Do You Want to Laugh??

I recently was directed to a fantastic blog and I really think you are missing out if you haven't read it yet. It's called "Stuff Christians Like." I promise that at some point you will read something that makes you pee in your pants (unless you are into daily kegel exercises - only then are you safe).

Here's the link: http://stufffchristianslike.blogspot.com/

Now, I will give a disclaimer. If you are super churchy, you will probably be offended. And I think it's a good thing for super churchy people to be offended, so please read it anyway.

Poor Air Quality

There is a fire burning in North Carolina, about an hour south of where we live. The fire is burning peat moss in the ground, and until we get tropical storm force rain, the fire will continue to burn. This has caused a lot of smoke in our area here in Virginia. Sometimes the smoke is so strong that visibility is poor, depending on how the wind is blowing.

**Update**
This morning I learned that the smoke we're experiencing is actually from a fire burning here in Virginia in The Great Dismal Swamp (sounds spooky, doesn't it?). So, the fire is burning a lot closer than I thought, though we are not in any danger. The NC fire is also still burning, but apparently our current smoky air is not from that fire.

Most people complain about it. It's a common topic of discussion. Asthma sufferers need to stay indoors. The smell of smoke is sometimes so strong that it can be smelled inside our house.

And Chuck and I LOVE it. We love it because it smells like Haiti. Not only does it smell like Haiti, but since it's been like a bajillion degrees out with nearly 100% humidity, it FEELS like Haiti, too. While others are holing themselves up in their houses to get away from the acrid smell, Chuck and I make some smoothies and sit on our screened porch and sweat and think about Haiti.

Seriously, when I'm outside with the heat beating down on me and the smoky air surrounding me, I smile.

Gosh, I love Haiti.

6 Word Meme

I got tagged by Ginny to do a 6 word meme. I don't know what a meme is and apparently Webster doesn't either because it's not in the dictionary. In Ginny's post it says something about summing up my life in 6 words, so I'm going with that idea.

Here are the rules I was given:
1. Write your own six word memoir.
2. Post it to your blog including a visual illustration if you would like.
3. Link to the person who tagged you in your post.
4. Tag 5 more blogs with links.
5. Don’t forget to leave a comment in the tagged blogs with an invitation to play.

So, my 6 words are: LIVING A LIFE I DON'T DESERVE.

Okay, so I realize some of you may disagree or think I have too hard of an outlook on things and that's fine for you. I'm not posting this for a theological debate, rather this is the truth that I live by.

Until I was 22 I lived the most selfish and self-centered life I possibly could. Everything was about me and if you got in the way of that, watch out!

At 22 I was introduced to the idea that maybe my drinking was a problem, so with some help, I quit. At 24 I was introduced to Jesus in a way that I could understand and made the decision to follow Him. I don't do it gracefully and I mess up a lot, but my whole life is different now in such a good way.

The Bible talks about sin and the repercussions for sin. I sinned a whole lot before I knew Jesus and I still do. The difference now is that when God sees me, He sees Jesus standing in for me. And Jesus was perfect - He did not ever sin. That means that God sees me free of sin. Pretty cool if you ask me.

I have no doubt that all of the goodness in my life today is a direct result of a relationship with Jesus. Yes, sometimes I'm a better person than I used to be, but not always. I still mess up and make mistakes. But God keeps pouring out His wonderful blessings on me. And you know what? I just don't deserve it. I don't. God has blessed me and my family and taken care of me and my family in such loving, tender ways. He meets my needs. He brings me comfort during sorrow. He has made so very many wonderful promises to me and He has and will fulfill them. I have done nothing close to deserving His favor, yet He pours it out on me.

So that's my 6 word meme, whatever the heck a meme is!

And I'm a rule breaker when it comes to these things... So I'm not tagging anyone. I would challenge you to think of your own 6 word memoir and blog about it, though!

Things Are Coming Together

Things are really coming together for us around here.Lately I've been given a lot of hand me down clothing and baby equipment and it has truly been a blessing. Thank you to everyone who has given us stuff!Yesterday we got an infant car seat, and now I feel really relieved. They won't let you leave the hospital without one, so now I feel like we can really have this baby.Tonight a friend offered me her boppy, bumbo, and breast pump. Such blessings!!I'm getting more and more excited and nervous about meeting Tristan.We are also getting really close to the homecoming of our adopted children, and we are just about ready for them, too.We've been busy around here, but it's a good kind of busy. I have a doctor's appointment in the morning and I'll post if we learn anything interesting.

