Date night

This is Simeon's month for "date night". Each month both John and I take one of the kids out for a special night out, and we rotate. Tonight was Simeon's night. I love having lots of kids but I LOVE LOVE LOVE parent-child date nights! It is so special and fun to just have uninterrupted conversation with one child.



Simeon is a great kid. I am so proud of him. I learned a lot about him by accident recently when I read a book called "The Out of Sync Child". It was recommended to me by a physical therapist in order to prepare our family for any sensory disorder Ava may come with because of her disability, but also because of her confinement to an Eastern European orphanage with very little sensory stimulation from the outside world. While it was very informative, the real lesson I learned was about my son! He fit to a "T" every description of the "sensory seeker" child...always craving more and more stimulation. He loves hard back rubs, loud music, boa-constrictor hugs, always feels the need to take his shoes off and jump in the mud puddles instead of walking around them, enjoys hearing himself scream loud, enjoys spicy foods, touching EVERY surface he passes, whether it be at home or in the grocery store, and chews on his shirts (He really does).




He is indeed a "sensory seeker". I only wish I would have read this book earlier. I thought back to all the times I scolded him for grabbing everything in sight, pounding on tables, kicking toys out of his way instead of bending over and picking them up....and the loud piercing voice. OUCH. And "why do you insist on chewing your shirt?!" "Why must you swing your arms around like that?!" I hope I haven't damaged him too much. I wish I would have realized his NEED for sensory stimulation and offered him better alternatives. A snack to eat instead of the shirt. Kick the soccer ball outside instead of the water bottle around the kitchen, pound a hammer and nails into wood in the garage instead of the fist on the table, etc.



He is such a great kid, has such a sweet and sensitive heart. Tonight he pointed out a truck with two bumper stickers. One said, "I love Jesus", the other said, "Yes this is my truck. No, I won't help you move." He pointed out, "Mom, if they really loved Jesus, they wouldn't mind helping someone move."

What is that smell?

For the past several days there has been a stench coming from somewhere in the living room...or maybe the kitchen. It's hard to say. We do not have a mice problem to our knowledge, but it smells.... like a dead animal.

The picture above is of our pet Delilah. My Uncle Tom breeds kingsnakes, and gave us one on a whim one night. (By the way, if you consider yourself a compassionate person, perhaps a pet snake is not for you. Imagine my distress the next day when I found out that there is no such thing as "snake food" they way you buy dog food at Petsmart. NO. Snakes are carnivores. Duh. Snakes eat bunnies and mice. That means if you have a snake you have to FEED them little soft cuddly fuzzy baby mice. Live ones. Ugh.)

We do not have Delilah anymore. What happened to her, we have no idea. I walked in one day to see the cage lid lifted and the snake GONE. We have not seen her since. That was about 3 months ago. We do know she was quite the escape artist. Once we found the lid up, and Delilah under the boys bed, coiled around a fake rubber snake. It was so hilarious. I guess she thought she found her mommy.

Now three months later there is a bad smell in the living room.I am afraid the stench is.....Well, you get my drift. Don't tell the kids!

Welcome Home Xander

One of my new adoptive cyberfriends, who is a wonderful mom as well as an excellent writer, happened to adopt her son from the same orphanage where our sweet little Ava resides temporarily. My cyberfriend is Shelley, and I hope she doesn't mind me sharing her blog containing a beautiful photo slideshow of Xander's life and recent grafting into the Bedford family. I have watched this four times now, and of course I've cried every time, partly because I am so happy for their family and for Xander, and (I have to be honest here), partly because I just cannot wait until it is us and Ava experiencing it!

There are good things and bad things, I suppose, about being able to have photos of your someday-to-be-adopted child. I get to see her so many times a day, and visualize rocking her, holding her. Yet I have to experience the agony every day of seeing her cute little button nose, her little hands closed so tightly in a fist, her beautiful blue eyes, and my favorite part of her I admit is her soft little uni-brow....knowing that nobody is rocking her to sleep, stroking that cute little unibrow, admiring her beautiful eyes, and button nose, or loaning her a finger to grip. I just feel like I can't get there fast enough, and yet the Lord reminds me that His timing is perfect. John wrote the sweetest letter to Ava, that maybe she will be able to read someday. If not we will read it to her. We wish we could have had 4 years that seem wasted in a lonely crib, but we know He will let us make up for those years somehow.

So here is the link to Xander's welcome home video. I hope you enjoy it as I have. (P.S. The little boy in the red Reebok suit in the crib with Xander, is not a little boy at all. That is our sweet Ava, another reason why I have cried watching this. Xander is not there to stroke her little face and fingers anymore. I wonder if she worries about what happened to her little friend!)

When Jude grows up

About a week ago I was telling John how happy I was when Jude told me recently that he wants to be a pastor when he grows up. Simeon was overhearing this conversation and had a really worried and puzzled look on his face. I asked him what was wrong, and he said, "Mom, why would you be happy that Jude wants to be a 'gangster' when he grows up?!" Ah, the power of one syllable.

