2017 Holiday Photo-A-Day {Days 31-33}

The final days of our project and once again I am thankful for memories filling my boy's tank and mine. The season hasn't been about rushing or stress or even presents, but experiences and relationships and Jesus. Many of those events we were able to catch on camera, most we didn't, but our hearts are full of knowing WHY we celebrate this season and we are so very thankful.  

{Day 31}: Long Distance Christmas

When your BFF and family live 2,000miles away, you get creative with birthdays & holidays. Today we skyped our Christmas together, opening gifts and laughing together. We even managed a family photo with all 6 of us "together"

{Day 32}: Christmas Eve 
A rare white Christmas in Seattle and a little boy who sang O Come Let Us Adore Him in worship at at the TOP of his lungs is ready for presents <3

{Day 33}: Christmas Day

When you eat, breathe and move Disney's Aladdin, your heart is happy with (especially hard to find) figurines.  He played happily for the better part of the morning, quietly in the glow of the falling snow outside. Perfection. 

Next year will be a season of first as we offer memories to our Sweet Girl during her first Christmas with a family. What a photo-a-day project that will be!  We think of her now know that she is safe, warm & cared for but also without a momma and brother and gramma and aunties & uncles and cousins who are eager to have her HOME.  We love you Sweet Girl...next year you'll be HOME for Christmas!

2017 Holiday Photo-A-Day: {Days 26-30}

In the final stretch of our photo project...

{Day 26}: Back up Plan

A massive accident shut down all traffic headed south today (and expected for the next several days) so our plans to go to the state capital for official adoption stuff got put on hold. In the nearly 2 hours it took us to make it 10 miles home we declared our back up plan---go see The Star with Gramma (which she hadn't seen yet and we've already loved). The photo quality is crummy but the sentiment is real (and somewhat frowned upon as I snap the shot in the middle of the movie). These two were made for each other. 

{Day 27}: Chinese Nativity

I collect nativities. I think it started after wondering into a hotel in Costa Rica and finding a massive display of nativities from around the world (it was mid-summer). I remember being enthralled at how many different cultures celebrated the same amazing miracle.  Of course, finding a Chinese nativity is particularly difficult. BUT Isaac found one for me last year and it is our mantle centerpiece this year. Excited to add an Albanian nativity next year. 

{Day 28}: Sesame Street Christmas...1978

I'm feeling a bit more sentimental this holiday season. Could be that I am feeling the emptiness of one of my children being so far away, or trying to squeeze in all the Christmases I know she has missed with us. I'm not entirely sure.  Tonight I introduced Isaac to one of my FAVORITE Christmas Specials: Christmas Eve on Sesame Street (1978). I remember the utter joy of watching this as a child--pre streaming, YouTube, DVRs and even VCRs. *gasp* I had to WAIT for it to come on...and it was worth it!  I had totally forgotten that there was a song in sign language and it didn't take my hands long to remember how to sign/sing it again. Isaac LOVED it. 

{Day 29}: "Free" Gift with Purchase

Prior to our current adoption, I spent two years saving my pennies to buy tickets to Broadway's hottest ticket, HAMILTON when it comes to Seattle in February 2018.  It was worth the sacrifice as I was able to get amazing seats to THREE shows!  Excited is not even the word to describe how I feel about this. It's more like #canteven.  Then today my 'free' gift with purchase arrived--which I didn't even know was coming and in no way equal to the dollars I spent for the tickets, but I actually shrieked. My first piece of HAMILTON merch...just in time for Christmas!

{Day 30}: Neighbor-mail

We live nearly 30 min from our church & church community isolating us in a neighborhood without any fellowship, so we prayed the Lord would bring us a neighbor...a real neighbor. Two years ago, we were blessed with a lovely lady who worked for WorldVision, who also had been praying for a Jesus loving neighbor near her new home. The Lord arranged that we share the same back fence!  Perfect for hanging 'neighbor-mail' on through the year--usually with homemade treats, seeds for the yard or just because-s.  Thankful for texts that say 'Merry Christmas! Check the fence' ;) 

Just a few more days left...