OH MY GOSH!!

It happened, it really happened!

We received MOI approval yesterday!

We are in shock. They are coming home soon!

How soon you ask? My best estimate would be at least a month, more if we run into any problems.

Oh, thank you, Jesus!!

God is being truly hilarious in the timing of all this. I can't go into detail now, but I will when I can. Our God is an awesome God and a very funny God, too!

Huge Bummer

It didn't work out for Chuck's parents to stay in Virginia, so they are heading back to California.

We are, of course, totally bummed by this.

If you could, please keep Ron and Suzy in your prayers as they travel back to CA. And pray for us, especially Chuck. We were so excited to have them here and have grandparents close by for our boys.

Thanks.

Sorrow

Our adoption journey has been a long, winding journey that has spanned 3 years. In May of 2005 God spoke to Chuck and I about adoption. Shortly after we opened our hearts to that idea, we were told of a baby that had been born at a mission in Haiti who needed a family. Chuck and I of course didn't think much of it at the time, but that all changed a few months later.

In July I went to Haiti, specifically to that mission. Three months earlier we had gone through a miscarriage and my heart still hurt deeply. While I was in Haiti I met baby Jabez and God used him to minister to my broken heart and to speak clearly to me about adopting from Haiti. I came home from Haiti knowing that we were to adopt from Haiti and that the time was now.

We waited to find out what would happen to baby Jabez. We needed to wait for him to be placed in an orphanage so that we could align ourselves with that orphanage. To make a long story short, Jabez was never placed in an orphanage that would adopt out children to the US and eventually the missionaries who were present from the day of his birth decided that they would pursue adopting him.

We were sad, but also happy that all along he'd been with the people who would be adopting him. The day after the Lord closed the door on Jabez for us, we received the referral for the twins.

I have kept contact with Jabez's parents, who serve in Jacmel, Haiti. I have watched him grow up in pictures and videos. He has a very special place in my heart. God brought me such healing through him during a very hard time and he is what led us to our beautiful sons.

Jabez's path has not been easy. The circumstances surrounding his birth were tough and left him with some special needs. He has struggled with illness repeatedly.

This afternoon I went to the blog that his parents, Danny and Leann, keep and learned that Jabez passed away this morning. I'm shocked and sad. I'm also so happy that he is now with Jesus and no longer has special needs or health problems.

Please lift up Danny and Leann, as well as all the kids and staff at the children's home that they run. Jabez was a very special part of their lives and I can't imagine their grief right now.

Waiting...

...for our monthly pictures.

...to hear we are out of MOI. I'm going to step out on an emotional limb and say that I really feel like we will be out soon. I feel the same sense of anticipation that I felt in the days leading up to learning we were out of IBESR.

Hopefully I will post good news and pictures SOON!!

Ouch!!

For three nights now I've woken up in the middle of the night to terrible pain in my right hand, wrist, and arm. I'm quite positive that it's pregnancy induced carpal tunnel syndrome. I've been treated for minor CTS in the past, but I've never experienced the numbness and pain like I am now. It is agonizing and nothing I've tried so far (other than praying) has eased the pain. I'm fine when I'm up and awake. I have some numbness and tingling, but not anything like what I experience at night.A year or so ago I gave away the splints that I got back when I was treated for CTS. Today I asked the person I gave them to if I could borrow them for a few months since she's not using them.Of course I'll talk to the doctor at my next appointment, which is Wednesday. If any of you have any suggestions for me, please post them in the comments section. I'll try anything!

Garden Update

Today Chuck weeded the garden for me. He is awesome. It was like 100 degrees out and the garden was infested with weeds. He is such a good husband!

He came in to tell me that we had some red tomatoes. Sure enough, there were 3 red cherry tomatoes. I picked them, washed them, and then coaxed Chuck into eating one. Chuck hates tomatoes. He says they taste like fart. I don't even know why he knows what farts taste like, but that's his deal. Anyway, he said, "It's the best tomato I've ever had."

7 out of 8 pepper plants have peppers growing on them. The cucumber plants have really taken off, but I don't see any cucumbers yet.

So, apparently my black thumb isn't so bad after all!

Bonus Pictures

Gotta love it when you get a few bonus pictures...

