We are happy to announce that we received a phone call last week to let us know that we are invited to come spend our first moments with our twin boys! We are invited to be in Haiti from June 11-15th. It is a relatively short trip, but we are looking forward to soaking up every moment.
We will be flying out of Sioux Falls some time on the 10th and heading to either Miami or Ft. Lauderdale. We will then jump on a plane and head to Port-au-Prince early the morning of the 11th. We are busily trying to make sure that we have all of the immunizations that we need and are beginning to discuss whether to bring Aftyn, Haley and Aiden along on this first trip. I spoke with Erin today and found out that we could bring them along this time if we could work that out. Most of the time will be spent at the hotel with the twins and it would be wonderful bonding time all together. It would also give the kids a chance to see why it is that we are making this choice and for them to have a taste of the twins' culture.
We hope that we will have confirmed our plans in the next day or two so we can get the rest of the pieces lined up. Please pray for clarity in this decision and for wisdom in our planning.
The most recent update that we received on the twins shared the following:
The boys are well. Boy A was sick last week into this week, but seems to be doing better right now. Boy 1 is MOVING everywhere! They are both eating well, and growing. I don't think there are any teeth yet...but I should check.
We can't wait until we can check on these things on our own. I have a feeling that we will take 5,000 pictures just to capture as many moments as we can. I am really looking forward to spending time as a family!
Thank you for your prayers,
Rebecca
Monday, April 30, 2012
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
April 2012 Update
We are going to be receiving monthly updates on the boys to give us an idea of how they are doing and to get the updates on their growth and development! (Not to mention the adorable photos that accompany the updates!) Before I go into the updates, though, I think it is important to mention how precious it has been to be able to share our boys with our families and friends! We are so thankful for them and the future that we will have together, and it is such a joy to share that with everyone!
The message we received yesterday was brief but sweet. It said (and I apologize for not being able to share their names at this point):
Little Boy #1-Spent some time recovering from diarrhea, but that didn't stop his sweet smile. He didn't gain weight this month, but he's become more active.
Little Boy #A(Craig won't let me label him #2 because he needs to be at the top of his list too)- Continues to move all over the room using his sweet commando crawl. He's working to push himself up on all 4's to continue the movement. He grew a lot this last month, and you can see it in his cheeks.
There were 6 photos included of the boys and 4 of them were of the two boys side by side in their high chairs. It is amazing how quickly they change! They are obviously fraternal twin,s and we are also amazed by how each is his own little man! I can't wait to learn their personalities.
It looks as though Craig and I might be included on the June trip to the orphanage. The May trip is almost full, and we haven't received an invite yet. The June trip is a bit shorter which is a bummer...but the blessing is that it is only two weeks after the May trip so we won't have to wait too much longer! Please pray that we will receive our invite so we can begin our planning.
The excitement is almost unbearable!!! I can't wait to snuggle my two littlest boys!!!!! Until that time, I am soaking up the snuggles with my three biggest angels!! It will be hard to be away from them when the time comes...but I am sure that they won't even miss us because they will be slumber partying at their cousins' house!!!
We will continue to bring you updates as we receive them. The process is sort of at a stand still and much of our "adoption time" is spent figuring out the remaining finances and figuring out our family's plan as we are going to be filling up our house before we know it!!! God has blessed us beyond belief with this beautiful family of SEVEN!!!! :) What an amazing dilemma!
Abounding with Blessings,
Rebecca
The message we received yesterday was brief but sweet. It said (and I apologize for not being able to share their names at this point):
Little Boy #1-Spent some time recovering from diarrhea, but that didn't stop his sweet smile. He didn't gain weight this month, but he's become more active.
Little Boy #A(Craig won't let me label him #2 because he needs to be at the top of his list too)- Continues to move all over the room using his sweet commando crawl. He's working to push himself up on all 4's to continue the movement. He grew a lot this last month, and you can see it in his cheeks.
There were 6 photos included of the boys and 4 of them were of the two boys side by side in their high chairs. It is amazing how quickly they change! They are obviously fraternal twin,s and we are also amazed by how each is his own little man! I can't wait to learn their personalities.
It looks as though Craig and I might be included on the June trip to the orphanage. The May trip is almost full, and we haven't received an invite yet. The June trip is a bit shorter which is a bummer...but the blessing is that it is only two weeks after the May trip so we won't have to wait too much longer! Please pray that we will receive our invite so we can begin our planning.
The excitement is almost unbearable!!! I can't wait to snuggle my two littlest boys!!!!! Until that time, I am soaking up the snuggles with my three biggest angels!! It will be hard to be away from them when the time comes...but I am sure that they won't even miss us because they will be slumber partying at their cousins' house!!!
