I can't believe our kids have been home 6 months. In some ways it has been just a blink of an eye and in other ways it seems they have always been here so when I think about it only being 6 months it doesn't seem real.
Abi and Joseph continue to do amazingly well. In 6 months you can't even imagine the number of "firsts" they have experienced. It's mind boggling. But they continue to take things in stride and keep moving forward. Now that doesn't mean they are perfect kids! LOL! They are normal kids with a lot of resiliency.
Abi is starting to enter puberty and that is interesting with a girl......haven't been down that road before. :) It's made for some interesting moods and drama.
Joseph has been struggling a little lately just letting go of me as his "Mommy" and not clinging so much. We've had a few times where he tells the school nurse he is sick so he can come home or he cries and pouts if I am not home from work when him and Abi get home from school. Seems like we've made some strides with this lately though.
Right now the toughest thing we are working through is how far behind in school Abi is. It's super rough on her. We work and work and work on it at home but don't feel like we make much head way. The schools are frustrating at best! She reads at a first grade level and she is in the 4th grade. It's rough!! We worked on it all summer and used resources the school gave us and they tested her this fall again and she hasn't made ANY progress. Even her verbal language is coming really slow. I keep waiting for that break through.
Joseph on the other hand is basically already at grade level. He is one sharp little guy! It just comes easier for him and I know that frustrates Abi. Life lesson for her though right?
So...... the first 6 months are behind us. I don't think we had any kind of "honeymoon" period and essentially no hard adjustment issues. :)
Friday, September 30, 2011
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Picture Tuesday
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| First time camping AND making smores |
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| The girls! |
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| Lake Powell with her big Brother Lance |
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| Lake Powell |
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| Lake Powell |
Thursday, June 16, 2011
11 Weeks Home (long post)
I know I have been going a long time in between posts. I've had the hardest time finding words to express these past almost 3 months. Not because there aren't many things to share but because it all feels so natural it just seems like normal day to day stuff and I struggle putting that into words.
I know before we brought the kids home I scoured the web looking for blogs and information on adopted kids, especially internationally adopted kids and most importantly kids adopted from Ghana. I admire those that have kept their blogs going post adoption and seem to have the ability to express their day to day lives with words. I also know that there are many families in the adoption process who can benefit from our experiences and our post adoption lives. I want to share and encourage or help in any way I can. With that in mind I will try to post more often!
I thought I would write today a little bit about each of our kids and their first 11 weeks home.
Abigail:
Abi is an amazing girl. She is 9 1/2 years old and part little girl, part almost tween and part grown woman. The little girl part of her still wants/needs many hugs, adores her Daddy, models what I do and still needs tucked in at night with lots of hugs and kisses. The tween part of her can be stubborn and moody, loves hanging out with girls her age, loves pretty clothes and wants to be more independent than the little girl part of her will allow. The part of her that seems very much like a grown woman is her soul. Abi can say the most wise and deep things. She understands human behavior better than many adults. She is an extremely compassionate girl and her first thought is always how she can help someone else or make another person feel better. Abi is very smart and very athletic.
Her first 11 weeks home have been FULL of firsts, learning experiences and change just like any adopted child. What amazes me is how she takes all of this in stride. She just dives in and moves forward. They started school about one week after arriving home and Abi just walked right into that classroom and joined in like she had always been there. She made friends fast, joined in activities that were already in progress, learned all the songs for a school program a couple weeks later and of course her teachers adored her. She's an adorable girl!
Some of her challenges the first few weeks were being willing to try new foods, learning to not completely shut down and pout EVERY time something didn't go her way, learning not to throw huge loud temper tantrums (there have only been 3 of these but still....she is learning not to handle things that way) and overcoming some of the gaps in school especially reading and writing in English.
Abi handles many challenges in her life with humor. We are so thankful for that because we are that way many times. She can laugh at herself or the situation and then buckle down and figure it out. She's going to earn huge amounts of respect throughout her life for this trait.
Now some pictures of our amazing Daughter:
Joseph:
Our fiercely competitive and ultra soft hearted son. Joe is 8 1/2 and still very much a little boy in many ways but like Abi wise beyond his years. Joseph has always clearly shown (from the first moment we met him) how much he is craving to be Mothered. He hugs and cuddles with me and isn't shy to hug me and say "I love you" in front of other kids. Although he has always been responsive to Omar his preference to be Mothered was obvious. That is probably the biggest change I have seen in him.....his transition into a very close relationship with his Daddy. He will now go to his Dad for anything and everything just as easy as me. He still craves Mommy time which is fine with me since I know from experience he will outgrow this very soon.
Joseph is an AMAZING athlete and he is most comfortable playing sports. Soccer is his first passion (and he's raising some eyebrows with coaches in our community) but he is loving every sport he is being introduced to especially baseball. When Joseph is involved in a sport his shyness just DISAPPEARS. He is so physically confident.....it is an amazing thing to watch.
