Tuesday, January 26, 2010

You would think this would already be a done deal . . .

I am sure frustration levels are at an extreme high with my friends right now.  My friend's wife went down on Fri. with her sister and their daughter.  A plane with some of the kids from the orphanage arrived on Sat. evening, but their children were not supposed to be on it.  Then when she saw video of the children she saw her daughter Patricia in the group, but not her brother Philippe.  Soooo . . . Patricia arrived on Sat. evening and they expected Philippe Sunday afternoon or Monday morning.  Now, the Prime Minister has stopped the flights of the orphans with Philippe still in Haiti without his older sister.  I am sure our State Senator has been contacted about this, but I am just astonished. 

When my friends were planning on adopting they saw Patricia and then within the month they found out she had a younger brother.  They knew that they would never separate siblings and how that would just break the hearts of these children.  There is just no way that these kids who have been in the adoption process for two years have a different status of adoption--they have the same parents--and now they have been separated by people who just want to show that they are in charge.  I don't know how they could think that this is an okay thing to do. 

Also, by allowing these children to come to the US, the orphanage is better equipped to handle children who have been orphaned by the earthquake.  They have already been able to take in about 30 children.  If they didn't have to be worrying about the rest of the children waiting to come to the US, they would be able to care for more.  I am sure it is the same way with other orphanages in Haiti.

I guess I understand not wanting children to be sent willy-nilly around the world, but I have not yet heard of any child coming over from Haiti that was not supposed to be adopted and didn't have their parents waiting for them.  Maybe its happened, but you would sure think the news sources would be up on that happening as they have been at the airports waiting for the children along with parents.

Don't know what else to say . . .

Friday, January 22, 2010

Coming Home!

The children should be coming home tonight or tomorrow morning!  My friend's wife and her sister on on there way or already in FL now to pick up their kids whenever they arrive.  I believe that 114 children from the orphanage will be coming to the US from this orphanage (these were the children already in process of being adopted).  Now the orphanage will not need to care for so many children (approx. 15 children were not in process of being adopted yet) and can focus on helping birth families that are in need of help.

The kids have been back and forth and unsure of what will be happening to them for the past week during aftershocks and small amounts of food.  Plus, media attention--CNN's Solodad O'Brien went with the children on the bus yesterday to the embassy (the bus ended up having to turn back as the children were getting sick in the heat and waiting in clogged streets).

I can often whine and complain (maybe not out loud all the time, but it is still there running through my mind) about how things are going in my life.  Don't have enough money, our furniture is mostly handed down through family and friends, but I need to be reminded of how my life has been blessed.  Those who have been blessed with much need to give much.  Give their prayers, give their time, give what they can . . .

We have all been blessed in some way, so we should give of those blessings to others.  What have you been blessed with?  How can you use what you have to help those around you?

PS  I think I may have to look back on this post when I want to start to whine about things.  I'm one of those people who needs lots of reminders!

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Update

The kid's orphanage was on Fox News over the weekend.  The reporter that came upon the orphanage found the children with almost no food and water with no help having arrived, but they alerted the powers that be and relief has been sent there way (what little there is that can actually get to them).  Out of the 130 or so children there about 120 are already in process of being adopted and many of them have been in limbo for at least a year.  There is a plane waiing for the kids in the Dominican Republic and our friends are on call to be ready to have their children very soon.

They are waiting on clearance from the State Department.  All of the children have visas in hand and they just need the ok.

Soon, soon, soon!

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Prayer for my friends kids in Haiti NEEDED

My friends whose children are in one of the orphanages in Haiti need prayers sent their way.  They just got news from the orphanage about the actual current status at the orphanage and are in need of real help.

Follow this link to the orphanage website for details.

Some good news: They have news from the state department that they will be trying to get all of the children who are in process of being adopted to their families in the US and finish the paperwork here, but they need to make it through until that time comes--with travel being the way it is and red tape that needs to get cut and also making sure that children and their paperwork can successfully be put together to find their families.  There are also many other children who have lost their parents in this time and I am sure it is hard to know who to trust as well.  My heart just cries for these kids!

Friday, January 15, 2010

Happy Birthday Dan!



