Aw, I'm sure missin' this sweet little face.......

After returning home from Guatemala, I decided to make some changes to my blog. I've removed any mention of the name of the orphanage where Nola is staying. In an effort to protect her and the progress of the case, I've also removed the link to the fund raising site. I hated to have to do that but I don't want to take any chances. I know the orphanage director would not have let us in, if she knew our connection with Nola. I couldn't take a chance of someone with authority googling "the name of the orphanage" and pulling up our blog. For now I will walk on the safe side.

We were all so blessed on our trip. It was truly a life changing event. God's hands were most definitely surrounding every aspect of the trip. It could not have been more perfect! We all left with a sincere desire to do everything we can to help all of the children housed in the Orphanage. We have already started making plans for next year. We spoke with the director about taking the children to the zoo and she loved the idea! We're talking about tie-dying little shirts so the kids are easily recognizable, taking a deep breath.................and going for it! I think we'll have a blast. We even got a quote for renting our own "chicken bus". We're thinking about going the end of July or the first of August next summer.

Between now and then, we're going to work on getting bumper pads made for the baby beds. The director said they could really use them. The beds are small, similar to portacribs. I would imagine toddlers who move around a lot when they sleep would probably bonk their heads easily since there is little wiggle room. We also hope to provide some twin size sheets for the special needs children area. They're also in need of some pack-n-plays. They currently only have one and would like to have more for the children who have seizures.

I will be returning to Guatemala for Nola's court hearing. It's scheduled for August 10th at noon. I'm praying the judge will release Nola to her foster mother and if so, I'll be able to have her with me while I'm visiting. It will be a quick trip with just Maria and me traveling.

I'm praying for good things to happen!!

One last picture. This is Mark consoling Nola after she was put in the time out chair.......................for biting! We're going to have our hands full when she comes home............but I can't wait!

One Happy Momma!!!

First of all, I'm sorry for not posting sooner. We have had a wonderful time! And yes, the picture below is me with our sweet Nola! The orphanage director let us take all the pictures we wanted, so we took a bunch. Between Alison and me we probably have close to 300 pictures inside the hogar with children. Nola wasn't too happy to have momma holding her at first but very soon...........................................she was holding on and not letting go. What a wonderful feeling! She seems to be doing very well. The staff is doing the best they can for the children and it is evident the children are loved.

Our little one is quite the eater. All the kids are! They all sat at their little table and fed themselves spaghetti.............what a mess! While Nola was eating, the little girl beside her put her hand in Nola's bowl but not for long. Nola started shaking her head no and bonked the little girl on the head. She has obviously learned how to stand up for herself. When I saw that I was actually happy. Not happy that she hit the other little girl, but seeing she has a strong will and is able to stand up for herself already helped me to know she will be alright in the situation she's in.

I have so many pictures to post and so much to say about our trip so far. I'll post on the orphanage site tomorrow.

Please know that all of our prayers for this trip have been answered. It has been the most rewarding experience I think I've ever had. God is watching over us.

Gotta go for now but will post more soon.

The Bags Are Packed........

.......and the van is crammed full! We leave tonight at midnight for Guatemala. We're driving to Chicago to fly out of O'Hare. We'll be in Guatemala tomorrow at 11:41 Guat time. We're going to hit the ground running. Tomorrow will be shopping day and Saturday and Sunday will be hogar days. We're all so excited about taking the donations to the hogar. I'm even more excited about the possibility of seeing Nola.
We'll keep you posted.
Pray for safe travel and a successful mission trip!

A Lot Has Happened Over the Last Few Weeks...

....Some happy and some sad. I have been very busy with everyday life. Several weeks ago, Mark's mom fell and basically crushed one of the bones in her arm near her wrist. At 86 years old, the question was whether or not to do surgery to repair the damage. Without surgery, the Dr said she would probably have constant pain and not be able to use her hand well. She opted to do the surgery. It was done using a nerve block so she didn't have to be completely put out since that would be a real strain on her heart and her kidneys. The surgery was done in mid April and she just couldn't seem to bounce back. It was all just too much of a strain on her already too frail body. She passed away June 5th after spending time in the nursing home and then the hospital. It was a sad time around here. She had moved out of our house and into an assisted living apartment in January and seemed to have a new lease on life. She made new friends and was enjoying the activities there. Her new and old friends are going to miss her. The Young and the Restless has lost it's most faithful viewer. The game of euchre has lost a fierce competitor. The sports world has lost a huge fan and my kids have lost their last grandma. We're going to miss you Ruth!

