came out of the room with one neatly rolled set, he says from the room "Oh, you are kidding me". Anna had apparently packed two sets of sheets in her bag to bring home.
I'm guessing we will see a nice little charge on the credit card for those. :) Oh the joys of living with a pack rat!!!
Love,
Charity
Friday, August 7, 2009
The Safari Rules!!!
We are back for lunch and some afternoon time in the pool before we have to pack up and leave tomorrow. As I said before, I'm not really ready to go home, but the time has come..... Anyway, as the family is finishing up lunch, I had time to write a short blog about our adventure this morning. If you ever make it to the Outer Banks, I HIGHLY recommend the Corolla Outback Adventure tour. Our guide's name was Tim (one time when I said Tim, they both answered :) and he was a great guide. I can't download the pictures right now, because they are on the digital camera and I did not bring the connection to download them. Anyway, when you see the pictures, you will know why our trip was so great!
We traveled down Highway 12 - which isn't a highway, but is actually the beach! But it actually is a highway. The sheriff was out there moving people off of the highway. If they don't move, or they interrupt the flow of traffic, they can be fined up to $1000.00. For those of us who don't know what part is the highway, they will tell you, but if you are rude about it... that is when you will get fined.
Anyway, so we took off down the highway and then traveled off into the dunes. We then went into the reserve area. We were in a open jeep just the four of us and the guide. We got a lot of rain yesterday (which is why we did not get to make this trip yesterday) and the jeep was up to the floorboards in water at times. The guide was great though and pressed on. He made sure we were safe, but took us everywhere he wanted to take us as well! Anna was a bit of a daredevil and kept asking him to go faster. He did at times, and she squeeled with delight. He said we had a Danica Patrick on our hands.... let's hope not!
We stopped several times for pictures. It was great! We went over the dunes - one called rollercoaster hill which Cameron and Anna absolutely loved. We traveled the dunes awhile, went through a housing area, and right there at the base of the house were two wild horses. It was so awesome! We stopped and took some pictures of those. Then we went into this swamp area, which I didn't think we would make it through, but we did, and came around a corner and saw a bunch of wild horses. It was great. We got fairly close to a couple of them as we were making our way through the river. I got some awesome pictures of them. Some of them had birds on their back, and we even saw a baby lying in the grass. The noise of the truck scared it and it stood up and I got a picture of it as well. The kids really loved the adventure! We were in the jeep for about 2 hours. It was well worth every penny we spent on it!
I can't wait to get back to the house and download some of the pictures and share them!
Anyway, we are now off to the pool! Tomorrow morning we have to leave..... bummer! Back to the daily grind!
Stay tuned for pictures!
Charity
We traveled down Highway 12 - which isn't a highway, but is actually the beach! But it actually is a highway. The sheriff was out there moving people off of the highway. If they don't move, or they interrupt the flow of traffic, they can be fined up to $1000.00. For those of us who don't know what part is the highway, they will tell you, but if you are rude about it... that is when you will get fined.
Anyway, so we took off down the highway and then traveled off into the dunes. We then went into the reserve area. We were in a open jeep just the four of us and the guide. We got a lot of rain yesterday (which is why we did not get to make this trip yesterday) and the jeep was up to the floorboards in water at times. The guide was great though and pressed on. He made sure we were safe, but took us everywhere he wanted to take us as well! Anna was a bit of a daredevil and kept asking him to go faster. He did at times, and she squeeled with delight. He said we had a Danica Patrick on our hands.... let's hope not!
We stopped several times for pictures. It was great! We went over the dunes - one called rollercoaster hill which Cameron and Anna absolutely loved. We traveled the dunes awhile, went through a housing area, and right there at the base of the house were two wild horses. It was so awesome! We stopped and took some pictures of those. Then we went into this swamp area, which I didn't think we would make it through, but we did, and came around a corner and saw a bunch of wild horses. It was great. We got fairly close to a couple of them as we were making our way through the river. I got some awesome pictures of them. Some of them had birds on their back, and we even saw a baby lying in the grass. The noise of the truck scared it and it stood up and I got a picture of it as well. The kids really loved the adventure! We were in the jeep for about 2 hours. It was well worth every penny we spent on it!
I can't wait to get back to the house and download some of the pictures and share them!
Anyway, we are now off to the pool! Tomorrow morning we have to leave..... bummer! Back to the daily grind!
Stay tuned for pictures!