Some of Joseph's challenges these first 11 weeks have been his shyness towards school and other kids, completely shutting down when he doesn't get his way (just like his Sister), and learning to cling to me a little less and trust his new world. Reading and writing have come a little easier for Joe mainly because he is younger and only in first grade (now second this fall).
Joseph also handles challenges with humor but unlike Abi he does get his feelings hurt much easier and sometimes will cry for what seems like no reason. He can turn on the tears at any give time! But, in just 11 short weeks we are seeing this happen much less....in fact as I write this and think about it I realize this has become very rare.
Some pics of our sweet and talented son:
And here is a pic of the 4 of us at the Rockies game:
I've been asked several times now that they have been home almost 3 months what we would have done different if we could. I don't have a good answer to that. I'm sure there are things we SHOULD have done differently but I honestly don't know what they are. I am not a person that tends to have regrets. I know that the way these 3 months have unfolded is what has molded us into a family. Good or bad it is what it is. We are all figuring out each other's personalities and things just seem to feel more and more settled as time goes by. I find myself often having "aha" moments where I figure out something about each of them and I just store it away in my mind for future reference and part of my knowledge base on each of my kids. With bio kids we don't notice this so much because things are so innate. Having completely raised two bio sons I notice the differences between bio and adopted relationships and it is fascinating. I also notice very obvious moments where we "settle" just a little more. We go about our day to day activities and then all the sudden I will just "feel" a little shift. It is subtle but yet strong enough to catch my attention.
The things that I think have been instrumental in Abi and Joseph adjusting so well go against almost everything we read about bringing adopted kids home and the first several weeks. Adoption books and training suggest that you kind of cocoon yourself with your kids and avoid too many activities outside the home to enable bonding and adjustment. For whatever reason this just didn't feel right to us and didn't feel like it was the right thing for Abi and Joseph. When we got them home (after a day or two of rest) we literally just went on with our lives. We wanted them to feel like they are a normal part of our lives and so we just conducted our lives that way. I had every intention to wait at least 2 weeks before starting them in school but Abi really wanted to go so we visited their new school only 3 days after they arrived and then they started the following week. Once Joseph visited the school even he, in his shyness, wanted to go. The absolute best thing I feel we did for them was sign them up for soccer before they even got here so they could play the spring season. It enabled them to socialize with American kids and families in a very familiar environment.....soccer. For Joseph this was DEFINITELY the best place for him to spend part of his first few weeks and Abi as well.
I don't want to suggest that adoptive parents ignore the advice and training they are given but I do want to urge parents to listen to their gut and pay attention to the personalities of their kids and take their cues from them. Don't over analyze and try to be perfect. Since when is parenting a perfect science?? I also want to suggest that older kids will need something completely different than little ones the first few weeks. Older kids have a very strong desire to BELONG. I feel like the things we did the first few weeks taught them they BELONG in our family, BELONG at their school and BELONG with their soccer teams which made them feel like they belong in their new world.
Well enough for now....I know this is a long post. I just want to add that I am hoping to become a stronger advocate for older child adoption and not sure how to accomplish that. Our experience has been amazing and I know many other families can have similar experiences and even in those situations where the older child does not adjust as well the success stories in the end with an older child can be extraordinary.
I know before we brought the kids home I scoured the web looking for blogs and information on adopted kids, especially internationally adopted kids and most importantly kids adopted from Ghana. I admire those that have kept their blogs going post adoption and seem to have the ability to express their day to day lives with words. I also know that there are many families in the adoption process who can benefit from our experiences and our post adoption lives. I want to share and encourage or help in any way I can. With that in mind I will try to post more often!
I thought I would write today a little bit about each of our kids and their first 11 weeks home.
Abigail:
Abi is an amazing girl. She is 9 1/2 years old and part little girl, part almost tween and part grown woman. The little girl part of her still wants/needs many hugs, adores her Daddy, models what I do and still needs tucked in at night with lots of hugs and kisses. The tween part of her can be stubborn and moody, loves hanging out with girls her age, loves pretty clothes and wants to be more independent than the little girl part of her will allow. The part of her that seems very much like a grown woman is her soul. Abi can say the most wise and deep things. She understands human behavior better than many adults. She is an extremely compassionate girl and her first thought is always how she can help someone else or make another person feel better. Abi is very smart and very athletic.
Her first 11 weeks home have been FULL of firsts, learning experiences and change just like any adopted child. What amazes me is how she takes all of this in stride. She just dives in and moves forward. They started school about one week after arriving home and Abi just walked right into that classroom and joined in like she had always been there. She made friends fast, joined in activities that were already in progress, learned all the songs for a school program a couple weeks later and of course her teachers adored her. She's an adorable girl!
Some of her challenges the first few weeks were being willing to try new foods, learning to not completely shut down and pout EVERY time something didn't go her way, learning not to throw huge loud temper tantrums (there have only been 3 of these but still....she is learning not to handle things that way) and overcoming some of the gaps in school especially reading and writing in English.
