Guest House Photos

Here are some photos that we took while we were at the guest house. It's hard to believe that we were just there last week. Jay is adjusting well. He's had a few meltdown/shut me out moments, but those are totally expected and we get through them. He is exceptionally sweet and equally as stubborn. His Liberian bullheadedness definitely comes through. As frustrating as it can be at times, I wouldn't trade it for the world.

His brothers and sister are doing great with him. They all love playing together, especially him and Sophia. (She's our 5 year old). They giggle often and keep each other quite busy.

Jay's favorite place to be is outside on a bike or a scooter. He could ride for hours. I think that we might have to plan an extended bike trip sometime soon.




Where we slept.
A guard outside of the guest house.
The day that it rained non-stop. This is the wall around the guest house with razor wire on top. The small building had chickens with baby chicks that hatched while we were there.
Jay relaxing on the couch at the guest house.
Playing a little football.

Finally...Photos!!!!

Meeting mama for the first time.
Our first family photo. Jay was so scared.
Father and son on the way to the embassy.
Jay in his embassy clothes.
The view of Monrovia after we left the embassy.
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My apologies to all of you who have been waiting for photos. I've finally had some time to post and update everyone on the rest of our trip. First of all, we are so glad that we travelled to get Jay. There is nothing that can compare with meeting him in his country and learning more about him and his culture. We were so blessed to be able to spend time with Patty, Charity, and Jeff while we were there. Charity, Jeff and their spouses are an awesome example of parents sacrificially loving their children. Even though the trip was difficult for them we know that God has some amazing plans for their children and their families.

After our embassy and shopping day on Tuesday, we stayed at the guest house all day on Wednesday. We spent the day playing "football", card games, watching some movies, and we even got to see some fish being cleaned. (I'll post that photo later). We spent most the day Thursday with Patty and Charity. While Charity and Jeff were at the embassy dealing with Alma, we hit the market at the embassy with Patty. What fun that was. We picked up many treasures there. We later had lunch on the beach. Jay thought that was great. He especially had fun chasing a crab. We then went to the AOH office and Alan, Charity and I held the Acres chimpanzees. Boy, did they stink! We laughed at that for quite a while. Probably because we reeked of chimpanzee poop! We then headed to the orphanage to see the children sing and dance and quote scripture and bible stories. All of the children are beautiful. Jay gave all of them some candy. He loved being there with his friends. I know that he will miss them terribly. We promised him that we would find his friends when they were in the states and that he would definitely see them again. One side note: while we were at the big kid orphanage, we walked outside to get some photos of Jay with some of his friends. He immediately got into the vehicle that we came in, climbed in the back seat, pulled out his back pack that contained his coloring supplies and pulled them out to give to his buddies. He has such a giving heart. We then walked down to the little kid orphanage and watched some more amazing kiddos sing and dance for us. What a blessing it was to be witness to God's beautiful children. We were so moved by the whole experience.

On Friday we had the privilege of meeting Keith and Kristin Chapman and their children. Keith and Kristin took Jay under their wing when he was in the hospital. Kristin is responsible for getting Jay into AOH. We know without a doubt that Jay would not be alive today if it wasn't for their care and love of Jay. Jay loves the Chapman's and was thrilled to get to spend some time with them before we left.

There is so much more I want to share and I will do that soon. I also have many more pictures to post. Thank you all for praying us there and back. We couldn't have done it without our almighty God and the prayers of his people.

Today We Touched Our Son!

Okay, I've tried to post photos 5 times and it just won't work, but I wanted to let you all know about our big day. I'll keep working on it.

It was amazing. Patty told us that she would bring Jayswen (Kenneth. He prefers Jayswen or Jay so that is what it will be) over early so that we would be able to get acquainted with him before our embassy appointment. We were ready to go at 7:30 a.m. Due to traffic they didn't arrive until 9:00 a.m.

Jayswen was very shy and wasn't sure what to do, but he was very brave and sweet about the whole thing and he even gave both of us a hug. We spent about ten minutes together and then got him dressed for the embassy.

