Good bye 2008!

Good-bye to this year. The year that we decided to pursue adoption and had no idea the wild ride we'd be on. The year we learned that we would have a little boy someday. The year that God opened our hearts to children with special needs and showed us the beauty of all children and all people.

Although there have been a lot of tears this year over the daughter we'd never have, biological or adoptive, there have been tears of joy over of our new son. I know God has really been opening my eyes to people with all types of special needs, and I am learning to see the beauty in all people. This is spilling over into my teaching career, my dealings with the public, and the way I view life in general. We are all created to be unique and beautiful in our own way.

In 2009, I am looking forward to so many things. My little Kacie will be 8 in June--how did that happen? We hope to get our Tyson in June too, sooner God willing, but in His perfect time. I also plan to stop working as a National Board Facilitator so that I can focus more on my family and my school. Have I mentioned that I love my school? Well, I love my school. God blessed me with a great place to work. Working as a National Board Certification Facilitator has been a great opportunity, but I want to make more of a difference in my school building rather than on a district/state level. Time is one thing I don't have, so when something else goes on the plate, something else comes off!

With that, keep Tyson in your prayers! Thank you, and Happy New Year!

Package Received on Christmas Eve

I just returned from a nice Christmas Eve with Dan's family. They really are very loving people, and we talked about how this would be my last "sit down" Christmas for awhile! Tyson will be A 2 year old next year running wild, I'm sure.

I came home to an email from red thread, and Tyson has received his package. I hope they take pictures so I can pick up the camera when we get him and have 18 month photos. I wish I could get photos now! But, I'll take knowing he got the package. I hope he knows that there is a family waiting to love him and give him a great home. Merry Christmas everyone!

Referral Picture! Meet Tyson

Here's the picture we fell in love with! We think he's about 11 months in this photo, as it is post lip surgery. His DOB is 6/22/07. We think he's adorable and we can't wait to get him home!

Snowed in 12/23

I am snowed in, again. My neighbor couldn't even get her van from her driveway to our road without really spinning her wheels. I was so worried, as it is a BIG van, and I surely couldn't push it by myself. Am I done Christmas shopping? That's a big NEGATIVE! We have Kacie's gifts. Nephews are done. Others, not so much. This kind of weather just doesn't hit our area like this for weeks at a time....it just doesn't! This is so bizarre. At least there is no school this week, and we only have 2 days to make up from last week. Hopefully I'll be in China and not have to worry about it in June. I know several of you are praying for us, and for that we are eternally grateful. As I prayed the other day, God revealed clearly to me that He will be caring for Tyson while we wait for him. It was so reassuring! Please help us cover Tyson, his orphanage, and caretakers all in prayers. Thank you!

Picture of the package

Snow day and update!

Snow day! We missed school Monday and today (Friday). We had late starts Tuesday and Thursday. We might get a day or two of this weather once in a while, but this cold for this long is very rare, and we are just not equipped to fully deal with this much snow and cold weather where we live. It's not worth the cities and counties having snow plows for the 2x in a lifetime they would get used. I hope to get some pics up soon.

As for Tyson, he has grown a little more, not a lot more, but a little. I'm worried about him not getting enough to eat, he is soooooo tiny! He is now 18 months. He is in the 3rd percentile for height and below the chart for height. The orphanage will not release any pictures to Ann at Red Thread (she is so nice by the way and I highly recommend her; Adele at Blessedkids is good too, but my orphanage wouldn't give her anything at all; Ann got measurements). We know he has 7 teeth. He's just tiny, all the way around. But, if there's one thing that 's not a shortage in my house, it's food! He'll gain weight like crazy between getting home and surgery. This process is way too long.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Finally ordered the Care Package!

Finally! Did you know that when you use paypal for the first time, you have to wait for a 4 digit code on your cc statement before you can use it? Or maybe it was just me, but I couldn't order it until I had the code. So finally today the code showed up, and I made the order! I am using redthread, and it's a lady named Ann who puts together the package and sends it from inside China. I doubt our little guy will get it before Christmas, but at least he will get it. Since this is the first of many packages, I sent: a book, a stuffed animal, a disposable camera that we will get when we get to China, a blanket, and then tea and cookies for the staff. I am so happy he will get some stuff. I plan to do another package next month for Chinese New Year, and I will include a family picture for him so he recognizes us when we get there.

We faxed the I-800A approval yesterday, and I had to drive in compact snow and ice to do it. School was cancelled, which was plan A for faxing, and I wasn't driving into town to fax it, so I asked my wonderful friend if I could use her fax machine, and she of course said yes! (It's amazing...not one person has turned us down for help in our journey to adopt little Tyson. Everyone has been incredible!) So I was driving to her house down one of the little side roads in our neighborhood, and as I turned a corner to go up a hill, I made it half way up the hill, and my tires spun and spun, yet we went no where! So I safely backed my car to the side of the road and Kacie and I walked to our friends' house, paperwork in hand as we stepped carefully to not slip and fall. Oh the stories we'll have to tell Tyson!

I-800A Approval

Yes yes yes!!! 12/8/08 officially. Still a few hurdles, but we are hopefully traveling in June!
Jolene

Still no news

I am so sad today. What was supposed to be "in the next few days" has now been a week without an I-800A approval. My little boy is in an institution, and I can't do anything about it, and no one seems to care. My dossier will not be in China before the end of December without a miracle. I know it's in God's perfect timing, but I don't understand why my little Tyson has to stay in an orphanage so long when all we want is to get him home and help him thrive and live a good life. I just don't get it.

We've been assigned an officer!

One step closer...I called NBC this morning (National Benefits Center of USCIS) and our I800A paper work is now on someone's desk! Yay! We have an officer assigned to our case. I'm praying that we'll hear something by Friday.