When Grady woke up this morning, he came stumbling out of his room, squinty eyed and carrying his Bible. He wanted to find the memory verse from Sunday school and read it. We found it and then proceeded to find some other things to read. My heart smiled as I watched my little boy reading his Bible. I silently prayed that God would allow those seeds to be planted deeply and firmly in his tender heart. Grady loves reading and for that I am also thankful. As a result the younger boys are catching on to the idea that reading is important and fun and you get lots of praise for being a good reader. I am quite thankful the first born is a good student. No doubt it will greatly impact the rest.
A bit later in the morning I peeked into Connor's room to see Grady and Connor reading a book together. As I looked closer, Grady (the 1st grader) was helping Connor (the kinder) learn how to read a small book. Grady was helping Connor with some of the bigger words. It was so precious, and I thanked God for my smart, healthy little boys.
Connor needed to know how to read all the words because he was determined to read a book to his class like Grady had read a book to his class. So he mastered the words, read it to Dennis and to me and he was off to school with his book. He has a wonderful teacher who delights in letting the kids "show off" their skills.
I love being home in the mornings to see my boys off to school and hang out with my other two, in the midst of laundry and other household stuff. To make things better, for work I get to go to their school and be directly involved in what is happening. At the same time teach some other children for a few hours each day. It is a win-win-win situation for me, because while I get to be a professional for a few hours each afternoon, my little guys are staying with our wonderful sitter, Christine. They love her, her house, her animals, her books, her yard....everything. I have no worries at all when I drop them off. That is a gift from God also.
So basically, all this comes from the fact that this morning I was reminded of the wonderful life I lead. I am so blessed and happy.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Recovered from the Home Study
Well it has been almost a week and many have seen the post about Jodi's (the social worker) visit on Facebook.
Jodi was very nice, but our boys were melting down. However, things are moving forward. We must have passed because she is almost done writing her 22 page report, just emailed with some questions to clarify small details. We then get to review the report to make sure there were not any names missed or dates wrong and to make sure we agree with what she said.
The next step is to go get a bunch of things notarized that we will send with this Home Study report to Ethiopia. At the same time we send the HS report to US Immigration along with an application. We need to get a letter stating that we have been approved to bring a child into the country. That will take a few weeks, but then after that we just wait. Wait for our name to get to the top of the list so we can be matched with our daughter. Who knows how long it can take? Months? a year? Two years? Only God knows.
Jodi was very nice, but our boys were melting down. However, things are moving forward. We must have passed because she is almost done writing her 22 page report, just emailed with some questions to clarify small details. We then get to review the report to make sure there were not any names missed or dates wrong and to make sure we agree with what she said.
The next step is to go get a bunch of things notarized that we will send with this Home Study report to Ethiopia. At the same time we send the HS report to US Immigration along with an application. We need to get a letter stating that we have been approved to bring a child into the country. That will take a few weeks, but then after that we just wait. Wait for our name to get to the top of the list so we can be matched with our daughter. Who knows how long it can take? Months? a year? Two years? Only God knows.
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Home Study
We have completed the Home Study paperwork. Here is a list of the paperwork that I can think of off the top of my head: Birth certificates on all of us, marriage license, eight letters of rec, criminal checks locally, state, and FBI, doctors visits and papers done on all 6 of us, proof of employment records, financial records, 6 online classes totaling 10 hours, workbook on adoption taking 12 hours, Dennis and I each had a 51 page profile to fill out, proof of life, auto and health insurance, proof that our health insurance will include adoption, and last but not least, a letter from the vet saying our pets our healthy and nice (I am sure I forget some, but that is the quick run down).
So next step is that tomorrow a very nice lady named Jody will come hang out at our house. I am thankful the day is here. No more cleaning and fussing, just getting it done. I know that it is not a white glove test sort of interview and thankfully. Besides kids should not be raised in a house where gloves can stay white. What kind of mom would I be if I obsessed all day about dusting instead of about living. But, we do want to have a nice house for guests, so I have done my share of cleaning this weekend. One reason for the visit is to show that we have all the necessary safety precautions, smoke alarms, fire extinguisher, gun safe, and oh, yes a posted evacuation route. (Which nice Jody told me to post right before she gets there and take it down when she walks out the door). She will also interview us individually and as a couple and then "be a fly on the wall." I am sure many of you are smiling right now and would love to be the fly on the wall with her. It will be great....it's life with 6 people in the house.
