Monday, November 08, 2010

FIVE!

It's so hard for me to believe that Noah and Samuel will be five tomorrow. With the hustle and bustle of everyday life, it is easy for me to go a while without quietly sitting and thinking of how far we've all come. Not too long ago we were sent an email asking if we'd be interested in 10 week old twin boys. And now they are five??!! How can that be??

The wait to bring Noah and Samuel home was agonizing. There were times I thought I would truly lose my mind (and if you ask Chuck, he'll probably tell you that I did lose it!). It's true... once you have them home all that pain of waiting evaporates, though I will never forget it. For us, we were so dang busy with newly adopted twins and a newborn that we couldn't really see straight, let alone think straight. For about the first 18 months of being parents we operated in complete survival mode. I was on high alert for a loooong time. Plus, we went through so many changes in that timeframe. It seems like we are just now settling in as a family. And that is SO nice.

Noah and Samuel are Kindergarteners this year. Michigan has a really late cutoff date for school, so the boys were eligible for Kindergarten this year. I would have kept them home if it weren't for the program that they are in. They are currently in an early childhood developmentally delayed Kindergarten class. The goal is to ready them for 1st grade, but if that doesn't happen, they will repeat regular Kindergarten. If Noah and Samuel weren't so tall for their age, I wouldn't think twice about just having them do Kindergarten next year. But, they are the biggest kids in their class and I don't expect that will change. I want them to have confidence in school, and I'm concerned that they will be WAY bigger than all their classmates if we hold them back a year. That may very well happen if they aren't ready for 1st grade, we will see.

Both boys continue to blossom... and grow! They were in size 6 clothing long before turning five and I'm now buying size 7 shirts so that they still fit in the spring. Michigan has these wonderful sales called Mom to Mom sales. I would be so broke clothing these kids if it weren't for those sales! I think I've only ever bought two pairs of jeans brand new. The rest have been given to us or I've picked them up at Mom to Mom sales. These sales are such a blessing... and it's fun to get out and bargain hunt with my sister!

Noah is such a social little guy. Often he will hang out and chat with the adults rather than play with other kids. He just wants to be where the talking is :) His language and ability to express himself continues to amaze us. If he doesn't understand something, he asks what we mean. It's hard to believe we once could barely communicate with him! Unfortunately his robust personality gets him in trouble sometimes at school. We have our work cut out in that department! Both boys LOVE books. They love going to the library at school each week and picking a book out. And I enjoy buying them books through Scholastic each month. I hope they grow to love reading like I did.

Samuel is such a neat kid. He's not at all social like Noah. He does like to play with other kids, but doesn't NEED to be around others like his brother. Samuel does really well with self play and imaginative play. He's always flying something around and telling me what the things are in his hand - his imagination impresses me! Samuel is settling in well at school and has never had any behavior issuses. My mom comes over every school day and works with the boys on their letters. We are so impressed by how far they've come. It's neat to see them identifying letters and writing them!

Both boys are infatuated with Toy Story currently. We saw Toy Story 3 in the theater over the summer (for free!) and they got into it a little bit. Since moving to MI we've busted out the old VHS tapes of 1 & 2 that Chuck's parents so generously gave us. The boys have loved watching those two movies for the last month or so. And tomorrow they will open Toy Story 3! Most of their presents are Toy Story toys. I'm so excited to see their little faces light up tomorrow night!

So, tomorrow at dinnertime we will head to Caesarland, which is like Chuck E Cheese minus the mouse (Noah is terrified of the mouse, and therefore Chuck E Cheese). Just our family is getting together for dinner, cake, and to watch the kids run and play. N & S have only been in school 5 weeks, so it seemed odd to invite their classmates to a party. Next year we will be sure to do a friends party for the boys :)

Noah and Samuel are some amazing little guys. They are almost always kind and loving with Tristan (unfortunately he doesn't reciprocate that well... I guess that's two years old for ya). They rarely fight. Their energy level has definitely picked up and they sure can make some noise. They continue to be good eaters and try new things. They've both recently decided that vegetables are yucky... funny they never said that until they started school! Tonight both boys had seconds of meatloaf... I think Samuel had thirds.

Thank you to all our friends and family and those on the internet who've prayed for these two special little boys. They are such a gift. They may make me crazy most of the time, but I really wouldn't have it any other way!

Monday, October 25, 2010

I'm Baaaaack

Well, it's been a while!

Back in May I decided to set my blog to private and have no readers so that I could write about some things without worrying about an audience. I never actually wrote anything, though.

Then, in July, as we were getting ready to leave Las Vegas, I wrote one post (see it below).

I'm not sure how often I'll blog, or what exactly I'll blog about, but I've decided to open my blog back up to the public and see how it goes.

Saturday, July 24, 2010

I'm Leaving Las Vegas...

Have you ever been SO excited about something, but just not sure how to share it with others? That's where I'm at right now. Big things are happening for our family and I'm just not sure how to share it. So here it goes.

We are moving to Michigan.

For real, this time.

In less than 4 weeks!

I know, I know. I said the same thing last summer. And I really thought we were going. But God just didn't open doors for us to go. He gave Chuck the vision to go there, but didn't provide the way. So, we came here to Las Vegas to help start Verve Church. And it's been cool. Really cool.

In June, Chuck had to go away for 5 weeks for police academy for his new job and it was during that time that he was away that I realized just how hard it is raising kids away from family. Chuck and I have lived far from family all of our marriage, but adding kids to that mix and then a job that requires travel for training, well... it made me rethink being away from family. I realized how important it is to me for my kids to be loved, not just by us, but by the people in our lives. And no one loves a kid like a grandparent (and sometimes and aunt!).

At the same time my thoughts were focusing on this, Chuck was appointed as a co-class leader at police academy. The other leader was a guy from MI. They became fast friends and Chuck learned of an opening in Ann Arbor, MI. In fact, he texted me about it and I didn't even respond because at that time I had no desire to move. I've known all along that Las Vegas isn't our "home," but I also wasn't ready to pack up and move.

