Another Bonus...

Here's a video of Maya!

Meet Maya...

We got an early Christmas present in the mail today.  our I800 form has been approved, and we're so incredibly happy to introduce you to our newest daughter and sister, Maya...

I'm so proud to be able to share these pictures with you.  This approval was the last little bit of 'official-ness' we were waiting on, so now our dossier can be sent to Bulgaria.  Once its translated and approved there, we'll wait for our invitation to travel.

So that's it.  We wait.  Our thinking now is that we'll travel in February.  Things have moved much faster than we anticipated, but that's definitely a good thing.  She's waiting on us, and we want to go get her...like, YESTERDAY!

Of course, this first travel experience will only entail us meeting her and spending a few days with her.  Then we'll have to return back to the US to finalize everything before we travel once more to actually bring her home.

We're so very excited.  Thank you so much for continuing to pray for us as we walk this road. 

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Love,

Paige

News!

This has been quite a process so far.  When Ryan and Gavin were adopted, we were only going by laws and guidelines that pertained to one country.  Simple.  What made it even simpler was the fact that it was our own country.  No translators needed, not a whole lot of weird terms we didn't understand, and no I800 forms or 'biometrics' to worry about.  However, the world of international adoption is about as easy to understand as instructions for putting together a 4-handed robot . . . in Vietnamese braille.  However, we've learned much about what it takes to be able to adopt internationally, and by God's grace, we're almost there. 

On December 18th, we'll have our dossier appointment.  On this day, we'll have everything done that we can possibly do.  We'll sign our names to all of our documents, and Lifeline will finish up.  After that, its on its way to Bulgaria, and hopefully we'll get travel dates telling us when we can go and see our girl.

Which leads to the question many have asked about.  A lot of you know that a few weeks ago, we were faced with a decision that scared us.  Have you ever gone to the opthamologist and put that crazy machine over your eyes?  You know, the one that fits over your face so you look like a housefly?  On the other end, someone with crazy-bad coffee breath, that's within three inches of your face, is saying, "better one, or two?"  Well, that was the question we were asked.  One . . . or two?  We found out that there was a strong possibility that Melina, the little girl we tried to commit to first, may not have had a family, after all.  As I've written about before, adoption is a big money-maker for Eastern European countries.  The agency that had her file said, at first, that they weren't going to let us have it because they had a committed family for her.  However, when the files were due again, she wasn't coming up on the 'committed' list, which led us to believe that the first agency lied about it.  Melina was young, and she could make a lot of money for them, so they could've been trying to keep her simply for that fact.  Maybe not, but maybe.  You just never know.  Anyway, we really didn't think we could leave her behind if there was no one else to take her.  If she could just come here and get treatment, there was so much potential for her.  Not only that, but she was the one we fell in love with first. We just couldn't risk her staying in an orphanage without getting the help she needed.  After talking it over with our agency, we decided to get approved for two.  So . . . we did.  As far as we were concerned, we were bringing Maya AND Melina home.  I had no idea how in the world we were gonna do this.  I really didn't.  Craig would think about it laying in bed at night and start to sweat.  I mean, it wasn't even the additional funds of getting her here we were worried about.  I'm just talking every day operations!.  We were convinced, though, that this is what we were supposed to do.  We prayed like crazy.  I just knew that God would work it all out and that he would 'equip the called'.  We just prayed for his will, and today, he showed us what that was.

The new lists came out today (or yesterday in Bulgaria) and we now know that Melina is officially committed to another family.  Are we disappointed?  Well, maybe a smidge, but we're also relieved.  We're thrilled that she has a family that's waiting for her, but, again, we fell in love with her just like we did Maya.   God has shut a door, though, that I'll not try and pry open.  That's his plan.  I was reminded so much of the story of Abraham and Isaac when this was staring us in the face.  Abraham knew what he was supposed to do, as hard as it was.  He knew that God was asking him to sacrifice his beloved son.  He followed through without fail.  But, it was God's perfect plan and timing that ultimately prevailed, and Isaac was saved.  I wondered if this was the same kind of lesson we were being taught.  Was God testing our obedience?  We doubted and were questioning our ability to bring not ONE, but TWO children with significant special medical needs into our lives.  Our strength, sanity, and resources said , "NO!", but our trust and faith in God said, "YES!"  We were willing to do what seemed impossible.  I truly believe that God was just sittin' back, with his arms folded, saying, "Let's just see what happens here . . ."

Anyway, we're bringing Maya home and we're very at peace with the thought of seeing her sweet face joining our family.  I PROMISE . . . that as SOON as we receive our official immigration approval, I'll share her photo with you.  You really have no idea how badly I want people to see what a precious, beautiful little girl she is.