We have been praying specifically for two orphans in Eastern Europe. One is a little girl who was just on the verge of being adopted, and lost her family at the last minute (long story). The other is a little boy, who also has a mild disability, whose chances of being adopted have just dropped because two of his siblings were recently abandoned. The laws of the country are that orphaned sibling sets can't be separated. The chances of finding a family who would take 3 siblings, one of whom has special needs, are pretty slim. Both of these children face institutionalization if not adopted very, very soon.

So after we prayed for them tonight, Jude said, "Mom, when I grow up I want to start an orphanage. And I'm going to build a church inside the orphanage, and I'm going to be the pastor." I just started boohooing. I asked him if I can come work with him. I said, "You can preach, and I can change diapers and rock babies." He just grinned.

Ten Great Things About Adopting a Child With Special Needs

1. No surprises: You know from the start just how bad it might be.

Some parents adopt a child they think is perfectly healthy, only to find out down the road that there are serious problems. Adopting a child with identified special needs lets you hit the ground running.

2. Most special-needs parents don't have social workers coming by with suggestions.

Follow-ups and home visits may seem invasive and unnecessary, but since there's no getting out of them, use them to your advantage. See if you can actually get some useful advice on where to find services and support.

3. No guilt that your personal genes or prenatal care caused your child's problems.

Skip right over the grief or shame and go directly to getting the appropriate diagnosis and help.

4. Exempt from one-upmanship contests at adoption agency reunions.

You know those moms: the ones who are so invested in getting a perfect baby that they practically launch into a chorus of "Anything yours can do mine can do better!" You can sit out that competition, smug in your grasp of the important things in life.

5. Stick it to the insurance company!

Think of all the benefits you would have wasted if you'd adopted a healthy child! Might as well take that HMO for everything you can get.

6. If you get to the end of the day and everybody's alive, that was a good day.

Perhaps at one time you had goals for yourself -- exercising, reading, losing weight, getting your offspring ready for a good Ivy League college. Adopt a child with special needs, and your priorities will change for the simpler, pronto.

7. Typical child development? BO-ring!

Most moms just learn about whether to feed a cold or a fever. You'll learn enough to qualify you for a life experience degree in pediatrics.

8. Good chance that your child won't "get it" when people are rude about adoption.

"What happened to his real parents?" "Do you have any children of your own?" People say the darnedest things about adoption, often right in front of your child. If your child has special needs that affect her communication skills, she'll likely remain blissfully oblivious. (You should be so lucky.)

9. People will be under the impression that you're a saint -- HA!

Oh, sure, you'll want to set them straight, and swear that you're the blessee, not the blesser. They won't believe you. If only they knew!

10. Medical bills? Costly. Making a difference in the life of a child? Priceless.

If you want a perfect baby to complete some vision you have of your ideal family ... then, come to think of it, you probably shouldn't adopt at all. But if you want a truly transformative experience that will change you and your child into a new entity altogether -- a real, working, struggling, striving, conquering, all-for-one one-for-all team -- consider adopting a child with special needs. You'll make an enormous difference for your child, and your child will return the favor.

I loved this! I found it on about.com.

I personally would add a few other great things about adopting a child with special needs:

1. We get to work as a family to help her reach her full potential.
2. We get to live out the Scriptures every day...helping those in need, preferring others over ourselves, learning patience and perseverance, being thankful in all things.
3. We get to see giftings develop in our other children.
4. Our love multiplies!
5. A great excuse to get out of activities we didn't really want to be involved in anyway.
6. We get to experience what is really important in life.
7. I'll never have to go through "Empty Nest Sydrome".
8. We get to be Christ's hands and feet (Ps. 10:14 You are the helper of the fatherless)
9. We get to welcome Jesus (Mt. 18:5 Whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me)
10.A really great kid gets a chance at life!!!

November is National Adoption Month!! (an article from Family Life)

Why This Matters To God
The World's Waiting Children Matter
The numbers are staggering...More than 143 million orphans worldwide...every 14 seconds an AIDS death leaves another child orphaned...more than 800,000 children pass through America foster care system each year.

Yet, there is One who cares — our Father in heaven. Throughout the Bible, God shares his compassion, his love, and his special concern for the most vulnerable among us — the orphan. The world’s waiting children. Children with no father or mother to protect them, waiting for someone to care for them, someone to love them.

“Dispense true justice and practice kindness and compassion each to his brother; and do not oppress the widow or the orphan…”
— Zechariah 7:9-12
The Scriptures are clear that the Lord gives the family of God the responsibility to care for the orphan's needs — to love and protect them. In fact, God's concern for orphans is so central to his plan for us here on earth that he inspired James to write: "Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world," (James 1:27)

Why would God tell us that caring for orphans is "pure and undefiled religion"?