If you haven't checked out the **** ****** site, our fund raising efforts are going through the roof! We have raised over $3,000!!!
We have planned our first trip to deliver donations. We're arriving in Guatemala on July 3rd and will be taking donations to the children on the 4th. Then, (this is the fun part) we get to go back on Sunday the 5th to take ice cream and toppings to let the kids make sundaes. It's gonna be such a good time! Mark and I are going as well as our son Joshua and his wife Alison and our friend Cheryl from church. Please pray that everything will fall into place. We need a truck to haul the playground items we will be buying. We will only have Friday afternoon to find and purchase everything we want to take to the hogar so it will be a whirlwind first couple of days, but oh so worth it. The children will be so happy! We have actually received so many clothes and misc items, I don't know if we will be able to take everything down with us this trip, but there will be more trips. Everything will eventually get there.

It's been a busy summer already and summer isn't even here yet! Our youngest son Kyle celebrated a birthday as well as our daughter-in-law Alison.

Happy Birthday Guys!!

Kelsey has already attended Dance camp

That's her in the middle bent over backwards. She's now in Florida with the school Beta Club attending their National Convention. When she gets back, it's going to be time for Volley Ball camp. I was really hoping she could get a job this summer to at least help pay for gas in her car that she seems to go through like it's water! Not lookin' like that's going to happen.

Tim and Anna, as a farming family, have been stressing a bit over the insane amount of rain we've been getting. Our little breaks in the precip haven't been quite enough to let them get in the fields and stay there. But at least there have been the little breaks. Riley isn't stressing over anything. He is growing so fast it's unbelievable and such a good baby!

Joshua and Alison have decided on an adoption agency and are sending all their paperwork in soon. Hopefully we'll have another grand baby to spoil soon!

And then there's Maria. Maria is ready for fall so preschool and dance class will start. She's been working on her letters and her tumbling so she'll be ready when fall comes around again. She even wrote a letter to baby Nola today. It kind of looks like ocean waves, but it actually says "Mommy and Daddy love you and I miss you" (I only know that because Maria told me that's what it said). Then she went on to show Nola all of the letters she could make...........very sweet!

There's no Nola news. The lawyer we contacted has had no luck yet getting our court date moved up. It's looking like we're going to wait until August. I guess the way this summer's flying by, August will be here before we know it.

I think you're pretty well caught up now. Life's been crazy, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

Keep the prayers comming!

WAIT!!!!!...........STOP THE PRESSES!!!!
WE HAVE MORE NEWS!!!
Mark got a call this morning..........HE HAS A NEW JOB!!!!!
He starts July 13th at a small biotechnology company in Terre Haute!
Praise the Lord.......A true answer to prayer!!!

Our Saturday Get Away

(Orphanage link deleted to protect Nola)

I've surprised myself in getting a Paypal Donate button up and running on the **** ******* site. If you have planned to donate, it's now easier with Paypal.

On Saturday morning, Mark and I took off on the bike for a day long trip. We headed down to Madison. It's located in Southeastern Indiana on the Ohio river. If you haven't been there, it is such a beautiful town. Now, for some reason, I have no pictures to prove that so you'll have to take my word for it. Beautiful homes built in the 1800's line the main street. Downtown there are quaint antique shops and specialty shops. We're going back sometime when we have more time to explore.

Clifty Falls State Park is just outside Madison. Riding through the park in the shade of the towering trees was a welcome change from the midday sun. There are several trails in the park leading to waterfalls. We only had time to take one. Hiking in our motorcycle boots wasn't the most comfortable but seeing the falls made it worth it.

Ah, chivalry is not dead!

How sweet of my hubby to hold that giant boulder up out of the way so I could continue down the path.

This picture of the falls does not do justice to the actual beauty of the scene. I couldn't get far enough away to get a nice picture of the falls without it being covered by trees. The sound of the water was so relaxing. It truly is a special place. The park would be a great place to camp if you're a camper (I am, but my family's not). If you ever get the chance, head down to Madison. http://www.oldmadison.com/

Adoption news: There's none to share. The lawyer who is going to try and get our court date moved up gets back from his vacation tomorrow. You can bet I'll be sending him a message reminding him............................we're still waiting.

I'll keep you posted!

Back To Everyday Life

I've had a hard time talking myself into posting something new on this blog. I don't want to take away from the needs of the children of **** *******. Sooooooooo, I've started another blog, (web address deleted to protect Nola) and hopefully you will visit there and follow our fundraising efforts. I added a link over on the right to make that easier I just wish it was more noticeable. The donations are starting to come in and I will update that site weekly. If you would like to donate, we hope to have our first shipment leaving the end of June.

There is good news on the adoption front (not our adoption front). Our good friends Danny and Brittney have gotten a favorable ruling from the judge and their case is going back to PGN. They had a court date Friday and the Judge made her ruling yesterday. That is certainly something to WOOOOHOOOO about!

Lets pray that little Kinsey is home with her Mami and Papi very soon!
Don't you just love that hair!!!

http://babygirlreyher.blogspot.com/

Now, on to the family stuff I've been neglecting. So much goes on in a family our size.

On April 19th, my number four child turned 17! Unbelievable! Happy Birthday Kelsey!