Now comes the hard part.  It shouldn't be, but it is.  Some have asked us about donating money to help with Maya's adoption.  First, let me say that we're incredibly appreciative of donations that we've received this far.  We're constantly praying for God's provision, and he's doing that.  But, those of you that know our story with the twins know that we've experienced his provision beyond what we ever could've comprehended 5 years ago.  There were so, so many of you that gave to us during a time that was difficult in every way imaginable.  With the amount left over after our bills were paid, we were able to help others with similar needs, and I can't tell you the blessing that it was for US to be able to do that with what we had been given.  I'm BLESSED to be married to an insanely meticulous, brilliant man that keeps up with every dime we spend.  Not only that, but he's kept me grounded in realizing the value of saving.  We've been married for almost six years, and he's been very diligent about saving money.  We have an 'Emergency Fund' that we've been putting money into for some time now, so we're able to pay for a good chunk of our expenses from there.  But, again, God has his ways of using others to complete his purposes. If you'd like to help with any expenses, we've set up a Lifesong account through our agency.  This account will allow you to donate, but also will also give you a tax deduction . . . YAY!  Please DO NOT feel obligated or 'guilted' into doing this.  Its simply a way that we can make it easier for those who want to give.  You can contact me through email (paigestewart0120@hotmail.com) or message me on Facebook and I'll pass along the information you need to be able to do this. 

Thanks so much for all of your prayers and support throughout this entire journey.  We have the best friends and families ever, and although some think we've lost our minds thinking we're able to do this, we know that there's so many others who have our backs.  Just trust and know that we're absolutely doing what our Lord has called us to do.  There's a tremendous joy just in following and saying "YES!" 

Much, much love . . .

Update on Maya

This has been an exciting weekend!  We left Thursday and headed to Perdido Key for a few days.  The main reason, I suppose, was to attend the Blue Angels homecoming show.  Me, Craig, Ryan and my dad went to the show during the day on Friday, and Daisee, Gavin and my mom joined us Friday night for the nighttime show.  I had never seen an F/A18 fly at night.  It was amazing to see those afterburners light up on the back of that jet.  (sigh) . . . My love of big, fast jets may be incredibly unnatural, but the power behind those things is incredibly awesome.  And to think that one day, just maybe, my kid will fly one of those.  Who knows.  I told my mom that I wasn't sure what I'd really feel like if he actually decided to do it.  Would I feel scared?  Proud?  Anxious?  I don't know . . .  What I DO know is that this boy loves some planes . . . just like his mama.  And one day, he may take me up in one, too . . . 'cause I'll go. . .

 

The two little kids were happy staying behind during the day on Friday to build sand castles on the beach with their Nana . . .

 

 

Our other bit of crazy exciting news is that we got recent (like, last week) photos AND a video of our Maya!  I can't begin to tell you how sweet this little baby girl is.  And believe it or not, she looks so much like Daisee.  I know lots of you are gonna want to see, and you can't imagine how badly I WANT you to see.  However, until we're a little further in the immigration process, our social worker thinks it would be best not to post anything publicly yet.  I'm telling you, though, as soon as we get the ok, you'll see her. 

Our home study is pretty much complete, and this week we'll complete our I800 application (immigration stuff).  Both of those will then be sent off to Bulgaria.  It'll take a couple of months for the approval to come back, and in the meantime, we'll work on our dossier (which is a big, fancy word for 'very large stack of paperwork')

Everything is clickin' right along.  Continue to pray that things run smoothly AND quickly, and that Maya is well taken care of until we can bring her home.

And when you pray, remember these sweet babies, too. 

Harvey . . .

 

Penny . . .

 

 

and Kramer . . .

 

 

These three children also come from Bulgaria, and they were all included in the files that we could've chosen from, had we needed to make that decision (Maya's file was sent to us on its own).  I've committed to the Lord that I would do everything I could to advocate for these children.  I'm praying for these children with every prayer, and I'd ask that you'd do the same.  These children need and deserve homes, just as much as any other. These kids all have fairly significant special needs, and they desperately need medical care and therapies.  Pray that God would provide a family for them, and pray that until that time comes, they would be cared for and sustained by those that are supposed to care for them.  The orphanages in Bulgaria are undergoing some improvement, but there's still such a long way to go. 

 

I realize that not much emphasis has been placed on this day, but today is Orphan Sunday.  Until God called us to this purpose, I may not have thought much about it myself.  However, there are so many children out there who are hurting and just in need of basic human needs.  God has called each and every one of us to do SOMETHING.  Not everyone can adopt, but every one can pray and do whatever part God leads you to in helping to bring healing and homes to these children all over the world. 