Sixty Days Later

Today is the 60th day since we said yes to our Sweet Girl across the world.  Today was also our biggest adventure.  A train derailment between us and the State Capital literally blocked our way to the Secretary of State yesterday. We declared the day done and re-scheduled for today hoping for some sort of transportation miracle. With the freeway still blocked today, a two & half hour detour to drive 30 miles got us to Olympia right at lunch time.  They agreed to see us, but also kindly pointed out that one of our forms wasn't correct. Um...yes it is.  I declared favor over that form as quickly as my brain could utter the words then asked her kindly to please double check.  She returned with a consent, "I guess we can work with this".  Praise Jesus!  Seriously felt like a scene out of Star Wars: "These aren't the droids you're looking for".   

While we waited for the paperwork to be processed, we wandered into the closest restaurant, which happened to be a Mediterranean deli.  It seemed appropriate as we work to bring home our Mediterranean girl. Isaac finished off an entire gyro on his own and we shared a piece of Baklava to celebrate doing all that we could do.  With the dossier sent off to our agency and then to Albania, we will officially be in The Wait. There will be nothing more we will have control over as two governments negotiate the terms of our adoption.   I'll have time to focus on the 26 adoption grants sitting on my desk, prepare her room and count the days as they pass on the calendar.   But the Lord has held firm to His promise---He'll split the seas; He'll move the mountains.  It has been exactly 60 days since we said YES to our Sweet Girl and 6 months of paperwork has been done in that time with only the small hitch with my birth certificate (and the whole train derailment issue), which in actuality only set us back 24 hours.  We have been absolutely SURROUNDED with favor, which provides such sweet confirmation to my heart. 

You will have a Momma and brother soon, my daughter.  We are coming as quickly as we can <3 

Christmas Fundraiser Totals

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you for everyone who supported this wonderful joint fundraiser with The Apparent Project!  Twenty six orders were mailed to twelve different states.  $660 was raised for the lovely Haitian artists that are creating to keep their families together!  Their children have their first families because the parents have secure employment and can provide for their loved ones. Oh, that every first family would have this opportunity <3

Also with everyone's lovely generosity, we are $5,687 closer to bringing our Sweet Girl HOME. You all...I can't even tell you what that means to me. Thank you for being a part of what God is doing in our family. You are intimately knit into my girl's story. <3  I can't wait to tell her of all the people who are loving her HOME. 

2017 Holiday Photo-A-Day: {Days 21-25}

Continuing our photo-a-day project...

{Day 21}: Jesse Tree
I stumbled upon some lovely handmade Jesse Tree ornaments for our Advent Box which happen to go along with our Advent reading plan. Every night Isaac gets to open the door and discover a new felt ornament. We hold it and talk about it and read our Bible passage, then carefully hang it on our Jesse Tree. I like seeing our dining room centerpiece filling up with visual representations of God's loving plan for our Redemption...one piece of felt at a time.

{Day 22}: Satsuma Oranges

A long time ago, when I was working as a pediatric trauma nurse, I would always volunteer to work Christmas Eve. This ensured that I would have Christmas Day off with my family, but I also enjoyed the ministry of bringing Christmas to the kids and families that would need to be in the hospital on that day---hanging tiny stockings from the end of isolets, arranging calls from Santa on the the walkies, sneaking kiddos up to the roof to check for elves, etc.  One particular Christmas Eve I was asked to come up from the ER 'for a few minutes' to help with one medically complex & developmentally delayed teenager that was going to be transported back to her group home.  That specific wing had been shut down, having consolidated the remaining children into one festive pod for the holiday, leaving her and I alone on that wing. Her transport would be here any minute and I would be released back to the ER.   For EIGHT hours, "Susan" and I sat in the nursing station, with the Christmas music turned up, making prank calls to other parts of the hospital and eating through a large box of satsuma oranges. Her body was nonverbal, but her spirit was bright! For some reason, it's one of my favorite holiday memories. And now every time I buy a box of satsuma oranges I think of that Christmas Eve with "Susan".