Both are of Noah. Samuel was sleeping.

Prayers for Friends

Update: Little Chloe Elise was born last night at 8:36 p.m. Mom and baby are both doing well. Thanks for praying for them!


If you could, please say a pray for Carrie and Jason today.

Carrie is pregnant and being induced, so hopefully they will have a baby very soon!

Induction is definitely not something I'd want, so I'm saying a special prayer that it goes really well for her.

Thanks!

Well, it's been a while...

Wow, it's been a long time since I've posted. Sorry about that.I've entered the dreaded third trimester since my last post. All was well until last weekend. I don't think I did anything other than grow bigger, but it apparently put some bad strain on my lower back. I was pretty miserable Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. It also feels as though someone is doing something horrible to my hips. This last week has been one full of aching and whining.There has been good stuff, too. So far I've gained 2o lbs and my doctors are happy about that. I really thought I'd be one of those people who pack on the pounds pregnant. I guess I am not (so far anyway). Don't get me wrong - I'm fat, but I started out that way. It wasn't brought on by pregnancy. Also, I had the glucose test done again at 27 weeks and passed. So, no gestational diabetes for me! I've also not had much swelling yet. I have near cankles right now, but not full blown cankles and they will go down as soon as I put my feet up.Tristan is still moving around a lot, but it feels very different now. Kind of like he's running out of space. Rather than the flips and jumps he was doing a few weeks ago, he now seems to drag body parts across my uterus. I still get kicked, too. I'm still sleeping pretty well, for the most part. I'm not at all looking forward to diminished sleep. That's all that's new in my pregnant world. I'll try to post a little more frequently.

Tagged

I got tagged a couple of days ago for this questionaire. Of course I procrastinated (see bad habit question...). I was tagged by Chapter 2 Manmi. She and her husband recently brought their three children home from Haiti after a very looooong wait. Their story gives me hope that our boys really will come home.

1. The rules of the game get posted at the beginning.

2. Each player answers the questions about themselves.

3. At the end of the post, the player then tags five people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read the player’s blog.

4. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer.

What were you doing 5 years ago?
At the end of May 2003 Chuck and I were moving from one apartment in Virginia Beach to another. I was still enrolled in college, just beginning the summer semester, which was grueling. Chuck and I began marriage counseling that month as well and it literally saved our marriage. Our marriage counselor then is still a friend today and we totally give him and God all the credit that we are still married and happy.

What are 5 things on your to-do list for today?
Meet with my friend Nicole. Meet with my friend Amanda. Go to a doctor's appointment. Look into some classes. Have dinner with family.

What are 5 snacks you enjoy?
Tortilla chips and Queso. Icecream. Really good milk chocolate. Sour patch kids. Spinach Dip.

What 5 things would you do if you were a billionaire?
Move us into a slightly bigger house in a slightly better school district. Give all my family some money so they could live comfortably and not have to worry about retirement. Get involved with some reputable organizations in Haiti. Give more in all areas of my life. Travel a lot.

What are 5 of your bad habits?
Being late. Procrastination. Hitting the snooze button. Leaving hangers on the bedroom door handle (this drives Chuck crazy, mainly because it gives the cats something to make noise with). Peeling my nails.

What are 5 places you have lived?
Skandia, MI. Redford, MI. Dearborn Heights, MI. Morehead City, NC. Portsmouth, VA.

What are 5 jobs you have had?
McDonald's. Sub and salad maker at a pizzeria. Bank teller. Server. Administrative Assistant.

What 5 people do you want to tag?
Here's where I break the rules. If you are reading this and haven't done this one yet, go do it!

Thanks, Chapter 2 Manmi, for inviting me to participate!

Praise the Lord X2!

Today was a day of good news!

This afternoon I was able to confirm that the USCIS office in Port au Prince has received our updated fingerprints from the National Visa Center. Yeah!! Now, we need to get the boys home before August 23rd or we will have to redo the fingerprints. Redoing the fingerprints is not hard (but it does cost money). Getting it communicated to Haiti seems to be the hard part.

I also received an update today that our long form at MOI has been filled out. I really don't know how much longer to expect to be in MOI now that the long form is filled out, but at least we are moving along.

Oh, happy day!

Expired Puffs

When I was in Haiti last August a nightmare came true. My luggage didn't make it. I arrived on Monday and my luggage arrived late Thursday. I went home Friday. I truly learned how God provides on that trip! People were so generous.