Dan doesn't go on the internet--we don't have internet at home--he doesn't quite know how to turn on the computer we have at home.  Perhaps if we get the internet someday (hmmm, someway needed to convince Dan that this should become a monthly household expense--difficult to do with a person who doesn't care for computers) he would actually spend many hours just browsing all over at things rather than working on the house and making it nice.  Hmmm . . . scrap that, 130-140 year old houses need work and we need to finish off projects.  All that being said--he won't read this--he won't see how happy I am for him that it is his birthday and that we are going out to eat at Applebee's tonight.  (and getting spicy wings--I am sure).  BUT . . . I will let him know that I wrote up a little something about his birthday and I'll even let him know that I think he's kinda cute.



Anyone else want to send my wonderful husband well wishes?  Just leave a comment and I'll let him know that somebody, somewhere out there that he has never heard of or might have heard a few words about at some point, but won't remember because he barely remembers that I have a blog because the word "blog" means nothing to him (except that Pioneer Woman has one and we stood in line for 5 hours to get my cookbook signed not to mention the 3 hours round trip in the vehicle).



Soooo . . . anyway Happy Birthday to my Dan.  The one that takes the gross things out of the refrigerator for me, plows out the driveway, does the heavy lifting, does pretty leatherwork and remembers that I love wild flowers!



Thursday, January 14, 2010

Help for Haiti

Friends of mine have been going through the process of adopting 2 children from Haiti for the past couple of years.  As many people are aware adoption processes can take a long time.  During this time they have been down to visit their children several times, but have not been able to bring them home yet.  The orphanage where they are staying did get damaged in the earthquake.  So far it sounds like the children are ok, but a couple of workers at the orphanage were hurt.  (The director and a nanny).  We don't know the extent of their specific injuries, but please remember these children in your prayers and, if possible, send a donation to a solid charity that is working in Haiti.

Some suggestions:
Doctor's Without Borders
The Red Cross
World Relief
or if you would like send a donation directly to the orphanage where my friend's children are
http://www.forhisgloryoutreach.org/earthquake_relief

Please remember to pray for my friends who have already been struggling with not being able to bring their children home from an already devastated country.  I cannot imagine how it must feel to know that your children are stuck in the middle of all of this.

The children and families of this country are already struggling so much and now this earthquake has taken so much more away.  If you can send nothing else, send your love and prayers to people who are in great need.

Thank you.

Thursday, January 07, 2010

Smiles for the New Year!


Lake Jennie Church at Christmastime--our little country church



(There were a few tears before Christmas, I'm sad to say)  All my busy times just got pushed together and if I was better at organizing my time, they might not have been there at all, but golly, I hate to organize my time!

We had Christmas Eve at our house this year for my family--no big deal really-everything as basically clean and it was just my parents and one of my brothers with his wife and son.  The food was easy enough and I enjoy making food and making treats, but when you combine that with editing down school Christmas Programs (also a fun time), finishing off your own gifts to give (fun, too), and finishing off other people's gifts to give (fun as well, I like my job) it gets to be a lot of stuff to get done.  Dan ended up doing all of the wrapping of presents which was very nice!

While my brother was at my place we went sledding out in the South yard (cow yard? former goat pasture?) with him and my nephew.  With all the new snow we had gotten it was so much fun.  Even the cows wanted in on the party (wish I had some pictures--I'm waiting on getting them from my brother as we had his camera out there with us).

Christmas was at Dan's parent's place and was really fun as well!  Just a nice relaxing day with his family.

Dan had the whole week from Christmas through New Year's off, so he did all sorts of things around the house.  Most not very visible (like leveling the stove and refrigerator, plugging up mouse holes, and helping sort through all the cupboards and the big walk-in closet)  We threw away so much stuff and have things a lot more organized once again.

Now just a couple of fun photos of the critters I've taken the last couple weeks!


Dakota rolling in the driveway on a cold winter's day--
it was well below zero at this point, but she'd been cooped up inside all night!


Forgive the bit of blurriness and shadow in this picture, I've been trying to get a good picture of Bernie as he sucks on one of our blankets for a while and this is the best one so far (what with poor lighting and the flash blowing out the picture).  Bernie just loves to nurse on blankets--a comforting thing I suppose since his mother left him alone in our chicken coop at such a young age.  Norman used to do this, too with one of our extremely soft blankets, but Bernie really seems to like these striped wool Southwestern style blankets.  Never knew bright blue stripes looked so much like a mother cat!  (Of course, Norman has also stepped in as a surrogate mother at times--who knew a big 6 year-old neutered male cat could be such a loving mother!)

Hope the new year will bring you smiles and fun moments now and again, too!