Maybe it’s because the world sees God’s heart when he works through his people to help the helpless. And maybe it’s because caring for orphans is such a perfect picture of our relationship with God. In our inability to please God in our own efforts, in our utter helplessness to initiate a relationship with him, we are more like orphans and strangers than we like to admit.

It’s time for the body of Christ to step up. The urgent needs of orphans around the world are calling the Christian community today to a radical faith. One church, one family, one person can make a difference.

Today God is stirring the hearts of his people to this incredible need and opportunity. There is a movement of an increasing number of churches and evangelical organizations worldwide who are coming together as one voice to not only raise awareness but more importantly to mobilize the body of Christ to take action on behalf of the orphan.

“Vindicate the weak and fatherless; do justice to the afflicted and destitute. Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them out of the hand of the wicked.”
— Psalm 82:3-4

Boys

My friend Jill, with 2 boys, sent me this, and we laughed as we both could relate to so much of this. BOYS! My boys discovered that if they run really fast after pushing the garage door opener, they could make it in time to grab on to the bottom of the garage door, which would carry them up to the ceiling. This was really fun until the garage door fell off the hinges! Once I walked outside to see Simeon with his hands behind his back bending over to pick up a sharp-pointed stick (one that was whittled to a point on both ends), sticking out of the ground. He was trying to pick the sharp point of the ground...with his teeth, mouth opened wide leaning over the sharp point. It's all fun and games until somebody gets hurt.

P.S. If you have a boy story, PLEASE SHARE.

And you also find out interesting things when you have sons, like...

1. A king size waterbed holds enough water to fill a 2000 sq. ft. house
4 inches deep.

2. If you spray hair spray on dust bunnies and run over them with roller
blades, they can ignite.

3. A 3-year old Boy's voice is louder than 200 adults in a crowded
restaurant.

4. If you hook a dog leash over a ceiling fan, the motor is not strong
enough to rotate a 42 pound Boy wearing Batman underwear and a Superman
cape. It is strong enough, however, if tie d to a paint can, to spread
paint on all four walls of a 20x20 ft. room.

5. You should not throw baseballs up when the ceiling fan is on. When
using a ceiling fan as a bat, you have to throw the ball up a few times
before you get a hit. A ceiling fan can hit a baseball a long way.

6. The glass in windows (even double-pane) doesn't stop a baseball hit
by a ceiling fan.

7. When you hear the toilet flush and the words "uh oh", it's already
too late.

8. Brake fluid mixed with Clorox makes smoke, and lots of it.

9. A six-year old Boy can start a fire with a flint rock even though a
36-year old Man says they can only do it in the movies.

10. Certain Lego's will pass through the digestive tract of a 4- year old
Boy.

11. Play dough and microwave should not be used in the same sentence.

12. Super glue is forever.

13. No matter how much Jell-O you put in a swimming pool you still can't
walk on water.

14. Pool filters do not like Jell-O.

15. VCR's do not eject "PB & J" sandwiches even though TV commercials
show they do.

16. Garbage bags do not make good parachutes.

17. Marbles in gas tanks make lots of noise when driving.

18. You probably DO NOT want to know what that odor is.

19. Always look in the oven before you turn it on; plastic toys do not
like ovens.

20. The fire department in Austin , TX has a 5-minute response time.

21. The spin cycle on the washing machine does not make earthworms dizzy.

22. It will, however, make cats dizzy.

23. Cats throw up twice their body weight when dizzy.


24. 80% of Women will pass this on to almost all of their friends, with
or without kids.

25. 80% of Men who read this will try mixing the Clorox and brake fluid.

This photo was taken by my brother Jason just a few weeks ago in Kenya.

A note from Meru, Kenya

Someone has asked for an update from my parents as they are in Meru, Kenya for the next several weeks and have no way to update their blog (vicariouslytogether.blogspot.com). This is the only email we have received, as internet access is obviously difficult to find. They do have a cell phone that can receive text messages, if you would like to contact them, leave a comment and I can tell you how to do that.

We have been comfortable in the arrangements for sleeping under a
mosquito net. The local clinic reports that 1-3 cases of Malaria come
daily to receive medications. This is the rainy season and the female
mosquitoes, here called Mosqweetos..are in full vigor.
Saturday a group of 50 children were fed, who were orphaned because of
HIV/AIDS. We have been astounded by the amount of HIV positive
individuals who have no hope but a painful death. Some of the obvious
lack of energy or mental alertness might be connected to a very poor
protein diet.
A great surpise for us was to find a stash of 42 new books written in
English, on topics related to Africa. These books were passed out at a
pastor’s conference to workers etc. Our local leader came home with
Amazon.com value of $1,000 worth of text’s, concordances, study
Bibles, Maps, written by Kenyans, scholars, some from Zondervan,
Navigator
Press etc. It was sad and shameful these books were in a box, some
still
in their plastic wrap, and none of the English speaker school teachers
had
read about the AIDS threat, the encroaching Islam menace. It was
enlightening to read of the Christian Historic movement in Sudan,
Ethiopia
and some of the Kingdoms like the Aztec Kingdom of Mexico, some with
evidence of awareness of Jewish and Christian principles.
The ongoing clash and conflict of HOW TO HELP PEOPLE rages in my mind.