 

Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.

 

James 1:27

 

Much love to all of you,

 

Paige

 

 

 

 

Adoption Update

We're in the thick of it.

Our homestudy process is coming close to be completed.  I posted on my FB page recently that I hadn't finished college, but in the last few weeks I've felt like I had completed an entire semester.  There has been an incredible amount of reading and writing.  Its amazing to me how much studying it takes to be able to bring an orphan home.  I mean, its ok and all, its just a lot of work.  Craig and I both had to write our autobiographies, and I was wiping my brow at my 4 1/2 pager.  But, Craig.  Ooooh, Craig.  He TOTALLY showed me up when he announced he was through with his.  4 1/2 pages was NO.THING. compared to his 12 page novel.  I had no idea that my Hercules would cram that much information into this little project.  Little did I know, though, that an autobiography was just the beginning.  THEN I had to start the Hague training.  Ten hours of reading.  Now, I CAN read, I just don't like to read (and yes, I homeschool my children.  The believe I like to read.  Ssssshhhhh.).  I can't sit still long enough to really get into something and enjoy it.  I kind of did a speed read course and finished it with . . .ummm . . .kinda flying colors.  Sort of.  I took the quizzes and did just fine.  I printed the certificate, and BAM . . .its in the binder.  Craig is carefully reading every a, and, and the and making sure he understands every little phrase, which is good.  He's very thorough, and all of that, my friends, just goes to show you how beautifully different we really are.  Opposites attract.

Our friends that live downstairs, Kurt and Laura, are saints.  Seriously.  When we got into all of this, we had no idea how involved they would be.  As of this point, they might as well adopt a kid, too.  They've been fingerprinted, questioned by our social worker, they've been asked to be expeditiously fingerprinted again (you know, like we find out we needed them YESTERDAY to get them back quickly), they have to have physicals, AND they'll have to go to Birmingham with us for our biometrics.   All of this because they live here. They could've easily just packed up and disappeared as to avoid all of the unneccessary invasions of privacy and time, but they've been PRECIOUS about the whole thing.  God knew.  When we rented out our basement, he knew what was coming, and he knew who could handle it.  He was right on, as usual.  LOVE. THEM.

Once our homestudy is completed, we'll begin the process of applying for adoption grants.  We have five agencies we're applying to, so hopefully we'll be eligible to receive some of the funds that are available for special needs international adoptions.  Whether we receive on or two or none, God is providing, and will continue to provide.  We've seen his provisions so many times in our lives, and we're already seeing it again in this process.  He's good . . . all the time.  ALL the time.

Once our homestudy is all wrapped up, we'll begin work on our dossier.  This is just a stack of official paperwork that will be sent to Bulgaria.  Once everything is reviewed and approved, we'll receive our travel dates to go and spend five days with Maya.  The hard part will be spending five days with her and then leaving without her. Ugh.  I almost can't fathom leaving her in that orphanage. Anyway, once we return, the rest of the paperwork will be processed and when that's done, we'll return back for another 5-7 days and finally get to bring her home. 

There you go.  Nothing imminent, but its all steadily rolling along.  Pray for our baby girl, that she'll be taken care of until we can get to her.  Not only her, but also for the rest of those sweet souls waiting for their families.

Love,

Paige

Round Two

We made a trip back to Birmingham today to have our first official homestudy interview.  In addition, we signed commitment papers for a 2-year-old little girl in Bulgaria.  She, like Melina, is a child with special needs.  This precious, sweet baby has Down syndrome and her heart has caused some significant issues in the past.  However, she's had surgery in Bulgaria to correct the major problems.  She may still have problems that Dr. Biggio called 'residual', but we don't think that she'll require more major surgery once she gets to the states.  Her heart will definitely be something that will need to be monitored, along with her entire respiratory system due to having pnuemonia multiple times. 

All in all, right now she seems generally healthy, and we'll pray she stays that way.  Unfortunately, we don't have an 'American' name for her yet!  I'd really like to stick with a flowery name, but we're getting down to where there just aren't that many left to choose from . . . I mean, names that wouldn't sound ridiculous.  I mean, I wouldn't name my baby 'Larkspur' or 'Ragweed'.  I'm scouring websites, though, in hopes of finding JUST ONE that we haven't seen yet on the other 479 sites I've already sorted through.  We're also keeping our eyes and ears open for a Bulgarian name that would fit our little girl, too.  Some of those are just . . . well, I just don't like them.  I'd like to be able to pronouce her whole name in a single breath.  We'll eventually find just the right one.

