I'm Alive

It has been a few months and our lives have been go go go. Solomon came home with me on July 5th.  My trip to Ghana was eye opening to say the least. It was confirmed why  I never  joined the peace core. I will blog about my trip in the next few weeks. We arrived home and two weeks later we went on vacation to Utah and Colorado. I probably would not have gone so quickly upon  but is was pre-scheduled and we had no idea when I would go to Ghana. Solomon is a funny child. The first time I met him he smiled and gave an infectious laugh. It is amazing to me to have the opportunity to see so many things for the first time through his eyes. Adoption an older child has the advantage that they can express the excitement and will always remember many of these first.  In the first week with my he felt hot running water, flushed a toilet, rode an elevator, ate pizza and  was taken shopping to pick a present just for him.  We have had some struggles, and are working on bonding as a family. Solomon started school he is in the kindergarten, his teachers love him. He is on a soccer team and his coach loves Solomon. It was funny when I walked up to his first practice with my two sons, the coach did a double take. It is not all joy and happiness all the time, but  I am thankful daily for the blessing this child has brought into my life.

Hi ho Hi ho off to Ghana I go

It has been a crazy few weeks. Four the last three weeks we have had three interviews with the US Embassy.  Each time we have needed something more. Not the embassy fault just more papers and interviews. As each interview came I waited for the call that would say your Visa is approved please come, but each week no. Until last Thursday when I got the call book your tickets and come. I have to say as I heard these words they almost didn't seem real. I thought surly you most not really be saying these words.  But it was true, so now here I am 1030 on Sunday night my older two children dropped off at camp, my youngest being dropped off in the morning. It has been so crazy the last couple of days it had not really hit me until about 2 hours ago. As I sat in the back of my friends car as they were taking me to get a rental car I had one moment of "oh this is really happening  tomorrow". So tomorrow I board a plane for Ghana to meet and bring home our son.  It crazy I have three huge bags I have checked the weight twice to make sure they are not to heavy. Only one has clothes for me and Solomon one is full of sports stuff (soccer balls, footballs jumps, ropes) and one bag is full of boys clothes for the orphanage.  I am only allowed two so I pray that the flight personal will not change me. I will stay for a week if all goes well. I feel like a new mom who has read all the labor books than when the first real labor pain hits it's like a deer in head lights.  I am not sure what my biggest fear is? will he not like me? will I be a good mom for him ? I know the answers but as I sit hear tonight I pray . So off I go to Ghana I will get to watch the next world cup game Ghana is playing . As my children and I watched the game on Saturday we looked at each other and said next week you can watch the game in Ghana with our brother.  I sign off for now I hope to write while I am in Ghana...... what does one wear to meet your child for the first time? every other time I have been in a hospital gown.

Fingers Crossed

Well if things go well I will be going to Ghana very soon. We received news today that our papers were picked up from the Embassy,  it has  been approved no more paper work needed. Two things still need to happen our son has to have a medical report done, this will happen next week and we  have to be given an appointment at the Embassy for our exit interview, I will request one and will travel as soon as I get one. This could be very soon......it has taken so long I am not sure that it is really happening so I feel as if I may be sick or cry at any moment. I will post when I get travel dates.

So many things I want to say

but I will hold my tongue for now. Check back on Wednesday I may have some very exciting news to share for now how about a new picture of our sweet son waiting for us.

I-600 APPROVAL

I wish I new how to  make it flash so as a reader you would know the excitement this has brought to our house today. But with any great news the questions follow so when do you go to Africa? I still don't know, an appointment will be made and a medical will be done.  This is the point that  there may be a need for some more documents. We will just have to wait and see what if anything will be requested once our paper work is looked at. But never the less this is a huge step forward.

Wednesday

I wonder how anything gets done? I received a notice in the mail stating that department of homeland security has received our adoption paper work. I called to see if it had been assign to a case worker they said no and that they have no idea when it would be. I ask maybe in a week? They again  they have no idea they have made some changes in how they are handling adoption paper work and have put in a new computer system to handle the changes and it is not working. Well then there it is so maybe a week maybe 4  weeks if  I don't laugh I will cry so here is to wordless Wednesday.

Hebrews 10:36

Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.


Every day there seems to be changes that add more and more time so this is what I have for now.

Papers Filed

Our I-600 papers have been filed, they are on their way to Texas. It is so funny that we send them to Texas for them just to send them back to California.  The up side is that our local office is small and they said once they get them they will have them back out in 3 days.  Now we wait how long is anybody guess. Last week Ghana changed some things and  would now like a new form filled. This could add delay to our time but it is what it is. I now have just resigned myself to this taking a long time.  Every time frame we have been given has come and gone. Some of it is that our Agency is new to Ghana and are on a leaning curve good news for  families that come after us will not have some of the same delays. With each new delay our Agency learns how they can do things better for the next family.  Our last delay was 5 weeks. We passed court in January we got our papers in early February but one paper was wrong it had to be refiled. We had the new paper at the end of February our Agency had an associate in Ghana they were to bring this one paper home with them when they came on the first week of March. This made sense we would get it long before we would if they had mailed it. But than there was week after week of delays due to some other families papers.  Nothing that could have been foreseen but a delay no less of 5 weeks.  When I get emails from new families about time frames I say just be ready for a long Journey but pray for a sprint.  Maybe this summer Solomon will be home maybe he will celebrate the 4th with us maybe not.