Abi handles many challenges in her life with humor. We are so thankful for that because we are that way many times. She can laugh at herself or the situation and then buckle down and figure it out. She's going to earn huge amounts of respect throughout her life for this trait.
Now some pictures of our amazing Daughter:
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| Learning to ride a bike |
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| On the shuttle to their first Rockies game |
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| At my Mom's in Denver trying out the goggles for swimming! |
Joseph:
Our fiercely competitive and ultra soft hearted son. Joe is 8 1/2 and still very much a little boy in many ways but like Abi wise beyond his years. Joseph has always clearly shown (from the first moment we met him) how much he is craving to be Mothered. He hugs and cuddles with me and isn't shy to hug me and say "I love you" in front of other kids. Although he has always been responsive to Omar his preference to be Mothered was obvious. That is probably the biggest change I have seen in him.....his transition into a very close relationship with his Daddy. He will now go to his Dad for anything and everything just as easy as me. He still craves Mommy time which is fine with me since I know from experience he will outgrow this very soon.
Joseph is an AMAZING athlete and he is most comfortable playing sports. Soccer is his first passion (and he's raising some eyebrows with coaches in our community) but he is loving every sport he is being introduced to especially baseball. When Joseph is involved in a sport his shyness just DISAPPEARS. He is so physically confident.....it is an amazing thing to watch.
Some of Joseph's challenges these first 11 weeks have been his shyness towards school and other kids, completely shutting down when he doesn't get his way (just like his Sister), and learning to cling to me a little less and trust his new world. Reading and writing have come a little easier for Joe mainly because he is younger and only in first grade (now second this fall).
Joseph also handles challenges with humor but unlike Abi he does get his feelings hurt much easier and sometimes will cry for what seems like no reason. He can turn on the tears at any give time! But, in just 11 short weeks we are seeing this happen much less....in fact as I write this and think about it I realize this has become very rare.
Some pics of our sweet and talented son:
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| Learning to ride a bike |
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| First MLB game The Colorado Rockies Denver, Co |
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| Sucking down a Coca Cola as quick as he can before someone tells him he can't have any more! |
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| Back at the hotel showing off his foul ball he got at his first MLB game!! |
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| At my Mom's house in Denver posing with his Dad, Abi and his cousin Dylan |
And here is a pic of the 4 of us at the Rockies game:
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| Having a blast taking them to their first MLB game!! |
The things that I think have been instrumental in Abi and Joseph adjusting so well go against almost everything we read about bringing adopted kids home and the first several weeks. Adoption books and training suggest that you kind of cocoon yourself with your kids and avoid too many activities outside the home to enable bonding and adjustment. For whatever reason this just didn't feel right to us and didn't feel like it was the right thing for Abi and Joseph. When we got them home (after a day or two of rest) we literally just went on with our lives. We wanted them to feel like they are a normal part of our lives and so we just conducted our lives that way. I had every intention to wait at least 2 weeks before starting them in school but Abi really wanted to go so we visited their new school only 3 days after they arrived and then they started the following week. Once Joseph visited the school even he, in his shyness, wanted to go. The absolute best thing I feel we did for them was sign them up for soccer before they even got here so they could play the spring season. It enabled them to socialize with American kids and families in a very familiar environment.....soccer. For Joseph this was DEFINITELY the best place for him to spend part of his first few weeks and Abi as well.
I don't want to suggest that adoptive parents ignore the advice and training they are given but I do want to urge parents to listen to their gut and pay attention to the personalities of their kids and take their cues from them. Don't over analyze and try to be perfect. Since when is parenting a perfect science?? I also want to suggest that older kids will need something completely different than little ones the first few weeks. Older kids have a very strong desire to BELONG. I feel like the things we did the first few weeks taught them they BELONG in our family, BELONG at their school and BELONG with their soccer teams which made them feel like they belong in their new world.
Well enough for now....I know this is a long post. I just want to add that I am hoping to become a stronger advocate for older child adoption and not sure how to accomplish that. Our experience has been amazing and I know many other families can have similar experiences and even in those situations where the older child does not adjust as well the success stories in the end with an older child can be extraordinary.
Monday, May 9, 2011
The First 6 Weeks
What an amazing 6 weeks!
Abi and Joseph have settled in amazingly well and experienced many, many firsts! We laugh everyday at their sense of humor and perspectives.
They are in school and playing soccer. School is going really well. There is a definite gap in reading, vocabulary and spelling but that gap will shorten over time. We work with them at home and their teachers have been great working with them.
They both love sports and are incredibly athletic. We have been approached by the soccer league to start them both in the academy soccer in the fall which grooms young players. It seems any new sport they try they are good at. We can see how our weekends will be spent for the next several years. :) It will be interesting to see what other sports they latch onto besides soccer.