We will continue to bring you updates as we receive them. The process is sort of at a stand still and much of our "adoption time" is spent figuring out the remaining finances and figuring out our family's plan as we are going to be filling up our house before we know it!!! God has blessed us beyond belief with this beautiful family of SEVEN!!!! :) What an amazing dilemma!
Abounding with Blessings,
Rebecca
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
It's a YES!
After very little deliberation, but bathed in prayer, Rebecca and I accepted the referral of "our twin boys" today!
I sent the e-mail to Erin at CAN this morning and it still makes me teary-eyed to think of them... all day. We're both SO excited to get the invitation from the orphanage to travel and meet them in Haiti for the first time. We're hopeful that we'll be invited to travel in May or June to see their precious faces in person. Our referral acceptance today, and that first trip down there, will set the Haiti Government's paperwork in motion for the long home stretch. As mentioned in our last update the average wait time from today until we bring them home is 10-12 months. This sounds like a long time and many people get frustrated with that answer and ask, "but why?" My answer is always, if the US were adopting kids out to other countries and going through the legal rig-a-ma-roll it would take us 10-12 years to adopt kids out. So for a 3rd world country that still deals with a lot of paper, instead of computer files and e-mails, that's not so bad. Plus we knew the time frame going into this whole process and we're right on track so we're ok with it. If God wants us to bring them home sooner, He'll make it happen. Which I pray he does... :)
So, that's it! We're still learning from our agency and from the orphanage how much we can share about the boys; names, photos, etc so as soon as we're cleared to do so, we'll share; trust me!
Thanks for all of your prayers!
Excitedly,
Craig
I sent the e-mail to Erin at CAN this morning and it still makes me teary-eyed to think of them... all day. We're both SO excited to get the invitation from the orphanage to travel and meet them in Haiti for the first time. We're hopeful that we'll be invited to travel in May or June to see their precious faces in person. Our referral acceptance today, and that first trip down there, will set the Haiti Government's paperwork in motion for the long home stretch. As mentioned in our last update the average wait time from today until we bring them home is 10-12 months. This sounds like a long time and many people get frustrated with that answer and ask, "but why?" My answer is always, if the US were adopting kids out to other countries and going through the legal rig-a-ma-roll it would take us 10-12 years to adopt kids out. So for a 3rd world country that still deals with a lot of paper, instead of computer files and e-mails, that's not so bad. Plus we knew the time frame going into this whole process and we're right on track so we're ok with it. If God wants us to bring them home sooner, He'll make it happen. Which I pray he does... :)
So, that's it! We're still learning from our agency and from the orphanage how much we can share about the boys; names, photos, etc so as soon as we're cleared to do so, we'll share; trust me!
Thanks for all of your prayers!
Excitedly,
Craig
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Referral!!!
Woo-Hoo!!! IT IS TIME!!! We received our referral for the beautiful twin boys at 2:45 this afternoon! Erin from the adoption agency tried to call me, but I missed her call and tried to call her back. When I couldn't reach her, I left a message and immediately called Craig to let him know that she had tried to call. I was hoping that it might mean that the referral was coming.Craig answered, and I could hear him talking to Erin in the background on his land line at work!! I listened to their call and quickly realized that the time we had been praying so diligently about had finally come! The referral was happening!
We received the email with all of the medical and social history on the boys shortly after the call, and we have been able to print it out and look through the information...but unfortunately most of the information is in French and my primitive French abilities are not panning out fully. We have sent this paperwork off to be translated and then we will be able to figure out some more of the details. We also plan to have our paperwork looked over by a medical professional to be sure that everything is clear about the decision we are making. So far the specifics that I can figure out by looking at the paperwork look like both of the little boys are healthy! Praise God!
We were also able to gather some of the information about the birth parents and the situation surrounding the adoption. The boys were born on October 5, 2011. On January 10th, 2012, the boys were brought into the orphanage by their birth mom and dad. They stated that the reason that they were giving up their rights for the child was due to their birth mom being sick. We were saddened to find out that 15 days after she dropped her twin boys off at the orphanage, she passed away. What a remarkable birth mom. She was providing a future for her boys even in spite of her failing health.
Craig and I were thinking about this and discovered that we were notified of the twins about 8 days prior to her passing. During that time, I was praying frequently for her because of the painful decision she had made. I never dreamed that she would be going through so much during that time. I will be forever grateful for her thoughtful decision to make sure the boys were safe and provided for.
