Summer is here!!

We're done with school and the warm weather has arrived - it must be summer!

Our Adoption Family

One of the blessings of adoption is the group of friends we've made in the adoption community. We have several friends at church who have experienced the joy (and frustrations!) of adoption. A couple of Saturdays ago, some of us went to the Build a Bear Workshop to make free bears for orphans around the world and then we let the kids build their own. We had lots of fun making bears (and dogs and cats...) and eating lunch afterwards.We also got to spend time with the family of one of Sarah's China sisters. Anna, Sarah and Lucy had lots of fun playing dress up and being silly. We feel so blessed to have their family so close by so that the girls can stay connected.

checking in

Do you ever feel like you should be doing something but just don't know what it is? Well, I've kind of felt that way with the blog - I should post but dont' really have anything earth shattering to report. Still waiting on our LOA (or RA) which is our Referral Approval - Day 40. We are anywhere from half way to a third of the way through our wait. Trying to get school done with the boys and keeping up with all the normal stuff in the house. Today we get to sit in line for Anna's dance recital tickets. Five loads of laundry, carpets being cleaned, a trip to the grocery store with 4 kids...a normal day at the Weikel house :)

Perspective

I find that I've learned more about my Heavenly Father and my own childish tendencies from being a parent than any other experience. He nailed me again the other night with another "kid truth". I was attempting to put the girls to bed (yes, that is the proper verb to be used...) and the girls were begging me to let them go to sleep together in Anna's bed. Now before I sound like a complete ogre, let me tell you a little bit about Ms. Sarah and bedtime - it isn't always pretty. Once asleep, it is like waking the dead. But to get her to that point is often a painful experience. So, knowing that she would most certainly keep her sister awake, I answered no. Anna, her ever diplomatic self, said, "I'll give you a dollar!". I smiled and bit my tongue from responding,"Honey, I don't need your dollar". Instead I reminded her that mommy could not be bribed (at least not that night and never for anything less than some high quality chocolate) and that Sarah was definitely going to her own bed. But nano seconds later, God hit me with the reality - I can often be like my Anna. If God will just give me what I think I need or want, I promise to give Him XYZ. And I'm sure He just bites His tongue thinking, "Child, I own the cattle on a thousand hills. I created the universe. I know every hair on your head (even the gray ones). I cannot be bribed. I love you too much.

Technical Difficulties

Thanks Jennifer for letting me know about the pictures. They were there this afternoon and had disappeared by this evening. I've edited the post and put them back in. Hopefully they'll stay in their place this time!

Spring Has Sprung-Finally!

After a cool spring, we've finally had several nice days to get out and have fun. We enjoyed the park last week during one of our homeschool group's picnics :)

We also had our annual Mother/Daughter Banquet Saturday. The men always do the food and serving (Ken is usually in charge). This year my boys were old enough to help and they seemed to have as much fun as the girls :) Mom, me and the girls...

The Blessing of Bugs?

We received more information about Caleb and his SWI. The reason the visiting mom didn't have pictures of any of the kids under 2 was that all the children that age have been moved to foster care because of a "bug issue" and will stay there until the new dormitory is completed. Of course we have no idea when that is so it is possible that Caleb will be in foster care now until we are able to go get him. At first I was not all that happy about my little guy enduring yet another transition just months before his biggest transition ever. But God reminded me that He is the Creator of the Universe, the Protector of the Weak and that He loves my son more than I do - He has it all taken care of. So, I'm trusting Him in this one. I'll never really know the details in this move and that is one of the hard parts of adopting. I want to be there, to be the one holding him and taking care of him. But, I wait and trust God that when we are all ready, He'll bring us all together at just the right time. Until then, I'll just have to keep those mama bear instincts in check.

He's Walking!

Our little peanut is walking!!! We just got an update from a mom who just adopted her daughter this week and visited the orphanage on Friday. She didn't get pictures but told us that he is walking, is shy and quiet (yikes! What is God thinking on this one?!) and is a little peanut - much smaller than the other boys his age. Every time I get an update, it makes me all that more ready to get on a plane and scoop this little guy up! What a wonderful Mother's Day gift to find out this updated info :)

On the homefront, Sarah continues to struggle with her asthma. We had another long, sleepless night and are once again using prednisone. Please pray that we get this under control soon. These cycles are not only scary but also turns our sleep patterns upside down. It usually takes a week or so to get everyone back on track - yuck!

Happy Mother's Day!!!

Waiting...

The ever long to-do list is slowly getting done. Needed purchases are being made. Curriculum for next year has been ordered. Some new luggage has been purchased. We have something on the calendar for every weekend from now to August. I'm busy, busy, busy. So why do I find myself wondering when the wait will be over? We've only officially waited 19 days and probably have another 2 months to go. It is all going pretty quickly. But I have this insane urge to get on a plane and go get my boy! These feelings aren't logical at all. I know others who are waiting and have been waiting for an astronomically long time to bring their kids home. Our process from start to finish will probably take less than 10 months. That is incredibly fast! I think the difference this time will be the pictures. I didn't have Sarah's picture until right before we traveled. I would pray for her, dream of her, but I didn't have a face to put in front of me. This time I catch myself staring at those big brown eyes and I get goose bumps. We "know" Caleb and are all anxious to go bring him home. I pray that I survive the summer and that my kids do too with a crazy mom (of course they've done ok so far....) :)

A Fine Young Man

Nathan and his friend Phoenix

Another birthday has been celebrated in the Weikel household! Nathan turned 12 this week. It just blows me away every time I see him doing something without being asked, when he looks into my eyes or when I see his huge shoes laying around the house. He's always been his own person and he has slowly been growing into that roll over the last few months. He has a great sense of humor and is a pretty good judge of character. We are so proud of him!

We have LID!

Just got notice today that our lid is April 19! Less than a week after being dtc! I guess my ranting and raving worked :) Ok, probably not but I'm relieved to know this juicy bit of info. That puts our wait at officially day 12 (not that I'm counting or anything...)

On another note, please pray for Sarah. We've had a rough asthma week and have had to put her back on steroids. She and I are both in desperate need of a good night's rest so I'm hoping the steroid doesn't keep her up tonight. At least she is breathing better - I hate to see (and hear) her when she is wheezing so badly. Our usually perky "Queen of the World" has been dragging...