As far as health they are doing great. All screenings came back just fine. The biggest issue is dental care and we are working on that. Abi had to have a tooth extracted and that was really traumatic for her. They will have some fillings done next week as well. They had their first cleanings a couple weeks ago and it was VERY needed. Once we get the dental care in line they will be in great shape!
Behavior has been great. They have each had a few emotional ups and downs and a couple weeks ago I thought we might be heading for a small grief crash but they both seemed to have readjusted and moved on. This last week I have noticed a REAL settling in....just an abvious sense of belonging.
I'm sure we aren't going about things in a real text book way but everything seems to be working. Both kids are extremely affectionate and tell us "I love you" and they hug lots and seem very, very trusting of us and their environment.
Here are some pics to help tell the story:
I'll just end this post by saying "Yes, they really are doing that well. We aren't making it up!"
I've had a few too many people look at me questionably and make comments like "It won't last" or "Are you sure?" or "Are you being honest?"
Maybe it won't last...........
but maybe it will.
Abi and Joseph have settled in amazingly well and experienced many, many firsts! We laugh everyday at their sense of humor and perspectives.
They are in school and playing soccer. School is going really well. There is a definite gap in reading, vocabulary and spelling but that gap will shorten over time. We work with them at home and their teachers have been great working with them.
They both love sports and are incredibly athletic. We have been approached by the soccer league to start them both in the academy soccer in the fall which grooms young players. It seems any new sport they try they are good at. We can see how our weekends will be spent for the next several years. :) It will be interesting to see what other sports they latch onto besides soccer.
As far as health they are doing great. All screenings came back just fine. The biggest issue is dental care and we are working on that. Abi had to have a tooth extracted and that was really traumatic for her. They will have some fillings done next week as well. They had their first cleanings a couple weeks ago and it was VERY needed. Once we get the dental care in line they will be in great shape!
Behavior has been great. They have each had a few emotional ups and downs and a couple weeks ago I thought we might be heading for a small grief crash but they both seemed to have readjusted and moved on. This last week I have noticed a REAL settling in....just an abvious sense of belonging.
I'm sure we aren't going about things in a real text book way but everything seems to be working. Both kids are extremely affectionate and tell us "I love you" and they hug lots and seem very, very trusting of us and their environment.
Here are some pics to help tell the story:
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| First Day of School |
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| Abi wanted her picture taken again on another school morning because she loved her dress. That's my girl! |
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| Trying to figure out the best way to stay warm in our Colorado spring time. |
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| Easter morning.....took a few minutes for them to get the egg thing figured out then the competition was on! |
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| Cleaning up after Easter.....such a ghanain girl at heart |
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| Nice form! |
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| Abi thinks her Dad hung the moon!! |
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| Mr cool and collected |
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| First soccer game |
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| Had to make them nuggets fans! |
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| Maybe a future Nugget?? |
I've had a few too many people look at me questionably and make comments like "It won't last" or "Are you sure?" or "Are you being honest?"
Maybe it won't last...........
but maybe it will.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Trip Home
I've been really slow in getting this post done. We have been so busy since the kids came home and time has flown! It is a great feeling after so many months of waiting and wishing time would go faster.
I'm going to dedicate this post to the pick up trip and trip home and then do a separate post about the first few weeks home. Abi and Joseph are adjusting great!!
I'm going to let the pictures tell the story:
I'm going to dedicate this post to the pick up trip and trip home and then do a separate post about the first few weeks home. Abi and Joseph are adjusting great!!
I'm going to let the pictures tell the story:
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| Abi and Joseph right after I arrived at Auntie Ruth's. Joseph already has my backpack on and wants to go to the hotel. |
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| Abi and Joseph at our hotel |
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| The afternoon of the day we leave for the airport. |
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| A few minutes before leaving waiting for the AAI Van to pick us up and take us to the airport. Very excited kids! |
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| A last pic with Auntie Ruth. This was Abi and Joseph's foster Mom over the last 7 months. |
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| At the airport after making it through bag checks, tickets, immigration, etc etc. We are having a "treat" to kill some time before we go to the gate and have to sit and sit and sit. |
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| At the gate. Joseph is taking a picture of Abi and I. |
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| At this point we have been at the gate about 30 minutes.....it is about 10:30 at night (way past bedtime) and Joseph is getting cranky and not thinking all this waiting is much fun. |
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| Finally on the plane. Very excited kids! (If they only knew how many hours we were about the fly) |
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| The next day on our 3rd and last flight. We are within minutes of being home and Daddy waiting for us at the airport. |
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| Getting ready to take off in Denver. This is our 3rd and last flight. Abi can't stop talking about Daddy being at the airport. |
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| This picture says it all. They went running through the glass doors and practically knocked Omar over. Very happy to see their Dad and he was soooo happy to see them. For Omar it had been 5 months since seeing the kids. |
Thursday, March 24, 2011
We Have Visas!!!
