I love spending Valentine's day with children. :) It makes it such a fun day! Not to mention all the decorations are two of my favorite colors -red and pink! Perfect. :) Here's a little bit of how our day went this week:
I started out by introducing Big Brother to something I used to do all the time with my kids - colored scrambled eggs! It's so stinkin' easy and just fun! With my kids, we started out by reading Green Eggs and Ham and of course did green eggs but since Valentine's day was this week, we went with pink eggs. Big Brother thought they were pretty cool and actually ate more of the pink eggs than last week when I gave him "regular" yellow ones! Ha!
Then while the baby was sleeping, we made a heart tree (found the idea on Pinterest of course :). Working with felt heart stickers was a good sensory experience and good for fine motor skills as well! Sometimes it's tricky to get that sticker from your fingers on to the paper! :)
Then Big Brother took a nap and Little Man woke up and played with me. We didn't do anything Valentine-ish...just practiced being cute. :)
Next was lunch time with a heart shaped sandwich. Plus other stuff of course. :)
That afternoon we made cupcakes (also found on Pinterest.) This recipe I just had to try! It called for one cake mix (I used the Funfetti one.) and one can of soda. That's it!! And it worked! The cupcakes were really moist. I used some strawberry Mountain Dew I think it was so that the cupcakes would be pink. It was an interesting experiment!
Finally, it was time for one of my favorite things I used to do with my girls when Mr. Happy was tiny and slept all the time...the sensory tub! With my girls, I used rice as the base, and I'm sure I'll do that later again too. For this day though, I made a Valentine theme of course. :) Fake rose petals for the base with all kinds of hearts, etc. mixed in. There were little white buckets that B.B. had a blast filling with the rose petals. There were small foam hearts, little plastic heart boxes, plastic red and purple turtles (yeah, that was random, but there was a pack of them as I was wandering through the $ Tree so I figured why not!), and...
Funny straws that whistled when you blew through them! There are so many ideas out there for sensory tubs and I can't wait to create some new ones for different months...I already have several ideas...and you know there will be a green one for St. Patrick's Day! :) And they are great to pull out on rainy days when you are stuck inside all day! Anyways, go check....you got it!...Pinterest! for more ideas! :)
Most of you know that I was a nanny for five and a half years until this past August when all three of my kids went to school. Since then I have been trusting that God would provide me the right job at the right time. I registered on care.com and applied to every nanny position that looked like it would fit my schedule and location. The problem was that for every nanny job posted there are bunches of nannies also applying for that same job! I got a little frustrated that I most of the time never even would hear back from a family because even if I applied right away, so would lots of other people and my email would get shoved to the bottom of the list and someone would get the job before my email was read. So I had my two faithful prayer warriors :) pray that my name would appear closer to the top of the emails for the family that God had for me.
Finally, in November, I heard from back from two moms on the same day.
This was the note from the first mom:
Please send me some references and I would like to ask you more questions. Call me at xxx-xxx-xxxx Thanks, B.
This was from the other mom:
Hello Kathryn, Thank you for contacting us! We read through your profile and are interested in getting to know you better. I was especially impressed that you were with your last family for 5 years and helped with homeschooling the children. Could you tell us a little more about your day to day responsibilities with this family? Would they be open to speaking with us by phone or email as a reference for you? Thank you so much! We would also like to set up a time sometime to meet in person Have a blessed day! Best, A.
Which one would have made you more excited to write back to?? :)
As I wrote back and forth to A., answering her questions and setting up a time to meet, I later realized that my normal first questions hadn't even entered my mind to ask - like how much the job would pay. Kind of important when so many of the jobs posted offer $5 an hour! But God took care of that detail without me having to even worry about it!
I gave her a link to my blog and told her she could see some of the kinds of things I had done with my kids and get to know me a little better. She wrote back to say that she had gone to my blog to click on the "my kids" link...seen the word "adoption" and clicked and read all the posts under that label instead! She said she and her husband have had a desire to adopt since before they were married! Another area in which our hearts match up!
We set up a time to meet over lunch and A told me to feel free to bring someone with me. So sweet! So I asked my friend, Deanna, if she would join me and she agreed to go. I had both the advantage and disadvantage in the fact that this family knew way more about me, having read through some of my blog, than I knew about them! :) Lunch went really well and of course, their children are precious. :)
So, long story short, I am now a part time nanny (two days a week) for this family! I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that this is where God wants me right now and am waiting to see where He wants me the other three days a week. :)
Introducing...
Big Brother (better nick names later as I get to know them better :)
He is so very sweet and already comes and wants me to pick him up and hold him - and doesn't like it when I leave. :) He made me all teary last week when he put his little arms around my neck, just like Mr. Happy likes to do, and gave me a hug! :}
Hard to get a clear pic of a very busy 20 month old! But I still like this one! lol :)
and
Little Man
Little Man is about a month younger than Eli and is sweet and smiley...when he's awake of course. :) He loves to have books read to him and also likes to have great "conversations" with you! :)
(This pic is from my cell phone...thus the smaller size...)
