so guess what?

Remember this picture?

This is the picture we posted to announce that after bringing home our two little China princes...just a short six months later Anastasia was going to have baby boy number 5...and sure enough...precious, funny, sweet Patrick was born!

Snuggling with Kiki last week. :)

Well...take a look at that picture again....

I'll give you the link to Anastasia's blog in a minute to read more of the story from her perspective, but yes, their family is growing by two more BOYS!!  

YES. that will make a total of SEVEN. BOYS. 

Are they crazy?  Maybe! lol  But when God says go, who are we to say no??

Over Christmas they hosted a 16 year old named Kolya from the Ukraine through an awesome organization called Project143 and long story short, are in a race to adopt him and his 7 year old little brother Vova before Kolya ages out of the orphanage this summer.  

This is a step of faith, as all adoptions are.  You can imagine the thought of the cost of two adoptions...after doing just that less than two years ago, plus multiple surgeries, specialist appointments, etc. in between!  But we know and have witnessed many times before how God has provided every penny needed to bring just one of his children home to their forever families...and we believe He will do just that once again!  

They have started a fund raising page that you can go to and read more about the story here:

http://www.youcaring.com/adoption-fundraiser/help-write-chapter-1-of-a-forever-family-for-kolya-vova-/307728#.VOEZnFwDYgk.facebook

(You'll also get a glimpse of sweet Kolya...and you can be sure I will post a picture of Vova as soon as we are allowed...for now just know that he is adorable and my heart just melted when I saw him!)

This is the link to Anastasia's blog if you'd like to follow the story there:

http://www.windowlamp.blogspot.com

We'll keep you updated!

partnering with ShowHope to care for the orphan

I have the privilege of partnering with ShowHope and once a month blogging about a different aspect of adoption and the orphan.  It actually started last month but somehow August got away from me so I am combining August and September's topics.

August's questions was "Why do orphans need families?"  This seems like a silly question...because why wouldn't an orphan need a family?!  A family gives you a sense of belonging.  It gives you an identity and helps define who you are.  Sometimes orphans are listed on "waiting child" websites - and a lot of times they are listed as a number...with some of the details of their specific health or developmental challenges.  But that is far from who they are!  

Take my precious godson, Eli, for example.  He could be floating through the foster care system as Eli, a three year old boy with SPD (sensory processing disorder).  But this is not Eli summed up!  Because God called his family to adopt him, he is not just Eli.  He is Eli Beck.  He has a first and a last name - he belongs to the Beck family.  Yes, he does have SPD, but that is not what defines him - he is so much more than that - he is a son, a brother, yes, a godson :).  He is all boy and is full of energy.  He loves spiderman.  And spending the night at Kiki's house (my house). But as much as he loves being with me once in a while, he always wants to talk through what's going to happen - making sure the end is always "and then go home to mama's house?"  And I am always happy to reassure him - yes buddy, and then you will go back home to mama's house.  Which is always followed by a happy "yay!"  He has hard days sometimes, but he has a family who walks with him through those hard days helping him learn that he is capable of anything and there is no label that will hold him back from becoming the person God has created him to be.  He is not alone.  No matter what happens in his life, at the end of the day he can know that he will ALWAYS be able to fall into the arms of his family and know that he is loved and that they have his back no matter what.

Just like my Eli needed a family...I needed one too.  An earthly family, yes, because I too am adopted.  But even more than that, a heavenly family.  I belong to my earthly family...but I also belong to God's family because He has adopted me as His daughter!  Yes, I am a Hallquist, but I am more importantly a child of the King - He ultimately defines who I am.  No matter what happens in my life, no matter if I lose all my friends, no matter how badly I screw up, I can always have the guarantee that at the end of the day I can fall into the arms of my Jesus and He will be there to remind me that I am His. That I belong in His family.  That I am loved. And that He has my back no matter what.  :)

We all need a place where we belong.  

A family is just that.

Why do you care for orphans? 

Oh my.  How do I answer this?  Because I have to.  Because I am commanded to.  Because it is not an option.  And because there are more than 147 million orphans in the world who have no voice for themselves and need someone to be that voice.  Because if I don't, who will?  