Two days after Chuck came home from police academy I had a moment where I realized that I wanted to go home. And home, I realized, was Michigan. Chuck came home from police academy with a realized desire to live in close-knit community with others. And we just don't have that here. We have plenty of friends and people who care about us, but we aren't living out the kind of community that we desire and feel that God wants for us.

So, I told Chuck what I was thinking, expecting him to say no way, but he was excited. If you know Chuck, you know that he would be excited to move to Hawaii or Southern California, not Michigan. He quickly applied for the position in Ann Arbor.

If we learned anything when Chuck first started working for Veteran's Affairs, we learned that they don't move quickly. Chuck applied for that position fully expecting it to take at least 6 months to be transferred if they hired him. Well, his application was in on Tuesday and by Wednesday he had a verbal offer for the job, without an interview! Amazing. Not only that, but the pay is much better and there is lots of opportunity for overtime (and we have some debt that we'd love to start putting a dent in).

The next day I called a friend in Michigan and told her about what was going on. Her first question was if we needed a place to live because her mom owns the house next door and would we like to live there? Crazy! That house is 2 miles from where my family lives.

Things have just fallen into place with all of this. The owner of the house we are renting has agreed to break our lease with very reasonable terms. We are able to pack our stuff and ship it for right around the same price as renting and fueling a U-Haul. We actually have the money on hand to finance our relocation. Things are just going really smoothly with almost no effort on our part. I think about last year and how hard we were fighting to get to Michigan and this year it all just literally falls in our lap.

So, we are planning to leave Las Vegas on August 20th. My mom and sister had a trip planned to visit before we decided to move, so they will be here the 13th-17th, so I'll have plenty of help with packing! Plus, my mom is using her timeshare here, so we'll have a place to stay while our house is in the last stages of being packed up.

I took the trash out yesterday morning and found 15 broken down boxes at the curb and a dear friend brought me a bunch yesterday and works in an office where they get lots of boxes daily. I've been watching Craig's List and I fully expect to have our needs met for boxes and packing paper. We'll see if God can throw in some packing tape, too!

There are a few things I want to mention because there is such evidence of God's work in my heart. Last year my biggest fear about moving to Michigan was that I'd be close to family. You see, we are kind of dysfunctional (who's not these days?) and living far away keeps us out of and from creating drama. This year the biggest draw for moving to Michigan is my family. Only God could change my heart like that.

Last year I was terrified of moving. Even packing overwhelmed me. This year I'm fully aware that I have a lot of work to do, but I'm just so EXCITED. I know I have awful roads and cold weather and dreaded SNOW to look forward too, but I'm really just excited that God has pulled this together for us.

I want to add that most people I know who are moving away from Las Vegas do so because they hate it here. I have absolutely loved it here. Yes, it is hot, but it is NOT humid. It really makes all the difference. It is beautiful. Yes, we have very few trees or greenery, but we are surrounded by beautiful mountains. I even like the desert landscape (which is basically rocks!). I love the neon lights and the 24-hour everything. I love the diversity here. Traffic is the best I've experienced in years. My water bills have never been more than $20 a month (we won't talk about the electric bills...). I've really enjoyed Las Vegas. I don't hate it here. I've made some really awesome friends, too.

Finally, I'll talk about church planting. Last year Chuck sensed God calling him to plant a church outside of Detroit and as he pursued that, the doors began slamming shut. We are not going to Michigan with a plan to start a church. If God clarifies that vision from last year, we will pursue it. We are really looking forward to joining a church (we have one in mind) and serving within our giftedness. What happens from there is completely up to God.

So, there you have it: our news. While we are sad to leave Las Vegas, we are very much looking forward to what Michigan has in store for us.

Sunday, May 30, 2010

Going Private

I've decided to set my blog to private for a while.

There are some things I want to write about that I'm not ready to share with the world wide web. I process things best through writing, so I'm going to use my blog to do that for a while privately.

I won't be adding anyone to read posts while the blog is private... so take no offense when I don't approve you.

Thanks for understanding.

Juli

Sunday, May 02, 2010

Simple Pleasures

Today I was thinking about just how much more enjoyable parenting is when everyone speaks the same language. I realize the boys have grown a lot from when they first came home (just 2 months shy of their 3rd birthday), but having communication just makes life easier and better.

Noah is our off-the-charts extrovert, so his acquisition of language has come quickly because he needs to communicate. He also says just about everything he is thinking. If he's excited about something, he's going to share it with you. This morning he was thrilled about the ability to dip his waffle into a puddle of syrup on his plate. The waffle already had syrup on it, but he was just so excited to be able to add more from the excess on his plate. A little over a year ago he couldn't have communicated that. And 20 months ago, he didn't know what a waffle or syrup were.

And there are so many simple pleasures that Noah and Samuel enjoy... and it brings me pleasure seeing them enjoy them. Samuel loves to have a toy (or two) in his pocket - at ALL times. He doesn't necessarily play with it or even hold it... just a little something to have with him. Often it's a long lego or a part to a toy. If it's in his hand, he is probably flying it around because he flies everything around. Everything.

When we read books at bedtime, the boys like to close the book. It's really important to them. And lately they are really into putting their dishes in the sink. Noah gets offended if you flush the toilet for him. They enjoy taking turns turning off the TV or pushing buttons for automatic doors (and yes, we use them, even if I don't have the stroller because the boys love pushing the button). They are both such big helpers and are so proud to be a help.

I can't help but think about all the simple pleasures they didn't have in Haiti. What we consider to be simple pleasures here in the US are things that generally don't exist in Haiti. And post-earthquake Haiti means that life is even harder than before. Unimaginably harder. Tonight, a simple pleasure for a Haitian will be to sleep without getting wet, since so many are sleeping outside of their homes; or they no longer have a home.