I'm so thankful for this family and job God has provided! It's one piece to the puzzle of my life after leaving my kids. Now, just one more job and a place of my own to live...those would be my next puzzle piece prayer requests! :)
Like I said, Eli was in the hospital with RSV. For eleven days! Poor baby! Catrina stayed with him the entire time except for one night when daddy stayed with him so mommy could get a whole night's rest. We kept her well supplied with SB and food and company to keep her from going completely insane!
The RSV hit Eli pretty hard. He was one sick little guy there for a long time! I tended to go hang out in the late evenings, since both Catrina and I are night owls. The first night we were there, Saturday, Eli was getting way dehydrated and they had to start an IV. The problem was that they should have started one earlier in the day because by that time he was so dehydrated that they couldn't get the IV in. They stuck him twice in each leg and once in each hand before calling in a different nurse - who thankfully got it in on his first try! Hearing sweet baby screaming for 30 minutes down the hallway in the procedure room was not easy! And he's not even my baby! :-p He was having a hard time breathing and they finally had to start him on some oxygen. He kept going downhill day after day! Finally on day 6, Thursday, he started perking up and I got a smile out of him and a couple little giggles. The problem was he just couldn't get his oxygen levels back up to where they needed to be. And had to stay a few extra days...until the next Tuesday! recovering and getting stronger.
He is finally home and happy and healthy and we are so thankful for those of you who saw our various status updates and prayed for him! :)
Wow! It has been a while since I posted anything! The last two weeks baby Eli has been in the hospital trying to get over RSV so life has been a little crazy around here.
More about that later. Just wanted to check in and say I'm still around! :)
I said that I would share more about the story of Isaac when I could and I have permission to tell it now. :) If you have been reading my blog for a while, you remember my friend, Rebekah. I would give you the link to her awesome blog...but it's set to private now... :}
She and her husband have two beautiful, blond headed, blue eyed little girls, Anna Walton and Olivia.
A couple years ago I had the privilege of walking with them through prayer and emails and the occasional phone call as they followed God's calling on their hearts to bring their third child home through adoption. As all adoptions are, it was a journey that required a lot of patience and faith on their part, but in the end, a year and a half ago, they welcomed sweet Caleb into their family.
The same month that Caleb was born, they happened to watch a short video update about Maria's Big House of Hope - the special needs orphanage that Steven and MaryBeth Chapman started in honor and memory of their precious Maria. This is the video (it's only about a minute long):
How could you not just immediately fall in love with this little guy?? He has Spina Bifida, which basically means that his little legs don't work. But other than that, he is a perfectly normal little boy. Rebekah and family started praying for this precious boy right away - and they continued to do so for a long time. They even started a prayer journal and wrote down prayers for him or colored pictures for him not knowing if they would ever have the opportunity to actually meet him. While the thought of adoption of course couldn't help but come to mind, they were just at that time about to bring Caleb home so their focus was on completing that adoption.
So they continued to pray.
For 7 more months.
Until December 16th.
Which also happens to be Rebekah's birthday.
Which is when they officially called to inquire to see if it would be possible for them to pursue this little one through adoption.
(Ok, Rebekah...I'm just going to do it. 'K?) :)
I love this part of their story because it just shows how much God loves to put His own twists into our stories so that no one can boast except to say how awesome and powerful He is - and how very much He loves the orphan! This is really His story anyways. :)
Rebekah and Nathaniel found out that there was another family who was also interested in this same child. So Rebekah told me she didn't know just yet if this was her son, or if God brought him to her attention just to be a prayer warrior for him, but either way she would trust His plan. (But I do have to admit that the first time I saw a picture of him, my first thought was "yup! he looks like a Wright to me!!") :}
This other family was a Christian family who had actually been to MBHOH and had met this little boy a couple months before. As it turned out, this dear family ended up contacting Rebekah directly in February and telling her that while they had been willing to step out and give this child a forever family if that is what God led them to do, they had just sold their home and moved (with their 4 children!) into a two bedroom apartment while they waited to see where God sent them next. Then they found out they were expecting baby #5 in the spring and decided the timing just wasn't right. However, they felt strongly enough that this little one should be given a family who also loved Christ, that when they found out that Rebekah and Nathaniel were also interested in him, they told Rebekah they wanted to fund their adoption!
Those of you who have adopted or have looked into adopting know how much of a financial stretch the process can be - even though in the end it is worth every single tiny penny! It is always a faith and trust building process - but we serve a faithful God who will always provide in unique and sometimes surprising ways, each and every single penny needed to bring one of his children home!