Boys

We have been taking a long time about Solomon to our children.  Brayden  who is 6 knows he will no longer be the youngest and I have been trying to prepare him for the changes the best I can. I ask him questions like will you teach Solomon how to play the Wii, or ride a bike? Sometimes he thinks it will be ok other times not sure.  Brayden wants everyone to know that he is older and he is the big brother (even if it is only by 4 months). I talk with him about how he will have to share his room and his clothes. We bought bunk beds and put them up this weekend Brayden of course wanted the top bunk because he is older.  He think sharing his toys will be ok but not his most special ones, which at times is every toy. I told Brayden that he and Solomon where just about the same height only a ½ inch difference.  Brayden asked be if I thought people will get them mixed up or confused?  I just laughed and said I was sure people would be able to tell them apart.  Brayden also asked if Solomon will have dark skin everywhere? In January Brayden learned about Martin Luther King Jr and he was telling me all about him. He said he was a good man who was shot. He said that only people with white skin could eat some places and drink out of water fountains. So I asked would your brother Solomon be able to go there he said no.. I said would we have been able to? He said No Mom we have peach skin not white weren’t you listening.  I think I am in for some fun times with these two boys.

A new week

What a difference a week can make. What we know this week is we have our son's passport. The new court papers have been done. Now we wait, we wait for our contact in Ghana to travel back to the states with our papers. We thought this would be last week but not so. We are hoping this week for travel than maybe next we will get our papers. Than we will send them to Texas. I feel like I am in some kind of race against the clock. All of my time frames have been thrown out the window. My husband's deployment has been moved up so as much as I wanted this to happen before he leaves it may not. I am now just sitting with it he may not meet our son before he leaves. This is not what I want but it is out of my hands. So the pity party is over we will settle in and make the best of it. This young child is having his life changed. I think about how it will be for him to come here away from all he has known. My son Brayden is six and I think how he would feel. I have been told by many that in Africa families and bonds are different. I am trying to understand this the best I can so I can help our new son when he arrives. Since we are adopting and not having a child I am not sure if as a mother I should have that nesting feeling. I find myself put more and more things in Solomon's back pack we bought. I wiped the dust off and add little things every couple of weeks. Last week I bought him Batman underwear. Our other son Brayden needed some and said mom I am not sharing my underwear with Solomon buy him some too. It is funny how little things make it seem like some day yes it will happen. With some new energy our glass is half full.

Now I am ready

After a few days of feeling overwhelmed and it's not fair I have put on my Armor and I am ready to fight to the end. I can only say that I feel like it is a fight. I know that God clearly wants us to adopt. I know that anything that brings glory to God the devil will attack and that is what it feels like. So I have fasted and had some long prayer time. God clearly says put on your armor and fight. It is so hard not to be in control and the more I try to hold it tight in my hand the more resistance I get. So I have my palm open and will continue to trust in God. I have called in reinforcements to be my prayer warriors. They have there armor on and we will be victorious. This is my pick me up post to all that are not Christ followers this may sound strange but for those who know what I am talking about, please put on your armor and pray for us.

What to write

People it seems ask all the time what's going on how much longer? I give a nice smile and say I am not sure it is in God's hands. What I really want to say or scream is I DON'T KNOW..... I think for every step we take forward we take two back. I look know and think would I choose the same journey if I had known than what I know now? Last week we got news that Solomon's passport had been received. Two days later I was told no not yours another family's. We finally got all of our court papers so I can file our I-600 talk with our local rep here from the INS office she said it will only take her three days to approve and send it on. Yeah .....wait our paper work is wrong.. Really is what I want to say come on already just one break. I never thought when we started this in November of 08 that I would be sitting here still . I daily try to remind myself HE is in control but it is hard. My husband is in the Navy and now is starting work ups for his deployment. I want so badly for our son to meet his dad and before he leaves but that may not happen. Last summer I thought we would have Solomon home in the fall no than Christmas than Easter. I think if I was pregnant at least I would know when the end was in sight. I joked the other day and said if God wanted to make me wait Two years for a child he would have made me an elephant. Yes I do know who's hands we are in but it does not make it any easier. Now you know why I have not blogged I have nothing great or inspiring to say. I feel better and I am sure many of you can relate.
Shalom

Solomon Joel

We have a son. A 5 1/2 year son we got the news that we have been waiting for we passed court on the 21st. We will now have more waiting to do. Our paper work gets turned in to the high court to be recorded than sent back to us. Once we get it we will submit it to Texas than it will be sent to our local Fresno office. I really have no idea how long this will take everything seem to be moving at a snails pace. I am daily giving it over to God so that I am not going crazy with the wait.