Abi and Joseph's visas are printed and ready to be picked up tomorrow morning!!! We are so excited! Now we're frantically trying to arrange our travel plans.
We're going to Ghana and bringing home our kids this time!
We're going to Ghana and bringing home our kids this time!
Monday, March 21, 2011
They're coming home soon!!
Finally....good news!! The interview at the embassy went well today and they took Abi and Joseph's passports. Now we just wait for an email from the embassy confirming the visas have been printed and we can travel to pick them up.
Time frame?? Maybe this Friday? Next Friday? We won't know until they tell us but it's soon!!
Time frame?? Maybe this Friday? Next Friday? We won't know until they tell us but it's soon!!
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Not Today
Well....no visas today.
There is yet another appt scheduled for Monday. We will see what happens from there.
I can't even begin to put our emotions into words so I'm not going to even try.
Keep you posted..................
There is yet another appt scheduled for Monday. We will see what happens from there.
I can't even begin to put our emotions into words so I'm not going to even try.
Keep you posted..................
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Tomorrow's Another Day
We have our follow up appointment at the embassy tomorrow. Our POA Muna will go for us. We are so anxious! This has been one LONG week waiting for this appointment. We really hope tomorrow we have a date for the visas and can make travel plans. FINALLY!!
We have done everything we can possibly think of to prepare for Abi and Joseph's arrival. We feel very ready.....or atleast as ready as we can be.
We'll keep you posted!
We have done everything we can possibly think of to prepare for Abi and Joseph's arrival. We feel very ready.....or atleast as ready as we can be.
We'll keep you posted!
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Ways To Help In Ghana
Hi Everyone,
Our agency Adoption Advocates International (AAI) does some great humanitarian work in Ghana. AAI supports Ghana'’s children and families in a number of ways. A significant portion of adoption fees go directly to provide humanitarian support. Primarily, donations are made to NGOs who focus on orphan care and family preservation. However, the funds available from adoption fees only go so far and the need is much greater than available resources.
Below are some active projects AAI is currently working on. The first one (Family Preservations Sponsorships) is AAI's current greatest need. Without some sponsorships there are approximately 15 children that AAI currently helps that will lose that assistance. However, all the projects are extremely worthwhile!
Family Preservation Sponsorships: For $35 a month you can sponsor a vulnerable child to go to school and receive lunch each day. These are children who are still living with their families, in part, because we are able to help with education. Alternatively, you can sponsor a vulnerable family by giving a food donation each month. This is a bundle of basic foods (oil, rice, beans) that will help the family fill the gap in their nutritional needs. Again, this food may literally be the difference in a child staying with their family or being put into alternative care. Currently there are FIFTEEN children ages 4-15 years who desperately need sponsors for their education. AAI is unable to continue meeting these needs without individual sponsors. Please email anita@adoptionadvocates.org to choose a child or family to sponsor. You can set up ongoing monthly sponsorship through the AAI website. This is our greatest current need!
Survival Paks: The Ripley Foundation is collecting "Survival Paks" for women and children living on the street or in the marketplace. These are 2-gallon ziploc bags that contain essentials like soap, 2-yard cloth, flashlight and batteries, protein bars, and socks. Please consider putting together 2-5 bags to deliver when you travel to Ghana, or being willing to carry over bags that others have put together.
Diapers and Wipes: Although we rarely have infants available in our adoption program, there are children in care of foster homes or birth families who are in need of diapers and wipes. Please consider donating disposable diapers in sizes 2, 3, and 4. The Ripley Foundation will distribute them to children as there is a need.
Nyame Dua Boys' Dorm: Nyame Dua Foster Home cares for six teenage boys who are not able to be adopted. These boys are currently living in a wooden structure outside of the main house. This structure is literally falling apart as termites eat away the wood. We are currently fundraising to rebuild the structure with wood and concrete, including running water and electricity. The total estimated cost is $5000. We still need about $3000 in order to meet the financial goal and begin construction. This Boys' Dorm will provide a solid long-term home for these young men as they complete their teen years and enter into adulthood. Donations can be made to "Ghana: Boys' Dorm" on the AAI website.
Food: Sometimes this need is overlooked, but there is always a need for a simple donation of food! Each month we give several hundred cedis worth of food to a handful of orphanages and foster homes in Ghana. We do not give cash, but an actual food donation. At the top of this email you can see this months' food donation to Nyame Dua. Food donations can be made in any amount. Just designate "Ghana: Food Project" on the AAI website. Every dollar received is directly added to what AAI already gives each month. With the rising cost of food in Ghana the homes have a greater need than ever.
Our agency Adoption Advocates International (AAI) does some great humanitarian work in Ghana. AAI supports Ghana'’s children and families in a number of ways. A significant portion of adoption fees go directly to provide humanitarian support. Primarily, donations are made to NGOs who focus on orphan care and family preservation. However, the funds available from adoption fees only go so far and the need is much greater than available resources.