Until then, we're gonna look at that single, solitary picture we have of her (and we'll share that when I've been given the ok . . . along with others that we're hoping the agency will receive) and stand in amazement of God's continued goodness and this plan he's chosen us to carry out.  For us, its not a 'job'.  Its a privilege, and its one we'll be forever grateful that he's given us.

More news to come!

Paige

Final Update

God's ways are higher than ours.  I keep repeating this over and over in my head.  As I look back over the last couple of weeks, we were so sure of the child we were bringing home.  There were so circumstances that made us truly believe that Melina, as we named her, was ours.  However, we're beginning the process of letting her go and moving on to eventually choose another child.  Melina, or 'Serenitta', is being adopted by another family.  I can truly be happy for that precious little girl, because she isn't being left behind.  She'll have a home . . .a family that, I'm sure, will love her and care for her every bit as much as we would have.  I just wish that she could've been ours.

That's the HUMAN side of us.  Its what we wished for, but God obviously knows there's another child in Bulgaria that needs us more.  Another child that's set apart specifically for us.  I had my moment earlier today when Craig called to tell me the news that was relayed to him from our agency.  I didn't know how we would take down her pictues just yet, because for many days now, she's been ours . . .but that was in our heads.  We took ownership of her right away, because that's how we love. 

In the next day or two, we'll probably begin the process of picking out another child.  We'll pray, again, that God would lead us to the child that HE wants us to take as our own.  In the meantime, we'll continue with trying to get our homestudy together.  We went today to be fingerprinted and I went to have my passport picture made for my renewal.  The world continues to turn.

So, in a nutshell, we're fine.  A little emotionally drained for one day, but I'm sure this is just the first of several speedbumps we'll encounter on this journey.  I'm taking it as God preparing me for the rest of the way.  I'm going back to what I said earlier, that God rarely calls us to an easy task.  If things were easy, I think many more people would follow him, including myself.  I'm not sure how many times I may have said 'no' to God because whatever he wanted me to do seemed too difficult.  However, we have no doubts that, right now, whatever this task may lead to, we're following him.

Continue to remember us in your prayers, as well as all of these children that so desperately need families.  One of them is ours, and he or she is waiting on us. 

Much love to you all . . .

Paige

Update

We've received a preliminary update this morning.  So far, its not what we wanted to hear.  We now know that the other foundation that received Melina's file wanted it because they have another family in the US that has also expressed interest in her.  What we don't know is how far along this family is in the process.  That may be the gamechanger.  If they're simply reviewing files to choose a child, then we still have a decent chance that she'll be ours.  If not, then she may be gone for us.  Our advocates at Lifeline were having a meeting with Toni at 10, so hopefully we'll have more details then.  I'll post again later.  Whatever happens, may God's will be done.

The First Test

We need your prayers.

We received some news this morning that's pretty disturbing.  For some unknown reason, the foundation meeting that wasn't supposed to happen until September 20th happened yesterday.  Obviously, our commitment papers hadn't yet arrived, so Melina's file was still considered active in the adoption system.

The different foundations that meet choose files based on a number system.  Its pretty simple.  I mean, my kids do this all the time.  They draw numbers, and whomever draws first, picks first.  Toni, our liason in Bulgaria, didn't get to pick first.  Another foundation did, and they chose Melina's file.  What we don't know is WHY they chose her file.  That's the question that determines whether or not Melina is ours.  The foundation that chose her is a new foundation (as of June), so Janna (at Lifeline) believes that it would be early for them to already have many families that are signed and waiting to adopt through them.  Tomorrow begins a Bulgarian holiday, so we're forced to wait until Monday to find out the outcome.  Its very possible that Toni could request the file back from the other foundation, based on the fact that our commitment papers should be there by then.  They could simply give her the file and everything would be as it should.  Another possibility is that they wouldn't give her the file, but they would agree to hold Melina as ours.  We would have to swap foundations in Bulgaria, but it would still be a workable situtation.  We just wouldn't be able to go through Toni.  Worst case for us is that this foundation picked Melina's file because they did, indeed, have a family and also have commitment papers.  If that's the case, then this is over.  Melina would go to someone else to raise.

That's a heartbreaking statement for me to type.  It wasn't supposed to happen this way at all, and now we begin a tremendous waiting process that is going to be very, very hard.  We still believe 100% that God chose Melina for us.  We're hoping that this is yet another test of our faith, but we need prayers NOW.  PLEASE pray that Melina is still ours and that God will speak to these people that work with this other foundation.  Pray that we'll be able to bring Melina home as we've hoped to do from the very beginning.