Once at the embassy we waited a little over an hour in an air conditioned waiting room. (Oh, the luxury.) We walked through a door, stood at a window and Alma asked us a few questions and checked that all of our paperwork was all in order. The whole thing took 5 minutes at the most. It was pretty painless. Thanks for all of your prayers...they were felt by us.

We then came back to the guest house, had lunch and then headed to the market to pick up some mementos. We purchased a large drum, some ebony statues, a hammock, and some African clothes. We had fun doing that with Jayswen. The market place was packed and full of many different merchants.

Jayswen has been very quiet and is slowly coming out of his shell. It's been a huge day for him and he's been very good for all that he's had to deal with today. We played soccer, blew bubbles, read books and watched a movie. I can't even put into words what it feels like to hold him, to touch him, to see him smile and to hear him laugh. For all of you who are waiting for your children to come home...it is all so worth it.

Rain, Rain Go Away...

Here's the latest from Liberia...First of all it has been raining non-stop. I'm not talking just a drizzle, it's pouring. I don't know where all of it goes.

Second, we met with Charles today to go over all of our paperwork. It went fine. We have our embassy appointment tomorrow morning at 9:30 a.m. Liberian time. That will be at 4:30 a.m. central time. Please pray that it all goes smoothly.

Third, and most important, we still haven't gotten Kenneth. I spoke with Patty at the AOH office this morning and she said that we will get him tonight or tomorrow. I'll let you know with photos of course.

Oh, we got to hold some amazing babies at the special needs room across from the guest house. They are so sweet. What fun it is to see these amazing children. I know that God has some big plans for them.

We Made It!

We arrived in Liberia around 5:45 p.m. Flights went well. The airport was crazy. We didn't see a lot because it got dark on our way to the guest house. We're anxious to see Monrovia in the daylight. After a brief tour of the house (which is wonderful, by the way), Linda had a great dinner ready for us. We're probably heading to bed now and hopefully we will meet our son tomorrow. More soon.

We're In Brussels!

Here we are in Chicago waiting for our flight to NYC.

Bonjour! We have arrived in Brussels. We got here around 7:00 a.m. on Friday. That was 12:00 a.m. central. We had been up and going since 3:00 a.m. and neither of us were able to sleep on the flight over here from New York. Needless to say, we were both exhausted.

We were able to get into our room at 10:30 a.m. While we were waiting we walked around a bit and grabbed a bite to eat. We slept for several hours and then took a ten minute walk to the Grand Place to see some incredible architecture and have some dinner. We also were able to enjoy some amazing Belgium waffles with cream and chocolate. YUM!!

We will be spending the day in Brussels tomorrow. We will be heading to Liberia on Sunday. I will post more soon.

We Leave Tomorrow!!

The day has finally arrived. Alan and I will board a plane tomorrow to go get our son. Actually, its more like three, but whose counting? It's still hard to believe that we are going. I'm finishing the last of my packing today while the kids are in school. They are so excited about having Kenneth home. I love their enthusiasm. We've had to prepare them to now overwhelm Kenneth when he gets here. There is so much that they want to share with him. They keep asking me what he will sound like. Clay tries to imitate his voice. I have a feeling that we will all be speaking Liberian English soon.

I'm looking forward to our trip and what lies ahead. I will miss the kids tremendously. I know that the two highlights of this journey for me will be when I hold Kenneth for the first time and when our entire family is reunited. The joy and the tears will be there for both moments.

Blessings to you all and I will do my best to blog from Africa.

3 Days To Go!

Donna, who just arrived back from Liberia last week, sent us this photo of Kenneth. Here he is with Grandma Patty. Patty is the founder of Acres Of Hope. I swear that she is a saint. She is an amazing woman who does so much to help the children of Liberia. I hope that we have the opportunity to meet her while we are in Liberia. I'm not sure if she will be there while we are there or not.