Below are some active projects AAI is currently working on. The first one (Family Preservations Sponsorships) is AAI's current greatest need. Without some sponsorships there are approximately 15 children that AAI currently helps that will lose that assistance. However, all the projects are extremely worthwhile!
Family Preservation Sponsorships: For $35 a month you can sponsor a vulnerable child to go to school and receive lunch each day. These are children who are still living with their families, in part, because we are able to help with education. Alternatively, you can sponsor a vulnerable family by giving a food donation each month. This is a bundle of basic foods (oil, rice, beans) that will help the family fill the gap in their nutritional needs. Again, this food may literally be the difference in a child staying with their family or being put into alternative care. Currently there are FIFTEEN children ages 4-15 years who desperately need sponsors for their education. AAI is unable to continue meeting these needs without individual sponsors. Please email anita@adoptionadvocates.org to choose a child or family to sponsor. You can set up ongoing monthly sponsorship through the AAI website. This is our greatest current need!
Survival Paks: The Ripley Foundation is collecting "Survival Paks" for women and children living on the street or in the marketplace. These are 2-gallon ziploc bags that contain essentials like soap, 2-yard cloth, flashlight and batteries, protein bars, and socks. Please consider putting together 2-5 bags to deliver when you travel to Ghana, or being willing to carry over bags that others have put together.
Diapers and Wipes: Although we rarely have infants available in our adoption program, there are children in care of foster homes or birth families who are in need of diapers and wipes. Please consider donating disposable diapers in sizes 2, 3, and 4. The Ripley Foundation will distribute them to children as there is a need.
Nyame Dua Boys' Dorm: Nyame Dua Foster Home cares for six teenage boys who are not able to be adopted. These boys are currently living in a wooden structure outside of the main house. This structure is literally falling apart as termites eat away the wood. We are currently fundraising to rebuild the structure with wood and concrete, including running water and electricity. The total estimated cost is $5000. We still need about $3000 in order to meet the financial goal and begin construction. This Boys' Dorm will provide a solid long-term home for these young men as they complete their teen years and enter into adulthood. Donations can be made to "Ghana: Boys' Dorm" on the AAI website.
Food: Sometimes this need is overlooked, but there is always a need for a simple donation of food! Each month we give several hundred cedis worth of food to a handful of orphanages and foster homes in Ghana. We do not give cash, but an actual food donation. At the top of this email you can see this months' food donation to Nyame Dua. Food donations can be made in any amount. Just designate "Ghana: Food Project" on the AAI website. Every dollar received is directly added to what AAI already gives each month. With the rising cost of food in Ghana the homes have a greater need than ever.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
A Delay
So frustrating to have to say we are having another delay. The embassy lost our original signed Power of Attorney so they would not take the kids' passports today in order to issue the visas. There is another appointment scheduled for next Wednesday March 16th. I should have known the visa process was going too smoothly.
On the positive side next Wednesday our POA will take another original POA to them and they have said they WILL take the passports. We are really hopeful we will have a date for their visas at next Wednesdays appt.
It's just really hard to wait yet another week to find out.
Trying to hang in there......
On the positive side next Wednesday our POA will take another original POA to them and they have said they WILL take the passports. We are really hopeful we will have a date for their visas at next Wednesdays appt.
It's just really hard to wait yet another week to find out.
Trying to hang in there......
Friday, March 4, 2011
Visa Exit Interview
Our visa exit interview for our kids is this coming Tuesday March 8th at 7:30 AM!! Please send all your positive thoughts and prayers their way! It will be a very long day for our POA and the kids. We are hoping for a date to pick up their visas so we can make travel arrangements. We are so close!!
Monday, February 28, 2011
Visa Packet Pick Up
We have been given permission to pick up the Visa packet for our kids THIS Wednesday March 2nd!! We are so thankful to be able to do this and not lose a week at this stage of the process! The excitement is mounting!!!
Thursday, February 24, 2011
We Got It!!
Finally! Our I600 approval came today. After this long difficult wait the relief was overwhelming. Now on to the very last step.....their Visas! Should take 5-7 weeks. We're almost there.......and Abi and Joseph are almost home.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
My Need To Apologize
This wait for our I600 has gone on for so long and with the fact that when we do get that approval (and who knows when that will be) we still have to get through the Visa process has left me feeling so bad for my kids. We know we are ATLEAST 2 months away from being able to pick them up.....and that is on the short end. It most likely will be longer.
Abi and Joseph have been in foster care for over one year now. They have had let downs before we came into their lives. We have tried to heal that wound for them in small ways and make sure they know they can count on us. They have watched kids come into care and then leave with their adoptive parents to be taken home. We have gone to Ghana twice and left them there as the process continues. They keep being told soon.....soon your parents will come for you. I can't help feeling at this point as the wait has gone well beyond the "norm" that we have let them down. How it must feel for them? How they must wonder?? When I was there the beginning of December they asked me how long.......how long until you come back? I felt comfortable at that time telling them 3 months. That was on the long side of things so it seemed safe to tell them. Well......we are at that 3 months next week and I won't be there. Do they know this? Are they watching a calendar? I doubt it. I sure hope not.
