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.

_____________________________________________________________

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

Please Pray...

Please join me in praying for a fellow AHO family, the Alonso's. Charity Alonso and a friend of hers will be travelling with us to Liberia. They received some bad news today. The following is what Charity posted in her blog today. (www.internationalmommy.blogspot.com) Thanks for keeping them in your prayers.

Today we were hit with a bombshell. Apparently "Alma" does not believe that the girls' mom is their mother. Apparently she now thinks that the "mother" may be their grandmother and is requesting a dna test. In Liberia this could take MONTHS. After the dna test, if this woman is NOT their mother-they will have to go find their mother-which could take a long time.I am in tears.

We have purchased our tickets, and my friend that is flying with me has already purchased her tickets to here (NC) and to Africa. We are packed- my husband has already gotten his adoption leave applied for. My girls have doctors appointments. Our fingerprints are expiring the beginning of October.

Charles is meeting with the consulate on Tuesday, and I am praying. I AM praying.

I am asking please for your prayers...if you have ever prayed for us before, please pray for us now.Please pray that by some miracle Alma will let this go.

Things are happening in Liberia that show how strong of a hold Satan has on this place....something is happening in Liberia.

I am not giving up.

Tickets are booked!

Today I booked our tickets for our trip to and from Africa. We will leave 14 days from today! I still can't believe it. We will fly out of Chicago have a short layover in New York. In New York we will meet up with another AOH family who is traveling the same week that we are. I'm so excited that the Alonso's will be on this journey with us. Not only has this journey brought us a new child, but it has allowed us to develop lifetime relationships with other families. I consider it one of the perks of the adoption. We will then leave JFK and arrive in Brussels the following morning. We are going to spend two days in Brussels to do some sightseeing, maybe a train trip to Paris, and get rested for the rest of the trip. On September 16 we leave for Monrovia. We should arrive there that evening.

We are scheduled to leave Monrovia to come home on September 21st. We will have a short layover in Brussels. Then on to NY and then to Chicago. I know that none of this is written in stone and we have prepared ourselves as much as we can for the unexpected. Our prayer of course, is that all will go smoothly.

The kids are getting excited. They are planning a welcome home party with grandma who will be taking care of them while we are gone. They're talking cupcakes, streamers and balloons. It brings me so much joy to see their enthusiasm. I know that we will all be exhausted when we get back, but I can't imagine how glad we will be to see their smiling faces when we return. What a day it will be!

WE ARE GOING TO AFRICA!!!!

After almost a year and half of waiting we found out this evening that in 19 days we will be in Liberia to get our son!! It almost feels surreal. We will be arriving in Liberia on September 16th. What is so cool about that is that God has worked this all out so that Alan and I will be in Africa on out 15th wedding anniversary. Who would of thought 15 years ago that we would be celebrating our 15th anniversary in Africa with our new son? I'm so glad that God is in control of all of this. What a way to celebrate! God has given us a precious gift.

As ecstatic as we are, we still have the reality of the shortage of financial resources to face. Please pray for a financial miracle. We have had a tremendous response with our one dollar adoption fundraiser. http://thekettelkamps.onedollaradoption.com Many people have been quite generous on Kenneth's behalf and we are touched deeply by their generosity. But we are still in need of quite a bit before we reach our goal. Supporting Kenneth after he is here is not a problem, it is coming up with a large sum of money to complete our adoption that is the issue. Please pray and share our link with anyone you can.

We are so blessed to be able to share this journey with each of you. I know that it would be quite a dull trip if we didn't have all of you along side us cheering us on and at times holding us up. I thank God for all of you!!

Still Waiting...

We are still waiting to hear how Kenneth's pre-visa interview went and what our travel dates will be. We should be hearing at anytime. As soon as I know something, believe me I will post it. Donna from AOH is currently in Liberia and I believe she is returning this weekend. I hope we know something before then, but if not I know she will update us when she returns.

The kids and I joined daddy in Milwaukee last week. While he was working, we were out having fun. We "quickly" checked out the art museum, visited the children's museum, and the zoo. We ate lots of yummy food and had some awesome family time. It was great being with daddy and spending the last remaining days of our summer break with him.

The kids start school on September 4th. Chris will be in the 5th grade, Clayton will be in 1st grade, and Sophia will be in kindergarten this year. They all say that they are ready to go back. That is half of the battle right there. It should be a fun learning year for them. They all have awesome teachers at a great school. We're looking forward to what this school year holds!



Chris, Clay and Sophia in front of the Milwaukee Art Museum

My little giraffes.
Look at those lions!!
Inside the art museum with Lake Michigan in the background.

Dance With Me...

I just found out from Donna at AOH that Kenneth's pre-visa appointment is scheduled for next week!!!! That means that we will be traveling to get him in September!! I'm dancing!! After all of this waiting, I can't believe that the time to hold our son is so close. I mean, we're talking weeks now. WOW! I'm also a little panicked because I need to get my booty in gear and get organized.

I also found out that in regards to his visa being issued, AOH only needs to contact his father again since he is the one who relinquished the parental rights. His mother abandoned him when he was an infant and locating her may have been difficult.

Thanks for dancing with me and I'll let you know more soon!