One of my recent favorite songs is by Matthew West and is called Do Something.  This song leaves me itchy.  The entire song is awesome, but I will just put the chorus and one verse here for you to read: 

I’m so tired of talking
About how we are God’s hands and feet
But it’s easier to say than to be
Live like angels of apathy who tell ourselves
It’s alright, “somebody else will do something”
Well, I don’t know about you
But I’m sick and tired of life with no desire
I don’t want a flame, I want a fire
I wanna be the one who stands up and says,
“I’m gonna do something”

If not us, then who
If not me and you
Right now, it’s time for us to do something
If not now, then when
Will we see an end
To all this pain
It’s not enough to do nothing
It’s time for us to do something

This is why.  Because we ask all the time why God isn't doing anything to fix the problems we see all around us - but the answer is staring back at us in the mirror - He did do something - He made us!  We are to be His hands and feet.  Not "them"...whoever "they" are.  Us!  You and me!  Right now!  In all our busy.  In all the things on our to do list.  In the middle of all that, it is also our job to advocate for the orphan.  To be a voice for them.  To remind our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ that we are commanded to care for them.  And no, this doesn't always look like adoption.  But soo soooo many more of us could adopt if we would simply put away the American lie that our lives are supposed to be easy and that our children are suppose to have their own rooms and we're supposed to have the newest cars/houses/technology etc. 

But I suppose that's getting a little off topic.  :}  Why do I care for orphans?  Because behind the word "orphan" there are faces...and those sweet faces are much more than that.  They are souls with names...boys and girls who long to belong and to be known and to be squeezed tight and be told "I love you" and know what the word "forever" means...and to know and believe that that word applies to them.  And when I think about them, I can't keep quiet.  I must speak about them and for them.  In the  hopes that I can help just one more child find their forever family.  And after that, maybe just one more. 

gotcha day video

Soo...Happy Thanksgiving...Merry Christmas...and Happy New Year!!  Lol, I think that brings me up to date!  I have been neglecting my little blog lately :/ Instagram is just faster and simpler for now - my name is skitkat19 if you want to follow me and see more pictures more often.  I will still write on here when I can.  :)

After my trip to China this past summer, I fully intended to share more about it since I wasn't able to post much while I was there, however a trip like that requires some processing once you get back and then life got busy and well, I just never got around to it.  But finally, for part of Anastasia's birthday present, I made a Gotcha Day video and I will try to put it below.  It will give you a glimpse of what the trip was like and you will get to see not only our two gotcha moments, but also a few of the other families that traveled with us.  They are moments I am so privileged to have shared with these sweet families and moments I will never forget. (sorry for missing your moment Lara, since your son and our second one came at the same time...!)

If you have questions about anything you see, just ask! I love to share about the country I left a piece of my heart in.  :)  Oh, and watch for the "bloomin' fish"...definitely one of the most interesting things we ate! Ha!

Gotcha day!

Today was a very important day.

After 19 months of waiting, this precious little guy...

...can no longer be called a foster child.

He has a new name.

A forever daddy.  And a completely awesome forever big sister (one of two!).

A forever mommy who loves him fiercely.

He no longer has a (totally awesome) case worker.  Don't worry, we still love you, Alicia! ;)

A forever godmother who will always spoil him rotten!  :D

 So many people who love him!

And most importantly - a complete forever family who loves him to pieces just the way he is.

Elijah Cain Beck

your story has just begun!  :)

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Jeremiah 29:11

(so much has been going on around here lately that today i've been getting a little teary over everything...so i couldn't bring myself to be too mush in this post lol.  here is a link to more about what i think of my sweet little godson, Eli.  just click on his name.)

introducing....!!!

GUESS WHAT?!?!

Two LOA's came in the mail this week!!  What does this mean?  What is an LOA?  LOA means Letter of Approval and means that Anastasia and Daniel have official approval from that country to adopt Little Lion and Little Monkey.

This also means that we should be traveling in about 10-14 weeks...so...think middle of May-ish.

But most importantly for this blog post....

this means I can now share PICTURES!!!!!  

Wahooo!!!

So, may I introduce to you the next two little boys I will be a nanny for eventually...bringing my total to  5 boys (these two, Big Brother, Little Man...and then Superman on different weekdays)!

Little Lion

  

This was the first glimpse I had of him last August.  Precious boy's eyes look so sad here! 

Updated picture of him we got about a month ago.  And that little bear he's holding?  That is from the care package Anastasia sent him!  So it was so neat to see that he got it!  :)  His first present from mama and baba.  :)

and....

Little Monkey

Eeps! Isn't he sweet?!  This was our first glimpse.  Somehow he looks more content than Little Lion.  But we were still dying to see either boy smile!

Then came the update...

...and a SMILE!!!  I love how his eyes disappear!  :)  And I can't wait to dress them both.  Oh my.  :}

And one more just cuz...