It's a fine line for me between indulging my kids and keeping indulgences to a minimum. In the US we tend to need a lot of stuff. The truth is that most of what we need is totally an extravagance to most of the world. I struggle with having nice things. This morning I caught myself "needing" some new shirts. Some new shirts would be nice, but I don't need them.

And so I struggle... wanting my kids to enjoy those simple pleasures, and even not-so-simple pleasures, but also wanting them to have an awareness of what we really need. And honestly, most of these thoughts wouldn't even swirl in my mind if I hadn't visited Haiti. When you see poverty like that, when you get to know real people who live such a different life, when you see the hardship that is met with joy, well... you are changed. And I think it is for the better. It is for me, anyway.

Monday, April 26, 2010

Oh How He Loves Us

The morning of December 19th Chuck and I were at our storage unit here in Las Vegas. Everything we owned was either in storage or in (or on top of) our van. We were all in the van and Chuck was securing everything on top of the van.

I was terrified. We were officially homeless (well, our home in Chesapeake was still ours but we no longer lived in it), heading to Chuck's brother's house for Christmas. I was exhausted from moving and travel and I was an emotional mess, just barely holding it together.

In that very low moment God saw fit to put this song on the radio. I made myself sing along, my words coming out just as a whisper through the tears. And in that hard moment I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Creator of the Universe loves me.

Saturday, April 24, 2010

System Processing...

That's how I feel most of the time. I hate self checkout lanes at the grocery store. No matter how hard I try, I always end up needing assistance. One particular self checkout I've been to says, "System Processing, Please Hold On." And that's exactly how I feel about life in general.

In the past I've used my blog as a place I process my thoughts. I haven't been doing that lately, mainly for fear of being judged. I know I don't have a lot of readers, but I do know that many readers read because we've adopted.

The last four months have been hard. Really HARD. We lived with friends from the end of December until the end of February. That was humbling. Chuck hasn't had a "real" job since the end of December. Humbling. As of April 1st, he didn't even have a not-for-real job. Scary.

We moved here to Las Vegas to help start a church. Our hope was that Chuck would work for that church with his salary raised through supporters. That didn't come together. Additionally, Chuck applied for numerous jobs. One of them was as a police officer for Veteran's Affairs. He interviewed for that position at the end of January after beginning the application process late last summer. He was given a preliminary offer of a position, but had to go through all kinds of testing and evaluation. He will begin his job on Monday, finally, thank God!

In the last 4 months I've truly learned how to live one day at a time. Thinking about the future was just too scary. It's one thing if you don't have a job and it's just you and your spouse. Quite another thing when you have three children involved, two of which were entrusted to our care because a number of people thought we could give them a good life. And then we don't know how we are going to keep a roof over their heads. I just couldn't share that here because I didn't want Haitian officials to think we weren't able to take care of adopted kids. (And yes, they've been known to read blogs online).

Here's what I've learned: God provides. I know, that sounds too simplistic; too trite. But, it's true. We have truly been provided for. I haven't had to beg. We haven't gone without. Our kids are well fed and have a comfortable home. I was able to fly to MI for my grandmother's funeral last month. I got to meet my new nephew. I could go on and on. It has not been easy. Fear has crept in, heck it has back flipped in. I have felt so much shame because I know of so many adoptive families who are able to give their adopted kids the world, it seems. I know that Satan is at work in those thoughts. Without a doubt, I know we were led by God to adopt Noah and Samuel. There is such peace in knowing that.

I recently had a friend applaud my faith. But, the truth is that I have cried many tears of fear. I have vaccilated between "How has my life turned into this?" and "Wow, what an incredible life I get to live." I have had some serious pity parties. I have been frozen in fear to the point that I haven't known what to do. I have been close to God, but I've also been extremely far from Him.

And I still have so much to process. In less than a month, three family members died, and one of those deaths was quite tragic. I'm still processing that first year with kids. We lived in survival mode for most of that year with many people abandoning us along the way. I still look back on that time frame in shock. It was a lot to walk through, and I honestly don't know how we made it. Well, God is how we made it, but we didn't really have much time to spend with Him. Then there's the last 6 months... we made the decision to come to Las Vegas a little over 6 months ago. We left our home, our friends, and our church of 7 years. We are still grieving. We truly lived life with people in Virginia and we miss them. They became our family. There were a lot of great relationships over those 7 years. We became parents there. We brought our children home there. It was familiar and Las Vegas is not. It's just a lot to process through and I'm not done yet.

And now we are here and the church has started and it's going well. I'm still learning how to balance kids with volunteering. I'm an all-in kind of person, and I feel very limited with the kiddos. I've experienced not being able to keep a commitment because my kids are sick. And I obviously want to be home with my kids when they are sick, but there's that nagging sense of letting others down when I can't show up.

We are still sharing a vehicle, and that's tough. We are hoping to get some inexpensive transportation for Chuck soon and he really wants to get a motorcycle. And that terrifies me. People drive terrible here. Just the other day I surrendered that to God. I have been fighting the motorcycle and I just had to stop fighting. If that's what we end up with I'm going to learn a new lesson in trusting God to keep a loved one safe. And I'm going to learn to ride :)

I feel like I've been holding my breath for a really long time. That is alleviated some by Chuck's new job. Financially, we will be O.K. And I totally realize that in this economy, there's really no such thing as job security. And I feel like writing this post has allowed me to breath a little more too. These thoughts have just been swirling for a while now.

I honestly don't know if Las Vegas is "home." It is for now, but I really don't see us being here for years and years. I don't know... I just have the sense that this isn't the last stop in our journey.

Okay, I've rambled long enough. I will hopefully post some updates from the last few months sometime soon. All three kids continure to amaze us and bring us joy daily.

Sunday, April 04, 2010

Still Here

So much has happened in the last month and I just don't have the energy to blog about it all.

We've experienced good and very hard.

Gains and losses.

One thing I know today... I'm thankful for a risen Savior... because I sure need one.

