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Passports Never Looked so Good

[When I wake Jake up for school in the winter, he always wanders out and ends up here while I'm waking up his sister.]

We got a wonderful surprise in the mail Saturday....our passports arrived!!!  It felt like another very big step forward to finally have them in our hands.  I flipped through all those empty pages, just waiting to be stamped as we enter Arnold's country!

Our first home study visit went great.  Our social worker is very nice, and is excited to do an adoption through Reece's Rainbow.  We spent a lot of time talking about why we want to adopt, how we "chose" Arnold, and what kinds of issues/questions we had.  She is coming again tonight to talk about our autobiographies (we had to write them up as part of the home study paperwork) and parenting plan (okay, how many of you have a "parenting plan?"  It kind of makes me laugh, because if there's one thing I've learned in the short 8 years I've been a parent, is that you can't plan anything!  Life is full of twists and turns, which is what makes it so great.  But I know she just means in general, how do we parent, what are our values, priorities, etc.  The term just made me laugh.

I also received a wonderful note this weekend from my grandma, with a very generous donation to help bring Arnold home.  I just can't say enough positive things about my grandma-she has been a very important person throughout my life.  When I was little and my dad was very sick with cancer, we spent a lot of time at her house.  It was easy to forget the troubles at home when you're surrounded by unconditional love, homemade play-dough, and freshly baked cookies :)  Grandma still to this day always makes sure everyone leaves her house well fed and well loved.  Her initial response when we showed her a photo of Arnold and told her he was going to be her new grandson was, "wonderful!  I will love him just as if he were born into our family!  There is no difference!"  What else can I say?  The best grandma ever!

You may have also noticed that our "chip-in" has gone up a lot in the last week or so.  My mom made an incredible donation, as well as my new friend in Colorado.  I have a hard time trying to piece together words to convey the gratitude in my heart, but I feel so blessed and humbled and warmed inside when I think of it.  I know we all work so hard for the money we have, and there are many things we want to do with whatever "extra" we have.  Sometimes these donations come when there isn't really any "extra" at all,  and so I want you to know how much it means that you are willing to sacrifice on our behalf, because you believe in us when we say that this is our child, as much as any that I gave birth to.  We love you so much.

Some Thoughts

Leah giving dad some love last Independence Day

How do you thank someone who literally is responsible for you getting  your child???  I suppose it is a lot like trying to thank the person who gives you an organ for a life-saving transplant, or someone who saves you from a fire.  There really aren't words for those kinds of situations.  I am counting on the wonderful human emotion of empathy-the ability to put ourselves in someone else's shoes.  My angel in Colorado, I hope you can feel what it's like to be in my shoes, to feel the happy, grateful tears as they come at random times when I think about you and what you are doing for my family, and most importantly, for my son.  I can't wait for the day we can meet in person-hopefully along some wonderful red-dirt trail near Moab :)  Until then.....


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A friend on a Facebook group I belong to full of adopting mothers who are adopting from the same country as us and also through Reece's Rainbow posted about the difficulty she has when someone tells them how "amazing" they are for doing this adoption.  I have thought about that a lot today, because I have heard the same thing from many good friends and even strangers.  I know exactly what they mean, too, because I used to be that person, looking at others doing something just as "amazing" and thinking to myself "wow, I couldn't do that, I'm not [insert appropriate adjective: brave, strong, enthusiastic, humble, faithful. etc] enough to do such a thing.  But here's the thing-WE are not amazing, WE are not brave, WE are not full of some undying energy, WE didn't go looking for some super sacrificial way we could show our faith in God.  HEAVENLY FATHER is the amazing one.  HEAVENLY FATHER is making us brave.  HEAVENLY FATHER knows we can do this, with his help and faith in us.  He isn't helping us because we are perfect, he is helping us because he is perfect.  We are just average people. I know that sounds sorta preachy and bible-thumping in a way, but it's true!  And I believe every single person on earth has done or is doing some amazing thing that the rest of us couldn't fathom doing.  I have a good friend whose child has a physical disability, and I have no idea how she gets through the day just physically, lifting him and bathing him and just seeing to his basic needs.  But she is amazing at it.  I have another friend who has a child who has ADD, and I have no idea how she handles the constant distractability, and the kind of patience that requires.  But she is amazing at it.  I remember overhearing some friends of mine commenting on me and my son who has Down syndrome, saying, "I don't know how she does it," implying I'm super human or that having Jake is some kind of big burden.  Well friends, we all know that none of us are super human.  We do what we have to do, sometimes even when it's not our choice, such as when a child is born with a disability, or sometimes because we choose to follow a path we feel is right for us.  What matters is what we do with what we have been given.  And I know you can relate when I say that sometimes, it is those great "burdens" (which Jake has certainly never been) that become our greatest blessings.