Charity
Beach Safari
Well, we were supposed to do the beach safari yesterday and we were going to try to do a dolphin watch tour today, but the safari got rained out yesterday. We went there yesterday afternoon, and when we got there, it was fairly sunny. About 15 minutes before we were supposed to leave, the guide came out and said that there was a storm brewing, but that he looked at the radar, and it should blow over in about 20 minutes. So, they asked us to wait... which I guess was good, because I would hate to get out onto the beach in the middle of a storm. So, the storm came.... and it didn't leave. We were scheduled to be out on the beach tour at about 1:00. At 4:00, it was still raining. So, we rescheduled for today.
On the beach safari, you will see wild horses and other wildlife. Ok, not that I think this is great or anything, and it had nothing to do with the fact that we booked the safari, but if you watch Jon and Kate Plus 8 (can they really still call it that anymore) - this is the tour that they took where they got to go out on the beach and see the wiild horses and things like that. I guess the difference is.... we don't get to do it for free!!! Anyway, if you saw that episode (which I don't recommend - I can't stand that show anymore), that is where we will be later this morning. I really wanted to get Cameron and Anna out on the boat for the dolphin sightings, but it just couldn't happen. We were going to have to drive quite a distance for that tour, so we just decided to do something closer to the house and then after the safari, hang out here with the kids at the pool. They have LOVED the pool and will really enjoy their day today.
Tomorrow we have to pack up and head home. I am definitely not ready for vacation to be over. I need more vacation. I need more time in the sun, and I need more relaxed time with my family.
Well, I will leave you with a few pictures of parasailing. 
Ok, it does not appear as though Anna is enjoying this... and at this point she is not, but soon she does!
At this point, she's actually enjoying it. Actually, we all are. Cameron loved it from the very beginning!
This is after we were all done. Look at the smiles! They both loved it and wanted to go again!!!
Leaving for home soon and not looking forward to it!!!!
Charity
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
OBX
Well, we made it to the Outer Banks. The house we are renting is really nice and the kids are loving it. Even though we are right near the ocean, the kids have LIVED in the pool. I will never get a rental house again, without a pool. It has been a HUGE source of entertainment for the children.
So, we hit the road first thing Saturday morning and made it here without an issue. The kids were really good in the car... even during the one hour right on the islands where it took us an hour to go about 8 miles. It was terrible, but we made it here safely, and that is all that matters! Right away when we got here, the kids jumped in the pool. Normally, I would not jump in with them because I would know that we had to run to the store soon and get groceries and things like that and would not want to look a mess. I had made myself (and the blog world) a promise though, that this vacation I was not going to worry about things like that, and would just enjoy the time with my children. I wondered how that would actually work out for me though... if I would really be able to do that or not. But, contrary to my natural instinct, I jumped into the pool. The amazing thing is that I have not done my hair or makeup a day since we have been here. Now don't get me wrong, I have not thrown personal hygiene out the window, I still get showered and things like that, but I just throw my hair up in a clip and forget the makeup. It has been GREAT!!!
Tim had to head back to SC on Sunday.... I'm not sure if I mentioned that or not previously, but as Tim is nearing the end of a very large project, some things happened at work that necessitated him heading back to work for Monday and Tuesday. He will be driving back here tomorrow to spend the rest of the vacation with us though.
Sunday we just hung out by the pool and relaxed. We took a walk on the beach and stuff like that. We just kind of used the time to get our bearings. Sunday afternoon Tim drove back home so he could be there Monday and Tuesday. Monday the kids and I looked through some brochures and tried to decide on some things to do that we would remember from our vacation. We first thought we would go hang gliding off of the dunes..... well, after reading more about it, and happening across an add for parasailing from the same company, we decided to go parasailing instead. I made our reservations for Monday afternoon and at 2:00 Monday afternoon the kids and I boarded a boat and traveled as a trio nine hundred feet into the air. You could see forever!!! Anna was a bit nervous at first, but then once we got up there, and after she said "I want Pearl" and I told her that Pearl was not there, and then when she asked if God was still watching over her and I told her yes, well then she was ok. She said "I'm not really having a LOT Of fun, but I'm having SOME fun". As they were pulling us back into the boat, they dunk you a little bit into the water. Cameron and Anna loved that! When we got on the boat and the next team was going, both of the kids said that they wanted to go again! They were having a blast. When I get home, I will have pictures to share. It will be something that I will remember forever with my two kids!
The kids have been absolutely great - literally LIVING In the pool! They are having so much fun! I am enjoying a much needed rest.