Like the Katrina victims, some still want FEMA to give them a place to
stay, feed them and send their kids to school. AT WHAT POINT have you
stopped helping people and begin to HURT them. So the Thraka people
teaching their children to READ AND WRITE Thraka…when no books but
the
Bible exist in their language? How will they read manuals of VISTA
WINDOWS FOR DUMBIES? Interestingly the history of Africa there was a
King who wanted his tribe to learn Greek, to read the Wisdom of Athens!
We wanted to fix the road, filling up the potholes, which a small
Volkswagen would fit, and with pick and shovel, put dirt and gravel in
the low spots! NOT WITHOUT a permit from the local Chief. A small
town
has a barrier, pole and they taxed anyone bearing luggage, bags of
produce going to market. Everyone justified the taxing, saying it was
to
fix roads, but none of the roads we traveled seemed to be fixed.
I road on the back of a motorcycle Tuesday to catch the City Bus. The
guy who collected tickets offered me a better seat, and I thought I
would
like riding on the HUMP of the wheel well, with a beautiful view of the
country side. The driver went 74 miles per hour on country roads, with
potholes and slime pits, I realized the conductor taking tickets was
wise
in suggesting I sit anyplace except on top of a wheel well in a vehicle
with no suspension and no springs.
We drove on the wrong side of the road, and honked for cattle pulling
sleds to get out of our way. I don’t think any ride at Disney or
Magic
Kingdom would give the thrill of riding on a bus with Swahili music
blaring full blast.
Three times I’ve been to the larger city, and all times the servers
were
down. I keep trying to calibrate a handset with my laptop which will
allow me to go to a browser on the Internet. I waited 6 minutes for
the
full page of Yahoo to open up. Since people pay per mega that is
downloaded, it just takes time.
People sing while they work. Most men wear suit coats, even field
workers. I think the image of preachers with coat and tie, they
connected
suit coats to respectful images. I saw a gardener working his field
with
worn and tattered suit coats.
I took pictures yesterday, and all of the kids were black, and all had
the same uniform on. I asked them each to pose holding a bucket, a
mop,
standing next to a wall, a tree, a bike so I could emphasize
individuality.
Every morning they play drums, and I took their hymnal and starting
singing Standing on the Promises… DUMO…DUMO. And they all lit up
and
smiled. Funny how when you learn to say something in a language that
they cherish, it strikes a cheerful note.
I’ve found many religiously minded businessmen, the Hand of God
Cyber
Café..his initials are HOG Cyber. Many Bible Texts. I wished he
would
have been more knowledgeable and could get my laptop connected to their
Internet, After 4 Cyber Shops and 4 technicians, one of them removed
all
of my Anti Virus which did not please me.
We are learning our own limitations, and that these people are much
healthier than black people in Chicago who have Diabetes…here there
is
none, and I have YET to find anyone with a weight problem. They are
all
very slim, lanky and thin.
Charissa Urban at charissaurban@yahoo.com has found a Prefix, a
Country
Code and a number she can send text messages to us. Send her an email
and she can get this to you if you want to pop us a note.
God has a plan for Africa, and the Thraka people are part of his
diadem
of his crown. Meanwhile, we have been called to LOVE, and SERVE and we
thank you for your prayers for us as we experience different sounds,
different smells, different colors..
There is a mongoose family that runs through the trees at night with a
bark. When we have gotten up early we see them playing running up and
down fence posts, frolicking.
The Wild Life that used to roam these plains is now protected in a
National Park 40 miles away. No wild life, large game, is left, my
friend says it is because they are all very good hunters. They did a
good job and hunted it all.
Trees vanished, mahogany trees once were more evident. I see outhouses
and fence posts with the wood that is considered semi precious in the
USA.
It would be a college education in sociology for anyone to just come
and
hang out and learn from these people. I think being here for an
extended
time allows us to get to feel their pain and their joys. Last night
their leader was burdened as a staff member had taken upon himself to
be
like Americans, and just go ‘live with his girl friend’ and not
respect
the tribal customs of getting the parents blessing with the church.
Yesterday my technician visiting informed me that the monitors on a
computer adjust themselves, but he wanted to tweak the program to
adjust
the size. I can’t remember the last time I opened up a Windows 95
on a
computer, and all 8 women were spell bound with the phenomena of a
computer which ran off of a power plant.

ADOPTION UPDATE!

Just kidding! I wish. Still just waiting, and waiting and waiting....and waiting. Ho hum. Tweedle dee. Waiting is so boring. I can't believe it's only been 9 days since we submitted to the SDA. Seems like much longer.

