Thursday, June 30, 2011

We just booked tickets to Haiti.

We just booked tickets to Haiti. I am so excited I may not sleep till then. I feel like a kid in a candy store. I can't imagine what it will feel like when we bring the home.

We will be seeing the Dean this trip, and spending time with our girls. While we are there we will go to some other orphanages to check on the kids. We are taking kids underware, and baby dolls if anyone wants to help. We will also by food for some of the orphanages.

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

It has been said, “Many things in life catch our eye, but only a few things catch our heart. Those are the things we are passionate about.

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Today our Rosika Faveur Wood turned 12.

She told Moise on Wednesday that her mommy would be calling on Sunday because it was her birthday.

There were no candles, balloons, or cake. We called her early this morning to sing happy birthday to her. She was very happy and laughed. She had written me a note and had Moise to read it I could only understand parts because the connection was real bad. But it was a very special letter. I told her to put it in a special place and give it to me when we come in a few weeks. We told them that we were out of IBESR and the lady we had all been praying for had signed the papers. This will be her last birthday without her parents. When we were in Haiti in May, we celebrated her birthday we had Jell-O and gave her a watch. My prayer today was that God would send someone to give her a hug and let her know she is loved.

It is hard to think that 12 years ago on June 26, 1999 at 6 PM in Haiti my daughter was born. I was not there but God was and he knew that someday she would be ours. I thank God for the woman that gave her life and loved her before I did. I am sorry that she did not live to she her Rose turn 12. I feel so blessed that she in mine. I hope that she will be everything her mother wished and prayed for her to be. I know from what Rosika has said her mother she loved her very much.


Happy Birthday to my big princess and our pretty pink Rose.

June 24th 2011 at 1:42 PM

June 24th 2011 at 1:42 PM
Yesterday Chris and I went on a little road trip to Columbia, KY to pick up some photos that he bought of his great grandparents and great grandmother that he had (amazingly) found on e-bay. While I was waiting for Chris to be ready to leave the house, I read some verses about Gods faithfulness. I told him I put this whole adoption in His hands and could not worry about it anymore, that I had given it to Him & now it was His worry. We started out the morning by going to a few yard sales. We got to Columbia around twelve. We stopped in to get the photos and bought some other items: vintage Kern’s breadbox, a very cool cast iron clothing rack that spins, and a few other vintage photos. The photos of Chris’ family were very cool. Next, we made a stop in Goodwill, but we did not buy anything. Chris saw a combination antique shop & Christian bookstore, J and F Variety, across the street, so we went in. Immediately, I saw two small glass roosters & I knew Brittney would want them, so I called to ask her. She said yes, as I knew she would. I had finished shopping and was waiting on Chris when I felt my phone vibrate. When I answered, it was Diana with All Blessings International (the greatest adoption agency in the world). She asked me if I was sitting down & I said, “No, do I need to?” & she said I might want to. So I found a chair in the shop and sat down & had Chris to come over to hear too. She said, “You are out of IBESR…” and that is about all I can remember. It felt like a dream. I was so happy. I laughed, cried, prayed, and gave thanks to God. I thought this day would never come. But here it is, finally & I am one big step closer to bringing my beautiful Haitian girls home. I pray things go very fast from here, but it is not my worry. I gave it to God. I am just going to praise Him while I wait. Once I hung up with her, I called everyone that I could to let them know we had made it out of the black hole. The hardest call was to our friends the Carvers. I so wish there papers had been signed as well, but I know they will be very soon. Being a sentimentalist, I decided we needed to buy something from the store as a keepsake for the girls. I picked out two vintage keys for them, as they hold the key to my heart. I will add a tag to them that tells about this day and why they are so special. The storeowners asked if we had gotten some good news. We told them we had. They gave us two small American flags for the girls. As we were leaving, I thought I needed to take a picture of this place (as for some reason, I had taken the camera with me). As I took the photo of the place, I noticed what their sign said under the name- “But with God all things are possible.” This made me cry again and also kicked my faith up a notch. As we drove home, I was sailing high. I kept thinking this must be how pregnant women feel. In only a few months, my girls will be here. I have so much to do. When we got home, Candace, Savannah, and Michelle came over to help celebrate. We made these Haitian fried bananas, which I did not like, though everyone else liked them fairly well. But I did enjoy the hot tea and the company. That was a day I will never forget. In the morning, we will tell the girls the news.