Your prayers for our family would be appreciated...

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Great Friends

I recently blogged about the hardest part of being away from family. But, what's really cool is that God has provided us with friends that are as good as family.

Last fall we knew our time in Chesapeake, VA was up. I won't dwell on the details of that... but it was painfully clear to us that it was time to move on. We thought we would be moving on to Michigan... but that didn't work out either. I'm a girl that likes a plan. So, when we found ourselves needing to move on, but not knowing where, I was a mess.

In October I came out to Las Vegas with some girlfriends to visit my good friend, Jen. Jen and her husband, Vince, and their two kids, Dawson and Marissa, had moved to Las Vegas in January 2009 to start a church called Verve for people who work on and live around The Strip. I was so proud of them. They had a pretty sweet life in Virginia Beach... and they decided to obey God and start all over in Las Vegas. I almost didn't go on that trip. Money was tight for us. We knew Chuck's job was coming to an end at the end of the year. The plan for moving to Michigan was falling apart over lack of funding. Our house had just been listed with a realtor after having no response trying to sell it For Sale By Owner. I didn't want to leave Chuck for 6 days with three little boys and the possibility of showing the house. The only reason I went on that trip was because Chuck was beginning to think about moving to Las Vegas to help start Verve.

I was opposed to moving to Las Vegas. Not because I don't like Las Vegas; it was moreso because I just felt like it was coming out of left field. We felt called to Michigan, but Michigan wasn't coming together. I thought that meant we should just stay in Virginia... even though I knew our time there was over. In fact, during the month of September Chuck pounded the pavement in search of employment in Virginia. And even though we are in hard economic times, between his experience, his disability rating (which puts him ahead of others for government positions), and the fact that there is an abundance of government work in the area we lived in... Chuck could not find a job. And when he did find jobs, they'd go on hiring freezes. It was just so apparent that we weren't supposed to be there, but I fought that for awhile.

During my visit in October, Jen and I had a heart to heart conversation one afternoon. By that point they had offered for our family to move out to Las Vegas and stay with them while Chuck raised support to work for the church or secured a job (it's almost impossible to get a job in Las Vegas if you don't live here). So, it was on that trip that I sought God's will and cried as I surrendered what I wanted to whatever He wanted. I won't say that I felt called to come here... it was more like God was okay with us coming here.

So, in December we packed up our stuff and stored it in Las Vegas and moved in with our friends. What a humbling experience. I remember telling Jen in October, "I just don't know how we got to this place." I was humbled by our circumstances, but even more humbled by the generosity of our friends. But the most humbling part of it all was how their two kids gave to us. As a family they discussed what would need to happen if our family moved in with theirs. Dawson (10), and Marissa (8), would give up their bedrooms and sleep on a futon in the loft. They were given the option of saying no to that before the offer was extended to us. And you know what? Those kids said yes, they would give up their bedrooms to help us out. They also gave up their bathroom and shared with their parents. I get teary-eyed just typing that. They are some tremendous kids with huge hearts. They were Jesus to our family during a really difficult time and I will never forget that.

Currently Chuck has a job offer as a police officer for Veteran's Affairs. He's jumped through nearly all their hoops to start in his position. He is waiting on his psych evaluation to be completed so that he can move on to the final step, the physical examination. Chuck's been working full time for Verve since the beginning of January and will continue working part time once his full time position begins (we are hoping that is around April 1st). At some point this summer he will need to go to Arkansas for 5 weeks to complete their police academy. I'm hoping some of my family can come visit us during that time (hint hint hint!).

We've been in our own place for almost two weeks now. And it feels wonderful to be in our own space, but we are totally missing our friends. The kids all miss each other. In fact, Dawson and Marissa gave up a pizza dinner the other night so they could come see our kids. They play with them and have such patience and grace with them. My kids might not get to live near their cousins, but God has given them really cool kids to hang out with. It's been hard for me to connect with other women here since I'm usually with the kids. I can't really have much of a conversation while trying to keep them out of harm's way. I'm so thankful for my friendship with Jen and that I already had a friend here when I arrived.

Chuck and I are sharing our van. I'm trying to make the best of being stuck home some days. The old Juli would really dwell on the question of, "When are we going to be able to get another vehicle?" but for the most part I have peace that God's going to take care of that in His perfect timing. Saturday night I went out to get some milk and decided to stop by our mailbox. I hadn't checked our mail since we'd moved in because I didn't get the key for our mailbox until Friday. I drove along sifting through a stack of bills, feeling the pit in my stomach grow. Chuck is making less money than we are used to and I wasn't sure we'd have enough money to pay everything on the 15th and everything was due before the 1st. I opened the last piece of mail and there was an encouraging card from a dear friend. And along with the card was a very generous check to help us with moving expenses. The tears flowed once again and I thanked God (and our friend!) for taking care of us yet again.

These past few months have been quite a valley for me (and how appropriate that we now live in the valley), but God had pointed my attention to the blessing of great friends and his provision. I don't quite feel like I'm on the other side yet, but my heart is at peace.

Monday, March 08, 2010

Twelve Years Ago Today...

I met Chuck.

I was not looking to meet anyone that night, but God had other plans :)

My, how time flies!

In those twelve years we've:
  • Lived in 4 states
  • Moved 8 times
  • Owned two homes
  • Had 10 vehicles
  • Done countless road trips
  • Had three kids, and lost one
  • Met God

Chuck, I'm so thankful it's been with YOU that I've done all these things and more. I love you!

Thursday, March 04, 2010

"A Captain Princess!"

In September Noah and Samuel where given a really cool pirate ship toy. It's the hull of a ship - they can fire cannons, drive the ship, and just be pirates. They love it.

It got packed away in late November and it just came back out yesterday. Today's the first time the boys have played pirates in months. They put on their pirate Halloween costumes and have fun.