I have been spending a lot of time at the computer waiting for that long awaited email to come announcing our travel date. Thus all the recent blogging, and picture downloading. No email. I'll check again in 5 minutes.

Meet Bliss

This is Bliss, our golden retriever. 12 years ago on my birthday, John walked into our first apartment carrying a little golden furball with a pink ribbon around her neck. If there had been blogs 12 years ago, this blog would have been solely devoted to Bliss. We used to take her out for fast food, waterskiing at the lake, ice skating on the pond in the winter, swimming, camping, on family trips. We even took her to a photo studio to have her pictures taken professionally!!! (I can't believe I just admitted that). She went in the car with us everywhere and we opened the sun roof so she could stick her head out the top and let her jowls and ears flap in the wind. (For some reason that is really fun for a dog). My brother made fun of me for putting diapers on her, and bathing her once a week....in my bathtub.

Look at her now. How things have changed. The vet said her thyroid is low. Maybe that's why she lays around all the time. Or maybe because she's old. Maybe because she has arthritis. Who knows? (I confess, I didn't buy the thyroid replacement or spend $85 on an x-ray) One thing I know though is that she is happy, and she has been the best dog anybody could ever ask for. Isn't it obvious?

P.S. I just learned that red-eye removal does not work on dogs.

Candy Sculptures

There's more than one way to get rid of Halloween candy....Candy sculptures! Notice there are no Snickers Bars, Milky Ways, M&M's or Reece's Peanut Butter cups on this "candy castle". Hmmmm. I know they were in the bags a couple of days ago...I'm not sure where they went! (Wink) Oh well, there are plenty of Tootsie Rolls, Dum Dums and Smarties to do the job. :)

Anyone selling a limo?

Jude told me that once Ava gets here it's going to be pretty squished in the back seat of the Suburban. He said we need to buy a limo. Anyone have a limo they're wanting to get rid of? :)

He's so cute I can hardly stand it!

CHRISTMAS ANGEL TREE

Starting today, you will be able to sponsor the adoption of one of THESE BEAUTIFUL ANGELS. Click on 2007 Christmas Angel Tree Project, then Waiting Angels Gallery, to see photos of the children who are still praying every night for a family.

When we "picked" Ava, she came with a grant of $1005. With grant money, the chances of an orphaned child getting adopted really multiplies. These kids depend on people like you and me to help them find a forever family! I am thankful for Andrea, who helped us find our sweet Ava, and for which ever person or persons felt led in their heart to donate towards her adoption. We are living proof that these grants really help! For a $35 donation you will receive a beautiful photo ornament of your child. What a beautiful gift this would be for your mother-in-law, an aunt, grandparents, you know, those people who already have everything they need. How about a Secret Santa gift, or a gift for someone you know who happens to have or happens to love someone who has Down Syndrome! I really hope someone who reads my blog today would give a desperate orphaned child this wonderful gift. Keep in mind that the older children (3 and up) are most at risk for being moved to a mental institution and never having a chance for a family. These two children, Vadim and Varsha, will be hanging on our Christmas tree this year. This will remind us to pray them, and for a family to say "Yes" to the call of adoption.

A conversation between two kids

I love eavesdropping on kids' conversations.

This is one that took place in the back of the Suburban on the way home from school.

Simeon: Hope, look at my beetle pupae, they're baby beetles.
Hope: Oh. Can I hold the baby beetles?
Simeon: No, because they're for my homework. I don't want you to squish them.
Hope: Pease? I won't 'quish them. I p'omise.
Simeon: No, you can't hold them.
Hope: Fine, then, I won't be your brother anymore.

This reminded me of another backseat conversation I heard a few years back between Liesel and Simeon. They were around 3 and 5. I don't remember what they were arguing about, but I clearly remember Liesel ending it by saying, "FINE THEN, I'M NOT GONNA MARRY YOU ANYMORE!"

We are blessed

And so are you. Take this test to see just how so.

Click here

We got excited about the thought of plucking Ava up from the poorest of the poor and moving her in with the richest of the rich....Just like Jesus did for us!

We in America have so much, so much that we take it for granted. Consider sharing some of your extra with someone in need.

The Urbans love orphans

We had a meeting at the Little Lighthouse tonight which will be Ava's future school. It was an informational meeting for parents of newly diagnosed children with special needs who are on the waiting list for their child to attend there.

We had to miss all 3 soccer practices tonight in order to be there. The kids were a little disappointed about missing practice, but got really excited when we told them why we would be missing practice. I told them there was a meeting at Ava's new school, and there would be childcare. Jude asked (of course it would be Jude asking), "Mom, do we get to play with a bunch of orphan kids?"

