Breathing Again

Yesterday afternoon our little son took his first steps in America. 

 

 

Yesterday we took our first real breath in a very long time.

 

 

It feels good to breathe.

 

 

Now it is time to do the hardest part of any adoption; helping a child who has suffered great loss and hardship in his life find security and love inside a family who is committed to loving him forever.

 

 

"I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, as long as I'm living, my baby you'll be." 

Robert Munsch

 

Please be patient with us as we discover our new normal as a family of six.

 

 

 

 

We Interrupt this Broadcast...

 

We are on our way home today, so I figure you won't mind if I take a moment to let all of my homeschool families and teachers know about a really cool sale that's coming up soon.

 

 

It's a bundle sale!

 

The people at Build Your Bundle have assembled a massive amount of curriculum, combining products in groups according to theme.  Some of these bundles are worth HUNDREDS of dollars apiece. For one week only, though, these bundles will be available at huge discounts.

 

 

A click on THIS LINK puts you on the e-mail list to receive notice when the sale starts. It also puts you in the running for a cool giveaway, including chances to win free bundles.  Click to find out all about it.  It's easy.  You just provide your e-mail, and you are automatically entered and will be notified as soon as the giveaway begins.

 

HINT HINT: Some of BiblioPlan's material are part of the Bundle sale!!

 

I'm not allowed to share what is IN the bundles right now, but I can tell you there are 80+ publishers participating.

BUNDLE THEMES:

Preschool-Kindergarten 1st-3rd grade (2 bundles!) 4th-6th grade (2 bundles!) Middle School High School Charlotte Mason Notebooking Copywork

Unit Studies Just for Boys Just for Girls Character Bundle Just for Moms (2 bundles!) Fine Arts Special Needs Bundle Non-Faith Based/Secular Bundle

That is truly something for everyone!

CLICK THIS LINK so you'll know when the sale starts!

 

I know I don't usually advertise on this blog, but I've seen the contents of these bundles and I am fairly certain that many of my friends who are homeschooling on a budget will appreciate knowing about this sale. 

 

And now back to our regularly scheduled blogging!!

 

FLYING HOME TODAY.

 

Still grinning from ear to ear!!

 

Grinning From Ear to Ear

 

We are coming home!!

 

John's passport arrived early this morning and we had our last embassy appointment this morning.

 

We had to swing by the medical center first and wait for quite a few minutes to pick up forms and his X-rays.  Sitting in the car was a drag so we found a park bench where we could hang out for a while.

 

 

We then traveled across town and spent several hours in a jam-packed U.S. embassy waiting room while they gathered our final documents and printed out his visa.  We were grinning from ear to ear as we carried his brown packet of papers out the embassy door.  In typical Nalle fashion, about 10 minutes later I walked back into the embassy with that same packet of paper after we realized that they were referring to John as a SHE.  It was several hours later before we could triumphantly say we were finished and can now freely fly home!

 

Tonight we will do what we did last night.  Roam the streets.  We have had a hard time turning down those who are in need here knowing that the war has made it hard for so many people.  I put what amounted to a few dollars in this lady's cup and she cried. 

 

 

It was John's turn to drop a few dollars in this man's bag. 

 

 We met up with another adopting family and enjoyed eating ice cream with them.  Kimmy was kind enough to take just about the only picture of all four of us together. 

 

 

 

I returned the favor.

 

 

Oops.  Photo bomb!

 

 

Four beautiful children!!

 

 

We fly out early tomorrow morning.

 

We are grinning from ear to ear!!

 

 

Hurry, Hurry

French fries and ketchup. 

 

Love at first sight!

 

 

Hurry up and wait is a given in any adoption process.

 

 

Right now we are again in the wait part.

 

 

Waiting for John's passport.

 

Waiting and hoping and praying that it arrives before the week closes so that we can go home this weekend.

 

 

John had his medical and first embassy appointment today.  Typical Nalle fashion... what usually takes a few hours took quite a few more.  Oh My!!  That leaves one more embassy appointment but we cannot have that appointment without a passport. 

 

 So we wait. 

 

 

And we pray that it comes because we really long to be home. 

 

 

We are spending our days walking the streets of the city in order to keep two little boys worn out, occupied and out of trouble.

 

Sometimes it works.

 

 

 Hurry passport, hurry.

 

 

Memories

Our driver picked us up from our apartment at around 10:00 on Friday morning. After one last bit of paperwork in region, we sprang John from his orphanage at around noon.

The differences between John's gotcha day and Aaron's are stark.

Our strongest memories of Aaron's gotcha day feature a shouting director and irate caretakers. We were not allowed to dress Aaron for the trip out, nor even to see his room. Instead, we just handed over the clothes we'd bought him. The only stitch of government-bought clothing he took with him was a tattered hat, his one keepsake from a full year spent in that dreary place. There were no hugs, no sweet goodbyes, and only a trace of tears.