The point I'm trying to make is that I know your comments about being amazing come right from your heart and are so kind, but I hope you also see the amazing things about yourself.  I know many of the people personally who are reading this blog, family and friends, and I can honestly say that each of you amaze me in some aspect of your life.  The cool thing is, when we put together all this amazing-ness, we have one pretty awesome planet of people.  And for that, I am so grateful.

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I have recently been in contact with a family here in the Boise area who are a prime example of amazing: they have started an ironman team who race to bring awareness about Reece's Rainbow and the plight of orphans with special needs.  They are in the running to win a spot to advertise their cause during the national televised coverage of the Kona Hawaii Ironman Championships this year (the mother of all Ironman races).  This family was touched to do this after having their son, who happens to sport that extra chromosome, and after learning what happens to these kids in orphanages half-way round the world.  What an awesome thing to do!  If you have a moment, watch his video and vote for it so the cause we are so passionate about can help these children languishing in orphanages just waiting for their forever families!  I promise you'll be touched, and besides, he uses a Journey song for the background music, so you know it's going to be good :)  Best of luck Saturday at the St. George Ironman Brady, I know a lot of people who will be cheering you on from way up here in Boise!!

Update and First Fundraiser!

Enjoying apples last summer.

Tonight we finalized our appointments for the home study!  They will be next Sunday (May 6th), Monday and Wednesday.  Our social worker is very excited that we're adopting a child through Reece's Rainbow, and knows our urgency at getting everything done quickly.  This is such a blessing, and I pray that things will go smoothly.

We've also decided, upon the urging of some great friends, that we will have a yard sale fundraiser!  If you aren't aware, the costs to adopt from Arnold's country are enormous, around $35,000.00-40,000.00.  Not many of us have that kind of money hanging around waiting to be spent :)  We have secured nearly 2/3 of that so far, and are trying to come up with the last $10,000.00.  Will you help me get the word out?  If you are in the Treasure Valley area, and would like to help, let me know if you have some items you'd like to donate to the yard sale.  I can pick them up, or you are welcome to drop them by our house any time!  Email me at preece3522@cableone.net and I can give you our address and my phone number.  Things that sell well at yard sales: clothing, books, furniture, tools, home accessories, and more.  Thank you in advance for anything you can do to help!  We plan on having some baked goods to sell also, as well as a drink cooler, so if you don't have anything to donate you are always welcome to bake something or donate some beverages for us to sell!  Anything helps, and we are so appreciative!  The tentative day of the yard sale is May 26th.  I am hoping to hold it in the parking lot at Columbia High or Skyview High.  I would welcome any ideas you might have to make our yard sale a success, so if you're a yard sale pro, or frequently visit yard sales, let me know your secrets!  :)

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A few other random things:

Tonight after the kids were all in bed, Kennedy came wandering out, saying she couldn't get to sleep.  She had only been laying in bed for five minutes, so I told her to go try again.  Then she said, "well, I can't stop thinking about Arnold.  Sometimes I worry about him."  We talked about what she was worried about, and I assured her that his caregivers truly care for him, and he also has a special friend who visits him every week and loves him dearly.  That made her feel better, then she asked if we could say a prayer together for Arnold.  It was a very special moment for me.  This girl amazes me, with her awareness of others and her sensitivity to what goes on in the world.  She is the best big sister to her siblings, and just has a strong inner sense of what is truly important in life.  I love her more than words could ever express.  She is so excited to get another little brother.

