Conversations with a 4 year-old

1. "Mom, guess what I just figured out? I'm Buzz (Buzz Lightyear for those who don't get the

     reference), because I'm really strong. I can lift this toy bucket all by myself."

2. While playing store: "All this stuff is going to be expensive."

     "That's okay, I get money from work every day."

     "Where do you work?"

     "In Afghanistan. While people are fighting, I get money from their pockets."

     "You take money from people's pockets?" (Appalled!)

     "Yeah, that's how it works in Afghanistan." 

3. Still playing store. Trey bought a baby (he was pretending it was a real baby). We did have a

     conversation about how we cannot REALLY buy babies.

     "I want to return this stuff, because my baby is awful! He tries to bite me."

4. He was playing while I was cooking dinner one night, and he ran to me and said, "the soldiers

     are trying to hurt my children and put them on the cross. God told us to come here to hide

     from the soldiers." I'm so pleased he listens to AND obeys God.

Caution! God at work.

I feel like I cannot do justice to the miracles that are happening around us everyday, but I'm going to continue trying because the world needs to know. 

Last week, we were scheduled to have our homestudy visit from our APAC (DHR) social worker. We discovered just five minutes before she showed up at our door that our paperwork had been received and we were the committed family for Sasha. So this was about to be an awkward meeting. We invited her in and said that we had a story to share with her. We told her our story and apologized PROFUSELY!!! Surprisingly, she was really happy for us and very supportive. She even mentioned that APAC had a private sector. She put us in touch with their private social worker. DHR will hand our ENTIRE file over to her, meaning we do NOT have to start from scratch. PLUS, she is only going to charge us $1000 vs the $1800 that our other social worker was going to charge! This means that the last 3 months of classes and paperwork overload have not been for nothing. Again, God knew what He was doing (as if we could doubt).

Yesterday, we also had friends step forward and donate $1000 toward bringing Sasha home. I had told her my homestudy story as a testimony to God's faithfulness. She never told her husband this story, but he knew of our journey with Sasha. He was apparently so touched by it, it kept him up in the middle of the night. He told his wife the next day, "I think we should give them $1000". She cried because she knew this was EXACTLY how much we needed for the homestudy. She is certain that God gave her husband this number as just another revelation of His hand in all of this. I think she's right. 

I just hope and pray that we do not get in the middle of His plans and mess them up by trying to control things.

 

Top 3...

...reasons NOT to adopt Sasha.

1. "Doesn't that cost a lot of money?"

• "And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus" (Phillipians 4:19)
  
• "If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?" (1 John 3:17)
  

2. "What about Trey and Luke?"

• "Raise a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it" (Proverbs 22:6)
  
• "Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble." (1 Peter 3:8)
  
• "Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." (Galatians 6:2)
  
• "A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity" (Proverbs 17:17)

3. "Doesn't he have down syndrome?"

• "The rich are not to give more than a half shekel and the poor are not to give less when you make the offering to the LORD to atone for your lives" (Exodus 30:15) - EVERY life is worth the same to God.
  

"Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter. If you say, "but we knew nothing about this," does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who guards your life know it? Will he not repay each person according to what he has done?" (Proverbs 24:11,12)

We are called to love in ACTION and in truth. We hope you will stand with us.

Any other objections?

OUR Sasha!

If you are reading this, sit back relax and make sure you have some time. Here is the loooooooong version of what God is doing in our lives and in the life of Sasha.

Earlier this year (spring 2010) my sister-in-law told me about her friends who were adopting a little boy from Eastern Europe (Sasha). It was through their adoption experience that I was led to two blogs that have touched me and changed who I am (links below).

Hope

Katie

As I began a faith journey, my heart really began to long to help orphans. I knew that God would show me what to do. As many of you know, our house has been for sale way too long. We have continually said that it would sell according to God's timeline. I began to have a feeling that we were waiting for something. I told Gary one day, "I think we are waiting for a child".

July: Sara (sister-in-law) calls me to tell me that her friends had to back out of their adoption because of a cancer diagnosis. After much prayer and discussion, Gary and I decide to begin the adoption process for Sasha. Before we could schedule a homestudy, Sara's friends decide they want to try the adoption anyway. At this point I want everyone to know that I was hoping things would work out for them. I CANNOT imagine having to give up a child, especially a child who so desperately needs help. So, we decided to move on and begin the adoption process through Alabama DHR (APAC).

About halfway through our adoption process (August), I received a call from Sara. Sasha's family had to back out again once they fully realized the severity of the cancer. Gary and I talked about it, but were at odds. We decided to pray for Sasha and advocate for him, but continue on our path. 

One morning while praying with Trey, we prayed for Sasha. I explained that he needed a family to take him in and love him. Trey mumbled something that I failed to hear. I asked him to tell me what he said. "It's a secret," was his response. He sat in my lap and whispered in my ear, "we'll be his family". Yes, tears streamed down my face at that moment. All I could think was how we are supposed to come to the LORD as children. We are supposed to have unfailing faith and not overcomplicate things. The reality was simple: Sasha needed a family and we were a family looking to adopt. I began to pray feverishly that Gary and I would come to the same conclusion.

We did! We e-mailed many people trying to get information about Sasha and about the process. We have had tremendous resources, and are praising God for His unfailing love, His revelation of Himself in this process and His faithfulness. 

We love Sasha and cannot wait to bring him home to meet his family...you!