My special hiding place

About 2 or 3 months ago, John gave me a great idea. He suggested I put my purse on top of the refrigerator where Hope can't reach it, since she loves my gum and my lip gloss so much. You know, remove the temptation. So I thought this was so brilliant that I put Simeon's pocket knives, special snacks, plus anything else special that I don't want her to find.

Today when I reached up to grab my purse off the top of the refrigerator, I saw that Hope now has her own "stash" of things to protect up there. She had her little purse, a few dimes and nickels, her tiny pink Bible (thanks Aunt Donita-every one of my kids has treasured their little personalized pink and blue bibles), and her prized tube of lipgloss that she earned by sleeping all night in her own bed. I'm not sure who she is hiding these things from. I just thought it was SO funny. No wonder I keep finding the barstool right smack in front of the refrigerator!

A letter from John

This was so sweet it made me cry. John wanted to be the one who made our adoption announcement to my extended family members (by email). He wouldn't let me read it until after it was already sent. So here is what he wrote:

There is a new little Urban on the way...

We know the gender. Its a girl!

We've even seen pictures of her using a normal camera.
In fact, she's already on this earth waiting for her forever family to take her home. We even have a name for her.. Ava Alina Grace Urban.

She is a special person, but then again aren't we all.
She has some special needs, and again, don't we all.

She has a smile that just brightens the room.
She has a heart, that although may need a little adjusting, is ready to give every Rovenstine the biggest hug you've ever had.

Her eyes, needing a little adjusting, are some of the most beautiful eyes you've ever seen.

She's a gem. A priceless gold nugget that Jesus thinks is worth traveling half way across the globe for [James 1:27].
She's going to bring life, joy and great love to our home.

We hope you will welcome, love, accept and hug her true Rovenstine protocol. She's going to bless you, I promise.

John Urban - Simeon, Liesel, Jude, Hope and Ava's dad.

Scooby and "The Gang"

My Mini-Me

Missing her...

Waiting is for the birds! There is waiting with every pregnancy, but you get to feel your baby kicking you all day, and you spend your days wondering who he or she will look like, whether they'll have blue eyes or brown, or green, blonde hair, brown, or no hair at all, as was the case with two of mine, and you have a general idea of when you will get to meet for the first time.

With adoption the waiting is different. I have seen my child! I have seen her, and I have fallen in love with her, but never had the chance to hold her. I see her picture on the magnet board, in my Bible, on the phone, on the refrigerator, on the computer, I see her every day but I can't pick her up and love on her.

I used to worry about whether I could love an adopted child as much as I love my biological children, and the answer is yes. I know, because I already do! I went in to mommy mode the moment I laid eyes on her. John went into Daddy mode the very same day. There are 4 brothers and sisters here that CANNOT wait to meet our sweet Ava.

As I prayed for her tonight, I said, "Lord I just miss her! Please let us be able to go soon and get her!" And then I realized what I had said, and I wondered, is it possible to miss somebody you have never met before? I guess it is!

Orphan-eggs

I overheard a conversation today between Hope and her cousin Sebastian who is very close to the same age. She was saying, "Sebastian, guess what? We get to adopt Ava!"

Sebastian said, "Where is Ava?"

Hope said, "In the orphan-eggs".

I can only imagine what she believes this "orphan-egg" place to look like!

Something fun to do...

....Purchase a wheelchair for a person who is bedridden in Guatemala! I have been following

THIS MAN'S BLOG

for several weeks now, and I have been amazed, touched, inspired by what he is doing for disabled adults and children, many of them orphans, in Guatemala. I was born in Guatemala to missionaries, so maybe that is also why this is so dear to my heart.

Our finances are tight right now, as we are saving up for adoption travel expenses coming up soon. But I believe what this man is doing for the needy and hurting people of the world is true christianity. I am totally excited about helping to provide a wheelchair to someone (like the 12 year old boy who has never walked and can't leave his bed). What a mission, and what a beautiful demonstration of the love of Christ. I am hoping someone who reads this post today would be inspired to do the same!

When you have writer's block....

Just post a cute video of one of your kids!

Some of my favorite families...

I always thought computers were from the devil until I discovered the wonder of "Yahoo Groups". There is a little Yahoo group called Reece's Rainbow, a group of families who have adopted, are considering adopting, or are in the process of adopting a child or children with Down Syndrome and other special needs. I LOVE THIS GROUP! (I wish someone could invent a way to get us all together for a cup of coffee too). Some of these moms I just know by name, and some by their pictures and names, and I have a feeling one day soon I will get to meet a couple of them in person. It is through the courage of these moms, some of whom have multiple children with DS, that our family has been inspired to adopt a child with special needs. These are just a few of the families that I have pictures of. There are many more in the group. Aren't they beautiful?

Here is a link with pictures of other children and families who have recently adopted or been adopted. These pictures always bring tears to my eyes, considering the would-have-been fate for many orphans with disabilities in other countries. These kids have families now! Forever families! So take a look and enjoy these sweet pictures as I have many, many times. I like to imagine what our "Family Homecoming Picture" will look like on this very link in just a few short months!

