November is National Adoption Awareness Month.

It has been 2 and 1/2 years since we met the boys that we have prayed will be our sons. Nothing new to report. Just re-did our fingerprints for the 3rd time and those will last us 12 months. Most of our paperwork expires in December 2009. So we wait. We pray. We go through so many emotions. Fear, anger, nervousness, sadness, expectation but it always ends in HOPE for both of us. We still have hope that Peru will allow us to adopt two precious little boys who we have prayed for and loved from the States for so long. We pray that God will make clear to us His will. We pray for our Peru boys that they will continue to grow physically, emotionally and spiritually. We ask the Lord to prepare them supernaturally for us. We ask Jesus to hold them and protect them. We pray for ourselves that we are as prepared as we can be to have 4 children. That we are emotionally and spiritually prepared for parenting 2 adopted children and 2 biological children. We pray that the transition will go smoothly for our 4 children. We pray for Calahan and Harper's hearts, that they will be gracious, kind, patient and loving in the transition (as well as our hearts). Please pray with us.
Thank you for continuing to ask us about the process. I am sorry that we are usually short. We are just sad there is nothing new to tell.

Thought I would post a poem I read. It does a good job of putting into words some of our thoughts as we wait and pray.

KISSES IN THE WIND (The Waiting Child's Lullabye)

I hold you in my heart and touch you in my dreams.
You are here each day with me, at least that's how it seems.

I know you wonder where we are... what's taking us so long.
But remember child, I love you so and God will keep you strong.

Now go outside and feel the breeze and let it touch your skin...
Because tonight, just as always, I blow you kisses in the wind.

May God hold you in His hand until I can be with you.
I promise you, my darling, I'm doing all that I can do.

Very soon, you'll have a family for real, not just pretend.
But for tonight, just as always, I blow you kisses in the wind.

May God wrap you in His arms and hold you very tight.
And let the angels bring the kisses that I send to you each night.

--- © Pamela Durkota, written for Josh

***Hair Update***

The curls did return on their on after washing and the length is hardly noticeable! Yeah! :)

A Big Event... Harper's 1st Hair Cut

Yes, she is 4 1/2 years old!
We have hung on to her precious long curly hair long enough. It was really starting to get unhealthy. This is how the event went down: Place call to Jelly Beans where children get their first hair cut for 1 penny. I explain that my 4 year old daughter has never had hers cut and ask if they would do it for a penny. They say yes, come at 1:30pm. I call Jer to see if he wants to join us, he is not able but asks me to take video and pictures. I prep Harper as much as I can and detangle and comb her hair. We get there and they ask her to lay down on a table to get her hair washed. I had not prepared her for this. She is doing great, so I get my camera and try to turn it on to begin all the pictures. It will not turn on. The battery is dead. "REALLY?" I think. So I am deciding ok, no big deal. We can remember it. But then the nice lady says "What do you want done to her hair?" I say "Oh, just a trim to remove the dead ends." She says "Ok, that will be about 4 inches." I say "What! Will she still have any curls?" She says "Probably not." I start to panic. I am thinking "Do I have enough pictures of her precious curls, I can't believe I don't have a working camera, Should I cancel and come back?...." The nice lady says "Why don't y'all run over to BiLo and get a disposable camera." Good option. Didn't even know they still made those things. So, that's what we do. When we return Harper hops up in the chair and the curls start to come off. It really wasn't too much hair, just 4 inch pieces. The nice lady then blow drys it and puts a cute little french braid and a ghetto blue plastic bow clip in it. She then sprays lots of stuff all over Harpers hair and curls the bottom where the curls used to be with a curling iron. Hmmm...
Harper liked it well enough. I look forward to washing it and seeing if her natural curls return. Sorry, no pictures. We have to try and remember how you get them developed!

Halloween '08

So fun! Such great family memories!

Harper had asked to be Princess Leia. I thought she was confused, thinking it was a Disney Princess. We are not a Star Wars family and she has never seen the movie. After showing her online what Princess Leia looked like she said "Yep, that's who I want to be!" Seeing that the costumes were $30 we bought a twin sheet and Jer's grandmother made it into PL's gown. Harp had the perfect hair to braid and twist into buns! She was cute! Calahan then decided he wanted to be "Dark Vader". He bought his costume with his own money, he was so proud.
This was the first time we have been in a neighborhood for Halloween. The kids were ready and standing outside at 5:30pm. No one else was out, so at 6:15 we decided to be the first. We had practiced saying "Happy Halloween, Trick-or-treat" and being thankful for whatever candy was dropped in their pumpkins. We also practiced not saying "I don't like this, or could I have that instead?" Jer took them around with one of our neighbors and his daughter. They really had the most fun handing out candy from our door to all of our treaters!
A week before Halloween Jer, who is always in charge of cleaning out the pumpkins, got all his tools and headed to the garage with the kids. They decided on the Jack-o-lanterns face and Jer traced Calahan's foot for the other pumpkin. They both turned out great!