Well, on Thursday night when I got my luggage I began distributing diapers and wipes and food items that I had brought for the boys, but didn't get to use. Among those items was a container of strawberry apple puffs. If you have toddlers, you probably know what I'm talking about. If not, it's a toddler food put out by Gerber. My boys love them.

Well, that night I was able to give everything away but the puffs. No one wanted them. As I sat at the dinner table with our group, I looked at the expiration date and exclaimed that surely our boys would be home before April 30, 2008 to eat them. The strangest thing happened then. The director of the orphanage heard what I said, looked at me, but made no comment. It struck me as odd then and I wonder now; did she know? Did she know they wouldn't come home by that date? I don't know. I certainly never imagined that my boys would still be in Haiti 9 months later. At that time we were supposedly awaiting judgment, but the following month we learned that we had never exited Parquet as we'd been told months earlier.

As I got ready to toss these puffs in the trash (as I've done with lots of other food) I remembered how certain I was that my boys would be home to eat them and they are not. Sometimes I just can't fathom that this is reality.

As I spent time quietly with God today I was reminded that my eyes need to stay focused on Him. It is easy for my eyes to wander toward the evil that surrounds this adoption. I sometimes stare it in the face and wonder how it is so. I become obsessed by it with such a strong desire to set right the wrongs. But the Lord has quietly shown me that it is His job to bring justice. And He will. We all have to account for our sins. Judgment day is real. I will have to face the Lord for the things I've done and so will those who have had a hand in the evil surrounding our adoption, whoever they are. God has allowed it, but He will deliver justice. So, tonight I choose to keep my eyes focused on Him. I will throw away the puffs and with it my anger and desire to focus on the evil.

May Photos and Updates

Elie (Samuel) is 32.75in. He sucks continually on his thumb. He talks but not clear enough to be understood. He is a very happy boy, outgoing and independent. He loves his brother dearly.

Elisée (Noah) sucks on his second finger. He hangs out with his brother more than he does with the others. He always intends to be escaping the nannies by going on the other side of the room. He is 33in.

'

Getting monthly update photos is always thrilling and sad at the same time. I love to see their little faces, but I hate to see them growing up more and more each month. This month we also got a quarterly update. If they looked a little more closely they'd see that Samuel wraps his thumb around his first finger and sucks on both. I often wonder if they hang out with each other and it does my heart good to hear that they love to be with one another.

'

Oh Lord, soon, please?

Two Years Ago Today

Two years ago today Chuck and I celebrated the arrival of our dossier (adoption paperwork) in Haiti. The timeline then was 8-15 months. We naively hoped for Christmas.

It had taken us 6 months to compile the dossier and we had committed to the boys in January, 4 months earlier. In case you're not into math, we started our paperwork 30 months ago, committed to the boys 28 months ago, and sent our dossier to Haiti 24 months ago.

My, oh my, what a long time ago that all was.

From my estimation, our best case scenario (unless, of course, God does something miraculous) is mid-August. I've gotten to the point that when people ask how much longer I don't even give them best case/worst case scenarios anymore.

Rather depressing, isn't it?

Yesterday...

First of all, thank you for the sweet comments left on my blog. You all inspire me and lift me up. (Well, most of you anyway. Some comments just don't get published and that's the truth.)

Anyway, yesterday was great! Church was good. Tear down (remember, we meet in a high school) was quick. We took Chuck's parents out to lunch at Chili's and I got to have one of my favorite salads. This is the first Mother's Day in years that we've actually spent with one of our Moms.

Chuck got me flowers and a new Dustbuster (I asked for it, really! And I'm super excited about it, too.) (My old one was literally taped together.) and an iTunes gift card.

I took a looooooooooong nap. It was rainy yesterday so it was perfect napping weather. Gracie, my favorite cat, totally snuggled with me for the entire nap. Even when I woke up she wasn't ready to quit snuggling. I love that!

And best of all - the Survivor season finale was on last night. I'm still in shock that Parvati won.

All in all, it was a great day. Not once was I sucked into self pity. Yay!

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to my mom and Chuck's mom and to all the moms out there that I know.

I pray that today was a wonderful day for you!

And for those of us waiting moms, I pray that you were blessed in a special way today and that this is the last Mother's Day you spend waiting.

Love,
Juli