{Day 23}: Friday Night Lights
Two hours I sat in this mess.  Two hours for a commute that normally takes me less than 45 minutes. If it hadn't been for the sultry sounds of Michael Buble's Christmas, I'm not sure I would have survived.  Fa-La-La was not exactly what was coming to mind.

{Day 24}: Old Cannery Santa

Turns out the rumors of a local furniture store pulling out all the stops for the full Santa experience were not false!  Bonus...they schedule sensory friendly times with the Big Man so there is no lines or rush or stress. Isaac knew EXACTLY who Santa was from afar but was a bit shy coming near. The Jolly Old Elf asked for some signs to help speak to my little boy directly, and promised to learn more for next year.  :)  

Seems Santa arranged for free horse drawn carriage rides on our way out...how fun!  We had a blast and even got to sing/sign our new signs to Jingle Bells!  

{Day 25}: Sunday Home School

Isaac and I do Sunday Home School together in the foyer after worship. It takes about 10 or 15 min to work through a lesson that I have prepared for the month and then he can work on his digital bible study/game while I watch the rest of the Sunday message on the screen.  I enjoy feeding my boy this way, and it is especially exciting when he 'gets' it.  This month we are working through the Christmas story, Isaac-style. 

Just 8 more days left...

Birth Certificate Saga

Forty years ago, I was born. My mother was there--she distinctly remembers the event. Details of which she brings up from time to time in an effort to keep me in my place. A birth certificate was signed and registered with the Oregon Office of Vital Statistics. I have an original copy, signed in 1977. I have two additional copies secured in 2011 while preparing the STACKS of paperwork needed to welcome my son home, stashed away for an emergency or special circumstance...you know, like adopting another child.   Sadly, having your literal body, your birthing parent, an original birth certificate and two additional copies less than ten years old is not sufficient to prove that I indeed exist, at least not according to a semi-important international convention signed in 1962.  So...less than 24 hours (October 20th, to be exact) after hoping on the adoption road again I started the process of requesting yet another authenticated birth certificate. The request it self had to be notarized...to prove that I am me...to request the proof that I am  indeed ME.  *eyeroll*   

If you are not a part of our adoption Facebook group, here is the saga over the last 10 days:

Dec 5th: Prayer request--Our homeland security paperwork has been processed and I am expecting the form to arrive next week. With that form we can send our dossier to Albania right away! However, my birth certificate-which is also needed- has been stuck in paperwork hades in the State of Oregon for almost a month. I received confirmation today that it has been sent off for official Apostille but can take another 2-4 weeks. We can't wait another month for this. Please be praying for favor and quick hands to be placed over my birth certificate so we can get it back in the next 2 weeks! Thank you!!

Dec 11th:Talked to the Oregon Secretary of State office 5 times today. (They are being truly wonderful!). The post office can confirm that my birth certificate was delivered...but apparently to the master mail room for the state, which has a 4 day turn around. My new friends at the Sec of State office sent a supervisor down to the mail room to literally sift through all USPS envelopes that arrived today in order to find and process the birth certificate and over night mail it back to me! We have found favor with the Sec of State office (thank you Lord!) now we need a miraculous finding of the appropriate envelope so we can get that one silly piece of paperwork sent to Albania! THANK YOU for your continued prayer coverage!

Dec 13th: My new friends at the Oregon Sec of State found my birth certificate, authenticated it and arranged for overnight mail yesterday!! Hallelujah. BUT...FedEx returned the envelope to Salem for some unknown reason. A flurry of phone calls this morning confirmed where the precious envelope is and a tracking number to confirm it will be in my hands TOMORROW. Continue to pray protection over that little piece of paper!!

Dec 14th: Birth certificate is in route!!!

Dec 14th: The apostilled birth certificate has arrived!!! #kisses  #papercuts

Now....let's get this paperwork off to Albania!!

2017 Holiday Photo-A-Day: {Days 16-20}

Continuing our holiday photo-a-day project...


{Day 16}: Marshmallows

It was too quite for about 17 seconds too long...seems he prefers the marshmallows to the hot chocolate.