School...at home

The school year has kicked off for us. It was a bit strange for Trey to have school without leaving home. But, it has really gone well so far. Each morning we have "circle time" which consists of morning prayer, a memory verse, calendar, pledge of allegiance, weather, and on fridays we have show and tell (per Trey's request). The majority of our school work is done during Luke's nap. In the first two weeks we have learned about patterns, our bodies (internal organs and skeleton), we have started a letter book, worked on writing our letters, and began sounding out words. I'm very proud of Trey, he is working hard and learning so much. He is also very creative. These are some of his latest creations:

This is his control tower for the airport that he made.

 

This is a train (the wheelbarrow connected to the wagon) that is towing his firetruck.

My overflowing heart!

My heart is so full of joy and warmth at this moment. Children have a way of doing that to you, especially when you least expect it.

Trey has become much more vocal about his feelings lately. While this can sometimes get him into trouble, we have been having more serious and adult-like conversations lately. This all began when we were in Michigan. After a few days away from home he began crying one night about something. I knew that whatever his complaint was, it was not the real issue. After talking for awhile, he said, "I just miss my home". Since then he has been more open about what he feels. We have been praying lately for poor little Sasha (stuck in an Eastern Europe orphanage and facing institutionalization soon). We prayed for him during morning prayers, and when I brought him up again during bedtime prayers Trey said, "Mom, you don't have to pray for him all the time". I reminded him that we pray for other people regularly, and I began to explain a little bit of Sasha's situation. I explained that Sasha is sick. I told him that we are fortunate enough to live in the U.S. where sick people are cared for properly, but in the country where Sasha lives that is not really the case. Trey looked at me, threw his hands up and said, "but that's not fair!" I don't think I have ever been more proud of him in his life. He has also been saying, "I love my little brother" a lot lately. And after a surprise (and very quick) visit from my dad, he gave me the saddest face and said, "I'm going to miss Grandpa when he goes back to Afghanistan."

Trey has been wanting to build this arch for months, and we finally had enough help to do it...thanks Daddy and Aunt Melina!

Grandpa was so tired from his long trip, he fell asleep in the floor of the playroom :)

Of course, a visit with Gramps wouldn't be complete without a trip to Bass Pro Shop.

Learning how to arm wrestle.

And little Luke is not so little anymore. We have had countless comments on his rapid transformation from "baby Luke" to little boy. He tests his boundaries constantly, but is quick to apologize and give kisses. His rambunctious personality warrants bumps, bruises, and scrapes on a daily basis. He runs to me after one of his many encounters with the ground and says, "dis it...dis it" (kiss it), and upon receiving his "dis" he is back on his way to find adventure, excitement, and usually trouble :) He wakes up every morning asking for daddy, doesn't want to sit at the table or on the couch without mommy, and refuses to play without "Beans". Even though he is growing so quickly, I have been able to savor a few more moments with him in my arms like a baby. He recently had a stomach bug, which in turn resulted in a diaper rash. Because his little bum became so raw, it was more comfortable for me to hold him like you might cradle an infant in your arms. He has let me continue this even though the rash is gone. At nap time he will fall asleep in my arms like that. It is the sweetest thing from a little boy who rarely stops moving.

No more baby :(

Sea Horse racing with Aunt Me

Every round of "this little piggy" earns a chorus of "more!" from Luke.

How could I not be thankful?

Summer Vacation!!!!

We just returned from two weeks "up north". It's amazing how thin your blood becomes living in the south. We were frequently laughed at for our pants and jackets in the "heat".  Even so, we had so much fun (and got so spoiled!). 

We were fortunate enough to be able to tag along on a business trip with Gary. Grandma got to come along as we headed to the windy city. Trey was in heaven taking various modes of transportation. We rode a train to Chicago, took the bus around downtown, and rode a trolly from Navy Pier. We visited the Lincoln Park Zoo, went to the Children's Museum, shopped, played at the park, and ate until we could eat no more. 

While in Chicago, Grandma was nice enough to give us lots of date opportunities, the first of which ended in near disaster (completely my fault). If anyone ever questions the severity of Trey's dairy allergy, please call my mom. Gary and I left the hotel, walked a block, and were stopped by a call from Grandma. "You need to come back, now!" she said. Trey drank milk! The boys have the same thermos. Not wanting to cause fights between them over whose thermos is whose, I opted not to write names on them. For the trip, however, I put milk in Luke's thermos to keep it cold while traveling. I put a small dot on the lid with a sharpie, but never told Trey to look carefully at the lids before drinking. It doesn't take a genius to know what happened. He took a sip, spit it out because it, "tasted funny" and proceeded to swell (his lips, his tongue, and his eyes). Even after a round of benedryl, he was up all night basically choking from the swelling of his tongue, and he spent the following day with slightly swollen eyes. My poor baby :(

After Chicago, we headed back to Michigan for a full week with family.

Trey went fishing for the first time. He is really good at casting, but once there was an actual fish on the line he decided he was done :) I'm thinking he will get over this soon enough. Papa says the other kids used to be the same way, but this time, they were baiting their own hooks, catching a ton of fish, and taking them off the hooks themselves. They even helped to clean them before lunch. Yuck!!!

Kyle caught the first fish.

Waiting...

...but not long!

After the whole fish incident (you know, catching one) this is where we ended the fishing excursion.

Papa caught the smallest fish of anyone :)

The Sikes kids were kind enough to let us ride their 4-wheeler.

Anya and Emily...so cute!

The girls waiting their turn for the 4-wheeler

Lukey at the beach

Trey had a sleepover with Xander. And another one with Josh, Kyle and Emily. The boys loved playing with their cousins all the time. This is one of those things that makes me a little sad to be away from family.

We had fun, but Alabama never looked so good as it did after that 12 hour drive home :)