Oh my goodness those cheeks need to be covered in kisses!!  :)

Soon boys.  We're coming to get you SOON!!

Insta-catchup

Just another catch up on my life in the past week ish... :)

Cake Leah makes "yogurt milk" for her kids sometimes - part yogurt, part milk - so I decided to try it with the boys last week.  Little Man thought this was one of the best things he'd ever tasted!

Last Tuesday it was finally warm enough to be outside for a while!!  So we played out on the deck and the neighbor's sweet black and white cat came for a visit much to both boys' delight!  Little Man is still a bit wobbly in his newly discovered walking skill and had only taken a few steps at a time for me...until this cat came and convinced him to walk half the length of the deck to come see him!!  Note to self: cats are handy for a toddler learning to walk! :}

This sideways head-tilt is one of Superman's latest things.  I don't know why he does it, but it's pretty cute!

Uhoh.  I think I'm going to have a little monkey daredevil on my hands! Lol

Giraffe feet taste gooood! :}

Look!  First tooth!!

Been working on a few things to add to my etsy shop!  All sales will go towards Lauren's trip to China this summer!

Love having my brother work at SB!!  :D

(Added bonus: If he does use my real name, he actually knows how to spell it correctly!)

Another etsy shop addition...as soon as I take better pictures of it anyways.

Tried a new Indian restaurant with the little sis the other night.  It was soo delicious and that naan bread?! That's just half a piece of it that Lauren is holding!!  Happy sigh...  :)

 

We love reading books! Both boys sat here for a long time and Big Brother "read" out loud to LM.  I asked him if he wanted Kiki to read it to them both and he said "No, (Big Brother) will read it!"  And I was perfectly happy to let him be the one to read...cuz I love hearing him talk.  :}

So I haven't mentioned the adoption of these boys' brothers in a long time!  All the paperwork has officially been logged in in the other country - and that is a huge step!  Now we are waiting for official approval from their side to adopt both Little Lion and Little Monkey.  We have gotten several updated pictures of both boys and oooooh are they sooo precious!!  I think after we get official approval is when we are allowed to share their pictures online, and I promise to do that just as soon as I am allowed! We also got some good news about Little Monkey - we weren't sure if he was walking at all...but apparently, not only is he walking, but he is running all over the place, which is awesome!

We are eagerly waiting for each new piece of the adoption puzzle that will lead up to traveling to bring these sweet boys home.  Both boys have issues that need medical attention as soon as possible, so if you think of it, pray that God will continue to move crazy tall mountains (and boy has he moved some already!!!) to bring his little ones home sooner than later!!  

july/august recap + news

I am overdue for a July/August recap for the boys!  I am combining the two months since I was gone for half of July at camp.  :)  And fyi, you'll wanna stick around to the end of this post!

One day I was out running errands around the same area the boys and their mommy were so I met up with them just to hang out.  We took the boys to McDonald's for a treat and both boys looved the ice cream and french fries! Of course!  :) 

We have been going on more walks again lately.  I am a chicken in the heat of summer!  But as it's been not quite as hot outside, we love to get out.  

 This is what we do every day - lots and lots and lots of playing!  Big Brother loves to "read" to himself...or to Little Man if he can get him to stay still long enough.

This was a really hot day.  So we stayed inside and did some "ice painting"...and tasting.  :} 

We've also just barely started working on our letters.  Big Brother is really good at pointing out the letter A now!

L: Little man has started making fish faces and they crack me up!  

R: The same day that BB did ice painting, LM woke up from his nap first so I let him play with a piece of ice too and it melted into a bit of splashing fun.  :}

LM found a girlfriend! ;)   And he loved playing in this box that was juuust right for his size.

So this is our latest trick...no longer is LM just sitting around like he is in these pics...

He is trying and trying and trying to stand all by himself!  He thinks practicing is great fun and when he almost falls backwards but Kiki catches him...he thinks that is just hilarious! Ha!  We're in trouble...he'll be walking before we know it! :}

He has also started giving a silly wrinkly-nose smile that I love. 

He could probably ask for almost anything with that smile and he could get it from me! 

So the latest news from my boys is that they are going to have a new brother!!  And not only that...they are going to have TWIN brothers!!