All I can hope is they don't feel as let down as I feel like we have let them down.
How much longer can this go on?? We have been asking ourselves this lately and have no idea what to think. Logic and the tendency to think positively says it can't be much longer but each day that we wake up with no word leaves us feeling...... well......less than positive and questioning how long this could REALLY go on.
Abi and Joseph have been in foster care for over one year now. They have had let downs before we came into their lives. We have tried to heal that wound for them in small ways and make sure they know they can count on us. They have watched kids come into care and then leave with their adoptive parents to be taken home. We have gone to Ghana twice and left them there as the process continues. They keep being told soon.....soon your parents will come for you. I can't help feeling at this point as the wait has gone well beyond the "norm" that we have let them down. How it must feel for them? How they must wonder?? When I was there the beginning of December they asked me how long.......how long until you come back? I felt comfortable at that time telling them 3 months. That was on the long side of things so it seemed safe to tell them. Well......we are at that 3 months next week and I won't be there. Do they know this? Are they watching a calendar? I doubt it. I sure hope not.
All I can hope is they don't feel as let down as I feel like we have let them down.
How much longer can this go on?? We have been asking ourselves this lately and have no idea what to think. Logic and the tendency to think positively says it can't be much longer but each day that we wake up with no word leaves us feeling...... well......less than positive and questioning how long this could REALLY go on.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Soon?
Nothing yet. I can't even begin to tell you how brutal this wait is right now! We hope the problem is resolved very soon. I received a call from a very nice woman at the National Visa Center (NVC) this morning. She was very helpful and offered a solution that I forwarded to the staff working on our case at the Embassy in Ghana. We really hope an approval is on its way soon!
We thought we were looking at end of Feb to middle of March homecoming. At this point we will be lucky if it is end of March or beginning of April.......very well could end up middle of April. Not what we anticipated! So much for all those warm clothes we bought!
I had someone tell me today (another adoptive Mom in the process) that it is so hard to look to the future while still staying in the present. That is such an understatement! It's nearly impossible and I feel very paralyzed by the spot we are in. For me, at least right now, it seems nearly impossible to be in the moment. This isn't where I want to be! I want to be in that point in time when we go get our kids!
We thought we were looking at end of Feb to middle of March homecoming. At this point we will be lucky if it is end of March or beginning of April.......very well could end up middle of April. Not what we anticipated! So much for all those warm clothes we bought!
I had someone tell me today (another adoptive Mom in the process) that it is so hard to look to the future while still staying in the present. That is such an understatement! It's nearly impossible and I feel very paralyzed by the spot we are in. For me, at least right now, it seems nearly impossible to be in the moment. This isn't where I want to be! I want to be in that point in time when we go get our kids!
Monday, February 7, 2011
A Tiny Piece of Good News
We heard from the Embassy today. They are waiting on a piece of information to finalize our file. They are hoping to have it very soon.
I hope they are right!!! I hope very, very soon.
Stay tuned.................................
I hope they are right!!! I hope very, very soon.
Stay tuned.................................
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Tomorrow is day 54
Tomorrow is day 54 of our wait for our I600 approval. We are anxiously waiting for some news and hoping it is soon. They say 60 days maximum so it has to be soon! Once we have that approval we will be on the last step of bringing Abi and Joseph home....their visas!!! That process should only take 4-6 weeks. We are SO ready to bring them home. We really feel as prepared as we can be in every way.
We finished their rooms so here are a couple pics. We really hope they are pleasantly surprised and feel loved.
I had someone say to me the other day "at least you don't have to be pregnant". I didn't mention that I would have welcomed pregnancy but also this wait post adoption has been very, very hard. It is much harder than the wait during pregnancy. Imagine giving birth to your child and then having to leave that child in a foreign country half way around the world for several months after birth? That is how we feel. We bonded with Abi and Joseph so strongly when we went to court in Ghana in October that leaving them there was heartbreaking. Then when I went back the beginning of December to file the I600 and had to leave them again......well I can't explain how hard that is. The only thing that makes it bearable is their Foster Mother Ruth. She is great and very loving. We know she is taking good care of our kids until they can come home. We will never be able to thank her enough.
We finished their rooms so here are a couple pics. We really hope they are pleasantly surprised and feel loved.