Things are slowly falling into place as far a packing goes. All of the necessary paperwork is ready and everything is notarized. I was joking that it is more important for me to have all of the paperwork we need than it is to have clean clothes to wear! Hopefully we'll have both :o).

I'm off to do some more packing now. In seven days I'll be holding my son!! Until then, I think that I will be holding my breath!!!

He Knows That We're Coming!!!

I just spoke with Donna this evening. She said that Kenneth knows that we are coming. Patty Anglin told him that his white mama and papa would be coming in two weeks to get him. I asked Donna what his reaction was and she said that the kids don't really have a sense of time. His reaction was simply "Oh". I'm just glad that he knows that we will be there soon. And we are now talking soon. We are down to six days! WooHoo!!

Packing is going well. We're taking some items over for a few families and some donations as well. What an honor it is to be able to carry items over for families and to bring donations that are desperately needed at the orphanage.

Please continue to pray for the Alonso family and their Liberian girls. They will not be travelling with us. Their travel plans are halted at this point. Please check out their blog for all of the details.

9 Days To Go...

As I type these words, I still have a difficult time wrapping my brain around the fact that we are leaving in 9 days. I still have tons to do. I know it will all get done, it just seems like a lot right now.

The kids started school today. They were only there until noon, but all three of them said that they had a great day, liked their teachers, and enjoyed seeing their friends again. Sophia started kindergarten today, so that means for the first time in 11 years I have no children at home during the day. I have to admit that I shed a few tears on the way out of the school building this morning.

When Chris and Clay started kindergarten, I decided that it would be a good time to write them a letter that will encourage them as they begin their school years. I still need to write Sophia's. Here is the letter that I gave to Clayton last year as he ventured off into the "real world". On occasion I like to pull their letters out and share it with them.

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September 10, 2006


Dear Clayton,
I can’t believe that you are in Kindergarten. Time has flown by so fast for me. I can still remember June 17, 2000, like it was yesterday. It felt like you came into this world so fast. In reality, you didn’t. But when I saw you for the first time and held you in my arms, you stole my heart. Your sweet little eyes looked at me as if to say, “I know that you are my mommy”. I fell in love instantly. You were so tiny with soft blond hair and a sweet little face. I knew right then and there that you would be someone wonderful. Ever since that instant I’ve enjoyed every moment of watching you become the special little boy that you are.
You are so full of energy and your enthusiasm for life is contagious. There is not much in this world that scares you. With the exception of bad dreams, of course. You love trying new things and making others smile with your sense of humor. Simply watching you move puts a smile on my face. After seeing you grow into the little boy that you are, it is time for a new phase of your life to begin…the school years.
These years are going to be full of so many exciting times for you. So many things will change and so many challenges will be placed in front of you. There will be times when you will have some tough decisions to make. From “should I drink white milk or chocolate milk today” to “I wonder what college I should attend” and everything in between.
I want you to understand that no matter what choices you make and no matter whether you succeed or fail, I will always love you. There is nothing you could do that would make me love you less. My love for you does nothing but grow daily.
There will be times in your life when you will feel lonely and scared and wonder if anyone out there is on your side. Always know that no matter what you go through in life, I am here. If you fail a test, I am here. If your best friend says that he hates you, I am here. If you don’t make the team, I am here. If you lose the game, I am here. If she laughs at you, I am here. If you are the last one chosen, I am here. If you say the wrong line, I am here. Through the highs and lows of what you will go through, I am always here. I am always going to be your cheerleader and your encourager.
As you grow into a godly young man remember these three things: 1. God loves you more than you will ever know. 2. Mommy and Daddy love you more than you will ever know. 3. Continue to pray and make your relationship with God a priority. I know that no matter what you decide to do in life, you will be successful. God has some big plans for you and I consider it a blessing that he has given me the opportunity to see how He works in your life.
Accept the challenges in life with enthusiasm and the success in life with humility. You and God are about to do something amazing. I’ m glad that I get to be part of the journey.


Love,
Mommy