While this was a huge blessing in and of itself, the fun part of this part of the story isn't done. God had one more detail to add.
Have you ever read the book Crazy Love by Francis Chan?
(If you haven't...go find it and read it!!)
Francis Chan was a pastor out in Simi Valley, California for quite a few years. You can find some of his sermons on YouTube and they are very good!
(I told Michael one time that for some reason you simply must refer to Francis Chan...as Francis Chan! I don't know why, but you just can't call him Mr. Chan...or Francis...just has to be his whole name. Lol!)
Francis Chan has a contagious passion for Christ. He just wants to be and do whatever God wants him to. In one of his sermons he mentioned that at one time, I think early in their marriage, he had told his wife that he wished they had money enough to just give away. To bless people with. To help them. However God wanted them to. There was probably more to that story that I'm forgetting.
Anyways, about a hear and a half ago, Francis Chan resigned as pastor of his church. He just wanted to be completely free to go where ever he felt God was leading him.
So.
He and his wife sold their house.
And took their whole family across the ocean for several months. Again...just to go wherever they felt led. To visit missionaries. And be an encouragement to believers on the other side of the world.
And visit some orphanages.
Including MBHOH.
Where they met a certain little boy, fell in love, and were willing to adopt him.
And came home and moved with their four children into a two bedroom apartment, waiting to see where God called them next, and found out they were going to have baby number five in the spring.
YUP.
When God goes big, He goes big. :)
It was Francis Chan himself who emailed Rebekah to tell her that he and his family wanted to fund their adoption! It was because God had blessed his efforts in writing the book Crazy Love that now he and his wife were able to bless other people!
And one of my closest, dearest friends just happened to be at the receiving end of that blessing. :}
So never tell me that you can't adopt because it's just too expensive...or I'll remind you of this story and other adoption stories that prove that is just an excuse! ;)
Anyways!
That was last February. After that, there was still an entire mountain of paperwork to be filled out, signatures/fingerprints/notaries to get, etc.
Lol...sorry Rebekah...I just had to borrow these pics...! :} This is what a girl looks like when her chocolate chips run out and there's still a huge mound of paperwork to be completed!! :} It's a sad moment. Finally, on April 27th, they were far along enough in the process that they were allowed to send a care package, including a photo album, to let their SON, Isaac, know that he had a family who would come to get him just as soon as they possibly could!
Isaac had been aware that he didn't have a family. He had told his preschool teacher one day about a friend who had just received a care package from his family and told her that he did not have a mom and dad and kept saying in his language the words for "don't have. don't have." A few months later, that same teacher got to be there as he opened his package and saw the gifts from and picture of his very own family. This sweet teacher helped tell him who each person in the pictures was and then went back through again and asked him if he knew who they were, one at a time. Each time he put his hand on his heart and said one word. "Mine." Click here for that post on Show Hope's blog. The next several months were full of, well, waiting...and waiting...and waiting. Waiting for approvals. Certain papers that were needed. Passports. Etc. Finally, in early December of 2011, Rebekah told me they had received the one last thing they needed before they could get their travel dates! We thought it would be in the middle of January 2012 that they would travel to meet Isaac and bring him home and I was so excited with her and for her! She hoped for maybe a birthday present of travel date info...but God surprised her three days early and they got word that they could leave on December 21st - just 8 days later!! Which would ALSO mean that it would be Christmas night here in the states when they actually would meet Isaac in person for the first time!! I, and so many other friends, prayed constantly for them while they traveled. All day Christmas day I would check the time and translate it to what time it was where they were and got more and more excited as I knew the moment was approaching when they would see their son. I couldn't WAIT to see a picture of them together! So far, this was the closest to a "family picture" they had...
The frustrating thing was that gap between the two pictures! Finally, early in the morning on December 26th, 2011, I logged onto Facebook to find the most beautiful picture ever:
Still makes me tear up looking at it. This is the comment I wrote on her fbook wall: "Oh rebekah!! I am crying happy tears!!! How faithful He is!! That is just the most beautiful picture EVER!!! John 14:18 keeps running through my head..."I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you." :) :). Ok, now hurry home! I need to hug your neck!!...and your son...! :) ♥ ♥ ♥" Isaac is officially no longer an orphan. He belongs. He has a family. He is a Wright.
He has a mommy. To give him hugs and kisses. And tuck him in bed every night.