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Why aren't we adopting a child from our own country?  We know that there is a need in the US for babies with Down syndrome and other special needs who need families, especially older children.  However, after much thought and prayer, we determined that although helping a child here would also be wonderful, the circumstances under which children in Arnold's country live just could not be ignored.  An orphan with special needs in the US does not live in an orphanage, but with foster families, most who truly love and care for these children and give them their best.  An orphan here does not get sent to a mental institution as a child, sometimes tied to their cribs, malnourished, ending up dead within months from these conditions.  An orphan here receives treatment for all major medical problems. A six-year-old orphan in Arnold's country/area of the world may weigh as little as 15-20 pounds and be severely delayed, not just from a medical diagnosis, but more from simply a lack of basic human needs like touch, human interaction, food, etc.  In other words, adopting an orphan from Eastern Europe means saving a life. I  keep picturing our little Jake in that kind of situation.  How could I turn my back on him?  I know I can't save them all, but I can save one.  "When ye have done it unto the least of these, ye have only done it unto me."  Adopting from Eastern Europe has nothing to do with not being patriotic, taking care of "our own," or being elitist.  It has to do with a belief that all children are children of God.  We believe God is no respecter of people,that he doesn't see borders like we do.  We believe He does care what we do with our lives, and has commanded us to love one another with the same love that He has for us.  We just feel that adoption is one way we can follow that commandment.  This is what I love about the world, there are many ways to show our love for each other as human beings.  I know many people who do many amazing and wonderful things for others.  I hope to come close to being that kind of person.  And of course, the connection we feel to Arnold as our son is real.  We have come to love him so much already, and know that he is meant to be in our family.  

Thank  you again for your love and support.  We love you all and are so glad you are on this journey with us!

Celebrate!

Today I hand-delivered a huge stack of paperwork and a large check to our home study agency!!!  Once they look over them & make sure we did everything correctly (cross your fingers), she'll have a social worker contact us to schedule the visits.  One big step down, many more to go.... we're getting there Arnold.

Thank You

I just got home from the grocery store to find a letter in my mailbox.  There was no return address, and only a small note inside that said, "Here is a little something to help with Arnold's adoption.  Best Regards."    There was a $20.00 bill with the note.  I just want this person to know that $20.00 is not "a little" something.  It is a grand something.  It is a gesture that means so much to us.  It is proof that there are people out there who want to see not only the life of Arnold changed forever for the good, but the lives of other orphans in his same situation.  I am just so humbled by the goodness of others.  We can feel your prayers and good wishes, we really can.  So thank you, all of you, for your support.  

Birthday Time

Tonight I will party with my oldest-a beautiful daughter who will turn 8 years old come Monday.  Holy smokes!  Who said she could grow so quickly?  Sometimes it feels like yesterday that we bundled her up for the car ride home from the hospital.  It felt almost like we were fooling someone, for them to let us take home this perfect little being!  We were  young (25) and had no experience being parents.  The longer I am a mother, the more I realize that my own mother must have felt like I do at times....learning as I go!  That is also why I admire and respect her so much.  She went through a lot in her young marriage, including the death of my father when we were all small children.  I'm not sure how she did it, but she survived, even went back to college and got her nursing degree and has become an excellent labor & delivery nurse.  I know she is a favorite around the hospital, because every time I've visited and people find out I'm her daughter, they always tell me how wonderful she is.  She was my inspiration for completing a college degree.  She showed me how important it was to be prepared for anything in life.

I guess having these big moments in your children's lives makes you think about your own mother too.  It also makes me think about my other children, and now, about Arnold.  His birthday is in July.  He'll be four years old.  I am really, really, hoping we can get our first travel date before his birthday.  I want him to know that this will be his last birthday without a family.  I want him to feel the joy of blowing out the candles on a delicious cake.  I want him to be surprised with the presents he'll receive.  I want him to see the smiling faces of his brother and sisters, friends and family who will celebrate with us.  I want so much for him.

Today is a glorious day in Idaho.  The sun is shining down and it is near 70 degrees.  My tulips are in full bloom and the grass is green.  We've planted peas in our garden, and the birds wake us up with their songs.  I feel so full and happy today.  I think Arnold is the missing piece of the puzzle that I didn't realize wasn't finished yet.  Knowing that the missing piece will soon be here, I feel fulfilled.  In many ways it's like going through a pregnancy, the anticipation I feel.  There are all the emotions present: hope, fear, impatience, longing, worry, excitement.  It is wonderful!