Samuel also has an obsession with princesses. On the day we packed up our house in Virginia, all three boys spent about 8 hours with Noah and Samuel's best little girl friends, Lilly and Mya. Lilly and Mya are 4 and 3 and have loved our boys since before they came home from Haiti. They still ask about them. (This week their mommy is coming to Las Vegas and I know the boys are going to be so bummed when they see her and learn that her girls aren't here with her.) The day we packed up the house, Samuel was introduced to being a princess. He wore a tiara, had a wand and wore not one, but TWO skirts ALL DAY LONG. He cried his eyes out when I picked him up and he had to take the princess clothes off. Ever since that day he's been very into princesses.

While staying with our friends over the last few months, Samuel watched a few princess videos with Marissa. In particular, he loved the movie about the dancing princesses best.

So, today while playing pirates he was talking about princesses and I wanted to clarify - was he a princess or a captain (the boys talk about who is going to be the captain while playing). Samuel thought about it for a moment and exclaimed, "A captain princess!" Then he danced and twirled away.

Isn't four great - you can be anything you want to be, even a captain princess!

Wednesday, March 03, 2010

The Hardest Part

My new nephew, Judah. Is he cute or what?!

I've lived far away from my family for the last 10 years and the hardest part is not being able to be there for special occasions or when I know I could be of help.

In December I had to miss my sister's baby shower because we were moving. On February 12th she gave birth to a beautiful lil guy via c-section. His name is Judah Michael and I can't wait to meet him.

My sister is in that new-mom-not-so-sure stage (while recovering from major surgery), something I know a lot about since I did the new-mom-not-so-sure thing (while recovering from major surgery) with three kids instead of one. I understand how she feels and I just want to be there to encourage her and help her and cook and clean for her.

But I am here. And I can't be there right now because Chuck's schedule is crazy right now. Oh, and flights are insanely priced, too.

And that is the hardest part for me. Knowing I could help and encourage her and not being able to... ugh. It is hard.

I LOVE YOU, CHRISTI!!! You are a great mommy and it gets easier, I promise! :)

In

We are in the house. Last night was the first night in. The kids did great. I LOVE my bed and have missed it dearly. I am thankful to so many people for helping us get moved in!

No pictures yet. The boxes need to be gone before I post pictures.

We have the coolest view of the strip from our bedroom.

The kids are doing great. They like their new home, but are missing our friends.

Chuck and I both have done more than our backs can handle so the rest of the unpacking will be at a slower pace...

Thanks to anyone who has prayed for us over the last three months. I'm positive we were sustained by prayers.

Friday, February 26, 2010

"No!" and other fun 18 month observations

We are at a place with Noah and Samuel that language really isn't an issue. They completely understand us (sometimes far better than we realize!) and are really good at communicating with us. We find ourselves spelling things a lot and sometimes Noah will say random letters when talking to us, I think, because he hears us do that. Samuel has been slower at language acquisition, but Noah is so extremely extroverted (for example, he prefers company while he goes potty) that he has picked up language more rapidly simply because he MUST talk. Samuel, however, has much better enunciation. Noah has more to say, but is not as easily understood as Samuel.

So now it's Tristan's turn to learn English. At 18 months he doesn't talk a lot. I mean, he talks all.the.time, just not anything we understand. At his 18 month appointment the Dr. ordered a hearing test and referred me to a local early intervention program. I'm still not sure I'll have his hearing tested... after all this is the kid that is easily awakened by noise. I'm pretty sure he hears us fine. I'm just praying about whether I want to put him through a test. Once we are settled in our new home I will definitely have the early intervention program assess him.

Anyway, Tristan is saying a few words and mimics tons of words. Currently he says Mama, NO!, banana (each syllable is it's own word), more, and milk. I'm sure I'm leaving some words out. By far, his favorite word is NO. He says it in a very clipped, quick, almost French-sounding way. And often his no means NO, but about half the time he really means yes. I have tried and tried and tried to get him to say yes or yeah or anything besides no when he means yes. Last week I was holding some Goldfish crackers while he was sitting near me in his highchair. I asked if he wanted some and he said No! while shaking his head no, but then would smile and bounce in his chair (which means yes in Tristan body language). I tried over and over, but he kept saying No.

Tristan really seems to understand everything we say to him. He helps to clean up when asked (or even if he sees his brothers doing so), he goes to his highchair if I ask him to, he brings me toys or other objects that I ask for, he recognizes the name of certain videos that he loves and he pretty much obeys our requests. That is, unless we ask him to "Come here." He will not obey that request. Ever. Especially if it involves a diaper change. And he can't be tricked or lured.

Another thing about Tristan at this age that I want to document on the ole blog... He LOVES Kuma, the dog we are living with. Kuma is a pomeranian and Tristan loves to pet him or put his face up to him (Tristan is a snuggler, so this is an endearing action for him). He is not mean to Kuma; he doesn't pull his tail or ears. He just loves him. I really think Noah's fear of Kuma has calmed dramatically by seeing his brothers love on Kuma.

Tristan has also developed a love for bread. I seriously have to hide bread at meals so that he will eat some protein and fruits and veggies first. Noah and Samuel are total carb-lovers and Tristan seems to be following in their footsteps. He's also gotten a little picky. There are some foods he absolutely won't eat... but nothing is really consistent. I think it depends on his mood. Yesterday when the boys had rice and beans I gave Tristan some turkey lunch meat (because N&S kill a box of rice and beans on their own; I need to remember to get the family size box so Tristan can have some). Today I tried to give him some turkey because I just knew he wouldn't eat mac and cheese. And go figure - he scarfed down the mac and cheese and wouldn't touch the turkey. What a kid.

Another thing Tristan has started doing is what I think is the beginning of temper tantrums. In the last few weeks, after asking Tristan to come and then I go and take his hand to walk him to where I want him, he falls to the floor. Lovely. And just in the last few days he's begun screaming loudly in short little bursts (intentionally, of course) while hitting whatever is around him - the wall, the island, the toy bin, etc. He does this when he doesn't get his way. I just know that any day now he will be throwing himself on the floor, kicking and screaming, like I did when I was his age. My mom and dad like to mention that it sounds like I have a little one that's a lot like how I was at that age. Great!!