Thus saith....Hope

Hope has picked up on my tricks. When I need her to do something, say brush her teeth for example, I'll say, "The dentist said that the moms have to brush the toddlers' teeth for them." When buckling her in the car and she doesn't want to sit in her seat, I blame it on the policemen. At the grocery store I blame the Walmart lady, and most everything else....Jesus. :)

So last night when I was tucking her into bed, telling her she is going to sleep ALL night in her own bed, like all the animals do, she said, "But Mom, the dentist said that Moms and Dads need to let their toddlers get in their beds."

Pretty clever! Reminded me of the time 4 yr. old Simeon opened the Bible, pointed to the page, and said, "Look Mom. The Bible says: 'Moms and Dads, let your boys play in the mud.' "

I have tried using prizes to get Hope to stay in her bed. Her favorite, lipgloss. I promised her pink lipgloss if she slept in her own bed all night. She was so excited, she said she PROMISED she would sleep in her own bed all night. About 3 am (I guess I was too out of it), John said she climbed up in bed, kissed me on the cheek, went to the kitchen and got a drink, and then came to inform me that she didn't care about the lipgloss anymore. She preferred sleeping with ME over having her very own tube of lipgloss. Imagine that. I am loved.

Oh well, I have to admit she IS pretty sweet and snuggly, and she doesn't snore, so I'm not sure why I'm complaining. Like they say, I'm sure when she's 13 we won't be having this "problem" anymore.

Buddy Walk

There are many things I never knew before becoming the soon-to-be-mother of a daughter with Down Syndrome. One of those things is that the month of October is National Down Syndrome Awareness month. There are many ways people celebrate National DS awareness Month, and one of those ways is the Buddy Walk. The Buddy Walk helps to promote the acceptance and inclusion of people with DS, and helps to raise funds for education, research and advocacy programs for people with DS.

So our family participated in our first Buddy Walk today. What a beautiful celebration it was! We only wished that our "buddy" was there to walk with us (I wish she could walk, for that matter!). We pinned Ava's picture to our shirts, and had some opportunities to pass out Reeces Rainbow cards.

In honor of Down Syndrome Awareness month, I am posting links to two businesses that are operated by young people with Down Syndrome. One is a company that makes quilts and blankets, the other sells individual packages of ready-to-make homemade cookies. We have hope for Ava's future when we hear stories like this. Please take a look:

Simply Adorable Blankets

and

Creekside Cookies and More

Maybe you can think of some Christmas presents to order from one of these great businesses!!

An actual conversation with my son (age 9)

Son: "Mom, do I have a bruise on my back?"
Mom: "Yes. Why, what happened?"
Son: "Noah threw a rock at me."
Mom: "Why did he throw a rock at you?"
Son: "Because I threw a rock at him."
Mom: "Why did you throw a rock at him?"
Son: "Because it's fun! It was a rock-throwing contest. We were trying to see who could throw the hardest."

(I will never, ever EVER understand what could possibly be "fun" about a rock-throwing contest. I guess that's why I'm a girl.)

A joke that Liesel (age 7) made up

What do you call a mystery that a bed needs to solve?

-A pillow "case"

HA HA HA HA HA! I don't care who you are, THAT was funny!

You might be a redneck if.....

Your kids drag a mattress from the garage to the front yard to do flips on for Fall Break entertainment....then chase Walmart bags around after letting them go into the wind.

GOOD NEWS-Dossier on its way overseas!

Our checklist for adoption:

1. Choose child-DONE
2. Get passports-DONE
3. Complete I-600A (orphan petition through Immigration)- DONE
4. Complete home study- DONE
5. Federal fingerprints- DONE
6. Complete dossier (all the collected forms and paperwork, plus official application to the foreign government)-DONE
7. INS approval received-DONE (This means we have passed the test, and we have been approved to adopt internationally)
8. Apostille (fancy term for official certification) dossier, and mail overseas-DONE
9. Wait for in-country appointment date
10. Travel to meet our Ava!

Another special girl

When we asked for donations for our adoption fundraiser garage sale, people were so generous! We made over $2,000 in one Saturday! I am attaching a couple of pictures from our garage sale, so you can both laugh, AND rejoice with us for God's blessings. We also had a couple of people, including neighbors, who gave us monetary donations, even though we had said all along we would trust God for the finances WITHOUT asking our friends for money! And, out of the blue one day we received an email from some people we did not know, nor had we even heard of them before. They had heard about our plans to adopt a child with special needs even though we had none of our own. This couple felt led to bless a christian family who was taking a step of faith in the area of adoption, and donated $4,000 towards our adoption!!! Talk about answers to our prayers. We really had thought we would have to sell a vehicle, or downsize our house, or have John pick up some extra hours, but none of those were the case. We were so blown away!