This is one of those hard parts we knew we'd have to encounter somewhere along the way.  We just didn't know it would happen so early.  However, God has a plan, and more than anything, we want to follow him. 

Just pray. 

Thanks, everybody.

Melina Aven Stewart

I'm sure most of you saw a few days ago that we have happy news!  Our newest daughter, Melina Aven Stewart, is waiting for us in the city of Ruse in Bulgaria.

Melina's third birthday is today.  I said a special prayer for her this morning, hoping that she realizes that today is her birthday, and praying that someone would do something special for her.  We can't post pictures until the Bulgarian government receives our commitment package (we go to Birmingham to get that squared away tomorrow), but rest assured that when we do, you'll certainly see them!  They've sent several pictures so far.  Some are recent, and some aren't.  What we CAN tell, is that she's a beautiful, dark-haired, dark-eyed little girl.

Melina has a condition called Apert Syndrome (http://www.apert.org/apert.htm).  My doctor that I had with the twins, Dr. Biggio, was kind enough to look over her medical history to give us a better understanding of what her condition involves.  We know that once she gets to the states, she'll require several surgeries, and we think the majority of whatever work she'll need will have to do with orthopaedic issues.  Her hands and feet appear to have significant webbing, to the point that it doesn't look like she really has fingers hardly at all.  Judging by the pictures, though, she seems to have compensated for that.  We have photos of her throwing balls around in a ball pit, so she definitely has some use.  Just based on what I've read and seen, I suspect she'll probably have to have some significant vision correction, too.  I'd encourage you to look at the link I provided above to give you a better understanding of her diagnosis. 

We don't know right now when our travel time will be.  There's MUCH to do before we get to that point.  However, our agency is doing things a little backwards for us by trying to get that commitment package to Bulgaria before the 20th of this month.  September 20th would typically be when her file would be sent to another adoption agency, so we definitely don't want that going back out.  She's ours now :).

If there's anything more to update once we get back from Birmingham tomorrow, I'll post tomorrow night.  Thanks for the prayers for us and our sweet girl!  Keep 'em coming!

Already?

We're only ONE DAY into this, and our guts are torn inside out.  Yesterday, we were sent three files on children waiting in Bulgaria.  Two files were on children that were located in Pleven, and one file was located in an orphanage elsewhere in Bulgaria. 

When I wrote the first blog entry yesterday, I mentioned that the emotional stakes in this were high.  THIS is what I meant.  We've narrowed our choices down to two, and its KILLING us.  No matter what, one child is left behind.  No matter what, one child doesn't get chosen.  No matter what, one child goes on with no end in sight.  No. Matter. What.

This doesn't mean that, eventually, a family won't come to his or her rescue.  Maybe someone will.  I pray this every day for these kids.  Even before we decided to adopt 'one of the least of these', I prayed that someone would step forward and be Jesus to a helpless soul.  Even though we'll bring home one, I'll continue to pray that God would wrap his arms around these kids and that they'll FEEL him . . . that they'll take comfort from knowing the feeling of Jesus in a way that we as blessed Americans never will. 

We'd like to make a decision soon, simply because we want to know that face, those hands, that 'look'.  We want to hang his or her picture on our refrigerator and put that little picture in a frame.  We want to pray SPECIFICALLY for OUR child now, too.

Both of these kids have some sort of physical condition.  The girl isn't nearly as healthy as the boy, but if the boy (that's in Pleven) stays in this orphanage, he'll eventually become as the rest of these children . . . bedridden, completely anti-social, and probably unable to even straighten out his arms and legs from lack of stimulation.  However, the girl has (apparently) some heart problems, physical deformities, and slight malnutrition.  She needs someone to take her home and help her to get the care and love she needs to thrive.

Do you see?  Can you understand?  Please pray for us, friends, and for these two children.  ONE of them is ours . . . we feel certain.  We just need to feel GOD guiding and leading us to the right one. 

5 + 1 = God's Plan

This blog has been pretty boring lately.  I mean, there hasn't even been one boring post since, well, I don't know . . . seems like forever.  However, this thing is about to blow to pieces.  There's about to be so much to write about that my fingers may freeze up from the constant pecking on the keyboard.  But, its a good thing . . . a REAL good thing.

God has been working in our lives for some time now.  He's been tugging at my heartstrings for the last couple of years, but in the last few months, Craig has become increasingly aware of God working in me, and we, as a family, have answered the call.

Friends, hopefully within the next year or so, we'll have a new addition to our family.  We're in the process of adopting a child from Bulgaria.  I'm so excited that I can hardly stand it.  This has been a long time coming, and my heart is bursting at the seams.