Tristan LOVES to brush his teeth. He LOVES the movies UP and the pirate Veggies Tales movie (don't know the name!).

Another thing Tristan has started doing is running to the fridge, especially at 10 a.m. For as long as N&S have been home, they've watched Sesame Street if we are home. And when it comes on I give them their morning snack, usually cheese. Tristan has joined them and runs to the fridge when the music for Sesame Street begins. He pounds on it and whines.

There's just so much personality wrapped up into this little dude. I'm looking forward to when he does start talking because I feel like he's often frustrated that he can't tell us exactly what he wants. Maybe that's where the screaming comes in? We are so blessed by him and his adoring big brothers every.single.day. Life has been interesting these last few months, but these kids continue to thrive and create joy for us.

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Moving!

Today is an exciting day for us because we are picking up keys to our new house. I guess I'm a dork because I am SOOOOO looking forward to cleaning this afternoon. We've been staying with our friends for nearly 9 weeks now... we are so grateful that we have friends who'd host our crazy bunch for over 2 months. I will blog about them another day because they are some awesome peeps... especially their two kids.

So, the plan is that I clean this afternoon and begin moving items from our smaller storage unit that consists of mostly stuff that was packed in our van (all the last minute stuff). We will continue moving stuff tomorrow and on Saturday morning we will empty our huge storage unit with the help of some new friends and a 26 foot U-haul truck. Then I will begin unpacking at a frenzied pace so that we can get the house in some sort of order before moving our kids into it.

While these past 9 weeks have been a stretch for us, I can't help but think of the people of Haiti. Before the earthquake their living conditions were far less than I've ever experienced. And now the majority of the population is living in makeshift tents. That has really helped me keep things in perspective as we've shared space with our friends. Even during a rough patch in my life, I'm still so very blessed and have so much more than most of the world. I hope I never forget that.

Sunday, February 07, 2010

5 Slim

Friday morning Noah came downstairs with naked ankles. It seems he had a growthspurt overnight! We went to the store and bought him 5 slim jeans.

I can't believe my just-recently-turned-4 year old (Nov) is already in size 5 pants. Shirts, too. These are some tall little boys! We need the 5 tops for length in the arms and belly. 4's just aren't long enough for them.

I recently received the boys' medical records in the mail and I was able to see just how much they've grown. Samuel was one ounce shy of 27 lbs when he came home from Haiti and Noah was 29 1/2 lbs. At their four year old check up (14 months after coming home) Noah was 41.5 lbs and Samuel was 40.5 lbs. And they both grew SIX inches in that time. Insane. Just insane.

Wednesday, February 03, 2010

He Spins

Tristan, that is. When music comes on and he's in the mood to dance, he spins in circles - and he matches the speed of his spin to the music.

He loves it and so do we.

Sometimes if we ask him to dance he'll spin without the music.

Gosh, I love that kid. I just love watching him grow up and do new things.

Monday, February 01, 2010

Fun in the Snow

The weekend of Chuck's birthday was a lot of fun. It had rained for a number of days before the weekend, so the mountains surrounding us were snow covered. Chuck decided we should go play in the snow at Mount Charleston, a 45 minute drive from here.
I was hesitant because almost all of our warmer winter clothes are in storage. Between the small amount we had and some we were able to borrow, we were ready to face the snow for a little while. We joined forces with our favorite people, Vince, Jen, Marissa and Dawson. We had a serious snow ball fight and then the big kids and dads built a snowman. It was free fun for us all and it's just so cool that we can drive to the snow like that.
Here are a number of pictures that Jen took.




Snow Angels, Daddy and NoahTristan enjoyed eating the snow :)

Lil Haitians in the snow


Proud of their snowman!


Tristan refused to wear his hat much
(much like his refusal of bibs)

Daddy, Noah and Samuel


All of us :)

Thursday, January 28, 2010

End of the Fast, New Fast

Well, it's nearly done, my fast that is.

Sunday night I ate in celebration of Chuck's birthday and Tuesday night I decided that homemade belgium waffles (just the waffle, no toppings) were "like bread, right?"

I have to say, I'll never fast for that long again and eat food while doing it. Not eating is much easier than eating. Tuesday night at dinner I almost quit. The sweet and sour shrimp was calling my name.

It made my heart smile today to hear that someone was pulled out of the rubble alive. Can you imagine 15 days buried beneath a fallen building... not knowing if you'll be found. Haitians are the strongest people I've ever met. I've read countless stories online... they are tough.

Tonight For His Glory Outreach has requested people to take tomorrow as a day of prayer and fasting for orphans in Haiti for today, January 28th. The letter from Kim Harmon (their president) is at the bottom of the page dated January 27th. The orphans in Haiti in particular need prayer. The Haitian government has decided not to allow any more orphans to go to their US families until they can come up with a new system to review their departures.

Haiti pre-earthquake was never quick about putting a system in place. I can't imagine this coming together quickly without God's intervention.

Since I've spent the last 8 days fasting, I will not be fasting from food tomorrow. Instead I will do an internet fast. Please join me in praying for the situation with orphans in Haiti. I have friends who are still waiting for their kids to come home. Can you even imagine waiting 15 days for your child to come home after being in a devastating earthquake?? Most of these families have visited their kids multiple times. I'm so thankful our boys are home. I don't think I could handle that.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Noah's New Do

Silly boy!

Back view

Top view

He's glad it's done!