Well.  Almost.  Let me explain.  Their family is in the process of adopting two little boys from the same country that Isaac is from!  They are both about 17 months old right now although they are not biologically related and both have certain special needs and need surgery as soon as possible.  I can't tell you their names or show you their pictures yet, but trust me, they are PRECIOUS!!  If you happen to see me in person, you can ask to see their pictures...I might have both on my cell phone...  :}  And since I don't usually put "my" kids real names on here anyways, I already have nick names for them!  I wanted to get them each something from me so I found two Aiden and Anais blankets at a recent consignment sale (cuz seriously...those things in the store are crazy expensive!!) and one has monkeys on it and one has lions...so...Little Monkey and Little Lion.  :)  We are hoping that they will be home by about April...by their second birthdays.  But of course, if God wants to bring them home any earlier than that, we won't complain! :)

Anastasia and Daniel started the process this past April and were still in the middle of completing their home study (and being the nanny even I had to get fingerprinted, etc.!) when they were called with and accepted the match with Little Lion.  Before that, they had seen Little Monkey's profile online and had been praying over if this was their son or not.  After they were matched with LL, they still couldn't get LM out of their heads and hearts and prayed and prayed and finally decided to pursue him as well and let God close the door if He wanted.  Well, just this past Friday they got their pre approval for Little Monkey!  So...four boys 16 months apart...here we come!!  :}

I am loving getting to be this close to the whole process.  I loved walking with Rebekah through Caleb and Isaac's adoptions but this is even one step closer!  Someday surely it will be my turn!!  :)

So pray with us that God will keep our Little Lion and Little Monkey safe and happy and as healthy as can be until the time to travel to bring them home.  It's kind of funny to be now writing an "adoption blog"...from the nanny's perspective!  :}  There's a first time for everything I suppose!  (And really I'm sure I'm not the first...)   

letter to a fighter

My sweet Eli,

One year ago yesterday a sweet and spunky little girl entered our lives over at the Beck's house for a few months, but little did we know how very special that day really was!  It was your birthday!  How I have wished many times that I could take away the rough start to life that you had.  It is not fair that you had to fight so hard just to get to the day you were born...or that you had to miss three weeks of vitally important momma-lovin' while you fought hard in the NICU.  

But I have to remember that no matter what, God is still in control.  And He most definitely obviously has an incredible plan for your life!

He has obviously created you to be a fighter.  Most babies in the NICU like you have to stay for three to four months...you stayed just three weeks!

You had RSV this past winter when you were four months old and then after being in the hospital for eleven days and coming home for just four and a half, went right back for eight more with C-diff.  And even though it took a while, you fought hard both times and recovered.

You have been back to the hospital more than once since then but each time you just keep fighting.  :)

Thankfully you now have a mommy who is also a fighter and a family who will help you with anything you need as you grow up and who will, above everything, help you find your identity in Christ so that you will always know that...

You are loved.

You belong.

You are His.

You are precious.

You are fearfully and wonderfully made.

And you are one of my heroes.

I love you, baby. :)

HAPPY 1ST BIRTHDAY, ELI!!!!
(click on the picture above to see Eli's birthday photo shoot)

cinderella

A couple weeks ago, Lauren and I took a short road trip over to Nashville for a very important evening.  Of course, my car decided to act up the day before we were to leave so I ended up having to rent a car for the trip.  The first rental place mom and I went to were totally out of cars! Great.  The second place we went had only one car left.  I said "Oh no...and it's going to be a really expensive one isn't it?? I need the cheapest thing possible!!"  The very nice man behind the Budget counter clicked away at his computer and ended up giving me a better deal than any I had seen online for an economy car. (I had looked before leaving the house just to have an idea of price in mind.)  

This is the car we "had" to take...

A Ford Mustang??  Yes, please!!  :)  Soooo fun for a girls' trip!!  That little car is pretty darn H.O.T.!!  :)

We got to Nashville Wednesday evening and just chilled in the hotel room.  Thursday morning we started off by meeting our friend Rebekah for breakfast with her boys.  This was Lauren's first time meeting one of our favorite little guys...

Isaac!!!  :)  I kept watching him across the table the whole time just thinking how amazing God is and that I could still hardly believe he was really HERE sitting across from me!!  :)  Isaac is so sweet and is learning English like crazy!  The restaurant we went to was called the Puffy Muffin (!) and was way yummy.  They also had a bakery right across from where we were sitting that had a whoole bunch of yummy looking treats!  Isaac was very excited to get to pick out a cookie for each of the kids in his family and talked about it the whole time we were eating.  :)  And if you have seen the video of him that was Rebekah's first glimpse of him...where he is laughing so hard? Yeah...totally still laughs just like that - and it's one of the best sounds EVER!! :)

And of course this little peanut was there too!  His eyelashes are still about the longest I have ever seen!  He is into being verry independent and wanted to do all the eating all by himself!!  :)