Some of you have seen my recent links to a blog that I've been keeping up with for some time (www.nogreaterjoymom.blogspot.com).  This sweet lady is a special advocate for lots of children that are in Bulgaria, specifically the city of Pleven.  I encourage you to follow the link above and look through some of her posts.  The condition of the orphanage in this city is simply heinous.  There are no other words to describe it.  She is currently in Pleven making the first visit to a child that they're adopting.  Her sweet Hasya is 14-years-old and weighs about 17 pounds.  If I begin writing about how these children get into this shape, I'll be here for hours and hours, of which I simply don't have right now.  PLEASE take a look at this, though.  Its a grave injustice, and thankfully, the government has intervened somewhat, but there is still MUCH to do. 

But GOD has spoken to us, and through HIM, we'll rescue ONE!  Praise the Lord for his works, his ways, and his wonders!  We're trusting him completely for his provision, his guidance and for his help as we prepare for another exciting journey in our family.  This is going to be quite hard on us emotionally.  Right now we're dealing with the emotions of choosing only one.  More than likely, the child we'll adopt will come back to the US with us and go straight into a hospital.  He or she will probably have significant health problems, and a lot of those will simply have come about from severe neglect.  People, all it takes sometimes is love.  Sometimes more than that, but we're willing to step out and LOVE what the world sees as unlovable.  We're so very excited and we've already taken ownership of the child that's ours, although we haven't yet made that decision as to which one we'll bring home.

We're early in the process but that's where we think we're headed next . . . picking out OURS.  We have choices that have been provided by our agency and hopefully within the next few days that decision will be made.  PRAY for us as we make this decision.  Right now, I struggle with choosing one, but leaving others behind in a place where there may be no one else to care for these sweet children.  We kinda have our eyes set on one inparticular, but we're in the process of making sure that she's still available, as her file has already been transferred to another agency. 

So, again . . .here we go.  What a life we're about to experience!  Please, PLEASE say many prayers for ALL of us during this time in our lives.  God is good, and we've only begun to experience the blessings he has in store!  Pray for our child that's in Bulgaria right now, waiting for his or her family.  Pray for God's provision as we make financial decisions, and pray for our emotions, as we're sure they'll be all over the place in coming months. 

I love you ALL, and stay tuned!

Paige

The Challenges That Lie Ahead

Wow...January.  That was when I last wrote a post.  I swore up and down I wouldn't be one of  'those' bloggers, but I guess you can sign me up for the slackers club.  I'm only doing this today because since Wednesday, this has been a proclaimed 'do-nothing' Saturday.  Like, we ALL took a 2 1/2 hour nap a little while ago.  I haven't been out of pj's all. day. long.  GLORIOUS.

I guess you could look at it from a couple of different ways:  1.)  She's been way too busy to write about things going on, or 2.) its been smooth sailing for a couple of months.  So, congratulations.  Either which one you choose you'd be right. 

Until April.  April is supposed to be the month that things start to slow down a little.  Normally, we'd be just about done with school and our sights would be set on tying up loose ends with curriculum and doing the dreaded last-days school room cleanout.  However, this past Tuesday, we hit a bump.  And its kind of a big bump.  Let me start off by saying that nobody's health is in jeopardy.  Nobody's sick, but sweet Gavin has some challenges ahead.

I'd been noticing that Gav was struggling a little bit in school.  I'd really known this since the beginning of the year, but, like lots of homeschooling moms, I'd sort of wondered if maybe I was part of the problem.  Maybe I wasn't teaching him in ways that didn't make sense, or maybe I was trying to move too fast.  He just wasn't catching on like I thought he should have.  I don't want to go into a lot of specifics out of respect for Gavin, but we were just having trouble getting the hang of things.

After talking with some other moms at our co-op, I decided to do some research on dyslexia.  The things that I read were startling, but a lot of 'symptoms' described Gavin to a 'T'. I got some information on the Scottish Rite Foundation, which is an organization that provides testing and support for dyslexia.  They do all of their work for free, so I called them to see if they might could give me a little guidance on what we might be looking at and what I might need to do.  Since there's no charge to be tested, we were put on a pretty lengthy waiting list.  That was ok, though.  We were just gonna keep doing what we were doing until I found something better to do.  (I know...that sounds INCREDIBLY responsible.)  They called me the second week of this month, and got us in for April 17th. 