John's gotcha day couldn't have been more different. Instead of a shouting director, we had a smiling one with nothing but kind words for us. Even without a translator to help us, we knew for sure that she wished us well.



The administrator handed us a file stuffed with photocopied pictures of John-- not just a few recent photos, but rather a collection amassed over years. Then, without seeming to ask for permission, John led us on a guided tour of every room in the building, posing for goodbye photos with every groupa and class.





One caretaker made a special trip to unlock the rooms where John had lived when he was younger, just so that he could have pictures of them.



He even interrupted his former class in progress so that we could take pictures of him sitting at his desk.



Staffers on every level, from cooks and caretakers to teachers and administrators, came up to hug him goodbye and whisper affection in his ears.



They showered him with so many keepsakes that we wonder how we will carry them all home.

 We also bade goodbye to the precious ones we are leaving behind, our Fabulous Five.

Wetherby and Rebecca.

Toby and Charlie.

Last of all Reilly, God bless her sweet soul.

After one last photo with John's groupa, we walked out of that room for that last time with fond cries of "paka" in our ears.

  

It was an emotional day that we will never forget. 

 Hours later, we boarded an overnight train to the capital.

We've spent the couple of days since then getting to know our newest son. If we had to describe him in two words, then we'd choose "sweet" and "curious." In a phrase, we might say "a ten-year-old toddler on steroids." The next few months are going to be an intense period of adjustment, both for him and for us, as we help him explore his new world safely.

Gotcha

 

May 8, 2015

 

Details later.  For now.... we have him. 

 

God is so very Gracious indeed!

 

 

Three Fifths

Last week we introduced you to the Fabulous Five, five adorable children who are available for adoption from John's orphanage: Wetherby, Rebecca, Charlie, Toby and Reilly. We desperately want all five to find families!

At the end of this week, John will be leaving that orphanage forever-- saying goodbye to his home, his friends, his entire world. At the same time, we will be saying goodbye to five children who have stolen our hearts.

At the end of this summer, we are told, our Fabulous Five will also say goodbye to that orphanage. If we understood correctly, this facility will no longer be an orphanage, but instead will become a rehab facility for special needs children with families. All of the true orphans, including our Fabulous Five, will be transferred out.

Which is a shame, because this is a great facility compared to most. Far, far superior to the one where Aaron lived after transfer! Not that this facility is perfect: not every caretaker is kind, and no institution can ever replace a loving family. Given the circumstances, though, it's a good temporary home for the Fabulous Five.

Now they're about to lose that home, headed out to uncertain futures who knows where. So please, let's find families for them before that happens!

Three fifths of the Fabulous Five have Down Syndrome: Rebecca, Wetherby and Charlie.

I couldn't take a new picture of Rebecca because she had fallen that day, and her face was scratched up. I did learn that she is feisty.  She definitely has a mind of her own, and is so in need of a Mama who will love her in all of her ornery feistiness!! 

Wetherby is tiny, and so darn cute!! 

 

I happened to see Wetherby one day when he had just come in from outdoors. Although the temperature was in the high 60s that day, he was as bundled up as if he had just returned from a research mission to Antarctica. In his sweat-drenched winter coat, snow pants, ski hat and scarf, he looked like misery personified. Poor child wanted OUT of all that stuff, but couldn't take it off by himself. So he crumpled to the floor with his hat over his eyes and just cried and cried, until someone finally took pity on him. Oh please, someone rescue Wetherby from his distress!!

Charlie was a surprise. A found treasure.

Before we arrived, we thought there were only four children available besides John, two with Down Syndrome and two others.

Charlie happened to be sitting at the table eating a snack when we walked into John's groupa for the first time.  I immediately walked over to meet him.  He sat quietly, watching me as I reached out and touched him gently on the head. A second later, he broke into a smile, stood up and wrapped his arms around my waist.

What an adorable kid. Stole my heart. I wanted to tuck him in my suitcase right then and there.

He wasn't listed, and our facilitator didn't know if he was available. Find out, I asked, won't you please find out? I promised her that if he was available, then I would do all I could to find him a family. I had no doubt that Charlie would make the perfect blessing for some family out there.

This child has an absolutely beautiful smile, with a pleasant sweetness to match. He is also very high functioning-- takes care of his own needs, follows directions well and plays so well with the other boys. One day when I walked in, the boys were pretend driving a car they'd created out of play cushions. Charlie was right there in the middle of them, having a blast!

Three sweet children in desperate need of loving families.

Please won't you pray?

Consider?

Help me advocate for them?

Donate to their grant accounts?

REBECCA

WETHERBY

CHARLIE

Aaron and I are on our way back across the ocean today.  We will be in John's region on Wednesday night and I will get to hug and hold my newest son on Thursday.  We would so appreciate your prayers this week!  I cannot wait to see him.  My heart is already across there.