We are very excited about the steps to come in the adoption...and aren't positive about the length of time that the rest of the adoption will require, but Erin says that on average, the current adoptions out of Haiti have been taking about 12 months from the time of referral acceptance. So we are still bracing ourselves for the rest of the journey...but we are excited to meet the twins and keep that time moving along. We are going to be making our decision whether to accept the referral in the next two weeks and will be sure to notify everyone when that acceptance takes place.
I have to share that over the last week I have struggled a bit more with patience during all of the waiting! There were two days where I was feeling pretty overwhelmed with the slow pace of the process. I was reading a book called "Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World" by Joanna Weaver and was really touched by the section of the book where it discusses never putting a period where God puts a comma or a comma where God puts a period. I felt that I could really apply that to where I was emotionally with the adoption. I was able to remind myself that God had placed a comma in the process. What was supposed to take 2 weeks, had taken close to 10 weeks...and God never places a comma when it isn't the best thing for His plan! I needed to accept the comma and embrace God's timing...I needed to trust His schedule as much as I trust His character.
"Faith is about how you live your life in the meantime, how you make decisions when you don't know for sure what is next. What you do with yourself between the last time you heard from God and the next time you hear from God is the ongoing challenge of a life of faith." --CeCe Winans
It was amazing. I felt the peace that only comes from the Lord rest on me....and now....when I was able to believe and obey...He released His plan!
Please continue to keep us in your prayers as we move further in the adoption process. It has been a pleasure to share this information! We are so excited!
Rejoicing in His plan!
Rebecca
We received the email with all of the medical and social history on the boys shortly after the call, and we have been able to print it out and look through the information...but unfortunately most of the information is in French and my primitive French abilities are not panning out fully. We have sent this paperwork off to be translated and then we will be able to figure out some more of the details. We also plan to have our paperwork looked over by a medical professional to be sure that everything is clear about the decision we are making. So far the specifics that I can figure out by looking at the paperwork look like both of the little boys are healthy! Praise God!
We were also able to gather some of the information about the birth parents and the situation surrounding the adoption. The boys were born on October 5, 2011. On January 10th, 2012, the boys were brought into the orphanage by their birth mom and dad. They stated that the reason that they were giving up their rights for the child was due to their birth mom being sick. We were saddened to find out that 15 days after she dropped her twin boys off at the orphanage, she passed away. What a remarkable birth mom. She was providing a future for her boys even in spite of her failing health.
Craig and I were thinking about this and discovered that we were notified of the twins about 8 days prior to her passing. During that time, I was praying frequently for her because of the painful decision she had made. I never dreamed that she would be going through so much during that time. I will be forever grateful for her thoughtful decision to make sure the boys were safe and provided for.
We are very excited about the steps to come in the adoption...and aren't positive about the length of time that the rest of the adoption will require, but Erin says that on average, the current adoptions out of Haiti have been taking about 12 months from the time of referral acceptance. So we are still bracing ourselves for the rest of the journey...but we are excited to meet the twins and keep that time moving along. We are going to be making our decision whether to accept the referral in the next two weeks and will be sure to notify everyone when that acceptance takes place.
I have to share that over the last week I have struggled a bit more with patience during all of the waiting! There were two days where I was feeling pretty overwhelmed with the slow pace of the process. I was reading a book called "Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World" by Joanna Weaver and was really touched by the section of the book where it discusses never putting a period where God puts a comma or a comma where God puts a period. I felt that I could really apply that to where I was emotionally with the adoption. I was able to remind myself that God had placed a comma in the process. What was supposed to take 2 weeks, had taken close to 10 weeks...and God never places a comma when it isn't the best thing for His plan! I needed to accept the comma and embrace God's timing...I needed to trust His schedule as much as I trust His character.
"Faith is about how you live your life in the meantime, how you make decisions when you don't know for sure what is next. What you do with yourself between the last time you heard from God and the next time you hear from God is the ongoing challenge of a life of faith." --CeCe Winans
It was amazing. I felt the peace that only comes from the Lord rest on me....and now....when I was able to believe and obey...He released His plan!
Please continue to keep us in your prayers as we move further in the adoption process. It has been a pleasure to share this information! We are so excited!
Rejoicing in His plan!
Rebecca
Monday, March 12, 2012
Finally More Information!!!
It was January 19th when we initially received information on the possibility of adopting twin boys from Haiti! We were told that it would probably take a couple of weeks to get their paperwork together so we would be able to receive a formal referral and more information. We knew we had to be patient...but it is amazing how much the anticipation of wanting to know more information...can fill a person with excitement!
We have been waiting patiently now for almost two months! On March 9th, we finally received a bit more information. Unfortunately we are not able to share any of the photos on this site until we have an official referral for the twins...but I can at least share some information...