Gavin went back with Ms. Adams for the testing, and they left me in the waiting area watching a recorded conference about Dyslexia.  Oh. My. Goodness.  I just knew this was what we were dealing with.  So many things were describing my little fella.  I had a little laugh, though.  Denise Gibbs was the doctor speaking at the conference, and she was so sweet and delicate as she described the 'typical' dyslexic.  She said, "Dyslexics are usually the children that come into their school with their buttons fastened wrong, their shirts on inside out, and their shoes on the wrong feet."  I literally laughed out loud when I remember the talk I had as we walked into the office that day.  I explained to Ms. Adams that I just wasn't sure how in the world Gavin got out of the house with two different flip-flops on, but that's just the way it was that day.  Ironic, huh? 

After about 3 1/2 hours in the office, we came out with a diagnosis of severe dyslexia and a free curriculum to start over with.  This is a curriculum that schools should have, but don't want to pay for, and we have it in our hands for free.  Thank you, Scottish Rite.  We're pretty much having to start over with his reading, spelling and writing skills...and I mean START OVER.  I'm so incredibly thankful, though, that we have this diagnosis.  Nobody ever wants anything to be wrong with their kids, but, with this diagnosis and the resources that we have available through the International Dyslexia Foundation, WE WILL OVERCOME!  I have no doubt that there will be challenges ahead, but I'm one determined mama, and my Gavin is gonna be just another success story in our family. 

Those of you that know Gavin well know what a precious, sweet, tender-hearted kiddo he really is.  I wouldn't trade his personality or anything about him for the world, and I'm truly excited to see where he goes from here.  No matter what, I'm incredibly proud of him and the little boy that God is creating him to be.

Just send up lots of prayers for all of us as we deal with what's ahead.  God has big plans for Gavin, and I can't wait to see what they are!

Oh, and by the way . . . Daisee's doing just fine and dandy talking everybody's ears off with her sweet chatter, and Ryan's still flying planes . . .and I continue to live my life through him doing that.  And Craig still loves me, and I still love him . . .truly, madly, deeply.  Life couldn't be better.

Love,

Mad Science Week: Experiment #3, Dancing Raisins

The name of this experiment is quite misleading.  I mean, QUITE misleading.  We had big expectations of raisins hopping up and down in our glass, but we couldn't have been more disappointed.  There couldn't have been an easier experiment to perform, so I know we did it right.  Ugh.  Botch number two of three experiments.  That doesn't make for a very good success rate.  Anyway...

We got our supplies together...

...and began.  There's water in the glass on the right, and we filled up the glass on the left 1/3 of the way up with soda.  After we did that, we dropped a few raisins in the water to see what would happen.  Nothing did, which we expected.

The next step was to put soda in the other glass and then drop in the raisins.

Pretty much looks like the same as the other, right?  We definitely had more bubbles, but the raisins didn't 'dance'.  The carbon dioxide was supposed to make them do some kind of boogie, but it just didn't happen.

Oh, well...maybe we're not very scientific people.  At least our first experiment worked out and resulted in just what we expected and hoped for.  Its been a fun week with science, and we'll keep looking for experiments to try.  Hopefully we'll have a little more luck next time.

Have a super weekend! 

Love,

Paige

Mad Science Week: Experiment 2, Making Bouncy Balls

Ok, so there's a reason they call them experiments, right?  Today's 'experiement' wasn't quite as flashy as yesterday's, and we had to perform it twice before we got anywhere near what the end result was supposed to be.  Oh well, here goes...

We started out mixing our borax with water and then added food coloring...

Then we added a mixture of corn starch and Elmer's glue and let it sit for a few seconds.  After waiting, we mixed it all together until it became too hard to stir.

As soon as it became harder, we started shaping it with our hands, and ended up with perfectly (almost) round balls...yeah, bouncy balls...

only...

Our balls just kinda went 'splat' and fell apart.  Like I said, we tried twice and by the second time the boys were having a little too much fun with the food coloring.  Guess everything can't always be perfect, right?

Tomorrow we do the 'Dancing Raisins' experiment. 

Love,

Paige

Mad Science Week: Experiment 1, Homemade Lava Lamps

This week is going to be a short school week at home since Craig and I are going out-of-town for our anniversary this weekend.  We decided that for these three days that we're here, we're gonna have some serious fun learning about science.  Every day we'll have a different experiment to do, and for today, we made our own lava lamps using oil, water, food coloring and some alka-seltzer tablets.  We started with empty bottles and filled them 2/3 of the way up with cooking oil. Then we filled up the rest 1/3 with water (leaving a few inches of space for movement at the top) and added several drops of food coloring:

After that, we waited until the food coloring mixed in with the water at the bottom.  Once this happened, we broke the tablets into tiny pieces and dropped them into the bottles, one at a time.  This created the 'bubbly' effect that made them look like lava lamps.