I said all of that to say this....I have heard several people comment that they have considered adoption, but "couldn't afford it". We have witnessed firsthand that when you do take that step of faith, even though you have NO idea where the money is going to come from, but you take the first step, KNOWING God will provide....HE WILL. Every day since we have said 'yes' to this wild adventure He offered us, called adoption, we have sensed His goodness, His pleasure, His guidance, His peace, and His provision...and we have never been more fulfilled. We truly believe with all our hearts that He wants His followers to care for His sheep (Remember, Jesus repeated Himself three times to Peter?), and I believe orphans are a large majority of those sheep. If you can't adopt or don't feel "called" to adopt, at least consider helping another family who is. Adoption can be messy, and expensive and frankly downright hard, and what better way to cheer someone on than to support them with your finances.

To the upper right there is a "button" with a little white and grey monkey on it. Another family in the adoption realm that I have gotten acquainted with (via world-wide-web) is in the process of adopting a little girl from the same country where we are adopting from. The Cornishes are a beautiful little family with two children, the younger of whom has Down Syndrome. They are in the process of adding their third child through adoption. Her name is Aleksa, she is 5, and she has Down Syndrome as well. (If you scroll way down to the bottom of their site you can see her). If you spend any time on their blog, their love for Jesus is evident, and their joy in being obedient to Him. Please take a look and purchase one of these adorable monkeys.

Maybe I shouldn't mention that I have entered a contest to win one of these darling little monkeys for Ava (of course she'll want the cute little pink one to go with her pink headbands). I don't know how Meredith is picking her winner (Pick me! Pick me!), but help the Cornishes, and help Ava's chances...by buying one!!

I love pink!

As soon as I can get my hands on that girl, she'll be out of that red and black boy's jumper and covered in pink from head to toe. Does anyone know how to make pretty head bands and hair bows? Some instructions please? At least until she grows some hair on that pretty little head of hers!

The art of being content

Today we have been talking to the kids about learning to be content. We have pointed out all of our many blessings, and tried to drill in the fact that we don't have to have 24 Webkinz just because somebody at school does. We can gladly share our stuff, because stuff isn't that important to us. And if a sibling gets candy at church, we don't need to ask if we can have some too. We can rejoice when others have something to rejoice over. And we can express gratitude even when the outcome isn't exactly what we expect.

We had a late lunch today, so dinner was just a simple meal of green chili and tomato quesadillas. John's prayer for the meal was especially long, as he was trying to prove the point we had been driving in all day about having gratitude. He expressed his gratitude for his wife who prepared the meal, and prayed for Ava and the other kids at the orphanage who were probably eating mush for dinner tonight, and he thanked the Lord for the farmers who work hard and risk losing their fingers when they harvest the wheat and the corn, and the tomatoes, and green chilies that we were about to partake of. And of course, thanked the Lord for the dairy farmer who provided the delicious cheese. And he thanked God for such a beautiful day with his family today, at the zoo, and the sweet lady who we visit at the nursing home every Sunday. When he finished and said, "Amen", and everybody opened their eyes, Jude said.....

"Is this all there is to eat tonight?!"

John and I cracked up. Strangely enough, nobody else at the table got the joke!

Footprints on the ceiling

Someone asked for photos of the completed fort beds...Here they are. The whole reason this project started was because one of the boy's bed frames broke and I had been trying to find some bunk beds at garage sales. When I couldn't find any I liked, John suggested he make them. I hate to say that I wasn't too confident at first in his ability to "make" a set of bunk beds, but I think I am married to a genius of a man to come up with this design in his head and put it together from scratch!

Fort beds have been so fun! There are advantages and disadvantages of fort beds, though.

Advantages
-No more clutter hiding under the bed
-Easy to vacuum the room
-No more stubbing toes on the metal frame
-FUN!
-More space to play
-Great space for reading under the bed
-Cool to show to the neighbor kids
-A fun project for dad and sons

Disadvantages
-Footprints on the ceiling
-Harder to make beds (but who cares, you can't see them anyway)
-A lot of thumping feet in the middle of the night
-Hard to carry a sleeping 6-yr. old from the couch to his bed
-Hard to tell when the sheets are dirty and need to be washed (Is that an advantage or a disadvantage?)
-Contrary to what we thought, it doesn't keep kids from crawling in bed with mom and dad early in the morning :)

Reece's Rainbow

Boys......Will be Boys

Hope's prayer

Every day this is Hope's prayer:

Thank you Jesus for Mommy, Daddy, Simeon, Jude, Liesel, Hope, Ava, and Bliss. Help Ava to have a nice mommy and daddy and help Ava to have a great trip on the airplane.

In Jesus name, Amen.

Ecosystems

I thought this was funny. I was looking over Simeon's homework papers. He missed 3 problems. One of the ones he missed was:

Question: What would you like to learn about ecosystems?

His answer: I don't really want to learn anything about ecosystems.

(Shouldn't he at least get half credit for being honest?)