Between yesterday and today I spent about 8 hours twisting Noah's hair so that we can begin the process of locking his hair. We plan to do this with both boys. I plan to do Samue's hair this weekend.
We didn't think much about hair before the boys came home because, well, they're boys! We just figured we'd keep it short. It was kept very short the entire time they were in the orphanage. The problem with keeping it short is that 1) they HATE to have their hair cut and 2) they look so much older with short hair. I personally think Noah looks younger with his twists.
After reading the Party of Five blog for 3 or so years, I felt like we could lock the boys' hair ourselves. Heather talks about the importance in doing her boys' hair and I couldn't agree more. I have nothing against taking kids to have their hair done, but I do think it will really mean something to them one day when they realize their white mommy took the time to learn to do their hair. With that said, I'm not entirely sure I knew what I was doing, but I did research techniques and products and watched some videos and then gave it a shot. I honestly hope that I don't have to redo Noah's hair because it was a lot of time and energy and the poor guy has a really tender head. He hates to have his hair combed, so he is thrilled that we won't be coming it anymore. He was horrified to learn we have to retwist it, though. Poor thing.

Monday, January 25, 2010

Fast Update

This is an update on my fast for Haiti, and...

It's gonna be fast because the kids are eating lunch and I don't have much time.

I've done no-food fasts before and I honestly think they are easier than this bread, water, and coffee fast I'm doing. I'm hungry A LOT. The other night as I lay in bed I realized that what I was feeling is what most Haitians feel most of the time. That was humbling.

I went nearly 5 days before I broke the fast last night. I did so to celebrate Chuck's birthday. Me and our good friend Vince (who we live with currently) were both fasting and Chuck said it was a bummer to have his birthday dinner with us not eating. So, we decided to celebrate with Chuck and then return to the fast this morning. I had Chicken Enchiladas (Chuck's favorite) and German Chocolate Cake. Then we went to the movies to see "Book of Eli" and I had popcorn, soda, and cookie dough bites.

I'm back on the bread today and I've modified the drinks to anything to drink... I just don't think I'll make it until Thursday morning without more variety in the drink department.

One of the things I've been feverently praying for is for orphans in Haiti to join their US families. 82 kids from Noah and Samuel's orphanage were united with their families this weekend. It was quite an ordeal and I was thankful to be praying for them... especially Saturday night. I had a hard time sleeping because I drank coffee too late and then Tristan woke up and kept me up the remainder of the night. There was a great need for prayer that night as families waited for their kids to be released into their care, so I'm grateful for the lack of sleep and the extra prayers I got to say.

I continue to pray that we will hear good news about Noah and Samuel's birth family. We've heard nothing. And I continue to pray that people will give money and time (if they are medically specialized). As the news moves away from Haiti, I hope many people will continue to pray. There is so much work to be done and so many people injured badly who still need to be cared for.

If you'd rather donate to a ministry doing medical relief work, please email me at julicason@yahoo.com and I'll gladly share some links to good organizations on the ground in Haiti that need money.

Okay, kids are done with lunch!

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Living in Las Vegas

Obviously, Haiti has been on my mind a lot lately. While there is much to talk about with that, and even more to pray for, this post is about Las Vegas and what it's been like so far.

Me and the boys arrived in Las Vegas on December 16th and Chuck arrived on the 17th. We unpacked our belongings into storage and then left for California on the 19th to spend time Christmas with Chuck's family. We got back to Las Vegas on the 26th, so I count our time in Las Vegas from the 26th.

So, with that explanation, we've been here for 4 weeks now.

The beginning was rough for me. I don't do change well. That's exacerbated by the fact that we are in transition here because we've been staying with friends (while waiting for our VA house to be rented). I wanted nothing more than to be in bed with the covers over my head for the first week or so. I didn't know what to do with myself or with the kids. Tristan was having a hey-day exploring the new environment and getting into everything. We've childproofed as best we can, but the floor plan here just leaves lots of area to roam. Everything just seemed so hard in the beginning. I'm slowly adjusting to this new place and getting us into a routine.

Enough about me. Now about Las Vegas. It's pretty here, when you look into the distance. We are surrounded by mountains and after all the rain this week (which was snow at high elevations) they are covered in snow. Absolutely beautiful! Up close, though, is not so pretty. There's almost no grass here, just dirt fields. I love the stucco homes and tile roofs.

Driving is just crazy here. The traffic is not nearly as bad as Hampton Roads, but the drivers are worse. It's just kind of lawless on the highways. For instance, there are express lanes near the Strip and there's a portion of it where you can't get in or get off... but people do all the time. People are not likely to let you into a lane, etc. Just kind of unfriendly. Now, if you know me well, you know I'm a horrible driver. Here I'm in good company.

There are a lot of rocks. Lots of people have completely rock yards. Weird, but I guess it makes sense. The highways have gravel on the sides instead of grass. It just looks so different than what I've seen my whole life.

I've seen some seriously gorgeous sunsets here. The sky turns all sorts of colors as the sun sets. Just beautiful.

Now about the Strip. I'll precede this by saying that I'm not a sheltered person. I've been around the block... but I'm shocked every.single.time I go down there. And honestly, I hope I never stop being shocked. I've been to lots of party cities that have a strip of some sort. In most places there are rules... like no open beverages, for instance. Here anything goes. It is shocking. This place makes 'liberal' college town look conservative. Seriously. Taking the kids down there is nearly impossible. There are some family-friendlier areas, but overall it is just crazy. It's also heartbreaking.

It's also very diverse here. I've seen lots of interracial families. And I love that. People don't stare when I take the kids out. Most people seem to immediately understand that they are mine, that I'm not babysitting them. And they are very accepting of our family.

Lots of neighborhoods are gated and I just don't like it. It seems so limiting and unfriendly. The friends we are staying with live in a gated community and it's my hope that we don't end up in one.

I joined a gym here and have been taking the boys nearly every morning. They have childcare and I'm enjoying some time to myself. Of course the news has been focused on Haiti, so I've spent many mornings at the gym on the treadmill holding back tears. It's interesting to people watch at the gym. Las Vegas seems to be very high maintenance, even at the gym. There's just an overall level of bling here that I'm not used to. As a low maintenance girl, I feel very out of place sometimes.