Pearl apparently thinks she is on vacation as well, and thus feels as though she has no rules. Yesterday she managed to grab a peanut butter sandwich and nearly swallowed it until I dug it out of her throat (which was pretty disgusting!). Today as I was making lunch for the kids and was taking orders as to who wanted what type of sandwich for lunch, Pearl jumped up on the counter and grabbed the two pieces of wheat bread that were up there and ate them - quickly enough so I could not fish them out of her throat. She is currently still in time out for that one! Oh well, at least it was wheat bread! Not sure that is good for a dog, but it can't be real bad for her!
I have gotten toasty red the past few days. I have been bathing in SPF 30 and 50 sunblock, but I guess when you are as white as I am, you need something more than that! I'll put on some more before heading out to the pool again. Oh, if only to be as tan as my children!!!
This vacation is definitely what I needed! We are looking forward to Tim coming back tomorrow. We are plannin gon taking the kids on a jeep excursion with the wild horses... they will really like that. Not sure what else we are doing... I know Anna is hoping for beach braids - which would probably look adorable on her. We'll see!
I can't wait to share pictures when I return.
Love,
Charity
So, we hit the road first thing Saturday morning and made it here without an issue. The kids were really good in the car... even during the one hour right on the islands where it took us an hour to go about 8 miles. It was terrible, but we made it here safely, and that is all that matters! Right away when we got here, the kids jumped in the pool. Normally, I would not jump in with them because I would know that we had to run to the store soon and get groceries and things like that and would not want to look a mess. I had made myself (and the blog world) a promise though, that this vacation I was not going to worry about things like that, and would just enjoy the time with my children. I wondered how that would actually work out for me though... if I would really be able to do that or not. But, contrary to my natural instinct, I jumped into the pool. The amazing thing is that I have not done my hair or makeup a day since we have been here. Now don't get me wrong, I have not thrown personal hygiene out the window, I still get showered and things like that, but I just throw my hair up in a clip and forget the makeup. It has been GREAT!!!
Tim had to head back to SC on Sunday.... I'm not sure if I mentioned that or not previously, but as Tim is nearing the end of a very large project, some things happened at work that necessitated him heading back to work for Monday and Tuesday. He will be driving back here tomorrow to spend the rest of the vacation with us though.
Sunday we just hung out by the pool and relaxed. We took a walk on the beach and stuff like that. We just kind of used the time to get our bearings. Sunday afternoon Tim drove back home so he could be there Monday and Tuesday. Monday the kids and I looked through some brochures and tried to decide on some things to do that we would remember from our vacation. We first thought we would go hang gliding off of the dunes..... well, after reading more about it, and happening across an add for parasailing from the same company, we decided to go parasailing instead. I made our reservations for Monday afternoon and at 2:00 Monday afternoon the kids and I boarded a boat and traveled as a trio nine hundred feet into the air. You could see forever!!! Anna was a bit nervous at first, but then once we got up there, and after she said "I want Pearl" and I told her that Pearl was not there, and then when she asked if God was still watching over her and I told her yes, well then she was ok. She said "I'm not really having a LOT Of fun, but I'm having SOME fun". As they were pulling us back into the boat, they dunk you a little bit into the water. Cameron and Anna loved that! When we got on the boat and the next team was going, both of the kids said that they wanted to go again! They were having a blast. When I get home, I will have pictures to share. It will be something that I will remember forever with my two kids!
The kids have been absolutely great - literally LIVING In the pool! They are having so much fun! I am enjoying a much needed rest.
Pearl apparently thinks she is on vacation as well, and thus feels as though she has no rules. Yesterday she managed to grab a peanut butter sandwich and nearly swallowed it until I dug it out of her throat (which was pretty disgusting!). Today as I was making lunch for the kids and was taking orders as to who wanted what type of sandwich for lunch, Pearl jumped up on the counter and grabbed the two pieces of wheat bread that were up there and ate them - quickly enough so I could not fish them out of her throat. She is currently still in time out for that one! Oh well, at least it was wheat bread! Not sure that is good for a dog, but it can't be real bad for her!
I have gotten toasty red the past few days. I have been bathing in SPF 30 and 50 sunblock, but I guess when you are as white as I am, you need something more than that! I'll put on some more before heading out to the pool again. Oh, if only to be as tan as my children!!!
This vacation is definitely what I needed! We are looking forward to Tim coming back tomorrow. We are plannin gon taking the kids on a jeep excursion with the wild horses... they will really like that. Not sure what else we are doing... I know Anna is hoping for beach braids - which would probably look adorable on her. We'll see!
I can't wait to share pictures when I return.
Love,
Charity
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