He has a daddy. To wrestle and play with. To keep him safe and reflect our Father's love. Rebekah and Nathaniel spent about two weeks in country with Isaac before getting to bring him home. It was a really good bonding time with just mommy and daddy and even included Isaac getting a stomach bug and being sick for a few days. Not something you wish for your child, but in a way I think it allowed for even more bonding for Isaac to see how mommy and daddy cared for him while he was sick. FINALLY...on January 6th, 2012, these three Wrights finished their long journey home. There was no way in the world I was going to miss the moment they walked off of the plane and were reunited with the rest of their family, so I headed up to their part of TN a couple days early to see friends and then arrived at the airport about 45 minutes before they landed. When I got to the airport, there was a group of about 15 people already standing around waiting...by the time the plane landed, there were probably around 100 people total!! Although about 30 of those were waiting for another precious little one who was coming home from another country - she and her new parents had been on the same plane with Rebekah the whole journey home!
Rebekah's mom holding Caleb. Rebekah's sister with her arm around Anna Walton and the beautiful sign she had made. :)
This is just a glimpse of all the people who were there. And we all happened to be standing around where all passengers exit into the main part of the terminal...so they were having to squeeze through the huge crowd, most with puzzled looks on their faces wondering who the heck was coming home that was so important! :) Made me smile. If only they knew it was one five year old little boy and one almost one year old little girl that this huge fuss was over. :) And then...there they were!
He was HERE...in the flesh! Not just a precious picture on a computer screen anymore!
I love this picture. Isaac was introduced to about a bajillion and twenty three strangers this night lol! but he took it like a trooper and was ok with people surrounding him - as long as he could keep at least one arm wrapped around mommy or daddy's neck! :) He was not about to let them go. :) And that is Olivia so glad to have her family home again. And those are Nathaniel's parents on the far left, who I never got a chance to speak to come to think of it. Nathaniel's mom is an excellent cook. ;)
A couple special people were there to greet Isaac and say hello to another little Show Hope girl (I assume...is that correct, Rebekah?). :)
First family photo with everyone!! I didn't even bother trying to talk to Rebekah when they first arrived! I just stood back and enjoyed watching them greet everyone who was there. After a good 45 minutes or so, the crowd had thinned out a little bit and just as I moved to find her, she and Olivia came searching for me. :) I finally got to hug her neck...
...and meet her son. :) By this time, poor Isaac just wanted to GO! He kept saying, "Ready go!!"
(borrowed this pic off fbook.) And so they did. All six of the Wrights, in one car, went home to one house...and all slept in one room for that first night! ;) Isaac is home at last with his forever family. Welcome home sweet boy! I can't wait to eventually spend a little more time with you. You don't know me yet, but you will! ...just ask your sisters! ;) I have prayed for you for over a year now and I won't stop. I will pray that God will continue bonding your heart to those in your family. That you will quickly grasp and understand what "forever" really means and that it applies to you! That He will call your heart to him (just like I pray for "my own" five year old little guy, Jack!)...that you will grow up to love and serve Him with your whole heart and proudly tell the story of how He brought you to your forever family. And that, dear reader, is really only the beginning... :)
Why do all these kiddos keep growing up?? :} Five years ago my heart was completely stolen when my Mr. Happy was born. I had the privilege of being with him all day almost every day for his first four and a half years and I loved every minute of being with him and his sisters.
Those of you with older children know the feeling of looking at pictures like these - and those of you in the middle of toddlerhood...well, I promise you that one day you will actually miss that silly little toddler and wonder how he got so stinkin' big!! :)
Mr. Happy, you are such a joy to be around. You really are happy almost all the time. You are so in to pirates right now - and you have made your bedroom the perfect pirate room! Including all the ocean animals you drew and cut out for your walls. You are ALL BOY all the way and love to be rough and wrestle and be crazy sometimes but your main love language is most definitely physical touch. You have always always been a snugglebug and when I get to be with you now you like to stay as close to me as possible. I still miss you and your sisters every single day and I pray for you often - that God will call your heart to Him and will grow up to love and serve Him in everything you do. :)
Ok seriously! This is my official finishing up 2011 post! Lol. Mostly just pictures...so enjoy. :)
Lauren danced again at Fantasy of Trees...
So beautiful! :)
Maddox's 2 yr photo shoot...
And Ava spent Christmas with me at my mom's house...
I think three is one of the best ages at christmas time. :) Ava totally "got" both Santa and the Christmas story. (I know different families believe different things concerning Santa. I grew up knowing the truth all along but that Santa was a fun thing to pretend, even though the true meaning of Christmas was the main focus.) Anyways, she had fun pulling treats out of her stocking and opening presents. :)
I am a daughter, sister, friend, "almost aunt", nanny, and most importantly a child of the King of kings who loves me beyond comprehension and Who I am learning to love more every day.
I have been adopted twice. Once into my earthly family, once into my heavenly family. Adoption is one of my passions and is a theme you will find woven throughout this blog from time to time. :)
I love photography, hanging out with friends, starbucks, flipflops, chocolate, books, music, games, "my" kids, making creative stuff for my etsy shop, and more that I'm sure I'll think of later. Leave me a comment to let me know you stopped by! :)