I'm sure there's more I could say about Las Vegas so far... but that's all for now.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Our Old House


I got good news today... our house in Virginia has been rented!


We had hoped to sell it, but with the dwindling economy and the fact that we've only owned it for 2 years, that wasn't likely. We listed it for rent in mid-December and after lowering the rent we were able to get some tenants.


There are two unfortunate things about this... 1) The monthly rent payment is less than what we pay for our mortgage and 2) Our tenants won't be moving in until mid-February. It will be rented at a $240 deficit monthly, but at least the majority of the mortgage is covered. I'm so thankful for that.


It's an older house so hopefully nothing big breaks down (you know, like heat or AC).


I'm just very thankful that we were able to get it rented.
And now we can begin to look for something to rent here in Las Vegas. If you know of anything in South or Southwest Las Vegas, let me know!

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Going Hungry for Haiti - Please Give

This is a photo of us with the boys' birthfater.
We still don't know if he and his older children are okay.
Noah and Samuel were 18 months old in this picture.

Since I learned of the earthquake in Haiti, I’ve wanted to do something. The question is "what?" I don’t have much money to give and I’m not a medical professional, which is who they need to come and help.

The obvious answer to what I can do is that I can pray. And I have. But, quite honestly, I’ve disappointed myself with my lack of prayer. A few hours will go by and I’ll realize that I haven’t thought of Haiti.

A friend of my sister, who really has no connection to Haiti, has decided to fast for a week, drinking water and eating bread, with the hope of raising $1000 for Haiti. I was so inspired by his idea that I’ve decided that I, too, will fast for Haiti.

Today marks a special day for our family. Four years ago today we received the referral for Noah and Samuel. They were just 10 weeks old at that time. Today they are lively 4 year olds and are such a blessing to us daily.

Beginning tomorrow, I’ve decided to fast for 8 days, drinking water and coffee and eating only bread. I decided to fast one day for each year of the boys’ lives (times 2, of course!). And, ironically, I’ve visited Haiti 8 times.

My goal as I fast is first and foremost to draw close to God in prayer for the people of Haiti. We still don’t know the fate of Noah and Samuel’s birthfather and siblings. The people who are there helping also need a tremendous amount of prayer as they help the hurting. I will also be praying that the countless orphans will be evacuated to thier waiting families. This will not be an easy fast for me. I like to eat! Plus, I feed my kids their meals and I cook dinner every night. As I struggle to not eat, I know that I will be thinking of Haiti more often and I’ll be able to pray for those there.

In addition, it’s my hope to raise money for the orphanage that Noah and Samuel lived in, Maison des Enfants de Dieu, which works stateside with For His Glory Outreach. They have over 120 children that they care for and as we move forward from this tragedy, countless new orphaned children will come through their doors. In addition to caring for orphans, For His Glory is an outreach ministry to the birth families, employees of the orphanage, and the general public surrounding the orphanage. They will have quite an opportunity to reach out to hurting Haitian people.

Finally, I also hope that through my fast, God will move in the hearts of doctors and nurses to volunteer their time on the ground in Haiti. Medical professionals are desperately needed on the ground in Haiti. People are dying senselessly because they can’t get medical care. I just watched a report by Anderson Cooper about preventable deaths – simple infections that are killing people because they just can’t get the medical care that they need.

I ask that if you give or if you or someone you know makes the decision to go and help in Haiti, please let me know. It would be such an encouragement to me as I fast. I of course ask that you pray for Haiti, for the Haitians and for the people there helping. And I ask that you send up a brief prayer for me… that I’ll be able to fast and pray for Haiti as I desire.


*Please feel free to link this post on your blog. We serve a mighty God and I'm hoping people will be inspired to give as I fast.*

Sunday, January 17, 2010

A Plea for Prayer

It's hard to fathom the reality of what's going on in Haiti. In fact, when I initially heard the news, I was concerned but had no idea how grave it was.

Then the news started trickling in. Haiti has been front page news every day this week in Las Vegas. I went to the gym twice this week and watched CNN for long stretches. I began reading blogs of missionaries in Haiti who are on the ground there experiencing the horror. And it became more and more real.

But tonight I was broken by it all. Tonight I saw pictures taken from the orphanage Noah and Samuel lived at for 31 months of their lives. And I honestly feel like I can't quite breathe.

The wall surrounding the orphanage is down... which means that thieves and such have easy access to the supplies of the orphanage and the children. I've also read that the main prison had 4600 inmates escape. 3 years ago kidnappings were a daily occurence and many of those thugs were locked up. None of them are locked up anymore.

Reality has sunk in deep tonight. My heart is completely broken. I've not prayed without ceasing since I learned of the earthquake, but I believe I will now. Seeing pictures of kids I know with stuff under their noses to mask the smell of death... how do I reconcile that? Knowing that they are quickly running out of supplies... water, coal for cooking, medicine, food, iv fluids for a sick child. Lord, please help them!

I know I'm preaching to the choir. Most people who read this love Haiti as much as I do. But, I ask that you please, please, please pray for Haiti. And if you can give, do so generously. I'll be happy to recommend some reputable ministries in Haiti where your money will 100% go to helping those in need. Just leave me a comment or email me for info.

The number one request I've heard from people on the ground in Haiti is that we pray. And really, it's the least we can do.

Link to pictures: http://www.forhisgloryoutreach.org/earthquake_relief

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Heartbroken for Haiti

Yesterday's severe earthquake just outside of Port au Prince has left me feeling heartbroken and helpless for Haiti yet again.

I can't imagine the devastation there or how the people are feeling and surviving through this. The shock, the grief, the disbelief, and the reality.

I think of adoptive families in process and weep, knowing that their adoptions have hit yet another unplanned hurdle.

Life in Haiti is hard enough without another catastrophic national disaster.

Lord, please help them.