After breakfast we tore ourselves away from Rebekah and boys (there is never enough time spent together!!)  and while they headed home for naptime, Lauren and I headed to one of my favorite areas - Green Hills Mall.  I had to introduce Lauren to the store Charming Charlies...  {{drool!!}}  Abby and Emily were the first to introduce me to this store and kept saying I was going to loove it.  The second I stepped inside I realized why - everything in the store (jewelry, purses, hair items, etc.)  is arranged...BY COLOR!!  Oh my heavens. Those who know me well know I loove lots and lots of color and when it's all organized and separated into groups of the same or similar colors??  Even better! :)

So we wandered around for a while and then decided to go get lunch...and when I come to Green Hills mall...which is MAYBE once a year...I cannot leave without a certain item...which just so happened to be our lunch that day...

Cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory!!!  Yes, it was a very healthy lunch, thank you for noticing.  :}

Next was a walk through another favorite store and one that always makes me think of Wendy because it's her favorite too:

Anthropology.  It always smells soo good in here!  We never actually buy much in this store because it is crazy expensive...but "window shopping" in here is always fun!

Next, I knew that Lipscomb University was just around the corner and Lauren has a friend who is a freshman there this year.  Lauren would love to go there herself...if she won the lottery...lol...and I knew she has always wanted to go up on campus, so we did.  It is a beautiful campus!  We met her friend Samantha, who showed us around a little bit.

(Hey M, this pic is for you...you can't tell very well in this pic, but can you see that the continents are actually popped out from the wall a little bit and there are rope lights running just behind the perimeter of each one?? It was so cool!  I think you should do this in your classroom! You already have the basic map on the wall!  :)

After that we headed to the Target by our hotel because somehow I had forgotten to pack makeup! Hello!  Thankfully, Target has a new cheap brand of makeup where everything is either $1-$3 so picking up a couple essential items only cost a few dollars.

Then it was back to the hotel to crash for a few minutes and then get ready for the evening.

Oh yeah, lookin' hot!  :)

First we headed up to the newly re-opened Opry Mills Mall for dinner at Chuy's, a delicious Mexican restaurant.

This was the silverware holder at our table.....interesting!

Then it was on to the main event of the trip at the schermejirjihgisafjfkghrualjfklsf symphony center!! lol!  Yes, you read that right.  I could never remember how it was pronounced so that's about what I called it. :}

(**note: I took none of the following pictures - I borrowed them from Show Hope's fbook page since photography wasn't allowed.**)

As I was pulling into the parking garage, the lady in the white car in front of me pulling in from the opposite direction, gave me the strangest look and I was wondering what her problem was lol just as it sunk in - it was my friend and college roommate, Jodi!! Neither of us had any idea the other one was going to be there!  So fun!

Show Hope puts on a one night performance of Cinderella each year (this was the 3rd year), partially in honor and memory of Maria, Steven Curtis Chapman's little girl, partially to raise awareness and money for Show Hope.  All the proceeds go to Show Hope, which allows even more families to bring their children home through adoption. 

Ah, yes, adoption - the first reason I wanted to go... :)

Steven, Mary Beth, Shaohannah, and Stevie Joy Chapman introduced the program.

Their production was awesome!  Melinda Dolittle from American Idol was one of the step sisters and the girl who played the fairy godmother was the voice of Arial in Disney's Little Mermaid. :)

After the musical was over, Steven Chapman came back out on stage and sang his Cinderella song and then they showed the Show Hope video - the one that has Isaac and Rebekah and family in it!!

The second reason I wanted to come. :)

And THEN...right after the video...

They had Rebekah and family walk out on stage!!  Mr. Chapman introduced them and talked to Isaac, who he had met before on his trips to MBHOH.  Rebekah spoke and got to thank everyone who gives to Show Hope for playing a part in bringing both her boys home.

Then another little Show Hope guy came out and sang Amazing Grace with Steven. Soo precious!!  Those who hadn't already teared up over the Cinderella song...or the Show Hope video...or seeing Isaac on stage...definitely teared up at this!  :)

Finally all the Show Hope families who were there were invited out on stage to sing and the audience was asked to sing along as well.  I thought oh yeah right, how the heck are we supposed to sing when we're all tearing up! lol  :)

It was an amazing night for an amazing organization and an amazing family (who happen to be amazing friends of mine...).  :)  It went by way too quickly.  

Rebekah, just tell me when Isaac is comfortable and secure in being babysat for a day and we'll come steal you away with Lauren and me for cheesecake and shopping!  :)