 

We talked about all of the science behind it all, and had lots of fun experimenting with different sizes of pieces of alka-seltzer.  The bigger the piece you used, the more (and bigger) bubbles there were.  Tomorrow we'll be making our own bouncy balls!  Homeschool ROCKS!

Love,

Preciousness

Hellooooo, happy blog viewers . . .

It's been quite some time since a blog post, and that's because it's been quite some time since I've had the opportunity to sit down for any length of time (still being awake, of course) without any pesky noisy dramatic precious interruptions . . .  yes, precious was the word I was looking for. . . precious.  Oh, how I love this life.  Honestly, I do.  I have my gripes and grumbles about the usual 'I can't deal with the lizard and his unwillingness to eat and take care of the giant unidentifiable bug (yes, GIANT) in your room at the same time' and 'How in the world am I supposed to remove that from the ceiling before its stuck there forever AND leave for church in five minutes' moments, but the problems get solved, and in the end I love my life right where I am.  

These thoughts were all thrown at me yesterday morning. I mean, really . . . what's the problem?  Are those really 'problems' when I look and see what happened Saturday morning?  I sat down to check my usuals, and my heart sank as I saw that Tripp Roth had passed away.  My heart truly hurt, and I cried for a moment as I read Courtney's blog entry.  However, in the middle of all of that, I praised God.  I thanked him, because Tripp passed from here to eternity without a struggle.  His sweet mama picked him up from his bed and carried him to the rocking chair, and in the first few, still moments, he returned back to his heavenly father.  Praise God, because that's exactly what his mama prayed for.  She knew that the time was approaching when Tripp wouldn't be able to deal with EB anymore.  She knew, and she truly wanted a peaceful passing for her little fighter.  She knew that when he left her arms, he'd be with the one that healed him.  Praise God that little Tripp is flying high, free from blisters, swelling, pain, and horrible sickness.  You all know that I speak from my own experience when I say that nobody wants to watch their child die, but when they're in that kind of pain, you want nothing more than to see them relieved.  I'm so incredibly sorry for the sorrow that I know his mom is feeling, but PRAISE GOD that she realizes that this isn't the end.  She knows that she'll see her little boy again, and in a way that she's never seen him before.  PRAISE GOD that I know this isn't the end, and that I'll see my own little girls again, and in a way I never saw them before!  This kind of personal story always makes you think and realize what's truly important in our lives.  In the end, its all about what's in your heart . . . and really not so much about what is in your heart, but who is in your heart.  Praise God . . .'the Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away; blessed be the name of the LORD!'

Ok, lighter notes . . .

We're super excited to be talking renovation stuff with our house.  We're looking at doing some pretty major stuff, and right now we're just having fun dreaming, writing, and using our mind's eye about the whats-and-hows of it all.  We've talked with a contractor and gotten some pretty good suggestions and ideas on the flow of progression, and we intend to do all of this with NO LOAN!  Do we just have money laying around to spare?  NO!  How are we gonna do it?  Simple . . . we're renting out our basement.  (Don't go spreading the word to the next 'whoever' . . .we're scrutinizing any possibilities pretty seriously.  We live here, too, you know :)  If you have any ideas on possible tenants, make sure you'd want them living under yourself first!)  We have a few possibilities already (all people we LIKE), and its something that we've prayed up and feel good about.  Its a perfect plan, though.  Its a space that we thought we'd use, but don't, and its completely set up for somebody to live there.  Why not turn it into an income producer?  Hopefully this will all work out as planned.  Like I said, we're pretty excited about everything and Patience (my middle name, of course) is ready to see some action. 

The kids are all great.  Christmas is a blur, and now that we've started school back, things are finally getting back to what we consider to be normal.  We've noticed one more little spot on Daisee's head (in dealing with the Alopecia) but unless it turns into something bigger, to most people it won't be noticeable.  The only concern with this one, though, is that its on the very front of her head and if it does grow, you probably won't be able to miss it.  Lots of if's, though, with this condition, even still.  And, hey, . . . going back to the beginning of this entry . . . its ok, right?  We can deal.

I certainly hope the rest of your week affords you much joy with those you love.  Eat dinner together one night this week and discuss this with your family: 

In Luke 17, ten lepers were healed of their disease, but only one returned to thank Jesus.  Think of something that each family member has done for you recently.  Then express your thanks by saying, "I really appreciated it when you . . ." or "Thank you for . . ."

Nothing earth-shattering, but good conversation to have.

Take care . . .

Love,