It is exciting to see the process through, and it will be even more exciting when all this craziness leads to the phone call that we have been matched with the daughter that God knows about right now. The one He has chosen for our family, the one that was known before the creation of the world to be a Dunlea. We regularly pray for her, her family and her situation not knowing if she is born or in the womb or, possibly, not even conceived. We don't know, but God does and He hears our prayers.
So next step is that tomorrow a very nice lady named Jody will come hang out at our house. I am thankful the day is here. No more cleaning and fussing, just getting it done. I know that it is not a white glove test sort of interview and thankfully. Besides kids should not be raised in a house where gloves can stay white. What kind of mom would I be if I obsessed all day about dusting instead of about living. But, we do want to have a nice house for guests, so I have done my share of cleaning this weekend. One reason for the visit is to show that we have all the necessary safety precautions, smoke alarms, fire extinguisher, gun safe, and oh, yes a posted evacuation route. (Which nice Jody told me to post right before she gets there and take it down when she walks out the door). She will also interview us individually and as a couple and then "be a fly on the wall." I am sure many of you are smiling right now and would love to be the fly on the wall with her. It will be great....it's life with 6 people in the house.
It is exciting to see the process through, and it will be even more exciting when all this craziness leads to the phone call that we have been matched with the daughter that God knows about right now. The one He has chosen for our family, the one that was known before the creation of the world to be a Dunlea. We regularly pray for her, her family and her situation not knowing if she is born or in the womb or, possibly, not even conceived. We don't know, but God does and He hears our prayers.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Kellen's fball games
Kellen is our 3 year old, free spirit with a tremendous imagination. Our most willful and risk taking child, he also has an incredibly sweet and tender side which endears him to many, including me:) For quite a few months now he has been obsessed, you could say, with football jerseys, helmets, one particular football and having "his games."
He changes his clothes in his "locker room" at least 5 times a day on the days we are home. At night he lays out his team's clothes and his clothes for the next days games. Now let me tell you that Kellen is no where near A-type personality, there may not be an organizational bone in his body. However, when it comes to this one area of football gear he has things lined up and organized quite precisely. It is also amazing that he has kept this focus for months because normally, he can't keep focus for a minute. He has too much energy and too many plans to stay focused on one thing.
Recently when Grady and Connor have started their pop warner or flag football practices, Kellen brings his gear with us to the practices. Sometimes it is in a backpack and other times just carried by him. He goes to this special spot by the bathroom and changes into his gear for his game. Then later changes back into his clothes, then gear, then clothes, then gear, then clothes...you get the picture. He even does this now, at Lost River's home games. Twice he has changed into his "game pants" out in the middle of the practice field, taken off his shoes, left them there, and we can't find them because it is dark. We always find them the next day, but it gets a little annoying.
After his games are over he always tells us who wins.... and yes it is always his team. Lately the mascot has been the coyotes, but it does vary between the Tigers, "Buckin' Horn", or the Raiders. At night times prayers we have to thank God for his game. Grady and Connor just look at him like he is crazy, but we thank God for his game anyway. In my mind I am thanking God for my active, fun, creative little cotton-top boy who always keeps things interesting around here.
He changes his clothes in his "locker room" at least 5 times a day on the days we are home. At night he lays out his team's clothes and his clothes for the next days games. Now let me tell you that Kellen is no where near A-type personality, there may not be an organizational bone in his body. However, when it comes to this one area of football gear he has things lined up and organized quite precisely. It is also amazing that he has kept this focus for months because normally, he can't keep focus for a minute. He has too much energy and too many plans to stay focused on one thing.
Recently when Grady and Connor have started their pop warner or flag football practices, Kellen brings his gear with us to the practices. Sometimes it is in a backpack and other times just carried by him. He goes to this special spot by the bathroom and changes into his gear for his game. Then later changes back into his clothes, then gear, then clothes, then gear, then clothes...you get the picture. He even does this now, at Lost River's home games. Twice he has changed into his "game pants" out in the middle of the practice field, taken off his shoes, left them there, and we can't find them because it is dark. We always find them the next day, but it gets a little annoying.
After his games are over he always tells us who wins.... and yes it is always his team. Lately the mascot has been the coyotes, but it does vary between the Tigers, "Buckin' Horn", or the Raiders. At night times prayers we have to thank God for his game. Grady and Connor just look at him like he is crazy, but we thank God for his game anyway. In my mind I am thanking God for my active, fun, creative little cotton-top boy who always keeps things interesting around here.
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