Then it was prom time. Doesn't she look beautiful!!! And her date was quite handsome! Our pink dogwood tree made the perfect backdrop for pictures on the porch.




The day I had been anticipating (and fearing) finally came, May 2nd, our mini marathon day! We drove up to Indy the evening before so we could miss that hour and a half drive the day of the race. We all ate dinner at Max and Erma's (yummy) then it was off to our hotel. Upon our arrival, we found out the hotel sold our rooms that we had reserved months before and confirmed the night before. Luckily, there was a hotel with some open rooms not too far away. That in itself was a miracle! Race day was just perfect, cool and partly cloudy. We couldn't have asked for better. We started the race in corral X. That means we were way, way back in the field of starters. It actually took us 26 minutes and 10 seconds to get to the starting line after the race had started. There were around 35,000 racers. It was an awesome experience! I finished in 3 hours and 13 minutes. I walked of course with my two walking buddies Alice and Michelle. We averaged 14 min, 45 sec miles. My goal was to complete the race in 15 minute miles or less and WE DID IT!!!!! I have a medal to prove it! All in all it was a great experience!


We just finished updating our homestudy for the second time during this adoption. Paperwork............what a joy! Hope you can sense the sarcasm. The lawyer we contacted to see if he can get our court date moved up will be back from his European vacation on the 29th. He promised to do his best to help us as soon as he gets back. I pray he can get the job done. Our little Nola needs something good to happen. I'm so worried about her mental and emotional state. No child should have to endure the life altering changes she has experienced in the short time she's been in this world. I'm praying God will heal her little broken heart quickly and completely when we get her home.

Please continue your prayers. All of the children caught up in this mess need to be remembered along with all of those who may not have an opportunity to have a happy forever home.

HELP FOR ORPHANS OF GUATEMALA

Thanks to everyone who has offered to help make the lives of the children in "the hogar" a little brighter. I've been trying to figure out the best way to ship supplies and donations but I feel like I'm wasting time. Those details can be ironed out as we take in donations and see what kind of shipment we actually have to send.


Here are some facts about the orphanage. There are two houses. The first one is home to 97 children from birth to 6 years of age. The home is overcrowded and understaffed, although the staff seems to be doing their best to care for the children. The biggest need at this house is clothing, shoes and playground equipment. The second house houses 15 special needs children on the first floor and 17 babies from 1 month to 9 months of age on the second floor. The second house needs everything you can think of for babies:


*Bottles
*Nipples
*Pacifiers
*Formula
*Diapers
*Small toys with lights and music
*Exercsaucers (3 or 4)
*Punkin seats or bouncy seats (aprox. 6)
*Baby bed Mobiles (could use 15)
*Soft rubber interlocking floor squares
*(No stuffed animals or cloth toys that can't be wiped down with antibacterial wipes)


I was not allowed to take any pictures of the children but I do have a few pictures of empty rooms. The hogar is clean. The colors of the rooms are bright and cheerful but there are just too many children and not enough staff. Any kind of toys that offer stimulation for the younger children would be a great benefit. Unfortunately they spend way too much time in their beds and their little brains need to be working.


It's hard to tell by this picture, but this is the play area for the first house. It's a concrete slab. There are two rubber balls, three half tires sticking out of the ground, a small plastic slide and a baby swing. That's the extent of their playground equipment.


This is a typical bedroom. As you can see, it's full of beds. Each bedroom I saw was completely full of rows of beds with just enough room to walk around each row. Most rooms had a rocking chair where the room mother could sit. The day I was there, each room mother I saw was holding and rocking a sick child. With so many children in such a small space, they can't help but pass along their sickness to each other.

This is their little dining room. There were 18 little chairs around this table and it's the only one in the room. I can't imagine 18 toddlers sitting down and sitting still at a table like this but I guess if they want to eat, they learn to sit and sit still.

It no longer makes sense to ask why our little Nola has been placed here. I've seen for myself the need of these children and I have to do all I can to help them.

Small items can be sent relatively easy. Our friends Danny and Brittney are traveling down the end of June and have offered to take an extra suitcase full of donations with them. I'm sure I'll be traveling down again sometime soon and I will take all I can with me. It might make more sense to purchase large items while in Guatemala. We'll just wait and see how shipping fees turn out.

If you would like to donate items (new or gently used) send them to:

Shelburn First Baptist Church

520 West Mill Street

Shelburn, IN 47879

Monetary donations in the form of check or money order can also be sent to the church.

Please be sure you put Guatemala or Guatemala Orphanage on the memo line.

If you have a specific way you would like the money to be used, just enclose a note with your wishes.

I would love to outfit the playground with some Little Tikes play houses or something similar and some ride or pedal toys. The children will be so grateful for anything we send. They currently have nothing so anything we send will be wonderful.

I'll keep you all updated with lists of items donated.