{Day 17}: Christmas Kids & Journey to Bethlehem

We started the day heading to church to wrap gifts for the two Christmas Kids Isaac & I chose for the annual toy drive. We prayed and shopped together last week and picked the perfect gifts...one of which Isaac REALLY wanted himself. It's been SO HARD for him this last week to have the gift sitting right where he couldn't get to it (Mom is so mean!). I even made him carry the gift into the church today all the while talking about GIVING gifts with a happy heart. He begrudgingly wrapped the gift with me and then carried the WORLD MOST PERFECT gift to the destination table...GIVE IT...and walk away with nothing in his hands.  He didn't cry or whine or throw a fit, but you could tell it was so very hard for him, but oh such an important lesson to learn. Sacrifice. We give with a joyful heart...even when it hurts...just like Jesus. 

We ended our day at the SPECTACULAR Journey to Bethlehem production in Auburn. I can't speak highly enough about this event. 45 min of interactive outdoor live action drama depicting the events surrounding Christ's birth. We met the wise men, escaped from Herod, scurried through Bethlehem's market place; unable to find room at the inn, we warmed ourselves by the shepherd's fire where the ground shook when the angles appeared telling us of the Messiah's birth...then to sing O Come Let Us Adore Him at the stable where the live sheep lowed and the/a real baby lay would nearly drop you to your knees.   Isaac got a little overwhelmed amidst the escape from Herod, but was SO VERY ENGAGED in the story he helped guide our caravan leader through the busy streets of Bethlehem!  This event may be my favorite part of the holidays. 

Zachariah & Elizabeth

Roman guards

Bethlehem marketplace

The stable

{Day 18}: ELF

On the opposite spectrum of yesterday's Christmas experience, this afternoon we saw the Broadway production of ELF: The Musical! Lots of singing & dancing and stunning set displays. Isaac sat quietly engaged through the nearly 3 hour show. When the curtain dropped he stared blankly at me "where Aladdin?!"  Oh, buddy. We were at the same theater that we saw the production of his precious Aladdin (his overwhelming favorite movie, music, & musical) and apparently he thought we were going to see it again...once we got through the singing elf nonsense. *breakmyheart*  We listened to the soundtrack in the car and his little heart was satisfied. 

{Day 19}: Isaac vs. the tape
He was determined to cut, tape and wrap his cousin's present, but that meant besting the 3M tape dispenser. You'll have to imagine the sound effects that go along with this picture. It matches the muscle shirt he was wearing! 

{Day 20}:  Nightly Advent

We are as half way as you can get in a 25 day event. We are working our way through the Jesus StoryBook Bible advent calendar again. We've done it for years, but this year we added a fun new twist...you'll see that tomorrow *wink*

To be continued...

Final call Christmas Fundraiser

Our joint fundraiser with The Apparent Project has been a wonderful success. All of our ornaments are gone and we are sorting through the final bits of the lovely handmade bracelets.  This is the final week the jewelry will be available, in order to allow each order to arrive at it's destination before Christmas...and to allow the Haitian funds raised (nearly $600!!) to be returned to their artisans in Haiti. 

Please email me you order this week if you are interested in the remaining bracelets. Each one represents a family that is working and creating and keeping their family intact...and a little girl in Albania who is longing for a momma and a happy little brother. <3 

Tax deductible donations can be made HERE for any amount. 

2017 Holiday Photo-A-Day: {Days 11-15}

We are plugging away at our photo-a-day project:


{Day 11}: Christmas Cards

We almost didn't do cards this year. With all the adoption paperwork and costs I didn't think I could swing the time or money, but a friend convinced me otherwise AND pointed me in the direction of a killer deal. I'm glad we are sending them out. I love looking at the list of addresses and reflecting the breadth and width of relationships the list represents.  Twenty-one states and three countries are in the pile!  Hoping we can cross the 50% of the USA mark next year!!

{Day 12}: Fantasy Lights
Took an dinner drive through Fantasy Lights; Christmas music playing and sounds of "ooohh" and "awesome" coming from the back seat. Isaac like the guitar playing triceratops the best. I liked the exploding volcano. We both agreed the Christmas ship was pretty darn cool.