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| Abi said she likes yellow! |
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| Joseph is a "Football" (soccer) lover! |
I had someone say to me the other day "at least you don't have to be pregnant". I didn't mention that I would have welcomed pregnancy but also this wait post adoption has been very, very hard. It is much harder than the wait during pregnancy. Imagine giving birth to your child and then having to leave that child in a foreign country half way around the world for several months after birth? That is how we feel. We bonded with Abi and Joseph so strongly when we went to court in Ghana in October that leaving them there was heartbreaking. Then when I went back the beginning of December to file the I600 and had to leave them again......well I can't explain how hard that is. The only thing that makes it bearable is their Foster Mother Ruth. She is great and very loving. We know she is taking good care of our kids until they can come home. We will never be able to thank her enough.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Day 42
It's day 42 of our I600 wait. We are definitely feeling the anxiety of the wait. To make things harder today is Joseph's 8th birthday. We already missed Abi's on December 23rd and now Joseph's as well. It's just tough! :(
This is the week of the month that I600 approvals are usually given. If we do not get our approval this week we are very fearful it will be another entire month before we hear anything. I've tried to prepare myself for this possibility but that's nearly impossible. That would put us 75 days plus if that happens......I don't know what to think.
We are ready to bring our kids home. Rooms are finished, clothes and necessities are purchased, we even traded in our Honda for a larger vehicle (a real kid hauler!....not a mini van!), and I signed them up for spring soccer.
So.......please, please U.S. Embassy let us bring our kids home! It's time! We're ALL ready!
This is the week of the month that I600 approvals are usually given. If we do not get our approval this week we are very fearful it will be another entire month before we hear anything. I've tried to prepare myself for this possibility but that's nearly impossible. That would put us 75 days plus if that happens......I don't know what to think.
We are ready to bring our kids home. Rooms are finished, clothes and necessities are purchased, we even traded in our Honda for a larger vehicle (a real kid hauler!....not a mini van!), and I signed them up for spring soccer.
So.......please, please U.S. Embassy let us bring our kids home! It's time! We're ALL ready!
Monday, January 10, 2011
Shopping while we wait
We are on day 34 of our I600 wait. The rooms are finished!!!!! Finally! I will post some pics later.
Did some shopping this weekend. It dawned on us that we are really probably 4-6 weeks from bringing Abi and Joseph home. They had nothing! No clothes, no shoes, no underwear, no socks. Nothing! Most everything we have purchased in the past we left in Ghana with them (summer type clothes). I'm happy to say we made a big dent in that problem! Their closets and dressers are still pretty bare but if they came home tomorrow we would get by. They even have toothbrushes and toothpaste in their bathroom.
Also spent some time on http://www.beemineproducts.com/ to get some hair care products for Abi. I may not have a clue how to fix her hair but I am going to be equipped with hair products to do it should I ever figure it out!!
Found some awesome deals on winter coats! Cute, cute cute!
Wow.....they should be home in a few weeks. This is going to be one long week since I am hopeful our I600 approval will come next week (and unfortunately pretty sure not this week).
Did some shopping this weekend. It dawned on us that we are really probably 4-6 weeks from bringing Abi and Joseph home. They had nothing! No clothes, no shoes, no underwear, no socks. Nothing! Most everything we have purchased in the past we left in Ghana with them (summer type clothes). I'm happy to say we made a big dent in that problem! Their closets and dressers are still pretty bare but if they came home tomorrow we would get by. They even have toothbrushes and toothpaste in their bathroom.
Also spent some time on http://www.beemineproducts.com/ to get some hair care products for Abi. I may not have a clue how to fix her hair but I am going to be equipped with hair products to do it should I ever figure it out!!
Found some awesome deals on winter coats! Cute, cute cute!
Wow.....they should be home in a few weeks. This is going to be one long week since I am hopeful our I600 approval will come next week (and unfortunately pretty sure not this week).
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Happy New Year
Well it is January 2, 2011 and we are on day 26 of our wait for the I600 approval. We are hoping to hear something the middle of this month but we know it could be the end of the month.
Christmas was festive for the kids in Ghana. AAI has a Christmas fundraiser every year to be able to give each of the kids a new Ghanaian outfit and a Christmas feast. The kids and staff in Ghana love it!
We have comforted ourselves this holiday season by remembering this will be the last Christmas we spend apart from Abi and Joseph. They had a great celebration in Ghana!
We had a very nice Christmas with my oldest son Lance and his girlfriend Tawny. We loved having them here. He is a huge source of pride in my life and his girlfriend is wonderful. Kind of hoping she might be more than a girlfriend soon! (hint, hint Lance if you are reading this!)
Happy New year to everyone!
Christmas was festive for the kids in Ghana. AAI has a Christmas fundraiser every year to be able to give each of the kids a new Ghanaian outfit and a Christmas feast. The kids and staff in Ghana love it!
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| What a beauty! She's definitely a girl who loves a new dress! |
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| Joseph has become a real eating machine! Handsome in his new shirt! |
We had a very nice Christmas with my oldest son Lance and his girlfriend Tawny. We loved having them here. He is a huge source of pride in my life and his girlfriend is wonderful. Kind of hoping she might be more than a girlfriend soon! (hint, hint Lance if you are reading this!)
Happy New year to everyone!
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