We received eight photos of the boys and they are PRECIOUS!! So sweet! They appear to be fraternal twins and one of them has an incredible head of hair already! He also has a beautiful smile. The other has a sweet little face and a peaceful expression in each of the photos. We also were told their names and it was startling because one of the boy's names is what we were planning to name one of the boys! The other boy's name is the same name as a young man that we both met when we were on our Mission trips in Haiti. He is an incredible young man of God!
It feels like God has chosen these beautiful boys for us, and we are anxious to be formally referred so we can fully share them with the whole world! We were able to get some additional information today as well. We were provided information on their birthday...which is October 5th, 2011, so they are just over 5 months now. We were told that they are 13 and 14 pounds. The additional information on the twin with all of the hair is as follows: "He continues to get bigger it seems, daily. Has the sweetest disposition, and loves to take everything in." The additional information on the other twin is as follows: "He moves so much! When he's awake, he's moving. He can make it from one side of the room to the other doing an interesting crawl/scoot/pull himself along. Smiles all the time."
Can't help but smile when I think of these little guys! Our kids are so ready for the little additions to come home and Craig and I both feel the same way.
We had additional good news when we returned from Florida because we had a letter from the Department of Homeland Security, USCIS, announcing that we have been given our final permission from the US to move forward with this adoption. Now we just wait for the referral to come and things will continue to fall into place. We feel so blessed at this time! It is amazing to watch the Lord work in our family! I am so thankful that there is a Divine Creator bringing all of this together!
We will be sure to pass on the good news of the referral when it comes. Things could still potentially change, and we could actually end up with a different referral...but for now...it feels like everything is pointing in this direction! At this point, we will receive monthly updates on the twins and we will share as much of that information as we can! Thank you so much for your continued prayers! We are so blessed!
Resting in Him,
Rebecca
We have been waiting patiently now for almost two months! On March 9th, we finally received a bit more information. Unfortunately we are not able to share any of the photos on this site until we have an official referral for the twins...but I can at least share some information...
We received eight photos of the boys and they are PRECIOUS!! So sweet! They appear to be fraternal twins and one of them has an incredible head of hair already! He also has a beautiful smile. The other has a sweet little face and a peaceful expression in each of the photos. We also were told their names and it was startling because one of the boy's names is what we were planning to name one of the boys! The other boy's name is the same name as a young man that we both met when we were on our Mission trips in Haiti. He is an incredible young man of God!
It feels like God has chosen these beautiful boys for us, and we are anxious to be formally referred so we can fully share them with the whole world! We were able to get some additional information today as well. We were provided information on their birthday...which is October 5th, 2011, so they are just over 5 months now. We were told that they are 13 and 14 pounds. The additional information on the twin with all of the hair is as follows: "He continues to get bigger it seems, daily. Has the sweetest disposition, and loves to take everything in." The additional information on the other twin is as follows: "He moves so much! When he's awake, he's moving. He can make it from one side of the room to the other doing an interesting crawl/scoot/pull himself along. Smiles all the time."
Can't help but smile when I think of these little guys! Our kids are so ready for the little additions to come home and Craig and I both feel the same way.
We had additional good news when we returned from Florida because we had a letter from the Department of Homeland Security, USCIS, announcing that we have been given our final permission from the US to move forward with this adoption. Now we just wait for the referral to come and things will continue to fall into place. We feel so blessed at this time! It is amazing to watch the Lord work in our family! I am so thankful that there is a Divine Creator bringing all of this together!
We will be sure to pass on the good news of the referral when it comes. Things could still potentially change, and we could actually end up with a different referral...but for now...it feels like everything is pointing in this direction! At this point, we will receive monthly updates on the twins and we will share as much of that information as we can! Thank you so much for your continued prayers! We are so blessed!
Resting in Him,
Rebecca
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Practicing Patience!
Unfortunately I still do not have any updates to share with all of you. We still haven't had any movement in the adoption. We did get an email earlier this week and were told that the paperwork on the two sets of twins is still coming together. We continue to wait patiently for this information. We were told that it usually takes about two weeks...and it has been just over four since our first getting information on the twins. It is tough at times, but overall we have been able to be patient through the process.
This week we have been getting all of the documentation together in order to get the kids' passports processed. We have taken their photos already and will be filling out the paperwork. I look forward to the day that we will be on our adventure to Haiti together. It will be amazing to have our whole family all together in one place!
The kids are excited about traveling together. I think that their biggest concern is eating rice and beans for the length of their stay. I kindly reminded them that it is way better than the worms and crickets that people eat in some cultures! I think they agreed that rice and beans would be preferred!