{Day 13}: Worship & Monkey Slippers

An evening of live worship at home in my own monkey slippers presented by our church worship time.  Christmas carols new & old declaring the He is the Lord of Peace, then and now. 

{Day 14}: My Office View

I've spent the better part of the last six months commuting to a rural clinic near the base of Mt Rainier. Two hours a day in the car gives me plenty of time to enjoy audiobooks, listen NOT to VegiTales and to enjoy the peaceful drive through the Ohop valley. Today was bright, sunny, crisp and granted a PERFECT view of Mt. Rainier from my office window. 

{Day 15}: Dentist

Non-Christmas-y things still happen during Christmas season. An after school visit to the dentist was due. Thankfully, my boy L-O-V-E-S going to the dentist---it's one of the weirder things I've ever experienced. I may be the only parent on this earth that gets to say "if you do X, then you get to get your teeth cleaned! to jubilant response!

To be continued...

An Update from Albania

This adoption pregnancy is totally different than with Isaac in one hundred different ways. The biggest being, it appears that I'll be getting monthly updates on my girly, with photos AND VIDEO!  9.5 minutes of watching my sweet girl navigating life is good for the waiting-momma heart. 

Sadly, I can't share them publicly, but let me say...she is BEAUTIFUL.  It looks like she was getting over a cold, but was smiling and happy and very interested in a couple of new puzzles the missionaries brought with them. I'm going to have to up my French braiding game, as the Sisters at her home have set a pretty high standard!  Apparently, she has also won a place at her school to do an oral presentation (perhaps involved in a drama?) and will be traveling to Macedonia in a few weeks! They sent a video of her monologue and her speech is clear and articular and lovely (and in Albanian, so she could be reciting a recipe for all I know).  So, while Isaac and I kicking at home, my 12 year will be traveling around Eastern Europe! How bonkers is that. Girlfriend is about to have the coolest passport in the family! 

I am excited for her! She is experiencing life and understands change & transitions well. That will made her adoption OF US much easier. 

Thank you for your continued prayer coverage!  Our initial Homeland Security paperwork was approved this week and I should receive that form in the next week. We continue to pray over my birth certificate as it seems to be stuck somewhere between the Office of Vital Records and the Secretary of State in Oregon.  The monotone man I spoke to today at the Secretary of State office promised to expedite the authentication needed...as soon as the birth certificate arrives. Uggg.  Thankfully, this has been our only hiccup in an otherwise remarkably favorable process, so I continue to believe for God's favor to be granted over this little detail as well.   He promised to move mountains and split the seas!!!

2017 Holiday Photo-A-Day Project {Days 6-10}

Continuing with our photo-a-day project...

{Day 6}: Hello W Joy
The halls are decked, included our front entryway--complete with lights and a hanger made by our dear friend Jessie.

{Day 7}: Victorian Country Christmas

Spent the day pursuing the crafting stalls and sampling the snacks at the Victorian Country Christmas. The candle making lady was memorizing!

{Day 8}: Christmas snooze
He fell asleep promptly at 6:15 last night and slept through until 6:15 this morning.  Had a great day then crashed out hard again...face first, over his own two feet.

{Day 9}: Day Off?

We ran errands from 7:30am to 6pm with barely a moment to stop in the middle--traversing a couple of counties and powering through four different Christmas CDs.  So much for a relaxing day off!  This is how Isaac handled the waiting-in-line-at-the-post-office nonsense: 

{Day 10}: Almond Roca

Almond Roca is made right here in our little city. I've never been a huge fan (don't tell), but we go to the factory store once a year to stock up on yummy gifts for my staff.  Isaac loves it because the store is small and he can manage the entire transaction "by himself"--from carrying the basket, to FILLING the basket, to paying the grandma behind the till, to sneaking an extra sample as we walk out the door.  I brought bags of gold wrapped Roca to China with us as gifts and they were a HUGE hit. Methinks we'll do the same for Albania. 

To be continued...