So, I know a lot of you are asking what happens next. We will be going to Haiti in July to see the Dean. We enter Parquet Court, which is a very complex series of steps and processes involving multiple offices and repeated trips between them. Then after that comes the Ministry of the Interior, followed by Haitian Immigrations, & then the final step will be US Immigrations. Lastly, after all that, we will be going to Haiti to get our girls. I do not know when this will happen. No one does but God and He is not telling.


Thursday, June 23, 2011

Haitian Picklese (Pikliz)

This turned out so good. I am so proud of myself.

Picklese
6 Scotch bonnet peppers
2 cups thinly sliced or shredded cabbage
1/2 cup thinly sliced or shredded carrots
1/4 cup thinly sliced or shredded onions
4 whole cloves
1 tsp salt
8 to 10 peppercorns (optional)
3 cups vinegar
Directions
1.Snip off the stem of the peppers, cut each into 4 pieces, and keep the seeds. Place hot peppers, cabbage, carrots, onion, cloves, salt, and peppercorn in a quart size jar. Then add vinegar.
2.Close jar tightly and let sit at least 24-48 hours before serving.

Haitian Pumpkin Bread

I am trying my hand at Haitian cooking so I am going to share a few recipes we have tried with you all. Maybe my girls will love my Haitian food. This was really good with some homemade peach jelly, and mango slices.



Haitian Pumpkin Bread

Makes 2 Loaves

1C. Milk
1 C. Pumpkin
1/4 C. Sugar
2. Eggs
1/2 C. Warm Water
1/2 tsp. Ginger
2 tbs. Baking Soda
6 1/2 C. Flour
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Cinnamon

Mix milk, pumpkin, butter, sugar, and warm water, and eggs. Sift together all dry ingredients and mix with the liquid mixture. Pour into greased loaf pans and bake for 1 hour. At 350

Friday, June 10, 2011

Haiti words of the day

Wi - Yes
yo - they, them
Non - No
Mesi - Thanks
We have volunteered at the nursing home for 12 years and you have the ones you love and then you have the ones who become family. Today I found out one of the ones that is family past away. I will miss being called Polly, do you have 50 cents for a diet RC, and you don't by cigarettes do you Polly. Bobby was blind but now he can see. I wonder what he thought when he saw heaven. I would have loved to been there to see the look on his face. Imagine never seeing and the first time you do it is heaven. I will miss him.

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Child Slave, Wendell's Song (16 years old) Port-au-Prince, Haiti

We meet Wendell playing on the street out by the airport. I found this on you tube and wanted to share.

Haiti words of the day

Bonjou or alo (hello)
orevwa (goodbye)
jodi a (today)
demen (tomorrow)
ki kote (where)

Monday, June 6, 2011

Haiti words of the day

M ap vini (I am coming)
mwen sonje ou (I miss you)
mwen sonje ou anpil (I miss you so much)

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Mothers Day

I spent my second Mother's day in Haiti with the girls. This verse from a song keeps coming to mind-

"I wanna give her the world, I wanna hold her hand, I wanna be her mom for as long as I can, and I wanna live every moment until that day comes, I wanna show her what it means to be loved."

Last Sunday was Haitian mothers day. Our little one was so sad that I was not there so she could give me a hug and kiss. I called the girls on the phone. O how I miss them. So tonight I was thinking of this song again as I thought of them and wondered if they were asleep yet. Had anyone told them today how special they are, held their hand, gave them a hug or kiss, or wiped the dirt from their knees.

We got word last week that our little one had gotten a cut on the elbow. I should have been their for her. I should have been the one to put the bandage on her to kiss her and tell her it was going to be ok. I feel as if I have let her down.

We love Jello part 1

We love Jello part 2

Saturday, June 4, 2011

June 1st.

June 1st....... You wake up everyday and tell yourself this just might be the day. Every time the phone rings you think this might just be the call. Somedays the waiting gets to you. When you are pregnant you know in 9 months you will have that baby, but that is not how it works in adoption. It is even worse anticipation when you know you are waiting on just one lady to sign her name.  I think we should send her a real nice ink pen. Then there is the choice black,or blue ink. Maybe that is it she is having a hard time trying to decide which color to sign her name with....