Craig is at an adoption support group tonight learning about a family that adopted three children from Haiti to add to their two biological children. We have heard them speak once before when we were in our adoption education process with LSS. It will be nice hearing more about the adjustment process and the blending of biological and adoptive children into one family. We have much to learn, and I am sure the process will be amazing.
We will be sure to update this blog as soon as we get more information. We hope to hear something soon, and I am sure that when we do we will be bursting with energy to share the news with all of you!
Blessing to all of you!
Rebecca
This week we have been getting all of the documentation together in order to get the kids' passports processed. We have taken their photos already and will be filling out the paperwork. I look forward to the day that we will be on our adventure to Haiti together. It will be amazing to have our whole family all together in one place!
The kids are excited about traveling together. I think that their biggest concern is eating rice and beans for the length of their stay. I kindly reminded them that it is way better than the worms and crickets that people eat in some cultures! I think they agreed that rice and beans would be preferred!
Craig is at an adoption support group tonight learning about a family that adopted three children from Haiti to add to their two biological children. We have heard them speak once before when we were in our adoption education process with LSS. It will be nice hearing more about the adjustment process and the blending of biological and adoptive children into one family. We have much to learn, and I am sure the process will be amazing.
We will be sure to update this blog as soon as we get more information. We hope to hear something soon, and I am sure that when we do we will be bursting with energy to share the news with all of you!
Blessing to all of you!
Rebecca
Thursday, February 2, 2012
No news is... good news?
Wish I had some fun, exciting news to share with all-ya'll, but I don't. I just wanted to tell you that as I know so many people are praying for us and curious what we've heard.
It was 2 weeks ago today that we were called with the news of 2 sets of twins and the question of whether we'd be interested in twins or not. We've had two conversations with Erin (our coordinator in Texas at our int'l agency), but the only news we've learned is that both sets of twins are healthy, but anemic. Not a huge concern. The orphanage is working on their paperwork to get both sets officially available and then we'll get more info and possibly an official referral. One of the 4 kids (we don't know if it's one of the boys or girls) had an issue with their birth certificate so it might be taking a little longer for their Haiti paperwork because of that. That's it; that's all we know. We just keep waiting on God's timing, which will be perfect!
On a different note: if you have even the slightest inkling/tugging/questioning about adoption, then I'd encourage you to check out former Indianapolis Colts head coach Tony Dungy's adoption video available for free download! (below) (also, anytime, please ask us ANY questions you might have about our process, we'd love to share and spread the word about adoption!)
Until we know more,
Craig
For anyone interested in watching something other than Madonna during the Superbowl half-time show on Sunday, there is a free downloadable 3 minute video about adoption awareness hosted by Tony Dungy. You can also download a free conversation guide for party hosts. Right on! www.adoptionjourney.com/share/dungyhalftime
Super Bowl Winning Coach Tony Dungy Featured In Free Halftime Video Kit for Game Watching Parties -.
www.adoptionjourney.com
This year’s football fans gathering at various watch parties will have access to one Super Bowl coach’s personal thoughts during halftime. A free downloadable video kit is available to local game watching party organizers which features Super Bowl winning coach Tony Dungy and his wife Lauren.
It was 2 weeks ago today that we were called with the news of 2 sets of twins and the question of whether we'd be interested in twins or not. We've had two conversations with Erin (our coordinator in Texas at our int'l agency), but the only news we've learned is that both sets of twins are healthy, but anemic. Not a huge concern. The orphanage is working on their paperwork to get both sets officially available and then we'll get more info and possibly an official referral. One of the 4 kids (we don't know if it's one of the boys or girls) had an issue with their birth certificate so it might be taking a little longer for their Haiti paperwork because of that. That's it; that's all we know. We just keep waiting on God's timing, which will be perfect!
On a different note: if you have even the slightest inkling/tugging/questioning about adoption, then I'd encourage you to check out former Indianapolis Colts head coach Tony Dungy's adoption video available for free download! (below) (also, anytime, please ask us ANY questions you might have about our process, we'd love to share and spread the word about adoption!)
Until we know more,
Craig
For anyone interested in watching something other than Madonna during the Superbowl half-time show on Sunday, there is a free downloadable 3 minute video about adoption awareness hosted by Tony Dungy. You can also download a free conversation guide for party hosts. Right on! www.adoptionjourney.com/share/dungyhalftime
Super Bowl Winning Coach Tony Dungy Featured In Free Halftime Video Kit for Game Watching Parties -.
www.adoptionjourney.com
This year’s football fans gathering at various watch parties will have access to one Super Bowl coach’s personal thoughts during halftime. A free downloadable video kit is available to local game watching party organizers which features Super Bowl winning coach Tony Dungy and his wife Lauren.
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